Tapology Talks: Books

Here you go Griffy! Let's talk books!

Thanks for your thoughts between the two @Breauxphin.  I'm kind of leaning towards Dark Tower, one reason being I'd be ahead of the TV curve on that series, where GoT I'm gonna pretty much know the first 1500 pages (I mean the gist of it, i know the books are obviously more in-depth) from watching season 1-4 already.  Seems easier to get to later for that reason.  I'm still open to any input from anyone else who has read both though.  I'll start one or the other around the beginning of next month.

I would also have to agree with Blophin and say Dark Tower, just ABSOLUTELY DO NOT read the last chapter of the last book, just be satisfied without reading the epilogue.  Trust me, you'll be glad you didn't.  Either way, you're in for a very long haul.  Wait, ***, you can read?

I haven't read GoT yet (haven't had the time, and I know it will take over my life for a couple weeks when I do start) but loved The Dark Tower.  Just be prepared to read more than just the eight books under the DT name.  The Stand, Eyes of the Dragon, and the two books written with Peter Straub (The Talisman and Black House) are must reads because of their tie-ins with Roland's world.  There is also a short story in Everything's Eventual that deals directly with Roland.

Another series you all might want to check out are the Joe Ledger novels by Jonathan Maberry.  Revolves around a super secret government agency's top shooter.  Little bit of Stephen King's horror, a splash of Michael Crichton's medical technicality, and a good shot of Elmore Leonard's grittyness.  Fun, fast reads, even if they are 500-700 pages each.  The seventh book comes out April 7th, plus there is another that is a collection of short stories that cover events that happen between the books.  Maberry also wrote a pretty good four book zombie series aimed at tweens (yeah I'm almost 36, what can I say) called Rot & Ruin and recently started an adult zombie series called Dead of Night that has two books out so far.  It's cool that like King's DT series, Maberry is drawing connections between characters in all three series.  Chronologically, the Ledger books seem to be happening first followed by the Dead of Night books and then R & R.

* Edited at 03.11.2015, 9:50 PM ET *

@Shot2 - No, I can't read.  I was assuming they have them in books on tape format.

@OMG - Thanks for the input.

* Edited at 03.11.2015, 9:55 PM ET *

Looks like you can get them for free with an Audible trial.  

Edit:  No problem.  And I just went and checked and besides the eight direct DT books, twelve other King books, plus short stories from three collections touch on Roland's world.

* Edited at 03.11.2015, 10:01 PM ET *

Unfortunately just any voice doesn't cut it for me, if they don't have Gilbert Gottfried or Stephen Hawking, I'm really not all that interested.  I may settle for a Bobcat Goldthwait if I had to.

* Edited at 03.11.2015, 10:00 PM ET *

Well, they are free, I don't imagine it's Morgan Freeman reading to you.

I heard that if you pay him enough Steven Tyler will sing/scream it in your ear.

Speaking of Gravitas, Liam Neeson should take a break from killing people and start readings for various books.  Perhaps he should start with 'Are You There God, It's me, Margaret'

I'd say The Halfhand is the best lowborn fighter

Karl fooking Tanner. Legend of Gin Alley.

@shot, I love the ending. I know I'm in the minority, but I thought it was perfect.

I'm with you @mich.  When I first finished it I was pissed, but the more I thought about it the more I realized that it really couldn't end any other way.

My brother absolutely loves the ending of the Dark Tower. I don't know how it ends, nor do I want to, but I tend to appreciate open-ended or ambiguous endings, if it suits the material. For instance, the endings to Fight Club, Inception and Cowboy Bebop are some of my favorites of all time. 

@michigandolphin, I did think about Karl Tanner (nice job adding "fooking"), but I feel he is more of a cutthroat/assassin than fighter.

I was mostly joking about him lol. But, I would say Bronn fits that category. Very skilled low born sell sword.

@Mich, Potato --- Potatoe,  did you also like the end of Seinfeld?  I guess I like resolution, without going into any spoiling detail.  I can understand if people liked it if they were all existential like that.

PS:  Cowboy Bebop  -- one of the best Anime series ever.  Also, try Samurai Champloo.

* Edited at 03.12.2015, 9:40 AM ET *

Thanks for not spoiling the ending of the dark tower series.  I'm halfway through The Wolves of the Calla. I have enjoyed the series so far, but you guys are making me worry that the ending sucks. 

Don't worry about it buff, just enjoy, we've probably already said too much

Seinfeld ended?