The Literature Thread

[King Chaz]

I enjoyed the two Kingkiller Chronicle books that are out so far. However Patrick Rothfuss is a complete bellend of the highest order - I suspect he's going to go the same way as G.R.R Martin, end up believing his own hype, get delusions of grandeur, start pumping out absolute trash later in the series, and ultimately never finish the 7 books he set out to write.

Brandon Sanderson is at the complete other end of the scale, so prolific and the quality is just amazing. Couldn't recommend the Stormlight Archive books enough. You should also check out his Mistborn ones if you've not had a chance yet.

It sounds like we've got pretty similar tastes, not sure if you've read any of Scott Lynch's Gentleman Bastard series. It's really good. Anything by Joe Abercrombie is worth checking out also!

Ahh he is? I only finished The Kingkiller Chronicle books yesterday.

I did love his Mistborn series and the new Wax & Wayne novels he's released.

Not heard of Gentleman Bastard series, but the First Law Trilogy is on my list. Cheers!

[Ironhide]

Brandon Sanderson is at the complete other end of the scale, so prolific and the quality is just amazing. Couldn't recommend the Stormlight Archive books enough. You should also check out his Mistborn ones if you've not had a chance yet.

Yeah, I don't know how he manages it.

[Drumstick]

Can you folks recommend some good autobiographies, either available in hardback or kindle?

I'm interested in mostly sport and music.

[Tafdolphin]

I enjoyed the two Kingkiller Chronicle books that are out so far. However Patrick Rothfuss is a complete bellend of the highest order - I suspect he's going to go the same way as G.R.R Martin, end up believing his own hype, get delusions of grandeur, start pumping out absolute trash later in the series, and ultimately never finish the 7 books he set out to write.

I quite liked the first Kingkiller book, but by the second the main character had become a Mary-Sue of the highest order, an unlikable fuck-nut I couldn't have cared less about. Also, strawberry float all happened in the second one. I'm not even sure I can remember a single incident from it, apart from the fact Kvothe gets the girl then loses the girl then maybe gets her again and everyone around him loves him.

[Herdanos]

Can you folks recommend some good autobiographies, either available in hardback or kindle?

I'm interested in mostly sport and music.

Paul Canoville's Black and Blue and Anthony Kiedis' Scar Tissue are the two that spring to mind.

[Irene Demova]

I enjoyed the two Kingkiller Chronicle books that are out so far. However Patrick Rothfuss is a complete bellend of the highest order - I suspect he's going to go the same way as G.R.R Martin, end up believing his own hype, get delusions of grandeur, start pumping out absolute trash later in the series, and ultimately never finish the 7 books he set out to write.

I quite liked the first Kingkiller book, but by the second the main character had become a Mary-Sue of the highest order, an unlikable fuck-nut I couldn't have cared less about. Also, strawberry float all happened in the second one. I'm not even sure I can remember a single incident from it, apart from the fact Kvothe gets the girl then loses the girl then maybe gets her again and everyone around him loves him.

He goes off and strawberry floats a fairy or something

And yeah I agree, the entire university plot is rubbish especially the parts where he plays music and he's the bestest best musician ever so everyone falls in love with him. I gave up then despite really liking the first book

[Rhubarb]

I must say, I'll definitely get a laugh if present day Kvothe is just spinning a load of bullshit to your man and the whole story is made up.

[Rocsteady]

Can you folks recommend some good autobiographies, either available in hardback or kindle?

I'm interested in mostly sport and music.

Paul Canoville's Black and Blue and Anthony Kiedis' Scar Tissue are the two that spring to mind.

Yeah Scar Tissue's pretty great.

The undisputed champion in my eyes is Motley Crue's The Dirt. I'd never even heard of them before reading the book and it didn't detract from it in the slightest, an astoundingly entertaining book.

Taking typical rock star extremes, beating the gooseberry fool out them then doing lines off the mauled corpse. Insanity.

[Irene Demova]

Biography rather autobiography but A Life Too Short is incredible, it's about Enke

[Squinty]

Finished reading the first two Hyperion books. Had to go back and read the first one as I forgot a lot of the plot threads. Managed to get the omnibus copy for next to nothing.

Pretty great all in all. I'm a bit confused about certain things that happened towards the end of the second book, but the breadth and scope of this story is absolutely outstanding. So many amazing ideas.

Someone in work gave me his Carrion Comfort book to read after he saw me working away at Hyperion. Psychic vampires, sounds interesting.

[Memento Mori]

Finished American Tabloid the other day. Might well be my favourite James Ellroy book actually, it's superb. Nice to learn more about a period of history I didn't know that much about too.

[Irene Demova]

Jesus christ Harper Lee and Umberto Eco have both just died.

So now it gets to be a shitty year for literature too

[Rocsteady]

Honestly thought Harper Lee was dead already.

Working my way through the Orwell I'd skipped previously, excellent writer. Keep the Aspidirita Flying on the go just now, pleasant read so far.

[Hypes]

after he saw me working away at Hyperion.

[Squinty]

after he saw me working away at Hyperion.

I'd raid your time tomb, hur hur hur

[Poser]

OK, quick update on my Stephen King Dark Tower Memento Mori Odyssey of Reading Lots of Really Long Books...

(I might need a snappier title for that).

Just finished Wizard and Glass. Well, strawberry floating hell. One of the best books I've ever read, and certainly one of the most (massive spoiler alert) devastating. Easily the closest I've come to crying at a book. The burning at the stake scene was horrendous, but incredibly well done. I just... strawberry floating hell. I was horrible.

Oh, and THAT bar-room scene was just perfect.

Immediately tried to dive into Salem's Lot, but might stick to podcasts for a few days while I get over it all.

[Dowbocop]

One of my best friends has been telling me to read Day of the Triffids for thirteen years. I've just finished it after seeing it in a second hand bookshop a few weeks ago. It's astounding. I love the understated wit Wyndham puts into his novels - I read Trouble with Lichens a couple of years ago and thought much the same. DotT is so much better though, it grips you from the very start (that first chapter is a masterclass in hooking a reader), and follows it up with genuine moments of tension, coupled with a genuine sadness at the world that has been lost.

Cannot recommend it enough.

[Squinty]

Just finished Wizard and Glass. Well, strawberry floating hell. One of the best books I've ever read, and certainly one of the most (massive spoiler alert) devastating. Easily the closest I've come to crying at a book. The burning at the stake scene was horrendous, but incredibly well done. I just... strawberry floating hell. I was horrible.

Oh, and THAT bar-room scene was just perfect.

Immediately tried to dive into Salem's Lot, but might stick to podcasts for a few days while I get over it all.

Wizard and Glass is awesome. The best book in that series by far. You should read Salem's Lot before reading the next Dark Tower books. It might be an interesting headfuck.

I'm reading that Carrion Comfort by Dan Simmons and it is pretty good. It's all about psychic vampires who go around mind raping people and controlling them for their own gains. The premise is great and it makes for some interesting set pieces.

It's kinda long, feels like I have been reading it for an eternity, to be honest. Not even halfway through it. I'm invested in it now, but I'm sure it'll take a while for me to finish.

[Poser]

OK, quick update on my Stephen King Dark Tower Memento Mori Odyssey of Reading Lots of Really Long Books...

Did Salem's Lot and the Mist.

Bit worried that there's a scene in Salem's Lot that is exactly the strawberry floating same as one of my most vivid childhood nightmares (the vampire floating outside your bedroom window). It stuck with me to this day and I couldn't believe it when I read that. It was identical to my dream down to some very specific details. I was far too young to have any knowledge of Salem's Lot at that point.

The Mist was pretty decent, and I watched the film to wash it down.

Now I've started with this:



My favourite book of all time, I hope the second reading can live up to my memories of it.

[Squinty]

I think every kid has that when they are younger. I know I did as well.

Finished that Carrion Comfort. A bit slow in places, but I'd recommend it. A very dark book in a lot of ways. Mind rape, Concentration Camp flashbacks, child murder and even more twisted things. The character of Melanie Fuller is truly one of the most evil ladies I've experienced in a book.

I'm about 400 pages into Words of Radiance now. This might be better than Way of Kings already. So many unanswered questions, and it's great to be back in this universe.