Has anyone read the Hunger Games trilogy? Watched the movie and liked it. Are the books worth reading?
Books The BOOK thread
- Thread starter Livvie
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I read the first one and I think its better than the movie. A lot more nuance that is almost impossible to portray on film. I havent read the two others after reading that it wasnt supposed to be any sequels before the first was a success. I liked the ending to the first so dont see any reason to read sequels that werent intended.
I loved the first book, it's more detailed, we understand more about Katniss, we see her more doing survival things (like looking for water, food...) and her thoughts (like all the manipulation). It's more moving than the movie.
I read the trilogy before the movie was out, so I don't know if a movie goer would enjoy to read the first book after. I quite like the second book too, it expands the world, shows what people do and how winners are seen. It's not as good as the first book but I think it's still a good book, though some other people don't think so. The huge letdown for me was the third and last book, because Katniss wasn't on the main stage during most of the book (ie not much action), and it was a more reflective book. I didn't like this third book but other than the end that felt so artificially done, it wasn't a bad book (at least you don't think often that the characters or the story don't make sense).
I have finished the Divergent trilogy, another YA distopia (probably the second successful one recently in this genre after the Hunger Games) last week... This one had an interesting first book, but went really bad in the second (the main character didn't make sense and plot seems to consist more of having killings) and was a WTH fest with this third (I read this book really reluctantly, since I disagreed often with the POV characters and even hated them. There were too many huge plots : the setting, the behaviors and punishments..., it was more like to me the author didn't have a clue of what to do after her first book and hated to make a second and third book, and hated her characters after the first book, and really wanted to punish the readers. It probably explained a lot.).
Brilliant.
In the mood to read a good long epic fantasy novel, not on the scale of the Wheel of Time series, that's just mental, but something long and in depth.
I bought The Disaster Artist, the book about The Room by Greg Sestero (the guy who played Mark) and Tom Bissell and loved it so much I finished it in less than a day. Seriously funny and really insightful look into the forehead of Tommy Wiseau.
Mistborn by Sanderson ? It's a serie of three long books and you can stop for a while after each book (meaning no cliffhanger in the last page). It is my favourite fantasy serie, it's fast-paced, has fun dialogues, a creative magic system...
Orr you can check this thread : https://www.redcafe.net/threads/fantasy-reads.373168/
Celia, why aren't you talking to us about Mistborn in the thread then?!
It's fecking brilliant, I agree. 10/10. Perhaps the best fantasy series I've read (although, my favourite is still Kingkiller)
Oh yeah, good shout! I've heard only good things about this series. Thanks, will give it a read.
You won't be disappointed. Ignoring the obvious, it's definitely got claim to be the best and most epic trilogy.
It's solid in every area. More people need to read it.
I've already started reading it.
I was reading Game of Thrones on my phone at one point but for some reason it didn't save the page I was on, it was like page 700+ (pages are shorter on the phone), and I really couldn't be bothered trawling through it looking for the page I was on so I'm sort of just procrastinating from reading it for a while now.
I've already started reading it.
I was reading Game of Thrones on my phone at one point but for some reason it didn't save the page I was on, it was like page 700+ (pages are shorter on the phone), and I really couldn't be bothered trawling through it looking for the page I was on so I'm sort of just procrastinating from reading it for a while now.
If you take a look at the link to the Fantasy Thread, you'll see my thoughts on Game of Thrones books. Although, seems like I'm the only person in the world to think it.
Right, I'm going to sit down and give this Mistborn book a proper read tonight, let you know my thoughts in the morning.
I am reading Ferguson's last book. I would have thought it would be more exciting. It's interesting but well I think I miss reading the first part (Managing my life). There are some times too where I wonder if Ferguson deny some things... since I see why by example that Keane blamed Fergie for Rock of Gibraltar.
He was also quite soft too on Beckham chapter.
I should try again to get into a fantasy serie.
He was also quite soft too on Beckham chapter.
I should try again to get into a fantasy serie.
Has anybody read Malazan Book of the Fallen? Is it any good?
Read The Catcher in the Rye recently. Loved it. Very sad but had me in laughing out loud at times too. It's the kind of book you could read in one or two sittings.
Going to start reading the last of the 'Dragon Tattoo' series today. The first two were great.
Going to start reading the last of the 'Dragon Tattoo' series today. The first two were great.
Just finished The Holocaust Industry by Norman Finkelstein (it was excellent), and about to start The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton.
Has anybody read the Dresden Files and Is it worth a look?
I've been on a Stephen King binge lately. Never read much of him growing up, but must say I'm getting hooked. Read The Dead Zone (excellent, and great movie too,) Pet Sematary (terrifying, particularly if you have young children, as I do,) and now 200 pages into The Stand. Great stuff!
The Kingkiller Chronicles (Name of the Wind and Wise Man's fear) - Love them. One of the best series in fantasy, I should say. Eagerly awaiting the final sequel.
This is not a single story, though most have a common underlying thread which references some books to others. The first book 'Gardens of the Moon' is also the best of the lot. Would have been much much better if only it was in any kind of structure. The first book's sequel is the 3rd. The 2nd books sequel is the 4th and both stories are linked in the 5th and so forth. Then there are standalone stories like 'Night of Knives' which give background and introduce characters, but not directly linked to main theme.
Will take quite some time to finish the series, but if you do you will not be disappointed.
Sad to hear that Colin Wilson (The Occult, The Outsider, A Criminal History of Mankind) has passed away.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Wilson
http://t.co/vrQQWL9ecq
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Wilson
http://t.co/vrQQWL9ecq
I have started reading The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin. Also started Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson but I am going slower with it... sometimes, I feel like I can't manage to read any more slow-paced books with lot of pages.
When I read these books in the summer, I think it was only Alock who has read them and we discussed a lot for those book. Now it seems that there areplenty of other people who have read/are reading them which is a very good thing. More people need to know about those books.
Besides that, the fantasy book thread is pretty much Kingkiller Chronicles thread.
The Tournament- Matthew Reilly.
Read it before I started NOTW. Best description is probably 'meh'. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't that great either. I feel like rereading some of Dan Brown's books for some reason.
Read it before I started NOTW. Best description is probably 'meh'. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't that great either. I feel like rereading some of Dan Brown's books for some reason.
Anyone read his dark materials trilogy by Phillip Pullman?
It's the Golden Compass books, right? Started it some time ago, but felt it leaned more towards kids than adults, but that was just after few days of reading. Never picked it up again.
Could be wrong though.
Just started on Game of Thrones, so should be OK for next month or so
It's nice, but I felt it lacks the punch. The part on him going to faerieland and coming out alive lacks the oomph factor imho. You don't get the classic heroism coming from Kvothe yet.
In summer I was probably busy with Malazan series. I used to be a voracious reader. All the way from Enid Blyton to Hardy Boys to Clancy/Forsyth/Grisham and in last few years gravitated to SciFi/Fantasy.
The emergence of iPad helped me greatly as I can lug a whole collection with little effort!
As teen books go they're brilliant.
Yup. A good introduction to fantasy too, but I'm not sure I would recommend reading it after more sophisticated fantasy reads.
Though it's far easier to read than most, so if that's what you're looking for.. it's on the level of Harry Potter.
It's a fun read for sure.
I read the first book three years ago, it was a pleasant reading but not that impressive for me. I probably disliked the fact that the big problem at the end is completely unrelated to the story, more like the author thought only after a while "we need a big event at the end, so I will just send the hero somewhere and out of the blue he will have something big to do. And no need to "correct" the pages before so the reader won't think it's completely random.". ><
So far this year, the fantasy serie that has impressed me is the Fencer trilogy by K.J. Parker, even if it's a ruthless and amusing serie. For maybe some first books, the author really knows how to make readers care about some characters and places, and also how to use them... though there are few incoherencies.
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I have finished Hear the wind sing by Haruki Murakami, so I have read all his novels, except of course the last one, whose translation should be out next year. I can't say it is the most interesting one, maybe an atmosphere quite close to Norwegian wood.
I really enjoyed Conn Igulden's books on Caesar even though he veers away from the truth for the sake of his story.
I enjoyed Ayn's Rand's Atlas shrugged and the Fountainhead, I don't what that says about me...
I also read War and Peace that was one of my favourites, I struggled in the war scenes to actually picture the battlescenes though.
I enjoyed Ayn's Rand's Atlas shrugged and the Fountainhead, I don't what that says about me...
I also read War and Peace that was one of my favourites, I struggled in the war scenes to actually picture the battlescenes though.
I liked you before reading this post
Seriously, I am amazed by myself how the heck I loved his books when I was on high school and how I have managed to read all of his 6 books (Angels and Demons, and Da Vinci Code multiple times). It is like reading the same shit all over again.
Are you talking about Name of the Wind here? I'm confused.
There were a number of reasons relevant to the main story arc for Kwothe to leave the University and head to where he did. Plus, even if it had been a side-plot - what would be wrong with that? Even if a side plot is the main focus of a book, if it's part of a series I'm not sure why that's an issue since it adds to the story and evolves the character.
I liked you before reading this post
Seriously, I am amazed by myself how the heck I loved his books when I was on high school and how I have managed to read all of his 6 books (Angels and Demons, and Da Vinci Code multiple times). It is like reading the same shit all over again.
I like how his female characters are always hot
I like how his female characters are always hot
They are all the same, just with different names. Sophie Neveu is Vittoria Vetra with French accent. Same about two other Langdon's girls.
The only exception is Susan Fletcher, which is pretty much a female version of Robert Landgon.
Read a book called Child 44 recently. It was a murder story based in Stalin's Russia. Found it a very good read and will try pick up the sequels.
Read Les Mis too and did like it but found some of the characters a bit annoying.
Read Les Mis too and did like it but found some of the characters a bit annoying.
Rereading A Season With Verona by Tim Parks. Highly recommended if you like reading about football and are interested in Italian fan culture (and Italian culture in general.) Parks is a great writer.