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What Are You Reading?

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    #6872
    nhur
    Registered Users Posts: 217 ✭✭nhur


    super_furry wrote: »
    Rereading the Wheel of Time for the first time in maybe 15 years.

    Blazed through the The Eye of the World and The Great Hunt but already starting to find The Dragon Reborn a slog. I know Jordan gets a lot of stick for how badly he writes female characters, but Jesus, it's like the last time he actually spoke to a women was when he was in primary school
    Yup. Really puts me off reading them again. Though I loved them first time.. Read them as they came out and hadn't read better epics at that time... I reckon they'd suffer terribly from comparison to stuff I've read in the last ages
    (nice segue)
    Just finished the Lightbringer books... Start to finish. Abs loved them... Great romp with good complexity in characters and story but not enough to slow me down!
    Not sure what to read next.. Possibly start the Dresden files... Or the Star Wars books.... Thoughts?


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    #6873
    Thargor
    Registered Users Posts: 17,935 ✭✭✭✭Thargor


    nhur wrote: »
    Yup. Really puts me off reading them again. Though I loved them first time.. Read them as they came out and hadn't read better epics at that time... I reckon they'd suffer terribly from comparison to stuff I've read in the last ages
    (nice segue)
    Just finished the Lightbringer books... Start to finish. Abs loved them... Great romp with good complexity in characters and story but not enough to slow me down!
    Not sure what to read next.. Possibly start the Dresden files... Or the Star Wars books.... Thoughts?
    Time for my monthly Prince of Nothing recommendation, best fantasy Ive ever read, 4 more books after this trilogy:

    X4zm8g7.jpg


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    #6874
    divide_by_zero
    Registered Users Posts: 130 ✭✭divide_by_zero


    Thargor wrote: »
    Time for my monthly Prince of Nothing recommendation, best fantasy Ive ever read, 4 more books after this trilogy:

    X4zm8g7.jpg

    One of the best fantasy series I've read and reread.


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    #6875
    keane2097
    Registered Users Posts: 17,771 ✭✭✭✭keane2097


    nhur wrote: »
    Yup. Really puts me off reading them again. Though I loved them first time.. Read them as they came out and hadn't read better epics at that time... I reckon they'd suffer terribly from comparison to stuff I've read in the last ages
    (nice segue)
    Just finished the Lightbringer books... Start to finish. Abs loved them... Great romp with good complexity in characters and story but not enough to slow me down!
    Not sure what to read next.. Possibly start the Dresden files... Or the Star Wars books.... Thoughts?
    nhur wrote: »
    Yup. Really puts me off reading them again. Though I loved them first time.. Read them as they came out and hadn't read better epics at that time... I reckon they'd suffer terribly from comparison to stuff I've read in the last ages
    (nice segue)
    Just finished the Lightbringer books... Start to finish. Abs loved them... Great romp with good complexity in characters and story but not enough to slow me down!
    Not sure what to read next.. Possibly start the Dresden files... Or the Star Wars books.... Thoughts?
    nhur wrote: »
    Yup. Really puts me off reading them again. Though I loved them first time.. Read them as they came out and hadn't read better epics at that time... I reckon they'd suffer terribly from comparison to stuff I've read in the last ages
    (nice segue)
    Just finished the Lightbringer books... Start to finish. Abs loved them... Great romp with good complexity in characters and story but not enough to slow me down!
    Not sure what to read next.. Possibly start the Dresden files... Or the Star Wars books.... Thoughts?

    Enjoyed rereading this more than WoT


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    #6876
    nhur
    Registered Users Posts: 217 ✭✭nhur


    Thargor wrote: »
    Time for my monthly Prince of Nothing recommendation, best fantasy Ive ever read, 4 more books after this trilogy:

    X4zm8g7.jpg

    I've read them and wasn't wowed... In fact, not even sure I finished the third... Bit too New Testament for me I think... Maybe I should give them another go...

    Also, apologies for the prev multipost... A glitch in the matrix I'm guessing


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    #6877
    nhur
    Registered Users Posts: 217 ✭✭nhur


    keane2097 wrote: »
    Enjoyed rereading this more than WoT

    Noice. I blame gremlins in the machine


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    #6878
    Thargor
    Registered Users Posts: 17,935 ✭✭✭✭Thargor


    nhur wrote: »
    I've read them and wasn't wowed... In fact, not even sure I finished the third... Bit too New Testament for me I think... Maybe I should give them another go...

    Also, apologies for the prev multipost... A glitch in the matrix I'm guessing
    Shadow of the Apt by Adrian Tchaikovsky then? Its usually what gets reccomended next, brilliant series nowhere near as heavy as Prince of Nothing.


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    #6879
    RMDrive
    Registered Users Posts: 553 ✭✭✭RMDrive


    Since reading Children of Ruin I have developed an irrational dislike of octopuses/octopi/octopodes. They wrecked my head in that book.

    Just me?


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    #6880
    Thargor
    Registered Users Posts: 17,935 ✭✭✭✭Thargor


    I loved them, a properly weird species for the first time in a long time. I think Stephen Baxter used them before aswell, it might have just been a short story though.


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    #6881
    juke
    Registered Users Posts: 1,673 ✭✭✭juke


    Thargor wrote: »
    Time for my monthly Prince of Nothing recommendation, best fantasy Ive ever read, 4 more books after this trilogy:

    X4zm8g7.jpg

    Almost finished the last of the Lightbringer series, reading straight through from book 1, as recommended on here. This is next on my list


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    #6882
    Trojan
    Registered Users Posts: 16,413 ✭✭✭✭Trojan


    Started and abandoned "Nightwise" by R.S. Belcher

    I really didn't like it, but that's not to say it's not well written, it's just very much is not for me.

    🎙️ The Recognized Authority Podcast



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    #6883
    Nody
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 18,309 CMod ✭✭✭✭Nody


    Finished Cold Days (book 14 in the Dresden series) and currently working on the short novels before wrapping it up with Skin Game (for now). In parallel I'm reading Stone by Adam Roberts which has not impressed so far.


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    #6884
    Manach
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 9,713 Mod ✭✭✭✭Manach


    Nody wrote: »
    Finished Cold Days (book 14 in the Dresden series) and currently working on the short novels before wrapping it up with Skin Game (for now).
    Ah well, only another 4 months or so for the next published book in the series, Peace Talks.


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    #6885
    Thargor
    Registered Users Posts: 17,935 ✭✭✭✭Thargor


    Has anyone read the Revenger series by Alastair Reynolds? Is it young adult or proper sci-fi?


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    #6886
    ixoy
    Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 17,993 Mod ✭✭✭✭ixoy


    Thargor wrote: »
    Has anyone read the Revenger series by Alastair Reynolds? Is it young adult or proper sci-fi?
    Read the first one - It's YA sci-fi but I enjoyed it all the same. It was fairly dark at times (as YA often is) and the plot zipped along nicely to me but the science end of it was lighter than say his Revelation Space stuff. My "to-read" list has the second book coming up soon.


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    #6887
    mcgovern
    Registered Users Posts: 4,267 ✭✭✭mcgovern


    ixoy wrote: »
    Read the first one - It's YA sci-fi but I enjoyed it all the same. It was fairly dark at times (as YA often is) and the plot zipped along nicely to me but the science end of it was lighter than say his Revelation Space stuff. My "to-read" list has the second book coming up soon.

    The second one is quite different in style. Still dark but more of a mystery novel than a pirate one.
    I thought it was better but not a patch on his Revelation Space work.
    The third one is out now I think.
    (and I'd agree, they are YA).


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    #6888
    Paddy Samurai
    Registered Users Posts: 3,014 ✭✭✭Paddy Samurai


    About 50% through Beyond Redemption by Michael R.Fletcher. Finding this one to be a bit different from the run of the mill fantasy. Peoples Mental illness and beliefs manifesting itself in the real world is a new one for me. Lots of dark humour which i love. Stehlen stealing the robes in the temple is a big LOL moment IMO.
    Stehlen is by far my favourite character. Hope the rest is as good.:D


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    #6889
    ixoy
    Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 17,993 Mod ✭✭✭✭ixoy


    Finished:

    'Four Roads Cross' by Max Gladstone, the fifth book in his Craft series, bringing together plot threads from previous instalments. The world he's built up - centering primarily around magic lawyers who live in a 20th-century tech level world powered by souls and dead / capture gods - is one I've found very fascinating. The mechanics are well thought out. The plot here manages to sensibly mix leverage of financial assets, gargoyles and gods which is pretty unique. It didn't always work for me though as I felt something was missing - perhaps it was the writing style which I found a bit vague at times. Still a worthy entry in the series.

    'The Diamond Warriors' is the final book in David Zindell's EA Cycle. It's a fantasy series that I started, it seems, eons ago and barely remembered but thankfully it had a recap. The plot is told via a first person perspective and I found it slow, with far too much action being conveyed by conversation through third party witnesses. The book is heavily influenced by the author's interest in spiritual philosophy (a lot of it I think based in Eastern religions). It's really a pale imitation of his far superior 'A Requiem for Homo Sapiens' series. It's got interesting concepts but the series just took too long to get there.

    'Skullsworn' by Brian Stavely is a prequel novel to his enjoyable, but flawed, 'Chronicles of the Unhewn Throne' trilogy and is the best book this author's written. It's centred around a member of the Skullsworn, a sort of assassin death cult who really piqued my interest because of their take on it (that the assassin's are happy people doing their god's work). The first person perspective here worked well because it was character focused and the plot, not on an epic scale, wrapped up very well. A strong solo novel and makes me look forward to seeing what he does next.


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    #6890
    coffee_cake
    Registered Users Posts: 81,310 CMod ✭✭✭✭coffee_cake


    There is a new katharine kerr book out, so far so good


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    #6891
    Thargor
    Registered Users Posts: 17,935 ✭✭✭✭Thargor


    Anyone got any recs for global pandemic sci fi like The Stand? Emphasis on the science part not the supernatural.


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    #6892
    mcgovern
    Registered Users Posts: 4,267 ✭✭✭mcgovern


    Thargor wrote: »
    Anyone got any recs for global pandemic sci fi like The Stand? Emphasis on the science part not the supernatural.

    The Hot Zone is not really Sci-Fi and doesn't end up with a pandemic but it is well worth a read.


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    #6893
    Fian
    Registered Users Posts: 2,192 ✭✭✭Fian


    Finished "A long way to a small angry planet" mainly because it has been mentioned in this thread.

    Pretty meh tbh, was not terrible nor excellent.


    Was planning to move to the last of the wolf hall trilogy (the mirror and the light is the title I think?) next, but I think instead I might try a pandemic book.

    https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/pandemic

    I think probably this one:

    https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20170404-station-eleven

    If i hadn't already read both of them more than once already, "the road" or "the stand" would definitely be the next book I would read.

    I am not at all panicked about covid 19 but tbh I really enjoyed watching "contagion" last week more than i would have if i weren't at least a little nervous about it.


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    #6894
    mcgovern
    Registered Users Posts: 4,267 ✭✭✭mcgovern


    Fian wrote: »
    Finished "A long way to a small angry planet" mainly because it has been mentioned in this thread.

    Pretty meh tbh, was not terrible nor excellent.


    Was planning to move to the last of the wolf hall trilogy (the mirror and the light is the title I think?) next, but I think instead I might try a pandemic book.

    https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/pandemic

    I think probably this one:

    https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20170404-station-eleven

    If i hadn't already read both of them more than once already, "the road" or "the stand" would definitely be the next book I would read.

    I am not at all panicked about covid 19 but tbh I really enjoyed watching "contagion" last week more than i would have if i weren't at least a little nervous about it.

    Station Eleven doesn't really deal with the Pandemic if that is the piece that interests you. It was a bit 'high brow' for my tastes and I didn't enjoy it.
    On the opposite side and also on the list is The Fireman by Joe Hill which was a bit to 'low brow' :)


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    #6895
    Thargor
    Registered Users Posts: 17,935 ✭✭✭✭Thargor


    Didn't like Station 11 either, it all felt a bit pointless.


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    #6896
    Nody
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 18,309 CMod ✭✭✭✭Nody


    Nody wrote: »
    Finished Cold Days (book 14 in the Dresden series) and currently working on the short novels before wrapping it up with Skin Game (for now). In parallel I'm reading Stone by Adam Roberts which has not impressed so far.
    Only a few chapters to go in Skin Game now; main fight is over, recovery phase already kicked in etc. I'll be lost what to listen to once this is done; been listening for over half a year now to Dresden.

    Wrapped up Stone; a bit of a deux ex machina resolution to the story and it did not really get any more interesting. Only worth a read if you want a new take on humanity in a world without crime with the ability to become anything you like basically but I found it generally just dull. Not sure what paper book will come next at this time.


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    #6897
    ixoy
    Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 17,993 Mod ✭✭✭✭ixoy


    Thargor wrote: »
    Didn't like Station 11 either, it all felt a bit pointless.
    I'd also agree. It's not a sci-fi book and doesn't touch on the mechanics of surviving in an apocalypse really - it's more of a "character piece".

    Can't think of one I read that deals with the event itself - most deal with its aftermath.


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    #6898
    Paddy Samurai
    Registered Users Posts: 3,014 ✭✭✭Paddy Samurai


    Finished BEYOND REDEMPTION by Michael R. Fletcher. Missed this one when it first came out in 2015 but enjoyed it enough to order part two and three. Dark and gritty with lots of dark humour for me with Stehlen being my favourite character.

    About 90 pages into WANDERERS by Chuck Wendig.
    Reminds me of The Stand by King. A real page turner so far................


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    #6899
    shrapnel222
    Registered Users Posts: 3,120 ✭✭✭shrapnel222


    finally got around to reading the 3 body problem. thought it was good but was expecting more tbh. torn as to whether to continue with book 2

    the dragon republic: decent but sadly nowhere near as good as the first one, the poppy wars. will definitely read the 3rd though.

    the black prism: meh, some great ideas and good story lines but overall felt it wasn't that convincing. a few story lines make me want to read book 2.

    Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames: first novel from this author and absolutely loved it. Very straightforward fantasy with a simple story line, but the characters are absolutely brilliant, and thought it was very well written and a real pleasure to read. Good clean fun fantasy


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    #6900
    Thargor
    Registered Users Posts: 17,935 ✭✭✭✭Thargor


    shrapnel222 wrote: »
    finally got around to reading the 3 body problem. thought it was good but was expecting more tbh. torn as to whether to continue with book 2

    the dragon republic: decent but sadly nowhere near as good as the first one, the poppy wars. will definitely read the 3rd though.

    the black prism: meh, some great ideas and good story lines but overall felt it wasn't that convincing. a few story lines make me want to read book 2.

    Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames: first novel from this author and absolutely loved it. Very straightforward fantasy with a simple story line, but the characters are absolutely brilliant, and thought it was very well written and a real pleasure to read. Good clean fun fantasy
    Stick with 3 Body, books 2 an 3 are on another level to the first one.

    Whatever you do don read The Supernova Era afterwards though, a complete turd...


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    #6901
    shrapnel222
    Registered Users Posts: 3,120 ✭✭✭shrapnel222


    Thargor wrote: »
    Stick with 3 Body, books 2 an 3 are on another level to the first one.

    Whatever you do don read The Supernova Era afterwards though, a complete turd...

    thanks for that. will give book 2 a go.

    I had noticed your previous comments re supernova, and had no intention of going there!!:)


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