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Post by Rachael on Mar 31, 2004 11:10:01 GMT -5
Okay, so a few authors (and maybe titles) if you love good science fiction:
Anne McCaffrey: The first Dragonriders trilogy (Dragonflight, Dragonquest, The White Dragon). Absolutely some of the best science fiction out there (and it IS science fiction, although it feels like fantasy)
Sheri S. Tepper: The Gate to Women's Country, Grass, or Gibbon's Decline and Fall, to start. I love all her stuff, but those are some of her classics.
Connie Willis: To Say Nothing of the Dog (funny!), Doomsday Book (not funny; will make you cry), Passage (combines both descriptions), Bellwether (funny, again)
There are a bunch of others, but these are my three favorite authors.
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Post by KMInfinity on Apr 4, 2004 0:36:17 GMT -5
I was in the mood for a "fast" read, something light, and I picked up a book by Sherrilyn Kenyon called Night Embrace. It's kind of a cross between a racy romance, a soap, and a ghothic horror novel. Some parts were clever, it was fast paced, and the soft porn sex scenes were well done. ;D
I highly recommend it, if you're not looking for "literature" but just something undemanding to engage and while away with. Apparently, the novel is part of a series called the "Dark Hunters." The premise is well plotted, and the author clearly knows her vamp connections, including Spuffy.
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Post by Sue on Apr 5, 2004 9:41:04 GMT -5
I was in the mood for a "fast" read, something light, and I picked up a book by Sherrilyn Kenyon called Night Embrace. It's kind of a cross between a racy romance, a soap, and a ghothic horror novel. Some parts were clever, it was fast paced, and the soft porn sex scenes were well done. ;D I highly recommend it, if you're not looking for "literature" but just something undemanding to engage and while away with. Apparently, the novel is part of a series called the "Dark Hunters." The premise is well plotted, and the author clearly knows her vamp connections, including Spuffy. Thanks, I was needing something portable and non-deep. And I was also planning a visit to Amazon soon.
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Post by Anne, Old S'cubie Cat on Apr 5, 2004 10:40:38 GMT -5
I just finished reading Naked Brunch, by Sparkle Hayter.
Mousy secretary Annie Engel starts turning into a werewolf by night. Turns out New York is full of werewolves, or people with Lycanthropic Metamorphic Disorder. SH has one neat touch; her werewolves can sense human souls, including their level of evil. So, some of the weres are instinctive vigilantes, drawn to kill the worst people they can find.
Not her best work, but an interesting take on the "werewolf community".
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Post by KMInfinity on Apr 8, 2004 23:28:02 GMT -5
A friend gave me the heads up on this, knowing I like "Buffy" stuff. There's a series of books called the Dresden Files, starring a Harry Dresden as a wizard paranormal/crime investigator. James Marsters has already been tapped to read a few as the voice of the audio books, and was well liked by the author, Jim Butcher. Has anyone heard of these books? Are they any good? Meanwhile, The SciFi Channel is doing a movie based on the books, changing the lead characater's name to Erik, since Harry is such a popular wizard name. If the movie does well, there's talk of it being a series. There's a strong fanbased effort already starting to get JM considered for the part of the main character... www.erinallen.com/dresden_tv.htm
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Post by Sue on Apr 9, 2004 4:41:09 GMT -5
A friend gave me the heads up on this, knowing I like "Buffy" stuff. There's a series of books called the Dresden Files, starring a Harry Dresden as a wizard paranormal/crime investigator. James Marsters has already been tapped to read a few as the voice of the audio books, and was well liked by the author, Jim Butcher. Has anyone heard of these books? Are they any good? Meanwhile, The SciFi Channel is doing a movie based on the books, changing the lead characater's name to Erik, since Harry is such a popular wizard name. If the movie does well, there's talk of it being a series. There's a strong fanbased effort already starting to get JM considered for the part of the main character... www.erinallen.com/dresden_tv.htmKM- When I read this I couldn't believe these weren't already on the book thread, but they aren't. So, thanks. If you type "Dresden" into the search function, though (and give a very long time limit (I used 300 days) you'll find the books and possible movie have been discussed several times, all the way back to last year in the ScoopMe archives. I know Patti owns the audio book of James reading Storm Front. I've read the series (5 now)--each stands alone, but are "open ended"--there is enough unresolved that I'm waiting on number 6. Interestingly, after the first 2 or 3 I was concerned that they were becoming a bit formulaic but I believe the books have actually gotten better in the later ones--more depth and involvement rather than just chase and magic. Definitely worth reading (and only about $7 each in paperback from Amazon.) Here is a link Caraleigh posted to here Marsters reading an excerpt: www.livejournal.com/community/marsters_daily/50869.htmlI just clicked on "Harry and Susan" in the comment, right under the picture and it downloaded automatically. The picture ain't bad, either There was a campaign to try to get JM hired to play Harry, but Harry is much younger and taller.
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Post by KMInfinity on Apr 9, 2004 18:56:22 GMT -5
Thanks for taking the time to bring me up to speed, Sue. I always seem to be a bit behind and out of touch. Funny to think I'd never seen any Buffy or Angel only two and a half years ago. I've ordered the first three Dresdens, but that audio link was so H-O-T I am, for the first time, tempted to order some audio books, whcih I once thought was sacrilege. Are the audiobooks complete or abridged?
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Post by Sue on Apr 9, 2004 21:45:21 GMT -5
Thanks for taking the time to bring me up to speed, Sue. I always seem to be a bit behind and out of touch. Funny to think I'd never seen any Buffy or Angel only two and a half years ago. I've ordered the first three Dresdens, but that audio link was so H-O-T I am, for the first time, tempted to order some audio books, whcih I once thought was sacrilege. Are the audiobooks complete or abridged? Hey, no reason why you should know we've discussed it. Nobody can keep up with everything on this board! And it was an incredible oversight that no one had ever posted recommendations for the books on this thread. I know Patti owns at least the first audio book so it'd be best if you IM'd her and asked the abridged question because I honestly don't know. I think hearing James' "real" voice is strange. (HOT, but strange.) When you've had a chance to read them, report back here. Sue
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Post by beccaelizabeth on Apr 19, 2004 15:23:43 GMT -5
I bought this book because the back cover blurb suggested it had Ethan Rayne. Because how many old 'friends' does Giles have? So, okay, it contains the name Ethan Rayne. On maybe half a dozen pages. He interacts with Giles *once*. The author spends more time describing and introducing the *swords* the scoobies use than he does talking about Ethan. And yet Ethan is allegedly the main bad guy.
This is my favourite line- "If Ravana's reign spread from Sunnydale to cover the globe, and if his reign meant nothing but chaos and bloodshed, what could Rayne, or anyone else, profit from it?" The fact that the author has Giles be *puzzled* by that is proof that our Ethan, chaos worshipper extraordinaire, never even made this author's acquaintance. And then he talks about Ethans 'voracious hunger for power' and how he never does anything that isn't to his own benefit. How, precisely, did that Halloween stunt benefit Ethan? It didn't, it just made a whole lot of chaos. Hunger for power isn't something we've seen Ethan demonstrate.
This author apparently pulled a random name from canon to plonk onto his cliched and BORING bad guy, then didnt have him appear until the very last few pages, presumably in the expectation that made him more mysterious. So not. Bugger all happens in this book. The canon characters are all bent out of shape, by dark forces of course so it doesnt count as bad writing, a lot of the plot suspense depends on Buffy missing blatant clues and then Giles thinks of her as a good detective (in WHAT UNIVERSE?), and a whole lot of nothing happens. Its like, page page demon attack page page another demon attack where they demonstrate apparently new powers. I admit I was skim reading but this book sucked. Badly.
Actually just to show how much faith I have in Buffy books now- I flicked through looking for keywords until Ethan appeared, then skim read what happened after than. Because I didnt want to waste the extra hours of actually trying to read the whole thing through if it turned out to be useless. Which it has. So anyone as wants a copy of this, just send postage, because it sucks badly enough I'm willing to sell it. And I have books in this house that I havent read nor heard of but cannot bring myself to part with solely because they are books. This book sucks *bad*.
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Post by beccaelizabeth on Apr 20, 2004 2:45:52 GMT -5
One golden rule of fanfic is if you can have a canon character do a job, let them do it. Do not invent a character to duplicate someone elses skills. Sometimes you can get away with it if you are using them to illuminate the emotions or journey of a canon character- rather like Wesley's original introduction to the Buffyverse. The duplication was the point. In this book however it just seems like they got carried away with their characters and forgot it was supposed to be mostly about the canon characters. I slept after reading this review and woke up realising I may have missed the point on a couple of the characters. If I assume the author knows said golden rule and go looking for why there is an extra slayer and watcher wandering around the story, I find a reason. Slayer and Watcher love each other so much it gets in the way of getting the job done. Slayer threw herself at a demon to save Watcher. Watcher gets obsessed with contacting Slayer's ghost. Well Buffy put herself between Giles and Eyghon, just to mention the most obvious example, and Giles got obsessed with contacting a dead woman's ghost, when Jenny died. The reason I didn't think of that comparison is we have since seen how he dealt with Buffy's death and seances were not involved. But this book is set back in the day, possibly written then even, so that hadn't happened and the Watcher who couldnt let go is a pretty good possible reaction. So the other Watcher, Kendra's Watcher, who shuts himself in with a mad woman after Kendra dies (killed by a mad woman) and goes over his mistakes endlessly, that is also a pretty good guess. Neither of them can let go and move on. So, interesting illumination of possibilities. But the fact that I totally missed this first time through speaks to how busy this book is, and how much of a mess. I mean there are messages, but I cant make them stick together. And there are still original characters I cannot really think of a reason for.
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Post by KMInfinity on Apr 24, 2004 18:40:02 GMT -5
Okay-I've read the first two Dresdens and like them very much.
*Great pacing/action.
*Very little deus ex machina/illogical "lucky hero" stuff, which I hate. I like even my action/fantasy to make sense.
*Excellent "universe building." Butcher explains, in an offhand way, the whys and wherefores of much of the magic and supernatural. F'rinstance, he explains that wizards use foreign/ancient languages in order to put a "layer" between themselves and their magic as a shield, else they could burn themselves out with it--using a familiar, everyday laguage would allow the magic to get too close. I liked that idea. Since I'm predisposed to suspend disbelief, I appreciate some attention given to creating the background.
*I am sooo able to visualize JM as Harry-Erik. Bring it on!
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Post by beccaelizabeth on Apr 28, 2004 22:04:56 GMT -5
Okay book. Solid plot, no egregiously odd characterisation, although Willow is stuck in permanent nervous babble mode, okay relationship stuff, though some of the non romances were slightly mystifying in an and you mention this why kind of way. It was okay. Not brilliant, but compared to some of the drek I've read recently, it looks good.
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Post by Queen E on May 10, 2004 11:23:31 GMT -5
Has anyone read or heard of a book called Eragon? Is it any good?
Thanks.
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Post by Anne, Old S'cubie Cat on May 10, 2004 19:51:26 GMT -5
I spent this afternoon reading Donna Andrews' latest, We'll Always Have Parrots.
Like her other mysteries, it's a hoot, and I recommend it.
The setting is a convention for fans of "Porfiria", the sword-and-sorcery TV show that Meg Langslow's SO Michael has a part in. Andrews has a good feel for cons; she describes the fans sympathetically without making them perfect, kind of with the tone of Galaxy Quest, now that I think of it.
There's a lovely scene where Meg explains to a police detective the nature of fan fiction in general, and slash in particular (Michael and the other male lead figure in it, of course). Andrews definitely knows her slash, and she explains its true origins and nature without actually using certain, um, copyrighted names.
Action figures (six and twelve inch), and other silly things are also mentioned - it's all very realistic, enough to make me wonder if Andrews is a fan of something.
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Post by Sara on May 15, 2004 21:07:48 GMT -5
To me, a magic show works not when you don’t see the wires, or the hidden card, but when you don’t even want to look for them. You know you’re in the hands of a master, you know something is being done that you can’t see, but you’re enjoying the show so much you’re happy to just sit back and be wowed. Same thing for books. So “Carter Beats the Devil,” Glen David Gold’s wonderful first novel, was my kind of read. It's got everything: “ fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles...” Okay, okay. There isn’t any fencing.
The book opens just after the death of Warren Harding mere hours after attending and participating in one of Carter the Great’s magic shows. The suspicions of the Secret Service quickly center on Carter, who naturally employs some misdirection to obtain breathing room from the authorities. The rest of the book intersperses one agent’s investigation of Carter as the magician prepares for a new show with flashbacks to Carter’s youth and early days as a performer.
I had no idea when I started that Gold based his story on a real person--Carter was one of the many magicians touring the country when such acts were experiencing their heyday and Harry Houdini was as popular, and iconic, as Babe Ruth. Gold does a tremendous job of capturing the flavor of the era, and of seamlessly working real-life personalities such as Harding, Groucho Marx, and (of course) Houdini into the fabric of his fictional tale. Without reading a biography of Carter, you have no way of knowing where reality ends and fiction begins, but that too feels appropriate to a tale centered on a man who intentionally blurs the line what is and what couldn’t be.
In a book filled with wonderful set pieces and fascinating characters, it’s hard for me to single out particular scenes or events for praise or to try and entice you into reading. However, I do want to share one of my favorite quotes--it's stuck with me ever since I first read the book:
Anyway, I encourage folks to give this one a try--I don't think you'll be disappointed.
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