What Are You Reading, Again?

[CurtSibling]

I am working my way through a book on mysticism by Dion Fortune...

 

[Iggy]

I am starting A Journal of the Plague Year by Daniel Defoe. It was one of those books I have always meant to read.

 

[mrtn]

I tried reading the first discworld, couldn't get into it.

May try again later, but I've got a lot on my plate now.

If you're not heavily into fantasy it can be a bit awkward to start with the first book, as that mainly pokes fun at other fantasy books, the later books are more stories in their own right. Try starting with Guards! Guards! or Wyrd Sisters instead.

 

[privatehudson]

Yeah, the series only really kicks off in it's own right with Equal rights/Mort and beyond

 

[ravensfire]

I'm having a hard enough time getting my hands on the Myth series at the moment, having to order it from Amazon and wait 2-3 weeks most of the time. Personally though I consider Asprin to be the funnnier of the two, I think Pratchett creates more memorable characters and stories. Pratchett's covered more bases to me too than the myth series ever has.

While they both use puns (and often horrid, horrid puns that send me laughing for days on end), Pratchett is more subtle in his humor. I've had to go back several pages, thinking "No, he didn't really say that, did he?" Asprin is pretty straightforward with his humor, especially on the "Myth" series.

-- Ravensfire

 

[Paalikles]

Just finished "Trynefaktoren" by Torgrim Eggen (language: Norwegian ). Amusing read. Rather fitting caracteristics of politicians and journalists. Probably not suited for anyone without knowledge of Norwegian politics and everyday life though, yet still I d like to recommend it to anyone who likes a novel that has a certain kick.

 

[Turner]

If you're not heavily into fantasy it can be a bit awkward to start with the first book, as that mainly pokes fun at other fantasy books, the later books are more stories in their own right. Try starting with Guards! Guards! or Wyrd Sisters instead.

Oh, I'm into fantasy all right. Just didn't reach out and grab me.

Like I said, I'll probably try again in a year or two.

 

[betazed]

Collapse by Jared Diamond.
Have just started reading it. Learning details about Montana about which the author spends a lot of time.

A First Course in String Theory - Barton Zwiebach
This has a unusual approach to string theory. I must say that till date this is the clearest and easiest pedagogic treatment of the subject that I have seen.

Conciousness by Susan Blackmore
Just started. Dunno much about it yet.

 

[privatehudson]

While they both use puns (and often horrid, horrid puns that send me laughing for days on end), Pratchett is more subtle in his humor

Agreed. Note I'm not saying Pratchett isn't funny as I find many of his works amusing, I just prefer Asprin's style of humour to Pratchett's. As I said though, Pratchett's better than Asprin in developing places, characters and expanding his range than Asprin seems to be. Not having read Asprin's other series though I guess I wouldn't know about the last bit so much.

 

[Babbler]

I finished Debunked!, a book translated from French by Georges Charpak amd Henri Broch. Good book, I highly recomend.

Next in line -- Lies, Damned Lies and Statistics and The Edge of Science.

 

[Turner]

I like Asprin. But then, I started reading him back in, what, 1984? Something like that. He's taken way to long to get those books out. I understand there was some problem with his publisher, but I don't really care beyond that.

Phule was okay. I remember it was interesting at the time, but then it was an awful lot like the Myth books to me. I can't say now what was the same, but I remember reading it and seeing simularities. Almost as if it was a formula. Can anyone say "Xanth?"

But they were decent little reads. I'd read Asprin over if I had the books handy. Prachett seems a bit overwhelming to me right now, mostly because I'm starting so late after he's written so many books. But I figure I'll just ask here what the read order is, and I'll probably have a reply before I hit the 'post new thread' button.

Been reading Coyote, by Allen Steel. Personally, I love the guy. He's got a great way of writing. This book, while engaging, is a bit difficult to read. He was writing short stories for some SciFi rag, and compilied those stories into a book. I understand the sequal to Coyote was written the same way. But he's a good read.

Also on book five of Legion of the Damned by William C Dietz. I really like this universe. He wrote the first book, I think, and then saw what potential the stories had, and has written more. These books cross several generations in the universe, it's not the same main characters (well, except for the one) in every book. Good read, if you like the military scifi genre.

 

[mrtn]

... Prachett seems a bit overwhelming to me right now, mostly because I'm starting so late after he's written so many books. But I figure I'll just ask here what the read order is, and I'll probably have a reply before I hit the 'post new thread' button. ...

Well, you can read the first ten or so books in any order you like, as long as you read 1 before 2, and preferably before 5 too...

Start with book 8 for example (if you like police films/books) or book 6 (if you're more into Shakespeare/witches), and then read them from the beginning.

 

[Turner]

See! I hadn't even asked the question yet, and have an answer!

 

[Dragonlord]

Oh, I'm into fantasy all right. Just didn't reach out and grab me.

Like I said, I'll probably try again in a year or two.

Same here.... with everyone lauding Pratchett, there must be SOMETHING to him...

Just reread the Island in the Sea of Time trilogy by S.M.Stirling. Highly recommended to any fans of alternate history!

Just now I'm reading Druids by Morgan Llewellyn - not bad, but once will be enough, I think. It's about Vercingetorix' war agains Julius Caesar, which interests me, but it's not as well written as Bard by the same author.

 

[privatehudson]

I like Asprin. But then, I started reading him back in, what, 1984? Something like that. He's taken way to long to get those books out. I understand there was some problem with his publisher, but I don't really care beyond that

Yeah, one of the biggest shame's really is that the Myth series ends so quickly.

Phule was okay. I remember it was interesting at the time, but then it was an awful lot like the Myth books to me. I can't say now what was the same, but I remember reading it and seeing simularities. Almost as if it was a formula. Can anyone say "Xanth?"

Ahhh, well that's a problem then. Pratchett's works center on a wide variety of subjects and groups of characters at least whereas Asprin hasn't really varied much from the sound of it.

 

[Shaihulud]

I have finished Guns germs and steel that was very much recommended by everyone, very nice book but i have many questions about it. I am reading Good Omens by Terry Pratchett n Neil Gaiman. Btw i actually saw Terry Pratchett december last year when he was on a book signing tour.

 

[Turner]

It might be different. I don't honestly recall. Also, at that time, I was looking for and avoiding formula writers. I haven't read anything from Piers Anthony in a good fifteen years.

 

[shortguy]

Ploughing through Wuthering Heights for my lit class. Ugh.

 

[Megabyte]

Hi!

just finished Dickens "David Copperfield" for my English-lecture and found it rather , ummm , uninterresting and privatly (some days ago) finished reading "Eragon" written by Christopher Pauolini , a book in the fantasy-genre and quite good.

 

[Dragonlord]

It might be different. I don't honestly recall. Also, at that time, I was looking for and avoiding formula writers. I haven't read anything from Piers Anthony in a good fifteen years.

Same here! I turned off Anthony after the first 3 Xanth books... same old, same old... *yawn*

Robert Lynn Asprin is not quite as bad, but I also really enjoyed only the first few books of the Myth series, then they started getting repetitive.

The Phule books are somewhat different - SF, not Fantasy, for a start - but I'd also only recommend them for some light reading, they're not so good you keep coming back again and again.

I'm more interested in epic fantasy myself, especially those that don't follow the same old Tolkienesque cloning. My tip for those of like mind: read the books by Steven Erikson, a relatively new author who is a real treat!