What Are You Reading?

Buford T. Justice XIX

Stiger's Tigers, (Chronicles of An Imperial Legionary Officer Book1).

As above, it's a bit of Roman Legions with added Elves and possibly Dwarves. Short enough but an enjoyable read. I will be downloading further books in this series:)

mcgovern

mcgovern wrote: »

I was away for a week so got a decent bit of reading done.
Read Salute the Dark, it was good, series is keeping up the early promise.
Then read Nexus by Ramaaz Naam, its near future sci-fi. Really enjoyed this, one of the best I've read in a long time. Lots of good ideas, just wish we were a little closer to some of it
Then went to The Destroyer by Michael Scott Earle as recommended by a few here. It was good, but I don't think it was unique enough for me to go back to the series, in the short term at least.
Now about 50% through Revenger by Alastair Reynolds. It's an interesting story and universe, but I can't help but wish it wasn't aimed at YA audience, too much of it is dumbed down for my liking.

Guess I haven't updated in a while

I finished Revenger, it was pretty disappointing in the end, its a pity as it was a good idea and potentially an interesting universe.
Then read The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories by Ken Liu. This was mostly Asian inspired short stories, and included some very moving ones, overall a good read.
Followed that by Those Above by Daniel Polansky. It was okay, I'll probably read the second in the series at some stage, but it wasn't anything special and I didn't enjoy it was much as his Lowtown books.
After that I read Assassin's Quest by Robin Hobb. I think it was the weakest of the series, and could have done with being 1-200 pages shorter. I didn't really like the ending either, but will probably go back to the world at some stage.
I then read The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker for some Halloween horror. It wasn't scary or disturbing, so I guess that should count as a fail.
Lastly I read Europe in Autumn by Dave Hutchinson. It starts off as a kind of spy thriller I suppose, and continues like that until about 85% in, when it goes off an absolutely mad tangent.

No reading Uprooted by Naoimi Novik, not sure what to make of it yet.
Also reading Synners by Pat Cadigan. I'm totally lost in this one.

OwaynOTT

mcgovern wrote: »

Guess I haven't updated in a while

I finished Revenger, it was pretty disappointing in the end, its a pity as it was a good idea and potentially an interesting idea.
Then read The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories by Ken Liu. This was mostly Asian inspired short stories, and included some very moving ones, overall a good read.
Followed that by Those Above by Daniel Polansky. It was okay, I'll probably read the second in the series at some stage, but it wasn't anything special and I didn't enjoy it was much as his Lowtown books.
After that I read Assassin's Quest by Robin Hobb. I think it was the weakest of the series, and could have down with 1-200 pages shorter. I didn't really like the ending either, but will probably go back to the world at some stage.
I then read The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker for some Halloween horror. It wasn't scary or disturbing, so I guess that should count as a fail.
Lastly I read Europe in Autumn by Dave Hutchinson. It starts off as a kind of spy thriller I suppose, and continues like that until about 85% in, when it goes off an absolutely mad tangent.

No reading Uprooted by Naoimi Novik, not sure what to make of it yet.
Also reading Synners by Pat Cadigan. I'm totally lost in this one.

I thought uprooted was a very good read. Very brothers grimmish.

shrapnel222

Finished children of time there Fantastic story and really enjoyed it, however I think it could be improved. Not sure how to describe it, but the writing isn't the best at times and the pacing or tempo is sometimes off. Maybe a greater edit of it and losing 50 pages might be very beneficial. Great book nonetheless.

lordgoat

wyrn wrote: »

I read the first book and bought the second, must give it a go. I actually got quite frustrated with the first book. I hated every single character, especially the main guy - he was a terrible terrible friend. The kind that Personal Issues would be telling you to drop. It always felt like it was building up to something but it just sort of fell away. I'm sure there is a big giant plot but the whole story just felt convoluted. I did hear (from here) that it does get better. Just psyching myself up for it.

Maybe don't watch the tv version of it... he nails that annoyance.

Just finished - Unhewn throne series, Loved parts of it, hated others, decent trilogy and the good characters are brilliant.

Started 'Heroes Die' - so far an unusual blend of sci/fi and fantasy - think Tad Williams in Otherland only less epic in scale.

Dades

shrapnel222 wrote: »

Finished children of time there Fantastic story and really enjoyed it, however I think it could be improved. Not sure how to describe it, but the writing isn't the best at times and the pacing or tempo is sometimes off. Maybe a greater edit of it and losing 50 pages might be very beneficial. Great book nonetheless.

I finished this yesterday, too!

I really enjoyed most of it, but I readily admit to skimming through some of the planet (

spider

) chapters. There was way too much detail there for me. The space parts I really liked. Great sci-fi stuff there.

Buford T. Justice XIX

I thought this might fit in here...

https://twitter.com/The_Far_Side_/status/795244391539634178

Dades

Re-started The Gunslinger last night (started many years ago an got sidetracked).

Saw there's a movie in production so figured if I was gonna read the The Dark Tower it's now or never.

Paddy Samurai

machalla wrote: »

Thanks Nhur and Fian. It interests me to understand why I dislike a book or series while others love it.

I'm not really wild about an author making a book or series deliberately difficult though that is their prerogative. The best authors in my view write in an engaging but concise way.

Same here ,I gave part one a fair go ,about 25 % ,but just could'nt get into it.Maybe some day in a land far,far away I will get around to giving it another try.But with so many other great books to read and so little time I probably won't.:(

kirk buttercup

I have started children of time.

kirk buttercup

I have started children of time.

drake70

kirk buttercup wrote: »

I have started children of time.

Really enjoyed this.

Just started Blood Song: Book 1 of Raven's Shadow by Anthony Ryan.

kirk buttercup

drake70 wrote: »

Really enjoyed this.

Just started Blood Song: Book 1 of Raven's Shadow by Anthony Ryan.

I Enjoyed that

mcgovern

kirk buttercup wrote: »

I Enjoyed that

The second one, not so much, and supposedly the 3rd one is worse again.

Buford T. Justice XIX

mcgovern wrote: »

The second one, not so much, and supposedly the 3rd one is worse again.

Thanks for telling me, I just bought it...

Dades

mcgovern wrote: »

The second one, not so much, and supposedly the 3rd one is worse again.

I enjoyed the second one too, though it took it's sweet time to gain any pace.

I bought book three but haven't been able to find a decent synopsis of book two to get me up to speed before I go. Too much wine and a year have dulled my memory.

dudara

I read the Fred the Accountant Vampire series while on holidays - lightweight easy reading.

I read "The girl with all the gifts" on the flight home - very good take on the zombie apocalypse type story

mordeith

I'm on book two of The Far-Called Sequence by Stephen Hunt. I'm enjoying the story apart from the scale of the world which is irritating. Thousands of years for a radio message to traverse the planet?

mcgovern

Finished Uprooted, it was a good story if you didn't think too much about it. It was a nice change of pace though.
From that onto Dauntless, book 1 in the Lost Fleet series by Jack Campbell. It's another one that you don't want to be thinking too deeply on, and the ancestor worship is getting on my nerves a bit, but enjoyable non the less and seems to be a quick read.

Nody

mcgovern wrote: »

From that onto Dauntless, book 1 in the Lost Fleet series by Jack Campbell. It's another one that you don't want to be thinking too deeply on, and the ancestor worship is getting on my nerves a bit, but enjoyable non the less and seems to be a quick read.

It's popcorn series; take it for what it is. I think I finished the whole set of five books in under 10 days or something like that without any serious effort but enjoyable if you take it for what it is. The second series is weaker (imo) but expands the universe; still nothing overly serious mind you but helps to flesh things out a bit more (I've yet to complete the "other side" series though; think I got three or four books but knowing the author I want the full series to go through in one go).

machalla

Nody wrote: »

It's popcorn series; take it for what it is. I think I finished the whole set of five books in under 10 days or something like that without any serious effort but enjoyable if you take it for what it is. The second series is weaker (imo) but expands the universe; still nothing overly serious mind you but helps to flesh things out a bit more (I've yet to complete the "other side" series though; think I got three or four books but knowing the author I want the full series to go through in one go).

I rarely hated a series of books more than these. And I did read all of the initial series hoping that it was just one of the books that was the problem.

I don't think I'd ever skipped pages in a book before but I found myself jumping 20-30 pages at a time of maudlin romantic crap that made little sense and was badly written. Skip that and get back to the actual combat and it was tolerable. I think I preferred the Starfire series of books which while weak on characters too didn't try to push it too much and stuck to the military SF which was its point.

Anyway, I'll stop ranting now.

david75

I just finished the audiobook of Catalyst by James Luceno yesterday. If you're excited for Rogue One I'd call this essential reading/listening. Sets up the whole story and characters you're gonna see in Rogue one. It'll make it all the more enjoyable. Plus it has all the sound effects and music from Star Wars. Win!

dubred

david75 wrote: »

I just finished the audiobook of Catalyst by James Luceno yesterday. If you're excited for Rogue One I'd call this essential reading/listening. Sets up the whole story and characters you're gonna see in Rogue one. It'll make it all the more enjoyable. Plus it has all the sound effects and music from Star Wars. Win!

I just started this on my Kindle last night.

OwaynOTT

Just 'finished' calamity by Brandon Sanderson. Thank Christ.

machalla

OwaynOTT wrote: »

Just 'finished' calamity by Brandon Sanderson. Thank Christ.

So it lived up to the book title?

Thargor

OwaynOTT wrote: »

Just 'finished' calamity by Brandon Sanderson. Thank Christ.

I read the first one, its so hilariously bad. I say it every time Sanderson comes up, he cant write! Why is he so successful?

kirk buttercup

Just got "the night watch" Sergei Lukyanenko I know nothing about except someone in work said it was Great. Could be the biggest pile of sh.... anyway here we go

OwaynOTT

Thargor wrote: »

I read the first one, its so hilariously bad. I say it every time Sanderson comes up, he cant write! Why is he so successful?

First Mistborn gets by on the premise but the humour is horrendous. First WoT book is actually really good but again his humour is woeful.
His storm light books are actually enjoyable but again his humour is dire but it's mainly confined to one character.
He isn't a great writer but is good at ideas but doesn't spend enough time writing his books.
He's the James Patterson of fantasy books. Shallow but can be enjoyable.

He's successful because he does fast paced action packed books, usually with good magic systems that can be discussed on fan forums.
He's like that 3 card trick. The hands are always moving so you don't know where you are. He keeps releasing new content, so his last book is consumed and discarded because the next fix is out.

I have enjoyed some of his stuff.

machalla

OwaynOTT wrote: »

First Mistborn gets by on the premise but the humour is horrendous. First WoT book is actually really good but again his humour is woeful.
His storm light books are actually enjoyable but again his humour is dire but it's mainly confined to one character.
He isn't a great writer but is good at ideas but doesn't spend enough time writing his books.
He's the James Patterson of fantasy books. Shallow but can be enjoyable.

He's successful because he does fast paced action packed books, usually with good magic systems that can be discussed on fan forums.
He's like that 3 card trick. The hands are always moving so you don't know where you are. He keeps releasing new content, so his last book is consumed and discarded because the next fix is out.

I have enjoyed some of his stuff.

Elantris was one of the better ones from what I remember of it. Mistborn was an interesting idea. I've read worse series.

Kal El

Thargor wrote: »

I read the first one, its so hilariously bad. I say it every time Sanderson comes up, he cant write! Why is he so successful?

Really? I really enjoyed Mistborn and Stormlight books(well book one, on the second one now and just cant get going)
I thought he finished WOT well enough aswell