Time for a reading update. Back in July I read Ringworld with the Sword and Laser Group. Can't say I really enjoyed it that much. I have found that more and more I am having problems reading science fiction books. I used to enjoy SciFI for its critique upon society, but as of late they just haven't been connecting with me. May be it is because the books i have been recently reading are older and a product of their respective time periods. Perhaps I am just looking for some more pure escapism in my reading.
I tried to give SciFi another go this past month when the audio book of Ready Player One was on sale on iTunes for $6.00. I am again having problems really getting into this book. The narration by Wil Wheaton is fantastic and the 1980's trivia in the book is fun, but that novelty sort of wears off pretty quickly. My biggest hang up in getting into the book is my lack of connection with the main character. One of the "things" that always gets me in a lot of books are characters who make illogical decisions. Ones who risk their lives needessly or in the book have demonstrated a good skillset and then seemingly forget it or under utilize it later. The Entire of the Rose had this with the main character who just couldn't control his reckless temper and even Cordelia's Honor actually had it right at the end when our main character (who was so intelligent through all of the book) goes on a boneheaded rampaging suicide mission. In Ready Player One we have a character who was almost murdered and he is going about doing some reckless actions to expose himself. He also has just pulled himself out of poverty and constantly talks about his limited money, but then goes on to spend a large portion of it for seemingly no reason at all.
There is also a bit too much exposition in Ready Player One describing the surrounding world. We get these long drawn out descriptions of something dozens of pages after we have already been experiencing them.
Anyways, the main book that I am still loving is the Malazan Book of the Fallen, and I am now on book #5, Midnight Tides. Overall I have to say that this book is the slowest of the bunch for me, but it has the simplest cast of characters thus far and is still just so well written I can't help by enjoy it. The Malazan books constantly amaze me at how well crafted the world is and I know I will be cranking on right through to the other books after this. I really have fallen in love with the Malazan world.