Spoilers What Book Are You Reading?

[fitshaced]

Well, as I mentioned in an earlier post, the first two are the weakest in the series (for different reasons); they actually do become excellent from the third book on.

I might pick them up from book three then. I sort of know what happens. Harry gets told 'yer a wizard 'arry', goes to a wizard school, meets some mates, is really good at spells and flying then gets in trouble with the staff. He proves to be morally and magically superior to Alan Rickman (who secretly knows the full Harry Potter story before anyone else).

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I might pick them up from book three then. I sort of know what happens. Harry gets told 'yer a wizard 'arry', goes to a wizard school, meets some mates, is really good at spells and flying then gets in trouble with the staff. He proves to be morally and magically superior to Alan Rickman (who secretly knows the full Harry Potter story before anyone else).

Ah, no, not quite: Alan Rickman (who played Professor Severus Snape) is not who Harry proves himself morally and magically superior to.

The thing is, all seven books build on what went before - it is like subtle layering process of very elaborate story telling, a little more is unveiled in each book, adding to the rich world building and credibility of this world.

 

[fitshaced]

Ah, no, not quite: Alan Rickman (who played Professor Severus Snape) is not who Harry proves himself morally and magically superior to.

The thing is, all seven books build on what went before - it is like subtle layering process of very elaborate story telling, a little more is unveiled in each book, adding to the rich world building and credibility of this world.

So sort of like in app purchases. I don't think I'm ready for Harry Potter. I'm in counselling since Clash of Clans. That was a joke, I'd never admit to counselling.

 

[millerj123]

I'm rather partial to Garth Nix (his Abhorsen trilogy series is outstanding), while Scott Lynch (the Gentlemen Bastard series), Jonathan Stroud (the Bartimaeus series which is excellent and highly original), Carol Berg (most of what she has written), and Brandon Sanderson (his Mistborn series) are all well worth looking at.

I've started the first of the Mistborn series, as well as Sanderson's Superhero series starting with Steelheart which were both very entertaining, and I loved the entire Bartimaeus series, so I'm putting Nix, Lynch and Berg on my list.
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So sort of like in app purchases. I don't think I'm ready for Harry Potter. I'm in counselling since Clash of Clans. That was a joke, I'd never admit to counselling.

This is all just too bad. I refuse to do in-app purchases, paid for beta tests or most any games like Clash of Clans.

However, my dad recommended the Harry Potter series after book one had been published, and I've been following them ever since. They aren't The Best Books Written, but they are Really Good. The world depicted is interesting, the characters for the most part are intriguing, and the story gets better as it goes. It's not always happy, but in real life, nothing is. You deal with the hand you are dealt.

Yeah, better not to admit to counseling. There are social stigmas about that. ;-)

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I've started the first of the Mistborn series, as well as Sanderson's Superhero series starting with Steelheart which were both very entertaining, and I loved the entire Bartimaeus series, so I'm putting Nix, Lynch and Berg on my list.
[doublepost=1453678534][/doublepost]
This is all just too bad. I refuse to do in-app purchases, paid for beta tests or most any games like Clash of Clans.

However, my dad recommended the Harry Potter series after book one had been published, and I've been following them ever since. They aren't The Best Books Written, but they are Really Good. The world depicted is interesting, the characters for the most part are intriguing, and the story gets better as it goes. It's not always happy, but in real life, nothing is. You deal with the hand you are dealt.

Yeah, better not to admit to counseling. There are social stigmas about that. ;-)

Ah, very good (pity that there isn't an emoticon for rubbing hands in gleeful agreement). Anyway, agreed re Harry Potter.

Take a look, also, at Philip Pullman - both his Sally Lockhart quartet and his Northern Lights trilogy are also worth a nice, long hard look.

 

[LizKat]

Yeah, better not to admit to counseling. There are social stigmas about that. ;-)

Heh, still even now, yes, in some quarters... but just as an aside: the social stigma occasionally proves more appealing to a person than does a diagnosed prospect of certain death due to lack of treatment. Whatever. It’s an option up to the moment it’s not...

I’m resuming a read of Penelope Fitzgerald’s The Blue Flower. I had misplaced it ages ago and looked for it to no avail for weeks, finally figured I’d left it somewhere else. This afternoon I found it behind A Taste of India, which cookbook I needed to consult for a recipe using lamb, spinach and a raft of spices of which I couldn’t remember proportions. So hang the spinach and lamb, I’m eating Cheerios and reading the Fitzgerald instead. It’s excellent (i.e., far, far better than the Cheerios). I love the occasional glimpse into the entries in Sophie’s diary. So plainspoken and matter of fact but so alluring in their faint mysteries.

Saturday September 15th
The painter did not come downstairs to drink schnapps with us.​

Sunday September 16th
The painter did not come to the Lord’s service with us.

Monday September 17th
My stepfather said, is that painter fellow still upstairs, let us
hope he has not got any of the maids to bed with him.​

 

[TPadden]

.....There are a number of historians who have written one or two superb books.......

I'm enjoying Harry Sidebottom's Warrior of Rome series.

http://www.harrysidebottom.co.uk/book-categories/warrior-of-rome/

 

[iPhilPHX]

The Crook Factory, by Dan Simmons

 

[von franklin]

Hyena, By Jude Angelini

 

[rhett7660]

Currently reading the following:

Graphic Novels:
Wayword
Civil War

Novels:
Complete collection of H.P. Lovecraft. Reading: "The Call of Cthulhu"

 

[ThisBougieLife]

Yesterday I read through Borges' final collection, "Shakespeare's Memory". I've been reading Borges' complete fictional works since about last year. I'm disappointed now that I've read it all (in the sense that I miss it). I think I could safely say that he's my favorite author now (never thought I'd say that about an author who wrote nothing but short stories).

 

[Scepticalscribe]

While I mostly read history and politics (and economic history, and occasional science) as fact, and sometimes escape into uplifting fiction, for real relaxation, I rather like fantasy.

Tonight, I am reading "Bands Of Mourning" by Brandon Sanderson.

 

[ucfgrad93]

I am currently reading Full-Rip 9.0: The Next Big Earthquake in the Pacific Northwest

Very interesting read about the science and politics of earthquake predictions.

 

[JamesMike]

I am currently reading Full-Rip 9.0: The Next Big Earthquake in the Pacific Northwest

Very interesting read about the science and politics of earthquake predictions.

View attachment 612674

When you finish the book, could you give feedback, I'm from that area?

 

[ameriMacka]

capones -> cosmic cantina

 

[ucfgrad93]

When you finish the book, could you give feedback, I'm from that area?

I'm about a third of the way through the book and I really like it. It is well written and gives enough scientific information without overwhelming the reader. It really goes in depth about the changing scientific opinion about how seismically active the area is/has been/could be. I highly recommend it.

 

[bradl]

When you finish the book, could you give feedback, I'm from that area?

Goes double for me, as we're more than likely moving to the area this year.

I'm about a third of the way through the book and I really like it. It is well written and gives enough scientific information without overwhelming the reader. It really goes in depth about the changing scientific opinion about how seismically active the area is/has been/could be. I highly recommend it.

Knowing that this is on the eastern side of the Ring of Fire makes me wonder what impact something like this would have, especially considering Mt. Hood and Mt. St. Helens not being far from the area.

BL.

 

[Huntn]

Finished The Martian, thumbs up!

​

Good read, glad it was not over the top, and hopefully the movie will closely follow the book. Most interesting was how technology was utilized in this survival drama to overcome life threatening obstacles. And I'm glad the author did his technical homework.

Have yet to see the movie, but while reading I had pictured Irrfan Khan in the role of Vincent Kapoor, who played the CEO of Jurrasic World, but no. No biggy.

 

[ucfgrad93]

Finished The Martian, thumbs up!

​

Good read, glad it was not over the top, and hopefully the movie will closely follow the book. Most interesting was how technology was utilized in this survival drama to overcome life threatening obstacles. And I'm glad the author did his technical homework.

Have yet to see the movie, but while reading I had pictured Irrfan Khan in the role of Vincent Kapoor, who played the CEO of Jurrasic World, but no. No biggy.

I haven't read the book, it is on my TBR list, but I really enjoyed the movie. Actually, I've watched it a couple of times.

 

[cdcastillo]

Never read any of his stuff but if he is also a bad writer, he would be good company for Andy Weir.

Anatem!!

 

[JoshMKB24]

Just finished "Damn Few: Making the Modern SEAL Warrior" by Rorke Denver. He did operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and also most recently helped develop the training/recruitment for the SEALs as well as was 1 of the guys in the movie "Act of Valor"

Next up I have "Service: A Navy Seal At War" by Marcus Luttrell(Lone Survivor guy) and "The Secret History Of Joint Special Operations Command: Relentless Strike" by Sean Naylor

 

[Don't panic]

Just finished The Martian and glad it's over. It was really badly written. It seemed like Andy Weir put a lot of work into the scientific research and then wrote the book the following weekend. I can see the massive potential in it and I expect it made a better movie than book.

interesting.
you are the first person i come across who didn't like it.

from my most recent crop of books:

American Gods, Neil Gaiman ***

interesting and original, cool take on mythology. Came so highly recommended that it was actually a bit of a delusion, but still quite good notwithstanding some glaring holes.

Fortune smiles, by Adam Johnson ****

Six (longish) short stories by the author of (the excellent) "the orphan master's son". Weird, but very well written, and quite captivating

Zodiac, by Neal Stephenson ***

no as good as cryptonomicon or anathem, but a very enjoyable read. didn't age that well and the bio stuff is iffy


Snuff, Terry pratchett ****

another brilliant work by terry pratchett, featuring one of his best creations, commander Sam Vimes.

A wizard of Earthsea, Ursula K Le Guin *

i picked this one up because it is a constant in many "best fantasy" lists
maybe it needs to be read as a youngling (although i read a lot of kids/YA books with my kids and usually enjoy them), or maybe it didn't age well, but bleh.
poorly written, questionable story. i'll pass on the rest of the earthsea world

Luke skywalker can't read, Ryan Britt ***

a compendium of essays on all sort of geeky subjects. highly entertaining and some very good points.
for geeks only


currently reading:
Measuring the world, Daniel Kehlmann

a fictional biography of mathematician genius and socially inept Carl Friedrich Gauss and Prussian explorer and aristocrat Alexander von Humboldt. So far, amusing and brilliant.

 

[pachyderm]

interesting.
you are the first person i come across who didn't like it.

from my most recent crop of books:

American Gods, Neil Gaiman ***

interesting and original, cool take on mythology. Came so highly recommended that it was actually a bit of a delusion, but still quite good notwithstanding some glaring holes.

Fortune smiles, by Adam Johnson ****

Six (longish) short stories by the author of (the excellent) "the orphan master's son". Weird, but very well written, and quite captivating



...


currently reading:
Measuring the world, Daniel Kehlmann

a fictional biography of mathematician genius and socially inept Carl Friedrich Gauss and Prussian explorer and aristocrat Alexander von Humboldt. So far, amusing and brilliant.

AG is one of my recent faves.

Imma look into those other two.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

interesting.
you are the first person i come across who didn't like it.

from my most recent crop of books:

American Gods, Neil Gaiman ***

interesting and original, cool take on mythology. Came so highly recommended that it was actually a bit of a delusion, but still quite good notwithstanding some glaring holes.

Fortune smiles, by Adam Johnson ****

Six (longish) short stories by the author of (the excellent) "the orphan master's son". Weird, but very well written, and quite captivating

Zodiac, by Neal Stephenson ***

no as good as cryptonomicon or anathem, but a very enjoyable read. didn't age that well and the bio stuff is iffy


Snuff, Terry pratchett ****

another brilliant work by terry pratchett, featuring one of his best creations, commander Sam Vimes.

A wizard of Earthsea, Ursula K Le Guin *

i picked this one up because it is a constant in many "best fantasy" lists
maybe it needs to be read as a youngling (although i read a lot of kids/YA books with my kids and usually enjoy them), or maybe it didn't age well, but bleh.
poorly written, questionable story. i'll pass on the rest of the earthsea world

Luke skywalker can't read, Ryan Britt ***

a compendium of essays on all sort of geeky subjects. highly entertaining and some very good points.
for geeks only


currently reading:
Measuring the world, Daniel Kehlmann

a fictional biography of mathematician genius and socially inept Carl Friedrich Gauss and Prussian explorer and aristocrat Alexander von Humboldt. So far, amusing and brilliant.

I haven't read the Ursula Le Guin, but I'd imagine that - as with many of the Founders of that sort of writing, their worth is in the fact that they did it, and made this field respectable; I don't doubt that many of the early writers in the field have dated considerably.

Now, a heretical thought: I'll admit to having been less than awestruck by some of what the revered Mr Tolkien wrote - even though it is a seminal classic, and brilliant in parts, I personally think that TLOTR is a deeply flawed work, and the Silmarilion left me bored to tears and struggling (hard) to finish it - and this is from someone who is an avid reader.

Your comments on Neal Stephenson are noted - and I write as someone who loved some of his earlier stuff, and agreed, Terry Prachett is always wonderful, especially when either Granny Weatherwax of Commander Vimes get to play a leading role in the book.

'Measuring the World' sounds fascinating. Let us know how it turns out.

Ah, Mr Gaiman: I read one of his books a few years ago, and rather liked it. Do you recommend 'American Gods'?

 

[Don't panic]

I haven't read the Ursula Le Guin, but I'd imagine that - as with many of the Founders of that sort of writing, their worth is in the fact that they did it, and made this field respectable; I don't doubt that many of the early writers in the field have dated considerably.

Now, a heretical thought: I'll admit to having been less than awestruck by some of what the revered Mr Tolkien wrote - even though it is a seminal classic, and brilliant in parts, I personally think that TLOTR is a deeply flawed work, and the Silmarilion left me bored to tears and struggling (hard) to finish it - and this is from someone who is an avid reader.

Your comments on Neal Stephenson are noted - and I write as someone who loved some of his earlier stuff, and agreed, Terry Prachett is always wonderful, especially when either Granny Weatherwax of Commander Vimes get to play a leading role in the book.

'Measuring the World' sounds fascinating. Let us know how it turns out.

Ah, Mr Gaiman: I read one of his books a few years ago, and rather liked it. Do you recommend 'American Gods'?

i think you would enjoy American Gods. it is not without flaws, but it is certainly well written and it has a mix of mistery/historical mythology/fantasy that i think you'd find appealing.

as far as Ursula LeGuin, you might be right, and maybe in 1968 it was "better" relative to what was available then. but it certainly is eons removed from Tolkien both in terms of world building, storytelling and writing.
She is very influential and i haven't read anything else by her so i will withdraw any broader judgment, as i imagine her best work is elsewhere. btw, you would NOT like the treatment of women in this book (especially considering a woman wrote it)

re: Neal Stephenson, my fav work of his is Cryptonomicon. really loved that one.