What are you reading in January 2011?

[Snail in Danger (Sid)]

I'm still plodding through the non-fic books I posted about earlier. I started Alchemy in an attempt to temper them with something a little lighter, but (while I can't claim to have sampled them all) some of Mahy's books seem to have a sameness about them that makes them less appealing.

Now I'm reading The Explosionist as my diversionary book.

[[deleted user]]

Nikki wrote: "Now I'm reading The Explosionist as my diversionary book. "

Part me of thinks, "hey, this book sounds interesting". Another part of me is saying, "dude...really?".

[Snail in Danger (Sid)]

Ala wrote: Part me of thinks, "hey, this book sounds interesting". Another part of me is saying, "dude...really?"."

I know what you mean. I heard about it from a YA author's blog, and it has a higher quotient of girliness than I would normally go for ... but we'll see.

[[deleted user]]

I'll wait until you're finished before I entertain thoughts of adding it to my TBR shelf.

[Arthur]

I think I scanned the aforementioned topic about The Name of the Wind. IIRC that problem with the topic was that OP said that he believes that the book is overrated and asked people why they like the book. When people started to say all the good things about the book, the OP got a bit agitated :) Sort, why do people say only good things, what about bad? Forgetting for a moment that he asked people for reasons why they liked the book, not why they disliked it :)
If I am confusing it with another forum, I am sorry :) My memory fails me nowdays :D


I finished The Subtle Knife yesterday.
I actually liked it a lot. A big improvement over the Northern Lights

On to the last book in His Dark Material,

[Melissa]

I started reading 'Jane Bites Back,' mistakenly believing it to be 'Vampire Darcy's Desire,' as a bit of fun. Its beginning is a bit lackluster and not the alternate universe, historical fiction I had hoped for. Has anyone read 'VDD'? Is that worth looking out for?

[Snail in Danger (Sid)]

Ala - my thought on The Explosionist is that for an adult reader it's really not worth cracking open. I mean, unless you somehow need to do so to kill time or something. It's not a wallbanger but it's nothing extraordinary. (Except for the throwaway line about Oscar Wilde being a gynecologist in this alternate history timeline. Part of me wants to laugh wildly at that, like, forever.)

[Tonya]

I'm still reading Mistborn: The Final Empirefrom December and I got a e-reader from Santa also and have Red Seas Under Red Skiesand Side Jobs: Stories From the Dresden Fileson it that I'm reading.

[[deleted user]]

Nikki wrote: "Ala - my thought on The Explosionist is that for an adult reader it's really not worth cracking open. I mean, unless you somehow need to do so to kill time or something. It's not a..."

Ah well. No loss, I suppose. Though that is a great line :P

Tonyanc, I read Side Jobs. Good stuffs, just makes me want the next Dresden more...ugh

[Jason]

Wizard by John Varley. Didn't realize Titan was the 1st in a series when I read it so I will now...a year later finish the last 2 of the Gaean(spelling?)series! So far I'm enjoying this one as much as Titan. It's good fun. Corny at times, maybe obnoxious too but well written I think. I'll let you know when I finish Demon. Anybody who has read his stuff and has comments or recommendations please let me.

[Stuart]

I am reading

[Stuart]

Arthur wrote: "I think I scanned the aforementioned topic about The Name of the Wind. IIRC that problem with the topic was that OP said that he believes that the book is overrated and asked people why they like t..."

I would be interested to see your overview of the Dark Materials Trilogy

[Kevin]

Arthur wrote: "I think I scanned the aforementioned topic about The Name of the Wind. IIRC that problem with the topic was that OP said that he believes that the book is overrated and asked people why they like t..."

It was me that had the problem. The problem was that most people thought that I was demanding and did not give my reasons for hating the book.

[Arthur]

Kevin wrote: "Arthur wrote: "I think I scanned the aforementioned topic about The Name of the Wind. IIRC that problem with the topic was that OP said that he believes that the book is overrated and asked people ..."
Sometimes it is very difficult to pinpoint the exact reason why you don't like a book.

[Arthur]

Stuart wrote: "Arthur wrote: "I think I scanned the aforementioned topic about The Name of the Wind. IIRC that problem with the topic was that OP said that he believes that the book is overrated and asked people ..."

Stuart wrote: "I would be interested to see your overview of the Dark Materials Trilogy..."
Will do. Honest! :)
Although, I am a slow reader so it will take probably 2 weeks to finish.

[Kevin]

Laurel wrote: "January is about trying new things, and making resolutions. So, my January is going to shape up like this:

I want to read a few well reviewed graphic novels - [bookcover:American Vampire Vol. 1|7..."

Good luck on Little, Big, you're going to needed it.

[Jackie]

The Brass Dragon by Marion Zimmer Bradley. She's one of my favorite authors and I'm reminded of that once again. I started it late last night, and can't put it down. I've been up all night reading it.

[Bill]

I just finished a River of Darkness a very good historical mystery and am now starting The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin, one of the sci fi novels I've got on my list to read this year.

[Blushing]

Darkspell by Katharine Kerr. When I finish this, which will probably be later today, I will start "The Magician's Apprentice" by Trudi Canavan.

[Peggy]

My short term goal is to finish Jim Butcher's fantasy series - it's been on my TBR mountain forever. I really enjoyed the first one, but I've put off diving back in because I know it will be a time-sink.

[stormhawk]

Permutation City was way less good than I thought it would be.

Now on to Doctor Who and an Unearthly Child - Terrance Dicks

[[deleted user]]

Let me know if that doctor who book is any good. I just want to find one that is actually doctory.

[Aleix]

This January I've finished Orphans of the Sky and The Mote in God's Eye.

Now: Las hijas de Tara

And if I finally get the courage (one of those nemesis books: for years on the shelf and being unable to pick it up to read it): The Gunslinger

[stormhawk]

The original Doctor Who novelizations are all good. I can't speak for any of the "New Adventures" types, which are all independent of the series. Actually, I can speak for two of them ... Doctor Who: Coming of the Terraphiles and Doctor Who: Nuclear Time are, respectively, not very good and awful.

I have a boxload of the old Who novels, collected those over many years of loving The Doctor.

[[deleted user]]

Aleix: The Gunslinger may take a bit to get into. Thankfully it's short. The Drawing of the Three is where the series really picks up.

stormhawk: are the "New Adventures" books the only ones of the New Doctors? Have you come across any since the restart that are worthwhile?

[Kevin]

Aleix wrote: "This January I've finished Orphans of the Sky and The Mote in God's Eye.

Now: Las hijas de Tara

And if I finally get the courage (one of those nemesis b..."

Give Gunslinger a try, it will open a side of Stephen King that you have never seen. The other book in the Dark Tower Series is not as bad, as said in the original dust jacket, this a book that is unlike anything that King has ever written. After all these years that is still true.

[Peggy]

Seconding (or thirding?) the recommendation to not judge the Dark Tower series based on just The Gunslinger. It's one of the very few fantasy series I've read that got better with each book.

[Jason]

Aleix wrote: "This January I've finished Orphans of the Sky and The Mote in God's Eye.

Now: Las hijas de Tara

And if I finally get the courage (one of those nemesis b..."

What did you think of Mote...I read the "The Gripping Hand" recently and it started slow and took along time to resemble Mote. My overall feeling is it didn't stand up to the first one but it's hard to stay away from a sequel if the first one is as good as Mote. May be worth the time if you were intrigued by the alien stuff.

[Aleix]

Jason, overall I liked the Mote a lot (or very much).

The aliens are superb, but the rhythm of the book can be painfully slow sometimes. Also, some of the decisions taken by the characters on the book seemed completely impossible to believe but then again everything can be forgiven when the aliens are so interesting. :-)

[Snail in Danger (Sid)]

I'm done with The Jewel House: Elizabethan London and the Scientific Revolution. Sort of. The chapters here were very hit or miss in terms of being enjoyable reading; it's an academic book rather than a popular science/history type book. I did very much enjoy the chapter on the rise of instrument (technical, not musical) use in Elizabethan London, and it clarified some things for me about technological availability.

I started Inside the Outbreaks: The Elite Medical Detectives of the Epidemic Intelligence Service as a diversionary book while I was ploughing through The Jewel House. Sadly, it didn't really live up to the awesomeness of the cover. It was a series of epidemiological vignettes that didn't really go into much depth.

I also read Eyes Like Stars. If you were ever a theatre geek and you like fantasy without being opposed to reading YA stuff, you should give this a shot. But get it from the library, if you can, rather than buying it right off.

[Tayla36]

I just finished The Lions of al-Rassan . Liked it, even though it's not really very fantasy-ish.

I was going to read Doctor Who: Coming of the Terraphiles but I didn't want to spend $25 for it. I was going to get the Kindle edition for $10 until I read the reviews. There were only a few reviews, but they were so polarized. Those that were Moorcock fans and Doctor Who fans loved it. Those that were just Doctor Who fans hated it. So I did not get it. I haven't read any Moorcock. I have the first three Elric books, but never made it through the first one.

I like the other New Who books that I have read. Of course some are better than others. I particularly liked Doctor Who: The Deviant Strain which is 9/Rose/Jack. Doctor Who: The Stone Rose and Doctor Who: The Art Of Destruction which are 10/Rose. Doctor Who: The Last Dodo and Doctor Who: The Pirate Loop were good too, they're 10/Martha. I haven't read any of the 10/Donna books, 10 solo books, or the 11/Amy books yet. I read Doctor Who books when I want to pad up my count a bit since I can read them so quickly. (I'm in the 50 books a year club also).

I think I'll dig back into Dickson's Childe Cycle now. Years and years ago I read Young Bleys and Other and absolutly loved them, but I didn't realize that they were part of a larger series. I have them all now, and in 2009 I read the first 5 or 6. I'm up to The Final Encyclopedia now, and that's a really long one, so it will probably take me at least the rest of January to read it.

[Phoenixfalls]

Tayla36 wrote: "I think I'll dig back into Dickson's Childe Cycle now. Years and years ago I read Young Bleys and Other and absolutly loved them, but I didn't realize that they were part of a larger series. I have them all now, and in 2009 I read the first 5 or 6. I'm up to The Final Encyclopedia now, and that's a really long one, so it will probably take me at least the rest of January to read it. "

Yay! Dickson was one of my early favorite authors, and I absolutely love some of the books in the Childe Cycle. (My absolute fave is Soldier, Ask Not, but you probably have to read a couple others before it works really well for you.) You should also check out Time Storm, which is a standalone by him. :D

[Carolyn]

I'm also a big fan of the Childe Cycle books by Dickson - read them all some years ago.

I really enjoyed his standalone book Wolf And Iron - which is a post-apocalyptic tale.

[Michael]

I'm currently reading The Name of the Wind. I had never heard of it, but GRers seem to like it (with one notable exception.) I started Spellbinder: A Love Story With Magical Interruptions but paranormal romance isn't proving to be my thing. Also might try The Gift. On a side note, having a hard time waiting for Robin Hobb's next book.

[Dawn]

Michael wrote: "On a side note, having a hard time waiting for Robin Hobb's next book."

You and me both!!! :D

[Kevin]

Michael wrote: "I'm currently reading The Name of the Wind. I had never heard of it, but GRers seem to like it (with one notable exception.) I started [book:Spellbinder: A Love Story With Magical I..."

Well that is just my point of view. Not much of a Robin Hobb fan, she is good, not great.

[Lara Amber]

Kevin wrote: "Well that is just my point of view. Not much of a Robin Hobb fan, she is good, not great."

Kevin, you just put a new target on your back. :)

[Tayla36]

Phoenixfalls wrote: Yay! Dickson was one of my early favorite authors, and I absolutely love some of the books in the Childe Cycle. (My absolute fave is Soldier, Ask Not, but you probably have to read a couple others before it works really well for you.) You should also check out Time Storm, which is a standalone by him. :D ..."

I have an omnibus with Necromancer, Tactics of Mistake and Dorsai!. I think I read it in like 2 days, I was just sucked right in. Then I read Soldier, Ask Not and loved it just as much. I'm hoping I'll love The Final Encyclopedia just as much

[Kevin]

Lara Amber wrote: "Kevin wrote: "Well that is just my point of view. Not much of a Robin Hobb fan, she is good, not great."

Kevin, you just put a new target on your back. :)"

Wow, what you mean by that? The fact is I had to a 20 page paper on Assassin's Apprentice for a class over the summer. After that you would find the book a little boring. Plus more there are less fan of the book than The Name of the Wind.

[Kevin]

Michael wrote: "Kevin wrote: "Not much of a Robin Hobb fan, she is good, not great.."

I read Assassin's Apprentice last year, and I was not blown away either. I may try it again late this year, but I..."

I am glad that you feel the same way, I guess even if you don't feel the same way you want not want to shoot me like Lara Amber.

[Chris]

wtf?

[Kevin]

Chris wrote: "wtf?"

I have no idea.

[Dawn]

LOL

[[deleted user]]

I just...

There. Are. No. Words.

[Lara Amber]

Kevin,

I never said I wanted to shoot you. "Target on your back" is a rather innocuous phrase. First people were getting aggravated about In the Name of the Wind, then you decided to rain on the people who are excited about Robin Hobb's forthcoming book.

I didn't realize a smiley face was now threatening.

[Kevin]

I understand, for Robin Hobb I had more of the reason to hate the book. I don't hate her as much, Lara. I see her book as a fun adventure ride. Overall I don't think people talk her as series or lover as much as The Name of the Wind.

[Elizabeth]

The Okapi Promise by Paula Boer

[[deleted user]]

I always feel like perhaps I'm missing something. People tend to really enjoy certain books that I found to be only mildly entertaining, if that.

For instance, I didn't really get into Shadow & Claw or Strange & Norrell, yet most folks I come across who've read them seem to love them.

It's gotten to the point where I'm seriously considering rereads of both, just to see if maybe I just wasn't in the right headspace during my first reading(which is very possible).

[Ruby]

Right this minute I'm reading The Haunting of Hill House, which I got at the library. It is already reminding me that I only read about half of The House on the Borderland recently and it is sitting around here somewhere. Must find it. Also at the library I gotSong for the Basilisk, which was very good as usual for McKillip, and In The Forests of Serre, which I haven't read yet. I've also got Tarzan of the Apes and Tender Morsels to read and get back to the library. I've also got a lot of books I've bought and haven't read yet - one whole small stack is Andre Norton. I found a used bookstore with about four dozen of her books a year or two ago, bought about half, and I'm still catching up. The next one on the top of the stack is The Sioux Spaceman.

In reference to the Robin Hobb discussion, my opinion, for what it's worth, is that the Ship trilogy are far better than the Assassin books or Fool books. I loved the Ship trilogy, but the Assassin books were mostly very painful to read. I read the first two Fool books but have put off for years reading the last one because the series did not seem to be going anywhere I wanted to go. Pretty bad when you don't want to read the last of a nine-book sequence!

[Lee]

Shall be reading William Gibson's All Tomorrow's Parties soon.