Poll: Escapist book thread!

Senor Smoke21

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May 23, 2008
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Book: Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Vol. 1 - Luo Guanzhong
About: Essentially Game of Thrones set in Imperial China and based on real events.
Enjoying: Indeed! It's very simply written/translated, he did this, he did that, he said this, he said that, so there's only so much I can read in one sitting, but it has huge battles and political intrigue coming out of the wazzoo so it's awesome.
 

Fijiman

I am THE PANTS!
Legacy
Dec 1, 2011
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I don't read as much as used to, but I still try to read every now and then.

Book: Flight of Eagles by Jack Higgins.
About: It is about the interesting story behind a small bear statue in flight gear which involves a WWI flying ace and his twin sons who also become ace pilots fighting on opposite sides in WWII.
Enjoying: I always enjoy a good book. I'm only about a quarter of the way through it right now but that only makes it more interesting.
 

DoPo

"You're not cleared for that."
Jan 30, 2012
8,665
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Well, I love reading books. I must consciously limit myself, because otherwise I run out of books to read quite quickly, and that is taxing to my wallet as I scramble to get a new fix. But at the moment I'm fine - I have a bit of books to go through. Actually, I'm sort of reading two books right now, so I'll mention both.

What book 1: Orpheus - Shadow Games
About 1: Well, strictly speaking, it is a book. It is a game book, though - a supplement for the Orpheus gameline (an RPG). Basically, humans have discovered the existence of ghosts and some are able to "project" into temporary ones and gain powers in the process. Orpheus is the first company that researched, documented and subsequently employed projectors and actual ghosts. They offer a wide range of services - from resolving hauntings and other sort of help (one IT admin passed away taking with him the network password, which Orpheus managed to recover) to some shady or downright illegal stuff, like corporate espionage and assassinations. The latter are not publicly advertised, of course.
Enjoying 1: Hell yeah! The Orpheus metaplot is beyond kickass. I've got no idea why thought it wasn't worth it before I started reading it. Now I thing that everything can become better with some Orpheus added to it. The sheer amount of stuff that's happening is super awesome.

What book 2: Orpheus - Haunting the Dead
About 2: This is an actual novel set in Orpheus.
Enjoying 2: I've only read the first 15 pages. The plot isn't really going anywhere at the moment, so I can't really say. I'll have to wait and see what happens.
 

anthony87

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Aug 13, 2009
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Book:The Stand
By:Stephen King
About:A superflu pandemic spreads across America wiping out almost everyone, there's alliances and The Dark Man and other stuff but I'm not gonna tell because you should just read it yourself.
Enjoying:Very much so. Only about a third of the way through it at the moment.
 

Baldry

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Feb 11, 2009
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What book: The Odyssey by Homer.
About: T'is the story of how the Godlike Odysseus arrived back after 20 years of not being home. In which he kicks arse, climbs walls, cheats on his wife at least twice, mopes, hides under sheep, blinds Posiden's son, gets all of his men killed, goes to hell to talk to a guy. Meanwhile his loyal wife fights of an army of suitors and his son goes on a search to find out if he's dead.
Enjoying: Hellz yeah. Although this is my first proper read through of it I know the story of by heart since it's one of my favourite Greek myths. My only qualm with it is the obsessive use of the word Godlike, I swear Homer describes the same guy as Godlike at least once every page.
 

Scarim Coral

Jumped the ship
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Oct 29, 2010
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UK
Not really. The only time when I was an avid reader was during the Harry Potter and Eragon days. These days I only read graphic novels from the local library.
I suppose the next book I will be reading next (for sure) is Yatzee upcoming book Jam.
 

AngloDoom

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Aug 2, 2008
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I'm a bookie, I can't help it! I lived miles away from my friends as a child and we couldn't afford any decent TV, so the library was my only way to amuse myself.

I've just read Jules Verne's Twenty-Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, which is a pretty dull book about a man who goes on underwater adventures with a man who basically created the submarine version of Rapture...without any of the genetic experimentations. I would not recommend, really.

I'm currently reading Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials again, because it has a new sexy cover here in England, and it is my favourite book series of all time. If you don't know what it is about you need to read it, as I can't really do justice to what it is because I think so highly of it.

*Drool*

Next on my list, I've ordered a book on Physiology and Anatomy because why not?
 

already in use

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Nov 29, 2011
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I've read one recently during my vacation in Italy

What Book: 1984 by George Orwell

About: In a dystopian ``future´´ (1984) most of the world is governed by one of three
individual totalitarian nations which are in constant war with each other.
The protagonist lives under constant surveillance and must always agree with the ideology and the lies of the Party which is led by a godlike figure, if not he would just vanish like so many before him did. One day the pressure is to much and he starts to secretly rebel against the values of the Party, committing not only thought crime...

Enjoy: The way Orwell portraits the grim world of 1984 and the thoughts of the protagonist is interesting and well written. While being relatively predictable (wich is on purpose), the story-line is quite original compared to all those happy ending/protagonist saves the world plots around (you will certainly not be left in a happy mood, but in a good way...).
 

Stublore

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Dec 16, 2009
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What book : The Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan
What it's about : Sprawling fantasy epic set in an interesting world where the Dragon Reborn, a man who can channel(use magic, which has before been limited to women as men using the One Power go mad due to the taint of the Dark One) is going to break the world and sever all bonds in his fight to prevent the Dark One from escaping his prison and forever end the turning of the Wheel of Time

Enjoying: Hell yes! I read the latest 2 during the week and decided to reread the series in no particular order. Sure there are some parts/characters of it that are not as interesting as the rest, but on the whole well worth the read.
I think the Malazan series will be my next reread :)

Some people say I have too many books, I say there are too many trees!
 

Lykosia_v1legacy

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Feb 17, 2010
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What book: The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe.

About: A journeyman torturer who lives in a distant future where Sun is dying.

Enjoying: Hell, yes. I've heard so much about Wolfe, but never got around to read his books until now. And now I'm going to find all his books and read them too.
 

Whoatemysupper

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Aug 20, 2010
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What book: Anna Karenina by Lev Tolstoy.

About: Three people in a love triangle including a couple children and a man questioning current socio-economic philosophy in Russia as well as whether life is worth living. Both of these stories are connected by characters knowing each other and there are other characters and subplots.

Enjoying: While romance isn't the genre of book I would identify myself with (male), I love Tolstoy's writing style as it's very immersive and I enjoy myself quite a bit. I can also overcome social stigma by saying the title quickly Annakarenina and mention it's Russian.
 

Leadfinger

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Apr 21, 2010
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A Feast for Crows. The fourth book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series.
Enjoying? It kicks ass. I haven't even seen the TV series.
 

Tactical Pause

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Jan 6, 2010
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Just finished one actually.
What Book: A Feast for Crows, the fourth book in A Song of Ice and Fire
About: It's A Song of Ice and Fire, I doubt I need to explain.
Enjoying: Yes. It's not as good as the previous books, but it's still a great read.
 

myah

New member
Aug 24, 2010
13
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Book: 100 Years of Solitude (Cien Años de Soledad)

About: A family and all the weird shit that happens to them.

Enjoying: Yes, indeed, sometimes it gets way too weird, but it's very interesting and entertaining literature and I recommend it to anyone looking for something different.
 

Bestival

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May 5, 2012
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What Book: Fool's Errand
About: Racism/oppression, clothed in an easy to read fantasy jacket.
Enjoying: As with all of Robin Hobb's stuff that I've read, very much so.
 

ChildofGallifrey

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May 26, 2008
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I just started Jim Butcher's Storm Front upon recommendations from these forums, but I'm not far enough in to appraise it properly, so I'll go back to last week.

Book: Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

About: Charlie Gordon, IQ 68, volunteers for an experimental procedure that could boost his intelligence. The process is a success, turning Charlie into a genius, far beyond the people conducting the experiment. But when Algernon, the lab mouse whose triumphant test trials made the procedure possible, regresses and dies, Charlie is left believing that his salvation may only have been temporary.

Enjoyed: Very much so. It's considered a classic of the sci-fi genre, and rightfully so. It's written via progress reports from Charlie's POV, so you experience the dramatic changes firsthand (it's interesting in the beginning to see the subtle changes in his perception). It deals with some difficult topics, but it's all handled in a very mature way. Highly recommended for those who enjoy 'soft' sci-fi.
 

Carbonyl

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Jun 2, 2011
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What Book: Lord of the Rings (a full compilation of the trilogy)
About: Everyone knows Lord of the Rings: hobbits, elves, orcs, YOU SHALL NOT PASS, They're taking the hobbits to Isengard! ...etc.
Enjoying: Immensely!

I've also just finished The Long Earth by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter, and it's the best book I've ever read. Go, read it now, everyone.
 
Feb 22, 2009
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I've just finished my A Levels and I'm going to university to do an English course, and I've come to the realisation that this means I'll never do history again. So recently I've been reading a lot of history books because, hey, it's interesting to me even though it's not what I'll be studying anymore. So yeah, I've been reading The Classical World: An Epic History of Greece and Rome, which is about... well, you can guess. I can't really judge it in the same way I would a fiction book, but I'm certainly enjoying it, it's very interesting, well-written and accessible.


ChildofGallifrey said:
I just started Jim Butcher's Storm Front upon recommendations from these forums, but I'm not far enough in to appraise it properly, so I'll go back to last week.

Book: Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

About: Charlie Gordon, IQ 68, volunteers for an experimental procedure that could boost his intelligence. The process is a success, turning Charlie into a genius, far beyond the people conducting the experiment. But when Algernon, the lab mouse whose triumphant test trials made the procedure possible, regresses and dies, Charlie is left believing that his salvation may only have been temporary.

Enjoyed: Very much so. It's considered a classic of the sci-fi genre, and rightfully so. It's written via progress reports from Charlie's POV, so you experience the dramatic changes firsthand (it's interesting in the beginning to see the subtle changes in his perception). It deals with some difficult topics, but it's all handled in a very mature way. Highly recommended for those who enjoy 'soft' sci-fi.
That book is SO GOOD. I seem to remember I cried towards the end. I stumbled across the book entirely by chance, and I'm so glad I did. One of the saddest things I've ever read.
 

Carbonyl

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Jun 2, 2011
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Baldry said:
What book: The Odyssey by Homer.
About: T'is the story of how the Godlike Odysseus arrived back after 20 years of not being home. In which he kicks arse, climbs walls, cheats on his wife at least twice, mopes, hides under sheep, blinds Posiden's son, gets all of his men killed, goes to hell to talk to a guy. Meanwhile his loyal wife fights of an army of suitors and his son goes on a search to find out if he's dead.
Enjoying: Hellz yeah. Although this is my first proper read through of it I know the story of by heart since it's one of my favourite Greek myths. My only qualm with it is the obsessive use of the word Godlike, I swear Homer describes the same guy as Godlike at least once every page.
I have read so much greek history, man, you should check out the Iliad, it's more fun. Homer likes his ridiculous descriptors, things like: Wise Nestor, breaker of horses! And: Resourceful Odysseus, son of Laertes, seed of Zeus!