Book number 5 on my list is waiting downstairs to be read, after only a short wait for it to arrive. While waiting, I kept busy reading the following:
Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris--This is the 5th book in the Sookie Stackhouse series, and it fits nicely in with the others. Started off a bit stronger than the previous four, but then settled back into the familiar tempo and tone. I don't have premium TV, so I'm not watching the HBO series inspired by these books (True Blood) but I will likely watch it later on DVD--I always prefer to read the source material first when I can, so I'm getting prepared. Rating: 3/5
Kitty Takes a Holiday by Carrie Vaughn--3rd book in the Kitty Norville series, and a welcome addition to the author's world. In the previous books, Vaughn explored werewolves (and other shifters), vampires, and fae. This book expands into a few different flavors/cultures of magic, and brings some previously-relegated-to-the-background characters into the main action. Well written and well-paced, and a very entertaining read. Rating: 4/5
The Last Colony by John Scalzi--the 3rd book in the world of Old Man's War, and a natural continuation of the first two books. Very different in tone from the first two, which fell firmly into the military sci-fi genre--this one takes place on a smaller scale, and remains planet-bound for most of the story. Scalzi has proven with this series to be a versatile and talented author who can tell compelling stories and create interesting and believable characters in several different sub-sets of science fiction. Although he says in the afterword that this is likely his last book with these characters, my husband just finished reading Zoe's Tale, which is apparently an Orson Scott Card-esque retelling of the events in The Last Colony from another character's perspective. Can't wait! Rating: 4/5
Next up: A Case of Conscience by James Blish. I have my fingers firmly crossed that this book is better than Leiber's was--it'll be hard to continue on through the book list if things don't start to improve dramatically.
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I'm a little scared that it's taken so long for you to post the next review. I hope that doesn't mean that Blish is absolute garbage!
ReplyDeleteI've finished Blish, and it wasn't absolute garbage though it was slow reading. It had a heavy religious theme, which had me doing lots of cross-research as I read and slowed the process down further. I'm not a Catholic, so I had to do some reading to understand much of the plot. Overall, I liked it, and I'm working on my post for it right now (amidst several other projects, including parenting--you know how it goes!). No need to be scared of Blish!
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