Saturday, August 1, 2009

An Update, and I Need Your Help

Just so you know, I'm about two-thirds of the way through The Kite Runner. I'm taking my time with this one (sort of), but it's really good. You can expect a review of it to come up in the next few days.

I've also been to the movies some:

G-Force: I got talked into seeing this one. Don't let yourself make the same mistake. My rating: 3/10. A low point from Jerry Bruckheimer.

UP: A fantastic journey from Pixar. Expect to be close to tears in the first five minutes. You'll want to see this one, and the memory of it will live on in your head for quite a while. My rating: 9.5/10.

Here's the deal. I'm behind on all the stuff I want to read. So I'm asking for your help. I'd like for you to decide which book I read next. Beware, some of these fall into the "embarrassing for my not having read them already" category. The books are:

The Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan. Book 4 of The Wheel of Time. For the past few years, I've been reading one a year. I haven't reviewed them all yet, because I am planning to do back-to-back reviews for the whole series once the final book is out and all have been read. I read Book 3, The Dragon Reborn, just a couple of months ago, but I enjoyed it a lot, and I've gone ahead and bought Book 4. Should I read this next?

Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie. Book 2 of The First Law Trilogy. I recently read The Blade Itself and loved it-- in fact, it's a candidate for my "Best Debut" this year. I would have no trouble convincing myself to read this one if it won. Should I read this next?

The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks. Book 1 of the Night Angel Trilogy. I found this book on sale for $1 (I kid you not), so I purchased it. It received very good reviews, and the whole trilogy is out, even though Weeks just burst onto the scene last year. I'm interested to see if Weeks is worth all the hype. Should I read this next?

And now, my pick for "Most Shameful for Not Having Already Been Read"...

The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams. Book 1 of Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn. This is considered one of the staples of modern fantasy, and I haven't read anything by Williams. That's right, anything. I confess. But I would kind of like to have some other series under my belt (i.e. Wheel of Time, First Law Trilogy) before embarking on this epic quest. Should I read this next?

It's up to you, Constant Reader, to decide! Leave a comment, vote in the poll, or better yet, do both! I'm anxious to see what you choose.

Coming Soon: The Kite Runner, of course.

9 comments:

Krista said...

Man, you have some great choices! You should try out Brent Weeks, I say! I have the first two books on my shelf, but alas, I have to wait until next month when my book club will be reading it. However, I can't wait to dive in, and would love to read your review, and get a feel for what's ahead for me…

The Writer said...

I'm also interested in Weeks. But I'm also equally interested in the others. I can't make up my mind. So I'm putting it out to you and whoever else decides to vote. It looks so far (as in, about 12 hours after the poll started) like The Shadow Rising is ahead ever so slightly. But will it win? Stay tuned, so to speak for the exciting conclusion!

The Writer said...

And now we have a tie! I'm currently reading two things, and when I finish up, I hope to read the winner. However, if the tie stands, I'll probably read Weeks, just because I haven't read him before, and he sounds like he could be a candidate for "Best Debut" this year.

Krista said...

Yay! At least now Week's is back in the game... I'm still pulling for him, of course!

Krista said...

Hey, I've also opened my blog and would love for you to stop by!

The Writer said...

Time's almost up, and Weeks is in the lead! I think we have a winner!

Krista said...

Total Awesomeness!

The Writer said...

Brent Weeks it is! I have one other thing to read, something that's a bit of a classic, and then I'll dive into The Way of Shadows. I can't wait to see how it is!

Krista said...

Woot! Woot!

THIS IS THE INEVITABLE NOTE FOUND AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE.