What Books Are You Reading Right Now?

[Seerow]

Just finished Words of Radiance after a 9 hour session of reading last night and another 8ish hours after waking up today.

I am so glad I had nothing better to do this week. Entirely worth it.

[IthilanorStPete]

Just finished Words of Radiance after a 9 hour session of reading last night and another 8ish hours after waking up today.

I am so glad I had nothing better to do this week. Entirely worth it.

Glad to hear it! Judging by the number of people who've posted about in this thread, I think it's worth making a separate thread about it. I'll be getting it tomorrow, so I'll join the discussion in a couple of days.

[Knaight]

Glad to hear it! Judging by the number of people who've posted about in this thread, I think it's worth making a separate thread about it. I'll be getting it tomorrow, so I'll join the discussion in a couple of days.

That probably is good, particularly for those of us who won't be getting it for a while (I'm currently hold #4 at the library, and in the event that I get access to it at the same time The Knight and The Blast Furnace comes in, it gets kicked to second priority).

[warty goblin]

That probably is good, particularly for those of us who won't be getting it for a while (I'm currently hold #4 at the library, and in the event that I get access to it at the same time The Knight and The Blast Furnace comes in, it gets kicked to second priority).

I approve of your priorities, although I shudder to think how much you must have paid for that.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by IthilanorStPete
Judging by the number of people who've posted about [Words of Radiance] in this thread, I think it's worth making a separate thread about it. I'll be getting it tomorrow, so I'll join the discussion in a couple of days.

A separate thread for Words of Radiance is definitely the right approach. Knaight can savor that #4 spot on the holds list; I'm at #9. If I'm lucky I'll see a copy by July.

Originally Posted by Wardog
I've decided to take a bit of a break [from Game of Thrones] before starting the third, because there is only so much "You know those people who's plans you were following for half a book? Well they're all dead and/or raped now" that I [can] cope with in one go.

Yeah. Just knowing this makes me uninterested in reading the books.

Originally Posted by Werekat
...I've also been reading a lot of Larry Niven.... The hard SF details are indeed very interesting, both in Integral Trees and in Destiny's Road. The descriptions of local plant and animal life are awesome, and the many ways humans coexist with these species are also great.

The characters, however, and what would be hard SF concerning cultural details.... He is also pretty repetitive in some aspects of his protagonists' lives, the most prominent of which is his penchant for inserting lovemaking in the dark into every few chapters, breaths mingling and all that. And, of course, for the many and varied hot women that jump on his protagonist, whoever he may be.

For the most part, Niven's characters are the thinnest sort of cardboard. Louis Wu was fairly interesting in Ringworld, but most of the others--and especially in Integral Trees--were flimsy and one-dimensional. There was a time I devoured Niven, but I haven't read anything of his in many years, in large part because so much of it seemed so flat in retrospect.

This is where Asimov always surprised me--because even though he had books and series spanning tens of millennia across the galaxy, there was always a refreshingly human warmth to his writing and his characters. Yes, some of them were bare-bones archetypes, especially in his earlier novels; but even then they could surprise you, and individuals like the Mule could be genuinely poignant.

Stephen Baxter is another writer whose ideas are pan-cosmic and whose characters are stiff, stilted stereotypes. He's almost too classic, an engineer who's more comfortable with inanimate structures than imprecise humanity.

.

[Knaight]

I approve of your priorities, although I shudder to think how much you must have paid for that.

Inter Library Loan is a glorious, glorious thing. It cost me $0.00 in total, though if I turn it back in late that's changing.

A separate thread for Words of Radiance is definitely the right approach. Knaight can savor that #4 spot on the holds list; I'm at #9. If I'm lucky I'll see a copy by July.

I'm optimistic about seeing it this month, if only because there are 3 books checked out.

[Cheesegear]

(Fun fact: In the time since A Storm of Swords, Jim Butcher has published 13 Dresden Files books, all but the first one, and the entire Codex Alera.)

Robert Jordan died, and had 15 books in 23 years, and those books aren't small, either. If you ignore the fact that he died, he at least got around to writing nine books in ten years.

Or, Hell, David Gemmell, who wrote his first book while he had cancer, and then wrote more books while he was dying.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Knaight
Inter Library Loan is a glorious, glorious thing. It cost me $0.00 in total....

I agree that ILL is fantastic, but how do you swing the free part? I have to pay incoming postage. It's usually two or three dollars, which isn't much compared to cover prices, but it still adds up.

[Knaight]

I agree that ILL is fantastic, but how do you swing the free part? I have to pay incoming postage. It's usually two or three dollars, which isn't much compared to cover prices, but it still adds up.

It might just be a quirk of how the local library system works - things are generally free. It might also be that the book comes from a fairly nearby library.

[Seerow]

A separate thread for Words of Radiance is definitely the right approach. Knaight can savor that #4 spot on the holds list; I'm at #9. If I'm lucky I'll see a copy by July.

Not sure there's enough people here who have finished it to warrant a discussion thread, sadly.

[Kymme]

I'm currently reading Into the Wild. It's a pretty short read, though, but I want it to last until the seventeenth. Then I can start reading A Clash of Kings and get all my Song of Ice and Fire needs out of my system for a while.

[banjo1985]

Perdido Street Station takes ages to go anywhere, but when it does it really takes off.

The Scar is the best of the Bas-Lag books though.

Yeah, I've been after the Scar, but it seems to be the only one that's hard to get in book stores. I could Kindle it, but you know, traditionalist here.

I've finished the first two books of the Game of Thrones septilogy (is that a word?).

I've decided to take a bit of a break before starting the third, because there is only so much "You know those people who's plans you were following for half a book? Well they're all dead and/or raped now" that I cope with in one go.

Definitely a good call. I've trawled through six, but I've always spaced them out between other books, because though they're good, they are a chore at times. Hopefully Martin will have gotten another written by the time I get round to the last one.

[BWR]

septilogy (is that a word?).

Septet is the word you're looking for.

[puriyavaala]

Since I'm snowbound today, it's a good time to nestle down in the papasan with a book and a cat. Just curious what other folks in the Playground are reading today, whether or not snow is a factor.

[happyturtle]

Robert Jordan died, and had 15 books in 23 years, and those books aren't small, either. If you ignore the fact that he died, he at least got around to writing nine books in ten years.

Or, Hell, David Gemmell, who wrote his first book while he had cancer, and then wrote more books while he was dying.

I haven't written a single book in all that time, so I can't complain. Besides, it's not like people are languishing with nothing to read while waiting for The Winds of Winter. My kindle 'to buy' list has 159 books on it, and is growing faster than I can whittle it down.

Current reading: The 2014 Campbellian Anthology (free download)

[Werekat]

I love Niven's stories, but one thing that really really REAAAAALLY bugged me about him was his handling of gender. He had three different species of alien (Kzinti, Puppeteer, and Thrintun) that had non-sapient females.

The Kzinti thing was walked back when more books about the Kzin-Man wars were written, but as originally designed, their females couldn't even talk.

One can be overlooked, two is suspicious, three is enemy action well, I don't know what it is. Unpleasant for women readers, at least.

Sheesh. Why did he even define them as female, then? Would probably have been people and symbiotic pets or something. And yes, decidedly unpleasant.

For the most part, Niven's characters are the thinnest sort of cardboard. Louis Wu was fairly interesting in Ringworld, but most of the others--and especially in Integral Trees--were flimsy and one-dimensional. There was a time I devoured Niven, but I haven't read anything of his in many years, in large part because so much of it seemed so flat in retrospect.

Yeah, I had a hard time distinguishing the two protagonists in the books I read. Their reactions followed a type. I'll take a look at Ringworld, though. Niven reminds me of Soviet union sci-fi art for some reason, where the people are not interesting, but the pretty stars! rockets! alien life forms! adventure! are the actual lure.

This is where Asimov always surprised me--because even though he had books and series spanning tens of millennia across the galaxy, there was always a refreshingly human warmth to his writing and his characters. Yes, some of them were bare-bones archetypes, especially in his earlier novels; but even then they could surprise you, and individuals like the Mule could be genuinely poignant.

Saving Azimov for dessert in my hard sci-fi marathon. :) I've read his stories when I was a child and remember them quite fondly.

Stephen Baxter is another writer whose ideas are pan-cosmic and whose characters are stiff, stilted stereotypes. He's almost too classic, an engineer who's more comfortable with inanimate structures than imprecise humanity.

I actually like that kind of stuff - I work with human irrationality on a daily basis, and it's a welcome break - but there's a minimum level that does bother me. Human society actually isn't so imprecise as it seems, but sci-fi focusing on sociology and societies is so rare to come by! Bujold's actually the best attempt I know at the moment. If anyone knows of other books that focus on society and reaction, they'd be a welcome recommendation.

[BWR]

The big one to choose here must be John Brunner. "Stand on Zanzibar" is a big work and a damning critique of consumerism, overpopulation and media problems. Other works like "the Whole Man", "The Jagged Orbit" and "Total Eclipse" are also highly recommended.

Most any SF by Ursula leGuin.
Jack Vance does create some fascinating societies, but they are a bit superficial and are mostly shown through the eyes of more 'sensible' people being bewildered by strange customs and laws.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Werekat
...sci-fi focusing on sociology and societies is so rare to come by! Bujold's actually the best attempt I know at the moment. If anyone knows of other books that focus on society and reaction, they'd be a welcome recommendation.

If this is your interest, I would really recommend the Foreigner series by C.J. Cherryh. I was about to mention her before, as a counterpoint to the stars! rockets! alien life forms! approach you described so well above.

C.J. was trained in archaeology and ancient cultures, and her books are often defined by a fine awareness of anthropological and interpersonal nuance. Subtle emotion and careful undercurrent are more important to her than abstruse points of physics, although she's paid far more attention to actual interstellar geography than many other writers. Her talents with language and culture help define the Foreigner series.

Spoiler: Foreigner Overview

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In the Foreigner books, a severely lost shipload of human colonists has no choice but to coexist with a native humanoid species, the atevi, whose society was on the cusp of earliest industrialization when the foreigners arrived. Much of the history of their rocky coexistence, as well as the novels themselves, is shaped by the very different cultural assumptions of the two species, and C.J. explores the landscape of alien emotion with deep respect and finesse.

The series follows Bren Cameron, a linguist and lexicographer who's posted to the atevi government as a liaison, and whose understanding of atevi language and culture is key to the series' exploration of human-atevi interactions, both political and emotional. One of the fundamental questions of the series is how exactly, on a daily and personal level, to manage coexistence between two species with fundamentally different neural wiring, with radically different social instincts and expectations.

Much of the intellectual challenge in the first few novels is following Bren's insights into how the hardwired biology of the atevi has shaped the development of their social structure and their current civilization. This is an underlying theme in many of C.J.'s novels, and it's most carefully detailed in the Foreigner series.

Also, echoing Asimov, the series manages to be not only intelligent and wonderfully well-considered, but also very human and often quite funny. C.J. has a knack for taking sly advantage of the potential for humor in the situations she develops--as well as a careful, hesitant, and eventually rewarding interspecies romance.

C.J. has a lot to say here, and while some of the later books aren't known for their plot innovations, the elegant decorum of atevi society--mixed with occasional fierce gunfights and political upheavals--makes for solidly enjoyable reading, and even the later novels have wonderful moments and continued insights into the intricacies of atevi life and politics. It's a fantastic series, and well worth exploring.

[Piggy Knowles]

If you're interested in SF that focuses on sociological changes, I cannot recommend Samuel Delany highly enough. His whole catalogue is great (and Dhalgren might be my all-time favorite book), but in particular I recommend Stars in My Pocket Like Grains of Sand for one of the most refreshing and in-depth looks at post-interstellar life and society I've ever read.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Piggy Knowles
If you're interested in SF that focuses on sociological changes, I cannot recommend Samuel Delany highly enough.

And not just his SF, either--Delaney also explores these issues in Tales of Nevèrÿon, which is a series of novellas and vignettes which are set in a quasi-mythical, quasi-Bronze Age ancient world. He pays careful attention to how people share their myths, and how new ones develop around the grains of past history. It's a good point of entry to Delaney's work.

[Duck999]

I read a confusion of princes recently, which is a great book. Now I am onto reading Malice, so far, a good book. And it is long enough to take me longer than a week. Probably...

[Barmoz]

Just finished Words of Radiance after a 9 hour session of reading last night and another 8ish hours after waking up today.

I am so glad I had nothing better to do this week. Entirely worth it.

I'm not sure that's an endorsement. If you had nothing better to do, being worth it doesn't imply much value. If however, you had skipped the birth of your firstborn child to finish the book and thought it was worth it, that'd be a tremendous compliment.

I'm about 3/4 of the way through my reread of Way of Kings, I'd forgotten Words of Radiance was coming until it showed up on my doorstep, so I didn't get started in advance, can't wait to move to new content.

[Seerow]

I'm not sure that's an endorsement. If you had nothing better to do, being worth it doesn't imply much value. If however, you had skipped the birth of your firstborn child to finish the book and thought it was worth it, that'd be a tremendous compliment.

Nice Shallan impression. :P

And I meant more "worth the wait".

[dehro]

I'm guessing if he'd had something different to do he wouldn't have started reading it, and that he got hooked as he went on.
or so I interpreted his post.

anyhoo, I'm reading the Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson
Terry Pratchett's A blink of the Screen

Edit: got swordsage'd

[Palanan]

In other news, the best quote I've come across today:

"What do you do in a hoplite phalanx against a bunch of naked snowboarders?"

[IthilanorStPete]

Words of Radiance reactions! (spoilers up to the end of part 2; that's where I'm at)

Spoiler

Show

-YOU DID NOT JUST KILL JASNAH. I am not happy about one of the best characters being killed off.
-Parshendi viewpoint! Wild. The worldbuilding in general is fantastic; so many interesting different cultures.
-Speaking of that, spren have cultures! And cities! Didn't see that happening.
-Shallan had a rough childhood, and I can't imagine it's going to get better. Poor girl.
-Kaladin, stop being so paranoid. It's understandable, but a little frustrating.
-Windrunner fight! Windrunner fight! Windrunner fight! Go Kaladin! Looking forward to seeing what Szeth thinks of all this.

[Seerow]

Words of Radiance reactions! (spoilers up to the end of part 2; that's where I'm at)

Spoiler

Show

-YOU DID NOT JUST KILL JASNAH. I am not happy about one of the best characters being killed off.
-Parshendi viewpoint! Wild. The worldbuilding in general is fantastic; so many interesting different cultures.
-Speaking of that, spren have cultures! And cities! Didn't see that happening.
-Shallan had a rough childhood, and I can't imagine it's going to get better. Poor girl.
-Kaladin, stop being so paranoid. It's understandable, but a little frustrating.
-Windrunner fight! Windrunner fight! Windrunner fight! Go Kaladin! Looking forward to seeing what Szeth thinks of all this.

You make me smile.

[Zrak]

I just finished Baudolino, thanks to the thread about literary gift selection reminding me I hadn't read Baudolino. Does anyone know if Abdul is an invention of Eco's? He's the only character I can't place as a historical/legendary figure who isn't listed as one of Eco's creations in the notes or reviews.

[IthilanorStPete]

You make me smile.

Glad you're enjoying! These are my immediate reactions as I read; I'll be more thoughtful and analytical after I finish, have some time to think on things, reread the book.

Part 3 reactions:

Spoiler

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-Stormform, eh? This does not bode well. I'm curious who exactly the Stormfather is and how he's connected to the Heralds, Honor, and/or Odium.
-I feel like I should recognize Zahel from somewhere.
-Taln interlude...dang. Poor guy. Roshar needs a therapist.
-The Soulcaster ardents are....interesting.
-Oh hey, Navani's made a flying platform! That's pretty cool! Always good to see characters working out the implications of existing magic; it's something Sanderson's really good at.
-Pattern is quite an interesting contrast to Syl...and also hilarious.
-Not quite sure how I feel about this Adolin/Shallan romance that's being set up. They're pretty funny, but I wish we could have that without needing to hook the female characters up. I like Sanderson a lot, but he doesn't seem to write terribly convincing romance. Also, the whole trope of having a pre-arranged marriage that both people grow to enjoy is kinda problematic.
-So that's what happened to Gaz. Good to see that get wrapped up.
-I feel sorry for Renarin, but serving under Kaladin seems to be working out well for him. Roshar still needs therapists.
-A while ago (well before this book came out), I remember reading a crazy theory that Danlan was up to something. I thought the person was reading too much into a comparatively tiny amount of text; turns out she actually is!
-Love the sketches of Shardblades and Plate. The artwork has been generally amazing.
-At the Middlefest fair: was that a Hoid sighting? I think that's a Hoid sighting.
-So some white-haired dude grants the Horneaters powers, and Sizgil's freaking out about it. As if there wasn't enough ominous foreshadowing already.
-Wikim: "Thanks so much for helping us all out, Shallan! Here's some dealy poison!" Roshar needs an army of therapists.
-Adolin is opening up to Shallan! People are talking to each other about their problems! Are you listening, Kaladin?
-Amaram's Blade belonged to Shallan's brother. Another (slightly less crazy) theory confirmed!
-So...Kaladin's basically Superman now.
-Hoid's back, as the King's Wit! And he's annoyed that Kaladin lost his flute.
-Kaladin definitely has seasonal affective disorder. See previous comments re: Roshar, therapists.
-Amaram is heading up Dalinar's new Knights Radiant. That honorless scum...
-Four against one. Saw that one coming.
-Yes! Go Kaladin!
-YES! GO KALADIN!
-Oh crap.

[Palanan]

Are enough people reading and reacting that Words of Radiance is due its own thread?