Kevin's Watch

I thought Neverwhere was the silliest thing...

lucimay wrote:
sorus, i've started reading Ashes at your link. looks good.

Awesome! I'll loan you my copy. Argh. The launch party is tonight (in Arizona, darnit) - I've been fantasizing all the last week about dropping everything and jumping on a plane. But I'm too practical. And broke.


edit: Totally thrilled that you liked it - I'm on a bit of a crusade here. You would probably like Draw the Dark too.

Damn, what's wrong with you Americans? Neverwhere is probably my favourite Neil Gaiman book of all time. London Below? The Black Friars? The Angel Islington?

Maybe it's partly because I lived in London for a few years, so I have associations with all the places/things, but I think it's a great and fun little read.

Anyway, now I'm rereading Gemmel's Troy series.

(Being a fast reader is a curse. According to the GF, the two phrases I'm most frequently heard to utter are "Where's my book?" and "What am I going to read next?" )

--A

It's the silly "*GASP* He dared insult a rat?!??"s that get me. No reason or explanation why we should or must revere rats. It's just silly.

I prefer "fun" myself.

--A

Avatar wrote:Damn, what's wrong with you Americans? Neverwhere is probably my favourite Neil Gaiman book of all time.

I concur. I personally rank Neverwhere even above the Sandman series, which in itself was a bloody awesome read.

---

Finished the Mistborn series a week or so back; the quality of writing fluctuated somewhat in-between the tomes, but the third truly picked up the plot that had turned a tad pancake-ish during the second, in a fast-paced wash of slam-blam-action-smacktion. This is apparently the same author who's finishing Wheel of Time (Brandon Sanderson); definitely going to check out more of his works.

Now I'm attempting The Gardens of Moon again.

lucimay wrote:finished ali's Swan Song which i liked very much ali!!
(was a bit weepy at the end *sniffle*)

Aw, thanks, luci! (Jeez, the ending is making *every*body cry...)

Finishing up Terry Pratchett's Making Money. Next on tap is DotD's Blackbirch Woods.

Yay, Terry Pratchett. That was a good one.

I'm finishing up a couple of rereads, then Swan Song is next on my list.

Sorus --

Nearly finished Joe Abercrombie Best Served Cold which should have been called Best Not Read.

Zorm wrote:This is apparently the same author who's finishing Wheel of Time (Brandon Sanderson); definitely going to check out more of his works.

He's doing a very good job on the WoT books. Better than I'd even hoped for.

Now I'm attempting The Gardens of Moon again.

If people struggle with GotM, I usually suggest skipping it and going straight to DHG. Once you've read 2-4, GoTM actually makes sense.

Ali wrote:Finishing up Terry Pratchett's Making Money.

A pretty good one. I just reread all the Tiffany Aching books again recently. See a new Watch book is out.

Oh...I'm on the second of Gemmel's Troy books, Shield of Thunder.

--A

Avatar wrote:He's doing a very good job on the WoT books. Better than I'd even hoped for.

My adventures in WoTland ceased around the 5th book, as the narration began crawling around in circles. This gives me hope that I might be able to finish the series someday.

Apparently another Mistborn novel (The Alloy of Law) is coming out around the same time as Pratchett's Snuff. Might just as well continue with that (The Way of Kings sounds a wee bit too clunky to be read alongside with Malazan).

If people struggle with GotM, I usually suggest skipping it and going straight to DHG. Once you've read 2-4, GoTM actually makes sense.

Frankly, I am somewhat befuddled by the bucking plot. Might as well do that, granting that any upcoming characters are re-introduced at least with a few paragraphs.

Zorm wrote:

Frankly, I am somewhat befuddled by the bucking plot. Might as well do that, granting that any upcoming characters are re-introduced at least with a few paragraphs.

You don't get any introductions in Malazan - all characters (well, most) arrive fully developed in possession of vast powers that could, frankly, wipe out your average fantasy world without a thought. Annoyingly, you start a new book in the series, and 99% of the characters you've just got the hang of in the previous book are nowhere to be seen and you start with another gamut of hugely potent characters. (Saying that, even your 'lowly' marine or even peasant, sometimes, can take out a superpower)

Just accept that on your first read of the 8(?) bible-sized books, you really won't have the brain capacity to piece it all together and understand who is who and why.

On your re-read, however, (if you get past Felisin TWICE!) it all comes together and you get lots and lots of 'O-o-o-o-oh' moments that make the 2+ years of your life spent reading them, all worthwhile!

That's my and I'm sticking to it!

Stonemaybe wrote:You don't get any introductions in Malazan --
Just accept that on your first read of the 8(?) bible-sized books, you really won't have the brain capacity to piece it all together and understand who is who and why.

Aa, so it's even more different from my original expectations. Well, I'll just have to take this slowly and see what becomes of it.

Started A Dance with Dragons. Gonna be a long one, it's a huge book with thin paper and small font, heh.

Murrin wrote:Started A Dance with Dragons. Gonna be a long one, it's a huge book with thin paper and small font, heh.

Yes, yes it was.

Stone -- there are 10 Malazan books now. 13, if you count Esslemont's books. And there are another -- what, 4? -- books Erikson wrote about Bauchelain and Korbal Brooch. (I haven't read the B & KB books -- the characters kind of gross me out, to be honest.)

Just to be clear, Zorm, I wasn't talking about YOUR brain capacity, just the average,higher-than-normal-intelligence-quota-KW-poster.

Edit - TEN???? I should've finished my read before I started my re-read.

Malazan is a great read... I named my cat after one of the characters

Gardens of the Moon is just starting to get really interesting.

Stonemaybe wrote:Just to be clear, Zorm, I wasn't talking about YOUR brain capacity, just the average,higher-than-normal-intelligence-quota-KW-poster.

I don't know what the average here is, but I deem one must be fraught with some extra brain capacity to appreciate the depth of TCTC and SRD's vocabulary, to start with. Knowing my own IQ, however, I have no business banging on the doors of Mensa. If the novels pose even a slight challenge to this audience, then they must be complex (not that this in itself encumbers matters; I love to put my mental cogwheels rolling when I'm reading a story).