SMZp

Reply to 7 Wonders: Manneken Pis Promo>General>Re: want a free Manneken Pis Promo?

2012-02-07 15:16:26

Congrats on delurking, Mitch, and kudos for your generous offer. I'm another late-to-the-party 7W fan. Count me in!

Reply to Dominion>General>Re: did you love this game the first time(s) you played it?

2012-02-06 16:44:38

I hadn't even heard of the game when a friend gave it to me for Christmas a couple years ago. It took me only two reads of the rulebook (one, really, but I reread to make sure) to get a complete understanding of the rules and mechanics. But I didn't "get" the game until my wife and I gave it our first play. It was a total n00b game that went overlong and saw us both playing horribly inefficiently, but we both saw the promise, and were fans from that moment forward. Though my wife's enthusiasm has cooled considerably after so many expansions, it remains one of my favorites.

Status Update

2012-02-06 15:18:53

RT @alyankovic: Christina Hendricks is Ginger. @ZooeyDeschanel is Mary Ann. #CastingTheGilligansIslandMovie

Status Update

2012-02-06 15:09:26

@jdiddyesquire @IcebergInkScott @nethspace @adribbleofink: Wow. Little-to-no-interest on my part has now become a firm "no interest".

Added to Library: By the Sword (Repairman Jack, Book 12) by F. Paul Wilson

2012-02-06 13:30:30

Forge Books (2008), Edition: First Edition, Hardcover, 352 pages

Added to Library: Conspiracies (Repairman Jack, Book 3) by F. Paul Wilson

2012-02-06 13:28:11

Tor Books (2000), Edition: 1st, Mass Market Paperback, 416 pages

Status Update

2012-02-06 00:08:21

Finished with Test of Metal, by Matthew Stover http://t.co/bNISIJyw

Status Update

2012-02-05 13:30:00

@FourBrosStudio: The Lucky Charm upgrade in Heads Up is just a joke, right?

Status Update

2012-02-04 14:30:00

@FourBrosStudio @saltmanz: I can indeed confirm: when you clear the last space in Mine Flagger using the Pro Tap, the game will not end.

Status Update

2012-02-04 11:06:01

@FourBrosStudio @saltmanz: Yeah, I think it's the Pro Tap; I saved a single space 'til the end to dig normally, and it ended fine.

Status Update

2012-02-04 10:38:51

@FourBrosStudio @saltmanz: I used the Pro Tap exclusively; I wonder if that has something to do with it?

Status Update

2012-02-04 10:36:15

@FourBrosStudio: Um, how does a game of Mine Flagger end? I marked all 60 mines and cleared every other space but the clock's still running?

Reply to 7 Wonders: Catan Island>General>Re: Gone from the BGG store?

2012-02-03 15:05:37

by Salt-Man Z

Last I knew, they didn't have it in yet; next I hear about it, it's sold out? Bah.

Reply to The Settlers of Catan>General>Re: 5 or 6 players

2012-02-02 14:37:30

by Salt-Man Z

Heck, with two sets of the base game (and differently-colored wooden bits) you can play the Mayfair 2nd edition 8-player "peanut" map.

Status Update

2012-02-02 10:40:39

On page 169 of 352 of Test of Metal, by Matthew Stover http://t.co/m6l4NOZg

Groundhog Day Is Worth Revisiting, Wouldn'�t You Say? @ Tor.com

2012-02-02 10:32:26

Added to Library: Shadow Ops: Control Point by Myke Cole

2012-02-02 10:23:36

Ace (2012), Mass Market Paperback, 400 pages

Reply to The Settlers of Catan>General>Re: 5 or 6 players

2012-02-01 15:51:17

by Salt-Man Z

wmshub wrote:

You need pieces in 6 different colors, so it would be better to have the official expansion. Also the number discs are different in the 5 or 6 player game. But if you are willing to paint two sets of pieces and make your own number discs and find out the tile list for the larger island and the card distribution for more people...oh, probably best to just return one and get the expansion.

Good grief, it's not that hard:

Add 2 of each resource hex and 1 desert
Add 1 of each number disc
Add 1 sheep harbor and 1 3:1 harbor

For the resource cards, add 5 of each resource
For the dev cards, add 6 soldiers and 1 of each other non-VP card

There.

Status Update

2012-02-01 08:53:17

On page 88 of 352 of Test of Metal, by Matthew Stover http://t.co/bD1eyPqJ

Added to Library: Throne of the Crescent Moon by Saladin Ahmed

2012-01-31 15:32:50

DAW Hardcover (2012), Hardcover, 288 pages

Status Update

2012-01-31 10:07:25

On page 50 of 352 of Test of Metal, by Matthew Stover http://t.co/v35r0nuV

Added to Library: A Nomad of the Time Streams (Eternal Champion, Volume 4) by Michael Moorcock

2012-01-30 19:12:39

White Wolf Publishing (1997), Paperback, 418 pages

Added to Library: L. Ron Hubbard Presents: Writers of the Future, Volume XX by Algis Budrys

2012-01-30 19:12:24

Galaxy Press (CA) (2004), Paperback, 500 pages

Reply to Innovation>General>Re: Should I purchase Innovation?

2012-01-30 11:18:50

by Salt-Man Z

I can't recommend Innovation either, though I see why other people enjoy it; for me, there's just way too much stuff you have to account for, and the expansion just exacerbates that problem.

However, I just played Glory to Rome for the first time this weekend—the Cambridge version, two-player—and I absolutely loved it.

Status Update

2012-01-30 10:25:04

Finished with The Sword of the Lictor, by Gene Wolfe http://t.co/gIAVPqlt

Status Update

2012-01-29 10:24:59

Played GLORY TO ROME with @ravsitar last night, and was thoroughly impressed. Can't wait to play again!

Status Update

2012-01-28 00:50:32

RT @darth_awesome: The best Nativity scene I have ever seen: http://t.co/DnQUC2c5

Furman Restores the Marvel "Transformers" Continuity - Comic Book Resources

2012-01-27 12:56:05

Status Update

2012-01-27 12:07:48

Yesterday Alex told us how he learned about "Luther King George" in school.

Reply to Dominion>General>Re: Best Strategy for Randomizing Kingdom Cards Across Multiple Expansions?

2012-01-27 12:06:02

by Salt-Man Z

hadsil wrote:

I used to just shuffle all the blue cards together and pick 10, but I found it meant a lot of cards don't get used at all

This is why I don't shuffle used randomizers back into the randomizer deck until we've gone through all the cards.

Natalie Time Lapse: Birth to 10 years old in 1 minute 25 sec

2012-01-26 22:40:26

Status Update

2012-01-26 11:01:04

50% done with The Sword of the Lictor, by Gene Wolfe http://t.co/oHyVkFi6

Map of Springfield @ Imgur

2012-01-25 16:46:56

Added to Library: The Sagan Diary by John Scalzi

2012-01-25 13:34:51

Subterranean Press (2007), Edition: 1st, Hardcover, 100 pages

Status Update

2012-01-24 10:38:54

Finished with The Tomb (Adversary Cycle, #2), by F. Paul Wilson http://t.co/rnybJYGt

Added to Library: Darkest Knight (Star Wars: Young Jedi Knights, Book 5) by Kevin J. Anderson

2012-01-24 10:16:19

Berkley (1996), Paperback, 226 pages

Added to Library: Diversity Alliance (Star Wars: Young Jedi Knights, Book 8) by Kevin J. Anderson

2012-01-24 10:16:08

Berkley (1997), Paperback, 10 pages

Added to Library: Heirs of the Force (Star Wars: Young Jedi Knights, Book 1) by Kevin J. Anderson

2012-01-24 10:15:40

Berkley (1995), Paperback, 232 pages

Added to Library: Jedi Under Siege (Star Wars: Young Jedi Knights, Book 6) by Kevin J. Anderson

2012-01-24 10:15:20

Berkley (1996), Edition: Boulevard Edition, September 1996, Paperback, 1 pages

Added to Library: Jedi Bounty (Star Wars: Young Jedi Knights, Book 10) by Kevin J. Anderson

2012-01-24 10:15:07

Berkley (1997), Paperback, 240 pages

Added to Library: Shards of Alderaan (Star Wars: Young Jedi Knights, Book 7) by Kevin J. Anderson

2012-01-24 10:14:05

Berkley (1997), Paperback, 240 pages

Added to Library: Trouble on Cloud City (Star Wars: Young Jedi Knights, Book 13) by Kevin J. Anderson

2012-01-24 10:13:28

Berkley (1998), Paperback, 224 pages

Reply to Dominion>General>Re: Sleeved vs Nonsleeved

2012-01-23 11:00:47

by Salt-Man Z

I had been considering sleeving Dominion some time in the future (when I absolutely had to.)

Then we played through a copy of Mystery Rummy so much that it became necessary to sleeve the cards just to play, because the game is out of print. The sleeves (Mayday premiums) are so obnoxious, I've since changed my mind; I have no plans to sleeve any other game, ever, and the Base Cards expansion announcement makes me feel better about that decision.

Status Update

2012-01-23 10:24:31

...that hang suspended in the air before collapsing inward, Kaylee stares at the screen with eyes wide and whispers, "It's so beautiful!"

Status Update

2012-01-23 10:24:11

Every time I beat "The Imprisoned" monster in Zelda: Skyward Sword, when he explodes into a million glittering shards...

Reply to Dominion>General>Re: Replayability with all expansions

2012-01-20 15:43:14

by Salt-Man Z

apotheos wrote:

iNano78 wrote:
We all seem to be saying the same thing: The default strategy ("Big Money") is beaten by any "good" strategy.
Has anyone really demonstrated this? I've only ever heard it anecdotally, and as I only get to play with regular, non competitive players, I'll never have a chance to explore this myself.

I've played the Big Money strategy twice myself as was quite surprised at the speed of game end and the point spread.

It just sounds like a "good" strategy is being defined as "one that beats Big Money."

Reply to News>Re: 2012 Server Naming Contest - 3 New Servers to Name!

2012-01-19 17:07:13

by Salt-Man Z

It's criminal that there's not one named reiner yet (or, in a pinch, knizia.)

And what about some love for the dude whose best game held the #1 spot for so long? How about seyfarth? (Or maybe sanjuan?)

And I totally want a server named dxv.

Added to Library: Mandorla (Star Wars) by Alexander Irvine

2012-01-19 16:30:57

LucasBooks (2012), Hardcover, 256 pages

Lazy Jedi

2012-01-19 16:21:12

Status Update

2012-01-19 09:44:59

RT @RobbieMcDunc: Voyager traditional boys steak dinner... A farewell to Neelix who's moving back to NYC! We'll miss him!!! @StarTrek ht ...

Reply to Innovation>General>Re: Number of ages used in 2-player

2012-01-18 10:49:05

by Salt-Man Z

The first time we played, we ran out the 10s in a 3-player game (partially thanks to my wife nuking everything.) I don't think we've made it to that Age since.

Reply to Ticket to Ride: Nordic Countries>General>Re: If I own Europe, should I get this?

2012-01-18 10:46:39

by Salt-Man Z

I was not a TtR fan until I played Nordic.

Status Update

2012-01-18 09:55:59

On page 223 of 434 of The Tomb (Adversary Cycle, #2), by F. Paul Wilson http://t.co/wetFQ26B

Reply to Ticket to Ride Map Collection: Volume 1 - Team Asia & Legendary Asia>General>Re: Compatible with Nordic?

2012-01-17 13:10:12

by Salt-Man Z

I'm going to guess that India doesn't come with 9 extra trains of the "non-standard" colors (white and purple)? Those who own both Nordic and Marklin will be fine, though.

Status Update

2012-01-17 11:55:06

On page 521 of 960 of Midnight Tides, by Steven Erikson http://t.co/4a5X94a4

Added to Library: Faith by John Love

2012-01-17 11:13:01

Night Shade Books (2012), Edition: First Edition, Paperback, 376 pages

New comment on Image

2012-01-17 10:00:23

by Salt-Man Z

Status Update

2012-01-17 09:45:43

#TodayILearned: Daunte Culpepper has more Lambeau Field wins than Aaron Rodgers. Hunh.

New Image for Catan Dice Game

2012-01-16 12:31:40

by Salt-Man Z

Screenshot of my Excel VBA implementation.

Status Update

2012-01-15 23:10:31

On page 87 of 257 of The Sword of the Lictor, by Gene Wolfe http://t.co/ZIOFV9xf

Added to Library: Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu

2012-01-14 16:46:14

Walden Pond Press (2011), Edition: 1, Hardcover, 320 pages

Status Update

2012-01-14 14:18:17

On page 82 of 434 of The Tomb (Adversary Cycle, #2), by F. Paul Wilson http://t.co/5M2DYl3p

Added to Library: Soldier of Sidon (Latro, Book 3) by Gene Wolfe

2012-01-14 13:25:18

Tor Fantasy (2010), Edition: First Edition, Mass Market Paperback, 320 pages

Status Update

2012-01-13 10:19:27

Shortest. Workday. Ever.

Added to Library: Star Wars: Dark Forces: Soldier for the Empire by William C. Dietz

2012-01-12 13:43:45

Putnam Adult (1997), Hardcover, 127 pages

Three-Legged Dog - Imgur

2012-01-12 11:28:21

I want this doormat - Imgur

2012-01-12 11:21:46

Status Update

2012-01-12 10:28:11

RT @emmrowland: RT @wstonesoxfordst: I saw the apostrophe on my way to work this morning. It's not looking too well. http://t.co/zVLKpTsy

Status Update

2012-01-11 21:26:14

@FourBrosStudio Something screwy with Video Poker? I got a straight and a 3 of a kind, and each time the app immediately crashed. #Taptitude

Added to Library: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8, Volume 5: Predators and Prey by Joss Whedon

2012-01-11 16:35:05

Dark Horse Comics (2009), Edition: 5, Paperback, 144 pages

Added to Library: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8, Volume 8: Last Gleaming by Joss Whedon

2012-01-11 16:34:56

Dark Horse (2011), Paperback, 160 pages

Added to Library: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8, Volume 4: Time of Your Life by Joss Whedon

2012-01-11 16:34:49

Dark Horse (2009), Paperback, 136 pages

Added to Library: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8, Volume 3: Wolves at the Gate by Drew Goddard

2012-01-11 16:34:32

Dark Horse Comics (2008), Edition: 1st, Paperback, 136 pages

Status Update

2012-01-11 15:27:05

@FourBrosStudio: You wiped the Throwing Star stars/stats! (Except for Targets Hit, oddly.)

Reply to Dominion>Variants>Re: Victorious fan card of the day: Old Secrets

2012-01-10 22:32:43

by Salt-Man Z

[unnecessary comment removed]

The 2011 Salty Awards!

2012-01-10 17:20:17

Welcome to the first annual Salty Awards! I liked how last year’s “Best of 2010″ post turned out, so that’ll pretty much be the template for these awards. The main difference being, I’ve got a shiny new trophy now! Like last year’s Best Ofs, this is stuff that wasn’t necessarily published in 2011, just what I read the past year. And first reads only; re-reads don’t count. (Here’s a link to my 2011 reading list for reference.)

Statistics

First off, let’s start with some numbers, because who doesn’t love numbers?

Total books read: 51
Re-reads: 7
Non-series reads: 14
Nonfiction reads: 1
Novels by female authors: 3
Short story collections: 9
Reads that were also acquired in 2011: 21
Borrowed (unowned): 10

Interesting stuff, maybe, but not the real reason you’re here. Without further ado:

Best Short Story Collection 2011:

Runners-up:

5. Side Jobs by Jim Butcher
In the first half of 2010, I tore through the entirety of Jim Butcher’s fantastic Dresden Files series. I had to wait until fall of 2011 for the next installment, and decided to check out this short story collection (that I had skipped out on previously) in the meantime, particularly since it contained a story that took place between the previous book and the upcoming one. I’m glad I did, because Dresden shines in the short story format, and it was fun to read about the “side jobs” that take place before and between the books of the series. “The Warrior” might be my favorite Dresden story of all time.

4. Galactic North by Alastair Reynolds
The Revelation Space universe is an amazing place, and a large part of what gives it its charm is the sense of history with which Reynolds has imbued his books. This collection is a bit of an eye-opener in when you get to see just what the scope of his created fictional history is. Copious references to characters and events from his series make these stories mesh perfectly with those books, and perhaps the most impressive part is that main of them were written before the books. Beyond that, though, this is still a solid collection of awesome sci-fi stories.

2. (tie) Storeys from the Old Hotel and Strange Travelers by Gene Wolfe
I chickened out and put both these books in a tie for second place. You know I love me some Gene Wolfe, and ranking two superb collections by a favorite author is always hard, but beyond that, each collection showcases a different form: Travelers features a number of Wolfe’s longer-form stories, 15 in all, while Storeys tackles the shorter form, with over 30 inclusions. They’re two totally different animals, but at the same time, they’re both totally Gene Wolfe. It’s like picking your favorite child (and sure, you might actually have one, but you’ll never tell!)

And the best short story collection I read in 2011 is…

1. Ficciones by Jorge Luis Borges
I adore Gene Wolfe (see above) and one of his largest influences is the Argentinian author Borges. Allusions to Borges’ work abound in Wolfe’s, and I had recently read The Shadow of the Wind which had its own share of Borgesian elements, so I knew I had to eventually get around to reading the original. Holy wow. It’s easy to see the parallels between Wolfe and Borges; Borges is what you might get if you took Wolfe and removed all the sci-fi and fantastical elements, stripped it down to the raw, crystallized ideas. And concentrated it. Mind-blowing stuff, is what it is. “The Garden of Forking Paths” is one of my favorite stories ever.

Best Comic Book 2011:

This might be a one-off category for this year, but I read a fair number of comic book collections, mostly thanks to Half Price Books. There were three worth singling out, and they are…

Runners-up:

3. Last Stand of the Wreckers by Nick Roche & James Roberts
This series had been hyped beyond all belief by the Transformers fanbase, so I was excited to finally lay my hands on a cheap copy of the trade paperback. It did not disappoint. This is the kind of book that shows just how great this franchise can be when put in the hands of people who really care about and understand it. It takes place in IDW’s current series continuity, but besides a couple of scenes, it’s entirely self-contained, and it draws heavily on obscure characters from all throughout franchise history, meaning you don’t have to be familiar with them to enjoy this book. If you’re a hardcore fan, or just interested in seeing how good TF storytelling can get, you need to pick up this book. Besides the original 5-issue series, the trade paperback also collects a related prose story by Roberts titled “Bullets” that’s just icing on the cake.

2. Welcome to the Jungle by Jim Butcher & Ardian Syaf
In the introduction to the graphic novel edition, Butcher explains that when writing the Dresden Files novels, he always pictured them in his mind as comic books. Which goes a long way toward explaining why this 4-issue original prequel series feels just like reading one of the novels. It’s pure unadulterated Dresden goodness, with all the trademark wit, magic, and monsters you’ve come to expect. And Ardian Syaf’s artwork is perfect: comic booky without being overly cartoony, and his characters—especially Harry Dresden himself—are spot-on.

And the best comic book I read in 2011 is…

1. Echo by Terry Moore
I have Tor.com and Stephen Aryan to thank for this one. After his write-up of this series, I just had to check it out, and was able to find 4 of the 6 available collections for cheap on eBay. Later I sold them and sprung for the Complete Edition containing all 30 issues, and let me tell you that is a beast of a book. And it’s amazing. Moore’s black-and-white artwork is gorgeous, his characters—their personalities and expressions and interactions—all fully realized, and he still manages to throw a bunch of slam-bang action into the mix. Almost impossible to put down.

Best Novel 2011:

Man oh man oh man this was tough; I read a lot of really good books this past year. (Titles link to my reviews.)

Runners-up:

5. The Crippled God by Steven Erikson
This was the big one, the final volume in the 10-book Malazan Book of the Fallen, perhaps the most ambitious fantasy series ever attempted, and the series responsible for my participation in various book cataloging sites and online forums, and thus also for my reading habits for the past half-decade. In those 5 years I’d read all of the previous books, re-read most of them, and discussed them all ad nauseum, and this capped it all off. It was exhilarating and bittersweet at the same time, bringing the decalogy full circle and tying (most) things up eventfully, emotionally, and thematically. It wasn’t perfect, but then, that’s fitting, too.

4. Old Man’s War by John Scalzi
This was on my “I really need to read books by this guy” list, and I finally picked it up over Christmas of 2009. I haven’t read any Heinlein—outside the fairly crappy The Cat Who Walks Through Walls but people compare this book to Heinlein’s work a lot. It reminded me a lot of Card’s Ender’s Game, but mostly in a “sci-fi you’d recommend to a friend whose never read sci-fi before” way. The first-person narrative is fabulous, hilarious, and moving, and the action is gritty and frantic and very very real. All around, a very enjoyable, very human book.

3. Peace by Gene Wolfe
Yes, I love Gene Wolfe. Shut up. It feels weird to write a book review that basically goes, “I don’t understand this book, but I love it.” So it is with this one. A book of Midwestern memoirs doesn’t seem like it would be my thing, but Wolfe’s writing is so gorgeous, so eminently readable, but also quite haunting; and the sinister undercurrents that never quite reveal their true nature (at least on a first read) make this an absolutely fascinating book.

2. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Scott recommended this one to me as his favorite book, and I trust his judgement, and hey, I found it for $2, too. It’s worth the cover price, though; this is one lush and luscious novel full of romance and mystery (and a tinge of horror) and absolutely dripping with atmosphere. It’s a book for book lovers, and for lovers of fine storytelling in general.

And the best novel I read in 2011 is…

1. Embassytown by China Miéville
Like Scalzi, I had never read any of Miéville’s work before, but that changed when I won a review copy of his upcoming Embassytown. Talk about being blown away; this book was amazing. All of my favorite sci-fi elements were present: well-developed, alien aliens, cultural clashes, intrigue, mystery, unconventional narrative structure, jaw-dropping revelations, and plenty of Big Ideas and musings on the nature of language and thought. I read a lot of reviews that basically gave it a thumbs-down, and I it’s like I can’t even decipher the words being written; it makes no sense at all to me. This was easily the best book of 2011, and one of the best books I’ve had the pleasure of reading, period.

Honorable mentions: Dissolution by C. J. Sansom, The Raw Shark Texts by Steven Hall, The Breach by Patrick Lee, Reamde by Neal Stephenson

tags:books,saltys,awards,

Status Update

2012-01-10 15:21:39

@TeresaFrohock @IcebergInkScott @jdiddyesquire @DougHulick @civilianreader Bought it last year. One of these years I'll get to reading it...

Status Update

2012-01-10 13:36:14

@IcebergInkScott: I'm just teasing, of course, but if Gene Wolfe could be said to have a shtick, it'd be the unreliable narrator.

Status Update

2012-01-10 13:27:45

@IcebergInkScott @jdiddyesquire @TeresaFrohock @DougHulick @civilianreader: Then how on Urth have you not read Wolfe yet?! ;)

Status Update

2012-01-10 12:00:03

@IcebergInkScott: Dunno if you've read this before, but it might come in handy when you start SHADOW & CLAW http://t.co/yFXDGJk3 :)

Status Update

2012-01-09 13:44:48

@IcebergInkScott: Heh. I JUST saw you marked Shadow as "to read" on Goodreads. BotNS is SO good, but it might take some time to realize it.

Status Update

2012-01-09 11:47:29

@FourBrosStudio: Solitaire needs a Games Won stat. Distance Run/Dug/Dropped/Traveled for Hurdle Hero, Coin Miner, Bally Drop/Ninja.

Status Update

2012-01-09 11:42:57

@PythagorasGamer @Dexxstar: Gotta admit that's pretty clever, though.

Status Update

2012-01-09 11:38:25

@ravsitar: The angle on that shot threw me for the longest time.

Status Update

2012-01-09 11:35:34

@FourBrosStudio: Heh. I was gonna ask about that.

Status Update

2012-01-09 11:26:37

RT @wigu: What if "Mambo #5" was actually Lou Bega's chillingly clever admission of the names and locations of women he's murdered

Reply to Dominion: Hinterlands>Strategy>Re: "Money Laundering" strategy

2012-01-09 11:18:35

by Salt-Man Z

montebanc wrote:

I'd say Border villages are made for shenanigans! Amazing with you can get away with out at the kingdom's border.

Indeed! We played our first game with BV the other night; Mandarin was there too. I got $6 at one point, bought a BV, gained a Mandarin, and put the $6 back on top of my deck. Rinse and repeat.

Status Update

2012-01-09 08:44:51

Finished with Deep Sky, by Patrick Lee http://t.co/HNHVfTkj

Status Update

2012-01-08 20:48:38

Finished with The Claw of the Conciliator, by Gene Wolfe http://t.co/30Hqq4Dq

Status Update

2012-01-06 23:17:39

@IcebergInkScott: Very cool! I don't recall you having read any Gene Wolfe before, have you?

Status Update

2012-01-06 11:56:45

On page 424 of 960 of Midnight Tides, by Steven Erikson http://t.co/smFndVpU

Reply to The Settlers of Catan>General>Re: The Downsized Resource Cards for Settlers of Catan 15th Anniversary edition

2012-01-05 16:24:39

by Salt-Man Z

Besides the Kosmos editions, the first and second Mayfair editions had the smaller cards as well. So really, the larger cards are a bit of a special case.

Reply to 7 Wonders: Leaders>Rules>Re: Do leaders count as a color card?

2012-01-05 14:23:25

by Salt-Man Z

UnknownParkerBrother wrote:

Yup. Folks need to stop overthinking this. Cards say things like "1 point per green card". Look down, count your green cards. Done.

"Does this yellow card that tells me to count my yellow cards count as a yellow card?" :shake:

Reply to Dominion>Rules>Re: treasure card . do we play it one at a time ?

2012-01-04 15:12:34

by Salt-Man Z

From the Prosperity rulebook:

Bank card description wrote:

If you play Bank with no other Treasures in play, it is worth $1. If you play two copies of Bank in a row, the one you play second will be worth $1 more than the first one.

Also:

Additional Rules for Prosperity section wrote:

A player may play his Treasure cards in any order and may choose not to play some (or even all) of the Treasure cards he has in his hand. During the Buy phase, a player must play all of the Treasures he wishes to play before he buys any cards, even if he has +Buys; he cannot play more Treasures after Buying a card.

Added to Library: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8, Volume 7: Twilight by Brad Meltzer

2012-01-03 21:26:19

Dark Horse (2010), Paperback, 160 pages

Added to Library: Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Season 8, Volume 6: Retreat by Jane Espenson

2012-01-03 21:26:05

Dark Horse (2010), Paperback, 144 pages

Added to Library: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8, Volume 2: No Future For You by Brian K. Vaughan

2012-01-03 21:24:10

Dark Horse Comics (2008), Edition: 2, Paperback, 120 pages

Added to Library: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8, Volume 1: The Long Way Home by Joss Whedon

2012-01-03 21:21:22

Dark Horse Comics (2010), Paperback, 136 pages

Reading Plans for 2012

2012-01-03 17:21:04

In the next week or so, I’ll be writing up the first annual Salty Awards, looking back at my favorite reads of 2011, but right now I want to take a second to look forward to 2012.

My plans for 2011 didn’t entirely pan out, but that won’t stop me from making plans for the coming year! I’m scaling back considerably, with only four planned projects to tackle, but they’re not necessarily unambitious:

Gene Wolfe’s Solar Cycle

Since 2008, I’ve spent every December reading Gene Wolfe’s Book of the New Sun, and this year is no different. I’m currently halfway through book #2, The Claw of the Conciliator, but I don’t plan on stopping with the BotNS this year; rather, I’ll also be reading the related Book of the Long Sun (4 volumes that I’ve read once before) and Book of the Short Sun (3 volumes that I’ve yet to read) as well as various related short stories. The full list (in my planned order, the order of shorter works subject to change) goes like this:

The Book of the New Sun
- The Shadow of the Torturer
- The Claw of the Conciliator
- The Sword of the Lictor
- The Citadel of the Autarch
“The Map” (short story in Endangered Species)
“The Cat” (short story in Endangered Species)
The Urth of the New Sun
“The Boy Who Hooked the Sun” (short story in Starwater Strains)
“The God and His Man” (short story in Endangered Species)
“Empires of Foliage and Flower” (novella in Starwater Strains)
“The Old Woman Whose Rolling Pin is the Sun” (short story in Innocents Aboard)
The Book of the Long Sun
- Nightside the Long Sun
- Lake of the Long Sun
- Caldé of the Long Sun
- Exodus from the Long Sun
The Book of the Short Sun
- On Blue’s Waters
- In Green’s Jungles
- Return to the Whorl

Tolkien’s Middle Earth

I’ve read The Hobbit and the The Lord of the Rings twice; the last time was about 10-12 years ago, and the first was about 10-12 years before that (I figure I was 10-12 at the time) so a reread this years seems in order. But I’ll be also be throwing in some of the ancillary material that I’ve never read before. I’m actually pretty excited about this one:

The Children of Húrin
The Silmarillion
The Hobbit
The Lord of the Rings
- The Fellowship of the Ring
- The Two Towers
- The Return of the King
Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-Earth

That Dang Song of Ice and Fire

I’ve slowly been accumulating George R. R. Martin’s infamous series from used bookstores over the years, and have really wanted to get into them, but I also refused to start in until the most recent volume had been published. It will (presumably) be out in mass market paperback later this year, which will be the perfect time to dive in.

A Song of Ice and Fire
- A Game of Thrones
- A Clash of Kings
- A Storm of Swords
- A Feast for Crows
- A Dance With Dragons

Mistborn!

My wife has been on my case to read Brandon Sanderson’s acclaimed trilogy for a while, now. I keep telling her I’ll get to it next year. Now it’s in writing! I may as well stick the standalone sequel on as well.

Mistborn
- The Final Empire
- The Well of Ascension
- The Hero of Ages
The Alloy of Law

Well, what do you think? Have I once more bitten off more than I can chew?

tags:reading list,books,

2012 Reading List

2012-01-03 16:29:08

Books read in 2012, listed by month finished. As always, you can follow along with my reading journal @ LibraryThing, where you can also see my complete reading list, or just my 2012 reads.

January

The Claw of the Conciliator by Gene Wolfe
Deep Sky by Patrick Lee
The Sword of the Lictor by Gene Wolfe
The Tomb by F. Paul Wilson

February

Magic: The Gathering: Test of Metal by Matthew Stover
Endangered Species by Gene Wolfe
Midnight Tides by Steven Erikson

tags:reading list,books,