Reading at t'moment?

#8381 Salt-Man Z

My pen halts, though I do not

Group: Malaz Regular
Posts: 4,166
Joined: 07-February 08
Location:Apple Valley, MN

Posted 09 May 2012 - 03:01 PM

QuickTidal, on 09 May 2012 - 01:26 PM, said:

I got a surprise ARC in the mail from the UK last night from Angry Robot imprint Strange Horizons, and so I am reading Kim Curran's debut SHIFT....which so far is pretty damn fine YA material!

That one of Amanda's books?

"Here is light. You will say that it is not a living entity, but you miss the point that it is more, not less. Without occupying space, it fills the universe. It nourishes everything, yet itself feeds upon destruction. We claim to control it, but does it not perhaps cultivate us as a source of food? May it not be that all wood grows so that it can be set ablaze, and that men and women are born to kindle fires?"
―Gene Wolfe, The Citadel of the Autarch

#8382 Mentalist

Martyr of High House Mafia

Group: High House Mafia
Posts: 9,648
Joined: 06-June 07
Location:'sauga/GTA, City of the Lion
Interests:Soccer, Chess, swimming, books, misc
Junior Mafia Mod

Posted 09 May 2012 - 05:11 PM

Well, I finished the Unremembered. Seemingly, almost immideately after my last post, the book really picked up, with its last third being failry enjoyable. nothing groundbreaking in any of it, but I retain interest enough to pick up volume 2.

Before I sink my teth into the awesomeness of my TRP, I've also got another book I picked up on a whim a while ago--"Mardock Scramble", a Japanese cyberpunk tome by ToW Ubukata. I picked this up a while ago, at another Chapters sale, I believe. Gonna give it a shot.

The problem with the gene pool is that there's no lifeguard
THE CONTESTtm WINNER--чемпіон самоконтролю

Jump Around, on 23 October 2011 - 11:04 AM, said:

And I want to state that Ment has out-weaseled me by far in this game.

#8383 QuickTidal

Lord of the Waters

Group: Team Quick Ben
Posts: 21,451
Joined: 05-November 05
Location:At Sea?
Interests:DoubleStamping. Movies. Reading.

Posted 09 May 2012 - 05:23 PM

Salt-Man Z, on 09 May 2012 - 03:01 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 09 May 2012 - 01:26 PM, said:

I got a surprise ARC in the mail from the UK last night from Angry Robot imprint Strange Horizons, and so I am reading Kim Curran's debut SHIFT....which so far is pretty damn fine YA material!

That one of Amanda's books?

Yeppers.

It's a good one. She chose well.

"When the last tree has fallen, and the rivers are poisoned, you cannot eat money, oh no." ~Aurora

"Someone will always try to sell you despair, just so they don't feel alone." ~Ursula Vernon

#8384 Tiste Simeon

Faith, Heavy Metal & Bacon

Group: Malaz Regular
Posts: 12,143
Joined: 08-October 04
Location:T'North

Posted 09 May 2012 - 07:36 PM

Graphic novels! In the library I popped into today, I found the following, all by Neil Gaiman:
Preludes & Nocturnes
Endless Nights
Season of Mists
The Dream Hunters
Brief Lives.

Now I realise I am missing a bunch of them but they were all of them in there. Do I need to read them all in order? Will I miss out big time if I don't read the ones in between?

Anyways, I also got one out by Alan Moore called Smax. And it's flippin hilarious.

A Haunting Poem
I Scream
You Scream
We all Scream
For I Scream.

#8385 QuickTidal

Lord of the Waters

Group: Team Quick Ben
Posts: 21,451
Joined: 05-November 05
Location:At Sea?
Interests:DoubleStamping. Movies. Reading.

Posted 09 May 2012 - 08:06 PM

Tiste Simeon, on 09 May 2012 - 07:36 PM, said:

Um, there Is a story progression. Your missing THE DOLL'S HOUSE and DREAM COUNTRY...with the latter weighing on later choices and story arcs...and you are missing A GAME Of YOU and FABLES & REFLECTIONS both of which also have main arc stuff.

I find reading everything in order enhances my experience with SANDMAN...so I think I'd highly recommend doing so.

I think there is enough in even the standalone stuff to fill out Dream and the Endless to make it worth your while to find those missing books.

Just my opinion.

But you COULD dive straight into PRELUDES for a taster before finding the missing books.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 09 May 2012 - 08:06 PM

"When the last tree has fallen, and the rivers are poisoned, you cannot eat money, oh no." ~Aurora

"Someone will always try to sell you despair, just so they don't feel alone." ~Ursula Vernon

#8386 LadyMTL

Epic bookworm

Group: Malaz Regular
Posts: 331
Joined: 19-November 08
Location:Canadaland

Posted 09 May 2012 - 09:13 PM

I am currently reading Michelle Moran's "Madame Tussaud" and so far, so good...tis a lightweight historical novel but it's nicely paced and well written so yah. I likes.
After that I have Glen Cook's "An empire unacquainted with defeat" to start as well as Matt Ruff's "The Mirage." And then I'll be out of new things to read, sigh.

~ Denn die Toten reiten schnell. (Lenore)

#8387 Salt-Man Z

My pen halts, though I do not

Group: Malaz Regular
Posts: 4,166
Joined: 07-February 08
Location:Apple Valley, MN

Posted 09 May 2012 - 09:31 PM

Maia Irraz, on 09 May 2012 - 09:13 PM, said:

And then I'll be out of new things to read, sigh.

Is...is such a thing even possible?

#8388 LadyMTL

Epic bookworm

Group: Malaz Regular
Posts: 331
Joined: 19-November 08
Location:Canadaland

Posted 09 May 2012 - 10:05 PM

Salt-Man Z, on 09 May 2012 - 09:31 PM, said:

Maia Irraz, on 09 May 2012 - 09:13 PM, said:

And then I'll be out of new things to read, sigh.

Is...is such a thing even possible?

Apparently it is, in the sense that I haven't been to my local bookstore in a dog's age and am lacking inspiration as to what to buy / try next. Plus I'm seriously running out of room in my 4 bookshelvs so I'm trying to limit my new purchases to Kindle ebooks. Basically yeah, for the time being I'll be doing re-reads...but considering the entire Malazan series is going to be re-read first it shouldn't be too bad. :killingme:

~ Denn die Toten reiten schnell. (Lenore)

#8389 Jade-Green Pig-Hog Swine-Beast

Knight Seneschal

Group: Team Quick Ben
Posts: 1,551
Joined: 31-August 10
Location:London, UK
Interests:Fencing, ninpo, didjeridu, good books, good films and irn-bru.
Pre-dinner mayonnaise -- it's good for you!

Posted 09 May 2012 - 10:11 PM

Waiting, waiting, waiting...

I should think Olympos will arrive tomorrow. Maybe.

The love I bear thee can afford no better term than this: thou art a villain.

"Perhaps we think up our own destinies and so, in a sense, deserve whatever happens to us, for not having had the wit to imagine something better." ― Iain Banks

#8390 Tiste Simeon

Faith, Heavy Metal & Bacon

Group: Malaz Regular
Posts: 12,143
Joined: 08-October 04
Location:T'North

Posted 10 May 2012 - 09:35 PM

QuickTidal, on 09 May 2012 - 08:06 PM, said:

Thanks man, erm... So I started reading Preludes (after finishing the splendid Smax) and... well pretty much I'm hooked now, and I need the rest of them!!
Gonna hunt me some more libraries!

A Haunting Poem
I Scream
You Scream
We all Scream
For I Scream.

#8391 JPK

Lemming of High House Mafia

Group: High House Mafia
Posts: 1,491
Joined: 18-January 11
Location:Oregon City, Oregon
Interests:Sacrificing myself for everyone else's greater good!

Posted 11 May 2012 - 02:42 AM

just finished A Shadow in Summer. Onwards to Woken Furies!

#8392 T77

High Fist

Group: Malaz Regular
Posts: 473
Joined: 01-May 09

Posted 11 May 2012 - 02:05 PM

Finished The Magicians by Lev Grossman. This has been on my TBR pile for a while now, I've not been to eager to read it due to the relatively low rating on Amazon, and seeing how polarizing the reviews were. From the moment I started it I was immediately drawn in. I really enjoyed his prose and ability to describe a scene. There wasn't anything earth shattering or original about the plot, but I thought he did a good job with it. He took a Harry Potter/Narnia theme and took it to a higher level. Sort of what Gene Wolfe did with The Knight/Wizard, taking the typical sword and sorcery tale and just doing it better. I don't think he did it to the level that Gene Wolfe did though. I thought I would be bored during the magic school part, but I was not. The book was not perfect, but on the whole, I really enjoyed it. I will definitely be reading the sequel, The Magician king.

My thought on why this received a low rating, it was a NYT best seller and I think a lot of people who are not into fantasy gave it a low score. That's not to say that most who are into fantasy will like it, I just don't think it would rate as low among them.

#8393 rhulad

First Sword

Group: Malaz Regular
Posts: 654
Joined: 17-November 09
Location:Canada

Posted 11 May 2012 - 05:44 PM

I want to say that my next book shall be 50 Shades of Grey. But I couldn't say that and keep a straight face, or any of my (admittedly small amount of) dignity. I am now reading Blood Rites. Just finished Heroes Die which was... FUCKING AMAZING.

#8394 Ulrik

Highest Marshall of Mott Irregulars

Group: Team Quick Ben
Posts: 1,104
Joined: 04-August 09
Location:Czech Republic

Posted 11 May 2012 - 05:57 PM

Rereading Abercrombie... I almost forgot how raw was final of trilogy.

Adept Ulrik - Highest Marshall of Quick Ben's Irregulars
Being optimistic´s worthless if it means ignoring the suffering of this world. Worse than worthless. It´s bloody evil.
- Fiddler

#8395 QuickTidal

Lord of the Waters

Group: Team Quick Ben
Posts: 21,451
Joined: 05-November 05
Location:At Sea?
Interests:DoubleStamping. Movies. Reading.

Posted 11 May 2012 - 08:03 PM

rhulad, on 11 May 2012 - 05:44 PM, said:

I want to say that my next book shall be 50 Shades of Grey.

I think it's hilarious that while there seem to be so many people currently complaining about sexism in books...and the trilogy that is currently rocking the shit out of the bestseller list and selling like JK Rowling or Twilight is a series of erotic books about an older dude who controls a young woman, both socially and sexually...and she lets him.

So funny.

"When the last tree has fallen, and the rivers are poisoned, you cannot eat money, oh no." ~Aurora

"Someone will always try to sell you despair, just so they don't feel alone." ~Ursula Vernon

#8396 End of Disc One

House Knight

Group: Malaz Regular
Posts: 1,865
Joined: 30-January 06

Posted 11 May 2012 - 08:23 PM

It was my understanding that Twilight was very sexist as well.

#8397 worry

Master of the Deck

Group: Malaz Regular
Posts: 14,708
Joined: 24-February 10
Location:the buried west

Posted 11 May 2012 - 09:04 PM

T77, on 11 May 2012 - 02:05 PM, said:

I've said it before (maybe in this very thread), but when I read this I thought it was a one-off -- and therefore something of a squandered opportunity, no matter how well written and savage the satirical elements. But when I learned it was just the first book in a series, that instantly improved my opinion of it. I still didn't love it (as like a 5-star book), but it's good stuff.

They came with white hands and left with red hands.

#8398 polishgenius

Heart of Courage

Group: LHTEC
Posts: 5,256
Joined: 16-June 05

Posted 11 May 2012 - 09:55 PM

I think a major reason why The Magicians is so divisive is because the main protagonist is a colossal prick and moaner and a lot of people have a hard time sticking with him. The second book, though, being a progression of his hero's journey, is less problematic, but I guess the people for whom that would be a thing never got that far.

I didn't mind though. I love the way Grossman portrays magic, it's fantastic.

I can't carry it for you, but I can carry you.

#8399 QuickTidal

Lord of the Waters

Group: Team Quick Ben
Posts: 21,451
Joined: 05-November 05
Location:At Sea?
Interests:DoubleStamping. Movies. Reading.

Posted 11 May 2012 - 10:04 PM

End of Disc One, on 11 May 2012 - 08:23 PM, said:

It was my understanding that Twilight was very sexist as well.

And I believe the Grey series actually began life as a Twilight Fan-fiction that the author tweaked to be her own characters.

"When the last tree has fallen, and the rivers are poisoned, you cannot eat money, oh no." ~Aurora

"Someone will always try to sell you despair, just so they don't feel alone." ~Ursula Vernon