Mangler's awesome book thread.

[may]

I have many readings been doing.

Just finished 'Steelheart', by Brandon Sanderson. Typical Sanderson - very readable, nice idea and world-building, decent paced plot, poor characterisation.

Cant say i have read that! i do think the way of kings is amazing though.

I am currently reading the furies of calderon series, lightweight but very relaxing reading, and likeable characters.

[chavaon]

At some point today, I think around 3 or 4pm, I started to read The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson. I'm not sure of the time or much of what I've done since apart from read the book, it's 11pm now. There's some wrappers and a couple empty bottles of Frijj milkshake but I'm pretty hungry. If there was more book left though I don't think I'd notice it.

Another new magic system, another new world, another Sanderson win.

Joel is a charity student at the Armedius Academy, which also trains Rithmatists. He doesn't have the ability himself, but he's fascinated with their spells. When one of them goes missing, he gets drawn into the investigation and what's drawn in this world could kill you.

[Mantorok]

At some point today, I think around 3 or 4pm, I started to read The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson. I'm not sure of the time or much of what I've done since apart from read the book, it's 11pm now. There's some wrappers and a couple empty bottles of Frijj milkshake but I'm pretty hungry. If there was more book left though I don't think I'd notice it.

Another new magic system, another new world, another Sanderson win.

Joel is a charity student at the Armedius Academy, which also trains Rithmatists. He doesn't have the ability himself, but he's fascinated with their spells. When one of them goes missing, he gets drawn into the investigation and what's drawn in this world could kill you.

His younger fiction like that, and especially the Reckoners series, are like that. They're just well paced and really fun books. If you haven't given Reckoners a go, put it on your list. It's about a world of Supervillains and no Superheroes to fight them, so the normal people have to find ways to stop them. It's 3 books and a short novella, but it's finished and all out.

[jasmin]

ahahahah drawn into the world. gold.

[Jomin]

Working my way through Benedict Jacka's Alex Verus series (about a mage with divination powers) where "Light" mages are not particularly caring about anything other than Light mages and Light "Council" matters and "Dark" mages are not particularly caring about anybody else, period. The protagonist, as a former apprentice of a initially absent, presumed missing, Dark mage, is trying to steer a neutral, safe passage through the middle of both parties where being a loner does not have a lot going for it and having been "taught" (though perhaps the better word is "tortured") by a Dark mage means he is automatically viewed with suspicion by nearly everyone.

Having started with Fated I've just finished Hidden where Alex's missing former Master has returned but why and what for is not yet clear...

Most enjoyable!

[Mangler]

Having started the year with a fairly poor run of reading, I've read some great books recently:

Uprooted by Naomi Novik - one of my favourite fantasy in years, the perfect blend of fairy tale and world building. Well worth the read.

Red Rising by Pierce Brown - actually just randomly picked this up in a second hand store. Turned out to be one of the most readable things I've picked up in ages. Great pace and plot with a well defined balance of sci-fi elements with fantasy-esque battles.

Also read Nemesis Games - book 5 of the Expanse. Probably one of the best yet. Glad to see the series continues to deliver.

[Madin]

Impersonations: A Story of the Praxis by Walter Jon Williams is a really good golden age-like scifi.

Terms of Enlistment by Marko Kloos which is an entertaining miltary sf.

+1 on Nemesis Games.

[krul]

The Native Trees of Canada by Leanne Shapton. Gorgeous book, my favorite is the Hoptree.

[Mangler]

Way too long since this has been bumped!

I just finished The Vagrant by Peter Newman - interesting world building but didn't really grab me with plot.

The Quantum Thief by Hannu Rajaniemi - took me ages to finally pick this one up. Great visionary sci-fi. Not sure if it counts as hard sci-fi or just amazing world building.

Destiny Disrupted : A History of the World Through Muslim Eyes - fantastic non-fiction, one of the best I've ever read. Just a really interesting look at world history from a different perspective.

Mother of Eden by Chris Beckett - sequel to Dark Eden, which is fantastic sci-fi. Muchos recommended.

[ecthus]

Oh, good. Saved me the trouble of finding it. Some of my recent ones:

The Iron Heel by Jack London. Who knew he wrote dystopian novels? Pretty fun read about America being taken over by oligarchs, and communist resistance.

Under Western Eyes by Joseph Conrad. Russian student sells out a bomber fighting the government. Sometimes feels bad about it.

Lost Illusions by Balzac. 700 pages about a country hick trying to become a great poet. Pretty brutal if you have any aspirations of becoming a great poet.

The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe. One of the first Gothic novels. 700 pages of hearing weird sounds in the night.

The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole. The first Gothic novel. More weird sounds in the night, secret passages, etc.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Glad I finally got around to it.