Author Topic: What are you reading, part 3  (Read 311043 times)

Peter Ahlstrom

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #810 on: July 17, 2009, 04:36:48 AM »
WTF incest? I don't care how many generations separate you. It's still creepy, curtain couple. The book was still awesome, though. Eh plus plus.
This is a misconception that unfortunately seems it was easy to get from the book, because a lot of people are getting it.

The First Returned, the guy who the Idrian royal family is descended from, was named Vo and lived many years (centuries?) before the Five Scholars.

So no, there was no incest.
All Saiyuki fans should check out Dazzle! Emotionally wrenching action-adventure and quirky humor! (At least read chapter 6 and tell me if you're not hooked.) Volume 10 out now!

Patriotic Kaz

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #811 on: July 20, 2009, 10:31:47 PM »
And just so everyone knows 80% of us white folks that live in the good ole US of A are related to whatever stranger sitting next to you
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Peter Ahlstrom

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #812 on: July 21, 2009, 04:28:23 AM »
Well, some people got the impression that Vivenna and Siri are directly descended from Vasher, not just related. They're not. (Or related at all, to meaningful definitions of "at all," as far as I know.)
All Saiyuki fans should check out Dazzle! Emotionally wrenching action-adventure and quirky humor! (At least read chapter 6 and tell me if you're not hooked.) Volume 10 out now!

Patriotic Kaz

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #813 on: July 21, 2009, 04:31:19 AM »
isn't he sterile?
"Words are double edged blades. Only the great and the foolish play with knives." - Kaz the Buddah

"Take off your sandals, for you are posting on holy ground." -  Yahweh Kaz

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ryos

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #814 on: July 22, 2009, 12:53:08 AM »
isn't he sterile?

Well, normally, yes. But there must be SOME way for a Returned to reproduce or the royal line wouldn't exist.
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Patriotic Kaz

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #815 on: July 22, 2009, 01:19:55 AM »
I always assumed the royal line was an anomaly
"Words are double edged blades. Only the great and the foolish play with knives." - Kaz the Buddah

"Take off your sandals, for you are posting on holy ground." -  Yahweh Kaz

"Chaos, go to your room!" - Momma Kaz

sortitus

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #816 on: July 23, 2009, 10:52:34 AM »
I got that impression as well, though I couldn't tell if it was gov. propaganda or the truth. There was definitely truth in the true royals having descended from a returned, but I thought that may have had something to do with the earliest returned being a little... special.

I just finished Twilight. Just barely. It was simultaneously as awful as everyone said and not really that bad. For an author who seems determined to write romance, her romantic scenes were horrible. That section in the meadow was the worst. What's with Bella referring to Edward's skin as marble whenever she touches him? It's a creepy description, saying that your lover is cold and stony (but if it works for Nynaeve...). She even said something like, "his cold, unyielding lips" when describing a smooch. Yuck.

The prose was always iffy and the action scenes disorienting. Characters were cardboard, plot was nearly nonexistent. When she dropped the stupid obsessing about how physically perfect Edward was, I found myself enjoying the book, sometimes for paragraphs at a time. With a good editor, I imagine the book would have made a very nice 200-page story. There was a scene that was approximately three pages long somewhere between page 350 and page 400 that was excellent. I really enjoyed that part.
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WriterDan

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #817 on: July 23, 2009, 06:25:38 PM »
So, I bailed on the Tom Holt book.  Just seemed like nothing was happening and it all seemed so everyday.  Mildly funny though.  I must give it that.

Started Black Sun Rising by Friedman.  Pretty good thus far, but really just into the book.

Stopped reading that one for a quick foray into the effects of mescalin and lsd in The Doors of Perception by Aldous Huxley.  The first half was pretty good, but the rest seems intent on proving that all Christians should ingest the drugs on a regular basis.  Don't know how impressed I am with his logic though.

Bought Price of Spring (Abraham) and Best Served Cold (Abercrombie) off of Amazon yesterday.  Waiting with bated breath for those to arrive.  Can't wait.
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Patriotic Kaz

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #818 on: July 25, 2009, 03:59:22 AM »
The problem with erikson is every book starts out so bloody slow...but the rest of it is so bloody genius!!!! if it wasn't for the first 150 pages of his books i would kiss him...well maybe not :P...but Toll the Hounds is picking up and once i'm finished with it i can begin the books i bought before becoming a Malazan Books of the Fallen addict
"Words are double edged blades. Only the great and the foolish play with knives." - Kaz the Buddah

"Take off your sandals, for you are posting on holy ground." -  Yahweh Kaz

"Chaos, go to your room!" - Momma Kaz

Bookstore Guy

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #819 on: July 27, 2009, 06:59:18 PM »
The problem with erikson is every book starts out so bloody slow...but the rest of it is so bloody genius!!!! if it wasn't for the first 150 pages of his books i would kiss him...well maybe not :P...but Toll the Hounds is picking up and once i'm finished with it i can begin the books i bought before becoming a Malazan Books of the Fallen addict

for the fun of it, you should get ahold of his 3 short stories in the Malazanverse. They are about the 2 necromancers and are comedy.

also, the stuff written by Esselmont in the Malazonverse is worth reading as well. The first one is decent, but the 2nd one is considered by many to be just as good (if not better) than the newest erikson novels.
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Patriotic Kaz

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #820 on: July 27, 2009, 07:11:27 PM »
I thought Reapers Gale was one of the better books...
"Words are double edged blades. Only the great and the foolish play with knives." - Kaz the Buddah

"Take off your sandals, for you are posting on holy ground." -  Yahweh Kaz

"Chaos, go to your room!" - Momma Kaz

Bookstore Guy

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #821 on: July 27, 2009, 08:58:06 PM »
many people consider Reaper's Gale a small step down from the others in the series, and Toll the Hounds even lower (mostly due to it being filled with more backstory than is usual). However, they are still good. Which to me says a lot about the books written by Esselmont.
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Hero of Ages

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #822 on: July 28, 2009, 08:54:19 AM »
I just finished the Dreamers series by David Eddings.  I read 1-3 when they 1st came out but was greatly disappointed by the 3rd book so I didn't pick up the last book in the series until I was in Barnes and Noble a few weeks back and saw the 4th book on clearance for $4,98, so I snagged it.  Since it had been a few years since I read the others I started over and reread the entire series.  Books 1 and 2 are ok but not up to the old David Eddings standards (which should tell you something), 3 was disappointing (again) and 4 was downright bad.  **SPOILER**  Talk about Deus Ex Machina.  The series is about gods protecting their followers and territories but when the gods' gods stepped into the picture I had had enough.  ** End Spoiler**

The whole series was an easy read, I read it in my spare time at work, and finished all 4 books in about a week and a half.

After the disappointment of that series I decided to reread something that I knew was good so I am currently on my 3rd read-through of The Name of the Wind.  When I finish that one I have to decide which to read: Stranger in  a Strange Land (unabridged) or Ender's Game.  Decisions, decisions.
I must not fear;
Fear is the mind killer;
I will face my fear;
I will let it pass through me;
When the fear is gone, there will be nothing;
Only I will remain.
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FantasyAngel

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #823 on: July 28, 2009, 10:43:44 AM »
The Dreamers series was the first Eddings book I ever read and I haven't been able to pick up another Eddings book since.  I'm afraid the series sickend me.  I agree the first 2 books where ok, I like a few of the characters and was getting into the story but it all went down hill from there and the ending what was the guy thinking.  Seriously!  That just completely made the first 3 books redundant and pointless.

It's really a shame as I've heard many people say Eddings is good but I don't know whether I'll ever be able to bring myself to buy another of his books to see.  Maybe some day but I wouldn't hold my breathe.
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little wilson

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #824 on: July 29, 2009, 05:45:19 AM »
Granted,  I haven't read the Dreamer's series, but his Belgariad is actually pretty darn good. I mean, it's not the best fantasy, but it is a very good introduction to fantasy. And if you don't want to buy it, there are always libraries...

As for what I'm reading--The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. I went and bought it at Hasting's the other day along with Hero of Ages (I was missing HoA in my collection, and saw NotW there too, so grabbed that). I like it so far. A lot. 'Tis good stuff.
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