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Old 08-11-2010, 07:35 PM   #26
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I didn't like Dune that much, personally. No way I would read the sequels.
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Old 08-12-2010, 11:17 PM   #27
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I've been reading Armor by John Steakley. It discusses the psychological effects of war on people. First part being a soldier's prospective and the second part being someone not fighting in the war (a space pirate).
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Old 09-26-2010, 04:39 AM   #28
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I got an old, beat-up copy of Artemis Fowl from my Dad, who purchased it at a "Friends of the Library" on Saturday. The cover reminds me of a mix between a holofoil Pokemon card (same foil plate as the earlier cards, like pre-Base 2) and a Harry Potter book I miraculously skipped. Dated 2001, it's definitely the right age for a book I should have been reading in this very spot 9 years ago. I've just eaten away a few chapters.

Adult novel this is not, it's got a writing style for children. The style of the author is also annoyingly take-for-granted, where major plot stuff is mentioned only in passing, with heavy detail on the action. The book's not without its linguistic eccentricities, like in the first chapter, Artemis procures a "virus that feeds on alcohol" to cure someone afflicted by cirrhosis of the liver. Now, what? What what what? There's also a case of some guy saying "Sayonara" to an old friend, which I think the author got from watching James Bond movies (he appears to be an elderly Irishman, given the setting in Ireland).

In spite of these criticisms, the book really is "Die Hard with faeries", although perhaps the Die Hard part only really applies to the intense description of the action and the non-stop action. I keep waiting for the book to slow down, but it seems to go faster. There's no "struggling with disbelief" prenumbras around the action, it is very raw and compounds quickly.

Rather, it's like reading Lelouch vi Britannia kidnapping Hermione Granger. And he's got support from Orange and Kallen, while Dumbledore's on his way with Snape, McGonagall, Lupin and Slughorn to stage a rescue. And they're about to collide like two bullet trains fired at each other out of the barrel of a railgun. Awesome!
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Old 10-01-2010, 01:52 AM   #29
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I stopped reading Armor, as Jack Crow (the pirate) was just too annoying to read. He complains a lot. >.>;; And he was so awesome at first. I'll probably pick it back up again.

Under the recommendation of a friend, I decided to pick up one of the Forgotten Realms book, first of the Elminster saga- Making of a Mage. I'll probably pick up a Drizzt book later on.
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Old 10-01-2010, 04:34 AM   #30
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Re-read The Northern Lights series. For the Americans, The Golden Compass. I cried again. That's how awesome the books are.
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Old 10-01-2010, 07:39 AM   #31
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Wow, something I actually agree with Rangeet on. Northern Lights series is cool (Subtle Knife is my favourite of the three. My mum's nicked them off me at the moment).

I've been rereading the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde (The Eyre Affair, Lost in a Good Book, Well of Lost Plots, Something Rotten). I'd forgotten just how much fun they are. Set in an alternative 1985, where the Crimean War is still ongoing, Dodo's and Neanderthals have been reintroduced and there's SpecOps, a government department that deals with everything from time travel to literary forgery. Much of the series revolve around a means to get into fiction, and things that happen in fiction (obviously from the title you can probably guess that in the first book, The Eyre Affair, they end up in Jane Eyre). It's absolutely hilarious.

I can also recommend the Nursery Crime series by the same author (The Big Over Easy, Fourth Bear).
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Old 06-05-2011, 10:48 AM   #32
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Bump. Only just started it yesterday but figured it'd be best to post here about it.

Unbroken
It's written by the lady who wrote Seabiscuit. It's about an Olympic track star named Louie Zamperini who winds up fighting in the Pacific theater in WW2 and gets lost at sea. The prologue to the book reveals that while at sea for at least 27 days, he has to contend with a rapidly-disintegrating rubber lifeboat, shark-infested waters, and Japanese bombers that show the American soldier no mercy.

I'm through the third chapter (so like, 30 pages ¬_¬) but (a) I'm a slow reader and (b) it's a good book so far. She's been establishing what kind of kid (Chapters 1 and 2) and young man (2 and 3) Louie was. Even had he never entered into World War 2, his early life would have made for an interesting story worth sharing with others. So considering I'm less than 10% of the way through the 400+ page biography, this'll be good, I hope. Will report back if/when I finish it.
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Old 06-05-2011, 11:12 AM   #33
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Recently read Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Both good but PPZ retains the problem from the original that it's just way to damn long.

Rereading the Harry Potter series in prep for the final movie now :D I just started today though so I have a lot to read still.

Edit: Oh and before college got out I read the Artemis Fowl series and Thirteen Days. Both good in their own ways.
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Old 06-05-2011, 11:56 AM   #34
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Unfortunately, it's tough getting one's hands on Artemis Fowl books, and after the first one I'm having trouble seeing Artemis as an antagonist.

Totally shipping Artemis x Holly though. Originally I was pretty pro-Artemis x Juliet, but then Eternity Code happened. But I like slightly older girls, and while Holly's not that, maturity-wise she is.
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Old 06-05-2011, 01:11 PM   #35
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Quote:
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it's tough getting one's hands on Artemis Fowl books
For you or for anybody? And why? Sounds like they're widely available given figures like 18+ million in sales.
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Old 06-05-2011, 08:26 PM   #36
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I'm only in the market for used books for cost reasons, and I (at first) enjoyed the idea of "hunting" used book stores for Artemis Fowl. This turned out to be a bad idea because the books are so popular, kids aren't selling them to used book stores, at least the kind my Dad frequents (where he buys his trashy romance novels).

I've done everything except visit my local public library, which I really should do to get the last few books. None of the other libraries (college ones) I visited had them. The books I currently have were Scholastic imprint only - the kind of exclusive books Scholastic makes specifically for elementary schools, advertised on those tissue-wrap "book orders".
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Old 06-09-2011, 05:47 PM   #37
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Dopple, are you basically saying you're not willing to pay about $10-20 for a new book?

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Old 06-09-2011, 06:22 PM   #38
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Quote:
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Dopple, are you basically saying you're not willing to pay about $10-20 for a new book?
$10-20?!
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Old 06-09-2011, 08:46 PM   #39
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That sounds like almost enough to buy a book!
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Old 06-10-2011, 02:37 PM   #40
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I'm a library guy mostly but I've started buying ebooks which are significantly cheaper from what I've found :o
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Old 06-10-2011, 06:40 PM   #41
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$10-20?!
Artemis Fowl books have been printed in paperback, so that's like about $10 book. Looking on Amazon, it goes even as low as $2-3 new, but typically about $7.50ish.
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Old 06-22-2011, 02:18 PM   #42
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Unbroken:
Finished it today. What a story. As briefly as some events are described, sometimes in less than twenty words, Laura Hillenbrand has done a great job at bringing to life the story of WW2 Pacific POW and former Olympic track star Louis Zamperini. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in war, psychology, and generally good survival stories. Louie Zamperini is most definitely what you'd call a survivor.

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Old 07-18-2011, 08:15 PM   #43
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Reread the Harry Potter series in anticipation of the final movie. Was awesome of course; after going through and reading it for maybe the fourth time I really feel like I picked up on so much more. There's a lot more emotion and subtlety in them than I remembered. The third book became one of my favorites; 3, 5, and 7 are probably my three favorites.

Reading The Lord of the Rings now on advice from my friends (I never read any of them or watched any of the movies yet so this is all new to me). I'm intrigued but I'm not like super drawn into the story yet. I'm assuming I'll get a stronger opinion as I get further in though.
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Old 07-18-2011, 09:22 PM   #44
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The entirety of the Fellowship of the Ring was pretty darn boring, IMO. It does get better, but The Hobbit was easily the best of Tolkien's works.
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Old 07-18-2011, 09:37 PM   #45
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I own all 3 in one big book but I can't find it that engaging. It drags a lot and gets flowery in parts. Hobbit is nice because it's pithy - the other books are just kinda puffy.
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Old 07-18-2011, 09:38 PM   #46
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Currently reading Dune.

It's awesome.
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Old 07-19-2011, 01:54 AM   #47
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Children of Dune spoiler -

Spoiler: show
I hated how Leto II turned into a sandworm. Geh!


/didn't think it was a spoiler
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Last edited by Doppleganger; 07-19-2011 at 02:41 AM. Reason: He said currently reading, not "have read".
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Old 07-19-2011, 02:39 AM   #48
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Children of the Lamp series.
Spoiler: show
It rocks.

Can't wait for the last book. I don't suppose anyone else here has read it?
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Old 07-19-2011, 09:04 AM   #49
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Muyotwo View Post
The entirety of the Fellowship of the Ring was pretty darn boring, IMO. It does get better, but The Hobbit was easily the best of Tolkien's works.
It getting better is good news.
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Old 07-19-2011, 09:10 AM   #50
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I put Fellowship down two-thirds of the way through. I put Two Towers down even sooner, I forget how soon, and I ended up never even touching Return of the King. The films were just so much better imo. Blasphemy to the fantasy junkies, I'm sure, but Tolkien spends sooooooooooooooooo muuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuch tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiime talking about minutiae it drives one crazy.

And Tom Bombadil ... oh, that Tom Bombadil ...
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