[Tiste Simeon]

Finished RG! Onto RotCG!

[JPK]

I finished Embassytown a couple days ago. I enjoyed it. Like Abyss said, some very interesting concepts in there but it just didn't solidify enough in the end.

I also finished the audiobook for The Shadow Rising. Some very interesting interactions at the end of this one. Still liking the series, but I would never say that I'm loving it. I will continue on this in a month or so again.

I'm about 65% of the way through Red, White, and Blood. Damn, the only problem with the Cade books is that it seems like it's going to be awhile before we get the next one. I suspect I'll finish this tomorrow.

Finally, I'm starting a new audiobook about Tesla. Wizard- The life and times of Nikola Tesla. This man has interested me for years so I'm super excited to learn more of him.

[Abyss]

The Incredible Kitsu, on 30 December 2013 - 02:08 AM, said:

...the only problem with the Cade books is that it seems like it's going to be awhile before we get the next one. ...

And i'm bummed about that because these were totally fun.


Peter Clines' 14 has been lurking near the top of the TRPFH since i read EX-HEROES and EX-PATRIOTS and decided that i had to read everything the man writes. I picked it up yesterday to take a glance at the first bit. Ffwd six hours and i'm halfway thru and totally sucked in. It's a well paced start that intros the characters and the mysteries in an engaging way, and then things become weird, and then... well, at the point at stupid o'clock this am where i finally managed to put it down, Clines hit the reader with the kind of showstopper chapter end that almost forces the reader to sit back and process everything they just read.
Clines' style in the EX books is to build steadily to a big finish, so i'm curious to see if that's where he's going here. There's also a morbid element to see whether the entire cast of surprisingly engaging 'normal' characters survives.

[Abyss]

Abyss, on 30 December 2013 - 03:14 PM, said:

...
Peter Clines' 14 has been lurking near the top of the TRPFH since i read EX-HEROES and EX-PATRIOTS and decided that i had to read everything the man writes....

Speaking of Clines....

Sussex Months, on 30 December 2013 - 03:20 PM, said:

The Kindle version of the first book [EX-HEROES] is on sale right now for $1.99. FYI.

Sussex Months, on 30 December 2013 - 03:20 PM, said:

The Kindle version of the first book [EX-HEROES] is on sale right now for $1.99. FYI.

Sussex Months, on 30 December 2013 - 03:20 PM, said:

The Kindle version of the first book [EX-HEROES] is on sale right now for $1.99. FYI.

[QuickTidal]

Abyss, on 30 December 2013 - 03:25 PM, said:

Sussex Months, on 30 December 2013 - 03:20 PM, said:

The Kindle version of the first book [EX-HEROES] is on sale right now for $1.99. FYI.

There really is no real reason NOT to pick it up at that price. I mean honestly. Even if you don't like it (which isn't likely to be the case) it's the price of a short story.

[Abyss]

QuickTidal, on 30 December 2013 - 04:22 PM, said:

Abyss, on 30 December 2013 - 03:25 PM, said:

Sussex Months, on 30 December 2013 - 03:20 PM, said:

The Kindle version of the first book [EX-HEROES] is on sale right now for $1.99. FYI.

There really is no real reason NOT to pick it up at that price. I mean honestly. Even if you don't like it (which isn't likely to be the case) it's the price of a short story.

Plus it's superheroes vs zombies awesome great fun and there are two, soon three, more books out there.

[Dragnipurake]

House of Blades and The Crimson Vault (Books 1 and 2 of a trilogy, 3 coming out in a couple of months) by Will Wight. Enjoyed them. Light reading but fantasy off the beaten track while not stupidly violent.

Also read Terms of Enlistment by Marko Kloos. This is not my usual reading fare as it is sci fi and not fantasy but wasnt bad. The 2nd book in the series is supposed to be out in a month.

[Studlock]

Finished Shriek: An Afterword. which was great and in-depth look into a sibling relationship...something I think SF could use more of. To often our heroes are singular entities without much, if any, family. Maybe my favourite book I've read this year to be honest. Read about 50 pages of Finch and is pretty amazing so far, I love the voice of the narrator and the weirdness of the grey caps. On a side note I'm really enjoying this 'New Weird' thing lately (yes I know I'm about 7 year late) and outside of China Mieville what other books classified as New Weird would you guys recommend? I've got the New Weird anthology/essay thing from Ann and Jeff VanderMeer but it's throwing a lot of information my way so I'd thought I'd go to a second source.

[Mentalist]

Studlock, on 31 December 2013 - 10:25 PM, said:

Finished Shriek: An Afterword. which was great and in-depth look into a sibling relationship...something I think SF could use more of. To often our heroes are singular entities without much, if any, family. Maybe my favourite book I've read this year to be honest. Read about 50 pages of Finch and is pretty amazing so far, I love the voice of the narrator and the weirdness of the grey caps. On a side note I'm really enjoying this 'New Weird' thing lately (yes I know I'm about 7 year late) and outside of China Mieville what other books classified as New Weird would you guys recommend? I've got the New Weird anthology/essay thing from Ann and Jeff VanderMeer but it's throwing a lot of information my way so I'd thought I'd go to a second source.

Ry "the city of a Hundred Rows" trilo by Ian Whates.

Also may be worth a look: Deepgate Codex by Alan Campbell (though I hear the last book in the trilo is atrocious)

Thunderer by Felix Gilman is pretty "New Weird"-y

[Traveller]

Just got my hardback copy of 'S.'First non-digital book I've bought for months. Looks awesome, love the library sticker and all the intriguing bits and pieces stuffed between the pages. Cheers for the heads up on this one QT

[QuickTidal]

No prob dude, Enjoy!

[Baco Xtath]

Studlock, on 31 December 2013 - 10:25 PM, said:

Finished Shriek: An Afterword. which was great and in-depth look into a sibling relationship...something I think SF could use more of. To often our heroes are singular entities without much, if any, family. Maybe my favourite book I've read this year to be honest. Read about 50 pages of Finch and is pretty amazing so far, I love the voice of the narrator and the weirdness of the grey caps. On a side note I'm really enjoying this 'New Weird' thing lately (yes I know I'm about 7 year late) and outside of China Mieville what other books classified as New Weird would you guys recommend? I've got the New Weird anthology/essay thing from Ann and Jeff VanderMeer but it's throwing a lot of information my way so I'd thought I'd go to a second source.

Most definitely Felix Gilman. Also try the Etched City by K.J. Bishop and her other works as well as all of Catherine Valente's works, M. John Harrison's stuff, Steph Swainston, and Hal Duncan (I've yet to read but hear thrown about a bit). Though not necessarily "New Weird" but definitely different, I'd recommend the Gone-Away World, Terminal World, Echo City, Something More than Night, and John Dies at the End (and sequel).

[worry]

Finished King of Thorns. Liked it quite a bit more than the first book, and I already considered that one awesome. While the first one rested on Jorg's shoulders almost exclusively, this one really upped the ante on memorable characters (both new and better-developed old).

Gonna read that Megan Abbott story some of you liked so much before I get to Emperor, as it really got me curious.

[polishgenius]

Studlock, on 31 December 2013 - 10:25 PM, said:

On a side note I'm really enjoying this 'New Weird' thing lately (yes I know I'm about 7 year late) and outside of China Mieville what other books classified as New Weird would you guys recommend?

BX's list is pretty awesome, so go through those. I love pretty much everything he mentioned... I'd single out Felix Gilman, fast becoming close to my favourite writer, and Hal Duncan, who's Book of All Hours, while not for everyone (it requires Gene Wolfe-levels of patience and rereading and the crazy structure puts a lot of people off) is a quite astonishing piece of work and well worth persevering with.

[Aptorian]

I'm halfway through "Before they are hanged" The second bóok in the First Law Trilogy.

Much like the first book I think that it is pretty slow but the story is definitely picking up its pace. All the characters I was uninterested in in the last book are now coming into their own. Nice to see that paying off but it really shouldn't have taken him 1.5 book to get me there. Still, those are some damn interesting characters.

The story itself feels a bit stupid though. If the Eaters and mages really are as powerful as they seem, I don't see the point of even using armies. The bad guys could just walk right into the Capital of the Union and assassinate every leader and call it a Victory.

This post has been edited by Not Brent Weeks: 01 January 2014 - 01:18 PM

[dietl]

Not Brent Weeks, on 01 January 2014 - 12:48 PM, said:

The story itself feels a bit stupid though. If the Eaters and mages really are as powerful as they seem, I don't see the point of even using armies. The bad guys could just walk right into the Capital of the Union and assassinate every leader and call it a Victory.

Book three makes the underlying conflict a bit clearer.

[Kruppe's snacky cakes]

273. Surfing Samurai Robots by Mel Gilden - Old school silly sci-fi. Tries too hard to be funny; fails.

274. Hellboy: The Dragon Pool by Christopher Golden - For me, the Hellboy novelizations just haven't measured up to the GNs...

275. All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris - Sookie!

276. The Last Apprentice: Wrath Of The Bloodeye by Joseph Delaney - The most consistently enthralling YA fantasy series on the market today.

277. The Reality Dysfunction by Peter F. Hamilton - Really wanted to like this giant tome of a book...but...too much...got lost. I will give The Dreaming Void series a try instead.

278. DC Universe Online Legends Vol. 1 graphic novel by Marv Wolfman et al. - Fun read, especially considering video game tie-ins are typically not good.

That's all folks. Averaged 3 books every 4 days in 2013. Not too shabby. My next post will start over at 1 for 2014.

[Tiste Simeon]

Kruppe, on 01 January 2014 - 08:02 PM, said:

277. The Reality Dysfunction by Peter F. Hamilton - Really wanted to like this giant tome of a book...but...too much...got lost. I will give The Dreaming Void series a try instead.

First of all well done on your silly amounts of reading you have done!

Secondly the above series is one I loved. Haven't liked anything else by Hamilton since though I haven't read the Void series. Commonwealth Saga was a bit meg but I thought The Nights Dawn Trilogy was excellent!

[JPK]

Starting the year off with a bang. Gun Machine is up for me.

[Baco Xtath]

Finished listening to Moon over Soho today; loving this series and the narrator. Also listening to the White Rose, Pushing Ice, and Ex-Communication. Will start reading the Subtle Knife and Garrett P.I. #7 tonight.