Silversi finally starts a topic - after 3 years.

CharlasThe Green Dragon

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Silversi finally starts a topic - after 3 years.

1Silversi
Editado: Jul 19, 2021, 12:48 pm

I have a wide variety of genres that I enjoy. Depending on my mood it could be romance or it could be epic fantasy or even off the wall stuff I’ve never heard of just because it was flashed on my kindle screen.

Currently, I’m just finishing up A Song for Arbonne by Guy Gavriel Kay. I wanted to love this book. I love the imagery he has created for Arbonne. I could see it and wanted to be there. As an aspiring author, I hope to create vivid enough imagery to bring my lands to life for someone in the same way. As for the other parts of the story, not really a fan. One of the characters was just a bit over the top evil for me and it really seemed like it didn’t need to be that way to create the same story.

My other reading this year consists of Nora Robert’s trilogy “The One”. Which included “Year One”, “Of Blood and Bone” and “The Rise of Magicks” I started this series in 2020, just before the pandemic hit.. Unfortunately it was too much for me to read during the beginning of all that so I had to put it down for almost a year. This is basically a post apocalyptic style story, starting with a pandemic. I finished The Rise of Magicks last month and the entire series was a great story, though I found myself wondering about the writing style, specifically her dialog. It was oddly choppy in these books and felt unnatural. I’ve read a lot of Nora Roberts in my life and this is the only time I’ve ever felt like this. So, hopefully a fluke.

I also just finished Nora Robert’s “Legacy” which was a pretty awesome book, mystery romance. I loved it.

Most of the early part of this year was consumed with Kevin Hearne's Iron Druid series! I listened to the entire series on Audiobook because I absolutely loved the narration. I still miss this story and these characters being in my life.

Next up… I’m not sure. I’ll figure out something soon.

2Karlstar
Jul 18, 2021, 4:00 pm

Congrats on your first thread!

3YouKneeK
Jul 18, 2021, 4:57 pm

>1 Silversi: Welcome! :) I haven’t read A Song for Arbonne yet, although I’ve read a few of his other books. I’ve liked some more than others, but I do usually enjoy his writing in general.

I listened to the first Iron Druid book on audio this year myself and I enjoyed it quite a bit too. I only listened to the first one because I’m using audiobooks more as a series-sampling tactic right now, but I hope to revisit the series someday.

4Silversi
Jul 18, 2021, 7:18 pm

>3 YouKneeK: Completely understand that, but the narrator on this particular series makes it better for me anyway. Oberon's voice is just hilarious.

5clamairy
Jul 18, 2021, 9:16 pm

>1 Silversi: So glad you've decided to start a thread.

I've only read three of Guy Gavriel Kay's books and that was my least favorite of the three. I didn't hate it, but I truly loved the other two.

6Silversi
Editado: Jul 19, 2021, 12:45 pm

>5 clamairy: The Fionavar tapestry books are so good. 1. The Summer Tree 2. The Wandering Fire 3. The Darkest Road. Other than A Song for Arbonne, those are the only ones I've read, but I loved them.

7Busifer
Editado: Jul 19, 2021, 4:12 pm

I was going to say that A song for Arbonne felt like kind of a sketch, a way to explore an expression; a way away from what came before, and maybe that's what you find jarring?
In my personal opinion both The Lions of Al-Rassan and The Sarantine Mosaic (starting with Sailing to Sarantium) are better, but other thinks his prose conceived, and don't enjoy how he borrows from actual history without writing historical fiction.
Maybe where he went after The Fionavar Tapestry just doesn't appeal to you. I, on the other hand, am disappointed every time he returns to that style and storyline (Ysabel, and Last light of the sun). But maybe those are more to your liking? Ysabel picks upp from Fionavar, but in modern times.

8Karlstar
Jul 19, 2021, 9:47 pm

>7 Busifer: Interesting, I'm a big fan of The Sarantine Mosaic and Last Light of the Sun, I did not mind that style.

9Silversi
Jul 19, 2021, 9:58 pm

>7 Busifer: Honestly, what I found jarring was the large amounts of rape and murder that was mostly implied (thankfully) but it was still enough that it did not seem necessary. I already got the "I'm evil" vibe from the king, it was bad enough at the beginning with the death of the dog by starving cats for entertainment. I did not find this book to feel like a sketch, though I did feel like it was sloggish in the middle.

10Silversi
Jul 19, 2021, 10:28 pm

I forgot a great one I read this year.. it was one of the choices on the first reads for Amazon prime members. The Light Through the Leaves: A Novel
by Glendy Vanderah It was fantastic. I had never heard of this author, but this book really touched me and I found it very hard to put down.

11Sakerfalcon
Jul 20, 2021, 6:09 am

Ooh, a new thread to follow! I hope you read lots of good books to report on!

Re: GGK the Sarantium duology are my favourites of his, with Tigana and The lions of Al-Rassan also high up there.

12Silversi
Jul 20, 2021, 10:25 am

>11 Sakerfalcon: I will certainly try to report on as many as I can! Thanks :-) I try to give lots of stuff a chance and not stick myself in a genre corner. Though there will likely be an unbalanced amount of Nora Roberts books. She's that author I go to when I just need to lose myself in a comfortable, familiar place.

13Silversi
Jul 20, 2021, 10:29 am

Just started The Alchemist last night as a, something to check off my list until I find something I want to read, story. Kind of bored so far, but it's only about 200ish pages so going to try to figure out why it's considered a modern day classic by some.

14Busifer
Jul 20, 2021, 12:57 pm

>9 Silversi: I think I felt it to be a sketch for two main reasons:
- in my opinion he relied (too much) on imagery that he had already used in Fionavar, and
- the next book that he wrote and published - The Lions of Al-Rassan - felt better crafted, while still reusing some of his favorite archetypes, tropes and images.

It has been such a long time since I read Arbonne, I mainly remember thinking that Kay has a very set idea of what a male hero should be, and all those owls. It is not the one GGK that I enjoyed the most.
Also, absolute black and white aren't that interesting. In Lions sides are more of a floating shade, though there are 100% bad people in there, too.

>8 Karlstar: I absolutely hated Last light of the sun. I think it's the magical element, I read very little fantasy, and for a reason. The more inexplicable (to me) magic, magical beings, and so on, the less I like it. The subgenre I like the least is urban fantasy, hence my dislike for Ysabel.
That is NOT a pronunciation on anyone else's likes and dislikes. We all like and dislike different things, for various reasons, and I think it is a good thing. The world would be boring if everyone was a standardized carbon copy.

>11 Sakerfalcon: Those are the GGK books that I like the best.

15MrsLee
Jul 21, 2021, 1:35 pm

Welcome! Looking forward to following your entries.

16Silversi
Editado: Jul 24, 2021, 1:55 pm

Alright, I decided what to read, A breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon. I realized that the next season of the series on Starz will be coming out soon(ish) and I hadn't caught up in the book yet. The Alchemist failed to keep my interest, it's not horrible, it's just not interesting either.

17clamairy
Jul 25, 2021, 9:39 am

>16 Silversi: Hope you enjoy it. I have done the audiobooks for this series, and I listened to this one in 2014 and the next one in 2018. I have the one after that but haven't listened to it yet. I'm way behind you on the Starz series though. The last episode I watched was so depressing that I am taking a break. The torture/murder of the slave. I ended up subscribing to Starz so I could watch Men in Kilts, which was a lot of fun. Have you watched that yet?

18Silversi
Jul 27, 2021, 11:04 am

That was a pretty bad episode. I often have to take breaks after some of the shows just to get my head back in the right place. I enjoy the story and feel like it's a part of my life though so I can't stop watching it. I have watched Men in Kilts! It is a lot of fun. I should watch it more often, I've only seen a couple of episodes. I love the back and forth banter and the places they go are just beautiful.

19Silversi
Editado: Ago 3, 2021, 11:09 pm

Currently I have too many things going -

I started listening to All the Possibilities by Nora Roberts which is part of a series of books about the MacGregor family. I recently finished the first two in the series. For whatever reason I only managed to read one or two of them in all of the years I've been reading Nora Roberts. It's odd how as you get older, things are less enjoyable than they used to be, or rather, maybe just different things are more enjoyable. In any case, I will keep listening to them because, the audiobook service I'm using has the entire collection for no extra charge than the monthly fee and just to say I have, plus, I find I don't have to pay a lot of attention while I'm listening and still get the idea of what's going on, so it makes for good afternoon listening. However.. I am not enjoying her older romance books as much as I once did. I think I'm getting old.

I'm still listening to Diana Gabaldon A breath of Snow and Ashes, but if I don't listen closely to that one, I lose track of what's going on quickly. So I have to be in a frame of mind to really listen. I think after I'm done with the actual reading I'm doing, I'll switch to the book.

I'm *trying* to read The Eye of the World with my husband, but I'm on chapter 5 and he's on.. I don't know, chapter 30 or something but this is typical lol. I am enjoying the book though. I need to start the reading earlier, I keep falling asleep in bed instead of reading.

This upcoming weekend we are traveling to see my parents for my mother's 70th birthday. It's a 7 hour trip and I'll miss our cats but will be happy to see my daughter and parents for our once or twice a year trip there. Not much reading will be done by me.

20Sakerfalcon
Ago 4, 2021, 8:30 am

Awww, lovely cat!

21clamairy
Ago 4, 2021, 8:34 am

>19 Silversi: Ah, what a cutie! Enjoy your family gathering!

Yes, the good (and bad!) thing about audiobooks are that they just keep going on without you when your attention wanders off. I end up hitting the 'rewind' tab very frequently.

22Silversi
Ago 4, 2021, 8:46 am

She is my pretty girl.
Previously a sad shelter cat (4 years or so ago) and now she is a bossy, princess of the house.

23Silversi
Ago 9, 2021, 10:46 pm

We're home... and just to make it a booky post, we did attempt to listen to Digital Fortress by Dan Brown on audio book while we drove home today and ugh it was horrible. At least I thought so, we didn't finish it. It seemed pointless. I have liked his books in the past. We listened to at least 2 of them on drives to see my family and had a good time doing it. Anyway, the trip went well, though we are happy to be home. The cats seem pretty happy too!

24MrsLee
Ago 11, 2021, 5:12 pm

>23 Silversi: My husband and I didn't last more than 20 minutes on the audio of The DaVinci Code, it wasn't the narrator's fault, it was that hearing the story pointed out the weaknesses in the writing.

25Silversi
Ago 11, 2021, 10:15 pm

>24 MrsLee: We read The DaVinci Code together a long time ago, I liked it but I can also see how listening to it would make the flaws come out more because I'm pretty sure we did the same thing with one of the other ones, The Lost Symbol maybe.

26Silversi
Editado: Ago 16, 2021, 7:29 pm

Current reading/listening list:

Early reviewers book just came today so I'll dig into that in a few minutes: The Day After by Shani Roffeh -

Audiobook: Key of Light by Nora Roberts book one in the Key Series

27Silversi
Ago 23, 2021, 1:04 pm

The Day After was a terribly written book, is was said to be based on a true story but there's some reviews that said it was just a work of fiction. I guess I don't care either way except for the lie aspect. In any case, I'm not sure they even bothered to try editing it. They couldn't even come up with a consistent spelling for the main character's name. To top that off, I think something was lost in the translating of it. It was a giant waste of time and took great effort to read what I did of it. I'm just glad that I didn't pay for it.

28-pilgrim-
Ago 23, 2021, 2:56 pm

>27 Silversi: Who was it by?

29Silversi
Ago 25, 2021, 11:00 pm

>28 -pilgrim-: Shani Roffeh This was an early reviewers book.

30-pilgrim-
Ago 26, 2021, 7:03 am

>29 Silversi: Thank you. That sounded dire enough that I want to avoid it, but it is a common title and I wouldn't want to reject the wrong book.

Authors who are so full of themselves that they expect the reader to do their proofreading for them, as they are too lazy, or so self-important that they think it "beneath them", should not expect to be read.

31Silversi
Sep 1, 2021, 11:05 pm

Surprise trip to Barnes and Nobles today with my husband, it's always fun when he plays hookie from work for a few minutes and we go somewhere out of the blue.
I came home with Hour of the Witch: A Novel by Chris Bohjalian. I've had it on my wish list since May so I'm looking forward to getting into it. Four chapters in so far and it's very well done. A sad start, but then I knew that was going to be the case.

32Sakerfalcon
Sep 2, 2021, 4:35 am

>31 Silversi: Surprise bookshop visits are the best, especially in good company!