Timstar
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Posts posted by Timstar
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I hope you guys don't mind my posting... I know this is a book forum, but there's something I learned today about Stephen King. It was on Abby's feed and as a dog fan I can't help but share!
Yeah I saw that on his Twitter, very funny!
Has anyone else read Revival? I've just finished it and thought it was borderline awful, some good characters as always but just really dull story that felt like a padded out novella
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New books!
From Gollancz Festival:
My favourite inscription: (though you need to have read the book to understand it)
Birthday books:
From Waterstones with a birthday voucher:
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I don't think so personally.
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Saw Spectre last night:
*sigh* Really didn't like it, don't understand why it has been so popular, it's boring. I'm a huge James Bond fan and I really wanted to like it but it was just so dull. Terrible script and non-sensical plot just jumping from one location to another with barely any connection, with the ring being the worst example of a MacGuffin I have ever seen. It was so predictable to be almost laughable, not just in a generic Bond will kill villian, get the girl sort of way, but every line and quip and escape method I saw coming a mile off. The car chase was utterly pointless and the most boring one ever put too screen, Bond is even able to have a casual conversation with a stupid airbag joke thrown in.
I'm not surprised this is Daniel Craig's final Bond film, he looks so bored throughout and is clearly fed-up of the whole thing. The supporting cast try their hardest but the script is just so weak. Leá Seydoux's character being nothing more than arm candy despite showing she knows how to handle herself, one minute she hates Bond then the next she is in love with him, hates him again after seeing what happened with her Dad despite the fact that Bond had already told her everything, sees him tortured and loves him again. I know it's not uncommon for wrestlers to play generic henchmen but Bautista's character is just awful, he has shown he can do well in speaking parts in Guardians of the Galaxy so why make him mute!?
M and Q are fairly good in their respective roles but simply not given enough to do (although what the point of that scene with Q in the cable car and the henchmen I have no idea, thought it was going somewhere but nope). Then that brings us to Christoph Waltz, whom I was very much looking forward to seeing as he was made for this role, he has proven himself an incredible villian in Inglorious Bast*rds but the script is so lacklustre he never gets the chance to shine. You can really see him trying with what he is given but ultimately he never scares or intimidates, he's not a character you hate or love to hate, he's just boring and never comes across as a real threat. Then there is his motivation, one of the greatest villians of fictional history is evil because...Daddy issues! Not to mention the most incredible boring lair/secret hideout ever, for which we never find it's purpose, which Bond is able to complete destroy with a single bullet!
I honestly struggled to think of moments I enjoyed in Spectre, however, the opening sequence is fantastic, especially the long tracking shot, it did get a bit silly once they got in the helicopter though but then it is just downhill from there. The title sequence is rubbish and the song by Sam Smith is very forgettable. It is a real shame, the 'new' Bond's have been really good and marked a great new direction for a modern Bond but Spectre is just a complete 180 degree turn back to the 60's and 70's style that worked well then but does not hold up today. A complete missed opportunity to end the Craig run in style.
They couldn't just let the DB5 die, they just had to bring it back yet again! Which led to the worst ending of any Bond film so far.
3/10
Simple to say, I didn't like it.
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Wow- I'd love to meet Joe Hill. Have you seen the books he is doing... Locke and Key?
He's a really nice guy, and very funny.
Yeah, reading the second volume at the moment, it's incredible! Also got an extract from his new book coming next year.
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To be fair, he's not wrong Very true, also led to a whole debate on why modern fantasy should feature less bowel control
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I went to the Gollancz festival on 17th Oct and really enjoyed it (sorry Laura), there were six 30 minute discussion panels all with 5 or 6 different authors followed by a mass signing.
Before going I was interested in seeing: Joe Abercrombie, Joe Hill, Brandon Sanderson, Ben Aaronovitch and Chris Wooding. Whilst there I also bought books by Pat Cadigan, Stephen Hunt and Paul Cornell (who wrote my favourite Doctor Who Episodes 'The Family of Blood'). And ended up buying a few more on kindle the next day.
Apart from Brandon Sanderson none of the authors tables were busy by the time I got there and I managed to have a nice chat with Chris Wooding and Joe Hill as well as getting all my books signed (12 books by 8 different authors).
Apart from carrying all those books back from London (most of which are Epic Fantasy!) I had a great time. Highlight of the evening was Joe Abercrombie stating "My books are just like David Eddings'... only with looser bowel control"
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I really enjoyed it! Some patchy dialougue and fairly predictable at the beginning but I was really into it by the end. Fairly fast-paced for a series opener, covered a lot of plot.
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Great review! Luna was one of the main books that picqued my interested at the Gollancz Fest. He did mention there was a lot of sex
ETA: In the book... not at the festival
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Started NOS4R2 by Joe Hill. It hasn't fully engaged me yet, but hopefully it will soon enough.
It should do, it's a great read!
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The Martian. Fantastic film and a great adaptation. It was a shame some things had to be cut out but it still had a fairly long run time and stuck pretty close to the book
Really glad they didn't try to throw in any typical Hollywood tropes like an unnecessary love story or pointless villian.
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How did everyone get on with the first chapters?
I'm enjoying it a lot, although I'm not feeling connected to any of the characters as yet. I feel like we're really still in the introductory stages of the book, and still finding out who is who, and where the story is going. From the synopsis, I feel like we've barely brushed the surface of the story, but I feel like we're about to go over the top into the real action of the plot now.
yeah I would agree with that, but the language is so captivating you almost forget there isn't a plot at the beginning
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Yes, yes it is too big. Not going to count them but it must be around 500, which will take me 5 to 10 years if I don't buy any more which we all know isn't going to happen
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I couldn't possibly comment
It's OK I know you wouldn't do something like that
Annoyingly Gotham on Channel 5 seems to be doing the same thing!
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I was enjoying it until the fight scenes at the end which were tedium amounting to boredom.
Kevin Costner's death was also rubbish!
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Season 3's been fantastic so far.
Have you been downloading them? Don't think they are airing until the new year here
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Still need to see Ant-Man and the new series of Agents of Shield. But Jessica Jones next month has a lot of potential!
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I have high hopes for these films. But then again I did for Man of Steel as well and that was mostly a let down.
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Sounds good, I made a start yesterday. He's a little bit contradictory at the beginning but enjoying it so far
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Welcome to the forum!
I can't really expand on the SF list above but I can highly recommend:
Fantasy:
Scott Lynch's Gentlemen Bast*ard series starting with The Lies of Locke Lamora.
Brandon Sanderson - Mistborn trilogy
Joe Abercrombie - First Law
Thriller:
Patrick Lee - The Runner is a fantastic read and fits your criteria quite well I think.
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Windhaven and A Song for Lya by George R.R. Martin also going cheap.
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Obviously more than a Daily Deal, as they're still going for £1.99 each, and The Heroes is now down to that price, too.
I bought Ian McDonald's latest book for £1.99, Luna: New Moon.
I got that too. It's a large Gollancz wide reduction to coinside with the Gollancz Festival at the weekend. Also got
Voyage by Stephen Baxter
Twelve Kings by Bradley Beaulieu
The Beauty of Murder by A.K. Benedict
Son of the Morning by Mark Aldar
Apart from Baxter they were all at the Festival on Saturday in London.
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Infirm of purpose: 'tis but the eye of adulthood that fears the written jest.
True dat!
Tim's Tremendous Tomes
in Past Book Logs
Posted
Synopsis
Since time immemorial, the Spires have sheltered humanity, towering for miles over the mist-shrouded surface of the world. Within their halls, aristocratic houses have ruled for generations, developing scientific marvels, fostering trade alliances, and building fleets of airships to keep the peace.
Captain Grimm commands the merchant ship, Predator. Fiercely loyal to Spire Albion, he has taken their side in the cold war with Spire Aurora, disrupting the enemy's shipping lines by attacking their cargo vessels. But when the Predator is severely damaged in combat, leaving captain and crew grounded, Grimm is offered a proposition from the Spirearch of Albion-to join a team of agents on a vital mission in exchange for fully restoring Predator to its fighting glory.
And even as Grimm undertakes this dangerous task, he will learn that the conflict between the Spires is merely a premonition of things to come. Humanity's ancient enemy, silent for more than ten thousand years, has begun to stir once more. And death will follow in its wake.
Review
Unlike a lot of people coming to this novel, I don't have a history with Jim Butcher's books. I started his Codex Alera series but lost interest after the second book (despite enjoying them somewhat) and I haven't even started on the Dresden Files, it's always been one of those 'someday' series for me, especially it is 15+ books and growing fairly fast. However, when I saw he is starting a brand new series with a steampunk feel, I jumped at the chance to read it. I have been looking for something to rival the Ketty Jay books by Chris Wooding and this series may just do it.
After the surface becomes inhabitable the worlds population are living in enormous spires, travelling around in airships powered by both magic and steam. When a petty conflict between two towers erupts into war, Captain Grimm of the Predator is caught in the middle.
There is a host of supporting characters too numerous to mention including one particularly menacing cat that Butcher appears to have lifted straight out of the Ketty Jay by giving him his own POV chapters. He does, however, take the whole cat idea a few steps further, giving them warring clans and fierce combat skills.
The action is frequent and very well written, the humour keeps the book to a light tone that suits it perfectly and the characters are believable and not stereotypes. A couple of downsides, I feel it lacked some of the charm that I felt strongly with the Ketty Jay books particularly from the characters and the I struggled to understand the magic involved. But with a 9 book series planned there will be plenty more time for it to be explained in full and grow to love the characters more.
I am keen to start the Dresden Files now
Overall 9/10