[QuickTidal]

Finished Gemmell's TROY: FALL OF KINGS. Wow, if all his writing is as good as that trilogy was, I better go grab some more of his books! Action-packed, totally engrossing and such fun to read. Also, his approach to the "Trojan Horse" was utterly inspired. Greats stuff throughout and a really solid epilogue. Loved it.

Next up I'll be reading an ARC of KATYA'S WORLD by Jonathan Howard, and possibly James Enge's A GUILE OF DRAGONS after that. I might slip Richard Kadrey's SANDMAN SLIM in there somewhere as well.

I am also tempted to join Audible.com and start listening to audio books. Though when I'll find the time, I don't know. Still, $8 a month is pretty damned awesome.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 15 October 2012 - 02:23 PM

[Macros]

I've been pushing Gemmells troy in every recommendation thread here for years. His best work hands down.
Don't get me wrong, I love the waylander and druss, but Banokles turns into such a great character.
And his take on the heroes and myhtology of the time is just fantastic.

I was home in Ireland for a few weeks but there's no work there, back in Scotland for a few months, heading to Canada hopefully in April

[Abyss]

Just finished Hogan and del Toro's THE FALL.

I liked THE STRAIN. Fun vamps, good tension, decent characters.

Unfortunately THE FALL does nothing particularly good with any of it. The Vamp invasion continues, the characters all spontaneously become master swordsmen in seconds, the plot trundles along and things end predictably with a setup for the third book.

And, most annoyingly, the authors make the odd decision to do a part of the book in the form of a blog by a character who states that he doesn't own a computer, who has no access to a computer throughout the book, and all that in the face of repeated statements that the FRIKKIN ELECTRICITY IS OFF WHICH IS A MAJOR PLOT POINT FOR THE BOOK.

The book is not wholly without merit. The Master is a suitably creepy and effective villain, and his diabolical Master Plan makes sense in theory and execution. Certain supporting characters are wholly wastes of space but 'Gus', who was the least interesting bit of the first book, steps up here effectively. I was intrigued by the 'Mr Quinlan' character who seems to be a unique vamp. I enjoyed the back story to aged vampire hunter Setrakian and the way he linked the Vampires back to the Nazis.

Overall, the book was just barely good enough to hold my attention sufficient to pick up the conclusion NIGHT ETERNAL sooner or later. Far from running to grab the hardcover tho'. I'm enjoying Chris Farnsworth's PRESIDENT'S VAMPIRE books far more.

[QuickTidal]

Macros, on 15 October 2012 - 02:38 PM, said:

I've been pushing Gemmells troy in every recommendation thread here for years. His best work hands down.
Don't get me wrong, I love the waylander and druss, but Banokles turns into such a great character.
And his take on the heroes and myhtology of the time is just fantastic.

I was home in Ireland for a few weeks but there's no work there, back in Scotland for a few months, heading to Canada hopefully in April

Indeed, Banokles is a big favourite of mine as well.

[acesn8s]

Finished up Ghost Story. Finally reading Forge of Darkness.

[Grimjust Bearegular]

Mockingjay, the third and final installment of the Hunger Games. This series has taken me by surprise. I was sure it was the same teenage fluff and drivel, but it´s a quite good take on the ol´Battle Royal-story, coupled with criticism of human nature and government.

Not the best written of books, but highly enjoyable. I can easily tear through 200-300 pages in a day. They´re quite addicting!

[QuickTidal]

After finishing the decent KATYA'S WORLD by Jonathan L. Howard I wanted something else that was slim in size to rip through.

I'd forgotten that after I was totally blown away by Hiroshi Yamamoto's STORIES OF IBIS, that I picked up another book written by him (also published by Viz Media's prose imprint Haika Soru) called MM9, which is about Kaiju (giant monsters), and 50 pages in and it's already a super addictive read. I'll chime back in after I'm done, but for now this is just as good as IBIS was.

[Defiance]

Finished up Fool Moon. Even better than the first book (which was a hell of a fun read). I did work out who the villains were really early on, though. Going to start Grave Peril later tonight.

But doing it makes me sad. I know now why you guys call it Dresdencrack. And, unfortunately, I'm going to run out once I finish this book. I won't have any money to buy more books for another few weeks, which means I get to have a detox period.

[Abyss]

Defiance, on 16 October 2012 - 04:04 PM, said:

Finished up Fool Moon. Even better than the first book (which was a hell of a fun read). I did work out who the villains were really early on, though. Going to start Grave Peril later tonight.

But doing it makes me sad. I know now why you guys call it Dresdencrack. And, unfortunately, I'm going to run out once I finish this book. I won't have any money to buy more books for another few weeks, which means I get to have a detox period.

Keep your eyes open for second hand - I've seen entire sets at used book stores in the last few months.

Otherwise, lock yourself in an empty room with a mattress; tomato soup, ten tins of; mushroom soup, eight tins of, for consumption cold; ice cream, vanilla, one large tub of; Magnesia, Milk of, one bottle; paracetamol; mouth wash; vitamins; mineral water; Lucozade; pornography; one bucket for urine, one for feces, and one for vomitus; one television; and one bottle of Valium, and wait out the convulsions.

[Hound]

THE ATROCITY ARCHIVES by Charles Stross. So far (I'm at chapter 3 or something), liking it a lot! Very funny at times.

[QuickTidal]

Finished MM9 by Hiroshi Yamamoto, which while not QUITE as good as STORIES OF IBIS, was a very interesting set of slightly interconnected stories about dealing with Kaiju (giant monsters like Godzilla), but in the author's typical style ends up being about so much more. A VERY good sci-fi outing that only slightly pales in comparison to STORIES.

While the Mrs. was watching her new show (THE CLIENT LIST...which has nothing to offer me aside from scantily clad Jennifer Love Hewitt...wait...that IS something) I finally got back to finishing Pratchett's THE WEE FREE MEN. I enjoyed it wholeheartedly and I'm glad I have the rest of the Tiffany Aching books in the ToRead pile as she's such an interesting character.

Now I'm stuck back into James S.A. Corey's CALIBAN'S WAR (which I'd put down originally to read FoD) and it's more goodness from the duo authors.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 17 October 2012 - 02:12 PM

[amphibian]

Does Jennifer Love Hewitt still have the "behind the counter girl" phenomenon going on?

[QuickTidal]

Yes?

I'm not entirely sure what you mean by that moniker...but probably.

[Slow Ben]

Finally made it back home and switched some books in/out of storage.


Summer Knight starts tonight!

[worry]

J.Love is still pretty cute, but she also (fake) tans like the dickens. Plus the whole "vajazzling" thing. She reminds me of Cathy from the comic strip a bit, to tell you the truth, in terms of her personality. I have no idea why I have such a strong opinion about Jennifer Love Hewitt of all people, but in a civilian-assuming-too-many-things-about-a-celebrity way, I find her kind of desperately tragic.

[Morgoth]

worrywort, on 17 October 2012 - 09:04 PM, said:

J.Love is still pretty cute, but she also (fake) tans like the dickens. Plus the whole "vajazzling" thing. She reminds me of Cathy from the comic strip a bit, to tell you the truth, in terms of her personality. I have no idea why I have such a strong opinion about Jennifer Love Hewitt of all people, but in a civilian-assuming-too-many-things-about-a-celebrity way, I find her kind of desperately tragic.

And yet, despite all that... you would do her. You would do her like the dickens.

[worry]

My genitals were eaten by a family of bears when I was a cub scout.

[amphibian]

QuickTidal, on 17 October 2012 - 04:44 PM, said:

Yes?

I'm not entirely sure what you mean by that moniker...but probably.

Pretty fit upper body, really wide/chubby hips and legs. The Ghost Whisperer show NEVER filmed her below the waist, or if they did full body shots, they did it from a distance so you couldn't tell. She wasn't fat, but she wasn't the classic knockout TV and film loves to display either.

A high counter or table hides that and you might be really attracted to the upper half, but be a little taken aback at the lower half, hence the "Behind the Counter Girl/Boy" phenomenon.

[Slow Ben]

amphibian, on 17 October 2012 - 09:48 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 17 October 2012 - 04:44 PM, said:

Yes?

I'm not entirely sure what you mean by that moniker...but probably.

Pretty fit upper body, really wide/chubby hips and legs. The Ghost Whisperer show NEVER filmed her below the waist, or if they did full body shots, they did it from a distance so you couldn't tell. She wasn't fat, but she wasn't the classic knockout TV and film loves to display either.

A high counter or table hides that and you might be really attracted to the upper half, but be a little taken aback at the lower half, hence the "Behind the Counter Girl/Boy" phenomenon.

I learned something new today.

[Abyss]

He has the internet. Genitals are unnecessary.


Just finished Farnsworth's THE PRESIDENT 'S VAMPIRE.
Great fun. On to book three!