Author Topic: What are you reading, part 3  (Read 311469 times)

Bookstore Guy

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1395 on: July 01, 2010, 04:18:00 PM »
Speaking of extreme content (or so I've heard?), I just started The Windup Girl by Pablo Bacigalupi. Only a couple pages on so far...

Yeah, there is some Richard K Morgan/R Scott Bakker shock value stuff in there.  But really, my problem with the book was its utter lack of emotion in character, plot and setting.

But maybe that was just me.
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Sigyn

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1396 on: July 01, 2010, 04:38:58 PM »
I'm rereading the beginning of Tinker by Wen Spencer which has a great setting and magic system, but I'll only be reading the first part because the middle and ending aren't very interesting or well done.
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guessingo

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1397 on: July 02, 2010, 02:03:02 AM »
Just finished the audiobook of Hidden Empire by Kevin J Anderson. Bookstore guy heard right. It was boring. Andersons universe was hollow and filled stereotypes of bad sci-fi. The human empire was called "The Hanseatic League". That was a Medievil German Trade Guild. Yeah that name would be brought back in the future.

Just bought The Reality Dysfunction by Peter F Hamilton. I also want to finish Under the Dome by Stephen King.

On Audio I just checked out:
Stonehenge by Bernard Cornwell (thanks to the Writing Excuses guys for recommending Cornwell)
His Majestys Dragon by Naomi Vivik
First Alvin Maker book by Orson Scott Card (former manager of mine recommended this to me 2 years ago).

A woman I work with gave me a book called Shapechangers Song by Jennifer Roberson. She said she is terrific. Anyone read any of her books?

Silk

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1398 on: July 02, 2010, 02:28:28 AM »

Yeah, there is some Richard K Morgan/R Scott Bakker shock value stuff in there.  But really, my problem with the book was its utter lack of emotion in character, plot and setting.

But maybe that was just me.

I'm about a hundred pages in now, and yeah, there's some shock-value stuff in there.

I am enjoying the thing overall. I actually quite like the setting. I don't have a problem with the characters yet, though I'll agree so far that the emotion seems a little... superficial. The plot's moving slowly, but honestly I don't relaly notice that until I put the book down. *shrugs*

Nessa

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1399 on: July 02, 2010, 02:35:35 AM »
Stonehenge by Bernard Cornwell (thanks to the Writing Excuses guys for recommending Cornwell)

Stonehenge was ok, not Cornwell's best, but a good standalone if you don't want to get into his series. If you like that, you'll like his other stuff, such as the Richard Sharpe series, which takes place during the Napoleonic Wars. I recommend the series done in the UK with Sean Bean as lead character.  He has some of the best villains you just love to hate.
« Last Edit: July 02, 2010, 02:37:35 AM by Nessa »
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Shivertongue

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1400 on: July 02, 2010, 03:29:47 AM »

A woman I work with gave me a book called Shapechangers Song by Jennifer Roberson. She said she is terrific. Anyone read any of her books?

I've only read The Saga of Tiger and Del by her (since I can never find a copy of Karavans when I feel like reading it) and I loved it immensely. I devoured all six books of that series in five days. They're still among my all-time favourites.
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WriterDan

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1401 on: July 02, 2010, 04:26:06 AM »
Reading Terminal World by Alastair Reynolds.  About halfway through.  I just like this guy's books.  Good stuff.

Also got my first stack of ARCs for EBR reading and will be getting to them soon.  Man, how cool is this job?   8)
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Renoard

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1402 on: July 02, 2010, 07:17:33 AM »
Cool enough.  Would love to do that.
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guessingo

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1403 on: July 02, 2010, 12:29:16 PM »
@Nessa: Thanks for the tip. I read historical fiction more for the history. I saw a documentary on Stonehenge in the last 2 years so the book caught my eye. I get the impression that the Sharpe books are the hero character in a history world saves the day? Not really my thing. Is Agincourt good? I read a book about Agincourt about 10 years ago. Very interesting battle.

I have a hunch that alot of the historical fiction I like alot of people around here would not like.

aronsamma

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1404 on: July 03, 2010, 02:46:19 AM »
Speaking of unceasing rape, I just read The Desert Spear, which is the sequel to The Warded/Painted Man. I swear, there's a rape or a reference to a past one in every single chapter. There may be one or two exceptions, but it's seriously nonstop. It's always given the gravity it deserves, but it's still a pretty big hurdle for a reader to overcome.

It's too bad too, because the book is otherwise quite good. I don't think I'd put it in my top 10 or anything, but it was worth the read, at least. If you really liked the prequel, though, be prepared not to see The Painted Man for over a third of the book. You won't get a viewpoint from him for a little while after that either.

Silk

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1405 on: July 06, 2010, 09:19:39 PM »
I just finished The Windup Girl. I honestly can't decide how I feel about this book.

Shi

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1406 on: July 06, 2010, 10:28:25 PM »
Right now I'm reading Nightlife by Rob Thurman. It's kind of like Supernatural on crack, so I'm liking it.

Also reading Peeps by Westerfeld. Bought this book from a thrift store a while ago, and it mysteriously disappeared while I was reading it (this happens about once a year to me, call it a curse). After I searched the house twice, I finally swallowed my pride and bought a new copy. Anyway, excited to finally finish it.

WriterDan

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1407 on: July 07, 2010, 06:43:53 AM »
Reading Leviathan Wept by Daniel Abraham.  Ha ha!   ;D
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Bookstore Guy

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1408 on: July 07, 2010, 04:28:22 PM »
I just finished The Windup Girl. I honestly can't decide how I feel about this book.

Yeah.  Really cool setting and idea, but executed with zero emotion.  With how many people were going bonkers over the book, I expected to at least, you know, CARE about what was happening.  Didn't happen.  I felt all sorts of "meh" after reading.  And I thought the ending was completely flat.
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Silk

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1409 on: July 07, 2010, 08:25:50 PM »
Yeah, the ending didn't really come together for me. And while I didn't DISLIKE any of the characters I wasn't really attached to them. Emiko I found more interesting, and just when Jaidee started to get interesting he became a nonPOV character.

So yeah, I'm kinda lukewarm about it.