What are you reading? V1

[Daniel]

Well, right now I'm reading The Goldfinch,  which is not what I expected so far, but I'm just 78 pages in right now.  Like everyone else, I'm eagerly awaiting WOW.

The other books I've read this year are:

Gormenghast (weird series of books, but would recommend)

Like Water for Chocolate (read it with my fiance for a class, did not like; reads like a soap opera)

Dubliners (liked it quite a bit, some stories more than others, obviously)

A Sad Affair (also for a class, originally in German, awful)

A Gentleman In Moscow (pretty good little novel, surprisingly light reading)

Contempt (class book again, originally Italian, not as bad, WTF ending though)

Siddhartha (re-read, really like the book)

The Earthsea books (read the first three so far, will read the fourth once I finish The Goldfinch)

The Palace of Illusions (a retelling of the Mahabarat, I liked it)

Scarlet Song (class again, Senegalese; not bad, but almost every character sucks, and another WTF ending)

[MacReady]

16 hours ago, Daniel said:

Gormenghast (weird series of books, but would recommend)

Almost read this a loooong time ago when I was into Lord of the Rings.  Couldn't get into it because it didn't have enough fantasy elements for me.  Somebody is turning it into a television series last I heard. 

[Daniel]

27 minutes ago, Outpost31 said:

Almost read this a loooong time ago when I was into Lord of the Rings.  Couldn't get into it because it didn't have enough fantasy elements for me.  Somebody is turning it into a television series last I heard. 

Yeah, it's very different.  I'm new to the fantasy genre (before ASOIAF I'd only read Tolkein and Lewis and had kind of assumed the whole genre was garbage), and it was on a list of recommended books.  The characters are really grotesque Dickensian weirdos and the writing is dense, but once you get past the first hundred pages of Titus Groan, (and like 200 pages in Gormenghast) it starts to pick up.  It's not an easy or quick read, but I liked it, and would say it's worth the read.

The only real fantastical elements are the mud dwellers and the castle itself, but even that is pretty low fantasy.  No elves or magic or anything like that.

But yeah, since then I've read Earthsea, and I've been told by many people to check out Mistborn.  I have a few fantasy things on my TBR list.  Got any recommendations?

[MacReady]

Just now, Daniel said:

But yeah, since then I've read Earthsea, and I've been told by many people to check out Mistborn.  I have a few fantasy things on my TBR list.  Got any recommendations?

As far as fantasy, it's pretty bleak.  It was Tolkien for me through high school.  C.S. Lewis I felt paled in comparison (and I still think that).  Then it was Harry Potter, then Game of Thrones.  That's really it as far as the major ones to read, but if you're on a fantasy kick, the two series I would recommend the most would be:

Dune - More science fiction, but the scope is huge, taking place over 10,000 years.  It inspired basically everything.  Star Wars, Avatar, it is the archetype for planet fantasy or space operas or that niche of sci-fi fantasy. 

The First Law by Joe Abercrombie.  Ultra-violent fantasy series light on fantasy elements, but smaller in scope than something like Game of Thrones. 

[Daniel]

1 minute ago, Outpost31 said:

As far as fantasy, it's pretty bleak.  It was Tolkien for me through high school.  C.S. Lewis I felt paled in comparison (and I still think that).  Then it was Harry Potter, then Game of Thrones.  That's really it as far as the major ones to read, but if you're on a fantasy kick, the two series I would recommend the most would be:

Dune - More science fiction, but the scope is huge, taking place over 10,000 years.  It inspired basically everything.  Star Wars, Avatar, it is the archetype for planet fantasy or space operas or that niche of sci-fi fantasy. 

The First Law by Joe Abercrombie.  Ultra-violent fantasy series light on fantasy elements, but smaller in scope than something like Game of Thrones. 

Dune I've read, I would've called it science fiction.  I liked it a good bit, though I wouldn't put it as high on my own list as something like Ubik or Stranger in a Strange Land.  I dig some sci fi, especially Heinlein and Philip K. ****.

I've heard of that one from a couple of folks as well.  I'll put it on my list.  What drew me to the ASOIAF series was the characters.  It's not the snooty lit fiction that I usually like, but it is a very heavily character driven narrative, and the worldbuilding is impressive, and the character motivations and arcs are extremely well done, which surprised me.

[skywindO2]

Seconding First Law, I love Abercrombie's work. Best Served Cold and The Heroes are two of my favorites.

I like Mistborn, and Sanderson, but I'm not sure it's for everyone. If complex systems of magic and action sequences involving those magic systems sounds like something that would appeal to you, go for it. Sanderson's Stormlight Archive series is way more popular but Mistborn is a better introduction to his work, if only because it's shorter.

[Acgott]

Wrong forum topic lol

[theJ]

7 hours ago, Daniel said:

Dune I've read, I would've called it science fiction.  I liked it a good bit, though I wouldn't put it as high on my own list as something like Ubik or Stranger in a Strange Land.  I dig some sci fi, especially Heinlein and Philip K. ****.

I've heard of that one from a couple of folks as well.  I'll put it on my list.  What drew me to the ASOIAF series was the characters.  It's not the snooty lit fiction that I usually like, but it is a very heavily character driven narrative, and the worldbuilding is impressive, and the character motivations and arcs are extremely well done, which surprised me.

The Riyria Chronicles (series) is very good.

I'd also recommend the Demon Cycle series.

[Malfatron]

On 3/18/2019 at 1:34 PM, Malfatron said:

starting the Accursed Kings series

really good so far.

historical fiction written several decades ago.

grrm calls it the real game of thrones.

 

[CaliforniaKid7]

Just finished Dan Lieberman’s book “The Story of the Human Body: Evolution, Health, and Disease”

Very interesting read and Dan is a great story teller. He sums the book and the main ideas/takeaways up very well at the end. 

Also sped through The Alchemist on the plan ride to Thailand. Great read, can see why it’s so beloved. 

[flyers0909]

Enjoying Wizard and Glass so far.  Learning more about Roland's past is a nice break from the main story.  

[MikeT14]

On 3/15/2019 at 9:55 AM, MikeT14 said:

Monster Hunter International. It's good so far. Not what i expected (modern day setting), and I don't love the way the other writes, but I am definitely hooked on the story. 

The dialogue sometimes is like pulling teeth. 

[The Gnat]

Reading Side Jobs by Jim Butcher

Listening to On the Shoulders of Titans. It's part of the Sufficiently Advanced Magic series, it's decent, but not amazing.

[Mr Bad Example]

On 3/14/2019 at 10:58 AM, Outpost31 said:

Still reading Almost A Miracle by John Ferling.  It's really dragging with minutiae and not nearly as engaging as 1776.  I've had to go back and re-read entire chapters since I've been dazing through some of them.  Still some fascinating information there, I just wish it was a little bit more of a microcosm because by the time it actually explains the battles and their significance, I feel like I've learned what shoe size every Continental wore and what they ate for dinner. 

I'm into the War in the South section now, which is fascinating again considering how inept we were there.  Reading this makes you wonder how in the hell we ever won the war given how big some of our eff ups were and considering some of the people we had in command.  Traitors, incompetents, politics interfering with everything, how the war essentially started from taxation only for us to do the exact same thing during the war (highest inflation period in America's history during the war)...

I've read a lot of books in my life, but this one is definitely the most challenging as far as keeping my attention for most of it. 

I'd  still highly recommend it to anyone interested because of the amazing detail and some truly, truly, truly fascinating facts and an all-encompassing description of the actual war. 

I discovered a podcast called REVOLUTIONS and the US Revolution is Season #2 - it's comprehensive without being too overwhelming, and I think it's 20-ish 30 minute episodes. 

 

Anyway, a BIG part of how the US was able to fight was because (according to Mike Duncan) was the while Washington was a bit of an over-planner (he loved battle plans where 6 things had to go right just to get in position), he also had the leadership and cool head to manage an orderly retreat - when the battle was turning against the Colonials, time and again he was able to get the bulk of his forces out of danger without letting the retreat turn into a rout, which is where a battle goes from a loss to a slaughter - back in the day, most fatalities came from people getting shot/stabbed in the back as they turned and ran. 

[Daniel]

Finished The Goldfinch.  I liked it overall, but it was really longwinded, and the ending (as in the last few pages) felt like the protagonist and two other major characters preaching the same life lesson directly to the reader.  Not a big fan of that part.

Starting The Swallows of Kabul now.