Anybody read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, The Classic Regency Romance—Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem! from Quirk Books By Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith?
Double-teaming two pretty hard-core ones right now:
The People of the Book A fictional story about an Austrailian rare-book expert and the history of the Sarajevan Haggadah, a mysterious Jewish codex and its travels from its creation through Muslim Spain through the Middle East, Italy and finally Sarajevo where it remained until present day.
Also for even more fun reading a historical account of the Jacobite and Nestorian Christian Churches of the East called The Lost History of Christianity.. Really fasscinating history of how the Asian Christian churches evolved away from Rome and the Catholic/Orthodox hierarchies and how they withered and died over time.
Double-teaming two pretty hard-core ones right now:
Wasn't that a lyric off a Poison album?
Also for even more fun reading a historical account of the Jacobite and Nestorian Christian Churches of the East called The Lost History of Christianity.. Really fasscinating history of how the Asian Christian churches evolved away from Rome and the Catholic/Orthodox hierarchies and how they withered and died over time.
Really? I saw that on a recommended reading list recently.
|
What did you think of this book? I haven't read it but have heard excellent things about it.Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
I really like the book. It does a good job in presenting an alternate reality (london in the napoleonic war, influenced by the rediscovery of english magic traditions) and makes this reality believable (incloding footnotes presenting fictional texts about magic, fictional historical events and legends). It takes its time to present its diverse and interesting characters...I really like it, though its hard to compare to any other book i've read (and thats quite a few...hundred...)
Double-teaming two pretty hard-core ones right now:Wasn't that a lyric off a Poison album?
Wah wah waaaaah......
Also for even more fun reading a historical account of the Jacobite and Nestorian Christian Churches of the East called The Lost History of Christianity.. Really fasscinating history of how the Asian Christian churches evolved away from Rome and the Catholic/Orthodox hierarchies and how they withered and died over time.Really? I saw that on a recommended reading list recently.
Very intersting read so far if you like history and religion. Prof. Jenkins goes through the rise of the Asiatic churches that arose in the Syraic-speaking world and expanded through Persia all the way to India and China during the centuries immediately following Christ's crucifixion. At one point there were many more Chirstians in the East than Europe. The rising tide of fundamentalist-style Islam and the backlash to the Crusades eneded up causing most of them to vanish or shrink perciptously. Nice angle on a little-explored piece of religious history.
My sister handed me World War Z...
Its a reporters account of the world after the dead have risen.
But then, I'm pretty sure that most of you already knew that. ;)
One of the best zombie books ever written! Also soon to be a movie with the screenplay being written by Brooks and J. Michael Straczynski. Marc Forster, director of the recent Bond flick Quantum of Solace is set to direct.
Barbarians at the Gate
Never did read that one, but the HBO movie they made out of it was really good ...
|
Reading The House on the Borderland and Other Novels by William Hope Hodgson. As and when Paizo, Dresden, The Hollows and the Weather Warden series allow, I'm slowly making my way through both the Sci-Fi and Fantasy Masterworks series.
Just finished The Neon Rain by James Lee Burke, the same guy who wrote Heaven's Prisoners starring Alec Baldwin. Great mystery stuff. Also finished A Continent for the Taking by Howard French on a man's travels through the madness of Africa. Scary stuff. On to Andrzej Sapkowski Blood of Elves, the author of the Witcher fame.
Black God's Kiss from Planet Stories of course. So far, I'm really enjoying this. "Rompin' good fun" is the best way I can describe it. With a little bit of tentacles in the background :)
Working my way through Swords of the Horseclans by Robert Adams (to be followed by the remaining 16 Horseclans novels, with breaks for Planet Stories releases as I get them).
|
|
Titanicus by Dan AbnettOoh! this has been on my reading list for a month. I just can't seem to find it in anything other then a hardcover, and that's too pricey for my meager budget for now. Tell me how it turns out though! Maybe it's good enough to warrent the extra expense.
I finished it today--a great read: out-of-the-way Forge world gets invaded right after the Imperium ships off most of its military support; Mars comes to save the day with the Legio Invicta; corrupted vs pure engines. If you like Dan Abnett's work, you'll love this. There's also lots of cool Mechanicus backstory in this one (I'm a total sucker for the Machine God Cult), and an interesting take on the Terra-Mars schism, and allusions to the Heresy. It sounds strange to say, but the 40k universe is so damned believable when Abnett or Lee are on point. Definitely worth the expense for me ($16 from Amazon--the cost of two paperbacks). The paperback is scheduled for December.
|
|
Well I finished Un Lun Dun - China Mieville,(Excellent modernized Alice in Wonderland) about a month ago.
I'm reading Perdido Street Station at the moment by him, and re-reading Jack of Shadows (Zelazny), After that, I'll be reading
Graphic Novels: I'm reading the OMAC Project graphic novel and the Dragons of Autumn Dawning Graphic Novel. Next Up Crisis on Infinite Earths, then 52 Vol 1.
Just started Dune: never read it before now, I figured it was about time if I wanted to keep calling myself a nerd.
Just started Dune: never read it before now, I figured it was about time if I wanted to keep calling myself a nerd.
In a way, I envy you. Enjoy.
Though it was recommended to me in middle school (right before the movie came out, IIRC), I didn't read it until college. When it forced me into drooling fandom.
I got given The Founding by Dan Abnett for Christmas, which I'm currently reading. I'm generally skeptical of any books that use the setting of game or TV series, but I've really been pleasantly surprised by the quality of it.
Thoroughly enjoying it so far. :)
|
|
I got given The Founding by Dan Abnett for Christmas, which I'm currently reading. I'm generally skeptical of any books that use the setting of game or TV series, but I've really been pleasantly surprised by the quality of it.
Thoroughly enjoying it so far. :)
Generally speaking, the Warhammer novels are a cut above; not your typical tie-in books. I suggest Abnett's 40k Eisenhorn books. If you're looking for dark fantasy, try his Malus Darkblade books. Dan Abnett is the kind of writer who crafts scenes you will fondly remember years from now.
Generally speaking, the Warhammer novels are a cut above; not your typical tie-in books. I suggest Abnett's 40k Eisenhorn books. If you're looking for dark fantasy, try his Malus Darkblade books. Dan Abnett is the kind of writer who crafts scenes you will fondly remember years from now.
I was planning on looking for the Eisenhorn books once I'd finished with the Gaunt's Ghosts books. :) I'll add Malus Darkblade to the list to check out as well.
|
|
I got given The Founding by Dan Abnett for Christmas, which I'm currently reading. I'm generally skeptical of any books that use the setting of game or TV series, but I've really been pleasantly surprised by the quality of it.
Thoroughly enjoying it so far. :)
I'd have to agree with Turner up there. The Warhammer books are generally quite engaging and fun to read and don't even seem to be the universe of a game system to me most of the time. On the other hand, if you're just getting into the Gaunt series now I should warn you that around book 4 they start to get really, REALLY depressing and sad. Still great books though, so you shouldn't let that discourage you. If you prefer a more lighthearted read you should check out the Ciaphas Cain series which begins with For The Emperor. I actually prefer it, but I always like a bit of comedy in my reading.
Plague of Spells, by Bruce Cordell (Forgotten Realms).
I just started, and it seems to be interesting, mainly for the descriptions of events during and after the death of Mystra and the Spellplague.
Unfortunately so far the writing is very mediocre :(
The Anubis Gates, by Tim Powers. I really hope this will break my disappointing book streak...
Oh that's a fantastic story. Enjoy.
"Careless in red" by Elisabeth George, the lame title should have warned me...
"THE NAME OF THE WIND" by Patrick Rothfuss, a great read but first in a trilogy. The sequel comes out in 2010 (fingers crossed)
Thomas E. Ricks "The Gamble: General David Petraeus and the American Military Adventure in Iraq, 2006-2008"
The story behind the surge- but "Fiasco" is better.
|
|
Just started Dune: never read it before now, I figured it was about time if I wanted to keep calling myself a nerd.Don't forget to memorize the Litany of Fear. :D
Do not read Dune. Dune is the fun killer. Dune is the little-death that brings total and utter boredom. I will never again read Dune. I will not permit any of my friends to read Dune, and they shall let it go past. Where there once was Dune there will be nothing. Only I will remain.
Bleachh...
And if you're wondering why I found Dune to be incomprehensible, I redirect you here.
Just started Dune: never read it before now, I figured it was about time if I wanted to keep calling myself a nerd.Don't forget to memorize the Litany of Fear. :DDo not read Dune. Dune is the fun killer. Dune is the little-death that brings total and utter boredom. I will never again read Dune. I will not permit any of my friends to read Dune, and they shall let it go past. Where there once was Dune there will be nothing. Only I will remain.
Bleachh...
And if you're wondering why I found Dune to be incomprehensible, I redirect you here.
I was only just exposed to xkcd and I was completely turned off by 1. how little effort goes into it and 2. how much material either wasn't funny or was stolen from other sources.
To each his own, I guess.
|
|
I was planning on looking for the Eisenhorn books once I'd finished with the Gaunt's Ghosts books. :) I'll add Malus Darkblade to the list to check out as well.
I suggest picking up the BL omnibus editions over each novel individually--Not only are the OE's cheaper ($11-14), they're always corrected and expanded. For example, Eisenhorn includes two short-stories which connect the three novels, bridging the gap of unexplained events; and Blackhearts includes a couple connecting tales, as well, one of which is 2k longer than previously published, and the three novels include continuity corrections (the inevitable result of having a year and more between the original individual publications). The first Gaunt books are in two omnibus editions now, with a third collection scheduled for late next year.
I'm atempting to read Brian Lumley's House of Cthulhu short story anthology but I just can't get into it. The titular story is little more than a pale shadow of Lovecraft's orignal Call of Cthulhu, while Tharquest and the Lamia Orbiquita was so perdictable I was able to skim most of the story and still see all the twists coming a mile off! >:( Maybe I should quit and read something else.
Dune was good for what it was. I have to say that the ending was awfully rushed. Good intrigue and world building, lousy character development. I can pretty much see where Robert Jordan got a lot of his inspiration for Rand Al'Thor in the Wheel of Time novels since he seems now to bear a very close resemblance to Paul Atreides.
Happy to hear how it turned out for you, James. That was also my favorite thing about Dune, the world building. For what it's worth, I think the characters get more interesting later in the series, though I doubt you'll come away saying it's his forte.