What books are you reading now?

Cynic · Post by **Cynic** » Fri Sep 07, 2012 4:28 am

Stephen Hunt's Jackelian series is also a good choice for a mixture of steampunk and explaining how some tech is manipulated by magic.

name_here · Post by **name_here** » Fri Sep 07, 2012 10:07 pm

Oh, there's also The Witch Watch by Shamus Young. The titular object is a clockwork device for detecting magic, and a pretty impressive magic-technology instance plays into the finale. It was amazing and I will not spoil it.

RobbyPants · Post by **RobbyPants** » Sat Sep 08, 2012 4:11 am

Maxus wrote:Desktop pic.

Okay. Here it is. It's just three pics I mashed together from some I scanned in a while ago:

MGuy · Post by **MGuy** » Sat Sep 08, 2012 4:43 am

All cool sounding things. I am not a comparatively slow reader (it takes me longer to digest what I read than friends of mine who chew through books in a day or two) so I can only pick a few. A question, I vaguely remember someone mentioning a book (Series?) where there were a few sides using different kinds of technology. One uses mechanical tech, another using biotech (something about not lighting fires), and some third faction that used... I forget.

Maxus · Post by **Maxus** » Sat Sep 08, 2012 4:50 am

RobbyPants wrote:
Maxus wrote:Desktop pic.
Okay. Here it is. It's just three pics I mashed together from some I scanned in a while ago:

Gracias

name_here · Post by **name_here** » Sat Sep 08, 2012 6:59 pm

MGuy wrote:All cool sounding things. I am not a comparatively slow reader (it takes me longer to digest what I read than friends of mine who chew through books in a day or two) so I can only pick a few. A question, I vaguely remember someone mentioning a book (Series?) where there were a few sides using different kinds of technology. One uses mechanical tech, another using biotech (something about not lighting fires), and some third faction that used... I forget.

The bit about a biotech faction with a rule about not lighting fires reminds me of two things:

1. The New Jedi Order, where the Yuuzhan Vong used biotech and considered machines that made fire to be the greatest heresy.

2. Leviathan by Scott Westerfield, where the Darwinist powers are perfectly fine with fire in principle, but all the characters are on a whale airship that uses hydrogen for lift and fear fire in the way most people fear mustard gas, because a single phosphorus round to a torn section of skin and they'll be doing a Hindenburg impression. The third faction would be the non-aligned people, who use both.

Cynic · Post by **Cynic** » Sat Sep 08, 2012 11:42 pm

I haven't read any of the Greg Keyes books but lately I've become seriously obsessed with the Elder scroll series and world. Has anyone read his two novels in the ES universe?

I've heard bad things and good things about the age of unreason series. So I'm not sure if the books are decent.

Ancient History · Post by **Ancient History** » Sat Sep 08, 2012 11:44 pm

If you're going to pick up Greg Keyes, start with his collection of Fool Wolf stories, because those are brilliant.

MGuy · Post by **MGuy** » Sun Sep 09, 2012 8:03 am

name_here wrote:
MGuy wrote:All cool sounding things. I am not a comparatively slow reader (it takes me longer to digest what I read than friends of mine who chew through books in a day or two) so I can only pick a few. A question, I vaguely remember someone mentioning a book (Series?) where there were a few sides using different kinds of technology. One uses mechanical tech, another using biotech (something about not lighting fires), and some third faction that used... I forget.
The bit about a biotech faction with a rule about not lighting fires reminds me of two things:

1. The New Jedi Order, where the Yuuzhan Vong used biotech and considered machines that made fire to be the greatest heresy.

2. Leviathan by Scott Westerfield, where the Darwinist powers are perfectly fine with fire in principle, but all the characters are on a whale airship that uses hydrogen for lift and fear fire in the way most people fear mustard gas, because a single phosphorus round to a torn section of skin and they'll be doing a Hindenburg impression. The third faction would be the non-aligned people, who use both.

That second one Leviathan. That's it.

name_here · Post by **name_here** » Sat Sep 22, 2012 2:21 am

Picked up a Nook Book called Stormdancer.

Cover review blurb wrote: “What’s that? You say you’ve got a Japanese Steampunk novel with mythic creatures, civil unrest, and a strong female protagonist? I’m afraid I missed everything you said after ‘Japanese Steampunk.’ That’s all I really needed to hear.”

All the tech is based off extract from Blood Lotus, which rapidly ruins any land it grows on. Between that and the toxic smoke from burning the extract, the setting is such a hellscape that people's wealth can be judged by the quality of their breathing mask. But on the other hand Samurai wear power armor and have chainsaw katanas. The upper class appears to consider this an acceptable trade.

Maxus · Post by **Maxus** » Tue Sep 25, 2012 3:42 am

I'm reading Dodger, the next Terry Pratchett book.

I swear, I need to get the folks at the bookstore a big bunch of flowers or something.

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Tue Sep 25, 2012 5:07 am

I'm still working through Perdido Street Station. (my reading takes a hit over the summer as I mostly read on the bus, and I've been preoccupied by other things on the bus lately)

Maxus · Post by **Maxus** » Tue Sep 25, 2012 5:26 am

I had to give up on that one.

Over some...fifteen years of reading, your fingers could tally the number of books I couldn't bring myself to finish.

Just couldn't do it...

Cynic · Post by **Cynic** » Tue Sep 25, 2012 5:41 am

I personally believe that Mieville's YA stuff is loads superior to his adult fiction that's loaded to death with references relating to economics and philosophy. He does have the references in his YA stuff but it doesn't run you over.

"Un lun dun" and "King Rat" are the only two Mieville books that I would consider to be necessary reading. "City and the City" is pretty damn awesome in its own right though. "Perdido street station" was rambly and all over the place. Most of his bas lag books seem to be along those lines.

Korgan0 · Post by **Korgan0** » Tue Sep 25, 2012 8:51 pm

A lot of people seemed to like Embassytown, but as someone who adores Mieville's work I honestly thought it was tedious, poorly constructed, and boring.

Cynic · Post by **Cynic** » Tue Sep 25, 2012 9:39 pm

I really do like "Railsea" as well. It's a pretty even mark between his YA fiction and his adult fiction.

Blicero · Post by **Blicero** » Tue Sep 25, 2012 10:03 pm

Cynic wrote:I really do like "Railsea" as well. It's a pretty even mark between his YA fiction and his adult fiction.

I found Railsea to be totally brilliant. Kraken was a steaming pile, though. Which is weird, because I generally dig squid books.

Avoraciopoctules · Post by **Avoraciopoctules** » Thu Oct 11, 2012 5:24 am

humblebundle.com is doing an ebook bundle. Anyone think it's worth it?

Stahlseele · Post by **Stahlseele** » Thu Oct 11, 2012 7:14 am

Snuff. By Terry Pratchett.

Cynic · Post by **Cynic** » Thu Oct 11, 2012 8:43 am

It depends on what you qualify as worth it. Pirate cinema is already available for free on Doctorow's site.

Zoo city is a pretty awesome piece of urban fantasy. The plus of getting a fresh perspective from it being a south african writer is always there.

John Scalzi's book is so-so.

Signal to noise was a decent graphic novel. Unfortunately it's presented as a pdf. So there's good and bad.

I did purchase it mostly because I've purchased every single humble so far and I found a ebook bundle to be refreshing.

Ancient History · Post by **Ancient History** » Thu Oct 11, 2012 10:39 am

Nick Mamatas' Move Under Ground - part of my list of reading material for my Mythos essay - which is Jack Kerouac vs. Cthulhu.

I'm also doing the chapter-a-night read of Zelazny's A Night in the Lonesome October, which is just really fun.

Cynic · Post by **Cynic** » Sun Oct 14, 2012 1:43 pm

I haven't posted in a couple months but I've been reading quite a bit. I tried to start a habit of reading a book or three per week. It's mostly worked except for the more verbose books that take a couple of rereads to let me understand them. But here's a quick list. Maybe, I'll get back to reviewing some of them.

Let's start out with home ground.

"Dead City Gambit" by Keith Kaczmarek. If that's a handful then just call him K.

"10 A BOOT STOMPING 20 A HUMAN FACE 30 GOTO 10 " by Jess Gulbranson.
"Anti paladin blues" by Jess Gulbranson.
I've more contact with him as Jess rather than Jigokubosatsu. Incidentally check out the crappy indie music blog. Jess, I promise I have a post in the works.

"Spared" and "Extra fare" by Virgil Clemens. You could also just call him Virgil.
---
There for the obligatory Den name droppage.

I reread the entire Ultimate X-men, Astonishing X-men, Ultimates, Incredible Iron Man, Watchmen, V for Vendetta, and some of the Dragonball manga.

"Titus Groan" by Mervyn Peake.
"Railsea" by China Mieville
"Name of the Rose" by Umberto Ecco.
"Crying of lot 49" by Thomas Pynchon
"Pegasus" by Robin Mckinley
"The Blue sword" by Robin Mckinley
"Hero and the crown" by RObin Mckinley
"Sunshine" by Robin Mckinley
The Lioness Quartet, Wild magic quartet, Protector of the small trilogy, and the Trickster's choice duology books by Tamora Pierce.
All of the original Conan stories and several other of Robert E Howard's work.
"Steampunk poe" by Edgar Allen Poe and Zdenko Basic as an illustrator. Kind of a cheap book as the illustrator just put in somewhat appropriate steampunkish pictures to go along with the original Poe text.
"Newton's Canon" by Greg Keyes.
The Magician duology and like two other in-universe books by Raymond E Feist. -- I was disappointed.
"Elantris" by Brandon Sanderson.

I think that's kinda part of what I've read. This was basically in the last 3 or four months. I think I've hit a 100 books this year. If time permits, I'm going to see if I can get to 200 books. I doubt I can but it's worth a try.

K & Jess -- I keep telling you guys that I'll get a review up but personal shit keeps piling up. That and just general procrastination. But I'll try to sit down during the week and get at least one of your reviews up.

Avoraciopoctules · Post by **Avoraciopoctules** » Thu Oct 18, 2012 7:23 am

I sprang for the Humble eBook Bundle after the added two SMBC books. Downloading right now.

Ancient History · Post by **Ancient History** » Thu Oct 18, 2012 11:58 am

"Sexual Ideology in the Works of Alan Moore: Critical Essays on the Graphic Novels"

Cynic · Post by **Cynic** » Thu Oct 18, 2012 8:14 pm

Ancient History wrote:"Sexual Ideology in the Works of Alan Moore: Critical Essays on the Graphic Novels"

If that wasn't 40$ I would totally buy that book. It sounds awesome. Would you mind reviewing that for us (me)?