The Currently Reading Thread v. A Clash of Kings

[Dimitrius]

So Hef, what's your opinion on the last parts of The Dark Tower? Specifically the battle and what happens inside of the tower.

The first time I read it (at publication), I didn't care for it.

Upon re-reading it, I am OK with it.  It makes a weird kind of sense to me, and I am at peace. 

But I certainly understand how someone may be upset with it, because that's how I used to see it.

I loved the ending, thought it was the perfect ending for it. Haaaated the fucking battle though.

[Cyclopssss]

Terry Pratchett - The sheppard´s crown. (final discworld novel) 

[Sub Luna Vitrea]

C Programming by Wikibooks
A collection of Mafalda comic strips by Quino, purchased for me in Argentina by my brother
The Society of the Spectacle by Guy Debord (again)

[Kwyjibo]

Decided to re-read one of my favorite sci-fi series from when I was young, Mark Brandis - Weltraumpartisanen (Space Partisans). Had some time over the weekend and read the first two volumes Bordbuch Delta VII (Logbook Delta VII) and Verrat auf der Venus (Treachery on Venus) and now on to volume 3 Unternehmen Delphin (Operation Dolphin).

Though they were written for young adults I still very much enjoy them, but that may be enhanced by the nostalgia factor. As far as I know they were never translated into english or other languages. So I'm probably the only one here who knows them. 

[hefdaddy42]

The Deep by Nick Cutter

[Sacul]

The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking by Oliver Burkeman. Fantastic so far.

[Onno]

Umberto Eco - The Name of the Rose

I just finished Stephen King's Eyes of the Dragon, which was enjoyable. I also finished Life of Pi, which was very much more interesting than I thought it would. I had not expected it to be so well written; for some reason I had always thought it was just a good story that was very popular.

[Fluffy Lothario]

20% through Brothers Karamazov.

Incredible so far.

Fyodor Karamazov is maybe the closest character to Iago I’ve ever read.

[Jaffa]

The Deep by Nick Cutter

Let me know what you think!

[Kwyjibo]

Happy Hour In Hell - Tad Williams

[WDADU]

Re-reading Hollow City by Ransom Riggs. Bought the sequel--the last in the Miss Peregrine trilogy on Saturday. Gonna read that next. Read The Troop by Nick Cutter last week and looking forward to reading The Deep and The Alcolyte.

[hefdaddy42]

The Deep by Nick Cutter

Let me know what you think!

I'm about halfway through, and while the plot is interesting, I'm not a fan of the guy's writing style thus far.

We'll see how it plays out.

Umberto Eco - The Name of the Rose

Great book.  Have you read Foucault's Pendulum?

[Onno]

No, I haven't. The Name of the Rose will be the first book by Eco that I read. But if it's good I'll probably read his other books as well. Is Foucault's Pendulum also good?

[hefdaddy42]

Yes.  I read it years and years ago.  It's actually the only other Eco I have read.

[jasc15]

Not reading now, but I was just talking with a friend about Jurassic Park.

I didn't like it.  I think Crichton is pretty ham-fisted in making his point.   I understand the themes of hubris and unintended consequences etc., but I think it could have been done a bit more elegantly.  His use of fractals, without really saying much about them, makes his point blatantly obvious.  Also, the geneticists are made to look pretty ignorant and one-dimensional in their work.  That the scientists could not have imagined the potential consequences of their work just makes the whole thing seem so forced.  I think Crichton could have made the scientists more conscientious and measured in their work, but still end in the epic and disastrous outcome the book leads up to.  That, I think, would have been a better way to tell the story, with more subtlety and nuance to the characters.  I think it would even elevate the theme a little bit, showing that it doesn't take reckless pursuit to end in tragedy.

[hefdaddy42]

Well, Crichton was basically an idea man.  He could come up with great ideas, and vivid scenes.

But the actual "writing" part of writing was not his strong suit.

[Kwyjibo]

I have read Jurassic Park a really long time ago, in fact before the first movie came out. I liked the setting and the suspense, didn't care about the rest.

The way I remember it, the scientists and especially the park owner were portraited as somewhat ruthless and more interested in money than in consequences. In the movie, the park owner was this nice uncle who said: sorry, if only I had known that this was dangerous. I hated that. 

[hefdaddy42]

The Deep by Nick Cutter

Let me know what you think!

I'm about halfway through, and while the plot is interesting, I'm not a fan of the guy's writing style thus far.

We'll see how it plays out.

Finished this morning.  It definitely got better.

Still not a fan of the author's writing style; he is certainly no William Faulkner.  But wow, what a creepy, unnerving, terrifying story.  It is dread-imposing, in the same way that Lovecraft or Stephen King's Revival can be. 

Now reading The World of Ice & Fire by George R.R. Martin, Elio M. Garcia Jr, and Linda Antonsson.

[jasc15]

Well, Crichton was basically an idea man.  He could come up with great ideas, and vivid scenes.

But the actual "writing" part of writing was not his strong suit.

It's the only Crichton book I've read, and prior to that it seemed he had a reputation for being an excellent writer.  Maybe it's like you say, more of an good idea than a good story.

[ariich]

Well, Crichton was basically an idea man.  He could come up with great ideas, and vivid scenes.

But the actual "writing" part of writing was not his strong suit.

It's the only Crichton book I've read, and prior to that it seemed he had a reputation for being an excellent writer.  Maybe it's like you say, more of an good idea than a good story.

Which is why the ideas can sometimes make really good films (like Jurassic Park).

[Sub Luna Vitrea]

What I remember about the book Jurassic Park was how it kept me in a state of constant fear and suspense... I think that was what Crichton was really good at, having read a number of his books when I was a teenager. It was terrifying, way more so than the movie, which did not fully achieve what the book had done in that sense. It better explored the themes, which of course Crichton really believed was the whole point, but I always thought Crichton's themes were annoying at best. And it's really not easy to write good suspense novels; it's just looked down upon by literary writers, many of whom I have still never been able to get into, despite trying my best.

Sphere is still the most hair-raising book I have ever read, and I still have never seen the movie.

[hefdaddy42]

Sphere is still the most hair-raising book I have ever read, and I still have never seen the movie.

My advice would be to keep it that way.  It was not good.

[jasc15]

I remember seeing parts of the movie Sphere around the time it came out, but not much else.  Given my reaction to Jurassic Park, would I find Shpere any better?

[Scard]

Undermajordomo Minor by Patrick deWitt. I loved The Sisters Brothers, and Ablutions was decent. So far this is pretty awesome as well.

[hefdaddy42]

I remember seeing parts of the movie Sphere around the time it came out, but not much else.  Given my reaction to Jurassic Park, would I find Shpere any better?

I doubt it.

[The Cat Of Tuscany]

The Insignia series by S.J. Kincaid are the three best books I have ever read.

They are amazing. 

[Jaffa]

Pax, by Sara Pennypacker.  A middle grade novel about a boy who had to give up his pet fox when his father went to war.  Very, very sweet. 

[Sacul]

Finally finished 1Q84 a week ago. Liked book 1, loved the sequel, but the last one... disappointed me. Too many unanswered questions, and very little actually hapenning didn't help either. An additional point of view was refreshing, but in the end, this book bore me a lot.

Started Lord of the Flies by William Golding today.

[adace]

Lash Up by Larry Bond. Definitely not a typical thriller novel but still one of the best I've read. It takes a really cool, futuristic concept and makes it totally believable/practical.

[Sub Luna Vitrea]

A First Dictionary and Grammar of Láadan by Suzette Haden Elgin.

At the same time, I am coding software to teach the language to myself, which will be released open-source and will theoretically be able to teach any language at all.

[Kwyjibo]

Sleeping Late On Judgement Day by Tad Williams - hoping it is better than Happy Hour

[WDADU]

Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs was wonderful. I think I liked it better than Hollow City, though the first Miss Peregrine book is still the best. Reading The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins right now and I'm really liking it.

[MetalJunkie]

Reasonable Faith by William Lane Craig

Man, Craig sure goes over my head a lot.

[Fluffy Lothario]

Approaching halfway through the Brothers Karamazov.

I was mightily enjoying it at first, but as I go on, I get the sense that the message Dostoevsky is going for is “if you don’t believe in God, you automatically lose any moral standard and won’t be capable or have any reason to restrain yourself from committing every horrible act under the sun, and all of the world’s ills are the result of people whose connection with the divine has weakened or been lost”.

I get that he was a Christian, but if this is where the story is going, well, come the fuck on.

[Dimitrius]

Red Dragon by Thomas Harris

Francis Dolarhyde sure has some issues!