[Falco]

Read 'Complications' by Atul Gawande. Fantastic read, highly recommended.

[Thelomen Toblerone]

Have....Reapers.....Gale.....can't....read.....it.....yet.....too....much....bloody....stupid.....work......


AAAARGH!!!!!

[ObsoleteResolve]

Light, M. John. Harrison.

Jailbird, Kurt Vonnegut.

Bluebeard, Kurt Vonnegut.

[Gothos]

Frank Herbert - "God Emperor of Dune"

was always my favourite part of the series, and the best character in them - Leto II, the God Emperor. ftw!


Jose Ortega Y Gasset - Rebellion of the masses


Kate Saunders, Peter Stanford - Catholics and Sex: from purity to purgatory

[pat5150]

Just finished Scott Lynch's Red Seas under Red Skies!

As was the case with me, I'm persuaded that most of you are curious to see if this one lives up to the expectations generated by its predecessor, The Lies of Locke Lamora. Hence, let me put your mind at ease. With Red Seas under Red Skies, Scott Lynch lives up to readers' high expectations!

And by that I mean that if you enjoyed Lynch's debut, you'll undoubtedly like this second volume in The Gentleman Bastard sequence. To me, Lynch's books are like summer blockbuster movies. They're big productions with plenty of action, all in all quite the roller-coaster ride. They'll never win an Oscar, but in terms of fun and entertainment they pack a sure KO punch! If you're looking for a grand fantasy epic, don't bother. But if another imaginative and convoluted caper is your cup of tea, then buckle up and enjoy the ride! Think of it as an original cross between Ocean's Eleven and Pirates of the Carribean.

Locke and Jean's newest set of misadventures are sure to thrill fans of The Lies of Locke Lamora. Having screwed up things as bad as humanly possible in Camorr, both were forced to flee and eventually settled in Tal Verrar. Interestingly enough, that's where the Sinspire, the most exclusive and notorious gambling house, can be found. Orchestrating their most perfect crime, Locke has his sight set on the Sinspire's fortune. Unfortunately, Locke's plans have a tendency to go awry, and both he and Jean somehow find themselves among pirates on the Sea of Brass. Mix the Gentlemen Bastards and piracy on the high seas, and you find yourself with a recipe for one fun-filled adventure!

Red Seas under Red Skies may not be the best fantasy novel you'll read this year, but I doubt you'll have more fun reading anything else!

Check out the blog for the full review!

Patrick

[Falco]

Sounds good pat.


Currently reading 'Black Swan Green' by David Mitchell, who is one of my favourite authors. As usual, his latest stands up to expectations, a superb piece of writing.

Also picked up Asher's 'The Voyage of Sable Keech'. Never read him before, what to expect?

[caladanbrood]

Whoa! No! Stop!

Don't read Sable Keech until you've read The Skinner! It's basically a direct sequel.



I really need to read more David Mitchell - I saw Black Swan Green when I was buying Reaper's Gale, it did look good.

[Falco]

Dammit. It was on special so I picked it up. Cheers for the warning...

[caladanbrood]

In better news: Buy The Skinner now too - it's a superb book

[Lord Gordonis]

Reaper of Souls - Dan Abnett & Mike lee

[rlfcl]

started reading the Motorcycle Diaries. It's very interesting so far, especially since he was only a few years older than me when he wrote it. It's interesting to see the changes that he went through that started to turn him from "Ernesto" into "Che", and his writing style is often very poetic. Great, often dry sense of humour too.

[Astra]

I just finished The Dark Tower VII.

I don't know what everybody expected from the series but I am satisfied with the ending. Completely unpredictable and different from any other book i have ever read. Sure some people would like a more traditional finish but I think this one was very good. As King said, it could not be different. The journey was very good as well.

I am going to re-read a few last chapters of The Dark Tower then I start to re-read The Master and Margarita by M. Bulgakov. I read it twice long time ago. I think the last time was when I was 19. I believe I was a bit too young to understand all of it. So, I am going to try again.

[Astra]

After all, I have decided to read a new book
Either The Lions of Al-Rassan or Earthsea.
Most likely I am going to start with G.G. Kay.

[pat5150]

Just finished Richard Morgan's excellent Black Man/Thirteen.

Morgan's writing style and his fine eye for details make the narrative leap off the pages. The author truly knows how to make the story come alive, and I found the imagery quite compelling.

The worldbuilding is interesting, though Morgan doesn't delve too much on how it all came to pass. The USA have imploded and the country has split into three separate States: the Pacific Rim, the North Atlantic Union, and the Republic, also known as Jesusland. China is now a superpower and the rest of the world appears hard-pressed to keep up with them. It is a fascinating backdrop, to be sure, and it's too bad Richard Morgan didn't spend a bit more time explaining how it all unfolded.

The characterizations are well-done, the dialogues gritty. The author knows how to keep the readers interested by allowing us to learn more about the characters by increments. The Carl Marsalis/Sevgi Ertekin tandem provides a nice balance between the Thirteen and the COLIN agent. The supporting cast is comprised of a good bunch of characters, including the Norton brothers and Carmen Ren.

The pace is great -- Black Man/Thirteen is a veritable page-turner! However, the storytelling is at times a bit uneven. Nothing that really takes anything away from the novel, mind you. But Morgan sometimes takes the "easy" route, and Marsalis' hunches prove to be on target, though they're coming from way out of left field. With such a absorbing and convoluted plot, I felt decidedly short-changed when that happened.

Black Man/Thirteen is a high-octane, action-packed and violent book. It is also an intelligent and thought-provoking thriller, one that will even satisfy readers from outside the genre.

Check the blog for the full review!

Patrick

[Leoman]

Heavier than Heaven
A biography on good ol' Kurt Cobain.

[Tiste Simeon]

Gonna read Reaper's Gale again, I think...

[tiam]

me too. I have the last 2 of the Assasin books (Hobb) to read and shiled of thunder by David Gemmel. But i think a good reread is in order

A slow reread. I like many read in block 12 hour sessions and fell into mindless overload.

[Tiste Simeon]

Just finished reading Shield of Thunder by David Gemmell... Annoyed that he died and can't finish the final one (though apparently his wife is doing it for him...) It was a fairly good series (though I started it one side of Reaper's Gale and finished it the other side of it, meaning it was somewhat dimished and belittled by Erikson's awesomeness...)

[Hume]

About 2/3 the way through Stand on Zanzibar and its one of the best books I've read in years.

Also just finished The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins. Fascinating book as well.

[Cold Iron]

Leoman;189393 said:

Heavier than Heaven
A biography on good ol' Kurt Cobain.

Oh come on. You were 2 when he died!