Topic: What literature are you reading?

[Gneisenau]

Not Mort? Or Guards! Guards!

Both good, but a tad immature in style, and random. But that's complaining on a high level.

[Gankom]

I personally think Guards Guards is a great place to start. The City Watch books I've always felt are some of the best.

There is a fairy large difference between some of the early books and the later books. They start of as real parody of fantasy tropes. Then after a few books it becomes more satire on the human condition that just happens to take place in a fantasy world. Reaper man is a fantastic one, but I'm not sure I'd start with Mort. Death is a key character, but if your just starting the series I'd lean towards starting with some of the more human characters. Perhaps one of the early wizard books.

I remember I started of with Feet of Clay. It was purely because I found it in my library's old paper back section. After that I devoured the pretty randomly, before purposely going back and starting with the first one. One of my friends started with Going Postal and that can be a good gateway, but pretty far into the series.

[rufus sparkfire]

Not Mort? Or Guards! Guards!

Both good, but a tad immature in style, and random. But that's complaining on a high level.

Immature? Certainly not!

[Artobans Ghost]

'Guards!Guards! - 'When he is on the griddle, the Supreme Grand Master thought, Brother Plasterer will not be lonely.'

Ok, I am finding this book very funny. When you buy amazon you get some of the book free to download so you don't have to wait for delivery to start reading. Almost every page makes me laugh.

[Aldaris]

Almost every page makes me laugh.

One of my favourite Pratchett reading memories is a long train ride where I was reading some Discworld novel to pass the time. And fuck me, it was completely impossible to NOT constantly snicker or outright laugh, despite (or perhaps because of) trying real hard not to.

Just so many good jokes. Guy regards some meadow by a river and reminisces. "In the early days of his marriage, he and the missus had come here often to spoon and, on one memorable occasion, to fork".

[BAWTRM]

Oh yes. Sometimes my wife is suddenly distracted by my sniggering and it's "Oh, you're reading Pratchett again." 

[Novogord]

Technical constructions and inventions from Marshall Brain. A good read with quick explanations of the major technical advancements.

[Gankom]

I've seen some snatches of his stuff before and liked it. I should add it to my reading list. I always enjoy 'how it works' books like that.

[wissenlander]

Finished up the first Gotrek and Felix omnibus.  Until I figure out if I'll get the next one or into something else I'm falling back on Johnny Tremain.  I hated the book as a child, but I still have it and thought I'd give it another chance.  I know it's a kids book, but it's stuck with me as one of my least favorite books so I want to see if that still holds up.

[S.O.F]

I know it's a kids book, but it's stuck with me as one of my least favorite books so I want to see if that still holds up.

If it helps just think of it as Johnny Deformed instead, heard that has worked for other people.

[wissenlander]

I do think about that every time the book is mentioned.

[GamesPoet]

Oh wait, ya said "literature", never mind.

Ha! - I concede my 'World Engine' doesn't quite rank as literature
I was looking forward to your input though. Every time you mention your New England area, I think of HP Lovecraft.  I read everything that was published in my teens and still re- read some now and again. Mainly for the setting and the impression it left with me.

Finally getting back to this thread ...  ... haven't read HP Lovecraft.  Perhaps at some point.

[GamesPoet]

Reading Master and Commander now.

I've seen the movie and enjoyed it, wondering if the book is good, what did you think of it?

[GamesPoet]

Not unsurprisingly, more 40k. This round - Adeptus Mechanicus by Rob Sanders.
I'm liking the perspective from the Skitarii mindset.....kinda worries me a bit ....

Can you summarize?

[GamesPoet]

Ha!  I forgot I'd written this ...

The word "literature" has an origin based in having letters forming words forming a book one is capable of learning from.  And if I recall, it's first known usage as a word was in the 14th century, which I find interesting because that puts its initial use being towards the end of the middle ages and moving towards the renaissance.  Some say literature needs to be writing of some sort of artistic or intellectual importance, yet like so much in life, I say such seems relative while changing over time.  My interpretation seems more liberal than some, yet more full as well.  Those that seek to constrict and control without a measure of moderation, in the moment understanding, and case by case awareness have been known to be confrontational with my view.  They tend to be folks ... well, never mind, not worth the whining I could see if more is said on this tangent ... lol.  So back to my view ... speech and language tend to be something that changes in meaning and structure over time, and if written words are a bi-product of spoken words, then it seems that changes over time of people's values, and as their efforts to communicate changes, so does the language and what is considered literature.  The wider view a person has as to what literature is, probably the more adaptable a person can be to the society as it changes, too.  Thus having a broad view of literature seems wise.

@gp - I like that interpretation- very inclusive and accepting

Thank you.

[GamesPoet]

Ive started reading:

1776 by David McCullough - really quite good! Interesting and not a dry history, nor long.

I'd eventually like to read this!

So I listened to the audiobook (it's almost the same as reading) of Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke. It's better than most space sci-fi stories I'm used to these days. I'm kinda starting to think that Star Wars has ruined space sci-fi and real life culture to some degree.

I read this when younger, and liked it.  Pop cultural sci-fi has it's place, but so do some of the classics.

[GamesPoet]

The Artist, the Philosopher and the Warrior [Leonardo, Machiavelli, Borgia] A Fateful Collusion. By Paul Strathern.

(Some of you may know why.)

Was this worth reading?

[GamesPoet]

Received for Christmas a book called "Alfred the Great: The Man Who Made England", by Justin Pollard.

This isn't just about King Alfred, but also about the times and the culture he lived during.  I've been enjoying the information regarding the Viking and Saxon culture's clashing, including how this relates to what was happening in France and Ireland.  The interpretation made regarding how Alfred lost his rulership to the Viking named Guthrum, and then dealt with the Viking, after having raised enough soldiers to fight and defeat him to take back the rulership of Wessex, is particularly interesting.

[patsy02]

I'm kinda starting to think that Star Wars has ruined space sci-fi and real life culture to some degree.

Nonsense.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rp0wSiQ_Nnc

[Artobans Ghost]

 👆
Finished 'Warrior Priest' - definitely a good read. Certainly a lot of feelings not normally associated with the title and also the obvious exhaustion these guys must feel when swinging around a hammer. Makes me think of reading up somewhere about real life knights and when actually in battle would rotate out every 10 minutes or so because of the amount of energy it cost to fight. Makes sense really but takes the fun out of day long battles lol.
Still waiting for Guards! Guards! To arrive so I went with Luther Huss anyways. After that probably back to Realmgate Wars - The Beast Wars I think it's called and next in line. Really have a lot of the fluff down from a stormcast angle and thoroughly enjoying it. Loved the old world and still do but also the new world stuff as well. I look forward to my first AOS battle soon. Probably solo as no one plays it much here but I picked up the new Tzeentch   battletome and these dudes will have it out with my empire army. I finally have my work table cut 88" long by 28" deep - just needs to be laminated now. As usual it is last on the priority list but just a little bit at a time gives me hope. Won't make my February deadline though 😾

[Artobans Ghost]

Ever wonder were Luther Huss got his name? Just found out.
“

 Theiss stopped turning the pages. The text had been printed in Nuln and the type was narrow Imperial Gothic. On the verso was a short account of the life of Aldrecht Luthor, burgomeister of Rechtstadt. He had died defending his people against an incursion of beastmen – heroically, so the record stated. On the recto was that of Bohrs Huss, the pious and otherworldly prelate of pre-secession Marienburg”

“So there we go,’ said Theiss, satisfied. ‘Huss. Luthor Huss. Not very memorable perhaps, but it’ll do. I’ll tell the others to call you that.”

Excerpt From: Wraight, Chris. “Luthor Huss.” Black Library, 2011-12. iBooks

[Aldaris]

The explanation in my head is far less poetic and involves 80's England, some long haired nerds and a LOT of beer. I like yours too though.
 

[Artobans Ghost]

The explanation in my head is far less poetic and involves 80's England, some long haired nerds and a LOT of beer. I like yours too though.
 

.

Not sure.....yours has a definite ambience to it. Reminds me when I worked at Vickers Instruments and I attended my first D&D night. My buddy had made 6 vats of blueberry wine (big mothers) and they were total crap. He had no other furniture except his wooden chairs in the middle of the room surrounded by his dud wine. The look of dejection was priceless and has lasted a lifetime. No food on his place either except spent pizza boxes. Perfect setting for a DM.😺

[wissenlander]

Reading Master and Commander now.

I've seen the movie and enjoyed it, wondering if the book is good, what did you think of it?

It was ok.  There was a lot of nautical jargon.  I can see why it is highly regarded, but I don't think I'll read any more into the series.

[Artobans Ghost]

Finished Luther Huss. I really enjoyed it. Definitely he can't relate to the weaknesses of human frailty but he lives up to his fluff.
On another note Guards! Guards! By Terry Pratchett has found its way thru the mail to my house. Digging in for a lot of laughs and I could use something funny right about now.