the Little Red Reviewer

not including what I got from the library

Posted on: July 13, 2011

Because I just can’t help myself, you know?  Nature abhors a vacuum like my credit at my favorite local bookstore abhors not being spent. Who cares that I just got a half dozen books from the library?  Bookstores are my kryptonite! Even more so after one of the employees let slip they’d just gotten in a ton of vintage SF.

teh new goodies:

 

from bottom to top, we’ve got:

A Feast for Crows, by George R R Martin. I got this out of the library a few years ago, I wish I’d thought to buy it before they changes the cover art to the “new” style. now my Martin covers don’t match!  :(  I can’t decide if I’m going to buy into the hype and purchase Dance with Dragons in hardback, or just get it from the library and wait to purchase until it’s in paperback.

Doomsday Book by Connie Willis.  I’ve never read any Willis, but I keep hearing really good things about her.

Lord Valentine’s Castle by Robert Silverberg.  Another one I’d gotten from the library a few years ago, it was my first Silverberg.  After I finished it, I remember my husband asking me what I thought of it as this is one of his favorites too, and I expressly remember saying that not only did I want to learn how to juggle, but if we ever had a son, I wanted to name him Valentine.

Moon over Soho by Ben Aaronovitch.  I really enjoyed the first book in this series, Midnight Riot, and I’ve been hearing this 2nd one is just as fun too.

Stalking the Unicorn, by Mike Resnick – it just looked fun. and the acknowledgement pages makes some reference to a friend of Resnick’s who is the “God emperor” of something, which made me chuckle. and that brings us to . . .

The Heaven Makers, by Frank Herbert.  You wouldn’t know it by skimming the review index, but I am a HUGE Frank Herbert fan.  I think I’ve read maybe a dozen books by him, and I know most of his discography by sight. But this is one I have never even heard of! Anyone know anything about this title?

 

 

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16 Responses to "not including what I got from the library"

Doomsday Book was my first Willis novel and sadly, it put me off reading anything else by her for some time. I don’t know how I came to read To Say Nothing of the Dog years later, but it’s set in the same universe and I loved it.

Possibly I just need to revisit Doomsday with fresh perspective.

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“Because I just can’t help myself, you know?”

Who can?!?! :)

I have a copy of The Doomsday Book and I’ve heard wonderful things, but after reading Willis’ short story, “Fire Watch”, I know that my first Willis novel will be the Blackout/All Clear combination. They build from or around that short story and I loved it. In fact I’ve read part of Blackout already and enjoyed it, but it was a library loaner and the timing just wasn’t right for me.

Lord Valentine’s Castle is a Silverberg that I am interested in. Perhaps because you mentioned it before? I asked someone recently where I should start with him and I suspect it was you.

I have the first 3 Martin paperbacks, in the ‘older’ style. The new ones aren’t much better, but I am tempted to go back and get all the newer ones in hardback now that they are re-releasing them. Don’t need to spend the money though. I’ve only read the first and part of the second so the cash outlay doesn’t seem to be justifiable.

I’ll be interested in your thoughts on the Herbert book. I am not well versed in his output beyond the Dune books and this is one I’ve never seen nor heard of.

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Yay for new books!

I have credit at the bookstore, too, and I am tempted to go spend some today… I hope you enjoy your new books!

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I adore the Peter Grant series. Good choices!

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I’m going to hold off on GRRM’s new book until I know the publishing schedule of the next couple. Since there’s been 1 book in 11 years, I’m going to have to go back and re-read them all again, and I’m only going to do that ONCE.

I liked “Doomsday Book” though it was slllllooooooowwww to pick up. The 2nd half is great. I like “Dog” and I loved the simple snarky fun of “Bellwether”.

I read Silverberg a couple of years ago, and it never grabbed me.

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You really like those Ben Aaronovitch books, Andrea? I’ve seen ‘em around and wasn’t sure if they were cool or too L. Hamiltonish for me to be seen with. ;-)

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Scott, I’ve only read the 1st one so far, it was really fun. Kinda Dresden files-ish, but way snarkier. and i always likes me some snark!

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Enjoy. I have the same problem…books need homes where they will be loved.

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Doomsday is the only one of Willis’s books that I’ve read so far but I really enjoyed it and definitely plan on reading more.

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Bookstores are totally my Kryptonite too! Or maybe, just so I don’t steal your super powers or anything, they’re the Yellow to my Green Power Ring. I went to one last week intending to simply help a friend find a book or two that featured dragons, but I ended up leaving with a stack of very old Conan novels.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy all of your books! I loved A Feast for Crows and although Doomsday Book fell slightly short of my expectations, it was pretty fascinating over all. I can’t wait to read your reviews for them.

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this is why I made the switch to ebooks. Our condo can’t handle weekly [or even monthly] infusions of new to us books. Space is premium :-)

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I actually vastly prefer the new GRRM covers (both UK and US) – I loathe ‘traditional’ fantasy covers, whereas I like the simple elegance of the new editions.

Waiting for my copy of ADWD to arrive as I write these words. After six years, what are a few days more, I guess…

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I am just not finding the time right now to read this book. I think that I am going to have to get it on audiobook :) It seems that I am able to get further by listening to books as of late..:)

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opps..this was meant to go under the Dune post.

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…Avalon book store up at portage and centre has some more of Silverberg’s Valentine books.

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at this point, i think I’ve read just about everything Willis has put out, and there isn’t a bad one in there…..all her books are top notch, but I’m most fond of the time travel historian books, with ‘to say nothing’ probably at the top….(just love the screwball comedy, plus the love story) Blackout was amazing. but Doomsday book….that was (for me) the start of it all….the first book of hers that I’d come across…..I’d seen it at Bakka bookstore (where cory doctorow used to work, donchaknow) and the staff there had given it rave reviews…so i bought it….and wow….equal parts funny, and tragic, and all of it wonderful.

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some of the books reviewed here were free ARCs supplied by publishers/authors/other groups. Some of the books here I got from the library. the rest I *gasp!* actually paid for. I'll do my best to let you know what's what.
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