What Are You Reading, Part 2

[Oversleep]

@Left Have you finished Psyren yet?

If not, I feel obliged to tell you that it got cancelled and author had to make ending quick and as such the end is not that great. Best to start managing those expectations now.

But, apart from that, it's a great series.

[AngelEy3 he/him]

58 minutes ago, mattig89ch said:

Reading the Wolves of Calla, part of the Dark Tower series.  Really don't like the Rolland character, and his willingness to manipulate his party-mates to achieve his ends.  I get why he does it, but it annoys me how willing they are to just simply shrug and accept the manipulations instead of calling him out on it, and voice objections.

But then, this series started in the 1980's.  So I figure maybe there's a reason I'm not aware of (being technically a millennial and all).

Still, the series grabbed me up to this point.  If this book goes the way of the others, I imagine it'll keep me entertained enough to want to pickup the next novel in the series.

They may not know they are being manipulated? Cause if you know, then is it really manipulation? I seem to recall it being from Rolland's pov as well. Been a loooong time though

 

[AliasSheep]

I am reading The Hydrogen Sonata by Iain M. Banks.  Finally on the last (published) of the Culture books.  Been very excited for this one.

[mattig89ch he/him]

Just now, AngelEy3 said:

They may not know they are being manipulated? Cause if you know, then is it really manipulation? I seem to recall it being from Rolland's pov as well. Been a loooong time though

 

They know, at least in part.  When they ask a question, and he responds with silence.  Or he lies to them, and they find out later that he lied to them.

This all happens a fair bit in the story.  And the characters just seem to shrug and go along with it.

[Briar King]

2 hours ago, mattig89ch said:

Reading the Wolves of Calla, part of the Dark Tower series.  Really don't like the Rolland character, and his willingness to manipulate his party-mates to achieve his ends.  I get why he does it, but it annoys me how willing they are to just simply shrug and accept the manipulations instead of calling him out on it, and voice objections.

But then, this series started in the 1980's.  So I figure maybe there's a reason I'm not aware of (being technically a millennial and all).

Still, the series grabbed me up to this point.  If this book goes the way of the others, I imagine it'll keep me entertained enough to want to pickup the next novel in the series.

Have noticed the change in Kings style in bk 5? This was after he was hit by car.

[mattig89ch he/him]

2 minutes ago, Briar King said:

Have noticed the change in Kings style in bk 5? This was after he was hit by car.

A little, yea.  But not a great deal yet.  He's still answering with a silent stare, still lying to his companions and the civies he's trying to protect.

Honestly, he keeps saying the entire party might not make it.  I'm kinda hoping Roland doesn't.  I like the other people in the party, but Roland bothers me.

[Ammanas]

2 hours ago, AliasSheep said:

I am reading The Hydrogen Sonata by Iain M. Banks.  Finally on the last (published) of the Culture books.  Been very excited for this one.

A lot of fans look over this one, but I feel its one of his strongest Culture books. Enjoy! My three favorites are Surface Detail, Player of Games and Hydrogen Sonata.

[Briar King]

Only 30 pgs in Grace but man that is fun. 

[Ammanas]

4 minutes ago, Briar King said:

Only 30 pgs in Grace but man that is fun. 

Glad you like it! Whenever I hear complaints about it I always want to ask, "Are you sure you are reading Grace of Kings by Ken Liu. Because that book is awesome!"

[AliasSheep]

1 hour ago, Ammanas said:

A lot of fans look over this one, but I feel its one of his strongest Culture books. Enjoy! My three favorites are Surface Detail, Player of Games and Hydrogen Sonata.

My favs so far are Look To Windward and Excession.  I'm lead to believe that The Hydrogen Sonata is gonna be one of the ones that I especially like (though I adore them all (except for Inversions) of course).

[Ammanas]

@AliasSheep After you finish Hydrogen Sonata you might want to give Against a Dark Background a try. I believe its is strongest non culture book.

[AliasSheep]

Just now, Ammanas said:

@AliasSheep After you finish Hydrogen Sonata you might want to give Against a Dark Background a try. I believe its is strongest non culture book.

I'm planning on reading them all, so I will get round to that one!  The next M. Banks book I plan on reading though is Feersum Endjinn because I picked it up dead cheap at a second hand bookshop, so I actually have it to hand to start reading.

[Left he/him]

4 hours ago, Overstorm said:

@Left Have you finished Psyren yet?

If not, I feel obliged to tell you that it got cancelled and author had to make ending quick and as such the end is not that great. Best to start managing those expectations now.

But, apart from that, it's a great series.

So I moved out to college and my university library doesn’t have it and neither does the app I usually use. That sucks it got cancelled! Now I don’t feel too bad about not being able to read it. 

[Oversleep]

1 minute ago, Left said:

So I moved out to college and my university library doesn’t have it and neither does the app I usually use. That sucks it got cancelled! Now I don’t feel too bad about not being able to read it. 

Granted, it was already in the final stages of plot when it got cancelled but the end is rushed nontheless.

[Briar King]

4 hours ago, Ammanas said:

Glad you like it! Whenever I hear complaints about it I always want to ask, "Are you sure you are reading Grace of Kings by Ken Liu. Because that book is awesome!"

I'm a tad confused on the actual ethnicity of these people though. I was assuming Oriental based on author, character names, topknots, and various other Asian themes. but I have seen a green eyed man, pale white skin & red haired woman mentioned so I have no clue yet what mental image to fully form.

[Ammanas]

3 minutes ago, Briar King said:

I'm a tad confused on the actual ethnicity of these people though. I was assuming Oriental based on author, character names, topknots, and various other Asian themes. but I have seen a green eyed man, pale white skin & red haired woman mentioned so I have no clue yet what mental image to fully form.

Its my understanding they are a kind of mixture of Asian and Pacific Islanders. But the pictures I form in my minds eye are always really vague so I never really have a clear picture for any books characters.

[Cottonwood]

I have just finished reading Patrick Carr's Trilogy that starts with Cast of Stones. Pretty Good. Reminds me somewhat of Sanderson...none of the swearing etc. and is still able to tell a good story. 

[Dunkum he/him]

Turns out the Library actually pays some attention to the suggestion box, at least for the e-book service they use.  they had the first 2 ryria books, but not the third, so I suggested it there, then moved on to start Lightbringer.  before I had managed to finish the first book of that, they had apparently added the book to their subscription,  so now pausing from lightbringer to finish Ryria.  I don't generally like doing it that way, but it worked out ok.

[Ammanas]

@Dunkum Where are you at with Lightbringer? I am currently over halfway through with The Broken Eye.

[Dunkum he/him]

8 minutes ago, Ammanas said:

@Dunkum Where are you at with Lightbringer? I am currently over halfway through with The Broken Eye.

finished the Black Prism, wanted to finish off Ryria (at least the first trilogy, there are 2, as I recall) before I move on.

[Draginon he/him]

Just finished reading Five Nights at Freddy's The Silver Eyes. It's a very slow read for a YA book. It works as a book version of the games and I could picture how it would look as a horror film. If I had to choose between facing the game characters or the book versions I'd rather face the game ones, the worst you get in the game is a jumpscare, the book versions can throw arcade machines around! If you're not paying attention you might not even realize this takes place in the mid 90's and not now.

Trying to figure out what I'm going to read next, Sherlock Holmes and the Servents of Hell (pretty much Holmes meets Pinhead) or From a Certain Point of View (a Star Wars book).

Edit: Okay, I decided on Holmes because Halloween reasons. I'd rather read something creepy over something fannish for the scariest time of the year

Edited October 10, 2017 by Draginon

[Stampede he/him]

I just finished book 5 of The Greatest Sin series by Lee French, the main character is such a good protagonist. I'm reading A Conjuring of Light, #3 of Shades of Magic, next but I don't know what I'll read after that.

[Ammanas]

Continuing my James Clavell reread with Noble House. What a glorious mess of a novel this is! The author has thrown just about everything into this novel and I am having a blast slowly digesting it, unraveling the plot threads, and just letting the novel percolate in my mind. The only other novel off the top of my mind that is so all encompassing is War and Peace.

Here is a short explanation of the plot that is found on the back of the book: 
The setting is Hong Kong, 1963. The action spans scarcely more than a week, but these are days of high adventure: from kidnapping and murder to financial double-dealing and natural catastrophes–fire, flood, landslide. Yet they are days filled as well with all the mystery and romance of Hong Kong–the heart of Asia–rich in every trade…money, flesh, opium, power.

I know I have probably not convinced anyone to read this book, but if you do I highly recommend reading Tai-Pan (probably a better book than Noble House) first to fully enjoy this novel.

[Briar King]

2 hours ago, Ammanas said:

Continuing my James Clavell reread with Noble House. What a glorious mess of a novel this is! The author has thrown just about everything into this novel and I am having a blast slowly digesting it, unraveling the plot threads, and just letting the novel percolate in my mind. The only other novel off the top of my mind that is so all encompassing is War and Peace.

Here is a short explanation of the plot that is found on the back of the book: 
The setting is Hong Kong, 1963. The action spans scarcely more than a week, but these are days of high adventure: from kidnapping and murder to financial double-dealing and natural catastrophes–fire, flood, landslide. Yet they are days filled as well with all the mystery and romance of Hong Kong–the heart of Asia–rich in every trade…money, flesh, opium, power.

I know I have probably not convinced anyone to read this book, but if you do I highly recommend reading Tai-Pan (probably a better book than Noble House) first to fully enjoy this novel.

I have read 1-3. Sho Gun is one of my top favorite books of my reading life. Maybe one day I will do 4-6 but I prefer the old timeline vs the 1900’s that starts in 4.

[Sunbird she/her]

Currently multitasking between Dragonsteel and The Creeping Shadow, the 4th in Jonathan Stroud's Lockwood & Co. series.

Edited October 10, 2017 by Sunchicken