What Book Are You Currently Reading? - Page 216

drjonesy · 02-22-2013, 12:23 PM

Reading "The Twelve", sequel to "The Passage" ... it was not what I expected, much more "gore" detailed than the previous ... loved the chapter with the families out in the field ... frustrated how "jumpy" the chapters feel and the parts of moving forward and backward in time. Without any spoilers, I am frustrated in feeling like it will end no further in the story in same ways than the way The Passage ended ... it's feeling like a forced continuation middle novel. Anyone else reading it? (Just wrapped up reading World War Z, loved the military strategy part of the novel)

FranklinTard · 02-25-2013, 04:52 PM

2013 hugo is all but assured for kim stanley robinson's 2312.

or else they are going to give it to a paranromal romance, at which point i will stop looking at them.

**JBond** · 02-25-2013, 05:13 PM

Have you read that?

FranklinTard · 02-25-2013, 05:16 PM

Err 2012 Hugo. And no, got burned out on his stuff with the Mars trilogy. Too idealistic.

**JBond** · 02-25-2013, 05:31 PM

It sounds interesting, but the reviews appear to be very mixed.

Justin · 02-27-2013, 03:49 AM

"The Broom of the System" by David Foster Wallace

Tzarinna · 02-28-2013, 07:57 PM

Cloud Atlas.

Paul F · 03-03-2013, 12:14 PM

I'm now currently in the process of reading a book called The Hobbit.

morpheus1987 · 03-03-2013, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul F

I'm now currently in the process of reading a book called The Hobbit.

Never heard of it. Is it any good?

**JBond** · 03-03-2013, 05:11 PM

What's a hopbit? Is that some kind of rabbit?

Paul F · 03-04-2013, 09:23 AM

The book "The Hobbit" is good, you should read it. And I really don't know what a hobbit is.

docstop · 03-04-2013, 01:02 PM

Its actually a rare and endangered species of mole rat found in the arid and frozen tundras of Canada. Referred to as a hobbit, because it uses its nose, the "hob" like a tool, the "bit" and burrows through the ground creating hobbit holes. These hobbits are also known to collect rings and bring down evil dark lords bent on world domination.

**JBond** · 03-04-2013, 01:13 PM

I think you made that up. Nothing lives in Canada.

PsYkOoOoO · 03-07-2013, 04:36 AM

God, it took me some time but I finally finished Wool by Hugh Howey. I suppose as his first book, it's pretty promising. However, the great big mystery of the premise is, for the most part, extremely predictable. I'm not usually the kind of reader to complain about predictability, but having read several science fiction novels, you will see the "twists" here coming from miles away. The SCIENCE in this science fiction book goes out of the window, as certain events completed disregarded physics. Also, I felt that the central mystery was never properly explained, which left me a little confused as to why the people in the silo went through all the trouble to keep it a secret.

As a first-time writer, Howey does show some potential. However, characterization is lacking for the most part, since the characters don't go through an arc at all, and their internal monologues almost always sound the same. Speaking of that, characters too frequently go into internal monologues that you cannot help but skip a paragraph or two, since they are usually thinking the same things. Howey also has the tendency to break every single action apart and to describe them in painful details. The simple act of turning a door knob, pushing open the door and unsheathing the knife can take up nearly half a page. As a reader, that became very tiresome and forced the story to slow down to a crawl. The story could have very well been done in about three books, max. In fact, book 2 is literally about two characters walking down a long flight of stairs (what?).

In the end, good first entry as a writer, but he certainly needs more polishing. I'm not sure why it is so highly rated on Amazon. I'm guessing those people never really read good science fiction before.

NEXT UP, The Fountains of Paradise by Arthur C. Clarke.

PsYkOoOoO · 03-12-2013, 12:59 PM

Just finished The Fountains of Paradise by Arthur C. Clarke. Probably the least favourite ACC book of mine, but it was still a tremendous read. I really enjoyed the juxtaposition between Dr Morgan and Prince Khalidasa. I just wished that the juxtaposition lasted throughout the book, instead of ending after Part One. Even though the book is essentially about how a giant space elevator was built, it never felt boring to me. Procedural, yes, but I just love how ACC introduces these grand ideas with simple, direct language. I'm not exactly sure what to make of the ending, though. I'd rank the ACC books I've read as such:

1. Rendezvous with Rama
2. Childhood's End
3. 2001: A Space Odyssey
4. The Fountains of Paradise

Which ACC book should I read next? I was thinking about 2010: Odyssey Two, or The Songs of Distant Earth. Thoughts?

Anyway, next up on my book list: Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky.

**JBond** · 03-12-2013, 01:03 PM

That's a pretty good ranking. I'd go with 2010, first.

I really have to read his "The City and the Stars" someday. Some call it his best.

Justin · 03-12-2013, 01:39 PM

"Kangaroo Notebook: A Novel" by Kobo Abe

Brock Landers · 03-12-2013, 06:08 PM

Libra by Don DeLillo.

One of my favorite writers/chief influences. Just started it this morning and I'm already hooked. DeLillo rules.

PsYkOoOoO · 03-12-2013, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JBond

That's a pretty good ranking. I'd go with 2010, first.

I really have to read his "The City and the Stars" someday. Some call it his best.

Oh, yes, there's that too. I forgot to add that to my to-read list. I guess I will start with 2010 and work my way down from there.

Justin · 03-13-2013, 06:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brock Landers

Libra by Don DeLillo.

One of my favorite writers/chief influences. Just started it this morning and I'm already hooked. DeLillo rules.

Yep. I just finished The Body Artist not too long ago. That one was a trip.

Ramplate · 03-14-2013, 03:54 PM

Taking a break from John Adams as it is a very long and detailed book - I'm about half way through and he is still an ambassador at this point. Interesting insight into his life so far.

Switching to The Demon Under the Microscope by Thomas Hagar. it is the story of sulfa, the first antibiotic - from Nazi Germany to today

Deexan · 03-15-2013, 09:35 PM

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

andreberg · 03-16-2013, 06:01 AM

I love 300!

seo

Ramplate · 03-17-2013, 10:35 PM

Finished The Demon Under the Microscope and although it was very dry it had a lot of interesting historical facts that I was not aware of - thank goodness I was born 30 years after most of the events in this book, because I would not be here otherwise.

Next I think I will listen to some of the shorter audiobooks on my list starting with How An Economy Grows And Why It Crashes by Peter D Schiff, Andrew J Schiff

Ramplate · 03-19-2013, 12:55 AM

Finished the How An Economy... book, and it made things pretty easily understood by using a simple example using fish.

Next shortest book I have is The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson - The author delves into the subject and tries to discover the truth behind psychopaths.

02-25-2013, 04:52 PM	#5377
FranklinTard Damn,ThatsAColdAssHonkey Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 15,734	2013 hugo is all but assured for kim stanley robinson's 2312. or else they are going to give it to a paranromal romance, at which point i will stop looking at them. __________________ Of all the preposterous assumptions of humanity over humanity, nothing exceeds most of the criticisms made on the habits of the poor by the well-housed, well- warmed, and well-fed. -Herman Melville (1819 - 1891)

02-25-2013, 05:13 PM	#5378
JBond Feed me Join Date: May 2000 Location: SR388 Posts: 67,516	Have you read that? __________________ The due date for Round 135 of the CS Film Club is Monday, May 20th, 2013. 59 out of 64 Hugo Award winners completed. "Die Hard 5 makes Die Hard 4 look like Die Hard 1" - Doomsday

02-25-2013, 05:16 PM	#5379
FranklinTard Damn,ThatsAColdAssHonkey Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 15,734	Err 2012 Hugo. And no, got burned out on his stuff with the Mars trilogy. Too idealistic. __________________ Of all the preposterous assumptions of humanity over humanity, nothing exceeds most of the criticisms made on the habits of the poor by the well-housed, well- warmed, and well-fed. -Herman Melville (1819 - 1891)

02-25-2013, 05:31 PM	#5380
JBond Feed me Join Date: May 2000 Location: SR388 Posts: 67,516	It sounds interesting, but the reviews appear to be very mixed. __________________ The due date for Round 135 of the CS Film Club is Monday, May 20th, 2013. 59 out of 64 Hugo Award winners completed. "Die Hard 5 makes Die Hard 4 look like Die Hard 1" - Doomsday

02-28-2013, 07:57 PM	#5382
Tzarinna Prepare for glory! Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Prague Posts: 4,123	Cloud Atlas. __________________ King Leonidas: Then what must a king do to save his world when the very laws he has sworn to protect force him to do nothing? Queen Gorgo: It is not a question of what a Spartan citizen should do, nor a husband, nor a king. Instead, ask yourself, my dearest love, what would a free man do? http://tzarinna.dvdaf.com/owned

02-22-2013, 12:23 PM	#5376
drjonesy Grip Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 22	Reading "The Twelve", sequel to "The Passage" ... it was not what I expected, much more "gore" detailed than the previous ... loved the chapter with the families out in the field ... frustrated how "jumpy" the chapters feel and the parts of moving forward and backward in time. Without any spoilers, I am frustrated in feeling like it will end no further in the story in same ways than the way The Passage ended ... it's feeling like a forced continuation middle novel. Anyone else reading it? (Just wrapped up reading World War Z, loved the military strategy part of the novel)

02-27-2013, 03:49 AM	#5381
Justin Executive Producer Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 11,896	"The Broom of the System" by David Foster Wallace

03-03-2013, 12:14 PM	#5383
Paul F Boom Operator Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Boca Raton, FL Posts: 45	I'm now currently in the process of reading a book called The Hobbit.

03-03-2013, 05:11 PM	#5385
JBond Feed me Join Date: May 2000 Location: SR388 Posts: 67,516	What's a hopbit? Is that some kind of rabbit? __________________ The due date for Round 135 of the CS Film Club is Monday, May 20th, 2013. 59 out of 64 Hugo Award winners completed. "Die Hard 5 makes Die Hard 4 look like Die Hard 1" - Doomsday

03-04-2013, 09:23 AM	#5386
Paul F Boom Operator Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Boca Raton, FL Posts: 45	The book "The Hobbit" is good, you should read it. And I really don't know what a hobbit is.

03-04-2013, 01:02 PM	#5387
docstop Hockey Legend Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 2,499	Its actually a rare and endangered species of mole rat found in the arid and frozen tundras of Canada. Referred to as a hobbit, because it uses its nose, the "hob" like a tool, the "bit" and burrows through the ground creating hobbit holes. These hobbits are also known to collect rings and bring down evil dark lords bent on world domination. __________________ Never deprive anyone of hope... it may be all they have.

03-04-2013, 01:13 PM	#5388
JBond Feed me Join Date: May 2000 Location: SR388 Posts: 67,516	I think you made that up. Nothing lives in Canada. __________________ The due date for Round 135 of the CS Film Club is Monday, May 20th, 2013. 59 out of 64 Hugo Award winners completed. "Die Hard 5 makes Die Hard 4 look like Die Hard 1" - Doomsday

03-07-2013, 04:36 AM	#5389
PsYkOoOoO Exceptionally Normal Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Singapore. Posts: 22,420	God, it took me some time but I finally finished Wool by Hugh Howey. I suppose as his first book, it's pretty promising. However, the great big mystery of the premise is, for the most part, extremely predictable. I'm not usually the kind of reader to complain about predictability, but having read several science fiction novels, you will see the "twists" here coming from miles away. The SCIENCE in this science fiction book goes out of the window, as certain events completed disregarded physics. Also, I felt that the central mystery was never properly explained, which left me a little confused as to why the people in the silo went through all the trouble to keep it a secret. As a first-time writer, Howey does show some potential. However, characterization is lacking for the most part, since the characters don't go through an arc at all, and their internal monologues almost always sound the same. Speaking of that, characters too frequently go into internal monologues that you cannot help but skip a paragraph or two, since they are usually thinking the same things. Howey also has the tendency to break every single action apart and to describe them in painful details. The simple act of turning a door knob, pushing open the door and unsheathing the knife can take up nearly half a page. As a reader, that became very tiresome and forced the story to slow down to a crawl. The story could have very well been done in about three books, max. In fact, book 2 is literally about two characters walking down a long flight of stairs (what?). In the end, good first entry as a writer, but he certainly needs more polishing. I'm not sure why it is so highly rated on Amazon. I'm guessing those people never really read good science fiction before. NEXT UP, The Fountains of Paradise by Arthur C. Clarke. __________________ W.

03-12-2013, 12:59 PM	#5390
PsYkOoOoO Exceptionally Normal Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Singapore. Posts: 22,420	Just finished The Fountains of Paradise by Arthur C. Clarke. Probably the least favourite ACC book of mine, but it was still a tremendous read. I really enjoyed the juxtaposition between Dr Morgan and Prince Khalidasa. I just wished that the juxtaposition lasted throughout the book, instead of ending after Part One. Even though the book is essentially about how a giant space elevator was built, it never felt boring to me. Procedural, yes, but I just love how ACC introduces these grand ideas with simple, direct language. I'm not exactly sure what to make of the ending, though. I'd rank the ACC books I've read as such: 1. Rendezvous with Rama 2. Childhood's End 3. 2001: A Space Odyssey 4. The Fountains of Paradise Which ACC book should I read next? I was thinking about 2010: Odyssey Two, or The Songs of Distant Earth. Thoughts? Anyway, next up on my book list: Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky. __________________ W.

03-12-2013, 01:03 PM	#5391
JBond Feed me Join Date: May 2000 Location: SR388 Posts: 67,516	That's a pretty good ranking. I'd go with 2010, first. I really have to read his "The City and the Stars" someday. Some call it his best. __________________ The due date for Round 135 of the CS Film Club is Monday, May 20th, 2013. 59 out of 64 Hugo Award winners completed. "Die Hard 5 makes Die Hard 4 look like Die Hard 1" - Doomsday

03-12-2013, 01:39 PM	#5392
Justin Executive Producer Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 11,896	"Kangaroo Notebook: A Novel" by Kobo Abe

03-12-2013, 06:08 PM	#5393
Brock Landers Ninja + Poet Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Oregon Posts: 27,017	*Libra* by Don DeLillo. One of my favorite writers/chief influences. Just started it this morning and I'm already hooked. DeLillo rules. __________________ YOU'VE GOT THE TOUCH. YOU'VE GOT THE POWER. This will explain everything.

03-14-2013, 03:54 PM	#5396
Ramplate Muwahahaha!...Hamster. Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 25,670	Taking a break from John Adams as it is a very long and detailed book - I'm about half way through and he is still an ambassador at this point. Interesting insight into his life so far. Switching to The Demon Under the Microscope by Thomas Hagar. it is the story of sulfa, the first antibiotic - from Nazi Germany to today __________________ "When I said 'nuke the Chinese' I meant put the take out in the microwave!" "We're not spies, mate. I don't even speak Russian." "What?" "I don't...Am I speaking Russian? How come I'm speaking Russian?"

03-15-2013, 09:35 PM	#5397
Deexan Integral Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 10,338	The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry __________________ What's the law but a leash? SoundCloud Twitter

03-16-2013, 06:01 AM	#5398
andreberg New User - Level 0 Join Date: Mar 2013 Posts: 1	I love 300! seo Last edited by andreberg; 04-29-2013 at 01:13 AM.

03-17-2013, 10:35 PM	#5399
Ramplate Muwahahaha!...Hamster. Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 25,670	Finished The Demon Under the Microscope and although it was very dry it had a lot of interesting historical facts that I was not aware of - thank goodness I was born 30 years after most of the events in this book, because I would not be here otherwise. Next I think I will listen to some of the shorter audiobooks on my list starting with How An Economy Grows And Why It Crashes by Peter D Schiff, Andrew J Schiff __________________ "When I said 'nuke the Chinese' I meant put the take out in the microwave!" "We're not spies, mate. I don't even speak Russian." "What?" "I don't...Am I speaking Russian? How come I'm speaking Russian?" Last edited by Ramplate; 03-17-2013 at 11:47 PM.

03-19-2013, 12:55 AM	#5400
Ramplate Muwahahaha!...Hamster. Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 25,670	Finished the How An Economy... book, and it made things pretty easily understood by using a simple example using fish. Next shortest book I have is The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson - The author delves into the subject and tries to discover the truth behind psychopaths. __________________ "When I said 'nuke the Chinese' I meant put the take out in the microwave!" "We're not spies, mate. I don't even speak Russian." "What?" "I don't...Am I speaking Russian? How come I'm speaking Russian?"