What are you reading? What books have you got lined up?

[The Funslinger]

I've been reading American Psycho, and it strikes me as the sort of book that some Escapists might be knowledgeable about.

Anyway, I'm about 40% of the way through it, and while it's definitely interesting, it just seems very scatterbrained. A plot is emerging, but it's all surrounded by a lot of unannounced occurrences. All in all, definitely stranger than any other book I've read.

I was just wondering, is there a point to all this? Does it become clear at any point?

While it's very interesting, and entertaining (and a little bit unnerving) I do want to blast through it, partially because it's borrowed, and I should get it back to my friend, and also because I'm of a mind to start the Sharpe books, of which I have bought the chronological first two, as well as continue the Sword of Truth books (I've just gotten Naked Empire, which is a mind bendingly large book)

Aside from hopefully getting an answer to my question, I'd like to see what other Escapists are reading, too.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

Mistborn Trilogy. It's alright. Characters are kinda flat.

Thinking of Name of the Wind next, I hear it's decent. That's assuming Abercrombie's new book isn't out by then.

 

[The Funslinger]

Mistborn Trilogy. It's alright. Characters are kinda flat.

Thinking of Name of the Wind next, I hear it's decent. That's assuming Abercrombie's new book isn't out by then.

I've never heard of either of those. The characters can't be anymore mind numbingly average than the ones in the Hunger Games books.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

I've never heard of either of those. The characters can't be anymore mind numbingly average than the ones in the Hunger Games books.

Hunger Games is read for its brisk pacing, not its memorable characterizations. Although I would argue that bitchy, paranoid, manipulative Katniss is a more interesting character than many.

 

[The Funslinger]

I've never heard of either of those. The characters can't be anymore mind numbingly average than the ones in the Hunger Games books.

Hunger Games is read for its brisk pacing, not its memorable characterizations. Although I would argue that bitchy, paranoid, manipulative Katniss is a more interesting character than many.

I just find her whiny and contrived. Probably why Stephanie Meyer liked the books so much.

The only interesting character to me was Hamish.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

I just find her whiny and contrived. Probably why Stephanie Meyer liked the books so much.

The only interesting character to me was Hamish.

Well, she's a 16 year old. Of course she's whiny.

I disagree on the contrived. One of the things I enjoyed about her was that she was stubbornly NOT a Mary Sue. Not only is she borderline unlikable, she spends 90% of the books alternating between life threatening injuries and getting her ass kicked. The "dead shot with a bow" bit is a little corny, but compared to, say, Lisbeth Salander, she's about as far from contrived as you're likely to get in "young adult" fiction.

However, to each their own. I don't really want to end up in a situation where I'm stubbornly defending Hunger Games, because it's not like I think it's great literature or anything.

 

[BathorysGraveland]

I just recently finished reading Gates of Fire and am currently reading Tides of War, both by Steven Pressfield. I plan on following up this one with The Virtues of War and Last of the Amazons, also by Pressfield, and Pride of Carthage by David Anthony Durham. After I've done all this, I'm going to read the Kull and Solomon Kane original short stories by Robert E. Howard.

EDIT: Also, I recently tried a failed attempt at reading the Lord of the Rings books. I finished and loved The Hobbit, I survived through The Fellowship.. with some ups and downs and I just died at The Two Towers. I absolutely loved the first half of the book, but by all the glorious gods humans have ever worshipped, did those Frodo/Sam/Gollum sections downright suck. After two chapters of the Hobbits' half of the book, I just lost all desire to continue reading. The Hobbit sections were just horrible for me and drove me from reading the last book. Which is unfortunate because, like I said, I love the first half of The Two Towers so much.

 

[Mayhaps]

I'm reading Dirk Gently - The long Dark Tea-Time Of The Soul

I watched the bbc series and had to read the books, I've already finished the first book and I have to say I think I enjoyed the tv-series better. They're still pretty good good books though.
After DG2 I'll probably read the salmon of doubt.

 

[The Funslinger]

I just find her whiny and contrived. Probably why Stephanie Meyer liked the books so much.

The only interesting character to me was Hamish.

Well, she's a 16 year old. Of course she's whiny.

I disagree on the contrived. One of the things I enjoyed about her was that she was stubbornly NOT a Mary Sue. Not only is she borderline unlikable, she spends 90% of the books alternating between life threatening injuries and getting her ass kicked. The "dead shot with a bow" bit is a little corny, but compared to, say, Lisbeth Salander, she's about as far from contrived as you're likely to get in "young adult" fiction.

However, to each their own. I don't really want to end up in a situation where I'm stubbornly defending Hunger Games, because it's not like I think it's great literature or anything.

Indeed. That was a deadly trap I almost lured you into!

 

[Eleuthera]

I'm about halfway through "A Renegade History of the United States - [small]How Drunks, Delinquents and Other Outcasts Made America[/small]" by Thaddeus Russell. It's pretty good, lots of 'I didn't know that' information and different views on things I did know about.

Next up is either a re-read of the "his Dark Materials" series, or some books I still need to order.

 

[Kahunaburger]

Currently juggling the Iliad (Robert Fagles translation) and some of Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser stories. They're excellent.

 

[DoPo]

Anyway, I'm about 40% of the way through it, and while it's definitely interesting, it just seems very scatterbrained. A plot is emerging, but it's all surrounded by a lot of unannounced occurrences. All in all, definitely stranger than any other book I've read.

I was just wondering, is there a point to all this? Does it become clear at any point?

Dunno, I did watch the movie, though. And judging from that, the book must be full of awesome. I'll try to explain it that way - when I watched the movie, I had no idea it was based on a book. That's how good it was. Very few other movies manage to do that and they are mainly based on very good books, as well. Fight Club was another notable example.

I'm not going to spoil the ending for you (assuming it's similar enough across the two versions) but...just read the damn book. It should be good.

Anyway, what I have lined up is
David Wong's John Dies at the End
Kevin Mitnick's The Art of Deception (I'm half way or 2/3 through it, I just need to finish it) as well as the sort of sequel The Art of Intrusion.
And eventually Cold Days by Jim Butcher. When it comes out.

That's what I have lined up for the foreseeable future. I have a few more books on my Amazon wishlist but after I'm done with these, I'll see if I want them then or would I rather go for something else.

 

[Fiz_The_Toaster]

I'm about half way done with Lords of the Sea by John R. Hale. It's a book about the ancient Athenian Navy and how it impacted their society, what? It's totally interest and the guy that wrote it make it a really good read and not boring as hell.

After that I plan on reading The Eldritch Tales by good 'ol H.P. Lovecraft.

 

[Quaxar]

Uhm, I've got the fourth Dune book (God Emperor of Dune) half-read. Same goes for The Hound of Baskerville but in my ebook collection.
I also am part-way through Dante's Divina Comedia, Plato's Politeia as well as the Poetic Edda... though those last ones are all books I prefer to stretch out over a longer time due to their exhausting unreadableness.
And technically speaking I should count the atlas of human anatomy I am currently having open on my bed too I guess.

 

[MetalDooley]

Rereading my Raymond E.Feist collection at the moment.Currently on "Rise of a Merchant Prince"

 

[Aris Khandr]

I just finished Destined, the latest in the House of Night series. I'm not sure what I'll be reading next. The next HoN book won't be out until October. Probably a fetish-related book that I'll decline to name here.

 

[Taham]

Discworld series (by Terry Pratchett). Just finished Thud! (again), going to start Snuff.

 

[Padwolf]

I'm currently reading A Feast for Crows, from the A Song of Fire and Ice series by George R.R. Martin. Once I have finished this series I'm going to read It by Stephen King.

 

[The Funslinger]

I'm currently reading A Feast for Crows, from the A Song of Fire and Ice series by George R.R. Martin. Once I have finished this series I'm going to read It by Stephen King.

Oh, what I like about A Feast For Crows and A Dance With Dragons is they both cover different events happening around the same time, with A Dance With Dragons then leading further on towards the end.

Just spent the last hour binging American Psycho. I'm a little over half way through it now.

 

[Padwolf]

I'm currently reading A Feast for Crows, from the A Song of Fire and Ice series by George R.R. Martin. Once I have finished this series I'm going to read It by Stephen King.

Oh, what I like about A Feast For Crows and A Dance With Dragons is they both cover different events happening around the same time, with A Dance With Dragons then leading further on towards the end.

Just spent the last hour binging American Psycho. I'm a little over half way through it now.

I can't wait to get further in the books, but sadly university essays is holding me back from reading all day! Only two days left and then I have a whole lifetime to read!

American Psycho was a great book and fun to read, but very strange.