Bloodstock Community

Aaaarrrrgggghhhh wrote:For reference, the closest thing to an introduction thread is here,

Ah... thanks I'll pop in there then.........

andy_m wrote:Sorry for starting here, but I'm a new member and as of yet I cannot start new posts of my own. And there doesn't appear to be any introductions topics, so books it has to be I suppose...

Currently reading Wheel of Time again. Fourteen books in all, I say again, but I got as far as book eleven and I decided to stop there because the last two books had not been released yet.

I then picked up A Song of Ice and Fire (or Game of Thrones).

I've also read Tolkien (not just LOTR), Feist (Magician and stuff), Eddings, Hobb, all that sort of stuff.

I also like my sci-fi, favourite author being the late Ian M. Banks.

So, there you go, first post...

cheers

andy

A man after my own heart! The Wheel of Time is my favourite series of books, even with the horrible sagging in the middle books. I wasn't a huge fan of Magician, in fact apart from the scene in the Stadium near the end I actively disliked it. Hobb is ok, I've read the Farseer trilogy, first two books were enjoyable but the third plodded along, that and the magic system felt a bit, I dunno, bland?

I would advise you read anything by Brandon Sanderson, the guy who finished the Wheel of Time. The Mistborn trilogy is fantastic and the first two books in the Stormlight Archive are thoroughly enjoyable!

Also welcome aboard!

I love both the Wheel Of Time and the Mistborn trilogy! In fact I thought WOT was far better when Bradon Sanderson finished them off.

Just read through Stephen King's 'The Dark Tower' for the first time. First 3 books (Gunslinger, Drawing of the Three, Waste Lands) are superb. Took me a while to care about the story in Wizard & Glass, but I enjoyed it by the end. Liked Wolves of the Calla. Things got a little shaky in Song of Susannah, but it felt back on track by the end. Really enjoyed the majority of The Dark Tower, but two or three things really let the series down. You'll know what I'm referring to if you've read them. A very enjoyable series overall though. Hopefully a TV/film series emerges and gives the characters the endings they deserved.

Picked up 'The Rik Mayall: Bigger Than Hitler, Better Than Christ' in The Works today. Fancy something lighter after spending 6 months with Roland.

+1 for Brandon Sanderson as well. His entrance to WoT marks a fantastic upswing in the quality of the story telling, and his standalone work is also excellent. I'm hoping the Stormlight Archive is longer than a trilogy because I'd like to see what he can do with a long story line.

I'd also recommend the Night Angel trilogy and the Lightbringer trilogy, both by Brent Weeks. Both are sets of books where I'd start reading, look at the clock an hour later and swear only five minutes had passed.

thehairyone wrote:+1 for Brandon Sanderson as well. His entrance to WoT marks a fantastic upswing in the quality of the story telling, and his standalone work is also excellent. I'm hoping the Stormlight Archive is longer than a trilogy because I'd like to see what he can do with a long story line.

Stormlight is estimated to be 10 books - It's probably going to be the first 5 and he'll do another 5 later. That's the plan anyway. Also most of his books are linked in the Cosmere (Elantris, Warbreaker, Mistborn trilogy, Stormlight) as there's a character in all them with hints and Easter eggs, as well as bigger events that you get if you've read them all. I advise you do.

In regards to his work on WoT it was refreshing to see the pace upped again, in his defence Robert Jordan did admit the books got away from him (Three books to find a fucking bowl?) and he also admitted he made some mistakes with Crossroads of Twilight with the different perspectives. Anyway end WoT geek out.

gandalf the red wrote:

Bisset wrote: Farseer ......plodded along...... felt a bit, I dunno, bland?

I know, I read the books years after an ex member came up with the name, people get very confused when I say I though the books were a little bit shit. Ok the first two are alright but you get the point.

Also we have 'Arse' in our name so we really have nothing going for us

Just finished Skagheads Irvine Welsh's prequel to Trainspotting. It's hilarious. (And...Filth is on Netflix so will be watching that again- it follows closely to the book)

Michael Crichton's State of Fear is a good read.

American Gangster- short stories by Mark Jacobson (based on his work for newspapers- he's a journalist)

Just finished David Mitchell's new book, 'The Bone Clocks'. Excellent book, everything he produces is top quality. Thoroughly recommended to existing fans of his, but maybe not to anyone who hasn't read his stuff before - it's a bit of a departure from his usual genre.

Started this the other night.




Every day, a little girl is strapped down and wheeled into a classroom while having a gun pointed at her head. She's kept in a cell, has chemical showers and nobody puts their hands anywhere near her mouth.

Only 100 pages in but it's damn good so far.

Coming towards the end of Robin Hobb's 'Ship of Magic' (book one of The Liveship Traders). Took a while to get into it, but enjoying it now. Probably break to finish re-reading LOTR before I move on to book two though.

Started Neil Gaiman's "The Ocean at the End of the Lane" a couple days ago. Already halfway through, really enjoying it.

Before that, I read Ben Elton's latest, "Time and Time Again", about a survivalist/ex-soldier being sent back in time from 2025 to 1914 to try and prevent World War 1 from happening. Loses itself a bit here and there, but still a good fun read.

Finished Gardens of the Moon, going to have to dive into the other Malazans now

Finished The Ocean At The End of The Lane last night. Great read.
Probably going to start John Green's Paper Towns next.

Finally found Metro 2034 in paperback at the weekend. Once I'm done with Pratchett's Raising Steam, I'll be reading that.