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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)
2018 (19 pages, I am fine with that)
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/51fp4oxiBaL._SX327_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg)
I have not made much progress over the last few days due to family duties. Still fantastic.
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Almost done with :
![[image loading]](https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1173812259l/331256.jpg)
Had a really slow reading for the past 2 months last year. I was too occupied with RL and vidya games lately.
Next would be Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick
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Recently I started reading Brandon Sanderson s non-Cosmere books, started with Skyward, which came out a few months ago
![[image loading]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61kYThMpzVL._SX325_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg)
It is very very good, I ve seen it tagged as young-adult, which I would only partially concede to. It is a very well written sci-fi from a technical point of view, characters feel very real, world building is top notch. 2nd book is done, gonna be released this year, with 2 more in the waiting.
Currently reading the Reckoners series, which has a post-apocalyptic alternate Earth setting. Basically it s a superhero comic-book type of book-series, a strange event starts giving people power, but instead of becoming superheros, they pretty much all go the opposite route, becoming tyrants and the current world-order / civilization collapses. Read the first one, Steelheart, and im halfway into the 2nd book, Firefight. It s an enjoyable read, but not as good as Skyward or Sanderson s Cosmere books (Mistborn, Stormlight Archives, Warbreaker etc.)
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I'm a few chapters in to this:
The Stone Gods - Jeanette Winterson
![[image loading]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41ftDp27TKL._SX326_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg)
On recommendation from a friend. I'm really enjoying the odd writing style an imaginative ideas.
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United States961 Posts
has anyone ever read 'worm' by john mccrae? i tend to have to finish what i start so at 1.68m words it's a heavy investment. i think it originally started out as a writing exercise and finished as a massive superhero book so somewhat dubious to how good it could be but have heard a lot of good things.
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Ah I see some of you are men of culture as well, reading Brandon Sanderson.
ATM I am on "Shadow of Self"
![[image loading]](https://images-eu.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51wwZf-x69L._AA300_.jpg)
which is part 5 of the mistborn series. In truth this is part 2 of the 2nd series after the main events of the mistborn trilogy set some 1000 (?) after the main trilogy concluded. Its got that kind of western/steampunk feel to it now, but still with the great magic system in place =)
I guess the feeling is best described as a little bit similar to King's "The Dark Tower" series with the main guy being a revolver-wielding lawman. I am enjoying it quite a bit. Obviously after part 2 will come part 3 "The Bands of Mourning". I also heard that there will be a part 4, so I'm looking forward to that ^^
After that, I also have Sanderson's "Oathbringer" on backlog to read. I'm looking forward to getting back into that fantasy world and characters.
![[image loading]](https://images-eu.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51W2n96U-gL._SY346_.jpg)
I also purchased Glen Cook's Chronicles of the Black Company series and will try to dive into those books in the coming weeks/months. ![[image loading]](http://www.sandimagebooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/the-black-company-1-10-by-glen-cook.jpg)
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On January 07 2019 01:49 Latham wrote:Ah I see some of you are men of culture as well, reading Brandon Sanderson. ATM I am on "Shadow of Self" which is part 5 of the mistborn series. In truth this is part 2 of the 2nd series after the main events of the mistborn trilogy set some 1000 (?) after the main trilogy concluded. Its got that kind of western/steampunk feel to it now, but still with the great magic system in place =) I guess the feeling is best described as a little bit similar to King's "The Dark Tower" series with the main guy being a revolver-wielding lawman. I am enjoying it quite a bit. Obviously after part 2 will come part 3 "The Bands of Mourning". I also heard that there will be a part 4, so I'm looking forward to that ^^ After that, I also have Sanderson's "Oathbringer" on backlog to read. I'm looking forward to getting back into that fantasy world and characters. I also purchased Glen Cook's Chronicles of the Black Company series and will try to dive into those books in the coming weeks/months.
Oh, you lucky man, you still have Oathbringer to read, this year! And I understand he just started working on Stormlight Archive book 4. Also, if you havent already, read Warbreaker before Oathbringer. It is a smaller Cosmere book, on another world, with a different magic-system, but there are a lot of small and not so small crossovers/ easterggs with Oathbringer. And a very cool story on its own right. I think it can be found for free on Brandon's website.
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Finished Roadside Picnic. It was oddly straightforward and had some semblance of being well-grounded compared to other stuff.
Not an explosive ending but not all endings have to be explosive to be good(Hyperion as an example).
Overall it was worth the money.
Started Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep around 50 pages. So far so good and easily digestible (which is surprising as it is a very old work that tackles a complex concept ) so i'm starting to see why this is popular(not just because of bladerunner which i haven't seen)
On January 07 2019 01:49 Latham wrote:Ah I see some of you are men of culture as well, reading Brandon Sanderson. ATM I am on "Shadow of Self" which is part 5 of the mistborn series. In truth this is part 2 of the 2nd series after the main events of the mistborn trilogy set some 1000 (?) after the main trilogy concluded. Its got that kind of western/steampunk feel to it now, but still with the great magic system in place =) I guess the feeling is best described as a little bit similar to King's "The Dark Tower" series with the main guy being a revolver-wielding lawman. I am enjoying it quite a bit. Obviously after part 2 will come part 3 "The Bands of Mourning". I also heard that there will be a part 4, so I'm looking forward to that ^^ After that, I also have Sanderson's "Oathbringer" on backlog to read. I'm looking forward to getting back into that fantasy world and characters. I also purchased Glen Cook's Chronicles of the Black Company series and will try to dive into those books in the coming weeks/months.
SoS is pretty fucking good but i'll let you read it for yourself as to why. Oathbringer is just as good as the two prequels but you already know that prolly.
Ohh black company
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Reading:
![[image loading]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61a6Kkcun2L._SX342_.jpg)
I liked the first two books a lot and i'm surprised as how good the Codex Alera series is, considering how it came to be.
scifi.stackexchange.com
I tried The Black Company but it was so bad i could not finish it. It's written in first person i a style i found very annoying. Something like this:
"I wake up. I hear a knock at the door. I get up. I walk to the door. I open the door. I look who it is."
On top of this, the characters were not interesting and the plot was going nowhere. It seemed to just be a successions of scenes meant to shock, for the sake of shocking. It left me with the same sense as a horror movie which relies on grossing people out instead of actually being scary.
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Speaking of Brandon Sanderson, I have now finished both mistborn series as well as the stormlight archives (as far as published), about to finish skyward and looking to read Warbreaker next. Would you recommened reading any of his short stories next? Or Elantris? Or something I am missing completely?
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On January 10 2019 01:59 Spook wrote:Reading: I liked the first two books a lot and i'm surprised as how good the Codex Alera series is, considering how it came to be. scifi.stackexchange.comI tried The Black Company but it was so bad i could not finish it. It's written in first person i a style i found very annoying. Something like this: "I wake up. I hear a knock at the door. I get up. I walk to the door. I open the door. I look who it is." On top of this, the characters were not interesting and the plot was going nowhere. It seemed to just be a successions of scenes meant to shock, for the sake of shocking. It left me with the same sense as a horror movie which relies on grossing people out instead of actually being scary.
I haven't read the Codex Alera. I read a lot of the Dresden files. The stackexchange calling Jim Butcher (or maybe a quote of himself) a good author is a bit of a stretch though. It's entertaining. But it's repetitive pulp that he can churn out one after the other with mediocre writing. Oh, and every single woman is incredibly attractive. And he spends at least a few pages in every book describing exactly how attractive they are. I understand it's aimed at adolescents with raging hormones, but come on...
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Brandon Sanderson exists on exactly on the line where I want to own physical copies of the book. Most of the "disposable" fantasy I have read exist on my Kindle. Including Mist Born, which I enjoyed a ton, but will never re-read. But as his books have continued, I think I want physical copies.
Also, I know it shouldn't matter, but I do like that his books have different styles of cover art in his later works. So many publishers just stick with one or two artists. That Oathbringing's art makes me want to return to The Stormlight Archive series.
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On January 10 2019 23:12 InFiNitY[pG] wrote:
Speaking of Brandon Sanderson, I have now finished both mistborn series as well as the stormlight archives (as far as published), about to finish skyward and looking to read Warbreaker next. Would you recommened reading any of his short stories next? Or Elantris? Or something I am missing completely?
I finished all his Cosmere stuff starting in 2018 and ending roughly near the end of the year and just picked up Rofthus's books.
If you want to read the standalones from Sanderson it depends on how invested you are in the Cosmere at this point.
Since you read both Mistborn series you will definitely enjoy Secret History which is a short story in Arcanum unbound (start with this)
And if you havent read Edgedancer I would recommend that aswell.
You could just pick up Arcanum unbound but most of the other stories other than these 2 might not make much sense. So I wouldnt suggest reading the other stories before atleast Reading Elantris and Warbreaker, but again I didnt follow my own advice and still enjoyed..
My order was
3 Stormlight (edgedancer goes with this)
Warbreaker
3 Mistborn (Secrety History)
Elantris (Emperors Soul from Arcanum goes with this but is unrelated to the story, just same world)
Arcanum Unbound (various collection of short stories from Cosmere worlds including the above)
3 Mistborn 2 (this set is fresh for me since I just wrapped up before the Holidays and I enjoyed it ALOT I was very sad to find that its been pushed to 2020 at the earliest after initially being planned for this year)
White Stand (not very good)
If I had a choice to go back I would probably have gone
Mistborn
Mistborn 2
Stormlight (Stormlight or Mistborn first doesnt really matter)
Arcanum (the stories related to these two)
Warbreaker
Elantris
Finish of Arcanum
Fuck White Sand.
Its nice feel good young adult fantasy so its pretty nice. I wouldnt say I could comfortably fanboy any of them but I am bit of a completionist and I can say I certainly enjoyed all of them except well White San which I forced myself to finish and its a graphic Novel. I havent really read any Fantasy before this except Tolkien seriously (which was alongg time ago) so it was quite refreshing to stuff I normally read.
I started the KingKiller books the first of which is pretty good so far. Very different writing style alot more absorbing in its ability to draw you into the story telling, but the world building and magic/power systems arent quite as fun so far.
On January 11 2019 03:18 Plansix wrote:
Brandon Sanderson exists on exactly on the line where I want to own physical copies of the book. Most of the "disposable" fantasy I have read exist on my Kindle. Including Mist Born, which I enjoyed a ton, but will never re-read. But as his books have continued, I think I want physical copies.
Also, I know it shouldn't matter, but I do like that his books have different styles of cover art in his later works. So many publishers just stick with one or two artists. That Oathbringing's art makes me want to return to The Stormlight Archive series.
Oathbringer was my favourite of the lot, I must say the first third of Way of Kings was a chore but I never drop books and in this case Im glad I didnt.
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On January 10 2019 23:12 InFiNitY[pG] wrote:
Speaking of Brandon Sanderson, I have now finished both mistborn series as well as the stormlight archives (as far as published), about to finish skyward and looking to read Warbreaker next. Would you recommened reading any of his short stories next? Or Elantris? Or something I am missing completely?
Definitely read Warbreaker! While every single one of Sanderson's Cosmere stories are readable as stand-alone books/series, Warbreaker has a lot of easter eggs/hidden gems/crossovers with Oathbringer (not just Hoid).
It's a very cool story, i was put off by the description of the book I've seen on Goodreads or somewhere, which went something like this [Romance] [Adventure] "Two princesses of a troubled kingdom set out to...." and I was like, ok, screw that.... It's not that! I think it's one of the best book he has written, and it isnt super long.
I'm totally in love with the Stormlight Archives series which is by far the most ambitious epic fantasy series to this day, more about the structure, it's not actual spoilers: + Show Spoiler +Each book is basically a trilogy and a series of short stories/novella (flashbacks) woven into a single book. The books are planned out to be a double series of 5+5 books, in total 10 books, which if he keeps up the page-numbers of the first 3 are gonna be equivalent of about 25 normal sized fantasy books. Compare that to other very long series, and (if he finishes) he's gonna dwarf them all. Like the Malazan book of the fallen have 10 books, but the overarching structure is very loose, you could easily skip entire books and plot-lines and the end-game wouldnt change. And that's just the size, the fake-history and the magic-system involved are top notch etc etc
As for Elantris, the problem for me was that I have read it after Mistborn, SA, and Warbreaker. Elantris was his first Cosmere full novel, and while it's very good and won him a lot of recognition and paved the way for the rest of the Cosmere, it's just not as good compared to his later work. If I could go back in time, for full enjoyment of the Cosmere I would read it like this.
1. Soul of the emperor
2. Elantris
3. Mistborn Era 1 and possibly Era 2 as well
4. Way of Kings, Words of Radiance (EDIT: +Edgedencer)
5. Warbreaker
6. Oathbringer
(7. Mistborn Era 2 if I didnt read it after the era 1)
Havent read White sand, since afaik the graphic novel is as of yet uncomplete, waiting for the final installment to be released. There are 2 more short stories Im gonna read in the coming days, Sixth of the Dusk and Shadows for the Silence in the forest
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On January 11 2019 16:39 Geo.Rion wrote:Show nested quote +On January 10 2019 23:12 InFiNitY[pG] wrote:
Speaking of Brandon Sanderson, I have now finished both mistborn series as well as the stormlight archives (as far as published), about to finish skyward and looking to read Warbreaker next. Would you recommened reading any of his short stories next? Or Elantris? Or something I am missing completely? Definitely read Warbreaker! While every single one of Sanderson's Cosmere stories are readable as stand-alone books/series, Warbreaker has a lot of easter eggs/hidden gems/crossovers with Oathbringer (not just Hoid). It's a very cool story, i was put off by the description of the book I've seen on Goodreads or somewhere, which went something like this [Romance] [Adventure] "Two princesses of a troubled kingdom set out to...." and I was like, ok, screw that.... It's not that! I think it's one of the best book he has written, and it isnt super long. I'm totally in love with the Stormlight Archives series which is by far the most ambitious epic fantasy series to this day, more about the structure, it's not actual spoilers: + Show Spoiler +Each book is basically a trilogy and a series of short stories/novella (flashbacks) woven into a single book. The books are planned out to be a double series of 5+5 books, in total 10 books, which if he keeps up the page-numbers of the first 3 are gonna be equivalent of about 25 normal sized fantasy books. Compare that to other very long series, and (if he finishes) he's gonna dwarf them all. Like the Malazan book of the fallen have 10 books, but the overarching structure is very loose, you could easily skip entire books and plot-lines and the end-game wouldnt change. And that's just the size, the fake-history and the magic-system involved are top notch etc etc . I admit that when i first picked it up for a while I was like, well, ok, not as good as Mistborn, but now im totally on the S.A hypetrain. As for Elantris, the problem for me was that I have read it after Mistborn, SA, and Warbreaker. Elantris was his first Cosmere full novel, and while it's very good and won him a lot of recognition and paved the way for the rest of the Cosmere, it's just not as good compared to his later work. If I could go back in time, for full enjoyment of the Cosmere I would read it like this. 1. Soul of the emperor 2. Elantris 3. Mistborn Era 1 and possibly Era 2 as well 4. Way of Kings, Words of Radiance 5. Warbreaker 6. Oathbringer (7. Mistborn Era 2 if I didnt read it after the era 1) Havent read White sand, since afaik the graphic novel is as of yet uncomplete, waiting for the final installment to be released. There are 2 more short stories Im gonna read in the coming days, Sixth of the Dusk and Shadows for the Silence in the forest
Curious, can I ask why you would place Emperors Soul at the top ? + Show Spoiler +I think for that one having a better idea of how the cosmere's magic systems work (especially given the particular skils in Emperors Soul are closer to some abilities in Stormlight then the actual world its set in)
I think your order is great but I disagree with the first choice.+ Show Spoiler + You would end up finishing a short story that segues properly into nothing and doesnt build onto anything (because you havent gone through the content that elaborates the concepts used so heavily in that particular story)
Sixth of the Dusk and Shadows for Silence are huger teases btw. They are standalone entries that give tantalizing tidbits that reference events across to the Cosmere but leave you with more questions then you started with.
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United States961 Posts
i really enjoy sanderson but man i really disliked elantris and i dont dislike many things. not sure where the love of it comes from. relatedly, i just finished the powder mage trilogy by brian mcclellan. pretty strong sanderson influence in his writing. i think he was taught by him at some point. mostly reads as a less strong (but still enjoyable) version of sanderson but with better characterization.
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I have read Elnatris long time ago and the only thing i remmeber from it is it being "ok", nothing spectacular.
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On January 11 2019 16:58 Rebs wrote:Show nested quote +On January 11 2019 16:39 Geo.Rion wrote:On January 10 2019 23:12 InFiNitY[pG] wrote:
Speaking of Brandon Sanderson, I have now finished both mistborn series as well as the stormlight archives (as far as published), about to finish skyward and looking to read Warbreaker next. Would you recommened reading any of his short stories next? Or Elantris? Or something I am missing completely? Definitely read Warbreaker! While every single one of Sanderson's Cosmere stories are readable as stand-alone books/series, Warbreaker has a lot of easter eggs/hidden gems/crossovers with Oathbringer (not just Hoid). It's a very cool story, i was put off by the description of the book I've seen on Goodreads or somewhere, which went something like this [Romance] [Adventure] "Two princesses of a troubled kingdom set out to...." and I was like, ok, screw that.... It's not that! I think it's one of the best book he has written, and it isnt super long. I'm totally in love with the Stormlight Archives series which is by far the most ambitious epic fantasy series to this day, more about the structure, it's not actual spoilers: + Show Spoiler +Each book is basically a trilogy and a series of short stories/novella (flashbacks) woven into a single book. The books are planned out to be a double series of 5+5 books, in total 10 books, which if he keeps up the page-numbers of the first 3 are gonna be equivalent of about 25 normal sized fantasy books. Compare that to other very long series, and (if he finishes) he's gonna dwarf them all. Like the Malazan book of the fallen have 10 books, but the overarching structure is very loose, you could easily skip entire books and plot-lines and the end-game wouldnt change. And that's just the size, the fake-history and the magic-system involved are top notch etc etc . I admit that when i first picked it up for a while I was like, well, ok, not as good as Mistborn, but now im totally on the S.A hypetrain. As for Elantris, the problem for me was that I have read it after Mistborn, SA, and Warbreaker. Elantris was his first Cosmere full novel, and while it's very good and won him a lot of recognition and paved the way for the rest of the Cosmere, it's just not as good compared to his later work. If I could go back in time, for full enjoyment of the Cosmere I would read it like this. 1. Soul of the emperor 2. Elantris 3. Mistborn Era 1 and possibly Era 2 as well 4. Way of Kings, Words of Radiance 5. Warbreaker 6. Oathbringer (7. Mistborn Era 2 if I didnt read it after the era 1) Havent read White sand, since afaik the graphic novel is as of yet uncomplete, waiting for the final installment to be released. There are 2 more short stories Im gonna read in the coming days, Sixth of the Dusk and Shadows for the Silence in the forest Curious, can I ask why you would place Emperors Soul at the top ? + Show Spoiler +I think for that one having a better idea of how the cosmere's magic systems work (especially given the particular skils in Emperors Soul are closer to some abilities in Stormlight then the actual world its set in) I think your order is great but I disagree with the first choice. + Show Spoiler + You would end up finishing a short story that segues properly into nothing and doesnt build onto anything (because you havent gone through the content that elaborates the concepts used so heavily in that particular story)
Sixth of the Dusk and Shadows for Silence are huger teases btw. They are standalone entries that give tantalizing tidbits that reference events across to the Cosmere but leave you with more questions then you started with.
I put the Emperor's soul first because it's a very strong, but short story, and you get a sense of how well Sanderson writes. As i've said, for me Elantris wasnt as enjoyable, i attribute it to reading it late, but I guess i cannot be sure. So I would rather have started with that, but I agree, The Emperor's soul can definitely be read later on, even after S.A., it doesnt suffer.
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I agree that Elantris is the weakest of the novels for sure. Its clear he was still developing at that point. Emperors Soul is clearly a more mature work and right up there as a short story.
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Almost finished:
Autbiography of Yukichi Fukuzawa
![[image loading]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51myFiUDySL._AC_UL436_.jpg)
Economics in One Lesson
![[image loading]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71Cc5NLGL9L._AC_UL436_.jpg)
Just starting:
Theurgy and the Soul: The Neoplatonism of Iamblichus
![[image loading]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61z+3twPtVL._AC_UL436_.jpg)
Fukuzawa's biography is a lot of fun. He comes across very likable and honest and his life is a heck of a story. Economics I'm trying to at least learn a bare minimum to give better understanding of history and current events. I like this book but I'm sure it's extremely simplified. Very excited to start the theurgy book. Neoplatonism seems to offer a good philosophical grounding for polytheism but I had a hard time trying to dive in to the primary texts. This seems fairly easy to read so far and might be what I've been searching for.
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Reading atm:
![[image loading]](https://i.imgur.com/ctaJ1DP.jpg)
The paper menagerie and other stories by Ken Liu
A short story collection which ranges from scifi to fantasy, a lot of them with a touch of chinese culture and mythology.
Like in any short story collection some stories are better than others, but the overall quality is fairly high i think. Some of the themes and ideas one has already seen somewhere else, but it's pretty hard to be fully original these days so i give him a pass on that one.
![[image loading]](https://i.imgur.com/iRFmaGG.jpg)
Salem's lot by Stephen King
Wanted something which will be read rather fast and king surely fits that quite well. 150 pages in atm, liked the buildup so far, seems to be one of the better king novels as far as i can tell atm. Hopefully the ending will deliver, something he usually doesn't get right.
After i am done with king i will either start with some pynchon or nabokov, still not entirely sure what to choose though.
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England2264 Posts
Has anyone read Sudden Death by Álvaro Enrigue? Sounds intriguing but have only heard of it from someone who hasn't read it yet.
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I am reading V. by Thomas Pynchon right now after my second attempt at Gravity's Rainbow ended in a fairly confused me. I've heard V. is a more concise novel that captures essentially the same themes as GR, so I'll give it a try first.
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Almost done with salem's lot and i am a little disappointed, definitely falls into the king category which would be: way too long for what it wants to tell. I will finish it because i always do, but the buildup was better than the climax :D
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Been re-re-rereading my favorite book 19Q4 as a warmup to Murakami's newest book Killing Commendatore. Excited about that. Anyone read it?
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On January 18 2019 01:12 CoupdeBoule wrote:
Been re-re-rereading my favorite book 19Q4 as a warmup to Murakami's newest book Killing Commendatore. Excited about that. Anyone read it?
1Q84 was pretty good, and Murakami is my favourite author, but it isn't my favourite of his. I'm a huge fan of 'Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World' and 'The Wind-up Bird Chronicle' personally.
I haven't read Killing Commendatore yet though.
I've been slowly building up my collection and now have nearly all of his books.
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I finally decided to take the plunge into the Wheel of Time series given that so many people rate it so highly and that Amazon is turning it into a TV series. I'm up to Book 9. It's entertaining, but not great. I'm very surprised at how PG rated it is compared to other contemporary novels. There's a remarkable amount of chivalry in it. The biggest problem with the series is how slowly it moves (and this is a remarkable statement for me to make given how patient I typically I am). There are a lot of unnecessary plot lines and plot points. The most egregious example so far has been the Ebou Dar trip and hunt for the bowl. Resolution of major conflicts is drawn out for no good reason. It shouldn't take until Book 5 for the hero to finally get laid by one of his love interests.
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England2264 Posts
Recent ones:
Fictions by Jorge Luis Borges. It's really good, really short, everyone should probably read it. At least read The Library of Babel and Funes the Memorious.
Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky. Had this highly recommended, but didn't really care for it. There's a section outlaying the picnic comparison which is cool, but the rest isn't very interesting or well written.
Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger. This is also really good. Would've been great to read this when I was younger.
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Recently read Skyward, which was decent. Wished Sanderson would write more adult books again, Elantris and Mistborn were great and the finale of Wheel of time showed that he really could pull a connected saga off. His more recent books are all decent (read alloy of law 2 and part 2 and 3 of his superhero series last year) and I can't really find a major flaw in them, but they don't impress me like some of his earlier books did. They are just a tad too much by the book and the fact that he writes them as separate stories instead of parts of a longer arc doesn't help.
On January 31 2019 08:36 xDaunt wrote:
I finally decided to take the plunge into the Wheel of Time series given that so many people rate it so highly and that Amazon is turning it into a TV series. I'm up to Book 9. It's entertaining, but not great. I'm very surprised at how PG rated it is compared to other contemporary novels. There's a remarkable amount of chivalry in it. The biggest problem with the series is how slowly it moves (and this is a remarkable statement for me to make given how patient I typically I am). There are a lot of unnecessary plot lines and plot points. The most egregious example so far has been the Ebou Dar trip and hunt for the bowl. Resolution of major conflicts is drawn out for no good reason. It shouldn't take until Book 5 for the hero to finally get laid by one of his love interests.
Yeah the middle part is extremely slow, especially Perrin's part. That Jordan apparently thought that females are aliens and that they are mostly irritating across the board as a result doesn't make it better and especially the jealousy parts are really bad.
It gets better once Sanderson takes over though and the finale is great.
Tbf that the characters developed their romances slowly didn't bother me, new fantasy seems to require a sex scene every 100 pages, which at times is annoying. I couldn't care less whether or not Tyrion meets a whore in a shaggy town city and feels bad about it. I don't have the attention span of a 5-year old, I can read 200 pages without a sex or a gore scene.
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On February 04 2019 21:29 Archeon wrote:Recently read Skyward, which was decent. Wished Sanderson would write more adult books again, Elantris and Mistborn were great and the finale of Wheel of time showed that he really could pull a connected saga off. His more recent books are all decent (read steelslayer 2, part 2 and 3 of his superhero series last year) and I can't really find a major flaw in them, but they don't impress me like some of his earlier books did. They are just a tad too much by the book and the fact that he writes them as separate stories instead of parts of a longer arc doesn't help. Show nested quote +On January 31 2019 08:36 xDaunt wrote:
I finally decided to take the plunge into the Wheel of Time series given that so many people rate it so highly and that Amazon is turning it into a TV series. I'm up to Book 9. It's entertaining, but not great. I'm very surprised at how PG rated it is compared to other contemporary novels. There's a remarkable amount of chivalry in it. The biggest problem with the series is how slowly it moves (and this is a remarkable statement for me to make given how patient I typically I am). There are a lot of unnecessary plot lines and plot points. The most egregious example so far has been the Ebou Dar trip and hunt for the bowl. Resolution of major conflicts is drawn out for no good reason. It shouldn't take until Book 5 for the hero to finally get laid by one of his love interests. Yeah the middle part is extremely slow, especially Perrin's part. That Jordan had a very limited view of females and they are mostly irritating across the board doesn't make it better, and objectively worse in Perrin's part. It gets better once Sanderson takes over though and the finale is great. Tbf the development of love stories didn't bother me, new fantasy seems to require a sex scene every 100 pages, which at times is annoying. I couldn't care less whether or not Tyrion meets a whore in a shaggy town city and feels bad about it.
How are you mentioning Sanderson's recent work and ignoring the Stormlight Archive books?
Those are quite adult.
Also, the Alloy of Law series is recent too, with the 4th (and final) book of the series being released this year (or maybe next, no definitive date yet). The first one isn't great and it seems both he and the reader need some getting used to Mistborn magic in a Western style universe. But the second and third installments are very good.
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On February 04 2019 21:46 Acrofales wrote:Show nested quote +On February 04 2019 21:29 Archeon wrote:Recently read Skyward, which was decent. Wished Sanderson would write more adult books again, Elantris and Mistborn were great and the finale of Wheel of time showed that he really could pull a connected saga off. His more recent books are all decent (read steelslayer 2, part 2 and 3 of his superhero series last year) and I can't really find a major flaw in them, but they don't impress me like some of his earlier books did. They are just a tad too much by the book and the fact that he writes them as separate stories instead of parts of a longer arc doesn't help. On January 31 2019 08:36 xDaunt wrote:
I finally decided to take the plunge into the Wheel of Time series given that so many people rate it so highly and that Amazon is turning it into a TV series. I'm up to Book 9. It's entertaining, but not great. I'm very surprised at how PG rated it is compared to other contemporary novels. There's a remarkable amount of chivalry in it. The biggest problem with the series is how slowly it moves (and this is a remarkable statement for me to make given how patient I typically I am). There are a lot of unnecessary plot lines and plot points. The most egregious example so far has been the Ebou Dar trip and hunt for the bowl. Resolution of major conflicts is drawn out for no good reason. It shouldn't take until Book 5 for the hero to finally get laid by one of his love interests. Yeah the middle part is extremely slow, especially Perrin's part. That Jordan had a very limited view of females and they are mostly irritating across the board doesn't make it better, and objectively worse in Perrin's part. It gets better once Sanderson takes over though and the finale is great. Tbf the development of love stories didn't bother me, new fantasy seems to require a sex scene every 100 pages, which at times is annoying. I couldn't care less whether or not Tyrion meets a whore in a shaggy town city and feels bad about it. How are you mentioning Sanderson's recent work and ignoring the Stormlight Archive books? Those are quite adult. Also, the Alloy of Law series is recent too, with the 4th (and final) book of the series being released this year (or maybe next, no definitive date yet). The first one isn't great and it seems both he and the reader need some getting used to Mistborn magic in a Western style universe. But the second and third installments are very good.
I might have been reading the wrong books  Thanks, will check out stormlight archives.
Read alloy 2 and thought it was decent, but Waxillium is imho far too smart and powerful and the scenario lacks some of the boldness and extremity that the original Mistborn had. The end was well executed though and I intend to read book 3 this year.
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I never got around to finishing the Wheel of Time because of its weird obsession with logistics of moving around armies and dreadfully slow pace. I was young(like middle school) when I started it and the series lost a lot of direction after the third book.
Going back and reading some of it now, it feels dated and stuck in this Tolkien style of conflict between good and evil. Nobility vs corruption. I also don’t know how I ever accepted The Dark One as a name for a Big Bad. I think the one selling point of the series was that being the Dragon, or chosen one, in the series was a god damn nightmare and not at all desirable. From obtaining magical power to slowly going mad, it made the struggle of becoming the hero of legend seem impossible for the protagonist. I just wish it didn’t happen over tens of thousands of pages.
Also some of the worst cover art in fantasy. Nothing about that cover art made the series look cool.
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![[image loading]](https://i.imgur.com/PvgJ675.jpg)
I'm about finish with it and it was really a nice read.
Midway between a ethnological/philosophical essay and a biographic travel story, Levi-Strauss give a portrait of his time studding native population in Brazil in the 1930-40. It's a bit eclectic at time, but it make for a nice book to read a chapter each night. It also give an easier introduction to the structuralism analysis that Levi-Strauss will develop in the rest of his purely scholar work.
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On January 31 2019 08:36 xDaunt wrote:
I finally decided to take the plunge into the Wheel of Time series given that so many people rate it so highly and that Amazon is turning it into a TV series. I'm up to Book 9. It's entertaining, but not great. I'm very surprised at how PG rated it is compared to other contemporary novels. There's a remarkable amount of chivalry in it. The biggest problem with the series is how slowly it moves (and this is a remarkable statement for me to make given how patient I typically I am). There are a lot of unnecessary plot lines and plot points. The most egregious example so far has been the Ebou Dar trip and hunt for the bowl. Resolution of major conflicts is drawn out for no good reason. It shouldn't take until Book 5 for the hero to finally get laid by one of his love interests.
Yeah, me too, i put the series on hold for a while. It came highly recommended, so I started with high expectations, and the first book just isnt good. It's very much LOTR-esque, couldnt shake the feeling. I was reassured that goes away in the following books, and book 3 is amazing, so I read on. Book two was Ok, book three was better, definitely the best of the first 3, but not mind-blowing or anything... And everywhere it is said that the middle books are kinda meandering and boring, so if Book 3 was a high-note than I decided I would invest my time elsewhere.
Eventually i will come around and finish it.
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On February 05 2019 03:03 Plansix wrote:
I never got around to finishing the Wheel of Time because of its weird obsession with logistics of moving around armies and dreadfully slow pace. I was young(like middle school) when I started it and the series lost a lot of direction after the third book.
Going back and reading some of it now, it feels dated and stuck in this Tolkien style of conflict between good and evil. Nobility vs corruption. I also don’t know how I ever accepted The Dark One as a name for a Big Bad. I think the one selling point of the series was that being the Dragon, or chosen one, in the series was a god damn nightmare and not at all desirable. From obtaining magical power to slowly going mad, it made the struggle of becoming the hero of legend seem impossible for the protagonist. I just wish it didn’t happen over tens of thousands of pages.
Also some of the worst cover art in fantasy. Nothing about that cover art made the series look cool.
I'd say the draw is that it's a great blender of many things and that Jordan/Rigney was a great worldbuilder. Many characters are likeable and fallible, fantasy is quite rooted in the world (Shadar Logoth, mage-armies, the white tower being a political power), there's a lot of attention to detail, politics make mostly sense and the action is pretty crisp. There is some of Tolkien's mystique some of the modern gruesomeness. Some of the scenes just flashed me back then, the first battle of the Ash'aman f.e.
It also hit the sweetspot for me between Tolkien's very descriptive writingstyle and the very fast paced action style that many modern fantasy writers prefer. Whenever I read a little in the books I'm amazed how good Jordan/Rigney is at describing a scene on the fly without getting boring.
From a plot perspective it's a fairly stereotypical fantasy epos and heavily leans on LotR and a hero's journey, no doubt. And getting sidetracked is definitely the biggest flaw of the books.
I liked the covers :/ (outside of the one of the great hunt)
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On February 04 2019 21:46 Acrofales wrote:Show nested quote +On February 04 2019 21:29 Archeon wrote:Recently read Skyward, which was decent. Wished Sanderson would write more adult books again, Elantris and Mistborn were great and the finale of Wheel of time showed that he really could pull a connected saga off. His more recent books are all decent (read steelslayer 2, part 2 and 3 of his superhero series last year) and I can't really find a major flaw in them, but they don't impress me like some of his earlier books did. They are just a tad too much by the book and the fact that he writes them as separate stories instead of parts of a longer arc doesn't help. On January 31 2019 08:36 xDaunt wrote:
I finally decided to take the plunge into the Wheel of Time series given that so many people rate it so highly and that Amazon is turning it into a TV series. I'm up to Book 9. It's entertaining, but not great. I'm very surprised at how PG rated it is compared to other contemporary novels. There's a remarkable amount of chivalry in it. The biggest problem with the series is how slowly it moves (and this is a remarkable statement for me to make given how patient I typically I am). There are a lot of unnecessary plot lines and plot points. The most egregious example so far has been the Ebou Dar trip and hunt for the bowl. Resolution of major conflicts is drawn out for no good reason. It shouldn't take until Book 5 for the hero to finally get laid by one of his love interests. Yeah the middle part is extremely slow, especially Perrin's part. That Jordan had a very limited view of females and they are mostly irritating across the board doesn't make it better, and objectively worse in Perrin's part. It gets better once Sanderson takes over though and the finale is great. Tbf the development of love stories didn't bother me, new fantasy seems to require a sex scene every 100 pages, which at times is annoying. I couldn't care less whether or not Tyrion meets a whore in a shaggy town city and feels bad about it. How are you mentioning Sanderson's recent work and ignoring the Stormlight Archive books? Those are quite adult. Also, the Alloy of Law series is recent too, with the 4th (and final) book of the series being released this year (or maybe next, no definitive date yet). The first one isn't great and it seems both he and the reader need some getting used to Mistborn magic in a Western style universe. But the second and third installments are very good.
I wouldnt call Stormlight anymore adult than Mistborn is tbh.. its all like young adult/teen at best. I really liked the transition to mistborn era 2 personally. + Show Spoiler +It was a very interesting take, not just the western/steampunk aspect but also the fact that everyone is to a degree limited including the main characters made the combat alot more enjoyable than Vin tearing heads not stop for a 2 and change worth of books.
Havent read his non cosmere works so cant comment on those.
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![[image loading]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51-MOmk8r-L._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg)
This book is super interesting. Jung's name popped up in a couple podcasts I listened to so I decided to jump in. Wish I'd read his stuff sooner.
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On February 07 2019 14:51 Starlightsun wrote:This book is super interesting. Jung's name popped up in a couple podcasts I listened to so I decided to jump in. Wish I'd read his stuff sooner.
I have a few of his myself.
He was super smart but also not a good writer. Some of it is just a nightmare to read. I remember being stuck on one chapter for about 3-4 months because I just couldn't get what he was trying to explain.
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On February 07 2019 17:40 Jockmcplop wrote:Show nested quote +On February 07 2019 14:51 Starlightsun wrote:This book is super interesting. Jung's name popped up in a couple podcasts I listened to so I decided to jump in. Wish I'd read his stuff sooner. I have a few of his myself. He was super smart but also not a good writer. Some of it is just a nightmare to read. I remember being stuck on one chapter for about 3-4 months because I just couldn't get what he was trying to explain.
Yeah can't say I understand all of it, but the parts I do are full of very striking and original ideas. I guess this is probably one of his more accessible works since it's a series of lectures he gave.
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On January 16 2019 03:50 Flicky wrote:
Has anyone read Sudden Death by Álvaro Enrigue? Sounds intriguing but have only heard of it from someone who hasn't read it yet.
I've read Sudden Death and liked it enough to wholeheartedly recommend it.
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I recently finished Murakami's Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and I must say it's probably his weakest yet (I have read them all excluding the latest one) although I felt happy and proud that it was placed partly to my home country
I have high hopes for Killing Commendatore though, the plot seems intriguing.
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2019 To Be Read List (hopefully)
Another Roadside Attraction – Tom Robbins
The Brothers Karamazov -Dostoevsky
Dubliners-James Joyce
Ulysses – James Joyce
The Cantebury Tales -Geoffrey Chaucer
Fearful Symmetry - Frye
William Blake (Collected poems)
Leaves of Grass -Walt Whitman
Wallace Stevens (collected poems)
The Bible
Leonard Cohen – Stranger Music
Lorca (Collected poems)
Irving Layton (collected poems)
Emily Dickinson (collected poems)
Frank O'Hara (collected poems)
Amy Clampitt (collected poems)
Alexander Pope (The Rape of the Lock)
I'm interested in writing my own poetry so I want to know what other voices have said to be aware if I'm creating pastiche.
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On February 04 2019 20:31 Flicky wrote:
Recent ones:
Fictions by Jorge Luis Borges. It's really good, really short, everyone should probably read it. At least read The Library of Babel and Funes the Memorious.
Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky. Had this highly recommended, but didn't really care for it. There's a section outlaying the picnic comparison which is cool, but the rest isn't very interesting or well written.
Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger. This is also really good. Would've been great to read this when I was younger. Everyone loves Library of Babel but personally Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius is probably my favorite Borges across all his short story collections. Death and Compass was also really good.
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I read No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai. Apparantly it is very popular in Japan, but it was recommended to me by a friend in english. It is the most peculiar book I've ever read. Though it's similar to Crime and Punishment in that it is a tragic story of an otherwise good man, it takes it in a very different direction.
Also recently read The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. I recommend these very much. I'm not sure how useful Holmes' deductive techniques will be to someone who reads these books, but it certainly feels like I've learned something in addition to having fun trying to figure out the puzzles (and invariably failing despite it being a fair mystery usually).
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I didn't realize we had a book thread. I am now back to reading again after having read almost nothing since 2013 (life happened is the short answer). Gonna post mostly fantasy books, but since I am a slow reader it might be a while before I post again.
Just finished: The Many Adventures of Peter and Fi Vol.1 by Kelvyn Fernandes
![[image loading]](https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1545174269l/43266479.jpg)
(I received a free copy of this book from the author by participating in his Reddit Fantasy Writer of the Day thread.)
Overall it was a fun adventure book. I don't want to say too much, but the book follows Peter and Fi who are both on an adventure together for their own gain. I really enjoyed the world building in this book. Instead of having everything thrown at you at once, you get to gradually explore the world the book takes place in.
Starting next: The Yoga of Strength by Andrew Marc Rowe
![[image loading]](https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1550619461l/44068504.jpg)
(I won an ARC of this book in a giveaway that took place on the Fantasy subreddit. The book releases April 19th)
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I recently started to read Plato's dialogues on Socrates. Before it I read Xenophon's Memorabilia and even before that I read Plato's Republic.
And I read a few pages daily from The Philippics, a series speeches of Marcus Tullius Cicero against Marcus Antonius but it is not a book in itself so I do not know if it's relevant. Anyway, it's beyond impressive how Cicero expressed himself, I am in complete awe of his ability. Small wonder he is considered to be the most eloquent speaker in history.
Cheers!
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Brought Arcanum Unbounded (which has alot of novellas that are Cosmere related .. it is a good deal for one book).
Read(which was one of the novellas of arcanun unbounded):
![[image loading]](https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1343059311l/13578175.jpg)
I did expect it to be quite good given that it is his Hugo award winning story after all but what i didn't expect was that it completely lacked the usual "sanderson avalanche" or the explosion of the culmination of the detail setups for the plot near the end of the book which is actually how all of his books work.
It has the least sanderson-ish quality for a sanderson book.
Still pretty good in a different way
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On February 07 2019 14:51 Starlightsun wrote:This book is super interesting. Jung's name popped up in a couple podcasts I listened to so I decided to jump in. Wish I'd read his stuff sooner.
If you like a psychotherapist talking about the philosophical roots of their ideas i recommend Nathaniel Branden's "Judgement Day". He revised it in 1999. I recommend the 1999 version of the book.
I think the climactic line from the book is : "every day is judgement day and your ego is the judge"
I find it fascinating to examine the evolution in thinking behind baseball.
![[image loading]](https://i.imgur.com/2nt8tIq.jpg)
For all of his #s and statistical analysis, Bill James, has no clue a wave of dominicans is about to hit the majors and change the way every GM and Prez of B-Ball Ops scouts for talent.
James is able to better predict what will happen a year in the future compared to previous statistical analysts. This book represents a small incremental step forward in statistics and measurements of baseball players. The way it is presented in the movie and book "Moneyball" is that Bill James' thinking is a giant quantum leap forward. And... its not. Patient hitters have always been way more valued than aggressive hitters.
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just an immense pleasure to read. history, life, love and other oddities of and about historically important people - in letters. Stalin to his daughter, Augustus to Caesar, Anton Chekhov to his publisher...
I very much remember a gripping and graphic one by an English aristocratic woman who lived around 1800, who was being operated on without anesthesia - in France.
that woman's name? Fanny Burney, one of the very few best selling female novelists when "dabbling in such things was disreputable"
![[image loading]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51IzbGz8eDL._SX322_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg)
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There is a new book exchange box roughly like this near the playground where we go with the kids. I found this there
![[image loading]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c7/KazuoIshiguro_TheRemainsOfTheDay.jpg)
This was rather surprising since there are very little English books in that box, so I took it and started reading. I stared reading without any expectations whatsoever, but so far it is fantastic. I would never have guessed that there are some many interesting aspects about the life of a butler.
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Recently Read:(yes i am aware these are lit that kids read but i only encountered them now)
![[image loading]](https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1342493368l/3636.jpg)
Fairly straightforward scifi but pretty good at execution i guess. It was a good read (not my favorite philosophical scifi but good enough)
![[image loading]](https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388206270l/13831.jpg)
I read alot of opinions about this about how it was good. Well it was good even tho it was kinda simplistic(not complicated at all) and most characters are nice but they did do good with a girl pretending to be a boy so that she can become a knight aspect that the book advertised.
Certainly targeted for teens/kids tho
This is basically Mulan but sort-off old-school fantasy twist with actually reasonable cast (idk there was a lack of petty character which i am not used to).
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WCS![[image loading]](https://i0.wp.com/www.tor.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/reckoners-series.jpg?fit=740%2C+9999&crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C373px&ssl=1)
![[image loading]](https://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/9780674725881_p0_v1_s600x595.jpg)
![[image loading]](https://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/9780375756788_p0_v2_s600x595.jpg)
