Showing posts with label lists. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lists. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Things I've read lately

So it was an outage for 89 days and I didn't read much and didn't update this with any of the books.

Absolution Gap--A reread, but good.
On Basilisk Station--Enjoyable
Bright of the Sky--Mostly interesting, but probably not enough to pay for the book on Kindle.
Installing Linux on a Dead Badger--Very funny. You should read it.
The Paradise War--Kind of interesting, but less so when I discovered that this is part of a long series. Neat that an established author put something out for free on the Kindle.
The Softwire: Virus on Orbis 1--Another free book. This was okay, but geared toward young adult or something.
The Paths of the Dead--I don't know why I keep reading these books. Plot is just fine, but the writing style annoys me.
The Jennifer Morgue--I liked The Atrocity Archives and some of the later works in this series better, but this one suffered by being read very slowly over a week or two.
One of Our Thursdays is Missing--I don't know why I keep reading these books.
How to Live in a Science Fictional Universe--Not that good.

A Clash of Kings--Partial reread to prepare for the upcoming 5th book.
The Color of Magic--I got about half way though one night before I needed to go to sleep.
Way too much stuff at work--I spent the first portion of the outage reading. Stuff about why the analysis done on nuclear fuel and nuclear cores and whatnot is done correctly. I think that got up to ~2000 pages not including graphs and the pages I skipped. But that doesn't count toward my total.

Hugo nominees thus far:
Novella
"The Lady Who Plucked Red Flowers beneath the Queen's Window" by Rachel Swirsky--This was rather good. If there weren't an Alastair Reynolds up in the same category, I would vote for this.
"The Lifecycle of Software Objects by Ted Chiang--I read this one a while back (during the nomination period) because it seemed likely to get a nomination. It was interesting, but a lot more about people's feelings than I liked.
"The Maiden Flight of McCauley's Bellerophon" by Elizabeth Hand--This one didn't explain enough before the end. And just not that interesting.
Best Novelette
"The Emperor of Mars" by Allen M. Steele--I listened to this one on a podcast, StarShipSofa. But I read it again for now (because I couldn't remember whether the name was the same). This feels like a strong contender to me. Neat that this was largely meta-sci-fi.
"Plus or Minus" by James Patrick Kelly--Not actually that interesting. There is possibly potential in this universe, but this story was not compelling.
"That Leviathan, Whom Thou Hast Made" by Eric James Stone--I think I want to reread this one during a non-outage time. There were definitely interesting ideas here and the religion aspect somehow didn't throw me off.

Pages: I'm saying 20 pages/novelette and 85 for novellas as I don't know the pagecount due to reading on Kindle.
4113

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Lots of books in December

 I got behind in writing down what I'm reading, so here's everything I missed.

Gateway by Fredrick Pohl
Okay, but not that great. I prefer happier books

Pages: 278

Beyond the Blue Event Horizon by Fredrick Pohl
Not actually that interesting, not much happens, and leaves off annoyingly.
Pages: 336

Dragonseye by Anne McCaffery
Not much happened in this book. I didn't really care about most of the characters.
Pages: 416

Protector by Larry Niven
This book is enjoyable. I had read it before.
Pages: 224

The Carpet Makers by Andreas Eschbach
This was interesting, but the towards the end things went far too slowly. Lots of plot threads were quickly introduced because they contributed to the ending.
Pages: 304

Misspent Youth by Peter F. Hamilton
Kind of weird, but okay. An awful lot of sex is implied, like if Heinlein had made sex a bigger plot point. Yes, sex can be a bigger plot point than in Heinlein and the book is still sci-fi. I'll give this author another try or two, but I don't particularly recommend this book. Some interesting commentary on politics and family relations though.
Pages: 416

Riverworld and other stories by Philip José Farmer
Riverworld was okay, I wasn't super fond of some of the other stories because they dealt more with religion and crazy people than I was interested in. I would like to read more in his Riverworld series.
Pages: 264

The Golden Apples of the Sun and Other Stories by Ray Bradbury
This wasn't very good. I only kind of like Bradbury, so that isn't surprising. I thought it was silly to include scanned copies of the manuscripts for two of the stories.
Pages: 247

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

A previous reading list

My boyfriend is cataloging my books for me. I think a big chunk is because he is nice, but he also wants the practice with the new-ish keyboard alternative. Finally, he used to work at a library and it already bugs him that I group by books by subgenre instead of alphabetically. I thought I had a catalog of my textbooks, so I went looking through old lists. I don't have one of textbooks, but I do have a list of all the books I read from Feb 2007 to Feb 2008, complete with pagecounts. I kept track then (as now) so I can ensure that I am reading enough to stay happy. I needed baseline data for that in college, so I logged everything. As now, I am only logging books I read in whole, or complete short stories.

The interesting period in the middle of the year was the summer of alphabetical reading. I was working at a coffee/ice cream shop between the comp sci building and the engineering campus. After about 2pm, it was the closest non-vending machine general food source for the med college and the math/physics/chemistry departments. It was tons of fun to interact with all these smart people who functioned a lot like me. The summer of '07, I wasn't taking classes and I didn't have research work, so I had massive amounts of free time. I asked my customers for book suggestions. The idea was that I would read one book for each letter of the alphabet, by author last name. Some of the letters were very hard to fill in. I was introduced to many new books and I've continued reading a number of the authors. I did read other books between authors that summer--just 26 books (even when #26 is the entire Amber series) was not enough.

The niftiest part was finding out that the engineering library had ~15 fiction books. A lot of the librarians didn't even know that.

Start Date    End Date    Title    Author    Pages    total_f
9-Feb    10-Feb    Glory Road    R. A. Heinlein    294    294
10-Feb    10-Feb    Caves of Steel    Isaac Asimov    270    564
11-Feb    11-Feb    The Naked Sun    Isaac Asimov    269    833
12-Feb    13-Feb    On a Pale Horse    Piers Anthony    325    1158
13-Feb    14-Feb    Bearing an Hourglass    Piers Anthony    371    1529
15-Feb    16-Feb    Dune    Frank Herbert    535    2064
16-Feb    17-Feb    Assignment in Eternity    R. A. Heinlein    276    2340
18-Feb    23-Feb    The Man Who Sold the Moon    R. A. Heinlein    238    2578
13-Feb    23-Feb    Penguin Book of Leider    divers    189    2767
26-Feb    3-Mar    Illustrated Man    Ray Bradbury    186    2953
1-Mar    7-Mar    Glory Season    David Brin    772    3725
7-Mar    16-Apr    Glory Season    David Brin    772    4497
15-Mar    16-Mar    Sundiver    David Brin    340    4837
16-Mar    19-Mar    Hyperion    Dan Simmons    482    5319
20-Mar    2-Apr    Hyperion    Dan Simmons    482    5801
20-Mar    21-Mar    The Wee Free Men    Terry Pratchett    375    6176
21-Mar    24-Apr    Sundiver    David Brin    340    6516
22-Mar    24-Mar    The Stochastic Man    Robert Silverburg    240    6756
24-Mar    25-Mar    Slant    Greg Bear    506    7262
26-Mar    12-Apr    Beowolf    Burton Raffel    100    7362
26-Mar    22-Jul    Brighter than a Thousand Suns    Robert Jungk    360    7722
27-Mar    30-Mar    Weilding a Red Sword    Piers Anthony    313    8035
2-Apr    4-Apr    With a Tangled Skein    Piers Anthony    404    8439
13-Apr    1-Aug    Beowolf    Burton Raffel    100    8539
11-May    16-May    The Dragon Reborn    Robert Jordan    674    9213
12-May    15-May    The Rest of the Robots    Isaac Asimov    556    9769
16-May    18-May    Nebula Awards 31    edited by Pamela Sargent    331    10100
19-May    20-May    Infinity's Shore    David Brin    524    10624
20-May    23-May    Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell: A Novel    Susanna Clarke    782    11406
24-May    26-May    Lord Valentine's Castle    Robert Silverburg    446    11852
25-May    25-May    Ubik    Philip K. Dick    216    12068
25-May    5-Jun    The Worm Ouroboros    E. R. Eddison    444    12512
26-May    28-May    Valentine Pontifex    Robert Silverburg    368    12880
27-May    29-May    Pebble in the Sky    Isaac Asimov    223    13103
31-May    3-Jun    The Currents of Space    Isaac Asimov    217    13320
4-Jun    4-Jun    Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!    Richard Feynman    346    13666
6-Jun    8-Jun    The Origins of the Future    John Gribbin    276    13942
9-Jun    9-Jun    Stainless Steel Visions    Harry Harrison    254    14196
10-Jun    11-Jun    The World According to Garp    John Irving    437    14633
20-Jun    21-Jun    Master's Choice    edited by Laurence Janifer    350    14983
22-Jun    22-Jun    Lonesome Gods    Louis L'Amour    450    15433
23-Jun    29-Jun    The Source    James Michener    909    16342
30-Jun    2-Jul    Laughing Space    edited by Asimov    521    16863
1-Jul    1-Jul    My Name is Asher Lev    Chaim Potak    369    17232
2-Jul    3-Jul    The Persian Boy    Mary Renault    419    17651
3-Jul    4-Jul    The Fall of Hyperion    Dan Simmons    517    18168
3-Jul    23-Aug    Down and Out in London and Paris    George Orwell    106    18274
6-Jul    9-Jul    The Stand    Stephen King    1153    19427
10-Jul    10-Jul    Slaughterhouse Five    Kurt Vonnegut    215    19642
11-Jul    22-Jul    One Man's Bible    Gao Xingjian    450    20092
13-Jul    15-Jul    Snow Crash    Neal Stephenson    471    20563
18-Jul    9-Aug    Sundiver    David Brin    340    20903
18-Jul    21-Jul    Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince    J. K. Rowling    652    21555
21-Jul    21-Jul    Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows    J. K. Rowling    759    22314
25-Jul    26-Jul    Mama Day    Gloria Naylor    312    22626
28-Jul    15-Aug    The Winds of War    Herman Wouk    885    23511
2-Aug    14-Aug    Snow Crash    Neal Stephenson    471    23982
1-Aug    18-Aug    Monster of God    David Quammen    513    24495
19-Aug    22-Aug    Dune    Frank Herbert    535    25030
22-Aug    26-Sep    War and Peace    Leo Tolstoy    696    25726
23-Aug    23-Aug    The Chronicles of Amber, Vol 1    Roger Zelanzy    338    26064
24-Aug    24-Aug    The Chronicles of Amber, Vol 2    Roger Zelanzy    434    26498
24-Aug    25-Aug    The Telling    Ursula K. LeGuin    264    26762
25-Aug    26-Aug    Unicorn Variations    Roger Zelanzy    249    27011
27-Aug    7-Sep    Unicorn Variations    Roger Zelanzy    249    27260
30-Aug    31-Aug    The Color of Magic    Terry Pratchett    210    27470
1-Sep    3-Sep    The Disposessed    Ursula K. LeGuin    311    27781
3-Sep    5-Sep    The Cat Who Walks Through Walls    R. A. Heinlein    388    28169
7-Sep    7-Sep    The Last Yggdrasill    Robert F. Young    135    28304
8-Sep    8-Sep    Trump of Doom    Roger Zelanzy    183    28487
8-Sep    8-Sep    Blood of Amber    Roger Zelanzy    215    28702
8-Sep    9-Sep    Sign of Chaos    Roger Zelanzy    214    28916
9-Sep    9-Sep    Knight of Shadows    Roger Zelanzy    251    29167
9-Sep    9-Sep    Prince of Chaos    Roger Zelanzy    225    29392
9-Sep    10-Sep    The Chronicles of Amber, Vol 1    Roger Zelanzy    338    29730
11-Sep    14-Sep    The Chronicles of Amber, Vol 2    Roger Zelanzy    434    30164
14-Sep    15-Sep    Trump of Doom    Roger Zelanzy    183    30347
15-Sep    15-Sep    Blood of Amber    Roger Zelanzy    215    30562
15-Sep    15-Sep    Sign of Chaos    Roger Zelanzy    214    30776
15-Sep    15-Sep    Knight of Shadows    Roger Zelanzy    251    31027
15-Sep    16-Sep    Prince of Chaos    Roger Zelanzy    225    31252
16-Sep    28-Sep    The Winds Twelve Quarters    Ursula K. LeGuin    277    31529
28-Sep    28-Sep    Pawn of Phophecy    David Eddings    258    31787
30-Sep    30-Sep    Queen of Sorcery    David Eddings    322    32109
1-Oct    2-Oct    Magician's Gambit    David Eddings    320    32429
3-Oct    3-Oct    Castle of Wizardry    David Eddings    384    32813
3-Oct    5-Oct    Enchanter's Endgame    David Eddings    384    33197
7-Oct    10-Oct    Game of Thrones    George R. R. Martin    835    34032
10-Oct    13-Oct    A Clash of Kings    George R. R. Martin    1040    35072
13-Oct    14-Oct    Changing Planes    Ursula K. LeGuin    246    35318
14-Oct    16-Oct    Lord of Light    Roger Zelanzy    257    35575
16-Oct    24-Oct    The Doors of His Face, the Lamps of His Mouth, and Other stories    Roger Zelanzy    229    35804
24-Oct    1-Nov    Prisoners of the Stars    Isaac Asimov    538    36342
5-Nov    17-Nov    A Storm of Swords    George R. R. Martin    924    37266
17-Nov    17-Nov    Moonraker    Ian Fleming    247    37513
21-Nov    22-Nov    Mask of Loki    Roger Zelanzy    340    37853
22-Nov    23-Nov    Kiln People    David Brin    568    38421
23-Nov    25-Nov    Starship Troopers    Isaac Asimov    309    38730
26-Nov    1-Dec    Singularity Sky    Charles Stross    337    39067
2-Dec    5-Dec    Patriot Games    Tom Clancy    503    39570
6-Dec    8-Dec    The Venetian Affair    Helen MacInnes    352    39922
14-Dec    14-Dec    Dilbert and the Way of the Weasel    Scott Adams    350    40272
14-Dec    21-Dec    Feast for Crows    George R. R. Martin    978    41250
20-Dec    27-Dec    In the Beginning …    Isaac Asimov    227    41477
23-Dec    24-Dec    Gray Lensman    E. E. "Doc" Smith    253    41730
24-Dec    30-Dec    The Early Ayn Rand    Ayn Rand    528    42258
27-Dec    27-Dec    Neuromancer    William Gibson    271    42529
21-Dec    4-Jan    Asimov's Guide to the Bible, Vol. 2    Isaac Asimov    557    43086
5-Jan    21-Jan    Cardinal of the Kremlin    Tom Clancy    624    43710
7-Jan    18-Jan    Cryptonomicon    Neal Stephenson    1152    44862
24-Jan    26-Jan    Half Life    Hal Clement    252    45114
26-Jan    28-Jan    The Salmon of Doubt    Douglas Adams    299    45413
31-Jan    4-Feb    Selected Stories    Theodore Sturgeon    439    45852
4-Feb    5-Feb    Isle of the Dead    Roger Zelanzy    201    46053
6-Feb    9-Feb    I Dreamt Revolution    William Reswick    328    46381