2017 reading list

[syn]

copy/paste/update from the old list. feel like i missed one between 6 and 7 (trespasser, eeny meeny) but it must not have been memorable, because i can't think what it might've been*, **.

eeny meeny was terrible. tried to be something in the vein of thomas harris's silence of the lambs/hannibal etc, failed on all counts. do not waste your time.

a man called ove was great. translation from a swedish author. comedy/drama about an elderly man trying to deal with events in his life. would try to put in more descriptors but don't want to be spoilery. think there was a movie based on this last year, which we'll have to look for.

time salvager- set in ~2500?  terrible title and clearly a first novel, but got better as it went along. lost points for being a cliffhanger, but will look for the sequel if i remember to (i'm assuming the author planned one, based on the ending).

goodhouse; another first novel. much better writing than time salvager. near future scifi, extremely believable. strong gattaca flavor to it.

pandora's star; maybe 100 pages in. space opera, established british scifi author. still introducing characters. seems like hamilton's one of those guys that's outgrown his editors. 

1. death's end, cixin liu/ken liu  - 4.5/5
2. central station, lavie tidhar  - 3.5/5
3. blood song, anthony ryan  - 4/5
4. tower lord, anthony ryan  - 3/5
5. queen of fire, anthony ryan  - 3/5
6. the trespasser, tana french  - 3.5/5
7. the magician's assistant, anne patchett 2.5/5
8. abomination, gary whitta   4/5
9. eeny meeny, m.j. arlidge  - 1/5
10. a man called ove, fredrik backman   - 4/5
11. time salvager, wesley chu   - 3/5
12. goodhouse, peyton marshall  -  3.5/5
13. pandora's star, peter hamilton  -- in progress

*edit: remembered the missing book. the magician's assistant had well realized characters and was well written, but was not really my kind of story. about a woman dealing with the death of her partner and discovering/meeting his extended family after his death. one of my wife's books (as was a man called ove and eeny meeny, for that matter).

** forgot a second book in that span as well. abomination, by gary whitta. fantasy, set in england roughly 1000 years ago. was a pleasant surprise. could easily see this set in the diablo world. gory violent supernatural goodness. maybe a bit predictable but that's ok.

[Reigns]

Copied from other forums... and new books:

Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse, edited by John Joseph Adams - 3/5.  Collection of apocalyptic stories.  A few worth reading.  A few not.  Nothing that you haven't seen before.  Worth one read - not worth keeping the book.
Norse Mythology, by Neil Gaiman - 3.5/5.  This was fun and interesting, but really only if you like Norse mythology.  Basically a retelling of the classic myths.  No, not the Marvel versions.    I recommend it due to the subject and Gaiman's ability to paint vivid pictures unless you want original work.
The Rising, by Kelly Armstrong - 4/5.  The conclusion to the Darkness Rising series, it's quite fun if you read her women of the otherworld series.  Otherwise it's a standard teen series - the first she tried after her more adult oriented urban fantasy.  The conclusion was a bit weak which kept the score down, but otherwise it was more or less satisfying.  Sort of one of those good enough for fanboy books - which I am.

April

* = reread
1. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, by Robert C. O'Brien - 5/5 *
2. Shadowed Souls, edited by Jim Butcher and Kerrie L Hughes - 4/5
3. The Haunting of Cassie Palmer, by Vivien Alcock - 2.5/5
4. Dusk or Dark or Dawn or Day, by Seanan McGuire - 4.5/5
5. Reckoning, by Lili St. Crow - 4/5
6. Unwind, by Neal Shusterman - 3/5
7. Magic for Nothing, by Seanan McGuire - 4.5/5
8. Silence Fallen, by Patricia Briggs - 4.5/5
9. The Calling, by Kelley Armstrong - 4/5
10. Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse, edited by John Joseph Adams - 3/5
11. Norse Mythology, by Neil Gaiman - 3.5/5
12. The Rising, by Kelly Armstrong - 4/5

[nanenj]

R...r...read?  How does I read?! x_X;

More seriously, i've enjoyed a number of books, I posted about one I really enjoyed, but most of them are in audiobook form as of late.  I listen on the commute into work.

I just signed up for a book crate, finally got suckered into one of those subscription things.   Means I'll get at least 8 more books this year to read.

I think the most adult thing I'm going to read/listen to though is 'This book is full of spiders' and possibly 'What the hell did I just read:  A novel of cosmic horror', however, I'm pretty sure that those are only considered adult on the most crude level.

I should compile a list, and I may, with ratings of what I've gone through already this year.  That requires energy I don't have at 6:00am though

[Jazz]

Yay!  Finally back in!

Two new books, both by Bill McKibben

Eaarth   The premise is that we have already changed the planet enough due to global warming to warrant the new name.  Details many of the recent changes, but is already a bit dated.

Oil and Honey   Details the work against the Keystone XL pipeline and the growth of 350.org, alongside stories of a local organic honey farmer.  Makes a strong case for local focus to adapt to the changing climate.  This aligns with studies on species survival of mass extinctions- those that were spread over the entire globe tended to find a place and way to survive in small communities and repopulate.

1) Star Wars: Bloodline by Claudia Gray
2) Star Wars: A New Dawn by John Jackson Miller
3) Star Wars: Heir to the Jedi by Kevin Hearne
4) Grunt by Mary Roach
5) Red Star Rogue by Kenneth Sewell and Clint Richmond
6) Being a Beast by Charles Foster
7) Neuromancer by William Gibson
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
9) Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C Clarke
10) The STEM Leader Guide- Practical Advice for Creating a STEM School by Hans Meeder
11) Hyperion by Dan Simmons
12) The Universe Within by Neil Shubin
13) The Sea Wolf by Jack London
13) Eaarth by Bill McKibben
14) Oil and Honey by Bill McKibben

[Reigns]

I love that Jazz's # 8 is the    lol
So I decided it was time to reread something I really enjoyed - something I haven't read in a while.  This time I went for a series - the Vlad Taltos series by Steven Brust - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Brust#Vlad_Taltos.  I started reading it back in the 80's (book one was published in 83, but I picked it up a bit later).  Still love it.  And it's still being added to, abeit with several years between each book. 

Jhereg, by Steven Brust - 5/5.  Vlad is an assassin whose father bought his way into the house of the Jhereg in the Dragaeran empire, gaining a title and a link to the imperial orb, which allows them to use sorcery, as opposed to the normal withcraft that Easterners would use.  Despite hating Dragaerans, all of Vlad's friends are of that species - except his familiar, Loiosh... who is also a jhereg, from whence the house takes its name.  Incidentally Dragaerans call themselves human, and Vlad (who would be human to us) is an Easterner.  So there's a plot too... but I'll leave that for you to find.  Fantastic book.  Fantastic series.
Yendi, by Steven Brust - 5/5.  Follow up to Jhereg.  Also fantastic.  Fills in a lot of the history that's assumed in the first book.  Again, an actual plot to this one as well.  It's a fun read.  FYI a yendi is a poisonous snake in the Dragaeran empire.  Random facts because why not. 

April

* = reread
1. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, by Robert C. O'Brien - 5/5 *
2. Shadowed Souls, edited by Jim Butcher and Kerrie L Hughes - 4/5
3. The Haunting of Cassie Palmer, by Vivien Alcock - 2.5/5
4. Dusk or Dark or Dawn or Day, by Seanan McGuire - 4.5/5
5. Reckoning, by Lili St. Crow - 4/5
6. Unwind, by Neal Shusterman - 3/5
7. Magic for Nothing, by Seanan McGuire - 4.5/5
8. Silence Fallen, by Patricia Briggs - 4.5/5
9. The Calling, by Kelley Armstrong - 4/5
10. Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse, edited by John Joseph Adams - 3/5
11. Norse Mythology, by Neil Gaiman - 3.5/5
12. The Rising, by Kelly Armstrong - 4/5
13. Jhereg, by Steven Brust - 5/5 *
14. Yendi, by Steven Brust - 5/5 *

[Reigns]

So I've read the next two Steven Brust books in the series, Teckla and Taltos.  Teckla is probably the one I dislike the most out of the first 9 or 10.  Still worth a 4.  Not sure why I don't like it - maybe to much angst?  I love Taltos though.  Good stuff.  It's basically a fill in of all the backstory that they talked about and alluded to in the other books.  Solid  5 there.  Eagerly moving forward now. 

April

* = reread
1. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, by Robert C. O'Brien - 5/5 *
2. Shadowed Souls, edited by Jim Butcher and Kerrie L Hughes - 4/5
3. The Haunting of Cassie Palmer, by Vivien Alcock - 2.5/5
4. Dusk or Dark or Dawn or Day, by Seanan McGuire - 4.5/5
5. Reckoning, by Lili St. Crow - 4/5
6. Unwind, by Neal Shusterman - 3/5
7. Magic for Nothing, by Seanan McGuire - 4.5/5
8. Silence Fallen, by Patricia Briggs - 4.5/5
9. The Calling, by Kelley Armstrong - 4/5
10. Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse, edited by John Joseph Adams - 3/5
11. Norse Mythology, by Neil Gaiman - 3.5/5
12. The Rising, by Kelly Armstrong - 4/5
13. Jhereg, by Steven Brust - 5/5 *
14. Yendi, by Steven Brust - 5/5 *
15. Teckla, by Steven Brust - 4/5 *
16. Taltos, by Steven Brust - 5/5 *

[Reigns]

Read the next book - Phoenix, by Steven Brust.  Good - not the best.  Still very enjoyable.  4/5   Actually probably about a 4.25 because it's better than Teckla.  But... details.

Know what? I'm tired.  That's all I have to say. 

April

* = reread
1. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, by Robert C. O'Brien - 5/5 *
2. Shadowed Souls, edited by Jim Butcher and Kerrie L Hughes - 4/5
3. The Haunting of Cassie Palmer, by Vivien Alcock - 2.5/5
4. Dusk or Dark or Dawn or Day, by Seanan McGuire - 4.5/5
5. Reckoning, by Lili St. Crow - 4/5
6. Unwind, by Neal Shusterman - 3/5
7. Magic for Nothing, by Seanan McGuire - 4.5/5
8. Silence Fallen, by Patricia Briggs - 4.5/5
9. The Calling, by Kelley Armstrong - 4/5
10. Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse, edited by John Joseph Adams - 3/5
11. Norse Mythology, by Neil Gaiman - 3.5/5
12. The Rising, by Kelly Armstrong - 4/5
13. Jhereg, by Steven Brust - 5/5 *
14. Yendi, by Steven Brust - 5/5 *
15. Teckla, by Steven Brust - 4/5 *
16. Taltos, by Steven Brust - 5/5 *
17. Phoenix, by Steven Brust - 4/5 *

[syn]

still working on pandora's star. someone please get this author an editor. i do not need multiple pages on how/why vineyards came to exist on some fucking planet that plays no significant role in the story other than that's where one minor character chose to live. maybe 2/3 of the way through, somewhere around page 500-600. there's an interesting story buried in there, but SO MUCH PADDING.

[Reigns]

still working on pandora's star. someone please get this author an editor. i do not need multiple pages on how/why vineyards came to exist on some fucking planet that plays no significant role in the story other than that's where one minor character chose to live. maybe 2/3 of the way through, somewhere around page 500-600. there's an interesting story buried in there, but SO MUCH PADDING.

lol
Maybe he's related to Hemmingway?   

[Reigns]

So I finished up Athyra, by Steven Brust, right before we hit May.  So by my own standards I get to put it in April even though I'm posting on May 1.  Yay - lol. 
Let me note something about this book however -- it's written mostly from the point of view of a peasant character who was introduced in this book, whereas all previous books were written from the point of view of the main character, Vlad Taltos.  I hate when authors do that.  Honestly I just do.  However... as I did when last I read this book I found it annoying for about 10 pages, and then quickly got lost in how engaging the story was.  The long and short of it is that Brust actually managed to make it a refreshing change for the series.  So despite myself... I enjoyed the change.  Again.  4.5/5 - and just verging on that perfect 5.  Not QUITE there, but a very enjoyable book overall. 

April

* = reread
1. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, by Robert C. O'Brien - 5/5 *
2. Shadowed Souls, edited by Jim Butcher and Kerrie L Hughes - 4/5
3. The Haunting of Cassie Palmer, by Vivien Alcock - 2.5/5
4. Dusk or Dark or Dawn or Day, by Seanan McGuire - 4.5/5
5. Reckoning, by Lili St. Crow - 4/5
6. Unwind, by Neal Shusterman - 3/5
7. Magic for Nothing, by Seanan McGuire - 4.5/5
8. Silence Fallen, by Patricia Briggs - 4.5/5
9. The Calling, by Kelley Armstrong - 4/5
10. Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse, edited by John Joseph Adams - 3/5
11. Norse Mythology, by Neil Gaiman - 3.5/5
12. The Rising, by Kelly Armstrong - 4/5
13. Jhereg, by Steven Brust - 5/5 *
14. Yendi, by Steven Brust - 5/5 *
15. Teckla, by Steven Brust - 4/5 *
16. Taltos, by Steven Brust - 5/5 *
17. Phoenix, by Steven Brust - 4/5 *
18. Athyra, by Steven Brust - 4.5/.5 *

[Reigns]

Some esoteric crap in Orca, by Steven Brust, but I liked it anyway.  4.5/5
Sorry - too damn tired to go into details today.

MAY

* = reread
1. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, by Robert C. O'Brien - 5/5 *
2. Shadowed Souls, edited by Jim Butcher and Kerrie L Hughes - 4/5
3. The Haunting of Cassie Palmer, by Vivien Alcock - 2.5/5
4. Dusk or Dark or Dawn or Day, by Seanan McGuire - 4.5/5
5. Reckoning, by Lili St. Crow - 4/5
6. Unwind, by Neal Shusterman - 3/5
7. Magic for Nothing, by Seanan McGuire - 4.5/5
8. Silence Fallen, by Patricia Briggs - 4.5/5
9. The Calling, by Kelley Armstrong - 4/5
10. Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse, edited by John Joseph Adams - 3/5
11. Norse Mythology, by Neil Gaiman - 3.5/5
12. The Rising, by Kelly Armstrong - 4/5
13. Jhereg, by Steven Brust - 5/5 *
14. Yendi, by Steven Brust - 5/5 *
15. Teckla, by Steven Brust - 4/5 *
16. Taltos, by Steven Brust - 5/5 *
17. Phoenix, by Steven Brust - 4/5 *
18. Athyra, by Steven Brust - 4.5/5 *
19. Orca, by Steven Brust - 4.5/5 *

[syn]

still working on pandora's star. someone please get this author an editor. i do not need multiple pages on how/why vineyards came to exist on some fucking planet that plays no significant role in the story other than that's where one minor character chose to live. maybe 2/3 of the way through, somewhere around page 500-600. there's an interesting story buried in there, but SO MUCH PADDING.

lol
Maybe he's related to Hemmingway?   

heh. i wish.

[Reigns]

Next in the series is Dragon, by Steven Brust.  This one was a bit different as well; Vlad joins the army.  Well, sorta.  He had a grudge and a mission and, well, it all went from there.  Plus Steve-O has talked about this event in the backstory parts of multiple other books.  It was time to tell it as its own story.  I liked it, obviously.  Brust's habit of going back and forth between current events and events in Vlad's past from book to book (and sometimes even in one book) annoys some, but I find he's one of the few authors who does so seamlessly enough that it doesn't interrupt the narrative.  4.5/5 here as well.

* = reread
1. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, by Robert C. O'Brien - 5/5 *
2. Shadowed Souls, edited by Jim Butcher and Kerrie L Hughes - 4/5
3. The Haunting of Cassie Palmer, by Vivien Alcock - 2.5/5
4. Dusk or Dark or Dawn or Day, by Seanan McGuire - 4.5/5
5. Reckoning, by Lili St. Crow - 4/5
6. Unwind, by Neal Shusterman - 3/5
7. Magic for Nothing, by Seanan McGuire - 4.5/5
8. Silence Fallen, by Patricia Briggs - 4.5/5
9. The Calling, by Kelley Armstrong - 4/5
10. Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse, edited by John Joseph Adams - 3/5
11. Norse Mythology, by Neil Gaiman - 3.5/5
12. The Rising, by Kelly Armstrong - 4/5
13. Jhereg, by Steven Brust - 5/5 *
14. Yendi, by Steven Brust - 5/5 *
15. Teckla, by Steven Brust - 4/5 *
16. Taltos, by Steven Brust - 5/5 *
17. Phoenix, by Steven Brust - 4/5 *
18. Athyra, by Steven Brust - 4.5/5 *
19. Orca, by Steven Brust - 4.5/5 *
20. Dragon, by Steven Brust - 4.5/5 *

[Reigns]

So I've read three more Steven Brust books.  Issola is my favorite of those - one of my favorites in the series in fact.  It brings to a head one of the underlying threads that has been running through the series since it began.  Dzur was pretty good, but not good enough to bee great.  Jhegaala was my least favorirte.  Honestly the story was just a bit confusing and it was lacking in many of the regular supporting characters that I enjoy so much.  By necessity, but no others emerged that were actually interesting.  It was one of those fill in what happened in the the past, when Vlad went back to the land of his ancestors.  I was glad to have the backstory filled in, but I'd have preferred the story be better.  So 5,4 and 3.5 (more a 3.75), respectively.  Luckily the next one I just started is quite a lot better.  After that I have only one more.  Oh woe and sadness.  Whatever shall I read? 

That's a hint to others to start posting your books, dammit!  I need suggestions!  I can't just read the nearly 150 unread books in my office -- there might be something better!

* = reread
1. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, by Robert C. O'Brien - 5/5 *
2. Shadowed Souls, edited by Jim Butcher and Kerrie L Hughes - 4/5
3. The Haunting of Cassie Palmer, by Vivien Alcock - 2.5/5
4. Dusk or Dark or Dawn or Day, by Seanan McGuire - 4.5/5
5. Reckoning, by Lili St. Crow - 4/5
6. Unwind, by Neal Shusterman - 3/5
7. Magic for Nothing, by Seanan McGuire - 4.5/5
8. Silence Fallen, by Patricia Briggs - 4.5/5
9. The Calling, by Kelley Armstrong - 4/5
10. Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse, edited by John Joseph Adams - 3/5
11. Norse Mythology, by Neil Gaiman - 3.5/5
12. The Rising, by Kelly Armstrong - 4/5
13. Jhereg, by Steven Brust - 5/5 *
14. Yendi, by Steven Brust - 5/5 *
15. Teckla, by Steven Brust - 4/5 *
16. Taltos, by Steven Brust - 5/5 *
17. Phoenix, by Steven Brust - 4/5 *
18. Athyra, by Steven Brust - 4.5/5 *
19. Orca, by Steven Brust - 4.5/5 *
20. Dragon, by Steven Brust - 4.5/5 *
21. Issola, by Steven Brust - 5/5 *
22. Dzur, by Steven Brust - 4/5 *
23. Jhegaala, by Steven Brust - 3.5/5 *

[Jazz]

Wow, this has become the Reigns Reader.  Time to change that a bit.

Grace Without God by Katherine Ozment  The spark for the book started when the author was looking out her window at a Greek Orthodox Easter procession with her 4 year old son, who asked why they weren't there.  "We're not Greek Orthodox."  "What are we?"  "We're nothing." That response soured her, so she began investigating religions and secular organizations to find out what it was they were missing by having moved away from religion and raising their kids secular.  The writing can be a little clumsy at times, but it is heartfelt and well organized throughout her search.

1) Star Wars: Bloodline by Claudia Gray
2) Star Wars: A New Dawn by John Jackson Miller
3) Star Wars: Heir to the Jedi by Kevin Hearne
4) Grunt by Mary Roach
5) Red Star Rogue by Kenneth Sewell and Clint Richmond
6) Being a Beast by Charles Foster
7) Neuromancer by William Gibson
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
9) Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C Clarke
10) The STEM Leader Guide- Practical Advice for Creating a STEM School by Hans Meeder
11) Hyperion by Dan Simmons
12) The Universe Within by Neil Shubin
13) The Sea Wolf by Jack London
13) Eaarth by Bill McKibben
14) Oil and Honey by Bill McKibben
15) Grace Without God by Katherine Ozment