Trevor Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 (edited) I'm very new here but interested in sharing and receiving views and thoughts on my reading habits. This post will be books read and my post below will be books I would like to read this year. I plan nothing and the only goal I set myself is one book a week. Since I've been setting that goal I've exceeded it by at least ten book in the last five years including one year I doubled my set target (I did read a lot of Robert Howards Conan shorts that year). I keep a reading record on Goodreads but rarely write a review of the books I read. Books Read 2018: Death's End (Remembrance of Earth's Past #3) by Liu Cixin, Translated by Ken Liu A brilliant climax to the series, I read all three over a three week period December 2017 - January 2018 In the Heat of the Night (Virgil Tibbs #1) by John Dudley Ball I belong to an online book group and this was my choice for January. Really interesting and quite gripping. The book group offers a word each month, this word must be included in the title of the book you read. Old Man's War (Old Man's War #1) by John Scalzi 300+ pages but a very quick read. My only thoughts on it are that the main character could easily be a 'Bruce Willis' type character, every one around him dies yet he survives and his heroic life continues. Uncomplicated and reasonably good fun. Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein Rupture (Dark Iceland #4) by Ragnar Jonasson Planet Of Exile (Hainish #2 or #4 depending on where you reasearch lists) by Ursula K. Le Guin Dead Famous by Ben Elton Sea Of Rust by C. Robert Cargill DNF A Sudden Appearance Of Hope by Claire North Edited February 1, 2018 by Trevor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor Posted January 18, 2018 Author Share Posted January 18, 2018 (edited) I picked up Terry Pratchet & Stephen Baxter's Long Earth books the other week and would like to get that series at least started I have read the first two in Allen Steele's Coyote Universe which is eight books long. I'd like to get a few more of those read this year. I have both Night's Dawn Trilogy and The Commonwealth saga by Peter F Hamilton on my shelves. Massive tomes that I think deserve my attention this year. Other authors I must read more of are A. E. van Vogt, Arthur C Clarke Books Purchased in January To Your Scattered Bodies Go by Philip Jose FarmerChildren Of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky (ebook)The Long Earth The Long War The Long Mars The Long Utopia The Long Cosmos all by Terry Pratchet & Steven Baxter Punishment by Scott J. Holliday (ebook) The Darkness by Ragnar Jonasson (advanced review copy: ebook) Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds Edited January 29, 2018 by Trevor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor Posted January 18, 2018 Author Share Posted January 18, 2018 I think that covers everything. Your thoughts (if you have any) are most welcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 A new book blog! Nice to see you have thrown yourself into the forum Trevor. Do you have a TBR (To Be Read) pile? some of us here have huge ones.... The name Peter F. Hamilton sounds familiar. I think I must have read at least one of his... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted January 19, 2018 Share Posted January 19, 2018 Nice to see you've made a book (b)log . I've got Liu Cixin's trilogy on my shelves, I bought it recently but I haven't read it yet. Glad to hear you liked it! I am a big fan of Peter F. Hamilton's books, so I'd definitely recommend both The Night's Dawn and the Commonwealth Saga (with the former being my favourite, though that series was the first I read by him, so I might be biased). It's true that a lot of his books are massive. I find I really like them when I'm in the right mood for them. But I do have to be in the right mood (I'm a mood reader). I wish you happy reading in 2018 ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor Posted January 19, 2018 Author Share Posted January 19, 2018 19 hours ago, vodkafan said: A new book blog! Nice to see you have thrown yourself into the forum Trevor. Do you have a TBR (To Be Read) pile? some of us here have huge ones.... The name Peter F. Hamilton sounds familiar. I think I must have read at least one of his... TBR pile! I have over 1600 books listed on a spreadsheet, these are books or ebooks I own. So yes I have a TBR pile Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor Posted January 19, 2018 Author Share Posted January 19, 2018 4 hours ago, Athena said: Nice to see you've made a book (b)log . I've got Liu Cixin's trilogy on my shelves, I bought it recently but I haven't read it yet. Glad to hear you liked it! I am a big fan of Peter F. Hamilton's books, so I'd definitely recommend both The Night's Dawn and the Commonwealth Saga (with the former being my favourite, though that series was the first I read by him, so I might be biased). It's true that a lot of his books are massive. I find I really like them when I'm in the right mood for them. But I do have to be in the right mood (I'm a mood reader). I wish you happy reading in 2018 ! I heartily recommend Liu Cixin's trilogy, at a smidge over 1500 pages it's not too long but covers so much ground. A really engrossing read. I've had the Peter F Hamilton books on my shelves for quite some time and it is time I started them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted January 19, 2018 Share Posted January 19, 2018 2 hours ago, Trevor said: I heartily recommend Liu Cixin's trilogy, at a smidge over 1500 pages it's not too long but covers so much ground. A really engrossing read. That sounds good . I hope I like it when I get around to reading it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted January 20, 2018 Share Posted January 20, 2018 23 hours ago, Trevor said: TBR pile! I have over 1600 books listed on a spreadsheet, these are books or ebooks I own. So yes I have a TBR pile Spreadsheets yet! Friends, we must watch this one! The Force is strong in him.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted January 21, 2018 Share Posted January 21, 2018 On 1/19/2018 at 1:13 PM, Trevor said: TBR pile! I have over 1600 books listed on a spreadsheet, these are books or ebooks I own. So yes I have a TBR pile I applaud the use of spreadsheets . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted January 21, 2018 Share Posted January 21, 2018 1600? About average then welcome to the forum, Trevor, looking forward to chatting books with you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor Posted January 22, 2018 Author Share Posted January 22, 2018 14 hours ago, Alexi said: 1600? About average then welcome to the forum, Trevor, looking forward to chatting books with you. I suppose 1600 is about average, among my reading friends my TBR is on the low side but then I only count books I've bought, my wish list is an entirely different thing whereas I know quite a few that count TBR and Wish list as one. 20 hours ago, Athena said: I applaud the use of spreadsheets . It's the only way Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted January 22, 2018 Share Posted January 22, 2018 I noticed you are reading an Ursula K. Le Guin novel Trevor. I read Left Hand Of Darkness as a teenager and then revisited it again a few years ago , it was a n interesting slow burn novel with a thoughtful main character. Not read anything else by her though. 2 hours ago, Trevor said: I suppose 1600 is about average, among my reading friends my TBR is on the low side but then I only count books I've bought, my wish list is an entirely different thing whereas I know quite a few that count TBR and Wish list as one. Oh no TBR and Wish List are quite distinctly different things. You have it right sir! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor Posted January 22, 2018 Author Share Posted January 22, 2018 (edited) 1 hour ago, vodkafan said: I noticed you are reading an Ursula K. Le Guin novel Trevor. I read Left Hand Of Darkness as a teenager and then revisited it again a few years ago , it was a n interesting slow burn novel with a thoughtful main character. Not read anything else by her though. This is only my second book by her. I acquired the Hainish Cycle as a complete set in a second hand bookshop a while ago. I read Rocannons World last year. They are quite short reads and are easy to carry as spare books. (I am regularly away from home). I find her quite entertaining if a little predictable but her work deserves to be read as she often has ideas that are very different from the norm. Plus of course, along with Andre (Alice Mary) Norton, was one of the few women in an entirely male dominated genre at the time. Edited January 22, 2018 by Trevor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted January 22, 2018 Share Posted January 22, 2018 Yes I grew up reading Andre Norton and had no idea "he" was a she. Certain of her SF books were very formative to me as a teenager. The Dane Thorson books, the two Janus books (Judgement On Janus and Victory On Janus) spring to mind. Very much YA reads, although the term wasn't known then. Also of course, a diet heavy in Asimov, Bradbury and Arthur C. Clarke. Then at 15 I discovered Jack Vance who just blew everything else I had read out of the water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor Posted January 24, 2018 Author Share Posted January 24, 2018 (edited) Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein I just had to reread this after finishing Old Man’s War as I felt it had similarities to Heinleins book. In the acknowledgements, Scalzi mentions his memories and thanks to Heinlein as his inpsiration. Rupture (Dark Iceland #4) by Ragnar Jonasson I love a bit of Nordic Noir and especially the Icelandic writers. They seem to be able to bring an atmosphere to their writing plus a gripping storyline, this being no different. Planet Of Exile (Hainish #2 or #4 depending on where you reasearch lists) by Ursula K. Le Guin Another simple yet compelling story of racial misunderstanding and tensions set in an alien world. DNF A Sudden Appearance Of Hope by Claire North I enjoyed The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August but this just confused and frustrated me Edited January 24, 2018 by Trevor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 Welcome Trevor ! Happy reading in 2018. I quite like the look of the Liu Cixin books; I`ve put them on my ` get to at some point` list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor Posted January 29, 2018 Author Share Posted January 29, 2018 As this will probably be my last book of January, this gets it's own spot. Dead Famous by Ben Elton Set in a Big Brother type TV studio a murder is committed but no-one can work out who-did-it, including the housemates! I love Elton's satirical style which I know is not for everyone, he chooses popular themes then rips them apart in his own inimitable way. This is certainly not his best yet still is an entertaining murder mystery full of satirical observation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted January 29, 2018 Share Posted January 29, 2018 Hi Trevor! Happy reading in 2018. I don't think there will be much overlap in our reading habits, going by the above books! I love the idea of sci-fi and fantasy but they usually leave me a little cold! That said, there's a couple of exceptions - the fairly soft space opera Radiance by Catherynne Valente. It's really not at all focused on the space elements, they just happen to be the backdrop for a story about disappearance, loss, stories, the search for truth etc. But it's very good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor Posted January 29, 2018 Author Share Posted January 29, 2018 3 minutes ago, Nollaig said: Hi Trevor! Happy reading in 2018. I don't think there will be much overlap in our reading habits, going by the above books! I love the idea of sci-fi and fantasy but they usually leave me a little cold! Hi Nollaig, I read as the mood takes me but generally SciFi/Fantasy or Crime/Mystery. If something catches my eye it doesn't really matter what the genre, I'll read it though. One that sticks out is Shining Levels by John Wyatt. It is his memoirs of a man working and living on the fells around The Lake District Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted February 26, 2018 Share Posted February 26, 2018 Welcome to the forum! I hope you have a great reading year in 2018. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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