What book did you just buy?

[eXcessive]

Originally Posted by Rorek

Just snatched up Snuff by Chuck Palahniuk. Looking forward to this read.

I read about half of it sitting inside of a bookstore. I really thought it was mediocre at best, but who knows - that could've changed throughout the book or at the end.

Lemme know what you thought when you finish it?

I do like the fucked up situation he puts one of the characters in (his decision to fuck her or not). Hilariously awesome.

[gremlinz273]

Rainbows End - Vernor Vinge

For as often as the subject of Vinge's Singularity comes up on this board, I really like his novels. I haven't read too much of his stuff yet, mainly the award winning books, Fire on the Deep, and the like. This is the first novel of his, that I have read, that deals with a more recent future; it is almost cyberpunk without the punk. He has some great ideas, although I am not entirely convinced that people would be as receptive to the technological changes he proposes as he thinks. Overall I would recommend it to anyone who is at all fascinated with the future and technology.

[Vinen]

Amazon.com: Black Sun Rising: The Coldfire Trilogy #1 (The Coldfire Trilogy): C. S. Friedman: Books

Was bored and wondered into a book store last friday figuring I'd pick something up. Ended up grabbing this; not that far into it but it seems half decent as far as Fantasy novels go.

[Khorum]

Originally Posted by Teger

I just finished this and I thought it was 'ok'. I thought the atmosphere of the book was really interesting, but two things really bothered me: one, how they had to include famous people form the period who are now doing whacky new crazy things (Marx, Darwin), and the different sections seemed really obviously written by the two different authors.

That's pretty much what the "alternative history" sub-genre is all about, unfortunately. Sometimes it's done well (like in Robert Harris' excellent Fatherland, where a Joseph Kennedy presidency allowed the Third Reich to win) sometimes not so well. In Difference Engine I thought it was done very well IMO. For example, Lady Ada Byron really WAS one of the very first computer hackers in history, there's even a computing language named after her.

I could see why folks would be turned off by it though.

Originally Posted by gremlinz273

Rainbows End - Vernor Vinge

For as often as the subject of Vinge's Singularity comes up on this board, I really like his novels. I haven't read too much of his stuff yet, mainly the award winning books, Fire on the Deep, and the like. This is the first novel of his, that I have read, that deals with a more recent future; it is almost cyberpunk without the punk. He has some great ideas, although I am not entirely convinced that people would be as receptive to the technological changes he proposes as he thinks. Overall I would recommend it to anyone who is at all fascinated with the future and technology.

You'd probably enjoy Halting State by Charles Stross. It's also near-future (2018) and has a lot of augmented reality in it but it's also mostly about MMORPGs, gaming and even some LARPING and how the emergence of gaming as an art/entertainment platform changes the rules of everything from economics to state security. Was a fun book and even Vernor Vinge recommended it.

Unfortunately Stross couldn't restrain his very worst communist tendencies. His determination to believe in a post-American world gets in the way of the book's construction and it stretches believability much too often. Still worth a read tho, especially for MMOG gamers.

[Celebrindal]

Just got Starting Strength. I downloaded the first edition and it was really worth buying.

[Quineloe]

World War Z

[Nebuchadnezzar]

A Fortress of Grey Ice by JV Jones
The Magicians' Guild by Trudi Canavan

Also pre-ordered from Amazon:
Toll of Hounds by Erikson
Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie
Nation by Terry Pratchett
Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson

Damn the next two months are going to be fun.

[sh1by]

World War Z
Zombie Survival Guide

Would recommend both to anyone and everyone.

[Schatze]

Desperately looking for Line War by Asher, but I can't seem to find it in stores. Guess I'll buy it online.

[Menoman]

Just bought East of Eden - John Steinbeck

and also The Master of Margarita (this one on recommendation) and I forget the author, I think it's a Russian author or something, sposed to be the book that was the inspiration for "Sympathy for the Devil"

Enjoying East of Eden a whole lot so far, it's a fantastic book even from someone who reads more fantasy than anything else.

[Goliath]

The Last Unicorn - Peter Beagle
The Step Approach to Garbdale - Iain Banks
Nevermore - Neil Gaiman

[Moontayle]

While my current budget doesn't allow for book buying, I've recently picked up a library card and have been checking out books with relative regularity.

Currently reading American Empire: Blood & Iron by Harry Turtledove. I've always wanted to delve into alternate history and he's pretty much the best. I had read his book, The Two Georges which he co-wrote with Richard Dreyfuss and it was an excellent take on the America that might have existed if George Washington and King George had come to a truce rather than pushing the Revolutionary War all the way to its conclusion.

Also on tap are Batman: No Man's Land by Greg Rucka and Urban Shaman by C.E. Murphy, who is an author I actually know, having chatted with her on many an evening in a writing chat room.

[Tred]

I just purchased The Orc King by Salvatore. And along those lines a quick question.
I've been reading mostly A Song of Ice and Fire and the Malazan series most recently. I'm looking for more books along the lines of Salvatores books. ie: fantasy stylings that fairly easy/casual quick reads that are still pretty good. Anyone have any suggestions? Can PM me instead of derailing the thread.

[Ancalagon]

Originally Posted by Tred

I just purchased The Orc King by Salvatore. And along those lines a quick question.
I've been reading mostly A Song of Ice and Fire and the Malazan series most recently. I'm looking for more books along the lines of Salvatores books. ie: fantasy stylings that fairly easy/casual quick reads that are still pretty good. Anyone have any suggestions? Can PM me instead of derailing the thread.

As someone who loves ASOIAF to death but who couldn't really get into Malazan (read the first two books, thought there was some really good writing and some cool characters, but there was something about it which failed to pull me in enough to proceed with the series), I'm curious: How do you think the two series compare?

[Tred]

PM'd ya