Return of the Book Thread

[Ingmar]

I'm kind of kicking myself because I forgot about Steven Brust.  The Vlad Taltos books (which are collected in handy omnibuses) might work for you, though they can bounce between lighter, darker, and too philosophical. 

You left off the fourth thing that they occasionally bounce to, which is "entirely too much description of food".

[Murgos]

Speaking of descriptions of food, if you like the Chandler noir detective stuff you should also read the Rex Stout books about Nero Wolf and Archie Goodwin.

[Sky]

Modesitt can be a bit  about clothes. Ryba came downstairs in her grey tunic, with the black belt and boots. Ryba entered the room, wearing her usual grey tunic but today she was wearing the silver belt with the black boots. I don't mind some sketching like that, but after a while it becomes almost comical when you see Ryba entering a room...especially when he doesn't do it for anyone else.

[Ard]

You left off the fourth thing that they occasionally bounce to, which is "entirely too much description of food".

Except that's Vlad's character, and he's at least consistent on it.  The man likes food, and we're getting the story from his point of view.  I don't remember the overemphasis on his non-Vlad books (Athyra, The Phoenix Guard, To Reign in Hell), but this might just also be rose tinted glasses.  It's been a while since I've read any of them.  But I don't remember it being like certain other authors who drone on for paragraphs for mundane details, like was just mentioned with Modesitt.

[Morat20]

I had been told I would like Charles Stross, and I bought Halting State, and I couldnt stand it. I think thats probably the first and last time I attempt to read a book written in the 2nd person. I only made it like 40 pages in. Is this one 2nd person also?

Nah, only Halting State -- of his major books (one or two of his short stories might be that way) -- is done in second person. And while it was a bit hard to get started, it really takes off.

For Stross -- try, oh Accelerando or The Atrocity Archives (the first of the Laundry books). Accelerando is a Singularity novel (run up to, during, and after Singularity) and I think you can even find it free online.

The Laundry novels are great if you like Lovecraft, spy-thrillers, or occasional bitching about matrixed management and software license audits.

[Ingmar]

Speaking of descriptions of food, if you like the Chandler noir detective stuff you should also read the Rex Stout books about Nero Wolf and Archie Goodwin.

Last I checked you can't get those on Kindle which made me  , I want to read that whole set of stuff.

[Sky]

Be nice if Atrocity Archives was in hardcover for a decent price. Not that I crib ideas from here to feed to my fiancee for adding to the collection.

[Ingmar]

You left off the fourth thing that they occasionally bounce to, which is "entirely too much description of food".

Except that's Vlad's character, and he's at least consistent on it.  The man likes food, and we're getting the story from his point of view.  I don't remember the overemphasis on his non-Vlad books (Athyra, The Phoenix Guard, To Reign in Hell), but this might just also be rose tinted glasses.  It's been a while since I've read any of them.  But I don't remember it being like certain other authors who drone on for paragraphs for mundane details, like was just mentioned with Modesitt.

As the books go on he spends more and more time (it feels like to me anyway) on the food describing. While it doesn't drone like some people (if it did I probably would stop reading them) the books are quite short so it still often feels like padding to me. I'm starting to find his jumping back and forth in the storyline kind of irritating too, honestly. Still think the Phoenix Guards is the best thing he ever wrote.

[Ard]

I personally liked To Reign in Hell more than the Vlad books.  The first couple were good, but they've been going downhill the last few.  There are supposed to be seven more yet.  I'm not sure if he's got a plan in mind or if he's milking it now though.

[RhyssaFireheart]

I need to read the most recent Vlad books, but didn't someone mention that they'd gotten more than a bit auto-biographical in a few places, especially the one where Vlad breaks up with his wife?  Personally, I rather liked the assassin angle and was left wondering what's going to happen when he got out of that business and started all the philosophical stuff.

[Rasix]

That seems like a rather large spoiler to just lay out there.  

edit: For the record, I don't care about this particular series of books.  Thankfully. 

[Zetor]

I've gotten a hold of the Taltos books recently after reading through this thread; it's no ASoIaF, but the books are pretty fun and fast-paced, at least up to book 4. As a side note, the way Brust uses existing Hungarian words to convey a strange / exotic atmosphere for the Easterners instead of making up a new language altogether is amusing sometimes.
(really minor spoiler)

[dd0029]

That seems like a rather large spoiler to just lay out there.  

edit: For the record, I don't care about this particular series of books.  Thankfully. 

It's not terribly spoilery.  It's more an atmosphere/setting the stage thing.  And it does happen fairly early in the publishing order, book three if I recall correctly and there are currently 12 books and these are old school paperback sized books.

Anyway, after seeing several recommendations for the Mike Carey Felix Castor books, I picked up the first one, The Devil You Know.  Very good stuff.  Strangely not in the genre ghetto in my library, but probably should be.  It's not as light as a Dresden book, but not all that much darker for the first book.  He also does not get the crap beat out of him anywhere near as much as Harry does.  It's very English in the sense that he tosses in a number of small social queues that I did not get.  For example, Felix runs across a phone number.  I had no clue what that string of numbers was until it was explicitly mentioned that he tried calling the numbers.

[WayAbvPar]

I personally liked To Reign in Hell more than the Vlad books.  The first couple were good, but they've been going downhill the last few.  There are supposed to be seven more yet.  I'm not sure if he's got a plan in mind or if he's milking it now though.

The previous 2 were getting a little dull, but the last one was better (but still not as good was when he was still in the Jhereg and  whacking people for money). FWIW my favorite non-Vlad book of his is Agyar. Thankfully my copy doesn't have that horrid cover on it.

[ghost]

Slogging through Feast for Crows by Martin.  Good god it's slow and tedious.  Maybe it's his God Emperor.

[Chimpy]

Slogging through Feast for Crows by Martin.  Good god it's slow and tedious.  Maybe it's his God Emperor.

Well, it is only half of the story the book was supposed to be. And virtually none of the interesting characters are in the half they published.

And for some reason he can't seem to release the other half of the book!

[ghost]

I hope George can finish the books before he gets a Cheeto lodged in one of his coronary arteries.

[Ard]

My money is on him throwing up his hands and rage quitting due to his audience getting impatient.  The nerd rage will be glorious, and after the most recent book, I'm at the point, or rather, I was over three years ago when he finally released half a book, where it won't even bother me now.

[Rasix]

I'm at the point, or rather, I was over three years ago when he finally released half a book, where it won't even bother me now.

I'm in the same boat. I don't care if he ever finishes it.  Because he won't.  He'll die or quit, as he's certainly in no hurry to finish. 

Then, if he actual does, ambivalence will spring into joy.

I just finished the first book in the Mistborn series.  I'm really unsure if I liked it, but I finished it.  That's something at least.

[tgr]

I can't decide if I want to read more of his books or what. It's an interesting deviation from the normal fantasy books structure, as it felt like it could go on and on and on. But again, that's part of the problem, it felt like it could go on forever. I was actually beginning to wonder if this was going to be another WoT. Combine that with the fact that most of the books were so I felt like I had to force myself a tad just to keep reading, and I'm just left thinking I might be better off letting this one slide.

As for the mistborn series, I don't know how that'll end, but at least it seems like there's progression with an end-goal in mind, and it's much more of a page-turner (to me) than Martin's books were.

[Reg]

The mistborn series was great and it ends with a satisfying thump after only 3 books. Maybe they can get the guy finishing WoT to finish off Martin's series. He's doing a very good job so far.

[ghost]

Well, I hadn't read Feast of Crows yet, and having gotten a good way through it I have to be honest-  I don't know if he can finish it.  There are so many things left undone.  One thing is for certain-  if he does finish it it will either be a masterpiece or a glorious mess.

[Morat20]

Well, I hadn't read Feast of Crows yet, and having gotten a good way through it I have to be honest-  I don't know if he can finish it.  There are so many things left undone.  One thing is for certain-  if he does finish it it will either be a masterpiece or a glorious mess.

The period in history he's modelling it after was a glorious mess. So, so far so good. :)

I just finished Butcher's Changes now that the damn thing has come out on Kindle. Yes, indeed, there were changes.

My wife has convinced me to read the trio of Chelsea Handler books she's got on Kindle. I'll say this about her -- she's got a solid writing style, and is funny as hell at times. There is, of course, no telling how much of it is true.

There was an entire chapter devoted to her Dad coming with her on a trip to Mexico that kept me laughing, because I could see bits and pieces of my own dad in there. Especially when her Dad was ordering around the stray dogs in Spanish (because, obviously, they're not bilingual dogs).

[ghost]

There was an entire chapter devoted to her Dad coming with her on a trip to Mexico that kept me laughing, because I could see bits and pieces of my own dad in there. Especially when her Dad was ordering around the stray dogs in Spanish (because, obviously, they're not bilingual dogs).

That's a great scenario.  I may have to read that.

[Morat20]

That's a great scenario.  I may have to read that.

That was from, I think, "Are you there Vodka?".

She plays up as a sarcastic lush/slut, but reading her writing...she's way the fuck too witty a comedian for that to be anything but a specifically chosen image. Jesus, one of her other books details how she fed some guy's dog one of the party snacks at a party, worried later to her boyfriend that she might have killed the dog (what if dog's can't eat seafood? WE DON'T KNOW) and then, when the dog was fine, got the dog's owners, her coworkers, and have her boyfriend's friends to help her convince him the dog had died. Including her boyfriend's lawyer. It included a rather memorable picture she took with her phone, of her cracking up while said boyfriend was holding her and thought she was crying from having killed the dog.

Why? Because he kept believing her when she made shit up. My brother's a lot like that. He'll happily interject, into a conversation, ridiculous statements that walk the line between "Might be true" and "obvious bullshit" and with such a straight face that no one ever checks. And so you'll go on, happily believing, that dog's can't drink beer because it makes them fart bubbles or some other stupid thing.

[Paelos]

Oh she's totally created a character, and she's just playing it out like that guy who does Borat. I would wager good money that most of her stories are just random composites of funny stuff she's witnessed/seen/heard on the net and then exagerrated to the point of insanely funny.

[WayAbvPar]

Her show is hit and miss for me, but she is definitely not unamusing.

As for GRRM, I think I am actively hoping he dies before he finishes, just so we will KNOW it will never be finished and can get on with our lives. Every breath he draws leaves the slightest glimmer of hope that the Mountain That Doesn't Write will unfuck himself, find his muse, and finish (this is never going to happen).

[ghost]

Oh she's totally created a character, and she's just playing it out like that guy who does Borat. I would wager good money that most of her stories are just random composites of funny stuff she's witnessed/seen/heard on the net and then exagerrated to the point of insanely funny.

That's probably 90% of being a good writer. 

[Paelos]

Oh she's totally created a character, and she's just playing it out like that guy who does Borat. I would wager good money that most of her stories are just random composites of funny stuff she's witnessed/seen/heard on the net and then exagerrated to the point of insanely funny.

That's probably 90% of being a good writer. 

Well, a good comedic writer anyway.

[Morfiend]

My list:

Items Ordered
1 of: The Reality Dysfunction (The Night's Dawn) [Paperback]
By: Peter F. Hamilton
 
1 of: Sandman Slim [Mass Market Paperback]
By: Richard Kadrey

1 of: Already Dead: A Novel [Paperback]
By: Charlie Huston
 
1 of: The Atrocity Archives [Paperback]
By: Charles Stross

1 of: Death's Head [Mass Market Paperback]
By: David Gunn
 
1 of: Sweet Silver Blues (Garrett, P.I.) [Paperback]
By: Glen Cook
 
1 of: The Devil You Know (Felix Castor) [Mass Market Paperback]
By: Mike Carey

1 of: Felaheen [Paperback]
By: Jon Courtenay Grimwood
 

Just got my shipment of books last night. I am very happy.

I started in on "The Devil You Know" last night.

[ghost]

Well, a good comedic writer anyway.

I think it even plays over into other genres.  I mean, think of all the porn George RR Martin had to watch to come up with the sex scenes in his books. 

[WayAbvPar]

FINALLY drug my ass through the 2nd Malazan book (Deadhouse Gates). The first half is dull as hell, and took me just short of forever to get through. Picked up the pace/interest though, and the last 100 pages or so was pretty good. Stumbled onto a copy of Changes, so I am taking a quick Dresden break before I go back to Malazan. Read about 150 pages last night- so far, so good.

[Morat20]

FINALLY drug my ass through the 2nd Malazan book (Deadhouse Gates). The first half is dull as hell, and took me just short of forever to get through. Picked up the pace/interest though, and the last 100 pages or so was pretty good. Stumbled onto a copy of Changes, so I am taking a quick Dresden break before I go back to Malazan. Read about 150 pages last night- so far, so good.

I finally read that a few weeks ago. Accidentally got spoiled on the ending prior to that, which sucks, but overall a solid book that lives up to it's name. :)

One thing I like about Butcher is while he tries to keep a consistent amount of both "awesome" and "crazy awesome" in his books, he doesn't seem to feel he absolutely has to top "Riding a MotherFucking Zombie Dinosaur" every book. Awesome comes in many flavors, and riding a zombie dinosaur is merely one of them.

Plus, he tends to share out the awesome between characters -- so Dresden isn't the only awesome person in the world. It's a world full of crazy awesome.

As bit I can recall, the following people get their moments of sheer bad-assery or awesome: Sanya, Murphy, Mouse, Molly, Dresden, and that crazy fairy godmother of his.

[Paelos]

I'm reading Lord of the Silent Kingdom by Glen Cook, which is the second part of his Instrumentalities of the Night Trilogy:

The first book, the Tyranny of the Night, was good but was a bit too all over the place in terms of story-telling for my tastes. The main story focused on a character who is forced to spy on the enemy in enemy lands, but he ends up getting attached to the lifestyle and has a lot of internal conflict about his mission as he continues to advance in the military structure due to his competence.

The second book, Lord of the Silent Kingdom, goes into much more focused detail about the politics and setting of the fantasy world, which mirrors the Pope v. Anitpope conflicts and Crusades of the 12th Century, with the names changed. The story is much more rivetting and delves into more features of the Night, as well as getting into some of the religious and economic despair surrounding a wartime effort. It also has a lot of very funny and interesting characters with almost no real Big Bad, but a lot of corruption across the realm as a whole.

They are both good reads, but the second one is the better of the two. Reading the first is simply a good background to the story in the second. However, be aware that Cook will just toss out casually name after name after name of places at will, and it's impossible at times to know what the hell he is talking about until much later in the story.

[Teleku]

Oddly enough (considering how much I like military history and how many books on the subject), I've never really read a history book dedicated to the Napoleonic wars.  Could somebody recommend a good book that covers this whole period?