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ImDrB

Posted 2016-02-11 2:16 PM (#12658 - in reply to #12648)
Subject: Re: Pick and Mix 2016

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Thanks! I settled on the NPR list to have a broad range of topics for the challenge, but I have a feeling I'll move on to less 'generalist' selections for next year! I did like that there are enough on the list that I've never read to sustain me with new material for most of the year (also, bit ashamed about that). Not looking forward to those wrist-strainers... but I'll probably resort to employing the Kindle for those. I really only use it for weighty reference books and journals for work (much easier to transport between office and lab than multiple bound volumes), but I have a feeling it will be just the tool for those... erm... weighty selections.

Cheers!
Doc B

dustydigger

Posted 2016-02-11 2:18 PM (#12659 - in reply to #12239)
Subject: Re: Pick and Mix 2016

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Mervi,I felt a little let down by it somehow.It was almost a straight history of earthly railways,with less fantasy or laugh aloud humour than usual It wasnt half a good as Going Postal. But I am always happy when we meet up with the Patrician,one of my favourite Discworld characters. Was so sad to hear of the death of Alan Rickman. Terry Pratchett always said he had Alan in mind when he wrote about Havelock Vetenari. It would be perfect casting!

dustydigger

Posted 2016-02-12 2:03 AM (#12662 - in reply to #12239)
Subject: Re: Pick and Mix 2016

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Just finished Simon R Green's The Dark Side of the Road.A bit of an oddity this one,a sort of cozy mystery a la Agatha Christie's And Then There were None as a snowed in group at a christmas country house party are picked off one by one. But the protagonist is an alien who crashlanded on earth in 1963 and never ages,and the villain is a supernatural creature! Pleasant enough fun,but I was disconcerted by the way characters would lose a son,a mother,a father,and just sort of shrug it off with a ''oh well,we were never really close'' That was weirder than any of the action.Oh well,it was a nice light fluff read,quite short,perfect for relaxing on a cold winter afternoon,but certainly no brain - stretcher!
I am about 60% through Cordwainer Smith's altogether moreimpressive Norstrilia all a bit bonkers but fascinating.,and am about to start John Varley's Ophiuchi Hotline

Edited by dustydigger 2016-02-12 2:04 AM

Leyra'an

Posted 2016-02-13 12:33 PM (#12670 - in reply to #12239)
Subject: Re: Pick and Mix 2016

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Finished a book in the same month I started it. That's become a rare feat!

Fury, by Henry Kuttner.

Published in 1950, this book is a classic if not well know work of science fiction from Henry Kuttner, an author who deserves to be remembered and read more often than is the case these days. Fury is the story of a man named Sam Reed, a resident of Venus in a future when all that's left of Humanity exists in domed keeps under the seas of that world. Earth was destroyed seven hundred years before the tale begins, and the survivors colonized Venus. Sam is an angry man, one who uses his anger and his formidable intelligence as tools to carve a niche for himself in a society that is steadily decaying around him. Life in the keeps is too easy, lacking in meaningful challenge; the human species is slowly fading away. The salvation of Humanity exists in colonization of the hostile lands of the continents of Venus, places with insanely dangerous creatures that are sometimes both plant and animal. How Sam becomes involved in this colonization scheme, and the consequences of his involvement, make up the tale told in Fury.

Fury is very much character driven, and these characters have something in common. None of them are heroes in any sense of the word. There are no simple good guys or bad guys in this story, though Sam Reed certainly qualifies as an anti-hero. Each has motives and morals that, when they intersect, move the story forward.

While it is clear from its style that this book was written before the current obsession with "show, don't tell," the book reads well all these decades later. It doesn't even matter that the Venus of Kuttner's imagination is impossible. When Kuttner wrote this book (likely in the late 1940s) the possibility of a swampy, jungle Venus had not yet been ruled out. The book is beautifully written, the characters thoroughly realized, and the exotic setting works even in the face of current knowledge. Well worth the time it would take to read this short (less than 200 pages) novel.

Note: Fury was later (1958) republished under the title Destination: Infinity. The original title definitely suits the book better!

Edited by Leyra'an 2016-02-13 12:34 PM

dustydigger

Posted 2016-02-13 3:58 PM (#12673 - in reply to #12670)
Subject: Re: Pick and Mix 2016

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Great review Thomas! I really had wanted to read this book but havent been able to locate a free copy yet.I'm sure Jim Harris's Defining Books of the 50s is doing a valuable job of introducing people to these old writers slipping away from view. Kuttner was married to C L Moore,whose Jirel of Joirey I read and enjoyed last year.
...just checking,and I see a reasonably priced secondhand copy of Fury around,so there's another book on the TBR pile.....sigh.......

Edited by dustydigger 2016-02-13 3:59 PM

Leyra'an

Posted 2016-02-14 6:05 PM (#12683 - in reply to #12673)
Subject: Re: Pick and Mix 2016

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You'll be glad you picked that one up.

Mervi2012

Posted 2016-02-28 9:27 AM (#12858 - in reply to #12239)
Subject: Re: Pick and Mix 2016

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My next read was Judith Tarr's Queen of the Amazons. It's a historical fantasy set in the Ancient world, specifically in Alexander the Great's time. Alexander himself is a significant secondary character. The main character is Selene, an Amazon warrior. I loved the book but I'm a sucker for anything with Alexander the Great.

dustydigger

Posted 2016-03-01 12:33 AM (#12866 - in reply to #12239)
Subject: Re: Pick and Mix 2016

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RYO Pick and Mix challenge update - Last year we had 17 participants who read 158 books and reviewed 33 of them over the whole year. Compare that with this year,in two months 20 participants have read 137 books and reviewed 29 of them! Wonderful. Keep up the good work,people. It really is pick and mix with a really eclectic list of books. Makes me want to rush off and read them all immediately. Lists do that to me ! lol.

Leyra'an

Posted 2016-03-01 5:22 PM (#12870 - in reply to #12239)
Subject: Re: Pick and Mix 2016

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Finished a reread of LeGuin's novel The Left Hand of Darkness today. I first read this novel in 1975, while a college freshman, and although I enjoyed the writing style, really didn't know what to make of it. Rereading it now, after many more years of experience with life and books, I'm amazed by the power of the story in this deceptively short book. That it won the Hugo Award for best novel in 1970 surprises me not at all, and now I have a better understand of why it took top honors. Beautifully written, it's a strange sort of love story that expresses itself as such in an indirect way. You'll have to experience it yourself to see what I mean. An explanation from me would be a list of spoilers. This was my first experience with LeGuin's writing, and I was a fan by the time I finished it back then. Rereading the book easily confirms that long-ago impression. Highly recommended.

dustydigger

Posted 2016-03-02 3:59 AM (#12871 - in reply to #12870)
Subject: Re: Pick and Mix 2016

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Good book,Thomas,and it handled a gender issue in a delicate sensitive way. Its probably 20 years since I read it but the outcome for the characters has haunted me ever since.Imagine such a topic being handled by someone like Philip Jose Farmer for instance!....(shudder)
I recently garnered some disapproval from some quarters when I said I was not too keen onLe Guin's Word for World is Forest,which I felt was more propaganda than I liked,too heavy handed on the issues. With Left Hand,which is on a potentially more controversial area,the characters and the story were supreme. Heartbreaking and memorable. A classic

Mervi2012

Posted 2016-03-06 4:00 AM (#12912 - in reply to #12866)
Subject: Re: Pick and Mix 2016

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dustydigger - 2016-03-01 12:33 AM

It really is pick and mix with a really eclectic list of books. Makes me want to rush off and read them all immediately.

I agree, it's great to see how different books people are reading!

My next book was N.K. Jemisin's The Shadowed Sun. It's a second book in the Dreamblood duology and I enjoyed it a lot. It's secondary world fantasy with rich world-building.

daxxh

Posted 2016-03-06 2:32 PM (#12914 - in reply to #12239)
Subject: Re: Pick and Mix 2016

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The Slow Regard of Silent Things - Patrick Rothfuss. Even though Rothfuss suggests not reading this book if you haven't read any of the Kingkiller Chronicles, I read it anyway. It is a delightful little story about Auri, a damaged young woman with OCD. Told from Auri's point of view, everything must be done just so and placed just so. The underground world sounds fascinating and I may just have to read the Kingkiller Chronicles to see what's going on above ground.

The Peripheral - William Gibson. This is my first Gibson book, believe it or not. I own quite a few of his books and they're been in the TBR pile for years. This was a decent book - worth the read in my opinion. There's cool tech and a murder to solve across two time periods. The time periods are a bit dystopian, but not so unrealistic - especially the one near our own.

A Darkling Sea - James Cambias. The sentient species the humans are supposed to leave alone are giant lobsters who have their own civilization. They do everything by touch and sonar. The policemen of the galaxy are centaur-like and seem to be obsessed with sex. And the humans are typical humans - don't want to follow stupid rules. Great story. I can see why it was nominated for some awards.

Leyra'an

Posted 2016-03-09 9:59 PM (#12944 - in reply to #12239)
Subject: Re: Pick and Mix 2016

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I'm on a roll!

Finished Star Gate by Andre Norton, this evening. At some point, so many years ago it feels like a story from another person's life, I read a stack of novels by Andre Norton. I have a list of titles that seem familiar from that time, and Star Gate is one of them. By the time I finished the alleged reread of Star Gate, I began to contemplate the fallibility of memory. Nothing was familiar except for the title. That's just fine. First read or reread, this short novel was a quick, entertaining read that maintains a solid pace and is populated by believable characters. Norton is not an author who spoon feeds a reader, providing enough detail to give a good frame of reference, then leaving much to the reader's imagination. The adventure told in this story is better described as science fantasy that science fiction, but that's a detail, not a complaint. Well worth the time spent tracking a copy down.

dustydigger

Posted 2016-03-12 11:26 PM (#12981 - in reply to #12239)
Subject: Re: Pick and Mix 2016

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I too wonder about the fallability of memory. I do remember reading an Andre Norton book belonging to a friend way back in somewhere around 1963,1964. I remember nothing whatsoever about it except for a little woodcut illustration at the start of the book,where a boy,presumably the teenage hero is looking out of an open window. A climbing rose is winding its way up beside the window. And thats it,nothing about the story at all,only a vague warm glow that I had found it very enjoyable. lol. Oddly enough I met up with the friend at a school reunion in the 1980s and brough this up as we reminisced about books we had read back at school,and she said she still had it,and would send it to me,but I never heard from her again,she was living in another part of the country,and I lost contact with our mutual friend,so that was that. A warm glow and a woodcut of a rose tree isnt really much help ,is it?
I do have The Stars Are Ours on my RYO challenge lists for this year.She seems to have an awful lot of books with the word Star in the title.
Meanwhile I have just completed a double,two Samuel R Delaney novellas,The Ballad of Beta B and Empire Star,early Delaney but good fun. But my brain is still stunned from Empire Star,which starts off as a seemingly straightforward tale of a boy who is handed a jewel like lifeform by a dying person on a crashed spaceship and sets off to go to Empire Star to carry an important message to someone,though at the start he knows neither said message nor the person it is intended for.As the little story of his journey progresses we encounter time loops and learn time is not linear in any shape or form. For example,he is sent off on his journey by an incredibly aged old woman,whom months later he will meet as a teenage princess!. Enormous fun,but the stunning explanations are made in two paragraphs right at the end of the book,too rushed to take in at a sitting.It will take time to sort it all out in my poor weak simplex brain! lol.Apparently Delany wrote this novella in a mere 10 days.and its a mindtwister.
Very much enjoyed Arthur C Clarke's Fountains of Paradise, about the building of a space elevator. I am a sucker for Big Dumb Objects and Clarke makes the building of the elevator and the dealing with an accident very exciting. Some of the subplots were a bit unnecessary really,but where the book scored with me was the way it restored some of the awe and wonder of the near space around us.We may not have attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orionas in Bladerunner,but Clarke managed to renew the feeling of wonder at space on a more prosaic but believable level,just above our heads.Clarke's rather dry style works perfectly with the dry engineering stuff,making it plausible,and the protagonist is made likable enough that we can identify with him in the tense later sections of the tale.
I think this is one of my favourite Clarke books as far as entertainment goes. I often found it moving and absorbing. Very enjoyable.That was Hugo winner #47/64.Next up will be #48.Joan Vinge's The Snow Queen,probably in May. Lots of wrist-breaking tomes coming up for that WWEnd list!
Now I am nearing the end of John Varley's The Ophiuchi Hotline,and

Mervi2012

Posted 2016-03-23 3:23 PM (#13060 - in reply to #12239)
Subject: Re: Pick and Mix 2016

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My next reads were Jeff Vandermeer's "Authority" and "Acceptance", books 2 and 3 in the horror/SF Southern Reach trilogy. They're very atmospheric books with interesting characters but the ending was left too ambigious for my tastes. The premise: mysterious Area X appeared 30 years ago on US soil separating a good chunck of land from the rest. It's pretty remote area, though, but Area X seems pretty malevolent and quickly wipes clean most signs of human civilization. The first book, "Annihiliation", is the diary of one of the people sent inside Area X. "Authority" centers on the government agency which has been created to oversee the border of the area and analyzing samples from there. Paranoia and distrust is rampant. "Acceptance" is again set inside Area X.

dustydigger

Posted 2016-03-31 2:23 PM (#13114 - in reply to #12239)
Subject: Re: Pick and Mix 2016

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YAY! Finally finished several books I have had on the go at once. John Varley's Ophiuchi Hotline was quite fun. 400 years before alien Invaders came to earth to tend the whales and dolphins,who are superior in intelligence to men. They completely eradicated every scrap of human technology,so mankind died in their billions,and the few humans left were reduced to the stone ageMankind now existed only on outposts on the moon and other solar system satellites. Then information started to come from an unknown source, seemingly from the Ophiuchi system,wondrous tech far beyond man's capabilities which they can only use but not understand,particularly in cloning bodies and recording memories,so that within months of someone dying,a new clone,indistinguishable from the original person can be made,though with a memory gap from the death till the time after the clone is''born'' Now the mysterious suppliers of the tech are presenting a bill for their services,and things are not looking good for mankind......
It was all good fun,but I have an horrendous cold,and as multiple clones of the heroine proliferated in time and space my poor old brain found it hard to keep track. It was made even worse by reading Samuel R Delany's Empire Star,which would have been challenging even in full health! lol.Time loops and paradoxes galore.
Anyway,these together with Fountains of Paradise made for a pretty interesting and enjoyable month of SF reading. Next up will be Joan D Vinge's Snow Queen, and C J Cherryh's Faded Sun : Kesrith but the grandkids are on school holidays now,and quiet time for reading is rather difficult,so it may be a while before I can concentrate on them! lol
Another great month for the Pick n Mixers.Last year 18 participants read 337 books in the year,and reviewed 198 of them. So far this year we have 25 participants,have already read 222 books with 47 reviews. 85 books in this month alone were added.well done!

DrNefario

Posted 2016-04-01 7:32 AM (#13119 - in reply to #12239)
Subject: Re: Pick and Mix 2016

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I felt sure I'd read the Ophiuchi Hotline, but it doesn't sound that familiar.

Mervi2012

Posted 2016-04-01 8:46 AM (#13120 - in reply to #12239)
Subject: Re: Pick and Mix 2016

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I really liked Cherryh's Faded Suns series. I hope you'll enjoy it.

Dlw28

Posted 2016-04-01 12:11 PM (#13123 - in reply to #12239)
Subject: Re: Pick and Mix 2016

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The Snow Queen AND the Faded Sun! I have nice memories of both. I'll be lurking to read what you think of them.

dustydigger

Posted 2016-04-01 4:20 PM (#13126 - in reply to #13123)
Subject: Re: Pick and Mix 2016

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Looking forward to the Cherryh book in particular. I have read over 30 of her SF books,but I am not really a fantasy fan,and havent read much of that part of her work,so doing the 1970s Defining books challenge pushed me into reading Kesrith. Once the grandkids are back to school of course,its mayhem at the moment! lol.
AT LAST the paperback of Cherryh's Tracker is coming out in UK this week.I am always annoyed that neither our bookshops or the public library seem to be aware of her books,and I always have to wait ages,far behind my booksite friends till the paperback comes out.

DrNefario

Posted 2016-04-02 3:25 AM (#13130 - in reply to #12239)
Subject: Re: Pick and Mix 2016

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She doesn't seem to have much available in ebook in the UK, either. I would like to pick up some of the early stuff like the Chanur series which I don't own in paper.

The Faded Sun trilogy is SF. I'm fairly sure. Although now I think about it I can barely remember any details.

Mervi2012

Posted 2016-04-02 3:41 AM (#13131 - in reply to #12239)
Subject: Re: Pick and Mix 2016

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Faded Sun is SF. I read it a few years ago. I haven't yet read any of Cherryh's fantasy, either, but I have her Fortress series so I should try it.

Mervi2012

Posted 2016-04-04 3:18 AM (#13153 - in reply to #12239)
Subject: Re: Pick and Mix 2016

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My next read was Lois McMaster Bujold's Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen. I've been a fan of Bujold for a long time and I loved this one, too. However, it's quite different from her previous books; it's not an adventure or mystery. It's a tale of two people who are finally getting over their grief and starting a new life. However, it's the latest (possibly last) book in her long Vorkosigan series and love the characters.

dustydigger

Posted 2016-04-06 8:59 AM (#13176 - in reply to #12239)
Subject: Re: Pick and Mix 2016

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Mervi I have been in two minds about this one. My heart broke when poor Miles was addressed as Count Vorkosigan,and I missed him so much in Ivan's tale,so I am in two minds about this one. I am sure to read it eventually,but with a mix of emotions. We'll see.
In theory I am reading Cherryh's Kesrith at the moment,have barely begun it,but am struggling with all the names and titles in the Mri language. Its difficult and confusing,and the book is very dense. I suppose once I get past these early pages things will improve,but what with school holidays for the grandkids and my husband putting moronic and or boring programmes on the TV,I am fully aware my concentration is shot and I will probably have to restart it once the kids are back to school.
What I am reading and thoroughly enjoying are the sequels to the iconic Mary Norton book,The Borrowers. Meant only to read #2,The Borrowers Afield,but the story of these 6 inch high little people who live on our leftovers is delightful and riveting stuff. I have read Afield,Afloat and Aloft back to back .and how now started The Borrowers Avenged. The tales are very enjoyable for kids,but there is a lot of darker stuff for adults to pick up on. The horror of losing one's home,cast out into a hard and dangerous world is something resonant for all of us in this time of migrants and homelessness on a huge scale. The way these little Borrowers keep on striving,looking for a safe,secure home somewhere, chimes with todays news,adding poignancy and relevance to this saga of a brave little family continually harrassed, uprooted and adrift,yet still bravely going forward, firm and strong in adversity. This series may be a little old fashioned,but its a classic,beautifully written,and with characters who are hauntingly real,fully individualizedL. Excellent,highly recommended.
Of course since I have just ordered C J Cherryh's Tracker,finally out in paperback here,all other reads are likely to be diverted while once again I accompany Bren-ji through the maze of the court. Look forward to tea with Ilisidi-ji despite the freezing cold on her balcony!. Ah but how I yearn to learn more about Banichi and Jago,or to go off to relax on Bren's country estate.Once the book arrives,all other worlds must be firmly set aside!

Mervi2012

Posted 2016-04-06 11:05 AM (#13182 - in reply to #13176)
Subject: Re: Pick and Mix 2016

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dustydigger - 2016-04-06 8:59 AM
Mervi I have been in two minds about this one. My heart broke when poor Miles was addressed as Count Vorkosigan,and I missed him so much in Ivan's tale,so I am in two minds about this one. I am sure to read it eventually,but with a mix of emotions. We'll see.

Aral is one of my favorite literary characters. I bought the eARC as soon as it was available but I didn't read it until now excatly because I didn't know if I would be able to handle a Vorkosigan book so pointedly without Aral. Turned out that I did but the book is very full of Aral's influence; reminiscenses and little stories about him. It helped that Cordelia is also a favorite character and I've long wanted to have another books from her POV. Still, we can always revisit the earlier books.

In theory I am reading Cherryh's Kesrith at the moment,have barely begun it,but am struggling with all the names and titles in the Mri language. Its difficult and confusing,and the book is very dense. I suppose once I get past these early pages things will improve,

Indeed. Pretty much every Cherryh book I've read have started that way. She doesn't explain much at all.

One of the reasons I love reading her but her books always demand lots of concentration from me.

What I am reading and thoroughly enjoying are the sequels to the iconic Mary Norton book,The Borrowers. Meant only to read #2,The Borrowers Afield,but the story of these 6 inch high little people who live on our leftovers is delightful and riveting stuff. I have read Afield,Afloat and Aloft back to back .and how now started The Borrowers Avenged. The tales are very enjoyable for kids,but there is a lot of darker stuff for adults to pick up on. The horror of losing one's home,cast out into a hard and dangerous world is something resonant for all of us in this time of migrants and homelessness on a huge scale. The way these little Borrowers keep on striving,looking for a safe,secure home somewhere, chimes with todays news,adding poignancy and relevance to this saga of a brave little family continually harrassed, uprooted and adrift,yet still bravely going forward, firm and strong in adversity. This series may be a little old fashioned,but its a classic,beautifully written,and with characters who are hauntingly real,fully individualizedL. Excellent,highly recommended.

Good to know! My niece loves the movie and I've been thinking of giving the books a shot.

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