02-14-2013, 01:47 PM | #15646 |
Evangelist
Posts: 432
Karma: 1720909
Join Date: Mar 2011
Device: Voyage, K3
|
I'm reading The City and The City. Have not read China Miéville before. A bit slow so far, but I'm only at the third chapter.
|
02-14-2013, 03:33 PM | #15647 |
Wizard
Posts: 2,663
Karma: 73864785
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: PDXish
Device: Kindle Voyage, various Android devices
|
I am about to start the "An Orison of Sonmi" section, hopefully the payoff after the first half of this is worth it. So far it has been dragging and although it has been ok, nothing exceptional. I haven't wanted to read too many reviews or the threads here for fear of spoilers, but I am beginning to think I should have. I just hope it does live up to the hype.
|
Advert | |
|
02-14-2013, 04:26 PM | #15648 |
Indie Advocate
Posts: 2,863
Karma: 18794463
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Device: Kindle
|
|
02-14-2013, 04:51 PM | #15649 |
The Grand Mouse 高貴的老鼠
Posts: 72,341
Karma: 309002494
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Norfolk, England
Device: Kindle Voyage
|
Now finished. Apparently Barak Obama called it "an elegant proof of God, and the power of storytelling". Good grief.
I found the bit in the lifeboat quite interesting, if horrid in places. I was disappointed by the flatly impossible bits. I thought the conceit of it being a real-life story old-hat and unnecessary. It wasn't worth the 20p and my time, sadly. Next up: Another of my 20p purchases: Winter in Madrid by C. J. Sansom |
02-14-2013, 05:31 PM | #15650 |
Wizard
Posts: 2,745
Karma: 83407757
Join Date: Mar 2011
Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Lenovo Duet Chromebook, Moto e
|
The Black Count. It is a biography of Alexander Dumas' father and very good so far.
|
Advert | |
|
02-14-2013, 10:31 PM | #15651 | |
whimsical
Posts: 2,779
Karma: 88193939
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: in darkness
Device: current: PPW 4. brick: K3 & Voyage.
|
Found a hilarious review for Shogun via GoodReads:
Quote:
|
|
02-15-2013, 02:28 AM | #15652 | |
Opsimath
Posts: 12,344
Karma: 187123287
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand
Device: Sony PRS-650, iPhone 5, Kobo Glo, Sony PRS-350, iPad, Samsung Galaxy
|
Quote:
Stitchawl |
|
02-15-2013, 06:23 AM | #15653 |
Connoisseur
Posts: 68
Karma: 64624
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Dela-WHERE?
Device: Kindle
|
I'm reading the Texas One Night Stands series (yes, trashy romance) by Joan Reeves. If you're in the mood for that kind of thing, these books are great.
|
02-15-2013, 06:38 AM | #15654 | |
Opsimath
Posts: 12,344
Karma: 187123287
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand
Device: Sony PRS-650, iPhone 5, Kobo Glo, Sony PRS-350, iPad, Samsung Galaxy
|
Quote:
If you're in the mood for that kind of thing, it IS great! Stitchawl |
|
02-15-2013, 09:22 AM | #15655 | |
Grand Sorcerer
Posts: 27,992
Karma: 199001268
Join Date: Jan 2010
Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD
|
I finished up Peter F. Hamilton's Great North Road. What an ordeal! I mean that in the best way possible. I often get impatient with big books that don't keep the action rolling a big percentage of the time, but Peter F. Hamilton (and Neal Stephenson) are proof positive that it's not my fault (not entirely anyway). There ARE writers out there who can capture my undivided attention for nearly 1000 pages without having to resort to non-stop action--explosions, murder, chases, sex, etc...--on every page to do so. There's just apparently not that many.
This is not an action-packed book. It's a slow burn with lots of twists. Hamilton masterfully gets you to make incorrect assumptions early on and then slowly reveals why your assumptions were wrong (yes, some of those red herrings that were planted early were clearly red herrings, but that did nothing to dampen my desire to learn "the truth"). Pages were turned. Great North Road is a near-future (near for Hamilton, anyway) police-procedural, alien boogey-man, arctic expedition, world-spanning mystery full of the stuff that fans of Hamilton have come to love: politics, engaging characters, believable (and plot-relevant) social/military tech, entangled plot-lines, and emotion: the big 'E', goose-pimply, I-love-it-when-a-plan-comes-together, moist-eye-type emotion. What was missing (to my delight) was Hamilton's traditional tendency to f**k-up the beginnings of new chapters/POVs/sections with page after page of soul-sucking, eye-glazing info-dumps. Oh, the info was still there! He just did a much better job of dispersing it throughout the narrative. Given the uniqueness (not to mention the proliferation) of the North family in the story, I'm willing to forgive the fact that the author (or the editor) mistakenly referred to Aldred North as Abner on at least two occasions. The confusion is hardly surprising given the circumstances. Favorite (relevant) Quote: Quote:
*slow-claps; Charles Foster Kane style* Last edited by DiapDealer; 04-18-2013 at 09:52 PM. Reason: typo |
|
02-15-2013, 12:21 PM | #15656 |
Wizard
Posts: 2,135
Karma: 11676050
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: UK
Device: Kindle, Kobo Touch, Nook SimpleTouch
|
Does Peterborough feature at all? I thought Great North Road might be a reference to the road of the same name here in Britain that happens to run through Peterborough (I'm fairly sure), and he has form in that area, with it being a major economic powerhouse in the Greg Mandel books.
I've found it a pretty horrible place the few times I've been there, myself. (I have the ebook, but I think it'll be a while before I get to it.) |
02-15-2013, 02:15 PM | #15657 |
Grand Sorcerer
Posts: 27,992
Karma: 199001268
Join Date: Jan 2010
Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD
|
The Great North Road (what is now the A1) is alluded to, but it's also a play on words involving the unique North family that plays a prominent role in Hamilton's society. Newcastle is where most of the earth-based stuff takes place, however. Very Geordie.
Last edited by DiapDealer; 02-15-2013 at 03:04 PM. |
02-15-2013, 08:36 PM | #15658 | |
Cockatoo Mom!
Posts: 1,509
Karma: 1812695
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Ontario, Canada
Device: PW4, Kobo: A1, Clara, Libra 2, iPad Pro 11, iPad Mini
|
Quote:
I am currently reading Jaws. I've seen the movie - and sequels - many times but never read the book. It's very different! |
|
02-15-2013, 09:47 PM | #15659 |
Resident Curmudgeon
Posts: 76,139
Karma: 134368292
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts
Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3
|
Don't bother. I found Cloud Atlas to be a real mess. It's a jumble with very thin thread connecting the stories. It's very very highly overrated. It is not science fiction in the least. It's a waste of time to read. Do yourself a favor and find a different book to read.
|
02-15-2013, 09:51 PM | #15660 | |
Resident Curmudgeon
Posts: 76,139
Karma: 134368292
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts
Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3
|
Quote:
|
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Hey hey! I found the first Kindle 3 bug! | WilliamG | Amazon Kindle | 22 | 02-14-2012 05:28 PM |
Advice on Action | jaxx6166 | Writers' Corner | 5 | 06-25-2010 12:29 AM |
Hey! From Reading - P.A. that is. | GlenBarrington | Introduce Yourself | 3 | 01-01-2010 09:00 PM |
Seriously thoughtful Affirmative Action | Jaime_Astorga | Lounge | 39 | 07-07-2009 06:24 PM |