October's reading

[jmc_bks]

What I read last month:

1.  The Subtle Build of Perfection by L.M. Turner.  Novella, gay romance.  My notes at LibraryThing are: very short story, well-reviewed.  Off hand, I can't remember what it was about, which means it was probably a quick, pleasant read -- nothing really great or really awful that stands out in my memory.

2.  Three Wrong Turns in the Desert by Neil Plakcy.  Gay romantic suspense.  Bought this one because I enjoyed Plakcy's Mahu Vice but couldn't be arsed to finish it.  The suspense was dragging and not entirely coherent, the narrator was a twat.

3.  The Iron Duke by Meljean Book.  Steampunk romance.  Loved this book.

4.  The Girl in the Green Raincoat by Laura Lippman.  Mystery, serial being republished. Reviewed here.

5.  Resistance by L.M. Turner.  Gay romance.  Liked the idea of a trick who just wouldn't go away.  Suffered a little for the single POV via a narrator whose cynicism was explained fairly late.  

6.  Out of Bounds by Viki Lyn. Gay romance. Ex-football player and current high school coach as hero. And artist as other hero. Thought the closeted coach was a douche, really, because he never stood up for his lover. C+

7.  Death Without Tenure by Joanne Dobson. Literary mystery, series. Reviewed here.

8.  Powerful Greek, Housekeeper Wife by Robyn Donald. Have some notes on this, need to post them.

9.  The Duke and the Pirate Queen by Victoria Janssen. Erotic fantasy. Reviewed here.

10.  Island of Icarus by Christine Danse. Gay steampunk. Review to be posted.

11.  Cryoburn by Lois McMaster Bujold. Science fiction, space opera. Oh, how I love Miles Vorkosigan, twisty, hyperactive little git that he is. (All adjectives used by other characters.) It was nice to visit with Miles and his entourage, although I missed Ivan (the Idiot). As you might guess from the title, death, resurrection, and extension of "natural" lifespan are key to the book. I tore through Cryoburn in a night, then went back for a more leisurely consumption. Can't figure out how to write a review without spoiling it all over the place.

Comments

[rosario001.livejournal.com]

I read The Subtle Build of Perfection a few days ago and liked it very much. Short, and not much conflict, but very sweet and romantic. Would you recommend Resistance? It sounds quite different from TSBOP...

[jmc-bks.livejournal.com]

If you liked TSBOP, yes, with the warning that there is more conflict, primarily because the narrator has a pretty hard shell.

[oracne.livejournal.com]

I needed a few days to recover from CRYOBURN. The epilogue in particular.

[jmc-bks.livejournal.com]

As @romanticsf tweeted, the end left me gobsmacked. But not really, because the build up to it made sense, especially if you remember Miles' comment (in Memory, I think) about the words he dreaded hearing most. But, yes, the epilogue made me tear up. And books seldom do that to me.

[oracne.livejournal.com]

She did it brilliantly.

[(Anonymous)]

JMC I keep forgetting to thank you for introducing me to Miles. I'm on my fifth Miles book and I think of you every time I read one. It's one of those rare series that isn't getting stale, not even a little bit.

I'd read other Bujold books but he's even better.

thank you, thank you,
Kate R

[jmc-bks.livejournal.com]

Oh, I am so glad you are enjoying the series. I've tried to get so many people to read it! Some people just say, eh, space opera not my thing, and other are confused because Bujold didn't write the books in order. But the series is excellent.

And not only is there a new book out now, but Bujold is apparently working on an Ivan-centric book! Set after Diplomatic Immunity but before Cryoburn.