More of a books-not-read log this time around
For many years, I have chosen my bathroom book -- yes, there's always a bathroom book -- by selecting the next unread (or at least unremembered) book from my shelves of softcover fiction paperbacks, which are stored alphabetically by author. The rule I've chosen is that if I can't or don't want to finish the book, it goes on the "take to used bookstore for credit" pile unless there's a very good reason.
After all these years, I'm only up to the middle of the C's. Last week, the next book in line was James Clavell's Gai-Jin. I'd just finished King Rat, which I enjoyed. (I loved Shogun, but was mostly meh about Noble House and Whirlwind. Gai-Jin was three times the length of King Rat (over 1,200 pages), and did not start out encouragingly. I decided to look it up in Wikipedia, and only continue if a) the main male character did not end up dead (as happened in several other of his books) or b) I had any reason to think there would be a Bechdel pass. The Wikipedia entry made it clear it failed on both counts. This one I kept only for possible reference, because it fits with the other Asian saga books, but I choose not to read it.
The next book on the shelf was Fire Bringer, by David Clement-Davies. I'm pretty sure I bought this book because it was published under the Firebird imprint. Unfortunately, the print was teeny-tiny, probably to minimize page count, because it was already pretty thick. This book got only one chapter read by me, then I went looking for reviews. Sure enough, all the reviews (which were highly polarized into "loved it" and "hated it") said it was like Watership Down, only with deer. I've already read Watership Down, and prefer bunnies to deer, so it went on the to-go pile. If someone makes a really good case for why I should continue reading, it'll have to be as an e-book.
Current bathroom book is Mark Clifton's When They Come from Space. I read it many years ago, but didn't remember much about it other than it being essentially a farce. I really wish I could find something else of Clifton's that I liked as well as "Star, Bright."
Just to show I'm not a complete book-grouch this week, I just finished On the Edge of Gone by Corinne Duyvis, which I read based on James Nicoll's review, and quite enjoyed.
Currently in the middle of The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman. I find it sufficiently un-gripping that I keep abandoning it for other books, but also keep going back to it a chapter or two at a time. I'm not sure what it is I find off-putting, but I think there may be some sort of pacing issue. It should be just my catnip. It's a first novel, so I'll probably give the next one a try when I finish this one.
I also downloaded and am reading Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality by Eliezer Yudkowsky (son of marsgov). I had started reading chapters as they were uploaded, but stopped when I stopped getting new chapter alerts from FF.net.
The current kitchen book is Our Hearts Were Young and Gay by Cornelia Otis Skinner and Emily Kimbrough -- a comfort re-re-re-read.
After all these years, I'm only up to the middle of the C's. Last week, the next book in line was James Clavell's Gai-Jin. I'd just finished King Rat, which I enjoyed. (I loved Shogun, but was mostly meh about Noble House and Whirlwind. Gai-Jin was three times the length of King Rat (over 1,200 pages), and did not start out encouragingly. I decided to look it up in Wikipedia, and only continue if a) the main male character did not end up dead (as happened in several other of his books) or b) I had any reason to think there would be a Bechdel pass. The Wikipedia entry made it clear it failed on both counts. This one I kept only for possible reference, because it fits with the other Asian saga books, but I choose not to read it.
The next book on the shelf was Fire Bringer, by David Clement-Davies. I'm pretty sure I bought this book because it was published under the Firebird imprint. Unfortunately, the print was teeny-tiny, probably to minimize page count, because it was already pretty thick. This book got only one chapter read by me, then I went looking for reviews. Sure enough, all the reviews (which were highly polarized into "loved it" and "hated it") said it was like Watership Down, only with deer. I've already read Watership Down, and prefer bunnies to deer, so it went on the to-go pile. If someone makes a really good case for why I should continue reading, it'll have to be as an e-book.
Current bathroom book is Mark Clifton's When They Come from Space. I read it many years ago, but didn't remember much about it other than it being essentially a farce. I really wish I could find something else of Clifton's that I liked as well as "Star, Bright."
Just to show I'm not a complete book-grouch this week, I just finished On the Edge of Gone by Corinne Duyvis, which I read based on James Nicoll's review, and quite enjoyed.
Currently in the middle of The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman. I find it sufficiently un-gripping that I keep abandoning it for other books, but also keep going back to it a chapter or two at a time. I'm not sure what it is I find off-putting, but I think there may be some sort of pacing issue. It should be just my catnip. It's a first novel, so I'll probably give the next one a try when I finish this one.
I also downloaded and am reading Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality by Eliezer Yudkowsky (son of marsgov). I had started reading chapters as they were uploaded, but stopped when I stopped getting new chapter alerts from FF.net.
The current kitchen book is Our Hearts Were Young and Gay by Cornelia Otis Skinner and Emily Kimbrough -- a comfort re-re-re-read.