So, after a long time of not reading at all, I have decided I need to actually read books again.
I’m keen to hear: what are you guys and girls currently reading?
I’ve started reading City On Fire. It’s a big-ass book that many critics have described as ‘Dickensian’. Many have also uttered the phrase ‘great American novel’ whilst discussing it. These are the kinds of words that will normally convince me to buy a book in the airport.
I was mostly pissed off though, because 10 minutes after buying City On Fire, I spotted Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s autobiography, which I would have totally bought otherwise because I love Zlatan and I’m a complete sucker for sports auto-biographies.
Speaking of which, my favourite is still Open by Andre Agassi. Even if you hate tennis you should read that book. It’s amazing. Also, Mark Hunt’s autobiography is pretty damn good.
What are you reading?
Comments
85 responses to “Off Topic: What Are You Reading?”
I’m currently reading “Surely you’re joking Mr Feynman” and it is absolutely amazing. A must read. He has lived and incredibly fascinating life and tells it very well.
I’ve got “New Game +: The Geek’s Guide to Love, Sex, & Dating” lined up to read next and am quite looking forward to it.
Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America.
Really.
Le nom de la rose by Umberto Ecco (French translation).
I love reading 40k related novels – just because i love the lore so much and i know i’ll never run out of stuff to read.
Currently reading Heroes of the Space Marines, which is a bit hit and miss being that it’s a collection of short stories.
I am almost done with it, though, and very much looking forward to starting the Ciaphus Caine series which is meant to be excellent – I have 2 omnibus’ waiting for me right now. Mmmmmm… Omnibus’….
Read the word bearers omnibus? Pretty good. I’m currently reading horus rising
No I haven’t as of yet – but I have read the Iron Warriors Omnibus – Honsu is actually a seriously interesting character and I enjoyed his exploits immensely.
I am also yet to read any of the heresy novels yet – mainly due to how intimidating the backlog is. Not to mentions trying to work out what damn order they are meant to be read in,
So they are actually decent? I’m not a player of the original game. But played some of the PC franchises and dig the medieval sci-fi Mashup that it is.
Dude – some of them are absolute gold.
Easily the best place to start is the Gaunt’s Ghost series of books. Not only the best 40k books out there, they are also probably one of my favorite series of all time.
The Eisenhorn books are also increadibly good, if you want to follow stuff regarding the inquisition.
If you have played some of the games, The Ultramarines omnibus’ are good, but follow them up with the iron warriors omnibus to get the war from both sides, which is cool.
The short story collections can also be good, but like any collection of stories you get the good mashed up with the bad.
Thanks. Gives me somewhere to start.
I’m up to book 4 of Ciaphus Caine. It’s a fantastic series so far, he plays to the ‘camera’ really well.
Also if you haven’t tried, get the Einsenhorn / Ravenor trilogies. Bloody good series as well.
And Space Wolf omnibus x 2 isn’t too shabby, even if it feels a little long in the tooth (ha) at some points.
I’ve got the Ravenor Omnibus but haven’t gotten around to reading it yet and only read the first of Eisenhorn.
Also, with Space Wolves, I find that most times i read their storeies it makes me dislike them more. There’s only been a couple of short stories based on them that i didn’t mind.
Technically I’m reading The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman but it’s more of a “When I have time I read a few pages” kind of reading.
Great book. Plus, because it’s kinda like the Jungle Book – each chapter is almost self-contained. Perfect for small bursts.
Reading “The Nekropolis Archives” by Tim Wagonner. It’s a collection of novels about a Zombie Private Detective in a city on monsters. It’s as good as it is weird.
I’m also reading “The Story of Music” which skims over the long and complicated evolution of music, from instrumentation to notation to other influences. Fascinating.
The legend of Drizzt book IV – Crystal Shard
Supplementing my lack of dice rolling by reading official D&D novels. It’s getting me by, but the books are only lasting 3 or 4 days at a time
Zandikar: In the Teeth of Akoum — It’s a old set model I brought like 4-5 years ago but only just got into, started off fairly decently elfs and their usual xenophobia, even amongst elfs from other tribes, ahh elfs never change 🙂
I’ve been trying to expand my exposure to Neal Stephenson beyond Snow Crash and Cryptonomicon/Baroque Cycle because I feel like if I’m going to refer to him as one of my favourite authors I should be more familiar with his works, so I recently picked up a copy of Anathem and have been trying to read it on the train whenever I remember to put it in the bag I sometimes take to work. I also need to get onto Diamond Age, which seems to be popular but old enough that it seems most bookstores don’t bother stocking it anymore.
You’ll love 2/3 of Seveneves. Just pretend part 3 is a fanfic prologue because it’s unforgivably shit.
Stephen Baxter does near future big disaster with space MUCH better – get yourself a copy of Titan.
Cheers, appreciate the recommendation.
The goldfish club
A selection of stories from members of the goldfish club, which is made up of people who had to ditched their aircraft into water. A selection of small personal stories, it is rather interesting.
When I have time, The Dark between the Stars by Kevin J Anderson. read the saga of the seven suns 7 book … saga 🙂 a few years back awesome space opera.
he does tend to bounce between characters a lot, but it’s still a good read.
The alien royalty sex fiend bit was a bit lame, enjoyed the rest though. Quite a few style nods toward John Carter which I thought was cool.
Game of thrones book 2, I want to get it done before the new book comes out so I can read the spoilers before the show.
Its going well and the books are great, would recommended.
Historically speaking, time is on your side there.
Black Jack: Volume 9
Using it to teach myself some Kana for my Japanese self study.
Just finished my 3rd read of cryptonomicon (damn i love that book). Am currently reading Tigerman by Nick Harkaway. Its good so far, but not as good as his 1st novel The Gone Away World.
I’ve been reading my way through “The Mortal Instruments” series by Cassandra Clare, and I’m about halfway through the final book. They’re not very good, but easy to read. Occasionally there’s some good humour writing and moderately ok urban fantasy stuff, but ugggghhhhh the teen romance parts are dreadful.
I’m sure there have been many moments where your eyeballs rolled so far backward they almost did a complete 360.
There sure have been.
To be fair, teen romance in general is pretty dreadful.
Still the books are about 200 times better than the “Netflix original” they made. That is just straight trash
I’m up to my last Witcher book – the Sword of Destiny. Thinking of going for a fan translation of Lady of the Lake, but not sure if I should just wait for the professional copy. Anyone tried it?
Finished Time Of Contempt a while back. Great series.
Am listening to the short story Witcher collection. Is pretty good so far. Will hopefully find time to read the sequels.
Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief.
Exposé on all the founding of the religion and all the incredibly shady and illegal. Some real horrible shit in there. Fascinating read though.
I’ve read that and it’s really interesting. I’ve heard the documentary is also really good but I haven’t watched it.
I will definitely try and track down the doco after reading this.
There are a few other movies I’ve yet to catch from books I have read this year as well
The Martian and American Sniper. The Martian is a great read. American Sniper is a very interesting look into the mind of an American Soldier and how he views the other side.
(Listening to)
The Light Bringer trilogy by Brent Weeks as well as getting through T.W Brown’s Dead series (Zombo Apoc)
‘With Eagles to Glory: Napoleon and his German Allies in the 1809 Campaign’ by John H. Gill.
Great read and very informative.
Sekret Machines. Book 1: Chasing Shadows.
Loving it. It’s Tom Clancy meets James Bond meets UFOs.
I’m a massive fan of Raymond E Feist but at the moment i’m re-reading queenslands own Kylie Chan series’s and her latest book “Black Jade” – i think i’ve read every book except the latest (and gravity engine) over and over at the very least 5 times each.. Awesome mix of old/new mythology and culture.
Currently reading two books – Work Rules by Laszlo Bock (HR guy at Google) and So Long, and thanks for all the fish by Douglas Adams (the 4th of the Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy trilogy). Gotta learn & gotta laugh.
I tied those two together once with a presentation I did during a team day on Someone Else’s Problem as a psychological phenomenon. Specifically deliberate org chart structures making many people responsible for something allows the company to collectively fail to fix costly workplace hazards. Had some cracking examples too. No wonder they got rid of me. 🙂
Nothing, I’m too busy reading Kotaku and Reddit >_>
Hahaha. Well played.
Thanks for the laugh. It’s been a bad day so far.
Stormlight Series by Brandon Sanderson. Brilliant fantasy series, probably the best I have read so far.
Yesss I just finished Words of Radiance. Took me at least half the first book to get into the series but by then I was hooked.
Sanderson is a ridiculously good world builder.
I trust you’ve read Mistborn?
Sanderson has hinted (indicated?) that all his books are set in a common universe (or cosmere as he calls it).
I am just about to start The Final Empire, having read the Reckoners series a couple of months back. Sanderson was fantastic at finishing off the Wheel of Time books, so I’m super-pumped to dive into his other original work.
Reading Ready Player One. Quite good. Just finished I Am Pilgram. Brilliant. Next up is City Of Mirrors. Already on my shelf, ready to roll.
In between, editing my first book and about halfway through the first draft of my second 😀
I *was* reading “The Girl With All The Gifts” thanks to an article here or there on this here group of websites, but it was crap. Dropped out at about the 40% mark.
Instead I finished reading the recent Grayson comic run, and moving onto the recently finished Midnighter comic run next.
Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance
“The Shepherds Crown”, though I’m dilly-dallying ’cause I don’t really want to finish the Last Discworld Book Ever.
I’m kind of the same, but with the How to Train Your Dragon books.
I started the last book last year, got around half way through and haven’t been back since.
Myself typing out the horrid realisation that I haven’t read a book for leisure in at least a year.
I’m just refinishing The Belgariad, planning on finishing up Gaunt’s Ghosts after.
console wars
interesting stuff but man some of the made up dialogue sounds like a 12 year old wrote.
Picked up a huge stack of light novels recently (super cheap to obtain in the USA). Currently slowly working my way through Black Bullet #3.
Necronomicon – H.P. Lovecraft
I was inspired by Bloodborne 🙂
Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill
The Windup Girl – Paolo Bacigalupi.
‘Ken amazing.
That was a really good book. Pretty sure I got the recommendation from Lifehacker.
Spice and Wolf, by Isuna Hasekura. It’s a decent casual read.
Journey to the West, only the cover says Monkey. Marketing hey?
Started really strong & now the religious shit is getting to me.
I loved playing Enslaved – makes me wanna go back and read Journey…
I had fun playing Enslaved but it wasn’t the sort of Game I ever felt the need to go back to. I’m the same with God of War, great games and all.
But yeah, grew up with Monkey the tv show & always meant to read this. Only just came across a copy at the library.
I’d also be interested in reading the new, extended 4(?) volume version. Sounds like it might be a lot better & not just because it it’s unabridged.
The Dark Tower book 4 (Wizard & Glass)
If you’ve never read before and are keen for the main plot to move forward substantially, then you might be disappointed. If you’re looking for some beautiful Roland back story then it’s magical.
I’m making my way through all Stephen King’s works. Enjoying it, even though it’s a departure from the main story.
Hamilton: The Revolution – Jeremy McCarter and Lin-Manuel Miranda
El Principito – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (Spanish version)
Need some good crime investigative fiction (preferably military ala NCIS)
More of a light sci fi theme but give Mindstar rising by peter hamilton ago.
Have you read the Lincoln Rhyme series by Jeffrey Deaver? I read the first few books (and my nick is based on one of its characters!), and they were great – apparently they got even better after I stopped reading.
The movie ‘The Bone Collector’ was based on it.
Across the Nightingale Floor – Tales of the Otori.
I read books 1-3 when I was a teenager but missed books 4&5. Now starting again from the beginning, easy reading.
The Garden of Rama by Arthur C Clarke. My obsession with 70s/80s sci fi continues.
I need to get back to The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski – the first book in The Witcher series – I’m a fair way through it already but I dropped it a few weeks back for reasons unknown.
I also have a ton of comic book trades to get through that are preventing me from going to the store and buying more, even though there’s a few series I wanna catch up on.
Stephen King’s “It”. Something I’ve been meaning to read for years but got sidetracked a lot. Fantastic.
I should really stop reading it before bed though…
The Last Mortal Bond by Brian Staveley, so far better than the last one, not as good as the first.
I feel like I’ve been reading Shantaram for the past year. Am about three quarters through and want to smash it out in the next week or two. It has some really touching moments and paints a great picture of Bombay. But I’m very much ready to move onto something a bit lighter.
Apparently the sequel isn’t quite as good, which is a bit disappointing.
Shantaram is fantastic though, I’m kind of glad the movie for it fell through as I’m not sure how well it would translate to film.
Nearly finished with Call of Cthulhu, one of those orange Penguin Classic versions with an assortment of Lovecraft short stories and novellas. It’s interesting because it contains an appendix with the backstory of when/how each story was written, as well as footnotes throughout explaining some of the more obscure/antiquated references. Highly recommended for anyone that enjoys classic gothic horror…
… but let’s face it, if you enjoy classic gothic horror, you’ve read all of these stories already.
After that, I’ve got the first book of Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn series ready to go. I read his Reckoners trilogy not long ago, and that was fantastic, so I’m pretty excited to read some more of his work.
Also, while I’m here – anyone that enjoys fantasy should stop whatever they are doing and go out and buy Saladin Ahmed’s Thone of the Crescent Moon. Reading a fantasy story not set in the traditional Western fantasy setting (it’s based on middle eastern folklore) is the best.
Prince of Thorns – Mark Lawrence.
I don’t read much, but a damn good book so far.
Currently reading Blood Legacy by Michael A Stackpole. Always loved the Battletech lore so its been nice to finally get into reading a few of the books. Fantastic universe that would make a great few movies or TV show.
Recently finished The Painted Man series (well, up to date!) – by Peter V Brett.
Moved onto The Dark Tower now, by ‘King – great stuff! Onto book 3 now, and taking it a litttle slower (smashed through the first two books in a week!)
Recently finished the 422nd book in the Shannara series by Terry Brooks (okay I think it was 27th) which I read consecutively over the last year. They’re great but I’m totally burned out on the world at the moment so I’ve just started reading ‘The Night Circus’ which so far seems cool but I’m struggling to find time for. Maybe it’s not just Shannara, maybe I’m burned out on reading all together