Books

[Shryke]

I enjoyed the first book.. the second was entertaining but nothing brilliant. And then somewhere around the third or fourth book I just hit a wall and couldn't read anymore of that series.. Maybe one of these days I'll make another attempt, but eh..

 

Having read the wheel of time series several times, I have no worries, I can read anything...

 

Ah, but I've read all the Wheel of Time so far, and actually enjoyed that with no problem..

 

really? even the tenth book?

the one that is almost entirely made up of irrelevant side character's plotlines?

[Guard Dog]

I hate to say this but Sanderson taking over has been a good thing for the WoT series. Jordan should have wrapped this thing up four books ago. Books eight and ten did nothing to advance the story they should have been cut by 70-80% with the remaining stuff rolled into books 9 & 11. Books three, four and five could have been combined into two books with no loss. The whole Shiado plot should have been wrapped up after their defeat in book four but it languished on for six more books. The whole Ebou Dar thing went on far too long. I could go on.

Edited May 28, 2011 by Guard Dog

[Purkake]

Nice to see a long-running series actually getting an end.

[Walsingham]

Started reading Game of Thrones.

Same here. Haven't seen the TV show yet, but it was the only title I recognised in the airport book store

 

I enjoyed the first book.. the second was entertaining but nothing brilliant. And then somewhere around the third or fourth book I just hit a wall and couldn't read anymore of that series.. Maybe one of these days I'll make another attempt, but eh..

 

Just as well, given that you were likely reading at the time when he had to stop for a bit.

[Raithe]

really? even the tenth book?

the one that is almost entirely made up of irrelevant side character's plotlines?

 

I have to admit, it's an odd balance. On the one hand I can see that it doesn't always heighten the story effectively and could have been lost.. but on the other, it actually makes the world as a whole more believable and adds depth to the various other characters encountered.

 

Call me crazy, but I enjoyed reading them.. they certainly didn't have the draggy over-detailed feel that I get in LoTR

 

But then I'm one of those guys that can sit down for a solid chunk of time and read a book in one go. Not get stuck puttering in and out a few chapters at a time over the course of several weeks. Which I think certainly affects my perception of what I do read.

 

Heh, although I do have fond memories of one half-term when I was a kid, curling up in the airing cupboard with a copy of Shogun over several days.

[Nightshape]

really? even the tenth book?

the one that is almost entirely made up of irrelevant side character's plotlines?

 

I have to admit, it's an odd balance. On the one hand I can see that it doesn't always heighten the story effectively and could have been lost.. but on the other, it actually makes the world as a whole more believable and adds depth to the various other characters encountered.

 

Call me crazy, but I enjoyed reading them.. they certainly didn't have the draggy over-detailed feel that I get in LoTR

 

But then I'm one of those guys that can sit down for a solid chunk of time and read a book in one go. Not get stuck puttering in and out a few chapters at a time over the course of several weeks. Which I think certainly affects my perception of what I do read.

 

Heh, although I do have fond memories of one half-term when I was a kid, curling up in the airing cupboard with a copy of Shogun over several days.

 

Well... So far my experience with GoT is that its a badly written good story *shrugs*.

[Guard Dog]

Now reading The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski. I was not sure what to expect but it is light and entertaining reading. After this I'll give the game another go.

[Walsingham]

Still wading through Robert Fisk's Great War for Civilisation.

 

Contemptible. Utterly contemptible.

 

Latest objection: hagiographic quality of his description of Khomeini. Still more ludicrously, he casts America's behaviour in Iraq as BOTH sides in Iran in almost adjacent paragraphs.

 

To have been present at so many interesting incidents, and to have produced such pointless monomaniacal drivel is almost enough to make one weep.

[Squall]

I'm reading Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton.

[Monte Carlo]

Still wading through Robert Fisk's Great War for Civilisation.

 

For the love of God, why?

[Walsingham]

Well, Monte. For the simple reason that I made a promise that I would and I always keep my promises. Even when I'm drunk.

 

Am now at p179-180. the man sounds like the nuttier characters on this board. Notably Onur. he repeatedly slanders US/UK forces without one shred of evidence offerred, while at the same time offerring evidence on other topics. Nearly a thousand pages yet to go, but I want to use it as loo roll immediately.

[Drowsy Emperor]

Apparently I'm the only one who reads Gene Wolfe because one of my favorite bookstores has most of his stuff on discount.

 

Bought "Strange Travelers", short story collection.

[Monte Carlo]

Well, Monte. For the simple reason that I made a promise that I would and I always keep my promises. Even when I'm drunk.

 

Am now at p179-180. the man sounds like the nuttier characters on this board. Notably Onur. he repeatedly slanders US/UK forces without one shred of evidence offerred, while at the same time offerring evidence on other topics. Nearly a thousand pages yet to go, but I want to use it as loo roll immediately.

 

You've done enough, man, for God's sake. Walk away from the Fisk. Just walk away.

 

FFS the man has an internet trend based on de-bunking poorly-sourced arguments named after him.

[Guard Dog]

Now reading Through My Eyes by NFL Quarterback and former Florida Gator Tim Tebow. It's about what you'd expect. Writing an autobiography at the age of 26 is not an act of humility. Therefore it defies reason that a man who does it should try to come off as humble in his book. But somehow he does it.

 

Also reading Islands in the Stream by Hemingway. He is one of my favorite writers but this is not his best stuff.

 

Also re-reading A Clash of Kings, by you know who. Getting refreshed for the bigh release of Dance with Dragons next month.

[Monte Carlo]

Six Armies in Normandy by John Keegan.

 

Read it twice before, but y'know.

 

GD, Ernest Hemingway's adventures with Leclerc's brigade during the liberation of Paris deserves a book of it's own.

[Raithe]

Not quite the heavy reading material.. but I saw a copy of "Icons: The DC Comics and Wildstorm Art of Jim Lee" going for a reduced price. I'm finding myself strangely tempted.

 

There can be something compelling about art books that can firmly stir the imagination. Also when included are design sketches and comments on how things developed.

 

Although balanced against the possibility of Syd Mead's "Sentury II" designs and sketches..

[Guard Dog]

GD, Ernest Hemingway's adventures with Leclerc's brigade during the liberation of Paris deserves a book of it's own.

 

That he was the first American to enter Paris during the liberation is just part of his legend.

[Malcador]

Idoru, not a bad read. Seems like not much happens with the plot though. Starting on the sequel.

[Kor Qel Droma]

I just finished A Feast For Crows last night. Now I need to re read it, because I am mighty confused.

[Labadal]

Currently reading the first Witcher book. Not amazing, but better than what I was expecting.

[Shryke]

I just finished A Feast For Crows last night. Now I need to re read it, because I am mighty confused.

 

what's confusing about it?

i haven't read it for a while, but i don't recall being puzzled over anything

[Kor Qel Droma]

With the new book coming out, a few people on another forum have been talking about which characters get POV chapters this time around. They all seem to be hoping for some dude named Quentin. I honestly have no clue who that is.

[Shryke]

With the new book coming out, a few people on another forum have been talking about which characters get POV chapters this time around. They all seem to be hoping for some dude named Quentin. I honestly have no clue who that is.

 

ah he's one of the Martells. he's mentioned in some of the chapters set in Dorne

[Purkake]

In a shocking turn of events, an official ASoIAF thread rises from its dark damp grave!

 

I read One Hundred Years of Solitude and am starting the Gentlemanly Bastards series by Scott Lynch.

[Raithe]

I stumbled upon this and read it.. which gave a wth moment..

Since it's related to books and authors I thought I'd share it here..

(and yes, it relates to the SW Expanded Universe)

 

The Mandalorian Mistake

 

What strikes me most about it is that an author would take part in writing books for a known universe, and that they had never read any of the other books written and disaproved strongly of the principle character groups.

 

The other, is that Lucasarts, known for their strict control over the Star Wars EU.. actually let it get written where the story trashed around so much canon and let the author put in so much personal bias...