The Books/Reading Thread

not really, they’re admirers of one another’s work and there’s definitely some overlap in themes and general unpleasantness, but they’re very different series, i’d say read erikson first but i’m biased. actually, as far as erikson mutual admirers go, i’d recommend scott bakker’s prince of nothing series over thomas covenant as well. cook’s black company is good as well (the erikson i’ve just started is dedicated to him, and cook has all but orgasmed over erikson in the past) and the easiest read of the four.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Somethingface
Bakker's series is excellent, but a slog. It's also very self-congratulatory at times. He's a philosophy PhD (or nearly, can't recall if he finished), so... yeah.

I still need to finish The Black Company. Read the first book ages ago and liked it, never read the next two (I have the Chronicles omnibus edition).
 
Bakker's series is excellent, but a slog. It's also very self-congratulatory at times. He's a philosophy PhD (or nearly, can't recall if he finished), so... yeah.

yeah, it's an incredibly original series conceptually and tonally though, i suppose a bit of pretentiousness comes with the territory. erikson also philosophises pretty hard particularly from midnight tides onwards, but his worldview really speaks to me, whereas bakker is rather perverse and alienating by comparison, which i don't mean as an insult at all but it can be more difficult to read at times. that said, so much of it is absolutely seared into my head in a similar way to something like blood meridian, and some of those characters are absolutely singular.

i'm sure i've asked this before but where did you get up to with erikson in the end ein?
 
yeah, it's an incredibly original series conceptually and tonally though, i suppose a bit of pretentiousness comes with the territory. erikson also philosophises pretty hard particularly from midnight tides onwards, but his worldview really speaks to me, whereas bakker is rather perverse and alienating by comparison, which i don't mean as an insult at all but it can be more difficult to read at times. that said, so much of it is absolutely seared into my head in a similar way to something like blood meridian, and some of those characters are absolutely singular.

Agreed. Not sure if you’ve read the second series, but the Unholy Consult was pretty epic I thought, despite poor reviews. You finally make it inside Golgotterath...

i'm sure i've asked this before but where did you get up to with erikson in the end ein?

Yeah we’ve talked about this, I need to revisit it. I’ve read the first two books. The ending of Deadhouse kinda lost me, but I might have a totally different reaction now.
 
Excited to dig into this. Probably assign some of it for my course this fall.

9781844677450-Carbon-Democracy-3c3af41c200b1b8accc57708586038d8.jpg
 
Just finished Paul Tremblay's The Cabin at the End of the World--gut-wrenching home invasion thriller that borders on horror but doesn't quite get there (or maybe it does...?).

cabin_at_the_end_of_the_world_tremblay.jpg


Didn't enjoy this one as much as Head Full of Ghosts, but it was still a page-turner. Thinking about getting either Tremblay's most recent, Survivor Song, next, or his 2016 book Disappearance at Devil's Rock. Really like his writing style, he makes something mildly fun out of sheer horror (although Cabin was pretty heart-breaking).
 
  • Like
Reactions: dwellerINTHEdark
Just finished Paul Tremblay's The Cabin at the End of the World--gut-wrenching home invasion thriller that borders on horror but doesn't quite get there (or maybe it does...?).

cabin_at_the_end_of_the_world_tremblay.jpg


Didn't enjoy this one as much as Head Full of Ghosts, but it was still a page-turner. Thinking about getting either Tremblay's most recent, Survivor Song, next, or his 2016 book Disappearance at Devil's Rock. Really like his writing style, he makes something mildly fun out of sheer horror (although Cabin was pretty heart-breaking).
Head Full of Ghosts looks interesting. Adding it to my list.

Currently reading Needful Things by Stephen King.
 
Head Full of Ghosts is one of the coolest riffs on the possession narrative I've ever read/watched. It's also very self-conscious of its form, which lets Tremblay toy with his audience's suspicions and expectations. And on top of that, it has a sense of humor. Great book, I thought.
 
Just can't with Grant anymore. Chernow's own bias in writing his narrative the drunkard/failure President and General is just too much. I guess I don't see how this book is at all persuasive, let alone some must-read non fiction. My first of his, probably not going back.