bluegargantua

Usually, I'm pretty good at remembering books that I've read. I may not remember all the details of the plot, but I can usually look at a book and think "huh, I've read that".

Right now, I'm reading a book that I know I've wanted to read for a little while now and there are certain scenes that I remember quite clearly as I'm reading them. So I'm pretty sure that if I didn't finish this book, I almost certainly started.

Now I'm trapped in a conundrum. Do I continue to read the book? If I didn't actually finish it the first time, does that mean it's going to suck somewhere? Am I just wasting my time re-reading it? There's plenty I don't remember, but if the ending gets jogged from my memory about 20 pages before the end that'll be annoying. It's a stumper. :/

later
Tom

Hi,

Since everyone makes a list, here are the three best books I read in 2006. I say three as opposed to 5 or 10 or whatnot because these are the three that leap to mind when I think about my reading this year, so if there'd be others, it would've been a longer list:

In no particular order:

1. Blindsight by Petter Watts. Heavily-modified humans attempt First Contact with an alien species camping out on the edges of our Solar System. Written by a marine biologist, the background science is all pretty solid and gets used to build some conclusions that will keep you up at night pondering your existence. Just fabulous stuff.

2. The Wrestler's Cruel Study by Stephen Dobyns. Gnostic mysticism, magic coins, theological street gangs and professional wrestlers. If Blindsight is notable for it's wealth of scientific ideas, Wrestler's Cruel Study is sort of it's liberal arts counterpart, a wealth of philosophical and psychological ideas. Reminds me of Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco in a lot of ways.

3. The Lies of Lock Lamora by Scott Lynch. It's a fantasy city novel. It's a con game novel. It's pure storytelling genius. The book doesn't play with Big Ideas(TM) like the other two, but just plows ahead and shows off fascinating characters, intriguing situations and glues it together with delightful dialog. An infectiously good book.

So those are my picks for 2006. If you haven't checked them out, you should certainly consider sticking them on your list for 2007.

later
Tom

Hi,

So I got a $25 gift certificate to Amazon.com from my folks for my birthday. And I should really get around to spending it. But I'm not quite sure what to get.

I get my LJ for free, so I can't do a snazzy poll-thingie, but comments are just as good.

So I'm asking people to take a look at my Amazon wish list and tell me what they think I should get with the gift certificate.

Ground rules:

1.) Books only, not the CDs.
2.) While it may be tempting to buy some of the magic/occult books on the list using my mom's cash, I'm not that snarky, so those are off-limits.
3.) Likewise, there are a couple of books on graphic design and clip art/motif books. Those will be reference for a tattoo and it's not super-critical that I get them "right now". So just ignore those.
4.) Finally, while it's ok if purchases go over the $25 limit, I don't want to break $50. You are allowed to substitute a paperback copy of a hardcopy book if it's in print.

The poll will be open for the weekend and on Monday, I'll place the order.

Thanks!
Tom

Hi,

It's so sad that I've barely started the year and I've already read what will probably be the best book of it.

I just finished up The Wrestler's Cruel Study by Stephen Dobyns. It is, hands down, a fantastic book.

Why?

Two words: Gnostic Wrestlers

Why are you still reading this? Why haven't you lept to your feet to procure a copy at any cost?

*sigh*

Very well. The story follows professional wrestler Michael Marmaduke (a.k.a Marduk the Magnificent) and his quest to find his kidnapped fiance Rose White. In the process Michael enters a world of Heretical Christian street gangs, deep philosophical arguments over the nature of evil wrapped up in a wrestling match and his own personal confrontations with various monsters. There is also the tale of a spinning coin, the lives of the people it passes to and how those lives all glide past one another (and Michael). There are tales of transformation, tales of salvation and tales of damnation. The prose is lyrical and sensuous and even though it clips right along, you want to read the book in small bites and savor it.

Had their been some treatment of zeppelins, the book would have been perfect and a fiery chariot would have swooped down from the skies to carry me to heaven.

Pretty much everyone on my friend's list should check this out, although the Boston Gamer crowd (and ex pats) will probably find it more exciting than most.

Fabulous, Fabulous book. Highly recommended.
Tom

Hi,

I'm thinking of a book. It's either a novel, or an anthology title. Or it may be that there was a novel that inspired an anthology title edited by the guy who wrote the novel.

It's a fantasy title.

The main theme is that magic dies out/goes away and the wizards et. al. are left to fend for themselves. (in the anthology, it's a whole raft of stories on this theme)

Anyone? Anyone? Beuller? Beuller?

Thanks
Tom

[EDIT: Answer: The Magic Goes Away by Niven]

Hi,

So I'm reading Memories of Ice by Steven Erikson. This is the third book in the Malazan Empire series. Like the other two before it, this book is a brick, clocking in at around 1200 pages. I've been diligently reading about 100 pages a day so I'm already a third of the way through.

I think this has probably been the best one so far. Mainly because of exchanges like this between Kallor, a demi-god hero cursed to wander the Earth by the gods and Quick Ben, a lowly magician who knows that subtle is power....

"[Kallor's] flat grey eyes fixed on Quick Ben. 'You, wizard, are a hoarder of souls...I am a man who releases souls -- shall I break the chains within you? An easy thing, to leave you helpless.

'Even easier,' Quick Ben replied, 'to make a hole in the ground.'

Kallor dropped from sight, the earth gone from beneath him. Armour clattered followed by a bellow of rage."

It's been quite good
Tom

Meet Iskaral Pust -- High Priest of Shadow, crackpot, and mystic conniver.

"We're running out of time! Things are coming up behind us. Things! How much clearer can I be?" (For some reason, this reminds me of Mitch in my Age of Paranoia game)

[Another character is reunited with his familiar, a small flying monkey which has been missing for some time and shouldn't really have turned up now.]

"A familiar? Shall we ask the opinion of that dead shapeshifter back there? Oh no, we can't, can we? It's been torn to pieces!"

heh
Tom

p.s. The book is really pretty good, only these are the first bits where I've laughed out loud.