General / Off-Topic What are you reading currently?
- Thread starter GreyAreaUK
- Start date
Evaluating Language Assessments.
It's not really a rip-roaring yarn, but it is surprisingly well-written, gentle and sympathetic.
It's not really a rip-roaring yarn, but it is surprisingly well-written, gentle and sympathetic.
Since last I posted:
- Joanne M Harris: The Blue Salt Road (A lovingly illustrated fairytale in the style of A Pocketful of Crows, and was the epilogue promising a more thorough exploration of the setting?)
- Ursula K. Le Guin: A Wizard of Earthsea (From The Books of Earthsea; a very enjoyable personal story with low global stakes)
- Stephen Baxter: Proxima (The events leading up to Ultima; what would happen if people got their hands on all kinds of technology allowing them access to the high-energy environment of interstellar travel? Of course they'd screw it up, without help or with.)
- Gene Wolfe: The Book of the New Sun Vol. 1 (An exceedingly weird road trip through the distant future, and a test of your vocabulary. I ordered volume 2 halfway through.)
- Gavin Smith: The Legion: Friendly Fire (Again, thank you forum censor. You suck.)
Same for Gene Wolfe, he died just over a week ago :-(
Jordan Peterson 12 Rules For Life
I’m currently reading Judas Unchained (the follow on from Pandora’s Star).
Very good, although the Prime aliens are somewhat terrifying. Definently recommend both of those books.
Very good, although the Prime aliens are somewhat terrifying. Definently recommend both of those books.
This post.
Just finished book three and now onto the very final volume of this epic:Just finished book two of the Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant:
And now onto book three:
The AD&D 2nd Edition Dungeon Master's Guide.
It takes most of the relevant minutiae from the 1st edition and then removes any sort of soul/flavor that Gygax's pontifical rambling had, making it the dullest literary experience I've ever encountered. Takes me about three years to read it, cover to cover, but I'll be damned if it's not the greatest sleep-aid ever.
It takes most of the relevant minutiae from the 1st edition and then removes any sort of soul/flavor that Gygax's pontifical rambling had, making it the dullest literary experience I've ever encountered. Takes me about three years to read it, cover to cover, but I'll be damned if it's not the greatest sleep-aid ever.
The Pigeon Tunnel
Stories from My Life
By John le Carré
“The Pigeon Tunnel is the literary equivalent of a long night spent in the company of a grand storyteller, who has saved up a lifetime of his best tales to share with you over several rounds of fine scotch. The collection leaves the impression of a man who has gone to impossible lengths for his words, bringing the farthest reaches of the globe, some of its cruelest inhabitants, and a small handful of genuine heroes back home for all of us.”—
From the publisher
Stories from My Life
By John le Carré
“The Pigeon Tunnel is the literary equivalent of a long night spent in the company of a grand storyteller, who has saved up a lifetime of his best tales to share with you over several rounds of fine scotch. The collection leaves the impression of a man who has gone to impossible lengths for his words, bringing the farthest reaches of the globe, some of its cruelest inhabitants, and a small handful of genuine heroes back home for all of us.”—
From the publisher
Liu Cixin - The Three-Body Problem.
And re-reading American Gods by Neil Gaiman. Also working through Wages of Destruction by Adam Tooze about Nazi Germany's economy and have a few books about the central powers in World War 1 lined up.
And re-reading American Gods by Neil Gaiman. Also working through Wages of Destruction by Adam Tooze about Nazi Germany's economy and have a few books about the central powers in World War 1 lined up.
My order of this from Amazon arrived yesterday. Brilliant book! So thanks for the recommendation.
In similar vein, if you haven't read it, I highly recommend Tracy Kidder's 'Soul of a New Machine'.
Bought it a decade or so ago, love it
Having finished "The Children of Time" a couple of months ago, I was pleased to see Adrian Tchaikovsky's new book "the children of ruin" and I ordered and read it fairly quickly.
It expands on the first and is a very good look at possible alien or other evolutionary track intelligence that develops. On balance I prefer the first book as it was completely different to mainstream sci-fi in that it really holds a mirror up to our society and gets you thinking, if not in a mammalian way then at least challenging your basic assumptions which is always good.
I did enjoy the second, in fact so much so I've ordered Other Minds: The Octopus and the Evolution of Intelligent Life.
The fight under the hovercraft and the conclusion in the railway tunnels are the best bits of Phlebas IMHO
It expands on the first and is a very good look at possible alien or other evolutionary track intelligence that develops. On balance I prefer the first book as it was completely different to mainstream sci-fi in that it really holds a mirror up to our society and gets you thinking, if not in a mammalian way then at least challenging your basic assumptions which is always good.
I did enjoy the second, in fact so much so I've ordered Other Minds: The Octopus and the Evolution of Intelligent Life.
The fight under the hovercraft and the conclusion in the railway tunnels are the best bits of Phlebas IMHO
Just finished reading the whole Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Last Chronicles being four books long. It must have taken a year and half to read the lot and, quite frankly, I became so invested in the characters and story I didn't want it to end.... but everything ends.Just finished book three and now onto the very final volume of this epic:
In my opinion Donaldson is an out and out genius. What a ripping yarn and what an immense vocabulary. I have read the First and Second Chronicles previously... twice. Reading the whole thing again including the Last Chronicles..... worth it; every page totally worth it.
Now what to read next.....
