March 2012 Reads

[polishgenius]

No, Night Watch is newer. It's been years since I read any Pratchett but the way I remember it, Night Watch was darker and relied more on a good story than wittycisms than his previous novels. The Hogfather I can hardly remember by now, and perhaps I will ruin it for me the day I reread it, but for now it is my #1 Discworld novel.

Night Watch is great, but probably of all his books it relies the most on having read at least some of the preceding novels - in this case the City Watch sequence (of which the dragon loose on the streets is one - that's Guards! Guards!, the first in the subset). That's my favourite set of them all, anyway, though, and probably the most like a proper sequential series, so worth reading in more-or-less order (though you could probably get away with reading only one of Guards! Guards! and Men at Arms).

[Grack21]

I should really try Pratchet again. Read Color of Magic and Light Fantastic and while I didn't dislike them I didn't like them either. OF course i have 400+ books to read, I should work on those.

[SkynJay]

how did practical demonkeeping hold up to the reread, SJ?? i've always claimed it was my fave besides for lamb and was thinking of going through it again. so many books, so little time and all of that.

I still like it. It is not as laugh out loud funny as others of his, but it has a tighter plot and doesn't suffer from the crappy endings that many of his books do. Yes, a literal Dues ex Machina, but it feels somewhat thought out vs others. I have always put it in my top three of his as well.

Finished Before They Are Hanged

Interesting book, definetly an improvement from the first. Don't know why but it reminds me of Martin at the time when he wrote ACOK.

Not the prose but the way he builts the characters. But I have one minor question. How does Ferro know that the others are pink if she can't recognize coulors. Now onto Last Arguement of Kings

Someone asks her this in the third book, cant remember who. So it comes up in the next one.

I should really try Pratchet again. Read Color of Magic and Light Fantastic and while I didn't dislike them I didn't like them either. OF course i have 400+ books to read, I should work on those.

Ya but Pratchett should be on the top of that giant to-read pile.

[mashiara]

Some people I know here in Ohio were reading Knockemstiff by Donald Ray Pollock, so I thought to join them. It's a semi-fictonal collection of loosely connected short stories set in trashy little hamlet in southern Ohio, where no one seems to be gainfully employed, and everyone has a drug or other addiction. Some of the stories are kind of heart breaking, they're all dark and grimy in some way. Occasionally, there's a flash of loyalty or higher human emotions. I find it hard to believe such a hellhole exists. But very well written.

I just finished Throne of the Crescent Moon by Saladin Ahmed. It's quite a simple story, at essense. There's something very young-adult feeling about the worldbuilding and plot, and it's not clear this is intentional. It's fine, if you like sword and sorcery, but underwhelming, not really bringing anything new to the table.

I hear you. I kept stopping and wondering what the hell I'd gotten. Seemed so kiddie, until it got violent. Stylistically, the writing, reminded me of my own as a teenager. But I kept trying, cause hey, ghouls. Always found those things creepy. I dropped it as soon as Kearney's Kings of Morning auto-delivered to my iPad though.

Me three, (i've got a bit to go yet though.) The main character is fairly interesting, which is the saving grace of the book, but it's a long strech from a character piece and otherwise both the plot and the worldbuilding are a bit thin. I think it kind of aspires to have a very urban, city-as-character vibe too, and it's really not hitting it for some reason, despite valiant efforts. It's a pretty good slightly YA sword and scorcery popcorn sort of book, but not anything more.

Me four. Thank you, I was wondering if there was something wrong with me, I just didn't see why this book was so praised by people. I was expecting a lot more from it based on what people said and all I got was this very young-adult feeling you all describe, along with a sense that nothing was well thought of and nothing was really original.

As for Stephenson's Reamde, which I was reading when I started this thread, I stand by my original post. I liked it but did not love it. It should have been a couple of hundred pages shorter and tighter and then maybe it would have been a great book. Its good parts were awesome, the parts that bored me to death made me want to put the thing down and never pick it up again.

I am now reading Labyrinth by Kate Mosse. I found it at the library, I figured I'd give it a chance.

Oh, and this is going to make you laugh. Some of you might remember my starting a thread last summer, asking you guys how to dispose of my Goodkind books (the whole series except for the last one) since I needed the space for kids' books and stuff. Many of the suggestions were hilarious but in the end I donated them to the library, without writing any of the disclaimers you had suggested. I had managed to forget all about this, it helped that I didn't have time to go to the library for almost 9 months. When I was there the other day I was kind of surprised to see them -and then I was shocked to see that the good librarian had written my name in each and every one of them! The shame!!!!

[SkynJay]

Hahaha. This battering of your mind brought to you buy....

[dornish prince]

Oh, and this is going to make you laugh. Some of you might remember my starting a thread last summer, asking you guys how to dispose of my Goodkind books (the whole series except for the last one) since I needed the space for kids' books and stuff. Many of the suggestions were hilarious but in the end I donated them to the library, without writing any of the disclaimers you had suggested. I had managed to forget all about this, it helped that I didn't have time to go to the library for almost 9 months. When I was there the other day I was kind of surprised to see them -and then I was shocked to see that the good librarian had written my name in each and every one of them! The shame!!!!

:lol:

this really reminds me of the scene in austin powers when he tries to deny that the penis machine in his belongings doesn't actually belong to him.

mash: uh...that book is definitely not mine.

librarian: one copy of wizard's first rule, SIGNED by mash.

mash: *facepalm*

[Alytha]

Mash: Blame your cousin ;)

Loudly and in public.

Or add: "Very much not endorsed by" in front of your name.

On topic:

Favourite scene so far in Rats and Gargoyles (apart from the confirmation that Plessiez is a giant, treacherous black rat): the characters meet a group of ancient deities, who, being serpent-headed, have a thpeeth impediment...and pretty much crap themselves laughing, despite the impeding doom they're in. Delicious scene.

[williamjm]

I finished Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus. I liked it a lot. It was very well-written, it was probably a challenge for the author to make the description of the circus seems as magical to the reader as it does to the characters, but I thought she did a great job of describing the setting. It had a fairly slow-moving plot, but I think a slow pace suits a book like this and it did tell a compelling story. I mostly liked the bittersweet ending, although I was a bit disappointed that one character didn't seem to face much in the way of negative consequences for his actions. One criticism is that some of the characters were maybe a bit too enigmatic, particularly Marco - I don't really feel that I knew all that much about him despite him being one of the two main characters.

[lessthanluke]

Just finished up Redemption Ark by Alastair Reynolds which I enjoyed but I think I am going to wait a little while before I start Absolution Gap. Also finished up the fourth True Blood book which was more of the same mindless fun. I really want Sookie to die, so so annoying.

In my TBR pile I have a few Culture novels, The City and The City, The Book of the New Sun, Royal Flash and Blood Meridian. Not sure what to go with yet.

[Cuchulain]

My March reads so far:

Ringworld by Larry Niven. The SF concepts in this novel, including the ringworld itself, are quite impressive. It's easy to see why Ringworld influenced so many other books, games, etc. The human characters, however, act irrationally and are just plain annoying. At first I was sure I was going to like this book, but in the end I didn't really enjoy it.

The Separation by Christopher Priest. I can't make up my mind about this novel. It's interesting, technically well-written, well-researched, and original. On the other hand, Priest's prose generally feels cold, distant, and colorless to me and some parts of the book are boring to read. The Separation is certainly impressive but I don't know whether I actually like it.

Kings of Morning by Paul Kearney. If you're familiar with the previous two entries in the series and if you enjoyed those, you'll probably like this one too. KoM doesn't try to do anything new, but it's a quick, easy read and I really had fun with it.

[Peadar]

I've started The Cardinal's Blades by Pierre Pevel.

[RedEyedGhost]

I've started The Cardinal's Blades by Pierre Pevel.

Peadar, with the US release of The Deserter imminent, and me being a new convert to ebooks, can you tell me which to buy so that you get more cash? Hardback or ebook? I think Joe Abercrombie (it may have been another author's blog) said on his blog that he get about 2-3 times more for a hardback than a mass market paperback, and 5-6 times more for an ebook than an mmpb.

[Grack21]

I finished Hawkwood and the Kings which was AWESOMESAUCE for the most part.

Starting Gates of Fire for class.

[Whitestripe]

Some people I know here in Ohio were reading Knockemstiff by Donald Ray Pollock, so I thought to join them. It's a semi-fictonal collection of loosely connected short stories set in trashy little hamlet in southern Ohio, where no one seems to be gainfully employed, and everyone has a drug or other addiction. Some of the stories are kind of heart breaking, they're all dark and grimy in some way. Occasionally, there's a flash of loyalty or higher human emotions. I find it hard to believe such a hellhole exists. But very well written.

Bellis:

I read both Knockemstiff and The Devil All the Time by Donald Ray Pollock. Knockemstiff blew me away. The Devil All the Time was very good also. I really like his style. I found his personal story pretty fascinating as well.

[Datepalm]

Finished the new Temeraire book, Crucible of Gold, very quickly. Really enjoyed it, maybe particularly as I was coming with rather low expectations after the last book and less than glowing reviews. I thought it was a really good return to form - lots of exotic locales, immersive period stuff, exciting battles and scheming and plenty of humor, and with solid plotting and worldbuilding and real heart to story and the characters without toppling over into being sappy. Theres something of the melancholy of the last book here too, showing the toll the war is taking on the characters, but whereas there it was claustrophobic and ultimately dull, here it's an undercurrent that contributes to character development and adds a bit of gravitas to all the adventuring.

[Whitestripe]

I just started Wolf Hall. It's been on my list for a while.

[Grack21]

Finished the new Temeraire book, Crucible of Gold, very quickly. Really enjoyed it, maybe particularly as I was coming with rather low expectations after the last book and less than glowing reviews. I thought it was a really good return to form - lots of exotic locales, immersive period stuff, exciting battles and scheming and plenty of humor, and with solid plotting and worldbuilding and real heart to story and the characters without toppling over into being sappy. Theres something of the melancholy of the last book here too, showing the toll the war is taking on the characters, but whereas there it was claustrophobic and ultimately dull, here it's an undercurrent that contributes to character development and adds a bit of gravitas to all the adventuring.

Oh thank god. I really enojyed books 4 and 5 but book 6 was just AWFUL. I'll have to move this higher on my list then.

[delete this account pls]

I just started Wolf Hall. It's been on my list for a while.

One of my very favourite books!

[peterbound]

Me four. Thank you, I was wondering if there was something wrong with me, I just didn't see why this book was so praised by people. I was expecting a lot more from it based on what people said and all I got was this very young-adult feeling you all describe, along with a sense that nothing was well thought of and nothing was really original.

I keep getting the feeling that guys like Larry want so bad for minority authors to get the same exposure and respect that other mainstream authors do they give glowing reviews on their works, no matter what. Don't get me wrong, I want the same thing, but some books just aren't that great, no matter the ethnicity or religion of the author. I don't think i'm going to pick this one up. I've got a long standing tradition of not reading anything he recommends, and the people on here who's opinion on books i respect don't seem to like it.

March Reads: Finishing up the Vlad Taltos series. Really liking it at about half way through. Unfortunately, i got into an argument with my wife and she ripped the book I'm on in half so i've got to go get another copy.

Picked up 'Kings Of Morning' and will devour that i'm sure next week. I love anything by Kearney and can't understand why the guy doesn't get more exposure in the mainstream.

Also finishing up, 'The Madness Season'. How the fuck have I not read this by now?

[Whitestripe]

One of my very favourite books!

Brady: I've only just started it, but I am enjoying it so far. I've been gorging myself on utter crap books the past few weeks, so it's nice to read something intelligent.