[Salt-Man Z]

Reached what I've always considered the slow part of TBotNS, so for a change of pace I started F. Paul Wilson's The Tomb, the first in the Repairman Jack series. Only 60 pages, and nothing much has happened yet, but I like Jack already. It's the "author's definitive edition", as the book was originally published in 1984, but then revised in 2004, and the results are...not entirely successful. References to VHS have been replaced by DVD, and what I can only assume was originally a Walkman is now an iPod...and yet, Jack uses answering machine (hidden under a typewriter cover) for all his business. To call it "incongruous" would be putting it mildly. Still, I can forgive that stuff if the story is good.

[Kruppe's snacky cakes]

Salt-Man Z, on 14 January 2012 - 07:39 PM, said:

Reached what I've always considered the slow part of TBotNS, so for a change of pace I started F. Paul Wilson's The Tomb, the first in the Repairman Jack series. Only 60 pages, and nothing much has happened yet, but I like Jack already. It's the "author's definitive edition", as the book was originally published in 1984, but then revised in 2004, and the results are...not entirely successful. References to VHS have been replaced by DVD, and what I can only assume was originally a Walkman is now an iPod...and yet, Jack uses answering machine (hidden under a typewriter cover) for all his business. To call it "incongruous" would be putting it mildly. Still, I can forgive that stuff if the story is good.

I hate it when they do that. I picked up some Judy Blume books a few years back, for some nostalgic reading, and she had done the same thing. It's hard to feel nostalgic when you're reading a book that was originally supposed to be set in the 70s and they start talking about DVDs and iPods.

On the other hand, I can kind of understand it in this case. The whole 14+ book series is supposed to take place over the course of a few months (or maybe a year or two, at most...I don't recall). So I suppose it's easier to revise the 20 year old original than to continue writing all the books as if they took place in the 80s.

In any case, I hope you enjoy the books. They're weird. Sort of like a mystery novel and an occult fantasy novel got together and had a baby. I've got #12 -- By The Sword -- sitting on my TBR pile as we speak.

[QuickTidal]

Started Kevin Hearne's HEXED. Great to be back in Atticus O'Sullivan's world.

[T77]

Read Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami on QuickTidal's recommendation and I enjoyed it. I primarily like sci-fi/fantasy and was skeptical reading a love story. Following QuckTidal's next Murakami recommendation I already started 1Q84 and I like it so far.

This post has been edited by T77: 16 January 2012 - 02:58 PM

[QuickTidal]

T77, on 16 January 2012 - 02:58 PM, said:

Read Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami on QuickTidal's recommendation and I enjoyed it. I primarily like sci-fi/fantasy and was skeptical reading a love story. Following QuckTidal's next Murakami recommendation I already started 1Q84 and I like it so far.

I think you'll find that 1Q84 has the sensibility of NW for its love story, but has much more of a sci-fi fantasy tone and plot.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 16 January 2012 - 03:08 PM

[worry]

Finally finished Carrion Comfort, enjoyed it a lot, but it was a bit more action than horror so it didn't quite hit the sweet spot (barring several individual moments that certainly did). Now I'm gonna try to blaze through the Hunger Games books.

[Baco Xtath]

Finished the Half-Made World yesterday and though I thought it was an excellent book, I didn't like it as much as Thunderer or Gears of the City. I think the prose just wasn't as good; while reading Gears of the City, I read with a pen, underlining and jotting notes, and with Half-Made, I never really felt the need. But it was still great (however I did get to witness a couple of my own original ideas become un-originalized - a-fucking-gain). Now I'm on to the Steel Remains, and am about 70 pages in; was not expecting that of the main character - don't know whether I'm off-put or if my interest/curiosity is piqued - but it is different. I'd say what but I don't know how to spoiler tab (though it's been explained to me before and I've tried it - I've no patience so fuck it).

[worry]

You can also just highlight your text and choose Spoiler from the "Other styles" tab, if you don't feel like memorizing the code.

[Baco Xtath]

What I didn't expect in the Steel Remains:

Spoiler

I guess I just wasn't expecting a badass sword-wielding main character to be gay. And it's a bit gay graphic to boot. That was the hardest thing for me to swallow (no pun intended) about Iron Council as well.

And thank you very much, worrywort, I've been not saying stuff for a long time because I couldn't get the code right.

Spoiler

Now I'm going to spoiler the shit outta this place.

This post has been edited by Baco Xtath: 17 January 2012 - 03:35 PM

[QuickTidal]

I'm alternating between Kevin Hearne's HEXED and THE LAST WISH by Andrzej Sapkowski on my kindle. Both are enjoyable.

[Morgoth]

worrywort, on 16 January 2012 - 11:42 PM, said:

Finally finished Carrion Comfort, enjoyed it a lot, but it was a bit more action than horror so it didn't quite hit the sweet spot (barring several individual moments that certainly did). Now I'm gonna try to blaze through the Hunger Games books.

Well, I'm glad you liked it all the same

I guess for me part of the horror aspect was the action, when people are thrown at each other like so many chess pieces, being murdered by children and all that.

[Darkwatch]

Neuropath by Bakker.

First "police" type thriller I've ever read. Nearly 100 pages in, so far so good.

[worry]

Morgoth, on 17 January 2012 - 02:53 PM, said:

worrywort, on 16 January 2012 - 11:42 PM, said:

Finally finished Carrion Comfort, enjoyed it a lot, but it was a bit more action than horror so it didn't quite hit the sweet spot (barring several individual moments that certainly did). Now I'm gonna try to blaze through the Hunger Games books.

Well, I'm glad you liked it all the same

I guess for me part of the horror aspect was the action, when people are thrown at each other like so many chess pieces, being murdered by children and all that.

You're absolutely right. Any complaint I had was more to do with my personal mood, not the book itself. I was looking to be chilled in a The Shining/scared of the dark kind of way, and this book definitely had those moments throughout. Just not in the finale so much. It was still very much frightening on a conceptual level. So by the end it was scary in the way Mitt Romney is scary more than the way The Exorcist is scary. But I do have to say, Melanie Fuller is one of the best gallows humor creations I have ever read, loved that character.

[QuickTidal]

No matter what fantasy I read for the last few days nothing was blowing me away (though they were enjoyable)...

...so I took the hint and switched up genre. For a straight up thriller fix I am reading IMPACT by Douglas Preston

[Obdigore]

Just FYI QT, The Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child books (collaboration) are much better than anything either author has put out by themselves

[QuickTidal]

Obdigore, on 18 January 2012 - 10:39 AM, said:

Just FYI QT, The Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child books (collaboration) are much better than anything either author has put out by themselves

I haven't gotten into those yet, but I've read a few of the Preston (alone) ones and found them decent enough.

I plan to get into the Preston and Child ones down the line. good to know they are enjoyable.

[acesn8s]

The Darkness That Comes Before by Scott R Bakker. I had started it about a year ago, but put it aside for some reason (probably a Butcher or Stover book).

I remember the world being very bleak.

This post has been edited by acesn8s: 18 January 2012 - 12:55 PM

[QuickTidal]

acesn8s, on 18 January 2012 - 12:55 PM, said:

The Darkness That Comes Before by Scott R Bakker. I had started it about a year ago, but put it aside for some reason (probably a Butcher or Stover book because there's only so much rape aliens I can take).

I remember the world being very bleak.

Fixed.

[QuickTidal]

Ugh. IMPACT went south FAST. The revelation about what the mystery is once solved is damn near the most ridiculous thing ever!

Gave up with 100 pages to go. Really bad.

Thankfully THE BLACK COMPANY omnibus is once again keeping me company.

[Morgoth]

Finished Heroes Die, which was an excellent fantasy/sci fi/adventure yarn. Sadly there seems to be no copy of the sequel Blade of Tyshalle available anywhere.

Alas