September Reading Thread

[nobodymN]

Cal -

I wanted to get back to Winterbirth (as I have progressed, but still not to far into the book). What we have brewing is a Thane who presides over other Thanes (Thane of Thanes) that owe him feality, yet govern theri own lands. It kind of has a lot of elements we see common in several books, but bear with me: There is an ancient enemy in the north (the people who made the stand described in my prior post apparently) and while the are always an ominous threat, activity from them has reduced to almost nothing. The Northern lords who have defended against this threat for centuries (as they are on the boder of what is being descriebd as the 'black road') find themselves being the subject of ordered troop movements and depletions by the Thane of Thanes, for strictly power balancing/political reasonings (ie without the threat of the North, inner politcs has come to the forefront - what is possibley just pure paranoia, or the plan of the North itself).

Now, I want to make it clear the term "the Black Road' should be taken as something thrown about as silly like 'dark lord' but seems to be something else entirely. It seems these people in the North are of the feeling that the gods wil not retun until all are assimilated into their doctorine (as of yet unexplained).

There is also an interesting element of a race of people that are the product of intermingling between races that are gifted with some clairavoyance (again as of yet not really fleshed out, it's clear these people are a bit shunned - bigotry - although some can achieve status, most apparently live as nomadic tribes outside of proper cities) There seems to be differing factions (tribes) between this group as well.

Now, alot of this is simply guess work and going off of single lines in the book, but it seems it leading up to the once deafeated north invading the south while possibly going through a civil war of its own, while the tribes in the south remain a semi-enigma.

Thus far, the only POV's have been (exlcuding one paragraph and the aforementioned prologue) have been in the South and the thaneholds so I can't be sure if the North is going to be subject of POV's or if it's going to be relegated to the 'evil north' - but my initial feeling is that they won't be the latter.

From a style point of view I have found some instances of over- descriptive passages and a tendency to start each paragraph in such a manner. I haven't decided if it's unecessarily going to add 100 pages of fluff to the book, or if it's really working for me yet. There is a lot of name dropping of cities, landscape, and of past history, the actions of which again will have to be judged in further reading whether or not it's part of a tapestry or just ball of yarn.

What is good is that all that occurs within 50 some odd pages - I'm not sold on it yet, but I am interested in reading more about the tribes and people of the North.

[Happy Ent]

(empty post)

[MinDonner]

Just finished Otherland (not the whole series, just the first book)... I tried very hard to like it but in the end my brain just revolted at the way the plot had been contrived to fit around the main idea (full-immersion VR internet). The characters seemed to be just ciphers to illustrate particular plot points, but the overall impression I got was that Tad Williams REALLY REALLY WANTED to write a book set on the Holodeck and didn't slow down for long enough to sort out a story. I've borrowed the whole series from a friend so I'll give the next one a go too; maybe it'll get better...? (full review on the blog as usual)

[Chaldanya]

Justina Robson? I think a few people have been reccing that book quite a lot. Peter F. Hamilton, my favourite SF writer, has recced that a few times as well so I may have to take a look.

That's the very girl, right there! I'll have to give it a bit more of a chance. But I'm kinda hooked on Lies atm...

Peter F. Hamilton was my fave SR writer until I encountered Alistair Reynolds.

I really enjoyed the Nights Dawn Trilogy right up until the ending when it sucked arse. I like his mindstar books. They were a nice, fun read.

N

[Werthead]

Just finished Otherland (not the whole series, just the first book)... I tried very hard to like it but in the end my brain just revolted at the way the plot had been contrived to fit around the main idea (full-immersion VR internet). The characters seemed to be just ciphers to illustrate particular plot points, but the overall impression I got was that Tad Williams REALLY REALLY WANTED to write a book set on the Holodeck and didn't slow down for long enough to sort out a story. I've borrowed the whole series from a friend so I'll give the next one a go too; maybe it'll get better...? (full review on the blog as usual)

The first book is okay, but the rest of the series is pretty good, up until about 100 pages into Book 4 when you suddenly realise that the highly episodic nature of the story means that it could have been half as long and just as good, if not better. It's Williams' best work to date (IMO) but not as strong as it could have been.

That's the very girl, right there! I'll have to give it a bit more of a chance. But I'm kinda hooked on Lies atm...

Peter F. Hamilton was my fave SR writer until I encountered Alistair Reynolds.

I really enjoyed the Nights Dawn Trilogy right up until the ending when it sucked arse. I like his mindstar books. They were a nice, fun read.

N

Alastair Reynolds does do the same thing though. Chasm City has a good ending (if bizarrely similar to the PS game Final Fantasy VII) and Revelation Space and Redemption Ark are both good, but the ending of Absolution Gap is far worse than anything Hamilton has done. Then the ending, and most of the book, of Century Rain was just kind of...silly. It's well written, but as the book goes on the inherent bizarreness of the concept just seemed to slow it down and I must confess to inadvertant laughter towards the end. I'm hoping Pushing Ice and The Watchtower are a return to Reynolds' prior form.

As for Hamilton, I found the ending to Night's Dawn kind of lame when I first read it, but re-reads showed how Hamilton was building up to it much more clearly and it was a fairly logical way to resolve the story. The Commonwealth Saga was nearly as good as Night's Dawn, but the second book wasn't as strong as the first and it had one of those annoying, "Endings-that-aren't-endings-but-instead-pave-the-way-for-a-sequel-series-

even-though-this-was-advertised-as-just-one-series-hello-Bakker-I'm-looking-at-you-as-well," -style endings. And of course, Misspent Youth was just porn, with some vaguely interesting social/technical commentary thrown in.

[oneeye]

I read the first 3 wots at 34 and I liked the second and third quite a lot, the first seemed unoriginal

the fourth got me bogged down though.

I'm reading on basilisk station by weber right now, supposed to be horatio hornblower in space but not feeling the magic yet.

Also going to read a fistful of charms on the plane later this month. 4th book in a series. The ivy/rachel/jenkins series is probably the most engaging and interesting urban modern vampire/witch/fairy group of novels I've ever read.

anita blake was ok for the first few books then she went to all hell with endless drab sex scenes and no plot.

[Ser Hot Pie]

I'm currently reading Forest Mage by Robin Hobb. I'm about 2/3 of the way through and enjoying it quite a bit. I know a lot of people disliked Shaman's Crossing, but I wasn't one of them. But if you were you would probably react to FM in pretty much the same way.

After that, it's on to How Few Remain by Turtledove.

[saint777]

Just finished The Healthy Dead by Erikson. TOTAL FUCKING BADASS. Page for page one of the best books I've ever read. At turns hilarious, philosophical and just plain demented, I enjoyed the hell out of this book. The most outrageously fun reading I've had this year.

I'm going to start up Midnight Tides next so that pretty much takes up the rest of September.

After MT I've stocked up some horror reading for October.

[Klegane the Kinhater]

I am currently Reading The Thousandfold Thought by R Scott Bakker. I was able to pick up an autographed copy at my local bookstore which was a huge plus, not to mention that The Prince of Nothing Series is rediculously amazing.

Next comes Shaman's Crossing by Hobb. Farseer + Tawny Man books were also page turners so I am expecting good things despite the negative feedback on these boards.

[Ser Hot Pie]

I am currently Reading The Thousandfold Thought by R Scott Bakker. I was able to pick up an autographed copy at my local bookstore which was a huge plus, not to mention that The Prince of Nothing Series is rediculously amazing.

Next comes Shaman's Crossing by Hobb. Farseer + Tawny Man books were also page turners so I am expecting good things despite the negative feedback on these boards.

K the K,

I recommend the Liveship Traders trilogy if you haven't read it. So far it's my fav of the Hobb runs. My only wish is that I read it in its proper order (between Farseer & Tawny Man) as there is a chapter or two in TM that would have made much more sense to me at the time.

Enjoy!

[Multaniette]

The Singer's Crown - Elaine Isaak

Standard Epic Fantasy. The writer's a poorer version of Mercedes Lackey. If you don't mind childish, surcose-laden, mindless reads begging for a suspension of disbelieve in course of reading then this might be enjoyable for you. Everyone is such a forgiving angel and such an absolute goody-two-shoes that I wanted to kill the whole caste. Some fanfiction writers have better characterization in their stories and can pace them better as well.

Rating: 3/10

[PuroGeo]

Thanks Pat5150 for the quick review on Flight of the Nighthawks. I been wanting to check it out and I am glad to hear that it is good.

This is my list for the month of September. I am currently reading The Winter King by Bernard Cornwell. I am close to a hundred pages into it and I am enjoying it more and more as I read.

I also want to finish reading Preacher graphic novels and hopefully start on The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams.

[Ser Barry]

Driving Over Lemons by Chris Stewart

This is a book of the experiences of an Englishman who bought a farm in Andalucia and how he went about making a life for himself and his family there. Chris Stewart had actually spent an interesting life up until he started on this venture, amongst other things drumming on Genesis' first album and then quitting, writing for Rough Guide and spending two months of every year shearing sheep in Sweden and being well paid for it. His life experiences mean that this is not a fish out of water story but rather a fish in a different pond story. He is fairly capable, optimistic, achingly English and very good company. He does not feel the need to explain every last struggle and triumph in detail but rather breezes through four years or so of his new life picking out the most entertaining/tragic/funny moments and taking you along for the ride. As with all books like this it is the people he meets that make the story and Chris had the luck (good or otherwise) to meet some people that you actually want to read about. My only complaint was that 250 pages was not enough space. The good news is that there is a sequel, Parrot in a Pepper Tree, which has been plonked on the to-read list. Read it, it will put a smile on your face.

[Happy Ent]

Audiobooks: Finished Effi Briest by Theodor Fontane, viewed by many as one the best German novel of all time. Shame on me for not having read it earlier. Late 19th century German realism, and the prose is so good it's not even funny. (Actually, it is funny!) I do prefer Mann, but Fontane has a lightness to his tone that makes every moment a pure joy.

Now starting The Historian by Kostova.

[Xray the Enforcer]

Now starting The Historian by Kostova.

:cry:

Gods, I well and truly disliked that book.

I'm re-reading Tigana by GG Kay and Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy. Tigana because I just felt like it. Blood Meridian because I'm gettin' my mental teeth prepared to chomp into McCarthy's new book, The Road. I'm curious how far he'll drift into spec fic (the book is set in the future, after some world-shattering apocalyptic event). Heh. I'll probably nominate it for a Hugo next year, just because.

[Khamul]

I'm waiting to recieve the first two books of the Farseer trilogy; I already have the third. I've heard they should be very good, so I'm looking forward to starting them.

I've recently bought the three first books of 'the Black Company' by Glen Cook, and I started on the first the other day, called simply 'The Black Company'. But I'm regretting buying them because they do absolutely nothing for me. Compared to GRRM (whom I've been reeading on-off since finishing ASOIAF for the first time a month or two ago) it's barely fit to be used as firewood. The descriptions are shallow and a thousand things happen at once. It's all action, action, action and very few descriptions or time for reflections. I get the feel that they were written for boys with no patience for anything descriptive. Even the old dragonlance is better (not that they're particularly bad, but they are written for adolescents). I haven't finished it (quite far from it actually) so I won't say more about it, but don't buy them if you're looking for something on par with GRRM's writings.

[Stego]

Uhh....so far I've read Worldcon Guest of Honor Speeches, Infoquake by David Louis Edelman, and Glass House by Charlie Stross.

Tonight I intend to finish Scar Night by Alan Campbell.

In the near future, I have:

-Shreik by Jeff VanderMeer

-Mappa Mundi by Justoina Robson

-Only Begotten Daughter by James Morrow

-Day of The Triffids by John Wyndham

-Carmen Dog by Carol Emshwiller

-Threshold Shift by Eric Brown

-Seven Touches of Music by Zoran Zivkovic

-The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie

-Black Man by Richard Morgan

-The Long Tommorrow by Leigh Brackett

And, as always, you'll get a review of them on my horrible little blog.

[Xray the Enforcer]

where you act mean and make people sad.

[Stego]

[Jaxom 1974]

Well, some of the most entertaining reading recently has just been to read Stego's blog...

But I've started in on The Sundering, a Jacqueline Carey Omnibus of Banewreaker and Godslayer...