Holidays are for reading...but what to take?

[selenay]

I'm flying to England in eight days (squee!) for a fifteen day vacation, with Nine Worlds in the middle, so clearly it's time for my annual Kindle book buying splurge so that I have lots of reading material with me.

Theoretically, I'm going to have loads of time to read. Masses. So much reading to do. I'll, er, let you know how well that theory works out for me.

But in this day of Kindles and ebooks, I no longer have to restrict myself to the five or six books that'll fit in my luggage and that I'm absolutely certain I'll read. I can take 200 books if I choose. Which only seems to make my choices harder.

So, with that in mind, I need some help. Take a look at this list. Take a look at the potentials. Is there anything there that you adored and think I should prioritise? I can probably only justify four or five new books, but I have...a lot more than that on my list.

Thoughts, anyone?

Already on the Kindle:

Sailor to a Siren - Zoe sumra
Liesmith - Alis Franklin
Trade Me - Courtney Milan
Broken Homes - Ben Aaronovitch
Heartstone - C J Sansom
Hounded - Kevin Hearne
Think of England - KJ Charles


Definitely maybe purchases:

Slightly Scandalous - Mary Balogh
One Salt Sea - Seanan McGuire


Potential purchases:

Ink and Bone - Rachel Caine
For Darkness Shows the Stars - Diana Peterfreund
About a Girl - Sarah McCarry
The Raven Boys - Maggie Stiefvater
Sparrow Hill - Seanan McGuire
The Price of Salt - Patricia Highsmith
Pheonix Rising - Pip Ballantine
The Tropic of Serpents - Marie Brennan
Delia's Shadow - Jaime Lee Moyer
Celebromancy - Michael R Underwood
Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe - Jenny Colgan
London Falling - Paul Cornell
The Master of Heathcrest Hall - Galen Beckett
Iron and Velvet - Alexis Hall
The Singular & Extraordinary Tale of Mirror & Goliath - Ishbelle Bee
Captive Prince - C S Pacat
I Can't Think Straight - Shamim Sarif
Just Three Words - Melissa Brayden
The Princess Affair - Nell Stark

Comments

[muccamukk]

Really liked Trade Me, and was somewhat cooler on Broken Holmes, though I liked Foxglove Summer better.

The only one on the long list that I've even read was London Falling, which I thought was fantastic. But... not one else I know thought that. Apparently it's a very specific taste.

[selenay]

I've heard that Broken Homes is the weakest in the series, but I figure it can't be totally terrible and I need to read it to get to Foxglove Summer :-) I've adored Milan's Brother's Sinister books so I've been saving Trade Me for a special occasion, like a long plane ride!

"Specific taste" is what I keep hearing about London Falling. I've bounced off some of his short fiction pretty hard, but I've loved his Doctor Who writing and enjoyed his comics. I really want to like London Falling*, but I'm worried in case I don't, which makes no sense. Maybe this is when I take the plunge, at last.

* I've been on panels with Paul Cornell at a couple of cons and he's been really lovely. His opinions are well thought out and he doesn't talk down the non-pros on the panel, so I want to like his book because I like him as a person.

[muccamukk]

From discussions I've had, Broken Holmes is either the weakest (my opinion), OR, OMG! Best Ever! (Not uncommon opinion).

If you don't initially like London Falling, I would at least keep reading until they get magic powers. It has a pretty slow start, with a lot of cop technobabble.

Cornell is a total sweetie, and I'm always disappointed when he writes something I don't like, in an almost personal way. So I get what you mean.

[selenay]

Note to self: don't stop until they have magic powers :-)

So I get what you mean.

*fistbump*

[netgirl_y2k]

I really loved The Price of Salt earlier this year. I did find that my progress slowed somewhat in the middle, but in retrospect I think that was maybe me trying to avoid arriving at unhappy ending that did not, in fact, happen. Yay.

I have loved all of the Lady Trent series, and The Tropic of Serpents was no exception.

Iron and Velvet is ridiculous, but it's ridiculous in that gleeful, tropey way that I wish there was more of on the femslashy side of fandom.

I... could not in good conscience recommend London Falling.

[selenay]

The Price of Salt and Iron and Velvet were on the list because I remembered you squeeing over them :-)

I loved the first Lady Trent book, so I've been saving the sequel for a special occasion. A holiday probably qualifies :-)

Opinions on London Falling are so mixed :-(

[emmzzi]

not on your list, sorry, but loving... The Invisible Library

[selenay]

I read that earlier this year and loved it :-)