What book are you reading...

[potatolord]

I just fiinished Ringworld by Larry Niven- a good read, that.

The week before I finished Time Is The Fire by Connie Willis, short stories. That was excelllent.

The week before that, it was Gateway by Frederick Pohl. That was ok.

This week I'm mostly reading The Algebraist by Iain M Banks. I've never read any of his stuff before. That's ok so far but a bit confusing...

 

[molinari]

I'm now reading The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas, which was also free and I know will be considerably better, even if the Kindle says it will take me 31+ hours to read (1300 pages) .

Phew, after 2 months, I've finally finished The Count of Monte Cristo. A superb story, fantastically written, and very different to the film. The first 20% of the book is very similar to the first 2/3 of the film. The film then wraps the story up quickly and neatly with a happy ending, but the book is very very different. If you have the stamina for it, it's worth a read (and it is free on the Kindle).
I also think it could be a great 20 episode mini series .

Now onto Sharpe's Tiger: The Siege of Seringapatam, 1799 (The Sharpe Series, Book 1) by Bernard Cornwell.

 

[Glaucus]

Finished Future of the mind by Michio Kaku, epicness 10/10
finished infection by Sean Schubert very good zombie book, looking forward to the other two parts 8/10

Started, 13 things that don't make sense: the most intriguing scientific mysteries.
Really inrpteresting, although slightly out dated, thanks to them finally nailing down why pioneer 9/10 are off their trajectory. But still fascinating and eye opening.such debate and unwillingness by scientists to question if Einstein didn't get things exactly right. It's a good read just for that aspect off it.

 

[Lartyconshayo]

currently reading Flowers for Algernon ( can't remember author right now ) Also concurrently dipping in and out of Adrian Mole the Lost Diaries

 

[Brackish]

Currently reading 'This Book Is Full Of Spiders'.

Read John Dies At The End and found it random and amusing. Got Metro 2033 up next, maybe 2034 after that or The Rook.

 

[Rich_L]

Decided to put the new Paperwhite to use by embarking on the Malazan series again, halfway through Gardens of the Moon and it's just as good, if not better even from the perspective of having read the series before

 

[j.col]

Phew, after 2 months, I've finally finished The Count of Monte Cristo. A superb story, fantastically written, and very different to the film. The first 20% of the book is very similar to the first 2/3 of the film. The film then wraps the story up quickly and neatly with a happy ending, but the book is very very different. If you have the stamina for it, it's worth a read (and it is free on the Kindle).
I also think it could be a great 20 episode mini series .

Now onto Sharpe's Tiger: The Siege of Seringapatam, 1799 (The Sharpe Series, Book 1) by Bernard Cornwell.

I read The Count of Monte Cristo last year, i really enjoyed it, its definately worth a read.
You are in for a treat, i thought the first 3 Sharpe books were really good.
I finished Sharpes Gold (no.9) a few weeks back, there are a few weaker books in the series, but also some good ones.

Currently reading book 1 of Ken Follett's Century Trilogy, The Fall of Giants, i am also really enjoying this, think i will read all 3 in a row.

 

[Rids]

Just done a happy dance around the room. Finally found the last two books in the Malazan series as audiobooks - I can actually finish the story now!

In celebration I believe this calls for a complete re-read! (well, re-listen)

 

[One]

Picked up the Ultimate Homes COllection on Kindle for Android. It's made me decide I do want a real Kindle. In the meantime though I still have a number of physical books to get though.

Do people with Kindles still occasional buy the real product?

 

[Rich_L]

Just done a happy dance around the room. Finally found the last two books in the Malazan series as audiobooks - I can actually finish the story now!

In celebration I believe this calls for a complete re-read! (well, re-listen)

Looking forward to your report in 2016

Do people with Kindles still occasional buy the real product?

Since getting my Kindle I buy two types of 'real books' now, cookbooks and second-hand stuff from a charity/2nd-hand store for $1-2 a piece when I'm on holiday and don't care about it getting wet by the pool and when it's finished I'll just leave it in reception or at a local café

 

[Zethor]

Since getting my Kindle I buy two types of 'real books' now, cookbooks and second-hand stuff from a charity/2nd-hand store for $1-2 a piece when I'm on holiday and don't care about it getting wet by the pool and when it's finished I'll just leave it in reception or at a local café

What Kindle do you own?

 

[Rich_L]

What Kindle do you own?

Had (still have) a Kindle Keyboard 3G and just recently got a Paperwhite.

 

[jcr]

Lee child's. Never go back. 6\10

 

[tres]

Red Mars. read it when I was younger so thought i'd pick it up again and go through it, green mars and blue mars too

I loved those books. Also consider '2312' by the same author, similar story line

 

[Demetrius]

Recently finished Game of Thrones the first book. I had seen two episodes of the series but I prefer a book...

The series may be great but I was not that impressed with his writing style. He gets these metaphors that I hear his voice coming through in the description such as Daenerys lower lips as she walks into the pool. Then again later when a servant is covering her in perfume. I liked the idea of the phoenix dragon out of the fire from talking to others I can see why the series differs in her red nipples flowing with milk and the dragons suckling.

The women as wenches is really tiring and this in the tv series really made me switch off. Arya becomes a warrior, Daenerys gets power from some magical birth right it was not breaking any new boundaries for me.

He has created a very interesting world which is fairly similar to ours and sustained people for countless books. I will leave his world here after the first book.

Other books I have read recently and loved Ursula Le Guin The Dispossessed Urras(capitalist)/(Annares) anarchist planets, where the anarchists are now living on the moon of the planet as they were given this to leave Urras. There are lots of great lines and the characters are very real.
Another Ursula Le Guin book The Left Hand of Darkness. This book was very enjoyable an envoy of the Ekumen(collective of planets) invites Gethen(planet) also know as Winter to join them. The planets inhabitants has a few anomalies as the inhabitants are of no distinguishable sex and it is in ice age. Well worth a read if you like some sci-fi and thoughts on gender.

I am now reading a Game of Characteristics By George Skaff Elias, Richard Garfield and K. Robert Gutschera. It offers you to understand games: by focusing on certain traits--including number of players, rules, degrees of luck and skill needed, and reward/effort ratio--and using these characteristics as basic points of comparison and analysis. All types of games from traditional to video games. I love it and some light game theory and very accessible to anyone who may be interested!

 

[Meridian]

R
Other books I have read recently and loved Ursula Le Guin

If you are reading LeGuin, I take it that you have read (or plan to) the Earthsea books? Tehanu is the odd one out, but all are worth reading: watch LeGuin do in one sentence what takes lesser fantasy writes half a chapter. If you like the more literary end of SF, I'd also recommend mid-period Robert Silverburg (1967-1976 or so) with books like Dying Inside, and mid-period Frederik Pohl, especially Man Plus and Gateway.

I've just started "Quiet" by Susan Cain, after finishing "Embassytown" by China Mieville. The latter was well-written, and clever. I just didn't care much. Which is a shame, because generally I like his books.

 

[Demetrius]

The Earthsea is one I am planning to get to. The Library has The Dispossessed and The Left Hand of Darkness was recommended to me.

Thank you for the recommendations I did find the transition of Ursula to Martin a step down in feel for characters and general writing style. I guess the hype didn't live up to expectations which is always difficult.

Another book I have read recently was Nonviolent Communication A language of life, which has helped me tremendously in thinking about the way I feel, communicate and resolve conflict. There is lots of information online, I feel happy to say this has helped me listen for emphatically to others.

 

[No1newts]

The women as wenches is really tiring and this in the tv series really made me switch off. Arya becomes a warrior, Daenerys gets power from some magical birth right it was not breaking any new boundaries for me.

Each to their own (I certainly have my ism problems with GRRM) but he is attempting to stay historically accurate to the medieval lot of women (albeit in a fantasy setting)

If you object to this as a characterisation is this something you dislike around most historical/historical fantasy authors?

I'm just going to give the Dark Tower series by King a spin next, just finished the second Jo Nesbo book.

 

[toshj]

Just finished Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan. Bit of a strange one, insofar as I thought Crossroad of Twilight was one of the worst books I've ever read and therefore my expectations of KoD was pretty low.

CoT:

Spoiler

CoT seemed essentially to be 800 or so pages outlining bureaucratic frustrations within a massively detailed fantasy world. Nothing else really happened. One of the least fun books I've read.

I've got to say KoD was one of my favourite books of the whole series. It had a great pace, lots of interesting arcs and the characters were all on form. I enjoyed it so much that when I went to download the next book in the series, I had no idea I'd read KoD and thought I still had four books to go!

Bit nervous about reading the last three, as I've never read any Sanderson before. Jordan had a distinctive style, and although it was pretty long-winded and it digressed an awful lot, I've thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

Unemployment and fantasy series go together so well!

Edit - trying to avoid spoilers for this is driving me nuts. They're everywhere. I read a spoiler in a completely unrelated thread on GD a couple of weeks ago!

 

[Andrew_McP]

I'm just going to give the Dark Tower series by King a spin next.

I started that today. Really struggling so far! Mind you, I just finished Way of Kings and I struggled with that for the first 500 pages. There's a great story in there eventually, but it's only about 500 pages worth spread through the book.

Spoiler

really not a fan of his fantasy elements in the same way I dislike GRR's. Kaladin's Tinkerbell bugs me and I have dontgiveamonkeys spren popping up all around me when he's inventing 100' crabs and pixies with everything. The shard blades and suits are too cartoony for me, but I can just about latch on to the infused storm light thing. Really only Kaladin and the assassin held my attention, though later on as Dalinar's thread started to merge with Kaladin I was won over by him too.

I do want to find out what happens next but my curiosity is bargain basement, not full priced at the moment.