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Author Topic: The Official Bay 12 Fifty-Two Books Challenge: 2014 Edition  (Read 12510 times)

notquitethere

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Re: The Official Bay 12 Fifty-Two Books Challenge: 2014 Edition
« Reply #90 on: March 10, 2014, 11:50:50 am »
Thanks for your reflections. I'll keep that order in mind. I was very impressed with Railsea. From the premise, I thought it was going to be a bit goofy but the writing and the world evoked was so compelling. I really liked that in The City and the City: the concept was so fantastic (in the full sense of the world) but the writing made it seem so possible.
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Vector

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Re: The Official Bay 12 Fifty-Two Books Challenge: 2014 Edition
« Reply #91 on: March 10, 2014, 03:50:27 pm »
Spoiler: 15/52 (click to show/hide)

Nope, I actually ended up reading Bee Season instead.  Highly recommended, though I'll note that my reasons for liking it were unusually personal.  Still... it's the best book I've read so far this year by far.
« Last Edit: March 13, 2014, 12:44:00 pm by Vector »
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"The question of the usefulness of poetry arises only in periods of its decline, while in periods of its flowering, no one doubts its total uselessness." - Boris Pasternak

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Toaster

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Re: The Official Bay 12 Fifty-Two Books Challenge: 2014 Edition
« Reply #92 on: March 10, 2014, 08:43:59 pm »
Quote from: lemon10 on March 08, 2014, 11:01:28 pm
Un Lun Dun. Like everything else China Miéville has done, this book is endlessly inventive. Unlike most everything he has done however it is easily read, and by far his simplest book with by far the simplest prose he has used. This does not detract from the story or the quality of the writing however. The story starts pretty simple and standard (the fated hero going to defeat the malevolent evil), but after a quick detour veers sharply from the more traditional path that many authors would use. 10/10

I second this- an enjoyable read.

I am slacking, though.

Spoiler: Completed 3/52 (click to show/hide)

Current: N/A

The Long Earth was an enjoyable read.  I can't say for sure who wrote what, as I haven't read any of Baxter's work before, but Pratchett's humor was apparent throughout.  It was funny without being a comedy at heart (IE the story was able to carry it.)

Roadside Picnic was also quite solid.  Probably the best part was a conversation regarding how humanity would react to an alien visit- quite thought provoking.

Spoiler: Potential Future (click to show/hide)


I'm at a book a month instead a week right now- I'm a slacker.
« Last Edit: March 10, 2014, 08:50:53 pm by Toaster »
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Arx

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Re: The Official Bay 12 Fifty-Two Books Challenge: 2014 Edition
« Reply #93 on: March 10, 2014, 11:51:48 pm »
Spoiler: 26/52 (click to show/hide)
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notquitethere

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Re: The Official Bay 12 Fifty-Two Books Challenge: 2014 Edition
« Reply #94 on: March 11, 2014, 05:10:38 am »
Arx
Quote from: Arx on March 10, 2014, 11:51:48 pm
Nightfall - Isaac Asimov/Robert Silverberg (Silverberg's style clashes horribly with Asimov's)
I've read quite a number of Silverberg stories and a few of his novels, and I'd agree that he definitely has a different style to Asimov, but I can't put my finger on the main difference right now. What would you say it was?
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Arx

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Re: The Official Bay 12 Fifty-Two Books Challenge: 2014 Edition
« Reply #95 on: March 11, 2014, 05:25:44 am »
Asimov doesn't kill off characters much, whereas (at least in that story) Silverberg does. Asimov also basically doesn't write about relationships; it looks like Silverberg does. There are other, more minor, differences, but those were the harshest clashes I noticed. It works out such that the first and third parts of the book (Silverberg) are a massive shift in style from the middle (Asimov).

Edit: oh, and
Spoiler: 27/52 (click to show/hide)
« Last Edit: March 11, 2014, 05:29:15 am by Arx »
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Helgoland

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Re: The Official Bay 12 Fifty-Two Books Challenge: 2014 Edition
« Reply #96 on: March 11, 2014, 05:38:25 am »
((Arx, are those Bible or Pratchett quotes in your sig?))
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Arx

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Re: The Official Bay 12 Fifty-Two Books Challenge: 2014 Edition
« Reply #97 on: March 11, 2014, 05:42:25 am »
Quote from: Helgoland on March 11, 2014, 05:38:25 am
((Arx, are those Bible or Pratchett quotes in your sig?))
Both. The one about the oxen is Pratchett; the one about the sluggard is the Bible. One day I'll get around to adding more.
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Kirbypowered

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Re: The Official Bay 12 Fifty-Two Books Challenge: 2014 Edition
« Reply #98 on: March 15, 2014, 01:44:07 pm »
AND THUS IT WAS KNOWN THAT IT TOOK ME TWICE TWO WEEKS TO FINISH The Return of the King. There are still roughly 150 pages of appendices...but I'll say that I'm officially done reading the story of the ring.

Spoiler: Can The Lord of the Rings even be spoiled at this point? (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: 3/52 (click to show/hide)

Now...I actually want to read some non-fiction, but of course the library is closed until some time in April, so I've no hope of getting any new books until then. I suppose I've got some stuff to read though...Unrelatedly, we all know this whole 52 books thing is a total joke at this point for me. I'm keeping at it at this point just to keep track of my reading habits throughout the year. You never know though, now that I've made my way through LOTR perhaps I shall speed up.

Nah.
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Arx

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Re: The Official Bay 12 Fifty-Two Books Challenge: 2014 Edition
« Reply #99 on: March 16, 2014, 05:14:05 am »
Spoiler: 29/52 (click to show/hide)
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Dutchling

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Re: The Official Bay 12 Fifty-Two Books Challenge: 2014 Edition
« Reply #100 on: March 16, 2014, 02:50:15 pm »
Spoiler: 12/52 (click to show/hide)


American Psycho
Bret Easton Ellis
16-Mar-14
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Vector

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Re: The Official Bay 12 Fifty-Two Books Challenge: 2014 Edition
« Reply #101 on: March 17, 2014, 09:56:19 pm »
Spoiler: 16/52 (click to show/hide)

I'm counting Thermae Romae even though it's a graphic novel, because it's a fucking text-dense brick.
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"The question of the usefulness of poetry arises only in periods of its decline, while in periods of its flowering, no one doubts its total uselessness." - Boris Pasternak

nonbinary/genderfluid/genderqueer renegade mathematician and mafia subforum limpet. please avoid quoting me.

pronouns: prefer neutral ones, others are fine. height: 5'3".

Vector

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Re: The Official Bay 12 Fifty-Two Books Challenge: 2014 Edition
« Reply #102 on: March 27, 2014, 02:27:07 pm »
Spoiler: 20/52 (click to show/hide)

Sadly, I feel like Atwood's book on writing was somewhat lacking in depth.  Oh well... almost done with Wuthering Heights.
« Last Edit: March 28, 2014, 04:07:22 pm by Vector »
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"The question of the usefulness of poetry arises only in periods of its decline, while in periods of its flowering, no one doubts its total uselessness." - Boris Pasternak

nonbinary/genderfluid/genderqueer renegade mathematician and mafia subforum limpet. please avoid quoting me.

pronouns: prefer neutral ones, others are fine. height: 5'3".

i2amroy

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Re: The Official Bay 12 Fifty-Two Books Challenge: 2014 Edition
« Reply #103 on: March 27, 2014, 02:28:30 pm »
Wow... I should probably start writing down the names of all the books I've read this year before I start forgetting them. :P
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Dutchling

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Re: The Official Bay 12 Fifty-Two Books Challenge: 2014 Edition
« Reply #104 on: March 27, 2014, 03:15:09 pm »
Next to this thread, I also use an excel spreadsheet.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
I can make pretty and completely useless pivot tables with it :v

Also I just noticed I'm off track. Dammit >.>
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