Really? I would say they are very, very different. Sanderson's strong side is in no way plot subtlety and complexity + it's way less gritty.
I enjoyed it too though. Have you tried Mistborn?
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Really? I would say they are very, very different. Sanderson's strong side is in no way plot subtlety and complexity + it's way less gritty.
I enjoyed it too though. Have you tried Mistborn?
No this is my first one! Will definitely continue the series and puck up a few others of his. Recommendations?
Yeh it's a lot more "romantic" than Game of Thrones for sure, I purely meant in the sense of the genre and viewpoints as it was recommended to me as an alternative to GoT whilst waiting for the new book.
As mentioned first Sanderson book but I'll keep my eye out for more now, did you prefer Mistborn or Stormlight?
Heard really good things about this.
Ah, okay then, I agree.
A bit difficult to compare them, with the Stormlight Archive being far from finished. As of now I think I prefer Mistborn, although I certainly don't think it's impossible that Stormlight might end up being the better one in the end.
You'll definitely like Mistborn if you liked Stormlight though - Sanderson is ridiculously consistent, almost to a fault, and all of his books are set in the same 'Cosmos', so the logic behind all the magic systems and such is pretty much the same, although it does differ quite a bit.
Mistborn, Elantris Warbreaker and Stormlight Archive are all part of the same universe. Sorry for spoiling this for you.
Mistborn in itself is quite a good read with a different and unique magic system but to do true justice to the series you have to read all the three books.
Also, we have a thread dedicated to discuss Fantasy Novels
Cheers guys, looks like ill have to put Girl in the Spider's Web on hold for a bit!
Just finished Defending Jacob by William Landay, was recommended by a family member. It's a pretty captivating book if you're into court drama and some family drama. The whodunnit element ultimately proves to be pretty disappointing. However, as whole, I found the psychological/parenting aspect portrayed in this book compelling and slightly disturbing. Stay until the very end, it's 105% worth it.
Give it a look to Fantasy Reading thread in the Caf.
Anyway, Martin and Sanderson are completely different. Sanderson is basically a rip off of Jordan, who in turn is a rip off of Tolkien. Martin on the other side is a bit more innovative and probably together with Cook and Kay * started the grimdark fantasy subgenre which at the moment seems to dominate the fantasy genre (with the likes of Abercrombie, Lawrence, Bakker etc).
Anyway, I like Sanderson. While not polished as much as Tolkien and Jordan, the story is a bit faster, and there are a ton of twists in his books. Also, he is one of the few who isn't afraid of killing hi characters. For all the stick that Martin gets, Sanderson is as ruthless as him when it comes to killing his characters.
* While not exactly grimdark, Kay is one of the first who started using gray characters in the fantasy genre.
I recently finished Murakami's Colourless Tsukura Tazaki. It had an interesting premise but it didn't pay off. There is little depth to the characters apart from the main protagonist but there a lot events which are open to different interpretations and theories which make it a good read if you like that sort of stuff. 6.5/10
Just finished White Teeth by Zadie Smith.
Fantastic read, probably my second favourite contemporary novel after Infinite Jest. Can't wrap my head around the fact that it was published when she was 24.
Fantastic read, probably my second favourite contemporary novel after Infinite Jest. Can't wrap my head around the fact that it was published when she was 24.
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Reading The Crying Of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon. It's fecking strange.
Ha. I'm reading IJ now after reading Gravity's Rainbow about a year ago.
Gravity's Rainbow was too much of a slog for me to actually enjoy - some sections were fun, while others were just too uncomprehensible and difficult to follow that I couldn't get anything from them. Infinite Jest seems much better so far, the characters are easier to relate to, even when you lose track of how everything ties together, and most importantly it's hilarious. I even enjoyed the six page footnote of the Director's filmography.
What did you think of it in the end?
Currently reading Sapiens as part of my Critical Thinking group. Interesting read.
It was pretty disappointing. The weakest of his novels I've read.
Nobel announcement tomorrow btw.
I'm about 100 pages into The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell at the moment. I enjoyed Cloud Atlas, and this seems equally as good so far.
It's a great book. Pynchon's use of language is, as he might, put it, groovy. Almost Joycean. His writing is never ham-fisted and he can toy around with ideas very well.
Currently reading The Sublime Object of Ideology by Slavoj Zizek. Huge mistake. I'll stick to his essays and videos once I'm done.
Why do you like them so much and what other contemporary books have you read?
Today is the the premiere of new Robert Galbraith crime fiction novel “Career of Evil”. This is the third book in the Cormoran Strike series. I’m getting really excited as The Cuckoo’s Calling and The Silkworm were excellent, probably the best crime fiction novels I’ve read in the past 2 years.
Any fans of the series on the Cafe?
Any fans of the series on the Cafe?
My reading's taken a hit the last month or so, with other stuff going on. I was hoping on getting through 20 books this year (GoodReads goal), but unless I start cherry picking them based on length (which would be contradicting the point entirely) I see that I'm probably going to end up with just 15. It was no-books-spring that did me, I'll have to be reading regularly throughout the entire year for 2016 to reach my goal.
I'm currently halfway through Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere. Only my second book of his, as I've read The Ocean at The End of the Lane (American Gods is next up). It was reading about Patrick Rothfuss' admiration of Gaiman that made me decide to explore his bibliography further.
Neverwhere is certainly interesting, but I'm, for some reason, finding it hard to follow at times. It feels very compressed.
I'm currently halfway through Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere. Only my second book of his, as I've read The Ocean at The End of the Lane (American Gods is next up). It was reading about Patrick Rothfuss' admiration of Gaiman that made me decide to explore his bibliography further.
Neverwhere is certainly interesting, but I'm, for some reason, finding it hard to follow at times. It feels very compressed.
Try Good Omens too, the book Gaiman wrote with Terry Pratchett, it's a fun one. So far my fave book of Gaiman is Coraline but it's more a child book. I have to give a second try to American Gods though.
I need to read 20 books to reach my goal of the year (already reached my GoodReads one set way lower), I will probably read few Shakespeare plays to help me (and to know what are some of the known plots).
I finished Japanese Tales of Mystery & Imagination by Edogawa Rampo. Good reading, some stories are brillant, I especially liked the Human Chair and the one where someone spoke of all the kills he committed without being found the culprit.
I started Mad Ship by Robin Hobb.
I need to read 20 books to reach my goal of the year (already reached my GoodReads one set way lower), I will probably read few Shakespeare plays to help me (and to know what are some of the known plots).
I finished Japanese Tales of Mystery & Imagination by Edogawa Rampo. Good reading, some stories are brillant, I especially liked the Human Chair and the one where someone spoke of all the kills he committed without being found the culprit.
I started Mad Ship by Robin Hobb.
Having been at Uni for 3 and a bit years now I haven't read a book for enjoyment purposes for a long time but I've decided now is the time to do so again. I've started reading Lamentation by C. J. Sansom, it's the latest in the Shardlake series, probably one of my favourite book series, great character.
Recommendations after this? Similar novels?
Just finished reading it.
Lamentation: As with all Sharlake books it grips you, there is more than one mystery to solve, and in the 2nd half of the book the end of each chapter gives you new information that leaves you anxious to read on. Good but sad conclusion in this one but leaves me intrigued as to how the story will move on from herein. 7/10
Recommendations after this? Similar novels?
Just finished reading it.
Lamentation: As with all Sharlake books it grips you, there is more than one mystery to solve, and in the 2nd half of the book the end of each chapter gives you new information that leaves you anxious to read on. Good but sad conclusion in this one but leaves me intrigued as to how the story will move on from herein. 7/10
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Well, what started off very good somehow managed to nosedive into a bit of a mess. The character perspectives of Hugo Lamb, Holly Sykes and the author chap whose name currently escapes me were very enjoyable. Unfortunately, it lost its way the more it delved into the story of the Atemporals and the Anchorites and it all got a bit too silly for my liking.
Anyone read Go Set a Watchman yet? Not sure if I can bring myself to read it, TKaM was one of the greatest novels I've ever read.
I Finished Alice and the Fly by James Rice. It's a story about a boy who suffers from schizophrenia and is written from his perspective in form of a diary.
It's an incredibly sad novel but it gave me some insight on the condition and how the majority of people deal with it. As it is it written from a personal diary it is incredibly honest which provides a range of emotions from humorous to at times very disturbing. Overall a really well told novel, which I highly recommend.
It's an incredibly sad novel but it gave me some insight on the condition and how the majority of people deal with it. As it is it written from a personal diary it is incredibly honest which provides a range of emotions from humorous to at times very disturbing. Overall a really well told novel, which I highly recommend.
The Martian: Funny as heck, very entertaining and light read. Highly recommend. Will probably check out the movie at some point.
The Girl on the Train: I seriously don't understand the praise/hype around this book. Gone Girl it's not - it's actually a far cry from it. The story is very mediocre, the twist is somewhat disappointing, if not predictable. The main character is just plainly annoying (excuse me if I can't relate to an amnesic alcoholic). The whole thing could've been a lot more condense, too, maybe by a hundred pages.
The Girl on the Train: I seriously don't understand the praise/hype around this book. Gone Girl it's not - it's actually a far cry from it. The story is very mediocre, the twist is somewhat disappointing, if not predictable. The main character is just plainly annoying (excuse me if I can't relate to an amnesic alcoholic). The whole thing could've been a lot more condense, too, maybe by a hundred pages.
Ordered Hitchcock/Truffaut and Sidney Lumets' Making Movies today.
Has anyone read any DeLillo and where would they recommend starting? Underworld? @Everest Red
Has anyone read any DeLillo and where would they recommend starting? Underworld? @Everest Red
My missus is a huge fan of Mockingbird so I bought it for her and she seems underwhelmed. Apparently it's better to think of it as a companion piece rather than a sequel, as it's quite sketchy and has the feel of an early draft, as opposed to a complete novel.
The things she's told me about Atticus, her favourite ever character no less, have got me thinking I might've irreversibly tainted Mockingbird by getting it for her. Not good!
Yea. He used to be a Pynchon copycat but became a very interesting writer. His sentences are very very well done. Read his interview in Paris review which is a treat.
Underworld is a tome. The first 100 or so pages were published as a novella and that's sublime stuff. The novel fades away but it has interesting parts.
White noise is an obvious starting point. Libra is amazing. I liked Mao II but read it after you read some of his books.
That's all I can personally recommend. His short stories are stellar as well.
Thanks. I actually nicked a copy of White Noise from my high school once upon a time but I've lost it. I might start with that.
It's captivating. One caveat though: he's tough. The sentences are lucid and all but it can be tough to finish paragraphs sometimes.
I've spent much of the last year reading Joyce, Foster Wallace, McCarthy and Pynchon so now is probably a good time for that!
Dfw btw admired delillo a lot. In some sense Delillo is a mature guy conveying ideas dfw tried getting across.
Thanks for the tip, I'll definitely check out Good Omens as well. Coraline, I've watched the movie and thought it fantastic, and I didn't even knew it was a Gaiman book until recently, but I'll certainly have to read the book as well now that I do. It's a while since I watched the movie too, so I don't remember the details.
Shakespeare plays are probably way beyond my comprehension of English, so I doubt I'll get to those any time soon
Anyways, I finished up Neverwhere tonight. It really picked up during the second half, and I got much more invested in the story as it progressed from there on and out. And I thought the ending was absolutely perfect; the last page almost brought me to tears. There was wisdom about life in there I am certain, but I am not up to deciphering it now, so I will go to bed and ponder about it in my dreams instead.
Hmm, think I'll give it a miss for now.
I echo your sentiments here.
Hows Pillars of Earth?
I purchased it on a whim sometime back and its lying on my table since then. Have time next week so can catch up on to - read list. Its a toss up between Pillars of Earth and Gardens of Moon
I purchased it on a whim sometime back and its lying on my table since then. Have time next week so can catch up on to - read list. Its a toss up between Pillars of Earth and Gardens of Moon
Anyone read the Girl in the Spider's Web yet?
I really enjoyed Pillars of earth. Even if some characters are really black and white. Though it didn't prevent me to hate so much a character that was so manichean evil. I wasn't fan of the very beginning but I was captivated by the next scenes. I even tried to push it on some of my acquaintances, so far no success. Granted, I don't really read much historical books and it may be seen really dramatic.
Finished Book of Ivy, it was so-so even if the end was surprising, not sure if I really like the end because in a way it seems the MC kind of shot her own feet to make it dramatic.
I completely gave up trying to read him directly too. I read some french translations with explanations. I just want to know the plots. From what I have read so far, there's only Othello I have enjoyed and appreciated.
Finished Book of Ivy, it was so-so even if the end was surprising, not sure if I really like the end because in a way it seems the MC kind of shot her own feet to make it dramatic.
Shakespeare plays are probably way beyond my comprehension of English, so I doubt I'll get to those any time soon
I completely gave up trying to read him directly too. I read some french translations with explanations. I just want to know the plots. From what I have read so far, there's only Othello I have enjoyed and appreciated.
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