I was going through the thread and found myself at a loss...I'd love to talk books but it seems that all of you are more of the fiction or non fiction. I'm more of a fantasy lover and I'd hate to geek it out.
I bought an iPad for my wife and me but we returned them both. While it is a nice toy, we didn't see the ROI. I think it is ridiculously over priced. I still don't get why they call it a reader. It sucks as a reader. The back lit screen hurts your eyes when you read for an extended amount of time and you cannot read it at all when you are in sunlight. Perhaps they will do something in future releases but for the price I'm going to stick to my Kindle and netbook.
Look into this thread where I mention the fantasies of the late Kage Baker, starting with The Anvil of the World. http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=183163&page=3&pp=20 If you haven't read them already, an excellent choice are the novels that thread addresses (they are being made into an HBO mini-series), The Game of Thrones, by George R.R. Martin. Good luck!
I'm about half way through The Game of Thrones and it is a great read. I think it is going to translate to an HBO show very, very well.
I agree. HBO usually does a tremendous job on projects like this. The cast is shaping up to be amazing, as well.
The Eyes Of Willie McGee by Alex Heard Check out Radio Diaries and give a listen to the NPR piece about McGee, if you don't know about the case.
Anyone reading The Passage by Justin Cronin? I'm about halfway through, but haven't picked it up in a few days...
I finished it and enjoyed it. The spoiler doesn't give away any story info, just a general comment about the book as a whole. Spoiler I thought it ended well knowing that it was the first of a trilogy. It took a while for the 2nd part of this particular book to get going, but it eventually picked up. I consider there to be a clear delineation in the book that separates it into two parts.
That's good to hear. The first part (modern-ish times) was so thrilling, particularly everything that happened in Colorado, that it's making the 2nd part look drab in comparison. And I wanted to see a lot more of what was recounted in Auntie's diary. I'm not really invested in the characters yet, which kind of surprises me considering Cronin and his other work, but I guess a lot can happen over 300 pages (and two more whole books)
Still rereading the Wheel of Time series. You can pencil me in for that for the foreseeable future. (unless I get bored)
I finished up Robin Hobb's The Liveship Traders trilogy last night. I expected Aubrey-Maturin meets fantasy, which is pretty much what I got. This is one of the better fantasy series I've read and a completely different flavor. The plots in this were political, nautical, philosophical, and theological, which was more enjoyable than the usual swords and sorcery. The liveships themselves were really cool: sentient mastheads that soak up the blood and memories of their former captains. There was also an interesting sea serpent-dragon storyline. Piracy was in full display for this series and would have seemed like a Pirates of the Caribbean clone if it hadn't been written before that movie came out. It also tackles issues such as slavery and women's rights. For a fantasy series, it was definitely thought provoking without sacrificing the telling of a great tale. There was a full cast of characters that Hobb managed to weave together pretty well. It maybe fell apart a bit at the end. The ending was not as spectacular as the first 5/6 of the series, and it seemed that once all the characters got together that it lost some of its momentum. I guess she had to wrap a lot of plot threads up, but the group scenes sometimes felt a bit forced. Characters typically had a chapter or two devoted to them in the beginning of the series. By the end, Hobb had to race back and forth to different POV's every page. Spoiler Althea's rape was a shocking development, and the aftermath was tough to read. Having a major character get raped in the closing act of the series was a gutsy call for Hobb. Maybe that was part of my problem with the end. Not everybody gets everything they wanted (or at least what they oringally wanted), and Althea at least goes through a brutal stretch. Still, if you're looking for something different in fantasy and something that's high quality, check out Hobb's work. The Farseer trilogy and now The Liveship trilogy have been exemplary. I was reluctant to leave the main characters of The Farseer trilogy to take up this middle set, but I'm almost disappointed now to have to return to Fitz and company in the concluding The Tawny Man trilogy. I have to read Middlesex by Jeffery Eugenides for a Book Club next week. I've had it for a while and have been looking forward to reading it, but I got a bit soured on Eugenides after The Virgin Suicides. Still it should be a good read. I'm enjoying it so far. I'm just looking forward to finishing it, then reading Prince of Mist and The Tawny Man trilogy.
There's some full-on geekery in the Game of Thrones thread, but there's a good bit of fantasy talk in this thread as well.
I really enjoyed Middlsex. Probably my favorite book that I've read over the last year. What was it that turned you off on The Virgin Suicides? I've never read the book but I loved the movie. Was planning on picking up the book sometime later this year since I enjoyed Middlesex so much.
Justin Cronin's "The Passage," From Amazon -- You don't have to be a fan of vampire fiction to be enthralled by The Passage, Justin Cronin's blazing new novel. Cronin is a remarkable storyteller (just ask adoring fans of his award-winning Mary and O'Neil), whose gorgeous writing brings depth and vitality to this ambitious epic about a virus that nearly destroys the world, and a six-year-old girl who holds the key to bringing it back. The Passage takes readers on a journey from the early days of the virus to the aftermath of the destruction, where packs of hungry infected scour the razed, charred cities looking for food, and the survivors eke out a bleak, brutal existence shadowed by fear. Cronin doesn't shy away from identifying his "virals" as vampires. But, these are not sexy, angsty vampires (you won’t be seeing "Team Babcock" t-shirts any time soon), and they are not old-school, evil Nosferatus, either. These are a creation all Cronin's own--hairless, insectile, glow-in-the-dark mutations who are inextricably linked to their makers and the one girl who could destroy them all. A huge departure from Cronin's first two novels, The Passage is a grand mashup of literary and supernatural, a stunning beginning to a trilogy that is sure to dazzle readers of both genres.
I didn't hate Virgin Suicides. It was just kind of long and depressing. I guess 5 girls from one family killing themselves isn't upbeat material. The sisters were all so mopey, and I never got a clear sense of why they all were so driven to commit suicide. Still I enjoyed his writing style and read that book pretty quickly. I just wasn't in a hurry to read something as dreary as Virgin Suicides. However, I've heard nothing but rave things about Middlesex, and I already noticed a difference in overall tone of the book through the first 20 pages.
My wife loved Virgin Suicides. I thought it was disjointed and the randomness was never tied together for a purpose. I enjoyed the style in which it was written and I kept waiting for the ahhh this is what ties it all together moment that never came. Middlesex I enjoyed much more. Weird subject matter but enjoyable read.
This summer I've been reading Cormac McCarthy. I hadn't read any, but heard good things. I started with All the Pretty Horses, and then read Blood Meridian. Blood Meridian is probably the most disturbingly cruelly violent book I've read. I couldn't stop though. It was amazing. I just finished the Crossing. I was very depressed and sad at the end of the book. McCarthy writes some great prose and has a beautiful way with words. I started reading cities of the plain, but I'm scared to keep reading it. I don't need to be depressed the whole summer. Most of his books are pretty heavy.
