On January 25 2016 11:15 Mr. Wiggles wrote:
I'm not sure what I'm going to read next. Between Embassy Town and Perdido Street Station what would people here recommend as an introduction to China Mieville?

I think the Scar and The City & The City are both great, I found Embassytown to be a little dry.

Surth

Germany456 Posts

January 25 2016 07:10 GMT

#42

I'd say either THe City& The City or Perdido Streer Station.

corumjhaelen

France6884 Posts

January 30 2016 15:01 GMT

#43

Any opinion on Satanic Verses ? I have a copy for now, but not much motivation...

Nyxisto

Germany6287 Posts

January 30 2016 20:05 GMT

#44

How is IQ84 compared to Murakami's other books?

Manit0u

Poland17329 Posts

February 01 2016 15:42 GMT

#45

Changed my schedule a bit...

Just finished:

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Stalowe Szczury: Błoto (Steel Rats: Mud) by Michał Gołkowski

Holy cow! One of the best books I have read in my life. Amazingly told, great story in an alternate history setting (WWI still going on in 1922). If you can read in Polish, read it immediately! If you can't, hope for the god damned translation.

Currently reading:

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Stalowe Szczury: Chwała (Steel Rats: Glory) by Michał Gołkowski

The only thing better than a great book, is if there's more of it!

Rizare

Canada592 Posts

February 03 2016 01:19 GMT

#46

+ Show Spoiler +

On January 15 2016 03:59 Rizare wrote:
Currently reading:
+ Show Spoiler [The Black Swan: The Impact of the High…] +

I'm currently reading this book and it sure has shaken many of my beliefs. Still, I'm wondering if I'm taking what he wrote too seriously and that luck isn't that decisive. It's more interesting than I expected.

Books to read:

Candide by Voltaire in French
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De la Démocratie en Amérique (Democracy in America) by Tocqueville in French
+ Show Spoiler +

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland 150th Anniversary Edition with Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll in English
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Novecento: pianiste by Alessandro Baricco in French.
+ Show Spoiler +

Because I keep hearing horror stories about how translations can be horrible without anyone ever noticing it because they can't compare it to the original language, I'll simply add the language I plan to read a book.

Done reading everything except Candide and Democracy in America. The Black Swan has good points but damn is the author really arrogant and it seems like it should have been much shorter. Novecento: pianiste is short to read and was all right. Lewis Carroll is really weird for me.

To read: Candide, Democracy in America as well as

Umberto Eco, Experiences in Translation because I keep hearing about how animes and anything related to it keep having bad translations.

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Umberto Eco, Le nom de la rose (Name of the Rose)
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Roland Barthes, Le plaisir du texte (The Pleasure of the Text) and Mythologies
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Nyxisto

Germany6287 Posts

February 03 2016 20:23 GMT

#47

Haven't read short stories in a long time and have only heard good things about this. I'm excited!

Lebesgue

4542 Posts

February 04 2016 05:41 GMT

#48

So far I have read this year:
1. Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett
-> Being in academia myself, I have thoroughly enjoyed it :-)

2. Dune Messiah
-> It's shame to admit that I have not read it earlier. Pretty good, though not nearly as good as the "Dune"

3. Fahrenheit 451
-> A fantastic book. Really relevant for what is going today. With all that "liberal intolerance" that is spreading throughout the western world.

Next, on the reading list:
4. Dark Pools: The Rise of the Machine Traders and the Rigging of the U.S. Stock Market
5. Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov

Lebesgue

4542 Posts

February 04 2016 05:43 GMT

#49

On January 10 2016 00:59 Manit0u wrote:

Planning on reading next:

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Achaja by Andrzej Ziemiański (link to english wikipedia under the title)

Do you think Achaja is any good? I was planning to buy it the last time I was in Poland by decided to skip on it that time.

Carnivorous Sheep

Baa?21243 Posts

February 04 2016 05:46 GMT

#50

I think I'll be doing a significant amount of re-reading this year.

Manit0u

Poland17329 Posts

February 04 2016 09:11 GMT

#51

On February 04 2016 14:43 Lebesgue wrote:

Show nested quote +

Do you think Achaja is any good? I was planning to buy it the last time I was in Poland by decided to skip on it that time.

My wife loved it. I have yet to get to it. Will let you know for sure.

Twoflowers

Germany241 Posts

February 04 2016 10:54 GMT

#52

On January 15 2016 03:59 Rizare wrote:
Currently reading:
+ Show Spoiler [The Black Swan: The Impact of the High…] +

Have you already read Baudolino? If not I recommend it

JazVM

Germany1196 Posts

February 04 2016 11:27 GMT

#53

On January 31 2016 05:05 Nyxisto wrote:
How is IQ84 compared to Murakami's other books?

I only read the first one. It was a couple of years ago and even before the second part got released. If I remember correctly it took quite a while until it was getting interesting. I also never read the second part.

I read almost all books by him and my favorite ones are Norwegian Wood and The.-Windup-Bird-Chronicles. The first one lacks a lot of the surreal elements that maybe stand out the most from all of Murakamis work but that's what makes it interesting and different. The second one is quite the contrast and will present you lots of surreal stuff merged into a highly exciting story. Check them out if you haven't already read them.

JazVM

Germany1196 Posts

February 04 2016 11:30 GMT

#54

I read Perdido Street Station years ago along with another book by him and I wasn't impressed at all. I don't get the hype around these books.

{CC}StealthBlue

United States41117 Posts

February 05 2016 10:48 GMT

#55

Xxio

Canada5565 Posts

February 05 2016 23:06 GMT

#56

I'm enjoying Badhdad: City of Peace, City of Blood -- A History in Thirteen Centuries.
Finished Flowers for Algernon last week. Fast read, damn good storytelling.
Read fifty pages of Green Earth and couldn't get into it. I'll give it another go this summer.

On February 04 2016 20:30 JazVM wrote:

Show nested quote +

I read Perdido Street Station years ago along with another book by him and I wasn't impressed at all. I don't get the hype around these books.

Mieville's books are polarizing; people seem to either love his work or not care for it at all. I picked up a copy at the library, read a bit, and decided it's not for me. But he's doing his own thing, and that's great. I guess I should try him again some time. Railsea is supposed to be good.

Hope you let us know about The Water Knife, Mr. Wiggles. I loved The Windup Girl.

Nyxisto

Germany6287 Posts

February 16 2016 02:38 GMT

#57

Halfway through, like it a lot. The 'Eco-Hardboiled' setting is pretty cool and it's really short which spares me the gargantuan infodumps that annoyed me a little in his longer books.

phagga

Switzerland2194 Posts

February 16 2016 08:43 GMT

#58

So after a short break of reading I finished After The Act by Winston Graham.

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(I actually can't find a picture online of the book cover I have, but this one is close enough).

I have no idea from where I have this book or how it ended up in my small library. It looked really used even before I started reading, so I guess I got it from some second hand shop or a library sales...

I liked the book. It felt slow at times, and the resolution at the end seems unfinished, but it offers insight and keeps the suspense up.

I will probably read "Das Boot" by Lothar-Günther Buchheim next (in german).

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I have it as a hardcover, legacy of my parents when they moved out. I've seen the movie years ago and it was outstanding. I hear similar things of the book.