November 2008 reads

[Quarterman]

Just finished [b]Meat[/b] by Joseph D'Lacey, interesting horror novel that resembles many post-apocalyptic dystopias. But do love how the author painted a picture of a society re-inventing itelf from the ashes of a previous civilization based around the concept meat is survival. Low points are the heroes suddenly possess near superhuman abilities to starve themselves and able the beat the shit out of multiple combatants (even twice their size), and instead of D'Lacey really going into the trenches with this book really knocking my cog off there are times where like previously mentioned it goes far over the top or upends an otherwise great gripping story by leaning towards preachiness. However, the violence is intense and moments were nearly unbearable and squirmy. And the message is quite powerful throughout its pages no doubt and the ending is very moving and fitting. *snifle,snifle* (Break out the tissues) But overall alittle disappointing and anticipated something higher than...

7/10

Next up, [b]Banquet For The Damned[/b] by Adam L G Nevill, another debut horror novel written by a Briton. The novel has been called Jamesian, or rather in M R James tradition.

[Serious Callers Only]

Read air, Geoff Ryman. Strange ending.
Read book 2 of the Geodesica - Descent.

[Deornoth]

I've just finished reading James Barclay's 'Ravensoul', the last ride of the Raven mercenary company. I didn't see how he cold bring them all back but he did and it was brilliant. Definitely one for the fans (i.e. me!), my full review is over [url="http://www.graemesfantasybookreview.com"]Here[/url]. I'm now reading Brandon Sanderson's 'The Well of Ascension'...

[Muttering Bill]

I've had a bit of ADD lately, dropping a few book halfway through. Not necessarily because they were bad, but because the mood struck me to start something else.

I finished [i]Spin [/i](Wilson), which I started last month. I probably don't have to say anything more than that I quite enjoyed it.

Still to finish I have: [i]Thunderer [/i](Gilman), [i]The Company [/i](Parker), and [i]Auralia's Colors [/i](Overstreet).

[Peadar]

I finished [url="http://www.amazon.com/Halting-State-Ace-Science-Fiction/dp/0441016073/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1227559328&sr=1-1"]Halting State[/url] by Charles Stross. Great fun for the computer literate. I wonder what's next?

[A wilding]

[quote name='Peadar' post='1599181' date='Nov 24 2008, 20.44']I finished [url="http://www.amazon.com/Halting-State-Ace-Science-Fiction/dp/0441016073/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1227559328&sr=1-1"]Halting State[/url] by Charles Stross. Great fun for the computer literate.[/quote]
Me too! I enjoyed it, especially spotting the little jokes, for example a cameo role for some slaadi (a D&D monster invented by one Charles Stross of course). Also the pixilated figure on the bottom left of the front cover looks remarkably like the author.

[kcf]

I just got [url="http://nethspace.blogspot.com/2008/11/well-of-ascension-by-brandon-sanderson.html"]my review[/url] of [i]The Well of Ascension [/i]by Brandon Sanderson up over at the blog. I really enjoyed this book - it sucked me into the story in a way that a book hasn't done for me in some time, and that was great. I can see why Sanderson is spoken of more and more highly and I look forward to [i]The Hero of Ages[/i].

Now I'm reading [i]The Judging Eye [/i]by Bakker. So far it's looking to be really good.

[Larry.]

Ken, going to read Sanderson's final Mistborn novel after the Bakker then? ;)

As for myself, I received four books this afternoon and I'm probably going to alternate between them at home this holiday week. They are: Álvaro Uribe, [i]La parte ideal{/i]; Jeffrey Ford, [i]The Fantasy Writer's Assistant[/i]; Elias Khoury, [i]Yalo[/i]; and Nina Matsumoto, [i]Yokaiden[/i], although this last one (a manga) is iffy right now. None of them go much past 300 pages, which is a plus to me right now.

[wabus44]

I am currently reading Gardens of the Moon (about half way) and am enjoying it. Have recently finished Sun of Suns by Karl Scroeder (good fun), The Lies of Locke Lamora and The Name of the Wind. I will be carrying on with all three series. In non-fiction I have read Recovering Canada: The Resurgence of Indigenous Law by John Borrows and The Conquest of Law by Lindsay Robertson which gives an excellent accout of the story behind the infamous case of [u]Johnson v. McIntosh[/u] (1823).

[chitman13]

I've just finished [url="http://walkerofworlds.blogspot.com/2008/11/first-and-only-by-dan-abnett-black.html"]First and Only by Dan Abnett[/url], the first Gaunt's Ghost novel set in the Warhammer 40k universe. After I read Titanicus a while back I wasn't too sure whether or not I'd enjoy this one, but it came highly recommended as a great starting point. I was very impressed with the novel and thought that it was a great introduction with some really great characters and story that seemed to come off the page with little effort. Ignoring the fact that it's Warhammer 40k it's actually a damned good military sci-fi book in itself - I'm really looking forward tot he remaing (11!) Gaunt's Ghosts books :)

[Peadar]

[quote name='A wilding' post='1599218' date='Nov 24 2008, 21.37']Also the pixilated figure on the bottom left of the front cover looks remarkably like the author.[/quote]

It's definitely him, all right!

[Mexal]

I just finished [i]World War [/i]Z by Max Brooks. It's an absolutely brilliant book from start to finish. I have no idea how they'll manage to make a movie out of it.

I'm now back on my reread of [i]The Darkness That Comes Before[/i]. I recently bought James Barclay's Ascendent duology so I think I'll do a reread of them next. They have to be some of my favorite fantasy books and I haven't read that duology in a few years. I highly recommend them if you can find them.

[Isis]

[quote name='Turinqui Calima' post='1598232' date='Nov 23 2008, 20.09']I am looking to read something by [b]Richard Dawkins[/b] next. I've been wanting to for a while and after having seen the documentary "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed" this weekend I'm really looking forward to it. Anyone have any suggestions to which book to pick up? Haven't read any Dawkins before but was looking at The Blind Watchmaker or the God Dilusion.[/quote]I do actually recommend starting somewhere near the beginning. I enjoyed The Blind Watchmaker - try that one.

[Happy Ent]

[quote name='Turinqui Calima' post='1598232' date='Nov 23 2008, 21.09']Haven't read any Dawkins before but was looking at The Blind Watchmaker or the God Dilusion.[/quote]
+ Watchmaker. It’s on the Happy Ent Shortlist of Essential Pop-Sci Books

I share Dawkin’s strand of atheism, but I much prefer him as a science writer than in his other role. Check [url="http://www.simonyi.ox.ac.uk/dawkins/WorldOfDawkins-archive/Catalano/readlist.shtml"]What should I read @ World of Dawkins[/url] (outdated).

[Nous]

[quote name='SonofTHG' post='1597932' date='Nov 23 2008, 00.30']I'm also reading An Enemy of the People. What do you think of it so far?[/quote]
I liked it. Tight plot and theme. Stockhausen is the kind of hero I like: independent and uncompromising. I haven't really read plays before this; the way everything is compressed to accommodate the limitations of the stage, and how you need to draw a mental picture of what happens based solely on dialogue, is very interesting.

[BookWyrm]

Beautiful! I haven't read plays like this before... as a matter of fact I have only read the standard Shakespeare when it comes down to my play experience. Glad you enjoyed it

[sparky]

[quote name='chitman13' post='1599758' date='Nov 25 2008, 07.15']I've just finished [url="http://walkerofworlds.blogspot.com/2008/11/first-and-only-by-dan-abnett-black.html"]First and Only by Dan Abnett[/url], the first Gaunt's Ghost novel set in the Warhammer 40k universe. After I read Titanicus a while back I wasn't too sure whether or not I'd enjoy this one, but it came highly recommended as a great starting point. I was very impressed with the novel and thought that it was a great introduction with some really great characters and story that seemed to come off the page with little effort. Ignoring the fact that it's Warhammer 40k it's actually a damned good military sci-fi book in itself - I'm really looking forward tot he remaing (11!) Gaunt's Ghosts books :)[/quote]

Abnett is a damn fine writer AND quite prolific. If he weren't so dedicated to the Warhammer 40k 'ghetto', he'd be one of the more talked-about writers, no doubt about it. He's REALLY good.

[gyrehead]

[b]Palimpsest[/b] by Catherynne M. Valente. Liked this a bit better than the second of the Night Garden books. Which I felt fell apart a bit and was a bit too scattered. But I felt this didn't quite match the pace of the first Night Garden book which I felt really moved despite the coiling plot and storylines. Overall a bit too heavy on atmosphere which I think is a major weakness of Valente's throughout her work. When she strikes the right balance, I flash back to a smilar richness of tone as Lee's Flat Earth books. Other times though Valente seems to wallow and get too absorbed in her creative process and never lets the story actually play on the stage she is too busy lighting and painting.

Overall though this was her most focused work as a whole and I did enjoy it. She just still fails to be an author I eagerly await to read.

[Myshkin]

Just finished Mike Carey's [i]The Devil You Know[/i], and it was very meh. Not terrible, but I have no desire to pick up the rest of the series.

[Larry.]

I'm almost 1/3 into Elias Khouri's [i]Yalo[/i] and it has the potential of being one of my favorite reads for this year. Considering I've read 344 books before this one, that's saying something, right? More on it later as I finish it, but there are some strong Kafka vibes from this one, with some nice twists.