donnalouise
Level: Disabled
Rank Points: 40
Registered: 09-01-2011
IP: Logged

what have you been reading, and is it any good???

Maurog
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1501
Registered: 09-16-2004
IP: Logged

Hmm, Patrick Rothfuss is great if you are into good oldschool fantasy.

In fact, anything on this list is probably worth reading.

____________________________
Slay the living! Raise the dead!
Paint the sky in crimson red!

---

[Last edited by Maurog at 05-23-2013 05:39 PM]

mrimer
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 5058
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

I've been reading the "Billy Saga". It's fun young-adult fantasy.

____________________________
Gandalf? Yes... That's what they used to call me.
Gandalf the Grey. That was my name.
I am Gandalf the White.
And I come back to you now at the turn of the tide.

donnalouise
Level: Disabled
Rank Points: 40
Registered: 09-01-2011
IP: Logged

mrimer wrote:
I've been reading the "Billy Saga". It's fun young-adult fantasy.

I'll have to keep an eye out for it :-)

west.logan
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 608
Registered: 03-09-2011
IP: Logged

I've been on something of a fantasy binge lately. Rothfuss is good and I enjoyed his book. Completely different, I also read Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn trilogy recently and thoroughly enjoyed that. It's kind of like Kung-fu fantasy

____________________________
-Logan

mrimer
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 5058
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

Yeah, and it totally feels like a half-decent development studio could make a pretty good game out of it, too.

____________________________
Gandalf? Yes... That's what they used to call me.
Gandalf the Grey. That was my name.
I am Gandalf the White.
And I come back to you now at the turn of the tide.

west.logan
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 608
Registered: 03-09-2011
IP: Logged

It also seems like Mistborn could make a good movie, given the right director, though I'm skeptical of Hollywood's abilities given the disasters that were Eragon and Avatar: Last Airbender. Completely ruined great concepts.

But yes, game would be cool.

____________________________
-Logan

The Architest
Level: Master Delver

Rank Points: 254
Registered: 05-25-2008
IP: Logged

I am in middle of The Fellowship of the Ring. After reading it, I'll watch the movie and see what differences it has.

west.logan
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 608
Registered: 03-09-2011
IP: Logged

Depending on what kind of a person you are, that might be a bad idea (you could end up hating Peter Jackson's guts). My take on it is to enjoy the movies for what they are and the book for what it is

____________________________
-Logan

mrimer
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 5058
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

west.logan wrote:
My take on it is to enjoy the movies for what they are and the book for what it is

I like that policy. It facilitates greater enjoyment of entertainment in general. And, after all, why would someone seek entertainment with the purpose of not enjoying it? Hmm...unless the process of not enjoying entertainment somehow brings its own form of enjoyment.

I guess critics can do that for a living. I, on the other hand, don't get paid to be a critic. So in these cases, I'll just seek greater entertainment potential for its own sake. So -- good policy!

____________________________
Gandalf? Yes... That's what they used to call me.
Gandalf the Grey. That was my name.
I am Gandalf the White.
And I come back to you now at the turn of the tide.

---

[Last edited by mrimer at 05-20-2013 08:34 PM]

The Architest
Level: Master Delver

Rank Points: 254
Registered: 05-25-2008
IP: Logged

I'll try to contain myself, if I ever survive reading the book. It's a first book I read in English, but I've done pretty well for now.

Anyone read Dune? I finished the first book but didn't have motivation to start the second one yet.

mrimer
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 5058
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

The Architest wrote:
Anyone read Dune? I finished the first book but didn't have motivation to start the second one yet.

I have. That's quite an interesting read. It's weird and original. I'm not used to that kind of writing style. I read the second and third books also.

____________________________
Gandalf? Yes... That's what they used to call me.
Gandalf the Grey. That was my name.
I am Gandalf the White.
And I come back to you now at the turn of the tide.

donnalouise
Level: Disabled
Rank Points: 40
Registered: 09-01-2011
IP: Logged

I've read dune

Dischorran
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 3407
Registered: 09-10-2005
IP: Logged

Dune? Series goes 1 > 4 > 5 = 6 >> 3 > 2 in quality - so don't stop with Children of Dune!

____________________________

skell
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 3734
Registered: 12-28-2004
IP: Logged

Dischorran wrote:
Dune? Series goes 1 > 4 > 5 = 6 >> 3 > 2 in quality - so don't stop with Children of Dune!

Don't forget about the prequels, midquels and postquels!

____________________________
My website | Facebook | Twitter

The spitemaster
Level: Smiter
Rank Points: 354
Registered: 06-09-2005
IP: Logged

I can't touch those. I have a problem with books not written by the original author.

____________________________
Last night upon a stair
I met a man that wasn't there
He wasn't there again today
I wish that man would stay away

The Architest
Level: Master Delver

Rank Points: 254
Registered: 05-25-2008
IP: Logged

I had quite fun with Dune. I am not really used at reading science fiction, but it was definitely a good pick. I'll get around reading the other books later in the summer and hopefully some more SF.

---

[Last edited by The Architest at 05-21-2013 02:01 PM]

skell
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 3734
Registered: 12-28-2004
IP: Logged

The spitemaster wrote:
I can't touch those. I have a problem with books not written by the original author.

I liked House Atreides more than the original Dune, though I regard both as really good.

____________________________
My website | Facebook | Twitter

Pearls
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 767
Registered: 12-21-2009
IP: Logged

Getting my Neil Stephenson on, of particular note, Snow Crash and Cryptonomicon. It's kind of a alternative/speculative/insane history, usually centered around different aspects of science and math and now they affect history/war.

I'm all about it.

____________________________
Hey, w-wait, that's the guy who shamelessly promotes his own...

west.logan
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 608
Registered: 03-09-2011
IP: Logged

Oh? I just bought Cryptonomicon and Anathem for my Kindle when they had a sale a few months back ($1.99 each). Haven't looked at them yet as I'm gettin' me some Agatha Christie at the moment. I've heard mixed feelings about Stephenson but I'm looking forward to giving it a try.

____________________________
-Logan

Pearls
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 767
Registered: 12-21-2009
IP: Logged

Hmmm, Stephenson is pretty unique and I could totally understand it not working out for everyone. Cryptonomicon is frequently excessively technical. I kind of love this part, though.

____________________________
Hey, w-wait, that's the guy who shamelessly promotes his own...

donnalouise
Level: Disabled
Rank Points: 40
Registered: 09-01-2011
IP: Logged

http://thechive.com/2012/04/09/your-mind-blown-35-photos/tumblr_m1tma2pm561r60wo8/

OneMoreNameless
Level: Master Delver
Rank Points: 131
Registered: 07-31-2010
IP: Logged

Cryptonomicon is fascinating if you're even faintly intrigued by information theory, but it reads more like a very long series of anecdotes than any kind of grand narrative that it makes itself out to be.

Snow Crash is constant roller coaster of cyberpunk action, high speed infosmash-your-head-against-a-wall-of-mindblowing, and the most arbitrarily awesome pizza delivery you will ever read.

I enjoyed both, but they're very different novels.

Someone Else
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1304
Registered: 06-14-2005
IP: Logged

Neal Stephenson is very hit and miss for me - Anathem, The Diamond Age, and Snow Crash I loved, but Zodiac I loathed and Cryptonomicon bored me.

cheese obsessive
Level: Master Delver

Rank Points: 219
Registered: 10-10-2004
IP: Logged

Not sure if this is the crowd for these books, but over the past month I've read "Skippy Dies" by Paul Murray, and "2666" By Roberto Bolano. I've read a lot, but they're both among the best books I've read in a long long time.

The Architest
Level: Master Delver

Rank Points: 254
Registered: 05-25-2008
IP: Logged

Now I got myself Isaac Asimov's 'Foundation'. Then I will read some Earthsea.

Snacko
Level: Smiter
Rank Points: 448
Registered: 06-08-2006
IP: Logged

I'm in the middle of The Baron in the Trees by Italo Calvino and am loving it so far. Calvino is definitely an author worth checking out and I've loved every book I've read by him. I haven't read anything else like Invisible Cities, a book I read in one sitting, hypnotized.

____________________________
Director of the Department of Orderly Disruptions

---

[Last edited by Snacko at 05-30-2013 03:09 AM]

cheese obsessive
Level: Master Delver

Rank Points: 219
Registered: 10-10-2004
IP: Logged

Snacko wrote:
I'm in the middle of The Baron in the Trees by Italo Calvino and am loving it so far. Calvino is definitely an author worth checking out and I've loved every book I've read by him. I haven't read anything else like Invisible Cities, a book I read in one sitting, hypnotized.

Have you read Cosmicomics or If on a Winter's Night a Traveler? Those are my favorites of his!

west.logan
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 608
Registered: 03-09-2011
IP: Logged

Okay Snacko, based on your recommendation I picked up Invisible Cities and I'm stumped: what did you like about it?

Maybe it's just not my type of book but while I enjoyed the language I found it rather vague, repetitive, and uncertain as to what the overarching meaning was (if any). Life, death? Empires crumbling? What was the point or intention behind having modern features described in ancient cities?

Am I not intelligent enough or do I just not like postmodern works?

____________________________
-Logan

Pearls
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 767
Registered: 12-21-2009
IP: Logged

I've read a handful of incredibly unrelated works lately, all of which I'd recommend to some, but not all.

Ishmael - Daniel Quinn: Philosophy about sustainability and talking gorillas. Went in thinking it might be a rant about environmentalism/communism. Went out devastated, unsure, worried, mostly pensive. Would read again.

Needful Things - Stephen King: Black comedy where The Devil (sorta) is from Akron, Ohio and takes on the form of a salesman of a curio shop, who sells you precisely what you need for a little bit of money and a favor. Occasionally sexual, which is not unusual for King, mostly a commentary on desire and how this affects our judgement, leading into doing harm unto others.

War and Peace - Tolstoy: Went into this trying to understand why it's regarded as a classic. Went out completely overwhelmed. So not only is War and Peace a long book, it's a book that talks about So. Many. Different. Topics. Like most good literature, it's a critique on how different types of people will approach identical situations in stupidly different ways. Largely discusses the question of morality in a world where it's nearly impossible to live without violating any framework of morality to some degree. This manifests itself in decisions made via wealth, poverty, and mainly war.

Interestingly, I find a lot of curious parallels to the structure of this book, to Stephen Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen (which has been stated a hundred times on this forum by various people and you should all read it what are you doing with your lives?), in that it's largely a novel about the philosophy and morality of those with the power to make a some influence on the course of history (primarily manifested in the form of an army).









____________________________
Hey, w-wait, that's the guy who shamelessly promotes his own...