Books The Great Books! ( And What Are You Currently Reading? )

[SharkBait]

Ive been on a nonfiction fix.

Finished: How to Kill a Unicorn, which is a book on how the innovation superstar in the industrdry, Farenheit 451, has helped shape some of the innovations on the marketplace together. It had fascinating stories on the Samsung Interlocking Display development technology, Samsung transparent screens to be used in vending machines and stores, as well as raw pet food and people making the leap to embrace it from Natural Variety, along with more stories. Sadly much of the book was like a coach pumping a team up in the lockerroom and marketing alchemy that I skipped most parts of the book on the tips for being a better innovator.

Reading: The Best American Science and Nature Writings of 2014, an anthology of the best articles in 2013 from various topics such as the O-rings responsible for the Challenger disaster and the evaporating fuel of Scotts Antarctic Expedition back in the day to other topics such as Paper vs E-books (read the article here: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/reading-paper-screens/ ), end of life and right to choose to die with medical assisted help, and other topics like how people become so reliant on technology that they forget the basics. Its really interesting and I hope to share more stories in the future.

 

[Faust]

Reading: The Magicians by Lev Grossman

 

[Jammin]

Reading: The Magicians by Lev Grossman

I'm truly sorry.

Though there tend to be two schools of thought on that book, those who love it's as a grittier less optimistic take on fantasy classics and those who loath how it's sterile and disillusioned magical world and self indulgent nihilistic characters saps any sense of wonder from the story. I was definitely of the latter camp.

 

[Faust]

I'm truly sorry.

Though there tend to be two schools of thought on that book, those who love it's as a grittier less optimistic take on fantasy classics and those who loath how it's sterile and disillusioned magical world and self indulgent nihilistic characters saps any sense of wonder from the story. I was definitely of the latter camp.

Spoiler

I haven't read the chapters in Fillory. I'm a very slow reader.

---------- Post added at 12:31 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:20 AM ----------

“The Magicians is to Harry Potter as a shot of Irish whiskey is to a glass of weak tea. … Grossman’s sensibilities are thoroughly adult, his narrative dark and dangerous and full of twists. Hogwarts was never like this.”
​

-George R. R. Martin​

He really hates J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter because of that 2001 Hugo Award lost.

 

[Jammin]

Spoiler

I haven't read the chapters in Fillory. I'm a very slow reader.

---------- Post added at 12:31 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:20 AM ----------

“The Magicians is to Harry Potter as a shot of Irish whiskey is to a glass of weak tea. … Grossman’s sensibilities are thoroughly adult, his narrative dark and dangerous and full of twists. Hogwarts was never like this.”
​

-George R. R. Martin​

He really hates J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter because of that 2001 Hugo Award lost.

He really does.

It's funny because I didn't come away thinking of it as even much of a comparison to Potter. And I don't mean that as a judgement of quality or anything. It's just a much different story. There is a magic school, I suppose, but that's about where the similarity ends. The magic school isn't really even magical it's just like Yale for wizards. It struck me more as a sour derivative of Chronicles of Narnia starring a bunch of miserable ivy league hipsters.

 

[Faust]

He really does.

It's funny because I didn't come away thinking of it as even much of a comparison to Potter. And I don't mean that as a judgement of quality or anything. It's just a much different story. There is a magic school, I suppose, but that's about where the similarity ends. The magic school isn't really even magical it's just like Yale for wizards. It struck me more as a sour derivative of Chronicles of Narnia starring a bunch of miserable ivy league hipsters.

You read all three? Or just the first one?

 

[Jammin]

You read all three? Or just the first one?

Just the first one. By the end I had more than my fill of ol' Quentin.

I didn't even donate the hardcover to a library like I usually do. It went straight in the trash, so I would at least be secure in the knowledge that there was one less copy of that drifting around the world.

 

[Kat]

The Maze Runner series!

 

[strixflash]

Just the first one. By the end I had more than my fill of ol' Quentin.

I didn't even donate the hardcover to a library like I usually do. It went straight in the trash, so I would at least be secure in the knowledge that there was one less copy of that drifting around the world.

LOL! I was thinking of purchasing it when I read FaustXIII's post of GRRM praising it! But after reading your post I changed my mind immediately!

 

[SharkBait]

Started reading Ian Caldwells new book, The Fifth Gospel which is intriguing thus far 50 pages in for a mystery vatican type story of religious relics, intrigue, and suspense. I dont want to compare it to say the Da Vinci code, maybe a religious version of National Treasure is more like it, but even that is not that right. In any event, its fun so far.

Im still shocked it took him 10 years to write this second book, how does a writer earn money to survive ten years like that (though the previous book sold 2mln in North America alone)

The Maze Runner series!

husbandoRunner, Newt!!! Thomas!!!!!

 

[Kat]

husbandoRunner, Newt!!! Thomas!!!!!

Newt T_T


MINHOOOO <3333

 

[benelori]

Has anyone read The Kingkiller Chronicle, and if so what do you think?

And I'm about to start the Darkness that Comes Before...any thoughts on that one?

 

[Faust]

I bought A Game of Thrones as a Christmas gift to myself. Hopefully I'll finish reading it on April then I'll buy A Clash of Kings as a Birthday gift to myself. I'm a very slow reader, I procrastinate a lot and I don't binge read so...

---------- Post added at 09:48 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:34 PM ----------

Just the first one. By the end I had more than my fill of ol' Quentin.

I didn't even donate the hardcover to a library like I usually do. It went straight in the trash, so I would at least be secure in the knowledge that there was one less copy of that drifting around the world.

I stopped reading it. Quentin got really annoying. I'll try finish it before the year ends just for the sake of finishing the book. Then I'll start reading A Game of Thrones.

 

[Jammin]

I stopped reading it. Quentin got really annoying. I'll try finish it before the year ends just for the sake of finishing the book. Then I'll start reading A Game of Thrones.

I know what you mean, there are very few characters that deserve to be punched repeatedly in the face more than Quentin.

It does come to something of a decent conclusion at the end but it's hard to wade through his self centered, self indulgent, whinny, bullshit to actually get there.

That's one of the things that puzzles me about the book's reception, to be honest. It's been praised by more than a few people, not just GRRM, as a more mature evolution of Harry Potter or Chronicles of Narnia. And I strongly disagree with that. Rubbing filth all over an innocent story and making characters unlikable jerks doesn't somehow increase it's maturity. And that's really all this book did.

Maturity in a story to me is delivering complex or nuanced meaning, and The Magician doesn't do that. It conveys a simple, if jaded, message through the most mundane and non-fantastical way possible. To me that's missing the point of books like Harry Potter and Chronicles of Narnia.

 

[SharkBait]

Ive been reading yet another book on morality, The Moral Arc which is about 500 pages and releases in January. ITs pretty interesting going through arguments arguing against say nuclear weapons and war and actually pretty extensive insight into the argument of early civilization not being warlike, also discussion of morality as it was shaped by Age of Reason and Enlightment Thinkers of Thomas Hobbes and etc. I love how it calls us rational beings, survival machines, mini Leviathans, etc.

ANd the prisoners dilemma (& NashEquilibrium) and the case for why people feel led to cheat in competitive sports (poor Lance Armstrong).

 

[Riku]

Has anyone read The Kingkiller Chronicle, and if so what do you think?

I loved the Name of the Wind. It was a really well written book with a good flow and interesting quirky characters. Then came the second book and peed on the parade. I didn't find the language as appealing as in the first one and the story and particulary the character of Kvothe went so ridiculously over the top that in my opinion it lost all credibility. And on top of that, while during the book a lot happened, in the end nothing happened. I felt like the overall story didn't move an inch nor did our protagonist grow as a person. And I think thr character growth was the intended main point of the book. But to me it felt like it was just trying hard to cover every single bit of the "legendary kingkiller" rumors and gossip that was tossed in the air in the first book. It was unnecessary and made it all feel very flat. In my opinion Kvothe became a Mary Sue. Or whatever the male equivalent of that is.

The first book was great though, and the second laid at least a way interesting set ups, so I'll most likely finish the trilogy when the last part comes out.

As of my reading lately, I'm on my second part of the "Great hard Sci-fi trinity of the 80s". During the summer I read Enders Game, which was in my opinion brilliant, particulary as curious detail I loved how it basicly predicted the internet as it is now. Now I'm reading Dune. Which I know is from 60s, but it was first distributed in Finland during the 80s. So far interesting, though the terminology is a bit confusing. After that Ill start with Hyperion.

On the side as light and speedy entertainment I read The Mockingjay. It was okay, pretty well flowing youth literature, but not anything particulary interesting. My respect to the visualization of the Hunger games films raised a bar though.

 

[Faust]

I know what you mean, there are very few characters that deserve to be punched repeatedly in the face more than Quentin.

It does come to something of a decent conclusion at the end but it's hard to wade through his self centered, self indulgent, whinny, bullshit to actually get there.

That's one of the things that puzzles me about the book's reception, to be honest. It's been praised by more than a few people, not just GRRM, as a more mature evolution of Harry Potter or Chronicles of Narnia. And I strongly disagree with that. Rubbing filth all over an innocent story and making characters unlikable jerks doesn't somehow increase it's maturity. And that's really all this book did.

Maturity in a story to me is delivering complex or nuanced meaning, and The Magician doesn't do that. It conveys a simple, if jaded, message through the most mundane and non-fantastical way possible. To me that's missing the point of books like Harry Potter and Chronicles of Narnia.

Finished it. An American Gods-like twist and the closing chapters, ending resembling Neverwhere. I don't know if it's a homage to Gaiman or if Grossman just rips him off.

And a lot of the humor/jokes in the book are just references of other works.

And it's also not a lot like Harry Potter and the Chronicles of Narnia. There's just a lot of obvious references of those two.

 

[baboysai]

I just finished Gone Girl. Wasn't able to watch the movie because I wanted to read the book first. AND THE BOOK IS CRAZY. like, very interesting and engaging (couldn't stop reading even during the holidays) and I liked the writing style- and also, literally, CRAZY. -_-

 

[Kat]

Divergent Series by Veronica Roth

1st book - Divergent (there is also a movie which is good!)
2nd book- Insurgent (movie coming out in March IIRC)
3rd book- Allegiant

and 4th book which I suppose is just a sequel or something- Four

Its Awesome ... currently reading the 2nd book

 

[baboysai]

well speaking of series: I actually started *cough* The Hunger Games...

because I like Jennifer Lawrence. And I watched the first 2 movies only two weeks ago (so I missed out on the third movie, and I can't seem to find any of it online yet?) and wanted to know what happened next so instead of waiting for the third movie to be available online I guessed I could just read the damn books. -_-

I can't say I like its style yet- so far I as interested enough in the movies to finish them- I mean, it took me five times to actually finish the first movie (I always got interrupted/ never got to finishing, etc). And I'm only a few chapters into the 2nd book (skipped the first book, whatevs.)