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| New generic book thread https://www.beexcellenttoeachother.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=8436 |
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| Author: | KovacsC [ Tue Apr 29, 2014 14:02 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: New generic book thread |
Slightly Green wrote: KovacsC wrote: I am going to read the Drenai Series by David Gemmel, I really like the first book Legend. Most of Gemmel's work is amazing. Wish I was in your situation and able to read them all again for the 1st time. Enjoy This will be my 2nd or so read through... |
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| Author: | Slightly Green [ Tue Apr 29, 2014 18:22 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: New generic book thread |
KovacsC wrote: Slightly Green wrote: KovacsC wrote: I am going to read the Drenai Series by David Gemmel, I really like the first book Legend. Most of Gemmel's work is amazing. Wish I was in your situation and able to read them all again for the 1st time. Enjoy This will be my 2nd or so read through... Ahh fair play 
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| Author: | Slightly Green [ Wed Apr 30, 2014 15:15 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: New generic book thread |
Grim... wrote: I read the whole thing in two days. I scoffed at a couple of bits, but overall I liked it a lot. Yup just finished it myself, a few parts were meh but overall a most excellent read. Now back to Midnight Tides, was nice to have a small interlude in the Malazan series |
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| Author: | Trooper [ Sun May 04, 2014 13:12 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: New generic book thread |
Slightly Green wrote: Grim... wrote: I read the whole thing in two days. I scoffed at a couple of bits, but overall I liked it a lot. Yup just finished it myself, a few parts were meh but overall a most excellent read. Now back to Midnight Tides, was nice to have a small interlude in the Malazan series Hmmm.... I did like it, but only because of the geekness. It was a reasonable story, but nothing that hasn't been done a million times before, and his writing ability is mediocre at best. |
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| Author: | Bobbyaro [ Sun May 04, 2014 16:04 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: New generic book thread |
just finished words of radiance. Liked it, but not the best. Thought the end was a bit lame, and there was nothing really exciting in it, unlike the first. Still better than a load of books, mind. Now I just need to decide whether to go straight back into Malazan, or extend this break. I was getting a bit tired of them having read 5 on the trot, is the 6 good? |
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| Author: | Cras [ Sun May 04, 2014 17:00 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: New generic book thread |
Yeah. A step up from 5. |
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| Author: | Curiosity [ Tue May 27, 2014 12:20 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: New generic book thread |
There's a new Dresden files book out today. Also, a new Nick Harkaway book came out a couple of days ago, called 'Tigerman'. Both should be good. |
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| Author: | Morte [ Tue May 27, 2014 12:48 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: New generic book thread |
I'm currently re-reading all the Flashman books at the moment...I'd forgotten just what a complete bastard he is in them, a funny, misogynist, racist, Hero of the Empire, drunken, lecherous bastard. Think Sharpe but a version of Sharpe who will only act in a noble or heroic manner when all other opportunities to run away, surrender or throw someone in front of a cavalry charge have failed. Unlike Sharpe though, he never gets demoted only endlessly promoted (in various armies) and lauded further as the series goes on. Excellent stuff and well researched by Fraser. |
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| Author: | MaliA [ Tue May 27, 2014 13:27 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: New generic book thread |
Morte wrote: I'm currently re-reading all the Flashman books at the moment...I'd forgotten just what a complete bastard he is in them, a funny, misogynist, racist, Hero of the Empire, drunken, lecherous bastard. Think Sharpe but a version of Sharpe who will only act in a noble or heroic manner when all other opportunities to run away, surrender or throw someone in front of a cavalry charge have failed. Unlike Sharpe though, he never gets demoted only endlessly promoted (in various armies) and lauded further as the series goes on. Excellent stuff and well researched by Fraser. I read the first one and it left me somewhat cold. I was expecting it to be laugh out loud funny. |
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| Author: | Squirt [ Tue May 27, 2014 13:37 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: New generic book thread |
That's because you're a broken, soulless, shell of a man. I like the way Flashman's utter caddishness is often tempered with a level of humanity for the poor sods at the messy end that is missing from some of the more conventional Victorian heroes he comes across, and the fact that for all his devious shagging around and misogyny, his relationship with his wife is quite complex and touching in places. Also, he has a tremendous 'tache. |
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| Author: | MaliA [ Tue May 27, 2014 13:56 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: New generic book thread |
Ever happy to be found wanting, I have ordered book 2 to be sent to my Kindle. |
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| Author: | Grim... [ Tue May 27, 2014 14:39 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: New generic book thread |
I'm currently reading Watchmen again, for about the hundredth time. It's still amazing. |
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| Author: | zaphod79 [ Thu May 29, 2014 17:26 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: New generic book thread |
Latest humble books bundle https://www.humblebundle.com/books Pay 60p for Wizzywig: Portrait of a Serial Hacker Ed Piskor March: Book One Congressman John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell The Sword & Sorcery Anthology Various, George R Pay more than the average (currently around £5.80) to add From Hell Alan Moore & Eddie Campbell Wizard's First Rule Terry Goodkind The Alchemist Paolo Bacigalupi The Executioness Tobias S. Buckell Pay a few pence more (£6 in total) to add Jam Yahtzee Croshaw Lovecraft's Monsters: Anthology Various, Neil Gaiman. Ellen Datlow, Editor They have also said they will add more to the list next week (for Beat the average) |
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| Author: | Trooper [ Thu May 29, 2014 17:35 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: New generic book thread |
Wizards 's First Rule was alright, I read a few of that series. Did anyone try the TV series based on it? That was absolutely terrible 
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| Author: | Cras [ Thu May 29, 2014 17:52 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: New generic book thread |
The guy was a bit worryingly rape obsessed for my liking (books). |
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| Author: | romanista [ Thu May 29, 2014 18:20 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: New generic book thread |
finished the brilliant Thinking fast and slow, by daniel kahneman, on how your brain fools you , and your intuition helps you and not helps you http://www.bol.com/nl/p/thinking-fast-a ... 001150837/ |
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| Author: | Trooper [ Thu May 29, 2014 18:33 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: New generic book thread |
Cras wrote: The guy was a bit worryingly rape obsessed for my liking (books). Indeed. But, If you want true misogyny, then David Eddings is hard to top! |
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| Author: | Curiosity [ Thu May 29, 2014 18:33 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: New generic book thread |
The Alchemist and The Excecutioness are short stories or novellas, I forget which. They are both, however, set in the same world, despite being written by different people. They are also both very good, I seem to recall. |
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| Author: | Morte [ Thu Jun 05, 2014 10:28 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: New generic book thread |
Not a Book, just a (very) short story with some intresting science bits thrown in for fun... http://ph.qmul.ac.uk/ancient-worlds-aro ... teyns-star |
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| Author: | Pod [ Thu Jun 05, 2014 13:43 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: New generic book thread |
Trooper wrote: Wizards 's First Rule was alright, I read a few of that series. Did anyone try the TV series based on it? That was absolutely terrible Wizard's First Rule was enjoyable, even though it was almost the exact story line of Star Wars but in ye olde times. Because I'd started the series, I then felt compelled to finish it. Which is a shame, as after book 4 (of about 15 or something) they turned into some of the worst books I've ever read. The first half of each sequel was just a complete re-telling of the last few books, and then second half was a completely absurd plot that usually revolved around the magic-touch-lady being captured and the handsome hero going on a rampage to get her back, leaving entire villages dead simply because they got in the way. I think the third or fourth book where the EVIL EMPIRE was introduced. Y'know, the one that was a poorly disguised attack on communism (or whatever) that made no sense in the way it was organised, communism or not. (My favourite was: A city was doing just fine, then it gets taken over by evil communism, then suddenly the bread makers run out of bread, because there's no longer free market enterprise to keep the bread shops open or something). The emperor of this continent spanning empire had a personal grudge against the hero of the books, because he would continually foil his plans at the last minute, usually involved massive dues ex machinas. Oh, and then there's a book in which he gets captured as some kind of slave by the evil communist state, and is possibly the toy boy of the evil emperor (can't remember), and he secretly makes a statue in expensive marble, unveils at a KEY MOMENT and causes every single person in a billion foot radius to fall over in show and start crying about how beautiful is, which reconnects all the slaves with their lost emotions, which then results in a slave rebellion. A rebellion, simply because he built a statue? Worst of all, I think the statue was of himself? |
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| Author: | RuySan [ Thu Jun 05, 2014 14:59 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: New generic book thread |
I read China Mieville's "The City & The City" to try some contemporary science fiction. Well, it wasn't very good, so i guess i'll stick with the classics from now on. The premise was good but the plot was a boring crime story. Because of that i had to read some Philip K. Dick to make up for it. "Martian Time-Slip" is quite good. Not among PKD's best works, but as the elders used to say "Average dick is better than no dick". Now i'm reading José Saramago's "The Cave". I'm still not sure about it. He writes wonderfully well, but the story isn't gripping me. Too much details about pottery for my liking. I hate pottery as i had bad experiences in school. Anal Cunt was right about it. Well, it's not very long so i'll probably finish it tomorrow or something. |
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| Author: | Curiosity [ Thu Jun 05, 2014 16:09 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: New generic book thread |
"The City and The City" by China Mieville is: 1) Comfortably his least good book for adults 2) Not really science fiction If you want a good book by him, try: "Embassytown" - highly confusing for the first third, but more conventionally SF, and an amazing story about language and exploration "Perdido Street Station" - bordering fantasy and SF, it's the definitive steampunk novel and is absolutely brilliant. Alternative high quality modern SF is also available from the likes of Nick Harkaway, Hugh Howey, Paolo Bacigalupi, Jeff Somers, Patrick Ness, James Smythe etc etc etc |
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| Author: | RuySan [ Thu Jun 05, 2014 16:16 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: New generic book thread |
Yes, i should have added that it wasn't really science fiction. But that wasn't really the reason why i didn't liked it. I think it was Jorge Luis Borges that said he only reads books with at least 50 years because time had done its work of separating the wheat from the chaff. After "the city and the city" i thought about following that philosophy, but i will take your recommendations into account. |
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| Author: | Cras [ Thu Jun 05, 2014 16:42 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: New generic book thread |
Perdido is excellent. |
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| Author: | Bamba [ Thu Jun 05, 2014 16:55 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: New generic book thread |
I really enjoyed The City and The City. It was pretty slow to get going but the entire central concept of the intertwined cities fascinated me and kept me interested. |
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| Author: | RuySan [ Fri Jun 06, 2014 14:58 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: New generic book thread |
For me it was the opposite. It was indeed a great premise, and that's why i liked the beginning. In the end i didn't cared for the characters or the plot. There's not one poignant or unforgettable moment like O'Brian's speech in 1984, for example. And this book was ripe for that. The book had so much wasted potential that i even wrote a micro review on Goodreads, for the first time: "This was my first China Miéville book and judging by all the praise the book got, I came away slightly disappointed. The premise is absolutely brilliant. A divided city not much unlike cold war Berlin, but instead of a physical wall, it's divided by a metaphorical one, with citizens on both sides having been conditioned to "unsee" and "unhear" everything that is happening on the other side. The problem is that while the setting could have been used for a very thought provoking story, its spoiled by a run of the mill crime-fiction/neo-noir thriller. " |
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| Author: | Curiosity [ Fri Jun 06, 2014 15:36 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: New generic book thread |
Yeah, I largely agree with that review. |
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| Author: | Pundabaya [ Fri Jun 06, 2014 18:26 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: New generic book thread |
New Dresden was very enjoyable. Now reading: #2 in Paul Cornell's Urban Fantasy series. |
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| Author: | MaliA [ Wed Jun 11, 2014 9:26 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: New generic book thread |
MaliA wrote: Ever happy to be found wanting, I have ordered book 2 to be sent to my Kindle. Flashman book two is pretty good. |
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| Author: | Morte [ Wed Jun 11, 2014 13:51 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: New generic book thread |
His version of Bismark is great and Rudi is one of a long line of dashing villains who are braver and cleverer than Harry (although he always manages to out do them in the end). It's rollicking stuff all round. |
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| Author: | MaliA [ Wed Jun 11, 2014 17:42 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: New generic book thread |
Morte wrote: His version of Bismark is great and Rudi is one of a long line of dashing villains who are braver and cleverer than Harry (although he always manages to out do them in the end). It's rollicking stuff all round. Yes. Very much so. Rudi was most excellent, as was the description s of harry's wife I will get book three after I clear the current backlog. |
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| Author: | Morte [ Thu Jun 12, 2014 13:50 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: New generic book thread |
Hurray! There's a new Laundry novel being published on the 3rd July http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0356 ... 0356502538 |
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| Author: | Slightly Green [ Thu Jun 12, 2014 13:55 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: New generic book thread |
MaliA wrote: MaliA wrote: Ever happy to be found wanting, I have ordered book 2 to be sent to my Kindle. Flashman book two is pretty good. Thanks for this, just finished Tom Brown's School Days to get the background on Flashman, now onto the book series about the cretin. |
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| Author: | Curiosity [ Thu Jun 12, 2014 14:49 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: New generic book thread |
Morte wrote: Hurray! There's a new Laundry novel being published on the 3rd July http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0356 ... 0356502538 Yup. New 'Rivers of London' book in September too. |
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| Author: | Bobbyaro [ Thu Jun 12, 2014 15:20 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: New generic book thread |
The last one was a bit rubbish and also a bit depressing. |
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| Author: | Morte [ Fri Jun 13, 2014 10:42 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: New generic book thread |
Which one? Laundry or Rivers of London? |
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| Author: | Kern [ Fri Jun 13, 2014 10:46 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: New generic book thread |
A friend has lent me several of the 'Rivers of London' series. I'm trying to get into the first one, but keep getting bored. Might give it another go soon, else feel obliged to return them unread. |
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| Author: | Grim... [ Tue Jun 17, 2014 0:24 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: New generic book thread |
I liked the Laundry novels, but I thought they got worse each time. The shorts were good, though. |
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| Author: | Pundabaya [ Tue Jul 08, 2014 22:14 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: New generic book thread |
New Laundry read: really enjoyed it. |
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| Author: | Grim... [ Tue Jul 08, 2014 23:32 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: New generic book thread |
It's it better than the last few? |
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| Author: | Pundabaya [ Tue Jul 08, 2014 23:43 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: New generic book thread |
I enjoyed it more than the last one, but I thought the last one was pretty spiffy anyway... |
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| Author: | Grim... [ Tue Jul 08, 2014 23:56 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: New generic book thread |
Was the last one the one with the boat and the cloaked Smart Car? |
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| Author: | Pundabaya [ Wed Jul 09, 2014 0:01 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: New generic book thread |
The last one was the one with the creepy American cult. |
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| Author: | Morte [ Wed Jul 09, 2014 4:53 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: New generic book thread |
Grim... wrote: Was the last one the one with the boat and the cloaked Smart Car? That was the Jennifer Morgue...the Ian Fleming pastiche. |
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| Author: | Curiosity [ Wed Jul 09, 2014 7:49 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: New generic book thread |
Morte wrote: Grim... wrote: Was the last one the one with the boat and the cloaked Smart Car? That was the Jennifer Morgue...the Ian Fleming pastiche. Also, the second one. There have been at least a couple since then. |
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| Author: | Grim... [ Wed Jul 09, 2014 9:31 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: New generic book thread |
Oh yeah, I read that one out of order. |
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| Author: | MaliA [ Mon Jul 21, 2014 10:58 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: New generic book thread |
No Fixed Abode is a book written by my schoolfriend. It's also 99p on Kindle right now. If you want to hear his story of tramping from Cornwall to London, and his acocunt of homelessnes, I'd say that 99p is a good price. |
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| Author: | Slightly Green [ Tue Jul 22, 2014 11:05 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: New generic book thread |
Since my last post I have discovered Jim Butchers - The Dresden Files, the writing is pretty formulaic but the stories are nice and entertaining and have some genuine laugh out loud moments. I have managed to churn through the first eleven books so far and the overall plot gets nice and involved. On with Changes, book 12. Anyone else reading these? Pretty sure it was someone on this forum that pointed me at them. |
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| Author: | Grim... [ Tue Jul 22, 2014 11:22 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: New generic book thread |
He's like Reacher but a wizard, right? |
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| Author: | Slightly Green [ Tue Jul 22, 2014 12:10 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: New generic book thread |
Grim... wrote: He's like Reacher but a wizard, right? Yup, modern day PI Wizard in Chicago, quite a good read |
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