More Books from 2011
Third update of the books read list for 2011. 3 new books this time.
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
The Wise Man's Fear, by Patrick Rothfuss
Fool Moon, by Jim Butcher
A Player of Games, by Iain M. Banks
This is a list of seconds, apparently. Each of the 3 books listed today are second published in a series. The Wise Man's Fear is the second book in Rothfuss's Kingkiller Chronicles, which wil be a trilogy when the third book comes out. Fool Moon is part of Butcher's Harry Dresden novels about dark fantasy creatures living in present day Chicago, which are at this point going on a dozen or more I believe. And, finally, A Player of Games is set in Banks' Culture series, about a fara future pan galactic multi-alien leftist socio-anarchist utopian civilization.
@The Wise Man's Fear - First off, This is only Rothfuss's second published novel, and it took 4 years to come out after the first one. That said, this man is a friggin' genius. If any of the novels I wind up writing are a quarter as good as this series is so far, I will consider myself a master. Has anyone read this series yet? I know radnama has at least read the first one, but I don't know if she's read the second yet. I seriously need someone to chat with me about events, predictions for what will happen in the third book, and to generally squee with me about the awesomeness of the series. I NEED to talk to people about this series! salixmom, hurry up and finish that audiobook reread of the entire Wheel of Time, I need you to read/listen to this series ASAP!!!
@Fool Moon - I am unsure how I feel about the Dresden series. I really want to like it, and it has all the hallmarks of something I should really like. one of the back-cover blurbs discribed the series as "Sam Spade meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer", and I totally get that vibe from it. But, something about it just ....falls flat for me. It seems almost too scripted, and too clichéed. I know it's hard to make "too scripted" seem appropriate for a book, but, while I didn't know what twists and turns were coming in the plot, I did know exactly when those twists and turns were coming next. It almost seemed like I was sitting in the room with the author as he was writing the book, and listening to him wonder, "What should I throw at Harry next? X? Nah, not insane or nasty enough. How about Y? Maybe, but how about X beating Y with a pipe while Z is on drugs? Yeah, let's try that." And then that would be 1 chapter, then next two would be spent dealing with the fallout of that event and working into the overall plot of the book, and then he would sit back and go through the same decision process again. I am hoping that it's just evidence of Butcher's lack of maturity as an author at this early stage, and that he gets better and more subtle as the series goes on, but I don't even know if I'm willing to continue reading to find out.
@A Player of Games - I had been eagerly anticipating this book for a long time. I had read a blurb about it that made it seem so amazingly awesome that it was dubious that any real book could live up to the hype in my mind. I will say that the actual novel did a great job of living up to that hype, though expectedly, not quite perfectly so. This was a great book. I really enjoyed it. I would definitely recommend it. But I think I let the buildup overshadow the real thing. And that's always sad, like seeing the movie version of a book that you have loved for a long time - it's great nd fun and wonderful, but it can never measure up to the original in the end. I will, however, definitely check out more Iain Banks in the future. (When publishing sci-fi, he goes with the middle initial, when publishing mainstream novels, he leaves it out. Fun little quirk, that.)
Currently in progress: With the Old Breed, by E.B. Sledge. I'm only in the first chapter, but it comes highly recommended, and I am enjoying it so far. I find it fascinating that the Marine who wrote it later went on to earn his Ph.D., and became a tenured Microbiology professor after the war. After that? Dunno, maybe the latest Naomi Novik or Sue Grafton. Both are calling to me, one from the bookshelves at home, one from the library.... Also, must read more Connie Willis and Gene Wolfe!
No worries,
Matt
This is a list of seconds, apparently. Each of the 3 books listed today are second published in a series. The Wise Man's Fear is the second book in Rothfuss's Kingkiller Chronicles, which wil be a trilogy when the third book comes out. Fool Moon is part of Butcher's Harry Dresden novels about dark fantasy creatures living in present day Chicago, which are at this point going on a dozen or more I believe. And, finally, A Player of Games is set in Banks' Culture series, about a fara future pan galactic multi-alien leftist socio-anarchist utopian civilization.
@The Wise Man's Fear - First off, This is only Rothfuss's second published novel, and it took 4 years to come out after the first one. That said, this man is a friggin' genius. If any of the novels I wind up writing are a quarter as good as this series is so far, I will consider myself a master. Has anyone read this series yet? I know radnama has at least read the first one, but I don't know if she's read the second yet. I seriously need someone to chat with me about events, predictions for what will happen in the third book, and to generally squee with me about the awesomeness of the series. I NEED to talk to people about this series! salixmom, hurry up and finish that audiobook reread of the entire Wheel of Time, I need you to read/listen to this series ASAP!!!
@Fool Moon - I am unsure how I feel about the Dresden series. I really want to like it, and it has all the hallmarks of something I should really like. one of the back-cover blurbs discribed the series as "Sam Spade meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer", and I totally get that vibe from it. But, something about it just ....falls flat for me. It seems almost too scripted, and too clichéed. I know it's hard to make "too scripted" seem appropriate for a book, but, while I didn't know what twists and turns were coming in the plot, I did know exactly when those twists and turns were coming next. It almost seemed like I was sitting in the room with the author as he was writing the book, and listening to him wonder, "What should I throw at Harry next? X? Nah, not insane or nasty enough. How about Y? Maybe, but how about X beating Y with a pipe while Z is on drugs? Yeah, let's try that." And then that would be 1 chapter, then next two would be spent dealing with the fallout of that event and working into the overall plot of the book, and then he would sit back and go through the same decision process again. I am hoping that it's just evidence of Butcher's lack of maturity as an author at this early stage, and that he gets better and more subtle as the series goes on, but I don't even know if I'm willing to continue reading to find out.
@A Player of Games - I had been eagerly anticipating this book for a long time. I had read a blurb about it that made it seem so amazingly awesome that it was dubious that any real book could live up to the hype in my mind. I will say that the actual novel did a great job of living up to that hype, though expectedly, not quite perfectly so. This was a great book. I really enjoyed it. I would definitely recommend it. But I think I let the buildup overshadow the real thing. And that's always sad, like seeing the movie version of a book that you have loved for a long time - it's great nd fun and wonderful, but it can never measure up to the original in the end. I will, however, definitely check out more Iain Banks in the future. (When publishing sci-fi, he goes with the middle initial, when publishing mainstream novels, he leaves it out. Fun little quirk, that.)
Currently in progress: With the Old Breed, by E.B. Sledge. I'm only in the first chapter, but it comes highly recommended, and I am enjoying it so far. I find it fascinating that the Marine who wrote it later went on to earn his Ph.D., and became a tenured Microbiology professor after the war. After that? Dunno, maybe the latest Naomi Novik or Sue Grafton. Both are calling to me, one from the bookshelves at home, one from the library.... Also, must read more Connie Willis and Gene Wolfe!
No worries,
Matt