October 2017: Reading thread.

[williamjm]

I finished Ada Palmer's Seven Surrenders. I thought it was better paced than Too Like The Lightning, the first book in the series, the way some of the seemingly unconnected plot threads are brought together is cleverly done and it manages to remain coherent despite the ever-increasing number of plot points. It's a very readable story, and does have quite a few interesting ideas, although sometimes the world building and character actions don't seem entirely believable.

I'm currently reading a detective 'whodunnit', by Robert Galbraith, The Cuckoo's Calling. Its very well done, and the characters are well observed. For those who don't know, Robert Galbraith is a pseudonym of J.K. Rowling. I understand she was miffed when Galbraith was first 'outed' as being herself, as she wanted to keep reputation and bias away from critical appraisal. Recommended though, if you like the genre. I understand the stories have been on TV (with Rowling as exec producer), but I've not seen them at all (I live in NZ, where time runs slower and they haven't made it over here yet).

I don't read many mysteries, but I've enjoyed the three books in the series so far. I think Strike and Robin are both great characters. I've seen the TV adaptation of The Cuckoo's Calling (not watched the second adaptation yet), I thought it was a good adaptation, mostly faithful to the plot of the book and Tom Burke and Holliday Grainger are good in the lead roles (even if Burke doesn't look as imposing as I imagined Strike to be).

 

[hitmouse]

Reading Mr Monday with my 11 year old.

 

[Danny McG]

I
Now starting Aberystwyth Mon Amour by Malcolm Pryce. (Urban fantasy private detective, so I understand)

I've now read the first two books in this series..
Quirky and a bit alt history, all the villains seem to masquerade as each other, amusing in parts. I have four more in this series but it's time for another Quiller before I continue with the Welsh shenanigans.

One character with the unlikely name of Sian-Y-Blojobbi looked like she was going to get a good story arc but it fizzled out even before learning why she was so feared. Wonder if she'll turn up in later books?

@hitmouse you were interested in what I thought of these books

 

[hitmouse]

I've now read the first two books in this series..
Quirky and a bit alt history, all the villains seem to masquerade as each other, amusing in parts. I have four more in this series but it's time for another Quiller before I continue with the Welsh shenanigans.

One character with the unlikely name of Sian-Y-Blojobbi looked like she was going to get a good story arc but it fizzled out even before learning why she was so feared. Wonder if she'll turn up in later books?

@hitmouse you were interested in what I thought of these books

The unlikely name is pretty typical of Welsh nicknames which generally describe some aspect of the person, either occupation or notoriety, and help distinguish people with the same name.
My personal acquaintances include Big Sian, Mad Sian, Sianaemia (she is very pale), Dai Dwr (works for Dwr Cymru, the water board), Dai AI (does things to cows), Dai sh*t (works in the sewage plant.), Angharad Germs (a microbiologist), Jackie Clap (works in the GUM clinic), Fluffy Beth, Beth Bynnag, Beth yw Hon, Claire Clavicles, Rob Low (because he isn't very tall.)

I met a bloke in the pub last year called Geraint Sled. I asked someone why he was called that, and got the answer: "Because he's been pulled by every dog in Llanelli."

If you ever watched Ivor the Engine, there was a character called Dai Station. Gavin & Stacey had a character named Dave Coaches.

 

[Parson]

Reading Star Shroud by Ken Lozito (I might have mentioned this before?) and listening to Shadow Shepherd by Chad Zunker.

 

[AE35Unit]

Finished The Night Shift by Stephen King, now onto IT

 

[aThenian]

Finished Smiley's People. Now trying to decide if I should buy Legacy of Spies, or wait for it to become cheaper, or join the 50-long queue for a library reservation.

Love Smiley's People! And the final chapter is amazing.

I've just read The Long Way to A Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers. Some of the time I really enjoyed the appealing characters, and the way they were all so kind to each other, and that nothing really bad ever happened...but ultimately the unrelieved niceness got a bit too much. It's almost such a great book.

 

[aThenian]

I've found that Le Carre's work outside of the Smiley books has been a bit hit and miss over the years.

Others have said the same. I decided not to go ahead with Legacy of Spies, as it turned out not to be related to the Karla trilogy, and not really a Smiley book either.

That's interesting - I feel exactly the same. To narrow it down even more I'd say that Tinker Tailor and Smiley's People have been head and shoulders above any others by him that I've read, including the middle one of the Karla trilogy, the Honourable Schoolboy, which I found pretty much unreadable.

My theory is this is because they combine perfect structure with having Smiley as a main character - and he needs to be central to humanise the book, as otherwise the world Le Carre creates is so sordid. The Spy Who Comes In From the Cold, for example, also has an amazingly clever plot, but Smiley is only a tangential character, and so the whole thing feels too cold.

 

[HareBrain]

the Honourable Schoolboy, which I found pretty much unreadable.

How far did you get with it? I started it straight after TTSS and was ready to dump it after about 70 pages, but I went back to it the next morning and found that my brain seemed to have adjusted to the change of pace overnight. I then found it quite compelling, if a little shapeless, right to the end.

 

[Stewart Hotston]

just about to finish Brooklyn by Colm Toibin then onto A Place of Greater Safety by Hilary Mantel

 

[aThenian]

How far did you get with it? I started it straight after TTSS and was ready to dump it after about 70 pages, but I went back to it the next morning and found that my brain seemed to have adjusted to the change of pace overnight. I then found it quite compelling, if a little shapeless, right to the end.

Probably not as far as 70 pages - maybe I'll give it another try.

 

[Danny McG]

The unlikely name is pretty typical of Welsh nicknames which generally describe some aspect of the person, either occupation or notoriety, and help distinguish people with the same name.
My personal acquaintances include Big Sian, Mad Sian, Sianaemia (she is very pale), Dai Dwr (works for Dwr Cymru, the water board), Dai AI (does things to cows), Dai sh*t (works in the sewage plant.), Angharad Germs (a microbiologist), Jackie Clap (works in the GUM clinic), Fluffy Beth, Beth Bynnag, Beth yw Hon, Claire Clavicles, Rob Low (because he isn't very tall.)

I met a bloke in the pub last year called Geraint Sled. I asked someone why he was called that, and got the answer: "Because he's been pulled by every dog in Llanelli."

If you ever watched Ivor the Engine, there was a character called Dai Station. Gavin & Stacey had a character named Dave Coaches.

Is 'caawl' a real food?

 

[Vince W]

I finished The Centauri Device by M. John Harrison. That was a really great book. I can see it would have been a complete departure from the typical space opera at the time. If it had been published about a decade later it would have sat quite nicely with the cyberpunk books of the 80s.

 

[hitmouse]

Is 'caawl' a real food?

Cawl is a sort of thin lamb and vegetable stew. A pot always sits warm and ready on the Rayburn and the world will end if it ever runs out.

 

[DelActivisto]

Starting to reread the Wheel of Time series for the fourth time, starting with The Eye of the World.

Began The Shannara Chronicles, couldn't get into it.

Also reading The Name of the Rose, by Umberto Eco.

Also reading non fiction; Hillbilly Elegy, by JD Vance.

And a book on Celtic history, and one on fairy history.

 

[The Big Peat]

That's interesting - I feel exactly the same. To narrow it down even more I'd say that Tinker Tailor and Smiley's People have been head and shoulders above any others by him that I've read, including the middle one of the Karla trilogy, the Honourable Schoolboy, which I found pretty much unreadable.

My theory is this is because they combine perfect structure with having Smiley as a main character - and he needs to be central to humanise the book, as otherwise the world Le Carre creates is so sordid. The Spy Who Comes In From the Cold, for example, also has an amazingly clever plot, but Smiley is only a tangential character, and so the whole thing feels too cold.

I certainly agree that Smiley is Le Carre's best central character but I wouldn't say he's the only one with whom it works. I have particular soft spots for The Night Manager and The Russia House in particular.

 

[Parson]

Also reading non fiction; Hillbilly Elegy, by JD Vance.

I've been tempted more than once to read this. But I can't shake the feeling that it's being oversold. Can the story of one family really shed much light on how a societal group thinks and moves? I have a hard time buying that premise.

 

[DelActivisto]

I've been tempted more than once to read this. But I can't shake the feeling that it's being oversold. Can the story of one family really shed much light on how a societal group thinks and moves? I have a hard time buying that premise.

It's got a lot of sociology, philosophy, and history thrown in. It's much more than a memoir; I highly recommend it.

 

[Vince W]

Changing gears from science fiction I'm going to read On The Road by Jack Kerouac.

 

[Foxbat]

Ray Bradbury's The October Country. Fitting for the time of year I think