Funny you guys should mention Percy Jackson, that happens to be one of my favorite series I love Riordan's writiing style as well as how he mixes the mythology with modern day, it makes his books truly interesting to all ages. (Point and case my brother started reading those books in elementary school when they were new, then my mom picked them up and loved them too and a couple years ago I finally picked them up and adored them). THe companion series "The Heroes of Olymous" is fantastic. I also literally just finished reading "The Red Pyramid" a couple days ago which is the first book in the Kane Chronicles which is Riordan's other series invovlving Egyptian mythology. It didn't grab me the same way as the Percy Jackson books, but it was definately a good, fun read. I'm now starting "Crossed" by Ally Condie for any "Matched" fans out there
I was debating buying those two the other day actually. I never read them when I was younger, but got bought the trilogy for Christmas, and am thoroughly enjoying them.
You should definitely get them. The stories, especially Lyra's Oxford, are entertaining, and the books come with beautifully illustrated pictures and I believe some maps as well.
I finished Brave New World last night, and I have to say...meh! It wasn't that it was bad, and the ending was pretty good. But it took until the last few chapters to actually reach a consistently good quality. I enjoyed it, but given that it's considered a staple of classic dystopian fiction, I'm a little disappointed. It came across to me as a paler shadow of 1984. Next, I'll be reading Alison Littlewood's new novel A Cold Season. I'm rather looking forward to this one.
The problem with Brave New World for me is it's a victim of it's own reputation. People think it's the polar opposite of Nineteen Eighty-Four in terms of dystopia, and in many says it is, but it's different not just as a dystopian novel, but more as a novel entirely. It has attempts at humor, it didn't attempt to be as subtly disturbing as people think, and is generally much more lighthearted than it's Orwell counterpart.
Clive Barker's The hellbound heart. It's pretty damn good. additionally, Read The painted man by Peter V. Brett, it's amazing.
That's definitely true, and I do think it was a victim of its reputation with me. I've heard so much about what a landmark novel it was, that when I actually read it, it didn't live up to the expectations I'd built up. It definitely wasn't the same as 1984, but I wasn't expecting that exactly. I just meant that it's usually lumped in with it, and I didn't feel it matched it in terms of writing, intellectual weight, or imagination. It was less a dystopian novel than a blend of utopian and dystopian, and gave a pretty even account of the pros and cons of the "new world". It just didn't fulfil me in the ways I was hoping/expecting.
I would say it is a dystopian novel, more in the same vain as WE by Yevgeny Zamyatin with it's blending of Utopia and Dystopia - which is more Dystopia for me than something like Utopia by Thomas Moore, which still had elements of state control. I admit I did find the Bokanovsky Process highly questionable from a moral standpoint. That's why I find it more Dystopia, not because morals are not allowed to develop, but because in Brave New World they (and relationships) are almost impossible to develop in a complex way, and so everyone in the book has no real sense of other's emotions, like children; everything pleasurable is allowed, if not mandated by the state through other people. Whereas Nineteen Eighty-Four is pure Totaliterianism. Just started reading The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli. Edit: Finished The Prince in just over 5 hours. Not bad.
Begat by David Crystal About the influence of the KJ bible on the English language (or, more particularly, idiomatic expressions still current). A really lazy, shallow and, given the author, disappointing effort.
Just finished The Hunger Games - Meh. Some parts were great but mostly it was lack-lustre, and the ending sucked royally. It stopped dead in its tracks, featuring no grand reunion of the protag with her family, and was a major ploy to get you to buy the next book. The writer had some good ideas but let the ship sail before she did anything interesting with them. Blegh. Downloaded some samples on Kindle; most were crap. Game Of Thrones was interesting but, like most High Fantasy, lacked any emotional draw. Was a little too flat in that sense for me to get really engrossed. I've no idea what to read next. I'm trying to give new things a try now that I have a Kindle.
One of my all-time favourites! And it's such a perfect length. I find most brilliant novels are short and sweet.
I currently cant get enough of Bill Bryson books, his sarcastic travels crack me up. Does anybody else read Bill?
I read his In a Sunburned Country. Pretty terrific as a piece of travel prose, and absolutely hilarious in parts. I really enjoyed it. I haven't read anything else by him, though.
Reading The Ware Tetralogy by Andy Rucker and Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson at the moment! I have 1984 lined up next!!
I'm reading "The Hot Zone by Richard Preston" right now. I have to read it for school, but it is very interesting, although a lot of the scenes are pretty graphic.
I'm reading Enclave by Ann Aguirre. I really like it so far. And next up is Blood Red Road, Delirium and Starcrossed.
I really haven't sat down and downed an entire book lately. But I did read a bit of "things i wish i knew before i got married"
I've read only one of his books. It certainty is a funny read. "A Walk in the Woods" That's only because I wanted to learn about hiking before I hiked the entire Appalachian Trail. Many hikers don't care for Bill Bryson's tale. Mostly because he tends to not say anything nice about the trail. I am now writing my own story about my adventure on the trail.
Just finished rereading The Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger. I always forget how much I like that book.
I am currently reading 1984 by George Orwell and am throughly enjoying it. I can't believe how relevant it is for a book written 60 years ago.
I'm halfway through The Strain, by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan. Usually I'd feel guilty about reading a vampire book, but this one's so well written and engaging. You can tell the authors had fun writing it.
