What book are you reading...

No1newts said:
Very average novels at best, personally I would say they are poor.
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They are definitely poor as novels, in that there's no major plot momentum. But it's good fantasy soap opera, giving a McDonalds style fast fix rather than the long, steady, 12 course meal of am R.R Martin volume.

In many ways both books are the perfect bedside read for me, in that you rarely get caught up in a particular plot thread for long. So if you start to drift off there's little temptation to move on. However what we all really want from a novel is that "just one more chapter" feeling. Which is why -- overall -- I'm not particularly interested in finding out what happens at the end of this road.

I'm also way beyond weary of the whole Denna thing. Their coincidental meetings started out as interesting and eventually became a joke. Someone needs to buy those two a bottle of vodka and let them get the dirty out of the way. Then they can realise they're not really interested in each other and go their separate ways!

My next task is to -- finally! -- get to the end of book five of the Wheel of Time. I will probably buy six, but if this series was a computer game I'd probably be ready to watch a YouTube video of the rest of the story. Still, I kind of like the idea that if I'm ever short of an epic read there are another, er... loads of books left to read.
 
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Dan Brown's 'Inferno'... No! Don't do it. Utter garbage. A p*** poor thriller sandwiched between a backpackers guide to Florence and the life and times of Dante Alighieri! Neither of which remotely interests me.

I was going to start Joe Abercrombie's 'The Last Argument of Kings', book three of the 'First Law Trilogy', but instead decided to give Brandon Sandersons 'The Way of Kings', book one of 'The Stormlight Archive' a go. I've heard good things about this but it may take me a while; I don't have a lot of time to read, mainly on my commute and I'm not a quick reader anyway and this is a huge tome.
 
Andrew_McP said:
They are definitely poor as novels, in that there's no major plot momentum. But it's good fantasy soap opera, giving a McDonalds style fast fix rather than the long, steady, 12 course meal of am R.R Martin volume.

In many ways both books are the perfect bedside read for me, in that you rarely get caught up in a particular plot thread for long. So if you start to drift off there's little temptation to move on. However what we all really want from a novel is that "just one more chapter" feeling. Which is why -- overall -- I'm not particularly interested in finding out what happens at the end of this road.

I'm also way beyond weary of the whole Denna thing. Their coincidental meetings started out as interesting and eventually became a joke. Someone needs to buy those two a bottle of vodka and let them get the dirty out of the way. Then they can realise they're not really interested in each other and go their separate ways!

My next task is to -- finally! -- get to the end of book five of the Wheel of Time. I will probably buy six, but if this series was a computer game I'd probably be ready to watch a YouTube video of the rest of the story. Still, I kind of like the idea that if I'm ever short of an epic read there are another, er... loads of books left to read.
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One man's trash is another man's...

I loved Wheel of Time but if you are struggling already you are going to have big problems on books 7-10 I think.
 
Andrew_McP said:
They are definitely poor as novels, in that there's no major plot momentum. But it's good fantasy soap opera, giving a McDonalds style fast fix rather than the long, steady, 12 course meal of am R.R Martin volume.

In many ways both books are the perfect bedside read for me, in that you rarely get caught up in a particular plot thread for long. So if you start to drift off there's little temptation to move on. However what we all really want from a novel is that "just one more chapter" feeling. Which is why -- overall -- I'm not particularly interested in finding out what happens at the end of this road.

I'm also way beyond weary of the whole Denna thing. Their coincidental meetings started out as interesting and eventually became a joke. Someone needs to buy those two a bottle of vodka and let them get the dirty out of the way. Then they can realise they're not really interested in each other and go their separate ways!

My next task is to -- finally! -- get to the end of book five of the Wheel of Time. I will probably buy six, but if this series was a computer game I'd probably be ready to watch a YouTube video of the rest of the story. Still, I kind of like the idea that if I'm ever short of an epic read there are another, er... loads of books left to read.
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I agree with the Rothfuss points.

There seems to be no main story (well there is, but its never referenced) its more a case of the characters weekly adventures. Can almost imagine it bring a Lost style show with little reveals at the end of each episode :p

You never know the past book could pull it round, but it will need to be some book!
 
desires said:
So a few days turned into 7 but I have now finished Feast. Annoyingly (as with every ASOIF book) I desperately want to start the next right away. That's not healthy though, I'm just about to start fear and loathing in Las Vegas properly, I just read the first two pages and I can already tell this will be finished upsettingly quickly.

I sincerely wish I started reading books at an earlier age, I barely read at all until I was about 20, in the years since I've read close to a book a month (on average)
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Well, I finished Fear and Loathing which was pretty good and damn funny in places. It seemed, at times, a little disjointed but I suppose that is part and parcel of a drug bender :p. I'm now onto Post Office by Bukowski. Thoroughly enjoying the book so far, the pages just seem to fly past! I will be moving onto A Dance with Dragons next which I'm eagerly awaiting.
 
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Finished Pop Goes The weasel tonight. Number 5 in Alex Cross series.

Can't decide whether to have a break from James Patterson for a day or two and try something else or carry on through the series.
 
Moza said:
I think Rothfuss is a bit marmite, I really enjoyed them personally. Pretty good for a debut.
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Don't get me wrong I think he is a very talented author and spins a good yarn, it just seems this particular tale has no impetus behind and for the size of the work so far (around 2k pages) very little has really happened.

After all that though, I will still buy the third :p
 
Apparently it's only a trilogy.

I agree with you that I can't imagine it will fit, certainly he would have to completely change his leisurely pace.
 
desires said:
Well, I finished Fear and Loathing which was pretty good and damn funny in places. It seemed, at times, a little disjointed but I suppose that is part and parcel of a drug bender :p. I'm now onto Post Office by Bukowski. Thoroughly enjoying the book so far, the pages just seem to fly past! I will be moving onto A Dance with Dragons next which I'm eagerly awaiting.
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Well I finished Post Office. I can honestly say I've never found a book quite so easy, or enjoyable to read, I will almost definitely be re-reading it at some point in the future! And now to Dance with Dragons :D Once I've read it I'll be able to watch the TV show and see the dragon boobies in HD :p
 
Finished reading The Siege by Ismael Kadare and ended up not being impressed.

Had promise but failed to deliver anything profound.

They even had a piece in the back of the book to try and explain it to the reader. What????

If you need to tell us what we've read, then write it better.
 
I have a confession to make, I'm 23 and I've not read a book for a very long time apart from gradually reading a few biography's while on the loo. I have wanted to change this for a while and want to start to enjoy reading a good book.

My problem is that I really have no idea what to start with, my book shelf is completely empty, that might some completely retarded to some of you but I really need some good recommendations to get started. Think of me as a clean slate :) Cheers.

Edit: Made new thread, more suitable.
 
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Kishywish said:
Just finished Ender's Game.

I didn't expect the book to be so dark and militaristic. Poor Ender gets emotionally and physically tortured. He's a tool/puppet and he submits anyway. Bah, that's made me feel depressed.
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Just starting the series, liking Ender's Game so far :)
 
madtoady said:
I have a confession to make, I'm 23 and I've not read a book for a very long time apart from gradually reading a few biography's while on the loo. I have wanted to change this for a while and want to start to enjoy reading a good book.

My problem is that I really have no idea what to start with, my book shelf is completely empty, that might some completely retarded to some of you but I really need some good recommendations to get started. Think of me as a clean slate :) Cheers.
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Post Office by Charles Bukowski. I just read it and it's damn good, it's only 160 pages so it won't be a smack in the face like a 1000 page epic might put you off. Lots of small chapters so if you can easily find a natural break point. Then try Animal Farm by George Orwell, it's a cracking read, quite small, less than 160 pages, but it has longer chapters and slightly more complex prose. I think after those two books you will respect the book as it's own media, rather than pre-movie media. Also check out goodreads.com, it's full of reviews and average ratings of books. Also I was only 20 when I started reading. I don't think it's uncommon for lads of our age like you and I to have never touched a book.
 
Nursie said:
The Gods of War - The 4th book in Conn Igguldens's Emperor series. A very good series of books, probaly not as good as the Conquer series but a series worth reading if fact based historical fiction is something you enjoy.

Looking forward to the 5th book, (based this time on Octavian) to be released later in the year.
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Just finished the four myself, loved them all. Although the fourth wasn't as good as the others it built Brutus nicely throughout. I thought he did a great job of building the two together and by the end had me hating Brutus.

I've done loads of reseach while reading the books and amazed at how much of it was true. Especially the forming of the tenth.

I've seen they are going to be made into a film trilogy, cannot wait for that :)
 
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