|
Post by mrperson on Mar 13, 2019 18:31:27 GMT
So.....I'd read the first four installments of The Dark Tower series by Stephen King when I was younger... So anyway, I just found out there are now 8.5 (and I think complete...but don't answer to tell me if he's not done, please). Oddly, I didn't see this until I posted that I was reading vol. 5, so the coincidence is uncanny.
King wrote seven Dark Tower novels, and called the series complete, then afterwards wrote a "prequel" volume of stories and an in-between volume that slots between 4 & 5.
I'm told by my friends who've read the whole series that you can read the seven, without the latter additions, and that's what I'm doing.
I saved his little prequel for last. I didn't realize it when I bought it, but it's basically a comic. I was able to find a text-only pdf somewhere, which makes me wonder whether there was a text-only version I overlooked on amazon.
Other than that, I read
1-4, 4.5 (Wind through the keyhole), 5-7.
|
|
|
Post by mrperson on Mar 13, 2019 18:32:05 GMT
Almost done with "Wintersmith" (Pratchett) as well.
|
|
|
Post by Digi on Mar 13, 2019 20:12:15 GMT
Oddly, I didn't see this until I posted that I was reading vol. 5, so the coincidence is uncanny.
King wrote seven Dark Tower novels, and called the series complete, then afterwards wrote a "prequel" volume of stories and an in-between volume that slots between 4 & 5.
I'm told by my friends who've read the whole series that you can read the seven, without the latter additions, and that's what I'm doing.
I saved his little prequel for last. I didn't realize it when I bought it, but it's basically a comic. I was able to find a text-only pdf somewhere, which makes me wonder whether there was a text-only version I overlooked on amazon.
Other than that, I read
1-4, 4.5 (Wind through the keyhole), 5-7.
That's severely underselling it, IMO. Granted it's a lot closer to a fable-style novella than a full-fledged novel, but it's far, far more than just a comic. And FWIW Hieronymus, I really recommend slotting it in as entry "4.5." There's a not-insignificant shift in style between books 4 and 5, from more 'grounded' to a whole-hog embrace of fantasy elements. Wind Through the Keyhole really helps to stylistically bridge that gap, so you have a 'grey' period instead of just lurching straight from black to white.
|
|
|
Post by Hieronymus on Mar 14, 2019 0:19:27 GMT
And FWIW Hieronymus , I really recommend slotting it in as entry "4.5." There's a not-insignificant shift in style between books 4 and 5, from more 'grounded' to a whole-hog embrace of fantasy elements. Wind Through the Keyhole really helps to stylistically bridge that gap, so you have a 'grey' period instead of just lurching straight from black to white. A friend of mine did prep me about the shift in style, but it's been 12 years since I read book 4, so any style shift in book 5 will go largely unnoticed.
|
|
|
Post by mrperson on Mar 14, 2019 18:26:19 GMT
I saved his little prequel for last. I didn't realize it when I bought it, but it's basically a comic.
That's severely underselling it, IMO. Granted it's a lot closer to a fable-style novella than a full-fledged novel, but it's far, far more than just a comic. I meant "comic" in terms of the format.
|
|
melkur
Chancellery Guard
Likes: 3,961
|
Post by melkur on Mar 15, 2019 0:38:40 GMT
This afternoon I finished reading 'Career Of Evil', the third Cormoran Strike book. It was interesting enough, I guess?
Tomorrow I'm going to start reading 'Wicked'.
|
|
melkur
Chancellery Guard
Likes: 3,961
|
Post by melkur on Mar 24, 2019 0:58:03 GMT
I've just finished reading 'What Bloody Man Is That?', my 27th book of the year (Jesus!) - Possibly problematic by nowadays standards, but a fun 'little' two-day read..
Tomorrow I'm starting to read Robert Rodriguez's "Rebel Without A Crew", which is about the production of 'El Mariachi'
|
|
|
Post by newt5996 on Apr 6, 2019 2:38:54 GMT
Started reading Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere after loving Good Omens and American Gods. Once again it's incredibly different from the other two books I've read from Gaiman and I'm personally loving the story of Richard and the absolute sh*t his life goes through which somehow Gaiman makes feel like a fairy tale.
|
|
|
Post by Audio Watchdog on Apr 6, 2019 21:26:31 GMT
Tiamat's Wrath by James S. A. Corey. Volume 8 of The Expanse saga, and the next to last novel in the series. What a humdinger of a book. Not quite as, er, expansive as the past few volumes and stronger for it. The book opens with a death of a beloved character and really starts the all-bets-are-off feeling that anyone of our series regulars might not make it out alive. And what an ending! Bring on the final novel.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Likes:
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 9, 2019 13:33:00 GMT
Contact by Carl Sagan. A companion piece to the television series, Cosmos, in many ways. Cold war politics, religious clashes, cultural exchanges, technological innovation, a bit of human romance... It's over 400 pages, but the furthest thing from a slog. A fascinating insight into the implications of first contact circa 1980.
|
|
|
Post by Digi on Apr 17, 2019 13:05:20 GMT
Finally finished The Handmaid's Tale. Usually it takes me a couple of days, maybe a week to get through a book--not the month it took me here. Just got busy and didn't have time till now.
Next up: Star Wars: Master & Apprentice.
|
|
|
Post by tuigirl on Apr 19, 2019 10:42:33 GMT
Finally getting around to reading the Anarch by Dan Abnett. Just red 90 pages in one sitting. This is REALLY good. Edge of the seat reading.
|
|
|
Post by anothermanicmondas on Apr 22, 2019 10:45:54 GMT
finished Dirty Money by Richard Stark (AKA Donald E Westlake) (I got that a while back but I was struggling to get the beginnning of the story in Nobody Runs Forever)
I have now gone to ancient Egypt for The Coming of the Queen
|
|
|
Post by anothermanicmondas on Apr 26, 2019 19:43:51 GMT
finished Robert Rankin's Hollow chocolate bunnies of the Apocalypse (bit of Easter reading) and currently reading Barnabas, Quentin and the Avenging Ghost
|
|
|
Post by newt5996 on Apr 27, 2019 23:21:38 GMT
Reading Wizard's First Rule by: Terry Goodkind and it is baaadd! The characters fall flat, the dialogue is cringey, and the plot is ripped straight out of other better fantasy books. The main character is perhaps the worst offender as the moment he is told he is the "Chosen One" trope, he turns into a massive a**hole after an introduction that made him a little likable. I'm about halfway through and determined to finish it just to see if there is anything good about it.
|
|
|
Post by mrperson on Apr 28, 2019 0:58:27 GMT
Got the wife reading Dark Tower. She's nearly through the first book faster than I've seen her read anything...
|
|
|
Post by whiskeybrewer on Apr 29, 2019 10:51:36 GMT
Got the wife reading Dark Tower. She's nearly through the first book faster than I've seen her read anything... She must enjoy walking the Beam then
|
|
|
Post by Ela on Apr 30, 2019 5:08:28 GMT
Finished reading Bernice Summerfield: A Life of Surprises. Very strange collection of stories.
|
|
|
Post by anothermanicmondas on May 4, 2019 18:12:54 GMT
halfway through the Last Pharoah
|
|
|
Post by tuigirl on May 5, 2019 13:09:44 GMT
Although I still have more than 30 books on my to-read list on my Kindle (really need to sit down and do a bit more reading!!) I just bought another book... Another Warhammer 40000 book, this time "Requiem Infernal" by Peter Fehervari, which comes highly recommended. Although it is not part of the new horror range, is said to be a creepy tale full of psychological horror. Great for a nice dose of grim-dark. I only have read the first few pages but I am already hooked. Looks very promising...
Many Black Library releases are just mindless and plain boring "bolter porn", but in a few cases, when it is done well, it can be really amazing. The setting of Warhammer 40000 just is such a rich and interesting place...
|
|