More Books from 2011
Second update of the books read list for 2011. 4 new books, including Name of the Wind!
Neuromancer, by William Gibson.
The Diamond Age, by Neal Stephenson, read by Jennifer Wiltsie
New Spring, by Robert Jordan.
Magician: Apprentice, by Raymond E. Feist.
The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien, read by Rob Inglis
Magician: Master, by Raymond E. Feist.
The Name of the Wind, by Patrick Rothfuss
Submarine, by Edward L. Beach. Jr., Captain, USN (Retired)
Storm Front, by Jim Butcher
@Magician: Master (Book 2 of the Riftwar Saga) - I already mentioned how much I love the Riftwar Saga. I won't bore you repeating myself here. Master is the second half of the first book (Magician) which was broken into two parts by the publisher. It wraps up the events of the first half nicely, leaving enough open for you to wonder how the world events unfold, but not so much that you are frustrated or unsatisfied. If the story had ended there, if would have been fulfilling. But when you tack on the next 2 books, if gets sublime. I'll get to them a little later this spring.
@Name of the Wind - if you have not read this yet, and are a fan of fantasy - don't even finish reading the rest of this post. Just leave your computer where it is, and go get ahold of a copy of this book. NOW, DAMMIT, NOW! That is all. First book of a trilogy, book 2 was just released last month, 4 years after this one. Hopefully, we won't have to wait 4 more years for the finale!
@Submarine - Interesting, though not-quite-thoroughly-explained accounting of the American submarine fleet in the Pacific Ocean during WWII. If you've seen (and enjoyed) Das Boot, this will be interesting and intriguing. If you haven't seen Das Boot, Go do it!
@Storm Front - The first of the books read that I picked up in my recent pillage of the closing Borders Books near home. Most of the store was thoroughly picked over, but I did manage a few plum scores. I first heard of Jim Butcher through a bunch of my writing resources. He apparently had an LJ where he wrote lots of advice on how to write novels, which I had read and found very useful and helpful. He mentioned in the blog about how he shamelessly used a few specific aspects of the advice he gives (such as scene outlines) in his books, and I wanted to check them out. Good Stuff. Hard-boiled Detective Fiction, where the Private Dick is also a Wizard. Kinda fun, but it did seem clunky enough to me to be work of a new writer. (still better than mine, mind you). I was able to see where he was following the outlines, sometimes blatantly and clunkily. But, I also see how and why it works. I liked it enough to want to follow the further adventures of the main character in the subsequent books. Also, to see if he gets better at smoothing and blending the outlines.
Also, I found out that the Sci-Fi channel turned his book series into a TV series, called The Dresden Fils. Both Hulu and Netflix have the entire 12 episode run of the series streaming. I think I'll have to check that show out!
That's all for now. Next up is the long awaited "Player of Games" by Iain M. Banks, which I have been searching for in libraries and book stores (chain, independent, on-line, and used) for 10 years unsuccessfully. I finally found 3 copies of it sitting in the above ransacked Borders Books. I am baffled, but thrilled.
Also, the second of Patrick Rothfuss's books is reserved for me at the library, and as soon as whoever is reading it now returns it, I get to read it! yay!
No worries,
Matt
@Magician: Master (Book 2 of the Riftwar Saga) - I already mentioned how much I love the Riftwar Saga. I won't bore you repeating myself here. Master is the second half of the first book (Magician) which was broken into two parts by the publisher. It wraps up the events of the first half nicely, leaving enough open for you to wonder how the world events unfold, but not so much that you are frustrated or unsatisfied. If the story had ended there, if would have been fulfilling. But when you tack on the next 2 books, if gets sublime. I'll get to them a little later this spring.
@Name of the Wind - if you have not read this yet, and are a fan of fantasy - don't even finish reading the rest of this post. Just leave your computer where it is, and go get ahold of a copy of this book. NOW, DAMMIT, NOW! That is all. First book of a trilogy, book 2 was just released last month, 4 years after this one. Hopefully, we won't have to wait 4 more years for the finale!
@Submarine - Interesting, though not-quite-thoroughly-explained accounting of the American submarine fleet in the Pacific Ocean during WWII. If you've seen (and enjoyed) Das Boot, this will be interesting and intriguing. If you haven't seen Das Boot, Go do it!
@Storm Front - The first of the books read that I picked up in my recent pillage of the closing Borders Books near home. Most of the store was thoroughly picked over, but I did manage a few plum scores. I first heard of Jim Butcher through a bunch of my writing resources. He apparently had an LJ where he wrote lots of advice on how to write novels, which I had read and found very useful and helpful. He mentioned in the blog about how he shamelessly used a few specific aspects of the advice he gives (such as scene outlines) in his books, and I wanted to check them out. Good Stuff. Hard-boiled Detective Fiction, where the Private Dick is also a Wizard. Kinda fun, but it did seem clunky enough to me to be work of a new writer. (still better than mine, mind you). I was able to see where he was following the outlines, sometimes blatantly and clunkily. But, I also see how and why it works. I liked it enough to want to follow the further adventures of the main character in the subsequent books. Also, to see if he gets better at smoothing and blending the outlines.
Also, I found out that the Sci-Fi channel turned his book series into a TV series, called The Dresden Fils. Both Hulu and Netflix have the entire 12 episode run of the series streaming. I think I'll have to check that show out!
That's all for now. Next up is the long awaited "Player of Games" by Iain M. Banks, which I have been searching for in libraries and book stores (chain, independent, on-line, and used) for 10 years unsuccessfully. I finally found 3 copies of it sitting in the above ransacked Borders Books. I am baffled, but thrilled.
Also, the second of Patrick Rothfuss's books is reserved for me at the library, and as soon as whoever is reading it now returns it, I get to read it! yay!
No worries,
Matt