Return of the Book Thread

[Khaldun]

The latest sequel to Fire is pretty disappointing, though.

[Rishathra]

I enjoyed it, but the scale of the story was too limiting for me.  Knowing what kind of shit was going down in the rest of the galaxy, and what would be going down locally in a few decades/centuries, made it hard to care about the internal politics of some medieval telepathic dogs.

[Ironwood]

So, um, it's kinda not the place for it, but it turns out that the Beeb have made a Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell TV show ?  It's to be an episodic thingamabob.  Apparently.  And will hopefully be less shit than the actual book.

[lamaros]

I don't think the book was that bad. I know that's not the cool position to take, but I thought it was ok.

I expect any TV show will be rubbish though, probably making the most of the parts of the book that were crap and not that stuff that I enjoyed...

The latest sequel to Fire is pretty disappointing, though.

Yeah I noticed that, I think I'll just not read it when I finish this one and just move on to something else.

[Ironwood]

It was a very interesting book that was utterly cunted up at the end.  One of those ones where the end was so very, very bad it made you feel STUPID for slogging through and sticking with it and HUGELY dissapointed that it was so cack.

I know that there are more people than you here that really enjoyed it though.  Bear in mind I'm a dick.

It was like the system of the world books actually.  It was like Victorian Magic Stephenson.

[HaemishM]

/whoremode

I've finally released a new book - and it's not cyberpunk. I'm taking time off my cyberpunk series to write a series of eBook-only novellas called The Stepping Stone Cycle. It's a modern day story set in the Cthulu mythos.  It's called First Stone and it's available on Smashwords and Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Enjoy!

/whoremode off

EDIT: Added B&N link.

[satael]

/whoremode

I've finally released a new book - and it's not cyberpunk. I'm taking time off my cyberpunk series to write a series of eBook-only novellas called The Stepping Stone Cycle. It's a modern day story set in the Cthulu mythos.  It's called First Stone and it's available on Smashwords and Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Enjoy!

/whoremode off

EDIT: Added B&N link.

Let me know when/if it comes out in paperback (I still can't seem to enjoy books in electronic format as much as good old paper)

[RhyssaFireheart]

So Buzzfeed put out a lit of the top 12 greatest fantasy books of 2013 here.  I've seen a few of these but haven't read any of them except A Memory of Light.  The descriptions given though make me want to pick up several of these and check them out.

Anyone have any opinions on the books or series here?

[HaemishM]

My book stuff.

Let me know when/if it comes out in paperback (I still can't seem to enjoy books in electronic format as much as good old paper)

I'll likely be putting the first 3 and the last 3 of the series into one compilation eBook and paperback, once they are released. So probably summer for the first 3 in one paperback book.

[Rasix]

So Buzzfeed put out a lit of the top 12 greatest fantasy books of 2013 here.  I've seen a few of these but haven't read any of them except A Memory of Light.  The descriptions given though make me want to pick up several of these and check them out.

Anyone have any opinions on the books or series here?

Don't pay a lot for The Ocean at the End of the Lane.  It's pretty much a novella/really long short story.  It's good, but it barely took over an hour to read.

[Stormwaltz]

I wasn't sure where to put this, but here seems good. Nick Yee has a new book out.

Proteus, the mythical sea god who could alter his appearance at will, embodies one of the promises of online games: the ability to reinvent oneself. Yet inhabitants of virtual worlds rarely achieve this liberty, game researcher Nick Yee contends. Though online games evoke freedom and escapism, Yee shows that virtual spaces perpetuate social norms and stereotypes from the offline world, transform play into labor, and inspire racial scapegoating and superstitious thinking. And the change that does occur is often out of our control and effected by unparalleled—but rarely recognized—tools for controlling what players think and how they behave.  Using player surveys, psychological experiments, and in-game data, Yee breaks down misconceptions about who plays fantasy games and the extent to which the online and offline worlds operate separately. With a wealth of entertaining and provocative examples, he explains what virtual worlds are about and why they matter, not only for entertainment but also for business and education. He uses gaming as a lens through which to examine the pressing question of what it means to be human in a digital world. His thought-provoking book is an invitation to think more deeply about virtual worlds and what they reveal to us about ourselves.

http://yalepress.yale.edu/yupbooks/book.asp?isbn=9780300190991

http://www.amazon.com/The-Proteus-Paradox-Online-Virtual/dp/0300190999

[Khaldun]

Should be good. Nick is smart.

[Lt.Dan]

So Buzzfeed put out a lit of the top 12 greatest fantasy books of 2013 here.  I've seen a few of these but haven't read any of them except A Memory of Light.  The descriptions given though make me want to pick up several of these and check them out.

Anyone have any opinions on the books or series here?

None of those capsule reviews really inspired me to buy the book. Which ones grabbed your interest?

I've found that every time I get a hankering for a good fantasy novel I get off put by the whole "part 1 of a new trilogy" thing. That and any number of fantasy cliches - prophecy, son of blacksmith turns out to kings son, etc. 

[Khaldun]

New stuff is mostly written to that template, yeah. You gotta go off the reservation.

It's easier if you're not looking for high fantasy and if you don't insist on a novel.

[Quinton]

So Buzzfeed put out a lit of the top 12 greatest fantasy books of 2013 here.  I've seen a few of these but haven't read any of them except A Memory of Light.  The descriptions given though make me want to pick up several of these and check them out.

Anyone have any opinions on the books or series here?

I enjoyed Ocean at the End of the Lane, but as Rasix points out, it's not a full length novel.  Still was a fine read.

I liked London Falling a lot - sort of Urban Fantasy meets police procedural, but different than the Peter Grant series (Rivers of London, etc).

Something not on that list that should be: Three Parts Dead by Max Gladstone -- necromancer-lawyers involved in the resurrection of a dead god, love the world building here.

[lamaros]

So Buzzfeed put out a lit of the top 12 greatest fantasy books of 2013 here.  I've seen a few of these but haven't read any of them except A Memory of Light.  The descriptions given though make me want to pick up several of these and check them out.

Anyone have any opinions on the books or series here?

I enjoyed Ocean at the End of the Lane, but as Rasix points out, it's not a full length novel.  Still was a fine read.

I liked London Falling a lot - sort of Urban Fantasy meets police procedural, but different than the Peter Grant series (Rivers of London, etc).

Something not on that list that should be: Three Parts Dead by Max Gladstone -- necromancer-lawyers involved in the resurrection of a dead god, love the world building here.

Currently $2.88 for sequel promoting purposes! Yum.

[dd0029]

Picked up The Wasteland Saga by Nick Cole. It's a compilation of three books, The Old Man and the Wasteland, The Savage Boy and The Road is a River. I think this was something originally self published and later picked up by a publisher. Either way, this was really good. It's the sort of post-apocalyptic stuff I enjoy the most. It's a very intimate and oddly quiet set of stories where you are mostly locked into the particular main character's headspace and their thoughts. Neither of the two main characters ever get names, they are just the old man and the boy. He's thrown bits of the good parts of The Stand, bits of Hemingway, bits of The Road and maybe it's just me but bits of Fallout, stirred it all up and put his own quiet stamp on it. Very enjoyable.

[lamaros]

So Buzzfeed put out a lit of the top 12 greatest fantasy books of 2013 here.  I've seen a few of these but haven't read any of them except A Memory of Light.  The descriptions given though make me want to pick up several of these and check them out.

Anyone have any opinions on the books or series here?

I enjoyed Ocean at the End of the Lane, but as Rasix points out, it's not a full length novel.  Still was a fine read.

I liked London Falling a lot - sort of Urban Fantasy meets police procedural, but different than the Peter Grant series (Rivers of London, etc).

Something not on that list that should be: Three Parts Dead by Max Gladstone -- necromancer-lawyers involved in the resurrection of a dead god, love the world building here.

Currently $2.88 for sequel promoting purposes! Yum.

And read it. Not bad. Not as clever as I hoped it would play out, but still decent.

Bought the next book (same world, otherwise unrelated).

[murdoc]

So Buzzfeed put out a lit of the top 12 greatest fantasy books of 2013 here.  I've seen a few of these but haven't read any of them except A Memory of Light.  The descriptions given though make me want to pick up several of these and check them out.

Anyone have any opinions on the books or series here?

I enjoyed Ocean at the End of the Lane, but as Rasix points out, it's not a full length novel.  Still was a fine read.

I liked London Falling a lot - sort of Urban Fantasy meets police procedural, but different than the Peter Grant series (Rivers of London, etc).

Something not on that list that should be: Three Parts Dead by Max Gladstone -- necromancer-lawyers involved in the resurrection of a dead god, love the world building here.

I quite enjoyed The Ocean at the End of the Lane and the first two Mark Lawrence books (haven't read the one on the list yet). The Golem and the Jinni surprised me a bit as I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would, but it's pretty slow paced.

[dd0029]

Something not on that list that should be: Three Parts Dead by Max Gladstone -- necromancer-lawyers involved in the resurrection of a dead god, love the world building here.

This was really, really good. Thanks for the suggestion. The world building and the story telling are excellent.

[lamaros]

There's no edge to it though, that's what bothers me the most. It's YA-like in that non one dies, etc.

Also reports are not true, the second isn't better than the first.

[Quinton]

The second book was enjoyable, but I think the first is definitely the better of the two.

I'm okay with the occasional fantasy where it's not a horrible bloodbath where most of the characters die, etc, etc.

[Shannow]

So Buzzfeed put out a lit of the top 12 greatest fantasy books of 2013 here.  I've seen a few of these but haven't read any of them except A Memory of Light.  The descriptions given though make me want to pick up several of these and check them out.

Anyone have any opinions on the books or series here?

I picked up Promise of Blood on sale for like 2.99, enjoyable so far. A semi-steam punk setting, decent characterizations, occasional humor and a plot that's not totally telegraphed.

[Lucas]

You know when you read a book and you can feel it touching all the right strings in your heart and mind, for whatever personal reasons? That's what happened to me throughout 11/22/63 by Stephen King.

I would put it in my personal SK top 5 and I really echo what someone else wrote in this topic about it: if you know someone who is not a fan of King but you would like them to try reading one of his works, this is definitely it (infact I bought two more copies and gifted them to my mother and my GF), although of course not representative of the whole author (although I really like his more "intimistic" works, like this one, Duma Key, Rose Madder and others).

Plus, the end (NO SPOILER): King is often criticized for his apparent inability in writing good endings, but man...this one is just PERFECT.

[Ironwood]

Just finished Scott Lynch's latest Gentlemen Bastards book The Republic of Thieves and i have to say, didn't like it nearly as much as the first 2.

Just finished this myself and I see what you mean.  Wasn't quite as bad as you made out, or perhaps I just had more tolerance.

But you make a lot of good points. 

[satael]

Just finished Scott Lynch's latest Gentlemen Bastards book The Republic of Thieves and i have to say, didn't like it nearly as much as the first 2.

Just finished this myself and I see what you mean.  Wasn't quite as bad as you made out, or perhaps I just had more tolerance.

But you make a lot of good points. 

I'd rate the first book best and this new one the least but I guess that just means I won't be so bothered when the next one will take years and years for him to write (though I'm sure I'll buy it when it comes out)

[Ironwood]

Yes.  Indeed.

[WayAbvPar]

I have finally embarked on my final re-read of the Wheel of Time series (I stopped at book 10 and waited for Sanderson to finish). I decided to start with A New Spring, since I have never read it, and since it is chronologically the beginning of the story (even though it was published later than the first 3 (?) books). 3 or 4 chapters in and am enjoying it, but it is making me dread the interminable bits that await me in future books. I just want to kick every Aes Sedai in the crotch for all eternity...they are all just terrible people the way they are written.

I am sure I will revisit this later and want to add basically every character who ever gets a POV to the crotch-punting line, but for now it is Aes Sedai.

[Johny Cee]

Just finished Scott Lynch's latest Gentlemen Bastards book The Republic of Thieves and i have to say, didn't like it nearly as much as the first 2.

Just finished this myself and I see what you mean.  Wasn't quite as bad as you made out, or perhaps I just had more tolerance.

But you make a lot of good points. 

I'd rate the first book best and this new one the least but I guess that just means I won't be so bothered when the next one will take years and years for him to write (though I'm sure I'll buy it when it comes out)

Lynch has been battling serious depression for a while, which is why the third book took so long.  He had announced his retirement.  Don't have too high expectations about when (or even if) the rest of the series will be released.

[Chimpy]

I have finally embarked on my final re-read of the Wheel of Time series (I stopped at book 10 and waited for Sanderson to finish). I decided to start with A New Spring, since I have never read it, and since it is chronologically the beginning of the story (even though it was published later than the first 3 (?) books). 3 or 4 chapters in and am enjoying it, but it is making me dread the interminable bits that await me in future books. I just want to kick every Aes Sedai in the crotch for all eternity...they are all just terrible people the way they are written.

I am sure I will revisit this later and want to add basically every character who ever gets a POV to the crotch-punting line, but for now it is Aes Sedai.

New Spring came out between the last two main books Jordan wrote before he died. I know it doesn't seem like it because it actually appears to have had the help of a real editor instead of his frickin wife.

[dd0029]

Did he actually expand the novella he wrote for the Silverberg anthology? He in this case being Jordan.

[Ironwood]

For anyone that's interested (and hasn't seen it yet) Lynch talking about his Depression is here.

You may then browse his material to see him Kicking Fuck out of Orson Scott Card for, apparently, re-writing Hamlet to prove that Gays are Evil.

It's fantastic...

[WayAbvPar]

You had me at 'kicking fuck out of Orson Scott Card'. Fuck him.

[dd0029]

I read The Departure by Neal Asher during the snowmageddon. The first three quarters were fun gee whiz how will this guy get any superman like followed by some less interesting setup for later books in the series. I have an inkling suspicion that Asher is more than a bit of a libertarian crank, could be wrong though. But that first 3/4 was pretty fun sci-fi action pulp with lots of "science" words, explosions and dead people. Could have used more spaceships though.

[Shannow]

For anyone that's interested (and hasn't seen it yet) Lynch talking about his Depression is here.

That was a good read. Also discovered there is such thing as a David Gemmel Legend award, which I think is legendary.