gordonah Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 Just finished The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory. I didn't enjoy it a lot overall overall, though it was interesting in parts. Despite it being one of my favourite periods for history, I found I was not really interested in most of the narrative, perhaps because until the final part of the book it was set a long way from the action, leading to the key moments being reported 3rd hand. There's a small chance I'll read another one in the series, but not any time soon.I will be moving on tonight to Blue at the Mizzen by Patrick O'Brian. It the final full novel of the series, so in addition to enjoying it as an individual read I'll be expecting a feeling of conclusion when I've finished (though I'll surely read the following unfinished novel for completeness). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deleted01 Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 Just finished The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory. I didn't enjoy it a lot overall overall, though it was interesting in parts. Despite it being one of my favourite periods for history, I found I was not really interested in most of the narrative, perhaps because until the final part of the book it was set a long way from the action, leading to the key moments being reported 3rd hand. There's a small chance I'll read another one in the series, but not any time soon.I have to agree. The Red Queen was one of the first books of Gregory's that I read, and it's probably one of my least favourites. I much preferred The Lady of the Rivers and The White Queen, especially as they have a touch of magic to them, what with Jacquetta and Elizabeth being accused of using witchcraft. The Kingmaker's Daughter was also quite good, though not the best IMHO. Personally I see them as easy-reading books, ones you can skim through and enjoy, so by all means put them to the bottom of your pile, but I wouldn't rule them out completely. Gregory may be many things, but she does know how to tell a story. Usually ;)I'm still reading The Lies of Locke Lamora, about halfway through now. I have to say how much I'm enjoying it, a very pleasant surprise. The story grabbed me from the moment I turned the first page, and despite the jumping around of the narrative, I have to admit I'm thoroughly enjoying this book. Yet another brilliant recommendation from the board! :D A bargain too, as I picked it up for 50p in a discount shop. Cloud Atlas has arrived and is next on the pile I believe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingAlanI Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 I recently finished ASOS and started AFFC. ASOIAF books are long, and I try to read only one book at a time, so I haven't read anything else for awhile. I don't think I'll go right to ADWD when I'm done with AFFC. Lauren Oliver, Requiem may be next. I had read several YA books inbetween AGOT and ACOK, including Delirum and Pandemonium, which Requiem is a sequel too. GRRM's very adult work was a refreshing break from that, and now the YA stuff might be a refreshing break from GRRM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nearly Headless Ned Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 The Death Of Sweet Mister-Daniel Woodrell.Slowly working through his back catalogue and after Winter's Bone this is his best. Brilliantly written and observed and with a depressingly bleak ending that's more like a primal scream than anything else I've ever read. Truly disturbing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Datepalm Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 Yes I am reading 'Soulless.' Yes it appears to be more romance than fantasy. Yes I am enjoying it anyway. The author isn't taking this serious, so I won't either.Lol, that has to be the most insubstantial book i've ever read. (Too fluffy to even be truly enjoyable in a fun, swashbuckling read sort of way.)Speaking of, I finished The Snow Child, by Eowyn Ivey. I liked the beginning, but it ended up being a bit more, well, insubstantial than I expected too at the end. Theres a depth of emotion there, and the setting is well done, but I feel like the story kind of exhausts itself and peters out into slightly meh, even while the ending is rushed. I enjoyed it while I was reading it, but had no desire at all to get back to it the moment I closed the book. It might have worked better for me if it had been shorter and more intense, but on the other hand the atmosphere of the long, lingering early chapters was the best bit, so who knows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lany Freelove Cassandra Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 I love Sharon Penman. Have you read The Sunne in Splendour? It's to my mind her best novel.Yes, read it last year and actually went looking for more books by her when I found this series. It is probably one of the best books I have read the past few years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melonica Stormborn Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 Four chapters to go before I finish The Dragon Reborn....what to read next? I'll maybe read that second Emperor's Edge book or something stand-alone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UndergroundMan Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 Just started "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote. Really engaging so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingofashes Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 Four chapters to go before I finish The Dragon Reborn....what to read next? I'll maybe read that second Emperor's Edge book or something stand-alone.Not The Shadow Rising or whatever wheel of time is next?WoT was the first fantasy series I read (apart from maybe LOTR) and I wanted to reread them all before starting Memory of Light but months later and I'm still halfway though the 1st book. As soon as the group split up I really couldn't be botherd reading anymore. The bit where Egwene and Perrin meet the wolves is really just dragging for me. I remember liking the 3,4,5 and 6th books the most though so I really should just get through them. Is that your first time reading the Dragon Reborn? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingofashes Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 I'm on the third chapter of House of Chains and, although I am started to enjoy it after a slow start, it's not what I was expecting at all. It has to be the strangest of the Malazan books so far and there's only been the one story and one pov which I hope will change? as I liked the multiple stories in other Malazan books and think thats one of Eriksons strenghts as a writer, weaving storielines apart and together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkynJay Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 I finished Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews, and with that I must leave the urban fantasy scene for a while. May try this Linda Ngata book I bought a few months back Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melonica Stormborn Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 Not The Shadow Rising or whatever wheel of time is next?WoT was the first fantasy series I read (apart from maybe LOTR) and I wanted to reread them all before starting Memory of Light but months later and I'm still halfway though the 1st book. As soon as the group split up I really couldn't be botherd reading anymore. The bit where Egwene and Perrin meet the wolves is really just dragging for me. I remember liking the 3,4,5 and 6th books the most though so I really should just get through them.Is that your first time reading the Dragon Reborn?I'm actually going through the series the first time. I'm working on reading one WoT book a month (so far so good) and the series being finished is my biggest motivation for picking it up. I did think about just going through The Shadow Rising, but for some reason, I want my WoT reads more spaced out. And I don't know, The Dragon Reborn kind of dragged compared with the first two books. Is The Shadow Rising better? I do intend to keep reading since there are some characters I'm interested to follow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polishgenius Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 I'm on the third chapter of House of Chains and, although I am started to enjoy it after a slow start, it's not what I was expecting at all. It has to be the strangest of the Malazan books so far and there's only been the one story and one pov which I hope will change? as I liked the multiple stories in other Malazan books and think thats one of Eriksons strenghts as a writer, weaving storielines apart and together.Yeah, the first portion of HoC is essentially a prequel for a character who comes into the rest of the story now (though you have met him before, briefly, iirc). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tehol Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 Yeah, the first portion of HoC is essentially a prequel for a character who comes into the rest of the story now (though you have met him before, briefly, iirc).I think it 's in book 2. Karsa was with Leoman when they found Felisin (sp?). Someone correct me if i am wrong.Oh, at this moment i am reading about what you guys are reading and enjoying the brief feedback on books ( i love this thread!), i just can't find the motivation to finish any books. Hopefully i will get out of this soon or may be not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starkess Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 I finished Lamb. It was an enjoyable read--I think I am pretty much the target audience, having a pretty detailed knowledge of the Bible so I got most of the jokes but not a believer so not offended. I thought the first third was definitely the strongest, so it was a little disappointing in that I felt it didn't live up to its own standard, but definitely a fun read.Started on Wool after finally having been convinced by so many positive reviews here and other places that this wasn't standard self-pubbed crap. It's hard to turn off my internal editor, but I finished the first story and it was entertaining. I don't really like the format of a novel where the parts are only loosely-connected (ie the Foundation trilogy comes to mind) but I am willing to give it a go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eponine Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 I finished Lamb. It was an enjoyable read--I think I am pretty much the target audience, having a pretty detailed knowledge of the Bible so I got most of the jokes but not a believer so not offended. I thought the first third was definitely the strongest, so it was a little disappointing in that I felt it didn't live up to its own standard, but definitely a fun read.Started on Wool after finally having been convinced by so many positive reviews here and other places that this wasn't standard self-pubbed crap. It's hard to turn off my internal editor, but I finished the first story and it was entertaining. I don't really like the format of a novel where the parts are only loosely-connected (ie the Foundation trilogy comes to mind) but I am willing to give it a go.We're reading the same things at the same time! I agree about Lamb and the first third - the second third went too over the top at times and the third third was awfully Bible-y.I started Wool because besides hearing mostly positive reviews here, one of my boyfriend's friends just read it and I don't actually know anyone IRL who reads similar things ***. Although I don't think anyone appreciated when I mentioned that Card is a raging homophobe (they didn't know anything about his beliefs or stuff beyond Ender's Game). *** Ahem, Peterbound - I am forcing myself through Forbidden Knowledge. As soon as Donaldson stopped being fairly concise, he got awful again. All the sympathy I built up for Morn in the first book, I've lost it all because being in her head is SO FUCKING ANNOYING. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starkess Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 We're reading the same things at the same time! I agree about Lamb and the first third - the second third went too over the top at times and the third third was awfully Bible-y.Funny that you say that because I was just thinking last week about reading Donaldson, and now I see you are! It's the reading gods. ;)The second third got really weird and I guess I should have seen it coming that the last third was going to be really Bible-y--he did have to catch up, after all. But I felt like his writing suffered from being more constrained, the humor became more heavy-handed and it just wasn't as good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingofashes Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 Yeah, the first portion of HoC is essentially a prequel for a character who comes into the rest of the story now (though you have met him before, briefly, iirc).For some reason Teblor reminds me of the Tublakia(sp?) that was mentioned in Deadhouse Gates and since Karsa, at the minute anyway, seems to be heading towards seven cities I'm guessing that Karsa ends up being the bodyguard to Felisan (or both whirlwind prophets) because he has just survived a magic attack that stuns Dhentabi(!) and I remember the bodyguard taking on soletaken and D'ivers.Is that a decent guess or am I way out? I don't remember the guy being describes as a giant though only big, but I can't think who else it could be. I'm pretty sure there was a mention of him carrying a wooden sword though and the whole "collecting souls" thing points to Karsa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingofashes Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 I think it 's in book 2. Karsa was with Leoman when they found Felisin (sp?). Someone correct me if i am wrong.Hmm I think Leoman was the guy I'm thinking about. There was two anyway. I wonder if he gets given a new name?Ah and Karsa pledges to fight the Malazans so it gives motivation to join the rebellion.edit: I misread the post. So Karsa is with Leoman I'm pretty sure I haven't heard that name before though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingofashes Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 Is The Shadow Rising better? I do intend to keep reading since there are some characters I'm interested to follow.It's been a while since I read them but I'm sure TSR was one of my favorite ones. I think you start seeing Rand really changing for the better in the next couple of books. I got a bit annoyed when he took so long to accept what he was and what he had to do. He just wanted to run for so long. Who're the characters you want to follow? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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