the archives
dusted off in read-only
dusted off in read-only
I thought it would be nice to have a place for members to lett other members know what they are reading and what they think of it. Let's try and keep this spoiler-free. I am about 250 pages into [i:3pgmfm7v]Gardens of the Moon[/i:3pgmfm7v] by Steven Erikson and I am loving it. A must-read (although I'm sure that most on here have read this already). I like the fact that (so far) he hasn't sat down and explained anything, that you have to learn about the world. view post
GOTM is a great book. It gets better as it progresses (and I keep going back to it to reread certain scenes). Presently reading Erikson's latest Malazan book, "Midnight Tides", which is now building up nicely (nearly finished). Its not his best (book 3 is, imho), but its still better than most fantasy out there. Great info galore in this book. Its heavy in exposition and I'm loving it (who said expocition was a bad thing). view post
I'm currently reading Neil Gaiman's Adventures in the Dream Trade and just finished Tim Lebbon's Changing of Faces. CoF is a followup to the Naming of Parts novella and is every bit as good. If you like horror, Lebbon is a writer you need to check out. -Neil view post
Currently reading Carter beats the Devil by Glen David Gold, as well as Liveship Traders by Robin Hobb. Struggling a bit with Liveship but I want to finish that trilogy before I move on to the Golden Fool. view post
I just started The Fencing Master, which is not fantasy at all, but oh well. Voland, how are you struggling with the Liveship Traders? Are you having problems getting into the plot, or following the story, or what? I'm just curious, because I think they might be my favorite works RH has done. I would like to hear your opinion. view post
I had the same problem with Liveship Traders. I read it off and on for a month and finally gave up. I just couldn't get interested in the so-so plot. I am sure I will eventually return to it at some point.
Also, I have been struggling to get into Otherland: The Mountain of Black Glass. Just don't have the time I need at the moment to read so it is hard to get into books, I guess. Been about eight months since I read the previous novel in the Otherland series.
Just finished Midnight Tides about two weeks ago (no trouble getting into this one!), and as Mal said, it was very good although MoI is probably still the best in the series. Erikson's series is definately at the top of the genre right now. Of course Bakker's series is looking like it might take a run for the title if the first book is any indication 
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I can't really say. I'm having some trouble with the ...gah, what's his name...the boy on the Vivacia, something with W iirc...storyline. Maybe I'm just afraid for him, since RH wasn't very nice to poor Fitz 
. I'll get around to it eventually, I like the book.
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I'm torn between Dan Simmons [i:130wyefo] Illium [/i:130wyefo] and Alastair Reynolds [i:130wyefo] Absolution Gap [/i:130wyefo] at the moment. view post
I have Chasm City by Alastair Reynolds, The Gunslinger by Stephen King and Last Light of the Sun by Guy Gavriel Kay on the way from Amazon.ca. Like you, Edge, I was trying to decide between a Reynolds book and Illium. Heard a lot of good things about it but decided to go with Reynolds as Revelation Space was amazing. Also currently rereading the Return of the King. Love seeing how Jackson threw in so many lines from the book, and even gave them to different characters if the original character didn't make it to the big screen. Definitely shows that Jackson and his crew were faithful to the books even if they couldn't adapt it scene for scene. view post
Err that was me. Looks like I am yet another victim of the dreaded log-in curse .
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Has anyone else read Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan? It's an SF book that I just read and really enjoyed. It's extremely fast paced (a bit of a crime thriller really) and dark and hard-edged. Bleak, bleak, bleak stuff. But fun though! There are quite a few SF ideas thrown about, but they certainly don't get in the way of the story. I liked it a lot. view post
Altered Carbon is really good. You should pick up the sequel, Broken Angels! -Neil view post
Also a big fan of Richard Morgan. Read [i:3qarsozr] Altered Carbon [/i:3qarsozr] and have both [i:3qarsozr] Broken Angels [/i:3qarsozr] and [i:3qarsozr] Market Forces [/i:3qarsozr] in the To Be Read Pile. Just finisned Neal Stephenson's [i:3qarsozr] The Confusion [/i:3qarsozr] the sequel to [i:3qarsozr] Quicksilver [/i:3qarsozr]. Another thumping good read from Stephenson, weighing in at a massive 815 pages in paperback. view post
Right now I'm reading Claw of the Councilator, by Gene Wolfe. It's a good book although im not quite as blown away as some peopel seem to be.
After i finish with new sun series i think the next book in order would be American Gods, by Gaiman. Or maybe i will go for Altered Carbon which is also gathering dust in the bookself now that you remind me
Last book i read like several others here, was Midnight Tides. Liked it alot and it is probably rakend second among Eriksons books after Memories of Ice acording to me. Altho i do think he overdid the comedy a bit in parts of this one... but then it was good comedy
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I liked American Gods, took me a while to get into it but the last 200 pages or so went by very quickly for me. The book reminded me a lot of Steven King's style for some reason. Been meaning to read Neverwhere for over a year now 
Rereading Gardens of the Moon by Erikson at the moment. First time in a couple of years so it is refreshing to start from the beginning again.
Also, I finished the Gunslinger last weekend and must say I enjoyed it. Some of the stuff at the end about the time nexus, etc was very interesting. Can't wait to get the rest.
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I'll have to say that I'm more pleased with Neal Stephenson's QUICKSILVER now that I've read THE CONFUSION. I was on the fence, but this strengthened the series for me. Getting a signed copy was also very nice. -Neil view post
I think having got the character introductions and scene setting out of the way in [i:3kuzlkpc] Quicksilver [/i:3kuzlkpc] Stephenson was able to devote a lot more time to the plot in [i:3kuzlkpc] The Confusion [/i:3kuzlkpc]. It certainly moves a lot faster, and is better for it. view post
I am currently reading the Runelords series by David Farland, I am about 200 pages into the second book. I heard that it might get made into a movie so I decided to give it a read. I have purchased the first four books to the Malazan Empire series, but lent them to a friend, nevertheless, I will be reading that series soon. I have heard nothing but good things about it. view post
I can add one more good thing. I am 200 pages into the third book and LOVING it. I most strongly encourage you to read them as soon as possible. view post
Thanks for the advice, I will read them as soon as possible and let you know what I think. Though I have no doubt I will enjoy them very much. view post
I'm currently reading The San Veneficio Canon by Michael Cisco and enjoying it a lot. Very unusual. If you like Thomas Ligotti, you might like this. -Neil view post
Currently reading Chasm City by Alastair Reynolds. He writes believable sci-fi, in my opinion. Most of the technology in his books have that feeling of being authentic and that is what I like about it. Also, CC has a nice element of the hard-boiled detective in it and that is damn interesting when it is set in a far away solar system 
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I am currently about 50 pgs from the ends of Midnight Tides, and about halfway through TDTCB.
Both great books!
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Just finishing up Breathmoss and Other Exhalations by Ian R. MacLeod. -Neil view post
I am shocked that no one has mention GRRM's aSoIaF. He is the king of the genre IMO. Read all three of his books and patiently waiting for aFfC. The Baroque Cycle is great but if you haven't read Cryptnomicon, you are missing out, it's Stephenson's magnum opus. view post
GRRM makes my top three, it's just that I'm not currently reading it. view post
Currently reading The Wooden Sea by Jonathan Carroll. I think this the only book of his that I haven't read yet. -Neil view post
The first three books of Farland's Runelords are excellent. The fourth was a major dissapointment. It felt rushed, as if he forced 2-3 volumes of work into one book, and still many (some very major) plot threads were left entirely unfinished. It was previously one of the few series that I would unequivicably recommend, but that changed after book 4. As far as I knew, Runelords was supposed to be a 5-part series, but ended at 4, which may have something to do with the issues in the final book. *ahem* Currently Reading - In the Ocean of Night, Gregory Benford view post
Not currently reading anything at the moment. However, I'm looking forward to reading A Feast for Crows, The Warrior Prophet, Edenborn, The Charnel Prince, Iron Council, Dennis Lehane's next book, Robin Hobb's next book, Neil Gaiman's next book, Steven Brust's next Vlad Taltos novel, the next 100 Bullets comic issue, Warren Ellis's Stealth Tribes Original Graphic Novel with Illustrator Colleen Doran. --Bryan N. view post
Picked up Shadowkings by Michael Cobley and Assasins Apprentice by Robin Hobb yesterday. About 100 pgs into shadowkings and its fairly standard fantasy so far, but ive heard there are some cool twists in this book, so should be good to see what happens. Also, what are all your opinions on the Farseer Trilogy? I heard good things about it at the Malazan board, so i picked up the first book as well. One last thing....Amazon is now saying A Feast For Crow will be out August 2005! Anyone here as furious about this as me? I really hope this is a mistake on amazon's behalf.... view post
that last post was me 
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The Farseer trilogy is in my mind Hobb's best work (as either Hobb or Lindholm). I particularly enjoyed engaging with Fitz's character, indeed I have never found one like him, and Regal is an extremely good villain (if that is the right word).
I would actually say that it is almost better not to pick up the Tawny Man Trilogy afterwards, Hobb leaves the final book of the Farseer trilogy on such a sublime note that anything after it fails to work and evens mars the reading of the first few books. Then again, I think elsewhere on this forum people have claimed that the Tawny Man trilogy is really good, so the above view comes with the disclaimer "Only my two cents, nothing more" .
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The Farseer Trilogy is quite astounding. However, I enjoyed the middle trilogy the most, The Liveship Traders. I both agree and disagree with peter; I do think that there was not necessarily a need to continue the Farseer Trilogy, but once Hobb opened up the story with The Liveship Traders, it had to be told. Also, there is a sort of paternal enjoyment in reading about Fitz all grown up. An amazing Robin Hobb forum (of which Wil and I are members) is the Farseer Forums at www.members.lycos.co.uk/farseerforums/. I highly recommend it. view post
Ok update on my summer reading, with some opinions 
Read the first to books in the new sun series by Wolfe, they where good but I cant realy see where the rave reviews I have been reading are comeing from. Mostly because I feel the central plot is kind of weak, Severian has almost no driving goals except getting to Thrax so far...
Then I read American Gods, At first i didnt like it much but it got alot better after the first 200 pages or so, still think the characters are a bit too much like the characters in his sandman comic. So good book but had the feeling of having been here done that already so not super good.
Then I picked up Glen Cooks Black Company series and read the first 5 of those, liked them alot especialy how Cook manages to do so much with a very simple way of writeing, which makes the book feel like it realy is writen by mercenarys (who don't have the worlds largest vocabulary). Also liked seeing the similaritys between Cook and Erikson, and think its fun seeing where Erikson got some of his inspiration.
Now im reading "view from the mirror" by Ian Irvine (third book at the moment), think its so so, like his world and plot and the characters are interesting but can be very dull at times. But I'm gonna finish the series before makeing my final verdict
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I'm not going to spoil anything about tBotNS, but I will say this: keep in mind that Severian is not always telling the truth. There is much, much more to the story that is revealed in the last two volumes that make the entire journey much more than what it seems. Just thought I'd help out, seeing as Wolfe is one of my favorite authors. And as for what I'm reading now, I'm starting a re-read of Gabriel García Márquez's [i:1smpeysy]Cien años de soledad[/i:1smpeysy] (yes, in Spanish). One of my all-time favorites. Also am planning a re-read of TDTCB in the next few days, not to mention reading more Márquez, Kathleen Goonan (Light Music), Ian MacLeod (The Light Ages), and Carol Emshwiller (The Mount) - all nominated for this past year's Nebula for Best Novel. And speaking of which, I did finish reading Elizabeth Moon's Nebula-winning [i:1smpeysy]The Speed of Dark[/i:1smpeysy], which is about autism and the moralities of "curing" this condition via gene therapy. Although it had it's weak spots (I thought the ending was rushed a bit), as a whole, this is a very moving work and one that deserves its comparison to Daniel Keyes's classic [i:1smpeysy]Flowers for Algernon[/i:1smpeysy]. view post
I'm currently rereading TDTCB and enjoying it once again. The series i read before that though was Steven King's The Dark Tower. Not a bad set of books, and certainly different. Enjoyed it on a whole, though there were some bad parts in it. I have to agree about Hobb's Farseer trilogy. That has always been perhaps my favourite trilogy. There are not many books that come close to the charactirization achieved in them. The 3rd series (Tawny Man) wasnt bad either, but i think she lost some of the atmosphere that was present in the first books. There was some returns to old form in places though, especially in the second one. As for Liveship Traders, i am not really all that big a fan. I enjoyed it the first time through (though some characters annoyed me), but seem to have problems rereading it. Think i have tried quite a few times to get through the first book once again but have always ended up putting it down. It's the same problem i have with Martin's ASOIAF: liked it the first time through, but just cannot reread it. view post
[quote:1v62dykf]I'm not going to spoil anything about tBotNS, but I will say this: keep in mind that Severian is not always telling the truth. There is much, much more to the story that is revealed in the last two volumes that make the entire journey much more than what it seems.
Just thought I'd help out, seeing as Wolfe is one of my favorite authors. [/quote:1v62dykf]
Ok i will keep that in mind when i pick up the last two books.
It hadn't even ocured to me that he might be lieing about stuff since its written in the way it is. Being vague yes but outright lies no... will have too keep my eyes open i guess...
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I'm going to re-read george r r martin's Ice and Fire series, which im glad to see people have mentioned. probably the best of the "fantasy without stupid hobbits fighting orcs for a blonde with a name like "Everproud" or "Barbiehair" genre, into which i drop Bakker's series. I cant read books that would make people say "gee, gilbert, i wonder if Barbiehair would have won with +2 charisma. Lets play it out in our Game Den. Call da boyz." Bakker *probably* has better character development on a micro-managment level, something that dissapointed me in book2 (i did read WP in 2 days, tho, so...) but which astounded me in book1 (read it a few times... damn book delays and such). Bakker's character development made REAL people in book one. but Martin has CRAZY plots. You cant stop reading. In aSoIaF main characters were scythed down and you had no idea where the plot was going to go. I had the odd feeling that Akka wasnt going to get cut down in the middle of WP ala Robb, Eddard, Tywin, etc etc etc etc etc etc. ;] thread hijack? mayhaps. view post
I am reading the Drawing of the Three by King. Second of seven in the Dark Tower series. I love Martin's series but I have to admit that Robb Stark dying was too easy to predict. Didn't know it would be a Red Wedding or anything but it was pretty obvious that he didn't really serve any sort of purpose in the first two books, nor did he have a POV. view post
for some reason i didnt see it coming. I assumed the rest of the book/series would be told with Robb's war as a backdrop. Meh. Who knew? Oh, you did lol view post
I hate to say it, but when I read Martin's [i:1zfdjts1]A Storm of Swords[/i:1zfdjts1] for the first time in early 2001, I was actually [b:1zfdjts1]bored[/b:1zfdjts1] by the time I reached the infamous Red Wedding scene. I just found it to be just another event, just another plot device that didn't move me as the reader. Oh, when I re-read the series in 2002, I found the third book to be more enjoyable from a technical standpoint, but I still find SoS to be the weakest in the series so far. But that's just me, I guess, seeing as others have raved about the book and series for a variety of reasons, most of them reasoned out. And as for current, current readings, I just finished Ian MacLeod's [i:1zfdjts1]The Light Ages[/i:1zfdjts1] last night and thought the book was as good as advertised. Reminded me of China Miéville's [i:1zfdjts1]Perdido Street Station[/i:1zfdjts1] in its industrial setting, but MacLeod takes a different approach, using fluid prose to describe the social class antagonisms in a way that reminded me of Charles Dickens's [i:1zfdjts1]Bleak House[/i:1zfdjts1] and [i:1zfdjts1]Hard Times[/i:1zfdjts1]. Very highly recommended book to read if you get the chance. Also, I'm halfway finished with Gene Wolfe's latest story collection, [i:1zfdjts1]Innocents Aboard[/i:1zfdjts1], and again I'm amazed with his abilities to create a memorable and disturbing scene with just a few words. As good as Wolfe the novelist is, Wolfe the short story writer may be just as good or even better. view post
Currently halfway through Royal Assasin by Robin Hobb.
Great so far (especially the ending of the first book) but it can be a bit slow in some parts...still has enough action, but nothing that really moves the storyline along.
Other than that, it is a very enjoyable read so far.
Anyone read Ian Irvines Three Worlds Cycle? I have ordered the first 2 books, as the series got some good reviews, and he's an aussie like me . Opinions welcome.
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Just finished Irvine's first series myself. Can't quite make up my mind about it, maybe i will have to let it sink in for a bit. But i can list what i liked and didn't like about it. What I Liked: The world he has built up is interesting and well thought out. He avoids painting his characters in black and white. And they feel pretty belivable. The overall plot is good but nothing exceptional. What I disliked: I think the two things I dislike about the series might actualy be two sides of the same coin. The first one is that I felt that the plot moved very slowly at times and alot of the books could have been cut to make a more streamlined whole. But I think the reason I feel this is that the main characters are not ivolved in shapeing the plot, but are simply tugged along in the torrent of great events so to speak. So the whole series has the feeling of being fated to happen which makes me lose interest and thus makes the plot feel like its moving slowly. Hmm that sounded rather negative, so to finish on a more positive note i will say that I definetly don't regret reading the series and will probably pick upp his second one at some point in the future. I hope this was of some help. view post
Almost halfway through Ricardo Pinto's [i:37shku0i]The Chosen[/i:37shku0i]. This is certainly a different breed of fantasy. It's deliberate without dragging, with a very richly layered tapestry of cultural traditions that seem to go beyond surface similarities to certain cultures (although the ones that did come to mind when reading this were pre-Columbian Maya and Toltec, as well as shades of Han China). Seems like the main character, Carnelian, might be of a different persuasion than what you find in most other fantasies, yet it's all done with great care.
Nice counter to Matt Stover's two Caine stories, which I enjoyed as well, even if it sometimes reads as a Steven Segal movie improved twofold with more intelligent dialogue.
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I tryed to read "The chosen" a while back but got sidetracked before I realy got into it. Would be interesting to hear your thoughts on it, maybe it deserves a second chance
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I am currently Reading The Darkness That Comes Before. After that i plan on reading Hyperion by Dan Simmons or possibly Perdido Street Station by China Mieville. KS view post
Excellent choices whichever way you go. I really enjoyed reading both of them a couple of years ago and need to re-read them sometime soon. view post
I really have to read this Dan Simmons fellow as it seems everyone is reading his work.
Anyway, recently finished The Waste Lands by Stephen King and started King Rat by everyone's favorite Tolkien-basher, China Mieville .
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I'm almost finished with my second read through of The Sorcerer: Metamorphosis by Jack Whyte. I'd read the book out of order before, but now that I've read all the earlier books in his Dream of Eagles series and related material, I figured I'd read it again in its proper place at the end of the series. Anyway, Jack Whyte's take on the Arthurian legend was really well done. Definitely a good read. view post
Just returned from my monthly excursion to the bookstore. Here's what's on tap: Sean Stewart, [i:1cj214dv]Perfect Circle[/i:1cj214dv] Jeff Vandermeer, [i:1cj214dv]Secret Life[/i:1cj214dv] K.J. Bishop, [i:1cj214dv]The Etched City[/i:1cj214dv] Charlie Stross, [i:1cj214dv]Singularity Sky[/i:1cj214dv] Various, [i:1cj214dv]Cosmos Latinos: An Anthology of Science Fiction from Latin America and Spain[/i:1cj214dv] Richard Morgan, [i:1cj214dv]Broken Angels[/i:1cj214dv] Stanislaw Lem, [i:1cj214dv]The Cyberiad[/i:1cj214dv] Hopefully I'll have a bunch of great books to recommend to others in the near future! view post
The Etched City is an amazing book, Aldarion. In my top three books that I read last year after TDTCB and The Scar by Mieville. You just reminded me that I wanted to reread that .
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Cool. I've been meaning to buy it for almost a year now, but something would always come up. So when I saw it in the bookstore tonight, I just had to have it. Of course, my toughest decision will be which book to read first, seeing as just about all of them are receiving critical acclaims in Locus and elsewhere. Seems like now is just such an exciting time to be a fantasy reader. view post
I agree. I remember back in the mid 90s I had finished the fifth or sixth book in the Wheel of Time series and I just sat back and thought to myself of the lack of epic fantasy or just any type of decent fantasy-type books that were being released around that time. Now Martin, Erikson, and Bakker have come along and Mieville, K.J. Bishop, Vandermeer (in his own weird way ) are filling those gaps.
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Yep, VanderMeer's an interesting character. Can't wait to see how much he entertains me with [i:21vzsl73]Secret Life[/i:21vzsl73]. view post
Ive also got singularity sky in my to read pile
Have read Etched City and looking forward to I think its going to be called Black Dog which will hopefully be out next year. Really want Iron Council now but suppose will have to wait 
Other than that about to read The God Squad, not a fantasy novel rather one based on a true tale about a guy who's mother dies, father commits suicide and he's left to be raised by Nun's. Ive been told that its very harrowing.
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Just started [i:1s281d1w] City of Saints & Madmen [/i:1s281d1w] by Jeff VanderMeer. Decided to give it a try after seeing him recommended on several sites. view post
Currently reading [i:12gt49ad]The Little Country[/i:12gt49ad] by Charles de Lint. I love everything of his that I have read so far, and trust that this one will be as enjoyable. The main character's two loves are books and music, so how can I help loving it? Soon, I should be reading [i:12gt49ad]The Darkness that Comes Before[/i:12gt49ad], once it gets here... gotta love international orders! view post
Still hasn't arrived? That sucks. Then again, I'm still awaiting arrival of my order from almost two weeks ago of [i:12x197pe]Breaking Windows[/i:12x197pe], an anthology of the best short stories that have appeared on [i:12x197pe]Fantastic Metropolis[/i:12x197pe] over the years.
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Ordered on June 21... I'm starting to get a bit worried, though it's still well within the delivery period amazon gave me.... view post
When did it ship again? Said it could be as long as 16 days when I've ordered from there before. view post
Shipped on the 21st... supposed to arrive between July 5 and 15, though the last order I did there came long before the estimate... I guess I just wait, and hope it isn't lost somewhere. view post
Was there a tracking number? Usually if a book gets lost, you can demand a refund or a reshipment from Amazon US. Amazon CA probably has a similar policy. view post
I'm currently reading The Story of Philosophy by Will Durant, Otherland by Tad Williams, and The Best Short Stories of Dostoevsky. Yes, I read more than one thing at once
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I'm just about finished reading A Good Walk Spoiled by John Feinstein. It's a good look inside the PGA tour and a few of it's players' struggles. It also gives the reader some insight into the game and the way it can take hold of people. BTW> the title is based on a famous quote by Mark Twain. view post
Just started Glen Cooks "Bleak Seasons" the first part of his glittering stone series. Haven't gotten very far and its going a little slow since this book mostly retells "Dreams of Steal" from another viewpoint. But all in all I enjoy Cooks Black company books, although thats partly because its fun to see where Erikson got some of his inspiration. But I also like how he uses diferent prose for diferent narators, but still keeps it plain and to the point which fits the mercenarys that are suposed to be writeing the story. view post
Currently reading Mortal Love by Elizabeth Hand. Secret Life by Jeff Vandermeer is excellent. Enjoy! -Neil view post
[quote="Clarkesworld Books":3jzzrwv4]Currently reading Mortal Love by Elizabeth Hand.
Secret Life by Jeff Vandermeer is excellent. Enjoy!
-Neil[/quote:3jzzrwv4]
I agree wholeheartedly. It was one of the best collections I've read in quite some time. On par with Wolfe's latest and that's high praise coming from this Wolfe fan
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Fiction: Just finished 'This Alien Shore" by C.S. Friedman. I really enjoyed this book, though I thought the ending didn't do the rest justice. Recommended though. Non-Fiction: "House of Bush, House of Saud" by Craig Unger Not sure what's next, until my copy of TDTCB arrives. view post
Gates of Fire by Pressfield. Historical fiction about how 300 Spartans died defending Thermopolae against the 2 million strong Persian army of Xerxes. Its the current Book Club selection at the malazan.com forum. Feel free to join the discussion there. view post
Just read [i:2aloz9p4]The Little Country[/i:2aloz9p4] by Charles de Lint, which I ended up really enjoying, staying up very late to finish it, though it was slow going at first. It's a pretty typical de Lint novel in that it takes place in the real world - Cornwall in this case - and then brings in a lot of myth and folklore to tell a very magical story in a magical version of the real world. This book was interesting, though, as it was also a book-within-a-book, so there were two stories going on at once, somewhat related. A fun read, though it is at times disconcerting with the melding of the magical elements and the modern world. Currently reading [i:2aloz9p4]Falls the Shadow[/i:2aloz9p4] by Sharon Kay Penman, the second in her Wales trilogy. It has started out with a bunch of deaths, but I always enjoy a good historical novel, especially one set in England/Wales, anglophile that I am.... view post
Just started [i:1zt3r4up]The Atrocity Archives[/i:1zt3r4up] by Charles Stross. Lots of fun so far. Also reading short stories in [i:1zt3r4up]Innocents Aboard[/i:1zt3r4up] by Gene Wolfe. Incredible. view post
Currently reading The Briar King by Greg Keyes but have quite a few others to read including Shadow Warrior and The Druid King, not sure what order to read those two in
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Just finished [i:1k88erl8]Gardens of the Moon[/i:1k88erl8], at last. Have to say, wow.... I now have the next three on order, and am going to read Camus's [i:1k88erl8]The Stranger[/i:1k88erl8] before finally getting into [i:1k88erl8]The Darkness that Comes Before[/i:1k88erl8]. view post
Now reading Alexander by Pressfield, cant say that Im too impressed with his writing at the moment, will have to see what else arrives in the post to see if theres anything to tempt me. view post
Currently reading The Cat's Pajama's and Other Stories by James Morrow. I've enjoyed each story that I've read so far. Next up is Iron Council. -Neil view post
Two hundred pages in, Iron Council is excellent. I'll say more when I finish reading it sometime tonight/tomorrow morning. view post
*wants Iron Council very badly* 
Oh well, I have too many books to read already 
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just finished gardens of the moon, it was great. Now I'm reading darkness that comes before view post
Cool, Steve - those are the two I just read. Now, I'm reading [i:24u480r8]Deadhouse Gates[/i:24u480r8] view post
I'm working my way through, for the first time, Robinson's Mars Trilogy. So far, I'm nearly done with Red Mars, which I've greatly enjoyed. Also, I plan on reading Ian MacLeod's The Light Ages and China Mieville's Iron Council. I just recently got both from Amazon and am excited to get started. view post
Ooh, I need to pick up The Light Ages sometime - that one looks really good. If only I didn't have to go back to school, so I could spend all my time reading all these books I want to read... except that I am also so pumped up for everything I'm studying this year..... view post
I've heard good things about it, and I'll definitely post a review when I get done reading it. Ah, school does put a damper on book buying. Well, so does a whole bunch of other things. At least, you've got interesting classes to look forward to. view post
I still think everyone needs a job like mine, where I basically get paid to read.
And so concludes this installment of Larry Rubs It in on Everyone Else 
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Jerk!
Once I get out of college, I need to work on my aunt's plan - finding a patron who'll pay for me to spend my time reading books. Seems you've already done that, in a way, Larry!
Ah well, I make time when I can, basically by sleeping too little.
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And don't forget getting to read dozens of classics for free because my grandmother bought them back in the day
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What exactly is it that you do Larry? view post
Well, I used to be a teacher (and there's a slight possibility that I might go back to that profession soon), but for the past few months, I've worked as a residential counselor at a 24-hour supervised residential treatment center for boys aged 8-18 (youngest current is 10, though) that have emotional disorders, including premature sexual acting out. I work the 11PM-7AM shift Wed-Sunday nights and most of the time, the residents are asleep and we just stand/sit at our stations and read between the times we rotate or walk the hallways monitoring the residents. My second job, a part-time one, is working with a few individuals with mental disabilities. When I work there (as a sub of sorts), it's from 3-11 PM and I do things like help them get dressed, bathed, administer medications (I'm licensed to dispense meds in Tennessee), as well as cooking and cleaning. I only work there maybe 3-5 times a month, but it's enjoyable for the most part. So with all that work and little activity to do, I just have plenty of time to read, thus the joke about me getting paid to read. But I might be changing duties soon. I just learned that at the residential treatment center, there seems to be a need for an extra teacher or two. I'm tempted by the money (double my current salary), but I don't know if I'm ready to go back into teaching, if at all. I do want to go back to grad school and earn a second MA, this time in rehabilitative counseling. view post
Interesting. Sounds like you have a very positive impact in the community. view post
Just reread Midnight Tides, and am currently waiting for the K-Pax trilogy to be sent from Amazon (its taking weeks for some reason). Saw the film of this which was pretty good (with Kevin Spacey), and the books are supposed to be even better. view post
Im waiting for my latest selections to arrive, I know that Parcelforce have a package for me to sign for but the damn people that work for them are chimps, they claimed that they tried to deliver today but said I was out, If I was out I'd like to know where as Ive been in all day. Will have to camp in the garden if its nice tomorrow and keep an eye out. view post
What I'm reading: I just finished Aurian by Maggie Furey a very nice book I thought now I'm reareading The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (All five books in one), And I'm also rereading Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling (I'm reading it in English for the first time) both these books I love if not I wouldn't reread them. I'm also reading Deadhouse Gates by Steven Erikson. I loved Gardens of the Moon. and I'm reading Sailing to Sarantium by Guy Gavriel Kay. Well that's what I'm reading. view post
Just started reading Peter Crowther's latest story collection, SONGS OF LEAVING. A great publisher AND a talented writer... -Neil view post
I'm planning to finish up Erikson's [i:tbpnz041]House of Chains[/i:tbpnz041] in the next couple hours (late night, like usual) and then most likely move on to Midnight Tides which just arrived today (in the nick of time ) thanks to Clarkesworld Books. Who knows what I'll read when I finish up this Erikson marathon... I have plenty awaiting me, but very little summer left, unfortunately.
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Currently I am reading - Hegonmy or Survival - Noam Chomsky and The Last King - Michael Curtis Ford. Both are brilliant reads. the first if you like sticking it to Pompoud americans, andt he second if you like ancient greek/roman history. view post
Just started reading Ian MacLeod's [i:39uxqgzn]The Light Ages[/i:39uxqgzn]. Also, yesterday I picked up Flann O'Brien's [i:39uxqgzn]The Third Policeman[/i:39uxqgzn], which comes highly recommended by Larry, aka Aldarion. I look forward to getting into both as I've heard many good things. Also, I'm hosting a discussion of Dan Simmon's [i:39uxqgzn]Ilium[/i:39uxqgzn] on September 13 over on the wotmania.com site, so I'll be rereading that gem. Oh, feel free to prepare and stop by for that discussion. view post
I quite enjoyed the light ages, starting to get stuck with reading stuff, considering starting In the Name of the Rose by Eco as I quite enjoyed the film, however reviews about it tend to say you need a dictionary to hand as your reading. view post
In the Name of the Rose is a truly marvelous book. Eco's language is dense at times, but the stories are more than worth the effort. I truly enjoy both Rose and his [i:3lcwb6qz]Foucault's Pendulum[/i:3lcwb6qz]. Now there is a book that'll have your head spinning every now and again. Still, Eco is truly talented when it comes to blending history, philosophy, myth, legend, mystery and suspense, along with bits of humor to create memorable works of literature. view post
Is it bad when I didn't need a dictionary or help to read the Latin passages in [i:32ya928p]The Name of the Rose[/i:32ya928p]? And I second the [i:32ya928p]Foucault's Pendulum[/i:32ya928p] suggestion as well. As for what I just finished reading, I just did a re-read of TDTCB, TWP, and Zoran Zivkovic's [i:32ya928p]the Book/the Writer[/i:32ya928p], which was oddly good. I'll write a review sometime this week. view post
I dont understand any latin other than the family motto, aut pax aux bellum. Quite a good one to have really (I may have the aut and aux the wrong way round though.)
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Either peace or war? Interesting. My family is originally from County Carlow, Ireland, and our motto is: Cor unum, via uno - one heart, one way. view post
Im currently reading Exiles Return and also Quicksilver Zenith. As to the family motto they were part of the Border Reavers (we invented words like Freelance and Blackmail) and originated from Scandinavia if you go far enough back. view post
I'm currently headed to start [i:lpcqdlj6]Vernon God Little[/i:lpcqdlj6] by DBC Pierre. I was supposed to start it weeks ago, but I had to finish [i:lpcqdlj6]The Black Company[/i:lpcqdlj6] by Cook. And then of course came TDTCB. view post
Just finished The Ships of Air by Martha Wells. I'm not sure what to read next. Have to go to a bookstore soon. view post
I'm about halfway through GRRM's A Game of Thrones.
I was really enjoying it until I reached a spot regarding a certain young girl and a certain letter she writes....I almost through the book across the room while shouting "stupid girl!" 
But I opted to put the book down gently and walk calmly downstairs and see if my landlord was up for a game of Halo.
I'll probably finish the rest of aSoFaI after this book, if only because I hate starting something but not finishing it. But once that's done, I might have to start rereading some of my other books 
If only Erikson and Scott could be persuaded to write more quickly (these two have spoiled me as a reader. I think I expect too much now... )
Actually, I'm thinking of picking up Altered Carbon next time I'm at the bookstore. I started reading one day and got sucked in....hehe, the lady putting some books away started to give me wierd looks when she thought I might just sit down on the floor and keep reading...
Fior Go Bas
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NP, GRRM is like that, all the time. Those books made me the maddest, happiest, saddest of enny that I have ever read. Keep at em, I think they may grow on you. view post
i finished TDTCB on my vacation and i must say it was one of the best books ive read. up there with the wheel of time. i also read Disollution - War of The Spider Queen book 1 im ready Jennifer Fallon's Medalon right now. its alright... kinda boring but its slowly getting better. im about half way done and should be finished in a couple more days. view post
I just finished Octavia Butler's [i:dkb38u6f]Wild Seed[/i:dkb38u6f], which just confirmed for me yet again that she is one of the best spec fic, check that, best damn writers still alive today. Sean Stewart's [i:dkb38u6f]Passion Play[/i:dkb38u6f] was also very excellent. Maybe when I have more time and less tiredness, I'll write out some short reviews of their books and more. view post
Just finished the K-PAX trilogy and am now halfway through Wolfe's Book of the Long Sun series. view post
About to have a China Mieville marathon, Perdido Street Station, The Scar and my copy of Iron Council finally turned up. WOOOHOOOO
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Now reading Book three of the Otori Trilogy, Brilliance of the Moon by Lian Hearn. He is a damn fine writer, very concise and at times very poetic. view post
im reading some bass books and stuff. always trying to become a better bassist. view post
Just started re-reading Erikson's GotM for the third time a couple of days ago. Even more enjoyable this time around, considering all the events that have taken place in the five books to date.
Can't wait for April 2005 to get here - Bonehunters, here I come!
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I just picked up A Clash of Kings last night and started reading it this morning over breakfast. view post
You'll enjoy that NP, although you'll start running to get the others and start getting annoyed waiting for A Feast for Crows. lol Still going through Mieville. lol view post
Your comment on Martin just gave me an idea for a new post - thanks!
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I concur with Wil. They are totally worth the anguish. I have actually almost been brought to tears when trying to describe their amazing properties to others. How many here have a family motto (obviously, I already know some of you do)? No families in the US do. view post
Currently reading Steven Erikson's novella [i:3bchnqxp] The Healthy Dead [/i:3bchnqxp] view post
Now reading Ian Holm's Autobiography, quite slow and not particulally good if your going to read one would have to recommend Chris Lee's. view post
Currently reading Houdini's Last Illusion by Steve Savile -neil view post
Since I have heard so much about it, I am now reading Gardens of the Moon. view post
Currently reading Industrial Magic, after that Juliet McKenna's Northern Storm, then Adam Roberts Snow followed by Demonstorm by James Barclay. view post
I'm reading Memories of Ice by Seven Erikson, and Sailing to Sarantium by Guy Gavriel Kay. view post
Currently reading... Dan Simmons' [i:14ji6b99]Ilium[/i:14ji6b99], a re-read, in preparation for the Book Club discussion that I'm running on wotmania.com on 13 of September. Ian MacLeod's [i:14ji6b99]The Light Ages[/i:14ji6b99] it has been slow going due to my own lack of time. view post
[i:1w9izvkc]Ilium[/i:1w9izvkc] for me as well... I read 4 pages before bed last night, and that's all I've gotten done so far... hopefully I can at least jog my memory with a partial reread and take some part in the discussion, though ideally I'd be able to reread it all....
And, I'm sort of reading [i:1w9izvkc]Gates of Fire[/i:1w9izvkc] by Steven Pressfield, about the battle of Thermopylae. Read 5 pages of that one while eating my lunch today....
School sure does screw up my reading schedule
Though, it does bring about the interesting experience of simultaneously reading [i:1w9izvkc]Ilium[/i:1w9izvkc] and the Iliad.
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Finished Gaunts Ghost's The Saint, and Traitor General finishing off the latest Robert Earl novel, then onto Tanya Huff's blood Price Ian Irvines Alchymist Tom Holt's Fishy wishes Chris Bunch's The Last Battle Iain M Banks The Algebrist then a reread of Terry Pratchetts Going Postal Should take me all of two weeks, lol view post
Not reading anything but I jsut finished Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere, good book. view post
[quote="Taliesin":dlkqi9av]And, I'm sort of reading [i:dlkqi9av]Gates of Fire[/i:dlkqi9av] by Steven Pressfield, about the battle of Thermopylae. Read 5 pages of that one while eating my lunch today....
School sure does screw up my reading schedule
Though, it does bring about the interesting experience of simultaneously reading [i:dlkqi9av]Ilium[/i:dlkqi9av] and the Iliad.[/quote:dlkqi9av]
[i:dlkqi9av]Gates of Fire[/i:dlkqi9av] is a very good historical fiction read. I think it should appeal to most fantasy readers, especially fans of Steven Erikson.
As for reading Ilium and the Iliad at the same time, well, that should be interesting if nothing else.
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I'm going to start reading Rhys Hughes's [i:3004a7un]The New Universal History of Infamy[/i:3004a7un] tonight at work, followed by Tim Pratt's [i:3004a7un]Little Gods[/i:3004a7un]. Both are under 200 pages, so I should finish both tonight or tomorrow at the latest. Then I'll read the F. Brett Cox and Andy Duncan edited [i:3004a7un]Crossroads: Tales of the Southern Literary Fantastic[/i:3004a7un] and hopefully complete a re-read of [i:3004a7un]Ilium[/i:3004a7un] by Monday morning. view post
Currently reading The C*h*arnel Prince by Greg Keyes and Exception To The Rulers by Amy Goodman.
Ooops!
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I'm nearly finished [b:7gb69sy4]Children of the Mind [/b:7gb69sy4]by Orson Scott Card (It's a brilliant, thought provoking page turner). Next on my reading list is [b:7gb69sy4]A Short History of Nearly Everything[/b:7gb69sy4] by Bill Bryson. view post
I'm reading Trujillo by Lucius Shepard. -Neil view post
I'm reading Theogony today and Works and Days for wednesday both by Hesiod and then onto Herodotus' [i:2rcsl7vn]The Histories[/i:2rcsl7vn] view post
I am reading Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. I got a rare advance copy, it is awesome. view post
I've just started to read [b:2wa6gm6p]A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man [/b:2wa6gm6p]by James Joyce. [/b] view post
I'm currently reading A Game Of Thrones for reasons unknown
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Currently finishing off Paul Kearneys Mark of Ran and have to say that its been a damn fine novel, after that Im off on the next Anita Blake tale. view post
Just finished Storm of Swords. Impatiently waiting for Feast of Crows
I'm thinking I might pick up altered carbon next ( a break from fantasy)
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America-The Book, presented by The Daily Show.
The System Of The Wolrd by Neal Stephenson
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrel.
There is too much on my plate right now and I can't decide between reading these books or finishing the Dark Tower series.
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Currently reading System of the World by Stephenson to be quickly followed by Going Postal by Terry Pratchett. -Neil view post
Just picked up two more books, White Wolf and The Swords Of Night And Day by Gemmel. Reading these....now view post
Just started Dark Tower Book 7 "The Dark Tower" and oh boy, I'm exited about this book, the cover art looks amaing too. view post
Neal Stephenson-The System Of The World. So far it is even better than the previous two volumes. view post
Still reading Gates of Fire, as I was over a month ago.... silly school
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Hi A/all, Currently reading Conn Iggulden's Emperor : Field of Swords which is as good as the previous two so far. After that Im sticking to the Roman theme and reading Pride of Carthage. view post
FInished Dark Tower DARN! thats a good book, and started on Tanaquil by Terry Brooks view post
Finding myself more than a little fond of Martin after making my way through his A Song Of Ice And Fire series, I've started in on another of his books, Windhaven, while waiting for him to wrap up A Feast Of Crows. And after that, I have Terry Brooks' Jarka Ruus waiting to be read on my bedside table. view post
At the moment, I'm reading [i:3gwoz2wy]The Third Policeman[/i:3gwoz2wy] by Flann O'Brien. The man was brilliant in his way. view post
Dakrul, I really enjoyed Tannequil and looking forward to the last part of this series. (As yet still untitled.) Nearly finished Field of Swords. view post
I'm ejoying Tannequil thus far, I hope it keeps this pace, I thought the book itself was kinda small though..... but meh don't really matter that much. view post
I've finished Field of Swords and now started the Pride of Carthage novel, its starting out quite well so will let you know how it develops. Other than that I'll be on the Thackery book of Discredited diseases which is really a bathroom book, from what Ive seen so far of it its quite an interesting novel (edited by VanderMeer). Then Im on to the Cecilia Dart Thorton book Iron Tree book one of The Crowthistle Chronicles. view post
Im gonna try to finish Gardens Of The Moon when i go away for the week. then who knows. I want to read Chariots of The Gods by Von Daniken though and Mien Kampf has always been on my list too. view post
Currently Nocturnes, a collection of short stories by [url=http://www.johnconnolly.co.uk/:1z7nefv6]John Connolly[/url:1z7nefv6] Plan to reread Monarchies of God series by Paul Kearney next and then wait for his next book, The Mark of Ran. view post
Reading A clash of Kings by George RR Martin, Dragons of Eden by ..., Life of Pi by .... Dam I don't remeber names well. view post
I am now Starting lord Fouls Bane, we'll see if I like it or not. view post
Finally reading [i:2w3o3p0h]The Warrior-Prophet[/i:2w3o3p0h], and loving every minute of it! Unfortunately, it's a bit too enjoyable, and is eating into my study time. Oh well! view post
Just finished The Darkness that Comes Before. Next up is Brilliance of the Moon by Lian Hearn, third in Tales of the Otori series view post
Currently Foucalt's Pendulum. Next is Iron Wars & The Second Empire by Paul Kearney. view post
[quote="Kalief":2pvi6x1e]Just finished The Darkness that Comes Before. Next up is Brilliance of the Moon by Lian Hearn, third in Tales of the Otori series[/quote:2pvi6x1e] I got to tell you, I loved that series. view post
Currently reading the War at Troy, shaping up quite well view post
The Dispossessed..... very interesting novel. view post
Taking a break from fantasy at the moment. Reading [i:sixq9w9z] A Short History of Nearly Everything [/i:sixq9w9z] by Bill Bryson. view post
Currently reading The Illearth War. I read half in one night. Damn entertaining. view post
The Power That Preserves. Read the Illearth War in two days. Interesting series. view post
im gonna start reading The Fires Of Heaven by Robert Jordan i just finished The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King im still reading The Age Of Reason by Thomas Paine view post
Read The Power That Preserves in a day. Waiting for The Wounded Land to come in. In the meanwhile, I am reading Prisoner Of Iron Tower by Sarah Ash. view post
Finished The Dispossessed, and have now moved on to Ovid's Metamorphoses. view post
Now reading When Will Jesus Bring The Porkchops? By Mister George Carlin. Sarah Ash's latest was pretty good. Lobotomy is always cool in fantasy. view post
I'm rereading The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams I'm also rereading The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe. And I'm Reading The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands by Stephen King. view post
Recently finished Gene Wolfe's latest... The Wizard... which was excellent. Currently, I'm reading Stephen Brust's [i:2z29ztf1]Jhereg[/i:2z29ztf1]. view post
Reading The Fires of Heaven -Robert jordan, Age Of Reason - Thomas paine finished The Secret Code by these two overly religious guys waiting for christmas so i can read Chariots of The Gods and buy my History of Death Metal book. Hopefully ill get Annihilation - 5th book in the War Of the Spider queen and i wont have to buy it myself. view post
Currently The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco view post
[quote="Voland":16t79qpy]Currently The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco[/quote:16t79qpy] How are you finding [i:16t79qpy]The Name of the Rose[/i:16t79qpy]? I am excited to read [i:16t79qpy]Foucault's Pendulum[/i:16t79qpy] next year. It's been on my to-read list for too long now. My theme for all my fiction for 2004 was all-Canadian authors, which is one of the reasons I found [i:16t79qpy]The Darkness That Comes Before[/i:16t79qpy] in the first place, as well as Michel Basilières's [i:16t79qpy]Black Bird[/i:16t79qpy], Margaret Atwood's [i:16t79qpy]Oryx & Crake[/i:16t79qpy], Ronald Wright's [i:16t79qpy]A Scientific Romance[/i:16t79qpy], Douglas Glover's [i:16t79qpy]Elle[/i:16t79qpy], John Gould's [i:16t79qpy]Kilter: 55 Fictions[/i:16t79qpy], and others. Currently reading: Robert Bruce — [i:16t79qpy]Astral Dynamics: A NEW Approach to Out-of-Body Experience[/i:16t79qpy] Storm Constantine — [i:16t79qpy]Wraeththu[/i:16t79qpy] Thomas T. K. Zung — [i:16t79qpy]Buckminster Fuller: Anthology for the New Millennium[/i:16t79qpy] William Lidwell, Kritina Holden, Jill Butler — [i:16t79qpy]Universal Principles of Design: A Cross-Disciplinary Reference[/i:16t79qpy] view post
The Wounded Land-Donaldson view post
[quote="Fell":3h1vku05][quote="Voland":3h1vku05]Currently The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco[/quote:3h1vku05]
How are you finding [i:3h1vku05]The Name of the Rose[/i:3h1vku05]? I am excited to read [i:3h1vku05]Foucault's Pendulum[/i:3h1vku05] next year. It's been on my to-read list for too long now.
[/quote:3h1vku05]
I'll let you know as soon as I finish it but I like it about halfway thru.
Foucalt's Pendulum was interesting. A good book but perhaps a tad bit long.
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White Gold Wielder-Donaldson. view post
Currently reading (in bits and pieces depending on how the spirit moves me): Lucky Jim - Martin Amis Prayer of the Night Shepherd - Phil Rickman Monument - Ian Graham King Rat - China Mieville I am thoroughly enjoying everything by Phil Rickman. For those of you who want to read a supernatural, thriller/mystery set in the isolated British countryside and featuring a chain-smoking, ex-punk, female Anglican vicar/exorcist (with new-age but sarcastic and clever teenage daughter), try Rickman. The series explores everything from ley lines to possession. And, if you enjoyed the Wicker Man, you have to read at least the first book. view post
Currently: Revelation Space - by Alastair Reynolds Oslo 2084 - by Jon Bing and Tor Åge Bringsværd Just finished: The Crystal City - by O.S. Card Exile's Return - by Raymond Feist view post
[quote="Kalief":lsj7mao6] Exile's Return - by Raymond Feist[/quote:lsj7mao6]I can't wait for this, He really has improved in this latest addition of his ongoing tale. view post
[i:b8i5u2w6] The Algebraist [/i:b8i5u2w6] by Ian Banks. Have to say I am disappointed with it so far. Dull and uninvolving, far below his usual very high standard. view post
I just picked up Kushiel's Dart, by Jacqueline Carey yesterday. About all I can say for it is that it's decidedly... meh. If I weren't up to my neck in library fees, I'd borrow, but now pay for the next two. As it stands, I'll probably buy them at some point, after I finish off buying other series I'm catching. view post
NR- The Runes Of The Earth by Donaldson. Just getting into it, it is decent so far. view post
[img:2wbwxgvt]http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0714844012.01._PE_SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg[/img:2wbwxgvt] http://www.massivechange.com/ view post
Darwins Radio by Greg bear interesting idea pulp writing. And huge load of text books. Physiology, vert Biology, chem, and cellular and molecular bio. view post
I just finished Chainfire, and I actually enjoyed it, even if he is extremely long winded. Also, he is the only author I have ever read that made me skip dialogue. view post
I also finished Chainfire, I quite enjoyed it, maybe GOodkind will actualy end the series in the next three books !
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[quote="Da-krul":tc2lgmq2]I also finished Chainfire, I quite enjoyed it, maybe GOodkind will actualy end the series in the next three books ! [/quote:tc2lgmq2]We can only hope! One thing I did not enjoy about the book was the ending, when everyone cried their asses off and wanted to die becasue they were wrong and he was right and they doubted him etc. etc... That was a bit annoying.
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I forgot, I am now reading Shadowmarch, I moved it up in my list. I am only about 30 pages in though and I have no drive to read it.
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Shadowmarch was a top notch book, or at least I thought it was. And yea I totaly agree with ya, the 50 pages of crying at the end was a little over done........ view post
[i:2dtv0few]A Telling of Stars[/i:2dtv0few] by Caitlin Sweet I'm about 70 pages in and stuggling a little bit. Sweet writes beautifully, there is no denying that, but there are aspects that are a bit rough. The book is being told as a fable, which makes the feel of the story a bit odd. Also, this being a first book, the pacing and plotting don't work well together. The book feels rushed. Still, there is enough real quality to drive me onwards. view post
[quote="Da-krul":yu41mtw4]Shadowmarch was a top notch book, or at least I thought it was. And yea I totaly agree with ya, the 50 pages of crying at the end was a little over done........[/quote:yu41mtw4]Shadowmarch just got extremely good, but it took about 200 hundred pages to do so. 
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Currently reading [i:3oiddp4d] A Calculus of Angels [/i:3oiddp4d] by Greg Keyes. Apparently there are four books in this [i:3oiddp4d] Age of Unreason [/i:3oiddp4d] series which I somehow managed to miss completely the first time they came out. The first two are very good. view post
I just finished Alexander Irvine's second book, [i:3iyfhh55]One King, One Soldier[/i:3iyfhh55], which is a combination tale dealing with the Fisher King myth, Egyptian mythology, Arthurian Lore, and Templar Mystery. The book wasn't brilliant, I enjoyed Tim Powers Fisher King novel, [i:3iyfhh55]Last Call[/i:3iyfhh55], more, but it was quite good. You get an alternative view of history between 1890 and 1950 or so. Right now, I just started Tim Powers [i:3iyfhh55]The Anubis Gates[/i:3iyfhh55], which is a time travel book combining Egyptian Mythology, 1800's England, and strange collection of characters. The Prologue was quite thrilling. view post
I just finished Shadowmarch, I must say, I am thoroughly dissapointed, the book kind of stays flat. The next one should be great, this one seemed like one big set up for the next. eh. Just started Mitchell Graham's The Ancient Legacy, not overly cerebral, but it keeps the pages turning. view post
Graham's [u:3l3080sb]The Ancient Legacy[/u:3l3080sb] was a damn good read, not the most talented or vivid writer out there, but knows how to move a story along. I have now just started Deadhouse Gates. Been waiting for awhile for this one. view post
I'm currently working on The Dragon Reborn in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. Unfortunately, I can't seem to find book four anywhere. Five, yes, but four is very popular, apparently. That makes me sad. ~Meg view post
sukoudo, the good news is that you can stop reading those RJ books after book 6, because they all suck from there on out. Seriously. I'm currently reading William Gibson's Pattern Recognition, a book I resisted reading for a long time because it wasn't science fiction. However, much to my amazement, it is shaping up to be Gibson's best book. view post
The Warrioir Prophet! After all this time! Deadhouse Gates was frigging wonderful. view post
Just started reading [u:3ky8mieb]Prime of Life[/u:3ky8mieb] by Simone de Beauvoir and [u:3ky8mieb]reading Lolita in Tehran[/u:3ky8mieb] by Nafisi. Both are fascinating reads so far. [/u] view post
Just finished a reread of [b:77jm58ne]Rhys Hughe's [/b:77jm58ne][u:77jm58ne]New Universal History of Infamy[/u:77jm58ne] view post
I just finished Tim Powers' delightful time-travel novel, [i:39c2ys9t]The Anubis Gates[/i:39c2ys9t]. Currenlty, I'm in the midst of K.J. Bishop's debut novel, [i:39c2ys9t]The Etched City[/i:39c2ys9t], which is quite interesting. In the near future, I'm going to switch veins and hit up a few gritty action novels... Stover's [i:39c2ys9t]Heroes Die[/i:39c2ys9t] is at the top of the pile. view post
Just finished the three books of the Legend of Drizzit that a friend lent too me... in 4 days...... they were allright...... allmsot gave up reading in the first 20 page of the first book becasue the words 20,000 drows, appeared so frequently........ I'm weird for that........ anyway moving on... view post
The prologue to Steven Erikson's new one, The Bonehunters. http://malazan.com/eve/ubb.x/a/tpc/f/93 ... /352106879 view post
Woken Furies by Richard Morgan view post
I'm in the middle of Ursula Le Guin's [i:2ywji4zl]Wizard of Earthsea[/i:2ywji4zl]. I'm enjoying it, though it's a little cold and impersonal. I just finished L[i:2ywji4zl]ife of Pi [/i:2ywji4zl]by Yann Martel. Absolutely brilliant...seriously. Before Life of Pi, I read [i:2ywji4zl]Confederacy of Dunces[/i:2ywji4zl] by John Kennedy Toole. I laughed my desk-job-fattened ass off... view post
Besides a few favorite authors, I am thinking of putting down fantasy for good. It has become boring for me. I am currently reading American Dynasty by Kevin Phillips. view post
I'm about to start (for english and becuase I've been intereseted in reading it for some time) Frankenstein. Has anyone read it before? view post
THe Big Book of Philosophy and Peotry for Dummies
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Midnight Tides by Steven Erikson view post
Exile's Return - Ray Feist. view post
Guy Gavriel Kay - The Lions Of Al-Rassan view post
currently reading: "the House of the Dead" - Dostoeyevsky; "The 911 Commission Report" - 911 commission; "Anarchy, State, Utopia" - Nozick; "When she's gone" - steve lundin (steven erikson); "Knowing the Face of God" - tim stafford; collected letters of C.S. Lewis (vol 1.) [/i] view post
Currently I am reading Second foundation. Slow going so far, I am still in hangover mode from TWP were no other books can seem to hold my interest plus I am just physically exhausted constantly. view post
I'm reading Wild Magic by Jude Fisher atm. view post
After a dry period caused by lack of funds and everlasting exams... Shadow and Claw, by Gene Wolfe With the second collection already waiting to be read afterwards on the shelf :) view post
QuickSilver by Neal Stephenson A good book, but it's very slow paced. Anyway, I'm almost two thirds done, and I recommand it to anyone interested in Renaissance, alchemy and the beginning of science as we know it. view post
Just finished TWP. I'm about to read Quicksilver and Siege of Mithila by Ashok Banker. Banker's books are new renditions of the Ramayana. The first book, Prince of Ayodhya wasn't as good as I hoped, but was still an interesting read. Also just finished reading The Soul Weaver by Carol Berg. The first two in this trilogy were good, but this one was a bit disappointing. view post
[quote="Tol h'Eddes":2ysrqc13]QuickSilver by Neal Stephenson A good book, but it's very slow paced. Anyway, I'm almost two thirds done, and I recommand it to anyone interested in Renaissance, alchemy and the beginning of science as we know it.[/quote:2ysrqc13]You haven't read this series yet? It only gets better and better until you think he cannot top himself, then he does. Fantastic. view post
[quote="AjDeath":2tsbs4tr]You haven't read this series yet? It only gets better and better until you think he cannot top himself, then he does. Fantastic.[/quote:2tsbs4tr] Noooo, I'm still on the first book. But as soon as I'm done with it, I'm jumping to The Confusion. view post
Just finished the Palidin of souls by lois mcmaster bujold great little novel top tier fantasy. I would recomend bujold just behind Martin, Bakker and Hobb. Right now I am reading wolfskin by marriler, the secret history of the sword by somebody armitage, and the selfish gene by richard dawkins. view post
"The Darkness that Comes Before" by Bakker and "Dungeon, Fire, & Sword: The Knights Templar in the Crusades" by John J. Robinson. The latter is written in terse but throrough blow by blow narration. Found the volume at my local Barnes & Noble megastore at a bargain price of under $10.00 HC. Kingdom of Heaven sparked an interest in the Crusades and the Templar Knights and Hospitallers. Ridley Scott bent history into a Sir Walter Scott romantic vision including a portrayal of the brave Templars as sinister villains. They were amongst the most courageous warriors representing the Christendom, from their inception in the 12th century shortly after the First Crusade to their persecution, trial and torture by the inquisition, and disbandment in the 14th century. Excellent, exciting read and a title consistantly included in lists of books to be read concerning this historical subject. view post
I'm almost finished reading Volume 1 of The Book of the New Sun ([i:2aneey48]Shadow of the Torturer[/i:2aneey48] and [i:2aneey48]Claw of the Conciliator[/i:2aneey48]) - found it a little odd in the first book, but am beginning to get used to the style and finding it a good read. I have the next volume to hand, and after that I'll have to choose which one out of Mieville's [i:2aneey48]King Rat[/i:2aneey48], Martin's [i:2aneey48]Fevre Dream[/i:2aneey48], and TH White's [i:2aneey48]The Once and Future King[/i:2aneey48] I will read first. view post
Currently reading the Fagles translation of the "Iliad". If you think PON contains a great deal of sex and violent supermen hacking their way thru the world, read the Iliad. Compare Cniaur to Achilles - esp. in regards to losing his "prize" to a superior. view post
I'm reading Miéville's [i:23sw8k0d]King Rat[/i:23sw8k0d]. view post
I still have to finish the Dark Tower series by Stephen King (last 2 books) and I'm re-reading The Darkness That comes Before...just because. view post
Tai-Pan. view post
I finished Martin's [i:1ts0ge9v]Fevre Dream[/i:1ts0ge9v], and have now begun reading TH White's [i:1ts0ge9v]The Once and Future King[/i:1ts0ge9v]. view post
Began reading [i:1zfal3dl]Le Santerrian[/i:1zfal3dl], a French Canadian fantasy novel some days ago. So far, the story and the world are interesting. The author has a good style for describing peoples, events, surrounding, etc. Bu his skills at conversation is truly lacking. Every time a character speaks, and I mean [i:1zfal3dl]every time[/i:1zfal3dl], it's as if what he says is the most important thing in the world. Even for just a "Hello, how are you?" The language is perfect. From the low-borns to the King, everyone speaks in a flawless language... Anyway, so far, I'm a little disappointed. But well, I paid it, I'll read it. [i:1zfal3dl]sigh[/i:1zfal3dl] view post
love that that once and future king book will have my niece on that and others in the coming year so exciting view post
Re-reading The Darkness that came before view post
I've been waiting months to read TWP but it hasen't come out yet in Australia. Does anyone know when it will?
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[i:1r2k55nq]The World According to Garp[/i:1r2k55nq], John Irving. view post
Just finishing Edward Gibbon's [i:3ad6busk]Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire[/i:3ad6busk]. view post
Still working through "[b:37yiq9u4]Dunyain for Dummie[/b:37yiq9u4]s" by Bill Bryson then it's on to "[b:37yiq9u4]Hello NoGod. It's Me, Cnaiur urs Skiotha[/b:37yiq9u4]" by Anna Moe N. August view post
[quote="Quinthane":2g8ujvbc]"[b:2g8ujvbc]Hello NoGod. It's me, Cnaiur Skiotha[/b:2g8ujvbc]" by Anna Moe N. August[/quote:2g8ujvbc]
I know, that doesn't belong here, but...
Very Funny I like the Moe N. August
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[i:ai29ncuv]Exile's Return[/i:ai29ncuv] By Raymond E. Feist view post
[i:3nnsq1dh]Haunted: A Novel[/i:3nnsq1dh] by Chuck Palahniuk. view post
I've finally started The Warrior Prophet.
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Finished [i:2w881ddo]Haunted[/i:2w881ddo] and moving on to [i:2w881ddo]A Game of Thrones[/i:2w881ddo] (yeah, I haven't read any of that series yet...sad). view post
[i:1xrupoe5] The Year of Our War [/i:1xrupoe5] by Steph Swainton view post
[i:1a109f70]Replay[/i:1a109f70] by Ken Grimwood view post
[i:1mwspmnr]Od Magic[/i:1mwspmnr] by Patricia McKillip view post
[i:3ub8gt7b]Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince[/i:3ub8gt7b] by J. K. Rowling. view post
Never heard of it. view post
'Mein Kampf' by Hitler. view post
That sounds like fun...or...something. view post
Not really, but I was curious about what it would be like. view post
Finished [i:1lhkgrrn]Shadow & Claw[/i:1lhkgrrn] by Gene Wolfe, now reading [i:1lhkgrrn]Blood Meridian[/i:1lhkgrrn] by Cormac McCarthy. I'm taking [i:1lhkgrrn]Sword & Citadel[/i:1lhkgrrn], [i:1lhkgrrn]Ironfire[/i:1lhkgrrn], and [i:1lhkgrrn]A Short History of Byzantium[/i:1lhkgrrn] on this week long camping trip i'm going on, so we'll see how much reading i'll get done... view post
Finished [i:2h88suhj]The Warrior-Prophet[/i:2h88suhj], starting [i:2h88suhj]No Present Like Time[/i:2h88suhj]. view post
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World - Jack Weatherford. view post
[i:hh6b61kx]Timeline[/i:hh6b61kx] by Michael Crichton. view post
Finished [i:1ok5udrq]No Present Like Time[/i:1ok5udrq] (great book), started the [i:1ok5udrq]Gormenghast[/i:1ok5udrq] trilogy. view post
just at the end of Darkness That Comes Before, then on to Warrior Prophet. prior to PoN: Slow River Griffith King Rat Mieville Pattern Recognition Gibson All the Flowers Are Dying Block all the Outlander series (for the fifth time) Gabaldon Left Hand of Darkness (for the third time) Leguin The Telling (for the 2nd time) Leguin Gunslinger and Drawing of the Three (for the 4th time) King (i didn't feel like continuing on to Blain the Pain!) The Forgotten Man Crais yes...i'm going through the stuff I own since my mate has just about had it with my ability to spend money on books!!!! hahahahahaha! got both darkness and warrior prophet (which i HAD NOT read before!) for free by purging some crap from my shelves and trading at Green Apple Books! view post
at the moment... Caitlin Sweet's [i:216h8owa]The Silences of Home[/i:216h8owa] after that... Peace by Gene Wolfe view post
Currently [i:qk11krqy]The Warrior Prophet[/i:qk11krqy] Then: [i:qk11krqy]The Cathars[/i:qk11krqy] by Sean Martin Then: [i:qk11krqy]Battle Royale[/i:qk11krqy] by Koushun Takami view post
Just Finished: [i:hmwj6ir1]The Warrior-Prophet[/i:hmwj6ir1] by Mr. Bakker Next Up: not sure How are the Gene Wolfe Books? [b:hmwj6ir1]Recently Read Good Books:[/b:hmwj6ir1] [i:hmwj6ir1]The Darkness That Comes Before[/i:hmwj6ir1] by Mr. Bakker [i:hmwj6ir1]47 Ronin[/i:hmwj6ir1] by Allyn (True Story) [i:hmwj6ir1]Gates of Fire[/i:hmwj6ir1] by Pressfield (Historical Fiction) [i:hmwj6ir1]Coldfire Trilogy[/i:hmwj6ir1] by Friedman [b:hmwj6ir1]All Time Favorites:[/b:hmwj6ir1] [i:hmwj6ir1]LOTR Series[/i:hmwj6ir1] by Tolkien [i:hmwj6ir1]Malloreon Series[/i:hmwj6ir1] by Eddings [i:hmwj6ir1]Belgariad Series[/i:hmwj6ir1] by Eddings [i:hmwj6ir1]Battlefield Earth[/i:hmwj6ir1] by Hubbard view post
Currently: The Warrior Prophet Next:Mad Merlin by J. Robert King Then: Next two in series,(Lancelot du Lethe, and Le Morte D'Avalon) as long as first is any good? view post
Lord of Chaos, by RJ. Have to pass the time somehow until The Warrior-Prophet arrives. view post
Nothing
Any suggestions? and NOT dragonlance or other series that has 100 books
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[quote="Da-krul":12akpsz4]Nothing
Any suggestions? and NOT dragonlance or other series that has 100 books [/quote:12akpsz4]
I enjoyed [i:12akpsz4]Blood Merridian[/i:12akpsz4]. If your looking for some history, [i:12akpsz4]Caesar's Legion[/i:12akpsz4] is a good one i recently read. If you haven't read it yet, [i:12akpsz4]The Book of the New Sun[/i:12akpsz4] is also pretty good.
Currently getting started on [i:12akpsz4]Ironfire[/i:12akpsz4].
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Idlewild by Nick Sagan view post
[i:3k2pzjat]The Monk[/i:3k2pzjat] by... lemme get the book... hummmm.... William H. Hallanah view post
In The Wake Of The Plague - Norman F. Cantor view post
starting gardens of the moon...
also started a memoir by margaret diehl yesterday...
also restarting TDTCB again so i can keep up with some of the conversations here and contribute to RPG discussion so i'm doing a bit of highlighting on my trade paperback copy and will have to buy a hardback to replace it and to match my hardback WP and the soon to come TTT!!
man...i'm throwing a lot of dough your way this month mr. bakker!!!
splitting my attention between these books and a new PC RPG. classes start on thrusday...this is my last shot at some summer entertainment reading!!!
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I just finished up The Persian Boy by Mary Renault. I don't know if anyone would like this as much as I did. It's about the last 7 years of Alexander the Great's life as told by the Persian eunuch who was his "beloved" (actually referred to this way in the Greek sources. It's a perfect rendition of a "Persian" love story with the lover as the slave of the beloved who lives out most of his life in abject separation from the beloved. It's historical fiction, but the love story really moved me, which is sort of shocking given how jaded and sardonic I am about those sorts of things. Am also in the middle of reading Midnight Tides for the second time - man those books make so much sense the second time around. I must have been seized with narrative lust the first time around that I missed alot. Also nosing lazily through White Mughals by William Dalrymple. It's sort of history lite about British in India. English Company man elopes with upper class "native" lady, converts to (gasp) Islam to do so (the author assumes we will all be shocked about this). The funny thing is that the woman is from an Iranian family and he never does deal with this. The background history is atrocious, partly because he is depending on secondary sources with little idea as to their quality and he clearly speaks no Persian or South Asian language. Still, my dissertation is on Iranians in India and Burma and this particular Iranian family was kind enough to leave lots of written records behind! And lots of boring British colonial documents about anti-Indian riots in Burma in the 1930s. For a paper. view post
[i:2wa6x77n]Immortality inc.[/i:2wa6x77n] by Robert Scheckley view post
The Iron Council by China Miéville. Once I finish it off I am going to have to re-read The Darkness That Comes Before so that I can finally start reading The Warrior Prophet. view post
The Stars My Destination, (or Tiger! Tiger!) by Alfred Bester. Small stack of sci-fi waiting to be read after that; A Fire Upon the Deep, Pandora's Star, Hidden Empire, Eye in the Sky, and Polystom view post
The Worm Ouroboros, by ER Eddison. view post
Freethinker: A History OF American Secularism - Susan Jacoby. I am in one of those periods where I hate all fiction. I just hate it. Especially fantasy ever since the New Harry Potter came out. I can't stomach it. And no, I didn't read it, and I never want to or will. view post
[quote="AjDeath":11t7ag45][...] since the New Harry Potter came out. I can't stomach it. And no, I didn't read it, and I never want to or will.[/quote:11t7ag45]
With you on this one.. Never have, never will . . .
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on to Memories of Ice now (erikson) view post
Half way threw the New Terry Brooks book Thrid in the high Druid series called "Straken". Actualy quite enjoyable, as allmost all of his books are. Doesn't compare too TDTCB but a good read none the less. view post
I quite enjoyed Jarka Ruus, but was dissapointed with Tanequil. I'll be getting Straken, but it won't be til the paperback comes out view post
just finished Erikson's House of Chains and am on to Midnight Tides
love these books. must thank all of you here for turning me on to them!!
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[i:236fm6uv]The Historian[/i:236fm6uv] by Elizabeth Kostova view post
[quote:2qmuse3o]I quite enjoyed Jarka Ruus, but was dissapointed with Tanequil. I'll be getting Straken, but it won't be til the paperback comes out[/quote:2qmuse3o]
Really? I found tanequil too be quite a enjoyabel read.... I enjoyed Straken too so maybe thats a onomus sign for you
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starting at the beginning again with Erikson GotM (finished all 5 i own and am anxiously awaiting TTT and Bonehunters!!) view post
Old Viricon has been rudely interrupted by the arrival of A Feast For Crows this morning. view post
Hey Rube - Hunter S. Thompson The Hawk Eternal - David Gemmell. view post
Finished [i:137liqhf]Feast[/i:137liqhf] and back to [i:137liqhf]Viriconium[/i:137liqhf]. view post
Knife Of Dreams.
Alright, it is actually decent, except for the writing, which is boring as usual, and the parts involving Egwene with the Aes Sedai, and Elayne with the Kin and all, just horrible characters. But the story is finally moving on to something. After three books of nothing happening and no resolution and evryone doing the same thing and saying the same things, the arcs are finally moving.
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Just finished [i:2v36d1ow]Les fourmis[/i:2v36d1ow] de Bernard Werber. Moving on to [i:2v36d1ow]Pillars of the earth[/i:2v36d1ow] by Ken Follett view post
Children Of The Serpent Gate - Sarah Ash. Don't know why I thought these books were any good. Guess I just finish it and sell them. view post
Judas Unchained - Peter F Hamilton view post
Bernard Werber's [i:34yru0jz]Le jour des fourmis[/i:34yru0jz] view post
The Truth - Al Franken. I am just as bitter, Al. After that it Memories Of Ice. view post
Currently reading [i:5yrgbs85]American Gods[/i:5yrgbs85]. Recently read [i:5yrgbs85]Iron Council[/i:5yrgbs85] and [i:5yrgbs85]Knife of Dreams[/i:5yrgbs85]. view post
And now for Bernard Werber's [i:htiryese]La revolution des fourmis[/i:htiryese]. view post
A friend of mine gave me a book called Darwin's God by Kenneth Miller. So far it has been a great read by a very well thought out author. view post
Going to start Vandermeer's [i:3kxm6n42]Veniss Underground[/i:3kxm6n42] today. view post
I've just begun [u:oxt180mi][b:oxt180mi]The Algebraist [/b:oxt180mi][/u:oxt180mi]by Iain M. Banks, only read a few chapters but it seems to be quite good. view post
I've been reading Martin's new one, and 200 pages in, I gotta say I don't care for it. view post
Just read Jonathan Carroll's [i:36ccopr1]The Land of Laughs[/i:36ccopr1], and it was even better than I'd expected it to be. I might be starting Wolfe's [i:36ccopr1]Wizard Knight[/i:36ccopr1] next. view post
I must agree with Scilvenas. Martin's book weren't that great, it was hard to get through. At the moment I'm reading, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, and Ship of Destiny by Hobb. view post
I am reading Cleopatra's Kidnappers. Basically it is about Ceasar and the 6th legion in Egypt after the death of Pompey. view post
Princess Michael of Kent 's [i:2tqty85u]The serpent and the moon[/i:2tqty85u] A book on the coming of Renaissance in France, at the end of the 15th century. view post
KJ Parker's [i:r2pzves3]Devices and Desires[/i:r2pzves3]. view post
Re-reading The Thousandfold Thought
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Just finished American Gods currently reading The Lion of Macedon both are great books. view post
[quote="Da-krul":18b8p7ef]Re-reading The Thousandfold Thought [/quote:18b8p7ef]
I read the ARC, so I'm going to pick up the finished version and read that tomorrow.
But for now, Deadhouse Gates.
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Reading TTT ! At last ! view post
Reading Hal Duncan's [i:2hq2171c]Vellum[/i:2hq2171c]. Very, very good so far. view post
Re-reading Glen Cook's Tryanny of the Night of the Instrumentalities of the Night Series, Book 1. It's a great book and worth the read if you enjoy Glen Cook. Just finished, today on the subway, Tad Williams' Shadowmarch, which was ok, not great, good subway reading. view post
Reading 'Bloodsucking Fiends' by Christopher Moore. I've laughed non-stop for hours heh... view post
GRRM's A Feast for Crows view post
Clive Barker - Imajica view post
Right now I'm reading '[b:38kn011i]The Wizard Knight[/b:38kn011i]' by [i:38kn011i]Gene Wolfe[/i:38kn011i]. I actually finished the first book, The Knight, last night, so now I'm onto The Wizard, I guess. view post
John Naddler's [i:hc9kekls]A perfect hell[/i:hc9kekls] view post
Re-reading the Sword of Truth Series (Excluding Pillers of Creation) view post
Now reading a Clash of Kings by G.R.R. Martin. view post
Now reading 'The Darkness that Comes Before'.
Loving it immensely
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Carl Sagan's [i:3inob3e1] The Demon-Haunted World[/i:3inob3e1]. Non-fiction, but a great read for anyone who was intruiged by Bakker's truth-in-fiction analysis of human intellectual folly. view post
S. Morgenstern's [i:3900elu1]The Princess Bride[/i:3900elu1] french translation. view post
reading The Warrior-Prophet...
... and enjoying it, by the way...
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[u:2r44hasg]A Fire Upon the Deep[/u:2r44hasg] -- Vernor Vinge [u:2r44hasg]River of Gods[/u:2r44hasg] -- Ian MacDonald[u:2r44hasg] The Carpet Makers[/u:2r44hasg] -- Andreas Eschbach view post
Reading Blood And Memory by Fiona MacIntosh. Frigging awesome trilogy. view post
Kathy Reich's [i:333nh4kn]Bare Bones[/i:333nh4kn] view post
J.D. Salinger's [i:2kcr17wy]The Catcher in the rye[/i:2kcr17wy]. view post
now on Thousandfold Thought view post
the brightonomicon by robert rankin... aka my new hero view post
I'm reading Moorcock's Von Bek. view post
Just finished [i:1bkilxmc]Them[/i:1bkilxmc] by Jon Ronson. Friggin' hilarious. view post
Raymond E. Feist's [i:2477fuzn]Flight of the Nighthawks[/i:2477fuzn] view post
A Game of Thrones- George R. R. Martin Truly an awesome book so far, cant wait to read more. view post
finished PoN a week ago. now on Black Sun Rising... Book1 of the Coldfire Trilogy by CS Friedman view post
The Great War For Civilisation - The Conquest Of The Middle East by Robert Fisk. view post
nothing
i need to visit my dad and get my books.. or buy something new.. hmmmmm
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Reading Guy Gavriel Kay's Lord Of Emperors. I enjoy Kay quite a bit. view post
Just finished Jeff Vandermeer's [i:2hj0gxyd]Shriek: An Afterword[/i:2hj0gxyd] - really, really good. view post
I'm on "Son of a Witch" now... the follow up to the uber-beautiful "Wicked". view post
Oh yeah! Finally - "Bonehunters" has made it down-under. *dances* [quote:vu96msv6]Just finished Jeff Vandermeer's Shriek: An Afterword - really, really good.[/quote:vu96msv6] "Shriek" will be next, but Vandermeer always makes me feel like I ate magic mushrooms. view post
balook - piers anthony view post
Bakker's The Darkness that Comes Before John Connolly - just finished The White Road, still reading Bad Men view post
The Glimmering by Elizabeth Hand. view post
the catcher in the rye- j.d. salinger view post
Rereading Herbert's [i:2k672rg5]Dune[/i:2k672rg5]. view post
almost finished Memories of Ice- Steven Erikson eagerly awaiting House of Chains to come in the mail. view post
China Mieville Perdido Street Station view post
Stone of Tears -- Terry Goodkind The Sands of Kalaven -- Carol Heller Grass For His Pillow -- Lian Hearn The Ragamuffin Gospel -- Brennan Manning Sorry, I do that all the time.....read a pile of books all at the same time then get them all jumbled up in my head....in fact, just last week I read about Tom Sawyer fighting Captian Ahab for the Ark of the Covenant on a plateau inhabited by dinosaurs.....quite riveting, actually, written by Sir Arthur Herman Twain. view post
Today I finished The Thousandfold Thought.
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Congrats. I just finished A Feast for Crows a couple days ago trying to find something else to read. view post
Ahaha, just finished Shamanspace by S Aylett. Highly recomended.
Now attempting the Tao Te Ching. Interesting to note that reading it to children is an excellent way to put them to sleep
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i got bored of the cather in the rye.. so i'm reading 'the high king' by lloyd alexander. view post
[quote="gierra":2pdmcn9o]i got bored of the cather in the rye.. so i'm reading 'the high king' by lloyd alexander.[/quote:2pdmcn9o]
Yeah, I finished Catcher only because I was too proud to put it down And to see why I kept hearing about it.
Anyway. Now rereading Feist's [i:2pdmcn9o]Shadow of a Dark Queen[/i:2pdmcn9o].
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[quote="Tol h'Eddes":4yzemkeo]Yeah, I finished Catcher only because I was too proud to put it down And to see why I kept hearing about it. [/quote:4yzemkeo]
ya, i'll finish it eventually, i just don;t have the patience right now. so far i think it's just drivel.
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Never enjoyed Catcher in the Rye.
Reading [u:2gdyxui9]Spin[/u:2gdyxui9] by Robert Charles Wilson.
Just finished [u:2gdyxui9]Grass[/u:2gdyxui9] by Sherri Tepper. What a wasted opportunity. At least the ice-queen Dworkin-feminist protagonist got to have hawt non-penetrative sex with a fox...oh wait.
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Tacitus- The Histories view post
[quote="Xray the Enforcer":x9nbvvqu]Never enjoyed Catcher in the Rye.
[/quote:x9nbvvqu]
Portents
I'm about to start reading that.
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[quote="sunnKHANN":3cr5n87t][quote="Xray the Enforcer":3cr5n87t]Never enjoyed Catcher in the Rye.
[/quote:3cr5n87t]
Portents
I'm about to start reading that. [/quote:3cr5n87t]
Don't listen ... Its a bit strange, but a great book.
Xenephon- Anabasis (The Persian Expedition)
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[quote="Brahm_K":2cpxtu6d][quote="sunnKHANN":2cpxtu6d][quote="Xray the Enforcer":2cpxtu6d]Never enjoyed Catcher in the Rye.
[/quote:2cpxtu6d]
Portents
I'm about to start reading that. [/quote:2cpxtu6d]
Don't listen ... Its a bit strange, but a great book.
Xenephon- Anabasis (The Persian Expedition)[/quote:2cpxtu6d]
Finished it. Got to say, I don't know why people complained to me that the ending was disappointing; I saw it coming, but I think it was the best ending possible, it really completed the book.
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[quote="Brahm_K":2xqzf08p][quote="sunnKHANN":2xqzf08p][quote="Xray the Enforcer":2xqzf08p]Never enjoyed Catcher in the Rye.
[/quote:2xqzf08p]
Portents
I'm about to start reading that. [/quote:2xqzf08p]
Don't listen ... Its a bit strange, but a great book.
[/quote:2xqzf08p]
Yeah, I don't understand the Salinger hate at all.
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'Catcher in the Rye' was good, I enjoyed it a lot. Now: Haruki Murakami, 'The Wind-up Bird Chronicle' view post
mordred's curse by ian mcdowell view post
[u:1j7jrt5i]The Hidden Family[/u:1j7jrt5i] by Charles Stross. no so jazzed by it. Also, [u:1j7jrt5i]Vellum,[/u:1j7jrt5i] by Hal Duncan. [b:1j7jrt5i]Fuckin' great[/b:1j7jrt5i], but don't expect anything remotly like a plot to emerge. view post
KJ Parker's [i:tdtb75cz]Les couleurs de l'acier[/i:tdtb75cz] view post
The Atrocity Archives by Charles Stross. Fun. Veniss Underground by Jeff Vander Meer. Too early to tell. view post
I enjoyed Vennis. As for what I'm reading, alternating between five books now: Mario Vargas Llosa, [i:36cc25jg]La fiesta del Chivo[/i:36cc25jg] Xavier Velasco, [i:36cc25jg]El materialismo histérico[/i:36cc25jg] Torquato Tasso, [i:36cc25jg]Jerusalem Delivered[/i:36cc25jg] St. Augustine, [i:36cc25jg]Confessions[/i:36cc25jg]; [i:36cc25jg]City of God[/i:36cc25jg] view post
fuck it aldarion. you should be watching football. what's this about [i:syflshs1]books[/i:syflshs1]?! view post
Iain Banks' [i:2jw9ore2]Consider Phlebas[/i:2jw9ore2]. view post
Well, the book-reading is in-between the matches, ya know
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I thought that was when you were bedding the foreign women. view post
I multitask well, no? view post
I believe I would have to poll the women to get a good answer for that.
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'The Silmarillion'...I'm actually enjoying it this time... view post
[quote="Xray the Enforcer":vkgcmfud]I believe I would have to poll the women to get a good answer for that. [/quote:vkgcmfud]
Yeah, well...do you speak español o srpski?
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I speak the International Language. Of LOVE! view post
That line is SO 80s...like spandex, Aquanet, and fishnet stockings with glitter paint
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Only you'd know, old man. view post
No need to bring age into this, considering who was born first and all
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Every time I shed my spiny ninja exoskeleton, I am born anew.
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While in every moment of ecstasy, I die the little death?
As for reading (to get this back on-topic ), I just started the omnibus collection by M. John Harrison, [i:3vcm15yg]Viriconium[/i:3vcm15yg] and Roberto Bolaño's [i:3vcm15yg]Los detectives salvajes[/i:3vcm15yg] (re-read).
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I am reading...crap, what [i:2xcldtfl]am[/i:2xcldtfl] I reading at the moment? Oh yes. The Novellas shortlisted for the Hugos. view post
Freudian slippage there about crap? Just teasing - I imagine the Link will win it. Her worst is only 'merely very good', it seems.
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I've had a pretty long dry spell concerning reading, but have somehow managed to continue browsing through books and buying them at the easiest of whims. A friend suggest Amy Hempel's short stories however, and I've loved just about everything I've managed to get. Definatly a new favourite view post
I think I killt it
On Writing, by Stephen King
Across the Face of the World, by Russell Kirkpatrick
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im on the Bonehunters- Steven Erikson. i have stalled at the second to last chapter just because i dont want it to end. mostly because i don't know what to read after i finish. or maybe i just like torturing myself.
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I'm juggling between Eco's [i:3e757kaz]Foucault's pendulum[/i:3e757kaz] and Maurice Druon's [i:3e757kaz]Les rois maudits - Le roi de fer[/i:3e757kaz] view post
Virgil, 'The Aenied' and a few Conan short stories (BY HOWARD, DESTROY PASTICHE!). view post
Last night I finished [i:1k2cze1b]Frankenstein[/i:1k2cze1b]. I'm not sure what to read next - probably whatever's nearest the top of the boxes I have them all packed up in (I recently returned home from uni). view post
The entire Pratchett Discworld series. At least that is the plan for the Summer. Before that reread Perdido Street Station. Sigh, books... so good. view post
I bit the bullet. I'm reading [u:7dtq0zyj]Gardens of the Moon[/u:7dtq0zyj] by Erikson.
There's a whole lot of Tupac vs. Biggie Smalls-style hate going on between Bakker fans and Erikson fans over at Westeros, and I guess I prefer to be at least mildly informed before I'll hand out beatdowns. I've vowed to read GotM and Deadhouse Gates (seems to be a general consensus that things get way better after the first book) before I'll make the final call, but I gotta admit, I am fucking BORED TO TEARS by GotM thus far.
To take the edge off, I'm also reading Gene Wolfe.
Finally, I'm reading 5 different cookbooks for an article I have to write in August. Nothing worse than perusing recipes from the French Laundry when you've skipped lunch.
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[quote:czmmbwsq]There's a whole lot of Tupac vs. Biggie Smalls-style hate going on between Bakker fans and Erikson fans over at Westeros, and I guess I prefer to be at least mildly informed before I'll hand out beatdowns.[/quote:czmmbwsq] That's interesting, because over at Malazan Empire there are a lot of Bakker fans, probably because Steve recommended him way back when [i:czmmbwsq]The Darkness That Comes Before[/i:czmmbwsq] came out. I don't think I've seen anyone there arguing about it - they all think both series are great. I've started Mark Z Danielewski's [i:czmmbwsq]House of Leaves[/i:czmmbwsq], and seven chapters in, I can say it's pretty damn good. view post
[quote="Murrin":1vquiak3][quote:1vquiak3]There's a whole lot of Tupac vs. Biggie Smalls-style hate going on between Bakker fans and Erikson fans over at Westeros, and I guess I prefer to be at least mildly informed before I'll hand out beatdowns.[/quote:1vquiak3] That's interesting, because over at Malazan Empire there are a lot of Bakker fans, probably because Steve recommended him way back when [i:1vquiak3]The Darkness That Comes Before[/i:1vquiak3] came out. I don't think I've seen anyone there arguing about it - they all think both series are great. I've started Mark Z Danielewski's [i:1vquiak3]House of Leaves[/i:1vquiak3], and seven chapters in, I can say it's pretty damn good.[/quote:1vquiak3] House of Leaves is great. I think the animosity comes from Westeros being a Martin forum (i.e. not dedicated to either Bakker or Erikson) and it attracts a somewhat different style of reader. I'm also noticing that many of the women either hate both writers, or love to hate Bakker in particular (this is, of course, not universal -- I mean, I'm here, as is Tol and gierra and at least a few other XX bearers). Finally, we (generally) don't pit Martin against other writers in threads -- there's no point because anyone who's there is at least tangentially interested in ASOIAF. OTOH, if someone were to start a Bakker vs. Martin thread at Malazan, you might see similar levels of bitching that we see at Westeros. Anyway, just a few half-baked thoughts. (and GotM is getting...more interesting. thank the gods.) view post
I started GotM because of the recommendations on this post. About two thirds of the way through, and I'm liking it a lot. Definitely enough to go out and buy the others. I really loved ASoIaF through two and a half books. But when the nobody characters had finally killed or maimed about 75% of the main characters, I just couldn't take it anymore. view post
Finally decided to get Erikson and started GotM this morning, and I am enjoying it immensely despite the fact that its a slow starter. view post
reading the toyminator by robert rankin.. however i cleaned my house and now i can't find it... so today i'm reading the neverwhere comics that i got for my birthday. view post
I am reading [i:3to1ropr]Eldest[/i:3to1ropr], the second book of the Eragon series (my oldest son and I were going to go see the movie over the holiday break, but we heard the movie was terrible and so we didn't make it a priority to go). I am also reading [i:3to1ropr]Velvet Elvis, Rethinking Christian Faith[/i:3to1ropr]. I love a book that draws parallels to outdated beliefs and a black velvet picture of Elvis. view post
wow...it's been awhile...just finished the Wraeththu series...started Prince of Light by Roger Zelany. Good stuff. view post
started thunder god by paul watkins this morning... view post
Nowt to read... I bought a copy of Analog today. Sigh. view post
guy gavriel kay- the last light of the sun view post
Memories of Ice- Erikson view post
Litany of the Long Sun - Gene Wolfe (Last 10 pages!) view post
re-reading Gardens of the Moon- Steven Erikson also reading Alamut- Vladimir Bartol view post
reading 'saxons, vikings and celts' by bryan sykes. (in the uk known as 'blood of the isles). genealogical study of the british isles and other areas of the world. view post
HUGHES The Private Diaries, Memos and Letter. The Definitive Biography of the First American Billionaire view post
Erikson - House of Chains view post
[quote="Nauticus":f7ka9he9]Erikson - House of Chains[/quote:f7ka9he9] I just finished it the other day, how are you liking it? view post
I am a huge fan of the Erickson series. I'm reading it all for the 3rd time right now. Bonehunter's will be my second. Also can't wait for George Martin's next one. view post
Gee, with a name like Whiskeyjack I would never have guessed you were an Erikson fan...... I really enjoy the Erikson series as well Im waiting for Midnight Tides and Bonehunters to arrive from Amazon. view post
Speaking of Erikson stuff, any of you gurus know if Night of Knives is ever gunna hit the shelves? view post
[quote="Curethan":1gqgjzts]Speaking of Erikson stuff, any of you gurus know if Night of Knives is ever gunna hit the shelves?[/quote:1gqgjzts] I believe it has already been released. [quote:1gqgjzts]Night of Knives from PS Publishing today.. The book is now available as a trade paperback, priced at £15 or $25. The site will be updated within the next few days (we've only just received the books last week). So come one, come all! Here's the linky. [/quote:1gqgjzts] view post
Mark Anthony's Heroes Stephen Dando-Collins. It is a great book about the Third Gallic Legion's history. view post
[quote:32es2ee4]Mark Anthony's Heroes Stephen Dando-Collins. It is a great book about the Third Gallic Legion's history.[/quote:32es2ee4] Interesting I had heard negative things. Im finishing up Midnight Tides by Erikson and will be moving on to Bonehunters next. view post
I have found Stephen's other books to be real good. i do not know where the problem is but I would like to hear it just for info sake. view post
[quote:1p1zqrww]I have found Stephen's other books to be real good. i do not know where the problem is but I would like to hear it just for info sake.[/quote:1p1zqrww] I havent read it yet but from some of the reviews I saw, many said it lacked imagination and accuracy along with some other things, but then again all good books have some critics. view post
The accuracy issue bothers me. I hate being misinformed. Ifg you would please direct me to these critics to see what they saying. view post
I just found of the of the reviews again and I was mistaken it wasnt inaccuracy, they were bothered by the fact that he uses modern names in book, does that sound more like the book? My apologies on the bad info. view post
Do not worry WP. That sounds right. He substitutes Roman titles for modern titles. I was worried that i was reading inaccurate history. If i am not then I will just enjoy this good book that I have. view post
Now reading Hunter S.Thompson - Kingdom of Fear. view post
Johnny Got His Gun view post
began kay's the fionavar tapestry this morning... view post
I finally got The Thousandfold Thought. Really enjoying it so far.
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Wow that was quite a wait. You have some patience, I bought mine on the release date. view post
[quote="Harrol":1q4g0rcz]Wow that was quite a wait. You have some patience, I bought mine on the release date.[/quote:1q4g0rcz] Same. The Divine Comedy- Dante view post
[quote="Harrol":3k9l54k0]Wow that was quite a wait. You have some patience, I bought mine on the release date.[/quote:3k9l54k0] Holy crap was it awesome, go Akka. view post
Currently reading "No Country for Old Men", by Cormac McCarthy. Also have "Children of Hurin" by Tolkien, (et al) sitting on my nightstand, although I have not looked at it yet. view post
re-reading freakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner. Even if you don't study Ecconomics (which I do) it's a good read. view post
reading the Harlequin- Laurell K. Hamilton view post
reading Reaper's Gale- Steven Erikson view post
Just finished Reaper's Gale and Renegade's Magic. Both good. Next up, Black Man by R Morgan, then on to HPVII, woohoo - a good month for reading
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The Name of the Wind - Patrick Rothfuss. Only a few chapters in, but enjoying it so far. view post
Hey, read that a while ago. Not bad, thought this monkey.
Still aint found black man in Oz tho.
Now: 'Coincidinces, Chaos and all that maths jazz'. Really interesting
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the far traveller: voyages of a viking woman - nancy marie brown and trying to slowly make my way through viking clothing - thor ewing *bashes head* i need some new fantasy.. any suggestions? view post
[quote="gierra":xqzxo6wd]the far traveller: voyages of a viking woman - nancy marie brown and trying to slowly make my way through viking clothing - thor ewing *bashes head* i need some new fantasy.. any suggestions?[/quote:xqzxo6wd] Malazan Book of the Fallen- Steven Erikson A Song of Ice and Fire- G R.R Martin If you havent read them already, and The Algebraist- Iain Banks: Is also pretty good but more Sci-Fi-ish and hard to get into for the first few chapters. view post
i've never read any martin or erikson, i'm lame! i'm gonna start on the martin books, i know my buddy has all of em.. i think i have only the second one lol view post
The Martin Ice/Fire books are good. I think the recent volumes suffer a little from the series' success, in that I don't think they are getting much editorial attention and mighty bloat seems to be affecting them .... Still, they're destined to stand as a major fantasy work from the turn of the 20th/21st century, and not without reason.
I dug into the Erikson books back when they first started coming out, and bogged down after a few books. However, I [i:3e5syznh]was[/i:3e5syznh] an overburdened grad student at the time, though, so I should probably try again now that my head is (?) clearer.
Most recent fantasy book I read was Lynch's [i:3e5syznh]The Lies of Locke Lamorra[/i:3e5syznh], which I quite enjoyed.
Horrifyingly, I haven't read Thousandfold Thought yet! 
I had just finished [i:3e5syznh]Warrior Prophet[/i:3e5syznh] before a big transatlantic move and my reading list hasn't fully recovered yet. However, I have great confidence that I can get it and read it before the Aspect-Emperor books start coming!
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[b:3dzm2e5i]Glen Cook - The Books of the South[/b:3dzm2e5i]: I am enjoying it so far. His writing is impeccably subtle. I love the attention he has given to making each character's relationship with the others in the group well thought out and natural. His prose in sharper than a fucking scalpel as well. To call him a decent writer would be a massive understatement. [b:3dzm2e5i]Niccolo Machiavelli - The Prince[/b:3dzm2e5i]: Although his use of maxims becomes a burden on the reader, the book's historical significance as a political handbook as well as containing controversial philosophical jumping points continually force me from shelving the book. Currently reading various music magazines as well. I finished Metal Maniac's May 2007 issue today (a year late I know but I have a stack of magazines almost as high as the stack of books I have yet to read). The highlight would be the article on the almighty Manowar as well as the small blurb about Full Blown Chaos. I am also in the midst of Zero Tolerance 019. Finished the Fifth issue of the Grimoire of Exalted Deeds the other night too. Always a humorous read. view post
[quote="Orion_metalhead":1to3jlel]The highlight would be the article on the almighty Manowar [...][/quote:1to3jlel]
Ah, Manowar! Speaking of which (though this probably belongs better in the "Now Listening to" thread), have you heard the Brain Surgeons' [i:1to3jlel]Denial of Death[/i:1to3jlel] album, on which Ross the Boss joins forces with ex-Blue-Öyster-Cult Al Bouchard? Most rocking ....
Anyway, to beef up the credibility of this as a "Now reading" post I'll mention that I recently chugged through John Rateliff's [i:1to3jlel]History of the Hobbit[/i:1to3jlel], which was much more interesting than I would have guessed for its insights into the formation of "modern Middle-Earth" as Tolkien tried to reconcile his Silmarilion-ish legendarium with the setting of [i:1to3jlel]The Hobbit[/i:1to3jlel].
And for something completely different, Walter Friedrich's [i:1to3jlel]Fire in the Sea: The Santorini Volcano[/i:1to3jlel], which is a rather "crash-course technical" but still comprehensive multi-disciplinary introduction to both the geology and archaeology of Santorini. Stemming from a trip around the Mediterranean last year, the missus and I have ever since been on a little kick to improve our background on classical and ancient history/archaeology for the region, particularly the eastern Med and Aegean. Good fun, as those were never topics I had much studied before. So I've been working my way through several introductory or text-book like works on Greece and Rome as well, as preliminaries to getting into more specific and detailed topics.
And, for fun and to keep my head from getting screwed on too straight, I've been re-reading some of my old RE Howard/Conan collections.
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Couple of books on the go, actually:
Re-Reading the whole PoN series for the fifth time (halfway through first book).
Reading a book by Lois McMaster Bujold called "Paladin of Souls". It's a very well written book, set in the same world as Curse of Chalion, and it explores deeper into the mysticism and religion of her world.
Also a book by Michael Crichton (author of Jurassic Park, one of my favourites ) called "Next". It's not a bad book, it's about geneticists and genes and other scientific things. Not bad, but not as good as Jurassic Park (very little is).
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picked up this gem while i was at the museum recently attending a symposium. [img:2tr6iqmb]http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51C0MQQPWJL._SS500_.jpg[/img:2tr6iqmb] *drool* view post
^^ now that looks like a freaking awesome read/table book.
Reading 'Incandesence' by Greg Egan
One of the most mind warping scifi writers around today.
Read 'Quarrantine' by the same author if you haven't yet. The best quantum physics speculation with truly alien aliens.
And he's an Aussie, so with our tiny market he really needs some love overseas.
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[quote="Curethan":14c8nsnw]^^ now that looks like a freaking awesome read/table book. [/quote:14c8nsnw]
duuude, it is so sweet.
next i must find
[img:14c8nsnw]http://images.barnesandnoble.com/images/20980000/20984241.jpg[/img:14c8nsnw]
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I finished reading [i:37i8trbx]The Darkness That Comes Before[/i:37i8trbx] about 3 weeks ago and, instead of continuing on to the next book I got sucked into a PKD and GRRM binge ever since. In that time, I've read these gems:
[img:37i8trbx]http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ZD3951RGL._SS500_.jpg[/img:37i8trbx]
Excellent story. Better than the movie, and the movie was also excellent.
[img:37i8trbx]http://www.philipkdick.com/images-smallcovers/cov-valis-v-200.jpg[/img:37i8trbx]
This one was a 
I had to purchase this one because I plan to read it again. Also purchased the subsequent 2 books in this trilogy.
[img:37i8trbx]http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51NG1ARW97L._SS500_.jpg[/img:37i8trbx]
So-so.
[img:37i8trbx]http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51QGENEJKYL._SS500_.jpg[/img:37i8trbx]
Outstanding! Incredible! I couldn't put this one down. I read it in 5 days and didn't sleep much. The writing is hypnotically absorbing. The characters are some of the best I've ever encountered. Highly recommended. I placed an amazon order for this one and the next 2 books, in hardcover, and I anxiously await their arrival
[img:37i8trbx]http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41wY79-Pn4L._SS500_.jpg[/img:37i8trbx]
Incredible short novel.
[img:37i8trbx]http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/411cii749NL._SS500_.jpg[/img:37i8trbx]
Good, but pales in comparison to the first one. This one had more of a comedic tone to it.
[img:37i8trbx]http://www.philipkdick.com/images-smallcovers/cov-counter-v-200.jpg[/img:37i8trbx]
Great concepts, but it should have been taken further, deeper. Still a good story.
[img:37i8trbx]http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51R7QY2E2KL._SS500_.jpg[/img:37i8trbx]
Fucked up. Lots of twists. Great concepts. I plan to read this one again.
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[img:37i8trbx]http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41NSH5T85VL._SS500_.jpg[/img:37i8trbx]
I'm reading this one now. Almost a third of the way through. GRRM's writing is one of a kind. So absorbing I now pace myself so I can get proper sleep.
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[quote="Cnaiür":2jc0xmvi][Re GRRM's [i:2jc0xmvi]Game of Thrones[/i:2jc0xmvi]] Outstanding! Incredible! I couldn't put this one down. I read it in 5 days and didn't sleep much. The writing is hypnotically absorbing. The characters are some of the best I've ever encountered. Highly recommended. I placed an amazon order for this one and the next 2 books, in hardcover, and I anxiously await their arrival[/quote:2jc0xmvi]
I agree, [i:2jc0xmvi]Game of Thrones[/i:2jc0xmvi] was a fabulous series kick-off. I've generally enjoyed the subsequent books in the series, too, though I have the feeling that (as often happens) success has blunted editorial oversight: the most recent installments have grown in length and slowed in pace, IMO. Still better than a great deal of epic fantasy, but ... well, even though [i:2jc0xmvi]Game of Thrones[/i:2jc0xmvi] is hardly light on page-count, even by the standards of the genre, it's a lot snappier than, say, [i:2jc0xmvi]A Feast for Crows[/i:2jc0xmvi] (which, I think, only contains half of the amount of plot development that was originally intended for it, with the rest of what was supposed to take place between its covers eventually having been hived off into what will be the next published book!). The production of increasingly weighty and complex tomes seems to have generally slowed down publication as well: the first 3 books came out at about two years intervals, I think, and then there was a 4 o 5 year gap until the fourth book, and it looks like a similar period will have passed by the time the next one comes out. At this rate, it could be 2020 before the final planned book is published! People born just after [i:2jc0xmvi]Game of Thrones[/i:2jc0xmvi] was published could have babies of their own by then.
Don't get me wrong -- I have enjoyed and still recommend those books (and, of course, other stuff from GRRM). I just wish that there was a little more editorial brutality being exercised on the most recent volumes, which would make them a bit less ponderous and simultaneously accelerate the release schedule. I do actually want to read the "continuing adventures" more than twice a decade, after all.
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[quote="carlsefni":25gs2dy8]
I agree, [i:25gs2dy8]Game of Thrones[/i:25gs2dy8] was a fabulous series kick-off. I've generally enjoyed the subsequent books in the series, too, though I have the feeling that (as often happens) success has blunted editorial oversight: the most recent installments have grown in length and slowed in pace, IMO. Still better than a great deal of epic fantasy, but ... well, even though [i:25gs2dy8]Game of Thrones[/i:25gs2dy8] is hardly light on page-count, even by the standards of the genre, it's a lot snappier than, say, [i:25gs2dy8]A Feast for Crows[/i:25gs2dy8] (which, I think, only contains half of the amount of plot development that was originally intended for it, with the rest of what was supposed to take place between its covers eventually having been hived off into what will be the next published book!). The production of increasingly weighty and complex tomes seems to have generally slowed down publication as well: the first 3 books came out at about two years intervals, I think, and then there was a 4 o 5 year gap until the fourth book, and it looks like a similar period will have passed by the time the next one comes out. At this rate, it could be 2020 before the final planned book is published! People born just after [i:25gs2dy8]Game of Thrones[/i:25gs2dy8] was published could have babies of their own by then.
[/quote:25gs2dy8]
I read this series was originally intended to be a trilogy. By the time the 3rd book released it was to be a 5 book series. The fourth book was so huge the editors insisted it be split into 2 books, so GRRM split it by removing certain characters right out and leaving them for the 5th book. I suspect what was suppose to be the 5th book is now to be split into 2 books, making the whole series a 7 book series. Imho, GRRM is trying to milk it for all its worth, like several other writers who release like 10 book series. Seven books in a widely praised series can rake in more than double the profits of a highly praised 3 book series. I can also understand some why its taking longer to release the books now... GRRM needs to come up with new content to fill out his books, as opposed to already having his story laid out in the beginning when it was projected to only be a trilogy. Also, he's getting himself mixed up in other stuff, like the 2 Hedge Knight novellas, The Hunter's Run which he wrote with 2 other writers, the Wild Cards stuff, and Lord knows what else... he should prioritize and just focus on the series, get it done and over with. Like you said, the babies born right after [i:25gs2dy8]A Game of Thrones[/i:25gs2dy8] was released will probably grow up to read the series and then wait for the last novel to be released. I just hope its worth it in the end.
Perhaps, GRRM needs to take some pointers from Scott on how to complete a book in a short period of time. Amazon shows a Jan 2009 release for The Judging Eye. That's 5 books in under 6 years. I truly praise Scott for this outstanding drive and ability! Way to go!! You show these bloated bastards how its done. 
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[quote="Cnaiür":2czz1cxk]Imho, GRRM is trying to milk it for all its worth, like several other writers who release like 10 book series. Seven books in a widely praised series can rake in more than double the profits of a highly praised 3 book series. I can also understand some why its taking longer to release the books now... GRRM needs to come up with new content to fill out his books, as opposed to already having his story laid out in the beginning when it was projected to only be a trilogy. Also, he's getting himself mixed up in other stuff, like the 2 Hedge Knight novellas, The Hunter's Run which he wrote with 2 other writers, the Wild Cards stuff, and Lord knows what else... he should prioritize and just focus on the series, get it done and over with.[/quote:2czz1cxk]
I was going to take the slightly more charitable view that GRRM had simply gotten so wrapped up in world and story that he was simply spawning ever more side characters and side plots as he details each day's weather and menu while someone travels from somewhere to somewhere else, the reasons for doing having escaped our minds since the motive was introduced several hundred pages previously. I think that must be easily done, perhaps even for an experienced novelist -- grave temptation to disappear in to minutiae that make brilliant sense to the author who is intimately aware of every facet of existence in their world and story. It's a kind of micro-management problem, I suppose. I've certainly committed similar sins in some of my novel project drafts, with loads of description of things that don't really advance the core plot and piles of subordinate characters popping up with their own subplot nuclei before I realize I really have nothing to do with them. In fact, seeing how "Ice & Fire" was developing is probably one of the things that made me stop, and go [i:2czz1cxk]hmm[/i:2czz1cxk], and think that I probably need a more rigourous plan/outline if I were going to produce anything vaguely sensible!
I do enjoy "Ice & Fire", and do look forward to the next installment .... But I do think some editor should step in and say: "25-50% of this draft has to go!". Save it for spin-off novellas and short stories that can obit the main series like gnarly little satellites. Of course, the very fact that I still want to read the next installment despite the bloat is probably exactly why some editor isn't stepping in and doing that ....
[quote="Cnaiür":2czz1cxk]Perhaps, GRRM needs to take some pointers from Scott on how to complete a book in a short period of time. Amazon shows a Jan 2009 release for The Judging Eye. That's 5 books in under 6 years. I truly praise Scott for this outstanding drive and ability! Way to go!! You show these bloated bastards how its done. [/quote:2czz1cxk]
I'm not sure how what the dynamics of the market are at the moment (especially given the miserable economic situation, which must be impacting people's entertainment reading budgets), but certainly a a book or two every year or two of the 500-700 page mass market paperback variety seems like a reasonable output. One doesn't want to over-saturate an author's fans with more than they can read, but one doesn't want to leave them too long in which to forget what the heck is happening, who's who, and why they should care anyway.
And from the release of [i:2czz1cxk]TDTCB[/i:2czz1cxk], every year or so Scott has indeed produced a manageable novel that moves along nicely and leaves one wanting more before too much time passes. (And seriously, if an author really has such a massive draft that it needs to be split across several volumes purely because it would otherwise exceed the physical limits of what modern bookbinding can accomplish, if the ideas are really all worth publishing, shouldn't they have been shaken out and re-enginneered to into several smaller and connected but still complete novels before they reached the stage of giant unmanageable draft?). I just need to get ahold of [i:2czz1cxk]TTT[/i:2czz1cxk] and read it before the first mass market Aspect-Emperor book appears!
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I just received brand-spanking new hardcover copies of the first 3 books in the mail today, and purchased a used hardcover copy of [i:3diglmmm]A Feast For Crows[/i:3diglmmm] in very nice condition for $7. It all worked out very snuggly, even on my bookshelf. I'm anxious to already dig in, but I still have [i:3diglmmm]Fevre Dream[/i:3diglmmm] to complete, and three PKD books from the library as well. To top it all off, I still have [i:3diglmmm]The Warrior Prophet[/i:3diglmmm] and [i:3diglmmm]The Thousandfold Thought[/i:3diglmmm] to also read, which I wish to do before the next installment is released. But, since my experiences reading [i:3diglmmm]TDTCB[/i:3diglmmm] I'm of a mindset where Scott's books is for a time when I'm ready to savour them like am exotic fruit pie or twenty talent whore.
[quote="carlsefni":3diglmmm]
I was going to take the slightly more charitable view that GRRM had simply gotten so wrapped up in world and story that he was simply spawning ever more side characters and side plots as he details each day's weather and menu while someone travels from somewhere to somewhere else, the reasons for doing having escaped our minds since the motive was introduced several hundred pages previously. I think that must be easily done, perhaps even for an experienced novelist -- grave temptation to disappear in to minutiae that make brilliant sense to the author who is intimately aware of every facet of existence in their world and story. It's a kind of micro-management problem, I suppose. [/quote:3diglmmm]
That's called milking it for all its worth, until the udder becomes barren and shrivels into a prune. Using a different perspective, its bloating the novel, like a steak 60 percent fat 35 percent meat 5 percent t-bone. Out of a thousand pages that's 350-500 worthwhile pages, the rest just unusable fluff. This is when the editor must step in with a machete and butcher it.
[quote="carlsefni":3diglmmm]
I've certainly committed similar sins in some of my novel project drafts, with loads of description of things that don't really advance the core plot and piles of subordinate characters popping up with their own subplot nuclei before I realize I really have nothing to do with them. In fact, seeing how "Ice & Fire" was developing is probably one of the things that made me stop, and go [i:3diglmmm]hmm[/i:3diglmmm], and think that I probably need a more rigourous plan/outline if I were going to produce anything vaguely sensible! [/quote:3diglmmm]
Just write it all out, then do the butchering job afterwards. Both are excellent exercises. So I hear. 
[quote="carlsefni":3diglmmm]
I do enjoy "Ice & Fire", and do look forward to the next installment .... But I do think some editor should step in and say: "25-50% of this draft has to go!". Save it for spin-off novellas and short stories that can obit the main series like gnarly little satellites. Of course, the very fact that I still want to read the next installment despite the bloat is probably exactly why some editor isn't stepping in and doing that ....
[/quote:3diglmmm]
Its GRRM's publisher's fault for refusing the original draft of [i:3diglmmm]A Feast for Crows[/i:3diglmmm]. They said it was too large, which to me is BS, and forced him to split it into two books. They also want to milk it for all its worth. I just think about [i:3diglmmm]War and Peace[/i:3diglmmm], The Bible, Neal Stephenson's last five novels, even [i:3diglmmm]A Storm of Swords[/i:3diglmmm], and no book is too large to bind or release. Yeah, the publishers want to also milk it for all its worth.
But, at this point, and like numerous others, it won't stop me from getting the rest of the books and reading them.
Btw, whenever you get a chance, read [i:3diglmmm]Fevre Dream[/i:3diglmmm]. I'm two-thirds of the way through and its already one of the best vampire stories I've ever read. The story has balls and the characters pack a stand-out punch. The writing is sharp and crisp and the dialog is sensational. Very much like what I encountered in [i:3diglmmm]A Game of Thrones[/i:3diglmmm]. I highly recommend it.
Cheers.
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[quote="Cnaiür":1zdz0dp4]I still have [i:1zdz0dp4]The Warrior Prophet[/i:1zdz0dp4] and [i:1zdz0dp4]The Thousandfold Thought[/i:1zdz0dp4] to also read[/quote:1zdz0dp4]
Ah, it makes me feel so good that I'm not actually farther behind in Scott's books than absolutely everyone else! I have had least acquired and read [i:1zdz0dp4]The Warrior Prophet[/i:1zdz0dp4]. Alas, the way things are, I don't know when I'll be able to score a copy of [i:1zdz0dp4]TTT[/i:1zdz0dp4], so you may well yet get there ahead of me!
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[quote="carlsefni":313hoyea]
Ah, it makes me feel so good that I'm not actually farther behind in Scott's books than absolutely everyone else! I have had least acquired and read [i:313hoyea]The Warrior Prophet[/i:313hoyea]. Alas, the way things are, I don't know when I'll be able to score a copy of [i:313hoyea]TTT[/i:313hoyea], so you may well yet get there ahead of me![/quote:313hoyea]
I started reading [i:313hoyea]The Darkness That Comes Before[/i:313hoyea] sometime in May/June 2003 and finished it in August 2008. At my pace, I'll be done [i:313hoyea]The Warrior Prophet[/i:313hoyea] when the first book of the [b:313hoyea]third[/b:313hoyea] trilogy is released
In the meantime, I've almost completed [i:313hoyea]Fevre Dream[/i:313hoyea], then after its these three PKD books I checked out from the library:
[img:313hoyea]http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51QNG21FS2L._SS500_.jpg[/img:313hoyea]
[img:313hoyea]http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41VSH48WBNL._SS500_.jpg[/img:313hoyea]
[img:313hoyea]http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51405M35D6L._SS500_.jpg[/img:313hoyea]
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PKD is one of the best. *thumbs up* Quick reads too
now reading; Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts
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Somewhat unexpectedly, I am currently reading English Place-name Society's [i:3t1sz0nt]The Place-names of Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely[/i:3t1sz0nt] which arrived on my doorstep this morning. I had ordered it back in May, and had given it up for lost months ago! Well: late is better than never!
Not exactly a ripping yarn but it does what it says on the tin.
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[quote="carlsefni":34sbnci7]Somewhat unexpectedly, I am currently reading English Place-name Society's [i:34sbnci7]The Place-names of Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely[/i:34sbnci7] which arrived on my doorstep this morning. I had ordered it back in May, and had given it up for lost months ago! Well: late is better than never!
Not exactly a ripping yarn but it does what it says on the tin.[/quote:34sbnci7]
Sounds like a history class. Is this to do with your story? Researching for Celtic roots in those areas of England? For someone who enjoys Tolkien appendixes I'm not surprised you ordered this one.
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[quote="Curethan":3c0aijkj]PKD is one of the best. *thumbs up* Quick reads too
now reading; Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts[/quote:3c0aijkj]
Yeah, they are quick reads. I can read one of his books in a day, three days tops. [i:3c0aijkj]Valis[/i:3c0aijkj] was the only exception. There was so much deep stuff in it I put the book down many times to spend the rest of the day to contemplate on what I had read. I was like this everytime:
Its ironically amazing that PKD wanted to move away from science fiction since he started writing sci-fi, yet he's considered one of the best writers ever in the sci-fi genre.
Of the three PKD books I listed recently I've only read [i:3c0aijkj]Martian Time-Slip[/i:3c0aijkj]. But, from my personal collection, I also read these two this week:
[img:3c0aijkj]http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51AWAVEYACL._SS500_.jpg[/img:3c0aijkj]
Good story, great ideas, but I felt disappointed at the way it ended. It was like... Aww man, that's it?! Phil could have really elaborated much more on the whole Earth-Luna deal.
[img:3c0aijkj]http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51%2BSiK9L9XL._SS500_.jpg[/img:3c0aijkj]
Just finished this bad boy today. Its one of his best. I could read it again and again and again.... its that good.
I think I'll be moving on to [i:3c0aijkj]Now Wait For Last Year[/i:3c0aijkj].
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[quote="Cnaiür":13gkjmtl][quote="carlsefni":13gkjmtl][i:13gkjmtl]The Place-names of Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely[/i:13gkjmtl][/quote:13gkjmtl]
Sounds like a history class. Is this to do with your story? Researching for Celtic roots in those areas of England? For someone who enjoys Tolkien appendixes I'm not surprised you ordered this one. [/quote:13gkjmtl]
Not so much for the novel project! Though perhaps I'll pluck out a few names for use somewhere ..... No, I'm just a psycho and enjoy this kinda stuff. I lived in Cambridge a dozen years or so, and get a kick out of the backgrounds on the familiar names. (Not so many Celtic names survive in that part of England, really -- and those that exist are mostly larger watercourses, which are the sorts of things that tend to resist renaming. Most places have Anglo-Saxon names, with a scattering of Scandinavian names.)
Actually, now that I think of it, I did once have a concept for the novel project to use the geography and names of New England, but take all the English-derived names and put them back in their Anglo-Saxon forms, and take all the Native American names and translate them (more or less) into Celtic! I eventually ditched the idea because I ended up spending too much effort trying to fit my story into the geography instead of just making some geography that suited the story, but it was an interesting exercise creating a hybrid New/Old England. Still, it was a lesson to me not to let world-building get in the way of the story (much though I still like the world-building!).
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[quote="carlsefni":kpc7x2sq]
(Not so many Celtic names survive in that part of England, really -- and those that exist are mostly larger watercourses, which are the sorts of things that tend to resist renaming. Most places have Anglo-Saxon names, with a scattering of Scandinavian names.)[/quote:kpc7x2sq]
I once read that "Sutherland" means the "South Land", and Sutherland is the name of an area at the northern point of Scotland, which is the northern country of Great Britain. I always thought that to be extremely interesting, like it suggests that the land of Great Britain was much larger once upon a time, and something happened to inundate the land area north of Scotland. I mentioned this to an Irish friend and he stated that area of Sutherland was once named by the Vikings as the South Land. And the phrase "the luck of the Irish" has more to do with Ireland not going under more than anything else. He strongly believes Great Britain was once a much larger land mass, possibly a large chain of islands that stretched up north and west and connected to Scandinavian lands, Iceland, and Greenland. Its an incredible thought. Worthy of tales of tell.
[quote="carlsefni":kpc7x2sq]
Actually, now that I think of it, I did once have a concept for the novel project to use the geography and names of New England, but take all the English-derived names and put them back in their Anglo-Saxon forms, and take all the Native American names and translate them (more or less) into Celtic! I eventually ditched the idea because I ended up spending too much effort trying to fit my story into the geography instead of just making some geography that suited the story, but it was an interesting exercise creating a hybrid New/Old England. Still, it was a lesson to me not to let world-building get in the way of the story (much though I still like the world-building!).[/quote:kpc7x2sq]
I know what you mean about the world-building getting in the way of the story... I tried something similar many years ago with a fantasy story idea I had, but I created a world from scratch, and only gave up because of the tediousness (and the distraction of women).
Although, world-building is half the fun. Once you have that world built numerous stories can spawn from it. I guess its best to separate story from the world; build the world, then apply the story (I attempted the reverse). I hope Scott pumps out a completely separate story with separate characters in his world, like what GRRM did with the Hedge Knight tales.
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[quote="Cnaiür":197wldw7]I once read that "Sutherland" means the "South Land", and Sutherland is the name of an area at the northern point of Scotland, which is the northern country of Great Britain. I always thought that to be extremely interesting, like it suggests that the land of Great Britain was much larger once upon a time, and something happened to inundate the land area north of Scotland. I mentioned this to an Irish friend and he stated that area of Sutherland was once named by the Vikings as the South Land. And the phrase "the luck of the Irish" has more to do with Ireland not going under more than anything else. He strongly believes Great Britain was once a much larger land mass, possibly a large chain of islands that stretched up north and west and connected to Scandinavian lands, Iceland, and Greenland. Its an incredible thought. Worthy of tales of tell.[/quote:197wldw7]
Definitely more dramatic tales in that interpretation than in those geologists would probably tell! True, during the last Ice Age, "Britain" had a larger land mass (due to lower sea level) and was connected directly to Ireland for a time and (for longer, I think) to the continent (cf. the "lost world" of Doggerland). However, Sutherland was the "southern land" to the Scandinavians simply because it was indeed south of their colonies in the Orkneys, Shetlands, and Faroes. If your perspective is formed from the point of view of sailing from Norway and through those islands as stopping points, then northern Scotland is indeed "south".
The fantasy of a drowned "hyperborean" Scotland would offer a lot of scope for story, though.
[quote="carlsefni":197wldw7]I hope Scott pumps out a completely separate story with separate characters in his world, like what GRRM did with the Hedge Knight tales.[/quote:197wldw7]
Yes, agreed! There's a lot of scope for more stories in a well-built world like that -- different, separate stories set at similar times, and either separate or related stories set at different points in the history.
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This book kept appearing in front of my attention over the last three months and I kept ignoring it, thinking its just a joke, you know, just [i:pn86upxd]another[/i:pn86upxd] lame ass self-help book only there for profits. It appeared too much in front of my eyes that I just couldn't ignore it any longer. I must say, the only regret I have is not reading it three months ago. It's a non-fiction, better-yourself book, highly concentrated with Buddhism-wisdom and techniques. After only trying out a handful of techniques for four days now, I already notice a considerable difference in my life and my thinking patterns. I feel better than I did last week, I met a couple of positive people that entered my life only these last three days, and someone who I had beef with is now talking to me again. More importantly, my thinking patterns appear to be improved and my self-awareness seems to have heightened. Truly, I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone. [img:pn86upxd]http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/514BQV6A6GL._SS500_.jpg[/img:pn86upxd] view post
(Re [i:1yy7m3rg]The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari[/i:1yy7m3rg])
I remember my wife picked up that book a couple of years back -- though I think in the Spanish translation, as something to read on the plane from Bogotá back to the UK, where we then lived -- and quite liked it. She likewise has an interest in intelligently written books on spirituality, and also has little patience with that sort of yet-another-dodgy-self-help-book containing (if I may paraphrase the mighty Spinal Tap's David St. Hubbins) bits and pieces of whatever eastern philosophy would drift through the author's transom. I think I read at least some of the Spanish language version, too, and remember it seeming like pretty sensible stuff.
If only I had a Ferrari to sell! That would definitely pay for a sizeable international book order from Amazon!
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[quote="carlsefni":3ew40dnc](Re [i:3ew40dnc]The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari[/i:3ew40dnc])
I think I read at least some of the Spanish language version, too, and remember it seeming like pretty sensible stuff.
[/quote:3ew40dnc]
I recommend you read the entire book. Its only 200 pages.
[quote="carlsefni":3ew40dnc]
If only I had a Ferrari to sell! That would definitely pay for a sizeable international book order from Amazon! [/quote:3ew40dnc]
Don't we all. Plus a large wall-sized redwood Victorian bookshelf to boot. The only difference between us and this lawyer-turned-monk is he has all the money he needs to live his life in utter peace and travel anywhere he wishes, meanwhile, I'm scraping for change just to get bread crumbs on the table, let alone enough change for a trip into the city.
Regardless, its truly a beneficial read.
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[quote="Cnaiür":3txiflzz]I recommend you read the entire book. Its only 200 pages.[/quote:3txiflzz]
I think its in a box in the basement, but we should be excavating those in about a month when we finally move into the new house (which I then only need to somehow keep up the mortgage payments during these trying times when international finance has been tipped into the leaf shredder! )
[quote="Cnaiür":3txiflzz]The only difference between us and this lawyer-turned-monk is he has all the money he needs to live his life in utter peace and travel anywhere he wishes, meanwhile, I'm scraping for change just to get bread crumbs on the table, let alone enough change for a trip into the city. [/quote:3txiflzz]
Heh, there's a point to be made here, if only I could put my finger on it.
Perhaps self-help books -- even good ones -- tend to be written by those who truly suffer some sort of spiritual turmoil or lack and then find a solution or way to overcome the difficulty -- and [i:3txiflzz]then[/i:3txiflzz] have enough money to sit around writing a book about it! And perhaps its easy to point to concern for material things as a source of spiritual distraction if one is, well, already awash in material things! Alas then for my potential career as a self-help writer, doomed from conception by my lack of spiritual crisis or an embarrassing surfeit of material riches! Clearly I have erred by not obsessing with superficial materialism early on so that I could enjoy a later spiritual awakening in comfort ....
I'm not sure what I would do with a Ferrari besides sell it actually! Where I am, the traffic is so bad that you couldn't possibly drive it fast, and even if I got out of the city the roads would be so bad and so wobbly that I would either destroy the car on rough surfaces or go zooming to my doom off some Grand-Canyon-like cliff. I could use the cash though.
Still, I'll have to ensure I've read the book when I dig it out. Can't hurt!
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[quote="carlsefni":25rp205t]
Perhaps self-help books -- even good ones -- tend to be written by those who truly suffer some sort of spiritual turmoil or lack and then find a solution or way to overcome the difficulty -- and [i:25rp205t]then[/i:25rp205t] have enough money to sit around writing a book about it!
[/quote:25rp205t]
It doesn't sound like the author suffered any setbacks in his life, he just got into the groove. Unless he was bullied and beat up throughout high school. The lawyer-turned-monk is just a character the author created to drive the wisdom and techniques home. It works extremely well.
[quote="carlsefni":25rp205t]
Clearly I have erred by not obsessing with superficial materialism early on so that I could enjoy a later spiritual awakening in comfort ....
[/quote:25rp205t]
You're a couple of steps ahead of most people. Personally, I stand far from the fence of superficiality and materialism (but I love my book collection! ) I don't know if I'm suffering from spiritual turmoil, but contemplating the wisdom and trying out some techniques has uplifted my life in ways, in certain areas. I think I just had a few too many negative thoughts theories and ideas streamlining the frontal lobe of my brain which has kept me down like a beaten dog. The technique Opposition Thinking is the one I've been mainly using: whenever a negative thought enters my brain I immediately replace it with a positive thought. Then I improve that positive thought with an even better thought. Such a simple technique is working wonders for me. Bottom line, its not really a self-help book. Its more of a be-the-best-you-can-be type of book.
Anyhow...
I've read this one recently. I had to lift the three-year-long ban on Chuck for this one and surprisingly, it was worth it. Not the most positive of books, but it was funny and entertaining, and had me thinking for some time about a couple of its crazy ideas. If anyone reads this or has read this one I wish to direct your attention to the last 3 entries in Chapter 41. Chuck himself is sending a very clear message to you the reader.
[img:25rp205t]http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51y1Zcm4jKL._SS500_.jpg[/img:25rp205t]
PKD is still vibing with me, so I pulled this one from my bookshelf, and will teleport into it real soon. Oh yeah!
[img:25rp205t]http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51PGW8VJJ6L._SS500_.jpg[/img:25rp205t]
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A ways into 'Otherland' (Tad Williams). Getting more interesting as the book goes along. Some of the subplots have yet to be relevant, but I have suspicions about connections. What I love about this book now, though, is the [i:s1zk6hub]originality[/i:s1zk6hub] of the description of the world. It's a sci-fi, but instead of hovercars, indentical jumpsuits, and chrome EVERYTHING one is used to in the standard book of this genre, it describes the world in a much more seemingly realisitc way, with lower class slums, occaisional bombings, and insane high-security suburb fence communties. Was particularly blown away by the new ideas of slums and shantytowns, and there are some brilliant opposing perspectives that contrast and spawn thought about what life is really like at a time far into the future. view post
[quote="Cironian":2gpjmucd]A ways into 'Otherland' (Tad Williams) .... it describes the world in a much more seemingly realisitc way, with lower class slums, occaisional bombings, and insane high-security suburb fence communties. Was particularly blown away by the new ideas of slums and shantytowns, and there are some brilliant opposing perspectives that contrast and spawn thought about what life is really like at a time far into the future.[/quote:2gpjmucd]
Sounds interesting -- and all too much like the present, where I live! (OK, in fairness, bombings are way down these days. ) Anyhow. seems like another definite title for my (ever-growing) "someday" list .....
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What a jaw-breaking yawn!
[img:8cfzmn9r]http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51OihQuDeWL._SS500_.jpg[/img:8cfzmn9r]
A young Chinese male goes "moon fishing" somewhere in China, gets bit by something, goes back to his village, and ever since, all out global depopulation via zombie infestation and invasion. In the end, less than 10% of Earth's population remain and most of the zombies are destroyed. Yay. I feel ashamed and embarrassed to admit I read this book from beginning to end.
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Now reading this one, by the author that wrote [i:17wihf64]The Prestige[/i:17wihf64] which was made into an extraordinary movie starring Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale and Michael Caine. This one though is a plain and simple read, but the world its set in is a bizarre, logic-defying one. Only halfway through it. [img:17wihf64]http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51eJmg52HWL._SS500_.jpg[/img:17wihf64] view post
Now reading [i:3bx9ra2i]Isle of the Dead[/i:3bx9ra2i]. Humourous and witty sci-fi that knows no bounds. Reminiscent of a psychedelic vision quest. I joyfully laugh and trip out.
[img:3bx9ra2i]http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/411447W0SRL._SS500_.jpg[/img:3bx9ra2i]
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Finished Neuropath a while ago (thanks for depressing me the fuck out! ), which was quickly followed by Cormac McCarthy's The Road (which certainly didn't help).
Two excellent books in their own right. I especially appreciated how McCarthy utilized this broken, stale prose as a metaphor for a broken, burnt world. A master at his craft, indeed.
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I picked up these two from a used bookstore for a few bucks, and they were both a laughing pleasure to read. I highly recommend both of them. [img:2arcaji1]http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41MBJEAFFXL._SL500_.jpg[/img:2arcaji1] [i:2arcaji1]Lord of Light[/i:2arcaji1] was a comical satire starring the Hindu pantheon where one of them decides to rebel against the other gods and creates the Buddhism religion/philosophy to oppose their Hindu religion. Zelazny does a great job, and its no wonder the novel won an award. [img:2arcaji1]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b8/Big-u-cover.png[/img:2arcaji1] [i:2arcaji1]The Big U[/i:2arcaji1] was a hilarious and outlandish university campus satire, and in true Neal Stephenson style, the story reaches the point of all out war. The scene of S.S. Krupp's speech on autonomy and the following question/answer period had me laughing to the point of tears. Neal Stephenson is a one of a kind. He's brilliant. One of my top favourite authors. view post
Can it be?... no... really?.... i don't believe it... are you serious?... you're pulling my leg... really?... you're joking.... no way.... really?? well, its about time!!! [img:2j4n9okc]http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51KYDPX31WL._SS500_.jpg[/img:2j4n9okc] Yes, it's that time. view post
hmmmm Cnaiür....looks rather familiar to something protruding from my minute cubical bookshelf on my living room wall...
....though that is not what I am reading at the moment....
presently reading a multitude of books at various different stages in each...
The Hobbit, The Darkness That Comes Before, Lonely Planet - Finland, Lonely Planet - Romania, Lonely Planet - Germany and Dragonlance Legends - Test of the Twins...
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I'm still waiting to have enough spare cash to order [i:36w3gii0]The Thousandfold Thought[/i:36w3gii0] -- and various other things. Alas, I never seem more than one stumbling step ahead the onrushing economic crisis (and the voracious demands of a new house!). So, for the moment, I'm re-reading Tom Shippey's [i:36w3gii0]JRR Tolkien: Author of the Century[/i:36w3gii0]. Good stuff, tackling generally different themes than Shippey's (also excellent, if now somewhat ancient) [i:36w3gii0]The Road to Middle-earth[/i:36w3gii0].
I had also been re-reading Peter Hopkirk's excellent history of Anglo-Russian skullduggery and adventure in 19th-century Central Asia, [i:36w3gii0]The Great Game[/i:36w3gii0] -- but it was so excellent that I had to lend it to a friend who likewise enjoys such corners of history. (Though it left me with a strange desire to write Swords & Sorcery stories set in a hybrid Central Asian/South American style setting1 )
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The Judging Eye, I think I may well read it again straight after. view post
Isûphiryas... you almost sound like me, splayed out in the middle of several books, and series. Like attending a buffet and filling up a large dinner plate with everything and only eating bits of each, not quite finishing it all.
I'm in the middle of [i:1x1rgxrt]The Lies of Locke Lamara[/i:1x1rgxrt] (a great read, much better than I expected), [i:1x1rgxrt]Just After Sunset[/i:1x1rgxrt] (latest Stephen King. I only ever read his short stories now, because those are the only ones that end well), [i:1x1rgxrt]Picoverse[/i:1x1rgxrt] (Hard science fiction. Metzger's award-winning first novel. His second novel, [i:1x1rgxrt]Cusp[/i:1x1rgxrt], was mind-blowing. Once he improves his characterization he will be a juggernaut force to reckon with), [i:1x1rgxrt]Myths From Mesopatamia[/i:1x1rgxrt] (truly, there's nothing better than the real stories of humanity's past), and... [i:1x1rgxrt]The Warrior Prophet[/i:1x1rgxrt] -- still going. There's just something about Bakker's writing and story-telling that moves me to savour and contemplate upon everything. Like rowing a boat. Like the female body. I don't ever want it to end.
I'm so excited about getting [i:1x1rgxrt]The Judging Eye[/i:1x1rgxrt] yet I haven't even finished reading [i:1x1rgxrt]The Warrior Prophet[/i:1x1rgxrt]. But, lemme tell you, there's already a nice cozy spot on my special (elite!) bookshelf awaiting its arrival. 
Don't feel so bad carlsefni, there's someone lagging even more than you.
And, Curethan, reading [i:1x1rgxrt]The Judging Eye[/i:1x1rgxrt] [b:1x1rgxrt]again[/b:1x1rgxrt]! Must you rub it in!
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[quote="Cnaiür"]Isûphiryas... you almost sound like me, splayed out in the middle of several books, and series. Like attending a buffet and filling up a large dinner plate with everything and only eating bits of each, not quite finishing it all.
yeah ....
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[quote="Cnaiür":3jq97w6l]I'm in the middle of [i:3jq97w6l]The Lies of Locke Lamara[/i:3jq97w6l] (a great read, much better than I expected)[/quote:3jq97w6l]
I would echo that sentiment -- I really enjoyed that read. I have been told that the follow up (whose title I forget) is pretty much just more of the same, and so not quite as much shiny new exciting fun -- but I'll probably try to check it out some day.
[quote="Cnaiür":3jq97w6l]Don't feel so bad carlsefni, there's someone lagging even more than you. [/quote:3jq97w6l]
For [i:3jq97w6l]now[/i:3jq97w6l] ....
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[quote="carlsefni":m8dww55h][quote="Cnaiür":m8dww55h]I'm in the middle of [i:m8dww55h]The Lies of Locke Lamara[/i:m8dww55h] (a great read, much better than I expected)[/quote:m8dww55h] I would echo that sentiment -- I really enjoyed that read. I have been told that the follow up (whose title I forget) is pretty much just more of the same, and so not quite as much shiny new exciting fun -- but I'll probably try to check it out some day.[/quote:m8dww55h] Yes, and I think that Red Sails would have benifited from something different. It loses a fraction of the fun of the first in favour of more pathos. However his writing has improved in the 2nd book which is no mean feat. I really tried to string out reading 'the judging eye' but its like a zombie's need for brains when I get my hands on prose that I enjoy... view post
Finished Dragonlance Legends finally.....now onto finishing some other novels that I am currently reading plus another addition......Anil's Ghost by Michael Ondaatje view post
Currently going through Cook's Garret Files. I love me some Cook. He sort of cleanses the palette in the world of fantasy for me. Whenever I get bored of what is out there I pick one of his many works that I have not yet read and I am never disappointed. Hopefully the manuscript for Wrath of Kings shows up and the last omnibus of the Dread Empire books can be published. After Garret I am plumb out. view post
In the middle of reading the other early mentioned novels.....I just bought Dragons of the Dwarven Depths - Lost Chronicles I by Weis & Hickman....polished the nearly 600 pages off in less than two weeks which I have not done since I was a teenager...
....will have to get Lost Chronicles II soon....
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I've just finished reading Charles Mann's [i:w0lw1g4n]1491: New Revelations of the Americas before Colombus[/i:w0lw1g4n], which is an engaging and readably journalistic summary of a lot of recent work on archaeology/anthropology in the Americas (though I think a lot of the revalations are "new" in the sense of "probably new to the reader", as many seem to have been banging around in their respective corners of academic for a few decades, at least). Good stuff, with lots of things that I more or less had heard about (I have a friend here in Colombia who's an arch/anthro prof) but other things I hadn't encountered.
And, quite a bit to my surprise, my wife returned from a business trip in the States with (among other things) [i:w0lw1g4n]The Judging Eye[/i:w0lw1g4n] (Aspect-Empreror, Book 1)! Admittedly, I still haven't read [i:w0lw1g4n]The Thousandfold Thought[/i:w0lw1g4n] -- but I have a friend visiting from the UK in a few weeks and so fired off an Amazon UK order to send him a copy to bring to me. So, after a very long hiatus, I will finally be able to pick up my The Prince of Nothing progress with two books to read in a row. Ah! such sudden luxury!
But that little feast is still a few ways off. Until then, I have a Anthony Everitt's biography [i:w0lw1g4n]Augustus: The Life of Rome's First Emperor[/i:w0lw1g4n] (another random windfall from the missus's Stateside trip) to keep me going.
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I've been so busy these last 3 months that I've barely had the time to read much of anything; 20 pages here, 10 there... not really my kind of style. I prefer a good sitting of 50+ pages.
I did manage to complete reading these in the last three months:
[img:nq5picml]http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51tlrq9KRwL._SS500_.jpg[/img:nq5picml]
Excellent first book! The first 20 pages were sketchy, but the next 500 were absorbing and very entertaining. Scott shows no remorse toward his characters. I look forward to the next installment.
[img:nq5picml]http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51HWJH6WAqL._SS500_.jpg[/img:nq5picml]
Downright morbid! It taught me the lesson to never take orders from the Roman Church, even if you're a Priest or Jesuit. If you do... God bless you on your journey through the hells and perils of Earth.
[img:nq5picml]http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41X19647RML._SS500_.jpg[/img:nq5picml]
By far, King's best short story collection. This was my second read through it, the first 15 years ago. "Gray Matter" =
[img:nq5picml]http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41K7G7K230L._SS500_.jpg[/img:nq5picml]
Not as clever, intriguing, or entertaining as Night Shift. Although, "The Ballad of the Flexible Bullet" was one of the best short stories I've ever read by any author.
I'm still 200 pages into [i:nq5picml]The Warrior Prophet[/i:nq5picml]. The same thing appears to be happening to me that TDTCB did to me... I became overwhelmed at a certain point in the book that I just had to put it down and contemplate on all I read... I completed it 5 years later. With TWP, it was the beginning stages of Kellhus becoming a Jesus/Sejenus-like prophet, spreading his wisdom to all those that care to listen. If all Dunyain monks went into the world there would be hundreds of The Second Coming of Christ sightings. Truly, Bakker's books has incredible depth.
Anyhow... I'm not reading anything right now. I look at my bookshelf and my eyes look upon TWP and I keep thinking... I just have to read that one. I just have to. Do it. Do it! But then my guard falls and my eyeballs stray several inches to the right where my PKD collection begins...
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[quote="carlsefni":3isbaehv]my wife returned from a business trip in the States with (among other things) [i:3isbaehv]The Judging Eye[/i:3isbaehv] (Aspect-Empreror, Book 1)! Admittedly, I still haven't read [i:3isbaehv]The Thousandfold Thought[/i:3isbaehv] -- but I have a friend visiting from the UK in a few weeks and so fired off an Amazon UK order to send him a copy to bring to me.[/quote:3isbaehv]
And this has now happened! Though since I'm simultaneously playing host and holding down the day job, it's taken me several days to find a few minutes just to fight my way a few pages into the summary/recap on the previous books (which, as it has been a few years since I read Warrior-Prophet, is a necessary prerequisite!). Still, I'm off to the coast for the weekend later today and, at worst, the flight oughta provide an hour or two in which to get a bit farther! And, then, someday thereafter, there'll be the first Aspect-Emperor book to get stuck into.
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Sergey Lukjanenko - Labyrinth of reflections
Perusing and old file that was sent to me from a friend..... English Translation of the above book....
Might have to buy the original Russian version of this book and learn Russian while I am at it
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I made a lightening raid on the States last week and picked up [i:3fz81qf8]The Horse, the Wheel, and Language: How Bronze-Age Riders from the Eurasian Steppes Shaped the Modern World[/i:3fz81qf8] by David W. Anthony. I had skimmed around in the Google Books limited preview version a while back and had long wanted a copy. Good stuff! It's quite an ambitious book and offers some bold suggestions -- and doubtless there will be archaeologists and linguists alike who look askance at some of the conclusions (there always are) -- but even so it is quite carefully argued and very thought-provoking. Anthony is principally an archaeologist, and some readers may feel overwhelmed by occasionally rather dense presentations of archaeological data, but much of it may prove attractive to the keen general reader. (Or, at least, such keen general readers who are intrigued by the doings of nomadic-stype forager > pastoralist cultures on the Pontic-Caspian steppe in the late Neolithic and Bronze Age, and what such people might have been talking about, and how.) You can easily check out the Google Books limited preview version by searching, and the publisher offers a PDF of the first chapter online: [url:3fz81qf8]http://press.princeton.edu/titles/8488.html[/url:3fz81qf8]. [i:3fz81qf8]The Judging Eye[/i:3fz81qf8] still waits on my shelf! view post
Recently started reading Simmons' Ilium, which, halfway through, is promising to be an ultimately satisfying read, as Simmons always is. view post
[quote="carlsefni":3ilgl4an][i:3ilgl4an]The Judging Eye[/i:3ilgl4an] still waits on my shelf![/quote:3ilgl4an]
I'm pleased to say that I'm now more than half-way through [i:3ilgl4an]The Judging Eye[/i:3ilgl4an].
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