June 2011 Reading Thread

[williamjm]

IIRC, it ends on somewhat of a cliffhanger.

I'm not sure what part of the ending of Tigana you'd think was a cliffhanger?

I did think the book have a good ending, perhaps one of Kay's better endings.

Finishing up The Player of Games. Really liked it. It took a bit to get into and since it was my first Culture novel (as suggested by friends who said I should read it before Consider Phlebas despite publication order) I needed to look a few concepts up to know what they really meant, but once it got going it was pretty gripping considering it's really just about a dude playing games, not shooting lasers at robotoids in a barren, grim future. Looking at it on Goodreads I see a lot of people filing it as hard scifi. I have a hell of a hard time considering any story set more than 11000 years in the future to be particularly 'hard' scifi, but I guess it doesn't really matter. In the end it's a pretty great story about culture class, games, imperialism and Iain M Banks' politics.

I wouldn't really say it was hard sci-fi, Banks is never really interested in explaining any of the advanced technology in it. Incidentally, despite what you might assume it isn't actually set in the future, The Culture didn't originate on Earth and at the time of The Player of Games I don't think they've made any contact with Earth.

[murphy]

I'm not sure what part of the ending of Tigana you'd think was a cliffhanger?

I did think the book have a good ending, perhaps one of Kay's better endings.

I wouldn't really say it was hard sci-fi, Banks is never really interested in explaining any of the advanced technology in it. Incidentally, despite what you might assume it isn't actually set in the future, The Culture didn't originate on Earth and at the time of The Player of Games I don't think they've made any contact with Earth.

Three people met something on the road. You're left wondering what happened to who.

[Bahimiron]

Incidentally, despite what you might assume it isn't actually set in the future, The Culture didn't originate on Earth and at the time of The Player of Games I don't think they've made any contact with Earth.

Ah. If that was explained earlier in the book I did not catch it.

[williamjm]

Ah. If that was explained earlier in the book I did not catch it.

That aspect of the backstory isn't mentioned much in most of the books, the exception is The State of the Art where the plot tells the story of a Culture ship visiting 1970s Earth, which does make it quite obvious that the Culture didn't originate on Earth.

[Kese]

Little bit of time since my last post but...now i have made through most of the 'top authors' here at Westeros and some not so popular. Easily best new author for me is Joe Abercrombie, his style is allmost as good as The Great One Himself, GRRRRRRRmartin. Abercrombie's humor is the best, characters building not so bad either. R. Scott Bakker was first hard to get in, but time The Warrior Prophet i was sold, now i'm soon gonna start White-luck Warrior and get more dose of epic philosophy-fantasy. Patrick Rothfuss and his adventures of poor smarty wizard has hooked me also. I have now read some 30 or so fantasy book in last two years to fill the hole Martin left after Feast of Crows and i have found more than fillers, thanks to Westeros forums many fine recommendations.

I have lately read some SF, Quantum Thief and Old Man's War, both great, liked OMW more, must read more Scalzi. I have heard over teh internets that Zoe's tale is not as good as other sequels? Currently reading Stephen Baxter's Ark, wich is so far much better than Flood. After that probably going for Matterhorn or White-luck Warrior before Dance With The Dragons arrives.

[jdiddyesquire]

Little bit of time since my last post but...now i have made through most of the 'top authors' here at Westeros and some not so popular. Easily best new author for me is Joe Abercrombie, his style is allmost as good as The Great One Himself, GRRRRRRRmartin. Abercrombie's humor is the best, characters building not so bad either. R. Scott Bakker was first hard to get in, but time The Warrior Prophet i was sold, now i'm soon gonna start White-luck Warrior and get more dose of epic philosophy-fantasy. Patrick Rothfuss and his adventures of poor smarty wizard has hooked me also. I have now read some 30 or so fantasy book in last two years to fill the hole Martin left after Feast of Crows and i have found more than fillers, thanks to Westeros forums many fine recommendations.

I have lately read some SF, Quantum Thief and Old Man's War, both great, liked OMW more, must read more Scalzi. I have heard over teh internets that Zoe's tale is not as good as other sequels? Currently reading Stephen Baxter's Ark, wich is so far much better than Flood. After that probably going for Matterhorn or White-luck Warrior before Dance With The Dragons arrives.

Zoe's Tale is just a retelling of The Last Colony but from a teenagers perspective. It's good, but kind of a bit redundant.

[Kese]

Zoe's Tale is just a retelling of The Last Colony but from a teenagers perspective. It's good, but kind of a bit redundant.

Thanks! Goes for 'to read sometime in future' list

[nickg]

Started The Wandering Fire today. Not too far into it, but unless the quality nose-dives, I see myself enjoying it. I thought The Summer Tree was much better than I expected and I'm firmly in the camp of those who enjoy the series. Not ready to set this in stone until I finish the trilogy, but I might like Fionavar as much, if not more than Lions or Sarantine.

I love the covers too.

[Cuchulain]

Finished Redemption Ark by Alastair Reynolds. While a bit slow at times, it's still a great addition to the series. I'm now reading Absolution Gap.

[SkynJay]

I have finished Firethorn, by Sarah Mecklem.

And I was amazed. One of the most beautifully written books I have ever read, but the author didn't fall in love with her writing and lose sight of here characters.

The lead is a great character, and I fell hard for her, feeling her pain in a certain, horrible late scene.

I loved, loved the religion in this book. Very original.

It started kind of slow, but by the half mark I was hooked. Can't wait for the next one, in the future.

Next up is Leviathan Wakes, and then I have a copy of Wise Man's Fear reserved at the library, FINALLY. (Sorry to the author, but I aint buying that monster in hardback).

[Biter]

I've read most of The Lovely Bones, but felt like I needed something else for a while so right now I'm reading The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao which I'm loving so far.

[Jack Of All Trades]

Just finished The Hobbit. Now I'm starting on Ubik by Phillip K. Dick. After that I'll read LotR and then probably a bunch of Shakespeare's comedies. I might throw Last and First Men by Stapledon in there somewhere too.

Everything Shakespeare and Tolkien related is for my classes in the fall. Could be worse.

[RedEyedGhost]

I finished Giles Kristian's Raven: Sons of Thunder yesterday, and it wasn't nearly as enjoyable as I remember the first book being. While I thought Blood Eye was on par with Cornwell's later books in The Saxon Stories, Sons of Thunder was definitely a few steps below anything I've ever read of Cornwell's. It makes me wonder if this book was rushed, because the prose felt very juvenile (including the repetitive use of the word fart, no fewer than 25 times), it had serious pacing issues, and Raven's inner monologue felt like a carbon copy of Uhtred's form Cornwell's series, which I didn't notice in the first book. Overall it's a decent adventure story with some fun action sequences, but nothing to write home about.

I will definitely read the next book, though, because (very minor spoiler/from the book's synopsis)

Vikings in Constantinople!

I'm about 50 pages into Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey, and it's quite good so far. The prologue was quite nice with a throwback to Alfred Bester's The Stars My Destination.

[Grack21]

Finished GoT reread. Yay! Trying to decide if I want to move straight on to Clash of Kings or throw something short in the between. Decisions, decisions....

[Contrarius]

Whew. I just finished going through all five of the currently available Felix Castor books. They are definitely worth the read. I'm looking forward to the next one!

[mashiara]

I read Sylvester by Georgette Heyer and I enjoyed it as much as her other books I've read. It felt nice to be transported to a different era for a while and not have to worry about things.

I reread Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris (because I did not remember what the hell had happened in it) and then I read Dead in the Family, also by Harris. I still enjoy the Sookie Stackhouse books but I have to admit they are not as much fun as they used to be when I first discovered them. Still, fun, quick reads.

I'm now reading Exit Music by Ian Rankin. I have the hardest time focusing on any book right now.

[murphy]

I read Sylvester by Georgette Heyer and I enjoyed it as much as her other books I've read. It felt nice to be transported to a different era for a while and not have to worry about things.

I reread Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris (because I did not remember what the hell had happened in it) and then I read Dead in the Family, also by Harris. I still enjoy the Sookie Stackhouse books but I have to admit they are not as much fun as they used to be when I first discovered them. Still, fun, quick reads.

I'm now reading Exit Music by Ian Ramkin. I have the hardest time focusing on any book right now.

I think my favorite Heyer books are The Toll Gate and The Unknown Ajax. Most of her books are eminently rereadable.

[Datepalm]

Finished Aliette de Bodard's Servant of the Underworld, which is a fantasy-murder mystery set in the Aztec empire. It was ok, but felt a bit disjointed and rushed. I would actually have appreciated an info dump here and there. There turned out to be a bit of historical/cultural/political background explanation as an appendix, but it was rather too late by then. Its also of the super magic saturated type of fantasy, which isn't usually my favorite type. I liked the main character, even if he did remain a bit flat, and the setting was honestly refreshing. I'll probably read the sequel eventually.

Also got through Dorothy Egans Gate of Ivory in about a day. Really fun adventure story about a woman from a technological sort of planet stranded on one where magic is prevalent. It dosen't really go into any depth in...anything, not the politics, plot, setting, romance or characterization, but its all in there and is sort of compulsively readable anyway.

Still reading Tigana.

[murphy]

Finished Aliette de Bodard's Servant of the Underworld, which is a fantasy-murder mystery set in the Aztec empire. It was ok, but felt a bit disjointed and rushed. I would actually have appreciated an info dump here and there. There turned out to be a bit of historical/cultural/political background explanation as an appendix, but it was rather too late by then. Its also of the super magic saturated type of fantasy, which isn't usually my favorite type. I liked the main character, even if he did remain a bit flat, and the setting was honestly refreshing. I'll probably read the sequel eventually.

Also got through Dorothy Egans Gate of Ivory in about a day. Really fun adventure story about a woman from a technological sort of planet stranded on one where magic is prevalent. It dosen't really go into any depth in...anything, not the politics, plot, setting, romance or characterization, but its all in there and is sort of compulsively readable anyway.

Still reading Tigana.

Isn't that Doris Egan? Is that the trilogy omnibus? I loved that book as silly and fluffy as it was and have look for more from her ever since.

[Datepalm]

Isn't that Doris Egan? Is that the trilogy omnibus? I loved that book as silly and fluffy as it was and have look for more from her ever since.

Oops, yes, Doris. I just read the first one (well, and started the second, because I couldn't stop myself) but i'll get back to finishing the omnibus eventually. Its really a good-mood book, though actually Theo is in a rather bad situation and makes a few very hard choices, and the Cormallen family stuff turns out to be downright ASOIAFy, but its all written so lightly that it like...oh, fun! Not sure how she pulled that off, really.