Not much new here.

So. Already into the end of March of 2013 and I haven't read anything booky this year. Shameful! Oh wait! I lie! I just forgot I read all of a loaned copy of Stardust by Neil Gaiman in pretty much two days. I need to mail it back to it's owner but have been terrible with mail lately and need to order a box for it.

That was a lovely book. I don't know how much I'll remember of it in a month but it was nice. I also started Les Miserables over xmas at my parents house in Oklahoma but got nowhere with it. Perhaps I need an annotated version.

I did just receive my order of the Puffin hard bound copies of Anne of Green Gables and The Secret Garden. Two books I read nearly every spring, and neither of which I have ever owned a copy of (my most read versions were both my sister's copies). They arrived slightly dinged and with smushed head and tail sections and the text block on bob is slightly warped, all of which made me sad as I intend on collecting a shelf-full of these adorably printed books (many are on my Guardian top 100 book list to read anyway) and another of the "grown up" Penguin Classics versions. I do intend to read them so I decided that the poor quality isn't really an issue. Especially at $11.55 each. They're not heirlooms, they're meant to look nice all lined up, which I will do. I really do love the graphic repeating textual motifs. Now whether they are good design or appropriate is another question entirely which I am by wont to get into. I am a sucker for matchy-matchy and shiny, and these books fulfil both, while also (one assumes) being readable.

No new book endeavours on the horizon. I spend most of my free time inexplicably hunched over my phone reading nothing in particular, but I'm hoping to at least make that more interactive and useful time spent.

It's rather interesting to note, too, that I take books and letter writing supplies with me to my many doctor's appointments but apparently have such a quality set finally sorted out that I rarely spend enough time in a waiting room to get anything out, much less read/write. I suppose that is a good thing.

I'd update this with pics & links and all that but I'm composing from my phone and in a lot of pain from some dental work so don't have the capacity to fight with the app to do so.

If you're reading this, sorry. Heh. I'm obviously terrible at this. :)

Uh. Yeah. I'm bad with consistency. And the Mistborn Trilogy

Okie doke. Yeah. I suck at this.

Anyway, since I didn't read anything for a LONG time, and just picked up some books again (FINALLY) I s'pose I'll post.

I started the Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson recently. Already done with the first book (Mistborn), now into the second (The Well of Ascension).

Dude. BRILLIANT. It's not as sweeping and fantastical as my faves, David Eddings and George R.R. Martin, but it's really really got me hooked by my other book-loves: badass (but normal and flawed) heroines and thieves/thieving/spies/general skulduggery & intrigue of the garroting sort. Not that there's been any garroting per se (yet) but there's been plenty of violence and thievery which just gets me *pokes chest* right here, yaknow? *wipes tear* I really really like this series and this author's writing style.

There's only been a few annoying thesaurus-abuse moments (he uses "maladroitly" often as well as making some words up entirely. WTF is a laget? That's not a thing!). I hate wordy vocabby "fantasae writtinges". It doesn't set any fucking mood, it just pisses me off when you get all esoteric adverby for no good reason. Just say what you mean, don't abuse the thesaurus to make it seem like you're intellectual or whatever, it just starts to feel like a ye-olde-spandex-med-faire disaster. Either write it all in old english or get off the plywood wagon. I won't name names.

Back to the Mistborn books. It's got pretty much all the good bits you'd want. It's kind of dragging a bit, second quarter of the second book (The Well of Ascension) but I expect it to pick back up ASAP. I dig these books a bunch, but for some reason, they're not... pulling me in and making me feel like I want to jump around like a Mistborn or eat pennies to see if I can burn metals or something. I don't know if it's me maturing somewhat (hah! NEVER!) or if it's the situation I'm reading them in (recovering from surgery) or if it's the world (so far it all takes place in once city, which while very beautifully mapped by Isaac Stewart (nethermore.com), doesn't seem to have full life breathed into it.) I'm not sure. I'm only on page 505 of the second book, so it may flesh out a bit more as the story progresses. Perhaps the world isn't as solid to me because every character seems to be a full personality with dimension already. You don't usually get such a fully realised large cast so soon in a book. There's a lot of personalities!

Anyway, I'll get back to reading and forgetting life beyond my recovery and sustenance. Hopefully I'll be healed (crossing fingers) by the time I finish the third book!

---

Widgets for the three books from Macmillan (Tor):

Testing

Just testing new client.



-- Posted from iSubPhone ...bloop!

I've read a TON since updating last, but I'll start this year anew.

So I've read a LOT of books since my last post, but I was really really surly about them and just didn't like any enough to spend more time than reading them required. It was like a test of willpower, Can I Suffer Through The Entire Series Without Incenerating This Book First.

I did, and am now struggling to find good stuff to read. That's actually out.

I picked up Scott Lynch's Lies of Locke Lamora and LOVED IT OMG. I'm currently trying to not read the second book, Red Seas Under Red Skies too quickly because I don't want it to be over yet!

As with George R. R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series, Scott Lynch is in the midst of still writing/publishing this one. New books in each series appear to be out sometime later this summer.

I hate waiting!

Anyway, I'll post a quickie overview of the Lies of Locke Lamora and Red Seas Under Red Skies soon. So far they are the first two books I've read (that I'll admit to) this year so far. I also finished the last of Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series, The Confessor, in January, but I started reading it in December, so I'm not counting it.

Happy reading!

Terribly under-updated.

I've actually been voraciously reading pretty much EVERYTHING in the house, most of it crap. I'm terribly behind, so I'll just list what I've read since last updating, and then start with what I'm into right now. Deal?

Books Read since last update:
A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 3)
A Feast for Crows (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 4)

Terry Goodkind: Debt of Bones (Sword of Truth Prequel)

Terry Pratchett: Color of MagicThe Best of Mrs. Beeton's Household Tips(imported paperback)

Kate Elliot:
King's Dragon (Crown of Stars Volume 1)
Prince of Dogs (Crown of Stars Volume 2)

I've just begun the third volume in the Crown of Stars series by Kate Elliot. Not terribly loving it (it's obnoxious... actual words with one letter changed to make it "fantastical" annoy me to no end. It's a lame crutch used by uncreative writers.) But the story is appealing and there's a lot of books in the series and they're long books, so they'll keep me occupied while other, better books, get published and/or get put into paperback (I rarely buy hardback books, I'm hard on bindings and it's difficult to read a hardback in the bath.)

Info: Game of Thrones (Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1) by George R. R. Martin

Info

Title: Game of Thrones (Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1)
Author: George R. R. Martin (he TOTALLY looks like an epic fantasy novellist should, doesn't he? Seriously, check out his photo. Brilliant! He also has a rather neat-o website. I shall be perusing more! I also added his not-blog to my LJ friends list. Handy!)

Publisher: Random House / Bantam Dell / Spectra
Publish Date: 1997
ISBN: 0553573403
Type of Book: Fantasy
Date Started: 29 December 2007
Date Finished: 28 January 2008
Acquired from: Barnes & Noble (ugh)
Purchase price: $7.99
Rating (out of 5): *****

Finished: Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

(not really) spoiler alert (they say it on the back of book two)

THEY KILLED HIM AUGH! NO FAIR!

I totally had a crush on Ned. Bastards. I do see how it's completely necessary for plot advancement, but, c'mon, couldn't you have waited a little longer? *pout*

Well, finished book one. On to book two.

*loving them*

Info post with rating to follow.

Reading: Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

Ahh.... nice retreat back to high epic fantasy. It's all about intrigue, hack and slash, royal politics, overthrown houses, chivalry, cowardice, even tourneys!

So liking this. At first it was a "dive right in there" sort of world, they just start you out and plop you in the middle of the story, and things explain themselves as you go along. Not my favourite way to start a book, but definitely interesting. The beginning colours how you view the rest of the book as you're reading. You keep it in mind while you're watching the characters make judgements based on information they don't have.... that you do. So very like a mystery but crowded out with high fantasy. Totally loving it.

Sometimes the vocabulary is a bit... repetitive. I think he's used the word "gordet" way too many times. There's GOT to be another way to say "protective neck armor". I AM having to look up words, which is nice. Mostly ones that are "this author has a thesaurus and picked out a word for courageous that sounded more fantasy-y" (ie doughty).

Oh, then there's all the fantasy animals I've only sort of heard of, like direwolves and manticores and such. There's even an overshadowing of extinct-but-maybe-not dragons and all sorts of beasties that lurk in the shadows. Too much fun!

Anyway, I'm totally digging this series. I'm a bit bummed that it's only four(ish) books, but it's taking me a while to get through them, so I'll just enjoy them while I'm here.

Just to point out, each chapter is from the viewpoint of a different character, so you get everyone's story. It's similar to the way Terry Brooks handled the Sword of Shannara and Terry Goodkind wrote the Sword of Truth books. However this time it's formalized, with each character's name titling the chapter. I really kind of like this rigid form.

Speaking of Terry Goodkind, I plowed through the Terry Goodkind Sword of Truth books and I heard (saw) that the final book, the Confessor, is out. I'll be picking that up as soon as it's in paperback and will definitely blog it. I'm extremely interested in the ending. Every book in the series has had the same general structure - stuff is good, shit goes wrong, they work it out, shit might go bad again. I'm wondering how they'll end the cycle. Anyway, that's for the future.

I almost forgot! Game of Thrones even has the "highborn girl that doesn't want to be a lady, but a swordswoman". I LOVE those books! It's just about got EVERYTHING. Loving it!

Info: Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks

Info
(I read this, but didn't blog it. I was on vacation in Oklahoma visiting family for the holidays. I intend to start up again when I'm not so addicted to Puzzle Quest... still.)

Title: Sword of Shannara (Sword of Shannara, book 1)
Author: Terry Brooks
Publisher: Orbit / Del Rey / Random House
Publish Date: 2006
ISBN: 1857231511
Type of Book: Fantasy
Date Started: December 2007
Date Finished: 22 December 2007
Acquired from: Border's
Purchase price: $7.99
Rating (out of 5): ****

Not Reading: Puzzle Quest

So I totally finished that Robin Hobb book. Thankfully. I put it down with a big ole sigh of relief. And then freaked. I've run out of fantasy series. I'm current on all of the ones I've been reading. Augh.

So I picked up the Sword of Shananara and something else. I haven't actually started either one. I've been playing Puzzle Quest.

I fully intend to do a closing post on Forest Mage and and update with whatever I start, but it definitely won't be until I'm done with PQ. It's ... ABSORBING.

MUST SWAP MANA GEMS!!!

:)