What are you reading right now?

The Batlord · 01-22-2013, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bob.

so far i feel his books are growers....just stick with it and by the end it's all worth is

What he said. The first book definitely takes a while to get going, sorta like The Fellowship of the Ring. They both try to gradually introduce you to the fantasy bits by first putting you in the middle of a recognizable real life-like setting. Just give it time.

RVCA · 01-22-2013, 09:05 PM

I just started the Great Hunt myself. Love it so far, except I was hoping Rand would stop being such a huge ****ing naive baby by now. Nope, he's still doing the whole "Tam IS my father no MATTER WHAT!!!" thing

Cinnamonics · 01-28-2013, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bob.

so far i feel his books are growers....just stick with it and by the end it's all worth is

that being said

i just finished The Great Hunt and plan on diving into the Dragon Reborn tonight

What is that cover!? It's a thousand times better than any of the original ones! Whatever artist was responsible for those can go...erm....disappear! Anyway, I'm currently reading the very last book of The Wheel of Time and I'm having a blast. Quite addicted, actually, and it'll be nice to finally be able to finish this series, roughly 14 years after I first started reading it. True, some books in this series are not that great (though I'd say book 10 is the only BAD one), but as a whole it is one of the best book series out there, and Brian Sanderson involvement to finish the series was a stroke of genius, as he really does the setting and world justice. I'm roughly 80% finished with the last book, and...aaargh, the feelings I have for this series is so strong, having followed the characters for so many years. I hope the people currently reading the first few books can get something out of it. "The Eye of the World" was the book that made me start reading book again, after a 4-5 year break in my teenage years, and I've enjoyed fantasy and sci-fi ever since.

LoathsomePete · 01-29-2013, 08:48 AM

I've given up on Wheel of Time, I've tried time and time again and just can't get into it. So instead I picked up this

The Gunslinger by Stephen King

Stephen King was easily my favourite author when I was between the ages of about 12-15. I think this was largely because my dad loved him and we shared books a lot. His material is great if you've got long commutes which I did when living in Vancouver so I really got into his stuff. Despite all that though, I never really had much interest in The Dark Tower series because it wasn't horror, but almost a decade later I'm really beginning to see the errors in not examining the series earlier. I'm confident this would have blown my mind if I was 13 or 14, but I'm still enjoying the shit out of it right now.

It's good to finally get back into a series, it's been a little boring just reading individual books for the last year after finishing A Dance with Dragons.

The Batlord · 01-29-2013, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cinnamonics

though I'd say book 10 is the only BAD one

I was bored so I checked for reviews of this book on Amazon, and this is my favorite:

Quote:

Phone Rep: "Hello, this is ****, representing Bigelow Tea and other fine beverages. How may I help you?"

Caller: "Well, see, I have this problem with my tea..."

P: "Which variety of tea are you having the problem with?"

C: "Bigelow Blueberry Blast."

P: "Alright...what seems to be the problem?"

C: "See, there was this one batch of tea I brewed for myself one morning. I brewed it into a gleaming silver pitcher with a matching silver ropework tray and a set of three silver cups, each with its own saucer that was engraved around the perimeter with tiny flowers. I had bought the set in Saldea. Oh, the Sea-folk porcelain is wonderful, but I'm prone to breaking it. Anyway, I poured myself a cup of tea. There were piping hot scones in a silver bowl on the tray next to the tray that held the tea. The basket was covered with a white embroidered cloth slashed with blue silk, much like my dress. Oh, the neckline is a bit too low-cut for some of my acquaintances, who prefer good stout woolens to that Arad Domai silk that clings to the body in such a way as to leave very little to the imagination. So, as I was eating a scone and drinking my cup of tea, the steam from each rising and intertwining together like dueling serpents, I noticed a peculiar taste in the tea: it was cool and refreshing, with a hint of mint. Of course, I thought nothing of it. Giving my earlobe a tug and my braid a pull, I remembered the idiocy of every one of my male friends, indeed every male I have ever come into contact with, or ever will for that matter. The lot of woolheads can never compete with the superior logic and rock-solid reasoning that every female in the known universe possesses. It's no wonder we all behave the same."

P: "Um...what was your problem with the tea?"

C: "Oh yes, I'm sorry. After I had consumed the tea, I placed the cup on the silver ropework tray and covered the gleaming silver basket of scones again with the white embroidered cloth slashed with bands of blue silk, much like my dress. I remembered the stout man in the streets of Tar Valon: a vendor of sausages he was. Though I know I will never see him again, I felt it necessary to familiarize myself with every aspect of his appearance and personal history. He was a short, stout man with black hair that was beginning to grey at the temples, slicked back on his head in the manner of warriors, though it was obvious he was not one. He wore brown shoes of stained leather that rustled softly against the dirt of the streets, kicking up clouds of dust that lingered in the air even after he had passed. His pants were of stiff wool, dyed green and patched in many places. He wore a leather jerkin over a soiled white peasant's shirt, the cuffs of his sleeves rolled up and out of his way. Around his neck was a silver chain with a medallion attached to it that bore the image of a bear. He spoke with a gruff voice..."

P: "The TEA, ma'am."

C: "Well you don't have to be rude about it. I was only filling you in on the relevant details."

P: "I don't have all day, ma'am."

C: "You do remind me of a lad I once knew, back when I used to frequent the palace in Camelyn..."

P: "Look, we'll send you a case of Blueberry tea, alright?"

C: "Oh...alright then, I suppose that will do nicely."

P: "Do you have any other problems?"

C: "Well, there is this one other problem I have, but it's not with your tea. The other day, I was pouring myself a goblet of spiced wine. Only the wine had grown cold after being left on the windowsill for whatever reason. So I siezed hold of saidar. It was pure rapture...like opening all of my petals to the sun, for I am a flower. It was like floating in a river that tore along with great speed: resist it and you would be consumed by it. So I accepted it and was consumed by the sweet joy. I sent a tiny thread of fire into the pitcher to warm the wine. Soon, steam rose from the pitcher of gold, sunlight rebounding on the inset gems. I removed the pitcher from the stark Cairheinien plinth of the finest marble and poured myself a glass. But the use of saidar had turned the spices bitter..."

*CLICK*

C: "Hello? Hello? Wool-headed sheep-herder..."

LoathsomePete · 01-29-2013, 11:28 AM

That seems to be a common theme with fantasy authors, going into elaborate detail about the most mundane things. I let Martin get away with his descriptions of food because they always sound delicious and gives me ideas for incorporating that into my own cooking.

SteelyDan · 01-30-2013, 02:42 PM

The Paperboy (Colin Dexter)

I love American novelists, this is right up my street with crime and imperfect protagonists.

**Scarlett O'Hara** · 02-01-2013, 06:41 PM

I'm reading this at the moment:

The Batlord · 02-02-2013, 09:46 AM

It's been forever since I read Lord of the Rings back in high school, so I'm rereading it and I just finished Fellowship. It's even better than I remember. The Shire, Rivendell, Moria, and best of all, Lothlorien. So much magic (you know, metaphorical magic) in those books. When the world is ruled by chaotic, cynical nihilism, LOTR makes sense.

misspoptart · 02-02-2013, 01:51 PM

Hey Bat!! Me too! Except, I started with the Silmarillion. Half way through it so far. I love LotR, but especially Thranduil. Y'know, the Party Elvenking.

01-29-2013, 08:48 AM	#4544 (permalink)
LoathsomePete Cardboard Box Realtor Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Hobb's End Posts: 7,648	I've given up on Wheel of Time, I've tried time and time again and just can't get into it. So instead I picked up this The Gunslinger by Stephen King Stephen King was easily my favourite author when I was between the ages of about 12-15. I think this was largely because my dad loved him and we shared books a lot. His material is great if you've got long commutes which I did when living in Vancouver so I really got into his stuff. Despite all that though, I never really had much interest in The Dark Tower series because it wasn't horror, but almost a decade later I'm really beginning to see the errors in not examining the series earlier. I'm confident this would have blown my mind if I was 13 or 14, but I'm still enjoying the shit out of it right now. It's good to finally get back into a series, it's been a little boring just reading individual books for the last year after finishing A Dance with Dragons. __________________ Last.FM 101 Albums That May Not Change Your Life, But I Really Like And You Might Too

01-29-2013, 11:28 AM	#4546 (permalink)
LoathsomePete Cardboard Box Realtor Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Hobb's End Posts: 7,648	That seems to be a common theme with fantasy authors, going into elaborate detail about the most mundane things. I let Martin get away with his descriptions of food because they always sound delicious and gives me ideas for incorporating that into my own cooking. __________________ Last.FM 101 Albums That May Not Change Your Life, But I Really Like And You Might Too

02-01-2013, 06:41 PM	#4548 (permalink)
Scarlett O'Hara Make it so Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 6,181	I'm reading this at the moment: __________________ "Elph is truly an enfant terrible of the forum, bless and curse him" - Marie, Queen of Thots

01-22-2013, 09:05 PM	#4542 (permalink)
RVCA （￣ー￣） Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 3,270	I just started the Great Hunt myself. Love it so far, except I was hoping Rand would stop being such a huge ****ing naive baby by now. Nope, he's still doing the whole "Tam IS my father no MATTER WHAT!!!" thing

01-30-2013, 02:42 PM	#4547 (permalink)
SteelyDan Groupie Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Oxford, England Posts: 40	The Paperboy (Colin Dexter) I love American novelists, this is right up my street with crime and imperfect protagonists.

02-02-2013, 01:51 PM	#4550 (permalink)
misspoptart gimme gimme Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: istanbul Posts: 897	Hey Bat!! Me too! Except, I started with the Silmarillion. Half way through it so far. I love LotR, but especially Thranduil. Y'know, the Party Elvenking.