The Sword and Laser discussion

So, this is the mirror thread to the books I have lemmed. I have great difficulty putting down a book. Usually I can find something redeemable about books, and feel that there is some benefit in getting to the end. And I am one of the two people who actually finished a house of leaves. House of Leaves

One book that I wish I would have lemmed is Zoo City. Zoo City at page twenty I started having doubts. At page forty I felt that it had to get better. It never did for me.

I have an entire shelf of "Books-I-Sort-of-Regret-Reading." Generally they're on the list because they made me feel worse about humanity and the state of the world in general, but I'm also someone who has a real problem tossing a book mid-read, no matter how awful it is. It has to be seriously bad for me to lem it once I've gotten twenty or so pages in, which has sometimes forced me to finish off five-hundred pages of turkey even though I knew I was looking at hackwork by page 100 or so (The Sword of Shannara, for instance).

The The Faded Sun Trilogy by C.J. Cherryh. I had the omnibus edition with all three volumes and it took me the better part of a year to finish. I'd read part of it, not like it, read a different book or two, and then try to go back to it. I finally did finish it and afterwards wondered why I put so much time and effort into something I wasn't liking.

The Sum of All Fears such a let down I kept thinking the action will start soon 800 pages later a big disapoitment.

On the plus side I was so feed up with Tom Clancy that I borrowed a few books from my dad and that is what got me into science fiction and fantasy.

Brandon wrote: "The Sum of All Fears such a let down I kept thinking the action will start soon 800 pages later a big disapoitment.

On the plus side I was so feed up with Tom Clancy that I borrowed a few books fr..."

Thats actually the first TC book I read and I liked it enough to read the rest of the series.

Lady Chatterley's Lover - read this for a literary group I'm in. One of the worst books I've read. It was painful. I don't know how I got through it. I should have burned it.

The Elder Gods - Was a fan of Eddings until I read this book. I was horrified and never went near his work again. It was like a child wrote it.

Your Next-Door Neighbor is a Dragon - Looked so promising, in reality was just trite and unfunny.

The Chronicles of Blarnia - I normally avoid these "parodies" and for some stupid reason I tried reading one. How do people find these funny?

Kim wrote: "I normally avoid these "parodies" and for some stupid reason I tried reading one. How do people find these funny?
"

You know thats what I keep telling myself about Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. For the last 30 years or so I've heard how great and funny this series is so I finally bought the series (one large volume) on my Kindle. Granted I'm only about 10% (Ford and Arthur got rescued or something by Zeeblesomething's ship after the destruction of Earth) through but I've lemmed the book five or six times now because its not funny and its stupid as hell. I don't like Monty Pyton either as I apparently don't get British humor. I'll probably come back to it again in a few months trying again but last time I only made it three pages before I started playing Mahjong on my Kindle Fire instead.

I love THHGTTG and Monty Python but never liked Spike Milligan.

The only book I can think of off the top of my head that I regret reading was Michael Crichton's Next. It had too many characters (none of them pleasant, except the parrot - I liked the parrot), and too many plots that went nowhere and had nothing to do with each other. If it had been any longer I probably would have lemmed it.

I can think of two, mainly because I had to read for school: alias grace and the scarlet letter

I really regret reading Dean Koontz's The Bad Place. I love Dean Koontz, but that book was just terrible beginning to end. I stuck it out because I'm a big fan of a lot of his other stuff. Awful.

I also really regret forcing myself to complete Twilight. Somebody told me I would really love it and that it was right up my alley. I decided to stick out the whole first book even though the writing was sophomoric, the characters were unlikable, and the plot was boring. That was a bad decision. What a waste of my time. I literally threw the book across the room at the end of it.

I really loved A Door Into Ocean by Joan Slonczewski so when I heard about The Highest Frontier I was excited to read it. I started it, and like others here at 20, 50, 100, 200 pages in, kept thinking, "Ok, this is an ok concept but boring, but I'm sure it gets better". It didn't. :-|

Multiple Don DeLillo books. God he's such an irritating, flat writer. I wanted to give up on Cosmopolis when I had to read it for a class this last semester.

Shannon wrote: "I really regret reading Dean Koontz's The Bad Place. I love Dean Koontz, but that book was just terrible beginning to end. I stuck it out because I'm a big fan of a lot of his other stuff. Awful..."

At some point I've read most of Koontz's stuff. I don't particularly remember which book this one was though I know I've read it.

I eventually grew to dislike Koontz simply because he was so formulaic: 1) Create likeable lead character who has had some tragedy in his her life, 2) have lead character fall in love with someone with whom they'll share a love that is somehow more special than everyone elses, 3) have a special child who talks about ten years older than they are and put child in peril, 4) sometimes substitute child with special dogt that is somehow smarter and better than other pets.

I wished I could have lemmed The Book of Merlyn, the whole book was an anti-war book because I think its because the result of World War II.

I wish I had lemmed Boneshaker and Mainspring. I only went through to the end because I was doing research into the current state of Steampunk.

Diagnosis: Not Good. Not good at all.

A Canticle for Leibowitz

The Guardsman.
The evil emperor was pretty horrible and the descriptions of his tortures pretty vivid (I still distinctly remember a passage about a poor woman and a hot poker).

But I persevered because the hero was noble and I knew, just knew, that the emperor was going to get what was coming to him. Well, he did get killed (by the hero), but then the hero felt he had to kill himself to redeem his sullied honor. After all that suffering that I, the reader, went through, it was a very unsatisfying ending.

If an evil character spends that much time being evil and annoying (almost the ENTIRE book), his end should be long and painful. And the hero shouldn't be that much of an idiot.

Note: I have deliberately not included spoiler hiders to save someone else the possible pain of reading this book.

I wish I lemmed The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell. I heard a lot of good things about his books. When I started reading the book, I should have stopped when I finished the introduction. In the introduction, he was basically giving his theory/thesis and examples for the book. The rest was basically the examples in detail that was unneeded. Such a waste of time.

I felt the same way about his work. It's more of a popular output to people, like something you'll enjoy during a lecture. In fact, I saw his lecture on YouTube, and they were good to listen to, but I didn't really learn anything from the books. If you really want to have more thought provoking ideas on the working of the human mind, I highly recommend books by Steven Pinker.

Kevin wrote: "I wish I lemmed The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell. I heard a lot of good things about his books. When I started reading the book, I should have stopped when I finished the introduction. In the introduction, he was basically giving his theory/thesis and examples for the book. The rest was basically the examples in detail that was unneeded. Such a waste of time. "

That happens all the time with these pop science books, especially with the pop psychology. They repeat themselves over and over...and over.

Frankly I think they're so popular only because most people are too stupid to notice...instead they think they're learning a LOT because "they get it."

terpkristin wrote: "Kevin wrote: "I wish I lemmed The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell. I heard a lot of good things about his books. When I started reading the book, I sh..."

Yeah I can see that, even though The Tipping Point is the only one of those kinds of book I have ever read.

I'm glad I'm not the only one that feels that way. I liked the article he wrote that lead to the book, which had enough support for his argument. I felt he should have stopped there.

I don't even remember the title or author. It was in my historical romance days. I finished the book thinking it had to get better, there had to be a good reason for this guy to be such a jerk and her putting up with it, but there was none. UGH. I did throw that book across the room and threw it away.

Lord of Chaos -- the book killed my interest in finishing the series, but I wish I'd not bothered to finish the book ether. Wait, does that sentence make sense? Oh. who cares. *tugs on braid*

For me The Wheel of Darkness is top of my 'Wish I had Lemmed' list. The only reason I finished it is that it was on audio and I had nothing else available at the time. Really terrible and a great example of a New York Times Bestseller written for the lowest common denominator.

P. Aaron, I'm glad I'm not the only one who didn't enjoy The Name of the Wind. I finished that one and got perhaps two or three chapters in to the second before giving up on the whole thing.

Probably Temple of the Winds. Even though it was pretty clear Goodkind was just writing an R-rated version of Wheel of Time, his character work was really good. But I got sick of all the graphic rape scenes in this series, and this was the last one I read. Probably for the best--I avoided all the Objectivist propaganda that came later.

Brandon wrote: "The Sum of All Fears such a let down I kept thinking the action will start soon 800 pages later a big disapoitment."

FertileSpade wrote: "I'd add Without Remorse to that list! What a long slog that was. I just can't stop midway through a book but by the end of that one i wish i had. Utterly forgettable!"

Let me add Rainbow Six to the Clancy pile-on. At the beginning, the plot was just silly. By the end, it was more ridiculous than a Roger Moore-era Bond film. It wouldn't be so bad if people stopped thinking Clancy still knew what he was talking about. I don't think that's been true since Clear and Present Danger.

I've stuck with Wheel of Time as well, although it has become more disapointing as it has gone on, very drawn out (Crossroads of Twilight particularly suffers from this). I will be reading to the end but really only because I have grown up with the books and I feel like I should finish it, rather than that I am particularly excited to.

I've finished every single book I've started, although sometimes it takes months. Eventually it bugs me enough to finish the book, however my biggest "wish I had lemmed" is easily a series of books that for some god awful reason I actually finished. There were numerous reasons for that at the time, but looking back on it if I could go back in time, my first stop would be to smack myself silly just before opening the first book.

The series in question? David Feintuch's Seafort Saga. I actually didn't read 6 and 7 because they weren't out when I was going through the series, but the rest... Imagine a Hornblower-esque SciFi story with a deeply Christian tint involving a character who spends almost every book (especially after the first) constantly doing one thing he feels he shouldn't do (religiously), but has to (duty/save lives), and berating himself over it. Then the subsequent books get longer due mostly to more text to describe the stuff he did in the past books and bemoaning having done them.

-----------

Also not a big fan of John G. Hemry due to his Lost Fleet series. Another series I've been reading (and will probably continue to read) and wish I hadn't. I love basic SciFi space combat/action books, and the the Lost Fleet series would be an amazing example of my perfect SciFi space action books, except he insists on describing the laws of physics at various levels of detail in every single scene involving anything with space at large.

Oh hey, we've enter a new system, do you know how light travels in space? Yes, because I've explained it 10 times already? Alright, here is explanation number 11! Do you know, as we approach combat/action scene number five, the basics of newtonian physics I've already explained before? You do? Awesome, let me explain it again.

If I'm reading and Ive reached a dismal page 104, and i feel like I'm in a WWII spitfire spinning out of control, smoke pouring out the front nose of my plane, and gravity is winning, then there's nothing left to do but wrestle my sad little parachute into submission and huck myself out of the plane, then by GOD I'm going to do it, and hope the damned book goes up in flames on impact, while I safely tick- rock back and forth as i slowly descend to a semi soft landing in the south of Frace.

Robert wrote: "The series in question? David Feintuch's Seafort Saga. I actually didn't read 6 and 7 because they weren't out when I was going through the series, but the rest... Imagine a Hornblower-esque SciFi story with a deeply Christian tint involving a character who spends almost every book (especially after the first) constantly doing one thing he feels he shouldn't do (religiously), but has to (duty/save lives), and berating himself over it."

I'm a big fan of military style space opera, and generally lap up anything I can get my hands on (I'd read Elizabeth Moon's grocery list if she published it...). I read the first Seafort book a long time ago, but I had a hard time identifying with the lead character and just never bothered with the other books. It was also the days before ebooks were generally available and my local bookshop would have had to order them in specially since they weren't 'stock' books. I simply wasn't invested enough to wait a week, and although I might be a religiously open person privately, I really don't appreciate being preached at. (consequently I try to avoid anything that's too overtly Christian)

"Also not a big fan of John G. Hemry due to his Lost Fleet series. Another series I've been reading (and will probably continue to read) and wish I hadn't. I love basic SciFi space combat/action books, and the the Lost Fleet series would be an amazing example of my perfect SciFi space action books, except he insists on describing the laws of physics at various levels of detail in every single scene involving anything with space at large.

Interesting. I picked up the first Lost Fleet book yesterday, although I haven't started it yet (it was the dead tree edition, from Waterstones since that was about half the price of the kindle edition. Go figure...) I've just finished the 8-book Galaxy Unknown series by Thomas DePrima and he suffers to some extent from the same thing. well, not so much the laws of physics, but Interminable Recap Syndrome (IRS) certainly. In the early books it was also clear that he'd bought a thesaurus, but by the later books someone had obviously had the sense to take it off him. Anyhow, I'd end up just skipping over the obviously repetitive bits, so they ended up not bothering me that much.

Paul wrote: "I've stuck with Wheel of Time as well, although it has become more disapointing as it has gone on, very drawn out (Crossroads of Twilight particularly suffers from this). I will be reading to the e..."

I am the same with this series. It started out as an exciting reading but I could literally of hacked large chunks out of books 5 - 10 and felt that I had arrived at the same place. I kept reading only because of the time I had already invested into the series.

Wizards First law series after Faith of the Fallen which while having characters debate Objectivism v anything else was the book in that series I liked the most, not sure why. After I was buying/reading just to see how it ends which I realise is a bad idea

Also all the Robin Hobbs books involving Fitz cause while I really enjoyed the tradeships series I didn't like the 6 duchies books at all

Not sure if I will regret reading Wheel of Time to the last Jordan book but I am happy to read wiki summaries of the last 2 books in the series which is my plan for series I want to know the ending for without wasting money/reading time. Also doing the same with ASOIAF cause I am going to watch not read Dance of Dragons assuming it lasts that long

Is there any way this could be sci-fi?

http://www.thetimeinbetweenbook.com/

This book looks amazing.

Vanity Fair is the lastest book-I-wish-I-had-actually-lemmed. I thought I had lemmed it but after a while it was eating me away having put the book aside and I had to pick it up again. I don't know which is worse sometimes, to lem or not to lem.

On the other hand, I have no regrets about having lemmed Wizard's First Rule. I shall perservere and keep away from this one until the end of my days.

The World is Flat. Friedman is an annoying, repetitive writer and was somehow surprised that people outside the developed countries want prosperity and are willing to work for it. He is the bloavators'' bloviator.

Orson Scott Card's Homecoming Saga. Oh, how I wish I had quit it after the first book. Or at least realized that it was not going to end well and not read the last book.

Andrew wrote: "Orson Scott Card's Homecoming Saga. Oh, how I wish I had quit it after the first book. Or at least realized that it was not going to end well and not read the last book."

Yeah, that is what I did.

Nathan wrote: "The World is Flat. Friedman is an annoying, repetitive writer and was somehow surprised that people outside the developed countries want prosperity and are willing to work for it. He is the bloavat..."

Yeah, I really don't like Friedman either.

I echo those who've mentioned Goodkind here. I'm a sucker for having to finish a series but I really wish I just stopped after the third or fourth book. Thankfully I only got them from the library after five or so but they really became terrible (and I find the author with his refusal to call his books fantasy, his disdain for fantasy, and his objectivism/randian philosophy) terribly annoying).

I felt the same about Tad William's Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series. I felt like I slogged through it and didn't really get a 'reward' for getting through it. Wasn't a fan of the ending's 'twist'.

Unlike others though, I'm still a huge fan of Wheel of Time. Jordan definitely needed a non-family editor though since books 7 through 10 needed to be condensed into one or two books. Because of books 1-6, Jordan's last one (Knife of Dreams) and Sanderson's continuation, its still my favorite series.

'Midnight' and 'The Bad Place' were my turning point with Dean R Koontz. Virtually every review I read of both books heralded them as Dean R Koontz finally finding his voice. I'm not sure whose voice has was talking with prior to those novels, but I much preferred it.

Well, if they had not been S$L reads I would have 'lemmed', The Magicians and Tigana