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Author Topic: What literature are you reading?  (Read 85705 times)

Offline Rowsdower

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Re: What literature are you reading?
« Reply #425 on: April 26, 2018, 05:40:44 AM »
I think I paid something like $18.00 or $19.00 AU for the lot of them. Funny considering that many of them still have GW $14.95 price tags on them.
I went to the shop again today and found Words of blood. I keep checking the toy bins in case anyone's thrown out a landraider, Baneblade or chaos dwarf army.


Offline Xathrodox86

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Re: What literature are you reading?
« Reply #426 on: April 26, 2018, 01:26:55 PM »
I think I paid something like $18.00 or $19.00 AU for the lot of them. Funny considering that many of them still have GW $14.95 price tags on them.
I went to the shop again today and found Words of blood. I keep checking the toy bins in case anyone's thrown out a landraider, Baneblade or chaos dwarf army.

That's a bloody steal! I'm so envious. :ph34r:
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Offline Realjuan

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Re: What literature are you reading?
« Reply #427 on: April 26, 2018, 07:34:10 PM »
Just finishing reading Honourkeeper by Nick Kyme

A long story about some Dwarfs, well written, nice descriptions, and decent characters. Like most of Warhammer books, they tent to be quiet simple and do not motivate your mind or imagination.

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Offline Feanor Fire Heart

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Re: What literature are you reading?
« Reply #428 on: May 01, 2018, 03:15:20 AM »
I did it. I got my harpoon and went a-whaling, I went after the white whale and read Moby Dick.  Herman Melville is an amazing author and is very poetic in his writing. I read the unabridged version, so 1/3 of the book was about Ahab and the crew of the Pequod going after Moby Dick.  The other 2/3 of the book is everything to know about whales and whaling.  Even those parts are beautifully written! It can be a bit of a slog because it goes off tangent and talks about whales.  Stories, legends, paleontology, oceanography, history, how to hunt and harvest whales.  It really gets into the nitty gritty of it all.  I can see why its a classic, the story itself is pretty amazing as we follow Ishmael and his budding friendship with the Polynesian Queequeg as they sign onto a whaling voyage with the bitter old Ahab who wants nothing but revenge!

Honestly, you could probably find the abridged version without all the whale and whaling stuff in it, but I think you really lose out on the atmosphere and foreshadowing that Melville uses with those chapters, to build up tension and under stand what risks are involved when going after the demi-god of whales.

I also have found when talking to other people about this book, that different people get different things out of the story.  Sometimes its a vengeance rampage tale, others its a philosophical look on existence, and everything in between.  Not only is it a wonderful story, but it may be also worth the read to see what the ink blot shows you.  Another book worthy of the title "classic."



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Offline Rowsdower

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Re: What literature are you reading?
« Reply #429 on: May 01, 2018, 11:36:16 AM »
Started Hammers of Ulric today.
There is a scene in the first few pages in which a knight is riding on a hobby horse while his companion moves it. Delving into Python territory. They were one step away from banging coconuts together......are coconuts indigenous to the Empire?

Offline Xathrodox86

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Re: What literature are you reading?
« Reply #430 on: May 04, 2018, 12:15:04 PM »
Started Hammers of Ulric today.
There is a scene in the first few pages in which a knight is riding on a hobby horse while his companion moves it. Delving into Python territory. They were one step away from banging coconuts together......are coconuts indigenous to the Empire?

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Offline Rowsdower

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Re: What literature are you reading?
« Reply #431 on: May 08, 2018, 05:04:40 AM »
The funny thing about Hammers of Ulric is that although it seems to have been written for the sole purpose of selling Knight kits, it delves a lot into Empire society. There's a heavy focus on the nightwatch and the lower rungs of society. I cant help but wonder if GW was thinking of producing a.....'working' girl kit at one point?

Offline Xathrodox86

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Re: What literature are you reading?
« Reply #432 on: May 08, 2018, 01:17:20 PM »
I've just finished "Reiksguard" from the "Empire army" series. Really good read and a great insight into the workings of Empire's most august of knightly orders. I'll probably review it soon-ish on my blog. :smile2:
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Offline Artobans Ghost

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Re: What literature are you reading?
« Reply #433 on: May 09, 2018, 12:14:51 AM »
Imperator - Wrath of the Omnissiah - Gav Thorpe. Good read if you like anything about titans. Like any addiction, this just lays the foundation for the next hit 😺. I think The Keys to Ruin by David Annendale is next I think.
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Offline Gankom

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Re: What literature are you reading?
« Reply #434 on: May 09, 2018, 12:44:28 AM »
Just finished Necropolis by Dan Abnett, always a great. Then finished Small Gods by Terry Pratchett, which is always one of my favorite books. Ah but for the difference between goats and sheep.

Not sure what I'll do next. Might pick up The Lost omnibus, or maybe go to some non fiction historical stuff.

Offline Xathrodox86

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Re: What literature are you reading?
« Reply #435 on: May 11, 2018, 12:12:30 PM »
Reading "Sword of Justice" by Chris Wraight. Fascinating insight into the mind of Ludwig Schwarzhelm and the interior politics of the Empire. It brought me a metric ton of ideas for my RPG sessions.
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Offline Warlord

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Re: What literature are you reading?
« Reply #436 on: May 16, 2018, 12:23:48 AM »
Finished King of Thorns. Great followup to Prince of Thorns. However some of the ‘now’ and ‘then’ pacing was slightly off in the middle. I had to skip ahead to finish bits I was interested in to then come back. But I did that with Dany chapters in AsoIaF too.

What was excellent timing personally, was it referenced the bridge between Copenhagen and Malmo, and only a week ago I saw said bridge. It didn’t call it by name or anything, but I know thats what it was referring.

Need to order Emperor of Thorns next.
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Offline Rowsdower

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Re: What literature are you reading?
« Reply #437 on: May 16, 2018, 01:35:51 AM »
Hammers of ulric is a bit of an odd read. It seems to alter between a narrative and recollection. The meat of the plot also doesn't come into play until well past the halfway point.

Offline Feanor Fire Heart

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Re: What literature are you reading?
« Reply #438 on: May 17, 2018, 05:26:09 PM »
I took a plunge and read The Iliad by Homer.  It takes place in the 9th year of the Trojan War and largely follows Achilles and Hector. There was a lot of drama between the Achaeans and their champions. Some I never heard of (like Diomedes) but it was fun to learn about them. Hector just out and out hates Alexandros (aka Paris) for being a little arrogant punk. Helen at one time decides to give herself up to end the war, but Aphrodite threatens to make her existence a living hell for the rest of her life if she does. Poor Helen.  Most of the story seems to be x killed y with their z, which made the story a bit of a slog at times.  I felt like sometimes my mind checked out until a familiar or important hero shows up like Diomedes or Aeneas. It does paint quite the picture on how the ancient Greeks performed war.  Its less like phalanxes coming at each other (that's way later in the historical record anyway) and more like a brawl of dogs fighting over meat (in this case dead men's armor).  Also there is no cavalry. Cavalry didn't exist yet as horses where not bred for that (which matches historical/archaeological evidence), but there were a ton of chariot fights.  Sometimes fighting like a mobile platform, sometimes as mobile archery positions, and sometimes just to drop off and pick up champions in the fight.  The Olympians get funky fighty with themselves and the mortals too. Always trying to undermine Zeus and each other by helping/hindering the mortals.  You learn about some of the physical features of the gods too, like Athena having grey eyes and a storm cloud on her shield. I thought that was pretty cool.  I also liked that they illustrated the time frame of when this event took place as they mentioned that several of the fighters are literal sons of Hercules.  Which is kind of cool, as now you have a sense of time in the legends.

I liked it, but would only really read it again for research purposes.  It doesn't read like a compelling novel and there are many parts that you have to slog through as its just x killed y with z and repeat.  It is a great piece of work when it comes to historical warfare and Greek mythology though.  The language can be a bit dense at times and beautiful at others, but that may depend on what translation you read. I don't really give out ratings for the books I read, but I'll make an exception and rate this a solid 3/5 golden apples.
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Offline Artobans Ghost

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Re: What literature are you reading?
« Reply #439 on: May 17, 2018, 07:33:03 PM »
You sir, should get 5/5 apples for making it happen. I tried 3 times and failed. As with most of the classics, I just couldn’t stomach it. Did make it thru paradise lost and the divine comedy and some of Shakespeare’s but that was it and many years ago when I had patience and ambition 😺
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Offline Rowsdower

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Re: What literature are you reading?
« Reply #440 on: May 18, 2018, 04:01:39 AM »
All this talk of the Trojan war and Shakespeare reminds me of middleschool
I've only been reading snippets of Hammers of Ulric in between shifts at my workplace. So far its been a bit of a letdown

Offline Artobans Ghost

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Re: What literature are you reading?
« Reply #441 on: May 23, 2018, 01:41:30 PM »
Just reading ‘eye of Medusa’ about iron hands. Never realized the total lack of empathy they have but I guess it matches their fluff. Anyways came across this quote and found it very funny.

“Five century cog-studs had been beaten into the inseparable fusion of helmet and bionics that by position alone remained a face.
“An Iron Hands Space Marine of Drath’s age and construction could no longer simply die.”

Excerpt From
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Offline Xathrodox86

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Re: What literature are you reading?
« Reply #442 on: May 25, 2018, 01:20:42 PM »
Listening to the Garro anthology. Once again I am reminded why the grizzled Battle Captain remains as one of my favorite, fictional characters of all time. :blush:
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Offline Padre

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Re: What literature are you reading?
« Reply #443 on: May 25, 2018, 02:37:31 PM »
I have just started Dan Barker's "God, the Most Unpleasant Character in All Fiction". A more entertaining way of getting to know the full horror of the Old Testament than reading it. I've read huge chunks before, which put me off having to read the whole disgusting thing. I realised very quickly why the O-level in RE I took at my Roman Catholic high school was on the Synoptic Gospels. I have a feeling no-one wanted us to see the horrors of the OT!
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Offline Gankom

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Re: What literature are you reading?
« Reply #444 on: May 25, 2018, 05:16:30 PM »
I ordered Master of Mankind and The Lost omnibus yesterday so I'm looking forward to those arriving.

Otherwise I've been on a pretty good nonfiction kick. Some historical work on the Templars and the Crusader states, a biography of Russian general Georgy Zhukov (Which was fantastic and really puts the Eastern front into scale. Some of the numbers are ridiculous.) and a couple of books on the North American fur trade and frontier.

Offline Henerius

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Re: What literature are you reading?
« Reply #445 on: May 29, 2018, 02:27:48 PM »
Jonathan I. Israel

The Republic 1477-1806

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Offline wissenlander

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Re: What literature are you reading?
« Reply #446 on: May 29, 2018, 04:10:20 PM »
I've been very slowly working my way through Three Musketeers.  I like it, but just haven't been devoting as much time to reading.  Hopefully the library doesn't mind my renewal spam.
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Offline Feanor Fire Heart

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Re: What literature are you reading?
« Reply #447 on: May 30, 2018, 12:27:19 AM »
I've been very slowly working my way through Three Musketeers.  I like it, but just haven't been devoting as much time to reading.  Hopefully the library doesn't mind my renewal spam.
It was quite the delight. I am sure they wont mind.  :::cheers:::
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Offline Xathrodox86

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Re: What literature are you reading?
« Reply #448 on: June 06, 2018, 10:55:36 AM »
I ordered Master of Mankind and The Lost omnibus yesterday so I'm looking forward to those arriving.

Otherwise I've been on a pretty good nonfiction kick. Some historical work on the Templars and the Crusader states, a biography of Russian general Georgy Zhukov (Which was fantastic and really puts the Eastern front into scale. Some of the numbers are ridiculous.) and a couple of books on the North American fur trade and frontier.

Master of Mankind is great. You won't be dissapointed.
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Offline Rowsdower

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Re: What literature are you reading?
« Reply #449 on: June 06, 2018, 02:06:56 PM »
Found two more novels in the same charity shop. This time its Ultramarine titles; Courage & honour and Killing ground.
Although Courage & honour seems to be about a novice ultramarine [so far], it features cameos of the chapters bigger players. Calgar's honour guard are much like Emperor Palpatine's Royal guards; silent sentinels capable of terrible wrath while Tigerius and Cassius both seem to be feared as much by their own troops as they are the enemy. And for all these years, the voice I imagined Cassius speaking in was that of Abe Simpson; you know, because he's old. Now I hear George C Scott.
Oh yes and the ultra marines have no time for boring committee meetings.