Second Quarter 2020 reading

[williamjm]

2 hours ago, dog-days said:

Which of the others caught your fancy?

Gideon the Ninth was a lot of fun. Some things I found a bit implausible (not the space necromancers who were perfectly plausible), which I think counts against it a bit.

The Ten Thousand Doors of January was also good but very slow to begin with.

[ithanos]

My reading of books this year has markedly attenuated, with my time increasingly taken up by other media. However I did manage to finish a couple books recently.

Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History by S. C. Gwynne. Filled with vividly disturbing & grisly detail, it paints the picture of clashing cultures, concessions, compromise and sadness. As with any historical account, one often needs to traipse around the interwebs afterwards to fact check a few things to see if they hold water. It's been suggested that John Ford's The Searchers, one of my favourite films, was inspired by some of the historical events described. Unfortunately some of the language used by the author highlights a bias seemingly ingrained that couldn't be edited out.  A good read, but could have been better.     
     
Being Winter in these parts I dusted off and re-read Wallace Breem's Eagle in the Snow. Another empire on the wane, clashing with cultures seeking greener, safer pastures. Always a good read when the temperature plummets. By attrition is the only form of Roman retreat known to General Maximus.

[Ormond]

The last two fiction books I read:

Ill Met By Moonlight by Sarah A. Hoyt.  This is a historical fantasy where a main character is a 19-year-old William Shakespeare. His wife Ann gets kidnapped by Sylvanus the king of the fairies. Actually the most important character is Quicksilver, the younger brother of Sylvanus who has had the throne stolen from him (in Hoyt's Fairyland it is the youngest child, not the eldest, who is supposed to have inherited the throne). Quicksilver is a very interesting character for a book published in 2001. He shapeshifts back and forth between male and female forms (though the male one is presented as being primary) and seduces Will while in the female form. He also grows over the course of the story, becoming less arrogant and more sympathetic. I enjoyed the book more than I thought I would -- I especially liked the portrayal of Ann Hathaway Shakespeare, who here is l an intelligent and interesting character in her own right.

The Hours by Michael Cunningham. A fairly short literary novel which one the 1999 Pulitzer prize, and was later made into a film which won Nicole Kidman an Oscar in 2002 (I have not seen the film). Cunningham's prose is excellent and I can see why this won a Pulitzer. It shifts back and forth between three different timelines, the oldest in 1923 where the characters are real people -- novelist Virginia Woolf and her family. The other two timelines focus on a 1950s housewife named Laura and a bisexual New Yorker named Clarissa, with these two parts linked by the fact that Clarissa's former lover and still best friend, Richard, is Laura's son. This is a novel which somehow manages to be somewhat hopeful about the human condition even though most of the characters are psychologically damaged or clueless, and two of them commit suicide. For anyone who does read literary fiction in addition to fantasy and science fiction, it's well worth your time. 

[Galactus]

I read City of Brass, I rather liked it, generally fairly complex situation, but I can't help but have a weird feeling the author has way more sympathy for certain characters and groups than I do, and way less for others. 

[Peadar]

I have started Firewalkers by Adrian Tchaikovsky. Great so far.

[Astromech]

Anne F Hyde's Empires, Nations, Families: A History of the North American West, 1800-1860. Interesting approach and focus to that period of American history.  Viewing it through various families and the trade relationships they established in, primarily, the fur trade.

[Jaxom 1974]

On 6/28/2020 at 3:09 PM, Galactus said:

I read City of Brass, I rather liked it, generally fairly complex situation, but I can't help but have a weird feeling the author has way more sympathy for certain characters and groups than I do, and way less for others. 

That's a good assumption.  I didn't think it took away from my enjoyment of the series overall yet...

 

Finishing my re-reas of the DragonCrown War Cycle this week...why?  I was bored.  It's good in places, terrible in others.  Has some nice ideas, but it's kinda classic Stackpole...

After that, it's onto Sailing to Sarantium...

[Gaston de Foix]

Starting reading MLN Hanover's Unclean Spirits after seeing a recommendation in the Urban fantasy section to tide over the wait for the next Dresden, Jacka and Verus.  Slow going so far but only 20 pages in. 

Also reading Robert Caro's biography of LBJ: Vol.1 Ascent to Power.  A mesmerizing biography.   

[Jo498]

I finished a children's classic I had never read as a kid (and probably would have found too boring anyway), Lagerlöf's "The Wonderful Adventures of Nils" (I read it in an early, probably the first German translation from the early 20th century). Written with the explicit goal to teach Swedish schoolchildren the geography (as well as some history, culture, traditional tales) of their home, it gets a  bit info-dumpy despite Lagerlöf taking pains to wrap everything into stories and fairy tales (with giants designing landscapes by accident or Rivers competing who can reach the sea first). As most people will know from cartoons or short versions, 14 year old Nils gets transformed by a "tomte" (a small magical gnome creature) to a small size (so he can ride larger birds and birds of prey and foxes become deadly dangers) because he was mean to animals and unruly towards his parents. But in his new shape he can also understand animals and talk to them; he basically regrets and reforms immediately but as it is not clear how to break the enchantment he sets of with one of his families ganders and joins a group of wild geese who are on their way back to the North of Sweden. So they zigzag across all of Sweden and thus cover all regions. It is mostly episodic with a few strains continuing throughout (such as two poor children who used to be Nils' goose-herding companions and a few animals, such as an eagle who was raised by the lead goose Akka, a smart raven and a fox who is the mortal enemy of the geese).

Overall, I was surprised how readable and entertaining the whole thing was. Sure, some of it is very quaint, some aspects a bit too specifically ca. 1900 Swedish, but there is also some excitement and some almost Dickensian episodes concerning the brutal conditions of industrialization although overall the tone is optimistic and the hardness and industry of the Swedish folk praised that helps them to make a living under all kinds of conditions. (Farming was considered the "soft and easy" work compared to fishing, forestry and mining, well, it certainly was the least dangerous). A great love of animals and nature as well as proto-environmental concerns are also clearly expressed.

[Gorn]

Currently taking a break from SF&F, I've finished reading Last Witnesses: An Oral History of the Children of World War II by Svetlana Alexievich. I was already familiar with her "documentary" style from Voices from Chernobyl and The Unwomanly Face of War. It was a difficult book to read despite its short length, due to the many, many horrors described by the survivors of WWII occupation of Belarus. However, I strongly recommend it, and I'll keep reading the rest of her books.

Next on my list are Zinky Boys and Second-Hand Time.

[williamjm]

I read through the three Hugo novella nominees I hadn't read yet.

I really liked Seanan McGuire's In An Absent Dream. I found the previous stories in the Wayward Children series to be entertaining but didn't think they were great, I thought this was the best of them so far. Out of the various portal worlds seen so far in the series I think the Goblin Market felt like the most interesting of them.

I also enjoyed P. Djeli Clark's The Haunting of Tram Car 015 about a couple of government paranormal investigators working in an alternate-history Cairo where djinn and other spirits are commonplace. It seems an interesting setting and I think novella length was appropriate for the plot. I see there has been another story in the same setting which I'll have to track down.

Finally I read Rivers Solomon's The Deep. The premise is fascinating - an underwater society of merwomen descended from women thrown overboard from slave ships - and I thought the 'historical' parts of the story were the highlight. Unfortunately I didn't like the main portion of the story as much, I think the protagonist had justification for lots of self-pity but it was still a bit tedious to read.

[Galactus]

Finished Empire of Gold and Kingdom of Copper it was... an ending. Not great, not terrible.

I kinda feel the series was at its best in the late early/middle stages. When we had a bunch of flawed people trying to navigate a complicated political situation and often acting at cross purposes. As the story went on and the sides became more and more "sorted" it lost a lot of that early appeal. 

Also, it feels weird to set it in such a specific timeframe and not have it interact with the plot or anything. (also I think there is a bit where someone fires multiple shots from a pistol in rapid succession, which wasnt impossible but would be notably rare for the timeframe)

[red snow]

I just  finished "book of coli" by MR Carey. I enjoyed it.  It's possible that his comics background makes him good at page-turners and ending chapters on cliffhangers that make you read just a little bit more each time. I'm also a sucker for post apocalyptic societies and how modern/near future tech is considered magical when civilization has had to reset. This book handles that aspect expertly and it's a real joy piecing together how place names, phrases and groups have altered over time (I particularly enjoyed the "parley men of london"). The slightly different grammar was only distracting for the first few chapters until it became perfectly natural.  This is a solid first act in a trilogy and I'm guessing things will escalate further with the next installments. Definitely worth a try for fans of "prince of thorns" and segments of "the passage" although this is a lot more light-hearted despite the apocalyptic setting. Plus, carnivorous trees are always a plus

[JGP]

I just finished Django Wexler's Ashes of the Sun.

Interesting worldbuilding. Main characters were fleshed out and compelling, Maya maybe more than Gyre, and if the secondary players weren't as much at least they had character. The story itself, I don't know. Not amazing, but good. There were definitely beats that felt inspired by GRRM, but who knows what influences they actually were-- could've been coincidental. The pacing was measured and the ending contained enough that it felt like one despite being the first in a series. 

I've admittedly had trouble reading the last few months. The mind is easily distracted by the vagaries we're all dealing with right now. I've dropped way more books than I've finished, so it felt good to more or less blaze through a story, it's been a while.

It was a welcome escape.   

[Peadar]

1 hour ago, red snow said:

I just  finished "book of coli" by MR Carey. I enjoyed it.  It's possible that his comics background makes him good at page-turners and ending chapters on cliffhangers that make you read just a little bit more each time. I'm also a sucker for post apocalyptic societies and how modern/near future tech is considered magical when civilization has had to reset. This book handles that aspect expertly and it's a real joy piecing together how place names, phrases and groups have altered over time (I particularly enjoyed the "parley men of london"). The slightly different grammar was only distracting for the first few chapters until it became perfectly natural.  This is a solid first act in a trilogy and I'm guessing things will escalate further with the next installments. Definitely worth a try for fans of "prince of thorns" and segments of "the passage" although this is a lot more light-hearted despite the apocalyptic setting. Plus, carnivorous trees are always a plus

One of my favourite reads of the year so far!

[john]

I see that Book of Koli is a cheap ebook on Amazon UK at the moment. Sounds like it’s worth picking up based on these endorsements.

(this isn’t the current reading thread though guys )

[JGP]

3 hours ago, red snow said:

I just  finished "book of coli" by MR Carey. I enjoyed it.  It's possible that his comics background makes him good at page-turners and ending chapters on cliffhangers that make you read just a little bit more each time. I'm also a sucker for post apocalyptic societies and how modern/near future tech is considered magical when civilization has had to reset. This book handles that aspect expertly and it's a real joy piecing together how place names, phrases and groups have altered over time (I particularly enjoyed the "parley men of london"). The slightly different grammar was only distracting for the first few chapters until it became perfectly natural.  This is a solid first act in a trilogy and I'm guessing things will escalate further with the next installments. Definitely worth a try for fans of "prince of thorns" and segments of "the passage" although this is a lot more light-hearted despite the apocalyptic setting. Plus, carnivorous trees are always a plus

That sounds intriguing. 

[red snow]

11 hours ago, Peadar said:

One of my favourite reads of the year so far!

It's rare that I'm left instantly wanting the next installment but that's the first thing i did upon finishing this. Luckily not too long a wait.

11 hours ago, john said:

I see that Book of Koli is a cheap ebook on Amazon UK at the moment. Sounds like it’s worth picking up based on these endorsements.

(this isn’t the current reading thread though guys )

This was the first apt one i could find. Maybe the title is throwing me off as "currently reading" is usually in the first page. Probably being blind.

[williamjm]

4 hours ago, red snow said:

This was the first apt one i could find. Maybe the title is throwing me off as "currently reading" is usually in the first page. Probably being blind.

Admittedly, I'm not sure how it's actually the third quarter already.