"Yay fer books!" - What We're Reading.

[Tuttifrutti]

I guess this could just be a book thread where we can talk about good books we've read recently, although I think I'm gonna be the only one posting in here cause I don't think anyone else really reads lol, at least Kaz doesn't :P

So I just got the first book of the Twilight Series on Sunday by Stephanie Meyer. It's over 500 pages I think and I read it in about 5 hours. It was a really good book and I'm probably going to read it again. It's basically about this girl who moves to a very small town in Washington and meets a vampire at her high school and they fall in love, lol, so it's kind of a love story I guess. I'm really interested in seeing the movie when it comes out early December.

There are 4 books to the series: Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn. I think they may be making another one but I'm not sure.

I was just interested in hearing anyone else's take on the books if they've read it, if they want to give me some spoilers that'd be cool.

I'm kind of into the like fantasy type books, like I've read all the Harry Potter books, and now I'm into this series.

Happy reading! :D

[Kazilla]

Lenny reads http://zelaron.com/forum/showthread.php?t=46680

I've read so many strategy guides in my life, i think i have read enough of those things to equal what you have read!

[Lenny]

May I also direct your attention to: http://www.zelaron.com/forum/showthread.php?t=46680. If you really like a book, then please suggest it. :)

Beaten to the punch. Rats.

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What I'm reading at the moment is the Great Dune trilogy by Frank Herbert. More accurately, I'm reading the third book, Children of Dune. I've described it elsewhere, so won't go into any detail here.

When I've finished it I've got another SF book from my neighbour to read (based on the Nazis, apparently), and then I'm going to re-read Erikson's Tales of the Malazan Book of the Fallen series, slotting Esslemont's Malazan novels into the right places as I go through it.

[Tuttifrutti]

i doubt it, i've read all the harry potter books. a few of those books are like 700 pages if not more.

[Tuttifrutti]

well i'm not sure where you've already discussed it so just give me a small breakdown of what the books are about, what kind of genre are they. :D

[Lenny]

Frank Herbert - The Great Dune Trilogy

I want to begin with a Science Fiction trilogy which I've recently been reading - Frank Herbert's Dune trilogy: Dune, Dune Messiah and Children of Dune. He wrote a second trilogy, the first book of which carries on directly from CoD, but I've not got that far yet.

The Dune trilogy starts by following Paul Atreides, the son of a Duke of one of the Major Houses in the Universe, as he and his family move to the planet Dune, also known as Arrakis. Political intrigue is in play, however, and they soon find themselves on the run. Dune Messiah stays with Paul and new political intrique (I don't want to give too much away here), whilst Children of Dune very much deals with Paul's shadow.

The trilogy (and second trilogy) itself is extremely well written and, in my opinion, is one of the best examples of political sci-fi that you'll ever find. Well worth the read, and even though the first book was published in the mid-60s, many of the ideas in it are in no way outdated.

His son, Brian Herbert, has written a further two trilogies with a Star Wars fan-fic writer Kevin J. Anderson based on notes left by Frank Herbert... but these should be avoided at all costs.

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Steven Erikson - Tales of the Malazan Book of the Fallen
Ian C. Esslemont - Tales of Malazan

The second series I want to suggest is still being written, but should see completion within the next two years - Tales of the Malazan Book of the Fallen by Canadian author Steven Erikson. There is also a sister series by Ian C. Esslemont (with whom Erikson built the Universe of Malaz) which is onto its second book.

The TotMBotF series is an exercise in epic fantasy, and a truly enormous one at that. I've never before come across a more immersive series. The eighth book, Toll the Hounds, was recently published, and continues to follow the people of the Malazan Empire under the rule of Empress Lasseen. Each book is around 1000 pages in length, contains over a hundred characters and combines three or four story arcs which usually meet at the end. The series itself also combines a number of story arcs, the first of which you don't notice until you're onto the fourth book, by which time another half dozen have been woven into the magnificent tapestry of Erikson's stories.

It starts with Gardens of the Moon, and then moves on to Deadhouse Gates. If you can make it through those two, then the rest of the series comes naturally - I warn you now though, that a lot of people can find it very hard to get into GotM.

Erikson has been compared to G.R.R.M in the past but, unlike Martin, Erikson produces a book a year and doesn't kill off every 'good' character for giggles.

From my Book Suggestions 2008 thread, linked above.

[Wallow]

I'm reading an intricate and complicated book called Soul the Soul World by well known religious author of the 19th century, Paschal Beverly Randolph. Very interesting

[Tuttifrutti]

are you very religious or is it just an interesting book?

[D3V]

I have not actually sat down and read through an entire book in about literally 3-4 years. I am going to pick up the Audacity of Hope, as well as Dreams from my Father both written by Barack Obama as they both have sold in the millions, and have generated a lot of positive criticism.

[Tuttifrutti]

well you're doing better than kaz has, he hasnt been through an entire book in his life lol, not even for school :P

[D3V]

I know, but it's probably been since Junior year or so since I actually have sat down and read an entire book. My mind is so thirsty for knowledge and i've been annorexic in getting my brain the nourishment it's been needing. Ugh!

[Draco2003]

I have recently not read anything. The most recent book I read was Night Chills by Dean Koontz. Awesome book. It's about how a few people develop a method for controlling people through subliminal messages. They test it in this one little town, and shit goes haywire. Before that I read Tommyknockers, because I had seen the movie, and everyone suggested reading the book, so someone gave it to me and I read it. If you haven't heard of it, it's about a small town of people, who discover a spaceship buried in the woods nearby. The people get a strange craving to uncover it, and soon develop telepathy between the "chosen one's". It's a pretty trippy book. The only other 3 books I read since I been out of school is the Halo books. Fall of Reach, The Flood, and First Strike. All I have to say is Oh...my....god! I strongly suggest them if you love the games. They explain so much shit from the games. I need to get the newer one, which explains Sergeant Johnson's rise through the ranks. And if any thinks The Flood sucked, they need to re-read it. It basically tells the story of the first game, but from both sides of the war. It alternates between the Covenant point of view as well as the Humans'.

My favorite of the series so far is First Strike. Everytime I read it, it makes my emotions jump around. I don't want to spoil anything, so I won't say anything other than Master Chief isn't the only, or last, Spartan. Oh, and it's called the Spartan II project because the only other record of a similar situation was the actualy Spartans in history. You have to start with The Fall Of Reach, as it explains the whole start of the program and what not. Anyways, read it!

[Tuttifrutti]

I know, but it's probably been since Junior year or so since I actually have sat down and read an entire book. My mind is so thirsty for knowledge and i've been annorexic in getting my brain the nourishment it's been needing. Ugh!
well now you have plenty of time to expand your mind since theres no girl to ruin it for you :P

[Kazilla]

4801

Stop it, Stop the pain! Please god, please... stop it..::begins to cry::

[Tuttifrutti]

if you dont have anything useful to contribute, then shut up. :D

[Thanatos]

I might have to check those books out man. I've played all 3 Halos and I've never really understood the story-line. I just play multiplayer to RAPE NEWBIES.

As for what I'm reading: currently I'm reading War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells - so far, it's okay.. I don't like how the author continually describes the England country-side and all the small towns in it; it's annoying if you ask me. Other than that, it's pretty good.. we'll see how it ends.

The last book I read (for the 3rd time) is I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell by Tucker Max. The funniest book I've ever read. Seriously, it's non-stop laughing throughout the entire thing. Basically this guy, Tucker Max, gets obscenely drunk at the most inappropriate times and laughter ensues. He's a real person, too; it's like his autobiography of drinking. It's hilarious, you definitely want to check it out.

[Jessifer]

Well...on the Twentieth, when it finally comes out, I'll be reading the third book in the Eldest series by Christopher Paolini.

If you like fantasy, Tutti, I recommend that. I also recommend The Dark is Rising series by Susan Cooper. Short books but good reads, IMO.

[Tuttifrutti]

oh the eldest thingy, is that like dragons or something

[Jessifer]

Yeah, they turned the first book into a movie, Eragon. The movie doesn't do justice to the book. But then again, movies never do.

[Tuttifrutti]

thats true, if they did, those movies would be several hours long lol

my mom got eragon i think but i was into harry potter at that time

[Jessifer]

It's not a bad movie. Seeker is based off of the first book in The Dark is Rising series.

[Lenny]

As I said in my first post, I'll keep this one open - think of it like a "What Song are you Listening To?" but for books. if someone started a "Music Suggestions 2008" thread, we wouldn't even consider closing the other thread.

This thread is a basic list of what you're reading, nothing special. T'other goes into more depth about books that people reckon others should read - not necessarily what they themselves are reading at the moment.

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Anyway, I've just started Inception, the first book in the Projekt Saucer series by W. A. Harbinson. It's Sci-Fi, and based on facts about flying saucers and rockets and... yeah... not my usual reading material, and if I saw it in a Library I wouldn't borrow it, but my neighbour has lent it to me, and I don't really want to give it back without reading it.

[Lenny]

A chapter in, and I'm stopping - Return of the Crimson Guard came in the post today! :D Ian C. Esslemont and Steven Erikson come above anything else on my reading list at the moment. I'm going to start RotCG later tonight.

[Draco2003]

My favorite of the series so far is First Strike.
Actually I got it mixed up with the 4th in the series that I forgot I had... Ghosts of Onyx.
Ghosts of Onyx starts off with the Spartans on a mission, in space. One of the Spartans' harness fails and he is jetisoned through space on an unknown trajectory at an unknown speed...

Later in the book, you find that the incident was staged, and the UNSC hijacked that spartan to train a new series of Spartans, the Spartan IIIs. The original Spartans were never meant to go public. Their revealing to the public was a critical move to raise the moral of the UNSC forces, to show that the human race isn't giving up without a fight. As such, they are restricted from certain missions, missions that guarantee no survivors. The Spartan IIIs on the other hand, do not technically exist, so they are allowed to go on these high risk missions. In fact, that is the whole reason for their creation. And to keep their existance a secret, they are trained on a planet on the outskirts of the colonies, a planet named for its rich deposits of the magnificent mineral. Onyx. I am not going to ruin the main part of the book, but near the end, for me at least, gets the best response of mixed emotions, from sadness to joy to excitement.

Ghosts of Onyx. The fourth book in the series, and it has no direct ties to any of the games. Actually, Master Chief is hardly mentioned in the book.

[Lenny]

Nearly finished Return of the Crimson Guard (:().

I bought some new books today. :) Well, I say bought, I mean I exchanged money on a gift card for them (3 for 2 on kiddies books, too, so I only exchanged money for two of them! :D): the new pTerry, Nation, the new Artemis Fowl, and the new Garth Nix book. I'll force my way through Inception as quickly as possible, so that i can start on these.