Author Topic: What are you reading, part 3  (Read 311206 times)

Sigyn

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #960 on: November 02, 2009, 05:58:53 PM »
I just finished Maps and Legends by Michael Chabon. It's a collection of his essays. I liked it, and I think my favorite one was about the Daulaire's Book of Norse Myths. I always loved that book.
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WriterDan

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #961 on: November 08, 2009, 12:08:32 AM »
Finished Gathering Storm.

But I don't want to hit on it too hard.

So, I'll just say that I'm done with it.

Maybe I just need to sit on it for a while.
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Recovering_Cynic

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #962 on: November 09, 2009, 06:36:03 AM »
I'm a third of the way through Gardens of the Moon and struggling with it.  The only reason I'm still reading is that I've been promised that I'll be greatly rewarded.
this is the way the world ends,
not with a bang, but a whimper
~T.S. Eliot

Bookstore Guy

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #963 on: November 09, 2009, 06:02:37 PM »
I talked with Erikson about this at World Fantasy.  He agreed that most people have trouble with Gardens.  It was a situation where both Erikson and Esslemont felt that starting "at the beginning" was overdone and not appropriate to the series and the story they wanted to tell.  As Jim Minz (the guy who got Erikson finally published here in the US) said, "Gardens is like having anvils tied to your feet and then being thrown in the ocean.  If you manage to free yourself and keep swimming, there is a high chance that you will come to think of Erikson's novels as the pinnacle of fantasy."  I agree 100% with this.  Gardens is the weakest (easily) novel in the series, and then it becomes fantastic.  You have to realize that Erikson and Esslemont don't hold your hand like 99% of all other authors.  They assume that you are intelligent, and that you can figure stuff out on your own.  At least that's what they told me.
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Recovering_Cynic

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #964 on: November 09, 2009, 06:31:44 PM »
Oh, I'm not having trouble "figuring things out on my own" so to speak; I am having trouble seeing where the novel is going or getting behind any of the characters as yet.  Don't worry.  I'll finish it.  And if it is everything that it has been promised me to be, I will be converted.
this is the way the world ends,
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Sigyn

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #965 on: November 09, 2009, 07:10:05 PM »
I've only read Gardens of the Moon by Erikson, and I loved it. I have to admit that I never quite understand why people say they have a hard time with it.  I loved it enough that I bought the whole rest of the series and they are waiting in my to-read pile (which is currently about seven feet tall).

Anyway, I just finished Flora's Dare by Ysabeau Wilce. This series really has some of the best world building I've seen in a young adult novel in a long time.
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Miyabi

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #966 on: November 09, 2009, 07:21:32 PM »


Attempting once again to read The Eye Of The World . . . . .

I just finished reading Scribbler again.
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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #967 on: November 09, 2009, 08:00:45 PM »
Oh, I'm not having trouble "figuring things out on my own" so to speak; I am having trouble seeing where the novel is going or getting behind any of the characters as yet.  Don't worry.  I'll finish it.  And if it is everything that it has been promised me to be, I will be converted.

Don't worry it doesn't go anywhere.  I haven't read Dust of Dreams yet, but up to that point we are ALL waiting for the big reveal of where it is going.  We have hints and deep plotlines that give us a few ideas about it, but nothing is concrete.  However, to cite Shepard Book from Firefly, the journey is the worthier part.  I don't really care where The Malazan  series is ending up because it is a hell of a lot of fun reading in the going.  Hopefully this doesn't discourage you from reading the rest of them.

Recovering_Cynic

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #968 on: November 09, 2009, 09:00:29 PM »
Quote
Don't worry it doesn't go anywhere.  I haven't read Dust of Dreams yet, but up to that point we are ALL waiting for the big reveal of where it is going.  We have hints and deep plotlines that give us a few ideas about it, but nothing is concrete.  However, to cite Shepard Book from Firefly, the journey is the worthier part.  I don't really care where The Malazan  series is ending up because it is a hell of a lot of fun reading in the going.  Hopefully this doesn't discourage you from reading the rest of them.

Hmm... that might actually be a problem.  I'm a plot/goal driven person.  If a book meanders without an indication of what it's building towards, then I lose patience.  I'll finish it; this I promise.
this is the way the world ends,
not with a bang, but a whimper
~T.S. Eliot

Bookstore Guy

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #969 on: November 09, 2009, 11:11:15 PM »
Erikson and Esslemont personally promised me that a TON is going to be resolved - partially through Dust of Dreams, and significantly through The Crippled God.  Also Esslemont's series is going to fill in gaps while Erikson is writing the next segments of the series once the main 10-book segment is done.  Don't worry, they do have a plan.

But, as Nick said, the journey itself is worth the reading. 

Sigyn - If you loved Gardens, the next two novels will consume you.  Then the following ones...well, you'll love them.
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Patriotic Kaz

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #970 on: November 09, 2009, 11:26:05 PM »
Memories of Ice is one of the top 10 sci-fi/ fantasy books ever written!!!!
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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #971 on: November 12, 2009, 06:21:40 PM »
Finished DIVING INTO THE WRECK (SF) and THE AFFINITY BRIDGE (Steampunk).  Both were fantastic.
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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #972 on: November 12, 2009, 06:53:28 PM »
Finished Gathering Storm.

But I don't want to hit on it too hard.

So, I'll just say that I'm done with it.

Maybe I just need to sit on it for a while.

I'm finding this a...different...read as well.  I finally got my copy from the UK, so I'm a little behind.

Word of advice to serious WoT fans:  while the UK edition may have the awesome cover, the binding is HORRID.  It isn't stitched, and thus will fall apart after a few read-throughs of the novel.  I'm really quite upset with Orbit for doing this.
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Sigyn

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #973 on: November 13, 2009, 07:06:02 PM »
I'm reading Yiddish Policeman's Union by Michael Chabon. I am sick of the f-word.
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WriterDan

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #974 on: November 16, 2009, 06:48:31 PM »
I read Water for Elephants during my trip to Phoenix.  For how much praise that book got, there really wasn't much story to it at all.  Mostly just a clip of life for a guy who bailed for the circus during the depression years.  There there's this tacked-on happy-feely ending to it that didn't fit at all.  Plus there were a bundle of places I had to skip past because of how graphic the sexual content got.  I mean, just dumb to put that in this kind of book.  Shock value stuff.

Reading House of Suns right now by Alastair Reynolds.  This one is taking my forever (dense copy) and I can't say that I'm really pulled into the story, but at least there's a story and decent characters.  Been getting sick of sci-fi fiction that forgets that fiction means there has to be a story in there somewhere.

Meanwhile, I've been gearing myself up for the "ultimate sacrifice".  lol.  Going to hit the first three Malazan books next.  I've already been through the first one once, and tried the second one twice.  Still, all these people just won't get off it and stop lauding praises of the series.  Course it doesn't help that I've read a load of interviews with Erikson and the dude is really a decent guy.  So, I'm going to hit em hard--one, two, three--give it my best go, and see where it all comes out on the back end.  Of course, if I end up liking them, this isn't going to do very nice things for my TBR pile...

I'm finding this a...different...read as well.

I'm interested in seeing what you think about it in the end.  Is there going to be an Elitist Book Review on this one?

...the binding is HORRID.  It isn't stitched, and thus will fall apart after a few read-throughs of the novel.  I'm really quite upset with Orbit for doing this.

My hardback cover of Name of the Wind split on me before I had even read it once.  Man, I wanted to scream at that.  Inferior binding on hardback books absolutely sucks.
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