May 2010 reads

[Tas]

I took a break from reading for a week after a long slog through all three books of Mistborn. I do like dystopia -- it contains fruit juice -- but Luthadel and surrounding environs were unrelentingly bleak and only getting grimier. Oh yeah, and the prose was bad. Still, I liked it.

I read a lot of fantasy, and most of it is forgettable. Sanderson, though, has some very interesting ideas. I'll give a writer (or a genre series) the benefit, etc., if he shows at least one redeeming facet to his work, be it incredible world building (nope), memorable, identifiable characters (no), or... what's left? A unique magic system? Plot twists that keep you guessing and suspicious? Good enough, I'll have to take it. This was also way too long, and too many cheap and dirty solutions to loose ends at the very end.

I finished the Mistborn series a few months ago and I have mixed feelings about the series also. I think Brandon Sanderson is really strong at writing fight scenes and creating magic systems, but I think his prose is not the strongest, there were several major characters which I did not care if they lived or died and I echo what you said about "too many cheap and dirty solutions to loose ends at the very end."

[Tas]

I had a whole slew of books that I intended to read last month, only to be thwarted by work and school. Ugh, I need to get my priorities straight .

I finished A Shadow in Summer and A Betrayal in Winter by Daniel Abraham last month - love the series so far.

I am currently working on Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie. This is the first book I have read by him. The First Law trilogy just got added to my reading list because this book is so damn good (I guess I should have read the trilogy first since BSC has a few references to characters in that series, but they seem to be minor references so far).

So, time permitting, here is my reading list for the month:

- Finish Best Server Cold by Joe Abercrombie

- The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett

- An Autumn War by Daniel Abraham

- The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie

[Arbor Gold]

I just finished "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" this weekend.

Me too!

Mildly diverting but not as gripping or well done as I'd expected. Some of the characters were paper thin really. The supporting cast was less of a support and more of a cardboard cut out. The central mystery was meh. The two main characters were overpowered. However, I liked the descriptions of Sweden that came through and would like to read more about that, some of the writing was good though not consistently.

I completely agree. I found it highly readable, despite being annoyed by most of the characters. I read it trying to understand why it is such a bestseller, and I can only conclude that some of the plot revelations are taboo and shocking to a wide audience. Personally, I found a lot of the "shocking" moments forced, particularly

Spoiler

Lisbeth's analrapist.

It was a decent enough airplane read, but I would not recommend it to the group here. I kind of hated how everyone wanted to have sex with Blommie, and I was very disappointed with the Erika character, who I wanted to know more about.

Now I'm back to The Magus. I'm about 150 pages in, and I am captivated by the setting and the writing. I'm still kind of waiting for something to happen, but I'm enjoying the journey.

[Dunhallym]

I've finished David Copperfield which I loved to the end. I had seen a TV film (BBC film from 1999) about it a few years ago, though I'm not sure I saw all of it since I remembered only small parts of it. When I tried to find more informations about it, it was funny to see that it featured both several actors that appear in the Harry Potter films (Daniel Radcliffe, Maggie Smith, Imelda Staunton) and some that are to be in the AGOT series (Harry Lloyd, Ian McNeice).

I then read George Orwell's A clergyman's daughter. 1984 and the Animal Farm remain favorites of mine, but this one made for a very interesting read, both for the characterization and the social description on England in the 30s.

I then read Le Bourgmestre de Furnes by Georges Simenon.It's the first book I read by him, though he is a major author. And I think I will read more.

Finally, I've come back to some fantasy with Bakker's The Judging Eye. About halfway through it and thoroughly enjoying it so far.

[Ahimsa]

I'm reading A Wild Sheep Chase by Murakami right now. So far it's good, but I haven't found anything as good from him as Kafka on the Shore was.

[RaceBannon42]

I havent played in this thread in awhile, but I just started Fool by Chistopher Moore yestrday, and its great so far. I've laughed out loud 3-4 times already. Its King Lear told from the perspective of Fool, but with Moore's irreverant Humor. Its the dog's bollocks!

[beniowa]

Last night I finished up Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay. Without a doubt, it's his best book in years. I thought Kay's writing style worked very well in this tale of political intrigue in a faux-Tang dynasty China. My favorite of Kay's novels are Tigana and the Sarantine Mosaic and I would put Under Heaven just beneath them on par with The Lions of Al-Rassan. Great book.

Next up will be Incompetence by Rob Grant.

[duchess of malfi]

Just finished up Robert Charles Wilson's Julian Comstock as part of my yearly attempt to read the Hugo nominated novels. There was nothing horribly wrong with the book per se - but it still managed to bore me to sleep many many times. Guess it was just not the book for me...

[murphy]

Just finished up Robert Charles Wilson's Julian Comstock as part of my yearly attempt to read the Hugo nominated novels. There was nothing horribly wrong with the book per se - but it still managed to bore me to sleep many many times. Guess it was just not the book for me...

Well, if you had insomnia, it would have been a good book for you. :D

[Werthead]

Currently reading Wolfsangel by MD Lachlan. Impressive so far.

[williamjm]

Just about finished Darwinia by Robert Wilson, which was fun if a little abrupt and has lost me now towards the ending. The mystery and much stronger characters of the first half could have stood to be streched out a little more.

It was a bit of an odd book. Wilson set up an intriguing mystery but the bit where he abruptly explains the central mystery in an 'intermission' a third of the way through the book written from a completely different viewpoint was a bit disappointing. I also thought the exploration of Darwinia was much more interesting than the explanation for how Darwinia came to be, which was a bit dull.

[Cuchulain]

Finished Vonnegut's Player Piano. The novel took a while to really get going, but once it did, I got totally immersed in the story. While not my favourite work by Vonnegut, PP is still a good book in its own right. The writing is very strong for a debut novel and traces of Vonnegut's trademark style can already be found. I also really enjoyed the author's take on dystopia.

Not sure what to read next. I might go for one of Miéville's books or maybe K. J. Bishop's The Etched City.

[siemprepe]

I started the Painted man on ebook while on the road, and at home I'm reading twelve by Jasper Kent.

In both books, I'm 200+ pages in. I'm liking both a lot. Completely different stories and settings but that keeps it all refreshing when alternating between books.

[Dark Wolf]

I've finished William Hussey's "Witchfinder: Dawn of the Demontide". A good YA horror/dark fantasy story which I enjoyed. I have to be honest and say that it didn't feel as strong as the two adult horror novels of the author, but it is an enjoyable story.

I've started China Mieville's "Kraken", but I also have on the table Roberto Bolano's "By Night in Chile" which I plan to read on the week-end.

[lotuspixie]

I just started Wolves of the Calla by Stephen King, book 5 of the Dark Tower.

So far I'm enjoying it (only 30 pages in), but I'm sort of mentally cringing as I read it, in anticipation of the apparent sucky-ness that this series takes on in books 5-7.

Are they really as bad as everyone says they are? I don't think it'll stop me from reading them (seeing as I love love love the previous four books), but I'd like to know

[Bellis]

I've read Regenesis by CJ Cherryh and Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie. But really, I've mostly I've spent the last few weeks discovering seasons 1 through 6 of Lost on Hulu :blushing:

[lotuspixie]

I've read Regenesis by CJ Cherryh and Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie. But really, I've mostly I've spent the last few weeks discovering seasons 1 through 6 of Lost on Hulu :blushing:

I envy you. Watching it all for the first time... fantastic!

[AprilFool]

I finally started The Long Price Quartet. I have finished A Shadow in Summer, and have started A Betrayal in Winter and they are amazing. While I suppose the plot is a little slow, the books are so well written that they seem to fly by (they are also relativly short in length which may help there). In addition I have been really drawn to the characters that Abraham has peopled the books with. The issue I have heard mentioned with the poses that the characters assume in conversation has been a non-issue for me. I think it flows well with the writing, and I hardly noticed it. First time in a while where I stayed up past 1 AM to finish a book (I'm getting a bit older and the mornings seem to come alot quicker now -_- )

[Nearly Headless Ned]

Currently reading Wolfsangel by MD Lachlan. Impressive so far.

That sounds interesting that does. Whens the release date?

[Stone-Made-Soft]

I just picked up Empire : the rise and demise of the British world order and the lessons for global power by Nail Ferguson and The Arabs : a history by Eugene L. Rogan.