What ya reading? Version 425108

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by Boblobla

How is it? I really enjoyed the books he did at the end of Wheel of Time but he was following a pretty detailed roadmap from what I understand.

Originally Posted by photon

Is it good? I've read the first two in The Stormlight Archive and enjoyed them, though I tried to read Warbreaker and couldn't really get into it.

Yeah, it is one of the better series I have read in a while. I was a little concerned because I wasn't a huge fan of how he finished Wheel of Time for Jordon, but with his own story he has done a much better job.

I have picked up the next book immediately after reading completing the previous one, so I have found it compelling so far.

It isn't perfect but definitely worth the read.

[cDnStealth]

Originally Posted by Boblobla

I just finished Gardens of the Moon: Book One of The Malazan Book of the Fallen. It was quite entertaining and I just ordered the second book of the series.

I love this series and Deadhouse Gates is one of my favorites.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by cDnStealth

I love this series and Deadhouse Gates is one of my favorites.

Unforgettable:

The Malazan 7th Army, under the command of the legendary Coltaine of the Crow Clan of the Wickans, is tasked with escorting 50,000 refugees some 1,500 miles to safety. This legendary march becomes known as the Chain of Dogs and will become part of the legends of Seven Cities.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deadhouse_Gates

[CaptainCrunch]

I'm reading what is in a sense Tom Clancy's last book Command authority. Its amazing how much he has mirrored the events in the Ukraine, of course his involves a mafia link and an actual military invasion but its a big improvement over his last three novels which were kind of bad.

[cDnStealth]

Originally Posted by troutman

Unforgettable:

The Malazan 7th Army, under the command of the legendary Coltaine of the Crow Clan of the Wickans, is tasked with escorting 50,000 refugees some 1,500 miles to safety. This legendary march becomes known as the Chain of Dogs and will become part of the legends of Seven Cities.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deadhouse_Gates

That guy is a bad ass.

[photon]

Just finished re-reading Leviathan Wakes so I could read the next ones, and partly because SyFy is doing a TV series based on it, could be promising. Sci-fi's GoT maybe, but that's wildly optimistic.

[BlackEleven]

I just finished Margaret Atwood's Handmaid's Tale, and thought it was excellent. If you're a fan of her and haven't read it, I'd definitely recommend it.

Currently reading the Foundation series by Asimov and I'm on the second one, Foundation and Empire. Most sci-fi fans have probably already read these, but I'd even recommend it to people with an interest in history as well as it draws a lot of parallels between the Foundation's rise to power and the rise to power of various civilizations in our own history.

[Wastedyouth]

Originally Posted by photon

Just finished re-reading Leviathan Wakes so I could read the next ones, and partly because SyFy is doing a TV series based on it, could be promising. Sci-fi's GoT maybe, but that's wildly optimistic.

Oooooh I am just reading this now!

[Goodlad]

Originally Posted by Boblobla

I just finished Gardens of the Moon: Book One of The Malazan Book of the Fallen. It was quite entertaining and I just ordered the second book of the series.

I am also reading "The Dresden Files" series, which is awesome light reading for when I travel. I have a hard time reading anything that takes too much attention when I am at the airport or on a short flight.

The Malazan series is one of my favorites. I read the series a few years ago, and now I've been listening to the audiobooks as they become available on Audible. I think Erikson coming from a background in archaeology gives his books a very unique feel to them, especially dealing with different societies and the way they interact with each other. Not to mention the ongoing allusions to previous cultures whose influence can still be felt.

Also listened to the first book in the Karkanas Trilogy, and I'm looking forward to the other two in the series.

[Goodlad]

Originally Posted by photon

Is it good? I've read the first two in The Stormlight Archive and enjoyed them, though I tried to read Warbreaker and couldn't really get into it.

I enjoyed it, but it's not as good as the Stormlight Archive in my opinion. I also agree with you on Warbreaker. I finished it, but it isn't one of my favorites.

Edit: Also wanted to add that I'm a sucker for unique "magic systems", and Sanderson has some of the best. Very complex, well thought out and unique systems in all of his series.

[WhiteTiger]

I'm currently reading "Mogworld" by Yahtzee Croshaw. It's not bad...but it's not "can't put it down" good, either.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Goodlad

The Malazan series is one of my favorites. I read the series a few years ago, and now I've been listening to the audiobooks as they become available on Audible. I think Erikson coming from a background in archaeology gives his books a very unique feel to them, especially dealing with different societies and the way they interact with each other. Not to mention the ongoing allusions to previous cultures whose influence can still be felt.

Also listened to the first book in the Karkanas Trilogy, and I'm looking forward to the other two in the series.

Any chance the Malazan Empire will be made into a cable series like GOT? Too complex?

[habernac]

Born to Run by Christopher McDougall is also excellent.

[Goodlad]

Originally Posted by troutman

Any chance the Malazan Empire will be made into a cable series like GOT? Too complex?

I've been very impressed with how well the GOT series has come along, but the Malazan series would be much more difficult to pull off. For one there's the sheer volume of characters in the books. Between Gods, Ascendants, the Bridgeburners, Tiste Andii you already have a large volume of essential characters that would have to be in the show. Then there are hundreds of other characters essential to the plot (Coltaine, Karsa Orlong, Leoman, Kruppe, Iskaral Pust, Ikarium, etc.) That alone makes it a massive undertaking.

Then you add in the magic itself. GOT really only has the dragons and white walkers. Malazan has full blown mage battles, dragons, gods, d'ivers, soul-taken, T'lan Imass.....basically take the CGI/effects budget of GOT and multiply exponentially.

I know "Gardens of the Moon" was originally written as a screenplay, so maybe that's a direction it could go, but the first book in the series is likely the least complex of the bunch. I'm not sure how you would condense any of the others into a 2 or 3 hour format.

[Looch City]

If you are guys are into light fantasy similar to ASOIAF, check out the Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson. The fantasy/magic factor is more prominent in these books but it's explained and fits in really well. The way it all comes together is rather amazing well thought out.

The one negative I can think of is that some of the dialogue is cliche at times but that didn't stop me from putting the book down haha. I'm about 3/4 done the last book.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...logy-boxed-set

Some of the reviews are pretty 'meh' on there and with good reason most times. It's only a trilogy (plus one standalone epilogue book) and a pretty quick read, so check it out if you're interested.

[Shawnski]

Just finished listening to "Human Action" by Ludvig Von Mises.

900+ pages (~47 hours of audio) about economics and the general theory of human action, praxeology. Highly educational, and relatively easy to read/listen.

If you are interested in trying to make any sense out of our current geopolitical landscape, this should interest you.

YouTube playlist here

Downloadable pdf here

[Ped]

If you're looking for mysteries that won't take a long time to finish, I highly recommend Dick Francis, He was a former champion jockey in England before turning to writing. All of his books involve horse-racing in some way, but his main characters are almost always different and can have any number of jobs, usually well-researched and accurate to. Off the top of my head, the heroes have been: jockey, horse trainer, horsebox driver, inventor, glass-blower, painter, pilot, accountant, biker, meteorologist, actor, spy, private investigator, teacher, lawyer... the list goes on. I have no interest in horse racing whatsoever and I love these books.

If you like a little more action, I suggest Nelson DeMille. Some are straight up action with a sarcastic antagonist, but he's got some that delve interestingly into issues such as the decline of the older Long Island rich familes (the Gold Coast, the Gate House) dealing with fallout from V|ietnam (Word of Honor, in which a man is taken to trial for crimes that were commited by his unit, similar to the real-life My Lai trials and Up Country, in which the main character goes back to Vietnam and retraces his steps, Fantastic book.

If you have any interest in Vietnam, I also suggest Stephen Hunter. Some of his later books have gotten silly, and he's a pro-gun guy, but his early Bob Lee Swagger stuff is fantastic (Point of Impact, Black Light, Time to Hunt).

Point of Impact was made into Shooter, starring Mark Walhberg, but the book is far better,.

[troutman]

Debunking Austrian Economics 101

http://socialdemocracy21stcentury.bl...omics-101.html

http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Austrian_school

[Shawnski]

Originally Posted by troutman

Debunking Austrian Economics 101

http://socialdemocracy21stcentury.bl...omics-101.html

http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Austrian_school

LOL, nothing I read in those links debunked anything.

I am not going to derail this thread. If you like to debate this, start a new one.

Perhaps this might be more up your alley....

Let me tell you how it will be
There's one for you, nineteen for me
'Cause I'm the taxman
Yeah, I'm the taxman

Should five percent appear too small
Be thankful I don't take it all
'Cause I'm the taxman
Yeah, I'm the taxman

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Shawnski

LOL, nothing I read in those links debunked anything.

You must be a speed reader - it would take me weeks or months to read the first link, and all the annotations.

I know little about economics, so I have little to offer in a debate. The information is there to consider for those who are interested. Seems to me praxeology is heavily criticized (not that I know much about it).

http://world.std.com/~mhuben/austrian.html

Free is when you don't have to
Pay for nothing
Or do nothing
We want to be free
Free as the wind

Read more: Frank Zappa - Teenage Wind Lyrics | MetroLyrics