Which book are you reading currently? #6

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The Fifth Elephant - Terry Pratchett

 

Have just finished, Lords of the North – Bernard Cornwell. I was a little disappointed with the second book in the series, but this one got me into it again. I believe now that the problem with the second book was not the book itself as it was the translation to Portuguese.

Now I’m starting Cloud of Sparrows - Takashi Matsuoka. I’ve heard good things about the writer, so let’s see how the book comes along.

 

Just finished Chris Moriarty's Spin State

Not sure what to say about it. I liked it, but I'm not sure I'd recommend it to anyone who isn't already a hard SF fan.

 

Jeffery Deaver's The Vanished Man. It would work better as a film, but at least is entertaining.

 

I finished The Amber Spyglass and I have to say that the ending has to rank up there among the most disappointing and anti-climactic endings that I have ever come across. I could probably produce a huge list of plot elements where my thoughts on the matter pretty much amount to a big question of WHY???

On the train ride home I will be starting on Robin Hobb's Forest Mage. I didn't like the previous book so I am not expecting much. From the sounds of the blurb the annoying heavy handed political/environmental preaching will be even worse in this one.

 

The second book is really better, JSBB. Not only is there more action, but the plotting is much more intersting. I could go into detail, but I don't want to give too much of the story away. I think the plotting may even surprise you a bit.

 

Yeah, I found that the ending of Amber Spyglass kinda sucked as well.

Anyway, I just finished another re-read of Agatha Christie's Towards Zero as well. Now I may start "What Color is Your Parachute: 2007 revised edition. Has anyone ever read this book?

 

If there is more action then I would really like it to start soon. At this point I am about ready to toss the book in the trash.

He is mysteriously getting fat and everyone else is horrified. I get it already. I didn't really need to hear it over and over and over again for the last 60 pages. I suspect that I will continue hearing about it for the next 60 pages. Ugh. The first 100 pages of the book should have been condensed down to maybe 30 pages.

 

Tower of Glass by Robert Silverberg. I'm feeling some heavy handed religious right ideology coming through (comparision of growing up to letting go of atheism, the proletariat ceasing to exist due to their genetic inferiority with only the clever capitalists breeding - when I read this one I almost stopped).

 

Atmer, tell us when you finish Cloud of Sparrows what you thought of it.

Finished The Ghost Brigades, which is sequel to Old Man's War. Not as good as Old Man's War. A good editor would have helped a lot. I probably won't bother with the third book, now out in hardcover, unless especially good reviews persuade me when it becomes available in paperback.

 

Rev, the reviews I've seen say The Last Colony is weaker than OMW or TGB.

Finishing up Matthew Woodring Stover's Blade of Tyshalle. It probably should've been titled 'Everybody dies', because, um, that's pretty much what happens.

 

@revmaf

I've read Cloud of Sparrows and it's sequel Autumn Castle. I enjoyed both. If you want a fairly heavy Samurai-esque historical fiction, I think you'll enjoy it.

 

Thanks, enag, I'm accumulating books for a beach vacation next month and I may add Cloud of Sparrows to the stack.

 

Its nothing as grand or heavy as Clavell's Shogun but a good read still. Get the sequel as well, I thought it was even better.

Now reading Peter David's Sir Apropros of Nothing. About 1/4th through. He really is a sh*t but an entertaining one. I've never had a protagonist quite as cynical as this. He's even worse than a disillusioned FitzChivalry Farseer.

 

I finished reading Syrup by Max Barry last night - one of those books that totally engage your attention. Except for the bits where I laughed, I was grinning the entire time I spent reading it.

 

started the next part of the trilogy: The Woad to Wuin by Peter David.

Apropros is a right bastard but damn he can be funny.

 

Just wait 'til you see what happens to him--and because of him--in the Japan analogue. Now that's hilarious.

 

I don't normally give a general recommendation to a book but I have just finished reading "1632" by Eric Flint. It was given to me quite some time ago but I didn't think it the type of book I would enjoy so put it aside. Desperate for something to read I picked it up and couldn't put it down.

It is a fun read. I even enjoyed reading about King Gustavus Adolphus's battles. Quite a man and too bad he got killed young. Our history would have been quite different had he lived to be successful.

Since some one might be interested in reading the book I won't say much about the plot. Not sure what genre it would be. The opening is a fantasy IMO but the rest might be called sci-fi or just drama.

Some folks might have a problem understanding that the West Virginia "hillbilly" mentality is based on fact if a wee bit glamorised.

If you enjoy a fun read with battles and some politics this is a good book. Oh, there is even romance.

 

I just finished Woad to Wuin. I don't know if it was "better" than the first, but it was certainly more involving. I couldn't stop reading it, I slept at 4am A very good look at what happens when a person turns into the very thing he despises..

I'm starting the 3rd one now Amaster, Tong Lashing.

 

1632 was fun enough to read, I got the sequel as well and it was booooooring.

I am reading the first book in "the Saga of the Seven suns" by Kevin J Anderson. Seems to be decent enough sci-fi, nothing world shattering but might be worth reading the whole thing.