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June 27, 2005
Books I am excited to read
As you might imagine I use the library a lot. As a result I have a lot of books on hold. These are the books I am most excited to read that are in my hold list right now:
- A Feast for Crows by George R. R. Martin. Good fantasy is hard to come by. The Wheel of Time is becoming so long winded even fans of the series are getting ticked off, and the Sword of Truth series is so stupid I don't understand why anyone reads it. But the Song of Ice and Fire, the series A Feast for Crows comes from is so good, so rich, so detailed ... It is THE book I am looking forward to. If you haven't read any of these do yourself a favor and pick up A Game of Thrones. You won't be disappointed. I am in position 19 of 124 on the hold list.
- Olympos by Dan Simmons. The sequel to Ilium (read my review!) which in itself was a very, very good book. Ilium combines the stories of the Trojan War and Shakespeare's The Tempest within the context of a science fiction environment. I know, it sounds pretty weird. Olympos picks up the story with Hector and Achilles joining forces to fight the gods. Man! What a good story! Position 4 of 21.
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling. Oh yes, Harry Potter books rock. By far, my favorite in the series has been The Prisoner of Azkaban but really all of them have been unbelievably wonderful. I can't wait for this one. Position 486 of 1832 (and I'll probably get it within a week of its release. The Hennepin County public libraries will probably buy at least 500 copies of this title.)
- Magic Street by Orson Scott Card. More well known for his Ender's Game series, Card is also one of the masters of speculative fiction. If this book is anywhere near as good as Enchantment was I am in for a treat. According to the book's description, Magic Street will deal with the world of faries in the modern world, specifically LA. The description immediately invokes memories of Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, which incidently deals with faries and is another title you should do yourself a favor and pick up. Position 24 of 24.
- The Hallowed Hunt by Lois McMaster Bujold. Truly, I wish Bujold would return to the world of Miles Vorkosigan, but this book (the 3rd in the Chalion series) will have to do. The first book, The Curse of Chalion was very satisfactory, but the second book, The Paladin of Souls was a little bit of a let down. Hopefully Bujold can pull it together for this one. Position 9 of 23.
There you have it. If you know of any other books that you think I would enjoy based on this list or any of the other books I have read please let me know. I'm always on the lookout for a good read.
Posted by snackeru at June 27, 2005 4:17 PM | Books | Lists
Comments
Of course you will be lending me the Harry Potter book upon your completion of it, correct?
Posted by: Cheesehead Craig at June 28, 2005 8:32 AM
Shane: Lend a book to a Cheesehead and it will just come back with Cheetos stains on the pages.
Posted by: Brian Maas at June 28, 2005 9:25 AM
What I am thinking, but won't say, is that I am surprised that Packer fans can read! (Sorry CC, but I couldn't resist).
My wife will be line at the Grand Forks Barnes and Noble on midnight, July 16, to get the new Harry Potter. I won't get a chance to read it until after she is done, unfortunately. Shane hates it when librarians buy books rather than using the library, but we simply can't wait for the book to come available at the mighty Grand Forks Public Library.
I am also looking forward to "The Historian" by Elizabeth Kostova. It seems in the same vein as the "Da Vinci Code," which I really liked. I have no idea when the Grand Forks Public Library will get this title, though.
Curt in Grand Forks
Posted by: Curt Hanson at June 28, 2005 9:59 AM
mmmmm Cheetos....
Posted by: Cheesehead Craig at June 28, 2005 11:22 AM
Curt, I have softened my stance on librarian book buying a little bit, especially considering what part of the country you live in. Sometimes I take it for granted how much information and access I have at my fingertips by virtue of working at the U and having a Hennepin County library card. It is easy for me not to buy books. It is not as easy for you.
So, enjoy the new Harry Potter.
Craig, if I have some time left after I finish reading it, you can certainly have it after me. I expect I'll have it finished in a week at the most.
Posted by: Shane at June 28, 2005 12:41 PM
