October 2019 reading thread

[Brian G Turner]

And back to what we're reading...

Picked up a little book from a local museum: Beyond the edge of the empire - Caledonians, Picts and Romans by Dr Fraser Hunter, which is doing a really good job of trying to describe what was happening in Scotland during the Roman period, despite very limited archaeology. This has become a serious subject of interest for me.

 

[tobl]

55% are

And who exactly is we? By my personal estimate, idiocy in mankind is a constant. About 55 per cent of us are morons. And what does that say about democracy? But let‘s not get political.

55%? aren't you an optimist.
read the chess team books by jeremy robinson. they are ok to pass the time i guess but never did catch my interest

 

[Ian Fortytwo]

I'm currently reading David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens. It is an abridged version.

 

[tobl]

I'm currently reading David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens. It is an abridged version.

Why read abridged? Never got the idea

 

[Vince W]

I'm currently reading David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens. It is an abridged version.

I wouldn't even know where to begin in abridging Dickens.

 

[tobl]

I wouldn't even know where to begin in abridging Dickens.

I might understand for books like War and peace. I heard there's a lot of fluff. But for Dickens? Or most other authors?

 

[Ian Fortytwo]

I wouldn't even know where to begin in abridging Dickens.

I might understand for books like War and peace. I heard there's a lot of fluff. But for Dickens? Or most other authors?

It has been done very well, I have read the original version, and the abridged does not lose any of the main details. Yes you can see what is missing, yet you can enjoy it just as much.

 

[vanye]

55%? aren't you an optimist.

Good-looking, too

Finished The Fifth Science by Exurb1a. Was not quite what I expected. Thought it was a novel, but it turned out to be a collection of short stories, all sharing same universe as a setting, so loosely connected. I finished it in spite of this surprise (not really a fan of short stories, I like the longer forms). All in all, very likable. A nice change of pace, very imaginative and one very scary story: The idea of social media extrapolated into the future. *shudder* So, this turns out a recommendation, after all.

Also finished Prayers in Steel by Michael McClung, the first in his new series (The Skin Walker War). I liked the first four books in his Amra Thetys series a lot, so this was a no-brainer for me. However, it lacked something compared to the Amra Thetys books. A lightness, an underlying good humour that makes the grim world in which it is set just a colourful canvas. So I am not sure if I‘ll continue this series. Got book 5 of Amra Thetys (The Thief Who Went To War) instead.

Right now halfway into Django Wexler‘s The Thousand Names.

 

[Parson]

I just finished a story (novella?) Ark by Veronica Roth. One of the rare apocalyptic stories which actually has hope. Took an hour to read it, and felt it was well worth it.

 

[AndrewT]

I might understand for books like War and peace. I heard there's a lot of fluff. But for Dickens? Or most other authors?

I'm kind of a stickler about reading the full version. The one where the abridging is most criticized is Les Misérables. There must be more than a half dozen cuts taking the book from 1500 pages to 1200, 1000, 900, 600, and even 375 pages. I read the full thing and none of it should be removed except for one to two pages where he inserts this absurd description of a man drowning that has nothing whatsoever to do with the story. That was most odd. But everything else seemed appropriate backstory supporting delivery of the punchline.

 

[Galactic Bus Driver]

Finished the three current books of the Lady Sherlock series, read the fistd Morrigan Crow book by Jessica Townsend and have just started book 2. The Harry Potter influence is fairly obvious, but they're still pretty good reads. Looking forward to book 3 next march.

 

[elvet]

I just finished a story (novella?) Ark by Veronica Roth. One of the rare apocalyptic stories which actually has hope. Took an hour to read it, and felt it was well worth it.

I’ve never been a fan of the genre because of this. Any post apocalyptic books I have read have been overwhelmingly depressing.

 

[tobl]

I’ve never been a fan of the genre because of this. Any post apocalyptic books I have read have been overwhelmingly depressing.

I'm sorry and I mean no disrespect but you seriously thought that a post-apocalyptic book would be uplifting?? you do know the meaning of the words right?

 

[Brian G Turner]

I'm sorry and I mean no disrespect but you seriously thought that a post-apocalyptic book would be uplifting?? you do know the meaning of the words right?

I would expect a sense of hope. Otherwise, what's the point of reading a story where people survive a great calamity, only to slowly die off themselves?

 

[Overread]

I'm sorry and I mean no disrespect but you seriously thought that a post-apocalyptic book would be uplifting?? you do know the meaning of the words right?

Post Apoc only means that the story is set after some major (normally global or greater) disaster that threw society and technology apart. However after that point they can vary a huge amount in terms of the nature of the survival and how hopeless or hopeful they are. Often I find that the more dark and depressing ones tend to be set very close to after the disaster event; whilst those that often, at least, end on a happier note tend to be set further from the disaster event and when people are starting, in some form, to rebuild (often as not its overthrowing some evil/dark/nasty lord/raiders or somesuch and then at the end everyone is building to a better future etc...

 

[elvet]

I'm sorry and I mean no disrespect but you seriously thought that a post-apocalyptic book would be uplifting?? you do know the meaning of the words right?

The two books/series that I have read fall into that catagory, yet I enjoyed were Seveneves and Hugh Howey’s Wool/Dust/Shift trilogy. I think it was because most of the stories took place away from the damage and devastation of the planet, even though one was in a bunker.

 

[tobl]

I would expect a sense of hope. Otherwise, what's the point of reading a story where people survive a great calamity, only to slowly die off themselves?

Post Apoc only means that the story is set after some major (normally global or greater) disaster that threw society and technology apart. However after that point they can vary a huge amount in terms of the nature of the survival and how hopeless or hopeful they are. Often I find that the more dark and depressing ones tend to be set very close to after the disaster event; whilst those that often, at least, end on a happier note tend to be set further from the disaster event and when people are starting, in some form, to rebuild (often as not its overthrowing some evil/dark/nasty lord/raiders or somesuch and then at the end everyone is building to a better future etc...

yes i know, and good guys win against the bad guys and everyone learn from their mistakes and his happy ever after. too bad is just in books

 

[Rodders]

Just finished The Dark at the End, which leads directly into Nightworld.

Sorry to see the end of the Repairman Jack series. All fifteen books have been consistently good or better. I still have the Young Repairman Jack and Repairman Jack: The Early Years, but the main cycle has gone now.

To see him off, I'm rereading Nightworld. (the final novel in the Adversary Cycle. I'm curious to see how much different this story will be now that i know more.)

 

[tobl]

Just finished The Dark at the End, which leads directly into Nightworld.

Sorry to see the end of the Repairman Jack series. All fifteen books have been consistently good or better. I still have the Young Repairman Jack and Repairman Jack: The Early Years, but the main cycle has gone now.

To see him off, I'm rereading Nightworld. (the final novel in the Adversary Cycle. I'm curious to see how much different this story will be now that i know more.)

never did got interested in the books.. tried a couple of times to no avail

 

[thaddeus6th]

I've just started the third Chronicles of the Black Gate book (got the first three as an e-book bundle). I like the series a lot, though my progress has been slow due to external factors.

Easy to read, with an interesting world and lore, plus the high fantasy is a nice change of pace from "Grr, everything's rubbish" grimdark.