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Steve's Bookshelf 2015


Karsa Orlong

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Books Read in 2015 (alphabetical, by author):

 

 

Abercrombie, Joe - Half the World (Shattered Sea Book 2)  review

Abnett, Dan - First and Only (Gaunt's Ghosts Book 1)  review

Barclay, Linwood - Trust Your Eyes  review

Bear, Elizabeth - All the Windwracked Stars (The Edda of Burdens Book 1)  review

Box, C. J. - Open Season (Joe Pickett Book 1)  review

Box, C. J. - Savage Run (Joe Pickett Book 2)  review

Brennan, Marie - A Natural History of Dragons: A Memoir by Lady Trent  review

Brennan, Marie - The Tropic of Serpents: A Memoir by Lady Trent  review

Bujold, Lois McMaster - Mirror Dance (Vorkosigan Saga Book 11)  review

Bujold, Lois McMaster - Memory (Vorkosigan Saga Book 12)  review

Bujold, Lois McMaster - Komarr (Vorkosigan Saga Book 13)  review

Bujold, Lois McMaster - A Civil Campaign (Vorkosigan Saga Book 14)  review

Cherryh, C J - Foreigner (Foreigner Book 1)  review

Clayton, Tim and Craig, Phil - Trafalgar: The Men, the Battle, the Storm  review

Collins, Max Allan - True Detective (Nathan Heller Book 1)  review

Cornwell, Bernard - The Pagan Lord (Warrior Chronicles Book 7)  review

Cornwell, Bernard - The Empty Throne (Warrior Chronicles Book 8)  review

Cornwell, Bernard - Sharpe's Tiger (Sharpe Book 1)  review

Finney, Jack - The Body Snatchers  review

Flynn, Vince - American Assassin (Mitch Rapp Book 1)  review

Gold, Glen David - Carter Beats the Devil  review

Green, Simon R. - Deathstalker  (DNF)  review

Heinlein, Robert A. - The Moon is a Harsh Mistress  review

Iliffe, Glyn - King of Ithaca (Adventures of Odysseus Book 1)  review

Kasasian, M.R.C. - Death Descends On Saturn Villa (The Gower Street Detective Book 3)  review

Lebbon, Tim - The Silence  review

Lebbon, Tim - The Hunt  review

Leckie, Ann - Ancillary Justice (Imperial Radch Book 1)  review

Lee, Patrick - Only to Die Again (Sam Dryden Book 2)  review

MacLean, Alistair - HMS Ulysses  review

Mariani, Scott - The Doomsday Prophecy (Ben Hope Book 3)  review

Matheson, Richard - The Shrinking Man  review

May, Julian - The Many-Coloured Land (The Saga of the Exiles Book 1)  review

McCullough, Colleen - Caesar (Masters of Rome Book 5)  review

McDonald, Ian - Luna: New Moon  review

Miéville, China - The City and the City  review

O'Brian, Patrick - The Ionian Mission (Aubrey/Maturin Book 8)  review

O'Brian, Patrick - Treason's Harbour (Aubrey/Maturin Book 9)  review

O'Brian, Patrick - The Far Side of the World (Aubrey/Maturin Book 10)  review

O'Brian, Patrick - The Reverse of the Medal (Aubrey/Maturin Book 11)  review

O'Brian, Patrick - The Letter of Marque (Aubrey/Maturin Book 12)  review

O'Brian, Patrick - The Thirteen Gun Salute (Aubrey/Maturin Book 13)  review

O'Brian, Patrick - The Nutmeg of Consolation (Aubrey/Maturin Book 14)  review

O'Brian, Patrick - Clarissa Oakes (Aubrey/Maturin Book 15)  review

O'Brian, Patrick - The Wine Dark Sea (Aubrey/Maturin Book 16)  review

O'Brian, Patrick - The Commodore (Aubrey/Maturin Book 17)  review

O'Brian, Patrick - The Yellow Admiral (Aubrey/Maturin Book 18)  review

O'Brian, Patrick - The Hundred Days (Aubrey/Maturin Book 19)  review

O'Brian, Patrick - Blue at the Mizzen (Aubrey/Maturin Book 20)  review

Polansky, Daniel - The Builders  review

Rajaniemi, Hannu - The Quantum Thief  review

Renault, Mary - The King Must Die  review

Reynolds, Alastair - The Six Directions of Space  review

Reynolds, Alastair - The Prefect  review

Reynolds, Alastair - Slow Bullets  review

Rollins, James - Sandstorm (Sigma Force Book 1)  review

Salvatore, R. A. - Homeland (The Legend of Drizzt Book 1)  review

Taylor, Stephen - Commander: The Life and Exploits of Britain's Greatest Frigate Captain  review

Vandermeer, Jeff - Annihilation (The Southern Reach Trilogy Book 1)  review

Vinge, Vernor - Rainbows End  review

Watts, Peter - Blindsight  review

Watts, Peter - The Colonel  review

Watts, Peter - Echopraxia  review

Wilson, G. Willow - Alif the Unseen  review

Womack, Jack - Random Acts of Senseless Violence  review

Edited by Karsa Orlong
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:welcome:  

 

 

Hello and welcome to my 2015 bookshelf  :smile:

 

I've decided to simplify things this year, so no TBR list, no wishlist, no 'books purchased' list.  I haven't even decided whether or not to score books yet.  So it's anarchy, basically.  It's a bit like burying my head in the sand, I suppose, not seeing how many books have suddenly found their way into my possession, but I found that last year the keeping of lists and statistics, especially the TBR list, was sucking my enjoyment out of reading, because I was forever looking at it and putting pressure on myself to read books I was no longer interested in.  No more!  I will no longer be a slave to lists and statistics!  :giggle2:

 

I've set a few ground rules for myself this year, too, primarily that I'm no longer going to force myself to finish a book if I'm not enjoying it.  I did that up until now and I drove myself through some absolute stinkers last year.  No more!  I will no longer be a slave to the guilt of unfinished books!  Those suckers are getting dumped if they fail to entertain me - the charity shop isn't that far away  :giggle2:

 

I'm also going to try something a bit different with any reviews I write, cos I was fed up with writing most of them, so I can only imagine what it was like to read them   :blush2:  :giggle2:

 

Anyway, the thread's now open for business, even though there's nothing to see at the moment  :D   

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Nothing wrong with a bit of anarchy around the place to liven it up. :giggle2:
 
Not finishing books I'm not enjoying is something I'm doing more of as I get older … life's too short and all that.  I'm also writing much briefer reviews, unless I really, really love a book and then I can't stop myself waffling on, or unless I really, really hated it and need to vent my anger somewhere! :lol:
 
Anyway, hope you have a very enjoyable and guilt free reading year, Steve! :D

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Happy Reading Steve! :) Think I'll join you in not being a slave to reviews and scores and finishing books etc. I probably will still write lists though .. the world might end if I didn't :blush2: Hope this is a good .. and more importantly enjoyable .. reading year for you :)

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Happy reading, Steve. :) I gave up writing reviews a few years ago, and feel much better for it. I'll always have to score books though, otherwise I would eventually forget how much I enjoyed them!

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Thanks everyone  :smile:

 

My comment on reviews may have been a bit misleading - I'm not going to give up on them, just going to experiment with the way I do them.  They'll be a lot shorter, for a start . . . I hope :lol:  I have some ideas but it may take a few reviews before it settles down.  Sounds like I need to see a doctor  :giggle2:

 

Marie, I'll definitely aim for anarchistic minimalism if at all possible  :giggle2:

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The Pagan Lord (The Warrior Chronicles Book #7) by Bernard Cornwell

 

post-6588-0-15106200-1420625206_thumb.jpg

 

2013 - HarperCollins ebook - 321 pages

 

 

The seventh book in Cornwell's series about Uhtred of Bebbanburg.  Alfred the Great is dead and Edward his son reigns as king. Wessex survives but peace cannot hold. The Danes in the north, led by Viking Cnut Longsword, stand ready to invade and will never rest until the emerald crown is theirs.

 

Uhtred, once Alfred’s great warrior but now out of favour with the new king, must lead a band of outcasts north to recapture his old family home.

 

 

I liked:

  • The characters.  Uhtred is awesome (just as well, seeing as it's written from his point of view in first person): he's ruthless but fallible and Cornwell always does a great job of getting you inside his head.  
  • He's also brilliant at developing the other characters, even though we're only getting Uhtred's view of them.
  • Cnut Longsword.  Fantastic antagonist.  Cornwell must've had to be very careful when typing the name, though  :giggle2:
  • The writing style.  It flows beautifully, and it has a sense of urgency and momentum about it that kept me hooked.
  • The plot.  It's tight, focussed, and moves at a fantastic pace.
  • The fact that Uhtred didn't keep changing sides like he did a couple of books back.
  • The ending.  Wow.

 

I didn't like:

  • In the historical note at the end Cornwell manages to tell the fate of a couple of the real life figures in the book.  Not a problem for those who know the history, but a bit of a shame for those who don't.
  • It ended.  I didn't want it to.

 

Memorable Quote:

 

 

There are seasons of our lives when nothing seems to be happening, when no smoke betrays a burned town or homestead and few tears are shed for the newly dead.  I have learned not to trust those times, because if the world is at peace then it means someone is planning war.

 

 

Book six was a return to form.  This one's as good as, if not better than, the earlier novels.  I loved this book  :smile:

Edited by Karsa Orlong
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The Six Directions of Space by Alastair Reynolds

 

post-6588-0-71685700-1420629094_thumb.jpg

 

 

2008 - Subterranean Press hardback - 85 pages

 

 

What if Genghis Khan got his wish, and brought the entire planet under the control of the Mongols? Where would he have gone next?

A thousand years after Khan's death, Yellow Dog is the codename of a female spy on the most hazardous assignment of her career: investigating anomalous events happening on the edge of civilised space -- phantom ships appearing in the faster-than-light transit system which binds the empire together. Qilian, a thuggish tyrant, already knows more about the anomalies than Yellow Dog does. If she is going to learn more, she will have to earn his confidence -- even if that means working for him, rather than against him.


So begins a deadly game of subterfuge and double-cross -- while the anomalies increase...

 

 

I liked:

 

  • The alternate history that sets up the main premise.
  • The brevity.  I can imagine other authors making a full-blown novel out of this but Reynolds presents it concisely and effectively.
  • Qilian - he's the most interesting character and you're never quite sure what he's going to do next.
  • The Infrastructure - a network of wormholes left behind by an alien race that's allowed humankind to travel the galaxy.  Nothing particularly new about that idea, but Reynolds handles it well.

 

I didn't like:

  • It took me a while to work out exactly what the Infrastructure was - I don't think the word 'wormhole' appears at all in the book.
  • The phantoms in the Infrastructure reminded me too much of Deep Space Nine's Prophets.  Anything that reminds me of Deep Space Nine is never a good thing  :giggle2:
  • A particular scene involving the torture of a pony.  Why why why??  :banghead:

 

Alastair Reynolds was on University Challenge over Christmas.  His team were rubbish and he got an answer about the Solar System wrong.  Shame on him!  I enjoyed this novella, though.  It left me wanting to know more but was satisfying enough in its own right.  One to seek out after reading his other work, maybe.  It can be found here.  And if I'd known that beforehand I wouldn't have spent £30 on a second-hand copy of the Subterranean Press edition!  :doh:  :D

Edited by Karsa Orlong
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I like the way you review books Steve, not that there was anything wrong with the old reviews either.

 

Happy reading in 2015.

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The Ionian Mission (Aubrey/Maturin Book #8) by Patrick O'Brian

 

post-6588-0-65915500-1420729017_thumb.jpg

 

1981 - Harper ebook - 399 pages

 

 

Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin return to the seas where they first sailed as shipmates. But Jack is now a senior Captain commanding a line-of-battle ship, and this is a longer, harder war than the dashing frigate actions of his early days.

 

 

I liked:

  • O'Brian's writing style, as always, is a joy to read.  His use of language, the dialogue, the atmosphere he creates - there is nothing to kick the reader out of the experience.  You're there, on that ship, on that sea, in the middle of the Napoleonic Wars.
  • Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin - they're quickly becoming my favourite fictional duo.  Right up there with Holmes and Watson.  Their friendship is the heartbeat of the book.
  • This one has a somewhat episodic nature about it, driven by the overall mission to blockade the French fleet at Toulon, but there are several side plots and missions within that.  It worked really well.
  • The espionage and the tangled political web of the eastern Mediterranean all add to the flavour.
  • The secondary characters and the humour that O'Brian works in so naturally.  Killick, in particular, is grumpy most of the time and hilarious all of the time.
  • The final sea battle is tense, exciting and phenomenally paced.

 

I disliked:

  • The ending is very, very abrupt.  I was shocked.  I've since learned it's effectively a two-parter.

 

Memorable Quote:

 

 

'Why, as to that,' said Jack, blowing on his coffee-cup and staring out of the stern-window at the harbour, 'as to that ... if you do not choose to call him a pragmatical clinchpoop and kick his breech, which you might think ungenteel, perhaps you could tell him to judge the pudding by its fruit.'

 

'You mean, prove the tree by its eating.'

 

'No, no, Stephen, you are quite out: eating a tree would prove nothing.'

 

 

I'd rank this one alongside Desolation Island and The Fortune of War as one of my favourites in the series so far.  And that ending means I'm going to have to jump straight into the next book, I think.  Fabulous stuff.  And remember . . .

 

'There is not a moment to be lost!'

 

:D

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Hi Karsa I am loving this new Anarchic review style. Confound you sir why did you think of this first?

 

The Pagan Lord (The Warrior Chronicles Book #7) by Bernard Cornwell

 

 

.

  • Cnut Longsword.  Fantastic antagonist.  Cornwell must've had to be very careful when typing the name, though  :giggle2:

 

 

Yes. I would have been so tempted to write Wingnut everytime.

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  • Cnut Longsword.  Fantastic antagonist.  Cornwell must've had to be very careful when typing the name, though  :giggle2:

:giggle: Our local supermarket abbreviates the labels of the coconut scent of one particular brand of 'smellies' as c/nut - I always think it would be amusing if they ever got that wrong!

 

I think life is definitely too short to read bad books!

 

Happy reading in 2015.  May it be filled with adventures of derring-do™ and little green men!   :D

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Hi Karsa I am loving this new Anarchic review style. Confound you sir why did you think of this first?

 

Thanks VF!  I'm sure it's not that original, though :lol:

 

 

 

:giggle: Our local supermarket abbreviates the labels of the coconut scent of one particular brand of 'smellies' as c/nut - I always think it would be amusing if they ever got that wrong!

 

I think life is definitely too short to read bad books!

 

Happy reading in 2015.  May it be filled with adventures of derring-do and little green men!   :D

 

Thanks Janet :smile:   You do realise they're little grey men, though, don't you?  Fox Mulder would back me up on this :yes::giggle2:

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spacecraft_zpsfef47e3c.gif

 

:lol:

 

 

I think I've said this before but about another series:  is there anything Jo Walton hasn't read (and then written about)??

 

http://www.tor.com/features/series/re-reading-patrick-obrians-aubrey-maturin-series

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