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carbonelThe last time I did this was at the end of June, so I'm mostly declaring bankruptcy, except for the series stuff.
What I've read lately (for very generous definitions of "lately"):
Wyrd Sisters, Guards, Guards!, Eric, Moving Pictures, Reaper Man, Witches Abroad, Small Gods, and Lords and Ladies, all by Terry Pratchett, all as audiobooks in the car or while exercising. These are all rereads (relistens?), but there are a number of the later books I haven't read.
Blood Rites, Dead Beat, Proven Guilty, and white Night, by Jim Butcher. The sixth through ninth of the Harry Dresden books.
The Lion Hunter and The Empty Kingdom, by Elizabeth Wein. The duology that follows her Arthurian trilogy.
Point of Hopes, by Melissa Scott and Lisa Barnett -- a reread for the A Good Read panel at Farthing Party.
Sleeping in Flame, by Jonathan Carroll, read for the A Good Read panel. This is a modern urban fantasy with a lot of magical realism elements, structured around the Rumplestiltskin story. Not my usual sort of thing, but I enjoyed it until I was about 25 pages from the end, at which point it kind of fell apart, IMO.
The Drowned Life, by Jeffrey Ford, read for the A Good Read panel. Very good writing that is mostly Not My Thing. It was too far over on both the horror and magical realism spectrums for my taste, though I did enjoy a few of the stories.
Expendable, by James Alan Garner, read for the A Good Read panel. I quite enjoyed this one. I liked the main character and her development through the novel. The actual plot felt contrived in places, but I galloped through the whole thing and was sorry when I was done. I'll probably check out a couple of other books in the series, which I understand share a background, but no characters.
Scored, by Lauren McLaughlin. One of the YA ARCs from last year's Wiscon. (I didn't pick up any this year, partly because of the backlog and partly because I arrived too late to the convention.) I started this last night, and finished it this morning, which goes to show that it's a fast and compelling read. Which makes me all the more sad that the author didn't stick the landing. There's supposed to be a climactic scene at the end, and it all happens offstage, in favor of the main character spending her time kissing someone. And even that isn't enough. It's a micro resolution for a macro problem, as set up in the book. It came out in 2011, and if there's a sequel planned, there's no sign of it online. So, recommended with reservations.
Battle Cry, by Leon Uris, as a kitchen book. Finished quite a while ago, but included for completeness.
The Bronze Bow, by Elizabeth George Speare, as a kitchen book. This was a Newbery Medal winner that had been sitting on my bookshelf but which I'd never read. Deals with a Jewish rebel in Judea during the life of Jesus Christ.
Abandoned:
The Arm and the Darkness, by Taylor Caldwell. Set during the time of Cardinal Richelieu, and it fell victim to the Eight Deadly Words around 100 pages in.
What I'm currently reading:
Small Favor, by Jim Butcher, on the iPhone. The tenth Harry Dresden book.
Men at Arms, by Terry Pratchett, as a car/exercise audiobook. This is the first one that's new to me; the others were all rereads.
The Glory and the Lightning, by Taylor Caldwell, as a bathroom book. Another historical, this time about Pericles and Aspasia. It's really remarkable how many of her characters all espouse the same opinions about things, no matter what historical period they're set in.
Survive the Unthinkable, by Tim Larkin. A self-help book for dealing with violence against women, written in that Yes! You! Can! style found in self-improvement books. It was a present from![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
sethb via lydy.
The Egypt Game, by Zilpha Keatley Snyder. Current kitchen book.
What I plan to read:
More Dresden Files, on the iPhone.
Glamour in Glass, by Mary Robinette Kowal.
Starglass, by Phoebe North. I wish I could remember where I heard of this book. It's about to be available from the library hold I placed on it a month ago.
More books from the pile by the bedside.
More Discworld books for car/exercise audio.
Not sure what the next bathroom book will be, but it will not be a Taylor Caldwell book.
What I've read lately (for very generous definitions of "lately"):
Wyrd Sisters, Guards, Guards!, Eric, Moving Pictures, Reaper Man, Witches Abroad, Small Gods, and Lords and Ladies, all by Terry Pratchett, all as audiobooks in the car or while exercising. These are all rereads (relistens?), but there are a number of the later books I haven't read.
Blood Rites, Dead Beat, Proven Guilty, and white Night, by Jim Butcher. The sixth through ninth of the Harry Dresden books.
The Lion Hunter and The Empty Kingdom, by Elizabeth Wein. The duology that follows her Arthurian trilogy.
Point of Hopes, by Melissa Scott and Lisa Barnett -- a reread for the A Good Read panel at Farthing Party.
Sleeping in Flame, by Jonathan Carroll, read for the A Good Read panel. This is a modern urban fantasy with a lot of magical realism elements, structured around the Rumplestiltskin story. Not my usual sort of thing, but I enjoyed it until I was about 25 pages from the end, at which point it kind of fell apart, IMO.
The Drowned Life, by Jeffrey Ford, read for the A Good Read panel. Very good writing that is mostly Not My Thing. It was too far over on both the horror and magical realism spectrums for my taste, though I did enjoy a few of the stories.
Expendable, by James Alan Garner, read for the A Good Read panel. I quite enjoyed this one. I liked the main character and her development through the novel. The actual plot felt contrived in places, but I galloped through the whole thing and was sorry when I was done. I'll probably check out a couple of other books in the series, which I understand share a background, but no characters.
Scored, by Lauren McLaughlin. One of the YA ARCs from last year's Wiscon. (I didn't pick up any this year, partly because of the backlog and partly because I arrived too late to the convention.) I started this last night, and finished it this morning, which goes to show that it's a fast and compelling read. Which makes me all the more sad that the author didn't stick the landing. There's supposed to be a climactic scene at the end, and it all happens offstage, in favor of the main character spending her time kissing someone. And even that isn't enough. It's a micro resolution for a macro problem, as set up in the book. It came out in 2011, and if there's a sequel planned, there's no sign of it online. So, recommended with reservations.
Battle Cry, by Leon Uris, as a kitchen book. Finished quite a while ago, but included for completeness.
The Bronze Bow, by Elizabeth George Speare, as a kitchen book. This was a Newbery Medal winner that had been sitting on my bookshelf but which I'd never read. Deals with a Jewish rebel in Judea during the life of Jesus Christ.
Abandoned:
The Arm and the Darkness, by Taylor Caldwell. Set during the time of Cardinal Richelieu, and it fell victim to the Eight Deadly Words around 100 pages in.
What I'm currently reading:
Small Favor, by Jim Butcher, on the iPhone. The tenth Harry Dresden book.
Men at Arms, by Terry Pratchett, as a car/exercise audiobook. This is the first one that's new to me; the others were all rereads.
The Glory and the Lightning, by Taylor Caldwell, as a bathroom book. Another historical, this time about Pericles and Aspasia. It's really remarkable how many of her characters all espouse the same opinions about things, no matter what historical period they're set in.
Survive the Unthinkable, by Tim Larkin. A self-help book for dealing with violence against women, written in that Yes! You! Can! style found in self-improvement books. It was a present from
sethb via lydy.The Egypt Game, by Zilpha Keatley Snyder. Current kitchen book.
What I plan to read:
More Dresden Files, on the iPhone.
Glamour in Glass, by Mary Robinette Kowal.
Starglass, by Phoebe North. I wish I could remember where I heard of this book. It's about to be available from the library hold I placed on it a month ago.
More books from the pile by the bedside.
More Discworld books for car/exercise audio.
Not sure what the next bathroom book will be, but it will not be a Taylor Caldwell book.
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no subject
Date: 2013-10-03 09:11 am (UTC)Okay, I'll bite. What are the Eight Deadly Words?
(And I adore The Egypt Game.)
no subject
Date: 2013-10-03 10:13 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-10-03 12:13 pm (UTC)Courtesy of Dorothy Heydt from rec.arts.sf.fandom, though possibly not original to her.