We have topics about TV, Music and Cinema so seems a little weird that we don't have one about books. I am guessing the layout can be a little like the Cinemas one, short synopsis about what you're reading just now or have read recently, weather it's good any thoughts maybe a rating. I dunno up to you guys I guess. Working my way through two books at the moment. Just started the fourth book in The Expanse series: Cibola Burn: Have found the books to be real page turners, some decent hard sci-fi in terms of spaceship stuff and was actually really p*ssed off when a recurring minor character ended up getting executed in the third book. Have found I would rather spend time reading the books than watching the TV show. The Silent Deep: A behind the scenes look at the Royal Navy Sub service from 1945 to present day. Loved how much info it gave, on the development, ideology and purpose of the sub service, quite scary how rational the decision on numbers and needs of Nuclear Weapons were and quite worrying how close we could have come to using them during the Falklands and some of the stuff that we got up to against the Russians during the Cold War was very interesting.
I read everything from Isaac Asimov I get my hands on. Clive Barker & Andrzej Sapkowski. So what's the book for you guys? Bit unusual work from Andrzej Sapkowski... "Viper" It is quite short (less than 200 pages), so those who do not read much can still get into it with good chance to finish it. - What's that about and why is that unusual to his other work? - > Afghanistan. End of Soviet presence there. Magic involved. Long forgotten past which wants something...
I think I have read something about 60-70 books or so, I own a decent sized bookshelf where i've read 80% of it, and now it's sorta pointless since I got a kindle in about 2011 or so (I never rebought those books though so the copies aren't redundant). So I liked terry pratchett a lot, i've read all his books minus about half of his very last discworld one (I think there's about 40+ of them). And a few series from some small time authors (Stephen Hunts Jackelian series, Gail Carrigers Parasol Protectorate series, Douglas Adams stuff, Toby Frosts Space Captain Smith) But, i've been reading less and less now, at my peak I think I did a book a month or two, of course most of those were discworld and they are usually on the short side, but i've been reading my current one for like, well, since The Shephard's Crown came out near 2 years ago really. Got a big back log of interesting looking books lined up, I enjoy the steampunk stuff, there's a cool looking one i'm looking forward to reading next called The Lies of Locke Lamora and also a cool sounding one called Leviathan But actually, you mentioned The Expanse, and oh my god the series is so good, I want to read the books but don't want to spoil the series. I think i'll let the series run its course however far it gets then look at reading the books. And one day, i'll read harry potter.
I wonder whether modern Russian-speaking writers are translated... Viktor Pelevin, Dmitriy Lipskerov, Alexey Slapovskiy, Lyudmila Ulitskaya, Dina Rubina. Right now I am re-reading Harry Potter series (original, Rowling`s language is easy). I really like books of Douglas Adams (alas, translated). Still read from times to times good old Stanislaw Lem, Ray Bradbury, Robert Sheckley, Roger Zelazny, Boris & Arkadiy Strugatskiy (authors of the Stalker). Want to read Neil Gaiman.
Lol I did that in reverse I wanted to get as far ahead in the books so as to not have them spoiled by the TV series just generally because in my experience the books tend to be better than the TV or Movie adaptation in most cases. Not sure where you are but Series 2 of the show ends around the middle of the second book and their are a few differences, some are obvious to save budget and effects, some are to streamline timeline so that it works better on screen (Eros, Ganymede, happens almost back to back on the TV show in the books their is a more obvious time gap.) and proud
The Lies of Locke Lamora is a fantastic book/series, just beware that the author is pretty slow in releasing his work and the series still has a few books to go. That said, they're quite self contained so you wont be left hanging to quite the extent of some series. I'm currently reading through Brian Staveley's Eschewed Throne series, about half way through the second book with one more to go. It's pretty good so far, not the best in the genre but worth picking up if you're lacking options. Prior to that I finished Robin Hobbs' final book in The Fitz and the Fool Trilogy, I've been reading her work for a very long time and it gave some nice closure to a number of long running characters. Prior to that I finally got around to reading the Shadowmarch series, which was an absolute joy to read. I'd rate Tad Williams as one of the best fantasy authors in the business if I'm honest, his Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series was also extremely good. He doesn't really do anything particularly new, but he refines existing themes masterfully. I'm pretty well read when it comes to the fantasy genre, I tend to read every night before I sleep. I usually go through a book every 3-4 days or so, sometimes longer depending on the length and how busy I am.
1- John Grisham 2-James Patterson 3- Dean Koontz I really like Stephen King movies but his books lose me...
I find that King can be a bit hit or miss, as famous horror authors go I prefer Clive Barker. I am looking forward to the new IT movie coming out shortly, mind you.
Hey, I did not know about the new IT movie/ cool....My favorite King movie is Shawshank Redemption but I really like most all of them.
You read the Grim Company, comprises of three books and they are pretty good, starts off fantasy and then... well don't wanna spoil it but yeah really enjoyed them.
I'll add it to the list, it sounds similar to Mark Lawrence's Broken Empire from the little I just skimmed over. Will probably pick it up once I finish with the Eschewed Throne. I've been looking for new authors to keep me occupied until Oathbringer launches later this year, which is part of Brandon Sanderson's fantastic Stormlight Archive. There's actually a Tv show airing at the moment called The Mist, it's based on his novella of the same name. I think there was a movie based on it a few years back, although I've never seen it. I keep meaning to check out the show, but I'm hearing mixed opinions on it.
Read the first Dune novel. Then read it again....trust me. Then wait for the redux by Denis. The spice must flow.
Around 20 years ago, when I still had time and mood, I could read good book in a day. I did usually read 3~4 books a month. Sometimes many more (good series of books). Today I am quite happy for audio-books. I can listen to them while going to work. As eBook reader takes space, and even Samsung's nice displays suck at light. And I am not that type who needs to show everyone around that I do read books. For Expanse, just read them. In series, they did leave some things out. Painted some (for me important) nuances differently. And story in books always focuses deeply on given story line. In series they kind of jump around. And I think I love those series mostly because I know those things they left out. +Since I know story, I do not mind it being bit chronologically shifted to fit better for long running TV show. (It is kind of like GoT in terms of chronological approach. And in sheer volume of information given in books. But GoT books add macro stuff from story (too complicated for some), while Expanse books add those micro details of character interaction, behavior.)
If you think GoT is complex and enjoy that sort of story, I'd recommend looking into Steve Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen series. Genuinely epic with real complexity, massive scope, and an incredible world. Slightly off topic: I watched the first episode of The Mist last night, absolute trash. I want to give it another episode but the first was so poor I'm entirely put off.
Books look like my sort of thing. Longest stuff I did read is French series of books "Ice Company". And I did start 3 times over as each time there were not all books translated. 1st and 2nd time I started to read in Czech. For 3rd time I guessed I'll get more books by getting English eBooks. And I still did not finish those newest series due to translations not being available at time :/ Maybe this time, so many years after, everything will be available in English. And thanks for heads up with The Mist. I know quite a few of those actors from other series/movies. They are not bad, but it seems they can't get on top of their game here. Maybe bad filming crew. I definitely disliked some very slow scenes. And weirdly enough best acting came from Bryan (Black Soldier) as I do not know this actor from before and his dog Rufus (who unfortunately had very short life). Then they used a lot of wide shots in boring scenes, which made them even more boring. But I can take that as "Pilot" episode and maybe 2nd will get things rolling, and actors acting. I think they should have employed narrator for boring parts as good narrator fixes a lot.
To be honest... I haven't finished any book since upper secondary school. That's excluding textbooks though. I'm a really slow reader.
Kindle unlimited cost like $10 a month and has over a million titles. I download a book about every 5-6 days.