Reading List: #90 - #103
Oct. 20th, 2010 03:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jedibuttercupEight weeks, one day, and fourteen books since my last post. Over one hundred for the year already!
Numbered in the order I finished them, here are: three historical-era fantasy, two alterworld fantasy, three historical action, one near-future scifi, three far-future scifi, and two mystery novels. Enjoy!
90. Sorcery and Cecilia by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer. Paperback, 316pp.
94. The Grand Tour by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer. Paperback, 469pp.
I ordered the first two of this series from Amazon, and have the third now in my to-read stack. Delightful! I've read epistolary style fiction before, but not like this; it was fun, light-hearted, and combined magic with my favorite historical era. Sort of a Jane Austen feel with charms and a bit of action-y drama; and very sweet. Love, love, love.
91. Einstein's Bridge by John Cramer. Paperback, 310pp. Saying this is "hard" scifi is like saying that a black hole is "dense". The title made me think of recent Eureka episodes, and I'd read and loved the guy's other book, Twistor, so I picked this up; but the storyline is so dryly devoted to its scientific underpinnings that the characterizations and action suffer by comparison. Intellectually interesting, but a bit off-puttingly Gary-Stu-ish by the end; a bit of an accomplishment for a professional author (but fortunately not at Ringo levels of fail).
92. Agincourt by Bernard Cornwell. Paperback, 437pp. I continue to adore Bernard Cornwell's grasp of the gritty realities of historical action. This is the first of his I'd read that was set anywhere other than the early 1800's, but it was just as excellent as I'd been expecting, with interesting glimpses into the life of an English yeoman and a satisfying ending.
93. The Buried Pyramid by Jane Lindskold. Paperback, 498pp. I always appreciate when an author explores fantasy elements outside of the traditional Western myth-sphere, especially when embedded in a real-world-historical setting; but in this case the characters were mostly too insipid to carry the tension and intrigue of the plot over so many pages. The English hero was especially bland, and the "American Wild West physician's assitant" niece came off as a bit of a caricature. I generally like Lindskold a lot, so I was a bit disappointed. Still, the section with the Mandjet boat will stick in my mind for a long, long time; I'll give it three out of five stars.
95. What Distant Deeps by David Drake. Hardback, 370pp. 8th of the RCN series. And the voyages of "Aubrey and Maturin in space", aka Leary and Mundy, continue! I really am fond of this series, and look forward to as many more of them as he wants to publish. Though I wish we'd get some clarification on the pre-human colonization relics at some point, rather than just stumbling across them as interesting plot points!
96. Under Orders by Dick Francis. Hardback, 308pp. 4th of the Sid Halley series. I blazed through a couple of dozen Francis books back in my college days; they're not earth-shattering, or anything, but they're very good mysteries to spend an afternoon and a cup of tea with, and this one fit right into that nostalgic niche. Plus, it had some satisfying personal developments for Sid, an old favorite character of mine who was not always well done by in this series.
97. Miles Errant by Lois McMaster Bujold. Paperback, 741pp. Part of the Vorkosigan series. More Miles! So, I've finally caught up to the introduction, and the Vorkosifying, of Mark. Parts of "Mirror Dance" were very difficult for me to read due to Mark's various mental and physical issues-- I had to keep putting it down, reading something else, and then coming back to it-- but I continue to like Miles, and enjoy the series overall. I hear the next couple of books are actually the best in the series, so I'll be ordering the "Miles in Love" compilation soon.
98. The Hob's Bargain by Patricia Briggs. Paperback, 281pp. Random stand-alone fantasy by the author of the Mercedes Thompson series. I liked this one! Some interesting worldbuilding for its limited scope, a likeable central female character, an unusual romance, and a satisfying ending. Perfect Saturday morning reading.
99. Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton. Paperback, 400pp. This one, on the other hand.... *eye rolling* I've heard this is the book they found in Crichton's files, complete, after he died; and no wonder it wasn't published before. It really could have benefited from some heavy editing before it was let loose. The at-sea action is all interesting, and it's a fairly gritty rendition of the world behind such Disney froth as the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, so I approve on both those counts; but the awful characterization detracts too much for me to recommend it. I don't think there's a single woman in the book who's more than an offensively one-dimensional whorish prop except for Lazue, the sharp-eyed privateer who dresses like a man, and even she's marginal. (I've been highly tempted to fic her in a PotC crossover to give her a little fleshing-out, but so far I've resisted).
100. The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold. Paperback, 502pp. I don't know how I never found this 'verse before! Bujold does a really great job of writing likeable main characters who are in some way disadvantaged; and also of unique and textured world-settings. The Quintarian set-up in this 'verse was particularly interesting to me; it handled the issues of magic and religion really well for an epic fantasy novel, in my experience. I liked Cazaril, and Iselle, and followed their trials and romances with interest; I'll be glad to visit their world again in future.
101. Naked Heat by "Richard Castle". Hardback, 288pp. Just as with the prior Heat novel, this one's funnier and more richly textured if you also follow the Castle TV show; but it does stand well enough on its own. Better than the previous one, in fact, because this one actually reads like a full mystery novel, rather than the episode-on-paper that was Heat Wave. Worth the purchase price, which is much more than can be said for most TV tie-ins.
102. The Surgeon's Mate by Patrick O'Brian. Paperback, 382pp. 7th of the Aubrey-Maturin series. Compare to Pirate Latitudes above! This one's just as male-centric and sea-action focused, but the characterizations in general were much, much superior, despite the equally circumscribed social roles of all concerned. I continue to enjoy the seagoing adventures of Jack and Stephen, and I was very glad to see the Stephen/Diana subplot reach some positive resolution. Though Jack's 'romantic' and financial mishaps really made me face-palm in this one!
103. One Jump Ahead by Mark L. Van Name. Paperback, 393pp. 1st of a series. I do have a weakness for space opera, especially the "one man trips across a plot bigger than it seems at first glance and then solves it" type, and Jon and Lobo proved engaging central characters. The complications in the plot were logical, the futuristic scientific elements interesting, and the ending satisfying enough that I'll probably pick up the sequel soon.
Next up: Currently reading "The House on Durrow Street", a sequel to The Magicians and Mrs. Quent, which I read earlier in the year. Fabulous stuff; a quasi-Regency world with intriguing magical elements, gothic touches, an engaging strong female central character, and elegant writing in general.
~
Numbered in the order I finished them, here are: three historical-era fantasy, two alterworld fantasy, three historical action, one near-future scifi, three far-future scifi, and two mystery novels. Enjoy!
90. Sorcery and Cecilia by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer. Paperback, 316pp.
94. The Grand Tour by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer. Paperback, 469pp.
I ordered the first two of this series from Amazon, and have the third now in my to-read stack. Delightful! I've read epistolary style fiction before, but not like this; it was fun, light-hearted, and combined magic with my favorite historical era. Sort of a Jane Austen feel with charms and a bit of action-y drama; and very sweet. Love, love, love.
91. Einstein's Bridge by John Cramer. Paperback, 310pp. Saying this is "hard" scifi is like saying that a black hole is "dense". The title made me think of recent Eureka episodes, and I'd read and loved the guy's other book, Twistor, so I picked this up; but the storyline is so dryly devoted to its scientific underpinnings that the characterizations and action suffer by comparison. Intellectually interesting, but a bit off-puttingly Gary-Stu-ish by the end; a bit of an accomplishment for a professional author (but fortunately not at Ringo levels of fail).
92. Agincourt by Bernard Cornwell. Paperback, 437pp. I continue to adore Bernard Cornwell's grasp of the gritty realities of historical action. This is the first of his I'd read that was set anywhere other than the early 1800's, but it was just as excellent as I'd been expecting, with interesting glimpses into the life of an English yeoman and a satisfying ending.
93. The Buried Pyramid by Jane Lindskold. Paperback, 498pp. I always appreciate when an author explores fantasy elements outside of the traditional Western myth-sphere, especially when embedded in a real-world-historical setting; but in this case the characters were mostly too insipid to carry the tension and intrigue of the plot over so many pages. The English hero was especially bland, and the "American Wild West physician's assitant" niece came off as a bit of a caricature. I generally like Lindskold a lot, so I was a bit disappointed. Still, the section with the Mandjet boat will stick in my mind for a long, long time; I'll give it three out of five stars.
95. What Distant Deeps by David Drake. Hardback, 370pp. 8th of the RCN series. And the voyages of "Aubrey and Maturin in space", aka Leary and Mundy, continue! I really am fond of this series, and look forward to as many more of them as he wants to publish. Though I wish we'd get some clarification on the pre-human colonization relics at some point, rather than just stumbling across them as interesting plot points!
96. Under Orders by Dick Francis. Hardback, 308pp. 4th of the Sid Halley series. I blazed through a couple of dozen Francis books back in my college days; they're not earth-shattering, or anything, but they're very good mysteries to spend an afternoon and a cup of tea with, and this one fit right into that nostalgic niche. Plus, it had some satisfying personal developments for Sid, an old favorite character of mine who was not always well done by in this series.
97. Miles Errant by Lois McMaster Bujold. Paperback, 741pp. Part of the Vorkosigan series. More Miles! So, I've finally caught up to the introduction, and the Vorkosifying, of Mark. Parts of "Mirror Dance" were very difficult for me to read due to Mark's various mental and physical issues-- I had to keep putting it down, reading something else, and then coming back to it-- but I continue to like Miles, and enjoy the series overall. I hear the next couple of books are actually the best in the series, so I'll be ordering the "Miles in Love" compilation soon.
98. The Hob's Bargain by Patricia Briggs. Paperback, 281pp. Random stand-alone fantasy by the author of the Mercedes Thompson series. I liked this one! Some interesting worldbuilding for its limited scope, a likeable central female character, an unusual romance, and a satisfying ending. Perfect Saturday morning reading.
99. Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton. Paperback, 400pp. This one, on the other hand.... *eye rolling* I've heard this is the book they found in Crichton's files, complete, after he died; and no wonder it wasn't published before. It really could have benefited from some heavy editing before it was let loose. The at-sea action is all interesting, and it's a fairly gritty rendition of the world behind such Disney froth as the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, so I approve on both those counts; but the awful characterization detracts too much for me to recommend it. I don't think there's a single woman in the book who's more than an offensively one-dimensional whorish prop except for Lazue, the sharp-eyed privateer who dresses like a man, and even she's marginal. (I've been highly tempted to fic her in a PotC crossover to give her a little fleshing-out, but so far I've resisted).
100. The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold. Paperback, 502pp. I don't know how I never found this 'verse before! Bujold does a really great job of writing likeable main characters who are in some way disadvantaged; and also of unique and textured world-settings. The Quintarian set-up in this 'verse was particularly interesting to me; it handled the issues of magic and religion really well for an epic fantasy novel, in my experience. I liked Cazaril, and Iselle, and followed their trials and romances with interest; I'll be glad to visit their world again in future.
101. Naked Heat by "Richard Castle". Hardback, 288pp. Just as with the prior Heat novel, this one's funnier and more richly textured if you also follow the Castle TV show; but it does stand well enough on its own. Better than the previous one, in fact, because this one actually reads like a full mystery novel, rather than the episode-on-paper that was Heat Wave. Worth the purchase price, which is much more than can be said for most TV tie-ins.
102. The Surgeon's Mate by Patrick O'Brian. Paperback, 382pp. 7th of the Aubrey-Maturin series. Compare to Pirate Latitudes above! This one's just as male-centric and sea-action focused, but the characterizations in general were much, much superior, despite the equally circumscribed social roles of all concerned. I continue to enjoy the seagoing adventures of Jack and Stephen, and I was very glad to see the Stephen/Diana subplot reach some positive resolution. Though Jack's 'romantic' and financial mishaps really made me face-palm in this one!
103. One Jump Ahead by Mark L. Van Name. Paperback, 393pp. 1st of a series. I do have a weakness for space opera, especially the "one man trips across a plot bigger than it seems at first glance and then solves it" type, and Jon and Lobo proved engaging central characters. The complications in the plot were logical, the futuristic scientific elements interesting, and the ending satisfying enough that I'll probably pick up the sequel soon.
Next up: Currently reading "The House on Durrow Street", a sequel to The Magicians and Mrs. Quent, which I read earlier in the year. Fabulous stuff; a quasi-Regency world with intriguing magical elements, gothic touches, an engaging strong female central character, and elegant writing in general.
~
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no subject
Date: 2010-10-20 11:30 pm (UTC)The book "A Civil Campaign", which covers Miles' romantic pursuit of someone (avoiding spoilers) is one of my favourite books. There is a dinner party scene that you will not want to read in public because even after having read it more than twenty times over the years, I tell you in all honesty that I cannot read it without giggling extensively!
The series begun by "The Curse of Chalion" is odd in that neither of the other two books share, other than in passing, the same characters. They are set in the same universe but don't actually continue the same story. The second book follows the story of Iselle (you met her as "mad Iselle" in the first book) and is really very good. The third is... odd. I've read it a couple of times and, although I did enjoy it, I don't love it like the other two and it leaves me vaguely unsatisfied but I can't say why.
no subject
Date: 2010-10-21 12:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-21 09:51 am (UTC)some sort of honour codebe interesting.no subject
Date: 2010-10-21 09:53 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-25 06:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-25 06:20 pm (UTC)That's good to know, too, about the "Curse of Chalion" books. I'd like to know more about Iselle's mom; and I'll make sure to find a store to scope the third one rather than ordering it blind.
no subject
Date: 2010-10-26 07:39 am (UTC)Falling Free (doesn't share characters but is set in the same 'verse and the culture it portrays recurs later)
Shards of Honor
Barrayar
The Warrior's Apprentice
The Vor Game
Cetaganda
Ethan of Athos
Brothers in Arms
Borders of Infinity
Mirror Dance
Memory
Komarr
A Civil Campaign
Winterfair Gifts (a novella, may only be an audiobook? That's how I have it)
Diplomatic Immunity
Cryoburn (just released!)
no subject
Date: 2010-10-21 01:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-25 06:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-21 03:35 am (UTC)Crichton can be somewhat, uh, strained, maybe, in his women characters? They seem unreal, particularly the female lead in The Lost World, who pulled up someone who was falling from a cliff by his hair. One-handed.
I may try the Castle books, as the series seems charming. Thanks for all these reviews, and had you ever read Patrick H. Adkins, who handles stories about the Greek Titans awfully well?
no subject
Date: 2010-10-25 06:30 pm (UTC)The Castle books have really made me smile; fairly light reading, but very well-written light reading. Crichton not so much; I've read his very hit or miss, I think just Sphere and Jurassic Park before this, so I was kind of caught off guard by the contrast between Pirate Latitudes and some of the other stuff I've been reading in similar settings.
I have not actually heard of Adkins before; I'll note him down on my list to investigate, thanks!