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Author Topic: What literature are you reading?  (Read 85637 times)

Offline Artobans Ghost

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What literature are you reading?
« on: June 28, 2016, 03:32:50 AM »
Just curious as to what book/poem/comic people are reading to relax.
Include if you want, particular books/collections/series that have left an impact that has inspired or haunted you through your life.

At the moment I read a ton of the 40k and Black Library stuff - The World Engine - at the moment.
In the recent past it was the series by Stephon Erikson - the Fall of the Malazan Empire. Awesome series of 10 volumes at about 1K pages each book.  Really was sorry when I had finished it. :(

Looking forward to some of your favourites :)
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Offline Gankom

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Re: What literature are you reading?
« Reply #1 on: June 28, 2016, 03:36:16 AM »
Terry Pratchett Discworld and the Dresden Files are two of my favorite series by far.

Just finished an amazing book called How Music Got Free, all about the rise of online piracy.

Currently reading the Gaunts Ghost series.

Offline ZeroTwentythree

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Re: What literature are you reading?
« Reply #2 on: June 28, 2016, 03:48:07 AM »
I haven't been able to successfully read a full book since becoming a parent. However, I have recently started listening to audiobooks on some of my long drives for work. The most recent was Xenophon's Anabasis.

Offline Captain Basilicus

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Re: What literature are you reading?
« Reply #3 on: June 28, 2016, 05:37:45 AM »
Solomon Kane, one story a night.
Also the random old White Dwarf for a hobby article or battle report.

Offline red shift

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Re: What literature are you reading?
« Reply #4 on: June 28, 2016, 05:56:22 AM »
I am reading the second part of the first law trilogy by Joe Abercrombie. It's pretty good.

Also am up to date with the 40k series the beast arises, they have been variable but generally a worthwhile read.

Offline Warlord

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Re: What literature are you reading?
« Reply #5 on: June 28, 2016, 08:04:18 AM »
Conn igguldan's ghengis khan series. Midway through book two.

Before that, George.RR Martin's 'Tuf Voyaging'. Was quite entertaining.

@ 023 - I do my only reading time on public transport to and from work. Only 20 minutes each way, but can get through a bit.
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Offline BAWTRM

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Re: What literature are you reading?
« Reply #6 on: June 28, 2016, 08:18:00 AM »
I've still got to rate R. Scott Bakker's 'Prince of Nothing' trilogy as one of the best I've ever read.

He puts G.R.R. Martin to shame in terms of intrigue and gritty story telling. Humanity in all its pettiness and glory if you will. But one of the amazing aspects is that he manages to weave all kinds of philisophical aspects into the story. Going deep into human nature, faith, belief and religion, the nature of the soul. And he does so without ruining the story but actually enhancing it!

All set in a fantasy world based on the ancient near east with a dash of roman empire and germanic tribes. With an underlying evil in the form of a few otherworldly beings that use their knowledge of genetics to create their own monstrous armies. And a fallen Elven civilization that is the most twisted forms of Elves I've ever encountered.

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Offline GamesPoet

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Re: What literature are you reading?
« Reply #7 on: June 28, 2016, 10:09:36 AM »
Oh wait, ya said "literature", never mind. :icon_wink: :icon_lol:
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Offline Artobans Ghost

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Re: What literature are you reading?
« Reply #8 on: June 28, 2016, 12:02:19 PM »
Oh wait, ya said "literature", never mind. :icon_wink: :icon_lol:

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.
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Offline Xathrodox86

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Re: What literature are you reading?
« Reply #9 on: June 28, 2016, 02:09:22 PM »
The Eisenhorn omnibus. Loving it.
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Offline Ursa Doom

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Re: What literature are you reading?
« Reply #10 on: June 28, 2016, 09:44:19 PM »
I'm currently reading a Black Library novel omnibus called the Ambassador Chronicles. It's about an old Empire general veteran from Nuln being selected to be an ambassador in Kislev prior to the Storm of Chaos. So far I find it a bit underwhelming given the premise. There is not enough exploration of Kislev as a society and too much run of the mill murder mystery, that might as well happen in any Old World city.

After I have finished that book I was thinking about reading Anno Dracula (featuring non-Warhammer Genevieve from the classic Warhammer novel Drachenfels) by Kim Newman or Weaveworld by Clive Barker.

Offline Realjuan

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Re: What literature are you reading?
« Reply #11 on: June 28, 2016, 10:47:25 PM »
I got a kindle from my sister so I been reading around two and a half books per month. One from the free library, one "new Release" per month and half of Gotrek & Felix. If you want a Colombian to do something fast, tell him its free but only for limited time. We love free stuff.

Book of the month: "Blogging - The ultimate Guide on How to replace... by Alan Hirsch" Not even worth writing the whole title. First few hits on google are probably better than this book. 2/10

New Release: Temporary Agent by Daniel Judson - Its okay. Something different from what I normally read and entertaining, but doesn't cross the line.  6/10

Gotrek & Felix: Giant Slayer Probably not my favorite so far, but still interesting. I enjoy more the books with more background stories or characters build up. 6/10

Anyone else has a kindle and uses the Kindle Users Library free book? I would appreciate suggestions.
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Offline valmir

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Re: What literature are you reading?
« Reply #12 on: June 28, 2016, 11:33:04 PM »
Reading part 2, and about to start of part 3 of Mark Z. Danielewski's 27-volume "The Familiar". If anyone here hasn't read his "House of Leaves", they really ought to...
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Offline Grutch

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Re: What literature are you reading?
« Reply #13 on: June 29, 2016, 12:03:38 AM »
Finished "Red Rising" - Sort of tiresome and amateur, feels a lot like hunger games, defiant, etc.   

Currently reading "Ready Player One".  If you grew up in the 80s and you love video games... this book is for you.  It feels like Earnest Kline wrote the book just for me, which is an odd feeling as I go through the pages.  I'm not finished with it yet but I have been enjoying the ride.

Offline Artobans Ghost

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Re: What literature are you reading?
« Reply #14 on: June 29, 2016, 01:16:35 AM »
Lots of good leads to follow.
Seeing the George R Martin references made me think of his comment in book 5 of the game of thrones -' the last book was a bitch to write - this one was a bitch and a bastard' :)
Anyone know if he did # 6 yet?

@023 - I have a contract that I have to spend nearly 2 1/2 hours driving every day for awhile. Maybe those audio books would be good.
(And as an aside - did I see a pic of you in one of your blogs in the cockpit of a ford trimotor or am I just out to lunch. I loved the look of the trimotor - used to have a model of one somewhere)
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Offline wissenlander

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Re: What literature are you reading?
« Reply #15 on: July 01, 2016, 11:32:57 AM »
Reading Master and Commander now. 
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Offline Padre

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Re: What literature are you reading?
« Reply #16 on: July 01, 2016, 12:38:01 PM »
Non-fiction for me, as (nearly) always: David Wootton's 'The Invention of Science, A New History of the Scientific Revolution' and Richard Carrier 'On the Historicity of Jesus: Why We Might Have Reason for Doubt' One's for work, the other for 'pleasure'  :engel:
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Offline Feanor Fire Heart

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Re: What literature are you reading?
« Reply #17 on: July 01, 2016, 12:55:12 PM »
Reading "The illustrated manners book; a manual of good behavior and polite accomplishments" ("Thanks to Hark a Vagrant!") published in 1855. It is remarkably progressive of its time. Particularly around pages 111-114 about women and men.  I wish I had a means of copying and pasting it here rather than transcribe it.  Was very interesting.
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Offline Artobans Ghost

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Re: What literature are you reading?
« Reply #18 on: July 04, 2016, 10:04:25 PM »
Next on the list - Rynn's World by Steve Parker - more 40K :)
Finished the World Engine - Another SM chapter consigned to history.
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Offline Fidelis von Sigmaringen

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Re: What literature are you reading?
« Reply #19 on: July 04, 2016, 10:28:25 PM »
Non-fiction for me, as (nearly) always: David Wootton's 'The Invention of Science, A New History of the Scientific Revolution' and Richard Carrier 'On the Historicity of Jesus: Why We Might Have Reason for Doubt' One's for work, the other for 'pleasure'  :engel:

Carrier is a work of fiction - I guess that explains the "nearly"...
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Offline Padre

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Re: What literature are you reading?
« Reply #20 on: July 04, 2016, 11:36:20 PM »
Is it though? Surely its true nature is a very careful historical and linguistic analysis of what should now be recognised as fiction? I've yet to see any faults/mistakes. A Christian would think his work is riddled with them, but that's because their conviction arises from faith, not from actually studying the text's history and Jewish/Classical history. On a side note, he's the first historian I have read who performs historical research mathematically.
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Offline Artobans Ghost

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Re: What literature are you reading?
« Reply #21 on: July 05, 2016, 01:17:14 AM »
Just heard an interesting interview on the radio with author  Eric Weiner.
His book is The Geography of Genius.
Premise is 'a search for the worlds most creative places from ancient Athens to Silicon Valley'.
This sounds like a very cool read.


http://www.ericweinerbooks.com/books/the-geography-of-genius/description/

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Offline Fidelis von Sigmaringen

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Re: What literature are you reading?
« Reply #22 on: July 05, 2016, 09:27:09 AM »
Is it though? Surely its true nature is a very careful historical and linguistic analysis of what should now be recognised as fiction? I've yet to see any faults/mistakes. A Christian would think his work is riddled with them, but that's because their conviction arises from faith, not from actually studying the text's history and Jewish/Classical history. On a side note, he's the first historian I have read who performs historical research mathematically.

As history, Carrier's work is just a notch above the works of Michael Baignent or Robert Bauval e.a. Regarding the use of mathematical method: garbage in, garbage out. Here is a detailed (4 part) critique of Carrier's use of the Bayesian Method by Dr. Barnes, a cosmologist. 


And here is the view by Jeffery Lowder, a friend of Carrier on The Carrier-Barnes Exchange on Fine-Tuning

This sums it up fairly well: "With all due respect to Dr. Carrier, I find part 1 of Dr. Barnes’ critique to be very persuasive and, in fact, to be a prima facie devastating critique."
« Last Edit: July 05, 2016, 09:41:20 AM by Fidelis von Sigmaringen »
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Offline Padre

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Re: What literature are you reading?
« Reply #23 on: July 05, 2016, 09:45:31 AM »
Yeah, ok. I never understood either the mathematics of Bayesian theory or the need to drag it into the process. So those articles are wasted on me. I did get grade A in A level maths, but you have to be really into maths to get a grip with articles such as that. My surprise that Carrier was using maths was the reason why I made the point re: him being the first historian I know who has done so. Note I stressed it was the 'historical and linguistic analysis' that impressed me, and only mentioned the maths as an afterthought.

But, in terms of his studies of the texts, then unless he is basically lying outright about what they say and what words mean/meant (and he references everything very carefully) then he has some very interesting points that leave one wondering whether we can even assume there was a historical Jesus, never mind anything more. There's just so little to go on, and no 'evidence' that isn't problematic re: dating, sources, language, ideas, context ... etc. All we seem to be able to say for certainty is that Christianity as we know it derived from a process we can't pin down or know much about at all, and thus may well have begun with an original conception that was significantly different to what eventually emerged as Christianity.

I recommend you read the book rather than articles about the book. Or, and it is fun, watch his lectures / debates on YouTube, such as the Skepticon ones. It is fascinating stuff and has me quite gripped!
« Last Edit: July 05, 2016, 09:56:13 AM by Padre »
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Offline Padre

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Re: What literature are you reading?
« Reply #24 on: July 05, 2016, 10:13:47 AM »
In truth, I am just excited by the book: the analysis, the ideas, and specifically the uncertainties revealed. And this excitement is like that that I have experienced reading a good story, but has more bite as it connects with my life as a 'good' Catholic who transformed agonisingly into a full-blown atheist!
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