The Book Thread

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Chickas shoe
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Re: The Book Thread

Post by Chickas shoe »

86 invader wrote:Elmore Leonard died... damn...
I really am out of touch, I missed this till just now. What a champion he was, a genius with characters, seamless plotter, perfect dialogue, gritty and funny. Unlike many crime writers he didn't telegraph the plot, or at least had you so caught up it didn't feel like it.

86 Invader, to ease the pain, I prescribe some James Lee Burke, more formulaic than Elmore but, it's a great formula.
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Dr Zaius
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Re: The Book Thread

Post by Dr Zaius »

Has anyone read the Song of Ice and Fire series?
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Re: The Book Thread

Post by Begbie »

bonehead wrote:I have wilbur smiths latest waiting for my attention, I have nearly all of his in hardcover just half a dozen short
I've always been tempted to delve into a Wilbur Smith book. Are they worth it?
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dubby
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Re: The Book Thread

Post by dubby »

Dr Zaius wrote:Has anyone read the Song of Ice and Fire series?
Reading them now. Almost finished clash of kings.
The spiral of silence refers to the idea that when people fail to speak, the price of speaking rises. As the price to speak rises, still fewer speak out, which further causes the price to rise, so that fewer people yet will speak out, until a whole culture or nation is silenced. This is what happened in Germany.

If you do not speak, you are not being neutral, but are contributing to the success of the thing you refuse to name and condemn.
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Dr Zaius
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Re: The Book Thread

Post by Dr Zaius »

dubby wrote:
Dr Zaius wrote:Has anyone read the Song of Ice and Fire series?
Reading them now. Almost finished clash of kings.
Nice. I finished off the last one (to date) yesterday. They are great, but get so bloody complex as they move along.
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dubby
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Re: The Book Thread

Post by dubby »

Yeah I get a bit annoyed with the detail he goes in to explaining their dress etc. So far I find Dany so bloody boring.
The spiral of silence refers to the idea that when people fail to speak, the price of speaking rises. As the price to speak rises, still fewer speak out, which further causes the price to rise, so that fewer people yet will speak out, until a whole culture or nation is silenced. This is what happened in Germany.

If you do not speak, you are not being neutral, but are contributing to the success of the thing you refuse to name and condemn.
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Dr Zaius
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Re: The Book Thread

Post by Dr Zaius »

She gets more interesting and is pretty pivotable.

The descriptive stuff I tend to gloss over a bit. I can't help it. It's the number of characters that gets me. The number of view point characters balloons out, and they've all go supporting characters. You find yourself wondering who have these people are.
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Re: The Book Thread

Post by dubby »

Sounds like the GH
The spiral of silence refers to the idea that when people fail to speak, the price of speaking rises. As the price to speak rises, still fewer speak out, which further causes the price to rise, so that fewer people yet will speak out, until a whole culture or nation is silenced. This is what happened in Germany.

If you do not speak, you are not being neutral, but are contributing to the success of the thing you refuse to name and condemn.
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Re: The Book Thread

Post by Dr Zaius »

Less treachery than the GH
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Re: The Book Thread

Post by gerg »

A few people I know have said GoT series drags a bit but it couldn't be anywhere near as bad as the Wheel of Time (Robert Jordan). I bought the majority of the series based on rave reviews of it and I think it is the worst set of books ever published - or at least that I've read. I made it to book 11 with incredible determination. It had taken me over a year to get that far. I had begun to just skip page after page of nonsense. He would describe what a **** serving wench was wearing over the course of several pages when the person hadn't even been mentioned in the story and probably never will again, yet the hack had to provide the detail of what colour thread was used in making the persons dress and how she had a slight limp in her left hip from a horse riding accident four years ago when she was out riding with her husband who since passed away from **** boredom at being the books editor. Then he'd gloss over a pivotal battle.

So I threw it back in the bookcase and picked up 'Born to Run'. Fantastic book which I powered through in a few days. Then I also just finished Hemingway's 'sun also rises'. I like his writing style. I don't understand some of the terminology but thought it was a great read. Will definitely order some of his other works. I read the 'old man and the sea' years ago. Now I'm onto 'Catcher in the rye' which is quite an interesting read.

I looked up 100 of the all time best books and ordered about 40 of them so I've got no time to waste on Robert Jordan.
For cricket fans I'd recommend 'Chinaman'. I may have mentioned it last year but it is a pretty interesting read and written in a fairly unique style. I think the author was Sri Lankan.
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Re: The Book Thread

Post by The Nickman »

Best series I've ever read is the Wars of Light and Shadow by Janny Wurts (unfortunate name, I know).

Although it also has a tendency to drag on a bit, and it's not finished, but it's brilliant writing.

Highly recommend it to any avid book lovers out there
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Re: The Book Thread

Post by Botman »

Im in the middle of reading "Welcome to the Terrrordome", it's by a bloke called Dave Zirin, and its about american sports and how it plays a role in american society and politics. Great read.
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Re: The Book Thread

Post by The Nickman »

Pigman wrote:Im in the middle of reading "Welcome to the Terrrordome", it's by a bloke called Dave Zirin, and its about american sports and how it plays a role in american society and politics. Great read.
Plenty of pictures and the occasional pop-up, Nicko??
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Re: The Book Thread

Post by Schifty »

Definitely enjoyed Kevin Pietersen's book.

Matt Prior is easily the biggest tool in world cricket history.
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Re: The Book Thread

Post by The Nickman »

Big call, Marko
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Re: The Book Thread

Post by Schifty »

Yep, but there is so much evidence.

Exhibit A:

Prior would refer to himself as "The Big Cheese" and constantly talk him up in the 3rd person.

E.g. "How good did the Big Cheese bat today"
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Re: The Book Thread

Post by The Nickman »

There's nothing wrong with that. Commander Awesome does that all the time
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Re: The Book Thread

Post by Schifty »

The Nickman wrote:There's nothing wrong with that. Commander Awesome does that all the time
The prosecution rests its case :)
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Re: The Book Thread

Post by The Nickman »

Commander Awesome declares good grief at the prosecution's case!
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Re: The Book Thread

Post by IronRaiden »

Feist's Riftwar Saga was brilliant as was his series with Wurts the Daughter of the Empire. His second series after the Riftwar but in the same setting was also a very good read, but then he went full retard and introduced demons and crap and it all went blah blah blah from there and I stopped reading.

If you want a truly stupid series of books that ended badly for both author and reader you cannot go past Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. At one stage he had 11 different threads going in the books and then it got complicated as Jordan died.

Have just finished reading American Sniper and it was without a doubt the most comprehensive accumulation of self indulgent clap trap I have ever read since the Andrew Johns bio. The author Chris Kyle was shot at a shooting range back in 2013 probably because he was handing out copies of his book.

George RR Martin is a sadistic old prick, but he can write good book if only he get his **** into gear and write the bloody things. I started reading this series when they first came out and having to wait 3-4 years between books is very frustrating.

I am currently reading a book on the Klingon Language - Raiders Qap!!! As well as The Grand Design by Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow as I'm trying to keep up with my Physics studying son.
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Re: The Book Thread

Post by julian87 »

Schifty wrote:Yep, but there is so much evidence.

Exhibit A:

Prior would refer to himself as "The Big Cheese" and constantly talk him up in the 3rd person.

E.g. "How good did the Big Cheese bat today"
hahaha that is brilliant.
well, I guess you could say that I'm buy curious.
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Re: The Book Thread

Post by papabear »

just read
"the lies of Locke Lamora" was a very enjoyable book to read.
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Re: The Book Thread

Post by gerg »

Just finished Animal Farm and the World according to Garp, which was one of the better books I've ever read. Onto Catch 22 now which also seems pretty good.
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Re: The Book Thread

Post by reptar »

Gerg wrote:Just finished Animal Farm and the World according to Garp, which was one of the better books I've ever read. Onto Catch 22 now which also seems pretty good.
Catch 22 has a very distinctive style - once you get used to it and the battering your brain takes trying to deal with all the contradictory statements, it's really enjoyable.
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Re: The Book Thread

Post by Aero »

The Nickman wrote:Best series I've ever read is the Wars of Light and Shadow by Janny Wurts (unfortunate name, I know).

Although it also has a tendency to drag on a bit, and it's not finished, but it's brilliant writing.

Highly recommend it to any avid book lovers out there
I think I've got the first book hidden somewhere.. I remember getting it a couple of decades ago and trying to read it but didnt really like it too much..might have to dig it out and try reading it again
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Re: The Book Thread

Post by Aero »

IronRaiden wrote:Feist's Riftwar Saga was brilliant as was his series with Wurts the Daughter of the Empire. His second series after the Riftwar but in the same setting was also a very good read, but then he went full retard and introduced demons and crap and it all went blah blah blah from there and I stopped reading.
Havent read any of the Empire books but I agree with on Riftwar Saga. Magician was the book that got me into the whole fantasy genre and have actually read the book a few times. Have loved the story up to the end of the Serpentwar Saga, but struggled to get into the Conclave of Shadows trilogy... Might have to try again just to see how the whole thing ends..
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Re: The Book Thread

Post by Brewdle »

papabear wrote:just read
"the lies of Locke Lamora" was a very enjoyable book to read.
I finished that not long ago, really enjoyed it. I just finished Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn trilogy and highly recommend, great world building, unique characters and an interesting antagonist.
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Re: The Book Thread

Post by The Nickman »

Aero wrote:
IronRaiden wrote:Feist's Riftwar Saga was brilliant as was his series with Wurts the Daughter of the Empire. His second series after the Riftwar but in the same setting was also a very good read, but then he went full retard and introduced demons and crap and it all went blah blah blah from there and I stopped reading.
Havent read any of the Empire books but I agree with on Riftwar Saga. Magician was the book that got me into the whole fantasy genre and have actually read the book a few times. Have loved the story up to the end of the Serpentwar Saga, but struggled to get into the Conclave of Shadows trilogy... Might have to try again just to see how the whole thing ends..
Yeah, I really liked Magician too. Seems we have similar tastes in reading, you should like the Mistwraith saga (Wars of Light and Shadow).
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Re: The Book Thread

Post by Schifty »

http://www.amazon.com/Without-You-There ... 0307720659


Just finished reading this.

Very fascinating read and doesn't disappoint. Unlike a lot of documentaries this sheds light on the 'elites'.. But even their lives are pretty sad.

For the lack of a better term (and a severe lack of creativity right now) the balls on the author to go into the country twice and secretly write down all these notes in secret to have enough for a book is amazing..

If they caught her with her USB sticks you'd hate to think what would have been done to her.

BTW it was pretty much a double undercover job as you had an atheist journalist pretending to be a Christian Missionary going in as a teacher... :shock:
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Re: The Book Thread

Post by Travis »

I finished (published books, that is) the Wars of Light and Shadow a while back. It was really good; the first three or four books especially. I found that from the fifth book on, it got a bit repetitive. I'm interested in how it will pan out. The next book is due in November, I think.

I'm currently reading Dan Simmons's Hyperion Cantos; onto the final book Rise of Endymion. It's a great read; especially the first two novels.

Next I think I'll read Steven Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen. It'll keep me busy for a few months. Break it up with the odd Doctor Who novelisation.
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Re: The Book Thread

Post by The Nickman »

Travis wrote:I finished (published books, that is) the Wars of Light and Shadow a while back. It was really good; the first three or four books especially. I found that from the fifth book on, it got a bit repetitive. I'm interested in how it will pan out. The next book is due in November, I think.

I'm currently reading Dan Simmons's Hyperion Cantos; onto the final book Rise of Endymion. It's a great read; especially the first two novels.

Next I think I'll read Steven Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen. It'll keep me busy for a few months. Break it up with the odd Doctor Who novelisation.
I like where she's gone with the latest one, being several hundred years later

I'll be buying the new one as soon as it comes out!
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Re: The Book Thread

Post by Travis »

I didn't quite engage with the last one as I did the rest. There were some great moments, but aspects of the plot annoyed me and it seemed a bit of a repeat of Peril's Gate, with the constant running and similar tricks from earlier. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed it, just not as much as the others. Stormed Fortress was such an epic climax to the first three arcs that ended with good things starting to happen, and then this book starts and things are the worst they have ever been! It seems to be the way she plots, though. If it weren't for the prologue in Book One, I'd think that the final book would be Lysaer and Arithon facing off standing on the two remaining pieces of land in Athera. I'm looking forward to the Kathtairr storyline in the next couple. I read somewhere that there will be a sizable (years in the story, that is) break between the last two as well, with the last being a stand-alone arc like the first.
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Re: The Book Thread

Post by The Nickman »

Yeah, well what got me was the start of the first book where they said the wars of light and shadow raged for 500 years.

Until Initiate's Trial happened I was like "there's still 400 years to go, how is she wrapping this up in three books??"
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Re: The Book Thread

Post by Travis »

Yeah, I know! Also, drinking from the fountain in the Red Desert at the beginning set it up! A cool idea, though, with the descendants of the first characters and the initial events being remembered as legend in the most recent. Even though I didn't like the idea of Arithon having been caught, I suppose Wurts needed to figure a way for him to stop the free wraiths, so putting him on that job for 250 years was fairly reasonable.
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Re: The Book Thread

Post by The Nickman »

It also enables the Alliance of Light to develop into a full-blown cult in his absence.

Lysaer splitting from them was an interesting twist and sets up for a great finish if he can beat the curse and it ends up being both brothers versus the Alliance of Light.
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