December 2009 Reads

[Deornoth]

Finished reading Simon Clark's 'Ghost Monster', a tale of possession in a sleepy English coastal town (well it was sleepy...) I loved the concept but the execution didn't quite match it, shame really... My full review is over Here. I'm now finishing off Dan Abnett's 'Titanicus' and starting on Paul Doherty's 'The Templar'.

[gyrehead]

Wrapping up the year with books I've been meaning to get to and expensive books that always hit right before the holidays (i.e. Strand's current features -- curses lovely window displays). Most of these were from the holiday but it seems silly to be that pedantic and enter them under the November thread.

The Museum of Innocence by Orhan Pamuk

What the Dog Saw and Other Adventures by Malcolm Gladwell

The Original of Laura by Vladimir Nabokov

Too Much Happiness by Alice Munro

Ad Hoc at Home by Thomas Keller (okay it is a recipe book but as someone who lives to eat as opposed to eats to live, this is compelling reading)

And a couple of ARCs:

The History of the Medieval World by Susan Wise Bauer

The Left Hand of God by Paul Hoffman

Landed by Tim Pears

The Frozen Heart by Almudena Grandes

[Fox And Hound]

First, I'm finishing up Kushiel's Mercy by Jacqueline Carey. I have about half of it left.

For the rest of the month:

Candide by Voltaire

Chronicles of the Black Company by Glen Cook

both of these were recommended to me.

I also want to read something by Terry Pratchett, but I'm not sure what.

[Larry.]

Eco's just-released The Vertigo of Lists was excellent, as suspected. Will review when I feel better.

Jack Williamson's werewolf/shapeshifter novel from the 1940s, Darker Than You Think, was quite good, although I don't think it'd merit several re-reads from me, though.

John M. Ford's The Dragon Waiting was good, but for some reason, the final half of the novel felt a bit off to me.

I'm debating whether or not to read Erich Maria Remarque's Arch of Triumph or the third Library of America omnibus collection of Philip K. Dick's works next.

[Bellis]

Ran mentioned Judith Tarr's The Hound and the Falcon trilogy as one of his favorite reads, so I found it in the library and decided to check for myself. There's a lot of philosophical/religious emo-ness in a pseudo-Europe-historical-fantasy setting, but not much in the way of complex character development or original plot. I can see this breaking some ground in the 80s (indeed I would probably have loved it back when I was reading alot about druids and such), but not so much right now.

As European historical settings go, A Dream of Scipio by Iain Pears is much better. It's the interwoven parallel story of three men dealing with issues of love, faith, ethics (especially Jewish-Christian relations) at three time periods south eastern France - 5th century early Christian Rome, 14th century during the plague, and 20th century leading up to and during WWII. It's not quite as compelling as An Instance of the Fingerpost, but it's equally well constructed and will appeal to anyone who liked that other book.

[beniowa]

I finished Pyramids by Terry Pratchett. Another good Discworld book, this one with pyramids, undead mummies, and a camel that could make Nikola Tesla look like a simpleton.

Next up will be Ariel by Steven R. Boyett.

[Paxter]

Finally finished Abercrombie's Last Argument of Kings. I thoroughly recommend the First Law trilogy to anyone who hasn't yet given it a try.

Now I'm on to Rothfuss' The Name of the Wind. After that will be Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (not my usual fare but it has been recommended to me by my sister).

[Deornoth]

Finished reading Steve Perry's 'Indiana Jones and the Army of the Dead' where Indy has to get his hands on a fabled black pearl before the Nazis, Japanese soldiers... and zombies! I had a lot of fun reading this but couldn't escape from the feeling that it's Indy and Indy always wins through, right? This killed some of the tension for me. My full review is over Here. Now it's back to 'Canticle'...

[redstar]

As European historical settings go, A Dream of Scipio by Iain Pears is much better.

A Dream of Scipio is on my Christmas list (along with many others).

I've been meaning to start The Grave Thief by Tom Lloyd for the past week. I've got as far as putting in a bookmark.

[Astra]

Finally, finally I finished to read Vernor Vinge's A Fire Upon The Deep

It took me 6 weeks! to finish it.

I really liked the story and protagonists, but so much technobabble!?!? almost impossible to read.

Back to Fantasy.

Most likely I will start C.S. Friedman's Coldfire Trilogy, Book 1 - Black Sun Rising

[Guinevere Seaworth]

I finished Time and Chance by Sharon Kay Penman. I loved it! The emotional tensions between Henry and Thomas Becket, Henry and Eleanor, were first rate. On to the final volume of the series, The Devil's Brood.

[murphy]

I finished Time and Chance by Sharon Kay Penman. I loved it! The emotional tensions between Henry and Thomas Becket, Henry and Eleanor, were first rate. On to the final volume of the series, The Devil's Brood.

Thanks for bring that to my attention. I though I had all her books, but I don't have The Devil's Brood. Situation has now been remedied.

[IheartTesla]

As European historical settings go, A Dream of Scipio by Iain Pears is much better. It's the interwoven parallel story of three men dealing with issues of love, faith, ethics (especially Jewish-Christian relations) at three time periods south eastern France - 5th century early Christian Rome, 14th century during the plague, and 20th century leading up to and during WWII. It's not quite as compelling as An Instance of the Fingerpost, but it's equally well constructed and will appeal to anyone who liked that other book.

I should get off my butt and read more Pears. I fear the Umberto Eco effect though, after I was spoilt by Name of the Rose I have found the rest of his work increasingly inaccessible.

Apart from a manuscript I have to review for a journal, I havent done any new reading for the last few weeks. Time to go buy some new stuff!

[Procrastimancer]

Due to a sudden and rather strange aversion to just about everything I was reading previously, I have started Michal Ajvaz's The Other City. Certainly one of the oddest books I have read this year, it has a tendency to suddenly move into passages of dialogue that consist of one paragraph stretched over several pages that are just random and rambling and, because they drag you along, just sort of fucking surreal. Not too far into it, can't wait to read some more.

Also reading Poe's short fiction.

[Talyn]

I have recently been reading Karl Schroeder's Virga books and I am really enjoying them.

I have gotten up to book 4 The Sunless Countries.

[Budgie]

I finished The City & The City - China Mieville I enjoyed this book a lot. Also finished Ysabel - Guy Gavriel Kay I really enjoyed this book. I wish he would write more books.

I am currently reading Iron Council - China Mieville & This day all Gods die Stephen Donalson.

[Kalabalik]

I've been on a Holocaust literature reading spree for the last week, starting with The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, followed by Maus and ending with The Book Thief. All excellent, of course.

Next up is jPod.

[mashiara]

I just couldn't concentrate on reading this past week, I would read a few pages and then look for something else to do, that's why this took longer than normal. I read Green Rider, First Rider's Call and The High King's Tomb, all by Kristen Britain. I thought I was reading a trilogy but as it turned out there are going to be more books coming. I liked having a series with a female taking the leading role and being the one who saves the day. It was pretty standard fantasy fare, well written and entertaining enough. I had some issues with the third book, mainly with how the protagonist seemed to become a lot more "girly" at times and act out of character and with some of the plot development, but I did enjoy these books.

Next up is The Magus by John Fowles.

[Vrana]

Recently read Rushdie's Shalimar the Clown. The book was surprisingly good, I have always had love for Rushdie's way of writing while I felt that his characters could be inaccessible at times, this I did not experience with Shalimar and I have to say that it is probably his best book to date.

Also read Flaubert's Madame Bovary, I enjoyed it quite a lot and for being written in the 1800's I found it very accesible and read it in one afternoon; I get the feeling that some of the recognition and fame this book recieved was for how controversial it was when first released, some indignation I cannot really relate to now.

Next up is Rules of Attraction by Brett Easton Ellis.

[Peadar]

I've just started Ravage by René Barjavel. A radical French SF book first published in 1943. The guy had an unbelievable level of foresight -- on a level with Olaf Stapledon. Even better, he's got a great sense of satirical humour.