Book poll

[sholio]

I've been wanting to talk more about the books I'm reading on my journal, but I seem to suck at doing reading roundup posts, and besides, in-depth discussions are more fun anyway. So, which of these books would you like to see me talk about? This poll isn't really binding, but I'm curious how many of these books my f'list has read, since the more of you that have read a book, the more interesting the discussion will be.

[Poll #1347258]

I'll probably think of a half-dozen more books I've read lately that would make interesting discussions after I post the poll...

I also dithered about whether to include the Bear book in the list, but I think it would make a particularly interesting discussion in light of recent Internet happenings, considering that one of the problems I had with the book -- which I nattered about at length to naye back in October or whenever it was that I read it -- was the cultural stuff ...

Comments

[parisindy.livejournal.com]

sadly i've never heard of any of those before

[sholio]

ah well!

[bratfarrar]

The only title I recognized was the fourth, so I picked that.

[sholio]

I actually voted in my own poll, but just so that I could see how the totals were updating without having to click through to another page. I wonder how many people do that ...

[snarkydame.livejournal.com]

I've heard interesting things about Tobias Buckell's books, but I haven't picked them up yet -- it'd be cool to hear more.

[sholio]

I'm thoroughly hooked on them right now. The only problem is that he's only written three of them! Woe! This is the problem with getting into relatively new authors...

[sholio]

I adore Kindred! The only Butler I had read prior to that one was "Parable of the Sower", and while it was very well-written, it was so goddawful depressing that it took me a long time (much too long!) to try any of her other books.

The thing about Carnival is that it's going to be really, really easy to write up, because I wrote a bunch of emails to naye after finishing it -- I had a lot of things I really liked about the book, and a couple of things I really didn't like (one of which was, yes, that I found the main characters very uninteresting, though the supporting cast was quite awesome), and I've got all those thoughts nicely written out in emails already, so all I have to do is find the emails and work them up into a post.

[jaekayelle.livejournal.com]

I picked the Lymond books because I've tried and tried to hook other people on them and failed mightily. Could be the first one is off putting somehow and scares them away. But the series is epic and Francis is addictive. And you've read them!

[sholio]

Well, I've read up to book four so far. My biggest problem with the series is that I actually dislike Francis, quite a lot, but the other characters are engaging enough to make up for it. :D

[sgatazmy.livejournal.com]

I haven't ready any of the above, but I vote for NOT Butler. I don't know what it is about her books that really just bothers me.

Any of the above books you recommend reading?

[sholio]

I recommend the Tobias Buckell books *very* highly. They're kind of like a blend of sci-fi and steampunk, very adventure-y and fast-paced and fun. I find his writing style a bit clunky to my readers' ear, but the books are entertaining enough to make up for it.

I also really love the Noughts & Crosses books, though they're more in the line of social commentary than escapism. And I enjoyed Carnival a lot, even though I had a few problems with it.

[horridporrid.livejournal.com]

Hilariously, the only books in the list I've read are the Lymond Chronicles (which were awesome), so that's what I voted for. But I'd love to hear your thoughts on the other books, just to see if there was something I'd be interested in. :)

[sholio]

Like I was saying above to jaekayelle, my biggest problem with the Lymond books is that I don't particularly like the main character, which is why I quit reading the series after book four. It sounds like things pick up again, though, so I might get the next two books from the library after I clear off some more of my reading backlog.

[cathexys.livejournal.com]

I've only read Kindred and it wasn't my favorite Butler...by far!

But I'd love to hear what you have to say about Bear's book :)

[sholio]

I adored Kindred, but the only other book of hers I'd read was "Parable of the Sower" and I didn't like it all that much -- it was well written, but too depressing for my tastes, and the morality felt heavy-handed to me. Kindred has given me the urge to seek out more of her writing, though.

It's starting to look like Carnival's going to be the first book I post on; it seems that there is interest, and I already have a bunch of analytical emails that I sent to a friend when I read the books last year, so I just need to find them and cull from them to make a coherent write-up.

[auburnnothenna.livejournal.com]

I feel like some kind of reading/discussion slut, since I ticked Kindred, Carnival and the Lymond Chronicles. I'd love to read anything in the reaction line to all of those, though it has been a long time since I read much of Butler's works.

I've only read one book by Tobias Bucknell - Ragamuffin - and it really didn't engage me. Don't know if it's my impaired ability to subsume myself in the fiction or just one of those 'I can see it's good, that doesn't make me like it' instances.

Would love to discuss Carnival, since my reaction was: I want to like it more than I did. The plot was there, the characters not so much.

[sholio]

I want to like it more than I did. The plot was there, the characters not so much.

Yeah, that was kind of how I felt. Actually I've had that reaction, to varying degrees, to all of Bear's books that I've read. I really do like them a lot, and in some ways (as far as the sort of things that interest her, that she writes about) there's a lot of brain-sharing going on -- she writes the kind of books that I always wanted to write. And yet, though I enjoy the process of reading them, I tend to end up feeling dissatisfied or uncomfortable at the end.

[blucola.livejournal.com]

I've always meant to read Kindred, but have never gotten around to it. I tend to say that a lot, working in a bookstore. LOL

[sholio]

Hee! I have SO MANY books on my "need to read" list -- the ones laying around the house that I haven't read yet, and the ones I haven't bought yet but always meant to read.

[livrelibre.livejournal.com]

I voted for Kindred since I love Butler and this gives me another excuse to reread. But I'd be interested to hear what you have to say about Buckell since I've been meaning to read him.

[sholio]

I am totally gone for Buckell right now -- I had trouble getting into the first third or so of Crystal Rain (it's got a definite "first novel" feeling to it) but the world-building is so awesome that I ended up falling head over heels in the end. I am a huge fan of genre fusion if it's done well, and his steampunk sci-fi is just about perfect.

[renisanz.livejournal.com]

Surprised so many people voted for Kindred. It's sitting on my "to read" list, as my older sis loaned it to me when she came home for Christmas break. I still haven't gotten past the forward. I have read the Patternist trilogy by Octavia Butler though, and it was pretty eye-opening as far as the type of scifi I've been wanting to read all along.

[sholio]

I need to read more Butler! I read Parable of the Sower and didn't really like it, for various reasons, but I adored Kindred and now I want to get more of her books. I've heard lots of good things about Wild Seed, so that might be the next one that I get. (But, OMG, I have so much to read! Not that it's a bad problem to have. :D)

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

I kind of wish you could talk about them all. I'm trying to get back into reading novels again that aren't TV or movie related, but it's so dang hard to find anything engaging. The trilogy I'm reading now - or trying to - are by a favorite author but I get the feeling they're from her early days. She's usually great when it comes to characterization, but in these books the characters are coming across as rather flat. It's making for a rather difficult read :/

[sholio]

Hopefully I'll get around to most of them eventually; the poll just gives me an idea of what my friends list has read, and I'd rather start with something that other people can discuss with me.

For a few years, I was having some trouble finding good books, but it certainly hasn't been an issue over the last year or two; I am positively drowning in books. :D And I'd love to push people towards the ones I liked! I definitely recommend giving Buckell a try; I absolutely love his steampunk-ish sci-fi.

Out of curiosity, what is the series you're reading that's disappointing you?

[flingslass.livejournal.com]

I haven't read any of these and yoou didn't put a button for those that just want to clicky the button :P

[sholio]

Heh, I never click those myself and never really saw the point of them ...

[greyias.livejournal.com]

I haven't read any of these... but the way you've mentioned Buckell in past posts may make me bump it up to the top of my list (well, after Hellburner and the last few chapters of the King book I'm so enamored with.) Out of curiosity, of the above books, which cast of characters has grabbed you the most? I figure I'll start there ;)

[sholio]

Hmm, character-wise, of the books on the list, Kindred is probably the one that sucked me in the most. It's a one-shot, though, and there are only three characters in the book; it's just that I adored the main character so utterly.

It took me awhile to fall for Buckell's characters, but when I did, I really, really fell. :D