|
Post by mistrali on Jan 12, 2019 19:11:20 GMT 10
Trying to up my reading this year. I’ve been reading:
• La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman. It dragged a bit towards the middle and there was an improbably surreal bit at the end. The daemons were the chief attraction, and they made me want to reread HDM, which I haven’t read in ages. Not that I ever warmed much to that series either, come to think of it.
The Daemorphing trilogy (Animorphs/HDM) feels much more organic to me than the canon, for whatever reason.
• I’ve been trying to bring myself to read Mao’s Great Famine by Frank Dikötter, but it’s too heavy for me to digest at the moment, particularly in audiobook format, and especially because I’m taking notes as I go.
• And finally, I’m reading Mad Girl’s Love Song by Andrew Wilson.
|
|
|
Post by Idleness on Jan 16, 2019 18:08:18 GMT 10
Over Christmas/New Year, I managed to read Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik, and Lies Sleeping, the latest Peter Grant novel by Ben Aaronovitch.
I wasn't really that fussed on Novik's Temeraire series (couldn't be bothered reading past book two), but I have really, really enjoyed both Uprooted and Spinning Silver, which are standalones.
|
|
|
Post by Rosie on Jan 16, 2019 20:59:53 GMT 10
Over Christmas/New Year, I managed to read Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik, and Lies Sleeping, the latest Peter Grant novel by Ben Aaronovitch. I wasn't really that fussed on Novik's Temeraire series (couldn't be bothered reading past book two), but I have really, really enjoyed both Uprooted and Spinning Silver, which are standalones. Ooh, what did you think of Lies Sleeping? Part of it takes place close to where I live, so that was kind of fun. Good to know re: Uprooted/Spinning Silver. I've tried to read the first Temeraire book, but haven't been able to get into it yet.
|
|
|
Post by westernsunset on Jan 17, 2019 7:39:34 GMT 10
Just finished Educated and it was one of the best memoirs I've ever read. I loved the Glass Castle and Educated was like the Glass Castle times ten! Right now I'm reading Life's Work, a book about reproductive rights and I'm trying to read In Cold Blood but it's a tough book to crack!
|
|
|
Post by Idleness on Jan 23, 2019 14:57:46 GMT 10
Ooh, what did you think of Lies Sleeping? Part of it takes place close to where I live, so that was kind of fun. Good to know re: Uprooted/Spinning Silver. I've tried to read the first Temeraire book, but haven't been able to get into it yet. I enjoyed it! They're entertaining books, and I enjoy Peter's architecture snark as he narrates he scenes. I've never been to London before, so of course I have no true sort frame of reference for the city, but I like the way it's written to feel like you could just be there, even if it's just imagined! Not sure I'm really onboard with Lesley's motivation for siding with Chorley, but anyhow... no doubt she will show up again in later installments and hopefully will get more development. And yeah, Uprooted and Spinning Silver are quite different from Temeraire, and even each other, so definitely give them a go!
|
|
|
Post by Rosie on Jan 24, 2019 21:56:17 GMT 10
Ooh, what did you think of Lies Sleeping? Part of it takes place close to where I live, so that was kind of fun. Good to know re: Uprooted/Spinning Silver. I've tried to read the first Temeraire book, but haven't been able to get into it yet. I enjoyed it! They're entertaining books, and I enjoy Peter's architecture snark as he narrates he scenes. I've never been to London before, so of course I have no true sort frame of reference for the city, but I like the way it's written to feel like you could just be there, even if it's just imagined! Not sure I'm really onboard with Lesley's motivation for siding with Chorley, but anyhow... no doubt she will show up again in later installments and hopefully will get more development. And yeah, Uprooted and Spinning Silver are quite different from Temeraire, and even each other, so definitely give them a go! Yes! He's actually pretty accurate on London. It looks like it was the last in the series, but if that's the case, it wasn't as climatic as I was expecting? Agree with you on Lesley.
|
|
|
Post by Idleness on Feb 5, 2019 16:04:26 GMT 10
I'm on a roll lately.
I've burned through the Winternight Trilogy (The Bear and the Nightingale, The Girl in the Tower, and The Winter of the Witch) by Katherine Arden.
Also, The Kingdom of Copper by S.A. Chakraborty, the second book in her Daevabad trilogy.
|
|
|
Post by Kypriotha on Feb 8, 2019 18:28:47 GMT 10
I enjoyed it! They're entertaining books, and I enjoy Peter's architecture snark as he narrates he scenes. I've never been to London before, so of course I have no true sort frame of reference for the city, but I like the way it's written to feel like you could just be there, even if it's just imagined! Not sure I'm really onboard with Lesley's motivation for siding with Chorley, but anyhow... no doubt she will show up again in later installments and hopefully will get more development. And yeah, Uprooted and Spinning Silver are quite different from Temeraire, and even each other, so definitely give them a go! Yes! He's actually pretty accurate on London. It looks like it was the last in the series, but if that's the case, it wasn't as climatic as I was expecting? Agree with you on Lesley. I really hope Lies Sleeping *wasn't* the last book in the series/world, because it was such an unsatisfying ending. Which was particularly disappointing because all the previous books were so good! I'm currently doing a massive Gail Carriger re-read in preparation for the release of her next book later this year. Before I started that, I read Perfect Rhythm by Jae, which is a lesbian romance novel. One of the main characters was asexual and it was such a well-written book, mostly happy fluff, but also with some deeper themes, and I just adored it.
|
|
|
Post by devilinthedetails on Feb 23, 2019 0:01:59 GMT 10
In fantasy, I read Sailing to Sarantium and Lord of the Emperors by Guy Gavriel Kay. His books tend to be either hit (Under Heaven and River of Stars) or miss (Song for Arbonne) for me, and I'm pleased to say that these two were hits for me. I thought that his somewhat poetic prose with the Byzantium setting, which I found really fascinating world building, and I enjoyed the political intrigue. Fans of low fantasy or historical fiction would enjoy it.
I also read the first book of the Rebecka Martinsson series by Asa Larsson. I enjoyed the setting in northern Sweden, thought some of the themes and exploration of religion were interesting, and liked the technique of having most of the book except some brief present tense interludes be in the past tense. I tend not to like books told entirely in the present tense but brief interludes of it mixed with the past tense work well for me for whatever reason. Fans of Scandinavian mystery and crime books would be drawn into this series of quick reads I think.
In non-fiction, I read two more books about contemporary China. The first was Leftover Women: The Resurgence of Gender Inequality in China, which was short and readable but filled with important facts on issues of concern for women in China such as lack of access to the housing market and domestic violence. I would recommend it to anyone interested in modern China, feminism, or sociology. The second one was Out of Mao's Shadow: The Struggle for the Soul of a New China, which focused on the stories of individuals who resisted the Communist Party and stood up for civil rights/ rights under the law in China. This one managed to be both inspirational and depressing at the same time. I would totally recommend it to anyone interested in the contemporary politics of China (even if it was published about a decade ago, it still feels very current).
|
|
|
Post by Kypriotha on Feb 26, 2019 5:31:35 GMT 10
On recommendation from Rosie, I read The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley and I really enjoyed it. Steampunk vibes with interesting science and clockwork, including the world's most adorable clockwork octopus, plus interesting insights to London and Japan in the late 1800s. The main characters were also delightful and really well written.
|
|
mageprincess
Squire
books, books books!!!
Posts: 1,133
Gender: Female
|
Post by mageprincess on Feb 26, 2019 22:19:21 GMT 10
Kypriotha I have had that book sitting in my shelf for a couple of years, unread. I started it, but got side tracked early on. I've been meaning to give it another go. I'm about to embark on a re-read of Artemis Fowl, since the movie is being released later in the year and I want to have the books fresh in my mind so that I know exactly how disappointed to be when I see it.
|
|
|
Post by Kypriotha on Mar 1, 2019 10:05:41 GMT 10
Kypriotha I have had that book sitting in my shelf for a couple of years, unread. I started it, but got side tracked early on. I've been meaning to give it another go. I found the start a little slow, but it's well worth the read 😊
|
|
mageprincess
Squire
books, books books!!!
Posts: 1,133
Gender: Female
|
Post by mageprincess on Mar 4, 2019 20:46:48 GMT 10
Whelp, I'm one chapter in to my Artemis Fowl re-read and already the movie is making me irrationally angry.
|
|
|
Post by Lisa on Mar 13, 2019 23:17:27 GMT 10
I'm currently 3/4 done with King of Scars, Leigh Bardugo's newest book in her Grishaverse. It's nice to be back in Ravka, and it's much better written than the original Grisha trilogy. Also, it features three of my favorite characters from the prior five books (Nikolai, Zoya, Nina) as its narrators, which doesn't hurt.
|
|
|
Post by kitsunerei88 on Mar 26, 2019 8:35:42 GMT 10
Rant time. I recently, on recommendation, read Sarah J. Maas' A Court of Thorns and Roses, A Court of Mists and Fury, and A Court of Wings and Ruin. Now, to be clear, I'm pretty sure this was a "I want to see your reaction" recommendation and not a "these books are so good" recommendation, but, uh, can we talk about these books?
I wouldn't say I hated them entirely, but there were points where I was like... what? And also there are points that are kind of problematic? I hated the dichotomy drawn between Rhysand and Tamlin. I hated the lack of complexity the characters had. There was deus ex machina like whoa at the end of ACOWAR. There were really disturbing sex scenes that I'm not sure were supposed to be disturbing. No one important died, so nothing in the plot felt like it worth anything and there was no impact. I don't even know where to start with the problems, there were so many of them.
Oh, and let's not even get started on A Court of Frost and Starlight, which was quite literally the author writing fluff fanfiction of her own work and getting it published. Ugh.
|
|
|
Post by Idleness on Mar 26, 2019 14:13:01 GMT 10
LOL, kitsunerei88 . Yeah, I read them last year. I think you're being quite generous in only singling out ACOFS as reading like fanfiction. Obviously I enjoyed them enough to finish reading them, but in a kind of take my brain out, don't read it too critically kind of way. ACOWAR was definitely the weakest. While not all the ideas over the series were bad, they were kind of treated with all of the subtlety of a sledgehammer - and I agree with you on those sex scenes, half of which felt gratuitous. Fun enough to finish reading, a bit problematic, and ultimately forgettable.
|
|
|
Post by Rosie on Mar 27, 2019 19:52:13 GMT 10
Really good to know - I was thinking of trying Maas because she seems really popular (or maybe 'seemed' is more correct, because I don't think I've seen much on her lately), but it doesn't sound like she'd be worth the time.
I read Michelle Obama's autobiography recently, and maybe it's because I'm not American, but I... didn't love it. I found her early life interesting, and she's passionate when she talks about policies and the Trump effect (there's a really great section where she talks about his impact on women, physically, and why she chose to speak out against him), but I found sections uncomfortable, particularly when she talks about her relationship with Barack.
Also read This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay, which is the account of a junior doctor under our public health system, the NHS. So moving, and I actually attended a talk in which he read passages last week - you know somebody's a gifted writer when they can have you almost crying with laughter then with sadness within minutes.
|
|
|
Post by Kypriotha on Mar 30, 2019 16:33:26 GMT 10
On the Sarah J. Maas front, I like Throne of Glass (the first book in the series, not the whole series) and I think it can be read as a standalone. The rest of the series (what I've read of it, I haven't got around to the later books - I thought it was a trilogy at first and was so personally betrayed when I found out it wasn't) annoys me and I don't know if I'll ever finish it. But the first book is good.
I paused my Gail Carriger re-read to read Turtles All The Way Down by John Green and Carry On by Rainbow Rowell. Turtles was really well written (you can tell Green has experience with mental illness himself), but it was so realistic in some of its descriptions of what it's like to live with mental illness that I found it quite challenging to read. So, good book, worth a read, but if you're someone who has struggled with anxiety, OCD or depression personally or know someone close to you who has and you find it upsetting, just be careful when reading it - take breaks when needed and practice self care.
|
|
|
Post by kitsunerei88 on Mar 31, 2019 1:56:24 GMT 10
I'm currently rereading Nameless by Lili St. Crow. Lili St. Crow, who also writes as Lilith Saintcrow for her adult books, is sort of a bit of a guilty pleasure for me (most of her protagonists all sound the same to me) but I always loved her worldbuilding and her ability to develop atmosphere. Most of her books are pretty dark, but I'm also a fan of dark urban fantasy, so I wouldn't know if I'd recommend it to most...
|
|
|
Post by devilinthedetails on Apr 28, 2019 4:29:37 GMT 10
I haven't posted in this thread in awhile, and that's a travesty. I continued to read the second and third books in Asa Larsson's Rebecca Martinsson's series, Blood Split and Black Path. Both works were quick, suspenseful reads consistent with the first. The setting of northern Sweden was captured well, and some interesting themes were explored. There were more point of view and tense issues (in fairness, these may be translation issues not attributable to the original author) in these two books than there were in the first one, but overall enjoyable reads in the Scandinavian crime genre. I also read two recently published books in the Star Wars prequel era, Queen's Shadow by E.K. Johnston and Master and Apprentice by Claudia Gray. Queen's Shadow focused on the political adventures of Padme and her handmaidens between the first and second Star Wars movies. I loved what was done with Padme, her handmaidens (who were able to be shown and celebrated as individuals), and the settings of Coruscant and Naboo. The beginning and end scenes also had a haunting symmetry that was extremely effective. Master and Apprentice showed Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan on a mission together before the first Star Wars movie. Qui-Gon is characterized perfectly, and the complex mixture of tension and respect between Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon is portrayed very believably. Both are engaging reads I would recommend to fellow Star Wars fans, and I don't recommend every Star Wars book I read. For example, I'd never recommend the Aftermath trilogy or Phasma to anyone. I've also started to listen to audiobooks while I exercise. I listened to Dragonflight by Anne McCaffery. I love the setting of Pern, the characters, and the language of the story itself. It's also a really creative blend of the science fiction and fantasy genres. It's a classic I'm glad to finally have read, and I look forward to more of these Dragonriders of Pern books. Definitely a classic that I can appreciate and understand why it is a classic.
|
|
mageprincess
Squire
books, books books!!!
Posts: 1,133
Gender: Female
|
Post by mageprincess on Apr 29, 2019 19:11:59 GMT 10
devilinthedetails I love Dragonflight so much. It's a long time favourite of mine. Kypriotha I absolutely agree about Throne of Glass! I loved the first one so much! the main character was so great in the first one and got progressively less likeable as the books went on. Then it seemed Maas learnt how to write sex scenes and it just got more gratuitous from there.
|
|
|
Post by Seek on Apr 29, 2019 22:10:15 GMT 10
Read Master and Apprentice but unfortunately disliked it and found it bland. To be fair, I think ruthbaulding has permanently ruined me for any Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon 'official' fic. I just can't figure what kind of human sacrifice buys you the ability to juggle plot, characterisation, and diction so beautiful it's worth killing for. Standout for me thus far has been Small Spaces by Katherine Arden, which I find very rewarding on multiple read-throughs, and also depicts grief beautifully. On the same note, A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson, which I also just don't have the words for. I love writers who can handle their words like a knife; sharp, precise, and so often, wounding. (I read sad stuff a lot I guess.) Oh, and Nicholas Eames's Bloody Rose, which is (among other things), all about family and what we'd do for them. And a legendary frontwoman of a (mercenary) band. And immortal rabbit-people
|
|
mageprincess
Squire
books, books books!!!
Posts: 1,133
Gender: Female
|
Post by mageprincess on May 10, 2019 16:34:36 GMT 10
I recently read Spellslinger by Sebastien de Castell. I can't say that I loved it, but I definitely enjoyed it quite a bit. Although to me it felt like one of those books where not much seems to happen and while its interesting enough to keep the reader's attention it certainly wasn't the most gripping thing I've ever read, but I felt like it was meant to be more gripping that it was.
|
|
|
Post by MythicMistress on May 14, 2019 9:24:09 GMT 10
I just finished reading Impostors, the fifth book set in Scott Westerfeld's Uglies universe. It wasn't my favorite. Neither was West, the sequel to Edith Pattou's novel East. Seems like it's getting harder for me to find books I like these days...
|
|
|
Post by mistrali on Apr 1, 2020 11:00:56 GMT 10
I’m reading Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee, which I’m finding hard going due to the subject matter and the attitudes of the characters. As a break from that, I’m reading The Floating Islands by Rachel Neuemeier (fantasy YA), which is wonderful. If anyone has read the Chanters of Tremaris books by Kate Constable, it reminds me of those. And a bit of AtLA, actually. MythicMistress Yes. I don’t know if I’m just getting older or mainstream YA books these days are worse. There’s a certain sameness about the popular ones that gets on my nerves - all the narrator voices sound the same to me. Maybe it’s the trend towards first-person, present tense YA, which really isn’t my speed. It has to be done exceptionally well to hold my attention. And.. also, Tammy’s books have spoiled me for well written YA/MG.
|
|
|
Post by Kypriotha on Apr 5, 2020 16:46:24 GMT 10
mistrali, I don't think I've ever encountered anyone who had also read Chanters of Tremaris! I loved the original trilogy, though it's been ages since I've read them. I'm definitely adding the book you mentioned to my to-read list! Probably my favourite of the books I've read so far this year is A Month of Sundays by Liz Byrski. It's about 4 older women (all at least 50+) who are part of an online book club and who meet for the first time at a beautiful house in the Blue Mountains NSW when they're all going through some changes in their own lives. It was just really sweet to read about them getting to know each other and their selves better and helping each other out. I also liked the descriptions of the books they read for their book club. I think it might become a comfort read for me in the future. Other books I've read recently include One of Us Is Next by Karen M. McManus (the sequel to One of Us Is Lying - it was good) and Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo (her first adult book - it took me a while to get into, but I'll read the sequel when it comes out).
|
|
|
Post by mistrali on Apr 5, 2020 23:40:14 GMT 10
Kypriotha - Do - it’s fantastic! I love(d) the premise of Chanters of Tremaris. It and the Rowan books gave me a taste for ATLA-style fantasy where the elements and nature play a role. Which is probably why I fell in love with Emelan in the first place.
|
|
|
Post by Rosie on Apr 6, 2020 21:47:59 GMT 10
Lockdown has me reading, finally! I have a lockdown book club and our first was The Other Half of Augusta Hope, which was interesting to discuss but had some heavy subject matters.
I also read Neil Gaiman's The Ocean at the End of the Lane, which is a dark fairytale. I love Gaiman, so really sped through it.
The Binding by Bridget Collins had some fantastic world-building (it's set in an alternative 19th century quasi-England and books are people's memories and viewed with terror and suspicion, although there's a rise in 'fakes', i.e. novels. Essentially, it's a Regency take on Eternal Sunshine), but the romantic subplot turned out to be the actual plot and there was no subplot. But the physical book is painfully beautiful, so that helped.
My parents gave me Marcel Proust's Letters to the Lady Upstairs which is a litany of noise complaints and I felt some considerable sympathy for him given how much washing my upstairs neighbours are doing!
Prior to the lockdown, I read Before the Coffee Gets Cold, which is a time travel novel, and was a little hard to get into but utterly delightful once I was through the first tale.
And my book club's last book before lockdown was Confessions of Frannie Langton, a regency gothic novel set mostly in England but also with elements of the slave trade.
My favourite book of late was Natasha Pulley's Watchmaker sequel, The Lost Future of Pepperharrow. I feel like her writing style is so perfectly aligned with what I like to read. It's magical realism, set in a fictionalised version of Japan, and I adore it.
|
|
|
Post by devilinthedetails on Apr 7, 2020 0:35:21 GMT 10
I've re-read some of the Narnia books: Magician's Nephew; the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; and Prince Caspian. Will probably re-read the others as well since those are nostalgia and comfort reads for me.
I read Soundless by Richelle Mead which was set in an Asian-inspired fantasy world where the heroine was a girl from a village at the top of a mountain basically cut off from civilization where everyone had gone deaf, so sign language was used to communicate, but some of the villagers were beginning to go deaf as well. Overall, I found it an interesting read though the world building wasn't as developed as I hoped it would be.
Currently I'm reading Uprooted, another YA fantasy book. So far, I can't say I'm in love with it. One of the main characters is getting on my nerves for how perpetually angry he is. Kind of disappointed by all the high praise this book received that tricked me into reading it. Bleh. At least it is a library book ordered on my Kindle, so I didn't pay money for this disappointment of a book.
I'm also reading a non-fiction book about the Titanic called a Night to Remember. It's very informative and detailed though a bit dated in terms of the writing so I can tell it isn't a more modern title about the Titanic. But not bad for a free book through my Kindle Unlimited subscription.
|
|
|
Post by Idleness on Apr 7, 2020 7:37:37 GMT 10
False Value, Ben Aaronovitch. The eighth Rivers of London book; I enjoyed it as usual, but it wasn't as good as some of the others.
The Witcher, Andrzej Sapkowski. I read it because my partner was watching the TV series and I thought I'd see what the fuss was about, that this book had all these adaptations in different media. Ehh, it was entertaining enough to finish it, but not entertaining enough to tempt me to the rest of the books. I found the main character a bit insufferable.
Gods of Jade and Shadow, Silvia Moreno-Garcia. I loved this one, a coming of age tale/historical fantasy set in Jazz Age Mexico with lots of Mexican folklore.
Spin the Dawn, Elizabeth Lim. I enjoyed this one. I saw it described as Project Runway meets Mulan which kind of works as a very shorthand description. Anyway, the heroine ends up in quite a sticky spot at the end and I'm eagerly awaiting the next installment to find out how it unfolds.
|
|