Reading in October 2012

**Loerwyn** · October 11th, 2012, 02:48 AM

Originally Posted by Loerwyn

Really struggling with reading at the moment - can't seem to get into anything.

So I (re)started Sir Pratchett's The Truth (another Discworld novel) last night, and I seem to be doing okay with it.

Finished. It's -ing brilliant.

**Siberian** · October 12th, 2012, 09:04 AM

Reading Mistborn (and commenting in this thread). It's very enjoyable despite the overused idealist thieves trope.

**PeterWilliam** · October 13th, 2012, 08:24 AM

Reading very slow these days, but did finish Butcher's Princeps' Fury and moving into the series' finale, First Lord's Fury. Wish I'd given Butcher a chance long before now.

**DurzoBlint** · October 13th, 2012, 09:18 AM

I finished Cloud Atlas, bloody brilliant. Loved the different and various methods used to tell the story and how it had all of the stories connect.

Also finished Red, White, and Blood by Farnsworth. I like the vampire Cade, but the heavy-handedness of the political ideology of the author was almost too much. I realize it takes place during a presidential campaign,but I don't need to know the authors thoughts and agenda. Stick to the story at hand.

Tomorrow will start The Blinding Knife as I leave the Philippines. I have a 17 hour flight ahead of me, hope to put a dent in it while in the air.

**randomfromamber** · October 13th, 2012, 03:22 PM

Nearly finished The Cold Commands, by Richard Morgan; absolutely love it so far, and even if it suddenly deflates in the next 50 pages, it's still a terrific book (though I understand why some people are frustrated by it; it does read a bit primarily as a set up for the next one. I love the writing, and the characters, so I don't mind...but I can understand why people would.)

Next up is Proven Guilty, by Jim Butcher. I just read White Night, and enjoyed it well enough, and I got lucky at the library. I suppose it would be better to start with the first one, but never mind.

**ommet** · October 14th, 2012, 04:46 AM

Well, I finished Reaper's Gale and to be honest I feel glad to be done with it. Was it a "good read"? I'd give it 2.5-3 out of 5.

I remember being emotionally moved at the end of Deadhouse Gates. I felt like I'd journeyed and suffered with a group of people and their fates at the end...good or bad...really hit home. Here there was little or none of that. The last 200 pages sure were action packed, but I honestly felt little or nothing for characters when things were resolved.

Actually, I'm still wondering what the main point of this series is supposed to be. Either I've missed something along the way, or there really is no point and it's simply a presentation of events in a period of time or its an abstract idea that I'm not smart enough to grasp...or perhaps a combination of the three. Whichever it may be, I think something is wrong if I'm ready to start book 8 and couldn't write a one paragraph summary of the main plot of the series if someone asked.

So what's next? Probably Heroes Die...been toying with starting Shadow and claw as well, so we'll see.

**Hellions** · October 14th, 2012, 06:10 AM

I finished The Conqueror Worms by Brian Keene. Here we have yet another end-of-the-world scenario from Keene. A deluge of biblical proportions hits our planet and monsters start surfacing and feasting. Suspension of disbelief is an immediate problem as the narrator is a dying elderly man who writes down his testimony in a spiral notebook under extreme conditions and in less than a day, he's written a full novel... The characterizations are marred by mediocre melodrama and the tension never materializes which is rather fatal for a horror novel. It's still an entertaining, quick read with a few clever ideas but there's not much to recommend beyond that.

**Seak** · October 15th, 2012, 12:36 AM

Originally Posted by ommet

Well, I finished Reaper's Gale and to be honest I feel glad to be done with it. Was it a "good read"? I'd give it 2.5-3 out of 5.

I remember being emotionally moved at the end of Deadhouse Gates. I felt like I'd journeyed and suffered with a group of people and their fates at the end...good or bad...really hit home. Here there was little or none of that. The last 200 pages sure were action packed, but I honestly felt little or nothing for characters when things were resolved.

Actually, I'm still wondering what the main point of this series is supposed to be. Either I've missed something along the way, or there really is no point and it's simply a presentation of events in a period of time or its an abstract idea that I'm not smart enough to grasp...or perhaps a combination of the three. Whichever it may be, I think something is wrong if I'm ready to start book 8 and couldn't write a one paragraph summary of the main plot of the series if someone asked.

So what's next? Probably Heroes Die...been toying with starting Shadow and claw as well, so we'll see.

Your thoughts on Reaper's are pretty much mine exactly. Also, Heroes Die is not a terrible place to go. I'm reading its sequel, Blade of Tyshalle, right now and it's boggling my mind with awesomeness. Wow, talk about epic in so many different sense of the word.

**Loerwyn** · October 15th, 2012, 04:44 AM

Currently on Sir Pratchett's Witches Abroad which is, I think, either the second or third Witches novel depending on whether you count Equal Rites. I also think it's one of the few Genuinely Funny novels he's done in Discworld, and Laughs have been had.

**Siberian** · October 15th, 2012, 08:58 AM

Finished Mistborn: The Final Empire. It was very good but not the second coming of Tolkien as some reviews would want you to think. Too many cliches and the writing was often pedestrian. But I liked the worlldbuilding and humanistic approach (Sanderson seems to be one of the few authors who thinks that having one God-Emperor overlord might not actually bring peace to the world).

**azninvasion99** · October 15th, 2012, 08:00 PM

Just finished Elantris by Brandon Sanderson, I enjoyed the story and the world but I can definitely tell that his writing style has improved since he wrote it. Excited for his planned sequel in a few years. Now starting The Wise Man's Fear by Rothfuss, about 33% through so far!

**Slice of G** · October 15th, 2012, 08:36 PM

Just finished Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke. I enjoyed the setting(London in the early 1800's), world-building(interesting backstory) and the characters(Childermass rules) but about two-thirds of of the way through the book, I was kinda looking for it to end. Seemed to kind of drag on a bit. Still enjoyed it though.

**MattNY** · October 15th, 2012, 10:41 PM

Originally Posted by Siberian

Finished Mistborn: The Final Empire. It was very good but not the second coming of Tolkien as some reviews would want you to think. Too many cliches and the writing was often pedestrian. But I liked the worlldbuilding and humanistic approach (Sanderson seems to be one of the few authors who thinks that having one God-Emperor overlord might not actually bring peace to the world).

I am surprised to hear that was your expectations going in. I enjoyed the novel, and the series, but in no way do I consider it that, nor did I see others express that. There must be some very militant fans of it out there that I have thankfully avoided.

Originally Posted by Slice of G

Just finished Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke. I enjoyed the setting(London in the early 1800's), world-building(interesting backstory) and the characters(Childermass rules) but about two-thirds of of the way through the book, I was kinda looking for it to end. Seemed to kind of drag on a bit. Still enjoyed it though.

I think that is a valid criticism. I was aware of that while reading as well, but at the same point, I enjoyed myself so much in that world that I didn't personally take it as a negative.

Originally Posted by randomfromamber

Next up is Proven Guilty, by Jim Butcher. I just read White Night, and enjoyed it well enough, and I got lucky at the library. I suppose it would be better to start with the first one, but never mind.

As someone reading the series for the first time myself, I highly recommend reading them in order. It is kind of like the show Dexter. Each book has its own individual story, but it also builds upon branching storylines at the same time. I feel like you will have a better understanding, and enjoyment, of the developments that occur.

I just finished the same book as you as well. I felt Proven Guilty was a step back from the last several books before it in the series. It reminded me of Books 2 & 3, actually, where I just interested in the information gathered for the larger picture for the series rather than the individual story for that novel. In the other books, I feel Butcher did a good job of making both aspects equally intriguing.

**Darksbane** · October 16th, 2012, 08:29 AM

Originally Posted by MattNY

I just finished the same book as you as well. I felt Proven Guilty was a step back from the last several books before it in the series. It reminded me of Books 2 & 3, actually, where I just interested in the information gathered for the larger picture for the series rather than the individual story for that novel. In the other books, I feel Butcher did a good job of making both aspects equally intriguing.

If I'm remembering correctly, I have Proven Guilty as one of my higher rated books in the series. Changes has probably been my favourite so far, and the first in the series was probably the one I enjoyed the least. However, I'm reading Ghost Story right now, and it might just take over that mantle. Really not enjoying it.

EDIT: I wasn't remembering correctly, I was thinking of Turn Coat. I agree, Proven Guilty was one of my lower rated in the series.

**AmethystOrator** · October 17th, 2012, 07:20 AM

Interesting. I don't usually rank installments in a series, but Proven Guilty would definitely be in my Top 3, maybe even at the top. I'm not a fan of Ghost Story though.

I'd definitely second the advice to read the series in order, for several reasons, one of them being that there's at least one very interesting plotline happening through several books under the radar. I think that most people miss it, and I'd guess it would be much harder to notice reading the books out of order.

Spoiler:

I'm talking about the several pieces of evidence that prove (and have been confirmed by Butcher) that changes in the timeline have occurred.