Kevin's Watch

Ainulindale, thanks for the heads-up on Naomi Novik's new trilogy. I checked them out on amazon, and they have two things going for them already. Beautifully matched, colorful cover artwork, dragons clutching stopwatches with a Napoleonic Era motif within the watchface. And the books being released in March, April and May, no long waits in between for forgetful readers like myself.

The basic premise sounds great to me, a combination of history and fantasy. I'll definitely be looking into these.

My U.K. edition came today in the post - the cover is rather striking as well. At any rate, now 250 pages in, and at this point I have to give this a thumbs up. The way Novik fits the dragons into the society, and the relationship/bond between dragon and aviator, and the social truths of it is absolutely fascinating. I'm really enjoying this book, at this point - more complete thoughts tomorrow.

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Started "Neverwhere" by Neil Gaiman.

Excellent book. Wish I had a copy, I'd love to re-read it.

--A

I just finished Namoi Novik's His Majesty's Dragon (or Temerarie in thr U.K) the buzz series from Voyager next year. It's written pretty in minimalist fashion, and reads very quickly, but I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it, especially regarding the relationships of dragons and their aviators, and there place in society. Full review in a couple of weeks.

Almost done with Eco's Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana. Not entirely sure what next to read at the moment.

Started "Neverwhere" by Neil Gaiman.

One of the better straightforward 'A to B' books. Love the villain duo.[/quote]

Finishing up: Shadow of the Hegemon by Orson Scott Card

Ainulindale wrote:

Started "Neverwhere" by Neil Gaiman.

One of the better straightforward 'A to B' books. Love the villain duo.

Yeah, I liked Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar too. Sort of reminded me of Vizzini and Fezzik from Princess Bride.

I decided to give Michael Swanwick's "The Iron Dragon's Daughter" a try and am about halfway through it at the moment. So far, it's interesting enough to keep going with it.

Believe it or not, I spent the last three days reading Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan, and actually became engrossed enough that I haven't been online in the last two days, all my free time spent reading (and late into the night, too).
I may keep saying I've 'moved on' to 'better' books, but I guess some of my mild obsession with the series still lingers (back when I read it - they were the first books in the constant stream of reading that I've been in since - I read the nine books in the series (ten, during the rereads) three times in a row, without any breaks in between, finishing each book in about three days). I think I was still letting myself get attached to characters and story back then (hence why I read the Sword of Truth series for five or six books without really disliking it, whereas I open one of those books now and find myself repulsed by the horrible writing), and let myself get carried away so much by this one the effect still lasts. Anyway, back to Gaiman...

Finished "The Iron Dragon's Daughter" yesterday, then finally got a hold of "A Feast For Crows", so I've been reading that.

Still plowing through AFFC.

just started the Runes of the Earth

(should have waited for paperback)

AntiGrav, old sci-fi short stories by the likes of Stanislaw Lem, Harry Harrison, and other golden agers. Some real short. Enjoying it.

--A

Reading The Cosmology of the Wider Wold by Jeffrey Ford and Leviathan by Paul Auster.

Finished "A Feast For Crows" and started "Snow Crash" by Neal Stephenson.

Ainulindale wrote:Reading The Cosmology of the Wider Wold by Jeffrey Ford and Leviathan by Paul Auster.

Auster is very cool! I absolutely love In the Country of Last Things. Oracle Night and The New York Trilogy were good. I own Mr. Vertigo, but haven't read it yet.

I finally decided to pick up 1984 and give it the read. I'm ahead enough in my philosophy books to give them a break, I figure. Seneca and Taoism = very fast reading, as it's divided into short poems (in case of Taoism) and letters/correspondence (in Seneca's case).

Also reading Feast for Crows on-and-off. Reading it in e-book form. Yeah, I know, blasphemy.

Lord Foul wrote:I finally decided to pick up 1984 and give it the read. I'm ahead enough in my philosophy books to give them a break, I figure. Seneca and Taoism = very fast reading, as it's divided into short poems (in case of Taoism) and letters/correspondence (in Seneca's case).

Also reading Feast for Crows on-and-off. Reading it in e-book form. Yeah, I know, blasphemy.

Ninteen Eighty Four is classic. I love that book.

Putting other books down as I just got The Thousandfold Thought by R. Scott Bakker!

Auster is very cool! I absolutely love In the Country of Last Things. Oracle Night and The New York Trilogy were good. I own Mr. Vertigo, but haven't read it yet.

I thnk Auster is one of 2 dozen or so best authors alive currentlt- eagerly anticipating his rlease of this month Brooklyn Follies

Snow Crash is excellent Encryptic, and as for 1984, one of the best horror stories I've ever read.

I'm about half-way through Earth by David Brinn. (Read it before, but got my own copy now.)

--A

Finished R. Scott Bakker's TheThousandfold Thought - powerful, the best completed epic sequences in at least 25 years IMHO.

I finished Mordant's need and am reading The One Kingdom. SRD and Robin Hobb both praised it, and I hold both in high esteem, so...

However, it's starting a bit slow.

Russell has already shown some talent with creating characters that have real, distinct personalities. Now I just need to get pulled in. (If it happens. Hope so!)