All things books

[bootsma4brownlow]

Seems appropriate for the Television, Books & Movies section of RZ to have a thread about books.

Currently reading I, Robot. Not enjoying it as much as I thought I would be tbh, which is a bit disappointing.

[sblack]

Think I'll start Shantaram. Friends raved about it

[Triptanes]

Think I'll start Shantaram. Friends raved about it

It's epic.

[KaII]

Tore through John Le Carre's Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy the other day. Good book. Have started on Nelson George's The Death of RnB. A bit heavier. Fiction is always way easier for me to get through than historical literature.

[dylan123]

Any decent book review sites going around? Had a quick check then but nothing really popped out.

Just want something like IMDB for example where it has a rating, peoples reviews, bio and the category.

[Triptanes]

Any decent book review sites going around? Had a quick check then but nothing really popped out.

Just want something like IMDB for example where it has a rating, peoples reviews, bio and the category.

Not quite the same, but you could try Share Book Recommendations With Your Friends, Join Book Clubs, Answer Trivia. Will recommend for you based on your recommendations.

[dylan123]

Not quite the same, but you could try Share Book Recommendations With Your Friends, Join Book Clubs, Answer Trivia. Will recommend for you based on your recommendations.

Cheers, will check it out.

Issue to begin with is I haven't really read anything and it's a little overwhelming with just how many books are out where I'm best to start.


Also unsure whether I want to read something informative, fiction or biography sort of things - well I've got an idea on a few categories/topics I want to check out but not much past that.

[Triptanes]

Just read the book sblack is - Shantaram. It's all those things at once . Looks intimidatingly long, but is easy to get in to.

[fender]

Finished Annihilation (Part I Southern Reach Trilogy) - Jeff Vandermeer, while I was away.

Blurb-

->Spoiler Open<-

Area X has been cut off from the rest of the continent for decades. Nature has reclaimed the last vestiges of human civilization. The first expedition returned with reports of a pristine, Edenic landscape; all the members of the second expedition committed suicide; the third expedition died in a hail of gunfire as its members turned on one another; the members of the eleventh expedition returned as shadows of their former selves, and within months of their return, all had died of aggressive cancer.

This is the twelfth expedition.

Their group is made up of four women: an anthropologist; a surveyor; a psychologist, the de facto leader; and our narrator, a biologist. Their mission is to map the terrain and collect specimens; to record all their observations, scientific and otherwise, of their surroundings and of one another; and, above all, to avoid being contaminated by Area X itself.

They arrive expecting the unexpected, and Area X delivers—they discover a massive topographic anomaly and life forms that surpass understanding—but it’s the surprises that came across the border with them, and the secrets the expedition members are keeping from one another, that change everything.

Not bad, felt it could have been better considering the awesome idea behind it and the pacing felt abit off but would probably recommend to anybody that likes sci-fi/out there sort of stuff. Is certainly strange, will try and finish the other two parts soon.

Am now reading The Accidental Time Machine - Joe Haldeman

About half way through and enjoying it. Characters are all pretty hollow but story is fun enough.

Both are pretty light reads 5-6hrs.

Flying home in a week so some book recommendation pls. 40 hours of reading time Think Girl On The Train and Red Rising might be next then finish the Southern Reach stuff.

[fender]

Solid reading and suggestions mutts.

Finished the Southern Reach trilogy was weird af and I hated the last half of the last book but was pretty good on the whole.

Girl on the Train was the worst book I've read in years

The Three Body Problem read this fucking thing, the best book I've read in years. Is a trilogy that's just being translated from Chinese, 2nd book is almost done. Has two timelines one in the Cultural Revolution and the other in the present.

Dunk and Egg(ASOIAF) short stories were pretty good as well.

[fender]

The Three Body Problem read this fucking thing, the best book I've read in years. Is a trilogy that's just being translated from Chinese, 2nd book is almost done. Has two timelines one in the Cultural Revolution and the other in the present.

1967: University student Ye Wenjie witnesses Red Guards beat her father to death during China's Cultural Revolution. His crime? Failure to recant his belief in science. This singular event will shape not only the rest of her life but also the future of mankind.

Four decades later, after a spate of apparent suicides among elite scientists, Beijing police ask nanotech engineer Wang Miao to infiltrate a secretive cabal of international scientists.

During the course of his investigation, Wang is inducted into a mysterious online game that immerses him in a virtual world ruled by the intractable and unpredictable interaction of its three suns.

This is the Three-Body Problem and it is the key to everything. The key to the scientists' deaths, the key to humanity's place in the cosmos and the key to the extinction-level threat it now faces

2nd book The Dark Forest translation was released few weeks ago, about 1/3 of the way through but has already taken this shit next level.

[Shuttlesworth]

Been slowly re-reading Cormac McCarthy's stuff. Man is a golden god. Suttree

[flight23]

Started The Martian

First chapter is epic
Negging Matt Damon for incorrect amount of O's in his Boo

[fender]

[KaII]

Been burning through some John Le Carre lately. Spy Who Came in From The Cold >>>

[flight23]

Always preferred Ludlum over Le Carre

[KaII]

Le Carre is slower, bit more about the internal politics which I enjoy. Feel like it'd be a pretty accurate description of cold war espionage.

[Triptanes]

Has anyone used the Book Depository lately? Probably had a break of not ordering anything for 18 months - who can be fucked reading when they are studying. Used to order and pretty much get confirmation the next day it was on the way. Last couple of things recently there has been 3-4 work days from order to shipping confirmation. When I'm paying less for books with no shipping fee I expect the best service dammit.

[KaII]

Has anyone used the Book Depository lately? Probably had a break of not ordering anything for 18 months - who can be fucked reading when they are studying. Used to order and pretty much get confirmation the next day it was on the way. Last couple of things recently there has been 3-4 work days from order to shipping confirmation. When I'm paying less for books with no shipping fee I expect the best service dammit.

Haven't used in about 8 months, last ship went perfectly. Will be ordering some more this week so will confirm when I do.

On topic: Finished George Clinton bio and Dr Zhivago (So depressing lel) now reading Hells Angels

[fender]

I have a kindle so usually torrent books as well

[flight23]

Read the Martian loved it need a new book to read

Help

[fender]

Three body problem

edit - if you were bored by the engineering and botany talk in the martian then probably don't. it is like that but with physics.

[sblack]

Read the Martian loved it need a new book to read

Help

Shantaram

[flight23]

A lot of the science talk just went over my head so probs not

Read Shantaram awesome book

[fender]

Most of it went over my head as well