Books you're currently reading???

[wolf]

Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer

They have not gotten any better. If anything, it's worse.

And I hear that she's rewriting the entire series from the point of view of the lead male, which is a sleazy technique, even if they are essentially romance novels.

Come up with a new frickin' idea, why don't you?

[Trilby]

I'm currently enjoying NOT reading Jane Austen. God, I hate her.*




I AM reading Secrets of the Celtic Underwold because I am a dork.


*yes, I know Sundae likes her.

[wolf]

Left Behind made it very clear that there was more to come, laid out the timetable for the tribulation, rise of the AntiChrist and all that. Entertaining, but not essential reading. I actually liked it a lot better than the Twilight books.

What do I have against the Twilight books? Other than being trashy vampire romances? Isn't that enough? Actually they are poorly written, trashy vampire romances. I was barely able to tolerate the well-written vampire romances (Interview with a Vampire, et. al.), but these ... they're like the mist that traditional vampires would disappear into. In general I like vampire lore, love Dracula and so on, but, well maybe the problem is that I'm not a teenage girl, but that's not entirely it, apparently there are grandmothers clutching the books to their heaving breasts ... anyway, I'd set fire to the books if they didn't belong to my cow orker. Ordinarily that would't stop me, but then I'd have to buy new copies to return to her, because that's how I am about books and I don't want to give any money to this author.

They're just really bad. I can't tell you exactly why without dropping really big spoilers.

[OnyxCougar]

Originally Posted by wolf

Left Behind made it very clear that there was more to come, laid out the timetable for the tribulation, rise of the AntiChrist and all that. Entertaining, but not essential reading.

I really enjoyed the 12 book series, glad I read them all when I was able to go out and get the next right away instead of waiting a year or two to get the next installment. That drives me nuts.

I have not read the "prequel" or "epilogue" series.

I have read "The Truth Behind Left Behind" which is about the biblical passages and inspiration behind the events of the series.

[Elspode]

Finally am absorbing The Lewis and Clark Journals via audiobook.

[Kaliayev]

*Takes deep breath*

Michel Foucault - Security, Territory, Population: Lectures at the College De France, 1977-8
Various - The Political Thought of Carl Schmitt
Claire Colebrook - Critical Thinkers: Giles Deleuze
Michael C Williams - The Realist tradition and the Limits of International Relations
Neal Stephenson - Anathem

[skysidhe]

Thanks

I understand about the over sexed nature of some books.ie: romance and the newest vampire novels.

I like a good lore/goth and history book. I can't stand it when there is an obvious bent towards the romance to the exclusion of history/lore. I love reading about time periods and ways of life and of course in human relationships there will be love/heartbreak/integrity and betrayal.

I know how to find good history novels but there are more vampire novels than one can shake a steak at.

http://www.vampirelibrary.com/lists/series.htm

any suggestions?

[wolf]

Originally Posted by skysidhe

I know how to find good history novels but there are more vampire novels than one can shake a steak at.

http://www.vampirelibrary.com/lists/series.htm

any suggestions?

I would say that usually "series" is a word that should warn you off. This is particularly true of, say, Piers Anthony, who writes a great first book, and okay second, an "I'm getting tired of this idea" third, and then churns his way through the remaining five novels he's promised you.

I make exceptions for the occasional Hairy Chested Men's Adventure Novel (They Call Me The Mercenary is a personal favorite), Harry Potter, and the Black Stallion books.

For Vampire Fiction, though, I can recommend "The Historian" by Elizabeth Kostova.

For General Fiction, magic but no vampires (sorry), try Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke. Incredible first novel.

[Trilby]

(I like over-sexed books)

[Urbane Guerrilla]

Originally Posted by Brianna

(I like over-sexed books)

Beauty's Price, Beauty's Punishment, Beauty's Release -- S&M/B&D from Anne Rice. Ultimately it's all fluff, but there's some guilty pleasure to be gained. From quite a while back.

If anybody thinks Fear Of Flying is an erotic novel, they don't know what eroticism is.

For a pornicious classic, it's hard to beat Anaïs Nin: Delta of Venus, short stories, some near novella length.

[Urbane Guerrilla]

Good call on Piers Anthony, wolf.

He wrote better than L. Ron Hubbard.

"Series" on a cover usually means one or two books' worth of artistic and literary virtue is diluted to fill five or more. Life's too short.

One exception I can think of to the above is Zelazny's Amber, though I got much more of a stylistic kick from the first part of it than the second part/second series. Where Zelazny went right was that he took his time -- years between books, with other novels intervening, letting ideas and themes germinate, incubate, and flower instead of giving us a line of potboilers. Zelazny always did have the sensibilities of a poet. He didn't rush. Good publishing contracts, maybe.

[DanaC]

Originally Posted by Urbane Guerrilla

Good call on Piers Anthony, wolf.

He wrote better than L. Ron Hubbard.

An illiterate peasant farmer without a pen writes better than L. Ron Hubbard.

[wolf]

Originally Posted by Urbane Guerrilla

One exception I can think of to the above is Zelazny's Amber, though I got much more of a stylistic kick from the first part of it than the second part/second series. Where Zelazny went right was that he took his time -- years between books, with other novels intervening, letting ideas and themes germinate, incubate, and flower instead of giving us a line of potboilers. Zelazny always did have the sensibilities of a poet. He didn't rush. Good publishing contracts, maybe.

I'm in agreement with you on Zelazny's Amber.

I also hold a high opinion of Larry Niven's Known Space books, which are for the most part shared universe rather than series stories, although, of course, there are exceptions ... like the Ringworld books that seem to appear from out of nowhere every couple years.

[Sundae]

The Grin of the Dark was very good.
No big explanation/ confrontation/ denouement at the end, but hey - that's why he hasn't been press-ganged by Hollywood.

Since then read The Star of Kazan by Eva Ibbotson.
She's not an author that has aged very well for me.
Explanation - I adored Which Witch - which was on my sister's reading list when she was ten, and I listened to Mum read it every night (then snuck the book and read ahead). I can still read WW today (I have a copy) and get the same satisfaction from it. But when I read a new book of her's, it doesn't have the same appeal. They are still medal winners, but miss the mark for me. Same as Journey to the River Sea - it interested me, but I really needed more... magic, frankly. That's why I still read children's books (that and I want to write one, one day, yawn, yawn, yawn like everyone else who works in an office). I knew her first as a fantasy author.

Diana Wynne Jones however, can still engage me in her stories. Perhaps because when I first read some of them, they left me exhilarated but slightly baffled, like someone falling into a bear-trap, because they were above my reading age. Even now I am amazed at the complexity of some of the books I simply swallowed whole. Sheri S Tepper can do that to me now in an adult was, but I rarely fnid her books.

Also read an Anthony Horowitz book for the first time. Raven's Gate (The Gatekeepers). Simplistic - probably written for boys rather than girls, but an interesting premise. Fantasy and magic warefare don't need to be set in Olde Englande - they can be right here right now with fish & chip shops and takeaway Chinese. Completely British (this first one was anyway) but good fun. Reasonably densely plotted without too much lyricism. A great book for a boy who doesn't really read - esp because England will already seem like a far off land to a Merkin child.

Just started Geisha of Gion: The Memoir of Mineko Iwasaki. Interesting to hear the truth after reading Memoirs of a Geisha, but hardly a challenging read. No dedicated charity bookshops in Aylesbury either I'm afraid. I get what I can.

[DanaC]

Sundae, have you ever read Joe Abercrombie's books?
The First Law trilogy.

Here's an extract from part one: The Blade Itself. If it grabs you let me know and I'll post you the trilogy


It's a pretty long sample, the first 63 pages of the book (including cover, title pages, imprint, blank pages between sections etc)

http://www.joeabercrombie.com/downlo...eItself_US.pdf

This is the best debut I've seen in ages in the fantasy genre. I love his writing style. Normally, I skim descriptions of battles, for example, I find it hard to sort the details in my head and get bored by them. In Abercrombie's books, I am totally there and can see the battle unfold. The characters are complex and there's a good deal of moral ambiguity. It's fast-paced but balances that with beautifully indepth characterisation: his writing changes subtly depending on which character he's following, he incorporates their ideosyncracies into the narration without battering you over the head with them. So much so, it really gets you inside that character's internal world. It also has an epic feel to it; managing to convey a sense of long historical forces without boring the reader to tears with history lessons.

It's dark, human and funny. It's also vicious and compelling.

I'd recommend it to anyone looking for something a bit fresh in fantasy.