Whatcha readin now? (book, books, reading, read) (10 Viewers)

[The Flying Elvis]

Just finished Name of the Wind - Kingkiller Chronicles Day 1 - Patrick Rothfuss.

Man, great book. Gotta say, was a bit hard to get into, like many good books, but highly recommended. On his second book now, A Wise Man's Fear.

Probably my favorite fantasy series... I know it has some detractors in this thread but I am a big fan. Have read both books probably 3 times each.

If you like Rothfuss, I would suggest Blood Song by Anthony Ryan or The Way of Kings by Sanderson after reading them.

 

[krista4]

1Q84 by Haruki Murakami

Mixed feelings about this one. It was overly long and very repetitious, but it was strangely compelling. I'll probably try something else by Murakami but not right away.

I bought this the day it was released but still haven't tackled it. Murakami is my favorite writer. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle is my favorite, but if you'd like to move back to something more accessible, try Norwegian Wood or any of his short-story collections.

I finally read this. No good reason I bought it the day it was released and then took two years to read it. I don't know...feels like Murakami is starting to lose it. There were several threads in the book that weren't tied up, and after 1100 pages it felt like he realized he'd written 1100 pages and needed to wrap it up, so it just ended abruptly. I found the characters really compelling, but this one left me a bit cold. Wouldn't recommend.

 

[Barry]

finished Pillars of the Earth. Two dimensional characters. repetitive and too much like a soap opera.

currently third on the waist list for Replay.

 

[Swing 51]

About to dig in to Dust. Liked Wool a lot more than I thought I would so hoping Dust is a good read and sheds some light on wtf is going on.

I've bogged down on Dust. I'm about half way through but haven't picked it up again after about 2 - 3 weeks.

I really liked Shift. Dust doesn't live up to the first two in the series?

 

[igbomb]

About to dig in to Dust. Liked Wool a lot more than I thought I would so hoping Dust is a good read and sheds some light on wtf is going on.

I've bogged down on Dust. I'm about half way through but haven't picked it up again after about 2 - 3 weeks.

I really liked Shift. Dust doesn't live up to the first two in the series?

I'm about 1/4 of the way through Dust and so far, so good. It can't match the sense of discovery that Wool had, since we didn't know what the hell was going on. But neither did Shift and it was still really good.

I did a complete re-read before reading this and am really glad I did.

 

[facook]

Dust was a fine ending to the trilogy. I was satisfied.

Just finished The Secret Soldier by Alex Berenson. Modern day spy series that is enjoyable.

Now reading Last Days by Adam Nevill. The cover calls him the British Stephen King.

 

[mad sweeney]

Finished Republic of Thieves. Sort of meandering and anti-climactic but fun. Not sure how I feel about the big twist but I'm glad they introduced a few levels of menace for the series.

 

[Foosball God]

About to dig in to Dust. Liked Wool a lot more than I thought I would so hoping Dust is a good read and sheds some light on wtf is going on.

I've bogged down on Dust. I'm about half way through but haven't picked it up again after about 2 - 3 weeks.

I really liked Shift. Dust doesn't live up to the first two in the series?

I liked Dust the least, but that said it wasn't bad.

 

[The Flying Elvis]

Finished Republic of Thieves. Sort of meandering and anti-climactic but fun. Not sure how I feel about the big twist but I'm glad they introduced a few levels of menace for the series.

I said above that I enjoy Lynch as an author and I like the characters but the last two books have left me feeling unsatisfied with the ending. It builds up the plot but then kind of just fizzles at the end. I read the book on a Kindle so I knew that when I was at like 85% finished and it seemed like nothing had happened in the "election" that the ending was either going to rushed or anti-climatic. Still, I enjoy the series.

 

[mad sweeney]

Finished Republic of Thieves. Sort of meandering and anti-climactic but fun. Not sure how I feel about the big twist but I'm glad they introduced a few levels of menace for the series.

I said above that I enjoy Lynch as an author and I like the characters but the last two books have left me feeling unsatisfied with the ending. It builds up the plot but then kind of just fizzles at the end. I read the book on a Kindle so I knew that when I was at like 85% finished and it seemed like nothing had happened in the "election" that the ending was either going to rushed or anti-climatic. Still, I enjoy the series.

I don't remember the last book much since it was so long ago due to his mental issues. I do remember not liking the story device of starting the book in- sitiu (sp?) with a no context conflict. But they can only pop into a new town and run a scam so many times. The thing about medicinal redheads really, really creeped me out. Seems like that's even further than GRM would go.

 

[mad sweeney]

Reading Blood Gospel now. James Rollins had some fun books before he started writing Cussler- esque crappy Sigma books. Nothing he's written is great but his Crichton-esque stuff was at least decent. BG is co written so hopefully that influence will pull him out of the cesspool he wallows in recently. So far with the Christian history artifacts this one looks like a blend of Chricton and Dan Brown.

 

[Apes with Guns]

Today on Amazon, the first two ebooks (Kindle) of John Ringo's Posleen Series are free.

A Hymn Before Battle - http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00BEQP50Y/sfsignal-20

Gust Front - http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00BEQP2R0/sfsignal-20

This is not good literature. This is silly, military sci-fi, and is one of the best examples of said genre out there. The plot is a Michael Bay wet dream. And, it's damn good fun.

 

[Apes with Guns]

Damn, another good one for free.

Ebook of Star Soldiers by Andre Norton...absolutely free. And my Goodreads queue keeps growing. I can't win.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00ARPJA7W/sfsignal-20

 

[playin4beer]

I just finished Dr Sleep last night..

I enjoyed it quite a bit, it was an easy read. That being said, I guess I was a little disappointed..

Spoiler

I expeced more carnage... more main characters dying.. All the good main characters survive. I kept waiting for one of them to bite the

dust Stephen King style, but it never happened.

 

[Apes with Guns]

You've probably had this discussion before, but how many of you are on goodreads?

 

[shuke]

You've probably had this discussion before, but how many of you are on goodreads?

Signed up a long time ago but never update it. Tell me what it's good for.

 

[The Flying Elvis]

You've probably had this discussion before, but how many of you are on goodreads?

I am on Goodreads. I keep it updated mainly just to keep track of what I am reading.

To answer the questions on what it is good for, not really sure. It helps me keep track of what I have read. There is a large reviewing community but I generally just will rate the book and not review it. It has helped with recommendations since it tries to guess what you may want to read.

Looking at my account, looks like I set a goal of 30 books this year. At 21/30 so far, 3 behind a pace but I generally read in binges and don't read much in the summer months.

 

[-fish-]

You've probably had this discussion before, but how many of you are on goodreads?

Signed up a long time ago but never update it. Tell me what it's good for.

 

[igbomb]

You've probably had this discussion before, but how many of you are on goodreads?

Signed up a long time ago but never update it. Tell me what it's good for.

My favorite aspects:

Tracking the books I've read - Not sure why but I like to be able to look back at when I read a book and how many I've read

Recommendations - They instituted some algorithms to recommend books and they're pretty good. The genre specific recommendations are the best part.

Monthly newsletter - I get an e-mail each month with new books released by authors I've read. I've spotted some new books by favorite authors that I wasn't aware were coming out.

 

[Swing 51]

Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain

Billy Lynn and his Bravo squad mates have become heroes thanks to an embedded Fox News crew’s footage of their firefight against Iraqi insurgents. During one day of their bizarre Victory Tour, set mostly at a Thanksgiving Day football game at Texas Stadium, they’re wooed by Hollywood producers, smitten by Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders, and share a stage at halftime with Beyonce. Guzzling Jack and Cokes and scuffling with fans, the Bravos are conflicted soldiers.

 

[Apes with Guns]

Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain

Billy Lynn and his Bravo squad mates have become heroes thanks to an embedded Fox News crew’s footage of their firefight against Iraqi insurgents. During one day of their bizarre Victory Tour, set mostly at a Thanksgiving Day football game at Texas Stadium, they’re wooed by Hollywood producers, smitten by Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders, and share a stage at halftime with Beyonce. Guzzling Jack and Cokes and scuffling with fans, the Bravos are conflicted soldiers.

I read this as well and really enjoyed it. Devoured it, actually. Highly recommended.

 

[Apes with Guns]

You've probably had this discussion before, but how many of you are on goodreads?

Signed up a long time ago but never update it. Tell me what it's good for.

For me, I love the groups. I have found some real gems based on recommendations from the groups on Goodreads, especially in Post Apocalyptic books and military history. Also, when I see a friend is reading a book that I have on one of my lists, I enjoy talking to them about it. Another great advantage is keeping track of my collection and what is on my radar. The interface is really easy to use, and if I'm at a bookstore i can quickly scroll through my wishlist and see if there is anything I am missing. Oh, and it's a great place to get in touch with authors. Sometimes they give out free stuff if they think you will give them an honest review.

 

[E Street Brat]

I'm still trying to plow thru Duma Key.

Now I remember why I quit reading King years ago.

 

[Swing 51]

I'm still trying to plow thru Duma Key.

Now I remember why I quit reading King years ago.

Yep. I want to pick up Dr. Sleep but know I will be disappointed. Dude can't come up with a good ending these days.

 

[Controller]

Just finished reading:

Great Expectations

Hamlet

The Tempest

Hadn't read any of these when I was younger & finally have time for some leisure reading.

 

[Possum]

Today on Amazon, the first two ebooks (Kindle) of John Ringo's Posleen Series are free.

A Hymn Before Battle - http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00BEQP50Y/sfsignal-20

Gust Front - http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00BEQP2R0/sfsignal-20

This is not good literature. This is silly, military sci-fi, and is one of the best examples of said genre out there. The plot is a Michael Bay wet dream. And, it's damn good fun.

sweet, thanks - I've heard some good things about John Ringo's stuff, so I'll check these out (still free today btw).

 

[Possum]

as previously posted, I recently read the Memory, Sorrow and Thorn trilogy by Tad Williams. I liked the series overall - the first two books held my interest a little more than the last one, but it was a very good epic fantasy type series. I can absolutely see where this series influenced George R. R. Martin, too - there were a lot of plot/character similarities between MST and ASOIAF that jumped off the page at me while I was reading it. Williams' writing isn't quite as hard-edged as Martin, though, and he definitely doesn't kill off his characters nearly as often - in terms of style, I felt like he had nearly as much in common with Tolkien or CS Lewis as he does with modern guys like Martin or Abercrombie (and I mean that in a good way).

other recently read stuff:

Lexicon by Max Barry - a thriller about a guy who gets unwittingly caught up in a war between groups of "poets", people who can use spoken language in specific patterns to control and manipulate regular people and each other. The two groups are fighting for control of an ancient word that's a million times more powerful than anything in modern language. The premise is pretty cool and the first 2/3 or so of the book was really well done - fast-paced, lots of action, solid dialogue/characters, but I felt that the last part of the book started to veer into cliche territory a little bit. Still, it was a good read overall (and goes by quickly, too). Three and a half out of five stars.

The WInd-Up Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi - sci-fi novel about a future Earth where seed corporations have destroyed the majority of the world's crops through bioengineering controls gone wrong. It's set in Thailand and reads a bit like an agricultural version of Blade Runner (I've also heard people make comparisons between TWUG and Graham Greene, which I can see too). The novel follows an undercover "calorie man" from one of the American corporations who's in Thailand trying to gain access to a one of the world's last unmodified seedbanks held by the Thai government so that his company can find new foodstuffs to exploit. Along the way he falls in love with an illegal android, the "windup girl" of the title, while working his way through shady politics and espionage in the post-energy crisis and famine-wracked future. This book had some plot flaws here and there, but Bacigalupi is a hell of a talented writer and this is definitely worth a read imo. Four out of five stars.

currently reading The Grim Company by Luke Scull, another sword and sorcery modern fantasy in the mold of Joe Abercrombie's First Law series. It's been pretty good so far - nothing all that original (stylistically it reminds me of a mashup of Abercrombie and Scott Lynch) but it's very well written, the characters are engaging, and there's a good bit of humor in it. Looks like this is the first book of a series, so there's yet another set of books I'm going to be waiting on over the next few years.

 

[Socrates11]

I'm still trying to plow thru Duma Key.

Now I remember why I quit reading King years ago.

Yep. I want to pick up Dr. Sleep but know I will be disappointed. Dude can't come up with a good ending these days.

Give 11/22/63 a chance. Thought it was an excellent story with a very solid ending.

 

[parrot]

Just finished Blood Song. I wasn't that impressed for a good part of the book, particularly given some of the reviews here. The story is solid but he doesn't do a great job of developing his characters or settings. Also I felt like some of Vaelin's motives and rationalizations were a little flimsy. Just a little lazy on the writing in some instances. The story really grew on me though and I was fully invested by the end. I even thought the writing got better as the story progressed. Looking forward to reading book 2.

Starting Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill.

 

[Apes with Guns]

as previously posted, I recently read the Memory, Sorrow and Thorn trilogy by Tad Williams. I liked the series overall - the first two books held my interest a little more than the last one, but it was a very good epic fantasy type series. I can absolutely see where this series influenced George R. R. Martin, too - there were a lot of plot/character similarities between MST and ASOIAF that jumped off the page at me while I was reading it. Williams' writing isn't quite as hard-edged as Martin, though, and he definitely doesn't kill off his characters nearly as often - in terms of style, I felt like he had nearly as much in common with Tolkien or CS Lewis as he does with modern guys like Martin or Abercrombie (and I mean that in a good way).

other recently read stuff:

Lexicon by Max Barry - a thriller about a guy who gets unwittingly caught up in a war between groups of "poets", people who can use spoken language in specific patterns to control and manipulate regular people and each other. The two groups are fighting for control of an ancient word that's a million times more powerful than anything in modern language. The premise is pretty cool and the first 2/3 or so of the book was really well done - fast-paced, lots of action, solid dialogue/characters, but I felt that the last part of the book started to veer into cliche territory a little bit. Still, it was a good read overall (and goes by quickly, too). Three and a half out of five stars.

The WInd-Up Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi - sci-fi novel about a future Earth where seed corporations have destroyed the majority of the world's crops through bioengineering controls gone wrong. It's set in Thailand and reads a bit like an agricultural version of Blade Runner (I've also heard people make comparisons between TWUG and Graham Greene, which I can see too). The novel follows an undercover "calorie man" from one of the American corporations who's in Thailand trying to gain access to a one of the world's last unmodified seedbanks held by the Thai government so that his company can find new foodstuffs to exploit. Along the way he falls in love with an illegal android, the "windup girl" of the title, while working his way through shady politics and espionage in the post-energy crisis and famine-wracked future. This book had some plot flaws here and there, but Bacigalupi is a hell of a talented writer and this is definitely worth a read imo. Four out of five stars.

currently reading The Grim Company by Luke Scull, another sword and sorcery modern fantasy in the mold of Joe Abercrombie's First Law series. It's been pretty good so far - nothing all that original (stylistically it reminds me of a mashup of Abercrombie and Scott Lynch) but it's very well written, the characters are engaging, and there's a good bit of humor in it. Looks like this is the first book of a series, so there's yet another set of books I'm going to be waiting on over the next few years.

Oh I absolutely loved Windup Girl! I wanted to read more about that world, and I believe there are more books in taht world, one of which is YA. He also has a collection of short stories called Pump Six and Other stories that is on my Goodreads wishlist.

And as far as comparing to Abercrombie...that a bold statement. Can you let me know you thoughts when you are done? I love Abercrombie, and someone trying to follow in his footsteps is facing quite an uphill climb in my view. However, I will usually give someone a chance if I hear a good opinion on them.

 

[Apes with Guns]

Just finished Blood Song. I wasn't that impressed for a good part of the book, particularly given some of the reviews here. The story is solid but he doesn't do a great job of developing his characters or settings. Also I felt like some of Vaelin's motives and rationalizations were a little flimsy. Just a little lazy on the writing in some instances. The story really grew on me though and I was fully invested by the end. I even thought the writing got better as the story progressed. Looking forward to reading book 2.

Starting Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill.

I liked Heart Shaped Box, but mostly because I liked the characters. The story didn't scare me at all, and I felt like he tried to take some of his dad's easy writing style and make it his own. That's fine, but it didn't work all that well.

 

[Swing 51]

I'm still trying to plow thru Duma Key.

Now I remember why I quit reading King years ago.

Yep. I want to pick up Dr. Sleep but know I will be disappointed. Dude can't come up with a good ending these days.

Give 11/22/63 a chance. Thought it was an excellent story with a very solid ending.

I read it and while the first half is excellent, the second half with Oswald and company plus the ending just didn't do it for me.

 

[The Flying Elvis]

Just finished Blood Song. I wasn't that impressed for a good part of the book, particularly given some of the reviews here. The story is solid but he doesn't do a great job of developing his characters or settings. Also I felt like some of Vaelin's motives and rationalizations were a little flimsy. Just a little lazy on the writing in some instances. The story really grew on me though and I was fully invested by the end. I even thought the writing got better as the story progressed. Looking forward to reading book 2.

Starting Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill.

Blood Song was originally self published I believe from a first time author so it would help explain some of the inconsistencies within it.

 

[parrot]

Just finished Blood Song. I wasn't that impressed for a good part of the book, particularly given some of the reviews here. The story is solid but he doesn't do a great job of developing his characters or settings. Also I felt like some of Vaelin's motives and rationalizations were a little flimsy. Just a little lazy on the writing in some instances. The story really grew on me though and I was fully invested by the end. I even thought the writing got better as the story progressed. Looking forward to reading book 2.

Starting Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill.

Blood Song was originally self published I believe from a first time author so it would help explain some of the inconsistencies within it.

Yeah. I also read that if took him 6 years to write it, so it makes sense that he gets stronger as it goes along.

 

[parrot]

Just finished Blood Song. I wasn't that impressed for a good part of the book, particularly given some of the reviews here. The story is solid but he doesn't do a great job of developing his characters or settings. Also I felt like some of Vaelin's motives and rationalizations were a little flimsy. Just a little lazy on the writing in some instances. The story really grew on me though and I was fully invested by the end. I even thought the writing got better as the story progressed. Looking forward to reading book 2.

Starting Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill.

I liked Heart Shaped Box, but mostly because I liked the characters. The story didn't scare me at all, and I felt like he tried to take some of his dad's easy writing style and make it his own. That's fine, but it didn't work all that well.

I noticed the reviews here are mixed on it, but it was a $2.99 Kindle deal so I snatched it up.

 

[Apes with Guns]

Just finished Blood Song. I wasn't that impressed for a good part of the book, particularly given some of the reviews here. The story is solid but he doesn't do a great job of developing his characters or settings. Also I felt like some of Vaelin's motives and rationalizations were a little flimsy. Just a little lazy on the writing in some instances. The story really grew on me though and I was fully invested by the end. I even thought the writing got better as the story progressed. Looking forward to reading book 2.

Starting Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill.

I liked Heart Shaped Box, but mostly because I liked the characters. The story didn't scare me at all, and I felt like he tried to take some of his dad's easy writing style and make it his own. That's fine, but it didn't work all that well.

I noticed the reviews here are mixed on it, but it was a $2.99 Kindle deal so I snatched it up.

Yes, it's definitely a good buy for that price.

 

[Apes with Guns]

I'm still trying to plow thru Duma Key.

Now I remember why I quit reading King years ago.

Yep. I want to pick up Dr. Sleep but know I will be disappointed. Dude can't come up with a good ending these days.

Give 11/22/63 a chance. Thought it was an excellent story with a very solid ending.

This is one of my favorite books. I haven't felt that immersed in a story, or cared about characters that deeply, in a long time.

 

[Sand]

You've probably had this discussion before, but how many of you are on goodreads?

Have an account, but until I can seamlessly import my Kindle collection I don't see the point. And, considering Amazon has owned them for a while, the lack of that functionality is appalling. Fairly useless right now with a lot of potential.

 

[avoiding injuries]

Started "Lone Survivor" last night. Having trouble putting it down. Best book I think I've ever read so far.

 

[Possum]

Just finished Blood Song. I wasn't that impressed for a good part of the book, particularly given some of the reviews here. The story is solid but he doesn't do a great job of developing his characters or settings. Also I felt like some of Vaelin's motives and rationalizations were a little flimsy. Just a little lazy on the writing in some instances. The story really grew on me though and I was fully invested by the end. I even thought the writing got better as the story progressed. Looking forward to reading book 2.

Starting Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill.

Blood Song was originally self published I believe from a first time author so it would help explain some of the inconsistencies within it.

Good point on the self publishing thing - the first run of Blood Song probably didn't have much outside editing, if at all. But I don't think it was his first novel, though, because I read a couple of other sci-fi books he'd put out (the Slab City Blues series).

as previously posted, I recently read the Memory, Sorrow and Thorn trilogy by Tad Williams. I liked the series overall - the first two books held my interest a little more than the last one, but it was a very good epic fantasy type series. I can absolutely see where this series influenced George R. R. Martin, too - there were a lot of plot/character similarities between MST and ASOIAF that jumped off the page at me while I was reading it. Williams' writing isn't quite as hard-edged as Martin, though, and he definitely doesn't kill off his characters nearly as often - in terms of style, I felt like he had nearly as much in common with Tolkien or CS Lewis as he does with modern guys like Martin or Abercrombie (and I mean that in a good way).

other recently read stuff:

Lexicon by Max Barry - a thriller about a guy who gets unwittingly caught up in a war between groups of "poets", people who can use spoken language in specific patterns to control and manipulate regular people and each other. The two groups are fighting for control of an ancient word that's a million times more powerful than anything in modern language. The premise is pretty cool and the first 2/3 or so of the book was really well done - fast-paced, lots of action, solid dialogue/characters, but I felt that the last part of the book started to veer into cliche territory a little bit. Still, it was a good read overall (and goes by quickly, too). Three and a half out of five stars.

The WInd-Up Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi - sci-fi novel about a future Earth where seed corporations have destroyed the majority of the world's crops through bioengineering controls gone wrong. It's set in Thailand and reads a bit like an agricultural version of Blade Runner (I've also heard people make comparisons between TWUG and Graham Greene, which I can see too). The novel follows an undercover "calorie man" from one of the American corporations who's in Thailand trying to gain access to a one of the world's last unmodified seedbanks held by the Thai government so that his company can find new foodstuffs to exploit. Along the way he falls in love with an illegal android, the "windup girl" of the title, while working his way through shady politics and espionage in the post-energy crisis and famine-wracked future. This book had some plot flaws here and there, but Bacigalupi is a hell of a talented writer and this is definitely worth a read imo. Four out of five stars.

currently reading The Grim Company by Luke Scull, another sword and sorcery modern fantasy in the mold of Joe Abercrombie's First Law series. It's been pretty good so far - nothing all that original (stylistically it reminds me of a mashup of Abercrombie and Scott Lynch) but it's very well written, the characters are engaging, and there's a good bit of humor in it. Looks like this is the first book of a series, so there's yet another set of books I'm going to be waiting on over the next few years.

Oh I absolutely loved Windup Girl! I wanted to read more about that world, and I believe there are more books in taht world, one of which is YA. He also has a collection of short stories called Pump Six and Other stories that is on my Goodreads wishlist.

And as far as comparing to Abercrombie...that a bold statement. Can you let me know you thoughts when you are done? I love Abercrombie, and someone trying to follow in his footsteps is facing quite an uphill climb in my view. However, I will usually give someone a chance if I hear a good opinion on them.

yeah man, Pump 6 is an absolutely awesome collection - if you liked Windup Girl then I definitely recommend it (my favorite story in there is The People Of Sand And Slag). PB is a really talented author and I think his take on scifi, the way he comes at it from an environmentalist point of view, is really fresh and interesting (and I'm not even an environmentalist type, I just like his writing). The other two books of his that I've got that are set in the same world as TWUG are Ship Breaker and The Drowned Cities - I haven't read Ship Breaker, but I read TDS and liked it a lot. It's set in North America instead of Thailand, but same deal - it's after a worldwide famine/energy collapse that destroyed the majority of civilization as we know it and completely wiped out the East Coast. Both of those two books are classified YA - I can't speak to Ship Breaker, but I think The Drowned Cities is a great read for adults too. It's a lot more gritty and violent than your typical YA novel.

the Abercrombie comparison is just that a lot of aspects of the world in The Grim Company reminds me of the world of The First Law/Heroes/Red Country etc., and some of the characters in TGC have very comparable appearances/personality traits with Abercrombie's characters (i.e., Brodar Kayne is really reminiscent of Logen and Curnden Craw, the Halfmage Eremul reminds me a lot of Inquisitor Glokta, Davarus Cole is similar to Jezel dan Luthar). Plus, Luke Scull's writing style is very much in the same vein as Abercrombie and Lynch - lots of dark, gritty characters, black humor, emphasis on human failings/frailty/selfishness/greed rather than heroism, that kind of thing. That's not to take anything away from The Grim Company - I'm about 2/3 of the way through the book, and I really like it. It's not super original, but it's done well and it's a fun read (it's also the first book in a series, so it's entirely possible that the character arcs of the guys I mentioned will change and go in completely different directions).

 

[Apes with Guns]

Just finished Blood Song. I wasn't that impressed for a good part of the book, particularly given some of the reviews here. The story is solid but he doesn't do a great job of developing his characters or settings. Also I felt like some of Vaelin's motives and rationalizations were a little flimsy. Just a little lazy on the writing in some instances. The story really grew on me though and I was fully invested by the end. I even thought the writing got better as the story progressed. Looking forward to reading book 2.

Starting Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill.

Blood Song was originally self published I believe from a first time author so it would help explain some of the inconsistencies within it.

Good point on the self publishing thing - the first run of Blood Song probably didn't have much outside editing, if at all. But I don't think it was his first novel, though, because I read a couple of other sci-fi books he'd put out (the Slab City Blues series).

as previously posted, I recently read the Memory, Sorrow and Thorn trilogy by Tad Williams. I liked the series overall - the first two books held my interest a little more than the last one, but it was a very good epic fantasy type series. I can absolutely see where this series influenced George R. R. Martin, too - there were a lot of plot/character similarities between MST and ASOIAF that jumped off the page at me while I was reading it. Williams' writing isn't quite as hard-edged as Martin, though, and he definitely doesn't kill off his characters nearly as often - in terms of style, I felt like he had nearly as much in common with Tolkien or CS Lewis as he does with modern guys like Martin or Abercrombie (and I mean that in a good way).

other recently read stuff:

Lexicon by Max Barry - a thriller about a guy who gets unwittingly caught up in a war between groups of "poets", people who can use spoken language in specific patterns to control and manipulate regular people and each other. The two groups are fighting for control of an ancient word that's a million times more powerful than anything in modern language. The premise is pretty cool and the first 2/3 or so of the book was really well done - fast-paced, lots of action, solid dialogue/characters, but I felt that the last part of the book started to veer into cliche territory a little bit. Still, it was a good read overall (and goes by quickly, too). Three and a half out of five stars.

The WInd-Up Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi - sci-fi novel about a future Earth where seed corporations have destroyed the majority of the world's crops through bioengineering controls gone wrong. It's set in Thailand and reads a bit like an agricultural version of Blade Runner (I've also heard people make comparisons between TWUG and Graham Greene, which I can see too). The novel follows an undercover "calorie man" from one of the American corporations who's in Thailand trying to gain access to a one of the world's last unmodified seedbanks held by the Thai government so that his company can find new foodstuffs to exploit. Along the way he falls in love with an illegal android, the "windup girl" of the title, while working his way through shady politics and espionage in the post-energy crisis and famine-wracked future. This book had some plot flaws here and there, but Bacigalupi is a hell of a talented writer and this is definitely worth a read imo. Four out of five stars.

currently reading The Grim Company by Luke Scull, another sword and sorcery modern fantasy in the mold of Joe Abercrombie's First Law series. It's been pretty good so far - nothing all that original (stylistically it reminds me of a mashup of Abercrombie and Scott Lynch) but it's very well written, the characters are engaging, and there's a good bit of humor in it. Looks like this is the first book of a series, so there's yet another set of books I'm going to be waiting on over the next few years.

Oh I absolutely loved Windup Girl! I wanted to read more about that world, and I believe there are more books in taht world, one of which is YA. He also has a collection of short stories called Pump Six and Other stories that is on my Goodreads wishlist.

And as far as comparing to Abercrombie...that a bold statement. Can you let me know you thoughts when you are done? I love Abercrombie, and someone trying to follow in his footsteps is facing quite an uphill climb in my view. However, I will usually give someone a chance if I hear a good opinion on them.

yeah man, Pump 6 is an absolutely awesome collection - if you liked Windup Girl then I definitely recommend it (my favorite story in there is The People Of Sand And Slag). PB is a really talented author and I think his take on scifi, the way he comes at it from an environmentalist point of view, is really fresh and interesting (and I'm not even an environmentalist type, I just like his writing). The other two books of his that I've got that are set in the same world as TWUG are Ship Breaker and The Drowned Cities - I haven't read Ship Breaker, but I read TDS and liked it a lot. It's set in North America instead of Thailand, but same deal - it's after a worldwide famine/energy collapse that destroyed the majority of civilization as we know it and completely wiped out the East Coast. Both of those two books are classified YA - I can't speak to Ship Breaker, but I think The Drowned Cities is a great read for adults too. It's a lot more gritty and violent than your typical YA novel.

the Abercrombie comparison is just that a lot of aspects of the world in The Grim Company reminds me of the world of The First Law/Heroes/Red Country etc., and some of the characters in TGC have very comparable appearances/personality traits with Abercrombie's characters (i.e., Brodar Kayne is really reminiscent of Logen and Curnden Craw, the Halfmage Eremul reminds me a lot of Inquisitor Glokta, Davarus Cole is similar to Jezel dan Luthar). Plus, Luke Scull's writing style is very much in the same vein as Abercrombie and Lynch - lots of dark, gritty characters, black humor, emphasis on human failings/frailty/selfishness/greed rather than heroism, that kind of thing. That's not to take anything away from The Grim Company - I'm about 2/3 of the way through the book, and I really like it. It's not super original, but it's done well and it's a fun read (it's also the first book in a series, so it's entirely possible that the character arcs of the guys I mentioned will change and go in completely different directions).

Yes, I saw Shipbreakers in the YA section, and the plot was very interesting. I need to go ahead and buy them, I think.

And you've sold me on Grim Company. Thanks again!

 

[shuke]

I'll give goodreads a try again. Is there a way to start an "FFA group"?

I guess I haven't needed it since I have been keeping track of what I've read and what I want to read in an excel spreadsheet for well over a decade.

 

[Apes with Guns]

I'll give goodreads a try again. Is there a way to start an "FFA group"?

I guess I haven't needed it since I have been keeping track of what I've read and what I want to read in an excel spreadsheet for well over a decade.

i used SQL server. Goodreads is much easier. i believe it's very easy to set up a group.

 

[Apes with Guns]

Free Kindle book that just piqued my interest:

Blue Fall: http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Fall-The-Tournament-Griffith-ebook/dp/B005NC01OK/ref=pd_zg_rss_tf_kstore_digital-text_8

Synopsis:

There was a time, long ago, when wars were won and lost based on the outcomes of single battles between heroes. Entire countries were moved. Empires rose and fell.

In Blue Fall, that time has come again.

A routine investigation throws a hapless insurance agent down the rabbit hole, into a world where the rich and powerful place wagers on the greatest game on Earth. They call it the Tournament. It offers competition without limits. It is beholden to no man, constrained by no law, and it is extremely dangerous. But where does the true power lie in this World Cup of Warfare? With those who place the bets, or with the deadly players themselves? And how much longer can it possibly remain a secret?

 

[igbomb]

I'll give goodreads a try again. Is there a way to start an "FFA group"?

I guess I haven't needed it since I have been keeping track of what I've read and what I want to read in an excel spreadsheet for well over a decade.

Here is the FFA group. The group page itself isn't used at all, but if nothing else it's a way to find other FBGs on the site.

https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/43469-fbgs

 

[Swing 51]

RE: Wool/Shift

Spoiler

MONTGOMERY, Ala. -

Microscopic robots may soon be detecting and even preventing diseases instantly at doctors' offices across the nation, eliminating the need for multiple tests or treatment plans.

It may sound like science fiction, but one of the nation's top nanotechnology scientists said it could be only four or five years away.

"I think it's coming pretty soon," said Dr. Shree Singh, the director of the Center for NanoBiotechnology Research at Alabama State University. "In the near future, you will have some small nanomachines that will basically cure the disease before it even happens. Basically any kind of disease diagnosis or prevention can be done through nanobiotechnology."


http://www.myfoxdc.com/story/23788311/scientist-tiny-robots-can-find-and-kill-diseases#axzz2ikSpJjjR

 

[Uruk-Hai]

I'm a little more than half way through Republic Of Thieves. Lynch can turn a phrase in a way I've never heard with the best of them. The "witty reparte" of just about every main (or, semi-main) character bugs a bit as it did in the earlier novels (I don't always know who's talking just by his/her voice during a long dialogue). But that's a niggling thing, and I'm not sure I care of there's a BIG PAYOFF or not by book's end. As someone who came of age in the 1970s, reading Lynch is the equivalent of watching The Rockford Files. It may never be rated the absolute best at any one time, but it's a ton of fun and has a good amount of attention to craft to boot.

Next up is probably Dan Simmons & Abominable.

However, I've also bought both of the WOOL add-ons. I've already read the Original Five via the Omnibus. Which is the sequel and which is the prequel? Which order should I read them in?

 

[igbomb]

I'm a little more than half way through Republic Of Thieves. Lynch can turn a phrase in a way I've never heard with the best of them. The "witty reparte" of just about every main (or, semi-main) character bugs a bit as it did in the earlier novels (I don't always know who's talking just by his/her voice during a long dialogue). But that's a niggling thing, and I'm not sure I care of there's a BIG PAYOFF or not by book's end. As someone who came of age in the 1970s, reading Lynch is the equivalent of watching The Rockford Files. It may never be rated the absolute best at any one time, but it's a ton of fun and has a good amount of attention to craft to boot.

Next up is probably Dan Simmons & Abominable.

However, I've also bought both of the WOOL add-ons. I've already read the Original Five via the Omnibus. Which is the sequel and which is the prequel? Which order should I read them in?

The Shift omnibus is generally called a prequel but it jumps around in time and merges with the main storyline. You need to read Shift before Dust.

It's essentially one long story from Wool to Shift to Dust. Sequence is pretty critical.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

I'm a little more than half way through Republic Of Thieves. Lynch can turn a phrase in a way I've never heard with the best of them. The "witty reparte" of just about every main (or, semi-main) character bugs a bit as it did in the earlier novels (I don't always know who's talking just by his/her voice during a long dialogue). But that's a niggling thing, and I'm not sure I care of there's a BIG PAYOFF or not by book's end. As someone who came of age in the 1970s, reading Lynch is the equivalent of watching The Rockford Files. It may never be rated the absolute best at any one time, but it's a ton of fun and has a good amount of attention to craft to boot.

Next up is probably Dan Simmons & Abominable.

However, I've also bought both of the WOOL add-ons. I've already read the Original Five via the Omnibus. Which is the sequel and which is the prequel? Which order should I read them in?

The Shift omnibus is generally called a prequel but it jumps around in time and merges with the main storyline. You need to read Shift before Dust.

It's essentially one long story from Wool to Shift to Dust. Sequence is pretty critical.

Danke, iggie!

 

[igbomb]

Finished Wool last night.

Personally, I thought it was a terrific ending to one of my favorite series ever. To me, nothing beats those first few installments of Wool where the entire story was told from one POV and you were figuring things out right along with the main character. As he expanded into multiple POVs in the later books, some of that immersion was lost to me but I still think it was one hell of a story.

Spoiler

The best part of Wool to me was that it still continued to kick the characters in the ### like the earlier novels. I think too often the final volume of a series is just a long walk of everything lining up for the good guys until the final denouement. I loved that things continued to get worse for most of this book. Also, I dig that we don't get a complete resolution of everything.