The Book Thread

[Heboric]

The Lays of Anuskaya Book 1 by Bradley P Beaulieu - The Winds of Khalakovo. Decent debut with a Russian setting. Not set in Russia, but uses a lot of Russian military terms plus things like weapons and clothing. Interesting ideas, but I would have liked a bit more history (I enjoy history lessons in fantasy). Decent enough to continue with

Eisenhorn Omnibus - Dan Abnett. Really enjoyed this entertaining page turner, but and a huge but for me, for some reason in the edition I read at the start of each chapter they put 3 bullet points on whats going to happen in the chapter. I really hated that, it was like the dvd box set I watched for the reboot of Battlestar Galactica where before each episode they flashed clips on what is to come for each episode

 

[sledger]

Oh man.

 

[David]

I enjoyed Farseer trilogy, I like Robin Hobb books

I personally enjoyed Malazian Book of the Fallen although it is a hefty read
Anything by Joe Abercrombie (except his Young Adult stuff which I havent read)
Anything by Mark Lawrence
Anthony Ryan is good
Peter V Brett
Michael J Sullivan books are fun
Love the ideas in Brian McClellan books
Lot of the internet cool kids are talking about Anna Smith Spark

Abercrombie YA stuff actually lots of fun. The third book (Half a War) was the weakest, but still good. All keep pages turning without bogging down too much, so worth picking up. Read all three in the past month.
I'm yet to read The Heroes, Red Country, A Little Hatred, and Sharp Ends (short story collection), but I have them on the shelf waiting to go.

The first Michael J Sullivan book I read was not very polished, but enjoyable nonetheless, can definitely see the improvement in his writing (or the editing) in later works.

 

[Red_Ink_Squid]

Just finished reading That Hideous Strength by CS Lewis.

It was a lot more ambitious than the two previous books in the series with its weaving narratives and myriad of characters. Some of it is outstanding and some of it fell a bit flat for me. (And not just small things falling flat, e.g. the climax. And, truthfully, the whole mythology/sci fi framework of the book.)

But overall I did enjoy it (more than the paragraph above makes it sound) and am glad I read it. At more than a few points I found myself thinking it would make a fantastic graphic novel. It isn't my favourite Lewis novel and perhaps not my favourite of its trilogy, but a fun ride still.

 

[Heboric]

I finally slogged through the whole of Dark Tower. To me the one thing SKs books are not is page turners. I am not talking about the fake **** like Dan Browns books who overuses the clifffhanger. Its just the books didnt grab me to contine, thats why it took so long to complete..

I find he waffles a lot and the Dark Tower could have been much shorter, Book 5 is one the culprits.

It was good enough to keep going I guess, the whole Tower thing , but then it was that ending...

I gues only for true Stephen King fans, which maybe I am not.

 

[Pothas]

Speaking of historical fiction, I read Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies over Christmas. Both very good - the latter was more tightly constructed and consistently entertaining, but all the truly memorable passages were in Wolf Hall.

Strange because the events described can feel like a trivial-but-compelling interpersonal drama, but in reality were incredibly consequential and I’m personally affected by them literally every day.

You read Mirror and the Light yet?

 

[Burgey]

Think I will re-read The Exorcist during the impending shutdown. After so long, it's still one of the best books I've ever read.

 

[Uppercut]

You read Mirror and the Light yet?

No but I'll start it soon. It's an absolute tome, largest novel I've ever owned by far.

 

[Pothas]

It is totally worth the length. Last 100 pages are utterly gut-wrenching.

 

[Athlai]

Think I will re-read The Exorcist during the impending shutdown. After so long, it's still one of the best books I've ever read.

Been dabbling in writing a bit of horror fiction recently, have never read this, may have to give it a twirl

 

[nightprowler10]

Trying to get my wife to start reading in these troubled times, so I bought her Woman in the Window as I was told by the bookstore lady that it was an easy read. She had read maybe two books about pregnancy her whole life, but finished this within a week. Good stuff.

Myself, started reading American Psycho this week. So far so good but it's a bit tedious to read about what brand everyone is wearing for the hundredth time.

 

[Spark]

Reading the latest le Carre atm. Not his best tbh.

 

[_Ed_]

Think I will re-read The Exorcist during the impending shutdown. After so long, it's still one of the best books I've ever read.

I've seen multiple film/TV adaptations, but have never actually read the book. Need to rectify that.

 

[honestbharani]

I wanna go through the series of books Robin Cook wrote with his NY ME characters. Have read 3 of them but missed a few so don't have the complete chronology as such. I like reading detailed procedurals too for some reason. Have been reading this book, Detective, by Arthur Hailey. I mean, I completed it recently and for some reason it has made me wanna re-read it.

 

[Burgey]

Been dabbling in writing a bit of horror fiction recently, have never read this, may have to give it a twirl

I've seen multiple film/TV adaptations, but have never actually read the book. Need to rectify that.

A few dated references obviously given when it was written, but it’s as much a psychological thriller/ spiritual journey as it is a horror story. Which I think is a big part of its genius. Anyway, if you guys read it, I’d be interested in your thoughts on it.

I was surprised when I found out on the latest release a few years back that Blatty was still alive. He must have been older than water

 

[Flem274*]

i am reading the prince atm and it's interesting applying machiavellian theory to modern actions. i wrote a massive post rambling about it but i killed it because this lockdown is turning me into zorax and it's awful.

 

[Uppercut]

Yeah The Prince is great. One of the most readable and insightful very old books out there.

 

[nightprowler10]

I picked it up just before the lockdown. Will give it a read shortly.

 

[GIMH]

About 100 pages into 'Fall Out' the sequel to 'All Out War' I raved about earlier in the year. Pothas said May doesn't come out of it well. So far the real villains are her chiefs. Some of the worst people one has ever countered via the written word, and I've spent time at cricsim

 

[Uppercut]

About 100 pages into 'Fall Out' the sequel to 'All Out War' I raved about earlier in the year. Pothas said May doesn't come out of it well. So far the real villains are her chiefs. Some of the worst people one has ever countered via the written word, and I've spent time at cricsim

Yeah a big part of what makes May come out so badly is that her entire policy-making process was "let the two worst people in the country spend an hour pulling ideas out of their arses, then treat anyone who objects as an enemy to be attacked".