Reading in April 2012

Finished Berg's Flesh and Spirit from the Lighthouse Duet. The story is very good, but some parts are just flat out awesome. Unfortunately, this dims the parts that are merely very good and had this reader trying to slash a way through the pages to the next interlude of awesomeness.

I am therefore moving along into Breathe and Bone, Berg's conclusion to the Lighthouse Duet.
 
sullivan_riyria said:
Wurtz has a writing style that makes reading difficult. It's intentional, so she is acomplishing what she is trying to do. I find that sometimes I have to read a sentence several times before I understand what she is saying. Too much work for me - I'm already too slow when I'm engaged and tearing through pages. Still, a lot of people like that style so I'm glad she keeps providing her fans with what they are looking for.
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Yep, exactly this. I have to read so many sentences over and over, but I'm actually really enjoying it at the 100 page mark. Although not a lot has really happened, but I'm extremely intrigued, so that's good.
 
Seak said:
Yep, exactly this. I have to read so many sentences over and over, but I'm actually really enjoying it at the 100 page mark. Although not a lot has really happened, but I'm extremely intrigued, so that's good.
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That's the perfect example of how different style preferences come into play. It drives me insane when people say, "Xyz sucks" or "Abc can't write." Different styles for different folks, it doesn't mean one is "good" and the others "bad" just a matter of your own personal tastes.
 
sullivan_riyria said:
That's the perfect example of how different style preferences come into play. It drives me insane when people say, "Xyz sucks" or "Abc can't write." Different styles for different folks, it doesn't mean one is "good" and the others "bad" just a matter of your own personal tastes.
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Sure, but that doesn't make those criticisms always unwarranted. As long as they understand why someone may write in a certain way and can at least try to see it from another point of view.


OT: I've taken a break from fantasy for a little while (Way of Kings kind of wore me out) and have been reading some Danny Wallace. He's fantastic. Definitely one of the funniest writers going around.
 
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I've put aside C.J. Cherryh's Rusalka. I just can't figure her out. She's the author that I have the most inconsistent feelings towards. There are books that are among my absolute favorites and there are other books I find tedious. Some of them I find conceptually interesting but can't bring myself to read and others I find terribly dull in theory but can't help but love reading them.

Rusalka falls into the conceptually interesting camp. There's just something about the storytelling that doesn't do it for me. It's a very small cast of characters and they're terribly indecisive, spend a lot of time arguing about what to do next, and it's just not working for me at about the 2/3 mark. I'll try to do a chapter here or there for a while, because I really would like to see where it goes, but it's not going quickly or easily for me at this point.

Next up, I was planning on treating myself to Carol Berg's Bridge of D'Arnath series, but I've heard such good things lately about the Lighthouse Duet that I'll do that one instead. I do like Berg an awful lot, so I think this will be a treat.
 
I just finished with Carrie by Stephen King (awesome) and I've started Matthew Stover's Caine's Law. I haven't been this excited about a new book in a long time.
 
I read Mr. Monster by Dan Wells during the weekend and as the blurb on the cover claims, it's an utterly riveting read. The only (smallish) problem I have is with the narrator. Even if you account for his dark side, John Wayne Cleaver is contradicting himself so often that he's completely unrealistic. Still it was probably as good as I am not a Serial Killer.
 
Erfael said:
Next up, I was planning on treating myself to Carol Berg's Bridge of D'Arnath series, but I've heard such good things lately about the Lighthouse Duet that I'll do that one instead. I do like Berg an awful lot, so I think this will be a treat.
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I've only 150p left in the second book and I just can't stop. Among my 'to buy' considerations, anything Berg is currently sky-rocketing.
 
I finished off Caine's Law last night and damn...just damn. Lots to digest in that book.
 
Still plodding through Sir Pratchett's A Hat Full of Sky. I have to keep pausing as it's continuously making me laugh.
 
Worked through Daniel Abraham's The Long Price Quartet and wish there was more. Awesome series. Moving on to some SF for the rest of the month.
 
I started the third book in Kevin Hearne's fun Iron Druid Chronicles series, Hammered. Getting ready for the fourth book which comes out in a couple weeks.
 
Just finished the Strain. It wasn't very good. I just kept reading it and hoping it would improve and it never did. Oh well. Now I'm 100 plus pages into Wolfbreed which is much more enjoyable.
 
Finished Range of Ghosts by Elizabeth Bear, which was good. The prose was great and it was quite well written. The mythology angle especially was pretty interesting. For instance, some lands had a moon for every descendent of the great Khan while another had a sun that rose in the west and set in the east. The problem is that despite all the positives, this book didn't really grab me. It also didn't help that I thought it was a stand-alone only to find out it's the first in a series. I'd recommend the Range of Ghosts to others, though I haven't decided if I myself will read anymore by this author or not.

Now reading Faith by John Love.
 
beniowa said:
Finished Range of Ghosts by Elizabeth Bear, which was good. The prose was great and it was quite well written. The mythology angle especially was pretty interesting. For instance, some lands had a moon for every descendent of the great Khan while another had a sun that rose in the west and set in the east. The problem is that despite all the positives, this book didn't really grab me. It also didn't help that I thought it was a stand-alone only to find out it's the first in a series. I'd recommend the Range of Ghosts to others, though I haven't decided if I myself will read anymore by this author or not.

Now reading Faith by John Love.
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Right on, Thanks for that, Ben.
 
I finished Mira Grant's Feed and thought it was very good. The world building was detailed, especially concerning the test kits and way the virus works - it seems like the author did considerable research. It was also good that it wasn't just a zombie-killing gorefest, but a more intellectual take on a plausible future.

Like a few comments I've seen, It could have been pared down a bit from the 600 pages, but this would be a minor quibble. Another one would be the way the potential president acted so favourably towards George and Shaun, even while Shaun's arrogantly acting/explaining something - it seemed a bit unrealistic to me.

Otherwise a great read, will have to get onto Deadline soon.
 
Started Echo city by Tim Lebbon. Strong beginning which degrade into something looking like second-rate romance. Dropped it. I wa not able to finish his Dusk too, that was my second attempt on this author.
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Recognizable. I've bounced of his books to. I read a novella by him, published by Chizine two years ago, which was fairly good.
 
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