Majkia's Brobdingnagian Books

I hoped for 10 BFB books in 2018 and read 13. This year I'll try for 15!




1. The Girl Who Played with Fire - Stieg Larrson - 752 pages - 🎵 (Simon Vance)
2. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest - Stieg Larsson - 832pages - 🎵 (Simon Vance)
3. The Far Pavilions - M.M. Kaye - 960 pages - 🎵 (reader: Vikram Adam)
4. Shadow's Edge - Brent Weeks - 636 pages - 🎵 (reader: Paul Boehmer)
5. A Crown for Cold Silver - Alex Marshall - 688 pages - 🎵 (reader: Angele Masters)
6. The Neutronium Alchemist - Peter F. Hamilton - 758 pages - 🎵 (reader: John Lee)
7. The Price of Valor - Django Wexler - 656 pages - 🎵 (reader: Richard Poe)
8. Anathem - Neal Stephenson - 981 pages - 🎵 (reader: William Dufris)
9. The Fall of Dragons - Miles Cameron - 688 pages - 🎵 (reader: Neil Dickson)
10. The Eye of the World - Robert Jordan - 832 pages - 🎵 (reader: Kramer/ Reading)
11. Not Alone - Craig A. Falconer - 738 pages - 🎵 (reader: James P. Cronin)
12. 1632 - Eric Flint - 608 pages - 🎵 (reader: George Guidall)
13. 27. The Naked God - Peter F. Hamilton - 1360 pages - 🎵 (reader: John Lee)

Hi Jean, good to see you back in this group too.

Good to see you, Jean! Happy reading!

Hi Jean! Learned about this group from your 2018 category challenge thread, and have decided to join!

>5 LisaMorr: Welcome!

Hi Jean, nice to see you back again my dear.

1. The Girl Who Played With Fire - Stieg Larrson - Series: Millennium Trilogy #2

I listened to the audiobook read by Simon Vance.

Tricksy, with lots of diversionary tactics, these books keep you reading and wondering just how things can possibly turn out well. The main character, Lisbeth, is a troubled young woman who has no idea how to back down. You come at her and she comes right back at you with all her strength, intelligence and ability.

Characters are interesting, flawed and complex. They interact in surprising ways and the plot is hard to predict.

Really enjoyed it and hope to read the last of the trilogy soon.

And then there are some more, Jean

Wat ons niet zal doden and De man die zijn schaduw zocht both by David Lagercrantz who picked the writing up when Stieg Larson died.

>9 connie53: I've seen them listed. Are they as good as the initial series?

I don't know, I have them on my shelves but they are slowly growing into ROOTs.

>11 connie53: LOL

>9 connie53: I haven't read the continuing novels but as per my husband, 'they don't hold a candle'.

>13 Yells: Oh that's disappointing.

>13 Yells:,>14 majkia: That really is. But I will give them a try eventually.

2. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest - Stieg Larsson Series: Millennium Trilogy #3

832 pages

I listened to the audio version read by Simon Vance.

Boy, is the title ever appropriate. All the threads come together and we see more clearly just how everything fits together. Elisabeth grows and evolves, the plot threads come together well, and the book was a satisfactory finish to a very complex and involved story.

I thoroughly enjoyed the trilogy. Every book was well done.

3. The Far Pavilions - M.M. Kaye - 4* - 🎵 (reader: Vikram Adam)

Enjoyed the audio very much. The reader very effective.

This was a re-read for me, having first read it in the 1990s. Held up pretty well, although it has more romance in it than I remembered. Still, well crafted story, with a plot that keeps moving, and much character growth.

4. Shadow's Edge - Brent Weeks - 636 pages - Series: The Night Angel #2

🎵 (reader: Paul Boehmer)

Good second book of a trilogy, with character development continuing, lots of action, and a plot that keeps moving.

5. A Crown for Cold Silver - Alex Marshall - 688 pages Series: The Crimson Empire #1

Lots of gallows humor saves this book from being too like others that follow the adventures of those attempting to overthrow a kingdom.

Some interesting magic, lots of demons, and interesting characters.

6. The Neutronium Alchemist - Peter F. Hamilton - 758 pages - 🎵 (reader: John Lee) Series: Night's Dawn #2

As with most Peter F. Hamilton, tons of sciency stuff, complex and crossing timelines, and plotlines, not to mention lots of excitement. I'm eager to finish this trilogy.

7. The Price of Valor - Django Wexler - 656 pages - 🎵 (reader: Richard Poe)

Third in the Shadow Campaigns series.

8. Anathem - Neal Stephenson - 981 pages - 🎵 (reader: William Dufris)

I confess to being a major NS fangirl. I love the math and the science and the philosophy and all of it.

Quotes:
"Our opponent is an alien starship packed with atomic bombs," I said. "We have a protractor."

"Nothing is more important than that you see and love the beauty that is right in front of you, or else you will have no defense against the ugliness that will hem you in and come at you in so many ways."

Monks in space!

Must get to Anathem sometime this year, thanks for the reminder Jean.

>22 majkia: Love those quotes!

>22 majkia: >24 LisaMorr: Even if NS has come in for a bit of non-love on LT recently, I think the first quotation makes me at least a bit interested in reading Anathem.

>25 haydninvienna: Yeah, me too.

>25 haydninvienna: >26 LisaMorr: :)

9. The Fall of Dragons - Miles Cameron 🎵 (reader: Neil Dickson) - 688 pages
Series: Traitor Son Cycle #5

The last book of the series, ends a very satisfying and well done series. Nicely imagined world, characterization is well done, and the story lines are complex and surprising.

10. The Eye of the World - Robert Jordan - 832 pages - 🎵 (reader: Kramer/ Reading)

Hmmm. Not overwhelmed with this book. Interesting, but nothing special. Does the series get better? Generally speaking they do, at least for awhile. I'll probably consider at least one more book of the series, but at the moment I can think of dozens of books I'm more eager to read than the sequel.

11. Not Alone - Craig A. Falconer - 738 pages - 🎵 (reader: James P. Cronin)

What an interesting First Contact novel. Emphasis is on Earth's reaction - political and social, rather than tech and the aliens.

Definitely going to continue the series.

12. 1632 - Eric Flint - 608 pages - 🎵 (reader: George Guidall)

Interesting tale of how one little section of West Virginia, finds itself moved through time to Germany in 1632.

A bit more mil strategy than I like, but other than that, very well worth the read.

13. The Naked God - Peter F. Hamilton - 1360 pages - 🎵 (reader: John Lee)

Final wrapup to the Night's Dawn trilogy. Complex, fascinating visions of the far future.