[asmb] Book Club discussion

So?

I'm reading Moon Called by Patrica Briggs - on Dian's recommendation.

Name of the Wind

Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris

Remember by Laura Griffith

I'm not reading a whole lot right now. I'm trying to concentrate on our book.

I should be rereading Name of the Wind as well. >_>

I just find it hard to reread something when there are so many books out there that I've not read. >.<

I'm rereading a book I've read before. Gardens of the Moon is the book. It is pretty good, but it is very dense, and can be difficult to follow at times. But it has been worth the effort.

I'm also rereading The Elegant Universe. It is a good read, and I'm building up to the more complex bits.

Still reading The name of the wind.

"The Name of the Wind" - duh. :D

Also, "The Science of Harry Potter" which looks at the various things that happen or are mentioned in passing in the HP books and explores whether or not that is possible / exists in rl.

And "The IgNobel Prizes" which are like the Nobel prizes except they are awarded to people whose research probably shouldn't have been done but what the hell [like finding out Prozac = Viagra to clams and the inventor of charcoal underpants for farty people :D ].

I also dug out a couple of favorites for re-reading while I was adding books to my listie here - "The Broke Diaries", "Wacky Chicks", and "The Golden Age of Novelty Songs" . They are waiting for one of the other books in current read-mode to get finished. I'm trying to -not- have stacks of half-read books in every room of the place. :D That's what magazines are for.

I'm reading the BoTM right now. After I finish(only about 50 pages left) I'll either read the second book in the kingkiller chronicle or the last Harry Potter book. I have refused to read them before but I got hooked on the movies and I want to know how it ends. I used to read multiple books like some of you do. I just don't have the time anymore :(

Figured a good chunk of people would reply with Name of the Wind. It's still a good thread for when people finish the book.


@Glodson

I've been meaning to start the Malazan Book series, I've heard good things about it.

@Diva

It is a long one... I'm not surprised it's taking people some time to finish it.

@Katt

D'oh!

IgNobel Prizes sounds fun - like the Darwin Awards books. Sometimes I have to wonder about people, whether they are doing stupid things and getting themselves killed or just researching/making the weirdest things.

@David

Oh ho ho ho ho... you don't get to read the next book yet. You have to wait like everyone else now for the book to be released... next year.... hopefully. >_< If it gets pushed back again I may have to cry.

I've been tempted to just read the last Harry Potter book to see how it ends, but I've just never gotten around to it. I read the first three and then used the movies to see how the series plays out and it's been fine. So why waste the reading time?

Oh, for some reason I thought this was an older series...I really should look into these things before I post :\

Well, Name of the Wind came out in 2007 so it's not unreasonable by any means to expect the next one to be out already.

It's not the length of the book, I have read longer books in shorter time. I just don't like this book so far. I have taken to writting my commentaries in whatever blank space is available.

Jamie wrote: "So?

I'm reading Moon Called by Patrica Briggs - on Dian's recommendation."

Ooh, I am anxious to hear your thoughts on the book. Im constantly recommending books yet no one seems to actually listen. So yay for future discussion of the book.

I am currently reading Name of the wind, but I'm also reading Pray for Dawn which is the 4th book in a really great vampire series. But after giving so many recommendations I've been rereading several books. Which is why I have yet to finish the Botm

I am done with The name of the wind. Now, I am re-reading the Stephanie Plum series because there is a new one out. lol, I always reread them all before I read a new one. I'm weird.

@ Jamie: If you are going to read the Malazan books, make some time for it.

They are good, but they are books that make you work to figure out what is going on. Not because of bad writing, but because the story is very complicated, and it really throws a lot at you quickly.

Jamie wrote: "IgNobel Prizes sounds fun - like the Darwin Awards books. Sometimes I have to wonder about people, whether they are doing stupid things and getting themselves killed or just researching/making the weirdest things."

It hilarious. :D And like both the Nobel and the Razzies it's an actual Awards ceremony thing too - unless the venue has changed, it's held on the campus of Harvard and the 'winners' are invited to attend, recieve their plaque and give an acceptance speech of exactly 30 seconds [any longer and a little girl goes up there, gets in their face and tells them to 'stoptalkingstoptalkingstoptalking...":]. And, believe it or not, many of the winners do show up on their own dime just for the hell of it. Including the guy who discovered that yes, you can get an STD from a blow-up doll. o.O :D

So... Callmesabrina got me a book called "Lonely Werewolf Girl" when I was up visiting her, because I saw that it had a good review by Neil Gaiman on the cover.
<_<

And it's fucking awful.
I feel betrayed. HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME NEIL!?

Also, I have to avoid talking to CallMeSabrina about it, lest I make her feel bad. >_<

[But yeah, that's what I'm reading lately.:]

Just that title sounds bad. And just tell her you didn't like it, just don't tell her you thought it was awful, that's a bit too harsh

The prison
I love this book, I just got it back from a friend. Parts of this book actually make me gag. Now that's effective descriptions.

I... just believed it wouldn't suck because of Neil Gaiman. v_v

And um... I have no middle setting. I can either not mention it or go on a half-hour rant about how terrible it was. XD

@Dian

I finished up Moon Called a few days ago. I thought I had posted about it, but I guess not. o.O It was an interesting first book, nothing special, but it wasn't terrible. Mercy isn't a bad female character (thank goodness!) and the romance part wasn't focused on too much. The story was a little lacking, like, it seemed kind of random and there wasn't much emotion to it. That thing with the gay wolf would have been better down the road when we knew the character and the relationship a bit more.

It was a decent first book of the series and I'll read the next one. Probably not anytime this month, but most likely this year at some point.



I'm now reading Harm None: A Rowan Gant Investigation by M.R. Sellars. This is the guy's first book and I'm hoping the later ones aren't this poorly written. The syntax and choice of words is just plain weird. It's got some interesting ideas though. I'm about a third of the way through the book and I'm not liking it a whole lot, but it's got potential so I'll finish this up and read the second in the series at some point. First books aren't often that great.

@ Sean, dude you need new settings haha

@Jamie I think the reason she talks about warren so early is cause he plays a bigger part in the next book and he is one of the main wolves in mercys life. And I love her character, she is very tough but knows that she has to use her head to deal with all the big nasties the incorporate her world. Also its hard for me to judge it as a first book, cause I had picked up the 2nd one first and didn't realize it was not the first till I was a lil ways into it, so I read it already knowing more about the characters and their development before I read it, so anything odd I didn't pay much attention too


The first book is for me always a make it or break it type thing for me, if the author can't sell me on either the characters, the setting, or the plot line then i usually won't try a second time. I don't ask for much in a story just one aspect that I can enjoy and I'm fine. It's why i stuck with the Nightside series for so long, I love the setting so I've stuck with it. But if the first book doesn't click with me I move on to all the series I'm already into.

I figured he would play a bigger role in later books as well which is why I thought it was odd that they addressed this issue right off the bat. I just think it would have been better to hold off on it for another time. I do like Mercy, she's an interesting lady. She's not uber powerful and knows it.

I like to give authors a chance past their first novels in a series - especially if it is their first book period. I'll rarely go into the third if I'm not really enjoying the series, though. After two books there should be something I really enjoy about it.

Now I will give a series a second shot if I think its got promise but doesn't illicit strong feelings toward it, I did that with the Anita Blake series and Sookie Stackhouse books. The first books didnt thrill me but the concepts were solid so I read the second books, and although I see why people enjoy and love these series neither did anything for me. I rarely want to spend money on books that I'm only mildly interested in, I have a limited book budget and would often rather spend money on books ill know I'll enjoy rather than one I only might enjoy

It's gotta take a real imaginative book for me to keep reading in the series if there's not much emotion in them - like the Nightside series. I don't feel anything for them really, but they're so different that I find myself wanting to read them just for that.


Finished up the Harm None book by MR Sellars and it was painful to do so. The writing is just atrocious - I found myself skimming the last third of the book and I don't feel like I really missed much. I highly doubt I'll read the next book in the series, though with it already being on my nook, I may at some point.


Now I'm reading Bleak History by John Shirley and it's interesting so far. I wanted to read it because the description of the book was so damn cheesy, but it's turning out well.

Woot, the book I won just arrived today. So far it's good.

What book is that?

Deadly Fear by Cynthia Eden

Interesting. Does it have supernatural elements or is it just straight up thriller?



Finished up with Bleak History and am now starting Night Watch by Terry Pratchett per Glodson's recommendation... or guide.

Bleak History was interesting, but it would have done better with either a second book to spread things out or just a longer one.

Just straight up thriller. Damn good book too.

Currently re-reading "The Golden Age of Novelty Songs" by Steve Otfinoski.

...I'm still fighting the urge to play dethmetal on a banjo and was hoping that reading about the joyeous nuggets of weirdness I have in the CD tower would temper the urges... <.< >.>

I just got done reading the 6th Narnia book The Silver Chair. I only have one more story and ill be done with the whole Chronicles. Don't know if I want to start that tonight or start another book. I'm tempted to finally sit down and real Kushiels Chosen but I know that will take awhile to read, and being so close to finding out what Sept BoTM will be u don't want to really start it if the BoTM is going to be long.

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

God this book is GORGEOUS

I'm gonna have to get the hard copy just so I can make out the writing on the images. It is pretty nice having the maps and pictures of the wildlife.



Also, reading the same thing.

:D

I'm currently reading MockingJay, I have been hijacked by the Hunger Games books. I read the first one last week and I haven't wanted to put ant of the books down. It's actually killing me not to finish the book tonight. It really is one of those few series that gets inside your head and buried itself there. None of the books so far have happy endings in any way, and I fear this one being the last will end up doubly so. They already killed off one of my fave side characters in the first chapter.

I've been tempted to read that series, but it sounds entirely too much like Battle Royale.

I'm now reading: A child is missing. It's the book I just won! It may take a bit although a short book due to the content. It's a true story about the murder of the author's 13 yr old sister. So far 35 pages into and I have cried several times already. Perhaps it's too soon since loosing Baby* to read this, I don't know, I guess I will see.

*yes, Baby was 15 1/2 at the time but I always called him Baby since he was my youngest child.

JK wrote: "I've been tempted to read that series, but it sounds entirely too much like Battle Royale."

I haven't read that series so I don't know how similar it is. The premise isn't original its been done before, however the way the author writes it is what draws you in. It's what she does with the characters is what has you cheering crying and wanting to know more.

Currently reading "Me of Little Faith" by Lewis Black. :D

Wow. So many f-words. :D

Finished The Way of Kings, now I am probably going to go back and finish off A Game of Thrones which I am almost done with already.

Sure! It'd be interesting to see what kind of essays you have to read for your classes anyways.

That's some interesting reading just so you can tutor people. o.O I... I don't even really know what to say about what they have you read. I mean, you're just tutoring people, it shouldn't be this... psychological.

You could always take a red pen to their work and then discuss it. That way you let the editor in you have it's fun, but you are still doing the job.


I think it really does just go with the times. When you're doing something that's not really the norm, it's always hard. Luckily she didn't succumb to that fear.

Oh wow, yeah, didn't know that. That's kind of a horrible way to off yourself. o.O Never seen the movie either, I'll have to look into watching it... though I'm terrible about watching movies.


:D

Really? Wow. That's... that's absurd. :D

currently re-reading Dragon Tears by Dean Koontz.

Re-reading "Piercing the Darkness : Undercover with Vampires in America Today". 'tis the season. :D

Heh.

Just finished The Way of Kings.... I'm unsure of what to start next. I may wait until we pick something for October or I'll just hop into an urban fantasy novel since they're always quick reads.

Currently reading
Boneshaker

I'm rather enjoying her style, it is very easy going
and the story thus far is pretty original. I'm also a fan of steampunk, which helps a great deal.

What would be your favorite steampunk novel you've read? I've wanted to read something in that genre, but have never started.



Currently reading the third book in the Felix Castor series. Someone needs to write a new urban fantasy with a male lead. I'm quickly running out of things to read. >.<

I'm reading Homer's Odyssey: a Fearless Feline Tale, or How I Learned About Love and Life with a Blind Wonder Cat

I'm reading Divine By Blood its rather good, it won't win any awards or nothing but its engaging. Although the heroine is getting a bit annoying, but that's what happens when she is 18 and a dark god is messing with a teenagers natural insecurities. But the author does a good job of balancing the natural angst of a teenager with her mature progression into adulthood. Which is part of what makes it engaging. You half want to smack her and cheer for her all at once, which is how most teens make me feel like. And I always enjoy a character has a real quality about them even if it makes me want to smack them.