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Post by Solana on May 10, 2011 18:27:07 GMT -5
You've got me officially hooked on Terry Pratchett now, Ambrienne. ;D I'm presently enjoying my way through 'Pyramids'. I've also picked up and read through Tamora Pierce's first anthology, and will hopefully get to meet her in person in June!!!! She's been my favorite author since my middle school years.
(BTW, the 'Gwenhwyfar' novel was great the first 80%, with the ending feeling WAY too rushed and disconnected. I think a few more months may have made a difference.)
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Post by Rune Lai on Jun 12, 2011 16:53:33 GMT -5
Just finished reading Mark Chadbourn's The Silver Skull and The Scar-Crow Men. It's a good mix of action-adventure fantasy set against a historical backdrop (specifically Elizabethian England) with a lot of spies and conspiracy. Now I want the third book, dammit.
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Post by Rune Lai on Jul 7, 2011 20:44:33 GMT -5
Finished reading "On Stranger Tides" by Tim Powers. Not at all like the Pirates of the Caribbean movie. It looks like Blackbeard, his zombie flunkies, the Fountain of Youth, and carrying a captive maiden through the Florida jungle are about all they kept.
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Post by Roas on Jul 7, 2011 20:52:19 GMT -5
Finished reading "On Stranger Tides" by Tim Powers. Not at all like the Pirates of the Caribbean movie. It looks like Blackbeard, his zombie flunkies, the Fountain of Youth, and carrying a captive maiden through the Florida jungle are about all they kept. I saw a Jack Sparrow prequal book a little while ago. Supposed to detail how he first encountered Lord Becket and the adventure that ensued. I liked PotC 4. Had that same fun feel as the first three. And the soundtrack was awesome. August will be my time for books. I'll be getting three for the price of two: 2 Star Wars books and the new Sword of Truth book. They should last me all of 4-5 days once I have my hands on them.
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Post by Rune Lai on Jul 8, 2011 15:33:45 GMT -5
PotC was fun, but I was kinda hoping more of that came from the book On Stranger Tides (since books generally are deeper than the movie version). It's not that On Stranger Tides is bad, but it's just a different story.
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Post by Rune Lai on Aug 22, 2011 17:06:36 GMT -5
Finished a reread of Fire Sea by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman for analytical purposes. It was my favorite installment of the Death Gate Cycle so I wanted to break down how it worked. I took a lot of notes. Then for good measure I reread a lot of the Seventh Gate, and was reminded of why I wasn't happy with the series by the end of it.
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Post by Roas on Aug 22, 2011 17:15:41 GMT -5
Finished a reread of Fire Sea by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman for analytical purposes. It was my favorite installment of the Death Gate Cycle so I wanted to break down how it worked. I took a lot of notes. Then for good measure I reread a lot of the Seventh Gate, and was reminded of why I wasn't happy with the series by the end of it. I liked that series. Cost...it's lost to my llbrary due to various things outside of my control. I finished my last two Star Wars books. New Sword of Truth: Omen Machine is in the mail as I write this. Should get it by next week.
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Post by Rune Lai on Aug 23, 2011 11:08:53 GMT -5
I'm probably going to start Naomi Novik's Temeraire series next. It's a planned nine book series and isn't done yet. Oof. With all the upsets in bookstores and publishers these days it might be the last series I'll be able to buy in mass paperback.
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Post by Anon Mous on Aug 23, 2011 11:37:56 GMT -5
I'm reading Technical Communication Today . . . Oh this section really isn't for class books, is it?
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Post by Ambrienne on Aug 23, 2011 17:21:25 GMT -5
Hey, if you're reading it, it counts.
After all, no one said it had to be fun.
I just finished reading the first age worth of Stefan Gagne's Anachronauts series. I'd try to describe it, but that probably wouldn't do it justice. Just... if you've ever read his Slayers works, you'll definitely like this, too.
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Post by Rune Lai on Aug 23, 2011 21:00:42 GMT -5
I usually disliked my class books. Except for the well-written science text. (I wasn't a bio major for nothing.) For a writer though, I detested most of my assigned reading in my various English classes. Romeo and Juliet was a bore. Thomas Hardy makes me want to do horrible things to his books. I did not like Huck Finn.
But I did find some of my books enjoyable aside from the science stuff. Animal Farm was good. All Quiet on the Western Front was good. Lord of the Flies was good.
I suspect I might even own a copy of All Quiet of the Western Front. I've been doing a fair bit of WWI research lately so I'm hoping to find it (if I have it).
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Post by Anon Mous on Aug 23, 2011 22:32:28 GMT -5
I usually disliked my class books. Except for the well-written science text. (I wasn't a bio major for nothing.) For a writer though, I detested most of my assigned reading in my various English classes. Romeo and Juliet was a bore. Thomas Hardy makes me want to do horrible things to his books. I did not like Huck Finn. THANK YOU! Finally someone else said it. The word "classic" is thrown around so often for books that it no longer has any meaning. To me, "classic" is something that can be related to and understood in any generation. Romeo and Juliet, people don't relate to nearly as much anymore. Plus, even if you update the language, the monologues would make anyone now just say, "Get on with it." Don't know Thomas Hardy, so I can't comment on him. Huck Finn, I get it. It was good for the time. It's a historically relavent book. That doesn't mean it still has the same impact. My favorite (forced to read) "classic" was Dances With Wolves. It was one of the few books in which everyone in the class said, "Wow, that was good," by the end of it.
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Post by Rune Lai on Aug 28, 2011 3:06:41 GMT -5
I don't seem to own a copy of All Quiet on the Western Front but I checked one out form the library (people still go to those things?!) since I wanted to look at a non-fiction book for story research. Still good, though a little more disjointed than I remember. On the other hand, I wasn't reading it in the span of a couple days originally, so I probably expected a bit of disjointedness back then.
I also read The Road Back which is the sequel to All Quiet. Betcha didn't know there was one! I'm now kicking myself for not having read it sooner. It's a good piece of work. Though it doesn't have the despairing anti-war message of the first book, it's a good look at what the WWI veterans were in for when they went back to Germany.
One scene I found particularly moving was when the wounded and underfed Germans were trekking back home to Germany after the cease-fire and were met by American soldiers. The Americans traded them food and real bandages in exchange for old blood-covered bandages (to take home as trophies) and medals the Germans no longer cared about. It really captures how awkward it was for the Germans to accept even though they needed the food and had been using paper instead of cloth to bind injuries.
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Post by Solana on Aug 28, 2011 10:17:56 GMT -5
As large a book nut as I am, I also hated most of the assigned books during classes. I think sophomore and junior year in HS were dedicated to 'things to try and make you depressed.' Even so, the one book I never finished was 'The Interesting Narrative of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African, Written By Himself'. Seriously, I'd be surprised if the guy never broke his arm patting himself on the back so many times. He had about four pages dedicated to a list of rich/important people who had read his book.
Except for an awesome 'Religion and Politics in Science Fiction' seminar I took in college, I'm very disappointed that my English classes didn't dip into science fiction or fantasy for analysis. These stories often handle large issues and cases for morality and consequences. In fact, I think that they can get away with it more in a satirical way because the different universe takes an extra step away from current events and can cloak specific people but still present their side/opinion.
As for the current reading, I've been flipping through the unofficial Harry Potter cookbook and figuring out how to adjust some of the recipes and enjoying the history of certain dishes.
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Post by Anon Mous on Aug 28, 2011 17:29:04 GMT -5
Rune, you may get a kick out of this. A historical roast style comedy routine by Scott Dunn. Sorry I couldn't find a video or audio of the actual performance. scottdunncomedy.com/roast4.html
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