Books Read 2010

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Jeff V
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Re: Books Read 2010

Post by Jeff V »

The Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky:

Bill Bryson provides an entertaining book of history and anecdotes in telling the story (in a round-about way) of how the English language came to be what it is today. There are some interesting tidbits regarding philology (the history of words) and linguistics (how speaking patterns cause languages to evolve). There is the usual (for this topic) parade of English language conundrums, such as how "flammable" and "inflammable" mean the same thing. It really is a wonder that non-native speakers can pick it up as well as they can. Speaking of, he also covers the large amount of foreign words incorporated from other languages. I found it interesting that some of the French and Italian phrases we commonly use either are no long in use in their original language or mean something completely different. I guess my language skills aren't quite as cosmopolitan as I thought they were.

The history of the language was particularly interesting, coming as it did from ancient Germanic Jutes and Saxons as they colonized England during the vacuum created during the withdrawal of the Roman Empire. We might be all be speaking French these days if snooty French aristocrats hadn't insulted the English for their crude accents. The spread of the language worldwide as the most important commercial language is fascinating -- among the things I didn't know that only a handful of the world's 170 or so major airlines use English as their primary language.

Bryson also commits a good portion to the study of dialects; efforts to enumerate them, what defines them, and what impact they have overall on the evolution of language. Here he doesn't focus on English alone, but includes the neighboring Gaelic languages spoken in Scotland and Ireland as a demonstration on how divergent dialects can become. He also shows a word can evolve a completely off-the-wall meaning through a series of mutations -- using cockney English as an example, he takes several phrases or words that start with a known meaning, then changing them to something synonymous, then having the synonym slurred or truncated, then the result being a homonym that leads to another synonymous word and by then you have a word that gains the meaning of a completely unrelated word or phrase.

Bryson ends the book with a study of the origins of various types of word play, from anagrams to rebuses to crosswords.

Many of the anecdotes in this book I've heard before, but it doesn't lessen the entertainment value. It's an easy read, nothing dense along the lines of Steven Pinker. The next time you hear someone utter the phrase, "the exception proves the rule," ask them to explain what that means. Buy them a drink if they know that an archaic definition of "proves" is "tests," and using the latter rule, you discover that the "rule" is being invalidated, often not what is meant when that phrase is uttered.
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Re: Books Read 2010

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Finished Digital Fortress by Dan Brown. Kasey, you were right. It wasn't that good. I couldn't wait to finish it, though.

So I could move onto my next book, that is!!

Boy's Life by Robert McCammon.
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Re: Books Read 2010

Post by Jeff V »

Tales of the Seven Seas - The Escapades of Captain Dynamite Johnny O'Brien by Dennis Powers :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky:

A curious title, given the Wikipedia definition of the "Seven Seas" includes: The Red, The Black, The Mediterranean, The Caspian, The Adriatic, the Arabian, and the Persian Gulf -- and as far as I can tell reading this book, Captain "Dynamite" Johnny O'Brien sailed none of those. A trivial matter, however, as the captain did spend more than 60 years of his life aboard ship, mostly as "master" or captain. Before there was "The Deadliest Catch", Captain O'Brien was plying the Alaskan coast, shipping men for the Yukon and Nome gold rushes, and construction supplies for the budding railroad industry. He also knew well the route from the Pacific Northwest to Hawaii to South Pacific isles such as Tahiti and he even spent a fair amount of time in Hong Kong. Before the Panama canal was built, he shuttled ships and cargo around the horn; the railroad industry hadn't quite put shipping between the coasts out of business. And he did a few runs to Europe, although he always seemed to wind up back in the Pacific Northwest.

O'Brien learned his trade aboard brigs and cutters at the tail end of the Age of Sail. Back then, the captain was the undisputed king of his domain. Anyone who challenged that sovereignty was likely to get decked -- literally -- by the captain himself. Since seamen rarely came from the upper-crust of society, some of these hit back -- with murderous intent. O'Brien's life was often violent, and he found himself on death's door numerous times, some by accident, some because of aggression by violent crewmen. One of these crewmen -- mate Robert "The Wolf" O'Malley, was a particularly nasty bastard with a pedigree that included international murder. O'Brien would later recount tales of O'Malley to Jack London when the future author was on his way to Alaska to see fortune during a gold rush. It is thought that the title character in London's "The Sea Wolf" in part incorporated some of the stories O'Brien related about O'Malley.

He always bounced back, however, usually quicker than his doctors would have liked. It seems he had little trust of the crew around him -- they all seemed intent on sinking the ships from under him. Storms, navigation errors, poorly secured cargo were just some of the hazards that occurred all too often. O'Brien would also assist other ships in distress -- not an entirely altruistic endeavor as this usually lead to a nice financial reward. And the one thing O'Brien was never good at was finance. Why else would the captain still be working as a pilot in the treacherous Columbia River sand bar at age 80? As the author mentions, social security and 401(k) retirement plans were still well off in the future.

"Dynamite" Johnny O'Brien (he got his nickname on a voyage where he risked life and limb extracting a load of dynamite from a flooded cargo bay during a storm lest moving cargo trigger an explosion) lived a full life of adventure where nearly everything did was on his terms. Culled from his logs and journals, Powers tells the story of this remarkable man in a somewhat dry narrative. The book jacket makes the claim that the reader will "smell the sail in the air and hear the ocean's rush" but rather than a "you are there" impression, we get a "he was there." It's a good thing the subject matter itself was good enough to not need much help; reading a lesser tale written in this style would have been a drag.
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Re: Books Read 2010

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Haven't reported in in awhile. Not sure which of these I've mentioned here or not. Sorry if there is some repetition.

Mining the Oort - Frederik Pohl - Short novel I borrowed from the library to pass the time during a few commutes. Nothing special. Mostly social commentary. Mars colony social engineering has their people genuinely feeling a sense of community and communal wellbeing as a way to reduce conflict and violence, whereas Earth has mostly taught their people to suppress their hostility and let it out during physical therapy. Martians have for the most part genuinely "cured" hostility while Earthicans just fake it. It's all set to the backdrop of harvesting asteroids to terraform Mars. A big meh.

The Colour of Magic - Terry Pratchett - Probably well known by most people, this was my first foray into the Discworld universe. Fun, whimsical, silly. Not as clever as Douglas Adams or somesuch, but good. I suspect the series gets better as Pratchett comes into his own and feels more comfortable in the world he has created.

The Briar King - Greg Keyes - Great fantasy. A different take on all sorts of things. Magic, religion, culture, fantasy history. A dark and adult world, without being over the top or hyper sexualized. Seriously sinister events with a real sense of fear. Likable hardcases and bookish types. Ancient evil (or is it?) awakening as old pacts are forgotten and obligations are no longer being met. Not sure if there is a sequel but it works as a one off, which is a nice change of pace.

Freakonomics - Steven D. Levitt - I may have mentioned this one already. Pop economic ramblings about the nature of cause and effect and the understanding that correlation is not causation. The book attempts to investigate the true reasons for various behaviours, as well as going the the direction, identifying unintuitive behaviours that result from various actions. The main lesson is to stop and really focus on what *is* happening rather than what you *think* is happening. Non-intuitive results are the main topic of the book. It is written as a series of disjointed and unrelated observations and data analysis, but maintains interest despite this. Short, easy to read and a good reminder to look deeper than stereotypes and "common knowledge".

Outnumbering the Dead - Frederick Pohl - Novella I borrowed, again to fill a few commutes. Main character is a dancer of all things, and a significant portion of the story revolves around...dance. Not particularly gripping, but the backdrop is that immortality has been discovered and is produced by a pre-birth operation while in the womb. Unfortunately it doesn't take for everyone, and our dancer is one such person. Still, future medicine can keep him going for a long time, yet the differences in perspective between a culture of people who will never die and those who will is most of the focus of this story.

Black Company and Shadow Lingers - Glen Cook - No surprises here. Fun series about a centuries old mercenary company and the personalities in it as they go about their work and initially ignore the moral implications of their actions. Told from the perspective of the company physician and annalist. Seems like everyone has read these, so not much point in writing much detail. No library branch in Ottawa has the 3rd book, The White Rose, so I'm left with either buying a book right in the middle of a series, or trying to borrow it. In the meantime, reading some other things.

The Terror- Dan Simmons - Discussed earlier and in the Horror thread, I finally finished it, after nearly 3 months of trying. It was well written, and it felt like I was reading a book written for adults, which is not always the case in both SF and Fantasy genres. Ended strongly, but was fairly dry throughout its 760 pages (large hardcover). Part of the reason I took so long to finish it is that the book was too large (physically) to take on my commute. Interesting details on sailing life in the1800's as well as surviving for long periods of time in the arctic, neither of which have I spent any time thinking or reading about previous to this novel. Some Inuit folklore, which is a subject I'm also not familiar with. I have no idea if it was pure fiction or based on actual folklore. Different, and thus interesting to me.

Guess that's it for now. In the middle of reading Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman. Having read American Gods last year, I'm expecting more great things from him in this one. After about 40 pages and numerous big ass grins his writing has invoked in me, I don't think I will be disappointed.

Obviously I have no skill as a reviewer. Like none. If you have specific questions about any of the books please feel free to ask.
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Re: Books Read 2010

Post by noxiousdog »

GreenGoo wrote: The Colour of Magic - Terry Pratchett - Probably well known by most people, this was my first foray into the Discworld universe. Fun, whimsical, silly. Not as clever as Douglas Adams or somesuch, but good. I suspect the series gets better as Pratchett comes into his own and feels more comfortable in the world he has created.
I had the same reaction to Discworld. However, the quality is inversely proportional to the use of Rincewind as a main character. You can pretty much skip anything that mentions him and you'll enjoy it more.
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Re: Books Read 2010

Post by GreenGoo »

noxiousdog wrote:
GreenGoo wrote: The Colour of Magic - Terry Pratchett - Probably well known by most people, this was my first foray into the Discworld universe. Fun, whimsical, silly. Not as clever as Douglas Adams or somesuch, but good. I suspect the series gets better as Pratchett comes into his own and feels more comfortable in the world he has created.
I had the same reaction to Discworld. However, the quality is inversely proportional to the use of Rincewind as a main character. You can pretty much skip anything that mentions him and you'll enjoy it more.
Huh. Interesting. Thanks for the heads up. I enjoyed his stereotypical fantasy hero who was dumb as a post but everything fell his way. Treasure, fights, women. It all went his way as challenges showed themselves and he pursued them with all the foresight and thought process of a shark eating a license plate. i.e. pure instinct and not much else.
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Re: Books Read 2010

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GreenGoo wrote:The Briar King - Greg Keyes - Great fantasy.... Not sure if there is a sequel but it works as a one off, which is a nice change of pace.
http://epl.bibliocommons.com/search?cus ... Bone%20%29" target="_blank
There appear to be a few of them.

For the missing Black Company book, have you considered requesting an interlibrary loan?
http://biblioottawalibrary.ca/en/main/f ... ooking/ill" target="_blank
It was much harder to locate this service on OPL's website navigation than it is on EPL's.

If it was me, I'd recommend it for purchase, providing the reason that it's a gap in a series that the library carries, but it looks like OPL has a *much* more restrictive purchase policy than EPL (do they even bother replacing popular items that get stolen/misplaced?).
wot?

To be fair, adolescent power fantasy tripe is way easier to write than absurd existential horror, and every community has got to start somewhere... right?

Unless one loses a precious thing, he will never know its true value. A little light finally scratches the darkness; it lets the exhausted one face his shattered dream and realize his path cannot be walked. Can man live happily without embracing his wounded heart?
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Re: Books Read 2010

Post by GreenGoo »

silverjon wrote:
GreenGoo wrote:The Briar King - Greg Keyes - Great fantasy.... Not sure if there is a sequel but it works as a one off, which is a nice change of pace.
http://epl.bibliocommons.com/search?cus ... Bone%20%29" target="_blank
There appear to be a few of them.

For the missing Black Company book, have you considered requesting an interlibrary loan?
http://biblioottawalibrary.ca/en/main/f ... ooking/ill" target="_blank
It was much harder to locate this service on OPL's website navigation than it is on EPL's.

If it was me, I'd recommend it for purchase, providing the reason that it's a gap in a series that the library carries, but it looks like OPL has a *much* more restrictive purchase policy than EPL (do they even bother replacing popular items that get stolen/misplaced?).
Briar King was definitely left without an overall conclusion, but it didn't feel like something was missing at the end, so it worked great for me as a single novel. I will definitely look up the rest though, as it was quite good.

No, I hadn't considered an interlibrary loan, and I didn't know they existed. Thanks for the info.

I never gave it a moment's thought that I could ask the library to buy the book, event though it makes sense now that you mention it. I actually thought about buying it and then donating it to the library, which I may still do. I have a co-worker who has the entire series, but so far despite multiple "sure's", has failed to produce it for me. I'll give him a week, otherwise I'll probably buy and donate.

Thanks for the suggestions! Learned a few things.

P.S. The library website has just undergone a new designing, and it wasn't that long ago when it had another re-design. This current design is awkward from a user/borrower's account usage. As far as I can tell, there isn't a "My account" button, and I have to get to it in a roundabout fashion. I'm not surprised other information is hard to track down.
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Re: Books Read 2010

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Once you actually get into the Bibliocommons interface, it's fine, but I agree that the OPL website itself is a bit of a mess. I'm pretty sure I was looking at it in the course of another book conversation with you, not all that long ago, and it was easier to get right into the catalogue then (catalogue and user account info both being powered by Bibliocommons, for which I have an unholy passion).
wot?

To be fair, adolescent power fantasy tripe is way easier to write than absurd existential horror, and every community has got to start somewhere... right?

Unless one loses a precious thing, he will never know its true value. A little light finally scratches the darkness; it lets the exhausted one face his shattered dream and realize his path cannot be walked. Can man live happily without embracing his wounded heart?
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Re: Books Read 2010

Post by GreenGoo »

silverjon wrote:Once you actually get into the Bibliocommons interface, it's fine, but I agree that the OPL website itself is a bit of a mess. I'm pretty sure I was looking at it in the course of another book conversation with you, not all that long ago, and it was easier to get right into the catalogue then (catalogue and user account info both being powered by Bibliocommons, for which I have an unholy passion).
I agree (about it being easier to access the catalogue and user account prior). Not sure why they made this change, as the previous version was a fairly recent change as well. This is my first year using the website, and I am very impressed with the online functionality. I assume from what you wrote here and in the previous thread, that the underlying code is a standard product for libraries these days? It must be, since it is far better than a public library has any right to have if they made/commissioned it themselves.

It all works great. I was impressed when I was able to put a Hold on hold, so to speak, without having to delete the hold. Email notification of holds being available, ability to renew online in about 3 seconds, cover illustrations for a large % of books etc etc. Very impressive.
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Re: Books Read 2010

Post by silverjon »

Bibliocommons is essentially a platform that a library can buy into (or lease, or however that works?), a combination of catalogue/user account and Web 2.0 features (with library items and other users). It was developed in Canada, but it's getting into a fair number of library systems in the US as well.
wot?

To be fair, adolescent power fantasy tripe is way easier to write than absurd existential horror, and every community has got to start somewhere... right?

Unless one loses a precious thing, he will never know its true value. A little light finally scratches the darkness; it lets the exhausted one face his shattered dream and realize his path cannot be walked. Can man live happily without embracing his wounded heart?
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Re: Books Read 2010

Post by Jeff V »

A Forest of Stars by Kevin J. Anderson :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky:

Much better than the first book, probably because far fewer principle character are killed off. Humanity is at war with a mysterious, powerful race and their full military capacity seems unable to phase them. These aliens, the Hydroges, live inside of gas giant planets, and a war was inadvertently triggered when, in the first book, an ancient technology was tested that turned such planets into small suns. The Hydroges were not amused as cities containing millions were annihilated. With the war going poorly, humanity considers using the ancient technology to blow up other known planets, but are concerned that doing so could trigger a campaign of extermination. Little do they know such a campaign is already under way.

There is still some very strange twists and turns. Humans are proving to be late arrivals in what was an ancient war. The World Trees, a sentient tree that can transmit thoughts across vast distances instantaneously with the help of "green priests" are an ancient enemy of these Hydroges, and the real reason humans are being targeted is because they are aligned with and sheltering these trees. Meanwhile, a fiery race dwelling in suns is also made an appearance, joining the war without even a how-do-you-do by an exploding diplomatic emissaries. Then one of the characters from the first book discovers some sentient water that condensed as he was scooping up free hydrogen in a nebula cloud.

In spite of the war, political machinations continue abound. The chairman of the Hanseatic League is dissatisfied by the lack of tractability in what was supposed to be his puppet king, Peter (replacement for Frederick, who was blown up by the aforementioned emissary. Political marriages are arranged which could create a string of alliances throughout all of the human groups, but war causalities are wreaking havoc even on the aristocrats. And then there are the robots. Evil, evil robots.
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Re: Books Read 2010

Post by Jeff V »

The Chopin Manuscript by 15 different authors :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky:

Three years ago, a distinguished group of thriller writers embarked on an interesting (in theory) project. Each would write a chapter in an action novel, one after the other. Jeffrey Deaver was the project leader -- he wrote the opening and closing chapters of the book, and fielded questions posed by the other authors. The exercise seemed interesting but was it good?

Well, no, not really. For valid reasons, this wasn't a collaboration, but a serial effort. There seemed to be some reluctance by authors early in the chain to introduce too many loose ends that would compel latter authors to tie up. Authors use different means to craft their final product, some of the authors were admittedly outline-driven and others would just wing it. This effort, however, seemed to stifle both. As a result, the characters lacked depth, and in the end there was not one but two false endings before the ultimate bad guy was revealed. And that UBG wasn't even on the radar most of the book; so the revelation of the mastermind seemed rather contrived.

The basic plot and story line were solid, however. A screen writer could probably pull together a reasonably entertaining movie with the material provided here. I'm a sucker for themes involving classical music, and technical elements were well handled, so the novel didn't lack effort, just cohesion.

The serial concept of the book has been kicked around in some of the forums I've visited over the years. There has always been some interest, nothing ever really pulled together. I found it interesting to see the issues professional, established writers had in this sort of framework; and now I can't really imaging an amateur effort being anything but bad. But that doesn't mean it still wouldn't be a fun project. And if I came across another such effort by a group of novelists...well, I might just read that too, if nothing else to see if the concept can ever really be done well.
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Re: Books Read 2010

Post by Jeff V »

In the Dark by Brian Freeman :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky:

Our hero, Duluth Lieutenant Jonathon Stride, is back for his fourth remarkable adventure. And this time it is personal.

An old acquaintance from the past arrives, writing a book about the murder of Stride's late wife's sister back in high school (circa 1977). A suspect who vanished at the time was presumed dead, and also presumed to be the culprit. A more likely candidate was a jilted boyfriend from a wealthy family, but money talks. This writer is more than just someone with an interest in the story however, and in time, the investigation reveals more suspects...one that just happens to tie in with another hot case.

Freeman is really starting to push the bounds of coincidence and credulity in this book. As suspicion shifts to a new suspect, the target of a current investigation, one wonders what the guy had been up for the past 30 years. Innocent people are being uncharacteristically obtuse and not forthcoming with important information that could better direct the investigation.

Even so, the book is paced well with plenty of action to keep the pages turning. I'll keep following the adventures of Jonathan Stride; but for the moment I'll keep waiting on the paperback editions.
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Re: Books Read 2010

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Just finished Time Enough For Love by Robert Heinlein. I've been re-reading this book every spring since college. It just never gets old.

(And why spring? Dunno. Just when the flowers start to bloom and the leaves appear on the trees, I break out my Lazarus Long.)
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Re: Books Read 2010

Post by Jeff V »

The Modern Scholar: Way with Words: Writing Rhetoric and the Art of Persuasion by Michael D.C. Drout :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky:

The Modern Scholar is a series of audio courses, not exactly a book, although course guides are available for ordering. After recently reading a book about the development of the English language, I thought I'd give an English class a try.

It's been 30 years since I've last been barraged by academic terms for common figures of speech. Course teacher Michael D.C. Drout of Wheaton College in Massachusetts brings them all out of the closet with an engaging style. Unscripted, he is a naturally gifted speaker and lecturer -- the subject matter might otherwise be dry to some (most?), but his enthusiasm and engaging style kept me interested throughout all 14 lectures.

The purpose of the course is two-fold, primarily to improve one's effectiveness in writing, but also with a nod toward speaking. Many of the technical terms have already leaked out of my brain -- but many of the examples of what is good and correct and what is wrong remain. He also covers the English 101 ground of grammar and punctuation, but only insofar as to show why such things merit consideration and how to avoid some of the most common and egregious errors. A medieval scholar who also has delved into the ancient roots of the English language, Professor Drout also regales us with stories on how certain forms and conventions came to be, how words and meanings evolved over time, and even in some instances how English deviates from other languages.

The course has given me things to consider the next time I write a formal discourse, and some of his tips will help me avoid some common mistakes that incur the wrath and ridicule of grammar Nazis. My writing style is unlikely to undergo any significant transformation, however, but YMMV. The Modern Scholar website offers a "final exam." I can tell which parts of the course got too bogged down in technical details by the results (87%) The questions that related more to his examples I answered all correctly.

As a side note, Professor Drout also has a course on Fantasy Literature that I might pick up. Apparently, he has given lectures at Lord of the Rings conventions, among other things, and this could prove to be an interesting summer diversion.
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Re: Books Read 2010

Post by Chaosraven »

GreenGoo wrote:
noxiousdog wrote:
GreenGoo wrote: The Colour of Magic - Terry Pratchett - Probably well known by most people, this was my first foray into the Discworld universe. Fun, whimsical, silly. Not as clever as Douglas Adams or somesuch, but good. I suspect the series gets better as Pratchett comes into his own and feels more comfortable in the world he has created.
I had the same reaction to Discworld. However, the quality is inversely proportional to the use of Rincewind as a main character. You can pretty much skip anything that mentions him and you'll enjoy it more.
Huh. Interesting. Thanks for the heads up. I enjoyed his stereotypical fantasy hero who was dumb as a post but everything fell his way. Treasure, fights, women. It all went his way as challenges showed themselves and he pursued them with all the foresight and thought process of a shark eating a license plate. i.e. pure instinct and not much else.
just picked up the first three. After checking the danged copyrights of the Entire Series to figure out the blasted order... Shoulda looked it up before going to the bookstore...
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Re: Books Read 2010

Post by GreenGoo »

Chaosraven wrote:just picked up the first three. After checking the danged copyrights of the Entire Series to figure out the blasted order... Shoulda looked it up before going to the bookstore...
I've read more book wiki pages since Christmas, just trying to figure out the natural order of things. Unfortunately a lot of those are chock full of spoilers.

Still, what book comes where is something I have to continually check before borrowing books from the library.
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Re: Books Read 2010

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Just finished Boy's Life by Robert McCammon for the nth time. This is my favorite book OF ALL TIME. It's great.

Next up: The Boy Who Couldn't Sleep And Never Had To by DC Pierson.
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Re: Books Read 2010

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Black Company and Shadow Lingers - Glen Cook - No surprises here. Fun series about a centuries old mercenary company and the personalities in it as they go about their work and initially ignore the moral implications of their actions. Told from the perspective of the company physician and annalist. Seems like everyone has read these, so not much point in writing much detail. No library branch in Ottawa has the 3rd book, The White Rose, so I'm left with either buying a book right in the middle of a series, or trying to borrow it. In the meantime, reading some other things.


You can pick up a book which includes the the first 3 novels for under $15 on line. It is titled "The Books of the North" I think and is a great read.
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Re: Books Read 2010

Post by Scuzz »

Chaosraven wrote:
GreenGoo wrote:
noxiousdog wrote:
GreenGoo wrote: The Colour of Magic - Terry Pratchett - Probably well known by most people, this was my first foray into the Discworld universe. Fun, whimsical, silly. Not as clever as Douglas Adams or somesuch, but good. I suspect the series gets better as Pratchett comes into his own and feels more comfortable in the world he has created.
I had the same reaction to Discworld. However, the quality is inversely proportional to the use of Rincewind as a main character. You can pretty much skip anything that mentions him and you'll enjoy it more.
Huh. Interesting. Thanks for the heads up. I enjoyed his stereotypical fantasy hero who was dumb as a post but everything fell his way. Treasure, fights, women. It all went his way as challenges showed themselves and he pursued them with all the foresight and thought process of a shark eating a license plate. i.e. pure instinct and not much else.
just picked up the first three. After checking the danged copyrights of the Entire Series to figure out the blasted order... Shoulda looked it up before going to the bookstore...
I have a breakdown of all his books showing what order you should read them and which books relate to each other. It came from either here or somewhere on line. It makes buying the books of the same series and in the right order much, much easier.
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Re: Books Read 2010

Post by GreenGoo »

Thanks Scuzz.
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Re: Books Read 2010

Post by Scuzz »

Friday.....by Robert Heinlein.....


This book is pretty much typical Heinlein but I really had a hard time getting into it, probably because it is hard to figure out where Heinlein is taking you. Also, the story is told by a female character who was difficult, for me anyway, to relate to. Also the story (plot) seems rather mixed, extended etc.

Not nearly as good as other Heinlein books I have read.

** of 5
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Re: Books Read 2010

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GreenGoo wrote:Thanks Scuzz.

I have read 5/7ths of the Night Watch/Guards series. The first two books were great, and the 6th one (I screwed up and read it before 5, however due to the nature of the plot it won't hurt anything) was really good. The other ones had their moments but I don't think they were nearly as good.


http://www.ie.lspace.org/books/reading- ... rder-guide" target="_blank

that is incomplete because the title is so long my printer didn't get it all on the page but using the first half of that should get you close.....
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Re: Books Read 2010

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Scuzz wrote:
Black Company and Shadow Lingers - Glen Cook - No surprises here. Fun series about a centuries old mercenary company and the personalities in it as they go about their work and initially ignore the moral implications of their actions. Told from the perspective of the company physician and annalist. Seems like everyone has read these, so not much point in writing much detail. No library branch in Ottawa has the 3rd book, The White Rose, so I'm left with either buying a book right in the middle of a series, or trying to borrow it. In the meantime, reading some other things.


You can pick up a book which includes the the first 3 novels for under $15 on line. It is titled "The Books of the North" I think and is a great read.
It's actually The Chronicles of the Black Company
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Re: Books Read 2010

Post by Scuzz »

Pyperkub wrote:
Scuzz wrote:
Black Company and Shadow Lingers - Glen Cook - No surprises here. Fun series about a centuries old mercenary company and the personalities in it as they go about their work and initially ignore the moral implications of their actions. Told from the perspective of the company physician and annalist. Seems like everyone has read these, so not much point in writing much detail. No library branch in Ottawa has the 3rd book, The White Rose, so I'm left with either buying a book right in the middle of a series, or trying to borrow it. In the meantime, reading some other things.


You can pick up a book which includes the the first 3 novels for under $15 on line. It is titled "The Books of the North" I think and is a great read.
It's actually The Chronicles of the Black Company
You are correct sir................
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Re: Books Read 2010

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Read The Quantum Connection by Travis Taylor

" target="_blank

It's one of those ultimate geek fantasies... to go from ultimate geek to a virtual superhero... AND get the girl too. Except this one makes sense all the way... sort of.

You see, the "hero" here, Steve Montana, is a middle-aged geek who does geeky things, online and off. His family is all gone in a bit of "disaster". When he was recruited by a "black" government agency, made a breakthru, but was eventually denied clearance, he was then kidnapped by aliens, and discovered that... the Earthlings actually had been at war! And apparently the aliens had never heard of such a thing called "hackers", and they have a wonderful computer with nanotech that will result in capabilities that, well... Think Neo and Smith in the Matrix Revolution, at the end, except this is in "real" space, not Matrix.
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Re: Books Read 2010

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Just finished The Elfish Gene by Mark Barrowcliffe. While I was able to relate to a lot of what he was talking about in this book, it came off being somewhat nasty and down on D&D by the end of it. While it was a nice stroll down memory lane, I really didn't like it that much.
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Re: Books Read 2010

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Just finished The Boy Who Couldn't Sleep And Never Had To by DC Pierson. It was entertaining. A coming-of-age high school semi-comedy with some sci-fi thrown in for good measure. Kind of uneven, but a light, fluffy read.

Next up is The Tomb by F. Paul Wilson.
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Re: Books Read 2010

Post by Jeff V »

Horizon Storms by Kevin J. Anderson :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky:

Book Three of the Saga of the Seven Suns, an ancient war has now fully rekindled in it's entirety, The heretofore unknown aliens who were disturbed when one of their planets was destroyed by a human experiment with another alien device in the first book is now REALLY mad. More information has come to light, and it seems the other human empire, the Alderans, does know something of this old war. But they have not been forthcoming with information. Meanwhile, another entity, a sentient fire being living in suns, has seemingly joined the struggle on the behalf of humans. Aligned with the trees and the water, earth, fire and water seem aligned against electricity.

The humans meanwhile have started to strike back by igniting more gas giants into small suns. However, the extinct creators of that technology left behind some evidence that suggests this tactic might not be the best idea -- they are, after all, extinct. To make matters worse he robots created by that race are now in rebellion against the humans (never trust a robot!). And if there isn't enough killin' going on for you, the human factions are splintering amongst themselves, resulting in even more battles. The politics and intrigue during this time of total ware are getting interesting.
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Re: Books Read 2010

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Done with The Tomb by F. Paul Wilson. Now onto Fever Dream by Preston/Child.
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Re: Books Read 2010

Post by Isgrimnur »

Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson.

Sanderson keeps bringing good stories. This has the daughter of a refugee "rebel" kingdom sent to marry the reborn God King of their original land. The magical system is based on the ability to Awaken objects via Breath, which are bought and sold by people in the capital city. There are other gods around, Returned from the moment of their deaths with no memory of their previous life, larger than life, and with the ability to heal any individual that they choose, at the cost of their own life. Throw in rumors of a coup and warmongering to crush the rebels, and you have a good story in a deep universe.

I'm really beginning to feel good about the chances of Sanderson finishing off The Wheel of Time in style.
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Re: Books Read 2010

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Scuzz wrote:Friday.....by Robert Heinlein.....


This book is pretty much typical Heinlein but I really had a hard time getting into it, probably because it is hard to figure out where Heinlein is taking you. Also, the story is told by a female character who was difficult, for me anyway, to relate to. Also the story (plot) seems rather mixed, extended etc.

Not nearly as good as other Heinlein books I have read.

** of 5
Hard to relate to a
Spoiler:
a male's personality in a female's body. So she isn't completely female.
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Re: Books Read 2010

Post by Scuzz »

theohall wrote:
Scuzz wrote:Friday.....by Robert Heinlein.....


This book is pretty much typical Heinlein but I really had a hard time getting into it, probably because it is hard to figure out where Heinlein is taking you. Also, the story is told by a female character who was difficult, for me anyway, to relate to. Also the story (plot) seems rather mixed, extended etc.

Not nearly as good as other Heinlein books I have read.

** of 5
Hard to relate to a
Spoiler:
a male's personality in a female's body. So she isn't completely female.
Yea, you are right. That is what seemed "wrong" so to speak.
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Re: Books Read 2010

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Pyperkub wrote:Books Read in 2010:

U is for Undertow - Sue Grafton (meh - she's writing out the string I think)
The Black Company - Glen Cook
Shadows Linger - Glen Cook
The White Rose - Glen Cook
Shadow Games - Glen Cook
Dreams of Steel - Glen Cook
The Silver Spike - Glen Cook
Nine Dragons - Michael Connelly
Up in the Air - Walter Kirn (very different from the movie)
Bleak Seasons - Glenn Cook
She is the Darkness - Glenn Cook
Water Sleeps - Glenn Cook
Soldiers Live - Glenn Cook

For the black company books, I was kept interested throughout, but I felt after the first 3 books, it fell off. I'm not sure if that's because Croaker/the Narrators became too involved in strategizing or what. Maybe I just liked the idea of them fighting for the wrong side and then making it right, with vast things unknown and only hinted at. I also think the whole Deceivers/Khadi plot took too long to resolve, maybe the latter books needed to be more concise.

The Burning City - Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle

I remember some of the great books by Niven & Pournelle. This isn't one of them. They've dropped off since they had to write the sequel to A Mote in God's eye. Of course, I'm subjecting myself to the sequel since I got them both from the library. This one's set in the "The Magic Goes Away" universe, but didn't have much of the creativity of that book.

Burning Tower - Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle

Better than the Burning City, with a decent story involving the Aztec gods in the Southwest. Ultimately, these two novels are more like a travelogue of Niven & Pournelle in the Magic Goes Away universe. Fun, but not really memorable. They did leave room for a third.

Songs for a Teenage Nomad - Kim Culbertson

A friend of mine's first published book. An interesting tale of a teen girl who's been moved from town to town and stepfather to stepfather who lands in a town in CA and finds out why. A 'young adult book' with many echoes of Catcher in the Rye, and it's won some Young Adult fiction awards.

Baseball's Great Experiment (Jackie Robinson and his legacy) - Jules Tygiel

A look at segregation and integration in baseball. How baseball first ended up segregated, how Branch Rickey saw the future and orchestrated the beginnings of integration, how and why Jackie Robinson was chosen and what his experiences were like, and the story of those who followed Jackie. A very interesting look at baseball and america in the post war, jim crow era, and the struggle to integrate. I was surprised at the specifics of the experience under Jim Crow in different locales, as well as the exacerbating effect Brown v. Board of Education had.

Anansi Boys - Neil Gaiman

I enjoyed this much more than American Gods. I think it's the Kipling-esque 'Just-so-Stories' feel to this tale, rather than the oppressive feel of 'gods'
Bump to add Baseball's Great Experiment and Anansi Boys
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Re: Books Read 2010

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Pyperkub wrote:Bump to add Baseball's Great Experiment and Anansi Boys
Yeah, I read Anansi Boys recently as well. Very good. I think I preferred American Gods better, but they were both good.
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Re: Books Read 2010

Post by WYBaugh »

GreenGoo wrote:
Pyperkub wrote:Bump to add Baseball's Great Experiment and Anansi Boys
Yeah, I read Anansi Boys recently as well. Very good. I think I preferred American Gods better, but they were both good.
I listened to Anasi Boys...great book and Lenny Henry did an excellent job reading.
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Re: Books Read 2010

Post by Jeff V »

Agincourt by Bernard Cornwell :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky: :binky:

Cornwell's Agincourt is a one-off novel (not part of series) taking place during Henry V's chevauchee through France in 1415. It follows the fortunes of an archer named Nick Hook, who is plagued by enemies of his family and narrowly escaped a French atrocity at Soissons. Returning to England, he is enlisted in Henry's campaign, which began with the long siege and capture of Harfleur, and then a long trek through northern France as the army made its way toward Calais to evacuate back to England. Henry believed he was on a mission from god, however, and was making a statement claiming he was the rightful heir to the French crown.

The French and Burgundians, meanwhile, put together a massive army, intent on crushing the upstart English king once and for all. By most accounts, the army opposing Henry was three to four times the size of sick, depleted English force. The armies met near the town of Agincourt, on a muddy field saturated by rain the night before. The mud bogged down French men-at-arms and cavalry in heavy armor, while the English longbowmen wreaked havoc upon the initial waves. As the body count mounted, the French struggled to get past the wall of corpses, and were defeated in detail. The result was one of those most one-sided and unlikely victories in the history of warfare.

The battle took place on the feast day for the saints Crispian and Crispianan, coincidentally the patron saints of Soissons whose aforementioned destruction at the hands of French and English turncoats instigated the campaign. This leads to the only thing I really didn't like about the book -- those two saints would actually "speak" to Hook, saving his life on multiple occasions. I'm not really a fan of incorporating supernatural nonsense into historical novels, so this is a pet peeve more than anything else. Cornwell used a variety of resources for his historical background material, the most important was the book Agincourt by Juliet Barker, a book I read a few years ago and highly recommend.
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Re: Books Read 2010

Post by Brian »

hentzau wrote:Just finished Time Enough For Love by Robert Heinlein. I've been re-reading this book every spring since college. It just never gets old.

(And why spring? Dunno. Just when the flowers start to bloom and the leaves appear on the trees, I break out my Lazarus Long.)
I have been trying to get my wife to read this for years. She has expressed an interest in it but doesn't want to tackle any of the background stuff that should be read first (Methusela's Children, Revolt In 2100, etc).

I think I'll bring it up again when she finishes what she's reading now but I will need to get a new copy first as my old one has fallen apart from numerous rereadings.
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Re: Books Read 2010

Post by Isgrimnur »

Another Fine Myth by Robert Asprin.

Mildly amusing. Perhaps if I was exposed to it in HS or before, I might have enjoyed it more.
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