2013 Book List

[authoress_susan]

Comments

[lewlinx]

Is Rick Riordan any good? I've been meaning to read some of his work but never get round to. What would you recommend I start with? Is The Mark of Athena part of a series?

Also, let me know how Gone Girl turns out, it's been on my radar for a bit...

[patricia_writes]

My son loves Riordan. He just started Athena and actually asked to come home tonight so he could continue reading on his Kindle.

[authoress_susan]

He might also like Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan triolgy. It takes place circa WWI, but it's an alternate steampunk/Darwinism sort of reality. Very creative.

[missblane]

I love them. :) The Mark of Athena is the third in the Heroes of Olympus Series, which follows the Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series. So you can start with Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief or if you start on the Heroes series, start with The Lost Hero. You will miss a fair amount of backstory, but, I think Heroes is better than Olympians, both in writing and storytelling. I'm also a fan of children's literature, so...

[sophierom]

Looking forward to any thoughts you have on Casual Vacancy. I haven't read it, and I'm not sure if I want to read it or not. I have so many other unread books on the shelf that I have time to decide!

[sophierom]

Oops, I meant to add "Happy New Year," but I hit the wrong button, tried to back, LJ crashed... excuses, I know! IN any case, "Happy New Year!"

[authoress_susan]

Happy New Year to you too!!!

[authoress_susan]

I'm in the middle of The Casual Vacancy. It's like reading something from an old friend who has matured in your absence. The characterization of the inhabitants of the English village is astonishing. It's edgy and insightful too. I'll post something about when I'm finished reading.

[patricia_writes]

Gah! I read the first chapter of Rowling's book and need to get back to it!!

[authoress_susan]

I'm struck how 'JK Rowling' it is; like I said above to Sophie, it's like seeing an old friend after a decade's separation. The characterization is astonishing! I'm about half way through it.

[myownmuggle]

Casual Vacancy was a nice read. Not overwhelmingly enthralled with it (and not because it's such a massive departure from HP)...it was enjoyable enough but wasn't a book that just grabbed my undivided attention. I'm currently reading a semi-biographical book about Pontious Pilot someone gave me. Also recently finished (again) An Infinity of Little Hours (nonfiction), which follows a group of men who join a Carthusian monastery. Carthusians are supposedly the world's most austere monastic order.

[authoress_susan]

I'm about half way through CV, and I'm finding the characterization remarkable. It's edgier than her previous work, but it's still Rowling-esqe.

One of my business professors claimed to be a direct descendant of Pontious Pilot. It was a question on a Production Operations Management exam. It's not something you forget, even after a few decades.

[missblane]

Good looking list you've got there! My own is quite long already. *sigh* Most of the books I've started and just not finished for one reason or another. Is that bad?

[authoress_susan]

It's not unusual. Sometimes I have to be in the mood for a certain type of book. Also, I usually read three or four books in a row and then I take a break. What books are you contemplating starting or restarting?