[Assail]

worrywort, on 07 February 2013 - 07:22 AM, said:

No spoilers, I promise:

I wasn't enamored with the entire first book (aside from some excellent characterization), but I had heard enough to know there was some deliberate pacing there and the good stuff was coming. And it did, big time. I'd say book 1 is almost entirely about character building, book 2 is about setting up the story, and then book 3 is where character and story butt heads, and Abercrombie gets really nasty. I was impressed.

Great. I think I'll just have to push through, I've heard a lot of great stuff about them. I grew to like a lot of the characters... the first book is just so dry really...

[Baco Xtath]

Baco Xtath, on 06 February 2013 - 07:37 PM, said:

Been listening to John Dies at the End all day and looked like a fool when I laughed my ass off in the middle of Home Depot.
To paraphrase:
"This isn't a contest to see whose dick is bigger." she says.
"Well good," John says quietly
"Cause it wouldn't be a contest." he continues.
"Oh please," says Big Jim, "of all the things God's gifted me with, it's a dick that's so big that if my dick had a dick, my dick's dick would be bigger than your dick."
"You all aren't even real," say John, " y'all are just a figment of my dick's imagination."

Anyway, that's a shortened version of the part that had me laughing so hard. The narrator is fantastic. Anyone that likes audiobooks and has thought about reading/listening to John Dies at the End, I strongly recommend that you do. It's insane and absolutely hysterical.

Watched the movie last night and wasn't impressed at all. It had its moments but the deviations from the book were such that I just couldn't really enjoy it.

[End of Disc One]

Assail, on 07 February 2013 - 07:09 AM, said:

You know I hear a lot about Abercrombies book. I bought all four of his series right before I went on deployment and to be honest with you, I couldn't get into them at all. I haven't even finished the first book. I'm assuming it's something worth pushing through. I experienced problems getting into MBotF as well, but it eventually paid off as the series got better and better. Anyone else have this issue with Abercrombies books?

I found the first book very average. About a 6/10. Abercrombie is now one of my favorite authors.

[QuickTidal]

Indeed, Abercrombies first three books work best a a trilogy. Reading them as such elevates each book above their standalone station into something far more impressive.

WW's breakdown of the difference between each narrative is fairly spot on.

[Abyss]

worrywort, on 07 February 2013 - 07:22 AM, said:

No spoilers, I promise:

I wasn't enamored with the entire first book (aside from some excellent characterization), but I had heard enough to know there was some deliberate pacing there and the good stuff was coming. And it did, big time. I'd say book 1 is almost entirely about character building, book 2 is about setting up the story, and then book 3 is where character and story butt heads, and Abercrombie gets really nasty. I was impressed.

QuickTidal, on 07 February 2013 - 02:52 PM, said:

Indeed, Abercrombies first three books work best a a trilogy. Reading them as such elevates each book above their standalone station into something far more impressive.

WW's breakdown of the difference between each narrative is fairly spot on.

...agreed w all of the above and adding that his post trilogy books are leaps and bounds better.

[Overactive Imagination]

I thought the First Law trilogy was pretty good. Some parts of it are really good and some are really bad. Although the series gets better, the annoying kind of stuff you see in the first book does not completely go away.

The Bloody Nine is amazing though.

[acesn8s]

Assail, on 07 February 2013 - 07:09 AM, said:

You know I hear a lot about Abercrombies book. I bought all four of his series right before I went on deployment and to be honest with you, I couldn't get into them at all. I haven't even finished the first book. I'm assuming it's something worth pushing through. I experienced problems getting into MBotF as well, but it eventually paid off as the series got better and better. Anyone else have this issue with Abercrombies books?

I had a similar experience with the first book. I figured I would just push through to the end and never pick up book 2. Something happens near the end, something that made me read book 2. After 2 I was hooked.

[Salt-Man Z]

Briar King, on 07 February 2013 - 05:04 PM, said:

What's the reading order of 2nd tri Abyss or QT?

If you're referring to Abercrombie, I believe it's Best Served Cold, The Heroes, and Red Country, but I think they're all supposed to be more-or-less standalones.

[Abyss]

Salt-Man Z, on 07 February 2013 - 05:43 PM, said:

Briar King, on 07 February 2013 - 05:04 PM, said:

What's the reading order of 2nd tri Abyss or QT?

If you're referring to Abercrombie, I believe it's Best Served Cold, The Heroes, and Red Country, but I think they're all supposed to be more-or-less standalones.

What SMZ said but with the qualifier that they make the mostest sense if read in that published order. Events in BEST affect things in HEROES and so on.

[Ukjent]

Giving Last Argument of Kings a break and are now reading Crack'd Pot Trail.

[Overactive Imagination]

Graablick, on 07 February 2013 - 08:20 PM, said:

Giving Last Argument of Kings a break and are now reading Crack'd Pot Trail.

nice. CPT is awesome.

[Ukjent]

Briar King, on 08 February 2013 - 12:10 AM, said:

Graablick, on 07 February 2013 - 08:20 PM, said:

Giving Last Argument of Kings a break and are now reading Crack'd Pot Trail.

Your not digging Kings or something?

Nothings wrong with Kings, but a friend wanted to read CPT before I take it back to my old folks place(My bedsit is overflowing with books).

[JPK]

Finished my reread of The Power That Preserves as well as my first time through The Eye of the World. I cannot for the life of me figure out why I had such a hard time getting into TWoT when I was younger... Absolutely loved TEotW this time. Jumping into a reread of Smoke and Mirrors by Gaiman now.

[ForkassalOfTheInnerCircle]

I just started Toll the Hounds along with The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Looking forward to spending time with the two of them.

[worry]

Get really tired before you dive in, it'd be kinda hilarious if you mixed up some characters and storylines.

[Ukjent]

A mix between Erikson tightly weaved story and Adams complete lack of one, it would be.. eh... interesting.

[yuna_anomander25]

a few pages into BEST SERVED COLD, nice to be back in Abercrombie's world,

by the way, can anyone of you fellow Malazanites tell me enough reasons to continue Bakker's Prince of Nothing Trilogy, 'cause I alreay have the 1st tri, and every time I look in my Library for something to read, it always stares me in the face, and i kind of feel frustrated with it, all of it (Bakker's books) are TPBs,and it kind of feels like a waste not to even touch this, i tried to read the 1st, THE DARKNESS THAT COMES BEFORE, and had a VERY hard time getting to it and liking it, is there like something of a payoff at the end, if i endured with this the 2nd time,

[Tehol the Only]

worrywort, on 08 February 2013 - 09:36 AM, said:

Get really tired before you dive in, it'd be kinda hilarious if you mixed up some characters and storylines.

"So long, and thanks for all the warrens"


BTW Forkassal, if you like Douglas Adams, you should look up some of his monologues "Parrots, the Universe and everithing" is an hilarious mix of science journalism and total nonsense.

[Mentalist]

yuna_anomander25, on 08 February 2013 - 10:04 AM, said:

a few pages into BEST SERVED COLD, nice to be back in Abercrombie's world,

by the way, can anyone of you fellow Malazanites tell me enough reasons to continue Bakker's Prince of Nothing Trilogy, 'cause I alreay have the 1st tri, and every time I look in my Library for something to read, it always stares me in the face, and i kind of feel frustrated with it, all of it (Bakker's books) are TPBs,and it kind of feels like a waste not to even touch this, i tried to read the 1st, THE DARKNESS THAT COMES BEFORE, and had a VERY hard time getting to it and liking it, is there like something of a payoff at the end, if i endured with this the 2nd time,

Bakker's really cool if you know anything about the First Crusade, because it's just such a great spin on our history.

Otherwise, it can be really dull. The "big picture" plot is ok, with some very neat world-building, but the if you're like me and find yourself loathing Kellhus' guts, you really must appreciate something in the books to keep going. For me, it was the aforementioned twist on the Crusades, combined with (minor spoiler:

Spoiler

the details about how Gnosis and sorcery in general works in Bakker's world, starting in Book 2, I think

)

Bakker's works tend to be very divisive, though, so if you can't find a reson to like it, it may simply not be for you.

[polishgenius]

I wanna say, there's definitely payoff to Bakker's writing. I found the first series quite a struggle in places but loved it on finishing (and enjoyed it a lot more on a reread). The second trilogy, though, is an improvement in every way, it's been utterly brilliant so far.



I just finished The Six-Gun Tarot by R.S. Belcher which was good fun. Now started Unclean Spirits, the first in the Black Sun's Daughter urban fantasy series by M.L.N. Hanover. I don't know why it's taken me so long, coz Hanover is Daniel Abraham and he's wonderful and it's predictably awesome already.