What are you currently reading?

[ubkev]

Why do I never cross paths with these people?

Come hang out with me. Happens all the time.

[WildCard]

You get hummers all the time?

[Randall Flagg]

Huh; I thought your avatar was from The Stand? I've been meaning to read the Dark Tower series forever, and I have no excuse since my dad gave me his copies; just haven't made time. Definitely need to before the movie comes out! I'm intrigued since I've heard there's some crossover with The Talisman and The Black House, which I loved.

It is, Randall Flagg is actually in The Stand too. That's honestly where I got both from because I haven't read more than The Gunslinger, but I know he pops up in that series. I'm going to read the rest of it soon too, hopefully.

[biodork]

It is, Randall Flagg is actually in The Stand too. That's honestly where I got both from because I haven't read more than The Gunslinger, but I know he pops up in that series. I'm going to read the rest of it soon too, hopefully.

Ah, okay... thought the name sounded familiar, but it's been years since I read The Stand so I wasn't sure.

[Randall Flagg]

Ah, okay... thought the name sounded familiar, but it's been years since I read The Stand so I wasn't sure.

I can't wait until I forget The Stand completely, so I can read it again, it is one of my favorites for sure.

[Eleven]

More like men who haven't showered in 3 days and women who just gave a hummer for $20 in the family bathroom and 200 Heineken drinking, duty free smoking Vietnamese and Chinese baccarat players spitting on the floor.

 

Yeah, that's more like what I've seen at casinos.

[WildCard]

Well, just finished 'Malazan'. Hell of a way to end a 10 book epic, the author definitely did it justice. So, so many emotions at the end, it was perfect.

 

Well, onto the prequels, and side stories. GRRM, get your together.

[ubkev]

Just finished A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle. The first appearance of Sherlock Holmes. Not bad. I think Doyle might have had an issue with the Mormons.

[MattPie]

I stumbled onto Barnes and Noble "Serial Reads" last month via the Nook app on my phone (unknown if it's available via the web or other ways). Essentially, free book to read, released a chapter or two each day over the course of a month. As someone who doesn't have the discipline to not read for hours once I get hooked, this is an awesome way to read a random book during downtime and not waste time I don't have. The rub is you're reading whatever they throw at you. Last month was a crime procedural set on the Ireland/North Ireland border. Pretty standard stuff, and an OK read. I'd be curious if everyone gets the same book though, as this month's book is "The Clockwork Dagger", set in a steampunk world with some magic. This isn't something I'd think to read on my own, but it's not so far off my taste that it couldn't be tailored to me. It seems like an odd pick if it's trying to appeal to a general audience though. It was also an OK read, mostly for the novelty of the setting. B&N know what they're doing though, both books so far have been the first in a series with helpful links to buy the current book (if you just can't wait until to tomorrow to read more) and the next book in the series. This series is only two books, I'd consider buying the second one. If it was the first of five books, I don't think I'd make that kind of commitment to it.

 

Maybe I need to write a reading app that only allows a pre-set number of chapters to be read each day. Or I need to get some discipline. :)

[WildCard]

Started Dune recently. Pretty good so far, only about 200 pages in. Has anyone read it?

 

 

Hey Liger, you ever finish Malazan?

[Weave]

Started Dune recently. Pretty good so far, only about 200 pages in. Has anyone read it?

 

 

Hey Liger, you ever finish Malazan?

Been a long time since I've read the original Dune trilogy. I really enjoyed them at the time. Suspect I still would today.

[BagBoy]

Been a long time since I've read the original Dune trilogy. I really enjoyed them at the time. Suspect I still would today.

 

Same for me.  30+ years ago when I read them, but they are excellent.  Read them all, WC.  You'll be glad you did.

 

I'm reading "Crooked" by Austin Grossman right now.  Can't decide if it's twistedly delicious or deliciously twisted.  It's a first person account of Richard Nixon's career.  In this alternate reality (I hope it's an alternate reality), there are all kinds of strange occult things going on, and the biggest threat to mankind is not the Soviets by any means.  It is the Dead.  Not the Grateful Dead, but dead people.  Dead people don't care if the US and USSR have a nuclear war - in fact, that's apparently that's what they want.  This is a fun book.

[SwampD]

Started Dune recently. Pretty good so far, only about 200 pages in. Has anyone read it?

 

 

Hey Liger, you ever finish Malazan?

I often partake in the spice and listen to Semuta music.

[MattPie]

Most recent thing (other than technical stuff) has been Game of Thrones, first 3 books. I'm taking a break from it since I can't fall into that much time again right now. I've been getting them from the library in ebook format which means I have 2 weeks to read a book. That takes a lot of me free time for most of the two weeks, and I just can't with work. Ugh. The books are OK, but I don't think I'm getting what the massive appeal is.

[LGR4GM]

Started Dune recently. Pretty good so far, only about 200 pages in. Has anyone read it?

 

 

Hey Liger, you ever finish Malazan?

Oh yea, I finished last month. 

[WildCard]

Oh yea, I finished last month.

Thoughts?

[LGR4GM]

Thoughts?

By the end he had to many characters and was devoting to much time to pointless conversations between characters and then cramming in the conclusion to multiple plot points in the last 100 pages. I liked the story overall but some characters that he spent tons of time developing were unimportant to the thing overall. Also he left a lot to the reader to figure out. At times this was to much because it was hard to follow who was who and what they were actually trying to accomplish. I think book 1 and 2 were the best. They were tight and compact storylines that you could follow. Books 6-8 I thought were all over the map and could have been paired down. Decent series but I think some editing and keeping the reader less in the dark would have made things better. The switch from hating the crippled god to understanding him was abrupt in my mind. There was no real motivation for him and the jade strangers were barely explained in the end. I feel like most of this is me hating on it but I did enjoy it, just was frustrated at times by how much the author waxed poetic about a guy sitting around a campfire and then would finally reveal what that character was up to in the last 2 seconds of the story.

[Neo]

Inspired by philosophical and whimsical exchanges on a (world's best) hockey blog, I ordered two books. They arrived today.

 

Well, I ordered a novel and an essay. I've not read either in 20 or 30 years.

 

Kafka's "The Trial" and Wilde's "The Decay of Lying."

 

Josef K. and Life imitates Art far more than Art imitates Life, in the Harassment and Random threads, respectively.

 

Can one italicize, here?

[MattPie]

Inspired by philosophical and whimsical exchanges on a (world's best) hockey blog, I ordered two books. They arrived today.

 

Well, I ordered a novel and an essay. I've not read either in 20 or 30 years.

 

Kafka's "The Trial" and Wilde's "The Decay of Lying."

 

Josef K. and Life imitates Art far more than Art imitates Life, in the Harassment and Random threads, respectively.

 

Can one italicize, here?

Yes, you can

[darksabre]

Inspired by philosophical and whimsical exchanges on a (world's best) hockey blog, I ordered two books. They arrived today.

 

Well, I ordered a novel and an essay. I've not read either in 20 or 30 years.

 

Kafka's "The Trial" and Wilde's "The Decay of Lying."

 

Josef K. and Life imitates Art far more than Art imitates Life, in the Harassment and Random threads, respectively.

 

Can one italicize, here?

I love Kafka and I love The Trial.

[MattPie]

I love Kafka and I love The Trial.

I've only read the Castle, but I saw my unread copy of the Trial the other day while moving my bookshelf.

[MattPie]

I've been on a tear lately, probably because I'm shirking some real-life responsibility. PlusI figured out an easier way to use my local library via the Aldiko app on my phone to check out ebooks.

 

Jack London: Call of the Wild, White Fang, The Sea Wolf. The first two are primarily from a dog's perspective about like in the very-North West. I don't think I needed to read both, but Wild is only like 100 pages (and I read it first of the two). They're quick reads and if you're interested in old-timey frontier life, a lot of fun. The Sea Wolf features human characters sailing on a sealing schooner in the early 1900s. It got better for me as the book went along, and while the philosophy is interesting, it's again a great window into a way of life that has somewhat passed into history. I will likely read more London. (note: these are all free books via feedbooks.com)

 

David Lagercrantz: the fourth book of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy. It's a nice book, not as good as the Steig Larsson originals. It's pretty short and it never really seemed like the outcome was in doubt. The last scene is disappointing. I'll probably read the next one if it shows up at the library.

 

Ernest Cline: Armada. I read another of his books some time ago, and if Cline prescribes to the "write what you know" school of novel writing, he's a video gamer in his early 20s. Both books feature a ton of video game references (even I notice them, and I haven't played much of anything in 10 years) and center around a teen-age gamer thrust into saving the world. Armada will remind you of The Last Starfighter in a lot of ways, although the book acknowledges that in the first couple chapters which somehow makes it legitimate. I enjoyed it, I'll probably keep an eye out for more books from Cline.

 

Some guy: The Bourne Ascendancy? (Alchemy? Aviary?). I've never really read spy thrillers and nothing of Bourne, although I think I've seen a couple of the movies (Julia Styles, right?). It was the monthly serial read on the nook app this month, so I'm a sucker for the read a chapter or two a day format because it stops me from obsessing and reading for hours. The book was fine, much like watching an average spy movie on TV. I see the Bourne series is now being churned out yearly so this doesn't feel like anything other than "we need a Bourne story this year, get writing". I didn't dislike it, but I probably won't seek out more.

[Neo]

White Fang --- ah, the memories

[bob_sauve28]

Stephen Sears is my favorite Civil War historian now. Just finished two of his books and can't wait to get another

[darksabre]

Finished "Team of Rivals" last weekend and decided I needed a little fiction since I spend a lot of time reading history. So right now it's "Anna Karenina". Quick pace and a timely taste of Russian culture.