Timstar

Next plan: A Feast for Crows - George R. R. Martin (Song of Ice and Fire 4) The Iron Jackal - Chris Wooding (Ketty Jay 3) Randevous with Rama - Arthur C. Clarke The Dragon Reborn - Robert Jordan (Wheel of Time 3) Empire of the Sun - J.G. Ballard The Odyssey - Homer The Rape of Nanking- Iris Chang Double Dexter - Jeff Lindsay The Sign of Four - Arhur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes 2) Sharpe's Enemy - Bernard Cornwell (Sharpe 12) Before they Are Hanged - Joe Abercrombie The Last Argument of Kings - Joe Abercrombie (First Law 3) Hearts in Atlantic - Stephen King Beyond Lies the Wub - Philip K. Dick The Winter King - Bernard Cornwell (Warlord Chronicles 1) Frankenstein - Mary Shelley Ultimate Weapon - Chris Ryan Green Hills of Africa - Ernest Hemingway Goldfinger - Ian Fleming (James Bond 6) Prince of Thorns - Mark Lawrence (Broken Empire 1) Quite a long one, aim is to finish before the end of the year.

I would never talk so ill of Brandon! Thanks, I have actually already made and started a new one... whilst half-way through my previous one I'll post it later.

Oh you know, it's usually these geeky know-it-alls with too much time on their hands

WarBreaker - Brandon Sanderson Cabal - Clive Barker The Great Hunt - Robert Jordan (Wheel of Time 2) The Blade Itself - Joe Abercrombie The Wind Through the Keyhole - Stephen King (Dark Tower 8) The Man in the High Castle - Phillip K. Dick The Dragon Reborn - Robert Jordan (Wheel of Time 3) The Shrinking Man - Richard Matheson The Daylight War - Peter V. Brett The Iron Lung Captain - Chris Wooding (Ketty Jay 2) She Wakes - Jack Ketchum Necessary Evil - Ian Tregillis On the Road - Jack Kerouac Joyland - Stephen King Plan Completed! Only a few detours...

Warbreaker - Brandon Sanderson Synopsis Warbreaker tells the story of two princesses, Vivenna and Siri. Vivenna was contracted through treaty to marry the God-King of rival nation Hallendren. Instead Siri is sent to meet the treaty. Vivenna then follows to Hallendren in hopes of saving Siri from her fate. Both sisters become involved in intrigues relating to an imminent war between their home nation of Idris and Hallendren. Review The main pull of Sanderson's books are the magic systems and Warbreaker is no different. It is fairly complex and most certainly unique. The book uses magic called, 'BioChromatic Breath', which allows mages to bring life to objects as well as provide benefits directly to the mages, such as perfect pitch, perfect color recognition, perfect life recognition, and agelessness. Use of BioChromancy drains the colors from surrounding objects and the less colorful an object is, the more difficult it is to apply BioChromancy to it It is very refreshing to read a high fantasy book that is completely stand-alone, not a sequel, prequel, spin-off or even set in a pre-existing world. The story has a beginning, middle and end. We learn all about the magic, the world, the cities and the characters without the plot ever lagging. The characters are worth a particular mention, Sanderson is often accused of focusing more on the magic and forgetting about the characters, here I think he found a good balance. They all develop significantly and in a realistic way, I found them easy to connect and identify with, although some I preferred more than others, none were either irritating or pointless. My favourite was Nightblood, who/which was the sword of the underdog hero, which was either living or enchanted with a vain and humorous personality. It isn't explained what/who Nightblood is, and it doesn't need to be, he/it is funnier left to your imagination. Behind all the characters there is a brewing war fuelled by religious differences which are based around the use of 'breath' and 'The Returned' who are a group of 25 people who have come back from the dead with a lot more 'breath' then normal. These 25 are known and treated as gods within Hallendren ruled over by a separate 'God King'. Whereas the people of Idris have a similar religion to Christianity in that they believe in 1 unseen God. I'm not sure if this was an attempt by Sanderson, a Mormon, to get some of his religious views across. If so it certainly wasn't obvious and didn't encroach on the story. I am glad this is a stand-alone book, although intriguing the magic system wouldn't be good to develop any further, it works well in this form and if this had been the first of a trilogy I would have sighed and groaned when learning about the system and dreaded reading more. It is a good solid read, didn't blow me away or leave me in awe desperate for a sequel, I preferred it over Elantris but the magic in Mistborn was much more interesting. Overall 8/10

I was thinking it might be good until I saw she was in it. Is there anything Wikipedia doesn't know!?

Congrats on finishing the plan! I'm so close to mine. Great review as well, do you have any more of his books on your TBR list?

Just watched Perks of Being a Wallflower as well! brilliant film, loved it.

It's OK...just. The acting is pretty poor and the characters aren't particularly like-able yet, but I will watch a few more and see if it improves. Whedon is known for playing the long game, and this will be his first proper chance in a while.

That's great! Love some of the old episodes. Would love to see all of the 'Dalek Masterplan' found!

She loves them! but she also has her tattered reading copies for easy use .....

They are nice, but I already have a couple of really gorgeous editions (well I bought them for my wife). The 50th anniversary of LOTR and 75th of the Hobbit. But you can also get matching Simarillion and Children of Húrin which I really want which I want to get her as a present!

If I have to in order to meet him I will, but I don't like hardbacks, I am hoping to get my paperbacks signed. Although if it is only £10 or around that I may be tempted Certainly not paying £16 or whatever a new hardback goes for these days.

Ha, you got me, no I didn't. I don't actually own any of them, I will have to rent them from the library. Going to get up to date with A Song of Ice and Fire before starting them.

Sounds great, can't wait to read it! You know if you're gonna come to the signing?

The Lies of Locke Lamora is 0.99p - Such a good book!

Great review, really want to re-read this! but I will wait for the Republic of Thieves paperback (which will be a struggle). I love Calo and Galdo, possibly my favourite side characters. The friendship between Locke and Jean is so endearing and only gets better with the second book. EDIT: Just noticed this is only 0.99p on the Kindle!

Not sidetracking at all, I love a good semantic discussion Like Steve, I don't tend to read series straight through, although not because I would get author burn out, just because I don't have a big enough attention span. I would be too eager to start reading something else whereas if I have a break I find I am eager to get back to it. At the moment not too eager about First Law but very eager to get back to Song of Ice and Fire (which I will do soonish). But that will change after a couple more books . I agree, I think that's the point I was trying to make. Grimtwilight?

Glad you think I may have a point... wasn't sure I did! Won't be too long before I read the next one, finishing off a couple of books and reading a Dexter novel, then gonna read Warbreaker before another light read then Last Argument

True, I had thought of them, but Abercrombie's work seems different. I'd call the others a dark form of high fantasy, but maybe i'm wrong, you're the expert

Before they Are Hanged - Joe Abercrombie Synopsis Bitter and merciless war is coming to the frozen north. It's bloody and dangerous and the Union army, split by politics and hamstrung by incompetence, is utterly unprepared for the slaughter that's coming. Lacking experience, training, and in some cases even weapons the army is scarcely equipped to repel Bethod's scouts, let alone the cream of his forces. In the heat-ravaged south the Gurkish are massing to assault the city of Dagoska, defended by Inquisitor Glokta. The city is braced for the inevitable defeat and massacre to come, preparations are made to make the Gurkish pay for every inch of land . . . but a plot is festering to hand the city to its beseigers without a fight, and the previous Inquisitor of Dagoska vanished without trace. Threatened from within and without the city, Glokta needs answers, and he needs them soon. And to the east a small band of malefactors travel to the edge of the world to reclaim a device from history - a Seed, hidden for generations - with tremendous destructive potential. A device which could put a end to war, to the army of Eaters in the South, to the invasion of Shanka from the North - but only if it can be found, and only if its power can be controlled . . . Review Happy to say that the 2nd book in the First Law trilogy is more of the same that I loved in the first book, but better! The ongoing character development is suberb, if you didn't fall in love with the characters by the end of The Blade Itself, then you certainly will after this. The characters are unique yet believable, cruel yet lovable, larger than life yet grounded to earth. The story never slows or lags as trilogies often do in the middle, it doesn't get bogged down in mysticism or prophecy and it isn't populated heroes and heroines trying to save the world for selfless reasons. Not much more I can say about this that hasn't been said in the previous book. I was happy to find the continuation of the brilliant series didn't dip in quality. Joe Abercrombie led the way to the new 'Grimdark' type of fantasy, and other authors are hurriedly following. Overall 9/10

I have a few more of his I got in a sale, but I won't be buying anymore unless they are exceptional. I think I have Coldheart Canyon, as well as Imajica, Galilee, The Great and Secret Show and Everville. But not Weaveworld.

Cabal - Clive Barker Synopsis The nightmare had begun…. Boone knew that there was no place on this earth for him now; no happiness here, not even with Lori. He would let Hell claim him, let Death take him there. But Death itself seemed to shrink from Boone. No wonder, if he had indeed been the monster who had shattered, violated and shredded so many others’ lives. And Decker had shown him the proof – the hellish photographs where the last victims were forever stilled, splayed in the last obscene moment of their torture. Boone’s only refuge now was Midian – that awful, legendary place in which gathered the half-dead, the Nightbreed… Review I'm still not completely sold on Clive Barker, his stories are gruesome, vivid and imaginative but lack any kind of characterisation. Which means although you have these horrible events occurring, enough to make you grimace and wince, you don't really care what the outcome is. But I have yet to read some of his more popular books such as Weaveworld and The Great and Secret Show which I believe are a lot more accessible. Barker subtly attacks peoples attitudes of fear and distrust towards what they do not understand with the Nightbreed apparently been a metaphor for homosexuality. This is certainly a throwback to his earlier work that you'd expect from his Books of Blood. Cabal is a fairly short read and packs a punch, Barker never holds back from graphic events or descriptions. Certainly one of the more bizarre books I've read in recent times, but overall enjoyable but nothing particularly memorable... ...except this quote which he opens a chapter with: I think there are few authors who could get away with comparing a sunrise to a stripper in way that actually works. Overall 7/10