Books. I have read some.

[kalquessa]

I have read books! I have had thoughts on them! These thoughts include but are not limited to:

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss - Very entertaining. The first straight-up, sword-and-sorcery fantasy that I've read in a long time, and I heartily enjoyed this return to a genre that I pretty much lived in for my teen years.

Comments

[allisnow]

You know, I actually enjoyed Name of the Wind more than Wise Man's Fear. I think maybe because I find the Big Epic Angsty Romance to be a big fat meh, and there was more of a focus on that in the second book... not to mention the ridiculously long section with the queen of the fairies or whatever she was.

[rose_in_shadow]

This. I reached that section and my interest level dropped to zero for about 3 weeks before I decided to soldier through. I'm glad I did, but still, I prefer Name of the Wind.

[kalquessa]

OH MY GOSH the bit with the fae chick was SO. BORING. I kept texting my brother-in-law, who read it before me, asking when it would be over. But other than that, I still think I liked the second book better. I liked the faster pace, and Denna didn't annoy me nearly as much as she did in the first book. Plus it had the Adem language/culture/fighting style thing. I am such a sucker for that made-up cultural anthropology stuff.

(Also, that is an awesome icon.)

[rose_in_shadow]

It's funny that you mention editing in regards to Rothfuss's books, because the reason they take so long to get out is because he's nearly OCD about editing his books. But I suppose with books that long you're bound to miss something.

Name of the Wind/Wise Man's Fear are enjoyable: I found myself tearing up at several points because his way of making you feel Kvothe's loneliness and despair (especially when his music is brought into it) really just played my heartstrings all over.

But if you're in the mood for fantasy with much better female characters and top-notch writing, I'd recommend Brandon Sanderson (Way of Kings is massive but excellent, his Mistborn trilogy [starting with Mistborn: The Final Empire] is fighting for Way of Kings for favorite Sanderson book, Warbreaker is also excellent).

I will definitely have to check Connie Willis out! I've been reading a post-WWII book set in Britain and it's made me interested in the period all over again.

[kalquessa]

That's interesting what you say about his editing habits. Maybe because of that no one else is paying a ton of attention on their editing passes. I know from experience that overused phrases are really hard to see when they're yours. You need a second pair of eyes for that stuff. Otherwise you write a book that is otherwise awesome but drives people nuts by saying that Kvothe's Alar is like a blade of Ramston steel five times in as many chapters. My brother-in0law and I both read it and would text each other periodically with "FIND SOME DIFFERENT WORDS, ROTHFUSS!"

That said, I am avidly awaiting the last book, which Soupy informs me is coming out in Feb.

Will look into Sanderson! These books are making remember what I loved about the fantasy genre before I got burned out on it in my early twenties.

[sjhw_tolerance]

I really enjoy the Lord Peter Wimsey books too. It's been awhile since I've read them, maybe I need to read them again. My favorite is The Nine Tailors and then Gaudy Night is pretty sweet too.

[tree_and_leaf]

I was reading Whose Body? only today, and reflecting that although it is very good, the books get even better as they go on.

I wanted to like Connie Willis, but when I read To Say Nothing of the Dog I kept getting tripped up by details that just felt wrong (or indeed were wrong). Which is a shame; I like her characters and her plots are good fun.

[curuchamion]

I MUST READ THESE CONNIE WILLIS BOOKS NOW. Of her stuff, I've only read "To Say Nothing of the Dog", but I loved it - and I'm already in love with WWII Britain, so the odds are high that I will LOVE THESE BOOKS TO PIECES PLSKTHX. *g*

(Also? The Lord Peter books keep getting better. My favorites are Five Red Herrings and Murder Must Advertise, but that's purely personal preference: Five Red Herrings is set in Scotland, which prejudices me in its favor, and Murder Must Advertise is set in an advertising agency where (as far as I recall) everybody shares Lord Peter's love of literary nonsense. I can probably quote half the book verbatim, just because I love that sort of "piffle".)

[kalquessa]

YES, READ THEM THEY ARE SO GOOD!!

(I am definitely looking forward to more Lord Peter, and several people have raved about how much better, even than the first book, the series becomes. I love finding new awesome series.)

[travels_in_time]

Murder Must Advertise is one of my favorite books in the world, ever. The harlequin with the pennywhistle haunted my teen dreams for *years*.