What Else Are You Reading? July 2014

[[deleted user]]

I stopped reading Royal Assassin for a bit to read Half a King. Decent book, but not to my tastes; to cater for the YA crowd, Abercrombie diluted his story a bit too much for me.
Here's my review
Back to Royal Assassin!

[David(LA,CA)]

I seem to be on a bit of an anthology kick after finishing Dawn. Finished Help Fund my Robot Army!!! & Other Improbable Crowdfunding Projects and then moved on to METAtropolis: The Dawn of Uncivilization and Sword & Laser Anthology. There's a good chance I'll finish those before next week.

[Pat]

Started Half a King last night - half way through it already... Half a King? More like Half a Book.

[Misti]

I sped through Storm Front and since I like to break up series, I'm reading Sword & Laser Anthology.

[Joseph]

I am just starting Deadhouse Gates, and I can't wait to get further (I've heard great things). I really enjoy the way Erikson puts you straight into the deep end.

Also, I'm reading Summer Knight. So far I'm not enamored with Butcher as everyone else seems to be. The first 3 books all seemed very formulaic:

1. Blunder around on a murder investigation.
2. Keep Murphy out of it (for her safety because Harry is such a gentleman (read: chauvinist))
3. Struggle to find out who is behind it while Murphy gets in Harry's way due to bad communication
4. Have an epiphany right as it's "too late"
5. Unleash epic magic that Harry scrounges from somewhere convenient

I'm hoping things change soon since it seems like such a popular series.

[Alan]

I just finished London Falling (my review). Before that was The Thousand Names (my review). I think I need a science fiction book now to change it up - any suggestions?

[Dara]

Alan wrote: "I just finished London Falling (my review). Before that was The Thousand Names (my review). I think I need a science fiction book now to change it up - any suggest..."

I see you've read some Peter F. Hamilton so I suggest Pandora's Star

[Alan]

Dara wrote: "... I see you've read some Peter F. Hamilton so I suggest Pandora's Star."

Thanks for the suggestion; a couple questions:

Shouldn't I read "Misspent Youth" first?

Also, Great North Road felt like a really long read to me (longer than some other thousand-page books I've read). So, did Pandora's Star feel complete to you or do you also need to read Judas Unchained?

[Joseph]

Killian wrote: "I've heard that it takes a couple of books before it gets good. Some say book 4, some book 6..."

Thanks for the heads up. I have lots on my too read list, but I don't want to give it up just yet.

I've been meaning to read the Codex Alera series. I'll have to bump it up on the list.

[Dara]

Alan wrote: "Thanks for the suggestion; a couple questions:

Shouldn't I read "Misspent Youth" first?

Also, Great North Road felt like a really long read to me (longer than some other thousand-page books I've read). So, did Pandora's Star feel complete to you or do you also need to read Judas Unchained?"

I didn't read Misspent Youth so I don't think it's necessary. You definitely have to read Judas Unchained as well. It's definitely a long read. I see you've read Leviathan Wakes. Have you read the second Expanse book yet? Caliban's War is much better IMO.

[[deleted user]]

Pat wrote: "Started Half a King last night - half way through it already... Half a King? More like Half a Book."

Yea. Despite what Joe was saying, it's not on par with his adult stuff.

[Alan]

Joseph wrote: "Thanks for the heads up. I have lots on my to read list, but I don't want to give it up just yet.

I've been meaning to read the Codex Alera series. I'll have to bump it up on the list."

I like both the Dresden Files and the Codex Alera. So, I say this as a fan of Butcher ...

I did not notice the huge increase in quality in the Dresden books that others see (though the interaction with Murphy does eventually get unstuck - and then restuck at a different point). That said, it does move off of the "monster of the week" format after a while.

As for the Codex Alera, if you don't like the first book, I think you should feel free to stop. (My favorite of the series might be the third book but, if I didn't like the hero from the first few chapters of the first book on, I wasn't gonna like that book either.) Similarly, if Harry Dresden never comes alive to you on the page, then I just don't think the books are your thing.

I do feel, however, that worry about whether Harry Dresden might be a bit chauvinist should be balanced by recognition that Butcher has written into the books more kick-ass (literally) female characters than you'll find in most series and that Harry is often called on his bullshit by other characters.

[Whitney]

[Ben]

I finished Cibola Burn. Was ok but a bit disappointing. I thought Caliban's War and Abaddon's Gate were both a lot better.

[Pat]

Rabindranauth wrote: "Pat wrote: "Started Half a King last night - half way through it already... Half a King? More like Half a Book."

Yea. Despite what Joe was saying, it's not on par with his adult st..."

I finished it yesterday... it was a good read but definitely not up there with his adult stuff. I know he was aiming it at a younger audience but it seemed a bit thin. Just because its YA doesn't mean there can't be some depth to the story.

[Kristina]

Ben wrote: "I finished Cibola Burn. Was ok but a bit disappointing. I thought Caliban's War and Abaddon's Gate were both a lot better."

I have about 100 pages left of Cibola and I was just thinking last night how much more liked it than Abbadon's Gate.

[Bryan]

I'm still working through TE Lawrence's Seven Pillars of Wisdom. It's not sf, being a personal account of WWI's Arab Revolt against the Turks.

But parts of it read like fantasy or New Weird. Here's one bit:

[W]e had ridden far out over the rolling plains of North Syria to a ruin of the Roman period which the Arabs believed was made by a prince of the border as a desert-palace for his queen. The clay of its building was said to have been kneaded for greater richness, not with water, but with the precious essential oils of flowers. My guides, sniffing the air like dogs, led me from crumbling room to room, saying, ‘This is jessamine, this violet, this rose’.

[Tamahome]

Screwballs. Wikipedia used to say it was the book the movie Major League was based on, but it doesn't say that anymore.

[Sheila Jean]

Dara wrote: "I just finished that last week. I wasn't crazy about it. (My review..."

I'm about to pick Dreams of Gods & Monsters up from the library this weekend. Hopefully I'm not too disappointed.

[Dara]

Sheila Jean wrote: "Dara wrote: "I just finished that last week. I wasn't crazy about it. (My review..."

I'm about to pick Dreams of Gods & Monsters up from the library this weekend. Hopefully I'm not..."

I hope you like it more than I did!

[David Sven]

Tamahome wrote: "Screwballs. Wikipedia used to say it was the book the movie Major League was based on, but it doesn't say that anymore.

"

I saw the movie...fantastic! - "Use the Schwartz, Lone Starr! Use the Schwartz!"

[Rob, Roberator]

David Sven wrote: "Tamahome wrote: "Screwballs. Wikipedia used to say it was the book the movie Major League was based on, but it doesn't say that anymore.

"

I saw the movie...fantastic! - "Use the Schwartz, Lone Starr! Use the Schwartz!" "

/fail

[David Sven]

Whatcha talkin bout Rob? You were only like 5yo when that movie came out.

[Rob, Roberator]

Yet I know it's called Spaceballs, not Screwballs.

[David Sven]

Rob wrote: "Yet I know it's called Spaceballs, not Screwballs."

Bah! Whatever it was called - both have balls and waving big sticks around.

[Sky]

Finished Half a King, quite enjoyed it for what it is. Started Blood Song

[Rob, Roberator]

Sky wrote: " Started Blood Song"

Haha. Excellent.

[Scott]

Well I'm playing catch up on our assigned books after reading the first 4 game of thrones books


A Storm of Swords: Blood and Gold [Finished]
The Martian [Finished]
Daily Rituals: How Artists Work [Slowly]
Altered Carbon
The Infinity Gauntlet
The Art of Learning: A Journey in the Pursuit of Excellence
Dawn

[Ludo]

Just finished Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King and Authority by Jeff Vandermeer. Really good. I'm interested to see how the trilogy will end. Now re-reading some old skool SF The Demon Princes by Jack Vance. And hope to start the S&L anthology soon...

[Scott]

I'm a huge country music fan, and Shania Twain in particular, so I'm finally getting around to her autobiography she wrote a couple years ago, From This Moment On. I read about 40% of it last month but stopped to read Dawn. But now that I've finished Dawn, I'll read the rest.

[Dave]

Reading the anthology Rogues . Can't say I'm blown away by anything in there yet...

[Rob, Roberator]

Dave wrote: "Reading the anthology Rogues . Can't say I'm blown away by anything in there yet..."

The Scott Lynch and Patrick Rothfuss stories are both quite good. There were a few others I enjoyed, though not as much.

[Joseph]

Finished Fever Dream and am moving on to Cold Vengeance, again by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. They're kind of cheesy, but they sure do keep me turning the pages (or electronic analog thereof).

[Viola]

About half-way through Innocent Blood. I was going to read Dawn but just like the first time I tried to read it, it didn't grab me.

[Rob, Roberator]

Weekend review catch-up time.

I really enjoyed Spell or High Water. Plus, you really can't go wrong with Luke Daniels as a narrator. (My Review)

I also finished reading Dawn, which I sort of have mixed feelings on. (My Review)

I also read Jim Butcher's Dresden Files: Ghoul Goblin and found that to be decent. (My Review)

[Whitney]

just started a new audio

[Bernardo]

Finally, finished Dune. Considering picking up the latest WildCards novel

[kvon]

I usually don't bother with posthumous novels, but I found myself jonesing for some Jones--Diana Wynne Jones, that is. The Islands of Chaldea was finished by her sister.

I'm rereading Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency and realizing 1)how little of this novel I remembered and 2)how quickly computers in near future novels look quaint.

[[deleted user]]

Finished Royal Assassin earlier, dived headlong into Assassin's Quest immediately. I will forever kick myself for not reading these incredibly brutal books before now.
Here's my review

[Lindsay]

After I finished the Xenogenesis books I read The Enceladus Crisis by Michael J. Martinez (good, but classic second book of a trilogy issue, just bridging the story between books one and three), The Rhesus Chart by Charles Stross (I love the Laundry books and this one did not disappoint), The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey (brilliant and the best novel of its genre that I've read) and I've just finished Better Homes and Hauntings by Molly Harper for a bit of a lighter change.

I'm currently reading Koko Takes a Holiday by Kieran Shea which feels like the Fifth Element as if it was written by Kameron Hurley. I'm only half way through, but I would highly recommend so far.

Next will be Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Thomas Sweterlitsch.

[Geoff]

Finished Winter's Heart (Wheel of Time, not the sexy vampire romance), now on to Crossroads of Twilight. I'm starting to think the slow middle books is just a myth, because I'm still really liking everything. I can see where people might have issues with the pace of the plot but every book still has a few big plot events so I'm happy.

[Dharmakirti]

Lindsay wrote: "...The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey (brilliant and the best novel of its genre that I've read)"

The Girl With All the Gifts is on my To Read list. I think I am going to read it next.

If you liked "The Girl WIth All The Gifts" and are looking for another great example of the genre, I would recommend checking out God Decays. It is the story of a group of survivors who are travelling to Washington DC to try to figure out why an NSA cryptanalyst knowingly unleased the zombie apocalypse. It is a self published novel and I think it is only available through Amazon.

[Tamahome]

The Unwritten comics have the same author as The Girl With All the Gifts.

[Shad]

Finished Mistborn: The Final Empire. Here is my review review. Unfortunately, the only copy at my library of The Well of Ascension is currently checked out, so I'm not sure what I'll read next.

[Dharmakirti]

Tamahome wrote: "The Unwritten comics have the same author as The Girl With All the Gifts."

Mike Carey is one of my favorite comic writers. I especially like series Lucifer and the work he did on XMen Legacy.

[AndrewP]

Finally finished with the Narnia books and 75% of Rosemarys Baby. Not sure what will be next on my hit list.

[Bryan]

I quickly read The Last Policeman (my review), which is one part sf and one part mystery.

[Michael]

Street of Crocodiles by Bruno Schulz, more uncut weirdness and beauty in two paragraphs than whole groaning shelves of current fantasy-industrial complex emissions.

[Bryan]

Michael wrote: "Street of Crocodiles by Bruno Schulz, more uncut weirdness and beauty in two paragraphs than whole groaning shelves of current fantasy-industrial complex emissions."
Schulz is pretty astonishing.

[Michael]

I'm astonished at the hi-velocity of suck in most current fantasy/sf. I thumb through these ten pound masses of bland, imagination-free text looking for even one juicy image or vibe and have to go running back to shyte written at least twenty five years ago to get a rush. I realize it's equal parts the death croaks of the publishing industry and the terminal atherosclerosis in the average readers lobe of fun, but the scifi aisles are just stinking up the joint now...