What book are you currently reading?

[general molotof]

Technical information maniac...

[Commissar Caligula_]

I just finished the entire Wheel of Time series. That took me about 2 or 3 months, 4.4 million words and something like 14 000 pages. The middle 6 books were admittedly slow compared to the first 4 and last 4, but they were absolutely key to the plot so I enjoyed em. Basically the books involve a complicated magic system and a group of 3 men and 2 women from one village who are swept along by fate (called the 'weaving of the Wheel of Time'). One of the men is the Dragon Reborn, the reincarnation of humanity's saviour who has been dead for 3 millennia. Nearly everyone in the world fears him however, because the original Dragon and all male users of magic 'broke the world' and destroyed continents when the 'Dark One' (evilness itself) tainted the male half of magic. Since then everyone fears and hates male users of magic (because they all go mad eventually), and distrust female magic users (called Aes Sedai) who manipulate the world.
It was an incredibly good read that puts a lot of conventions on their heads.


At the moment I'm reading the latest Bernie Gunther novel, Prussian Blur, by Philip Kerr. The twelve book I believe. I'd suggest trying to find the Berlin Noir volume which is the first three books, March Violets, The Pale Criminal and A German Requiem. These three were written in 1989-1991 whilst the rest of the books are a reboot of the series from 2006 onwards. Basically the books are gumshoe noir detective novels set during the rise, height, fall and aftermath of the Thousand Year Reich. Bernie Gunther the protagonist is a morally grey private detective. He is shanghaied into working for various Nazi leaders such as Reinhard Heydrich, Arthur Nebe, Joseph Goebbels, Herman Goring and others.

Books 4 to 12 follow the standard of Gunther on the run from ex-associates or enemies in 1946 to 1956 in a variety of locations such as East Berlin, Argentina and the French Riviera whilst he reflects on how he earned the enmity of them in murder investigations he led during the war. Personally these novels are just Kerr trying to milk the series, but I still enjoy em. Books 1 to 3 are the best though. Personally I think the books are 'better' than Raymond Chandler's, even though Chandler founded the genre.


Next up my books to read will probably include the Malazan Book of the Fallen series, The Hunt for Red October, American Gods and ​The Once and Future King.

[Ἀπολλόδοτος Α΄ ὁ Σωτήρ]

Welcome to the Universe: An Astrophysical Tour

[Owlparrot3]

Cristopher Nicole .

Guns in thye desert (A book on the Sennusi war of Libyan independence)

[Påsan]

Misstok this thread for the just watched thread. Sorry. Was a tab mess up.

[RubiconDecision]

I just finished The Harrows of Spring by Kunstler. Allegedly it is the final book in the World Made By Hand series. I would say that they are the best books I have ever read without a doubt. They are a realistic depiction of coping within a post-apocalyptic scenario and being unable to depend upon modern technology. Rather than the typical heroic battles, the real heroes are carpenters, farmers, physicians, etc.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5wG4qsYoBEI
Practically everyone could learn from these exceptional books.
https://www.goodreads.com/series/122...d-made-by-hand

[Godfrey I of Leuven]

It took off slow, but I'm thoroughly enjoying it now.

[RubiconDecision]

Every couple of years I revisit Charles de Lint's urban fiction. It's rather unique as it depicts mythological beings living in a largely ordinary way in a Canadian metropolis, but using their abilities to just get by. Then new beings come into existence too.

Then there are compassionate believable everyday heroes helping as cops or homeless advocates who through their public service come into contact with these paranormals.

There is a strong acknowledgement for Native American culture and leadership choices versus how a politician would typically help.

Since the author and his wife are long time musicians, then this actively is interwoven. Similarly these beings cross over by inspiring certain artists and then when they are painted, they enter our world.

Probably everyone would enjoy them. A good starting place is Dreams Underfoot.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/...eams_Underfoot

A generalized article on the fictitious city of Newford. It's been compared to Stephen King's Castle Rock as it is so thoroughly fleshed out.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newford

[Lord Oda Nobunaga]

So it's basically X-Men?

Been considering reading Legend of the Galactic Heroes. I actually watched the show because of the recommendations of a certain someone (you know who ) but now that the new reboot has come out I don't know how I feel about it. I think that maybe I should just go back to the source material.

I am also rereading some of my old comic books, at the moment I am on Sojourn (one of my all time favourites), as I recently finished Scion.

Now for the serious stuff, non-fiction. Reading Thunder on the Danube volume 1, an excellent three part series on Napoleon's 1809 campaigns. An enticing read with over 1,000 pages in all (each book is roughly 400 pages). The amount of detail that these books have is probably enough to write an entire thesis on the subject.

[RubiconDecision]

Charles de Lint series of books on Newford has no similarity to the Xmen comics. Some characters like the Crow and Raven show up from the Native American or indigenous First People of Canada. Some others have unusual abilities. A city may personify and walk as a person through its own streets. A elf may show up. A dream character may transfer to the world of Newford. A person who suffered abuse may acquire the ability to enter the minds of child molesters and remove the feelings and child abuse they themselves suffered.

But the majority are just everyday heroes who do social justice like helping the homeless or counsel drug abusers.

[Godfrey I of Leuven]

Can't wait to see what the fuss is all about, though neither can I wait for the bus to drive through the local Muslim enclaves. I would have preferred Christian nutters, though.

[Mary The Quene]

[Gustav Mahler]

''History of the Art of War in the 16th Century'' from Charles William Chadwick Oman.

[PhilipO'Hayda]

A Grand read of fans wanting to push the argument shown in this book, that these two were or were not the Princes in the Tower.

[NorseThing]

Reading a book by Walter Tevis. Did know him by name. My fail. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Tevis
Well yes, the book is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ma...o_Earth_(novel). Actually funny is spots. Worth a quick read. How was I to know the biggest risk to space travel to earth would be a potential for becoming an alcoholic?

[Cyclops]

I chew through books on my way to work each day. Just finished Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, a fussy, over complicated and I think drug affected novel that asks a lot of interesting questions about identity. Much more twists and turns than its prettier film child Blade Runner (and as such definitely worth reading as the source material) it is strangely shallow and unsatisfying. Way too many deadpan plot twists that end up meaning nothing, and the blurred reality "is it real? is anything real" theme is laid on with a shovel.

Spoilers

Roy Baty in the books is a chunky pharmacist who runs away and dies cowering at the end, utterly less compelling than Roy Batty the Ubermensch of the film. Many elements are utterly incoherent or implausible, such as the fake police station, or Resch's situation.

This morning I started Origin of the Species, the tone is charming and conversational in a 19th century way. Darwin freely admits his ideas are just those of other writers constellated for his own satisfaction, and hasn't rammed anything down anyone's throat. I wonder what sort of novelist eh would have made?

[Gaidin]

The third doorstop is awesome.



For reference:

[Commissar Caligula_]

I've read Brandon Sanderson's conclusion to The Wheel of Time, how do the rest of his works compare?
I just finished reading American Gods, and the latest Christopher Brookmyre book Places in the Darkness. I feel like for the first twelve years of Brookmyre's career he was writing how he wanted to write, with a very Scottish vernacular and lots of turds/vomitting/bloody mayhem but now that he's become more well-known he has had to dial it back and just write boring books that pander to everyone but don't have what made him special.

I'd recommend all his books from Quite Ugly One Morning until A Snowball In Hell (with the exception of Not The End of the World which was terrible).

[Gaidin]

I've read Brandon Sanderson's conclusion to The Wheel of Time, how do the rest of his works compare?

I like his solo works better than when he picked up Jordan's baton, for all I loved that conclusion.

[Finn]

The third doorstop is awesome.

Reading Oathbringer myself, love the Stormlight Archive! Terrific series!

Also, finished the first two books of the Kingkiller Chronicle. Nice series, and looking forward to its conclusion.