BOOKS!

The discussion thread for books of all types and flavors! Here you can talk about what you're currently reading, just finished, or look for recommendations.

Weekly discussion topic: What is your favorite or least favorite book that you have been forced to read?

Currently reading:
Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien

My favorite science fiction book has to be Phillip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Definitely thought provoking and more accessible that Dick's other books. It's what the movie Blade Runner is loosely based on.

Fantasy is a toughie. I thoroughly enjoyed the Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson, the first book especially, so I would choose that. Non-traditional fantasy with an epic magic system. It starts off as a heist novel and becomes something much bigger. I definitely recommend it if you like fast paced, simply written books, with logical protagonists.

I read a Stephen King book called Blaze when I was in middle-school. It was great.

Stephen King is always a good choice. I really like The Stand and Stand By Me. I want to get around to reading The Dark Tower series too.

Rage was good, too.

Seven Basic Plots












Hooooooooooooly shit.


I had always, always struggled with plots before reading this. Oddly, after being given a pattern to follow, plot creation actually feels less restricted. It is essentially the difference between being told without any knowledge to "go make a car", and being told specifically which parts need to go where. If you know the mechanics of it then you're free to use specific brands and types of parts which you know will work well.

I'm still only halfway through it but if the book was half as long it'd still easily be worth reading.

The Great Gatsby..

Such a fantastic, yet sad, story..

Just like everyone else and their mother, I'm reading the "A Song of Ice and Fire" series. I'm just starting in on "A Feast of Crows." Sadly, "A Dance of Dragons" will not be released in paperback until I am out of the country, and I fear how much it will cost to ship a book to Russia.

That said, I'm also starting Harry Turtledove's "Southern Victory" Series. They are an alternate history series, with the South "winning" the Civil War. The divergence occurs when Union forces do not find a copy of Special Order 191, which detailed a Confederate army invasion of the Union.

EyesofMarch wrote:The Great Gatsby..

Such a fantastic, yet sad, story..

That book is the essence of brevity and beauty in prose. One of my favorites.

I might end up looking for that book Haze. Its length seems a bit daunting however.

If everyone was scared off by length I wouldn't get any action.


Be a man Quix. Take it, inch by terrifying inch.

Don't kid yourself, the only action you get is when I blow you after our weekly psych meetings.

...packs of vicious keep left signs-


Stop that! Stop that now! That's just silly.

Started off with a nice little idea about grannies attacking young men, but now it's got silly. This man's hair is too long for a vicar too. These signs are pretty badly made. Right, now for a complete change of mood.

So, I'm almost finished with The Name of the Wind. I'm still waiting for the author to subvert the idea that the character is a Mary Sue. His hair and eyes are "unique". The character is the best at everything, women are there to fall at his feet and for him to miss their advances, and everything bad that happens is brought on by other character's jealousy or the MC's narcissism and arrogance. The book is well written, but I really want the MC to have another flaw besides the fact that he's full of himself due to his absurd ability.

what the hell happens in the plot if the mc is perfect


does he just go around fixing everyones problems and getting hugs and medals or what

MC is an orphan -> Gets beat up on a regular basis -> Becomes a hardened badass because of it -> Drops oil and tries to burn his bully alive. -> Leaves town to the University.

MC does something amazing that breaks the rules. -> Mean professor punishes him -> MC is badass who can take it. Everyone starts rumors about him -> Rinse and repeat.

MC insults a bully -> Bully gets revenge by tricking MC into breaking the rules -> Mean professor punishes him -> MC is a badass and is respected by his peers. -> Rinse and repeat.

MC is best musician ever -> People fall in love with his music -> Some dude gets jealous and tries to screw him up -> MC is a badass and people weep more than they've ever wept at his beautiful song. -> Rinse and repeat.

All the while the book is so well written most of the time that you only notice how stupid it is once you step back from it. And by well written, I mean the prose.

so sort of like the ugly duckling who actually was never ugly and all it took was an all american children's beauty contest for everyone to realise just how fucking amazing that duckling looked and its also really smart and does its own thing and really doesnt actually have any problems at all




like that?

just finished world war z rip the guy at the ending who gets mauled by a zombie bear

Bospy wrote:just finished world war z rip the guy at the ending who gets mauled by a zombie bear

no he doesn't

it's a zombie woodpecker

Trying to read Trainspotting, I just can't get past the Scottish accent writing.

That's obnoxious. You probably shouldn't read that.

I was attracted to this thread because someone called me ugly. Fuck you. Okay, bye.

Mother Superior wrote:Trying to read Trainspotting, I just can't get past the Scottish accent writing.

I really wish dialect writing was only used when there are characters that speak differently than the protagonist. If they're in a certain geographic location just say they speak with a Scottish accent and my brain will do the rest.

Finished Name of the Wind today. Ending was good. Overall, I recommend it unless you're extra sensitive to Mary Sues. The writing is better than most fantasy nowadays.

Just picked up the first two books in the Dark Tower series and I'm starting them now. Accidentally left LoTR at home, so I'll get back to Fellowship later.

Oh and I'm pretty sure Ugly Duckys don't read and write, Russ.

I know what is reading and writing and I am not ugly, I just don't read books.

Ducky wrote:I know what is reading and writing and I am not , I just don't read books.

"He doesn't read."
"No, he doesn't read."
"Oh, I see your point."

Well, since this is a thread about books, why don't you read books, Russ?