I read Scott Pilgrim and am now reading Lost at Sea. I also reread Time and Temp so that I could run it; it's an rpg about temp workers traveling through time to fix anachronisms.
I just finished reading (well listening to) Neal Stephenson's The Diamond Age, which was a fantastic book. I really need to read more of his stuff (I've only read Snow Crash and Anathem so far.)
Just curious, anyone know how to publicly share a google bookshelf? Would pose the whole "what I read and here are my thoughts on the matter" something worthwhile.
In the past three weeks I have devoured Robert Jordan's The Gathering Storm and The Towers of Midnight, from The Wheel of Time series. Now I have a little more than a year to wait for the release of the 14th and final book of the series, which I have been reading since I was 16. For those of you keeping score at home, that's almost exactly half my life.
Some interesting totals from Wikipedia: The series has just over 11,000 pages and 14 million words. Listening to the audio books would take 17 days, 11 hours, 30 minutes.
In the past three weeks I have devoured Robert Jordan's The Gathering Storm and The Towers of Midnight
I too have been reading that series for just as long. I haven't had the heart to read both of the books by Brandon Sanderson. They're sitting on my book shelf taunting me. Maybe after I finish with Hyperspace.
I just read the first two. Thought they were good. I'm totally going to read them all.
But man, how the hell can anyone survive the beatings he gets?? He got PULVERISED in Fools moon! Dude should be fucking dead!
Oh god there are so many things I'd like to say but won't for spoilers. 1) Book 1 and 2 bear very little similarity to the series at large, it gets tremendously better. 2) Harry's capacity for assbeatings is explained at some point quite satisfyingly. 3) The Dresden Files is one series I encourage people to consume via audiobooks because of their overwhelming quality.
yeah, listening to the audiobooks. I really like the narrator. I think some people don't like his breathing, but I think it adds to the atmosphere.
Almost through book 3, these books are so damn action packed, the action per page ratio is VERY high. Makes Sword of ice and fire series feel like molasses.
Haven't visited this thread in a while, so to respond to that Star Wars Expanded Universe discussion from December:
- The "Heir to the Empire" trilogy: sad that it hasn't held up. The reason this is always cited is because for many people it was the first thing they read in EU. It came out in 1991, way before Star Wars had its big resurgence. There were very very few other Star Wars novels at the time and it is largely credited with kicking off the EU, and once Lucas saw how successful it was, potentially causing enough of a snowball effect to result in the late-90s Star Wars mania. Among Star Wars fans it's a landmark series, but that doesn't mean it's good writing. Last time I read it was in junior high and it sounds like I'd be best not to revisit it.
- The "Tale of..." series: I agree, avoid the Bounty Hunters one. It's mediocre while the Cantina and Jabba's Palace ones are superb. I love short story Star Wars, and these do an awesome job of not having the movie characters in them (a plus in my book), while dancing around the actual movie events to help ground them in the fiction.
- "I, Jedi": Was awesome. Last great Star Wars book I read before I stopped. I agree that if you have enough time and are a big enough Star Wars nut, the Rogue Squadron books are essential pre-reading for this one.
FYI, Brian Jacques, who wrote the Redwall series, died on Saturday. I never read those books, but I understand they are fairly prominent juvenile fantasy novels.
FYI, Brian Jacques, who wrote theRedwallseries, died on Saturday. I never read those books, but I understand they are fairly prominent juvenile fantasy novels.
Whoa. I was just reminiscing with my parents on Saturday about those books. It was definitely one of my favorites series in both grade and high schools. Crazy coincidence.
Brian Jacques, who wrote theRedwallseries, died on Saturday
Ah bummer he was one of the first authors I actively followed. Starting on; the Lensman series, but is slow going. The Lies of Locke Lamora, again slow going really finding it hard to like the characters. The Complete Robot by Asimov. A history of the world in 100 objects by Neil MacGregor. Lost to the west by Lars Brownworth. Lord of the Rings series (again)
Finished; Janisseries by Pournell. World war Z (was good the first time upon re-reads lost a lot of its shine) The Birghtonomicon by Robert Rankin (well listened) Trojan women (the Greek play) The history of the kings of Britain by Geoffery of momouth 20,000 leauges under the sea Frankenstine Love and hate all people, Bill Hicks The Mists of Avalon (Many history books that are very dull for people who aren't as sad as I am and find interesting)
It is tough, my girlfriend's Dad is an old school British nerd. He holds skills that are terrifying, and a library that is basically the spare room of books.
yeah, listening to the audiobooks. I really like the narrator. I think some people don't like his breathing, but I think it adds to the atmosphere.
Almost through book 3, these books are so damn action packed, the action per page ratio is VERY high. Makes Sword of ice and fire series feel like molasses.
The Dresden Files audiobooks are superior to the traditional reading experience because of James Marsters, he absolutely brings the characters to life in a way I've never heard anyone else do (and I'm quite the audiobook consumer).
Having just finished book 3 and loving it, I can't help but wonder does the series really take it up a notch?
The series changes tremendously starting at book 4, it changes in exactly the way you specifically seem to hope it'll change. Summer Knight, book 4, was the first book in the series I read and I was lucky because if I had started with book 1 and 2, I would have really had the wrong impression of the whole series.
So I read Mogworld, I never seen a book start great and end so badly. It is the case of the first two chapters being awesome and the rest of it being the author repeating penis over and over again. Concept was awesome but the execution was terrible, he needed a ghost writer to help save it.
I haven't finished "Hyperspace" yet, mostly because I made the awesome yet terrible mistake of buying one of the TED books, "Reality is Broken", for mah kindle. It's a much more interesting read than Hyperspace. Sorry Rym.
Just finished The Appeal a few weeks ago, which officially clears me out of my John Grisham library. I'm bringing a couple of books with me on the long bus ride to Pax, and I need some suggestions on what to read first. Here's what I'm bringing: Girl With The Dragon Tattoo Pride And Prejudice with Zombies A Game Of Thrones Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy
Just finished The Appeal a few weeks ago, which officially clears me out of my John Grisham library. I'm bringing a couple of books with me on the long bus ride to Pax, and I need some suggestions on what to read first. Here's what I'm bringing: Girl With The Dragon Tattoo Pride And Prejudice with Zombies A Game Of Thrones Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy
Hitchhiker's guide you will be in a place where people will be quoting it might as well get the reference
Comments
But man, how the hell can anyone survive the beatings he gets?? He got PULVERISED in Fools moon! Dude should be fucking dead!
Some interesting totals from Wikipedia: The series has just over 11,000 pages and 14 million words. Listening to the audio books would take 17 days, 11 hours, 30 minutes.
1) Book 1 and 2 bear very little similarity to the series at large, it gets tremendously better.
2) Harry's capacity for assbeatings is explained at some point quite satisfyingly.
3) The Dresden Files is one series I encourage people to consume via audiobooks because of their overwhelming quality.
Almost through book 3, these books are so damn action packed, the action per page ratio is VERY high. Makes Sword of ice and fire series feel like molasses.
everything bad is good
under the dome
Insomnia
Earth: a tourist's guide
World wide Graffiti
trying to find:
A boy and his dog
I have no mouth but i must scream
Hyper space
Scary stories to tell in the dark
Don't even tell me to buy them online because the fun is in the adventure finding then across the globe.
- The "Heir to the Empire" trilogy: sad that it hasn't held up. The reason this is always cited is because for many people it was the first thing they read in EU. It came out in 1991, way before Star Wars had its big resurgence. There were very very few other Star Wars novels at the time and it is largely credited with kicking off the EU, and once Lucas saw how successful it was, potentially causing enough of a snowball effect to result in the late-90s Star Wars mania. Among Star Wars fans it's a landmark series, but that doesn't mean it's good writing. Last time I read it was in junior high and it sounds like I'd be best not to revisit it.
- The "Tale of..." series: I agree, avoid the Bounty Hunters one. It's mediocre while the Cantina and Jabba's Palace ones are superb. I love short story Star Wars, and these do an awesome job of not having the movie characters in them (a plus in my book), while dancing around the actual movie events to help ground them in the fiction.
- "I, Jedi": Was awesome. Last great Star Wars book I read before I stopped. I agree that if you have enough time and are a big enough Star Wars nut, the Rogue Squadron books are essential pre-reading for this one.
Having just finished book 3 and loving it, I can't help but wonder does the series really take it up a notch?
I don't mind "monster of the week" but I can see already with the universe Butcher created, that there is SO much potential for awesomeness.
I just want to know, do you get to actually see the oft talked about white council at some point? Are there any multi-wizard fights?
Like some serious, balls to the wall wizard action, possibly using the once mentioned "linking" to form a powerful group?
Michael is a kick ass character, hope to see more of him too.
Basically, does it ramp it up?
Starting on;
the Lensman series, but is slow going.
The Lies of Locke Lamora, again slow going really finding it hard to like the characters.
The Complete Robot by Asimov.
A history of the world in 100 objects by Neil MacGregor.
Lost to the west by Lars Brownworth.
Lord of the Rings series (again)
Finished;
Janisseries by Pournell.
World war Z (was good the first time upon re-reads lost a lot of its shine)
The Birghtonomicon by Robert Rankin (well listened)
Trojan women (the Greek play)
The history of the kings of Britain by Geoffery of momouth
20,000 leauges under the sea
Frankenstine
Love and hate all people, Bill Hicks
The Mists of Avalon
(Many history books that are very dull for people who aren't as sad as I am and find interesting)
Here's what I'm bringing:
Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Pride And Prejudice with Zombies
A Game Of Thrones
Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy