Currently Reading

[Jinx]

The old thread doesn't even come up in the first page or two of search functions! Just decided to start a new thread!

Girl, Interrupted
Susanna Kaysen
Page 48 of 168

So far I'm not really sure how I feel about this book. I loved the movie, especially during the harder/more mental times of my life. The book isn't bad, but it's very disjointed. The good thing I can say about that is it lends to the idea that she's "crazy." I always identified with the Susanna from the movie, and I hope as I read more of the book I'll identify with her as well.

[Bolivar]

Daniel Abraham - The Tyrant's Law (The Dagger and the Coin book 3)

P. 11 of 497 or so my Kindle tells me. Only read the prologue but damn this dude really does get better with every book. He's a protege of George R.R. Martin and this is his current fantasy series. The first one was good, the second was great; I'm really caught up in the universe and it's characters.

[Denmark]

A Clash of Kings (book 2 in the A Song of Ice and Fire series)
George R. R. Martin

This book is going way more slowly for me than the first one did. Could just be me being busy with other stuff and not setting aside time to read. Who knows. Ideally, I'll have all five books read before the next season of the show starts up, but we'll see about that.

[Shorty]

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
JK Rowling
50%-ish
* I am reading this in a formatted copy online, so I am not sure exactly how far in I am. Looks to be about 50%. When reading the series before, I didn't get past the beginning of this book and am trying to remedy that.

Cloud Atlas
David Mitchell
32%
* I am just loving the links between the different stories here. It's unlike anything I've ever read before.

How to Talk to Girls At Parties
Neil Gaiman
21%
* This is a cute little short story I've been weaving through when I get bored with my other books. I bought it because it was on pre-sale for like a dollar and it has yet to disappoint.

Neverwhere
Neil Gaiman
39%
* I am very bad and have been reading this book for an awful long time and have yet to finish it. I love it so much but I also don't want to read more, kindof, because I don't want it to end. :( It is at the bottom of my list to finish right now, below Harry Potter, Cloud Atlas and Gone Girl, which I have yet to start.

[Slothy]

The only thing I've been reading lately is a Warmachine rulebook. Maybe I should fix that.

[Jinx]

Cold Mountain
Charles Frazier
Page 0 of 356

I've never seen the movie, but I've always really wanted to. This book's been sitting on my To Read shelf for awhile, and it was one of the few books the library had that I'm in the mood for. I'm really looking forward to reading it.

Final thoughts on Girl, Interrupted:

Some of the prose was really lovely, but the writing was really disjointed and started to get dull towards the end. I'm not really sure what the author was trying to say. I still love the movie, though.

[I Took the Red Pill]

Ready Player One

meh. It started out really strong, and seemed like a nerd's perfect book. I'm a little over halfway through though and I'm finding it hard to keep going. It's devolved into the formulaic "underdog struggles against the forces of evil and tries to win the girl" thing, except with some references to video games and 80's culture. I'll probably finish it...maybe it will break out of this lame stretch it's in.

Stories of Your Life and Others

Hard sci-fi short stories. I've only read a few, but excellent so far.

[The Man]

Going Postal for like the fifth time. This is pretty close to a perfect book (and fourth to Small Gods, Night Watch, and Guards! Guards! in the Overall Pantheon of Discworld Books I've Read (which is most of them)).

[Madame Adequate]

The Secret State is about how Britain conducted intelligence operations during the Cold War as well as our preparations for continuity of government if the balloon went up.

The Thirty Years' War: Europe's Tragedy is a massive and dense book with a very descriptive title.

Both are serious affairs and I'd like something lighter to fill in the gaps but eh :p

[Del Murder]

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. It's very interesting. I love that there was this sci-fi renaissance of sorts in the 1970s.

[Shorty]

That's on my to-read list! Let me know how it is.

[The Man]

What does Brave New World have to do with the 1970s?

[Del Murder]

For some reason I thought it was published then. It was probably just my copy. Whoops! Ford knows I won't make a mistake like that again!

[Denmark]

That's on my to-read list! Let me know how it is.

how in the balls have you not read brave new world yet

it's great. i should read it again.

[Pant Leg Eater from the Bad World]

The Old Man And The Sea
Ernest Hemingway
Page 24 of 147

I started reading a couple nights ago. I didn't get very far because I had to force myself to go to sleep. Very interesting so far, especially the relationship between the old man and the boy. It isn't the kind of relationship you see anymore between people.

[Spuuky]

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. It's very interesting. I love that there was this sci-fi renaissance of sorts in the 1970s.I was actually reasonably disappointed with it. I love dystopian novels more than any others, but I found that one a bit lacking. Maybe it just wasn't long enough to satisfy my needs.

[Jinx]

I'm actually reading Gone Girl now, because I read a few pages of Cold Mountain and couldn't get into it. I'm sure I'll really love it later, but sometimes I need to come back to a book later, because it's not the right time for it yet.

[Miriel]

I recently finished:

The Ocean at the End of the Lane - Neil Gaimen

I seriously can't understand why I don't like Neil Gaiman more. People have such a hard on for him and he seems exactly like the kind of author I should love, but I've never really loved any of his books. They're always just "ok". This book was no exception, and it felt like the same ol' thing he always writes. It was alright.


The Round House - Louise Erdric

Beautifully written, couldn't really get invested in any of the characters though. And rather long winded.

Where'd You Go, Bernadette - Maria Semple

Such a fun quick read! It's zippy, you just zip right through. Great summer read. Funny too.

The Interestings - Meg Wolitzer

Loved this one. Loved, so much. The last quarter of the book was pretty weak, but there were so many moments where I thought, "I need to bookmark this" or "I need to remember this section". It was melancholy and so insightful and true and ordinary.


Going back further (but still in 2013) I read:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v516/hannahgoesrawr/books_zps3fb5b9a7.jpg

Ranked somewhat in order of how much I liked the book (from top to bottom).

[Calliope]

Staggered and clawed my way through the final pages of Cloud Atlas. I found the narrative structure and idea was extremely interesting, but I just didn't find the writing compelling at all, with the exception of the Sixsmith/Frobisher arc.

[Araciel]

...except with some references to video games and 80's culture.

SOME? It's like the book is an encyclopedia of references with a story tacked on.

Also, Patrick Rothfuss - The Wise Man's Fear (page 300 of like 700)
If you have yet to read Rothfuss' Kingkiller Chronicle, do it - then you can join me and probably millions once I'm done this book in waiting for the third part of his trilogy.

[Calliope]

47498

I finished this this morning, having read most of it yesterday. It's no surprise that I would want to read this book, because it's about a grad student who makes a living as a birdwatcher/research assistant while his best mate trains to be a librarian. It's also set in Indiana, which is also a nice tie-in for me as a Vonnegut fan. Snapper is a lovely series of vignettes that charts the migratory patterns of songbirds and the flight patterns of human fancy. Each first sentence is exemplary, and I've taken notes.

[Dr Unne]

47546

This is a dark fantasy series, in the sense of a bunch of flawed people doing flawed things in a realistically crappy world, and the heroes aren't really heroes. It follows a military unit as they travel around. The setting is swords and magic but it's got a down-to-earth style. It's what I imagine it'd be like to actually be in a medieval-era army (i.e. disease, bad teeth, and mostly everyone dies).

It's told in first person, and in some books there are different narrators, which is always interesting, because some of the authors are unreliable.

[Spuuky]

Is it actually a realistic portrayal? How much brutal rape is in the book?

[Dr Unne]

Raping and pillaging is heavily implied at a lot of points, but the narrator also admits to whitewashing his own narrative, so it's not 100% clear. It's called the Black Company for a reason though. The army the book follows is generally feared/hated by every town they visit. The book doesn't go into a lot of graphic detail describing the battle scenes or aftermath. It's more about camp life and intrigue.

[Bolivar]

I've heard very good things but I feel like I want to read the white company first since i believe it's a one off and it would be good to get the historical background of medieval mercenary companies.

And people say they don't have time for their gaming back-logs. ..

[Calliope]

47578

I read this yesterday, as it is the debut novel from the writer of the very good literary blog The Rejectionist (http://www.therejectionist.com/). A few pages in, it dawned on me that I was actually reading a teen novel, but I thought what the hell and kept going. I don't think I'll be picking up any more teen literature anytime soon, because I can't stand how over the top and full of hyperbole every other sentence is. Teen girls, one of which is modelled after Frances Bean Cobain! Drugs and partying! Being so much cooler than everyone else! Woooooooo! Snide references to Nirvana and Starbucks and Pike Place Market, yeah!

Having said that, this book seems to have reasonable reviews, so if you're a reader of teen fiction or fantasy then it might be your kinda thing. I'm not sure what I'm going to read next, but I have my book stack ready!

[The Summoner of Leviathan]

Critique of Pure Reason by Immanuel Kant.

Shoot me now. This is for my class this afternoon (on the Preface and Introduction). I have to do a little write up too but not yet done it...:x

As for casual reading, I just finished re-reading the Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks. While I enjoyed it, I really took to heart some of the comments a friend made about his female characters. His treatment of women isn't that great, actually kind of sexist. Most of the female characters go through character development just to be a romantic interest to someone else (a man). There are a few exceptions, but not enough to redeem it in that sense. And he has this weird hard-on for Japanese influence. There are two different cultures that seem to be heavily based on Japanese language and culture. It is kinda weird. The series is enjoyable, but just don't think too deeply about it.

[Jinx]

I'm currently reading The God Delusion. I'm not enjoying it nearly as much as I hoped. Richard Dawkins is so far up his own ass, that anything good he might be saying is just ruined for me by his narcissism.

[Pike]

So this is basically the GoodReads thread? :shifty:

I very rarely read anymore. It's terrible of me because I do so much writing and I'm supposed to do reading too but I just prefer games over books, so sue me. I have been reading this nifty book called "All The Countries We've Ever Invaded" about British imperialism though. I, uh... have been reading it for like the past seven months :shobon: I'll finish it eventually!

[Night Fury]

I'm almost at the end of the 2nd in the Call the Midwife series (Farewell to the East End). I love them, they're such easy reading, but at times just so upsetting. Worth a read if you enjoy period-drama.

I just happened to finish the book 'Room' too, which again was quite hard hitting but interesting and well written.

Next on my list after I finish this one is...... *consults the Kindle* Jane Austen's Emma

[Shaibana]

A Game of Thrones..
the first book.
i am a very slow reader, ill read one chapter and forget about it for a week, but now i am making some faster progress. im a tiny bit over the half now

[Calliope]

I was thinking of posting this in the memoir thread, but as I have the last post there, I'll post it here instead.

http://covers.booktopia.com.au/big/9781844081820/the-glass-castle.jpg

I just finished reading The Glass Castle, and I'd like to know more about what other people think of it. I had pretty high expectations as it is a book that seems to be extremely popular, and more importantly, almost everyone in both memoir classes I took gave it rave reviews.

But for me, it fell flat. There are some great things about it: I think this memoir probably has the cleverest opening chapter of any I've read, it has great recurring imagery, and it does the enviable job of racing through a vast amount of material in under three hundred pages.

However, the prose was just...basic. It wasn't lyrical, and the narrator was so emotionally detached that I found it difficult to care at all what happened to any of the characters. I found myself getting bored, with the exception of when Jeanette saved up to go to New York (the second time). I usually appreciate a level-headed, balanced memoir, but this just had no emotional depth at all. This book was definitely clever, but I didn't find it engaging or beautiful. Sigh.

[Miriel]

I thought it was great. Not in a great literature sense but I thought it was a fascinating story and I enjoyed reading it.



I'm almost at the end of the 2nd in the Call the Midwife series (Farewell to the East End). I love them, they're such easy reading, but at times just so upsetting. Worth a read if you enjoy period-drama.

This is next on my list of things to read! I watched a few episodes of the show that's based off the books and didn't love it and heard the books are much better.

[Night Fury]

Ahhh Miriel! I highly recommend them! At times they're very upsetting, and sometimes I found myself having to put the book down because the detail can be quite graphic. But it's not done just for the sake of it, I found it such an informative and emotional series! It's not the best written in terms of amazing range of language, but oh my god it's just so hard to put down and leaves an impression!

Right now I'm reading Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella, because I just wanted some light reading. I am finding it so disturbing how much I am like the protagonist though, it's scary actually...

[Bolivar]

Just finished The Tyrant's Law, very good prose, but it suffered from middle book syndrome in that it didn't have its own climax to make the story stand out in the series.

I'm wondering what to read next, I have the next Witcher translation, the next Accursed Kings comes out soon, and I'd like to start the Kingkiller Chronicle but I feel I've been in series waiting to be finished/translated for too long and would like something complete. I'm thinking either Bakker's Prince of Nothing of Abercrombie's First Law.

[The Man]

Bakker's Prince of Nothing or Abercrombie's First LawKeep in mind that, while both of these trilogies are complete, they are also both parts of larger series that are, as far as I know, ongoing. The First Law is pretty much self-contained (and the three novels he's written since are also apparently self-contained, although I haven't read them) but I haven't read enough of Bakker to know how self-contained his works are. It is worth noting, however, that Bakker initially planned the trilogy to be part of a larger series (which was initially supposed to be a trilogy and two duologies but has expanded to two trilogies and a duology, and possibly the third series will also become a trilogy).

Abercrombie signed a contract with Gollancz in 2011 for four more novels set in the First Law world. I think two of them have been written, but maybe just one. I'm not really sure. At least he writes quickly, unlike certain other authors I could name. *cough* Martin *cough* Lynch *cough* Rothfuss *cough* Still not as quickly as Sanderson though.

As for me, I'm still on a Discworld binge. I also downloaded a bunch of other novels to take with me on my forthcoming vacation.

[Lonely Paper Star]

My friend recently lended me the rest of the Harry Potter books (already read the first two), so I started on Prisoner of Azkaban and am about 1/3 through it.

I'm also in the middle of Chainfire by Terry Goodkind (more of a chore to get through it, but oh well), and the Dunk and Egg stories by George R.R. Martin.

[escobert]

I am currently reading Death by Black Hole and Other Cosmic Quandaries by Niel Degrassi Tyson

[noxious.sunshine]

I'm reading Winterling by Sarah Prineas

I randomly found it in the digital library .. It's pretty good so far! Kind of "Chronicles of Narnia"-ish.

[Miriel]

Right now I'm reading Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella, because I just wanted some light reading. I am finding it so disturbing how much I am like the protagonist though, it's scary actually...

The Confessions of a Shopaholic are my guilty pleasure books! I love them! I've seriously read them all. :) It starts getting really crappy towards the end of the series but the first few are great!


My friend recently lended me the rest of the Harry Potter books (already read the first two), so I started on Prisoner of Azkaban and am about 1/3 through it.


Awww, that's so exciting! I wish I could be reading them again for the first time. Siiiigh.

[Lonely Paper Star]

I wish I had gotten into the books earlier. I was so stubborn about Harry Potter's massive popularity when Rowling was still writing them, so I brushed them off. But I'm surprised now at how wonderful and whimsical they are; I wish I had her imagination. ;A;

[Bolivar]

I started The Darkness that comes Before by Bakker. I'm almost done with chapter 2, but so far it's been full of some pretty wild trout.

It reminds me alot of the first time reading Dune. Very similar to Herbert's writing where these characters have their own world views and philosophic backgrounds. They're very introspective and make all kinds of detailed observations and critiques on human nature, which the reader can apply to her own experiences in different ways. I wonder if the world building is overboard, sometimes he's hitting you with 3-4 unfamiliar names/locations at a time but what he's setting up is pretty fascinating so far. I also like how he's not afraid to throw readers into the deep end with some pretty dark and heavy things happening right of the bat. I've seen this recommended more than almost any other modern fantasy series and so far it has delivered.

[Pant Leg Eater from the Bad World]

47546

This is a dark fantasy series, in the sense of a bunch of flawed people doing flawed things in a realistically crappy world, and the heroes aren't really heroes. It follows a military unit as they travel around. The setting is swords and magic but it's got a down-to-earth style. It's what I imagine it'd be like to actually be in a medieval-era army (i.e. disease, bad teeth, and mostly everyone dies).

It's told in first person, and in some books there are different narrators, which is always interesting, because some of the authors are unreliable.

I am reading this too! I got to the third book in it. I need to figure out where it is and finish it.

I also am reading Insurgent by Veronica Roth. It is the second in in her Divergent series. A cute girl at a book store told me I should read it. She said it was better than Hunger Games, which I didn't get to read because my wife told me the whole plot as she read them.
It is pretty good though.

[Jinx]

I read Divergent, but I only read about 10 pages of Insurgent before I moved on to something else. I thought Divergent was great, though, even though Tris is sort of unbearable. Why can't YA Fiction have actually likeable female protagonists?

[Pant Leg Eater from the Bad World]

Because YA teenage girls are stupid. Duh. This is why I really don't read YA fiction very often. Too much drama and childishness. It is kinda accurate though, I suppose.

[CimminyCricket]

Picked up a lot of Glenn Cook's books a few years ago, but I haven't managed to finish any of them. I like that I'm not reading about the best fighters/mages/demons etc. It's cool to read about the common, everyday warrior's life.

[I Took the Red Pill]

Dog Soldiers by Robert Stone. I dig the style and it reminds me of my own personal debauchery in Saigon.

[Lonely Paper Star]

I finished Prisoner of Azkaban yesterday, then started on Goblet of Fire. I'm just a few pages in, though.

Also on the last Dunk and Egg story (out of three).

[Shorty]

I'm so glad I'm not the only one who hasn't completed the HP series!

[Jess]

Game of Thrones, book three, part 1.

[Night Fury]

Just finished the two Shopaholic books and have started on The Help. Love how it is written, enjoying it so far!

[Jiro]

I am reading a draft copy of The White Lance for class. Not bad.

[Pike]

I am reading this great book about the Confederate States of America and this raiding boat that sailed around the world trolling other ships and it's freaking fantastic so far. It's called "Sea of Gray" and I love it.

[Calliope]

Last week I read:

47881

As far as I can tell, the reason she is like that is because she's a narcissist. This is a book I'd come across often, admiring the title each time. It was the best thing about this bland piece of self-importance.

47882

This is the first thing I have read by J-Diddy, but not the last. Not as crushing as I had braced myself for, but in the aftermath of easing back into her "normal" life, I felt the pieces of emotion and confusion seep through. Compelling.

47883

I am proud to say that I was the very first person at my library to read this book, having put it on hold months in advance. By now her themes are familiar - The East Coast of the states vs. India, the navigation of immigration and generational ties, secrets, bonds. Strong delicate, inspirational prose. I am going to attempt to see Ms Lahiri at a reading next week, for which no tickets are to be issued. It is a chance worth taking.

I'm in the middle of reading Haruki Murakami's memoir, which is doing an excellent job of reminding me what a lazy, useless human piece of waste I am. I will hold off because I am about to collect another book on hold, which is in high demand resulting in a reduced loan period. Will report more later.

[Pike]

I am reading this great book about the Confederate States of America and this raiding boat that sailed around the world trolling other ships and it's freaking fantastic so far. It's called "Sea of Gray" and I love it.

I finished reading this in like a week which is really fast for me because it usually takes me like six months to read one book but this was really good, I was super impressed.

I'm reading one about Lewis and Clark now!

[Bolivar]

I finished The Prince of Nothing. It certainly lives up to the hype. The last two books weren't as stunning as the first one for me, if only because of the iteration that went into them. The author had 20 years to perfect his debut, but had to continue after that with all the pressures of someone who writes for a living. Regardless, the world-building certainly approaches Tolkien levels and the philosophy/psychology focus absolutely lives up to the Frank Herbert legacy. All in all, it did a great job bringing The Lord of the Rings and Dune, the two juggernaut pioneers of their respective commercial genres, together in a masterful way. The controversy surrounding the female characters was indeed pretty disturbing, and I can't say Bakker doesn't deserve the criticisms he gets from feminist circles, but I do appreciate that he at least gets people thinking and talking about these issues.

I just cracked open The Time of Contempt, the second full novel in The Witcher series that inspired the CD Projekt RPGs. I've heard European readers lament the English translations, but overall it's a joy to be back in the setting, while Sapkowski's scenes and style are appreciably distinct.

[Shorty]

I just received my copy of Rant by Chuck Palahniuk that I ordered :jess: Slowly making my way through the Palahniuk bibliography. This will be the sixth book of his I've read once I'm done with it.

Readers criticize Palahniuk because apparently his twists are easy to see after a few of his books are read enough to pick up his style of writing, but I always find myself surprised. The only one I couldn't find it in myself to move forward on was Lullaby because the concept seemed so hokey to me, but I think I'll give it another shot at another time. I found a list online that rated Rant as his #2 writing, second to Haunted (which was my other choice of purchasing a book, but I went with this one instead) which surprised me because so many readers all typically list Fight Club first, Invisible Monsters second, with Choke and Survivor battling for third and fourth place and then probably Diary fifth. It was nice to see a change of pace in ranking his novels.

Pretty excited! I've been finding myself wanting to read Survivor again lately, too, so I'll probably pick that up by the end of the year.

[Araciel]

Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson - Not really feelin' it yet.

Re-reading A Game of Thrones as I re-watch season one - read a few chapters, watch an episode. It's quite fun :D

[Quindiana Jones]

Just finished Conqueror by Conn Iggulden. I hope to go through more of his work someday. Have moved onto Tiger! Tiger! by Alfred Bester for probably the fiftieth time in my life. xD

I'm quite limited in choice here, but I did find a copy of 1984 and Animal Farm published in both Chinese and English. 1984 has each page split directly down the middle, with each language taking up half the page, and Animal Farm has each chapter alternating between the two. It's funny.

[noxious.sunshine]

Just finished the two Shopaholic books and have started on The Help. Love how it is written, enjoying it so far!

eeeee!! I love the Shopaholic books! Although past a certain one, it kinda goes downhill, IMO. And I'm not a big fan of any of the other books Sophia Kinsella has written under any of her other aliases.

[Calliope]

48200

I finished reading this a couple of weeks ago. I really raced through it, which I don't normally do with books. I enjoyed it (although there are parts that are problematic) and think a lot of eoffers would too. Sarah, I'm currently reading the latest Palahniuk!

This month has been so busy that I've only read a few books. My goal for the next couple of months is to not read any library books and only read stuff from my own library, which is going to take immense willpower given I'm always finding interesting looking library books. I just took some of my cast-offs to my closest second-hand bookstore and got $80 in trade for them, but our one bookshelf is still really cramped. A quick count reveals I have about 225 books, which isn't so many but quite a bit for someone with one bookshelf who insists they'll never live in a space bigger than a two-bedroom apartment!

[chionos]

The Girl Who Played with Fire
I should have read the series a long time ago, but kept putting it off. I've been told the first book is infinitely better than the sequels but so far I'm really liking how the second book is developing.

The Essential Neruda: selected poems (bilingual)
Very simply, Pablo Neruda was a genius.

And there are other memories, still looking for
something to bite,
like fierce, unsatisfied teeth.
They gnaw us to the last bone, devouring
the long silence of all that lies behind us.

In between TGwtDT and TGWPwF, I read Elric of Melnibone, which I'm still iffy about. Going to read the rest of the series, but I really wonder how much better the books would be in the original French. I think the translation makes the writing somewhat stilted.

[Shorty]

48200

I finished reading this a couple of weeks ago. I really raced through it, which I don't normally do with books. I enjoyed it (although there are parts that are problematic) and think a lot of eoffers would too. Sarah, I'm currently reading the latest Palahniuk!

Ooooh, which one! Is it Doomed?

[Calliope]

Yeah, although I haven't read Damned. I don't think it makes much of a difference though.

[Shaibana]

still readin the first Game Of Thrones book. Jon has just killed the walker with Ghost.

i am a very slow reader it seems.. i started reading about half a year ago. i easely 'forget' the book

[Depression Moon]

I had got through reading Parable of the Sower like a week ago. The ending was sort of disappointing; it didn't leave me satisfied. Right now I'm reading Vampire Lesbians of Sodom. I'm not sure if the intention of the book is supposed to be funny, but it sure as hell comes across so with its flowery dialogue.

[Shorty]

I'm halfway into Rant and my mind is being blown. No evident twists of stories as per his usual themes have emerged, but these things usually surface near the end. Maybe there won't be one at all! What has emerged are some very unusual developments that have not been mentioned at all earlier in the book and I have a feeling the story is about to get much more interesting. Many of the characters' relationships with Rant are explained at the beginning of the book because many of them are people he grew up with, knew as a kid or were family. The relationships of the remaining narrators - who I can only assume were his friends - are just now being explained and it's intriguing, to say the least about it.

I've read a lot of criticism about how this book is confusing. It's a collective narrations about a dead man, sortof like a memoir, I guess, but it's obviously all very fictional. In reviews, I've read that some people found it difficult to follow all the different narrations and characters presented. Another theme of Palahniuk's is jumping the story and setting all over the goddamn place, which I understand can create a feeling of confusion. Once you understand the story's structure and pacing, though, it becomes easier to follow. I also find that the jumping around makes me anticipate happenings more and makes me more excited for what comes next. It might be a cheap trick, but it works on me.

I have read similar criticisms of Rant about his book Haunted, which I picked up last night. A friend of mine recommended this to me earlier this year and I kindof rolled my eyes at it because saying her taste is less-than-stellar would a compliment to her. Now I feel bad for the eye-rolling because if Haunted is in any way, shape or form like Rant, I think I will greatly enjoy it.

I keep acquiring new books and don't read the ones I already have ;_________;

[Miriel]

I re-read the entire Harry Potter series.

I also read three books while on vacation:

http://i44.:bou::bou::bou::bou::bou::bou::bou::bou::bou::bou::bou::bou:/20ro47q.jpg

I loved And the Mountains Echoed. I feel like it went straight to my heart. The Golem & the Jinni was enchanting and lovely, but fell apart a bit toward the end. But still a great read. And Eleanor & Park made me roll my eyes for the first few chapters, but then it was like, awww. It was cute.

[Jinx]

I want to read all three of those books, Miriel! Especially The Golem and the Jinn. Sad to hear that it falls apart, though. :( The plot synopsis sounds awesome.

48314

I've seen the movie so many times. My mom has read this book in the past and loved it. I always meant to get around to read it, but I don't know how much I would've liked it before now. I'm not so keen on how much it jumps around. I want more Idgie and Ruth. I don't really care as much about Ninnie and Evelyn, they're the frame, not the main story! I do find the bulletin clips kind of humorous, though. Oh, what was considered news in a small town in the 1930s.

[Spooniest]

I'm currently reading a definite hostile atmosphere

The books are all the same

I can't focus on the words anymore, It's like all the endings have been spoiled

But writing?

Yeah, I'd be up for that

Don't worry, I know how to make my bosses look good :D

[Shorty]

Blech, Rant ended horribly. It ended up being a mix of Fight Club, Diary (a past novel of Palahniuk's) and Back to the Future. Unforgivable. 5/10.

I picked up The Night Circus some time ago, but got distracted and put it down. For what reason, I don't know, but I've picked it back up again. Reading this book makes me excited and makes me feel the way I remember I did when I first read the Harry Potter books as a kid. It's hard to think that Erin Morgenstern has only written one book, when she seems to write so well. Her talent in painting mental pictures and transporting you to what exactly is going on with fine details is amazing.


http://alexandrasscribblings.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/the-night-circus-by-erin-morgenstern.jpg

[Jinx]

I read that at the beginning of the summer and I LOVED it. She paints a picture so vividly. I want to go to Le Cirque des Reves. I wasn't that impressed with the climax of the book, but it was very very good. :)

[Rantz]

Sounds cool. I'll have to give that a read at some point!

Currently reading Kite Runner. I'm not very far into it yet, but I'm liking it.

[I Took the Red Pill]

A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge. First of his work I've read and I'm pretty blown away. Here's to hoping it can maintain the same level of quality throughout.

[CristobalTakemoto]

If tomorrow comes is what i am reading at the moment. That is really an awesome book i guess.

[Miriel]

I liked the Night Circus a lot, although I do think I was let down a bit by the hype. I can't remember another book in recent years getting so much pre-release attention.

I have nothing to read right now and it makes me sad. :(

[Jinx]

Go to the library, lady!

[Madame Adequate]

A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge. First of his work I've read and I'm pretty blown away. Here's to hoping it can maintain the same level of quality throughout.

I won't say it won't happen, but I'd be surprised if Vinge disappoints.

I'm currently reading Kim Stanley Robinson's 2312, which is as amazing as his work ever is. Not too many sci-fi writers have such a skill at describing not only what some crazy future thing is, but why it matters to the characters and how it feels to see or use it or whatever.

[Shlup]

Right now I'm reading Gokusen, a manga about a lady Yakuza who teaches a bunch of shitty high schoolers.

48438

[Shorty]

Finished The Night Circus! I really, truly enjoyed it. A 9/10 for me, if only because the love story was all the predictable from the beginning and the climax of it didn't impact me as much as I hoped it would. I still enjoyed it, though.


I found myself wanting to cry when Bailey was lighting the bonfire. I really liked that they intruded characters, like him and Poppet and Widget, well into the story. I thought he it ended perfectly with Widget and Alexander sitting and chatting over a glass of wine, talking about the importance of stories. Really, I could not have thought of a better ending. Slightly tapering off from the "climax" and not ending too long after.

I sat down and read over 300 pages of this today because it sucked me in so deeply. I would like to read more from Erin Morgenstern.

I planned on reading Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell next, but I think I should take a break from magicians so as to appreciate them more. So it's on to A Song of Ice and Fire for me!

[Jinx]

OH HOLY HELL IT IS ABOUT GODDAMN TIME ;)

I know that you like to read more than one book at a time, and I think ASoIaF is actually a good series to do that with. They're great books, but they become a chore if you read them all in one go. I'm not a huge fan of reading more than one book at a time, but if I was going to re-read the series (and I'm sure I will before Winds of Winter comes out...whenever that will be...) I'd probably read more than one book at a time.

[Shorty]

I think I will probably alternate them out with different books to focus on, yeah. I find that when I marathon tv shows, I don't think I appreciate then very much, and taking time to step away from a story (or continuing story) is a great way to see things you didn't see before or start from another perspective.

[Pike]

I started reading this book called "Year Zero" which is a sort of comedy/parody book about music and aliens.

It kind of feels like the jokes are trying too hard but then someone quoted Galaxy Quest and I laughed my head off.

[The Summoner of Leviathan]

Rereading American Gods by Neil Gaiman. Otherwise, I am reading a bunch of philosophical stuff (currently Being and Time by Martin Heidegger, and some "Ethics as First Philosophy" by Emmanuel Levinas, though technically I am reading and writing).

[Shorty]

I recently acquired American Gods! We'll have to chat about it once I get to it :love:

[The Summoner of Leviathan]

Yes! It is one of my favourite Gaiman works! Not that I read a lot of him, just really enjoyed this one! :D

(Good Omens cowritten with Terry Pratchett is hilariously good too).

[Shorty]

I hope to read Good Omens as well!

[noxious.sunshine]

I need more books to read..

[Jinx]

I need more books to read..

Libraries.

I'm currently reading Insurgent by Veronica Roth. I really enjoyed Divergent a lot, but I'm not sure how much I'll love this book. I would've put this one on my shelf for a little while longer, but my hold for Allegiant is almost arrived at the library, so I'm knocking it out.

I really, really enjoyed Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe. It took some getting into, but I ended up enjoying it quite a bit. I didn't LOVE it, but I really liked it. I'd probably read it again sometime down the line. I loved that even though the book was set in the 1930s, Flagg portrayed a lesbian relationship in such normalcy and with so much acceptance from their community. Especially considering they were in Alabama!

[Pike]

It's hard to think that Erin Morgenstern has only written one book, when she seems to write so well. Her talent in painting mental pictures and transporting you to what exactly is going on with fine details is amazing.


http://alexandrasscribblings.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/the-night-circus-by-erin-morgenstern.jpg

This was a NaNoWriMo book. True story (http://mentalfloss.com/article/53481/14-published-novels-written-during-nanowrimo).

[Jinx]

Was it? Nice! The only other book (as far as I know) that I've read that was a NaNoWriMo book was Water for Elephants, and it wasn't very good.

[Shorty]

Some good shit!

[noxious.sunshine]

Water for Elephants was good!

The movie sucked.

[Jinx]

It would've been better if Marlena had've actually had some characterization other than she was super pretty and super sweet and wasn't bad in any way whatsoever.

And since the whole damn book is about Jacob being in love with her, it's boring as shit.

[Spooniest]

I recently read Robinson Crusoe...

A lot of it was terribly dry, telling the dimensions of the shit he was building, and the rest was very proseletyzing...

But it was cool when he had to shoot the cats cuz they wouldn't stop eating his fucking corn

[Electroshock Therapy]

The Lord of the Rings

This is the first time I've gotten past The Fellowship of the Ring. I'm about to start the second half of The Return of the King. It's a very slow book that requires a lot of patience. That's why I've started the book many times but never finished it. I'm going to this time. My, it's been slow going though. I started the book several months ago. I am enjoying it though, but it might be the only time I read the books.

[Elskidor]

I'm actually reading the Hobbit with the wifey. It's a much faster read, lol, and something to do while eagerly waiting for the Desolation of Smaug. LoTR is very slow, but he's such a wizard with words, it's a beautifully written tale.

[Jinx]

48586

This is my current read. Only a few chapters in. I'm assuming the Hempstock ladies are clairvoyant.

Anyone who follows me on Goodreads probably knows I've been reading a TON lately. In the last week I've read:

Insurgent, by Vernoica Roth
The Patron Saint of Butterflies, by Cecelia Galante
Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison, by Piper Kerman
Hysteria, by Eva Gale
Before I Fall, by Lauren Oliver
Allegiant, by Veronica Roth
Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape, by Jenna Miscavige Hill

[Spooniest]

I don't know why, but I currently don't have the focus necessary to read for a long period of time...maybe I could try rereading the Hunger Games or something.

[Jinx]

I'm currently reading The Golem and the Jinni. It's not too bad so far. I'm about halfway done.

I just finished The House of Hades. I also finished The Ocean at the End of the Lane.

[noxious.sunshine]

My sister bought me the first book in that "Beautiful Creatures" series (title being that < ).. I barely remember what happened, nor do I know where it is now, but I downloaded the 2nd book, "Beautiful Darkness".. Will start reading it maybe today.

[Minami]

I'm currently reading the House of Night series by PC and Kristin Cast. It's not the best series in the world but i am enjoying it and i like to read easy books when i'm at work as i get disturbed a lot by customers haha

[Jinx]

I'm currently reading the House of Night series by PC and Kristin Cast. It's not the best series in the world but i am enjoying it and i like to read easy books when i'm at work as i get disturbed a lot by customers haha

Oh my gosh, I'm about to re-read this series! I think I've read to the fifth or sixth book.

[Minami]

I'm currently reading the House of Night series by PC and Kristin Cast. It's not the best series in the world but i am enjoying it and i like to read easy books when i'm at work as i get disturbed a lot by customers haha

Oh my gosh, I'm about to re-read this series! I think I've read to the fifth or sixth book.

I'm currently on the 4th. Have the first seven dled from somewhere a couple of years ago but will probably buy the rest when the time comes

[Black Magic Shopkeeper]

I keep having to remind myself to start reading Dragonsong. I've just been so busy with other things I can't keep my eyes glued to it long enough.
I just haven't read anything in months and it's making me feel horrible.

[Bolivar]

I just finished The Strangled Queen, Book 2 in the Accursed Kings, a historical fiction series about the fall of the French Capetian dynasty, opening with the extermination of the Templars. It was a good followup to the first, overall very intense.

Thinking about whether I should start The Firsy Law trilogy or Malazan Book of the Fallen.

[Shaibana]

i just got all the other Game of Thrones books :3 i'd reckon that at this pace.. its going to take me 4 years to finish them all :l

[Raine]

Right now I'm reading a book about Swiss history in the 15th century. It's not yet translated to English so I can't tell you a title :/

But the last book I finished, actually a shortstory, was by Haruki Murakami about a sleepless woman. The publisher combined it with illustrations, which were pretty dark but accompanied the story nicely.

[Miriel]

I just finished The Husband's Secret (http://www.amazon.com/The-Husbands-Secret-Liane-Moriarty/dp/0399159347) by Liane Moriarty. And despite the hokey title, I thought it was tremendously good. One of the most satisfying reading experiences I've had in awhile. I'm usually always a little disappointed by endings. It's almost always easier to have a fantastic beginning or premise than it is for something to have a really solid and cohesive ending. But the epilogue of this book was one of its shining moments. Really great all around.

[Jinx]

I'm currently about halfway through The House of Night series. God, these books are so bad and trashy. xD

The last book I read before I started the series was:

48950

Seriously amazing book. The best book I've read in a really long time--maybe all year! It touched me in so many ways, I definitely recommend it to everyone, and I know I recommended it to a lot of you who are on Goodreads.

[Agent Proto]

Still reading A Dance with Dragons. It's been like... half a year and I'm only just past half through the book. Give me another six months to actually finish!

[Miriel]

Seriously amazing book. The best book I've read in a really long time--maybe all year! It touched me in so many ways, I definitely recommend it to everyone, and I know I recommended it to a lot of you who are on Goodreads.

I started reading it a few days ago but couldn't get into it. Maybe I'll give it another go.

[Jinx]

Ruth's parts are kind of eh. They get better towards the middle/end, but Nao's story is really the heart of the book.

I guess I really identified with her because I was bullied and harassed in school.

[Niale]

I am on a break from reading.
But the last one.
Read "Heidi".

[Tasura]

I just finished In the Dark of the Night by John Saul. I'm debating whether to start a new book next, or go back to one of the many I started reading then forgot about.

[Jinx]

I'm reading Destined, which is the ninth book in the House of Night series. I have two more books in the main series after this, then I'm going to read the two novellas. Then move on to re-read Bridget Jones' Diary now that the new book is out!

[Minami]

I'm reading Destined, which is the ninth book in the House of Night series. I have two more books in the main series after this, then I'm going to read the two novellas. Then move on to re-read Bridget Jones' Diary now that the new book is out!

I'm on the same book :) Not read much the last few days though as i've been too busy at work. I do most my reading when there's no customers. After i've finished the series i'm going to reread Harry Potter for the millionth time

[Jinx]

I'm reading Destined, which is the ninth book in the House of Night series. I have two more books in the main series after this, then I'm going to read the two novellas. Then move on to re-read Bridget Jones' Diary now that the new book is out!

I'm on the same book :) Not read much the last few days though as i've been too busy at work. I do most my reading when there's no customers. After i've finished the series i'm going to reread Harry Potter for the millionth time

Woo! Go us! :D I really, really hate these books. And I really, really love them. It's a good story that's been poorly written. They're utter trash, but I'm addicted. ;-; You should check out this blog, it's hilarious: Blogging House of Night | Blogging Hunted (Book 5) (http://blogginghouseofnight.wordpress.com/)

[Minami]

I'm reading Destined, which is the ninth book in the House of Night series. I have two more books in the main series after this, then I'm going to read the two novellas. Then move on to re-read Bridget Jones' Diary now that the new book is out!

I'm on the same book :) Not read much the last few days though as i've been too busy at work. I do most my reading when there's no customers. After i've finished the series i'm going to reread Harry Potter for the millionth time

Woo! Go us! :D I really, really hate these books. And I really, really love them. It's a good story that's been poorly written. They're utter trash, but I'm addicted. ;-; You should check out this blog, it's hilarious: Blogging House of Night | Blogging Hunted (Book 5) (http://blogginghouseofnight.wordpress.com/)

I'm the same, they are strangely addictive, though i think the first ones were slightly better than these later ones. I'll check out the link, thanks!

[Tasura]

I moved all my eBooks to this computer, so now I can read again, yay~. And the lovely Jinx picked the letter Y for me, so I'm reading Dragon's Blood by Jane Yolen, the first in a 4 book series.

[Tasura]

Finished Dragon's Blood now reading Heart's Blood.

[Tasura]

I guess I read too fast since no one else has posted xD. Finished Heart's Blood on to A Sending of Dragons.

[Shorty]

I've toned down my reading a lot since I've been playing games in my spare time. That and I just forget I have a book ni my purse when I'm at lunch or something, and thus can't make any progress. Still on Game of Thrones! I did pull it out to read during the lit previews at the theater I went to today, though. I'd like to finish it by the first so I can move on to something else.

[Jinx]

I guess I read too fast since no one else has posted xD. Finished Heart's Blood on to A Sending of Dragons.

Not so! More like, if I posted in this thread every time I finished a book, I'd be double posting constantly. xD

I've finished the tenth and eleventh HoN novels. The final books comes out next October. I'm reading the two (out of four) novellas that my library carries, then I'm moving on to The Ghost Bride.

[Parker]

I'm currently reading underworld by delillo and i'm like only 30 pages in. there's a lot of baseball lingo because this particular section of the book is based around the famous "Shot heard around the world" game or whatever. I know next to nothing about baseball aside from "hit ball with bat and run" so I am spending more time on wikipedia looking at what a shortstop is rather than reading the book but it seems pretty good so far.

i am also reading a lot of uni textbooks

[Pant Leg Eater from the Bad World]

I guess I read too fast since no one else has posted xD. Finished Heart's Blood on to A Sending of Dragons.

Ohmygoodness I love those books!

I'm kinda struggling to get through Mostly Harmless. I don't know why, but after the first Hitchhikers book, the rest are kind of a chore to read.

[Lonely Paper Star]

Still trudging through Chainfire by Terry Goodkind. I don't want to give up on the series just yet; I already have two of the three books I have left to read.

My friend recommended that I read Rosario Tijeras by Jorge Franco because she thought I'd like the heroine. She found an English translation for it, and now I'm reading that on my phone. Right now, I'm interested enough in it to continue, but I've yet to get reaaaallly into it.

[Shorty]

I was all ready to sit down and get through a chapter of my book during lunch but then I discovered I'd left it at home this morning! :argh:

[Pumpkin]

I am reading Insurgent, the second book in a three book series. It is good.

[Botchmun]

Horus Rising and Headtaker are two books I'm moving through with a big ol' grin on my face. Whenever I visit a friend of mine I wind up reading Ender's Game while she grooms me or plays assassin's creed 2, and whenever I wanna think about science fiction I read Armour by John Steakley.

whenever I'm exceptionally lonely and in the mood I sometimes read the Anita Blake novels. They're like the nintendo power glove, so bad.... it's good!

[Jinx]

I am reading Insurgent, the second book in a three book series. It is good.

Divergent and Insurgent were soooo good, but Allegiant SUCKS. I hope you like it better than I did!

Finished Dragon's Oath and Neferet's Curse. On to The Ghost Bride! Despite loving the HoN series (although I'm ashamed to admit it...) I'm REALLY glad I can move on to something else now. I've been reading this series for the past 3 weeks.

[Lonely Paper Star]

Divergent and Insurgent were soooo good, but Allegiant SUCKS. I hope you like it better than I did!

I agree that the first two books were much better than the third.

I also recently saw a trailer for the Divergent movie and... it didn't get me hyped. Like, at all. And I didn't like their casting for Tris or Four.

[Jinx]

I thought their casting for Tris was okay (ugh no, for Four) except the fact that Shailene Woodley is goddamn beautiful, and Tris is supposed to be kind of ugly and plain.

So is Four, kind of. He's supposed to be more average than the pretty, ripped boy that they chose.

[Lonely Paper Star]

Hollywood has to be pretty, I guess. I imagined Tris to be blonder, skinnier, and more mousy-looking over all. And I thought Four looks a little too old and too good-looking.

[Pumpkin]

WHAT IS THIS I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THIS WAS A MOVIE.

I hadn't even heard of the books until my mom sent them to me because she said the author's writing style is similar to mine.

Now you guise have me scared to read the third one :stare:

[radicaledward124]

I've got Red Dwarf:better than life to finish, i've started City of Bones and Ender's shadow and Merlin from the Pendragon series. I've also got John Carter books 1-3 going, Clive Barker's Wearworld going too. I'm ADHD I ever make it all the way through a book at once so i bounce around.

[Jinx]

Also, any of you who are on Goodreads who haven't added me need to!

[Minami]

I use it! what's your link?

[Jinx]

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8820352-sam

[Minami]

Sent you a request

[Tasura]

I guess I read too fast since no one else has posted xD. Finished Heart's Blood on to A Sending of Dragons.

Not so! More like, if I posted in this thread every time I finished a book, I'd be double posting constantly. xD

Fair enough xD If I get into a series that has shorter books I probably will only post either after someone else posts, or I'm done a few books.

Speaking of, finished A Sending of Dragons on to the final book in the series Dragon's Heart. And this was a really good series, so thanks for picking the letter Y Jinx, even though your intention was too pick the least used letters =P.

[Jinx]

Alright, I started Ghost Bride, by Yangze Choo and it was a real chore to finish. Did not like. I read two other books while I read Ghost Bride to break up the monotony: Dad is Fat, by Jim Gaffigan and Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (and Other Concerns), by Mindy Kaling. Both were lovely and very fun to read.

Now I'm reading Bridget Jones' Diary and then I'll be reading Bridget Jones' Diary: The Edge of Reason., by Helen Fielding. I have Mad About the Boy on hold at the library, so I'm going to read the whole series in one swoop.

[Madame Adequate]

Just finished Theories of International Politics and Zombies and it was an enjoyable, if somewhat lightweight, little monogram.

Have now started the Newsflesh series by Mira Grant.

[Pike]

how the hell do you people read so much

I'm on chapter four of that book I mentioned in this thread a month and a half ago

(this is an actual question by the way; every year my New Years Resolution is to read at least five books and every year I end up having read like two)

YOU KNOW WHAT? DISREGARD THIS WHINING

I'M GOING TO DO IT THIS YEAR

I'M GOING TO READ... SIX BOOKS IN 2014 (that's a reasonable number right?)

[Jinx]

We're able to read so much because books are our vidya. xD

[Pike]

but you don't understand; Mister Adequate plays just as much vidya if I do (probably more) AND reads more than I do. I don't know how he does it!

Swear to Vehk I'm gonna do it in 2014 though! :hattip:

[Pant Leg Eater from the Bad World]

Six books a year? I don't understand. I cannot comprehend.

I am still struggling through Mostly Harmless. And also Talesien, the first of the Pendragon Cycle. Aaaaaand I picked up five more books at the bookstore today. So, yeah.

[I Took the Red Pill]

Fires: Essays, Poems, and Stories by Raymond Carver. To me, R.C. is the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world of short stories. The essays are what caught my attention here, and they are really great too. Haven't gotten into the poems yet.

Also slowly working through Freedom by Jonathan Franzen. I love Franzen's style more than just about any other modern author, but he's so depressing. He'll write a sentence that will pierce clean through your heart with a razor sharp icicle. It's incredible but also can make one feel some serious weltschmerz. : \

[Tasura]

So, The Pit Dragon Chronicles is amazing and everyone should read it. So with finishing Dragon's Heart I have moved on to the equally amazing Terry Pratchett, I shall start with The Long Earth books (co-written by Stephen Baxter), followed by the Bromeliad trilogy, then the Johnny Maxwell trilogy and finally the large behemoth that is Discworld. :D

[Jinx]

Six books a year? I don't understand. I cannot comprehend.

I am still struggling through Mostly Harmless. And also Talesien, the first of the Pendragon Cycle. Aaaaaand I picked up five more books at the bookstore today. So, yeah.

Bwahaha, I've read 67 books so far this year.

[Shorty]

I don't think anyone should be put down for how many/few books they read in a year. :shobon: It's not a competition - we're all here to engage in literary love!

[Jinx]

I don't think anyone was being put down! I didn't! But I am still proud about how many I've read this year.

[Pant Leg Eater from the Bad World]

I was not intending to put anyone down, and I really hope that wasn't the impression I gave. I was merely surprised because I know Pike writes so much. I just kinda saw the two things coinciding.

I feel like I am in a reading rut right now. I can't seem to push through and actually finish any of the books I am reading.

[Pike]

Yeah I hope my post didn't come off that way - in fact I'm pretty convinced all of you people are better and more devoted than I am, and obviously much more well read. My question was an honest one; I feel that I do not read enough and I want to know how to improve on this front!

[Shorty]

Sorry guys, I know you were teasing but I must have misinterpreted xD

god pikey why don't you arrange your priorities

[Jinx]

I wasn't even teasing. I thought PLEftBW was saying 6 books is a lot to read!

Honestly, Pike, if you really want to read more, I'd say devote more time to it. That's all there is. I mean, I don't even know how much you read every day. But maybe for 45 minutes to an hour before bedtime. It'd dip into your vidya time, but reading seems like a pretty good exchange.

[Shorty]

A Game of Thrones


Sansa is much more likable in literature. It's been difficult watching her on the show because at first she was introduced as a huge brat and since then, it's been difficult for me to like her, although she appears to have brunt of the misfortune stick and I do sympathize with her for that. I guess I haven't been able to grasp much of her character between brattiness and misery from the show, and I have't liked her much. I am liking her much more in being able to read her thoughts.

The Hound is one of my favorites from the show, and he is one of my favorites in the book as well, even with so little of him between the pages so far.

I feel like there was so much of Tyrion on screen during this first season, but with how far I am, I feel like I haven't heard of much of him at all. I am still not far, though, 304/807 ;-; I thought there was much less than that, but I appear to have over five hundred pages left!

I will say that George RR Martin does not strike me as an amazing writer so far. He is able to spill well-crafted stories that are interesting and that I enjoy reading. I do not, however, feel much character behind his writing, and he doesn't write in a way that moves me. It's almost bland, almost as if he's recounting someone else's tales while lacking the proper voice behind them to make them into something more. Were the stories themselves less interesting, I do not think I would want to finish these books. Of course, I am not very far, and this is the first book in the series. Maybe he finds his footing a little better as his writing goes on.

[Jinx]

Believe me, they use Tyrion waaaay more than how he is in the books. First season was okay, but it's gotten to be really obnoxious.

[Shorty]

He's one of the best characters! I really enjoy seeing him on screen. I would be much more motivated to watch him than to watch Theon or Robb's story.

[Jinx]

The issue is that they use him where he shouldn't be used, and cut out times from characters with equally interesting stories that should be getting more coverage. Like how they did that made up scene where Pod gets laid and it spans three fucking episodes and is like, 15 minutes of screen time, and completely unnecessary.

[Shorty]

Sure, I can agree with that.

[Jinx]

That's my only real issue. If they spent adequate time with other characters and had time left over (which they probably wouldn't) and decided to do bits with him, I wouldn't care. Of course, this is a fan gripe. But I just think it's obnoxious to cut somewhat important stuff out to add in jokes! And all with Tyrion!

Still, I'd rather watch him than Dany, so there's that.

[Shorty]

I know you aren't a fan of Danaerys, haha. I am interested in her story to see what happens, but I have to say that I didn't realize she'd be quite so meek and submissive so far. Her character on screen seems to have much more direction and she seems much deeper than she does between pages. She and Sansa are exact opposites to me in that I prefer Danaerys' live action role and Sansa's literary role.

It's hard battling between the books and the show! Especially since the show was my first introduction.

[Jinx]

Dany gets a bit more assertive, but she's really, really stupid. I don't care if she's only 14. If she's gonna call herself a queen and start a war, she better be prepared for some shit.

[Electroshock Therapy]

Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency

I just LOVE Douglas Adams and this book is no exception. Some elements were re-created from two of his Doctor Who scripts, City of Death and the unfinished Shada. I really need to read the second book, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul.

Somewhat off-topic, but I didn't like that the TV show Dirk Gently was canceled after only four episodes. It could have grown to be something brilliant. Sigh.

[Shorty]

I got halfway into Game of Thrones and ordered the next one from the series.

Just over 400 pages in ;-; It goes on forever!

[Jinx]

I'm about 130 pages into Fellowship of the Ring. I'm absolutely loving it.

[Night Fury]

I just read a Sophie Kinsella flick. "Can You Keep a Secret?" It was utter shite, in that it was just the same character from Shopaholic again basically, like, the awkward girl character who just wants a boyfriend by the end of the novel.


I couldn't put it down though. I haven't been up to any hardcore reading for a while. I have another of the Shopaholic series to read which I'm looking forward to, though.

[Calliope]

http://img1.imagesbn.com/p/9780805098570_p0_v1_s260x420.JPG

I just finished reading this. It wasn't as good as Winter Journal, but I think I benefited from reading it. I am, however, pretty sick of reading true stories of well-to-do white people who gallavant around the world, drop in and out of ivy league schools as they feel like it, abandon their kids/cheat on their spouses, and come out the other end with prestigious careers.

[noxious.sunshine]

I just read a Sophie Kinsella flick. "Can You Keep a Secret?" It was utter troute, in that it was just the same character from Shopaholic again basically, like, the awkward girl character who just wants a boyfriend by the end of the novel.


I couldn't put it down though. I haven't been up to any hardcore reading for a while. I have another of the Shopaholic series to read which I'm looking forward to, though.


I love the shopaholic series! The first 3 are the best though, IMHO. I've read other books by Kinsella under her different names- 20's Girl, Remember Me?, and something else about the girl who goes to funerals to meet wealthy guys or something.. I wasn't a big fan of them though.

I'm working through the 2nd book in the Beautiful Creatures series... I figure if I read the 1st one, might as well finish the series.

And I've been breezing through Alyson Noel novels.. They're more teenagery, but they're quick & easy reads and not 1/2 bad. I can finish 1 of her standalone books in about a day. She's probably got around 20 or more total written though- 2 series that span over 6 or so books and then the standalones.

I think there's another book I'm reading as well, but I'm not totally shure.

OH! Dr. Franklin's Island!~ I've read it before, a long time ago.. It's like an updated Island of Dr. Moreau, apparently (which I have -not- read)..

[Ashi]

I love the Sophie Kinsella books also! Even though the stories are always repetitive in my opinion but there is something about her writing that gets me hooked immediately!!

Right now I'm borrowing Agatha Christie's Spider's Web from my mom. Hoping reading in bed helps me sleep though not sure how.

[Calliope]

http://www.mosaicrooms.org/wp-content/uploads/Strangers-in-the-House-by-Raja-Shehadeh001-190x286.jpg

I just finished reading this, which is a good example of a person doing the impressive job of chronicling their life by describing what happened, as opposed to a marvellous writer rendering events in a way that connects with the reader and results in a beautiful piece of work.

I almost threw this book out the window when our hero (whose family "lost everything" under the Palestinian occupation) finishes private school, studies abroad at two expensive schools in London, and then decides to drop everything and stay in India for three months because he decided he likes yoga.

I have not yet decided what to read next but it better involve someone suffering eloquently and facing life consequences, goddammit. Perhaps it will be The Chronology of Water.

[Jess]

I finished A Storm of Swords earlier today. I love this book. I found the first two quite difficult to get stuck into. I don't know why. But this book had me hooked from start to finish.

[Jinx]

Storm of Swords is EXCELLENT.

[Rantz]

Yep, I think most people agree that SoS is the best book in the series. xD

[Bunny]

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson.

As part of one of my New Years resolutions, I have mapped out the twenty books I will read this year. Hopefully I can read more than the twenty, but considering how little I read nowadays, I think it is a good number. Way of Kings is the first, and the largest, of the lot.

[Fynn]

The Witcher: The Last Wish

Reading it in Polish, of course. Fell in love after the first chapter. I'm trying to get into it so that I can someday offer you non-Polish speaking people a translation worth your time, not the abysmal thing you received.

[Jinx]

I'm a third of the way through The Two Towers.

[Heath]

Because I am an old man and I read non-fiction, I'm currently reading John Darwin's Unfinished Empire: The Global Expansion of Britain. It's a history of British colonisation, the Empire, and the spread of British culture throughout the world. It was a Christmas present, but I'd had my eye on it for a while.

It's genuinely fascinating. I'm only about four chapters in, and it's mainly focussing on the formation of colonies and their relationship with Britain itself, but I've already learnt quite a bit. Reading about how people arrived into new lands like the future US and New Zealand is really interesting. As is the environmental impact, where plants and trees were literally burnt to the ground to allow the growth of European plants in New Zealand. A box of matches was considered an essential tool!

[Calliope]

Stupid Colonials ruining everything.

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ligno0UHp91qzao91.jpg

I finished reading this today. During the course of it I put it down, paced around the house, picked it up again, googled everything else Lidia Yuknavitch has written, made myself sad finding out that she is teaching a writing class pretty close to me next month (but the class is full), thought about going out and buying every book by other authors she had mentioned, and wondered how I could browbeat the university she teaches at into accepting me to their MFA programme - so I guess I was impressed. I will be rereading this one at another time for sure. I'm not sure I would call this book beautiful, but I would say it was compelling.

[Pike]

Because I am an old man and I read non-fiction, I'm currently reading John Darwin's Unfinished Empire: The Global Expansion of Britain. It's a history of British colonisation, the Empire, and the spread of British culture throughout the world. It was a Christmas present, but I'd had my eye on it for a while.

It's genuinely fascinating. I'm only about four chapters in, and it's mainly focussing on the formation of colonies and their relationship with Britain itself, but I've already learnt quite a bit. Reading about how people arrived into new lands like the future US and New Zealand is really interesting. As is the environmental impact, where plants and trees were literally burnt to the ground to allow the growth of European plants in New Zealand. A box of matches was considered an essential tool!

This sounds amazing and as a fellow old person who loves historical non-fiction I totally want to read it. Have you read "All The Countries We Ever Invaded (And The Few We Never Got Round To)"? It actually goes through every single country in the world and talks about Britain's involvement therein. It's a pretty fascinating read. :)

Anyways the book I'm reading just surreptitiously stuck the phrase "the cake is a lie" into a sentence. :greenie:

[Calliope]

This weekend I read Augusten Burroughs' Possible Side Effects, and Andrew X. Pham's Catfish & Mandala, meaning the last five books I've read have been memoir. I'm not sure what to read next - tossing up between Eve Ensler, J.M. Coetzee, Raymond Carver, A.S. Byatt or Douglas Coupland.

[Pike]

I am currently reading "Foundation" by Isaac Asimov and why are you guys not reading this it's top tier and amazing and great and there is math and trout involved

P.S. have you guys all added me on GoodReads yet? https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5307610.S_M_Johnson

[Shorty]

My dad looooooved The Foundation trilogy and urged me to read it when I was younger and I never have ;-; It's on my list!

He also had a troutonnnn of Isaac Asimov books in his library. A good majority of that library had to be based on that man's work.

[Madame Adequate]

My dad looooooved The Foundation trilogy and urged me to read it when I was younger and I never have ;-; It's on my list!

He also had a troutonnnn of Isaac Asimov books in his library. A good majority of that library had to be based on that man's work.

>Not read Asimov
-NuONuafxwk

[Scotty_ffgamer]

I want to read some of Asimov's stuff someday.

I'm reading Speaker for the Dead right now! Slowly. I keep having things distract me from reading it. I love this book though.

If things work out, I'll probably get Cricketsong by Pike to read next because I'm curious about it :D. Or I might look into Windshifter. Hmm, decisions.

[Pike]

Everyone should read Asimov and you can read some right here

Yes that's right ladies and gentlemen this is it, the greatest short story of all time The Last Question -- Isaac Asimov (http://www.multivax.com/last_question.html)

[Shorty]

My dad looooooved The Foundation trilogy and urged me to read it when I was younger and I never have ;-; It's on my list!

He also had a troutonnnn of Isaac Asimov books in his library. A good majority of that library had to be based on that man's work.

>Not read Asimov
-NuONuafxwk

I said it's on my list. :colbert:

[Madame Adequate]

If it's "on your reading list" instead of "on your re-reading list" at any point after the age of 10 or so, you're a bad person and should actually have your panties filled with itching powder. :doublecolbert:

[Shorty]

You may direct that sentence to Pike as she appears to be reading The Foundation for the first time and also no thank you, that sounds terrible.

[Madame Adequate]

First, it might be the first time she's reading this story but it's hardly the first Asimov she has read.

Second, at least she's reading it.

Third, this is not about Pike, this is about what a terrible person YOU are, Moonflower, don't try to change the subject or deflect just because you're in trouble.

[Shorty]

You're not the boss of me, I'm not in trouble. :doublecolbert:

[Calliope]

*You aren't the boss of me

[Madame Adequate]

You're not the boss of me, I'm not in trouble. :doublecolbert:

Is that so? Well consider:


*You aren't the boss of me

:smug:

[Shorty]

Well, you aren't.

[The Man]

I need to reread Asimov. Dammit there are too many things I need to read for the first time too why the smurf is there so much good literature.

[Calliope]

Crawling through Their Eyes Were Watching God, but the phonetic dialogue is killing me.

[Pike]

Crawling through Their Eyes Were Watching God, but the phonetic dialogue is killing me.

I had to read that book in school and I hated it.

[Calliope]

I put that book down for the moment and have instead started Cheryl Strayed's Wild for work. I'm only fifty pages in and I already want to throw the damn thing at the wall. I will, however, keep reading - the story is entertaining, but the concept is just so tiresome to me now.

[Pumpkin]

I am reading Allegiant and also introducing my boyfriend to The Giver! I am excited, it is my favorite book. We're reading it together, 2 chapters each nigh!

[Electroshock Therapy]

Sweeney Todd AKA The String of Pearls

The original penny dreadful serial edited into book form. I've already read it once and found it boring. But I'm thinking it was because I'm used to older styles of storytelling. I'm giving it another whirl, and I'm going slow... like a serial. :p

[Shorty]

Finally started reading American Gods by Neil Gaiman. I bought a copy a few years ago that I forgot about, and found that I had apparently lent it to a friend. A few months ago I picked up another copy, and it's been gathering dust on my bookshelf.

It's... interesting, to say the least. I am picking up little flecks of foretelling (like a character named "Low Key" that I can't not translate into my head as "Loki"). I've just read past, uh, a sex scene that I was not anticipating, and it made me a little shaken that lovely innocent Neil Gaiman, author of literary wonderment and imaginative children's book, could write such a thing. :stare:

So far, the beginning reminds me a little of Poppy Z. Brite's Liquor/Prime books, which I didn't totally love, but I am trying to separate the authors' works so as to enjoy this one. American Gods has been highly recommended to me by a few people, and I have high hopes for it.

[Tasura]

Right, so between the last time I posted in this thread I started/finished The Shining, and now I'm reading Doctor Sleep (the new sequel to The Shining)

[Pumpkin]

I am reading the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. My boyfriend is currently reading my favorite book with me (The Giver) so now I am reading one of his favorite books :jess:

[Madame Adequate]

Currently reading two books. Aftershocks, by Harry Turtledove, because I love stupid pulpy alien invasion sci-fi, and City at the End of Time by Greg Bear, which is pretty wild so far and only growing moreso.

[Electroshock Therapy]

Right, so between the last time I posted in this thread I started/finished The Shining, and now I'm reading Doctor Sleep (the new sequel to The Shining)

I'm interested in hearing what you think about Doctor Sleep. I'm not really a Stephen King fan, but I do like some of his books. As a sequel to one of his most popular, I'm curious as to whether it's any good.

[I Took the Red Pill]

I started and finished Appointment in Samarra over the course of two days, which was excellent, and am now on track to finish Darkness at Noon in even less time. It's rare that I have a book suck me in so forcefully, let alone two in a row.

[Pumpkin]

Finished all of the stories I was reading. the end of The Giver ohmigosh ;_____________________;

About to start The Road Leads Up by our very own Mister Adequate :jess:

[Tasura]

Right, so between the last time I posted in this thread I started/finished The Shining, and now I'm reading Doctor Sleep (the new sequel to The Shining)

I'm interested in hearing what you think about Doctor Sleep. I'm not really a Stephen King fan, but I do like some of his books. As a sequel to one of his most popular, I'm curious as to whether it's any good.

Finished it this morning, and it was quite good, a fair bit different than The Shining, but still a great book.


I'll probabaly be putting The Long War on hold, because despite how good the first book was, this was is not. So I'll move onto Pratchett's Bromeliad trilogy, starting with Truckers.

[Shorty]

David Sedaris - When You Are Engulfed in Flames - 10/10

I've never really been interested in biographies, autobiographies, non-fiction and the like. I just can't get into them. Why would I want to read an account of someone's life? I can do that on Wikipedia. Give me fantasy, damnit!

This book has changed my mind. I have never read any of David Sedaris' works before picking this one up. Reading some reviews that called this particular book "lukewarm at best" and "not funny in comparison to his other works" was a bit off-putting, but I decided to take a gamble and put my nose in it anyway.

If When You Are Engulfed In Flames is lukewarm and not considered funny in contrast to his previous books, I will be racing to the shelves to hoard them all from now on. I have been howling with laughter throughout this entire book, sometimes to the point of tears. I posted this on facebook already, but he makes his creepy obsession of catching flies and feeding them to the spiders inhabiting his windowpanes the most hilarious thing ever. It boggles my mind that someone can take such a weird, droll, mundane act and turn it into a hysterical essay that makes me laugh out loud. I cannot get enough of this man and I truly cannot wait to move onto the rest of his collection.


Our father worried that our grandmother was setting a bad example, but, actually, it worked the other way. None of us would ever think of throwing something out a car window, unless, of course, it was a cigarette butt, which is not just trash, but red-tipped, flaming trash. “Shame about that forest fire,” we’d say. “You really have to wonder about people who do things like that. It’s a sickness of the mind.”

[Depression Moon]

Not anything right now, but I was just reading Y Last Man book 3. The series is extremely good I recommend it. I'll definitely get books 4 and 5 when I have the money.

[Araciel]

Started watching Brandon Sanderson's writing sci fi/fantasy lectures so Now I'm reading his novels - on book one of Mistborn.

[materia dealer]

^I just finished reading a Brandon Sanderson book myself, Words of Radiance, it's the second book of his Stormlight Archive series and is absolutely brilliant. Well developed law and excellent action, high-fantasy at it's best.

[Shorty]

Currently reading Let's Explore Diabetes With Owls by David Sedaris. It started out slow and a bit disappointing - I wasn't sure if I wanted to continue reading. 30% in, though, had me laughing out loud. Good read so far.

[Psychotic]

The Wolf of Wall Street. I think I like it better than the movie so far.

[Kalevala]

I'm currently re-reading my namesake (The Kalevala), and reading Proper Gauge (the second in Hugh Howey's Wool series) and The King in Yellow (pre-Lovecraft Lovecraftian collection of short stories referenced in True Detective). I've also been making my way through The Walking Dead. I just finished volume six.

I really like Proper Gauge and The King in Yellow. I actually prefer the writing on The Walking Dead's tv adaptation to the comics. Kirkman writes like a 15-year old. That being said, there are some great moments.

[Miriel]

I'm currently re-reading my namesake (The Kalevala), and reading Proper Gauge (the second in Hugh Howey's Wool series) and The King in Yellow (pre-Lovecraft Lovecraftian collection of short stories referenced in True Detective). I've also been making my way through The Walking Dead. I just finished volume six.

I really like Proper Gauge and The King in Yellow. I actually prefer the writing on The Walking Dead's tv adaptation to the comics. Kirkman writes like a 15-year old. That being said, there are some great moments.
Are you watching True Detective right now? It's what made me google The King in Yellow and now I'm kinda entranced by those weird ass stories.

I'm reading French Kids Eat Everything and just the other day finished reading the sequel to Angelfall by Susan Ee, World After. I think I'll try Warmth of Other Suns next, or maybe a classic.

[Kalevala]

Yeah, I started following the series around episode four or five. I, like you, googled it after hearing it mentioned in the show.

I'm a big fan of Lovecraft and weird fiction, so I was pleasantly surprised. It also adds to the creepy atmosphere of the show quite a bit.

[Shorty]

Can I bring this back? I'm bringing it back.

Just read Chuck Palahniuk's short story Guts. I took nothing from it. Absolutely nothing. Nothing more than a waste of time shock-factor story. Guts is an excerpt from Haunted, which I've been meaning to read for a while. Now I don't think I want to.

Becoming increasingly more disappointed and disillusioned with him. He has a bunch of great work under his belt and every artist should be afforded their casualties, but after being unable to get very far into Lullaby, my disappointment with Rant, and now this I just... don't love how his work seems to be progressing.

0/10 for Guts.

[Freya]

I read guts. It was bleh. I've also lost my luster for him as well.

I'm currently working on another paranormal one. I like that genre okay...


http://bewitchedbookworms.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/FGotR.png
First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones (http://www.amazon.com/First-Grave-Right-Charley-Davidson/dp/B006Z30DLC)

I'm very amused. It's funny. It's about a grim reaper helping solve murders of the dead people she sees.

[Shorty]

Right? No literary value whatsoever.

[Freya]

I think what I liked about Palahniuk before was that he was "edgy". But I've only got that a few times that I enjoyed it. It's hit or miss. He either hits it or really misses it.

[Shorty]

He edges all over the place. I appreciate edgy when it has a place in a story. His edginess is either hit or miss when it comes to relevancy, yeah.

[jodymcdougle]

del murder, Aldous Huxley is one of my favorites. are you going to read brave new world revisited?

just got Stephen King's Mr. Mercedes for my birthday from my wife and son. maybe 1/3 of the way through it. it reads almost like a detective novel, but by Stephen king. it's pretty good so far! if you've read it, please NO SPOILERS. I'm a "constant reader" of mr. kings.

to the people talking about the guy who wrote fight club, I don't really care much for his later stuff either. only read maybe two things by him though, so I don't want to be to quick to judge or anything.

[escobert]

I've still been plugging away slowly at Death By Black Hole while on breaks at work. When at home I've been reading The Alchemist.

[CimminyCricket]

I am now reading A Clash of Kings. I don't know what took me so long to pick these books up.

[Jinx]

Currently reading American Psycho. I'm strapped in for a crazy ride!

[Shiny]

Currently reading The Predator Paradox: Ending the War with Wolves, Bears, Cougars, and Coyotes by John Shivik. It's research for a film I'm working on.

Also going to start reading Psycho by Robert Bloch. :monster:

[Pumpkin]

Still Mort! It's a really short book but I haven't been reading it

[Casey]

Reading 'Slight Edge' only a few pages in and it's a self-help book...

[I Took the Red Pill]

The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann
Life and Death Are Wearing Me Out by Mo Yan

[Mercen-X]

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West... I started by reading the sequel Son of a Witch, which I couldn't really finish, so I finished it by listening to it as a book on CD. I also originally listened to Wicked as an audio CD, but couldn't follow it. So I had to pick up the book. lol

[Del Murder]

Ender's Shadow

This is the parallel story to Ender's Game starring Ender's little friend Bean. I really enjoyed the psychological morality themes as are inherent in all of the Ender books. This one really expands Bean's character and although I enjoyed that, I did feel like it was retconning it at times, especially during the interactions of Bean and Ender that are also chronicled in Ender's Game. The parts of the novel dealing with Bean's backstory or exploits at Battle School not involving Ender were really good, but any time he was with Ender there was too much trying to fit it into the more complex character that Card created for Bean. Stuff like 'Ender didn't realize Bean was being sarcastic...' or 'Bean played along because that was what they expected him to do...'. It's clear that the original Bean character was meant to be a younger, smaller version of Ender whose purpose was to show Ender what it was like to be the one teaching a gifted student rather than being teached. Only in this novel Bean turns out to be much more than that, and the opposite of Ender in many ways. Overall I thought this concept was pretty cool and fortunately those types of interactions were not the majority of the story. The stuff involving Bean and Achilles in particular were pretty great.

[chionos]

Finishing Son, the fourth (last) book of The Giver quartet. Loved the simplicity of the books so far.

On the opposite end of the simplicity spectrum, I'm on the last book of the Earth's Children saga (first book is Clan of the Cave Bear, was made into a movie in the 80's I believe) by Jean M. Auel. They are long ponderous books, very slow at times, interesting at times, at times enlightening, and generally entertaining. There are great characters (including Whinny and Wolf) and plotting, but I could do without the never-ending lists of fauna and flora--it feels sometimes like the book's trying to be a pharmacopoeia, and it does get a little, I dunno, preachy at times. The first two books were the best, and by book five I'm ready for it to be over, I think. I'm hoping it ends well. I hope book 6 actually concludes the saga. I don't typically go for abridged versions of books, but I will say that this is a series that might need it. The exact same thing could be said in about 100-150 less pages. And I mean that literally. Auel is the most repetitious author I've ever read.

[Jinx]

Reading Valley of the Dolls. One of my favorite books of all time. So trashy, so depressing! I first read it during my senior year of high school when I was dealing with a lot of stuff, and I really connected with the bleak and pointless tone of the book. Ever since then, it's held a special place in my heart and I reread it every year or two.

[Shorty]

The Fried Twinkie Manifesto by Ryan Moehring. Did not love the first chapter, not at all. But I figure I'll ride it out until it becomes unbearable. From what I've read, he's supposed to be a funny dude, so I'll see how the rest goes. Just not a great first impression.

Also reading Nerd Do Well by Simon Pegg. It's entertaining and is okay, but I feel like he's written the book as if he's written a screenplay. I can perfectly visualize what he's communicating, but the way he's communicating it does not strike me as good writing, it strikes me as what would be entertaining visually. There are also these incredibly distracting chapters between his memoirs of him writing a silly comic story about him being an equivocally nerd batman with an incompetent robot butler and I'm not loving those. I know they're supposed to whimsical and charming, but I'm here for your life story, man, knock it off.

I'm on an intense self-deprecating humorist essay kick.

[fire_of_avalon]

I just started All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy and that'll probably mark the end of my ASoIaF break and I'll read A Dance With Dragons. McCarthy will be a good foil for Martin - firstly as McCarthy's veiled dialogue, limited person and random, beautiful, stream of consciousness descriptions are the opposite of Martin's fastidious, meticulously detailed style. Secondly - McCarthy is just better.

I finally read Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn and was left disturbed, bemused and angry at the lack of justice. I recommend everyone read it once and then never again.

[Jinx]

Gone Girl is excellent. I want to read it again, but...I just don't think it will have the same impact it did the first time.

Currently reading Push, A Novel by Sapphire. I'm about 40 pages in and I hate it. Probably a top contender for Worst Book of 2014 (that I've read, that is), but we'll see what I think when I finish it today. And Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood made me want to claw my brain from my head, so who knows? This book is very much doing the same thing to me, though.

[Shorty]

My sister recommended Possible Side Effects by Augusten Burroughs to me. I've been avoiding him because I read his memoir Running With Scissors and I didn't love it. But in reaching the 29th page of Possible Side Effects, I've just had to wipe my eyes from silently crylaughing so hard at work. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to find someone to live up to David Sedaris, but Augusten is doing a wonderful job.

I quit The Fried Twinkie Manifesto. Blech. An entire chapter devoted to attempting to humorously shame his religious family, to explain how he is superior for being an atheist, and to profess explanations for why he is an atheist. 1) Slamming on religion is old. It is literally everywhere. It's all over social media, it's in the regular media, it's in daily conversation. There is nothing new that anyone could ever say to me about religion that would make me laugh, because it's old, and it's a cheap trick. It's an easy subject to get a lot of nods of approval from a specific niche of people, and that's boring. And 2) People who write explanations for the way they feel about things leave me with one conclusion: That they are attempting to convince themselves more than they are attempting to convince their readers. Don't write me a chapter explaining why you're an atheist, please, because I could not care less about reasons why you are an atheist when I am reading this book of yours detailing out what are supposed to be the humorous antics of your life journey.

[Kalevala]

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. This is my second outing with Dostoyevsky. My first involved getting a couple hundred pages into The Brothers Karamazov before becoming distracted by work and other books. I'm playing through Silent Hill 2 and am told the two are (strangely) quite compatible, so I figured I'd give it a go. Two chapters in and I am digging it so far. Very engaging read.

Also recently started Brave New World. I don't know how I've managed to go more than two decades and through 17 years of school without having read it. I'm about 50 pages in and pretty satisfied. Loved the section where Huxley keeps snapping back and forth between five or six different scenes taking place throughout the hatchery. The last time I remember a scene of that nature being so effective was in Johnny Got His Gun, another favourite. This is a good sign.

tl;dr classics

[chionos]

I'm a big Dostoyevsky fan. The only problem with Crime and Punishment is that it inspired so many other works, which makes C&P (after you've read the others inspired by it) come across as contrived or derivative. But it's not, just the reverse. In any case, it's a great read. Fascinating and a little frightening.

[Shorty]

Finished with Possible Side Effects by Augusten Burroughs and have moved onto Dry by Augusten Burroughs. I am having a love affair with him and I hope David Sedaris does not find out.

I loved Sellevision. I found it on a shelf while meandering the Barnes and Noble years ago as I used to do when there was one within a ten or fifteen minute drive of my house or office. The coverwork sold me, and I found his writing very much like Chuck Palahniuk's, so I adored it. Then I promptly fell out of love with his work when I picked up Running With Scissors and haven't touched anything of his again until my sister insisted I read Possible Side Effects a couple of weeks ago. It was a work of art. I've been instructed to read Dry and Magical Thinking, and probably avoid A Wolf at the Table because it is apparently very depressing and very different from his regular style. I've been instructed to finish with This Is How, because I will have sufficiently taken my Burroughs journey and ended with the book he says he was born to write.

I'm super excited about this journey. I didn't think I could be more infatuated with a memoirist more than I was with David Sedaris, but Augusten has been a pleasant surprise.

[deepdoop]

Currently reading Long Lost Dog Of It by Michael Kazepis. I'm only about 85 pages in, but I guess it's only about 240 anyway. I'm enjoying how it blends things like politics, protests, punk music, relationships and... a serial killer. It seems like its going to be a pretty special debut novel when all is said and done.