The Official "Holy Shit That's A Good Book" Topic
Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 8:54 pm
Recently I've been reading...a lot. I've polished off about 5 or 6 books in the past few weeks. We're talking a ridiculous amount of reading.
Among that reading was "Chainfire" by Terry Goodkind, "Starship Troopers" by Robert Heinlein, "Queen of the Blades" by Aaron Rosenberg, and "The War of the Ancients: Well of Eternity" by Richard A. Knaack.
The first is a continuation of the Sword of Truth series (I don't think anyone here is familiar with it) which I reccomend with every fiber of my being. Excellent series, and the book steers it better towards the story than the previous two (the last two books were POLITICS POLITICS LOL which is annoying...I want fantasy novella, not a political dissertation on capitalism v socialism). A very worthy successor and I can't wait to get my hands on Phantom (the next in the series). The only thing that saddens me is that I have quite the wait ahead of me for the next novel (though, to Goodkind's credit he's put out like 11 or 12 novels in the past 6 or 7 years, a monumental achievement for any author, especially since the novels are all class).
The second is a classic novel from a classic novelist. It also fuels the (horribly inaccurate and lame) movie of the same title. Robert Heinlein, to most, is better known for books such as Stranger in a Strange Land, but this one definitely shines. An awesome novel (story-wise) it also strikes you with intensely subtle jabs towards the very fabric of our society. Very well written, and worth much of the critical acclaim it has been given.
The next two are both game-based novels from Blizzard's own pride and glory: Starcraft and Warcraft (respectively). The first novel is an excellent extension to the actual Starcraft game (bridging the gap between Starcraft and Broodwars quite well, as well as delving into the story wondrously) and even though it pretty much presents material that you'd already covered if you've played Starcraft and the expansion, it still seemed to hold my attention. Very wonderful book, very wonderfully done.
The last novel I purchased on Friday and just finished tonight. Again, it's set in a Blizzard game and goes over some of the already-known parts of the Warcraft storyline (with a very interesting twist). Even though it's a part of a trilogy, it's done very well and ends on an excellent standing point that leaves you satisfied with the book, but not for the story. I plan on going to Hastings (my local book/music/game/movie store extraordinaire) and purchasing the last two novels in the trilogy, as well as three more books (Legend, by David Gemmel and the two following it). All in the trilogy are written by Richard A. Knaack, easily one of my FAVORITE authors of all time (he has an excellent grasp of basic human traits which shows through in his writing), and though he excels more in the Dragonlance Saga (in which I knew him first) it's obvious his talents which show through in the Warcraft Saga (he also wrote Lord of the Clans, another Warcraft novel entailing Thrall's past and detailing his rise to power). The man has a way with storylines that leaves you mystified that anyone could present something so mythical in such a grandiose and awesome way as he does.
Until I get my next novels I have a couple to keep me company. One of which is called "Eisenhorn" and is set in the Warhammer 40k universe. I've been whittling away at it (only on page 80 or so of seven hundred and some odd pages) when I have nothing else to do, and now that computer is down (bleh) I have little else to occupy my time except Animal Crossing: Wild World, Starfox Adventures and reading. As you may be able to tell from what I've shown you in this topic, that I do a lot of the latter is obvious. Other than that I have "Fight Club" by Chuck Palahniuk (lent to a friend of mine) which I'm eager to get at when I can (though I expect to plough through it in...days...if that.)
Pretty much, though, I'm running out of material. And fast. I've gone through every author I know and even some I don't trying to find new facets in which to spread my library (which is becoming far greater than I thought it would in so short of a time) and with money abound from my job I find myself sneaking up to Hastings to buy 2-3 books at a time every few days to a week or so.
If anyone here knows of any good (or preferrably excellent) novels that they would offer up, let me know, but know that each of these novels I've listed are excellent choices (I even liked Queen of the Blades better than Liberty's Crusade, another great Starcraft novel, though not as much as Speed of Darkness which is yet another Starcraft novel written by Tracy Hickman, another Dragonlance novelist (of Weiss and Hickman fame) who has showed his talents in other areas).
Suggestions?
Among that reading was "Chainfire" by Terry Goodkind, "Starship Troopers" by Robert Heinlein, "Queen of the Blades" by Aaron Rosenberg, and "The War of the Ancients: Well of Eternity" by Richard A. Knaack.
The first is a continuation of the Sword of Truth series (I don't think anyone here is familiar with it) which I reccomend with every fiber of my being. Excellent series, and the book steers it better towards the story than the previous two (the last two books were POLITICS POLITICS LOL which is annoying...I want fantasy novella, not a political dissertation on capitalism v socialism). A very worthy successor and I can't wait to get my hands on Phantom (the next in the series). The only thing that saddens me is that I have quite the wait ahead of me for the next novel (though, to Goodkind's credit he's put out like 11 or 12 novels in the past 6 or 7 years, a monumental achievement for any author, especially since the novels are all class).
The second is a classic novel from a classic novelist. It also fuels the (horribly inaccurate and lame) movie of the same title. Robert Heinlein, to most, is better known for books such as Stranger in a Strange Land, but this one definitely shines. An awesome novel (story-wise) it also strikes you with intensely subtle jabs towards the very fabric of our society. Very well written, and worth much of the critical acclaim it has been given.
The next two are both game-based novels from Blizzard's own pride and glory: Starcraft and Warcraft (respectively). The first novel is an excellent extension to the actual Starcraft game (bridging the gap between Starcraft and Broodwars quite well, as well as delving into the story wondrously) and even though it pretty much presents material that you'd already covered if you've played Starcraft and the expansion, it still seemed to hold my attention. Very wonderful book, very wonderfully done.
The last novel I purchased on Friday and just finished tonight. Again, it's set in a Blizzard game and goes over some of the already-known parts of the Warcraft storyline (with a very interesting twist). Even though it's a part of a trilogy, it's done very well and ends on an excellent standing point that leaves you satisfied with the book, but not for the story. I plan on going to Hastings (my local book/music/game/movie store extraordinaire) and purchasing the last two novels in the trilogy, as well as three more books (Legend, by David Gemmel and the two following it). All in the trilogy are written by Richard A. Knaack, easily one of my FAVORITE authors of all time (he has an excellent grasp of basic human traits which shows through in his writing), and though he excels more in the Dragonlance Saga (in which I knew him first) it's obvious his talents which show through in the Warcraft Saga (he also wrote Lord of the Clans, another Warcraft novel entailing Thrall's past and detailing his rise to power). The man has a way with storylines that leaves you mystified that anyone could present something so mythical in such a grandiose and awesome way as he does.
Until I get my next novels I have a couple to keep me company. One of which is called "Eisenhorn" and is set in the Warhammer 40k universe. I've been whittling away at it (only on page 80 or so of seven hundred and some odd pages) when I have nothing else to do, and now that computer is down (bleh) I have little else to occupy my time except Animal Crossing: Wild World, Starfox Adventures and reading. As you may be able to tell from what I've shown you in this topic, that I do a lot of the latter is obvious. Other than that I have "Fight Club" by Chuck Palahniuk (lent to a friend of mine) which I'm eager to get at when I can (though I expect to plough through it in...days...if that.)
Pretty much, though, I'm running out of material. And fast. I've gone through every author I know and even some I don't trying to find new facets in which to spread my library (which is becoming far greater than I thought it would in so short of a time) and with money abound from my job I find myself sneaking up to Hastings to buy 2-3 books at a time every few days to a week or so.
If anyone here knows of any good (or preferrably excellent) novels that they would offer up, let me know, but know that each of these novels I've listed are excellent choices (I even liked Queen of the Blades better than Liberty's Crusade, another great Starcraft novel, though not as much as Speed of Darkness which is yet another Starcraft novel written by Tracy Hickman, another Dragonlance novelist (of Weiss and Hickman fame) who has showed his talents in other areas).
Suggestions?