What book are you reading?

[Sevis]

I've discovered Poe recently, and have been reading his works, although very slowly. Now took a small break to get through "Mind Hacks", wonderful stuff.

[Ja'chyra]

I'm almost finished The Gathering Storm and while it isn't bad the new author has changed the personalities of all the main characters, and not for the better I think.

[Ja'chyra]

So I've just finished The Gathering Storm, what can I say?

I think the story has gone in the direction intended by Robert Jordan even if it's already past the 10 originally planned books. I think he's chosen a good place to split the books and there's not too much of the waffling that I saw in earlier books. Like all good stories there's periods of calm and action and twists that you may or may not see coming, still though my major grief is that he has changed almost all of the personalities and made them all, well, darker, more angry. Even Mat has become a darker character with Egwene becoming downright cold and Min being sidetracked into an almost inconsequential role. Some of this is a natural reflection of the story as it moves towards the final battle but I felt he could have eased us into the change throughout the book more than he has.

All in all though I don't grudge the money I paid for it and will be buying the other two to see the series ended.

[CountArach]

So I've just finished The Gathering Storm, what can I say?

I think the story has gone in the direction intended by Robert Jordan even if it's already past the 10 originally planned books. I think he's chosen a good place to split the books and there's not too much of the waffling that I saw in earlier books. Like all good stories there's periods of calm and action and twists that you may or may not see coming, still though my major grief is that he has changed almost all of the personalities and made them all, well, darker, more angry. Even Mat has become a darker character with Egwene becoming downright cold and Min being sidetracked into an almost inconsequential role. Some of this is a natural reflection of the story as it moves towards the final battle but I felt he could have eased us into the change throughout the book more than he has.

All in all though I don't grudge the money I paid for it and will be buying the other two to see the series ended.

I have yet to commence the grand re-reading that will lead me to the Gathering Storm, but I had found that by the end of Books 10 and 11 most of the characters were incredibly dark anyway. Though hearing that Mat changes is a bit depressing - he always seemed far more optimistic than everyone else to me.

[Martok]

Have just started reading Agincourt by Bernard Cornwell. I purchased a copy earlier this year, but hadn't gotten around to reading it til now. I've enjoyed most of his other works thus far, though, and am looking forward to it. As it's apparently one of his (relatively) rare stand-alone novels, it'll be interesting to see how it turns out.

So I've just finished The Gathering Storm, what can I say?

I think the story has gone in the direction intended by Robert Jordan even if it's already past the 10 originally planned books. I think he's chosen a good place to split the books and there's not too much of the waffling that I saw in earlier books. Like all good stories there's periods of calm and action and twists that you may or may not see coming, still though my major grief is that he has changed almost all of the personalities and made them all, well, darker, more angry. Even Mat has become a darker character with Egwene becoming downright cold and Min being sidetracked into an almost inconsequential role. Some of this is a natural reflection of the story as it moves towards the final battle but I felt he could have eased us into the change throughout the book more than he has.

All in all though I don't grudge the money I paid for it and will be buying the other two to see the series ended.

One of my good friends is in the middle of reading it right now. Thus far, his opinion largely coincides with your own, although I think he's probably enjoying it a little more than you did.

His main complaint at the moment is that the book has fewer scenes of internal dialogue & self-introspection. However, he acknowledges that this may have more to do with the necessarily increased pacing as the series races towards Tarmon Gaidon.


Personally, I think I'm going to wait until all three volumes are out. I've already read (and re-read) the WoT 3-4 times; at this point, it would take so long to get through all the books that I'm not sure I'd have the patience to do a re-read every single time another book comes out. (And yes, I would have to re-read the series for every new release, as I find it otherwise impossible to remember everything that's happened before.)

[Mouzafphaerre]

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About to finish Barry Strauss's Trojan War. Recommended.
.

[Martok]

I'm now over halfway through Hood, the first novel in Stephen R. Lawhead's King Raven trilogy. I'm not quite sure what I think of it overall, but I am enjoying myself thus far. It's an interesting take on the Legend of Sherwood Forest.

[A Nerd]

I don't read much, and I can't often remember authors names but there have been a few that I really enjoyed. Carl Sandburg's Cornhuskers, the idiot by some russian guy, Jack Kerouac's Desolation Angels, some classics I read in High School like A Tale of Two Cities, Silas Marner and one teacher translated Hamlet and Macbeth to the class which was fascianating. I want to read Knights of the round table soon. It would make good beach reading. That's all I can think of at the moment.

edit: How could I forget Authur Millers Death of a Salesman!!!

[Ja'chyra]

I'm now over halfway through Hood, the first novel in Stephen R. Lawhead's King Raven trilogy. I'm not quite sure what I think of it overall, but I am enjoying myself thus far. It's an interesting take on the Legend of Sherwood Forest.

Have you read Lawheads Celtic trilogy? Can't remember what they were called now but they were entertaining if not great writing.

[Martok]

Have you read Lawheads Celtic trilogy? Can't remember what they were called now but they were entertaining if not great writing.

Are you referring to the Albion trilogy, or the Celtic Crusades trilogy? Either way, the answer is "yes, I've read it" -- I'm a big Lawhead fan.


One thing to add: For those who (understandably) tend to be turned off by Lawhead's typically strong emphasis on Christianity in his novels, it may be worth noting that he seems to have turned down the "volume" in this trilogy. Not that it doesn't still play a fairly important part, but it's not as ubiquitous as in a lot of his other novels (such as his Celtic Crusades or Pendragon Cycle books).

Incidentally, I've already finished Hood and have moved onto Scarlet. 'Twill be interesting to see how this one goes, since it appears to be largely narrated from Will's point of view.

[CountArach]

The QI Book of General Ignorance. Such a great tv show and the book is basically a reference source for those of us who reference the show all the time in day-to-day conversation.

[Centurion1]

Am rereading through the clavell series AND George R.R. Martin's famous series.

anyone else a fan of martin of clavell, clavell is one of my top authors and i daresay i enjoy martin.

Im reading the asian saga of clavell and im on Gai-jin (ive read them all before though) and im on a feast for crows in Martin.

I hear martins book is out very soon at my local library reserving my copy? anyone care to disprove me on that, my library may just be preparing for someth9ing six months from now.

[Myrddraal]

This may seem incredibly predictable to people like CountArach and Ja'chyra and those other members who know the books, but I'm currently re-reading the Wheel of Time books. I haven't yet read the new installment, but seeing as I hadn't read the books in so long I thought I'd re-read the series before I bought the new book. There's a lot of stuff I had forgotten. So far my (newly decided) favourite is the Shadow Rising. Robert Jordan has started to repeat himself a lot in this book, but the plot lines are great:

Spoil tags used for their intended purpose:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Rhuidean and the glimpse of the age of legends is gripping, and the whole concept of a society so bound up in rules of honour and obligation. So proud of themselves, so superior to the 'Lost Ones' and the 'Wetlanders' and yet who by their own rules would be shamed to the core if they knew their history.

A stir ran through the men around Mandein. Most of them liked the Jenn claiming to be Aiel no better than he did. “Why have you called us here?” he demanded, though it burned his tongue to admit being summoned.
Instead of answering, Dermon said, “Why do you not carry a sword?” That brought angry mutters.

“It is forbidden,” Mandein growled. “Even Jenn should know that.”

The clan chiefs chosen because they are humble enough to face it. It's a brilliantly constructed plot.

“Ten thousand Aiel linking arms and singing, trying to remind a madman of who they were and who he had been, trying to turn him with their bodies and a song. Jaric Mondoran killed them. He stood there, staring as though at a puzzle, killing them, and they kept closing their lines and singing. I am told he listened to the last Aiel for almost an hour before destroying him. And then Tzora burned, one huge flame consuming stone and metal and flesh. There is a sheet of glass where the second greatest city in the world once stood.”
“Many people had time to flee, Aes Sedai. The Da’shain earned them time to flee. We are not afraid.”
Her hand tightened painfully in his hair. “The citizens have already fled Paaren Disen, Jonai. Besides, the Da’shain yet have a part yet to play, if Deindre could only see far enough to say what. In any case, I mean to save something here, and that something is you.”
“As you say,” he said reluctantly. “We will care for what you have given into our charge until you want them again.”
“Of course. The things we gave you.” She smiled at him and loosened her grip, smoothing his hair once more before folding her hands. “You will carry the . . . things . . . to safety, Jonai. Keep moving, always moving, until you find a place of safety, where no one can harm you.”
“As you say, Aes Sedai.”
“What of Coumin, Jonai? Has he calmed?”
He did not know any way but to tell her; he would rather have bitten his tongue out. “My father is hiding somewhere in the city. He tried to talk us into . . . resisting. He would not listen, Aes Sedai. He would not listen. He found an old shocklance somewhere, and . . . .” He could not go on. He expected her to be angry, but her eyes glistened with tears.
“Keep the Covenant, Jonai. If the Da’shain lose everything else, see they keep the Way of the Leaf. Promise me.”
“Of course, Aes Sedai,” he said, shocked. The Covenant was the Aiel, and the Aiel were the Covenant; to abandon the Way would be to abandon what they were.

And then of course there's Perrin and Fain's sub plot and the attacks on Emonds Field, also a classic. Corny as hell, but great nonetheless.

[Secura]

The QI Book of General Ignorance. Such a great tv show and the book is basically a reference source for those of us who reference the show all the time in day-to-day conversation.

I think I have that... the book with a foreword by Stephen Fry, four words by Alan Davies?

Fantastic book, a veritable treasure of completely useless, yet still quite interesting, trivia.

[Rhyfelwyr]

How could I forget Authur Millers Death of a Salesman!!!

Ah, how could I forget about that classic. I still remember all the characters... Willie, Linda, Biff...

Along with the Great Gatsby (gah! but the film is hilarious where the car runs over the woman's head), that was what my Higher English was about.

[Subotan]

The Rise and Fall of Communism - Archie Brown

[A Nerd]

(Death of a Salesmen) The flash-backs and all the mood they evoked was just SOOOO brilliantly inspireing! Oh Ben, what a perfect life it would have been if I hadn't been so wrongly practical and considerate...

[CountArach]

This may seem incredibly predictable to people like CountArach and Ja'chyra and those other members who know the books, but I'm currently re-reading the Wheel of Time books.

Gah! I have to do this again! I also haven't read the latest one, I suspect the next one will also be release by the time I get up to it.

Currently getting through Pride and Prejudice and Zombies for some very light-hearted reading.

[Myrddraal]

I read the back of that and the idea seemed appealing, but I read a few pages and though that it looked like the execution was going to make it a boring read...

[Scienter]

I'm reading The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. I saw the movie and liked it so much that I wanted to read the book.

[Mouzafphaerre]

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History of the Goths by Herwig Wolfram (read The Roman Empire and Its Germanic Peoples first.)
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[Subotan]

Porterhouse Blue, by Tom Sharpe

[naut]

Slaughterhouse 5, by Vonnegut again. I love Vonnegut.

[Centurion1]

^ love that book.....

catch-22

[Ja'chyra]

This may seem incredibly predictable to people like CountArach and Ja'chyra and those other members who know the books, but I'm currently re-reading the Wheel of Time books. I haven't yet read the new installment, but seeing as I hadn't read the books in so long I thought I'd re-read the series before I bought the new book. There's a lot of stuff I had forgotten. So far my (newly decided) favourite is the Shadow Rising. Robert Jordan has started to repeat himself a lot in this book, but the plot lines are great:

I tend to do this when a new book comes out for a series I like.

[Decker]

Can somebody tell me what makes the Wheel of Time Books good? I've seen many many people mention that they are good and I see them in packs at my local book stores but I don't get what makes em good?? (I also don't want to read reviews on Amazon because of spoilers).

[naut]

Can somebody tell me what makes the Wheel of Time Books good? I've seen many many people mention that they are good and I see them in packs at my local book stores but I don't get what makes em good?? (I also don't want to read reviews on Amazon because of spoilers).

They're meant to good. A few of my friends like them, from what they've said about them they sound pretty good.

[CountArach]

Can somebody tell me what makes the Wheel of Time Books good? I've seen many many people mention that they are good and I see them in packs at my local book stores but I don't get what makes em good?? (I also don't want to read reviews on Amazon because of spoilers).

The world is incredibly deep, the plotlines are intertwined to a level I haven't seen before, all teh characters have their own goals and pursue them relentlessly and (what I like best of all) - sometimes things go wrong for the main characters and they have to work within those constraints. The characters seem incredibly human (except some of the women, but for the most part) and all of them have some character flaw.

[Decker]

The world is incredibly deep, the plotlines are intertwined to a level I haven't seen before, all teh characters have their own goals and pursue them relentlessly and (what I like best of all) - sometimes things go wrong for the main characters and they have to work within those constraints. The characters seem incredibly human (except some of the women, but for the most part) and all of them have some character flaw.

Ah, so it's a fully fleshed out world with all the stuff one see's in Tolkien's work? (Just using him as a reference.) Alright, and since I see that there are quite a few books in the Wheel of Time series, are they all seperate storylines with different characters each time? I am asking because at my local book stores they are packeged into sets of four.

I also just finished reading The Art of War by Sun Tzu. I'll say while he covered quite a few topics in the simplist of ways I don't see how this is a huge classic. Granted it is a good read and a fast one at that, but it just seems little overrated, it's good but not great/legendary.

[drone]

I also just finished reading The Art of War by Sun Tzu. I'll say while he covered quite a few topics in the simplist of ways I don't see how this is a huge classic. Granted it is a good read and a fast one at that, but it just seems little overrated, it's good but not great/legendary.

The simplicity is the key. Being able to relate the simple scenarios to modern situations is the challenge.

Started Anathem, another Neal Stephenson book.