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What are you reading in April?

mashiara

By mashiara,
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nubreed000 Freerider

nubreed000

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Decided to take a break from Wheel of Time after the third book (break, or just giving up on it...haven't decided yet), so now I'm checking out the Culture Series, starting with Consider Phlebas by Iain M Banks. It was always on my "to-read" list and after hearing the tragic news of his cancer I decided to check it out. It's alright, but not as good as I thought it would be judging from the praise this series (and especially this book) have received. Not sure if I'll continue with this series, or go in another direction. I really want to check out The First Law trilogy, New Sun, and Malazan. But I don't want to get too burned out from fantasy so we'll see where I go next. Maybe some non-fiction stuff...

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williamjm Council Member

williamjm

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Decided to take a break from Wheel of Time after the third book (break, or just giving up on it...haven't decided yet), so now I'm checking out the Culture Series, starting with Consider Phlebas by Iain M Banks. It was always on my "to-read" list and after hearing the tragic news of his cancer I decided to check it out. It's alright, but not as good as I thought it would be judging from the praise this series (and especially this book) have received. Not sure if I'll continue with this series, or go in another direction.

Consider Phlebas isn't a bad book, but I think it is the weakest in the Culture series (aside from the novella The State of the Art). I know some people do rate it more highly, but generally the next two books The Player of Games and The Use of Weapons are regarded as being better than CP.

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nubreed000 Freerider

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Consider Phlebas isn't a bad book, but I think it is the weakest in the Culture series (aside from the novella The State of the Art). I know some people do rate it more highly, but generally the next two books The Player of Games and The Use of Weapons are regarded as being better than CP.

Interesting. From the impressions that I've found on various sites (as well as replies in blogs), I got the feeling that Consider Phlebas is the best of the bunch, with the other 2 you mentioned behind it. At the end of the day though, it's a matter of opinion right? I've even seen some people rate Hydrogen Sonata as the best in the series, and others as the worst. So who the heck knows?

I'm at the part where Horza reaches the Damage game (disguised as Kraiklyn). My impression of the book thus far is that there's a lot of things happening, but the plot isn't really moving anywhere, if that makes sense. Still though, it's not terrible by any means, and I've yet to literally facepalm like I would do many times over in WoT.

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Darth Richard Council Member

Darth Richard

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That's odd to me. Everywhere I've ever been always lists Consider Phlebas near the bottom and I've never seen any one NOT list Use of Weapons as the best. I mean, personally I love all of them to death, but in all the rankings discussions I don't think I've ever seen CP listed near the top.

CP is also very...hmmm...it didn't start out as connected short stories, but it kind of feels that way. I know he wrote it before his first few novels were published and he went back to revise it.

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TheEvilKing Council Member

TheEvilKing

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Interesting. From the impressions that I've found on various sites (as well as replies in blogs), I got the feeling that Consider Phlebas is the best of the bunch, with the other 2 you mentioned behind it. At the end of the day though, it's a matter of opinion right? I've even seen some people rate Hydrogen Sonata as the best in the series, and others as the worst. So who the heck knows?

I'm at the part where Horza reaches the Damage game (disguised as Kraiklyn). My impression of the book thus far is that there's a lot of things happening, but the plot isn't really moving anywhere, if that makes sense. Still though, it's not terrible by any means, and I've yet to literally facepalm like I would do many times over in WoT.

I haven't even read the series and know that Consider Phlebas is considered one of the worst (to the point where people actually recommend skipping it) and Use of Weapons probably the best.

Just finished Corvus by Paul Kearney. The ending was underwhelming. I can't help but feel this book is simply set-up for book three in the trilogy.

Next up - Ink by Hal Duncan. I think I'll enjoy it more than I did Vellum (which really just confused the hell out of me) since I know what I'm in for this time, and I have a bit more of an understanding of what's going on.

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SerArthurHeath Council Member

SerArthurHeath

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Decided to take a break from Wheel of Time after the third book (break, or just giving up on it...haven't decided yet), so now I'm checking out the Culture Series, starting with Consider Phlebas by Iain M Banks. It was always on my "to-read" list and after hearing the tragic news of his cancer I decided to check it out. It's alright, but not as good as I thought it would be judging from the praise this series (and especially this book) have received. Not sure if I'll continue with this series, or go in another direction. I really want to check out The First Law trilogy, New Sun, and Malazan. But I don't want to get too burned out from fantasy so we'll see where I go next. Maybe some non-fiction stuff...

I'd read book 4 of WoT. If you don't like that, IMO, the quality of writing drops in a book or so and the pace decreases and I think it is the best book in the series. If you haven't gotten to love the characters enough to finish after book 4, give it up as it won't get better and it's a long slog if you don't have the attachment to bring you through it once you hit books 8,9, 10

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Eponine Council Member

Eponine

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Gormenghast = :wub: . On the last book, and it's really sad that Peake never got to finish it or his other planned books. Even though it's sketchy since it was taken from unpolished notes, it clear that he was really capable of moving Titus' story forward.

Hyperion will be next. Despite having heard good things about it on the board, I have no idea what it's about.

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deleted01 Council Member

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I have no idea what to read next. I'm halfway through Cloud Atlas, sped through about 200 pages yesterday (spent all day in bed reading as I wasn't well), but I like to have my books lined up. As mentioned I just bought The First Law Trilogy, but I feel like I should read some of my other books before I start a series. I recently read Locke Lamora, so the sequel might be a good idea. I have lots of other books to read but I'm looking at my shelves right now nothing is jumping out at me.

Also, I picked up American Psycho the other day for a couple of quid, has anyone read it? It was a good deal and something I've always been interested in reading, but never picked up.

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williamjm Council Member

williamjm

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Interesting. From the impressions that I've found on various sites (as well as replies in blogs), I got the feeling that Consider Phlebas is the best of the bunch, with the other 2 you mentioned behind it. At the end of the day though, it's a matter of opinion right? I've even seen some people rate Hydrogen Sonata as the best in the series, and others as the worst. So who the heck knows?

While I'm generally a bit wary of Goodreads ratings, this might be a time when they might be useful and the order from best to worse is close to what I might expect with PoG and UoW up top and Consider Phlebas in the lower half. I don't necessarily agree with all of it, since I thought Feersum Enjinn was very good but it has the worst rating, but it's probably a decent indication of how they're typically rated.

The Player Of Games 4.21

Use of Weapons (Culture, #3) 4.16

Surface Detail (Culture, #9) 4.13

Excession (Culture, #5) 4.1

Look to Windward (Culture, #7) 4.01

Against a Dark Background 4

The Hydrogen Sonata (Culture, #10) 3.98

Matter (Culture, #8) 3.89

Consider Phlebas (Culture, #1) 3.83

Inversions (Culture, #6) 3.8

The State of the Art (Culture, #4) 3.8

Transition 3.77

Feersum Endjinn 3.69

I'm at the part where Horza reaches the Damage game (disguised as Kraiklyn). My impression of the book thus far is that there's a lot of things happening, but the plot isn't really moving anywhere, if that makes sense. Still though, it's not terrible by any means, and I've yet to literally facepalm like I would do many times over in WoT.

I thought the second half was stronger than the first, the early part is a bit oddly structured since Horza has a mission but the first half of the book doesn't have much to do with it, and there are so many characters introduced at once that I found it hard to remember who they all were.

That's odd to me. Everywhere I've ever been always lists Consider Phlebas near the bottom and I've never seen any one NOT list Use of Weapons as the best.

Sometimes I've seen people who don't like UoW as much as the other books. They're in the minority, but I can understand why it might not be to everyone's taste.

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kingofashes Hedge Knight

kingofashes

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Hyperion will be next. Despite having heard good things about it on the board, I have no idea what it's about.

Hyperion is a weird one for me. I enjoyed it enough but I don't think I could face rereading it. There's alot good about the books and it is intresting but it's also a long slog. I loved when all the characters were telling one another their back stories and how it's all linked.

I think it's a book that most people will either love or hate but I would still recommend it. The author (Dan Simmons if I remember right) certainly does not lack ambition though

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