[Mentalist]

Finished Willful Child . It was generally amusing.

At home Lovecraft is coming along slowly due to lack of reading time.

I meant to start a "Psalms of Isaak" re-read, but I want to finish Lovecraft first. So in the meantime I think I might read the 2nd "Greatcoats" book.

Edit: scratch that. Remembered that I meant to read Scalzi's "The End of All Things", so we'll go with that instead, staying on the lighter sci-fi vibe.

This post has been edited by Mentalist: 07 March 2018 - 01:53 AM

[Andorion]

polishgenius, on 06 March 2018 - 09:54 PM, said:

Andorion, on 05 March 2018 - 02:05 PM, said:

Also I finished Anathem - I am still not exactly sure what I read.

Something awesome, that's what.

There is actually a great SF story in there, but deciphering it takes a lot of doing.


In other news, I finished Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. Started off annoying, but got better.

Also finished A Dog's Purpose. Genuinely great book, and I recommend it to everyone.

[Maark Abbott]

At the Battle of Aurang Time now. It's just kicked off. Holy shit, Bakker. I've got a proper Srancy* on at the minute.




*Arched against... well, you know.

[Whisperzzzzzzz]

Banks' Matter sort of reminds me of Hamilton's Dreaming Void books.

[JPK]

I've hit the 100 page mark on Ship of Magic and I've stalled. It's really very interesting, and I think the plot has a shit-ton of opportunity, but it's just not drawing me in atm. I suspect that Assassin's Quest left me a bit fatigued on Hobb's work and I just need something a bit lighter before jumping back in.

So for now, I'm placing Ship of Magic on the backburner and I'm going to focus on finishing Eames' Kings of the Wyld for a palette cleanser.

[acesn8s]

Kings of the Wyld should deliver.

I enjoyed Hobb's Ship of magic, but it wasn't exactly exciting.

[Maark Abbott]

acesn8s, on 08 March 2018 - 02:20 AM, said:

Kings of the Wyld should deliver.

I enjoyed Hobb's Ship of magic, but it wasn't exactly exciting.

I've got KOTW on my pile. I'm expecting a pseudo-dark version of Eddings' Sparhawk books (which I term 'Knightbro' based on how they read). Basically a road trip with mercs, mead and fist-bumping.

[acesn8s]

Maark Abbott, on 08 March 2018 - 08:32 AM, said:

acesn8s, on 08 March 2018 - 02:20 AM, said:

Kings of the Wyld should deliver.

I enjoyed Hobb's Ship of magic, but it wasn't exactly exciting.

I've got KOTW on my pile. I'm expecting a pseudo-dark version of Eddings' Sparhawk books (which I term 'Knightbro' based on how they read). Basically a road trip with mercs, mead and fist-bumping.

Modern day Knightbro with a little bit of Spinal Tap thrown in.

[stone monkey]

Currently reading:

Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff - Not that good, so far. The author obviously did a ton a research into the Jim Crow era (and is sharing it all), but the cosmic horror aspect isn't well done and while he gets it (yeah, systemic racism is bad... obviously) he also doesn't get it (the characters are essentially props, and their reactions to the environment they are living in seem to lack a certain... humanity). It's also not really a novel, more a collection of linked short stories; vignettes to demonstrate his point, even. It's a good point, but far too didactically handled, I think.

The Boy on the Bridge by ML Carey - Pretty good so far. The reader's familiarity with the setting is used to good effect. And he's killing it on the little details; how do you test if you're pregnant during the apocalypse?

The Better Angels of Our Nature by Stephen Pinker - For a book with such an optimistic premise, this thing is seriously depressing. If you want to demonstrate how and why the present day is the least violent time in history, you also have to demonstrate how and why the rest of it was much, much worse... with copious examples and analyses. Ouch This book makes me sad for our species.

Always Coming Home by Ursula Le Guin - She was simply the best, and it shows.

This post has been edited by stone monkey: 09 March 2018 - 12:05 AM

[Maark Abbott]

acesn8s, on 08 March 2018 - 12:43 PM, said:

Maark Abbott, on 08 March 2018 - 08:32 AM, said:

acesn8s, on 08 March 2018 - 02:20 AM, said:

Kings of the Wyld should deliver.

I enjoyed Hobb's Ship of magic, but it wasn't exactly exciting.

I've got KOTW on my pile. I'm expecting a pseudo-dark version of Eddings' Sparhawk books (which I term 'Knightbro' based on how they read). Basically a road trip with mercs, mead and fist-bumping.

Modern day Knightbro with a little bit of Spinal Tap thrown in.

Baurus: I wasn't far off.

[Salt-Man Z]

Recently finished the first two books of Meg Elison's Road to Nowhere series. They're about a plague that wipes out most of humanity, but is particularly harsh on women, and those few women that do survive (in addition to the expected problems of being out numbered 10-to-1 or 20-to-1 by men) are unable to birth live babies, and more often than not die in childbirth. The first book is The Book of the Unnamed Midwife, which follows a nurse who wakes up (recovered from the fever) in post-plague California as she travels the country (disguised as a man, naturally) and offers medical assistance to women she can find. It was good, not great; the setting isn't my favorite, and the half-journal, half-third-person format didn't quite gel for me. The second book is much better: The Book of Etta takes place maybe a hundred years later and concerns a young woman raider named Etta, who takes on the male persona of Eddy while out on the road. It raises a lot of interesting questions about gender (is Etta/Eddy trans? mulitple personalities?) and has a much tighter story arc. Recommended.

I'm about to dive into Kate Elliott's Jaran series (gone as far as putting it into my Kindle's "currently reading" collection.)

But first I've cracked open She Walks in Shadows, an original anthology of Lovecraftian stories edited and written by and about women. A number of the stories put a female-centric spin on HPL's tales: thus far there's been a take on "The Colour Out of Space" as well as a prequel to "The Dunwich Horror". Great stuff so far.

[JPK]

Re Kings of the Wyld: Can we have an entire book following Tiamax the spider-man? I'm laughing way too hard in public because of him.

[Abyss]

JPK, on 10 March 2018 - 08:24 PM, said:

Re Kings of the Wyld: Can we have an entire book following Tiamax the spider-man? I'm laughing way too hard in public because of him.

Only if he fights an owlbear.

[Tatterdemalion]

Finished SENLIN ASCENDS today and thought it was beautiful and unique. Love a book where everything just seems to fit nicely.

In its place on my eReader I start PATERNUS by Dyrk Ashton, but am instead likely to pour more effort into my signed copy of KINGS OF THE WYLD which I'm hesitant to start until it gets my full attention.

[Tsundoku]

Tatterdemalion, on 11 March 2018 - 03:38 AM, said:

Finished SENLIN ASCENDS today and thought it was beautiful and unique. Love a book where everything just seems to fit nicely.

In its place on my eReader I start PATERNUS by Dyrk Ashton, but am instead likely to pour more effort into my signed copy of KINGS OF THE WYLD which I'm hesitant to start until it gets my full attention.

I think the real question here Joel is - "Why are you wasting time reading books and internetting and NOT writing?" You don't have Neil Gaiman in your corner to write how you're not our bitch, so that means you're fair game.



I am still halfway through A Blade of Black Steel. I want to keep going, but whenever I have the desire to read (which admittedly isn't very often as I arrive home from work unwilling to commit to more than a few lines of text at a time), my son decides this is a great time to jump all over me.
Together time is good, but Daddy needs some peace and quiet.

OTOH, this behaviour will finish soon enough - too soon - never to be resumed, so I'm going to get as many hugs as I can while I can.

This post has been edited by Tsundoku: 11 March 2018 - 11:08 AM

[Macros]

finished infernal battalion. the final volume of the Shadow Campaigns by Django Wexler. And also finished Killer of Men, volume one of the Long War by Christian Cameron (miles cameron)

Infernal - Yes I liked it, but it felt like a step down in quality from the rest. I think the Queen gets herself out of trouble too easily, market manipulation is not that quick or easy. I think it wrapped up a bit too neatly, and the Beast was, to be honest, disappointing in the end, not as piss poor as say....the Vord queen, but most definitely made decisions that were nonsensical, given it had thousands of years to plan.

Killer of Men - I liked this well enough, its a setting I love (ancient med) which helped. the Narration style works for the most, but the narrator (the protagonist in later life) his asides, to directly address his daughter and the like, at the start these 4th wall breaks totally jarred me out of the story, but you get used to it. 3.5 spears out of 5 in the phalanx. even if I didn't already have books 2 and 3 on my shelf, I would probably be seeking out at least book 2 in amazon used. now that I think of it, Arimnestos (the protagonist) is kind of like a Greek Uthred. if you enjoyed Warlord chronicles and like the whole ancient setting, pick up book one anyway.

currently reading -
Just started 12 Strong in dead tree (not sure why)
going to start the latest Gaunts Ghosts book on ebook (and then onto Caiphas Cain)

[Aptorian]

Finally finished Aloha from Hell, the third Sandman Slim book. Didn't like it at all. I read the first book in a few days. I read the second book in a week. It took me more than two weeks to get through this third book.

I'm not going to say these Sandman Slim books are bad. They're well written but they're just not my style. Kadrey has that same writing formula that Terry Goodkind and Robert Jordan has, where a lot of nothing or maybe something else is happening and then suddenly a lot of things happen the last 50 pages and there doesn't appear to be much plotting behind the conclusion. The red thread that ties the start the middle and end together is tenuous at best.

I found these three books entertaining but never satisfying. I have very little interest in reading more of these books.

I really do hate how so many fantasy stories about the super natural or religions reduce god, satan and all the monsters and angels in between to these human sized obstacles that some dumb protagonist can butt heads with. To suggest that somebody like Satan is just somebody you exchange barbs with is so laughable that it honestly feels a bit insulting.

Now the question is, what do I read next? First Dragon Lance Chronicles Omnibus or The Hanging Tree, the latest Peter Grant book? I think I'll try Hanging Tree first. I've been waiting years to find out what happens next after "That betrayal".

[Andorion]

Finished reading Last Dragon Standing. I felt that the first half of the book was a bit slow and definitely a step down in quality, but the ending was great and really in keeping with the general tone of the series.

Read Scalzi's Old Man's War. Loved it.

[Aptorian]

Andorion who wrote Last Dragon Standing? Because if you google the title two different series show up and one of them is reminding me of "The Vampire with the Dragon Tattoo"!

https://www.goodread...dragon-standing

Quote

Last Dragon Standing (Dragon Kin #4)
by G.A. Aiken



He’s not the only flame in town…

I know what they see when they look at me. The charming, soft-spoken dragoness bred from the most powerful of royal bloodlines. A disguise stronger than any battle shield that allows me to keep all suitors at tail’s length. A technique that’s worked until him. Until Ragnar the Cunning, handsome barbarian warlord and warrior mage from the desolate Northlands. Unlike those who’ve come before him, he does not simply submit to my astounding charm and devastating smile. Instead he dismisses me as vapid, useless and, to my great annoyance, rather stupid!

Yet I’ll allow no male to dismiss me. Soon he’ll learn my worth, my many skills, and the strength of my will. For this one challenges me enough to make me want to ruthlessly taunt him, tease him and, finally, when the trap is set, bring him to his knees.

This post has been edited by Alternative Goose: 11 March 2018 - 01:40 PM

[Andorion]

Alternative Goose, on 11 March 2018 - 12:27 PM, said:

Andorion who wrote Last Dragon Standing? Because if you google the title two different series show up and one of them is reminding me of "The Vampire with the Dragon Tattoo"!

https://www.goodread...dragon-standing

Quote

Last Dragon Standing (Dragon Kin #4)
by G.A. Aiken

He's not the only flame in town…

I know what they see when they look at me. The charming, soft-spoken dragoness bred from the most powerful of royal bloodlines. A disguise stronger than any battle shield that allows me to keep all suitors at tail's length. A technique that's worked until him. Until Ragnar the Cunning, handsome barbarian warlord and warrior mage from the desolate Northlands. Unlike those who've come before him, he does not simply submit to my astounding charm and devastating smile. Instead he dismisses me as vapid, useless and, to my great annoyance, rather stupid!

Yet I'll allow no male to dismiss me. Soon he'll learn my worth, my many skills, and the strength of my will. For this one challenges me enough to make me want to ruthlessly taunt him, tease him and, finally, when the trap is set, bring him to his knees.

Uh no, that's not the one! This is by Rachel Aaron, the last of her Heartstrikers series.