Just finished Captain Vorpatril's Alliance, and am now on the last (chronologically) book in the Vorkosigan Saga. I'm sad to see it end; these books are surprisingly well written (for what amounts to somewhat pulpy space opera).
In other news, I almost used high Vor to refer to someone who was attempting to act like a member of the aristocracy. Nobody got the reference.
Just finished Captain Vorpatril's Alliance, and am now on the last (chronologically) book in the Vorkosigan Saga. I'm sad to see it end; these books are surprisingly well written (for what amounts to somewhat pulpy space opera).
In other news, I almost used high Vor to refer to someone who was attempting to act like a member of the aristocracy. Nobody got the reference.
I'm currently on the third (chronological) book in the saga. It's one of the most recommended series to my by listeners to my podcast, and has a huge following, but for some reason I never even tried it. I guess I thought it would be like the Honor Harrington series, which I tried and was simply one of the worst things I've ever read. Thankfully so far it has been the opposite of my expectations on a book by book basis. As in, starting the third book and it's completely different from most of the first two, but in a good way yet again.
I like the gradual progression of the characters (including relatively minor ones) throughout the (chronological) arc of the series. Also, it took me until the penultimate book to realize that groundcars didn't have wheels (they're actually hover-cars that use fans, but it isn't a major plot point).
I have really been enjoying my Audible subscription since I can listen to work or when I am playing time killing games like Kerbal Space program or Minecraft.
I have recently completed The Master Switch, In the Plex, Who controls the Internet, Super Mario, Blink, Most of the Tales of the Otari books, and am currently working on Public Parts, where Wizards Stay Up Late, and in real book form I am reading Captive Audience.
Just finished The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken. Young kids start to develop psychic and elemental powers and the country does not react well. They establish prison camps, try to create an army of Psi kids, the whole thing. A young girl makes it out of her prison camp, and the book is her story.
I haven't gotten weepy reading in a while, but this one got me. Watership Down references along with major, major upsets in the plot and a sly, emotionally raw backdrop. Not bad.
Finishing up the Prince of Nothing trilogy made me want to revisit some of my old favorites, so now I'm 1/2 way through the third book of the Belgariad. It's very nearly as good as I remember it being from when I was 12. I'm picking up on some interesting examination of moral relativism I missed the first time.
I also finished Consider Phlebas. It read like an old pulp about pirates, but set in space. It wasn't precisely when I was expected but I enjoyed it. Anyone here have any suggestions as to which culture novel i should read next?
I also finished Consider Phlebas. It read like an old pulp about pirates, but set in space. It wasn't precisely when I was expected but I enjoyed it. Anyone here have any suggestions as to which culture novel i should read next?
I'm almost done with Consider Phlebas. Technically the next in the series after "Player of Games" is "The State of the Art." However, "The State of the Art" is a collection of short stories. I think when I read the next one I will go straight to "Use of Weapons" which is supposed to be pretty good.
Just finished Alif the Unseen. It's an interesting, magical-realist take on the whole "hacker goes against government, shit goes down" plot, from an Arabic perspective.
Just finished Alif the Unseen. It's an interesting, magical-realist take on the whole "hacker goes against government, shit goes down" plot, from an Arabic perspective.
Just requested it and Consider Phlebas from the library. Finished Lord of Light and there's a very good reason it is listed among the all time greats. Just started The Daylight War, which is the third volume of Peter Brett's Warded Man trilogy. IMO it's a much better than average fantasy series.
Dammit Doctorow! Right now I'm reading a collection of his short stories, entitled With a Little Help From My Friends. One of them features a United States with a collosal security aparatus that crunches through all public (and a lot of not-so-public) data and disappears anyone whose actions create anomalies that don't fit within the standard deviation. I started reading that the day that PRISM was revealed.
Read Alif the Unseen. I liked it but more for the novelty of reading an Islamic-friendly fantasy novel than anything else. All the characters -- except the Imam -- felt a little flat to me; they didn't change a lot from the beginning to the end. That said, I will definitely read her next book.
Ah yes, Alif the Unseen. I read an early version and did not expect anything supernatural to happen until it was right there on the page. Love the cover art on the hardcover editions. Her nonfiction book is a good read as well, Butterfly Mosque. If you're into that sort of thing you should check it out.
I believe she also did some comics, but I haven't read them...
I'm reading Jingo, the Yiddish Policemen's Union, Politics and Poetics, and working through Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. Something snapped in my brain and now I can read four books at a time.
Jingo is up there with my favourite Discworld books. There is something delightful about the parody of the British military.
Wrapped up the first book in The Lost Fleet Dauntless. Was surprisingly not crap. Had a couple of interesting concepts with some interesting characters. Where it was let down was the poor or indistinguishable descriptions of some of the battles in space. I get that it is hard but events got lost in the mix. A solid B if there ever was one.
Started on The Alleyman from the No mans World series. The idea of a missing battalion in WWI is actually transported through majics to another world. Plays rather well on the politics of the time and of the social changes. Not bad but not amazing.
I'm reading Jingo, the Yiddish Policemen's Union, Politics and Poetics, and working through Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. Something snapped in my brain and now I can read four books at a time.
I've read all four of those and while I'm not a huge Aristotle fan the other three I really love. Well chosen.
Finished up Soulless this past week. Gentlemen werewolves and poncy vampires in high society. The Victorian humor was kind of lost on me but I did learn it is quite a faux pas to mess with a werewolves cravat. Next I'm going to tackle Great North Road this coming week.
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In other news, I almost used high Vor to refer to someone who was attempting to act like a member of the aristocracy. Nobody got the reference.
I have recently completed The Master Switch, In the Plex, Who controls the Internet, Super Mario, Blink, Most of the Tales of the Otari books, and am currently working on Public Parts, where Wizards Stay Up Late, and in real book form I am reading Captive Audience.
I haven't gotten weepy reading in a while, but this one got me. Watership Down references along with major, major upsets in the plot and a sly, emotionally raw backdrop. Not bad.
I also finished Consider Phlebas. It read like an old pulp about pirates, but set in space. It wasn't precisely when I was expected but I enjoyed it. Anyone here have any suggestions as to which culture novel i should read next?
Finished Lord of Light and there's a very good reason it is listed among the all time greats.
Just started The Daylight War, which is the third volume of Peter Brett's Warded Man trilogy. IMO it's a much better than average fantasy series.
Now on to Consider Phlebas.
I believe she also did some comics, but I haven't read them...
Wrapped up the first book in The Lost Fleet Dauntless. Was surprisingly not crap. Had a couple of interesting concepts with some interesting characters. Where it was let down was the poor or indistinguishable descriptions of some of the battles in space. I get that it is hard but events got lost in the mix. A solid B if there ever was one.
Started on The Alleyman from the No mans World series. The idea of a missing battalion in WWI is actually transported through majics to another world. Plays rather well on the politics of the time and of the social changes. Not bad but not amazing.