Chit Chat Thread

[TrainerX]

Favorite books? Easy, Christopher Paolini's Inheritance Cycle. It was when I read the first book, Eragon, that I first decided to get into writing and make it a career.

I thought the Inheritance Cycle was pretty good as well. I've read books since that I think are better, but the Inheritance Cycle was a lot better than some of the newer stuff out there. I'm not really a big fan of most of the newer books out there.

Lord of the Rings and its spin offs, Redwall series by Brian Jacques. Those books made me want to be an author (though I quit on that), and I still reread them often.

I read the first Redwall book when I was in like 4th grade, but I never did finish the series. I don't know why, I always meant to. I'll have to see if I can find them. Lord of the Rings is also good, but I don't remember much besides the basic plot. Last time I read those books I was in like 5th or 6th grade.

One of my newer favorites is the Ender's Game series. I'm only two books in, but they're really good. The Pathfinder series is another of Orson Scott Card's series, and those were also really good. I love the setting, and the plot is great as well. I just liked the way the books were written in general; I highly recommend them.

[The-Blades-slave]

I liked the Ender's Games books, but I wouldn't call them one of my favorites. For some reason I liked Bean's stories more than the main ones.

[TrainerX]

I liked the Ender's Games books, but I wouldn't call them one of my favorites. For some reason I liked Bean's stories more than the main ones.

I'm pretty sure the ones about Bean were written after the Ender books. The Bean stories seem like they're better written, so I guess he just improved as a writer in the time between Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow.

I like Ender's Shadow better than Ender's Game as well. Bean is just more interesting to me. Getting into Bean's head and seeing how his mind worked was a different experience than with Ender. I think it's a combination of how interesting it is to analyze him as a character, and Card improving.

I think that's the main thing that draws me to his books. Card lets you really get into the head of the characters and get a good idea of how they think, and then you're kept wondering how the character is going to react to new situations. He seems to really get into making the main characters. I haven't really read any other books that take it to the level he does.

[The-Blades-slave]

WARNING SPOILERS

The whole cycle was a bit strange to me. Reading them it sorta seemed like Ender's Game was supposed to be a prequel to Speaker of The Dead, Xenocide, and Children of Mind. Also, personally, I think Children of the Mind was really strange.

The Ender's Shadow series dealt with real world problems, and what happened to these genius children. Of course they didn't get a happy ending, they were shoved into the military so their own countries could benefit. It also, in my opinion, had a darker story than Ender's Game and sequels. The first had its dark moments, but they were often restricted by the adults actions. When Ender realized he had murdered the child at home at the beginning of the book, and the squadron captain (can't remember his name) it was emotional, but the adults shoved it all off "because he had to save the world. Even in the end it was only brought up in courts because other nations were terrified the United States would have access to the mind that eliminated a whole race, not because they found him a monster.

The other three were more philosophical books than anything, but those dark moments I did like.

Shadow's pacing was brilliant. You could tell the changes all the characters, especially Bean and Petra, went through. You slowly saw his disease getting worse with no cure in sight. And in the end it was his children that got the cure, but after it was too late. This wasn't a fairy tale ending. Though, Petra and Peter getting together was a little less expected, but I'm just being picky.

Mini-rant over, I really did like all the books. Just found some complaints with them.

[GrizzlyEatsKids]

I thought the Inheritance Cycle was pretty good as well. I've read books since that I think are better, but the Inheritance Cycle was a lot better than some of the newer stuff out there. I'm not really a big fan of most of the newer books out there.
 I read the first Redwall book when I was in like 4th grade, but I never did finish the series. I don't know why, I always meant to. I'll have to see if I can find them. Lord of the Rings is also good, but I don't remember much besides the basic plot. Last time I read those books I was in like 5th or 6th grade.

One of my newer favorites is the Ender's Game series. I'm only two books in, but they're really good. The Pathfinder series is another of Orson Scott Card's series, and those were also really good. I love the setting, and the plot is great as well. I just liked the way the books were written in general; I highly recommend them.

While I've read stuff that may have been technically better than the Inheritance Cycle, I haven't enjoyed any other book or series quite as much, and it'll always hold a special place for me. It influenced a lot of my writing style, and kept me going early on. Lord of the Rings is exceptional, but it's been a while since I've read them as well. I've never actually read any of the Ender's Game books. On the more mainstream, popular side, I thought the Hunger Games were pretty good, but not spectacular, and while I think that they are a bit overhyped, I did fine them pretty good. I really enjoyed the Harry Potter books, but for reasons I'm not quite sure of, they've lost a lot of their appeal to me over the years. I refuse to read the Divergent books, because my friend showed me some stuff in there, and I'm not at all impressed with the quality of the writing, it seems to amateur. I'm not trying to say I'm some magnificent writer myself or anything, because I know I still have a lot to learn, but I think that if I really tried and if I'm at my best, I feel that I can achieve a higher quality of writing than is present those books. I quite liked the Percy Jackson books when I read them, but I can't get into the whole sequel series, and while I'm not saying they're bad or anything like that, it just feels dragged out to me. I've read plenty of other great books as well, though, but those are just some of my opinions on the ones you guys mentioned and some of the seemingly more popular and recent titles.

[TrainerX]

On the more mainstream, popular side, I thought the Hunger Games were pretty good, but not spectacular, and while I think that they are a bit overhyped, I did fine them pretty good.

I had the same opinion. I originally wasn't going to read the series at all, because it seemed like it was really overrated. They were good, but as you said, not spectacular.

I really enjoyed the Harry Potter books, but for reasons I'm not quite sure of, they've lost a lot of their appeal to me over the years.

I started that series in first grade, and I've experienced the same thing. It used to be my favorite series, but I can't really read them anymore. They just seem different.

I never read the Percy Jackson books, but I heard that they were good. They sounded kind of overrated, so I never bothered with them.

I've heard good things about the Divergent books, but I haven't read them either. I don't know what it is exactly, but someone described the setting to me, and it didn't appeal to me at all.

So yesterday I started Neuromancer, and I really like it so far. It's considered one of the greatest books of the cyberpunk genre, and I can see why. I haven't made it too far yet, but I really like the writing style. The dialogue is great as well; so far, none of it has felt forced. Badly written or awkward dialogue is one of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to books.

[Tickles]

Guess who doesn't need sleep anymore. This guy. Mosquitos got in my room, and I am freaking out in all sorts of ways. Killed two giant ones, and a few tiny ones, the rest are out of reach. Yay!

[GrizzlyEatsKids]

Guess who doesn't need sleep anymore. This guy. Mosquitos got in my room, and I am freaking out in all sorts of ways. Killed two giant ones, and a few tiny ones, the rest are out of reach. Yay!

That sounds... awful. I'm like a mosquito magnet, they're drawn to me and their bites sometimes swell a little after they get me. I don't know if I would call it an allergic reaction, but I am, I guess you could say, more vulnerable too them.

Also, completely unrelated, but does anyone here play Hearthstone? It's a free to play CCG (collectible card game, since you technically don't trade with anyone) on both iPad and PC, for anyone who doesn't know. Although I'm new to the game, I'm quite enjoying my time with it, and was just wondering if anyone else had gotten into it as well.

And lastly, anyone play Watch Dogs yet? I'm considering picking it up since Batman was delayed, but I'd like some opinions first if anyone has played it.

[Tickles]

So, I have worked out a deal with the mosquitos. So long as I leave a small portion of food scraps and blood, they will not bite me. I have learned their language, as well as customs. Apparently, today is their day of remembrance for their fallen. They sit in silence periodically throughout the day, only moving to feed.

On a side note, got my comp back. It is like brand new.

[The-Blades-slave]

Mosquitos and bugs of the like think I'm toxic, they don't ever touch me.

[eddiedelta8]

Does anybody here play minecraft? (And if I remember correctly, there are a few)

I have been playing on this one server I have particularly grown fond of, but no one has been on it as of late.
I am basically looking for people to come and join me on the server if they want to.

Did I mention I have cake?

[Yume Tsuki]

Mosquitos and bugs of the like think I'm toxic, they don't ever touch me.

I bet you love garlic or lemons. :p

[The-Blades-slave]

 I eat a lot of garlic bread with my pasta, and drink pink lemonade when i'm not drinking water.  Though I think that's made of artificial lemon poop, it's the powder stuff.

[Yume Tsuki]

figured, mosquitoes hate the scent of lemons and garlic :p

[Jerry]

Well, they do say that vampires don't like garlic