[HiddenOne]

Oh, I shouldn't have started reading already. I can see this is going to be a distraction

[Abyss]

HiddenOne, on 19 September 2013 - 03:14 PM, said:

Just bought "Heroes Die"

soon it will be lunchtime

QuickTidal, on 19 September 2013 - 03:27 PM, said:

HiddenOne, on 19 September 2013 - 03:14 PM, said:

Just bought "Heroes Die"

soon it will be fucking lunchtime

Fixed that for you.

HiddenOne, on 19 September 2013 - 03:37 PM, said:

Oh, I shouldn't have started reading already. I can see this is going to be a distraction

Oh, you have no idea.
Just call in sick right the fuck now.

[Grief]

Picked up Our Man in Havana (Graham Greene) and The French Lieutenant's Woman (John Fowles) from a charity shop.

I'm trying to stop myself from buying books so often, not least because I fear if my unread stack grows much larger God will scatter humanity to the corners of the earth and confound our speech - nonetheless, I couldn't resist.

I almost always pick up Greene at charity shops when I see it, and I think that will be my next read since they're so quick.

On a completely unrelated note, writing purchases in QT's form above seems like it would be fun.

"Just picked up Dan Brown's latest

soon it will be lunchtime, when I will get time for lunch, shortly."

[Baco Xtath]

Drank a bit too much last night and woke up with these in my audible library: Finch, Transition, The Fractal Prince, Ex-Patriots, and Ex-Communication.

[polishgenius]

Finch is an excellent book but I presume you've read Vandermeer's previous Ambergris books, particularly Shreik, since it won't make much sense without that.

[Baco Xtath]

polishgenius, on 22 September 2013 - 11:37 AM, said:

Finch is an excellent book but I presume you've read Vandermeer's previous Ambergris books, particularly Shreik, since it won't make much sense without that.

Shit. No, I've only read Veniss Underground and the first part of City of Saints and Madmen. Oh well, I own all his stuff so I'll just hold off on listening to Finch and push Shreik to the top of the TRP. Do I nead to read City before that?.

[polishgenius]

I wouldn't say so - I didn't. It's a little bit confusing (Shriek does refer back to two of the stories in Cities, particularly 'An Early History of Ambergris', which the main character of Shriek narrates) and if you can I would, but it doesn't hinge upon it.
Whereas I don't think Finch would make much sense at all without the background of Shriek, despite being a much more normal in narrative structure (Shriek is very, very weird). It doesn't link that directly plot-wise, but the whole thing hinges on stuff set up in Shriek.

[Baco Xtath]

Alright, started Shriek and I've already broken out the highlighter. Love Vandermeer's prose. Also, just pre-ordered his Wonderbook: the Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction; hopefully this will get me writing again (and gooder).

[Baco Xtath]

Vandermeer's new book looks interesting:

Annihilation

Area X has been cut off from the rest of the continent for decades. Nature has reclaimed the last vestiges of human civilization. The first expedition returned with reports of a pristine, Edenic landscape; all the members of the second expedition committed suicide; the third expedition died in a hail of gunfire as its members turned on one another; the members of the eleventh expedition returned as shadows of their former selves, and within months of their return, all had died of aggressive cancer.
This is the twelfth expedition. Their group is made up of four women: an anthropologist; a surveyor; a psychologist, the de facto leader; and our narrator, a biologist. Their mission is to map the terrain and collect specimens; to record all their observations, scientific and otherwise, of their surroundings and of one another; and, above all, to avoid being contaminated by Area X itself. They arrive expecting the unexpected, and Area X delivers—they discover a massive topographic anomaly and life forms that surpass understanding—but it's the surprises that came across the border with them, and the secrets the expedition members are keeping from one another, that change everything.

Annihilation is the first volume in Jeff VanderMeer's Southern Reach trilogy, which will be published throughout 2014: volume two (Authority) in June, and volume three (Acceptance) in September.

This post has been edited by Baco Xtath: 22 September 2013 - 03:53 PM

[Morgoth]

I would advice one to read all Three of Vandermeer's books in sequence, though I do agree that it's perfectly possible to read Shriek and Finch without first having read City of Saints and Madmen (though why would you not? CoSaM is brilliant!).

Vandermeer is a fantastic writer and it's a shame his production is so low. I'm quite pleased he's written something new.

[Abyss]

Baco Xtath, on 22 September 2013 - 01:24 AM, said:

Drank a bit too much last night and woke up with these in my audible library: Finch, Transition, The Fractal Prince, Ex-Patriots, and Ex-Communication.

Solid drunkshop. Yoiu have read EX-HEROES already, yes? Bcs if not, musts needs.

Morgoth, on 23 September 2013 - 10:13 AM, said:

I would advice one to read all Three of Vandermeer's books in sequence,... CoSaM is brilliant!).

S'in the TRPFH for a while now. Really overdue to read that.

Quote

Vandermeer is a fantastic writer and it's a shame his production is so low.

This...

Baco Xtath, on 22 September 2013 - 03:51 PM, said:

Vandermeer's new book looks interesting...
Annihilation is the first volume in Jeff VanderMeer's Southern Reach trilogy, which will be published throughout 2014: volume two (Authority) in June, and volume three (Acceptance) in September.

...would seem to suggest he's picking up the pace.
Or publishing smaller books, i guess we'll see.

[Morgoth]

True, but the trilogy has been talked about here and there for quite some time.

[Mentalist]

Mentalist, on 13 September 2013 - 01:01 AM, said:

Book Depository tempted me back with a 10% off gift coupon

since I now have a brand-new bookshelf:

"Air War" by Adrian Tchaikovsky--vol 8 of the "Shadows of the Apt"
"Bitter Seeds" by Ian Tregillis--because of the forum reccos
"Quicksilver" by Neal Stephenson--the first book of the Baroque cycle. I've enjoyed both Diamond Age and Snow Crash, so we'll see...

All 3 arrived today while I was at work. Happy reading times ahead!

[HiddenOne]

I just bought "Lies of Locke Lamora" for $0.99 on Google Play, since it comes so highly recommended on here

[QuickTidal]

HiddenOne, on 24 September 2013 - 02:52 PM, said:

I just bought "Lies of Locke Lamora" for $0.99 on Google Play, since it comes so highly recommended on here

A great book....just lower your expectations for Book 2...as it's not nearly as compelling.

I have middling hopes for the 3rd book because Book 2 let me down so hard.

[D'rek]

HiddenOne, on 24 September 2013 - 02:52 PM, said:

I just bought "Lies of Locke Lamora" for $0.99 on Google Play, since it comes so highly recommended on here

**Braces for another slew of love/hate posts about Red Seas Under Red Skies, (the secondmost divisive book on this forum?)**

[Salt-Man Z]

Everybody shutup. Red Seas was great.

[Hocknose]

Emperor of Thorns...

King and Prince were ace!!

[Abyss]

D, on 24 September 2013 - 03:06 PM, said:

HiddenOne, on 24 September 2013 - 02:52 PM, said:

I just bought "Lies of Locke Lamora" for $0.99 on Google Play, since it comes so highly recommended on here

**Braces for another slew of love/hate posts about Red Seas Under Red Skies, (the secondmost divisive book on this forum?)**

Salt-Man Z, on 24 September 2013 - 03:48 PM, said:

Everybody shutup. Red Seas was great.

Except for the pirate parts. And the plot. And the supporting characters.


- Abyss, hates to not meet expectations...

[D'rek]

Abyss, on 24 September 2013 - 05:07 PM, said:

Except for the pirate parts.

My favourite part.

Abyss, on 24 September 2013 - 05:07 PM, said:

And the plot.

My second favourite part.

Abyss, on 24 September 2013 - 05:07 PM, said:

And the supporting characters.

My third favourite part.