bluesalamanders 2010

Discussions50 Book Challenge

Rejoignez LibraryThing pour poster.

bluesalamanders 2010

Ce sujet est actuellement indiqué comme "en sommeil"—le dernier message date de plus de 90 jours. Vous pouvez le réveiller en postant une réponse.

1bluesalamanders
Modifié : Jan 2, 2010, 10:48 am

2007, 2008, 2009

Happy new year! And now it's time to start the new challenge thread. Based on the past few years, here are my goals:

Total books: 160
Pages: 48000
New books: 80
Non-fiction: 7

Numbers subject to change without notice, management makes no guarantees etc etc.

Comments and discussion are welcome!

2hairballsrus
Jan 2, 2010, 11:46 am

I always look forward to your reading list and expect great things from you!

3bluesalamanders
Jan 2, 2010, 11:53 am

Thank you :D I'll be following yours, too.

4scaifea
Jan 2, 2010, 3:11 pm

Looking forward to lurking here again this year ;)

5bluesalamanders
Jan 2, 2010, 5:01 pm

Hehe thank you. Sometimes it seems like I'm just sending these out into the void - it's nice to know that a few people at least are reading them :)

6tjblue
Jan 9, 2010, 9:06 am

There are more people out here than you think, but I don't like to think of myself as a silent lurker. I am a people watcher!

7bluesalamanders
Jan 10, 2010, 10:30 am

1. Pattern Recognition by William Gibson
Adult, Science Fiction, 367 pages

2. *Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
Young Adult, Fantasy, 390 pages

Good story, generally believable characters, and an unusual and enthralling look at werewolves. Also, the writing was excellent and the alternating of the perspectives was deftly handled. Overall, I really enjoyed it. My only qualm is that the two main characters barely knew each other when they decided they were in love, but then they were teenagers.

3. The cat who moved a mountain by Lillian Jackson Braun
The Cat Who... series, book 13
Adult, Mystery, 261 pages

4. The cat who tailed a thief by Lillian Jackson Braun
The Cat Who... series, book 19
Adult, Mystery, 247 pages

5. Mort by Terry Pratchett
Discworld
Adult, Satire, Fantasy, audio - 7h45m


5 / 160 books. 3% done!

1 / 80 *new books. 1% done!

0 / 7 ^non-fiction. 0% done!

1265 / 48000 words. 3% done!

Audiobooks: 7h45m

8bluesalamanders
Modifié : Jan 13, 2010, 8:01 am

6. *Nameless by Sam Starbuck
Adult, Fantasy, 208 pages

This is a wonderful book.


6 / 160 books. 4% done!

2 / 80 *new books. 3% done!

0 / 7 ^new books. 0% done!

1265 / 48000 pages. 3% done!

9hairballsrus
Jan 16, 2010, 7:14 am

What is Nameless about?

10bluesalamanders
Jan 16, 2010, 8:16 am

I meant to go back and write an actual review; what I first wrote made it sound incredibly boring! But it's an unusual story...

It's about friendship and fitting in - or not - with a little magic tossed in. Christopher Dusk, a bookseller who moved from Chicago to a small town called Low Ferry, makes friends with another newcomer to the town, Lucas, who is painfully shy. Christopher acquires a copy of a rare out-of-print book for Lucas and some odd things start happening.

The writing is just wonderful and the characters and settings just come to life; even minor characters seem vivid and alive. I've been a fan of the author's blog for several years, so I knew I would like the writing style, but I just couldn't put it down.

11hairballsrus
Jan 23, 2010, 2:15 pm

I love books about books. I'll check it out on Amazon. Thanks!

12bluesalamanders
Modifié : Jan 23, 2010, 3:24 pm

Sam self-published the book, it's available here through Lulu. I look forward to your opinion if you get it!

13bluesalamanders
Modifié : Déc 31, 2010, 6:18 am

7. Epic by Conor Kostik
Young Adult, Science Fiction, 366 pages

(copied from my previous review)

Erik Haraldson lives in two worlds. In the real world, on New Earth, he works on a farm with his parents, where they use both solar panels and wood-burning stoves, tractors and donkeys, an odd juxtaposition of the old and the new. He also lives in Epic, a fantasy MMORPG with virtual reality interfaces that nearly every person plays. It is within Epic that business transactions and governmental issues are handled, disputes are settled, and the economy functions.

Then, of course, things start going wrong. I really liked this book, it turned out to be much, much more interesting than I expected it to be. I do have three minor quibbles: there were almost no female characters in the book and the ones that did exist were unimportant and practically invisible; a major battle near the beginning was completely omitted; and the end wrapped up too quickly. But regardless, it was a fun and enthralling SF story.

8. Chalice by Robin McKinley
Young Adult, Fantasy, 259 pages

Chalice feels more like McKinley's earlier books, like Beauty or The Blue Sword, rather than her more recent (and modern) ones. I am fascinated by the world she creates and by the way we learn about it as the story goes along, in bits and pieces as the characters learn. I like the main characters; Mirasol, who was content in her solitary woodskeeper life before she was called to her duty as Chalice, and the Master, a former Fire Priest who left his priesthood to take up his duty. They are where they are because of their love for the land and their sense of duty, but that doesn't make it easy on them (or the people around them).

I was a little disappointed by the end, though. It seems like they get off too easy somehow. I prefer McKinley's books when the end is more subtle and ambiguous.

9. Saga by Conor Kostik
Sequel to Epic
Young Adult, Science Fiction, 367 pages

(copied from my previous review)

A secret probe has arrived on New Earth, which excised Epic from their computer system and installed another game, Saga. The people of New Earth are becoming addicted to Saga like a drug. Can Eric and his unusual new friends save two worlds?

Saga was quite different from Epic; although it was set in the same universe, it was almost entirely set within Saga and the main characters are NPCs, or characters from the game. It's a good book, I liked it nearly as much as I liked Epic.

10. The Cat Who Sang For the Birds by Lillian Jackson Braun
The Cat Who... series, book 20
Adult, Mystery, 272 pages


10 / 160 books. 6% done!

2 / 80 *new books. 3% done!

0 / 7 ^non-fiction. 0% done!

2529 / 48000 pages. 5% done!

Audiobooks: 7h45m

14bluesalamanders
Fév 2, 2010, 11:27 am

11.The Sagan Diary by John Scalzi (audio) (1h18m)
Old Man's War series, set between The Ghost Brigades and The Last Colony
Adult, Science Fiction

12. *Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater
Young Adult, Fantasy, 352 pages

Finally, a book about faeries that has traditional faeries and an interesting story! Most books I've read with faeries either had Traditional Faeries And A Boring Standard Fantasy Story or new agey punk-type faeries, which are sometimes fun and sometimes not, but nowhere near traditional.

Great writing, great characters, great story.

13. Cold Fire by Tamora Pierce
The Circle Opens, book 3
Young Adult, Fantasy, 355 pages

As with most of the Circle books, there are so many plots and sub-plots going on that it's difficult for any of them to get the depth they deserve. In this book, Daja and her teacher Frostpine are visiting a city to the north. Daja discovers the daughters of their hosts have magical abilities, so they need to be taught, so she needs to find teachers for them and teach them meditation. There are lots of fires going on in the city and Daja starts developing a friendship with a man named Ben who set up a fire brigade, and she decides to make living metal gloves for him so he can be more effective in rescuing people. The aforementioned daughters are teaching her to ice skate. Frostpine is investigating counterfeit coins.

And so on.

Most of the plots overlap or converge at some point, but still it just seems like the book is too short to hold it all. Also, there is a mystery that the reader learns the answer to early in the book and the characters don't discover until near the end. I found that disconcerting and I would have preferred it handled differently.

For all its flaws, it's not a bad book, just one I think could have been better. I enjoy it nonetheless; Daja is one of my favorite Circle characters - maybe I relate to her because of the metalsmithing - and also the Circle characters have a little less of a tendency toward Mary Sueishness than the Tortall women.


13 / 160 books. 8% done!

3 / 80 *new books. 4% done!

0 / 7 ^non-fiction. 0% done!

3236 / 48000 pages. 7% done!
Audiobooks: 9h03m

15bluesalamanders
Fév 9, 2010, 5:02 pm

14. The Last Days by Scott Westerfeld
Sequel to Peeps
Young Adult, Science Fiction, 286 pages

Not quite as good as Peeps, but a fun and solid story with striking characters.

15. *The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde
Thursday Next series, book 3
Adult, Fantasy, 375 pages

16. *My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger
Young Adult, Fiction, 403 pages

17. *Nation by Terry Pratchett
Adult, Fantasy, 367 pages

I can't say I particularly cared for this book. I read it because I saw the play with some friends and they said the book was better. Well, yes, the book was in fact better than the play.

18. Lythande by Marion Zimmer Bradley
Adult, Fantasy, Short Stories, 237 pages

Anthology of short stories about Lythande, a woman who must stay disguised as a man or lose her sorcery and her life. I used to really like this book, but now I only really like the last two stories.

The Secret of the Blue Star
A look at how difficult it can be for Lythande to have to hide the truth from everyone.

The Incompetant Magician
Lythande performs a task for a fellow magician in exchange for a remnant of her past. The story itself isn't very interesting, but the end is kind of sweet.

Somebody Else's Magic
Lythande's secret is threatened when she aids a dying woman and is bound by somebody else's magic. A frustrating story with disgusting attitudes toward women and a weird ending.

Sea Wrack
Lythande decides to help a fishing village rid itself of a murderous mermaid. Not terrible, but again there are some odd attitudes toward women, or rather girls.

The Wandering Lute
Lythande attempts to disenchant a lute and has amusing adventures on the way. There is a sequel story, The Gratitude of Kings, that isn't in this book. I like both stories; there are several entertaining characters and situations.

Looking for Satan by Vonda Mcintyre
This story isn't told from Lythande's perspective but that of Wess, a girl from the north who has come south with her companions to find their kidnapped friend Satan. They meet Lythande in the city and Wess and Lythande strike up a curious relationship. It is without question the strongest story in the book and far and away my favorite.

19. *Revenge of the Judoon by Terrance Dicks
Young Adult, Science Fiction, 102 pages

The Doctor promises Martha an adventure-free vacation. Not surprisingly, things don't go as planned.

This was a surprisingly solid story for so short a book. A quick and fun read.


19 / 160 books. 12% done!

7 / 80 *new books. 9% done!

0 / 7 ^non-fiction. 0% done!

5006 / 48000 pages. 10% done!

Audiobooks: 9h03m

16bluesalamanders
Fév 15, 2010, 9:38 am

20. The Cat Who Played Post Office by Lillian Jackson Braun
The Cat Who, book 6
Adult, Mystery, 262 pages

21. *Angelmass by Timothy Zahn
Adult, Science Fiction, 531 pages

I've been told that Zahn's regular science fiction books are better than his Star Wars books, but I didn't think this was. I would have preferred more focus on fewer characters, maybe a few less random plot devices, and the twist at the end to make more sense or be more meaningful.

22. *The God Engines by John Scalzi
Adult, Fantasy, 136 pages

It's hard to say anything about this book without revealing the whole story. It's a kind of fantasy/science fiction mix. There is space travel using captured gods to power the ships and prayer and rituals have tangible effects, but things may not be quite as they seem.

This was an interesting book and well-written as always, but definitely not one my favorites Scalzi books.

23. The Cat Who Blew The Whistle by Lillian Jackson Braun
The Cat Who, book 17
Adult, Mystery, 311 pages

In some of the later books, things just start getting kind of ridiculous, and this is one of those. Everything seems rushed, there is so much going on that seems important but only happens in the background, and the characters - the reason I enjoy reading this series - take a back seat to moving the plot (such as it is) along. Not one of her best.

24. *Judge Sn Goes Golfing by John Scalzi
Android's Dream series, book 2 (chapbook)
Adult, Science Fiction, 32 pages

Short story. Judge Sn golfing and gets interrupted by people trying to assassinate him (repeatedly). Hilarious.


24 / 160 books. 15% done!

10 / 80 *new books. 13% done!

0 / 7 ^non-fiction. 0% done!

6278 / 48000 pages. 13% done!
Audiobooks: 9h03m

17ronincats
Fév 16, 2010, 4:21 pm

Thanks for the link. Since I hang out mostly in the 75 book challenge group, it took me a while to realize 1) that I hadn't found your thread this year, and 2) to figure out why.

You've done a lot of reading so far! I've read the Pratchetts, the Scalzis except for the short story (but I love The Android's Dream, the Pearce and the McKinley. I agree that with Chalice I loved the story more than the culmination. I read a bunch of "The Cat Who..." books when they were first coming out. After a while I lost my sensawunda in that I couldn't believe that there would be so many murders in a small town and drifted away. I never got into the Lythande stories, although I have most of Bradley's other work. And I have a Zahn to try as well, luckily not the same one as you!

18bluesalamanders
Fév 16, 2010, 5:21 pm

It can be difficult to keep track of everyone, especially with so many different groups. I should check through my starred threads and see if I'm missing anyone :)

I need to find some more Pratchett. I'm pretty sure I've read most of them - a bunch, anyway - but not for several years.

The Scalzi short story is pretty newly published, but if you google the title, there is a (somewhat sanitized) version of it available online. I heard him read it, or part of it, when I saw him speak a few years ago, which was hilarious. He's really good at public speaking.

I wanted to love Chalice, I really really did. I love most of her other books so much. But the end just...yeah. And I agree about the Cat Who books. Qwill is one of those people (Like Miss Marple or the lady from Murder, She Wrote) who you'd think people would learn to avoid, since there are always murders when they're around! I wish there is more character and less murder. But the later books just get worse and worse, anyway.

19hairballsrus
Fév 22, 2010, 10:11 pm

I definitely agree with you that the later Cat Who books are lousy. Granted, the series has been going since the 60's. LJB is 97 this year! Didn't I read somewhere that she had gone blind? I know her latest book was cancelled.

I can't vouch for anything but Star Wars books when it comes to Zahn....but then I collect SW books for their covers, not their plots! It saves me a great deal of grief. :)

20bluesalamanders
Fév 22, 2010, 10:38 pm

I like Zahn's SW books, but by all accounts I've heard they're the best SW books out there. The one other SW book I've read (Shatterpoint by Matthew Stover) was adequate but not all that great (I recall thinking something like why can't anything happy ever happen in this book?? because the characters weren't allowed an hour's peace, I swear). I think you have the right idea :)

21hairballsrus
Modifié : Fév 23, 2010, 10:16 am

BS- I noticed you read Nation. We went to see it last week. There were two showings in Dallas.

Shatterpoint is part of the New Order, right? Some of those were okay. I can't vouch for reading that many. The problem with SW novels.....where should I start? In the main series, there are all these things you CAN'T do to the characters, too many restrictions. In the New Order, it's almost the opposite. Characters with story arcs you can't believe. Danged if you don't; danged if you do. The biggest problem as I see it is space opera should be seen, or at least heard-- and not read. I just can't get into it in that medium. Science fiction as a genre is about the WOW! It's about reading three quarters of the way through the book and then being thrown for a loop by a novel concept that turns your reading on end. You should come to the end of the story and say -"I never thought about it like that." Concepts, not space ships. Just my opinion. Lots of people seem to love the sub-genre.

Even, with all my concerns, I still have an author I love who writes space opera : Lois McMaster Bujold. Being the collector that I am, I have all the Miles novels but haven't read half of them! I can vouch for the ones I have though! Way better than SW for a space opera fix.

22bluesalamanders
Fév 23, 2010, 3:09 pm

Did you like the play? Nation, I mean. I saw it in Boston. Personally, I thought the production value was high but...

I've heard of Bujold, but I'm not sure if I've read any of her books. I have two on my to read list, though.

23ronincats
Fév 23, 2010, 5:29 pm

Bujold is one of my favorite authors and I have everything she has written. The Vorkosigan series is wonderful (the Miles books) but you really need to read them in order, because the characters develop and mature over the series. There are two entry points, starting with Miles himself in The Warrior's Apprentice and moving on chronologically from there, or starting with Shards of Honor, Bujold's earliest and weakest written book, and Barrayar (omnibus of the two is Cordelia's Honor, which is the story of Miles' parents. Cetaganda is written out of order, and can be read any time after The Vor Game. The whole order can be seen at http://www.dendarii.com/biblio.html

I also like her fantasy, particularly The Curse of Chalion and Paladin of Souls.

I would be interested in hearing from both of you about the production of Nation. Having read the book, I'm not at all sure of how they could pull that down into a stage.

24hairballsrus
Modifié : Fév 23, 2010, 9:57 pm

Ronin- Sounds like you're a Miles expert. :) I started with Miles' parents story. And I am so pathetically behind in the series, I'm not going to embarrass myself by trying to discuss it. Just tell me some of your favorite bits!

As for Nation, I haven't read the book so I can't offer any insights from that perspective. I think I have the audio book wandering around here somewhere.

As for the stage production, the romantic in me would have preferred a different ending. I always want a happy ending. The one it had wasn't satisfying. I also felt the action was a bit lopsided, with a way too long first act and a too short second. The major meanie was one dimensional. I liked the puppets, although they were startling at first.

I loved the Pratchett touches. The parrot. Knickers! "My father is 139th in line to the throne."

Last but not least, what an insane ticket price! We couldn't make the mantinee, so we went to the Tuesday evening showing (we shared the theater with four other people) and paid $22 a seat. Ouch! I love living near "art" theaters, but just because you can get valet parking and decide between an escalator, the elevator or stairs for the one flight up trip to the theater doesn't mean I want to pay that much. It seriously bites into my popcorn allowance.

25bluesalamanders
Modifié : Fév 23, 2010, 10:51 pm

Spoilers if you haven't read Terry Pratchett's Nation and/or seen the play!

I thought the production value of the play was great - the puppets of the grandfather birds were really cool, although they were not faithful to the descriptions in the book. The way they did the shipwreck and the tidal wave were was neat. The parrot was a much bigger character in the play than in the book, and I didn't really see the point. The bad guys were more sympathetic in the play - in the book they're just bad people as some people are, in the play they put in other reasons for the things they did.

A lot of things were there via shortcuts or not there at all, of course, but the shortcuts seemed to defeat the whole point of the story. The trial scene stands out - as I recall it, in the book, Daphne made a big deal about how everyone got to state their opinion and there was no voting, and she marveled how voting might not be the only (or best) way to do things. In the play, there was a vote, that's it, the end. Miss the point!

So, I am looking at this from the point of view of a white middle class person (female and not Christian, however). It just seemed to me that the play was way too much savages jumping around in grass skirts, and I thought that before I read the book.

End Spoilers :)

The ticket prices were high here too - $20 I think, but I expect prices to a play to be higher than to a movie, and I think we saw it actually live - plus I had to drive an hour to a friend's house, then we took the bus, the subway, and walked half a mile to get to the theater ;)

26hairballsrus
Fév 23, 2010, 11:19 pm

Well, I certainly had an easier time seeing the film. I had to drive ten miles! :)

Pratchett books are always commentaries on the world around us. It sounds like they took the middle road and left out a lot of what were probably stronger points in the book. The trial being an example like you said.

I think the point of the parrot was they could both relate to him if not to each other. That and comic relief of course. :)

27ronincats
Fév 24, 2010, 12:50 am

Thanks for the additional input on the play. It sounds like it fell somewhat short of the book.

Hairballsrus, just take the books at your own speed. If you've read the first half, you've seen Miles at his most manic. What I like is how, after the catastrophe of Memory, he begins to mature. Komarr is a great book, while A Civil Campaign is a great romantic romp/comedy of manners. Falling Free and Ethan of Athos take place in the same universe but are tangential to the main story line. Those last two could be read at any point, but reading Memory before Mirror Dance, for example, would not work. Chronological is better in the main storyline.

And if you've read the first two, I really enjoy Barrayar. It builds upon Shards of Honor but is so much deeper and better developed--I love Cordelia.

28bluesalamanders
Modifié : Déc 25, 2010, 8:42 pm

25. *The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Percy Jackson & The Olympians, Book 1
Young Adult, Fantasy, 375 pages

Greek myths updated for the present day.

Some parts of this book were extremely predictable and some were less so, but either way it was a fun read. I enjoyed it, but it didn't really grab me - I may read the rest of the series some day but I don't need to run out and grab them all right now.

26. *The Magicians of Caprona by Diana Wynne Jones
Chrestomanci series, book 4
Young Adult, Fantasy, 269 pages

27. The Midwife's Apprentice by Karen Cushman
Young adult, Historical Fiction, 122 pages

28. Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Young Adult, Fantasy, 471 pages

(mostly quoted from previous review)

A Graceling is a person with a gift, an almost magical ability to do something (although it's never referred to as magic). Someone Graced with speed, say, or swimming, or juggling can perform feats in that area that no regular person could hope to achieve. In Middluns, Gracelings are feared no matter how benign their Grace may be, and that fear is multiplied with Katsa's killing Grace. Even her uncle the King fears her, though he uses his authority to force her to dole out punishment across his kingdom. But what if she decides she will no longer only be his pawn?

Katsa is a wonderful character who grows constantly and believably over the course of the book. The only thing that bothered me, both times I've read this book, was the climax of the book. With such an enormous build-up, the climax was shockingly brief and unsatisfying and the first time I read it, I was concerned for most of the rest of the book that something was wrong and things were somehow not what they seemed.

I enjoyed Graceling from beginning to end, with that one exception, and I am looking forward to the upcoming book in the series (Bitterblue).

29. Fire by Kristin Cashore
Young Adult, Fantasy, 461 pages
Companion to Graceling

(quoted from previous review)

Fire is a monster - an unnaturally beautiful creature who can control the minds of people and animals around her. Fire is also human. As a human monster, she is mistrusted, hated, feared, and desired. Her father was a monster and also a monster, cruel, controlling, and indiscriminate in the use of his abilities, but Fire was raised with human morals.

It's not easy to describe this book, because the story is less about people running around doing things then about the various characters learning about each other and themselves. And yet the story moves quickly and there is certainly action, since Fire's country is at war. Fire is a wonderful book.


29 / 160 books. 18% done!

12 / 80 *new books. 15% done!

0 / 7 ^non-fiction. 0% done!

7854 / 48000 pages. 16% done!

29bluesalamanders
Mar 1, 2010, 6:53 am

Last book of February:

30. ^*Charmed: The Book of Three: The official companion to the hit show by Diana G. Gallagher and Paul Ruditis
Adult, Non-fiction, 269 pages

Wow, that was the worst book I've read in a long time. The writing is just terrible. The information on the first 200 pages is pulled almost word-for-word from the show with no additional insights. There are a few interviews toward the end of the book that are interesting to varying degrees and even those are badly written. I probably won't even be able to give this book away


30 / 160 books. 19% done!

13 / 80 *new books. 16% done!

1 / 7 ^non-fiction. 14% done!

8123 / 48000 pages. 17% done!

30bluesalamanders
Mar 15, 2010, 3:25 pm

31. The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson
Adult, Science Fiction, 499 pages

32. ^*59 Seconds by Richard Wiseman
Adult, Non-Fiction (Self-Help/Psychology), 296 pages

Think of your typical self-help book. Now remove all the pseudo-scientific unproven babble and replace it with documented information complete with references to actual scientific studies. Add an entertaining, conversational writing style and more than a dash of humor and then you have this book. Not perfect by any means, but very good.


32 / 160 books. 20% done!

14 / 80 *new books. 18% done!

2 / 7 ^non-fiction. 29% done!

8918 / 48000 pages. 19% done!

31ronincats
Mar 15, 2010, 4:21 pm

Hmmm. Think I need to check out #32 since I'm in the field of change, just to see what he's saying.

What did you think of The Diamond Age? It's been sitting in my TBR pile forever.

32bluesalamanders
Mar 15, 2010, 5:09 pm

I very much like The Diamond Age. It's an intense read and also a long read. It usually takes me a few days at most to read a novel and even rereading this it took me two weeks. I couldn't figure out how to review it because it's such a complex story, seen from so many different places and so multifaceted that I find it impossible to describe.

I got 59 Seconds because I saw Richard speak and thought he was a great speaker and was really interested in what he had to say. I may look into his other books (Quirkology, The Luck Factor) sometime too.

33bluesalamanders
Mar 25, 2010, 8:54 pm

33. *Torchwood: Consequences by Joseph Lidster, James Moran, Andrew Cartmel, Sarah Pinborough, David Llewellyn
Adult, Science Fiction, Short Stories, 256 pages

34. *Doctor Who: The Eyeless by Lance Parkin, read by Russel Tovey
Science Fiction, Audiobook, 2h33m

35. ^*Fat!So? by Marilyn Wann
Adult, Non-Fiction, 195 pages

36. *Doctor Who: The Art of Destruction by Stephen Cole, read by Don Warrington
Science Fiction, Audiobook, 2h31m

37. *Lament by Maggie Stiefvater
A Gathering of Faeries, book 1
Young Adult, Fantasy, 325 pages


38 / 160 books. 24% done!

19 / 80 *new books. 24% done!

3 / 7 ^non-fiction. 43% done!

9694 / 48000 pages. 20% done!
Audiobooks: 14h07m

34bluesalamanders
Mar 30, 2010, 6:23 am

38. Elantris by Brandon Sanderson
Adult, Fantasy, 615 pages

I really enjoy this book; the characters have depth, the plots intertwine convincingly, and the resolutions are satisfying on all levels.

39. *A Wizard of Mars by Diane Duane
Young Wizards series, book 9
Young Adult, Fantasy, 550 pages

A Wizard of Mars is a fantastic addition to the Young Wizards series. The story is tight, the characters are wonderful as always, and it's just a great read.

A more complete review will have to wait until I've reread it.

40. *A Girl's Guide to Guns and Monsters edited by Martin H. Greenberg and Kerrie Hughes
Adult, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Short Stories, 299 pages

This book has a great title, doesn't it? It does. Unfortunately, the title is the best part of the book. I love good short stories, but these stories are mostly on the mediocre side.


40 / 160 books. 25% done!

21 / 80 *new books. 26% done!

3 / 7 ^non-fiction. 43% done!

11158 / 48000 pages. 23% done!

35bluesalamanders
Avr 10, 2010, 7:54 am

41. *Doctor Who: The Doctor Trap by Simon Messingham, read by Russell Tovey
Adult, Science Fiction, Audiobook, 2h24m

42. The Wizard's Dilemma by Diane Duane
Young Wizards series, book 5
Young Adult, Fantasy, 403 pages

43. A Wizard Alone by Diane Duane
Young Wizards series, book 6
Young Adult, Fantasy, 320 pages

44. Wizard's Holiday by Diane Duane
Young Wizards series, book 7
Young Adult, Fantasy, 416 pages

45. Wizards at War by Diane Duane
Young Wizards series, book 8
Young Adult, Fantasy, 551 pages

My favorite Young Wizards books are actually the first three, but the rest of the series is excellent as well.


45 / 160 books. 28% done!

22 / 80 *new books. 28% done!

3 / 7 ^non-fiction. 43% done!

12848 / 48000 pages. 27% done!
Audiobooks: 16h31m

36ronincats
Avr 10, 2010, 12:49 pm

I'm jealous. I have the new Young Wizards book but won't have time to reread the whole series until this summer!

37bluesalamanders
Avr 10, 2010, 2:01 pm

It was fun, I haven't read most of the series in several years. The new book is great, too.

38bluesalamanders
Avr 13, 2010, 8:57 pm

Dewey Read-A-Thon books

I signed up at the last minute (literally) since due to a sprained ankle I was going to be sitting around all day anyway. And I was no good at all-nighters in school and I'm not about to start now, so I only made it through a little over half of the read-a-thon.

46. *The Game of Sunken Places by M T Anderson
Young Adult, Fantasy, 260 pages

Brian and Gregory visit Gregory's uncle during a school break and end up caught in the middle of a magical game.

It's rather Jumanji-esque in some ways. The writing is great, I'd expect nothing less from the author of Thirsty and Feed, but it's far too open-ended for a book with no sequel.

47. How to Ditch Your Fairy by Justine Larbalestier
Young Adult, Fantasy, 300 pages

Charlie has a parking fairy, which means that when she's in a car, there is always a perfect parking spot. And although Charlie is too young to drive and hates cars, that doesn't stop people around her from taking advantage of her fairy whenever they can. So she's doing everything she can to figure out how to ditch her fairy.

I've been meaning to reread this for a while. I enjoyed it just as much as I did the first time. It is fairly light and playful and has a refreshingly new premise. The characters act believably - incredibly stupidly at times, but believably, especially for high school students - and I love the universe that it envisions.

48. *Doctor Who: The Many Hands by Dale Smith, read by David Troughton
Science Fiction, audiobook, 2h26m

Great reading, but I didn't particularly like the story.

49. A Knot in the Grain by Robin McKinley
Young Adult, Fantasy, short stories, 192 pages

One of my favorite short story anthologies.

50. *Doctor Who: The Nemonite Invasion by David Roden, read by Catherine Tate
Science Fiction, audiobook, 2h22m

Catherine Tate is a wonderful reader. The story is pretty good, if a bit...icky at times.


50 / 160 books. 31% done!

25 / 80 *new books. 31% done!

3 / 7 ^non-fiction. 43% done!

13600 / 48000 pages. 28% done!
Audiobooks: 21h19m

39bluesalamanders
Modifié : Nov 28, 2010, 12:30 pm

51. *Wizards, Inc edited by Martin H. Greenberg and Loren L. Coleman
Adult, Fantasy, short stories, 306 pages

Most of the stories in this book are so-so but a few - including Theobrama by dianeduane::Diane Duane and No Rest for the Wicked by Mike Stackpole - are very good.

52. The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
Young Adult, Science Fiction, 265 pages

(Copied from previous review)

A fascinating book about a girl who was in an accident and remembers very little about it or her existence before. She spends the book re-learning how to use her body, regaining old memories, discovering new things she doesn't know why she remembers at all, and learning things about herself that don't seem quite right.

This book has been compared to Skinned by Robin Wasserman and that is not an unjust comparison, but the two books are different enough that each can be judged on its own merit. In Skinned, Lia is in an accident and is uploaded into a biomechanical body that does not look like her. In this book, Jenna still looks and sounds like herself and some of her body is still her original. Both books are filled with questions about trust and friendship and family and humanity. They also look at a parent's relationship with their children, what they're willing to do - and how far they should or shouldn't go - to save their child's life.

Second time through this book and it was excellent, just like the first time.

53. Briar's Book by Tamora Pierce
Circle of Magic series, book 4
Young Adult, fantasy, 258 pages

The Circle books aren't really my favorite but I still like to reread them occasionally. In Briar's Book, a mysterious plague is infecting the city where Briar and his teacher Rosethorn are working and they must work to contain and cure it.

Briar's Book is not one of the better in the series. It drags with too much description of magical medical practices and the story just isn't all that interesting.

54. Old Man's War by John Scalzi
Old Man's War series, Book 1
Adult, Science Fiction, 313 pages

The first book in a series. It's set in a future time, and all elderly people on Earth are given the option of joining the CDF (Colonial Defense Forces) when they turn 75. If you do it, you are taken off Earth and - on Earth, at least - declared legally dead. Nobody on Earth knows exactly what happens next...except that they somehow make you young again, to fight in the war.

I love this book and, in fact, the whole series. Scalzi's writing is energetic and always readable; the story is fast-paced and fun with believable, relateable characters; and he delights in inventing truly alien aliens for CDF to fight against.

55. The Last Colony by John Scalzi
Old Man's War series, Book 3
Adult, Science Fiction, 316 pages

Third book in the Old Man's War series. John and Jane are chosen to head up a colony on a new planet. Except things don't go exactly as expected and along with the normal hazards of colonizing a new planet (unfriendly lifeforms, inedible vegetation, etc), they suddenly discover that they've been made pawns in an intergalactic war.

Excellent as usual from Scalzi.


55 / 160 books. 34% done!

26 / 80 *new books. 33% done!

3 / 7 ^non-fiction. 43% done!

15058 / 48000 pages. 31% done!
Audiobooks: 21h19m

40ronincats
Avr 30, 2010, 12:11 pm

I've read the first two books in Scalzi's Old Man's War series, and have had the Last Colony on my shelves for a good long while now. I will have to get around to it this year (part of my Off The Shelf challenge) because I do enjoy his writing. My favorite so far is The Android's Dream.

Have you read the most recent of the Circle book? The Will of the Empress? The kids are growing up. There's supposed to be a new one soon following that. I donated the earlier books to my elementary school library.

I like McKinley's Knot in the Grain as well and have it in my library.

I also enjoyed The Adoration of Jenna Fox when I read it a few months ago. I thought it was well-done.

Looks like some enjoyable reading you've been doing.

41bluesalamanders
Avr 30, 2010, 12:30 pm

Yeah, I have The Will of the Empress. I wasn't especially thrilled by it - my problem with the Circle books is that they tend to have too many things going on at once, and that one is no exception. The newest one is actually Melting Stones and it's a lot better although it's not a great book by any means.

I'm so torn about Pierce. I think her books are great for young adults and I really want to keep loving them, and I think as a person (or at least her online persona) she herself is fantastic. But every time I reread the books, I find more flaws.

On the other hand, Scalzi is straight-up one of my favorite authors. I love The Android's Dream too and I was looking forward to the sequel he kept talking about, but it looks like that has been scrapped, for now at least. Have you read Agent to the Stars? It was his first novel, and it's another very funny SF.

42ronincats
Avr 30, 2010, 12:50 pm

I agree about Pierce. And I gave away the Circle of Magic books because they weren't keepers for me. I'll have to find a copy of Melting Stones, though.

No, I haven't read Agent to the Stars--I'll have to keep an eye out for a copy.

I just finished re-reading The Deed of Paksenarrion trilogy by Elizabeth Moon in preparation for her new book, Oath of Fealty, and enjoyed all 4 greatly. Have you read them?

43bluesalamanders
Avr 30, 2010, 1:13 pm

I'm actually working on collecting the Circle books, which is kind of silly and backwards considering I don't actually like most of them, but recently I started getting the "full set" bug, where I want full sets of books by certain authors. I have every book by Robin McKinley, for instance, including a bunch of kids' books I had to get on like abebooks or half.com. Same with Scalzi and Scott Westerfeld and...I'm trying to keep the number of "must have full set" authors low. Heh.

I haven't read anything by Elizabeth Moon, though I've heard the name. I'll certainly add the first of that trilogy to my to-read list and check it out.

44bluesalamanders
Avr 30, 2010, 2:15 pm

56. Zoe's Tale by John Scalzi
Old Man's War series, Book 4
Young Adult, Science Fiction, 336 page

Zoe's Tale is another fantastic book in the Old Man's War universe. Zoe is the adopted daughter of John Perry and Jane Sagan, and this book is a retelling of the timeline of The Last Colony from Zoe's perspective. Because she's a teenager, she isn't privy to everything the adults know and do - and, likewise, they don't know everything that happens to her - so Zoe's experience of that time is quite different from her parents'.

Scalzi writes the Old Man's War books so that each of them is a stand-alone as well as part of a cohesive story, and Zoe's Tale is no exception. And although I found it shelved in the adult science fiction section of the bookstore, this was intended to, and in my opinion does, bridge the divide between adult and YA. It is also hysterically funny throughout much of the book. Scalzi wrote Zoe as a brilliant, sarcastic, irreverent character who talks back to adults (human and alien alike) and uses her wits to save the day, yet still manages to act and sound like an believable teenager.

57. Terrier by Tamora Pierce
Beka Cooper series, book 1
Young Adult, fantasy, 563 pages

Terrier is a fun, fast-paced story about Beka Cooper, a former street urchin who is training for Dog (police) work.

The book is set up as Beka's diary or journal but reads like a first-person novel, and as with many of Pierce's heroines, Beka has special features and abilities which help her on her chosen path. It's an enjoyable book, though not without flaws, and a good set-up for the sequel Bloodhound, which is an excellent book.

58. *Doctor Who: The Story of Martha by Dan Abnett, read by Freema Agyeman
Adult/Young Adult, Science Fiction, Audiobook, 2h27m

It's an account of Martha's travels during the Year That Wasn't, while the Master and the Toclafane ruled the Earth.

Since we already know how it's going to end, it could have been extremely boring and drab, and the first half wasn't particularly exciting. But it picked up in the second half and not only becomes a pretty exciting story but also explains several things that were mentioned in the episode Last of the Time Lords.

59. Bloodhound by Tamora Pierce
Beka Cooper series, book 2
Young Adult, Fantasy, 538 pages

(Copied from previous review)

As much as Kel (Protector of the Small) is still my favorite Pierce heroine, it is my opinion that Bloodhound is the best book so far in the Tortall series, if not the best Pierce has ever written. I wasn't overly thrilled with the first book in the series, Terrier, but this book more than made up for it. Bloodhound is well-written and the characters are believable and interesting. The plot strong and intriguing, magic is used occasionally and not as a constant crutch, and Pierce is not afraid to put characters in real, even deadly danger as fits the plot and setting.

I do have two minor technical issues with the book. The first is that, as with Terrier, Bloodhound was supposedly written as a "journal", but, again like Terrier, it reads like a first-person novel. I've read journal-style books that are good reads but also are believably journals, and this is not believably a journal. However, it doesn't detract much from the book and is amusing at times.

The second issue is that it's never explained how the coles (counterfeit coins) are being made. One can't simply melt silver and pour it over brass disks to coat them. And what kind of 'silver paint' would match so perfectly with real silver as to fool suspicious people? But as I said, this is a technical issue and it wouldn't have come up if I hadn't studied metalworking, or if I hadn't been so impressed with how she'd dealt with metalworking in the Circle series.

But those are small issues, and those two small issues aside, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone who likes a fun fantasy read with a bit of crime drama mixed in (although you should probably read Terrier first as there are some things that will be pretty confusing otherwise).


59 / 160 books. 37% done!

27 / 80 *new books. 34% done!

3 / 7 ^non-fiction. 43% done!

16495 / 48000 pages. 34% done!
Audiobooks: 23h46m

45bluesalamanders
Modifié : Mai 3, 2010, 11:56 am

60. *Shapeshifter by Holly Bennett
Young Adult, Fantasy, 244 pages

I received this book through the LTER.

Sive is a Sidhe who can shapeshift into a doe and has magic in her singing. She unwittingly catches the eye of Far Doirche, a dark fey sorcerer who wants control over her and her singing power. To escape him, she shifts into her deer form and flees.

The plot and some of the characters are interesting, but there are flaws in the writing that detract from the story. The book is in third person but most chapters include a short section in first person, interludes that add little to the story and only release any tension there might have been regarding the future of those characters. In addition, there are several important events that occur completely off-page and which are only described minimally later, in passing.

The story would have read better in alternating first person, which would have retained the dramatic tension and given a method for including the events that were left out (or a reason for their exclusion).

I liked the idea of the story, but unfortunately the stylistic quirks were too distracting for me to like the book.


60 / 160 books. 38% done!

28 / 80 *new books. 35% done!

3 / 7 ^non-fiction. 43% done!

16739 / 48000 pages. 35% done!

Audiobooks: 23h46m

46bluesalamanders
Mai 7, 2010, 8:20 am

61. Cold Fire by Tamora Pierce
The Circle Opens, book 3
Young Adult, Fantasy, 355 pages

As with most of the Circle books, there are so many plots and sub-plots going on that it's difficult for any of them to get the depth they deserve. In this book, Daja and her teacher Frostpine are visiting a city to the north. Daja discovers the daughters of their hosts have magical abilities, so they need to be taught, so she needs to find teachers for them and teach them meditation. There are lots of fires going on in the city and Daja starts developing a friendship with a man named Ben who set up a fire brigade, and she decides to make living metal gloves for him so he can be more effective in rescuing people. The aforementioned daughters are teaching her to ice skate. Frostpine is investigating counterfeit coins.

And so on.

Most of the plots overlap or converge at some point, but still it just seems like the book is too short to hold it all. Also, there is a mystery that the reader learns the answer to early in the book and the characters don't discover until near the end. I found that disconcerting and I would have preferred it handled differently.

For all its flaws, it's not a bad book, just one I think could have been better. I enjoy it nonetheless; Daja is one of my favorite Circle characters - maybe I relate to her because of the metalsmithing - and also the Circle characters have less of a tendency toward Mary Sueishness than the Tortall women.

62. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Hunger Games Trilogy, book 1
Young Adult, Science Fiction/dystopia, 374 pages

Every year, each sector has to randomly pick two teenagers - a boy and a girl - to play in a sadistic event called "The Hunger Games", a fight to the death where the winner gets extra food and gifts for the next year, not just for themself but for their entire sector.

It was wonderful. It was horrible. It was an amazing read, and I am looking forward to the next in the series, although I can already imagine some of the things that will be in it and I'm sure it will be another heartbreaking story.

63. *Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
The Hunger Games Trilogy, book 2
Young Adult, Science Fiction/dystopia, 391 pages

In order to save the lives of her friends and their families, Katniss must again pretend to be in love with Peeta on the annual victory tour. Then things get even worse...

Throughout the book, as with The Hunger Games, Katniss sometimes seems a little silly and oblivious. But growing up in her world, it's more amazing to see anyone trust anyone at all than to see someone fight viciously for their own survival. Katniss isn't silly; she's cautious, determined, and very strong.

Catching Fire is an excellent book and possibly even more heartbreaking than The Hunger Games. Again I am looking forward to the third and final book in this amazing trilogy.


63 / 160 books. 39% done!

29 / 80 *new books. 36% done!

3 / 7 ^non-fiction. 43% done!

17859 / 48000 pages. 37% done!
Audiobooks: 23h46m

47bluesalamanders
Mai 28, 2010, 3:22 pm

64. *Doctor Who: Wooden Heart by Martin Day, read by Adjoa Andoh
Science fiction, Audiobook, 2h31m

The Doctor and Martha land on a deserted science vessel deep in space, go through a door ,and are suddenly in a forest complete with a fully inhabited village.

Pretty good story, not so great characterization. Martha was way off - the author apparently forgot that she wouldn't freak out around dead bodies or jump to wild and hasty conclusions about them. The climax was a bit short on explanation but overall it was well-paced and interesting.

64 / 160 books. 40% done!
30 / 80 *new books. 38% done!
3 / 7 ^non-fiction. 43% done!
17859 / 48000 pages. 37% done!
Audiobooks: 26h17m

48bluesalamanders
Mai 29, 2010, 4:15 am

64. *The Sarah Jane Adventures: The Ghost House by Steven Cole, read by Elisabeth Sladen
Young Adult, Science Fiction, audiobook, 1h4m

65. Feed by M. T. Anderson
Young Adult, science Fiction, 320 pages

66. *Doctor Who: The Rising Night by Scott Handcock, read by Michelle Ryan
science fiction, audiobook, 2h16m

67. *Doctor Who: The Last Voyage by Dan Abnett, read by David Tennant
science fiction, audiobook, 2h14m

67 / 160 books. 42% done!
33 / 80 *new books. 41% done!
3 / 7 ^non-fiction. 43% done!
18079 / 48000 pages. 38% done!
Audiobooks: 31h51m

49bluesalamanders
Modifié : Juin 6, 2010, 7:51 pm

68. *Doctor Who: Wetworld by Mark Michalowski, read by Freema Agyeman
Science Fiction, Audiobook, 2h22m

69. *Doctor Who: Wishing Well by Trevor Baxendale, read by Debbie Chazen
Science Fiction, Audiobook, 2h21m

70. *Doctor Who: The Price of Paradise by Colin Brake, read by Shaun Dingwall
Science Fiction, Audiobook, 2h32m

71. *Doctor Who: The Nightmare of Black Island by Mike Tucker, read by Anthony Head
Science Fiction, Audiobook, 2h26m

72. *Doctor Who: The Story of Martha -
Star-Crossed by Simon Jowett
The Frozen Wastes by Robert Shearman
Breathing Space by Steve Lockley, Paul Lewis
The Weeping by David Roden
Science Fiction, Audiobook, short stories, read by Freema Agyeman, 42m each

72 / 160 books. 45% done!
38 / 80 *new books. 48% done!
3 / 7 ^non-fiction. 43% done!
18079 / 48000 pages. 38% done!
Audiobooks: 43h10m

50bluesalamanders
Juin 24, 2010, 9:46 am

May

73. *The Sarah Jane Adventures: The Time Capsule by Peter Anghelides
Young Adult, Science Fiction, audiobook, 1h6m

74. *The Sarah Jane Adventures: The Thirteenth Stone by Justin Richards
Young Adult, Science Fiction, audiobook, 1h8m

75. *The Sarah Jane Adventures: The Shadow People by Scott Handcock
Young Adult, Science Fiction, audiobook, 1h5m

75 / 160 books (47%)
41 / 80 *new books (51%)
3 / 7 ^non-fiction (43%)
18079 / 48000 pages. (38%)
Audiobooks: 46h29m

51bluesalamanders
Juin 24, 2010, 9:48 am

(still may)

76. Daja's Book by Tamora Pierce
Circle of Magic, book 3
Young adult, Fantasy, 240p

I much prefer Pierce's Tortall books - I prefer nearly any given Tortall book to any given Circle book. A big part of the problem I have with the Circle books is that there are always too many things going on at once, so none of them quite get the time they need to be developed, and so neither do the characters. In Daja's Book, for instance, there is the drought, there is the fire (admittedly the two are connected), there is Daja's problems being a cast-out from her people (since a group of her people come around), there is yet another prideful mage (I think there is one in every book) and prideful noble (likewise) to cause problems and/or discord, and then Daja's and her friends' magics get away from them (more than once).

And that's not even all of it. It's just too much. The book should be half again as long to encompass it all, and all the Circle books are like that. But this is one of the few Circle books that I specifically reread occasionally despite the problems, because certain parts of the storylines resonate with me and I really like Daja.

77. Sunshine by Robin McKinley
Adult, Fantasy, 405p

Possibly my favorite book ever. Sunshine is a reluctant heroine who would rather bake cinnamon rolls than kill vampires. The world McKinley created for her to live in is so fascinating (and terrifying) that I love reading about it and learning all the snippets of information that come up in the book alongside the story - what different kinds of demons are like (physically and socially), how magic-using can effect the user; details that make the world seem more solid and there.

77 / 160 books (48%)
41 / 80 *new books (51%)
3 / 7 ^non-fiction (43%)
18724 / 48000 pages. (39%)
Audiobooks: 46h29m

52bluesalamanders
Juin 24, 2010, 9:52 am

Now June

78. *Fairy Tales for Writers by Lawrence Schimel
Adult, poetry, 30 pages

I was expecting this to be an regular-sized book of short stories, not a very small book of very short poems, but I guess that's my fault for not reading descriptions or reviews more closely.

I particularly liked Cinderella and particularly disliked Hansel and Gretal and Rumpelstiltskin. Some of the stories seemed a bit of a stretch to squeeze them into the fairy tale that they were titled, but generally it was cute a cute book and it took me a total of 10 minutes to read the whole thing.

79. *Un Lun Dun by China Miéville
Young Adult, urban fantasy, 471 pages

Two girls accidentally find their way into an alternate London. Weirdness ensues. And a war.

I loved the world described in Un Lun Dun, all the odd creatures and strange ways things functioned. The pacing seemed off, though, and many of the characters (and there were many characters) were flat and forgettable. It was the world that kept me interested in the book much more than the story or the characters.

79 / 160 books (49%)
43 / 80 *new books (54%)
3 / 7 ^non-fiction (43%)
19225 / 48000 pages. (40%)
Audiobooks: 46h29m

53bluesalamanders
Juin 24, 2010, 9:55 am

80. *Boneshaker by Cherie Priest
The Clockwork Century, book 1
Adult, Science fiction/Steampunk, 414 pages

Seattle is enclosed behind a 200-foot wall, built to keep in a toxic gas coming up from the ground and the rotters it creates when people breathe it in. Briar goes into the city she thought was deserted to find her son, Zeke, who went in looking for answers.

Boneshaker is the third Priest book I've read and was just as good as I was expecting. Priest skates the edge of horror - zombies are clearly horror-monsters, and frankly I was hesitant to read the book because of that - without going over the edge into the gruesome or overly terrifying. The story is well-plotted, the characters have believable motivations and depth, and the world is intriguing enough that I am excited to read the sequels.

81. The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley
Young Adult, Fantasy, 248 pages

82. *Glimmerglass by Jenna Black
Faeriewalker, book 1
Young Adult, Urban Fantasy, 294 pages

ARC from the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program.

Dana is half-human and half-Fae teenager and when she can no longer stand living with her drunken (human) mother, she runs away to find her Fae father in Avalon, the city connecting the human and faerie worlds. But as soon as she walks through the gate, everything starts going wrong.

Glimmerglass is an exciting story of a girl caught in a world she knows nothing about, forced to trust people she barely knows and being betrayed at every turn. I was concerned toward the end that too much plot would be worked into the last few pages, but it is the first in a series, so things wrapped up this book's story and set up for the next book.

My only complaint is that I am tired of women falling for men who are nasty to them. None of the boys Dana's age are nice to her, and yet she's drooling over them because they're Fae-gorgeous. Those bits were incredibly boring, unlike the rest of the story.

82 / 160 books (51%)
45 / 80 *new books (56%)
3 / 7 ^non-fiction (43%)
20181 / 48000 pages. (42%)
Audiobooks: 46h29m

54ronincats
Juil 3, 2010, 12:59 am

You've been reading some of my favorites lately--Sunshine and The Blue Sword. I too prefer the Tortall books to the Circle books overall, but find myself always reading the new ones. Have you read The Will of the Empress yet? It brings all the characters back together and is more mature. I liked Un Lun Dun, thought it highly creative, but have to agree with you that the pacing was uneven at times.

55bluesalamanders
Juil 3, 2010, 3:29 pm

Those are some of my favorites too :)

I agree that The Will of the Empress is more mature, but it still has a lot of the same flaws as the other Circle books. The newest one, Melting Stones, is better. My biggest problem with that one is how convenient things are (like, of course exactly the right person with exactly the right kind of magic is in just the right place when nobody else would be able to help).

56bluesalamanders
Juil 3, 2010, 3:51 pm

83. *White Cat by Holly Black
Young Adult, Fantasy, 320 pages

When I first sat down to read White Cat, two hours passed before I realized it. It turned out to be an enthralling story. I wasn't sure about it at first, though, because the main character, Cassel, is almost completely unlikeable. Once you get used to his self-absorption and casual disregard for other people, and also once you start understanding why he is the way he is, the story moves along steadily, with clever hints leading toward various plot points. I liked it. I liked that the end was not what I expected, and yet fit the story and characters perfectly.

I think I wish it wasn't first in a series, though, unless the other books are set in the same world with different characters. It's a self-contained story that doesn't need to be continued.

84. *Enchanted Glass by Diana Wynne Jones
Young Adult, Fantasy, 292 pages

Definitely not my favorite of DWJ's books, but an enjoyable read nonetheless. Enchanted Glass has a complex plot with many secondary characters that can be difficult to keep straight, but the main characters were relatable and fun to read about. I will definitely reread this (especially to better understand what all happened).

84 / 160 books (53%)
47 / 80 *new books (59%)
3 / 7 ^non-fiction (43%)
20792 / 48000 pages. (43%)
Audiobooks: 46h29m

57stonecoldfoxonfire
Août 3, 2010, 6:36 pm

Cassel was unlikeable? I loved him from the start! I feel like my perception of this book might be a little skewed because it was my very first audiobook. Jesse Eisenberg narrated, and his voice is so boyish and innocent...maybe that's why I ignored his selfish tendencies?

58stonecoldfoxonfire
Août 3, 2010, 6:36 pm

Ce message a été supprimé par son auteur

59bluesalamanders
Août 4, 2010, 10:38 pm

57 stonecold

I don't remember all that well, it was a while ago (and contrary to my posting record, I've read a lot of books since then ;) but yeah, for a good chunk of the beginning of the story, I really disliked him.

Audiobooks can skew your perception, it's true - most audiobooks I listen to are Torchwood or Doctor Who, and many of those are read by actors from the show. That can definitely make me like a mediocre book a lot better!

60bluesalamanders
Août 15, 2010, 4:50 pm

85. *Life in the Fat Lane by Cherie Bennett
Young Adult, Fiction, 260 pages

A "popular" high school student has a metabolic disorder that causes her to gain lots of weight.

On the one hand, this is at times a pretty accurate account of what it's like to be a fat woman - the world is against you, people can be nasty and judgmental just because of how you look, and much of life seems off-limits...even if many of the limits are only sociatal pressure.

On the other hand, the book emphasizes the "good fat" vs "bad fat" myth, for example that it's "ok" for one person to be fat because you know they have a disorder, and that somehow sets them apart from all the other fatties who obviously just eat too much and sit on their butts all day. It's a difficult prejudice to shake, but it would have been nice to see the characters try a little harder.

I was afraid the book would end with the main character losing all the prograss she had made, and it nearly did, but overall it wasn't bad. Not recommended to people who are feeling fragile or self-concious, but potentially recommended to people who don't understand what it's like to be fat in a fat-phobic world.

86. Magician's Ward by Patricia C. Wrede
Young Adult, Historical Fantasy, 288 pages

87. *Spacer and Rat by Margaret Bechard
Young Adult, Science Fiction, 192 pages

87 / 160 books (54%)
49 / 80 *new books (61%)
3 / 7 ^non-fiction (43%)
21532 / 48000 pages. (45%)
Audiobooks: 46h29m

61ronincats
Oct 1, 2010, 7:25 pm

I thought I hadn't seen you around for awhile! I won Pegasus too--absolutely thrilled! First time I've really gotten my first choice, even when I had everything by that author in my library, so this was a real treat.

62bluesalamanders
Modifié : Oct 1, 2010, 8:01 pm

Yeah, I'm way behind on posting! I have a list of the books I've read and even reviews of some of them, I just haven't posted them.

I think it's the second time I've definitely gotten my first choice - the first time was Zoe's Tale by John Scalzi, which was another one that I was not surprised that I won (considering the number of books I have by both McKinley and Scalzi, I mean). And like Zoe's Tale, I'll probably buy a copy of Pegasus too (at least, if I like it). I like to support my favorite authors.

63ronincats
Oct 1, 2010, 8:05 pm

Well, see, I asked for Zoe's Tale also, having most of Scalzi's books, and didn't get it! Was a great disappointment.

64bluesalamanders
Oct 1, 2010, 8:10 pm

How odd! I guess you never can tell.

65bluesalamanders
Oct 3, 2010, 11:00 am

88. *The Boneshaker by Kate Milford
Young Adult, Fantasy/steampunk, 372p

A strange medical fair comes to town and unlike most of her neighbors, Natalie is not convinced that they are really there to help people.

The Boneshaker is well-written with an intriguing plot and Natalie is a great character, but I'm left a bit disappointed at the end of the book. There are too many loose ends, too many things that were superficially explained but never really explained. It's a fun book but ultimately unsatisfying.

89. *Doctor Who: Cobwebs by Jonathan Morris, read by Peter Davison
Science Fiction, Audiobook, 2h19m

Excellent story.

90. *Doctor Who: Apollo 23 by Justin Richards, read by James Albrecht
Science Fiction, Audiobook, 5h31m

The American English (dialogue and accents both) was not very good.

91. Deerskin by Robin McKinley
Adult, Fantasy, 320p

92. Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Young Adult, Fantasy, 471p

93. Fire by Kristin Cashore
Young Adult, Fantasy, 461p

94. *Omnitopia Dawn by Diane Duane
Adult, Science Fiction, 352p

Excellent new science fiction novel by one of my favorite authors. I didn't even know she had a new book out until I happened to see it in the store! I can't speak to how realistic the MMPORPG or hacking is, but the characters are fantastic and the story is intriguing. Although it reads as a stand-alone, it is the first in a trilogy and I eagerly await the upcoming books.

94 / 160 books (59%)
53 / 80 *new books (66%)
3 / 7 ^non-fiction (43%)
23508 / 48000 pages. (45%)
Audiobooks: 54h19m

66ronincats
Oct 3, 2010, 12:12 pm

Dadgummit, that's terrible! An excellent new book out by Diane Duane that's the first of a trilogy means that we aren't going to get the final book of The Door into Fire series anytime soon. It's only been 17 years since The Door into Sunset, after all. :-(

On the other hand, I have to immediately run out and buy the new book, of which I knew nothing either until your mention here. Thanks!

Haven't read Graceling or Fire yet, although the first is sitting here in my TBR pile. Deerskin is the most wrenching of McKinley's books for me to read because it is so traumatic, even though excellent. I just won a copy of her new book, Pegasus, through the Early Reviewers program--can't wait until it gets here.

67bluesalamanders
Oct 3, 2010, 12:34 pm

I've only read one of the Door into Fire books, from the library a few years ago - I've had an impossible time finding them. I should put my sister onto that, actually, she could probably find them for me for xmas or birthday gifts. Hm.

Like I said, I hadn't heard a word about it either! I stood there in the bookstore staring at it and thinking, is that really her? Am I reading the name wrong? What the heck?! Totally shocking!

I highly recommend Graceling and Fire both, and the third book is due out...possibly later this year, or early next year? I'm not certain, but I can't wait. They're not perfect books - there are plotting problems and so on - but I was talking to a friend who'd just read them and we both agreed that we had no problem saying "I love these books" even while talking about the issues we had with them. The writing is excellent and the characters are amazing.

I love Deerskin as much as I love most of McKinley's other books. I know it's difficult and traumatic especially for people who have had experiences similar to Lissar's (so if I ever recommend it to anyone, I include trigger warnings) but I just find it an amazing story. I'm looking forward to Pegasus - I won it too - but I'm nervous, because I've been less than thrilled with her last two books and also Pegasus is only half a story anyway.

68ronincats
Oct 3, 2010, 12:56 pm

Do set your sister on it--I see all three on sale online for $4 or under each. Also, B&N has them as e-books for under $4 too, if you are going in that direction at all. It's a great fantasy series, my favorite of everything she's done.

I will do the Graceling series at some point--I'm waiting for the third to be available in the library before I start so I can read them all at once.

That makes three of us so far that have won Pegasus, you, me, and BeSerene in the 75ers group. I hadn't done any research--didn't realize it was only half a story. Dragonhaven was very different from her usual style, but I thought Chalice had a lot of good stuff--just a very rushed conclusion.

69bluesalamanders
Oct 4, 2010, 10:14 am

Yeah, I e-mailed my sister after I posted that last bit :) We're always looking for things to get each other for gifts.

I read (or skim) McKinley's blog, so I've been hearing about Pegasus for a while now. I'm not sure why exactly she and her publisher decided to separate it into two parts - maybe it's long. But she made a big deal about how it's two parts of the same story, not a sequel, because you know, she Doesn't Do Sequels.

I hated Dragonhaven, to be honest. The reason McKinley is my favorite author is because of her writing style (I mean, if you think about it, at a basic level the plots of most of her books are practically identical), and Dragonhaven was just...so...opposite her normal style. I read it, I own it, but I will probably never read it again. It bumped Rose Daughter out of my 'least favorite McKinley" slot. I mean, at least Rose Daughter has beautiful writing, even if the story doesn't really make sense.

I agree with your assessment of Chalice, though. I liked it until the end, which seemed rushed and just, I don't know, missing something.

70pammab
Oct 20, 2010, 9:12 am

I'm going to jump on the bandwagon -- there's a new Diane Duane book out?? I'm going to have to find it now. It sounds like the sort of thing she may do very well or very badly, but I'm resting a bit more soundly in your high regard of it!

71bluesalamanders
Oct 20, 2010, 1:28 pm

I know! There was no noise about it anywhere! But it's great and I hope you enjoy it too.

72bluesalamanders
Nov 3, 2010, 12:09 am

95. So You Want to be a Wizard by Diane Duane
Young Wizards, book 1
Young Adult, Fantasy, 226p

Nita Callahan, perennial geek on the bad side of the school bully, runs across an unusual book while hiding in the children's section of the town library: So You Want to be a Wizard. She thinks it's a joke until she starts learning real magic (or rather, wizardry) from it. But it's not all fun and games when Nita and fellow wizard Kit accidentally end up in an alternate universe that's not at all friendly to humans.

Duane's fantasy (with a sci-fi twist) is a joy to read and only gets better as the series goes on. What other system of magic uses terminology like temporal-spacial claudication instead of magic door? The writing is clean and crisp, the worldbuilding is fantastic, and the characters are wonderful and come in ever-expanding varieties. This series is a yearly-reread.

96. Deep Wizardry by Diane Duane
Young Wizards, book 2
Young Adult, Fantasy, 272p

Having survived their Ordeal, Nita and Kit are on vacation with Nita's family when they are put on call. They meet up with some friendly local sea life in time to participate in a large-scale wizardry set to save the whole east coast and North Atlantic.

Deep Wizardry is one of my favorite in this series. The story is heartbreaking, the additional characters are wonderful with surprising depths and the undersea setting has both beautiful descriptions and incredible dangers.

97. High Wizardry by Diane Duane
Young Wizards, book 3
Young Adult, Fantasy, 269p

Nita's little sister Dairine becomes a wizard, steals the new family computer, and starts jumping around the Solar System all in one day.

The story moves between Dairine testing her new powers and Kit and Nita chasing after her. Dairine was portrayed as a precocious brat in previous books, but now we get to see deeper into her character and also (as usual) meet exciting new additions to the cast.

This was actually the first book in the series that I ever read. It was confusing (I recommend starting with book 1) but I liked it enough to seek out the rest of the series and I'm glad I did.

98. *Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Young Adult, Science Fiction, 400p

Mockingjay is a fantastic conclusion to a fantastic trilogy. The world, the plot, characters, everything is spot-on. For all her flaws - and she has many - Katniss is a relateable character whose reactions to the situations she's thrown into are totally believable. It's heartbreaking and amazing.

99. A Wizard Abroad by Diane Duane
Young Wizards, book 4
Young Adult, Fantasy, 332p

100. The Wizard's Dilemma by Diane Duane
Young Wizards, book 5
Young Adult, Fantasy, 403p

101. A Wizard Alone by Diane Duane
Young Wizards, book 6
Young Adult, Fantasy, 320p

101 / 160 books (63%)
54 / 80 *new books (68%)
3 / 7 ^non-fiction (43%)
25730 / 48000 pages. (54%)
Audiobooks: 54h19m

73ronincats
Nov 3, 2010, 12:23 am

Ahh, you remind me that I have A Wizard of Mars sitting here, because I want to reread the series before reading it. I should get started on that!

74bluesalamanders
Nov 3, 2010, 1:44 pm

I will be curious to see what you think of aWoM! I quite liked it, but at the same time I'm not bouncing off my seat to read it again.

I'm still waay behind on posting here, I have a list of 20+ that I'm breaking into chunks so I don't add them all at once. That's what I get for procrastinating, sigh.

75bluesalamanders
Nov 6, 2010, 11:10 pm

102. Terrier by Tamora Pierce
Beka Cooper series, book 1
Young Adult, fantasy, 563 pages

Terrier is a fun, fast-paced story about Beka Cooper, a former street urchin who is training for Dog (police) work.

The book is set up as Beka's diary or journal but reads like a first-person novel, and as with many of Pierce's heroines, Beka has special features and abilities which help her on her chosen path. It's an enjoyable book, though not without flaws, and a good set-up for the sequel Bloodhound, which is an excellent book.

103. *Bloodhound by Tamora Pierce
Beka Cooper series, book 2
Young Adult, Fantasy, 538 pages

As much as Kel (Protector of the Small) is still my favorite Pierce heroine, Bloodhound is the best book so far in the Tortall series, if not the best Pierce has ever written. I wasn't overly thrilled with Terrier, but Bloodhound more than made up for it. Bloodhound is well-written and the characters are believable and interesting. The plot strong and intriguing, magic is used occasionally and not as a constant crutch, and Pierce is not afraid to put characters in real, even deadly danger as fits the plot and setting.

I do have two minor technical issues with the book. The first is that, as with Terrier, Bloodhound was supposedly written as a journal but, again like Terrier, it reads like a first-person novel. I've read books in this style that are good reads but also are believably journals, and this is not believably a journal. However, it doesn't detract much from the book and is amusing at times.

The second issue is that it's never explained how the coles (counterfeit coins) are being made. It's not possible to simply melt silver and pour it over brass disks to coat them, and no "silver paint" would match so perfectly with real silver as to fool suspicious people. But as I said, this is a technical issue and it wouldn't have come up if I hadn't studied metalworking, or if I hadn't been so impressed with how Pierce had dealt with metalworking in the Circle series.

Those two small issues aside, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend the series to anyone who likes a fun fantasy read with a bit of crime drama mixed in.

104. Page by Tamora Pierce
Protector of the Small, book 2
Young Adult, Fantasy, 288p

Page covers Kel's second, third, and forth years as a page. She passed her first year's probationary period and has gained acceptance from many people, but she still must fight prejudice from some quarters, including several teachers, a gaggle of fellow students, and conservative nobles who oppose any change in the status quo.

This book has its ups and downs. The dialogue occasionally knocks me out of suspension of disbelief by being sounding too modern and there are long stretches of time that are glossed over or simply absent because it's a short book covering three years and occasionally this is jarring. However, overall I enjoy the book.

105. Squire by Tamora Pierce
Protector of the Small, book 3
Young Adult, Fantasy, 380p

Kel passed the big exams and has become a squire. Lady Alanna is still not allowed to be near her (for fear that she'll enchant Kel to succeed), dashing Kel's hopes of being her squire, but instead Kel is chosen by Alanna's friend Raoul to squire for him and travel with the warriors of the King's Own.

This is one of my favorite Tamora Pierce books - Kel is my favorite, in my opinion the most realistic and the least Mary-Sueish of Pierce's heroines, in part because she has no innate magical ability and therefore must figure everything out without that kind of help (or crutch). Squire is my favorite of the Protector of the Small books, possibly because Kel is such a quiet and serious character most of the time and in Squire, with Raoul and the men of the Own around, her sense of humor comes out.

105 / 160 books (66%)
55 / 80 *new books (69%)
3 / 7 ^non-fiction (43%)
27499 / 48000 pages. (57%)
Audiobooks: 54h19m

76bluesalamanders
Nov 12, 2010, 7:12 pm

106. *Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
Leviathan, book 1
Juvenile, Steampunk/Alternate History, 448p

Alek, the young heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, is on the run after his parents are assassinated. Deryn has disguised herself as a boy in order to join the British air fleet. Although they're on opposite sides of a war that's just beginning, this is the story of how they meet.

It is also the story of giant mechanical monsters and enormous genetically-engineered creatures, with which the war will be fought.

Not surprisingly, Leviathan is a fun read with great characters and vivid worldbuilding, aided by Keith Thompson's stunning illustrations. While I was expecting a young adult book and the writing and plotting lean more towards juvenile, it's an excellent book and highly recommended as the first in the series.

107. Lady Knight by Tamora Pierce
Protector of the Small, book 4
Young Adult, Fantasy, 409p

107 / 160 books (67%)
56 / 80 *new books (70%)
3 / 7 ^non-fiction (43%)
28356 / 48000 pages. (59%)
Audiobooks: 54h19m

77bluesalamanders
Nov 13, 2010, 9:47 am

108. Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce
Song of the Lioness, book 1
Young Adult, Fantasy, 231p

While Alanna (like all of Pierce's characters) is slightly Mary Sue-ish, her story is enjoyable, she and her friends are endearing, and the world Pierce created for them to inhabit is believable. Strong female characters are Pierce's specialty and Alanna is the roughest of the bunch.

109. In the Hand of the Goddess by Tamora Pierce
Song of the Lioness, book 2
Young Adult, Fantasy, 240p

The entry of romance into her life frustrates and baffles Alanna. All she wants is to become a knight, and these distractions confuse her. Several new characters enters the picture, including one who nobody seems to see as a menace except her.

Another enjoyable book with the strong female lead. Alanna makes her own choices and refuses to be bound by her society's restrictive rules.

110. The Woman Who Rides Like A Man by Tamora Pierce
Song of the Lioness, book 3
Young Adult, Fantasy, 253p

After achieving her knighthood and defeating a great enemy, Alanna leaves the palace and all her friends to discover who she is and where she belongs.

The third book in this series introduces still more new people and challenges to this growing character. She learns diplomacy and teaching and gains the respect of another race of people. Another enjoyable book.

111. Lioness Rampant by Tamora Pierce
Song of the Lioness, book 4
Young Adult, Fantasy, 320p

Alanna goes on a quest, determined to prove to everyone (including herself) that she is worthy of her shield. When she returns, great changes have occurred and she is tested even more.

Lioness Rampant is the strongest book in the SotL series.

112. Wolf Speaker by Tamora Pierce
The Immortals, book 2
Young Adult, Fantasy, 344p

112 / 160 books (70%)
56 / 80 *new books (70%)
3 / 7 ^non-fiction (43%)
29744 / 48000 pages. (62%)
Audiobooks: 54h19m

78ronincats
Nov 13, 2010, 8:18 pm

Sounds like you are having lots of fun with your Tamora Pierce retrospective! Those are fun books.

79bluesalamanders
Nov 13, 2010, 9:13 pm

Yeah, it was fun! I miss the rest of the Immortals books, though. I only own book 2. Which is silly. Clearly I should tell my sister that that's what I want for my birthday next year - the Immortals quartet and the Circle books, which I don't have either and occasionally want to read (even though I think the Tortall books are much better).

80bluesalamanders
Nov 28, 2010, 12:00 pm

113. *Wired by Robin Wasserman
Skinned, book 3
Young Adult, Science Fiction, 400p

114. The Cat Who Played Post Office by Lillian Jackson Braun
The Cat Who, book 6
Adult, Mystery, 262 pages

115. The Cat Who Went into the Closet by Lillian Jackson Braun
The Cat Who, book 15
Adult, Mystery, 288 pages

116. The Cat Who Blew the Whistle by Lillian Jackson Braun
The Cat Who, book 17
Adult, Mystery, 311 pages

117. The Cat Who Tailed a Thief by Lillian Jackson Braun
The Cat Who, book 19
Adult, Mystery, 247 pages

118. The Cat Who Came to Breakfast by Lillian Jackson Braun
The Cat Who, book 16
Adult, Mystery, 272 Pages

118 / 160 books (74%)
57 / 80 *new books (71%)
3 / 7 ^non-fiction (43%)
31524 / 48000 pages. (62%)
Audiobooks: 54h19m

81bluesalamanders
Nov 28, 2010, 12:05 pm

119. *Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld
Leviathan, book 2
Juvenile, Steampunk/Alternate History, 481p

121. *Pegasus by Robin McKinley
Pegasus, Book 1
Young Adult, Fantasy, 397p

ARC from the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program.

Sylvani, king's daughter, is preparing to be magically bonded to a son of the king of the Pegasi, as is required by the treaty between their kingdoms. To everyone's shock, at the ceremony it turns out that Sylvani can mindspeak with her bonded pegasus. Which is impossible. Except it isn't.

I was concerned about how McKinley would be able to put the pegasus - froo-froo fantastical creature to the extreme - into a serious novel. There was no need to worry, though; McKinley's nonhuman characters have always been at least as well developed as the humans. The Pegasi are amazing.

I read this knowing that it was Part 1 of an as-yet-unfinished tale, and McKinley mentioned on her blog that the ending is unsatisfying, so I knew what was coming. But I was still surprised and upset at the cliffhanger where the story stops. I loved the book, but I expect the next time I read it will be right before Book 2 is released, whenever that will be. I can't wait.

121 / 160 books (76%)
59 / 80 *new books (74%)
3 / 7 ^non-fiction (43%)
32402 / 48000 pages. (62%)
Audiobooks: 54h19m

(#120 left out because there are two #64s)

82ronincats
Nov 28, 2010, 12:09 pm

Hope you had a good Thanksgiving. I remember going through a "Cat Who" spell many years ago. I think I read too many of them close together--I couldn't sustain my sense of belief of that many murders in a small town, although I loved the atmosphere.

83pammab
Nov 28, 2010, 2:27 pm

I had the same experience with the Cat Who books. In the mystery series genre I've only actually ever read a few those and of Tony Hillerman, and I always found it difficult to keep the plots separate from book to book. I wonder if I'd enjoy them on a reread.

Pegasus sounds great, though -- just the sort of well-done twist on reality that I enjoy. I think I'll wait until the next one is released to try to pick it up, though.

84bluesalamanders
Nov 29, 2010, 7:59 am

Oh, I love the Cat Who books. I know they're totally ridiculous, but I've been reading them since I was probably 11 or so - all my copies used to belong to my grandmother and I would read them when I visited her. Fond memories and all.

Although I do always think about the fact that Jim Qwilleran is one of those people that you would never want to be around if they actually existed, like Jessica Fletcher from Murder, She Wrote. No matter how amazing his cats are. People always die near them!

Pammab - Pegasus is fantastic, but yes, I definitely recommend waiting to read it until part 2 comes out. I think it's due out next year but I'm not certain.

85bluesalamanders
Nov 29, 2010, 8:30 am

Ah, no, I looked at Robin's website and Peg II is set to come out in 2012. Eep!

Also, ronincats - I had a relaxing Thanksgiving by myself, watching movies and cooking for one. How was yours?

86ronincats
Nov 29, 2010, 12:49 pm

We had a nice one. All of our family is back in the midwest, so my husband and I always have Thanksgiving to ourselves. For some reason, we both were wide awake at 2:30 am so got up and put the hassenpfeffer in the crockpot, and finally got sleepy around 8 so went back to bed for a couple more hours! We watched some football and I got some crocheting done.

87bluesalamanders
Nov 29, 2010, 4:34 pm

That sounds pretty good. Although, hassenpfeffer??

My family is in the Midwest too. I can't afford to travel there too often, so I'm going over for Christmas and I had a nice, quiet Thanksgiving by myself.

88bluesalamanders
Déc 9, 2010, 10:42 am

122. Old Man's War by John Scalzi
Old Man's War series, Book 1
Adult, Science Fiction, 313 pages

123. The Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi
Old Man's War series, Book 2
Adult, Science Fiction, 317 pages

124. The Last Colony by John Scalzi
Old Man's War series, Book 3
Adult, Science Fiction, 316 pages

125. Zoe's Tale by John Scalzi
Old Man's War series, Book 4
Young Adult, Science Fiction, 336 pages

125 / 160 books (78%)
59 / 80 *new books (74%)
3 / 7 ^non-fiction (43%)
33684 / 48000 pages. (70%)
Audiobooks: 54h19m

89bluesalamanders
Modifié : Déc 9, 2010, 10:48 am

126. Blood Price by Tanya Huff
Blood series, Book 1
Adult, Fantasy, 272p

127. Blood Lines by Tanya Huff
Blood series, Book 3
Adult, Fantasy, 271p

128. Blood Pact by Tanya Huff
Blood series, Book 4
Adult, Fantasy, 332p

129. Blood Debt by Tanya Huff
Blood series, Book 5
Adult, Fantasy, 330p

130. Smoke and Shadows by Tanya Huff
Smoke series, Book 1
Adult, Fantasy, 396p

131. Smoke and Ashes by Tanya Huff
Smoke series, Book 3
Adult, Fantasy, 407p

131 / 160 books (82%)
59 / 80 *new books (74%)
3 / 7 ^non-fiction (43%)
35692 / 48000 pages. (74%)
Audiobooks: 54h19m

90bluesalamanders
Déc 9, 2010, 10:51 am

132. Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce
Immortals Quartet, Book 1
Young Adult, Fantasy, 384p

Even in a world filled with magic, Daine Sarrasi's gift with animals stands out, and between her unusual gift and having to hide the secrets from her past, it's easier for her to connect with animals than people. It takes time (and some gentle and not-so-gentle coaxing from friends and mentors) for Daine to come to trust her new acquaintances.

I really enjoy these books and always like the strong women characters that Pierce writes, but she does have a tendency to do things like pound us over the head with the idea that something bad had happened in her past, long before we find out what it is. A few fewer - or more subtle - mentions of how she can't trust these new people with her secret because they'd surely hate her would have been just as effective, if not more so. Regardless, it's a good story and a fun, easy read.

133. Emperor Mage by Tamora Pierce
Immortals Quartet, Book 3
Young Adult, Fantasy, 358p

Daine and her friends are sent to Carthack, to meet with the Emperor. Daine's duty is to see if she can heal the Emperor's pet birds and otherwise to stay out of trouble, but unfortunately for her, the god-touched don't have a choice about where and when they're called on to intervene.

Emperor Mage is another thoroughly enjoyable Tortall story. The Immortals series really improves with each book. I love Daine's interactions with the gods and how she chooses to use her borrowed power in a way that reflects her so very well (and which is not precisely the way she is expected to use it).

134. Realm of the Gods by Tamora Pierce
Immortals Quartet, Book 4
Young Adult, Fantasy, 368p

Daine and Numair go up against a group of magical creatures of a kind they've never seen before and when it turns out that neither Daine's wild magic nor Numair's Gift can effect them, rescue comes from a surprising direction. But now they're stuck elsewhere while war threatens Tortall.

There are a lot of new and interesting characters introduced in this last book in the Immortals series, including various gods, dragons, and other immortals and magical creatures, and Daine's prejudices against Stormwings are tested. The realm of the gods itself is an intriguing place to read about, with different rules from the moral realm and wonders and dangers all its own. It's a fitting end to the series.

135. Spindle's End by Robin McKinley
Young Adult, Fantasy, 422p

A wonderful adaptation of Sleeping Beauty. I love this book - I probably liked fairy tales when I was a kid, but now the kind of story where the princess sits (or lays, as the case may be) around waiting for the prince to rescue her don't appeal to me. This is a much more active story, with the princess taking part in her own defense. The animal characters are fantastic - the different personalities they have are so appropriate to the species. And as always with McKinley's books, the description is incredible, with so much detail that the world seems to come alive.

136. *Gool by Maurice Gee
The Salt Trilogy, Book 2
Young Adult, Fantasy, 215p (read 110p)

ARC from the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program.

I found Gool a meandering, uninteresting story with characters I had trouble telling apart, dialogue that didn't make sense, and a world I wasn't drawn into. It may have made more sense if I'd read book one of the trilogy, Salt, first but I couldn't find a copy.

136 / 160 books (85%)
60 / 80 *new books (75%)
3 / 7 ^non-fiction (43%)
37334 / 48000 pages. (78%)
Audiobooks: 54h19m

91ronincats
Déc 9, 2010, 11:32 am

Lots of good reading going on there! I like Scalzi a lot--have you read The Android's Dream? That's probably my favorite. I like the Pierces and McKinley as well. Haven't read those ones of Huff's--I think they were a little dark for me, but I like her Summoning and Valor series.

92bluesalamanders
Déc 9, 2010, 11:57 am

I'm finally caught up here! These are all the books I've read to date! How exciting is that! ;)

I have read The Android's Dream and I love it. Have you read Agent to the Stars?

I don't really see the Blood books as particularly dark...but it occurs to me that my point of comparison (what I consider "dark") is Harlan Ellison. Heh. I could never get into the one non-vampire book of Huff's that I tried to read, I think it was a Summoning book and for some reason it just bored me.

93ronincats
Déc 20, 2010, 10:38 pm

I haven't read Agent to the Stars yet--I need to get it!

I've set up a thread for "Future Women: Explorations and Aspirations" in the 2011 group. This is for the readings talked about after reading The Postman in October, with post-apocalyptic or otherwise future views of women's role in societies. I'm not scheduling reading to start until February 1, but am letting people know so that they can star it and start acquiring books if they so choose.

http://www.librarything.com/topic/105210

94bluesalamanders
Déc 25, 2010, 8:37 pm

137. The Pinhoe Egg by Diana Wynne Jones
Chrestomanci (chronological order), book 6
Young Adult, Fantasy, 480p

138. Dragon's Blood by Jane Yolen
Pit Dragons Trilogy, book 1
Young Adult, Fantasy, 320p

139. Heart's Blood by Jane Yolen
Pit Dragons Trilogy, book 2
Young Adult, Fantasy, 368p

140. A Sending of Dragons by Jane Yolen
Pit Dragons Trilogy, book 3
Young Adult, Fantasy, 320p

141. Crystal Singer by Anne McCaffrey
Crystal Singer, book 1
Adult, Science Fiction, 311p

142. *Doctor Who: The Krillitane Storm by Christopher Cooper, read by Will Thorp(e)
Science Fiction, Audiobook, 5h20m

142 / 160 books (89%)
61 / 80 *new books (77%)
3 / 7 ^non-fiction (43%)
39133 / 48000 pages. (82%)
Audiobooks: 59h39m

95ronincats
Déc 25, 2010, 11:35 pm

Merry Christmas!

I've read all of your latest batch with the exception of the Dr. Who. What did you think of them?

96bluesalamanders
Déc 26, 2010, 8:27 pm

The only one new to me was the DW audiobook and it was mediocre but all I needed was distraction on a nighttime train ride, which it provided.

I love The Pinhoe Egg, it's one of my favorite DWJ books. The Pit Dragon trilogy have been favorites for years; I reread them because I got a box of old books from my mom which included those. I'm not a big Anne McCaffrey fan, but the Crystal Singer books are some I like (unlike the vast majority of Pern) and they're some of the books I got on my new eReader that I'm enjoying playing around with :)

Merry Christmas!

97bluesalamanders
Déc 31, 2010, 8:02 am

Final books of 2010:

143. Killashandra by Anne McCaffrey
Crystal Singer, book 2
Adult, Science Fiction, 384p

144. *Doctor Who: The Slitheen Excursion by Simon Guerrier, read by Debbie Chazen
Science Fiction, Audiobook, 5h41m

Entertaining enough and Chazen did a fine job reading. I'm sometimes disappointed that book-companions tend to be single-story characters; June was a fun character.

144 / 160 books (89%)
62 / 80 *new books (77%)
3 / 7 ^non-fiction (43%)
39517 / 48000 pages. (82%)
Audiobooks: 65h20m