Hey!! Let's get some action going! What are we reading? - Page 8

Xsavior · 07-27-2007, 10:41 PM

I recently read a short story by Stephen King in Esquire magazine, then was driven to read the first of the Dark Tower series (the Gunslinger), which I've been meaning to do for a long time. I immediately read the second after that (the Drawing of the Three), then had to break for HP, now I'm reading the third Dark Tower (the Wastelands). I can't believe I waited so long for the Dark Tower series

JSWolf · 07-27-2007, 10:44 PM

Once I finish HP7, I have a couple Star Trek books to read and then I plan on reading a Steve Jordan book.

nekokami · 07-29-2007, 09:22 PM

I'm currently reading Pratchett's first Discworld book, The Colors of Magic. So far I don't like it nearly as well as I liked the "young adult" Discworld books, Wee Free Men and A Hatful of Sky. But I'll stay with it for now.

Dr. Drib · 08-08-2007, 05:41 PM

I'm currently finishing up Grotesque, by Natsuo Kirino. It's a kind of murder mystery, but it's also about an egocentric and perhaps unreliable narrator.

It's an unusual book, constructed with different narratives, what literary critic Bakhtin calls heteroglossia -- many voices telling a story.

Kirino is a young Japanese writer, and this is her second book to be translated into English. I haven't yet read her first translated title.

Interestingly, I saw this at Borders over a period of about one month and I decided I wanted to buy it and read it. The real tug-of-war was whether to buy it as a hardback First Edition (for my collection), or buy it as an ebook. The ebook won out for two reasons:

1) the ebook was about $12.00 cheaper than the hardback. (It's not available yet as a trade paper.)

2) I desperately need to downsize my book collection.

Has anyone else here read any of her work?

Don

JSWolf · 08-08-2007, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nekokami

I'm currently reading Pratchett's first Discworld book, The Colors of Magic. So far I don't like it nearly as well as I liked the "young adult" Discworld books, Wee Free Men and A Hatful of Sky. But I'll stay with it for now.

I've left off on book 6. The next book to read in the Discword series is Pyramids.

wayspooled · 08-08-2007, 08:34 PM

Neko, it gets better

Gets better as you go further into the book as I remember. The first 5 or 6 of his books seems like he was sort of feeling his way around "this new place". I don't think I read them until I'd read about half a dozen others. My favs begin with Wyrd Sisters, the 6th book I think. After that, everything is pretty much on my favorites list.

In Ebook, reading Bruce Alexander's Rules of Engagement and John Scalzi's Old Man's War right now.

In paper, I'm rereading my way through Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series for the 4th time. So my 4th time on Post Captain at the moment. Obviously one of my favorite authors.

and edging toward starting to reread after a long time, Stephen R. Donaldson's Gap sci/fi series prob in ebook. Have to be in a certain frame of mind to do that. :P One of the greatest sci/fi series I have ever read but dern hard to get through that first book before you know enough about the story to enjoy it. You eventually get a hint. I know when I first bought it, I picked it up and started it 3 or 4 times. Some tough stuff in there you have to assume you don't understand the whole story of and get past. hehe..

nekokami · 08-09-2007, 08:23 AM

wayspooled, thanks for the suggestion about Pratchett. I tried The Colour of Magic again and I don't know, it just doesn't grab me. But I think I might skip ahead to Equal Rites, which looks more interesting to me. That should set me up well for Wyrd Sisters.

Wikipedia has quite an interesting article on Discworld, with a thematic reference to each book. I can see that there's plenty there to interest me. That first book just isn't doing it.

Edit: Right now I'm re-reading Barbara Hambly's "Benjamin January" books. I'm on the 4th, Sold Down the River. Highly recommended for those who like historical fiction, New Orleans, and/or mysteries.

wayspooled · 08-10-2007, 01:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nekokami

Edit: Right now I'm re-reading Barbara Hambly's "Benjamin January" books. I'm on the 4th, Sold Down the River. Highly recommended for those who like historical fiction, New Orleans, and/or mysteries.

Those sound interesting. I may have to take a look. I like mysteries. I like some of most everything I guess, sort of goes in cycles. In the mood for mysteries sometimes, then I go a couple months reading fantasy, then historical fiction like O'Brian and Mallinson, then Sci/Fi for a bit, then a few contemporary things or whatever - then rinse and repeat.

We need some favorite author/genre threads!

I haven't read anything of hers in a long time. I remember loving the first 3 books of the Darwath series, they were kind of a trilogy. Didn't like the 4th or 5th as much. Then I read the Windrose trilogy and a couple of her standalone novels, then several more Darwath books came out that I didn't like as much. And I never read anything else by her. This was looong ago.

andyafro · 08-10-2007, 04:03 AM

has anyone got a copy of vintage season by cl moore?
one of the books i really want
and has anyone read the 2 john twelve hawks books yet? traveller or dark river

andyafro · 08-10-2007, 04:06 AM

i have just finished i am legend (richard matherson)& ajustment team(phillip k dick) reading scanner darkly & a book called alpha and omega at mo about the history of science & its 3 revolutions its really good
i read the universe next door by marcus chown last week excellent book

nekokami · 08-10-2007, 09:30 AM

wayspooled, I liked the Windrose books a lot, but not the Darwath books so much. The Benjamin January books might be better than either, even if I do generally prefer sf/fantasy (though I read a fair amount of historical fiction as well). One thing that is nice is that I think the later books are as good as the earlier ones, particularly the last one (Dead Water).

If you liked the Windrose books, you'd probably like Stranger At The Wedding, which is set in the same universe, though none of the characters overlap. It's a standalone, with more of a mystery feel, and quite funny in many places, though the overall story is serious.

Unfortunately I can't recommend Sisters of the Raven or Circle of the Moon. They were ok, and I'm not sorry I read them, but they kind of dragged along in places. They just weren't as tightly plotted as the Windrose books or the Benjamin January books.

cherdman · 08-11-2007, 01:26 AM

I've just begun reading The Night's Dawn trilogy by Peter F. Hamilton (The Reality Dysfunction, The Neutronium Alchemist, The Naked God). I've heard that they're the George R.R. Martin books of science fiction. I hope that's true because this is A LOT of reading...

JSWolf · 08-13-2007, 06:11 PM

I can highly recommend the Discword Series by Terry Pratchat. I'm currently reading Pyramids. Just started. The series is very funny. It's a mix of Sci-fi, fantasy (mostly) and humor. These are the only books I've ever read that do not have chapter breaks.

JSWolf · 08-13-2007, 06:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nekokami

wayspooled, thanks for the suggestion about Pratchett. I tried The Colour of Magic again and I don't know, it just doesn't grab me. But I think I might skip ahead to Equal Rites, which looks more interesting to me. That should set me up well for Wyrd Sisters.

Wikipedia has quite an interesting article on Discworld, with a thematic reference to each book. I can see that there's plenty there to interest me. That first book just isn't doing it.

Edit: Right now I'm re-reading Barbara Hambly's "Benjamin January" books. I'm on the 4th, Sold Down the River. Highly recommended for those who like historical fiction, New Orleans, and/or mysteries.

The Colour of Magic does give you all kinds of info on one of Discworld's recurring characters. It is worth it to get through it just for that Because the books are different enough from each other, there are ones you may end up liking better then others. But I plan on reading them all no matter.

wayspooled · 08-13-2007, 11:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

The Colour of Magic does give you all kinds of info on one of Discworld's recurring characters. It is worth it to get through it just for that Because the books are different enough from each other, there are ones you may end up liking better then others. But I plan on reading them all no matter.

Aye, it does. After I was hooked I went back and read everything I could find that he wrote. I've read all the young adult books, the cookbook, the Science of Discworld books and heh, anything I could find.

The regular Discworld series of books - I'd say they have a higher ratio of coffee spitting per word than anything else I've read. Of course, "Projectile Drink Spitting" is only one of the three ways I rate books. There is also the "Stop and Look Away from the Book with Mouth Slightly Ajar" (several authors paint pictures with words so well) scale as well as the "Involuntary Verbal Utterance" ie: "Holy .......!" subsequently followed by the realization I've gotten so excited about something going on that I've been skimming and have to go back and reread.

There's even a Discworld Society page I've seen somewhere with a vault of Pratchett one-liners.

08-08-2007, 08:34 PM	#111
wayspooled Crab In The Dark Posts: 486 Karma: 2328180 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Virginia Device: Tablet PC until a 10" comes out that I like	Neko, it gets better Gets better as you go further into the book as I remember. The first 5 or 6 of his books seems like he was sort of feeling his way around "this new place". I don't think I read them until I'd read about half a dozen others. My favs begin with Wyrd Sisters, the 6th book I think. After that, everything is pretty much on my favorites list. In Ebook, reading Bruce Alexander's Rules of Engagement and John Scalzi's Old Man's War right now. In paper, I'm rereading my way through Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series for the 4th time. So my 4th time on Post Captain at the moment. Obviously one of my favorite authors. and edging toward starting to reread after a long time, Stephen R. Donaldson's Gap sci/fi series prob in ebook. Have to be in a certain frame of mind to do that. :P One of the greatest sci/fi series I have ever read but dern hard to get through that first book before you know enough about the story to enjoy it. You eventually get a hint. I know when I first bought it, I picked it up and started it 3 or 4 times. Some tough stuff in there you have to assume you don't understand the whole story of and get past. hehe.. Last edited by wayspooled; 08-08-2007 at 08:45 PM.

08-09-2007, 08:23 AM	#112
nekokami fruminous edugeek Posts: 6,745 Karma: 551260 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northeast US Device: iPad, eBw 1150	wayspooled, thanks for the suggestion about Pratchett. I tried The Colour of Magic again and I don't know, it just doesn't grab me. But I think I might skip ahead to Equal Rites, which looks more interesting to me. That should set me up well for Wyrd Sisters. Wikipedia has quite an interesting article on Discworld, with a thematic reference to each book. I can see that there's plenty there to interest me. That first book just isn't doing it. Edit: Right now I'm re-reading Barbara Hambly's "Benjamin January" books. I'm on the 4th, Sold Down the River. Highly recommended for those who like historical fiction, New Orleans, and/or mysteries. Last edited by nekokami; 08-09-2007 at 08:25 AM.

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07-27-2007, 10:41 PM	#106
Xsavior Coveter of eInk Posts: 36 Karma: 19 Join Date: May 2006 Location: Vermont, US Device: Treo 700p, Sony Reader	I recently read a short story by Stephen King in Esquire magazine, then was driven to read the first of the Dark Tower series (the Gunslinger), which I've been meaning to do for a long time. I immediately read the second after that (the Drawing of the Three), then had to break for HP, now I'm reading the third Dark Tower (the Wastelands). I can't believe I waited so long for the Dark Tower series

07-27-2007, 10:44 PM	#107
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,897 Karma: 128597114 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	Once I finish HP7, I have a couple Star Trek books to read and then I plan on reading a Steve Jordan book.

07-29-2007, 09:22 PM	#108
nekokami fruminous edugeek Posts: 6,745 Karma: 551260 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northeast US Device: iPad, eBw 1150	I'm currently reading Pratchett's first Discworld book, The Colors of Magic. So far I don't like it nearly as well as I liked the "young adult" Discworld books, Wee Free Men and A Hatful of Sky. But I'll stay with it for now.

08-08-2007, 05:41 PM	#109
Dr. Drib Grand Sorcerer Posts: 44,737 Karma: 55645321 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Peru Device: Kindle: Oasis 3, Voyage WiFi; Kobo: Libra 2, Aura One	I'm currently finishing up Grotesque, by Natsuo Kirino. It's a kind of murder mystery, but it's also about an egocentric and perhaps unreliable narrator. It's an unusual book, constructed with different narratives, what literary critic Bakhtin calls heteroglossia -- many voices telling a story. Kirino is a young Japanese writer, and this is her second book to be translated into English. I haven't yet read her first translated title. Interestingly, I saw this at Borders over a period of about one month and I decided I wanted to buy it and read it. The real tug-of-war was whether to buy it as a hardback First Edition (for my collection), or buy it as an ebook. The ebook won out for two reasons: 1) the ebook was about $12.00 cheaper than the hardback. (It's not available yet as a trade paper.) 2) I desperately need to downsize my book collection. Has anyone else here read any of her work? Don

08-10-2007, 04:03 AM	#114
andyafro Connoisseur Posts: 98 Karma: 140 Join Date: Jun 2007 Device: sony reader prs-500	has anyone got a copy of vintage season by cl moore? one of the books i really want and has anyone read the 2 john twelve hawks books yet? traveller or dark river

08-10-2007, 04:06 AM	#115
andyafro Connoisseur Posts: 98 Karma: 140 Join Date: Jun 2007 Device: sony reader prs-500	i have just finished i am legend (richard matherson)& ajustment team(phillip k dick) reading scanner darkly & a book called alpha and omega at mo about the history of science & its 3 revolutions its really good i read the universe next door by marcus chown last week excellent book

08-10-2007, 09:30 AM	#116
nekokami fruminous edugeek Posts: 6,745 Karma: 551260 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northeast US Device: iPad, eBw 1150	wayspooled, I liked the Windrose books a lot, but not the Darwath books so much. The Benjamin January books might be better than either, even if I do generally prefer sf/fantasy (though I read a fair amount of historical fiction as well). One thing that is nice is that I think the later books are as good as the earlier ones, particularly the last one (Dead Water). If you liked the Windrose books, you'd probably like Stranger At The Wedding, which is set in the same universe, though none of the characters overlap. It's a standalone, with more of a mystery feel, and quite funny in many places, though the overall story is serious. Unfortunately I can't recommend Sisters of the Raven or Circle of the Moon. They were ok, and I'm not sorry I read them, but they kind of dragged along in places. They just weren't as tightly plotted as the Windrose books or the Benjamin January books.

08-11-2007, 01:26 AM	#117
cherdman Enthusiast Posts: 46 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: T-E-X-A-S Device: Dell Axim X51v	I've just begun reading The Night's Dawn trilogy by Peter F. Hamilton (The Reality Dysfunction, The Neutronium Alchemist, The Naked God). I've heard that they're the George R.R. Martin books of science fiction. I hope that's true because this is A LOT of reading...

08-13-2007, 06:11 PM	#118
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,897 Karma: 128597114 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	I can highly recommend the Discword Series by Terry Pratchat. I'm currently reading Pyramids. Just started. The series is very funny. It's a mix of Sci-fi, fantasy (mostly) and humor. These are the only books I've ever read that do not have chapter breaks.