What Are You Reading?

Buford T. Justice XIX

Just after finishing 'Legend' by David Gemmll.

Classic.

And started 'A Game of Thrones' by another unknown author GRR Martin.

looking good so far:)

Mark Tapley

ElWalrus wrote: »

Started into 'Revelation Space' by Alastair Reynolds on the back of enjoying 'House of Suns' so much. Just starting to get interesting.

On a side note, I reread 'Blindsight' and 'Echopraxia' by Peter Watts again. Loved those books, and I hear he's working on a follow up!

Starfish and Maelstrom by Peter Watts have free ebooks available on Feedbooks - http://www.feedbooks.com/books/search?query=starfish

I'm listening to The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber. Its about a missionary to an alien planet. I'm not religious myself so wasn't sure about this book. It had rave reviews by Philip Pullman and David Mitchell so I thought it would be worth a go. I am finding it engrossing so far and am not sure where it is heading. The narrator does a great job with the alien voices I will have to look at the print version to see how it deals with the garbled words.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Book-Strange-New-Things-ebook/dp/B00K2ZGPSE/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1450139148&sr=1-1&keywords=the+book+of+strange+new+things

Manach

Shadow Revolution by Griffith.
A by the numbers but competently written Victorian Fantasy focusing on Werewolves. Decent enough.

SpaceSasqwatch

ElWalrus wrote: »

Started into 'Revelation Space' by Alastair Reynolds on the back of enjoying 'House of Suns' so much. Just starting to get interesting.

On a side note, I reread 'Blindsight' and 'Echopraxia' by Peter Watts again. Loved those books, and I hear he's working on a follow up!

the revelation space trilogy is excellent stuff..enjoy!

Andy-Pandy

I'm lucky enough to be able to listen to audio books when I work and I've just finished listening to the Dresden files by Jim butcher. Really excellent stuff. I'd had it on the back burner to read for years but gave the audio books a try and I've had one he'll of journey over the last 6 weeks. Highly recommended.

mcgovern

I finished Aurora by Kim Stanley Robinson on audiobook. The main character is one of the most annoying characters I've ever read. It also seems to purposely focus on all the least interesting pieces, and ignore everything that has potential. Didn't enjoy it at all.
Going to listen to Starshine: Aurora Rising by G.S. Jennsen next.

Also finished Shadow of the Mantis, which was good, not quite as good as the first two books in the series, but it picked up at the end.
Started reading The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi, interesting so far.

Thargor

mcgovern wrote: »

I finished Aurora by Kim Stanley Robinson on audiobook. The main character is one of the most annoying characters I've ever read. It also seems to purposely focus on all the least interesting pieces, and ignore everything that has potential. Didn't enjoy it at all.
Going to listen to Starshine: Aurora Rising by G.S. Jennsen next.

Oh no I had that saved for Christmas at the parents

Still have Echopraxia though.

mcgovern

Thargor wrote: »

Oh no I had that saved for Christmas at the parents

Still have Echopraxia though.

It has a pretty good rating on Goodreads, so you might enjoy it, but I don't seem to be the only one who didn't like it!

Thargor

Well the Mars trilogy was my all time favourite series for years back in school, loved it more than the LotR or anything and I see plenty of people saying the its boring and unreadable which I completely disagree with so fingers crossed...

Thargor

Anyone hyped for Star Wars would be well advised to read the Thrawn trilogy even if they hate the extended universe books with good reason seeing as most of them are so dull and badly written but this is supremely good sci-fi and a standalone series so no need to have read anything else, Admiral Thrawn takes control of the Empire and starts to push the Rebels back after Vader and the Emperor are killed, they're absolutely brilliant, sets the scene for a few other titles worth a read in the Extended Universe aswell if you like them:

mcgovern

Thargor wrote: »

Anyone hyped for Star Wars would be well advised to read the Thrawn trilogy even if they hate the extended universe books with good reason seeing as most of them are so dull and badly written but this is supremely good sci-fi and a standalone series so no need to have read anything else, Admiral Thrawn takes control of the Empire and starts to push the Rebels back after Vader and the Emperor are killed, they're absolutely brilliant, sets the scene for a few other titles worth a read in the Extended Universe aswell if you like them:

I bought a good few Star Wars book when I was younger, I must have gotten lucky as the majority of the ones I had (including the Thrawn trilogy that I loved), now seem to be rated as the best of the bunch.
Might give them a re-read, they were relatively quick reads from what I remember.

Thargor

mcgovern wrote: »

I bought a good few Star Wars book when I was younger, I must have gotten lucky as the majority of the ones I had (including the Thrawn trilogy that I loved), now seem to be rated as the best of the bunch.
Might give them a re-read, they were relatively quick reads from what I remember.

I remember 3 doorstops, not as big as a Malazan but definitely Peter F Hamilton sized.

EGriff

Andy-Pandy wrote: »

I'm lucky enough to be able to listen to audio books when I work and I've just finished listening to the Dresden files by Jim butcher. Really excellent stuff. I'd had it on the back burner to read for years but gave the audio books a try and I've had one he'll of journey over the last 6 weeks. Highly recommended.

All of them?? I admire your dedication, I read the first 4 or 5 but got a bit sick of it then.

Yawlboy

Thargor wrote: »

Well the Mars trilogy was my all time favourite series for years back in school, loved it more than the LotR or anything and I see plenty of people saying the its boring and unreadable which I completely disagree with so fingers crossed...

I've read the Mars books 3 times now and will probably do so again soon. Definitely one of my all time favorites. However I have tried a bunch of his other stuff and didn't really like it.

Manach

Andy-Pandy wrote: »

I'm lucky enough to be able to listen to audio books when I work and I've just finished listening to the Dresden files by Jim butcher. Really excellent stuff. I'd had it on the back burner to read for years but gave the audio books a try and I've had one he'll of journey over the last 6 weeks. Highly recommended.

I'm working my way through these as well. The narrator Masters is very good. As a follow up might I suggest the Codex Alera. Different voice but just as good.

Thargor

The audio book of Dune is the best thing you'll ever listen to.

Buford T. Justice XIX

Thargor wrote: »

The audio book of Dune is the best thing you'll ever listen to.

Naw.

I think my OH talking dirty does that for me:pac:

Andy-Pandy

EGriff wrote: »

All of them?? I admire your dedication, I read the first 4 or 5 but got a bit sick of it then.

8 hours a day, five days a week for six weeks or so. I'm a gardener and I've a very bad attention span, audio books help me with that.

Andy-Pandy

Manach wrote: »

I'm working my way through these as well. The narrator Masters is very good. As a follow up might I suggest the Codex Alera. Different voice but just as good.

I jumped straight into it. Really enjoying them so far. Only on the first book but I'll have it finished tomorrow. Completely different to Dresden but he has developed into a fine writer.

Paddy Samurai

Currently reading Queen of Fire by Anthony Ryan.About 100 pages in and enjoying it.

A while since I read part 2 so i am having problems remembering who all the characters are.

Tried to find a comprehensive plot summary for previous book on-line. But no luck so far apart from some minor partial summary's , explaining the main characters.

Yawlboy

Thargor wrote: »

The audio book of Dune is the best thing you'll ever listen to.

Better than World War Z?????

RDM_83 again

Just finished Ancillary Justice, good but have to say I thought the gender thing was generally a bit annoying, I'l justify this because I don't actually think that its "bad" that she wrote it that way its just it deserved a little more exploration*,

the main character has extensive experience with other cultures and within its own is incredibly aware of biology/physiology of those involved within its own culture so the complete gender blindness (including of cultures where gender is a thing) makes it feel like its thrown in to make the book be a bit different without actually wanting to engage with the topic

,

like if the ship is so aware of interpersonal responses and stress responses surely differences in sex hormones play some part etc

The book is good enough without having to rely on this though and its more of a niggle than anything else (a constant niggle you want addressed though).

Currently reading the sequel Ancillary Sword and finding it pretty dull


* as I always say on this forum I love Le Guinn and I just felt that this subject gets the treatment it deserves in the left hand of darkness.

Raging_Ninja

Tbh Ian M Banks did a much better job on the sentient machine thing.

ixoy

5% into "Fool's Quest", the latest Robin Hobb book in the Fitz and the Fool trilogy. Already I'm really enjoying it and it seems to be striking a good balance between the older Fitz, his family and his past.

OwaynOTT wrote: »

Have the proof sitting on my bookshelf, I'd be interested to know how you find it. I've quite liked the first two Rajaneimi books.

Finished 'Crashing Heaven' and, contrary to what I initially thought, it's very much a cyberpunk book. It's not quite what I expected as a result. I wasn't 100% sold on the main character (it's a first person book) but it had some interesting ideas. Worth a read, albeit not outstanding.

shockwave

Just started book 2 of the Powder Mage trilogy at the moment and its really good.

Its a different kind of fantasy with a different kind of magic system, its got muskets and mages that can control bullets, sounds weird but it works.

Very engaging and a good pager turner, already bought book 3

Zapp Brannigan

Finished my festive read of The Hogfather, to this date the only Pratchett book I've read but I really do like it. Always makes me think I should start reading the rest of his stuff.

But in saying that I have began the Liveship trilogy. For some reason I skipped this when I was reading Hobb before. Only about 15% into book one but I am enjoying it.

astonaidan

Just started The Way Of Kings, like Bandon Sandersons writing so heres hoping

Kovu

Started into Earthsea over Christmas. Got through A Wizard of Earthsea & The Tombs of Atuan over a few days and now on The Farthest Shore.

Enjoyable enough but I'm not really a fan of the big leaps between books.

ixoy

21% into Adrian Tchaikovsky's "Children of Time". The author of the "Shadows of the Apt" fantasy series is tackling sci-fi here and, so far, doing a damn good job. Not too many authors make this leap (admittedly a bit easier when the Apt series tech was at early 20th century level) and he once more delves into insects, this time with the evolution of the arachnid. Very interested to see how spiders vs last of humanity fares!

shootermacg

ixoy wrote: »

21% into Adrian Tchaikovsky's "Children of Time". The author of the "Shadows of the Apt" fantasy series is tackling sci-fi here and, so far, doing a damn good job. Not too many authors make this leap (admittedly a bit easier when the Apt series tech was at early 20th century level) and he once more delves into insects, this time with the evolution of the arachnid. Very interested to see how spiders vs last of humanity fares!

Currently enjoying Shadows of the Apt.