Steve's Bookshelf 2013

[Devi]

Matching covers is one reason I always try to buy all the books in a series in one go. I will admit though, I rather have all the books the same size than the same series cover art.

[Athena]

I will admit though, I rather have all the books the same size than the same series cover art.

I agree on that.

[Karsa Orlong]

Just for comparisons sakes . . .

 

 

[Timstar]

They are both pretty good!

[Athena]

I agree, I love the colours used in the covers, how they all look different, very pretty . I know people say don't judge a book by its cover, and I agree with that for the most part, but I do love it when books have great looking covers.

[Timstar]

I agree, I love the colours used in the covers, how they all look different, very pretty . I know people say don't judge a book by its cover, and I agree with that for the most part, but I do love it when books have great looking covers.

 

Just gave me an idea for a topic that I started here

[Athena]

I have to go to bed soon but will think about it another day .

[Karsa Orlong]

Just gave me an idea for a topic that I started here

 

 

Well I have an immediate and obvious answer for that one

[Karsa Orlong]

Now here's a picture that proves the stupidity of what we've been talking about.  Seven books into the series and everything's fine, and then all of a sudden . .  .

 

 

 

 

 

[Ooshie]

Oh dear, oh dear, this just getting too traumatic for words! 

[Karsa Orlong]

Ain't that the truth!

[Timstar]

makes me cringe...

[Athena]

It's terrible ..

[Karsa Orlong]

It's just as well I didn't dive in and buy Toll the Hounds straight away as I nearly did (as mentioned in Tim's 'favourite covers' thread), cos then I'd've been even less happy

[Karsa Orlong]

Book #14:  Post Captain by Patrick O'Brian

 

 

 

From Amazon:

 

Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey-Maturin tales are widely acknowledged to be the greatest series of historical novels ever written.

Patrick O’Brian is regarded by many as the greatest historical novelist now writing. Post Captain, the second novel in his remarkable Aubrey/Maturin series, led Mary Renault to write: ‘Master and Commander raised dangerously high expectations; Post Captain triumphantly surpasses them.’

 

This tale begins with Jack Aubrey arriving home from his exploits in the Mediterranean to find England at peace following the Treaty of Amiens.  He and his friend Stephen Maturin, surgeon and secret agent, begin to live the lives of country gentlemen, hunting, entertaining and enjoying more amorous adventures.  Their comfortable existence, however, when Napoleon breaks the peace treaty.  Aubrey’s
adventures on land will grip the reader as fast as his unequalled actions at sea.

 

 

Thoughts:

 

A few months back I read the first book in this series, Master & Commander (review here), and had quite a tough time with parts of it, due to the nautical terms etc.  But there was enough in that book to make me want to read the next one.  The story begins a while later, as peace is declared, and Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin return to England.  Setting themselves up as country gents they come under the attentions of an ambitious mother, Mrs Williams, who has her heart set on marrying her daughters well.  These particular adventures form an ongoing strand throughout the novel, but are most prevalent in the opening hundred pages and, as such, it's quite a slow - if mildly amusing - beginning.  But then various spoilery things happen and the story really gets going.

 

All of my problems with the first book seem to have been swept away here.  Whether this is because the prior novel was a scene-setting exercise, or whether O'Brian had got all that out of his system, or - more likely, I suspect - his writing skills were growing immensely, I don't know.  I found that there is a hypnotic rhythm to his writing in Post Captain and, once I realised that and settled into it, I was swept along by it.  It's a novel that is bursting with character, action, adventure, and laugh-out-loud humour (I found an episode with bees particularly amusing   ).  Aubrey and Maturin fall in love (not with each other), fall out spectacularly (with each other), and basically continue to develop the friendship begun in the first book, and what we soon find is that Aubrey is very much at home on the sea whilst being completely at sea when he's at home, which leads to much awkwardness, amusement, and danger.

 

There are a number of main plot threads woven amongst the thrilling naval battles, from the love interests to Aubrey's less than glowing finances to Maturin's other job as a spy.  What almost passed me by as I was reading is the way O'Brian handled historical information: rather than info dumps, talking heads, or masses of exposition, he somehow sneaks it into the narrative in a way that you almost absorb it by osmosis.  It's not apparent at all as you read, and yet it's there.  The book is almost episodic in nature, moving from one tale to another before you can blink, and it is set as much on land as it is at sea.  Once it hits its stride it is almost impossible to put down.

 

Hugely enjoyable and exciting, it's a cracking read.  It would have got a 9 but for the slow start.  I can't wait to read HMS Surprise.  But it's not in The Plan, so I'll have to

 

 

8/10

 

 

[Kidsmum]

Sounds like a great read Steve i shall look out for Master & Commander as i'm guessing you have to read that first.

 

Have you read any Hornblower ? My sister's read the whole series & loved it & so I have the first 3 books  on my TBR pile 

[Karsa Orlong]

Have you read any Hornblower ? My sister's read the whole series & loved it & so I have the first 3 books  on my TBR pile 

 

 

Hehe, I haven't yet, no.  When I decided I wanted to read something with a nautical flavour it was a toss up between Hornblower and Aubrey, and I went with the latter.  I hope I'll get to them one day!

[Ooshie]

I have read about a dozen of the Aubrey-Maturin books and really look forward to them.  I have to ration them to no more than two or a row or I would just keep on and on! 

[Karsa Orlong]

I have to ration them to no more than two or a row or I would just keep on and on! 

 

 

After finished this one I can well believe that - I would really love to jump straight into HMS Surprise

[Karsa Orlong]

Plan update:

 

Marathon Man - William Goldman - finished 03/02/13
The Kingdom of Bones – Stephen Gallagher - finished 24/02/13
The Mozart Conspiracy – Scott Mariani (next in Ben Hope series)
The First Men In the Moon – H G Wells - finished 10/02/13
The Great Hunt – Robert Jordan (next in Wheel of Time series) - finished 21/02/13
Heresy – S J Parris (first in Giordano Bruno series) - started 02/03/13
Post Captain – Patrick O’Brian (next in Aubrey/Maturin series) - finished 01/03/13
The Heresy of Dr Dee – Phil Rickman (next in Dr Dee series) - finished 07/02/13

Dead Beat – Jim Butcher (next in Dresden Files series)

The Coldest War - Ian Tregillis (Milkweed Tryptich Book 2) - finished 14/02/13

 

 

Currently considering swapping out Dead Beat, as I haven't bought it yet, for something on the TBR pile  <<ponders>>

[Kidsmum]

Well done sticking to your reading plan your much more disciplined than i am. I'll decide what my next book is going to be then change my mind  when i read someones review on here 

[Karsa Orlong]

Thanks!  It's gone much better than I thought it would.  Be interesting to see what happens with the next one

[Karsa Orlong]

Fanboi alert

 

US MMPB collection is complete, here beneath the UK editions:

 

 

Some of the US editions are considerably thinner that the UK ones.  I like this.

[Athena]

That's so great to see , it makes the bookaholic in me happy (so to speak). Congrats!

[Karsa Orlong]

Thanks Athena!  I'm really happy with them