What books are you reading?

[Ionstormsucks]

Since we got everything covered here (movies, games, music, etc.) but books, I made a new thread. So what are you reading at the moment? Doesn't matter if it's a novel, a comic, a scientific book or poems - tell a bit about it. Would you recommend it? Did you like it?

[JemyM]

Im kind of bad at reading, but it's mostly H.P. Lovecraft atm. I downloaded his entire bibliography as HTML and squeezed onto my pocket pc to have with me all the time. I also started to read Star Wars - The Thrawn Trilogy recently.

As a sidenote... Im the kind of person who grows frustrated when I cannot use my brain, so when I go to the gym, travel in my car or even when I take a walk, I am using my pocketpc to play university lectures from the Teaching Company. Mostly sociology, philosophy and psychology right now but I intend to go through some chemistry and physics before the end of the year.

[Prime Junta]

I'm actually between books right now. I just finished a couple and am sort of thinking what to read next:

"Byzantium: The Empire of the New Rome" by Cyril Mango. Byzantium was always one of those white spots on the map for me; I know a fair bit about Russian and Middle Eastern history and the history of antiquity, so Byzantium was always sort of hanging on the edges, but I never actually read anything about it. It was an interesting read, very well written with a wry sense of humor, and covered the kind of stuff that someone who just wants to know what the hell all the fuss was about. I would very much recommend it as a first book on it.

A couple of Neil Gaiman novels and short story collections: "Stardust," "Anansi Boys," and "Smoke and Mirrors." I liked Anansi Boys the best, although not as much as American Gods or Neverwhere. "Stardust" left me a bit cold, and "Smoke and Mirrors" was pretty uneven -- some of the stories were excellent, others were pretty lame.

"Interesting Times" by Terry Pratchett. Not among his best, IMO; I found his take on the Agatean Empire unpleasantly patronizing and Orientalist. Some good gags, but lots of pretty forced ones as well; the joke on Cohen the Barbarian was stretched way past breaking point for one thing. (Although it was a cute idea to discover that his first name was Ghenghiz, as in Ghenghiz Cohen.)

What next? Dunno. A colleague keeps recommending Iain M. Banks, so I might give him a shot. Or perhaps I'll start a single-speed bicycle conversion project instead.

[Arma]

Actually, we had it covered -> http://www.rpgwatch.com/forums/showthread.php?t=150 but at one point the OT forum was a little bit frustrating with that many stickies so someone moved it around :)

I'm reading Earthsea mostly, right now at The Longest Shore, I love this type of volumes that put several books of a series into a single volume. And rereading a few Pratchet novels, mainly Carpe Diem and The Wyrd Sisters, two of my favorites. Speaking of Interesting Times, while I haven't read it in a while, and wouldn't place among my top 5 of the Discworld series, it has its qualities. I just enjoy the books that change the scenery away from Ankh-Morpork.

[Corwin]

I'm currently reading 'Darknesses', the second volume of Modesitt's Corean Chronicles!!

[Ionstormsucks]

Actually, we had it covered -> http://www.rpgwatch.com/forums/showthread.php?t=150 but at one point the OT forum was a little bit frustrating with that many stickies so someone moved it around :)

My mistake, I'm very sorry... I simply didn't see it :(


I'm reading Earthsea mostly, right now at The Longest Shore, I love this type of volumes that put several books of a series into a single volume. And rereading a few Pratchet novels, mainly Carpe Diem and The Wyrd Sisters, two of my favorites. Speaking of Interesting Times, while I haven't read it in a while, and wouldn't place among my top 5 of the Discworld series, it has its qualities. I just enjoy the books that change the scenery away from Ankh-Morpork.
What's Earthsea like? It's not overly popular in Germany and no one I know has really read it. I had it in my hands several times at the book store and was playing with the thought to buy it - I'm just not sure if I would like it or not...

[Corwin]

Actually, I found them a little slow and boring when I read them many years ago. What is interesting, is that I met the author several years ago too, and she is quite a character!!

[Kendrik]

I'm reading Flight of the Eisenstein (the forth book in the Warhammer 40K Horus Heresy Series). It's nice to read such a famous (for 40K fans) piece of history but it is starting to lose me a bit as (not to include any spoilers) but they kill off people then simply intoduce carbon copies with different names as they need certaincharacter types to carry the story along Still I'll see it through to the end (just to read those momentous events that I know are coming).

[magerette]

Just finished the last book in Valery Leith's Everien trilogy( The Company of Glass, The Riddled Night, and The Way of the Rose) Very complex and convoluted stuff, but the author does the reader the favor of finally answering all the riddles and tying up all the loose ends in the final installment, which so many seem to avoid doing these days. For anyone who likes sword & sorcery fantasy with a Zelazny touch, I heartily recommend it, though it's a little hard to find these days.

[Corwin]

Sounds like something I'd enjoy; I'll check out my local library!!

[warweasel1]

I'm reading Young Miles by Lois McMaster Bujold, an omnibus edition in her Vorkosigan sci-fi/space opera series. For folks that have read and enjoyed her recent fantasy novels (Curse of Chalion, Paladin of Souls, Sharing Knife etc), these are very much worth a look as well. She excels in creating great settings and filling them with vivid, involving characters, so much so that I hate to leave off sharing their stories when I reach a last page. She's an author that both my wife and I had overlooked for years, but has quickly become one of our favorites (always a treat as we now have a healthy back catalog of her work waiting for us to search out and enjoy!).

[txa1265]

I restarted 'A House for Mr. Biswas' by VS Naipaul (http://www.amazon.com/House-Mr-Biswas-V-S-Naipaul/dp/0375707166/ref=pd_bbs_2/002-3716557-9932024?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1175684875&sr=8-2). Naipaul is a tremendous author, often called 'the best living writer of fiction', and this book is definitely some seriously rich prose. I got hooked into him with the book 'Guerrillas' back in high school in the early 80's by my English Literature teacher ...

[titus]

I am trying to get every book of Dean R koontz read, and I am going good on my way, I think.
Great horror/fiction

[Ionstormsucks]

Just finished Baudolino by Umberto Eco. Contrary to what the international press might say, I don't think that this book can be compared to The Name of the Rose. While The Name of the Rose is certainly a crime story that features one coherent plot, Baudolino is a very picaresque novel with a highly episodic plot. I don't think it's very enjoyable and I can only recommend it to people who are serious Eco fans that are more interested in history lessons than story...

[Corwin]

Moved on to Scepters, the third in Modesitt's Corean Chronicles.

[curious]

i read umberto eco's focault pendulum about 5 years or so ago. it was a bit to 'cerebral' a fiction book for my taste but it was enjoyable and fascinating at the same time. i'll definately always have some vibrant imagery forever etched in my innerspace from that book. i finished the audacity of hope over a month ago but have postponing my 'review'. quick one though is if you have eyes and a heartbeat you should read it.

[magerette]

I enjoyed Name of the Rose, but I didn't get past the third chapter of Baudelino. It almost seemed nonsensical, but that could have been the translation? Anyway, it was donated to the library.
@ curious
That's what they call a thumbnail review, I think :)

[Ammon777]

Unfortunately, the last thing I read completely was ... erm...

People read books still?

I'm too busy ganking Horde. :)

[Ammon777]

I enjoyed Name of the Rose, but I didn't get past the third chapter of Baudelino. It almost seemed nonsensical, but that could have been the translation? Anyway, it was donated to the library.
@ curious
That's what they call a thumbnail review, I think :)
I had to read Name of the Rose for college, and it was hard to follow sometimes.

[Drake14]

I started reading Patriot Games by Tom Clancy. But i haven't continued reading it in a while. The series i really enjoy is the Dragonlance novels by Margret Weis and Tracy Hickman :D

[Corwin]

Karen Miller's The Innocent Mage. Quite good actually!!

[slam23]

Bill Bryson's "Notes from A Big Country". Hilarious bundle of short pieces, describing the everyday experiences of the writer who was born and raised in the States, then moved for 20 years to a small village in England, and now has returned to the States again. He writes them as if he were talking to his fellow British citizens whom he has left behind. Some people may know Bryson as one of the most popular travel book writers of recent years. I stumbled upon him when I bought his excellent book "A Short History Of Nearly Everything", it immediately became one of my alltime favorites. It's about the history of the earth and the human species, seen from the perspective of the developing natural sciences and the current state of affairs in those fields, written in layman language and made further understandable by the use of very clever and apt methaphors. It's also sprinkled with very funny short biographies of important scientists, there were some brilliant but mad ones in the last 4 centuries I can tell you.

[woges]

Just started on Fritz Leiber's Lankhmar books - seem very good.

[Corwin]

Just finished Karen Miller's Innocence Lost and am nearly finished Modessitt's 6th book in the Corean Chronicles series. All are worth the time and effort.

[Cormac]

Just started on Fritz Leiber's Lankhmar books - seem very good.

They are my favourite fantasy works. Great stuff.

[Alrik Fassbauer]

I'm reading "Maria, ihm schmeckt's nicht !" ("Maria, it doesn't taste him !" - hope this quick&dirty trannslation is correct ...) by Jan Weller, a hilarious book about a German (Jan) who marries not only his half-italian wife, but also her family ... ;)
If I'm correct, then this is already a bestseller here in Germany. ;)

[zer0]

Just finished reading the whole 'Death Gate Cycle' by Weiss, Hickman...

The first couple of books started of pretty well, especially the third book 'Fire Sea' (my favourite), but the plot dragged on from there till the end. A few good moments and some funny bits, but not really to my taste. Though it seems Hickman is pretty popular among fantasy readers.

What would be a good fantasy book/s for someone relatively new to the genre? This and 'The Lord of the Rings' are the only fantasy I've really tried. Very much into SF - Philip K. Dick, Silverberg, Heinlein etc.

Currently looking forward to reading the sequel to "A Canticle for Leibowitz" One of my favourite books. Which until recently I never knew had a sequel.

'Saint Leibowitz and the wild horse woman' by Walter M. Miller, Jr.

[dteowner]

Depends on how much challenge you want in your reading. If you're looking for something considered "classic literature", you'd have different choices than if you want something "fun to read".

I'd offer up David Eddings and David Gemmell as good options. No redeeming social value, but certainly good fun.

[Corwin]

Yes, Eddings is easy. I also like Mercedes Lackey, Ray Feist and L.E. Modessit Jr. All are worth pursuing!!

[Cormac]

For fantasy I recommend Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and Grey Mouser series, older tales that far surpass anything that's written today in the genre (even though I can't really say because I don't read contemporary stuff but I'm sure it's all abysmal from the little that I tried, i.e. Salvatore, Feist and a couple of other hacks). Off the top of my head, also The Worm Ouroboros by Eddison, The Face in the Frost (a very good short novel about two wizards), can't recall the name of the author though, and the books on mythic China written by Barry Hughart: Bridge of Birds and Eight Skilled Gentlemen. I also liked Zelazny's Amber books. You can read each one while taking a shower, they are so short.

[Lucky Day]

A History of Britain.

[warweasel1]

Just began reading Undaunted Courage, and also mixing in the last few chapters from a re-read of The Omnivore's Dilemma for variety.

I've found some of the fantasy staples to be just impenetrable; for every author I've enjoyed (Tolkien, Moorcock etc) there have been a few others that I've been unable to get on with (I attempted Ouroboros once on a friend's recommendation and bogged down shortly after a strange scene in a kitchen, not too deep in; later restarts I didn't even get quite that far!). Some of the current 'bigs' have just never caught my fancy (Robert Jordan, Terry Brooks, R.A. Salvatore and friends) either, which I regret as they've certainly put out a lot of work and it would be nice to fall in love with their writing.

For some relatively recent, multi-part epic fantasy though I can whole-heartedly cheer for these series: Memory, Sorrow and Thorn by Tad Williams, A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin, the Codex Alera by Jim Butcher, the Tamir Triad by Lynn Flewelling, and the Chalion novels by Lois McMaster Bujold. For a new series to start and grow with, The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss came out just recently, and is a very, very good debut novel in what looks to become a wonderful series.

In fact there are several decent to good authors/series available right now, it seems as though coming off of the success of the Lord of the Rings films a lot of authors and publishers took a turn at the genre, with some pretty positive results. For me though these particular authors/series just seem to be head and shoulders above the rest in terms of quality plots, characters and overall writing.

[zer0]

For fantasy I recommend Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and Grey Mouser series, older tales that far surpass anything that's written today in the genre (even though I can't really say because I don't read contemporary stuff but I'm sure it's all abysmal from the little that I tried, i.e. Salvatore, Feist and a couple of other hacks). Off the top of my head, also The Worm Ouroboros by Eddison, The Face in the Frost (a very good short novel about two wizards), can't recall the name of the author though, and the books on mythic China written by Barry Hughart: Bridge of Birds and Eight Skilled Gentlemen. I also liked Zelazny's Amber books. You can read each one while taking a shower, they are so short.

Cool. Thanks.
Eh... how do you read a book in the shower?

[Corwin]

Carefully and Quickly, unless it has waterproof paper!! :)

[Cleric]

What would be a good fantasy book/s for someone relatively new to the genre? This and 'The Lord of the Rings' are the only fantasy I've really tried. Very much into SF - Philip K. Dick, Silverberg, Heinlein etc.

I can recommend Katharine Kerr's "Novels of Deverry", starting with the book "Daggerspell". It takes a little getting used to her writing style, as she jumps back and forth in time, but you'll get the hang of it quick enough.

I just finished reading "The Gold Falcon" and am waiting for her latest, "The Spirit Stone" to be published in paperback.

[Mageoffire]

I'm reading Bobby Henderson's The Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster and Bill James's The Politics of Glory

[xSamhainx]

CSS - The Definitive Guide

I know that I'll most likely be using design tools such as Dreamweaver etc in the future, but I'm the type of purrson that likes to know the rudimentary elements thoroughly first. Right now my design is solely done with a nice little free program called Programmer's Notepad (http://www.pnotepad.org/), and windows notepad.

Also picked up "HTML Utopia: Designing without tables using CSS". This book caught my eye because I see so many websites, that upon viewing their source, I see that they are almost completely designed using nothing but tables.

Yuck. It works, but to me it's disappointing to view a nice site's code and see that they just plunked down a bunch of content in cells in one big grid. It's tempting at times to use tables, and they definitely do have their place, but I definitely want to avoid using them for anything other than tabular data or things like thumbnail galleries.

[woges]

They are my favourite fantasy works. Great stuff.

It's easy to see why, actually well written, fun yet extremely dark in places, sword & sorcery. I'm still going through them but it had me laughing on the train to London (in a good way).

[magerette]

Started rereading the first book in Mary Stewart's Merlin series, The Crystal Cave--written in the seventies in a style(that looks to me anyway)heavily influenced by Mary Renault's Theseus books(The King Must Die, The Bull from the Sea, ); nonetheless it's a good read that attempts to reconcile history with fantasy, i.e. we have the names of all the early Brittons and Saxons, concrete mementos of the crumbling of Rome, and Merlin learning how to summon fire and charm warts. You can see a bit of the T.H. White influence as well. Good escapism.

[HiddenX]

wish granted!

[Corwin]

Sorry, don't know that book, who wrote it?

[txa1265]

Can we get rid of this thread and only use the other 'what are you reading (http://www.rpgwatch.com/forums/showthread.php?p=38765)' one that is older and larger?

[Corwin]

Yep, we need Jaz to lock it!!

[Jaz]

Sure. Done.