Official Book Thread

[Nyperold]

Along with the DVD set I mentioned in another thread, I also preordered Lucky Star manga volumes 6 & 7, and Yotsuba&! volume 9. But I made three separate orders so I'm not waiting 'til December for the DVDs (which should ship and arrive soon) or LS 6 (which should ship in September). The other two items are shipping in December, anyway, so the delay is inevitable.

So obviously I'm not reading them right now, heh. Well, I suppose I could be reading scanlations, but I'm not.

I'm still reading parts of LotR every once in a while.

[jvcc]

I'm in a course at university focusing on the works of James Baldwin, and on the first day of class our professor asking us to go around the room and say who our favorite author was. One woman said that she loved Harriet Beecher Stowe and Uncle Tom's Cabin. Having glanced at the syllabus I knew that we were going to be reading an essay by Baldwin about that very novel, and without being entirely sure as to what his stance would be, I could safely assume that that young woman would be in for the kind of disappointment a Joseph Conrad fan would experience in a class about Chinua Achebe. Sure enough, I've begun reading the essay and the third paragraph begins with the words "Uncle Tom's Cabin is a very bad novel". I hope that this will lead to a very interesting class discussion.

[James]

I lent The Coma to my dad when I visited him a couple of weeks back, and it's a very short book so after he posted it back I read through it again. It's pretty strange. I recommend it to anyone interested in weird psychological stuff. It's only short so it won't derail you from your ever-growing book-reading schedule (you can very realistically finish it in two or three sessions). You could argue that you're paying more per page, but I find it as intriguing as most of the books I've read, which I think counts for more. Then again, I'm not especially well-read, so that might not count for much, either. Anyway, a recommendation.

EDIT: I should probably elaborate. The protagonist spends the majority of the novel in a coma, meaning things follow dream logic more than real logic. It's not utterly surreal, but disjointed enough to ring true. Mental health also figures into the equation, making things more interesting still.

[IanC]

Making my way through the Eisenhorn omnibus, which is a series of 3 novels + 2 short stories set in the Warhammer 40k universe written by Dan Abnett

For what are essentially licensed tie ins the Black Library books are a bloody good read. The Ciaphas Cain books are also a great series.

[ntw3001]

I liked the Eisenhorn books, back in the past when I read them. Then I lost the third one, and I ain't greatly inclined to go out of my way to re-complete the trilogy when I've already read it.

[MysticalDescent]

I've spent a few weeks doing something that I've intended to do for quite some time - reading through the Sherlock Holmes collection (is that the right word in this case?)

I'm enjoying them, very much so.

[IanC]

Finished the Eisenhorn omnibus yesterday, and have started to Titanicus by the same author.

[loofah]

The City & the City.
Don't even read the synopsis. Just start reading it. My husband handed it to me, and I loved not knowing what the heck it was about, or even what genre it belonged to once I started reading it.
Two thumbs up.

[jvcc]

Stephen!

[PonderThis]

Oh I read so many things. IMHO It's only fun posting about stuff if someone else has read it and we get a discussion going. Then you'll be lucky to get me to shut up.

So. Anybody a Harry Dresden fan? I just finished Changes a few weeks ago. Anybody else read any of the 1632 series? I've read everything there. Hmmm. Finished the last book of The Lost Fleet series if anyone else wants to talk about that. C. J. Cherryh's Foreigner series. And of course almost everything Terry Pratchett.

[Binkatron5000]

The City & the City.
Don't even read the synopsis. Just start reading it. My husband handed it to me, and I loved not knowing what the heck it was about, or even what genre it belonged to once I started reading it.
Two thumbs up.

Mieville is AWESOME, I highly recommend his other works as well, particularly Perdido Street Station and the following related works like The Scar. Also Un Lun Dun is aimed at young adults but it is also a great read

[Binkatron5000]

And of course almost everything Terry Pratchett.

I've been wanting to start on the Discworld series, but I don't have much time to read for personal pleasure these days. Plus maps like this are somewhat confusing and I don't know where to begin! Recommendations?

[PonderThis]

I'd recommend one of these three, based on whatever mood you're in:

• Wyrd Sisters - Although it's technically the second time Granny Weatherwax appears in the series, this is the book that really starts the stories of the various Discworld witches. It really fleshes out Granny as a real character and introduces Nanny Ogg and Magrat Garlick. These three are memorable characters who are nonetheless very different from one another.
• Guards! Guards! - Starts the Watch series. A bit more "action oriented" than the other subseries. Introduces Sam Vimes who in some ways plays the "straight man" (in a comedic sense). Unlike most comic straight men, though, Sam very much knows what is going on around him.
• Mort - Starts the Death-as-a-main-character subseries. This subseries is much more of a straightforward fantasy series than the rest.

Any one of those three books can serve as a starting point without having read anything else in the Discworld series. While there are other places you could start (as per that "map"), one of these three is probably the best. And mind you, all of these have their peculiar comedic twists, so don't take anything I wrote above too seriously.

[IanC]

Just finished reading Horus Rising yesterday. Started on the next book in the series, False Gods, today.

[Binkatron5000]

I'd recommend one of these three, based on whatever mood you're in:

• Wyrd Sisters - Although it's technically the second time Granny Weatherwax appears in the series, this is the book that really starts the stories of the various Discworld witches. It really fleshes out Granny as a real character and introduces Nanny Ogg and Magrat Garlick. These three are memorable characters who are nonetheless very different from one another.
• Guards! Guards! - Starts the Watch series. A bit more "action oriented" than the other subseries. Introduces Sam Vimes who in some ways plays the "straight man" (in a comedic sense). Unlike most comic straight men, though, Sam very much knows what is going on around him.
• Mort - Starts the Death-as-a-main-character subseries. This subseries is much more of a straightforward fantasy series than the rest.

Any one of those three books can serve as a starting point without having read anything else in the Discworld series. While there are other places you could start (as per that "map"), one of these three is probably the best. And mind you, all of these have their peculiar comedic twists, so don't take anything I wrote above too seriously.

Thanks! I think I'll probably start with the Wyrd Sisters. I should have some time in December to do some mega reading, hurrah!

[sum yun gai]

C. J. Cherryh's Foreigner series.

i read the first two of this series then moved on. i think i have book 3 somewhere in my pile of stuff but i'd have to start over it's been so long since i read the first two.

of course, what i'm reading now is the "faded sun trilogy" also by c.j. cherryh, so i guess that evens out?

[Clueless]

I'd recommend one of these three, based on whatever mood you're in:

• Wyrd Sisters - Although it's technically the second time Granny Weatherwax appears in the series, this is the book that really starts the stories of the various Discworld witches. It really fleshes out Granny as a real character and introduces Nanny Ogg and Magrat Garlick. These three are memorable characters who are nonetheless very different from one another.
• Guards! Guards! - Starts the Watch series. A bit more "action oriented" than the other subseries. Introduces Sam Vimes who in some ways plays the "straight man" (in a comedic sense). Unlike most comic straight men, though, Sam very much knows what is going on around him.
• Mort - Starts the Death-as-a-main-character subseries. This subseries is much more of a straightforward fantasy series than the rest.

Any one of those three books can serve as a starting point without having read anything else in the Discworld series. While there are other places you could start (as per that "map"), one of these three is probably the best. And mind you, all of these have their peculiar comedic twists, so don't take anything I wrote above too seriously.

No mention of "The colour of magic"? Seeing as it introduces Rincewind, it's also a good place to start.

Also, after checking wikipedia I've found out it is also the first book in the discworld series, which is another good reason to start with it.

[James]

No mention of "The colour of magic"? Seeing as it introduces Rincewind, it's also a good place to start.

While there's something to be said for starting at the beginning, I'm not sure it or The Light Fantastic are a good representation of the series as a whole. They're good books, but to me at least they feel a bit more stuck on the fantasy parody stuff;later in the series the world is (unsurprisingly) more fleshed-out and Pratchett has got into his groove a bit more. Also, and perhaps most interestingly, the focus moves from satirizing modern fantasy to mimicking the real world, and Pratchett's "stealth philosophy" stuff.

My first owned Discworld book was Maskerade, which my mum bought for me because she liked the cover, but I didn't get past the first few pages until much later. The first one I actually read was Reaper Man, which a friend gave to me. That's in the Death series, which I really like. I think Mort would be a fair place to start. To be honest, you could probably start anywhere and have an agreeable time. Probably best to start at the beginning of a character series, maybe. Good luck!

[Clueless]

While there's something to be said for starting at the beginning, I'm not sure it or The Light Fantastic are a good representation of the series as a whole. They're good books, but to me at least they feel a bit more stuck on the fantasy parody stuff;later in the series the world is (unsurprisingly) more fleshed-out and Pratchett has got into his groove a bit more. Also, and perhaps most interestingly, the focus moves from satirizing modern fantasy to mimicking the real world, and Pratchett's "stealth philosophy" stuff.

Good point.

To be honest, you could probably start anywhere and have an agreeable time.

Correction to the earlier statement: Good points.
They're all written in such a way that you can begin reading in the middle of a series without feeling left out. You probably still should begin with one of the "plot starters", just to make sure you don't miss the more subtle jokes and/or references in the ones after it

[ntw3001]

I'd recommend starting with one of the starter books, because I read Hogfather and i just straight up did not like it at all. Discworld is pretty hit-and-miss for me; I like certain series and found others terribly dull. Overall, I ain't inclined to read much of it.

[IanC]

Started on the next book in the series, False Gods, today.

Finished it. Amazing stuff. That last speech from Horus when he finally puts the heresy in motion... wow!

[Low-Tech]

My Aunt got me hooked on her old collection of Carl Hiaasen novels, In the last 2 months I've gone through Basket Case, Skin Tight, Native Tongue and Tourist Season

[chrismachine]

I read the ODESSA file this weekend, which was a good little read. It was in a 70s series of leatherbound condensed Readers digest volumes, so I have no idea how long the original is, but I was at a cottage with these beautiful books and wanted to read something from one. I had read the Steptford Wives from it 3 years ago.

[ntw3001]

Making slow progress through Far From the Madding Crowd. Verdict: Sergeant Troy is a massive horse dick. Boldwood thought he was a horse dick, then he thought he was a massive horse dick, then he proved that he was actually just a horse dick, but he was a massive horse dick about it. Following this, he was a massive horse dick in a different way. I root for Gabriel, which I guess is exactly what Thomas Hardy wanted me to do. Thomas Hardy is a manipulative swine, which is why he is dead.

[ntw3001]

Juuuust about done with Wuthering Heights. The verdict: Calm down bro, she was a bitch anyway.

Yeah, no, it's very good. Good enough for me to read it in only a month or so, which by my standards is pretty quick. It's not that I'm a particularly slow reader (although I ain't quick unless I make a special effort to be, since my usual method of brain-reading involves painstakingly sounding out every word in my head like an audiobook), but I tend to put a book down and then not pick up that book or any other book for about a month.