Whatcha readin now? (book, books, reading, read) (2 Viewers)

[Swing 51]

In the middle of Stephen King's new short story collection

Finished this. Pretty good stories, I enjoyed and would recommend.

Now on to All the Light We Cannot See.

Good luck with that one.

Not a fan? I heard its phenomenal; hope it wasn't over hyped for me.

Great writing, but I did not enjoy the story at all. The

Spoiler

magic diamond stuff

Spoiler

was just weird and the characters didn't interest me.

I enjoyed it, and thought the writing and characters were great. I agree that spoiler aspect was a bit unneccesary though.

I liked this one quite a bit.

 

[joker]

Just finished The Martian on audiobook, and agree with most everyone in here that it was fantastic. The narrator was spot on and definitely amped up the comedy level. I'm interested to see the movie and see how much changed/stayed the same.

 

[steelerfan1]

let it burn last book in the Alex McKnight series from Steve Hamilton. An underated mystery set IMO.

 

[Power Monster]

Erik Larson - Dead Wake - solid read and the second from his collection. I did a little search and found his website. Started reading his blog and it is quite entertaining. Dead Wake? Excellent read.

 

[Swing 51]

Starting The Martian tonight

 

[parrot]

Starting The Martian tonight

I should finish it tonight. Good read. Not sure the movie should be called a comedy, but the book is surprisingly funny.

 

[Captain Fantastic]

If you like thrillers, may I humbly suggest this one?

Hostile Takeover by Derek Blount

[And keep in mind that in the above, "humbly suggest" = "please purchase so my kids can eat in 2016"]

If you want a 2-page sample before investing your hard-earned dollars (and time) in the novel, here is a short story published in MENSA Magazine a couple months ago.

And if you do buy Hostile Takeover...thanks!

That sounds pretty good. I'll do it.

Thanks, jfranco77! Please let me know what you think once you have a chance to read.

(Oh, and if you like it, please recommend it to a couple hundred thousand of your closest friends. I owe you one.)

 

[facook]

Recently finished Natchez Burning by Greg Iles. I hadn't read any of Iles legal novels, but had enjoyed his earlier spy thriller stuff. Picked this one up at Goodwill for $2. Figured it was a good price for a 900 page paperback.

It's good, not great. Some might like it more than me, if they don't mind unlikable protagonists. I was far more interested in the various back- and side-stories than in anything to do with the main character or his girlfriend. At first I kinda disliked him and kinda disliked her. By the end of the novel I was fairly neutral on him and hater her more than any of the bad guys.

Anyway, I'd say for any fan of Southern fiction especially race/KKK-related stuff it's worth a read. Iles is a good writer. I do plan to read the sequel, so I at least liked it that much.

 

[Don Quixote]

Recently started Hanya Yanagihara's "A Little Life." It's on a lot of books of the year lists, and thought I'd give it a whirl. Plot (involving a character dealing with issues caused by sexual assault as a child) sounds depressing as hell though.

Finished this one. Great novel. I can see why it is getting a lot of recognition. It is indeed depressing as hell though. You definitely need to be in the right of frame before reading it. But it is profound and moving at times. The author does a great job at peeling away the character's backstory bit by bit. It could probably be edited down some too, but I didn't find it overly wordy.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

I am struggling with "Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell". I'm not sure what the problem is. Clarke writes well. The book is a little "twee", but it's funny and interesting. I find myself looking for other stuff to read (or re-read), though. I'm probably 2/3 of the way through and would like to live to see the back cover closed for good.

 

[facook]

Finished Bazaar of Bad Dreams by Stephen King. I realized one major thing while reading this short story collection: I don't really like short stories, at least by King. Because they are either: A) Bad or B) Too short. The good ones I wish would be a full novel.

Ur was the one I most enjoyed (which is funny because it was an admitted cash-grab by King for Amazon - he was paid to write a story featuring the then just-debuted Kindle) and I wished it was 600 pages instead of 60. Great characters, tense, fun, interesting. I guess the only saving grace is the end made sense. We all know how King usually does with that.

 

[jfranco77]

If you like thrillers, may I humbly suggest this one?

Hostile Takeover by Derek Blount

[And keep in mind that in the above, "humbly suggest" = "please purchase so my kids can eat in 2016"]

If you want a 2-page sample before investing your hard-earned dollars (and time) in the novel, here is a short story published in MENSA Magazine a couple months ago.

And if you do buy Hostile Takeover...thanks!

That sounds pretty good. I'll do it.

Thanks, jfranco77! Please let me know what you think once you have a chance to read.

(Oh, and if you like it, please recommend it to a couple hundred thousand of your closest friends. I owe you one.)

Finished it this weekend. Really enjoyed it. Gave it a good review on goodreads. Will also post on on Amazon when I get a chance.

But the end of the book says the 2nd one in the series will be out in October 2015

 

[Lehigh98]

Have been doing a decent amount of flying and driving for work lately and in the car I'm listening to 11/22/63 on Audible (in preparation for the TV show) after having read it when it came out. Not as good of an experience knowing how things turn out, some of the shortcomings stand out more when I'm not trying to get to the conclusion as quickly. Plus the reader's Russian and German accents both sound more like Arnold Schwarzenegger.

On planes I've gone through the first two Jack Reacher books. I liked the first better than the second. Will read more but don't think they'll hold my interest to go through every one of the 20 books. Already bought #3 but not sure if I'll just continue to read in order until I get bored or if I'll just pick off the more highly reviewed ones out of order. Thoughts?

Also have The Passage in the queue. Looks like City of Mirrors comes out in May so may start on those three at some point as well. What are peoples' thoughts on those? Worth having at the top of the queue for the next books to read?

I also have "S." by JJ Abrams / Doug Dorst on the shelf since last Christmas but haven't been able to bring myself to start it. Was interested at first but now seems like it would be more of a complicated task than an enjoyable read? Thoughts on that one?

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Also have The Passage in the queue. Looks like City of Mirrors comes out in May so may start on those three at some point as well. What are peoples' thoughts on those? Worth having at the top of the queue for the next books to read?

I really liked them, but some readers (not sure if anyone here falls into this category) did not like the way the first book was structured. Cronin's a really good writer and has some cool ideas. My biggest problem when City Of Mirrors comes out is remembering all of the characters without a re-read. I would think reading all 3 in a row would have been better for me. Hopefully, I can find a good synopsis site to catch me back up.

I have GOT to stop starting series that have no end date in sight. This one (though I think City Of Mirrors is supposed to be the last book in this series), Martin's ASOIAF, and Scott Lynch's Locke Lamore books all have me waiting.

 

[joker]

I've also struggled with "Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell", but it could very well be because I'm listening to the audiobook and the narrator has failed to pull me in. I've set it aside for now and will get back to it.

I took someone's advice from this string and have started on the Ryeria Chronicles while I wait for the next Locke Lamore book, and so far it's been fantastic! Just finished "Theft of Swords" and have started on "Rise of Empire". I'm easy to please, but these grabbed me from the start and the narrator has been very good. I heartily recommend these and give big thanks to whoever recommended it (I went back three pages but couldn't find the recommendation - I'm sure it's there somewhere!)

 

[Swing 51]

On planes I've gone through the first two Jack Reacher books. I liked the first better than the second. Will read more but don't think they'll hold my interest to go through every one of the 20 books. Already bought #3 but not sure if I'll just continue to read in order until I get bored or if I'll just pick off the more highly reviewed ones out of order. Thoughts?

I recommend reading the books in order. With each book you learn more about Reacher and his past. The series hits a bit of a rut in books 4 and 5 (I think it was those two) and then picks up speed again. I really enjoy this series and it is such easy reading I can easily knock out 50+ pages in one sitting.

 

[Lehigh98]

Also have The Passage in the queue. Looks like City of Mirrors comes out in May so may start on those three at some point as well. What are peoples' thoughts on those? Worth having at the top of the queue for the next books to read?

I really liked them, but some readers (not sure if anyone here falls into this category) did not like the way the first book was structured. Cronin's a really good writer and has some cool ideas. My biggest problem when City Of Mirrors comes out is remembering all of the characters without a re-read. I would think reading all 3 in a row would have been better for me. Hopefully, I can find a good synopsis site to catch me back up.

I have GOT to stop starting series that have no end date in sight. This one (though I think City Of Mirrors is supposed to be the last book in this series), Martin's ASOIAF, and Scott Lynch's Locke Lamore books all have me waiting.

I've had The Passage since it was released, but I have a terrible memory so I wait until a series is over before I start on it for just that reason. That's why I've waited until City of Mirrors to start. I think I learned from being able to go straight through ACC's 2001 and Rama series. Also didn't start on the Dark Tower until the last book was announced.

 

[Sand]

Just finished Half Way Home by Hugh Howey along with all the books (so far) from the Elder Empire series by Will Wight. Both are fantastic. Really liking Wight these days - he is releasing books in pairs where he covers the same story from two different sides. Really interesting way to do a book set and the story is awesome. These guys are at the top of their field.

Just started 11/22/63. Looks good so far.

 

[El Floppo]

Just finished Half Way Home by Hugh Howey along with all the books (so far) from the Elder Empire series by Will Wight. Both are fantastic. Really liking Wight these days - he is releasing books in pairs where he covers the same story from two different sides. Really interesting way to do a book set and the story is awesome. These guys are at the top of their field.

Just started 11/22/63. Looks good so far.

so it's like watching Rashomon or The Affair, but you're just watching words.

 

[msommer]

I recently The Girl in the Glass by James Hayman, it was ok but nothing to write home about

Tom Rob Smith's Child no. 44 was much better, set in Stalinist Russia. Very interesting view into the paranoia of the era and how that then expresses itself in human relations. Quite a bit of character development in the protagonist. Looking forward to the next two installments

 

[Don Quixote]

Recently read Mary Beard's SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome.  I'm not sure it's as groundbreaking as some reviews claim, but still a pretty solid book.  It challenges a fair number of popular assumptions about the Roman emperors and the other leaders.  She points out where things are a bit more ambiguous than history generally leads us to believe.  She spends a lot of time on the lives of ordinary Romans, more so than most other histories, which is what I found most interesting.  It's probably not all that surprising that fart jokes and other scatological humor was popular 2000 years ago too, but still entertaining to read.

Started Lauren Groff's Fates and Furies.  Still too early in to give a judgment on it, but it's very well-written at least.

 

[lombardi]

Also have The Passage in the queue.  Looks like City of Mirrors comes out in May so may start on those three at some point as well.  What are peoples' thoughts on those?  Worth having at the top of the queue for the next books to read?

I really liked them, but some readers (not sure if anyone here falls into this category) did not like the way the first book was structured. Cronin's a really good writer and has some cool ideas. My biggest problem when City Of Mirrors comes out is remembering all of the characters without a re-read. I would think reading all 3 in a row would have been better for me. Hopefully, I can find a good synopsis site to catch me back up. 

I have GOT to stop starting series that have no end date in sight. This one (though I think City Of Mirrors is supposed to be the last book in this series), Martin's ASOIAF, and Scott Lynch's Locke Lamore books all have me waiting.


I've had The Passage since it was released, but I have a terrible memory so I wait until a series is over before I start on it for just that reason.  That's why I've waited until City of Mirrors to start.  I think I learned from being able to go straight through ACC's 2001 and Rama series.  Also didn't start on the Dark Tower until the last book was announced. 




I really liked the Passage and the Twelve.  He takes big leaps in the narrative (ones actually a bit disorienting at first) but his writing is really good and it's a pretty interesting story.  I'm glad he is wrapping it up with the third book. I'm looking forward to finishing it but I wouldn't want to be strung along into a huge series of books.  

 

[lombardi]

Just finished David Mitchell's The Bone Clocks

I really like Mitchell, loved both Cloud Atlas and The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet.  There was even some light tie in of the stories.

He is a great writer and I love his mechanic, writing these short novelas from different points of view and tying them all together.  His characters are always fantastic.  So if you like his stuff you'll probably like this book.  I don't think it was as ambitious and awesome sci-fi as Cloud Atlas and it wasn't as emotionally engaging as TTAoJdZ but I enjoyed it. It was good but not great.

Also, every author has his point of view and his idealogical/political leanings.  I don't have to agree with someone's politics to enjoy their work.  However, I hate when it gets ridiculously overt and the story suffers because the author wants to get a message or agenda across.  This is part of why I can't read anything Stephen King writes anymore.  I can read stuff I don't agree with but write it with some intelligence and deftness.  Let it be an expression of your characters and don't make everything so one dimensional.  I was really put off by how ham handed this book was.  The global warming, anti-conservative digs seemed gratuitous and really didn't play into the story and brought me out of it.  Maybe he wrote it during an election cycle and was extra pissed or something.  But I thought it hurt the story. 

If someone liked Cloud Atlas or TTAoJdZ I would recommend reading Bone Clocks, but if you've never read Mitchell then start w/ those two before reading this, a lessor work.

 

[Swing 51]

Got an Amazon gift card for Xmas so just bought 9 books:

The Given Day
World Gone By
Live by Night

Last three are a trilogy by Dennis Lehane

About 100 pages left in The Given Day and really enjoying it and looking forward to reading the last two books in the so called Coughlin Series.

 

[cstu]

Reading some newer science fiction...

- The Speed of Dark - very good book, especially if you know someone on the autism spectrum

- Old Man's War - really dug a lot of the book but some of the battles felt tedious at times

- Altered Carbon - great ideas in cyberpunk novel, liked the sci-fi noir aspect but the story was all over the place and not much of a plot

 

[lombardi]

I also have "S." by JJ Abrams / Doug Dorst on the shelf since last Christmas but haven't been able to bring myself to start it.  Was interested at first but now seems like it would be more of a complicated task than an enjoyable read?  Thoughts on that one?

It's funny, I've had the same book sitting on my dresser since Christmas before last . Every time I go to read it I'm intrigued but I keep putting it down.  I thought it was a great idea but when I read for enjoyment it's a very relaxing time.  Sitting in a comfy chair or in bed at night (mostly).  Messing with all that other stuff keeps putting me off. I have to bit the bullet and just read it.

Anyone read it?

 

[Lehigh98]

Not a great start for 11.22.63 on Hulu.

 

[facook]

Not a great start for 11.22.63 on Hulu.

We don't have hulu but I thought about getting the free week to binge this.  Care to share in spoiler tags for those of us that read (and in my case LOVED) the book?

 

[Borden]

The Martian - Good book. I recommend it. 

Rogue Lawyer by John Gresham - Decent but it almost felt like a collection of short stories than a complete novel. 

Just about to start The Silent Girls by Eric Rickstad.

 

[Kev4029]

We don't have hulu but I thought about getting the free week to binge this.  Care to share in spoiler tags for those of us that read (and in my case LOVED) the book?

I was thinking about doing the same, but after looking into it, Hulu doesn't do TV series' like Netflix does. Hulu releases one episode a week, so you might want to want a couple months until the series finale to try the free week.

 

[Lehigh98]

We don't have hulu but I thought about getting the free week to binge this.  Care to share in spoiler tags for those of us that read (and in my case LOVED) the book?

I know you have to adapt a book to a movie or TV and can't include everything (although it looks like they'll have 8+ hours in this case).  I'm not someone who demands that the show matches the source material exactly. 

They jumped right into things without much buildup / suspense.  They removed things that would have accomplished that and added or changed things / scenes that don't really seem to help the story at all.  Maybe they're going in a different direction for a different payoff but after one episode I don't know why they made some of the choices they did, maybe just to try and make it more interesting for the one hour segments?.  Will give it another chance though, hopefully they're just trying to grab non-readers with the first episode.  (Although my wife didn't read it and lost interest and fell asleep halfway through the first episode.)

 

[Swing 51]

A Brief History of Seven Killings
 

Going to start this over the weekend. I've heard its a bit of a challenging read.

 

[facook]

I know you have to adapt a book to a movie or TV and can't include everything (although it looks like they'll have 8+ hours in this case).  I'm not someone who demands that the show matches the source material exactly. 

They jumped right into things without much buildup / suspense.  They removed things that would have accomplished that and added or changed things / scenes that don't really seem to help the story at all.  Maybe they're going in a different direction for a different payoff but after one episode I don't know why they made some of the choices they did, maybe just to try and make it more interesting for the one hour segments?.  Will give it another chance though, hopefully they're just trying to grab non-readers with the first episode.  (Although my wife didn't read it and lost interest and fell asleep halfway through the first episode.)

Interesting.  Greenwald likes it so I'll try it, but I could see how having read it might be a handicap.

 

[loser]

Going to start this over the weekend. I've heard its a bit of a challenging read.

Just picked this up myself. I would be curious to hear your thoughts.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Interesting.  Greenwald likes it so I'll try it, but I could see how having read it might be a handicap.

Where is Greenwald now?

 

[facook]

Where is Greenwald now?

Not sure he's writing anywhere, but he followed Simmons to podcast on that network.  I'll be shocked if he doesn't start writing for Ringer too.

However, I actually heard him on Kornheiser and that's where he talked about liking 11/22/63.

 

[Don Quixote]

Started Lauren Groff's Fates and Furies.  Still too early in to give a judgment on it, but it's very well-written at least.

Finished "Fates and Furies".  Really enjoyed it.  Liked Groff's writing style and going to have to read some of her other books.  I'm not sure it's up to the "book of the year" standards that have been lauded upon it, but I guess I haven't read everything put out in the past year.

Started "A Brief History of Seven Killings" after looking it up based on Swing's mention of it.  May be a bit more challenging than what I typically go for in my 10pm wind down reading, but I'll have to power through.

 

[Swing 51]

Started "A Brief History of Seven Killings" after looking it up based on Swing's mention of it.  May be a bit more challenging than what I typically go for in my 10pm wind down reading, but I'll have to power through.

About 160 pages in and while it took me a little while to come around to the writing style (Jamaican slang/grammar) I'm liking it. Learning a lot about Jamaica and wasn't really aware of the whole Bob Marley shooting business.

 

[Don Quixote]

About 160 pages in and while it took me a little while to come around to the writing style (Jamaican slang/grammar) I'm liking it. Learning a lot about Jamaica and wasn't really aware of the whole Bob Marley shooting business.

I'm about 50-60 pages in.  Writing style is taking some used to, but starting to get the rhythm.  I'm finding it okay so far.  My biggest concern right now is that it's almost too busy with the different narrators/characters.  I guess that comes with a novel of that ambition though.  I find myself more drawn to character study-type novels, and hard to get much depth when you've got 100 characters and he moves between them every few pages.  But maybe I will find more of that depth as the book moves along.

 

[Mohawk]

3 Body Problem by Cixin Liu.  A SF trilogy.  I am half way through second voume.  It is the best SciFi I have read in a long time.  Anyone else read it?  If you like Asimov and Clarke you'll probably love this.

 

[shuke]

Just finished The Windup Girl.  This won the Hugo and Nebula, but it just didn't do much for me.  Maybe it was the pace.

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

For those into politics, non fiction, political history, this is a good book about Al Smith:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1657944.Empire_Statesman


 

Empire Statesman: The Rise and Redemption of Al Smith


Franklin Roosevelt is said to have explained Al Smith, and his own New Deal, with these words: "Practically all the things we've done in the federal government are the things Al Smith did as governor of New York." Smith, who ran for president in 1928, not only set the model for FDR, he also taught America that the promise of the country extends to everyone and no one should be left behind. The story of this trailblazer is the story of America in the twentieth century. A child of second-generation immigrants, a boy self-educated on the streets of the nation's largest city, he went on to become the greatest governor in the history of New York; a national leader and symbol to immigrants, Catholics, and the Irish; and in 1928 the first Catholic major-party candidate for president. He was the man who championed safe working conditions in the wake of the Triangle Shirtwaist fire. He helped build the Empire State Building. Above all, he was a national model, both for his time and for ours.

Yet, as Robert Slayton demonstrates in this rich story of an extraordinary man and his times, Al Smith's life etched a conflict still unresolved today. Who is a legitimate American? The question should never be asked, yet we can never seem to put it behind us. In the early years of the twentieth century, the Ku Klux Klan reorganized, not to oppose blacks, but rather against the flood of new immigrants arriving from southern Europe and other less familiar sources. Anti-Catholic hatred was on the rise, mixed up with strong feelings about prohibition and tensions between towns and cities. The conflict reached its apogee when Smith ran for president. Slayton's story of the famous election of 1928, in which Smith lost amid a blizzard of blind bigotry, is chilling reading for Americans of all faiths. Yet Smith's eventual redemption, and the recovery of his deepest values, shines as a triumph of spirit over the greatest of adversity.

It's somewhat amazing to me that to this day only one Catholic has ever been elected president.

 

[steelerfan1]

I don't know my intrigue with the Upper Peninsula, but just finished the Alex McKnight Series by Steve Hamilton and just started Ice Hunter by Joseph Heywood 

 

[Binky The Doormat]

Just reserved "That's Not Funny, That's Sick" - the story about the start up of National Lampoon magazine.  

 

[facook]

I don't know my intrigue with the Upper Peninsula, but just finished the Alex McKnight Series by Steve Hamilton and just started Ice Hunter by Joseph Heywood 

I read the first in the McKinght Series and thought it was ok.  A lot of series really improve after #1.  Just wondered if you could give me another series or two you would equate it to, not on a style or content level, but just on an enjoyment level for you.

 

[Prince Myshkin]

Just started The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao for the fourth time.  I don't know what it is about this book, but I just can't seem to make progress on it even though I like it.  I have read the first 70-100 pages each time and then for some reason put it down and forget about it.  Maybe I can make myself push past that this time

 

[steelerfan1]

I read the first in the McKinght Series and thought it was ok.  A lot of series really improve after #1.  Just wondered if you could give me another series or two you would equate it to, not on a style or content level, but just on an enjoyment level for you.

hi facook, 

if the first 1 was just ok to you, you may not want to continue on. even though I loved the series, but they do get a bit repetitive at times.

as far as enjoyment factor goes, I'd rank it along the lines of the longmire series by craig Johnson, cork o'connor  series by William kent Krueger, the walt fleming series by ridley pearson and the joe picket series by cj box.

 

[Sand]

3 Body Problem by Cixin Liu.  A SF trilogy.  I am half way through second voume.  It is the best SciFi I have read in a long time.  Anyone else read it?  If you like Asimov and Clarke you'll probably love this.

Black dot.  Hadn't heard of this, but reviews look good.

Reading The Darkest Minds.  Good story - worth a read.

 

[Mohawk]

If you like classic sci-fi with good science and wild plot twists, you'll love 3 Body Problem, and The Dark Forest.  Can't wait until August release of the 3rd book...which I cannot recall the name of just now.  Since they are translated from Chinese, the prose clunks a little bit from time to time.  But the ideas presented are outstanding!

 

[facook]

hi facook, 

if the first 1 was just ok to you, you may not want to continue on. even though I loved the series, but they do get a bit repetitive at times.

as far as enjoyment factor goes, I'd rank it along the lines of the longmire series by craig Johnson, cork o'connor  series by William kent Krueger, the walt fleming series by ridley pearson and the joe picket series by cj box.

Thanks steelerfan1.  Well, I love Longmire, Cork, and Fleming so I'll keep on with McKnight.