What Are You Reading?

ixoy

"A Crown Imperiled" by Raymond E. Feist. It's the penultimate Midkemia book! Been reading this series for over 20 years now. Pretty decent so far although I've yet to feel it's building up to something huge.

AnCapaillMor

It was OK, there's a few z0mg!!!! moments though. He never got to the heights of the serpent war saga. Still looking forward to the final book next year. An end to 2 great series, rift war and wot.

OwaynOTT

The Man in the High Castle by Philip K Dick and still trying to finish Kraken. I'm about a quarter through and I think it's finally starting to grab a hold of my interest.

mcgovern

Travelling with work so I stopped doing the readings for the coursera course as I won't have the time to meet the deadlines for the last few books.
So back to reading for pleasure, I finished Dragon's Egg which was very good, read Blue Remembered Earth which was good, I particularly liked the Evolvarium, but a lot of the times it seemed a bit obvious what was going to happen next, and it wasn't as good as the Revelation Space stuff. Has potential though.
Now reading Devices and Desires by K J Parker, good stuff so far.

apsalar

Not sure if it belongs here, but there were some fantastical elements...I just finished Horns by Joe Hill. Really enjoyed it. Different style from his father (Stephen King) but very talented (imho).

Liamalone

Was going to start Wolves of Calla in the Dark Tower series but might hold fire and read some of King's other books that involve relevant characters, seems to be advisable.

keane2097

About three quarters of the way through Cosmic Banditos by A.C. Weisbecker. Very funny, much recommended.

gufnork

Well, finally finished Wild Cards V: Down and Dirty by George R R Martin which was simply wonderful. Am really enjoying this series. Not sure what to dive into next, maybe Terry Pratchett's new one, Dodger. Feel like a bit of Sci-fi though, mmmmm... think, think...

mcgovern

Enjoyed Devices and Desires. Will continue with the series.
Started Great North Road, its slowish going so far, but hinting at a bigger story.

keane2097

keane2097 wrote: »

About three quarters of the way through Cosmic Banditos by A.C. Weisbecker. Very funny, much recommended.

Finished this off, thought it was pretty great. Have moved onto The Black Company by Glen Cook, about two and a half hours into it and liking it quite a lot, definite shades of Steven Erikson about it.

OwaynOTT

Finished Fractal Prince yesterday and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Stories within stories within stories.

ixoy

Reading "Catching Fire", the second in the Hunger Games trilogy. Quite slow compared to the first one. Seems to be picking up now at the half way mark.

OwaynOTT wrote: »

Finished Fractal Prince yesterday and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Stories within stories within stories.

Good to hear - I really enjoyed the Quantum Thief. Sounds like it measures up well.

OwaynOTT

ixoy wrote: »

Reading "Catching Fire", the second in the Hunger Games trilogy. Quite slow compared to the first one. Seems to be picking up now at the half way mark.


Good to hear - I really enjoyed the Quantum Thief. Sounds like it measures up well.

I noticed no drop in quality and it sets up nicely the final book in the trilogy. Deals a lot more with the sobornost (spelling?) and helps to understand the universe a bit more.

Very distinct Arabian Nights tone throughout.

Trojan

Started "The Stainless Steel Rat" by Harry Harrison.

Have read some of his stuff previously, real pulp sf, and this is right down that street.

apsalar

about half-way through Celia Dart-Thornton's "Ill-made mute". She must have been writing with a (newly discovered) Thesaurus at her elbow! Not enjoying the language and plodding through the story. If it wasn't for the fact that I hate to put a book down unfinished I would have given up 10 pages in. :-(

gufnork

Started 'Saturn's Children' by Charles Stross. Seems like fun. Has some nice ideas and is very tongue-in-cheek. Finding it very entertaining so far, 13% in.

Bits_n_Bobs

Enjoyed Saturns Children much more so than some of his other writings.

Currently reading The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson. Great old huge big epic of a book and reasonably enjoyable. Can't help but thinking it would be twice as good if it was half as long however

keane2097

apsalar wrote: »

about half-way through Celia Dart-Thornton's "Ill-made mute". She must have been writing with a (newly discovered) Thesaurus at her elbow! Not enjoying the language and plodding through the story. If it wasn't for the fact that I hate to put a book down unfinished I would have given up 10 pages in. :-(

There are too many great books out there to waste time on a POS.

ixoy

3% into Great North Road by Peter F. Hamilton. Early days yet but the setting is a little familiar with his usual mix of gate technology and the like. Generally though he's been very reliable so I'm hopeful for his first novel since the excellent Void trilogy.

bradyle

I finally started the Wheel of Time series. I've been burning through them at a ridiculous rate...they are so good...really hope the writing stays at this level!

keane2097

bradyle wrote: »

I finally started the Wheel of Time series. I've been burning through them at a ridiculous rate...they are so good...really hope the writing stays at this level!

It doesn't.

Dades

Finished Leviathan Wakes over the weekend.

Did really enjoy it, though I found the Miller/Holden dynamic a bit unconvincing at times. And Holden as a character wasn't someone I would see as the inspiring captain his crew see him as.

Will probably give the sequel(s) a shot though.

(And only discovered it was actually George RR Martin's buddy writing it!)

fguinan

keane2097 wrote: »

bradyle wrote: »

I finally started the Wheel of Time series. I've been burning through them at a ridiculous rate...they are so good...really hope the writing stays at this level!

It doesn't.

But they are still worth reading!!!

Owryan

Just finished the "worldwar" series by Harry Turtledove, started on the "Lost Fleet" series now.

Is it worth getting into ?

keane2097

fguinan wrote: »

But they are still worth reading!!!

Not really IMO. I read up to 8 or 9, realised how terrible they were and cursed myself for wasting so much time on them.

The characters are just appallingly poorly conceived, he basically gives everyone one particular shtick and harps on it for 10,000 pages in the hopes that he can bludgeon you into buying that one dimensional cardboard cutouts are like real people #tugsbraid

BlaasForRafa

Owryan wrote: »

Just finished the "worldwar" series by Harry Turtledove, started on the "Lost Fleet" series now.

Is it worth getting into ?

I enjoyed the Lost Fleet series, just finished the last one of the series a few weeks ago. They're not great literature and they won't change your life or anything, they are basically fast paced outer space war stories that you'll finish in no time (thats what I found anyway), sort of like Hornblower in space.

Owryan

Cheers, only getting them from the library so no real investment in the series. Took a bit of getting used to the time delay aspect tho.

Trojan

Enjoyed The Stainless Steel Rat, will have a look for the next few in the series. Typical Harry Harrison style.

Now re-reading Old Man's War.

Playboy

Just finished the Long Price Quartet by Daniel Abraham and I loved it. Found the first two books quite slow but it really picked up in the final two. Really enjoyed his writing style and character development. Just after jumping into The Dragon's Path which is the first in his next series and I hope its going to be as good.

ixoy

Playboy wrote: »

Just finished the Long Price Quartet by Daniel Abraham and I loved it. Found the first two books quite slow but it really picked up in the final two. Really enjoyed his writing style and character development.

Yep, Books 3 & 4 were excellent. The ending to Book 3:

was one of the most emotive punches in the face I've read in years. The sheer horror of what happened when it all went wrong. How Book 4 dealt with all that was very rewarding.