[Abyss]

Chance, on 18 November 2018 - 04:37 PM, said:

Enjoyed Thin Air a fair bit but for the first time I can join the those who find Morgans sexual scenes nearly uncomfortable. Haven't bothered me before but this did at least a little.

About 2/3rds thru. I dunno, the sex scenes seem to me to be deliberately uncomfortable. Not 'RKM gets creative with VR' that some people have issues with from the Kovacs books or the gay sex that still freaks people out in LFFH, but genuinely 'these are people who should not be sexifying each other and they are going to regret this later' type stuff that was not badly written.

Quote

On to Lies Sleeping which will likely be just as good as expected of Aaranovitch.

Next on my list as well unless the REJOICE earbook streets early. Psyched either way.

[Andorion]

QuickTidal, on 19 November 2018 - 03:37 PM, said:

Andorion, on 19 November 2018 - 03:26 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 19 November 2018 - 02:22 PM, said:

TheRetiredBridgeburner, on 19 November 2018 - 02:15 PM, said:

I'm reading Pride and Prejudice for the first time. It's one of those classics I never studied or ever got round to reading. I'm about half way through and it's reasonably enjoyable so far.

I like Jane Austen's stuff. I think PERSUASION is my favourite though. PRIDE & PREJUDICE is still really decent though.

Tattersail_, on 19 November 2018 - 02:40 PM, said:

TheRetiredBridgeburner, on 19 November 2018 - 02:15 PM, said:

I'm reading Pride and Prejudice for the first time. It's one of those classics I never studied or ever got round to reading. I'm about half way through and it's reasonably enjoyable so far.

It's tolerable, I suppose, but not handsome enough to tempt me.

Eh, I prefer the dark Wuthering Heights to Austen.

Oh if we're allowed to talk about other authors of the century in which Austen published, then Thomas Hardy's FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD is the unequivocal winner, no question, hands down. I adore that book.

Oh Hardy is on another level. Bronte can be dark, brooding and tragic, but Hardy in his utterly bleak writing is probably the most explicit contemporary critic of Victorian England. I haven't read Madding Crowd, but Jude the Obscure is jaw-dropping in the larger picture of its critique.

This post has been edited by Andorion: 19 November 2018 - 05:40 PM

[QuickTidal]

Andorion, on 19 November 2018 - 05:39 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 19 November 2018 - 03:37 PM, said:

Andorion, on 19 November 2018 - 03:26 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 19 November 2018 - 02:22 PM, said:

TheRetiredBridgeburner, on 19 November 2018 - 02:15 PM, said:

I'm reading Pride and Prejudice for the first time. It's one of those classics I never studied or ever got round to reading. I'm about half way through and it's reasonably enjoyable so far.

I like Jane Austen's stuff. I think PERSUASION is my favourite though. PRIDE & PREJUDICE is still really decent though.

Tattersail_, on 19 November 2018 - 02:40 PM, said:

TheRetiredBridgeburner, on 19 November 2018 - 02:15 PM, said:

I'm reading Pride and Prejudice for the first time. It's one of those classics I never studied or ever got round to reading. I'm about half way through and it's reasonably enjoyable so far.

It's tolerable, I suppose, but not handsome enough to tempt me.

Eh, I prefer the dark Wuthering Heights to Austen.

Oh if we're allowed to talk about other authors of the century in which Austen published, then Thomas Hardy's FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD is the unequivocal winner, no question, hands down. I adore that book.

Oh Hardy is on another level. Bronte can be dark, brooding and tragic, but Hardy in his utterly bleak writing is probably the most explicit contemporary critic of Victorian England. I haven't read Madding Crowd, but Jude the Obscure is jaw-dropping in the larger picture of its critique.

MADDING CROWD is one of those books that hits so much bleak and dark that it EARNS its ending. It's one of those books that I love so much that puts its characters through such insane paces that every step, every event, every thread resolution is more earned than the one before it. Highly recommended.

[Mentalist]

Getting to the end of "Guns of the Empire" (about 1060 % to go, according to Kindle), and my lovely musketpunk war story's gone off the rails with a major magic overdose. Not sure I like where this is heading.

[QuickTidal]

At about the 5 hour mark of HP: A HISTORY OF MAGIC audiobook (read by Natalie Dormer), and it's stunningly crafted. Not just about HP, but all the real world historical things that bleed into and around HP. Just a really well done audiobook...though now I want the physical version for the pictures too.

[worry]

You'd think a history of magic would be called MP, not HP.

[Abyss]

QuickTidal, on 22 November 2018 - 03:20 PM, said:

At about the 5 hour mark of HP: A HISTORY OF MAGIC audiobook (read by Natalie Dormer), and it's stunningly crafted. Not just about HP, but all the real world historical things that bleed into and around HP. Just a really well done audiobook...though now I want the physical version for the pictures too.

worry, on 22 November 2018 - 07:04 PM, said:

You'd think a history of magic would be called MP, not HP.

Hewlett Packard's contribution is this area is woefully under-appreciated.

[Mentalist]

Finished "Guns of the Empire". Yup, I'm totally worried about where this series is going now. It would really suck to have this devolve into "heroes v big bad evil" NOW. That generally doesn't work well for me appreciating a series (see: Alera).

On the bright side: I'm now officially done with my Goodreads yearly challenge!

So for the next book, since pace doesn't matter anymore, I'll probably read the second Exile book, "Dragon Hunters", followed probably by "City of Ice"

[Chance]

Recently finished Lies Sleeping and Peter Clines 14 and found them both somewhat underwhelming, the finale of 14 was fairly decent but it took way to long to get to it.

Started Tower of the Living and Dying and enjoying it so far, grimdark done very much the right way.

This post has been edited by Chance: 23 November 2018 - 08:39 PM

[End of Disc One]

I felt completely the opposite of 14. The mystery throughout the book was compelling as hell, but the finale was just okay.

[Tsundoku]

Started Matthew Reilly's The Three Secret Cities the other day.

The usual good old fashioned popcorn fun so far.

[polishgenius]

I've been reading Rosewater by Tade Thompson, which is a sort of fungal SF-noir - shades of VanderMeer and Mieville in the story though it's set in our world, in Nigeria, and the writing style is less elaborate than typical for both those authors. It's excellent.

It also seems to be only a quid/dollar/Euro whatever at most bookselling facilities right now, so worth a pickup.

[amphibian]

I finished the Incorruptibles three book series by John Hornor Jacobs. They are ah-mazing for those who would like a Roman Empire meets Lonesome Dove meets "scary monsters and demons" story.

The first book reads a lot like Heart of Darkness and Lonesome Dove. The second book goes much further afield and takes the bitter characters from the first book then gives them heart and empathy. The third book brings them home again to a much changed world.

I very much liked these books and think that people here would like them. Livia is one of the best characters I've read in a while and Jacobs rightly spends more time with her than other characters throughout the series.

[worry]

Man, those both sound good. Slow down on reading new stuff until I catch up.

[Abyss]

Rejoice!!! ....for I am reading REJOICE!... and it is good.

[QuickTidal]

worry, on 22 November 2018 - 07:04 PM, said:

You'd think a history of magic would be called MP, not HP.

Abyss, on 22 November 2018 - 07:35 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 22 November 2018 - 03:20 PM, said:

At about the 5 hour mark of HP: A HISTORY OF MAGIC audiobook (read by Natalie Dormer), and it's stunningly crafted. Not just about HP, but all the real world historical things that bleed into and around HP. Just a really well done audiobook...though now I want the physical version for the pictures too.

worry, on 22 November 2018 - 07:04 PM, said:

You'd think a history of magic would be called MP, not HP.

Hewlett Packard's contribution is this area is woefully under-appreciated.

I'm not even going to give these points for effort guys.

On topic, I'm about 2hours from the end of this book, and it's really fantastic... barring one minor/major aspect. One of the interviewees is head curator of the History of Magic exhibit and of a few other historical departments at the British Library (his name is Julian Harrison), and his voice is bloody irritating. It's WAY too soft for an audiobook, especially against the clear, loud, and concise speech of the others on the book, Natalie Dormer, Stephen Fry, Jim Kay, Jim Dale, and a few others who contribute a lot...he almost whisper-talks and he also has some sort of affectation to his speech that sounds like he's faking his accent. I know that's a weird way to word it...but I can't come up with anything other than he sounds like he's faking a dialect, and his maddening half-whisper talking is driving me batty. Speak clearly and above a hush you crazy librarian!

That said, everyone else is excellent, and he only shows up now and again. I think the only detriment to the book is that because it's a physical exhibition and book with images....that some of that won't translate in audio...but it works as a companion to the book well as it features all kinds of insight you won't get in the book. I've got the book on my Xmas list, so I'll be able to put a picture to it, come the new year.

[Abyss]

QuickTidal said:

Abyss, on 22 November 2018 - 07:35 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 22 November 2018 - 03:20 PM, said:

At about the 5 hour mark of HP: A HISTORY OF MAGIC audiobook (read by Natalie Dormer), and it's stunningly crafted. Not just about HP, but all the real world historical things that bleed into and around HP. Just a really well done audiobook...though now I want the physical version for the pictures too.

worry, on 22 November 2018 - 07:04 PM, said:

You'd think a history of magic would be called MP, not HP.

Hewlett Packard's contribution is this area is woefully under-appreciated.

I'm not even going to give these points for effort guys....

Why you gotta be like that QT? C'mon, don't be that guy.... why are you hating on fun? Huh? Huh?
What else do you hate? Puppies? Ice cream?? FREEDOM????

[QuickTidal]

Abyss, on 26 November 2018 - 03:53 PM, said:

Why you gotta be like that QT? C'mon, don't be that guy.... why are you hating on fun? Huh? Huh?
What else do you hate? Puppies? Ice cream?? FREEDOM????

Only the Fries.

[Abyss]

QuickTidal, on 26 November 2018 - 04:21 PM, said:

Abyss, on 26 November 2018 - 03:53 PM, said:

Why you gotta be like that QT? C'mon, don't be that guy.... why are you hating on fun? Huh? Huh?
What else do you hate? Puppies? Ice cream?? FREEDOM????

Only the Fries.

COMMUNIST!!!!

[polishgenius]

QuickTidal, on 26 November 2018 - 03:44 PM, said:

Speak clearly and above a hush you crazy librarian!

Man, you'd hate me if we ever met in person.

(shh I know you're just referring to audiobooks)