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Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett. 8/10 Not his best, but still a fun read. I guess how much you enjoy football depends on how much you enjoy this book, but the characters are likeable and Ridcully is on form. |
Rate the last book you read
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Ged42 7,985 posts
Seen 2 years ago
Registered 14 years ago -
Schmove 318 posts
Seen 2 days ago
Registered 13 years agoThe QI Book of the Dead.
A very good read if you like QI, basically short overviews of a load of dead people, some famous, some obscure. Loses a point as some of the entries are bordering on tedius and you wonder why they bothered including them. Also loses a point as a huge proportion of the entries were British, and there was hardly anyone included from beyond Europe.
8/10
/doesn't read much fiction. -
BanjoMan 13,692 posts
Seen 4 years ago
Registered 15 years agoBukowski - Post Office
Really enjoyed it, although not quite as much as Ham On Rye. It's a massively enjoyable read, his style is so simplistic and earthy it's hard not to find him an endearing narrator. Even when he's being a mean drunken bastard.
9/10... if numbers mean anything in Bukowski's case. -
glaeken 12,070 posts
Seen 7 months ago
Registered 17 years agoThe City in the City by China Mieville
A nice sureal read that sort of reminded me a bit of Only Forward though without the humor. There is also a slight touch of Orwell.
As to a score that is tricky. It was far more of a concept book than something you would read for entertaiment but it was still enjoyable and I think the concept was pulled off well.
8/10 Sounds about right I think. -
Poorandugly 652 posts
Seen 24 hours ago
Registered 16 years agoThe Stolen Throne by David Gaider
"Dragon Age
rigins" prequel, Gaider is the lead writer for the game. Didn't expect much, but turned out pretty good. Wasn't very original either, draw "inspiration" from most known fantasy all the way from Tolkien to more modern stuff. Still, read through it rather quickly as the pacing is pretty good.
Having played the game makes it more interesting of course, since you meet some of the characters from the game. However, it is not necessary either, and very few parts have any forced "videogame to book" feel about them.
I was undecided for a bit, but finally ordered the second book, "The Calling".
6/10, but with a smile. Don't expect a master piece and it's an fairly enjoyable read. -
Tonka 31,979 posts
Seen 2 hours ago
Registered 18 years agoRoadside Picnic
Good read slightly ruined by my preconceptions of the book. It's not at all like the game. I didn't like the language too much and I wonder if it was a crap translation. (I read it in Swedish) But it had some really good ideas and I like the way the story played out. Rather unique. -
localnotail 23,079 posts
Seen 2 weeks ago
Registered 13 years agodisc wrote:
The Windup Girl
...8/10
Ooh, sounds interesting.
/adds to list
I've almost finished World War Z, haven't had much time for it of late but I've only a few pages left now. I'm impressed with it, it's very well realised. 8/10 -
Consider Phlebas - Iain M Banks
9/10 for imagination and sci-finess
7/10 for my liking of that imagination and sci-finess
If that makes sense (no). -
reality_cheque 7,486 posts
Seen 2 years ago
Registered 16 years agoThe Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan/Brandon Sanderson
BS has a similar writing style to RJ, so it looks like we might get the series finished within the next few years, and at a good level of quality. There were several moments throughout the book where I almost punched the air in joy at some of the shit the main characters get up to (Egwene has herself a Crowning Moment of Awesome) although as with the last couple of books there is so much going on the plot barely advances by more than 2-3 days despite over a thousand pages of text! -
grimmace 563 posts
Seen 3 years ago
Registered 15 years agoOn the reccomendations kindly offered from a question i posed about books set over a short period of time, I've just finished After Dark by Murakami.
Liked it, have always liked his econimical style, although in many ways it felt rather light weight and too similar to the themes from his other books that I have read (that man is obsessed with setting scenes in cafes and resturants, with jazz records, and with prostitutes).
7/10
Next on the list is Saturday by Ian McEwan..gif)
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Bill-Gates-is-Evil 8,934 posts
Seen 8 years ago
Registered 19 years agoAgreed on After Dark being a bit too light weight. Haven't read any of his other stuff but it felt a little too easy for me... -
Cloudane 1,974 posts
Seen 8 years ago
Registered 16 years agoBill Gates is Evil wrote:
Agreed on After Dark being a bit too light weight. Haven't read any of his other stuff but it felt a little too easy for me...
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle is his best.
"How are you today Mr. Wind-up Bird?" -
RMXtreme 3,145 posts
Seen 8 years ago
Registered 16 years agoGood to know, it's on top of my to be read pile. -
Rozchemical1 48 posts
Seen 10 years ago
Registered 14 years agoDo graphic novels count? cos i've just read from hell and i loved it! Alan Moore has an amazing brain, loved watchmen also. Would give from hell a definite 10 out of 10 -
Tonka 31,979 posts
Seen 2 hours ago
Registered 18 years agoThe Lost Symbol
Everything you could expect really. I was entertained and I still like how Brown make me want to go and look at buildings in various cities. BUT
It whould have ended way before it did. The last chapters were literally just mr Brown chucking in random stuff he found out during the (no doubt extensive) research period that didn't fit into the story. So you end up reading about fluff. Long after everything is finished.
You'd think there was an editor somewhere but I guess not. -
Poorandugly 652 posts
Seen 24 hours ago
Registered 16 years agoPoorandugly wrote:
The Stolen Throne by David Gaider
6/10, but with a smile. Don't expect a master piece and it's an fairly enjoyable read.
Finished with The Calling now. Slightly better than The Stolen Throne in places with a few interesting characters and less annoying ones. Duncan is fun, and Maric is less of a prick. Drags on a bit in the middle but still worth it. 6/10. -
HarryPalmer 6,357 posts
Seen 14 hours ago
Registered 15 years agoGhostwritten by David Mitchell - 5/10
I'm a big big fan of Number9Dream, and to a lesser extent Cloud Atlas, but this left me cold. I liked the opening few chapters, as the Murakami influence was plain to see, and I don't mind that at all. But after that it goes rapidly downhill and to be honest a bit up its own arse. I can't really understand how it is even classed as a novel; it's basically a collection of loosely connected short stories (Cloud Atlas was similar, but there was a clear and definite narrative connection). I'll let him off as this was his first effort, and it's still very good in parts.
I'm now reading The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay which is all kinds of awesome. -
CosmicFuzz 32,632 posts
Seen 6 hours ago
Registered 15 years agoThe Lost Symbol is awful. I really enjoyed Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons (yes yes) but this was terrible I thought. Barely anything happens in it, I can't even remember what the plot was, and you're right - so much fluff. It's just full of padding, he builds a chase scene up to around a quarter of the book and drops hints that there's some big meta twist coming only it either a) never does or b) it's shite. Really disappointed.
Just finished reading Smoke and Mirrors by Neil Gaimen. The first of his "proper" books that I've read (I love his comics) and I really enjoyed it. Was a collection of short stories and some poems. Some tales were super short, less than a page at times, so there was lots of them. As I always find with short story collections, some I love and some bore me to tears, but the vast majority here I really liked. Often they were unsettling in some way or had a twist that left you pondering it for a while afterwards. Although there were some that I didn't like much at all, especially the poetry stuff, just don't think my brain is wired that way.
Anyhoo, I give it... 7/10 -
Hypercube 976 posts
Seen 7 years ago
Registered 15 years agoAccelerando by Charles Stross - 8.5/10
Really, really enjoyed it, the first third is great, the middle third is fucking fantastic, but the end flags a bit, but I can't complain because it would have been pretty difficult to keep it going at that pace.
Very good 'hard' sci-fi, littered with references to very interesting computer and science/cosmology theories. -
Fletche 3,418 posts
Seen 2 years ago
Registered 14 years agoNation - Terry Pratchett
Have been a Pratchett fan for as long as I can remember and this is the best he has written since those early days, whilst I love the Discworld and all it contains, over recent years the setting has become stale, as have the characters. In a way I wish Pratchett had of steered clear of the Discworld a long time ago because apart from a few exceptions, most books were only above average or worse (Looking at you Carpe Jugulum)
But when he does come off the Discworld, or at least away from Ankh-Morpork, his imagination and writings blossom, The Carpet People, Strata are two of his early works which show excellent imagination, just wish he had written more along these lines.
But with Nation he came away from The Discworld and it allowed him to create new characters & new worlds (well one new world) to work with and he has produced what is, in my opinion, his greatest work to date, not my favourite of his (The Light Fantastic holds that accolade) but this is an overall better book, if you can understand what I mean.
For fans of Pratchett you will love this, for those who don't know his works, you will love this, in fact I can't think of anyone who wouldn't and whilst it is written as a children’s book, anyone who has read his other "children’s" books will know that these really are children’s books with adult text.
9/10 -
PearOfAnguish 7,573 posts
Seen 6 years ago
Registered 17 years agoJust finished Childhood's End. Bit old fashioned in places (there's a quote from C.S. Lewis on the back cover...) but otherwise it was fantastic. It must be one of the earliest singularity stories. -
Tonka 31,979 posts
Seen 2 hours ago
Registered 18 years agoThe Given Day by Dennis Lehane
Fantastic tale set in Boston in the 1910's. Once I got past the first chapter (that I hated) I loved every bit of the book. On the surface it's about a cop and a man on the run. But they are just there so that Lehane can write about the U.S. history in a captivating way. About racism and communism and strikes and bribes and terrorism and FBI and Babe Ruth.
Really good. -
Bill-Gates-is-Evil 8,934 posts
Seen 8 years ago
Registered 19 years agoAll the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy
First in the Border Trilogy.
10/10 -
Tonka 31,979 posts
Seen 2 hours ago
Registered 18 years agoAnathem
Strange one this. It reminded me of so many other books and short stories. Harry Potter, A canticle for Leibowitz, the Davinci Code The lengthy lectures on philosophy were all great except for that nagging feeling of "Is this some stuff he's making up or is it for real?"
And I' no fan of controlled parallel universe stories. It feels like the protagonist is cheating.
But in the end I loved it. How could I not. I think the mathic world a parody take on web forums. (The Lorites will probably old me for that.) -
localnotail 23,079 posts
Seen 2 weeks ago
Registered 13 years agoTonka wrote:
(The Lorites will probably old me for that.)
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Tonka 31,979 posts
Seen 2 hours ago
Registered 18 years agocouldn't help myself -
glaeken 12,070 posts
Seen 7 months ago
Registered 17 years agoJust finished Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson end of last week and loved it.
Just starting reading Quicksilver as I seemed to have missed out on the whole Neal Stephenson thing up till now. Its great so far and probably even more up my street than Cryptonomicon due to the period of history it covers. -
Cuchulainn 845 posts
Seen 3 years ago
Registered 18 years agoTonka wrote:
Anathem
Strange one this. It reminded me of so many other books and short stories. Harry Potter, A canticle for Leibowitz, the Davinci Code The lengthy lectures on philosophy were all great except for that nagging feeling of "Is this some stuff he's making up or is it for real?"
And I' no fan of controlled parallel universe stories. It feels like the protagonist is cheating.
But in the end I loved it. How could I not. I think the mathic world a parody take on web forums. (The Lorites will probably old me for that.)
Reading this at the moment and thoroughly enjoying it.
Liked the Lorites too - in solid state physics anything you do will have some Russian guy claim that it was invented in comunist times and published in a journal only found in the soviet union, so I understood the reference too well! -
Tonka 31,979 posts
Seen 2 hours ago
Registered 18 years agoHe is the ultimate geek author. He doesn't miss a beat. -
Has anyone read Bacigalupi's "The Windup Girl"?
rigins" prequel, Gaider is the lead writer for the game. Didn't expect much, but turned out pretty good. Wasn't very original either, draw "inspiration" from most known fantasy all the way from Tolkien to more modern stuff. Still, read through it rather quickly as the pacing is pretty good. 
.gif)
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