shadowravyn), I've decided to chronicle any new-to-me books I'm reading this year, partly so I remember (I've been using the library a lot) and partly so I can share with anyone who reads this. I'll put at least a sentence or two of review, but probably not much more unless I feel strongly about it.The Wizardry Quested - I received for Christmas Rick Cook's fifth and final "Wiz Biz" book (He says that there was a sixth in the works but it will never be finished/published). I love this series, and this book is no exception. It was a little bit weaker than the rest, but there were still many parts that had me laughing out loud. The weakness mostly comes from fudging of how genetic algorithms / auto-modifying code works, and also forcing a wizard, a dragon, and a programmer to wander through Comdex in Las Vegas (humorous, but didn't really add anything to the story). My personal rating for it would be an A-
From the library, I read Black Thorn, White Rose is a book of "adult fairy tales", a followup to an earlier compilation by the same editors: Snow White, Blood Red. It's interesting, but many of the tales feel like they're trying too hard to be "adult". B+
I started reading 1632 by Eric Flint, online - but I also ended up borrowing it from my local library. I'm working through the followup (1633 by Flint & Weber) right now. The story is great, the historical background really helps me see Mediaeval/Renaissance European history as a cohesive unit. The characters are pretty good, but they feel a bit stereotypical to me. I think it's because I've read too much other "modern society stripped of its tools and infrastructure" sci-fi (Dies the Fire by S.M. Stirling being a recent one). I think 1632 came first, though. The weaknesses of the main characters just don't seem like an obstacle to be overcome, just endearing traits or something that's easy to get around. 1633 is written following several different groups in different countries, making it harder to keep track of who's who. Still, a really good series so far, and I will keep reading. B+
There's probably already one or two others I've read and forgotten since the beginning of the year.
Coming up next: The Omnivore's Dilemma (non-fiction), World War Z, and Conquistador.
