What Are You Reading?

katarin

Black Sheep wrote: »

Hmm.... It's admittedly been a good few years, but I thought there were at least a few characters I would have put in the 'evil' category (judging them by their actions alone). Admittedly it's a matter of perspective and I've never been much for moral relativism :pac:

It's definately a matter of opinion. I read the books under the impression from the middle of the second book (at least) that GRRM was playing with the idea of 'evil' as being a matter of perspective. For example..

When Jaime Lannister dropped Bran out of that window, he was definately Number One Baddie in my book; by the middle/ end of the second book I sort of understand him. By the end of Feast for Crows, I have to admit that he's my favourite character. He's believable, human, flawed and not too bright when it comes to noticing when someone's manipulating him. I found him too understandable a character to put into the bracket of 'evil' or for him to stay in the guise of a villian.

But it's all a matter of perspective.

Black Sheep

Jaime

definitley morphs into a very compelling character as the series progresses - totally agree with you there.

This is making me want to re-read (what there is of) the series again, must dig out my copies. I planned to do that anyway before I watch the TV adaption.

Shryke

Grew into one of my favorites too. I'm going to be re-reading these soon as the next book is out July 12th! I'm not too pushed about the TV show. I might nearly just give it a miss (I will in my ass though).

pH

Finished Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch, really liked it.

It's not epic fantasy by any means, kind of a cross between Harry Potter, a police procedural and the Dresden Files. Similar in theme also perhaps to Gaiman's Neverwhere.

It's also very "English", London, its geography, people and history are also a central theme of the book, and the humour (and there's a fair amount of wit) is quite British.

Paddy Samurai

Got this last week ,but only started it today.I have been waiting on this one a long time,so really looking forward to getting stuck in.:D

OwaynOTT

Paddy Samurai wrote: »

Got this last week ,but only started it today.I have been waiting on this one a long time,so really looking forward to getting stuck in.:D

About 200 pages in myself. Great book so far.

bigsmokewriting

Haruki Murakami - The Wind Up Bird Chronicle
very enjoyable!
Ciaran, the Big Smoke Writing Team

ixoy

"Terminal World" by Alastair Reynolds. Wanted to read a bit of sci-fi in between reading a 900-page fantasy epic and a 1000-page one

O-Deazy

Starting to re-read RR Martin's 'Game of Thrones'.. Such a good book, forgot how much I enjoyed it!

Shryke

Starting Wise Mans Fear by Rothfuss.

groovie

I got it from the book depository in the uk, 11.83EUR no postage. I read the first book in January, so it's still comparatively fresh in my head.
I'm starting this tonight, hopefully.

Black Sheep

Ten pages into Robert Heinlein's 'Tunnel in the sky'. What an amazing author.

pH

Finished The Drawing of the Three (Book II of Stephen King's The Dark Tower). Really liked it compared to the first, the whole

Being John Malkovich thing with the doors

was a real enjoyable surprise, moved straight on to Book 3 !

AnCapaillMor

Just finished Crossroads of twilght on the WOT series. Bloody hell what an ending, the book kinda meandered along nothing major then the end happened. Honestly thinking of not picking up dragon age 2 so i spend all my time on "Knife of dreams".

WolfForager

AnCapaillMor wrote: »

Just finished Crossroads of twilght on the WOT series. Bloody hell what an ending, the book kinda meandered along nothing major then the end happened. Honestly thinking of not picking up dragon age 2 so i spend all my time on "Knife of dreams".

Im gonna wait til the final book comes out so i can read em from start to finish again, otherwise i'll feel like i'm missing out on something.

fionny

O-Deazy wrote: »

Starting to re-read RR Martin's 'Game of Thrones'.. Such a good book, forgot how much I enjoyed it!

They are bloody good, really looking forward to the new one in July, and the TV series in April.

Zapp Brannigan

Chapters over here finally got 'The Wise Man's Fear' in stock!

There was 20% off fantasy so I also bought Brent Weeks 'The Way of the Shadows'.

Can't wait to get stuck in!

old hippy

Got some Ursula Le Guin recently in the charidee shops; are they all that?

RodVelvet

Just Started "The Wise Man's Fear", good price with book depository, enjoying it so far.

Zapp Brannigan

How good is Rothfuss!?

I started 'The Wise Man's Fear' last night and just breezed through about 200 pages! Really don't want it to end, I felt the exact same way with 'The Name of the Wind'

mcgovern

mcgovern wrote: »

Finished Looked to Windward by Banks, which was pretty good but I didn't like the ending, and now halfway through Spook Country by William Gibson.

Didn't really like Spook Country, Gibson is going downhill all the time
Now reading Night Sessions by Ken MacLeod.

ixoy

mcgovern wrote: »

Now reading Night Sessions by Ken MacLeod.

Let me know what you think of this - I didn't care for it at all.

groovie

Zapp Brannigan wrote: »

How good is Rothfuss!?

I started 'The Wise Man's Fear' last night and just breezed through about 200 pages! Really don't want it to end, I felt the exact same way with 'The Name of the Wind'

The start is a breeze alright, nothing is happening! I know it's going to pick up but so far so zzzzz. Granted, I only finished the first book in Jan so it's too familiar to me, but it's a little bit action light so far. I have high hopes for it though, I know it's going to pay off, so I'm taking it slowly now.

Rubecula

Just finished reading a novel by Clive Cussler called Valhalla Rising. On the face of it it is a detective type novel but there is a bit of sci fi in there.

I won't give the plot away though. Not a brilliant novel but good entertainment.

fenris

I am about 80% of the way through Judas Unchained at the moment - well worth ploughing through the duller bits early on as there the now plenty of destruction and chaos!

myk

fenris wrote: »

I am about 80% of the way through Judas Unchained at the moment - well worth ploughing through the duller bits early on as there the now plenty of destruction and chaos!

I'm a big Hamilton fan- after Judas Unchained you have the Void Trilogy to look forward to. BUt I actually prefer the Night's Dawn trilogy.

sxt

Just started ,The man in the high castle

Dades

Rubecula wrote: »

Just finished reading a novel by Clive Cussler called Valhalla Rising. On the face of it it is a detective type novel but there is a bit of sci fi in there.

I won't give the plot away though. Not a brilliant novel but good entertainment.

Clive Cussler is my guilty pleasure.
I've read all the Dirk Pitt's and a lot of the rest of his stuff too!

--

Thinking of ditching China Mieville's Kraken, as after a great start I'm finding it a bit of a chore, which reading should never be.

Black Sheep

Started my re-read of 'A game of thrones'. Even better the second time around, if that's possible.

I feel we're lucky to have a writer like George RR Martin doing a series like this - even if it is going to take a while to complete. I've loved his writing since I read 'The Skin Trade' (a werewolf novella / short story) and 'Fevre Dream' (pick it up as a Fantasy Masterwork - amazing novel).

OwaynOTT

Dades wrote: »

Clive Cussler is my guilty pleasure.
I've read all the Dirk Pitt's and a lot of the rest of his stuff too!

--

Thinking of ditching China Mieville's Kraken, as after a great start I'm finding it a bit of a chore, which reading should never be.

Ive just got that very book last week. Whats the problem with it?

groovie

Hi lads, I have read Kraken but found it fairly unrelenting, with the exception of a few light-hearted moments. I was reminded of a Tim Willocks book - Bloodstained Kings - most of the characters have no redeeming characteristics whatsoever. Every time I put the book down my mood was definitely darker than when I picked it up. YMMV, though.

AnCapaillMor

Finished Knife of Dreams and started The Gathering Storm, knife of dreams was pretty good compared to crossraods of twilight, crossraods was ok but ended well.

Loved Leiws Therin taking over and decimating the trollocs with the gateways and mats just a plain cool character, Egwene going around tower gradually breaking down\converting people there

Really really loving the series i'm praying he doesn't do a gemmill and finish it up in 3-5 pages. Series needs a proper epic ending with goodbyes and some later ons....

Dades

OwaynOTT wrote: »

Ive just got that very book last week. Whats the problem with it?

groovie wrote: »

Hi lads, I have read Kraken but found it fairly unrelenting, with the exception of a few light-hearted moments. I was reminded of a Tim Willocks book - Bloodstained Kings - most of the characters have no redeeming characteristics whatsoever. Every time I put the book down my mood was definitely darker than when I picked it up. YMMV, though.

Yeah, maybe it's the character thing. I just don't care what happens. And the plot just seems to be just spiraling into a very complicated mess.
(Of course as groovie suggests - you may love it!)

Am going to start Red April by Santiago Roncagliolo as I don't have any Clive Cussler to hand.

Nodin

Just finished "The handmaids Tale" (Margaret Atwood) and am breaking my normal sequence of fiction then non-fiction by starting onto "The steel remains" (Richard Morgan).

chopperbyrne

Dune

Never read it before, even though I've watched the movie and series and played the games.

150 pages in and it's all been good so far.

pH

Finished the third book (The Waste Land) in The Dark Tower series, can't say I liked it much, I just find myself not engaging with or caring for the the characters, and some of the themes that King dwells on I just find not to my tastes or plain boring and uninteresting.

Just started The Family Trade by Charles Stross.

ixoy

Reading "Wise Man's Fear" by Patrick Rothfuss - 26% of the way through and really enjoying it so far, despite the fact not much has happened.

Zapp Brannigan

ixoy wrote: »

Reading "Wise Man's Fear" by Patrick Rothfuss - 26% of the way through and really enjoying it so far, despite the fact not much has happened.

Not much happens at the start, true, but it's so beautifully written.

*has a man-crush on Rothfuss' style*

I'm nearly finished it now.

pH

Finished The Family Trade by Charles Stross, gotta say I loved it. It's another one of these 'fantasy' books, not set in a standalone fantasy world, but in a world which intersects with ours, of which I've read a number of recently.

I'd loved Stross' Singularity Sky (and to some extent Saturn's Children) but not really liked Halting State and Accelerando. This book however, was just a cracking read, which seems to promise so much for the rest of the series (there are 6).

Anyway, onto book 2 The Hidden Family ...

ixoy

pH wrote: »

Anyway, onto book 2 The Hidden Family ...

I really liked this one too - it did a good job of building on the premise of the first one. It's great to see someone think logically about the applications of parallel worlds.
I have Book 3 to read soon - must get books 4-6 as well.

bloodforcream

love this book recommend to anyone who likes 40k

bigsmokewriting

We have loads of these books on our bookshelf - can't wait to read!

old hippy

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo; really enjoying it - must be the last person who hasn't read it.

And a fab comic book guide to the nation(s) & people of Korea - picked it up for £6 the other day & it's on 'zon for £30!

Zapp Brannigan

Finished 'The Wise Man's Fear'

On to Brent Weeks' 'Night Angel Trilogy'.

ixoy

Zapp Brannigan wrote: »

Finished 'The Wise Man's Fear'

On to Brent Weeks' 'Night Angel Trilogy'.

Okay that's just scary! I'm reading "The Wise Man's Fear" and moving on to the first book in the Night Angel Trilogy after that!
I'm assuming the sad face is that you enjoyed "Wise Man's Fear"? I'm 39% through and just love how easy it is to get into Kvothe's world.

Zapp Brannigan

ixoy wrote: »

Okay that's just scary! I'm reading "The Wise Man's Fear" and moving on to the first book in the Night Angel Trilogy after that!
I'm assuming the sad face is that you enjoyed "Wise Man's Fear"? I'm 39% through and just love how easy it is to get into Kvothe's world.

Yup sad face is because I know it's gonna take ages for the 3rd book!

OwaynOTT

Finished The eroes by Joe Abercrombie. Really enjoyed it, some interesting characters, a couple of laugh out loud moments always a good thing and think it was better than Best Served Cold.
Can't wait for the next and loving the whole series.

mcgovern

ixoy wrote: »

Let me know what you think of this - I didn't care for it at all.

Finished Night Sessions, and thought it was ok. The motivation of the main antagonist was lacking, as what much of the back story, but I guess I liked it more because the whole state without church interference appealed to me.

Now going to give into the hype and start A Game of Thrones. Probably a bad idea with the amount of series I've left unfinished that I want to finish, but oh well!

Johnny Storm

Just finished "The Technician" by Neal Asher.
Not his best book. First 80-90 pages are very slow to get going with too many confusing and pointless flashbacks/forwards. Also there is no evil augmented super-genius-villain or galactic level threat until the last couple of chapters. I was expecting more fun from the gabbleducks too.
He's still one of my favourite current authors.
Anyway, I've started re-reading Gridlinked.
Also if you're interested he's pretty active on Twitter.

Bits_n_Bobs

Dades wrote: »

Thinking of ditching China Mieville's Kraken, as after a great start I'm finding it a bit of a chore, which reading should never be.

I stuck with it for about 100 pages or so and ditched it. Never really got involved with it - the main character I just found boring and of no great interest, most of the other characters were actually repugnant. Has anyone made it through to the end and enjoyed it??

Have made a start on The Iron Council which I admit I am not galloping through either...is it worth persevering with?