Wrapped up the Republic Commando books, which is to say I got as far through Order 66 as I felt like going and skipped 501st entirely.

Moved onto the Darth Bane books. Blitzed the first, and I'm about to start Rule of Two

At 2143 yesterday evening, 31 Dec 2016, I concluded my sixth reading of Orson Scott Card's Hart's Hope. I bought this book March 1988 while traveling by bus in the military, at a combination gas station / convenience store out in the middle of nowhere where our unit stopped for a quick fuel refill / rest break. It was my first exposure to Card. Began reading it as our bus pulled out of the station lot. (I believe but am not certain that I suffered from a migraine at the time, as I too often did in those days.) Was hooked from the start. Couldn't put it down. Finished it during that trip. Read it four more times between then and early 2005, then set it aside until now. It remains my favorite of the admittedly few Card novels I've read, and a favorite fantasy as well.

The book itself is presented as sort of a dark fairy tale told in second (?) person, in the form of a written communication from a long separated (newly reunited) wife to her husband, a disposed king now restored to power, hoping to pursued him to spare the life of a young man he is determined to destroy.

Searching the internet shows the book to have garnered mediocre reviews. Digging in a bit deeper reveals Hart's Hope to be something of a love-it-or-hate-it novel. Naysayers tend to dislike it for its inclusion of acts deemed unsuitable for public consumption, largely of a sexual nature. Me, I've no issue with this whatsoever, certainly not when used to good purpose as it is here and in Donaldson's Thomas Covenant chronicles. (In both instances I'd argue that the act most frowned on by dislikers is “the” crux of the novels, the raison d'etre of all that follows.) I'm not trying to prove those of the opposite persuasion wrong, only to point out that the book's middling review totals do not necessarily reflect its quality but rather have more to do with the inclusion of certain actions that may or may not prove distasteful on an individual basis.

I have tentatively started in on Paula Volsky's Illusion, another book I've owned a long time but for whatever reason never got around to reading.

The Red and the Black by Stendhal. One of my Japanese teachers recommended this to me way back when; I'm quite ashamed it took me this long to actually look it up and read it. Ah well. Let's get this show on the road.

EDIT: Oh, and I have the Brothers Karamazov just sitting on the sidelines too. *rubs hands together* It's gonna be a busy schedule for me, reading-wise.

This post has been edited by Uleni Athram: Jan 1 2017, 02:21 PM

I'm currently reading Crimes Against Magic, by Steve McHugh. Amazon are doing the whole series cheap(a quid apiece), and since they've got a truckload of high ratings I thought I'd give the first one a try.

So far the main character has a whiff of Gary Stu about him, and is suffering from plot-device amnesia to keep him/the reader from knowing everything that's going on. The writing style's a bit off, and thus far the plot hinges on a rather confusing incident that at this point makes no sense whatsoever.

But for a quid, I suppose I can't complain too much.

At 1942 this evening I completed my first reading of Paula Volsky's fantasy novel Illusion. I've owned this book a good many years but for whatever reason never got around to reading it until now. I found it enjoyable, but not a page-turner.

No idea what I'll start in on next.

I finished Kenobi, by John Jackson Miller. It was good. Just as the book Ahsoka told the story of how Ahsoka Tano went from being Ahsoka to being Fulcrum, this told the story of how Obi-Wan became Ben.

It is all much smaller in scale than we are used to seeing from a Star Wars book. Instead it is about just a range war, gangsters, shopkeepers, and farmers. But that is also the overarching theme of the book. How Kenobi was forced to get used to adjusting from living on a galactic scale, to living on a local one. To helping people still, but keeping out of sight while doing so.

One thing I really liked is that Kenobi's infectious charm and good nature shine through, even in this, his darkest time. I can just hear James Arnold Taylor's voice every time he talks, and imagine his wry smile. He is still the Kenobi I love.

This one liked Kenobi a lot during The Clone Wars, especially his weird relationship with Assaj Ventress.

I really enjoyed Kenobi's banter with Ventress as well. She was one of my favorite characters. I always wished they could have done a story arc about Obi-Wan bringing her back to the light side. In some form or another.

At 0340 this morning I concluded The Many-Colored Land, volume one of Julian May's The Saga of Pliocene Exile. This was its third reading. The first occurred Mar 1985, the second Jan 1999. It was amongst the paperbacks I selected from the give-away of a fellow military dorm-rat lightening his library in preparation for a transfer. Those books were my introduction to speculative fiction, predated only by a few books forced on us in school and Tolkien's Lord of the Rings and Hobbit, read during the 70s.

It is also one of my rare forays into Sci-Fi, a literary genre I normally have little interest in.

As to the book itself, it has an interesting premise. A some point in Earth's future (or rather the planets-wide confederation of which earth is a part) a method of time travel is discovered. It is used to send humans, mostly those who for whatever reason don't fit in with "modern" society, back in time to earth's Pliocene period. Only, they arrive there to discover that things are not as expected, and ... well, I'll not spoil things.

I read a good three-fourths of it last year, then lost interest. Despite the lengthy break I elected to pick up where I had left off rather than begin afresh. Even so it took longer than expected to finish. Even when I devoted hours to it, I had trouble maintaining focus so that only a few pages would be read. Thankfully my sessions yesterday and this morning were far more fruitful.

I have not yet decided whether or not I'll continue the series.

ADDENDUM: I just noticed a reading of this book at YouTube.

This post has been edited by Decrepit: Jan 15 2017, 12:53 PM

I finished Lords of the Sith last week. It was good, concentrating upon Vader and Cham Syndulla. It gives us a deeper look at the relationship Vader had with the Emperor. Also a better look of what life is like for Vader, and how and why he does what he does. As a Clone Wars fan it was cool seeing Cham again, in this story set in the early days of the Rebellion.

I also just finished Dark Disciple today. This is one I held off for a long time because it struck me as yet another dreary example of Stuffed in the Fridge. But it had really good reviews, and I noted that it was written by a female author. So I gave it a chance after all. I am glad I did, because I found it is really an Asajj Ventress story. In fact, it is the story of her redemption, and how she gained that one, perfect moment.

I've been in a reading slump since finishing The Many Colored Land 15 Jan, not helped by devoting so much time to watching Game of Thrones Seasons 1, 2 & 6 on DVD. Having seen the last of those episodes earlier today I decided to try my hand at another read of A Song of Ice and Fire. I worried that have just seen half the TV series might make the read less engrossing. So far such is not the case. I've not gotten far but already appreciate the book's more elaborate introduction to Daenerys and her brother in particular.

I'm on page 391 of Game of Thrones, a Daenerys chapter that chronicles her initial visit to Vaes Dothrak. (The preceding chapter saw the confrontation between Ned and Jamie following the latter's learning of his brother's capture by Catelyn.) Having recently watched three seasons of the TV series makes me appreciate the books all the more. I'm picking up on things I don't recall catching before, such as the foreshadowings during Bran's fall (which we witness just before he finally wakes from his coma). Also, I don't believe I paid attention to these early chapters many R+L=J hints during previous reads. ("R" is of course not yet set in stone. It's as good as, but with Martin it's best not to assume.) I appreciate the extensive lore/history the book gives us. For whatever reason I find I'm more tolerant of GOT TV series alterations (which are minor at this early stage) than I was/am with LoTR book-to-movie changes, which almost invariably rub me the wrong way once past the initial Shire scenes in Fellowship. (To be fair, I found the film adaptation of Two Towers so inadequate I never bothered to watch Return of the King, which might be a better movie.)

This post has been edited by Decrepit: Jan 27 2017, 06:35 PM

At 0809 this morning I concluded my fifth read of George R.R. Martin's A Game of Thrones, including its appendix but not the preview chapter from A Clash of Kings, which would be pointless since I will begin reading that volume later today. Can't think of anything to add that hasn't been mentioned in my several progress reports.

Almost forgot to mention that I ordered three books off Amazon yesterday (or was it the day before?). All cover some aspect of modern US politics, so I gotta be very careful what I say about 'em other than beginning and conclusion dates. The order likely won't arrive until mid month, allowing me to finish Clash of Kings, assuming I don't dawdle.

This post has been edited by Decrepit: Feb 3 2017, 03:48 PM

My Amazon order arrived a week earlier than originally expected. (I of course knew it would soon after the order shipped.) I've given all three books a quick look over. One is a disappoint, not what I expected. My fault I suppose. I read a general overview before adding it to my cart, but should have dug deeper. My hope it at least proves a decent read. The second book, the one I was and am most interested in, looks to be everything I hoped for. The third? We shall see. I remind you that these are all somewhat (or more than somewhat) political in nature, so can't be discussed in any detail. Even mentioning their names might be risky.

As to ASoIaF, I'm just over 200 pages into book two. Differences between book and show are already becoming more pronounced. Even so I feel they still complement each other well.

Currently reading a local bit. I'm enthralled with Werewolf: The Lycanthrope Chronicles.

A progress report:

I'm now on page 375 of ASoIaF: A Clash of Kings, not quite halfway through my hardback edition. It's a Catelyn chapter with her in Renly's camp just prior to the planned battle between Renly's and Stannis's forces. (I assume we all know how that turns out.)

I made the mistake of keeping those three recently arrived Amazon book purchases on the bed, where I do almost the whole of my reading. It's been slowing me down Clash wise. Too often I find myself, almost without thought, putting it aside to read a stretch of two of those three books. I think I solved the problem (?) this morning by moving those books to another room.

This post has been edited by Decrepit: Feb 15 2017, 02:19 PM

I just could not get into A Game of Thrones. I gave the book a really good shot, but it just felt like such a chore for me to read.

Am I unique in that opinion?

That progress report reminded me of my own with The Red and Black and The Karamazov. Safe to say I didn't make any worthwhile advance on both; instead, I got hooked up on Dan Simmons' Hyperion soooo much that I finished it and Fall of Hyperion in three days. Riding this wave of intense focus (something I usually don't get from novels) I decided to go and started up Endymion but alas! I think I burned out. That, or the first new character banished what interest I have with his introductionary 'You're reading this for the Blah-Blah-Blah' spiel. I dunno, possibly both. Might start it up again, but obviously not now.

Anyway, one heavy vibe I got from reading the first two novels is that my boy Danny Sims is quite possibly, legitimately, in-lovaboo with Sir John Keats. I get it that the books are his tribute to the poet's incomplete poem and he plays a heavily important role and all that jazz, but my boy my boy oh boy! In my opinion, things got a little too ... steamy-weary-please-notice-me-dead-senpai-Johnny. Particularly in the Fall.

John Keats, Kohn Jeats everywhere!

Still 9.5/10 tho

I read them. It started out well enough, went crazy in book 3, then dragged through 4 and 5. Haven't felt any urge to read them again.

At least you made it that far. Book one has been collecting dust on my shelf.