What Are You Reading?

nhur

machalla wrote: »

Iain Banks Culture series, Charles Stross (Saturn's Children, The Laundry Files), John Scalzi (Old mans war) and so on.

added to the list - thanks!!

Dades

Fian wrote: »

Yes Catcher in the Rye too. It was a great book when I was an angsty teenager, if you enjoyed it do yourself a favour and don't re-read it, you're better off with the fond (though false) memories. I really regretted re-reading it.

I never read it 'till my 30's. Hated it!

ixoy

Interesting that I also went for a lot of the same order chronologically:

Started out with 'Dragonlance' (Chronicles and Legends), then got into Shannara and Eddings with the Belgariad / Mallorean series and thought they were good.

Next though I read a book by Robert Jordan which I knew was book five in a series but, given its length, my brain didn't think it could possibly be the fifth in the same series. I thought they were excellent when I went and read the previous four - I'd never seen fantasy like it and it really showed up the others...

A few years later I read Erikson, watched the quality fly out, and the interminable drudge that WoT came before Sanderson tidied it off.

I liked WoT when I was reading it but it doesn't hold up well to Erikson's epic.

lordgoat

Hobbit, LOTR, Eddings, Feist, and i dabbled in WoT/Shanarra, Tad Williams.

Looking back, I enjoy Feist most, I like the style of his writing. I can't stand WoT or Shannara. Tad Williams has some great books. Loved the hobbit but I dislike pretty much everything else Tolkien. He could have done with a strong editor.

david75

Halfway through Abercrombie's Before they are hanged. It's got a lot more pace than the first of the trilogy. And each character now growing into their roles.
The way too familiar and far too obvious nods in set ups to things in LOTR aren't forgiven for being a bit more detailed and trying to seperate themselves by the wizard effing and blinding is all a bit too much but I've started so I'll finish.

Glotka is brilliant. And Logen.two really well written and developed and believable characters.

keane2097

Yeah I read the first book and remember thinking the writing was fine and the characters were good but that it was pretty boring - a huge page count for not a lot of plot.

I wonder if it would ever be worth going back to.

david75

keane2097 wrote: »

Yeah I read the first book and remember thinking the writing was fine and the characters were good but that it was pretty boring - a huge page count for not a lot of plot.

I wonder if it would ever be worth going back to.

The first book is a chore. And I'm told the second is but I have to say it's great so far. Relatable and realistic characters in an unrealistic setting done well is hard to do but so far it's doing it. The final book is amazing apparently. I hope it hasn't been over hyped

keane2097

Might be worth getting a summary of the first one somewhere and giving the second a spin then

OwaynOTT

No read the first, it's not a chore really.

keane2097

I already read it but it was a while ago. Found it a bit of a drudgery to be honest.

mickmac76

Have started reading A hundred thousand kingdoms as reccomended in this thread. It's good so far.

ixoy

22% into "The Great Ordeal" by R. Scott Bakker, the third book in his Aspect-Emperor series and the sixth in the overall Second Apocalypse saga. It's been a while (5 years) between books but thankfully he provides a detailed (as in 30+ pages!) recap.
The world he is very detailed - very grim but some really refreshing ideas in there setting it apart from the standard grimdark. It also feels very intelligent - Bakker's infusing it with some very clever thoughts (check out his web site for some very deep philosophical papers). Philosophy can be a difficult one for some writers (I'm looking at you Erikson in your Kharkanas series!) but he's pulling it off.
A series not getting enough attention.

beauf

machalla wrote: »

That's an interesting idea, a chronology if what you read as a youngster and how it fed into what you enjoy now.

I went through Tolkein, Eddings, Brooks, Donaldson, Gemmel (Druss the Legend series), Feist (Magician), Pratchett that I can recall in my early teens and younger. Most of the usual sci-fi culprits (Clarke, Asimov, Silverberg, Herbert) as well.

I wonder what a young teens chronology would be today? J.K.Rowling probably? Tolkein at some point. There are so many young adult options to read nowadays and easy access to them via ebooks that it has to be different. Do they read the classics and find them disappointing?

Your reading chronology sounds similar to my own. Probably the same age. 😀

With my own kids, I think it's hard to find the classics. They have so many other choices and they are a lot more modern both in story and in character. Might be more fun too. So I think it's harder for them to connect with the classics.

Also they will have seen so much CGI and fantasy on screen that the classics, aren't as wow as for those who never had that. The books aren't read in a vacuum. Like they were in our day.

It's an interesting discussion though. I had to introduce kids to the classics. they found them on but not captivated by them as I was.

beauf

machalla wrote: »

I just went full-on obsessive about Tolkein when I was younger. I played the hobbit computer game on the spectrum 48k which lead me to the book.

I watched all the first season of Shannara in the hope that it would turn into something good. It didn't. There was a decent start to the series and then it became generic teen fantasy. There was a truly awful moment when Star Trek made an appearance as a link to the pre-apocalypse times.

I've taken to graphic novels if I want something easy going. Fables is superb if anyone is looking for a good suggestion. Much harder edged than the Once upon a time TV series which used the same concept.

Yeah Shannara started ok, but then kinda went meh. Felt very TV drama at the end. Must check out Fables thanks.

beauf

If people are posting a suggestion of books or series can they include a book name and author. It makes searching for them so much easier.

Prenderb

beauf wrote: »

Yeah Shannara started ok, but then kinda went meh. Felt very TV drama at the end. Must check out Fables thanks.

+1 on Fables....

Bill Willingham.

OwaynOTT

keane2097 wrote: »

I already read it but it was a while ago. Found it a bit of a drudgery to be honest.

If you've read it before, why bother with a summary? Especially when the second book will have a recap of what happened or you'll just pick it up as you go.

keane2097

OwaynOTT wrote: »

If you've read it before, why bother with a summary? Especially when the second book will have a recap of what happened or you'll just pick it up as you go.

Because I don't remember what happened?

If the second book has a summary then fine. Not sure if I'm missing something here?

OwaynOTT

keane2097 wrote: »

Because I don't remember what happened?

If the second book has a summary then fine. Not sure if I'm missing something here?

If you've read the first, even if it was years ago, reading the second will not your memory because theirs little info dumps about what happened in the first. Not a straight out summary though.
Although reading a summary would only take a minute or two and I think we've wasting that time with our comments :pac:

Honestly, I think if you really didn't enjoy the first st all, I probably wouldn't even bother with the second or third.
If you took any enjoyment at all out of the first, work away as it does get better.

keane2097

Yeah I thought there were things to like in the first one just that it was a bit light on plot. I'm always aware also that I am often wrong about things and a lot of people seem to like these a lot.

Actually started reading Night of Knives by Esselmont the last night. Haven't gotten too far because I keep falling asleep but pleasantly surprised with the quality so far. I guess from people saying he isn't as good as Erikson so often I had it in my head that it was going to be like a two year old's scrawl.

mcgovern

Fionn: Defence of Ráth Bládhma took awhile to get going, I found it a bit cold at the start, more like a history than a novel, but it picked up and was quite enjoyable in the end. Nice to see something set in Ireland for a change.

Now I'm doing a re-read of Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn. I last read it probably 15-20 years ago, and it isn't quite as good as I remember, but not bad nonetheless. Pity new Star Wars went off on a completely different path (though I guess these would need to have been filmed decades ago, when the actors were still close to the ages).

Heffoman

ixoy wrote: »

22% into "The Great Ordeal" by R. Scott Bakker, the third book in his Aspect-Emperor series and the sixth in the overall Second Apocalypse saga. It's been a while (5 years) between books but thankfully he provides a detailed (as in 30+ pages!) recap.
The world he is very detailed - very grim but some really refreshing ideas in there setting it apart from the standard grimdark. It also feels very intelligent - Bakker's infusing it with some very clever thoughts (check out his web site for some very deep philosophical papers). Philosophy can be a difficult one for some writers (I'm looking at you Erikson in your Kharkanas series!) but he's pulling it off.
A series not getting enough attention.

Massive fan of these books. Yes they can be a chore at times but equally some brilliant prose.
Some of the best characters I've read in a long time to.

Dades

david75 wrote: »

Tangent but I found this guy Alastair Stephens. He's brilliant. He's doing a podcast series on each chapter of the hobbit and lord of the rings. He's academic but not in an off putting way. Really gets into it all. Well worth subscribing to. It's only 3 or 4 episodes so far.
https://itunes.apple.com/ie/podcast/there-and-back-again/id1189402107?mt=2

I'm now embedded in these podcasts and also have to re-read a chapter of The Hobbit every week.

This guy is just a fascinating talker, a serious academic. Have started listening to his Star Wars series too, while I wait for the next Hobbit instalment to come out every Friday.

Thanks again for the heads up. This thread has provided so much gold for me over the years I love it.

david75

Dades wrote: »

I'm now embedded in these podcasts and also have to re-read a chapter of The Hobbit every week.

This guy is just a fascinating talker, a serious academic. Have started listening to his Star Wars series too, while I wait for the next Hobbit instalment to come out every Friday.

Thanks again for the heads up. This thread has provided so much gold for me over the years I love it.

Ah brilliant
Glad you liked him. His Star Wars talks are superb!!! I'm a massive fan and he made me realise things I'd never even thought about but his two talks on the force awakens are the best of the bunch. Especially for anyone complaining that it was too much Ike a new hope. He turns that whole argument on its head and takes it apart.

And agreed on his voice and style. He's a pleasure to listen to.

shootermacg

On the second book of the inheritance trilogy. Not my usual fare, and bordering on romance novels at times but unique, well written and very readable.

shootermacg

ixoy wrote: »

22% into "The Great Ordeal" by R. Scott Bakker, the third book in his Aspect-Emperor series and the sixth in the overall Second Apocalypse saga. It's been a while (5 years) between books but thankfully he provides a detailed (as in 30+ pages!) recap.
The world he is very detailed - very grim but some really refreshing ideas in there setting it apart from the standard grimdark. It also feels very intelligent - Bakker's infusing it with some very clever thoughts (check out his web site for some very deep philosophical papers). Philosophy can be a difficult one for some writers (I'm looking at you Erikson in your Kharkanas series!) but he's pulling it off.
A series not getting enough attention.

I've never read anything, I've enjoyed better than the Prince of Nothing trilogy....maybe Dune, but that's it!

Thargor

The latest Expanse is the dullest by far, the characters and general plot are so boring. I feel like I have been stuck on the same chapter for a week now, nothing seems to be happening. Absolutely riddled with irritating stereotypes and cliches.

stesaurus

Thargor wrote: »

The latest Expanse is the dullest by far, the characters and general plot are so boring. I feel like I have been stuck on the same chapter for a week now, nothing seems to be happening. Absolutely riddled with irritating stereotypes and cliches.

I enjoyed it. The series is like a pair of comfy slippers and a nice cup of tea to me now. Really enjoyable and I know what to expect.

Finally getting around to the Dark Tower series. I've been trying and failing to begin this for years. First book was such a slog. I really didn't like it. 3/4 through the 2nd book and it's a big improvement so far.

pixelburp

About a 1/3 into Ancillary Justice, off the back of general praise across 'de web.

Honestly it's a tough one to like: it's a very dry, flavourless read with pretty uninteresting prose that never manages any kind of flourish. The story so far jumps back & forth between time periods way too frequently, and the use of female pronoun for all characters is at best a pointless affectation and worst a hinderance to actually absorbing the narrative.

machalla

pixelburp wrote: »

About a 1/3 into Ancillary Justice, off the back of general praise across 'de web.

Honestly it's a tough one to like: it's a very dry, flavourless read with pretty uninteresting prose that never manages any kind of flourish. The story so far jumps back & forth between time periods way too frequently, and the use of female pronoun for all characters is at best a pointless affectation and worst a hinderance to actually absorbing the narrative.

I cannot fathom how its gained such praise as a book.

The ending actually turned out worse than the rest of a fairly plodding book from what I can recall.