Ratatoskr Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 I've finished Vinge's [i]A Deepness in the Sky[/i]. What a great, great, great book. Magnificent. Absolutely stunning. One of the best SF novels I've ever read. Hell, one of the best [i]books[/i] I've ever read. I've been awed by the brilliance of [i]A Fire Upon the Deep[/i] too, but this one goes one better. Every SF afficionado must have read this one, believe me. Vinge is big on setting and character development, and some readers might find the pacing a tad slow at times, but I absolutely adored every single page of it. Now on to McEwan's [i]Atonement[/i]. Too early to say much, but I like the writing already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gormenghast Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 Done with Memories of Ice (that left me a little breathless) and moving onto A Game of Thrones, finally. Continuing on with Wizard's First Rule and The Colour in the Steel by K.J. Parker. When done with one of the two I'll move on with Abercrombie or Glen Cook since it's been a while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arlingzen Bill Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 I am finishing the [i]Krispos Trilogy [/i]by Harry Turtledove then I need to reread [i]Imager [/i]by L.E. Modessit so I can write the review. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guinevere Seaworth Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 I started to read [i]The Gospel of Judas [/i]and found out that I wasn't in the mood for it, so I've started [i]Druids[/i] by Morgan Llywelyn instead. I'm enjoying quite a bit and it is neat to read the Roman invasion of Gaul from a Celtic perspective. Edit:spelling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuchulain Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 [quote name='Tears of Lys' post='1670060' date='Feb 1 2009, 16.31']Wuthering Heights has the biggest collection of unattractive characters in literature.[/quote] I agree. I had to read this last year for my class on romanticism. I finally managed to complete about half of it, but I couldn't read a single page without thinking at least once how much I wanted to bitchslap Catherine. Edit: Had to read Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter for that same class. The bitchslap thing goes the same for Pearl in this novel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myshkin Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 [quote name='Vrana' post='1669936' date='Feb 1 2009, 02.00']Now just getting started on [i]The God of Small Things[/i] by Arundhati Roy which I picked up at random at the library, without recommendations so I don't really have any expectations of it either.[/quote] One of my top three favorite books ever. Hope you enjoy it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuckShotBill Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 Just finished Red seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch and really enjoyed it. Starting Mistborn series next. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sio Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 [quote name='Tears of Lys' post='1670060' date='Feb 2 2009, 02.01']Wuthering Heights has the biggest collection of unattractive characters in literature.[/quote] Yes, agreed. The thing is I like reading about unattractive characters more than the bland, likable heroes you find in typical fantasy. I'm finding the same thing with Kafka - the protagonist is an arrogant asshole, and yet I'm very much liking the story. Same with Song, to a degree - Catelyn especially, my favorite character in the series. *ducks* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dark Wolf Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 I read a horror anthology, "Voices", edited by Mark S. Deniz and Amanda Pillar. "Voices" deals with the supernatural and paranormal aspects of horror genre and it's a rather small anthology (only 180 pages). Although I would have liked some of the stories to be longer I could find a few interesting ones and also I discovered a few authors who captured my interest. ([url="http://darkwolfsfantasyreviews.blogspot.com/2009/02/voices-edited-by-mark-s-deniz-amanda.html"]My full review[/url]) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astra Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 [quote name='mashiara' post='1669806' date='Feb 1 2009, 05.25']Has anybody seen the movie? Is it worth watching, does it do justice to the book?[/quote] I have seen the movie. One of the best movies in 2008. However, I didn't read the book. So, prolly, it is like with most book vs. movie. A movie almost never does justice to a book. I am 2/3 into [i]Assiassin's Quest[/i] - [[u]Farseer Trilogy[/u]], by [b]Robin Hobb[/b] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparky Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 [quote name='sio' post='1670791' date='Feb 2 2009, 03.27']Yes, agreed. The thing is I like reading about unattractive characters more than the bland, likable heroes you find in typical fantasy.[/quote] See, now you're just trying to make people cry. :thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 I decided on Penman's Sunne in Splendour mainly because its main was a character in Dunnett's Gemini - Richard of Gloucester. At first it felt a bit crude after Dunnett, but by the time Richard hit puberty it had either gotten better or I had gotten used to it - I suspect both. By the end I was impressed enough to invest in one of her trilogies. Any Penman aficionados who could recommend either the Welsh or the other, and how standalone their novels are? Continuing on the Richard theme I read Robin Maxwell's Into the Tower Born, which wasn't very good. It made do with guilty reading. I also did a disservice to it by having it be the first - and last - novel I read on the computer screen. Henceforth re-reads (= skimming) yes, new-reads no. Lastly I read Patricia McKillip's Riddle-Master of Hed trilogy. An imaginative yarn, that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hadaad Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 I'm still reading The Dragonbone Chair. I might move on to Reaper's Gale after that but I'm thinking about getting the first Dresden Files book instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guinevere Seaworth Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 [quote name='Rooster' post='1671195' date='Feb 2 2009, 11.37']I decided on Penman's Sunne in Splendour mainly because its main was a character in Dunnett's Gemini - Richard of Gloucester. At first it felt a bit crude after Dunnett, but by the time Richard hit puberty it had either gotten better or I had gotten used to it - I suspect both. By the end I was impressed enough to invest in one of her trilogies. Any Penman aficionados who could recommend either the Welsh or the other, and how standalone their novels are?[/quote] I recently read Penman's Welsh trilogy and loved it. I thought [i]Here be Dragons [/i]was the best. I have not read any other of Penman's books, but I do plan to read [i]Sunne in Splendour [/i]and other trilogy featuring Eleanor of Aquitaine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalThor Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 I read Abercrombie's First Law trilogy from start to end. I have absolutely no idea how long it's been since I have read a series all in a row without waiting for the next installment. A wonderful, wonderful series. If you haven't read it yet you MUST do so. I think I might read 'I am Legend' next. It'll be nice to cart around a smaller book for a change. ETA: Check that, going to read Peadar's book [i]The Inferior[/i] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arataniello Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 I am rereading Fatal Revenant by Donaldson, there is always something one failed to pick up on previous reads. Then have a reread of The Quincunx to do, and Anathem by Neal Stephenson for which I have to find time. Plus it is almost time for me to spend some $$$ at Amazon..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deornoth Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 Just finished reading 'Bone Crossed', the latest in the continuing adventures of car mechanic/shapeshifting coyote Mercy Thompson. Structurally, things are starting to get very repetitive now but that doesn't stop 'Bone Crossed' being a very entertaining read that I really got into. My full review is over [url="http://www.graemesfantasybookreview.com"]Here[/url]. I'm now well into Kelley Armstrong's 'Men of the Otherworld' short story collection... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isis Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 [quote name='williamjm' post='1670045' date='Feb 1 2009, 15.04']I'm currently reading [i]The Summer Tree[/i] by Guy Gavriel Kay. So far it is entertaining, but occasionally unconvincing - I don't find the reactions of the modern-day Canadians to the fantasy world entirely believable at times, they're a bit too quick to accept how different the world is. I'd say Kay's later books seem better so far.[/quote]Yup. This is one of the worst things I've ever read. Ever. The dialogue is cringe-inducingly bad and I prettty much hated everyone for being so wafty and two-dimensional. The only reason I finished it was because I was on holiday and had nothing else to hand to read on the flight home. I've seen a lot of people criticising Wuthering Heights lately for different reasons but these complaints (of unsympathetic characters) reminds me of a piece I read this week about an author meeting her readers which thoroughly amused me. One reader told the author they didn't like character X... [i]"You know, I didn't like Thomas...I didn't feel any sympathy for him at all." "I don't think there's any pressure on you to like him: I think it's a mistake if you feel that you have to like all the characters in the book. It isn't what I am doing." Another member of the group chips in: [b]"But I wonder if you'd sell more novels if you created more likeable characters."[/b] "You can't write a novel in which everyone likes all the characters...It'd be like a children's party." There's a slightly awkward silence...[/i] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vrana Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 [quote name='Myshkin' post='1670602' date='Feb 2 2009, 04.17']One of my top three favorite books ever. Hope you enjoy it.[/quote] Enjoy? My face is stuck in an expression of awe; anything I could have to say in praise would be inferior. I can honestly say that this is going on my top three as well. I'm so glad I missed your comment until I'd read it because I think I could enjoy it so much more without any other bias other than knowing that the author is from the same part of the world as Rushdie, which is never a bad thing. :P I know that [i]The Idiot [/i]is among those three, which is the third? Also read[i] Little Prince[/i], which I saw got alot of love in the 'Guess the first line' thread and felt I had to read. Going to read [i]One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest [/i]now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackwater Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 I just finished Pablo Tusset's The best thing that can happen to a croissant, which is very refreshing and made me smile a lot. Hero, Pablo Miralles, reminded me of Ignatius Reilley. Now, I'm in the middle of Shadowmarch by Tad Williams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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