Another Japan reading poll

[kate_nepveu]

Here are the books that I am definitely taking to Japan:

• Scott Lynch, Red Seas Under Red Skies
• Kij Johnson, The Fox Woman and Fudoki
• R.H.P. Mason, A History of Japan
• Sei Shonagon, The Pillow Book

I am possibly bringing various John M. Ford books that I haven't read yet, in case that memorial panel actually happens—does anyone know if it's going to? If not, well, Ford is not my ideal vacation reading.

For the last half-dozen-ish slots, I find myself with a plethora of mass-market paperbacks, so, like everyone else: a poll!

Note: If a series is specified as "up to," include any comment on how many I should bring.

[Poll #1038918]

Comments

[montoya.livejournal.com]

Of the ones I've read, I'd say:

The Marks isn't all that great, and not really at all what I think of as vacation reading. It's all dark blood sex land king magic stuff, like that horrid Swordspoint non-sequel.

The Wells is very good; but be warned that the third volume gets bogged down and isn't as good as the first two.

The Flewelling is fun, basically a generic epic fantasy that happens to be more urban and civilized than most. It's not a complete book, though, but the first half of a two-book story. It's not great, but it's solidly decent.

[kate_nepveu]

the first half of a two-book story

Thanks, I'll drop that one off the list, then, and save it for when I can get the second half in a hurry if I need it.

[desayunoencama.livejournal.com]

Actually, LUCK IN THE SHADOWS is the first of a trilogy, it's the second Flewelling series (also now a trilogy) where the first book was literally cut in half and ends quite abruptly.

[coffeeandink.livejournal.com]

The Elemental Logic books strike me as diametrically opposite to The Fall of the Kings; for one thing, I'd never describe them as "dark." Where TFoK is all about an attempt to restore a (tradional male) monarchy as an insanity and horror, the Elemental Logic books are about the restoration and recreation of a modified omsbudsman/monarchical goverment after an invasion. They're both pretty critical about traditional fantasy tropes involving goverment and patriarchy, but they come at it from completely opposite directions.

And while both involve sex, I didn't think there was a lot of it, and again the approaches were pretty different; TFoK treats sex as the inspiration for monomaniacal folly and in the Elemental Logic books, as Oyce says, "lesbian sex saves the world!" It's kind of sweet.

That said, Kate, I don't know if they're great vacation reading -- I always find the opening of FL hard-going, although once I'm into it, I love the immersion into the world.

[desdenova.livejournal.com]

I recently read Fire Logic on vacation, and it worked out well for me. The first third or so was IMO slow and occasionally painful going, but since I was on an airplane and didn't have anything else to, I just kept on reading. Then I got seriously sucked into the plot and read straight through the second half of the book while sitting out in the Southern California sunshine for several hours, and got a sunburn. But, mileage obviously varies.

[montoya.livejournal.com]

Both of them have that thing where the king has a mystical bond to the land, and it involves blood and sex and what-not. I used to kinda like stories like that, and then I read one too many of those Datlow/Windling goth fairy tale books and burnt out entirely on psychosexual fantasy.