What are you reading . . . . Now?

Yorick · Joined: 11 Jul 2006 Posts: 12101 Location: In the undersnow

The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, finally

edit: also, Guardians Of the Galaxy: Tomorrow's Avengers vol 1
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stripeypants · Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2014 2:16 am Post subject:

Pretties, by Scott Westerfield. I like the setting, but I can't stand slogging through a story where one character tells a giant lie, then builds on that lie - and you know that the lie just has to fall apart.
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Ennis · Joined: 09 Jun 2013 Posts: 964 Location: Australia

Darqcyde · Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2014 5:08 pm Post subject:

stripeypants · Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2014 11:27 pm Post subject:

It took me a long time to realize that was why I hated watching some awkward things on television. Now I just fastforward through stuff.

The lie didn't come out till the end of the book, even though the author had been constantly building to it. The outing of the lie was really, really unsatisfying in any way to me. It would have been much stronger if the character had admitted to the lie earlier, and she would still have had plenty of reasons to do what she ended up doing later in the book. Without all the forced awkwardness.

It also had obligatory romance triangle. And some stuff to say about brain damage that...uh...I have no idea wtf. So I'm totally skipping the other books in the series.

I also thought I'd get used to the words Pretties, Uglies, Littlies and Specials used to refer to people, and city names like "New PrettyTown." But I didn't. It sounds awkward through the whole book - especially 'Littlie.' Cutie would have fit better with the other words.
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mouse · Joined: 10 Jul 2006 Posts: 17706 Location: under the bed

i am concurrently reading the well of loneliness and the alexandria quartet. this may be a mistake, for a lot of reasons.
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Heretical Rants · Joined: 21 Jul 2009 Posts: 5344 Location: No.

*reading along*

apparently the protagonist is a racist

*stop a moment*

ugghhhhh

I mean, I guess that makes sense. She has just barely gotten out of the insular jingoistic military organization she was raised in, after all.

aaaand my cat is licking my earplugs for some reason
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Desire · Joined: 09 Jul 2006 Posts: 587 Location: AK

I have been reading Game of Thrones (the first four books in the series) this summer. I also picked up the Divergent Trilogy as someone had recommended it to me.

The GoT books I've been enjoying. I see a lot of the stuff coming but then he throws in some unexpected twists that take me by surprise. He has me hooked into seeing how the whole thing plays out.

I enjoyed Divergent and Insurgent. They were quick reads and nothing too unexpected but I found the characters and story interesting. But the third book.... I was incredibly pissed off when I finished it. So much so that I have to laugh at myself. But man, I feel like she just did not do any justice to the previous story and characters. It seriously felt to me like she was just wanting to wrap it all up and be done with it and had decided certain events that must happen and forced the story to make them happen like she wanted.

There are numerous other directions she could have gone that would have been more satisfying and more true to the characters. I seriously like I want to edit/re-write the last book to make it fit with the story better!
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"Her kisses left something to be desired -- the rest of her. "

mouse · Joined: 10 Jul 2006 Posts: 17706 Location: under the bed

hey Desire - long time no see!

Game of Thrones is evil, because he keeps jumping around, and so i keep reading even when i need to go do other things (like, go to work), because i -have- to know if whoever was left hanging in the chapter i just finished gets axed or not.

plus i honestly keep going in hopes of seeing characters i hate get theirs.
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Desire · Joined: 09 Jul 2006 Posts: 587 Location: AK

Hi Mouse! It is good to see you again! I often wonder how you are doing! Smile

GoT is evil! I find myself thinking of different characters and plot lines at odd moments, trying to puzzle it all out. I have the fifth book, but I am putting off reading it as I know it took a long time for that one to come out so I am trying to delay as long as I can so that the wait after the fifth, for the sixth, will be as short as possible. I suspect that makes no logical sense, but it appears to be what I am doing.

There have been a few moments where I was happy to see someone get what was coming to them, and there are a few more I am waiting for. Though I think he does a good job of creating characters you hate/despise, and then later shows enough of their humanity to make you understand them a bit better and feel more sympathetic towards them.
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"Her kisses left something to be desired -- the rest of her. "

mouse · Joined: 10 Jul 2006 Posts: 17706 Location: under the bed

i'm doing great! (and i can't believe Rhett is already 8!) hope things are still going well for you.

i will agree that he makes you understand them better....but i don't think _anything_ will make me sympathize with Cercei.
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Desire · Joined: 09 Jul 2006 Posts: 587 Location: AK

Cersei is one I am waiting to see her get what she deserves! Evil or Very Mad

I am doing well enough!
With the darkness up here during the winter and my ADD and depression, winters are a rough time for me, though I am trying to stay positive and hopefully weather it better this year. Rhett is such a happy and sweet child, he keeps me grounded to what is important. Smile

He is growing too fast though; it goes by so quickly!
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"Her kisses left something to be desired -- the rest of her. "

Ennis · Joined: 09 Jun 2013 Posts: 964 Location: Australia

If you haven't already you absolutely must read the webcomic Paranatural. There's not a huge backlog, right now there's only about 120 pages. I was laughing out loud on so many pages, it's brilliant. Be sure to read the alt text and the comments. The art improves dramatically in the course of something like 20 pages, then more steadily gets better. I can't wait until the author brings out a book because I will buy it in an instant.

Felgraf · Joined: 10 Jul 2012 Posts: 734

http://broodhollow.chainsawsuit.com/, a webcomic by Kris Straub (of Starslip Crisis). I have to agree with the creator's description, which is basically "Tin Tin goes to Innsmouth."
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"No, but evil is still being --Is having reason-- Being reasonable! Mousie understands? Is always being reason. Is punishing world for not being... Like in head. Is always reason. World should be different, is reason."
-Ed, from Digger