I just bought.....

[Eventine]

A couple of Michael Morecock purchases how very weird I bout Dreamtheif's Daughter yesterday

Have you been stalking me?

 

[FicusFan]

Ficus - sell the Sonja Blue series to me (not literally, but you know what I mean! ) I've heard a lot about it, but sadly not available easily here in the UK - so too the St Germain series, which I also quite fancy. I have read a short story from each (a long while ago!) and seem to remember quite liking them, but am interested in what you (and others!) think. Worth a try? Hobbit

I have read both. Although they are both about vampires they are at extremely opposite ends of the spectrum. I have a rather lukewarm feeling for both (I will tell you why- because you may enjoy what I do not).

Sonja Blue is a monument to hate, violence and revenge. She doesn't care who she hurts or kills, and goes after humans as well as vampires. She is just too cold, hard and dark for me ( and that is saying something). There is some character development, and Collins starts to do some wonderful stuff with other magical creatures, but then she stops and Sonja runs away. Ostensibly to keep her bad juju from hurting the odd family she has collected, but I think Collins just wanted her to be a macho chic. It was like she ran outof gas in terms of story and plot development.

The nadir for me was when Sonja killed her human lover when he offered her blood after she had been locked in and starved. She was able to stop, but made the choice not to, because he thought it was cool when he found out she was a vamp.

One of the last real books she wrote about Sonja was called A Dozen Black Roses and she folded Sonja into the White Wolf Vampire the Masquerade world and rules. I didn't mind it because I thought Sonja was souless before and doing the White Wolf scene really didn't change anything, but judging from the reviews many of her fans hated it. There have been other books out recently, but some are just short stories, and others are old books they are reprinting.

I read her because I read vampires, but there is no joy in me when I do.


St. Germain/Olivia I like her writing, and I can even enjoy a few of her books, but they are just too goody, goody for me. CQY thinks that vampires would all be enlightened, benevolent beings from living so long, and learning so much. The consequence for me is that the books all start to seem like the same story with different settings. I find them bland and unsatisfying. I like good, bad, dark, light,and a good bit of grey in my stories and characters. I just can't see them as vampires after a while.

Her storytelling and writing is good, and her descriptions of old/ancient cultures is great. Historical fiction vampires, which should be my ideal mix, but there just isn't enough bite to keep me interested after a couple of books. I have more books than I have read.

 

[Camrick]

I just recieved Steph Swainston's The Year of Our War, which I ordered from the UK. I've heard great things about this book and can't wait to get started.

I also bought Gene Wolfe's Innocents Aboard, his new collection of short stories. Great stuff. If you're a Wolfe fan, check it out.

There you have it.

Camrick

 

[Hobbit]

Thank you, Leiali & Ficus - they both sound intriguing, especially as they seem to be opposite ends of the vampyhric spectrum!

Out of the two polar views, I think I'd like to think of them as enlightened (yet tortured) creatures, like the St Germain stories, though we are straying into Anne Rice territory there. Sonja Blue also sounds interesting from a point of view where there are no morals, no scruples, no 'human' qualities....

Hmmm. Might have to look at both of those.

Carrick - welcome, btw! - Year of Our War has had great reviews and one travelling by 'word of mouth' in the UK. I'm lucky to have a signed copy! I keep dipping into it, but have a feeling it'll need concentrated time (though it is short!) The impression I'm getting from around and about is: good characters, weird and memorable environments and societies, no real plot. But I'm interested in giving it a go - might be 'next to read' from 'the pile'...

Hobbit

 

[Rob B]

Over the weekend I picked up
Song of Susannah by King
Revelation by Carol Berg
Sir Apropos of Nothing by Peter David. Been really enjoying David's FALLEN ANGEL comic and his run on Hulk was great so I figured I'd try some of his prose stuff.

 

[Priestvyrce]

Over the weekend I picked up
Song of Susannah by King
Revelation by Carol Berg
Sir Apropos of Nothing by Peter David. Been really enjoying David's FALLEN ANGEL comic and his run on Hulk was great so I figured I'd try some of his prose stuff.

I've read David's Sir Apropos and thought that it should have been shorter, but still fairly funny though I thought his Howling Mad was more imaginative. In that novel, a wolf is bitten by a werewolf and on full moons turns from a wolf into a man. It's pretty funny and has some touching moments.

 

[Drakonslair]

Just went on a China Mieville binge and bought THe Scar, King Rat, Perdido Street Station. Think Ill start with King rat.

Just wondering if this thread should be made a sticky?

 

[Erfael]

Just wondering if this thread should be made a sticky?

It seems to stay at the top even without being sticky, but I've often wondered the same thing....of course maybe they don't want the whole first page of threads to be taken up by stickies.

And I haven't bought ANYTHING in weeks. Moving soon, and don't need any more STUFF to pack and haul.

 

[FicusFan]

I recently bought a bunch of books through Amazon (USA), 3 were new books and the rest were used. I have only gotten one of the new books so far, the other two are more difficult to find I guess.

Used:
Bhagavati (Blood of the Goddess 3) by Kara Dalkey, HC
Dating Secrets of the Dead by David Prill, HC
The Etruscan by Mika Waltari, HC
The Slayers of Seth by Paul Doherty, UK PB
The Five of Cups by Caitlin Kiernan, HC
Milky Way Marmalade by Mike DiCerto, TP
The Leto Bundle by Marina Warner, TP
Carthage: A Novel by Ross Leckie, HC

New:
Morevi:The Chronicles of Rafe and Askana by Lisa Lee,TP

Oddly most of my used books were really new too, only two were actually used. I bought them because some are out of print, and a couple were $35-$40 new and I got them at a good discount.

I also picked up at a local store:

Cravings by Laurell K. Hamilton et al, PB
This is a book with four authors writing a novella length story. LKH does a couple of chapters from the upcoming ABVH book this fall, which is why I bought the book.

 

[Camrick]

Just bought The Impossible Bird by Patrick O'Leary. Looks weird. Heard good things.

 

[Spears&Buckler]

Just picked up The Briar King by Greg Keyes and The Lord of Snow and Shadows by Sarah Ash. I've heard a lot of good things about these at SFFWorld, and you guys are usually right. I'm looking forward to them after Blade of Tyshalle.

 

[Erfael]

I'm looking forward to them after Blade of Tyshalle.

After BoT one should just take a short break, as whatever comes next may very well pale in comparison.

That's something I've learned to do as I've been reading more and more. Some books are just really so good that whatever comes next, if poorly chosen in the shadow of another, can just seem really bad. So if I read something particularly good, I'll usually either break for some non-fiction or some short stories to give the good book some time to settle in before moving on.

 

[Spears&Buckler]

After BoT one should just take a short break, as whatever comes next may very well pale in comparison.

That's something I've learned to do as I've been reading more and more. Some books are just really so good that whatever comes next, if poorly chosen in the shadow of another, can just seem really bad. So if I read something particularly good, I'll usually either break for some non-fiction or some short stories to give the good book some time to settle in before moving on.

Sounds like good advice. I think I'll take your counsel and maybe do some writing when I finish BoT.

 

[Drakonslair]

Just got American Gods by Neil Gaimen (I think)
Heard some good things about it so should be a good read

 

[Iskaral Pust]

Bought a box set of the first four Dark Tower novels today

 

[DrBloodmoney1]

I just picked up the Del Rey release of the Wandering Star's Robert E Howard book The Savage Tales of Solomon Kane. Since I could never have afforded the Wandering Star versions, I jumped at the chance to pick up the Del Rey releases of Howard's material the way he intended it. They're doing all the Conan stuff, the Bran Mak Morn stuff and this book. Kick ass really. If you've never read Howard you are really missing out.

Also finally got my signed first UK edition of The Scar by Mieville. Now if I could only find a UK first of Perdido Street Station for the signing I'm going to next month. Anybody want to send me one?

 

[Zsinj]

I just picked up the Del Rey release of the Wandering Star's Robert E Howard book The Savage Tales of Solomon Kane.

Holy freakin' crap, that's out already?!!! I gotta go pick that up! I'm also eagerly awaiting the Del Rey Release of Howard's "Bloody Crown of Conan", which is coming out about Thanksgiving of this year, if I remember right.

 

[magze]

last books bought

My last books bought were the begining of june was Song of Susannah by Stephen King and Joust & Alta byMercedes Lackey i am currently waiting delivery of The Dreamers by David Eddings

 

[Hobbit]

Joust & Alta byMercedes Lackey I am currently waiting delivery of The Dreamers by David Eddings

This sounds like a UK Book Club order, magze! (Welcome, btw.) I have the Mercedes Lackey books too. When you've read them, put a comment in the Reading in July thread!

Now if I could only find a UK first of Perdido Street Station for the signing I'm going to next month. Anybody want to send me one?

I have one, Dr B - thought it's not mint condition, sadly. (British Royal Mail!...grr!) It'd probably cost as much in postage as it would to buy a copy of the book. You might want to try somewhere like Abebooks for a copy nearer home?


I've just bought the Sonja Blue Omnibus to try, following comments around here. Not easy to find in the UK, but it should arrive soon.

Hobbit

 

[magze]

i just bought

This sounds like a UK Book Club order, magze! (Welcome, btw.) I have the Mercedes Lackey books too. When you've read them, put a comment in the Reading in July thread!

I have one, Dr B - thought it's not mint condition, sadly. (British Royal Mail!...grr!) It'd probably cost as much in postage as it would to buy a copy of the book. You might want to try somewhere like Abebooks for a copy nearer home?


I've just bought the Sonja Blue Omnibus to try, following comments around here. Not easy to find in the UK, but it should arrive soon.

Hobbit

yes it is a uk book club order but where i live there is only a W H Smiths and it can take weeks to get a book they dont have a very wide selection on fantasy there is a few second hand book stalls on the market but when they do have fantasy books they never have the full series that leaves me with the book club or ordering over the net