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 Post subject: Re: New generic book thread
PostPosted: Fri Apr 10, 2015 0:12 
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 Post subject: Re: New generic book thread
PostPosted: Mon May 04, 2015 20:14 
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After 4 chapters of absolutely terrible sentence construction, whole descriptions air dropped into the middle of narrative, forming islands of overblown color, I am giving up on Pattern Recognition. There probably is a good story in there, but it isn't my job to dig it out.

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 Post subject: Re: New generic book thread
PostPosted: Fri May 15, 2015 8:50 
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Just finished Lawrence Wright's 'Going Clear', an expose of a famous ['religion' - Ed.] and its mysterious founder. Some shocking revelations about the practices and financing of the ['church' -Ed. ], all denied in footnotes.

He could handle the transition between chapters and topics a bit more deftly, however, and he sometimes omits a sense of the chronology or indication of the timescales of some of the stories. It's a fascinating read, even if you already know a little bit about the Galatic Confederacy and...

...Hello, there's some people at the door wanting to see me...


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 Post subject: Re: New generic book thread
PostPosted: Thu Jul 02, 2015 20:07 
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Borrowed Jon Ronson's latest, So you've been publicly shamed, from the library recently and just finished it. Had the same issues with it as I've had with all his books, and I started reading his stuff back in 2002 (or thereabouts).

The stories themselves are interesting, but he darts from one topic to another somewhat arbitrarily, and the various parts never seem to hang together as well as you'd expect a book of this sort to do. There's also very little attempt at looking at the bigger picture, or providing anything other than the most obvious analysis of his evidence. His writing style, in particular his somewhat shameless namedropping, starts to grate after a while (as I mentioned to a Hollywood film star friend in some café in New York that was recommended to me by the Pope on a flight to LA who was reading my last work).

Whilst he always go for very fascinating topics and approaches, I think he's better at writing articles rather than novel-length works.

So, kind of fun, but glad I borrowed it rather than bought. Also, makes me very glad I don't use 'Twitter': I hadn't heard of most of the Twitterstorms discussed in the book.


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 Post subject: Re: New generic book thread
PostPosted: Thu Jul 02, 2015 21:23 
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Got hold of The Martian a couple of days ago, already finished it. Fantastic book, warm, funny and basically MacGuyver on Mars. And coming soon to a cinema near you with Matt Damon...

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 Post subject: Re: New generic book thread
PostPosted: Fri Jul 03, 2015 18:13 
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Summer has arrived, which means that I have to drop the tablet so I can have some beach reading. I have to raid my parents library soon. Books just take up to much space.

I've finished reading Blood of the Elves from the witcher saga, since I like the games so much, but it isn't that great.


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 Post subject: Re: New generic book thread
PostPosted: Tue Jul 07, 2015 14:30 
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Rude Belittler

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Just finished the new The Laundry book by Charlie Stross. Again very good.


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 Post subject: Re: New generic book thread
PostPosted: Tue Jul 07, 2015 14:37 
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Pundabaya wrote:
Just finished the new The Laundry book by Charlie Stross. Again very good.


The Annihilation Score?

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 Post subject: Re: New generic book thread
PostPosted: Tue Jul 07, 2015 15:59 
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Morte wrote:
Pundabaya wrote:
Just finished the new The Laundry book by Charlie Stross. Again very good.


The Annihilation Score?


5-2

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 Post subject: Re: New generic book thread
PostPosted: Tue Jul 07, 2015 17:36 
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Rude Belittler

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Morte wrote:
Pundabaya wrote:
Just finished the new The Laundry book by Charlie Stross. Again very good.


The Annihilation Score?

That's the one.


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 Post subject: Re: New generic book thread
PostPosted: Thu Jul 09, 2015 11:20 
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Seabiscuit was marvellous - I don't really feel much for horse racing, always seen it as a little man accompanying a horse as it does its thing, but Seabiscuit and Jane Smiley's Horse have convinced me otherwise.

I'm now on the Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. Only 80 pages in but it has me gripped - astonishing, can't believe I've not heard of her before (which puts her up there with Gertrude Bell).


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 Post subject: Re: New generic book thread
PostPosted: Thu Jul 09, 2015 11:28 
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Totally reading Jilly Cooper right now.

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 Post subject: Re: New generic book thread
PostPosted: Wed Jul 15, 2015 12:44 
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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.

Holy nuts, Spielberg is directing the movie of this!

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 Post subject: Re: New generic book thread
PostPosted: Thu Sep 10, 2015 11:48 
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New Reacher, fuckers!

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 Post subject: Re: New generic book thread
PostPosted: Thu Sep 10, 2015 11:51 
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In other book news, I've hammering my way through Dresden, and finished Ghost Story (#13) last night. It wasn't as good as the others (especially compared to the one before it, which was excellent), but it was still good.

The one before it was called Changes, and
ZOMG Spoiler! Click here to view!
it's the one where he finds out he has a daughter and kills Susan and then dies at the end (which Craster spoilzored for me, the tool).

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 Post subject: Re: New generic book thread
PostPosted: Thu Sep 10, 2015 12:07 
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Yeah, whatevs.

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 Post subject: Re: New generic book thread
PostPosted: Thu Sep 10, 2015 12:09 
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Cras wrote:
Yeah, whatevs.

That's not going to make sense unless they've read the spoiler.

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 Post subject: Re: New generic book thread
PostPosted: Thu Sep 10, 2015 12:10 
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ZOMG Spoiler! Click here to view!
Yeah, whatevs

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 Post subject: Re: New generic book thread
PostPosted: Thu Sep 10, 2015 12:11 
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Cras wrote:
Yeah, whatevs.

Listen old man, it's 'whevs' now.

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 Post subject: Re: New generic book thread
PostPosted: Thu Sep 10, 2015 12:11 
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ZOMG Spoiler! Click here to view!
In the new Reacher book, he punches the bad guy and fucks the hot chick.

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 Post subject: Re: New generic book thread
PostPosted: Thu Sep 10, 2015 12:37 
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FFS!


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 Post subject: Re: New generic book thread
PostPosted: Thu Sep 10, 2015 13:33 
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I went through the Dresdens so quickly that I find it hard to separate them in my head. They're very different after Ghost Story, though


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 Post subject: Re: New generic book thread
PostPosted: Thu Sep 10, 2015 14:09 
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Oh :(

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 Post subject: Re: New generic book thread
PostPosted: Thu Sep 10, 2015 14:20 
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Yeah, and not in a good way.

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 Post subject: Re: New generic book thread
PostPosted: Thu Sep 10, 2015 14:29 
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To be fair, there's only been two of them since then.

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 Post subject: Re: New generic book thread
PostPosted: Thu Sep 10, 2015 14:44 
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Unpossible!

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You'll never top the reanimated t-rex


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 Post subject: Re: New generic book thread
PostPosted: Thu Sep 10, 2015 16:34 
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The last one jumped the shark, and that is on top of
ZOMG Spoiler! Click here to view!
him coming back from the dead


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 Post subject: Re: New generic book thread
PostPosted: Thu Sep 10, 2015 16:35 
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Before I click that: last what?

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 Post subject: Re: New generic book thread
PostPosted: Thu Sep 10, 2015 17:30 
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Rude Belittler

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I thought the one after Ghost Story was a bit weak, but I thought the last one, Skin Game was a real return to form.


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 Post subject: Re: New generic book thread
PostPosted: Thu Sep 10, 2015 17:57 
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Commander-in-Cheese

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My issue is Dresden

ZOMG Spoiler! Click here to view!
going from king badass to king emo

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Drunk, pulled Craster's pork, waiting for brdyime story,reading nuts. Xz


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 Post subject: Re: New generic book thread
PostPosted: Thu Sep 10, 2015 18:09 
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Rude Belittler

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Cras wrote:
My issue is Dresden

ZOMG Spoiler! Click here to view!
going from king badass to king emo


To be fair there are reasons for that...

ZOMG Spoiler! Click here to view!
the whole Winter Knight mantle influence... though there have been plenty of hints that he'll get rid of that soon... or at least take up another mantle that would mitigate the effects.


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 Post subject: Re: New generic book thread
PostPosted: Fri Sep 11, 2015 8:18 
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Grim... wrote:
Before I click that: last what?

The last book, but the spoiler refers to an earlier one, although they all blur into one and I would struggle to tell you anything that happened in any specific book.


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 Post subject: Re: New generic book thread
PostPosted: Fri Sep 11, 2015 8:21 
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It's the one where Dresden gets hurt and tired but manages to save the day with an inspired, last minute solution


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 Post subject: Re: New generic book thread
PostPosted: Fri Sep 11, 2015 22:44 
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Dresden, ta. Bobby forgot to mention that :)

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 Post subject: Re: New generic book thread
PostPosted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 9:47 
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When did present-tense books become a standard? I got the audiobook of Divergent (yes, I know. I'm a teenage girl) for cheeps and it's all in present tense. I quite like it. It lends a sense of uncertainty and danger to the story. Kinda like watching a film.

Are there any major books written like that?

Edit: The Hunger Games (yes, I know. I'm a teenage girl) is present-tense apparently, says Google. I've read that. Didn't notice.


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 Post subject: Re: New generic book thread
PostPosted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 10:00 
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Present tense first person?

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 Post subject: Re: New generic book thread
PostPosted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 10:08 
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Unpossible!

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Yep


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 Post subject: Re: New generic book thread
PostPosted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 10:23 
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Fifty Shades of Grey is. Some Reacher books are. All the Jack Daniels books are. Bits of The Martian are. Adrian Mole is ;) Black Beauty is ;) ;)

I don't think it's that rare.

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 Post subject: Re: New generic book thread
PostPosted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 10:26 
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I guess not. Can't say I've ever noticed before. Must be down to the Audiobook being a bit more immediate.

Hang on, Adrian Mole is a diary. How can that possibly be present tense?


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 Post subject: Re: New generic book thread
PostPosted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 10:27 
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Grim... wrote:
Fifty Shades of Grey is. Some Reacher books are. All the Jack Daniels books are. Bits of The Martian are. Adrian Mole is ;) Black Beauty is ;) ;)

I don't think it's that rare.


I think second person past tense is rare. Choose your own adventure are present are they not?

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 Post subject: Re: New generic book thread
PostPosted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 10:29 
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DavPaz wrote:
Hang on, Adrian Mole is a diary. How can that possibly be present tense?

Ah, I was first-personing.

MaliA wrote:
Grim... wrote:
Fifty Shades of Grey is. Some Reacher books are. All the Jack Daniels books are. Bits of The Martian are. Adrian Mole is ;) Black Beauty is ;) ;)

I don't think it's that rare.


I think second person past tense is rare. Choose your own adventure are present are they not?

And an epilogue at the end of red-shirts.

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 Post subject: Re: New generic book thread
PostPosted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 11:13 
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One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest
I Capture The Castle
The Handmaid's Tale

Also, I believe Wolf Hall is. I remember reading something about it being Cremwhale's account, first person present tense, but I've not read it.

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 Post subject: Re: New generic book thread
PostPosted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 11:25 
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I can't stand reading first person or present tense. Really irritates me.

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 Post subject: Re: New generic book thread
PostPosted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 11:30 
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Mark struggled to think of how to respond to Craster's comments without risking further upset.


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 Post subject: Re: New generic book thread
PostPosted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 11:35 
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Mimi had once worried about Craster's desire to rage quit over writing styles, because she had always admired his beard, and in particular it's gingerness, which was so ginger that it out-gingered even ginger, (which was not and had never been actually ginger coloured). Since the beginning of time, many great philosophers had pondered on the un-gingerness of ginger, but not Mimi; and she was not thinking of this now, purposefully, as she refused to do anything in the present tense.

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 Post subject: Re: New generic book thread
PostPosted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 11:37 
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markg wrote:
Mark struggled to think of how to respond to Craster's comments without risking further upset.

Dave also thought about this. But I have now reached an epiphany: I don't care. An angry Craster can't do much to me.
I like cock.


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 Post subject: Re: New generic book thread
PostPosted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 11:41 
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Mr Dave wrote:
markg wrote:
Mark struggled to think of how to respond to Craster's comments without risking further upset.

Dave also thought about this. But I have now reached an epiphany: I don't care. An angry Craster can't do much to me.
I like cock.

:DD

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 Post subject: Re: New generic book thread
PostPosted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 12:14 
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markg wrote:
Mark struggled to think of how to respond to Craster's comments without risking further upset.

Grim... found Mark's comment most amusing.
His concentration slipping, he accidentally flexed one mighty bicep before he could stop himself.
The resulting shockwave vaporised the surrounding buildings and killed anyone within sixty meters, and seriously injured people within the next ten. Several nearby women who survived the devastation found themselves inexplicably pregnant.

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I wish Craster had left some girls for the rest of us.


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 Post subject: Re: New generic book thread
PostPosted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 12:17 
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Grim... wrote:
markg wrote:
Mark struggled to think of how to respond to Craster's comments without risking further upset.

Grim... found Mark's comment most amusing.
His concentration slipping, he accidentally flexed one mighty bicep before he could stop himself.
The resulting shockwave vaporised the surrounding buildings and killed anyone within sixty meters, and seriously injured people within the next ten. Several nearby women who survived the devastation found themselves inexplicably pregnant.


:DD I think I :luv: you.

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 Post subject: Re: New generic book thread
PostPosted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 12:19 
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Mimi wrote:
:DD I think I :luv: you.

NOOOOOOO you'll anger Craster!

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