[Salt-Man Z]

Unless something unexpected comes up, I'll be finishing Heroes Die tonight. It's not that I actually forgot how flipping awesome this book is, but dang--! I loved catching the early references to Purthin Khlaylock that I'd forgotten by the time I read Caine Black Knife two years ago. I just love how Caine/Hari's backstory is so tight even though the three books of the series have been spread out over ten years.

[Chance]

Tower of Midnight - Sanderson

Haven't really looked forward to a WoT book for years...but I have high hopes for this one.

[stone monkey]

amphibian, on 04 November 2010 - 12:17 AM, said:

I gave up on 2666. It's odd because I have a lot of patience for South American stuff. Even watched The Secret In Their Eyes (Argentinean movie) a couple weeks ago.

Is that book indicative of Bolano in general as an author?

To be honest, I'm not sure. I've only read the two. Nazi Literature in the Americas is certainly a very different book than 2666; it's much, much shorter for one thing and it's also markedly funnier. But having not read any of his other output, I can't get a hang on whether either is typical of his work. Or even if there is such a thing as a book that does typify him.

[Ulrik]

Finished Dresden 03, beginning Tales of Ketty Jay.

And I cant find ebook of Orhan Pamuk´s Istanbul (yeah, I have hardcover, but I want it in my Kindle!)

[Tapper]

amphibian, on 30 October 2010 - 07:28 PM, said:

Tapper, on 30 October 2010 - 05:40 PM, said:

He also wrote Magic: The Gathering novels. Which is surely a sign of ehm... quality? Ehm, no, not that.

I read the Urza's saga, which was excellent, and the first couple books of the Kamahl-Mirari series and those were decent. And I read a Tetsuo Umezawa one, which was not as good, but still ok. Those Magic books are probably way better than Star Trek and the vast majority of Star Wars books. More freedom in the writing, perhaps.

I may have to agree with you. I've read the L5R novels from Wizards (7 spanning one arc, for certain by WotC and then 4, I think, although that winds-saga may have been published by AEG), and every single one of them is at worst completely shit or at best leaves you wanting your time back - this was of course back when Magic had no storyline (not sure if it does now).

However, the M:TG novel I'm reading by Stoker (which they sold me together with Heroes Die) is fairly entertaining, especially concerning the host of vile yet funny assholes he uses as characters.

[Bauchelain the Evil]

Finished The Silmarillion by Tolkien. I enjoyed it. Some parts were a bit boring but most of the book had this epic/dramatic tone which I liked.

[Morgoth]

I'm thoroughly enjoying Infinite Jest, but in order to clear my head of Tennis and wheel chair bound Quebecan(sp?) separatists I've taken a break to read Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson.

Quite enjoying that too. Having read Cryptonomicon, It's quite pleasant encountering the Waterhouse family again, not to mention the Shaftoes and all.

[amphibian]

Morgoth, on 09 November 2010 - 08:07 AM, said:

I'm thoroughly enjoying Infinite Jest, but in order to clear my head of Tennis and wheel chair bound Quebecan(sp?) separatists I've taken a break to read Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson.

Quite enjoying that too. Having read Cryptonomicon, It's quite pleasant encountering the Waterhouse family again, not to mention the Shaftoes and all.

"Quebecois". The wheelchair assassins and the Eschaton are probably the two funniest things in Infinite Jest. The all night cliff-side conversation is such a study in machismo/stubborness born of just trying to out-tough the other guy for no good reason.

Quicksilver has perhaps the toughest beginning of a Stephenson book to get sucked in. Waterhouse Sr. isn't exactly an enthralling character to initially seize upon. I'm glad you liked it and kept going. It gets even better - a LOT better.

[stone monkey]

Just finished Blindsight by Peter Watts;it's very, very good, if quite stunningly depressing. For all sorts of reasons.

Spoiler

Our post-human protagonists turn out to be not quite post-human enough for the job at hand in the end. And are quite astonishingly outclassed from the very start by a superhuman intelligence whose model of mind is something they're completely unprepared for. Sobering stuff

@ Morgoth - Glad to hear your enjoying Infinite Jest; in this case I'm not unhappy to say I told you so...

This post has been edited by stone monkey: 09 November 2010 - 08:05 PM

[Morgoth]

hehe, likewise.

I found Blindsight to be rather brilliant in how well it portrayed intelligence so inhuman it's more or less incomprehensible. ... Yes I know that does not entirely make sense, but still.

[Astra]

I finished The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson
Very good series. Refreshing after some rubbish I have read.

Started The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo [Millennium #1] by Stieg Larsson
Let's see whether it lives up to the hype.

[Abyss]

stone monkey, on 09 November 2010 - 08:00 PM, said:

Just finished Blindsight by Peter Watts;it's very, very good, if quite stunningly depressing. ...

Morgoth, on 09 November 2010 - 08:34 PM, said:

hehe, likewise.

I found Blindsight to be rather brilliant in how well it portrayed intelligence so inhuman it's more or less incomprehensible. ... Yes I know that does not entirely make sense, but still.

Thirded for brilliance. Great book. Available for free. Go read it if you haven't.

[QuickTidal]

Astra, on 10 November 2010 - 03:29 PM, said:

Started The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo [Millennium #1] by Stieg Larsson
Let's see whether it lives up to the hype.

Yeah...not really. I was so annoyed by most of this book that I wanted to throw it across the room. This first book DOES at least have an interesting little historical mystery...but the second and third are completely irredeemable IMHO.

[Astra]

QuickTidal, on 10 November 2010 - 05:40 PM, said:

Astra, on 10 November 2010 - 03:29 PM, said:

Started The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo [Millennium #1] by Stieg Larsson
Let's see whether it lives up to the hype.

Yeah...not really. I was so annoyed by most of this book that I wanted to throw it across the room. This first book DOES at least have an interesting little historical mystery...but the second and third are completely irredeemable IMHO.

Doesn't sound promising.
It is difficult to get into it after Mistborn. Still in love with Vin

[QuickTidal]

Astra, on 10 November 2010 - 05:54 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 10 November 2010 - 05:40 PM, said:

Astra, on 10 November 2010 - 03:29 PM, said:

Started The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo [Millennium #1] by Stieg Larsson
Let's see whether it lives up to the hype.

Yeah...not really. I was so annoyed by most of this book that I wanted to throw it across the room. This first book DOES at least have an interesting little historical mystery...but the second and third are completely irredeemable IMHO.

Doesn't sound promising.
It is difficult to get into it after Mistborn. Still in love with Vin

Yeah, and the beginning of TGWTDT reads like a Financial Thriller...oh how exciting! LOL!

[stone monkey]

amphibian, on 09 November 2010 - 03:45 PM, said:

Quicksilver has perhaps the toughest beginning of a Stephenson book to get sucked in. Waterhouse Sr. isn't exactly an enthralling character to initially seize upon. I'm glad you liked it and kept going. It gets even better - a LOT better.

In the past I've said that Quicksilver probably doesn't even work properly as a novel; I'd argue that it's more a 900 page prologue where Stephenson introduces his themes. Because of this it can be rather trying for the reader, I know Mal had major issues with it. But once you've waded through that, the rest of the trilogy just flies past. You'll have a handle on the worldview of the characters and the importance of their actions and you've got The Confusion ahead of you, which is pretty much full of awesome from beginning to end - it's also completely mental

This post has been edited by stone monkey: 10 November 2010 - 09:56 PM

[Salt-Man Z]

Just finished Night of Knives for the second time. It was much better this time through, though it's still easily the weakest entry in the Malazan universe. The epilogue is strangely moving; I must have read the last couple pages a half dozen times now by itself.

[ansible]

Agreed about NoK, better on a reread. I actually found it fairly thought-provoking this time around. I also found TBH to be even more of a companion to NoK than I did before. I don't understand SE/ICE's recommendation to read it after GotM.

I finished the Mistborn trilogy, pretty satisfied with the end. Not totally what I expected, but I really liked how the third book set up a lot of future mysteries to be explored without feeling like the trilogy's main questions didn't get answered.

I'm almost through with my first read of The Blade Itself. After The First Law I think I will either read Towers of Midnight or resume my MBotF reread with RG.

[Salt-Man Z]

ansible, on 11 November 2010 - 08:06 PM, said:

I don't understand SE/ICE's recommendation to read NoK after GotM.

As a shortish flashback episode that has little bearing on the MBotF series as a whole, it makes more sense to slot it after GotM than halfway through the series. I do like the effect it has there: it echoes parts of GotM with the scenes at Mock's Hold and references to the burning of the Mouse; it gives a different perspective on Tayschrenn right away; and Temper's flashbacks make for a good lead-in to Seven Cities and DG.

I'd probably still recommend reading it before BH, though. Plus, a newbie on the fence about continuing the series definitely should read DG over NoK.

This post has been edited by Salt-Man Z: 11 November 2010 - 09:41 PM

[Use Of Weapons]

Finished Side Jobs at silly-o'clock last night. Loved 'Heorot', and liked the insight into Murphy's dealing with the world that we get in 'Aftermath', but 'Aftermath' itself was slightly disappointing. Felt very MOTW in a way that Dresden hasn't for a long time.

Anyone else see early versions of the Molly/Mouse/Morgan scenes in Changes in the farcical story about the Harry's day off?

Anyway, back to Manufacturing Consent now.