What I'm reading
On holiday I started reading The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson, which was fine for holiday as I had some time to read each night. Now back at home I have less time and the slow pace of Rice and Salt is boring me. I'm sad about that. I love KSR's books, Pacific Edge is my favourite. But I needed something to grab me, force me to read. I decided to read Zodiac by Neal Stephenson, which my mate John had lent a few months ago. This decision was influenced by the incredibly brilliant interview that he gave with Slashdot, it just made me want to read more of his stuff. So I'm a few chapters in and Zodiac is already great. Good move by me.
Ugh, I had to force myself to finish The Years of Rice and Salt. I found the concept of linked reincarnations interesting, but Robinson found a way to make it dull and boring. Too much philisophicalness for me I guess. Red Mars was much the same way, only swap political infighting for philosophy...
I've read the Mars trilogy it is is quite hard going in parts. I liked Green Mars best as it got to the point where they were inventing a new way to live on Mars. Blue Mars got too in deep to inventing a new political system.
However the Orange County trilogy are completely different and a very easy and enjoyable read.