Tea & Books - What are you reading?

1992 Replies

I’m reading Matterhorn, and also re-reading Under the Dome.

Rasseru said

Talking of utd, I thought it was one of kings finest modern stories, I absolutely loved it.

I love it not only because it’s big and sprawling, but also because it has a tone that is so much closer to his older work, the Derry and Castle Rock books. It felt like coming home after a few of his books that I’ve never quite gotten around to finishing.

Rasseru said

Funny enough im. Reading some of the books he recommends, just finished the ruins by Scott Smith. Loved it

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carol who said

I’m reading the Maximum Ride series (Young Adult books) from James Patterson. It is interesting that he can produce so many good books in so many different genres. They are easy reads that I can read and/or listen to while I walk. (5 miles a day)

Its not just him writing. He has a team that “pre writes” them.

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MzPriss said

I’m trash reading now….Scandals of Classic Hollywood by Anne Helen Petersen.

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I’m reading The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North.

Rasseru said

ive got that on my wants list, are you enjoying it?

I am really enjoying it, but I feel some caveats are in order. I’m only about a quarter of the way through at this point so my thoughts may differ after I’ve finished.

Pros: I find the premise of a person who lives the same life over and over but retains the memories of each life intriguing. And the writer is not shy about delving into such topics as the nuances of time paradoxes, multiverses, or the need for ethics in the field of quantum physics.

Cons: There are many short chapters (82 in this 400 page book) which jump around not only within the timeline of a given life but also between lives. It takes a little effort to correlate these threads into a coherent view.

The cast of important characters is reasonably small at this point in the book, but some appear in slightly different roles in the various lives. Following them is fairly easy right now, but I may wind up making short notes in case they grow in complexity as the book progresses.

Overall it’s a fun read that’s only slightly challenging so far. It’s not something, however, that I can read in ten minute chunks. And I have had to backtrack slightly when picking the book back up after a day away.

rasseru — I really liked this book. It presented a unique twist on time travel while putting forth a plot line that, in essence, was a race against time. I don’t want to say more for fear of spoilers.

The important character count stayed reasonable and no notes were needed to follow them. As I got familiar with the major events in the various lives the time jumps from chapter to chapter were easy to follow.

It was a very enjoyable book and I’m glad I read it.

Now I’m moving on to The Princess Bride.

Rasseru said

Oh that’s good. I might read it when I’ve got my horror fix out of the way.

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Roughage said

Finally got around to reading The Princess Bride nearly thirty years after seeing the film for the first time. Why did I wait this long to read the book?

This is one of my favorite movies, but was unaware it came from a book.

How did the book compare to the movie in this case? Did you feel the book imparted a greater amount of background, character development and/or narrative?

Roughage said

The book is great and I struggled to put it down. You can see how the film evolved from it in a manner that is both sensitive to the tone of the book as well as quite faithful to the content, as you would expect when both book and screenplay have the same author.

The book claims to be an abridged version of S. Morgenstern’s satirical history of Florin called ‘The Princess Bride’. It begins with the author questing for the original text as a present for his son, because his father read it to him when he was a child sick in bed with pneumonia. I.E. the author is the Fred Savage character from the film, and his father in the book is replaced with Peter Falk as the grandfather. When he gets it, he realises that his father excised large portions of the book while reading it to him so that it remained exciting and interesting. For this reason, he writes ‘The Princess Bride: the best bits version’. The book is written with short interjections by the author throughout to explain bits he has abridged and why. I found these amusing in places and very occasionally a little heavy-handed, but overall they added to the sense of an author working with another author’s text and gave a greater sense of the history of Florin.

I did feel that the book added to my sense of the characters in ways that the film could not. Overall, the book seems to be complementary to the film. Having read the book, I feel that watching the film will be a richer experience. If you do read it, it would be great to see what you think.

Inkling said

You’ve made me really curious to read this one! Thanks for the great description. Adding it to my TBR!

Ubacat said

OMG, I just rewatched that movie a few days ago and was looking at the Kindle version of the book a few days ago too but haven’t bought it yet. How strange is that!

Just bought the Kindle edition and moved it to next in my queue. Thanks Roughage :)

Roughage said

Heh, let’s hope it lives up to the billing I gave it then! :)

MzPriss said

One of my favorites

Roughage — I finished it and absolutely loved it! Some of the asides were a little jarring when they occurred, but I usually found them funny after reading them. I loved the way it fleshed out the characters, which should give me a greater appreciation for the film. I’m trying to remember which box the DVD got stored in. A great book and I thank you for pointing it out.

Roughage said

Phew! I’m pleased you loved it. Perhaps we all need a tea and The Princess Bride movie showing together now.

That would be cool! I think this would go well with a sheng that has long legs.

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Finished reading The Mangoverse books a few days ago (review forthcoming next week) and now on to reading “Bad Feminist” by Roxane Gay.

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Ubacat said

I tend to read many books at once. Right now though, I am enjoying Wayne Dyer’s “I can See Clearly Now”. I am getting a better picture of who Wayne Dyer really was after years of being a fan of his. For all those who read Kindle , all his Kindle books are 1.99 on Amazon. I imagine it is a tribute to his memory.

Serenity said

Thanks for that, Ubacat.

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Rasseru said

Just finished ‘apartment 16’ by Adam Nevill. I’m was good,but the ending felt rushed.

Now reading ‘the ruins’ by Scott smith. I’m a bit of a horror or scifi nut. Any recommendations in any of these genres very much appreciated!

Rasseru said

im enjoying the ruins. halfway through in one sitting o.o;

just finished it. really enjoyed it, any fans of horror or just plain good fiction should read it. 4.6/5

and he wrote it in 2006 and hasnt done anything else since? WHY!!!

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Finished Ancillary Mercy by Ann Leckie. The third and final in this sequence of Imperial Radch books. All three books are excellent but the third one is the best and the perfect ending for this trilogy. The books also have tea. And spaceships. And spaceships drinking tea!

Rasseru said

great news – i still havent started!

Serenity said

Ah! I’m reading Ancillary Justice right now! It’s amazing. Every mention of tea makes me yearn for more detailed descriptions —!
Also reading: Uniquely Human by Barry Prizant (it’s so, so good), and waiting very impatiently for Rainbow Rowell’s newest novel, Carry On.

Ann Leckies talks a bit about tea in Ancillary Justice and Ancillary Sword here:
http://www.annleckie.com/2014/09/22/tea-2/

(There’s a brief mention of where AS takes place and a named tea, but nothing really in the way of spoilers.)

Serenity said

Thank you, Daughter of Fishes! I know you’ll understand: So relieved to know that the tea is truly tea in the series!

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Rasseru said

Started a head full of ghosts: a novel

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