I've had a similar argument with friends about whether Star Wars is fantasy or sci-fi. I think it's more sci-fi than Dune, but in general is also largely based on magic, and therefore is fantasy.
This is a British tea room my friend so that would be a yes ^^
Actually, this is an international tea room. *sips iced milk tea like an ungrateful ex-colonial*
But yes, we have crumpets, scones, cookies, sandwiches. We also have macarons and macaroons, biscuits and briskets, waffles and pancakes, and also some delightful South East Asian cake treats.
(Just a note, please try Malay cakes when in South East Asia. They are awesome.)
Out of curiosity are there any books/authors that people have read that they really, really hated but finished anyway? Or one that most people like but you couldn't stand?
I personally hated The Great Gatsby, Children of Men, and Wicked (thought I LOOOOVE the musical). And a lot of people like Eragon as well and I can not stomach it, though I did read them all to see if they got any better. I just couldn't handle any more of the single tears.
As kid I used to dream of living in a house filled with books. Alas one room was what I eventually acquired but that is long gone. Now I rely mostly on eBooks.
I find the thrill and imagination has never left and that the world itself is the background for the books I read. There's nothing like sitting by a stream and watching a fairy sail off on a leaf floating around the rocks. Or to see that wee elf on the back of a dragonfly drifting in the sun.
I still hope to rebuild my collection, and then some.
Like you, @CylverRayne, I've been known to take a book out to a stream, or the base of a waterfall, or a fall of rocks down a mountainside ... and just lose myself.
So, when I say "I feel ya" I mean it. Thanks for linking up those memories for me
Also, Dune is often mischaracterized as sci-fi. While it does have spaceships and the like, the underlying technology is pretty much based on magic. I've had a similar argument with friends about whether Star Wars is fantasy or sci-fi. I think it's more sci-fi than Dune, but in general is also largely based on magic, and therefore is fantasy.
__________________
Science fiction is often referred to as "Science Fact To Come." I'd have to reread the series, but there are so many things in Dune that are coming in to reality, or have been reality, for a while now, not least the suits they wore in the desert.
I always saw it as a lovely mix of science and magic, but then, the science we have today (even to my sitting here typing on a keyboard, just to wing these words your way, @lexmax) would have been considered magic just a hundred brief years ago. I kind of figured that much of the Bene Gesserit "magic" was in fact a further form of science, largely unknown even in that futuristic time
Out of curiosity are there any books/authors that people have read that they really, really hated but finished anyway? Or one that most people like but you couldn't stand?
I personally hated The Great Gatsby, Children of Men, and Wicked (thought I LOOOOVE the musical). And a lot of people like Eragon as well and I can not stomach it, though I did read them all to see if they got any better. I just couldn't handle any more of the single tears.
While not quite the same.... there is a very popular series of books that I never gave a chance, because of my own preconceived notions and where I was in my life when they came out.... and that would be Harry Potter.
Now, I was just going to college when Harry Potter came out. The whole "YA" genre really wasn't in my wheelhouse, so to speak. At that time, I don't think "Young Adult" books was even a common phrase, I certainly wasn't familiar with it... and mind you, I had already started reading Clive Barker books in middle school, about 6 - 7 years before the release of Harry Potter. (I was a horny teen reading Imagica in study hall, getting my mind warped.)
So during my college years, I did have friends who were fans of Harry Potter..... but the way they would describe it, I just couldn't muster the interest. A kids book about a young boy who goes to "wizard's school?" Uhhh.... no thanks.
Of course, I saw the movies and enjoyed them for what they were, and as the years have gone by, I can now appreciate that series for what it is and what it means to a certain generation... but you know, I really still can't get myself to read them. Certainly not because I hate them, not at all. But rather... a little part of me is still that guy who initially (and unfairly) looked down on YA books... and I also feel like I missed the bus on that one. That little cultural phenomenon passed me by.
I am a big reader but most of my books are digital. I do keep track of the books I read via Goodreads. Click here to view my Goodreads profile. Over the past 3 years I have read about 150 books. Every year I try to beat the last's year's number. Goodreads has a yearly reading challenge. Last year I set of goal of 40 books and ended up reading 46 books. This year I set a goal of reading 50 books and as of this post I have read 41 books.
The only genre of books I read is fantasy. Within that genre, "epic" and "LitRPG" of my favorite sub-genres. below is a list of books I have completed this year.
While not quite the same.... there is a very popular series of books that I never gave a chance, because of my own preconceived notions and where I was in my life when they came out.... and that would be Harry Potter.
I feel like I don't even know you anymore @Rumbleforge.
Out of curiosity are there any books/authors that people have read that they really, really hated but finished anyway? Or one that most people like but you couldn't stand?
I personally hated The Great Gatsby, Children of Men, and Wicked (thought I LOOOOVE the musical). And a lot of people like Eragon as well and I can not stomach it, though I did read them all to see if they got any better. I just couldn't handle any more of the single tears.
While not quite the same.... there is a very popular series of books that I never gave a chance, because of my own preconceived notions and where I was in my life when they came out.... and that would be Harry Potter.
Now, I was just going to college when Harry Potter came out. The whole "YA" genre really wasn't in my wheelhouse, so to speak. At that time, I don't think "Young Adult" books was even a common phrase, I certainly wasn't familiar with it... and mind you, I had already started reading Clive Barker books in middle school, about 6 - 7 years before the release of Harry Potter. (I was a horny teen reading Imagica in study hall, getting my mind warped.)
So during my college years, I did have friends who were fans of Harry Potter..... but the way they would describe it, I just couldn't muster the interest. A kids book about a young boy who goes to "wizard's school?" Uhhh.... no thanks.
Of course, I saw the movies and enjoyed them for what they were, and as the years have gone by, I can now appreciate that series for what it is and what it means to a certain generation... but you know, I really still can't get myself to read them. Certainly not because I hate them, not at all. But rather... a little part of me is still that guy who initially (and unfairly) looked down on YA books... and I also feel like I missed the bus on that one. That little cultural phenomenon passed me by.
I'm not one for YA books either. But after watching the movies, I did decide to read the books. In my opinion, the books are better than the movies. You should read them. Jo Rowling is a good storyteller.
I was the same with Potter! Swore I want going to read it because of the hype, watched the films and even though there was a lot of reliance on cliches and taking from other authors I felt silly, I started reading the first book and gave up there... Jk didn't attract me with the writing, I have been told she gets better, but it felt very much like reading enid blyton
I was the same with Potter! Swore I want going to read it because of the hype, watched the films and even though there was a lot of reliance on cliches and taking from other authors I felt silly, I started reading the first book and gave up there... Jk didn't attract me with the writing, I have been told she gets better, but it felt very much like reading enid blyton
...and I don't have a good camera on my NON-smart phone (still holding out, I don't think the tech is quite established yet!) or a way to easily to get over to my computer so I can't really play along.
Oh, dear @PlagueMonk! I'm curious where you think the technology isn't quite established! I was actually like you, a more recent smartphone convert. So I get where you're coming from; in my case, I didn't want to dumb myself down by having every answer easily on hand. Then, I realized that I'd just go type it in to my computer to find what I needed, and the rest is history.
The situation is that every steam punk book I read has it's own vocabulary... and this vocabulary is usually unique to that particular book, or book series as the case may be. These terms vary greatly from book to book, and that in itself is fine - it helps reinforce the genre of the book in it's story world and helps make it unique...
I like a book that makes you think, but it's a little frustrating repeatedly hitting mental speed bumps when you are enjoying the story itself.
Anyone else find this happening with certain books?
Wow, yes, and I'm glad you wrote this the way you did. I mean, I've read some Steampunk, and liked the stories, but -- same as you -- the having to dive into and around the different vocabs did make it tricksy.
Then I begin thinking; huh. It's not just Steampunk that does that. Actually, you take a lot of books and they do that, so the question becomes -- why is it so much more noticeable in SP?
Other things that really throw me against a wall, believe it or not, is very shoddy editing. Misused words, misspelled words, so on and so forth. My brain literally has to stop, read, reread, insert correct word/spelling, then move on. And sometimes, I'm not sure if I'm right or wrong, so off I go to the dictionary or thesaurus, then back into the book!
Isende said: Yeah, now I'll stick with ebooks. Much more portable. Ok, so yes, when I get rich & famous (coughcough) I'll rebuild my library. Now, I'll deal with portable
lol I hear you. And, I have friends who keep insisting that I invest in ebooks. But, as of right now, I just can't force myself to do it. Maybe it's the romantic in me, that hasn't been killed off by pragmatism. I just LOVE the feel of paper. I feel that the world the author creates, somehow seeps into the grains of finely pulped wood, and lives there, waiting for my fingers and mind, to transport me to another reality.
No hate for my fellow ebook enthusiasts, but electronic books seem so...sterile. Though, it's funny we're talking about this, because a friend just introduced me to "MoonReader"(?). It's an ebook app, that simulates page turning. It piqued my interest, if I ever decide to go that route.
I still absolutely love the feel and the smell of books. No lie. I just don't have a home to put these wonderful compilations in to, and my reading habit is HUGE. Like, I spend nearly more time a day reading than I do breathing, huge, lol.
But yeah, even now, sitting here at the keyboard, I can pull up the scent-memory and tactile-memory of the books, and sit back and just smile while I relax a little bit
I was the same with Potter! Swore I want going to read it because of the hype, watched the films and even though there was a lot of reliance on cliches and taking from other authors I felt silly, I started reading the first book and gave up there... Jk didn't attract me with the writing, I have been told she gets better, but it felt very much like reading enid blyton
So Happy to be able to confess
The way she wrote the books is actually interesting. The first comes out when all the characters are very young, and the reading audience is sort of expected to be "around" that age. Yet, each novel takes place during a different age/era in the characters' lives, and it gets darker, and more complex, as the series goes on.
I read it because I had two daughters who were teenagers at the time, and I gotta admit, I didn't ever "love" it til the last couple of books. Then, I was in tears.
The situation is that every steam punk book I read has it's own vocabulary... and this vocabulary is usually unique to that particular book, or book series as the case may be. These terms vary greatly from book to book, and that in itself is fine - it helps reinforce the genre of the book in it's story world and helps make it unique...
I like a book that makes you think, but it's a little frustrating repeatedly hitting mental speed bumps when you are enjoying the story itself.
Anyone else find this happening with certain books?
Wow, yes, and I'm glad you wrote this the way you did. I mean, I've read some Steampunk, and liked the stories, but -- same as you -- the having to dive into and around the different vocabs did make it tricksy.
Then I begin thinking; huh. It's not just Steampunk that does that. Actually, you take a lot of books and they do that, so the question becomes -- why is it so much more noticeable in SP?
You know, it's true... I suppose it can happen in other genres, and it's going to vary from person to person in what genre they might get hung up on with the vocab. Everyone having their own individual tastes and interests, etc.
But I can't help but wonder if it happens in SP more because there's less cultural awareness of the genre... it still has that "underground" feel because it's so less prevalent in movies and tv - so we have less of that foundation to ground us. When reading SP in a book, our interpretation of what it is and looks like can vary greatly, and as the book unfolds we are constantly thrown with new terms and descriptions that force us to re-evaluate these perceptions in our minds.
For me personally, it leaves me with a feeling of uneven footing, like I'm never 100% sure I know whats going on in the page.
Other things that really throw me against a wall, believe it or not, is very shoddy editing. Misused words, misspelled words, so on and so forth. My brain literally has to stop, read, reread, insert correct word/spelling, then move on. And sometimes, I'm not sure if I'm right or wrong, so off I go to the dictionary or thesaurus, then back into the book!
You know, I'm actually glad you mentioned this... because I have definitely noticed an uptick in grammatical errors in books since around the year 2000.
My personal belief is that writers have been relying more on "spell check" for their work than actual proofreading. Or perhaps it's the editors who are relying on "spell check" more, than actually doing it. Either way, in recent years I've come across some jarring errors that I surprisingly saw slip through.
Even if it's from favorite authors, you still kinda feel a little respect for the book drop when you come across it, don't you?
I'm inspired. Going to start building my library. Going to order some from Book Depository this weekend.
First book on the list is S by JJ Abrams. It's the book I've wanted for the longest time but have always procrastinated on it.
Since I don't like to order a single item for delivery, what is the one book you guys will recommend me to get?
Have you ever read The Graveyard book by Neil Gaiman, @Cyreph ? There is a reason why it's won many awards.... and one of those rare magical books that can be appreciated by all ages.
You know, I'm actually glad you mentioned this... because I have definitely noticed an uptick in grammatical errors in books since around the year 2000.
My personal belief is that writers have been relying more on "spell check" for their work than actual proofreading. Or perhaps it's the editors who are relying on "spell check" more, than actually doing it. Either way, in recent years I've come across some jarring errors that I surprisingly saw slip through.
Even if it's from favorite authors, you still kinda feel a little respect for the book drop when you come across it, don't you?
Yes! I'd say about the same. One of the things I did, when I worked in Wichita, was develop software to take scanned documents and "clean" them up. For instance, replace "l1" or "1l" with "ll" and so on and so forth. It's tedious to write the stuff to do it, but then you still have to go behind and verify word/usage accuracy.
To see so many full-price books being released with such a high level of errors is infuriating! I mean, isn't this what these people are paid for? Send'em to me, seriously!
The only time I really get into trouble (and fortunately, only took once for me to say "Oh, ok!"), is when I try to read things written by British authors. There are words we use (myriad) which you guys still use the "old" way (myriads of); there are spelling differences (honor/honour), and so forth. But it was a bit mind-blowing to me to realize that a lot of idioms are even subtly different (worse comes to worst/worst comes to worst). So once I got past that, it became even easier for me to tell what's been written where ... to an extent.
So -- bad editing = FAIL, whereas different idioms = OH YAY, MORE TO LEARN!
I'm inspired. Going to start building my library. Going to order some from Book Depository this weekend.
First book on the list is S by JJ Abrams. It's the book I've wanted for the longest time but have always procrastinated on it.
Since I don't like to order a single item for delivery, what is the one book you guys will recommend me to get?
It's one book that will lead to another, but "Sailing to Sarantium" by Guy Kay. Or Tigana (standalone). Either/both are just ... wow. I'm speechless, and am every single time I read these.
I myself got too many books to list / take pictures of lol, but my oldest books would be the works of William Shakespeare published in 1901 and a few books of the guidelines for public train staff. I still have a few books from my childhood, like the complete set of the original Goosebumps books and some Thomas the Tank Engine books. For manga, I mostly have shoujo manga like Ouran Highschool Host Club and The Gentlemen's Alliance Cross, also, I have almost every book of the .hack// series, including those that wasn't published in English (still working on getting some of the anime of the series lol). Some other books from the top of my head is the Harry Potter series, some Doctor Who books, The Selection series and the Resident Evil series that's based on the video games (1, 2 , 3, Code Veronica and 0 among some other titles).
Edit: I forgotten to mention that I have some fan translated novels that never got published in English, such as Overlord (well, at the time of downloading them). And I have a butt load of visual novels that for the most part translated by means of fan translators. But I did buy some online like Clannad. I even bought the Kickstarter Limited Edition of the English translation from Sekai Project when they did the kickstarter, though I kinda bought the Steam version so I didn't have to open the box lol.
...and I don't have a good camera on my NON-smart phone (still holding out, I don't think the tech is quite established yet!) or a way to easily to get over to my computer so I can't really play along.
Oh, dear @PlagueMonk! I'm curious where you think the technology isn't quite established! I was actually like you, a more recent smartphone convert. So I get where you're coming from; in my case, I didn't want to dumb myself down by having every answer easily on hand. Then, I realized that I'd just go type it in to my computer to find what I needed, and the rest is history.
It's my thinly veiled attempt to rationalize why I still have a flip phone. The real reason however is, I H-A-T-E them. I value my privacy and others having that level of accessibility 24/7 I don't like. Plus I don't want to be like all the other sheep who have their noses buried in their phones for 5+ hours every day. Not until my flip phone dies will I consider a "dumb" phone.
HA, the clever sneaky rat I am, I figured out a way to participate! I will find images of the actual books I possess........
do you know how hard it is to find the exact same covers?!
Comments
Actually, this is an international tea room. *sips iced milk tea like an ungrateful ex-colonial*
But yes, we have crumpets, scones, cookies, sandwiches. We also have macarons and macaroons, biscuits and briskets, waffles and pancakes, and also some delightful South East Asian cake treats.
(Just a note, please try Malay cakes when in South East Asia. They are awesome.)
I personally hated The Great Gatsby, Children of Men, and Wicked (thought I LOOOOVE the musical). And a lot of people like Eragon as well and I can not stomach it, though I did read them all to see if they got any better. I just couldn't handle any more of the single tears.
Like you, @CylverRayne, I've been known to take a book out to a stream, or the base of a waterfall, or a fall of rocks down a mountainside ... and just lose myself.
So, when I say "I feel ya" I mean it. Thanks for linking up those memories for me
Yes!
__________________
Science fiction is often referred to as "Science Fact To Come." I'd have to reread the series, but there are so many things in Dune that are coming in to reality, or have been reality, for a while now, not least the suits they wore in the desert.
I always saw it as a lovely mix of science and magic, but then, the science we have today (even to my sitting here typing on a keyboard, just to wing these words your way, @lexmax) would have been considered magic just a hundred brief years ago. I kind of figured that much of the Bene Gesserit "magic" was in fact a further form of science, largely unknown even in that futuristic time
**NOTE** These discussions thrill me!
Now, I was just going to college when Harry Potter came out. The whole "YA" genre really wasn't in my wheelhouse, so to speak. At that time, I don't think "Young Adult" books was even a common phrase, I certainly wasn't familiar with it... and mind you, I had already started reading Clive Barker books in middle school, about 6 - 7 years before the release of Harry Potter. (I was a horny teen reading Imagica in study hall, getting my mind warped.)
So during my college years, I did have friends who were fans of Harry Potter..... but the way they would describe it, I just couldn't muster the interest. A kids book about a young boy who goes to "wizard's school?" Uhhh.... no thanks.
Of course, I saw the movies and enjoyed them for what they were, and as the years have gone by, I can now appreciate that series for what it is and what it means to a certain generation... but you know, I really still can't get myself to read them. Certainly not because I hate them, not at all. But rather... a little part of me is still that guy who initially (and unfairly) looked down on YA books... and I also feel like I missed the bus on that one. That little cultural phenomenon passed me by.
The only genre of books I read is fantasy. Within that genre, "epic" and "LitRPG" of my favorite sub-genres. below is a list of books I have completed this year.
Here is a link to my Goodreads 2017 Reading Challenge.
(Ordered from start of the year to present)
Swore I want going to read it because of the hype, watched the films and even though there was a lot of reliance on cliches and taking from other authors I felt silly, I started reading the first book and gave up there... Jk didn't attract me with the writing, I have been told she gets better, but it felt very much like reading enid blyton
So Happy to be able to confess
See? Feels better right?
Rumbleforge said: Wow, yes, and I'm glad you wrote this the way you did. I mean, I've read some Steampunk, and liked the stories, but -- same as you -- the having to dive into and around the different vocabs did make it tricksy.
Then I begin thinking; huh. It's not just Steampunk that does that. Actually, you take a lot of books and they do that, so the question becomes -- why is it so much more noticeable in SP?
Other things that really throw me against a wall, believe it or not, is very shoddy editing. Misused words, misspelled words, so on and so forth. My brain literally has to stop, read, reread, insert correct word/spelling, then move on. And sometimes, I'm not sure if I'm right or wrong, so off I go to the dictionary or thesaurus, then back into the book!
But yeah, even now, sitting here at the keyboard, I can pull up the scent-memory and tactile-memory of the books, and sit back and just smile while I relax a little bit
I read it because I had two daughters who were teenagers at the time, and I gotta admit, I didn't ever "love" it til the last couple of books. Then, I was in tears.
But I can't help but wonder if it happens in SP more because there's less cultural awareness of the genre... it still has that "underground" feel because it's so less prevalent in movies and tv - so we have less of that foundation to ground us. When reading SP in a book, our interpretation of what it is and looks like can vary greatly, and as the book unfolds we are constantly thrown with new terms and descriptions that force us to re-evaluate these perceptions in our minds.
For me personally, it leaves me with a feeling of uneven footing, like I'm never 100% sure I know whats going on in the page.
You know, I'm actually glad you mentioned this... because I have definitely noticed an uptick in grammatical errors in books since around the year 2000.
My personal belief is that writers have been relying more on "spell check" for their work than actual proofreading.
Or perhaps it's the editors who are relying on "spell check" more, than actually doing it.
Either way, in recent years I've come across some jarring errors that I surprisingly saw slip through.
Even if it's from favorite authors, you still kinda feel a little respect for the book drop when you come across it, don't you?
You are, You're, ur, u r.
First book on the list is S by JJ Abrams. It's the book I've wanted for the longest time but have always procrastinated on it.
Since I don't like to order a single item for delivery, what is the one book you guys will recommend me to get?
There is a reason why it's won many awards.... and one of those rare magical books that can be appreciated by all ages.
To see so many full-price books being released with such a high level of errors is infuriating! I mean, isn't this what these people are paid for? Send'em to me, seriously!
The only time I really get into trouble (and fortunately, only took once for me to say "Oh, ok!"), is when I try to read things written by British authors. There are words we use (myriad) which you guys still use the "old" way (myriads of); there are spelling differences (honor/honour), and so forth. But it was a bit mind-blowing to me to realize that a lot of idioms are even subtly different (worse comes to worst/worst comes to worst). So once I got past that, it became even easier for me to tell what's been written where ... to an extent.
So -- bad editing = FAIL, whereas different idioms = OH YAY, MORE TO LEARN!
Edit: I forgotten to mention that I have some fan translated novels that never got published in English, such as Overlord (well, at the time of downloading them). And I have a butt load of visual novels that for the most part translated by means of fan translators. But I did buy some online like Clannad. I even bought the Kickstarter Limited Edition of the English translation from Sekai Project when they did the kickstarter, though I kinda bought the Steam version so I didn't have to open the box lol.
HA, the clever sneaky rat I am, I figured out a way to participate! I will find images of the actual books I possess........
do you know how hard it is to find the exact same covers?!