1. Welcome! Please take a few seconds to create your free account to post threads, make some friends, remove a few ads while surfing and much more. ClutchFans has been bringing fans together to talk Houston Sports since 1996. Join us!

What Are You Reading?

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout' started by Xerobull, Jan 21, 2016.

  1. dmoneybangbang

    Joined:
    May 5, 2012
    Messages:
    20,941
    Likes Received:
    12,825
    @Xerobull and @Deckard I don't want to oversell the fantasy aspect of the Stiger Series, it very much reads as a sort of fantasy, roman military series with increasing fantasy aspects as the story develops.

    I've had A Throne of Bones on my list but will add Eagles at War. Not sure if it was recommend on here, but Carthage Must be Destroyed: Rise and Fall was an excellent historical book that went more into its institutions (economic and political) than military.
     
    Deckard and Xerobull like this.
  2. dmoneybangbang

    Joined:
    May 5, 2012
    Messages:
    20,941
    Likes Received:
    12,825
    Book 3 of 3BP is an awesome trip.
     
    Xerobull likes this.
  3. Xerobull

    Xerobull You son of a b!tch! I'm in!

    Joined:
    Jun 18, 2003
    Messages:
    33,254
    Likes Received:
    30,755
    You said the magic word- military. I'm in, especially since it's a finished series.

    Throne of Bones is similar - it's pretty light on the fantasy aspects, more pure Roman military, although they do fight a goblin horde at one point.
     
    Deckard and dmoneybangbang like this.
  4. Xerobull

    Xerobull You son of a b!tch! I'm in!

    Joined:
    Jun 18, 2003
    Messages:
    33,254
    Likes Received:
    30,755
    On the third book of Stiger's Tigers. Very good, I love how it slowly develops. Book two had some redundant writing and needed a better editor but it wasn't anything that detracted from the story. I expect to finish the series in a week or so.
     
    Deckard likes this.
  5. REEKO_HTOWN

    REEKO_HTOWN I'm Rich Biiiiaaatch!

    Joined:
    Jun 26, 2008
    Messages:
    46,767
    Likes Received:
    18,465
    I just started the CJ Box "Joe Pickett" book series.
     
    Xerobull likes this.
  6. VanityHalfBlack

    Joined:
    May 7, 2009
    Messages:
    18,094
    Likes Received:
    3,732
  7. dmoneybangbang

    Joined:
    May 5, 2012
    Messages:
    20,941
    Likes Received:
    12,825
    I’m on book 7. I started the series out of order and read the Tales of the Seventh 3 series first. Not a big deal since it goes into events before hand.

    I’m really enjoying it. By no means a masterpiece, but a good read.
     
    Deckard likes this.
  8. Xerobull

    Xerobull You son of a b!tch! I'm in!

    Joined:
    Jun 18, 2003
    Messages:
    33,254
    Likes Received:
    30,755
    On book 5. I absolutely love this author and series and plan to read his other works. I can't put the books down and read them any free time I have. These books are far superior to Throne of Bones (IMO), which focuses more on politics and Machiavellian schemes rather than military details and action.

    These books are so detailed I would almost call them Military History Fiction with Fantasy elements. 90% of the books are just the Roman Legion; how it functions, it's tactics, etc.

    Thanks again for the recommendation.
     
    Deckard and dmoneybangbang like this.
  9. Xerobull

    Xerobull You son of a b!tch! I'm in!

    Joined:
    Jun 18, 2003
    Messages:
    33,254
    Likes Received:
    30,755
    A few weeks ago I wrapped up book three of The Age of Madness series by Joe Abercrombie, The Wisdom of Crowds. Great book, nobody writes political maneuvering like Joe, which I mean to say, no one writes it so I don't fall asleep and am actually interested in what's going on. Great endcap to the series. Great writer.

    [​IMG]

    I started the Saga of the Forgotten Warrior series by Larry Correia and have gotten through book one, Son of the Black Sword and started book two, House of Assassins. There are a few unusual things I like about these books. They are based on the Indian subcontinent culture. Water in the books is considered 'evil' because that's where demons live. Only the lowest of cultures lives by water and eats food from the ocean or rivers. Curse words and insults are all associated with water. The main character's weapon is also sentient and he can 'remember' every battle it's ever fought, making him almost unkillable. The series drags a little but it's good. Correia is sort of a guilty pleasure author for me because he's a far-right nutjob and his main books are the Monster Hunter International books which reflect his politics, but they're just fun to read.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
    arkoe likes this.
  10. Xerobull

    Xerobull You son of a b!tch! I'm in!

    Joined:
    Jun 18, 2003
    Messages:
    33,254
    Likes Received:
    30,755
    I finished these up. Unfortunately it went downhill after the first book. The real kicker is that the series isn't done although it's billed as a trilogy. ****ers.

    I started reading this the other day. It's a nice change of pace.
     
    Squirtle likes this.
  11. Squirtle

    Squirtle Member

    Joined:
    Mar 7, 2010
    Messages:
    2,151
    Likes Received:
    2,040
    Freakonomics now. Was reading the Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown which was solid.

    Still getting used to audio books. Freakonomics is my 2nd one but helps when I don't have a ton of time to read read.
     
  12. Xerobull

    Xerobull You son of a b!tch! I'm in!

    Joined:
    Jun 18, 2003
    Messages:
    33,254
    Likes Received:
    30,755
    The podcast is great, too.
     
    Squirtle likes this.
  13. Buck Turgidson

    Joined:
    Feb 14, 2002
    Messages:
    84,998
    Likes Received:
    83,170
    She's awesome and hot and brilliant and fun to talk to
     
    Squirtle likes this.
  14. heypartner

    heypartner Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Oct 27, 1999
    Messages:
    62,498
    Likes Received:
    56,095
    Neil Stephenson’s just released Termination Shock, came out on the 16th

    First Chapter is titled “Texas”
    First word is “Houston”

    also finally reading Overstory by Richard Powers after finishing his latest Bewilderment

    Also Fermat’s Enigma (non-fiction about a math problem, lot of cool history)
     
    Deckard and Xerobull like this.
  15. Squirtle

    Squirtle Member

    Joined:
    Mar 7, 2010
    Messages:
    2,151
    Likes Received:
    2,040
    For sure man. She's a rockstar.
     
  16. Buck Turgidson

    Joined:
    Feb 14, 2002
    Messages:
    84,998
    Likes Received:
    83,170
    Go start a "hot genius" thread in the pg13 forum
     
    Squirtle likes this.
  17. bobrek

    bobrek Politics belong in the D & D

    Joined:
    Sep 16, 1999
    Messages:
    36,288
    Likes Received:
    26,638
    Listening to Ken Follet's latest - Never
     
  18. Entropy

    Entropy Member

    Joined:
    Jun 30, 2002
    Messages:
    5,039
    Likes Received:
    1,241
    I loved X's for Eyes as well as the Croning for all the reasons you mentioned. His short story collection Swift to Chase is amazing too. The Light in the Darkness was a helluva page-turner. His Isaiah Coleridge books were disappointing though. It's like watching someone who is a big fan of hardboiled mysteries trying to write his own take on it and failing miserably. The plot for each book so far has meandered, and Coleridge isn't compelling enough to be the main character. This last part largely because I can't quite separate the author from the character, and this is not the case with his other books. The series also can't decide if it wants to stay in the crime fiction territory or go headlong into cosmic horror weirdness.
     
    Xerobull likes this.
  19. Xerobull

    Xerobull You son of a b!tch! I'm in!

    Joined:
    Jun 18, 2003
    Messages:
    33,254
    Likes Received:
    30,755
    I see your points on the Coleridge books. I still like them.

    You should check out the Avery Cates books by Jeff Somers. That’s some true hard boiled stuff right there.
     
    Entropy likes this.
  20. Xerobull

    Xerobull You son of a b!tch! I'm in!

    Joined:
    Jun 18, 2003
    Messages:
    33,254
    Likes Received:
    30,755
    +1 for the H-Town reference. Now, does he have everyone in the city wearing boots, riding longhorns and wearing six-shooters? I have a pet peeve about authors generalizing Texas into one big amorphous mass where in reality there are different cultures in different cities.

    I gave up on Stephenson when I was about halfway through Cryptonomicon. Just too much dry prose. I did love Diamond Age, though. Which does this new book skew towards?
     

Share This Page

  • About ClutchFans

    Since 1996, ClutchFans has been loud and proud covering the Houston Rockets, helping set an industry standard for team fan sites. The forums have been a home for Houston sports fans as well as basketball fanatics around the globe.

  • Support ClutchFans!

    If you find that ClutchFans is a valuable resource for you, please consider becoming a Supporting Member. Supporting Members can upload photos and attachments directly to their posts, customize their user title and more. Gold Supporters see zero ads!


    Upgrade Now