If you are writing a Campaign...you have to read "Guns, Germs, and Steel"...Jared Diamond reinvented the progression of society...or at least the analytical history of it...I do not get to rad much any more...Chemistry is to hard to read anything else.
I really enjoyed this book, too.
One time I was hanging out on the Boston Common reading this book and I was approached by a bum. He asked me for some money, asked me for a cigarette and then asked me what I was reading. I showed him and he went off on a 15-minute tirade about how the book was a bunch of crap, how white people were better than everyone else, a lot of detailed racist interpretations of history and how the liberals at Harvard were sapping the strength of the United States by peddling this multiculturalist nonsense.
After just one glance at the cover mind you!
Yeah, good book.
just started "dreamsongs," the collection of short-stories by george rr martin.
i just finished "a song for lya," and it's the first story that i haven't enjoyed.
odd, considering he thought it was his finest work at the time he wrote it.
Currently I'm reading "Traitor's Moon", written by Lynn Flewelling.
And "The study of language", a fine introduction to linguistics by George Yule. I hope to glean some insight into the mechanics of language so my self-created campaign worlds might have some credible names and languages in them.
Re-reading The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss before I dive into The Wise Man's Fear. Am hearing lots of people are "disappointed" with WMF, but I don't want to hear it.
Also reading The Worldly Philosophers: The Lives, Times and Ideas of the Great Economic Thinkers by Robert L. Heilbroner. Kind of a basic intro to the history of economics. Didn't learn much in some chapters, learned a lot in others. Now, I finally know who David Ricardo was! (Not that it was keeping me awake.)
Reading Hok the Mighty on my bus trips right now. Should finish the last story tomorrow. Will probably take Bill James' Solid Fools Gold at that point.
"Lyoness" by Jack Vance. Going back to the old school.
The Republic is of obvious historical importance and immense irony. The most democratic government in the ancient world's most remembered event was the execution of Socrates and the greatest book it produced was Plato's unremittingly undemocratic blueprint. But I have to wonder about the "virtue" of a plan that quite knowingly bases itself on lies. Also, in my opinion, it's quite boring.
Have you read Herodotus? It can be rambling at times, but I found it to be really engaging. There's all these amazing little story hooks that would be great starters for a game or a book. One of my favorites is the king who brags to his personal guard about how beautiful his wife is. He's so proud of his wife, in fact, that he convinces the guard to hide behind a curtain in the kings chambers and look at the queen as she's getting ready for bed. The guard does this, and the queen catches a glimpse of him as he leaves. Her response is classic, "Your two options for getting out of this honorably are killing yourself or killing the king. Your call."
On an unrelated note, just finished Emperor of all Maladies: a Biography of Cancer. Great book.
After perusing my recently-donated Foxfire books (they are best sampled by dipping in and out), I am now (re)reading my newly-arrived dead-tree version of one of my favorite webcomics, The Zombie Hunters. I also just got Rothfuss' new one (on deck.
Leaf Man, I got Simarilion on CD. I put the fool thing down again, hopefully the audio version will brighten my commute.
Cool! I'm really curious is the audio version is going to convert you.
:D
What are these Foxfire books?
Woo: The first one? I've read I & II, can't find III anywhere.
Cool! I'm really curious is the audio version is going to convert you.
:D
What are these Foxfire books?Woo: The first one? I've read I & II, can't find III anywhere.
I know Patrick linked this earlier but Foxfire Project.
@Jiberg I am starting the last two books in the "torturer" quartet glad you enjoyed Shadow.
I will have to give Guns, Germs & Steel a look.
Ah, I missed this somehow. Thanks.
Ah, I missed this somehow. Thanks.
Glad to help!
Have you read Herodotus? It can be rambling at times, but I found it to be really engaging. There's all these amazing little story hooks that would be great starters for a game or a book. One of my favorites is the king who brags to his personal guard about how beautiful his wife is. He's so proud of his wife, in fact, that he convinces the guard to hide behind a curtain in the kings chambers and look at the queen as she's getting ready for bed. The guard does this, and the queen catches a glimpse of him as he leaves. Her response is classic, "Your two options for getting out of this honorably are killing yourself or killing the king. Your call."
No, I haven't read Herodotus, yet. It's on my list, though (I have a very long list). I picked it up cheap at the used bookstore earlier this year and next time I want to revisit the world of classical antiquity it's going to be a toss-up between this and Caesar's Gallic Wars.
Keeping up on the Rome theme, it looks like if you liked Herodotus you'd be totally down with Livy. There's a lot less incredible (in terms of supernatural or unscientific) stuff in there, but who needs it when you've got Hannibal coming over the Alps on elephants or Coriolanus switching sides in a fit of bitter pique?
Finished The Name of the Wind last night and will start The Wise Man's Fear this morning.
I hadn't been familiar with the term Gary Stu before discovering this website, but I have a feeling that what other people have written (Werthead, I believe?) about the dreaded "unreliable narrator" technique might blossom by the end of the series.
For example, among many, many other things I find it hard to believe that Kvothe didn't do some sympathetic binding with any of the other coeds. I mean, Denna seems hot and stuff, but what about Fela? Devi? The crazy woman under the stairs? All the alcohol that's flowing, and he's going to remain faithful to a dream? That doesn't sound like college to me.
Don't know why people talk shiznit about the doped-up dragon sequence, I thought it was exciting and funny.
Keeping up on the Rome theme, it looks like if you liked Herodotus you'd be totally down with Livy. There's a lot less incredible (in terms of supernatural or unscientific) stuff in there, but who needs it when you've got Hannibal coming over the Alps on elephants or Coriolanus switching sides in a fit of bitter pique?
That does sound like fun. I'll have to add Livy to my list of things to start. Currently in line in front of it are Dashiell Hammett's Thin Man and WOT: Towers of Midnight. Although, I think Towers is going to have to wait on a full WOT re-read.
Pillars of the Earth and I love it. Funny that the guy who wrote it was orignally a best-selling thriller author, becasue I think he's found his niche. I'm also reading this book on cults the library discarded. It's actually really interesting and I think alot of the info in it will be useful for campaigns.
Pillars of the Earth and I love it. Funny that the guy who wrote it was orignally a best-selling thriller author, becasue I think he's found his niche.
Just started that one myself.
The TV series was trashy, but that might just have been Ian McShane's wig.
Missed the bad syrup - was too busy watching Hayley Atwell ;)
Dashiell Hammett's Thin Man has been put on hold while I finish off the following two:
The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat. Interesting case studies. Especially the man who swore that the leg attached to him was not his. The brain is a funny thing...
Summer Knight. I'm slowly working my way through the Dresden Files. I find that they make nice breaks from heavier reading.
Dashiell Hammett's Thin Man has been put on hold while I finish off the following two:
Whatever you do, don't watch the 1934 movie with Myrna Loy and William Powell until AFTER you finish reading this.
While the plot is exactly the same, the movie plays it for laughs. Don't get me wrong, it's a hilarious comedy that I think stands up against mystery played for fun that has ever been made. But it kind of ruins the hardboiled proto-noir thingy that makes Hammett such a particular treat.
Dashiell Hammett's Thin Man has been put on hold
The Glass Key and Red Harvest are my favorites, along with the other Continental Op short stories. Hammett is easily one of my top 3 favorite authors of all time.
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I just finished Umberto Eco's Foucault's Pendulum. It was slow reading for most of it (especially Chapter 75, which is like reading the cetology sections in Moby Dick), but it came together spectacularly at the end. The last four sections just flew by and tied everything together nicely.
I can see myself reading this novel again.
I'm the sort who looked up the changes in taxonomy of sea life from the lists in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, so if you aren't the sort who's into esoterica, Foucault's Pendulum might not be for you.
I want to read Dan Brown's The DaVinci Code next, so I can enjoy the light-weight side of the literary conspiracy-theory genre.
The Sword of Truth series currently. A slow start but I've had other stuff going on.
Dashiell Hammett's Thin Man has been put on holdThe Glass Key and Red Harvest are my favorites, along with the other Continental Op short stories. Hammett is easily one of my top 3 favorite authors of all time.
I think it's criminal to do all this talking about Dash and not mention The Maltese Falcon. So...The Maltese Falcon.
Red Harvest is pretty awesome, too.
"Reading" (via audio CD) the Silmarilion (finally). Still damn hard to keep all the names straight, but I have gotten as far as Melkor/Morgoth breaking free of the Seige of Angband. Makes my commute less boring, fer shure!
Thankd for the tip, Leafy ...
Dan Simmon's The Terror. And my hot streak with horror continues....
Absolutely great. Something's stalking the men on the ships, The Terror and the Erebus, while they are locked in the ice searching for the Northwest Passage in the Arctic.
I was locked in the ice for a month in the Arctic myself while bringing cargo to a nickel mine in Deception Bay, Northern Quebec. Not nearly as bad as these poor b******s have it though. Yeeshhh!!!
"Reading" (via audio CD) the Silmarilion (finally). Still damn hard to keep all the names straight, but I have gotten as far as Melkor/Morgoth breaking free of the Seige of Angband. Makes my commute less boring, fer shure!
Thankd for the tip, Leafy ...
YAY!
Dashiell Hammett's Thin Man has been put on hold while I finish off the following two:
Whatever you do, don't watch the 1934 movie with Myrna Loy and William Powell until AFTER you finish reading this.
While the plot is exactly the same, the movie plays it for laughs. Don't get me wrong, it's a hilarious comedy that I think stands up against mystery played for fun that has ever been made. But it kind of ruins the hardboiled proto-noir thingy that makes Hammett such a particular treat.
Check! I don't have easy access to most classic movies, so it won't be too much of a temptation.
Summer Knight finished off. And I'm finding that The Man Who Mistook his Wife for a Hat is best in small doses. Like a collection of short stories.
Just finished Jack McDevitt's "A Talent for War".
Not bad but a tad slow at times. Does anyone know if future Alex Benedict novels get better or is this book enough to gauge the author?
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Currently reading Sandy Mitchell's second Ciaphas Cain omnibus, on the second book, Duty Calls. After I wrap up the omnibus, I have the first Wild Cards anthology, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, R.A. Salvatore's The Highwayman (which I put down earlier for what I felt was a needlessly drawn-out narrative), and Puzo's The Godfather.
Love the Cain books for their deviation from the skulls and somber mood of 40k's 'grimdark' atmosphere. What I've read of Wild Cards seems great, and I'm excited to knock out more.
Picked up Girl with the Dragon Tattoo mostly because of the original film's popularity, and the fact that they're making an English speaking version. I haven't seen the movie yet.
Figured I'd give Salvatore a chance outside of Drizzt, who was slightly interesting in the original, but makes me gnash my teeth now as a player and GM. Any time a player wants to create a drow who has 'turned his back on his dark heritage and work toward redemption,' I just about lose it. However, the first few chapters seemed to be world-building, and then background on the main character's parents. It may flesh out better later, but not exactly enthralling from page 1. Then again, maybe I'm just on Salvatore strike.
And the Godfather. Well, enough said.
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Picked up Girl with the Dragon Tattoo mostly because of the original film's popularity, and the fact that they're making an English speaking version. I haven't seen the movie yet.
I highly recommend watching each movie before reading the corresponding novel. Doing so let me fully enjoy the movie without comparing it to the book while the books have so much more to them you don't feel like you know everything that is going to happen.
Picked up Girl with the Dragon Tattoo mostly because of the original film's popularity, and the fact that they're making an English speaking version. I haven't seen the movie yet.I highly recommend watching each movie before reading the corresponding novel. Doing so let me fully enjoy the movie without comparing it to the book while the books have so much more to them you don't feel like you know everything that is going to happen.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is one of the few cases where the movie was better than the book, imo. Noomi Rapace as Lisbeth Salander just owned the role.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is one of the few cases where the movie was better than the book, imo. Noomi Rapace as Lisbeth Salander just owned the role.
Ugh. Permit me to disagree on all counts.
Anybody ever read any Francis Stevens? I haven't found any of her books yet, but I'm adding her to the Watch List after hearing about her on StarShipSofa.
Anybody ever read any Francis Stevens? I haven't found any of her books yet, but I'm adding her to the Watch List after hearing about her on StarShipSofa.
Can't help you with that one. Just don't read Jacqueline Howett. Yikes!
Finished The Terror by Dan Simmons. Quite the undertaking, over 950 pages on an Arctic expedition gone bad. I enjoyed it, Simmons is a great writer, but certainly a bleak ending. Which should come as no surprise, given the history of the HMS Terror. I will be checking out his other books.
Picked up Douglas Hulick's Among Thieves. Read the first chapter online and was grabbed. Seems to be the cream of the crop in regards to all the new "fantasy thief" series being released this year. Up to Chapter Three and seems good.
I couldn't stand the book, Kirth. Thought it hugely overrated. The movie on the other hand....A good solid film. I think the convincing performances, despite being a sub-titled film, won me over.
I couldn't stand the book, Kirth. Thought it hugely overrated. The movie on the other hand....A good solid film. I think the convincing performances, despite being a sub-titled film, won me over.
TGwtDT book was fun, but, yeah, not really worth the hype. My favorite part of the movie was covering up the subtitles and trying to understand Swedish.
Finished The Terror by Dan Simmons. Quite the undertaking, over 950 pages on an Arctic expedition gone bad. I enjoyed it, Simmons is a great writer, but certainly a bleak ending. Which should come as no surprise, given the history of the HMS Terror. I will be checking out his other books.
I read this while I was quasi-homeless one winter and working at the airport and loved it.
Just thinking about it makes me feel cold!
You're your a hard sell on that movie, Kirth. LOL.
That sounds like really bad time to read it, Doodlebug.
You're your a hard sell on that movie, Kirth. LOL.
That sounds like really bad time to read it, Doodlebug.
I can understand the sentiment, but actually, reading it made me put things in perspective. I wasn't freezing to death, I wasn't running out of food, and I wasn't
It made everything else seem bearable.
I haven't had much luck with anything else by Simmons, though. I read his sci-fi paen to Shakespeare (Muse with Fire, I think) and was nonplussed. I read the first 50 pages or so of the Canterbury Tales retread (Hyperion, I think), and put it down.
But I really liked The Terror.
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I enjoyed Hyperion and its sequel a lot. Endymion, on the other hand, is largely pants - although, as a friend pointed out, it does have evil space Catholics as the main baddie organisation, which can't be all bad (even if Philip Pullman has them too). And I enjoyed the first of his Trojan War books, couldn't read the second at all. I find him very hit and miss.
Has anyone read his Drood?
Has anyone read his Drood?
Drood, I regret to say, did not work for me.
It's a slow-paced book -- really, really slow. To some extent I think this is because Simmons was adopting the tone and mannerisms of the 19th-century Victorian authors he was writing about, and if that was his goal it was very successful, but it still really bogged things down.
There were some awesomely creepy moments but for the most part it was like:
[5 pages of creepy coolness] -- [200 pages of Wilkie Collins being jealous and Charles Dickens being mean to his wife] -- [20 pages of super awesome cool yeah!!] -- [250 pages of blaaaaaa omg when does stuff start happening again *flip flip flip*]
The prose itself is quite good, as you would expect, but there isn't much of a central plot and the characters weren't especially compelling to me and on the whole it felt like a long, long trudge to get through that enormous brick of a book.
And then the ending... well, if it were a smaller book, and if I hadn't been renting at the time, I would probably have pitched it against a wall. But I'd have broken either my arm or my lease if I tried, so it's just as well things didn't go quite that far.
edit: I should say all of my griping ultimately derives from my selfish wish that the book should be something it wasn't. I wanted a story exploring the mysterious and monstrous Drood. The book is actually a very literary piece about Collins' character and his weird obsession with Dickens (and themes about the fictions we create for ourselves and others, artifice and imagination, etc.). If you go into it with your expectations in the right place, it's probably a very satisfying read. I really just wanted a werewolf/Jekyll-and-Hyde story, and it is not that.