Spoilers What Book Are You Reading?

[Scepticalscribe]

Ref: Honor Harrington Space Opera- I can’t remember the exact count, but I think I’ve read 11 of them and maintained my interest. One thing that impressed me was the structure and description of the battles, how the technology was created by the author, but presented in such a way as to not overwhelm the reader, traps being set, and usually with each new book there was new technology and strategies that usually allows the smaller Kingdom of Manticore to whup up on the larger Republic of Haven.

I have read that the 14th book has been published - in the last few years - and that this is supposed to be the conclusion of the series.

Personally, I think that the books - following the conclusion of the war between Haven and Manticore - were poor.

And I also think that David Weber didn't have the courage of his convictions, firstly, re the (absolutely appalling second) romance - I've commented on this before, but I really think that it is execrable at every level, and worse, it is a cop-out - (besides, I loathe Hamish), and secondly, re not killing - or, refusing to kill Honor Harrington, which - apparently - he had intended to do at some stage, but audience demand (and, I suspect, demands from his publishers) ensured that this didn't happen.

Moreover, I remind myself that he was writing for a mainly US audience, after all, and such an audience may not have an appetite for a hero, or heroine, or protagonist, with the sort of irregular private life that Lord Nelson had.

If you are basing your character - even loosely - on Lord Nelson, (losing an eye and losing an arm and all) - you need to bear in mind, that - firstly, remember, that he did die - or rather, he was killed - at Trafalgar, and secondly, his private life was quite scandalous.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

@Huntn: Would you like to start a separate thread about Honor Harrington - and the "Honorverse" as some fans refer to it - as you were the person who introduced me to David Weber's writing and who recommended them strongly to me, and given that you have also started a thread on the Dune books (which I never much cared for)?

I'd be more than happy to contribute.

 

[Jeffrey Hart]

Besides The Dark Tower VII, I’m also reading The Silmarillion, Vampire Hunter D, Inuyasha volume two, One Piece volume two, Dune and The Holy Bible.

 

[MisterK]

That is a rare series that I seriously struggled with - and one that I believe that Brandon Sanderson brought home and completed with respect to the original author's vision - commendably better - indeed, to my mind, far better - than Robert Jordan might have done had he lived.

I agree. The last few books that Jordan wrote in the series –often referred to by fans as "the slog" – were so slow that I thought it might be an elaborate prank. I lost interest and put the series down so often that it took me years to get through them. When Sanderson took over, it instantly felt like someone unpaused a great story.

 

[Huntn]

@Huntn: Would you like to start a separate thread about Honor Harrington - and the "Honorverse" as some fans refer to it - as you were the person who introduced me to David Weber's writing and who recommended them strongly to me, and given that you have also started a thread on the Dune books (which I never much cared for)?

I'd be more than happy to contribute.

Check here:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/honor-harrington-and-other-space-opera-book-series.2240916/page-3?post=32161403#post-32161403

As far as Dune, I loved the book, liked the second book, but there was something about the movie (remake) that did not sit with me. I will stream part 2 after it appears and give this version a second chance.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Check here:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/honor-harrington-and-other-space-opera-book-series.2240916/page-3?post=32161403#post-32161403

As far as Dune, I loved the book, liked the second book, but there was something about the movie (remake) that did not sit with me. I will stream part 2 after it appears and give this version a second chance.

Ah, excellent; thank you - for I had forgotten this thread, although I did recall that we had discussed the Honor Harrington series at some stage.

Good; delighted that you have revived it.

 

[Huntn]

I have been thinking about those writers who - while they may write many, perfectly competent books - write one book where everything - plot, character, dialogue, setting, narrative arc and narrative tension - comes together, and works exceptionally well, - a book that is simply excellent, one that you find yourself recommending to others - and where nothing else they have ever written before or since match this one (often superb, or, at the very least, excellent and compelling, moving and thought-provoking) work.

Now, some authors will keep to the same genre, or write in the same style - and for many, this is a large part of their appeal. Others manage to write excellent work no matter what they publish.

However, re the one stand out book - a truly compelling work - in a body of work several that come to mind, or, to my mind, include (and this - obviously - is by no means an exhaustive list):

Ken Follett: The Pillars of the Earth. His masterpiece.

Nothing he has written before or since - not even when he returned to the same world - equals it.

Louis de Bernières: Captain Corelli's Mandolin. A book which worked superbly on every level: Setting, story, characters, narrative.

Again, nothing he wrote prior to the publication of Captain Corelli - or, much more tellingly, nothing he has written subsequently - has come anywhere close. And I now realise that nothing he writes ever again will approach the sheer quality - depth, range - of that work.

Jean M Auel: The Clan of the Cave Bear.

The first - and unforgettable - book, which was completely original, compelling, extraordinary, was also the first in a series where each succeeding book was somehow worse than the one before, for, although the second and third were not too bad,they nowhere matched the power of the first book - culminating in two very poor final works. Actually, the last book in the series was worse than very poor; I would class it as dire.

Garth Nix: The Abhorsen trilogy (Sabriel, Lirael, Abhorsen).

Again, he has written some a good many books since, - some of them very good indeed - but nothing to compare with the sheer stunning compelling power of the Abhorsen trilogy.

Both the wife and I were fans of Clan of the Cave Bear Series! But I can’t remember how many of the books I read. 🤔

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Both the wife and I were fans of Clan of the Cave Bear Series! But I can’t remember how many of the books I read. 🤔

That was a strange series.

The first book, to my mind, was brilliant; excellent, compelling, a thrilling and entirely original story - and what a story, the narrative (the plot) was superb, and self-contained, and when I first read it (in France, actually, a French friend gave it to me - the book was in English, and wanted to know my thoughts), I couldn't put it down.

I remember excitedly discussing it with my mother after my return from France.

The second book wasn't as good as the first, but it was still a very good read,

And the third, while interesting (apart from that awful three sided love story) - actually, the Mamutoi were interesting, but I would have happily strangled the three lovers; no, I would have happily strangled Jondalar.

From then on, - the fourth, fifth, and sixth books - the series simply went downhill, with each book worse than the previous one. The books were not just too long, they were exceptionally poorly plotted, very poorly edited, and lacked a coherent narrative structure.

And I loathe Jondalar (okay, to his credit, he is a very good father, and an excellent flint knapper; apart from that, I cannot abide him).

 

[TonyM42]

Just finished re-reading all the Kenzie-Gennaro series by Dennis Lehane. Good stories, move at great pace....and Gone,Baby, Gone was a terrific movie.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Am currently reading (and am immersed in, and am utterly absorbed by) Simon Kuper's brilliant book (which was the winner of the Football Book of the Year 2022) "Barça: The Rise and Fall of the Club that Built Modern Football."

 

[yaxomoxay]

The Glass Key (1930) by Dashiell Hammett.

Following the success of The Maltese Falcon, Hammett’s The Glass Key inspired the Coen Brothers’ movie Miller’s Crossing.

I enjoyed the book, but I found its plot and succession of events quite convoluted at times. I have the feeling that this is one of those books that is better enjoyed after having read it at least once.

Recommended if you’re a fan of the genre.

 

[Jeffrey Hart]

I am two-thirds of the way through the fifth and final book in A Song of Ice and Fire, A Dance With Dragons.

 

[Clix Pix]

Just picked up at the library a book for which I've been on the waiting list a while, Jennifer Homans' Mr B: George Balanchine's 20th Century. I must say this is a weighty tome in more ways than one -- they used really good, high-quality paper (a rarity these days) for the 768 or so pages and the book really is heavy to physically carry and hold! Flipping through, I can see that it has lots of photos, though this is not in any way a cocktail table book meant for display. In just a quick perusal it is clear that the book contains a lot of what presumably is good, meaty and interesting text. Looking forward to getting into it!

 

[KaiFiMacFan]

I'm reading:

Palo Alto: A History of California, Capitalism, and the World

by Malcolm Harris

I've read a lot of books about Big Tech and Silicon Valley (including the darker side of it). I think this book is probably a bit longer than it needs to be, but it is interesting.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Paid a visit to the library today, dropping off a number of books, and picking up several that awaited me.

 

[pachyderm]

So far so good!

it's a biography but the author, Ms. Miller, tosses a bit about her own life struggles and why she was so drawn to her subject, David Starr Jordan in there too...

 

[Scepticalscribe]

"The Happy Traitor - Spies, Lies, and Exile in Russia - The Extraordinary Story of George Blake" - by Simon Kuper.

 

[Clix Pix]

So far so good!

it's a biography but the author, Ms. Miller, tosses a bit about her own life struggles and why she was so drawn to her subject, David Starr Jordan in there too...

What an intriguing title and it alone has drawn my curiosity, so I've put it on my ever-ongoing list to read and as a reminder to take a look to see if the library carries it, which is probably the case.

 

[pachyderm]

What an intriguing title and it alone has drawn my curiosity, so I've put it on my ever-ongoing list to read and as a reminder to take a look to see if the library carries it, which is probably the case.

Worth a look if only for the illustrations...

 

[Gregg2]

The Art of Thinking Clearly
I highly recommend it (the book, and thinking clearly!)

 

[mavis]

Wow, never saw this thread before. 😐

I finished Asimov's Greater Foundation series (from I, Robot) last year, then Dan Simmons' Hyperion trilogy, and Iain M. Banks' Culture Series after that, and then I kind of took a break from reading for a while. Until last week! lol ... I read David Baldacci's Will Robie series, and tomorrow I'll start on the Camel Club series (re-reading the first two and then finishing the series). I want to re-read the Ringworld series later this year, and get into Baldacci's Amos Decker series.

 

[Crowbot]

Wow, never saw this thread before. 😐

I finished Asimov's Greater Foundation series (from I, Robot) last year, then Dan Simmons' Hyperion trilogy, and Iain M. Banks' Culture Series after that, and then I kind of took a break from reading for a while. Until last week! lol ... I read David Baldacci's Will Robie series, and tomorrow I'll start on the Camel Club series (re-reading the first two and then finishing the series). I want to re-read the Ringworld series later this year, and get into Baldacci's Amos Decker series.

I read the entire Hyperion trilogy years ago and I'll admit that I didn't get the plot at all. I prefer authors like A.C. Clarke where things are more straightforward.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Am currently reading (and am immersed in, and am utterly absorbed by) Simon Kuper's brilliant book (which was the winner of the Football Book of the Year 2022) "Barça: The Rise and Fall of the Club that Built Modern Football."

"The Happy Traitor - Spies, Lies, and Exile in Russia - The Extraordinary Story of George Blake" - by Simon Kuper.

Simon Kuper writes for the Financial Times, and has written a number of books (starting with the Excellent Football Against The Enemy) on a wide variety of subject matter (but, returning often to football, viewing history, politics, and socio-economic stuff through the lens, or perspective, afforded by examing football) - while other subjects have included football, George Blake, the Oxford educated cabal of chums - such as David Cameron and Boris Johnson who ended up governing Britain - and so on.

His stuff is always worth reading, partly because of the range of subject matter, partly because of his perspective, and partly because of his interesting and very readable writing style.

Anyway, both of these recent books - along with "Chums" - are recommended.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

"The shape of battle : six campaigns: Hastings to Helmand" - by Allan Mallinson.

 

[ucfgrad93]

I am currently reading The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis. It is the first book in the Chronicles of Narnia series.

The book I'm reading is the entire collection in one trade size paperback. The following note was placed on the publication page of the book...

Although the Magician's Nephew was written several years after C.S. Lewis first began The Chronicles of Narnia, he wanted it to be read as the first book in the series. HarperCollins is happy to present these books in the order in which Professor Lewis preferred.