What are you reading?

[Kadere]

Currently re-reading Brian Lumley's original "Necroscope" series, for me the ONLY vampires that matter! I reread them regularly!

Before that I read Patrick Rothfuss "The Name of the Wind" which I did enjoy but is no classic.

 

Can't seem to get into Stan Nicholls' "Orcs" or Tad Williams' "Shadowmarch" - are they worth the effort?

 

"Shadowmarch" is good, but by no means Williams' best. If you're already a fan you'll want to read it, but if you're just starting to read Williams' you'd be much better off starting with his "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn" series, or reading his "Otherland" series which, I believe and is certainly my feeling, is considered his best series to date. "Shadowmarch" ends up playing it a bit safe and conventional, which is sad because his other fantasy series "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn" broke from a lot of conventions of it's day. But my recommendation, if you haven't read Williams' before and you want to see him at his best, is go buy "City of Golden Shadow." If you're not hooked by the end of the Prologue, you should just move on to another author. But I can practically guarantee you you'll want to keep reading.

[tyr3030]

hey guys you really should read Gail Z Martin's Chronicles of the Necromancer series. i ran into her at a Books-a-million she was doing a signing and she talked me into buying the first book didn't even get halfway before i was back buying the rest. great series hard to put down.

[ryanphlp2002]

Currently re-reading Brian Lumley's original "Necroscope" series, for me the ONLY vampires that matter! I reread them regularly!

Before that I read Patrick Rothfuss "The Name of the Wind" which I did enjoy but is no classic.

 

Can't seem to get into Stan Nicholls' "Orcs" or Tad Williams' "Shadowmarch" - are they worth the effort?

 

"Shadowmarch" is good, but by no means Williams' best. If you're already a fan you'll want to read it, but if you're just starting to read Williams' you'd be much better off starting with his "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn" series, or reading his "Otherland" series which, I believe and is certainly my feeling, is considered his best series to date. "Shadowmarch" ends up playing it a bit safe and conventional, which is sad because his other fantasy series "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn" broke from a lot of conventions of it's day. But my recommendation, if you haven't read Williams' before and you want to see him at his best, is go buy "City of Golden Shadow." If you're not hooked by the end of the Prologue, you should just move on to another author. But I can practically guarantee you you'll want to keep reading.

 

Ta for that I might give "City of Golden Shadow." a shot then many years ago I did read "The Dragonbone chair" and liked it a lot but never got around to the otherws due to college. Thats why I thought I would like Tad's stuff.

[MierinWru]

"Shadowmarch" is good, but by no means Williams' best. If you're already a fan you'll want to read it, but if you're just starting to read Williams' you'd be much better off starting with his "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn" series, or reading his "Otherland" series which, I believe and is certainly my feeling, is considered his best series to date. "Shadowmarch" ends up playing it a bit safe and conventional, which is sad because his other fantasy series "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn" broke from a lot of conventions of it's day. But my recommendation, if you haven't read Williams' before and you want to see him at his best, is go buy "City of Golden Shadow." If you're not hooked by the end of the Prologue, you should just move on to another author. But I can practically guarantee you you'll want to keep reading.

 

I've only read the first part of Shadowmarch when it was released, thought it was decent so I'll probably continue it some day. What I don't understand at all is how you can say "Memory, Sorrow and Thorn" is any better than it. I really liked "M, S and T" the first time around (I read it when I was 16 years old) but I tried to re-read it a while ago and it didn't hold up at all. It's such a cliché "young apprentice turns into powerful hero" story that it's almost painful. It's so terribly standard, the characters are so shallow and the story so boring that I had to stop after finishing the first book. To be fair I do think that it probably would've gotten better from what I remembered but I couldn't be bothered to keep reading at that point.

 

 

BTW: I loved Otherland, especially the first 2 books.

 

 

[alligator]

 

"Shadowmarch" is good, but by no means Williams' best. If you're already a fan you'll want to read it, but if you're just starting to read Williams' you'd be much better off starting with his "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn" series, or reading his "Otherland" series which, I believe and is certainly my feeling, is considered his best series to date. "Shadowmarch" ends up playing it a bit safe and conventional, which is sad because his other fantasy series "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn" broke from a lot of conventions of it's day. But my recommendation, if you haven't read Williams' before and you want to see him at his best, is go buy "City of Golden Shadow." If you're not hooked by the end of the Prologue, you should just move on to another author. But I can practically guarantee you you'll want to keep reading.

 

Hm- interesting you say this... I started reading City of Golden Shadow recently, and yea, I thought the prologue was awesome. It got me really excited for the book! But then the actual book started and it was a completely different tone... couldn't really get into it. I've never been much of a sci-fi, virtual reality person, and that's what this seemed to be. Does it return to prologue-y goodness?

[Kadere]

 

"Shadowmarch" is good, but by no means Williams' best. If you're already a fan you'll want to read it, but if you're just starting to read Williams' you'd be much better off starting with his "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn" series, or reading his "Otherland" series which, I believe and is certainly my feeling, is considered his best series to date. "Shadowmarch" ends up playing it a bit safe and conventional, which is sad because his other fantasy series "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn" broke from a lot of conventions of it's day. But my recommendation, if you haven't read Williams' before and you want to see him at his best, is go buy "City of Golden Shadow." If you're not hooked by the end of the Prologue, you should just move on to another author. But I can practically guarantee you you'll want to keep reading.

 

Hm- interesting you say this... I started reading City of Golden Shadow recently, and yea, I thought the prologue was awesome. It got me really excited for the book! But then the actual book started and it was a completely different tone... couldn't really get into it. I've never been much of a sci-fi, virtual reality person, and that's what this seemed to be. Does it return to prologue-y goodness?

 

Every 7 chapters we get back to Paul and his adventures inside Otherland, and by the end of the first book everyone's in there. The mystery's of it get bigger and more complicated, the villians more evil, and by the end of Sea of Silver Light Williams has brought everything together beautifully in one of the grandest climaxes I've ever read.

[alligator]

 

"Shadowmarch" is good, but by no means Williams' best. If you're already a fan you'll want to read it, but if you're just starting to read Williams' you'd be much better off starting with his "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn" series, or reading his "Otherland" series which, I believe and is certainly my feeling, is considered his best series to date. "Shadowmarch" ends up playing it a bit safe and conventional, which is sad because his other fantasy series "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn" broke from a lot of conventions of it's day. But my recommendation, if you haven't read Williams' before and you want to see him at his best, is go buy "City of Golden Shadow." If you're not hooked by the end of the Prologue, you should just move on to another author. But I can practically guarantee you you'll want to keep reading.

 

Hm- interesting you say this... I started reading City of Golden Shadow recently, and yea, I thought the prologue was awesome. It got me really excited for the book! But then the actual book started and it was a completely different tone... couldn't really get into it. I've never been much of a sci-fi, virtual reality person, and that's what this seemed to be. Does it return to prologue-y goodness?

 

Every 7 chapters we get back to Paul and his adventures inside Otherland, and by the end of the first book everyone's in there. The mystery's of it get bigger and more complicated, the villians more evil, and by the end of Sea of Silver Light Williams has brought everything together beautifully in one of the grandest climaxes I've ever read.

 

Oh! Fantastic. Okay. I'll pick it back up, then. Thanks :)

[WoTgirl111]

just finished Fellowship of the Ring by Tolkien and i'm currently reading the Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks. After I'm probably going to re-re-read WoT

[Jimvzyl]

Finished Catch-22 (shamefully, I had not read that yet)

Currently on yet another epic WoT re-read; on LoC :)

 

Next up - Black Hearts by Jim Frederick and looking forward to getting stuck into A Song of Ice and Fire (finally)

[chrisdean836]

The last book was Star Wars X-wing:starfighters of adumar. I jost bought a kindle for my BD and the first book had to be Eye of the world. So currently thats what im reading {for the 6th time}.

[redarm]

Finished Deadhouse Gates (finally) and started Memories of Ice. DG was fantastic. Once I found the time to sit down with it I couldn't put it down. Hope MoI is the same.

[TheBeerPatriot]

Just finished re-reading Game of Thrones for the first time since 1997. I enjoyed it of course, and I'm looking forward to watching the HBO series now. I'm now starting on Patricia McKillip's The Bell at Sealey Head.

[Hallow]

Finished Deadhouse Gates (finally) and started Memories of Ice. DG was fantastic. Once I found the time to sit down with it I couldn't put it down. Hope MoI is the same.

 

It's just as good if not better than DG imo, hard to rank them.

[Thorum]

Started Sense and Sensibility yesterday

[TheBeerPatriot]

I just finished Bell at Sealey Head by Patricia McKillip, quite a fun read. I'll be doing a post about McKillip in the near future. Now reading Hunter Thompson's Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas.

[TheBeerPatriot]

Finished Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas this morning, trippy and provocative. Next up is Frank Herbert's Dune. I don't read sci-fi that often, but want to give this a shot.

[The Fallen One]

Finished Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas this morning, trippy and provocative. Next up is Frank Herbert's Dune. I don't read sci-fi that often, but want to give this a shot.

 

Fear and Loathing was great. The movie actually did a really good job with it too.

[Shomofo]

Currently just started Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb. It's been a while since I read them and I love these books.

Just finished reading Raymond Feist (Magician - A Kingdom Besieged).

 

As for what's next I really don't know. Always looking for something new to read if anyone has recommendations.

I have read quite a lot of different stuff and have varied tastes.

[redarm]

Polished off Memories of Ice last night. About to start House of Chains. MoI was great. Not sure if I liked Deadhouse Gates better or MoI. Both were fantastic. Hope HoC isn't a let down.

Edited May 25, 2011 by redarm

[Hallow]

Finished Return of the crimson guard, now reading Toll the Hounds. After that its Night of Knives for me.

[Talmanes]

I'm nearly done with Deadhouse Gates, but before that read The Trial of the Doctor and Trolls by Greg Senger.

Finished Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas this morning, trippy and provocative. Next up is Frank Herbert's Dune. I don't read sci-fi that often, but want to give this a shot.

With Dune, it starts a little slow, but is very good I thought.

[Sid]

I finished The Wise Man's Fear by Rothfus today. Damn good reading. But I do have a question that would be a spoiler, since I think I missed something:

 

 

How exactly does this arrangement between Kvothe and the person who takes the tuition work? I know that the Maer has agreed to pay his tuition at the University, but how come he gets to split everything over 10 talents with the guy that accepts tuition payments? Was there some kind of upper limit to his tuition agreed upon when he started that I missed? Perhaps in the first book? He made a comment like 'too bad my tuition can never be over 10 talents.' (wink wink nudge nudge) I must have missed it.

 

[Lynander]

Just read Gardens of the Moons from the Book of the Fallen series. Are all the books in this similar style? I had a hard time reading this. Just when I felt I was getting to know Whiskyjack and the whole gang, it shifts over to a total different set of characters that I had to get to know. Then I had a hard time figuring out what was actually happening in the end.

Specifically the parts where Paran fights a tree. Somehow a house is made out of it. What's an Azath? Suddenly Vorcan is the major antagonist but is saved. A major antagonist (Tennshyn) throughout the book doesn't even appear in the end. I'm not trying to complain. The storyline after retrospect was very good. It's just frustrating to read the first time through.

 

Although I'd have to say, Kruppe is very fun to read.

Edited May 30, 2011 by Lynander

[Hallow]

Just read Gardens of the Moons from the Book of the Fallen series. Are all the books in this similar style? I had a hard time reading this. Just when I felt I was getting to know Whiskyjack and the whole gang, it shifts over to a total different set of characters that I had to get to know. Then I had a hard time figuring out what was actually happening in the end.

Specifically the parts where Paran fights a tree. Somehow a house is made out of it. What's an Azath? Suddenly Vorcan is the major antagonist but is saved. A major antagonist (Tennshyn) throughout the book doesn't even appear in the end. I'm not trying to complain. The storyline after retrospect was very good. It's just frustrating to read the first time through.

 

Although I'd have to say, Kruppe is very fun to read.

 

 

I assume you mean Tayschrenn? Why does he have to appear towards the end of the book? It's a series, his status as an antagonist and whether he's a bad boy or not is addressed in later books. And an Azath is a being that strives for balance. In essence its a "house" that serves as a prison designed to lock up extremely powerful entities, such as Raest the Jaghut Tyrant. Oh and yes there are a shit ton of characters in MBOTF, get used to it ;)

 

[Lynander]

Just read Gardens of the Moons from the Book of the Fallen series. Are all the books in this similar style? I had a hard time reading this. Just when I felt I was getting to know Whiskyjack and the whole gang, it shifts over to a total different set of characters that I had to get to know. Then I had a hard time figuring out what was actually happening in the end.

Specifically the parts where Paran fights a tree. Somehow a house is made out of it. What's an Azath? Suddenly Vorcan is the major antagonist but is saved. A major antagonist (Tennshyn) throughout the book doesn't even appear in the end. I'm not trying to complain. The storyline after retrospect was very good. It's just frustrating to read the first time through.

 

Although I'd have to say, Kruppe is very fun to read.

 

 

I assume you mean Tayschrenn? Why does he have to appear towards the end of the book? It's a series, his status as an antagonist and whether he's a bad boy or not is addressed in later books. And an Azath is a being that strives for balance. In essence its a "house" that serves as a prison designed to lock up extremely powerful entities, such as Raest the Jaghut Tyrant. Oh and yes there are a shit ton of characters in MBOTF, get used to it ;)

 

 

 

Tayschrenn, yes. I totally annihilated his name lol. I see your point. Thanks for the explanation on an Azath. I just have this feeling that I'm gonna get frustrated with this series. The only things that are keeping my interest are the Paran/Tattersail storyline and Tayschrenn. And I want to see what Quick Ben's powers are. Since he was good enough to win that cage match thing a while back. Meh...I'll give the next book a shot.