Recommended Books?

[crownsy]

Right now I'm reading The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie... first novel of The First Law Trilogy, and I have to say this book is quite awesome. You guys should check it out. Everywhere I've looked, everyone has very high praises for the trilogy. If not mistaken, The Blade Itself was his debut novel.

Anyways, check it out. It's really a page turner, with multiple point of views, interesting characters. It also has a good abundance of dark humor and it can be quite brutal and violent at times.

Here's a review for it for those interested:
http://www.sffworld.com/brevoff/293.html

Any of you read it by any chance?

I read it, i really liked it.

My only problem is the second one is coming out in that big book format too, im going to cave eventually, but they are a tad pricey.

I'm quite a fan of the way ninefingers was written in the story, and glorka was also extremly well done.

side note: i forgot who recommend it, but if they remind me, mucho TP's for the rec to read the honor harrington series, those books are great.

I already bought myself the whole trilogy in the Paperback format, which came at about $11.50 each from Amazon with free shipping.

Didn't know about the hardcover, since the first book doesn't have one. They don't seem to be widely available. I preffer paperback myself... I hate hardcovers, always end up destroying them.

Yep, I enjoy Ninefingers, though still waiting for him to get more involved. Glotka is quite awesome. Who knew that someone could write such an interesting character being a cripple.

Edit: And a TP for Locke Lamora... still waiting for the Republic of Thieves to be released, which keeps getting delayed.

you and me both man, I need that or martin's next book ASAP.

Also, with Republic, I wonder how he will handle sabathia?

I mean, the way she's written into locke's flash backs, i have high, high hopes for here even though we've never see anything of her in two books (which i think was excellent writing, he has me hype'd up over a character he's yet to write an active role in the story for.)

She's pretty much got to be a fantastic character since she's locke's foil and he speaks of her as if she's a slightly better female version of his thieving self. Can't wait

TP's all around for AGOT readers, i need this next book, i need to know whats happening to arya! 

[BudweiserCeltic]

Right now I'm reading The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie... first novel of The First Law Trilogy, and I have to say this book is quite awesome. You guys should check it out. Everywhere I've looked, everyone has very high praises for the trilogy. If not mistaken, The Blade Itself was his debut novel.

Anyways, check it out. It's really a page turner, with multiple point of views, interesting characters. It also has a good abundance of dark humor and it can be quite brutal and violent at times.

Here's a review for it for those interested:
http://www.sffworld.com/brevoff/293.html

Any of you read it by any chance?

I read it, i really liked it.

My only problem is the second one is coming out in that big book format too, im going to cave eventually, but they are a tad pricey.

I'm quite a fan of the way ninefingers was written in the story, and glorka was also extremly well done.

side note: i forgot who recommend it, but if they remind me, mucho TP's for the rec to read the honor harrington series, those books are great.

I already bought myself the whole trilogy in the Paperback format, which came at about $11.50 each from Amazon with free shipping.

Didn't know about the hardcover, since the first book doesn't have one. They don't seem to be widely available. I preffer paperback myself... I hate hardcovers, always end up destroying them.

Yep, I enjoy Ninefingers, though still waiting for him to get more involved. Glotka is quite awesome. Who knew that someone could write such an interesting character being a cripple.

Edit: And a TP for Locke Lamora... still waiting for the Republic of Thieves to be released, which keeps getting delayed.

you and me both man, I need that or martin's next book ASAP.

Also, with Republic, I wonder how he will handle sabathia?

I mean, the way she's written into locke's flash backs, i have high, high hopes for here even though we've never see anything of her in two books (which i think was excellent writing, he has me hype'd up over a character he's yet to write an active role in the story for.)

She's pretty much got to be a fantastic character since she's locke's foil and he speaks of her as if she's a slightly better female version of his thieving self. Can't wait

TP's all around for AGOT readers, i need this next book, i need to know whats happening to arya! 

I think she'll be more of an enemy than a friend, at least for most of the book. I can also see her blaming him for what ocurred in the first book, so I don't know how much they'll get along. Hard to see anything good happening to Locke the way this series goes.

Not going to say much more since I don't like spoiling in threads like this.

[indeedproceed]

I ran into my 7th grade science teacher a few days ago..we got to talking and he said he had something for me. He went into his car to dig out a book, and he realized he didn't have it. He told me about the book, called "Three Cups of Tea". He said he read it and it changed his life. After he read it, he went out and bought 25 copies, and always tried to carry a couple of them in his car so he can give them away to people he thinks will appreciate them.

He encouraged me to read them. A side note, this guy recently had what was deemed terminal brain cancer. As my science teacher he was a big burly man, and I remember he was always sweating. I hadn't seen him for years, so when I ran into him again as a thin, frail sixty something I was shocked. This guy was given a death sentence by doctors right as he was about to embark on his second career, as an X-ray therapist. He was about to go to school for the two years of training (late 50's at the time), but then ironically he was diagnosed with cancer himself (x-ray therapies are for cancer treatment he told me).

Anyways, he went through the treatment and somehow came out the other end. Frail, probably with a shorter life expency than he had before he realized he had cancer, but still alive. He went through a time where he didn't know what to do with his life, and at some point he read this book. Since then he's been involved mainly in charity work, and rededicated himself to his family.

It was a powerful story, so when his wife came by the next day with the book in her hand, I resolved to read it immediatly. I started Thursday night and finished last night some time around 2pm (I worked somewhere in there too),

This book is amazing. It's just an amazing journey about a compassionate, selfless guy who doesn't really know what he's doing at the beginning of the book, but finds a cause and just runs with it. The cause (builing schools for children, especially girls, in rural northern Pakistan and later Afganistan).

The book begins with a failure, and through trial and tribulations becomes somewhat of a hesitant success. There is frustration, love, culture shock, danger...all set against the beautiful landscape of northern Pakistan (think K2 and K1 mountains, glaciers, etc..). The people are beautiful (soul wise), the place is beautiful, and the story is beautiful. I always want people to read Ender's game, but now my number one recommended book is Three Cups of Tea

[ballaholic]

I'm looking for a book about different kind of basketball defenses, different kinds of zones, man-defenses, trapping methods and rotations, and so long. Can anyone recommend something???

[indeedproceed]

I just read "The Geographer's Library"

http://www.amazon.com/Geographers-Library-Jon-Fasman/dp/1594200386/ref=ed_oe_h

A good book, good summer read. More intricate than "The Da Vinci Code", and in the end somewhat less satisfying, but highly recommended to idle minds.

[Eja117]

This might sound cliche and I'm sure a ton of you have read it but I just finished this a month ago



I loved the beginning parts when he was growing up and college and being a rookie, but towards the end it was like "I made that shot, then I made that one, then I made that one.."

and also I didn't like the way he liked everything and criticised nothing. Everyone is a good coach. Everyone is a good teammate. The Lakers are great guys he hangs out with, yadda yadda.  It still taught me a lot

[feckless]

I also am reading the G R R Martin series half way through the 3rd book, what a huge story.  I need to put in plugs for:
 The Risk Pool & Straight Man by Richard Russo both far better than Empire Falls-
along with the top of my all time list
 The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoyevsky,
not sure why it isn't read more - interesting, entertaining, witty and insightful.

[BudweiserCeltic]

Just finished The Last Argument of Kings, the final book of the First Law trilogy.

This series was just excellent, and the last book didn't disappoint. There are a ton of twists, and you really don't see much of what happens coming. The author is not afraid to get the main characters in tough situations, and making them fail. I highly recommend it for those that like fantasy, dark fantasy in particular with a bit of dark comedy.


Continuing with Wheel of Time at the moment, I'm at book #6.

Seems like Nights of Villjamur by Mark Charan Newton might be worth the read. Looks like it's getting some good praise from the fantasy community. I'll check it out next month at some time.

[RebusRankin]

American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House by Jon Mecham was a good one I read recently.

Also enjoyed Wicked Prey by John Sandford.

[KungPoweChicken]

The Painted Bird

The Stranger

[indeedproceed]

The Painted Bird

The Stranger

L'Étranger huh? Not a big fan. Try Brave New World

[Redz]

For those interested A Dance With Dragons has a release date on amazon.com of September 29, 2009. This is contingent upon Martin finishing the book sometime before the end of this month. Here is where the book will first be announced as being finished, it's from Martin's personal site:

http://www.georgerrmartin.com/if-update.html

If you don't see a update announcing the book's completion by July 4th, expect another push back on the release date, probably to sometime in 2010.

Here's the US cover:



Also this is a cool tidbit from the asoiaf.westeros.org site:

Book Six will be called The Winds of Winter. No information is known on it other than that George plans to have all the characters back together in one novel. Book Seven will be called A Dream of Spring and is currently planned to be the final book in the series.

Saw that Nick.  I like that he has plans for 7 books to match the 7 gods.

The thing that's killing me with the 4th book are all of the new characters he's introducing, when I'm 500 pages in and I haven't heard a thing about some of my favorite characters.

BTW, I think my favorite chapters so far were involving the battle at the Wall.

I loved the Aria becoming an assassin storyline and everything and anything to do with Tyrion, Daenyrys and Jon. The whole Iron Islands story, while relevant and needed to tie up all the knots, bored the hell out of me.

Yup, those are definitely my favorites too. I think the younger characters in general are more compelling.

I finished the 4th book, and I'm feeling rather empty with nothing more to read from the series for now.  The bright side is I can start pecking away at my pile of "other books".

I am currently reading "Raising Steaks", which is about the history and culture of beef/cattle etc...in the U.S..  Quite a departure from I'm used to but it's well written and I'm making my way through it just fine.

[crownsy]

I just finished-


http://www.amazon.com/Kushiels-Dart-Jacqueline-Carey/dp/0765342987

and i found it to be really, really good.

The basic plot is that Christ had a son, who wondered the world for his lifetime before finally settling in what would be France today and starting a nation. It's half alternate history of Europe and it's religions, half spy/ political novel.

It's no game of thrones, and though i understand it's a huge part of the book, i could do without being reminded every 2nd chapter that people in the middle ages were into freaky-deky sex and apparently are pretty loose lipped about state secrets around high-priced tail, but the overall political intruige and cortisan as a spy for the throne angle really played well with me.

an excellent book if your looking for a series to pass the time until martin writes something new, i'll be picking up the rest of the series.

[Reggie's Ghost]

Apologies if these are repeat recs here, but the two greatest books I've ever read are:

"Lonesome Dove" by Larry McMurtry
http://www.amazon.com/Lonesome-Dove-Novel-Larry-McMurtry/dp/068487122X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247600505&sr=8-2

"The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho
http://www.amazon.com/Alchemist-Paulo-Coelho/dp/0061122416/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247600570&sr=1-1

I am not one to recommend a book unless I believe they will change your life.  Anyone who I love and respect has been given a copy of each of these by me at some point in our relationship.

[BudweiserCeltic]

I just finished-


http://www.amazon.com/Kushiels-Dart-Jacqueline-Carey/dp/0765342987

and i found it to be really, really good.

The basic plot is that Christ had a son, who wondered the world for his lifetime before finally settling in what would be France today and starting a nation. It's half alternate history of Europe and it's religions, half spy/ political novel.

It's no game of thrones, and though i understand it's a huge part of the book, i could do without being reminded every 2nd chapter that people in the middle ages were into freaky-deky sex and apparently are pretty loose lipped about state secrets around high-priced tail, but the overall political intruige and cortisan as a spy for the throne angle really played well with me.

an excellent book if your looking for a series to pass the time until martin writes something new, i'll be picking up the rest of the series.

I have this on my to read list, and it does seem interesting. Might just give it a push towards the top of the list. Still need to finish Wheel of Time, then going to read some Mistborn. After that maybe I'll go with A Song of Ice and Fire, Dark Tower, continue with some more Riftwar, or continue the Night Angel Trilogy.

Too much to read.