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The Official Novel Thread -What Are You Reading?

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    WetRats said:

    Just ripped through The Secret History of Twin Peaks.

    It was ... interesting.

    A little frustrating in that it could have been a lot better. (Appropriately enough)

    Have you ever read The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer? I bought it on clearance not long after the show ended, but I never read the thing. I still have it on my shelf though.
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    WetRatsWetRats Posts: 6,314

    WetRats said:

    Just ripped through The Secret History of Twin Peaks.

    It was ... interesting.

    A little frustrating in that it could have been a lot better. (Appropriately enough)

    Have you ever read The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer? I bought it on clearance not long after the show ended, but I never read the thing. I still have it on my shelf though.
    I devoured it, along with everything else available, as soon as it came out.
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    "Norse Mythology" by Neil Gaiman
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    DARDAR Posts: 1,128
    A Cook's Tour by Anthony Bourdain
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    mwhitt80mwhitt80 Posts: 4,615
    Just about done with Fresh Off the Boat by Eddie Huang.

    It's an alright book; I'm not going to be in any hurry to read his other books anytime soon.

    Humblebundle is going to be having a Warhammer 40k bundle with audiobooks and ebooks. So I might try that.
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    luke52luke52 Posts: 1,392
    I'm just finishing up It, in time for the new movie coming.

    Moving on to Gaimans Norse Gods next. Looking forward to that one.
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    luke52luke52 Posts: 1,392
    mwhitt80 said:

    Just about done with Fresh Off the Boat by Eddie Huang.

    It's an alright book; I'm not going to be in any hurry to read his other books anytime soon.

    Humblebundle is going to be having a Warhammer 40k bundle with audiobooks and ebooks. So I might try that.

    Really like the Humble Book Bundles, have some great stuff on there sometimes. Both books and comics.
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    mwhitt80mwhitt80 Posts: 4,615
    luke52 said:

    mwhitt80 said:

    Just about done with Fresh Off the Boat by Eddie Huang.

    It's an alright book; I'm not going to be in any hurry to read his other books anytime soon.

    Humblebundle is going to be having a Warhammer 40k bundle with audiobooks and ebooks. So I might try that.

    Really like the Humble Book Bundles, have some great stuff on there sometimes. Both books and comics.
    I really liked the AP Bundle they have running now. I get a lot of the book bundles.
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    mwhitt80mwhitt80 Posts: 4,615
    luke52 said:


    Moving on to Gaimans Norse Gods next. Looking forward to that one.

    That is my next book too.

    Has anyone finished Jerusalem by Alan Moore? I was trying to decide if I wanted to tackle it or not.
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    GregGreg Posts: 1,946
    The first 15 books of the Horus Heresy series were available through Humble Bundle. I should probably get started.
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    DARDAR Posts: 1,128
    Nothing at the moment but Tuesday

    image
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    WetRatsWetRats Posts: 6,314
    edited April 2017
    I've started Alexander Kent's Richard Bolitho novels. (British navy, starting in the early 1770s)

    Really good stuff. Quite a bit more idealized than the Aubrey/Maturin books, but rip-roaring good stuff.
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    hauberkhauberk Posts: 1,511
    Just wrapped up Daniel Abraham's Long Price Quartet. Got the books in a 2 volume omnibus edition. I quite liked it. It's clearly fantasy and has a fascinating magic system, but really the fantasy element is almost secondary with much of the story being more political intrigue.

    Series also did something that rarely happens for me. As I sat reading the epilogue last night, it seems like the room got really dusty. In fact, seems a little dusty in here as I think back on it. I can only recall one or two other books that elicited similar reactions.
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    mwhitt80mwhitt80 Posts: 4,615
    We finished Wind in the Willows illustrated by David Peterson last night.
    The art was fantastic and I really loved the story.
    Next up for bed time reading is the first book she got to choose. We are going back to Mary Poppins with book 3: Mary Poppins Opens the Door.
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    hauberkhauberk Posts: 1,511
    Just finished Ernst Cline's second offering Armada. I don't think it was quite as strong as Ready Player One, but still a fun and nostalgic read. Again, Cline does a nice job of weaving pop culture through the book. This time, though it felt more derivative. The whole thesis of the book seems very much to be Last Starfighter.
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    mwhitt80mwhitt80 Posts: 4,615
    hauberk said:

    Just finished Ernst Cline's second offering Armada. I don't think it was quite as strong as Ready Player One, but still a fun and nostalgic read. Again, Cline does a nice job of weaving pop culture through the book. This time, though it felt more derivative. The whole thesis of the book seems very much to be Last Starfighter.

    Yep. That sums it up.

    I liked Armada. It wasn't Ready Player One, but it was a really good read.
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    luke52luke52 Posts: 1,392
    Finished Gaimans Norse Mythology. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Only wish there were more stories within.

    Currently reading Luke Smitherds How to be a Vigilante: A diary. About a quarter of the way in, but is a hilarious diary of any mans journey to becoming a superhero. It's basically an 18 year old Alan Partridge trying to be Batman. I haven't stopped laughing. Lovely stuff.
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    luke52luke52 Posts: 1,392
    Been on a bit of a book binge of late. Just picked up Waking Gods. Book 2 in The Themis Files series from Sylvain Neuvel.
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    MarathonMarathon Posts: 308
    With the film coming this year, I'm finally getting through the Dark Tower series.
    Over the last few years I've tried to read them but have always given up when I reach the extended flashback in Wizard and Glass.
    This time I've pushed through that book and am now on the final book.
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    luke52luke52 Posts: 1,392
    Marathon said:

    With the film coming this year, I'm finally getting through the Dark Tower series.
    Over the last few years I've tried to read them but have always given up when I reach the extended flashback in Wizard and Glass.
    This time I've pushed through that book and am now on the final book.

    Favourite series of books. Love them all. I'm surprised you gave up on Wizard and Glass, that's probably my favourite of the series.
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    luke52luke52 Posts: 1,392
    I just finished Gaimans Neverwhere. Must admit I was quite disappointed. Probably the weakest of his I've read.

    Decided to plunge into Tolkien for the first time. Having seen and loved the movies so many times I thought it only right to read the books. Starting with The Hobit.
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    nweathingtonnweathington Posts: 6,741
    I think Neverwhere is his weakest book as well. I think that's due at least in part to it having started as a television miniseries script. It's a story he probably would never have written if Lenny Henry hadn't asked him to write a script about homeless people living in the London Underground.

    As for Tolkien, I love The Hobbit, but I find the LotR trilogy to be a bit... cumbersome. There are sections that are wonderful, but there are many that can be a bit of a slog to get through.
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    mwhitt80mwhitt80 Posts: 4,615

    I think Neverwhere is his weakest book as well. I think that's due at least in part to it having started as a television miniseries script. It's a story he probably would never have written if Lenny Henry hadn't asked him to write a script about homeless people living in the London Underground.

    As for Tolkien, I love The Hobbit, but I find the LotR trilogy to be a bit... cumbersome. There are sections that are wonderful, but there are many that can be a bit of a slog to get through.

    There are only so many hundreds of pages describing a tree leaf I can take
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    hauberkhauberk Posts: 1,511
    Just wrapped up Arcanum Unbound: The Cosmere Collection by Brandon Sanderson. The book is a series of short stories and novellas set in the various worlds of Sanderson's books and is interspersed with "academic" notes on each of the worlds, all of which, actually exist in the same universe.

    I haven't read all of Sanderson's other works so some of these worlds were completely new to me. He's got a real gift for worldbuilding and developing interesting magic systems. The notion that all of his different worlds actually exist within the same overall universe actually makes things all the more intriguing. I'll be diving into the books that I had yet to read.
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    luke52luke52 Posts: 1,392
    Just finished Stephen Kings latest novella Gwendys Button Box. Great little read. Some nice Dark Tower nods, along with the main (bad) man taking a central role, The Man In Black.
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    mwhitt80mwhitt80 Posts: 4,615
    Finished 2 books
    Neil Gaiman's Norse Mythology. I thought it was good. I fell in love with Norse Mythology the first time i read D'AULAIRES Book of Norse Myths, and this was quick fun read. I'll be interested to see what stories he decides to tell if makes a second volume.

    John Gierach's All Fishermen Are Liars - A travel log of John Geirach in which he contemplates life, fishing, and everything. I'd give this one a solid pass with the caveat I'm pretty sure this is not his best work. He's written about 1000 such books, and I'm going to read one or two of his more highly regarded books then call it quits.

    Next up - not sure
    Current nighttime reading with the little girl Mary Poppins Opens the Door. I can't wait to report on this one; I'm on the back half and really enjoying it.
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    mwhitt80mwhitt80 Posts: 4,615
    Finished
    Carl Hiaasen' Star Island Another fun novel by Hiaasen. This features a low rent Brittney Spears popstar, her body double, Skink, and a fat slob of paparazzi. It's pretty good, and worth picking up from the library.

    Mary Poppins Opens the Door - what was intended to be the last Mary Poppins book, and it was great. I think this is very close to being as good as Mary Poppins.

    Night Time Reading
    JM Barrie's Peter Pan My daughter saw a live performance of Peter Pan, and has been on a Peter kick since then. I was hoping to finally get to read Alice in wonderland, but alas no. I don't do a lot of research on books we read, but I really think that you should read a little about Barrie and his lost boys when you start Peter Pan. This is a work that is linked to very specific children and the games they played.
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    DARDAR Posts: 1,128
    I've just started IT for the first time
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    luke52luke52 Posts: 1,392
    DAR said:

    I've just started IT for the first time

    I recently read that for the first time. In my top 3 King books. Bloody good read.
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    MarathonMarathon Posts: 308
    DAR said:

    I've just started IT for the first time

    One of my favourite King books, but be prepared for the most controversial scene King's ever written. You'll know it when you read it.
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