Books

[Kathy Li]

Originally posted by bluesalamanders:
I've just finished the first two Song of Ice and Fire books and...well, they're ok. I don't get why so many people are raving about how incredible and amazing they are, though. While I'll read as many books as there are (I don't even know how many there are - my sister sends them to me as she finishes them), they're not books I plan on ever reading again.

Just curious, Blue, but do you read a lot of historical fiction? Because most of the ASoIaF fans I know are all sort of goofy over not just Tolkien but historical fiction as well. We all read Dunnett and Tranter and O'Brian and the like, and what Martin's doing in ASoIaF is something very similar, only with a fantasy twist on top. There are mysteries below the surface and clues very carefully planted. In fact, GRRM was a little put out when I mentioned something to him that I'd noticed in the last one--there are four so far--(which I only noticed because I was on a board of crazies who do nothing but analyze and re-analyse the books), because he'd thought he'd buried it deeper than that. [grin].

Can totally see how he wouldn't appeal to some folks, though. But I read all his science fiction novels, his superhero shared-world anthologies, and then watched all the tv shows he worked on, and was a fan of his for two decades before ASoIaF came out, so there wasn't much question I'd like it, much as there's no question that any new book DD puts out pretty much finds its way to my shelves.

Meteorite: new King hc at the end of this month! And it's a Kate Martinelli! (I'm so hyped).

[Sean L.]

Mmm...that could be it.

ASoIaF didn't appeal to me much. I couldn't get past the first book even, though I'll return for a crack at it sometime in the near future.

Right now I'm re-reading Robert Anson Heinlein's Moon is a Harsh Mistress and a few more of his works, John Scalzi's Old Man's War, and tBoNwM.

[bluesalamanders]

Just curious, Blue, but do you read a lot of historical fiction?

No. I mainly read fantasy and science fiction (and science fantasy). I generally read for pleasure, for relaxation; I don't find these books very relaxing. But I wasn't particularly fond of LotR, either. As for Fire and Ice's carefully planted clues...I've found many of the twists so far pretty obvious. Not all of them, of course, but most of it hasn't been too surprising.

Also, I find the way sex is presented in the books highly distasteful. Someone in a livejournal book community asked for recommendations for YA f/sf books and one person suggested this series...for that reason alone I disagreed.

Blue

[Kathy Li]

Originally posted by bluesalamanders:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Just curious, Blue, but do you read a lot of historical fiction?

No. I mainly read fantasy and science fiction (and science fantasy). </div>[quote]Yup, then it makes sense that ASoIaF wouldn't be your cuppa.

I generally read for pleasure, for relaxation; I don't find these books very relaxing. But I wasn't particularly fond of LotR, either. As for Fire and Ice's carefully planted clues...I've found many of the twists so far pretty obvious. Not all of them, of course, but most of it hasn't been too surprising.

Yeah, most of us saw Jon's true parentage coming from a mile away. If you make it to the fourth one, you'll have to tell me if you found the missing Sand Snake.

Also, I find the way sex is presented in the books highly distasteful. Someone in a livejournal book community asked for recommendations for YA f/sf books and one person suggested this series...for that reason alone I disagreed.

Anyone who recommends ASoIaF as a YA series needs their head seriously examined. This is not a YA series in any way, shape, or form, and I've always been clear on this board when recommending it that it's R-rated. Marketeers seem to think that having teenaged protagonists automatically makes a YA book. It's a Very Bad Idea.

[meteorite]

Hee! kli, I am now about 1/4 of the way through The Art of Detection. Is it my imagination, or does this dovetail with the last Russell/Holmes book, set in San Francisco? It sounds like pertinent parts might fit in between events in Locked Rooms. Any rate, my respect for Laurie King's research abilities rises with each of her books.

[Angel_Star]

young reader:
Unfortunately, no one seems to be interested in wheel of time. Those who have read it get discouraged at the first book. It really is a great series, it just has a slow start, and it picks up before to long.

*squeals* Oh. My. Goodness. I absolutely adore the Wheel of Time series. I went through a phase where I'd have like one of the series per week to bring to school, and people would make comments like, "That's bigger than the History book!" or "Wow, those are huge. Why are you reading _that_?" Of course, I also got one teacher commenting on them and saying how much her son loved them, who happens to be in college.

Heh, I'm such a dork. I don't know why I like those books so much. Probably 'cause I actually have to think while I'm reading to keep up with all the things going on. I haven't read them in over a year, though, so my memory is kinda off.

Let's see, the last book that I read that was really any good would have to be Rebel Angels by Libba Bray. I grabbed a few books that looked good from the library, so hopefully something is actually worth reading in that rather large and heavy stack.

[Kathy Li]

Originally posted by meteorite:
Hee! kli, I am now about 1/4 of the way through The Art of Detection. Is it my imagination, or does this dovetail with the last Russell/Holmes book, set in San Francisco? It sounds like pertinent parts might fit in between events in Locked Rooms. Any rate, my respect for Laurie King's research abilities rises with each of her books.

Ack! I have not yet had time to get my hands on this one. Dang, now I have to. Curse you!

As for King's abilities to do research, well, 1) she's a Bay Area local. That probably helps a whole heap of a lot when researching, well, San Francisco and its history. 2) She was an academic, and did her masters in theology at Berkeley's BTU. She would definitely know her way around a library and about interpreting texts.

[meteorite]

Warning: possible spoilers ahead!

<span class="ev_code_WHITE">Part of the book is written as a short story in the Holmes/Russell milieu; I suspect Ms. King may have done it as a preliminary exercise for Locked Rooms, or perhaps she intended to let it stand alone as a novella and submit it for publication elsewhere.</span>

Later note: Aw, nuts! I intended to try to put the commentary on the story in white type, but failed miserably. Extensive fiddling required. I was forced to hoover up the book faster than I would have liked. It's a library book, and other people are starting to discover her novels; a waiting list has formed.

[Angel_Star]

I just read/reread the trilogy called The Watcher's Quest or something of the like. I had read the first two books, The Watcher and The Seeker, a while ago and really enjoyed them. When I saw the third one, The Finder, in the library the other day, I grabbed all of them so I could get my memory refreshed. Good thing, too, 'cause I had forgotten about half of the first book and almost all of the second. Anyways, it turned out to be a very nice trilogy that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. The first two books are rather small, the third between small and average (meaning somewhere around 400 pages...). They're rather small in size, too, like...uh...dimension-wise, if that makes any sense.

I've still got a rather large pile to make my way through before my trip to Florida so I can grab some more to keep me occupied on the long drive down there.

[Kathy Li]

So, having been recommended the same series by folks whose taste I trust (and who work in very cool sf/f bookstores) twice within 24 hours of each other, I must now pass the word along. I've read the first of the three books, and it's really good. I'd say it's rated PG-13, the violence is non-graphic, and the sex is of the offstage variety.

The Temeraire series, by Naomi Novik has been described by nearly everyone as "Patrick O'Brian with dragons." And then somewhere in the description, the name McCaffrey will be mentioned. Basically, the premise is that dragons exist and are used for aerial combat in the Napoleonic Wars. Like McCaffrey's dragons, they partner with humans at hatching, and form affectionate bonds with them, but like O'Brian's historical naval warfare books, the dragons fight battles with a crew and a captain.

Novik's got period and language down (which is a lot harder than it looks--she's coined the military rank of midwingman), and has come up with principals for aerial combat that makes Quidditch look simple.

It's good stuff.

[Sean L.]

That reminds me of two things, Kathy - first is the Pit Dragon series, by Jane Yolen, and the second one a duology by Mercedes Lackey, Joust and Alta.

Quidditch is simple - it's 3D soccer

[Kathy Li]

Myself, it's reminding more of Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin, and C.S. Forester's Hornblower. Anyhow, I found the website for the series, which has links to the author's blog, and excerpts for the books. Here's the excerpt for the first book.

[meteorite]

Thank you for inflicting a new thing on me
Now I have to go out and look for the series. I am a fan of the Dragonrider series, the Aubrey/Maturin series, and the Hornblower series, so this seems to combine some of all of them successfully.

"Sir, you have debauched my sloth!"

[AlidaART]

Ah! The Pit Dragon series. I've always secretly adored those. I'm not entirely sure why; perhaps it was the Catch 22-style political manouevering that the whole plot came out to be. Fascinating. Though I must say, nothing else by Jane Yolen has ever really clicked for me. I tried reading Sister Light, Sister Dark or whatever it's called, and came to an abrupt halt at the phrase "black tears" after struggling through the first few chapters.

But as for the series Kathy recommended--I've heard of these too. Is one of your sources perhaps Sherwood Smith? Because I noticed that she said on her website that she was reading and enjoying them.

[Kathy Li]

Originally posted by meteorite:
Thank you for inflicting a new thing on me

I live to serve. I should perhaps mention, though, that the O'Brian comparisons are mostly all about the setting. Novik's prose style and complexity of situation is much simpler than O'Brian's.

Originally posted by AlidaART:
Is one of your sources perhaps Sherwood Smith? Because I noticed that she said on her website that she was reading and enjoying them.

Nope, my sources were from folks who work at Other Change of Hobbit and Mysterious Galaxy. But the buzz is definitely making the rounds, particularly in the LiveJournal community, since the author wrote the book as locked entries on her LJ.