I hated hated hated “Consider Phlebas”, should I try again with “The Player of Games”? The problem is that I read “Consider Phlebas” more than 20 years ago (
I think I’m old!) and I don’t remember what exactly I hated so much.
I was on vacation in a remote location and it was the only SF book the local bookstore had, that and perhaps a bad translation (it was in spanish) may have influenced my opinion of it.
I was underwhelmed by Consider Phlebas and liked The Player of Games more, but it didn’t wow me, either. I may read more Banks after this, but I can’t say I’m champing at the bit to do so. I think Joe Haldeman, John Scalzi and George R.R. Martin are all better contemporary sf writers.
Finished The Face in the Frost , by John Bellairs, which I enjoyed, especially his descriptions of Prospero’s house.
Now I’m reading Raising a Rare Girl: A Memoir, by Heather Lanier.
Currently giving a chance to The Player of Games, so far it has kept my interest.
Concurrently reading Edward III by Mark Ormond, a biography of the king who started the 100 years war, which is good but a bit too dense for me.
I finished the most recent Rivers of London book False Value by Ben Aaronovitch. As usual it was quite a thrill ride from beginning to end and I hope a couple of the new characters stick around going forward.
Now to finish Wraith Hunter by Clara Couldon, the third book in her series City of Crows, magic, mayhem and destruction in and around Aurora Michigan.
Finished Raising a Rare Girl: A Memoir , by Heather Lanier, which is excellent.
Now I’m reading Take a Hint, Dani Brown, by Talia Hibbert.
Just got my grubby little hands on the latest Dresden Files book Peace Talks, so the other books are on hold until I finish with it (ETA: tomorrow afternoon)
The Boy from the Woods by Harlan Coben.
Just finished the Levon Cade series (currently 7 books) by Chuck Dixon. Dixon is a long time DC comics author that actually created Bane. He switched to prose fiction about 6-7 years ago. The character, Levon Cade, is an ex-military (ala Jack Reacher type), single father, etc. Books are very fast paced and tight.
Finished it tonight. A very satisfying mystery leading to a knotty moral dilemma, resolved with a judicious bit of gunplay by the good guys at the end. Funny, exciting and chilling by turns, and one of the better Spenser books, I’d say.
Having recently seen and enjoyed the Netflix miniseries loosely based on it, I’ve now begun Unorthodox by Deborah Feldman. It’s got a lot more about the author’s childhood than the show, but so far, that’s OK.
Finished Peace Talks late yesterday, it was good but seemed somehow rushed as if it couldn’t decide which story it wanted to tell and ended up mixing 2 different books in one.
Now resuming the regularily scheduled Edward III and The Player of Games
Finished Take a Hint, Dani Brown , by Talia Hibbert. Meh.
Now I’m reading Browsings: A Year of Reading, Collecting, and Living with Books, by Michael Dirda.
I finished The Chill by Scott Carson (aka Michael Koryta). I enjoyed it, it was well-written, I cared about the characters…but there was way more information about the dam building than there was about the ghosts. Maybe he’ll get it right next time.
Starting today on The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, by Becky Chambers. Between the cover art and the blurb on the front proclaiming it “Great fun!”, I was expecting more of a Hitchhiker’s Guide type deal, which it definitely isn’t. That’s cool, though. Liking it so far.
New T. Kingfisher!
A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking
I have Chambers on my birthday wishlist.
Another Chambers fan here–I read Record of a Spaceborn Few earlier this year. I think A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet is slightly better, though.
Finished Browsings: A Year of Reading, Collecting, and Living with Books , by Michael Dirda, which I liked.
Now I’m reading A Study in Sherlock: Stories Inspired by the Holmes Canon, edited by Laurie R. King and Leslie S. Klinger.
I’m about a quarter of the way through it and it’s ok but not great. Lots more on her childhood and early teen years than I expected. I had no idea the Satmar have such sweet tooths - she goes on and on about the cakes, pastries and fudge they’re munching on.
And I’m reading The Sign of Four.
From These Ashes by Fredric Brown - a collection of all his short science fiction and fantasy
Finished several books since my last posting.
The Queen of Air and Darkness by Poul Anderson – a novella, but I’d never read it. it won several awards, and is kind of like Sherlock Holmes vs. tTitania in Outer Space.
Soon I will be Invincible by Austin Grossman – a super hero comic in prose told from the POV of the supervillain and one superhero. An impressive effort, considering that Grossman (a major videogame designer, apparently) had to create his own collection of superheroes and supervillains (although he pretty clearly draws on existing superheros and their tropes, especially Superman and Batman).
Re-read H. P. Lovecraft’s The Case of Charles Dexter Ward. Man, he threw a LOT of Providence RI history into that one.
Too Much and Never Enough by Mary Trump. A very quick read. Not surprising.
Hope Never Dies by Andrew Shaffer. Barack Obama and Joe Biden, after their eight year run in office, are detectives. Weird and interesting. Told from the POV of Biden. There’;s a sequel, Hope Rides Again, that I probably won’t get to.
Five Weeks in a Balloon and Robur the Conqueror by Jules Verne. I like to read at least one Verne novel every summer. I’d never read Five Weeks in a Balloon before (or seen the two movies based on it). I’d read Robur the Conqueror many years ago (and read the Classics Illustrated version, and seen the Vincent Price movie adaptation), but older editions of Verne aren’t to be trusted. we’re in the midst of what I think of as the Third Jules Verne Renaissance, and his books are being re-translated and annotated, often issued unabridged for the first time. Both of these books were recent translations (with new annotations) from Wesleyan University Press. well worth the reading.