tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6498739347909985243.post4622294849350360342..comments2024-03-28T07:09:28.500+00:00Comments on The Speculative Scotsman: Books Received | The BoSS for 30/10/11Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08713791516631476930noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6498739347909985243.post-2733733489051451722011-11-02T15:34:02.520+00:002011-11-02T15:34:02.520+00:00@James - You sir just cost me quite a lot of money...@James - You sir just cost me quite a lot of money: got the Sedia, The Last Werewolf, and the first of the Sandman Slim books. The Narrator I'll aim to try before I buy, I think.<br /><br />Much obliged to you for the recommendations, mate. Least, I am so far!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08713791516631476930noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6498739347909985243.post-59469269146245819272011-10-31T15:22:53.959+00:002011-10-31T15:22:53.959+00:00Though they were not all released this year (most ...Though they were not all released this year (most were actually released last year), some of the books I have thought highly of this year:<br /><br />The House of Discarded Dreams - Ekaterina Sedia<br /><br />The Narrator - Michael Cisco (Not for everyone, this one. While I adore the prose and find Cisco one of the best prose stylists I have ever encountered, it is likely to turn others off or leave them cold/confused--my fiancee managed to get through it, but found, upon finishing, that she had no idea what she had just read and ended up relying on me to tell her what had actually happened.)<br /><br />The Devil All the Time - Donald Ray Pollock (Not SFF, but I know you read outside the genre. To be honest, I do not find myself thinking about this book often and I sometimes forget that I read it at all, but I thought it was pretty damn good when I read it a few months back. Pollock knows how to craft a thriller and set a blazing fast pace. Impressive, especially considering it was his first novel.<br /><br />Aloha From Hell - Richard Kadrey (Urban Fantasy worth giving the time of day. There is a lot of fun to be found in this series, of which this is the third volume.<br /><br />The Last Werewolf - Glen Duncan (While I thought the end was cliche bullshit, I have to admit that the rest of the book was pretty damn good and that it sets the standard to which I will be holding all Werewolf novels.)Jameshttp://dazedrambling.posterous.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6498739347909985243.post-77748834464958977252011-10-31T14:21:02.060+00:002011-10-31T14:21:02.060+00:00I was sure I hadn't just pulled the idea that ...I was sure I hadn't just pulled the idea that you'd liked The Night Circus out of the ether, but thanks for setting my mind at ease, Larry. I'll be looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the Erin Morgenstern whenever you turn them into words, good sir - and yours too, James.<br /><br />Have just bought a copy of The Tiger's Wife, incidentally, after your recommendation and seeing it on Larry's Best of 2011 longlist.<br /><br />And that's just scratching the surface of all the stuff I've got to catch up on before the year's out. In fact, while I have you guys here, what else do you think I'm missing? Needless to say your opinions count for a great deal. Say the equivalent of those of ten mere mortals? ;)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08713791516631476930noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6498739347909985243.post-990288030900948432011-10-31T04:42:29.840+00:002011-10-31T04:42:29.840+00:00I have not yet written my review for The Night Cir...I have not yet written my review for The Night Circus (I am dreadfully behind on reviews, at the moment), but it was one of my favorite books (and debuts, for that matter) of the year. The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht ranks first on both accounts. The Night Circus takes second.Jameshttp://dazedrambling.posterous.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6498739347909985243.post-66236224649183509582011-10-30T17:36:41.034+00:002011-10-30T17:36:41.034+00:00I've been awaiting Weird's release; it loo...I've been awaiting Weird's release; it looks like it'll be one entertaining read!Bibliotropichttp://www.bibliotropic.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6498739347909985243.post-39471667490114784132011-10-30T16:41:42.924+00:002011-10-30T16:41:42.924+00:00Yes, I did enjoy the Night Circus; it's one of...Yes, I did enjoy <i>the Night Circus</i>; it's one of my favorite debuts this year as well (I'll write more about it later this year). Glad you received a copy of <i>The Weird</i>, although it'll be a while still before my print copy arrives, alas.Larry Nolenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16001420558511460998noreply@blogger.com