What'y'all reading bros? Winter/Spring 2012

[Gabriel Girard]

It's been a while since we had one of these threads.

I'm currently finishing Grant Morrison's Supergods which is three things at once : an history of cimc books starting with Superman, an analysis of the medium and an autobiography. It's unabashedly subjective so I'd reccomend it only to people who are already familiar with Morrison's life and philossophy. Next ups is Stephen King's 11/2263 which I can't wait to read.

[Steve T Power]

Recently finished The Forever War for the third or fourth time. GREAT old school military sci-fi that would work really well as a sci-fi spectacle with some brains (Was mega excited when Ridley Scott had announced that he secured the rights a few years back).

Also into the Chronicles of the Black Company, which is a sort of medieval fantasy crossed with hardcore war story. It moves around so much in time that it feels a little disjointed, but the concept is pretty awesome, and the writing is great.

[Attrage]

Tokyo Vice by Jake Adelstein - true story about a crime reporter's experiences covering the Tokyo underworld for 12 years. Picked it up at a cheapie stand because the blurb on the back really got my attention: this guy was told by a Yakuza gang boss - "Erase the story, or we'll erase you. But we'll do your family first, so you learn your lesson before you die."

[chris_mcclinch]

Recently finished The Forever War for the third or fourth time. GREAT old school military sci-fi that would work really well as a sci-fi spectacle with some brains (Was mega excited when Ridley Scott had announced that he secured the rights a few years back).

That's been on my "get around to it eventually" list for years. You may have just moved it to the top, sir.

[Bryan Pope]

Recently finished The Forever War for the third or fourth time. GREAT old school military sci-fi that would work really well as a sci-fi spectacle with some brains (Was mega excited when Ridley Scott had announced that he secured the rights a few years back).

That's been on my "get around to it eventually" list for years. You may have just moved it to the top, sir.

I read that about a year ago. Would love to see it made into a movie as well.

Several really good books so far this year: Matterhorn (a novel about the Vietnam War), Cloudstreet (subtly magical Australian family saga that for some reason reminded me of Fanny and Alexander) and Snow Crash (cyberpunk). Finishing up Interpreter of Maladies this week, then swinging by the library to pick up A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail and Dan Simmons' Fall of Hyperion.

[Steve T Power]

Recently finished The Forever War for the third or fourth time. GREAT old school military sci-fi that would work really well as a sci-fi spectacle with some brains (Was mega excited when Ridley Scott had announced that he secured the rights a few years back).

That's been on my "get around to it eventually" list for years. You may have just moved it to the top, sir.

It would definitely need some work to function as flick, the bad guys would basically need a ground up redesign, but there are some amazing bits in there. I keep envisioning an early chapter "briefing" being delivered by an aged Action bad ass like Michael Biehn as he tells the troops that after the first contact, they've been asleep for 8 months, and they are now essentially fighting an enemy from the future. There's also the whole returning home unaged to a different world scenario that was initially inspired by Vietnam, but would work just as well now.

[chris_mcclinch]

Several really good books so far this year: Matterhorn (a novel about the Vietnam War), Cloudstreet (subtly magical Australian family saga that for some reason reminded me of Fanny and Alexander) and Snow Crash (cyberpunk). Finishing up Interpreter of Maladies this week, then swinging by the library to pick up A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail and Dan Simmons' Fall of Hyperion.

I'm about halfway through Matterhorn, and share your strong recommendation. A Walk in the Woods was one of my favorite books that I've read in the past decade. One of the few that's made me immediately go out and buy everything else the author had written. Snow Crash was another. Really looking forward to the Dark Ages novel Stephenson has coming out this year.

[Dunnyman]

Currently working through Feist's Demonwar saga, good stuff as always. Eagerly awaiting the next Christopher Moore book, as well as the next chapter in Harry Turtledove's The War That Started Early and numerous others. Mainly creeping myself out with Koontz's 77 Shadow Street. I'm still stunned that he can write so well, and so fast. I think I've read just about every one of his books, and despite some of them being horribly out of date as far as the technology described in the books, I think he's only written one or two books that I'd call clunkers. For an author that's written some 60 books, a .973 batting average ain't bad at all.

Have you ever had a book and held on to it and not read it? That's what I'm doing with Terry Pratchett's Snuff because no one knows if this will be the end of Discworld due to his health. I hope he can hold on to give us more of his wonderfully wacky world, but recent reports have him in further failing health. I know I'll cry when he's gone because he gave me so many laughs in my life when I desperately needed them, but I'm just not ready to read this book.

[Gabriel Girard]

Have you ever had a book and held on to it and not read it?

Schopenhauer's The World As Will And Representation has been sitting on my shelf since forever. Mostly because of its lenght and because you can't read anything else while you're reading it. The farthest I've made it yer is around p.60. It's very interesting but I just need to will to read it all. (ironic I know...)

[Steve T Power]

Have you ever had a book and held on to it and not read it? That's what I'm doing with Terry Pratchett's Snuff because no one knows if this will be the end of Discworld due to his health. I hope he can hold on to give us more of his wonderfully wacky world, but recent reports have him in further failing health. I know I'll cry when he's gone because he gave me so many laughs in my life when I desperately needed them, but I'm just not ready to read this book.

I feel exactly the same.

[Mitchell Hattaway]

Finally got around to David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas, which is dazzling and annoying in roughly equal measure. Now finishing up John Scalzi'z Zoe's Tale and working through Tom Perotta's Bad Haircut. Ernest Cline's Ready Player One is probably up next.

[Polynikes]

I have just finished Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel. One of the best historical novels I have ever read. Mantel paints a more subtle portrait of Thomas Cromwell than the usual one-dimensional picture offered both by factual and fictional writing.

[Steve T Power]

Finally got around to David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas, which is dazzling and annoying in roughly equal measure. Now finishing up John Scalzi'z Zoe's Tale and working through Tom Perotta's Bad Haircut. Ernest Cline's Ready Player One is probably up next.

Into Ready Player One now, in spite of some cute pop culture references, it ain't exactly blowing me away.

[Mitchell Hattaway]

Finally got around to David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas, which is dazzling and annoying in roughly equal measure. Now finishing up John Scalzi'z Zoe's Tale and working through Tom Perotta's Bad Haircut. Ernest Cline's Ready Player One is probably up next.

Into Ready Player One now, in spite of some cute pop culture references, it ain't exactly blowing me away.

I'm only about ten pages in, so I don't know yet. But wasn't Jon crapping himself over it?

And I wish someone had told me the version of The Forever War I read was the truncated one. Thought I was getting a deal by paying a dime for the original paperback.

[Steve T Power]

Finally got around to David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas, which is dazzling and annoying in roughly equal measure. Now finishing up John Scalzi'z Zoe's Tale and working through Tom Perotta's Bad Haircut. Ernest Cline's Ready Player One is probably up next.

Into Ready Player One now, in spite of some cute pop culture references, it ain't exactly blowing me away.

I'm only about ten pages in, so I don't know yet. But wasn't Jon crapping himself over it?

The concept I think, and he did like it more than I did, but he wasn't quite bowled over in the end. it's been a struggle for me; too self aware/self indulgent. It's a pretty basic tell wrapped up in a metric ton of pop culture cuteness.

And I wish someone had told me the version of The Forever War I read was the truncated one. Thought I was getting a deal by paying a dime for the original paperback.

Really? The way the book is structured, I wonder if you'd even notice. It's pretty scattered, skips ahead a lot, outside of the three or four big chapters that move the story forward.

[Mitchell Hattaway]

Finally got around to David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas, which is dazzling and annoying in roughly equal measure. Now finishing up John Scalzi'z Zoe's Tale and working through Tom Perotta's Bad Haircut. Ernest Cline's Ready Player One is probably up next.

Into Ready Player One now, in spite of some cute pop culture references, it ain't exactly blowing me away.

I'm only about ten pages in, so I don't know yet. But wasn't Jon crapping himself over it?

The concept I think, and he did like it more than I did, but he wasn't quite bowled over in the end. it's been a struggle for me; too self aware/self indulgent. It's a pretty basic tell wrapped up in a metric ton of pop culture cuteness.

I've read a little more and that's the vibe I'm starting to get, too. The way so many people have gushed about it, I was expecting something more than random Galaga and Contra references.

And I wish someone had told me the version of The Forever War I read was the truncated one. Thought I was getting a deal by paying a dime for the original paperback.

Really? The way the book is structured, I wonder if you'd even notice. It's pretty scattered, skips ahead a lot, outside of the three or four big chapters that move the story forward.

The entire 'You Can Never Go Back' section was left out of the first printing, which was the one I read.

[Steve T Power]

I've read a little more and that's the vibe I'm starting to get, too. The way so many people have gushed about it, I was expecting something more than random Galaga and Contra references.

Yep, there's really no substance there outside of the references. Flying DeLoreans and what not. *yawn*

The entire 'You Can Never Go Back' section was left out of the first printing, which was the one I read.

Jesus! That's pretty much what makes the damn story so effective in the first place. Without that it's just combat with silly sounding Aliens and techno jargon.

[Mitchell Hattaway]

I've read a little more and that's the vibe I'm starting to get, too. The way so many people have gushed about it, I was expecting something more than random Galaga and Contra references.

Yep, there's really no substance there outside of the references. Flying DeLoreans and what not. *yawn*

Also not digging how he brings the narrative to a complete standstill in order to work in the back story.

The entire 'You Can Never Go Back' section was left out of the first printing, which was the one I read.

Jesus! That's pretty much what makes the damn story so effective in the first place. Without that it's just combat with silly sounding Aliens and techno jargon.

I don't mind reading it again, but still.

[stypee]

My first course for Grad. school is Creative Non Fiction.. One of the writer's we have to read is David Sedaris.

I love this man, his writing is brilliant and side splitting hilarious.

I've been reading Me Talk Pretty Some Day

[Andrew Forbes]

Just finished up Ed Brubaker's Incognito and its sequel, Bad Influences. They weren't anything revelatory, but I had a lot of fun with them, so now I'm working my way into Sleeper. I also picked up the complete Queen & Country, so that will probably be next.

[Mitchell Hattaway]

Just finished up Ed Brubaker's Incognito and its sequel, Bad Influences. They weren't anything revelatory, but I had a lot of fun with them, so now I'm working my way into Sleeper. I also picked up the complete Queen & Country, so that will probably be next.

Criminal is probably Brubaker's best work.

[Bryan Pope]

Dipping my toes into John Scalzi's work, starting with The Android's Dream. After that, The Dark Descent, a 1,000+-page short story collection tracing the "evolution of horror," featuring work by the likes of Lovecraft, King, Barker, Dickens and Shirley Jackson. Looking forward to that one.

[Andrew Forbes]

Just finished up Ed Brubaker's Incognito and its sequel, Bad Influences. They weren't anything revelatory, but I had a lot of fun with them, so now I'm working my way into Sleeper. I also picked up the complete Queen & Country, so that will probably be next.

Criminal is probably Brubaker's best work.

I'll definitely check Criminal out at some point. I was torn between it and Sleeper, and I just happen to be in an espionage mood lately.

[Mitchell Hattaway]

Just finished up Ed Brubaker's Incognito and its sequel, Bad Influences. They weren't anything revelatory, but I had a lot of fun with them, so now I'm working my way into Sleeper. I also picked up the complete Queen & Country, so that will probably be next.

Criminal is probably Brubaker's best work.

I'll definitely check Criminal out at some point. I was torn between it and Sleeper, and I just happen to be in an espionage mood lately.

Crime and espionage are what he does best.

[Gabriel Girard]

Almost 500 pages into Schopenhauer's The World As Will And Representation. Might take a while to read the whole thing. It's freaking amazing though,

[Andrew Forbes]

Pride of Baghdad Gorgeous artwork and touching moments in service of a trite story. I feel as though Vaughan wanted to provide a different perspective on the Iraq war but didn't really have anything to say. Animals are innocent but also brutal. War is bad and humans are selfish. Family is good.

Preacher: Gone to Texas I really, really hate Garth Ennis. Juvenile and self-satisfied, but it could be going somewhere. I don't really care about the characters, and their insistence on not revealing their motives seems contrived to draw out the storyline.

Goldfish aka AKA Goldfish Solid little crime drama that suffers from some a couple of too-cute choices (naming the femme fatale Lauren Bacall -- really??). Bendis' Torso is far superior. Really weird seeing Cronenberg used as a model for one of the main goons. It's clear as day and pretty jarring.

Mosaic Mind-blowing illustrations in service of macho, ultra-violent bullshit.

The Immortal Iron Fist: The Last Iron Fist Story Hasn't grabbed me. Maybe vol.2 will.

[Dan Mancini]

Family is good.

Clearly, Vaughan has never read Franzen.

[Andrew Forbes]

Luthor. I really enjoyed Azzarello's take on LL. He digs into the paradoxical impulses that drive the character, creating a complex portrait of a man who wants to save humanity, even if it means hurting it in the process.

Batman: The Killing Joke. It was quite good, if limited in scope and a tad underwhelming, given the reputation. I've no doubt that it loses something when read for the first time in 2012. I wish it hadn't been quite so eager to jump out of the gate with the Joker having already escaped.

Preacher: Until the End of the World. Did I mention that I hate Garth Ennis?

[Kenneth Morgan]

Hmm...

Well, I recently finished up my third-or-so effort at reading all of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe stories with Death Times Three, a postumously-published collection of long-unavailable stories. I'm currently re-reading Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter by Michael Reaves, a novel set before TPM with a lot of action, some good character development (including Maul), and a great ending. And, since I'll be visiting my Mom next week, I'll go back to going through John Dunning's On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio. I just keep reading it through, cover to cover; I'll stop when I have it memorized.

After those, I'll re-read Guns of the South, an alternate history story by Harry Turtledove. After that, I've got three possibilities: The Gospel According to Isaiah 53 by Bock & Glaser, When You've Been Wronged by Erwin Lutzer, and starting through Harry Kemelman's Rabbi Small mysteries again.

[Steve T Power]

Just ordered "If They Move... Kill 'Em!: A biography of Sam Peckinpah"

Looking forward to that one...

[Mitchell Hattaway]

Just ordered "If They Move... Kill 'Em!: A biography of Sam Peckinpah"

Looking forward to that one...

Good call. I read it about a decade ago.