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ucfgrad93

macrumors Core
Aug 17, 2007
19,579
10,875
Colorado
I am currently reading this on my Kindle.
 

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steviem

macrumors 68020
May 26, 2006
2,218
4
New York, Baby!
I'm reading "Learn Python the hard way".

Trying to see if I have enough patience to learn coding. So far, so good. Onto Exercise 17 (out of 52, I think), when I started on it yesterday.

All I've really done in the past was a semester of Pascal, which wasn't very interesting and I blasted through it, about 10 years ago, and some Javascript in a LifeHacker 'Night School' series, but didn't really see where I could apply what I'd learnt in that. I think that has been my problem. Not seeing how I can apply things in a real life situation, but I'm seeing some cool things with Python so far, hopefully when I finish this, I'll try learning some C or Objective-C so I can use my Developer Program account properly ;)
 

Heilage

macrumors 68030
May 1, 2009
2,592
0
A Song of Ice and Fire - A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin.

Three chapters in, I'm already hooked. Even after having watched the show.
 

Huntn

macrumors Core
Original poster
May 5, 2008
23,972
27,054
The Misty Mountains
A Song of Ice and Fire - A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin.

Three chapters in, I'm already hooked. Even after having watched the show.

I too watched the HBO show. I'm 400 pages in and this is one of best stories I've read in a long time. Not only is the show true to the book, but the book has some of the richest characterizations and great dialog. It's wonderful... :)

200px-WikiFullASoIaFSizeEdit.JPG
 

Scepticalscribe

macrumors Haswell
Jul 29, 2008
65,135
47,524
In a coffee shop.
I read a lot of fantasy for fun and pleasure (and read the other stuff for work related activities) and am always on the look-out for new and interesting stuff to read.

Is this series really as good as you guys say it is? Is it worth losing oneself in it for hours (nay, days) on end?
 

Queen of Spades

macrumors 68030
May 9, 2008
2,644
132
The Iron Throne
I read a lot of fantasy for fun and pleasure (and read the other stuff for work related activities) and am always on the look-out for new and interesting stuff to read.

Is this series really as good as you guys say it is? Is it worth losing oneself in it for hours (nay, days) on end?

Yes, definitely. And the show is fantastic. I watched all ten episodes in like a day and a half. Highly recommend both.

Currently reading Stieg Larsson's "The Girl Who Played with Fire"

One of my favorites this year - books two and three are better than one, just FYI. Great trilogy, though, as I'm a fan of complex, non-useless female characters.
 

Scepticalscribe

macrumors Haswell
Jul 29, 2008
65,135
47,524
In a coffee shop.
Currently reading Stieg Larsson's "The Girl Who Played with Fire" and will start C.S. Lewis' "The Screwtape Letters" later this afternoon.

Stieg Larsson is brilliant; actually, addictive - and, as many others have posted, in some ways, books two and three are even better than the first one.

Yes, definitely. And the show is fantastic. I watched all ten episodes in like a day and a half. Highly recommend both.



One of my favorites this year - books two and three are better than one, just FYI. Great trilogy, though, as I'm a fan of complex, non-useless female characters.

Thanks for responding with a positive report on this; while I read a lot of history, politics & related matters - mostly for work but also for pleasure, for sheer relaxation, I love good fantasy. Again, as it happened - I saw them today in a book shop while asking about some of my favourites (Scott Lynch, Garth Nix, Trudi Canavan, Carol Berg, Hilary Mantel - of whom, only Carol Berg is due to have a book published in the next few months.....) and must say that my interest was stirred by them.
 

Huntn

macrumors Core
Original poster
May 5, 2008
23,972
27,054
The Misty Mountains
I read a lot of fantasy for fun and pleasure (and read the other stuff for work related activities) and am always on the look-out for new and interesting stuff to read.

Is this series really as good as you guys say it is? Is it worth losing oneself in it for hours (nay, days) on end?

I'm still on Book 1 (Game of Thrones) so I can't vouch for the entire series, but so far, I'm hooked hard. This is better than the HBO series (which is also good), although I must admit media is powerful and I'm visualizing all of the characters based on the HBO show. Now I'm in a dilemma. I have to decide if I want to read the Second Book first or enjoy it on HBO first. :)

Thoughts anyone?
 

Queen of Spades

macrumors 68030
May 9, 2008
2,644
132
The Iron Throne
I'm still on Book 1 (Game of Thrones) so I can't vouch for the entire series, but so far, I'm hooked hard. This is better than the HBO series (which is also good), although I must admit media is powerful and I'm visualizing all of the characters based on the HBO show. Now I'm in a dilemma. I have to decide if I want to read the Second Book first or enjoy it on HBO first. :)

Thoughts anyone?

It was a really tough decision, but I decided to wait to read book two until after season two airs this spring. My reasoning is that the books go further in depth than the show, so there will still be some surprises and things to be revealed in reading it after season two. If I read the book now, I'll know absolutely everything that will happen down to minute details. Plus I really like being surprised visually, if that makes sense.

So that's my thinking. But believe me, I've been tempted a few times. Luckily my reading list is fairly lengthy, so I've been busying myself with other books.
 

Huntn

macrumors Core
Original poster
May 5, 2008
23,972
27,054
The Misty Mountains
It was a really tough decision, but I decided to wait to read book two until after season two airs this spring. My reasoning is that the books go further in depth than the show, so there will still be some surprises and things to be revealed in reading it after season two. If I read the book now, I'll know absolutely everything that will happen down to minute details. Plus I really like being surprised visually, if that makes sense.

So that's my thinking. But believe me, I've been tempted a few times. Luckily my reading list is fairly lengthy, so I've been busying myself with other books.

I think you are right. Thanks! :D
 

ender land

macrumors 6502a
Oct 26, 2010
876
0
I am currently reading this on my Kindle.

Sweet, I'm totally going to read this, hopeflly it's good haha. It's free to lend if you've got prime.

edit - this book was nearly a complete waste of my time. Thankfully it was free :)
 
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chrmjenkins

macrumors 603
Oct 29, 2007
5,325
158
MD
I read a lot of fantasy for fun and pleasure (and read the other stuff for work related activities) and am always on the look-out for new and interesting stuff to read.

Is this series really as good as you guys say it is? Is it worth losing oneself in it for hours (nay, days) on end?

Yes. The first book is good and the second is better. The third may be the most captivating book I've ever read (but not the most amazing. Dune retains that title). The fourth one takes a bit of a dive, but I think the fifth is just as good as the first, if not a bit better.

It was a really tough decision, but I decided to wait to read book two until after season two airs this spring. My reasoning is that the books go further in depth than the show, so there will still be some surprises and things to be revealed in reading it after season two. If I read the book now, I'll know absolutely everything that will happen down to minute details. Plus I really like being surprised visually, if that makes sense.

So that's my thinking. But believe me, I've been tempted a few times. Luckily my reading list is fairly lengthy, so I've been busying myself with other books.

That's not necessarily the case. Weiss and Beinoff aren't being completely canon. Someone died in the first season that is alive in the books, some people will show up in earlier/later seasons, etc. My guess is that they will diverge more as necessary, particularly since book 3 is simply too big to fit in a single season.
 

Huntn

macrumors Core
Original poster
May 5, 2008
23,972
27,054
The Misty Mountains
Yes. The first book is good and the second is better. The third may be the most captivating book I've ever read (but not the most amazing. Dune retains that title). The fourth one takes a bit of a dive, but I think the fifth is just as good as the first, if not a bit better.



That's not necessarily the case. Weiss and Beinoff aren't being completely canon. Someone died in the first season that is alive in the books, some people will show up in earlier/later seasons, etc. My guess is that they will diverge more as necessary, particularly since book 3 is simply too big to fit in a single season.

I'm really glad you said "someone". :D
 

Queen of Spades

macrumors 68030
May 9, 2008
2,644
132
The Iron Throne
That's not necessarily the case. Weiss and Beinoff aren't being completely canon. Someone died in the first season that is alive in the books, some people will show up in earlier/later seasons, etc. My guess is that they will diverge more as necessary, particularly since book 3 is simply too big to fit in a single season.

Interesting, but I'll probably still go show, then book. That's what I usually do when movies/tv shows come out for books I haven't yet read.
 

chrmjenkins

macrumors 603
Oct 29, 2007
5,325
158
MD
Interesting, but I'll probably still go show, then book. That's what I usually do when movies/tv shows come out for books I haven't yet read.

I think you'll be ok either way. Keep in mind that only 5/7 books are completed, and given the time between books, it's very possible that Martin could pass before finishing the series, and it could take HBO more than 7 seasons to finish the series. That's a long commitment for an expensive series.
 
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