More Expanse

So, I'm still churning my way through the Expanse novels, and I've watched up to Season 3 of the tv series.

The book list has grown a bit since my last post (THREE YEARS AGO!) - I really should make an effort to keep this updated. So many things to do...

I've read all the ones in the previous post, and I'm now reading Persepolis Rising. I believe the next book after that should be out in a few weeks so I'm sorted for a bit.

But once I get through them I've always got Anathem by Neal Stephenson to finish. I keep stopping and starting it because it's such a behemoth of a book with a steep language learning curve. I'm intrigued to see where it goes, though. It has a fantasy feel but with sci-fi futuristic elements. To be honest I'm thoroughly confused by it.

Over and out for now. Let's hope it's not another three years until I post again.

The Leviathan has woken

This is my current reading list:

The Expanse - by James S.A. Corey

• Leviathan Wakes (2011) novel - JUST FINISHED
• The Butcher of Anderson Station: A Story of The Expanse (2011) novella
• Caliban's War (2012) novel
• Gods of Risk (2012) novella
• Drive (2012) short story
• Abaddon's Gate (2013) novel
• Cibola Burn (2014) novel
• The Churn (2014) novella
• Nemesis Games (2015) novel
• The Vital Abyss (2015) novella
• Babylon's Ashes (2016) novel

I've just finished reading Leviathan Wakes, the first book in the series, and I loved it! It reads exactly like a sci-fi tv show, so it's really easy for your imagination to build the world in your mind.

For some people that's probably not what you want in a book. But for me, I loved it.
I love books AND tv, so to have a book series that reads like a tv show AND has a tv show being made is fricken awesome.

Call me shallow if you like. That's ok by me. I'm just enjoying the pure entertainment of this awesome story.

And the sci-fi!

SCI-FI!

YEAH!

So, I've got quite a few books to chew through. Not to mention the fact that my sister just gave me the password to her Kindle account. Oh boy! She reads a thousand times faster than me, and has thousands of books under her belt. It's like I've just been given the keys to the kingdom. Gotta sift out the soft-core porn titles that bloomed out the ass of 50 Shades, but that's ok. There's tons of awesome fantasy and sci-fi titles in there just waiting for my eyeballs to be glued to them. Can't wait.

Also, met some awesome people at a festival recently who recommended some great titles. So, they're on my list too.

Perhaps I should write out a list. Like, as in a proper book list. Coz I'm sure I've forgotten a shitload of books I meant to put on my list, so that would be one good reason. And if I had a proper list then I would never fall into an empty book well again.

Perhaps I could write out a few different lists. I could write out the definitive THIS IS MY READING LIST list, as well as a NICE TO READ list, a MIGHT WANT TO READ list, a RECOMMENDED list, and a NEVER GONNA READ, BUT SHOULD BE ON A LIST ANYWAY list.

And the ocd 'must be organised' side of me would love making all these lists. It would be like a little project. Which, by 'project' I mean 'a procrastination tool to keep me from doing what I should be doing while also making me feel like I'm working'. Ah, dammit. Now I've gone and said that I can't do it because I know it for what it is.

Hey ho. I'll just put 'making book lists' on my list of things to do some day :-)

The Expanse

I've just started reading Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey.

It's quite promising so far, and the fact there is a tv show is a huge bonus! I'm hoping to read the book before I start watching. I'm just hoping I don't have to read ALL the sequels before starting to watch the tv show.

I let Game of Thrones get ahead of me on that score. I didn't even finish the first novel before I started watching it, and I never bothered picking the book up again.

I really don't want to fall out of reading the Expanse novels in favour of the tv show.. I want to enjoy them both in tandem.

Btw, if you want to follow me on Goodreads you can find me below:

Goodreads

I'm HUGE on sci-fi at the moment - so please feel free to recommend some!

Time Flies When You're Reading

Wow it's been a long time since I've posted!

I'm still here... still reading, and boy have I read some amazing books by some amazing authors!

The Bone Season - Samantha Shannon (plus sequel)

The 5th Wave - Rick Yancey (plus sequels)

Daughter of Smoke and Bone - Laini Taylor (plus sequels) (I can't stop thinking about this series!!!)

Neptunes Blood - Charles Stross (plus others, incl some of the Laundry files)

Fade to Black - Francis Knight

That last one is what I'm reading right now. I started it after finishing one of the Laundry files by Charles Stross (I LOVE his writing style), so I still had quite a book hangover from that. I didn't know what to read next, so I was surfing the Kobo suggestions and just clicked on Fade to Black and started reading without thinking about it or checking the blurb.

The writing suckered me in so fast! It was so easy to read, but not 'leave-your-brain-at-the-door' easy, I mean it was well written (unlike this blog!). It suckered me in so bad and I'm panicking now coz I think I'm near the end.

At some point while reading a book I will obsess about it, and will Google search it to death until I've researched every single thing I can about the book, the author, the author's cat, and when the next book is out.

I haven't done this with Fade to Black yet, and I feel like it's slipping out of my fingers! Yikes!

I LOVE this book, and don't want it to end.

I'm off now to go research it.

I hope there's sequels. That's 'sequels' plural!

I'll cover the other books I mentioned above at some point in the future, because goddammit they're excellent and deserve to be talked about.

In other news I've written the first sentence of a new book idea that's been in my head for years. I'm hoping I'll write the second sentence sometime this decade. We shall see.

Book List

Well, time flies when you're reading The Dark Tower series... hehehe, see what I did there?

Ok, bad joke. Moving on.

I finished Stephen King's Dark Tower series a while ago, and I liked it. I didn't mind that the end was predictable and stupid.. it couldn't have been any other way, really. King even goes so far as to say he would have stopped the book a chapter early (without Roland reaching the Dark Tower).. but that would have been frustrating as all hell!

Anyway.. I haven't got any more to say about it, so moving on!

Kvothe!

If you don't know that name, then you damn well should!!

'The Name of the Wind' - by Patrick Rothfuss

The main character, Kvothe, is brilliant.
The story is amazing!
The writing is sublime!

Read it!

Read it now!

'The Wise Man's Fear' is the second in the series.. and equally as awesome.

The third book........... is unwritten!!!

I know, it's incredibly frustrating, but that's just the way it is. Read the first two anyway. You are armed with the knowledge that the story is unfinished, so go forth and read. Don't fear. Just read. The third book will come along soon....... hopefully!

So, I'm at a bit of a loose end at the moment. I finished 'The Wise Man's Fear' a few weeks ago and I've been trying to find something to fill the gap.

I've never read any Pratchett, and it was recommended to me, so I've downloaded the first book onto Kobo on my phone, and I'm trying so hard to get into it! It's a real struggle, but knowing there are 35 books in the series makes me feel a little comforted that I won't be left hanging so soon... but I've got to be drawn in first.

I've been so distracted with my artwork and stuff lately that it's hard to clear my head and concentrate. It's going to be a crazy busy summer this year (plus I've just launched my YouTube channel!), but hopefully I should be able to compartmentalise things and get myself organised soon. I'm moving house (bought my own flat, yay!), and I've got a good plan on how I'm going to lay everything out, which should be great fun to organise.

Life just keeps getting better and better, really. But it is harder and harder to find books to satisfy me. I'm hoping Pratchett can deliver!

Book recommendations are always welcome, by the way!

And now for some shameless marketing:
Here's my website: www.swanstardesigns.com
You'll find links to all my online shops and stuff, as well as a gallery of all my artwork and jewellery.
Go and buy my stuff :-D
Marketing message over.

I'm a finalist

I drew a picture of a cat.

I entered my picture of a cat into a 'tattoo design' competition.

My picture of a cat got chosen as a finalist.

I grinned like a cheshire cat.

Happy days!

In order to win I need votes. If ya wanna help me win, please vote here:
http://redbubble-tattoo.strutta.com/entry/2616675

I am currently running 7th out of 10 finalists. Voting closes 5th June! I've got a long way to go to catch up!

Oh, here's the picture of the cat:

You can buy t-shirts, prints, cards, iphone cases, stickers, and hoodies from my Redbubble shop here:
http://www.redbubble.com/people/swanstardesigns/shop

Slingin' Guns

Well, I'm sticking with the Gunslinger, by Stephen King.

It reeeeeeeally makes a difference to read well written sentences.

That's not to say that the Great Gatsby wasn't written well, or Robin Hobb's Rain Wild series. I guess I just wasn't in the right frame of mind to start reading those.

I am determined to stick with the Gunslinger. I will finish a book if it goddamm takes me all year!

Aging

Well, I'm another year older.

Hey ho and onward...

I'm reading The Gunslinger by Stephen King.. the first of the Dark Tower series. I'm hanging in there. It's soooooo nice to be reading something by someone who can actually write!!!

All good :-)

Stephen King

I'm ashamed to say that I'm quite behind the times when it comes to Stephen King. I've seen some of the films, but only ever read a book of short horror stories which I think contained a Stephen King story, or it was full of them.. I can't remember...

I'm feeling drawn towards The Dark Tower series. Maybe it's because I watched Firefly not long ago, which kinda has that same wasteland feel to it. I dunno. I don't even know what it's about, but for some reason I'm drawn to it.

I'm still trying to read The Great Gatsby, but it's not going very well. I'm finding it difficult to even remember that I'm supposed to be reading it.

I feel like we're living in a futuristic world now, where imaginations are running wild but attention spans are shrinking. In only the few minutes it's taken to type out this post I'm bored with it already and want to move on to something else. Perhaps that's just the influence of Homeland's bipolar character, Carrie, coming through. I just finished watching that series, and the agitation her character emanates is a little catching.

I think I'm going to go horizontal on the couch for the rest of the day.. and try to shake off this looming migraine. That's probably what's eating me at the mo. Although this snowing weather has also sapped my energy. Snow in March. Snow in fucking March! It's after the spring equinox for fuck's sake. Enough already! Bring out the sunshine.. I need it!

Vegas Baby!

I am going to Fantasy Con in Vegas next year! I dunno how I'll afford it, or how I'll get there, where I'll stay, or whatever, but I'm definitely going!

http://www.fantasy-con.com/

Yeah!

The Next Book

So, until I can actually get my fat ass into a bookshop to go through all of Feists books to figure out which one I'm up to, I can't really download anything onto my phone (via Kobo) to start reading just yet.......

I read an interview in the newspaper the other day with Isla Fisher about her role in the film adaptation of The Great Gatsby, and she gushed on and on about what a good book it is. I've heard of it, but I've never read it. To be honest I never even knew what it was about. So, I googled a synopsis of it, and it sounds kinda ok, so I thought I might give that a go. There's no dragons in it, but perhaps I can look past that if the actual writing is good.

That reminds me, I also downloaded a free preview of it, but haven't started it yet. perhaps I'll do that before I go to sleep.

Watching Skyfall tonight. Love it! I saw it at the Odeon in Leicester Square, sitting in the Royal Circle in the centre with the perfect view. Now I shall watch it from the comfort of my couch with my trusty little heater keeping me warm while my roast beef bubbles away in the slow cooker. Shit, I don't have any red wine. Ah well, almost a perfect evening!

Feist Is Finishing It!

So, the riftwar saga is ending! I'm not sure what I think about this. Magician was my very first fanasy novel that I read.. waaaay back when I had glandular fever and was confined to bed for a week.

I can't remember where I got up to in reading these.. I think I'm four from the end, so perhaps they can fill the void until Goodkind's new novel is out later this year.

Yes, that sounds like a mighty fine plan. After that Grey bollocks I need some fabulous fantasy to return me to normal! I still don't understand why anyone would want to write a book without any dragons or magic in it. Sex can't fill a void like that! If a book is not at least medieval style with a war or two thrown in then its just a means to a snooze!

I gotta get back to reality and get my head into fantasy, quick smart!

Normality, here I come!

Bookless

I haven't got a book to read....

Terry Goodkind is publishing another Richard & Kahlan novel soon! FUCK YEAH!

I'll have to find some trash to read until then.

Grey

I've stooped so low.....

I'm reading Fifty Shades of Grey.

Purely as research, of course!!! ...to find out why it's so popular. Apart from all the sex, which actually gets quite boring after a while, I'm not yet sure why it has become such a phenomenon.

The main characters have got to be the most annoying people in the world! Anastasia is a vapid wench who 'explodes' at the mere thought of a shag, and Christian has no redeeming qualities at all except that he's good looking (which you can't see anyway coz its just words on a page).

The car chase in book two, and the kidnapping plot in book three weren't bad.. but far too brief.

And there are no dragons or wizards.

And there is no war between good and evil in which the main character must overcome surmountable odds and travel vast distances on an adventure where they meet lots of different creatures to not only grow as a person but to save all of humanity with the knowledge and powers they have acquired along the way.....

So... I'm finding it quite lacking.

On the plus side I guess the writing is fairly easy to read, and the descriptions are quite creative.

That is all.

Phone

Testing sending a post from my0 phone

So Much To Do

I've got so much to do... this picture really sums it up:

Time Flies

Has it really been months since I last blogged? Time certainly does fly.

I've been on the Exante Diet since April.. lost almost 2stone, but I seem to have lost my momentum and drive to continue.

*sigh*

I'll get there.

Been doing lots of web development work lately. I've re-vamped my website, which still isn't finished yet.. but I've at least settled on a style.

www.swanstardesigns.com

Well, it's late and I'm tired. Bedtime.

Spammers Are Scum

Why do people think that the best way to market their website is to spam others?

I'd bitch-slap the lot of them if I ever saw them in person.

Fucking wankers!

New Books

Well, I finished the Book Thief.

Still not impressed.

So, I've bought some new books to read.

Robin Hobb's Rain Wild series.... I can't wait to start, the first one arrived in the post today.

I've read the Liveship Traders, and the other ones with Fitz (my favourite!!!), so hopefully this series will be just as good!

Plodding Along

So I'm still slowly working my way through The Book Thief. My opinion hasn't changed much. Its not a bad read, but then again I wouldn't give it the glittering stars that others have.

But anyway, I'm wondering what I should be writing... my simple urban fantasy story, or part one of my fully fledged high fantasy novel.......

Hmm... tricky. My lazy side says stick to the stand alone simple story, which would not only be easier to write but would probably be easier to get published (especially on the back of all this Twilight rubbish).

But somewhere deep down there is a kernel of long-lost and almost forgotten ambition that is smouldering away waiting to burst into the flames of my ravaging high fantasy novel which is set in the clouds above a world on fire. It keeps eating at me. Its what I want to write in the end. Ever since I had glandular fever and was bed-bound for a week and I picked up Feist's Magician I've always wanted to write a fantasy novel.

My first attempt (which is still in the pipeline!) was dragged out over many years and I really enjoyed exploring it. I think I managed to plan out two trilogies - with scope for more! In fact I may even set this latest trilogy in the same world, but set in the future. So, hopefully my first published fantasy trilogy will actually be the sequel, while the second to be published will be the prequel and the next one will be the prequel sequel.. or something like that. I dunno. Its going to be something like 9 books all up... give or take.. and I'll be starting at number 7.

But there'll be zero if I don't start writing sometime soon... grrr!

I'm just rambling now. I'm gunna goto bed and read some more of The Book Thief. Its just a shame that it doesn't inspire me to write. I don't actually like the way it's written. Some lines are too abstract. I can't stand that poncy bullshit. Keep it simple, people!

'Night.