[Morgoth]

Slow Ben, on 16 December 2015 - 03:38 PM, said:

Got to Heros Die in my TRP.

About 50 pages in so far, digging it.

You should stop. No one here likes that book.

[Abyss]

Morgoth, on 17 December 2015 - 07:23 AM, said:

Slow Ben, on 16 December 2015 - 03:38 PM, said:

Got to Heros Die in my TRP.

About 50 pages in so far, digging it.

You should stop. No one here likes me.

FTFY.

[Morgoth]

Abyss, on 17 December 2015 - 05:05 PM, said:

Morgoth, on 17 December 2015 - 07:23 AM, said:

Slow Ben, on 16 December 2015 - 03:38 PM, said:

Got to Heros Die in my TRP.

About 50 pages in so far, digging it.

You should stop. No one here likes me.

FTFY.

You are my only friend. I'm so lonely.

[Baco Xtath]

Finally finished the Stars My Destination. That was a freak'n great book and I loved the ending. I can't believe that book is as old as it is. It's aged really damn well.

Finished Aurora by Kim Stanley Robinson. It was good. Really good. But not great. I'll definitely check out Red Mars (already had it on audible anyway) and Years of Rice and Salt (which I'd also already bought).

Also, re-listening to the Company Man by Robert Jackson Bennett because I don't remember it well. Not sure why cause it's really good.

Next up, reading Generation V sequel, the Bohr Maker and listening to Lyonesse #1 and ....not sure.

This post has been edited by Baco Xtath: 21 December 2015 - 03:38 AM

[Andorion]

Started Baru Cormorant. About three chapters in and so far I have got a feeling I am not going to like this. The protagonist is way too smug, and the author seems to believe in "Tell, don't show"

Lets see how it works out

[Puck]

Speaking of tell-don't-show, I'm currently - finally - reading Bakker's first Prince of Nothing book and I was ready to throw it at the wall violently with all the tell-don't-show that was happening in the first couple of chapters. Fortunately, it's evened out considerably (or alternatively, it's just way better written than the first couple of chapters now, so I don't mind as much), and now at halfway through I am loving it

[QuickTidal]

STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS by Alan Dean Foster.

[End of Disc One]

"Tell don't show" can be perfectly fine at times. When Bakker does it, as far as I remember, it's when he's using omniscient third person. A lot of my favorite passages are written in that tense.

[Puck]

Omniscient is totally fine, but he does it from Achamian's point of view at first, who thinks about the city he's in as if he's reading about it on wikipedia. The actual omniscient third person parts are among the best written ones so far, though. My beef is not with tell-don't-show on its own, but when it feels misplaced or awkward.

[End of Disc One]

Ah okay, I don't remember that but I believe you. The second book has my favorite omniscient passages...those battles are breathtaking.

[Abyss]

I've never had a problem with Bakker's writing in the first trilo. Even when its expository what he's telling the reader is pretty amazing, and i like how he pulls back from the subjective to show what's going on (ie battle) and then dives back in via a character in the middle of it.

In the second trilo he gets heavy handed on some points, telling us the same thing repeatedly ('slog of slogs! SLOG OF SLOGS!' "OK, I FUCKING GET IT, THEY'RE FUCKING SLOGGING...") and then finally showing it, rather than showing it to the reader once effectively.




At the finale of CALIBAN'S WAR and holy fuck. Abraham/Franck write great great characters. I haven't enjoyed reading about such a normal (ish) group of humans in extraordinary circumstances this much since Whitechapel Gods.

In earbook, i'm pushing thru to the end of SILVER DREAM on the strength of the concept and occassional moments of fun, but so much of it is bad... it's so so bad....

[Whisperzzzzzzz]

I finished Niven's Ringworld last night. Starting Stand On Zanzibar next.

EDIT: Might start Cibola Burn instead.

This post has been edited by Whisperzzzzzzz: 21 December 2015 - 08:46 PM

[End of Disc One]

Briar King, on 21 December 2015 - 09:13 PM, said:

I'm loving Cibola Burn! 200 pgs in.

Me too. 340 pages in and still awesome.

[Andorion]

Didn't get much time to read, made it about 8 chapters into Baru Cormorant. My initial Tell Don't Show problem has vanished and the book in general improves after chapter 2. The protagonist is still way too smug and overconfident, and I am not impressed by the political intrigue, seems a bit contrived, but the book is improving , so lets see how it turns out

[Abyss]

Finished CALIBAN'S WAR,

Spoiler

am i the only one disappointed that Bobbie didn't join the Roci's crew?

....couldn't resist jumping straight into bk 3 ABADDON'S GATE. This series is seriously great.


In earbook, started Gaiman's THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE. I like that Gaiman does his own narration, he's good at it. Very charming story so far.

[Mentalist]

Finshed TCG. Again. A few manly tears may have been shed. Again.

I'll probably power through with the Malaz re-read (Blood and Bone, Assail), but leave FoD for closer to FoL's new release date (originally I was rushing to wrap everything up by Feb).

For commute, I now have LOTS more Moorcock for the new year, as my latest order finished coming in, meaning I'm now a proud owner of the entire main "Eternal Champion" sequence (still missing the short story collections).

At home, i'm still on the "epic" kick, so I'm thinking of going on a Daniel Abraham spree, alternating Dagger + Coin and Expanse books. I've read the first 2 Expanse books, and I recall liking 1 more than 2 (space-noir FTW!). And I have the second Dagger and Coin, but still unread. So, that's on the cards once I'm wrapped up with re-reading ICE's last 2 Malaz novels.

[Andorion]

Finished Baru Cormorant, didn't really like it, has anybody else here read it?

Started Tigana on a whim. A little bit in, and just wondering, is Tigana considered a weird book?

[End of Disc One]

Andorion, on 23 December 2015 - 04:04 PM, said:

Finished Baru Cormorant, didn't really like it, has anybody else here read it?

Started Tigana on a whim. A little bit in, and just wondering, is Tigana considered a weird book?

inb4abyss

[polishgenius]

Andorion, on 23 December 2015 - 04:04 PM, said:

Finished Baru Cormorant, didn't really like it, has anybody else here read it?

I have. It was flawed, but I liked it enough, especially with the ending, that I'll likely read the next one.


Tigana is awesome by the way, don't listen to Abyss. But it is kind of odd in places.

[Andorion]

polishgenius, on 23 December 2015 - 04:45 PM, said:

Andorion, on 23 December 2015 - 04:04 PM, said:

Finished Baru Cormorant, didn't really like it, has anybody else here read it?

I have. It was flawed, but I liked it enough, especially with the ending, that I'll likely read the next one.


Tigana is awesome by the way, don't listen to Abyss. But it is kind of odd in places.

Is Tigana a sad book? I am not even sure I want to read it now, as I just finished two depressing books in a row. As for weird, I just finished a section where

Spoiler

a woman has sex with a boy to try to prevent him from overhearing a conversation, while completely ignoring the high probability of their getting overheard because they were having sex in a tiny secret hole right next to the people who were talking

Regarding Baru

Spoiler

The thing with the ending is I started anticipating something like this about 70% in. Otherwise the book made no sense. Helping the rebellion did nothing to further her own long term agenda, so either she has abandoned her plans, or she is a Judas Goat. Plus I think she was promoted too high too fast.