Karsa Orlong Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 Past Bookshelves: 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted January 13, 2016 Author Share Posted January 13, 2016 (edited) Books read in 2016: Invader (Foreigner Book 2) by C J Cherryh Winterfair Gifts (Vorkosigan Saga Book 15) by Lois McMaster Bujold Tarkin by James Luceno The Aylesford Skull by James P Blaylock Inheritor (Foreigner Book 3) by C J Cherryh Edited January 26, 2016 by Karsa Orlong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted January 29, 2016 Author Share Posted January 29, 2016 A few brief reviews of books I've read in January: Invader (Foreigner Book #2) by C J Cherryh Brief recap: this science fiction series is about the descendants of a ship that got lost in space. Some of the crew settled on a planet, the rest went looking for a way home. Jump forward 200 years and humans and the indigenous species, the atevi, have been through a war and are now living in an uneasy peace. Bren Cameron is the sole human allowed onto the atevi mainland, where he serves as a translator. At the end of the first book something happened which blew the story wide open, so I was looking forward to getting back to it. Having made two attempts to read the first, I found this second book a much smoother, hugely enjoyable read. The pacing is sedate but the characterisation is outstanding. Seeing the atevi world through Bren's eyes alone means you share his fears and confusion completely. Brilliant book. Winterfair Gifts (Vorkosigan Saga Book #15) by Lois McMaster Bujold This is a novella and, thankfully, the last story in the Miles in Love omnibus. Weirdly, this one isn't particularly about Miles, but about one of his security guards instead. It was mercifully short. Hopefully now things will get back on track. Tarkin by James Luceno This was the first Star Wars novel I'd read in about 25 years. It probably wasn't a good place to dive back in, but it was £1.50 on Kindle, so . . . Giving background on how Tarkin rose through the Imperial ranks, forged a working relationship with Darth Vader and came to be one of the Emperor's favourites and in charge of the first Death Star. The characterisation is reasonable (I could hear Peter Cushing delivering the dialogue) but there was too much tell and not enough show for my liking. The Aylesford Skull by James P. Blaylock I don't read a lot of Steampunk, but I had my eye on this book a year or two ago because Blaylock was pronounced the 'master' of the genre. The book started out well enough, in its Victorian, almost Holmes-ian style. But then I noticed that there was a strange disconnect going on between what was happening and how his characters were reacting to it. This reached a nadir when the main character's son is kidnapped by his Moriarty-like arch enemy. The boy's mother's solution to this terrible situation? Go for a picnic. If it hadn't been on my Kindle, I would've thrown the book across the room at that point. Inheritor (Foreigner Book #3) by C J Cherryh Two books from the series read in January. I couldn't wait to get back to it. The series is written in sets of trilogies, so this is the final book in the first one. The story's opening out, more characters are coming to the fore, and events are accelerating (in a sedate way!) towards a space race of sorts, whilst factions on both the atevi mainland and the human island of Mospheira engage in subterfuge and assassination to prevent the other side's progress. Cherryh's got a knack of presenting a major revelation towards the end of each book that drives the story into new territory, and she does it again here. Book 4 already purchased. This is fast becoming one of my favourite science fiction series. Currently reading: Lieutenant Hornblower by C S Forester Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emmabbooks Posted January 29, 2016 Share Posted January 29, 2016 Thanks for these reviews. I have a friend who recently commented that he wanted to read some modern science fiction (having read all the old classics). I'm looking forward to finding a gift or two from your reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted February 1, 2016 Share Posted February 1, 2016 Happy reading in 2016, Steve ! It`s great that you`ve got a `must read` series atm, especially with the miserable Winter we`re having. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted February 3, 2016 Share Posted February 3, 2016 Happy reading in 2016. I have a question for you... I know you have a penchant for Sci-fi (or whatever I'm meant to call it! ) have you read To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis? I find I'm actually fancying reading it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted February 4, 2016 Share Posted February 4, 2016 I have a question for you... I know you have a penchant for Sci-fi (or whatever I'm meant to call it! ) have you read To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis? I find I'm actually fancying reading it... Steve considers it sacrilege to call science-fiction, sci-fi . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted February 4, 2016 Author Share Posted February 4, 2016 Thanks for these reviews. I have a friend who recently commented that he wanted to read some modern science fiction (having read all the old classics). I'm looking forward to finding a gift or two from your reading. Thanks I'd point him straight at Vernor Vinge (A Fire Upon the Deep or A Deepness in the Sky) or Peter Watts (Blindsight). Job done It`s great that you`ve got a `must read` series atm, especially with the miserable Winter we`re having. Yeah! My reading has slowed down considerably in the past few months and I think it's a series I may have struggled with if I was intent on reading faster, but I'm taking my time over it and enjoying it all the more for it I have a question for you... I know you have a penchant for Sci-fi (or whatever I'm meant to call it! ) have you read To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis? I find I'm actually fancying reading it... No, I haven't Janet. I think willoyd might have, though, if you wanted an opinion on it Steve considers it sacrilege to call science-fiction, sci-fi . Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's punishable by death Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 Yeah! My reading has slowed down considerably in the past few months and I think it's a series I may have struggled with if I was intent on reading faster, but I'm taking my time over it and enjoying it all the more for it I guess there`s a place for `Slow Reading` ( like Slow Food ). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted May 26, 2016 Share Posted May 26, 2016 Where are you, Steve?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted May 26, 2016 Share Posted May 26, 2016 I've been wondering that too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted May 27, 2016 Share Posted May 27, 2016 Me too, and I don't even talk to him all that often! Hope everything's okay Steve! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted May 27, 2016 Share Posted May 27, 2016 I've been wondering the same thing. I also hope you're okay, Steve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted May 27, 2016 Share Posted May 27, 2016 Yes, please come back if you can! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted July 29, 2016 Author Share Posted July 29, 2016 Hello all, I'm fine, thank you for asking I've completely got out of the habit of keeping lists and writing reviews, so I have no idea how many books I've read this year, or even exactly what they were! Mainly ongoing series, so . . . Sharpe series - Bernard Cornwell (currently reading book 4, Sharpe's Trafalgar). Hornblower - C S Forester (currently up to book 3, Hornblower and the Hotspur) Foreigner series - C J Cherryh (currently up to book 7, Destroyer) Also made a start on Michael Connelly's Bosch series (just the first book so far) and Christian Cameron's Long War series (again, just the first book so far). and a few non-fiction books: Rubicon: The Triumph and Tragedy of the Roman Republic - by Tom Holland Persian Fire: The First World Empire and the Battle for the West - by Tom Holland Waterloo - by Tim Clayton I'm sure there are others, but I can't remember what they were Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 It`s Steve !! Hi Steve ! Did you get a boxset of Harry Bosch from the Book People ? That`s what I did ; I haven`t got past the first book either, though I did enjoy it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 Good to see you, Steve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
More reading time required Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 Hey there stranger Not that I can say anything after disappearing from message boards for about 3 years, Hope you've had a good few months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 Can't say that I've read any of the books you have, so don't know what to comment on those, per se However, glad to hear you're still reading books! Has the not counting of read books and not writing reviews of them been fun? Has it been liberating? I hope it has Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 Hey Steve, good to 'see' you. I wish you happy reading ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 Hey, welcome back!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 Welcome back Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted August 1, 2016 Share Posted August 1, 2016 Yeah!!! Come back! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted August 8, 2016 Author Share Posted August 8, 2016 Thanks all Did you get a boxset of Harry Bosch from the Book People ? That`s what I did ; I haven`t got past the first book either, though I did enjoy it. No, I just got the first one on Kindle Can't say that I've read any of the books you have, so don't know what to comment on those, per se However, glad to hear you're still reading books! Has the not counting of read books and not writing reviews of them been fun? Has it been liberating? I hope it has Yes, it has - it's like a weight off my shoulders, and I've just been reading when I feel like it, rather than trying to reach any goals Hasn't stopped me buying books, mind you, especially with the Kindle sales To wit, I've now started on John Connolly's Every Dead Thing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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