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The Official Novel Thread -What Are You Reading?

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  • chriswchrisw Posts: 792

    Great Monsters of the moviesby Robert K. Davidson,looks like one of the many Universal monster bookfair books that I had as a kid.

    That sounded familiar, so I looked up a picture of it. I think I still have that book somewhere. I was a sucker for those types of books when I was a kid.
  • kgforcekgforce Posts: 326
    Just finished up Brad Meltzer's Book of Lies.
  • kgforcekgforce Posts: 326
    Currently reading The Wretched of Muirwood by Jeff Wheeler.

    It's only 99¢ for Kindle. But back in Feb 2012, Amazon had the Muirwood trilogy for free and I'm just now getting around to reading the first book. I'm about 70% done and I'm surprised how much I have liked it. The best description would be it's a YA fantasy novel. Definitely worth a buck!
  • dubbat138dubbat138 Posts: 3,200

    Great Monsters of the moviesby Robert K. Davidson,looks like one of the many Universal monster bookfair books that I had as a kid.

    That sounded familiar, so I looked up a picture of it. I think I still have that book somewhere. I was a sucker for those types of books when I was a kid.
    I had at least 5 of them as a kid. But lost most of them.

  • dubbat138dubbat138 Posts: 3,200
    Letterman's New Book of Top ten lists and Wedding Dress Patterns for the Husky BrideBy David Letterman and the Late show with David Letterman Writers

    Got this at the library sale. Perfect toilet reading book.
  • Letterman's New Book of Top ten lists and Wedding Dress Patterns for the Husky BrideBy David Letterman and the Late show with David Letterman Writers

    Got this at the library sale. Perfect toilet reading book.
    Has someone sent an alert to Pants?
  • LibraryBoyLibraryBoy Posts: 1,803
    Letterman's New Book of Top ten lists and Wedding Dress Patterns for the Husky BrideBy David Letterman and the Late show with David Letterman Writers

    Got this at the library sale. Perfect toilet reading book.
    List books like that are awesome can reading. Stuff like The Book of Lists and Schott's Original Miscellany were longtime residents of our "special" library.
  • LibraryBoyLibraryBoy Posts: 1,803
    I was listening to an episode of The Dork Forest recently where Jackie Kashian interviewed the guy from the Tolkien Professor podcast, and their enthusiasm made me think it was time I revisited my own opinions on JRSquared, of whom I have never been much of a fan. Starting off with The Hobbit, which I remember liking alright (and I loved the Rankin-Bass cartoon as a kid), and if that goes well, I'll see about moving on to Fellowship of the Ring (which I've never gotten more than halfway into, much less onto the rest of LotR).
  • tommysheroestommysheroes Posts: 174
    It's tough, I remember loving it as a kid then losing my enthusiasm hard. My opinion is that it is important historically but pretty average as a work of art, if it came out today I don't think it would be as critically regarded.
    I was listening to an episode of The Dork Forest recently where Jackie Kashian interviewed the guy from the Tolkien Professor podcast, and their enthusiasm made me think it was time I revisited my own opinions on JRSquared, of whom I have never been much of a fan. Starting off with The Hobbit, which I remember liking alright (and I loved the Rankin-Bass cartoon as a kid), and if that goes well, I'll see about moving on to Fellowship of the Ring (which I've never gotten more than halfway into, much less onto the rest of LotR).
  • chriswchrisw Posts: 792
    I was listening to an episode of The Dork Forest recently where Jackie Kashian interviewed the guy from the Tolkien Professor podcast, and their enthusiasm made me think it was time I revisited my own opinions on JRSquared, of whom I have never been much of a fan. Starting off with The Hobbit, which I remember liking alright (and I loved the Rankin-Bass cartoon as a kid), and if that goes well, I'll see about moving on to Fellowship of the Ring (which I've never gotten more than halfway into, much less onto the rest of LotR).
    I read The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings when I was about 12, and I remember getting totally lost sometime around Two Towers. I can still recall much of Hobbit and Fellowship, but if it wasn't for the movies, I doubt I'd remember a thing from the last two books, aside from the end.
  • dubbat138dubbat138 Posts: 3,200
    I was listening to an episode of The Dork Forest recently where Jackie Kashian interviewed the guy from the Tolkien Professor podcast, and their enthusiasm made me think it was time I revisited my own opinions on JRSquared, of whom I have never been much of a fan. Starting off with The Hobbit, which I remember liking alright (and I loved the Rankin-Bass cartoon as a kid), and if that goes well, I'll see about moving on to Fellowship of the Ring (which I've never gotten more than halfway into, much less onto the rest of LotR).
    I read and loved the Hobbit. Read FotR and it was ok. Made it halfway through Two Towers before I just gave up. To me it is to fantasy fans what Phantom of the Opera is to horror film fans. A nice starting point,but something that sadly hasn't aged that well.

  • brydeemerbrydeemer Posts: 216
    I finished "Alpha" and I definitely enjoyed it.

    Now I'm reading "Flood" by Stephen Baxter.

    Bry
  • brydeemerbrydeemer Posts: 216

    I read and loved the Hobbit. Read FotR and it was ok. Made it halfway through Two Towers before I just gave up. To me it is to fantasy fans what Phantom of the Opera is to horror film fans. A nice starting point,but something that sadly hasn't aged that well.
    I have to disagree.

    It's so beautifully written that it's leaps and bounds ahead of most fantasy written today.

    Tolkien also created a world so rich and detailed that it's virtually impossible to not feel it in your bones while reading the books. The story is so epic, that every time I read it, I get lost in it and it seems so real to me.

    While I read and enjoy tons of other fantasy, none of it is as consuming as Tolkien is.

    Bry
  • dubbat138dubbat138 Posts: 3,200
    brydeemer said:


    I read and loved the Hobbit. Read FotR and it was ok. Made it halfway through Two Towers before I just gave up. To me it is to fantasy fans what Phantom of the Opera is to horror film fans. A nice starting point,but something that sadly hasn't aged that well.
    I have to disagree.

    It's so beautifully written that it's leaps and bounds ahead of most fantasy written today.

    Tolkien also created a world so rich and detailed that it's virtually impossible to not feel it in your bones while reading the books. The story is so epic, that every time I read it, I get lost in it and it seems so real to me.

    While I read and enjoy tons of other fantasy, none of it is as consuming as Tolkien is.

    Bry


    And see when I have tried to read it I never got lost in it. I just kept thinking "Wow this needs a good editor to pick up the pace."

  • WetRatsWetRats Posts: 6,314
    brydeemer said:


    I read and loved the Hobbit. Read FotR and it was ok. Made it halfway through Two Towers before I just gave up. To me it is to fantasy fans what Phantom of the Opera is to horror film fans. A nice starting point,but something that sadly hasn't aged that well.
    I have to disagree.

    It's so beautifully written that it's leaps and bounds ahead of most fantasy written today.

    Tolkien also created a world so rich and detailed that it's virtually impossible to not feel it in your bones while reading the books. The story is so epic, that every time I read it, I get lost in it and it seems so real to me.

    While I read and enjoy tons of other fantasy, none of it is as consuming as Tolkien is.

    Bry
    And see when I have tried to read it I never got lost in it. I just kept thinking "Wow this needs a good editor to pick up the pace."

    Tolkien did not have a traditional narrative style.

    He had a very eccentric approach to telling a story.

    But there is a lyrical aspect to it that, once you get the feel for it, is truly beautiful and engaging.

    If you want to see what an editor would have done, watch the movies. Walsh, Boyens & Jackson made a lot of structural changes to the story in order to make it more accessible to a broader audience.
  • dubbat138dubbat138 Posts: 3,200
    WetRats said:

    brydeemer said:


    I read and loved the Hobbit. Read FotR and it was ok. Made it halfway through Two Towers before I just gave up. To me it is to fantasy fans what Phantom of the Opera is to horror film fans. A nice starting point,but something that sadly hasn't aged that well.
    I have to disagree.

    It's so beautifully written that it's leaps and bounds ahead of most fantasy written today.

    Tolkien also created a world so rich and detailed that it's virtually impossible to not feel it in your bones while reading the books. The story is so epic, that every time I read it, I get lost in it and it seems so real to me.

    While I read and enjoy tons of other fantasy, none of it is as consuming as Tolkien is.

    Bry
    And see when I have tried to read it I never got lost in it. I just kept thinking "Wow this needs a good editor to pick up the pace."

    Tolkien did not have a traditional narrative style.

    He had a very eccentric approach to telling a story.

    But there is a lyrical aspect to it that, once you get the feel for it, is truly beautiful and engaging.

    If you want to see what an editor would have done, watch the movies. Walsh, Boyens & Jackson made a lot of structural changes to the story in order to make it more accessible to a broader audience.

    I have tried to watch the films. Mostly cause I use to be a huge fan of Peter Jackson. The films again felt way to long to me.Visually they are beautiful,but the story doesn't hold my attention enough to get me to sit through 7+ hours of film.

  • WetRatsWetRats Posts: 6,314
    edited July 2012
    dubbat138 said:

    WetRats said:

    brydeemer said:


    I read and loved the Hobbit. Read FotR and it was ok. Made it halfway through Two Towers before I just gave up. To me it is to fantasy fans what Phantom of the Opera is to horror film fans. A nice starting point,but something that sadly hasn't aged that well.
    I have to disagree.

    It's so beautifully written that it's leaps and bounds ahead of most fantasy written today.

    Tolkien also created a world so rich and detailed that it's virtually impossible to not feel it in your bones while reading the books. The story is so epic, that every time I read it, I get lost in it and it seems so real to me.

    While I read and enjoy tons of other fantasy, none of it is as consuming as Tolkien is.

    Bry
    And see when I have tried to read it I never got lost in it. I just kept thinking "Wow this needs a good editor to pick up the pace."
    Tolkien did not have a traditional narrative style.

    He had a very eccentric approach to telling a story.

    But there is a lyrical aspect to it that, once you get the feel for it, is truly beautiful and engaging.

    If you want to see what an editor would have done, watch the movies. Walsh, Boyens & Jackson made a lot of structural changes to the story in order to make it more accessible to a broader audience.



    I have tried to watch the films. Mostly cause I use to be a huge fan of Peter Jackson. The films again felt way to long to me.Visually they are beautiful,but the story doesn't hold my attention enough to get me to sit through 7+ hours of film.



    I could sit through 70+ hours.
  • dubbat138dubbat138 Posts: 3,200
    WetRats said:

    dubbat138 said:

    WetRats said:

    brydeemer said:


    I read and loved the Hobbit. Read FotR and it was ok. Made it halfway through Two Towers before I just gave up. To me it is to fantasy fans what Phantom of the Opera is to horror film fans. A nice starting point,but something that sadly hasn't aged that well.
    I have to disagree.

    It's so beautifully written that it's leaps and bounds ahead of most fantasy written today.

    Tolkien also created a world so rich and detailed that it's virtually impossible to not feel it in your bones while reading the books. The story is so epic, that every time I read it, I get lost in it and it seems so real to me.

    While I read and enjoy tons of other fantasy, none of it is as consuming as Tolkien is.

    Bry
    And see when I have tried to read it I never got lost in it. I just kept thinking "Wow this needs a good editor to pick up the pace."
    Tolkien did not have a traditional narrative style.

    He had a very eccentric approach to telling a story.

    But there is a lyrical aspect to it that, once you get the feel for it, is truly beautiful and engaging.

    If you want to see what an editor would have done, watch the movies. Walsh, Boyens & Jackson made a lot of structural changes to the story in order to make it more accessible to a broader audience.


    I have tried to watch the films. Mostly cause I use to be a huge fan of Peter Jackson. The films again felt way to long to me.Visually they are beautiful,but the story doesn't hold my attention enough to get me to sit through 7+ hours of film.

    I could sit through 70+ hours.

    Part of it might be I have never been a big fan of the fantasy genre. I was the kid that would rather play Rifts,Shadowrun or Gamma World than D&D. Weirdly over the past 6 years I have really gotten into R.E. Howard's Conan stuff.

  • chriswchrisw Posts: 792
    dubbat138 said:


    And see when I have tried to read it I never got lost in it. I just kept thinking "Wow this needs a good editor to pick up the pace."

    That's the problem I often encounter when trying to read fantasy. I'm very much a proponent of cutting things if they detract from the story, but most fantasy novels seem to revel in page after page of detail and history that often have little to do with the plot. I don't like to feel as if I'm reading the writer's research notes in the middle of the actual book.

    I do want to re-read Tolkien now that I'm older, though, and see how I react. Twelve may simply be too young of an age to absorb it, so who knows what I'll think now.
  • dubbat138dubbat138 Posts: 3,200
    Finally started reading Fort Freak again. Started it months ago read the first 4 pages then got distracted and couldn't find the book. Pretty sure this is the newest of the Wildcards novels. And has a interesting premise of a police station set in NYC's Jokertown. I marked out when Jube the newspaper dealer showed up in the first story.
  • John_SteedJohn_Steed Posts: 2,087
    edited July 2012
    Taking to the beach:

    - King Rat by China Miéville (by recommendation of @Zhurrie)
    - The Cello Suites by Eric Siblin (Bach+Casal+Siblin=musical exploration)
    - Lord of the Flies by William Golding (re-read)
    - Death by Black Hole by Neil deGrasse Tyson (his non-fiction is more thrilling than most fiction)

    and a bunch of comics :D
  • dubbat138dubbat138 Posts: 3,200
    edited July 2012
    @wetrats

    Tolkien style reminds me of Robert E. Howard's style. Now I love Howard's stuff. But Tolkien just doesn't work for me.

  • brydeemerbrydeemer Posts: 216
    edited July 2012
    Looks like the new R.A. Salvatore novel, "Charon's Claw", comes out on August 7th. I guess I know what I'll be reading that week.

    Bry
  • WetRatsWetRats Posts: 6,314
    Last Car to Elysisan Fields, by James Lee Burke. My first Dave Robicheaux novel in about 12 years.
  • dubbat138dubbat138 Posts: 3,200
    Braindroppings By George Carlin

    After finishing that Letterman top ten list book,this became my goto crapper reader. Got it from the local library sale for cheap. And while parts of it are from old Carlin standup routines,most of it seems to be new stuff. Really funny book that is perfect for toilet reading.
  • Dresden Files, Book 9: White Night is done and dusted. Onto Book 10.

    Nice to see some of Harry's problems get resolved, or have they? Hmmm
  • Dresden Files book 10: Small Favour now completed. Onto book 11
  • random73random73 Posts: 2,318
    Damn son! It isn't a race. Take your time, enjoy em!

    B-)
  • dubbat138dubbat138 Posts: 3,200
    The Tribe-A New World

    This book is basically season 6 of the tv show "The Tribe". Sadly the show is pretty much unknown in the USA. But from what I have been told was huge in Europe and other parts of the world. Unless you have seen the 5 seasons of the show,most of the book will make no sense at all. But for fans this novel is a nice way to somewhat wrap up the cliffhanger the 5th season ended on. My only real complaint is the cost. It is only about 400 pages but on Amazon it cost close to 15 bucks. And it is a paperback.
  • WetRatsWetRats Posts: 6,314
    random73 said:

    Damn son! It isn't a race. Take your time, enjoy em!

    B-)

    The pace builds so much from book-to-book, I did the same thing. Freaking devoured them.
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