Now Reading...

[thedelicateflower]

New idea for the thread! Everyone, post any book titles that you tried to read, but gave up on in disgust....or books you wish you HAD given up on in disgust. )

another one i stopped reading was only because it scared the heck out of me...(i do love ghost stories)....it's called 'the most haunted house in england' it's a time-life book and it is a true ghost story about a nun.......i started reading it maybe ten or so years ago and haven't picked it up since...but i may start it again....

 

[Yippee38]

...the only book i did stop in the middle of reading was stephen king's 'needful things'...i read up to the part with the dog and stopped....i hated that story

I remember watching one of the Jaws movies with Yardleybates. At one point the dog jumps in the water and is swimming around and she says, "Oh no! Not the dog!"

I've stopped reading a couple. I stopped reading "Ring of Destiny" by Jane S. Fancher. I read the first two books, "Ring of Lightning" and "Ring of Intrigue". I really liked the first, the second less so. By the third book, it got way to explicit with the homo-erotic stuff, and I lost interest quickly.

I also never finished reading "The Coming of the King" by Nikolai Tolstoy. A friend of mine also picked the book up at about the same time. He finished it, but says he wished he hadn't.

I went back in the archives and busted out The Avatar Trilogy, Shadowdale, Tantras & Waterdeep by Richard Awlinson.. I am on Shadowdale right now

Yeah. I just reread that recently too. Don't forget to read Prince of Lies which is the follow up. It deals with Cyric after he gains godhood and his battle with (I don't remember her name, but she's the one who becomes goddess of magic).

 

[Ruthven]

I can think of one offhand that I wished I'd scorched early: James M. Ward, Midshipwizard Halcyon Blithe.

Halcyon Blithe is going to come to your house and ruin your life. Count on it.

 

[jaimek]

New idea for the thread! Everyone, post any book titles that you tried to read, but gave up on in disgust

It's rare that I don't finish a book, but there are a few:

It took me a few minutes to remember the title, because the book was so godawful that I deliberately buried the memory -- Robert Newcomb's Fifth Sorceress. I made it through six books of ROBERT GODDAMNED JORDAN and I couldn't finish that steaming pile of shit.

I gave up on Kate Elliott's Crown of Stars series about fifty pages into the fourth book. I loved the Jaran books, but these bored me to tears.

Jean Auel's Shelters of Stone. I wanted well-researched prehistorical fiction, and I got prehistorical smut and emo relationship headchatter. If I wanted a thousand pages of that, I'd pick up three Johanna Lindsey books - they're a lot more entertaining.

(speaking of whom, her last few books have been pretty lame, too - I didn't not finish them, but I skipped through the boring chunks.)

 

[Pellaz]

Hey, I thought of one I couldn't finish: Brian Aldiss, Helliconia something. I read the first book in that series, thought it was so-so (but hard to get into). Began the second book, realized there were no familiar characters connecting it to the tenuous charms of the first book, and tossed it aside. Quite rare for me.

The books in the series are named after the four seasons, but I just don't care enough about the series to research the titles. Bleh.

 

[Magius]

Just started The Darkness That Came Before by R. Scott Bakker.

I read that series. I really liked it. It's gritty and has a pretty good story. However, the end is a bit weak.

Just finished the third book. Surely it isn't the last in the series? The number of unresloved issues could easily fill another two novels.

 

[Magius]

Myths, Lies, and Downright Stupidity- John Stossel

 

[RagePSV]

It's rare that I don't finish a book, but there are a few:

It took me a few minutes to remember the title, because the book was so godawful that I deliberately buried the memory -- Robert Newcomb's Fifth Sorceress. I made it through six books of ROBERT GODDAMNED JORDAN and I couldn't finish that steaming pile of shit.

I gave up on Kate Elliott's Crown of Stars series about fifty pages into the fourth book. I loved the Jaran books, but these bored me to tears.

Jean Auel's Shelters of Stone. I wanted well-researched prehistorical fiction, and I got prehistorical smut and emo relationship headchatter. If I wanted a thousand pages of that, I'd pick up three Johanna Lindsey books - they're a lot more entertaining.

(speaking of whom, her last few books have been pretty lame, too - I didn't not finish them, but I skipped through the boring chunks.)

Haha! I dropped Robert Jordan after the third book, it was the same thing over and over and over again....

I have read the first 3 of Auel's Earth's Children series, I'm on hiatus now, but plan on finishing one day.

Red Mars by Kim Stanely Robinson, made it about 1/3 through, just too damn boring.

 

[Ruthven]

Just started Rachel Caine's "Weather Warden" series. The concept is that certain people have an innate control of the weather or one of the elements. Fast-paced and entertaining.

 

[Yippee38]

Just finished the third book. Surely it isn't the last in the series? The number of unresloved issues could easily fill another two novels.

Agreed. That's why I said the ending was weak. It felt like he got tired of writing and decided to end it early.

 

[Magius]

Agreed. That's why I said the ending was weak. It felt like he got tired of writing and decided to end it early.

According to Wiki, which as a source is always suspect, he plans more novels in that world. However, they won't be direct continuations of the current story line. Apparently he plans to start the new books at least 20 years ahead of where this one ends with new charsacters. A shame.

 

[DarkOne]

New idea for the thread! Everyone, post any book titles that you tried to read, but gave up on in disgust....or books you wish you HAD given up on in disgust.

The latter for me - "The Dungeon" mini-series quasi by Phillip Jose Farmer. It was his idea, and he wrote some, but most of it was written by someone else. It was such a great concept, and was SO lame.

That brings to mind a series that I did give up on : Mission Earth by L Ron Hubbard. 10 volumes of crap. Well, I shouldn't lie. Three or four volumes of crap, and the rest never read.

Steve in Philly

 

[Bear]

I remember watching one of the Jaws movies with Yardleybates. At one point the dog jumps in the water and is swimming around and she says, "Oh no! Not the dog!"

I've stopped reading a couple. I stopped reading "Ring of Destiny" by Jane S. Fancher. I read the first two books, "Ring of Lightning" and "Ring of Intrigue". I really liked the first, the second less so. By the third book, it got way to explicit with the homo-erotic stuff, and I lost interest quickly.

I also never finished reading "The Coming of the King" by Nikolai Tolstoy. A friend of mine also picked the book up at about the same time. He finished it, but says he wished he hadn't.



Yeah. I just reread that recently too. Don't forget to read Prince of Lies which is the follow up. It deals with Cyric after he gains godhood and his battle with (I don't remember her name, but she's the one who becomes goddess of magic).

Midnight? How can you forget Midnight!!!!!! Dude you would laugh, I have like 90 % of both Dragonlance and The Forgotten Realms novels in my library Thats metal!!! I have the Price of Lies, I will have to re read that again too

Bear

 

[Yippee38]

Midnight? How can you forget Midnight!!!!!! Dude you would laugh, I have like 90 % of both Dragonlance and The Forgotten Realms novels in my library Thats metal!!! I have the Price of Lies, I will have to re read that again too

Bear

I like a lot of the old D&D novels. They're fun reads. I read a lot of the Ravenloft books. Some were good, some were okay. I've read a handful of FR books. In fact, I just read "The Cleric Quintet" about a year ago for the first time, and also finished the Moonshae trilogy. I don't care for the Eberon stuff. I think I've read the first two trilogies of the DL stuff, but never went on from there.

Some of my favorites lately have been the Greyhawk books based on classic dungeons:
The Keep on the Borderlands
The Temple of Elemental Evil
White Plume Mountain
Tomb of Horrors.
They were fun to read.

Any others that are "must reads"?

 

[Bear]

Very cool.... I have some Ravenloft as well. The Cleric Quintet is awesome and it is tied to the Drizzt saga, so if you haven't read any of those I would suggest starting with the Dark Elf trilogy, its the best of the best in my opinion. I started to re read the Moonshae trilogy but it as a slow start the 4th time around (hehe) so I traded it for The Avatar trilogy that I am on right now. Its a trip to re read novels 10 years later, I have such a different perspective now and I find them to be more exciting than I had originally taken them for.

If you have the testicular fortitude (hehe) give the Death Gate cycle a try by Margaret Weiss & Tracy Hickman. I found it to be a pretty awesomely trippy adventure that you cannot guesstimate...Also the short run Dark Sun books were good as well.

Bear

 

[Yippee38]

I would suggest starting with the Dark Elf trilogy, its the best of the best in my opinion.

If you have the testicular fortitude (hehe) give the Death Gate cycle a try by Margaret Weiss & Tracy Hickman. I found it to be a pretty awesomely trippy adventure that you cannot guesstimate...Also the short run Dark Sun books were good as well.

Bear

I've read the Dark Elf Trilogy a long time ago. Actually, I've read those up through "The Legacy" but haven't read any of those since. Maybe I'll reread that series and continue. Seems to me I liked those characters.

I did read the first book of The Death Gate Cycle a very long time ago. I don't remember liking it much, but it's been so long . . . As you say, perspectives change.

 

[thedelicateflower]

I have read the first 3 of Auel's Earth's Children series, I'm on hiatus now, but plan on finishing one day.

i read 'clan of the cave bear' a long time ago and i think that is my most favorite book ever...i loved the detail she went into..........the movie, of course, sucked big time........i started 'the mammoth hunters' (i think that was the title) but couldn't get into it....my mom owns all of Auel's books...

 

[metalprof]

I did read the first book of The Death Gate Cycle a very long time ago. I don't remember liking it much, but it's been so long . . . As you say, perspectives change.

I think the first one was the weakest, at least up until the seventh. I remember liking the series a lot. I *loved* the concept, especially since some of the locales were definitely different than the usual fantasy stuff. But I also remember thinking that the ending / big wrap up was a bit lame. I also imagine this is one of those series I'd like a little less if I reread them now, 15-20 years later.

Ken

 

[Pellaz]

Very cool.... I have some Ravenloft as well. The Cleric Quintet is awesome and it is tied to the Drizzt saga, so if you haven't read any of those I would suggest starting with the Dark Elf trilogy, its the best of the best in my opinion.

Cool, I wasn't sure what the Drizzt books are actually called as a series.

At least once every day at the RennFaire here, someone asks us about matching scimitars like Drizzt has, and "those books by R.A. Salvatore" from me wasn't cutting it. (And THIS year, our blacksmith has finally made scaled-down scimitars that happen to be perfectly balanced and great for a Drizzt look. )

 

[OrbWeaver]

Getting ready to read The Second Generation by Weiss and Hickman.