It's February Already! What We're Reading...

[murphy]

Yep, Dsmith, Blood Bound is as good as Moon Called. I enjoyed it and had fun learning more about the characters.

I'm now reading Edgar Pangborn's Davy . . . slowly and dutifully, without real joy.

Now reading Patricia Briggs Blood Bound. The second of her books about a shapechanging car mechanic. (She changes into a coyote at will.) It abounds with werewolves, vampires and in this book a vampiric sorcerer. It's better than her first book and an enjoyable urban fantasy.

Is this a case of GMTA?

 

[Carolyn Hill]

Is this a case of GMTA?

I dunno about "great" minds. Maybe it's just that we're both from California. (Or some connection between California and coyotes, perhaps? Tricksters . . . )

 

[j d worthington]

Hmmm. Not enjoying Davy? Sorry to hear that. While I don't think it's nearly as good as A Mirror for Observers, I always quite liked it... What is it that you find off-putting, Carolyn?

 

[Taltos]

Couldn't get into Cook's Tyranny - probably too much fanatasy in a row - instead read through Lloyd Biggle Jr All the Colors of Darknesss and Watchers of the Dark.
Liked the first one a bit better - although the main problem seems to be that the author didn't know what he wanted to write about, there seems to be at least 3 separate stories inside that book, which don't connect too well.
Also the story telling seems a bit archaic - something what E.E. "Doc" Smith would have written, but as I read a translation it could be a problem with that as well.
The second book seems to be a build-up for following Darzek books, not bad as such, but not much as a separate entity.
Now reading (another GMTA moment) King's Gunslinger

 

[Carolyn Hill]

Hmmm. Not enjoying Davy? Sorry to hear that. While I don't think it's nearly as good as A Mirror for Observers, I always quite liked it... What is it that you find off-putting, Carolyn?

This weekend, I plan to finish the book and write up my thoughts about it. I'll either post those thoughts here or in the postapocalyptic thread that contains the original reference to Davy. (In the meantime, I'll just note that there's much that I admire about the book, but--for me--admiration doesn't always mean enjoyment.)

 

[Chrystelia]

Just starting War of the Flowers by my favourite author - into prologue now and I'm already loving it. I think Tad was born to write books specially for me lol!

 

[dsmith]

I'm reading Bloodline by Kate Cary (just finished The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray by Chris Wooding.) Both very good books! I hope to pick up Blood Bound from my library soon.

 

[murphy]

Reading Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's Midnight Harvest. It's a story about the Compte Saint-Germain the vampire. This one takes place in the 1930s. Starts out in Spain and then progresses to San Francisco. Pretty good historical novel.

 

[j d worthington]

Thanks, Carolyn! I'll be very interested in your thoughts on this one!

 

[iansales]

Finished Dying Inside by Robert Silverberg. It's not one I'd have picked for the SF Masterworks series. Now reading Equator by Brian Aldiss.

 

[ice.monkey]

Just finished Artemis Fowl and the Opal Deception by Eoin Colfer. The first of his books I've read and I read this one (not the first) as it was given to me! Not my thing really, but had to give it a shot.

Now reading Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian. I've read many of Alexander Kent's naval novels featuring Richard Bolitho and am interested to see O'Brian's take. Loved the film, by the way.

 

[Pyan]

Chalk and cheese, IM - but just as enjoyable when you adjust to the different style.
Have you read the Hornblower novels by C.S.Forester, by the way? Generally regarded as some of the best in the genre, more here.

 

[Lenny]

The problem with starting at The Opal Deception is that it's the fourth in the series.

You really need to start With Artemis Fowl, then Arctic Incident, then Eternity Code, followed by Opal Deception and, last but not least, Lost Colony.

They might be more for the young 'uns, but they're still a good series.

 

[ravenus]

Legion - William Peter Blatty

Blatty, author of The Exorcist wrote this sequel to his book that completely discounts the existence of the movie sequel Exorcist II: The Heretic. Legion was later also made into a movie by Blatty himself and released as Exorcist III.

I have to say here that my memories of the Exorcist book are pretty vague, but in terms of its writing, Legion seems to take a more low-key approach. Lt. Kinderman who was a lesser character in the first book takes center-stage here. Kinderman's older now, and more world-weary. He has also seen too much to be implicitly trustful in the essential goodness of God. Kinderman sees a fresh set of ghastly murders occurring, done in the style of a maniac murderer of the past named the Gemini killer...only problem is the Gemini killer has been known to be dead for 15 years. Following the macabre trail, Kinderman finds himself more than once questioning his sanity and his faith.

What Blatty manages here is a less melodramatic but very solid build-up to his story and this time around the prose, especially the dialog, seems more punchy and clever. There are a couple of moments where it is almost too clever for its own good and the main character becomes a mouthpiece for arty navel-gazing, but those are rare and it is for most part a better-written book than its predecessor. If there are any disappointments in store it's essentially that after the groundwork is laid, both Kinderman's battle of faith and the novel seem to close all too abruptly, as though the forces of evil, after stacking all the odds in their favor, suddenly decided to quit because it was 'getting too late' or whatever (although Kinderman's theory of God and evil does explain to an extent in this regard, if you take it at face value).

On the whole it was a good read and I definitely intend giving a second look to the film adaptation of it.

 

[ice.monkey]

The problem with starting at The Opal Deception is that it's the fourth in the series.

Yeah, I knew it was fourth in the series when I started but as it'd been given to me I though I'd just dive in.

Have you read the Hornblower novels by C.S.Forester, by the way?

I did read one a long, long time ago in a galaxy... so long ago that I don't recall it much! I'll have to pick one up for comparison's sake. Only problem is, is that I've got a stack of books and a list of ones I want to read as long as my...scarf.

 

[HoopyFrood]

My mission, if I choose to accept it (damn, I have to!) is to read Jane Eyre in a weekend!

I don't need to sleep, right?...Nah.

 

[jackokent]

started JV Jone's A Cavern of Black Ice last night. It seems really good so far but I have got much of the way through it. I really enjoyed Barbed Coil by her.

 

[Mulgrave]

Read Eragon (kind of dull and crappy...) "Knife of Dreams", and half way through Gemmell`s Sword in the Storm, which is so far the better of the three.

 

[Jason_Taverner]

Re-Reading Midnight tides, then i going to go for steven donaldson thomas convent tril

 

[Karsa Orlong]

I just read Flowers for Algernon in one sitting. I was very moved by the end.