kate_nepveu: Tell me what to read

Kate (

kate_nepveu) wrote,
@ 2008-01-29 21:17:00

Entry tags:

books, poll

Tell me what to read

I'm having trouble picking my next book. The past few things I've read (The Somnambulist, A Matter of Oaths, The Truelove) haven't been satisfactory, which I think is leaving me very bleh about the prospect of putting effort into another book, rather than just mindlessly playing NetHack and web puzzle games. Today I tried reading a book I saw oracne recommend, Anne Gracie's The Perfect Rake, and, finding myself unusually critical of the prose, put it down to try some other time.

So, a poll. I'm mostly looking for something that will be really satisfactory, something I can sink my teeth into without feeling cranky about the construction of the plot, or the prose, or the treatment of gender, or whatever. Strong likeable female characters a plus, after the unsatisfactory books above. I suspect that humor and quirk may be minuses rather than pluses just now; ditto very sad or very dark (yes, I know Use of Weapons is a poll choice, but I've read that before, know what I'm getting, and think it would be okay). Also, something that's not too much work at the beginning would be good.

Edit: thanks, all! As of 8:15 Wednesday morning The Steerswoman's Road has 44.4% of the votes, and that and the accompany comments have convinced me to bring it into work and try it over lunch. But feel free to suggest fallbacks or add data on the other stuff in the poll.

A dozen options, by author:

Poll #1129679
Open to: All, results viewable to: All

What should Kate read next?

View Answers

Iain M. Banks, Use of Weapons (re-read, third in a planned series re-read)
0 (0.0%)

A.S. Byatt, Possession (is "I haven't read it for ten years and I love it" sufficient reason to not read something new?)
3 (9.4%)

Mike Carey, Lucifer (complete) (read first volume, liked)
1 (3.1%)

Loretta Chase, Lord of Scoundrels (read three other novels, liked)
4 (12.5%)

Susan Cooper, The Dark Is Rising (re-read, second in a planned series re-read)
3 (9.4%)

Cornelia Funke, Inkheart
2 (6.2%)

Kij Johnson, The Fox Woman
4 (12.5%)

Rosemary Kirstein, The Steerswoman's Road
12 (37.5%)

Jane Lindskold, Wolf's Head, Wolf's Heart (read first, liked)
1 (3.1%)

Kazuya Minekura, Saiyuki Reload vols. 1-end of Burial arc (previously tried reading vol. 1 when cranky, which didn't work)
0 (0.0%)

Kazuya Minekura, Wild Adapter vols. 1-3 (are these a satisfying unit?)
1 (3.1%)

Michelle Sagara, Cast in Shadow
1 (3.1%)

(Post a new comment)

	annewashere 2008-01-30 02:24 am UTC (link)
	I voted for Lucifer, but had a hard time deciding between Kirstein and that. The "Complete" won out. The Chase on this list is meh, especially when compared to Miss Wonderful and Mr Impossible. In my opinion. (Reply to this)(Thread)

	kate_nepveu 2008-01-30 02:31 am UTC (link)
	_Miss Wonderful_ and _Mr. Impossible_ are tough to live up to, it's true. Thanks. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	montoya 2008-01-30 02:26 am UTC (link)
	So to be clear, you want us to recommend a book that you'll probably be grumpy about reading and like less than you should? In that case, Susan Cooper for sure, because no book deserves to be wheatie-pissed more than that one. (But really, Kij Johnson.) (Reply to this)(Thread)

	kate_nepveu 2008-01-30 02:32 am UTC (link)
	I want you to recommend something that will break me out of my grumpiness, actually. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	montoya 2008-01-30 02:38 am UTC (link)
	Then definitely NOT Susan Cooper, because good lord would that not hold up to a critical read. (Reply to this)(Parent)

coffeeandink
2008-01-30 02:28 am UTC (link)

Wild Adapter is ... very much in the setup stage. So not complete, although each volume does tell a more or less complete story so far. Vol. 1 is probably the weakest of the Reload volumes, especially the first story, but the Burial arc is pretty awesome.

I like Use of Weapons, The Fox Woman, and what I've read of Lucifer, and love the Byatt and the Chase, but I voted for The Steerswoman's Road because it is solid and thoughtful and has strong women and interesting things to say about science and history, while not being so unusual or having such complicated prose that it takes a lot of concentration. It is absorbing but not demanding, if that makes sense, and that's the kind of thing I'd want in the mood you describe.

Lord of Scoundrels is hysterical, but you might bounce off it just now.

If I were going for a second bet, it would probably be the Cooper, which I presume you like because you're planning to reread it, or the Johnson, because it has a quiet grace, a steady flow, and a couple of strong women. Though the (culturally-enforced) passivity of one of them might grate just now.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

	kate_nepveu 2008-01-30 02:33 am UTC (link)
	That is extremely useful, thank you very much. I appreciate it. (Reply to this)(Parent)

rysmiel
2008-01-30 02:33 am UTC (link)

I would put Steerswoman's Road and Lucifer neck and neck out of the ones I have read. Steerswoman's Road further ahead on strong female characters, though Lucifer is IMO very good at that, and it's probably just the relatively smaller number of words that make it feel so considering Carey's female characters in the Felix Castor books; OTOH, plotwise, at least when one gets into Lucifer one has the comfort of knowing one can read it through to the end.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

	kate_nepveu 2008-01-30 02:34 am UTC (link)
	the comfort of knowing one can read it through to the end There is that. I'd forgotten to ask, how are the Steerswoman books on that end? (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	rysmiel 2008-01-30 02:44 am UTC (link)
	Reasonably complete in and of themselves, more or less, but very much ones to put one on tenterhooks waiting for what comes next. (Reply to this)(Parent)

sartorias
2008-01-30 02:38 am UTC (link)

I got through the Anne Gracie with some effort, mostly because I was really tired. but most Regency romances are just not my cuppa.

If like Loretta Chase, you should like that one. People who like her work often put that one at the top of their like lists.

A lot of those are very, very earnest, without much humor: if you're in the mood for no humor, great! (Saiyuki Reload aside.)

(Reply to this)(Thread)

	Being difficult coffeeandink 2008-01-30 02:49 am UTC (link)
	I love Loretta Chase but hated the two novels by Anne Gracie I read. (Reply to this)(Parent)

missysedai
2008-01-30 02:44 am UTC (link)

I thoroughly enjoyed

The Dark Is Rising

, both when I read it on my own, and again when I read it aloud to the Monsters when they were smaller.

Though these are not on your list, I find that when I'm thoroughly cranky, the hilarious

Mrs. Piggle Wiggle

books break the grouchy and make me giggle at their ridiculousness. Ditto for

Amelia Bedelia.

Sometimes, it's fun to pretend you're 10 again.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

	thormation 2008-01-30 02:53 am UTC (link)
	Why bother reading The Dark Is Rising, when there is an excellent cinematic adaptation of the book? As you can see from the trailer, the movie is faithful and accurate down to the smallest detail. http://www.apple.com/trailers/independent/theseekerthedarkisrising/large.html (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	missysedai 2008-01-30 03:49 am UTC (link)
	ObVious: Because you can't watch bad movies in the bathtub. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	thormation 2008-01-30 06:07 am UTC (link)
	Sure you can. Just like a book. The secret is not to drop the iPod and keep at least one hand dry at all times. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	publius1 2008-01-30 05:51 pm UTC (link)
	Har! (Reply to this)(Parent)

	kate_nepveu 2008-01-30 03:19 pm UTC (link)
	You know, I'm not sure I ever read either of those when I was 10 or at any other time. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	missysedai 2008-01-30 04:17 pm UTC (link)
	Oh wow. I thought those were a staple everywhere! My 4th grade teacher would read these aloud on the days it was too icky to go out for recess, and we all giggled madly. The librarian at our local branch had activities themed around these two characters, as well. Amelia Bedlia Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle They're pure silliness. (Reply to this)(Parent)

desdenova
2008-01-30 02:49 am UTC (link)

I voted for the Kij Johnson, because it is a wonderful, beautifully-written book and I can't believe you haven't read it already! The follow-up, Fudoki is IMO even better.

OTOH, if you're feeling meh on prose books maybe reading a comic or two would break you out of that? That frequently works for me. In which case, all the ones on your list are good. Wild Adapter is unusual for a manga (in my experience), because each volume is a complete plot arc, which makes it easy to read them one at a time. Also, I would like to read more of what you have to say about Saiyuki, so you should read that too. ('Cause it is all about me!)

(Reply to this)(Thread)

	kate_nepveu 2008-01-30 03:20 pm UTC (link)
	I've been meaning to read it--I even brought it to Japan! Just never got around to it. If the Kirstein doesn't work I may well switch over to sequential art. (I'm determined to finally booklog _The Arrival_ before next week, which will inevitably involve some re-reading anyway, so that might do it all by itself.) (Reply to this)(Parent)

	yhlee 2008-01-30 02:52 am UTC (link)
	I adore The Fox Woman, so voted for it. Sagara's Cast in Shadow was fun, but I'm afraid the female lead character was sometimes a little annoying. (Reply to this)(Thread)

	kate_nepveu 2008-01-30 03:21 pm UTC (link)
	Thanks. (Reply to this)(Parent)

rachelmanija
2008-01-30 02:54 am UTC (link)

I don't think Kirstein's prose is fantastic, but there's nothing wrong with it either, and her books feature excellent worldbuilding and central female characters. I really love her work.

Wild Adapter volumes are more stand-alone than Saiyuki, so there's a continuing story but no cliffhangers. There are some interesting female characters, but at least partly due to the underworld milieu, they tend to be victimized by or under the thumb of men; some of them manage to extricate themselves, some don't. The protagonists are male.

The Fox Woman is excellent and probably has the best prose of any of your options. Gender is a central concern. But it's kind of melancholy.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

	kate_nepveu 2008-01-30 03:21 pm UTC (link)
	Yeah, I'm not sure "melancholy" is what I'm in the mood for. Thanks for your other comments. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	lnhammer 2008-01-30 03:01 am UTC (link)
	I did vote for the Sagara, but the Steerswoman was running neck-and-neck with it. ---L. (Reply to this)(Thread)

	kate_nepveu 2008-01-30 03:21 pm UTC (link)
	I am a cruel poll-creator, forcing people to choose just one . . . (Reply to this)(Parent)

	oyceter 2008-01-30 03:05 am UTC (link)
	I voted for Chase, since that one is my favorite, but then on reading comments and thinking, you may want to hold off on it. I second the votes for The Fox Woman, which I remember as being lyrical, melancholy and beautiful, and the Kirstein, which is solid, about cool women, and just really neat worldbuilding. (Reply to this)(Thread)

	kate_nepveu 2008-01-30 03:22 pm UTC (link)
	Yeah, I'd hate to not like a Chase novel because I was cranky. (PS: did you know you can change your poll answers? Click on "Poll #1129679" and then "Fill out poll".) (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	oyceter 2008-01-30 11:50 pm UTC (link)
	Oh! I didn't, thanks! (Reply to this)(Parent)

	cofax7 2008-01-30 03:12 am UTC (link)
	Read the Kirstein! I am a member of the Steerswomen Junta, wandering around thrusting copies of Kirstein into people's hands. (Reply to this)(Thread)

kgbooklog
2008-01-30 04:10 am UTC (link)

the Steerswomen Junta

Sign me up! I would gladly hand the author a couple hundred dollars for the next book; too bad writing/publishing doesn't work like that. Kirstein not only has multiple strong female characters, they're also shown to be intelligent. You've got the omnibus of the first two novels, which ends with the Big Reveal.

Lindskold continues the story of Firekeeper, with her playing a more central role (satisfying the strong female requirement). But in this book I got angry with the author for misplacing a plot coupon, and with the characters for not doing a couple of obvious (to me) things at the end of the previous book that would have completely prevented the conflict in this book and the next. But still a series worth reading (when you're in a more forgiving mood).

Sagara also has a strong heroine, but I kept getting jarred by trivial inconsistencies. This series is a nice example of what I think of as an inverted Mary Sue: the universe does revolve around her, but not in a nice way.

Inkheart is pretty slight, and I can't remember if the protagonist was a boy or girl.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	kate_nepveu 2008-01-30 03:23 pm UTC (link)
	I don't remember the first Firekeeper book very well, except that I enjoyed it, and so maybe those bits wouldn't bother me. => (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	readinggeek451 2008-01-30 03:38 pm UTC (link)
	I thought the second Firekeeper book was the strongest in the series. That would be my recommendation for something to read now (blanking on the title, sorry). Don't jump ahead to Wolf's Head, Wolf's Heart without reading the intervening ones. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	kate_nepveu 2008-01-30 03:45 pm UTC (link)
	You mean that's not the second one? checks author's webpage Yes, it is. 1. Through Wolf's Eyes 2. Wolf's Head, Wolf's Heart 3. The Dragon of Despair 4. Wolf Captured 5. Wolf Hunting 6. Wolf's Blood (Suddenly "wolf" looks like a really funny word.) (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	lnhammer 2008-01-30 04:07 pm UTC (link)
	For the record, I stalled halfway through Wolf Captured, hard enough I didn't feel interested enough to jump ahead. The first three make a nicely tidy trilogy. ---L. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	readinggeek451 2008-01-30 08:34 pm UTC (link)
	It picks up again later and ends well, but the last one will make no sense whatsoever if you haven't read the two right before. I agree, you can stop after the first three without hurting anything. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	readinggeek451 2008-01-30 08:32 pm UTC (link)
	Huh. Somehow I was mixing Wolf's Head Wolf's Heart up with Wolf's Blood. (Told you I was blanking on the title!) Okay, so I highly recommend WHWH, then. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	kate_nepveu 2008-01-30 03:22 pm UTC (link)
	Yes ma'am! (Reply to this)(Parent)

chomiji
2008-01-30 03:42 am UTC (link)

Not familiar with most of these (which is good for me, though, because it's giving me some ideas), but for the Reload, wait until you're in a more patient mood. The first couple of mini-arcs are a real hotch-potch (although I think the one-issue story about Jeep and the little kids is charming - it feels very Neil Gaiman-ish to me, for some reason), and the Burial arc is too good to start when you're feeling crabby about what went immediately before.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

	kate_nepveu 2008-01-30 03:24 pm UTC (link)
	Thanks, that's good to know. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	skwidly 2008-01-30 06:17 am UTC (link)
	I voted for Kirstein, because although everything I've heard would lead me to say Johnson's probably a better writer objectively, I think you'll have more fun with the Steerswomen, and that's the prescription needed for someone with the reader blahs. (Reply to this)(Thread)

	kate_nepveu 2008-01-30 03:24 pm UTC (link)
	Thanks. I will report back. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	calimac 2008-01-30 07:47 am UTC (link)
	I don't know what you should read, but I know I've read two of these: Possession, which I liked on first reading, and The Fox Woman, which I did not. (Reply to this)(Thread)

	kate_nepveu 2008-01-30 03:27 pm UTC (link)
	I adored _Possession_ when I first read it, probably far too young, when it came out in the U.S. in trade paper just after winning the Booker. (So, 13 or so.) And have kept doing so on every subsequent re-read. However, making a dent in the to-read bookcases does seem like a good idea . . . (Reply to this)(Parent)

	montoya 2008-01-30 02:18 pm UTC (link)
	So I'm reading for comprehension this time, and: Have you not read either The Fox Woman or the Kirstein yet? Because then my answer is both, because they're both excellent. For your purposes here, Johnson is the much stronger stylist, but is writing an autumnal and melancholy book; Kirstein has the more interesting and upbeat subject done exceedingly well. (Reply to this)(Thread)

	kate_nepveu 2008-01-30 03:27 pm UTC (link)
	No, not read either yet. But will start the Kirstein very soon! (Reply to this)(Parent)

	redrose3125 2008-01-30 04:05 pm UTC (link)
	I voted for Inkheart, because if you read it, I will too, and then maybe I will have someone to talk to about it. (Reply to this)

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