Karsa Orlong Posted January 23, 2013 Author Share Posted January 23, 2013 Thanks Sari Hmm, well there's one that jumps straight out at me, so maybe that's not the one I should go for. Shall have a proper gander tomorrow . . . <<ponders>> In the meantime, I seem to have ordered Jason and the Golden Fleece from BD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted January 23, 2013 Author Share Posted January 23, 2013 Oh, btw, where are the page counts??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 Thanks Sari Hmm, well there's one that jumps straight out at me, so maybe that's not the one I should go for. Shall have a proper gander tomorrow . . . <<ponders>> Which one, which one?! In the meantime, I seem to have ordered Jason and the Golden Fleece from BD. Isn't this the book you ordered before but they were out of stock in the end? Oh, btw, where are the page counts??? Well my books aren't by default massive as yours usually are. No page counts for you, mister! (A Tale of Two Cities is the longest novel, I'll tell you that much) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted January 23, 2013 Author Share Posted January 23, 2013 Which one, which one?! Marathon Man Isn't this the book you ordered before but they were out of stock in the end? Amazon said they had one left in stock, and my order said 'dispatching soon', then a few days later I thought 'I haven't had an email from them' so I checked again and it had changed to 'not yet dispatched', which I guessed meant they didn't have one in stock after all, so I cancelled it. Well my books aren't by default massive as yours usually are. No page counts for you, mister! (A Tale of Two Cities is the longest novel, I'll tell you that much) Fine, break your own rules, ignore the memo you wrote. Sheesh, can't get the staff these days! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 Marathon Man I suspected it was either that, x or z. Amazon said they had one left in stock, and my order said 'dispatching soon', then a few days later I thought 'I haven't had an email from them' so I checked again and it had changed to 'not yet dispatched', which I guessed meant they didn't have one in stock after all, so I cancelled it. That's what I meant but lacked the words Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted January 24, 2013 Author Share Posted January 24, 2013 Book #5: Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay From Amazon: Dexter Morgan isn't exactly the kind of man you'd bring home to your mum. At heart, he's the perfect gentleman: he has a shy girlfriend, and seems to lead a quiet, normal life bordering on the mundane. Despite the fact that he can't stand the sight of blood, he works as a blood-spatter analyst for the Miami police. But Dexter also has a secret hobby: he is an accomplished serial killer. Thoughts: I tried to watch Dexter on tv a few years back. It was on late night on ITV1 and, in typical ITV style, they never gave it a chance, moving it around so much I soon lost touch with it. I hate ITV with a fiery passion, so it was no real surprise. In a way, though, I'm now quite grateful that I didn't keep watching, because what I did see seems to have followed this first book in Jeff Lindsay's series quite closely, so I remained blissfully spoiler free from about a third of the way through the book onwards. Told from a first-person point of view - in an alarmingly engaging and laconic style - we find a killer stalking his latest prey; a priest on his way home at night. You know immediately that bad things are going to happen to this priest very soon and, in a nice bit of misdirection, you don't quite know why (especially if you don't read the blurb on the back cover . . . or haven't seen the tv show), and I'm not going to spoil it here. What's most alarming about the narrative style is just how funny it is. I couldn't help feeling that I shouldn't be laughing at the inner workings of a serial killer's mind, yet the almost stream-of-consciousness nature of the writing had me chuckling out loud on many occasions. Dexter's views on the people and places around him are cutting (sometimes quite literally) and often hilarious, and it is the book's neatest trick in that it has you eating out of his hand one minute and then questioning your own sympathies the next. It's a fast-paced tale, really well written, and there's a nice build up of tension towards the end. The style reminded me a lot of Jim Butcher's Dresden Files books. Okay, so one series is about a serial killer who works for the police, the other's about a wizard who works for the police, but the laconic style is so similar. It probably explains why I like both so much. I only had one real issue with it at all, and that was that the ending felt a little rushed to me, particularly the rather abrupt epilogue - which almost felt like it had been added after the fact, perhaps after the author had been given a deal to write more tales about his Hawaiian-shirt-wearing character. But it's a minor quibble, which can't detract from what a nastily fun read it was. I received this book as a gift from a Crazy Finnish Person. It was the only real surprise I had for Christmas, and it was a cracking read, too. Thanks frankie! 9/10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timstar Posted January 24, 2013 Share Posted January 24, 2013 Didn't know you'd gotten this, glad to see you liked it, they are good fun. I have read the first three and reading the fourth soon. The second was my favourite though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted January 24, 2013 Author Share Posted January 24, 2013 Good to know! I'll be getting the second book soon, I am certain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted January 24, 2013 Author Share Posted January 24, 2013 Making a start on Ernest Cline's Ready Player One now, which a friend loaned to me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted January 24, 2013 Share Posted January 24, 2013 (edited) I bought it a while ago, I haven't been in the right mood for reading it to be honest. I've heard good things about it, so I hope you enjoy it! I really should try and start it sometime.. I look forward to read your review . Edited January 24, 2013 by Athena Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted January 25, 2013 Author Share Posted January 25, 2013 Start it! Seriously! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted January 28, 2013 Author Share Posted January 28, 2013 Book #6: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline From Amazon: It's the year 2044, and the real world has become an ugly place. We're out of oil. We've wrecked the climate. Famine, poverty, and disease are widespread. Like most of humanity, Wade Watts escapes this depressing reality by spending his waking hours jacked into the OASIS, a sprawling virtual utopia where you can be anything you want to be, where you can live and play and fall in love on any of ten thousand planets. And like most of humanity, Wade is obsessed by the ultimate lottery ticket that lies concealed within this alternate reality: OASIS founder James Halliday, who dies with no heir, has promised that control of the OASIS - and his massive fortune - will go to the person who can solve the riddles he has left scattered throughout his creation. For years, millions have struggled fruitlessly to attain this prize, knowing only that the riddles are based in the culture of the late twentieth century. And then Wade stumbles onto the key to the first puzzle. Suddenly, he finds himself pitted against thousands of competitors in a desperate race to claim the ultimate prize, a chase that soon takes on terrifying real-world dimensions - and that will leave both Wade and his world profoundly changed. Thoughts: Oh my, where to start? On the cover of the book there is a quote from the USA Today review. It says: "Enchanting. Willy Wonka meets The Matrix." For once, the quote chosen to sell the premise is almost right (I would, of course, have been happier if it had said "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory meets The Matrix" . . . ). The hook on which this wonderful book hangs is that, in the year 2045, we've pretty much bled the Earth dry. Fossil fuels have left their mark and, in the resulting 'Great Energy Crisis', countries are at war with each other over the remaining resources, and humanity has gathered in and around the largest cities, in refugee camps and, in Wade Watts's case, in a trailer park where said trailers are stacked one on top of the other in high-rise piles, sharing the few amenities they are allowed. In order to escape from this Dystopian landscape, people log into the OASIS. Created by videgame designer James Halliday, it is a vast virtual universe, home to thousands of planets, where people can essentially live out normal lives. From the safety of his hideout, where he escapes from his abusive aunt, Wade uses the OASIS to go to school and to meet up with avatars of his friends, whom he has never met in real life. When James Halliday died, rich and famous yet alone, he sent a message to everyone in the OASIS. Somewhere within his universe he had left an Easter Egg, and the person who deciphered his clues, passed his tests and found it, would become the owner of his vast fortune. Everyone went mad for this but, as the years passed and no-one became any the wiser, enthusiasm began to wane. Then, one day . . . You can pretty much see where this is going. Does it matter? It didn't to me, not a jot. Ready Player One is a joyous romp through 70s and 80s pop culture, as Wade searches through the clues left throughout Halliday's life, from his favourite videogame (Adventure, Atari 2600, 1979 - I remember playing it at a friend's house ) through tv shows (chat rooms based on the living room from Family Ties anyone? ), movies, music, arcade games, role-playing games etc etc. When a characters says "I've got a bad feeling about this", or "No time for love Doctor Jones!" you know exactly what they mean. It's like a treasure trove of nostalgia, all wrapped up in a futuristic online setting, speaking volumes about the way we live and communicate in the present day. I can't normally be bothered to type out quotes but, on this occasion, it's got to be done As the Vonnegut streaked through hyperspace, headed for the nearest stargate, I pulled up the screenshots I'd taken of the red star symbol. Then I opened my grail diary and accessed the subfolder devoted to the legendary Canadian rock band Rush. Rush had benn Halliday's favourite band, from his teens onward, He'd once revealed in an interview that he'd coded every single one of his videogames (including OASIS) while listening to Rush albums. He often referred to Rush's three members -- Neil Peart, Alex Lifeson, and Geddy Lee -- as "the Holy Trinity" or "the Gods of the North". In my grail diary, I had every single Rush song, album, bootleg, and music video ever made. I had high-res scans of all their liner notes and album artwork. Every frame of Rush concert footage in existence. Every radio and television interview the band had ever done. Unabridged biographies on each band member, along with copies of their side projects and solo work. I pulled up the band's discography and selected the album I was looking for: 2112, Rush's classic sci-fi-themed concept album. Then he heads off to a planet called Syrinx, with moons called By-tor and Snowdog. OMG, it's like it's talking to my soul Along the way Wade makes friends (Aech, Art3mis, Shoto) and enemies as he races to find the clues that will lead him to the Easter Egg. It's a fast-moving, simply-written (you won't be reaching for a dictionary) tale that I found almost impossible to put down. Problems? Well, at times it is true that it's a little OTT with the pop-culture references and, if you don't know what they are alluding to, I can imagine it being a bit strange, and the plot is - ultimately - pretty familiar. But, for anyone who grew up during those years, or for anyone who is interested in the games, books, movies, tv and music of that era, it's the sort of book you read with a big grin on your face - and maybe a little tear in your eye - going "Oh I remember that!". I knew exactly where it was heading, but I enjoyed every step of the journey. 10/10 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQEgZNqa8jE :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devi Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 I do love that cover! Being a gamer I am interested in reading the book - even though I was born in 84, I did a history of gaming during my uni days. I also played my siblings atari. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 (edited) It's good to read your review! I look forward to reading it, though I don't think I'll get all the references, but that's okay. I'm glad you liked the book, looks like I'll have to read it sooner rather than later! (that can be said for many books though XD). Edited January 28, 2013 by Athena Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted January 28, 2013 Author Share Posted January 28, 2013 though I don't think I'll get all the references I think you can knock a mark or two off my score, in that case Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 I can't normally be bothered to type out quotes but, on this occasion, it's got to be done Then he heads off to a planet called Syrinx, with moons called By-tor and Snowdog. OMG, it's like it's talking to my soul I didn't read the full review, I'm constantly fearing the computer will crash on me and I need to do things quickly, but I noticed the quote and your thoughts on it Okay now I see why this would go on next year's challenge! I'll come back to read the review in full when laptop's good. I can't believe I've been able to be on here for 10 minutes straight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted January 28, 2013 Author Share Posted January 28, 2013 Okay now I see why this would go on next year's challenge! I'll put it on this year's if you prefer I'll come back to read the review in full when laptop's good. I can't believe I've been able to be on here for 10 minutes straight Bad laptop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 I'll put it on this year's if you prefer No, don't! I'm having too much trouble finding any of the books on the current list at the library, as it is! Bad laptop Keep your hands off my computer, it's fully fecked already, it really doesn't need any more damage done to it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted January 28, 2013 Author Share Posted January 28, 2013 No, don't! I'm having too much trouble finding any of the books on the current list at the library, as it is! Oh dear Keep your hands off my computer, it's fully fecked already, it really doesn't need any more damage done to it! What, not even a stern telling-off Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted January 28, 2013 Author Share Posted January 28, 2013 I popped into Smiths on the way home and they had Rory Clements' new paperback, Traitor, on the shelves already. It's not supposed to be out until Thursday. So I bought it, naturally. Perfect timing, because I was trying to work out what book I could squeeze in between now and Thursday, but now I can just start this one straight away Also, Marathon Man arrived in the post Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 Ready Player One sounds like a fun read, especially as I grew up in the 80's and love all the nostalgia of the 'good old days'. Needless to say, I've added it to my wishlist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted January 29, 2013 Share Posted January 29, 2013 Hi Steve You are starting off great 6 books in already for january. I like the way you have your blog set up with all the internal links to reviews and stuff very organised. I think we should have a whip round to get Frankie a new laptop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted January 29, 2013 Author Share Posted January 29, 2013 Cheers VF, but I totally nicked those ideas off frankie. It's probably why her laptop broke Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timstar Posted January 29, 2013 Share Posted January 29, 2013 Looking forward to your Rory Clements review, I have been meaning to try out some different historical fiction, and his books do sound good . I was wondering if you know any good Historical Horror novels or authors? Preferably pre-20th Century. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted January 29, 2013 Author Share Posted January 29, 2013 (edited) Apart from the obvious ones (Poe, Stoker, Shelley) I haven't read a huge amount of horror, tbh, to be able to recommend any myself. However, my friend just mentioned Arthur Machen, Robert W Chambers and Ambrose Bierce. ETA: MR James, Henry James, Robert Louis Stevenson, Oscar Wilde etc Edited January 29, 2013 by Karsa Orlong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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