nobodymN Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 Finished Jeff Vandermeer's wonderful latest novel, Shriek: an Afterword, a return to one of the exceptional fantasy settings in fantastic fiction, Ambergis - great book but one of my favorite fantasy writers. Right now I'm starting Elantris by Brandson Sanderson, I was supposed to get this book last year, and finally just received it. Solid, but pretty underwhelmed, basicall ywhat I expected Recently, I put up my review of R. Scott Bakker's third and final installment of his Prince of Nothing sequence --a mindblowing series -- The Thousandfold Thought. After making way through Elantris I'm hoping to move into Douglas Lain's latest, a collection entitled Last Week's Apocalypse. I also got some Lord Wimsey (mystery/detective) novels by Sayers, and plan on getting into those when I can, beginnign with Whose Body? and Clouds of Witness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sword of Funny Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 I'm rereading the Prydain Chronicles by Lloyd Alexander for the first time since I originally read them about 18 years ago. I just finished The Book of Three. These were the books that turned reading from a pleasant hobby into a passionate obsession for me. So rereading them is a nice exercise in nostalgia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhelanArcetus Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 I've been reading Sarah Ash's Tears of Artamon series. At least, the first two books, Lord of Snow and Shadows and Prisoner of the Iron Tower. Pretty enjoyable, solid writing, seems a well thought-out and fleshed-out world. Actually, it's inspired me to start work on a new campaign setting, which, who knows, I might actually finish. After these I have one or two books I haven't read on the shelf, after which I will be making a big purchase I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ner0z Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 I just finished the Warrior Prophet and now I am scrambling around all the local book stores here to see if they will have the Thousandfold Thought for tomorrow. No luck so far, I might have to do an overnight shipping Jay is your review of TT spoiler free? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nobodymN Posted February 1, 2006 Author Share Posted February 1, 2006 Jay is your review of TT spoiler free? I would say it's spolier free to the point you won't realize it until after you read the book! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agulla Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 Strictly speaking these reads are from January but anyway here they are. If I had to find a title for them it could be something like: XIX centurish matters. Temerarie by Naomi Novik. I enjoyed this book even though I have to admit that there were moments when I wished that the author had dedicated more time in describing places, people and the general background. On the other hand this fast moving story was really interesting, and part of its merit lays on this adventure approach. A Princess of Roumania, by Paul Park. Well, with this book I felt just the opposite; there were moments when the story moved at such a creeping pace that it was hard to follow it. When I finished the book I read the author's interview by Jay Tomio and many things became clear to me. The parts that I found more difficult to follow, with a sometime disjoined narrative, broken pace and less clear sense of the plot were those about the main character, Miranda. It was not strange that the author found them the most difficult to write, they were the most complex parts of the tale. Of course when the story returned to the antagonist, Nicola Ceausescu (and the rest of antagonists because she is not alone here) everything changed, the pace became more vivid, the story more lively and fresh. No wonder that the author says that her chapters were the easiest ones (it reminds me of GRRM talking about Tyrion and Bran chapters). And it was such a great story. I'm sure that now that the plot is well established Miranda's tale will improve and become far more interesting (the last parts of the book were excellent) and if just for the sake of Nicola Ceausescu I was more than decided to read the second book, with this promise I'm now craving for it. After these two fine books I felt in need of something also related to the age they portray but with a different flavour. So far I had had a valiant, sensible and disciplined Royal Navy captain and his brave, intelligent and loyal dragon, a Roumanian princess in hiding and her loyal friends, her crafty enemies and her stalwart allies. It was time for a bastard XIX century style; it was time for Harry Flashman. Royal Flash, by George MacDonald Fraser. What can I say about this book, that I had a funny time reading this homage to the Prisoner of Zenda? That it made me laugh to my utter embarrassment when noticing how other passengers in the subway were looking at me? Well, let's just say that I concluded that the last thing that beleaguered Roumania would need would be Harry Flashman coming to its rescue. Fortunately for this historical fantasy country, this will not happen, but I couldn't avoid toying with the notion when I was reading this book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davos Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 Just finished The Anibus Gate by Tim Powers. Wonderful little read with a fresh take on time travel and magic amoung other things. Powers is a true original and this was marvelous fun. Just started reading The Tooth Fairy by Graham Joyce, almost completely on the rather enthusiastic recommendation of Stego. Not far enough in to have formed an opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BaldBull Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 Just started "Hawkwood's Voyage" and I'm digging it, thinking about buying all the sequels after work. Also queued up is "The Stone of Farewell". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ixodes Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 Just started reading The Tooth Fairy by Graham Joyce, almost completely on the rather enthusiastic recommendation of Stego. Not far enough in to have formed an opinion. I have also started reading this, as well. I am only a few chapters into it so far, although I will never look at a Northern Pike the same again. Post your thoughts when you are finished reading it, I will be interested to hear your opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thiazyl Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 I am currently reading The Darkness that Comes Before and I am thoroughly enjoying it. I'm not sure if I'm going to read The Warrior Prophet right after or take a break and read something else from my 'to read list' such as Erikson, or more Vance, or some short stories, either Link or REH. It should be some good reading either way. Jay, I also have Elantris on my 'to read list' and have been looking forward to this, however, your comments have lessened my enthusiasm. When you say "underwhelmed" is this because you had high expectations and it hasn't delivered or is it just not that good? thiazyl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nobodymN Posted February 1, 2006 Author Share Posted February 1, 2006 I also have Elantris on my 'to read list' and have been looking forward to this, however, your comments have lessened my enthusiasm. When you say "underwhelmed" is this because you had high expectations and it hasn't delivered or is it just not that good? Well, to be honest, I rarely go into a boo with huge expectations, and would describe the information I had pre-reading the book was that peopel that tended to enjoy epic fantasy either exclusively or as a main preferences enjoyed it, and people who don't really have that focus, thought is was marginal, but adequate. While, I don't want to make any sweeping comment on the book until I'm done, the dialogue seems -- at times -- disjointed, which isn't my my main issue as much as why it is actually disjointed, as I see know reasons (in terms of narrative struture) of why it should be. This is not a overly complex book, and isn't usng any uncommon narrative forms, and I just wonder why there are instances like that in the dialogue. I don't want anyone to get the wrong impression, I'm not saying I'm not enjoying the read at all, I can certainly almost say without doubt that it's not a bad read, and I can already tell Sanderson is more gifted than many of his fellows in the sub-genre and I'm already looking forward to Mistborne (which apparently is being sent to me). It's not a drag or anything like that, and my understanding is that it concludes rather effectively, I will also add that I'm coming off of reading VanderMeer's Shriek: an afterword, and Prodigy by David Kalsten a debut as well), which I though were just amazing reads and I'm only just starting Elantris and sometimes it takes me a moment to switch gears. I'm going to review the book at my blog (as someone reviewed it at FBS already), so more later... I only meant I'm not jumping up and down at brilliance of the book, but nor am I newcombing the book (going on my roof and throwing it into the Med. sea). It's a capable epic debut (thus far) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Werthead Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 Just started "Hawkwood's Voyage" and I'm digging it, thinking about buying all the sequels after work. Also queued up is "The Stone of Farewell". Excellent! Kearney is a great author. Had a bit of a book-buying spree this last week (birthday vouchers!) and wound up with Bakker's The Warrior-Prophet, Kearney's The Mark of Ran and Kay's The Last Light of the Sun. Was also going to mass-grab a ton of Gaiman volumes (American Gods Revised Edition, Neverwhere Revised Edition, Stardust and Smoke and Mirrors) in their great new covers, but common sense prevailed. I've got more than enough to be going on with. Plus the fact that I'm trying valiantly to get through my The Malazan Book of the Fallen re-read before The Bonehunters comes out (4 weeks today, people), but am only halfway through Memories of Ice. May have to try and blitz through it tomorrow in a massive reading session. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ser Barry Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 Brighton Rock Graham Greene Suitably impressed by a book which has been recommended to me on numerous occasions. Fast paced enough to breeze through in two days but weighty enough be a memorable read. I would guess that the story has aged but the quality of the writing will never grow old and I am going to borrow another GG book from the library next time I get down there. Gardens of the Moon has the best start of a fantasy book since I found GRRM, consider me intrigued. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kat Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 Just finished Emma Bull's War for the Oaks, which was a nice, light break. Now I'm taking a break from SF for a stretch and reading Simon Schama's Landscape and Memory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
necron9dee9 Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 I'm rereading A Feast for Crows at the moment, since after I first read it, I had forgot so much from the previous books, that I went back and read the summaries on towerofthehand.com. I'm noticing alot more this second time around. I'm also reading "Lucky", by Alice Sebold, and "The Innkeepers Song" by Peter S. Beagle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isis Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 Brighton Rock Graham Greene Suitably impressed by a book which has been recommended to me on numerous occasions. Fast paced enough to breeze through in two days but weighty enough be a memorable read. I would guess that the story has aged but the quality of the writing will never grow old and I am going to borrow another GG book from the library next time I get down there. I just bought a second-hand copy of BR last week (published in 1956, it cost 2/6 - I love old books). The last GG book I read was The End of the Affair, which I really liked. I have also started reading this, as well. I am only a few chapters into it so far, although I will never look at a Northern Pike the same again. Post your thoughts when you are finished reading it, I will be interested to hear your opinion.I read this a few years back and I also highly recommend it. Joyce gets nasty little boys spot on, the way they talk, the things they do, the dynamic between them. And the fairy is a great character too. I think of almost prefer fantasy that takes fantastic creatures or concepts and puts them into the 'real world' rather than stories set in fictional worlds. When I think of Joyce I always think of the stick he got for including one of his books as part of his PhD thesis after it had already been published. He did have an excuse for it, I can't quite recall what it was though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
koudoulis Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 The darkness that comes before - by ... oh come on you know who... Im going slowly cause im in the middle of exams but i rather like it and i like the names.... we ll see how it goes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
williamjm Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 I'm currently reading "Diplomatic Immunity" by Lois McMaster Bujold. It isn't the most ambitious plot compared to some of the earlier Vorkoskigan books but it is still good fun. I'm a bit sad that there are currently no more new Vorkoskigan books for me to read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazzlebane Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 I'm a hundred pages into Warrior Prophet (having read DTCB in January). Very rich, very thoughtful series, and exciting too. Since Book 3 is on its way out, I'll probably be reading that next. I have also just read Njal's Saga, which is a thirteenth century account of 10th century Icelandic events. It's quite a good read, though it is a long way from modern prose. It's basically the story of a bloodfeud between a man named Njal, his wife and his sons and another family. Along the way it includes tales of viking raids, shipboard battles, sneaky murders, and even "courtroom drama" at the Althings. It's an interesting glimpse into the past. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ser Sean Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 About to finish Joe Haldemans 'The Forever war' and then move on to my first ever Erikson book. Really enjoying forever war and just pissed off at not reading it sooner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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