[Salt-Man Z]

Finished Wolfe's Peace last night. Man, that final chapter feels like it must hold a major key to the whole book, because otherwise it feels completely unrelated to everything else. Still makes no sense, but it's just so compulsively readable I can't help but love it.

Currently I've started on the Robert Silverberg Science Fiction Megapack (99 cents on Kindle) and the first couple stories have been solid. Also started reading his novel Nightwings...

[Abyss]

Just finished LIBRARY AT MOUNT CHAR... ok, i see what you all liked about this book.
Intense, weird, some crazy action, funny, at times fucked up funny, great characters who are surprisingly normal despite their circumstances, and a story that really comes together nicely.
If i saw some of the twists coming, the author still managed to execute them in a way that never disappointed.

Very well written, totally worth the read, great narrator if you go earbook.

Doesn't need a sequel, but it's an interesting world to go back to and i would read one if it materialized.





On to Aaronovich's THE HANGING TREE. A little bit in and wow, Peter is already in trouble with Tyburn...

[QuickTidal]

Finished Pratchett's REAPER MAN (easily my fave of the Death books so far!). It was fantastic as usual with Pratchett. Next up on the Discworld will be LORDS & LADIES (which will be coming with me on vacation).

I'm going to dive into reading the rest of the ATLAS OBSCURA, and then possibly STAR WARS: LIFE DEBT before another Pratchett serving.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 22 February 2017 - 07:28 PM

[polishgenius]

Reaper Man was my very first Discworld and remains right near the top of my affections. It's a lovely book.

[QuickTidal]

 polishgenius, on 22 February 2017 - 10:09 PM, said:

Reaper Man was my very first Discworld and remains right near the top of my affections. It's a lovely book.

Agreed, it's wonderful!

[Macros]

Just finished Redcoat. A standalone novel by Bernard Cornwell.
Now I'm a huge Cornwell fan, I think this is fairly well known. Sharpe was one of the series of books that I read and reread and reread in my teens. Richard Sharpe and Pat Harper are probably two of my favourite fictional characters. I love the Sharpe novels (even the weaker interlude novels)
I love the uthred books.

But this is the best Cornwell novel I have read. I think I it's the best writing he has ever printed.
As a cast of characters, will it compete with the Sharpe universe? No. But Sharpe had 25 books to throw our friends and enemies at us.
I'm shite at reviews, but suffice to say it's got as engaging a storyline as any Sharpe novel and characters as believable and fleshed out as any he has portrayed before. Sergeant Scammel is no Obadiah hakeswill, but he is not meant to be, he's a different animal but no more repulsive a villain for that.
If you liked Sharpe. If you enjoyed The Fort (a lot weaker) pick up redcoat and thank me later

This post has been edited by Macros: 24 February 2017 - 02:18 PM

[Mentalist]

Slowly picking my way through "Empire Ascendant" . It's slow-going, and it's getting progressively bleaker. Think "Empire strikes back" turned up to 11. I'm struggling to recall a single nice thing happening to any of the major chars in the last 350-odd pages.

In commute, "Causal Angel" is pretty good 5 chapters in. I was kinda set back by the whole

Spoiler

Mars being imploded

thing. It's like the author decided to just undo the entire impact of Book 1 in one fell swoop, but I'm suspecting there'll be more to it. Needless to say, I'm eager to see where this goes next.

Over the weekend I need to start "count of Monte Christo" for the book club, but I expect the assigned weekly reading to only take me a few hours, since I love that book.

[Abyss]

 Mentalist, on 24 February 2017 - 03:15 PM, said:

...In commute, "Causal Angel" is pretty good 5 chapters in. I was kinda set back by the whole

Spoiler

Mars being imploded

thing. It's like the author decided to just undo the entire impact of Book 1 in one fell swoop, but I'm suspecting there'll be more to it. Needless to say, I'm eager to see where this goes next.
...

Keep reading. Imnsho, it doesn't disappoint.

[Andorion]

Started Too LIke the Lightning by Ada Palmer and its a very strange read. A bit tough to get into.

[QuickTidal]

Tried Chuck Wendig's STAR WARS AFTERMATH: LIFE DEBT....and it's awful. I didn't mind that the first book didn't concern the main OT crew post-ROTJ because it came out before TFA....but there is no excuse to still relegate the OT characters to the background in this book. And his writing style and plotting hasn't gotten any less grating. Oh, and he can't do space battles apparently.

Not sure what I'll read next. Maybe I can get my hands on the latest Peter Grant.

[Abyss]

 QuickTidal, on 24 February 2017 - 05:47 PM, said:

... Maybe I can get my hands on the latest Peter Grant.

Oh you should. You really really should.
About 1/3rd in and it's nailing everything i enjoy about this series.

Also the first timer i've done this series as an audiobook and i have to say it really changes my whole perception of most of the characters.
I've always liked the London setting and innate 'Britishness' of it, but add the narrator's accent(s) and pacing and it just becomes way more immersive for me.

[JPK]

I just finished a listen to Cold Days. Crap, now I've only got one left in the reread and then I'll be back to jonesing for Peace Talks again. I'd really hoped that the reread would take me until that one came out.

Next up I'm going to give M.(ike) R. Carey's The Girl with all the Gifts a shot.

[Tiste Simeon]

 Macros, on 24 February 2017 - 02:17 PM, said:

Just finished Redcoat. A standalone novel by Bernard Cornwell.
Now I'm a huge Cornwell fan, I think this is fairly well known. Sharpe was one of the series of books that I read and reread and reread in my teens. Richard Sharpe and Pat Harper are probably two of my favourite fictional characters. I love the Sharpe novels (even the weaker interlude novels)
I love the uthred books.

But this is the best Cornwell novel I have read. I think I it's the best writing he has ever printed.
As a cast of characters, will it compete with the Sharpe universe? No. But Sharpe had 25 books to throw our friends and enemies at us.
I'm shite at reviews, but suffice to say it's got as engaging a storyline as any Sharpe novel and characters as believable and fleshed out as any he has portrayed before. Sergeant Scammel is no Obadiah hakeswill, but he is not meant to be, he's a different animal but no more repulsive a villain for that.
If you liked Sharpe. If you enjoyed The Fort (a lot weaker) pick up redcoat and thank me later

Colour me intrigued!

[Macros]

Immortal Throne just arrived.
stella gemmells second novel, sequel to The City (which I enjoyed immensely)
will be starting today

[Dadding]

Just finished Blade of Tyshalle. Even better than Heroes Die. I'm full of questions, I think a lot of the philosophical musings went a bit over my head, but I'm going to sit on it for a little while.

Spoiler

Especially enjoyed how much terribleness kept getting tossed in Caine's direction. The more conflict the better I say, makes it more satisfying in the end to see him "win" if you can call it that.

[Abyss]

 Dadding, on 26 February 2017 - 01:12 AM, said:

Just finished Blade of Tyshalle. Even better than Heroes Die. I'm full of questions, I think a lot of the philosophical musings went a bit over my head, but I'm going to sit on it for a little while.

Spoiler

Especially enjoyed how much terribleness kept getting tossed in Caine's direction. The more conflict the better I say, makes it more satisfying in the end to see him "win" if you can call it that.

Agreed.When you get to CAINE BLACK KNIFE, you won't be sorry.

When/if you feel like it, there are a couple of Caine ded threads, or start your own... a bunch of us have read the series and don't have nearly enough opportunity to discuss it. Fuck.

[Mentalist]

Okay. finished "Empire Ascendant".... It got better in the end, where things started going somewhere, but it's BLEAK. I mean "Bleaker than A Feast for Crows bleak". my earlier analogy of "The Empire Strikes back taken up to 11" still holds--incredible amount of bad things happen to most characters, and it's easier to try to name someone who ISN'T maimed or killed--but it usually serves the story.

Still, the story in the end provides a set up for actually a lot more to come, which is surprising, giving the relatively small geography we're dealing with.

I'm definitely gonna follow this series, but it's deffo an emotionally draining one. The slow pacing down the middle didn't help. It's weird, because I can't really say it's not well-written- when I had the time to sit down and read, I could swallow 50 pages a sitting, no problem---but it wasn't quiet an "un-put-down-able" book at any point.

Next up, there's several choices for my home read. I thought about starting my massive Abraham binge (that would have me alternate Expanse + Dagger and Coin, getting caught up/finished in both series), but March is looking to be a financially difficult month, so I'll delay additional book purchases for now. For same reason Janny Wurts will have to wait.

So instead I think I'll dig into the "Inheritance Trilogy" Omnibus by N.K. Jemisin. There's been a lot of forum buzz about her, but it'll be my first time trying her works.

[LadyMTL]

I finished "The Library at Mount Char" this morning and wow, did I love it! I can't remember the last time that I got so into a book that I read the whole thing in 24 hours. Highly recommended.

Since my Malazan re-read is also finished (as of Friday night), I'm getting to work on my TRP. First up is Blake Crouch's "Dark Matter."

This post has been edited by LadyMTL: 26 February 2017 - 06:01 PM

[Abyss]

 Briar King, on 26 February 2017 - 05:33 AM, said:

 Abyss, on 26 February 2017 - 05:27 AM, said:

 Dadding, on 26 February 2017 - 01:12 AM, said:

Just finished Blade of Tyshalle. Even better than Heroes Die. I'm full of questions, I think a lot of the philosophical musings went a bit over my head, but I'm going to sit on it for a little while.

Spoiler

Especially enjoyed how much terribleness kept getting tossed in Caine's direction. The more conflict the better I say, makes it more satisfying in the end to see him "win" if you can call it that.

Agreed.When you get to CAINE BLACK KNIFE, you won't be sorry.

When/if you feel like it, there are a couple of Caine ded threads, or start your own... a bunch of us have read the series and don't have nearly enough opportunity to discuss it. Fuck.

Disappointed. Needs more fucking fucks in any fucking post about Caine.

I'm striving for fucking quality over fucking quantity re Caine these days. Fuck.

 LadyMTL, on 26 February 2017 - 05:59 PM, said:

I finished "The Library at Mount Char" this morning and wow, did I love it! I can't remember the last time that I got so into a book that I read the whole thing in 24 hours. Highly recommended. ...

IKR!So cool when a book delivers on the hype. I just finished it last week and loved it.

[polishgenius]

Started Fierce Gods, the last Heart of the World book by Buchanan. Not sure this was meant to be the last one, to be honest- there's an idea thrown in right from the start that does absolutely not feel like Buchanan meant to introduce it yet and several plot threads from earlier books- book 2 in particular- seem to have fallen by the wayside, but hopefully Buchanan, a talented author who deserves more attention, can make it hang together.

Quote

So cool when a book delivers on the hype.

Now read Ninefox Gambit, the other of last year's noteworthy debuts for my money despite not getting nearly as much hype (though it is a series opener and iirc you sometimes hold off on those). Another bizarre book that deserves a bit more love than it's getting.