Author Topic: The Currently Reading Thread v. A Clash of Kings  (Read 286407 times)

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Online chknptpie

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Re: The Currently Reading Thread v. A Clash of Kings
« Reply #2065 on: August 20, 2018, 12:25:49 PM »
I've decided to go through the Harry Potter books for the first time. I've seen the movies before, but everyone says that the books are better (and so far I agree, although the movies are great too). 

So my strategy is to read a book and then watch the movie adaptation of it when finished. And repeat with the other books/movies. I've only just started, so I'm on book 2 at the moment.

I reread them a few years ago and did this. Thoroughly had a good time.

Offline Kwyjibo

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Re: The Currently Reading Thread v. A Clash of Kings
« Reply #2066 on: August 22, 2018, 06:20:51 AM »
Joining in on the (re-)reading of the Harry Potter books, starting with HP and the Philosopher's Stone.
Must've been Kwyji sending all the wrong songs.   ;D

Offline masterthes

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Re: The Currently Reading Thread v. A Clash of Kings
« Reply #2067 on: August 23, 2018, 02:24:47 PM »
Leaving off the Maugham for a bit and reading Mason & Dixon by Thomas Pynchon

Offline SchecterShredder

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Re: The Currently Reading Thread v. A Clash of Kings
« Reply #2068 on: August 24, 2018, 12:20:48 PM »
Harry Potter et la Chambre des Secrets by Rowling.

I'll probably parallel read that one with Song of Susannah (one for home; one for commute/work). I'm sure it'll go faster now that I've been back reading french for a while, but HP1 was quite the grind.

Offline masterthes

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Re: The Currently Reading Thread v. A Clash of Kings
« Reply #2069 on: August 27, 2018, 08:30:21 AM »
Pynchon was a bust (no surprise there), but I did manage to finish Of Human Bondage, so that was a win. Anyway, going to give Underworld by Don DeLillo a try

Offline masterthes

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Re: The Currently Reading Thread v. A Clash of Kings
« Reply #2070 on: August 28, 2018, 08:22:39 PM »
Taking a break from Underworld right now (it's written well, but I feel it's not really going anywhere yet) and instead reading some new fantasy with Kill the Farm Boy by Delilah S. Dawson and Kevin Hearne

Offline Kwyjibo

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Re: The Currently Reading Thread v. A Clash of Kings
« Reply #2071 on: August 28, 2018, 11:34:25 PM »
Harry Potter and the Chamber Of Secrets
Must've been Kwyji sending all the wrong songs.   ;D

Online Evermind

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Re: The Currently Reading Thread v. A Clash of Kings
« Reply #2072 on: August 30, 2018, 03:57:25 AM »
The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

Pretty sure this is going to be fun.
This first band is Soen very cool swingy jazz fusion kinda stuff.

Offline masterthes

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Re: The Currently Reading Thread v. A Clash of Kings
« Reply #2073 on: August 30, 2018, 09:02:37 PM »
I thoroughly enjoyed that last book. Read almost like a fractured Dungeons and Dragons adventure. Will definitely read the next one.

Anyway, getting my Sherlock on for the first time with A Study in Scarlet

Offline Cool Chris

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Re: The Currently Reading Thread v. A Clash of Kings
« Reply #2074 on: August 30, 2018, 09:11:16 PM »
Anyway, getting my Sherlock on for the first time with A Study in Scarlet

I don't care as much for the longer Holmes stories compared to the shorter ones. This one in particular is my least favorite of the four longer novellas (what are they called anyway)? If this one doesn't strike your fancy, give a couple of the shorter stories a read.
"Nostalgia is just the ability to forget the things that sucked" - Nelson DeMille, 'Up Country'

Offline Sacul

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Re: The Currently Reading Thread v. A Clash of Kings
« Reply #2075 on: August 30, 2018, 09:34:08 PM »
Indeed, I loved The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes because it was a compilation of amazing short stories, and I found the novels rather disappointing and boring.

Offline SchecterShredder

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Re: The Currently Reading Thread v. A Clash of Kings
« Reply #2076 on: August 30, 2018, 09:42:24 PM »
A good chunk of A Study in Scarlet is boring AF.

On to The Dark Tower. I'll certainly be taking the author's advice and stop reading before the last chapter.

Offline masterthes

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Re: The Currently Reading Thread v. A Clash of Kings
« Reply #2077 on: September 01, 2018, 12:42:40 PM »
Actually, you'll be surprised to know, I quite enjoyed it

Anyway, now going to read Towing Jehovah by James Marrow

Offline masterthes

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Re: The Currently Reading Thread v. A Clash of Kings
« Reply #2078 on: September 03, 2018, 07:46:22 AM »
Falstaff by Robert Nye. I read his book The Late Mr. Shakespeare many years ago and enjoyed it. I heard this book is better

Offline ozzy554

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Re: The Currently Reading Thread v. A Clash of Kings
« Reply #2079 on: September 03, 2018, 07:19:53 PM »
Carrie by Stephen King. Now it's been a while since ive seen the De Palma adaptation but from what I can remember it's pretty faithful. It was pretty much what I expected it to be. Really kicked into high gear in the last act of the book.

What's the Worst that Can Happen? By Donald Westlake. The 9th entry in the Dortmunder series and this is going to wind up being one of my personal favorites of the series right up there with Drowned Hopes.

Currently reading Necroscope by Brian Lumley. Im about a chapter and a half in and I'm really enjoying it so far.
Do you read Sutter Cane?

Online Evermind

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Re: The Currently Reading Thread v. A Clash of Kings
« Reply #2080 on: September 05, 2018, 11:33:08 AM »
The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

Pretty sure this is going to be fun.

I expected a lot of cringeworthy moments going into this as it usually happens whenever I come across a foreign writer who writes about Russia, but this was surprisingly well-executed. Heavily influenced by Russian folk stories, but still original enough to be interesting. Also, there's a lot of transliterated Russian words in the novel, and I was pretty unhappy about the inconsistent transliteration during reading (I couldn't even figure what some of the words mean), but there's an author's note in the end of the book where this is explained. Turns out, there's also a glossary in the end of this book with all those Russian words which is helpful.

Overall, I liked this. Going to search for the second book in hardcover to keep up with the format. The first book looks pretty gorgeous in hardcover:




Anyway, now let's try Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card.
This first band is Soen very cool swingy jazz fusion kinda stuff.

Offline masterthes

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Re: The Currently Reading Thread v. A Clash of Kings
« Reply #2081 on: September 06, 2018, 08:05:29 AM »
The sequel is even better, and Ender's Game is amazing

Going to read Neil Simon's Memoirs

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Re: The Currently Reading Thread v. A Clash of Kings
« Reply #2082 on: September 06, 2018, 12:07:50 PM »
Funny thing, my introduction to Orson Scott Card was D. Beinoff and D. Weiss throwing shit on him in one of the Game of Thrones episodes (via Tyrion dialogue about his cousin Orson, I think).

I'm three chapters in and I'm already hooked.
This first band is Soen very cool swingy jazz fusion kinda stuff.

Offline Cool Chris

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Re: The Currently Reading Thread v. A Clash of Kings
« Reply #2083 on: September 06, 2018, 12:59:48 PM »
I had a hard time with Ender's Game. Don't know why.

The Spy Who Came in From the Cold by John LeCarre
"Nostalgia is just the ability to forget the things that sucked" - Nelson DeMille, 'Up Country'

Online chknptpie

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Re: The Currently Reading Thread v. A Clash of Kings
« Reply #2084 on: September 06, 2018, 01:32:42 PM »
I had a hard time with Ender's Game. Don't know why.

The Spy Who Came in From the Cold by John LeCarre

That makes me sad. I loved Ender's Game. It was a book that I couldn't put down.

Just started The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin

Offline Kwyjibo

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Re: The Currently Reading Thread v. A Clash of Kings
« Reply #2085 on: September 07, 2018, 12:57:01 AM »
The Spy Who Came in From the Cold by John LeCarre

I read this many many years ago and was intrigued by it. One of LeCarre's best imo.

I wonder how people that are born after the Berlin wall has fallen and the warsaw pact has crumbled can relate to it.
Must've been Kwyji sending all the wrong songs.   ;D

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Re: The Currently Reading Thread v. A Clash of Kings
« Reply #2086 on: September 07, 2018, 06:52:21 AM »
I had a hard time with Ender's Game. Don't know why.

The Spy Who Came in From the Cold by John LeCarre

That makes me sad. I loved Ender's Game. It was a book that I couldn't put down.

Just started The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin

I love this Le Guin's book, probably my favorite from her.
This first band is Soen very cool swingy jazz fusion kinda stuff.

Offline masterthes

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Re: The Currently Reading Thread v. A Clash of Kings
« Reply #2087 on: September 10, 2018, 03:28:58 PM »
Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross

Offline Kwyjibo

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Re: The Currently Reading Thread v. A Clash of Kings
« Reply #2088 on: September 12, 2018, 02:21:29 AM »
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Must've been Kwyji sending all the wrong songs.   ;D

Offline masterthes

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Re: The Currently Reading Thread v. A Clash of Kings
« Reply #2089 on: September 12, 2018, 05:31:29 PM »
For a change of pace, The League of Regrettable Superheroes by Jon Morris

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Re: The Currently Reading Thread v. A Clash of Kings
« Reply #2090 on: September 13, 2018, 10:24:06 AM »
Ship of Destiny -- Robin Hobb
"Religion poisons everything” — Christopher Hitchens

Offline Kwyjibo

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Re: The Currently Reading Thread v. A Clash of Kings
« Reply #2091 on: September 14, 2018, 02:40:45 AM »
Harry Potter and the Goblet Of Fire
Must've been Kwyji sending all the wrong songs.   ;D

Offline masterthes

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Re: The Currently Reading Thread v. A Clash of Kings
« Reply #2092 on: September 14, 2018, 07:31:37 AM »
80 books read so far. Going back to Sherlock with The Sign of The Four

Offline jasc15

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Re: The Currently Reading Thread v. A Clash of Kings
« Reply #2093 on: September 14, 2018, 08:11:44 AM »
A short story came up in a news feed the other day.  The author, Harlan Ellison, who I hadn't heard of before, died a few months ago and the article mentioned a story of his called I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream.  I don't think I've read anything like this before.  I didn't think a story could reach so far down and twist your mind like this.  You get in with the protagonist and feel his desire for vengeance, thinking that you could take any resulting punishment, but then you see what that punishment is.  This story stuck with me for a few days, trying to imagine it.

I've never been much of a fiction reader, and what I have read has been pretty light in comparison.  I'm sure there is much more out there like this.  It reminded me of the movie Tusk, which I havent seen and dont intend to see, but the synopsis was enough to invoke a similar feeling as this story.

Here is a link:
https://www.mikedidonato.com/images/2009/04/harlan-ellison-i-hav-no-mouth-and-i-must-scream.pdf

I first read a different link that excluded a passage included here, so I'm still not sure if this link is complete.

Offline masterthes

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Re: The Currently Reading Thread v. A Clash of Kings
« Reply #2094 on: September 15, 2018, 08:51:47 AM »
The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt

Offline masterthes

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Re: The Currently Reading Thread v. A Clash of Kings
« Reply #2095 on: September 16, 2018, 07:53:03 PM »
Was not the biggest fan of that one. Just didn't connect with me. Anyway, before watching the movie on Netflix, wanted to read L.A. Confidential first

Offline ChuckSteak

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Re: The Currently Reading Thread v. A Clash of Kings
« Reply #2096 on: September 17, 2018, 06:25:58 PM »
Leonard Peltier - Prison Writings: My Life Is My Sun Dance

Offline ChuckSteak

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Re: The Currently Reading Thread v. A Clash of Kings
« Reply #2097 on: September 20, 2018, 03:13:16 AM »
António R. Damasio - Descartes' Error: Emotion, Reason and the Human Brain

Offline masterthes

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Re: The Currently Reading Thread v. A Clash of Kings
« Reply #2098 on: September 20, 2018, 05:52:13 AM »
So, L.A. Confidential was adequate, movie was better. I would have liked it better if they kept it more faithful to the book though. Kim Basinger did not deserve the Oscar. Maybe that was a consolation prize since Titanic won practically everything else (P.S. L.A. Confidential > Titanic)

Anyway, on to The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach

Offline Kwyjibo

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Re: The Currently Reading Thread v. A Clash of Kings
« Reply #2099 on: September 20, 2018, 06:38:47 AM »
I've read L.A. Confidential a long time ago and I watched the movie a long time ago. Don't remember everything but I liked the book better. But then I like everything by James Ellroy I've read so far.

And if I remember correctly especially the second half of the book has not much in common with the second half of the film other than the basic outline.
Must've been Kwyji sending all the wrong songs.   ;D