Probably finish this tonight. Interesting, the plot is a bit like a 90s coming of age film, with a healthy dose of pretension. What makes me laugh is how much of the scholarly pretense is just made up non-sense (like most real scholarly pretense). There was a particular illness that she listed and I had no idea what it was, so I googled it. it was invented by the author, as are many of the books and quotations. [thatsthejoke.jpg]
How is the Boy in the Suitcase? It's on sale at kindle this month, and I was considering it.
Well I bought it after I saw your question, @amclark2, because it was $1.39 on kindle and I was ready for a quick novel. I'm almost a third of the way through and I have to say so far I'm not a big fan. Not sure if I'll finish it. Hard to put my finger on why, but I just don't care very much about the characters at this point, even though the scenario (involving child abduction) ought to be moving, and so far it has not really generated much suspense for me, though the prose is decent. The crucial choices made by Nina, a central character, did not strike me as plausible, and the strategies for making them seem plausible did not persuade me (and were too obviously strategies). It might be me - I've been rather too busy and tired lately, and that has a way of flattening life out. It's probably worth $1.39 and your mileage may vary. I'll update if I get further and it gets better - this is comment based on partial reading.
I quite liked The Boy in the Suitcase, I gave it 3/5 on Goodreads. I do agree it suffers a bit from the common problem of mysteries where JUST GO TO THE FRIGGING POLICE ALREADY. Although later in the book I think it does a better job of making this more psychologically plausible. I've read a couple of highly touted Scandinavian crime books recently that really disappointed me and this didn't do that. I'd happily read another from the authors and in the series but probably would wait to get it for a good price.
I gave 5/5 to What it Takes the other I put up there, fantastic for politics nerds.
I got Boy in the Suitcase for $1.39 the day I posted about it - too cheap to skip. Scandinavian crime seems all the rage and I haven't really read any. I'll post about it when I get to it, which may be a while.
I'm sure it is but I think it's less effective in music. The majority of people listen to what they know from big labels and big promotions. And people like us don't lightly part with money for something based on a review unless it's a trusted source.
Also, of course, it is much easier to sample music in advance of purchase. I wouldn't want to read a couple of pages out of each chapter of a fiction book beofre buying, yet I do the equivalent for music regularly. Interestingly though I have seen the sampling approch for academic books and travel books too
I think in music the thing would be to do YouTube hits; once a thing starts trending, it snowballs, and musicians ca be made by a popular YouTube video. I wonder if there are services selling YouTube hits?
Brain engaged: the late great scholar on a tour through Shakespeare's language. Takes time to build his argument, but really hits his stride in the discussion of the great plays
Brain disengaged: These stories seem breathlessly silly now, but what a splash of cold water when they came out.
The Old Man and the Wasteland, debut novel from Nick Cole. 99 cents on Kindle, a bit short but worth a buck. He uses the Old Man and the Seas a a semi-model to twist the the post apocalyptic genre, and it has a positive ending. Well, less that horrific anyway.
Excited to have fellow travelers to Westeros entering ADWD. I haven't done the re-read yet (read the previous 4 volumes 3 times, or was it 4?), but I'm looking forward, what 900 pages or so from now, to see how you feel about it, sans spoilers of course.
Just finished Volume 11 of The Wheel Of Time series, the last the original author wrote before passing. I have the next 2 co-authored volumes and the final comes out in January so I should still have some idea what the hell is going on by then. Found Volume 11 more satisfactory than the previous several in terms of plot movement, so I'm all in at this point. Have to know how it turns out.
I only hope GRR Martin has the decency to finish his series, but it doesn't look like much effort is going into it at this time.
BdB: You'll have to tell us how the last few WoT books go. I can't remember if I made it to the 11th or not, it was so long ago if I did read it and it came out. The bar was rather low by book 11 after so many books of minimal plot development.
@BigD I remember when he was doing the last one and he posted on his blog about watching the Super Bowl or something and the Internet FREAKED that he wasn't writing 24/7. I mean, cut the guy some slack he's allowed to have some off time like the rest of us. I'm pretty sure he knows people are waiting ...
cafreema:
I looked to see if the forum supports the spoiler bbcode. It doesn't. I was thinking perhaps we should use a mailing list. Even then we would have to agree how far into the series we would discuss.
I would think it would have to be everything that has been published officially, ie up to and including A Dance with Dragons. Too confusing otherwise. I know some chapters or parts of chapters of Winds of Winter have been officially released but I don't think they contain anything particularly spoilery.
I was thinking the same thing NankerP mentioned. We can't undo the fact that we understand the events in the earlier books better or differently because of information that is revealed in the later books.
Comments
Drift: The Unmooring of American Military Power
Probably finish this tonight. Interesting, the plot is a bit like a 90s coming of age film, with a healthy dose of pretension. What makes me laugh is how much of the scholarly pretense is just made up non-sense (like most real scholarly pretense). There was a particular illness that she listed and I had no idea what it was, so I googled it. it was invented by the author, as are many of the books and quotations. [thatsthejoke.jpg]
Tore through the first two, highly recommended.
Well I bought it after I saw your question, @amclark2, because it was $1.39 on kindle and I was ready for a quick novel. I'm almost a third of the way through and I have to say so far I'm not a big fan. Not sure if I'll finish it. Hard to put my finger on why, but I just don't care very much about the characters at this point, even though the scenario (involving child abduction) ought to be moving, and so far it has not really generated much suspense for me, though the prose is decent. The crucial choices made by Nina, a central character, did not strike me as plausible, and the strategies for making them seem plausible did not persuade me (and were too obviously strategies). It might be me - I've been rather too busy and tired lately, and that has a way of flattening life out. It's probably worth $1.39 and your mileage may vary. I'll update if I get further and it gets better - this is comment based on partial reading.
I gave 5/5 to What it Takes the other I put up there, fantastic for politics nerds.
On to this now
Brain disengaged: These stories seem breathlessly silly now, but what a splash of cold water when they came out.
Ray Bradbury, cheap Zin, and Miles Davis, The Legendary Prestige Sessions. Other than being a bit too warm, a good night indeed.
Craig
The Old Man and the Wasteland, debut novel from Nick Cole. 99 cents on Kindle, a bit short but worth a buck. He uses the Old Man and the Seas a a semi-model to twist the the post apocalyptic genre, and it has a positive ending. Well, less that horrific anyway.
Just finished Volume 11 of The Wheel Of Time series, the last the original author wrote before passing. I have the next 2 co-authored volumes and the final comes out in January so I should still have some idea what the hell is going on by then. Found Volume 11 more satisfactory than the previous several in terms of plot movement, so I'm all in at this point. Have to know how it turns out.
I only hope GRR Martin has the decency to finish his series, but it doesn't look like much effort is going into it at this time.
Pick your poison, winter is coming.
Craig
Good idea Craig.
I looked to see if the forum supports the spoiler bbcode. It doesn't. I was thinking perhaps we should use a mailing list. Even then we would have to agree how far into the series we would discuss.
Separate book threads, that would work.
Craig