[Gobbler]

I got The Complete Chronicles of Conan for christmas. Yeah, I actually put that on my wishlist.

It's linear. It's "low"-fantasy. It's brutal. I like it. Though the stories follow the same thoughts over and over, I keep coming back to read another one of those short stories for a little dive into a world where civilization is present, but can always be rendered obsolete by a Barbarian who's into splitting skulls. :3 Lovely.

[TruJade]

Im in 3rd year University
so I need stupid girlie fun now and again
to break up the monotonous academic reading

After I re-read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
I began reading the Hush,Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
followed by the sequel book Crescendo

I anxiously await the final book in the series Silence
They make my life bearable
so I beg you don't judge:P

[Zatoichi]

Just started in on Dragonlance with Dragons of Autumn Twilight. I've got to say that if you've ever played D&D, or really any fantasy rpgs, you just have to read it. Definitely a blast.

[Gobbler]

Miss Jade, if you're into girlie books, I've got a whole bookshelf here with who knows what in it for you.

And I mean I really don't know what's in those books because the mere titles alone are enough to make any man keep his distance (well, except for those in touch with their feminine side, I guess...). They're just like those chick flicks... you probably could see them and enjoy them. But more likely, you'll end up never knowing because those titles alone... man, those titles... you just can't see yourself standing at the cinema, asking the cashier for a ticket for "Something Blah Blah Love Blah Blah".

My girlfriend keeps buying and finishing them at an astounding speed... and normally I'd be okay with this, but now we're at the point where visitors will first notice A GIANT WALL OF SAPPY ROMANTIC GIRLIE BOOKS before I can even try to position that big black manly Conan book for contrast.

[Otal Nimrodi]

I have totally been down with HP Lovecraft lately.

[endathTyday]

HEI
jeg har noen arr i fjeset mitt. De er som små hakk i huden. De er ikke pene, og jeg vill helst fjerne dem.
Kan dette gjøres ved en slags operasjon?
Med vennelig hilsen

[Gobbler]

Yes, absolutely.

I've just finished Joe Abercrombie's Best Served Cold, which (in pure theory) could have a sequel, but doesn't. Which is good. Not because the book isn't good, but because a sequel wouldn't do it any good. It's blunt, brutal, direct and easily runs through its storyline while developing a group of borderline insane characters. It's an okay read. The characters are enticing, but it sort of stumbles through the pre-defined storyline, which focuses on betrayal and revenge, as the title already suggests. Gist of it: Main character attains glory through skillfully leading armies on their campaign... then gets betrayed, thrown off a mountain, barely survives, swears revenge on the seven people who did this to her and hilarity ensues.
Numbers are a big part of the story, actually, but I still think that choosing seven main targets was a bit too much.

And now I'm busy with Robert Sanderson's Mistborn trilogy. It's way more lighthearted than Best Served Cold and dives deeper into the whole fantasy business with it's own set of supernatural powers - rather refreshing, since Best Served Cold only had one invincible character somewhere on the side and focused more on the grimy action and intrigues.
I rather liked how Mistborn's story is set up. Some awesome great Hero of Ages goes on his prophetic quest, to battle the darkness and attain half-god powers as a bonus, but somehow... things do not quite turn out right. The story starts a thousand years after, in a dark world that is almost completely ruled and oppressed by this now-immortal "hero", along with his governmental system of ministries, nobility and slave classes. I like that. Always wondered what would happen to a world where that stupid "Main Quest for Awesomeness" thingy actually failed.
I'm in the middle of the first book and so far it's done well to keep me excited, mainly because it very slowly unfolds what really happened those thousand years ago, as a group of thieves and schemers struggles to oppose the Lord Ruler. Can't wait to read on to discover whether he'll turn out to be simply corrupted, or whether's he's more of the Leto II Atreides type... or maybe something different still.

This post has been edited by Gobbler: 02 May 2011 - 03:47 AM

[Zatoichi]

Finally picked up Dragonlance again. I powered through Dragons of Winter Night and just started on Dragons of Spring Dawning. I'm definitely still enjoying the series, though overall I can't quite see how the side of good are supposed to win. Let's just say that they do racial and inter-racial tensions really well and that the "good" races are generally full of suck. I'd go on about it for a bit, but I wouldn't want to give a lot of the story away. One thing I'm not liking is where large chunks of action or events kinda get skipped over. I know why it got done (because the novels had to come out at around the same time as the game products) but I still don't like it.

[Zatoichi]

I just finished Xenocide out of the Ender Series. Simply put, I count it among the best pieces of literature (and philosophy) ever written. It is more than just another sci-fi novel, it trancends that (the previous 2 books did a lot of it too, but this one was practically made of "large ideas"). Huge book. Took me 3 large chunks of time to get through 592 pages.

From the way he writes, it would seem that Orson is a man who thinks about things deeply enough and from many different perspectives. I think it is a loss to the world that he hasn't taken up a leadership position or an advisory role in a government somewhere.

[Gobbler]

Ahhhhh right, I started that once but didn't finish it yet. I've got to say - Ender's Game was brilliant and enticing. Now, the following novels, they kinda lost me... probably because of the lack of war games. Sorta makes me feel ashamed.

[Zatoichi]

Yeah, Xenocide takes time to break into. The first bit, while not boring, certainly is somewhat lackluster when compared to other points in the series.

Oh, and I partially retract my statement about Card getting into government. He's apparently anti-any other sexuality than hetero, and I get the feeling that he's not entirely a fan of women. The first is from something he said in an interview and the second is what I garner after thinking about the actions taken by a lot of his female characters, esp in Xenocide. I think I'd still want him as an advisor of some kind. Just not someone who gets the final say or gets to make speeches.

[Zatoichi]

I started reading the Stardoc series by S. L. Viehl. It's pretty good. I've read through the first two books in as many days. The author is definitely rough on her characters though, I'll tell you what. Doesn't pull many punches. I think the only thing I had real trouble with was how much bad luck some of the characters seem to have. Overall, I'd say its a pretty enjoyable series thus far.

[Zatoichi]

A bit ago I'd gotten through the 3rd book in the Stardoc series. And the other day I finished Furies of Calderon out of Jim Butcher's Codex Alera series. Good stuff. I also recently read the 7th Harry Potter book. For years I put it off because I couldn't stand the abysmal "romance" writing from books 4, 5, and 6.