What have you read recently?

Aleph13 · **Posted:** 03-23-2005, 12:12 AM

The main series I'm reading are Star Wars novels (any and all) and the Wheel of Time (I'm in the middle of the 5th book of 10).

Secondary concerns are Pattern Recognition and the Cryptonimicon (inspired by my recent involvement in ARGs).

I also just got a copy of The Amazing Johnathan's Every Trick in the Book, a compilation of all his best practical jokes. I got it after seeing him at the Riviera. Great show!

Magazines: Dragon, Dungeon, and GMR, which just got cancelled. Why do all the most intelligently written video game magazines (like my old favorite, Next Generation) go by the wayside, while stuff like EGM stays around? *sigh*

johnnygs · **Posted:** 03-23-2005, 02:59 AM

I'm reading Teddy Roosevelt's "Outdoor Pastimes of an American Hunter." Riveting. Makes me want to re-read his other hunting works.

Recently read "The Snowfly" and "Dead Man's Chest: The Sequel to Treasure Island." Am working my way through Neil Gaiman's "Sandman" graphic novel series - tougher going than I might have thought (anybody want to buy a set of hard covers?). Enjoyed his "Marvel 1602" graphic novel, though.

Always have three or four books going at once. And of course I've read and re-read the Harry Potter series several times - next book due out in July.

Great book I really loved was, um, what was the name of that thing - oh, "The Nautical Chart." And "The Romanov Prophecy" about restoring the Tsar to the throne of Russia - wow that was good.

What the hell does this thread have to do with cardstock models? LOL

TheAuldGrump · **Posted:** 03-23-2005, 04:01 AM

Errr, chewing my way through De Re Metallica by Georgius Agricola... :oops:

(A 15th century mining manual translated by Herbert Hoover, who later became president of the United States...printed by Dover Books) Not light reading I'm afraid...

The Auld Grump

Wraith · **Posted:** 03-23-2005, 04:10 AM

johnnygs · **Posted:** 03-23-2005, 05:14 AM

robby · **Posted:** 03-23-2005, 05:53 AM

Seal · **Posted:** 03-23-2005, 07:41 AM

EbbTide · **Posted:** 03-23-2005, 09:07 AM

Andorax · **Posted:** 03-23-2005, 09:11 AM

johnnygs · **Posted:** 03-23-2005, 09:21 AM

Master Poe · **Posted:** 03-23-2005, 09:41 AM

EbbTide · **Posted:** 03-23-2005, 09:57 AM

thomaso827 · **Posted:** 03-23-2005, 10:10 AM

Kane · **Posted:** 03-23-2005, 10:14 AM

johnnygs · **Posted:** 03-23-2005, 10:16 AM

Master Poe · **Posted:** 03-23-2005, 11:37 AM

Fl0ydski · **Posted:** 03-23-2005, 01:10 PM

Count_Zero · **Posted:** 03-23-2005, 03:18 PM

Phatz · **Posted:** 03-23-2005, 04:25 PM

evilbanana417 · **Posted:** 03-23-2005, 04:38 PM

johnnygs · **Posted:** 03-23-2005, 05:21 PM

Wraith · **Posted:** 03-23-2005, 07:02 PM

I know how many of you feel about the Wheel of Time series. I have read the 1st book 10 times, the 2nd book 9 times, the 3rd book 8 times, etc. and so on. Every time a new one comes out I start over again from the beginning. Last time it took me 10 days to reread the entire series.

Worse than Robert Jordan is Isaac Asimov. After reading his novels, I came to the opinion that they all tie together to tell the tale of one universe. With the Robot series preceding the Foundation series, and that is about all I remember of the chronology now. Haven't reread any of his books since high school.

When I go to the bookstore now I take a print out of all the books I already have to avoid buying duplicate copies.

Right now I am waiting on George R. R. Martin, Robert Jordan, Ed Greenwood, Raymond E. Feist, Sara Douglass, Terry Goodkind, Philip Athans (War of the Spider Queen series, each book a different author), and R.A. Salvator to come out with their next book.

I tend to read like most people eat potato chips. Guess I should reread some books from my distant past (Asimov for instance).

Fl0ydski · **Posted:** 03-23-2005, 07:29 PM

Agree'd Davinci Code was excellent. I have been doing some small amount of research to see just how much of that is fact, and not embelished fiction. Being a major Art History buff I knew some of the Leonardo stuff. But a few things caught me off guard. Oh and excellent metaphor for Chalice. Wow. Cool.

__

I am not far into Greg Bear's book, but so far the premise is very interesting. But I've not been able to feel for the characters yet at all. It's been very...dry I suppose. Decent, but dry.

__

An avid reading buff Friend of mine had told me to read the Wheel of Time series... seems alot of you agree that it is worth the time.

___

Excellent thread subject btw.

-Floyd

Wraith · **Posted:** 03-23-2005, 07:39 PM

JackhammerJohn · **Posted:** 03-23-2005, 08:14 PM

Pall_S · **Posted:** 03-23-2005, 11:18 PM

All back up and running with 2.5 k DSL...Woo Hoo! Look out, Hyperlobby!!

Da Vinci Code: There was a book published years ago about that stuff, "Holy Blood, Holy Grail" Check that out for loads of info.

Just finished some CS Forester, Hornblower is the man. Much more lively writing than Pat O'Brian. Loved M+C the movie though!

Also in the playlist was:

Wil McCarthy: Lost in transmission

Wil is an up and coming writer with really fresh and original ideas. Start with his first, Collapsium. I want a Blitterstaff!

Robert J Sawyer: Hybrids

Bob is awesome. Skip his early books and be amazed, like a young Heinlein.

Malta Convoy: Actually re-read as a research project on Operation Pedastel.

Sin City GN: Frank Miller

Re-reading it to get primed for the movie. Looks brilliant.

Mags: The Aeroplane is the only one I'll buy. Vintage aircraft.

Fantasy:

I only read Fantasy thats over about 50 years old. </SNOB> That wretched Thomas Covanent series put me off the rest.

Mervyn Peake's "Gormenghast" is a treat. Try it for a change of pace.

Every fantasy GM should get Jack Vance's "The Dying Earth" and "Eyes of the Overworld". It was one of the main inspirations for D+D back in the 70's.

Also check out Fritz Liebers' Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser books. It will put the swash in your buckle!! The stories set in Lankmar are my fave. Good.

TheAuldGrump · **Posted:** 03-23-2005, 11:45 PM

Finished reading most of De Re Metallica, taking a break, so I opted for a few lighter books...

Ghosts in the Snow by Tamara Siler Jones - A fantasy murder mystery. Quite good.
Exile's Valor by Mercedes Lackey - Valdemar novel, I find the fact that one of the characters is called Myst amusing, it used to be Ms. Lackey's nickname...

If anybody wonders De Re Metallica is a great book, especially if you are thinking about dwarfs... Just very dry. One of the books that changed the world, it remained the book on mining for better than 200 years. And it is heavily illustrated with woodcuts. This is my second time chewing through it.

The Auld Grump

TheAuldGrump · **Posted:** 04-10-2005, 12:11 PM

And started rereading Canterbury Tales. It was only supposed to be to look up some spellings, but... If you have not read it, the book is well worth reading. A free online version is because the only copies that they had at the local bookstore had been translated. (It does not need translation, a glossary is all that is required.)

The Auld Grump, who oddly wants to watch The Knight's Tale again...

*EDIT* It is by no means a stodgy tale... The characters are all scoundrels!

Fl0ydski · **Posted:** 04-10-2005, 03:07 PM

What have you read recently?

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