tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8068873.post4007386020797412253..comments2024-03-20T19:40:58.078-05:00Comments on The OF Blog: 2008 Half-Year Notable BooksLarry Nolenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16001420558511460998noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8068873.post-25341266823259625762008-07-02T17:09:00.000-05:002008-07-02T17:09:00.000-05:00I almost finished Black Ships - this one has been ...I almost finished Black Ships - this one has been published as e too, so I checked an excerpt and bought it as e for 8$ - when it's slow during the day I have a fourth screen I can read on, though I cannot move away from my work stations - and I work for myself so it's on my time :)<BR/><BR/> It's unexpectedly good, more of a "mythic historical fiction" in the Spring Queen, Corn King or the Mary Renault Theseus books mode than anything else. Very astute observations too and not a false note almost 3/4 into.<BR/><BR/> And I put Lavinia on reserve to check out since it seems Aeneas is the rage these days :) - we have 36 copies of this one in our library system so I should get mine soon<BR/><BR/> Got some sf arcs too and with the 2 huge novels (2666 and Waltenberg) to come soon and another big fantasy from the UK arrived today - Empire Black Gold, I am again frustrated - though positively - that I have too many books to "read now", not enough time/energy...Liviuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04615405766065227026noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8068873.post-83085160715786716372008-07-02T15:43:00.000-05:002008-07-02T15:43:00.000-05:00Well, Lavinia is a different sort of story from th...Well, <I>Lavinia</I> is a different sort of story from the Earthsea or Hainish Cycle ones. It involves an interesting reading of Vergil's <I>Æneid</I> as a tragedy, with most of the "action" taking place after Book XII, but also during Books VII-X and between Lavinia and "The Poet." I'll have a full review written shortly (delays due to house remodeling, etc.), so I won't say more on that.Larry Nolenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16001420558511460998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8068873.post-50703586785315672202008-07-01T07:18:00.000-05:002008-07-01T07:18:00.000-05:00Oops; name confusion - now that you mention it's a...Oops; name confusion - now that you mention it's a debut, I realized I confused her name with another author that does similar books. Just went on my reserve list, so I will pick up a copy later this week, check it out and buy it if I like it<BR/><BR/>Somehow I discovered lots of new interesting books and because of time constraints I am not doing my homework properly - talking of guilty pleasures I loved a recent sf debut Principles of Angels a lot, a fast sf adventure that I was completely convinced it's a steampunk novel and I was waiting the fantasy elements to appear in the first 10 pages or so, before realizing that I was wrong :)<BR/><BR/> I loved Ms. LeGuin classics Disposessed and Left Hand and I read some of the other Hainish ? novels and ss, but when she started doing Wizard of the Earthsea and similar books it just did not work for me.<BR/><BR/> Ordered another book that I was hunting for a long time - got some prizes in France in 2006 but it was way too expensive - now a UK edition appeared and it was about 26$ at BD. Waltenberg by Hedi Kaddour a French/Tunisian poet - that is his novel debut at age 60 - ostensibly a surface spy story, but a historical fresco of Europe from 1917-1991Liviuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04615405766065227026noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8068873.post-73283802681533043502008-07-01T00:36:00.000-05:002008-07-01T00:36:00.000-05:00What is it about Jo Graham that makes you avoid he...What is it about Jo Graham that makes you avoid her, since <I>Black Ships</I> is her debut? Just curious. Glad that you enjoyed Zafón's latest, as I too think it's a very dark tale, one that more than fulfills the promise of <I>The Shadow of the Wind</I>, although perhaps you're right and some might not be as enamored with it due to its dark end.<BR/><BR/>Harkaway and Rushdie are on my list for July reads and hopefully I'll get to them soon. First, however, is a "guilty pleasure" read - the final Mistborn novel by Brandon Sanderson. Enjoyed the first two much more than I thought I would when I was sent review copies a year ago.<BR/><BR/>And hey, I'm rarely bored by book talk!Larry Nolenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16001420558511460998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8068873.post-75290048107579537792008-06-30T20:50:00.000-05:002008-06-30T20:50:00.000-05:00The overall is a very interesting list and Foreign...The overall is a very interesting list and Foreigner just went on my reserve list at the library since it's the only one there not to have an impression about - outside Chiquita. <BR/><BR/>I loved Cosmos Incorporated and in a month or two I will read its sequel Grande Jonction which looks great from what I browsed. US edition is scheduled for 09 and I will read that too. And I intend to read both Artefact and Villa Vortex this year at some point - both look great from what I browsed, but as with Grande Jonction they are more effort for me to read being in French.<BR/><BR/> Thunderer and Shadowbridge are favorites and I am sure Lord Tophet and Alchemy will be too when I will get them on publication.<BR/>Zivkovic is a read at some point.<BR/><BR/> I tried hard to like Buckell but never got into either 1st or 2nd book so Sly is a pass for me. Similarly Shadow Year - this I browsed but it just has no appeal and neither does Stone Gods which I browsed too from the library.<BR/> <BR/>Lavinia and Black Ships are by authors I avoid these days and The Man on the Ceiling again did not work for me.<BR/><BR/> El Juego is superb. Even with my limited Spanish - I thought it's better than Shadow, darker, more fantastic, Faust in Barcelona with the Zafon double line of events so to speak and the cool tie-in with Shadow. But the darker tone, lack of happy ending and fantasy elements may make it less of a success commercially <BR/><BR/> For me outside genre sff, The Gift of Rain (07 UK, 08 US), The Gone Away World (UK, Sept/US), Salut de L'Empire (France), The Enchantress of Florence (US), The Spies of Warsaw(US) and Serious Things (UK) are some of 2008 novels that I loved and The Gargoyle looks good from what I read so far.<BR/><BR/> I will not bore you with genre sff books since there I have quite a few favoritesLiviuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04615405766065227026noreply@blogger.com