Currently reading Ike's Bluff by Evan Thomas. A very insightful look into the workings of Eisenhower's presidency. Puts to rest any arguments that Ike was a lazy president. Golfed a lot though.
I am rereading Ender's Game and liking it just as much (if not more) as I did when I first read it. I am actually reading it because I want to give Speaker for the Dead another try.
What I'm talking about is that when I read Ender's Game the first time, I immediately went to Speaker and I put it down immediately. The reason why was that I was expecting it to be a similar reading experience to the first book and it wasn't so I was turned off. Enough time has passed that I think it is time for me to give it the old college try.
I am rereading Ender's Game and liking it just as much (if not more) as I did when I first read it. I am actually reading it because I want to give Speaker for the Dead another try.
What I'm talking about is that when I read Ender's Game the first time, I immediately went to Speaker and I put it down immediately. The reason why was that I was expecting it to be a similar reading experience to the first book and it wasn't so I was turned off. Enough time has passed that I think it is time for me to give it the old college try.
Speaker for the Dead was not a bad book, it just wasn't worthy of being a sequel to its predecessor. A lot of good ideas are proposed in it, but I feel like Card wasn't sure how to frame them. He needed an editor who understood his personal style better, and could have helped the heart of the story by replacing everything around it.
Yea I enjoyed Speaker of the dead a lot, the whole concept of a storyteller talking about a persons life after they die so people would understand their life better for who they were bruises and all is a great idea.
Now...I'm going to start reading my first Haruki Murakami book. I have meant to read his stuff forever and now I'm going to do it. I think I'll start with Norwegian Wood because what it is about is appealing to me.
Finished the Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon. It was a pretty good book but nowhere near as good as the Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay.
Starting to read Prince of Thornes. Its ok but not amazing and I can't tell why there are so many references to some of the Classics, it doesn't really make sense save for the author going "woo look at this I know who Plutarch was!". The thing is its meant to be in the same style as the Prince of Nothing but all I'm seeing at the moment is some spoilt child murdering and torturing his way across not Medieval Europe.
Orson Scott Card (says that he) had the idea for Speaker for the Dead first, but needed a suitable backstory for his main character. He went back and wrote a short version of Ender's Game. That was a success. When he was working again on Speaker for the Dead, he expanded Ender's Game into a novel-length book, including all the parts with Ender's brother and sister, both of which are needed for Speaker for the Dead.
Of course, the novel for Ender's Game was the most popular, but Speaker for the Dead is anything but Card cashing in its success (that can't be said for much later Ender books). Speaker for the Dead won the same science fiction book awards that Ender's Game did, the very next year!
Personally I like both the novels just as much as each other, but they are very different. One is a book about kids dealing with adult problems, the second is about adults dealing with adult problems. Reading the second directly after the first might be jarring, especially for younger readers.
I'm reading "The Rebel League" by Ed Willes. Very interesting and hilarious look back at the WHA, how it came about and the crazy shit that went down in it. Recommended to anybody who likes hockey.
Wrapped up Prince of Thorns. Man screw that book, I like it and all and will most likely get the next one but the main character is so unlikeable. He is the most Mary of Mary Sues that has ever existed in the time of Mary, daughter of Mary. Any problem he solves by being a cunt. Up need to capture a castle better blow it up, up need to secure my succession better all women whore, the list goes on. Also he turns round and goes, "Well yeah I raped and tortured people and did loads of horrible shit. but that might have been a wizzard and not me so Im sort of blamless", fuck this guy.
But, and this is a massive but, the world and the people around him are really interesting. There is a flavour that makes me want to know more and find out what has happend. If this could be done with out the shit as a main character then that would be cool but I don't see that happening. Also the author sounds like a dick.
Rereading the Hobbit for old times sake and loving it. Im unlocking so much stuff I missed as a kid.
Just finished "To Say Nothing of the Dog," a strange time-travel book set in the Victorian Era (mostly). Pretty good, though it referenced "Three Men in a Boat" quite heavily.
I'm now reading "Ballad of the Whiskey Robber". It was recommended by John Green on Vlogbrothers and I bought it simply due to the subtitle: "A True Story of Bank Heists, Ice Hockey, Transylvanian Pelt Smuggling, Moonlighting Detectives and Broken Hearts".
The book portrays a somewhat dramatized version of the story of Attila Ambrus, a real person who emigrated to Hungary from Romania (transylvania to be exact, where most people till speak hungarian) at the end of communism and committed 29 or so bank robberies while playing goal for the hungarian professional hockey team UTE. He is kind of a hungarian folk legend a la Robin Hood.
Started reading The Great Train Robbery. I sorta dig the dry, detailed retelling of how a crime was pulled off.
Also, read the Game of Thrones official companion cookbook, as I am hosting a 6-person Game of Thrones boardgame session in early March. We're gonna do it up big with medieval meal, mulled wine, and blasting that theme song on loop for 3 hours. Some really delicious stuff in there. Now to go find a lot of bison meat...
Started reading Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson. It's pretty good so far. What I like most about it is its unique magic system that is pretty different from everything else out there.
This month, Greg has to read: -- My Antonia (reachback English, rereading, ~250 pages IIRC) -- Pride and Prejudice (English 11, 330 pages) -- The Given Day (US History, 750 pages) -- Confessions of an Economic Hitman (Foreign Policy, actually good, 220 pages of awesome)
Fuck January. I could handle the two Englishes plus FoPo, but The Given Day is just a big middle finger from Mrs. KP to me, especially since she knows this and has read my IEP saying that I can't reading comprehension for shit.
Started reading Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson. It's pretty good so far. What I like most about it is its unique magic system that is pretty different from everything else out there.
Yup! Different from everything else out there.... except all the other fantasy books by Sanderson. Not that I'm complaining, I really enjoy his work (except Elantris- fuck that book).
Do you like magic systems and martial arts? So does Brandon Sanderson, and he is writing for you. (This is by no means a bad thing.)
I'm currently returning to a suspended Guy Gavriel Kay kick and reading Tigana. Politics and rebellion in medieval Italy analogue, good stuff. If you haven't read any of his stuff: Kay writes good thoughtful fantasy in heavily historical settings (see: The Last Light of the Sun, which is about Vikings and faith, and Under Heaven, which is about too much of a good thing in imperial China.)
Just rereading the Prince of Nothing series. I didn't remember a lot of things from my first reading. I wonder what it all means. What would Kellhus do with knowledge o the Tekne?
Neuropath
Another book by R. Scott Bakker, this was disturbing to read. The sheer amount of body horror in this book, especially as it involves direct manipulation of the brain made me blanch.
Scott Pilgrim 1: Scott Pilgrims Precious Little Life Scott Pilgrim 2: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
Why didn't I read this earlier? A fun read, need to find the rest of it.
Sandman Volume 4
I thought this was Volume 1, read it anyway beacause I was bored. As a further note I love everything Neil Gaiman writes.
Second Library Run:
Buddha, by Osamu Tezuka
This book sucks, the title character hasn't even said a word yet. Plus everyone else who was part of the main cast has died down to one child. Buddhism is weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeird.
But I Really Wanted To Be An Anthropologist
This is a collection of comics by Maragaux Motin. I didn't even know that it was translated from French when I read it, the translation is so good (Though it isn't a particularly dialogue heavy comic). It reminds me a lot of Wasted Talent, and well, all the blog comics I read, thought the art style reminds me more of Hark A Vagrant.
Chew, Volumes 1-4
Read these before I got out of the library, I first encountered them on the internet. The series is very much in the style of Dr. Mcninja/Atomic Robo action. Very fun to read.
After trimming my podcast subscription list down to the ones I really enjoy the most, I finally did sign up with Audible. Started with1Q84 and it's pretty good so far.
Comments
What I'm talking about is that when I read Ender's Game the first time, I immediately went to Speaker and I put it down immediately. The reason why was that I was expecting it to be a similar reading experience to the first book and it wasn't so I was turned off. Enough time has passed that I think it is time for me to give it the old college try.
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/205880968
Now...I'm going to start reading my first Haruki Murakami book. I have meant to read his stuff forever and now I'm going to do it. I think I'll start with Norwegian Wood because what it is about is appealing to me.
Of course, the novel for Ender's Game was the most popular, but Speaker for the Dead is anything but Card cashing in its success (that can't be said for much later Ender books). Speaker for the Dead won the same science fiction book awards that Ender's Game did, the very next year!
Personally I like both the novels just as much as each other, but they are very different. One is a book about kids dealing with adult problems, the second is about adults dealing with adult problems. Reading the second directly after the first might be jarring, especially for younger readers.
But, and this is a massive but, the world and the people around him are really interesting. There is a flavour that makes me want to know more and find out what has happend. If this could be done with out the shit as a main character then that would be cool but I don't see that happening. Also the author sounds like a dick.
Rereading the Hobbit for old times sake and loving it. Im unlocking so much stuff I missed as a kid.
The book portrays a somewhat dramatized version of the story of Attila Ambrus, a real person who emigrated to Hungary from Romania (transylvania to be exact, where most people till speak hungarian) at the end of communism and committed 29 or so bank robberies while playing goal for the hungarian professional hockey team UTE. He is kind of a hungarian folk legend a la Robin Hood.
The book is really good.
Also, read the Game of Thrones official companion cookbook, as I am hosting a 6-person Game of Thrones boardgame session in early March. We're gonna do it up big with medieval meal, mulled wine, and blasting that theme song on loop for 3 hours. Some really delicious stuff in there. Now to go find a lot of bison meat...
-- My Antonia (reachback English, rereading, ~250 pages IIRC)
-- Pride and Prejudice (English 11, 330 pages)
-- The Given Day (US History, 750 pages)
-- Confessions of an Economic Hitman (Foreign Policy, actually good, 220 pages of awesome)
Fuck January. I could handle the two Englishes plus FoPo, but The Given Day is just a big middle finger from Mrs. KP to me, especially since she knows this and has read my IEP saying that I can't reading comprehension for shit.
I'm currently returning to a suspended Guy Gavriel Kay kick and reading Tigana. Politics and rebellion in medieval Italy analogue, good stuff. If you haven't read any of his stuff: Kay writes good thoughtful fantasy in heavily historical settings (see: The Last Light of the Sun, which is about Vikings and faith, and Under Heaven, which is about too much of a good thing in imperial China.)
First Library Run:
The Warrior Prophet
The Thousandfold Thought
Just rereading the Prince of Nothing series. I didn't remember a lot of things from my first reading. I wonder what it all means. What would Kellhus do with knowledge o the Tekne?
Neuropath
Another book by R. Scott Bakker, this was disturbing to read. The sheer amount of body horror in this book, especially as it involves direct manipulation of the brain made me blanch.
Scott Pilgrim 1: Scott Pilgrims Precious Little Life
Scott Pilgrim 2: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
Why didn't I read this earlier? A fun read, need to find the rest of it.
Sandman Volume 4
I thought this was Volume 1, read it anyway beacause I was bored. As a further note I love everything Neil Gaiman writes.
Second Library Run:
Buddha, by Osamu Tezuka
This book sucks, the title character hasn't even said a word yet. Plus everyone else who was part of the main cast has died down to one child.
Buddhism is weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeird.
But I Really Wanted To Be An Anthropologist
This is a collection of comics by Maragaux Motin. I didn't even know that it was translated from French when I read it, the translation is so good (Though it isn't a particularly dialogue heavy comic). It reminds me a lot of Wasted Talent, and well, all the blog comics I read, thought the art style reminds me more of Hark A Vagrant.
Chew, Volumes 1-4
Read these before I got out of the library, I first encountered them on the internet. The series is very much in the style of Dr. Mcninja/Atomic Robo action. Very fun to read.
Elephantmen, Volume 1
Pulp Sci-fi so good.