Author Topic: What are you reading, part 3  (Read 311052 times)

Bookstore Guy

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1335 on: June 11, 2010, 08:33:45 PM »
So, I've read a few books over the past few weeks.  Julian Comstock,  Blood of the Mantis (a bit back), Altered Carbon, re-read books 2 and 3 of the Necroscope series to go along with the novella collection Harry and the Pirates, and some other stuff (alpha read Correia's Hard Magic).

Anyways, I may read Salute the Dark next.  Or Nights of Villjamur.  Or Lesser Demons.  Or Cry of the Newborn.  I dunno.  Whatever.
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Renoard

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1336 on: June 14, 2010, 01:31:34 AM »
I read snow crash when it first came out and I think it is an important book for letting  someone dip their toe in Cyber-punk, but much as I like Hiero as a character I thought the plotting was bad enough I never have read another of his books.
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WriterDan

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1337 on: June 15, 2010, 04:32:34 AM »
Didn't much care for Snow Crash.  Lots of cool ideas, I just never got into the book.  Cryptonomicon was really good.  I also tried Quicksilver.  Didn't much care for it though, and bailed after a few hundred pages.

I bailed on the Painted Man after about 60 pages.  Pretty poor writing and failed my 10% rule (hook me by then).

Stopped reading Watcher of the Dead.  Will have to pick it up later.

I'm about halfway through Red Wolf Conspiracy, and conflicted.  Great writing, but seriously hard to get into any of the characters.

I also just bought John Scalzi's God Engines.  Thought it looked pretty good and was only $5 on my Kindle.  Woo-hoo!  Amazon reviews look pretty split.  Will have to clear things up for them sometime in the near future.
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guessingo

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1338 on: June 15, 2010, 12:47:23 PM »
Please post what you think of God Engine. My library doesn't stock novellas. I want to know if its worth buying.

I think alot of the negative reviews may be because it is different from Scalzi's other books so it appeals to a differnet crowd.

I have trouble understanding how people don't like Snow Crash. It is one of my all time favorite books. I can deal with slow pacing if its necessary. Every book does not need to be a thriller.

Shi

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1339 on: June 17, 2010, 05:00:25 AM »
Finished White Cat by Holly Black. I must say, I wasn't expecting much since I really did not like Tithe, But the White Cat was really good.

Also finished Demon's Covenant by Sarah Rees Brennan, which was, sadly, disappointing. Could be because the book was from my least favorite character's point of view. But really, I think the book needed another draft to tighten it up, and it suffered from middle book syndrome, just setting up the final book.

I swear by The Demon's Lexicon though, best book evers.

And I'm halfway through The White Road by Lynn Flewelling.

Patriotic Kaz

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1340 on: June 17, 2010, 05:25:28 PM »
Finished Lies of Locke Lamora, Elements of Style (handbook by E.B. White and William Strunk Jr.) and I am currently reading Best Served Cold
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WriterDan

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1341 on: June 18, 2010, 06:35:22 AM »
Finished Red Wolf Conspiracy.  Good and bad.

Starting The Adamantine Palace by Stephen Deas tonight.

I probably won't get to the God Engines until I finish Palace and Twelve as well.  Just found out that Amazon canceled my order of Leviathan Wept because it got delayed a few weeks and I didn't explicitly tell them that I still wanted it.  Grumble, grumble.  I think I'm going to weep.
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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1342 on: June 18, 2010, 03:02:48 PM »
Just finished the book "The immortals" by Tracy hickman. Pretty good book, if you ask me!

It's basically about a "cure" for aids that was invented, which in turn ends up becoming a form of super aids.

This causes the US government to set up camps for all the victims to try and stop the spread of it, which pretty much end up being run like nazi death camps (and of course, hidden from the public).

The point of the novel is basically to focus on the interactions of humans in extreme, dire situations.
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WriterDan

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1343 on: June 18, 2010, 07:32:03 PM »
Actually just found a paperback copy of The Immortals at DI last week for a buck.  Total bonus.
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Patriotic Kaz

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1344 on: June 19, 2010, 03:56:58 AM »
Blood of the Mantis was a fantastic read! What's your opinion on the series as a whole BSG?
"Words are double edged blades. Only the great and the foolish play with knives." - Kaz the Buddah

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Renoard

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1345 on: June 20, 2010, 04:14:46 AM »
Just finished The Prodigal Mage by Karen Miller.  It was a good continuation of the world and characters from the Innocent Mage duology.  If I have any complaint it's that the sections which are technically independent novellas ought to have been developed more and published as three novels.  A model more like the one used by Raymond Feist would showcase her stories better.
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mtlhddoc2

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1346 on: June 20, 2010, 04:41:05 AM »
Just finished Guns of the South, not sure what I am up for next, a series or a stand-alone? hmmm need to think about that, it is not like I have a whole lot of time these days, but I will coming up....

I gotta ask...  is songs of Fire and Ice worth starting?

Shivertongue

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1347 on: June 20, 2010, 05:31:17 AM »
Just finished Guns of the South, not sure what I am up for next, a series or a stand-alone? hmmm need to think about that, it is not like I have a whole lot of time these days, but I will coming up....

I gotta ask...  is songs of Fire and Ice worth starting?

It's worth starting only if you willing to wait long periods of time for new books in the series to come out. Extremely compelling, extremely well-written, but because of that the wait is almost unbearable. Add in that all this other stuff related to A Song of Ice and Fire is coming out, but no definite release date for the next book, and it becomes rather frustrating. I decided a while back that I'm not going to pick up any more of his books, or have anything to do with any of his other properties, until the series is finished.

Guns of the South is one of the few Turtledove books I haven't read, mostly because I don't care much for alternate histories where things are changed by time travel. Have you read the Timeline 191 books? That series is among my favourite of his.
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Nessa

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1348 on: June 20, 2010, 06:00:04 AM »
Blood of the Mantis was a fantastic read! What's your opinion on the series as a whole BSG?

http://elitistbookreviews.blogspot.com/2010/06/blood-of-mantis.html

His review makes it pretty obvious.
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Bookstore Guy

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1349 on: June 21, 2010, 04:32:05 PM »
Blood of the Mantis was a fantastic read! What's your opinion on the series as a whole BSG?

http://elitistbookreviews.blogspot.com/2010/06/blood-of-mantis.html

His review makes it pretty obvious.

The series isn't perfect, but I have loved it.  If I wasn't busy with Nights of Villjamur (which so far is full of win), I'd be reading Salute the Dark.
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