The Reader’s Nook - The N&G Book Thread

botherly said:
I got through IJ in college, that was the only time in my life that I could've done it. I tried to do a reread a couple years ago but yeah, I can't devote myself to something that enormous. I'm glad I did it though, definitely one of the best books I ever read, even if it feels like half finished at best.
Click to expand...
botherly said:
I got through IJ in college, that was the only time in my life that I could've done it. I tried to do a reread a couple years ago but yeah, I can't devote myself to something that enormous. I'm glad I did it though, definitely one of the best books I ever read, even if it feels like half finished at best.
Click to expand...

It's just that it hurts my wrist to hold up 482 pounds of paper. ;)
 
BjorgenFjorgen said:
Infinite Jest has been sitting on my shelf mocking me for about five years now. I did Gravity's Rainbow last fall so I think I'm about as ready as I'll ever be, but I can't bring myself to start it.
Click to expand...
I also read Gravity's Rainbow recently, and have yet to get to IJ. Can't be tougher than that one.
 
BjorgenFjorgen said:
Infinite Jest has been sitting on my shelf mocking me for about five years now. I did Gravity's Rainbow last fall so I think I'm about as ready as I'll ever be, but I can't bring myself to start it.
Click to expand...
Infinite Jest is a great book. Despite whatever people want to criticize it for, or label it as hipster-y, at the end of the day is an incredibly well written book, and a fantastic story. Also it’s not as difficult as it seems. For sure the length is daunting. And it takes a while. But pretty quickly I found myself so engaged in it. Even when you could argue it’s slow, just the way he writes pulled me in. It took me just about three-four months. But right when I finished I wanted to start over again (I haven’t yet though). I'd recommend taking the journey. Won't be for everyone, but I absolutely loved reading it.
 
Also I literally just finished the first Song Of Ice And Fire book (Game Of Thrones). Took just about a month, only reading it my spare time (a lot at work). I told myself I wouldn't start the next one just yet, but I think I just might...
 
Bennnnn said:
Also I literally just finished the first Song Of Ice And Fire book (Game Of Thrones). Took just about a month, only reading it my spare time (a lot at work). I told myself I wouldn't start the next one just yet, but I think I just might...
Click to expand...
I told myself I wouldn't start that series until he finished it. So I guess I'm not ever planning on reading it...
 
Bennnnn said:
Also I literally just finished the first Song Of Ice And Fire book (Game Of Thrones). Took just about a month, only reading it my spare time (a lot at work). I told myself I wouldn't start the next one just yet, but I think I just might...
Click to expand...

I loved the experience of reading this series ~8 years ago; when the first season came out, I decided to read the series first to see what the fuss was about. I'd just moved to Portland, and while I was getting my feet under me, I was also living alone in a new city. I remember some really special summer nights riding my bike across the bridge from an open mic, grabbing poutine from a cart, and chugging through these books in my studio apartment.

Oblivions said:
I told myself I wouldn't start that series until he finished it. So I guess I'm not ever planning on reading it...
Click to expand...

I wouldn't let that hold you back; even if he finishes the series I don't predict him sticking the landing. Books 1-3 are tight roller coasters, while 4 and 5 just...coast. It's ironic that the later seasons of the show were accused of being too short and in service of plot, because the later books lose the plot and get incredibly sprawling and slow. At this point, waiting on Winds of Winder and Dream of Spring is more about seeing any conclusion than seeing a brilliant conclusion.
 
Bull Shannon said:
I loved the experience of reading this series ~8 years ago; when the first season came out, I decided to read the series first to see what the fuss was about. I'd just moved to Portland, and while I was getting my feet under me, I was also living alone in a new city. I remember some really special summer nights riding my bike across the bridge from an open mic, grabbing poutine from a cart, and chugging through these books in my studio apartment.



I wouldn't let that hold you back; even if he finishes the series I don't predict him sticking the landing. Books 1-3 are tight roller coasters, while 4 and 5 just...coast. It's ironic that the later seasons of the show were accused of being too short and in service of plot, because the later books lose the plot and get incredibly sprawling and slow. At this point, waiting on Winds of Winder and Dream of Spring is more about seeing any conclusion than seeing a brilliant conclusion.
Click to expand...
I hear ya. I'll still probably give it several years before I start them. There are just so many other books that are on my list that I can read in the meantime.
I really enjoyed most of the TV show and listened to the Binge Mode podcast which goes into a lot of book details and differences. I feel like I will enjoy the experience of reading the books but I can go without it for the time being.
 
Oblivions said:
I hear ya. I'll still probably give it several years before I start them. There are just so many other books that are on my list that I can read in the meantime.
I really enjoyed most of the TV show and listened to the Binge Mode podcast which goes into a lot of book details and differences. I feel like I will enjoy the experience of reading the books but I can go without it for the time being.
Click to expand...

Yeah. At this point I wanna do a reread before WoW comes out (I'm one of those hopeless individuals who thinks GRRM already finished and is sitting on the pages until the show hype fades a little, though if that's not the case I'd wager we'll never see WoW, period), but kinda wanna wait until the story is less fresh in mind.
 
I've been slacking lately but I'm trying to read more again. Recently finished:
The Immortalists - Chloe Benjamin
Record of a Spaceborn Few - Becky Chambers
The Fifth Season - NK Jemisin

I really like Becky Chambers' Wayfarers trilogy, especially how it works as a trilogy. The first book (The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet) is a bit awkward (for me) compared to the others but I think it works with regards to setting up the trilogy. I'll be picking up the next book in the series from Jemisin in the next week or so, I liked it a lot. I read Book 1 in the Inheritance Trilogy and had mixed feelings but I'm glad I tried out the Broken Earth trilogy, great read. The Immortalists is well written and a good read but didn't stand out for me, just not a lot to say about it.

Not sure what's up next, I'll take a look through my piles and see what grabs me. I think I need a bit of break before back into more genre stuff.
 
Aelias said:
I've been slacking lately but I'm trying to read more again. Recently finished:
The Immortalists - Chloe Benjamin
Record of a Spaceborn Few - Becky Chambers
The Fifth Season - NK Jemisin

I really like Becky Chambers' Wayfarers trilogy, especially how it works as a trilogy. The first book (The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet) is a bit awkward (for me) compared to the others but I think it works with regards to setting up the trilogy. I'll be picking up the next book in the series from Jemisin in the next week or so, I liked it a lot. I read Book 1 in the Inheritance Trilogy and had mixed feelings but I'm glad I tried out the Broken Earth trilogy, great read. The Immortalists is well written and a good read but didn't stand out for me, just not a lot to say about it.

Not sure what's up next, I'll take a look through my piles and see what grabs me. I think I need a bit of break before back into more genre stuff.
Click to expand...

Broken Earth is super good! I completely understand wanting a buffer on it (I put around six months between each installment, though that's kinda where I'm at as a reader in general; I like spacing out a series rather than reading them all back-to-back), but I found each installment was more rewarding than the last.
 
Just finished up Brave New World, incredible book and easy/quick read. Moving onto a little self help, I feel my daily routine and habits have been falling off lately. Need a little inspiration. I like to keep my reading schedule fresh by alternating between fiction and non-fiction every time I finish a book. I find the fiction to be a value rest for my brain so I don’t get fatigued by information! 3299
 
Currently ~50% through The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah for my book club. I was actually kinda looking forward to this one, as it got a lot of rave reviews and made a few year-end lists last year.

But...

It's some hot garbage. The writing is fine and not bad, but there is a nexus of alcoholism-domestic abuse-PTSD in the depiction of the father which I am not fond of. The author manages to strip the mother character of any agency, as well as the father himself; they just spew cliches and appear to behave the way they do because the author saw other books/movies about abuse and thought they must hit the same notes. There's literally a morning-after-a-fight scene where the protagonist begs her mom to leave the father, and the mom says "I know...but I love him."

Also, all the characters have nicknames that indicate who they are. This includes Mad Earl, Crazy Larry, and...

Large Marge.

I shit you not.

AdmirableZigzagBantamrooster-size_restricted.gif
 
McGlam said:
I loved Marlon James' previous novel, A Brief History of Seven Killings and am excited to read this one even though I'm not really a fantasy fan. I heard he was writing something like that while I was reading Seven Killings and it totally made sense given the storytelling in that novel.
Click to expand...
There’s some trigger warning-esque parts but if you’ve read him before then I’d imagine you’d be fine. As someone who has read a lot of fantasy, especially when I was younger, I found it refreshing both in its inspiration of African mythology and structure.

In general, there’s been a great wave of African mythology (and its wealth of sub regions and mythologies) inspired fantasy recently.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top