Lit ► KHI Book Club - What are you currently reading?

[Annoyance]

Considering there is little to no discussion going on for literary discussion going on right now I decided to make a thread dedicated to it. Maybe actually get people to read more in the process? We'll see.

Since January, I've personally read Looking For Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines, and The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, Good Omens by Prachett and Gaiman, Catcher in the Rye by Salinger, and now I am currently reading The Hunger Games after putting it off for so long...
And then a buuunch of manga (Dengeki Daisy, FMA, Sailor Moon, Uzumaki, Nana, Yotsuba, Parasyte, etc.)
I really like John Green's stuff, probably going to read Paper Towns after finishing Hunger Games, maybe read 1984 and other books I didn't read in highschool like I should have (kek). A friend of mine wants me to read The Alchemist as well.

I really liked Catcher, but the book seems to be one way or the other with people and usually it's "bad" because people don't like Holden. What do you guys think? I liked Holden, as flawed as he was. His voice was very clear and it was written very well in my opinion.

Have you guys read any of the other things I've read? What have you read this year? What do you think about them? Do you have any suggestions?

 

[Taochan]

Re: KHI Book club - What are you currently reading?

How are you finding John Greene's stuff? Also, which would you recommend someone should read first? I've personally been teetering between Looking for Alaska and The Fault in Our Stars, but I can't seem to decide.

(Sailor Moon manga, ftw)

I've been pretty neglectful of my stack of books that I haven't read yet, in favor of comics and manga.

 

[Oracle Spockanort]

Re: KHI Book club - What are you currently reading?

This weekend I bought "The Book of Lost Things" by John Connolly, but have yet to read it. I plan on starting tomorrow but I am almost sure I'll enjoy it. After yelling about how much I wanted a fantasy book that wasn't so into itself with over-the-top names and terms, I threw my hands down on a book in the mystery section and pulled one of John Connolly's out. I guess I'll report back after I read it.

Another book I was enjoying again was Koji Suzuki's "Dark Water". I love how, while not being overtly frightening, it can make you cringe at some of the things that happen in each of the short stories like a man pulling our hair of different shades out of a clogged drain, or the idea of a dead child inside of water tank and how unsanitary and tragic it all is.

As for manga, I only have one I haven't read as of yet. "Olympos" by Aki. The art style is gorgeous, and from what I previewed of the manga last year (I've owned this for like six or seven months and have yet to read it) it seems to be a good story.

How are you finding John Greene's stuff? Also, which would you recommend someone should read first? I've personally been teetering between Looking for Alaska and The Fault in Our Stars, but I can't seem to decide.

Read "Looking for Alaska"! It's one of my favorite books, especially by John Greene.

 

[Annoyance]

Re: KHI Book club - What are you currently reading?

How are you finding John Greene's stuff? Also, which would you recommend someone should read first? I've personally been teetering between Looking for Alaska and The Fault in Our Stars, but I can't seem to decide.

(Sailor Moon manga, ftw)

I've been pretty neglectful of my stack of books that I haven't read yet, in favor of comics and manga.

I read them in the order I have listed. Katherines was good but definitely not my favorite. Alaska was great, very depressing, and Fault is probably my favorite. I really liked the characters in all of them, they're very real, and honest. Katherines wasn't as interesting but it makes up for it in its characters and their interactions with each other. It definitely is still worth reading.

I have a good stack I still need to read and I keep buying more manga each paycheck along with another novel or two so... Yeah my list of "to read" is very long at this point...

This weekend I bought "The Book of Lost Things" by John Connolly, but have yet to read it. I plan on starting tomorrow but I am almost sure I'll enjoy it. After yelling about how much I wanted a fantasy book that wasn't so into itself with over-the-top names and terms, I threw my hands down on a book in the mystery section and pulled one of John Connolly's out. I guess I'll report back after I read it.

Another book I was enjoying again was Koji Suzuki's "Dark Water". I love how, while not being overtly frightening, it can make you cringe at some of the things that happen in each of the short stories like a man pulling our hair of different shades out of a clogged drain, or the idea of a dead child inside of water tank and how unsanitary and tragic it all is.



Read "Looking for Alaska"! It's one of my favorite books, especially by John Greene.

Ooh I may look into Dark Water that sounds interesting.


My other suggestions for books include for now: Fight Club, the John Dies at the End books, Memoirs of a Geisha, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest... I can't think of anything else at the moment considering I'm not looking at my bookshelf but yes.

 

[Orion]

Re: KHI Book club - What are you currently reading?

Why are you guys calling him 'Greene'?

Anyway, while I like his stuff (I've only read Looking For Alaska completely) my impression of his writing as feeling totally genuine but being utterly predictable and uninspired seems backed up by virtually anyone who doesn't immediate stand on their tippy-toes to sing his praises.

I've recently been into a bunch of science-fiction: Kim Stanley Robinson's 2312 and Red Mars, and Iain M. Banks' Excession and The Hydrogen Sonata. The latter feel brilliantly fleshed out and detailed in an environmental/mechanical sense, and while the characters individually are all well made and interact in interesting ways, the novels as a whole - and the disasters/endeavours they document - never feels like it's soul is really there. You get invested in the events as a matter of course instead of on their own merits. The latter, in contrast, feel less detailed in terms of world and mechanics, but make up for it with sense of spectacle, conspiracy and highly enjoyable characters following numerous plotlines that all tie together beautifully by the end.

 

[Annoyance]

Re: KHI Book club - What are you currently reading?

I agree that Green isn't the best writer the world has ever known but I just find care and love in his characters and how they are portrayed. They aren't one thing or another and Alaska even has a lot of sides to her, my friend was asking me "Am I supposed to like Alaska" while reading it, I responded, "are we supposed to like anyone?" She was really fun for me to read, personally.

His stories are generally very straightforward but they remain natural and relatable, and manage to still stay interesting. That's why I like him. Stars was just so interesting for me to read that I read it all in a night. I got halfway to Alaska at a certain point as well and couldn't stop. Alaska punched me in the gut but I didn't cry, but Stars did. But it handled itself I think better than Alaska.

Another of my friends was not fond of LfA and said his writing style was very vanilla. I can see why she'd say that but I don't really mind it.

As for your sci fi, to be honest I don't read a lot of fantasy or anything hahaha. My friend wants me to read Way of Shadows but I'm really putting it off... It really isn't my cup of tea.

 

[Max]

Re: KHI Book club - What are you currently reading?

I'm currently reading Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams. I liked the show (even though it was only 4 episodes), so I though I'd give the book a try. I'm also on book 1 of Sword Art Online, and book 3 of the Dexter series 'Dexter in the Dark'.

As far as manga goes, I'm in that in-between stage of choosing what to read next, I'm thinking of picking up Air Gear again since its finally finished, or I might read Mirai Nikki/Future Diary since I enjoyed the anime so much.

As far as this Greene guy is concerned, I have never heard of him, should I have?

 

[Zettaflare]

Re: KHI Book club - What are you currently reading?

I started getting into the john carter of mars series by Edgar rice Burroughs. I started reading them after watching the film. Its a shame the film bombed, as iI would love to have seen these books get adapt into films


as for manga, started reading attack on titan and am absolutely in love with it. Definitely recommend it.

 

[Kiba]

Re: KHI Book club - What are you currently reading?

I haven't really read anything this year though I have a long list of books that I want to get through by the end of the year. I just have little time to actually sit down and start reading one of them. That being said I'm going to try my hardest to start reading A Game of Thrones this weekend in my spare time. I've been wanting to read the book before I delve into the show.

And I've been meaning to check out John Green since everyone is always raving about him across the webs. His works seem interesting from the various backs of his books I've read while perusing Barnes and Noble.

 

[Annoyance]

Re: KHI Book club - What are you currently reading?

As far as this Greene guy is concerned, I have never heard of him, should I have?

And I've been meaning to check out John Green since everyone is always raving about him across the webs. His works seem interesting from the various backs of his books I've read while perusing Barnes and Noble.

1. Kiba I believe you used the word perusing wrong. owo kekekeke

2. John Green is a youtuber/author/and a bunch of other stuff. He's a really cool guy, and I personally like his writing. They're very easy reads but still allow me to think a bit about what I just read. If you wanna get back into reading, I think his books are a good gateway into that.

 

[Max]

Re: KHI Book club - What are you currently reading?

1. Kiba I believe you used the word perusing wrong. owo kekekeke

2. John Green is a youtuber/author/and a bunch of other stuff. He's a really cool guy, and I personally like his writing. They're very easy reads but still allow me to think a bit about what I just read. If you wanna get back into reading, I think his books are a good gateway into that.

I will look him up, do you have a suggested first book of his?

 

[Kiba]

Re: KHI Book club - What are you currently reading?

Ah it seems I have. Thanks for catching that. The word I was looking for was "browsing." I was browsing through Barnes and Noble.

 

[Annoyance]

Re: KHI Book club - What are you currently reading?

I will look him up, do you have a suggested first book of his?

like I said, I started with Alaska, his first novel, and I really liked it.

Ah it seems I have. Thanks for catching that. The word I was looking for was "browsing." I was browsing through Barnes and Noble.

It's a common mistake, I catch it all the time. owo fufufu.

So an edit/update: I'm more than halfway into Hunger Games after forcing myself to keep going. I really don't like present tense novels. I realize, however, that past tense isn't really as appropriate for this novel as it's following something that could end abruptly at any time. That's just how it is to me.

But, I've gotten used to it at least, it gets a bit clunky some places in my opinion, here and there, but it's whatever. I feel like Katniss falls a bit flat in the dialogue, like when she's being genuine with Rue, and sometimes I find her constant back and forth with herself about Peeta and whoever is kind of odd. Why does she feel it about Peeta but not about Rue?
Oh, and the "I frost cakes so I am of course camo expert lol" thing with Peeta was like "um... okay?" It bothered me that they didn't really explain it more than that, like "oh it's really like this and this" they could have expanded maybe a couple more lines on it.

Regardless, the games part is pretty good. I did really like the movie, too, so yeah. Maybe I'll read Catching Fire, who knows. Apparently the last book sucks though???

 

[Max]

Re: KHI Book club - What are you currently reading?

Alaska it is, I'll let you know what I think

 

[Taochan]

Re: KHI Book club - What are you currently reading?

Read "Looking for Alaska"! It's one of my favorite books, especially by John Greene.

Okay, that's where I'll start!

So an edit/update: I'm more than halfway into Hunger Games after forcing myself to keep going. I really don't like present tense novels. I realize, however, that past tense isn't really as appropriate for this novel as it's following something that could end abruptly at any time. That's just how it is to me.

But, I've gotten used to it at least, it gets a bit clunky some places in my opinion, here and there, but it's whatever. I feel like Katniss falls a bit flat in the dialogue, like when she's being genuine with Rue, and sometimes I find her constant back and forth with herself about Peeta and whoever is kind of odd. Why does she feel it about Peeta but not about Rue?
Oh, and the "I frost cakes so I am of course camo expert lol" thing with Peeta was like "um... okay?" It bothered me that they didn't really explain it more than that, like "oh it's really like this and this" they could have expanded maybe a couple more lines on it.

The tense is definitely frustrating and is why I had the most difficult time getting into the series.

Rue reminds Katniss of Prim, so she has an easy time trusting her and wanting to help her. Whereas, with Peeta, she has reason to suspect whether she can trust him or not.

The frosting cakes thing was just his gateway into being talented with paintings, etc. They're all trained before the games as well, so his natural talent easily helped assist him with it.

Regardless, the games part is pretty good. I did really like the movie, too, so yeah. Maybe I'll read Catching Fire, who knows. Apparently the last book sucks though???

The last book doesn't suck. People hate it because it's a huge change from The Hunger Games and Catching Fire in pacing and direction but the changes are necessary for what Suzanne Collins wanted to portray, which is the affects of war.

 

[Kiba]

Re: KHI Book club - What are you currently reading?

I never found the tense to be a problem, but I don't think I ever paid much attention to it. And if you decide to continue, I always found Catching Fire to be a little better than the first book just because of all the new characters she introduces and the pacing is better since she spends less time introducing everything again.

Mockingjay was definitely different from the first two books. I've only read it once and I didn't particularly like it just because it was so different, as Taochan said, from the first two books, and there are things that happened in the plot that just irked me. That being said, I should probably read it again not comparing it to the prior two books and looking at it from a different perspective.

 

[Xblade13]

Re: KHI Book club - What are you currently reading?

I haven't read much in a little while now. xP The last novel I read was "Inheritance" by Christopher Paolini. I rather enjoyed it, thought it was a great capstone to his Eragon series. Though, people who disliked the lengthy after-Sauron-was-defeated scenes in Lord of the Rings: the Return of the King should probably steer clear, as there are about 100 pages of plot enders after the climax. xD Any good suggestions for a fantasy lover? :3

 

[Taochan]

Re: KHI Book club - What are you currently reading?

Catching Fire is without a doubt my favorite of the trilogy but Mockingjay is arguably far better and more effective as a narrative. It's a much more psychologically driven story and it lets you see how war has damaged the characters.

 

[Kiba]

Re: KHI Book club - What are you currently reading?

Any good suggestions for a fantasy lover? :3

Have you read The Song of Ice and Fire series (aka The Game of Thrones books lol.) Lots of people have said they're very good especially if you enjoy the show. Some people go so far as to call Martin, the author, the modern Tolkien.

 

[Xblade13]

Re: KHI Book club - What are you currently reading?

Have you read The Song of Ice and Fire series (aka The Game of Thrones books lol.) Lots of people have said they're very good especially if you enjoy the show. Some people go so far as to call Martin, the author, the modern Tolkien.

Hmm, no I haven't. :3 Thanks, I'll look into them. ^^ And, modern Tolkien huh? Awesome.