What Are You Reading?

bradyle

Three Parts Dead by Max Gladstone

I won it in a competition had never heard of it or Max Gladstone before but I must say I am really enjoying it. It's set in a really interesting world, well worth a read!

Zurn

I´m reading "Game of Thrones". Hard stuff for me, I´m German. It´s mainly to improve my English.
Additionally I`m reading books about Irish slangs and culture.

Dan_Solo

Well, finished Time And Again, and it played out much as I expected, though there was one bit I thought "Nah, not having that". Written in 1970, so on the verge of dated, but I liked it. Might try the sequel some time.
Now after a trawl of the SF websites I'm going to, pretty randomly, try Low Town by Daniel Polansky. I hope it's a bit more magicky than the blurb and reviews make out. I don't mind extended hack n slash-athons, but the auld bit of fireballs and lightning bolts never goes astray.

OwaynOTT

Finished Sabderson's Legion and I was disappointed it ended. His comic flourishes still leave a lot to be desired but still had a few chuckles.
His prose can be clunky at times and rather workmanlike. He is without a doubt an ideas man though and hopefully we can see a novel with the story of Mr. Leeds, aka Legion, in the future.
His thoughts on time travel were interesting with regards to the earth moving.
Also finished Fahrenheit 451. As one of the 'classics' of the last century, it let me down. Maybe I was expecting too much but other seminal novels like; Flowers for Algernon, Forever War, One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest and Catch 22, all blew me away.
Fahrenheit, however, left me disappointed and I can't really pinpoint how.
Started off so well and Bradbury is streaks, rather light years, ahead of Sanderson with his writing capabilities and his descriptions of the Fireman in the first few pages were excellent.
Maybe it was a bit too literary for me. Still good though.

Up next? I'm not sure as the to read stack has grow into monstrous proportions and is being fed new books at an almost daily rate.

I want to read a great book, an absolute classic I missed, any suggestions?

Nody

OwaynOTT wrote: »

I want to read a great book, an absolute classic I missed, any suggestions?

Foundation trilogy or one of the stand alone books (does androids dream of electronical sheeps etc.) or Dune series (excl. the son's additions)

Raif Severance

OwaynOTT wrote: »

I want to read a great book, an absolute classic I missed, any suggestions?

How about T.H. White's The Once and Future King?

Probably the best King Arthur Story, I've read. It was also the basis for Disney's The Sword in the Stone.

If you don't mind Historical Novels, you may try reading some of Morgan Llewellyn's. Most notable is the Lion of Ireland, which is based on the life of High King Brian Boru, Ireland's equivalent to Brave Heart/El Cid.

Guy Gavriel Kay, has written several Classics that anyone with an inkling for Fantasy should read. Tigana, The Lions of Al-Rassan, A Song for Arbonne, just to name a few.

There's also Robert Holdstock's amazing Ryhope Wood Series, if you are into Myths and Folklore.

On the Not-Quite-Classics-Front, I'd recommend Sean Russell's Swan's War Trilogy, Chris Bunch's The Warrior King Trilogy, and Lois McMaster Bujold's Chalion Series.

TwoShedsJackson

Zurn wrote: »

I´m reading "Game of Thrones". Hard stuff for me, I´m German. It´s mainly to improve my English.
Additionally I`m reading books about Irish slangs and culture.

I'll keep an eye out for a German wearing boiled leather, eating from a hollowed-out trencher and shouting 'Words are wind!! Where do whores go!!' then.

Dades

Just started the "Wool" books on the strong recommendation of a buddy of mine.

Anyone read them?

sentient_6

About half way through the first myself.

TwoShedsJackson

Dades wrote: »

Just started the "Wool" books on the strong recommendation of a buddy of mine.

Anyone read them?

Read the first two, last one due out late this year I think. Both very good.

OwaynOTT

Dades wrote: »

Just started the "Wool" books on the strong recommendation of a buddy of mine.

Anyone read them?

Only read Wool, so far myself. Starts excellently and rarely lets you down all the way to the last page.

shaneor

Dades wrote: »

Just started the "Wool" books on the strong recommendation of a buddy of mine.

Anyone read them?

I've read the first two and it's a very good series. Third one is out on Kindle a few weeks ago and in October in print I think.

Dades

Am on #2 now, pretty good.

Moving a bit slow, and I'm used to a bit more expansive stuff, but interesting nonetheless.

ixoy

shaneor wrote: »

I haven't read Legion but "Emperor's Soul" is excellent. Another really interesting and innovative magic system and a good (if short) read.

Yeah, this was excellent and obviously we're not alone in thinking it as it just won the Hugo for Best Novella.

RoboAmish

Working through Wheel Of Time... again. Just started Lord Of Chaos... bit to go yet. Won't fail this time though.

Was also recommended "Prince of Thorns" by the girl in the bookstore the other day so picked it up too. I'd assume it's decent. Coulda sworn I've seen people talk about it here...

ixoy

RoboAmish wrote: »

Was also recommended "Prince of Thorns" by the girl in the bookstore the other day so picked it up too. I'd assume it's decent. Coulda sworn I've seen people talk about it here...

I was one of those talking about it. Now it was in a very negative manner and I thought it was utter rubbish but yeah, I was talking about it

ixoy

Nody wrote: »

Well you survived the pitch forks for now (first book finished this morning)... I can only echo earlier comment (forgot from whom, sorry!) that it's setting things up to come but was not brilliant.

Sure I got my cut of the profits It's not an amazing series but, for me, the mix of magic fighting against a steam-punk era society worked as did the Kinden angle. And no there are no immediate answers (and I've read the first five) but things do get expanded on.

If anyone wants to give it a try, today's the best day as it's £0.99 on Amazon's Daily Deal.

OwaynOTT

Phew! Travel really lets you get through a few books.

Just finished Pines by Blake Crouch. Decent enough, interesting enough idea and very heavily wearing it's Twin Peaks influence and a few other tv series also. Get's a bit flat with the reveal, as I was expecting some kind of convulated Stephen King ending.
Sadly wasn't to be and the ending put me in the mind of

Justin Cronin's The Passage

and other such books. Spoilered that because it will really give away the ending. Second book out soon enough as well.

Up next The Lives of Tao by Wesley Chu and I really enjoyed it. Nice idea with the alien mind passenger and it was very funny in parts. Got a bit too reliant on action scenes near the end and it felt a bit episodic at times and the ending was rather abrupt with little resolved. A lot of set up for the next book.

Both good books, a solid 7/10 for each.

Just started Enders Game by Orson Scott Card, saw it in Chapters for a few dollars, so I said why not despite having two books downloaded on the kindle.
Speaking of Chapters, their book prices are off the wall. A copy of Stardust for 33 dollars, they're having a laugh. Great selection though.

Getting impatient for Republic of Thieves, is anyone else with me here?

RoboAmish

ixoy wrote: »

I was one of those talking about it. Now it was in a very negative manner and I thought it was utter rubbish but yeah, I was talking about it

Ha, not very encouraging! Oh well, better to go in with measured expectations, I suppose.

shootermacg

OwaynOTT wrote: »

Phew! Travel really lets you get through a few books.

Just finished Pines by Blake Crouch. Decent enough, interesting enough idea and very heavily wearing it's Twin Peaks influence and a few other tv series also. Get's a bit flat with the reveal, as I was expecting some kind of convulated Stephen King ending.
Sadly wasn't to be and the ending put me in the mind of

Justin Cronin's The Passage

and other such books. Spoilered that because it will really give away the ending. Second book out soon enough as well.

Up next The Lives of Tao by Wesley Chu and I really enjoyed it. Nice idea with the alien mind passenger and it was very funny in parts. Got a bit too reliant on action scenes near the end and it felt a bit episodic at times and the ending was rather abrupt with little resolved. A lot of set up for the next book.

Both good books, a solid 7/10 for each.

Just started Enders Game by Orson Scott Card, saw it in Chapters for a few dollars, so I said why not despite having two books downloaded on the kindle.
Speaking of Chapters, their book prices are off the wall. A copy of Stardust for 33 dollars, they're having a laugh. Great selection though.

Getting impatient for Republic of Thieves, is anyone else with me here?

Enders Game, absolute classic, I envy you reading it for the first time ^ ^

Nody

RoboAmish wrote: »

Ha, not very encouraging! Oh well, better to go in with measured expectations, I suppose.

Don't worry, he's simply wrong and most of us think it's a great book

ixoy

Reading Neal Asher's "The Departure", the first in his Owner trilogy. I'm 10% in and honestly not all that impressed so far. It's a dystopian future and it feels a little dull. Flat characters, a somewhat unimaginative world and action that hasn't really grabbed me yet. It's nowhere on a par with his Polity work. Still I'll persevere as it might turn out better and I see the later books are more highly rated.

shaneor

OwaynOTT wrote: »

Getting impatient for Republic of Thieves, is anyone else with me here?

Absolutely! It's just about top of my "will it ever hurry up and get here" list. Only competition would be The Doors of Stone and The Winds of Winter but both of those are long off.

I'm trying to decide when I need to start a reread of Lies and Red Seas to be done just before it comes out!

shaneor

Finished Red Knight by Miles Cameron and actually enjoyed it in the end. Once it stopped having 10 parallel stories and brought things together it was a lot better. Not perfect by any means but its promising for the rest of the series.

Dipped into some classic SciFi with The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester and it was a bit "meh". Some interesting bits let down by the pacing being all over the place and the writing feeling dated.

Currently reading the first in the Black Company series by Glen Cook. It really dumps you into the middle of the story with no setup but interesting enough so far. I'll definitely continue the series but it probably won't jump right to the top of my list.

OwaynOTT

shaneor wrote: »

Finished Red Knight by Miles Cameron and actually enjoyed it in the end. Once it stopped having 10 parallel stories and brought things together it was a lot better. Not perfect by any means but its promising for the rest of the series.

Dipped into some classic SciFi with The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester and it was a bit "meh". Some interesting bits let down by the pacing being all over the place and the writing feeling dated.

Currently reading the first in the Black Company series by Glen Cook. It really dumps you into the middle of the story with no setup but interesting enough so far. I'll definitely continue the series but it probably won't jump right to the top of my list.

That turned me off at about the 200 page mark, which was a pity because I enjoyed the start so much. I migh try and finish it when I get a chance now.

OwaynOTT

shaneor wrote: »

Absolutely! It's just about top of my "will it ever hurry up and get here" list. Only competition would be The Doors of Stone and The Winds of Winter but both of those are long off.

I'm trying to decide when I need to start a reread of Lies and Red Seas to be done just before it comes out!

I haven't even thought about doing a reread for it. Just doesn't strike me as needing it, unlike Game of Thrones, WoT and Kingkiller Chronicle.

RoboAmish

Nody wrote: »

Don't worry, he's simply wrong and most of us think it's a great book

Ah now, that sounds better:D

And yes, very much looking forward to Republic of Thieves. No real need to re-read it for me though... despite convoluted enough plots in the novels themselves, the mythos itself isn't too unwieldy at all and there aren't too many characters to try and keep tabs on.

shaneor

OwaynOTT wrote: »

I haven't even thought about doing a reread for it. Just doesn't strike me as needing it, unlike Game of Thrones, WoT and Kingkiller Chronicle.

I agree it probably doesn't need a reread but its a good excuse to reread two of my favorite books in the last few years instead of getting through my to-read pile!

Raging_Ninja

ixoy wrote: »

Reading Neal Asher's "The Departure", the first in his Owner trilogy. I'm 10% in and honestly not all that impressed so far. It's a dystopian future and it feels a little dull. Flat characters, a somewhat unimaginative world and action that hasn't really grabbed me yet. It's nowhere on a par with his Polity work. Still I'll persevere as it might turn out better and I see the later books are more highly rated.

Read thst s month ago. It's ok, nothing special, but I did end up buying the next book.

bradyle

Finished Three Parts Dead by Max Gladstone...It was really good...I loved the concept of the world it was set in!

Kinda went through a meh phase then about starting a new book until i happened to remember I had Joe Abercrombie's First Law Trilogy on my kindle...started it last night and I must say I felt pulled in straightaway...not to far into it obviously but so far so good!