"What are you reading?" thread.

Hailey Knight

Hailey Knight

We went to the library last weekend and I picked up Ghosts Know by Ramsey Campbell. I've read many of his short stories and even some of the clunkers are worth reading.

This was a nothing book. I was patient for the first stretch, but you'll spend 280 pages waiting for it to really begin, and then it ends. A man is sort of being framed for murder by a psychic because people are irrational. That's fine as a set-up, but then nothing really happens through the rest of the book. The consequences of that, but it rattles on until 20 pages from the end. I read that Campbell had been stewing on this story for 30+ years before finally writing it, but I think it needed to stay buried, because there just wasn't anything to it.

Also, whatever area of Britain this is, I never want to go there if the novel is an accurate depiction. Everyone is condescending, evasive, and answers every question with a question.
"Did you park your car over there?"
"Why would I?"
"What color is it?"
"What kind of color do you think my car would be?"
"How come you answer every question with a question?"
"Wouldn't you?"

I hope his other novels are better, as I really love his short stories. But at least when Stephen King writes a bad book, finishing it is like stepping off a wild ride. I feel like I just spent 280 pages in a traffic jam.
 
Yoshimickster

Yoshimickster

"A Series of Unfortunate Events Book 7: The Vile Village"

This is the book where the Baudelaires FINALLY realize that the world is out to get them, and go looking for their own home WITHOUT the help of that mother fucking idiot Mr.Poe whom I want to beat to death with his own calculator for being so horribly incompetent.

And OF COURSE-my local library lost book 8, GRAH-gotta get it on hold.
 
Hailey Knight

Hailey Knight

Geez, am I already a quarter through The Haunting of Hill House? That already feels like there won't be much left even though the story's just getting underway at the titular location. It's enchanting, beautifully-written, and the characters much more charming and likable than that crappy Liam Neeson movie from either the late 90s or early 00s.
 
GasBandit

GasBandit

Staff member
Hailey Zero Mission said:
Geez, am I already a quarter through The Haunting of Hill House? That already feels like there won't be much left even though the story's just getting underway at the titular location. It's enchanting, beautifully-written, and the characters much more charming and likable than that crappy Liam Neeson movie from either the late 90s or early 00s.
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Have you seen the 1963 version?
 
Hailey Knight

Hailey Knight

I finished it. I can't remember the last time I ate through a prose novel that quickly (two days?). It leaves you pondering, both about the main character and about what has happened at Hill House in the past, things the doctor didn't want to talk about.

I also now hate the remake even more now.

I was thinking of watching the 1963 movie tonight, or A Quiet Place, but I feel like watching a movie right now would be trying to wash down all the creepiness of the novel, and I think I'd kind of rather bask in that tonight.
 
Yoshimickster

Yoshimickster

A series of Unfortunate Events book 9: The Hostile Hospital

Where we learn that adults are either villainous, or idiotic...so...every other book-BUT-I assure you its still good!
 
Kovac

Kovac

I think it's time to read the Foundation series.

I read the first book when I was a teenager but never got around to the rest of the books. Mostly because I was told by someone that the rest of the series wasn't as good.
 
PatrThom

PatrThom

Kovac said:
I think it's time to read the Foundation series.

I read the first book when I was a teenager but never got around to the rest of the books. Mostly because I was told by someone that the rest of the series wasn't as good.
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I've only read the "main" 4 (the original trilogy + prelude), and I found them worthwhile. I haven't read any of the rest.

--Patrick
 
@Li3n

@Li3n

Kovac said:
I think it's time to read the Foundation series.

I read the first book when I was a teenager but never got around to the rest of the books. Mostly because I was told by someone that the rest of the series wasn't as good.
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The other ones in the 1st Trilogy are basically more of the same, though the stories are a bit longer.

The ones after that will require you to read the Robots series too to understand them fully, since he started putting them all in the same universe, and it might seem a bit out of left field they way things end up if you haven't.

Don't bother with the ones other people have written, the only good thing there is the argument about the Encyclopedia Galactica existing proving something, and that's it.


PatrThom said:
I've only read the "main" 4 (the original trilogy + prelude), and I found them worthwhile. I haven't read any of the rest.

--Patrick
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The prelude is actually like the last one Asimov wrote, isn't it?
 
@Li3n

@Li3n

PatrThom said:
There was another prequel set after Prelude, titled Forward the Foundation, but it was published posthumously.

--Patrick
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Yeah, but i mean like it (they) was done after the Golan ones.

And you spoiled yourself if you read the 1st prequel before the last chronological book.
 
PatrThom

PatrThom

@Li3n said:
And neither would Prelude be published for 2 years after that... i checked.
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I probably read the series for the first time in the mid-80's. Earth wasn't out at that time. It follows that neither was Prelude.
Prelude was published in 1988. Asimov didn't die until 1992. Forward the Foundation was published in 1993.

I checked, too.

--Patrick
 
@Li3n

@Li3n

Yeah, but you said "I've only read the "main" 4 (the original trilogy + prelude), ", hence my confusion.

Anywho, looking them over again, one can read up until Foundation's Edge, but after that you really need to read the Robot series to put things in context...
 
AshburnerX

AshburnerX

Kovac said:
Is the Broken Earth series worth reading?

It has won a few hugo awards and so it seems like a safe bet.
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You actually need to be careful about the Hugos these days; white supremicist folk found out how easy it is to get into the Hugo voting block and they've been trying to get... certain kinds of books nominated over other ones.
 
Denbrought

Denbrought

AshburnerX said:
You actually need to be careful about the Hugos these days; white supremicist folk found out how easy it is to get into the Hugo voting block and they've been trying to get... certain kinds of books nominated over other ones.
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I was under the impression that the Sad/Rabid Puppies crap got stopped by a change in the voting rules before last year's.
 
Denbrought

Denbrought

Tinwhistler said:
I don't know that the change in rules would necessarily *stop* vote manipulation. It just means that if someone wants to vote brigade, they'd have to get their members to join Worldcon in time. This'd stop trolling only to the extent that people are unwilling to financially commit.

http://www.thehugoawards.org/i-want-to-vote/
"(Effective as of the 2019 Worldcon, only members of the current and previous Worldcon as of the end of the previous calendar year are eligible to nominate for the current year’s Hugo Awards.) "
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Those are not the changes I'm referring to, last year was 2017.

Looked it up: The way nominations are handled was changed, partially to prevent loud minority groups (such as the puppies) from hijacking categories. Here's an overview of how it all works now, and an explanation of the specific changes I was vaguely remembering.
 
Hailey Knight

Hailey Knight

I don't think Stephen King's IT is my favorite book anymore.

Usually when someone dethrones a favorite it's to crown something else, bit not in this case. I couldn't say what my favorite book is, but it's not IT. It was. But I've been trying to finish it again since before last summer, and have meanwhile read many other things. There's still much I love about IT and always will. It was an extremely important and formative book for me for a long time and it helped make up my mind about writing. But I also think I've outgrown it a little, which is funny because that's one of the themes of the novel.
 
Yoshimickster

Yoshimickster

And I've finished the "The End" the final book in "A series of Unfortunate Events" and MAN...did this....series end. Not necessarily in a BAD way mind you, but it feels like the story kinda just STOPPED rather than end at a real closure point. Granted the book even admits to that saying how no book will ever have the complete story and all that jazz, but it still could've been more satisfying.
 
AshburnerX

AshburnerX

Yoshimickster said:
And I've finished the "The End" the final book in "A series of Unfortunate Events" and MAN...did this....series end. Not necessarily in a BAD way mind you, but it feels like the story kinda just STOPPED rather than end at a real closure point. Granted the book even admits to that saying how no book will ever have the complete story and all that jazz, but it still could've been more satisfying.
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I'm wondering how the Netflix series is going to handle it. They've done some rewrites already (usually for the better) but I can't really see them pulling a whole ending out of their ass.
 
Yoshimickster

Yoshimickster

AshburnerX said:
I'm wondering how the Netflix series is going to handle it. They've done some rewrites already (usually for the better) but I can't really see them pulling a whole ending out of their ass.
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Yeah, also maybe-
-explain what the FUCK was Ishmael's deal. I mean he KNEW about the apples, so was he just trying to kill everyone? Was all that bullshit about being an overly-protective parent false, or was it true in a dark cult leaderish way?
I also read there's a Lemony Snicket prequel series, so I might check that out.
 
Dave

Dave

Staff member
Reading two books at the same time right now, which I almost never do.

"Astrophysics for People in a Hurry" by Neil deGrasse Tyson and "Broken Earth" series by N. K. Jemisin.

I'm reading the Broken Earth series for fun and I'm hitting Tyson's when I get a few spare moments. I have a hard time keeping it going. It's kind of dry, but it's a library book so I have to get through it before it's due.
 
Hailey Knight

Hailey Knight

The Doll Who Ate His Mother: I hate that I didn't like this, because back in 1980 it seems like it was a hot ticket item, but I just didn't. There were three scenes I really liked. The overall story around that feels like Ramsey Campbell kept pulling a punch, like, almost nothing is the antagonist's fault, and the story gets dizzy from being unsure where it's going.

What really frustrated me was having to do with the opening scene and setup:

Main character and her brother get in a car accident. A man at the seen steals her brother's severed arm.

I thought that had to have happened for a reason. But it doesn't. It was just a random impulse. It felt like every time Campbell looked at every scene of the antagonist and went "What if there was ... less motivation?" Which means it's not even all that disappointing when

Disney death. Rocks fall so villain dies without heroes getting their hands dirty.

I also tried reading The Parasite by the same author, but I couldn't get into it. I love his short stories so much, but I'm 0/3 for novels. I own another, but I'm not ready to try reading it right now. It might be the last of his I try, and then otherwise I just stick to his short stories.
 
drawn_inward

drawn_inward

Strange Weather by Joe Hill

I am about half way through and it's good so far. Just wiki'd the author and found out who his dad is. :aaah:I had no idea.
 
mikerc

mikerc

drawn_inward said:
Strange Weather by Joe Hill

I am about half way through and it's good so far. Just wiki'd the author and found out who his dad is. :aaah:I had no idea.
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Yeah he deliberately kept that a secret as long as he could to prove that he could be a success on his own merits instead of riding his dad's coattails. I don't think even his agent or publishers knew until after he'd had 2 or 3 books published.
 
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