December 2009 Reads

[RedEyedGhost]

I finished reading Quin's Shanghai Circus by Edward Whittemore. It was very unusual, extremely original, and quite enjoyable. The story begins in New York - 1965, Geraty is attempting to sell the largest collection of Asian pornography ever assembled but greedy customs agents don't allow him to take it into the country. So destitute and alone, he makes his way north to Boston to return a golden cross to its rightful owner and to stop at a bar bearing his name. In the bar he meets Quin who Geraty proceeds to tell the story of his (Quin's) previously unknown parentage. This sends Quin halfway around the world in order to discover the full tale.

Quin meets many unusual characters that each reveal a piece of the puzzle going as far back as 1880. Reading the book was like walking a street shrouded in heavy fog, with every step you take you feel as if you know more and more of what is going on along the street as you pass its entire length. But just as soon as come you to the end, and turn around to say, "Aha! I've figured it out!!" you turn to see that the entire street is once again sheathed in fog - that's exactly how I felt when I closed the last page.

9/10

To hopefully satisfy my werewolf craving (induced by The Werewolf's Guide to Life: A Manual for the Newly Bitten) I'll be reading S.A. Swann's Wolfbreed next.

[Cuchulain]

Finished The Sad Tale of the Brothers Grossbart by Jesse Bullington. Original and entertaining, the story really captivated me. It's one of the better fantasy novels I've read this year. REG, I didn't think there was much wrong with the pace. The second half of the book even featured some of the best scenes, with the parts at sea reminding me of Erikson's The Lees of Laughter's End (which is a big compliment).

[RedEyedGhost]

REG, I didn't think there was much wrong with the pace.

The scenes getting to, and in Venice were particularly slow for me. And I just didn't care about that part of the story.

The second half of the book even featured some of the best scenes, with the parts at sea reminding me of Erikson's The Lees of Laughter's End (which is a big compliment).

That scene was the one bright spot in that portion of the book for me; it was excellent. I hadn't thought of that comparison to The Lees of Laughter's End, but that is very apt (and that might be my favorite single work of Erikson's).

[Bellis]

I've been reading Tad William's Memory Sorrow and Thorn, catching up on the epic fantasy "canon". I found The Dragonbone Chair frankly mediocre, seeming a little too derivative of Tolkein in both its plot and prose and worldbuilding style. However, the second volume, The Stone of Farewell was much better (as middle volumes usually are), and I am finally beginning to care enough about the characters to be interested in how it turns out. I find the placement of this trilogy as a bridge between Tolkein and GRRM's ASOIAF to be accurate - there are recognizable elements of both. At the same, the narrative style/structure is quite similar to William's later (and imho better, and non-fantasy) Otherland series.

Mythago Wood. It is a shame that the death of the author, Robert Holdstock, is what alerted me to this book. It's a nice, original, competently executed crossover-to-fairy-England-subgenre tale.

My neighbor lent me Jeanette Winterson's novella Written on the Body, because Winterson is her favorite author ever. It was poetic, profound meditation on love, but with too little to say to fill it's less than 200 pages in the end. But I will be reading more by the author.

[gyrehead]

Gyrehead

RE: The Boy with the Cuckoo-Clock Heart

I saw that a while ago, didn't know if I would like it but it just seemed too slight to pay for.

If you like this sort of thing, you could look at Jeremy De Quidt's "The Toymaker" which is very nice.

Anyway, I see Cornwell has book 5 already of his Saxon Series. Time to start with the series I guess. And I'll check out Banville's The Sea as well.

I have The Toymaker on a couple of price-focused wishlists. So I will probably get it before the year is out as one site has it at a good deal, I just want to wait to add a few more titles to make the shipping worth the while.

The Burning Land came out in the UK last fall but Bookdespository tends to lose the deep discount as soon as the title is actually released unless the book ends up being a competitive bestseller. Cornwell does well in the US so the January US release might be cheaper for you than the UK copy if you are ordering online. I liked it, though the pacing of the series as a whole still strikes me as a bit odd as the last book was a bit too encapsulated.

[Larry.]

Finished re-reading the Brazilian original anthology Steampunk: Histórias de um Passado Extraordinário this afternoon so I could write a long-promised review for some Brazilian friends of mine. Don't worry, the review is in English. Liked it quite a bit, as it will be one of the books mentioned in my year-end lists.

[delete this account pls]

I'm halfway through Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry. I'm enjoying it, but it's a very long book and I started getting a bit restless, so I put it aside for a spell (note to self: stop talking like a Texan cowboy) and started The Sad Tale of the Brothers Grossbart. It's OK so far, but I have to admit, it wasn't exactly what I was expecting, and hasn't been as good as I hoped when I first read the excerpt posted here a while back.

[Arbor Gold]

I'm reading The Magicians and Mrs. Quent and it is totally awesome. I am only about 150 pages in, but I started it yesterday, so that is really saying a lot about my interest level. The story reminds me of a mix of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell (the magic, not the writing style), Mistborn (the politicking, not the magic) and of course, something by Jane Austen.

The story is the author's attempt to answer the question "What if there were a fantastical cause underlying the social constraints and limited choices confronting a heroine in a novel by Jane Austen or Charlotte Brontë?" and was a total impulse buy because I liked the cover and the premise, despite not really being a fan of any of the Brontes. I am gripped by the characters and the prose, and I can't wait to see how it all plays out. It's the perfect wintertime read, imo, and a fantastic first novel.

[Marcelo Rebelo Firqoralas]

Arbor Gold: Have you read Jo Walton's Tooth & Claw? It's an Anthony Trollope pastiche where all the characters are dragons and the victorian style society is shaped by dragon biology and tradition. I thought it was a good book and you might find it worth checking out.

[gladius]

A cavern of black ice.

Liked the setting and the clan storyline and ash's story until she is rescued. The Blind storyline seems really out of place, it feels like an afterthought and the massive infodump that clarified it could have been done in a better way. Raif's and Ash's love story had me cringing. The second rape scene is the stupidest I've ever read, a deus ex machina in the form of rape. I would have preferred a Raina Blackhail pov instead of the little sister.

The surlord is an excellent antagonist and Vaylo Bludd is my favorite character.

[beniowa]

I finished The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick. It was quite good and a very interesting take on an alternative ending to WW2. One minor drawback I feel I should mention is that I felt Dick downplayed some of the Japanese mentality for the War in favor of philosophizing against the Nazi's. But other than that, the book is good.

Not sure what book will be next. I'm hoping to buy the next Wild Card book, Suicide Kings, when it comes out tomorrow.

[Guinevere Seaworth]

Whew! I finally finished Devil's Brood by Sharon Kay Penman. What a tragic, yet dysfunctional family. She even made Eleanor of Aquitaine 16 years of captivity interesting. Highly recommended for those who want to know more of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine and their family.

I'll be reading a bunch of short books next, so I've started Jhereg by Steven Brust.

[mashiara]

I'm reading The Magicians and Mrs. Quent and it is totally awesome. I am only about 150 pages in, but I started it yesterday, so that is really saying a lot about my interest level. The story reminds me of a mix of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell (the magic, not the writing style), Mistborn (the politicking, not the magic) and of course, something by Jane Austen.

The story is the author's attempt to answer the question "What if there were a fantastical cause underlying the social constraints and limited choices confronting a heroine in a novel by Jane Austen or Charlotte Brontë?" and was a total impulse buy because I liked the cover and the premise, despite not really being a fan of any of the Brontes. I am gripped by the characters and the prose, and I can't wait to see how it all plays out. It's the perfect wintertime read, imo, and a fantastic first novel.

I saw this when you posted it on FB, it looks quite interesting. It might go on my list.

I read three books since last I posted but none of them impressed me. I finished Where Angels Fear to Tread by E.M. Forster and even though it was a nice little novel it wasn't anything special. The Grifters by Jim Thompson was a bit more interesting, dark and gritty with a very surprising ending but it felt kind of dated. I also read Protection, by Claire Allen and I didn't even manage to get into the story or care about the characters at all, it was the kind of book that you read and then forget all about it.

I'm pretty excited about my next read though, My Dead Body by Charlie Huston.

[lady narcissa]

I'm reading The Magicians and Mrs. Quent and it is totally awesome.

That sounds really interesting, I'm going to have to look for it. Have you read the series by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer that begins with Sorcery and Cecelia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot? It is a charming series and is similarly set in an alternative Regency England with magic.

[murphy]

That sounds really interesting, I'm going to have to look for it. Have you read the series by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer that begins with Sorcery and Cecelia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot? It is a charming series and is similarly set in an alternative Regency England with magic.

I'll have to put Magicians on my wish list too.

Lady N, if you liked the Wrede/Stevermer book, you'd probably enjoy Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen. It's another charming book.

At the moment, I'm reading White Witch, Black Curse by Kim Harrison. Another in the Rachel Morgan series.

[Cuchulain]

(and that might be my favorite single work of Erikson's).

Same here. Much as I love the main series, The Lees of Laughter's End is the most fun I've had reading Erikson.

[williamjm]

A cavern of black ice.

Liked the setting and the clan storyline and ash's story until she is rescued. The Blind storyline seems really out of place, it feels like an afterthought and the massive infodump that clarified it could have been done in a better way. Raif's and Ash's love story had me cringing. The second rape scene is the stupidest I've ever read, a deus ex machina in the form of rape. I would have preferred a Raina Blackhail pov instead of the little sister.

The surlord is an excellent antagonist and Vaylo Bludd is my favorite character.

Was Raina not a POV in the first book? It has been so long since I read it I can't remember, she's definitely a POV in the sequels. I mostly agree with you about the first book, the Blind storyline felt a bit contrived and I found it less interesting than the bits with the clans. I did like Bludd a lot as well, he's a bit like Jaime Lannister in the sense that he initially appears like he'll just be a typical villain when he first appears but as the story goes on he becomes a much more interesting and complex character.

[fitheach]

Just finished The Game by A.S.Byatt, which was excellent. Now reading Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman, which is ok.

I'm thinking about reading Fortress in the Eye of Time by C.J.Cherryh (never read this author, :shocked: I know...), anyone know if it's good?

[Larry.]

Received my copy of Nnedi Okorafor's short illustrated children's book, Long Juju Man. Interesting, so far, but I'm a bit drained from my first day back at work in five days, so I'm probably going to crash first then finish reading it tomorrow.

[murphy]

Just finished The Game by A.S.Byatt, which was excellent. Now reading Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman, which is ok.

I'm thinking about reading Fortress in the Eye of Time by C.J.Cherryh (never read this author, :shocked: I know...), anyone know if it's good?

I've read it and liked it very much. I have to say, I prefer her SF novels, though.