What book are you reading...

[jcr]

currently working my way through robert crais cole/pike detective series. up to book 9 now. a great read.

 

[chroniclard]

Do you like the main Character? Vaelin Al Sorna? And just like you I loved the writing style. I don't think you will have to worry about the next two books. Apparently he changes his writing style a lot, It tells the story from the point of view of 4 or 5 characters. And the third book is supposed to be worse.

I haven't read the last two books as the review of both put me right off, so you might get to Locke Lamora sooner than you think.

I have just finished the last book. Having re-read the first two before hand to reacquaint myself with them, I didnt think it changed style that much. Enjoyed the conclusion of the story, though unsure it was an especially "classic" series it had its moments.

 

[melmac]

I have just finished the last book. Having re-read the first two before hand to reacquaint myself with them, I didnt think it changed style that much. Enjoyed the conclusion of the story, though unsure it was an especially "classic" series it had its moments.

Thanks for posting your thoughts. I loved the first book and read the first chapter of the second book with a view to buying it, but, it didn't grab me at all like the first book. So that's when I decided to check out some reviews and was disappointed with the ratings it was getting.

I was hoping that it would be another "Classic" series.

 

[PlacidCasual]

I just finished Farmer In The Sky by Robert Heinlien. Always loved his stuff not read this one before and it has been a while since I've read one of his books. It's an ok book good sci-fi ideas solid science if fanciful but as with almost all of his books it's the sociological elements that hold the greatest interest. The pioneer spirit element of this one is intersting and it makes you wonder how different the worldview of people living in the 50's was where you may have grown up having a pioneer grandparent. Our own society is so much different from the ones in his books and we can already glimpse that our children will live in a fundamentally different World again, I always like that his books revolve around self reliance, self control and responsibility whilst I live in a World that seems to be shunning those ideas.

If I can find them out I bought a bunch of Stainless Steel Rat books so may read those next or GoT if I can find them again.

 

[Meridian]

It's an ok book good sci-fi ideas solid science if fanciful but as with almost all of his books it's the sociological elements that hold the greatest interest.

As with more than half of Heinlein's books, it was written as a bildungsroman for teenage boys. As such is effectively Libertarian propaganda - and not subtle about it either. Heinlein's politics were notoriously right-wing, sometimes bordering on Fascism. Although, as with all authors, the fact that a character espouses and opinion does not mean that the author agrees. But Heinlein usually did use his books as author tracts.


I've just finished The Girl With All The Gifts. Not that impressed. As I said earlier, the author's origin in comic writing comes out, with much of the story a series of set-pieces. As for the ending, which No1newts was commenting on, I thought it was exactly the correct ending, given the circumstances. But it was also pretty much stolen from I am legend by Richard Mattheson, at least the feel of it.

Spoiler

I mean in the sense that the last human realises that the time of humans is over, and that the monsters are the new humans. A point missed by every film version of I am Legend.

I'm now about halfway through "Edge of Reason" by Melinda Snograss, and am profoundly unimpressed. Whatever she might have learned from her friend of several decades, GRRM, it's not how to write. It's getting a little better as it goes along, but not much. I doubt I will bother with books two and three.

 

[PlacidCasual]

Bildungsroman, a new word for me thanks.

I've heard Heinlein described as Fascist before, I've not read a biography so don't know anything about him per se. But his books never struck me as espousing that kind of politics, a right wing libertarian without a doubt though.

 

[No1newts]

Just finished Thought Readers by Dima Zales. Good little book, never going to be a literary masterpiece but a fun read which was really well paced with good characterisation. The books "hook" the ability of the characters was actually pretty unique and worked really well when I got beyond my initial doubts.

Will probably pick up the second one shortly.

 

[Andrew_McP]

I've just finished the second of Joe Abercrombie's 'Half...' series. Excellent stuff. Looking forward to starting the third on my weekly train journey.

I had a slow start with Abercrombie, and found the First Law series a bit hit and miss. But by the end I was hooked and everything I've read since then has been simply superb. He's up there with Gemmell for me now... with the considerable advantage that he'll hopefully be writing for many years to come.

 

[Zethor]

I've just finished the second of Joe Abercrombie's 'Half...' series. Excellent stuff. Looking forward to starting the third on my weekly train journey.

I had a slow start with Abercrombie, and found the First Law series a bit hit and miss. But by the end I was hooked and everything I've read since then has been simply superb. He's up there with Gemmell for me now... with the considerable advantage that he'll hopefully be writing for many years to come.

I love Abercrombie but I didn't like his 'Half' book(I stopped after the 1st). It's a PG13 version of Prince of Thorns minus the interesting characters.

 

[No1newts]

As much as I love Abercrombie I must admit I gave the "half" series a miss when I heard it was YA as I felt it would lose the edge that really caps off his books.

 

[Meridian]

It's a PG13 version of Prince of Thorns

You do know it was written for early teenagers, right?


I'm now of The water Knife by Paulo Bacigalupi.

 

[Andrew_McP]

I must admit I gave the "half" series a miss when I heard it was YA

I'd have run a mile too if I'd seen the YA label. Maybe I'm going senile, but apart from the young protagonists (a common fantasy trope given the typically medieval style societies they're set in) I'm struggling to see why they might be classed as anything other than normal fantasy.

They're distracting me from my mundane life anyway. I ask nothing more of fiction.

 

[SPG]

Last of the chosen by lawerance P white.

Man gets abducted on earth (kinda)'then it turns into starwars except the empire are the goodies

pure Sci fi trash, loved it

 

[No1newts]

I'd have run a mile too if I'd seen the YA label. Maybe I'm going senile, but apart from the young protagonists (a common fantasy trope given the typically medieval style societies they're set in) I'm struggling to see why they might be classed as anything other than normal fantasy.

They're distracting me from my mundane life anyway. I ask nothing more of fiction.

I'm sure they're good as he is a great author, I just heard YA and like you said "ran a mile" plus I'm not getting much reading time at all at the minute so it's useful having less to read

 

[Plunk13]

Anyone who is a fan of Altered Carbon (R.Morgan) will be pleased/nervous to know that Netflix are going to do a series based on it with Joel Kinnaman as the lead.

 

[jumpy]

I just finished Farmer In The Sky by Robert Heinlien. Always loved his stuff not read this one before and it has been a while since I've read one of his books. It's an ok book good sci-fi ideas solid science if fanciful but as with almost all of his books it's the sociological elements that hold the greatest interest. The pioneer spirit element of this one is intersting and it makes you wonder how different the worldview of people living in the 50's was where you may have grown up having a pioneer grandparent. Our own society is so much different from the ones in his books and we can already glimpse that our children will live in a fundamentally different World again, I always like that his books revolve around self reliance, self control and responsibility whilst I live in a World that seems to be shunning those ideas.

If I can find them out I bought a bunch of Stainless Steel Rat books so may read those next or GoT if I can find them again.

I enjoyed Farmer in the Sky. As with some of the best sci-fi it's the people and cultures imagined that hold the most fascination for me in many ways.

I remember reading some of the stainless steel rat books when I was at school. A stainless steel rat is born. Is the only title I can remember. Good read iirc.
Day of the Starwind by douglas hill was another I read at about the same time.


But I guess my two favourite scifi series are the heliconia trillogy by brian aldiss (he has some really great stories other than these) and a series of books by david zindell that started with Neverness, then The Broken God (I lent this one out and never got it back ) I've since discovered that there's two more books War in Heaven and The Wild. These don't seem that easy to get new I remember zindells books not being an easy read, but they sucked me in completely.

 

[bulletv1]

Currently reading Ender in Exile (Still) and listening to The Blade Itself. Enjoying it, even makes me chuckle to myself at times.

 

[Bickaxe]

Just finished the 2nd Locke Lamora book, Red Seas Under Red Skies.

Yet another gripping adventure with twists, turns and humour. Hope Scott Lynch can keep this up over 7 books. Starting the 3rd this evening.

 

[Cromulent]

Just got the full Game of Thrones series of books (well the ones that have been released so far). That'll keep me busy now that I have finally finished off reading The Wheel of Time series.

I want to read the Game of Thrones before I watch the TV series as I generally enjoy the books a lot more.

 

[molinari]

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