Beyond Reality discussion
General SF&F discussion
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Recently acquired books
Shel wrote: "Rainy weekend afternoon, so we decided to check out the local Borders closing sale. We ended up with some good spec fic treats:Little, Big
Doomsday Book
[book:Bone Danc..."
Nice, how much off was everything?
Mod
I swung by my local Borders and snagged a few novels off my to-read list at 25% off.A Wizard of Earthsea
Neuromancer
Hyperion
The Lies of Locke Lamora
I bought several Nookbooks - the rest of the Fortress books, all five of them, and The Lord of the Rings which I figure it's about time I read. :D
Found myself in Houston with a couple of hours to kill, so wandered across to Borders to see what's on sale. Felt a bit guilty taking advantage of their demise but still managed to get carried away and bought way too much.So I now have to lug this lot back to the UK:
Foreigner and Downbelow Station by C.J. Cherryh
Spin and Axis by Robert Charles
Wilson
Rainbows End by Vernor Vinge
Brasyl by Ian McDonald
Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor
Getting them home is the easy bit. Finding space to shelve them and time to read them is a tad more difficult.
Sisimka wrote: "I have Howl's Moving Castle on the TBR shelf because I enjoyed the movie so much. I have heard it is merely based upon the novel though, and not at all faithful to it. "Ive also recently bought this as a friend was going on and on about the movie. Book first then the movie.
Ive also bought:
Mockingbird by Walter Tevis
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes (both £3 in HMV)
Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn
The Disappearing Dwarf by James P Blaylock
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
Ken wrote: "You know what's sadder. I was there in 2007. Made my all the way down to the store....And it was closed. Would of had to wait for a couple of hours to open..."The only reason I got to go was because it was my birthday and I insisted.
Katie wrote: "Ken wrote: "You know what's sadder. I was there in 2007. Made my all the way down to the store....And it was closed. Would of had to wait for a couple of hours to open..."The only reason I got to..."
Happy belated birthday!
Sandra aka Sleo wrote: "Katie wrote: "Ken wrote: "You know what's sadder. I was there in 2007. Made my all the way down to the store....And it was closed. Would of had to wait for a couple of hours to open..."The only r..."
Thank you :)
Mod
The problem with buying books, is that there is always something at the library that is also good to read so the book goes on the shelf and then 3 years go by and you never read it, and your scratching your head as to why you ever bought it in the first place.But I have been reading so many books from the library that I needed to break out of the books that libraries buy and get some sf and fantasy so over the last 3 months I bought a bunch of books, and read most of them. They include the following:
Tracato by Joel Shepherd (got for free from Amazon)
The Rebel Prince by Celine Kiernan (the library bought first 2 but not last book in trilogy)
The Left Hand of God by Paul Hoffman (bought at Borders for 30% off but read it in a day so not sure worth it)
The Dark Jenny by Alex Bledsoe
Diviner by Melanie Rawn
Honeyed Words by J. A. Pitts (okay but not as good as first book)
God's War by Kameron Hurley (cruel world)
River of Shadows by Robert Redick (read 1st 2 have to finish trilogy)
Among Thieves by Douglas Hulick (still to read)
City of Ruin by Mark Charan Newton (read first library did not buy second)
License to Ensorcell by Katherine Kerr
Hard Magic by Laura Ann Gilman (first in a new paranormal detective series)
Mod
Only 3 years go by? I have books I bought much longer ago than that, still unread, but lovingly shelved for enjoyment yet to come.
I also...I'd hate to think how many years some if my books have been waiting.
Mod
Tracato's a great novel - my favorite in the series. Amazon had Sasha for free for a while too. At some point, people are going to pick up on this series.
I have them, but I've only read Sasha. See, I own the books and I keep ending up with these huge stacks of library books...
Joel Shepherd: I read his Cassandra Kresnov Series. The political situation and societies reminded me of Cherryh's Union/Alliance novels . But I much prefer Cherryh's one!
Jeffrey wrote: "The problem with buying books, is that there is always something at the library that is also good to read so the book goes on the shelf and then 3 years go by and you never read it, and your scratc..."hmm I read a book recently that I bought in Mar 2000. Yes and I have books older than that sitting there, staring. Giving me dirty looks saying Why not me?
Ha
KathiGive it up. No insult. I really think if its been on the shelf for more than 3 years its history. Yes you could read it one day (as Ken said he read a book from 2000), but your not likely to read it at all. I have books for a lot longer than that too. And I think I am deceiving myself. But then, I have books from 20 years ago that I read 3 times as well but not recently -- most of my books are now more of the one and done variety.
Only got so many years left not sure I want to reread as much. Of course not ready to get rid of my approximately 1800 books in my house either almost all fantasy and sf. I am lucky that I only have one shelf of books I never read,
Here's the key I think if you buy it just read it right then -- to wait is a mistake.
My own personal sarcastic observation is that we are all somewhat delusional about what books we are going to try to read in the future -- I try to limit my "to-read" list to what I am going to read very soon because I frankly have no clue. I take tons of books out of the libray at any one time and then read less than a third, I guess whatever catches my eye - I winnow down. I may take a book out 3 times before reading it. I read 3 books a week on a good week and still return 10 books to the library at a time unread. God when do you actually have time for books you buy.
As you get older you find more authors to like which means more new books to read -- and since I read a lot of sf and fantasy -- and more and more of the of the schmucks (I mean great authors) have to make their trilogies into 4 book series and their 4 book series into 8 book series meaning that you end up with even less time to read other guys stuff.
I tend to constantly whittle out people who rewrite the same book or the same kinds of books in long series (Brooks, Donaldson, Weber, Goodkind) to focus on new guys. I mean if I want to read something good its not going to be the 10th Goodkind book about Richard and whats her name.
So yes, we all could read something that's been on the shelf for 3 years or more -- but ask your self this how many books or days has it been since you had that urge to read it. In 3 years we are talking over 1000 days -- for me thats close to 400 books. Its a lot of books thats come ahead of that book on the shelf that still is unread.
StefanI liked Tracato, but not sure its 5 star material. I really think this book would have been really aided by a summary in the beginning. Sure its great when the author jumps right into the action, but in the third book, its nice to have a clue as to what went on before. I liked the main cast of characters but some of the storylines (not to give anything away) detracted from the Sasha storyline.
I hear you on the unread/ TBR pile. But I do have books that sit for quite a while, and then suddenly get read, or re-looked at, with great pleasure.Maybe the secret would be making a specific point of having the TBR pile day, when one definitively picks something from that pile and gives it 1-3 chapters.
Books, like teachers, appear when the student is ready. There may be some gems in that pile, just waiting until that right moment, when the reader needs what is in that book, in that moment:)
I sat on tad williams first book of the otherland(?) series.. for quite some while. Once I got into it, all 5 books went down easier than well aged whiskey:) and no hangover:) I almost tossed the poor dusty bent book several times. Can't say how glad I am that I gave it that second look:)
5 books! You totally interrupted my thoughts with that news! I have the first 2 ready. I do have a lot of books unread and it is largely because of this. I like to read a series in one go rather than try to remember what has happened. So I'll buy parts and there they wait. Of course then I have the problem of when can I fit them in.
I just read a book I bought when published back in 1985 so I don't time limit myself. I try to do a whole series during school holidays as I'm on hol to being a teacher.
Trouble then occurs as to which series to read - waiting are Brooks, Eddings, Hobb, 2 lots of Tad...
For me, I seem to need whatever item I last threw away so I keep hold of all my books; I'll get round to reading them eventually. It's a possibility that a couple of years living abroad with no library has made me feel the need to keep my personal library well-stocked with unread books.I've just gone and bought more as well; I was in Book Ends in Bakewell and managed to find Star Trek Voyager books (I don't know whether anyone else here has seen the tv series) which are hard to come by.
Mod
Here's my deal. First of all, I am an opportunistic buyer. When I see a good deal on an author or a book in a series that I like or plan to read, I'll buy it.
Secondly, I try really hard to not read a series until its completed. So I have the Wheel of Time, Song of Ice and Fire, and many others on my shelves, waiting until all the books are published and acquired before I read them.
Thirdly, I don't usually read books right after they're published--I wait for paperback or used books to show up. So I have no real urgency to reading a particular book.
Here's how I decide what to read. I don't have a TBR pile or shelf. I have all my books catalogued and shelved by author, well over 2500 of them. Aside from reading some of the BOTM and Series selections that we are discussing in this group, and occasionally reading a First Reads win so I can review it, I choose a series to read. In between each book of the series, I read a stand-alone. To help me vary my choices, I am going forward through the alphabet for the stand-alones and backwards through the alphabet for series. So, my current choices are a stand-alone by an author whose name starts with V and a series by an author whose name starts with J.
As I said, that "system" is my fall-back system. I'm currently reading the Honor Harrington series for our series read, and I plan to finish the Fortress series (having started it with our BOTM read). I've owned the Fortress books for years, having bought each when it came out. My stand-alones right now are First Reads wins that I need to get reviewed.
OK, I know that was way more than anyone needed to know. But my whole point is that I almost always am reading books I bought a year or more in the past, sometimes many, many years. It works for me!
message 725:
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Stefan, Group Founder + Moderator (Retired)
(last edited Aug 14, 2011 10:26AM)
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I liked Tracato, but not sure its 5 star material. I really think this book would have been really aided by a summary in the beginning. Sure its great when the author jumps right into the..."
I wouldn't give it 5 stars either, but I considered it the best book in the series. Some really unforgettable scenes in there. It's the point where everything from the previous 2 books comes together. I think I gave it 4.5 stars over at FanLit, so 4 stars here. I was kinda disappointed in the final book, Haven, because it just didn't have as much impact as Tracato.
(Oh, and agreed about including a summary of the previous books. I ended up rereading the last few chapters of the previous book to refresh my memory instead.)
(Also, forgot to mention - my review is quoted on the back to the book! I always love seeing that :))
Kathi wrote: "Jeffrey (and all),Here's my deal. First of all, I am an opportunistic buyer. When I see a good deal on an author or a book in a series that I like or plan to read, I'll buy it.
Secondly, I try..."
What an interesting and elaborate system. If I shelve the books I haven"t read with the books I have read I won't remember which are which personally and be 20 to 50 pages in when wham it all comes back to me!
I understand the cost factor in not buying all of the books in HC. Definitely a good idea, but I just cannot see buying them all and then reading it. The main issue is how do I know i will like it. I mean take Goodkind. I read I think 4 books, but stopped when the new 4th book seemed to be a new set of the same set of books, And that was when I used to re-read books so I could kind of remember the characters and all.
Mod
That's why my husband & I have a database (well, it used to be a database, now it's a spreadsheet) with all our fiction listed. There is a field for each of us to mark "yes/no" about whether we've read it. That way a reread is (almost always) a deliberate choice and not an accident due to memory lapse, of which there are way too many in this house!
Jeffrey wrote: "The main issue is how do I know i will like it. "
Well, I don't always know, but I rely on buying authors I already like or I go on recommendations. But sometimes it's just impulse. I tend to not be a very critical reader but I will quit a series I'm not enjoying and either donate the whole series to Goodwill or sell the books back to a used book store.
Kathi wrote: "Marty wrote: "If I shelve the books I haven"t read with the books I have read I won't remember which are which personally and be 20 to 50 pages in when wham it all comes back to me!"That's why my..."
LOL. You blow me away. I've never been so organized in my life.
I'm not as organised as Kathi but I do mix all mine in with their author, like I said I always wait for a set to complete. Guess its just luck as to whether I like it or not.
Mod
Yes. Part of what I am using good reads for is to see how much I am actually reading.
and I find with the TBR list staring at me everytime I log on, I actually read more!
That my problem now. I have a closet full of boxes and I am not sure what's in them. What I am thinking of doing is printing out a page with the books in that particular box and placing it on the inside of the lid.Of course I need time to do this
Sourcebooks is having a sale on Georgette Heyer ebooks to celebrate her 109th birthday. I've been saving up for the last month or so in order to buy as many as I could. So in the last 48 hours I've bought 42 Georgette Heyer ebooks. That should keep me going for a while. :)
I discovered Heyer last year - through a comment on Bujold's A Civil Campaign - and read twenty of them in the following months. Fun, yes :)
Kerry wrote: "Sourcebooks is having a sale on Georgette Heyer ebooks to celebrate her 109th birthday. I've been saving up for the last month or so in order to buy as many as I could. So in the las..."Well, thanks a lot, Kerry.... now look what you made me do! I went and bought 12 of them.
I just got The Ancient and The Dame in hardcover from the bargain section of the local Barnes and Nobles today.
Well, thanks a lot, Kerry.... now look what you made me do! I went and bought 12 of them.Clearly, my job here is done.
Kerry wrote: "Well, thanks a lot, Kerry.... now look what you made me do! I went and bought 12 of them.Clearly, my job here is done."
Hehe. Now to read them, as I only have about a thousand books to read in my TBR.....
Somehow found myself in a secondhand shop today (it was dark, they were big, there were so many) and found Hammerfall, Fortress of Ice, Exile's Gate and, wonder of wonders, a hardcover copy of Tripoint. Even better, got them all with store credit from previous recycling.
Ron wrote: "Somehow found myself in a secondhand shop today (it was dark, they were big, there were so many) and found Hammerfall, Fortress of Ice, Exile's Gate and, wond..."I know the feeling as I, too, somehow find myself in such circumstance - quite frequently... That was a great pick!
I finally bought The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley (I never managed to read it) and The Kinshield Legacy by K.C. May. Tried a sample and there it was!
Picked up this week:Little, Big by John Crowley
Storm Front by Jim Butcher
Of Blood and Honey by Stina Leicht
The Thief, The Queen of Attolia, andThe King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner
Mail delivered, just got:Chimera, Monster Hunter Alpha, and Point Of Impact.
Unfortunately I also have 6 library books here and 4 more on the way. My personal books are plotting a coup if I don't stop with the library books and read them.
I just got another copy of Wizard and Glass.
Shannon wrote: "Picked up this week:Little, Big by John Crowley
Storm Front by Jim Butcher
Of Blood and Honey by Stina Leicht
[book..."
Nice, hope you enjoy Little Big.
Just got a phone message saying my copy of Precursor has come in at my local independent bookshop. Excellent.
Beyond Reality
Books mentioned in this topic
Pilgrim (other topics)Goldilocks (other topics)
Fool's War (other topics)
Gideon the Ninth (other topics)
Old Man's War (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Sarah Zettel (other topics)Tamsyn Muir (other topics)
Guy Gavriel Kay (other topics)
Steven Erikson (other topics)
Terry Brooks (other topics)
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Little, Big
Doomsday Book
Bone Dance
The Adoration of Jenna Fox
Also picked up a science/memoir, My Stroke of Insight, and a couple of board books for the baby.