What Are You Reading?

ixoy

Ping Chow Chi wrote: »

I gave up after the first book, it seemed very 'preachy' if you know what I mean?

It remains so. I'm not a fan of Asher's right-wing view on issues and they're very much to the fore in this, which left a bit of a bad taste at times.

daUbiq

So, I've read a few John Wyndham novels recently and for a complete change of pace and style I have decided to read all the Revelation space novels by Alastair Reynolds again.

Zapp Brannigan

Finished Lions of Al-Rassan last night. Really enjoyed it, loved how it ended

The vague first person view in the fight between Rodrigo and Ammar

. Was so tense and then the Epilogue still teases you.

Buford T. Justice XIX

Zapp Brannigan wrote: »

Finished Lions of Al-Rassan last night. Really enjoyed it, loved how it ended

The vague first person view in the fight between Rodrigo and Ammar

. Was so tense and then the Epilogue still teases you.

Phew:-)

TwoShedsJackson

I just finished 'Sailing to Sarantium', bought on a recommendation in this thread and thought it was very good - took a while to get into the author's style but once I did I really enjoyed it.

SepTomBer

I'm reading A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

Bits_n_Bobs

SepTomBer wrote: »

I'm reading A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

Just started that yesterday - promising start!

Paddy Samurai

I have been looking forward to this for a while. Just started it this morning.

Just finished Valour by John Gwynne ,and liked it big time .Part 3 is out in July.I love authors that don't make you wait too long for their next book.I'm looking at You RR Martin.

Paddy Samurai

Zapp Brannigan wrote: »

Finished Lions of Al-Rassan last night.

I keep hearing good things about this ,one i hope to read soon.I have a copy sitting on my shelf for the last year.:o

pH

Not having much luck lately ...

Read Peter Brett's Painted Man - found the basic concept too silly - that coupled with his obsession with child-sex and not great reviews for the next books, which seemingly rehash the same story from different PoVs and then spam new characters - well no more of this series for me.

Next was 'The Bloody North' by Tony Healey, was hoping for something abercrombieish but for a novel about a man obsessed with getting revenge for the rape and murder of his wife

you don't pussy out and make the central character forgive the killer, I'll never trust this author again

Also read Magic 2.0 (Scott Meyer) funny in parts, clever in parts but I'm not rushing off to buy book 2.

Currently reading The Stone Man by Luke Smitherd - liking it so far, but it's certainly not great or a classic by any means.

TitianGerm

Zapp Brannigan wrote: »

Finished Lions of Al-Rassan last night. Really enjoyed it, loved how it ended

The vague first person view in the fight between Rodrigo and Ammar

. Was so tense and then the Epilogue still teases you.

Is this a one off book or a series ?

ixoy

pH wrote: »

Read Peter Brett's Painted Man - found the basic concept too silly - that coupled with his obsession with child-sex and not great reviews for the next books, which seemingly rehash the same story from different PoVs and then spam new characters - well no more of this series for me.

Read the first and, like you, wasn't particularly enthused and made less so also by the other reviews.

Also read Magic 2.0 (Scott Meyer) funny in parts, clever in parts but I'm not rushing off to buy book 2.

I enjoyed this and I did pick up the second book - got it for £0.99 on one of Amazon's bargains. Paid the same for the first book and definitely worth it at that price.

emmetkenny wrote: »

Is this a one off book or a series ?

It's a one off and I really enjoyed it as well. Broadly speaking a lot of his books are in the same universe but it's only in small details.

TitianGerm

ixoy wrote: »

Read the first and, like you, wasn't particularly enthused and made less so also by the other reviews.


I enjoyed this and I did pick up the second book - got it for £0.99 on one of Amazon's bargains. Paid the same for the first book and definitely worth it at that price.


It's a one off and I really enjoyed it as well. Broadly speaking a lot of his books are in the same universe but it's only in small details.

Thanks for that. I tried the sample on amazon and it seemed good.
Getting a Paper white next week so think this will be my first purchase.

DubiousV

Reading thief of time at the mo, so sad this week.

ixoy

36% into "Fitz and the Fool" by Robin Hobb, the first in her new trilogy. I recall a number of posters here didn't like it but so far I'm really enjoying it. Sure it's slow paced but hey books generally are. I like the characterisation and the standard of writing is much higher than normal for the genre.

Kovu

Almost finished Xenocide by Orson SC and am launching myself into the entire Discworld series that I had been holding off on starting.

Satori Rae

Them by Jon Ronson!!! It is awesome!!

Raoul Duke

ixoy wrote: »

36% into "Fitz and the Fool" by Robin Hobb, the first in her new trilogy. I recall a number of posters here didn't like it but so far I'm really enjoying it. Sure it's slow paced but hey books generally are. I like the characterisation and the standard of writing is much higher than normal for the genre.

I agree. I didn't care that "nothing" was happening. Felt totally drawn into their small world.

About to start The Autumn Republic, the 3rd in the Powder Mage trilogy. But I find myself having forgotten the climax of the previous book. Can someone recommend a site that does recaps of books please, if such a one exists? Google only gets me reviews of the book where they are afraid to spoil. I want the spoilers though.

theLuggage

ixoy wrote: »

36% into "Fitz and the Fool" by Robin Hobb, the first in her new trilogy. I recall a number of posters here didn't like it but so far I'm really enjoying it. Sure it's slow paced but hey books generally are. I like the characterisation and the standard of writing is much higher than normal for the genre.

How did I miss this! Didn't realise this trilogy existed, have only just recently finished the Rain Wild Chronicles. Can't wait to get stuck into the Fitz and the Fool!

Kalman

"The Grass Arena" [John Healy>>> Penguin]

Dutchess

ixoy wrote: »

36% into "Fitz and the Fool" by Robin Hobb, the first in her new trilogy. I recall a number of posters here didn't like it but so far I'm really enjoying it. Sure it's slow paced but hey books generally are. I like the characterisation and the standard of writing is much higher than normal for the genre.

There is a new Fitz book?! Where have I been?

Just when I was craving a dose of high fantasy!

Dan_Solo

New fantasy is next on the rotation, so it's Richard K. Morgan's 2008 book, The Steel Remains. A few chapters in and it's fairly straightforward hack n slash skirmishing before presumably the epic questing etc kicks off. Nothing amazing. Reminds me of the old D+D novels which I have a bizarre soft spot for (in moderation). It's a trilogy so it'll have to pick up its game for me to read the lot...

Thargor

Yeah I havent read it yet either, I used to look forward to his stuff but it all got a bit bland.

I finished Duma Key by Stephen King, no idea why I waited this long to read it, it was okay, standard King fare is about the best you could say about it, was never tempted to drop it but it didnt exactly keep me reading until 3am either. Now Im finishing off the Dune series with ChapterHouse Dune, forgot to read it when I binged on all the sequels a few months back.

mcgovern

Finished The Abyss Beyond Dreams, it was ok, but not brilliant. I'll probably finish the series, but don't think I'd start anymore based on this universe.
After that I read Memory of Light. While it felt rushed and not as epic as I would have hoped, it was still great to finish the series, and it was a decent end to the series.
Next up was Dread Empire's Fall by Walter Jon Williams. It felt more like the first half of a larger novel, as opposed to a stand alone novel. It seemed to be setting everything up, but not enough happened in it to keep my attention. I may read the rest but they won't be at the top of the list.
Finally, I've started The Dark Defiles by Richard Morgan (co-incidence!), so far its continuing on in the same vein as the previous books in the series.

daUbiq

mcgovern wrote: »

Finished The Abyss Beyond Dreams, it was ok, but not brilliant. I'll probably finish the series, but don't think I'd start anymore based on this universe.
After that I read Memory of Light. While it felt rushed and not as epic as I would have hoped, it was still great to finish the series, and it was a decent end to the series.
Next up was Dread Empire's Fall by Walter Jon0 Williams. It felt more like the first half of a larger novel, as opposed to a stand alone novel. It seemed to be setting everything up, but not enough happened in it to keep my attention. I may read the rest but they won't be at the top of the list.
Finally, I've started The Dark Defiles by Richard Morgan (co-incidence!), so far its continuing on in the same vein as the previous books in the series.

Just finished Revelation Space wich was not as exciting as the first time... Just read the beginning of Abyss Beyond Dreams which seems good so far but perhaps lacking something.

mcgovern

daUbiq wrote: »

Just finished Revelation Space wich was not as exciting as the first time... Just read the beginning of Abyss Beyond Dreams which seems good so far but perhaps lacking something.

I loved Revelation Space but havent re-read it in a long time. The new world in Abyss Beyond Dreams just doesn't seem as interesting as Makkathran.

daUbiq

mcgovern wrote: »

I loved Revelation Space but havent re-read it in a long time. The new world in Abyss Beyond Dreams just doesn't seem as interesting as Makkathran.

My intention is to read all the revelation space books again but I really like Peter F. Hamilton's books so... Maybe he needs to build a new universe?

Thargor

I just wish they would destroy or escape the Void and get back into the real galaxy, its a great universe its just a bit boring inside the Void when dealing with the politics etc, it all seems a bit amateurish in there whereas outside with Sheldon and the Raeil, High Angel etc is classic Hamilton.

daUbiq

Thargor wrote: »

I just wish they would destroy or escape the Void and get back into the real galaxy, its a great universe its just a bit boring inside the Void when dealing with the politics etc, it all seems a bit amateurish in there whereas outside with Sheldon and the Raeil, High Angel etc is classic Hamilton.

I'm only 120 pages into it so can't really comment on the plot yet... I did enjoy the prologue though!

mcgovern

daUbiq wrote: »

My intention is to read all the revelation space books again but I really like Peter F. Hamilton's books so... Maybe he needs to build a new universe?

I'd love another book in that universe with the Primes in it.