Oh blast

ShortNCuddlyAm · 10-07-2008, 08:25 PM

I've just finished Neal Stephenson's Anathem.

I have 6 new ebooks that I've bought waiting to be read. I've got an awful lot more free ones also waiting to be read, and I've got several (bought and free) waiting to be re-read.

And I've got so engrossed in the world of Anathem that none of them appeal.

What do other people do in that situation?

BookishDreamer · 10-07-2008, 09:08 PM

Magazines. I go buy a stack of magazines. Science, technology, decorating, crafts...enough diverse topics to break my focus from the fictional world. I have difficulty sleeping if I don't read at night, so if the magazines don't work, I'll try re-reading a favorite book.

Dreamer

montsnmags · 10-07-2008, 10:53 PM

Wot dreamer sed.

I usually grab a few photography magazines (as I tend to read them front-to-back - Practical Photography and Black & White Photography are my preference), and maybe grab the weekly mag, New Scientist, for a month or two. Sometimes I'll go to a non-fiction book as well (usually some kind of popular science - not biography or history), as that doesn't impinge on the pleasure of the post-read, lazy cigarette, grok-period that comes after a good, solid, read.

Cheers,
Marc

tazzle · 10-08-2008, 12:20 AM

I know this feeling so well! I usually decompress with puzzles and brainteasers, sometimes dip into a good anthology of short stories, and usually follow up by completely switching genre... For example, after something like Anathem, I might read some period mystery/detective fiction.

AshW · 10-08-2008, 07:24 AM

Let me know what you decide. I'm about to be in the same position!

BlackVoid · 10-08-2008, 08:04 AM

Consider reading non-fiction.
EG: The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable by Nassim Nicholas Taleb.
Very good book.

Peadar Ó Guilín · 10-08-2008, 10:18 AM

Yeah, there's some great non-fiction out there. I'd recommend, "Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell if you want the lighter end of things, or for something a little heftier, "Guns, Germs and Steel" by Jared Diamond.

VillageReader · 10-08-2008, 10:31 AM

Or, go light/humor with Christopher Moore. Ever read "The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove" or "Island of the Sequined Love Nun"?

Redcard · 10-08-2008, 10:36 AM

Goodness, is Ananthem that good?

I've got it on the Reader, but wanted to bust out Eragon and Eldest so that some friends who seem high on Paolini can get me Brisingr for my birthday. I love reading, so it's no big deal, but Anathem is seemingly like a plague around here, and it sounds so engrossing.

ShortNCuddlyAm · 10-08-2008, 12:52 PM

Thank for all the suggestions

I will definitely be having a look at the various books mentioned. For now I am reading an old and varied stack of magazines, with the alleged intention of pruning out the ones I don't want any more and just keeping the interesting articles

VillageReader - I don't think I've read anything of his - but I love those titles!

Redcard - I thought it was. It took a few pages to get into, but it was very gripping reading after that. (Not gipping in a fast-paced, action packed way)

VillageReader · 10-08-2008, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShortNCuddlyAm

VillageReader - I don't think I've read anything of his - but I love those titles!

They are laugh out loud funny. People will give you odd looks if you read them on the train (the tube doesn't go as far as Surrey, right?). Both are available as e-books - http://www.fictionwise.com/servlet/m...rMoore&t=cache

ShortNCuddlyAm · 10-08-2008, 05:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VillageReader

They are laugh out loud funny. People will give you odd looks if you read them on the train (the tube doesn't go as far as Surrey, right?). Both are available as e-books - http://www.fictionwise.com/servlet/m...rMoore&t=cache

The bit of Surrey I'm in is close enough to the Northern Line for it to be the tube

And I'm used to people giving me odd looks when I'm laughing and reading (it's even worse if I'm listening to comedy podcasts...)

AshW · 10-09-2008, 05:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Redcard

Goodness, is Ananthem that good?

I've got it on the Reader, but wanted to bust out Eragon and Eldest so that some friends who seem high on Paolini can get me Brisingr for my birthday. I love reading, so it's no big deal, but Anathem is seemingly like a plague around here, and it sounds so engrossing.

I'm not sure if engrossing is the right word. It depends on what you like. I'm a big Stephenson fan and the Baroque Cycle and Cryptonomicon are probably both in my top ten. Anathem isn't, but I still liked it a hell of a lot.

I guess for me part of it is when I'm reading a book by certain authors I enjoy them so much that they feel like they've been written for me personally. It can be difficult to go from a book you feel like has been tailor made for you to get maximum pleasure from to a "regular" book.

Anyway I still haven't decided what to read next. A couple of books I want to reread (Iain Bank's Crow Road and Pynchon's Mason & Dixon) aren't available in electronic format (boo) and as I've just got my reader I want to stick with it for a while longer. I'm thinking of reading something really light-weight and fun, maybe a thriller or something.

Edit: And I've just got to say GAH! the gaps in availability for ebooks annoys me no end. I hope some more publishers start getting their act together (or is it the author's fault?)

nekokami · 01-01-2009, 09:58 PM

If I run out of books by a particular author when I'm on an author binge, sometimes I go for a similar author, but I'm not sure who to recommend if you're on a Stephenson binge. Ian Banks, maybe?

Otherwise, a genre switch seems like a good idea.

ShortNCuddlyAm · 01-01-2009, 10:04 PM

I hadn't thought about re-reading any of his after I'd finished Anathem - but thinking about it they would have been a good choice (I have just about all his books as p-books)

10-07-2008, 08:25 PM	#1
ShortNCuddlyAm WWHALD Posts: 7,879 Karma: 337114 Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Mitcham, Surrey, UK Device: iPad. Selling my silver 505 here	Oh blast I've just finished Neal Stephenson's Anathem. I have 6 new ebooks that I've bought waiting to be read. I've got an awful lot more free ones also waiting to be read, and I've got several (bought and free) waiting to be re-read. And I've got so engrossed in the world of Anathem that none of them appeal. What do other people do in that situation?

10-08-2008, 12:52 PM	#10
ShortNCuddlyAm WWHALD Posts: 7,879 Karma: 337114 Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Mitcham, Surrey, UK Device: iPad. Selling my silver 505 here	Thank for all the suggestions I will definitely be having a look at the various books mentioned. For now I am reading an old and varied stack of magazines, with the alleged intention of pruning out the ones I don't want any more and just keeping the interesting articles VillageReader - I don't think I've read anything of his - but I love those titles! Redcard - I thought it was. It took a few pages to get into, but it was very gripping reading after that. (Not gipping in a fast-paced, action packed way) Last edited by ShortNCuddlyAm; 10-08-2008 at 01:01 PM. Reason: Mostly to finish what I was saying before I hit send, and alos to correct a typo

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10-07-2008, 09:08 PM	#2
BookishDreamer Cultural Artist Posts: 1,128 Karma: 12829 Join Date: May 2008 Location: Georgia Device: Sony 505, Kindle 2	Magazines. I go buy a stack of magazines. Science, technology, decorating, crafts...enough diverse topics to break my focus from the fictional world. I have difficulty sleeping if I don't read at night, so if the magazines don't work, I'll try re-reading a favorite book. Dreamer

10-07-2008, 10:53 PM	#3
montsnmags Grand Sorcerer Posts: 10,155 Karma: 4632658 Join Date: Nov 2007 Device: none	Wot dreamer sed. I usually grab a few photography magazines (as I tend to read them front-to-back - Practical Photography and Black & White Photography are my preference), and maybe grab the weekly mag, New Scientist, for a month or two. Sometimes I'll go to a non-fiction book as well (usually some kind of popular science - not biography or history), as that doesn't impinge on the pleasure of the post-read, lazy cigarette, grok-period that comes after a good, solid, read. Cheers, Marc

10-08-2008, 12:20 AM	#4
tazzle Glyph Posts: 14 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Athens, Greece Device: Kindle	I know this feeling so well! I usually decompress with puzzles and brainteasers, sometimes dip into a good anthology of short stories, and usually follow up by completely switching genre... For example, after something like Anathem, I might read some period mystery/detective fiction.

10-08-2008, 07:24 AM	#5
AshW Connoisseur Posts: 55 Karma: 148 Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Narnia Device: Sony Reader	Let me know what you decide. I'm about to be in the same position!

10-08-2008, 08:04 AM	#6
BlackVoid Evangelist Posts: 415 Karma: 510423 Join Date: Nov 2006 Device: Sony PRS-505	Consider reading non-fiction. EG: The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. Very good book.

10-08-2008, 10:18 AM	#7
Peadar Ó Guilín Author of The Inferior Posts: 121 Karma: 200001 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Ireland Device: Sony PRS-505, Kindle 3 (soon...)	Yeah, there's some great non-fiction out there. I'd recommend, "Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell if you want the lighter end of things, or for something a little heftier, "Guns, Germs and Steel" by Jared Diamond.

10-08-2008, 10:31 AM	#8
VillageReader Evangelist Posts: 430 Karma: 2718 Join Date: May 2006 Device: Iliad	Or, go light/humor with Christopher Moore. Ever read "The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove" or "Island of the Sequined Love Nun"?

10-08-2008, 10:36 AM	#9
Redcard Addict Posts: 235 Karma: 1202269 Join Date: Mar 2008 Device: Kindle	Goodness, is Ananthem that good? I've got it on the Reader, but wanted to bust out Eragon and Eldest so that some friends who seem high on Paolini can get me Brisingr for my birthday. I love reading, so it's no big deal, but Anathem is seemingly like a plague around here, and it sounds so engrossing.

01-01-2009, 09:58 PM	#14
nekokami fruminous edugeek Posts: 6,745 Karma: 551260 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northeast US Device: iPad, eBw 1150	If I run out of books by a particular author when I'm on an author binge, sometimes I go for a similar author, but I'm not sure who to recommend if you're on a Stephenson binge. Ian Banks, maybe? Otherwise, a genre switch seems like a good idea.

01-01-2009, 10:04 PM	#15
ShortNCuddlyAm WWHALD Posts: 7,879 Karma: 337114 Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Mitcham, Surrey, UK Device: iPad. Selling my silver 505 here	I hadn't thought about re-reading any of his after I'd finished Anathem - but thinking about it they would have been a good choice (I have just about all his books as p-books)

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