Just finished Neil Gaiman's latest book, the Ocean at the End of the Lane. It was such a different side to his writing. It was extremely personal, dark, and haunting; drawing upon sections of his childhood and his current relationship and feelings, something he would avoid doing beforehand. I was re-reading sections over and over again with a sense of nostalgia and longing. I'm pretty sure I'm going to re-read this soon, because this might be some of Gaiman's best work yet.
Finished Ocean at the End of the Lane, like just put it down to type. Was very good, up there with Neverwhere. Itis very strange to read something so perfectly writen from a childs prespective, it encapsulated the ideas and thoughts that kids have. Certainly worth a read.
Edit; Well what are the chances of that, finishing just after Mort.
Just finished Foundation. Unlike Luke, I didn't find the book boring at all. It is a fairly simple book, but I accept that considering how old the stories are, and the ideas from them have been reused so many times now that they seem cliche. I'm not going to read the rest of the series right away, but I intend to over time.
Finished The Hydrogen Sonata by Ian Banks and it is every bit as good as I expected it to be. Now reading Against A Dark Background by him. You bastards got me hooked.
I read Foundation when I was 12 or 13 and loved it. Tried re-reading it recently and couldn't get past page three. Characters are horrible.
Finished The Hydrogen Sonata by Ian Banks and it is every bit as good as I expected it to be. Now reading Against A Dark Background by him. You bastards got me hooked.
I read Foundation when I was 12 or 13 and loved it. Tried re-reading it recently and couldn't get past page three. Characters are horrible.
I'm just surprised we read a book you hadn't already read.
I recently finished Pratchett & Baxter's The Long Earth and am about to start reading the sequel, The Long War. It is a nice read; Pratchett's humor and heart come through, but it is meatier than a lot of his solo works. I would recommend it.
So I dropped the ball on books the last 6 months ago, just now getting to read the Lies of Locke Lamora.
Better late than never.
Other than literature with too many dated cultural references, books have an amazing shelf life. ^_~
Finished reading Neil Gaiman's The Ocean at the End of the Lane. Short book, but absolutely great. This is one of the best books Gaiman has written in a while, not that he ever puts out a bad book.
I'm almost done with Ian M Banks' Use of Weapons (I'm reading them in the order that Luke posted), and I am enjoying it much more than Excession or Consider Phlebas. Still think Player of Games was the best one I've read so far, though hopefully the next one (which concerns Earth?) will be awesome.
I'm almost done with Ian M Banks' Use of Weapons (I'm reading them in the order that Luke posted), and I am enjoying it much more than Excession or Consider Phlebas. Still think Player of Games was the best one I've read so far, though hopefully the next one (which concerns Earth?) will be awesome.
I'm glad that someone's trying my reading order. It's not the order I read them, of course, but they are grouped by theme and flow and leave some good books for the end. Tell me how it works out!
Fun fact: Use of Weapons was the first book I gave 5 stars to on my podcast, and I still think Player of Games is a better novel. Look to Windward is also really good.
Fun fact 2: The State of the Art is the only Culture novel where Earth makes an appearance, and yesterday I visited a memorial in Paris which is used as a location in that story. The reason I visited it was almost 100% due to reading about it in State of the Art.
Saw World War Z (which was totally unlike the book and I had no problem with that) and it prodded me to start reading John Barry's The Great Influenza. So I am.
Finished Great Influenza. Very, very good. Even a non-science type like me was able to follow and stay interested in the science. Now reading Mark Twain's The Gilded Age.
Goddamn, I haven't finished a book since PAX East. Just started reading Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. If you like footnotes (these are pretty good footnotes) this book has 'em.
Pence, you reminded me of my favorite footnotes of all time: Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next series. There's a device in those books called a "footnoterphone." It let's you make long distance calls in footnotes. It's brilliant.
Goddamn, I haven't finished a book since PAX East. Just started reading Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. If you like footnotes (these are pretty good footnotes) this book has 'em.
That's a fantastic book. I just finished reading it. More specifically though, if you like the Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, prose combined with enchanters and fantasy; you should read it.
As for what I am reading right now, I am splitting my reading between fiction and instructional books about film. On the fiction side, I am reading Death of A Salesman and am enjoying it immensely. I had trouble sleeping last night because I kept trying to stay up to finish it. I am dying to know how it ends.
On the film side, I am reading "Making Movies" by Sidney Lumet (director of 12 Angry Men, Dog Day Afternoon, and more) and I am blown away by it. Even if you know nothing about making movies, this will not only give you a full courses' worth of info about it, but it is fun to read and is not dryly written (which is a problem with a lot of books about film).
Yo, anyone know a good book on the extinction of the Indigenous Americans? Like, anything. Phillip's War, Trail of Tears, Civil War -- anything or everything.
Comments
Edit; Well what are the chances of that, finishing just after Mort.
I read Foundation when I was 12 or 13 and loved it. Tried re-reading it recently and couldn't get past page three. Characters are horrible.
Fun fact: Use of Weapons was the first book I gave 5 stars to on my podcast, and I still think Player of Games is a better novel. Look to Windward is also really good.
Fun fact 2: The State of the Art is the only Culture novel where Earth makes an appearance, and yesterday I visited a memorial in Paris which is used as a location in that story. The reason I visited it was almost 100% due to reading about it in State of the Art.
As for what I am reading right now, I am splitting my reading between fiction and instructional books about film. On the fiction side, I am reading Death of A Salesman and am enjoying it immensely. I had trouble sleeping last night because I kept trying to stay up to finish it. I am dying to know how it ends.
On the film side, I am reading "Making Movies" by Sidney Lumet (director of 12 Angry Men, Dog Day Afternoon, and more) and I am blown away by it. Even if you know nothing about making movies, this will not only give you a full courses' worth of info about it, but it is fun to read and is not dryly written (which is a problem with a lot of books about film).