Whatcha readin now? (book, books, reading, read) (1 Viewer)

[facook]

Reread The Passage prepping for The Twelve. Kinda bummed to see the less-than-stellar reviews for that here.Now on Gone Girl, which I've heard very good things about. It's very entertaining writing, though I must say1/4 of the way through some of the marital conflict hits a little too close too home.

Finished Gone Girl and definitely would give it a . Engrossing, entertaining, and worth it.I've started The Twelve, am about 1/3 of the way through, and I'm pleasantly surprised. Not sure exactly where all the negativity is coming from. I feel like it's a very good continuation of The Passage.

 

[Brady Marino]

I've started The Twelve, am about 1/3 of the way through, and I'm pleasantly surprised. Not sure exactly where all the negativity is coming from. I feel like it's a very good continuation of The Passage.

This is good to hear, because despite the abrupt jump forward that I griped about earlier, I'm enjoying the hell out of The Passage and I don't want to stop the saga when I'm done with the first book.

 

[timschochet]

Started The Last Lion: Defender of the Realm, Winston Spencer Churchill 1940-1965 by the late William Manchester and Paul Reid. It's the third volume. So far so great.

 

[Brady Marino]

Finished The Passage and was pretty impressed with it. Now I'm reading The Twelve and...

Spoiler

...didn't care for the flashback chapters that started off the book...at first. I never liked the Grey character for some reason and I still didn't in this book. Lila was pissing me off, too, but I can kind of understand her plight. Danny was just kinda there, but I did like the Kittridge angle. I would have liked knowing that April's last name was Donadio earlier, making her Alicia's grandmother (or great-grandmother?), but I liked that reveal in the end.

So far, it's just OK and I'm glad they're getting back to the original characters. Odd that my reaction to jumping ahead in The Twelve was a happy one when I was pissed when they did it in the first book.

 

[36th Chamber]

Just finished The Passage , really enjoyed it. Rarely have I read a book that I did not want to put down. It kind of reminded me a little of Dean Kootnz's Midnight which I enjoyed also many years ago.

Next up, The Twelve.

Can anyone recommend other books that are similar? What about World War Z?

 

[shuke]

Just finished The Passage , really enjoyed it. Rarely have I read a book that I did not want to put down. It kind of reminded me a little of Dean Kootnz's Midnight which I enjoyed also many years ago.

Next up, The Twelve.

Can anyone recommend other books that are similar? What about World War Z?

World War Z is a very different kind of book.You might like Swan Song by Robert McCammon.

 

[Socrates11]

History of Marvel Comics by Sean Howe

Very thorough, almost too thorough as it gets bogged down sometimes. Still and interesting read about the development of the comic industry and Marvel's place in it.

 

[Fly]

Just started "Wool" last night. Very promising post-apocalyptic story. It's interesting that it was self-published but still has garnered a lot of fantastic reviews. And apparently Fox has bought the rights to it.

Anyone here read it?

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

Just started "Wool" last night. Very promising post-apocalyptic story. It's interesting that it was self-published but still has garnered a lot of fantastic reviews. And apparently Fox has bought the rights to it.Anyone here read it?

I've read the Wool compedium, which are the five "novellas" released. It's decent. It's self-published and feels like it sometimes. The prose is sometimes clunky, and the reveal is pretty anti-climactic, IMO. But it was a fun, easy read for the money. I have not read the prequel, First Shift.

 

[Maelstrom]

Just started "Wool" last night. Very promising post-apocalyptic story. It's interesting that it was self-published but still has garnered a lot of fantastic reviews. And apparently Fox has bought the rights to it.Anyone here read it?

I've read the Wool compedium, which are the five "novellas" released. It's decent. It's self-published and feels like it sometimes. The prose is sometimes clunky, and the reveal is pretty anti-climactic, IMO. But it was a fun, easy read for the money. I have not read the prequel, First Shift.

I really enjoyed it. As said, it was obvious it was self-published, but not really in a bad way. It was a decent story, and left me wanting more from that world.

 

[Smarge]

Just finished Pillars of the Earth on Audiobook....what an epic story. Really enjoyed it. I already have the Starz series coming my way via Netflix. Prior to POTE I listened to WWZ, Ready Player One and 11-22-63. I'm on a nice run, as all of those books were also very entertaining in different ways.

So many books discussed in this thread I want to read/listen to --- next up I'm choosing between Cloud Atlas, The Passage, Gone Girl, Snow Crash/Crypto/Reamde, or World Without End. I'll get to all of them in either book or audio form, but having a tough time choosing one.

 

[prosopis]

I got about 1/2 way through Waging heavy peace by Neil Young. I really liked it and wished I could have finished it but there were to many reserves at the library so I had to return it. if you are a Neil Young fan it is a real cool book. I am interested in his invention of pure tone and i will keep my eye out for it.

Interesting how paths cross in this book. I dont want to spoil anything but I was surprised by some of the mentions.

 

[flysack]

I'm on the second section of Cloud Atlas.Just finished the first section of Adam Ewing's journal entries.This gets better, I hope?

If I remember, the second section is the young composer, right? If so, that's the slowest section. The rest is phenomenal.EDIT: HIPPLE! Just saw the OP date. Did you stick with it?

 

[Good Posting Judge]

Halfway through Cloud Atlas. Completely transfixed. Nearly squealed like a little girl when the link between "Section 5" and "Section 6" was revealed.

 

[timschochet]

I am reading A Game of Thrones for the first time- never read it or saw the show, know nothing about it. A few 100 pages in, very enjoyable so far. Reminiscent of Clavell and Follett.

 

[Psychopav]

I'm reading a fabulous (abridged from 5 volumes) biography of Dostoevsky by Joseph Frank called Dostoevsky: A Writer in His Time.

As I get to each work chronologically in the bio, I'm stopping and reading the novel. I'm currently on The Idiot, and through this process I also found a translator that just blows me away by the name of Ignat Avsey. Here's his translation of The Idiot that I'm reading now.

He's also translated Humiliated and Insulted, The Village of Stepanchikovo and Its Inhabitants, and Brothers K.

 

[wazoo11]

:sehorn:

 

[Maelstrom]

I am reading A Game of Thrones for the first time- never read it or saw the show, know nothing about it. A few 100 pages in, very enjoyable so far. Reminiscent of Clavell and Follett.

One of my favorites. Don't read them too quickly though, the series isn't done and the author is known to take many years between books.

 

[Prince Myshkin]

I think I remember seeing Child 44 mentioned in this thread somewhere already, but I'm enjoying it so far (about half way through)...

 

[Prince Myshkin]

I'm reading a fabulous (abridged from 5 volumes) biography of Dostoevsky by Joseph Frank called Dostoevsky: A Writer in His Time.

As I get to each work chronologically in the bio, I'm stopping and reading the novel. I'm currently on The Idiot, and through this process I also found a translator that just blows me away by the name of Ignat Avsey. Here's his translation of The Idiot that I'm reading now.

He's also translated Humiliated and Insulted, The Village of Stepanchikovo and Its Inhabitants, and Brothers K.

The Idiot is my favorite work by my favorite author. I haven't read any of the Avsey translations...will check them out!

 

[Instinctive]

Read the newest Mitch Rapp and Jack Reacher novels (by Vince Flynn and Lee Child, respectively)

Both were good. Standard from the authors, no real twists in style.

Reading American Grace right now - really interesting. I've seen David Campbell lecture, and he's a very funny guy, quite charismatic.

Also finished No God But God: solid introduction to Islam for those of you who desire to be more educated than the majority of bigoted Americans.

Read Boomerang, by Michael Lewis, last week as well. Fairly quick read, but gives a nice handle on the financial goings-on from the downfall of Iceland, through the Greek issues, until the last year or so. As always, he's an easy read and gives the information in a very understandable manner. I'm a big fan of this author.

 

[1-2-many]

 

[sports_fan]

I'm reading a fabulous (abridged from 5 volumes) biography of Dostoevsky by Joseph Frank called Dostoevsky: A Writer in His Time.

As I get to each work chronologically in the bio, I'm stopping and reading the novel. I'm currently on The Idiot, and through this process I also found a translator that just blows me away by the name of Ignat Avsey. Here's his translation of The Idiot that I'm reading now.

He's also translated Humiliated and Insulted, The Village of Stepanchikovo and Its Inhabitants, and Brothers K.

The Idiot is my favorite work by my favorite author. I haven't read any of the Avsey translations...will check them out!

Are these available in hardcover? I'm only seeing paperback on Amazon.

 

[krista4]

Another for Gone Girl. It's not earthshattering nor nothing that you'll remember 20 years from now, but it's a good engrossing read and well written. Nice twists and turns that kept me involved. A good high-quality read when you don't want to have to think too much.

 

[beer 302]

Reading No Easy Day right now. Ok, no literary genius to be found here but as revealing as someone who lives in an ultra top secret world can be about that life. The thought that all of these guys have double digit deployments to Iraq & Afghanistan is pretty amazing. I realize their deployments are much shorter than a normal Army grunt but how you do that without getting burnt is pretty amazing. Interesting for those who want to know the nuts & bolts of these type of things.

Finished The Twelve a while ago. Liked it, moved the story along. Don't think it was as good as The Passage but it worked for me. I'll agree that I think they could have done better with the Lila/Guilder characters. Interesting road he went down but I never felt like he developed it as well as it could have been and if you are going to put out a 600 page book, you have time.

 

[Brady Marino]

Finished The Twelve a while ago. Liked it, moved the story along. Don't think it was as good as The Passage but it worked for me. I'll agree that I think they could have done better with the Lila/Guilder characters. Interesting road he went down but I never felt like he developed it as well as it could have been and if you are going to put out a 600 page book, you have time.

Agreed on Lila and they could even have done a bit more with Grey, too.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

It's been a while since I checked in, so let's see if I can recall what I've read lately....

Don't know if I posted that I finished the Hater trilogy by David Moody. Pretty quick, fun (if brutal) read though the 2nd book dragged a little. I also read his latest - Trust (unrelated to the trilogy) - and found it much less good. The premise was good (alien contact), but seemed like just a cover for Moody to have people sit around discussing "man's place in the grand scheme of things".

Next, I think, was John Lindqvist's ("Let The Right One In") "Little Star". I love this guy. Here's the blurb from Amazon:

A man finds a baby in the woods, left for dead. He brings the baby home, and he and his wife raise the girl in their basement. When a shocking and catastrophic incident occurs, the couple’s son Jerry whisks the girl away to Stockholm to start a new life. There, he enters her in a nationwide singing competition. Another young girl who’s never fit in sees the performance on TV, and a spark is struck that will ignite the most terrifying duo in modern fiction.

Little Star is an unforgettable portrait of adolescence, a modern-day Carrie for the age of internet bullies, offensive reality television, and overnight You Tube sensations. Chilling, unnerving, and petrifying, Little Star is Lindqvist’s most disturbing book to date.

This book's creepy as all get-out. Some on Amazon said it's too slow, but I didn't get that. Loved it.

I then moved on to The Twelve. I'm still not sure how I feel about it. I'm glad I read it, but I tend to get lost when writers get into "meta" stuff. There were some characters who I'm not sure where they actually were physically or if they're even alive.

I'm now reading a book called King's X by Stephen Harper. The blurb described it as The Da Vinci Code crossed with The Matrix. I never read Brown's book but, based on what others have told me, this is much better written. I'm only 1/2 way through but I don't really see The Matrix connection. The book bounces between 2 timelines: one in the ME during the Crusades and the other in LA during the 60s. I'm interested in seeing how Harper ties the two together. I think I know where he's going, but I'm almost always wrong with plot predictions.

 

[Prince Myshkin]

I'm reading a fabulous (abridged from 5 volumes) biography of Dostoevsky by Joseph Frank called Dostoevsky: A Writer in His Time.

As I get to each work chronologically in the bio, I'm stopping and reading the novel. I'm currently on The Idiot, and through this process I also found a translator that just blows me away by the name of Ignat Avsey. Here's his translation of The Idiot that I'm reading now.

He's also translated Humiliated and Insulted, The Village of Stepanchikovo and Its Inhabitants, and Brothers K.

The Idiot is my favorite work by my favorite author. I haven't read any of the Avsey translations...will check them out!

Are these available in hardcover? I'm only seeing paperback on Amazon.

I have hardcover editions of several from dostoevski, but i bought them several years ago...

 

[Leeroy Jenkins]

Halfway through Cloud Atlas. Completely transfixed. Nearly squealed like a little girl when the link between "Section 5" and "Section 6" was revealed.

I'm about to pick this back up. I had last read the first luisa Rey chapter.

 

[36th Chamber]

Just finished The Passage , really enjoyed it. Rarely have I read a book that I did not want to put down. It kind of reminded me a little of Dean Kootnz's Midnight which I enjoyed also many years ago.

Next up, The Twelve.

Can anyone recommend other books that are similar? What about World War Z?

World War Z is a very different kind of book.You might like Swan Song by Robert McCammon.

Almost done with The Twelve, enjoying it so far but not as strong as The Passage. Excited for the final book in the trilogy but not sure when it is coming out.Next up, in no specific order:

Swan Song (thanks for the recommendation Shuke)

The Talisman

The Strain Trilogy

World War Z

 

[Swing 51]

Books 4, 5, and 6 (Running Blind, Echo Burning, and Without Fail )of the Jack Reacher series are pretty underwhelming. Does it ever pick back up?

In the meantime, on to Michael Chabon's Telegraph Avenue.

 

[The_Man]

Finally read "Cloud Atlas" - as mentioned by many others - and thought it was fantastic. I guess I'll see the movie on DVD, though I'm not sure how it can do the book justice.

I have a pair of very, very strong recommendations, made even stronger by the fact that both are about topics I can't believe I would find interesting or entertaining, but by which I was completely captivated.

The novel is "The Orphan Master's Son" about life in North Korea, and a lowly guy who somehow rises higher and higher in the bizarre totalitarian state. The first half is maybe the best thing I've read this year. Second half is good, too, though markedly different and not ultimately as great.

The non-fiction is "Behind the Beautiful Forevers," about life in an Mumbai slum. It recently won the National Book Award and I'm guessing will take the Pulitzer as well. It is just an incredible feat of reporting, as the writer basically submerged herself into this community until she became a fly on the wall. It showed me a part of the world I had no idea about, and though the subject matter is depressing, the book itself is easy to read, not slow or off-putting.

 

[Brony]

Finished How Children Succeed by Paul Tough. Non-fiction looking at lifetime success factors vs. early predictors and how much schools factor into this. Not a how-to on making your child successful, but interesting look at the school systems, societies and what really matters.

Also, (almost) finished Guns, Germs and Steel by J. Diamond. Started off good, but man, does it drag once you get around 200 pages in.

Starting Tasteful Nudes by Dave Hill and then have Signal and the Noise waiting for me next.

 

[Don Quixote]

I usually read nonfiction, but taking a break from that to read Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall. Took me some time to really get into it, but enjoying it now. It perhaps took me longer than it should have to realize that the author refers to Cromwell as "he". I was a bit confused as to who was talking until I figured that out.

I'll move on to the next volume Bring Up the Bodies after I finish it.

 

[Steve Tasker]

Hi. I don't read much; it's a shame. I am looking for suggestions - a goal of mine for this year is to read a few books, which I really haven't been doing much lately. I think I got through only 2 books in all of 2012. I asked for suggestions maybe 2 years ago in a different thread here and got some good results.

I much prefer non-fiction. I like general pop culture, sociology/psychology, economics, food, and sports, but that's not an exhaustive list. Some of my favorites, so you get an idea - I've read all (or almost-all?) of Malcolm Gladwell's books and loved them. Freakonomics was very good. I like Chuck Klosterman, Anthony Bourdain, Michael Pollan, and books about soccer. Basically, I like somewhat-intellectual topics that aren't a bore or a drag to get through.

I got a $40 gift card to Barnes and Noble for Christmas, so that's a good start for a handful of books. I am open to any and all suggestions. One that caught my eye while skimming the previous page was Boomerang by Michael Lewis, though I don't know a ton about it.

 

[kupcho1]

Parrot and Olivier in America by Peter Carey (an Australian novelist, known primarily for being one of only four writers to have won the Booker Prize twice—the others being J. M. Coetzee, J. G. Farrell and Hilary Mantel. Carey won his first Booker Prize in 1988 for Oscar and Lucinda, and won for the second time in 2001 with True History of the Kelly Gang.[1] In May 2008 he was nominated for the Best of the Booker Prize). I'm through the first section (Olivier). So far, big

 

[Mr Capicollo]

Finally got around to reading William Gibson's Neuromancer. Wow, unbelievably good.

 

[The_Man]

I usually read nonfiction, but taking a break from that to read Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall. Took me some time to really get into it, but enjoying it now. It perhaps took me longer than it should have to realize that the author refers to Cromwell as "he". I was a bit confused as to who was talking until I figured that out.

I'll move on to the next volume Bring Up the Bodies after I finish it.

Wolf Hall is one of my favorite books of the past decade. Just so great. Bringing Up the Bodies was o.k., but kind of a disappointment. Hardly any of the character development that made Wolf Hall so fascinating, and just a lot of plot, plot, plot - it felt like it was all just setting things up for the final book in the trilogy. If you've read any James Ellroy, it feels to me like Wolf Hall was like American Tabloid, and Bringing Up the Bodies was like The Cold Six Thousand. Though not as bad as the Cold6K which really was a mess.

 

[hotdogcollars]

:sehorn:

 

[Todd Andrews]

I usually read nonfiction, but taking a break from that to read Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall. Took me some time to really get into it, but enjoying it now. It perhaps took me longer than it should have to realize that the author refers to Cromwell as "he". I was a bit confused as to who was talking until I figured that out.

I'll move on to the next volume Bring Up the Bodies after I finish it.

Wolf Hall is one of my favorite books of the past decade. Just so great. Bringing Up the Bodies was o.k., but kind of a disappointment. Hardly any of the character development that made Wolf Hall so fascinating, and just a lot of plot, plot, plot - it felt like it was all just setting things up for the final book in the trilogy. If you've read any James Ellroy, it feels to me like Wolf Hall was like American Tabloid, and Bringing Up the Bodies was like The Cold Six Thousand. Though not as bad as the Cold6K which really was a mess.

Big Ellroy fan so you just sold me.

 

[The_Man]

I usually read nonfiction, but taking a break from that to read Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall. Took me some time to really get into it, but enjoying it now. It perhaps took me longer than it should have to realize that the author refers to Cromwell as "he". I was a bit confused as to who was talking until I figured that out.

I'll move on to the next volume Bring Up the Bodies after I finish it.

Wolf Hall is one of my favorite books of the past decade. Just so great. Bringing Up the Bodies was o.k., but kind of a disappointment. Hardly any of the character development that made Wolf Hall so fascinating, and just a lot of plot, plot, plot - it felt like it was all just setting things up for the final book in the trilogy. If you've read any James Ellroy, it feels to me like Wolf Hall was like American Tabloid, and Bringing Up the Bodies was like The Cold Six Thousand. Though not as bad as the Cold6K which really was a mess.

Big Ellroy fan so you just sold me.

OK, but to continue my analogy for these books, Wolf Hall is to American Tabloid as Henry VIII is to JFK.

 

[Don Quixote]

I usually read nonfiction, but taking a break from that to read Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall. Took me some time to really get into it, but enjoying it now. It perhaps took me longer than it should have to realize that the author refers to Cromwell as "he". I was a bit confused as to who was talking until I figured that out.

I'll move on to the next volume Bring Up the Bodies after I finish it.

Wolf Hall is one of my favorite books of the past decade. Just so great. Bringing Up the Bodies was o.k., but kind of a disappointment. Hardly any of the character development that made Wolf Hall so fascinating, and just a lot of plot, plot, plot - it felt like it was all just setting things up for the final book in the trilogy. If you've read any James Ellroy, it feels to me like Wolf Hall was like American Tabloid, and Bringing Up the Bodies was like The Cold Six Thousand. Though not as bad as the Cold6K which really was a mess.

Agree on Wolf Hall. A bit less excited for the sequel now that you say that, but I'll read it anyway so I'm ready for the third book. Have not read Ellroy. I'll have to check him out.

 

[facook]

Recently finished Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes. First straight Vietnam War novel I've ever read (stuff by Stephen King and Peter Straub has been staged there but obviously more in the horror genre). I've tried We Were Soldiers and a couple others before but always got bogged down in the military jargon, weapons, and ranks cause I'm a wuss civilian and have little understanding of most of that stuff.Matterhorn is really, really good. Dramatic, tense, infuriating, and seems very authentic. The characters are strong and the story moves along. I really appreciated that Marlantes doesn't come across as necessarily a hawk or dove - though the idiocy of some ranking officers and some situations made me hate the war for the soldiers' sakes. I'd highly recommend it.Just checked out Handling The Undead by John Lindqvist who also wrote Let Me In. My first experience with Lindqvist. I'm excited.

 

[shuke]

Recently finished Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes. First straight Vietnam War novel I've ever read (stuff by Stephen King and Peter Straub has been staged there but obviously more in the horror genre). I've tried We Were Soldiers and a couple others before but always got bogged down in the military jargon, weapons, and ranks cause I'm a wuss civilian and have little understanding of most of that stuff.Matterhorn is really, really good. Dramatic, tense, infuriating, and seems very authentic. The characters are strong and the story moves along. I really appreciated that Marlantes doesn't come across as necessarily a hawk or dove - though the idiocy of some ranking officers and some situations made me hate the war for the soldiers' sakes. I'd highly recommend it.

Looks good.

 

[bostonfred]

familar beast by panio gianapolous. Short fiction. Rocketing up the best seller lists.

 

[bentley]

Hi. I don't read much; it's a shame. I am looking for suggestions - a goal of mine for this year is to read a few books, which I really haven't been doing much lately. I think I got through only 2 books in all of 2012. I asked for suggestions maybe 2 years ago in a different thread here and got some good results.

I much prefer non-fiction. I like general pop culture, sociology/psychology, economics, food, and sports, but that's not an exhaustive list. Some of my favorites, so you get an idea - I've read all (or almost-all?) of Malcolm Gladwell's books and loved them. Freakonomics was very good. I like Chuck Klosterman, Anthony Bourdain, Michael Pollan, and books about soccer. Basically, I like somewhat-intellectual topics that aren't a bore or a drag to get through.

I got a $40 gift card to Barnes and Noble for Christmas, so that's a good start for a handful of books. I am open to any and all suggestions. One that caught my eye while skimming the previous page was Boomerang by Michael Lewis, though I don't know a ton about it.

Freakonomics is pretty much my favorite book. I thought Predictably Irrational was very good.I also really enjoyed Made to Stick and Switch by Chip and Dan Heath. I've applied ideas from both of them at work. Were I to pick one, I think Switch was my favorite. But that may be just the subject. Right now I'm more in need of advice on creating change than I am coming up with memorable ideas.

Currently reading The War of Art, which is pretty damn motivating if you find yourself in the position of needing to get off your ### to make something happen. It's also a very quick read.

I generally keep a rotation going of history -> social economics/work stuff -> mindless entertainment. I think I'd spend too much of my time reading spy novels otherwise. The last history book I read was Devil in the White City, which was fascinating.

 

[Sand]

Just finished up The Last Policeman. Decent book. Back to Nothing to Envy, which is an excellent book. NK is so incredibly ####ed up.

Just as a note - now that Amazon has started including science fiction in its kindle daily deals I am spending craploads of money. They are putting up really good stuff lately.

 

[Usual21]

Just started Y The Last Man on my Kindle Fire.

 

[mad sweeney]

I tried to buy A Memory of Light, the last of the Wheel of Time series, Tuesday for my ipad. Turns out the widow of the author won't release it on snook for 3 months, she wanted a full year, so that it won't hurt the hardcover sales and it will spend an appropriate number of weeks on the NYT best seller list and therefore protect Jordan's legacy. What a crock of crap. I'd have paid hardcover price for the ebook, now I'm just going to pirate it and never give another penny to that publishing house. The book itself is getting a ton of 1 star reviews because of this blatant money/status grab. Hope they learn from this. Re-reading the previous book and the synopses of the first dozen, looking forward to putting this 20+ year epic fantasy series to rest.

 

[Usual21]

Rage is Back. Have been looking forward to this one.