Srylanna Third of the Ring
Number of posts : 136 Quote : "The dead are likely dull fellows, full of tedious complaints—the ground's too cold, my gravestone should be larger, why does he get more worms than I do..." Registration date : 2014-08-26
| Subject: Rate The Last Book You Read! August 25th 2015, 10:42 am | |
| Shamelessly ripping off the concept from the "rate the last movie you saw" thread. Providing actual rating is not mandatory though because I really hate rating books so this should be more of a "Share Your Feelings on the Last Books You Read" thread, but that is a too stupid of a title. Oh yeah, and since I'm starved for a good book discussion, do comment on comments of others. Book discussions are about an exchange of ideas anyway. ^^ On to my list for the first half of this year: Goethe, Johann Wolfganf von - The Sorrows of Young Werther- Spoiler:
A reread here. I read the book when I was in high school for a literature class and I loved it ever since. The books is depressive, make no doubts about it, but then again, it's romanticism. You don't really expect anything else from it. What I like the most about this book is how the nature and weather reflect and foreshadow the events of the book which doesn't really feel as forced as it can in some other works of the period. The format of the book is epistolary novel (letters to character's best friend) and that gives a very direct look at the mental state of the main character without making it too preachy or apologetic. All in all, if you don't mind the depressive note and charactercentric books, it is a worthy read. Langlais, Eve - Wickedest Witch- Spoiler:
I read this as a recommendation from a friend. It is one of the stupidest book I've ever read with entire plot being a very poor excuse for two main characters to fuck in as many positions and locations as they can. I recommend it to everyone. Reason? It doesn't take itself seriously at any given point and it is pretty clear the author knows what the book is and is just rolling with it. The point of the book are the two protagonists with hilarious interactions and different ways they end in bed. The rest doesn't really matter. It is there only to give them excuses to end up in different locations and the humorous banter provides enough laughs to make the dialogue interesting. All in all, if you are on a lookout for a really silly book that will entertain you, it is a book for you. If you are looking for something more, just skip it. Niven, Larry - Ringworld Series- Spoiler:
I've read all four books of this sub-series of the Known Space novels by Niven: Ringworld, The Ringworld Engineers, The Ringworld Throne, Ringworld's Children. It is a sci-fi series of books and I rather enjoyed it. The most defining characteristic that I think makes it stand out and worth a read is how the twists as the end of the novels play out.
The main character, Louis Wu is also very likeable and works as a catalyst for the events to take place which together contributes to that feeling where you just can't put the book down.
Niven also introduces an array of different topics regarding the morality of acts taken on a galactic level as are interferences in other cultures for one culture's benefit, manipulations on a planetary scale, sacrifice of less to save more, sacrifice of many to serve a goal, etc. It also makes note of how intelligence is manipulative by nature, but how intelligence should bow to wisdom and how the two need to necessarily work together in order to achieve best results.
All in all, a pretty great series. I would recommend it to anyone with any interest in the sci-fi genre. Niven, Larry & Lerner, Edward M. - Ringworld Prequel Series - Fleet of Worlds- Spoiler:
This is a prequel series of Niven's Ringworld series and I've only read the first book so far. It really isn't as good as the original series and it is very likely that Lerner writes while Niven just okays things making it about a step above fanfiction, but it is canon by Word of God.
It is interesting enough though and I'll likely be reading the sequels in near future. The writing style is very different which isn't really a bad thing as I found Ringworld writing to be just a bit too technical at moments and the twists aren't really as unexpected as in Ringword Series. While both offer hints to the twists, this book really lacks a character like Louis Wu who would position the stones on the river in a way that makes it mandatory to turn out that way. It lacks a proper chessmaster while having pretenders to that title that just aren't convincing enough.
I wasn't very interested in majority of main characters seeing them as just a bit too simple for my taste though the circumstances of the way they were all raised do account for that. Their personal conflicts weren't really given enough spotlight in the latter part of the book when they actually do develop which I feel is a major detriment. Only characters I found interesting were character that already made an appearance in the original series such as Nessus and Nike as this books really developed them and their relationship in a meaningful way which is a major plus.
Anyway, I found the book to be a mixed bag of good and bad elements. I think it suffers a lot from the comparisons made to the original series because original series was just too good and this is just too different with some major flaws to work out. I would still consider it better than average and interesting enough to warrant a recommendation to people who aren't too averse to a difference from original series. It can also be read as a standalone so I'd recommend it to fans of sci-fi genre who aren't too interested in technicalities. Pullman, Philip - His Dark Materials- Spoiler:
Another series on my list and another rearead, though a fantasy series this time. I read the books ages ago, but I kinda forgot about how well-written it was. The characters are likeable and plot interesting enough with compelling themes and a wide array of characters to relate to. It has certain issues where it tends to get just a bit too preachy regarding the Christianity and its off-shots in parallel dimensions as well as organised religion in general.
One of the main things I disliked was how black and white it all was in regards to the religion with all religious characters being painted with a rather dark brush while all the good guys are people who either never believed or only believed in the past and now think religion is all bad. It lacks a certain balance in that regard because it doesn't offer an alternative to the negativity it aims towards religion. It is a major minus in my book because I don't like one-sidedness since I find it far too misleading. While I personally think that the books are aimed towards the oppression religion can be used for, I think that at moments Pullman forgot to make the distinction and made it seem like all of religion is bad. Christianity takes the brunt of the attack here because it is the religion most depicted in the books.
My personal opinion is that it is a series worth a read if you want a thought provoking book regarding religion or if you just want a well-written adventure and will simply disregard the religious aspects or a bit of both. I wouldn't recommend it to people who can't take a critique of their religion nor to people who already think religion is all bad nor to people who are having doubts on their religion. These books is far too one-sided to offer anything to such people. Tolkien, J. R. R. - Hobbit- Spoiler:
Another reread on my list mostly for the benefit of binge watching the Hobbit movies and comparing the two. It really makes it obvious how over-bloated and unnecessary the three movies were. The things I like the most in this book are the things that the movies really ignore so if you really liked the movies, I don't recommend the book. If you likes some elements of the movies, I do suggest a read of the book because it might just offer you the alternative you are looking for. I love the simplicity and I love the style in which it was written. I like how the all-knowing story-teller isn't overbearing and I like how much of a straightforward adventure it is where the adventure really shows how the main character develops. It has everything I look for in an easy-to-read adventure books. Tolstoy, Leo - Anna Karenina- Spoiler:
A reread again because I really wasted a lot of time rereading some of my favourites this year. I can't express with words how good this books is and how little the movies do it justice. The only movie I saw that did it some justice was the 1935 version with Greta Garbo, remake of her silent 1927 version titled Love. The 90s version was just bad in so many ways that I'd just suggest you to never watch it while the latest version puts way too much emphasis on the visual and not really on what the point of the books is. Not to mention that the 2012 version takes the hunkalicious awkward penguin Konstantin Levin (one of my all-time favourite characters in literature btw) who is a very deep and intricate character in the books and turns him into a lovestruck one dimensional pansy. But I digress. I would recommend the book to anyone on any day of the week and any hour of the day. The books is a very interesting study of different prototypical characters of higher classes of Russia at the time and the conflicts and hypocrisy of the society are just delicious. Williams, Tad - The War of the Flowers- Spoiler:
Yet another fantasy reread on my list. First time I read The War of Flowers was in early high school days which was some 7, almost 8 years ago and then, I found it an entertaining book, but now that I reread it, I find that I understand it much better and can value it more. I couldn't put what I liked about it back then, but now I can.
I enjoyed The War of the Flowers greatly. I most enjoyed Theo as the clueless protagonist and how real he was managing to stay in the whole mess he was thrown in and I loved that his victories were always kept small and realistic in regards to his abilities. Applecore was awesome as the side-kick to me because she provided a bit of freshness and contrast to fairy lords we were introduced to from early on. The political intrigue is always something I enjoy and I wasn't disappointed here because it was just so good with characters from both sides being portrayed as so real and flawed. I like the bittersweet ending the most actually. It kept it real to the end.
I recommend to all fantasy fans and especially to ASOIAF fans. Mead, Richelle - Vampire Academy- Spoiler:
Probably the weakest fantasy book/series mentioned in this post. It is a YA series revolving around vampires that got prominence by riding the Twilight wave. In all honesty, it is a much better and much more ambitious book than Twilight. It has definitive flaws and I really wouldn't recommend it to anyone but to its target audience though. The characters and plot aren't bad, but it lacks something to really push it forward and main characters tend to be annoying and overbearing. I could see the intent in the development of all of them and it is a very good intent, but it didn't pan out as it was intended. It kinda fell short of the ambitious goal and potential it had.
The only character I really liked was Abe Mazur who is just hilarious and downright batshit insane, but you have to go through 3 books just to get to snippets of him in last 3 books. There are some other highly likeable characters, but sadly they are all side characters with not much spotlight. I feel like the series could have been much much better and that it didn't live up to a possibly interesting premise of highlighting an entire society living alongside humans. IMO, it would have benefited from an older protagonist and a more serious tone, but considering the target audience, it is among the better books of the genre. I read many books of the YA fantasy genre and this is the only one I would even tentatively recommend so that's something. Austen, Jane - Sense and Sensibility- Spoiler:
It isn't my favourite book by Miss Austen, but it is as good as the rest of her works. The social commentary of her time and caricatures present in my favourites of her work are equally present there. It isn't snark galore like Pride and Prejudice and Emma, but it has its moments especially with Elinor's inner thoughts. There isn't much more I can say about it without really spoiling it. I wouldn't recommend it to everyone as Austen works can be a bit of an acquired taste for majority. If you like snark, it is still a book for you.
Last edited by Srylanna on August 25th 2015, 1:34 pm; edited 1 time in total | |
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Strider Zero Administrator
Number of posts : 9232 Location : McNeil Village Quote : The closer you get to something, the tougher it is to see it. Registration date : 2008-08-30
| Subject: Re: Rate The Last Book You Read! August 25th 2015, 12:37 pm | |
| I'm not 100% certain what the last book I read was (obviously excluding comics), but I'm going to take a guess.
Frankenstein - Okay
I got through it my senior year in high school. I did like to an extent, but unfortunately I can't remember most of the book except the monster choking out some poor kid LOL | |
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Srylanna Third of the Ring
Number of posts : 136 Quote : "The dead are likely dull fellows, full of tedious complaints—the ground's too cold, my gravestone should be larger, why does he get more worms than I do..." Registration date : 2014-08-26
| Subject: Re: Rate The Last Book You Read! September 10th 2015, 4:31 pm | |
| Niven, Larry & Lerner, Edward M. - Ringworld Prequel Series - Juggler of Worlds, Destroyer of Worlds ,and Betrayer of Worlds- Spoiler:
So, now I've read a few more and started the last one. My opinion from the first book about characters still stands though Louis makes a come back in the latest book and I'm not yet sure how smart that will turn out. Juggler still tried to imitate original series, but Destroyer and Betrayer removed themselves from attempting to imitate the way plot in the original series was set up and that was good. It wasn't working out in Fate and Juggler and the new way of scheming and directing the plot done by the chessmaster was much better for the given characters and plot. I enjoyed them much more than I did Fate of worlds with my favourite being Destroyer.
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| Subject: Re: Rate The Last Book You Read! | |
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