OT: Watcha reading?

[HisIceness]

Not sure how I missed this post, but, out of curiosity, what was your idea?

I am quite curious now. Artemis Entreri and Jarlaxle Baenre are two of my all time favorite Forgotten Realms characters.

I bought The Pirate King by this same author for a family member who loves fantasy novels. Was on their Amazon wish list.

 

[Surrounded By Ahos]

Rereading Good Omens right now.

 

[HisIceness]

About to read The Perfect Storm for the first time. I've seen the film w/ Clooney and Walhburg several times.

 

[raynman]

The Stand. Person sitting next to me on the bus yesterday sneezed. Nice knowing you all.

 

[HisIceness]

I saw the very end of The Hunt for Red October a few days ago on TV. Found the book at my parents place. Going to read it before seeing the film.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

I saw the very end of The Hunt for Red October a few days ago on TV. Found the book at my parents place. Going to read it before seeing the film.

Be advised, like most Tom Clancy original books, he likes to go into more technical depth about topics than a lot of other authors of action/adventure books. Nothing outrageous, but he was a very straightforward author that was detail oriented and liked to get into the intricacies of the military and the machinery. I think he almost prided himself on that (just the vibe I got).

Some people I ran across found that boring and too much, but I liked it and enjoyed his books.

 

[Sens1Canes2]

Be advised, like most Tom Clancy original books, he likes to go into more technical depth about topics than a lot of other authors of action/adventure books. Nothing outrageous, but he was a very straightforward author that was detail oriented and liked to get into the intricacies of the military and the machinery. I think he almost prided himself on that (just the vibe I got).

Some people I ran across found that boring and too much, but I liked it and enjoyed his books.

I loved his books. Also, his storylines were eerily predictive in some cases.

 

[HisIceness]

I've never heard that regarding Clancy books, that actually in a way might be up my alley. A lot of people have told me that I tend to over-explain things when they just want a straight to the point answer.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Michael Crichton is another author who does that. I haven't read any of his novels in ages, but I'd have to think they're dated from all the technical detail.

 

[Finnish Jerk Train]

As time allows, I'm slowly working my way through When Pride Still Mattered. Pretty good bio of Vince Lombardi.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Michael Crichton is another author who does that. I haven't read any of his novels in ages, but I'd have to think they're dated from all the technical detail.

Yeah, good point, Crichton's books do that as well. I remember timeline in particular being that way. All the discussion about quantum computing.

 

[Navin R Slavin]

Warhol bio.

 

[Lempo]

Rereading Good Omens right now.

That's quite possibly my favorite book ever.

 

[garnetpalmetto]

I saw the very end of The Hunt for Red October a few days ago on TV. Found the book at my parents place. Going to read it before seeing the film.

Be advised, like most Tom Clancy original books, he likes to go into more technical depth about topics than a lot of other authors of action/adventure books. Nothing outrageous, but he was a very straightforward author that was detail oriented and liked to get into the intricacies of the military and the machinery. I think he almost prided himself on that (just the vibe I got).

Some people I ran across found that boring and too much, but I liked it and enjoyed his books.

I read Hunt for Red October the first time when I was like in 3rd or 4th grade and I still pull it (and Red Storm Rising for that matter) out every couple years to reread. The depth/detail he put in his books is just phenomenal although, IMO, he started to mail it in later in his life (as in post Debt of Honor). His non-fiction books are also great reads.

I'll say if you read the book, the movie's still good but there are certain subplots that don't get even covered in the movie - that's both good and bad - but overall I think that Baldwin makes an excellent Ryan and that Hunt for Red October's the best adaptation of one of his books into a movie. We shall not speak of the garbage that was the adaptation of The Sum of All Fears

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

but overall I think that Baldwin makes an excellent Ryan and that Hunt for Red October's the best adaptation of one of his books into a movie. We shall not speak of the garbage that was the adaptation of The Sum of All Fears

Agree and agree. Sean Connery as a Russian sub commander seemed like an odd choice, but it worked. I thought Patriot Games was good also.

 

[garnetpalmetto]

Agree and agree. Sean Connery as a Russian sub commander seemed like an odd choice, but it worked. I thought Patriot Games was good also.

I liked the casting in Patriot Games (Samuel L. Jackson as Robby Jackson, Sean Bean as Sean Miller, and I'll even admit to liking Ford as the recast Ryan (though considering Patriot Games happens before Hunt for Red October the age difference was a little odd to me). That said certain choices in the film adaptation left me scratching my head. I'd have to reread and rewatch to recall all of them, but offhand the choice to replace the Prince and Princess of Wales as the targets of the attempted assassination with some random British government functionary just made it less impactful, IMO.

 

[Navin R Slavin]

Agree and agree. Sean Connery as a Russian sub commander seemed like an odd choice, but it worked. I thought Patriot Games was good also.

scottish : english :: lithuanian : russian

i guess

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

I liked the casting in Patriot Games (Samuel L. Jackson as Robby Jackson, Sean Bean as Sean Miller, and I'll even admit to liking Ford as the recast Ryan (though considering Patriot Games happens before Hunt for Red October the age difference was a little odd to me). That said certain choices in the film adaptation left me scratching my head. I'd have to reread and rewatch to recall all of them, but offhand the choice to replace the Prince and Princess of Wales as the targets of the attempted assassination with some random British government functionary just made it less impactful, IMO.

You could be right. It's been ages since I've read it or seen the movie, just recalling that I liked it and would have put it 2nd behind Hunt for Red October.

 

[garnetpalmetto]

You could be right. It's been ages since I've read it or seen the movie, just recalling that I liked it and would have put it 2nd behind Hunt for Red October.

No doubt there. I'd actually order them in the order they came out. Clear and Present Danger was OK, but not awesome, and The Sum of All Fears was just abysmal. I was a little disappointed the Without Remorse screenplay never went anywhere (although according to Wiki it's still "in the works" and they're trying to get Tom Hardy to take the lead role as John Kelly/John Clark.

 

[Surrounded By Ahos]

That's quite possibly my favorite book ever.

I don't know about favorite ever but it's gotta be near the top of the list for me. Gaiman and Prachett at their absolute best is hard to beat.

 

[Lempo]

I don't know about favorite ever but it's gotta be near the top of the list for me. Gaiman and Prachett at their absolute best is hard to beat.

Well technically I like American Gods more from Gaiman, but Good Omens was a reading habits shattering experience back in the day. Maybe not for the good direction, I only read Discworld books for the longest time after that being sold on Pratchett on the instant.

 

[Surrounded By Ahos]

Well technically I like American Gods more from Gaiman, but Good Omens was a reading habits shattering experience back in the day. Maybe not for the good direction, I only read Discworld books for the longest time after that being sold on Pratchett on the instant.

Good Omens is actually what got me started on Gaiman. I burned through American Gods, Neverwhere, Stardust, Coraline, and The Ocean at the End of the Lane afterwards. And I still have Anansi Boys and a short story collection waiting on my kindle.

Right now I'm rereading the Harry Potter books and have also been working on my first nonfiction book in a long time in Pax Romana.

 

[Lempo]

Good Omens is actually what got me started on Gaiman. I burned through American Gods, Neverwhere, Stardust, Coraline, and The Ocean at the End of the Lane afterwards. And I still have Anansi Boys and a short story collection waiting on my kindle.

Right now I'm rereading the Harry Potter books and have also been working on my first nonfiction book in a long time in Pax Romana.

You obviously have checked up the Sherlock Holmes story "A Study In Emerald" freely available on his site?

http://www.neilgaiman.com/mediafiles/exclusive/shortstories/emerald.pdf (~5 MB pdf)

 

[GoldiFox]

Good Omens is actually what got me started on Gaiman. I burned through American Gods, Neverwhere, Stardust, Coraline, and The Ocean at the End of the Lane afterwards. And I still have Anansi Boys and a short story collection waiting on my kindle.

Right now I'm rereading the Harry Potter books and have also been working on my first nonfiction book in a long time in Pax Romana.

Im a huge fan of the Dresden Files (pretty much all Butcher), Dark Tower, Enders Game series, Name of the Wind, ASOIAF, The Magicians, etc.

Been considering starting a Gaiman or Pratchett series... What do you recommend?

 

[Lempo]

Been considering starting a Gaiman or Pratchett series... What do you recommend?

If you gonna do Discworld, they go pretty much chronologically and it does matter because of later spoilers in character arcs so earlier would be better. The first ones are looking their legs a bit still so it's not a bad option to not start quite from the first ones to get the right feel what's it about from the start.

There's a variation in the cast book by book (Rincewind books, Ankh-Morpork City Watch books, Witches books), so any of the first ones in those (sub-)"series" is a safe choice. Wyrd Sisters if you're into Shakespearean spoof, Guard, Guards if a keen 6 foot adopted dwarf becoming a policeman is more your thing.

Or the one-offs like Pyramids or Small Gods.