January 2012 - New Year, new reads

[Gigei]

I have been trying to the Renshai Chronicles for a month or so but I get no joy. I'm just way too old for this stuff. Whenever I read the parts where every single Renshai is always a crazy warrior-type fanatic it makes me roll my eyes like "oh yeah I bet they kill all the gentle people" which apparently is true since the 14-year-old (or thereabouts, she is like under 16) girl who gets pregnant twice (once with twins) thinks that if the baby can't handle her active lifestyle (she is pregnant and chooses to keep on fighting) it's better off dead anyway.

I guess when I was younger I didn't think of all this ugly social darwinism inherent in the culture but now I'm too old to turn off that part of my brain and just enjoy the kick-ass parts.

Also, the covers are so ugly...

[Teng Ai Hui]

I recently finished the whole Millennium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson. Now, I'm about half way through A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail. It's a good mix of travelogue, scientific information, and humor. I'm definitely planning to read more Bill Bryson this month.

[snookyrump]

Just finished:

Death of Kings, Cornwell

The Confusion, Stephenson

Band of Brothers, Ambrose

Up next:

The Blade Itself, Abercrombie

Spangle, Jennings

[Merrin]

I recently finished Songs of the Earth by Elspeth Cooper. I have to admit that I had pretty high hopes when I started this book which makes it all the more disappointing that I ended up skimming through most of the last third of the book. It's very rare for me to indulge in skimming like that. I think my expectations made the book seem worse than it is as I've seen it garner a few good reviews.

I'll either be reading The Dragon's Path by Daniel Abraham or The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters next. Unless the books I've ordered for school arrive in the next day or two. Oh man.

[jdiddyesquire]

I recently finished Songs of the Earth by Elspeth Cooper. I have to admit that I had pretty high hopes when I started this book which makes it all the more disappointing that I ended up skimming through most of the last third of the book. It's very rare for me to indulge in skimming like that. I think my expectations made the book seem worse than it is as I've seen it garner a few good reviews.

I really enjoyed the first half, a lot. After a certain scene where Gair gets tested, things got a bit... loose? I ended up enjoying the read, but some major problems in the second half of the narrative. Hopefully Cooper gets back to the style from the first half of the novel.

[dornish prince]

polished off retribution falls today. i enjoyed it and will certainly bump black lung captain up in the queue. i'm still working on use of weapons and will replace ret. falls with wise man's fear as per my daughter's request.

[ljkeane]

I read the last two books of Stephen Deas' Dragon trilogy last week, it was ok. I think while books were it's obvious none of the major characters are going to die can get a bit tedious in this case I found that killing off too many of the major characters after they become interesting wasn't great either.

I've just started Paul Kearney's Corvus, I enjoyed The Ten Thousand so I'm quite looking forward to it.

[TheEvilKing]

Finished Drama City by George Pelecanos. It was aiight.

Next up: Brasyl by Ian McDonald.

[QuickTidal]

Gods, I started off the year by reading four incredible books in a row...and naturally then came the "post-awesome book slump" where no matter what book I picked up they were not slaking my thirst or holding much of my interest.

So I finally started back into my Glen Cook omnibus THE CHRONICLES OF THE BLACK COMPANY...and it is just what the doctor ordered!

[Nearly Headless Ned]

The Green Pearl by Jack Vance. Funny,odd and rather dark. Onwards with Dying Of The Light by GRRM which has an interesting doomed setting which with the lyrical prose style lends the book a melancholic, if occasionally overwrought feel.

[Starkess]

I am about 65% through Gardens of the Moon. It is slow going. It's not a bad book for sure, but I am having trouble really getting into it. I think it's the characters. I am having trouble really identifying or caring much about them at all despite an interesting plot and world building.

[The Winged Wolf Bran Stark]

Finished Before They Are Hanged. Loved it. Better than The Blade Itself. Now Last Argument of Kings.

Also reading A Christmas Carol at the moment.

[SkynJay]

Going through some Kindle deals. Read Phoenix Rising, which was an quick and enjoyable little steampunk adventure(if not very reminicent of George Mann's writting). I especially liked the chapter titles, with quircky previews along the lines of "Our Pepperpot hero does some good." Nothing groundbreaking, but well worth a buck.

Now reading Triumff: Her Majesty's Hero. About a fifth of the way in, and I am laughing a ton. Cheese is good when it knows it is cheesy! AND it actually has a plot going, not just a steady string of puns.

[nickg]

Currently reading necropolis ( 3rd book in The Founding omnibus ) by Dan Abnett. Held off on reading this for a few mins. The first two were good, but this one is easily the best of the three. Looks like my 40k obsession continues. Will pick up the next omnibus soon.

[RedEyedGhost]

I'm struggling with Germline; so far it's just "I like drugs, I'm a shitty reporter, I'm scared, more drugs please, scared, Bridgette!!"

... I'm hoping chapter for will turn things around, but the chapter's first word is Bridgette, so probably not.

[nickg]

I'm struggling with Germline; so far it's just "I like drugs, I'm a shitty reporter, I'm scared, more drugs please, scared, Bridgette!!"

... I'm hoping chapter for will turn things around, but the chapter's first word is Bridgette, so probably not.

I thought Germline was great. Hopefully it grows on you.

[Grack21]

Reading Noonshade by Barclay. Silly hack n slash fun. Death of Kings came in the mail today so that is definitely next.

[Datepalm]

I had the same reaction to the bit of Germline that I read...theres some interesting worldbuilding, but the super tense writing style all the time kind of grated on my nerves soon enough. I'll probably give it another shot eventually thought.

Reading Rule 34, Charlie Stross. Trying to figure out the effect of the 2nd person narration.

[lessthanluke]

On a run of good reads over the past few weeks. Flew through Leviathan Wakes, Death of Kings, Wise Mans Fear, The Alloy of Law and The Forever War. All of which I enjoyed to varying degrees. Now to pick my next book!

[Lord of the Night]

I'm reading Soul Hunter by Aaron Dembski-Bowden. Yeah its Warhammer. So what, wanna fight about it?

I like it btw. But I'm a nerd.

Great choice. Soul Hunter is one of the best books BL has, though its sequel Blood Reaver is even better.

To keep a better record of my reading I have started a small document with my start dates of each book and when I finish it. From 2012 onwards this is the start,

2^nd January 2012 – Started Angel Fire (First Book of 2012)

6^th January – Finished Angel Fire By L.A Weatherly

9^th January – Started Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

10^th January – Finished Hallowed

10^th January – Started Flashman by George MacDonald Fraser

13^th January – Finished Flashman

13^th January – Started Catechism of Hate by Gav Thorpe (No 86 of only 1500 copies.)

16^th January – Finished Catechism of Hate

16^th January – Started Honor Among Enemies by David Weber

Coming up next will be Horus Heresy: Know No Fear by Dan Abnett, Path of the Renegade by Andy Chambers, Knights of the Blazing Sun by Josh Reynolds, Legion of the Damned by Rob Sanders and then I intend to start the Kushiel's Legacy series by Jacqueline Carey with the first novel Kushiel's Dart.