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I'm reading The Big Picture by Edward Epstein. It's an interesting book that seems to be going into some of the details about how a movie's made, with particular emphasis on the "financial" side of things.

I might start up Peter Brett's The Desert Spear, but it may be a long time coming. I just finished Painted Man/Warded Man, and I really started losing interest near the end of it (and there were several characters I wasn't too hot on the whole time). Then throw in some of the reviews about TDS, about how it Spoiler , and I'm not exactly enthusiastic to start.

Yeah, there's no denying that the society depicted in The Desert Spear is pretty brutal. Jardir does seem to be changing things, ever so slightly, for the better, but he would still be convicted for crimes against humanity in any civilized country.

I enjoyed the book, although not the brutality scenes, including another round of that "brutalized recruits become tough soldiers" meme so common in right wing wank sci-fi. You learn more about the corelings and how they relate to the world, as well as seeing some advancement in Arlen's character. Leesha comes across as a bit of a Mary Sue, but considering the other two characters are the Deliverer and the Sar Dama Ka (other messiah character), it seems more reasonable. While there is an unfortunate amount of rape (mostly offscreen), there is also a ton of consentual sex. I guess Brett was thinking "Everyone gets laid!" You might want to wait and see how the next book is received, since the Desert Spear is very much a middle book in a series.

I just started The Atrocity Archives by Charles Stross, it's definitely not what I expected and a lot funnier than the title sounds.

muse wrote:I just started The Atrocity Archives by Charles Stross, it's definitely not what I expected and a lot funnier than the title sounds.

That's brilliant. Did you get the one that has the extra short stories at the end?

And once you are done with that, prepare to enjoy The Jennifer Morgue even more.

The third book in the Laundry series is out as well now, The Fuller Memorandum. It's a tighter thriller than the previous two, but still finds time for plaenty of funny.

And I just requested that my local library purchase it... Gotta wait for paperback to match my collection.

About to read Moscow 1812: Napoleon's Fatal March by Adam Zamyoski. I've heard good things about the solid quality of the research behind it, so I ordered a copy from a local bookstore.

I'm taking a break from fantasy and am working on Clive Cussler's Valhall Risisng. A decent entry in the Dirk Pitt series.

JME2 wrote:I'm taking a break from fantasy and am working on Clive Cussler's Valhall Risisng. A decent entry in the Dirk Pitt series.

Is that the one where South American Nazzies want to build huge ass ocean liners and kill the rest of the world's population?

JME2 wrote:I'm taking a break from fantasy and am working on Clive Cussler's Valhall Risisng. A decent entry in the Dirk Pitt series.

The argument can be convincingly made that Cussler is the height of fantasy.

[R_H] wrote:

JME2 wrote:I'm taking a break from fantasy and am working on Clive Cussler's Valhall Risisng. A decent entry in the Dirk Pitt series.

Is that the one where South American Nazzies want to build huge ass ocean liners and kill the rest of the world's population?

No, that's Atlantis Found.

weemadando wrote:

JME2 wrote:I'm taking a break from fantasy and am working on Clive Cussler's Valhall Risisng. A decent entry in the Dirk Pitt series.

The argument can be convincingly made that Cussler is the height of fantasy.

Fair point. But I've just slugged my way through the Harry Potter and Narnia books; maritime historical fiction and thrillers are a needed break. And I haven't re-read Cussler in a while, so it's good to come back to the series.

Under the Banner of Heaven by Ken Krakauer. Those wacky, wacky Mormons! :::shudder:::

weemadando wrote:That's brilliant. Did you get the one that has the extra short stories at the end?

And once you are done with that, prepare to enjoy The Jennifer Morgue even more.

It has "The Concrete Jungle" at the end so that's only one short story, I take it there's a version with several stories?

I'll see if my libraries have a copy of The Jennifer Morgue somewhere, I'd buy it but I really have no space left in my place.

I am now going through The Truelove. The series is fast approaching its end, only 5 more after this! If anyone has read 21, the unfinished novel, is it worth reading it even though it is unfinished? I hate reading unfinished works usually, but I make exceptions for exceptional cases.

Would also be interested in other novels or series of a similar flavour. They don't need to be nautical in setting, something set during the Napoleonic Wars or Regency Period would be good too.

I finished Belarus last weekend. Bought it at a second hand bookstore, which meant they didn't have the second book in the series.

It was quite good, I especially liked the Baba Yaga and Grigory (blood red gems where his eyes were) characters. The introduction to the setting was way too rushed though, the author tried to describe it far too quickly. I hope she writes more novels set in that universe though, because it's quite interesting.

The last books I bought, I bought a few months ago. Upon seeing them at the second-hand bookstore's sci-fi section, I instantly knew I had to buy them, no question.

One of the books was Neuromancer. Self-explanatory.

The other one was The Legend of Banzai Maguire by Susan Grant. I never heard of it, but once I saw the cover and the synopsis at the back*, I knew I had to acquire it.

*Behold:

The year: 2006. The mission: routine. Or so U.S.A.F. pilot Bree "Banzai" Maguire thinks. Then she's shot down over enemy airspace, captured and put in bio-stasis. When she wakes, everything's changed. It's one hundred and seventy years later--2176--the world is in crisis, and she's a hotly contested prize. Once, Banzai's job was to protect democracy; now a mysterious voice claims she must bring it back.

Two men vie for her heart. Kyber, her captor, the rich, ruthless Emperor Prince of Asia, has all a man could desire. Then there's U.C.E. SEAL commander and would-be rescuer Ty Armstrong. He has all the right moves. With two such choices, Banzai regrets she has but one heart to give for her country.

Unfortunately, despite being unemployed and bumming at home, I have not yet started reading anything so far. Neuromancer is on my desk, and this one is at the head of my bed.

Bah, I am so lazy.

I found Neuromancer a letdown, but by the time I read it I had already been spoiled by Neal Stephenson.

Nightbringer, a Warhammer 40k novel by Graham McNeil. Reminds me a lot of the old EE Doc Smith Lensman series.

Except some of the torture scenes are more gruesome and explicit.

I'm working on Steig Larsson's The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. An engrossing mystery; I can't put it down.

JME2 wrote:I'm working on Steig Larsson's The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. An engrossing mystery; I can't put it down.

I read it a couple weeks ago, I felt the same way about it as well. I didn't like the second one though.

The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson. It's an alternate history where the Black Death wipes out 99% of Europe. But it's not like other alternate histories. It has an epic scope, and I really like how he's incorporated reincarnation inhere.

I am currently reading The Court of the Air by Stephen Hunt, a steampunk/magic/political thriller, and it is absolutely awesome. The pace is unbelievable and the characters and world are well-realised and three dimensional.

I started reading Soul Hunter.

Has anyone here heard of or read any of the Shadowspan books (SM Stirling)?

I'm reading Fool Moon, book 2 of the Dresden Files. After that I think I'll finish reading Book 1 of the Codex Alera. But maybe not, I have a long queue of books to read.

[R_H] wrote:I started reading Soul Hunter.

Well, I finished it yesterday evening. I was a bit disappointed that it didn't continue with Zso Shaal, but Talos was an interesting character, especially that he was an Apothecary and his "second sight" ability. The Night Lords (the 10th conpany anyways) came across as ill-disciplined and raggedy (having no spares, basically no artficers, doing no recruiting) - the price of largely remaining untainted?