July reading

[Ser Barry]

Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch

A very good book which is only let down by the fact that it does not quite live up to its' predecessor. It is effortlessly entertaining with cracking dialogue and a plot to delight in. It only falls down where TLOLL excelled. SL knows the fantasy genre well enough to be able play on cliches and use them to twist expectations, unfortunately he just falls into pirate cliches at times in RSURS. This is a minor complaint with regards to an outstanding book, roll on number 3.

[Bastard of Godsgrace]

I started The Dreaming Void and I am decidedly liking it so far. I have guesses about identities of some main characters. U wonder if they will prove right. I can't warm to the void sequences, though. I am sure tehy are going somewhere, but after first two they failed to engage me.

[▲Jim▲]

I have finished reading Guards! Guards!. I thought the book was good. For any one who has not read it, it is about a group of people who are not very smart, and try to summon a dragon to overthrow the current government and crown a "king". The current government is run by a man who has hired idiots (on purpose) as the city watch, and has theives and murders and the like out in the open. They set up plans on how much can be stolen and how many peole can be killed annually to help control crime. I will not go in further detail because I know I will throw in the whole story, it is the 8th book in Discworld.

Right now I am reading The Lies of Locke Lamora (first time reading it) before I get my hands on RSURS. I am about 275 pages in so far and am enjoying it.

[davos]

I'm reading Reaper's Gale by Steven Erikson. I'm about half-way through so I can't voice an opinion on the book but I'm enjoying it greatly so far.

[duchess of malfi]

Mouse Guard Fall 1152 by David Petersen.

I have fallen in love with the artwork in this little graphic novel.

And the sex in Laurell K. Hamilton's books has major suckage. I never knew sex could be so boring! She eliminates anything erotic or fun or sexy or passionate out of it. It is like really bad sports play by play. I mean - that author even makes orgies, three ways, and bestiality boring. And this horrible badly written tripe takes the place of a plot in her later books. I have honestly wondered if Hamilton has gone insane!

I mean the earlier books in her series were violent paranormal mysteries with really tight plots. And with no warning they suddenly turned into boring fur and feather and fang orgies with no plots at all.

It really makes you wonder what in the world happened to the writer.

[Max the Mostly Mediocre]

I think we can state unequivocally that LKH isn't playing with all her marbles.

In that rant about the 'negative fans' she posted a few months back, she, um, said that she often picks out presents and stuff to buy for her characters, and only remembers when she's in line/paying that you can't give gifts to imaginary people.

I'm pretty confident you have to be fucked in the head to do that.

[Mr. X]

Have you read A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge?

No, but we do have a copy of it. I started with A Fire Upon The Deep first because it was published first. It's interesting, though I was a bit surprised to see it came out in 1992. To me, it reads like something that would have been written in the 60s, in terms of the character names, the aliens, and the general prose style.

[blackwater]

Have you read A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge?

No, but Fire in the Sky was one of the books I quit reading. I just couldn't make myself read it further. Boring.

[Multaniette]

Reading RSURS and Kushiel's Justice. Both books are definitely failing to live up to their predecessor's standards.

[Peadar]

Reading "Saturn Returns" by Sean Williams. Mixed feelings so far. Lots of good SF ideas weakened by what seem to be enormous plot-holes. There is yet time for him to plug the gaps, however, as I'm only half-way.

[VarysTheSpider]

The State of Africa, A history of Fifty Years of Independence - Martin Meredith.

On the whole I liked this book. As a short history of near enough every country and region of Africa, what it lacks in depth of detail it makes up for in breath of subject matter. It's very well researched and has a highly accessible prose. But as should go without saying, it can be damn depressing.

One thing bothered me. Merdith's conclusion appears to be "power corrupts." But the causes of why this might be more true in Africa are left largely unexplored. So the book is basically a narrative - informative and interesting, but definitely not all that intellectually challenging.

The Time Machine - HG Wells.

I really can't fault this book. The story is short, the plot is simple, the execution is excellent. It helps put time in a better perspective.

[Lawrence]

I finished The Black Company by Glen Cook this morning. Can't really say it was a great read, took me a lot time and effort to get through it (even though it's only 300 pages or so). Review can be found here, if you are interested. After reading this one, I can't really say I am inclined to read any other Black Company novel, the story seems so just so lineair and bleak. A shame really, because I would like to read more gritty novels, like these. Can anyone recommend me more books similar in gritty style, apart from Erikson's?

I have now started on the Briar King by Greg Keyes, the first novel in the tetralogy "The Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone". I have read this one before, but I couldn't remember all the details and twists of the story so I figured to read it again, before moving on with the second novel, The Charnel Prince.

[Tears of Lys]

WTF??? There's 45 guests on this thread??

Sign up, for Chrissake!

[beniowa]

Tell me about it. The other day I noticed for the board as a whole there were about 40 members online and nearly 200 guests. What the heck are all those people doing?

[Lawrence]

Spying on all you guys and lurking in the shadows.....

[The Wedge]

Only 60 something pages in, but Red Seas Under Red Skies has been a fun ride so far.

SPOILER: RSURS

The scene where Jean walks in and takes control of the Brass Coves and his subsequent cajoling of Locke from his self-inflicted torpor are both sidesplitting funny

[Muttering Bill]

I'm trying not to start anything too ambitious this month. Really, just stalling while I wait for Red Seas Under Red Skies (I'll wait until I can buy it in store).

So I started with Storm Front and Fool Moon - Nice quick books. And it doesn't demand that I read the next right away.

In between finished The Idiot which I started almost 2 years ago and abandoned halfway. Kind of disappointing.

Right now am working through The Summoner - pretty basic stuff. Not terribly interesting as the main character is pretty much just wandering around the countryside helping out random ghosts. Interesting enought that I'll finish it tho.

Probably finish my re-read of Deadhouse Gates afterward. And if I still have time Grave Peril afterward.

[sparky]

Just started Otherland by Tad Williams. Only 100 pages in, but I'm really liking it. It's my first Williams, and while I've always been interested in the series, I was well aware that he's a VERY love him / hate him kind of writer. I reserve the right to change my mind anywhere in the next 3,600 pages (or however many there are), but as of right now, the writing is surprisingly good (I expected a prolific, if unspectacular, writer, and I'm getting one that's actually fun to read) and the ideas are VERY good.

Mike

[williamjm]

but as of right now, the writing is surprisingly good (I expected a prolific, if unspectacular, writer, and I'm getting one that's actually fun to read) and the ideas are VERY good.

There's nothing much wrong with either Williams' writing or ideas, he just tends to be a bit (or very) long-winded.

[sparky]

There's nothing much wrong with either Williams' writing or ideas, he just tends to be a bit (or very) long-winded.

As a veteran of Proust (yes, all of it ), I can handle ANYTHING as long as it holds my interest and even through patches where it doesn't. I think I've got it made...