What are we reading?

[Gusington]

Thanks. I read the first one, set to read the second one, didn't know there was a third.

[OJsDad]

The third just came out a week or two ago.

[Gusington]

Gotcha.

[Hofstadter]

Metro 2033 is aids

[Gusington]

Pardon?

[BanzaiCat]

Pardon?

[Gusington]

Goddamn I remember that. Olde.

[Martok]

Yesterday, I *finally* finished The Flame Bearer, the most recent entry in Bernard Cornwell's The Saxon Chronicles.  While I've liked every book in the series thus far (to a greater or lesser degree), I found this to be his best one in quite some time, with a highly satisfactory ending. 

While both this novel and the previous one (Warriors of the Storm) definitely favor the fictional aspects of "historical fiction" over the historical (even more so than his usual), I highly enjoyed them even so.  As if to make up for the lack of historicity, Cornwell seems to have picked up the pace (story-wise) -- it had admittedly been dragging a bit in books 6-8 -- as well as giving us interesting new characters...or more often, finally fleshing out existing ones. 

I'm definitely looking forward to more books in this series.  However, it seems quite impossible that Cornwell will be able to finish, given the guy is 72.  :( 



Have how begun reading At the Sign of Triumph, the most recent (and apparently final?) entry in David Weber's Safehold series. 

GRRM dropping dead might be the best thing to happen for his series -- WoT fans basically agree the final three books are a solid and worthwhile finale, but I don't think many of us would have confidence they'd have been that good with Robert Jordan himself writing them. Knife of Dreams (Book 11) was a major improvement and generally a good return to form, but still showed signs that RJ might yet return to meandering bloat. A talented journeyman who loves the series and who is dedicated to finishing out strong, could very well be the way for ASoIaF to putt home.

Ahhhhhh, Jason.  Here we are again.  While I agree that getting the books out faster and with less bloat than Jordan helped get them out in a more timely manner, WoT went off the rails back around book....1?  Or 2 maybe?  I would like to speak up for the trees that were murdered to print that verbose shite.  They aren't coming back and being dead didn't help make the series any better.  Summing up: I disagree with your assertion that death may help Martin's series.

Given that the books have been written by Martin thus far, his death couldn't help but improve the series.  O:-) 

[Gusington]

I'm afraid to delve deeply into Cornwell. My wallet can't handle it. I've read one of his books years ago (can't remember which) and enjoyed it. And I have his Agincourt in my to-read pile.

[MetalDog]

Watched the first two episodes of The Last Kingdom.  Very good stuff.  Probably get one or two more in this evening.

GRRM dropping dead might be the best thing to happen for his series -- WoT fans basically agree the final three books are a solid and worthwhile finale, but I don't think many of us would have confidence they'd have been that good with Robert Jordan himself writing them. Knife of Dreams (Book 11) was a major improvement and generally a good return to form, but still showed signs that RJ might yet return to meandering bloat. A talented journeyman who loves the series and who is dedicated to finishing out strong, could very well be the way for ASoIaF to putt home.

Ahhhhhh, Jason.  Here we are again.  While I agree that getting the books out faster and with less bloat than Jordan helped get them out in a more timely manner, WoT went off the rails back around book....1?  Or 2 maybe?  I would like to speak up for the trees that were murdered to print that verbose shite.  They aren't coming back and being dead didn't help make the series any better.  Summing up: I disagree with your assertion that death may help Martin's series.

Given that the books have been written by Martin thus far, his death couldn't help but improve the series.  O:-) 

You coming to Origins this year?  I have something for you if you do.   

[Martok]

^  Is it a pet dragon??  Please say yes!  :D 

I'm afraid to delve deeply into Cornwell. My wallet can't handle it. I've read one of his books years ago (can't remember which) and enjoyed it. And I have his Agincourt in my to-read pile.

Can't say I blame you.  It's one reason why I've ended up mostly focusing on just the one series (and even that's still not exactly cheap). 


Agincourt is a solid read; one of his few standalone novels (although it does reference people/places from earlier works).  I felt it did a decent job of placing the reader in the both English and French mindsets, especially as regards to prior to/during the battle. 

[Gusington]

^That's what I need, thank you.

[Gusington]

About to start One Soldier's War by Arkady Babchenko, about the Chechen Wars 1994-2009.

[Greybriar]

The Iron King by Maurice Druon. It is the first book in The Accursed Kings series.

[BanzaiCat]

Been reading something called Omega Rising. It has a compelling premise -

Jason Burke was a man hiding from himself in a small cabin high in the American Rocky Mountains when his simple, quiet life was shattered one night by what he first assumed was an aviation mishap. But when he investigates the crash, what he finds will yank him out of his self-imposed exile and thrust him into a world he could have never imagined. He suddenly finds himself trapped on a damaged alien spacecraft and plunged into a universe of interstellar crime lords and government conspiracies, along the way meeting strange new friends... and enemies. As he struggles to find his way back home he is inexorably drawn deeper into a world where one misstep could mean his death. Or worse. He desperately wants to get back to Earth, but it may be the end for him. ... or is it just the beginning?

It's one of those books that's just good enough to keep my attention, though now that I'm more than halfway through it I feel like I'm obligated to finish it. The author is driving me insane because he has NO idea what a semicolon is, and is separating ideas with commas instead. Plus, mispellings (such as "he wondered down the hall" - ugh) make me feel like I'm reading fanfic and not an actual, real author's work. I hate that feeling.