What Are You Reading, Part 2

[Sunbird she/her]

32 minutes ago, Riversong said:

Currently, I'm reading the Aeronaut's Windlass, by Jim Butcher.

I loved The Aeronaut's Windlass! Having also read the Codex Alera and the Dresden Files, I think it's Jim Butcher's best book yet.

32 minutes ago, Riversong said:

Also, it's good to find more Shakespeare fans. Everyone at my school just kind of randomly stares at me when I quote him (or anyone else, for that matter).

Yeah, Shakespeare! *fist bump*

No joke, for one of my final exams a year ago, I wrote and recited from memory a sonnet eulogizing Ophelia from Hamlet.

Sonnet for Ophelia

Spoiler

Thou wert a maid both virtuous and true.
Intelligent and yet sans guile thou wert;
Polonius, he gave thee not thy due,
Advised thee as were sorrow thy desert.

Thy sweetheart Hamlet kenned a secret dark
He durst not even unto thee reveal.
So drave the Prince away his very heart:
Abandoned and forsaken thou didst feel.

A-strewing blooms as on thy wedding day,
Wert claiméd of the river flowing there.
Upon a diff’rent river shalt thou pay:
The ferryman claims fares from maidens fair.

No hardship small or easy ‘twas thou bore.
With Hamlet rest thou safe forevermore.

 

Edited April 19, 2017 by Sunbird

[Briar King]

Windlass really mostly bored me. It started so good at chapter 1 and then made me so mad for a good 2/3 of the book. I expected better of Butcher after Alera and Dresden. It's Butcher though so of course I'm going to be in till the end.

[A Budgie she/her]

Some books I read recently:
The Sculptor (Scott McCloud), a graphic novel. Really good, would recommend.
Written in the Stars (Aisha Saeed), novel. This one really hit me hard, it was so full of emotion. But no, despite the name it wasn't just another love story.
Animal Farm, which speaks for itself, although I'm glad I read it.
The Eyre Affair (Jasper Fforde), which was recommended to me by a friend. It was quite funny.

Not reading anything right at this second though. I just finished a book this morning.

[AngelEy3 he/him]

Read the First Law Trilogy over the past 2 weeks. I enjoyed it quite a bit and just started on Best Served Cold a couple of hours ago. Planning on working my way through these 3 stand alones, and then starting either Malazan or Gentlemen Bastards. 

Any opinions towards which I should go with next? 

Planning a Stormlight re-read before Oathbringer, but that can wait till at least September I think. 

[Ammanas]

4 hours ago, AngelEy3 said:

Read the First Law Trilogy over the past 2 weeks. I enjoyed it quite a bit and just started on Best Served Cold a couple of hours ago. Planning on working my way through these 3 stand alones, and then starting either Malazan or Gentlemen Bastards. 

Any opinions towards which I should go with next? 

Planning a Stormlight re-read before Oathbringer, but that can wait till at least September I think. 

Big fans of both malazan and gentleman bastards. Gentleman bastards is way easier to get into, but Malazan's main 10 book series is completed. When you read malazan I recommend reading it with the tor reread if you start getting confused...it is a really complicated series and requires some work, but worth the effort.

[Briar King]

Malazan. Bk 1 can put people off, just stick with it if it does. It's the shortest of the main 10 and the other 9 will reward you.

Gentlemans Bastard bk 1 is one of the best debut novels in fantasy. It's seriously good but it's an unfinished series and the bks afterward aren't close to 1st level and they get worse as it goes unlike Malazan which gets better as it goes. GB bk 3 is utterly horrible for real.

[Ammanas]

1 hour ago, Briar King said:

GB bk 3 is utterly horrible for real.

I'm far more forgiving with most fans with Republic of Thieves. I still think the first two were better though. I think I am more forgiving bc I read all three straight and didn't have to wait several years for the last one...I think many fans let the hype build to unreasonable levels during the wait. I'm curious were you one of the fans that had to wait a long time for RoT?

[Briar King]

32 minutes ago, Ammanas said:

I'm far more forgiving with most fans with Republic of Thieves. I still think the first two were better though. I think I am more forgiving bc I read all three straight and didn't have to wait several years for the last one...I think many fans let the hype build to unreasonable levels during the wait. I'm curious were you one of the fans that had to wait a long time for RoT?

I was yes. I also knew Lynch was suffering from depression between 2 & 3. 

[AngelEy3 he/him]

Malazan it is! The Bastards can wait. 

Mainly because after having read ASOIAF, Stormlight, Lightbringer, and Kingkiller Chronicles all in the last year, I'm not very keen on having another unfinished series going. 

Martin and Rothfuss can seriously get bent right now though... 

[Ammanas]

8 minutes ago, AngelEy3 said:

Malazan it is! The Bastards can wait. 

Mainly because after having read ASOIAF, Stormlight, Lightbringer, and Kingkiller Chronicles all in the last year, I'm not very keen on having another unfinished series going. 

Martin and Rothfuss can seriously get bent right now though... 

You can read Lies of Locke Lamora as a standalone. Books two and three definitely not, but it is definitely worth your while to read the first. Best of luck with malazan. Very challenging and very rewarding. My advice is dont try to understand everything...somethings will only make sense several books later and upon rereads.

[Briar King]

My advice. Don't look anything up. You will find complex spoilers if you do. Take your time and enjoy figuring out the vast web that unfolds on your own. maybe keep a journal when you come across something confusing/interesting for each book and you ll be able to go back and have many "Aha!" moments.

[AngelEy3 he/him]

Thanks guys! I made the mistake of looking up something about Kaladin and had a couple hundred pages get the life sucked out of them towards the beginning of WoK. I've been trying very diligently to avoid doing that again. 

I'll probably end up reading Lies of Locke Lamora as a stand alone, but I have all 3 ready to go, so who knows? I know it won't be before I finish these last 2 1/2 Abercrombies, and it'll be after Malazan for sure. Managed to get books 1-5 for just under $30 in full size paperback, so it's gonna be a fun time. 

[AngelEy3 he/him]

On 4/18/2017 at 11:21 PM, Riversong said:

Currently, I'm reading the Aeronaut's Windlass, by Jim Butcher.

Also, it's good to find more Shakespeare fans. Everyone at my school just kind of randomly stares at me when I quote him (or anyone else, for that matter).

Shakespeare quotes are the best thing about Star Trek VI

[Jondesu he/him]

I'm very excited. I hold in my hands Thrawn, Timothy Zahn's latest book about one of the most amazing characters ever created within the Star Wars universe, and confirmed part of the new canon. It's good so far, 4 pages in!

[Left he/him]

5 hours ago, Jondesu said:

I'm very excited. I hold in my hands Thrawn, Timothy Zahn's latest book about one of the most amazing characters ever created within the Star Wars universe, and confirmed part of the new canon. It's good so far, 4 pages in!

Ooooooo, I didn't know Thrawn was out already.....I really need to get to a good library. 

[Briar King]

6 hours ago, Jondesu said:

I'm very excited. I hold in my hands Thrawn, Timothy Zahn's latest book about one of the most amazing characters ever created within the Star Wars universe, and confirmed part of the new canon. It's good so far, 4 pages in!

I believe I have passed the test and not caved into getting the NUcanon. I ll remain show only.

[Jondesu he/him]

21 minutes ago, Briar King said:

I believe I have passed the test and not caved into getting the NUcanon. I ll remain show only.

Some of it's amazing. Thrawn and Lost Stars, at least. Loved both of those (well, I'm halfway through Thrawn now, but there's no doubt it's good).

[StrikerEZ he/him]

I posted this elsewhere, but I wanted to talk about it here too.

Spoiler

I just finished reading Elantris. Holy cow, I almost doubted Brandon near the beginning, as it was a bit slower than the start of Mistborn, but holy cow I was wrong. I enjoyed every moment of this book, even what felt like a slow beginning (I'm talking first fifty pages here), and that ending...everything wrapped up so nicely, and I just loved it. I guessed the Chasm's importance to the Aons right as they found out the Aons were in the shape of Arelon. But I never could've thought of the big line that would've been needed to be made between the cities.

Overall...I don't know if I liked Mistborn or Elantris better. Either way, they were both amazing.

Edited April 23, 2017 by StrikerEZ
Spoilers

[AngelEy3 he/him]

On 4/23/2017 at 0:59 AM, StrikerEZ said:

I posted this elsewhere, but I wanted to talk about it here too.

*spoilers removed*

Overall...I don't know if I liked Mistborn or Elantris better. Either way, they were both amazing.

 I agree. You might want to think about adding a spoiler tag though.... Not everyone has read Elantris. 

Edited April 24, 2017 by AngelEy3

[StrikerEZ he/him]

4 hours ago, AngelEy3 said:

 I agree. You might want to think about adding a spoiler tag though.... Not everyone has read Elantris. 

Oh...sorry, I'll get to that. My bad.

[Left he/him]

So at the moment I'm about halfway through The Catcher in the Rye, and I've just started reading The New Oxford's Annotated Apocrypha fourth edition. It unfortunately only has the pre-New Testament Apocrypha( so no book of Mary or John's Apocrypha). 

The Catcher in the Rye is fine. I think of it as a little like Kvothe living in 20th century America with a much more privelaged childhood. And no magic. 

The Apocrypha is fine so far, I haven't used the footnotes or annotations very much yet. I'm thinking I'll read through all the books straight, then some time in the future I'll re-read it using all the notes. 

[Sunbird she/her]

@AngelEy3 Now that StrikerEZ has added spoiler tags, you should probably delete the spoilers from your quoted post since they're still showing. Kinda defeats the purpose of spoiler tags otherwise.

[Darkness Ascendant he/him]

Reading through dodger by pratchet.

storms this book is good

[AngelEy3 he/him]

1 hour ago, Sunbird said:

@AngelEy3 Now that StrikerEZ has added spoiler tags, you should probably delete the spoilers from your quoted post since they're still showing. Kinda defeats the purpose of spoiler tags otherwise.

Done. Good call there

[AngelEy3 he/him]

Just finished Best Served Cold. What a bunch of rotten chull-heads that group was... On to The Heroes. 

Spoiler

Would have liked a little more background on Shenkt and Vitari, but maybe that'll be forthcoming in the next couple stories. 

Let's see if Abercrombie can keep one-upping himself on the creation of horrible human beings. 

Edited April 24, 2017 by AngelEy3
Redundantly worded Spren