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TheSilverKnight
2006-05-23, 09:16 PM
I am board so I thought I'd share what books i am reading and find out what everyone else is reading.

My list
1. Dragonlance Preludes 1:Darkness and Light byPaul B. Thompson and Tonya C. Cook
2. Marvelous World Book 1:The Marvelous Effect by Troy Cle(This book won't be out for like another year the author presented at my school and gave out order forms for the limited edition copies with all of the origonal unedited stuff still in it rocks.)
3. Memory Sorrow and Thorn Book 1 The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Willams
4. Halo: The Flood by Willam C. Dietz
5. Harry Potter 6
Yes I am reading these all at once got a problem jk :-)

So what is everyone else reading?

Ego Slayer
2006-05-23, 09:23 PM
Dragonlance The Icewall Trilogy was really good...

Currently I'm supposed to be reading Lord of the Flies. ::)

The Inheritance books are amazing.

Flabbicus
2006-05-23, 09:45 PM
I am reading Improbable by Adam Fawer. He is a new author but the book is really good. Deals with probability, infinity, schizophreniea, the Russian mafia, the RDEI, and the murder of loves-struck graduate students. Good book.

Sneak
2006-05-23, 10:29 PM
1) The Da Vinci Code
2) The Shadow Rising (WoT) [on hold]

Jack_of_Spades
2006-05-23, 10:34 PM
I'm reading:

A Man and His Symbols by Dr. Carl Jung
The Bible by...I dunno.
The War of the Spider Queen by Various. (I'm on book six! :))

Amotis
2006-05-23, 11:07 PM
I am reading the awesome essays of Yevgeny Zamyatin. The reason why I wish to learn Russian.

rdmflash
2006-05-23, 11:09 PM
I am also supposed to be reading lord of the flies but I just can't force myself to... so booorrrriinngg...

Amotis
2006-05-23, 11:11 PM
I am also supposed to be reading lord of the flies but I just can't force myself to... so booorrrriinngg...

Again, another bad book that lowerclassmen are suppost to read. Gah! I hate it. Give them (past tense me) sometime good!

Old_el_Paso
2006-05-23, 11:52 PM
I has to read LotF too, if I want to get into AP English. (Which I don't)

I'm reading the Ultimates 2. I don't have much problems with the Ultimates series, but I'm a pretty huge comic fanboy, so it chesses me off when out of context, it refers to Ultimate Wolverine as Wolverine and etc. (I loathe Ultimate Hawkeye's costume.)

LordOfNarf
2006-05-24, 12:05 AM
Da vinci code now

Some of the new (bad) dune stuff by his son later.

After that les Miserabe (spelling?), theoretically

Baerdog7
2006-05-24, 12:18 AM
Hmmm, I'm inbetween books right now. I just finished reading The Grapes of Wrath last week or so which, despite being required high school reading, is a very good book. I was reading Romeo and Juliet before that, but had to stop around Act 4 to read Grapes and I just don't seem to have the initiative to pick it up agian. Don't get me wrong, it's a great play; I've just been away from it for too long and it hasn't been long enough to justify re-reading from the beginning.

Oh, and TheSilverKnight, The Flood is only a mediocre book. Eric Nylund does a much better job with the first and third books of the series.

-Baerdog7

EDIT: Woot! My one-hundredth post!

Godhand
2006-05-24, 12:44 AM
I'm reading through the Halo books which are a suprisingly good read. I just finished re-reading The Grapes of Wrath and The DaVinci Code. After this I plan on reading through the play Julius Casear for a couple good monologues for Acting next year.

Edit: I agree with Baerdog. The first was much better than the second one and the third is shaping out to be brilliant as well.

RoboticSheeple
2006-05-24, 12:59 AM
Wicked by Gregory Maguire

The Last Assassin by Barry Eisler comes out in June so I'm be reading that pretty soon hopefully.

Alarra
2006-05-24, 01:15 AM
I am currently reading:

Perdido Street Station by China Mieville
The Kindly Ones by Neil Gaiman

holy wow, am i actually down to only 2 books? Weird. I usually read like 5 at a time.

Lilly
2006-05-24, 01:20 AM
Current book:
Angels and Demons by Dan Brown. I liked the Da Vinci Code better. Because as soon as the Holy Grail got mentioned, I went into giggle fits every other paragraph. Monty Python got to me first.

Book Queue:
Alice in Wonderland and through the looking glass by Lewis Carrol - Good book that I just need to read again.
The couple of Terry Pratchett books I've got laying around that aren't read yet. - I don't like having unread books!
The Oddyssey by Homer - I'm on a classics kick
The several Skakespear plays that I got at the yard sale - I haven't read them and feel uncultured.
Stardust by Neil Gaiman - I own it and haven't read it yet, and Neil Gaiman is awesome.
American Gods by Neil Gaiman - For time, what 4? Possibly my favorite book, my copy is very well loved.
The rest of The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis - I have the whole series in one book, but can't seem to get past the first chapter or two of Book 3, just because I get distracted by other books.
The rest of the series about the dragon snow guy - Can't remember the real name, that's a bad sign, but again with the unread book thing

Alhambra IV
2006-05-24, 01:25 AM
Magic's Price, Mercedes Lackey. Soo sad, I've really not been reading much at all these past two years. I used to go through about 3-5 books a week.

Jibar
2006-05-24, 01:37 AM
Right now,

Terry Pratchett; All the Discworld (about to finish Moving Pictures)

Afterwards;

George Orwell; Animal Farm and 1984.

Hadrian_Emrys
2006-05-24, 01:57 AM
Just finished Tale of the Body Thief by Anne Rice, and I'm halfway through The Legacy of the Drow series by Salvatore.

RoboticSheeple
2006-05-24, 02:11 AM
George Orwell; Animal Farm and 1984.

You have some good books to look forward to. ;D

and so am I the only one that doesn't read Terry Pratchett here? ::)

Also I'm reading like 8 different mangas and cause I see someone else included the comic books they are reading I had might as well mention that I am reading a bunch too.

Alarra
2006-05-24, 03:13 AM
and so am I the only one that doesn't read Terry Pratchett here? ::)


Oddly, I started reading Small Gods lately...I guess that's another book I'm in the middle of, never really got into it and really wasn't that huge of fan. I guess as much as everyone else swoons over pratchett, i just don't.

InaVegt
2006-05-24, 03:25 AM
I'm reading The Archons, Chapter 1 (http://www.freewebs.com/rdmnewspaper/TheArchons.htm)

Rawhide
2006-05-24, 03:31 AM
MCSA/MCSE
Exam 70-270
Installing, Configuring, and Administering Windows XP professional
1329 pages long, textbook height and width, hardcover
7cm (over 2.75in) thick
Makes a handy bludgeoning instrument, two handed, 1d10

and

MCSA/MCSE
Exam 70-290
Managing and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Environment



What? You wanted novels, not the ones required for my uni studies?

Well, in that case I suppose you could say that I am reading all the Discworld novels by Terry Pratchet, the Robot series of books by Isaac Asimov and the Dune series by Frank Herbert. Thats been put on hold though due to my studies (see above).

Tual_Marok
2006-05-24, 03:44 AM
Zerovalent Platinum Complexes for Catalytic Hydrosilylation, by J.W. Sprengers.


After that i'm starting on the 3rd installment of A Song of Ice and Fire, i'm really looking forward to that one!

Archonic Energy
2006-05-24, 03:52 AM
at the mo i'm reading... the giant in the playground bulletin board.

sorry.

seriously, Today's Metro.

sorry again!

i have just read the Drizzt series. i'm wondering what else i should read
i keep meaning to (re-re-) re-read the 'Rama' series from Arthur C Clarke. but i'm looking for something new.

InaVegt
2006-05-24, 03:55 AM
A school for sorcery by E. rose sabin (i think) is a pretty nice book

bosssmiley
2006-05-24, 05:49 AM
I am currently reading:

Perdido Street Station by China Mieville
The Kindly Ones by Neil Gaiman

Yay! Alarra has good taste, but what else do we expect from our resident Goddess of Pudding? ;D

What, me?

Re-reading Tad William's "Memory, Thorn and Sorrow" trilogy. It's kinda LOTR mixed with King Arthur and the Prester John myth, but does the cliches well. I'd recommend it to any D&D player.

Reading "Age of Scandal" by T.H.White of "Sword in the Stone" fame. It's a mad take on British high society in the 18th century, shows there's nothing new under the sun and that today's 'bad boy' media icons are sissies.

Thumbing through "Warfare in the Classical World" by John Warry and "The Punic War" by Brian Caven atm. Feel a big ole classics binge coming on...

Saithis Bladewing
2006-05-24, 07:26 AM
I'm not reading anything at the moment, having exhausted my unfortunately small supply of books. The last thing I read (which I'm thinking about reading again...) was The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkein and I reread the Halo trilogy again... Alas, so little to read. Maybe I'll try and find out where I packed my Redwall books...

hobbes543
2006-05-24, 07:43 AM
Currently: A Darkness at Sethanon by Raymond Feist.
Dragons of Winter Night by Hickman and Weis.

Queue: Dragons of Spring Dawning by Hickman and Weis
Daughter of the Empire by Feist
Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan (when out in paperback)
Feast for Crows by George RR Martin (when out in paperback)

Ego Slayer
2006-05-24, 07:44 AM
Right now,
George Orwell; Animal Farm and 1984.

Yeah, I suppose I'm going to have to read that also. I hardly ever read (yeah I'm lame, bite me). It takes a really good/inseresting book to keep me reading.

How's The Da Vinci Code? I figure I'll try reading that before I see the movie. I hardly every watch movies either. ;)

TheSilverKnight
2006-05-24, 08:47 AM
If we are putting comics up here too then I am also reading the new Bionicle series Ignition.

Nerull
2006-05-24, 08:52 AM
Again, another bad book that lowerclassmen are suppost to read. Gah! I hate it. Give them (past tense me) sometime good!

I didn't mind it so much, although there could have been a great deal more zombie outbreaks.

Nerull
2006-05-24, 09:02 AM
From the Warhammer/Warhammer 40K books:

Bloodstorm by Dan Abnett. A story of a member of an evil race of elves that actually stay evil! Second book in the Malus Darkblade series.

Horus Rising by Dan Abnett from the Horus Heresy series that just kicked off. A 40K title.

Witch Finder by CL Werner.
==========================

And also...

D&D 3.5 rulebooks, especially Libris Mortis

Flash MX 2004 Bible

Baerdog7
2006-05-24, 10:15 AM
I'm not reading anything at the moment, having exhausted my unfortunately small supply of books. The last thing I read (which I'm thinking about reading again...) was The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkein and I reread the Halo trilogy again... Alas, so little to read. Maybe I'll try and find out where I packed my Redwall books...


You actually got through The Silmarillion? Wow, I give you props for that. I tried to read that but...I didn't get very far. I dunno, maybe I didn't get through it for the same reason I didn't get through Moby ****: I was just too young to decipher the language. I swear, the chapter where Melville talks about all the different types of whales killed me.

-Baerdog7

bosssmiley
2006-05-24, 11:29 AM
You actually got through The Silmarillion? Wow, I give you props for that. I tried to read that but...I didn't get very far. I dunno, maybe I didn't get through it for the same reason I didn't get through Moby ****: I was just too young to decipher the language. I swear, the chapter where Melville talks about all the different types of whales killed me.

-Baerdog7

Don't try to read the whole "Silmarillion" in one sitting, that's like trying to eat an elephant. Read one of the stories, then let your mind digest it slowly.

"Moby ****" I could never get past the first chapter. Which is a shame, coz I usually like that kind of dense, discursive writing. Might try again over the summer.

Oh, speaking of dense writing. I'll be reading the "Gormenghast" books again after I've finished my current reads. I love the decaying gothic "Brideshead Revisited goes to Hell" thing Mervyn Peake has going on in those books. The end of "Titus Alone" is a bit ??? though...

MagpieWench
2006-05-24, 01:39 PM
1634: The Ram Rebellion by Eric Flint et al.

Balance of Trade by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller

The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley

I just finished Queen of Ambition by Fiona Buckley

Lilly
2006-05-24, 02:36 PM
Yeah, I suppose I'm going to have to read that also. I hardly ever read (yeah I'm lame, bite me). It takes a really good/inseresting book to keep me reading.

How's The Da Vinci Code? I figure I'll try reading that before I see the movie. I hardly every watch movies either. ;)


The Da Vinci Code is hilarious if you have ever seen Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Otherwise it's okay... Dan Brown has no concept of a chapter. A chapter is suspossed to be more than a page or two. I think I'm going to have to read some Prattchet just to cancel out this chapter overload. And the book is a real page turner towards the end, and the little interlude stories are pretty interesting, but I couldn't pay attention once the Holy Grail got mentioned.

"Answer me these questions three 'ere the other side you see! WHAT is your name? WHAT is your quest? WHAT is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?"

Starla
2006-05-24, 02:44 PM
Right now I am reading:

Cashflow Quandrant
Rich Dad's Prophecy
Investing for Idiots
Seven Habits of Highly Effective people

I just finished:
Rich Dad Poor Dad
War of the Worlds (audio book)
As You Like It (audio recording)
Othello (audio recording)
Toilet Training in Less than a Day
The Power of Positive Parenting
The Things We Couldn't Say

Jack Squat
2006-05-24, 02:46 PM
I read most of Deception Point before It was buried under a pile of books. I was also reading The Bourne Supremacy before I got to page 56 and realized that 63 pages from the book are GONE (it skips to 121, then goes to 184 and back to 121). So that's another book I'll have to replace. I'm going to stop buying paperbacks, they keep letting me down.

Akiosama
2006-05-24, 03:08 PM
Currently, I am reading Make Love* - *the Bruce Campbell Way, written by Bruce "My name is not Ash" Campbell himself. It's a fictional account of him making a movie called "Let's Make Love!" and what his (fictional) approach to the movie was. It pokes fun at the movie making process, from auditions, to rehersals, to production, and also has quite a few funny representations of well-known industry people (such as Richard Gere, Renee Zellweger, and Mike Nichols). It's taken from the standpoint of "What would a B-Movie actor do to an A-list movie?"

So far (I've read about a third of it) it's been quite funny, and would probably be a good read for any fans of his previous works out there.

My 2 yen,

Read on!

Akio

Baerdog7
2006-05-24, 08:52 PM
"Answer me these questions three 'ere the other side you see! WHAT is your name? WHAT is your quest? WHAT is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?"

African or European?

-Baerdog7

Jack Squat
2006-05-24, 08:57 PM
WHAT is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?"

Proof that I have no life, but more of a life than this guy (http://www.style.org/unladenswallow/)

Amotis
2006-05-24, 08:58 PM
Proof that I have no life, but more of a life than this guy (http://www.style.org/unladenswallow/)

*bookmarking* Thanks ;D

Aereshaa_the_2nd
2006-05-24, 09:01 PM
I am reading:
The da vinci code,
The Silmarillion (Last Chapter),
The LOTR#1,
Son Of a Witch.

I am also writing a book, whose working title is
Cea Kalin a Tieragua.

X15lm204
2006-05-24, 09:02 PM
Reading:

Doppelganger by David Stahler, Jr.
As strange as it feels to advertise a book written by my English teacher next year, I would recommend this (and his other books, esp. Truesight) to just about anyone

The Bluest Eyes by Toni Morrison
For English class. Ick. The characters in this book are so far beyond messed up it's not even funny.

Trying to read:

The Silmarillion by J. R. R. Tolkein
So...hard...to...read....

The Thing on the Doorstep and other Weird Stories by H. P. Lovecraft
Can't find it anywhere! Argh!!

The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice
A very good book, but I stopped in the middle and haven't been able to pick it up for the longest time. I don't know why.

Just finished:

A Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett
Not his very best book, but darn well close to it, along with The Wee Free Men.

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
Genius!! But the Wiggin kids keep me up at night. *shudder*

Amotis
2006-05-24, 09:09 PM
The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice
A very good book, but I stopped in the middle and haven't been able to pick it up for the longest time. I don't know why.



Heh, Anne Rice! My favorite bad writer! ;D

churchofbanjo
2006-05-24, 09:25 PM
LOTR FANATIC! Also, Inheritance Trilogy, The Naming, Icewind Dale Sequence, Dragonriders of Pern, and ALL TERRY PRATCHETT BOOKS! WHOOT!

The Silmarillion is boring at the start. I started it once and failed. Later, I got determined, and it quickly became interesting. Plus, you learn so muich more about Middle Earth. Not that you would admit it to your friends...

I have to read some dumb books over the summer for PIB, and then I need to do an assignment. There's Farenheit something and some book about a guy in Africa fighting racism. BORING!

Any good book suggestions?

Amotis
2006-05-24, 09:28 PM
I have to read some dumb books over the summer for PIB, and then I need to do an assignment. There's Farenheit something and some book about a guy in Africa fighting racism. BORING!

Any good book suggestions?

*stab*

Farenheit 451!
Gah!

...

:(

Fourdoor
2006-05-24, 09:35 PM
Trying to keep my stuff in order, I recently got rid of a *huge* stack of fantasy books. However, everything by R.A. Salvatore and Terry Pratchett got to stay.

I bummed a copy of Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind (or something like that) from a friend recently, and that was really good.

Right now, I'm reading A Game of Thrones by George Martin (I think), and I am in awe of how well written it has been.

Jack Squat
2006-05-24, 09:38 PM
I have to read some dumb books over the summer for PIB, and then I need to do an assignment. There's Farenheit something

Jack Squat enters Terminator mode

Do not diss Farenheight 451 (alternative title The Fireman). I know what you're thinking. "Did he fire six shots or only five?" Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement I kind of lost track myself. But being as this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and would blow your head clean off, you've got to ask yourself a question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?

Amotis
2006-05-24, 09:38 PM
Trying to keep my stuff in order, I recently got rid of a *huge* stack of fantasy books. However, everything by R.A. Salvatore and Terry Pratchett got to stay.

I bummed a copy of Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind (or something like that) from a friend recently, and that was really good.

Right now, I'm reading A Game of Thrones by George Martin (I think), and I am in awe of how well written it has been.

Very solid fantasy books, Indeed. Reading A Game of Thrones caused me to try the CCG as well.

Amotis
2006-05-24, 09:39 PM
Jack Squat enters Terminator mode

Do not diss Farenheight 451 (alternative title The Fireman). I know what you're thinking. "Did he fire six shots or only five?" Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement I kind of lost track myself. But being as this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and would blow your head clean off, you've got to ask yourself a question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?

You know Clint probally knew how many shots he had, you could see it in his eyes. He just wanted to shoot the punk ;)

So come on kid...make you're move.

hobbes543
2006-05-24, 10:02 PM
Right now I am reading the Riftwar Saga and the Dragonlance Chronicles. I am on the last book of the Riftwar Saga and the second book of the Dragonlance Chronicles.

Thinking of putting Dragonlance on hold after I finish the cronicles to go headlong into Raymond E Feist.

RoboticSheeple
2006-05-24, 10:45 PM
Farenheit 451!


Ironically, I've only seen the movie... (it was a god, if a bit tongue in cheek, movie)

I'll throw out a random recommendation of Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next novels. This way I feel on topic!

churchofbanjo
2006-05-24, 11:26 PM
Well, so far, its not very good...

I've read Dragonlance Chronicles. They kinda end dissapointingly. I'll try A Game of Thrones.

Genome
2006-05-24, 11:40 PM
Billy Budd, by Herman Melville. I swear, this guy is worse than Dickens, except that the book isn't too long. If there is a big word that can be used in a sentence, Melville will use it. I'm all for big words now and then, but when it completely obscures any meaning, it's a bit too much.

Sample sentence, randomly chosen from the book: And the thews of Billy were hardly compatible with that sort of sensitive spiritual organization which in some cases instinctively conveys to ignorant innocence an admonition of the proximity of the malign.

Sheine
2006-05-24, 11:42 PM
@^^: A Game of Thrones is reallly really good.

Oh yes, i'm reading "His Majesty's Dragon" - Naomi Novik

Amotis
2006-05-25, 12:43 AM
Sample sentence, randomly chosen from the book: And the thews of Billy were hardly compatible with that sort of sensitive spiritual organization which in some cases instinctively conveys to ignorant innocence an admonition of the proximity of the malign.


Hehe, but I'd rather have overly complex english then broken (read: murdered) english like in "Their Eye Were Watching God." Oh man...

Alarra
2006-05-25, 02:36 AM
Trying to keep my stuff in order, I recently got rid of a *huge* stack of fantasy books. However, everything by R.A. Salvatore and Terry Pratchett got to stay.

I bummed a copy of Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind (or something like that) from a friend recently, and that was really good.

Right now, I'm reading A Game of Thrones by George Martin (I think), and I am in awe of how well written it has been.


Oh yeah, Game of Thrones is quite possibly the best fantasy series out there. Even if the last book did slow a bit.

but eh....Wizards First Rule? Actually, no, I liked that book. And the next two or three? But after that the series flew downhill at an alarming rate to the point where I couldn't even make myself finish it. And this is after I was oh...7 books in. And once I've gotten that far into a series, I want to finish it, just because I'm so comitted already. But really, I'm fine never reading another thing by Goodkind again.

To clarify, it didn't gat -bad- 7 books in, that happened much earlier. I just finally couldn't force myself to read another bad book by that point.

The_Gypsy_King
2006-05-25, 03:54 AM
Well at the moment im reading some book about the war of Troy, which is canny good.

Just finished the second viking book in the series by Tim Serven (cant actually remember all the proper details sorry, someone can put me right) both good books though.

ack i havent posted in way too long.

Saithis Bladewing
2006-05-25, 08:16 AM
Wow, apparently lots of people had problems with The Silmarillion... I must be one of the rare exceptions. I read half of it in one day, went to bed, got up and read the other half. Then, this is from the person who read the entire LotR trilogy in about 18 hours straight.

churchofbanjo
2006-05-25, 12:24 PM
YES! High Five! I LOVE LOTR! . I also read The Wheel of Time Sequence by Robert Jordan. Very good epic fantasy series, though not for the easily distracted: 12 books so far, and each book is over 600 pages. Only for the serious reader.

Argent
2006-05-25, 01:04 PM
Right now, re-reading "Marathon Man" by William Goldman. Okay, yeah, it's not fantasy, but the man writes dialogue like nobody else can.

WampaX
2006-05-25, 01:24 PM
Usagi Yojimbo compilations. Just started Grasscutter last night.

Vorkosigan
2006-05-25, 01:36 PM
As anyone who knows her work can easily tell, I'm a huge fan of Lois McMaster Bujold, who has recently started writing fantasy. The Curse of Chalionis the best stand-alone fantasy I've read in years. And of course her Vorkosigan saga is unbelievably great for the SF fans out there.

El Jaspero, the Pirate King
2006-05-25, 01:59 PM
I was reading a book on the old-time music and dance scene in Bloomington, Indiana until I left it on a plane. Sigh.

Corylus
2006-05-25, 02:37 PM
Just finished Stphen Brusts's Freedom & Necessity about to start Juliet Marillier's The Dark Mirror.

fryer1
2006-05-25, 02:52 PM
I'm reading all five of the Hitchhiker's trilogy as fast as i can so i can start reading the books i got my birthday on tuesday.

Off the top of my head i can remember
Deception Point by Dan Brown
The Hunt for Red OCtober by Tom Clancy
Red Storm Rising by Tom Clancy
All Fun and Games Until Someone Loses an Eye by Christopher Brookmyre
Halo: The Fall of Reach
Halo: The Flood

orcmonk89
2006-05-25, 03:48 PM
So far, tis Libris Mortis and the Core Rulebooks.

Malachi, the Lich King
2006-05-25, 04:25 PM
Re-reading the first two Gord of Greyhawk books. They still aren't great but I thought they were awesome when I was thirteen and nostalgia can compensate somewhat even when you're older. I'm trying to trim down my library of fantasy novels and some of the books I'm waffling on I'm rereading to see if they make the cut.

anphorus
2006-05-25, 06:14 PM
Let’s see, this could take a while.

Ultimate Spiderman (just finished Volume 1) I've always been a big fan of Spiderman, and this is just excellent.
Ultimate X-Men (just finished volume 3). It's the X-Men!

Naruto (up to date) Cool ninja based series. I'm glad Sasuke is finally back after the time jump. Thank all the gods that it's finally been acknowledged that Naruto is a strong Ninja even without the Kyuubi. (Seeing as how the nine-tail's chakra poisons other people when they come into contact with it.)
Dragonball (just finished volume 11). The manga is far better than the anime. Little Goku is the man.
One Piece (Sanji has just got on the Puffing Tom on the way to Enies Lobby). The most funny and entertaining thing to come out of Japan in recent years. Too bad what happened to the dubbed anime.
Bleach (Ichigo is just meeting with the Visord) Swords. Death Gods. Giant evil demon souls. It has it all.

The Soldier's Son Series by Robin Hobb, I loved all of her previous books, especially the Farseer Trilogy easily my favourite fantasy author.
Crossroads of Twilight by Robert Jordan, I've been in the middle of this for a while now, I just keep putting off reading it because nothing is happening
Terry Pratchett's Discworld series, can't wait for the next book to come out, THUD was great.
Faith of the Fallen by Terry Goodkind. I did love some of the earlier books though I think it's going downhill a little, mostly because I just can't stand Kahlan. I just have no sympathy for her or her actions.
The Harry Potter Series I've just reached the point in the HP series that I hate reaching with other books, where you realise the series you like so much is going to come to an end very soon.
The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks. Required Geek reading.
Just finished A Game of Thrones and moving onto Clash of Kings I love this series' grittiness and lower magic fantasy setting.

I think that’s it, I don't think I've missed anything. I should note that I've included series where I have read the books available and am waiting for more to be released.

churchofbanjo
2006-05-25, 07:07 PM
Oh, Yeah, also read the Belgariad by David Eddings. Silk is my fav. character of all time! GO NARUTO! Also love manga and have just fallen in love with Discworld! (not literally. That could lead to a couple complications...)

Amotis
2006-05-25, 08:19 PM
I just got a few Pratchet books that I've never read.
Yes! *pumps fist*

fluffykins0
2006-05-25, 08:56 PM
The Forgotten Realms campaign setting.

Also trying to read The Eye of the World by Jordan.

After that it's up in the air what i'm going to read, but i'm thinking i'll reread Down and Out in Paris and London by Orwell

Gerrtt
2006-05-25, 10:31 PM
I'm currently thick in the middle of Lord of the Rings, Technically I am on Two Towers : Book IV, Chapter 7 Journey to the Cross-Roads (Page 678 of my copy, which has all three books in one spine).

My second read through...this time makes much more sense (the movies help there too..I'm very visual).

Rex_Hondo
2006-05-26, 02:34 AM
Recently finished re-reading all of Dan Brown's stuff. Currently reading DS9: Warpath by David Mack. After that, I'll probably try to get ahold of a copy of Cartomancy by Michael Stackpole, or the first book of Legacy of the Force that should be coming out soon. Not as much time to read any more, so I tend to keep it light, except whenever a new Wheel of Time book comes out.

The_Gypsy_King
2006-05-26, 03:57 AM
Nethelyrie your a book monster!

bosssmiley
2006-05-26, 07:49 AM
Terry Pratchett's Discworld series, can't wait for the next book to come out, THUD was great.

Seconded. THUD contains the coolest warcry *EVAR* in the entire history of fantasy writing: "Where's my cow?" ;D

I think the next book is going to be another Tiffany Aching story "Wintersmith".

Nerull
2006-05-26, 09:29 AM
Re-reading the first two Gord of Greyhawk books. They still aren't great but I thought they were awesome when I was thirteen and nostalgia can compensate somewhat even when you're older. I'm trying to trim down my library of fantasy novels and some of the books I'm waffling on I'm rereading to see if they make the cut.

I really enjoyed the Gord the Rogue books, too. My favorite parts were the last few books of the series that involved nearly every name-level demon ever invented. The interplay between the different demi-gods was really cool.

There is a new short story with Gord in the newest issue of Dragon, by the way.

General Leitmann
2006-05-26, 02:00 PM
I'm reading "Traitor General", a WH40K novel by Dan Abnett. It's in the Guant's Ghosts series, and it's the latest one.. it's really good... i reccomend the series to any WH40k fans.

Daishi
2006-05-26, 02:23 PM
Theres a bunch of good books by James Heneghan, about messed up teens. Some of them are pretty intense, in a scary kind of way, but they all are good for those that get picked on, because often in these books the smaller ones gang up on the big ones and cut off their hair and paint them and stuff.

kriklaf
2006-05-26, 03:55 PM
Re-reading the first two Gord of Greyhawk books. They still aren't great but I thought they were awesome when I was thirteen and nostalgia can compensate somewhat even when you're older. I'm trying to trim down my library of fantasy novels and some of the books I'm waffling on I'm rereading to see if they make the cut.






I really enjoyed the Gord the Rogue books, too.

Oh, man--I also read these when I was about 13 and thought they were great fun then. The last time I tried to reread them was a couple of years ago (my mid 20s)--I couldn't even get through them, they were so bad. Ah, well--it's not like I don't have a few books that I read for nostalgic value alone.

McBish
2006-05-26, 04:53 PM
The wizardry quested by Rick(?) Cook.
I think it is the last one of this seris. I hate to say it but I have had problems reeading Pratchett's books. I don't know why really maybe I just wasn't in the mood when I read the few I did read. I liked Good Omens the he wrote with Neil Gaimen. Who knows?

Saithis Bladewing
2006-05-26, 05:54 PM
Nethelyrie your a book monster!


I know. ._.

Thinking of looking for more Tom Clancy novels, I really enjoyed the one I read.

Scion_of_the_Light
2006-05-27, 01:38 AM
Argh! All these terrible fantasy novels! I am cringing...well, I suppose they're good for some good rest after reading some heavy stuff. I know I needed to read The Cleric Quintet after reading just the first chapter of Thus Spoke Zarathustra

So...what am I reading? Hmm...

Books I am reading now/slowly meandering through:

Lord Jim, by Joseph Conrad. An excellent read, but very complicated. Heavy, complex, and beautiful--the linguistics alone boggle my mind.

The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoyevsky. I actually like Dostoyevsky's style. It's oddly modern and exciting, even now.

Thus Spoke Zarathustra by Nietzsche. I highly warn you about this book: you have to approach it with a clear mind. Anything less, and you'll get caught on with the common and false conceptualizations about Nietzsche. He really isn't too bad.

50 Ways Italian Genius Shaped the World, by Peter d'Eprio. I'm just being patriotic to my heritage.

Waiting for Godot by Bekett. Odd play, indeed.

I have read in the last few months (books that I feel notable):

Catcher in the Rye, by Salinger. Good book, a little full of obscenities. It's a standard 10th grade thing, a little simplistic at some points. Good on others, though.

Oedipus Tyrannus, by Sophocles. Again, a play: this one is good, short, and simple. Well, until you get deep. Then it gains all the more significance. This can be read in an hour, it's less than a thousand lines or so.

Titus Andronicus, by Shakespeare. A good play, indeed. The most bloody thing he wrote--very fun, and a suprising end. Great thematic and philosophical elements, too.

Crime and Punishment, by Dostoyevsky. Great book. I loved Sonia and Raskolnikov! Dostoyevsky seems to present a similar message throughout most of his books, but that isn't bad. Many authors do. This is a thriller, Russian style.


I see most fantasy novels as candy. You comsume them, then continue on, never really digesting them. They aren't substantial nor too deep, in general. You can challenge me otherwise (and I know there are some good authors), but writers like Salvadore and Jordan just don't count. The only deep fantasy book ever written would be The Lord of the Rings, but that is almost a category to itself.

Of course, after my English teacher referenced Nietzsche and the Will to Power after reading Harry Potter, I'm not too sure...eh. Candy, I say!

Of course, one shouldn't jump from Salvadore's trash to something War and Peace. Progression. Reading, period, is good in this day and age. Too little people do it.

What is it, a quotation from something I've read...ah:

"We read popular novels for entertainment, we read Hamlet for the confirmation our our being against the questions that tear apart the soul"

Eh...while I'm citing quotations, I might as well add this one, for all the people who like Math out there:

"Frankly, it is not my words that I mistrust, but your minds. I could be eloquent were I not afraid you fellows have starved your imaginations to feed your bodies. I do not mean to be offensive; it is quite respectable to have no illusions--and safe--and profitable--and dull. Yet, you too in your time must have known the intensiy of life, that light of glamour created in the shock of trifles, as amazing as the glow of sparks struck from a cold stone--and as short-lived, alas!"

Leyonius
2006-05-27, 11:27 AM
What I'm reading

The Last Herald-Mage(just finished both the first books yesterday and working on the last one,lah I know,I'm a beast)

Sword of Truth series(can't find anyone near me who has a copy of Pillars of Creation so I'm stuck there)

Memory Sorrow and Thorn Series (currantly on book four its a pretty good series)

Pool of Radience(really old FR book)

Mr._Blinky
2006-05-27, 02:08 PM
I'm reading "Traitor General", a WH40K novel by Dan Abnett. It's in the Guant's Ghosts series, and it's the latest one.. it's really good... i reccomend the series to any WH40k fans.

Yeah, I've read First and Only, Sabbat Martyr, and Guns of Tanith.

CelestialStick
2006-05-27, 02:20 PM
I am reading Nation of Nations: A History of the American Republic. It is perhaps the worst US history textbook I have ever seen, and I spent half my time telling my students what's wrong with it so that they don't get confused. (To answer a likely question: I didn't get to choose the textbook for the class. :'()

I used to read avidly for fun, but now my eyes are old and tired. ;)

I think the last thing I read for pure enjoyment was the entire Harry Potter series over the winter break. I am still struck by how dark and complicated the books get with each successive volume, and stunned by the end of the most recent book.

Pelziges_Ohr
2006-05-27, 03:07 PM
MCSA/MCSE

MCSA/MCSE
Exam 70-290
Managing and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Environment


I'm reading this too (In german it says "Verwalten und Warten von Microsoft Windows Server 2003"). And I've got to read
MCSA/MCSE
Exam 70-291
Something like Windows 2003 Server and networking stuff

But I'm not doing this stuff at the university, it is an optional course availible at my school. Its a lot of fun actually. Every meeting somebody takes some cake or cookies or other yummy things. And our teacher is really cool.

Any other books I read are mostly books that we had to read in school like "Der Vorleser", "Die Räuber", "Faust I" (all three suck), "Death of a Salesman" (moderate), "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" (That one is really cool).

In addition I read all of the Harry Potter books in english. I think they helped me a bit improving my english.

Thiel
2006-05-27, 05:37 PM
Don't try to read the whole "Silmarillion" in one sitting, that's like trying to eat an elephant. Read one of the stories, then let your mind digest it slowly.

No, no no, you have to read it all at once, in three languages preferably. (I did that. Danish, English and German. I think it took about four days and 9 liters of cola)

Currently reading:
Conclave of Shadows book 2: King of Foxes by Raymond E. Feist
Vattas War by Elizabeth Moon and I crave the fourth book.
The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan, can't wait for the 12th installment.

Just finished:
Star War: Force Heretics trilogy by Shean Williams and Shane Dix
The Deeds of Paksenarion by Elizabeth Moon
Anarchist Cookbook, the best nighttime reading around.
Belly of the Bow by K. J. Parker

Planning to read:
Black Magician Trilogy by Trudi Canavan
Priestess of the White by Trudi Canavan
Shadow of the Giant by Orson Scott Card

CelestialStick
2006-05-27, 05:47 PM
No, no no, you have to read it all at once, in three languages preferably. (I did that. Danish, English and German. I think it took about four days and 9 liters of cola)

Currently reading:
Conclave of Shadows book 2: King of Foxes by Raymond E. Feist
Vattas War by Elizabeth Moon and I crave the fourth book.
The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan, can't wait for the 12th installment.

Just finished:
Star War: Force Heretics trilogy by Shean Williams and Shane Dix
The Deeds of Paksenarion by Elizabeth Moon
Anarchist Cookbook, the best nighttime reading around.
Belly of the Bow by K. J. Parker

Planning to read:
Black Magician Trilogy by Trudi Canavan
Priestess of the White by Trudi Canavan
Shadow of the Giant by Orson Scott Card
How was the Star Wars book? I've got Star Wars The New Jedi Order Dark Tide Rising II and Star Wars the New Jedi Order Agents of Chaos II Jedi Eclipse (man those books have too many titles!) sitting around from the winter before last but I've yet to read them. I also bought two books with the original Conan stories by Robert E. Howard (not the fake Conan written after his death) which I read as a kid and wanted to reread but haven't gotten around to them yet either.

Thiel
2006-05-27, 06:12 PM
Quite good. It follows the style of the other New Jedi Order books.
For those who havn't read any New Jedi Order books, they far more gritty than any previous Star Wars book I have ever read. (Main characters dying, races imune/nonpresent to the force, biological warfare and bioengeniering. Genius) ;D

CelestialStick
2006-05-27, 06:34 PM
Quite good. It follows the style of the other New Jedi Order books.
For those who havn't read any New Jedi Order books, they far more gritty than any previous Star Wars book I have ever read. (Main characters dying, races imune/nonpresent to the force, biological warfare and bioengeniering. Genius) ;D
Thanks for the feedback. It's actually been years since I read a New Jedi Order book, and I don't even recall where these fit in.

Thiel
2006-05-27, 06:47 PM
Vector Prime mostly
But the fit in in most of the books I have read.

Rex_Hondo
2006-05-27, 11:09 PM
How was the Star Wars book? I've got Star Wars The New Jedi Order Dark Tide Rising II and Star Wars the New Jedi Order Agents of Chaos II Jedi Eclipse (man those books have too many titles!) sitting around from the winter before last but I've yet to read them. I also bought two books with the original Conan stories by Robert E. Howard (not the fake Conan written after his death) which I read as a kid and wanted to reread but haven't gotten around to them yet either.

NJO is pretty good overall. It does a good job of maintaining a sense that nobody's truly safe.

Love the old Conan stuff, though I also enjoy quite a bit of the more recent writings. My Conan collection is up to 40-something volumes, and not near complete, if it ever will be. I recommend giving the Conan novels penned by Robert Jordan a try. They're all collected in a couple of hardbound volumes, if you can find them. That was acually how I discovered Jordan, and picked up the Wheel of Time after that, purely on the strength of the author's name.

bosssmiley
2006-05-28, 05:07 AM
Thus Spoke Zarathustra by Nietzsche. I highly warn you about this book: you have to approach it with a clear mind. Anything less, and you'll get caught on with the common and false conceptualizations about Nietzsche. He really isn't too bad.

...stuff...

Of course, after my English teacher referenced Nietzsche and the Will to Power after reading Harry Potter, I'm not too sure...eh. Candy, I say!

You know, the one book that would make my year. A Harry Potter fanfic by Nietzsche: "Heinrich Potter und the Re-Evaluation of All Values", "HP and the Twilight Idol" and of course, the masterwork "Thus Spoke Harry Potter" in which Harry uses the power of eternal recurrence to defeat the evil wizard Lord Wagnermort

CelestialStick
2006-05-28, 05:57 AM
NJO is pretty good overall. It does a good job of maintaining a sense that nobody's truly safe.

Love the old Conan stuff, though I also enjoy quite a bit of the more recent writings. My Conan collection is up to 40-something volumes, and not near complete, if it ever will be. I recommend giving the Conan novels penned by Robert Jordan a try. They're all collected in a couple of hardbound volumes, if you can find them. That was acually how I discovered Jordan, and picked up the Wheel of Time after that, purely on the strength of the author's name.
When I was younger I used to buy tons of science fiction and fantasy books and read all the time. Now that I'm old and poor I don't buy that much anymore. Between you and Holy Knight you'd have me going on a spending spree! :D

I've heard of Jordan and the Wheel of Time, but never read either. If I ever actually read the real Conan I bought the winter before last, I might look at some fake Conan, but don't hold your breath. I'm likely to read the Batman stuff you guys recommended first, and I'm not rushing to buy that either. ;)

Thiel
2006-05-28, 06:31 AM
Thats why public libraries are such a brilliant invention, as long as you deliver the books on time its absolutely free.
And in Denmark at least, they tend to be pretty well stocked with new books.

Rex_Hondo
2006-05-28, 06:35 AM
If I ever actually read the real Conan I bought the winter before last, I might look at some fake Conan, but don't hold your breath.

Well, it's hardly fair to split it into "real" and "fake" Conan, now, is it, since it's all fictional? ;)
Especially since, when it boils down to it, Howard actually published a relatively small amount in his lifetime. Most of the rest of the "original" Conan was stuff either cleaned up, written from outlines, or re-written from other Howard characters by L. Sprague DeCamp and one or two other guys.

Great thing about the original Conan stuff? Being pulp, it's relatively quick reads, and there's no real need to even try to go in order. ;D

CelestialStick
2006-05-28, 07:31 AM
Thats why public libraries are such a brilliant invention, as long as you deliver the books on time its absolutely free.
And in Denmark at least, they tend to be pretty well stocked with new books.
My parents used to regularly check out books from the public library, but I've never gotten into the habit. I'm not sure why either.





Well, it's hardly fair to split it into "real" and "fake" Conan, now, is it, since it's all fictional? ;)
Especially since, when it boils down to it, Howard actually published a relatively small amount in his lifetime. Most of the rest of the "original" Conan was stuff either cleaned up, written from outlines, or re-written from other Howard characters by L. Sprague DeCamp and one or two other guys.

Great thing about the original Conan stuff? Being pulp, it's relatively quick reads, and there's no real need to even try to go in order. ;D

My dad warned my brother that reading comic books would rot his brain. :D Alas, we see it was all too true. It's because comic books characters are written by so many different authors. Thus the debates between the older comic book heroes and the new, ruined versions! :D With books, the real stuff is written by the author who created it. Real Conan was written by Howard. Real Pooh was written by Milne. Down with the fake Disney Pooh! Down with fake Conan! ;D

Ted_Stryker
2006-05-28, 06:15 PM
I'm reading the Burton Raffel and Howell D. Chickering, Jr. verse translations of Beowulf. I've got the Seamus Haney verse translation coming in the mail on Wednesday. I'm also reading Fellowship of the Ring. The Ancestor's Tale by Richard Dawkins is up next.

CatCameBack
2006-05-31, 04:32 PM
Just finished a vampire hunting novel The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. A lot of pages for not much payoff. Good for background for a DnD modern campaign, but not much else.

Next up, Sharpe's Triumph.

Rex_Hondo
2006-05-31, 10:08 PM
My dad warned my brother that reading comic books would rot his brain. :D Alas, we see it was all too true. It's because comic books characters are written by so many different authors. Thus the debates between the older comic book heroes and the new, ruined versions! :D With books, the real stuff is written by the author who created it. Real Conan was written by Howard. Real Pooh was written by Milne. Down with the fake Disney Pooh! Down with fake Conan! ;D

Ah, but if it remains true to the spirit of the character, and is all but indistinguishable from the "original" stuff, what difference does it make whose name is on the cover? Superman and Batman may change dramatically as the decades go by, but Conan is Conan. Except for the ridiculous attempts to put him on TV. Those aren't Conan.

tamtam1991
2006-05-31, 10:27 PM
How 'bout this:
I am currently in the Middle of rereading Robert Jordan's "The Wheel of Time". Right now I am in the fifth book, The Fires of Heaven.
Recently I ahev fenished reading R.A. Salvatore's The Hunter's Blade trilogy.

CelestialStick
2006-06-01, 01:12 AM
Ah, but if it remains true to the spirit of the character, and is all but indistinguishable from the "original" stuff, what difference does it make whose name is on the cover? Superman and Batman may change dramatically as the decades go by, but Conan is Conan. Except for the ridiculous attempts to put him on TV. Those aren't Conan.
Alas, I see it is too late to save you from the mind-rot of fake Conan. :(

Cidd
2006-06-01, 03:55 AM
I am reading the Terry Pratchett novels and they are AWSOME!!!
I would deffinitly recommend reading them. The Discworld seires is great! the first book is called "The Light Fantastic". A favorite for all I am sure.
The halo books are good too, have you read "The Fall of Reach" SilverKnight?

The_Losar
2006-06-01, 05:41 AM
Currently reading Mystic Quest, of the Bronze Canticles.

It's alright so far. Much like the first one, I kinda get tired of the constant switching back and forth between worlds. Mostly I get tired of going to the faery world, which I find rather boring. The humans I connect to, and the goblins are just fun.

Hard to mention the Hickmans without mentioning Margaret Weis, whose solo work I enjoy immensely. I'm looking forward to the next book in the Dragonlance: Dark Disciple series, though I'm afraid it might take a back seat to the Dark Chronicles series tha W&H are working on.

Iroll20s
2006-06-01, 05:56 AM
The Falls - Ian Rankin (Rebus and Rankin Novel)
Night Watch - Terry Pratchett
every other diskworld novel ever written, all by Terry Pratchett

CelestialStick
2006-06-01, 06:32 AM
I am reading the Terry Pratchett novels and they are AWSOME!!!
I would deffinitly recommend reading them. The Discworld seires is great! the first book is called "The Light Fantastic". A favorite for all I am sure.
The halo books are good too, have you read "The Fall of Reach" SilverKnight?
So they go tripping the Light Fantastic? ;)

Altair_the_Vexed
2006-06-01, 09:51 AM
Currently reading Zen and the Art of Motocycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig, the Iliad (still) by Homer, and the Lays of Beleriand by the Tolkien family.

I kind of like the old epics.
;D

Akiosama
2006-06-12, 07:17 PM
I have just finished the Demon Child Trilogy by Jennifer Fallon. (Medalon, Treason Keep, and Harshini) While the climax of the series left a little to be desired, it was one of the best reads I've had in a while. I started with her 'pre-series' book Wolfblade (her second series starts before her first one did) and I found myself really enjoying the character interactions and the world. So, shortly thereafter (not finishing Wolfblade, even), I went out, picked up Medalon and finished it in about 4 days... I then picked up the rest of the series, and read Treason Keep and a third of Harshini in one day... I haven't done that since Timothy Zahn and the Heir to the Empire series for Star Wars (I finished the third book in one evening). So, needless to say, I highly recommend her work.

So, staying in her neck of the woods (Ms. Fallon is an Aussie), I'm going to give Sara Douglass' The Wayfarer Redemption a try.

As for other Fantasy authors, I also recommend Jacqueline Carey (Kushiel's Dart, Kushiel's Chosen, Kushiel's Avatar, Banewrecker, and Godslayer). Her first three form a rather racy, excellent political intrigue series, and her other two, her newer series, are interesting so far, but not as racy as her first series. The new series would be interesting for those out there that believe Good and Evil might indeed be relative...

Both excellent authors, IMO. They're worth a look.

My 2 yen,

Read on!

Akio

Tiferet
2006-06-12, 07:24 PM
I just finished the Godfather. It's a really good book. If you liked the movie, I highly recomend it.

Currently, I'm reading the fourth Vampire Hunter D novel, Tale of the Dead Town.

hobbes543
2006-06-12, 07:48 PM
Almost done with Dragons of Winter Night and then on to Dragons of Spring Dawning.

After that it is on to reading the rest of Raymond E Fiest's books.

The Prince of Cats
2006-06-13, 09:03 AM
Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell (Susanna Clarke)
The Mabinogion (Ancient but I have the Evangeline Walton version)
The Baroque Cycle (Neal Stephenson)

Space-Is-Curved
2006-06-13, 01:47 PM
I'm rereading the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series.

Valda, Adlav and Samiam: the Jacked-Up Trinity
2006-06-13, 01:49 PM
I'm rereading the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series.

I got sick of those about halfway through So Long And Thanks For All the Fish. Nothing but incoherent romance and none of the random goodness that Adams was known for.

I just got done with Artemis Fowl: The Eternity Code, and I must say, the series lives up to its reputation. Artemis one of the best antiheroes ever.

Don Beegles
2006-06-13, 02:17 PM
Valda, I like Artemis as well, and the first three were superb. I must say though, I was very disappointed with the last one, whos name I can't recall ATM. It didn't start being remotely funny until halfway through when Mulch showed up, and even then it was subpar. Though of course, this is my opinion and actual results may vary.


Right now, I just finished Love's Labour's Lost and must say that Shakespeare can be very funny at time.
I just really started Lord Jim, which seems decent, at least a better novel than Moby **** (God I hated that book)
I'm also working n the Drizzt books, waiting right now for Exle to come in at teh library.

Shinfai
2006-06-13, 04:11 PM
lets see .. the only thing i am reading is The Brilliance Of The Moon by Lean Hearn which is the third in the trilogy of Tales Of The Otori ..

oh yeah and Religion War by .. oh dammit i can't remember .. uh yeah .. that's about it

FuziSlipers
2006-06-13, 04:14 PM
When I'm at home, I'm rereading the second volume of The Chronicles of Amber. I have to be careful not to start it on a school day, though, because I ended up skipping class last time to read the first volume.

At school, I'm reading Pratchett's "The Truth" while I walk for my walking class. I read that and listen to my discman and all in all keep myself entertained in the beautiful, summery outdoors. That's the life...

There are a few others that I've started but not finished yet. I'm about to leave for school so I'll be looking forward to more of William De Word!!!

The Prince of Cats
2006-06-13, 04:43 PM
When I'm at home, I'm rereading the second volume of The Chronicles of Amber. I have to be careful not to start it on a school day, though, because I ended up skipping class last time to read the first volume.
When I first read it, I have to admit to phoning in sick to work once or twice...

I thought Nine Princes in Amber was just one of my wife's trashy fantasy novels when she handed it to me. It even starts like a trashy novel, you must admit. And then the scene with Florimel illustrates just what a strange book you have started reading...

DMgrinder
2006-06-13, 05:19 PM
Game of Thrones. And Lovin it.

Valda, Adlav and Samiam: the Jacked-Up Trinity
2006-06-13, 05:46 PM
Valda, I like Artemis as well, and the first three were superb. I must say though, I was very disappointed with the last one, whos name I can't recall ATM. It didn't start being remotely funny until halfway through when Mulch showed up, and even then it was subpar. Though of course, this is my opinion and actual results may vary.


I dunno. I always thought of the humor in Artemis as being of the witty Batman variety; something worth a satisfied grin, but secondary to the main part of the story.

Also Artemis-related, if the other fairies hate goblins as much as is demonstrated in The Arctic Incident, a certain portion of the original Artemis Fowl doesn't make sense-- a certain nameless LEP officer is described as being an elf-goblin half-breed. Doesn't quite add up. ???

Don Beegles
2006-06-13, 07:12 PM
True about teh humor; I also love the marvelous plans. Dboule-triple-quadruple bluffs always get me. But the last one didn't do it for me even on the plot level. Maybe it was just me (It's been known to happen) but it seemed sort of bland.


About Lord Jim, I lied. I just picked it up again, and found it impossible to get into the language. Usually that doesn't faze me, I pick up a book, and within five minutes I'm in, but I think the distractions of finals and the beginning of summer are throwing me off, so I switched to Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. I think that should be better.

RyleneCaleah
2006-06-13, 07:12 PM
Currently on "Men at Arms" by Terry Pratchett (again!)

Waiting (impatiently) for our order from Sci-fi book club to arrive so I can have some new material. Until then I will be re-reading a whole variety of stuff since our library here is useless and the "book store" (I use the term loosely) is even worse. I can't even start new authors since they never have complete sets. Book 2 of a trilogy is as much use as a chocolate teapot when you can't get books 1 & 3!

Mr._Blinky
2006-06-13, 10:59 PM
Just got back from vacation in Canada and read two books their, while starting another.

Finished:
A) Starship Troopers. Really good read, and the armor is awesome. I've heard the movie sucked though, so I'll probably stay away from that.

B) The Forever War. Another author's answer to Starship Troopers (though published a long time later), and paints a very different picture of the military. Very strong language, so beware. Very good, and brings up the interesting point that an interstellar war would take a long time. In this case, over a thousand years.

And right now I'm reading The Demolished Man, which is so far also turning out to be quite good. They're all fairly old sci-fi classics, but if you haven't read them before, I'd definately suggest them.

Goff
2006-06-13, 11:44 PM
I'm currently reading "Wives for Sale: An ehtnographic study of British popular divorce." by Samuel Pyeatt Menefee. Fascinating stuff, jumping the broom, handfasting and all that.
Funnily enough, I'm also writing an essay on marriage in England between 1650 and 1850.

cjsup77
2006-06-14, 12:58 AM
I'm currently reading the Redwall series.

There are 18 books in the series and I'm on my 11 book!

Kishkumen
2006-06-14, 05:00 AM
Ivanhoe. I was never forced to read it in school so I'm reading it now.


A) Starship Troopers. Really good read, and the armor is awesome. I've heard the movie sucked though, so I'll probably stay away from that.

Great book. Bad movie. No powered armour, no Skinnies, the Bugs don't have any technology. Just guys with rifles bouncing shots off 4-legged spiders until the bugs chew the soldiers too pieces.

However, the CG-animated miniseries Roughnecks is worth seeing. It's done by the same studio that produced the special effects for the movie. The bugs are the same as the movie but the characters are more developed and there are some hints that the body armour is powered. Occasionally they do use jumpjets. There's more plot in each 30 minute show than the entire movie. It's also the only children's show I've seen that regularly uses nuclear weapons.

RedMage
2006-06-14, 07:29 AM
Anyone looking for a good read should have a look at digital knight by Ryk E Spoor

Akiosama
2006-06-14, 12:51 PM
Ivanhoe. I was never forced to read it in school so I'm reading it now.


Great book. Bad movie. No powered armour, no Skinnies, the Bugs don't have any technology. Just guys with rifles bouncing shots off 4-legged spiders until the bugs chew the soldiers too pieces.

However, the CG-animated miniseries Roughnecks is worth seeing. It's done by the same studio that produced the special effects for the movie. The bugs are the same as the movie but the characters are more developed and there are some hints that the body armour is powered. Occasionally they do use jumpjets. There's more plot in each 30 minute show than the entire movie. It's also the only children's show I've seen that regularly uses nuclear weapons.

And it's the predecessor for the DVD only (?) Heavy Gear feature, based on Dream Pod 9's RPG of the same name. I saw a trailer for that, and it looked REALLY sweet. Though I don't think it got very far. :(

My 2 yen,

Akio

Don Beegles
2006-06-14, 03:01 PM
Ya'll must think I have ADD, but now I'm reading the Complete Works of Yeats. It's my summer reading for Honors English, and my mom Amazoned it. It came in today, and I picked it up and was completely enraptured from the start.

reorith
2006-06-14, 04:02 PM
the lotr cuz i'm a tool. that and beyond good and evil

Dark_Stalion
2006-06-14, 04:50 PM
A seriese I've just come accross has struck me as being pretty damn good. It focsses more on actual folk myths, rather than the epic sprawling magic of wizards etc. I believe everyone should at least have a look at:

The Ill-Made Mute by Cecilia Dart-Thornton, first in the Bitterbynd trilogy.

Ikkitosen
2006-06-14, 06:32 PM
I just finished the new Trudi Canavan novel Priestess of the White. I liked the Black Magician trilogy so my gf bought me this new one, and it was pretty good. I'll definitely get the sequels as they are released.

Mord
2006-06-14, 09:04 PM
Currently reading the First Chronicles of Conan - Robert Howard

Just finished The Alienist - Caleb Carr (and thought it was very well done, well worth the read if you like mysteries using psychological profiling to reason out the suspect)

Also just finished The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas (convoluted, and so, to me at least, very interesting)

and The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde

These last two I read online at www.litrix.com an online reading room with a ton of good stuff you can read for free, if you're into reading, and don't mind sitting at a computer to do it, you should check it out.

Stuff from Conan Doyle, H Rider Haggard, Homer, Poe, Shakespeare, Dickens, Verne and HG Wells to name but a few.

TruenuffTrey
2006-06-14, 09:56 PM
I just finished The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King. It was a fairly good fantasy book from a guy who is known for his horror.

Now I'm reading The Hobbit again because I forgot most of it. :-/

hobbes543
2006-06-14, 10:03 PM
Also reading the adventures of Tin Tin on the side =P

Nasrudith
2006-06-14, 10:43 PM
I'm reading Red Dwarf and next on my list Discworld which I started recently. I have a LOT of reading to do.

A_Dark_Danish
2006-06-14, 11:33 PM
Eldest.. third time, this is a good book.

FuziSlipers
2006-06-15, 03:43 AM
When I first read it, I have to admit to phoning in sick to work once or twice...

I thought Nine Princes in Amber was just one of my wife's trashy fantasy novels when she handed it to me. It even starts like a trashy novel, you must admit. And then the scene with Florimel illustrates just what a strange book you have started reading...

That's part of what I love about it! It starts off seeming like a normal book. Even rereading it, you can't help but imagine him as a 50's gangster who caught amnesia and has found himself in the middle of something odd... which just keeps getting odder!

Somewhat like Donaldson's "The Mirror of Her Dreams". You don't have any clue when it is going to take that wild turn into the fantastical. It makes you feel as though you could be walking down the street someday and fall into Alice's hole into Wonderland.

Dr._Weird
2006-06-15, 11:28 AM
I'm rereading A Game of Thrones, and after that, Lord of the Flies... if I can pull myself away from A Clash of Kings in time to find it.

Mr._Blinky
2006-06-15, 12:32 PM
Eldest.. third time, this is a good book.

Yeah, Eragon was well written too, for the writer's age. Well, except for the fact that half of the plot points were complete rip-offs of Star Wars, but what'cha gonna' do?

Were-Sandwich
2006-06-15, 03:50 PM
I'm reading Sourcery by Terry Pratchett. I was inspired to do an OOTS sketch of Coin.

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i263/WereSandwich_2006/Coin-1.gif

Bookman
2006-06-15, 03:53 PM
Currently nothing........which is unusual for me. I used to be ADDCITED to books (hence the name :P) dunno what happened.......I'll probably be attempting to read the Wheel of Time this summer (last summer I tried to read all of Xanth but I failed by about 6 books)

DEMONhunter
2006-06-15, 03:55 PM
Yeah, Eragon was well written too, for the writer's age. Well, except for the fact that half of the plot points were complete rip-offs of Star Wars, but what'cha gonna' do?
How, exactly? Just because someone family is killed by the 'powers-that-be' doesn't make the story a rip-off of star wars.

Mr._Blinky
2006-06-15, 06:42 PM
How, exactly? Just because someone family is killed by the 'powers-that-be' doesn't make the story a rip-off of star wars.

Haven't read the book in a while, but I'll sum up the points I can remember.

Spoilers:

1. Living with his uncle in the middle of the woods. [Luke]
2. Said uncle is killed in an attempt to get him. [Owen]
3. Receives something (Death Star plans in Star Wars, the egg in Eragon) from a princess who has just been captured by a powerful agent of the enemy, and he's now hunted so the enemy can retrieve it. [Leia/Plans]
4. His elderly friend turns out to be the supposedly last of a group of righteous warriors, who were wiped out by a betrayor in their midst, with help. [Obi-wan/Jedi]
5. Said friend teaches him the ways of said dead order. [Obi-wan/Jedi]
6. Said friend dies to save him. [Obi-wan]
7. Rescues a woman who he learned about through an outside source, from a prison guarded by a crazy powerful servant of his enemy. [Leia]
8. The Emporer is a betrayor of an now extincet order of warriors, that he was part of. [Emporer]
9. He receives aid from other malcontents within the order. [Darth Vader]
10. The emporers most powerful servant, one of said malcontents, turns out to be the protagonist's father. [Darth Vader]
11. During the final battle, Eragon manages to almost single-handedly destroy the source of the attacking forces strength. [Luke vs. Death Star]
12. During said final battle, he is almost killed by the enemies powerful general. However, his friends who he never expected help from suddenly come out of nowhere and distract the general guy, allowing the protagonist time to make the blow which wins the battle. [Solo on the Falcon]
13. He receives a vision, telling him to seek training with someone. He travels their, and finds out it is a wrinkled old man, hundreds of years old, who, despite assurances that they're all dead, turns out to be another surviving, and extremely powerful, member of the extinct order. [Yoda]
14. Receives training, but has to leave before it is quite completed due to circumstances outside his control. [Yoda]
15. Etc...

Now, I can think of even more than this (I'll post anymore I think of later), and I'm not even a Star Wars geek. I thought 1-3 sucked. Just look at that list and tell me it isn't ripped off, at least sub-consiously.

TheHawk
2006-06-16, 07:42 PM
I'm reading Hogfather by Terry Prachett

Akiosama
2006-06-16, 07:55 PM
Going to hit the (in)famous Game of Thrones. Hopefully, I can finish it this time. ;D

*grumble* Stupid library only has one copy of the 2nd book in the Sara Douglass series... :P

My 2 yen,

Akio

Dr._Weird
2006-06-16, 09:08 PM
Haven't read the book in a while, but I'll sum up the points I can remember.

Spoilers:


8. The Emporer is a betrayor of an now extincet order of warriors, that he was part of. [Emporer]

Now, I can think of even more than this (I'll post anymore I think of later), and I'm not even a Star Wars geek. I thought 1-3 sucked. Just look at that list and tell me it isn't ripped off, at least sub-consiously.

[SW spoilers] Hello? The Emperor was never a jedi. He was a chancellor. I thought everyone knew that. And yet I'm still posting this as a spoiler...[/spoilers]

Mr._Blinky
2006-06-17, 01:07 PM
[SW spoilers] Hello? The Emperor was never a jedi. He was a chancellor. I thought everyone knew that. And yet I'm still posting this as a spoiler...[/spoilers]

Yes I know that, but he still used the force, and while he may not have been a Jedi, he was a Sith. It isn't exactly the same, and I never said it was, but IMHO to much of the plot was similar for it to be completely coincidental. Now, I'm also not necessarily saying that he meant to do it either, since it was entirely possible that it was all sub-consious. As an aspiring writer myself, I know how hard it is to come up with original material. Eldest was a good deal better in the originality department, and both are very well written regardless, especially given the author's age, but I still say that there are too many similarities for it to be a total coincidence. I mean, seriously, by half-way through the first book I'd already figured out who his parents were (of course, when you think about it, it's almost blindingly obvious, but it's still to close to Star Wars for my liking).

And yes, I know I'm long-winded.

Don Beegles
2006-06-17, 01:30 PM
Well yes, but just about every story is ripped off from every other story; most of those points are cliches that have been used in other stories before. Besides, Star Wars was not exactly orignal itself, Lucas admits that he more or less exactly stole an eariler Japanese movie whoe name I can't remember at the moment.

Besides, even if I had known that before, I think that Paolini had such an orignail take on the story and cover that it was very entertaining and even orignal despite all that.

Mr._Blinky
2006-06-17, 01:57 PM
Well yes, but just about every story is ripped off from every other story; most of those points are cliches that have been used in other stories before. Besides, Star Wars was not exactly orignal itself, Lucas admits that he more or less exactly stole an eariler Japanese movie whoe name I can't remember at the moment.

Besides, even if I had known that before, I think that Paolini had such an orignail take on the story and cover that it was very entertaining and even orignal despite all that.

While it may have sounded like I didn't like the book, I actually enjoyed it a fair bit. However, on your point that most stories are ripped off from other stories, in those cases it is usually from a variety of sources, rather than just one, especially if that source is as well known as Star Wars. If I'm not even a SW geek and I can spot that may similarities, I'm sure I'm not the only one to see these parallels.

Akiosama
2006-06-19, 03:12 PM
Well yes, but just about every story is ripped off from every other story; most of those points are cliches that have been used in other stories before. Besides, Star Wars was not exactly orignal itself, Lucas admits that he more or less exactly stole an eariler Japanese movie whoe name I can't remember at the moment.

Besides, even if I had known that before, I think that Paolini had such an orignail take on the story and cover that it was very entertaining and even orignal despite all that.

Actually, from what I understand that the whole concept of Star Wars is a Sci-Fi amalgamation of some Japanese chanbara (samurai adventure) movies mixed with The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire.

In fact, the word Jedi supposedly came from the term Jidai Geki or 'Period (historical era) Play,' a term which is applied to many Samurai films or plays.

My 2 creds,

Game on!

Akio

WampaX
2006-06-19, 03:17 PM
Just finished catching up on Usagi Yojimbo (having read none of it before, I had ALOT to read)
Just started the Sandman graphic novel series.

Tae_Kwon_Dan
2006-06-19, 03:36 PM
Just started the Sandman graphic novel series.

Since I also returned your roommates copy of Ender's Game, I recommend reading that once you're done with Sandman.

WampaX
2006-06-19, 03:38 PM
Since I also returned your roommates copy of Ender's Game, I recommend reading that once you're done with Sandman.


Its sitting on the nightstand, too, but I'm not currently reading it. :P

Tae_Kwon_Dan
2006-06-19, 03:44 PM
Its sitting on the nightstand, too, but I'm not currently reading it. :P

Feh, you've already had Sandman for over 12 hours. If you were me, you would have finished already AND started Ender's Game. :P

WampaX
2006-06-19, 03:47 PM
Feh, you've already had Sandman for over 12 hours. If you were me, you would have finished already AND started Ender's Game. :P

Instead of dragging this thread off into a personal conversation about your reading acumen, what are YOU reading now?

Tae_Kwon_Dan
2006-06-19, 03:49 PM
Fine fine, with your forcing of on-topicness (on-topictude?)

I'm currently about halfway through The Dark Tower IV: Wizards and Glass. Considering that I just found out that I have another two day sales trip coming up, I should be done by Friday.

Mr Croup
2006-06-19, 04:00 PM
Actually, from what I understand that the whole concept of Star Wars is a Sci-Fi amalgamation of some Japanese chanbara (samurai adventure) movies mixed with The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire.

One of the influences that Lucas sights as largely shaping Star Wars is Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress (or for those so inclined: Kakushi toride no san akunin) Many of the plot elements are pulled nearly directly from the film.

Straying back on topic, I'm reading Time Dancers, by Steven Cash. It's the second book in the "Meq" series. I picked up the first in the series randomly while looking for something new to read and only upon finishing it did I find out it was the begining of a series. No more unfinished series for me, my plate is too full as is.

hobbes543
2006-06-19, 04:17 PM
Well, now i am reading Dragons of Spring Dawning. I'm not sure what to think of the plot twist that they trew in during dragons of Winter Night having Kitiara the High Dragon Lord.

Tiferet
2006-06-19, 04:17 PM
I just finished reading the Godfather. It was awsome! I highly recomend it to anyone who liked the movies, since the movies are based off of the novel.

Currently, I'm reading the Devil May Cry novel. I saw it in the manga section at the bookstore yesterday and decided to give it a try. It's good so far, but I'm worried it may have lost something in the translation from Japanese to English.

CapnAlex
2006-06-19, 04:27 PM
Not only am I listening to the radio series, but I am also reading the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. As well as the Gaunt's Ghosts novels, and Demon Diary (manga).

Spit_Dog
2006-06-19, 05:13 PM
1) I am re-reading Dan Simmon's Hyperion.

2) On Friday, this past Bloomsday, I started Joyce's Ulysses. As a lark, I'm trying to see how many allusions I actually understand...as of now I am not batting my weight.

Scion_of_the_Light
2006-06-19, 09:16 PM
True about teh humor; I also love the marvelous plans. Dboule-triple-quadruple bluffs always get me. But the last one didn't do it for me even on the plot level. Maybe it was just me (It's been known to happen) but it seemed sort of bland.


About Lord Jim, I lied. I just picked it up again, and found it impossible to get into the language. Usually that doesn't faze me, I pick up a book, and within five minutes I'm in, but I think the distractions of finals and the beginning of summer are throwing me off, so I switched to Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. I think that should be better.



But...but...but...

The language in Lord Jim is just beautiful. It is a masterpiece. Yes, it's a little long winded, but that isn't major. I mean, Dostoyevsky is tremendouly long winded, and he's amazing as well. Some of the most important parts of the novel are in Marlow's little monologues, where he gets into the realm of making ontological statements.

Ubergeek87
2006-06-19, 09:22 PM
Currently reading "Shadowfall" followed by "A Game of Thrones"

Don Beegles
2006-06-19, 09:49 PM
Don't worry, Scion, I'll get back to Lord Jim ASAP. Generally the language doesn't bother me if the story is good - Casi in point, the fact that I'm reading and loving The Canterbury Tales in the Old English ATM, with as little recourse to the translation as possible. It was just that at that moment I was so occupied that I couldn't get past the verbosity and really enter into the story. Now that school and finals are over, that shouldn't be a problem, and I'll probably try it again after Chaucer.

Don Beegles
2006-06-19, 09:51 PM
Sorry for double posting, especially because this post is meaningless, but I tried to post several times, and it seems like the post isn't catching unless I post twive. We apologize for the INconvenience

Mr._Blinky
2006-06-19, 11:57 PM
Sorry for double posting, especially because this post is meaningless, but I tried to post several times, and it seems like the post isn't catching unless I post twive. We apologize for the INconvenience

You can just delete your post you know. It's in the same row as the quote and modify tools.

Don Beegles
2006-06-20, 08:25 AM
I tried that, which would have been clear if I explained better, but for some reason both posts were necessary for either to stay. I don't know why.

orcmonk89
2006-06-20, 09:54 AM
Labrynth - I forget
Dragons of a Fallen Star - Margaret Weis & Tracy Hinkman.

Charity
2006-06-20, 09:55 AM
I'm reading Love and Other Near-Death Experiences by Mil Millington.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0812973488/102-5848528-5625721?n=283155

It's pretty light stuff but funny enough.

DarkCorax
2006-06-20, 03:57 PM
Currently Reading:
The Discworld Series: Terry Pratchett
Oriels Diary: Robert Harrison
The Bible: Various People

Recently Read:
The Entire of the Farseer, Liveship Traders and The Tawny Man Trillogys by Robin Hobb,I love these books.
The Old Kingdom Trillogy: Garth Nix

Don Beegles
2006-06-20, 04:46 PM
Oh, yeah, I forogt about teh Bible. Though I don't really count that as really reading, because I'm just going through it at the extremely slow pace of 3 chapters a day. Right now I'm on Isaiah 6, which means I'm over halfway done.

Zophiel
2006-06-20, 05:14 PM
Currently I'm alternating between The Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla, by Stephen King, and Lonely Planet's Ireland tourbook.

Before this, I finally got around to reading Shadow of the Giant, by Orson Scott Card, which was preceded by the lengthy but very enjoyable The Three Musketeers, by Alexandre Dumas.

Sirelroka
2006-06-20, 05:21 PM
The Certified Diver's Handbook - Clay Coleman
A Plague of Angels - Sheri Tepper

Zaggab
2006-06-20, 05:53 PM
Currently, I am reading Sprängaren by Liza Marklund. In english, the book's name would be something like "the bomber" or "the exploder" (not that that is actually a word).
I recently read The Name of the Rose or whatever it is called in english.
I plan to read (re-read) the deverry books, in english, because apparently the author has recently recovered from a serious illness and is about to give out a new book. And I must re-read the entire series, because my memory is like... well, I don't know. Something that is short or doesn't last that very long. Like oysters in Sahara, maybe.

TruenuffTrey
2006-06-20, 06:02 PM
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by: Stephen King

Dudukain
2006-06-20, 06:02 PM
Eye of the World by Robert Jordan

geek_2049
2006-06-20, 06:10 PM
Quicksilver Vol 1 of the Baroque Cycle by Neal Stephenson

A book of short stories by Ernest Hemmingway

I have Even Cowgirls Get the Blues by Tom Robbins on reserve at the library.

I will likely reread the Harry Potter series as I have read/reread it every summer for 3yrs.

King_of_Oz
2006-06-29, 06:39 PM
I'm reading Hot Zone, Once and Future King, Connecticutt Yankee in King Arthur's Court, and A Midsummer Night's Dream

hobbes543
2006-06-29, 06:53 PM
Still on Dragons of Spring Dawning by Hickman and Weis.
Also reading Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception by Eion Colfer.

The fourth edition of the Artemis Fowl series has been a bit disappointing so far. I liked the series more when Artemis knew all about the fairy world and their rules. His not really believing Holly when she tells him the story of their earlier adventures takes something out of his character.

reorith
2006-06-30, 05:41 AM
the devil's dictionary by ambrose bierce. good stuff :)

Darius Midnite
2006-06-30, 09:36 AM
Almost done with The Da Vinci Code *Drool* I just can't put it down...

Don Beegles
2006-06-30, 10:13 AM
I'm reading The Angrey Sca: The Reconstruction as summer reading for Honors U.S 2, The Unfolding of Language for the hell of it, adn I'm sure to pick up quite a few good books at teh Church Faire tomorrow. Yay for the Used Book room.

Alarra
2006-06-30, 10:25 AM
I am reading....Devil in the Details by Jennifer Traig....a funny and touching memoir about life with OCD and scrupulosity.

Evil_Pacifist
2006-06-30, 11:16 PM
I'm currently re-reading the Hitchhiker's Guide series for the ninth time. I started earlier today and I'm ten chapters into the second book. People tell me I read to fast.

Kishkumen
2006-07-01, 04:20 AM
I'm reading Ivanhoe.

Ilover_Juventad
2006-07-01, 04:27 AM
I am currently reading The Godfather by Mario Puzo and Shogun by James Clavell. Both very interesting books, I fail to put the book down and open the algebra textbook that haunts me like a ghoul.

-IJ

fluffykins0
2006-07-11, 07:26 PM
I'm into the Second novel in the Eye of The World Series.

taking a break from it though, I just finished off The Plauge by Camus.
I'm not sure whats on the proverbial list next, but hopefully it's light. Camus is nothing if not a tad on the gloomy side.

Aereshaa_the_2nd
2006-07-11, 07:44 PM
I think I already posted, but it was a long time ago...

I am reading:
The Da Vinci Code
Small Gods (Terry Pratchett)
LOTR Return of the King (fourth time through)

I am writing a book called
Adekalin; Book of Shadows

-Æreshaa

Serpentine
2006-07-11, 11:29 PM
Wow, there's some great books being read on the few pages I looked at, notably The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon (loved that book, should read it again sometime. Different genre, but have you read Through the Eyes of the Dragon?), and from waaaay back on the very first post, Memory, Sorrow and Thorn, possibly my favouritest series ever. I recommend Tailchaser's Song by the same author. I've tried reading the bible once or twice, never get past the book after Exodus. Yeah, I'm slack. I may have to read it for my religion class, though.
What's Dark Tower like? There's been too many for me to buy them without knowing what they're like, and the library didn't have the first book.
At the moment I'm on a fantasy kick, rereading most of Tamora Pierce's stuff. It's a bit young for me, but I feel like some slightly soppy, relatively light and easy-to-read fluff, and I don't know of any similar authors that write for older people. If you know of any, tell me. I'd read The Stone and the Sword or whatever it's called, but I don't have it here.
I've also borrowed Azazel by Isaac Asimov, and the page or two I've read look good, but I don't feel like it at the moment.
Oh, recently I've read bits of Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War, Caesar's The Civil War, Ammianus Marcellinus' Later Roman Empire, and Herodotus' The Histories, and the works of various erotic poets including Hipponax, Ovid, Tibullus, Sappho and Martial. Woo university!

NeonBlack
2006-07-12, 06:30 AM
"What's Dark Tower like?" <-- toughest question ever :P. I can't think of a way to explain it without spoiling at least the two or three first books, so let's leave it at this: it's weird. It's not like anything else King has written, and yet it's the backbone of (almost) everything else he has written. But it's really good, specially the first 3-4 first books IMO.

If you can find the first book, give it a whirl: it's the shortest of the seven, so you'll get done with it quite fast, like it or not. It's more of an introduction to Roland, the Tower, and the world(s) they share. The main story really starts in book two. If you like these two, you'll be hooked until the end. And you have the added bonus of not having to wait for King to finish the series or die trying, like I had to. When I heard about his accident some years ago, my first thought was "Heck, what will happen with Roland and co. now?". Looks like I wasn't the only one...

Anyway, back on topic: currently reading Pratchett's "Maskerade". Gotta love Greebo...

Zophiel
2006-07-12, 09:36 AM
I just finished the sixth Dark Tower book, and now I'm most of the way through Prentice Alvin, which is the third installment in a series by Orson Scott Card. I'll be getting the last Dark Tower book very soon, and I'm really looking forward to finding out how it all ends.

Charity
2006-07-12, 09:46 AM
I am currently reading Platform (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0099437880/026-6431246-6471615?v=glance&n=266239) by Michel Houellebecq.
I really like his work though it is rather dark and adult in nature.

Argent
2006-07-12, 11:12 AM
If you can find the first book, give it a whirl: it's the shortest of the seven, so you'll get done with it quite fast, like it or not. It's more of an introduction to Roland, the Tower, and the world(s) they share. The main story really starts in book two. If you like these two, you'll be hooked until the end.

Really? I had a much different experience -- I thought the Dark Tower books he'd written pre-van were really good (especially Wizard and Glass, which I thought was fantastic). The last few just left me cold. Also, IMHO he got way too involved in tying every story he wrote to the Dark Tower. I like variety and don't want all the books I read to be all tied in together. Different strokes, I guess.

And on topic, I'm reading "Hidden Order: The Economics of Everyday Life" by David Friedman. Neat book about how our everyday decision-making are real-world examples of economic theory: choice, indifference, value, that kind of thing. Not earthshattering but neat. Next on the list is "All the President's Men", something I should have read a long time ago but never got around to.

Don Beegles
2006-07-12, 11:22 AM
I just finished A Clash of Kings, so I'm not techincally reading it ATM, but it was still good I think I'll mention it. MArtin is a master at making characters interesting; I'm still dying to figure out why the hell the HOund and Tyrion do what they do.

NeonBlack
2006-07-12, 11:24 AM
Really? I had a much different experience -- I thought the Dark Tower books he'd written pre-van were really good (especially Wizard and Glass, which I thought was fantastic). The last few just left me cold. Also, IMHO he got way too involved in tying every story he wrote to the Dark Tower. I like variety and don't want all the books I read to be all tied in together. Different strokes, I guess.


Yeah, that's why I said that my favourite ones were the first 3 or 4. I agree, the last 3 books felt kind of forced. Won't mention specifics to avoid spoiling things, but the return from a relatively well-known character from a totally unrelated (until then) relatively well-known book in part 5 left me in WTF-mode for a while.

Still, what I meant with that paragraph you quoted is that, despite all this, if you liked the first books, you'll go through the last ones, if only to know how it all ends. And, despite all their flaws, I still enjoyed them thoroughly. Then came the I-wanna-hang-King-from-a-burning-rope-over-a-pit-full-of-scorpions phase, but I got over it. Mostly :P.

Argent
2006-07-12, 11:51 AM
Yeah, that's why I said that my favourite ones were the first 3 or 4. I agree, the last 3 books felt kind of forced. Won't mention specifics to avoid spoiling things, but the return from a relatively well-known character from a totally unrelated (until then) relatively well-known book in part 5 left me in WTF-mode for a while.

Still, what I meant with that paragraph you quoted is that, despite all this, if you liked the first books, you'll go through the last ones, if only to know how it all ends. And, despite all their flaws, I still enjoyed them thoroughly. Then came the I-wanna-hang-King-from-a-burning-rope-over-a-pit-full-of-scorpions phase, but I got over it. Mostly :P.


AH. I gotcha -- sorry if I misunderstood. I did much the same thing... hated the last few books but just needed to get that sense of closure, so I had to finish them (gritting my teeth the whole way). The appearance of the character you mention wasn't too bad -- I liked how he was handled. But overall, I was disappointed at the ending of the series and the quality of the last few books.

And like you, I got over the wanting-to-skin-King-and-roll-him-in-salt phase and just now avoid him as much as possible. I still enjoy his early books but his new stuff I make a wide circle around.

WampaX
2006-07-12, 11:59 AM
Aside from reading old D&D modules for conversion puposes, I'm plowing through A Feast for Crows.

Zaggab
2006-07-12, 01:22 PM
I currently reading some issues of a popular science magazine that I haven't read yet

Serpentine
2006-07-13, 03:06 AM
"What's Dark Tower like?" <-- toughest question ever :P. I can't think of a way to explain it without spoiling at least the two or three first books, so let's leave it at this: it's weird. It's not like anything else King has written, and yet it's the backbone of (almost) everything else he has written. But it's really good, specially the first 3-4 first books IMO.

If you can find the first book, give it a whirl: it's the shortest of the seven, so you'll get done with it quite fast, like it or not. It's more of an introduction to Roland, the Tower, and the world(s) they share. The main story really starts in book two. If you like these two, you'll be hooked until the end. And you have the added bonus of not having to wait for King to finish the series or die trying, like I had to. When I heard about his accident some years ago, my first thought was "Heck, what will happen with Roland and co. now?". Looks like I wasn't the only one...

Anyway, back on topic: currently reading Pratchett's "Maskerade". Gotta love Greebo...
What accident? And am I getting this right, he's drawing other, previously written stories into this new series? That is weird. A little sad, too - almost sounds like he's wrapping up, ready for retirement.
Also, Greebo is awesome. Do you know which book he's first changed in? I think I'd've found Maskerade a lot funnier if I'd known anything about the opera. Still great, though.

NeonBlack
2006-07-13, 03:52 AM
What accident?

King was run over by a van around 2000-2001, can't remember the exact date. He barely survived, but managed to recover almost completely.


And am I getting this right, he's drawing other, previously written stories into this new series? That is weird. A little sad, too - almost sounds like he's wrapping up, ready for retirement.

Yeah, but he's been doing this from the start, and not only with Dark Tower, but with other books, too. Specially anything set in Castle Rock or its surroundings tends to have at least two or three references to previous (or future!) works. Anyway, he is wrapping up. I seem to remember that his post-accident goals were to finish Dark Tower, write two or three more books, and then retire. He's been on the job for a long while, after all...


Also, Greebo is awesome. Do you know which book he's first changed in?

"Witches Abroad", I think.

Lianae
2006-07-13, 07:50 AM
I just finished (as in half an hour ago) Macroscope by Piers Anthony. Has anyone else read it?
I liked it, but it took me a while to read, trying to struggle through all the descriptions of how all the technology "works".

I'm also about to start re-reading the Wheel of Time books so I can read the most recent one, Robert Jordan's love of complex subplots and extra extra characters means I've forgotten most of what happened in the first 11 or whatever it is.

Alarra
2006-07-13, 10:15 AM
Yeah....I've had the most recent wheel of time sitting on my shelf since it came out, but i've been reluctant to read it because of how horrible crossroads of twilight was.

And to enter into the dark tower discussion....I do have to agree with the others and say that the first 4 were the best, but you should read them all. And hey! you have the advantage of not having to wait for the next book.....those 4 years between books 3 and 4? killer. When you read it you'll understand, but let's just say it left off in a most agravating spot to be left hanging for 4 years.

And although many people hate wizard and glass, because it deals so minutely with the main characters, I have to say that it is my favorite book in the series and I found it fascinating.

And what am I reading now? Emma's Secret...as well as still reading the Kindly Ones, Devil in the Details, Uther, and Honest Illusions.

Tae_Kwon_Dan
2006-07-13, 12:36 PM
I started Cryptonomicon, decided I wasn't in the right mood for it and put in on a small hiatus while I read American Gods by Neil Gaiman.

Tanking_101
2006-07-13, 02:54 PM
1. God's equation: the theory of relativity
2. Darwins black box: how molecular biophysics disproves evolution
3. speaking in tongues, a book about a schizophrinic girl
4. Merriam Webster's Compact American English Dictionary
5. the Bible

Don Beegles
2006-07-13, 02:54 PM
I just started The Jungle by Upton Sinclari about half an hour ago. I had to pick one book about something that happened in the 20th century to read for Honors US History 2, anmd all of my friends picked things about 9-11 and the Iraq war, etc (which aren't technically 20th century, but still admissible), but of course I, being a nerd, picked the classic work of literature.

Alarra
2006-07-13, 02:57 PM
I started Cryptonomicon, decided I wasn't in the right mood for it and put in on a small hiatus while I read American Gods by Neil Gaiman.

Cryptonomicon is very very dense and definately does take a certain mood......and a very long time.....to read. Speaking of Neal Stephenson.....read Snow Crash? I love that book.

Argent
2006-07-13, 03:11 PM
Cryptonomicon is very very dense and definately does take a certain mood......and a very long time.....to read. Speaking of Neal Stephenson.....read Snow Crash? I love that book.

Ye gods, I love Snow Crash and Cryptonomicon. Two of my favorite novels ever. Bring a notebook, though -- with all the jumping around, it can get confusing.

I tried hacking my way through his Victorian Age novels and couldn't do it -- they just didn't have the sense of fun that Snow Crash and Cryptonomicon did. His earlier stuff wasn't so great, either (tried The Big U... started out as a neat idea and a political comment on university life and ended up a horrible mess). Zodiac's definitely worth reading, though.

Tae_Kwon_Dan
2006-07-13, 04:13 PM
read Snow Crash? I love that book.

Yes I have and I greatly enjoyed it. Which is especially surprising, because I'm not a huge fan of cyberpunk. For instance, I greatly appreciated the originality and the importance of Neuromancer in creating a new genre, but didn't really dig it all that much.

The superb satire and sheer over the top nature of Snow Crash made it a very fun read.

Alarra
2006-07-13, 05:31 PM
Yeah, I have the greatest intentions of reading the Baroque Cycle, just haven't gotten around to it yet. I own the first two books though.

Vaynor
2006-07-13, 05:44 PM
So what is everyone else reading?
Books.

motivatedjanza
2006-07-13, 07:50 PM
I am currently enjoying this huge book called Battle "A visual journey through 5,000 years of combat"

It's by this British military historian RG Grant. It covers everything from the old Egyptian wars to modern conflicts going on right now. It's a really good read and also very long

The only thing I don't like about it is that it tends to throw aside some "minor" battles by not going into detail about the manuevers used in said battle. But then again they had to make room in the book for the larger battles, so there ya go. Wow, long post...

theswarm
2006-07-14, 12:40 AM
The Abhorsen sires by Garth Nix and the Wheel of Time (Im on book 3, The Dragon Reborn.

Yeah, im a fantasy nut, but its all good.

Mattaeu
2006-07-14, 01:26 AM
I've barely started Fight Club. Supposed to be good. :P

Random_Sea-Monkey
2006-07-16, 07:33 PM
At the moment...

- Interesting Times (Terry Pratchett's Discworld)
- The Amber Spyglass (Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials")
- The Prince And The Pauper (Mark Twain)
- Faust (Goethe)

Thes Hunter
2006-07-16, 09:46 PM
At the moment...

- Interesting Times (Terry Pratchett's Discworld)
- The Amber Spyglass (Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials")
- The Prince And The Pauper (Mark Twain)
- Faust (Goethe)



Ooooo.... Interesting Times is a very good book. Excellent read.



And currently I am re-reading sections of my old organic chemistry book, and 7 habits of highly effective people.

Well, not *right* now, but in general. Because *right* now I am reading the internets, and procrastinating on becoming a highly effective person. ;D

Lord_Malak
2006-07-17, 11:16 AM
I sm reading The Opal Deception (or will be soon) :P
(It's in the Artimes Fowl series)

NeonBlack
2006-07-17, 11:41 AM
Heh, it must be Interesting Times' Day or something, I also started it today. Looking good so far. Next in line is Feet of Clay, which I'll probably save for an upcoming 10h+ train trip.

Don Beegles
2006-07-17, 01:25 PM
I working on La Commedia Divina, specifically INferno ATM, as well as Brave New World while I wait with bated breath for the third Song of Ice and Fire to arrive at the library.

You know, if I wasn't already halfway through Inferno, I'd start and make a campaign cosmology based off of it, which could be very fun. Next time Ireread it, I'll get right on that.

Alarra
2006-07-17, 01:55 PM
I'm currently still reading everything I have been reading, well, I finished kindly ones and the wake....

I'm now also reading Vanishing Acts by Jodi Piccoult. Have I ever mentioned what an amaaaaaaaaaazing author she is?

Moribundus
2006-07-17, 03:39 PM
currently reading
1. Summer Knight (book 4 dresden files, JIm Butcher)
2. A Book Dragon, Donn Kushner
3. Through the Wolve's Eyes, Jane Lindskold
4. The Spirit Ring, Lois McMaster Bujold
5. Shadow and Claw, Gene Wolfe


;D ;D ;D

i'm not actually reading them all at the same exact moment, but I am however skipping between them.

InaVegt
2006-07-17, 03:40 PM
I'm currently reading a game of thrones by George R. R. Martin

molonel
2006-07-18, 09:52 PM
Just so everyone knows, I grabbed all 15 pages of this thread on my hard drive for all of the book recommendations.

Thank you.

LordOfNarf
2006-07-28, 01:39 AM
Dune, that pretty much speaks for itself. And I don't mean just the book, the whole saga. i'm halfway through Messaiah now.

After that, The Double Helix, by James D Watson is sitting on my shelf practically begging me to read it.

Deckmaster
2006-07-28, 05:09 PM
I am currently re-reading Lord of the Rings. I feel this should be done every few years or so.

Don Beegles
2006-07-28, 05:18 PM
I just went to the library today and so am about 150 pages into A Feast For Crows. I also picked up The Sound and the Fury. When I'm done with that I'm going to reserve The Count of Monte Cristo, but I'm not technically readin git now.

Echaaee
2006-07-28, 05:42 PM
I am currently reading Watership Down, by Richard Adams. However, I''ve only read approximately one fifth of it, as I haven't been reading much recently.
After that, I'll probably reread the Redwall books I have and then get more. Aye, or mayhap I’ll just get more and read them.

fryer1
2006-07-31, 01:32 PM
I'm currently reading Rainbow Six by Tom Clancy and before that i was reading The Last Kingdom and The Pale Horseman by Bernard Cornwell.

Pensive Pine
2006-07-31, 02:35 PM
Right now I'm reading Top o' the Mourning, the second in the Passport to Peril mystery series. After that, I have Garlic and Sapphires lined up.

Charity
2006-08-01, 04:42 AM
Lots of books lined up as ever.
Right now I'm reading Junk mail by Will Self, it's pretty good, not as good as Feeding frenzy however (also by Will Self).

Bookman
2006-08-01, 09:42 AM
I'm currently deeply entrenched in the Malloreon series of David Eddings. I recently read "Demons of Karanda" and are moving on to "Sorceress of Darshiva" soemtime whenever I get a chance to start re-reading

ArchaeoAmazon
2006-08-02, 07:59 PM
Here's the list of my current reads (abridged):

The Sex Lives of Cannibals by Maartin Troost, on a scale of 1-10 I'd give it an 11. It's about a couple who move to a very small pacific island to work for the Foundation for the South Pacific and their adventures there.
Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, by Christopher Moore, I'd give it a 9. Kung-fu fighting Jesus and Judo - the Way of the Jew. That's all I have to say.
Mists of Avalon, by someone that I can't remember. It's better than I thought it would be, but definately not the best I've read.
Shadow of the Giant from the Orson Scott Card Ender's Game series. Does anyone else love that series, too?
The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature, by Steven Pinker. I don't recommend this book for anyone who wants to sleep soundly. It's about the whole nature vs. nurture arguement, and while I personally don't agree with his findings 100% he has some good points.

Zophiel
2006-08-03, 12:46 PM
How the Irish Saved Civilization, by Thomas Cahill

Don Beegles
2006-08-03, 01:11 PM
I'm not currently reading something at this very moment, which distresses me, because The Count of Monte Cristo is in at teh library and I need to wait for a ride ot come home to get it because every bike in my house that I could ride is borken and I don't want to walk 5 miles in 95 degree heat. Though I really am tempted to, and its only my laziness that's holding me back.

LadyGlutter
2006-08-03, 03:37 PM
I loved both Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow. I need to get on the ball and read the rest of them.

I currently am reading What Color is Your Parachute? and am not allowed to read any more fiction til I'm done. :P

The Vorpal Tribble
2006-08-03, 04:17 PM
I got the whole set of the Ender's Game series, both Ender and the Bean split-offs plus a couple of books on short stories in the Ender's universe I didn't know existed until I got it for my birthday ;D

At the moment I'm read The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett (never actually read the beginning books before), The Once And Future King by T.H. White, and The Shattered Sphere by Roger MacBride Allen.

I'm doing research on australia's colonization and aborigines as well, so throw on The Fatal Shore by Robert Hughes and Dreamkeepers by Harvey Arden.

soozenw
2006-08-04, 04:55 PM
i'm reading the mists of avalon by marion zimmer bradley. it's (obviously) about king arthur and everything going on around him, how he came to power, etc. rather long at 876 pages, but i have trouble putting it down. very good read. it was made into a miniseries on tnt a while back (years ago i believe) but i never saw it. my mom said it was awful compared to the book (she was the one that suggested i read it!).

Dr._Weird
2006-08-04, 11:47 PM
Does anyone know anything about the next book in the Bean series? I know that [Gigantic Mega Ender Spoiler]There won't be any more Ender books because he's dead, but Bean's series is still open.[End Terrible Spoilers]

I'm currently reading Dune.

Herbert_West
2006-08-05, 12:17 AM
I just read Supernatural Horror in Literature by H.P Lovecraft, and started on At the Mountains of Madness

The Vorpal Tribble
2006-08-05, 11:06 AM
-BIG TIME ENDER SPOILER-

Assuming your meaning after Shadow of the Giant, I'm pretty sure he'll show up and bring the Beand and Ender series together. Just because Ender is 'dead' (or reincarnated it might be more appropriately called) doesn't mean his series is over. We are still wondering over the Descolada. The last book is an utter cut off. I wondered years back what that was about and why no new book had been published but then the Bean series started.

So really, I believe that the Ender saga hasn't been touched in, what 10 years, because he had to put out the Bean stuff first. Now the two will flow together. Bean has now been out in space at relativistic speeds all this time. As the Descoladers have the ability to turn your genes inside out I bet you a truckload of milk bones that a simple twist of his genes to cure his condition would be simple as pie for them.

The Vorpal Tribble
2006-08-05, 11:08 AM
- Double bugged post that no cannot be deleted, so don't mention it -

Were-Sandwich
2006-08-05, 11:53 AM
I just finished reading Brightly Burning by Mercedes Lackey. Its an extremely good book.

Gorbash Kazdar
2006-08-05, 12:46 PM
Currently re-reading A Game of Thrones intermittently (I've read it too many times recently so I remember the plot too well, but I'd forgotten how different many of the character's are in the more recent books as compare to their origins) as well as Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond, which I find at different turns insightful, well-argued, ludicrous, patronizing, and obvious. Basically, what I'd about expect from a geoprapher writing about anthropology (freely admitting an anthropologist would likely do worse writing about geography).

Also re-reading Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind and catching up with the Suzumiya Haruhi light novel translations.

I actually don't care much for the Bean side-series (nor the Ender series after the first book), but they aren't bad. Just not for me.

Triplewolfe
2006-08-05, 01:42 PM
I kind of got bored of Bean after a while.

Currently I'm reading Orson's treatsie on Character's and Viewpoint. It's very good.

I'm also finally reading The Stand.

bartak_the_healer
2006-08-10, 09:14 PM
Uh lets see
1.the 4th Harry Potter book for the 5th time
2. the Pendragon Series
3. and last but most definetly not the best my Class Schedule for High School!

Pensive Pine
2006-08-11, 11:07 PM
Right now I'm reading (among other things) The Twins of TriBeCa by Rachel Pine and loving it ^_^

Tptmanno1
2006-08-12, 02:18 AM
I kind of got bored of Bean after a while.

Currently I'm reading Orson's treatsie on Character's and Viewpoint. It's very good.

I'm also finally reading The Stand.
Have you tried Orsons Earthbound series? I found it quite good. Magic Street was a bit of pace change for him, but it also was quite good and I love my signed copy!
But now I'm attempting to muster the courage to read the new Noam Chomsky, Failed States...

Tiferet
2006-08-12, 02:50 PM
I just re-read the Harry Potter series for the fifth or sixth time, and now I'm starting the Drizzt novel again.

The Demented One
2006-08-13, 03:32 AM
Working through the creeptastic House of Leaves. Also technically supposed to be reading Turn of the Screw and Life Studies for high school, but screw it.