Reading roundup (urban fantasy recs, take 3) + reading bingo and meme

[hamsterwoman]

10. Patricia Briggs, Iron Kissed
11. Patricia Briggs, Bone Crossed (Mercy Thompson, #3 and #4) -- so I'm going to talk about these together, because it really feels like one book broken in two, given the way Iron Kissed ends.

Comments

[ms_geekette]

Oooh, speaking of books, I *think* I may have a series for you! (Haven't read it, story of my life) Not sure if you have read it or not, but the wikipedia description made me think, "hmmm, Anna..."

The Laundry Files by Charles Stross
A series of science fiction spy thrillers about Bob Howard (a pseudonym taken for security purposes), a one-time I.T. consultant, now field agent working for British government agency "the Laundry", which deals with occult threats. Influenced by Lovecraft's visions of the future, and set in a world where a computer and the right mathematical equations is just as useful a tool-set for calling up horrors from other dimensions as a spell-book and a pentagram on the floor.

Stross has degrees in computer sci and pharmacy, and OMG, what if he pulls carbon into this thing?!? (Probably not, but hey....IT IS POSSIBLE!)

[ms_geekette]

Oooh, I see that you have read some Stross and didn't really like him, but maybe since this is not a fantasy, per se, it might turn out better? I just thought the math part was a neat thing and something that doesn't seem to be used a lot.

I don't really know of many *really* techy people who are good writers. I have my eye on a time travel series by Neve Maslakovic, who is/was an electrical engineer, but I dunno. On the fence about it, although I certainly do want to support other lady engineers, for sure.

[hamsterwoman]

Charlie Stross... Yeah, I read one of his books and thought it was really very weak, and I've sort of peeked at a few more, which sound awesome from cover descriptions but just don't grab me. I've enjoyed his blog whenever I've popped over there, but I think his writing style is probably not my thing... Like, the series you linked to sounds pretty awesome! (hadn't heard of it, so thank you for the rec/bringing it to my attention) I haven't seen it around, and I would probably give it a try if I did, but I'm just very wary of Stross at this point

[ms_geekette]

D'oh, forgot to come back to this comment. Yeah, I've never read any Stross, just know he exists. (Actually, I came across the rec trawling Lauren Willig's reading suggestions post on her website when I was trying to think of romance nominations for bookclubfiction last week. I had heard of the series before/seen covers, but it was locked in a "deep recesses of my brain" sort of thing.)

The main complaint I've heard about Neve is that she over-describes and gets bogged down in minutia (for the first book in her time travel series). Also, a few reviewers have said that she has neat concepts, but not much happens (this was her first book, which is an alternate universe thing). I dunno, haven't read more than part of a sample, which seemed ok to me, but then I am not really an over-critical reader. If I *hate* something, it has to be pretty bad (or uber dry). XD

[meathiel]

I've never heard about reading bingo ... looks interesting ... :D

[hamsterwoman]

I'd never seen that before either, but it seemed like a neat idea. And I think it's going to prove at least a little bit of a challenge for me, even if I don't try for a blackout.

[_profiterole_]

I could have done without the rape storyline. Generally speaking, I could do without rape storylines all the time. Plus, Anna already has a dark past, so I don't really see where the "need" for Mercy to have a dark experience in her life too came from.

[hamsterwoman]

I could've definitely done without it, too, but at the same time I have to say it's probably the most, mm, comprehensive treatment of this type of storyline that I've ever read, which, I suppose, if you're going to do it, it's best to do it comprehensively. But the end of book 3 really discomfitted me, and that part I wish she'd handled differently...

[thistle_chaser]

I envy your book reading stats! I don't know if I'll ever switch over to a spreadsheet, but I'll admire your end of the year post when you make it. :)

Edit: That you're keeping stats, I mean. I love stats on things like reading projects!

[hamsterwoman]

I love stats, but I don't know that keeping my reading progress in Excel would've occurred to me if other folks on my flist weren't doing it already. But seeing their tables gave me total spreadsheet envy, so I took the plunge myself ;)

[mauvais_pli]

I am very curious to read your Matthew impressions, but I think I'm in a sort of dazzled state about it still (always!) that whenever I start to remember things about it, read quotes etc. I am just filled with unabashed glee and all I can do is smile and nod, basically.

I'm very pleased you like the linguistic difficulties of being Matthew Swift & the blue electric angels, those sentences are great XD And Oda and Penny, naturally, they're incredible and deserve all the love.

I like the bingo! I read precious few books this far in the year, but it looks fun. And your statistics are awesome, as always :D

[hamsterwoman]

I think I'm in a sort of dazzled state about it still (always!) that whenever I start to remember things about it, read quotes etc. I am just filled with unabashed glee and all I can do is smile and nod, basically

I totally have books/series like that, where, as lunasariel has been posting about them, my comments are basically block-quotes and rows of grins and hearties, so I totally understand