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December to Dismember: Books we're offing this month

Larry.

By Larry.,
in Literature

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me399 Council Member

me399

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I am finally going to read the first Mistborn book. Then i will continue on with the Shadows of the Apt.

I'm working my way thru the 3rd book in this series. I've liked it allot so far. I got the fourth book for my birthday. It's waiting on my shelf.

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Analu Council Member

Analu

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I just finished "The Mission, the Men and Me" by Pete Blaber. My FIL gave it to me to read and I really enjoyed it and think I got things out of it that I can apply to my life.

Am also reading "When Technology Fails" by Stein, which I personally think every person should own a copy of. It should be mandatory. Probably the best $20 I've ever spent, and I've completed over 5 projects just from that book alone, and have barely scratched the surface.

For fiction, I finished "Leviathan Wakes" by Abraham and it was awesome. I don't really like sci-fi books (the technobabble puts me off), but man it was good. He's turning into one of my favorite writers, and maybe one of only a handful of fiction writers that I'll buy the book when it comes out, instead of waiting for it to become available at my library.

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theladyinspring Sellsword

theladyinspring

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For fiction, I finished "Leviathan Wakes" by Abraham and it was awesome. I don't really like sci-fi books (the technobabble puts me off), but man it was good. He's turning into one of my favorite writers, and maybe one of only a handful of fiction writers that I'll buy the book when it comes out, instead of waiting for it to become available at my library.

I usually avoid sci-fi too but I just finished the third book of The Long Price Quartet and I really want to read more by this author. Reading your praise as a non sci-fi reader convinces me to give it a shot.

I still have to decide if I am going to read the fourth book in the quartet. For some reason in my heart I feel like I am done with the story and satisfied, but on the other hand I wonder if it is unfair to the author not to finish it as he intended, since I do enjoy the story. But since I'm ready to leave that world, on my plate for December I have:

The Wise Man's Fear, if I can bear it. Unlike most I had a lot of hate for the first book. But it was an interesting story. I have to decide if I will return the sequel to the library unread.

Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold. The Vorkosigan series also if I have the time.

Crown of Stars series by Kate Elliott.

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Contrarius Council Member

Contrarius

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Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold. The Vorkosigan series also if I have the time.

There's always room for Jello, and there's always time for Vorkosigan!! :)

I'm on a mini-mystery/thriller kick right now. Read the first two books of Ian Rankin's Inspector Rebus series. The first was really pretty bad, the second was a great improvement but still sorely lacking in the prose qualities. Overall kinda meh, but I hear that the series keeps improving, so I'll read at least the award winning ones eventually (#8 won the Gold Dagger and #13 won the Edgar). Next, though, I'm gonna read The Neon Rain by James Lee Burke, first in the Dave Robicheaux series. I've already read #3 in the series and loved it (Black Cherry Blues), and my mom's a big fan of the books, so I'm hoping that I'll like the rest of the series as well.

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Biter Council Member

Biter

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Earlier this week I finished John Ajvide Lindqvist's Little Star, and it's probably my least favorite Lindqvist book.

I'm starting Jennifer Egan's A Visit From The Goon Squad.

Ditto, just started last night. Have you read anything by Egan before?

I've only read The Keep, which I thought was alright.

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Analu Council Member

Analu

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I usually avoid sci-fi too but I just finished the third book of The Long Price Quartet and I really want to read more by this author. Reading your praise as a non sci-fi reader convinces me to give it a shot.

I still have to decide if I am going to read the fourth book in the quartet. For some reason in my heart I feel like I am done with the story and satisfied, but on the other hand I wonder if it is unfair to the author not to finish it as he intended, since I do enjoy the story.

I was in the exact same boat as you with the 4th book in the Long Price Quartet. I felt like enough of the story was told by the 3rd, and didn't like the idea of a 15 year jump in the storylines. I eventually got to it, and it was a a very satisfying conclusion, IMO. I think you'll like "Leviathan Wakes" though.

But since I'm ready to leave that world, on my plate for December I have:

The Wise Man's Fear, if I can bear it. Unlike most I had a lot of hate for the first book. But it was an interesting story. I have to decide if I will return the sequel to the library unread.

Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold. The Vorkosigan series also if I have the time.

I remember reading "Curse of the Chalion" years ago and really liking it, but for whatever reason, I can't for the life of me remember anything about it. I recall trying to read the 2nd book in the series, but never quite getting into it. As for WMF, it was OK but not great IMO. I remember having a lot of problems with the first book too, but felt it had enough good points to try the next one. Just seemed like a whole lot of nothing going on for large portions of the book.

For the near future, I've got a lot of non-fiction books on my list, but don't really have much time planned for any fiction books. I never thought I'd get to the point in my life where I'd get more satisfaction, and consciously choose to read non-fiction over fiction. Just a matter of prioritizing my time, I guess, and fiction gets the short end for now...

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Eyelesbarrow Council Member

Eyelesbarrow

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Earlier this week I finished John Ajvide Lindqvist's Little Star, and it's probably my least favorite Lindqvist book.

Ditto, just started last night. Have you read anything by Egan before?

I've only read The Keep, which I thought was alright.

So I finished Egan today and I should say that while I enjoyed most parts of it, there were bits that I found too gimmicky. (I have never liked Powerpoints). I've read her short stories and The Invisible Circus in the past. I'm more partial to her short stories than to her novels.

This is weird; we seem to be reading the same writers this week. :) I just finished a Lindqvist too. Handling the Undead, to be precise. As a fan of Let The Right One In, I was disappointed in that second novel. It felt like he overextended himself. I haven't read A Little Star yet - is it out in English already? (Yes it is.)

Next up: Might give EM Forster a try. That or John Fowles' Daniel Martin.

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Iskaral Pust Council Member

Iskaral Pust

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I've been traveling so much in recent months that I have had lots of time to read on airplanes and in hotels. These are the recent ones I can think of:

Joe Abercrombie: First Law Trilogy and Best Served Cold. All good reads, though I enjoyed the trilogy more. I'm going to take a break before picking up The Heroes.

Malcom Gladwell: Tipping Point and Outliers. Both thought-provoking and entertaining reads. However Gladwell seems very prone to stretching to conclusions that produce a satisfying narrative without being well supported by actual evidence. Much hand-waving, not a lot of rigor. Some of his topics have more rigorous conflicting interpretations by other authors.

Daniel Abraham: Installments two and three of the Long Price Quartet. Great reads, refreshingly different. I'm looking forward to finishing the series, but the fourth book seems to have a long wait at Amazon.

Neal Stephonson: Reamde. OK, entertaining enough, predictable, not what I was hoping for from this author.

Tucker Max: I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell. I'm conflicted about this one. It definitely made me laugh out loud several times, but it is reprehensible, misogynist sewage. I feel bad for financially supporting his lifestyle.

Patrick Rothfuss: The Name of the Wind. Well written but very slow reveal. This part of Kvothe's story felt very similar to Peekay in The Power of One. The story-telling is just good enough to offset the lack of any plot development. I gather the second book has some pretty pointless meandering too, so I'll pick it up at some stage, but I'm not in a rush.

Kurt Vonnegut: Cat's Cradle. It was only OK. I love humorous, satirical, philosophical fiction, and it's so hard to find, but this was only occasionally and mildly humorous and the satire wasn't that pointed. Perhaps it was a bigger deal back in 1960.

Any recommendations here? Should I try more of Vonnegut? Any other authors to try? Tom Robbins didn't impress me much either with Fierce Invalids.

Walter Miller: Canticle for Leibowitz. Just started it and I love it so far. I sometimes have these moments where I try a widely-reputed classic, and it turns out to actually be as good as reputed. Counter-example: I tried Heinlein with Stranger in a Strange Land, and it was nothing special at all.

Next up:

Daniel Kahneman: Thinking, Fast and Slow

Nicholas Wapshott: Keynes vs. Hayek

Daniel Abraham's conclusion of the Long Price Quartet, whenever it arrives. I think I also ordered another of his books.

Frankie Boyle's autobiography and a couple of other random picks while browsing at Barnes & Noble.

Edit to add: I also started True Grit and To Kill a Mockingbird, but have dropped both midway through for more compelling options. I'll get back to them.

I need to hunt for some more recs. Jack Vance has been lingering on my must-try list for a while.

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