Reading in May 2010

[Rob B]

I'm bouncing between Tad Williams Shadowrise and Douglas Clegg's Neverland. As many here know, I'm a big fan of Tad Williams, so I'm enjoying Shadowrise quite a bit.

Neverland is my second experience with Clegg's novel-length fiction and I'm enjoying it a lot, too. His style is very easy-going on one hand, but when the tension is necessitated by the flow of the plot, Clegg handles that amply as well.

Though both of these authors I'm currently reading are telling different stories, I would consider both of them very good at atmospheric writing - a sense of really putting you into the story and allowing the reader to feel and sense the story as it unfolds.

 

[suciul]

After the superb "The Last Page" by A. Huso on which I opened a thread since I have not heard it mentioned that much as debuts to be watched in 2010, I am reading an independently published debut Field of Fire by Jon Connington which is a very fast and fun adventure in the Retribution Falls mold but with a universe with floating continents at several height levels, wooden weapons (very little metal), magic, ships that sail the air currents powered by sails and magical runes and quite a lot more; while there are a bunch of typos (though not more than in an arc) and some repetitions that would have done better with an edit, Field of Fire is very, very entertaining so far

 

[ElinIsabel]

About halfway through Al-Rassan...so far so good.

Then today my lovely husband gave me 50$ worth of gift cards to Borders ... and now I have Wolfe's Book of the Long Sun and Gaiman's Stardust (among other treasures) to look forward to for the rest of the month, and I'm giggly with joy.

 

[Bastard]

I've been looking forward to reading Emerald Storm for quite some time now, and was very happy to see it in my mailbox the other day. I ordered it straight from Sullivan himself, and it is such a beautiful book. I love the cover art for all his books so far. I really hope he keeps up the excellent pacing all the way through the series.

Where did you order it from? Cause I only see the first 3 books on his site:
http://www.michaelsullivan-author.com/MichaelSullivan_Book.html

 

[DurzoBlint]

Just finished The Desert Spear by Brett. Overall I enjoyed the story but not as much as The Warded/Painted Man. My major complaint seems to stem from what I have seen on several review blogs, that Leesha is able to do anything and everything she puts her mind to without any practice or really working at it. She is far to perfect for me to really care about her. Few cliff hangers are left at the end of the book and for all its faults I will continue with the series but Leesha needs to be more realistic in the future.

Starting my first China Mielville novel The City and the City. Not sure how I will take new weird but as an award winner it should be fairly decent.

 

[Numenorian]

I'm 130 pages or so into The Final Empire. It's okay so far, not as good as I'd hoped, but still solid. I like the idea of Allomancy and think it works well, but I'd also like to see the power and malevolence of the Lord Ruler: it's feeling a bit like an episode of Hustle at the moment.

 

[Haliax]

Where did you order it from? Cause I only see the first 3 books on his site:
http://www.michaelsullivan-author.com/MichaelSullivan_Book.html

In his blog he posted a link to here.

 

[MattNY]

I'm not really enjoying the Brienne chapters, which just seem totally pointless; I think it's a shame GRRM felt the need to tell her story firsthand.

Good to hear you are enjoying it so much. I am only 40 pages in so far, which with the prologue and first two chapters, have had all new perspectives which I have enjoyed. I had heard that Brienne gets her own POV in this book and I was looking forward to it, so hopefully I will enjoy it a bit more.

About halfway through Al-Rassan...so far so good.

Then today my lovely husband gave me 50$ worth of gift cards to Borders ... and now I have Wolfe's Book of the Long Sun and Gaiman's Stardust (among other treasures) to look forward to for the rest of the month, and I'm giggly with joy.

Those are all on my list to read too.

 

[murf99]

Just started The Blade Itself last night. About 100 pages in and loving it so far.

 

[Erfael]

Starting my first China Mielville novel The City and the City. Not sure how I will take new weird but as an award winner it should be fairly decent.

Not sure I'd throw that one into the New Weird. I'd at the very least say it's far, far different than any of his Bas Lag novels (which are typically considered the New Weird ones). Whether you like City or not, I would definitely urge you to go back and try Perdido or The Scar and be prepared for something completely different.

 

[Gilgamesh]

Starting my first China Mielville novel The City and the City. Not sure how I will take new weird but as an award winner it should be fairly decent.

I'm starting it this weekend .

 

[Shayna]

on China mieville

I would agree with Erfael on this! You should begin with his other books ....The City in the City is not like his others!

 

[DarthV]

That sounds like a good time. I enjoyed the series, and would like to go back and reread them once more. There are just so many books I haven't even gotten to yet for a first time, that I struggle with spending time on items I have already read.

I might throw something else in between the last 3 books. I used to love reading complete series one after the other, but I'm thinking about mixing things up a little.

And yeah, I know the feeling about wanting to go back and re-read some older stuff. But the monster to-read pile isn't going to let me do that for a couple of years

Just finished Goblet of Fire and about to start Order of the Phoenix.

 

[Randy M.]

Starting my first China Mielville novel The City and the City. Not sure how I will take new weird but as an award winner it should be fairly decent.

That was my first, too. I will eventually go on to his earlier work, and I'll expect something different in tone, but I did enjoy TCatC. I thought it was a quite good, restrained, provocative novel. (It may help that I used to like the police procedural novels of Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo, which it somewhat reminded me of.)

Randy M.

 

[Quimby]

About 100 pages into the Desert Spear. Dig it so far.

 

[Evil Agent]

I had heard that Brienne gets her own POV in this book and I was looking forward to it, so hopefully I will enjoy it a bit more.

They're not bad chapters, so I'm sure you will enjoy them. They just seem a little unnecessary.

 

[Paks]

I finished up the Tide Lord Quartet by Jennifer Fallon, overall I really ejoyed it. I enjoyed the twists amd found the ending somewhat amusing.

I also just finished Watcher of the Dead by J.V Jones. This book was great, well paced but too short for my liking. With so many characters, the book really only offered 3 or 4 chapters from each POV, but they were good chapters. Looking forward to future books.

 

[DurzoBlint]

Not sure I'd throw that one into the New Weird. I'd at the very least say it's far, far different than any of his Bas Lag novels (which are typically considered the New Weird ones). Whether you like City or not, I would definitely urge you to go back and try Perdido or The Scar and be prepared for something completely different.

I received Perdido Street Station for free a few months ago through Amazon, but a detective story seems more up my alley. If I like it when I am done, I will more than likely pick up Perdido sooner than planned.

 

[Luke_B]

Starting my first China Mielville novel The City and the City. Not sure how I will take new weird but as an award winner it should be fairly decent.

Erf's right - The City & the City is not New Weird. It's hardly even fantasy (in terms of genre). I think it's more a surreal crime novel, closer to something by Auster or Erickson or even Phillip K. Dick. It's still a brilliant book and probably technically Mieville's best (even though I personally prefer Perdido Street Station and The Iron Council). I did find the ending a little weak, but otherwise a book I was happy to vote for in the 2009 favourite read thread. I was surprised it didn't get more votes, but feel vindicated by the awards it's winning.

 

[Seegee]

I finished Homunculus by James P. Blaylock earlier today. I didn't enjoy it. I found a number of issues that spoiled my enjoyment of the reading experience. I've put a full review on my blog here
Started Lee Martinez's Monster and that's really cool so far.