What Are You Reading? October 2014

Fall has arrived, the leaves are falling, it's getting colder, and Dragon Age isn't out yet. Probably a good time to read a book.

So what are you reading? How are YOU maintaining civilization by enjoying the printed page?

Been rereading the Witcher books to get ready for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

Trying to finish The Crossing by Cormac McCarthy and True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey. I want to start reading Shadow Country by Peter Matthiessen again (got about 150 pages in a few months ago). I recently bought Norwegian Wood and The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami and Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson, but I won't let myself start them until I've finished something else.

I'm about to put a bow on Ancillary Justice. It's a really interesting sci-fi concept, though the characters and world could stand to be fleshed out a bit more. After that, its back to the First Law spinoffs. First Law is a great low fantasy series that reads like a more cynical George R.R. Martin, if you can believe it. Infinite Jest looms ever on the horizon, as soon as I can fasten my courage to the post...

I'm slogging my way through Stephen King's "Dark Tower" series. I'm on the third book right now. I'm having a hard time keeping interested for some reason. I really want to know what's going on, but I almost have to force myself to read it.

Just finished A Midsummer Night's Dream for the first time. Now I'm reading my way through The Companions by RA Salvatore.

I am a couple of hundred pages into American Gods but I haven't picked it up in about two weeks. I was enjoying it but other stuff got in the way of my reading and I am struggling to find the urge to open it up again. Might just ditch it for another time and start reading The Martian, which is sitting on my shelf after Will and Adam's recommendation over at Tested.

Currently reading Dragon Age: Asunder to get ready for Inquisition. It's suprisingly good. I have to read that as well as Masked Empire and Last Flight before the game comes out and I don't get enough time to read so I'm not getting enough sleep anymore.

School is in session for me, so not much recreational reading going on. Thankfully the stuff I am reading is pretty fantastic. Just finished up Bud Schulberg's "What Makes Sammy Run?" and Richard Wright's "Native Son." Now moving on to Grace Metalious' "Peyton Place." When I get time I'm reading through a collection of Ryūnosuke Akutagawa's short stories. And just to make sure HEY VIDEO GAMES! I'm also starting "Masters of Doom."

Books are cool y'all!

I just powered through The Martian in two days and cannot recommend it enough. It is probably my favorite thing I have read in the last few years. Next, I am probably going to either get back to A Dance with Dragons, or start something like The Name of the Wind, or the Witcher books.

@ewansuttie: The Tested recommendation is the reason I actually picked up The Martian. They are doing a book club spoilercast thing soon, so I figured I would read it so I can listen to that.

Working my way through The Magician's Land. If it continues to stick the landing (and there's no reason to think it won't), this is going to be one of the best trilogies I've ever read. Each book speaks to me at a different point in my life - Quentin's evolution hits home in a way few characters (in any medium) have for me.

@bwheeeler: You're in for a treat, I loved that book (second best book I've read this year).

For myself I haven't decided what fiction book I'm going to read next. Right now I'm going through Murakami's What I Talk About When I Talk About Running which is super interesting.

@shadowconqueror: cool The Crossing is next on my list.

I just need to finish reading Dune first.

I'm reading Ratification: The People Debate the Constitution, 1787-1788 by Pauline Maier right now, but it's a slow process. A little on the wordy side and just a dense read.

Before that, I read The Wonderful Wizard of Oz on my phone because why not?

@shinboy630: I read that book recently in a matter of days when I found it cheap on the kindle store, had no idea Tested were doing a spoilercast, is it a premium thing on the site or is it free to all?

A few days ago I started reading the Dan Simmons book Endymion, I've read both the Hyperion books and really liked those but so far this one isn't doing it for me, I'm tempted to put it down for the moment and come back to it another time.

I'm trying to read Richard Morgan's The Cold Commands as quickly as I can in anticipation of the third book. Pretty stoked about Rothfuss's The Slow Regard of Silent Things at the end of the month. I'm hoping to get through Joe Hill's Horns and maybe The Goldfinch before then. I also want to get caught up on my Tad Williams, as I still need to read the last two of his Shadowmarch series and start in on his Bobby Dollar novels.

Um, what else? I want to read Charlie Huston's Skinner, but his novels seem mired at a $10 price point on the Kindle, and honestly, I'm just not sure I'm willing to pay that. I love his work, don't get me wrong, but... eh. I'd like to spend 2015 catching up on some guilty pleasures like John Sandford, but we'll see how it goes.

Just finished R.A. Salvatore's Rise of the King, It was pretty enjoyable, Next up Im going to finish Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army, which has been a fascinating read.

Still working my way through all of the Horus Heresy books. Just finished Decent of Angels, and Fallen Angels for the 2nd time. Next up I'll be starting Deathwatch for a break from the Horus Heresy stuff. In the past 2 years I think I've read over 150+ Warhammer 40k books (some 3 times!, most of them at least twice!)

@goldone: I think it will be an upcoming episode of the Adam Savage Project podcast, so free for everyone

Fellowship of the Ring. After watching the movies god knows how many times, I felt it was only appropriate to finally sit down with the books. Not much to say really. Takes a while to get pumping, but still a very good book all around.

After I finish that trilogy, I plan on finally getting started with the Mercy Thompson or Wheel of Time series. Not sure which. I own almost every book from both of those series thanks to Amazon and thrift store visits, but I've yet to sit down and get started on either because I'm a lazy piece of shit

The Witcher: Blood of Elves. Going through these because I'm deep into that lore now. Hasn't disappointed yet!

The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje. I got a bunch of cheap books at Goodwill that I am trying to burn through.

Reading through the Expanse series, on to book 4. Book one was a good intro to the series, and book two has proven to be my favorite, book three was still good, but book four isnt really getting me.

I started the Hyperion series a few months back, but never managed to get back into it. So wanted to pop open book two or the Martian now to take a break from Expanse. Thinking of just doing the Martian in one go.

Reading some good ol classics mostly. I'm currently re reading the Scarlet Pimpernel.

@shadowconqueror: Norwegian Wood was my first Murakami. I hope you enjoy it.

@jeffsekai: My hat is off to you, sir. I bought the first Heresy with every intention of reading through the series, but only got through the first one. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy it--I just distracted by the New Literary Shiny and boom! a few years slip by. I do want to get back to them. I remember Vinny enjoying them.

I just finished Wolf In White Van by John Darnielle. He's the lead singer/main guy in the band The Mountain Goats. Van tells the story of a young man who suffers a disfiguring injury to his face and how he copes living day by day after that. The story leaps back and forth between post and pre-injury, illustrating how he uses his imagination to cope in both periods of his life.

When I first read about this novel, it was being talked about as being a 'gamer novel'. A game does play a role in the story, but it is no celebratory festival along the lines of Ready Player One. Wolf In White Van is dark. It's painful. And it's probably going to win a ton of awards.

To lighten the mood, I'm now reading The Tomb by F. Paul Wilson. It's a Repairman Jack novel. Jack is a guy who 'repairs' things--namely, terrible situations where the ability to beat the shit out of someone who deserves it is sorely needed. This time around, Jack gets involved with some followers of Kali, and well, it's time to just sit back, eat some popcorn and enjoy the show.

@nickhead:

The dark tower books were awsome man, kings best work imo. Stick with it duder its worth it. Although i do think it's a love or hate series of books from a King fans point of view and if your finding it hard going then maybe not for you? I was hooked a few pages into The Gunslinger, by book three i was rabid for more.

I have just finished Conn Iggulden's Emperor series about Julius Ceaser which, if your into historical fiction, is top notch.

And finally im relaxing with Dan Browns Inferno which i must admit is a bit of a letdown so far compared to his earlier stuff - Angels and demons

DaVinci code etcetc

I really liked The Gunslinger, the first book of that series, but quite a bit of the second book had me either bored or annoyed at the characters. It had some OK parts but I disliked most of it so I just didn't continue with the series. I wanted to read more about a lone badass wanderer's odyssey to some dark location but now it seems like he's saddled with two characters that I don't particularly care about and he's got a crippled hand. Oh well.

I have an old tattered copy of The Hobbit that needs replacing. I started re-reading it again a few days ago on a whim and that's what I've been reading. It's still a fantastic book, it needs to be replaced from overuse.

I should get back into the remaining John Le Carre novels I've missed but the ending of Our Kind of Traitor has given me some kind of borderline trauma. I really, really hope they get the film right.

Recently read The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton. I guess it was pretty good, considering it kept me interested enough that I read through all of it in a day. Would recommend!

A Clergyman's daughter - Orwell : A good book, if not a tad depressing. (All Orwell)

The Satanic Verses - Rushdie : Not far into it, but has an incredibly interesting premise and is well written enough thus far.

I finished the first book in the wayward pines trilogy a few weeks ago and I've been stuck on another called crossing the darkness. Kind of got boring, so I'll probably move on to something else. Probably something horror themed, or maybe I'll just say screw it and actually try to pick up dune again. That's been on the back burner for quite a while now.

@themanwithnoplan: Digging the avatar. Halloween is great.

While I'm back in here reading and rereading all these posts, anyone have any recommendations for modern sci-fi, excluding Richard Morgan? I'm a huge fan of his, but I've already read all his sci-fi stuff. I'm thinking within the last five to eight years or so. Assume if it's older than that, I've probably read it. I enjoy pretty much all its various sub-genres, including hard sci-fi and space opera, so go nuts with the suggestions. I'm fairly fond of big stupid fun sci fi like the Combat-K novels too, so nothing's probably too dumb. Just maybe not anything YA or kiddie related, huh? I know I'm going to ruffle some feathers there, but I've read enough YA recommendations throughout the years to know I'm simply not going to pick up another one.

I think that's it for me as well, not too concerned with the characters following the gunslinger.

@magadog67 I haven't kept up with Dan Brown, last book of his I read was the Lost Symbol, which I thought was pretty interesting.

@sparky_buzzsaw: Thanks duder! It sure is.

As far as sci fi books, I'd recommend the expanse series. I've heard pretty good things about it, and a while back I even saw Rorie post a blog talking about how he read all the books in a crazy short amount of time. It's definitely something that could be classified as a hard sci fi/space opera, so maybe give that a look.

@themanwithnoplan: Thanks. I added those to my wishlist when Rorie posted that, but I forgot all about them. To be fair, my Amazon book wishlist is huuuuuge. Just bought the first one.

I finally finished Wheel of Time over the summer. Because that's the biggest series I've ever read, and it took so long to get through, I'm hesitant to get started on anything major for a while. So I've just been reading old detective novels cause they're super short and I need to recharge. Finished Red Harvest, and The Big Sleep. Working my way through The Long Goodbye right now, then I'll probably do another Dashiell Hammett one.

I just bought the first of the The Witcher books last week. Whether or not I start to read it is another issue.

Just finished the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, currently reading Farewell to Arms by Hemingway.

Finished Transition by Iain Banks (sci-fi/inception style book. Highly recommend!) now started Ordinary Thunderstorms by William Boyd.

I've been reading The Spheres of Heaven by Charles Sheffield. Really digging it. I started this book way back in 2005 when I was forced to pick a book to read for English class (any book) and picked it up randomly. Both the "gotta round up a crew" and "chubby guy in the friend zone" story lines set in crazy sci-fi land captured my interest especially at that age (ooph). Returned it to the library and moved away and only recently decided to finish what I started, so I ordered it off Amazon. I read The Mind Pool(the prequel) earlier this year also since I concluded I should read the prequel before continuing the story.

Anyway, once I'm done with Spheres, I'll probably read Neuromancer by William Gibson as I've never read it before. I've got Trek to Kraggen-Corby Dennis L. McKiernan lined up after that. Don't know much about that one as I just picked it up for .50 at a nearby thrift shop. I'm just trying to read more. I don't know why, I just feel I'm lacking in that department. Before The Mind Pool, I hadn't read a book in about 5 years.

Just read Watchmen and I'm currently reading Game of Thrones. I'm also super excited to start reading The Godfather for one of my classes.

Unfortunately, I have had to read a lot of textbooks for school and work, so I haven't been able to read much fiction. That said, I hope to finish No Country for Old Men by Cormac Mcarthy by Halloween (I LOVED Blood Meridian). Maybe Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison too, but I don't think so.

Just read "The Handmaids Tale" for my intro English class, thought it was a pretty decent story as I quite enjoy books of a post apocalyptic nature. Atwood (the author) creates an interesting world with a pseudo Christian government taking over the United States and establishing highly rigid gender roles, with some twists along the way. I'm a little swamped with school lately so I Havnt had an oppertunity to read outside of "work" readings, but I want to try and read the LOTR novels for the first time, just Havnt been able to get through them before.

Reading 'Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72' by Hunter S. thompson. It's a strange but good book in which Hunter describes his experience with the presidential election between President Nixon and Senator Mcgovern.

Anyone who has question about journalist ethics and bias should give it a read. While it certainly doesn't focus on the ethics of journalits it certainly paints a image of how reporters and their relationships with people they write about.

About halfway through The Emperor of all Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee. Finding it hard to put down, worth reading if you're into medicine, medical history, cancer.

I picked up a trade paperback of the first five issues of Fables. After watching a Let's Play of The Wolf Among Us, I was intrigued enough to go seek out the comics. Now if I could only get my hands on the other volumes. Also, since its Shocktober, I will be re-reading some Poe, Lovecraft and even a few I haven't read. Like Henry James or Shirley Jackson. Anyone got any other suggestions for good horror books?

The Death of WCW: 10th Anniversary Edition.

I bought the first book at Walden's years ago, and while there were typos and errors, the book was really good in giving you a good overview of how WCW grew into a powerhouse and was sold 3 years later. There were so many stories of so many stupid backstage dealings that I couldn't believe what I was reading....it was great haha.

Highly recommend picking up the revision.

I just finished reading a book called 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time' by Mark Haddon, which is told from the perspective of a boy with Asperger's syndrome as he deals with all the drama around him. It's very interesting and is a good insight into the mind of somebody with the illness. A little sad at times, but it's well written and also not very long, only took me about 2 days to get through. Many of you I'm sure would complete it much quicker.

I then started The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene, which centres around the persecution of christians and the clergy in Mexico somewhere during the mid to late 19th century. I have only read about 20 odd pages but it's well written and seems interesting so far.

I just finished Rob Delany's book. Very enjoyable and incredibly funny. Now I'm on to Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan. I love non-fiction and have been on a comedian kick as of late.

Finally getting around to Masters of Doom, and really pleased with that. Since it's october I'm probably going to re-read Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Books!