Books

[Kathy Li]

Really liked Old Man's War and most go find the rest of Scalzi's books. Sigh. So many books. So little time.

I enjoy the Temeraire novels (especially the Patrick O'Brian bits), but when we hit China in the third one, I knew we were in trouble. Serious weirdnesses abound in it, and the more you know about China and Chinese culture/language, the worse off it gets. For most folks, there won't be any problem. But for me there was some weird cognitive dissonance going on. I got to complain about the worst one to Novik at Worldcon.

She airily told me that she "just took out the apostrophes" from the Wade-Giles (when she was using Wade-Giles and wasn't confusing it with Pin-Yin, which she does in Temeraire's Chinese name, which is, like, on every frickin' page). I just sort of gaped when she said that. Because in Wade-Giles, an apostrophe isn't for elision--it's to indicate a different sound--in essence, a different letter (which is why we like Pinyin better these days. Pinyin just uses different letters).

And that's probably more than you ever wanted to know about that.

My only other criticism of Novik's Temeraire novels (and it's a minor quibble) is that sometimes, particularly in the aerial combat sequences, the dragons feel more like aircraft than they do beings of sinew, blood, and bone.

[wolf_wizard]

I have read the Bartimaes trilogy, adn I really enjoyed it. I liked his wicked sense of humor.

Anyway, meteorite, in your sig, you know the quote from A Wizard of Earthsea- that reminded me to mention those books. I personally enjoyed them... anyway, sorry for such a shortpost, but I really gotta go now- dai all.

[Dragon Writer]

garret: The series is WONDERFUL. Me and dad have already read all four of the ones currently out. You'll love them...Of course, i think everyone will love them, so who knows? :P
Still, i personally think it's wonderful writing.

[meteorite]

Just finished gnawing my way through Exile's Honor, one of the multitudinous Mercedes Lackey Valdemar novels. This one is about the Karsite Armsmaster, Alberich, and how a member of the Sunsguard ended up personal bodyguard to the Valdemar Queen and Weaponsmaster to train all the Heralds. I find that I like her military novels (or at least the ones from a military standpoint) best.

Kli, you will like Old Man's War. It reads a lot like Heinlein, although somewhat less libertarian. In this novel, old people are somewhat more expendable than the young ones who go off to colonize planets, and, having seen a lot more (shocking) stuff, are a lot mentally tougher and by virtue of experience more suited to military service. Of course, it helps that before they send you off into combat, they put you in a whole new body...

[Kathy Li]

ooo. You'll like the Novik.

Three books I just picked up in paperback: John Scalzi's Old Man's War because all my friends have been telling me to read it since it first came out. Our hero turns seventy-five, visits his wife's grave, and then goes to join the army. Sounds like a blast.

Toby Bishop (aka Louise Marley)'s second Horsemistress book, Airs and Graces (the first one was Airs Beneath the Moon). Very nice YA-type series in the McCaffrey mode about bonded winged horses and their riders. A bookseller friend of mine, though, says that it's a lot darker than the gormless my-pretty-pony cover would indicate.

And Linnea Sinclair's Down Home Zombie Blues, which is (as all her other books are) really a space opera/romance novel, but this one's fun because for the first time her kickass spaceship captain heroine is meeting her hero on our earth, in our time. Usually the hero's a cybernetic warrior or an alien telepath or something, but this time he's just a Florida homicide cop. Should be neat.

[Garrett Fitzgerald]

I finally picked up His Majesty's Dragon with a Borders gift card last weekend, but I haven't started it yet -- I've been finishing up a couple of re-reads first.

I got another card yesterday, so I think I'll go for World War Z: An Oral History Of The Zombie War, by Max Brooks (Mel's son). It was highly recommended by one of my LJ friends, and leafing through the other night, I could see why.

[Kathy Li]

I'm about halfway through Captain's Fury by Jim Butcher (It's the fourth of the Codex Alera books), and I'm soooooo happy I picked up this series. It's just so much fun. I'm being bad and skip-reading ahead to find out what happens to Isana. No idea why, but she's my absolute fave character in a series full of characters I like. A little court intrigue, a little magic, a few non-human races, a lot of Roman soldiering--it's an absolute blast.

I'm particularly beginning to like the Cane warriors (eight-foot-tall dog-like beings) with their strict sense of honor and the ability to rip your throat out with their teeth. Oh, and the leviathans (who eat whales) are pretty awesome, too. The ocean battles are a blast.

I know I've mentioned this series before, but just in case you didn't catch my recommendation the last time, it's a series about a teenage boy named Tavi, set on a world where the human society is based upon a Roman legion, but where they've also been able to bond with elemental beings called furies. The better your ability to bond and the greater your power, the higher up in the Roman society you are. At this point, the First Lord, the ruler of Alera, is in his eighties and has no heir, and all the great houses are jockeying for position. Tavi's parentless, but lives with his uncle and aunt on their farm out in the far reaches of Alera, and barbarian hordes are invading.

Tavi, uniquely, cannot use furies at all, which makes him an outcast and a target, and we basically follow him on his adventures, as well as his aunt, his uncle, the First Lord's spies and agents, and eventually leading to Tavi joining the legions as a soldier.

It's written with the kind of zest you usually only find in really really enthusiastic gamers. Some of it feels just like a big really good D&D adventure. It's action-packed. The first book in the series is called Furies of Calderon.

If you like the Alera series, I'd also recommend picking up Butcher's other series, which is more urban fantasy/detective with vampires and wizards: the Dresden Files. There was a short-lived tv show based on the books on the Sci-Fi Channel, but the show wasn't quite the same as the books.

[Dragon Writer]

I read both, and loved them both. They were good series, really...*thinks* anyone read Snow, by tracy lynn? It was a good book.
Or books by Jennifer Fallon, for that matter.

[EricG1793]

Anybody read The Bartimaeus Trilogy, by Jonathan Stroud?

Or The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch (that's book one, there are at least two) by Joseph Delaney?

[Dragon Writer]

He said in the newsletter he couldn't fi t it all, i believe, so you're basically right. I'd have put it in the Eragon topic, only that topic is closed, and it seemed too much trouble to request it oppened just so i could make that comment.

[Clara]

Really!!! Another book in the Inheritance trilogy??? Thats soooo Awesome!!! I can't wait for the third one to come out! Anybody know when that will be??? I guess Christopher Poalini just couldn't bring all the loss ends toghether into just one book, I knew that if he did it would be like a 1500 page book or more! I memorised all of the things that must be finished off. First a new Dwarf king has to be named, then Ronan has to rescue Cathrina, then Eragon has to finish his training, he has to fullfill the profecy that Angela gave him in the first book, and get a new sword, and open the vault of souls(or something like that, its been a while) then if he hasn't already Eragon has to defeat the Razac, He has to finally kiss Ayra( is that how you spell it?) and knew dragon has to be born, Eragon has to defeat the evil emporor and then Saphira has to rebuild the Dragon species! It going to be a very long book, I am kind of glad that there will be 4 books instead of three!

[wolf_wizard]

I know she's making another HP book, but it still won't be the same.

there is going to be a 4th book in the "Inheritance trilogy"??? YES!!!!!! that is really awesome!!!!!!!!!

[Tuttle]

I'm not sure if anyone has recommended them before, but I think it seems a good idea to recommend a few books. I'd recommend the Space Trilogy of C. S. Lewis to people. I'd been cleaning up my room and organizing books and thought of those being good to recommend. Also in general for those who like fantasy the author T.A. Barron who I think has been recommended before.

I just got a new book last night that looks interesting but different than most of what's mentioned. It's The Pillars of the Earth. About a family and a cathedral is about all I can explain, but its my boyfriend's mom's new favourite book (she's half annoyed Oprah choose it as a book because most Oprah chooses aren't good books and this one is) so she gave me a copy. It looks interesting.

I also want to mention Enchantress from the Stars and other books by that author. I just saw that she published a new book which is not young adult but adult, but looks really interesting and I want to get with the money I have from christmas.

[Dragon Writer]

J.K. Rowling is actually creating another book for Harry Potter. One putting in book form all the things that happen after the series. She's already told everyone about what they all do, but apparently someone tried to make a book saying what she's already said, and she got really upset and intends to make an ACTUAL book.
Oh, and Eragon is no longer a trilogy. There will be a fourth book. *grins*

[wolf_wizard]

OH,OH,OH, I HAVE read one of those books. I thought that I had... I liked it, even though I only just read "A Sending of Dragons" I think I should get the 1st and 3rd book soon, so I can have read all of the books that have come out. did you say the author was writing a new one? YES!!!!!!!! Even it was a little wierd... it was still good. Sorry for yelling, but I'm a little hyper right now...