• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

What are you reading? (February 2010)

eznark

Banned
Finally finished Consier Phlebas. I would have finished a week ago but it was a chore. The last third of that book is a real slog and I was very tempted to just delete it. Won't be going back to that series for awhile.

Now to root my nook! Then I think I'll read some more Pynchon.
 
Finished Name of the Wind today. Incredible book from start to finish. Left me hungry for more. Sadly the next book isn't likely to come out until 2011.

I think I'm gonna start Joe Abercrombie's trilogy.
 
eznark said:
Finally finished Consier Phlebas. I would have finished a week ago but it was a chore. The last third of that book is a real slog and I was very tempted to just delete it. Won't be going back to that series for awhile.

Glad someone agrees. The series gets so much praise that I'll eventually try the next book, but I doubt it'll be a favourite of mine anytime soon.
 

aidan

Hugo Award Winning Author and Editor
Tim the Wiz said:
Glad someone agrees. The series gets so much praise that I'll eventually try the next book, but I doubt it'll be a favourite of mine anytime soon.

I read Use of Weapons a while ago, based on the buzz surrounding Banks, and was greatly let down. I doubt I'll ever read another of his books.
 

ItAintEasyBeinCheesy

it's 4th of July in my asshole
clash2.jpg


And just ordered a few more books

A Storm of Swords: Blood and Gold Pt. 2 George R. R. Martin , theres a part 2? :lol

The Desert Spear Peter V Brett, pre-ordered, i have a signed copy of The Great Bazaar coming soon, hope this guy keeps up the momentum!

Dragon Haven Robin Hobb, seen it in the shop today and went "Oh thats out!?"

The Spook's Sacrifice (Wardstone Chronicles) Joseph Delaney, classic cover version, cost more..... lots more but meh, i love these books.

Book of Jhereg Steven Brust, going of a recommendation, hope its good!
 
afternoon delight said:
From Hell


So amazing and rewarding. Read it for the 4th time a few weeks ago. It's even heftier when you dip in the (long) footnotes while progressing (esp. chapter 4) but they're all interesting input on the creative and interpretative process.

The Orestria

Never read but watched them (+Euripides' Iphigenia at Aulis) on a 2-day theater marathon in the 90's. Pretty much establishes the definition of tragedy.
 

Monroeski

Unconfirmed Member
BaronLundi said:
So amazing and rewarding. Read it for the 4th time a few weeks ago. It's even heftier when you dip in the (long) footnotes while progressing (esp. chapter 4) but they're all interesting input on the creative and interpretative process.
From Hell is the only Alan Moore that I've gotten rid of after I read it. Just didn't really get into it at all.
 

aidan

Hugo Award Winning Author and Editor
ItAintEasyBeinCheesy said:
The Desert Spear Peter V Brett, pre-ordered, i have a signed copy of The Great Bazaar coming soon, hope this guy keeps up the momentum!

I'm about 150 pages into this and Brett has really stepped up his game. The Desert Spear is already darker, less compromising and more complex than The Warded Man.
 

FnordChan

Member
ItAintEasyBeinCheesy said:
A Storm of Swords: Blood and Gold Pt. 2 George R. R. Martin , theres a part 2?

In some countries Martin's books were broken up into multiple volumes so, yes, in your case it looks like there's a Part 2. One unfortunate GAF reader started in on Part 2 of A Storm of Swords before he'd read the first half, more's the pity.

FnordChan
 

chuckddd

Fear of a GAF Planet
eznark said:
Finally finished Consier Phlebas. I would have finished a week ago but it was a chore. The last third of that book is a real slog and I was very tempted to just delete it. Won't be going back to that series for awhile.

Now to root my nook! Then I think I'll read some more Pynchon.

I WON! Yay!
 
51WX45QBQBL.jpg

Great read. I'm curious about how he is going to present the proof because it's supposed to be really complicated and long (180 pages or something)

9783885381174.gif

Mathematics for computer science.
 

ItAintEasyBeinCheesy

it's 4th of July in my asshole
aidan said:
I'm about 150 pages into this and Brett has really stepped up his game. The Desert Spear is already darker, less compromising and more complex than The Warded Man.

Awesome, i was really surprised by the Warded/Painted Man and am so looking forward to this.
 

totowhoa

Banned
Just finished Sandworms of Dune.

I fucking hate Brian Herbert for shitting on the series the way he did with his poor writing and worse ideas. Followed a detailed Dune 7 outline my ass. He even said he made up the Omnius and Erasmus characters himself :lol I'm going to pretend Dune ended with the last of Frank Herbert's book and Duncan had just lost his mind over the span of his lifetimes.

LET'S BRING BACK DEAD MEANINGLESS PEOPLE TO SAVE THE DAY--OH GOD WAIT, AN ORACLE OF TIME SAVES THEY DAY, HAY NOW I'M A KWISATZ HADERACH
 

chuckddd

Fear of a GAF Planet
eznark said:
Let's be honest, we both lost.

Unless you liked it? In which case I'd like to hear your thoughts on it.

I did like it. I agree that it dragged at the end. I liked the characters, universe and up until the aforementioned dragging, I liked the pacing. I believe that Consider Phlebas is recognized as Banks' worst Culture novel. Therefore, I'm now reading The Player of Games. More of a look inside the Culture. What happens when people are freed of want? They end up wanting something anyway.
 
" The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao" by Junot Diaz


oscar+wao.jpg


Had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Diaz last year when he did a lecture at a local college. Got him to autograph the book but never finished reading it. Even though I'm holding down 16hrs in school + working, I'm trying to finish this book.
 

ProudClod

Non-existent Member
skads_187 said:
its a bit old, but i had seen the movie in the 90's, so decided to finally read the book.

TheStand.jpg


its an amazing book.

Reading it too. Only about 400 pages in. So. fucking. good.
 

eznark

Banned
chuckddd said:
I did like it. I agree that it dragged at the end. I liked the characters, universe and up until the aforementioned dragging, I liked the pacing. I believe that Consider Phlebas is recognized as Banks' worst Culture novel. Therefore, I'm now reading The Player of Games. More of a look inside the Culture. What happens when people are freed of want? They end up wanting something anyway.
I agree, I think it's an interesting premise and I did like the universe. Part of my problem was Banks' introduction of themes or points of conflict and then just letting them die on the vine.

I will probably read Player of Games (I picked up a bunch of his books after I started reading Phlebas because I liked it, so they are sitting on the nook) after I finish V.
 

Xater

Member
So because it was recommended to me I read Norwegian Wood.

rctrog.jpg


I finished the book today and absolutely loved it. At points it really got to me and I had to say my thoughts out loud. It's been a while since a book moved me emotianally this much. I will definately continue to read more from Murakami.

Then I started Level 26: Dark Origins because my mother enjoyed it.

v7gppc.jpg


Well I stopped after 100 pages because I think it's absolute shit. The internet movie stuff is lame, some of the stuff on the first 100 pages is just totally unrealistic and the story about the recruitement of this out of the game detective is uninteresting. Absolute trash.

Instead I decided to go with one of my own books and one of my favorite authors:

6on19v.jpg
 

Reza_Neko

Member
Just checked out "La autopista del sur y otros cuentros"(english: "The Southern Highway and Other Short Stories") by Julio Cortazar.
Also just read "La noche boca arriba" (english: "The open-mouthed night) by him. He's a great author. Similar themes to those of Jorge Luis Borges (dreams, imagination vs. realidad, etc) but it's a bit easier to pick out the meaning.

vy1a52.jpg


Summary of "La Noche Boca Arriba":
A man gets into a car crash. In the hospital, he goes in and out of a dream sequence in which he is being hunted by Aztecs for sacrifice. In the end, the reader discovers that he really is being sacrificed and the whole car crash and hospital scenes are the dream. Also, he uses such vivid imagery to describe how the Aztecs tore apart his limbs. I cringed while reading it on the bus.

Still trying to force myself to finish "Mostly Harmless", the last installment of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy". I say "force" because the first 3 books were so great, but the last 2 are pretty "meh" in comparison.
 
NZer said:
Finished Collapse, and reading Guns, Germs & Steel. Jared Diamond is the man.
Damnit I was yawning when I looked at your avatar and it made me laugh which then caused me to go into a coughing fit.
 

ConfusedMan09

Neo Member
Rabbit Lord said:
Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds.

It took a bit to get in to, he throws at you a bunch of characters and situations that the reader has no context for at first. About halfway through now and really enjoying it, already ordered the next books in the series.

Revelation%20Space%20Alastair%20Reynolds.jpg

Totally agree. Just finished the first one, and am now half way through Redemption Ark.

Very enjoyable, but Redemption Ark also starts you off with a load of unknown characters/places, but, like revolution Space, really ties them together half way through. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a good sci-fi series to read :D
 
abyss.jpg


Fate of the Jedi: Abyss

I'll admit the first two novels of the series had me wanting to bail out but the novel brings up enough interesting points and future conflicts that I'm interested in seeing where this goes again.
 
Anyone read the Assassins Creed II book? If so how is it?
I saw in Borders the other day for $10. I don't have a ton of interest in playing ASII but everything I've heard about the story intrigues me

Yeah yeah video game books suck... One of my guilty pleasures is movie and comic novelizations so I'm sure I'll like it as long as it can be understood without playing the games (and is reasonably well written)
 

dinazimmerman

Incurious Bastard
Reza_Neko said:
Also just read "La noche boca arriba" (english: "The open-mouthed night) by him.

Summary of "La Noche Boca Arriba":
A man gets into a car crash. In the hospital, he goes in and out of a dream sequence in which he is being hunted by Aztecs for sacrifice. In the end, the reader discovers that he really is being sacrificed and the whole car crash and hospital scenes are the dream. Also, he uses such vivid imagery to describe how the Aztecs tore apart his limbs. I cringed while reading it on the bus.

I love that story. This post makes me wish I had more time to read. :(
 

Macmanus

Member
Just finished Blood Meridian. It's going to take a while for that one to digest, but I really enjoyed it.

Recently ordered The Adventures of Cavalier and Clay and A Canticle for Leibowitz. Probably start with the former as I need something a bit lighter after my first dive into McCarthy.
 
Just finished Blood Meridian. It's going to take a while for that one to digest, but I really enjoyed it.

Once I got to the part of
The Kid abandoning and being chased in the desert by the Judge
I didn't stop until I finished it. Those last sixty pages are mindblowing/fantastic/perfect.

(From Hell) So amazing and rewarding. Read it for the 4th time a few weeks ago. It's even heftier when you dip in the (long) footnotes while progressing (esp. chapter 4) but they're all interesting input on the creative and interpretative process.

I just finished Chapter 12 or 13 (reading it without footnotes) and I can't believe the perverse surrealism and sordid graphic detail put in. It has a texture and atmosphere that I didn't think possible from graphic novels. Maria Kelly's death depiction.... Words can't describe.
 

Mifune

Mehmber
n50348.jpg


Rock star has had enough, holes up in some NYC apartment, meets a whole gaggle of bizarre characters, falls into secret drug deals. Nowhere near as coherent as that description, but it's a total blast. DeLillo writes cryptic little shards of humor and insight like nobody else. And as great as White Noise is, I have a soft spot for his earlier, weirder stuff like this one. I picked up End Zone on the cheap (featuring an AMAZINGLY bad cover, which I can't wait to post) and may keep the Early DeLillo train rolling.
 
Is there a March thread yet? If so, I can't find it.

In any case, I just finished Pebble in the Sky and I'm on to A Walk Across America

51JTYD92HNL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA240_SH20_OU01_.jpg
 

KingGondo

Banned
HamPster PamPster said:
Anyone read the Assassins Creed II book? If so how is it?
I saw in Borders the other day for $10. I don't have a ton of interest in playing ASII but everything I've heard about the story intrigues me

Yeah yeah video game books suck... One of my guilty pleasures is movie and comic novelizations so I'm sure I'll like it as long as it can be understood without playing the games (and is reasonably well written)
Honestly, the story was my least favorite part of AC II, and I liked the game. I find the whole concept of AC to be a bit overwrought and unnecessary... why can't Ezio just be a badass in Venice, without the whole Desmond storyline?

I haven't read the book, but I'm sure there's other stuff that's more worth your time out there.
 
Top Bottom