[Macros]

Not an audio booker, have tried it,not for me

[Tiste Simeon]

In fairness the narrator for that book is amazing!

This post has been edited by Tiste Simeon: 15 November 2023 - 08:12 PM

[JPK]

Macros, aren't you a Kobo reader? Not sure if it's on at good of a sale in your region but it's really cheap right now (in the States at least).

[Whisperzzzzzzz]

I blitzed through Butcher's Olympian Affair. Great fun, and I'm very curious to learn more about the worldbuilding. If I had to share a negative, it's that I generally don't like books which only take place over a few days (which is weird, because that's a common device Butcher uses. For example, I love the Dresdencrack books, but to paraphrase Butcher from his book signing last week, most of the Dresden books start out as "what's the worst weekend that Harry had this year?" And then he writes that weekend.).

I guess it's moreso that some books that happen over only a few days revolve around one or two pivotal events, so when thinking about them in hindsight, I feel like there's not much that actually happened?

Separately, I downloaded a few self-published books. Some are SPFBO finalists, others are just ones that were recommended. Out of the whole haul, I've tried Hayes It Takes A Thief To Catch A Sunrise and it's...eh. It didn't pull me in, so I've put it on hold.

I've started Chu's The Art of Prophecy, and that pulled me in right away. I'm enjoying it so far!

This post has been edited by Whisperzzzzzzz: 16 November 2023 - 06:41 PM

[Macros]

JPK, on 16 November 2023 - 01:06 AM, said:

Macros, aren't you a Kobo reader? Not sure if it's on at good of a sale in your region but it's really cheap right now (in the States at least).

Checking this now!!!

[Macros]

Still a tenner, I'd rather get a real version for the shelf. I usually top out at 6 quid for digital

[JPK]

Sorry Macros. It must be a regional thing cause it's 99 cents in the States.

[Abyss]

Abyss, on 15 November 2023 - 05:23 PM, said:

...
Have started Martha Wells' later Murderbot SYSTEM COLLAPSE, it's a short read and I felt like something light and fast. 1 hr in, i love Murderbot and it's cast so so much.

Just Finished.
Best Murderbot novella yet.
Takes the MC and cast on a familiar mission but adds whole levels of depth to them and their interactions. I suspect a new reader would miss much of the character development, but anyone who has read and enjoyed the series to date needs this book because it is so so good.

Murderbot, ART, and the humans from the University are sent to assist a human colony that's been infected by an alien artifact and dumped by their human corporate sponsor. Another corporation is trying to 'recruit' (enslave) them and seize the artifact. On it's face these elements may sound similar to some of the prior books, but the challenges Wells throws at the cast and the way she writes Murderbot dealing with them are all new and just a pleasure to read. For reasons that would be spoilers, Murderbot's struggle with it's semi-discovered 'humanity' and 'feelings' are very front and center and affect it's ability to do its job protecting the humans. Also complicated by the humans' silly tendency to treat murderbot like a real person. Also, ART. So much ART and Murderbot goodness in this book i pretty much grinned right through the entire thing.

Narrator Kevin Weeks just kills the voices right through, if you're an earbook person this is a treat.


Worth your money and your time.


Was about to start the new Cinder Spires when Aaronovitch's latest Rivers of London short WINTER'S GIFT, dropped on me, so on to that.

[amphibian]

I read Benedict Jacka's new series kick-off, An Inheritance of Magic.

I liked most of it, but there was too much explaining going on at multiple points rather than "just have the character do things and we'll either fill in the blanks later or figure out a more creative way than this" and at a certain point, I had to slog through theology that even with a sort of pay-off, it's not worth putting in.

I don't need this to be the Alex Verus series, but I do wish Jacka figured out how to get the information across without info-dumping and without veering into Christian theology to get to a certain point. Neal Stephenson gets away with the exegesis stuff because somehow most of it is written in a charming fashion, even when we're learning from Fraa Orolo or someone like that. 3.5 stars out of 5 for me, but I'll round up to 4 for some promise if the next book is better.

[Abyss]

Abyss, on 22 November 2023 - 05:27 PM, said:

... Aaronovitch's latest Rivers of London short WINTER'S GIFT, dropped on me, so on to that.

Just Finished.
Fun short story about occasional supporting character FBI agent Kim Reynolds following a weirdness investigation in small town USA.

Kim gets WAY more development here than she's ever had in the main books and it's a nice touch, esp because the way she was introduced back in WHISPERS was strange - the promo setting her up to be some kind of fundamentalist Christian and the book barely moving her past redshirt status. What Aaronovich does very well here is reconcile her Christian beliefs with her ability to work on magic related files that can involve what other people consider 'gods'.


It's not a brilliantly original short story but it's in the spirit of the RIVERS series (pun intended), gives us a peek into the American side of things, and develops the character nicely as she investigates a small town mystery involving winter, tornadoes, an expedition lost a few hundred years ago, and Native American mythology. The beasties here are very interesting, something that would probably give Peter and Nightingale a challenge.


I enjoyed this, worth a try for fans of the series.


British earbook narrator does admirable work with American accents, even if her pronunciation of 'parka' as 'parker' is viscerally disturbing to my Canadian ears.


Next up, Butcher's Cinder Spires short story WARRIORBORN ahead of THE OLYMPIAN AFFAIR.

[Tiste Simeon]

Abyss you seem to know things, is there any word on the next Aaronovitch full length Peter Grant novel?

[amphibian]

Tchaikovsky's Children of Memory is a mind fuck book (as in literally messing with memories). It's too short, although quite good at the mind fuck part book.

I'd rate it at a 7.5 out of 10, it was nice to revisit with certain situations or characters from the previous Children of... books.

[Abyss]

Tiste Simeon, on 23 November 2023 - 07:15 PM, said:

Abyss you seem to know things, is there any word on the next Aaronovitch full length Peter Grant novel?

How many organs is it worth to you to know?

[Tiste Simeon]

Abyss, on 01 December 2023 - 03:13 AM, said:

Tiste Simeon, on 23 November 2023 - 07:15 PM, said:

Abyss you seem to know things, is there any word on the next Aaronovitch full length Peter Grant novel?

How many organs is it worth to you to know?

Well hang about there's a novella coming out next year called the Masquerade of Spring. Put those sharpened melon spoons away!

It's not quite another novel but it sounds good... https://www.amazon.c...0a-e7b36e15ddc2

[Tiste Simeon]

I have finished book 3 of WoT and am not going to dive into book 4 so I don't get burned out on the series.

I think I'm going to read Hands of the Emperor by Victoria Goddard next.

[Abyss]

Tiste Simeon, on 01 December 2023 - 10:01 PM, said:

Abyss, on 01 December 2023 - 03:13 AM, said:

Tiste Simeon, on 23 November 2023 - 07:15 PM, said:

Abyss you seem to know things, is there any word on the next Aaronovitch full length Peter Grant novel?

How many organs is it worth to you to know?

Well hang about there's a novella coming out next year called the Masquerade of Spring. Put those sharpened melon spoons away!

It's not quite another novel but it sounds good... https://www.amazon.c...0a-e7b36e15ddc2

see? a little googling and you kept both kidneys!
Also, if you haven't yet, the comics tpbs are worth a look if you need a fixx

[Abyss]

Abyss, on 23 November 2023 - 06:19 PM, said:

...
Next up, Butcher's Cinder Spires short story WARRIORBORN ahead of THE OLYMPIAN AFFAIR.

that was great. Just Finished, totally worth the time and money, loved it all, comments in the ded-thred.

I will note here that if you're planning to read OLYMPIAN, WARRIORBORN is not absolutely necessary but it is VERY suggested because it leads straight into the book, the events are referenced repeatedly.


Next up, the podcast series TRANSMISSIONS FROM COLONY ONE completed SEASON 5, its final season, so time to see how this ends.

[Abyss]

Abyss, on 10 December 2023 - 02:47 PM, said:

...
Next up, the podcast series TRANSMISSIONS FROM COLONY ONE completed SEASON 5, its final season, so time to see how this ends.

Just Finished.
Totally sticks the landing (which is a pun no one will get unless they listen to the story).

I have to give the writer credit, he starts S5 in the dark place S4 ended, and while there isn't any doubt he's headed to a brighter better ending for the finale, he takes his time getting there and makes it enough of a fight for the characters that each little triumph along the way hits so hard in the feels.


The entire series is now on the usual podcast places and also here: https://www.tfco.us/

It's free, which is a ridiculous gift considering the quality of it overall. Worth a look.

[Abyss]

Also Just Finished REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES by Shelby Van Pelt.


This came to me by way of a reddit thread for books where animals were the narrators. The animal here is Marcellus, a Giant Pacific Octopus stuck in a tank in a local aquarium in a small seaside town. I have mixed feelings about this book.. i enjoyed it, but mostly/entirely for the octopus, who is a relatively small but critical part of the story. The rest of the book is a bunch of humans navigating their personal soap operas... widow reaching retirement age struggling w her next stage, mid life crisis party guy searching for his biological dad, small town grocer has second shot at love... it's all very ordinary and trite and predictable and i would never buy a book about these people or stay more than a few chapters into it, but for the octopus. Marcellus' interactions and narration are great. He's funny, sarcastic, clever, the narrator absolutely nails the voice. I frequently upped the speed on the humans segments and slowed it back down for Marcellus. The author does something clever, giving the reader more octopus early in the book, so as the focus shifts to the human drama and Marcellus' segments become shorter and further apart, his perspective has 'infected' the reader which makes the ordinariness of the human plots just a bit more interesting. It's not that I ever doubted what would happen, but i did want to know what part the escape-artist/psychologist/detective octopus would play in it.

So i give this book a qualified reco.. it's worth a look, if it works for you i think it's an enjoyable, short read, worth the time/money/sardines.


Next up, Felix Gilman's HALF-MADE WORLD. This one's been in the trp a looooooong time.

[worry]

I’m reading two things:
The second Edan book by Phillip Chase. This is the kind of series that’s just one long story so there’s not any catching up to do. It remains “alright” in my book, but not a general rec I’d give to everyone. Something crazy has to happen in this one for the story to rise above, imo.
And Whalefall, a novel about a teenage scuba diver who gets swallowed by a whale. It’s fiction but gets compared a lot to like 127 Hours so I suppose it’s otherwise realistic. Definitely aiming for that, not a fable in any way (so far). I like it, at about the halfway point. It’s kinda gross, in a good way.