What Are You Reading? Third Quarter, 2022

[ljkeane]

The Martyr was okay. It definitely had a middle book feel to it, setting the scene for the next book but I still enjoyed it. Ryan's had a bit of an issue in the past with starting series well though and not really sticking the landing so we'll have to see how the next book goes.

After that I read Ogres one of Adrian Tchaikovsky's novellas. I quite enjoyed it. It's got an interesting premise as his stories tend to but I do find stuff in the second person a little irritating in general.

Next up I'm going to read A Brightness Long Ago by Guy Gavriel Kay.

[Ser Not Appearing]

Just started The Emperor's Blades by Brian Staveley.

I think it's underestimated how much the narrator matters to the quality of an audiobook.

[Fragile Bird]

1 hour ago, Ser Not Appearing said:

Just started The Emperor's Blades by Brian Staveley.

I think it's underestimated how much the narrator matters to the quality of an audiobook.

Lol, are you saying they’re good or bad? Kevin R. Free reading Murderbot is fabulous. The person who reads The Witness for the Dead books is great too. The reader can really make the book!

[mcbigski]

I've been on a Poul Anderson kick lately since a lot of his stuff is on Kindle Unlimited and I hadn't really read much of him before.  

Which also, kindle unlimited recs for sci fi and fantasy?  Most of the in app recs seem to be for parts of a series I've never heard of, but not the whole thing.  I get the marketing aspect of that, but really, any good one offs there you'd like to recommend?

[Argonath Diver]

I absolutely treasure Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn (and Otherland as well) and have been patiently waiting to dive into Tad Williams' return to Osten'Ard since The Witchwood Crown went to print. I've steadfastly ignored the series since, hoping to dive in once there was a truly Williams-an amount of text to dive into. With the release of the third leg of the series, I happily requested a familiar giant tome of very, very measured world and character building. I'm many hundreds of pages into the first novel, and delighted to revisit treasured old characters and have gotten to know the new ones. 

It's quite the slow read, but that's 100% what I was eager for. I'll be completely content reading the next 2400 pages or so of Osten'Ard slow burn, and will be ready for the finale, assuming a colossal finish and plenty of tears-into-the-beard mixed in with plenty more air-fist bumps. 

Williams has given me some of my all-time favorite main and periphery characters with his previous series. His methodical buildup may not be for everyone, but I'm enjoying every turn of the page.

[TheLastWolf]

Moscow Rules by Robert Moss, last time I read this (twas first time actually) I was 12. now it seems so different from a post teen perspective...less naivete more cynical

[Liffguard]

I'm currently about a third of the way through The Ballad of Perilous Graves by Alex Jennings. So far it's weird, haunting and soulful. Insofar as it has a plot, it's only just kicked into gear, so this is not for anyone who wants a quick, tight read. But if you want a meandering mystery with a captivating backdrop, then so far I can definitely recommend this.

[mix_masta_micah]

On 7/15/2022 at 12:26 AM, Argonath Diver said:

I absolutely treasure Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn (and Otherland as well) and have been patiently waiting to dive into Tad Williams' return to Osten'Ard since The Witchwood Crown went to print. I've steadfastly ignored the series since, hoping to dive in once there was a truly Williams-an amount of text to dive into. With the release of the third leg of the series, I happily requested a familiar giant tome of very, very measured world and character building. I'm many hundreds of pages into the first novel, and delighted to revisit treasured old characters and have gotten to know the new ones. 

It's quite the slow read, but that's 100% what I was eager for. I'll be completely content reading the next 2400 pages or so of Osten'Ard slow burn, and will be ready for the finale, assuming a colossal finish and plenty of tears-into-the-beard mixed in with plenty more air-fist bumps. 

Williams has given me some of my all-time favorite main and periphery characters with his previous series. His methodical buildup may not be for everyone, but I'm enjoying every turn of the page.

For my money, this newest batch of Osten Ard is superior to the original trilogy. I'm currently reading Into the Narrowdark and it's been splendid! 

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

So far this year I've made a pretty solid dent in the Batman comics/graphic novels:

• Year One
• The Long Halloween
• Dark Victory
• Haunted Knight
• The Man Who Laughs
• The Dark Knight Returns

The Killing Joke is up next which will probably be the last Batman story I check out for a bit. I've got copies of Superman For All Seasons and X-Men: Grand Design on the way.

Thunderball is quickly becoming one of my favorite Bond books. In general I think Flemings' works are better when you get less Bond and more time with the villains. 

Can't wait to get to King of the World by David Remnick, a highly regarded book about Muhammad Ali.

[TormundsWoman]

On 7/9/2022 at 1:37 PM, VigoTheCarpathian said:

Started The Buried Giant, by Ishiguro (author was recommended to me and this is what they had on my library shelf), and am hoping to see where it goes.

How do you like it so far?

I personally loved the idea and the voyage into the Athurian lands and magical features. Between the old adorable couple, the young kid and the knight, I thought they made sort of the fellowship that made sense. 

The idea that Ishiguro explores in the end about forgetfulness and losing your past and is it better or not is pretty controversial. I found that many did not like the book because of it. Also the slow burn of the writing.

 

I started a reread of The Histories by Herodous. I still see it as a largely storytales based on history. Whatever he sacrifices as historical accuracy he makes up in dramatic writing. Gotta be honest I never could read it all at once in a single period of time. In the past reads, I usually broke it up by books while putting it on the back burner for another couple of months and then picking it up again. Maybe this time I can finish without this big pauses.

[Fragile Bird]

The Prague Cemetery got sent back to the library only 1/3 rd read. I put a hold on it again, but I’m not sure it’s worth it. There have been so many vile things said in the book by this racist character that it’s a hard slog listening to it and I need to set it aside frequently.

[VigoTheCarpathian]

1 hour ago, TormundsWoman said:

How do you like it so far?

I personally loved the idea and the voyage into the Athurian lands and magical features. Between the old adorable couple, the young kid and the knight, I thought they made sort of the fellowship that made sense. 

The idea that Ishiguro explores in the end about forgetfulness and losing your past and is it better or not is pretty controversial. I found that many did not like the book because of it. Also the slow burn of the writing.

Finished and I enjoyed it, but…I probably wouldn’t recommend it, especially as a fantasy novel.  The allegory is an interesting one to explore, and the “mood” of the book was good, with the characters’ memories jumbled and history gradually revealed.  The world seemed sketched out very sparely, and I wanted a little bit more about it.  Some parts of the story didn’t seem necessary or I didn’t grok their overall significance.  But I liked the elderly couple moving through the world, and the scenes with the boatman were la very sad fairytale.

[Starkess]

I recall really enjoying The Buried Giant when I read it a couple years ago. Don't remember a lot of the details now, heh.

I finished listening to The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah. I've not read anything else by her but apparently she's known for being a bit of a tearjerker, so it's probably not surprising that the book is a toil of misery. But I mean, Great Depression/Dust Bowl weren't really known for being super fun times. Anyway, despite the grimness, I actually found it hopeful in a way. I did think it was a bit long and meandering, but when viewed as the story of the life of Elsa and not of the story of any of their actual adventures, it makes more sense. Took me a bit to get that orientation at the start. The ending was a little strange, taking the story in a new direction rather suddenly, leading to a culminating event that was a little like huh okay. But I think it worked alright.

2 hours ago, mix_masta_micah said:

For my money, this newest batch of Osten Ard is superior to the original trilogy. I'm currently reading Into the Narrowdark and it's been splendid! 

That's good to know! I read the original trilogy and liked it okay but didn't love it. And considering the amount of time invested, I'd probably not want to embark on another trilogy without knowing if it was at least a little better.

[TheLastWolf]

Found Megacorp by Jonathan Black (pseudonym) and FairOaks by Frank Yerby in my late grand uncle's loft, the former is capitalist and moralising while the latter is feudal and racist like nothing I've encountered but overall enjoyable.

[ljkeane]

So A Brightness Long Ago wasn't the book I was expecting it to be. It's my own fault for not really paying attention I suppose but I'd just assumed that a prequel to Children of Earth and Sky was going to be about the fall of Sarantium. Still, it was a good book anyway.

Next I'm going to read Notes from the Burning Age by Claire North.

[Wilbur]

I wrapped up The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison (Sarah Monette) this morning in audiobook form read by Kyle McCarley.  The book deserves all of the awards and accolades that it has received, as it is well written, the characters are multi-dimensional, the conflicts are credible, and the world is well-built.  The reader of the audiobook also does a fine job differentiating characters without ever quite falling into caricature of accent.

My own reservation comes from the setting, as I have a hard time empathizing with an Emperor.  The teenage angst coupled with an abusive guardian is well-handled, and I want to like the protagonist and sympathize with the challenges he faces, but then I remember that this requires me to like or identify with an authoritarian ruler whose only qualification for this power and wealth is birth.  For me, this causes a lot of cognitive dissonance.

[polishgenius]

I read Miles Cameron's space opera, Artifact Space. We know by know what we're getting with Cameron- protagonists leaning towards the mary-sueish, but written with verve and character and with entertaining twisty plots combining mazes of intrigue with intricately-detailed battle/fight sequences. He transposes that formula from medieval fantasy to space well, and I gotta say I enjoyed this more than his last series. Bit less hurried. Looking forward to the next, although I see that it's not scheduled yet and in the interim he has published the first in a completely separate series (back to the fantasy). Will pick that up at some stage.

[Ser Not Appearing]

I too read The Buried Giant and enjoyed it. It's been a couple of years and I don't remember lots of specifics but I remember thinking it had a very different feel from most books and I found it a very enjoyable reprieve from what I would consider my more standard experience reading fantasy.

[Iskaral Pust]

Once again I’ve lost track of which recent reads I’ve posted.

Mrs. Mohr Goes Missing by Maryla Szymiczkowa is a murder mystery set in 19th century Cracow (in the Austrian-Hungarian empire).  It’s witty and funny, using a Russian-ish style in describing the various characters, and a pushy, social-climbing protagonist.  I enjoyed it as a one-off although I doubt I’ll pursue the series further.

Neither Here Nor There: Travels in Europe by Bill Bryson is from the early 1990s so it feels more like a history book than a travel book.  Pre-internet challenges in information and booking travel, plus a less integrated Europe, make this feel like a time capsule.

Less Than Zero by Brett Easton Ellis is a supposedly renowned literary fiction coming of age story about rich kids in LA in the early 1980s who have already partied too much.  OK but prose needed to be better.

The North Water by Ian McGuire is a historical fiction about a murder that occurs on a Greenland whaling voyage as that industry is declining from its peak.  Really well written, good characters, and balances the exploration of the history with the arc of the characters.  Recommended.

The Midnight Line by Lee Child is a generic Jack Reacher novel.  They’re all the same but fun enough for a quick read.

Kin by Snorri Kristjansson is a historical fiction set in Viking Norway.  It’s a claustrophobic story of family dynamics and tensions, set in this historical culture, that eventually result in murder.  The second half of the book becomes a proto murder mystery while prioritizing the historical and cultural setting.  Don’t expect a Viking Sherlock Holmes.  Well written.  Unusual to see a historical fiction set in the Viking era without a focus on longships, raids, feuds, etc.

[TheLastWolf]

32 minutes ago, Iskaral Pust said:

The Midnight Line by Lee Child is a generic Jack Reacher novel.  They’re all the same but fun enough for a quick read.

Some are really good. But the one mentioned was a disappointment