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What are you reading/watching these days?

    • 158 posts
    January 8, 2014 9:24 AM EST

    So I've been reading a lot of China Mieville, Jeff Van Der Meer, and Iain M. Banks recently, but I think I've now read everything I can get my hands on from those guys.  What awesome fantasy or sci-fi or horror have you been reading lately?  Any good movie recommendations?  Old favorites?

  • Mr.
    • 763 posts
    January 8, 2014 10:02 AM EST

    I'm currently rereading ASOIAF, by GRRM. I'm now on the first book.
    Before that, I read Stephen King's Pet Sematary and The Shining, both really well written, but I expected them to be more scary... Not saying they didn't have their frightening moments, though.
    And I'm just waiting for GOT and TWD... (Go Carol!)

    • 360 posts
    January 8, 2014 10:39 AM EST

    I just bought breaking bad from a book store here in Brasil, will take a few days to arrive and I'm looking forward to it

    • 158 posts
    January 8, 2014 10:48 AM EST

    Oh, man, GOT cannot come fast enough for me.  I read all the books back when they first came out, read 'em again when they started making the TV show, and I've now watched the previous seasons at least three times through.  

    For Pet Sematary and The Shining, I always thought the movies were much scarier than the books.  But I can't imagine the cheesy special effects in Pet Sematary would hold up well now. I like Stephen King - I loved The Dead Zone and 'Salem's Lot, and I dig his early short stories.  But, truthfully, I haven't read anything recent of his since the last Gunslinger book.

    • 158 posts
    January 8, 2014 10:48 AM EST

    I've been hearing good things about Breaking Bad, but I haven't seen any of it yet.  My roommate and I have been watching Dexter and American Horror Story, and enjoying them immensely.

    • 158 posts
    January 8, 2014 10:51 AM EST

    Ah, yes.  GRRM's specialty.  That pisses a lot of people off, but I actually find it pretty refreshing.  What do you think - aggravating, or good reading?

    • 158 posts
    January 8, 2014 11:26 AM EST

    Ooh, I hadn't heard of the Dwarves series…that sounds pretty cool!

  • Mr.
    • 763 posts
    January 8, 2014 12:05 PM EST

    Excellent reading. I really enjoy it, although sometimes I get upset.
    And spoilers ahead...


    Jo, I know. And although I've lost some characters that I liked (Cat, Ned, Tywin, Luwin), my favorites still live... Like the only and true King of Westeros, Stannis and his hand, Davos. As is Petyr, Selmy, Sansa, Jaime, Tyrion, Wyman Manderly and Roose Bolton. Other than that, I really like Jon Connington, the Greyjoy brothers, Hotah, Doran and the most important of all, Edd Tollet.


    And yes, I know, most of the characters that I like probably are going to die before the end of the series... Probably in TWoW... Which I can't wait, so I have to keep reading the released books again and again...

    As for The Shining, I didn't like the movie, although Jack Nicholson was really great in it.

  • Jen
    • 88 posts
    January 8, 2014 12:08 PM EST

    Right now, I am finishing up the last book in Kelley Armstrong's Otherworld series. Next up will be Claire Dewitt and the City of the Dead by Sara Gran. My to be read list is huge. As far as movies, we haven't been watching as many lately, but if I started naming favorites  I will be here all day...haha. We are big horror fans, so we have two from Netflix waiting to watched, The Revenant and Would You Rather. And we love American Horror Story and The Walking Dead.

  • Jen
    • 88 posts
    January 8, 2014 12:14 PM EST

    Pet Sematary terrified me, something about it really got under my skin. I was pretty young when I read it. But the movie didn't bother me in the same way. Huge Walking Dead fan, but not a Carol fan at the moment, I admit. So....go Daryl! haha 

    • 297 posts
    January 8, 2014 12:27 PM EST

    i am  currently nose-deep in 'speaker for the dead' the sequel too 'ender's game' and am enjoying it immensely 

    • 158 posts
    January 8, 2014 12:39 PM EST

    Can't wait for Dorne and the Sand Snakes myself, on TV or more of them in the books.

    • 158 posts
    January 8, 2014 12:39 PM EST

    I enjoyed 'Ender's Game' when I read it a million years ago.  Have you seen the movie, or are you preparing for it?

    • 158 posts
    January 8, 2014 12:45 PM EST

    Wow, the Sara Gran press reviews on Amazon are very promising…I'll have to check it out!  The Revenant has some great reviews too.  Would You Rather has an interesting premise, and I've been a big fan of Enver Gjokaj since The Dollhouse.  Thanks for the recs!

  • January 8, 2014 12:47 PM EST
    Currently rereading 'I am Alice' by Joseph Delaney. The last book (I think) is coming out in March.
    • 158 posts
    January 8, 2014 1:03 PM EST

    My housemate's daughter lives with us half time, and the three of us like to read books together, but the stuff K. and I usually read isn't always appropriate for Jules.  It sounds like these would be perfect, since the main character is about her age.  What's the title of the first book?

    • 149 posts
    January 8, 2014 1:11 PM EST

    I'm reading The Infernal City, by Greg Keyes. It's not bad... certainly good inspiration, though the story telling is a little cut and dried.

    Any suggestions on good fiction works? Would love something new to read...

  • Jen
    • 88 posts
    January 8, 2014 1:28 PM EST

    I read Come Closer by Sara Gran awhile back and absolutely loved it....one of the most subtle and creepy possession stories I have ever read. I think it took me an hour to read it, so it's a short, well paced read if you like more quiet horror. 

    • 297 posts
    January 8, 2014 1:59 PM EST

    seen it ...it was okay i suppose but they skipped a lot of important dialogue (understandably enough) but all round i found it quite an okay adaptation

    • 47 posts
    January 8, 2014 2:48 PM EST

    I've only just started watching GOT and am still on season 1, in terms of books i haven't really found anything interesting recently so i've just been re-reading the 'Rangers Apprentice' for like the 4th time

    • 194 posts
    January 8, 2014 2:56 PM EST

    I dared to pick up the Wheel of Time. The resemblance to LOTR immediately bothered me. Anybody else read any of it?

  • January 8, 2014 4:25 PM EST
    Weeeelllllll, it's pretty dark, especially Lure of the Dead (The Vampire God attempts to resurrect himself by possessing the skin of a dead person. As in his followers skinned a corpse and he's possessing it...he also fills the corpse with blood...). If she's 16, or even 15, she could probably handle it (but I'll let you and/or your housemate decide that).

    But, if you still want the books, here they are, in order:

    Book 1: Revenge of the Witch
    Book 2: Curse of the Bane
    Book 3: Night of the Soulstealer (my least favorite one)
    Book 4: Attack of the Fiend (my favorite one)
    Book 5: Wrath of the Bloodeye
    Book 6: Clash of the Demons
    Book 7: Rise of the Huntress
    Book 8: Rage of the Fallen
    Book 9: I am Grimalkin (Not essential to the story)
    Book 10: Lure of the Dead
    Book 11: Slither (Not essential to the story)
    Book 12: I am Alice
    Book 13: Fury of the Seventh Son (final book, coming out in March, I think).

    Also here's a short book review I did on the series, it's meant as a bit of an introductory review so there aren't any spoilers: http://theskyrimblog.ning.com/forum/topics/book-review-the-last-app...
  • Mr.
    • 763 posts
    January 8, 2014 5:00 PM EST

    But she's not the same.

    • 158 posts
    January 8, 2014 5:29 PM EST

    No, she's awesomer, IMO.

    • 158 posts
    January 8, 2014 5:35 PM EST

    She's actually only ten, but she's a very mature and sophisticated ten, a voracious reader with the vocabulary of a 35-year old. Sometimes I forget just how young she is.  She is head over heels about Percy Jackson, and we all read the Hunger Games series and watched the movies together.  She did really well with that one - y'know we all cried over Rue, and we had a really excellent conversation about warfare, collateral damage, and civilian deaths after she finished the last book.  But maybe vampire possession and bloody skin-bags is a bit much for her yet. :) Thanks for the info!