What Are You Reading?

Jayd0g

bluewolf wrote: »

Got the first Witcher book. Suddenly got hooked on the games recently, didn't take the first time a few years back

If I recall correctly, it alernates between short story collections and novels progressing the main storyline.

Really enjoyed the series.

coffee_cake

Jayd0g wrote: »

If I recall correctly, it alernates between short story collections and novels progressing the main storyline.

Really enjoyed the series.

Yep first 2 are short story books then it's into novels

ixoy

25% into "Stiletto" by Daniel O'Malley, the 2nd book in his Checque Files series. It's very much in the vein of Charles Stross's Laundry series but with less snark and less nerdy IT references. It's so far been an enjoyable light read - not on a par with urban fantasy like the PC Grant series - but it's flowing by quickly.

Before that, I read "Echopraxia" by Peter Watts, the 2nd book in his Firefall series. I didn't revere the first volume - "Blindsight" - like some did and this was weaker. It posits a future where baseline humans are vanishing, different offshoots rising up including resurrected vampires and yet is grounded in hard science (there's a long appendix on the sources used for inspiration). This novel meditates on themes like consciousness, humanity, etc but the plot is weak and the characters are bland. Greg Egan does such themes better and this one didn't leave much of an impression on me.

coffee_cake

bluewolf wrote: »

Got the first Witcher book. Suddenly got hooked on the games recently, didn't take the first time a few years back

Awesome stuff. Just bought the second now. Apparently the translation is better in this.
It's way too easy to buy kindle books...

mcgovern

Finished Advance to Contact, they are the book equivalent of a good Michael Bay film but very enjoyable once you don't take them seriously.
60% through Malice by John Gwynne now, book 1 in The Faithful and the Fallen series. It has taken some time to get going but beginning to pick up pace now.

Thargor

Oh yes, Neal Asher has started a new Polity series, Rise of the Jain, only 1 book so far, The Soldier, but he writes fast.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35667856-the-soldier

His Polity series is absolutely brilliant if you havent read it, like a more violent version of The Culture.

Jayd0g

Thargor wrote: »

Oh yes, Neal Asher has started a new Polity series, Rise of the Jain, only 1 book so far, The Soldier, but he writes fast.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35667856-the-soldier

His Polity series is absolutely brilliant if you havent read it, like a more violent version of The Culture.

The stand alone and short stories from Polity universe is great.

Cowl was the first I read, really interesting concepts.

Thargor

Yeah something about Cowl really stuck with me, interesting concepts as you say. I liked the Owner trilogy, just a really grim future run by complete bastards.

Jayd0g

Thargor wrote: »

Yeah something about Cowl really stuck with me, interesting concepts as you say. I liked the Owner trilogy, just a really grim future run by complete bastards.

I get flashbacks to Cowl everytime I eat too much!

Will check out the Owner trilogy, cheers

Xofpod

Finally got around to Senlin Ascends by Josiah Bancroft. Not what I expected but really enjoying it so far.

Conall Cernach

L wrote: »

Aw. I loved The Stainless Steel Rat books growing up. I'm not sure I want to reread them ever now and ruin the happy memories I have of them.

They still hold up for the most part (Angelina's motives in the first book and Jim's reaction in the reveal would be questionable today). Yes there is some casual sexism the odd time but that is because the narrator is a bit of a sexist himself. I don't find the books themselves to be sexist. Slippery Jim is a bit of an egomaniac/narcissist but he is regularly brought back down to Earth by the women he encounters.

lordgoat

Book three of Mistborn... He really enjoys repeating himself. I'll gladly skip half pages as he explains something he has already explained in this book and in earlier books...
I'll finish this trilogy but would need alot of convincing to pick up another book by him.

Nody

lordgoat wrote: »

Book three of Mistborn... He really enjoys repeating himself. I'll gladly skip half pages as he explains something he has already explained in this book and in earlier books...
I'll finish this trilogy but would need alot of convincing to pick up another book by him.

I've still not finished it; I've tried three times and my eye lid drops and I fall asleep of boredom. One of the very very few books I've started and not finished and probably never will.

lordgoat

Nody wrote: »

I've still not finished it; I've tried three times and my eye lid drops and I fall asleep of boredom. One of the very very few books I've started and not finished and probably never will.

Finished book 3. Wouldn't recommend. I ended up skipping chunks of it tbh but overall not for me.

coffee_cake

Did someone here recommend Strange the dreamer? It's absolutely brilliant

mcgovern

I finished Malice which I really enjoyed. I don't think it did anything special but it was very good.
After that I read Terms of Enlistment by Marko Kloos, military sci-fi set 100 years in the future where humanity has a lot of colonies. It took a long time to get to the 'interesting' part which probably sets up the rest of the series, but as a standalone it's not worth it.
Now reading The Sea Watch by Adrian Tchaikovsky, book 7 in his Shadows of the Apt series. Started well, I really like this series.

ixoy

23% into "The Obelisk Gate" by N.K. Jemsin, the 2nd book in her "Broken Earth" series. Very much enjoying it - she's got a pretty unique voice and an interesting world set up. Throwing in geology, for example, as a core element isn't something I've seen done in fantasy like this before and it's working very well.
I see the 3rd book just won the Nebula award so it looks like the quality is going to keep up.

mcgovern wrote: »

I finished Malice which I really enjoyed. I don't think it did anything special but it was very good.

I think it comes down as simply as John Gwynne is a strong writer. He's good at character development, pacing, and just an ability to write. It really elevates what is, in some ways, a fairly unoriginal premise.

Buford T. Justice XIX

Today is Towel Day, in recognition of Douglas Adams Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Towel_Day


I'll probably start it again now

Owryan

My brother gave me a bunch of eBooks by Chris Nuttall, mainly future space warfare.

They all seem to follow the same pattern and naturally the Brits are the heroes of the story , but they are strangely entertaining.

shrapnel222

finished the passage by justin Cronin. Am of 2 minds about it. Really enjoyed some aspects of it , and disliked others. is book 2 worth reading?

Dades

shrapnel222 wrote: »

finished the passage by justin Cronin. Am of 2 minds about it. Really enjoyed some aspects of it , and disliked others. is book 2 worth reading?

I enjoyed the first book alright, but was ready for it to end. Have the second but haven't yet gotten around to it.

If it gets good reviews here I might!

shootermacg

Really enjoying Snakewood by Adrian Selby at the moment. Really easy reading and a good premise.

shootermacg

shrapnel222 wrote: »

finished the passage by justin Cronin. Am of 2 minds about it. Really enjoyed some aspects of it , and disliked others. is book 2 worth reading?

Overall a good read.

stesaurus

shrapnel222 wrote: »

finished the passage by justin Cronin. Am of 2 minds about it. Really enjoyed some aspects of it , and disliked others. is book 2 worth reading?

For me the first was the highlight and the rest meh

Sleepy

Finally got around to starting Brent Weeks' Lightbringer series and currently halfway through The Black Prism. Loving it, Weeks' is a sick bastard and I love him for it.

Jayd0g

Sleepy wrote: »

Finally got around to starting Brent Weeks' Lightbringer series and currently halfway through The Black Prism. Loving it, Weeks' is a sick bastard and I love him for it.

Really enjoyed that series, looking forward to the next one!

smacl

Finished Zoe's tale which was enjoyable but pretty much as expected. Just starting The stars my destination, which I've been meaning to read for a while now. Also bought and downloaded Snow crash and The windup girl, so plenty to look forward to.

Jayd0g

smacl wrote: »

Finished Zoe's tale which was enjoyable but pretty much as expected. Just starting The stars my destination, which I've been meaning to read for a while now. Also bought and downloaded Snow crash and The windup girl, so plenty to look forward to.

Snow crash is brilliant. A little dated in its depiction of technology. All its themes still ring true though.

And Amazon announced last September that they're making a tv show based on the book.

shootermacg

shootermacg wrote: »

Really enjoying Snakewood by Adrian Selby at the moment. Really easy reading and a good premise.

Just finished this. Highly recommended.

nhur

lordgoat wrote: »

Book three of Mistborn... ...
I'll finish this trilogy but would need alot of convincing to pick up another book by him.

I've finished book 1 and enjoyed it - a little light if anything. Am part way through the second and already it's feeling a little samey. However, I have read several other books of this type so I'm not surprised. Might have to go back to dark sci-fi after this though

ixoy wrote: »

23% into "The Obelisk Gate" by N.K. Jemsin, the 2nd book in her "Broken Earth" series.

Lot of people on this thread loving those books - read the first and wasn't encouraged to read more. Not sure what exactly it was about it though - it felt a little jarring and out of focus - as if the subplots had more airtime than the the main plot.