So, instead of just making another post about something I read in Interesting Facts, I thought I would go ahead and make this small topic just to talk about books we are reading or have read. Even post some of your favorite books. I dunno, just an easy to place to see what's being read and all.
Currently, I just finished up A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, by Mark Twain. It was such a good read, with the true research Twaine did to write the medieval speech, copy the lifestyle and ways of old villages, and the overall feeling of some metal worker randomly being amongst Merlin and the Round Table. There were adventures, physiological and political matters, connections and symbolism, just an overall great tale. One big thing I loved about it was how Twain used the sixth century as a mirror to the post Civil War era in which he wrote the book. The opression brought to slave chains, commoners controlled by the goverment, how in the end the whole of England is basically fallen and split, great on his part. I really recommend this book to a lot of you who are interested in this type of subject matter. Plus it's Mark friggin' Twain, so it's gotta be good.
Can I...I'm just gonna hug you. *hug* That book was so much fun to read! :D Your recommendation is soundly seconded.
I loved that book! There were so many hilarious parts. ...And surprisingly serious/dark ones, like when that woman was executed.
If you haven't read it, you need to read it. Now.
Quote from: Milady Scribe on October 18, 2016, 05:19:56 AM
Can I...I'm just gonna hug you. *hug* That book was so much fun to read! :D Your recommendation is soundly seconded.
First thing I thought of:
(https://65.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m58f5aBLmp1r88nuk.gif)
I need to get into using reaction GIFs. BUT THAT'S IRRELEVANT RIGHT NOW.
I'm currently reading
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo and it's wonderful. It's about a heist on the most impenetrable fortress ever designed and the main characters are all criminals. Kaz Brekker, known as Dirtyhands, he's the dude who built himself up from nothing and became the most ruthless gang leader in Ketterdam. They say he doesn't have a conscience, and beneath his leather gloves his hands are stained in blood. Or maybe he has claws (He never takes off his gloves). Then there's Inej Ghafa, the Wraith. She's Kaz's spider. A spy and assassin who practices the art of being invisible and unheard. There's also Jesper Fahey, best sharpshooter in the Barrel. Nina Zenik, the Grisha (mage) who betrayed her friend. Mathias Helvar, that friend, and a former witch-hunter (or Druskelle). And last, and probably least, Wylan Van Eck, the merchant's runaway son.
The plot moves very slowly, but you wouldn't notice it until you thought about it, because the book is very character driven and finding out what makes them who they are is pretty much what it's about. So far Wylan hasn't had any POV chapters and the rest have (I'm about three quarters of the way through the book) which is
very interesting to me.
So yeah, if you want to read about six completely morally bankrupt people performing a heist, then 10/10 would recommend.
i own the mark twain book but havent finished it
i own the leigh bardugo book and finoshed that, i really liked it. the second one came out recently, i camt wait to buy it.
Six of Crows
WYLAN, HONEY, NO ;_;
It is so not worth it to give up your face in order to see whether your dad is willing to kill you or not. Your face is an essential part of your identity and you gave it up for someone else's.
If he doesn't get reworked in Crooked Kingdom, then I'm going to kill something.
Also I'm glad that Nina didn't kill the Druskelle, but she should have at least killed Jarl Brum.
Quote from: Milady Scribe on October 18, 2016, 05:19:56 AM
Can I...I'm just gonna hug you. *hug* That book was so much fun to read! :D Your recommendation is soundly seconded.
(http://66.media.tumblr.com/3cf4ca8795ac8c4c8d526a032788d951/tumblr_inline_nmc0r2eJlm1rddya1.gif)
Yes, that book was amazing. Glad some of you know about it!
Quote from: Jukka the Sling on October 18, 2016, 04:02:44 PM
I loved that book! There were so many hilarious parts. ...And surprisingly serious/dark ones, like when that woman was executed.
If you haven't read it, you need to read it. Now.
Oh I know, that part killed me. That and the small pox hut. Gah, Twain get me good.
On another note, I plan to pick up the new Winnie the Pooh book, something like The Best Bear in all the World. I've been waiting on it for a while, and since Winnie the Pooh is literally my childhood, I'll be glad to read it and see if Sibley adds Penguin in finely.
Okay, so I just finished The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, and it was so good. And so sad. It was amazing and you have to read it like now.
Haha I like it when people have opinions on books that differ from mine. I hated The Outsiders.
Interesting. Why?
Because it was stupid, and Pony is an idiot, and WHY THE HECK DID IT TAKE US A WHOLE SEMESTER TO COVER A BOOK THAT TOOK ME LESS THAN AN HOUR TO READ!!!
...English class :P Ruins any book you ever read in it- unless that book is Les Mis or anything by Tolkien (and some by Twain). Not even English class can ruin those.
Quote from: Wylder Treejumper on October 26, 2016, 08:19:13 AM
Because it was stupid, and Pony is an idiot, and WHY THE HECK DID IT TAKE US A WHOLE SEMESTER TO COVER A BOOK THAT TOOK ME LESS THAN AN HOUR TO READ!!!
...English class :P Ruins any book you ever read in it- unless that book is Les Mis or anything by Tolkien (and some by Twain). Not even English class can ruin those.
Dang, I wished we had something to do with Tolkien in my English classes. Mine are pretty good for the most part, with us having read Narnia and Tom Sawyer some, but the play versions of the Miracle Worker and such are terrible and honestly, a waste of my time.
Okay, so I went on that FRIGGIN AMAZING SITE ThriftBooks.com, and ordered the rest of the Duncton series for less than 15$. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend Duncton Wood if you like anything Redwall. Once I finish up the first one I'll talk more about it.
Quote from: Wylder Treejumper on October 26, 2016, 08:19:13 AM
Because it was stupid, and Pony is an idiot, and WHY THE HECK DID IT TAKE US A WHOLE SEMESTER TO COVER A BOOK THAT TOOK ME LESS THAN AN HOUR TO READ!!!
Why exactly was Ponyboy stupid, in your opinion?
The most annoying thing for me was the fact that Darrell called Pony 'baby' and 'honey.' What twenty-year-old greaser worth their salt
does that?! XD
Quote from: Jukka the Sling on October 26, 2016, 11:50:51 PM
Quote from: Wylder Treejumper on October 26, 2016, 08:19:13 AM
Because it was stupid, and Pony is an idiot, and WHY THE HECK DID IT TAKE US A WHOLE SEMESTER TO COVER A BOOK THAT TOOK ME LESS THAN AN HOUR TO READ!!!
Why exactly was Ponyboy stupid, in your opinion?
The most annoying thing for me was the fact that Darrell called Pony 'baby' and 'honey.' What twenty-year-old greaser worth their salt does that?! XD
He did that? Darry isn't your typical greaser, though.
True. And for all I know, maybe Oklahoman greasers did call their younger brothers that. :P
Overlooked this thread for a while. To answer Jet's question, I didn't like it because the book had the small town feel of a place where most people are content to live quiet lives and nothing extraordinary happens. Ponyboy and his friends didn't even break out of that mold, because they each filled a role that small-town boys from the wrong side of the tracks are expected to fill. The story and characters were overall uninteresting.
UUGHUHHHHHHH i finished Call of the Wild for English, but Walden is the stupidest book ever. I couldn't care less about anything in it. And, as i've said in other threads, i have an essay on it due Monday. JrjdjdhehehhjfjfjjfjEUEHNDJDJCHC
Starting The Gallic War tonight. It's going to be great.
I've been reading the Durarara!! light novels as they're released in English (preferring the official translations and supporting the author). They're so exciting; I wish many more people read them. They include a huge, interesting, and diverse cast of characters somehow tied to the city's underbelly who each get their time to shine as they react to an incident, their reactions setting off further consequences for other characters as their lives intersect. The storyline, characters, use of the setting, name dropping, all of it is so well done.
Quote from: Banya on October 27, 2016, 04:00:01 AM
Overlooked this thread for a while. To answer Jet's question, I didn't like it because the book had the small town feel of a place where most people are content to live quiet lives and nothing extraordinary happens. Ponyboy and his friends didn't even break out of that mold, because they each filled a role that small-town boys from the wrong side of the tracks are expected to fill. The story and characters were overall uninteresting.
Well, The point of the book is kind of to illustrate and sympathize with the lives of people like Pony, not for something extraordinary to happen. Though English class would have been much more fun if we had all read Mossflower...
Quote from: Banya on October 29, 2016, 09:30:15 PM
I've been reading the Durarara!! light novels as they're released in English (preferring the official translations and supporting the author). They're so exciting; I wish many more people read them. They include a huge, interesting, and diverse cast of characters somehow tied to the city's underbelly who each get their time to shine as they react to an incident, their reactions setting off further consequences for other characters as their lives intersect. The storyline, characters, use of the setting, name dropping, all of it is so well done.
there's light novels too?? sweet!!
i still haven't finished x2 .-.
i was about to ask if you've watched or read the author's other work, Baccano! , but i remembered we had a huge conversation about it a while ago : )
I'm reading Mistmantle right now.
It's like Redwall in its prime except with much quicker pacing and more character development.
Would definitely recommend...
Having finished
Crooked Kingdom (the sequel to
Six of Crows), I kinda feel a little bit sorry for Pekka Rollins. I mean, I know he's a despicable monster but still
Crooked Kingdom spoilers
Inej visiting him in the middle of the night, cutting him with a knife and threatening to kill his baby son if he ever came back to Ketterdam was a bit much. The man was living a peaceful life in the country, he was already broken.
Also like, my heart broke for Wylan all over again in this book and then it reformed and became a pride-fuelled sun. He's indisputably my favourite character now, though there wasn't much competition before. But when he found out his mum wasn't actually dead and that Van Eck had had her sectioned I mean come on. And when Jesper kisses Kuwei because he's pretending to be Wylan. Ugh. I lost a little respect for Kuwei after that. But then when he gets his face restored and then that ending! That's how you knock your jerk of a father off that pedestal. Taking that beating and feeding him that false info was just perfect and then when he pretends he can read the contract because Jesper read it earlier.
"I can read for him."
"He has a lovely baritone."
"How about you come visit me in Ravka and we can learn about our powers together."
"How about I push you in the river and see if you can swim or not?"
"I hear he's one of the most powerful men in Ketterdam, I wouldn't cross him if I were you."
BABIES.
Half Bad by Sally Green is one of the best books I've read in a long time. Horrific, depressing, cringe-inducing and difficult to read, but so, so amazing.
I read Guards, Guards! by Sir Terry Pratchett recently and it is amazing.
I just finished "A Tree Grows In Brooklyn", its really good. Also kinda sad. Has anybody else here read it?
I've heard of it but never read it, what's it about? :P
I think I said this on the old forum, but the Mistmantle Chronicles is a good series. It's like Redwall, but not quite as good.
Half Bad is going to break me.
When Nathan asks Annalise how many Half Codes there are and then she tells him the next day, just *ugly sobbing*
Quote from: Jet the binturong on January 08, 2017, 08:41:46 PM
Half Bad is going to break me.
When Nathan asks Annalise how many Half Codes there are and then she tells him the next day, just *ugly sobbing*
/me Laughs evilly because hes read that book and the second one.
Half Bad
During the scene when Nathan is brought back from Celia's I just wanted him to tear into the Council. It wouldn't be realistic, but it would be so satisfying. If they'd treated him like a White Witch from the start then he would have been a White Witch and he would have obeyed them and killed Marcus for them. But they treated him like a Black Witch so he became something else. He knows what they really are, and what they really are is unsupportable monsters. Like Mr. O'Brien. I just wanted Nathan to say "you've seen my back, your own son carved those marks, are you proud of him for that?"
And all that good and evil nonsense. I just wanted Nathan to say "My mother was a good person and you killed her, my Gran was a good person and you killed her too. Arran and Deborah were good people and you killed them. Mary was a good person and the only reason she isn't dead is because you can't find her. There are good White Witches, but none of them are on the Council."
I mean, I don't know for sure that Arran and Deborah are dead yet, but I'm assuming they are.
I think the real difference between White Witches and Black Witches is that White Witches formed a proper society before the Black Witches could, and thus were able to persecute Black Witches with impunity. If I'm guessing right, then there's no actual genetic difference between Black and White witches, right?
Half Bad:
Spoiler
I think there is something there, otherwise the witch witches wouldn't be able to prosecute the black witches in the first place
Quote from: Ashleg on January 08, 2017, 08:20:06 PM
I've heard of it but never read it, what's it about? :P
Life
Quote from: Aimless Gallivanter on November 06, 2016, 12:33:09 PM
Quote from: Banya on October 29, 2016, 09:30:15 PM
I've been reading the Durarara!! light novels as they're released in English (preferring the official translations and supporting the author). They're so exciting; I wish many more people read them. They include a huge, interesting, and diverse cast of characters somehow tied to the city's underbelly who each get their time to shine as they react to an incident, their reactions setting off further consequences for other characters as their lives intersect. The storyline, characters, use of the setting, name dropping, all of it is so well done.
there's light novels too?? sweet!!
i still haven't finished x2 .-.
i was about to ask if you've watched or read the author's other work, Baccano! , but i remembered we had a huge conversation about it a while ago : )
A new LN is released every 4 months; #5 just came out in November. Unofficially translated pdfs can be found online, but I prefer the official translations. They're amazing! A friend broke it down for me like this: The first season is LN#1-3, Shou is LN#4-6, Ten is LN#7-10, and Ketsu is LN#11-13. After LN#13, Narita's currently working on Durarara!! SH, a second series set 10 years after the original series featuring a new cast of characters but with many of the same old character making appearances.
I have the Baccano! books on my nook, but I haven't had the time to read them yet.
Quote from: alexandre on January 08, 2017, 05:56:46 PM
I just finished "A Tree Grows In Brooklyn", its really good. Also kinda sad. Has anybody else here read it?
I don't remember it well, but it has my favourite book quote of all time:
"Dear God," she prayed, "let me be something every minute of every hour of my life."
So I finished
Half Bad.
I NEED
HALF WILD NOW!
Spoiler
RIP Rose :(
Quote from: Banya on January 11, 2017, 12:11:55 AM
Quote from: alexandre on January 08, 2017, 05:56:46 PM
I just finished "A Tree Grows In Brooklyn", its really good. Also kinda sad. Has anybody else here read it?
I don't remember it well, but it has my favourite book quote of all time:
"Dear God," she prayed, "let me be something every minute of every hour of my life."
:) That's a really good one, the quote from it that I remembered was a bit more goofy, something like,
"You know what?" said Neely.
"What?"
"You're crazy"
"I know and isn't it wonderful!"
*joins forum about a specific series to talk about said series*
*makes thread on forum dedicated to literally every series other than the one that the forum is about*
(I get why, I just find it ironic.)
I started reading Wonders of the Invisible World by Christopher Barzak. It's really intriguing, the story is amazing and it's written beautifully.
I recently read Mistborn by Brian Sanderson. It was really good!
You should read The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson. I think it's better than Mistborn. Also, I think the second Mistborn series is better than the first.
BRANDON SANDERSON IS ONE OF MY FAVES
My brother got me the first trilogy for Christmas, but I still have to read the other two. One of my friends is a huge Brandon Sanderson fan and she has a bunch of the books so I'll probably borrow the second trilogy from her. I think she has The Way of Kings as well.
*Sigh.* I wish I owned Brandon Sanderson's books... :P
The Way of Kings is so good! ;D
It's definitely one of my favorite all time books, I'm so excited because the next book in the Way of Kings series came in the mail today!
All right all you Sandersonites, which of his books should I start with?
Gah, I literally have The Way of Kings on my nightstand but have hardly picked it up. Well, it is buried under a couple other series or two, you know. Once I finish those (The Duncton Chronicles and The Shanara Chronicles), I will probably start it.
@Jet the binturong Well,
Elantris is his first book, and it's pretty good, but not as good as some of his others.
Warbreaker is a standalone that has a really unique world, religion, and magic system. I think you might like at least two of the main characters. The plot progresses well, I think.
Mistborn has two series. The first trilogy is pretty hefty and quite drawn out. Both of my brothers were too tired of it to finished the last book, but I thought it was great. There are some really unique elements to the world. The side and secondary characters might hold more interest for you than the main characters.
The second trilogy is reminiscent of the American West and follows a former lawman-unwillingly-turned-nobleman who can't seem to leave the profession behind. Lots of the elements of this series took twists that I didn't expect, but some might find more predictable because of their departure from common tropes. Reading the first series before is recommended but not required. Does contain spoilers for first series.
The Stormlight Archive (Way of Kings, Words of Radiance) consists of two 1000+ page installments, and eight more are expected. By my calculations the series should be all written and published in about twenty years :P. The main characters are interesting, but not unique. Again, I think you would like some of the side/secondary characters better. The books so far are more setting up for the 'big event' than anything else, but I found them well done. Despite being huge, the books have good pacing. Also, the world building is exquisite.
Those are the major books and series. Overall, Brandon Sanderson's world building is his strongest point. Each of his worlds has a unique magic system and religion. He tends to do better on secondary characters than main characters, with
Warbreaker as the exception.
tl;dr: I think you might like
Warbreaker as a start.
Sorry if none of this was helpful. I was trying to be informative but still avoid spoilers :P.
Steelheart?
I think Jet has already read the Reckoners trilogy, though I'm not sure.
Finished the Half Bad trilogy. (Actually, I finished a few days ago, but meh)
They're good books, but not my favorite. Nathan drives me bonkers. (Even so, I cried at the end.)
I haven't read the Reckoners trilogy yet. I've read enough negative comments about it that I'm wary to pick it up. Apparently the main character is really bland, the world is nothing new, the plot is predictable and it treats female characters really badly. It surprised me, because these are the first negative reviews of his work that I've read and there were a lot of them complaining about the same things, so it can't just be down to one person's preference.
Corn: Lucky.
Interesting. I think it's because it's YA fantasy/sci-fi. Adult fantasy is more his area of expertise.
But the good news is, Warbreaker can be read online free! It can be found on Wattpad or it can be downloaded from Brandon Sanderson's website (http://brandonsanderson.com/books/warbreaker/warbreaker/warbreaker-rights-and-downloads/#versions) because it has a Creative Commons copyright license.
a little late, but I agree (almost) entirely with Maudie's rundown of the Brand Sand books
Finished Animal Farm, geez, that ending gave me the chills. I'm curious as to what you guys think of that book
I'm starting 1984 now.
Put anything regarding Animal Farm in spoilers please, im going to read it soon.
I read Animal Farm a few years ago. It was pretty good.
Just finished Wonders of the Invisible World yesterday. It's definitely going on my favourites list. Somewhere near the top of it, actually.
Just..... AAAAAAAAAAARRGH!!! CAN THEY MAKE THIS REQUIRED READING IN SCHOOLS PLEASE??
Everyone, no matter what your feelings about magic, the supernatural or homosexuality just needs to go and read this right now. Because ultimately it's not about those things, it's about one boy learning what it means to be a person and taking charge of his life. You might not like the book, but you'll learn something even if you don't.
I need to read more Christopher Barzak...
Quote from: alexandre on January 31, 2017, 12:49:37 AM
Finished Animal Farm, geez, that ending gave me the chills. I'm curious as to what you guys think of that book
I'm starting 1984 now.
I watched the movie it was so good.
Hey, just dropping in to say that literally everyone who has no problem with gay romance should drop everything and go read Timekeeper by Tara Sim right now. I don't care if you're currently reading Skulduggery Pleasant, which, while excellent, still has a world that will be familiar to any fan of urban fantasy, whereas Timekeeper is an utterly original masterpiece of a book. I can't wait for Chainbreaker.
Whoa, this book must really be something else if you're telling me to drop SP. (Which I am, actually, re-reading) I'll see what I can do.
I just finished Tailchaser's Song on Wednesday, and it was great.
I definitely recommend it if you're looking for (get ready) a horror version of Watership Down with cats.
But oddities aside, it really is good. Go read it.
Started reading The Foxhole Court by Nora Sakavic. Just... good gods. The club scene was one of the creepiest things I've ever read. Don't do drugs kids. And don't go to clubs with psychopaths.
Before the club scene, I liked Nicky, but after, just ew. I wonder if he has some mental issues that haven't been addressed yet. It would make sense, coming from his family.
When I think about it, Andrew and Nicky are kinda like mutual enablers. Everyone's scared of Andrew and does whatever he says, which in turn gives Nicky the opportunity to do whatever crazy stuff he wants to.
Sometimes I hate Aaron more than I hate Andrew. I know neither of them can help their disorders but like Aaron's apathy is Andrew's number one enabler. Kevin is number two but I can't really hate Kevin yet.
Also what's the point in Andrew's medication if it doesn't make him less violent? Like, it alters his mood to be more happy. Alright, fine. But he still pulls knives on people and does whatever the heck he wants. This book confuses me.
And I mean how can it be that hard to stand up to Andrew? He may be a literal psychopath (diagnosed and everything) but he's still not physically impressive or strong. Violent, sure, but if everyone just fought back then he wouldn't be able to do anything. I mean he's terrifying, but to the point where no one will fight back? Actually I guess Matt and Seth stand up to him, and Wymack, but that's pretty empty if they just let him keep all his knives and stuff.
Andrew may be mentally ill, and maybe I should feel sorry for him, but he should never have been given parole.
I knew the Foxes were messed up but damn.
I fear for Neil's safety.
THE CHRONICLES OF CHRESTOMANCI BOOKS ONE AND TWO...
Go read them right now.
I picked it up (together in one book) because it was three dollars, thinking it was gonna be boring, but this ended up being the fastest I have ever read through 500+ pages of something.
Think Harry Potter meets the Sword in the Stone, except with don't kill me for this more interesting characters.
Oh, and for you anime nerds, it was written by the person who created Howl's Moving Castle!
Oh yes. Diana Wynne Jones' Chrestomanci Chronicles.
I've wanted to read them for a long time, but have only read a spin-off, I believe, and it's been a while since I've read that.
Anything written by DWJ is a good read, I promise, so go read anything you can find by her :P
Just finished Sea of Trolls
It was... Ok
Like LoTR + Percy Jackson
So it was kinda cool
But everything this book did, LoTR did better. ;D
Quote from: alexandre on March 27, 2017, 12:59:50 AM
Just finished Sea of Trolls
It was... Ok
Like LoTR + Percy Jackson
So it was kinda cool
But everything this book did, LoTR did better. ;D
Sounds interesting. And of course LotR did it better, duh ;D
Okay, so I feel I need to share this. So I have the newest Winnie the Pooh book which released back in October right. Well there are four stories in it, one for each season. So I decided to read each story for each season. On the first day of Spring I went ahead and read the spring one, in which Eeyore tells about another donkey he supposedly saw. He enlists Pooh to help find this donkey so it doesn't eat all of his thistles. By the end though I was completely touched. It is revealed that there wasn't another donkey at all, but rather Eeyore seeing his reflection. But why he thought it was a different donkey was because he saw some new thistles growing and smiled. He never had seen himself smiling before, and thought it was so out of character of him and so impossible that it had to be someone else. That really moved me because of how simply sad it is. I dunno, just thought it was nice. Plus this makes me love Winnie the Pooh even more.
^ Aww, that sounds kinda adorable. And sad in a way.
Yesterday I started The Wind In The Willows
Its pretty good
Quote from: Gonff the Mousethief on March 27, 2017, 04:53:03 AM
Quote from: alexandre on March 27, 2017, 12:59:50 AM
Just finished Sea of Trolls
It was... Ok
Like LoTR + Percy Jackson
So it was kinda cool
But everything this book did, LoTR did better. ;D
Sounds interesting. And of course LotR did it better, duh ;D
Okay, so I feel I need to share this. So I have the newest Winnie the Pooh book which released back in October right. Well there are four stories in it, one for each season. So I decided to read each story for each season. On the first day of Spring I went ahead and read the spring one, in which Eeyore tells about another donkey he supposedly saw. He enlists Pooh to help find this donkey so it doesn't eat all of his thistles. By the end though I was completely touched. It is revealed that there wasn't another donkey at all, but rather Eeyore seeing his reflection. But why he thought it was a different donkey was because he saw some new thistles growing and smiled. He never had seen himself smiling before, and thought it was so out of character of him and so impossible that it had to be someone else. That really moved me because of how simply sad it is. I dunno, just thought it was nice. Plus this makes me love Winnie the Pooh even more.
What Jukka said is exactly how I felt after reading that. Eeyore is and always shall be the best character in my mind.
I also relate to what he feels. When I haven't felt really and truly good in a long time all of the 'happy' moments I experience feel fake and out of place because I know I'll feel bad once the moment is over.