What are you Reading? March 2018 edition

Blue · Mar 3, 2018

So I've got a confession to make. I just finished Sir Terry Pratchett's Small Gods and I did not love it. As a matter of fact, for the first half of the book I wasn't even sure if I liked it. Nothing wrong per se, but it didn't hold my attention.

Anyway, it picked up a lot for the last quarter. Worthwhile read.

I wonder if I was affected by reading Carpe Jugulum right before it, where a supporting character in that book referred to the main character of this book several times in a historical sense that gave away part of the ending.

I've got a deepish to-read pile at the moment, one stands out as a complete impulse buy with a gift card. "All Those Explosions Were Someone Else's Fault" by James Alan Gardner. Usually I try new authors based on recommendations from those who recommend other books I like - that's how I first came to the excellent N.K. Jemisin last year. And that list of authors to try is pretty long. Random browsing in bookstores - not so much. So wish me luck.

Kramodlog · Mar 6, 2018

Rading Pump Six by Paolo Bacigalupi. It is a collection of short stories. I bought on sale after reading and loving the Windup Girl. So far, two stories down and liking it. Bacigalupi juggles with one high concept and one main character per story and tries to develop both in 30 pages or less. Light and stimulating thanks to themes and concept chosen.

After finishing Seven Surrenders by Ada Palmer, that I also loved, but was meatier, a lightness is welcomed.

Ralif Redhammer · Mar 6, 2018

Finished reading Sapkowski’s Blood of Elves. Much more enjoyable than the short story collections (though this novel still had some of the episodic feel of the short stories). Maybe it's transferred from the video game series, but there's something comforting about returning to the world of Geralt, Ciri, Triss, Dandelion, and company.

Now it’s back to the Wheel of Time read, with A Crown of Swords. Book 7. The half-way point!

Blue · Mar 6, 2018

Kramodlog said:
Rading Pump Six by Paolo Bacigalupi. It is a collection of short stories. I bought on sale after reading and loving the Windup Girl. So far, two stories down and liking it. Bacigalupi juggles with one high concept and one main character per story and tries to develop both in 30 pages or less. Light and stimulating thanks to themes and concept chosen.

After finishing Seven Surrenders by Ada Palmer, that I also loved, but was meatier, a lightness is welcomed.

Cool. Short stories are not my preferred format, even some of my favs like Zelazny I find the short stories rate as "good" vs. the "great" of the novels.. But I also think this may be a self-fulfilling prophesy - I avoid short stories so I never get a chance to get exposed to good ones.

The late Jay Lake did some short stories I really liked - they didn't read like cut down stories, and almost always left a bigger goal or mystery still waiting unresolved that I wanted more. So I know there are short stories out there I'll enjoy.

What would you recommend as your favorite collection of short stories?

Deuce Traveler · Mar 6, 2018

I'm reading Peter Ellis' "The Celtic Empire". It's a bit of a dry historical work, but has a lot of interesting tidbits about the European Celtic people that I hadn't known before.

Kramodlog · Mar 6, 2018

Blue said:
Cool. Short stories are not my preferred format, even some of my favs like Zelazny I find the short stories rate as "good" vs. the "great" of the novels.. But I also think this may be a self-fulfilling prophesy - I avoid short stories so I never get a chance to get exposed to good ones.

The late Jay Lake did some short stories I really liked - they didn't read like cut down stories, and almost always left a bigger goal or mystery still waiting unresolved that I wanted more. So I know there are short stories out there I'll enjoy.

What would you recommend as your favorite collection of short stories?

There are good short stories and bad ones, just like novels. The problem is that if you buy a short story collection* you'll have good and bad fiction and it will detere you from buying more collections as it wasn't all good, whether from the same author or a bunch of authors.

Ashame really. As the medium is a great way to tell stories. Individually, there are some great short stories, like William Gibson's Burning Chrome or Guy de Maupassant's The Horla. I guess that is the real positive impact of e-readers. Now you can buy good individual short stories instead of having to pay for a collection to get the good ones.

* I still buy only real books. Often at used books stores or used copies on Amazon, but I need to have a physical copy to read and than shelve. Or just shelves, as I buy more books than I can read.

Ryujin · Mar 7, 2018

Just started "Crosser's Maze", the second book in Dorian Hart's "The Heroes of Spira" series that he posted here about, some time back.

Richards · Mar 8, 2018

I just started Full Wolf Moon by Lincoln Child. The term is an Algonquin phrase referring to the full moon in January, when the wolves are hungry enough to lurk closer than normal to human dwellings. Based on the first chapter, where a hiker gets savaged out in the wilderness, I'm guessing the main character, "enigmalogist" Jeremy Logan, is going to be discovering the truth about Bigfoot, although the back cover makes it seem like it might be about werewolves. But either way, I'll be enjoying the ride.

Johnathan

Maxperson · Mar 8, 2018

I'm re-reading the Sword of Truth series, as well as the Silmarillion. It's something to do while I wait for books to come out.

Ralif Redhammer · Mar 8, 2018

My normal rule is that any book bigger than 500 pages is a Kindle purchase, while anything below that is a printed book. But you know….some of those flash Kindle eBook sales for $1 - $3 end up breaking that rule.

Kramodlog said:
* I still buy only real books. Often at used books stores or used copies on Amazon, but I need to have a physical copy to read and than shelve. Or just shelves, as I buy more books than I can read.