New generic book thread

Pundabaya · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 5016

Just bought that Name of the Wind book... largely because its fantasy NOT set in bloody London.

Though London Falling (Paul Cornell - yes the Doctor Who one) was really good.

NervousPete · **Posted:** Mon Feb 10, 2014 16:41

I've just finished 'Little Women' by Louisa May Alcott. It was a delight to read, and I'm afraid to say my upper lip trembled and eyes moistened at certain bits. Though written for children it is very intelligent, and written with great grace. Some wonderful classical and biblical allusion stuff going on too, mainly revolving around Pilgrim's Progress.

It also has bonus US Civil War stuff, albeit home front.

NervousPete · **Posted:** Mon Feb 10, 2014 16:44

Trooper wrote:

Slightly Green wrote:

MaliA wrote:

WoT really flounders from book 4 through book 10(ish) then gets better as Sanderson takes over the reigns. Jordan had a epic idea but gets lost along the way unfortunately.

If you don't like it by the end of the 1st book, then it doesn't get any better until the 10th...

Personally I really enjoyed them all, even the shit period, but I can totally understand why people wouldn't.

I cannot stand lengthy book sequences that demand six books to actually do anything. Quantity is not quality. Anything that can't be done in a chunky trilogy, or seven slim children's books, can fuck off.

Master & Commander series excepted. Because awesome and more of a collection of stand-alone adventures united by characters, each with a satisfying narrative outcome.

Squirt · **Joined:** 31st Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 6510

NervousPete wrote:

Master & Commander series excepted. Because awesome and more of a collection of stand-alone adventures united by characters, each with a satisfying narrative outcome.

I recently went on a bit of an M&C spree. I'm currently on the penultimate book, having read them all with at most one other non-M&C book in between, and sometimes straight after each other. The fact that I did that and still like the style and the characters is quite something. Sometimes Jack's wild swings in his home life can feel a bit tacked on ( He's rich! He's poor! He's entangled in intractable law suits! No he's not! ) and I've got the impression that some of the characters age wrongly, but I've really enjoyed reading them all again.

NervousPete · **Posted:** Mon Feb 10, 2014 20:07

Squirt wrote:

NervousPete wrote:

Master & Commander series excepted. Because awesome and more of a collection of stand-alone adventures united by characters, each with a satisfying narrative outcome.

I recently went on a bit of an M&C spree. I'm currently on the penultimate book, having read them all with at most one other non-M&C book in between, and sometimes straight after each other. The fact that I did that and still like the style and the characters is quite something. Sometimes Jack's wild swings in his home life can feel a bit tacked on ( He's rich! He's poor! He's entangled in intractable law suits! No he's not! ) and I've got the impression that some of the characters age wrongly, but I've really enjoyed reading them all again.

Yeah, I stopped at The Nutmeg of Consolation. I didn't want to see the characters grow older, or for O'Brien to screw up the Sophie - Jack relationship. Aside from one too many Maturin feverish-dying / Jolly-Jack an idiot ashore bits it was pretty much perfect up to that point and I was happy to leave it there. The entire Wray plotline leading to Reverse of the Medal and Letter of Marque is wonderful stuff. And the first three books are just beautiful.

Pundabaya · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 5016

Pundabaya wrote:

Just bought that Name of the Wind book... largely because its fantasy NOT set in bloody London.

Though London Falling (Paul Cornell - yes the Doctor Who one) was really good.

I'm reading book 2 now. Kvothe need(s/ed) a proper slap.

Pundabaya · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 5016

That Sanderson chap is a bit good... Mistborn Trilogy 1 done, The Alloy of Law done, on to Warbreaker. All of them are awesome, but I think the Alloy of Law is the best, its a bit less serious. And steam/cowpunk.

krazywookie · **Posted:** Sun Mar 16, 2014 11:20

Pundabaya wrote:

That Sanderson chap is a bit good... Mistborn Trilogy 1 done, The Alloy of Law done, on to Warbreaker. All of them are awesome, but I think the Alloy of Law is the best, its a bit less serious. And steam/cowpunk.

I have alloy of law queued and am currently wading through the way of kings which I am enjoying more than the mist born stuff, even though that was really good. Might need an intermission in the barage of Sanderson goodness.

Cras · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 49232

Reading Way of Kings here too. Good shit.

MrChris · **Joined:** 1st Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 30498

Trooper wrote:

Slightly Green wrote:

MaliA wrote:

WoT really flounders from book 4 through book 10(ish) then gets better as Sanderson takes over the reigns. Jordan had a epic idea but gets lost along the way unfortunately.

If you don't like it by the end of the 1st book, then it doesn't get any better until the 10th...

Personally I really enjoyed them all, even the shit period, but I can totally understand why people wouldn't.

I think it started well, dipped in the middle, and then improved by leaps and bounds when Sanderson took over. Mainly due to having less wanking on about the embroidery on people's dresses.

Crobert Chubz · **Joined:** 10th Mar, 2014 **Posts:** 8

Currently reading this beuatiful book :'(

Kern · **Posted:** Sun Mar 23, 2014 11:33

Finished Daniel Orkent's 'Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition'. A fascinating account of how a small minority were able to introduce the scheme, and detailing how factors such as race, women's suffrage, anti-Catholicism, and immigration played such a big part of its advocacy.

Orkent's style is very chatty, and he takes obvious glee every time he details how one or other major dry was exposed to be drunk or smuggling booze, etc.

Slightly Green · **Joined:** 26th Aug, 2010 **Posts:** 2069

Just started Words of Radiance: The Stormlight Archive Book Two by Sanderson, don't think I will be sleeping much in next day or two

Cras · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 49232

Write book three now pls.

Slightly Green · **Joined:** 26th Aug, 2010 **Posts:** 2069

Cras wrote:

Write book three now pls.

Agree

MaliA · **Posted:** Sun Mar 23, 2014 22:10

Finished Book One of "The Wheel of Time". It wasn't very good. It was a like a rubbish LotR ripoff.

Trooper · **Joined:** 4th Mar, 2010 **Posts:** 22266

Slightly Green wrote:

Just started Words of Radiance: The Stormlight Archive Book Two by Sanderson, don't think I will be sleeping much in next day or two

Oooh, thanks for the heads up.

Kern · **Posted:** Fri Apr 04, 2014 16:55

Read 'Watership Down' for the first time since I was 12 or thereabouts. Still felt sad at the end.

Warhead · Noob as of 6/8/10

Chris Hadfield 'An astronaut's guide to life on earth.' Quite interesting. He very nearly didn't make it into space at all. I definitely like his philosophy.

Pundabaya · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 5016

I'm doing a Cosmere archive binge. I'm up to 'Way of Kings'. It's all starting to come together... dun-dun-duun!

Trooper · **Joined:** 4th Mar, 2010 **Posts:** 22266

Trooper wrote:

Slightly Green wrote:

Just started Words of Radiance: The Stormlight Archive Book Two by Sanderson, don't think I will be sleeping much in next day or two

Oooh, thanks for the heads up.

Got round to reading this. It's brilliant, but...

ZOMG Spoiler! Click here to view!

He really needs to come up with a new gimmick! Paired powers. Check. Speaking evil sword. Check. Etc...

and Bobbyaro is a big poopy head.

Bobbyaro · **Joined:** 18th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 11843

I am reading this, about 1/2 way through, can I read your spoiler?

Dr Lave · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 5979

Reading 2312 by Kim Stanley Robinson (of The Red, Green and Blue Mars Triology).

Slow and more about the setting than the story, but really interesting read as a grand tour of the solar system fully utilised by humanity.

Trooper · **Joined:** 4th Mar, 2010 **Posts:** 22266

Bobbyaro wrote:

I am reading this, about 1/2 way through, can I read your spoiler?

No, it's not a massive spoiler by any means, but no.

Curiosity · **Posted:** Wed Apr 23, 2014 13:41

Did I mention the Left Hand of God trilogy?

The first book was ace. The second was sporadically ace. The third was occasionally ace with a terrible ending.

Slightly Green · **Joined:** 26th Aug, 2010 **Posts:** 2069

Curiosity wrote:

Did I mention the Left Hand of God trilogy?

The first book was ace. The second was sporadically ace. The third was occasionally ace with a terrible ending.

Didn't like it at all, but only read the first one.

Pundabaya · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 5016

'The Way of Kings' really dragged for the first 2 thirds, then became awesome. 'The Words of Radiance' has been much more entertaining for the half I've read.

Cras · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 49232

Trooper wrote:

Got round to reading this. It's brilliant, but...

ZOMG Spoiler! Click here to view!

He really needs to come up with a new gimmick! Paired powers. Check. Speaking evil sword. Check. Etc...

and Bobbyaro is a big poopy head.

ZOMG Spoiler! Click here to view!

Uh - isn't very deliberately the same sword?

Trooper · **Joined:** 4th Mar, 2010 **Posts:** 22266

Cras wrote:

Trooper wrote:

Got round to reading this. It's brilliant, but...

ZOMG Spoiler! Click here to view!

He really needs to come up with a new gimmick! Paired powers. Check. Speaking evil sword. Check. Etc...

and Bobbyaro is a big poopy head.

ZOMG Spoiler! Click here to view!

Uh - isn't very deliberately the same sword?

ZOMG Spoiler! Click here to view!

I'm 50/50 on that, there has been no indication so far that the worlds of each series are related. If all his books are set in the same universe, then that would explain why they are all the same

If they aren't, then putting the same sword in each series means he really really needs to think of new ideas...

Cras · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 49232

ZOMG Spoiler! Click here to view!

I figured it was a whole Michael Moorcock thing where the sword floats between them in entirely inexplicable ways

Pod · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 2568

Dr Lave wrote:

Reading 2312 by Kim Stanley Robinson (of The Red, Green and Blue Mars Triology).

Slow and more about the setting than the story, but really interesting read as a grand tour of the solar system fully utilised by humanity.

"Slow and more about the setting than the story" perfectly describes the later two in the Mars trilogy. I'd wager almost half of the words in the entire series is dedicated towards describing rocks and microbes. I'm glad I read them on a fancy kindle where I could long-press the geological terms and get a dictionary definition as otherwise I wouldn't have a clue what he was trying to so specifically describe.

Pundabaya wrote:

'The Way of Kings' really dragged for the first 2 thirds, then became awesome. 'The Words of Radiance' has been much more entertaining for the half I've read.

I read TWOK when it first came out. I want to get the new one but other than

ZOMG Spoiler! Click here to view!

"spearguys running around with bridges on their soldiers" and "underground libraries with a magic lady"

I can't remember what happened in that book. Did you read a summary before embarking?

PS: In the spirit of this thread, I'll declare that I'm reading Snow Crash. It's mondo rad.

Grim... · **Posted:** Wed Apr 23, 2014 16:39

Pod wrote:

PS: In the spirit of this thread, I'll declare that I'm reading Snow Crash. It's mondo rad.

Nerd classic!

I've not read any books for ages. I think the last one would be How To Archer around Christmas. It's fucking brilliant if you like Archer, and you do like Archer, because Archer is fucking brilliant.

Quote:

My service weapon is a Walther PPK, chambered for the .32 ACP cartridge. It's got a magazine capacity of seven rounds, plus one in the chamber. You may thing that eight is a pussy amount to carry, but if whatever you're shooting doesn't die after pumping eight .32 caliber slugs into it, it's probably a dragon.

Grim... · **Posted:** Wed Apr 23, 2014 16:41

Oh wait, that's a lie! I've read the crap out of the last few Reacher books, and I've read "Ajax Penumbra: 1969", a short story in the same universe as "Mr Penumbra's 24-hour Bookstore".

Dr Lave · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 5979

Pod wrote:

Dr Lave wrote:

Reading 2312 by Kim Stanley Robinson (of The Red, Green and Blue Mars Triology).

Slow and more about the setting than the story, but really interesting read as a grand tour of the solar system fully utilised by humanity.

"Slow and more about the setting than the story" perfectly describes the later two in the Mars trilogy. I'd wager almost half of the words in the entire series is dedicated towards describing rocks and microbes. I'm glad I read them on a fancy kindle where I could long-press the geological terms and get a dictionary definition as otherwise I wouldn't have a clue what he was trying to so specifically describe.

To be fair, it suffers far less than that, because he's doing the rest of the solar system in just one book, so the strokes are broader and he hasn't time to describe rocks as much. That said, It's very much a pseudo sequel to Mars. It's in a very similar universe, where most of the events of the Mars books seem to have happened (as Mars, at least so far, is somewhat ignored.)

Curiosity · **Posted:** Wed Apr 23, 2014 17:25

Grim... wrote:

Oh wait, that's a lie! I've read the crap out of the last few Reacher books, and I've read "Ajax Penumbra: 1969", a short story in the same universe as "Mr Penumbra's 24-hour Bookstore".

Is the short story any good? I assume you read the bookstore one first, yes? If you liked it you should read some Douglas Coupland.

Grim... · **Posted:** Wed Apr 23, 2014 17:51

Yes. Yes - we read it at the same time with our psychic booksharing, remember?

You should also read Annabell Scheme, by the same chap. It's free, right here: http://www.robinsloan.com/annabel-scheme/

Pundabaya · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 5016

Trooper wrote:

Cras wrote:

Trooper wrote:

Got round to reading this. It's brilliant, but...

ZOMG Spoiler! Click here to view!

He really needs to come up with a new gimmick! Paired powers. Check. Speaking evil sword. Check. Etc...

and Bobbyaro is a big poopy head.

ZOMG Spoiler! Click here to view!

Uh - isn't very deliberately the same sword?

ZOMG Spoiler! Click here to view!

I'm 50/50 on that, there has been no indication so far that the worlds of each series are related. If all his books are set in the same universe, then that would explain why they are all the same

If they aren't, then putting the same sword in each series means he really really needs to think of new ideas...

ZOMG Spoiler! Click here to view!

The setting is quite well defined. It's called The Cosmere. Each planet has its own Godlike beings and its own magic, (geometric magic on Sel (Elantris), metal magic on Scadrial (Mistborn) etc.) but they're very much linked. Hoid appears in every book in some capacity. There are other characters who appear in more than one setting, some of which you are expected to notice after the fact.

Trooper · **Joined:** 4th Mar, 2010 **Posts:** 22266

Pundabaya wrote:

Trooper wrote:

Cras wrote:

Trooper wrote:

Got round to reading this. It's brilliant, but...

ZOMG Spoiler! Click here to view!

He really needs to come up with a new gimmick! Paired powers. Check. Speaking evil sword. Check. Etc...

and Bobbyaro is a big poopy head.

ZOMG Spoiler! Click here to view!

Uh - isn't very deliberately the same sword?

ZOMG Spoiler! Click here to view!

I'm 50/50 on that, there has been no indication so far that the worlds of each series are related. If all his books are set in the same universe, then that would explain why they are all the same

If they aren't, then putting the same sword in each series means he really really needs to think of new ideas...

ZOMG Spoiler! Click here to view!

The setting is quite well defined. It's called The Cosmere. Each planet has its own Godlike beings and its own magic, (geometric magic on Sel (Elantris), metal magic on Scadrial (Mistborn) etc.) but they're very much linked. Hoid appears in every book in some capacity. There are other characters who appear in more than one setting, some of which you are expected to notice after the fact.

ZOMG Spoiler! Click here to view!

Ah! That makes things a lot clearer then.

No way I would have know that without being told though, or googling it, I don't think it is obvious in the books at all yet.

Pundabaya · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 5016

ZOMG Spoiler! Click here to view!

It's not really supposed to be noticed yet. The idea is that Sanderson wants to do a really massive epic series, but there is no way that any publisher would sign up to a 20+ book series, so each series is largely standalone, however as the books go on, more and more influence from outside the series will occur. so now we have Hoid as a more obvious character (The King's Wit) Zahel is obviously an outsider (though which one I'm not sure, I think he's from Warbreaker, because he keeps using odd idioms involving colour, and I can guess which sword...)

WOK/WOR is pretty late in the timeline acording to Mr Sanderson, so the series after it could be the one which brings it all together (the third Mistborn Trilogy is Space Opera btw, so it could be that). That would explain the increased interaction between the different settings

Pundabaya · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 5016

Words of Radiance done! Awesome!

ZOMG Spoiler! Click here to view!

yep, Nightblood. And Szeth has him. (Although to be fair, Nightblood isn't evil, just enthusiastic and entirely unable to make moral judgements) And I reckon Zahel is Vasher.

Pundabaya · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 5016

Oh shit. I'm pretty much up to date on Sanderson Cosmere novels... but that means I need something to read.

KovacsC · **Posted:** Sun Apr 27, 2014 7:57

Finished the Jack Daniels novels.. I need something else to read.

Curiosity · **Posted:** Sun Apr 27, 2014 10:47

KovacsC wrote:

Finished the Jack Daniels novels.. I need something else to read.

Try the Jim Beam ones.

KovacsC · **Posted:** Sun Apr 27, 2014 11:09

Curiosity wrote:

KovacsC wrote:

Finished the Jack Daniels novels.. I need something else to read.

Try the Jim Beam ones.

Will do.

Grim... · **Posted:** Mon Apr 28, 2014 9:17

Ready Player One is an ace little book about a huge challenge held in an advanced MMO world, and is more than recommended.

Trooper · **Joined:** 4th Mar, 2010 **Posts:** 22266

Grim... wrote:

Ready Player One is an ace little book about a huge challenge held in an advanced MMO world, and is more than recommended.

Bought and downloaded (it's things like this level of convenience the internet was invented for IMO!

)

Ta.

Curiosity · **Posted:** Mon Apr 28, 2014 9:19

Grim... wrote:

Ready Player One is an ace little book about a huge challenge held in an advanced MMO world, and is more than recommended.

That's the one Wil Wheaton was banging on about, isn't it?

Grim... · **Posted:** Mon Apr 28, 2014 9:20

Curiosity wrote:

Grim... wrote:

Ready Player One is an ace little book about a huge challenge held in an advanced MMO world, and is more than recommended.

That's the one Wil Wheaton was banging on about, isn't it?

No idea, I don't follow Wheaton. He is mentioned briefly in the book, though.

zaphod79 · **Joined:** 16th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 14489

Curiosity wrote:

Grim... wrote:

Ready Player One is an ace little book about a huge challenge held in an advanced MMO world, and is more than recommended.

That's the one Wil Wheaton was banging on about, isn't it?

He reads the audiobook - it is really good and although has been optioned for a film I dont think it would work because of the amount of other films / games / etc that would need to be licensed.

The author (Ernest Cline) drives around in a Delorian and was in New Mexico at the weekend for the unearthing of the atari landfill site http://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/u ... lorean.jpg

Grim... · **Posted:** Mon Apr 28, 2014 9:24

That numberplate, coupled with some stuff from the book, suggests that Cline may not be an entirely happy person.

Be Excellent To Each Other

New generic book thread
What are you reading?

Who is online

Be Excellent To Each Other

New generic book thread What are you reading?

Who is online

New generic book thread
What are you reading?