February Booklog
Mar. 1st, 2012 12:32 pm![[personal profile]](http://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
netgirl_y2kOnly one reread this month, and it was Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire because I started rereading the series over New Year and am continuing in a sort of I've started so I'll finish type way. Actually, as I remember I read the first four books a lot when I was in school, and then only read the next three once apiece when they came out, so I only remember when happens next in the vaguest possible sense, so that ought to be fun.
Also:
Komarr & A Civil Campaign - Lois McMaster Bujold I've been enjoying this series greatly, but as much I love Miles (and I really do) I read some of the earlier books with a slight sense of resentment, "Why would you take Cordelia away? Give her back! I loved her!" But ever since, say, Brothers in Arms I've been racing through the series and finding each successive book better than the one before. And I very much liked Komarr and surprised myself with how much I liked Ekaterin because none of Miles's previous love interests had really clicked for me. But A Civil Campaign was easily my favourite so far. I loved the Barrayaran comedy of manners and Miles's aborted attempt to introduce Ekaterin to his parents-- "Mother, Father, may I present-- she's getting away!" But, because my favourite thing about these books are when they do interesting things with gender, I completely adored the Lady Donna/Lord Dono subplot. A sex change as a way around male primogeniture, I love it! And I loved Dono's reaction that the view from the top of the food-chain was panoramic. I would read all the fics about Dono and Olivia's marriage, or Dono broadening Ivan's horizons.
The Magicians - Lev Grossman You know those books you finish out of a vague sense of masochism and so you can talk about how much you didn't like them? Well, The first half of the book takes place in Brakebills magical college, imagine Hogwarts with more drinking and sex, the second half takes place in Fillory, the fictional world that our protagonist has been obsessed with since childhood, basically Narnia. And while, to give the book it's due, it takes a certain amount of nerve to sit down and rewrite Hogwarts and Narnia, the Brakebills and Fillory sections feel like two different books so the pacing feels weird and off. And the characters, oh the characters, they are all repulsive and awful, and not in a charming fun way, but in a repulsive and awful way. But the worst offender is our protagonist Quentin Coldwater. Okay, I have a certain lack of sympathy for special, powerful male characters who whine about their lot in life, and have pain like no one else has ever known, especially if this pain came on the back of a dead woman or two. But often these characters are charming or interesting enough that I can overlook this to various degrees. Quentin is not one of these characters, nor is he charming or interesting in any way whatsoever. Suffice it to say I will not be reading The Magician King.
Changeless - Gail Carriger I read the first book in The Parasol Protectorate series last summer and thought that it was perfectly fine, but it didn't make me want to dash out and get the sequel. This was a mistake, because I think the series really found its feet with this one. The characters and the relationships felt much less forced, and it ended on a hell of a cliff hanger so I'm sure i'll be quicker off the mark getting to the third one.
Embassytown - China Mieville I've liked everything of Mieville's I've read, but with some of them, the Bas-Lag trilogy especially, it felt like the basic story got a bit lost under the layers of look how clever I am-ness. There was a still a lot of really clearly clever stuff about language and communication going on in there, which I liked a lot, but it felt like it was adding to the story of the alien zombie apocalypse. Oh, yes, alien zombie apocalypse.
Warbreaker - Brandon Sanderson People have been reccing Sanderson to me for ages and I thought I'd start with this 1) because it's a standalone and I wouldn't be committing myself to a huge series, and 2) it was the one that was on sale the day I was in the shop. It took me about two thirds of the book to really get into it, the world-building and magic all felt a bit flat, maybe because it was a standalone rather than a series? But once I got into it I really got into it and fell in love with the two princessly sisters a bit. So, I don't know, is it worth giving Mistborn or The Way of Kings a shot?
Anyway, now I am going to reread some Discworld books for hilarious fic writing purposes. I'm enjoing writing ASOIAF fic, but it's hard to be funny with.
Also:
Komarr & A Civil Campaign - Lois McMaster Bujold I've been enjoying this series greatly, but as much I love Miles (and I really do) I read some of the earlier books with a slight sense of resentment, "Why would you take Cordelia away? Give her back! I loved her!" But ever since, say, Brothers in Arms I've been racing through the series and finding each successive book better than the one before. And I very much liked Komarr and surprised myself with how much I liked Ekaterin because none of Miles's previous love interests had really clicked for me. But A Civil Campaign was easily my favourite so far. I loved the Barrayaran comedy of manners and Miles's aborted attempt to introduce Ekaterin to his parents-- "Mother, Father, may I present-- she's getting away!" But, because my favourite thing about these books are when they do interesting things with gender, I completely adored the Lady Donna/Lord Dono subplot. A sex change as a way around male primogeniture, I love it! And I loved Dono's reaction that the view from the top of the food-chain was panoramic. I would read all the fics about Dono and Olivia's marriage, or Dono broadening Ivan's horizons.
The Magicians - Lev Grossman You know those books you finish out of a vague sense of masochism and so you can talk about how much you didn't like them? Well, The first half of the book takes place in Brakebills magical college, imagine Hogwarts with more drinking and sex, the second half takes place in Fillory, the fictional world that our protagonist has been obsessed with since childhood, basically Narnia. And while, to give the book it's due, it takes a certain amount of nerve to sit down and rewrite Hogwarts and Narnia, the Brakebills and Fillory sections feel like two different books so the pacing feels weird and off. And the characters, oh the characters, they are all repulsive and awful, and not in a charming fun way, but in a repulsive and awful way. But the worst offender is our protagonist Quentin Coldwater. Okay, I have a certain lack of sympathy for special, powerful male characters who whine about their lot in life, and have pain like no one else has ever known, especially if this pain came on the back of a dead woman or two. But often these characters are charming or interesting enough that I can overlook this to various degrees. Quentin is not one of these characters, nor is he charming or interesting in any way whatsoever. Suffice it to say I will not be reading The Magician King.
Changeless - Gail Carriger I read the first book in The Parasol Protectorate series last summer and thought that it was perfectly fine, but it didn't make me want to dash out and get the sequel. This was a mistake, because I think the series really found its feet with this one. The characters and the relationships felt much less forced, and it ended on a hell of a cliff hanger so I'm sure i'll be quicker off the mark getting to the third one.
Embassytown - China Mieville I've liked everything of Mieville's I've read, but with some of them, the Bas-Lag trilogy especially, it felt like the basic story got a bit lost under the layers of look how clever I am-ness. There was a still a lot of really clearly clever stuff about language and communication going on in there, which I liked a lot, but it felt like it was adding to the story of the alien zombie apocalypse. Oh, yes, alien zombie apocalypse.
Warbreaker - Brandon Sanderson People have been reccing Sanderson to me for ages and I thought I'd start with this 1) because it's a standalone and I wouldn't be committing myself to a huge series, and 2) it was the one that was on sale the day I was in the shop. It took me about two thirds of the book to really get into it, the world-building and magic all felt a bit flat, maybe because it was a standalone rather than a series? But once I got into it I really got into it and fell in love with the two princessly sisters a bit. So, I don't know, is it worth giving Mistborn or The Way of Kings a shot?
Anyway, now I am going to reread some Discworld books for hilarious fic writing purposes. I'm enjoing writing ASOIAF fic, but it's hard to be funny with.
no subject
Date: 2012-03-01 05:32 pm (UTC)If you're a fan of epic fantasy with an emphasis on the epic than pick up The Way of Kings. If you're not so fond of epic fantasy then give it a pass until you find it for free/cheap. There are ten books planned in the series just to give you an idea.
I highly recommend Mistborn. It's utterly fabulous in every way. From awesome female protag to amazing twists and it turns a lot of fantasy tropes on their heads.
An interesting note about Sanderson is that all of his fantasy books exist in the same overarching universe. You don't need to read them all to understand the others, but if you do read them all you find all sorts of hints and stuff. It's like an extra bonus.
no subject
Date: 2012-03-01 07:32 pm (UTC)But awesome
no subject
Date: 2012-03-02 02:13 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-03-01 10:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-03-02 02:21 am (UTC)Yeah, I was going to avoid another freakishly long epic fantasy until Wheel of Time was done with, but I figured I should support the guy who's finishing it so I picked up Way of Kings.
I really need to read Alloy of Law now that I'm thinking about it.
no subject
Date: 2012-03-01 09:19 pm (UTC)I'd go for his other standalone first, Elantris, before trying Mistborn. Save Way of kings for last because that thing is ridiculously complex and a tad long lol.
Btw Sanderson always has quite a few strong female characters in his books, so I know you'll enjoy that.
no subject
Date: 2012-03-01 10:29 pm (UTC)Elantris, cool. That's the one I almost bought instead of Warbreaker (it was also on sale)
no subject
Date: 2012-03-06 09:40 pm (UTC)Yeah, A Civil Campaign is about my favorite Miles book, and agreed that I miss seeing more of Cordelia in most of the Miles books.
Okay, The Magicians is on my Amazon wishlist but I'll keep your disrecommendation in mind. (Certainly not buying it at the currently listed price!)
Hmm, maybe I should look into Embassytown. (I hadn't been too impressed with The City and the City and had run across a few bad reviews, so hadn't been rushing to read anything new of Mieville's lately.)
And oh,
Have not read Brandon Sanderson, but I've added it to my wishlist for future consideration.