What are you reading? What was the last book you enjoyed?

[Kings Provisional]

Since there are graphic novels listed I'll cheat a little and list a few comics I have enjoyed recently...........

Saga- a somewhat weird sci-fi comic. Only on issue 14 so you can still find the back issues and hop on board.

Clone- So you are minding your own business leading a happy life and then you discover your a clone, what is worse someone is trying to eliminate you. Rumor is Universal wants to turn it into a TV show. 11 issues so far.

Jupiter's Legacy- The world's greatest heroes are, well, old. Their super powered kids are spoiled drug and booze addled party animals. Mark Millar (the guy who did Kick Ass) and Frank Quitelyy are awesome in this book. Only 3 issues in!

Lazarus- Set in the not to distant future. The world is pretty messed up most governments have collapsed and the ones that haven't are greatly weakened, the power lies with huge corporations and the families that control them. (The writer was inspired by seeing the Occupy movement in NYC a couple of years ago). Basically society has reverted back to feudalism. "In each family there is one person given the best they can offer, training and technology and assets, every scientific advantage. the person is named their Family's sword and shield, their protector, their LAZARUS." Only on issue 4.

The Massive- Whale Wars meets mad max. Set in a post apocalyptic near future, the crew of the of the Kapital is searching for their missing sister ship the Massive. Pretty good stuff.

 

[kingkrazy]

[Book Review] Stephen King's 'Doctor Sleep' -

Got this one on tap...have to get back into reading mode again.

Right with you on getting back into the reading mode. Took a small break and ready to jump back in. I haven't read The Shining but may get to it soon and then see if I can go straight to the sequel.

 

[adgy-san]

Just finished this for the first time:

I found it readable, but did not connect with it at all. Honestly, I kept waiting for something to happen, unaware that this was all just about existential teenage angst. On an intellectual level, I get it, but emotionally this book did nothing for me.

And since KP brought up some (really awesome) comics, I've recently been enjoying:

Sex Criminals - Two issues in, this is about a couple who have discovered that they are able to stop time when they orgasm. So, naturally, they decide to rob banks after the **** in them. There hasn't been a whole lot of crime yet, so far it's just been the two of them discussing their discovery of sex and what happens when time stops. Two issues in and I'm pretty sure this is the greatest thing Matt Fraction has ever written. I love it. If you pick this up, make sure to keep an eye out for the stuff that artist Chip Zdarsky adds in the background, especially in issue 2 when the male character is in the porn shop. Lots of laughs there.

East Of West - For many years, humans have fought amongst themselves in bloody wars and conflict. A terrible event happens to stop the world fighting. A treaty for peace is put into place by various nations of the world known as the Seven Nations of America. But then, a prophecy happens that will usher in the end of the world by the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. The prophecy is known as The Message, and end of the world is near. But something is amiss about the Message and Horsemen: there are three Horsemen...so where is the fourth? That Horseman, Death, is traveling the planet on a personal vendetta that could change the destiny of the planet. All this by Jonathan Hickman, who is, for my money, the best writer in the business right now. I highly recommend every single book he is writing right now. All of them.

 

[chaingunsofdoom]

My copy of "S" arrived yesterday (from Doug Dorst/JJ Abrams). It has so many little inserts inside of it, that I have no idea how to read it anywhere except @ home!

 

[eddieshack23]

11/22/63

Stephen King

It seemed like the right time to read it.

I really enjoyed it.

 

[jerseydevil]

AICN HORROR Books: BottleImp checks out Luke Smitherd

Amazon.com: The Stone Man - A Science Fiction Horror Novel eBook: Luke Smitherd: Kindle Store

Free KINDLE BOOK!!!! expires soon

 

[orpheus]

Oooh, free kindle books.

I don't have a kindle, haha, but I have the software that allows me to read said books on my computer.

 

[jammer06]

Finished Whistling Vivaldi and I have to say it's a really good book to explain some of the academic work in context with institutional efforts to help level the playing field in terms of disadvantaged groups. They also do a really good job of explaining the context behind what can cause a disadvantage. There's good stuff in it for anyone that has to manage people coming from a mishmash of backgrounds.

Also read the Dan Brown Inferno, really enjoyed the location settings and the overall storyline was this time neat and concise. Really surprised he didn't take more flak in the media for the subject matter of the book all things considered.

 

[bitesizednerd]

I'm about to read Flowers in the Attic, which sounds like a crazy soap opera in written form. I've been meaning to read it for years, I'm always reading books right when I hear they're being adapted into films so...now's as good a time as any.

 

[Nyssa42]

Just finished this, Redshirts by John Scalzi. Great read for any sci fi fan. Takes awhile to get going, but the payoff is amazing. And, yes, it IS what you think it is. It's a comedy with a sweet ending.

 

[adgy-san]

The Walking Dead Vol. 19: March To War - I'll say this for Robert Kirkman, he knows how to tweak the formula just enough to keep it from going stale. The new uber bad guy, Negan, is pretty entertaining. Not at all grim and unlikable like The Governor. It's possible that Negan is even worse as far as being a sadistic dickhead, but he's also really funny. You throw in a guy like Ezekiel, who is a bit over the top, and it helps keep the endless cycle of violence and survival fresh. Or almost fresh. Still enjoying this book. Read the whole thing in one sitting.

 

[jerseydevil]

Tore through this. Not a happy read. A few laughs, but man what a trail o'tears. Good side effect, it helped me get my reading back on track. Reading Dr.Sleep(and LOVING it) right now.

 

[FBJ]

AWESOME so far.

THIS WAS GREAT!!!!!! Awesome plot-twist!!!! It was a post-apocalyptic, dystopian, comedy with kung-fu and ninjas and monsters and mimes.

Yep. Mimes.

The novel centers around an unnamed main character and his best friend, Gonzo, who live in a wasteland world that is surrounded by territory that is tainted by "stuff." This "stuff" is the fallout from the war fought with a frightening new weapon called the "Go-Away Bomb" that simply makes everything "disappear" by stripping matter of its information. "Stuff" is the informationless matter, but it is unexpectedly able to obtain information by combining with people's deepest darkest thoughts, resulting in horrific new forms of life. Fortunately, there is a substance that has been discovered (called FOX) that keeps the "stuff" at bay. FOX is piped literally around the world by a huge conglomerate company, and the areas where The Pipe traverses are habitable by the remaining humans of the world.

Harkaway's writing style is rather verbose, his word-selection causing me to tap the dictionary software on every other page and his sentence structure causing me to cringe. However, this style fits the genre quite well in that he uses it adeptly to relate character, dialogue, and environment in often amusing ways (think Douglas Adams with a MUCH LARGER VOCABULARY). The book takes a bit of a strange turn at the beginning, with a MAJOR flashback by the nameless main character that lasts easily for the middle third of the book. This often leads you to wonder, "What on Earth is this story really about?" Never fear!! Harkaway brings it all full-circle by the beginning of the final third, and rather masterfully at that, with a FANTASTIC plot-twist!!

Finding this book well-worth the read, I think I may have stumbled onto another favorite author!

Also just finished a quick Heinlein novel that was originally serialized in Astounding Science Fiction in 1941:

Now, onto something and someone totally new:

 

[ucsdguy1]

my younger years crush

 

[LetTigerIn]

THIS WAS GREAT!!!!!! Awesome plot-twist!!!! It was a post-apocalyptic, dystopian, comedy with kung-fu and ninjas and monsters and mimes.

Yep. Mimes.

Did you recommend Angelmaker earlier? Read that earlier and the year and enjoyed it a lot, so I ordered The Gone-Away World as well. Can't wait to dig in now.

 

[jerseydevil]

I wanna check out that Gone-Away World too(thanks FBJ). What's this Angelmaker LTI? Same guy?

 

[LetTigerIn]

I wanna check out that Gone-Away World too(thanks FBJ). What's this Angelmaker LTI? Same guy?

Yes, also Harkaway, and I'll describe by swapping words from FBJ's description, because it's possible...

It was a steampunk, noir, whimsical thriller with secret agents and gangsters and monsters and bees.

Yep. Bees.

I might be mistaken on some of the details. I've read some other wacky things since then.

 

[jerseydevil]

Amazon wish list...make room!!!!

 

[FBJ]

There's bees in The Gone-Away World, too!!!

Angelmaker was suggested to me by a well-read friend, but I elected to go with Harkaway's first book to start. I'll read Angelmaker soon, though.

 

[BigBrown]

At first I was thrown off by it consisting of short stories that followed each other but just as I was getting into it they started a longer story instead. I just wasn't a big fan of the Mule stuff... It's a classic and I can see the appeal but it didn't do much for me.