December 2010 Reading Thread

[beniowa]

REG, I didn't listen to the podcast, but I found Twelve to be somewhat disappointing. It was very dry and boring. I didn't think the setting had much impact on the story at all.

On a more positive note, I finished Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett last night. It was another good Discworld book. I'm slowly, but steadily working my way through the series.

I'm already a third of the way through Wolf's Cross by S.A. Swann.

[Stone-Made-Soft]

I guess i'll be reading Under the Dome by Stephen King next. I've been putting it off because I did not feel like carrying a 900 page book with me to work but since I'll be on bed rest for a couple more days I'll give it a go. I remember the time when a new Stephen King book would have me so terribly excited, now the best I can say is "meh, I hope it doesn't suck.".

I never finished Under the Dome by Stephen King. I got bored after 300 or so pages. Full Darks, No Stars, which is a collection of four novellas by King, is getting rave reviews. It would probably suck less than Under the Dome.

[RedEyedGhost]

REG, I didn't listen to the podcast, but I found Twelve to be somewhat disappointing. It was very dry and boring. I didn't think the setting had much impact on the story at all.

Thanks Ben, your poor remarks on it was the main reason I never picked it up in the first place. It's good to know that the setting doesn't impact it that much. The short story's atmosphere was just so amazing that I wanted a bit more, and with its premise being close to that of Twelve I thought it might be a way to get it.

Here's a written version if you want to check it out.

Thanks again :cheers:

[Starkess]

Been feeling bored with all the books I've tried in the past couple days. Finally settled on The Island of Doctor Moreau and am enjoying it, although I'm not very far in. Once I get home and get wifi, I plan on starting with Sherlock Holmes.

[mashiara]

If you have a free half hour, could you** possibly listen to this short story (Spirit of Nationalism by Richard Marsden) set in the same time period and war as Twelve. I've been on the fence about buying Twelve, but I listened to that podcast last week and the atmosphere was completely captivating. If Twelve has half the atmosphere of Spirit of Nationalism, then I want to read it immediately.

**or anybody that has read Twelve and is willing to listen to an excellent short story.

REG, I'll listen to the story when I have time but I have to second Ben's opinion when it comes to Twelve. I found that book really disappointing, it just didn't work for me at any level. Just my two cents.

I never finished Under the Dome by Stephen King. I got bored after 300 or so pages. Full Darks, No Stars, which is a collection of four novellas by King, is getting rave reviews. It would probably suck less than Under the Dome.

I finished Under the Dome a couple of days ago. I have mixed feelings about it. On one hand, we got to see the part that made King's books brilliant in the past. Say what you want about him, the man is a Master when it comes to creating multitudes of really interesting, really "alive" characters that might have nothing much to do with the main plot but give his novels a welcome depth. On the other hand, the plot itself, or rather, the Dome in question, left me completely indifferent. I was a lot more interested in seeing the interaction between some characters or the way their storylines would end than finding out what caused the Dome and what would make the Dome disappear. As for the ending, lamest ending ever, even for a King book. So yeah, mixed feelings. I did enjoy it to some level, to some degree, but only because deep down I'm still a hardcore fan. I'll obviously read Full Dark, No Stars but I can wait for the paperback.

I'm now about 100 pages in The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins. I figured nothing better than an old Victorian classic to distract me, but I'm still not feeling the love.

[Ser Barry]

I read Fevre Dream and it was pretty good. The middle portion flew along nicely but then GRRM had to find a way to advance the timeline and from there on the book never convinced. It felt like he wanted part of the world to have moved on but part of it not to have changed. Not such a problem in a vampire novel? Well it was in this one. I mention this mostly because it gave me some cause for concern given a certain other issue he is having with advancing a timeline, the book in itself is fine.

[beniowa]

I finished Wolf's Cross by S.A. Swann. It's loose sequel to the earlier Wolfbreed set about 120 years later. If you liked the first book, you'll probably like the second. I myself had the same mixed reaction. I liked the werewolves in the historical setting, but didn't care much for the romantic subplot. I thought the book would have been better served by making a stronger main story.

On Stego's recommendation I'm now reading Davy by Edgar Pangborn.

I finished Under the Dome a couple of days ago. I have mixed feelings about it. On one hand, we got to see the part that made King's books brilliant in the past. Say what you want about him, the man is a Master when it comes to creating multitudes of really interesting, really "alive" characters that might have nothing much to do with the main plot but give his novels a welcome depth. On the other hand, the plot itself, or rather, the Dome in question, left me completely indifferent. I was a lot more interested in seeing the interaction between some characters or the way their storylines would end than finding out what caused the Dome and what would make the Dome disappear. As for the ending, lamest ending ever, even for a King book. So yeah, mixed feelings. I did enjoy it to some level, to some degree, but only because deep down I'm still a hardcore fan. I'll obviously read Full Dark, No Stars but I can wait for the paperback.

I once thought about trying Under the Dome, but considering how mixed your reaction was I'll probably pass.

[chollman]

I just finished The Last Colony by John Scalzi. His Old Man's War books are simply the most entertaining books I have read in a while (probably since I devoured the Night Angel trilogy by Brent Weeks). I am now starting The Sword of Shannara. I have never read it before and one of my best college friends absolutely loves that series, so I thought I would give it a go. I am enjoying it so far. Nothing mind-blowing; but it is fun enough.

[Werthead]

Now reading Empire in Black and Gold by Adrian Tchaikovsky, with the other four books (so far) in the Shadows of the Apt series standing by. Excellent so far.

[Guinevere Seaworth]

Now reading Empire in Black and Gold by Adrian Tchaikovsky, with the other four books (so far) in the Shadows of the Apt series standing by. Excellent so far.

You are in for a real treat. I'm reading The Scarab Path and loving it! I'll be curious as to your reaction to the series.

[Starkess]

About halfway done with The Island of Dr. Moreau and not really sure what to think of it because I have no idea where it's going. It's a pretty easy read that's been moderately fun so far.

Picked up The Towers of Midnight at B&N and all other reading will be on hold until I finish. :)

[RedEyedGhost]

REG, I'll listen to the story when I have time but I have to second Ben's opinion when it comes to Twelve. I found that book really disappointing, it just didn't work for me at any level. Just my two cents.

Thanks! Looks like I'll pass on it again.

I finished Wolf's Cross by S.A. Swann. It's loose sequel to the earlier Wolfbreed set about 120 years later. If you liked the first book, you'll probably like the second. I myself had the same mixed reaction. I liked the werewolves in the historical setting, but didn't care much for the romantic subplot. I thought the book would have been better served by making a stronger main story.

That's pretty much what I thought about it, too. And the romantic aspect was ramped up in the second one. Still they're both fun books and worth the read.

[Cuchulain]

Finished Iain M. Banks's Consider Phlebas. It's well-written, intelligent, action-packed, and often funny - in short, I loved it. I haven't read many space operas, so I can't really compare, but I got the impression Banks included some fairly original stuff too.

[palin99999]

Finished:

Firstborn by Brandon Sanderson - 7/10

Starting:

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

[Ser Nevarc]

Been feeling bored with all the books I've tried in the past couple days. Finally settled on The Island of Doctor Moreau and am enjoying it, although I'm not very far in. ....

By far my favorite Wells fiction.

As for me,

Albert Camus' The Plauge

Charles Dickens' Bleak House

I might get around to:

Anthony Burgess' A Clockwork Orange

and of course some Harlan Ellison :read: ..... :uhoh:

[Bellis]

George Eliot's Daniel Deronda. A strange novel, the story of an English dilettante and her unhappy and tragic marriage, contrasted with the story of her crush, Daniel, a saint who finds out he's a Jew. This novel is significant for it's relative positive portrayals of Jews and Judaism, for the 19th century. It also contains of the earliest philosophical discussions of Jews returning to their homeland, e.g. Zionism. Sort of like a Jewish Uncle Tom's Cabin. But there is so not enough story to fill 750 pages. Eliot's writing is clever and her ideas fascinating, but it's a bit of a slog. An important novel, but I preferred Middlemarch.

[Cuchulain]

Finished Jonathan Carroll's The Land of Laughs. While I generally enjoyed the novel, I was a bit disappointed by the central concept/secret/revelation, which turns out to be something that was done twenty years earlier in an episode of the Twilight Zone (for those interested, look up the episode 'A World of His Own'). Still, Carroll's execution of the idea is great and I look forward to reading more of his works.

[nickg]

Finished To Green Angel Tower Part 1, starting on Part 2 when I get home. I'm glad that I forced my way through the beginning of The Dragonbone Chair. Liking the series, love the Sithi. They books may be bloated, but probably due to the comments I have read about the series, I was prepared for this and it hasn't bothered me.

[Peadar]

I'm reading From the Teeth of Angels by Jonathan Carroll and enjoying it so far.

[KazigluBey]

Recently finished a re-read of Dying Earth by Jack Vance. That is, I read the Cugel stories and the Rhialto stories, but skipped the short stories in the beginning. I didn't care for them much the first time I read them 5 or 10 years ago. What I've found on the second reading is that I've enjoyed Rhialto much more than Cugel.

Since I'm on a Jack Vance kick I went to a local used book store and found The Effectuator, which I'd never heard of, that Vance wrote in the 60's. It's pretty good so far, the protagonist isn't as colorful as Cugel or Rhialto, and the characters that populate the world aren't as deceptive and pretentious, but I'm still enjoying it. I'm going to order the Lyonesse trilogy after I finish this one.