March 2010 Reading

[palin99999]

Finiahed:

The Gun Seller by Hugh Laurie - 6.5/10

Overall I think he did a good job, especially the first half, but I began to lose some interest towards the end. If he had stayed a writer I would definitely check out his next book.

Now reading:

Road Dogs by Elmore Leonard. First Elmore book for me.

[Nearly Headless Ned]

Given up on Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey funny and charming though it was. Just to lightweight for me really.

What that book really needed was a thumpingly bad sex scene as written by Joe Abercrombie.Classic case of all trousers no willy.

Third of the way through Abrahams The Long Price Quartet. Pretty good so far as its rather well written but all that body language I find slightly irritating. Not sure why.

[mashiara]

Mash - I hope you like it well enough to try some of his other books at least. I enjoyed that one because it reminded me of Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow - they're both 'mystery' stories with interesting protagonists.

For some reason, I just couldn't get into The Quiet Girl. I really did try. I'm currently reading John Banville's The Infinities. I like it, but it's not my usual style of book.

I finished The Quiet Girl by Peter Hoeg and I liked it, but not as much as I thought I would. Maybe it was because it was kind of difficult to read, I don't know. I loved the language, I think I found a beautiful phrase or two in almost every page, something I wish I'd written. I liked the setting and the concept of the book but I wasn't quite thrilled with the execution. It felt too abstract, too confusing at times. It's not that I'm not used to books with a non-linear plot, I just can't put my finger on what exactly bothered me about this one. I think I was expecting the "action scenes" to be a lot clearer and the plot to be less convoluted. I still liked it though. I will look for Miss Smilla's Feeling of Snow (I think we call it something else here, like Miss Smilla is Reading Snow, or something like that?)

I also read Fugitive Pieces by Ann Michaels. It's supposedly the story of a Jewish boy rescued from the Nazis by a Greek guy, enduring the hardships of the Occupation here, then moving to Canada and getting on with his life without ever leaving the trauma of being persecuted and of losing his loved ones behind. It is emotionally charged and it is an interesting read. It's a nicely written book and I liked it, but I wouldn't say it's anything spectacular.

I finished Little Green Man by Simon Armitage last night. It was the blurb on the cover that made me pick it up. Five old friends playing a dangerous and twisted game of Truth or Dare to determine who gets to keep a valuable artifact. If only every book lived up to the expectations its cover creates... It started off well but I quickly lost interest. I expected this to be a fun, explosive read and it wasn't.

I'm hoping to start reading City of Thieves by David Benioff today. I remember a lot of good reviews about this, so I'm looking forward to it.

[Vrana]

I finished The Quiet Girl by Peter Hoeg and I liked it, but not as much as I thought I would. Maybe it was because it was kind of difficult to read, I don't know. I loved the language, I think I found a beautiful phrase or two in almost every page, something I wish I'd written. I liked the setting and the concept of the book but I wasn't quite thrilled with the execution. It felt too abstract, too confusing at times. It's not that I'm not used to books with a non-linear plot, I just can't put my finger on what exactly bothered me about this one. I think I was expecting the "action scenes" to be a lot clearer and the plot to be less convoluted. I still liked it though. I will look for Miss Smilla's Feeling of Snow (I think we call it something else here, like Miss Smilla is Reading Snow, or something like that?)

I clearly recognize what you're saying about the book, because it sounds very Peter Hoeg, I havent read The Quiet Girl, but I've read The Woman And The Ape and Miss Smilla, and I think you nailed a pretty clear explanation for a lot of his writing. I think Smilla is the best of his books I've read and the most famous one, though I'd warn you that while the first half is stunning the book falls suprisingly flat by the second half.

[tadams]

I am almost done with Seasons of War by Daniel Abraham and I have to say that...

The Long Price Quartet is the greatest fantasy series since A Song of Ice and Fire.

Forget simply "dark, gritty" etc, etc. Abraham has those elements, and then some, just like Martin.

[BookWyrm]

Yes, 20KLUTS is the only story I've read from Verne that I have enjoyed. I don't love Verne much because he is far too descriptive and didactic for me. He goes on and on and on. But this story is absolutely awesome, very thrilling and captivating.

Well I'll definitely be giving Verne a try soon. His stories have always seemed interesting. I think I'll try either 20K or Journey to the Center of the Earth.

[Isis]

I will look for <i>Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow</i> (I think we call it something else here, like Miss Smilla is Reading Snow, or something like that?)

Yep, in the US it was called 'Smilla's Sense of Snow'. &nbsp;No idea why that title change was necessary.&nbsp;<img src="http://asoiaf.westeros.org/public/style_emoticons/default/dunno.gif" alt=":dunno:" class="bbc_emoticon"><br><br><div>I have to concede that a lot of what I like about PH is the language, the style, the mood... I just like to let it wash over me. &nbsp;I was concerned that <i>The Quiet Girl</i> might not be the best place to start with him. &nbsp;Try another and see how you get on.<br><br>

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[Ealdorman Halasahr]

I'm chosing between Abercrombie's Best Served Cold, and Kay's The Lions of Al-Rassan at the moment. The English versions. One of these will fill the gap after The Adamantine Palace, by Stephen Deas, which I finished four hours ago - it'll also fill the place beside the other book I'm currently reading. That book is Waiting for the Barbarians, by J.M. Coetzee - the Swedish version.

[IheartTesla]

I just finished reading Sacred Games, a 900 page behemoth that takes places amidst the chaos of modern day Mumbai. It would have been nice if the book arrived before my trip to the city, but you cant have everything.

At any rate, the book deals with the intertwining lives of Ganesh Gaitonde, an underworld don and Sartaj Singh, a relativey honest Sikh police officer who is approaching middle age with a certain lassitude after his recent divorce. It is written in a non-linear style with many flashbacks told from Gaitonde's viewpoint culminating in his eventual death by suicide in a nuclear bunker (not a spoiler since he pops off early in the book). At the heart of the book is the city of Mumbai itself, and while the plot deals with a certain threat the metropolis faces, it is a fascinating look into what makes my home town tick.

I feel the book could have done with a fair bit of editing, and the various interludes and digressions didnt add much to it. Also, there is a fair bit of adult situations and Hindi swear words which non-native speakers would need the glossary to understand. I found it a good read falling just short of greatness. Dont know if I could recommend to non-Indians or even non-Mumbaikars since I had a special connection the city and cant tell how others would feel about it. Give it a shot if you have the bucks to spare.

[Werthead]

Currently reading The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne, a book that is simultaneously well-written and astonishingly, breathtakingly badly-researched and naive to the point of stupidity.

[WhiteHaven]

I just finished Tai-Pan by James Clavell. I am really out of breath. I won't write down what happened, in case other people might want to read. You know, those who are late bloomers, like myself. I'm pretty sure that Clavell has thrown Tolkien from his second place (in my list) and I dunno, maybe after Gai-Jin which I am going to read, now he will replace GRRM, who is currently THE MAN in my world .(When it comes down to books :D)

[delete this account pls]

I started Boneshaker by Cherie Priest, but I really struggled with it and gave up by chapter 4. Then I tried The Magicians by Lev Grossman, which was much more to my taste. I found it compulsively readable, and finished it last night. Great read.

Sometime today I plan on starting Use of Weapons by Iain M Banks.

[murphy]

I just finished Tai-Pan by James Clavell. I am really out of breath. I won't write down what happened, in case other people might want to read. You know, those who are late bloomers, like myself. I'm pretty sure that Clavell has thrown Tolkien from his second place (in my list) and I dunno, maybe after Gai-Jin which I am going to read, now he will replace GRRM, who is currently THE MAN in my world .(When it comes down to books :D)

Shogun is a much better read than Gai-Jin or Whirlwind.

[WhiteHaven]

Shogun is a much better read than Gai-Jin or Whirlwind.

Already finished Shogun. I started Gaj-Jin today. Thus far, it is good, but not as good as Shogun or Tai-Pan. Oh, well, I have to give it some time.

I still mourn May-May

[Guinevere Seaworth]

I finished The Riddle-Master of Hed by Patricia McKillip last night. I admit being pleasantly surprised. I wasn't sure how much of a story you can put in a 222 page novel. The author is really skilled in that every sentance moves the plot forward, or creates insight to the character and at the same time, gives evocative imagery of the world. There is no filler of any kind or infodumps. She reminds me of Peter Beagle in that way. The only negative that I have is that she concludes the first book on a pretty big cliffhanger.

I've already started Heir of Sea and Fire, the next book in the trilogy.

[Bellis]

I was waiting for some mail orders and library holds and ending up taking only the Super-rich can save us by Ralph Nader on a trip with me. I was expecting the super-left version of Atlas Shrugged. But in terms of sheer storytelling and prose, it's actually even worse. It is still readable though, and admittedly more so than 700 pages of dry policy.

I hope to return to (better) genre fiction soon.

[Larry.]

Recently read some Calvino, namely t-zero, Marcovaldo, and The Castle of Crossed Destinies. Good stuff. Just started reading Karin Lowachee's upcoming fantasy novel, The Gaslight Dogs. Almost 40 pages in and it compares favorably with her three previous SF novels. Going to be doing a lot more reading (yes, it's possible!) in the next few months - changing careers (again) and possibly will be going back to school for the next year or so. Should give me time to earn a new SPED cert and maybe a Spanish one as well.

[shadow catlady]

I just finished The Lacuna, new by Barbara Kingsolver.

I think I'll read it again, right away. She makes me do that, sometimes.

ETA: I mean new-ish, new in the pace I live, which includes waiting in line for library releases from time to time.

[Ser Bruce the Hound KG]

Re-reading Coyote series before Coyote Destiny get to my door. then its Warrior

[beniowa]

Last night I finished Seeds of Earth by Michael Cobley. Not far in the future, an alien race swarms into the solar system with no other intention than destruction. Earth fights a desperate war, ultimately sending out three colony ships as a last, final act. 150 years later, descendants of the colony ships become caught up in a struggle between a multitude of alien races for control of the world of Darien. Seeds of Earth is a space opera by fairly new author Cobley (who's already written a fantasy trilogy), which right after the bat, reminded me of the Uplift books by David Brin. Cobley's book has the same basic plot of humans being over-matched by older, more powerful alien races, albeit with new aliens and a new concept. The book is a little uneven in plot and pacing and not much of the worlds, aliens, or characters really gets fleshed at all. Nothing ground-breaking, but I did enjoy it. I'll probably buy the sequel, but I think I'll wait to read it until the final book in the trilogy comes out.

Next up will be The Folding Knife by KJ Parker. I've only read one of Parker's novellas so this will be my first novel by the author.