Zoralee
Neophyte
Which way did my mind go?
Posts: 32
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Fiction
Nov 15, 2005 11:51:48 GMT -5
Post by Zoralee on Nov 15, 2005 11:51:48 GMT -5
I just finished Robert Jordan's Knife of Dreams. It's the 11th book in the Wheel of Time series. The last two were a little slow in my estimation, mostly setting up developments to come. This one was much better! A lot of things happened and got resolved and moved forward. I'm guessing he only has 2 or perhaps 3 more books before the series is finished, unless he adds a lot more complications.
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Fiction
Nov 15, 2005 13:18:00 GMT -5
Post by Thee Muse on Nov 15, 2005 13:18:00 GMT -5
I actually just went and bought the first book of that series after hearing enough people rave about it. I haven't gotten to it yet as I have no time for personal reading during the semester, but I will get to it during the holidays most likely. Right after I finish reading The Hitchiker's Guide to the Universe, which is chalk full of witty cynicism and crazy ideas. I am currently finishing Life, the Universe, and Everything. Finishing meaning I had almost finished it before the semester began and I haven't picked it up since.
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Fiction
Nov 15, 2005 13:24:40 GMT -5
Post by Thee Muse on Nov 15, 2005 13:24:40 GMT -5
A couple of years back, I read a book that was just amazing - The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. I am not the type of person that gets into the whole Oprah book club hype, but my mother is and she picked up the book after watching Operah and than handed it off to me. It is very unique in a number of ways, but I personally loved how each chapter was written from a first person pov from each member of the family. It was an unusual way to watch the story unfold.
The story is set in Africa during the first revolution. It is, on a basic level, about a white southern family that goes to a desolate part of Africa to teach the locals Christianity and the trials the family endures and the ways that they change for better and worse.
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Zoralee
Neophyte
Which way did my mind go?
Posts: 32
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Fiction
Nov 16, 2005 18:51:28 GMT -5
Post by Zoralee on Nov 16, 2005 18:51:28 GMT -5
The Wheel of Time series is really incredible reading. And there are multitudes of strong and important women, which is a rarity among fantasy novels (although that is less true as time passes)
I read most of the Hitchhiker's stuff in college. Laughed my ass off.
Right now, I'm reading Frankenstein. I figured I should read something a little older.
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Fiction
Nov 16, 2005 21:25:38 GMT -5
Post by Thee Constant on Nov 16, 2005 21:25:38 GMT -5
Not only are they strong and important, most of them are bitches of the highest caliber. I see a lot of misogyny in there myself. =P
I read up to like Path of Daggers (which was new at the time I bought it), but I got tired of waiting on the next book to come out because in the interim I would forget half the stuff that happened, and later go "[insert name]? Who the hell was that?" *reads glossary* "Oh, I forgot all about him/her."
Once it got to the sixth and seventh books, there's so much crap going on I had a hard time following it all, or remembering specific details that would have a huge impact on where it next picked up with that troupe. Great storytelling though, definitely an awesome world with some really in-depth culture experiments. Gotta love the Whitecloaks. They're like the Spanish Inquisition meets Ku Klux Klan meets Bush Administration. Always shouting about how people are licking the Dark One's taint or something like that.
Another part of the reason I stopped reading that series was because after Path of Daggers, I began reading Wizard's First Rule, the first in what to me is a more compelling story, Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series. Anyone else here a fan? I would definitely suggest reading the first couple of books, they're entertaining by themselves and then the story branches out into even deeper stuff. The main difference between SoT and WoT (besides the one letter, ha) is that where Jordan has a hundred characters you have to keep up with, the Sword of Truth series is mainly a chronicle of the life and tribulations of the destined Richard Rahl and those close to him. A very interesting take on magic (which I might add is also something that attracted me to the Wheel of Time), in that there are only two kinds: additive and subtractive. Very cool stuff, definitely worth a read.
Currently I am taking a turn from my norm of the fantastic and reading Harry Turtledove's Worldwar series, which is an alternate history for Earth where a race of diminutive but technologically advanced reptilian aliens begin a conquest of Earth right smack dab in the middle of World War II. The warring superpowers have to cooperate with the countries who were only recently enemies, all in the name of saving the entire human race from an all-too-chilling future of subservience. The cast of characters is global, with particular individuals of various countries having their own storylines that eventually criss-cross with others'. I have to say I absolutely love the series - there are only four books to the first set. Turtledove also wrote a followup series called Colonization, which takes place during the 60s civil rights movement. I have yet to get into that one, I am still on book 3 of Worldwar. And DAMN is it good. The way Turtledove writes, you can really lose yourself in the reading and feel like you're right there watching this stuff go on. I've found myself brooding, hoping, loving and hating with the characters, something that is fairly rare for me with modern fictional literature. The author knows his history, too - he's got his PhD or something in world history. Not only are there awesome fictional characters, but he really brings to life actual participants in the war such as Otto Skorzeny of the German SS, Gen. Leslie Groves of the U.S. Army, and Jewish partisan Mordechai Anielewicz among many others. Truly an awesome series and I would recommend to anyone looking for something new.
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Zoralee
Neophyte
Which way did my mind go?
Posts: 32
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Fiction
Nov 19, 2005 10:26:54 GMT -5
Post by Zoralee on Nov 19, 2005 10:26:54 GMT -5
Yes, the series is rediculously grand in scope and there are hundreds (literally, if I recall correctly) of minor characters that crop up through the stories. It can get especially confusing when two characters have similar names.
But if you reread path of daggers, it will give you a pretty good set-up into Winters Heart, Crossroads of Twilight, and Knife of Dreams. You can read them right in succession and not be quite so lost. Or you can just skim Crown of Swords and Path of Daggers to get a rough idea of where you were.
The series is VERY long (most books are 700 or more pages). And it is sweeping in scope. AND it isn't even finished yet! I bet he's got at least two more novels in him to wrap up all the loose ends (not counting any new story threads that get tossed in there.) It's not a series for the impatient, that's for sure. But it is well worth the investment of time, in my opinion.
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Capa
Neophyte
It just bees that way sometimes.
Posts: 32
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Fiction
Jan 20, 2006 17:51:02 GMT -5
Post by Capa on Jan 20, 2006 17:51:02 GMT -5
Just read Time's Arrow by Martin Amos and dear lord the man has got to be insane. The whole story unfolds backwards from the death of a man to his birth. The book really drove me nuts as I read the thing. Great read if you are into a good Mind F@#$.
Also read Kavalier and Clay. Great book about Two young men making comic books from 1940ish till 1950ish. It's really a touching story about the struggles of Jewish Men Growing up in a strange time.
Up next is Gravity's Rainbow. I'll let you know what it's about when I'm done in say about a month. the book is thick.
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Fiction
Jan 28, 2006 14:05:14 GMT -5
Post by Thee Muse on Jan 28, 2006 14:05:14 GMT -5
I just finished reading Son of a Witch, which is the sequel to Gregory Maguire's Wicked and it was awesome, in scope of the first book. I honestly can't say which I enjoyed more. And there will be a third book on the way. I highly suggest the series.
I'll be reading a youth biography on Rosa Parks for a class next.
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Post by Dakota Bishop on May 3, 2006 8:26:26 GMT -5
Books! I love books! So many books! Bwah hah hah!
Uh, that is to say, I've read so many (probably not half as many as that sounds like) I thought I would share a few gems with you guys, and even try to keep the list somewhat relevant to the game!
...or at least make up good excuse for mentioning it.
I don't recall the author by name, but there is a wonderful book that ALL Vampire players should read, called "Vamped". Its a great book about what would happen if vampires 'won', meaning, everyone in the world got turned into one. Gone are groceries and toilets, say hello to blood thermos and alarms sounding the sunrise! Really, though, it is an awesome read, and the author has a really unique style that makes you want to eat the book alive. So good.
Lets see...I just read "Matilda" for the first time a few days ago. Gah, I wish I had been able to read that as a child. A really good book.
I've been meaning to read 'Wicked', so its funny that Thee Muse brought it up.
There are a lot of good books by Stephen King, but most of you probably already know those. I highly suggest The Dark Tower series, though. Probably King's greatest achievement, and a powerful thing to read indeed.
Harry Potter is always a great read. J.K. Rowling roxorz muh soxorz.
And...His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman is one of the best trilogies evar...unless compared to LoTR, of course.
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Capa
Neophyte
It just bees that way sometimes.
Posts: 32
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Fiction
May 8, 2006 11:32:02 GMT -5
Post by Capa on May 8, 2006 11:32:02 GMT -5
Well Gravity's Rainbow is still on the shelf the book feels dense when I read it and I just can't get into it.
Recently read The Da Vinci Code. All that I can say about that book is that the man has it in for the catholic church. The story was fast paced. It kept me interested. The puzzles where almost all predictable, except one. it was really a fun read but it didn't leave me with much in the end.
Now I'm back to Amos. I love his writing style for some reason. It's very engaging and fun to read. The book that I'm reading is Yellow Dog and so far it involves a "renaissance man" Actor, his wife and ex-wife, a smut writer, gangsters, a dead body in the cargo hold of a plane, his wife that's on the plane, the King of England, a football (soccer for you americans) player, and a creepy killer that has blue eyes with a yellow ring around his irises.
I have to get to The Dark Tower series haven't picked it up yet but everyone tells me its good.
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