What are you reading?

Finished Sanderson's Words of Radiance, his second Stormlight book. 5/5.

Pretty much kept me from doing anything else.
 
Joined
Aug 30, 2006
Messages
3,486
He is what he is. I myself have gripes about some of his writing, specifically his ability to end stories, which I think at times is poor. I doubt King himself would ever say he's the best writer of our generation. But having read every single one of his many many books I can say unequivocally when King is at his best he's the best, in my own humble opinion. And I can only speak for myself obviously, everyone else is entitled to their own opinion.

I agree at times he has difficulty ending stories well. For example, I really enjoyed Under the Dome. But the way that one was resolved was just silly. But over all, I prefer his longer novels. Like any prolific author, there are bound to be ups and downs. I, for example, didn't care much for the Gerald's Game, Delores Claireborn (sp?), Insomnia phase. I definitely consider that a down period. But I really enjoyed Mr. Mercedes, Revival (except this is another example of ending a story poorly imo), and 11/22/63. Actually I enjoyed those three much more than expected. In the latter case, the trip back to Derry was fun at first, but ultimately seemed pointless.

In particular, the dome was lifted simply because one of the characters scolded the aliens (IIRC it's been a while since reading it)? Everything else had gone so well until then
:(

Sure, he is not writing novels that will be featured in university Literature courses, but for what he is he's one of the best. I have tried other horror writers and none have really done it for me. But to each their own.
 
Joined
Jul 18, 2007
Messages
491
Away from the games gives me time to read. The Tower of Swallows is truly captivating me. However, it is quite dark and violent and contains a large variety of sordid and despicable characters. I think I like the first book best so far.
 
Joined
Aug 18, 2008
Messages
15,679
Location
Studio City, CA
Rereading the Wild Card series for the umpteenth time. Some of the books have new chapters that weren't in the earlier editions from the eighties so that makes them even more enjoyable. If the idea of adult comic book stories intrigues you, composed by well established authors, check these out.
 
Joined
Oct 18, 2011
Messages
18,799
Location
Holly Hill, FL.
Started the Charlie Higson zombie series the other day, really enjoying the first book, The Enemy. Pretty sure I'll be getting the second book shortly! Kids and zombies, I mean, what could go wrong? =p
 
Joined
Oct 18, 2011
Messages
18,799
Location
Holly Hill, FL.
Finished Tower of Swallows and now reading the last Witcher book, Lady of the Lake.

Liking it quite a bit. This one is not so sordid as Tower of the Swallows, and finally Geralt catches up with Ciri, and it explains the Emyr connection (which I had sort of figured out on my own). :)

Though I don't understand:

Why does Emyr let Ciri, Geralt, and Yennifer go free? Seems a bit Deus Ex Machin. Just because Ciri's cry can pacify the emperor? ;)
 
Joined
Aug 18, 2008
Messages
15,679
Location
Studio City, CA
I just started reading three different historical fiction series.

David Pilling Caesar's Sword Series
It is the year 568 AD. From his monastic refuge in Brittany, King Arthur’s aged grandson, Coel, begins to write the incredible story of his life. Now a monk, he is determined to complete his chronicle before death overtakes him. His tale begins shortly after the death of his famous grandfather at the Battle of Camlann. Britain is plunged into chaos, and Coel and his mother are forced to flee their homeland. They take with them Arthur’s famous sword, Caledfwlch, once possessed by Julius Caesar. Known to the Romans as The Red Death, it is said to possess unearthly powers. Caesar's Sword (I): The Red Death follows the adventures of a British warrior of famous descent in the glittering, lethal world of the Late Roman Empire. From the riotous streets of Constantinople, to the racetrack of the Hippodrome and the bloodstained deserts of North Africa, he must fight to recover his birthright and his pride.
Gordon Doherty Legionary Series
The Roman Empire is crumbling, and a shadow looms in the east…376 AD: the Eastern Roman Empire is alone against the tide of barbarians swelling on her borders. Emperor Valens juggles the paltry border defences to stave off invasion from the Goths north of the Danube. Meanwhile, in Constantinople, a pact between faith and politics spawns a lethal plot that will bring the dark and massive hordes from the east crashing down on these struggling borders. The fates conspire to see Numerius Vitellius Pavo, enslaved as a boy after the death of his legionary father, thrust into the limitanei, the border legions, just before they are sent to recapture the long-lost eastern Kingdom of Bosporus. He is cast into the jaws of this plot, so twisted that the survival of the entire Roman world hangs in the balance.
Gordon Doherty The Strategos Trilogy
In the 11th century AD, the ailing Byzantine Empire teeters on the brink of full-blown war with the Seljuk Sultanate. In the borderlands of Eastern Anatolia, a land riven with bloodshed and doubt, a dark hero rises from the ashes of the conflict. His journey will be a savage one, taking him from the snakepit of Constantinople to the blistering heart of the Seljuk realm . . . all the time leading him towards the fabled plains of Manzikert.
As you can tell I love reading historical fiction.
 
Joined
Oct 1, 2010
Messages
36,185
Location
Spudlandia
Busy with Gene Wolfe's The Book of the New Sun, a "science fantasy" book split into four volumes. It takes place in a feudal society in the far future, which as I found out is a fantasy subgenre called "Dying Earth". It's about the life and journey of a boy/man from a guild of torturers.

It was tough getting into it after Sanderson's fast-paced story, because it's almost the opposite: personal point of view with a writing style that's almost as convoluted as H.P. Lovecraft's. Still, it's pretty interesting so far.

The book is supposedly full of allegory and allusion, though I'm afraid I don't get to unravel most of it as I'm normally reading just for the obvious story.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Aug 30, 2006
Messages
3,486
As you can tell I love reading historical fiction.

Then you should get some cult ones like Rode Orm aka Longships by Bengtsson If you hadn't already…. no offense but those you mentioned sound like typical mass-produced post-2000 afternoon-fillers my mom reads …. I finished some and usually forget I've read them after 40 days plus there are so many good old books I don't bother with them anymore…
 
Joined
Mar 9, 2015
Messages
2,714
Busy with Gene Wolfe's The Book of the New Sun, a "science fantasy" book split into four volumes.

One of my favourites, I've read it twice (which happens very rarely).

pibbur who takes care to avoid unknown lakes
 
Finished Ann Leckie's Ancillary Justice. Liked it well enough.


The recent gravitational waves discovery prompted me to move a science (history) book to the front of my reading list, so now I'm busy reading Carl Sagan's Cosmos. So far it's excellent and makes me contemplate and appreciate the universe as well as the wonderful world of science. It also makes me lament the loss of scientific progress that happened over the centuries, like the destruction of the Library of Alexandria (which was, by the way, a theme of the excellent movie Agora from 2009.)
 
Joined
Aug 30, 2006
Messages
3,486
Reading the seventh book and last in Higson's post apocalyptic series in which the children are the only ones left. It has been a fun read, not the best in the genre but certainly entertaining. Children can be so amusing.
 
Joined
Oct 18, 2011
Messages
18,799
Location
Holly Hill, FL.
Just finished Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash. I enjoyed it. I was going to read Seveneves, but thought Snow Crash may be better introduction, as Hurls in a previous post suggested Seveneves was pretty heavy going. Does anyone have a favourite one they can suggest?

Just started The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell. Looking forward to seeing the BBC series when i have finished it.
 
Joined
Sep 15, 2015
Messages
66
Location
Australia
I found seveneyes very heavy going and disappointing - think Neal Stephenson channeling Kim Stanley Robinson for huge not required info dumps. I very much enjoyed Snowcrash.
Have you read Diamond Age? For me it is Stephenson's best.
 
Joined
Sep 2, 2010
Messages
1,460
Location
Melbourne, Australia
I have the Golem and Djinni on hold at my local library. I suspect it will be available in the next couple of weeks. The rest of your suggestions have been added to my "to read list" Over 200 books on it-worst then my game backlog!! Diamond age was not in my library, (just had a look). So will have to buy this one.
 
Joined
Sep 15, 2015
Messages
66
Location
Australia
Reading The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi right now.

Unfortunately for me its his worst book. Its in a similar dystopian world which he has created but his other books (I've read them all) just have a better story and characters. Its been hard for me to get interested in what is happening this time.
 
Back
Top Bottom