[Gabriele]

Andorion, on 07 October 2016 - 05:40 PM, said:

Gabriele, on 07 October 2016 - 05:38 PM, said:

Andorion, on 07 October 2016 - 05:30 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 07 October 2016 - 05:23 PM, said:

Andorion, on 07 October 2016 - 05:19 PM, said:

BTW I loved Jamie's sister.

Woohoo! Jenny! Not only one of the best characters in the books, but the casting on the TV show is PERFECTION itself.

Her argument with Jamie was pure popcorn for me.

Spoiler

BTW what is the story with Randall? Is he just gay, or is he gay and can only have sex with women when he torments them?

Oh something I should have posted earlier - Did Claire actually say to Collum's face that she knew Hamish wasn't his son?

If so, for the love of everything good, why??

Spoiler

When they're both in Collum's room, looking out of the window and watch Hamish fall off the horse, Claire says something like "you love him like a son, don't you," and Collum, after a moment of being taken aback, admits it with a nod, or a 'yes' - not sure about the exact wording because it's some time I read the books. Should reread them.

Yep that's the bit.

Spoiler

But why would she want to do that? It was pretty risky! And she did this after the iffy clan succession thing was explained to her!

Spoiler

She guesses that Collum already suspects that she knows. He is very intelligent and she's a better healer than most, esp. considering the knowledge of Collum's time. It's a signal that she will keep silent because Jaime isn't interested in the McKenzie chiefship and tearing the clan apart. That's how I see it.

[QuickTidal]

Andorion, on 07 October 2016 - 05:30 PM, said:

Spoiler

BTW what is the story with Randall? Is he just gay, or is he gay and can only have sex with women when he torments them?

Spoiler

So it's been explained by Gabaldon (as I wondered there same thing). Randall is completely bisexual, but not for any reasons of love or even lust. He gets off on violence. It literally arouses him to cause sexual violence to people, and he's been that way for so long that it's actually the ONLY way he can now get himself off. If anything of another nature even enters the equation...he gets...err...floppy. So I don't even know if bisexuality is correct. He's all about control and violence. The gender of the person in question doesn't matter to him. Just the fact that he can control, torture, and get off.

[Macros]

About 5 chapters into Gaimens Neverwhere.
Enjoyable

[Mentalist]

Macros, on 07 October 2016 - 07:04 PM, said:

About 5 chapters into Gaimens Neverwhere.
Enjoyable

read that earlier this year. Some interesting takes on urban myths, creepy atmosphere and tone, and some decent twists. Not sure how I feel about that ending, though.

[Andorion]

QuickTidal, on 07 October 2016 - 06:30 PM, said:

Andorion, on 07 October 2016 - 05:30 PM, said:

Spoiler

BTW what is the story with Randall? Is he just gay, or is he gay and can only have sex with women when he torments them?

Spoiler

So it's been explained by Gabaldon (as I wondered there same thing). Randall is completely bisexual, but not for any reasons of love or even lust. He gets off on violence. It literally arouses him to cause sexual violence to people, and he's been that way for so long that it's actually the ONLY way he can now get himself off. If anything of another nature even enters the equation...he gets...err...floppy. So I don't even know if bisexuality is correct. He's all about control and violence. The gender of the person in question doesn't matter to him. Just the fact that he can control, torture, and get off.

Ah. Well that's...interesting.

Spoiler

Randall was born in the wrong century. He should have been a 19th century man so he would have had a magnificient set of moustaches to twirl. The most villainy villain I have read in some time.

BTW are there any theories as to whether Claire has started to associated Frank and Jonathan and this was a factor in her staying?

[JPK]

I'm 40% into Dark Matter right now. I feel like I'm rearing through this after the 45 hour behemoth that MoI was.

Spoiler

I like how the science is based off of Entanglement theory. Sometimes better known as Schrodiner's Cat. I'm still not entirely sure how being placed into the box and thus superposition should allow one to dimension-hop, but hell it IS theoretical physics. I'm not sure that anyone really understands it.

Long story short, so far so good. Great recommendation Ando.

[Andorion]

JPK, on 08 October 2016 - 01:53 AM, said:

I'm 40% into Dark Matter right now. I feel like I'm rearing through this after the 45 hour behemoth that MoI was.

Spoiler

I like how the science is based off of Entanglement theory. Sometimes better known as Schrodiner's Cat. I'm still not entirely sure how being placed into the box and thus superposition should allow one to dimension-hop, but hell it IS theoretical physics. I'm not sure that anyone really understands it.

Long story short, so far so good. Great recommendation Ando.

Yeah I tried to understand the science, got a headache, gave up and just rolled with the story.

[Gabriele]

QuickTidal, on 07 October 2016 - 06:30 PM, said:

Andorion, on 07 October 2016 - 05:30 PM, said:

Spoiler

BTW what is the story with Randall? Is he just gay, or is he gay and can only have sex with women when he torments them?

Spoiler

So it's been explained by Gabaldon (as I wondered there same thing). Randall is completely bisexual, but not for any reasons of love or even lust. He gets off on violence. It literally arouses him to cause sexual violence to people, and he's been that way for so long that it's actually the ONLY way he can now get himself off. If anything of another nature even enters the equation...he gets...err...floppy. So I don't even know if bisexuality is correct. He's all about control and violence. The gender of the person in question doesn't matter to him. Just the fact that he can control, torture, and get off.

Spoiler

But his feelings toward Jamie are a twisted sort of love. He's jealous of Claire, he wants Jamie to say he loves him in the torture scene which Jamie later recounts to Claire. That's different from the guy in prison who committs suicide, or from his attempted rape of Jenny.

[Macros]

Mentalist, on 07 October 2016 - 07:42 PM, said:

Macros, on 07 October 2016 - 07:04 PM, said:

About 5 chapters into Gaimens Neverwhere.
Enjoyable

read that earlier this year. Some interesting takes on urban myths, creepy atmosphere and tone, and some decent twists. Not sure how I feel about that ending, though.

Pretty much the same place as me then. Finished it about twenty minutes ago.

Loved the take on the tube system and stations names etc, I like Gaimens deft handling of things like that and his twists and takes on mythology and urban legend.
I took the very very ending of the book as slightly open that it could be tied back to the ordeal, maybe it was all him along.

[Abyss]

You OUTLANDER fans desperately need to get a room start a ded-thread.

[Andorion]

Abyss, on 09 October 2016 - 03:11 AM, said:

You OUTLANDER fans desperately need to get a room start a ded-thread.

I was thinking exactly this.

[acesn8s]

Macros, on 08 October 2016 - 10:42 AM, said:

Mentalist, on 07 October 2016 - 07:42 PM, said:

Macros, on 07 October 2016 - 07:04 PM, said:

About 5 chapters into Gaimens Neverwhere.
Enjoyable

read that earlier this year. Some interesting takes on urban myths, creepy atmosphere and tone, and some decent twists. Not sure how I feel about that ending, though.

Pretty much the same place as me then. Finished it about twenty minutes ago.

Loved the take on the tube system and stations names etc, I like Gaimens deft handling of things like that and his twists and takes on mythology and urban legend.
I took the very very ending of the book as slightly open that it could be tied back to the ordeal, maybe it was all him along.

Big fan of Neverwhere. I found it a very enjoyable read.

[Macros]

Was going to pick up something else to stretch out my limited supply of gaiman booms but read Anansi Boys there.
It took me a little longer to really get into than Neverwhere,but overall I liked Anansi Boys better. Not that I didn't like Neverwhere, I did,I liked Anansi Boys more. Probably my favourite Neil Gaiman book yet, even ahead of American Gods and Good Omens (both of which I really enjoyed, for different reasons)

[End of Disc One]

Finally started Fall of Light. I went into this with a lot of trepidation, but I'm actually really enjoying it. While I don't follow a lot of the circle jerk conversations, I often find myself glued to the page. I guess I'm just interested in the world, and eager to see how this story ends up as a bridge to the world we're more familiar with.

I'm going to savor this book slowly.

[acesn8s]

End of Disc One, on 11 October 2016 - 01:28 PM, said:

Finally started Fall of Light. I went into this with a lot of trepidation, but I'm actually really enjoying it. While I don't follow a lot of the circle jerk conversations, I often find myself glued to the page. I guess I'm just interested in the world, and eager to see how this story ends up as a bridge to the world we're more familiar with.

I'm going to savor this book slowly.

I still need to read FoL as well. I'm at the point where I almost need to reread FoD first...or at least lurk around the FoD forum and get a refresher.

[End of Disc One]

acesn8s, on 11 October 2016 - 01:58 PM, said:

End of Disc One, on 11 October 2016 - 01:28 PM, said:

Finally started Fall of Light. I went into this with a lot of trepidation, but I'm actually really enjoying it. While I don't follow a lot of the circle jerk conversations, I often find myself glued to the page. I guess I'm just interested in the world, and eager to see how this story ends up as a bridge to the world we're more familiar with.

I'm going to savor this book slowly.

I still need to read FoL as well. I'm at the point where I almost need to reread FoD first...or at least lurk around the FoD forum and get a refresher.

I remember seeing a great summary of FoD on this board, but I couldn't find it before starting FoL. So I found this summary from Tor and found it to be pretty helpful: http://www.tor.com/2...ge-of-darkness/

[Macros]

Reading Beevor's Stalingrad.
Has been on my shelf for ages, decided it needed reading.

[Andorion]

Macros, on 11 October 2016 - 03:02 PM, said:

Reading Beevor's Stalingrad.
Has been on my shelf for ages, decided it needed reading.

That is an absolutely excellent book.

Reading Safehold 4. Talk about a stationary narrative...

[Mentalist]

Wrapped up "Annihilation Score", the next Laundry Files book.

Stross pulled off a change of narrator well. The story was interesting, even though I'm really not crazy about the whole super-hero thing.

Next, for something totally different, I think I'll read Assassin's Apprentice as my next commute book. I've never read Hobb, though I've been meaning to for ages. I don't want to start anything major while Im waiting for the rest of the Pyat books to arrive, and I'm feeling a bit burned out on "Eternal Champion" (these were my go-to commute books), so I'll try something new.

At home, made some progress with Stand on Zanzibar , finally. About 90 pages left, and I have very little idea how this can end.

This post has been edited by Mentalist: 12 October 2016 - 06:57 AM

[Abyss]

Mentalist, on 11 October 2016 - 11:55 PM, said:

Wrapped up "Annihilation Score", the next Laundry Files book.

Stross pulled off a change of narrator well. The story was interesting, even though I'm really not crazy about the whole super-hero thing.

Ment... If you have ever believed anything I have ever posted, believe this: read THE NIGHTMARE STACKS. Immediately.