Reading in December 2011

[Haliax]

Finished Kingdom of Gods by NK Jemisin. I enjoyed it but ultimately I think that the second in the series is probably my favourite. I was a little disappointed by the ending, but overall the book works really well.

I also finished The Hammer by KJ Parker. I again enjoyed Parkers subtle humor, and it was an exceptionally well told story, but by the end I found that I had little to no sympathy for any of the characters. Overall this wasn't much of a problem, because the characters are still well fleshed out and their motives clear and consistent, but I'd like to think I could find something in someone in the story to get along with. Still, a great read, and I think I'll probably read The Folding Knife next.

 

[Seak]

I just started Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind on audiobook. I feel like I'm the only one who can't make fun of him so I decided I better join the club.

Also almost done with Howl's Moving Castle. It's so good and I've even seen the anime movie.

 

[Evil Agent]

Finished Fellowship, moving on to The Two Towers.

 

[Shayna]

Just finished Stephen King's Bag of Bones. I'd put it as one of the best I've read by him, about on a par with Pet Semetary and The Shining.

Mike Noonan loses his wife and while she seems to have died of natural causes, he comes to believe it might have to do with his summer home, also known as Sara Laughs. His unraveling of the mystery surrounding her death is what powers the story-line, but it's the characters and their interactions, and the history of the community around his summer home that makes the novel addictive reading.


Randy M.

Bag of Bones started its 2 night event last night! got to say, pretty chilling stuff!

 

[Ozziespur]

Bag of Bones ? Might have to have a look. I recently read under the dome which I quite enjoyed.

 

[Seak]

Finished Fellowship, moving on to The Two Towers.

You're making me want to do another reread. Although this one would only be my third.

 

[Ozziespur]

Just checked my post office box & now have on my desk Warrior Prophet & Thousandfold Thought ... guess bag of Bones has to wait ...

 

[Mark Lawrence]

Just finished Stephen King's Bag of Bones. I'd put it as one of the best I've read by him, about on a par with Pet Semetary and The Shining.

Mike Noonan loses his wife and while she seems to have died of natural causes, he comes to believe it might have to do with his summer home, also known as Sara Laughs. His unraveling of the mystery surrounding her death is what powers the story-line, but it's the characters and their interactions, and the history of the community around his summer home that makes the novel addictive reading.


Randy M.

I loved The Shining, really liked Bag of Bones ... and didn't much enjoy Pet Semetary... For me King's standouts are IT, The Stand, and the Dark Tower series, but he seldom writes a book I don't enjoy.

 

[noori noori]

I loved The Shining, really liked Bag of Bones ... and didn't much enjoy Pet Semetary... For me King's standouts are IT, The Stand, and the Dark Tower series, but he seldom writes a book I don't enjoy.

yes The Shining was unusual [.. to say the least;] but ok

 

[Randy M.]

I loved The Shining, really liked Bag of Bones ... and didn't much enjoy Pet Semetary... For me King's standouts are IT, The Stand, and the Dark Tower series, but he seldom writes a book I don't enjoy.

Three I haven't gotten to. The Stand was so big when it came out, it put me off. I was reading other things at the time and didn't want to get sucked into such a huge book. Still feel much the same. IT on the other hand, does have my eye and I'll probably read it eventually, especially now that I've re-entered King-land and enjoyed it quite a bit.

Pet Semetary plays off a bit from Algernon Blackwood's "The Wendigo," which probably sparked my early interest, and BoB seems to share a similar premise -- there's a reality outside our reality, may even be different layers of reality beyond that, and were the fabric is thin we may experience ... phenomena. My impression is that that is a premise that crosses much of his work over the last couple of decades, especially in the Dark Tower series. The family in that one really grabbed me, especially the father's plight. I couldn't put it down at the time I read it and should probably re-read it sometime.

About the A&E mini-series, possibly I'd like it more if I had more time between reading the book and seeing the series. I haven't seen the second half, but so far it's a ... er ... mixed bag. I generally like the casting, in particular Pierce Brosnan is getting across Mike Noonan's essential decency and pain. And seeing William Schallert is like old-home week -- I remember when he was Patty Duke's "father" in the 1960s and from a host of other tv shows. Bringing the history of Dark Score Lake into the 1920s wasn't necessary in the book but makes sense for a medium with a sound track; but the way a major character is killed early on is much, much more effective in the book, and if I can think of a way it would have been more effective in the mini-series, it strikes me Garris and his writers should have been able to, too. Heck, it's right in the book. There were also a couple of information dumps between the characters, necessary for setting up further action, but awkwardly handled by the writer and director. That said, some of the "dream" sequences were nicely handled, again I think in no small part due to Brosnan; his ability to evoke the delight of a man in mourning who gets even such an ephemeral chance to again talk to his wife gives the production the kind of emotional kick it needs.


Randy M.

 

[Westy]

Finished The Night Circus last night, and overall felt a bit underwhelmed.

The good: the seductive prose described the circus in all it's detail, and created a very magical and memorable place. The originality of the story was also appealing; it's always nice to read something a bit different.

The not so good: the book just seemed to meander with no central plot driving it, and the competition between the two main characters was never really explained to the fullest detail. By the end of the book there was too much of the circus itself, at the expense of a concise, plot-driven story.

Overall worth a read but personally I don't think it's as good as all the praise it's getting.

 

[Hobbit]

Overall worth a read but personally I don't think it's as good as all the praise it's getting.

I haven't read it, but something I've mentioned elsewhere, but the praise seems to be coming from those who are not aware of genre.

See also Ray Bradbury and Angela Carter.

Mark

 

[PeterWilliam]

Finished Part One of Laura Resnick's In Fire Forged - subtitled The White Dragon. In the Author's Note, Resnick reveals that Tor felt that the book was too large to be published in total. Resnick goes on to explain that it would not be possible to adequately pare the story down enough to fit a single book the size Tor wanted, because it would make the entire tale incoherent. Thus, In Fire Forged is split.

This one went a little long in several areas, most noticably the flashbacks. The information provided in the flashbacks had been previously covered in the first book and seems to be just taking up space here. Also, there is the feel that the author is arranging set pieces about, preparing for the 'end game.' All that having been said, still love the setting, the characters, their struggles and the culture.

The first two books of this series had me pondering the point of character preferences. There is a fairly obvious split between readers preferring morally ambiguous characters, and readers preferring characters more imperatively moral. So far, Resnick has both kinds. As the events of the story unfold, one gets the sense that moral ambiguity is so ubiquitous, both individually and culturally, that it crowds itself out by thrusting the disparate groups and individuals into imperatively moral cages, as there is nowhere left for many of them to go (e.g. the character Tansen's handling of his relationship with his adoptive father). While interesting and paradoxical, I doubt it was the author's intent - or if it was, she is subtle and restrained in making the point - a skill I wish other authors would cultivate.

Getting ready to start Part Two of In Fire Forged (i.e. The Destroyer Goddess) tonight.

 

[algernoninc]

I finished The Kingdom of Gods by N K Jemisin. I agree with Darksbane that it was a bit of a let down, but only because I got my hopes very high after the first two books in the series. It was a bit too ambitious, aiming at epic scale and coming out diluted and a bit muddles by the end. Still, very well written. I don't know if Jemisin will continue to write in this world setting or will try something new. I will read either way.

Now I'm into Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Murakami, but it is a bit slow so I started a lightweight commute book Twelve by Jasper Kent. Seems exactly what I was looking for, with Napoleonic Wars and some mysterious strangers with paranormal abilities.

 

[s271]

Finished The cold commands by Richard Morgan. The book suffer of middle book in the trilogy syndrome. The first half of the book, with exception of initial encounter, is slow. Plot elements are weakly connected. There is some action the end of the book, but plot become even more disjoint. Some elements of the atmosphere are quite good, and some supporting characters (like emperor, AIs) are interesting. However overall book was not a satisfying read for me, and I don't have much hope for the third book. It's suspect it to be exact copy of the second. What I would like to see is prequel about the war with Lizard Folk.

 

[DDCOrange]

Three I haven't gotten to. The Stand was so big when it came out, it put me off. I was reading other things at the time and didn't want to get sucked into such a huge book. Still feel much the same. IT on the other hand, does have my eye and I'll probably read it eventually, especially now that I've re-entered King-land and enjoyed it quite a bit.

Pet Semetary plays off a bit from Algernon Blackwood's "The Wendigo," which probably sparked my early interest, and BoB seems to share a similar premise -- there's a reality outside our reality, may even be different layers of reality beyond that, and were the fabric is thin we may experience ... phenomena. My impression is that that is a premise that crosses much of his work over the last couple of decades, especially in the Dark Tower series. The family in that one really grabbed me, especially the father's plight. I couldn't put it down at the time I read it and should probably re-read it sometime.

About the A&E mini-series, possibly I'd like it more if I had more time between reading the book and seeing the series. I haven't seen the second half, but so far it's a ... er ... mixed bag. I generally like the casting, in particular Pierce Brosnan is getting across Mike Noonan's essential decency and pain. And seeing William Schallert is like old-home week -- I remember when he was Patty Duke's "father" in the 1960s and from a host of other tv shows. Bringing the history of Dark Score Lake into the 1920s wasn't necessary in the book but makes sense for a medium with a sound track; but the way a major character is killed early on is much, much more effective in the book, and if I can think of a way it would have been more effective in the mini-series, it strikes me Garris and his writers should have been able to, too. Heck, it's right in the book. There were also a couple of information dumps between the characters, necessary for setting up further action, but awkwardly handled by the writer and director. That said, some of the "dream" sequences were nicely handled, again I think in no small part due to Brosnan; his ability to evoke the delight of a man in mourning who gets even such an ephemeral chance to again talk to his wife gives the production the kind of emotional kick it needs.


Randy M.

I had just become a father when Pet Semetary came out so the story really creeped me out at the time. I don't think the impact would be the same for me now; not that the story was bad, I just was at a period of my life where I could really relate to the father figure in that story. It was a timing thing, sort of rare for me.

 

[Hobbit]

I had just become a father when Pet Semetary came out so the story really creeped me out at the time.

And in a strange coincidence, my Dad died when I was reading it. Same reaction, different reason!

Mark

 

[Haliax]

I finished The Kingdom of Gods by N K Jemisin. I agree with Darksbane that it was a bit of a let down, but only because I got my hopes very high after the first two books in the series. It was a bit too ambitious, aiming at epic scale and coming out diluted and a bit muddles by the end. Still, very well written. I don't know if Jemisin will continue to write in this world setting or will try something new. I will read either way.

That's a good way of explaining why it didn't work as well as the first two for me as well. I wasn't sure of how to explain, so thanks.

Anyways, from what Jemisin has said on her blog, I gather that she has moved on to a new world with a duology- The Killing Moon and The Shadowed Sun. She finished writing both back in March, and the first will be published in May and the second one in June. Definitely looking forward to them.

 

[Randy M.]

I had just become a father when Pet Semetary came out so the story really creeped me out at the time. I don't think the impact would be the same for me now; not that the story was bad, I just was at a period of my life where I could really relate to the father figure in that story. It was a timing thing, sort of rare for me.

I had a similar experience with Thomas Ligotti's short story, "The Frolic." My daughter was no more than 2-years-old when I read it, and the story, which features a father and his 14-year-old daughter, shook me. A lot. I've never reread it even though I consider it a fine horror story.

Mark: I can see how the book would work on someone in your situation, too. Which just emphasizes a lot of the impact of reading depends on what the reader brings to the reading.


Randy M.

 

[Astra_]

I haven't read it, but something I've mentioned elsewhere, but the praise seems to be coming from those who are not aware of genre.

See also Ray Bradbury and Angela Carter.

Mark

Did you finish 11.22.63?