Jensownzoo's comments (member since May 11, 2009)

Jensownzoo's comments from the Beyond Reality group.

Fantasy: Heaven's Bones by Samantha Henderson. I've had this book on my shelf for a few months. It is about love, sort of, in a sick/twisted way and it IS for February.

SciFi: The Engines of God by Jack McDevitt, the first in a series by an author that I haven't tried.

Both my nominations have greater than four stars on GR at the current time and as far as I can tell, haven't been read by this group.

Fantasy: Daughter Of Hounds by Caitlín R. Kiernan -- this would be a reread for me, but I've been wanting to for a while. A book complex and varied enough to lead to an interesting discussion, I think.

SciFi: Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds -- been wanting to read this author

Oooh...wall-to-wall bookshelves...

*is jealous*

Yes, generally if I start buying a series in one format then I like to stick to that format. Sometimes I have to buy a different format for various reasons, but if I see a used copy in the format to make my collection uniform, then I will purchase and trade out the odd one.

I prefer trade paperbacks for reading because of the handling, but if a less expensive format is available (MMPB or remaindered hardback) then my budget demands those.

My nominations stand as is then. Thanks!

Stefan wrote: "Ron,

Good idea --- we can do that for our next series. Foreigner was actually Book of the Month here before (in the Yahoo group)."


Rats. I scanned the list, but must have missed it. Sorry about that.

Dan wrote: "I'm reading Whitechapel Gods by S.M. Peters. I'm on a new weird kick lately and WG sure fits the bill."

Yes, yes it does. It was my first introduction to steampunk as well, which made it doubly odd. Good, though.

I just finished a re-read of Working with the Devil by Lilith Saintcrow because I needed something in the girls-kickin'-A genre. Will be picking out something else from my TBR shelf tonight after I finish painting the living room.

I think I'll do the same as Jon and nominate a couple of books that I've been meaning to read for ages.

For science fiction: Foreigner by C.J. Cherryh

Exiled to the island of Mospheira, a colony of stranded humans relies on one man, their "paidhi" (liaison), to explain their ways to the dominant species of their adopted world. When Bren Cameron, the current paidhi, becomes the target for assassination in a culture where licensed murder is a recognized political solution, the conflict between species becomes a life-and-death struggle for survival and understanding. Veteran sf/fantasy author Cherryh plays her strongest suit in this exploration of human/alien contact, producing an incisive study-in-contrast of what it means to be human in a world where trust is nonexistent.

For fantasy: Scar Night by Alan Campbell

Campbell sets his stunning debut fantasy in Deepgate, a town wreathed in chains that keep it hanging suspended over a bottomless abyss, peopled by worshippers of Lord Ulcis, the god of chains, and tormented by a mad angel named Carnival. The author, who was a video game designer, renders Deepgate beautifully. It's a complex city of creaking metal links, stone and shadow, inhabited by priests, assassins and the boy-angel Dill, who will lead a journey into the abyss in a desperate attempt to save the city. Campbell has Neil Gaiman's gift for lushly dark stories and compelling antiheroes, and effortlessly channels the Victorian atmospherics of writer and illustrator Mervyn Peake as well.

Oh, fantastic! I am so glad this series was picked. I've read about half of it and was meaning to get to the other half very soon anyway because I enjoyed it so much. I've got some time to get my hands on the volumes that I don't yet own.

Hey all! I noticed that two people that I had friended joined this group recently and had to check it out. Glad I did. I won't be posting too often yet as am still getting my garden up and running for the season, but you will be seeing more of me later when I've had more time to read!

Jane wrote: "Loved it, and it summed up in one sentence why I loved the Assassin trilogy but couldn't get on with Ship of Magic
"

Yup, pretty much hit it on the head, there.