What Are You Reading?

sxt

"THe Wind Up Girl"- a few chapters in,very good thus far

bonkey

Having just finished book 3 of the Tad Williams' Shadowmarch quartet, I was going to go onto book 3 of Stephen Donaldson's Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant quartet.

Instead, I'm going to re-read Dust of Dreams. Again.

Hopefully, I can get through that in time for The Crippled God.

(I know its not like it'll go anywhere on me...but I *so* want to find out what happens, that I don't want to wait to finish something else).

Zapp Brannigan

I ended up reading Stonewielder cos Chapters was closed when I went over to buy The Gathering Storm!

Esselmont certainly has a way to go before he'll match Erikson's level of writing.

matrim

Just finished Mothership by Martin Duffy, it was a nice trip down memory lane and while it isn't great it's a decent kids sci-fi book.

And have started Little Brother by Cory Doctorow. It's started well enough but some of the tech talk is annoying when you actually know what they are talking about.

sxt wrote: »

"THe Wind Up Girl"- a few chapters in,very good thus far

That's probably next for me

Shryke

Finished The Algebraist by Banks. Ended up blowing through the second half in a day or so. Really good.
I'm going to dig up my Conan collection and find some short stories I still haven't read.

PADRAGON

In the last couple of weeks
The Forever War (excellent)
A Scanner Darkly (ditto)
Johnathan Strange And Mr Norrell (yawn,could'nt finish it)

I'm halfway through Eon enjoying it so far
Next up
The Stars My Destination
The Name Of The Wind

Shryke

It's well worth finishing Jonathan Strange and etc. The book is slow a lot of the time but to quit reading it after half way is to really give up a great book. It wraps up brilliantly, and even before that you really see the writing shine through. My advice is struggle through! You'll be glad you finished it after putting so much effort in already.

AnCapaillMor

So just started book 7 of the wheel of time absolutely loved the ending of 6

When the Asha'man arrived and started kicking ass

.

dazmoriarty

I'm reading China Mieville's 6th (7th) novel now - "Kraken". It's more of his recent trend of alternate underworld Londons, but is more elaborate than ever before. His language is wonderful but you cannot read his stuff quickly - there's too much you could miss if you do.

Wish he'd go back to his Bas-Lag universe though, I need to read more about the ReMade, Avancs and the handlingers - classic New Fantasy and to hell with all the played out Tolkien baggage.

pH

PADRAGON wrote: »

Johnathan Strange And Mr Norrell (yawn,could'nt finish it)

Got to agree with Shryke above, the book is brilliant, well worth finishing, yes it's not the usual fantasy fare, but extremely imaginative and well written.

Onwards, just finished The Heroes by Abercrombie ...

As a standalone book it would be hard to recommend, it's a big gamble writing a fantasy novel about a 3 day battle, and if you haven't read The First Law or Best served cold then I'm not sure how well this book would read.

However for fans of Abercrombie, it's a gem, concentrating on the battle allows his characterisations, writing and wit come to the fore. It's violent, bleak, cynical and funny, there are no heroes and villains, the battle writing is spot on. If I have one criticism, it's the ending is a little weak, a little too detached and at odds with what came before, but it's a minor point tbh.

If you liked his earlier works then this one is a must read, if you haven't read them them, and like the fantasy novels of GRR Martin or Richard Morgan then you're missing a great read. They're like A Song of Ice and Fire, only finished

Shryke

I had no idea that was out. I didn't read your post in case of spoilers pH. That just made my morning! Off to the book shop.

Shryke

Starting The Heroes.

ixoy

Reading "Stone" by Adam Roberts. Enjoying it so far.

Dades

Got bored with some more cerebral reading I was doing and picked up Stephen Baxtor's "Ark" instead.

Enjoyed "Flood" and am quite enjoying this now too.

n0irin

I've decided to go back to my childhood and I'm currently reading through the Chronicles of Narnia again and planning on rereading the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings once I finish these...

sxt

Well it was sitting on my bookshelve for three years, so i had to start this epic sometime ..."Gardens of the moon" by Steven Erikson

Bassboxxx

sxt wrote: »

Well it was sitting on my bookshelve for three years, so i had to start this epic sometime ..."Gardens of the moon" by Steven Erikson

On the second book, nearly finished it.

bonkey

Just started The Crippled God.

I went into my usual english bookstore this evening to ask if they knew when the were getting it in (as I thought it was due for release on the 15th).

There it was.

Fantastico.

Rubecula

I am quite happily re-reading "The Drawing of The Dark" by Tim Powers.

(Copyright 1979 Granada Publishing if you are interested.)

Fantasy/Historic novel, and one of my all time favourites. Well worth a read if you like this kind of story.

googled eyes

Ive just finished "Prospero Burns" , the latest part of Black Library's " HORUS HERESY" series .
And im starting "Orcs Bad Blood 2- Army of Shadows"

ixoy

bonkey wrote: »

Just started The Crippled God.

I went into my usual english bookstore this evening to ask if they knew when the were getting it in (as I thought it was due for release on the 15th).

There it was.

Fantastico.

:eek: But we don't get it until the 21st!

BANNED for getting it before me!

bonkey

Rubecula wrote: »

I am quite happily re-reading "The Drawing of The Dark" by Tim Powers.

(Copyright 1979 Granada Publishing if you are interested.)

Fantasy/Historic novel, and one of my all time favourites. Well worth a read if you like this kind of story.

Classic stuff.

I really like a lot of Powers' stuff...The Anubis Gates, The Stress of Her Regard, Last Call....great reading.

bonkey

ixoy wrote: »

:eek: But we don't get it until the 21st!

I'm pretty convinced it shouldn't have been on the shelf...their own online store lists it as not yet released.

BANNED for getting it before me!

That sounds perfectly fair

Rubecula

bonkey wrote: »

Classic stuff.

I really like a lot of Powers' stuff...The Anubis Gates, The Stress of Her Regard, Last Call....great reading.

Strangely I just found out my copy is a first edition paperback. May be worth a few pence, but I will hang on to it as it is such good read:)

Dan_Solo

Chancing my arm with a Forgotten Realms novel (quality control never the best with them, is it). Plague of Spells from the Abolethic Sovereignty trilogy.
Writing is OK but it's all a bit too "epic" from the off which I find a bit off-putting.

jcrowbar

I'm reading the Temporal Void by Peter F. Hamilton.


The Temporal Void on Goodreads

This and the Dreaming Void are the most enjoyable books that I've read in a long time, and I never read Pandora's Star/Judas Unchained (though they're next on my list)

Rubecula

Dan_Solo wrote: »

Chancing my arm with a Forgotten Realms novel (quality control never the best with them, is it). Plague of Spells from the Abolethic Sovereignty trilogy.
Writing is OK but it's all a bit too "epic" from the off which I find a bit off-putting.

I have read a few of them, and they make good light reading. You can relax, leave your brain on the sideboard and just read. Taken like that they are good entertainment. I suggest they are not taken too seriously though.

Rubecula

PS I think they were written for game originally, something like World od Warcraft or Dungeons and Dragons or something. Not too sure though.

pH

Finished The Death of Grass by John Christopher. Tried reading this a while back but I put it down.

It's not strictly SF, more a post-apocalyptic tale, similar say to Cormac McCarthy's The Road. Written in the 1950s it deals with the collapse of society following a virus which kills grass, and follows one man's journey from London to his brother's farm in the country.

I enjoyed it, if you feel you can deal with the sensibilities of a 1950s English novelist, and enjoy post-apocalyptic fiction then I'd recommend it highly.

ixoy

Currently on Charles Stross' "The Hidden Family", the second book in his Merchant Princes series.
I like how this series is playing out and the detail into which Miriam's character is establishing a mercantile empire spread across multiple earths. An interesting concept.