[Chance]

Briar King, on 29 September 2021 - 07:41 PM, said:

Still going on the WoT rereread with The Great Hunt.

Doing the same wonder how far I will get this time.

Also re-reading The Fall of Dragons at work the Red Knight series simply is awesome.

[QuickTidal]

Into the last 10% of MAGE'S BLOOD by David Hair....this book started to flag between about 40 and 50%, but by the 60% mark it took off like a shot and would not let go and the back half of the book has been wonderful. Really glad I have all 4 of these from an ebook sale.

My two early issues with the book (overtly described sex scenes, and the fact that everything is just slightly off our world terms (Shihad instead of Jihad, Hebusalim instead of Jerusalem, ect.) fell away in the second half when I just accepted them and enjoyed the story for what it is. The magic action sequences are IMPRESSIVE.

Not sure if I'll move right onto book 2, or dive into something else after.

[Macros]

Just starting Queen of Storms by Feist, book two of his new offering

[Raymond Luxury Yacht]

The norrell/strange book is written in the style of classic English literature, and in a lot of ways annoys me like classic English literature. It’s well done but shit, it can be frustrating.

[QuickTidal]

Decided that I could not stay away from Aubrey & Maturin any longer and dove back into Patrick O'Brian with DESOLATION ISLAND...which I heard concerns William Bligh...so I've got THE BOUNTY ready to watch when I'm done this book to see how O'Brian's Bligh compares to the Anthony Hopkins version.

Goddamn I love these books. They are like a warm hug.

[Abyss]

QuickTidal, on 01 October 2021 - 12:20 PM, said:

Decided that I could not stay away from Aubrey & Maturin ...

Goddamn I love these books. They are like a warm hug.

This is how i feel about the SANDMAN.

....only the hug is not so much warm as cold and devouring like the empty space between stars, and with tentacles and existential angst and stuff... but totally hug-like....


As an aside i had forgotten just how dark A GAME OF YOU goes... and the audible version is digging in at all the right (wrong) times (argh... why is it always babies... WHY?)... the tv show will NEVER have the guts to do this...

[Tiste Simeon]

Abyss, on 01 October 2021 - 03:44 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 01 October 2021 - 12:20 PM, said:

Decided that I could not stay away from Aubrey & Maturin ...

Goddamn I love these books. They are like a warm hug.

This is how i feel about the SANDMAN.

....only the hug is not so much warm as cold and devouring like the empty space between stars, and with tentacles and existential angst and stuff... but totally hug-like....


As an aside i had forgotten just how dark A GAME OF YOU goes... and the audible version is digging in at all the right (wrong) times (argh... why is it always babies... WHY?)... the tv show will NEVER have the guts to do this...

Yeah I'm thinking that a lot as I go through like "well that probably needs to be toned down somewhat..."

[Raymond Luxury Yacht]

Taking a break (quitting?) norrell/strange to read scalzi’s Old man’s war. Good decision I think, after one chapter.

[Tiste Simeon]

I couldn't finish Norrell/Strange. Dunno why and I thought the BBC adaptation a few years ago was excellent.

[Raymond Luxury Yacht]

It’s too faithful to the style of literature it is trying to represent. If I wanted to read Pride and Prejudice again I would. The hyper focus on class, and etiquett, the stilted language and writing style (there is no reason for a sentence to be that long,) the obsession with income and social placement, the casual misogyny and racism, the pointless abbreviations of places and names, the assumption that everyone who matters in the world is a British gentleman, etc. it’s very well written in that it really feels like Mr fucking Darcy and his devoted manservant is going to come up the street at any moment, fresh in from North Cumbershirehamway, where he was visiting Miss S—— who has 800 a year but no man of wit to guide her through life and shew her how to navigate London society, poor dear!

[worry]

Raymond Luxury Yacht, on 01 October 2021 - 07:46 PM, said:

The hyper focus on class, and etiquett, the stilted language and writing style (there is no reason for a sentence to be that long,) the obsession with income and social placement, the casual misogyny and racism, the pointless abbreviations of places and names, the assumption that everyone who matters in the world is a British gentleman, etc. it's very well written in that it really feels like Mr fucking Darcy and his devoted manservant is going to come up the street at any moment, fresh in from North Cumbershirehamway, where he was visiting Miss S—— who has 800 a year but no man of wit to guide her through life and shew her how to navigate London society, poor dear!

I liked this book (and Jane Austen), but this one still got me

[JPK]

Continuing on my trend of allowing Abyss to dictate my audible purchases, I am now listening to Tchaikovsky's CHILDREN OF TIME. Holy hell, I cannot believe how much he has grown as an author since SotA.

[Mentalist]

Finished "King of the City". The second half of the book feels designed to induce clinical depression, and even though the conclusion is an upbeat "happily ever after", it doesn't survive the reality check- while all the relevant social commentary does, making the overall impression quite bleak.

It was probably a wrong thing to read in my current state of mind.

Gonna try to pick up " The God is not Willing" and the 4th Stormlight mmpb tomorrow, to change the tone a bit.

[Raymond Luxury Yacht]

Damn old man’s war was good, need to get the rest of the series. Now to slog through more of norrell and strange.

[JPK]

I'm waiting for a friend to catch up to me on CHILDREN OF TIME so I'm starting VINDOLANDA by Adrian Goldsworthy until she can catch up to me. Thanks again to everyone that chimed in over in the "has anyone read" thread with the historical fiction recommendations.

BTW, did you see the third LOT LANDS book dropped Abyss?

This post has been edited by JPK: 04 October 2021 - 05:48 PM

[amphibian]

I have the third Lot Lands book waiting for me after I finish Sidewinders by Robert Redick. I give Redick's Master Assassins + Sidewinders books the highest recommendation that I can possibly bestow.

They're ripping yarns with some extremely memorable characters and lands and storylines.

[worry]

That one's going on the list.

[Cyphon]

Seconding the Redick recommendation. MASTER ASSASSINS was great and I'm looking forward to when I get SIDEWINDERS.

Finished A MEMORY CALLED EMPIRE which was great, I can see why it won the Hugo. Wish it was a standalone but I can see they might extend it further. Would definitely recommend for Sci fi space opera intrigue.

Read THE TOWER AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD by Victoria Gooddard after the discussion of the other competency porn book as that sounds right up my street. Well written off a simple premise so the main book has gone on the watch list.

Currently reading THE BIRD KING by G. Willow Wilson. Looks like well written fantasy historical fiction sort of in the GGK vibe. Picked this up ages ago after seeing it recommended on a blog list somewhere.

[Abyss]

JPK, on 04 October 2021 - 05:39 PM, said:

...

BTW, did you see the third LOT LANDS book dropped Abyss?

Hells yeah!
Already DL'd and ready to roll when i finish SANDMAN ACT 2. I may yet order a signed hb.

[TheRetiredBridgeburner]

JPK, on 04 October 2021 - 05:39 PM, said:

so I'm starting VINDOLANDA by Adrian Goldsworthy until she can catch up to me. Thanks again to everyone that chimed in over in the "has anyone read" thread with the historical fiction recommendations.

Just finished VINDOLANDA. Superb. I've got the second one but fancied something a bit different before reading it.

Started Dan Walker's REMARKABLE PEOPLE. I bought it for my dad last Christmas and he thought I'd enjoy it too. Definitely didn't want to ball my eyes out on the bus this morning reading the chapter about Gary Speed. Lovely book.

This post has been edited by TheRetiredBridgeburner: 05 October 2021 - 06:47 AM