Read any good books lately?

[No1BroncoFan]

Originally Posted by HooptyHoops

It just didn't grab me...moved too slow....kinda like a game of baseball to me.

I agree, we all like and have different tastes, but I would much rather read something somebody really liked as a starting point.

Try the "Idlewild" books by Nick Sagan. I've read them four times in the last three years (just finished the fourth time today). This series is at or near the top of all sci-fi written in the last 30 years.

[steeledude]

Originally Posted by Taco John

I'm on my second read through the Song of Ice and Fire books and am enjoying it just as much on the second read-through as I did on the first. It's amazing the little details you pick up the second time through.

Some of my favorite books of all time, except for Dance. I just hated Dance so much, I can't say why. Too much hype in my brain? I must've had a Martin-Hype-Overload or something.

It's friggin' nuts seeing guys like Conan O'brien say words like "Winterfell" and the "Iron Throne."

[steeledude]

Originally Posted by SouthStndJunkie

I read "The Old Man and the Sea" by Ernest Hemmingway the other day.

It was a book I'd been meaning to read for a while.

I enjoyed it.

I have For Whom the Bell Tolls on my bookshelf ready to read, and I just finished the short story the short happy life of francis macomber. Jeez, I think he had periods of his life where he hated women! Great story.

[Rother8]

Kind of intriguing- tough to take in but a good kick in the ass for me.

[Lycan]

During my 8 days or so of no power I read quite a lot of books, mostly in a bathtub filled with cold water.

I read the first 3 books of the Drizzt saga by R.A. Salvatore. Very enjoyable classic fantasy books.

I also read all 6 of the Dexter books by Jeff Lindsay. Simply awesome. The same characters you know from the show (mostly) but after the 1st book the storyline forks off in very different directions.

Then I read the first 2 books of the Jack Nightingale series by Stephen Leather, wasn't expecting all that much but I ended up really liking them. Very predictable though.

I also read a big old Calvin & Hobbes compilation book I have had forever. Easily the best comic strip ever. Plus the complete Trigun collection, one of my favorite Manga.

That's pretty much it, besides maybe 3 or 4 other books that weren't worth mentioning in this fine thread.

You would be amazed how fast books fly by when you have absolutely nothing else to do.

[HooptyHoops]

Originally Posted by No1BroncoFan

Try the "Idlewild" books by Nick Sagan. I've read them four times in the last three years (just finished the fourth time today). This series is at or near the top of all sci-fi written in the last 30 years.

Bold statement No1! I will stop by the library tomorrow and pick them up! I just got done with the Elvenblood series that you recommended and I enjoyed them...thank you!!

[Jay3]

Originally Posted by steeledude

Some of my favorite books of all time, except for Dance. I just hated Dance so much, I can't say why. Too much hype in my brain? I must've had a Martin-Hype-Overload or something.

That's because the project is beginning to fail as a novel. Martin is great at an episodic television approach, but he's beginning to demonstrate an inability to focus on the core narrative, and to bring it to conclusion. Dance is the first one where the flop sweat really began to show -- we can see behind the curtain, so to speak.

I say that as a fan and one who will be reading the next installment.

[No1BroncoFan]

Originally Posted by HooptyHoops

Bold statement No1! I will stop by the library tomorrow and pick them up! I just got done with the Elvenblood series that you recommended and I enjoyed them...thank you!!

Noting wrong with bold. I liked the second one the best, but it's only by the thinnest of margins.

Found a new (to me) author on my last library trip, Joe Haldeman. So far this first book of his that I'm reading, "Marsbound," has been a great ride.

Ben

[mosca]

Originally Posted by Jay3

That's because the project is beginning to fail as a novel. Martin is great at an episodic television approach, but he's beginning to demonstrate an inability to focus on the core narrative, and to bring it to conclusion. Dance is the first one where the flop sweat really began to show -- we can see behind the curtain, so to speak.

I say that as a fan and one who will be reading the next installment.

Agh... say it ain't so! I would say the same thing about Feast for Crows, which I have never gotten around to finishing. Read the first three books about 10 years ago, waited forever for Feast to come out, and was kinda disappointed. My autographed copy of it has been sitting, collecting dust, half-finished since I bought it.

I've been re-energized to re-read it and start on Dance with the release of the TV show...was hoping that Dance got the series back on track.

[Jay3]

Originally Posted by mosca

Agh... say it ain't so! I would say the same thing about Feast for Crows, which I have never gotten around to finishing. Read the first three books about 10 years ago, waited forever for Feast to come out, and was kinda disappointed. My autographed copy of it has been sitting, collecting dust, half-finished since I bought it.

I've been re-energized to re-read it and start on Dance with the release of the TV show...was hoping that Dance got the series back on track.

If anything, that feeling first crept in on Feast for Crows. But you think, "well, after the third one maybe he was entitled to a set up book or something." But then Dance with Dragons makes you realize Feast for Crows was not a set up for Dance with Dragons. He's introducing elaborate elements that go nowhere. Having characters wander about to no purpose. Introducing more wandering bands of warriors that have a name for their wandering band.

Dance with Dragons confirms the sick feeling that first started to creep in with Feast for Crows. There's still hope that the core plot ends up being satisfying. But hope is lost that Martin is a genius who crafted a story that could only be told in 10,000 pages. He just can't stop himself and reel it in and focus.

[Dedhed]

Currently reading "Folks, This Ain't Normal" by Joel Salatin. Talks about how insane our food production system has become and how to change it.

[backup qb]

Just read 'Abe Lincoln Vampire Hunter.' Quick entertaining read. Not great but good.

[SouthStndJunkie]

Originally Posted by backup qb

Just read 'Abe Lincoln Vampire Hunter.' Quick entertaining read. Not great but good.

Yep....I enjoyed it as well and thought it was a pretty cool adventure.

I was disappointed in the movie, as it really didn't follow the book at all.

[broncosteven]

I started Soccer Coaching for kids. lots of great drills I have had my daughter doing the last couple weeks.

[No1BroncoFan]

Recently re-read "Jumper" by Steven Gould. Yes, this is the book that the really bad Hayden Christensen film is based on but don't hold that against it. It's about a teenager who discovers he can teleport, how he deals with that and what he does with his talent. It is NOT some lame good guy vs. evil secret society story. In fact there is no group of villians hunting down jumpers (Davy Rice is the only one).

Easily in the top fifty sci-fi- books in the last 20 years it's an incredibly fun read.

"Reflex" (the sequel to "Jumper" and also a recent re-read) is also very good. Not as good as the first but still way better than average. Davy Rice returns as the world's only known jumper, until someone else learns how to do it.

I'm really looking forward to the release of "Impulese," the third book in the "Jumper" series, due out next year.

Other recent reads:
"Amped" by Daniel H. Wilson. Based in the near future it's a story about bigotry and hatred with meaning in today's world.

"H.I.V.E." (the Higher Institute of Villainous Education) bv Mark Walden. If you've read and liked "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer (an incredible series that is alas, finished with the latest installment) you'll probably like this first book in the series. H.I.V.E. is kinda like Hogwarts for criminal mastermind children. A lot of fun so far and I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.

[HooptyHoops]

I've read a lot this year and I would say Mark Lawrence's Prince of Thorns and King of Thorns was completely the best in the past couple of months. Looking forward to the last book in 2013.

Right behind the Lawrence I would say Patrick Rothfuss King Killer series....get it and read it!!

[Lycan]

I've read just about all the Dresden Files books. They're interesting, modern fantasy isn't something done well very often IMO, but these are pretty good.

I'd certainly recommend them if you are interested in swords and sorcery style fantasy done in modern Chicago.

[broncosteven]

I read Rev's book, Would have liked a synopsis of what he went on to do after boot camp, the ending made it seem like he became a Marine then went home and was all done. Would have liked to know what he did with all that training.

I started Tom's book with Floyd. It covers a lot of the same ground as the 1st book but it is still fun to relive and reinforce those memories.

[HooptyHoops]

Originally Posted by Lycan

I've read just about all the Dresden Files books. They're interesting, modern fantasy isn't something done well very often IMO, but these are pretty good.

I'd certainly recommend them if you are interested in swords and sorcery style fantasy done in modern Chicago.

I keep coming across the Dresden Files....I often wonder if I would like them.....your right, modern fantasy seems to go wrong a lot of the time.

[TheReverend]

Originally Posted by broncosteven

I read Rev's book, Would have liked a synopsis of what he went on to do after boot camp, the ending made it seem like he became a Marine then went home and was all done. Would have liked to know what he did with all that training.

Your mom

[extralife]

Originally Posted by broncosteven

I read Rev's book, Would have liked a synopsis of what he went on to do after boot camp

become an annoying, ubiquitous presence on the mane, duh

[No1BroncoFan]

If you're looking for something Broncos related that won't leave you with a sick, twisted feeling in your stomach, you might want to give this a try:
Game of My Life Denver Broncos: Memorable Stories of Broncos Football by Jim Saccomano.


I got this from my daughter for X-mas and loved every page. A great trip down memory lane and some reminders of some interesting things like the fact that since 1973 the Broncos have had more SB appearances than losing seasons. Something I don't think any other team can claim.

Great book.

[WABronco]

"The Forgotten Soldier" is a good one...now I'm reading "The Battle of the Tanks" (catchy name). Tanks is damn good and a new author to me.

[No1BroncoFan]

Originally Posted by HooptyHoops

Bold statement No1! I will stop by the library tomorrow and pick them up! I just got done with the Elvenblood series that you recommended and I enjoyed them...thank you!!

Did you ever get around to the Idlewild books and if so, how'd you like 'em?

Got a Nook for Christmas and have been ransacking the local libraries for ebooks like mad:

"Aftertime" by Sophie Littlefield - Post-apocalyptic zombie story that is a great ride, and I don't much like zombie stories. Part one of a series and I've got the others on deck.

An oldie that's new to me, "Another Fine Myth" by Robert Asprin. Very good, humorous approach to the fantasy genre.

The Mitch Rapp books by Vince Flynn. CIA/political thrillers, the worst of them is still pretty good. The best are can't-put-downers.

The "Ember" series by Jeanne DuPrau. I've heard the three of the books were combined and made into a muddled, hard to follow movie. Don't know about that, but the books were solid reads. Nothing earth shaking, but solid.

On deck:

The rest of the "Aftertime" books (of course).

Seth Grahame-Smith's "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" and "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies." Both of these come highly recommended to me.

Anything I can get from Robert Rankin. His "Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse" was one of the most entertaining books I've ever read. Laugh out loud funny in many, many places.

And of course, most anything else I can find barring bad westerns and romances.

[BroncsCheer]

11/22/63 by King - great butterfly effect novel

Recently introduced to John Ringo. Reading There will Be Dragons now - good dystopian future stuff.

Re-read A Dance w/Dragons for the 3rd time after finishing season 2 of the Game of Thrones TV series. Can't wait for Winds of Winter.

Got hooked on Harry Bosch (Michael Connelley) over the summer and read all of those (B&N.com FTW)

The Secret Race is a well written bio of Tyler Hamilton exposing th seedy underbelly of pro cycling for interested readers.