Jean (Majkia) TBR's in 2015

After probably far too much thought, here's the list, sort of in order of how I'll read them, based on them also filling other challenges:

I'm hoping to read all of them.

Main:
✔ 1. Emperor :The Gates of Rome -Conn Iggulden 1/15
✔ 2. The Last Kingdom - Bernard Cornwell 3/15
✔ 3. Thomas the Rhymer - Ellen Kushner 4/15
✔ 4. The Iron King - Maurice Druon 5/15
✔ 5. Lions of Al-Rassan - Guy Gavriel Kay 6/15
✔ 6. A Madness of Angels - Kate Griffith 7/15
✔ 7. A Conspiracy of Paper - David Liss 9/15
✔ 8. The Sparrow - Mary Doria Russell 8/15
✔ 9. Cranford - Elizabeth Gaskell 9/15
✔ 10. Bellman & Black - Diane Sutterfield 11/15
11. Howard's End - E.M. Forster
12. Bring Up the Bodies - Hilary Mantel

Alternates:
✔ 1. Imperium - Robert Harris 3/15
✔ 2. The City & the City - China Mieville 3/15
✔ 3. The Princess Bride - William Goldman 5/15
4. Among Others - Jo Walton
✔ 5. Quicksilver - Neal Stephenson 3/15
✔ 6. Restoration - Rose Tremain 7/15
7. Sharpe's Tiger - Bernard Cornwell
8. Armadale - Wilkie Collins
✔ 9. The Summoner - Gail Z. Martin 10/15
✔ 10. The Tenderness of Wolves - Stef Penney 12/15
✔ 11. Under the Eagle - Simon Scarrow 10/15
12. Garnethill - Denise Mina

I'd say all that thought has paid off. Hurrah for Guy Kay (you've picked one of his best) and Forster (just read that and loved it). I've contemplated Gaskell's North and South. Mieville I've heard great things about. The Princess Bride has a lot of meta framing around it, will like to see your opinion on that as mileage varies. I've read some Stephenson but not that trilogy. Cornwell is on my TBR pile I think, different title though. I've not read either of Collins' best known works but would like to.

I've read Quicksilver and really enjoyed it. I made the mistake, though, a couple of years ago, of rereading it in order to remind myself of the very complicated shenanigans before I dove into the next 2, so I read all 3 in a row. Too much Stephenson all at once, I can tell you!

It looks as if you are reading Mieville for Feb for the British Authors Challenge? I am too--probably The Scar; I read Perdido Street Station a couple of years ago and loved it.

Others here that I've loved are Restoration--due for a reread--and The Lions of Al-Rassan, which I found out about from another LTer.

You've got a great list!

The only title on your lists that I've read is Howard's End, which I have fond memories of. The only other author on same that I've read is Neal Stephenson (Cryptonomicon, which is a whale of a book).

>4 artturnerjr:, re Stephenson ... I remember that! :)

Gaskell... I've read her, but its been eons ago. So I got hold of Cranford so will jump into it.

Good to hear that Quicksilver is good. It's been on my TBR for forever. I love Stephenson. Reamde, another tome, was awesome! So was Cryptonomicon. I adore books about codes or complex puzzles. Can you tell?

As for Mieville, yes, reading him for the BAC. I've read Perdido Street Station and am looking forward to The Scar. But City & the City I've owned for forever so need to finally get to it.

I've read Guy Kay but absolutely hated Tigana. I found it way too depressing so stopped reading it about half way. I also have some past abuse issues and it was triggering for me. His other stuff I've enjoyed, but after Tigana I've avoided him. Time to get over that.

I've heard both sides on Restoration. Apparently that's one of those love it or hate it books. We'll see where I fall!

This year my TBR list is heavy on historical fiction, which is weird since I read a lot more sci fi and fantasy than I do historical fiction. But I've accumulated a lot of what I hope will be excellent HF, so time to get to some of it at least.

Not too familiar with most of the books on your list but do have Among Others on my wishlist so I'll be interested in how you like it. Good luck!

Great list! The only one I have read is The Princess Bride, which I liked a lot.

>5 Cecrow:

Ah yes! My epic literary battle of 2012 lol. Glad I read it, though; I still think about that book all the time. :)

Emperor: The Gates of Rome - Conn Iggulden. (Categories V -Bingo Dog and IX - Historical)


Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: Very Good

I was surprised to read that this was Conn Iggulden's first novel. He did a bang up job as a new novelist.

He begins the story of Julius Caesar when Julius (Gaius as he was known as a child) was still a young boy living on his father's minor estate. From there we follow him, and his childhood companion Marcus into the city of Rome and their immersion into the politics and the pitfalls of the city. Young Marcus, with no money of his own, and no family to help him rise, is the fist to join the legions and head out to make his name in the military.

Julius remains in the city and is taken under the wing of his mother's brother, a consul of Rome and a great General.

But Julius's life is thrown into doubt when Marius and his rival General Sulla, fight over Rome itself.

Colorful and nicely written, the time, the city and the boys come to life.

I haven't read a good Rome story since The Light Bearer, although I've the first couple volumes by Colleen McCullough (The First Man in Rome, etc.) on the TBR pile.

>10 majkia:

Between you and Stacy, I'm feeling like a real slacker. :/

The Last Kingdom - Bernard Cornwell



Genre: Historical Fiction

Rating: Good

I confess to knowing nothing whatsoever about this period in Britain’s history so I have no idea how accurate the historical details are, although Cornwell does say something with regard to that in the afterward.

The action takes place when the Danes were overrunning England and had captured essentially most of it with the exception of West Sussex where Alfred, to be called Alfred the Great, is keeping them at bay.

The tale is told by a young man whose family is killed in a Danish attack. The boy attempts to kill one of the Danish leaders, Ragnar, and is subsequently adopted by the same fellow. He finds the young boy’s spirit that of a Dane and a Viking, and so the boy grows up as a Dane, learning how they fight, how they believe and how they think. He still dreams of his home though, and secretly wants the Danes out and the English to regain their homeland.

The story follows the boy’s life up until he is grown and finds himself torn between the two worlds.

Intriguing character development and interesting to me as I knew nothing about the Vikings nearly conquering England.

I haven't tried Cornwell yet but I hear great things. I've a trilogy by him on the TBR pile, starting with The Archer's Tale that I never seem to get around to (among a hundred others ...).

There's a good overview of Viking history as portrayed in novels here (includes Cornwell's series):
http://www.historicalnovels.info/Best-Viking-Novels.html

Oh thanks for that link. I enjoy his writing. I've got bits and pieces of his several series, picked up when I can find them on sale. What I've read I've enjoyed. He does paint the time period very nicely so you feel like you are there. And his characters are well drawn and believable.

That does look like a good one! I added it to my WL.

The City & The City - China Mieville


Genre: Urban Fantasy Noir
Rating: Amazing

Mieville has an ability to imagine world and city-scapes that are so alien and fascinating.

Two cities/two worlds superimposed over each other, where citizens of one must ‘unsee’ those of the other. Areas of shared scape or totally separate cities, intermixed who knows how or why. The citizens just have to live there.

A detective of one city finds a dead body. But he begins to suspect that this isn’t only about his city, and that means the mysterious Breach might be invoked, the mystery that citizens of both cities fear.

Again, Mieville creates a world that is as much a character in the story as the humans living in it. Wonderfully imaginative, nicely noir and convincingly complex.

I've thought often of sampling China Mieville but not sure which title would be best. I'm thinking Perdido Street Station just because it was his first.

I'm going to get checkmark-jealousy, those look really sharp!

I've liked all the Mieville I've read. This is perhaps my favorite so far.

To do the checkmarks, type & #x2714; without the space. :)

I read Perdido Street Station, and I liked it, but it did take me a while to get into it. I thought that was a terrific title. This one sounds pretty interesting as well. I will check it out!

Quicksilver - Neal Stephenson


Genre: Alt History/Historical Fiction/SFF
Rating: Wow

I’ve been putting off saying anything about this book, because I wasn’t sure how to put it. It is an ambitious book, a retelling of the history of science, taking on the change from alchemy to science, and the massive social changes coming from the Reformation and the Plague.

If you don’t like science, you probably won’t like it. We meet many of the fathers of science, and they aren’t always figures to look up to, at least not personally, even if they are brilliant and driven.

I found it fascinating.

Interesting. I think I have a book or two of his around here somewhere. I will have to look for it.

Me too; I've only read Cryptonomicon, but I also have The Diamond Age, Anathem, and I've been meaning to pick up Snow Crash. I figure I should probably read a bit more of him first though, before I keep collecting him.

I really enjoyed The Diamond Age and Cryptonomicon and adored Reamde.

There at the end of our RVing trip to Topsail I became lax about posting about my reading. Here's what I've read since my last post:

31. Thomas the Rhymer by Ellen Kushner. Meh. Not nearly as good as her Riverside books. Well written, but constrained by the fact it is a retelling of fairy stories.

I've never read her adult novels, but I remember her name from my Choose Your Own Adventure fascination in grade school. I collected the first seventy of those, have them in a box somewhere, and I know she authored a few.

Finished The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell. I believe I read this eons ago and no doubt I hated it then too. It was a struggle to finish it. Meaningless cruelty in the name of religion, in my opinion. Your mileage will no doubt vary greatly.

Bellman and Black was very odd. Still having to think about it. Not the sort of ghost story one expects.

I've read and liked Setterfield's The Thirteenth Tale but her follow-up doesn't seem to have achieved nearly the same level of success.

>29 Cecrow: Very true. Because it is so very different than her first, and is so very odd, I expect.

I'm done for the year. I've gotten to 18 of 24 so not too bad. Hope to do better next year, and to keep up with my threads better than I did this year.

2016 thread is here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/206564

Have a wonderful holiday season. Stay safe!

>31 majkia:

Good stuff! Same to you. :)

I didn't notice you finished The Lions of Al-Rassan; how did you like it?

>33 Cecrow: One of my favorite reads of the year. :)

Oh, and you also finished The Iron King, I want to start that series too. I definitely recommend circling back to Howards End sometime, that was probably my favourite 2014 read.