Welcome to the literature (reading) thread!
I created this thread because I've gotten an addiction to reading books thanks to my girlfriend. This thread is dedicated to books all genres; from romance to horror, to sci-fi (especially sci-fi because that kind of genre is rare where I live.) Not just books like the most of us know it can be discussed here, but journals and biographies are welcome as well! However, if you want to get in-depth with a fictional character from either a journal or biography, you shouldn't do it here. Reviews are more than welcome, but don't forget to add spoiler tags!
I haven't read much books other than these two:
-Her name was Sarah;
-Alien: Sea of Sorrows;
-Halsey's Journal (Halo: Reach);
I'm currently reading Robopocalypse by Daniel H. Wilson, and I'll make sure to do my fair square of reviews in the future.
Oh, one more thing; we already have a comic book thread, so don't discuss comic books here!
Well, this is magical. I do hope this thread sees quite a lot of use over time, but a small part of me doubts that it will.
Is anyone familiar with Andrzej Sapkowski's works? I'm a big fan of books both fantasy and greatly detailed, so I figured his novels should be on my do-to list.
Anybody think it would be a good idea to post their writing on this forum? or not?
[QUOTE=Deathtrooper2;50687261]Anybody think it would be a good idea to post their writing on this forum? or not?[/QUOTE]
Correct me if I'm wrong but there are threads dedicated to people's own writings. This is more meant for literature you'd find in a store or at a library.
Also, here goes my current progress on:
(The summary here is self-written and may contain spoilers if you're getting started on this book. Also it may be important to note that I own a translated version.)
[T]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f9/Robopocalypse_Book_Cover.jpg[/T]
[I]Robopocalypse is a book about machines attempting to takeover mankind in the near-future. Kid's toys such as dolls, adult's tools; laptops, cars, all of them have circuitry inside that can be reprogrammed. Even humanoid robots have been developed for lonely men and women. It all started in a small lab on a scientists' laptop.[/I]
The book consists of many chapters and parts; the first few being of before “Hour Zero” where various people around the globe fall victim to a new virus that turns all machinery into intelligent being. I find the book well written; the writer obviously has an eye for detail, and makes each character truly unique. It's realistic when it comes to people's various reactions, but most of all; you can relate to it easily even though it's a science-fiction book. People react naturally in locationd that are familiar to us; at home, work, on tbe streets, et cetera. The book may be sci-fi but I sure recognize this creepy element on various pages, such as a robot with a permanent grin, crawling after you, all beaten up, to kill you. (I'll quote it later.)
I'm not a professional at writing reviews but if you see this book in a store or at a library, I definitely recommend picking it up.
lately i've been reading A Kayak Full of Ghosts: Eskimo Folk Tales, retold (though mostly unmodified as far as i can tell) by Lawrence Millman.
[IMG]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348320808l/1823244.jpg[/IMG]
basically it's exactly as it sounds, folk tales from a place where, as the blurb aptly describes, [I]"eerie flowers bloom in the floes of the human mind."[/I] containing such passages as a demon baby that kills everything that sees it, a urine-soaked cloth that grew to become the first Greenland shark, a giantess who explodes when she drinks too much water and foolishly bends over to look at her vagina, a shaman who cures people's illnesses by eating their shit, and animals that steal their body parts from human corpses. most stories are only about a page long so you can just flip to to any part for a good quick read.
i checked it out because Thomas Ligotti recommended it in an interview as a piece of weird fiction, and it's in a similar vein to his writing - any line can go from intriguing to funny to sometimes downright unnerving, and it's at once bizarre but always friendly in tone and perfectly approachable. Millman spent a while compiling these tales, and it really shows in the lovely organic quality of the prose that you only get with passed-down folklore like this.
i would quite highly recommend it to any fans of folklore, somewhat more readable weird fiction, or just good old-fashioned storytelling, especially if you want some good, less conventional campfire stories to pass on to others.
If you are interested (and European...) the expanse series is up to its 6th book now
The series is pretty much hard science fiction without being hard to read, while also being about 500+ pages long per book. Each book while connected chronologically has a distinct theme to it, such as war, peace, mystery, exploration and each one is a ride itself.
Additionally if you start reading now you should be caught up by the time the show premiers again this fall which is unlike most adaptations, written by the two authors of the books and has a very good production value, cast, and plot
Us Americans have to wait till like November for the next book
just bought dune and will start reading it tomorrow
other than that, my reading list right now consists of:
- preacher book six
- american psycho
- a clockwork orange
- first blood
- lone survivor
- roadside picnic (again)
Currently tackling James Ellroy's LA Quartet. I'm nearing the end of The Big Nowhere and it's great, same with The Black Dahlia before it. After I finish up with those books, I'm probably going to pick up End of Watch by Stephen King and probably A Scanner Darkly by Phillip K Dick.
A Scanner Darkly is one of PKD's most accessible (and one of his best) books and I'd recommend diving into the rest of his stuff after.
Wasn't there already a Books/literature thread? Anyways, I'm starting to re-read Prey by Micheal Crichton. Haven't read it 6 years. I'll update on here with a proper review of it once I remember more than it being about a failing marriage and cannibalistic robot bugs.
I read Sun Tzu's Art of War recently, quite a lot of interesting ways of looking at the world and the interplay of opposing forces in any context. It's also been quite practical for games involving any kind of strategy.
[QUOTE=Sableye;50696804]If you are interested (and European...) the expanse series is up to its 6th book now
The series is pretty much hard science fiction without being hard to read, while also being about 500+ pages long per book. Each book while connected chronologically has a distinct theme to it, such as war, peace, mystery, exploration and each one is a ride itself.
Additionally if you start reading now you should be caught up by the time the show premiers again this fall which is unlike most adaptations, written by the two authors of the books and has a very good production value, cast, and plot
Us Americans have to wait till like November for the next book[/QUOTE]
I've just searched it up on the internet and it sounds pretty interesting, so I'll make sure to look out for it the next time I visit a book store. I've read Alien: Sea of Sorrows but felt that it was way too short (309) pages. I'm currently reading Robopocalypse which is also on the short side (380 pages), so a book with 500+ definitely sounds [B]very[/B] appealing to me.
I'm reading (almost studying) Halsey's Journal for the third time now, I like it.
[T]https://scontent-ams3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/13718783_1636513926667355_7345432062198563030_n.jpg?oh=f7d64d4729e13830d52479213c485545&oe=57EB686C[/T]
The amount of detail is high; quite a few pages are covered with spilled coffee spots and the font is handwritten. The fictional character who owns the journal has marked, underlined or drawn circles around certain parts in her journal that she found important. The beginning of the journal is also quite classic [I]"Writing does help... to get it all on paper... out of my head."[/I] however she also explains that, in the next paragraph of the same page, her journal also has an effective function for her work: [I]"I need a place to record my personal thoughts and the most sensitive research notes as I undertake this project, which I've simultaneously desired, been inspired by, [U]and[/U] dreaded."[/I] Later on in this journal, you can find various research notes and drawings made by doctor Halsey herself. Most of these are purely scientific; from statistics, to physics, to even chemistry. [I]"L is asymmetric w/ nonreal, off-diagonal entries; p#1.0 (NECESSARILY!)"[/I] However, these also include drawings of children and loved ones [I]"My drawings of children are horrible!"[/I], however, in my opinion, one of the most catching drawings in this entire journal is one of a Roman spartan standing over a child with the text [I]"There is an ancient saying, "The beginning of wisdom is ignorance." So where do we begin to create the ultimate warrior? With innocence."[/I] thus her choice to use children as candidates for the SPARTAN-II project.
The journal itself comes with a ton of extras such as a map of planet reach, newspaper-cuts, pictures taken by security cameras and satellites, letters from ONI; Office of Naval Intelligence, scientific test results (which are understandable if you've followed a laboratory education) and other items.
[T]https://scontent-ams3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/13726783_1636513913334023_4997964993048365546_n.jpg?oh=84576dec0e27546fbbdbded9da9bbd6e&oe=582742A0[/T]
[I]An ID card used to determine the blood-type and rhesus factor (lower) and a revise of it (above.)[/I]
The story written by doctor Halsey is basically about her research about the SPARTAN-II project and goes as far as to when Noble-team catches up with her in the actual game: [I]"Must go. SOON!! Jerrod says perimeter is compromised. Base AI denies it. I'll trust Jerrod and my own security protocols! Skeleton personnel refuses to go. The bastards finally found us. Took long enough. PURGE CODE is Beta-Foxtrot-99874| overrideFail-Safe: Ragnarock in case something happens to me and the journal survives. NOBLE Team here. [U]It's time."[/U][/I]
The journal comes with the limited edition of Halo: Reach, which is obviously not available anymore in stores. But some people appear to have sold their journals (and still are) on Ebay in-case you're interested. Just make sure that everything's in there, there's an [url=http://halo.wikibruce.com/Halseys_Journal]actual list of its' contents with pictures[/url] and I can confirm that it's correct. If you're a Halo fan and you can get it for the right price, I definitely recommend this book.
What I believe is funny to mention is that I love the format that writer uses so much, that I'm actually using it in my real-life laboratory notebook.
Finished up The Big Nowhere and I must say, what a great book. James Ellroy is fantastic, and if you want a good mystery, pick up his work
After reading each post in this thread before posting this, I really think it'd be a shame if this thread were to to go waste. So if anyone has suggestions for me in regards to the OP, or reviews or this threads' content, then they're more than welcome!
Anyway, more books:
I went to downtown yesterday. Came across this really neat bookstore where I picked another sci-fi book up (yep, I'm really addicted to this genre.)
[i]Children of Time[/i] by Adrian Tchaikovsky.
[t]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1431014197l/25499718.jpg[/t]
[i]The last remnants of the human race left a dying Earth, desperate to find a new home.
Following their ancestors' star maps, they discovered the greatest treasure of a past age - a world terraformed and prepared for human life.
But all is not right in this new Eden. The planet is not waiting for them, pristine and unoccupied. New masters have turned it from a refuge into mankinds' worst nightmare. Now two civilizations are on a collision course and must fight to survive. As the fate of humanity hangs in the balance, who are the true heirs of this new Earth?[/i]
I'm pretty excited for this book, I think it'll be nice to read an English book while I'm taking small breaks from reading my translated version of Robopocalypse.
Just finished Edmund de Waal's [i]The Hare With Amber Eyes[/i] which was fantastic. Modern history has been something I have neglected my whole life but this gives some great first hand accounts through a family which really made it fascinating.
Also recently finished Ludwig Wittgenstein's [i]Remarks On Colour[/i] which was a total mindfuck about illogical colour concepts. Some examples I liked were (mostly paraphrased): If I see a shiny white surface as 'white', but a point light reflects off it and that point brighter than the rest of the surface, is that point white and therefore is the surface grey? We can call colours like aquamarine a 'blueish-green' and orange a 'reddish yellow' but can we call white a 'blueish-greenish-red'? Pure saturated colours are essentially characterised by a certain relative lightness. Yellow, for example, is lighter than red. Is red lighter than blue? Our colour concepts sometimes relate to substances (snow is white), sometimes to surfaces (this table is brown, sometimes to illumination (in the reddish evening light), sometimes to transparent bodies. And isn't there also an application to a place in the visual field, logically independent of spatial context? Can't I say "there I see white" (and paint it for example) even if I can't in any way give a three dimensional interpretation of the visual image?
Thank you for this thread. It's really good discussion I think. I like to read 17th Century literature written by William Shakespeare.
[QUOTE=bailmonty;50821232]Thank you for this thread. It's really good discussion I think. I like to read 17th Century literature written by William Shakespeare.[/QUOTE]
Start with comedies, they're shorter and lighter. Much Ado About Nothing and Comedy of Errors are good starting points.
[QUOTE=coyote93;50692120]Yeah, the Witcher ones are great. I have read all the Witcher novels except for The Swallow's Tower and Lady of the Lake, The first one just got translated to English so haven't gotten around to it yet, and the second will come out next year.
Also read the Sword of Destiny and The Last Wish, which is "compilations" of smaller stories. I would recommend em all, at-least if you have played the Witcher games and enjoy them. It's more of the same, and you can see how much some of the side quests and stuff have been inspired from the books.[/QUOTE]
I actually hadn't played the games before as of writing that message, and held off on them in general due to indecision on which I'd enjoy more, books or games. I did, however, start and finish the original Witcher, and and currently playing the second, and am sure I'd love immersing myself further in the universe with the books. Will certainly follow your recommendations!
[QUOTE=Linkuya;50829184]I actually hadn't played the games before as of writing that message, and held off on them in general due to indecision on which I'd enjoy more, books or games. I did, however, start and finish the original Witcher, and and currently playing the second, and am sure I'd love immersing myself further in the universe with the books. Will certainly follow your recommendations![/QUOTE]The games are much better than the books.
And you hear that from a Pole, who read Witcher books first.
They're nice if you want to expand the universe, tho.
Started reading Dark Tower long time ago and enjoyed the first three books although the first one was strange as fuck. Finished now the fourth book Wizard and glass.
After 1 1/2 years.
I think this says enough about the book.
I read the gatefather trilogy by Orson Scott Card
fucking utter garbage, the first was good, the second was weird, the third was entirely comprised of exposition, reinventing the entire logic of the series, and awkwardly shoving in mormon values
it honestly made me hate his writing
I haven't read any books for my entire life
well, at least don't finished any
what do you guys think about that?
So mostly just trudging trough The passage and the twelve Cronin. Both are kinda decent but nothing spectacular. I guess expected a lot more from them based on recommendations. Needed a short break form it to be frank.
But I did recently finish the city and the city by Mieville which I'll happily recommend to just about anyone. It's a great look into other forms of double think and how it might play into the lives of people.
There's also Lardner's Gullible's travels which were an interesting look at around the great law. It's comedic, supposedly a probe into the common man of the Era but refreshing. It's kinda hilarious how little American English has changed since ww1 actually.
Last but not least. Started going trough the cursed child, bout 2/3rds in and gah. It's one terribly written play.
I feel like a pretty resounding meh.
It's a script certainly but none of the characters feel really alive. Open up a script from Bertold Brecht, Havel or countless others and the whole thing comes much better together. Hell go further into the past and grab something from Moliere, Shakespeare or other classics, even stuff like Antigona.
What we get instead is an unfocused mess that jumps from subject to subject, from theme to theme and just puffers out.
A book can do that, since a book will have the space for it. A play needs to hold much better together. The cursed child really does nothing of the sort.
It could be perhaps forgiven if the dialogue at least worked well. But it doesn't. Ron in particular is insufferable in the play and feels as if written by a ten year old fanfic author. That really applies to most of the other characters, but is the most evident with him. Half of the time they're the emotional equivalents of FPs sensationalist headlines, the other half of the time they're bleeding pathos from every pore. Usually in the same scene to boot.
I should probably drop it and pick up 1Q84 which I keep putting off, but I want to know if the end of the plot will be as terrible as I expect it to be.
so who's legs I gotta break to get jim butcher to release the next dresden files
[QUOTE=Mining Bill;50841487]so who's legs I gotta break to get jim butcher to release the next dresden files[/QUOTE]
If I were you, I'd nab Codex Alera in the mean time. The whole series is shorter and doesn't seem to have the same quality drop as DF because of it.
Though I guess it might be subjective. DF's just been making me feel sour ever since Changes or so. But in retrospect everything after Summer Knight has been going a bit down.
I'm such a huge fan of the "Create Your Own Adventure"-genre; where you make your own decisions within the scenario and story. (e.g if you'd rather do this then turn to *page number*, if you'd rather do that then turn to this *page number*, etc) If any of you could recommend any books within this genre I would be very grateful :smile:
[QUOTE=Steam-Pixie;50841526]I'm such a huge fan of the "Create Your Own Adventure"-genre; where you make your own decisions within the scenario and story. (e.g if you'd rather do this then turn to *page number*, if you'd rather do that then turn to this *page number*, etc) If any of you could recommend any books within this genre I would be very grateful :smile:[/QUOTE]
They are usually known as gamebook. Throw the term into google and you'll get countless results.
[QUOTE=nikivarvar;50841420]I haven't read any books for my entire life
well, at least don't finished any
what do you guys think about that?[/QUOTE]
You are missing out.
[QUOTE=nikivarvar;50841420]I haven't read any books for my entire life
well, at least don't finished any
what do you guys think about that?[/QUOTE]
I'm always glad I read a book once I finish it, but when I'm actually in the process of reading, I get really bored and think about how I could be doing something that's more enjoyable. I envy people who actually have fun with it.
Finished reading John Scalzi's "[i]Old Man's War[/i]" series.
I really enjoyed them. Even though all the later books in the series while all strong and competent contained stories with a large over-arching one that links all of them, the first book was just so entertaining to read.
The blerb from the back of the book 1:
[i]
The good news is that humanity finally made it to the stars. The bad news is that, out there, planets fit to live on are scarce- and alien races willing to fight us for them are common. So, we fight. Far from Earth, the war has been going on for decades: brutal, bloody, unyielding.
Earth itself is a backwater, the bulk of our resources is in the hands of the Colonial Defense Forces, and everybody knows that when you reach retirement age, you can join up. The CDF doesn't want young people, they want people who carry the knowledge and skills of decades of living. You'll be taken off Earth, never to return. You'll serve two years in combat. And if you survive you'll be given an homestead of your own, on one of our hard-won planets.
John Perry is taking that deal. He thinks he knows what to expect. But the actual fight, light years from home, is far, far harder than he can imagine- and what he will become is far stranger.
[/i]
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