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Happy new year!
(Post shamelessly stolen from thread starters of the prior years)
Previous threads:
2011 (49 pages)
2012 (58 pages)
2013 (165 pages!(!!!))
2014 (back to 75 pages  )
2015 (54 pages We miss you, sam)
2016 (18 pages boo)
2017 (17 pages I think we are converging)
Format:
1) What you just finished reading (or gave up half way through)
2) What are you currently reading
3) What you plan to read next
Try to post both the book title in text as well as image. The Amazon images usually work well. The random google images are sometimes too big or too small.
It would also be great if you could post a little something along with the books. Did you like it, why or why not? How was the plot, how was writing style, how was the character development? What makes the book you are currently reading interesting? It’s not 100% necessary that you do so, but it tends to foster lively discussion of books, which is really what this thread is all about.
Also, please try to keep criticism of entire genres out of this thread. If you didn’t like a particular book then feel free to say so, but it’s not terribly productive to state that you dislike all of science fiction or existentialist literature etc.
Use spoilers appropriately, obviously.
Thanks to Cambiumpackrat386Surth for the OP that I basically stole from last year
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Reading:
![[image loading]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51LoErgzYSL._SX372_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg)
A comic on a jewish wartime profiteer in France during WWII. Quite interesting. In general, I still enjoy the Franco-Belgian comic culture which is quite distinct from the (mostly american) comics one gets in Germany.
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I'm about to finish "The Master and Margarita" by Mikhail Bulgakov, both in Polish and Russian.
+ Show Spoiler +
I generally like the book. It's quite lighthearted with plenty of humorous moments, but also serious at times. Perhaps a bit random. Since I'm reading it in Russian as well, I've started noticing some references to the book in songs of my favourtive Russian band, 25/17. :-)
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Finished:
The Long Earth series. It's ok, but somewhat unsatisfying. Pratchett and Baxter have some very interesting ideas, and Pratchett's character-centric writing style definitely complements Baxter's more descriptive style. However, the plots were generally not quite interesting enough and the resolution of problems was not very satisfying. I did like the eventual conclusion.
Reading:
Seveneves. About half way through and it still feels as if the adventure has barely started. Stephenson is one of my favorite authors, and so far this book is not disappointing. Not sure I care for the JBF subplot that just started, but we'll see where that goes.
Upcoming:
A whole load of Sanderson. I got the Alloy of Law trilogy here, and may have to reread the first two books of the Stormlight Archives before starting on Oathbringer.
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The Alloy of Law is high on my list of books to read (already bought it). Is Sanderson as good as people say he is?
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Sanderson is basically the best at “feel good fantasy” as I generally think of it. He’s good, but if you prefer darker, grittier, or more realistic fantasy you may be disappointed.
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United States15275 Posts
A Short History of Byzantium - John Julius Norwich. "Short" is a misnomer but at ~380 pages in small print, it's less of a haul than other primers on the Byzantines.
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First of all, Happy new year.
Secondly, I wanted to thank everyone that took the time to answer my questions in the 2017 thread (why is there a new thread each year?). Also ty for the recommendations.
Finished this:
![[image loading]](https://i.imgur.com/bobwy9F.jpg)
Didn't know it was a life advice/self help book, read it because I think someone had asked about it in last year's thread.
Wrote a sort of rant about it on my blog here
Basically: it's intended for the US reader (as an Eastern European I found the logic sometimes annoying); it has some good points about living in a consumerist culture that also likes to self-victimize, how taking responsibility for your actions and your state of mind is important, perspective and metrics for measuring experiences are crucial; can be frustrating because it comes up with flawed or superficial conclusions/statements at times, makes blanket statements, can sound patronizing at times, gives advice instead of actually explaining how to self-analyse and apply the concepts (tells you what to think instead of teaching how to think).
Next: thinking of trying the Malazan books but will probably get in some light Agatha Christie first
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For light crime stories, I recommend the Erast Fandorin series by Boris Akunin. :-)
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On January 03 2018 03:17 maybenexttime wrote:
For light crime stories, I recommend the Erast Fandorin series by Boris Akunin. :-)
Thank you for your recommendation, I had never heard of Boris Akunin before.
I just finished the first book in the series, The Winter Queen.
![[image loading]](https://i.imgur.com/BAGZwji.jpg)
Didn't do any research beforehand, jumped right in. I read it in English and you could tell that it was a translation, it sounded a bit clunky at times because, and I assume this is also true in the original text, the author uses a vocabulary that tries to evoke the late 1800's.
It did feel like a Ian Fleming novel at times (not only the plot but also the manner in which the protagonist, Erast Fandorin, is portrayed) which I thought was a bit weird for a novel written in the 90's. I assume the author is a fan of James Bond (and other similar works), there is a nod to the secret agent, a mention of a "oh oh 7 F English baron". Also think that Amalia B was supposed to be a sort of Irene Adler.
I didn't think it was particularly interesting until I got to the ending, which felt like taken from the new Sherlock Holmes show  Now I'm considering going for next one in the series.
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I'm glad you liked it. You mentioned that you're an Eastern European. Do you speak a Slavic language? Since Boris Akunin is kind of popular in Slavic countries, perhaps it would be preferable to read the books in your native language? It's harder to translate from Russian to English than it is to pretty much any other Slavic language.
By the way, each book in the series is a different flavour of a crime story - conspiracy, espionage, murder, etc. :-)
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I think I'm gonna reread A Canticle for Leibowitz here in the next few weeks, it's been a long time since I last read it and I think it's easily one of the best Sci-Fi books ever.
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Currently reading:
![[image loading]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51GKjJ745OL._SX327_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg)
and
![[image loading]](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8O6_hzCNOss/VXSAKks-3II/AAAAAAAAGnM/uVhGOVABs1Q/s1600/the-grace-of-kings-ken-liu-book-review.jpg)
and
![[image loading]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51LjFRbB4DL._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg)
and also
![[image loading]](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SEV3Byfa05M/Te7_GgJvi5I/AAAAAAAAAeE/Ff_zm9d6y0w/s1600/gaijin.jpg)
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Here is a list of books i read in 2017. If anyone is intrested in feedback dont hesitate to ask.
Henry Kissinger – On China
Henry Kissinger – World Order
Jeff VanderMeer - Annihilationy
Jeff VanderMeer – Authority
Paolo Bacigalupi – Water Knife
John Scalzi – Redshirts
Robert Harris - Conclave
Robert Harris - The Ghost
Robert Harrsis - Vaterland
China Mieville – Embasytown
China Mieville – The City & the City
Salman Rushdie – Enchantress of Florence
Janusz A. Zajdel – Paradyzja
Janusz A. Zajdel - Cylinder van Troffa
Ian McDonald – Luna: New Moon
Ian McDonald - Cyberabad days
Ian McDonald - The Dervish House
Ian McDonald - Brasyl
Swietłana Aleksijewicz - Secondhand Time: The Last of the Soviets
Haruki Murakami - Hear the Wind Sing
Haruki Murakami - Pinball, 1973
Dan Simmons – Ilion
Blake Crouch – Black Matter
Pierce Brown – Red Rising
Michał Cholewa – Echa
Cormac McCarthy - Child of God
Steven King - The Dark Tower: The Gunslinge
Steven King - The Dark Tower: Drawing of the Three
Brandon Sanderson – Firefight
Kim Stanley Robinson - 2312
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On January 04 2018 08:20 maybenexttime wrote:
I'm glad you liked it. You mentioned that you're an Eastern European. Do you speak a Slavic language? Since Boris Akunin is kind of popular in Slavic countries, perhaps it would be preferable to read the books in your native language? It's harder to translate from Russian to English than it is to pretty much any other Slavic language.
By the way, each book in the series is a different flavour of a crime story - conspiracy, espionage, murder, etc. :-)
I'm from Romania, so smack between Slavic countries but speak a Romance language. Unfortunately I don't speak any of the slav languages (can sort of read Cyrillic but without knowing the meaning it's useless).
I prefer reading in English because I like English, helps with keeping up my proficiency levels, it's usually easier to find it in En., I don't trust a lot of the translations - usually the En one is better.
@Silvanel are you reading 4 books at a time? why?
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I get iritiated or bored easily by some stupid things in books (or movies, shows etc.) so i need to take rest somtimes and focus on something else (different book-topic). Also in regards to books like that of Penrose its really hard and exhuastive to follow argumentation of author so i also take rest to chew up what i just read before coming back.
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![[image loading]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51DWYZY76QL._SX321_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg)
The finest politician in the history of mankind, and a real look into the struggles of our history, how and what happens when politics is done right
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On January 04 2018 08:47 farvacola wrote:
I think I'm gonna reread A Canticle for Leibowitz here in the next few weeks, it's been a long time since I last read it and I think it's easily one of the best Sci-Fi books ever.
Just a few days ago I saw this one again in my shelf and was considering reading it again. Same as you, I have read it a long time ago but I remember it as great. I will probably read some French literature before though to try to beter understand this country.
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Is this book about Spanish empire good?
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Baa?21243 Posts
I just read The Easy Chain by Evan Dara. It's quite good. It starts off as a weird cross between William Gaddis' JR and American Psycho, and then goes batshit crazy with American pomo conceits. Very enjoyable, but also very strange.
His first novel, The Lost Scrapbook, which I read last year, was fantastic.
Dara's ear for dialogue and cadence of prose is great. Read up on him, he's quite a (non?)-character. Dara is also super-obscure and super weird. Go read him and feel hipster and underground~
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EPT![[image loading]](http://ecsmedia.pl/c/mistrz-i-malgorzata-b-iext43249531.jpg)
![[image loading]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51EqNqzVABL._SX322_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg)
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