Karsa Orlong

Aaaaaaaand bought . . . Tatja Grimm's World by Vernor Vinge The Witling by Vernor Vinge The Peace War by Vernor Vinge Marooned in Realtime by Vernor Vinge So much for getting the TBR list down to 50 And now I'm really wanting to re-read Julian May's 'Saga of the Exiles', too, which'll mean buying them again Will it never end???

Homeland 3x02 Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. 1x04

That's exactly what I thought

Hmm, well the Steven Wilson gig is on Sunday and I haven't received the tickets yet. I got an email saying they were sent out on Wednesday, so I phoned them up today and they've arranged for replacements to be collected from the box office. No doubt the originals will arrive tomorrow, but I didn't fancy the stress and hassle of trying to sort it all out at the last minute, I was worrying too much about them as it was

This plan is just to get my TBR down to 50, then I'll think about doing another one . . . with one that nobody saw coming. Maybe. Having said that, I am on the verge of buying three or four Vernor Vinge books, which will bump up the TBR again

No thanks!

I didn't hate it, but it didn't compare to the book. I felt it was watered-down to the point where it was just a series of action sequences linked by clunky exposition. The book has a wonderful flow to it that the movie lost completely. It felt rushed, to me. I thought the changes to Iorek Byrnison's character weakened him from the rock he is in the book. It was generally just a missed opportunity, I think

Glad you enjoyed Frankenstein, Tim! I thought it was brilliant, too - but I hated Dracula. I think I'm in the minority on here in that

Crikey, I thought he was brilliant in the books, a truly memorable character. I felt like cheering every time he turned up I connected with the book from the first page, but the movie left me so disappointed

Sleepy Hollow 1x02 - still like Bates Motel 1x05. Can't make my mind up about this yet. And why do the characters have to sniff so much?? The Tunnel 1x01 - British/French remake of The Bridge. Not a patch on the original.

Plan: Emperor of Thorns by Mark Lawrence - started 14/10/13, finished 17/10/13 Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch Desolation Island by Patrick O'Brian - started 18/10/13 The Lords of the North by Bernard Cornwell Imperium by Robert Harris The Legend of Deathwalker by David Gemmell The Lamp of the Wicked by Phil Rickman Caliban's War by James S.A. Corey

Not even slightly I like that ML thinks enough's enough, and I am in agreement with him. If only some of these other fantasy authors would take the hint Of course, if ML ever goes back on this I will hunt him down To be honest, I didn't find anything in it as distressing as 'that scene' in KoT. There were a couple of shocks, but nothing on that scale for me

Book #60: Emperor of Thorns (Broken Empire Book 3) by Mark Lawrence From Amazon: The path to the throne is broken – only the broken can walk it. The world is cracked and time has run through, leaving us clutching at the end days. These are the days that have waited for us all our lives. These are my days. I will stand before the Hundred and they will listen. I will take the throne no matter who stands against me, living or dead, and if I must be the last emperor then I will make of it such an ending. This is where the wise man turns away. This is where the holy kneel and call on God. These are the last miles, my brothers. Don't look to me to save you. Run if you have the wit. Pray if you have the soul. Stand your ground if courage is yours. But don't follow me. Follow me, and I will break your heart. Thoughts: Not a lot to say about this one that I didn't say about the previous two books. It follows the same template, picking up a few years after King of Thorns and filling in the gaps with various intermingled plot strands. Lawrence's writing is strong and his tone is relentlessly consistent. Jorg continues to develop as a character. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that this is one of the most character-driven series that I have read in a long time. There is action, and it's ferocious, but Jorg stands front and centre all the time. As a result, one of the plot strands didn't quite work for me this time, as it is told from a different point of view. When it got to those sections I tended to feel a bit disappointed. However, another strand, told in flashback and winding its way to the desert, is superb and was easily my favourite part of the book, filled with vivid characters and some nice set-ups and pay-offs (much better at this than the previous book!), and a real sense of place brought about through the atmosphere Lawrence creates. Strangely, I guessed pretty early on what was going to happen at the end. I don't usually spot these things, which leads me to believe that this is what Lawrence intended, that he wanted the reader to figure it out. So it robbed the ending of surprise, but it did create an element of tension throughout the second half of the book, wondering when Jorg was going to figure it out as well. Another aspect that is so refreshing is that this is the end. In a brief afterword, Lawrence states that there will be no book 4, 5, 6 etc. This is a book of endings and although it's not quite as spectacular as you might expect - he goes for the personal rather than the epic - it is one of the best endings to a series that I've read in a while. I think the emotional impact of the final pages might have been greater had the element of surprise been there, but it doesn't detract from the story at all. Lawrence has created a truly memorable set of characters, placed them in a world with which the reader can identify, and told a story that never once deviates from its purpose. As far as I can remember, there is no padding whatsoever over the course of the three books. It's not often you can say that. Just to note: I read this one on Kindle, and the different typefaces for each plot line have been maintained, so it works just as well. 8/10

I've still got The White Tiger sitting on mine, and I doubt I'll ever read it, so I empathise!

Quite right Sari! Over to you

Hee, I just came in here to give a clue, but chalie's most of the way there already

I'll give it time to find its feet. I didn't like Merlin much at the start, but ended up really enjoying it

Sorry to hear about your Kindle Fire problems, Sarah. I've been reading some complaints about the new Paperwhite, as well (people returning them because of dead pixels on the screen and such). And you probably won't want to hear this, but they've just announced a new Kindle Fire, the HDX.

I see they've announced a new Kindle Fire now.

Nah, that'd be waaaaay too predictable Shivers heaved out a sigh. “Just trying to make tomorrow that bit better than today is all. I’m one of those … you’ve got a word for it, don’t you?” “Idiots?” He looked sideways at her. “It was a different one I had in mind.” “Optimists.” “That’s the one. I’m an optimist.” “How’s it working out for you?” “Not great, but I keep hoping.” “That’s optimists. You never learn.”

I can't endorse this sort of behaviour

Starbucks! Is there a law?

Rivers of London

Feeling vaguely tempted by the Booker Prize winner, The Luminaries. Middling comments on Amazon, but then Wolf Hall had those, too. Another doorstopper, though. Not sure I can handle another 800 page novel at the moment

I think it's safe to say you have way more than I do. I only have one narrow bookcase, and three shelves on the wall Trusssssssssssssssssssst in me