July 2009

[kcf]

Over the past few weeks I've been busy - but for some of that time, I was able to read much more than usual (yep, I was getting paid to watch other people work, which left me some reading time). Over that period I read The Affinity Bridge by George Mann (liked it), The Sheriff of Yrnameer by Michael Ruebens (didn't like it), and Medicine Road by Charles de Lint (really liked it). Now I just have to find some time to write up reviews.

Well, I've got the review up for Medicine Road by Charles de Lint - simply said, I loved this book and cannot recommend it highly enough. (full review)

Now, I'm reading The Darkest Hour by Mark Chadbourn.

[Myshkin]

Finished The Skein of Lament by Chris Wooding. It had many of the same problems as the first book in the series, but managed to really pick up about halfway through.

Now reading Green by Jay Lake.

[Larry.]

Alternating now between Milorad Pavić's Drugo Telo (Second Body (Part I was very good) and the just-arrived Chinese Letter by fellow Serb Svetislav Basara. Amazing that a country of fewer than 10 million people has managed to produce several outstanding authors in the past 40 years or so.

[Plessiez]

I haven't really found much time to read any fiction this year, but I did get hold of a copy of China Miéville's The City & The City over the weekend, and I enjoyed it a lot. It's definitely a lot more focused than his Bas-Lag books, based around a single clever idea rather than half a dozen disparate ones and with a much tighter, simpler plot. I think it's something of a departure stylistically too: while the prose is still very good, and obviously Mieville, it felt quite a bit more economical and mostly free of the sort of thing that annoyed some people about Perdido Street Station. The mostly 'real world' setting is also something of a departure, but I think one that's necessary for the book to properly work. Definitely recommended, anyway.

This month I've also read No Present Like Time by Steph Swainston (which I thought was a definitive improvement over The Year Of Our War, though not a radical one) and Atwood's The Penelopiad (a retelling of the Illiad and Odyssey through the eyes of Penelope, which was fun, but didn't really do enough with the idea for my liking).

I'm currently reading Richard Morgan's The Steel Remains, and I'm finding it all right so far, with a couple of reservations I might change my mind about later (or just as likely not, given my experience with Morgan's other books).

[Bellis]

Was by Geoff Ryman. This fictional retelling of the insipration, writing and influence of Wizard of Oz is a mixed bag. The modern sections, following a psychologist and his patient, a man suffering from AIDs, drag somewhat. On the other hand, the sections of "Dorothy's" life in 19th century Kansas are fascinating, even when I was unsure where the author was going with it. Overall, Ryman's genius at prose makes this a worthwhile read, but I would wait until after you've finished Air and The Child Garden.

After being pleasantly surprised by Kushiel's Scion, I was quite disappointed in Kushiel's Justice. The magical bits seemed forced, I couldn't warm to Sidonie as a character, and I lost interest in Imriel's plight in direct correlation with his interest in Sidonie. I find myself wishing she'd focused this story on the Alais instead. Oh, and there wasn't even much sex to speak of.

Thanks to Joanna for reminding me about The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing. I picked it up from the library on my lunch break yesterday, read the first few pages, and almost didn't make it back to work. Last night, I was racing through Kushiel's Justice so I could get back to this book. Hope to finish tonight. Why is such mediocre YA as The Graveyard Book and Little Brother being nominated for awards when there are actually great YA such as this being written?

[mac35g]

After finishing a re-read of ASoIaF I recently started Bakker's Prince of Nothing series. A little over halfway through book 1 and really enjoying it so far. It's always a challenge for me to pick up the terminology/people/places of a brand new world but I think I've settled into his pretty well at this point.

[BookWyrm]

After finishing a re-read of ASoIaF I recently started Bakker's Prince of Nothing series. A little over halfway through book 1 and really enjoying it so far. It's always a challenge for me to pick up the terminology/people/places of a brand new world but I think I've settled into his pretty well at this point.

Bakker's series gets even better in books two and three. Also, if you haven't done it yet, I would buy books two and three ahead of time, book three has a wonderful glossary(?) at the back of the book of all of the names, countries, cultures, characters, etc. that are important in the PoN. That outta make it even easier to get through his names. :)

[beniowa]

Last night I finished Helliconia Summer by Brian Aldiss, the second book in the Helliconia trilogy. This one covered the various human empires that sprung up after the start of Spring. Thus, it dealt a bit more with political machinations than just sociological trends. It was a weaker book overall, but still very good. I look forward to the final book.

Next up will finally be The Price of Spring by Daniel Abraham.

[K_P]

Finished The Darkest Hour - the middle book in Mark Chadbourn's Age of Misrule trilogy. A solid middle book, raising the stakes from the first and setting up the finale. Now starting the third book - Always Forever.

[Larry.]

My review copy of Lev Grossman's The Magicians just arrived, so I'll probably be reading that today and maybe tomorrow.

[cosnik]

The God of Small Things~Roy

stunning so far, amazing prose

[Myshkin]

The God of Small Things~Roy

stunning so far, amazing prose

Easily one of the most beautiful books ever written. Probably my second favorite book of all time.

[palin99999]

Finished:

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson 6/10

The Guards by Ken Bruen 8/10

The Killing of the Tinkers by Ken Bruen 7.5/10

Starting Thunderer by Felix Gilman

[bossfan2000]

Finished A Betrayal in Winter by Daniel Abraham. Another very solid book (review).

Next up is either An Autumn War, or Spirit Gate by Kate Elliott

[Cuchulain]

Easily one of the most beautiful books ever written. Probably my second favorite book of all time.

What's your favorite one then?

Edit: two seconds after posting this I realised it's probably The Idiot.

[Myshkin]

What's your favorite one then?

Edit: two seconds after posting this I realised it's probably The Idiot.

Yep.

[Isis]

Was by Geoff Ryman. This fictional retelling of the insipration, writing and influence of Wizard of Oz is a mixed bag. The modern sections, following a psychologist and his patient, a man suffering from AIDs, drag somewhat. On the other hand, the sections of "Dorothy's" life in 19th century Kansas are fascinating, even when I was unsure where the author was going with it. Overall, Ryman's genius at prose makes this a worthwhile read, but I would wait until after you've finished Air and The Child Garden.

I just started this. Well, that's not true actually - what I mean is I chose it as my next read when I got up this morning. Air is the only book of his I've read and I thought it was brilliant.

By the way, thanks for helping with my homework - I got 80% for the mol virol section (and 75% for the module overall). :)

[mashiara]

I read Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons and I loved it. I thought it was a gem of a book, so hilarious and so full of well-written satirical, quirky moments. I loved how it presented perfect caricatures of the farm life characters one sees in many serious novels of the same era. I'm still laughing over the names of the cows. I thought the language was lovely and the writing superb, anyone who loves words would enjoy this. I really had fun reading it, I wish it had been longer. (I also wish I had found out what aunt Ada saw in the woodshed, I was looking forward to that!) It is the perfect book to make someone feel better. Thank you Ang! :)

I also read and enjoyed Rubicon: The Triumph and Tragedy of the Roman Republic by Tom Holland. (Oddly enough the US subtitle changes to "The Last Years of the Roman Republic", I don't know why there would be such a difference between the UK and US editions.) It is an easy read for a history book, the narration is interesting and colorful and it was hard to put it down, it was a fast read despite its size. It seemed to me to be a well researched and highly detailed work. The book gives a really good description of how Rome went from being a Republic to being an Empire and it doesn't focus exclusively on Ceasar, as I was afraid it would, but covers all major characters of that age. A good book for anyone who's interested in Roman history.

I am now reading The Tremor of Forgery by Patricia Highsmith

[pat5150]

Just finished Chris Wooding's Retribution Falls.

Though scifi light, it's an action-packed and fun-filled romp of a book. Similar to Serenity and Firefly.

Check the blog for the full review. . . :)

Patrick

[Black Wizard]

I've just started reading Jeremy Clarkson's For Crying Out Loud: The World According to Clarkson, Volume 3 and I got a book called Pilgrim (I can't remember the author's name) because it was the only other decent-looking book in Borders that was on 'Buy one get one half-price'.