What Books Are You Guys Reading?

[Theraflu 1,035]

I hate reading for the most part, but am enthralled in The Hunger Game series. Knocked out The Hunger Games pretty quick and about 6 chapters in to Catch Fire. Great read, even for those that don't like to read.

This is a terrible post.

[Dread Aidan 8]

This is a terrible post.

This made me laugh out loud even though I don't know why it's terrible.Anybody here read these books?

[Mercury69 3]

This is a terrible post.

[Dread Aidan 8]

Anybody here read these books?

Yeah, so anyway, if you like science fiction action thrillers, these are pretty great. Once I started reading them, I couldn't put them down.

[Theraflu 1,035]

Yeah, so anyway, if you like science fiction action thrillers, these are pretty great. Once I started reading them, I couldn't put them down.

I just acquired the first two, just for you. They've been added to the end of what's becoming a lengthy list. I'm in the middle of 11/22/63 right now, and then I'm pretending that I can learn to how cook by reading books, so I've got two of Michael Ruhlman's on tap. I'm also trying to get through the Ender's Game saga, having recently finished the second book in that series. I also got 1Q84, which was on a couple of year-end book lists that I read.

[Dread Aidan 8]

I just acquired the first two, just for you.

High five!

[GWCGWC 83]

I pick up a book that was loaned to me by an avid reader quite a while ago. The first sentence ends with this phrase, "dawn poured over Rambla de Santa Monica in a wreath of liquid copper."That's right...a wreath of liquid copper. I think hmmm, this authors descriptive literary stylings and prose may not be for me. Every sentence continues to pepper adjectives into my brain with what seem to be overly descriptive unnecessary details. Then on the third page he closes a paragraph with this sentence, "His impenetrable aquiline gaze rested on mine."I stop. Here's where I either slow down and embrace this writing style or put the book down and never pick it up again. If I read another page or two I know my compulsion to finish books will take over no matter how I feel about the story or the authors choice of words. DECISIONS!

[hblask 1]

I pick up a book that was loaned to me by an avid reader quite a while ago. The first sentence ends with this phrase, "dawn poured over Rambla de Santa Monica in a wreath of liquid copper."That's right...a wreath of liquid copper. I think hmmm, this authors descriptive literary stylings and prose may not be for me. Every sentence continues to pepper adjectives into my brain with what seem to be overly descriptive unnecessary details. Then on the third page he closes a paragraph with this sentence, "His impenetrable aquiline gaze rested on mine."I stop. Here's where I either slow down and embrace this writing style or put the book down and never pick it up again. If I read another page or two I know my compulsion to finish books will take over no matter how I feel about the story or the authors choice of words. DECISIONS!

The Shadow of the Wind is one of the most awesomest books ever. I highly recommend embracing this book to its fullest. This is a book for and about book lovers. It is probably my favorite book of the last decade.

[Theraflu 1,035]

I pick up a book that was loaned to me by an avid reader quite a while ago. The first sentence ends with this phrase, "dawn poured over Rambla de Santa Monica in a wreath of liquid copper."That's right...a wreath of liquid copper. I think hmmm, this authors descriptive literary stylings and prose may not be for me. Every sentence continues to pepper adjectives into my brain with what seem to be overly descriptive unnecessary details. Then on the third page he closes a paragraph with this sentence, "His impenetrable aquiline gaze rested on mine."I stop. Here's where I either slow down and embrace this writing style or put the book down and never pick it up again. If I read another page or two I know my compulsion to finish books will take over no matter how I feel about the story or the authors choice of words. DECISIONS!

I do love me some purple prose. Maybe I'll look into this.Just finished 11/22/63. Enjoyed it overall.Somehow I've never read Slaughterhouse Five, so I'm going to knock that out, then either get into the 3rd book of the Ender's game saga, or start the trilogy the JJJ recommended.

[GWCGWC 83]

The Shadow of the Wind is one of the most awesomest books ever. I highly recommend embracing this book to its fullest. This is a book for and about book lovers. It is probably my favorite book of the last decade.

I read another 1/2 page which got me over the hump and means I MUST read the whole book. Good to have someone other than my friend give it a thumbs up. Luckily the dude toned it way down but this is still sprinkled in, "Perpetually affixed to his mouth was an unlit pipe that impregnated his person with the aroma of a Persian Market." He eventually calls this character a dandy when referring to his attire. The use of the word dandy calmed me right down. The first chapter(8pages in paperback) is brutal and almost seems like some kind of writing exercise. oops, while looking for the publish date I now see this book was written in Spanish and is a translated version. Well that changes everything.

[Scriptpro727 0]

I also just finished 11/22/63. A great read. Well worth the effort for a very ling book.Stephen King is still at his best. What a simpler time that was.I was a little disappointed with the ending but when you think about it that's about the only way it could have happened.

[hblask 1]

I read another 1/2 page which got me over the hump and means I MUST read the whole book. Good to have someone other than my friend give it a thumbs up. Luckily the dude toned it way down but this is still sprinkled in, "Perpetually affixed to his mouth was an unlit pipe that impregnated his person with the aroma of a Persian Market." He eventually calls this character a dandy when referring to his attire. The use of the word dandy calmed me right down. The first chapter(8pages in paperback) is brutal and almost seems like some kind of writing exercise. oops, while looking for the publish date I now see this book was written in Spanish and is a translated version. Well that changes everything.

Yeah, I was thinking about this translation thing. The examples you gave are interesting, because they clearly are not translated directly or they wouldn't have the same effect. "Wreath of liquid copper" might be something like "ring-shaped trees branches of molten metal". Some of the phrases in the translation are so beautifully turned I was amazed, I wanted to learn Spanish just to read it in the original. Others are a bit heavy-handed, but mostly I was so wrapped up in the characters I just dove into this world. It's rare for me to read a book a second time, but this is definitely one I will read again.

[iBeaver 409]

I also just finished 11/22/63. A great read. Well worth the effort for a very ling book.Stephen King is still at his best. What a simpler time that was.I was a little disappointed with the ending but when you think about it that's about the only way it could have happened.

I loved the ending but I rarely have issues with any of his endings except for Under the Dome. I think each book I read last year was at least 950+ pages do this was a breeze. Lol

[Theraflu 1,035]

I loved the ending but I rarely have issues with any of his endings except for Under the Dome. I think each book I read last year was at least 950+ pages do this was a breeze. Lol

I thought the problem with Under the Dome was that he didn't really leave himself a good way to end it. What good options were there, once he established what the dome was? They're making that into a Showtime series. I'm hoping they skip the ending.

[king_tanner 84]

I'm reading a book called the Blackgloom Bounty.I didn't know anything about it going in other than it was free under my kindle subscription, it was a fantasy, and it had good reviews. I'm halfway through and it is pretty awesome so far. It has magic stuff thrown in but it is set in medieval times and the setting and some other stuff are historically accurate. So it's not a book where the author created a completely different world like in most fantasies.

[Theraflu 1,035]

I'm reading a book called the Blackgloom Bounty.I didn't know anything about it going in other than it was free under my kindle subscription, it was a fantasy, and it had good reviews. I'm halfway through and it is pretty awesome so far. It has magic stuff thrown in but it is set in medieval times and the setting and some other stuff are historically accurate. So it's not a book where the author created a completely different world like in most fantasies.

I hate those fantasies that are full of made up stuff.

[king_tanner 84]

I hate those fantasies that are full of made up stuff.

this one is full of made up stuff also. It just seems unique from the others

[hblask 1]

Has anyone read this gem found at that nice respectable corner bookstore "Barnes and Noble"?

[king_tanner 84]

Has anyone read this gem found at that nice respectable corner bookstore "Barnes and Noble"?

wow, would I get arrested just for buying that?

[hblask 1]

wow, would I get arrested just for buying that?

I thought it was illegal to sell stuff like that in the US. So yeah, I would think both ends of that sale could land you in jail.

[king_tanner 84]

I thought it was illegal to sell stuff like that in the US. So yeah, I would think both ends of that sale could land you in jail.

So I should probably return it then?

[mk 11]

I'm reading The Pale King, the new post-humous David Foster Wallace book. I think it is going to be tough-going.

Did you finish this? I'm about to dive in. It's been looming ominously on my shelf for a few months.

[Theraflu 1,035]

Did you finish this? I'm about to dive in. It's been looming ominously on my shelf for a few months.

I started it back in May after it came out, got 200 pages in and haven't picked it up since. It's not bad, but there's a little something missing to it. It's pretty similar to most DFW stuff, so you might like it just fine, but it's hard knowing that the book isn't in the order that he would have wanted.

[SBriand 4]

I had to get off the fantasy kick there after reading Best Served Cold, a stand alone is Joe Abercrombies "First Law" world. I picked up Terror by Dan Simmons. NEver read anything else by him before. I like it. This story is a about the two ships HMS Erebus and HMS Terror sent out to find the Northwest Passage near the north pole back in the mid 1800's. I never knew about this but I guess the two ships got stuck in packed ice and when finally found there was never any sign of the 126 or so crew members. To this day no one knows what happened. This is a fictional story of what might have happened. I am enjoying it and it was on sale for $1.99 in the Kindle store.

[LadyGrey 6]

Did you finish this? I'm about to dive in. It's been looming ominously on my shelf for a few months.

I started it back in May after it came out, got 200 pages in and haven't picked it up since. It's not bad, but there's a little something missing to it. It's pretty similar to most DFW stuff, so you might like it just fine, but it's hard knowing that the book isn't in the order that he would have wanted.

Yeah I got to about page 200 as well. It's very changeable from what I read; one chapter would be riveting and wonderfully written (e.g. a character study of a girl with a difficult background), the next a bit patchy and dry. You could see how a lot of it was going to tie together eventually i.e. the characters lives becoming intertwined or something. I reached a point where there is a long chapter of quite dry, boring analysis of the tax system - this was DFW's intention since this book is supposedly exploring boredom as a concept. Of course, it's not very palatable to the reader so that's where I fell off the wagon and haven't felt like clambering back on since. Maybe someday.Now I am reading The Flame Alphabet by Ben Marcus, halfway through and it's very good. I'm really into it and expecting to finish soon.What else have I been reading? A rough list of some reads from the last few months:Miss Lonelyhearts by Nathaniel West - short, strange, enjoyableThe Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey - historical crime novel, interestingThe Sufferings of Young Werther by Goethe - old school German translation, heavy going in places but classicIn Cold Blood by Truman Capote - very effectively written, surprisingly captivating though morbidly soA Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole - Cult classic, absolutely brilliant, hilarious and incisive. New favouriteHospital by Toby Litt - surreal, nightmarish journey through a hospital full of sadists, satanists, sodomites and moreI think there were a few others but I've forgotten what they were. I got a Kindle so my book list is getting a bit ridiculous.