Jane's comments (member since Mar 31, 2009)

Jane's comments from the Beyond Reality group.

I have the omibus edition Peace and War and have read Forever War and am part way through the second book. I found the style very straight forward and enjoyed reading it.

I haven't actually bought any books in a while, money being earmarked for other things. But there are some on my to buy list, new books on the list Best Served Coldand Traitors' Gate, the later I spotted in my local library.
I also want to start reading the Sookie books, but I am likely to get the first from the library before I part from any money.
Unfortunately the town I live in doesn't have a decent second hand book shop and sometimes new books can be a little expensive.
But a trip into Sheffield might mean some bargains will come my way. But I am in search of inspiration for new authors.

I have had a mismass of a month, not finished a book that I have started yet. Only at the start of The city and The city. Also reading a biography of George Fox founder of the Quakers. At the start of the month I had just finished The Forever War, my edition is an omibus with the two sequels and I am currently stuck half way thru the second book.
I have also just signed up to do a home study course in AAT, so either my reading is going to just be course books or I might actually get more reading done when I get my study timetable set up and slot in time for fun reading.

Mawgojzeta wrote: "Finishing Cabal today. Never read it before because I had liked the movie "Night Breed" so much I was afraid to. Well, the book is wonderful. And, having read over 1/2 of it so far..."

Loved this book and have read it a number of times

Pepper wrote: "I started "Smoke and Mirrors" by Neil Gaiman. Actually I'm not so much a fan of short stories, but Gaimans stories have a quality that intrigue me. "

I really enjoy his stories, especially this collection, my favourate is the one about the old lady who finds the grail in a charity shop

I enjoyed Warrior's Apprentice but missed his parents presence. I really enjoyed getting to know them in the first two books and they felt almost like ghosts in this one.
I am planning on reading the rest of the books in the series and hope to get to enjoy reading about Miles as much as I did Cordelia

I went straight into reading this after I finished the earlier book but ended up putting it to one side.
I just got rather annoyed with Miles, it was when he arrived at his first posting and my intial reaction was hasn't he learnt to hold his tongue yet.
But I will go back and finish it soon. Sometimes I find I get fatigued when reading books in a series straight after each other. I suppose when the author is first writing them there will be a period of time between the series being published so the first readers can't read them straight after each other.

Can someone help me with a name of a book that I would like to nomiate.
I would like to nominate the first book in the series that the TV series True Blood is based on.
The series is just about to start on UK terrestial TV at the start of October and I thought it might be fun to read and compare with the TV series

Got a copy from the library yesterday just on chapter three at the moment.
Before starting the book I thought that the idea of the other city would be something that is revealed rather than something that is known from the start.
Looking forward to reading the rest

I bought this book and started to read it after it was nominated the first time a few months back.
I couldn't get on with at all. I found the violence unnerving and couldn't see the point of it.
I don't have a problem with violence in books (love Richard Morgan's novels and they can be a bit violent).

The death by sewage at the start and the torture and murder on the island near the start of the book were both scenes that the author had dreamed up to turn the readers stomaches. They didn't seem to add to the story or have any impact on the characters involved.
It was only shortly after that I ended up tossing the book

I read the two together as I bought the omibus edition and can't really see the join.
I certainly wouldn't have guessed that there was a significant time period between them being written.

I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series especially as I enjoyed the first two so much and so many of you have said that the later books are even better.

I have read all of Richard Morgan's books with the exception of Market Forces which I started but could not get on with and tossed it.

If I had read it first I wonder whether I would have picked up any of his other books.

It makes me wonder how many other authors I have missed out on because having read one of their books I didn't get on with I haven't bothered to read any of their other books.

I would like to nominate A Madness of Angels Or The Resurrection of Matthew Swift for fantasy. I nominated for an early month but it didn't get picked. It is the first adult novel under the name Kate Griffin of a childrens author. It was described as a Neverwhere for the noughies. The author creates a rich and vivid world.

For the sci fi read I would like to nominate The Day of the Triffids, the BBC tv series currently being repeated and I thought that the reread was overdue and would like to share it with the group

This book is the sort of one that gets you thinking of what is the dividing line between sci fi and fantasy.

Have you read The True Game? It starts reading like fantasy. Characters have what seem to be magical abilities. But as the story progresses you realize it is sci fi.
Maybe that is where Richard Morgan will end taking this book in the future

I agree that the book is uncomfortable to read in parts. Which is why it is going so slowly for me (that and other books distracting me).
The books I find myself enjoying the most have central characters that I enjoy spending time with even if they aren't likable. David is not very likable but is also unsettling company

Just got The Children's Bookfrom the library, so reading three at the moment.
As I am also reading the two books of the month for the group

I too have read all his books except Market Forces. I got Altered Carbon out from the library when it was first out in paperback. After finishing it I passed it onto my husband to read. I then got the sequels from the library as they came out but didn't read them myself.
It was when Richard Morgan was on the group that I decided to go back to his books. But I picked up Market Forces and ended up tossing it fairly early on. But then my husband bought a copy of Black Man, mainly because I had pointed him in the direction of the group discussion. I read it after him and ended up going out and getting all his other books in softback and reading them one after another.
Sometimes good authors do not stand up to back to back reading of their novels. But in this case I just wished he had written more. Luckly I didn't have long to wait for "The Steel Remains.." and then I had a new dilemma.
Did I want the next book Richard Morgan wrote to be more sci fi or fantasy

Just started rereading this book today. I bought it and read it as soon as it came out last year.
It always surprises me how much detail I forget between readings.
Two out of the three main characters had slipped my mind completely.
I guess that is why I tend to reread books so much.
There are exceptions to this, I think I could almost write David Gemmell's Legend out from memory, but I have read that book every year since it was published. Sometimes more than once a year.

Still reading this book, rather slow going as I have been sidetracked by at least 3 other books.
Chances are good that I will finish it as the central character intrigues me
Jane

Having read "Cordelia's Honour" I have picked up the two other books I have by the author and am current reading "Paladin of Souls" having finished the first in the series on Saturday.
Prior to reading Cordelia's Honour they were the only books I had by the author and am enjoying rereading them.