Books you are reading or just finished

[resistor]

I've been reading a history book called "The Inheritance of Rome" by Chris Wickham, the Oxford professor of medieval history, apparently.

It is mostly about the cultural, economic, and political changes that took place in Europe and North Africa over the centuries from the fall of (the Western) Roman Empire to 1000 AD.

[Brutus Aurelius]

I just finished the entire Dark Tower series. The ending was pretty wild

[ntsheep]

I once read a book that had a story about a naked chick, a talking serpent, and some guy that put a leaf over his slong.

[drdave]

Jan 25, 2018 16:17:57 GMT -5 Zer0Winds said:

I recently got the Hitchiker's Trilogy, after waiting for what feels like forever for it to actually come in (or be in stock for me to order it). It's so damn good so far.

All of the Douglas Adams Hitch-hikers books are good although they get a bit (more) surreal as you go on.
I was thoroughly disappointed in Eoin Colfer's attempt at a 6th instalment though, to the extent that I told Mrs DrDave not to waste her time reading it.
To put that in some context, the night we met, she asked me "What is the Answer?"
I, of course, replied "forty-two".
If I hadn't, she wouldn't be Mrs DrDave now!

[En1gma]

www.amazon.com/Forged-Crisis-Courageous-Leadership-Turbulent/dp/1501174444

Amazing book right here.

[Slide87]

readin the second book of Takeshi Kovacs Series (Richard K. Morgan),loving so much
if someone is interested, Netflix got out a series(Altered Carbon), based on first book, Bay City
really scifi!

[John Robinson]

Zer0Winds Hitchikers: Real life. Falcon heavy lift. Just put a sports car, a dummy in a space suit, and the logo
               "Don't panic" into orbit. Gotta love it.

Brutus Aurelius Cool, I just finished book one of the Gunslinger series. Could be Stephen's opus.
                      However I have read "Dream-catcher" more than once, there is just something special
                      about when the boys were young, and what they became.

[hissrad]

I'm currently a good ways into the audio book of Dark Imperium by Guy Haley, I'm liking it so far. It's done a good job of showing Roboute Gulliman as not just a Primarch but also as a man. Id give it a solid 8/10, it's really good but does have a few little things that bug me but....thats just me nitpicking.

[fallen]

My younger brother handed me a copy of "Promise of Blood" by Brian McClellan -- very cool ideas of magic and gunpowder mages.

[resistor]

Been reading some classic sci-fi.

Foundation Trilogy by Isaac Asimov -- This was written with an extraordinary amount of intelligence. Some fascinating big ideas here, and the way different characters sometimes have very different viewpoints and interpretation of events makes it all the more interesting and believable.

Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein -- I sense this book was a big part of what inspired the Templars in the Star Traders universe, with its power armored soldiers fighting giant bugs and such.
Whether one agrees with them or not, the political and philosophical messages in this book are interesting to think about.
(And no, I have not seen the movie)

Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke -- That one was depressing.

[tenbsmith]

resistor, its been decades since I read The Foundation Trilogy or Starship Troppers, but I recall them fondly. I'd say check out the Starship Troopers movie--it's shallow and action-packed, lacking in philosophy, though perhaps the shallowness provides an ironic sort of commentary on society.

I'm finally wrapping up the Stormlight Archive. A trilogy of very rich, 1,000+ page books by Brandon Sanderson (who finished off the Wheel of Time series). There's a good deal of philosophy woven into this series in a very palatable way. I never found myself wanting to skim passages. I'm most of the way through the third book and highly recommend the series for excellent world building, character development and a sophisticated look at ethics and personal regrets. All this wrapped in a rollicking yarn.

[sparda4]

Currently reading Vampire Hunter D volume 3. Well it's in pdf format couldn't get my hands on the book. And that makes me kinda mad. But it's a good series. It has some suspense horror. I love that. It's worth a read if you want to read a good Vampire series.

Ps: Start from volume one

[PyreFox]

Naturally people have awesome taste here. No surprise. <3

Most of the media i consume is consumed at least 50% to mine for setting ideas for TRPGs. I freaking LOVED Promise of Blood, for its magic system, for that reason. And it was just very good. And Sanderson's hard magic systems are always amazing for that purpose.

Right now just finished rereading Dune thanks to Star Traders, and re"reading"/first-listening to Leviathan Wakes to get up to the new books in the amazing hard sci fi series which i highly recommend (though the show bugs me and the narrator of the audiobook is not the best). And i'm reading A Canticle for Leibowitz for the first time.

[tenbsmith]

One of these days I'll read McCellan's Powder Mage series. Canticle is a great, obscure post-apocalypse book.

This morning I was thinking of starting the Wheel of Time series which Sanderson finished, but Jordan (aka Rigney) started. Finding out a TV series is planned is more motivation. I guess it starts with The Eye of the World. OTOH, re-reading Dune is tempting--'Fear is the mind killer' has become a mantra of mine.

Currently, I'm reading Red Gold by Alan Furst, part of his Night Soldiers series. These books are very well written historic novels set during World War II. They tend to feature 'little people' drawn into espionage or Nazi resistance in Europe. The plots tie-in accurately with larger historic event and trends, extensively researched. Characterizations are great. Highly recommend.

[En1gma]

Almost finished with The Picture of Dorian Gray. Quite a fascinating book.