Bibliophiles (Un)Anonymous

Yeah I get it, this is where everyone will actually post.
New Soul
Points: 1 672 
Posts: 1138
Joined: Wed May 27, 2020 7:12 pm
@Yávië - I discovered that podcast in March when the whole lockdown situation started and I needed some distraction from the news. I think Saladin Ahmed tweeted that LeVar was reading one of his short stories that I adore: Mister Hadj's Sunset Ride and that's how I found the podcast. Personally it's the right length for me, because he reads short stories. When I tried to listen to audiobooks previously at some point my mind would wander off somewhere :lol: and after a while I'd realise I have no idea what's going on :lol: So short stories are the most I can do.

Oh, I just saw today that the Goodreads Choice Awards for 2020 started or is going to be started? The page got all jumbled when I tried to go see the nominees and vote. I have no idea what's going on there :shrug: Who are you folks voting for this year? If you're voting. :-)
She/her.
Solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant
Image

Ent Ancient
Points: 2 696 
Posts: 1830
Joined: Sat May 23, 2020 11:34 pm
@Androthelm - that is a shame but I know what you mean. I read an awful lot of first books in series and unless they really wow me I don't often keep going.

@Yávië - So after I ran across Nausicaa I actually looked into other graphic novels and Sandman is one I read a lot of good things about. If Nausicaa goes well for me I may have to check out Sandman too!
Yes, The Glass Hotel had its moments for sure but I do like Mandel. Did you read her Station Eleven? I really liked that one a lot and it is the reason I read this one.
Off topic but omg I just discovered Wait Wait Don't Tell Me this year! I am a new fan, been listening to NPR for years and not sure how it took me so long to find!

@Nessa Saelind - I saw the GR Choice Awards, not having any problems with viewing it. Have you tried again? I have some less than awesome opinions about some aspects of GR even though I use it a lot but I did vote for the one book I had read that was nominated (aforementioned The Glass Hotel). I am waiting on quite a few nominated books from the library. I mostly read fantasy so there are a lot of categories I can't have any opinion on.

I just finished up The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker. I really liked it a lot. It is a slow, quiet almost slice of life sort of book with themes about immigration, friendship and loneliness, finding your place and what it means to be human.

New Soul
Points: 1 672 
Posts: 1138
Joined: Wed May 27, 2020 7:12 pm
@Little Bird Lail - it looks like it was just an opening glitch, probably me being an eager beaver :lol: later it worked fine and I did cast my votes. Although, the history book category was a hot mess :lol: like every year.
She/her.
Solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant
Image

New Soul
Points: 1 672 
Posts: 1138
Joined: Wed May 27, 2020 7:12 pm
I've just started reading Sir David Attenborough's newest book A Life on Our Planet (it's a companion book to the Netflix documentary series) and I am, once again, amazed how beautiful his writing is! It's very lyrical and simultaneously melancholic and uplifting. Very Sir David I must say :lol:
She/her.
Solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant
Image

High Lord of Imladris
Points: 5 208 
Posts: 2755
Joined: Sat Sep 12, 2020 7:53 am
I am currently at a loss of books all my books are packed for the most part due to moving though apparently I forgot to pack my copy of 'The Magicians' by Lev Grossman. Which I will admit because I watched the TV series and was highly curious but have not had the time to read in full.

I have started reading it due to having nothing to do short of explore the internet in my house as its ridiculously empty of art supplies and anything else. That said so far I am quite enjoying it.

Healer of Imladris
Points: 1 048 
Posts: 653
Joined: Thu May 14, 2020 8:38 am
Aha! @Lailyn it was you! I read The Golem and the Jinni in November alongside NaNo and I loved it. Ice Cream Saleh was just brilliant. I realize this is a bit ridiculous to say considering, uh, *glances at site header*--but sometimes it's nice to take a break from Save the Kingdom/World/Universe fantasy. :lol: The genre could probably use more slice of life.

@Nessa Saelind So I pulled up LeVar Burton Reads a little while ago and have just been going through them in order from the beginning. The most interesting one so far was probably What it Means When a Man Falls from the Sky. Oh, and I love Gaiman's Chivalry but I've read that before. Mostly I'm just enjoying checking out new and less familiar authors. Even Murakami is more bearable with LeVar. *g*

Right now I've got V.E. Schwab's newest book, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and I'm almost finished with The Last Wish because I wanted to watch The Witcher on Netflix sometime. I didn't realize it was short stories or sort of fairy tale retellings so that was a surprising first fifty pages.

What else? Oh, I mentioned it in Ringwraith but I just indulged myself in a long overdue Elenium (David Eddings) re-read. It had finally been long enough that a few things even managed to surprise me again. And if anyone is around to commiserate with me, That Thing That Happens At The End still breaks my heart every time. :cry:
Top-class Canine Alter Ego Associate of Aerlinn Mordagnir

Ent Ancient
Points: 2 696 
Posts: 1830
Joined: Sat May 23, 2020 11:34 pm
@MEOW I'm so glad you liked it! It was cozy and lovely. I like stories about immigrants.

I'm on about a six month wait list at the library for The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue! I've heard good things.

Recently read and enjoyed the weird little adventure that was Josiah Bancroft's Senlin Ascends. I don't even know how to describe this book. It was sometimes darkly hilarious, sometimes ridiculous and did not even have much plot but kept me engaged nonetheless.

New Soul
Points: 1 672 
Posts: 1138
Joined: Wed May 27, 2020 7:12 pm
@MEOW - I'm so glad you Like LeVar's reading! ^_^ My favourites so far were The Truth about Owls by Amal El-Mohtar, the live reading of The Winds of Harmattan by Nnendi Okorafor and Skinwalker, Fast-Talker by Darcie Little Badger. I really like that he chooses to highlight authors that folks might not know about.

I'm trying to finish A Life on Our Planet this week so I can immerse myself into a couple of books of Croatian folk tales and essays about folk tales and traditions. From what I could see when I browsed the books there are some really, really wacky fairy tales :lol:
She/her.
Solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant
Image

Ent Ancient
Points: 2 696 
Posts: 1830
Joined: Sat May 23, 2020 11:34 pm
Oh gosh GoodReads is starting to give me year-end stats. I've read a whopping 88 books this year and I still have a few weeks left! :googly: That's definitely the most ever but all this social isolation has made me read even more than I normally do.

New Soul
Points: 1 672 
Posts: 1138
Joined: Wed May 27, 2020 7:12 pm
I love Goodreads' stats, but I hate that they put them up this early! There are 15 days to the end of the year Goodreads! I can read more books during that time period! :lol: So far 106 books read, soon to be 107 when I input Sir David's book. There are a few books missing from these statistics because some of LeVar's readings aren't on the lists and 2 books that I've read weren't in the database. I'm guessing it's because they're older and in Croatian so there's that. :lol: BTW my longest book was The Empire of Gold with 766 pages! Didn't feel that long when I was shouting at the characters though :lol:
She/her.
Solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant
Image

Ent Ancient
Points: 2 696 
Posts: 1830
Joined: Sat May 23, 2020 11:34 pm
Agreed, I still have so many days left to read!! 106 wow! I usually read somewhere around 70 a year so I thought 88 was a lot. My longest was The Priory of the Orange Tree at 848 pages. Shortest - Pile of Bones (a short story by Michael J. Sullivan). here's to more reading whoo!

New Soul
Points: 1 672 
Posts: 1138
Joined: Wed May 27, 2020 7:12 pm
I usually set my goal to 52 books a year (one per week, which is doable in case life throws bricks at me), but in the past years, I've read around 60-ish books per year. This year thanks to the pandemic and lockdown I managed to complete my reading goal at the beginning of April and then I just kept going :lol: The Priory of the Orange Tree is on my reading list! How did you like it?
She/her.
Solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant
Image

Ent Ancient
Points: 2 696 
Posts: 1830
Joined: Sat May 23, 2020 11:34 pm
I don't set a goal I just see what I end up with!
I liked it but I did not love it. It was definitely a good book, it was well-written and I love that it was standalone. I loved the dragons, dragon-riders and the magic. I read it surprisingly fast for its length. But a lot of time was spent at court and I was more interested in the other main storylines. As such, I think part of my disappointment was because my favorite character did not get as much screen time as I wanted. The romance was very sweet and I do like a nice dash of it but it took over the plot a little too much for me. If you like Medieval-ish court politics and intrigue with a heavy dose of romance, you might enjoy it more than I did!

New Soul
Points: 1 672 
Posts: 1138
Joined: Wed May 27, 2020 7:12 pm
Seeing as I'm slowly shifting my history specialisation from the early modern period to the Middle Ages :lol: I think I might enjoy it. Might depend on the romance factor. :lol: I'm not a huge fan of romance, it kind of has to be done right, not too much and not too little. But I'll give it a go in January, I have some library books I need to finish and return before the end of the month. :-)
She/her.
Solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant
Image

New Soul
Points: 1 672 
Posts: 1138
Joined: Wed May 27, 2020 7:12 pm
New Year, new Goodreads challenge! My first New Year's resolution and the only one I'm going to stick to most likely :lol:

I was debating whether to be ambitious and go for a 100 books for this year, since I managed to read 107 last year, but I was chatting about it on Twitter with some friends, and we agreed we don't poke or provoke 2021 in any way, shape or form and decided to stick to the more realistic goal of 52 books (that's one book per week). Like every year I'm hoping I'll read more history books, last year I managed 5! Which is a minor miracle considering how slow I am when it comes to reading them. Fingers crossed that I get faster, or at least stop being distracted by reference notes :lol:

Anyone else decided on this year's Goodreads challenge?
She/her.
Solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant
Image

Doorwarden of The Mark
Points: 252 
Posts: 36
Joined: Sat Dec 26, 2020 2:00 am
On my bedside table atm are:

- Roverandom (by Tolkien of course)
- Avalon High by Meg Cabot. This novel and 3 comic books retell the story of King Arthur in a modern American high school setting. Very fun reading for Arthurians.
- The Gown, a gothic short story by the musician Emilie Autumn which addresses mental illness.
- True Grit by Charles Portis. This novel tells the story of Mattie Ross (my namesake), a 14 year old girl who is out to avenge her father's murder. This is my favourite Western novel and it's definately time for a reread.
- Building a Life Worth Living by Marsha Linehan, the psychologist who developed DBT (Dialectical Behaviour Therapy). This memoir is very inspiring. Marsha and I have similar stories (except I'm still stuck in "hell"). She is an important role model for me atm. Her book gives me hope.
- the Holy Bible (King James Version), an important staple in my life.

New Soul
Points: 1 672 
Posts: 1138
Joined: Wed May 27, 2020 7:12 pm
Mattie wrote: Sun Jan 03, 2021 10:39 pm - True Grit by Charles Portis. This novel tells the story of Mattie Ross (my namesake), a 14 year old girl who is out to avenge her father's murder. This is my favourite Western novel and it's definately time for a reread.
Thank you for reminding me of this one Mattie! I haven't read the book, but I've watched both movie adaptations and I loved them! I need to add this to my Goodreads list lest I forget about it.
She/her.
Solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant
Image

Doorwarden of The Mark
Points: 252 
Posts: 36
Joined: Sat Dec 26, 2020 2:00 am
@Nessa Saelind no problem, I hope you enjoy it :smooch:

Ent Ancient
Points: 2 696 
Posts: 1830
Joined: Sat May 23, 2020 11:34 pm
Don't set reading goals so will just see how many I end up with this year. So far, had a lot of good ones - T.J. Klune's The House in the Cerulean Sea was the heartwarming, uplifting story I needed in January and Alix E. Harrow's The Ten Thousand Doors of January was just beautiful. I was also very pulled into 438 Days by Jonathan Franklin about a man lost at sea for, you guessed it, 438 days. It was gruesome and hard to read at times but also hard to put down. I am fascinated by these kinds of survival stories. I'm hoping to read a little more non-fiction this year.

New Soul
Points: 1 672 
Posts: 1138
Joined: Wed May 27, 2020 7:12 pm
@Lailyn The House in the Cerulean Sea is on my wishlist! I want to get it, but I need to find time to actually read, instead of hoard books on the e-reader :lol:

Currently, I'm reading Christopher Clark's The Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to War in 1914 in the Croatian translation. At first, I was a bit sceptical about the book, it's got 700 pages and it's 20th-century history, which I'm not a fan of, but it won a lot of awards so I decided to check it out. Professional curiosity :lol: And so far chapter 1 is a riot! Serbian politics at the beginning of the 20th century is like the worst soap opera that you just cannot believe is real, but it is and it's a hoot!
She/her.
Solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant
Image

New Soul
Points: 1 672 
Posts: 1138
Joined: Wed May 27, 2020 7:12 pm
A while ago in a random conversation on Discord I mentioned something like that it would be cool to see folks recommending X amount of favourite books of the moment or books you're looking forward to reading at the moment... I said I was going to look through my Goodreads list because I read a lot of amazing books last year and :shrug: dunno, forgot :lol:

Anyway, long story cut short here are my current erm 6 favourite books or book series that you need in your life (according to me)

I'll start with a nonfiction one: The Seven Necessary Sins for Women and Girls by the Feminist Giant Mona Eltahawy. I could spend half the day explaining why this book is an essential read for everyone with the help of birb memes, but you'd defenestrate me at the 10 minutes mark :lol: so I won't :lol: A bold and brilliant feminist manifesto and a must-read. Mona is <3

If you like a particular mix of historical fiction mixed in with fantasy and Robespierre as a necromancer along with Toussaint L'Ouverture as a weather mage seems like the best idea you've heard in a while then you must read A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians by H.G. Parry, especially since the sequel A Radical Act of Free Magic is coming out in July of this year and Napoleon is in it! This is going to be such awesomeness! I feel it in my bones! (although, that could just be rheumatism :lol: )

The Poppy War series by R.F. Kuang. Inspired by Chinese history and the Sino-Japanese relations this historical fantasy is something else. The author killed it with this series and in more ways than one. You need this in your life. End of line.

The Daevabad trilogy by S.A. Chakraborty. Shannon is a star, truly <3 I've been with this series since the start (in 2017) and it's been a genuine pleasure to see this series develop and grow; to experience this amazing story that starts in 19th century Egypt and shows a rich and diverse world inspired by Islamic/Muslim culture and traditions. And don't get me started on the characters. They are all awesome and amazing, even the ones I hate! You also need this series in your lives!

The Khorasan Archives series by Ausma Zehanat Khan. I cannot praise Khan's lyrical writing enough, her writing is a source of inspiration and writing goals. I am in awe of this epic fantasy series, how she merged many stories into one powerful one... The inspirations and descriptions, powerful characters, gripping story... It's brilliant alright. <3

Last, but not the least Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse. Inspired by the civilisations of pre-Columbian America Black Sun is epic, rich, detailed, vivid and brilliant. It's one heck of a book and an emotional rollercoaster that will leave you screaming for more. Roanhorse here is at the top of her writing game and I cannot wait to read the sequel. And Cara Gee is reading the audiobook version so you know it's good.

Heh, just realised that all the above books I recommended and I've read in 2020 were written by women. Wasn't intentional, but there you go. Women crushed 2020 with writing. :grin:
She/her.
Solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant
Image

New Soul
Points: 1 672 
Posts: 1138
Joined: Wed May 27, 2020 7:12 pm
Alright, folks let's dust the cobwebs off this thread and kick it into the new year! :lol:

As you know it's the last month of 2021, or as I like to think of it 22nd :confused: month of March since this panini started :lol: But that's not what we're here today; well at least that's not why I'm here, don't have a clue why are you here... But I digress!

What I want to know is what are the amazing, wonderful, mindblowing, spectacular books you've read in 2021 and which are just kind of meh, could have skipped this?

Hit me with your reviews and recommendations!

Bonus Nessa points for books published in 2021. :grin:
She/her.
Solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant
Image

New Soul
Points: 1 790 
Posts: 2058
Joined: Thu Sep 02, 2021 6:24 am
Books read this year? Not much I guess, unless I count in my own stories? Somewhere I got an account on Goodreads, but that ended up in the dustballs. Some books are in Dutch, but I don't know if they are worth to mention them. There are no English translations for them. I don't know if there are any Dutch readers still around? :confused: Right now there aren't many exciting books, just as there are no exciting movies to see. :cry: So I write myself mostly.
Just call me Aiks or Aikári. Notify is off.
Find me stuff in Gondolin.
And let us embark to Valinor!

New Soul
Points: 1 672 
Posts: 1138
Joined: Wed May 27, 2020 7:12 pm
*blows dust from the thread*

I'd like to highlight some interesting stories I've read in January that I think folks might find interesting.

  • Larson, Rich. How Quini the Squid Misplaced His Klobučar - the title of this novelette is the reason I started reading it, or to be more precise the word Klobučar is the reason that I started reading this. This is a fast-paced, dark, cyberpunkish? story about a tech heist set in futuristic Spain. I was captivated by the locations, characters, language and how so many things are happening in such a short time that you get the feeling that you've just read a longer book. Maybe a better comparison would be like watching a season of a show in one go. Anyway, this is interesting, would recommend, go read.
  • Shepard, Peng. The Future Library - this made me cry. In a good way. It's hauntingly beautiful and melancholic and saudade.
  • Pichetshote, Pornsak; Campbell, Aron; Villarrubia José; Powell, Jeff. Infidel - this is a very powerful story with brilliant artwork. The art, the text work seamlessly together to create an uneasy atmosphere of horror and move the reader of this graphic novel to muse about the message of the novel long after you finish reading this. If there's one quote I could mention that stayed with me is this said by the character Medina: "Racism's a cancer that never gets cured. The best you get is remission."
She/her.
Solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant
Image

Guardian of the Golden Wood
Points: 2 793 
Posts: 1910
Joined: Sun May 17, 2020 7:54 pm
Anyone out there read anything by Stephen Grundy? He was my find of last year. So far I've read his Attila's Treasure and Beowulf. In my never ending quest to find decent historical fiction, he is pretty much up there - as in, he really knows (and loves) his sources and period. I looked him up and discovered that he was very into Germanic paganism - and also that he died last year!

Actually, while I'm writing: any recommendations for good historical fiction would be much appreciated.
Eat earth. Dig deep. Drink water.

New Soul
Points: 1 672 
Posts: 1138
Joined: Wed May 27, 2020 7:12 pm
@Chrysophylax Dives - I don't know what time period(s) you like, but since you mentioned the Middle Ages I'll start with a few recommendations from that era. I have a fondness for medieval historical crime, well historical crime and crime in general :grin: , so if that sounds interesting to you I wholeheartedly recommend reading the Edwin Weaver series by C.B. Hanley. She has a PhD in medieval history and she is brilliant at describing everyday life and attitudes of people during that period. The best way I can describe this series is - Medieval Midsomer Murders. :grin: Honestly, what I love about this whole series are the descriptions of everyday life and people's attitudes and that's why I'm here for. :lol:

Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin was another great medieval crime series I enjoyed. It's set during the reign of Henry II, I think there's mention of Thomas Becket in one of the books, forgot which one. I also enjoyed how it presented the concept of the Other and relationships between people of different faith in England and Salerno and its famous Medical School is also an important motif mentioned throughout the series.

I haven't read it yet (it's on the to be read list), so I can't say how good it is, but Tariq Ali's Islam Quintet sounds like a fascinating read. I'm particularly curious about The Book of Saladin and A Sultan in Palermo.

I hope this is at least interesting, and if anyone's curious I have other historical crime recommendations from classical antiquity to the Victorian era. What can I say, I love history and crime :lol:
She/her.
Solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant
Image

Guardian of the Golden Wood
Points: 2 793 
Posts: 1910
Joined: Sun May 17, 2020 7:54 pm
Very much appreciated @Nessa Saelind. I wish I'd found this thread before. I've purchased so many historical fiction books over the years, and so many are dross.

Basically, I like anything up to around the 17th century, which is ironic i suppose because my own training is in modern history. I seem to recall reading you recently saying you are a Medievalist? Not sure if this is the right place, but I'd be interested to hear more.
Eat earth. Dig deep. Drink water.

New Soul
Points: 1 672 
Posts: 1138
Joined: Wed May 27, 2020 7:12 pm
@Chrysophylax Dives - historical fiction is tricky, it can be hit or miss (or meh really :lol: ) and the more you know about the period the novel is set in the more you're aware of if they got things right - not just the events, but also the clothing, customs, how people thought etc. :nod:

Regarding your question, I'm not a "proper" Medievalist, my specialisation and interest lie in the transition period between the Late Middle Ages and Early Modern period until the fall of the Republic of Venice. However, almost every topic I researched and wrote about at uni required background knowledge from the Medieval period so it kind of stuck with me. So now I follow what's going on in that academic corner from personal and professional curiosity. :nod:

And now back to some historical fiction recommendations :grin:

Classical antiquity

Roma Sub Rosa series by Steven Sailor is a great historical crime series set at the end of the Roman Republic. I read this a really long time ago, but Catilina's Riddle stood out to me as an excellent historical fiction about the Cataline conspiracy.

SPQR series by John Maddox Roberts is also good, but I find this one more humorous than the Roma Sub Rosa. Franky, the mockery of Caesar in this series is particularly good. :lol:

The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff is an excellent book (the movie adaptation good too) about a young Roman officer who comes to Britain in order to uncover what really happened behind the disappearance of the Ninth Legion. The book is the start of The Dolphin Ring Cycle series, but so far I only read this book, but I know it spans from the 2nd century to the 11th, I think.

Middle Ages

The Sufi Mysteries series by Laury Silvers was hmm, an unexpectedly different historical crime fiction. It's set in 10th century Baghdad and I needed to switch my way of thinking to read this - which is nice.

Bernard Cornwell is usually solid for historical fiction :nod: His Sharpe series is fantastic (yes, Sean Bean stars in the TV adaptation of this series and he does not die :lol: ) so if anyone likes a bit of Napoleonic wars fiction, I wholeheartedly recommend this series. However his medieval series called The Last Kingdom is... I don't know if the BBC/Netflix adaptation is the problem or the books themselves... It's interesting, I suppose. He also has an Arthurian series that a friend of mine really likes.

Hilary Mantel's Wolf's Hall about Thomas Cromwell is also marvellous work! I'm not a fan of Henry VIII and I really enjoyed this book.

Noah Gordon's The Physician and its sequels are also brilliant historical books, although imo The Pysician is the best book in the trilogy (and not just because we get to meet Ibn Sina)

OK, that's quite a list here, so I'll leave it here for now.
She/her.
Solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant
Image

Guardian of the Golden Wood
Points: 2 793 
Posts: 1910
Joined: Sun May 17, 2020 7:54 pm
Nessa Saelind wrote: Thu Mar 17, 2022 6:41 pm Regarding your question, I'm not a "proper" Medievalist, my specialisation and interest lie in the transition period between the Late Middle Ages and Early Modern period until the fall of the Republic of Venice.
More please. Specifics!

Thanks for further suggestions. On the ones I've already looked at:
Nessa Saelind wrote: Thu Mar 17, 2022 6:41 pm Roma Sub Rosa series by Steven Sailor is a great historical crime series set at the end of the Roman Republic.

The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff is an excellent book (the movie adaptation good too) about a young Roman officer who comes to Britain in order to uncover what really happened behind the disappearance of the Ninth Legion. The book is the start of The Dolphin Ring Cycle series, but so far I only read this book, but I know it spans from the 2nd century to the 11th, I think.

Bernard Cornwell ...

Hilary Mantel's Wolf's Hall about Thomas Cromwell is also marvellous work! I'm not a fan of Henry VIII and I really enjoyed this book.
So, the Steven Sailor I too read ages ago and in a way it was what got me into the genre, this because while decent it was not that great - and the books in the series always follow a predictable character trajectory pattern. Also thought the same about those early medieval monk crime mysteries - Brother Cadwell or something. In other words, here was when I recognized that a really good historical novel was possible, though this was not it.

The Eagle of the Ninth - that was a childhood treat. But I went back to it recently, and got one of those kindle editions of all her stories. This one is actually the best by a long shot, but she has others set in Dark Ages Britain that are not bad. I feel like she belongs in the same era as Mary Renault (whose ancient Greek novels are unsurpassed, imo).

Bernard Cromwell - yeah, enjoyed his Utred son of Utred series but got bored in the end and won't read his other series. Ultimately, it becomes like Steven Sailor with this pattern where the characters remain the same all over again; and you also reach the limits of the historical insight - like, yes they get all these external appearances seemingly credible but, say in this case, Cromwell has no sense of the Anglo-Saxon word-culture that gave us the Exeter Book and 'Riddles in the Dark', not to mention the idea of a bardic or performing tradition of song/oral poetry (which is where, through Tolkien, we step into this period).

Hilary Mantel - yeah, read that, recognized it was a 'good book' but never got hooked by it and cannot be bothered to read the next in the series. Not sure why it did not work for me.

-- By the by, a Tolkien-related title similar to Rosemary Sutcliff's children's historical fiction: Jill Paton Walsh, Hengest's Tale. Someone, I guess Tom Shippey, wrote somewhere that Walsh likely heard Tolkien lecture at Oxford because the take on Hengest is precisely the (singular) take given by Tolkien. That aside, its a good read!

Edit: reflecting on these criticisms, especially of B. Cromwell, I guess that LOTR, though it is not historical fiction, has somewhere set my standards for historical fiction.
Eat earth. Dig deep. Drink water.

New Soul
Points: 1 672 
Posts: 1138
Joined: Wed May 27, 2020 7:12 pm
Chrysophylax Dives wrote: Fri Mar 18, 2022 12:26 amMore please. Specifics!
:grin: OK, some specifics coming your way. :grin: When I've started reading history at the Faculty of Humanity and Social Sciences in Split, I didn't have a clear idea what period I wanted to specialise in. The history department at my university has a strong focus on Croatian history, whit extra emphasis given to the history of the Eastern Adriatic Coast. Medieval history, Croatian or otherwise, requires proficiency in medieval Latin and at that time we didn't have a permanent professor of Croatian Medieval history on staff (the medievalist were guest lecturers coming from Zagreb) I decided to do my bachelor's thesis on a topic from the early modern period of Croatian history.

My advisor suggested that I research the Venetian Military Frontier (since I was already quite intrigued by the Triplex Confinium project) and everyday life in that area and I agreed. This proved to be an excellent choice since I continued this research for my MA thesis, but in a different way. My masters' thesis required (to quote professor Roksandić) "an approach of the respective „history from below“, and simultaneously, „history from above“, and each of them assumes a multiple linkage of both approaches." In addition, a lot of background history was needed for my research topic, so I've read a lot of medieval history, both primary and secondary sources and textbooks to be able to make a concise and coherent background for the reader to understand.

Periods of transition, regardless if they are from one era to another or from one type of system to another are always very interesting to research and write about, but they do require a lot of background research. So that's how I'm a kind of Medievalist :lol:

Back to books. :grin:

Chrysophylax Dives wrote: Fri Mar 18, 2022 12:26 amSo, the Steven Sailor I too read ages ago and in a way it was what got me into the genre, this because while decent it was not that great - and the books in the series always follow a predictable character trajectory pattern. Also thought the same about those early medieval monk crime mysteries - Brother Cadwell or something. In other words, here was when I recognized that a really good historical novel was possible, though this was not it.
IMO the trouble with long series, especially historical fiction (detective or otherwise) is that there's only so much you can do with the character in the chosen time period. That's painfully obvious in the Roma Sub Rosa series - it can't go on forever, because it gets diluted and looses all the charm and excellence it had at the beginning.
Chrysophylax Dives wrote: Fri Mar 18, 2022 12:26 amBernard Cromwell - yeah, enjoyed his Utred son of Utred series but got bored in the end and won't read his other series. Ultimately, it becomes like Steven Sailor with this pattern where the characters remain the same all over again; and you also reach the limits of the historical insight - like, yes they get all these external appearances seemingly credible but, say in this case, Cromwell has no sense of the Anglo-Saxon word-culture that gave us the Exeter Book and 'Riddles in the Dark', not to mention the idea of a bardic or performing tradition of song/oral poetry (which is where, through Tolkien, we step into this period).

Hilary Mantel - yeah, read that, recognized it was a 'good book' but never got hooked by it and cannot be bothered to read the next in the series. Not sure why it did not work for me.
The main problem I have with both The Last Kingdom and Wolf Hall is that both series are set in location(s) and time period(s) I'm not really interested in. :shrug: Personally I think Wolf Hall is a better series, it caught the atmosphere of the period and Mantel got the characters right. Still, not my cup of tea. :shrug: And I agree with you that Cronwell didn't really get the atmosphere and culture of Anglo-Saxon England right. As you read or watch the series, you feel like something is missing. You can't really pinpoint what, but an element is missing. His Sharpe series is much better with atmosphere, culture etc. but then again Napoleonic period novels are usually alright.
Chrysophylax Dives wrote: Fri Mar 18, 2022 12:26 amBy the by, a Tolkien-related title similar to Rosemary Sutcliff's children's historical fiction: Jill Paton Walsh, Hengest's Tale. Someone, I guess Tom Shippey, wrote somewhere that Walsh likely heard Tolkien lecture at Oxford because the take on Hengest is precisely the (singular) take given by Tolkien. That aside, its a good read!

Edit: reflecting on these criticisms, especially of B. Cromwell, I guess that LOTR, though it is not historical fiction, has somewhere set my standards for historical fiction.
I haven't heard of Hengest's Tale, I'll have a look at it see how I go with it.

By the by, surprisingly I found that fantasy writers tend to do historical fiction really well. Guy Gavriel Kay is a great example of this, despite his books not being historical fiction but rather historical fantasy. He really nailed the Byzantines in his Sarantium Mosaic and Italian states in the renaissance and even Croatian history in his recent novels. And you can really that he's done his research :nod:

BTW another historical fiction recommendation: All the Horses of Iceland by Sarah Tolmie. Came out this month, it's about 100 or so pages and it was a delight to read. The author managed to capture the essence of the Middle Ages, and show how global that age really is and how different cultures from very different parts of the world are connected via trade and travellers. I wholeheartedly recommend it.
She/her.
Solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant
Image

Guardian of the Golden Wood
Points: 2 793 
Posts: 1910
Joined: Sun May 17, 2020 7:54 pm
@Nessa Saelind, I know nothing about the Venetian Military Frontier, and for that matter, next to nothing about the history of Croatia! I know you are very busy, but would you consider making a thread here titled, say, 'Venetian Military Frontier' so you could explain a bit more and I (and maybe others) could ask the questions that i want to ask here but will not so as not to disturb the book discussion?
Eat earth. Dig deep. Drink water.

New Soul
Points: 1 672 
Posts: 1138
Joined: Wed May 27, 2020 7:12 pm
@Chrysophylax Dives - sure, no problem. I'll try to get up something on the weekend :grin: I'm a bit surprised and happy that someone is interested in this :grin:
She/her.
Solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant
Image

Guardian of the Golden Wood
Points: 2 793 
Posts: 1910
Joined: Sun May 17, 2020 7:54 pm
Nessa Saelind wrote: Thu Mar 24, 2022 9:24 pm @Chrysophylax Dives - sure, no problem. I'll try to get up something on the weekend :grin: I'm a bit surprised and happy that someone is interested in this :grin:
Thank you! Why would i be interested in historical fiction and not in the real thing? I am also a historian. But unlike you, I have no linguistic talent, which rather narrows the fields i can study and is one reason why i ended up in the Victorian era, which i have always regarded as the most drab and uninteresting ever. I look forward to learning a little Croatian history!

Just to prod this thread back to its proper theme: I really do recommend Stephen Grundy, who I mentioned in my first post on this thread above.
Eat earth. Dig deep. Drink water.

Sage of Khazad-dûm
Points: 555 
Posts: 358
Joined: Thu May 14, 2020 6:45 am
So I just discovered that Howl's Moving Castle is actually a series of books by Diana Wynne Jones. This is probably my fave Ghibli film so I was very excited to discover it. Has anyone read the series?
Family Stealtharm | Sil's #1 Property | Knowledge of a woman, pride of a dwarf | Khazâd ai-mênu!

Image

Khazad Elder
Points: 3 027 
Posts: 2112
Joined: Wed Aug 05, 2020 3:32 pm
No, I have not read the series, but I will give it a listen too and let you know. Audiobooks have become my favourite pastime of late. I listen to them while I work and have discovered all kinds of books I have missed in the last 30 years :googly: I am now listening to Joe Abercrombie's The First Law Trilogy and enjoying it!

Hi Nerwen! :smooch:
The world was fair in Durin's Day

Orc
Points: 138 
Posts: 30
Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2020 2:26 am
@Nerwen Nuke-queen Yes! Howles Moving Castle. Castle in the Sky. um, the other one. They were great! If you got hungry watching Sofia fry eggs and bacon, you'll love these.

I'm listening to The Mermaid's Tale by DG Valdron a second time. It's out of print because the publishing house closed. It's still available on Audible and is very good.

An uruk is hired by the fish folk to hunt the one that brutalized and murdered a mermaid. The world building is amazing with goblins, hobgoblins, vampires, dwarves. I'm not doing it justice but it's the best fantasy book I've read.
Proprietor of Pakon Stazim
He/him

Khazad Elder
Points: 3 027 
Posts: 2112
Joined: Wed Aug 05, 2020 3:32 pm
I spent the last two days listening to the audiobook The King Of Elfland's Daughter by Lord Dunsany. I felt bewitched by this lovely, enchanting, romantic novel. I can't remember the hours of work that I spent while enjoying it. I also read that one of his books, Time of The Gods, was considered a significant influence on the work of Tolkien and H. P. Lovecraft. Has anyone else read The King Of Elfland's Daughter? Because I must admit that while listening to it, I couldn't help but notice the many similarities between the two authors; Lord Dunsany (Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett) and Tolkien.

There was a concept album base on the book released in 1977 - HERE

There is an interesting fact about this LP. The artist that did the album cover is the same person, Jimmy Cauty, who did the first original post of The Lord of The Rings poster I posted HERE. I also posted a copy of the album art work HERE.

Wow! That's a lot of links! :lol:
The world was fair in Durin's Day

Balrog
Points: 5 867 
Posts: 3513
Joined: Mon May 18, 2020 11:02 am
While I've never read King of Elfland's Daughter, I have read a few short stories by Lord Dunsany. I'll just say I'm not his biggest fan. I understand why people enjoy him, he writes some excellent and evocative prose, but I'm too distracted by all the goofy names that sound like they were pulled out of thin air without any sort of internal consistency or meaning. His huge influence on Lovecraft (huuuuuuge) is part of the reason I've given him more than a single chance; the things that Lovecraft wrote that were inspired by Dunsany, his Dream Cycle, are pure weird and wonderfulness. In many respects though, Lovecraft was a much better stylist.

All that being said, I've listened to a few bits of music that were inspired by Dunsany's work and I've always found them amazing, very Tangerine Dream ethereal and fantastical.
Strange Fruit got holes in the flesh but it ain't gonn' spoil cause it never was fresh

Post Reply