What book(s) are you reading?

[fomalhaut]

Harry Potter Der Stein der Weisen
yay

[Groogrux]

I've been having trouble getting motivated to read AFFC here lately.  I can't tell if I got burnt out on reading so much so fast, or if I really just didn't like the opening.

[fistfulofmetal]

Using the Kindle book lending thing i rented The Hunger Games

about a quarter way through. it's not bad. the writing is pretty dry and some of the sentence structure is a bit awkward but it's decent. i'm waiting for the actual hunger games to begin.

[Ninja]

I've been having trouble getting motivated to read AFFC here lately.  I can't tell if I got burnt out on reading so much so fast, or if I really just didn't like the opening.

Yeah, I flew through ASOIF up to ASOS and now I'm finding A Feast For Crows a lot less engaging. It's very slow-paced which is a little jarring, especially after the ridiculously action-packed ASOS.

[Phoenix Dark]

Yea AFFC is kind of love-or-hate. The second and third books were non-stop plot escalation whereas AFFC deals with the aftermath of things

[Narag]

Using the Kindle book lending thing i rented The Hunger Games

about a quarter way through. it's not bad. the writing is pretty dry and some of the sentence structure is a bit awkward but it's decent. i'm waiting for the actual hunger games to begin.

Really enjoyed that first book, not so much the sequels.

I've been having trouble getting motivated to read AFFC here lately.  I can't tell if I got burnt out on reading so much so fast, or if I really just didn't like the opening.

Yeah, I flew through ASOIF up to ASOS and now I'm finding A Feast For Crows a lot less engaging. It's very slow-paced which is a little jarring, especially after the ridiculously action-packed ASOS.

Couldn't put AFFC down myself. It's a break in the action but some of the setups in that book coerced me into jumping right into ADWD when I'd finished it.

[MrAngryFace]

Loved this, need to get the other collection.

[Narag]

I had similar feelings with the Consul's tale down the line. It stuck with me longer than anything else in the book.

[fistfulofmetal]

Really enjoyed that first book, not so much the sequels.

they really bad? i finished it and it sucks that it ends on a cliffhangery note.

edit: seems it goes with a "revolution" angle. kinda figured as much

[Narag]

Really enjoyed that first book, not so much the sequels.

they really bad? i finished it and it sucks that it ends on a cliffhangery note.

edit: seems it goes with a "revolution" angle. kinda figured as much

Quality diminishes as ones goes on, at least that's how I feel.  Not so much bad but didn't go in a direction I cared for.  Don't let that stop you if you enjoyed the first though.

[Narag]

Get right to it. So damn good.

[Cormacaroni]

I love the Hyperion Cantos but he kinda lost me with Olympos. There is lots of great stuff in there but man, is it messy. Never actually finished the 2nd book.

[fistfulofmetal]

Quality diminishes as ones goes on, at least that's how I feel.  Not so much bad but didn't go in a direction I cared for.  Don't let that stop you if you enjoyed the first though.

I just finished Catching Fire this morning. Not bad, all told. There's definitely a case of "been there, done that" since it follows the same structure but I think there was enough twist in events to keep it interesting.

The writing is still pretty dry but the story being told is interesting and it keeps me wanting to know what will happen next. I though the Games section was pretty entertaining.

Gonna start Mockingjay tomorrow.

[nice cat but chicken]

I've been having trouble getting motivated to read AFFC here lately.  I can't tell if I got burnt out on reading so much so fast, or if I really just didn't like the opening.

this. i powered through the first three in about a week each but AFFC took me like 2 months (partially due to exams). it was actually just as satisfying in the end i thought. probably just the milieu of new characters and an initial scaling back of the action that slowed me down.
after exams i thrashed ADWD in a bit less than a week. now i'm sad.

reading Dubliners very casually at the moment.

[nice cat but chicken]

Araby

this is the name of the chapter i stopped at. i take it i'm in for a treat?

[Don Flamenco]

got IQ84 sitting my shelf, absorbing it through osmosis 

maybe i'll get to read it over break

but I'm starting to suspect, with the amount of books I buy a year vs. how many I actually read (about 20 : 0 ratio), that I like the idea of books better than reading them themselves.  So I know enough to know that IQ84 is probably a wonderful book and that Murakami is one of my favorite writers, but I'm just too damn distracted.  not sure if that makes sense!

it's terrible though, makes some people think I just want to have books on my shelves to look smart.  I only took books I haven't read to my apartment when I moved out, so people come over, pick out books, ask me how they are and I'm all "I dunno"

[CajoleJuice]

got IQ84 sitting my shelf, absorbing it through osmosis 

maybe i'll get to read it over break

but I'm starting to suspect, with the amount of books I buy a year vs. how many I actually read (about 20 : 0 ratio), that I like the idea of books better than reading them themselves.  So I know enough to know that IQ84 is probably a wonderful book and that Murakami is one of my favorite writers, but I'm just too damn distracted.  not sure if that makes sense!

it's terrible though, makes some people think I just want to have books on my shelves to look smart.  I only took books I haven't read to my apartment when I moved out, so people come over, pick out books, ask me how they are and I'm all "I dunno"

hahaha I did the same thing but I've already gotten through most of the books just so this wouldn't happen

[Timber]

How many handjobs do you think are in 1Q84? It's like a thousand pages long so I'm guessing at least twenty. Got to be at least twenty handjobs.

[Don Flamenco]

i hope he reuses the phrase "tuft of pubic hair" in it. i spent like 10 minutes imagining a "tuft" when i read that line in wind-up bird.

[Barry Egan]

Holy fuck, that was one of the best chapters in the history of literature.

SMmotherfuckinH

[Barry Egan]

yeah, yeah.  We'll see what your next account has to say about it. 

[fistfulofmetal]

I finished The Hunger Games trilogy. IMO, The Hunger Games > Mockingjay > Catching Fire. The second felt too "been there, done that" while the third delved into a different territory with some interesting plot twists. I also enjoyed the way it ended.

Sooo, trying to decide what to move on to next. I'm thinking something by Stephen King. I hear his two latest books are pretty good. Under the Dome and the most recent i can't remember the title of. Any suggestions?

[Cormacaroni]

Finished all the Jack Reacher books (15!) so this series will likely be my crime/thriller fix for the forseeable.

Really enjoying this - a history of and practical guide to rhetoric by Guardian columnist Sam Leith:

[Mr. Gundam]

My wife rocks. We opened presents tonight since we're leaving for Nebraska in the morning and don't want to lug them with us.

She got me an autorgraphed advance copy of Kafka on the Shore. It's the version they send out to critics and bookstore owners well before it releases to the public. Autographed by Murakami!

[CajoleJuice]

Not far into it at all, but fuck it's good.

[Eric P]

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I missed that you were reading these.  I love the Stark books.  Ruthlessly pragmatic and efficient. 

Let me know if you're interested in that era of crime fiction (40s - 70s post-pulp paperback era) because I've recently started reading a hell of a lot of them and can shoot you some links. 

[chronovore]

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I missed that you were reading these.  I love the Stark books.  Ruthlessly pragmatic and efficient. 

Let me know if you're interested in that era of crime fiction (40s - 70s post-pulp paperback era) because I've recently started reading a hell of a lot of them and can shoot you some links.

Shoot us some links. I love crime fiction. I have a big chub for Elmore Leonard and Andrew Vacchs.

[Eric P]

have you read any Joe Lansdale?  He does all kinds of stuff, but his crime fiction is top notch.
Check out the Hap and Leonard series.  The first book is kind of weak but 2 -5 are great.  After that they kind of fall into series overreach territory.

Fredric Brown was an amazingly prolific writer.  He did a lot of crime stories but he also did a lot of sci-fi, almost all of them in the pulps.  His books are hit and miss.  When they hit, they're omfg amazing, when they miss they're still kind of entertaining, but as the dude was just cranking these out, it's not too surprising.
This will get you started  http://www.munseys.com/detail/mode/author/fredric_brown  Check out The Screaming MiMi and The Fabulous Clipjoint.  The Screaming Mimi is the basis for like every Italian horror film ever.

David Goodis is a guy I just started reading.  I really liked Night Squad.  I have Cassidy's Girl lined up at some point in the near future. http://www.munseys.com/detail/mode/author/David_Goodis

[fistfulofmetal]

i've been reading Under the Dome by Stephen King for the last month or so (only reading for about 40minutes to and hour a day at the most)

I'm enjoying it but King takes sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo long to get going and his writing is sooooooooooooooooooooo long winded. i'm about half way through it and it's picking up considerably.

it's clearly very much in the same vein as The Mist, which I like.

also it seems to me that the book was written in a very "movie" like fashion. every chapter is a small scene that I could see easily being adapted to a tv show or a mini-series. i'm not really up on all Stephen King beyond The Dark Tower so i dunno if this is just how he writes.

[Eel O'Brian]

there's a point in king's career where you can clearly tell editors either grew too afraid to actually edit his work, or he grew big enough to tell them to fuck off and print it as-is

for me, it starts around the tommyknockers (although IT has a really shitty "i've written myself into a corner" ending)

his short story work remains pretty solid, though

[Himu]

Reading Jonathon Strange and Mr. Norrell. Pleasantly pleased.

[chronovore]

have you read any Joe Lansdale?  He does all kinds of stuff, but his crime fiction is top notch.
Check out the Hap and Leonard series.  The first book is kind of weak but 2 -5 are great.  After that they kind of fall into series overreach territory.

Fredric Brown was an amazingly prolific writer.  He did a lot of crime stories but he also did a lot of sci-fi, almost all of them in the pulps.  His books are hit and miss.  When they hit, they're omfg amazing, when they miss they're still kind of entertaining, but as the dude was just cranking these out, it's not too surprising.
This will get you started  http://www.munseys.com/detail/mode/author/fredric_brown  Check out The Screaming MiMi and The Fabulous Clipjoint.  The Screaming Mimi is the basis for like every Italian horror film ever.

David Goodis is a guy I just started reading.  I really liked Night Squad.  I have Cassidy's Girl lined up at some point in the near future. http://www.munseys.com/detail/mode/author/David_Goodis

Thanks! I've pasted this note into my shopping list...

[Cerveza mas fina]

i've been reading Under the Dome by Stephen King for the last month or so (only reading for about 40minutes to and hour a day at the most)

I'm enjoying it but King takes sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo long to get going and his writing is sooooooooooooooooooooo long winded. i'm about half way through it and it's picking up considerably.

it's clearly very much in the same vein as The Mist, which I like.

also it seems to me that the book was written in a very "movie" like fashion. every chapter is a small scene that I could see easily being adapted to a tv show or a mini-series. i'm not really up on all Stephen King beyond The Dark Tower so i dunno if this is just how he writes.

Ive always been a fan of Kings shorter books and short stories. Even liked his new stuff like Cell and Duma Key.

The sheer size of this books puts me off, plus I remember some review said it's focussed on US politics, is this true?

[MrAngryFace]

Almost finished with this; I wouldnt say its better or worse than the first book 'Faith and Fire'; James Swallow seems incredibly consistent in term of the quality of his writing. Plus omg Necronz and magic swordz! I've always preferred the more zealous warriors of the 40k universe since they tend to do a better job embodying the unyeilding faith in the emperor that allows the imperium to even exist. Grey Knights and Sisters of Battle are tops.

[Himu]

Jonathon Strange and Mr. Norrell is fantastic. I'm averaging 100 pages a day and should be done by next week. One of the most fabulously wonderful books I have ever had the opportunity to read. Such a refreshing fantasy novel that separates itself from a very canned and sterile pack; I have covered my distaste with a lot of modern fantasy novels in the past, and this book does every single thing right to ratify my misgiving towards the genre. Absolutely stupendous. And such a wonderfully colorful cast of characters! Jane Austen would be so proud.

[recursivelyenumerable]

I'm reading GILES GOAT-BOY by John Barth. It's, um.

[fistfulofmetal]

Ive always been a fan of Kings shorter books and short stories. Even liked his new stuff like Cell and Duma Key.

The sheer size of this books puts me off, plus I remember some review said it's focussed on US politics, is this true?

halfway through... i can see some commentary going on. specifically with the "villain". but for the most part, the outside world isn't seen as the bad guys. the focus is firmly on the evil inside the dome.

then again, there's plenty left.

[Robo]

reading The Wasp Factory.  WUT

[Eric P]

JUST WAIT!

[Himu]

Should be done tonight. Probably the best fantasy book I've ever read.

[Cheebo]

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Should be done tonight. Probably the best fantasy book I've ever read.

Cute book but to put it up against stuff like Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, A Song of Ice and Fire, etc?

[Mandark]

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/410A553CR8L._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg

Should be done tonight. Probably the best fantasy book I've ever read.

Cute book but to put it up against stuff like Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, A Song of Ice and Fire, etc?

One question.

[Eric P]

I click that link and it goes to Amazon.com's main page.

The best fantasy books I'd ever read were Moorcock's Dancers at the End of Time series; Edwardian comedies of manners set at the end of days. 

Currently reading Saban's The Sound of His Horn which is about Nazis winning WW2 meets Connell's Most Dangerous Games.

[Himu]

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Should be done tonight. Probably the best fantasy book I've ever read.

Cute book but to put it up against stuff like Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, A Song of Ice and Fire, etc?

lol

Lord of the Rings is a tiresome slog, The Hobbit is a children's book, and Song of Ice and Fire's latest book was pap.

[Cheebo]

Moorcock is amazing. Glad someone else likes that series.

[Eric P]

I have a shelf full of Dick and Moorcock than you can shake a wang at.

edit: i may have been drinking

[Himu]

I will never understand why people put LotR on such a pedestal and this is coming from a fan of the series. Those books are horrifically paced and written.

[Cheebo]

I will never understand why people put LotR on such a pedestal and this is coming from a fan of the series. Those books are horrifically paced and written.

It basically invented the modern fantasy genre.

[Himu]

So?

[Phoenix Dark]

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Should be done tonight. Probably the best fantasy book I've ever read.

It's ok I guess but Harry Potter is tons better. I'm sure the film will be better

[Himu]

At the time they were written, the books had a very unique style.  The slow pace made the world pop even more, and given that world was a pretty new one, it bowled people over.  It's not hard to see how the series got put on that pedestal.

How they've stayed there is just hype and tradition.

It's understandable how it was put on a pedestal, mostly due to the world and the details of that world. But to me mentioning Lord of the Rings in a best fantasy novel discussion is akin to bringing up Final Fantasy VII in a best rpg discussion.

[Eric P]

i'm curious what you would consider the best then.

[Himu]

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Should be done tonight. Probably the best fantasy book I've ever read.

It's ok I guess but Harry Potter is tons better. I'm sure the film will be better

The lore in Jonathon Strange and Mr. Norrell, is refreshing for a fantasy novel. The amount of details in the novel rivals Tolkien, except without the fluff.

I realize that Jonathon Strange is not for everyone. It constantly goes into random, lengthy footnotes which for all intents and purposes add to the lore of the book. But unlike say, Lord of the Rings, which constantly drops its random loot, Jonathon Strange and Mr. Norrell builds upon lore after lore, making the world rich with details. The fact it exists in our own world makes it even more approachable and enticing.

Still, I think the book has a lot of personality and I enjoy the writing. It's an interesting novel in that it takes place in a specific period but the story is not in any defined by the period. Very Harry Potter-esque and certainly different from other fantasy. I find it refreshing that it's not wave your wand and have fire shooting out the tip fantasy, but fantasy with a far more grand scale, almost godly, if I were to use a random descriptor.

Factor all of this in with comedy addled social commentary which reeks of Jane Austen and you have a book that I adore.

[Phoenix Dark]

(Image removed from quote.)

Should be done tonight. Probably the best fantasy book I've ever read.

It's ok I guess but Harry Potter is tons better. I'm sure the film will be better

The lore in Jonathon Strange and Mr. Norrell, is refreshing for a fantasy novel. The amount of details in the novel rivals Tolkien, except without the fluff.

I realize that Jonathon Strange is not for everyone. It constantly goes into random, lengthy footnotes which for all intents and purposes add to the lore of the book. But unlike say, Lord of the Rings, which constantly drops its random loot, Jonathon Strange and Mr. Norrell builds upon lore after lore, making the world rich with details. The fact it exists in our own world makes it even more approachable and enticing.

Still, I think the book has a lot of personality and I enjoy the writing. It's an interesting novel in that it takes place in a specific period but the story is not in any defined by the period. Very Harry Potter-esque and certainly different from other fantasy. I find it refreshing that it's not wave your wand and have fire shooting out the tip fantasy, but fantasy with a far more grand scale, almost godly, if I were to use a random descriptor.

Factor all of this in with comedy addled social commentary which reeks of Jane Austen and you have a book that I adore.

I was hoping for a different response to that troll 

[Himu]

i'm curious what you would consider the best then.

To be honest here, fantasy's not really my genre, but fantasy novels I am partial to include:

The first book of Malazan (I need to finish this series)
The Blade Itself
Jonathon Strange and Mr. Norrell
Neverwhere

I also enjoy the earlier books of the Song of Ice and Fire series.

It's understandable how it was put on a pedestal, mostly due to the world and the details of that world. But to me mentioning Lord of the Rings in a best fantasy novel discussion is akin to bringing up Final Fantasy VII in a best rpg discussion.

Best fantasy novel is just a tallest midget contest anyway.  Harlequin Romances have a better quality average.

Agreed. Fantasy is probably the last thing I can get myself to read. I only pick up fantasy if someone suggests something interesting.

[Cheebo]

Fantasy novels are mostly awful but damnit they are really fun while being awful a lot of the time.

[Eric P]

I think the issue is that most of what people come across is modern pulp fantasy crap

I think the best fantasy is being published under the "weird" moniker and may actually be unrecognizable to "fans" of the genre.

If anyone would like a really illuminating experience, check out Jeff and Ann Vandermeer's massive "Weird" anthology covering over 100 years of unusual fiction.

Check out the new and excellent http://weirdfictionreview.com/

[MrAngryFace]

40k books are best haw hawwwwww

[Joe Molotov]

reading The Wasp Factory.  WUT

awesome book

[Cormacaroni]

If your preconception of 'fantasy' is Wheel of Time or whatever, you can justify the 'Harlequin romance' sneering a bit I guess. But it just reveals your ignorance of over a hundred years of exotic fiction, from Clark Ashton Smith, Howard and Lovecraft, to Tolkien, Lieber, Zelazny and Vance, to Clive Barker (not best known for his fantasy but 'Imajica' is a towering, stunning work), Jonathan Carroll and China Mieville.

Here's a list to get you started
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fantasy_Masterworks