I have these slated for the next reads
Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente
*I think Valente is one of the great writers of our time.
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
*Odd that everyone reads, The Lottery, but I've never read anything else by her.
God's War by Kameron Hurley
*Lots of good buzz and reviews for this one.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
2012 Book 6 -- The Etched City, K. J. Bishop
No rating, didn't finish
I read about half of this book. It is completely OK, which is the problem. Too many other books I want to give a try to finish one that is just OK. I enjoyed the first section, in the desert, but it is too meandering once they reach the city. I like the two protagonists, though.
If it was a quick read I might stick with it, but it is not. That's not a bad thing in itself. _Among Others_ was slow, and it was fabulous. This one starting to feel like a slog, though. Moving on. I've got Valente's, _Deathless_, waiting for me at the library.
I read at least half of it, so I'm counting it as a +1 towards my goal of reading more books by women than by men in 2012.
I read about half of this book. It is completely OK, which is the problem. Too many other books I want to give a try to finish one that is just OK. I enjoyed the first section, in the desert, but it is too meandering once they reach the city. I like the two protagonists, though.
If it was a quick read I might stick with it, but it is not. That's not a bad thing in itself. _Among Others_ was slow, and it was fabulous. This one starting to feel like a slog, though. Moving on. I've got Valente's, _Deathless_, waiting for me at the library.
I read at least half of it, so I'm counting it as a +1 towards my goal of reading more books by women than by men in 2012.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
2012 Book 5 -- Among Others, Jo Walton
8 out of 10
Really, really enjoyed it. I should say more, but its hard to explain why its so good. My favourite depiction of magic. Utterly charmed by the protagonist. She's signing here in Albuquerque on the 26th!
The author is a woman, so this is a +1 for my resolution that over half the books I read this year will be written by women
Really, really enjoyed it. I should say more, but its hard to explain why its so good. My favourite depiction of magic. Utterly charmed by the protagonist. She's signing here in Albuquerque on the 26th!
The author is a woman, so this is a +1 for my resolution that over half the books I read this year will be written by women
Saturday, January 14, 2012
2012 Book 4 -- I Am Not A Serial Killer
6 out 10
Really enjoyed the first half. Took a bit of a dive after that for me. Being introduced to the sociopath trying not to become a killer, was interesting, and damn it was funny. Him hunting the monster in the second half of the book didn't work as well for me. Who the monster was was disappointingly predictable, but the back story of the monster was pleasantly surprising. Also liked the bond between the protagonist and the monster.
But, the way it finished, where it left the protagonist, I'm not sure I'm going to pick up the second book in the series.
Count so far: Women authors 2, Men authors 2
Really enjoyed the first half. Took a bit of a dive after that for me. Being introduced to the sociopath trying not to become a killer, was interesting, and damn it was funny. Him hunting the monster in the second half of the book didn't work as well for me. Who the monster was was disappointingly predictable, but the back story of the monster was pleasantly surprising. Also liked the bond between the protagonist and the monster.
But, the way it finished, where it left the protagonist, I'm not sure I'm going to pick up the second book in the series.
Count so far: Women authors 2, Men authors 2
Sunday, January 08, 2012
2012 Book 3 -- Shotgun Gravy / Chuck Wendig
Rating: 6 out of 10
The character voices in this novella are brilliant. That's what most of the positive rating rests on. It has a decidedly pulp sensibility, which might account for the escalation in violence that I couldn't quite buy. In the end, it was a little too grim, no win, for me.
Again, I enjoyed the novella length. This might be a sweet spot for ebooks for me.
I have pre-ordered Wendig's, _Blackbirds_, out later this year. I am hoping that the same brilliance of voice is there, and that the book has a plot I find more satisfying.
The character voices in this novella are brilliant. That's what most of the positive rating rests on. It has a decidedly pulp sensibility, which might account for the escalation in violence that I couldn't quite buy. In the end, it was a little too grim, no win, for me.
Again, I enjoyed the novella length. This might be a sweet spot for ebooks for me.
I have pre-ordered Wendig's, _Blackbirds_, out later this year. I am hoping that the same brilliance of voice is there, and that the book has a plot I find more satisfying.
Tuesday, January 03, 2012
2012 Book 2 - White Cat / Holly Black
No rating -- didn't finish
It might work for you; didn't work for me. Really wanted to like it. Seemed like it was moving towards an interesting mindf*ck plot. I never started to care.
Although I didn't finish it, I gave it a good try, so I'm giving myself a +1 towards my goal of over 50% of the books I read in 2012 being by women authors.
It might work for you; didn't work for me. Really wanted to like it. Seemed like it was moving towards an interesting mindf*ck plot. I never started to care.
Although I didn't finish it, I gave it a good try, so I'm giving myself a +1 towards my goal of over 50% of the books I read in 2012 being by women authors.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
2012 Book 1, The Strange Case of Finley Jayne / Kady Cross
5 out of 10
Description from Amazon:
The Strange Case of Finley Jayne was fun, which I believe was its main goal. The characters you were supposed to like were charming, and it was easy to root for the protagonist. Moved briskly, lots of action. Not a lot of internal dialogue or angst. I enjoyed the length. I can see how ebooks might be bringing back the novella. All to the the good.
The villain was a bit lackluster. The prose was sometimes clumsy, and the book lacked any pretense at subtlety. I felt the steampunk element was a gimick. The mad science that is important to the plot is an older, non-steam cliche.
At the end of the book I noticed it was published by Harlequin Teen. I believe that is the first Harlequin book I have read. The author is a woman, so this is a +1 for my resolution that over half the books I read this year will be written by women. OK, I'm cheating slightly. I started this a couple days before 2012. Hang me.
Description from Amazon:
Finley Jayne knows she's not 'normal'. Normal girls don't lose time, or have something inside them that makes them capable of remarkably violent things. Her behavior has already cost her one job, so when she's offered the lofty position of companion to Phoebe, a debutante recently engaged to Lord Vincent, she accepts, despite having no experience.
The Strange Case of Finley Jayne was fun, which I believe was its main goal. The characters you were supposed to like were charming, and it was easy to root for the protagonist. Moved briskly, lots of action. Not a lot of internal dialogue or angst. I enjoyed the length. I can see how ebooks might be bringing back the novella. All to the the good.
The villain was a bit lackluster. The prose was sometimes clumsy, and the book lacked any pretense at subtlety. I felt the steampunk element was a gimick. The mad science that is important to the plot is an older, non-steam cliche.
At the end of the book I noticed it was published by Harlequin Teen. I believe that is the first Harlequin book I have read. The author is a woman, so this is a +1 for my resolution that over half the books I read this year will be written by women. OK, I'm cheating slightly. I started this a couple days before 2012. Hang me.
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