[Cyphon]

Finished THE FIRST FIFTEEN LIVES OF HARRY AUGUST. Some nice writing and concept. I did find it a bit slow and turgid though especially the second half. I felt a bit empty at the end of the book so I'm not sure whether I liked it. I wonder if it's because

Spoiler

the main character is so hollow and the heroes drive is essentially returning to the status quo which isnt satisfying as an ending.

I can understand the hype, perhaps it just didnt resonate for me.

Onto NIGHT OF KNIVES for the forum reread.

[Tsundoku]

Macros, on 28 May 2020 - 07:01 PM, said:

Tsundoku, on 27 May 2020 - 10:08 PM, said:

Macros, on 27 May 2020 - 06:55 PM, said:

Just read a superb YA book, some say it's a little over wrought but...

It couldn't be simpler. You've got the academic who survived the Stalinist purges and is now having flashbacks to that time. There's his daughter whose long bitter marriage is falling apart around her and the journalist who's investigated the academic because he suspects he was never in Russia at the time and then he falls obsessively in love with the daughter and sacrifices his career to become a lens grinder in Omsk

Why does this sound like the setup to a dad joke?

It's a superb book.

So good it had to be burned

Y'see, now I'm just curious.

For my part I have been (v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y) getting back into "Black Man" (released as "Thirteen" elsewhere) by Richard Morgan.
I find the plot interesting and the mystery intruiging, but it's been such a slog. I didn't even touch it for six months or so - which doesn't help my already-shoddy recall.

Cal Marsalis is a good protagonist, but the rest ... I don't know. It's like everyone is just a sad empty shell in this mildly dytopian future.
Which is probably going to be closer to what will actually happen that most other guesses. Everything is so grey.
The pace could do with a shake up too. I find his style OK and I'm sure nothing is wasted, but I have to be in a specific mood to want to read it.

The best part is Cal's thoughts and impressions. I'm sure I'm not the only person who has said Idris Elba should play him in the 6-8 1 hour episode Netflix series.

This post has been edited by Tsundoku: 30 May 2020 - 08:47 AM

[T77]

Finished The Books of Babel. I started Senlin Ascends a while ago and dropped it halfway into it as it was kind of boring. But, seeing a lot of praise for this series I gave it a second go. All in all I thought it was good, but I wasn't as blown away as most. Will probably read the next book if my library has it, as it had the first three.

This post has been edited by T77: 30 May 2020 - 01:27 PM

[Aptorian]

Cyphon, on 30 May 2020 - 06:33 AM, said:

Finished THE FIRST FIFTEEN LIVES OF HARRY AUGUST. Some nice writing and concept. I did find it a bit slow and turgid though especially the second half. I felt a bit empty at the end of the book so I'm not sure whether I liked it. I wonder if it's because

Spoiler

the main character is so hollow and the heroes drive is essentially returning to the status quo which isnt satisfying as an ending.

I can understand the hype, perhaps it just didnt resonate for me.

Onto NIGHT OF KNIVES for the forum reread.

I agree with your assessment of the second half of the story and the way it ends. However there was just something about Harry and the writing that made me enjoy it all the way through.

[Macros]

I think Harry's 'hollowness' is part of his character, it really made it work for me.
My dad loved the book too but Mum wasn't a fan so it's clearly not for everyone

[Aptorian]

I finished Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson.

Not really sure what to make of that book. It starts out really strong but as I read I realized there's barely any actual plot to the book. From the addendum to the book I understand that the book is actually a collection of two or more articles written by Thompson and it's themes revolve around the death of hippie culture and the psychedelic movement. It's an attack on the Nixon era and a time of war and fear and conservatism.

But when read almost fifty years later, with little prior knowledge of this, the story is mostly just the ramblings of an insane person with little to no payoff.

The book kind of reminds me of reading American Psycho. It's filled with all these weird references and mundane moments but they're filtered through the mind of somebody fucked out of their mind on drugs and alcohol. Shame there's not more of a structure to the experience.

Definitely want to read the books about The Hell's Angels and Nixon's campaign now though.

This post has been edited by Aptorian: 30 May 2020 - 08:10 PM

[amphibian]

The campaign one is a bit more relevant and easier to understand. If you have the time, read the Kentucky Derby piece: https://grantland.co...kentucky-derby/

[Aptorian]

Read A dead Djinn in Cairo by P. Djeli Clark. It's a weird fiction short story set in an early 20th century Cairo where some time traveling or world jumping wizard inventor 50 years earlier knocked a hole between realities and let various mythological entities into our world drastically changing the course of history and shifting the balance of power. It's sorta Steam Punk or Clock Punk Egypt.

The story is about a couple of government agents trying to solve an apparent magic suicide by a Djinn. It's your typical buddy cop who dunnit plot that is so straight forward that it's actually a bit underwhelming. But the world building and writing is good enough it's worth your time.

And the story precedes The Haunting of Tram Car 015 which was nominated for a Nebula award this year.

This post has been edited by Aptorian: 31 May 2020 - 07:25 PM

[T77]

Finished The Grey Bastards, it was okay, no real desire to read the next one.

[Tiste Simeon]

Finished TOUCH by Claire North. Superb. I think it ranks as her best (tipping HARRY AUGUST off the top spot).

I have the Gameshouse novellas somewhere I must read them. Going to read the WARLORD CHRONICLES by Bernard Cornwell next. TRB said some big bold stuff about these books so I'm hoping she's right haha

[Aptorian]

Can you, without spoiling the book, explain the plot of Touch? Is it a thriller? Drama? Hallmark story, or?

[Macros]

I feel like Claire North is angling for the title of the new Orwell.

In a good way

[Salt-Man Z]

Aptorian, on 01 June 2020 - 06:22 PM, said:

Can you, without spoiling the book, explain the plot of Touch? Is it a thriller? Drama? Hallmark story, or?

The protagonist of Touch can, through skin contact, jump from body to body. If I had to slot it into a genre, it would be a thriller, as the protagonist is being hunted throughout. It's a damn good book.

This post has been edited by Salt-Man Z: 01 June 2020 - 08:23 PM

[Macros]

Very good book, I agree.

It's part heist thriller, part revenge? thriller. Short enough too, if you like any of her other stuff you'll enjoy Touch

[Tiste Simeon]

Yeah these two have explained it quite well. I never know how to aptly define her books. Thriller with a fantastical element is about the closest.

Except 84k which is basically where we're heading in the UK so that's more just depressing facts.

[T77]

Finished A Little Hatred by Abercrombie - it was good.

[Aptorian]

Finished Night of Knives last week. Still a good book though though the Kiska parts drag a bit because she's not an interesting character despite her experiences being significant in terms of discovery. Temper is still a badass though. And the book overall has much more of a horror suspense vibe than I remembered, what with monsters descending on the island through the Shadow realm.

Also read The Gone World by Tom Sweterlitsch.

It's a Sci-fi Suspense/Chrime story about an NCIS agent who travels between time and space to solve a series of murders and potentially prevent an apocalyptic end of the world event known as the Terminus from occuring. The story is set in a universe where as early as the 70s humans started traveling into the future and bringing technology back to enable space and time travel.

It's pretty good and very gross. It plays itself a bit too straight a lot of the time in my opinion, sticking too close to familiar tropes and narratives of these kinds of suspense books but it is creative in terms of weird creepy alien threats from the future.

Onward to Bonehunters!

This post has been edited by Aptorian: 05 June 2020 - 05:39 PM

[Aptorian]

Aptorian, on 05 June 2020 - 09:19 AM, said:

Onward to Bonehunters!

Delay that. Martha Well's second Murderbot book, Artificial Condition just popped up on my Libby app.

Murderbot interacting with the Ship AI and watching space soap operas is adorable.

[Aptorian]

I like Artificial Condition. I'm halfway through and there's something very comforting in reading about a character that's superbly skilled at what they do and look like a badass even when improvising.

[Abyss]

Aptorian, on 05 June 2020 - 05:30 PM, said:

Aptorian, on 05 June 2020 - 09:19 AM, said:

Onward to Bonehunters!

Delay that. Martha Well's second Murderbot book, Artificial Condition just popped up on my Libby app.

Murderbot interacting with the Ship AI and watching space soap operas is adorable.

Aptorian, on 05 June 2020 - 07:50 PM, said:

I like Artificial Condition. I'm halfway through and there's something very comforting in reading about a character that's superbly skilled at what they do and look like a badass even when improvising.

And Art is awesome.