# What are you Reading Now?



## Mythopoet

After looking around a bit I didn't see any other thread like this. If I missed it, please feel free to direct me. 

So I've started this thread where we can talk about what we're currently reading. I've participated in threads like this on other forums and found it's a great place to find book recommendations and other people who share your tastes that you can talk about books with. 

I've just started reading Soldier in the Mist by Gene Wolfe. 

My husband is a huge Gene Wolfe fan, like obsessively and worshipfully so. He's always trying to get me to read his books. I tried Shadow of the Torturer and The Knight and couldn't really get into either of them (though I've promised to give the Solar Cycle another try one of these days). I did read The Sorcerer's House and mostly just found it weird and confusing. But I'm a big fan of Egyptian/Greek/Roman history so I'm finally giving Wolfe's Soldier books a try. 

They revolve around a mercenary soldier in the Peloponnesian War who suffered a head injury that caused him to lose his long term memory. He has to write down everything he experiences because the next day he'll forget it. There's Wolfe's typical touch of the supernatural in that Latro, the soldier, can apparently see and interact with gods and in the beginning of the book is given instructions from Apollo about how he can be healed of his injury. Wolfe goes to great lengths to make the books (written in first person) feel as though they are truly written by a man from the time period. The conceit being that the author translated the actual scrolls Latro wrote on and only fleshed them out minimally for the novels. It's quite interesting so far.


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## GeekDavid

I'm getting back into The Sorcerer's Path by Brock Deskins. (First book is _The Sorcerer's Ascension_.)

It is, honestly, rough around the edges, you can tell this is the author's first series. With that said, however, he weaves a heck of a tale, and I quite enjoyed them on the first read-through, and can't wait to get to the books he's added that I haven't read yet.


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## JRFLynn

This month I'm going to start the Kingkiller Trilogy by Patrick Rothfuss, I haven't been excited about reading in a long, long time so hopefully it's as good as they say.


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## GeekDavid

JRFLynn said:


> This month I'm going to start the Kingkiller Trilogy by Patrick Rothfuss, I haven't been excited about reading in a long, long time so hopefully it's as good as they say.



You are in for a wonderful read, my friend. I just wish he'd finish the durned thing.


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## Mythopoet

JRFLynn said:


> This month I'm going to start the Kingkiller Trilogy by Patrick Rothfuss, I haven't been excited about reading in a long, long time so hopefully it's as good as they say.



I thought the first was pretty good but was very disappointed by the second.


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## GeekDavid

Mythopoet said:


> I thought the first was pretty good but was very disappointed by the second.



In my experience, it's far from uncommon for the second book of a trilogy to fall short. Usually the third makes up for it.


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## Mythopoet

Possibly. I've generally found that once a series starts disappointing me, it tends to go downhill from there.


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## Mindfire

I'm reading the Tales of the Otori books by Lian Hearn. The best I can describe them is that they're kinda like a shorter, PG-13 Game of Thrones set in fantasy Japan. I've finished the first book, and it's good, even if the plot didn't go the way I wanted it to. The books are a bit darker than what I usually read and I'm not big on bittersweet endings, but I decided to try something new.


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## SeverinR

A clash of kings.(GOT  II)


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## Philip Overby

@Mindfire: I've heard good things about the Tales of the Otori books. I've been wanting to check them out for awhile. A Japanese GOT's description has me interested.

@Severin: Love me some Martin! Hope you're enjoying the series so far.


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## Mythopoet

Mindfire said:


> I'm reading the Tales of the Otori books by Lian Hearn. The best I can describe them is that they're kinda like a shorter, PG-13 Game of Thrones set in fantasy Japan. I've finished the first book, and it's good, even if the plot didn't go the way I wanted it to. The books are a bit darker than what I usually read and I'm not big on bittersweet endings, but I decided to try something new.



Sounds interesting. I think I'll have to put that on my to read list.


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## GeekDavid

Mindfire said:


> I'm reading the Tales of the Otori books by Lian Hearn. The best I can describe them is that they're kinda like a shorter, PG-13 Game of Thrones set in fantasy Japan. I've finished the first book, and it's good, even if the plot didn't go the way I wanted it to. The books are a bit darker than what I usually read and I'm not big on bittersweet endings, but I decided to try something new.



I read the first one and, well, let's just say I'm not rushing out to buy the second.


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## Mindfire

GeekDavid said:


> I read the first one and, well, let's just say I'm not rushing out to buy the second.



What didn't you like?


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## GeekDavid

Mindfire said:


> What didn't you like?



Hard to pin down. It may just be that it's not my kind of fantasy.


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## A. E. Lowan

I usually read 3 or 4 things at once.  ATM I'm plowing through Cassandra Clare's _Infernal Devices _ because I read what she has so far of _The Mortal Instruments _and figured I'd keep punishing myself.  I don't like YA and these books are reminding me why, but I will say she writes great characters, so that's something that keeps me coming back.

My main obsession right now, though, is Amazon.com: Violence: A Writer's Guide Second Edition eBook: Rory Miller, Steve Perry: Kindle Store.  I just found myself struggling with a major fight scene, and coming from a violent background this bothered me, so I am trying to get back to that place in my head.  I really recommend this book, but it's not easy reading.


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## Ireth

Recently got through H. Beam Piper's _The Fuzzy Papers_ and Piers Anthony's _Night Mare_, and soon I'm going to start on Claire C. Marshall's _The Violet Fox_.


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## Ruby

I'm reading, Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch. It's about a wizard detective solving crimes in modern London. Described as 'What would happen if Harry Potter grew up and joined the Fuzz' by the Sunday Times. It seems quite good so far, although I think I prefer Harry Potter.


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## Ruby

I'm reading, Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch. It's about a wizard detective solving crimes in modern London. Described as 'What would happen if Harry Potter grew up and joined the Fuzz' by the Sunday Times. It seems quite good so far, although I think I prefer Harry Potter. 
I've just finished reading the first Cassandra Clare book of The Mortal Instruments Series. I had to read it twice to work out the plot. I've got the series so will probably read the rest. I usually read more than one book at a time.


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## GeekDavid

Ireth said:


> Recently got through H. Beam Piper's _The Fuzzy Papers_



I vaguely but fondly remember the Fuzzies.


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## psychotick

Hi,

Awesome reading list Ireth. I love the fuzzies and Night Mare was a great Xanth novel. Maybe I'm just saying that because I'm hitting the comfort reads myself at the moment. So I just pulled the seven Lensmen books by Doc Smith off the shelves the other night. Got through Triplanetary last night - when I was supposed to be writing! (Isn't it great when tv sucks!)

Cheers, Greg.


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## psychotick

Hi,

And just to add to the OP, Soldier in the mist was excellent (great title too), but in this case Soldier of Arete was even better. One of the few times when a sequel has actually been better than the original. I haven't read Soldier of Sidon, probably because it was written half a dozen years later and I was past it by then.

Cheers, Greg.


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## Mythopoet

Well, I'm struggling with Soldier in the Mist. And it feels like I'm struggling for the same reasons that I struggled with all of Wolfe's other books I've tried. 

Characters are important to me. I want to feel invested in them or I lose interest. However, for some reason Wolfe seems to write a lot of characters who feel... detached. They seem to be emotionally detached from their own stories and so I have a hard time investing in those stories. How can I care about it when the character seems to hardly care about it himself? I mean, I realize that Latro has a very good reason to be detached. Every single morning when he wakes up he forgets everything that has happened to him. All he has is a distant, fuzzy memory of his home. I get that. It still doesn't help me to feel invested in the story when the main character himself is just floating along on the surface of events. I feel like it would have been more interesting from a different point of view, but that would have ruined the conceit that this is translated from the actual scrolls Latro writes everything that happens to him on. 

Anyway, I'm going to soldier (ha) on.

On the side I've also decided to reread the Iliad and the Odyssey. I read them a long time ago so I've forgotten most of the detail and I want to consciously study the classic epic nature of the works this time around.


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## Aspasia

I'm reading Black Prism by Weeks. So far, it's pretty decent, I'm enjoying it and all the POVs aren't confusing me, interesting stuff is happening in all of them. I do think, though, that Weeks writes better dark/gritty type stuff (see : the first Night Angel), at least for me the writing of Black Prism feels a little ... flat? There's a lot of description of the magic system, it is quite unusual. I guess I'll just have to see how it goes. I feel like Night Angel had a little more _punch_ to it (perhaps literally ). Also, I _did_ read Warbreaker by Sanderson first, and I'm seeing a lot of similarities because both books have color magic - type systems and I keep getting confused as to what happened in what book. I plan to start a GGK pretty soon, maybe Under Heaven, and I have a compilation of Lovecraft's works that I really want to get into. Oh and I found out Republic of Thieves came out (!!!) (I'm a _little_ behind in fantasy news ) and I LOVE that series, so I MUST get it soon. Also working on a very slow re-read of Wheel of Time, I still haven't read Memory of Light and don't plan to until I re-read past Lord of Chaos at least. I'm on Fires of Heaven right now, very slow going at the moment.

So many books, so little time! I also want to check out some of the newer books coming out.


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## TrustMeImRudy

Mythopoet! I have Odyssey reread on my reading list as I bought a copy for that reason, but I'm waiting to find a good copy of the Iliad first. Translator suggestions? I got Fagles for Odyssey.

Aside from that, i picked up Italo Calvino's If on a winter's night a traveler. It is a very odd book, but it is an interesting idea at first that evolves into a compelling piece that is also rather frustrating, which is good since the character [you] is just as frustrated as the Reader is for the same reason. <-- That sentence, if you've read the book, is so redundant.
Then go to a book my friend suggested called Maze Runner.

Aspasia, did you read the Wheel of Time books 8 - 10? I think those are the most difficult, as everything slows down around there. 8 was bearable, but 9 is slow and 10 just took me forever. After that it gets better and Memory of Light is worth it, I loved it and it somehow justified this series hyping me up for Tarmon Gaidon for so many years cause it carried through admirably.


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## CupofJoe

I've just started _The Grapes of Wrath_ by John Steinbeck. I'm trying to cleanse my fantasy pallet before I dive back in to writing over the holidays...


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## Mythopoet

Aspasia said:


> I plan to start a GGK pretty soon, maybe Under Heaven, and I have a compilation of Lovecraft's works that I really want to get into.



I liked some of GGK's books, but I really disliked Under Heaven. Didn't even manage to finish it. I felt like it started with a good premise (the MC burying the dead from both sides of a haunted battlefield as a sort of vigil for his father's death) which was then totally abandoned in favor of visits to whore houses and bureaucracy. Maybe it got more interesting later on, but I had already lost respect for and interest in the MC. 

Lovecraft, on the other hand, was fantastic. I read his full works about a year ago and I have nothing but respect for his sheer imagination. A lot of it was downright creepy and disturbing, but I still couldn't put it down. Personally, I liked the Dream Cycle stories (which are strongly influenced by Lord Dunsany) over the Cthulhu Mythos stories. But I think Lovecraft should be required reading for any fantasy writer. 



TrustMeImRudy said:


> Mythopoet! I have Odyssey reread on my reading list as I bought a copy for that reason, but I'm waiting to find a good copy of the Iliad first. Translator suggestions? I got Fagles for Odyssey.



I don't really know anything about different translations. I just picked up the Samuel Butler translation because it's what was on our bookshelf as part of a series of great works we have.


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## Noma Galway

Ruby said:


> I'm reading, Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch. It's about a wizard detective solving crimes in modern London. Described as 'What would happen if Harry Potter grew up and joined the Fuzz' by the Sunday Times. It seems quite good so far, although I think I prefer Harry Potter.


Sounds like Dresden in London 

I'm reading Republic of Thieves, the King Raven trilogy, and reading a couple unpublished novels.


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## Nagash

Brave New World ~ Huxley


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## Noma Galway

Nagash said:


> Brave New World ~ Huxley


We read that for our Honors class. I love it


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## Caged Maiden

_Falconer_  It's about a guy who goes to prison after a fight with his brother leads to the brother's accidental death and is basically a look into him, as a person, as a husband, as a heroin addict.


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## Ruby

Noma Galway said:


> Sounds like Dresden in London
> 
> Hi Noma, I think it may be. I haven't read any of the Dresden books. They're the next on my "to read" list. They sound good!


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## Noma Galway

Oh, they're great! I loved them, and the show was pretty good too. I read them after I read the Codex Alera.


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## MFreako

Neuromancer by William Gibson.


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## uknowitbeb

A Dance with Dragons and The Way of Kings


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## Steerpike

Two I've most recently added to my "currently reading" list are an anthology tribute to Gene Wolfe, and Jane Eyre.


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## SDWallwork

currently reading Robert Jordan's Wheel of time series. Loving it


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## Feo Takahari

I went to see my uncle today to help clear up a minor legal issue. He's previously pawned off entire boxes of old books on me. This time, he showed me his collection, and invited me to pick anything I liked.

Seven decades of science fiction and fantasy! Original prints of Edmond Hamilton's books, side-by-side with the works of Diane Duane! Forty-odd volumes in the Perry Rhodan series, one shelf below a pile of Star Trek tie-in novels! I didn't even know where to start!

I wound up picking up _Little Fuzzy_, which Ireth and Psychotick previously mentioned. Let's put it this way: if you ever want to know how to write a "cute" character who's likable and not just irritating, READ. THIS. BOOK! (If you can't find a print copy, it's on Project Gutenberg.)


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## yonig

You're right, can't wait for the next one!


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## TheCatandTheBat

I saw both the Kingkiller books from Rothfuss and the Night Angel trilogy from Weeks mentioned...I loved the two Kingkiller books and am eagerly awaiting the third, though I agree that the second one was a bit slower. Still, there is something about the way he writes that really draws me in, though I can't quite determine what it is. His style is just so unique.

I _adore_ the Night Angel trilogy. Dark, gritty, raw...you really form a bond with the characters and so the violent battles and emotional moments really keep you on edge. I'd highly recommend it. Weeks is quite the master at character development.

I tried reading the first of Robert Jordan's _Wheel of Time_ series but was struggling to get through the first bit of it. While I enjoy imagery and authors who are good world-building, too much at once gets a little cumbersome. I'm the type that if you don't reel me in on the first few pages, I'm not likely to keep reading.

Which brings me to what I'm reading now: R.A. Salvatore's "The Lone Drow" from the _Legend of Drizzt_ series. I've read all 14 of the previous ones leading up to this point and am still neither bored nor disappointed. Salvatore is my favorite author and a master of not only words but action sequences. They are descriptive, realistic, and stunning. The imagery of the fight is spectacular and you really feel that you can follow each move smoothly because of how well it flows.


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## kayd_mon

I have finally begun Abercrombie's The Blade Itself. I am just getting into it, and I like it, but so far it hasn't lived up to the hype. Often times I have to give a book more than the first third to love it, so I'm not worried.


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## Steerpike

kayd_mon said:


> I have finally begun Abercrombie's The Blade Itself. I am just getting into it, and I like it, but so far it hasn't lived up to the hype. Often times I have to give a book more than the first third to love it, so I'm not worried.



The first book is Abercrombie's weakest work. You'll have to get halfway through or more to start digging it, as I recall.


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## Philip Overby

I love all of the First Law series myself. However, I almost always have trouble getting into a series just because I have to adjust to different writing styles and such.

Right now I'm reading David Gemmell's first (?) book about Druss the Legend entitled, well, _Legend._ Since the last several books I've been reading have been outside the fantasy genre, I decided to jump back into this one. Granted, I don't count my Kindle books amongst ones I'm reading. It's weird how I do that. I guess my paper books are the ones that I read consistently while my Kindle books are all read sporadically or on different assigned days (yes, I've assigned days to organize my reading, that's how bad it's gotten). 

As far as _Legend_ goes, I've been surprised how dialogue heavy it is. Perhaps that's why I've been able to read it very quickly. I guess I expected a lot more descriptive language and narration, but there's very little of it, at least the parts I'm reading right now. That said, I can see why he's popular. I find his writing to be quite accessible and still very interesting.


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## Steerpike

Phil the Drill said:


> Right now I'm reading David Gemmell's first (?) book about Druss the Legend entitled, well, _Legend._



Great book


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## Ghost

_The Bell Jar_ by Sylvia Plath.

It's a reread for me and part of my "homemade MFA program." I'm discovering that the author's voice has a bigger effect on me than I thought. It's probably because I'm in an overly critical phase as a reader.


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## SDWallwork

Just finished Robert Jordan's 'The eye of the world' and absolutely loved it! Cant wait to pick up the second book. For now though I am reading Brandon Sanderson's 'The way of kings'. Only just started it but so far its been action packed. Looking forward to really getting in to it.


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## Guy

The Iliad. I've got an MA in Euro history focused on military history and I've never read it. I'm rather enjoying it much more than I thought I would. I just finished Monster Hunter International and loved it. Prior to that, The Goblin Corps, which was pretty good. It had an ending I absolutely did not see coming. Prior to that, The Blade Itself. I liked the characters but the story didn't do much for me. I never finished Legend because I just I couldn't get past the butterfly shaped axe. That so flies in the face of what I think a battle axe should be.


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## ThinkerX

Hmmm...lessee...

past couple of weeks, reread Dan Crawford's 'Sure Death of a Mouse' and subsequent volume.  I like these tales because they are among the very few to go full tilt into court intrigue with a large cast of characters and still keep things interesting.  All too many authors these days just don't grasp the sheer number of flunkies and functionaries even a minor court has.

Read an SF tome by Alistair Reynolds, featuring limited authority 'police force' striving to keep order among a large number of space habitats, many with radically different forms of government, with a lot of lethal secrets in the background.  This is something of a 'middle volume' for this set, showing these habitats at their height; the later books chronicle the decay and destruction of the lot.  I like it that Reynolds is (was?) a professional astronomer who made a serious effort to keep science within the bounds of reality.

Just started reading Zimmer's 'The Lost Prince', book one of a series set on another world.  It features a vaguely south Asian style nation on the brink of internal collapse even as it is threatened by major invasion from Lovecraftian style entities.  I find it interesting that the human populace at least was brought to this planet from another world by the 'Hastur', who also evicted the demonic shadow princes who'd previously ruled it.


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## Mythopoet

I recently finished "The Philosophy of Tolkien" by Peter Kreeft which was amazingly insightful and gave me lots of food for thought about how I approach my own world and story. 

But other than certain research and reference materials, I'm having a hard time with the books I've been trying. They just don't pull me in. I find myself being bored and distracted rather than interested in the story. 

I've tried Soldier in the Mist by Gene Wolfe which I'm not going to give up on because it's one of my husband's favorites and he really wants me to read it but man am I struggling with caring at all about Latro and what happens to him. I mean, there was recently a scene where a person is raised from the dead by a necromancer with the help of Latro but the way Latro describes everything is just so blasÃ© that I can't feel any interest in it.

More recently I've started The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson and his writing is just really annoying me. First, it's one of those books that starts out with a prologue that is removed from the main story by thousands of years and is way more interesting that the chapter which follows it. I HATE that. Second, in the next chapter a guy goes to assassinate a king and along the way the author thinks it's a good idea to spend several pages describing him fighting insignificant hallway guard in minute detail. What the frell? Why are ALL authors like this nowadays? Why does anyone think it's a good idea to detail every single movement a person makes during every single fight? That's not storytelling, that's describing the movie in your head to me. Just, stop it. I'm only 2% into this book and already I'm hating it. But I'll persevere because it is a highly popular book with readers and likely will be one of the more influential books of recent years. I just wish it wasn't.

But since I've got a cold right now I'm also rereading Carpe Jugulum by Terry Pratchett. I always reread Discworld books when I'm feeling sick and don't have the brain power for anything new. It works for me.


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## Guy

Mythopoet said:


> Why does anyone think it's a good idea to detail every single movement a person makes during every single fight?


I blame R.A. Salvatore.


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## Ankari

Mythopoet said:


> More recently I've started The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson and his writing is just really annoying me. First, it's one of those books that starts out with a prologue that is removed from the main story by thousands of years and is way more interesting that the chapter which follows it. I HATE that. Second, in the next chapter a guy goes to assassinate a king and along the way the author thinks it's a good idea to spend several pages describing him fighting insignificant hallway guard in minute detail. What the frell? Why are ALL authors like this nowadays? Why does anyone think it's a good idea to detail every single movement a person makes during every single fight? That's not storytelling, that's describing the movie in your head to me. Just, stop it. I'm only 2% into this book and already I'm hating it. But I'll persevere because it is a highly popular book with readers and likely will be one of the more influential books of recent years. I just wish it wasn't.



Of the two main series Sanderson writes, this is his best. The Mistborn series is bland. The only reason why people shower accolades on the Mistborn series is due to the magic system he created, and the (surprisingly) nice twist or two.

Why do people write out moves? Probably to achieve authenticity. It's just as bad when authors write "...and he slew the orc horde without incurring significant wounds."

I agree choreographing is bad. It's a result of making every character a clone of Neo from _The Matrix._ Most authors don't understand how swift melee combat was. Or, if they do, they want to create a sense of tension by leaving the option open for a turn of events.


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## Mythopoet

Ankari said:


> Why do people write out moves? Probably to achieve authenticity. It's just as bad when authors write "...and he slew the orc horde without incurring significant wounds."



Except, you know, no professional authors write that so this argument is basically a straw man.


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## Jabrosky

I have a lot of books on my "currently reading" list, but most of them are obscure self-published works. Every now and then I revisit Robert E. Howard's various short stories because his descriptive writing style ranks among my favorites and I'd like to emulate one of the sword & sorcery genre's great pioneers.


Mythopoet said:


> Why does anyone think it's a good idea to detail every single movement a person makes during every single fight? That's not storytelling, that's describing the movie in your head to me. Just, stop it.


Then you wouldn't like my action scenes since I tend towards the choreographed route. Maybe this would be better suited for the Fantasy Writing section, but what kind of action writing do you prefer?

Incidentally, I do tend to see my stories play out like movies in my head. I am a visual thinker by nature after all.


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## Mythopoet

Jabrosky said:


> Incidentally, I do tend to see my stories play out like movies in my head. I am a visual thinker by nature after all.



And I HATE that. But everyone seems to think that is the "correct" way to write stories these days. Sigh. 

I love Howard's Conan stories. Some of my favorites. I think his writing is great. But he never describes every motion Conan makes during a fight. That would be ridiculous.


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## Jabrosky

Mythopoet said:


> And I HATE that. But everyone seems to think that is the "correct" way to write stories these days. Sigh.
> 
> I love Howard's Conan stories. Some of my favorites. I think his writing is great. But he never describes every motion Conan makes during a fight. That would be ridiculous.


Sounds like I need to study them more closely then. I do recall Howard tends to paint in broader and less choreographed strokes when describing battle scenes involving more characters.


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## Philip Overby

Mythopoet said:


> And I HATE that. But everyone seems to think that is the "correct" way to write stories these days. Sigh.
> 
> I love Howard's Conan stories. Some of my favorites. I think his writing is great. But he never describes every motion Conan makes during a fight. That would be ridiculous.



Well, as we've established numerous times on this site, there is no "correct" way to write something. So if someone cares to view their action scenes the way they want, then that's up to them. I've seen action scenes written numerous ways and if they're good, they're good.


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## Mythopoet

Phil the Drill said:


> Well, as we've established numerous times on this site, there is no "correct" way to write something. So if someone cares to view their actions scenes the way they want, then that's up to them. I've seen action scenes written numerous ways and if they're good, they're good.



Perhaps I should clarify that when I post in this thread I do so with my "reader hat" on. Meaning, I'm talking about these books from a reader's point of view as much as possible. While as a writer I wholeheartedly agree that there is no one correct way to do anything in storytelling, I also feel that the only person in the storytelling relationship that has the real right to critique a work is the reader. Because stories are meant for readers and readers are the ones who pay the writer's salary. So as a writer, I agree with you. As a reader, I strongly feel that hundreds of pages of the author basically describing in detail the movie playing in their head is the wrong way to tell a story. That's just a misuse of the medium of the written story.


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## Philip Overby

> So as a writer, I agree with you. As a reader, I strongly feel that hundreds of pages of the author basically describing in detail the movie playing in their head is the wrong way to tell a story.



I kind of feel like these things go hand and hand to be honest. If you're saying "I don't want to read stuff like this and I hate it" then saying "But do what you want as a writer" it's kind of, I don't know, confusing.

I would hope I write the same way I read. Or at least learn things from reading and apply them to my own writing, whether doing what I think is good and avoiding what I think is bad. 

But anyway, this thread is about what we are reading now, not about technique, so let's get it back on topic.


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## Mythopoet

Well, it is also intended for discussing what we are reading, not just listing books.  I encourage useful critique.


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## Guy

Jabrosky said:


> Sounds like I need to study them more closely then. I do recall Howard tends to paint in broader and less choreographed strokes when describing battle scenes involving more characters.


I'm a big Howard fan, too. Fight scenes are one of my pet peeves. I put some specifics in mine so a reader knowledgeable about fighting would nod and say, "Yeah, that would work." The trick, like every other aspect of writing, is to not go too far with it. A Matrix-type fight scene doesn't translate into writing very well. It goes from smooth and flowing to heavy and dense. I think Salvatore made this mistake in describing some of Drizzt's fights. After a while I found myself thing, "Oh, for cryin' out loud, just kill the other guy already."


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## Ghost

I tried to start _A Clockwork Orange_ but had a hard time getting into it, so now I'm reading _House of Leaves_ by Mark Z. Danielewski. I'm also rereading some Angela Carter to find a story to study.


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## Mythopoet

I'm just getting over about 3 weeks of sickness during which I reread 3 Discworld books. 

Now that my mind is functioning better again I've started a couple more books from my Master Fantasy List. Phantasmion by Sara Coleridge and The Mabinogion Tetralogy by Evangeline Walton. 

The first is from 1837 and is one of those transitional works between the straight up fairy tale and the fantasy novel. I have a feeling most people would find it dreadfully traditional, but I think it has a great deal of beauty.

The second is a retelling of the Four Branches of the Mabinogi, the classic of Welsh Mythology. Though unlike the type of "retellings" you generally find today where the story is quite different and merely has some of the trappings of the original, this seems to be exactly the same story as the original but with more of the plot, characterization and such that we moderns are used to in our novels. What I have is actually an omnibus of four different novels, each covering a different Branch. I'm reading the first book, Prince of Annwn, which concerns Pwyll Prince of Dyved and Arawn King in Annwn. I'm a mythology buff so I'm naturally enjoying it.


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## BrokenFiction

So many things - right now at the top of my stack are Diana Wynne Jones "The Tough Guide to Fantasyland" which I've always meant to read, but never got around to it. It is just fantastic about skewering tropes left and right. What a great book and a wonderful writer she was (just finished Howl's Moving Castle/Castle in the Air/House of Many Ways too and they are amazing, amazing reads).

Also just started on Catherynne M Valente's "The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making" - been meaning to read it for a while and it finally made it to the top of the stack. I'm on a YA kick lately I guess.


----------



## Ghost

Finished _Erasure_ by Percival Everett and _Perfume: The Story of a Murderer_ by Patrick SÃ¼skind. Still reading _I, Claudius_. It's good so far, but I keep setting it aside for other things. Must finish!


----------



## Butterfly

I'm currently reading Royal Assassin (Book 2 of The Farseesr Trilogy by Robin Hobb) and I'm quite enjoying it.


----------



## Butterfly

I was going to read the Mabinogion Tetralody at one point but that misspelling of Dyfed seriously put me off. I take it they changed the f to a v for phonetic reasons even though there is actually no v in the Welsh alphabet.


----------



## Mythopoet

I see where you're coming from, though it doesn't bother me much. Currently I'm stalled in the second branch of the Mabinogion Tetralogy (The Children of Llyr) because it's just so boring. The first branch (Prince of Annwn) was all right. But definitely plodding in some areas. The first part with Arawn was pretty good but the second part with Rhiannon made Pwyll seem like an oaf who needed Rhiannon to do all his thinking for him. If I was her I would have had serious second thoughts about marrying the idiot. A lot of people praise Evangeline Walton's prose, but I find it average. Normally when I'm reading a book and I come across a bit of prose I find particularly beautiful I'll highlight it. I haven't highlighted anything in these yet. I'm beginning to wonder if a straight fleshing out (as opposed to a retelling) of an old myth is a good idea at all.

I've also read Stardust by Neil Gaiman and enjoyed it thoroughly. 

I reread a trilogy of I guess they could be called Urban Fantasy novels by L. Jagi Lamplighter called the Prospero's Daughter trilogy. It centers around the characters of Prospero from Shakespeare's The Tempest as the Patriarch of a large family (2 daughters, including Miranda, and 7 sons) who serve as the guardians of humanity against the supernatural world. They have immortality by drinking the Water of Life every year and they are responsible for binding and controlling through oaths and various machinations all the supernatural creatures that wreaked havoc on the natural world. This enabled humanity to stop relying on magic and ushered in the scientific revolution. But now Prospero has disappeared and there are various infernal forces attacking the Prospero family and looking to undo their work. The books center around Miranda and her search for her father and efforts to protect her family and preserve the accomplishments of humanity. There are angels and demons and elves and spirits. The family Prospero is very clearly inspired by the family of Oberon in Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny. They are all really interesting characters filled with flaws but also virtues and their relationships are what make these books really wonderful. I was surprised, since I was rereading them, by how engrossed I became in the story. It was better the second time around and I could barely put any of them down. 

I also read The Night Land: A Story Retold. Now, here's where I confess that though I have often read old works of literature without a problem, the archaic writing style of William Hope Hodgson's The Night Land was too dense for me. It was like trying to wade through a bog. Then I discovered James Stoddard's retelling of the novel, which is not really a retelling as much as an update for modern readers. He went, he says, to great pains to maintain Hodgson's story and even Hodgson's words as much as possible. He did add dialogue (there is none in the original, it is entirely exposition from a first person narrator) and named the main character (who never reveals his name in the original and is commonly called X by readers) and added some prose to make the story flow better. But I could tell that this was a real work of love that Stoddard did because he wanted more readers to be able to enjoy Hodgson's story as much as he did. I respect that. 

And... I LOVED it. It was amazing and awe inspiring and captivating beyond words. The vision that the story presents of earth and humanity in the far, far distant future when the sun is dead and the world is dark is fascinating. And yet despite the vast, alien world, the story focuses on X (or Andros in this version) and his suicidal quest to save the woman he has loved across time (for he is something like a reincarnation of a man from the time the book was written) making it personal and filled with powerful emotion. I cried at the end tears of grief and tears of joy. It was such a moving story. I really think anyone who writes speculative fiction should read it. It's one of my all time favorites now.


----------



## Scribble

Reading these... 


*Time Reborn* by Lee Smolin. Smolin puts forth the idea that time is in fact real, and that the laws of the universe evolved over time. It is a discussion of the ideas of physics without the math, so even people like me who never got around to taking Cal 2 can follow along.

Time Reborn: From the Crisis in Physics to the Future of the Universe: Lee Smolin, Henry Reich: 9780547511726: Amazon.com: Books

I also picked up two anthologies of short stories, edited by John Joseph Adams 

*The Way of the Wizard*

http://www.amazon.ca/The-Wizard-John-Joseph-Adams/dp/1607012324




> Power. We all want it, they've got it - witches, warlocks, sorcerers, necromancers, those who peer beneath the veil of mundane reality and put their hands on the levers that move the universe. They see the future in a sheet of glass, summon fantastic beasts, and transform lead into gold... or you into a frog. From Gandalf to Harry Potter to the Last Airbender, wizardry has never been more exciting and popular. Enter a world where anything is possible, where imagination becomes reality. Experience the thrill of power, the way of the wizard. Now acclaimed editor John Joseph Adams (The Living Dead) brings you thirty-two of the most spellbinding tales ever written, by some of today's most magical talents, including Neil Gaiman, Simon R. Green, and George R. R. Martin.





*Wastelands*

http://www.amazon.ca/Wastelands-John-Joseph-Adams/dp/1597801054



> Famine, Death, War, and Pestilence: The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, the harbingers of Armageddon — these are our guides through the Wastelands... From the Book of Revelations to The Road Warrior; from A Canticle for Leibowitz to The Road, storytellers have long imagined the end of the world, weaving tales of catastrophe, chaos, and calamity. Gathering together the best post-apocalyptic literature of the last two decades from many of today’s most renowned authors of speculative fiction, including George R.R. Martin, Gene Wolfe, Orson Scott Card, Carol Emshwiller, Jonathan Lethem, Octavia E. Butler, and Stephen King, Wastelands explores the scientific, psychological, and philosophical questions of what it means to remain human in the wake of Armageddon.



For the 3rd time, also reading *A Writer's Time*, by Kenneth Atchity (maybe this time I'll take on the discipline...)

A Writer's Time: Making the Time to Write: Kenneth Atchity: 9780393312638: Amazon.com: Books



> For nearly a decade, thousands of writers—aspiring and professional—have relied on this book, the first to apply time-management principles to the specific needs of writers of fiction, nonfiction, and drama.
> Expanding his focus now, Kenneth Atchity adds a substantial new chapter, "Breaking into Show Business," and new material about recapturing the "high" of creativity and maintaining confidence despite setbacks. He shows you how to transform anxiety into "productive elation," how to separate vision from revision, and how to develop your own writing agenda.
> 
> This book, based on his writing seminars, research into dreams and creativity, and film development, is, as the New York Times states, "crammed with the sort of useful advice that it seems to take some people years to learn."


----------



## Steerpike

_The Solitary House_, by Lynn Shepherd (a Victorian murder mystery).

_Ancillary Justice_, by Ann Leckie and_ The Leviathan Wakes_, by James Corey (both science fiction).


----------



## Smith

I found the 'what are you reading' thread!

Unfortunately, I am an enormous procrastinator of the worst kind, and an extremely slow reader, so my goodreads presently has seven books listed as 'currently reading'.

Only two of them are active, those being _The Blade Itself_ by Joe Abercrombie (primarily upon recommendation from here, actually) and _Red Seas Under Red Skies_, a sequel to _The Lies of Locke Lamora_ by Scott Lynch. Abercrombie writes vivid characters, and I find him easy to follow and immensely entertaining. Lynch, I'm sure you love your world, and I do too (as a fantasy writer, I even understand), but can you please lay off the description for a while? I get that it is impressive and intricate, but I want to know what your characters are doing. Thanks. I don't remember _Lies_ being this description-heavy, though it did have its moments. Otherwise, I'm enjoying the plot. The wrap-up of _Lies_ didn't completely satisfy me, but it was still a strong story, so I'll be happy if this one comes together as well as that. Pirates are a bonus, if we ever get to them; I'm a third of the way through and pirates have only just been mentioned.

These three I would consider 'on hold', because I can only really read so much at once: _The Monstrumologist_ by Rick Yancey is a YA horror novel about monster hunters, one of my favourite subjects. I'm sure everyone knows _Perdido Street Station_ by China MiÃ©ville, which is good, but I think will require more of my attention. What little I've enjoyed of Larry McMurtry's _Lonesome Dove_ makes it one of the best books I've ever read, but again, I think I will need to devote myself to it wholly, so I'm waiting until I have a chance to do so.

As for the last two, I'm not sure if or when I will pick them back up again. I would _like_ to finish _The Way of Shadows_ by Brent Weeks, but I feel nothing for the protagonist and I was about to become stuck with him for a bit, so I just put it down and didn't pick it back up. _John Dies At The End_, by David Wong, on the other hand, was monstrously entertaining, but I put it somewhere on my shelf and by the time I found it again I'd forgotten half of what happened.


----------



## skip.knox

Currently reading
H.M.S. Surprise by Patrick O'Brian
Goedel, Escher, Back: An Eternal Golden Braid, by Richard Hofstadter (definitely not fantasy!)
Robert Mitchum, "Baby I Just Don't Care" (a biography)
and The Third Man, by Graham Greene

The Hofstadter book is difficult but brilliant, a book about intelligence both human and artificial. 
The O'Brian book is Aubry and Maturin. It took me a while to warm up to this series, but I'm really liking it now.
The Mitchum book is good. The writing is ham-handed, but the stories are great.
And the Third Man? It's Graham Greene, one of the 20th century's great novelists. Always worth my time.

The only fantasy I'm reading right now is my subscription to Science Fiction and Fantasy Magazine. Too many disappointments over the past year, especially Abercrombie, Sanderson and Salvatore, each of whom were supposed to be good.


----------



## Mythopoet

skip.knox said:


> Too many disappointments over the past year, especially Abercrombie, Sanderson and Salvatore, each of whom were supposed to be good.



That's why I mostly stick to older fantasy.


----------



## Scribble

skip.knox said:


> Currently reading
> H.M.S. Surprise by Patrick O'Brian
> Goedel, Escher, Back: An Eternal Golden Braid, by Richard Hofstadter (definitely not fantasy!)
> Robert Mitchum, "Baby I Just Don't Care" (a biography)
> and The Third Man, by Graham Greene
> 
> The Hofstadter book is difficult but brilliant, a book about intelligence both human and artificial.
> The O'Brian book is Aubry and Maturin. It took me a while to warm up to this series, but I'm really liking it now.
> The Mitchum book is good. The writing is ham-handed, but the stories are great.
> And the Third Man? It's Graham Greene, one of the 20th century's great novelists. Always worth my time.
> 
> The only fantasy I'm reading right now is my subscription to Science Fiction and Fantasy Magazine. Too many disappointments over the past year, especially Abercrombie, Sanderson and Salvatore, each of whom were supposed to be good.



Interesting selection

I read "I Am a Strange Loop" by Hofstadter and I've been meaning to read Goedel, Escher, Bach... it's a dense read. 

I am mostly reading short sf/fantasy fiction now. I find most of what is on the shelf to be depressingly unreadable. I am interested in checking out The Lies of Locke Lamore.


----------



## skip.knox

Mythopoet said:


> That's why I mostly stick to older fantasy.



Or older literature, period. I'm finding I'd rather read great stuff that is out of genre than read mediocre fantasy.


----------



## Steerpike

I'd rather read something good out of genre as well. Right now I'm reading classics, a Victorian mystery, and some science fiction. I disagree about what makes good fantasy though, apparently, because I've read everything Abercrombie has written and thoroughly enjoyed all of it. 

Sanderson I'm not a fan of, and Salvatore writes gaming fiction. His early work in that subgenre is decent if you don't mind reading gaming fiction, but his more recent work seems like he's just phoning it in.


----------



## Scribble

I go back to the classics often. I started The Brothers Karamazov but I lost my interest, it is very long and I'm not sure if anything is happening in the story! I recently re-read The Grapes of Wrath, I love what Steinbeck does with language in that one. Weird ending for sure 

I feel like I should like Guy Gavriel Kay, one because it is fantasy, two because he is also Canadian, and three because he sells well, but I keep losing interest. I've started and restarted The Last Light of the Sun, and it is well written but I can't seem to get hooked. I read Tigana a long time ago, and I think I finished it, but I can't remember any of it. 

I read two writing books recently:

Wired for Story by Lisa Cron, which combines my interest in brain science with writing... it is entertaining. I find it useful to read these books while thinking about something I am working on.

The other one, I haven't finished but I intend to is Plot by Ansen Dibell, in the Elements of Writing Fiction series. I find it an enjoyable read.


----------



## Steerpike

What, you don't like Dostoevsky OR Guy Gavriel Kay?

Well...I never! 

Those are two of my favorite authors


----------



## Philip Overby

Speaking about reading out of the fantasy genre, I feel I've really enjoyed the books I read that weren't fantasy recently. I'm reading _The Name of the Wind_ right now, and after that, I may read several non-fantasy books again. It's not that I'm burned out on fantasy, I just like that change of pace now and again. I think I'll read one fantasy book and one non-fantasy book from now on. Alternate that way so I don't get burned out on reading similar kinds of fiction. Sometimes when I look at my TBR pile I think, "I want to read that, but I'm not in the mood for it right now." I'm finding that with a lot of fantasy at the moment. While when I read a western and _Neuromancer_ I breezed through those.


----------



## Steerpike

Philip Overby said:


> Speaking about reading out of the fantasy genre, I feel I've really enjoyed the books I read that weren't fantasy recently. I'm reading _The Name of the Wind_ right now, and after that, I may read several non-fantasy books again. It's not that I'm burned out on fantasy, I just like that change of pace now and again. I think I'll read one fantasy book and one non-fantasy book from now on. Alternate that way so I don't get burned out on reading similar kinds of fiction. Sometimes when I look at my TBR pile I think, "I want to read that, but I'm not in the mood for it right now." I'm finding that with a lot of fantasy at the moment. While when I read a western and _Neuromancer_ I breezed through those.



Have a SF month for the book club. You'd like either _The Leviathan Wakes_ or _Ancillary Justice_, I suspect.


----------



## Philip Overby

I was thinking about that actually. Maybe having a non-fantasy month, where the books pitched could be SF, horror, etc. Maybe in June would be good? I'll pitch the idea later on and see if there's any interest. I've heard good things about both of those you mentioned.


----------



## Mythopoet

I just finished reading *The Weirdstone of Brisingamen*. It's more of a middle grade fantasy book and one of the first "Tolkien imitators" published after the success of LOTR. The interesting thing is how many very Tolkien-esque elements it has (a flight through a system of mines from goblin-like creatures, a golden haired lady with supernatural powers who gifts them with magical cloaks, etc.) and yet the similarities did not diminish the enjoyment of the story and overall it felt not like an imitation at all for it had it's own style and substance. 

I've also been reading some of the Zothique stories of Clark Ashton Smith. I'd read some of his other stories before (I have a collection of all his stories) but wanted to read the Zothique ones as they are the most well known and praised. So far I've read Empire of the Necromancers, The Isle of the Torturers, The Charnel God and The Dark Eidolon. I'm not really sure what I think. Smith has some interesting ideas, but I don't really like his style. I don't think his writing is nearly as good as Robert E. Howard's or H.P. Lovecraft's. Howard's tales had the benefit of a recurring main character that the reader could root for, where Smith's stories, even the ones united by a general setting, very much stand alone and tend to be far too impersonal for me to feel anything about them. Lovecraft developed his ideas far more elegantly than Smith does and has a much stronger narrative voice. I guess I'm just not really a Smith fan.


----------



## Scribble

Steerpike said:


> What, you don't like Dostoevsky OR Guy Gavriel Kay?
> 
> Well...I never!
> 
> Those are two of my favorite authors



I have nothing against them personally, rather I respect them both. My issue with them may have more to do with these two facts: I have little free time and they wrote very thick books.

Can you like the author yet still have trouble with reading them?


----------



## SM-Dreamer

I'm reading, on and off depending on mood and schedule, Through Wolf's Eyes by Jane Lindskold and Foundation by Mercedes Lackey (both of which I found at the thrift store and decided, why not?), rereading GoT and underlining bits of it, reading Sin and Syntax by Constance Hale, and considering Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way.

This of course does not count school textbooks or required reading (ie, The Giver by Lois Lowry in my english class)


----------



## Mythopoet

Scribble said:


> Can you like the author yet still have trouble with reading them?



Yes. I have great trouble reading Gene Wolfe. I've only managed one of his books so far and tried three others without being able to get into them. I keep trying because he is quite possibly my husband's all time favorite writer and we even named our youngest child after him and one of his characters (Severian Wolfe). I have enormous respect for the man and his abilities, but he is really hard for me to read.


----------



## Philip Overby

I was reading some Gene Wolfe not long ago and he's one I really love in short bursts. I don't think I could read one of his books straight through, but when I do read him I'm like, "Damn, he's really good." It's just weird I can't get into some of his stories for whatever reason. Maybe his style just takes longer to get used to for me. I had the same issues with Steven Erikson and China Mieville and I count them amongst my favorite writers nowadays.


----------



## skip.knox

I just finished a re-read of Goedel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid. Not fantasy, but fairly fantastic.

Am starting on An Instance of the Fingerpost. A few chapters in. Slow going, so far.

I find myself deliberately avoiding fantasy. I do subscribe to the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, but most of the fantasy stories I read there just irritate me. 

Still working on O'Brian and on that biography of Robert Mitchum. But not much lately has caught my fancy. Maybe it's time to go back to favorites, like Chandler or Conrad. Or something fun like a Nero Wolfe novel.


----------



## Steerpike

Reading two Conrad novels concurrently. Good stuff.


----------



## Philip Overby

> I find myself deliberately avoiding fantasy. I do subscribe to the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, but most of the fantasy stories I read there just irritate me.



Just curious, why do they irritate you? I read one not long ago I thought was really well done. It was about mermaids, but was really dark and weird. I'd love to read more from that author. I'll have to look and find out her name.


----------



## monyo

Scribble said:


> I read "I Am a Strange Loop" by Hofstadter and I've been meaning to read Goedel, Escher, Bach... it's a dense read.





skip.knox said:


> I just finished a re-read of Goedel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid. Not fantasy, but fairly fantastic.



I've been reading _GÃ¶del's Proof_ recently (about halfway finished), of which Hofstadter edited the most recent edition, and cites in the foreword as being one of the major influences to get into his line of work and write GEB.

Also just started _American Gods_ and _The Wise Man's Fear_. Recently finished _On Intelligence_, _Relic_, and _Reliquary_, all of which were great. The latter two I ended up reading mostly based on this post, plus positive memories of the movie.


----------



## Sheriff Woody

A Feast For Crows

Ridiculously boring so far (half-way through). :/


----------



## Caged Maiden

I'm reading T.W. Ervin's _Flank Hawk_ and I'm really enjoying it.  I've read later in the series and seeing where it all began is wonderfully surprising.  Zombies, panzers, dragons...it isn't my normal fare but the writing is clean, the POV interesting and the situation both amusing and serious.  Sure, the combined elements may initially indicate a rather silly tale, but I'd recommend it to those readers who enjoy a different type of fantasy.  Common, comfortable elements arranged with new ideas and a serious quest.

Terry's details paint a vivid picture and I think that's what most inspired me upon opening the book.  The pacing and judicious presentation of details create a nice balance even for a harsh critic.  If you like something a little different, this is a very enjoyable story and its presentation makes it worth the read even if you presume you'll dislike WWII technology in a fantasy setting.

Well done, now I'll have to get _Blood Sword_...


----------



## Snowpoint

Just read Lies of Lock Lamora. Can't say a bad word about it. Awesome stuff.


----------



## skip.knox

Just finished Pied Piper by Neville Shute. A curious tale of an old man who winds up shepherding several children across France during the Nazi invasion in 1940. Despite the setting, there are only a couple of scenes of violence, but many scenes of courage.


----------



## Lovi

I'm currently reading The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson and, just like the Mistborn trilogy, it is awesome. I tried to read The Name of the Wind, started it twice, but couldn't get over half way, because it's simply so damn boring. Nothing interesting has happened, so I just gave up. I can't see what the hype is about, really. The character isn't likable at all and absolutely nothing interesting happens...

That said, I'm currently also trying to read the 4th book of A Song of Ice and Fire to know what will happen and not have to wait for the tv-series, but even that is so incredibly boring, third chapter in. I've been thinking of reading the Discworld novels, but I don't know if they're too traditional and boring because they're older. I haven't read the Wheel of Time novels either for the same reason.


----------



## Ireth

Pratchett is one of those writers who seems to be rather polarized as far as reactions to his work goes. You either love him or hate him. IMO, they manage to strike a perfect balance between laugh-out-loud funny and gripping drama, with neither taking away from the other.


----------



## Mythopoet

Lovi said:


> I've been thinking of reading the Discworld novels, but I don't know if they're too traditional and boring because they're older.



Why on earth would you think something older is "traditional and boring"? Why on earth would you think "traditional" and "boring" go together? Some of the absolute best fantasy is decades old. Some of the earliest fantasy has still never been matched for sheer imagination. 

Bless me, what do they teach them at these schools? (<Narnia reference, just in case that doesn't come across.)


----------



## Steerpike

True, Mythopoet. As for Sanderson, I tried to read Mistborn twice and didn't think it was very good. Not sure what's all the fuss is. Elantris was decent, and I like what he did with WoT, but his other stuff doesn't interest me.


----------



## Lovi

Mythopoet said:


> Why on earth would you think something older is "traditional and boring"? Why on earth would you think "traditional" and "boring" go together? Some of the absolute best fantasy is decades old. Some of the earliest fantasy has still never been matched for sheer imagination.
> 
> Bless me, what do they teach them at these schools? (<Narnia reference, just in case that doesn't come across.)



What I mean is are they the traditional heroe's journey over and over again? Where you automatically can tell which characters live to the end, which ones die along the way and what will happen? With no surprising plot twists? And the non-optional Chosen One protagonist that defeats the villain in the end? These are the things I associate with the traditional generic fantasy around 80s and so. I haven't read them so I don't know what the case is with those books, perhaps you could tell me if you've read them? And also, I think that because they're older they're traditional because the trope-twisting fantasy became popular later on after those books.

I'd gladly read them but don't want to go through the trouble if they are infact very generic, because I don't like to read that kind of fantasy. I like surprise plot twists and unexpected character deaths and so on, generic fantasy doesn't offer that because the generic fantasy readers don't like that.


----------



## Scribble

Steerpike said:


> True, Mythopoet. As for Sanderson, I tried to read Mistborn twice and didn't think it was very good. Not sure what's all the fuss is. Elantris was decent, and I like what he did with WoT, but his other stuff doesn't interest me.



Ditto. I tried Mistborn but lost interest after a while.

To the point about classics... just because something is old doesn't make it good, but the old ones that persist generally have something to offer that is special. Mary Stewart's Merlin series (The Crystal Cave, The Hollow Hills, The Last Enchantment) are one of my favorites, richly written. Even though the story is ultimately predictable, Stewart made it unique. Her Merlin is the only one that I've read that felt "real" to me, and I've read a few, including Lawhead's series.


----------



## Mythopoet

Lovi said:


> What I mean is are they the traditional heroe's journey over and over again? Where you automatically can tell which characters live to the end, which ones die along the way and what will happen? With no surprising plot twists? And the non-optional Chosen One protagonist that defeats the villain in the end? These are the things I associate with the traditional generic fantasy around 80s and so.



You know, I don't think I could name one fantasy book from any decade that matches this criteria. Not even books that I didn't like. My husband tells me that The Sword of Shannara _may_ fit the bill. I haven't read that one yet. But between the two of us, and we're pretty well read in the genre, especially if you combine our knowledge, we can only come up with one possibility. 

I think you're making a lot of hefty assumptions here and you seem to be applying them to all older books. I mean, sure, there are some books from ALL decades that are generic and boring. But to assume that because something is from a particular decade it would be generic and boring... is just too illogical. And when did 80s fantasy become traditional? (And when did traditional become bad?)

In the 80s Gene Wolfe wrote the Book of the New Sun. Roger Zelazny finished the Dilvish the Damned stories. Stephen King began The Dark Tower. David Gemmell and Glen Cook started publishing their acclaimed series. James Blaylock and Tim Powers published their books that would be the spark that started the Steampunk craze. And Terry Pratchett started the Discworld series which were probably the first books written specifically to turn fantasy tropes on their heads. 



Lovi said:


> I haven't read them so I don't know what the case is with those books, perhaps you could tell me if you've read them? And also, I think that because they're older they're traditional because the trope-twisting fantasy became popular later on after those books.



Yes, I can tell you about them. I've read them all, except the newest one, most multiple times. The first Discworld books were like parodies of the fantasy genre. Pratchett took many fantasy tropes and played them for unexpected laughs. He made his heroes an incompetent and cowardly wizard and a naive tourist. You never knew what was going to happen to them next. But Pratchett built on the Discworld foundation and it grew with the telling. The humor never left, but it became less central. He introduced many unconventional characters, some didn't take off. Others became the basis for many books. His characterization got better with every book. The stories improved too. He can write thrilling mystery and intrigue with Sam Vimes and the Guards characters. He can write folklore-esque fantasy drama with the Witches of Lancre characters. He can write urban fantasy action and adventure with Susan Sto Helit and Death, yes DEATH. And he can sprinkle a liberal helping of the Wizards of Unseen University into any book for laughs. 

He is a brilliant writer and most of the Discworld books are fantastic. 



Lovi said:


> I'd gladly read them but don't want to go through the trouble if they are infact very generic, because I don't like to read that kind of fantasy. I like surprise plot twists and unexpected character deaths and so on, generic fantasy doesn't offer that because the generic fantasy readers don't like that.



The fantasy genre is so wide and varied. There isn't really any such thing as "generic" fantasy or "generic" fantasy readers. Whenever I see people talk about fantasy as if this is so, I know they haven't read enough.


----------



## Steerpike

Yeah. Everyone has been there at one time, though, where their experience of the genre just isn't that broad. The 80s had all kinds of interesting, non-traditional fantasy. But unless you're really up on the genre you won't know about most of it. And bless you for mentioning Blaylock.


----------



## Steerpike

Scribble said:


> Ditto. I tried Mistborn but lost interest after a while.
> 
> To the point about classics... just because something is old doesn't make it good, but the old ones that persist generally have something to offer that is special. Mary Stewart's Merlin series (The Crystal Cave, The Hollow Hills, The Last Enchantment) are one of my favorites, richly written. Even though the story is ultimately predictable, Stewart made it unique. Her Merlin is the only one that I've read that felt "real" to me, and I've read a few, including Lawhead's series.



Glad I'm not the only one re: Sanderson.

I agree regarding Stewart as well. She did great work.


----------



## Lovi

To Mythpoet, I didn't mean that any kind of fantasy is bad, because that is a subjective opinion. I just meant that I don't like to read the types of books that I don't like to read. Sure it's a tautology, but at least it's logically flawless.

I haven't read that much fantasy or anything else because mostly I lose interest in a book very quickly, and it takes a more original setting and hook to interest me enough to continue. The types of books I don't like are what I heard Brandon Sanderson call generic, and I obviously latched on to that because I didn't have any better knowledge and I think he's awesome. He said that there are people who like the generic type of fantasy that Terry Brooks for example writes, I haven't read any of his books mainly for that reason, and people who twist the tropes in interesting ways. I have an idea of what a generic story is so I prefer the trope-twisted ones because, like they're called, they're different. There will still remain an audience for the generic fantasy books, which means they're not bad.

The bottom line is that I just want to be entertained and the unexpected does that more effectively for me. The Discworld novels sound very interesting, so I'll definitely give them a try. I researched them a bit some months ago about the reading order and such, but didn't proceed to getting any because of this issue. Now I know better, thank you.


----------



## Steerpike

If you're not that familiar with the genre at that time, what you're talking about as more generic is likely to be what you know. That was selling best at the time I think. But there was a lot of cool stuff. Mythopoet mentioned some good ones. And I'll throw out Emma Bull, Steven Brust, Angela Carter, K.W. Jeter, and Robert Holdstock as well.


----------



## Mythopoet

Steerpike said:


> Yeah. Everyone has been there at one time, though, where their experience of the genre just isn't that broad. The 80s had all kinds of interesting, non-traditional fantasy. But unless you're really up on the genre you won't know about most of it. And bless you for mentioning Blaylock.



There's nothing wrong with being ignorant of a subject. But there is something wrong with making assumptions based on ignorance. When I discovered, some years ago, how ignorant of the fantasy genre as a whole I was I set out to correct that. I knew that if I wanted to be a good fantasy writer I should be more knowledgeable about what fantasy is and what writers before me have done. This is something I think every writer should do.


----------



## Scribble

Steerpike said:


> Robert Holdstock



Mythago Wood and Llavondyss - I enjoyed these, Llavondyss in particular.


----------



## Mythopoet

Steerpike said:


> If you're not that familiar with the genre at that time, what you're talking about as more generic is likely to be what you know. That was selling best at the time I think. But there was a lot of cool stuff. Mythopoet mentioned some good ones. And I'll throw out Emma Bull, Steven Brust, Angela Carter, K.W. Jeter, and Robert Holdstock as well.



You know, every time you start naming authors I end up hearing about someone new that I need to look up and add to my list. At this rate, I'll never be done.


----------



## Jabrosky

_The Assassins of Isis_ by Paul Doherty. It's not bad, I guess, but I've never been all that interested in mystery. I guess the convolutions in the plot are hard for me to follow.


----------



## Snowpoint

Starting Skin Game by Jim Butcher. Book 15 already!!! wow


----------



## Philip Overby

Just finished Gone Girl, our June Reading Group book. So now I have nothing to read for June. Well, I do have plenty to read, but no book in particular I'm thinking about or focused on starting or finishing.

I should finish The Name of the Wind, so that's probably what I'll do.


----------



## Ruby

I'm enjoying rereading 101 Dalmatians and trying to get into Gone Girl for about the fourth time. I noticed there's a discussion about Terry Pratchett on this thread. I've heard that he's very entertaining so I spent about three weeks trying to read Sourcery but I just had to give up as I couldn't make sense of it. I don't know why, as I enjoy reading humorous writing.


----------



## Mythopoet

Ruby said:


> I noticed there's a discussion about Terry Pratchett on this thread. I've heard that he's very entertaining so I spent about three weeks trying to read Sourcery but I just had to give up as I couldn't make sense of it. I don't know why, as I enjoy reading humorous writing.



Sourcery is definitely not where I would recommend beginning his books. It's certainly not up there with the books I consider the better ones, though it's all right if you're already into the world. The thing with the Discworld books is that they're all technically stand alone books, so a lot of people will say you can just pick up any of them to get started. I disagree. There are several "series within the series" which focus on different groups of characters and have a more or less chronological order. 

Rincewind is the main character that starts off the entire Discworld series. And his books go The Color of Magic > The Light Fantastic > Sourcery > Eric > Interesting Times > The Last Continent > The Last Hero. 

Other storylines include:

Death and Susan Sto Helit: Mort > Reaper Man > Soul Music > Hogfather > Thief of Time

The Witches of Lancre: Equal Rites > Wyrd Sisters > Witches Abroad > Lords and Ladies > Masquerade > Carpe Jugulum

Ankh-Morpork City Watch: Guards! Guards! > Men at Arms > Feet of Clay > Jingo > The Fifth Elephant > Nightwatch > Thud!

Moist Von Lipwig: Going Postal > Making Money > Raising Steam

The Wizards of Unseen University feature in a lot of the books as a humorous b plot. And there are some that don't fit into any particular storyline as well and there's a great deal of cross over of characters throughout the whole series. 

I'd recommend starting at the beginning of one of the "series within the series".


----------



## Ruby

Mythopoet said:


> Sourcery is definitely not where I would recommend beginning his books. It's certainly not up there with the books I consider the better ones, though it's all right if you're already into the world. The thing with the Discworld books is that they're all technically stand alone books, so a lot of people will say you can just pick up any of them to get started. I disagree. There are several "series within the series" which focus on different groups of characters and have a more or less chronological order.
> 
> Rincewind is the main character that starts off the entire Discworld series. And his books go The Color of Magic > The Light Fantastic > Sourcery > Eric > Interesting Times > The Last Continent > The Last Hero.
> 
> Other storylines include:
> 
> Death and Susan Sto Helit: Mort > Reaper Man > Soul Music > Hogfather > Thief of Time
> 
> The Witches of Lancre: Equal Rites > Wyrd Sisters > Witches Abroad > Lords and Ladies > Masquerade > Carpe Jugulum
> 
> Ankh-Morpork City Watch: Guards! Guards! > Men at Arms > Feet of Clay > Jingo > The Fifth Elephant > Nightwatch > Thud!
> 
> Moist Von Lipwig: Going Postal > Making Money > Raising Steam
> 
> The Wizards of Unseen University feature in a lot of the books as a humorous b plot. And there are some that don't fit into any particular storyline as well and there's a great deal of cross over of characters throughout the whole series.
> 
> I'd recommend starting at the beginning of one of the "series within the series".



Hi Mythopoet, 

Thank you so much for posting this.

I do have a few of his books and recently watched the cartoon Wyrd Sisters which I thoroughly enjoyed. Maybe I shall have to start at the beginning.


----------



## Mythopoet

You can start the Witches of Lancre line with Wyrd Sisters, in fact, that may be better. Equal Rites is almost more of a prequel to the Witches in that only one of the three that star in the later books is prominent in Equal Rites. And the Witches just aren't as good without the interplay of all three.


----------



## skip.knox

@Philip Overby: some time ago I made a list of Books To Read. Put it in a Google spreadsheet so I could access it from anywhere. Whenever I've "run out of books to read" I just pull up the list and grab something. My two latest from the list are Catch-22 by Joseph Heller, and The Magnificent Ambersons by Booth Tarkington.

I don't always finish the ones I start. Not all of them catch my eye. But I note this in my spreadsheet and move on to another.

Not only do I find this helps me in deciding what to read next, it also reminds me of what I have read. It's also a list I've shared with my (grown) children in case they're looking for something, and it serves as a gift list if any family members are stuck for a birthday present idea.

I think having a life-long list of books I have read or intend to read is a Rather Good Idea.


----------



## Svrtnsse

I just finished Jim Butcher's Skin Game, the latest book in the Dresden Files series.

On the whole, I enjoyed it.
It's pretty much what you would expect from a book in the series: various supremely powerful enemies beat the crap out of Harry, but in the end he somehow manages to pull through anyway. In the end, that doesn't really matter. Sure, it's a nice, entertaining, action. There's once scene that got me quite emotional (which rarely happens), and there's plenty of excitement and cliffhangers and stupid puns, just like it's supposed to be.
So, that's that part; no surprises, entertaining, easily read.

I've read all of the books in the series so far and the thing that I really like about them is how the overarching story keeps moving forward. Characters change and grow, the world grows, there are things happening. This is true for this book as well. Characters from previous books are showing up, both on the good side and on the evil side. Some characters change in new and interesting ways and there's a definite cause for concern regarding some of them.

Summary: Yes, it's just like all the other ones in the series. No, if you've read all of the other ones, there's no reason to skip this one.


----------



## Destera

I just finished The Infernal Devices (Clockwork Angel, Clockwork Prince, Clockwork Princess) by Cassandra Clare.

I enjoyed it  Even if it was boring by time to time, but then it was gripping, and exciting, and sad... I liked it  
I have to say I cryied at the end... 
It was, to tell the truth, my second book, and the first over 200 pages, I read in english.

Now I'm going to read Eragon again. I read it quite often in german befor, now I want to see how it is in english, so in original form...


----------



## Steerpike

Destera said:


> Now I'm going to read Eragon again. I read it quite often in german befor, now I want to see how it is in english, so in original form...



I don't know how it is in German, but the English version may well be one of the worst fantasy novels I've ever read (or started to read; I spared myself further reading after only getting a little way into it).


----------



## Sir Kieran

Steerpike said:


> I don't know how it is in German, but the English version may well be one of the worst fantasy novels I've ever read (or started to read; I spared myself further reading after only getting a little way into it).



As a kid, I loved Eragon. I had no problem with the writing, and I quite liked Brisingr, despite the many complaints about that book. However, the fourth and final book was way too strained for me. Perhaps I had realized that Paolini was not such a great writer; I loved his story, though. It would have been nice for the last 50-75 pages of Inheritance to have cut down to 10. 



I just finished reading A Dance with Dragons (my first time reading A Song of Ice and Fire); and then I finished Gone, Baby, Gone and Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane in a week. I'm not normally one for detective/criminal novels, but Lehane absolutely blew me away. 

I am currently working on The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, and I have started Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb; both are excellent so far!


----------



## Ireth

Making my way slowly through The Children of Hurin.


----------



## Steerpike

@Sir Kieran:

Lehane is quite good. You'd probably enjoy a lot of his work. There are some other good detective writers, most notably Michael Connelly and Robert Crais.

I like Robin Hobb/Megan Lindholm as well. 

I don't remember exactly what it was about Eragon, but I remember I really had to force myself through the first chapter because I thought the writing was so bad. People complain about Meyer, but I thought Paolini made Meyer look like Dostoevsky. But it could just be my own tastes as much as anything. Clearly, Paolini captivated a lot of readers, and that's not a small thing.


----------



## Sir Kieran

Steerpike said:


> @Sir Kieran:
> 
> Lehane is quite good. You'd probably enjoy a lot of his work. There are some other good detective writers, most notably Michael Connelly and Robert Crais.
> 
> I like Robin Hobb/Megan Lindholm as well.
> 
> I don't remember exactly what it was about Eragon, but I remember I really had to force myself through the first chapter because I thought the writing was so bad. People complain about Meyer, but I thought Paolini made Meyer look like Dostoevsky. But it could just be my own tastes as much as anything. Clearly, Paolini captivated a lot of readers, and that's not a small thing.



The more I read Eragon, the more I realized that there were things that bothered me. For instance, I thought Eragon was a brat. There was one scene in which Roran was so violent I thought he was on the verge of raping innocent women (he bursts into a castle, forces women against the wall). By the middle of Inheritance, I realized that Eragon and Roran were endangering the innocent in order to win the war; this is likely what Paolini intended. I hope he did, because for a while I believed that their whole crusade was wrong.


----------



## Mythopoet

Steerpike said:


> I don't remember exactly what it was about Eragon, but I remember I really had to force myself through the first chapter because I thought the writing was so bad. People complain about Meyer, but I thought Paolini made Meyer look like Dostoevsky. But it could just be my own tastes as much as anything. Clearly, Paolini captivated a lot of readers, and that's not a small thing.



I expected Eragon to be much worse than it was, but as far as "bad fantasy books" go it wasn't so bad. Certainly it wasn't very creative. The whole thing read exactly like a teenager taking bits and pieces from his favorite fantasy books and mashing them together, which is what it was, of course. But I was surprised to find that the story moved along pretty well and wasn't as tedious and bland as I expected it to be. It's a perfectly fine fantasy novel for a younger audience. 

The Assassin's Apprentice trilogy, on the other hand, I tried really hard to be interested in because I'd heard the characters praised to the end of the world and back but just couldn't care about or like anyone in the books. I couldn't care about the events. I couldn't care about the setting. It was the most surprisingly bland and boring trilogy I've ever read.


----------



## Ireth

Mythopoet said:


> The Assassin's Apprentice trilogy, on the other hand, I tried really hard to be interested in because I'd heard the characters praised to the end of the world and back but just couldn't care about or like anyone in the books. I couldn't care about the events. I couldn't care about the setting. It was the most surprisingly bland and boring trilogy I've ever read.



Glad I'm not the only one. My older sister goes on and on about how good those books are, and how much I'll love them. I tried reading the first one but couldn't get all the way through it. It just plodded.


----------



## Lace

I read Eragon when it first came out, I remember really enjoying to in high school, but when I went back to re-read it recently I had a harder time getting back into it. I think it flows well, but I feel like sometime the author dawdles too much on certain things that aren't really necessary to the story. That being said, kudos to him for publishing at such a young age, he really inspired me to take writing seriously.


----------



## teacup

I'm not on it yet, but in a week or so I will finally be able to read book 2 of Abercrombie's The First Law Trilogy. I've been too busy with college work to read novels, though I did read 2 Physics books. I have the trilogy already, and after I finish it I'll buy the standalones in the same world, I think. 

I enjoyed book 1 quite a lot. It took a while for me to get into it and a while for me to start to enjoy Glokta, but I loved all of Jezal's parts. There wasn't a whole lot of plot in book 1, but the characters were very well done, I thought.



When I first read Eragon I really enjoyed it. When it got to Brisingr it started to drag A LOT for me. There were sideplots going on that didn't go anywhere. As I remember they could be compared to unimportant sidequests in games. Still, I liked the it enough and carried on. Same with Inheritence, but I carried on, because hey, I still liked it. I think it should have wrapped everything up much sooner after the climax. I could be wrong but I'm sure there is like 100-200 pages after the climax? That bored the hell out of me.

Anyway, so I enjoyed it when I was younger, and when I first started writing. I just don't see what the big deal is with it now. The writing is really nothing great, I don't think. I don't understand why so many people think it's amazing, but eh, people can like what they like.


----------



## stephenspower

On audio, I just finished Michael Lewis's FLASH BOYS, which is as good as THE BIG SHORT; Stephen Greenblatt's THE SWERVE, which made me want to write about uterine vellum; and Italo Calvino's INFINITE CITIES, which was trifling, but interesting.

My current couch book is Jack Vance's NIGHT LAMP. After I finish it, I'll have only one novel (LURULU) and a dozen stories to go before I've read all his sf/f.

By current bathroom book is Arthur C. Clarke's collection THE WIND FROM THE SUN. It's a clinic on how to structure a short story, starting with the first paragraph.

My current ebooks are CONTAGIOUS by Jonah Berger (BookShout) and, because of True Blood, THE KING IN YELLOW (Kindle).

And today is comic book day, so THE WOODS #2 and RAI #2.


----------



## Mythopoet

I've tried to read a couple more Zothique stories but gave up before finishing them. I wanted to like them, really, because I love Howard and Lovecraft and others of that era. Ah well.

Had to chose another book from my List last night as I'd just finished rereading Terry Pratchett's Soul Music (which was better the second time around). Decided to get Legend by David Gemmell. I've never read anything by him before but I've heard good things about this one. Looking forward to something new.


----------



## Jabrosky

I've just started Justin Somper's _Allies & Assassins_. Well, actually, I've reached Chapter 9, but the chapters are easy reads by themselves.


----------



## kayd_mon

I'll jump back in here... 

I am on a Neil Gaiman kick. I finished Fragile Things last week. It's a little uneven, but there are quite a few treasures in the bunch of short stories there. None of the poems really resonated with me. 

I am now reading Stardust, and I have only knocked down two chapters. He's writing in a very betime storylike way, which makes everything sound a little quaint and light, though sometimes it reads a little funny. It's a really short book, and now that I have a bit more free time, I should finish it quickly. I am becoming a big fan of Gaiman's, and I hope that I'll like this one, too.


----------



## skip.knox

I have just started reading The Magnificent Ambersons by Booth Tarkington. Any of you steampunk writers out there, I recommend you read the opening chapter. He published it in 1901, but he begins the tale in the 1870s. It's a brilliant description filled with tasty details. As a bonus, he sometimes sketches the progress of, say, shoe styles, or domestic architecture, up to his own day. Since the book itself is free, what've you got to lose?

Of course, it would never get published today because Everyone Knows you can't start a novel that way. No one will read it. Obviously.


----------



## Jackarandajam

Just finished "Adrift:76 days lost at sea" by Steve Callahan. 
Currently devouring "The Complete Grimm's fairy tales" for the umpteenth time. 

SEVEN AT ONE STROKE!!


----------



## phoenixgrey

Currently reading Heaven's Net Is Wide by Lian Hearn. I read the original Tales of the Ototi trilogy a few years ago now and loved it. Finally got around to reading this prequel. Enjoying it too.


----------



## Joe the Gnarled

Just finished "A Wise Man's Fear" by Patrick Rothfuss (book two of The Kingkiller Chronicle)

I highly recommend this series, although we are still waiting on book three.

Now I am going to dive back into book three of A Song of Ice and Fire.  It starts out slow, but I am told it is worth powering through.


----------



## Philip Overby

The third Song of Ice and Fire book is one of my favorites in the series. It's worth a read.

I'm currently finishing reading Red Country after putting it down when I first got it. I'm enjoying it a lot more now that I've gotten into it.


----------



## TWErvin2

I will be reading *Shattered*, by Kevin Hearne, the next installment in the _Iron Druid Chronicles_. It's scheduled for release in a few days, and I've had it in pre-order for a very long time (both print and audio). 

I may have to share time reading the print edition with my daughter, but that's okay.


----------



## Mythopoet

I've misplaced my kindle (I have a chaotic, 5 children household) and so I've had to find new reading material other than the handful of books I had started on the kindle. Sigh.

I read a few short stories by Jorge Luis Borges from the Labyrinths collection:

Tlon, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius
The Lottery in Babylon
The Library of Babel
The Circular Ruins

Only The Circular Ruins actually read like a story. The other three felt more like essays than stories. There weren't really any characters and there was no real plot. They read more like explorations of an idea and as such were certainly fascinating. But after a few of them, I'm longing to get back to more traditional story telling. 

So I've started reading The Broken Sword by Poul Anderson, another classic of fantasy.


----------



## teacup

I was going to read Book 2 of the First Law Trilogy, but instead (and I don't know why) I just picked up Asimov's The Caves of Steel off of my shelf, and began reading that.
I'm only 37 pages in but so far I'm enjoying it a lot. I like the way it reads and the world so far. I'm excited to keep reading


----------



## Ophiucha

Just finished _The Penelopiad_, by Margaret Atwood. Ostensibly the story of Penelope, the wife of Odysseus, it focuses more on the twelve maids who were killed for fraternizing with the suitors. In that regard, it was an interesting book, and Atwood is - as always - an excellent writer. I'd have liked a bit more exploration of Penelope's character, though.

Currently re-reading _Beowulf_, doing a side-by-side read of the Heaney translation (the one I've read before) and the recently released translation by Tolkien.


----------



## Steerpike

Ophiucha said:


> Just finished _The Penelopiad_, by Margaret Atwood. Ostensibly the story of Penelope, the wife of Odysseus, it focuses more on the twelve maids who were killed for fraternizing with the suitors. In that regard, it was an interesting book, and Atwood is - as always - an excellent writer. I'd have liked a bit more exploration of Penelope's character, though.
> 
> Currently re-reading _Beowulf_, doing a side-by-side read of the Heaney translation (the one I've read before) and the recently released translation by Tolkien.



I'm interested in how that comes out. I've only read the Heaney version, which I quite liked.


----------



## Philip Overby

I got the Kick-Ass Writer by Chuck Wendig today. I was kind of on the fence about getting it because some of the advice is in other books I have by him, but I think he's cool so I want to support him when I can.


----------



## Ophiucha

Steerpike said:


> I'm interested in how that comes out. I've only read the Heaney version, which I quite liked.



So far, it's certainly a lot drier and reading Beowulf in prose feels like blasphemy, but it offers some interesting ideas on the raw translation if you have an interest in the Anglo-Saxon/Old English language. Tolkien's commentary is definitely worth a read, both from the scholarly perspective and from a 'I like _The Hobbit_' perspective.


----------



## Jabrosky

Just finished _The People of the Black Circle_ by Robert E. Howard, which is a Conan story set in the Hyborian Age equivalent of India and the Himalayas. It's actually part of an anthology of his best-rated stories titled _Crimson Shadows_.


----------



## Fyle

I'm going to start Steven King's Dark Tower series. I got the first installment (the Gunslinger) today.

It's really short at about 300 pages so, I suppose I'll know pretty quickly whether I will get into the series or not.

I just finished A Dance with Dragons. So, I needed a new series. I read the 5 Song of Ice and Fire books over the course of this past year.


----------



## teacup

I'm finally onto Book 2 of The First Law Trilogy and I am loving it so far. I'm a bit over 1/3 of the way through and the way it reads is just really good, imo.
I love all the characters, too. In book 1 Jezal Dan Luthar was my favourite pov character and Glokta my least favourite (though I didn't particularly dislike him as a character) - now Logen Ninefingers is by far my favourite, and it's hard to choose a least favourite, because I really like each one a lot, now.

It's already looking like a big improvement compared to the first book, which I enjoyed too, but not nearly as much as I'm enjoying this one.


----------



## skip.knox

Reading the Iron Pen anthology, which was recommended from somewhere. Probably somewhere mythical.

Also reading The Magnificent Ambersons, which began well but is rather draggy now. It's tough to follow a main character who is callow, shallow and spoiled.

Oh, and T. Russell Davies' book on writing, which is also a little slow because it's nothing more than a very long email thread. An interesting experiment in following how a screenplay gets developed, but also illustrates the difference between writing and mere communication.


----------



## ThinkerX

A book order came in a few days ago, contributing to my slow pace on 'Iron Pen XIV'.  Three books, plus one from the library.

Anyhow...

'Crown of Renewal', book four in Moon's series.  My view is the entire series should have been one book, as it was she was reaching in some places and creating unneeded problems in others.  Read the dratted thing out of sheer stubbornness.  Now, most of her long ago books in this setting 'Sheepfarmer's Daughter', 'Oath of Gold' and whatnot, were pretty good.

'On the Steel Breeze' by Reynolds, sequel to another book.  This is hard SF, with POV's bouncing back and forth between clone sisters.  One clone is on a starship facing a major problem not normally accounted for in SF (how to slow down from relativistic velocities when the fuel gauge is sitting on empty), while the other deals with intrigue in our solar system, and meanwhile an enigma awaits in another solar system.   The ending was ambiguous, and the motivations and means of various 'bad guys' unclear.

'Truth and Fear' by Higgins, book 2 in a series set in brutal totalitarian state with 1930's technology and no small amount of magical elements and influence.  Finished reading that today.

Next up, 'Crimson Campaign', by McClellan, also book two in a series featuring elements of both technology and magic.


----------



## Jabrosky

Yesterday I started reading David Anthony Durham's _Pride of Carthage_, which is historical fiction about Hannibal Barca. The author is the same guy who wrote the _Acacia_ books.


----------



## Smith

teacup said:


> I'm finally onto Book 2 of The First Law Trilogy and I am loving it so far. I'm a bit over 1/3 of the way through and the way it reads is just really good, imo.
> I love all the characters, too. In book 1 Jezal Dan Luthar was my favourite pov character and Glokta my least favourite (though I didn't particularly dislike him as a character) - now Logen Ninefingers is by far my favourite, and it's hard to choose a least favourite, because I really like each one a lot, now.
> 
> It's already looking like a big improvement compared to the first book, which I enjoyed too, but not nearly as much as I'm enjoying this one.


You and I are opposite! I have yet to finish The Blade Itself, but Logen and Glokta were my favourites and Jezal was my least favourite. I'm looking forward to the second one!

I'm also reading Blood Song by Anthony Ryan. I haven't made it far, but it had a compelling opening.


----------



## Anora

I am reading JANE AUSTEN'S novel PRIDE and PREJUDICE but feeling desperate to read it because she had worked on a very limited canvas. She has opted old issues .here is a woman having 5 daughters and searching for the suitable matches for them. Their father was very indifferent from his daughters and girls always felt his indifference.


----------



## teacup

> You and I are opposite! I have yet to finish The Blade Itself, but Logen and Glokta were my favourites and Jezal was my least favourite. I'm looking forward to the second one!



Book 3 now  Then I'll be onto the other 3 set in the same world.


----------



## Steerpike

teacup said:


> Book 3 now  Then I'll be onto the other 3 set in the same world.



You'll like them. Best Served Cold is still the best one, in my view.


----------



## teacup

> You'll like them. Best Served Cold is still the best one, in my view.



There's no particular order to read the next 3 is there?
I'll read Best Served Cold first if not.


----------



## Steerpike

teacup said:


> There's no particular order to read the next 3 is there?
> I'll read Best Served Cold first if not.



No, it doesn't make a difference.


----------



## Philip Overby

I guess it doesn't make a difference, but I'd recommend reading Best Served Cold, The Heroes, and then Red Country. It just flows better that way for me personally. Definitely don't read any of the books before you finish the trilogy though. I got something spoiled by reading The Heroes before I finished The First Law trilogy.


----------



## ThinkerX

Read 'Authority', book 2 of Vandemeer's 'Southern Reach' trilogy.  Hard to classify this one.  Could be some very strange SF.  Could be Urban Fantasy, if some of what's going on proves to be more magic than science.  If so, its a type of Urban Fantasy I'd like to see more of.

Book 1, 'Annihilation', chronicled the 12th expedition into 'Area X', a very strange area 'cut off' from the world decades earlier, seemingly restored to pristine wilderness.  Yet there are all sorts of weird things, many of them lethal.

Book 2 describes 'Control', the new administrator of the agency sending teams into Area X.  He's confronted with an obstructive staff and subject to hypnotic control from his bosses back at 'Central'.  Plus a lot of things about Area X are either being ignored or do not add up.    

Area X seems to dominate a fairly extensive coastal region - maybe part of Washington State or Oregon?


----------



## Svrtnsse

I'm currently going through the Benevolence Archives (Amazon.com: The Benevolence Archives, Vol. 1 eBook: Luther M. Siler: Kindle Store).

It's a collection of short stories about two mercenaries/bounty hunters. The original idea that spawned the stories started with the author wondering what it would have been like if Han and Chewie hadn't gotten involved with Luke and just dropped him off and left.


----------



## Mythopoet

I finished reading The House on the Borderland by William Hope Hodgson last night. It's a sort of cosmic horror story. Reading it, I can see exactly how much Lovecraft was influenced by Hodgson. I remember one of Lovecraft's stories that had A LOT in common with some of the events in House. I found this book fascinating, despite the fact that it contained no satisfying explanations for the goings on. (Normally, I like things explained.) But I recognize that in the horror genre, the less you know the scarier it seems. Considering that this book was written in 1908, it is remarkably creative and original. 

I'm also still working on The Broken Sword by Poul Anderson. It's a sort of historical fantasy (before that became a thing) written around the same time as LOTR and also playing heavily with Northern European mythology and themes. While the two main characers are men, the story mostly deals with a conflict between the Elves and the Trolls which they are caught up in. One is a human babe who was stolen away by the Elves and replaced with a Changeling so that he has been raised by Elves and taught their magic. The other is the Changeling who was raised among humans, but never truly fit in among them, because in truth he is the product of a magical union between an Elf and a Troll. In true Northern fashion, there's already been a lot of war and death. It's not, thematically, the sort of thing I usually like. But I'm finding Anderson's take on the Changeling mythology and such very interesting.

I'm also reading Witch World by Andre Norton. This book took a long time for me to get into. It feels in many ways unfocused and the worldbuilding is quite bland. It almost seems like it should be her first published book, but it's not by a long shot. Still, after I got past the first section there was a new character introduced who was fairly interesting and things got better. It's a short book, but it's taking me forever to read.


----------



## sjlinton

I'm reading _And the Night Growled Back_, a short story/novella by Aaron Dries.  It's really good.  It's about these three friends, two of whom are a couple, who are travelling across Europe.  They're in Iceland where they get into some trouble at a fair.  They hurry back to the cottage where they've been staying to figure out what to do and are hunted by some sort of creature.  I don't know what the creature is.  I haven't gotten that far yet.  I love how Dries flashes from the action to the past and back again in such a way that isn't jarring and adds to the tension in the story.  Dries is establishing the relationships and tensions of the three friends and slowly building up the surrounding scariness of the landscape.  Have I said yet that it's really good?

I'm also reading _Writing the Fiction Series: The Complete Guide to Novels and Novellas_ by Karen S. Wiesner.  It's good.  She's a HUGE Rowling fan, so keeps referring to Rowling for examples on arcs and series plants.  It's almost annoying, to be honest, but the book is full of really useful information.

On and off, I've been trying to read _Windswept House: A Vatican Novel_ by Malachi Martin.  It's packed so full of political innuendos, I'm surprised the weight of it hasn't broken my coffee table.  After reading it for a while, my brain just wants to melt but there's this undercurrent of danger he's woven into the story that keeps me going back.  I pick it up whenever I feel I have the brain cells to spare for it.


----------



## Mythopoet

sjlinton said:


> I'm also reading _Writing the Fiction Series: The Complete Guide to Novels and Novellas_ by Karen S. Wiesner.  It's good.  She's a HUGE Rowling fan, so keeps referring to Rowling for examples on arcs and series plants.  It's almost annoying, to be honest, but the book is full of really useful information.



I have to say, as far as fantasy series go, I think Harry Potter was easily one of the most cohesive, consistently interesting, well characterized, well plotted and just well written series I've ever read. I don't think she gets enough credit. Though if you're going to write a book on writing, you should be able to refer to many different author examples in many different styles and techniques.


----------



## sjlinton

Well, Wiesner does give examples from other series.  She has a list of different examples from different genres at the end of each section and she talks about the different series she's written or her colleagues have written.  However, she keeps referring back to Rowling and the final third of the book is a break down, book by book, of all of the major story and series arcs.  I think Rowling deserves the credit but, after a while, I just feel like I'm being hit over the head with it.  All that said, though, it's still a good book with good instructions.


----------



## peteks

I'm currently reading Poetic Edda with commentary as well as Joe Abercrombie's Best served cold. I'm enjoying both immensely, for completely different reasons. Usually I despise reading old books with commentary, but I don't think I could get through this without some outside insights.


----------



## Incanus

I'm concentrating on short stories right now, so short stories it is for while.  I'm bouncing around 6 books' worth:

A Weird Tales collection
Jack Vance Green Magic
Poe
Kafka
A collection called Strange Dreams
Dreamsongs vol. I, a collection of Martin


----------



## Addison

I haven't been able to read as much as I usually do lately. Job hunting is tedious and wears out the shoes faster than running a marathon. But I did finish "Year of the Griffin" by Dianna Wynne Jones (R.I.P Dianna, we'll miss you.) Which was incredible. like everything she writes. 
On top of that I have completed reading:
Janitors, Brandon Mull
Around the Cauldron, anthology
The School for Good and Evil, Simon Chinani
The Hobbit, J.r.r Tolkein
The Sisters Grimm Detectives, vol 1
How to Catch A Bogle, by Catherine Jinks

I am in the process of reading:
The School for Good and Evil: A World Without Princes, Simon Chinani
Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, J.R.R Tolkein
The Underworld Chronicles
Queen of the Tearling
The Magickers
Here There Be Dragons, by James A Owen
The Last Dragonslayer, by Jane Fforde
Wee Free Men, by Terry Pratchett


Now I do have a list of books I want to read. Thanks to be kid sister buying me the third installment in the "Land of Stories" series.  So books to buy/read are:
Land of Stories books 1&2
Rithmatist
Bruce Coville Anthologies
Chrestomanci Chronicles, all volumes
Candy Shop War book 2, 
Adventurers Wanted book 4

My wishlist on amazon is REALLY long, but those are the top books.


----------



## Mythopoet

Wow, Addison, and I thought I read a lot of book simultaneously. 

I've recently read the first 5 stories in *The King in Yellow by Robert W. Chambers*. Really bizarre, creepy stuff. I can see how it influenced Lovecraft. I think I've fallen under the influence now as well. 

I also read *Clockwork Angels by Kevin J. Anderson* which is a novelization of the _Rush_ album of the same name. The story was developed by Anderson and Rush's Neal Peart and written by Anderson. I got it as part of a book bundle and found it to be a pretty pleasant and undemanding read. It's set in a secondary world with a steampunk vibe and mostly follows the adventures of one young man as he travels around the world seeking the places he's dreamed about from storybooks, none of which are what he expected them to be. 

I kind of hated Anderson for a long time for being an accomplice to the abominations that were the Dune books written by him and Brian Herbert. Having read this, I have to admit he's not a bad writer. I still won't forgive him though.


----------



## Tagnizkur

I am finding this to be a hard read over all but the depth of the story is great.  Daylight War by Peter V Brett.   The only thing that makes it hard is there is a jump back in time to the past with no warning given the reader.. no time stamp.. know inner voice from the character, its just BLAM 18 year sin the past etc.   Also the over use of world based terms with no definition.  Other than that he creates villains you want to like and good guys that annoy you but you like them anyway.  He also seems to have little fear in killing characters.


----------



## Mythopoet

I've FINALLY finished Witch World by Andre Norton. It's only 222 pages but it took me forever to read because it was so dull. 

On to August's reading group pick, The Elfin Ship by James P. Blaylock.


----------



## ThinkerX

> I've FINALLY finished Witch World by Andre Norton. It's only 222 pages but it took me forever to read because it was so dull.



That would be the original witch world book?

Norton and subsequent authors wrote a lot of witch world stories and books.  The very first were oriented for a male audience, but most of the rest were for female readers.


----------



## Mythopoet

ThinkerX said:


> That would be the original witch world book?
> 
> Norton and subsequent authors wrote a lot of witch world stories and books.  The very first were oriented for a male audience, but most of the rest were for female readers.



It was the first, yes. I didn't dislike it because it was more oriented toward a male audience. I seldom have a problem with books like that. It was just so dull and boring. The world was so drab and bland and generic. The characters were almost entirely uninteresting. (Loyse was somewhat interesting, but she was shunted off to the side as quickly as possible.) The plot was boring and predictable and constantly focusing on the generic story elements rather than anything that had a hint of originality. The prose was so dull I wanted to poke my eyes out. There was no voice, no style, nothing to engage me. I think this may be the most dull and boring fantasy book I've ever read.


----------



## Svrtnsse

I'm currently reading The Remnant by Paul B. Spence.
It's got an interesting premise in that it starts out as a fairly traditional sci-fi story, but strands the main character and his followers on a planet that's probably somewhere in the late medieval stage. I guess you could say it's a sci-fi story in a fantasy setting. This idea really appeals to me, but I'm having issues with the occasional minor detail and it irks me a bit.

It's also really cool to see how some of the sci-fi elements take on an almost Lovecraftian aspect within the fantasy setting. I'm looking forward to seeing how it turns out, but I worry about some of the characters.


----------



## ThinkerX

> It was the first, yes. I didn't dislike it because it was more oriented toward a male audience. I seldom have a problem with books like that. It was just so dull and boring. The world was so drab and bland and generic. The characters were almost entirely uninteresting. (Loyse was somewhat interesting, but she was shunted off to the side as quickly as possible.) The plot was boring and predictable and constantly focusing on the generic story elements rather than anything that had a hint of originality. The prose was so dull I wanted to poke my eyes out. There was no voice, no style, nothing to engage me. I think this may be the most dull and boring fantasy book I've ever read.



Yep, its all of that.  However, when first written, those were mostly newish and semi-original concepts.  That book is dang near as old as I am.

'Year of the Unicorn' written a few years later and set an ocean away on the same world has a core concept very few present day fantasy authors deal with, yet one of interest to women:  to win a war against a superior foe, a group of petty lords bartered their daughters in marriage to a group of were-creatures.  (And literally abandoned the lot of them in were-creature territory.)

'Toads of Grimmerdale', a short story, gets into the consequences of camp follower life and what happens when war drives men mad.


----------



## CupofJoe

I've just finished the crime novel _Spider Woman's Daughter_ by Anne Hillerman. She's the daughter Tony Hillerman and this is a continuation of his Navajo Police series of Joe Leaphorn & Jim Chee stories. While not Fantasy there is a lot of mythology and Native American [especially Navajo] story telling in it.
Like her father, Anne's writing is spare, almost sparse, never using two words where one will work and she lets the world around the characters grown in your mind by not telling you much detail but letting you know how the characters react to it. It's a technique that I'm going to try to use myself more... Show don't tell...
At the end I can't say I loved the book, it was okay, maybe even good. I did finish it and that's a first for far too long but I can't see myself going back to read it any time in the future. 
The end seems hurried and disjointed... One moment someone is slipping away to a seemingly inevitable death and the next they are recovering and on their way to their old-selves... I didn't want to see the character to die, but it did see a bit "with a leap our hero was free" for me... It had to be, I can see the set up for a new series/franchise and you can't really do that if you kill one of the major players...
Don't know what to read next... probably won't be crime or fantasy...


----------



## Jabrosky

_Tarzan of the Apes_ by Edgar Rice Burroughs.

So far it is an unpleasantly mean-spirited book. For me, the most disturbing parts are when young Tarzan uses his makeshift rope to kill off the African warriors one by one. That these African people are portrayed as hideous and cannibalistic savages is unsurprising for the book's time period, but the image of African men being brutally hanged by the European hero takes the wrongness to a whole new level.

Oh, and Tarzan also learns to read all by himself without anyone else's guidance. I have no idea if that is even possible.


----------



## Mythopoet

Whoa, been a long time since there was an update to this thread. 

Well, I've read a bunch of books, but I can't remember them all off the top of my head. I should start a reading journal or something. 

Right now I'm reading *The History of the Caliph Vathek* by William Beckford. It's a "gothic novel" from back in 1786 written in the style of one of the Arabian Nights tales and a forerunner of the modern fantasy genre. So far I'm finding it easy to read and quite interesting.


----------



## DaFlaminUnicorn

I'm reading the _Fablehaven_ Series right now. It's more of a children's series, but it's interesting and keeps me entertained. In addition to that my Literature teacher suggested _Childhood's End_ by Arthur C. Clarke. It's good. It's an old book but it's pretty interesting.


----------



## Tom

I'm reading _The Floating Islands_ by Rachel Neumeier. The characterization's a little bland, but I'm in it for the worldbuilding--especially the magic. For some reason, the writing style reminds me of German that's been translated into English. Just the way the sentences are structured and such. I kind of like it.

Two books I'd like to read but haven't gotten to yet are _The Darkest Part of the Forest_ by Holly Black (actually, this one's not even out yet. January 15th is the release date.), and _The Young Elites _by Marie Lu.


----------



## T.Allen.Smith

_The Passage_ by Justin Cronin.

A post-apocalyptic tale about a disease that ravages the world, turning survivors into vampire-like creatures.


----------



## Steerpike

_Dubliners_, by James Joyce (re-read; the short story_The Dead _is brilliant)
Ravenor, a Warhammer 40K novel by Dan Abnett
Infinite Jest, by David Foster Wallace (still)
Childhood's End, by Arthur C. Clarke
Orison, by Daniel Swensen


----------



## Philip Overby

Just finished Orison by Daniel Swensen and now I'm diving headfirst into Blackbirds by Chuck Wendig. I think Wendig pins down the kind of style I like reading: funny, dark, fast-paced, and weird.


----------



## CupofJoe

Being reading this since New Year's Day
_DinÃ© Bahaneʼ The Navajo Creation Story_
I've only just got through _Part 1 The Emergence_.
There are three parts to go [_The Fifth World_, _Slaying the Monsters_ & _Gathering the Clans_] so this will take a while, as it is not a "leaps of the page" kind of story but it is wonderful to read...


----------



## Tom

Re-reading Beowulf, this time reading both its original form and Burton Raffel's translation simultaneously. I surprised myself by realizing I like Raffel's translation better than Tolkien's. It sticks better to the rhythm of the poem, whereas Tolkien's almost seems like prose to me.


----------



## Steerpike

@Tom Nimenai:

Have you ever read the Seamus Heaney translation?


----------



## Tom

Steerpike said:


> @Tom Nimenai:
> 
> Have you ever read the Seamus Heaney translation?



I don't think so. I may have read a little of it; I tried a few translations and didn't find one to my liking until I came across Raffel's. What do you think of the Heaney translation?


----------



## arbiter117

I'm reading "The Feast" by FarmerBrown. So far I'm pretty much hooked.


----------



## Steerpike

Tom Nimenai said:


> I don't think so. I may have read a little of it; I tried a few translations and didn't find one to my liking until I came across Raffel's. What do you think of the Heaney translation?



I thought the Heaney translation was quite nice. The copy I have includes the original text on each opposing page.


----------



## T.Allen.Smith

The Passage by Justin Cronin

Post-apoc vampire survival story. About halfway through. Haven't made my mind up yet.


----------



## Tom

Steerpike said:


> I thought the Heaney translation was quite nice. The copy I have includes the original text on each opposing page.



I just looked it up on Amazon, and I have to say--I'm going to have to get this. It looks good. The rhythm isn't as strong as I would have liked, but I like the word choices and sentence structures. It has a different _feel_ than the Raffel translation; that one played to the epic's lyrical side, and brought out the poetic and atmospheric elements of it. This one is stronger, almost visceral, and less abstract--it's focused more on the story side of the epic, and brings out the action a lot more.

I also read a few paragraphs of the introduction, wherein Heaney talks about the loss of ancestral language and the discovery that languages that seem at odds (English and Irish Gaelic in this case) can be reconciled by small, simple connections in word origins. It caught my interest and touched my emotion, because I've been trying to come to terms with something exactly like that for a long time. I am a native English speaker, but I'm also part-Irish, and it's hard for me to remember that the language I speak nearly stamped out the language of my ancestors.


----------



## skip.knox

Re-reading Nostromo. I'm a huge fan of Joseph Conrad. Re-reading partly to watch how he writes, this time.

Oh, and reading another volume in Patrick O'Brian's epic. There, too, I'm paying more attention to how the author writes, what choices he makes.

Neither of these guys fit anywhere close to any of the dozens of how-to books I have. Hmm.


----------



## Steerpike

Yeah, Conrad is great. I'm reading _Lord Jim_ at the moment. Nostromo provided namesakes for the films _Alien_ and _​Aliens._


----------



## Mythopoet

I'm working on finishing The Book of the New Sun. Almost done with Sword of the Lictor and then on to Citadel of the Autarch. I suppose then I'll probably need to read Urth of the New Sun just so all of this makes sense. A kind of sense anyway.


----------



## Tom

Re-read _Coraline_ last night. It didn't have the same impact as it did when I was a kid, but it's still a well-crafted, delightfully creepy little book.


----------



## BronzeOracle

After finishing the Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series I decided to have a short break from fantasy.  I turned to some greek classics to help with researching the ancient world for my novel. I started on A History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides to get an insight into politics among the greeks, it was very insightful on the power plays of the city states and had some fantastic speeches and description of warfare, but it got a bit repetitive after about 200-300 pages so I'm now reading The Histories by Herodotus.  I'm finding this book very interesting as Herodotus crosses a range of areas, he's not strictly a historian as he wrote before the field of history was invented, he more 'follows his nose'.  So he goes into geography, cultural customs, rituals, monuments, legends - all really good stuff and a hive of inspiration for an ancient fantasy world.


----------



## BronzeOracle

Tom Nimenai said:


> Re-read _Coraline_ last night. It didn't have the same impact as it did when I was a kid, but it's still a well-crafted, delightfully creepy little book.



Hey Tom I forgot to ask about Howls Moving Castle - what is the book like?  Is it much different from the movie?


----------



## Mythopoet

BronzeOracle said:


> Hey Tom I forgot to ask about Howls Moving Castle - what is the book like?  Is it much different from the movie?



The book is significantly different from the movie plot-wise, because in the book there is no war yet, only the threat of one if the missing prince isn't found. And the Witch of the Wastes is the main villain, the curse she places on Howl through Sophie being the main source of danger in the story. There are a lot of differences, some significant and some not very important. But the things that I generally find most important, characters and themes, are very much the same. 

I had watched the movie and loved it long before reading the book because I'm a big Miyazaki fan. I think his version is beautiful. But I also strongly recommend the book. I've read it at least 3 times and it is always delightful. It's one of those rare cases where the book and the movie are both wonderful and I don't think I could choose which one I like better.


----------



## Tom

As Mythopoet said--yeah, it's very different, but no less good. 

The book is one big puzzle that you have to piece together as you read, and it's full of dry wit--the humor is _very_ British. I like fairy tale subversions, and Howl's Moving Castle is full of them.  clever references to LoTR, Hamlet, Arthurian legend and several other pieces of classic literature. It's a very good read.


----------



## deilaitha

I just finished reading _Stormdancer_ by Jay Kristoff, and I enjoyed it.  I'm waiting till I can get my hands on _Kinslayer_ and _Endsinger_. It wasn't a perfectly executed book (if there is such a thing) and I had a few complaints about it, but overall I recommend it for people looking for an exciting, easy read. (Some reviewers on Amazon said it was hard to read, but I probably spent well under ten hours reading it. (I had it read over the course of two days, with some missed sleep.) It caught my eye at the bookstore because the cover art is awesome.


----------



## Addison

Wrapping up book three in the "Adventurers Wanted" series I'm working my way through so I can buy the fifth. I was amazed at the prices, a used book on Amazon is more than a hundred bucks. :/

While I'm here I need a little help remembering the title of a novel. I lost it in the move, I've searched the entire attic and every cubby in the house. I remember it was paperback, the cover had a tree and light shining from it, the cover mostly a pink color. The title either started with "The" or was just the word, which started with a W I think. The story started with a paragraph leading the reader to think there's a war going on but it's really a character playing a violent video game. THe character, his sister and their friends go off to a park or some place with a tree house and rope swing. They're confronted by local jerks who tie them up and knock out one of the male characters. Somehow...I forget how exactly I think they were running away and landed in another world. In which they are greeted warmly. The story alternates to the mother back at home who is writing a story which, if I remember right, centered on talking animals. 

If this story sounds familiar to anyone please let me know so I can find it and keep reading it. I left off with the unconscious character waking up on a rough-made stretcher and jumping off to run only to roll down a hill with the others running after him.


----------



## Mythopoet

Well, I've finished The Book of the New Sun. I'm going to digest it for a bit before picking up Urth of the New Sun. Right now, I'm not even sure what I think about it. I still love the name Severian though and now that I know the character better I don't have to wonder if it was a bad idea to give the name to my youngest. He brings the new sun to our house everyday. 

For now I'm reading Super Structure: The Key to Unleashing the Power of Story by James Scott Bell. I always find his advice to be very practical and useful.


----------



## skip.knox

I've taken a break from fantasy, which has turned out to be quite a long break. I've tried a few times, but I just wind up getting irritated. So, right now, it's more Patrick O'Brian (marvelous dialog, interesting pacing) and Joseph Conrad. The latter is one of my staples. I'm re-reading Nostromo right now, paying much more attention to how he constructs his story. Not with a view to imitation, but simply watching how it's done. Did the same with Ian Fleming a few months ago.

I've long heard advice about reading other authors to study their technique, and for a very long time I was unable to do that. I don't know why, I just couldn't see beyond perhaps a clever turn of phrase. Somehow, last year, I began to see more of the scaffolding. So I've been re-visiting authors, in order to study them. Graham Greene, Ian Fleming and Joseph Conrad so far. With a new book I get too caught up in the story, but with a book I already know, it's easier to watch the author work.


----------



## speculativejester

I'm currently working on a novel by Devon Monk called Dead Iron. It's a well paced novel, but I'm finding that some of the characters really do not seem to have much (if any) depth at all. However, the universe it is presented in (Steampunk) is absolutely fantastic and extremely well defined; this is something I usually don't see in the sub-genre.


----------



## Mythopoet

For some reason I'm on a classic vampire story reading binge. I read The Vampyre by John Polidori (Lord Byron's doctor, inspired by Lord Byron) and Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu. Now I'm going to finally read Dracula. I've also been reading a bunch of classic gothic short stories from the 1800s collected in the Macabre Megapack by Duane Parsons. Interesting stuff. The Vampyre was pretty awful. The plot was very basic but the prose... was really dreadful. Carmilla was much better. It will be interesting to see how Dracula compares to the earliest vampire stories.


----------



## Fyle

_Moby Dick._

Its not exactly fantasy, but I am reading it cause it obviously has a heavy sea farring theme and sea travel is connected with fantasy...

Its giving me ideas on how to describe boats, sailors, oceans and if I am careful I can sneak in some terminology.

I'm on chapter 18... getting ready to set sail.


----------



## Mythopoet

I've gotten to about the middle of Dracula and I'm very much enjoying it. I didn't know what to expect other than "quintessential vampire story" so I was a bit surprised by the epistolary format, but it's working for me. The narrative is entirely comprised of journal entries, letters and newspaper articles, which lends it a feeling of verisimilitude not found in today's supernatural fiction.


----------



## Russ

Just reading a great biography of John Wayne by Eyman  (sp?)

Not only was he a fascinating guy, it talks a great deal about myth making in Hollywood, image control, and larger than life people.

Really enjoying it.


----------



## thedarknessrising

I'm going through Tolkien's works...again. They're pretty much a drug to me. I'm currently on _The Hobbit._


----------



## Butterfly

I've started reading The Winter King, book one of The Warlord Chronicles by Bernard Cornwell. It's a mix of historical fiction and Arthurian mythology. Set in a more realistic post Roman era/dark ages, and has less of the romanticised medievalism of other versions of the legends. Makes it interesting.


----------



## Mythopoet

Butterfly said:


> I've started reading The Winter King, book one of The Warlord Chronicles by Bernard Cornwell. It's a mix of historical fiction and Arthurian mythology. Set in a more realistic post Roman era/dark ages, and has less of the romanticised medievalism of other versions of the legends. Makes it interesting.



Oh man, I read those books several times some years ago. I think they're still my favorite version of the Arthurian legend. Just really good storytelling.


----------



## Tom

Huh, I've read an Arthurian retelling called The Winter_ Prince_, by Elizabeth Wein. It's from Mordred's point of view, detailing his complicated relationship with his half-brother Arthur. The style and description are beautiful and elegant--understated, but saying a lot in very few words. And man, the emotional core of this book is strong. It's really moving.

This retelling is also set in post-Roman Britain, and I really love it because it strips away the later Norman/French romanticization of the legends and takes the story back to its Celtic roots. Probably the best Arthurian retelling I've ever read.


----------



## Mythopoet

Tom Nimenai said:


> This retelling is also set in post-Roman Britain, and I really love it because it strips away the later Norman/French romanticization of the legends and takes the story back to its Celtic roots. Probably the best Arthurian retelling I've ever read.



Interesting since Cornwell's does the same thing. His Merlin is VERY Celtic and obsessed with trying to bring back the world that existed before the Romans came.


----------



## Butterfly

Cornwell's is written from the POV of Derfel, one of the lesser known knights... well, warriors in this version.


----------



## Merchen

Not really reading anything interesting. I am reading a manga that I am enjoying (well a korean graphic novel) called Jack Frost. Three books into the series. And then I am reading a Paranormal Romance series "The Lords of the Underworld".  I am completely enjoying both but they don't really have a heavy fantasy themes.


----------



## Blodwedd

I have recently started reading "A Game of Thrones" by George R. R. Martin, and "The Way of Kings" by Brandon Sanderson.

I really like them but somehow they are too 'big' for me, i get some strange vibe that the world is way to wide, it's a little scary.


----------



## Reilith

I recently discovered Brandon Sanderson (shame on me) and right now I am on his second book of Mistborn series: The Well of Ascension. I also have Silmarillion and a Mercedes Lackey book on hold. Oh yeah, and Death Cloud from the Young Sherlock Holmes series.


----------



## Ireth

I'm stuck between books 2 and 3 of Tad Williams' "Memory, Sorrow and Thorn" trilogy, which is frustrating. I don't own the third book, can't afford to buy it, and can't find it in my library. 

Also, in light of Sir Terry Pratchett's death, I'm very much inclined to dig out all my mom's Discworld books from the boxes in our attic and read the series from start to finish, as much as I can. We're missing some of them, which is sad.


----------



## BronzeOracle

I'm reading Ilium by Dan Simmons, a SF take on the Trojan war with a fascinating, rich setting.  I don't normally read SF but I loved his short story in Songs of the Dying Earth.  I also wanted to make sure there wasn't a major crossover of ideas with the ancient fantasy story I'm writing.  Doesn't look like there is yet - phew.

I'm trying to finish Ilium as quick as I can as I'm about the embark on The Stand by Stephen King, which is ENORMOUS.  I have some friends who want to read this as a mini-bookclub and I want to be ready for when they start.


----------



## Joy

I'm reading Dan Simmons as well but Hyperion. Also, Roadside Picnic by Arkady Strugatsky. Needless to say, i'm digging hard into sci-fi lately.


----------



## Mythopoet

BronzeOracle said:


> I'm reading Ilium by Dan Simmons, a SF take on the Trojan war with a fascinating, rich setting.  I don't normally read SF but I loved his short story in Songs of the Dying Earth.  I also wanted to make sure there wasn't a major crossover of ideas with the ancient fantasy story I'm writing.  Doesn't look like there is yet - phew.



This sounds fascinating. I'll have to pick it up. I also use ancient Greek elements in my fantasy world.


----------



## Velka

I'm halfway through Neil Gaiman's newest release of short stories and poetry, _Trigger Warning_, and I never want it to end.


----------



## Ireth

I'm rereading the Tiffany Aching quartet of Terry Pratchett's Discworld books. Finished "A Hat Full of Sky" over the weekend, and I might start "Wintersmith" tonight.


----------



## Incanus

Ah, Ireth, you need to seek out _To Green Angel Tower_, in any form you can find it.

And remember:  Beware the False Messenger!

Can't wait for you to find out just what that means.  Very cool.

I've been reading a goodly variety of shorts (and novellas).  I have to say my mind was pretty well blown by Lord Dunsany's _Gods of Pegana_ and _Time and the Gods_.  I would highly recommend these to anyone contemplating, or working on, a pantheon of gods of their own.  Amazingly wild and imaginative stuff from what appears to be a very upright, stiff-lipped, colonial Brittish guy.


----------



## Mythopoet

Incanus said:


> I've been reading a goodly variety of shorts (and novellas).  I have to say my mind was pretty well blown by Lord Dunsany's _Gods of Pegana_ and _Time and the Gods_.  I would highly recommend these to anyone contemplating, or working on, a pantheon of gods of their own.  Amazingly wild and imaginative stuff from what appears to be a very upright, stiff-lipped, colonial Brittish guy.



Yes!! Reading Dunsany changed me as a reader and a writer forever. Very few writers have had an imagination like Dunsany.


----------



## Ireth

Incanus said:


> Ah, Ireth, you need to seek out _To Green Angel Tower_, in any form you can find it.
> 
> And remember:  Beware the False Messenger!
> 
> Can't wait for you to find out just what that means.  Very cool.



Yes, yes I do. Unfortunately I have no idea if the library in my small town would have it, since the one near my old house in the big city didn't. :/ And I can't afford to buy it.


----------



## BronzeOracle

Its definitely worth finishing Memory, Sorrow and Thorn, though the last book is long.

Do any second hand book stores have it in your town or a nearby city?  I bought the series from my local second hand store and it was very cheap.


----------



## BronzeOracle

Ireth said:


> Yes, yes I do. Unfortunately I have no idea if the library in my small town would have it, since the one near my old house in the big city didn't. :/ And I can't afford to buy it.



Also is your library part of a larger library network?  Can they bring in the book from another library?  I've managed to get books from other libraries in the state here that I couldn't get locally.


----------



## T.Allen.Smith

After hearing so many great things from the members here, I'm finally reading:

The Lies of Locke Lamora


----------



## Mythopoet

BronzeOracle said:


> Also is your library part of a larger library network?  Can they bring in the book from another library?  I've managed to get books from other libraries in the state here that I couldn't get locally.



Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's what I had to do to get that book. Most libraries can also temporarily borrow books from other library networks through an inter-library loan. I used to do that a lot.


----------



## Ireth

I tried that in the city, but the book wasn't even in the system. Kinda doubt my small-town library is part of a larger network. Though I guess it wouldn't hurt to at least ask.


----------



## Incanus

Mythopoet said:


> Yes!! Reading Dunsany changed me as a reader and a writer forever. Very few writers have had an imagination like Dunsany.



Absolutely.  Knowing that JRRT has read this stuff, I think I can now see that he got his ideas for 'The Music of the Ainur' and possibly the concept of the 'straight road' from Dunsany.  I've long loved those Tolkien elements and thought he had invented them whole-cloth.  Still, he elaborated and expanded on them quite a bit.

Funny thing is, I read 'The King of Elfland's Daughter' around twenty years ago and thought it was just so-so at the time.  I think these little compiled works about gods is where its at.  But, I'm going to have to check out tKoED again.  Maybe I'll appreciate it more this time.


----------



## Mythopoet

I really enjoyed The King of Elfland's Daughter. But it's definitely different from his other stuff. I strongly recommend reading all of his short story collections. A Dreamer's Tales was one of my favorites. And if you haven't yet, seek out Lovecraft's Dream Cycle stories, which were heavily inspired by Dunsany. They're less horror and more fantasy than the Cthulhu Mythos stories. The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath was amazing.


----------



## droiditbook303

I'm currently about halfway through with N. K. Jeminsin's "The Killing Moon". It's a really interesting read as she generally writes very atypical fantasy stories. I really loved her first major book, "Hundred Thousand Kingdoms", too. "The Killing Moon" is set in an ancient Egyptian inspired world and is almost a mystery/political thriller novel. It's a bit of a hard read because the names aren't Western-inspired and the culture is very different from what you normally read about. That's probably why I like it do much. Plus it's only about 400ish pages which is a reversing relief from the 1000+ pages of "Words of Radiance" I read before this one.


----------



## Incanus

Mythopoet said:


> I really enjoyed The King of Elfland's Daughter. But it's definitely different from his other stuff. I strongly recommend reading all of his short story collections. A Dreamer's Tales was one of my favorites. And if you haven't yet, seek out Lovecraft's Dream Cycle stories, which were heavily inspired by Dunsany. They're less horror and more fantasy than the Cthulhu Mythos stories. The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath was amazing.



Aside from the three I mentioned, I've read The Book of Wonder as well.  I'll have to get to A Dreamer's Tales for sure.  And I think Book of Wonder has a sequel.

As far as Lovecraft goes, I'm already a huge fan.  In fact the novella I just completed this last weekend was influenced more by Unknown Kadath than anything--mixed with some 'Vance-ian' mechanisms as well.  Instead of a dream world, though, its an alternate dimension.

And then there is my other fairly recent discovery:  Clark Ashton Smith.  It's nothing short of a crime he's not more well known.


----------



## Mythopoet

Incanus said:


> Aside from the three I mentioned, I've read The Book of Wonder as well.  I'll have to get to A Dreamer's Tales for sure.  And I think Book of Wonder has a sequel.
> 
> As far as Lovecraft goes, I'm already a huge fan.  In fact the novella I just completed this last weekend was influenced more by Unknown Kadath than anything--mixed with some 'Vance-ian' mechanisms as well.  Instead of a dream world, though, its an alternate dimension.
> 
> And then there is my other fairly recent discovery:  Clark Ashton Smith.  It's nothing short of a crime he's not more well known.



I actually don't like Clark Ashton Smith much. His stories, in my opinion, are vastly inferior to his contemporaries. I've read more than a few and tried to read the Zothique stories in particular, but I only enjoyed maybe 2 or 3. I just don't think he explores his subject matter very effectively and his writing is far more tedious to slog through than others writing in a similar vein. 

I am just starting to get into Jack Vance. I've only read "The Dying Earth" so far, but I loved it. Can't wait to dig into more of his work.


----------



## Incanus

Ah, yes.  You certainly should read the other three Dying Earth books.  They are:

Eyes of the Overworld
Cugel's Saga
Rhialto the Marvelous

I love them all, but I think 2 and 3 are my favs (Eyes, and Cugel).  So entertaining.

I suppose I should mention my non-fiction book I'm currently on as well:  The Hundred Years War by Desmond Seward.  Not very far into this yet, but I like the writing style so far.


----------



## Mythopoet

Yeah, I actually have an omnibus of the Dying Earth stories. I just have so many books I want to read I haven't gotten to the others yet.


----------



## Incanus

I think I have the same one.  Mine has an inappropriate 'sci-fi'-looking city on the cover.  And goodness, I can relate to having a lot to read.  I'm sure I have about 40-50 books on my shelves that I haven't yet gotten to.  And yet I still add to them!


----------



## Mythopoet

Incanus said:


> I think I have the same one.  Mine has an inappropriate 'sci-fi'-looking city on the cover.  And goodness, I can relate to having a lot to read.  I'm sure I have about 40-50 books on my shelves that I haven't yet gotten to.  And yet I still add to them!



Yep, same one. Now I'm getting the urge to dive back into it once I'm finished with my current read.


----------



## Mythopoet

Well, last night I finished book 2 (Dark Currents) in *Lindsey Buroker's Emperor's Edge fantasy series*. She offers book one (The Emperor's Edge) for free in ebook form and I had downloaded it maybe a year ago with the intention of trying it out eventually since I love her blog. I finally got around to starting it about a week ago and was immediately hooked. I moved onto book 2 right away and loved it even more. I've already started book 3. This series is just fantastic. She calls the books "High fantasy set in a world of steam". Apparently at the time of writing them she didn't really know about the steampunk genre, and I wouldn't technically call these steampunk, but the setting is very similar. But it's more like if the roman empire when through the industrial revolution. (Neat, right?) But while the setting and the action are great, I'd say Lindsey's greatest strength is her characterization. The books feature an amazing female lead. I don't think I've ever come across a more effective female lead before in western storytelling. (I say it that way because I watch a lot of anime, where good female leads are more common.) But all the characters are unique and compelling, especially the assassin Sicarius. I don't think I've ever liked an assassin character so much. Anyway, I strongly recommend these books. And I also recommend Lindsey Buroker as a great example of how to make a viable career out of indie publishing by building a devoted fanbase. I was already a fan of her blog, but now I'm also an enthusiastic fan of her work.


----------



## skrite

I'm reading "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" 
I am really enjoying it. It is written for about the same age range as my target audience.


----------



## Incanus

Well, I have just ended my strict diet of short stories (and novelettes, and novellas).  Since that was what I had been writing, it was appropriate fare, but I'll be moving into preparation for my first novel (after some editing) soon.

So, for reading my first novel in a long time, I wanted:  A) something not too huge; B) something I hadn't yet read; C) something that had a really good chance of my enjoying it.

I think I made a good choice:  Tehanu by Ursula K. LeGuin

I already love the Earthsea Trilogy, but just hadn't gotten around to this one yet.  I'm only just starting, but so far, so good.  I really enjoy reading her.  Her writing has an efficiency, and an ineffable earthy quality to it, that I just love.


----------



## Tom

I just borrowed Patrick Rothfuss'_ Name of the Wind_ from the library. I'm kind of apprehensive about starting it, as it clocks in at an intimidating 662 pages. Not sure I'll be able to read it during Camp NaNo!

Hey, what do you guys think of The Name of the Wind, or Patrick Rothfuss' writing in general?


----------



## Incanus

I tackled that one (^^^) about a year ago, or so.  [No spoilers here].  In my opinion, The Name of the Wind started off pretty well, but eventually got to be rather tedious.  The most curious feature I noticed was the use of both third-person and first-person POV (thought mostly first-person).  It's strange--although I think he successfully pulled this off, it didn't really seem ultimately necessary.  And while I don't dislike first-person at all, I don't think long, or epic, stories are the right place for it.  The prose itself was pretty good for the most part, but the thing was far too long--if it were my story, I'd cut it down to about half its length.  I probably won't read the next books in the series, unless I get really hard up for something to read (which is not likely).


----------



## BronzeOracle

I've just started reading The Stand by Stephen King.  I normally don't read contemporary settings but I have some writer friends who are reading it at present so we are doing a mini book-club/study circle together.  It is a huge book (1300 pages paperback) but so far I am loving the way how he portrays characters - he really gets under their skin and reading the book is challenging me to probe further with the characters I am writing in my novel.


----------



## Mythopoet

Tom Nimenai said:


> I just borrowed Patrick Rothfuss'_ Name of the Wind_ from the library. I'm kind of apprehensive about starting it, as it clocks in at an intimidating 662 pages. Not sure I'll be able to read it during Camp NaNo!
> 
> Hey, what do you guys think of The Name of the Wind, or Patrick Rothfuss' writing in general?



I enjoyed The Name of the Wind for the most part. Though it did start getting tedious. I began wondering "when is all that cool stuff mentioned toward the beginning going to happen?" I figured it would start in earnest in book 2. Book 2 turned out to be one long boring tedious dreadful piece of indulgence. I will probably read book 3 because I do want to know some of the mysteries of the series. But I won't pay for it. I'll just get it from the library.


----------



## Ayaka Di'rutia

I'm reading Dragonwitch by Anne Elisabeth Stengl.  It's the 5th book in her Tales of Goldstone Wood series.  It's not her best work so far, but I'm going to keep reading and see where it goes.


----------



## Mythopoet

I finally finished *Dracula*. It was quite long and the conceit of it being comprised totally of journal entries with a few other memoranda here and there became less and less believable as the story progressed. Yes, sure, I totally believe that 3 different characters have such incredible memories that they can transcribe, word for word, Van Helsing's ridiculously long, meandering speeches, bad grammar and all. Speaking of Van Helsing's ridiculously long, meandering speeches, they really began to wear thin after a while. Honestly, Bram Stoker's writing just wasn't very good. There were parts where the story was exciting enough to cover up for it, and parts which were so tedious and belabored that I really noticed it. I had to set the book aside a few times to give myself a break before digging in again. 

Still, I can see why it's a masterwork of horror. I read a few different, earlier vampire stories before reading Dracula and this definitely increased the the dreadfulness of the monster while keeping it much more mysterious than modern vampire stories. In particular, I loved how no one really _knew_ how Dracula had become a vampire. It seemed to be saying that he was not made a vampire by anyone else nor suggesting that becoming a vampire was some kind of natural process. Dracula, Van Helsing surmised, became a vampire progenitor through a unique combination of factors: the land on which he lived being home to both holy ground and occult forces and Dracula himself being an exceptional, "larger-than-life" person while he lived. I found it particularly fascinating that even while the vampire was certainly a creature of evil and darkness and was defeated by Holy objects (such as the communion Wafer), his existence was nonetheless tied to Holy Ground. He had to take boxes of dirt from Holy Ground with him when he traveled to England and it was this Holy Ground that he was compelled to sleep on, whether in the boxes of dirt while he was away from home or in his own tomb in the chapel of Castle Dracula. This seems to be a unique element of the vampire myth or at least I haven't heard of it being used anywhere else, even in retellings of Dracula. I find it fascinating.

Next on my reading list is finishing *Urth of the New Sun* (the conclusion of The Book of the New Sun story) which I started on one of my breaks from Dracula. 

After that, I got my hands on print or ebook versions of:

Titus Groan by Mervyn Peak (not looking forward to this, but it's a fantasy classic, so I want to get it under my belt)

The Face in the Frost by John Bellairs 

The first Lyonesse series book by Jack Vance

Red Moon and Black Mountain by Joy Chant

Jirel of Joiry story collection by C. L. Moore

Well of the Unicorn by Fletcher Pratt

The Tritonian Ring by L. Sprague de Camp

Those are all from my master fantasy reading list. Trying to make some actual progress on it this year.

I also picked up some books for studying Japanese mythology and folklore:

The Nihongi, an ancient chronicle of Japan

Shinto Norito, a book of Shinto prayers

Japanese Tales of Mystery and Imagination

My initial steps into studying Japanese mythology had a huge influence on me and my worldbuilding, so I'm digging deeper. It's all so fascinating.


----------



## thedarknessrising

A couple days ago, I absentmindedly picked up _Eragon_ just to kind of flip through. I ended up just deciding to read the series again for the hundredth time. I love those books. Yes, Paolini's writing is weak, but I'm not much better myself. I'm only on the first book, but I should hopefully have the series finished within a week.


----------



## Reilith

I finally finished the original Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson, and now I am mid-way of Blood Song, the first of Raven's Shadow by Anthony Ryan and I am finding myself liking it a lot. It is a bit different than what I am used to with the grittiness being the central of it, and the religious conflict taking up much of the plot, but the characters are interesting and colorful and there are a lot of twists that keep you on your toes.


----------



## Trick

I just finished The Shadow of What Was Lost, first of the Licanius Trilogy. I really enjoyed it - felt like Jordan was back but managed to be less wordy and meandering.

I just started the Dragons of Dorcastle, mostly because it's somewhat in genre with my WIP, but i'm not sure sure how much I like it. It's short so I'll finish it and decide then if I should read the next one.


----------



## skrite

Just started reading "Enter, Night", by Michael Rowe. Delightfully terrifying.


----------



## Tom

Taking another crack at The Silmarillion. I love it, but I've never been able to finish it before. Hopefully I can get through the whole thing this time without losing focus.

I'm also reading The Young Elites by Marie Lu. So good. Marie Lu has this amazing ability to write suspense and action--her fight scenes are some of the best I've read, and her books always keep me on the edge of my seat.


----------



## skrite

Tom Nimenai said:


> Taking another crack at The Silmarillion. I love it, but I've never been able to finish it before. Hopefully I can get through the whole thing this time without losing focus.



ditto, and good luck


----------



## Mythopoet

Tom Nimenai said:


> Taking another crack at The Silmarillion. I love it, but I've never been able to finish it before. Hopefully I can get through the whole thing this time without losing focus.



If you can afford it, I strongly recommend the audiobook version for those who have a hard time making it through the book. I love the narrator's voice.


----------



## Tom

I prefer reading to listening, because I'm a weird reader. I skip around, going back to earlier passages, rereading pages maybe twice or more, noting sentences that stand out to me. I'm also very visual. I need to see the words to really _get_ the book. For me, listening to a book is like catching snowflakes--the words only stick in my mind for a short time before they melt away. I recall books I've physically read much better.


----------



## Gurkhal

At the moment I read "A short history of the middle ages" by Barbara H. Rosenwein.

And before that I read the Island of the Dead by Bernard Cornwell (or whatever his name is )


----------



## Mythopoet

Finished *The Face in the Frost* by John Bellairs yesterday. It was quite a good book though the climax was a bit too vague and didn't have nearly enough explanation for my taste. Still I really enjoyed the book. It was a refreshing change from the more ponderous books I've been reading lately. It's one of the only books Bellairs wrote for an adult audience and unfortunately because his youth series were so popular he never got around to writing the sequel he sometimes talked about. Still, highly recommended. 

I'll probably move on to the Jirel of Joiry stories next and keep working through Urth of the New Sun on the side.


----------



## TheCatholicCrow

Tom Nimenai said:


> I prefer reading to listening, because I'm a weird reader. I skip around, going back to earlier passages, rereading pages maybe twice or more, noting sentences that stand out to me. I'm also very visual. I need to see the words to really _get_ the book. For me, listening to a book is like catching snowflakes--the words only stick in my mind for a short time before they melt away. I recall books I've physically read much better.



Yeah I totally get you there ... I thought I'd kill 2 birds & listens to some of the Classics while doing dishes but I found that most of the books I tried had readers that rushed right through the text. I want it to be read slightly faster than poetry and possibly slower than a (California-paced) conversation. When they rush right through it only gives you enough time to process the plot. You don't get to enjoy the language and style of the author which I consider to be a vital component of the book. After a week or so of trying (with a bunch of different books) I eventually gave up. I'm still reading Classics but in print or on kindle. 

I often find it difficult to commit to just book at a time so I'm currently reading Dumas' _Camille_ as well as _Pride and Prejudice _(Jane Austen - not the zombie one) ... also a book on post-soviet Romanian farming practices but that's nonfiction and just for fun so idk if that counts. 

Next on my TO READ list are Kafka's _Metamorphosis_ - since I've never had the pleasure, _ Sorrows of Young Werther, Don Quixote, War and Peace, Atlas Shrugged, Dead Souls_ (N. Gogol), and the librettos for _Fidelio _ and _Don Giovanni_. 

Of course there'll be some Fantasy books sprinkled in between for good measure and because I'm trying to actively expose myself to more contemporary works as well. I've never read anything by Stephen King and my father's encouraging me to give Tom Clancy a shot. Different is good - right? 

When I read something wildly outside of my comfort zone I follow it up by rewarding myself with a Classic.


----------



## Mythopoet

TheCatholicCrow said:


> Yeah I totally get you there ... I thought I'd kill 2 birds & listens to some of the Classics while doing dishes but I found that most of the books I tried had readers that rushed right through the text. I want it to be read slightly faster than poetry and possibly slower than a (California-paced) conversation. When they rush right through it only gives you enough time to process the plot. You don't get to enjoy the language and style of the author which I consider to be a vital component of the book.



Yeah, I don't listen to audiobooks at all either. Not my style. The Silmarillion is the only one. Particularly because the narrator has such a deep, rich voice and really does take his time with the prose. And the prose of The Sil is so perfect for this medium. It's written in a style that in the right hands really makes you feel like you're listening to a court bard recounting epic tales.


----------



## Tom

TheCatholicCrow said:


> I want it to be read slightly faster than poetry and possibly slower than a (California-paced) conversation.



How fast is a California-paced conversation? I'm imagining it's about the same speed as a New York conversation, which is pretty fast. An author at a writing retreat I went to in West Virginia told me that my dialogue is fast-paced, and that makes it sound unrealistic--but that's just the way I talk! (Plus, West Virginians sort of drawl.)


----------



## Incanus

TheCatholicCrow--I read Kafka's Metamorphisis about 7 or 8 months ago or so, along with a few other shorts of his.  Absolutely loved it.  Beautiful surreal story.

I'm (slowly) reading Prince of Thorns (Mark Lawrence) right now.  I must admit, the writing is better than I expected:  very tight and polished.  Some aspects of the story are... well, less than awesome, but I'm willing to go along.

Speaking of Dumas, next up for me is going to be The Three Musketeers, an unabridged edition.  I hope the translation is decent, 'cause that can make or break the reading experience.

That audio of the Sil Mythopoet is talking about sounds cool.  I've only done audio once.  Not my thing I guess, but Mytho is making the audio Sil sound pretty enticing.


----------



## Russ

Just finished Story Trumps Structure by Stephen James.

Dude is a genius.  He has almost converted me from being a plotter to a pantser.

Almost.

Also reading some old Moorcock from the 60's.  Great stuff at any length.


----------



## skrite

Russ said:


> Also reading some old Moorcock from the 60's.  Great stuff at any length.



Agreed, just read the first Elric book again a couple of months ago. Just amazing.


----------



## Mythopoet

Russ said:


> Just finished Story Trumps Structure by Stephen James.
> 
> Dude is a genius.  He has almost converted me from being a plotter to a pantser.
> 
> Almost.



No! Turn away from the dark side!


----------



## Tom

Mythopoet said:


> No! Turn away from the dark side!



I am a proud, card-carrying member of the Dark Side. Pantsing is the way to do it. Search your feelings--you know it to be true...


----------



## Svrtnsse

I'm currently reading _Agatha H and the Voice of the Castle _by Phil and Kaja Foglio. I've heard the comic is really good, so I decided to pick up the book on a whim when passing through the local book store. Unfortunately it's not living up to my expectations. It feels like the books is trying a little too hard to be funny, and it just makes it a little less funny. I get the impression they're trying for a Discworld/Prattchet style, but it's not really working.
Still, the setting is interesting. Some kind of steampunk/magical, no-quite-contemporary version of the real world and I'd like to see what they've done with it. On top of that, I've still heard the comics are good and I may very well just dig into them once I'm done with this.

EDIT: So I just discovered that the entire comic is available online these days - here: Girl Genius Online Comics


----------



## Tom

I've finally jumped the bandwagon and cracked open Game of Thrones. And...wow. A book has never hooked me this fast! I started it tonight after finishing my homework for tomorrow, and already I'm a third of the way in. Since I recently tried (and failed) to read another epic fantasy, I'm going to compare the two to show how different my reactions to them were. 

*Name of the Wind*

*First sentence:* "Meh. Okay, I guess."

*First page:* "Hm. It begins in a generic fantasy inn. Not a good sign."

*Second page:* "I am bored. This is just like every generic medieval fantasy world ever. It's taking way too long to set the scene. Why am I stuck with a generic omniscient narrator?! I want to be reading from the POV of someone actually involved in the scene!"

*Verdict after reading prologue and first chapter:* "Back to the library with you. You failed to hold my interest; not worth my time."


*Game of Thrones*

*First sentence:* "Intriguing..."

*First page:* "Character interaction, yes! And foreboding suspense! And an established POV!"

*Second page:* "Hey, look--well-executed suspense and foreshading! Also, why are they in the "haunted forest"? Who are the wildlings? What's the Wall? I love it when a book makes me ask these types of questions."

*Verdict after reading prologue and first chapter*: "...I don't think I'll be able to put this down."


----------



## Legendary Sidekick

It's easy to say, "Bah, GRRM is all hype." Then you read the book and say, "OK, yes, this book series actually does deserve to become the most popular fantasy-themed cable series."

I'll say no more since questions like "What's the Wall?" confirm you're not watching the show.



STEALTH EDIT - I will say that you might put book 4 down, just for a couple seconds so you don't throw it through a closed window. But then you'll pick it up again and be glad you did.


----------



## ThinkerX

> STEALTH EDIT - I will say that you might put book 4 down, just for a couple seconds so you don't throw it through a closed window. But then you'll pick it up again and be glad you did.



Are you sure you didn't mean a certain charming social gathering in book 3 there, sidekick?


----------



## T.Allen.Smith

Tom Nimenai said:


> *Game of Thrones*
> 
> ...I don't think I'll be able to put this down."



I'm not original in saying this, and I've made no secret that it has been my favorite series since long before HBO came knocking on GRRM's door. 

I'm glad you're enjoying it. I envy you reading certain parts for the first time. In my opinion, there are aspects of this series that are ground-breaking, but I'll have to leave it at that until you're further along. 

Looking forward to your reaction...we'll talk later.


----------



## Mythopoet

Tom Nimenai said:


> *Verdict after reading prologue and first chapter*: "...I don't think I'll be able to put this down."



Yeah.... that's cause you haven't gotten to any of the frustrating bits yet. ASoIaF starts out good, but gets more and more frustrating as it goes on and then goes downhill pretty sharply (IMO) in the 3rd book.


----------



## Legendary Sidekick

ThinkerX said:


> Are you sure you didn't mean a certain charming social gathering in book 3 there, sidekick?


Maybe because I started reading AFTER season 3. When I got to that part, it was tame compared to the show.


----------



## T.Allen.Smith

Legendary Sidekick said:


> Maybe because I started reading AFTER season 3. When I got to that part, it was tame compared to the show.


I don't feel the same way. It's all subjective opinion, of course.


----------



## Incanus

In my view, the ASOIAF books get better and better over the course of the first 3 books, 3 being the best.  After that, it's still good, but lower than the high-water mark set by Storm of Swords.


----------



## Tom

Mythopoet said:


> Yeah.... that's cause you haven't gotten to any of the frustrating bits yet. ASoIaF starts out good, but gets more and more frustrating as it goes on and then goes downhill pretty sharply (IMO) in the 3rd book.



What do you mean by frustrated? Because I usually like it when a book makes me frustrated--it means I'm either really into the story and feeling what the characters feel, or I'm impatient to get to the climax and finally see what happens.


----------



## BronzeOracle

I have to say that the Wall is a fantastic dramatic device - it just makes you wonder, what on earth was that created to keep out??  I remember the wall in the 1980s King Kong movie had the same effect.  Its the human reaction towards the threat, rather than the threat itself, which creates such atmosphere.


----------



## Mythopoet

Tom Nimenai said:


> What do you mean by frustrated? Because I usually like it when a book makes me frustrated--it means I'm either really into the story and feeling what the characters feel, or I'm impatient to get to the climax and finally see what happens.



I wouldn't describe either of those things as frustrating. What I despised was things like characters I was invested in being unceremoniously killed off for shock value, the ever increasing amount of point of view characters that I couldn't care less about, mundane political intrigue taking a front seat to anything actually fantasy-esque, the feeling that the plot is little more than a series of terrible events committed by terrible people and that there's just no point to it all. Martin seems unable to actually focus in on a story worth telling, in my opinion. 



BronzeOracle said:


> I have to say that the Wall is a fantastic dramatic device - it just makes you wonder, what on earth was that created to keep out??  I remember the wall in the 1980s King Kong movie had the same effect.  Its the human reaction towards the threat, rather than the threat itself, which creates such atmosphere.



I liked the Wall device in the beginning, but I feel that Martin squandered it by treating it as little more than a side story to all the political intrigue over the throne. Jon and the Wall was one of the few things I actually cared about. I don't care at all about the stupid throne and all the stupid people who want it. But the Wall gets so little narrative attention and the threat which is compelling in the beginning is actually, in my opinion, made to seem less and less important, less and less pressing as time goes on. Oh yes, they _say_ it's important, but nothing that actually _happens_ indicates that it's anything like as frightening as it was made to appear in the beginning. It ended up being just another pointless, boring part of the narrative to me that meandered and rambled but doesn't go anywhere. 

In my opinion, similar devices to the Wall are done much, much better in the classic book The Night Land and in the contemporary manga/anime Attack on Titan.


----------



## Steerpike

Reading Cat Rambo's _The Beasts of Tabat_, which is excellent so far. Also, George Elliot's _Middlemarch_​.


----------



## Tom

Mythopoet said:


> I wouldn't describe either of those things as frustrating. What I despised was things like characters I was invested in being unceremoniously killed off for shock value, the ever increasing amount of point of view characters that I couldn't care less about, mundane political intrigue taking a front seat to anything actually fantasy-esque, the feeling that the plot is little more than a series of terrible events committed by terrible people and that there's just no point to it all. Martin seems unable to actually focus in on a story worth telling, in my opinion.



The deaths are part of the narrative, as are the politics. It's a gritty political fantasy, after all. As for the deaths, I interpret their unceremonious-ness as Martin showing us how cruel and senseless they are. His is a brutal world, and death is pretty unavoidable, and nobody, even the main characters, gets special treatment. 

I actually like that. You have to admire an author who has the guts to kill off his most beloved characters. 

As for POV characters--well, I'm less of a fan of multiple POVs. But in a vast, sprawling political story like ASoIaF, you sort of need a lot of characters to be "eyes on the action". The more complex the story, the more POV characters I am willing to deem necessary.


----------



## Steerpike

I didn't really see the deaths being for shock value, and I agree they are part of the narrative. There were one or two that certainly did shock me in that I wasn't expecting them, but when they happened they made sense in the context of the story, in my view. I felt like with the last book, GRRM is starting to lose his story focus a bit though.


----------



## Mythopoet

Martin has admitted in interviews that he wanted to shock readers with the deaths, obviously the first major death in particular. (Which is also the one I will NEVER forgive him for.) And obviously, everything I'm saying is my own opinion, my own reaction to the series. Though I've encountered quite a few people who feel the same way. As it goes on it tends to be one of those series where people are either in love with it and will accept anything Martin does, or people get more and more frustrated until they give up. At least, I've encountered more people whose feelings on the series are at those extreme ends than I have people who are somewhere in the middle. Either way, it's definitely a series that gets people's emotions high.

On another note, I've finished The Urth of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe which means I'm done with the Urth cycle! I still have no idea what happened maybe 50% of the time, even though I've been using the Lexicon Urthus as a reference since I started. Just... it's one of those stories that is more puzzle than answer. That floats some people's boats, but not really mine. Still have much respect for Wolfe though. The worldbuilding in the series is a tour de force.


----------



## StannisTheMannis

I agree that the Wall became a plotline overshadowed by the political intrigue of the rest of Westeros - but it's also _supposed_ to be that way. As Commander Mormont said, what does it matter who sits on the throne? Everyone is focused on the scandals of King's Landing, on the war-torn North and Riverlands, on the fiery seat of Dorne. The Wall lies only on the periphery of everyone's eye - and it is presented like that cleverly. 

I just finished Perks of Being a Wallflower for the first time - wow, what a terrific book. Lots of emotions there. I picked up Thirteen Moons by Charles Frazier - 1800s American historical fiction on the western frontier, centered around Native Americans. Read it once five years ago and didn't like it, but I thought I'd give it another. Already going well!


----------



## Incanus

Just finished reading a WIP novel by one of the Mythic Scribes.  I consider it a good experience for any aspiring writer to do this sort of thing.  Anything and everything that gets me thinking about how stories work is of interest to me.  Though it is due for a major overhaul, I'm going to go over it again now that I'm familiar with the story arcs to try and see how the individual scenes work toward the larger narrative.

In the meantime, I'm quite enthralled by The Three Musketeers.  I like it more than I thought I would, though I'm only about 150 pages in (out of 625).  I'm not sure how many versions/translations there are out there, but my edition is unabridged and translated by someone named Eleanor Hochman.  I'm finding it fast-paced, witty, humorous, highly entertaining, and exciting.  And it is easy-to-read and has me page-turning in spite of the old-fashioned, in-your-face narrator voice (which sort of comes and goes).

I recommend this book to any fantasy writer interested in sword-play, intrigue, characters with great bravado, humor, witty banter, headlong narrative, and just good, plain story-telling.


----------



## Steerpike

You can read anything by Alexandre Dumas. They're all loads of fun.


----------



## kennyc

The Big Front Yard by Clifford Simak .... The title crossed my mind this morning and I had not read it since I was a kid.....did a bit of googling to find it on line.....a bit worn technology and language-wise, but still a fun story!


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## Steerpike

I like Simak. Some great authors out of the golden age of SF/F that aren't well known anymore. Simak, Robert Sheckley, A.E. van Vogt, etc.


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## Mythopoet

Just recently finished Lyonesse: Suldrun's Garden by Jack Vance. I don't know why it isn't more commonly known as a great fantasy read.


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## Garren Jacobsen

Just finished the Sum of All Men by David Farland and am reading the sequel now. They're both okay nothing really to write home about. These both could use a good fat trimming in my opinion, but I still like them.


----------



## Tom

Perhaps the rule for reading The Silmarillion is "third time's the charm". I've found myself completely pulled in by the myths, and I love the language and imagery Tolkien weaves. The Silmarillion doesn't feel like relatively modern fantasy at all--it seems ancient, like it's been around for thousands upon thousands of years.


----------



## skrite

Going to give the Silmarillion a read. Never have before. It seemed too intimidating. But hey, why not?


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## Steerpike

Just got my Hugo packet. Lots of reading in there.

Also reading _The Girl With All the Gifts_​, which so far is pretty cool.


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## Mythopoet

You guys are making me want to dig into The Sil again, but I've got so much on my TBR pile! Maybe I'll listen to it instead. I can do that while doing other things too.

Actually, right now I'm mostly reading an online fan translation of a Japanese speculative fiction novel called Shin Sekai Yori or From the New World. I watched the anime and loved it and wanted to read the novel it was based on, but there has never been an official English translation. Fortunately there's a very dedicated fan working slowing by regularly at translating the whole thing! So far the novel is amazing, just the best speculative fiction I've probably ever read. The translation is here:

About | Shin Sekai Yori – From the New World


----------



## kennyc

Been reading Brian Doyle today after getting his collections of essays and short stories. I've admired/loved his essay 'Leap' for some time now and re-read it regularly. Read his story The Hawk yesterday in Flash Fiction International for a second time. Great stuff.


----------



## Garren Jacobsen

Just finished brotherhood of the wolf. Now I'm starting Card's writing book.


----------



## cupiscent

Spent today reading the Hugo-list short stories and oh _dear_. It's a bit embarrassing.


----------



## Mythopoet

I tried to force myself to read Titus Groan, got through chapter one, and then sought refuge in rereading Lud-in-the-Mist, which is even better now than the first time. Such a good fantasy. I love its take on all things Fairy. I'll probably press on with Titus Groan after I'm done with it. 

I've been trying to read The Well at the World's End by William Morris as well, but oh... my... god... I can't stand the faux medieval prose. It's like the way ignorant people always imagine RPers talk.


----------



## Incanus

How funny.  I've got both Titus Groan and Well at the World's End coming up fairly soon.  The Morris looks like it could be... tough going.  We'll see.  Still working on Three Musketeers and it is quite wonderful.


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## Mythopoet

Incanus said:


> How funny.  I've got both Titus Groan and Well at the World's End coming up fairly soon.  The Morris looks like it could be... tough going.  We'll see.  Still working on Three Musketeers and it is quite wonderful.



I managed to read Morris' The Wood Beyond the World without much trouble, but that one is significantly shorter than Well. I'm into the 18th chapter in Well but only 19% of the way through the book. Nothing really interesting has happened yet and I'm getting bored and there's so much farther to go. But I'm determined to finish eventually, because this is the one is considered one of the original great novels that created the modern fantasy genre.

The Three Musketeers is great! I need to reread that at some point and maybe actually finish the series this time. I read Twenty Years After and started reading The Vicomte of Bragelonne, but didn't finish it. That was back before I had a kindle and it was hard to find those final volumes. I had to get an inter-library loan for them, but wasn't able to finish before it had to go back. But now I can get all the volumes easily in ebook format. Yay for the digital revolution!


----------



## Mythopoet

Well, I finished Lud-in-the-Mist by Hope Mirlees. Highly recommended. 

I'm working on Titus Groan, the first book of the Gormenghast trilogy. It is... painful. I'm only about 17% in and really struggling. It's not even a matter of not being interested, or there being something wrong with the book, I just find it dreadfully unpleasant to read. Everything that is depicted so far is ugly and grotesque and repulsive. I take it that's the point, but well, it's not the sort of experience I like to have while reading. At least now I know what Steerpike's name is a reference to.


----------



## Garren Jacobsen

Trying an audiobook of Wizardborn. We'll see how it goes.


----------



## Gryphos

I'm trying to read The Lies of Locke Lamora since I want to enhance my dialogue writing ability and I hear Scott Lynch is really good, but I'm struggling man. It's so slow at the beginning. I'm like a fifth of the way through the quite chunky book and the 'main' plot line hasn't even reared its head. Plus the aforementioned dialogue, while technically smooth and witty and well-flowing, I feel tries too hard to be clever and witty that it ends up feeling quite unnatural at some points. I'll keep on trying to get through it, but I am underwhelmed, to say the least.


----------



## Russ

I have decided to go on a spree and spend about half my reading time reading self published works by MS members.   Quite enjoying it so far.


----------



## skrite

Russ said:


> I have decided to go on a spree and spend about half my reading time reading self published works by MS members.   Quite enjoying it so far.



I think i would like to do that too. Man, where to start? I'm kinda new here, is there a list?


----------



## Writeking

Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne by David Gaider.


----------



## Ireth

Reread Douglas Adams' _The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy_ yesterday (just the first book). I'd forgotten how funny it is. XD


----------



## BronzeOracle

Still wading through _The Stand_ by Stephen King.  It has great characters and interesting use of verbs/nouns to convey mood and character.  I'm taking a break for a while and reading the much shorter _Mask of Apollo_ by Mary Renault.


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## Steerpike

Mythopoet said:


> I'm working on Titus Groan, the first book of the Gormenghast trilogy. It is... painful. I'm only about 17% in and really struggling. It's not even a matter of not being interested, or there being something wrong with the book, I just find it dreadfully unpleasant to read. Everything that is depicted so far is ugly and grotesque and repulsive. I take it that's the point, but well, it's not the sort of experience I like to have while reading. At least now I know what Steerpike's name is a reference to.



Steerpike isn't a pleasant sort. 

I like C.S. Lewis' quote about the Gormenghast book, namely that "they are actual additions to life; they give, like certain rare dreams, sensations we never had before, and enlarge our conception of the range of possible experience."

Most people I know either love it or hate it. I'm in the former category - I think the books stand among some of the best literature as a whole, and I can't think of anything I've read in fantasy that surpasses them. Dissenters will be dealt with when the feline invasion occurs, and cats rule people's reading lists with iron claws.


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## Mythopoet

Steerpike said:


> Steerpike isn't a pleasant sort.
> 
> I like C.S. Lewis' quote about the Gormenghast book, namely that "they are actual additions to life; they give, like certain rare dreams, sensations we never had before, and enlarge our conception of the range of possible experience."
> 
> Most people I know either love it or hate it. I'm in the former category - I think the books stand among some of the best literature as a whole, and I can't think of anything I've read in fantasy that surpasses them. Dissenters will be dealt with when the feline invasion occurs, and cats rule people's reading lists with iron claws.



I can't say I agree with Lewis' quote at the moment. I'm 50% through Titus Groan and had to take a break to read some Pratchett because it's just torture. But it's not even unique torture. I'm not experiencing any sensations I haven't experienced before. Though I suppose when it was written it was more original, obviously. Nowadays I can pick up a handful of random fantasy books and at least 2 will repulse me the way this one does. I would place it among the worst literature as a whole. 

Though I really am trying to reserve my final opinion for when I'm done with the book. According to wikipedia it doesn't seem there's actually a completed story here though. The full arc is completed in the second book. I shudder at the thought of reading two of these. No, I don't think I can stand it. 

Thanks for the actual Lewis quote. That was enlightening.


----------



## Steerpike

Mythopoet said:


> I can't say I agree with Lewis' quote at the moment. I'm 50% through Titus Groan and had to take a break to read some Pratchett because it's just torture. But it's not even unique torture. I'm not experiencing any sensations I haven't experienced before. Though I suppose when it was written it was more original, obviously. Nowadays I can pick up a handful of random fantasy books and at least 2 will repulse me the way this one does. I would place it among the worst literature as a whole.
> 
> Though I really am trying to reserve my final opinion for when I'm done with the book. According to wikipedia it doesn't seem there's actually a completed story here though. The full arc is completed in the second book. I shudder at the thought of reading two of these. No, I don't think I can stand it.
> 
> Thanks for the actual Lewis quote. That was enlightening.



The full arc is completed in the second book, yes.

I agree with Lewis, and I don't think there are any other fantasy books you can find that are on par. At least, I've read a ton and haven't found any. You may find some that you don't like or that repulse you in equal fashion, but if you find any that are written on a level comparable to Peake, I'd like to find them so I can read them too. 

Of course, neither the subject matter nor the writing style is going to appeal to everyone (or even most people, I suspect). I still think in 2015 they're more original than the vast majority of what has come since.


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## Mythopoet

Well, I don't find the writing particularly special nor do I think that originality is very important and actually it can often be a negative factor, as in this case. There simply isn't anything about the book so far that appeals to me. Honestly, at this point, I think the only ending that would please me is if at the end of the book a meteor fell out of the sky and crushed Gormenghast, killing everyone inside. Alas, I know that isn't how it ends. 

It's just one of those examples of how dramatically tastes can differ.


----------



## Tom

I just got a copy of Noelle Stevenson's _Nimona_. I'm so excited that I can actually hold a tangible copy of my favorite webcomic in my hands! I made the mistake of flipping to the end right away, and that made me remember why I cried my way through the last few pages when I first read it...  

Oh, the feels....


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## Alcowski

Malazan book of the fallen... book 5 right now... get into it if you think grrm is good. Also reading some lovecraft stuff and stephen king for variety.

LÃ¤hetetty minun GT-S7710 laitteesta Tapatalkilla


----------



## thedarknessrising

Harry Potter and the Halfblood Prince.


----------



## Incanus

Finished Tanith Lee's Night's Master from the Tales of the Flat Earth series.  An out-of-print rarity.  I enjoyed it.  She writes beautifully.

I'm now reading Darkness at Noon.  Quite harrowing, but most excellent.


----------



## Steerpike

Incanus said:


> Finished Tanith Lee's Night's Master from the Tales of the Flat Earth series.  An out-of-print rarity.  I enjoyed it.  She writes beautifully.
> 
> I'm now reading Darkness at Noon.  Quite harrowing, but most excellent.



Tanith Lee was wonderful.


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## Incanus

Yikes, I hadn't realized she just passed away less than a month ago.  Too young.  And the subject of the non-fiction biography I'm reading just passed away last month as well.  Maybe the next thing I read shouldn't be by a living author, just in case...


----------



## Mythopoet

Incanus said:


> Finished Tanith Lee's Night's Master from the Tales of the Flat Earth series.  An out-of-print rarity.  I enjoyed it.  She writes beautifully.
> 
> I'm now reading Darkness at Noon.  Quite harrowing, but most excellent.



Adding it to my List. 


I've gotten sidetracked from Titus Groan. (Big surprise.) But I swear I'll return to it at some point!

Right now I'm reading The Wee Free Men by Terry Brooks. First reread. Still excellent. 

Also, I'm rereading a bunch of volumes of Dunsany looking for this one short story that I read ages ago and really want to find again but I can't remember what it was called. Wasn't in The Gods of Pegana. Currently rereading Time and the Gods. Which is just enjoyable anyway.

Also started reading The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey. A rare non-SFF read for me. This is a mystery novel about Richard III and the Princes in the Tower examined by a modern detective who is laid up in a hospital bed and studies faces to pass the time. He can't get the face of Richard III out of his mind, so he begins to dig deeper into the centuries old mystery. So far very intriguing! Though I think it would have helped if I knew English history better.


----------



## Incanus

Yes!  I forgot to mention that the Tales of the Flat Earth should qualify for your list.  Glad you caught that.  I think that list is AWESOME.  Pretty much all my fantasy favs are on it.  I refer to it from time to time to find titles I'd overlooked or hadn't gotten around to.

Waiting in the wings:

Dracula
Titus Groan


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## Mythopoet

Incanus said:


> Yes!  I forgot to mention that the Tales of the Flat Earth should qualify for your list.  Glad you caught that.  I think that list is AWESOME.  Pretty much all my fantasy favs are on it.  I refer to it from time to time to find titles I'd overlooked or hadn't gotten around to.



I've actually just done some major work on the List. I should post an updated version here somewhere.


----------



## Garren Jacobsen

Reading the Dragonbone Chair right now. This might be my reader fatigue setting in (I just burned through The Runelords by David Farland--specifically the Earth King saga), or just the fact I did a ton of code review that day, but I am finding it hard to go through. So, I have to ask is it good? Because I am had a hard time getting through the first couple of chapters.


----------



## Mythopoet

Brian Scott Allen said:


> Reading the Dragonbone Chair right now. This might be my reader fatigue setting in (I just burned through The Runelords by David Farland--specifically the Earth King saga), or just the fact I did a ton of code review that day, but I am finding it hard to go through. So, I have to ask is it good? Because I am had a hard time getting through the first couple of chapters.



Well, I didn't think it was very good. It's way too long and despite some interesting things on the periphery, I felt the main storyline was just dull and mundane and predictable.


----------



## Gurkhal

The Poem of the Cid, a Spanish medievel epic which has its very own style and rather interesting to get into the chivalric mindset.


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## Mythopoet

I stayed awake for hours last night to finish The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey. This is the first book in quite a while that has made me want to do that. It was surprisingly thrilling considering that literally nothing happens except a detective laid up in a hospital bed the whole time reading and talking about events that happened 400+ years previously. But it was SO GOOD! I really hate the Tudors now.


----------



## BronzeOracle

I finally dumped The Stand about 800 pages in - its taking far to long to get anywhere.  I know it was meant to be the expanded version but I couldn't handle it anymore.

I'm now reading Virgil's The Aeneid and loving it - its quick to read and engaging.  Also interesting to read something 2000 years old and yet it feels so familiar.


----------



## Mythopoet

Finished reading Jirel of Joiry, a collection of stories by C. L. Moore featuring the first modern fantasy heroine. Stories included: The Black God's Kiss, The Black God's Shadow, Jirel Meets Magic, Dark Shadow and Hellsgarde. Black God's Kiss, Dark Shadow and Hellsgarde were, imo, the better ones. Though I think as a heroine Jirel is just a little to angry and violent for my tastes.


----------



## Writeking

Tried to read The Barrow by Mark Smylie, but I couldn't get into it. It's like Fifty Shades meets Lord of the Rings.


----------



## Garren Jacobsen

The Dragonbone Chair is so dang plodding, please, someone tell me its worth it. I want to punch Simon in his dumb face.


----------



## Mythopoet

Brian Scott Allen said:


> The Dragonbone Chair is so dang plodding, please, someone tell me its worth it. I want to punch Simon in his dumb face.



It's so not worth it, imo.


----------



## Incanus

Dragonbone Chair series is one of my all-time favs.  It starts a bit slow, but it does pick up--a little.  It never gets to be really fast-paced.  From your reaction so far, I'd say you're not going to like it.  It's pretty big so you may want to do yourself a favor and drop it now.

For myself I love the pacing as it allows me to get fully immersed in the world, experiencing most every moment of the story.  More than just about any other book I can think of, this series really puts me 'in' the scenes.  The events that do take place have all that much more impact due to all the set-up and exposition.  The characters are rendered most excellently and the writing is strong.  Can't imagine why anyone would want to punch Simon in the face.


----------



## Garren Jacobsen

Incanus said:


> Dragonbone Chair series is one of my all-time favs.  It starts a bit slow, but it does pick up--a little.  It never gets to be really fast-paced.  From your reaction so far, I'd say you're not going to like it.  It's pretty big so you may want to do yourself a favor and drop it now.
> 
> For myself I love the pacing as it allows me to get fully immersed in the world, experiencing most every moment of the story.  More than just about any other book I can think of, this series really puts me 'in' the scenes.  The events that do take place have all that much more impact due to all the set-up and exposition.  The characters are rendered most excellently and the writing is strong.  Can't imagine why anyone would want to punch Simon in the face.



I'm  not opposed to slower paced stories or big ones. I slogged through each and every wheel of time book, loved every minute of it. This one though, maybe it's because I am a more experienced fantasy reader, this one is driving me nuts. Simon isn't just your average 14 year old idiot. He's a special kind of 14 year old idiot that bugged me when I was 14 and bugs me more today. "Blah, blah, blah they're mean because I don't do my chores. Life is unfair. blah blah blah." 

But, if the virtues are what you say they are Incanus (immersion, set-up, and strong writing) I'll push through. I just needed something to tell me there is something worthwhile at the end. This way I can look for that and ignore my gripes with it for post reading complaining.


----------



## Mythopoet

Incanus said:


> Dragonbone Chair series is one of my all-time favs.  It starts a bit slow, but it does pick up--a little.  It never gets to be really fast-paced.  From your reaction so far, I'd say you're not going to like it.  It's pretty big so you may want to do yourself a favor and drop it now.
> 
> For myself I love the pacing as it allows me to get fully immersed in the world, experiencing most every moment of the story.  More than just about any other book I can think of, this series really puts me 'in' the scenes.  The events that do take place have all that much more impact due to all the set-up and exposition.  The characters are rendered most excellently and the writing is strong.  Can't imagine why anyone would want to punch Simon in the face.



I wouldn't say I wanted to punch him, but I found him dreadfully dull and stupid. I just couldn't manage to care about him even a little. Actually, I don't think there was a single character (and I read well into the final volume before giving up) that I cared about at all. 

I like books that I can immerse myself in, but I found that the more I read of those books the less I wanted to immerse myself in them because every part of that world felt like a very bad copy of some part of our world. I like worldbuilding where the author is clearly inspired by our world but also clearly adds plenty of their own imagination in and thus comes up with something unique and interesting. But I didn't feel as though Williams managed to do that. I rather felt that all of the cultures he obviously copied from our world were _diminished_ in his world. They were less complex, less interesting and carried less impact even though they were wielded like a sledgehammer to the head. And despite the real world x for x equivalencies, the various places and cultures had a pasted together feeling, a hodge podge of real world allusions. 

I think it's some of the worst worldbuilding I've ever read, personally. I eventually realized that I cared so little about the characters and the fate of the world that there was no point finishing it.


----------



## Incanus

Different strokes for different folks, as they say.

Brian, I'd still recommend not bothering with it.  Not sure how far in you are, but I'm guessing the whole thing will be a slog for you.

For myself, I was immediately swept away with the tale and have very few complaints about it.  In my opinion this series is far, far superior to The Wheel of Time in every conceivable catagory.  Lord of Chaos was one of the worst books I had read in a long while, I can't possibly continue with the series.


----------



## BronzeOracle

The Dragonbone Chair was plodding but it was one series where I very much believed the massive development in the protagonist - so much happened to him and he reflected so much that it made sense where he ended up and how he interacted with the protagonist in the finale, which was critical to the outcome.  I found his immaturity tiring at the beginning but that was the point, he was immature and uneducated and the author conveyed this well - far better than some other stories where the bumpkin morphs into hero with ease.   

There are some fantastic characters in the story - Binabik, Josua, Miriamele and Isgrimmur - and it has a greater psychological depth than some other series of the time - but it is very very slow.


----------



## Gryphos

I recently read Simon Armitage's translation of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and it was quite nice. The translation was really easy to read and captured the legendary feel without resorting to unnecessarily complex language. The story has a bit of an anti-climax though. A small part of me was really hoping for some kind of epic clash and fight, but hey. Also, one of the passages was disturbingly misogynistic. But, it was written in the 14th century or something, so wtf was I expecting?

Now I'm about half way through H. G. Wells' War of the Worlds. And I'm really enjoying it. By now alien invasion stories are a dime a dozen, but it's so interesting to go back to the original and see an alien invasion story through a late 19th century lens.


----------



## acapes

BronzeOracle said:


> I found his immaturity tiring at the beginning but that was the point, he was immature and uneducated and the author conveyed this well - far better than some other stories where the bumpkin morphs into hero with ease.



Same, it's nice to see a character change across a series


----------



## Mythopoet

I'm currently reading The Tritonian Ring by L. Sprague de Camp, a short (by today's standards) sword and sorcery fantasy adventure. It's not a masterpiece, but it's a fun fantasy romp with some interesting facets. The MC is a very flawed sort of Hero and there's a very realistic depiction of a master/slave relationship that doesn't set either the master or the slave up as ideals, but treats them like real, flawed human beings. I was going to mention the book in the Slavery in Fantasy thread, but it got closed before I did. 

I've also started The Magicians by Lev Grossman. It's quite enjoyable with a very relatable MC and an amusing  and blatant reference to Narnia. Though there's the occasional crudity that just feels unnecessary.


----------



## Russ

Have worked my way into Rothfuss' Wise Man's Fear, after Name of the Wind.  This guy is very, very good.  Not in love with his pacing but his MC is the kind of guy you would want to go out for a few drinks with, and the surrounding cast is great.  His characters really come alive and are fascinating.


----------



## Kobun

Russ said:


> Have worked my way into Rothfuss' Wise Man's Fear, after Name of the Wind.  This guy is very, very good.  Not in love with his pacing but his MC is the kind of guy you would want to go out for a few drinks with, and the surrounding cast is great.  His characters really come alive and are fascinating.



Those are some of the very best new Fantasy books I've read in the last ten years. Some of the others are like the one I'm reading now. I've just dipped into Lynch's second Gentlemen Bastards book. God, this guy's fun to read.


----------



## Mythopoet

Finished The Tritonian Ring. It was a decent read. I'd rate it average, not something I'd strongly recommend, but also not something I would recommend against. I think most people would find it a good, but not great, book. I think the MC and his relationship with his slave is worth some interest. Vakar of Lorsk was definitely a flawed hero, but not so flawed that you couldn't root for him. 

Making progress on The Magicians. I'm finding it quite enjoyable. There is no big conflict yet, but there are little clues along the way that something is not right. Another interestingly flawed MC. In that, he seems to see himself as a victim of his own life and doesn't seem to notice the problems that he has in his relationships with other people. Since this is written in tight third, we are getting his perspective, and only small clues that his problems are deeper than he understands. Nicely done, so far.


----------



## TheCatholicCrow

Just finished my last book & am now waiting on my next 2 books to arrive in the mail (any day now!) The Maltese Falcon & Double Indemnity. I've seen Double Indemnity a few times but watching Fiction really doesn't compare to reading it. I'm really excited for Maltese Falcon- I've managed to restrain myself from watching the film until I can read the book.

When I finish those I'm due for another classic and long overdue for something other than 18th- 19th century French or British Lit. I think I'll be reading La Celestina by Fernando de Rojas. It's neither French nor British, was published in 1499 and has the added bonus that I'll be able to practice my Spanish (that is - if I prove to be fluent enough to read it). 

I might skip La Celestina though ... I've got a stack of Raymond Feist books that have yet to be read. I think I've got a few from the Riftwar Saga and a couple from the Darkwar Saga. 

But then I also promised a friend I'd try Tom Clancy ... I also haven't finished William Rosen's "Justinian's Flea" & I'm overdue for some nonfiction. Hmm ... what's a girl to do? Too many books & not enough time! 



Gryphos said:


> I recently read Simon Armitage's translation of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and it was quite nice. The translation was really easy to read and captured the legendary feel without resorting to unnecessarily complex language. The story has a bit of an anti-climax though.



I have a copy translated by Brian Stone. I'd be curious to see how they compare. 

I've come across some books that are rather dreadful in certain translations and positively spectacular in others (Seamus Heaney's version of Beowulf and John Ciardi's translation of the Divine Comedy comes to mind).


----------



## Incanus

I have started Titus Groan, the first Gormenghast book.

Though barely into it yet, I am positively floored by this work.  It is astounding, amazing, unbelievably cool.  My mind reels from the bizarre beauty of this.  By the time I reached the description of the ‘grey scrubbers’, my socks shot off of my feet with great velocity (if you see what I mean).

Never have I encountered a work of art that captures the phantasmagoric experience so perfectly, in any medium.  It is a fully realized dream-world.

I think my favorite feature of this book so far is the myriad ways that most everything is depicted through a theme or pattern of _disconnectedness_, and the way this is harnessed to create the surreal atmosphere.  A few examples (without spoilers ‘cause everything I mention is in the first few sections).  The people living inside and outside the castle meet only once per year for a ritual whose meaning has since been diluted or forgotten.  Sometimes, specific features of characters are described in isolation to the rest of the character.  And in one instance we told explicitly that the eye looking through a keyhole had a body connected to it (I just love this ironic, backwards way of hinting at disconnectedness–just one more hint that things here are made up of isolated items, loosely connected).  And I’ve already seen at least a dozen other such iterations of this concept.  Just lovely.

On top of that, most features of the story seem to redound upon the other features that make it all up.  We have a castle made up of winding and indirect corridors, characters whose thought patterns are twisting and winding and inefficient, and hordes of written sentences that are winding labyrinths all in themselves.  And then, a sort of weird humor is deftly woven into everything, and the prose is nothing less than stellar.

That said, I can see why this might not be for all tastes.  It’s resonating very strongly with me however.  In my view, this is high art.  I think that I just happen to be in the right time and place with my reading and writing level to properly receive this masterpiece.  If the book continues to pull off these kinds of things, it is well on course to becoming one of my all-time favorites.

Astonishing, brilliant, totally original, thoroughly entertaining.  This is fiction of the highest quality.


----------



## sirlongarm91

H. Sienkvici - The Deluge
C. S. Lewis - Prince Caspian

Trimis de pe al meu SM-G357FZ folosind Tapatalk


----------



## teacup

I preordered a book I planned on reading and got free delivery if I paid over Â£10, so I also ordered the other book I planned on reading. I didn't think it through though, so now I have both books arriving sometime in October, leaving me with no new books to read and no idea what to read until then. 

So I just began rereading The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie. I'm undecided whether to read this until I decide on a new book to read or to just read it all again. I'm sure I'll enjoy it enough to read it through twice, so I might just do that.


----------



## X Equestris

I'm currently reading a bit of nonfiction: Man-Eaters of Kumaon by Jim Corbett.  It's a pretty interesting account of the years Corbett spent hunting man-eating tigers and leopards in the Kumaon region of India.  I was honestly shocked at the body counts racked up by some of these man eaters he killed.  The Champawat Tigress killed 436 people before Corbett finally hunted her down.


----------



## Incanus

X Equestris said:


> I'm currently reading a bit of nonfiction: Man-Eaters of Kumaon by Jim Corbett.  It's a pretty interesting account of the years Corbett spent hunting man-eating tigers and leopards in the Kumaon region of India.  I was honestly shocked at the body counts racked up by some of these man eaters he killed.  The Champawat Tigress killed 436 people before Corbett finally hunted her down.



Wow, that _is _pretty shocking.

This is one reason I enjoy hanging out here at MS (or the internet in general).  It never before occured to me to ask the question:  how many people can an individual man-eating tiger kill in a lifetime?  The answer is downright amazing.  I guess the 'man-eating' appellation is even more deserved than I ever realized.  Thanks for that--


----------



## Tom

I am depressed. I was forced to close The Silmarillion halfway through in defeat, after having sworn that this would be the time I'd finally read it all the way through. It just got too overwhelming. Maybe I'll pick it back up after a few weeks, once I've recharged my batteries with some less challenging books. Damn you, ADD!


----------



## Mythopoet

Tom Nimenai said:


> I am depressed. I was forced to close The Silmarillion halfway through in defeat, after having sworn that this would be the time I'd finally read it all the way through. It just got too overwhelming. Maybe I'll pick it back up after a few weeks, once I've recharged my batteries with some less challenging books. Damn you, ADD!



There's nothing wrong with taking a break from a difficult book if you need to. How far did you get?


----------



## Tom

Halfway through. I quit just before the birth of mankind. I'm really annoyed at myself for putting it down--this is the third time I've failed to read it through to the end!


----------



## Mythopoet

Ah yeah, the chapter Of Men is pretty slow, but after that is when things get really epic. I'd say give it a rest. Cleanse your reading palate with some page turners and then try to dive in again. All the really wonderful stories are yet to come.


----------



## Gryphos

I tried reading the Silmarillion a while ago. I think I got up to the bit where Illuvatar and Melkor have some kind of rap battle and eventually just lost interest. Don't get me wrong, it was fascinating to get a glimpse into Tolkien's incredible, detailed imagination. I just couldn't wade through the bible-esque prose.


----------



## Mythopoet

Gryphos said:


> I tried reading the Silmarillion a while ago. I think I got up to the bit where Illuvatar and Melkor have some kind of rap battle and eventually just lost interest. Don't get me wrong, it was fascinating to get a glimpse into Tolkien's incredible, detailed imagination. I just couldn't wade through the bible-esque prose.



That's the very first chapter. lol


----------



## Kobun

Tom Nimenai said:


> Halfway through. I quit just before the birth of mankind. I'm really annoyed at myself for putting it down--this is the third time I've failed to read it through to the end!



Don't beat yourself up, man. Tolkien is dry at the best of times. In Silmarillion he's practically desiccating. It's a hard book to get through, with it's abrahamic prose and dense narrative. I've never been able to get through it myself, either.


----------



## Tom

Kobun said:


> Don't beat yourself up, man. Tolkien is dry at the best of times. In Silmarillion he's practically desiccating. It's a hard book to get through, with it's abrahamic prose and dense narrative. I've never been able to get through it myself, either.



Nah, it's not the prose--actually, I really like the prose. It has a beautiful, poetic quality that reminds me of a translation of Beowulf I read awhile ago. I just have a hard time digesting large chunks of text. For instance, I also took a breather between Game of Thrones and Clash of Kings, just because starting another big book right after I finished one was threatening to overwhelm me!


----------



## Mythopoet

Well, I finished The Magicians by Lev Grossman. I would sum it up as Harry Potter plus Narnia minus all hope and goodness. Seriously, I don't think I've ever come across a character that I started out being pretty sympathetic with who degenerated so much over the course of the novel that I absolutely hated his pathetic, wretched, abominable guts at the end in this way. Just.... die Quentin. DIAF.


----------



## The_Murky_Night

Just finished a translation of The Epic of Gilgamesh. Surprisingly, much easier to get through than the Iliad or The Odyssey (albeit, quite a bit shorter)


----------



## Kobun

Finished Red Seas Under Red Skies last night. Started Tom Merritt's Citadel 32 this morning. Needed a break from fantasy.


----------



## teacup

I read the two Splatter Elf short stories by Philip Overby (from here) and loved them. Definitely would recommend.

2 new books I ordered have arrived now but I don't know which to read first :|
Relic by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
and Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey

Might just close my eyes and spin around on my chair, then open my eyes when I stop and choose whichever one I'm looking at/is closest to where I'm looking.


----------



## Philip Overby

Thanks, Teacup! You're awesome! I wasn't even trawling the site looking for my name either. 

I'm reading several things, per usual. All of them I enjoy for different reasons.

Reading Orcs, Bears, and A*holes by Robert Bevan. Funny, crude fantasy that is right up my alley.

The Vagrant by Peter Newman is one of my Audible listens right now. I haven't gotten the swing of listening to audio books yet (although I want to try more), but this book is great.

Betrayal's Shadow by Dave de Burgh. He's a great South African writer. Raymond E. Feist said "This SOB can write!"

Beyond Redemption by Michael R. Fletcher. Another great one, that is really dark, but also really inventive. Cool if you're into the grimdark scene (I am.)

Lastly, Rough Magick by Kenny Soward. This one is part of the Gnome Saga series, which not only has awesome cover art, but is definitely something cool for people looking for fantasy that follows different kinds of characters. Namely, gnomes!

One thing I'm trying to do is rotate through the books I'm ready every day. It's slow going, but it keeps my book ADD at a minimum.


----------



## Kobun

Philip Overby said:


> Thanks, Teacup! You're awesome! I wasn't even trawling the site looking for my name either.
> 
> I'm reading several things, per usual. All of them I enjoy for different reasons.
> 
> Reading Orcs, Bears, and A*holes by Robert Bevan. Funny, crude fantasy that is right up my alley.
> 
> The Vagrant by Peter Newman is one of my Audible listens right now. I haven't gotten the swing of listening to audio books yet (although I want to try more), but this book is great.
> 
> Betrayal's Shadow by Dave de Burgh. He's a great South African writer. Raymond E. Feist said "This SOB can write!"
> 
> Beyond Redemption by Michael R. Fletcher. Another great one, that is really dark, but also really inventive. Cool if you're into the grimdark scene (I am.)
> 
> Lastly, Rough Magick by Kenny Soward. This one is part of the Gnome Saga series, which not only has awesome cover art, but is definitely something cool for people looking for fantasy that follows different kinds of characters. Namely, gnomes!
> 
> One thing I'm trying to do is rotate through the books I'm ready every day. It's slow going, but it keeps my book ADD at a minimum.


Gnome saga?? Please elaborate.


----------



## Mythopoet

I am trying to claw my way through Titus Groan again. I can't wait until I'm done with this book. 

After this I plan to indulge in some old school adventure stories.


----------



## Gryphos

I'm currently reading 'Consider Phlebas' by Iain M Banks. And yeah, it's pretty good. I've decided that if I was given the opportunity to live in any fictional society, The Culture would be my choice, easy. It's a communist utopia, a secular heaven. You don't have to worry about money or work, because there is no scarcity of resources and everything is provided and run by machines and AIs. You can do anything you want as long as you don't hurt anyone. You can live for hundreds of years. You can have drug glands embedded in your body and you can choose to stoned however long you want with no side effects. It would be great!


----------



## Incanus

Should be finishing Titus Groan in another couple of days.  Amazing book.  One of the coolest things I've ever read.  My earlier comments stand.  I'd ask if there was anything else like it, but I know the answer would be abundantly clear:  No!  One thing is certain, this is NOT a book for readers who do not like description.  Also, if you're expecting a 'normal' narrative mode, look elsewhere--it does not handle plot in the traditional way.

It'll be a while before I tackle the next book in the series.  Hugely looking forward to it, though.


----------



## Mythopoet

Incanus said:


> Should be finishing Titus Groan in another couple of days.  Amazing book.  One of the coolest things I've ever read.  My earlier comments stand.  I'd ask if there was anything else like it, but I know the answer would be abundantly clear:  No!  One thing is certain, this is NOT a book for readers who do not like description.  Also, if you're expecting a 'normal' narrative mode, look elsewhere--it does not handle plot in the traditional way.
> 
> It'll be a while before I tackle the next book in the series.  Hugely looking forward to it, though.



For me, it's not at all the writing that is the problem. The writing is fine, good even. It's the content. I just can't stand Gormenghast and its inhabitants. I don't find them at all enjoyable to read about.


----------



## TWErvin2

Philip Overby said:


> Thanks, Teacup! You're awesome! I wasn't even trawling the site looking for my name either.
> 
> I'm reading several things, per usual. All of them I enjoy for different reasons.
> 
> Reading Orcs, Bears, and A*holes by Robert Bevan. Funny, crude fantasy that is right up my alley.
> 
> ...



My wife and I recently finished listening to the audiobook version of six of Bevan's short stories, one of which was "*Orcs, Bears and A$$holes*." Bevan writes fun stories that are entertaining and don't take themselves too seriously. Yes, a bit crude at times, so they might not be for everyone.

Right now I'm listening to *Hard Luck Hank: The Prince of Suck* (by Steven Campbell), which is the third novel in the series. Humorous SF is hard to find. What I like is Hank, who realizes he's not the brightest fellow on the block, but does what he can to get the job done. While the stories appear to ramble with events and situations Hank stumbles upon or confronts, they always come together in the end.


----------



## BronzeOracle

I'm taking a break from reading classics to start _Ship of Magic_ by Robin Hobb.  I've heard good things about her and I feel in the mood for a well written fantasy - like a good cup of coffee 

btw I've enjoyed reading the classics _History of the Peloponnesian War_, _The Histories_ and _The Aeneid_- they all offer some fantastic ideas, styles and insights for an ancient fantasy world.  I'm about midway through each of them, but now its time for some contemporary fiction.


----------



## Mythopoet

I finished The Book of Imaginary Beings by Jorge Luis Borges. It was a fun little volume. I knew most of the creatures already, being a mythology nerd, but there were some interesting fresh ones. And the descriptions themselves often had sources and information I hadn't come across before. Glad I read it. (And it's really clear how much influence it had on Gene Wolfe and in particular some of the things found in The Book of the New Sun.)

Also finished Peter and Wendy (aka Peter Pan) by J. M. Barrie. This one really took me by surprise by how wonderfully written and vivid it was. It's very heavy on the narrative exposition, but I found it so delightful in voice and tone that it didn't bother me in the least. Barrie describes the characters so vividly, particularly Peter and Hook, that I found myself continually fascinated. Most often it was when he made a deft observation about their character in the narrative and then proceeded to back it up by showing it in a little scene. The scene that talks about Hook's obsession with good form is brilliant.


----------



## Mythopoet

I finally finished Titus Groan! Oh frabjous day! I'm never going to read another word written by Mervyn Peake ever again! Hahahahaha!


----------



## Incanus

Mythopoet said:


> I finally finished Titus Groan! Oh frabjous day! I'm never going to read another word written by Mervyn Peake ever again! Hahahahaha!



Yeah, certainly not for everyone--I not only look forward to the next two installments, but plan to read at least a few of his other works as well--at least Peake's Progress and Mr. Pye.  Peake is a literary genius, in my book.

I think it is good for us to experience different authors, read wider.  Still deciding whether or not to force my way through a Gaiman book.  I probably should... just because.


----------



## Kobun

Trying to learn the not-so-subtle art of Military Sci-Fi so I pulled out a Battletech book I remembered loving in middle-school. Double-Blind by Loren Coleman.


----------



## Gurkhal

Just finished "The Poem of the Cid" which is a medieval Spanish epic about the famous El Cid and essentially his conquest of Valencia and the less than happy marriage between his daughters and the Infantes of Carrion. I could recommend it.

What I'm looking at now is re-read A Song of Ice and Fire and also to finish an introductionary book on feminism which I'm a little more than half-way-through. And after that, we'll see but Blackwell's "A Companion to the Ancient Near East" looks rather tempting, as does the E R Eddison's Mistress of Mistresses, A Fish Dinner in Memison and The Mezentian Gate.


----------



## Tom

Well, I just finished Go Set a Watchman. And I have to say, there is no doubt in my mind that Harper Lee wrote this book. There's just this inimitable quality to her style--a unique blend of seriousness and irreverent humor that no one else could write. 

Plus, nobody but her could take the literary equivalent of a baseball bat and mercilessly shatter my memories of To Kill a Mockingbird into a million shards. Seriously, the only person who can so completely and brutally tear characters apart like that is the person who created them. I can never recall To Kill a Mockingbird the same way again; Go Set a Watchman really changed my impression of it. It's sort of sad that my childhood memories of first picking up that book are distorted now, but it's also fascinating to see how I viewed the characters then and how I view them now.


----------



## Incanus

Tom Nimenai said:


> Well, I just finished Go Set a Watchman. And I have to say, there is no doubt in my mind that Harper Lee wrote this book. There's just this inimitable quality to her style--a unique blend of seriousness and irreverent humor that no one else could write.
> 
> Plus, nobody but her could take the literary equivalent of a baseball bat and mercilessly shatter my memories of To Kill a Mockingbird into a million shards. Seriously, the only person who can so completely and brutally tear characters apart like that is the person who created them. I can never recall To Kill a Mockingbird the same way again; Go Set a Watchman really changed my impression of it. It's sort of sad that my childhood memories of first picking up that book are distorted now, but it's also fascinating to see how I viewed the characters then and how I view them now.



Interesting, Tom.  This is about what I expect to encounter whenever I get around to the book.


----------



## Mythopoet

Incanus said:


> Peake is a literary genius, in my book.



Trying to wrap my mind around this sentiment... No use, won't stretch... Well, to each his own. 

I have been reading a scholarly work called *Lands Beyond* by L. Sprague de Camp and Willy Ley. It is an examination of various geographical myths throughout history including Atlantis, the locations of The Odyssey, the Land of Prester John (which I had not heard of before), El Dorado and more. I have found it to be immensely interesting and enlightening. It has strongly influenced my thinking about the nature of fantasy and science fiction throughout the ages. 

I've also started Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne.


----------



## Incanus

Mythopoet said:


> Trying to wrap my mind around this sentiment... No use, won't stretch... Well, to each his own.
> 
> I have been reading a scholarly work called *Lands Beyond* by L. Sprague de Camp and Willy Ley. It is an examination of various geographical myths throughout history including Atlantis, the locations of The Odyssey, the Land of Prester John (which I had not heard of before), El Dorado and more. I have found it to be immensely interesting and enlightening. It has strongly influenced my thinking about the nature of fantasy and science fiction throughout the ages.
> 
> I've also started Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne.



Lands Beyond sounds really cool.  I'll have to remember that one.

As far as Peake goes, I was referring strictly to craftsmanship.  For good or ill, I'm able to compartmentalize the various aspects of fiction.  Liking the story is a separate matter.  For instance, one might acknowledge that Beethoven or Mozart have greater musical skill than, say, The Backstreet Boys, while actually enjoying the latter more (though not me, in this case!)


----------



## Mythopoet

Incanus said:


> Lands Beyond sounds really cool.  I'll have to remember that one.
> 
> As far as Peake goes, I was referring strictly to craftsmanship.  For good or ill, I'm able to compartmentalize the various aspects of fiction.  Liking the story is a separate matter.  For instance, one might acknowledge that Beethoven or Mozart have greater musical skill than, say, The Backstreet Boys, while actually enjoying the latter more (though not me, in this case!)



The craftsmanship was all right, for the most part. But the final 25% or so had a bad tendency to get really, really purple. Everything was dragged out so long because of the extremely tedious and repetitive description. So I just can't really see him as a master of craft either.


----------



## Garren Jacobsen

I got burned out on fantasy lately (except for some favorite authors and continuing series that has books coming out) so I'm reading some different kinds of thrillers right now to help me understand their structures for a future fantasy novel I am working on. First in the lineup The Litigators by John Grisham.


----------



## Mythopoet

I also started reading (finally) the manga *Trigun by Yasuhiro Nightow*. I'm a big fan of the anime series, most because the MC is the most awesome MC ever (Vash the Stampede), but naturally the book is supposed to be better than the movie. At the very least, it's much longer which means there's a lot more development of certain characters and plot points. Really looking forward to getting the full story.

After I read Trigun, which is going to take a while, I really want to start reading his current series, Blood Blockade Battlefront. The recent (regrettably short) anime adaption was the best new anime so far this year, imo.


----------



## Incanus

Mythopoet said:


> The craftsmanship was all right, for the most part. But the final 25% or so had a bad tendency to get really, really purple. Everything was dragged out so long because of the extremely tedious and repetitive description. So I just can't really see him as a master of craft either.



I guess we have different ideas about 'craft' then.  Nothing wrong with that.  I would say the descriptions were elaborate, which might be viewed as tedious by some readers.  But I certainly saw nothing repetitive and not so much as a single instance of purple prose.  What I saw was some of the greatest writing skill I've ever read, in any genre or from any time.  But that's just me--most folks don't care about writing skill.  I tend to agree with C.S. Lewis' remarks about the book.


----------



## Mythopoet

Incanus said:


> I guess we have different ideas about 'craft' then.  Nothing wrong with that.  I would say the descriptions were elaborate, which might be viewed as tedious by some readers.  But I certainly saw nothing repetitive and not so much as a single instance of purple prose.  What I saw was some of the greatest writing skill I've ever read, in any genre or from any time.  But that's just me--most folks don't care about writing skill.  I tend to agree with C.S. Lewis' remarks about the book.



I'm trying to figure out if you're insinuating from that statement that I might be such a person that doesn't care about craft, which is why I don't appreciate Peake's. 

I am not a reader that dislikes description in general. I tend to prefer older styles of writing with more exposition and narrative personality rather than the modern sparse ideal. Like I said, for most of the book I found nothing to complain about in Peake's style and craft. But I am a bit surprised that you didn't see his writing in the last handful of chapters as even a little purple. To me, it seemed like as he approached the climax he got a tad self indulgent. I sensed a definite change from his style in the beginning to his style at the end. The end was much, much worse than the beginning. It was like he was trying to hide the fact that there was no real resolution at all, that the story just comes to a stop without a real ending, by describing everything as minutely and as grandly as possible.


----------



## Incanus

Started "The Name of the Rose" by Umberto Eco on the weekend.  So far, so good.  Not fantasy, but there is a lot of cool stuff about medieval monasteries and monks and church history.  Otherwise its sort of an old-fashioned "who-dunnit" murder mystery.  Good, hefty writing.

(@Mythopoet--sorry, I try not to insinuate.  I merely meant to point out that writing craft probably tops the list for things I want to see in a novel.  As far as I can tell, this is lower down on the 'list' for most readers.  I'm perfectly willing to be corrected, but it seems to me you put at least one thing higher up on such a list:  having at least one likable/relatable character in the story.  Apologies if I have misunderstood.  No matter what crazy opinions I might have, I'm super glad you're here--I think you may be the only person in the whole world that I have interacted with that appreciates the pre-Tolkien fantasy as much as I do.)


----------



## Adalind

I'm currently giving "The Darkness that Comes Before" by R. Scott Bakker another chance. I bought the book a few years ago, but didn't finish it even though it had everything I usually liked in a fantasy novel. For some reason I'm enjoying it much more now. I might even read its sequels.


----------



## Mythopoet

Finished *Lands Beyond*. What a fascinating read.  It's inspired me with thoughts of a new fantasy setting based on geographical myths. 

Also finished reading *The Three Impostors* by Arthur Machen, which was an influence on Lovecraft. Very strange book, odd structure. But fittingly creepy. I love the old weird stories.


----------



## teacup

Still reading Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey - I think I'm 100 or so pages from the end.
It's great so far, really loving it. I enjoyed it well enough throughout but once the pov characters meet it _really _picks up and just gets so good.
I think Steerpike(?) recommended it a long time ago and I've only just recently got around to reading it, and I'm very glad I did so far.


----------



## Mythopoet

I've started reading *Lilith by George MacDonald*. His novel Phantastes is more famous as one of the earliest true fantasy novels. Lilith comes 37 years later, shares a lot of similarities with Phantastes, but (so far) is _clearly_ the better written book. Phantastes was a slog without any seeming point, but Lilith is really drawing me in and giving my kindle's highlight function a lot of work. I highly recommend it if you're interested in very early fantasy.


----------



## Steerpike

teacup said:


> Still reading Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey - I think I'm 100 or so pages from the end.
> It's great so far, really loving it. I enjoyed it well enough throughout but once the pov characters meet it _really _picks up and just gets so good.
> I think Steerpike(?) recommended it a long time ago and I've only just recently got around to reading it, and I'm very glad I did so far.



All of the books in the series are quite good


----------



## teacup

Just finished Leviathan Wakes - loved it. I'll definitely read the sequel.
Steerpike - THEY'RE MAKING A TV SHOW OF IT. It airs this December on the SyFy channel. It's named "The Expanse"


----------



## Incanus

I'm reading the two original Alice in Wonderland stories.  I'm totally embarrased to admit it but, _I'm reading these for the very first time_.  It's really great, but that practically goes without saying.  Well, at least I'll soon cross one more classic off the reading list.


----------



## Garren Jacobsen

Just finished Red Country. Good book, should have read the books preceding it, but I enjoyed it.


----------



## Scribe Lord

I just started reading Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay. I've read his The Lions of Al-Rassan and Under Heaven already and enjoyed them. While I don't always connect with all his characters, I particularly like Kay's writing style.


----------



## Incanus

I need to read some of him one of these times ^^


----------



## Steerpike

Incanus said:


> I need to read some of him one of these times ^^



Absolutely you do


----------



## teacup

> Just finished Red Country. Good book, should have read the books preceding it, but I enjoyed it.


Abercrombie?
Awww maan you've got to read the rest! The Blade Itself and Red Country are my least favourite of the lot, but I did like them. Think you'll go back and start from the beginning?


----------



## Steerpike

teacup said:


> Abercrombie?
> Awww maan you've got to read the rest! The Blade Itself and Red Country are my least favourite of the lot, but I did like them. Think you'll go back and start from the beginning?



I think Best Served Cold and Red Country have been my favorites, though apart from The Blade Itself, I think they're all great.


----------



## teacup

> I think Best Served Cold and Red Country have been my favorites, though apart from The Blade Itself, I think they're all great.



My favourites are a tie between The Heroes and Best Served Cold  I agree - I liked The Blade Itself well enough by the end of it, but all the rest are much better. I remember reading book 1 thinking "what's all this hype about?" then by book 2 I just loved it all.


----------



## Incanus

Maybe I need to check out more Abercrombie then as well.  Only read Blade--was luke warm on it.

Wish I could read faster--


----------



## Scribe Lord

Incanus said:


> Wish I could read faster--



Don't we all XD


----------



## Mythopoet

I just finished the manga Trigun. It was truly excellent except that it was sometimes hard to read. The images were often unclear and hard to follow and it was often very ambiguous where the dialogue was coming from since none of the speech bubbles had the little tags for pointing to the speaking character. Still, I'm really glad I read it. There were a lot of differences from the anime, and I'm really excited about how this is going to develop in the sequel Trigun Maximum.


----------



## Garren Jacobsen

Just picked up a non-fantasy novel to keep me from burning out like a did during the summer. It's another Grisham. I am trying to figure out the structure of his legal thrillers.


----------



## Incanus

I think that ^^ is a very good idea.  At present, about every other novel I read is fantasy.


----------



## FatCat

I've been reading a lot of PKD, I really love how he condenses a story into an idea. Every novel deals with a very concrete issue and doesn't complicate the narrative with anything other than that idea. It's such tight writing in terms of subject.


----------



## Mythopoet

Well, I finished Lilith by George MacDonald. It started out really well, but after a while it starting hitting the reader over the head with Christian allegory. At least when Lewis did it he kept it part of an entertaining story. 

Since it's October, I'm going to read Frankenstein next.


----------



## Tom

I'm going to re-read Neil Gaiman's _Stardust_. It's been a while since I've picked it up. 

I'm also reading through a hefty volume I found, called _Masterworks at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery._ As a college student with a busy schedule, I haven't had time recently to visit the Gallery, and it's great to have a book of many of the famous works exhibited there. I'm actually going to use the book as a source for my next paper, which will compare and contrast traditional and abstract art.


----------



## Russ

About half way through Moorcock's latest, the Whispering Swarm.  A very unusual book, but I am enjoying it and I am glad he had the courage to write it.


----------



## acapes

FatCat said:


> I've been reading a lot of PKD, I really love how he condenses a story into an idea. Every novel deals with a very concrete issue and doesn't complicate the narrative with anything other than that idea. It's such tight writing in terms of subject.



Same - the PKD Reader has some utterly fascinating stuff in it


----------



## Peterloom

Hi everyone, I'm new so I've been checking out the forums to see what I can find to read.

Right now I'm reading a book for a new author a friend told me about. The author is M.R. Chavez. Looks like he is just getting started with writing books. The book is called The Last Umbra.

It's pretty entertaining and something I would never think of. It's an Adventure, action-fantasy. It is focused on the admiration for the Japanese warrior class. This book tells of not a pride filled Samurai, but instead, a ninja assassin on a quest in gold-rush era California.


----------



## Russ

Started B.W. Foster's Rise of the Mages last night.  So far so good.


----------



## Zara

I'm working my way through Wheel of Time books and also Gone Girl.


----------



## Incanus

Reading Grapes of Wrath.  I jammed through the book in High-school, so it's past time I read it properly.

In short, it's everything a great novel should be.  Producing a work of this caliber is certainly beyond me.  I guess I should be happy that my writing-genre of choice has a considerably lower quality threshold.


----------



## ThinkerX

What the heck.  Read quite a few books lately.

'The Flicker Men,' by Ted Kosmatka.  This one made me really think, as it combined a variant baseline QM experiment with...'souls' and whether or not some people lack them.  Different fields physics, history, anthropology, religion combined, all mixed in with a passable action novel.

'The Fold' by Peter Clines.  Another that made me think, though I figured out what was going on early on.  When is a teleport device not a teleport device?  When its something else.  And that 'something else' is straight out of Lovecraft.  Did seem a bit truncated, though, and the ending, like so many others, demands a sequel. The book is mentioned by the author as being a sort f 'sidequel' to another book I haven't tracked down yet.

'Rise of the Mages,' by our very own BW Foster.  I got one of the ARC's and shared commentary with him on it.  I may do a review once I get the chance.  It was a bit of a kick, seeing sections 'in print' that had been posted and gone over here in 'Showcase' long ago.  My overall assessment: better than some of the conventionally published books these days, though it could have been better.   Speaking of which...

'Twilight Reign,' by Tom Lloyd.  A five book series featuring a quarrelsome realm perpetually at war, with the local Deities taking a very direct hand in affairs.   To me, the MC comes across almost as a sort of 'Macho Mary Sue' (despite being male) and the almost nonstop fighting, from clashing armies to isolated duels, became rather tiresome after a while.  After weeks of on and off reading, I made it to the first part of book five.  Not sure if I'll continue, as the Mary Sue and unbeatable champion elements more or less force a certain ending.  Seems almost like an AD&D campaign.

Others include, but are not limited to Ryan's 'Queen of Fire,' Baladachi's 'The Keeper' (not quite as good as 'The Finisher,' and raising some disturbing moral questions), and a pile of Asimov and F&SF magazines.


----------



## X Equestris

I'm currently reading The Last Wish by Sapkowski.  So far, it has been an interesting introduction to the world.


----------



## Mythopoet

I think I've been ruined for novels. Lately I've been diving into manga and enjoying it so much I can't manage to read anything else.


----------



## teacup

I was reading Relic by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child for a while. I got nearly 3/4 of the way through but I never enjoyed it and never wanted to read ahead. I just kept reading because it wasn't particularly boring and because I had bought it and was already reading it. But then 2 new books I had ordered arrived and I decided I would much prefer to read those now rather than waiting until I finished Relic. 
I'm not sure if I'll get back to it or not. Being this far in and not being impressed at all makes me think there's not much point in reading more.

I'm now reading book 2 in The Worldbreaker Saga by Kameron Hurley. Book 1 was great, and I love book 2 so far, though I'm only around 50 pages in.


----------



## Steerpike

I may try some Kameron Hurley.  I've been avoiding her because she doesn't seem like a very nice person on Twitter.


----------



## Incanus

Steerpike said:


> I may try some Kameron Hurley.  I've been avoiding her because she doesn't seem like a very nice person on Twitter.



I'm not quite sure I understand this sentiment.  As far as I can tell, having talent or skill doesn't guarantee a nice disposition, or vice-versa.

One of my all-time favorite bands is Pink Floyd.  The main songwriter, Roger Waters, is pretty much a straight up jerk.  I doubt I would want to spend even two minutes hanging out with the guy.  He also happens to be one of the very best songwriters in rock and roll.

You've got to be one of the most widely-read people I've ever encountered.  Surely you've read a book or two by authors who might not be particularly 'nice'?

On the other hand, I've read some quotes attributed to D.H. Lawrence that made me never want to read anything of his.  (He recommended euthanasia for everyone living essentially in poverty.)


----------



## Steerpike

Incanus said:


> I'm not quite sure I understand this sentiment.  As far as I can tell, having talent or skill doesn't guarantee a nice disposition, or vice-versa.
> 
> One of my all-time favorite bands is Pink Floyd.  The main songwriter, Roger Waters, is pretty much a straight up jerk.  I doubt I would want to spend even two minutes hanging out with the guy.  He also happens to be one of the very best songwriters in rock and roll.
> 
> You've got to be one of the most widely-read people I've ever encountered.  Surely you've read a book or two by authors who might not be particularly 'nice'?
> 
> On the other hand, I've read some quotes attributed to D.H. Lawrence that made me never want to read anything of his.  (He recommended euthanasia for everyone living essentially in poverty.)



I'm sure I've read plenty of book by jerks, but if I know they're not particularly nice it makes me less likely to buy their books. My to-read stack is big enough as it is. I also don't buy books by Orson Scott Card, because I don't like the political activity he engages in with the money.

Hurley might be perfectly nice, it just seemed to me on Twitter that she wasn't and with all the books I have to read I wasn't compelled to add hers to the list


----------



## Incanus

Steerpike said:


> I'm sure I've read plenty of book by jerks, but if I know they're not particularly nice it makes me less likely to buy their books. My to-read stack is big enough as it is. I also don't buy books by Orson Scott Card, because I don't like the political activity he engages in with the money.
> 
> Hurley might be perfectly nice, it just seemed to me on Twitter that she wasn't and with all the books I have to read I wasn't compelled to add hers to the list



Understood.  I'm not familiar with her and don't know what she said specifically, and I very well might have reacted in a similar manner.  I suppose this kind of thing really comes down to a case-by-case basis.  To my knowledge, Roger Waters has never said anything as outlandish as the Lawrence quote I saw.

My to-read list is becoming quite unwieldy; ludicrous even.


----------



## Steerpike

I've never heard that D.H. Lawrence quote. That's a bad one all right. He lived at a time where there was forced sterilization of people deemed "lesser." Never heard of anyone proposing euthanasia for impoverished people, though.


----------



## thedarknessrising

I started _The Name of the Wind_ by Patrick Rothfuss after hearing many positive reviews on it. I'm a couple chapters into it, but it's a really good book.


----------



## Tom

It's come to my attention that I need to study some fencing theory. I'm familiar with the mechanics and rules of the sport, but don't really know the logic and history behind them. Plus I need to brush up on my phases of action--after being told to work on my preparations, I gave my coach that blank look all teachers dread, regardless of subject or sport. Then after an awkward five-second pause, it clicked and I had that "ooohhhhhhh" moment. Looks like I'm getting rusty.

Anyone know of any fencing books out there that cover the history and theory of the sport?


----------



## teacup

@Steerpike - I've not seen enough of her to see if she's nice or not, but I think her writing and the world of this series is very good, worth reading. But my to read list is no doubt much much shorter than yours, so I don't know if you should add it or not.
In this series she writes about cultures different to the usual ones I see, and the world is very unique to what I've read and seen before, so if you want something different I definitely recommend it. (Though due to how much you read who knows, you might have seen similar stuff anyway )

I'm very glad I gave up on Relic and switched to Empire Ascendant. I'm reading through this one very fast (compared to my usual speed.)


----------



## Jophelerx

I've been going through some of Stephen King's stuff, having not read much by him before. Read _The Tommyknockers_ in September and just finished _The Shining_ a couple of days ago. Taking a break with some short stories (read some Lovecraft yesterday, I've been a big fan of his for a long time, but haven't read all of his stories yet), plan to continue going through King's stuff with _It_ as my next novel to read. I'm also stuck on book 11 with Robert Jordan's _The Wheel of Time_, which is ironic since _Crossroads of Twilight_ was so much slower, I guess I'm burned out with Jordan. I want to finish it and move on to the final 3 novels since I've read the first book in Sanderson's _The Stormlight Archive_ series and very much enjoyed it (I do own the second one as well, just haven't gotten to it yet), but I guess I need to stay away from Jordan awhile longer.


----------



## Stephyn Blackwood

Been looking for a lot of obscure dark/gritty fantasy lately, and I stumbled upon _Age of Iron_ by Angus Watson, and it was surprisingly really good. I'd expected something a bit mediocre, and just something to keep me reading, but it came out as a really interesting story. Not that it's anything overly special, the author's not created the next great wave of historical fiction mixed with light elements of fantasy. 

But still, if anyone's looking for a pretty good dark/gritty, a little bit humorous bit of fantasy fiction, I'd recommend it, despite all the flack that it seems to be getting for it's historic inaccuracies. (I'd like to point out that there is barely anything known about the British Iron Age Celts, so who are we to know about their culture and such? The author appears to have just filled in the blanks that have been left open, and he does it rather convincingly.... Aside from the spiked chariots... But those are just a bit of gory fun, aren't they? It is fantasy after all.)


----------



## Steerpike

Just started Stone Mattress, by Margaret Atwood. So far, good enough that I read the first three stories in one sitting.


----------



## Masronyx

I've tried Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun (Shadow of the Torturer) and like you, could not get into it. Sometimes the author takes too long with side trips or what I think is too mundane in the narrative. I really liked the concept though, may try again at some point.

Right now I've just finished "Bloodkin" by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes. It's YA fantasy with vampires and shape shifters, a little quick and entertaining read for me. I've been reading every book this author publishes since I was 13. It was actually her work that put me on the path towards writing as a career/life passion. 

I tried to get into "Cloud Atlas" by David Mitchell, but, having trouble with the narrative. Again, like the concept, just the delivery.
I may look into some of Gene Wolfe's other works, sounds interesting.


----------



## Masronyx

JRFLynn said:


> This month I'm going to start the Kingkiller Trilogy by Patrick Rothfuss, I haven't been excited about reading in a long, long time so hopefully it's as good as they say.




Oooh! That's on my To Read list in Goodreads!! That might be my next read (or soon to read)


----------



## Mythopoet

Masronyx said:


> I've tried Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun (Shadow of the Torturer) and like you, could not get into it. Sometimes the author takes too long with side trips or what I think is too mundane in the narrative. I really liked the concept though, may try again at some point.



If this is in response to the first post, I actually did manage to read through the whole Book of the New Sun as well as Urth of the New Sun some time ago. Despite them not really being books I could say I enjoyed, I'm glad I read them. They are very unique and definitely broadened my horizons on a number of levels. Though now my husband is trying to get me to read the Book of the Short Sun (another tetralogy). I already have so much to read as it is.


----------



## MineOwnKing

I have been reading a chapter every night to my 8 year old son of Percy Jackson's Greek Gods by Rick Riordan. 

This is a very clever book, both for kids of his age and for adults. 

It is fun to read and my son laughs at all the punch lines. 

We love it.


----------



## Mythopoet

I just spent the past week furiously reading the manga D. Gray Man from the beginning to the most recently released chapter. 220 chapters in all. It was brilliant and amazing and I am dying now because I have to wait til January for the next chapter. Oh, the pain of becoming a manga reader.


----------



## Steerpike

Finished Shirley Jackson's _We Have Always Lived in the Castle_ in a single sitting. It's a great book. Strange, and creepy, but great.


----------



## teacup

> I tried to get into "Cloud Atlas" by David Mitchell, but, having trouble with the narrative. Again, like the concept, just the delivery.


 I've not read the book but I loved the movie of that 

I finished Empire Ascendant, book 2 of Kameron Hurley's Worldbreaker Saga. I had come to terms with the fact that I would have to wait a year for book 3, which was hard to do. I really want to read book 3 right now but I can't, I have to wait. But I've accepted that fact.
Then I found out that book 3 is to be released in 2017. 2 years. I have to wait 2 years for the final book.
2 YEARS!!!


I'm now reading Half A King by Joe Abercrombie, which I'm enjoying greatly. I love Abercrombie's writing and his characters. I miss the First Law world, though. I need to read all his short stories in that world.


----------



## Incanus

Been reading I, Robot, for the second time--mostly to be looking at good, solid prose, lucid and easy to read.  If there is someone better at that than Asimov, I've not encountered them.  Seems an appropriate read while I'm drafting my novel.


----------



## Russ

Incanus said:


> Been reading I, Robot, for the second time--mostly to be looking at good, solid prose, lucid and easy to read.  If there is someone better at that than Asimov, I've not encountered them.  Seems an appropriate read while I'm drafting my novel.



If you like Asimov and good solid prose like his, allow me to recommend my friend Robert Sawyer to you.  He carries on the great traditions of Spec Fic with beautiful writing that is a pleasure to read.


----------



## Incanus

Thank for the recommendation.  I don't read anywhere near as much sci-fi as fantasy, but Asimov is one of my favs.  He really had something special going.

I just started reading a book called _Darkness Visible _by William Golding (cool title, or what?).  This will be the fourth Golding book I've read.  The first chapter was absolutely amazing.  Outstanding writing.  I wonder why it is that only his_ Lord of the Flies _gets any attention.  Both _The Inheritors _and _Pincher Martin _were excellent novels.  I would love to see a writer of this caliber doing fantasy.  It's a real shame they so rarely do.  But it is for things like this that I read non-fantasy with regularity.


----------



## Joe the Gnarled

I'm reading the Outlander series while I wait (oh so patiently) for Patrick Rothfuss to put out his next book.


----------



## Velka

I just picked up Tails of Wonder collection, featuring authors like Neil Gaiman, George R. R. Martin, Joyce Carol Oates, and Susanna Clarke for $2.80 on the Kindle. What makes it even more awesome is it's all about cats!


----------



## Mythopoet

I decided to reread the entire Anne of Green Gables series (8 books) over the course of the cold season. Something cheerful to lift my spirits while the world is dead.  I'm also taking this opportunity to write down all the good Anne quotes I find, which are myriad.


----------



## Miskatonic

Life in a Medieval City by Joseph and Frances Gies.


----------



## Deleted member 4265

The King of Assassins by Jenna Rhodes.

It's been years since I read the first two books in the series and I'm picking up flaws I didn't notice before, but I definitely still love the series. The first book, The Four Forges, really influenced my writing when I was younger.


----------



## Miskatonic

Started A Game of Thrones. Since I watched the first season there aren't many surprises; but I'll read the rest of the series before I go back and watch the other seasons.


----------



## Velka

I've been on a bit of a short story binge lately. I just reread Neil Gaiman's Trigger Warning. So many wonderful stories, but I think my favourite was The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains. <-- clicky link to read it published online.

So much beautiful and haunting language.

Close second in the compilation would be his Dr. Who fanfic Nothing O'Clock.


----------



## Mythopoet

Well, it took a while, because of the completely non sequitur beginning (pretty typical for novels back then), but I finally managed to get into *Frankenstein by Mary Shelley*. And wow, it has been very surprising. It's kind of sad how pop culture has utterly and completely changed the cultural consciousness of this story. When you hear "Frankenstein" you think of a moaning behemoth who hates fire. But the "creature" is actually extremely human. He uses fire, he learns to speak eloquently and reads classics. Frankenstein didn't create the monster in a dimply lit dungeon with a stroke of lightning but in an an attic in a house he was boarding in as a college student. I'm still around the halfway mark so I'm really looking forward to where else this story will surprise me.


----------



## Ireth

Mythopoet said:


> Well, it took a while, because of the completely non sequitur beginning (pretty typical for novels back then), but I finally managed to get into *Frankenstein by Mary Shelley*. And wow, it has been very surprising. It's kind of sad how pop culture has utterly and completely changed the cultural consciousness of this story. When you hear "Frankenstein" you think of a moaning behemoth who hates fire. But the "creature" is actually extremely human. He uses fire, he learns to speak eloquently and reads classics. Frankenstein didn't create the monster in a dimply lit dungeon with a stroke of lightning but in an an attic in a house he was boarding in as a college student. I'm still around the halfway mark so I'm really looking forward to where else this story will surprise me.



As someone who read and studied Frankenstein for college classes, I agree that it's an awesome book. I wish I hadn't misplaced my copy.


----------



## Mythopoet

Ireth said:


> As someone who read and studied Frankenstein for college classes, I agree that it's an awesome book. I wish I hadn't misplaced my copy.



Well, you can get the ebook for free, like I did. All hail the public domain and project gutenberg.


----------



## Metanoiac

I'm reading Liu Cixin's _The Three Body Problem_ translated in English from Chinese. I'm really loving this author, and the historical base his story is written in!


----------



## Tom

I just started the Welcome to Night Vale novel. So far, it's just as bizarre, creepy, and wonderful as the podcast. I keep finding myself smirking at all the little references sprinkled throughout the book that only listeners of the podcast would know about.


----------



## Ireth

Just finished Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (for the zillionth time), and Tuck Everlasting (for the first time). Wishing I had Prisoner of Azkaban to continue the HP series properly, but oh well.


----------



## teacup

I've read the first 2 books of The Shattered Sea series by Joe Abercrombie which I loved. I need the 3rd now but the one with the cover I need isn't out yet 
I then read The Ocean At The End Of The Lane by Neil Gaiman, which I'm not sure about. For most of it I was just reading it, not very interested in it but also not exactly bored by it. There were times when I quite enjoyed it, so when I remember those I think I like it, but then I remember the chunks of reading when I wasn't interested, so I'm not sure what to rate it. I'll give it "meh?"/10.

Now I'm reading Book 2 of The Expanse - Caliban's War, by James S. A. Corey.
I loved book 1 and so far I'm loving this, too.

There's a tv show of the series (scifi) airing on December 14th on the Syfy channel, so I recommend that and the books. (Ep 1 is already out online, as it was released early on Syfy's website. Ep 1 was great, and it looks like it will make a brilliant series.)


----------



## Ban

The Nation-State and Global Order by Walter C Opello


It is truly riveting... In all seriousness it is a pretty good, very informative book, but i wish i could read some fantasy instead.


----------



## Incanus

Just started reading A Tale of Two Cities.  I think I'm going to like it.


----------



## Heliotrope

Slaughter House five. 

Though its been on hold while I had a quick Hunger Games marathon to prep for the movie...

I loved A Tale of Two cities. I had to read it in high school and I was that nerdy kid that had higher then 100% in the class....


----------



## Tom

Ireth said:


> Just finished Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (for the zillionth time), and Tuck Everlasting (for the first time). Wishing I had Prisoner of Azkaban to continue the HP series properly, but oh well.



Hey! Right now I'm rereading the Harry Potter series! Maybe we could have a party.  (I'm currently on Half-Blood Prince.)


----------



## Joe the Gnarled

Ireth said:


> Just finished Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (for the zillionth time), and Tuck Everlasting (for the first time). Wishing I had Prisoner of Azkaban to continue the HP series properly, but oh well.



Reading Prisonder of Azkaban to my daughter right now. We are on the second to last chapter. Hope you get your hands on the book. Reading the entire series from start to finish is awesome.


----------



## Steerpike

The Mirror Empire, Anno Dracula, Swann's Way, Seveneves, and still finishing up Emma.


----------



## ThinkerX

Most of my Lovecraft type anthologies came in, so today I picked up the 'Explorers Guild,' featuring an ill fated arctic expedition and the exploits of a rather brutal mercenary (?) company.  What gets me is the format: it switches back and forth between normal text and graphic novel.


----------



## Mythopoet

I finished Anne of Green Gables yesterday. It had me crying once again at the end. Such a fantastic coming of age story. Now on to Anne of Avonlea.

Still slowly working through Frankenstein.


----------



## Tom

Okay, note to self: Do not read _Memento Mori_ by Paul Koudounaris ever again. The only reason I have it is to cite it for an English project, but still...All those of pictures of bones and skulls and mummies and death...

I'm feeling sick and shaky right now. 

Death frightens me. I have not come to terms with my own mortality, and maybe never will. I hate morbid stuff. Just hate it. It makes me want to curl up in the fetal position and try to shut out the reality of death. 

Stupid book. Stupid paper.


----------



## TWErvin2

I'm reading: 
*Masters of the Air: America's Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany*
by Donald L. Miller


----------



## Mythopoet

Finished *Frankenstein* the other day. I'm not sure what to think about it. The narrative seems to take Victor Frankenstein's belief in his own innocence very seriously. He is treated as a noble hero and practically a saint at the end. I find this somewhat disturbing, since the man seems to me easily the most unstable, cowardly, shamefully guilty person the story could make him. The creature is guilty as well, but I find him far, far more pitiable than Frankenstein. Well, I'm glad I read it anyway. It was a very interesting experience.


----------



## Ireth

Started _So Long, and Thanks For All The Fish_ last night. So far it's as entertaining as the first three.


----------



## MineOwnKing

Ireth said:


> Started _So Long, and Thanks For All The Fish_ last night. So far it's as entertaining as the first three.



It's been 30 years since I read the series but I remember them all to be very good.


----------



## Incanus

I've started the second of the Tales from the Flat Earth books by Tanith Lee, called Death's Master.  I love the way she writes (well, wrote--she passed away just this year).  These books are too good to be out of print, very sad.

(On a side note, ordering this book was the best experience I've had at Amazon.  It is a hard-bound 3-in-1 omnibus, containing the first three novels of this series, printed in the mid 80's.  Not only was this 30-year old book in excellent condition, it came with a _hand written note_ addressed specifically to me, suggesting other books.  How rare (and cool) is that?!)


----------



## Garren Jacobsen

I've almost finished shadows of self by Bramdon Sanderson. Loved it so far.


----------



## Ireth

Read through Terry Pratchett's "The Shepherd's Crown" yesterday. It didn't have much of the humor of his other books, but a lot of the character development was unexpected and awesome. A most fitting final book from a great author. Definitely worth a read, especially for any long-time PTerry fans.


----------



## Garren Jacobsen

Just finished Shadows of Self. Wonderful book. Who the Hell is Trell? Is he Odium?


----------



## Brithel

Finished the Hogfather Yesterday. Very good - the wizards (Ridcully and the Dean and such), along with Death are my favourite characters in Discworld so I quite liked this one. The ending was a little weak but Death provided a solid ending "speech" to wrap it all up. 

Also started 'The Complete Fiction of H.P. Lovecraft'. I've only read the first story, 'The Beast in the Cave' but that was very enjoyable, if a little campy and cliche (Though Lovecraft probably invented or popularised what I'm talking about). I thought I'd be put off due to how flowery the writing was (or how I heard it was) but it was very readable, certainly not as hard as Tolkien's work.


----------



## kennyc

Anthony Doerr ...

I’m a bit infatuated with this writer at the moment … 

I just re-read “The Deep” from him yesterday and first ran across him a few years back when I read “The Shell Collector” in one of the year’s best anthologies.

I’ve got to get to his novel “All the Light we cannot see” one of these days…. But so much to read, so little time…

I ran across this interview with him that appears to be just before his winning of the Pulitzer for "All the Light…

Dialogue: Author Anthony Doerr - YouTube



I just re-read his first 'major' published story in The Atlantic - The Hunter's Wife -- Amazing and certainly a fantasy/mythical touch to it: The Hunter's Wife - The Atlantic

Enjoy!


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## Mythopoet

I've been breezing through the Anne of Green Gables series. Finished Anne of Avonlea, Anne of the Island and Anne of Windy Poplars and am now reading Anne's House of Dreams. 

I also read the first chapter of a new manga called The Case Study of Vanitas by Jun Mochizuki. Its premise is 19th century Paris plus steampunk plus vampires. The first chapter is very promising. These are definitely not your average vampires. And Yen Press has the official English digital release available through Amazon, B&N and Apple same day as the Japanese release for only 2.99. I highly recommend anyone who likes fantasy manga give it a try.


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## Velka

Vacation reads I got through:

Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott - Reminded me greatly of On Writing by Stephen King, but with a very different self-deprecating slant and not quite as useful. Entertaining though.

The Anatomy of Story by John Truby - Extremely informative and useful. It gave me new insight about why certain parts of my works aren't working, and some fresh ideas on how to fix it. Going to reread it several times. 

The Long Earth by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter - It was okay. Entertaining and interesting in some parts. Pratchett's humour shines through, but there were some wobbly bits. I think my adoration of the Discworld series set me up to not enjoy it as much as I might have.

Reread The Lies of Locke Lamora.


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## MiguelDHorcrux

R.A Salvatorre's Legend of Drizzt Collection. I'm on book 10.


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## Steerpike

Devouring Wolf said:


> The Chronicles of the Black Company. I'm not going to lie, I kind of hate it, but its interesting enough that I feel compelled to keep reading, plus I'm reading aloud to my sister and she really loves it so I can't stop.



Great books


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## BenjaminLocke

I'm currently reading 'The final empire' mistborn book 1 by Brandon Sanderson. I've got Gardens of the moon to read next but I have a feeling I may end up starting book 2 once final empire is done.


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## Mindfire

Currently reading The Daylight War, book 3 of the Demon Cycle by Peter V. Brett. These books are... interesting. And my feelings toward them are best described as ambivalent. On the one hand, the worldbuilding, characters, and plot are very engrossing. But on the other hand, the books are chock-full of (what I'm hoping is) unintentional racism towards Middle-Eastern people. Part of the problem is that while the worldbuilding is engrossing, it's also lazy in that it (and I really hope this is unintentional) relies on awful stereotypes about Middle-Eastern people with the Krasians, playing up their brutality, obsession with honor, religious fanaticism, and poor treatment of women and outsiders. And of course, all these failings are pointed out with dismay by our salt-of-the-earth White protagonists.  That's not to say the White characters are perfect; they have their own flaws just as the Krasians have virtues. But the flaws of the white characters are shown in a humanizing light and presented as flaws in the individuals rather than a racial trait, whereas the Krasians' flaws are bound up in their race and shown in a way that's not quite dehumanizing but close enough. The book portrays them as barbarians, or "noble savages" at best when their virtues are taken into account. Virtues consisting primarily of a dubious sense of honor and bravery that borders on stupidity. Again, I don't think the writer did any of this on purpose. But if someone who was already prejudiced against Middle-Eastern and Muslim people read this book, they'd probably come away all the more convinced that the brown people are coming to threaten 'Murica with their Jihad and Sharia law and that the author agrees with them in that assessment. (The fact that so many of the White characters speak with an insufferable "rural" accent somehow makes it even worse.) And given how much prejudice there already is toward Middle-Eastern and Muslim people, that's a problem, one that irreparably mars these books. 

Yet, in spite of those elements and the near-constant facepalming that results from them, I still enjoy the story. The story is good. I just wish there wasn't so much racism crap all over it. (And also that there was more variety than folksy White people, posh White people, and barbaric Middle-Eastern people, but whatever.) So I'm ambivalent. I wouldn't say I "recommend" these books, but if you can endure the racist stuff the story is still good.


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## Mythopoet

well, I finished Anne of Ingleside, the 6th of the Anne of Green Gables books. IT was really good for me after some really tough times this past month and a half. But that only leaves me with 2 more Anne books for the rest of the winter. So I"m going to take a break from Anne for a while and save those at least for FEbruary. 

I picked up a 3-in-1 edition of THe Book of JHereg by STeven BRust with a gift card I got for CHristmas. IT was one of the only books on my master fantasy list I need to read that was actually at B & N when I went there. SO far it doesn't really seem to be my cup of tea, but I plan on finishing the first book in it at least. 

(THis sticky shift key is driving me crazy!)


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## Mythopoet

I finished Jhereg last night. It was a fast and easy read, but I found it far less than satisfying as a story experience. This may partly be because it is Steven Brust's first published book and his skills are just not up to the standard of what I normally read, which is hardly his fault. Or it may be because I did not like Vlad Taltos much at all. I wanted to give him a chance, despite his being an *shudder* assassin. But I just really don't like that kind of character. The only assassin character I've read and liked that I can think of offhand is Sicarius from The Emperor's Edge by Lindsay Buroker. 

I think I'll give Brust another chance with The Phoenix Guards, which is written much later and doesn't star any assassins as far as I can tell. But I don't have the money to buy any more new books now. I'll probably go back to Journey to the Center of the Earth for now.


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## Deleted member 4265

I'm about two thirds through the Canticle for St. Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr. I honestly can't believe I'd never heard of this book before. It's absolutely amazing. Definitely not what I was expecting. It's very strange, but in a good way.


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## kennyc

devouring wolf said:


> i'm about two thirds through the canticle for st. Leibowitz by walter m. Miller jr. I honestly can't believe i'd never heard of this book before. It's absolutely amazing. Definitely not what i was expecting. It's very strange, but in a good way.



  


.


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## Steerpike

Mythopoet said:


> I finished Jhereg last night. It was a fast and easy read, but I found it far less than satisfying as a story experience. This may partly be because it is Steven Brust's first published book and his skills are just not up to the standard of what I normally read, which is hardly his fault. Or it may be because I did not like Vlad Taltos much at all. I wanted to give him a chance, despite his being an *shudder* assassin. But I just really don't like that kind of character. The only assassin character I've read and liked that I can think of offhand is Sicarius from The Emperor's Edge by Lindsay Buroker.
> 
> I think I'll give Brust another chance with The Phoenix Guards, which is written much later and doesn't star any assassins as far as I can tell. But I don't have the money to buy any more new books now. I'll probably go back to Journey to the Center of the Earth for now.



The Phoenix Guards is great fun.


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## ZabetTheRabbit

Currently reading _Hogfather_ by Terry Pratchett. It may not currently be the holiday season, but it's still a good read.


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## Devor

I've just finished _Going Postal_ and have started _Guards! Guards!_

_Going Postal _grew on me a lot by the end.  But Pratchett's portrayal of wizards is a big turn off for me, and _Guards! Guards!_ is using them a lot more than _Postal_ did.  I'll still get through it this week or next, though.

How is _Mort?_  That's next on my list to read by Pratchett, but if it's full of wizards I'll try one of his others.


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## Ireth

Devor said:


> I've just finished _Going Postal_ and have started _Guards! Guards!_
> 
> _Going Postal _grew on me a lot by the end.  But Pratchett's portrayal of wizards is a big turn off for me, and _Guards! Guards!_ is using them a lot more than _Postal_ did.  I'll still get through it this week or next, though.
> 
> How is _Mort?_  That's next on my list to read by Pratchett, but if it's full of wizards I'll try one of his others.



I don't think _Mort_ focuses on wizards. Death is a major character, though. I adore Pratchett's portrayal of Death. ^^

Loving this discussion, btw. _Guards! Guards!_ was the first Pratchett book I read, back when I was 13, and I've been in love with the series ever since.


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## Devor

Ireth said:


> I don't think _Mort_ focuses on wizards. Death is a major character, though. I adore Pratchett's portrayal of Death. ^^
> 
> Loving this discussion, btw. _Guards! Guards!_ was the first Pratchett book I read, back when I was 13, and I've been in love with the series ever since.



After Mort, I'm hoping to read a few things by Gaiman and then cap off Pratchett with _Good Omens_.  I'll probably read _Making Money_, too, though, because I enjoyed _Postal_.  I want to start doing articles like "What I learned about writing from reading Pratchett" and other authors.  The idea is helping to get me to read more.

Come to think of it, I believe you were the one who recommended _Going Postal_.  Is there a Pratchett book you'd add to the list?


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## Ireth

Devor said:


> After Mort, I'm hoping to read a few things by Gaiman and then cap off Pratchett with _Good Omens_.  I'll probably read _Making Money_, too, though, because I enjoyed _Postal_.  I want to start doing articles like "What I learned about writing from reading Pratchett" and other authors.  The idea is helping to get me to read more.
> 
> Come to think of it, I believe you were the one who recommended _Going Postal_.  Is there a Pratchett book you'd add to the list?



_The Shepherd's Crown_, full stop. It's his final book, and it's amazing. Though it might make more sense if you read a few of the earlier books first, specifically _Lords and Ladies_ and _The Wee Free Men_ (and, actually, the other Tiffany Aching books as well). There are lots of references to those books you might not fully understand otherwise.

I will warn you, though, have Kleenex ready. There will be tears.

Aside from that... _Reaper Man_ has always been a fave of mine (another Death one, unsurprisingly). _Hogfather_ is good too; I read it for Death rather than the wizards. Also _Soul Music_ (though that one involves the wizards a fair bit too, so YMMV), and _The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents_, and _Thud!_, and _Snuff_ (though the latter two might not make sense if you skip ahead, since Vimes goes through plenty of character development in the books prior)...

Basically, the whole thing is awesome. Let's just leave it at that. XD


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## Devor

Ireth said:


> Basically, the whole thing is awesome. Let's just leave it at that. XD



Thanks, but I'll skip the later books in the series for now.  I'm still early in _Guards! Guards!_ but if it grows on me I might follow the series.  For the sake of the review article though I want to write it from the perspective of someone picking up Pratchett and just getting started.

Since you mention the witches, how is _Equal Rites?_  I was between it and _Guards! Guards!_, but I thought I'd be more likely to read more in a series about the City Watch than about the witches.  I'm reading Pratchett faster than I was expecting, though, so I might or might not grab one more if it's worth it.


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## Ireth

Devor said:


> Thanks, but I'll skip the later books in the series for now.  I'm still early in _Guards! Guards!_ but if it grows on me I might follow the series.  For the sake of the review article though I want to write it from the perspective of someone picking up Pratchett and just getting started.
> 
> Since you mention the witches, how is _Equal Rites?_  I was between it and _Guards! Guards!_, but I thought I'd be more likely to read more in a series about the City Watch than about the witches.  I'm reading Pratchett faster than I was expecting, though, so I might or might not grab one more if it's worth it.



Wish I could tell you, but that's a book I haven't read in years. XD I'm pretty sure it's still here somewhere, but probably in a box somewhere that I'll need to sort through and dig out.

Also, if you're interested, there's a blogger who's going through the Discworld books as well: | You are not prepared. The "Discworld" link in the banner at the top has links to archives of the books he's read and reviewed already. There's some swearing, but his commentary can be really funny. He's done a bunch of other books too.


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## Mythopoet

Equal Rites is ok. I get the feeling it was written before he's really gotten a good feel for how he wanted to portray the witches and wizards. It's pretty different from later books. 

Personally, I prefer the Witches of Lancre by far to the Wizards of Unseen University. (My husband is the opposite. He loves the wizards and doesn't like the Witches.) Lords and Ladies is, in my opinion, the best of the Witches books. Fortunately, the wizards almost never star in books they appear in. Though they are often a b or c storyline. 

Is Guards! Guards! the only City Watch book you've read? If so, and you like it, I would strongly recommend Men at Arms, Feet of Clay, The Fifth Elephant, Night Watch, and Thud! They are all really good. Also The Truth and Thief of Time are really good. 

Mort is pretty good too, as the first book about DEATH. No wizards. Sets the stage for the books with Susan Sto Helit (including Hogfather and Thief of Time.)

I've read every Discworld book (except Raising Steam and The Shepherd's Crown) at least twice. And I think most of them are truly amazing. Good Omens is pretty good too, though doesn't appeal to me as much as Discworld.


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## Devor

Mythopoet said:


> Personally, I prefer the Witches of Lancre by far to the Wizards of Unseen University. (My husband is the opposite. He loves the wizards and doesn't like the Witches.) Lords and Ladies is, in my opinion, the best of the Witches books.



Can you just pick up _Lords and Ladies_ having never read another Discworld book?  Those are the books I'm looking for.

I'm still very early in _Guards! Guards! _so I can't say how much I like it or not yet.  Truthfully, while I enjoy the writing, leaving aside the wizards, I'm still not that compelled by the books.  The themes in _Going Postal_ were fairly weak.  The book didn't have anything deeper to say on that level.

But I'm also reading chunks of them out loud to my baby daughter, and I find them very readable out loud.  If I like _Guards! Guards!_ enough I might keep up with the series just for that reason alone.

((edit))

Going by this image, there's only a dotted line between Equal Rites and Wyrd Sisters.  Would Wyrd Sisters be a better one to start with?


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## Svrtnsse

It's clear there is a timeline of sorts to the discworld novels, but I don't feel that it's one you're required to follow. You may be able to get a little bit more enjoyment out of them if you do, but it really isn't necessary.


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## ZabetTheRabbit

Devor said:


> I've just finished _Going Postal_ and have started _Guards! Guards!_
> 
> _Going Postal _grew on me a lot by the end.  But Pratchett's portrayal of wizards is a big turn off for me, and _Guards! Guards!_ is using them a lot more than _Postal_ did.  I'll still get through it this week or next, though.
> 
> How is _Mort?_  That's next on my list to read by Pratchett, but if it's full of wizards I'll try one of his others.



I don't know to much about Mort, haven't read it yet. If you want a Discworld novel that's light on wizards, I'd recommend Monstrous Regiment. That or Small Gods.


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## Mythopoet

Svrtnsse said:


> It's clear there is a timeline of sorts to the discworld novels, but I don't feel that it's one you're required to follow. You may be able to get a little bit more enjoyment out of them if you do, but it really isn't necessary.



Pretty much. Every single novel is a contained story. When I was first getting into Discworld many years ago people told me that I didn't need to worry about order. You could read the novels however you wished. Being the very order driven person I am, I proceeded to read them in publication order anyway. For myself, I'm glad I did, because I think it gave me a lot of insight into the journey Terry Pratchett took to write the books. But having read almost every single book, I have to say that I do think those people were essentially right. You really could read them in any order. It's a marvelous feat and one I highly respect Sir Terry for. I'd like to try writing a series of stand alones that works half that well.


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## Incanus

Been reading a few shorts and novellas recently.

Finished 'The King's Justice'.  Two brand new novellas by Stephen R. Donaldson.  Very excellent--I liked the title story a little better than the other one.

I was thrilled to see not one, but two Clark Ashton Smith books in print and on the shelves of Barnes and Noble.  I snatched them up forthwith and have been reading only those stories of his I haven't before read.  I'm glad that the series 'Collected Fantasies' (5 volumes) are finally being published in paparback form.  These books are more for the 'completist', such as myself--so I don't recommend them as an introduction to CAS.  I maintain that he is one of the all-time greatest writers of fantasy--ever.

Also picked up some more Lord Dunsany.  Another overlooked gem these days--one of the most wildly imaginative writers I've ever encountered.  For me, reading Dunsany is like injecting a syringe of pure, glowing inspiration directly into my brain.

I keep trying to find newer stuff to read, but when I find this kind of material I just can't help myself.  Well, at least one of these was 'new'.


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## Devor

Ireth said:


> Also, if you're interested, there's a blogger who's going through the Discworld books as well: | You are not prepared. The "Discworld" link in the banner at the top has links to archives of the books he's read and reviewed already. There's some swearing, but his commentary can be really funny. He's done a bunch of other books too.



I like some of his style and commentary.

Based on poking around that site, I'm going to go ahead and add Wyrd Sisters to my Pratchett reading.  I do want to stick to the opening books for his different character lines, though, because even if each book ends up standing alone they also contain spoilers for the earlier ones.  _Going Postal_, for instance, spoiled that the Night's Watch has both a golem and a werewolf, neither of which has happened yet in Guards! Guards!.  That by itself might not be important, but once you get into spoiling the character development within a series, it could start to be.


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## kennyc

Finished reading Anthony Doerr's The Shell Collector collection (though I'd read a few of them before) and now reading his Memory Wall which has started strong with the title story in a SF tinged setting.


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## Deleted member 4265

Currently about halfway through Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence. I'm not really sure what to make of this book.

On the one hand, I breezed through half of it in a day, so its doing something right. On the other hand, sometimes in the middle of something I'll remember Jorg is only fourteen and just burst out laughing. Also I don't buy his obsession with Katherine. It's not that I don't like Katherine, I actually do, but knowing Jorg I don't see him falling in love with a girl just because she's pretty and nice.


----------



## Heliotrope

Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters. (Part of my research for myself). I like it. It's not literature (not meant to be) but it is funny, has a defined cast of characters, and the tension and action stays pretty high and consistent throughout. 

If I were 10 or 11 I would probably love the series.


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## Mythopoet

I've been reading "The Eyes of the Overworld", one of the Dying Earth books by Jack Vance. It's got some really interesting worldbuilding. But man, Cugel is such a douchebag. Literally that is the best adjective to describe him.


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## kennyc

Mythopoet said:


> I've been reading "The Eyes of the Overworld", one of the Dying Earth books by Jack Vance. It's got some really interesting worldbuilding. But man, Cugel is such a douchebag. Literally that is the best adjective to describe him.



One of my favorite books from ages ago....hope enjoy it!


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## Incanus

One of my favs, still!  Cugel is undoubtedly a grade-A jerk.  Of course, he 'gets' as much as he 'gives'.  But ah, such spicy writing!  Nothing else quite like it.


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## Mythopoet

Incanus said:


> One of my favs, still!  Cugel is undoubtedly a grade-A jerk.  Of course, he 'gets' as much as he 'gives'.  But ah, such spicy writing!  Nothing else quite like it.



Indeed. I think these books may be one of the few instances where the writing is at least as entertaining as the story. I'm not usually a fan of prose style, but Vance's is incredible. It gives so much flavor to the story and half the world building detail comes from his word choice rather than what he's describing. It's really brilliant. Cugel is still a jerk character though.


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## Deleted member 4265

I started City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett today. Its written in third-person present tenths, which I am not a fan of, but I'm actually really liking it. After about a page or two, my brain will just automatically correct it to past tense and then I can enjoy the story.


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## Incanus

Been reading 'The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes'.  Great, fun stuff.  Like the others I've read so far, it is surprisingly fast-paced and very easy to read.  Classic and classy.


----------



## Garren Jacobsen

Tried Sword of Shannara, didn't catch. So now I am trying the Blade Itself.


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## Steerpike

Brian Scott Allen said:


> Tried Sword of Shannara, didn't catch. So now I am trying the Blade Itself.



Abercrombie's weakest book. Not bad, but the rest of the series (and his books) improve quite a bit. Best Served Cold is still my favorite.


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## Mythopoet

I've gotten sidetracked rereading Tiffany Aching books so I can read The Shepherd's Crown. I think I'm going to have to get it from the library though. The price for the ebook is ridiculous.


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## Incanus

Started tackling The Brothers K.

The opening is nowhere near as compelling as Crime and Punishment, but I still think I'm going to appreciate this book.  I'm slow, and it's big, so I probably won't be posting in this thread for some time to come...


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## Steerpike

Incanus said:


> Started tackling The Brothers K.
> 
> The opening is nowhere near as compelling as Crime and Punishment, but I still think I'm going to appreciate this book.  I'm slow, and it's big, so I probably won't be posting in this thread for some time to come...



Great book. Doesn't open in the same manner as Crime and Punishment, but by the time I was done with it I considered it Dostoevsky's best work.


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## Mythopoet

Well, I reread both A Hat Full of Sky and Wintersmith. I can't quite convince myself to spend 9.99 to reread I Shall Wear Midnight so I'm going to have to wait until I can make it to the library. My daughter's been sick all week and now I'm sick again so...

But I did find The Hundred Thousand Kingdom by N. K. Jemisin was only 5.99 so I have been reading that. I'm over half way through and though it is an interesting and well written story, I find the world it's set in to be quite unpleasant. I don't think I'll want to read any of the other books.


----------



## KnightofCrescent

I'm reading Dragonfly in Amber the second book in the Outlander series. Lol I've been reading it since last April. Usually I can finish books fast but this one took quite some time to get interesting, I just probably didn't use the opportunities I had to read. Good thing is I'm almost finished and I'll probably be done before April, and ready for season 2.


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## Mythopoet

Well, I finished The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. It was a pretty decent read. I might actually try the second book at some point, mostly because it looks like it's from a totally different POV than the first and so might be more interesting. The world still makes me vaguely uncomfortable though. 

I've started reading Silverlock by John Myers Myers. So far it's been a fun read. 

I'm struggling to finish Eyes of the Overworld because honestly at this point I've kind of had it with Cugel's callous treatment of everyone he encounters.


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## Steerpike

Silverlock!  There's a little known classic!


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## Brithel

I finished Dune by Frank Herbert a week or so ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. I quite liked how the setting had this strange mix of arabic and eastern with more familiar things. The middle section was a bit dissapointing as it lost some the politcal intrigue of the first section, but it picked up for the ending. I was worried about getting into Dune as I hear the sequals are crap, but with further research it appears the books done by his son are the bad ones so I'll probably avoid those. 

Before that I finished 'Breaking the Maya Code' by Michael Coe. While it was interesting it served as a history of decipherment rather than a guide describing the technical details of the process so it was bit dissapointing in that regard. 

I'm currently reading through 'His Dark Materials' Phillip Pullman in an attempt to rekindle my childhood spirit as these where my favourite books as a child. I'm about a third of the way into The Northern Lights and thusfar it, thankfully, still holds up to my memories.


----------



## kennyc

Brithel said:


> I finished Dune by Frank Herbert a week or so ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. I quite liked how the setting had this strange mix of arabic and eastern with more familiar things. The middle section was a bit dissapointing as it lost some the politcal intrigue of the first section, but it picked up for the ending. I was worried about getting into Dune as I hear the sequals are crap, but with further research it appears the books done by his son are the bad ones so I'll probably avoid those.
> 
> Before that I finished 'Breaking the Maya Code' by Michael Coe. While it was interesting it served as a history of decipherment rather than a guide describing the technical details of the process so it was bit dissapointing in that regard.
> 
> I'm currently reading through 'His Dark Materials' Phillip Pullman in an attempt to rekindle my childhood spirit as these where my favourite books as a child. I'm about a third of the way into The Northern Lights and thusfar it, thankfully, still holds up to my memories.



Yes, I thought the next three were good but it went bad after that...

Dune (1965)
Dune Messiah (1969)
Children of Dune (1976)
God Emperor of Dune (1981)

Enjoy!


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## Incanus

Mythopoet said:


> I'm struggling to finish Eyes of the Overworld because honestly at this point I've kind of had it with Cugel's callous treatment of everyone he encounters.



I was sort of wondering if you might eventually come to this conclusion.  This part of his character doesn't change and runs all through the subsequent book as well.

As far as I'm concerned there is no right or wrong way to view these things, but for myself I put 'interesting' character above 'likable' character.  Or in other words, I'm much rather read about an interesting unlikable character than an uninteresting likable character.  And good, strong writing factors into this as well, which is why 'Eyes' is among my very favorites.  If the most likable character ever created is written using only mediocre prose, that would be something I wouldn't be able to get on board with.

And just so you know ahead of time--the character of Rhialto the Marvelous is essentially Cugel with a different name.  You won't much like him either.  Might be time to just cross this series off the list.  You've checked it out, and that's what is important.

As they say, "To each their own."

(I'd like to check out Silverlock some day too.  Good idea.  Used to own a copy, but it dissappeared somewhere.)


----------



## Mythopoet

Incanus said:


> I was sort of wondering if you might eventually come to this conclusion.  This part of his character doesn't change and runs all through the subsequent book as well.
> 
> As far as I'm concerned there is no right or wrong way to view these things, but for myself I put 'interesting' character above 'likable' character.  Or in other words, I'm much rather read about an interesting unlikable character than an uninteresting likable character.  And good, strong writing factors into this as well, which is why 'Eyes' is among my very favorites.  If the most likable character ever created is written using only mediocre prose, that would be something I wouldn't be able to get on board with.
> 
> And just so you know ahead of time--the character of Rhialto the Marvelous is essentially Cugel with a different name.  You won't much like him either.  Might be time to just cross this series off the list.  You've checked it out, and that's what is important.
> 
> As they say, "To each their own."
> 
> (I'd like to check out Silverlock some day too.  Good idea.  Used to own a copy, but it dissappeared somewhere.)



But "interesting" and "likable" are not mutually exclusive. There's absolutely no reason I should have to choose between them. Though in this case I don't think Cugel meets either criteria. I found him bland and uninteresting before I started to really dislike him for his repulsive personality because there's zero character development in the book. 

Anyway, I finished it and he pretty much got what was coming to him so that's something. I understand why Vance has made these characters the way they are. This is pretty much a world where all sense of morality has broken down because everyone believes that the sun will go out any day and they're all determined to look out for themselves until that happens. They're living with death looming over their heads and it has basically turned the world into a living hell. From a worldbuilding perspective I can totally respect that. But I would enjoy it better I think if the characters felt a little more real and less like devices used to show off the world. 

Frankly, each of the short stories in the first volume "The Dying Earth" had more characterization and a better plot than Eyes of the Overworld. I enjoyed some of the worldbuilding ideas, but they never became anything I could enjoy because they were always passed by for new ones that would also not be developed much. All the while a stock plot with no character development played out. The Dying Earth was fantastic. The Eyes of the Overworld was a disappointment.


----------



## Incanus

Mythopoet said:


> But "interesting" and "likable" are not mutually exclusive.



Oh, I completely agree.  I didn't say anything of the sort, and I didn't even imply it, though I suppose one could maybe read it that way.

For me, 3000 pages of Cugel adventures still wouldn't be nearly enough.  All the Dying Earth books are some of the most entertaining reads ever.  Period.

I guess a lot of my favs (but by no means all) have the fantasy element more prominent than the character element.  Tolkien, Vance, Clark Ashton Smith, Lord Dunsany, H.P Lovecraft, to name a few--characters aren't really these author's greatest strengths.


----------



## Mythopoet

You just named 3 of my top favorite authors. I don't have any issues with prominent world building. But Eyes of the Overworld was all great world building but terrible plot and characterization. World building cannot stand on its own, nor can prose style, in my mind. 

It might not have been so bad if Cugel were not so repulsive. I simply find it physically uncomfortable to read too long about characters such as he. He did not meet a single person that he did not lie to, cheat, steal from, abuse, rape or a combination of the above. He used lives the way I've been using tissues lately. He contemplated raping a girl that he had lured to be eaten and abused by rat people, only she was too smelly for him by then. At the moment I cannot think of a character as devoid of any sense of right or wrong (other than if it's done to me, then it's wrong) or morality or honor or integrity or remorse as Cugel and no amount of brilliant world building or style, even if a great plot were added in, could induce me to read another word about him right now. 

Fortunately, I'm half way through Silverlock which is a much more entertaining read. Silverlock (A. Clarence Shandon) himself was kind of a jerk at the beginning in multiple ways, but he is gradually evolving over the course of his adventures and that is enjoyable to read. The Commonwealth is a very interesting setting. You never know who you'll meet next. Though I have to despair for Shandon who though a university man does not know who Robin Hood, Beowulf, Don Quixote, or even Zeus and Hera are. So much for a college education.


----------



## Incanus

Understood.  Given your stated preferences/requirments, it makes perfect sense that you wouldn't like The Dying Earth books (well, 3 out of 4 anyway).  Cross it off the list and move on.


----------



## Mythopoet

Incanus said:


> Understood.  Given your stated preferences/requirments, it makes perfect sense that you wouldn't like The Dying Earth books (well, 3 out of 4 anyway).  Cross it off the list and move on.



I'm sorry to keep harping on this, but I feel like you keep trying to oversimplify my point of view. It is not simply that I "dislike" the Dying Earth books. Saying that does not describe my feelings about the books at all. It is merely Cugel that I dislike strongly. And I am certainly not trying to just cross anything off my list and move on. I am trying to learn. I still feel that the whole Dying Earth series has much to recommend it and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to others with a few warnings to those who might need them.


----------



## Incanus

My apologies for oversimplifying.  Sometimes a blunt tool is all I have time to employ.

Still, I guess I'm not entirely sure how you go about assessing these things.  And that's OK, it is not a requirement (Indeed, I'm perfectly happy to chock it up to my own shortcomings and lack of insight).

For myself, I would only use descriptions like 'terrible plot and characterization', a 'repulsive' MC, being 'physically uncomfortable', and 'not wanting to read another word', for a book I disliked.  I read (or misread) those as a very solid and thorough condemnation of a book, even with the acknowledgement of another aspect that is strong.  Therefore, I suppose my recommendation to 'cross it off' is more a reflection of how I would react to something like this than anything else.


----------



## skip.knox

Currently reading two books. One, _Assassin's Apprentice_ by Robin Hobb. I'm not enjoying it much. Her magic system is nicely done, but the book plods and wanders as it plods. But I've been giving up on far too many fantasy works lately and am going to *ahem* plod through this one anyway.

As a kind of reward for reading Hobb, I'm reading Graham Greene's _Ministry of Fear_. Not fantasy, but superb writing. During WWII a man wins a cake at a country fair and he's nearly killed for it. Then things get strange.


----------



## Chessie

Has anyone heard of M.C. Beaton? I can't believe that after being a lifetime lover of Agatha Christie, I only heard about the Agatha Raisin mysteries last week, of which I am reading one "Dishing Dirt" and loving it. I'll definitely be looking into her other work but I'm really liking the comedic aspect to the story.

Also got a few other books at the library this past week; one western fantasy, dragon fantasy, and a vintage romance "The Lost Heiress".


----------



## Heliotrope

E.J Patten The Legend Theif. It's pretty funny. Geared towards kids. I'm reading a lot of kids book recently. 

Lee Child, Tripwire for the suspense. I love Jack Reacher.


----------



## skip.knox

The mentions of Silverlock (I'm proud to say I own a 1979 copy) made me think of another book in which many famous people appear -- _The Fabulous Riverboat_ and _To Your Scattered Bodies Go_ by the strangely brilliant Philip Jose Farmer. I'm not reading any of that at this time, so I'm sort of cheating here, but the books deserve attention, especially as an entirely different sort of fantasy.


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## Deleted member 4265

_Equal of the Sun _by Anita Amirrezvani. Its the first pure historical fiction I've read in a long time, and while I wouldn't consider it a page turner, I am really enjoying it and its written beautifully.

Trying to get through _Watership Down_. I have a feeling a younger me would've enjoyed this book. I admire that it doesn't talk down to the reader as so many children's books do and the bits about the religion are interesting, but according to the forward, the author told the story to entertain his kids on a road trip, and it definitely reads that way. Its meandering, loose plot and none of the characters are particularly memorable to me. I'm not doubting why it became a classic, if I had kids, I'd read this to them, but its just not for me.


----------



## Sabu

_Desiderium: The War Within_ by Katherine Frances. It's a self-published work by a writer I found via her fanfiction. I blew through about 70% of it and then put reading on hold. It's one of those where I can see the potential and I know she can write better, but it's a little hard to get through.

I've also been reading some Drizzt stuff on nights I can't sleep. Looking forward to a few other self-published novels and the rest of the Mistborn series since I loved the first one.


----------



## CupofJoe

_Medieval Warfare Source Book: Volume 2 Christian Europe and its Neighbours_.
From 400 to 1400 and from China, Russian, Turks and Mongol forces to Persian, Muslim and Byzantine warfare. It covers a lot and think you don't expect [like how the loot was divided, and how the forces were fed]. There are four pages on how armies were taxed...
It's a dry read but not a difficult one.


----------



## Mythopoet

skip.knox said:


> The mentions of Silverlock (I'm proud to say I own a 1979 copy) made me think of another book in which many famous people appear -- _The Fabulous Riverboat_ and _To Your Scattered Bodies Go_ by the strangely brilliant Philip Jose Farmer. I'm not reading any of that at this time, so I'm sort of cheating here, but the books deserve attention, especially as an entirely different sort of fantasy.



I've also started reading A House Boat on the Styx by John Kendrick Bangs (written in 1895) which seems to be one of the earlier incarnations of this sort of thing. In which a whole host of famous dead people establish a club in a house boat on the Styx. Charon is the caretaker/butler. It's quite an interesting read, though so far seems to be more a series of vignettes where famous people of disparate ages get together to chat rather than a story. The banter between the dead is highly amusing when one is feeling in an intellectual reading mood.

Wikipedia calls To Your Scattered Bodies Go and The Fabulous Riverboat science fiction novels, which is perhaps why I hadn't heard of them. Seem very interesting though. May have to check them out.


----------



## Clearmadness

I just finished reading The Bands of Mourning by Brandon Sanderson. I like it but it wasn't my favorite book by him by a long shot. I was expecting more to get resolved in the third novel but that didn't happen. They've still barely introduced the Big Bad.


----------



## tiggywinke

I'm reading Diana Gabaldon's "Outlander."  The first two chapters were terribly, terribly dull, and unnecessary if you know what a Jacobite is, but the book has gotten better.  I'm enjoying her portrayal of 18th century Scotland.


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## Writeking

Just finished reading 'Stands A Shadow' by Col Buchanan.


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## Russ

CupofJoe said:


> _Medieval Warfare Source Book: Volume 2 Christian Europe and its Neighbours_.
> From 400 to 1400 and from China, Russian, Turks and Mongol forces to Persian, Muslim and Byzantine warfare. It covers a lot and think you don't expect [like how the loot was divided, and how the forces were fed]. There are four pages on how armies were taxed...
> It's a dry read but not a difficult one.



Good on you for actually reading those.  I own them, but always thought of them as more reference texts rather than books one reads from cover to cover.

Just reading Elantris right now, and a Tom Clancy/ Grant Blackwood novel, Under Fire.

Elantris is really strong for a debut.


----------



## Chessie

Elantris was also like his 5th book or something. I remember watching an interview with him where he talks about how he had been trying to get published for some time. 

Just started "Silver On The Road" by Laura Anne Gilman. It has the best of both worlds for me: fantasy western. I'm still in the first chapter and loving her way with words.


----------



## Mythopoet

Just finished Silverlock. It was excellent. Not sure what I'm going to dig into next. Maybe Elantris.


----------



## Steerpike

Mythopoet said:


> Just finished Silverlock. It was excellent. Not sure what I'm going to dig into next. Maybe Elantris.



I liked Elantris pretty well, and I'm not always a fan of Sanderson.


----------



## Russ

Steerpike said:


> I liked Elantris pretty well, and I'm not always a fan of Sanderson.



I am the same with Sanderson, take him or leave him.  But I think Elantris is his best work I have read so far.


----------



## Russ

Chesterama said:


> Elantris was also like his 5th book or something. I remember watching an interview with him where he talks about how he had been trying to get published for some time.
> 
> Just started "Silver On The Road" by Laura Anne Gilman. It has the best of both worlds for me: fantasy western. I'm still in the first chapter and loving her way with words.



Interesting about Elantris, the copy I have has a blurb that refers to it as a debut so I thought it was.

Gilman is a great lady.  I got to know her years ago and had my wife "tuckerized" for charity in one of her series.  Very nice lady and a pretty good writer to boot.


----------



## Mythopoet

Well, I'm into Elantris and liking it well enough. I've not read a Sanderson book before and I wanted to give him a try but didn't really want to get into a series so this works. I think it tends to suffer from a bit of "serious writer voice" though.


----------



## Mythopoet

Russ said:


> Interesting about Elantris, the copy I have has a blurb that refers to it as a debut so I thought it was.



My understanding is that Elantris is his debut, as his first book to be published. But he had written several books before it that were not published.


----------



## Steerpike

Mythopoet said:


> My understanding is that Elantris is his debut, as his first book to be published. But he had written several books before it that were not published.



Yes, I believe that's what Sanderson said about it.


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## Incanus

I don't think I'm going to make through Brothers Karamazov.  At least not all at once.  I might have to set it aside for awhile and try again later, but I don't know.  The main characters are interesting enough and I don't mind a plot taking a while to get underway.  The main problem I have is that a majority of characters have a tendency to babble.  A lot.  The story and the babbling is... diffuse to say the least.  I just can't tell what the point of most of the babbling is, unless it is to deliberately add fog and diffusion to everything, effectively hiding the plot and much of the characterization.

I'm sure I'm wrong about all this, and just don't 'get' it.  Perhaps this is book for swifter readers?  I guess I'm more of a Crime and Punishment kind of guy.

Next up is Gormenghast (book 2).  This book is sure to be awesome...


----------



## Chessie

Russ said:


> Gilman is a great lady.  I got to know her years ago and had my wife "tuckerized" for charity in one of her series.  Very nice lady and a pretty good writer to boot.


Really? Oh, that's so neat! She's a very good writer...but the problem I'm having with this story is that...well...it's much too slow a beginning for me. I haven't made it past the first chapter and I'm already bored which is a TOTAL bummer. The introduction into the mc's world is beautifully described, but I seriously don't need an entire page's worth of pointless backstory combined with bread making techniques from the 1800s. 

Sigh. I was really hoping to get into this book but idk if that's going to happen. It's probably just me though. I have a short attention span so if a book doesn't captivate me within the first few pages, I'm kinda done. 

So next up is "Doom Of The Dragon" in the Dragonships series. Will be biting into that tonight.


----------



## X Equestris

Just recently finished Sapkowski's "The Sword of Destiny" anthology.  I think "A Little Sacrifice" ended up being my favorite story in it.  That ending was a real gut punch.


----------



## Russ

Chesterama said:


> Really? Oh, that's so neat! She's a very good writer...but the problem I'm having with this story is that...well...it's much too slow a beginning for me. I haven't made it past the first chapter and I'm already bored which is a TOTAL bummer. The introduction into the mc's world is beautifully described, but I seriously don't need an entire page's worth of pointless backstory combined with bread making techniques from the 1800s.
> 
> Sigh. I was really hoping to get into this book but idk if that's going to happen. It's probably just me though. I have a short attention span so if a book doesn't captivate me within the first few pages, I'm kinda done.
> 
> So next up is "Doom Of The Dragon" in the Dragonships series. Will be biting into that tonight.



Pity, the stuff of hers I enjoyed (maybe a decade or more ago), the Retrievers series, started out quite fast and exciting.

She is also a freelance editor.  She made the short list of people who I want to work with when I get my @!#$% WOP finished, and if my first choice became unavailable she would be back in the running.  She is smart, articulate and tough, just what I need in an editor.


----------



## reedevia

I'm currently reading "The Sins of the Father" and "Station Eleven". 

Its interesting how they start off.


----------



## Chessie

Finished reading Dean Wesley Smith's "Writing Into The Dark". I feel completely rejuvenated and in touch with my artistic side lol. It's a great read and I'm glad to have gone through with the recommendation.


----------



## Mythopoet

I feel like Elantris is never going to end...


----------



## Garren Jacobsen

Mythopoet said:


> I feel like Elantris is never going to end...



It will end with an early Brandon Sanderson special called the Brandonlanche. That book does move super slow for a long time. However, WoK and WoR are great.


----------



## Russ

So I could bear no more of Black Company after 107 pages or so.  Just too slow and too primitive for my tastes.

Have switched up to Solomon Kane by Howard for entertainment and spent far too much getting a copy of Death is No Obstacle, but am really enjoying it.


----------



## Steerpike

Russ said:


> So I could bear no more of Black Company after 107 pages or so.  Just too slow and too primitive for my tastes.



Blasphemer


----------



## Chessie

I bought two non-fic books today: "Hannah's Hope" by Jennifer Saake and Chris Fox's "Write To Market". Currently sinking my teeth into the second one. Also, I still have that turn of the century romance to read "The Lost Heiress". Guess I'll be busy this week.


----------



## Incanus

Reading Gormenghast (as in, book 2 of the series).

Like the first book, this writing resonates with me in about the strongest way imaginable.  It is not easy to describe.  At the sentence level, it is breathtaking—totally unlike anything I can think of.  Pretty much every sentence is a finely-wrought, highly individual, custom-cut gem.  So much imagery and playful language per square inch—it’s unthinkable that someone actually pulled this off.  My kind of thing all the way.  Since this is the first of what will likely be many read-throughs, I’m going to savor it and soak it all in at a leisurely pace.  Beauteous, astonishing, greatly entertaining, it belongs in a category unto itself.  On the other hand, I think I can understand why some folks don't take to it.  It may very well be one of those love it/hate it things.


----------



## Steerpike

Incanus said:


> Reading Gormenghast (as in, book 2 of the series).
> 
> Like the first book, this writing resonates with me in about the strongest way imaginable.  It is not easy to describe.  At the sentence level, it is breathtaking—totally unlike anything I can think of.  Pretty much every sentence is a finely-wrought, highly individual, custom-cut gem.  So much imagery and playful language per square inch—it’s unthinkable that someone actually pulled this off.  My kind of thing all the way.  Since this is the first of what will likely be many read-throughs, I’m going to savor it and soak it all in at a leisurely pace.  Beauteous, astonishing, greatly entertaining, it belongs in a category unto itself.  On the other hand, I think I can understand why some folks don't take to it.  It may very well be one of those love it/hate it things.



I had the same reaction. Brilliant books.


----------



## Deleted member 4265

I'm reading The Left Hand of God by Paul Hoffman. So far, I'm really enjoying it.


----------



## Mythopoet

Well, I finished *Elantris* some days ago. I found about half of it to be really good and compelling and the other half to be tedious and a bit too contrived. Every single chapter with Raoden was great. As a character I really loved him. Sarene was a good enough character, I liked her most when she interacted with Raoden. Hrathen was just really dull and honestly stupid. He was one of those characters that the story assures you over and over is a really smart, clever guy, really, honest, but everything he does goes wrong and every judgement he makes is wrong. I really had no respect for him as a character, despite the fact that the book kept trying to force it on me. I wish there had been less political intrigue and religious conflict but that's just a personal taste thing. Everything about the city of Elantris and the magic of it was really fascinating. 

I am also intrigued by reading a little about how Sanderson interconnects all the worlds in his various series. I'll probably have to give some of his other books a try at some point. 

In the meantime, I read The *Princess and the Goblin* by George MacDonald, which I've meant to do for a long time. It's one of those books that was very influential to early generations of fantasy writers including Tolkien. I can especially see how it was a major influence on the writing of The Hobbit. 

Feeling a bit burned out from trying lots of new things lately, I've decided to re-read *The Lord of the Rings*. This will be my first time reading it in ebook form and I am making good use of the highlighting feature. Reading LOTR feels like coming home after a long journey. Tolkien's writing is so full of his strong voice and even his most minor characters are so vivid in their dialogue. It is utterly delightful. It's been some years since I last read it but it's bringing home all my feelings and why Tolkien and Middle-earth will never truly have a peer.


----------



## Incanus

Wow, Mythopoet, you've been a busy reader.  Great!

I've been wanting to read some G. MacDonald.  Don't yet have any books by him, but I'll correct that situation some day.  I've got Andrew Lang's Blue Fairy book on the radar as well.

I've been sort of avoiding LOTR during my crucial early development as a writer--it already has too big an influence on me.  On the other hand, there can be no question I'll be revisiting Middle-earth on and off for the rest of my days.  The way I see it, it's about the closest thing to magic I'll ever find here in the mundane world.


----------



## Tom

I just devoured the three books in Maggie Stiefvater's Raven Cycle, and now I'll have to wait for the last one to be released in April. 

I can honestly say that it's the best YA series I've read in...well, years. Maggie Stiefvater has this writing style that's...I don't know how to describe it. It's artful but it's almost savage. You feel like you could cut yourself on the edges of her sentences. Her characters are well-developed and distinctive, and their voices are so different it would be impossible to mistake them. I am a little disgruntled that one of my favorite characters hasn't gotten a POV chapter yet. Maybe Maggie's saving that for the last book.


----------



## Ben

I'd never read George RR Martin's novellas, so I'm reading A Knight of the Seven Kigndoms - hoping the tone will subconsciously infuse the re-writes I'm working on. So far I found it a little less grim than ASOIAF.

I'm also trying to support indie authors, so I'm simultaneously reading "the Thief Who Pulled on Trouble's Braids" by Michael McClung. About a quarter of the way into it and I can say it's very good - exactly what I was looking for right now.

For a change of pace I've been sneaking in comedy short stories by Robert Bevans (another indie guy) - worth checking out if you've ever played D&D or other RPG's.


----------



## Geo

The begging Place. Short novel from Ursula K. LeGuin. For me, the definition of urban fairy tale.


----------



## Mythopoet

So last night I picked up *Death Comes As An End* by Agatha Christie (family drama/murder mystery set in ancient Egypt) for a little change of pace and ended up staying up until 1 am to finish it. IT WAS SO GOOD. I kept thinking I knew who the culprit was, but I was still surprised at the end. There was a nice thread of realistic romance in it too. HIGHLY recommended. Now I need to figure out if Christie did any other historical mysteries.


----------



## Chessie

Mythopoet said:


> So last night I picked up *Death Comes As An End* by Agatha Christie (family drama/murder mystery set in ancient Egypt) for a little change of pace and ended up staying up until 1 am to finish it. IT WAS SO GOOD. I kept thinking I knew who the culprit was, but I was still surprised at the end. There was a nice thread of realistic romance in it too. HIGHLY recommended. Now I need to figure out if Christie did any other historical mysteries.


RAWR! SHE'S MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE!!! 

Ahem.

If you need more recommendations, let me know. I've read all of her books lol. Her very first, And Then There Were None, is perhaps one of her best. She also wrote several novels under pen names, keep that in mind during your search. You rarely ever catch on to what she's doing which is so freaking awesome.

So yea...I discovered some Scandinavian literature last night that I want to read but unfortunately English translations aren't available and I don't speak Swedish so...bummer. I did, however, come across Elizabeth Boyer's books on Amazon for like $0.01. Basically, I've been searching for fantasy books that are similar to what I write and there really aren't many modern ones. So I'm ordering some and seeing where it goes.


----------



## Nimue

Chester, you might want to try out The Sharing Knife books by Lois McMaster-Bujold.  They're not something I would recommend to everyone, since they're much heavier on romance and everyday life than on epic plot, but I honestly love them.  They take place in a fantasy setting that draws heavily from a pioneer atmosphere.  The worldbuilding is really interesting and detailed.  From what I know of your writing, there might be some overlap of interest there?


----------



## Chessie

Noted. Thanks for the recommendation. You know how much I love pioneers ha!


----------



## Nimue

Ohh, they're so good.  I wish I could read them for the first time again. xD


As for me, I'm reading the Rai-Kirah Trilogy by Carol Berg.  I loved _Transformation_--it kept me up until 4 am this weekend--but I felt like _Revelation_ fell apart a bit.  And oh my god, I wish poor Seyonne would just catch a break already.  I mean, I like to torture my characters, but damn... Hoping the scattered plot is just due to the difficulties of Act II and that _Restoration_ will pull a good finish.


----------



## AndrewLowe

Mostly old Russian novels...  In the middle of Crime and Punishment at the moment.


----------



## Mythopoet

Chesterama said:


> RAWR! SHE'S MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE!!!
> 
> Ahem.
> 
> If you need more recommendations, let me know. I've read all of her books lol. Her very first, And Then There Were None, is perhaps one of her best. She also wrote several novels under pen names, keep that in mind during your search. You rarely ever catch on to what she's doing which is so freaking awesome.



Before reading Death Comes As An End, I had only read one of her books before. Murder on the Orient Express, some years ago. I thought it clever enough, but now I'm thinking that despite its fame it might not actually be one of her better books. Death Comes As An End was just so much better. (Or perhaps it's just my obsession with ancient Egypt talking.) And according to wikipedia it was the first novel length "historical whodunit" which is pretty neat. It doesn't look like she wrote any others, but I picked up The Pale Horse and And Then There Were None. I've seen an old movie version of And Then There Were None before so I'm already familiar with that story, though I think the movie didn't follow the book faithfully. I'm reading The Pale Horse now and it's once again very different from Death Comes As An End, but very enjoyable so far. I can see that I have been underestimating Agatha Christie my whole life. Her writing is superb.


----------



## Chessie

Mythopoet said:


> I can see that I have been underestimating Agatha Christie my whole life. Her writing is superb.


She's supremely underrated far as master status goes. The Pale Horse is pretty good but not as good as And Then There Were None. Orient Express is okay imo. Another good one is Halloween Party, along with the ABC Murders and *Death On The Nile*, which might just be up your alley.


----------



## Mythopoet

I finished The Pale Horse and enjoyed it. I'm reading And Then There Were None now. Also very good. After this one I've got to stop buying new books and go back to LOTR though. lol My wallet is not happy with me.


----------



## AndrewLowe

Just stated the Brothers Kamarov by Dostrovesky (I'm sure that I spelled something wrong) and The Magician King by Lev Grossman.  I think I'm maybe gonna start on Prince of Thorns soon...


----------



## adamcbassett

Although I haven't got much time to read, I'm working my way through Ben galley's Bloodrush. It's got some problems, in my opinion, but I adore the setting and wild west tone. Plus, it's fun to read about gunslingers and fae in the same chapter.


----------



## Chessie

Last night, I devoured Kathryn Rusch's "Pursuit Of Perfection". My husband had to pry me away for movie time but eventually I was able to return to it and finish. I seriously recommend it to anyone wanting to pursue a career in publishing. Like, read it.


----------



## kennyc

Chesterama said:


> Last night, I devoured Kathryn Rusch's "Pursuit Of Perfection". My husband had to pry me away for movie time but eventually I was able to return to it and finish. I seriously recommend it to anyone wanting to pursue a career in publishing. Like, read it.



Agreed!



.


----------



## Chessie

Our library is currently under renovation, so it took me an hour to find what I wanted. Ended up coming home with 5 books to keep me busy for a couple of weeks. I finally decided to give Mercedes Lackey a try and got 2 of her novella collections: Harvest Moon and Winter Moon (made me think of Nimue heh), another M.C. Beaty mystery The Faeries Of Fryfam and of course 2 Agatha Christie novels, one of which I surprisingly haven't read Caribbean Murder and Death On The Nile because it's been 20 years and I can't remember how it ends. Meaning it's as good as new.


----------



## Mythopoet

Well, I finished *And Then There Were None* maybe a couple days after I last posted. It was very good. The book ending is, of course, much better than the movie. 

I've been reading some manga in the mean time. Volumes 1-4 of *Tokyo Babylon by CLAMP*. As usual, their art is amazingly gorgeous. Also read volumes 1 and 2 of *Kamisama Kiss* by Juliette Suzuki. I've got volume 7 of *Blood Blockade Battlefront *and volume 6 of *Spice and Wolf* to read now and also more volumes of various things in the mail. 

I also got back into my reread of the Anne of Green Gables series. I had stopped after Anne of Ingleside a while back because I was getting through them so fast. So I read *Rainbow Valley* last week and now have started *Rilla of Ingleside* which is the 8th and last book of the series. Rilla of Ingleside is a very curious book because it tackles the subject of WWI through the lives of the people left behind at home while their sons and brothers and lovers go off to war. None of the other books in the series deal with anything so weighty.


----------



## Gurkhal

I'm reading "An introduction to chansons de geste". Interesting book about Old French epic literature.


----------



## koen-hagens

I'm reading The harry Potter series for the third time, I've already read it in Dutch twice and im now reading it in English.


----------



## Deleted member 4265

Deathless by Catherynne Valente. Its only the second fantasy book I've come across that features Koschei (I became enthralled with him after reading The Last Guardian of Everness) and I definitely wish there were more. He is one of my favorite mythological characters.


----------



## Mythopoet

There's a Gene Wolfe short story called The Death of Koschei the Deathless based on the original fairy tale. It can be found in his collection Strange Travelers.


----------



## Geo

After a quick re-read of Fahrenheit 451, what a master piece it is, I'm know reading The Ugly Little Boy (Asimov and Silverberg). I got the book long time ago (5 years maybe) but forgot about until now.


----------



## Russ

So I just finished The Entropy Exhibition, by Colin Greenwood.  It is a historical/literary review of New Worlds Magazine during the period in the 60's and 70's that is was under the editorship of Michael Moorcock.  I feel that it is sometimes good to step back and look at the history of the Spec Fic genre to try to understand the big picture and then think about where my WIP fits within it.  The analysis of Aldiss', Ballard's and Moorcock's work in this book is very good, and Greenwood's thoughts on how this "New Wave" deflected the path of Spec Fic was very interesting.  

Then I stated Billy Idol's autobiography "Dancing with Myself."  I started reading it because my wife and I are going to see and meet him in Vegas in about 10 days so I thought it would be cool to know a bit more about him.  So far it is far better written than many celeb biographies.

The reason I mention it here is that Billy talks about how profoundly influenced by Tolkien he was as a young man and the he tried to write epic fantasy when he was young but none of it was ever published.


----------



## skip.knox

Reading _The Ministry of Fear_, by Graham Greene. A very odd book, but Greene's prose gets me through it reliably.

Also reading another installment in O'Brian's naval adventure series. The best descriptions of (Napoleonic) naval battles you are likely to find anywhere.


----------



## Vincent Lakes

Re-reading Dragonlance Legends at the moment. My dear wife brought a copy with her from the US when she visited there last fall, and I finally had the time to sink into it. I read it in my native language fifteen years ago, and it's been a blast to experience it in its original form. Very educating and inspiring as well since I write in English.


----------



## Deleted member 4265

Well, I'm trying to read Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson right now. This is my second attempt, and honestly I have mixed feelings about this book. I know the Malazan books have a reputation for being obscure and all, but sometimes I get really confused by all the jargon getting thrown at me.

Also, this is one of those surprising books where I'm actually liking the female characters better than the male ones (let's face it, a lot of writers write female characters poorly). So far (I'm only about 100 pages in) I love Tattersail but I'm not much of a fan on Paran. He just seems kind of bland.


----------



## Tom

Taking another shot at The Silmarillion. (Now that spring break is almost over, of course.) Wish me luck!


----------



## Geo

Tom Nimenai said:


> Taking another shot at The Silmarillion. (Now that spring break is almost over, of course.) Wish me luck!



Best of luck!

I re-read it every couple of years. It always springs a sense of renewed hope in me.


----------



## teacup

Just finished Joe Abercrombie's Half A War (Shattered Sea book 3) - I saw most of what happened coming, but still absolutely loved it. Now I have to wait for his Sharp Ends collection to come out in paperback :c
Going to start Kameron Hurley's God's War next. Loved her Worldbreaker Saga books, so if this series is even half as good I'll be happy.


----------



## Chessie

Joe Abercrombie <3 

Okay so Mercedes Lackey is possibly one of my new favorites. Now I'm moving on to Lisa Blackwood: Ishtar's Blade.


----------



## Heliotrope

Sarum by Edward Rutherfurd. 

This history is fascinating and I love his style.


----------



## kennyc

Rereading for the umpteenth time - Ernest Hemingway On Writing by Larry Phillips.


----------



## Steerpike

Picked up a copy of Seamus Heaney's translation of Beowulf with photographs throughout the text. Also, military SF novel called Starstrike by W. Michael Gear. Premise seems to be that aliens come to earth in 1990 and conscript U.S., Russian, and Israeli soldiers and ship them off through space to go fight for them somewhere. So far, it's pretty good.


----------



## kennyc

I've also been reading a couple of collections edited by Ben Marcus. They are incredible. He has somehow included a bunch of great stories that I have not previously read (along with a few that I have but are worth rereading).

Both highly recommended:

New American Short Stories

The Anchor Book of New American Short Stories


----------



## Mythopoet

Well, I finished *Tokyo Babylon* manga and am considering whether or not to continue on to the sequel series *X/1999* even though it's unfinished. 

I also finished *Rilla of Ingleside* reread. In some ways, the book is the most interesting of the *Anne of Green Gables* books because it gives a close look at an important period of history like the others don't. Rilla is was written only a couple years after WWI by someone who lived through it from a Canadian perspective which is extremely fascinating. The POV is a girl whose brothers and sweetheart fight in the war from very early on and it provides an in depth and historically accurate look at how Canadian people felt about the war while it was going on. It is just fascinating to read how they vilify "the Kaiser" as pretty much being the epitome of evil and seem to think they are fighting this war primarily to rid the world of the evil of expansionism. At the end, they believe that they have won and have changed the world for the better. It's almost heartbreaking because none of them know what's in store. It's dramatic irony of the sort only real life can provide since this book was published long before WWII. Honestly, I think it is worth a read for anyone interested in that period of history. 

I am still slowly working my way through *LOTR*. I want to take my time and savor it so I am reading it in little spurts in between other things, highlighting heavily and thinking about the story from a more experienced perspective. (I've read a lot of classic fantasy since my last read of LOTR.) I'm really enjoying it.


----------



## AJ Stevens

I'm on a Malazan re-read, which I'm thoroughly enjoying. Currently nearing the end of Midnight Tides, which was a bit of a slog for the first half of the book, but the second half is picking up the pace.

I'm also reading Melissa McPhail's Cephrael's Hand in situations where I only have my phone on me. Quite a lot going on at the start of that book, but it's gradually settling down.


----------



## Pandadug

I'm reading Watership down. I love reading this book in the springtime. It just seems to fit this time of year.


----------



## Russ

So on my vacation I read Dwarves by Heitz and thought it was very good, classic epic fantasy.  Will definately be reading the rest of the series.

My only two disappointments lay in myself, for my German not being good enough to read it in the original version, and in the translation.  I found the translation contained too many modern or pop culture words that threw the book out of whack. "Ditto" particularly comes to mind.   I do know enough German to have a very strong feeling this book would have been much more powerful and moving in the original language.


----------



## Garren Jacobsen

I'm now reading best served cold. First blood was great.


----------



## Mythopoet

I've been reading *The Green Pearl*, the second of the Lyonesse Triology by Jack Vance. I'm about 60% through and enjoying it immensely. Jack Vance has such a great and distinctive writing voice.


----------



## Incanus

Oh, yeah--the Lyonesse books are great, though I still like The Dying Earth books a little more.  Thank goodness for Jack Vance!


----------



## Russ

Brian Scott Allen said:


> I'm now reading best served cold. First blood was great.



Can't beat that Morrell guy...


----------



## Chessie

Russ said:


> Can't beat that Morrell guy...


His sex scenes are something else lol. I certainly wasn't expecting that level of heat in a fantasy novel. 

I started a Caribbean Mystery last night. Oh, hello Agatha Christie. We meet again.  As a sidenote, I joined a fanclub of hers on Goodreads so now I have a group to discuss her mysteries with. Yay!


----------



## Russ

Chesterama said:


> His sex scenes are something else lol. I certainly wasn't expecting that level of heat in a fantasy novel.
> 
> I started a Caribbean Mystery last night. Oh, hello Agatha Christie. We meet again.  As a sidenote, I joined a fanclub of hers on Goodreads so now I have a group to discuss her mysteries with. Yay!



I wonder if we just had an example of oblique dialogue? 

I was talking about David Morrell, author of First Blood.


----------



## Chessie

Aye, and I was talking about Abercrombie. Hey, at least it was an easier way to work our obliques, eh?


----------



## Mythopoet

Incanus said:


> Oh, yeah--the Lyonesse books are great, though I still like The Dying Earth books a little more.  Thank goodness for Jack Vance!



The Dying Earth is certainly more remarkable, particularly for its uniqueness and the sheer brilliance of its worldbuilding. Though I find Lyonesse more enjoyable to read on a story level. I cannot quite manage to care about anyone in The Dying Earth. It is a marvel, but the fatalism infecting the stories makes me feel more like a detached observer than someone immersed in the story. It is interesting in that both The Dying Earth and Lyonesse take place in a setting that will soon perish (we are informed as much at the beginning of the first Lyonesse book and off course The Dying Earth is dying) but Lyonesse does not wallow in the same fatalism. As the story focuses more and more on the efforts of Aillas, who is a wonderful character, it compels a hopeful view for the future. I know at some point all the good that Aillas has done so far must collapse, but my heart doesn't want to believe it. I am invested in him and his plans for the future despite myself.


----------



## Mythopoet

Well, I finished The Green Pearl a while ago and moved on to Madouc, but I'm sick of rebellious young princesses who just want to do nothing but what they want to do. When will this trope die? So Madouc isn't appealing to me. 

I read and finished "Crooked House" by Agatha Christie, which was quite good. 

And I've started rereading Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell which I really love.


----------



## Russ

Just finished my friend's latest book the 14th Colony.  I really think it is his best novel yet and gives me hope that my future novels will be better than my current one!

If you are a fan of historical thrillers I highly recommend it on a number of levels.  If you are a fan of Cotton Malone I assume you already own it.


----------



## Garren Jacobsen

Just borrowed from the local library A Wizard of Earth Sea and two Clancy novels. Excited to read some stuff that isn't school related.


----------



## Chessie

A Spoonful Of Poison by M.C. Beaton.


----------



## Garren Jacobsen

Chesterama said:


> A Spoonful Of Poison...



Does it make the medicine come up?


----------



## Chessie

LOL. This book is not what I was expecting. Usually it's one murder and then somewhere down the line another. I'm still in chapter 1 and numerous people have already died. Bomb.


----------



## Geo

Brian Scott Allen said:


> Just borrowed from the local library A Wizard of Earth Sea and two Clancy novels. Excited to read some stuff that isn't school related.



I think that all who want to read good prose, actually great prose, should read Ursula LeGuin. The five book of Earth Sea not only show her skill as a writer but also her abilities in defining cultures. I hope you like it.


----------



## Russ

Brian Scott Allen said:


> Just borrowed from the local library A Wizard of Earth Sea and two Clancy novels. Excited to read some stuff that isn't school related.



Out of curiousity which Clancy novels?


----------



## Garren Jacobsen

Russ said:


> Out of curiousity which Clancy novels?



Without remorse and patriot games.


----------



## Russ

Brian Scott Allen said:


> Without remorse and patriot games.



Classics, excellent choices both.


----------



## kennyc

Just ran across this wonderful story again and re-read it a few times. 

I love this story it's only about 500 words and just almost perfect!

I Used to Live Here Once by Jean Rhys


----------



## Garren Jacobsen

Just finished the Le Guin book. I liked it.


----------



## Geo

Brian Scott Allen said:


> Just finished the Le Guin book. I liked it.



There are 4 more in that cycle: The Tombs of Atuan (which I find much more intriguing than the first), The Farthest Shore, Tehanu (which kind of surprises me each time I read it) and The other wind, plus two more books than belong to the Earth Sea but don't follow the plot set by Ged. 

If you can get your hands on them read them, and enjoy the superb prose, great plot, and great characters. I would also suggest you to pay attention at how LeGuin keeps the cycle  strong by giving you a new main character in each book, but without creating a dislocation in the plot line. 

Anyhow, as you can see I'm a LeGuin enthusiasm, so I will always recommend her books, both fantasy and Sci fi.


----------



## Ben

Just finished Thief Who Pulled on Trouble's Braids and loved it - its almost like fantasy noir (I kept thinking of the Big Sleep), and had just the right amount of humor.

Next up is Axe and the Throne, only about 20 pages in but really impressed so far.


----------



## Steerpike

A book of short stories called "Labyrinth," by Jorge Luis Borges. The cat wrote some odd fiction, but it's quite good. A certain Lovecraftian vibe runs through some of it.


----------



## kennyc

New issue of Microfiction Monday Magazine today. Some nice stories.

Also the May issue of Flash Fiction Online has a couple wonderful stories - Nothing so Rare, Nor Precious and Sparrows.


----------



## Ben

Borges is great -- is Funes the Memorious in that one?


----------



## Steerpike

Ben said:


> Borges is great -- is Funes the Memorious in that one?



Indeed it does. I haven't got to that one yet.


----------



## Chessie

Appointment With Death, Agatha Christie 1938. I read 7 chapters just last night. Granted, they're not very long chapters but sigh...I absolutely love her style. Everytime I open up one of her books it's like I've come home. 

I've got a handful of fantasy novels waiting for me after this. What's nice is that now, the Alaskan sun is out until around 10pm, which means it's super bright all day and I'm more inspired to read on my free time than play video games. Alas, my Fallout 4 youtube channel is withering away because I just don't care right now. All I want to do is read.


----------



## Geo

Chesterama said:


> Appointment With Death, Agatha Christie 1938. I read 7 chapters just last night. Granted, they're not very long chapters but sigh...I absolutely love her style. Everytime I open up one of her books it's like I've come home.



My mother is a hard-core fan of Agatha Christie. She has all her novels and plays (~90 books), many of them both in Spanish and English. When I was little, those books were the only non-academic books we had at home (besides, of course, young children literature). I started reading them age 11 or 12, and finished before leaving for college. Kind of crazy to think my mother never said anything, since reading about murders and crime seems a very bad idea for a kid's psyche, but I'm not even sure she ever knew. Anyhow, just a comment seeing how much you like her.

 At the moment I'm reading Dan Simmons Hyperion. Quite interesting.


----------



## Russ

Just finished the latest novel from my good friend Robert J Sawyer and was super happy with it.

It is one of the rare SF books that grapples head on with the question of evil, executes a key plot twist in classic form with such aplomb that I did a face palm when it hit me, the solution was so simple and elegant, but utterly surprising, and the ending has the protagonist facing a massive moral dilemna and the way he tackles it will leave we thinking about the ethical and moral implications for months.

Great book.


----------



## TheCatholicCrow

Recently finished Gillian Flynn's _Gone Girl _ which I LOVED and Stephen King's _Misery_ which was different than I was expecting. I think up next will be _Slaughterhouse Five_ because I have yet to read anything by Vonnegut.


----------



## Chessie

Hi, CatholicCrow! Long time no see.  I also really enjoyed reading Gone Girl although it messed with my head quite a bit. It was good.

Appointment With Death was different than Christie's other novels. I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. 

And I started reading Firebird by Mercedes Lackey. It's on loan from the library so I have a week to finish that tome. -_-


----------



## Steerpike

Chesterama said:


> Hi, CatholicCrow! Long time no see.  I also really enjoyed reading Gone Girl although it messed with my head quite a bit. It was good.



_Dark Places_​ is also good.


----------



## Chessie

Is that her new one? I don't typically read in that genre so I haven't kept up with Flynn's output.


----------



## Steerpike

Chesterama said:


> Is that her new one? I don't typically read in that genre so I haven't kept up with Flynn's output.



No, that one came out before _Gone Girl_. I think.


----------



## TheCatholicCrow

YES! I loved them both  haven't gotten my hands on her first book yet (Sharp Objects) though it's supposedly not as good. The plot for Gone Girl was spectacular but I actually liked the characters in Dark Places better --also it was much cleaner so I don't feel as awkward recommending it to other people LOL. 

To Chesterama ... yeah I kind of went into hiding while I've been working in the Mystery/Thriller genres. I still haven't published any of my own writing (I'm hypercritical and I want it to be perfect so I'm redoing my main WIP's ending ... again). I've decided to let it fallow a bit, maybe a bit more time will help me see things clearer. In the meantime I've been busy working. I've actually started ghostwriting (_can you believe it? ME ... getting paid to write fiction_) I just turned in my first manuscript today ... might pick up another contract next week, in which case, Vonnegut gets bumped from my reading list and will be replaced with the client's first novel.


----------



## evolution_rex

Since I've finished the first draft of my WIP, I need to get back into reading. Yesterday I started Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian. Out of his work I've only read The Road and I loved it, so I decided to pick up this one. I'm loving it so far, just as much as The Road.


----------



## Russ

I am about half with through Greg Isles' Natchez Burning.  It is fantastic.  What is it about these natural story tellers from the Southern US?  Maybe I need to move there.

Now I will have to buy his back list...


----------



## Garren Jacobsen

Just finished The Bands of Mourning by Sanderson. It was incredible. Arguably my favorite of his Mistborn books. Wayne's POV was incredible! Trek/Odium(in my head) is messing up all kinds of stuff in the cosmere. Marasi became a badass. Harmony was great. MeLaan was awesom. And Waxillium was one bad mother who didn't take no crap from nobody!


----------



## Garren Jacobsen

Finished Without Remorse by Clancy (started it before the Bands of Mourning) and am now reading the Aeronaut's Windlass by Butcher. It is pretty good so far and has an interesting world.


----------



## Incanus

Finally finished The Brothers Karamazov the other day.  It was a struggle through some of the earlier parts, but ultimately, I enjoyed it, though not as much as Crime and Punishment.  It gets better as it goes and the courtroom drama at the end was my favorite portion.

I have a few shorts and odds and ends to read, then it's on to The Lies of Locke Lamora--


----------



## ThinkerX

Been ordering a not quite steady stream of mostly Lovecraftian tomes over the past six or eight months.  Most recent one was 'The Broken Hours' featuring HPL himself in a realistic setting, a year prior to his death.  More sad than supernatural, though.  

Far more disturbing - and interesting - is Thomas's 'Hades' series.  Read 'Letters from Hades' and 'Fall of Hades.'  He created an extremely twisted environment simply by taking fundamentalist Christian theology very literally.  He did add a few things, mostly necessary logical extensions of that dogma.  The hooded white robed angels (saved) scouring Hell on missions of murder may be a bit over the top, though.  

'Sea of Ash' by Thomas's brother is both strange and fascinating; a quest taking place in three time periods, featuring an assortment of weird locals and strange people in the New England area (more or less).  Supernatural things, some beneficial, some malevolent, just out of sight. More Clark Ashton Smith than HPL.  I wouldn't mind a sequel.

F&SF has a 'Curiosities' column which deals mostly with books long out of print, sometimes for a century or more.  A few months ago, I was sufficiently intrigued by one of these reviewed books to track it down: 'Monks Magic,' a well done charmer written back in the 30's.  Features a young alchemist employed by an aging abbot who gets into ecclesiastical trouble and sets out to track down the sages who purportedly discovered the secret to eternal life.  He meets a slew of interesting characters along the way: the youth Gabe, Thomas the drunken physician, a cabbalist, and assorted other folks.  Includes a fair bit of racy humor...in appropriate places.

'The Broken Meats' and 'The Elder Ice' are part of a Lovecraftian series featuring an unusual protagonist - a former heavyweight boxer in late 1920's Britain, who does a bit of detective work on the side.  Shows promise.

Most of the Lovecraftian material is on the shorter side: short stories, novelettes, and the odd novella.  An exception is Alexander's 'Bell Forging Cycle,' apparently slated for six books, with three released.  These tales are set in a far future earth devastated by a Lovecraftian (?) cataclysm.  Strange place: beast drawn carts along ancient, crumbling interstate highways, yet the cities feature electricity, telephones, television, monorails, and elevators.  Loads of Easter Eggs for those who know their Lovecraft.  Yet these full length novels echo the same story three times.


----------



## xerolee

Im currently reading The Dwarves: Book 1 by Markus Heitz but for the life of me I am struggling. It doesn't grip me the way Patrick Rothfuss or Brandon Sanderson does, but I will try and crack on with it.


----------



## Russ

xerolee said:


> Im currently reading The Dwarves: Book 1 by Markus Heitz but for the life of me I am struggling. It doesn't grip me the way Patrick Rothfuss or Brandon Sanderson does, but I will try and crack on with it.



That is a pretty high standard to meet.  I think Dwarves was very good, but not at a Rothfuss or Sanderson level.  It also has a very different feel to it, and I remain not in love with the translation.


----------



## Garren Jacobsen

Just finished the Aeronauts Windlass. It was a solid 4. It improved significantly at the end. My favorite character was the good ole Captain Grimm.


----------



## evolution_rex

Finished Blood Meridian a few days ago and yesterday I started The Trial by Franz Kafka.


----------



## troynos

Currently almost done with Michael Sullivan's Age of Myth that I won through a Goodreads Giveaway.

Really enjoying it.  His Riyria Revelations is in my top five series and this new one will be up there.

Next on the list will be Terry Brooks latest or The Grim Company.


----------



## T.Allen.Smith

troynos said:


> Currently almost done with Michael Sullivan's Age of Myth that I won through a Goodreads Giveaway.


Michael Sullivan is a member of this community. He often lends advice on the publishing forum.


----------



## troynos

T.Allen.Smith said:


> Michael Sullivan is a member of this community. He often lends advice on the publishing forum.



I saw that when was looking through that forum.  Great resource to have here.


----------



## Chessie

I'm currently enamored with Lord Of The Fading Lands: Tairen Soul Book 1 by C.L. Wilson. One negative are the stupid apostrophe names which seem to be a requirement in every fantasy novel ever, but the story is so freaking good I'm letting it slide. 

For those who like Fae and romance with their fantasy, this book is rad. I'll definitely be checking out book 2 from the library soon enough.


----------



## Mcwalker

I am currently re-reading the Mistborn series.


----------



## kherezae

Mcwalker said:


> I am currently re-reading the Mistborn series.



I think I might be due for a reread myself!

However, currently I'm reading City of Ashes by Cassandra Claire... After watching _Shadowhunters_ I decided to give the series another try, and it's going better than the first time. (The first time I read book one, purchased book two, and just couldn't be arsed to actually _read_ book two. Which has never happened to me before or since.)

I'm also reading my writing buddy's second book, but more slowly so I can leave my thoughts.


----------



## Garren Jacobsen

Last Argument of Kings is phenomenal. Better than every entry to GoT in my opinion.


----------



## Ireth

Found Tom Holt's "Flying Dutch" in a used bookstore a week or two ago. Interesting take on the Flying Dutchman legend.


----------



## teacup

I just finished Red Dragon (Hannibal Lecter book 1) - It was pretty good. There was a lot of unnecessary bits so the book should have been shorter than it was, but I enjoyed it. The first half wasn't great, but around half way through it picked up and became much better. I enjoyed it, but I thought the TV show's version of the Red Dragon plot was done much better. I was disappointed to see how little Hannibal was in the book, but I do recognise that he wasn't meant to be a main character in this one.
I think if I hadn't watched the show before reading the book then I would have disliked the first half much more but liked the second half more.
I was impressed with how well researched it all seemed, and I loved his writing of a blind character. I thought that was done very well.

Now I'm reading book 4 of the Expanse and I'm enjoying it much more than I did book 3, which I found disappointing compared to the first 2 (It wasn't bad, but I didn't like it nearly as much as the others.)


----------



## Garren Jacobsen

Now that I've finished Last Argument of Kings the question is whether I should start His Majesty's Dragons or The Lies of Lock Lamora.


----------



## MineOwnKing

I'm reading 'The Treemakers.'

Starts strong. I'm on chapter 20.

Excellent world building; an endearing MC. 

Right now I'm torn. So many details I want explained. 

I'm noticing inconsistencies in characters' reactions to death. 

Not digging the tense but glued to my seat.

This book gets in your head and doesn't let go.


----------



## ThiefGold

I'm currently reading Blood of The Fold in the Sword of Truth series, but I like to break it up by reading some Conan stories. I just received a paperback copy of about a dozen Conan stories that I got fairly cheap, so that is going pretty well at the moment.


----------



## SeverinR

"Burning brightly" Mercedes Lackey.
A merchant's son is unable to fit in after a move of his family,
also he is disinterested in following in his families textile business.

He is sent to a school to learn a new vocation, but the ruling class of kids are in charge of keeping the younger kids in line, they abuse the power and the kids, at it's worst the merchant's son's unknown ability bursts forth setting a path that will either destroy them all or save them all with a new ultimate friendship known only to a very few.

It is a story of the Heralds of Valdemar trilogy.

Mercedes Lackey was the inspiration for me to write, to not only research but ta actually live every part of the story I can. I also encourage anyone that writes to live it, if you can.  Swing a sword, learn a martial art (not just karate, but any martial art-shooting, archery, swords, empty hand, kempo, wrestling, kick boxing etc)  learn to ride and care for a horse, do old style camping, if you know how to ride, go further, do a trail ride, learn how it feels to be saddle weary, tilt a quintain-know the feeling when the lance solidly hits the target. How about riding calmly down a trail and the ^%$$^ horse is spooked by something unseen and unheard by you, staying on or falling off, you will know how it feels.  There is no comparison to writing what you researched in books to what you actually lived through.)


----------



## Garren Jacobsen

SeverinR said:


> "Burning brightly" Mercedes Lackey.
> A merchant's son is unable to fit in after a move of his family,
> also he is disinterested in following in his families textile business.
> 
> He is sent to a school to learn a new vocation, but the ruling class of kids are in charge of keeping the younger kids in line, they abuse the power and the kids, at it's worst the merchant's son's unknown ability bursts forth setting a path that will either destroy them all or save them all with a new ultimate friendship known only to a very few.
> 
> It is a story of the Heralds of Valdemar trilogy.
> 
> Mercedes Lackey was the inspiration for me to write, to not only research but ta actually live every part of the story I can. I also encourage anyone that writes to live it, if you can.  Swing a sword, learn a martial art (not just karate, but any martial art-shooting, archery, swords, empty hand, kempo, wrestling, kick boxing etc)  learn to ride and care for a horse, do old style camping, if you know how to ride, go further, do a trail ride, learn how it feels to be saddle weary, tilt a quintain-know the feeling when the lance solidly hits the target. How about riding calmly down a trail and the ^%$$^ horse is spooked by something unseen and unheard by you, staying on or falling off, you will know how it feels.  There is no comparison to writing what you researched in books to what you actually lived through.)



Just finished His Majesty's Dragons. Good book.


----------



## adalenia

Bone by Jeff Smith.

It's a graphic novel about a group of old-timey cartoon characters stranded in a land of medieval fantasy.


----------



## Steerpike

The City & The City, by China Mieville. Good stuff.


----------



## Russ

Steerpike said:


> The City & The City, by China Mieville. Good stuff.



The City and the City is a great book on so many levels.  Mieville has never disappointed me.

I am currently reading "The Gap" a science book about what separates (or does not) separate humans from other animals.  It is full of great info and the writing style is lively and casual.  Really enjoying it and if one was an SF writer this book could give you a huge heap of ideas.


----------



## koen-hagens

I just started reading the "The Witcher" series by Andrzej Sapkowski. Ya know, the books were those 3 famous games are based on, yup, that one.


Verstuurd vanaf mijn T01 met Tapatalk


----------



## Brithel

Finally finished The Silmarillion by JRR Tolkien. It took two tries to get into it but otherwise was a rather good read (bar the chapter of Beleriand and its Realms which displays Tolkien's love of geography at its worst. So many pages spent on what could've been shown on an anotated map, which there was for the next chapter!). Whilst it abandons most novelistic conventions it does so for good cause IMO for it makes it feel like a real chronicle of old (which obviously wouldn't and weren't be written like modern novels). It also helps the stories themsleves were very interesting. It also surprises me how much was referenced in the LotR, I recalled references to Silmarils and Beren and Luthien, and thats with my scattered memory.


----------



## Chessie

For those of you struggling with romance plots, this book is freaking amazing:

Romancing The Beat: Story Structure For Romance Novels (How To Write Kissing Books)

It was recommended by a romance novelist and it's only $3.99 on Kindle. This book has been very helpful in a way that other structure books haven't been able to provide me specifically for the romance genre. Figured I'd share with anyone interested.


----------



## Chessie

SeverinR said:


> "Burning brightly" Mercedes Lackey.
> A merchant's son is unable to fit in after a move of his family,
> also he is disinterested in following in his families textile business.
> 
> He is sent to a school to learn a new vocation, but the ruling class of kids are in charge of keeping the younger kids in line, they abuse the power and the kids, at it's worst the merchant's son's unknown ability bursts forth setting a path that will either destroy them all or save them all with a new ultimate friendship known only to a very few.
> 
> It is a story of the Heralds of Valdemar trilogy.
> 
> Mercedes Lackey was the inspiration for me to write, to not only research but ta actually live every part of the story I can. I also encourage anyone that writes to live it, if you can.  Swing a sword, learn a martial art (not just karate, but any martial art-shooting, archery, swords, empty hand, kempo, wrestling, kick boxing etc)  learn to ride and care for a horse, do old style camping, if you know how to ride, go further, do a trail ride, learn how it feels to be saddle weary, tilt a quintain-know the feeling when the lance solidly hits the target. How about riding calmly down a trail and the ^%$$^ horse is spooked by something unseen and unheard by you, staying on or falling off, you will know how it feels.  There is no comparison to writing what you researched in books to what you actually lived through.)


I love Mercedes Lackey. Lately I've been into C.L. Wilson as well. Fantastic authors imo.


----------



## Garren Jacobsen

Just finished The Lies of Locke Lamora. Now starting Alexander Hamilton by Chernow.


----------



## Addison

I just used up my birthday gift cards on books. On the list of "Will Devour Like Chocolate", to name a few: The Last Dragon Slayer Books 2&3 "The Song of the Quarkbeast" and "The Eye of Zoltar", then there's "Etiquette and Espionage", "Magic Bitter, Magic Sweet", "Strip Mauled", "Witch Way to the Mall?", and "Jaws".  I'm not sure where I'll start, or maybe I'll start one in the morning, a second at lunch, a third before dinner and a fourth before bed.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Addison said:


> I just used up my birthday gift cards on books. On the list of "Will Devour Like Chocolate", to name a few: The Last Dragon Slayer Books 2&3 "The Song of the Quarkbeast" and "The Eye of Zoltar", then there's "Etiquette and Espionage", "Magic Bitter, Magic Sweet", "Strip Mauled", "Witch Way to the Mall?", and "Jaws".  I'm not sure where I'll start, or maybe I'll start one in the morning, a second at lunch, a third before dinner and a fourth before bed.



I've read Etiquette and Espionage. I didn't like it as much as I expected, but I have a friend who loves it.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Im rereading the Harry Potter series, despite all the unread books on my shelf. I really should be starting on Brave New World...or re-reading LOTR (and FINISHING it this time!)


----------



## La Volpe

DragonOfTheAerie said:


> Im rereading the Harry Potter series, despite all the unread books on my shelf. I really should be starting on Brave New World...or re-reading LOTR (and FINISHING it this time!)



I'll cast in a vote for Brave New World. It's a quick read compared to LoTR, and chillingly prophetic. I highly recommend it.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

La Volpe said:


> I'll cast in a vote for Brave New World. It's a quick read compared to LoTR, and chillingly prophetic. I highly recommend it.



1984 and Fahrenheit 451 are two of my favorite books ever.


----------



## La Volpe

DragonOfTheAerie said:


> 1984 and Fahrenheit 451 are two of my favorite books ever.



Loved both of those. Animal Farm is really good too.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

La Volpe said:


> Loved both of those. Animal Farm is really good too.



That one too! Though, it made me more upset than 1984 did because I like animals better than humans.


----------



## Garren Jacobsen

I just finished Red Seas Under Red Skies, good book.


----------



## cydare

Brian Scott Allen said:


> I just finished Red Seas Under Red Skies, good book.



I love the Gentleman Bastard series. I just finished re-reading The Republic of Thieves a few days ago.

Currently I'm reading Range of Ghosts by Elizabeth Bear. I looked up her work when I read her and Scott Lynch's engagement announcement. I'm near the start of the novel, but it's good up to now!


----------



## Aspasia

cydare said:


> I love the Gentleman Bastard series. I just finished re-reading The Republic of Thieves a few days ago.
> 
> Currently I'm reading Range of Ghosts by Elizabeth Bear. I looked up her work when I read her and Scott Lynch's engagement announcement. I'm near the start of the novel, but it's good up to now!



Ooooh I read *Karen Memory *by her it was excellent! Weird west subgenre, first one of that type I've read. Scott Lynch is one of my favorite authors ever. Gentleman Bastards is such a fun series!

I just finished *The Star-Touched Queen *by Roshani Chokshi (romantic YA, usually not my thing but this was SO beautifully written). It was much deeper than I thought it would be ... really takes a turn around halfway point that makes it quite a mature, thoughtful book. I loved how completely immersive it was in South Asian mythology & setting. Currently continuing *The Water Knife* by Paolo Bacigalupi, which is very creepy to read as a Californian with the endless drought and all. I need something uplifting now ... Star Touched Queen was one of those tragic, poignant books and Water Knife is pretty bleak.


----------



## Steerpike

Reading time has been very limited, so I'm going slowly. 

Finished up An Accident of Stars, by Foz Meadows. Good book.
Reading The Vorrh, by Brian Catling - also good.
Still making my way through Swann's Way.
Re-read We Have Always Lived in the Castle, by Shirley Jackson. Still brilliant.
Just getting started on The Shadow Line, by Joseph Conrad.
About halfway through Heavy Time, by C.J. Cherryh, who rarely disappoints.
Joe Abercrombie's Half A King is on my to-read stack.


----------



## Ireth

Rereading LOTR for the zillionth time. ^^


----------



## Chessie

The Edge Of Fall. I thought it was a historical romance set after WW1. Um, as it turns out, the book is actually a family saga. I'm about halfway into it at this point and not sure if I can continue. On the one hand it's got a good story but on the other, some confusing things are happening. Like, now the main character is pregnant by the man she's in love with...except for that he doesn't reciprocate feelings for her...and he sent her flying...but then kept coming around...and there's no scenes with them doing anything or even showing affection for one another...and nothing definitive was mentioned but I got a sense of maybe there _had_ been something between them in the past but not sure...and from one chapter to the next now she's pregnant and I'm so very confused given that there has been no romantic plotline in a book LABELED AS ROMANCE.

Oh, the frustration. I'd like to leave a review about this but I also don't like giving authors bad reviews. The rest of the story is okay, I guess. Suppose it's not really my genre but clearly it's enchanting in some way if I've made it halfway.

So...maybe it's time to move on to The Firelord's Lover. Totally more my style.


----------



## Russ

So I finished Adam Gross' "The One Man" yesterday.  Yes I know it is only getting released today, but I had an arc.

It was unbelievable.  I think this will be his breakout career changing novel.  It is a joy to read and his control of craft is amazing.  There must be 20 times in the book where he has to write on a razor's edge to get it write and he nails it every time.

If you enjoy thrillers or WWII or just a great read, I really would recommend this book.


----------



## Ireth

Rereading some of the Redwall books, and wishing I owned more of them.


----------



## Gurkhal

I am reading: "The Seleukid Empire of Antiochos III" by John D. Grainger


----------



## MRJarvis

Currently re-reading 'The Lightbringer Series' by Brent Weeks, getting prepared for the 4th installment in October


----------



## mrsmig

Working my way through the Discworld series.  I know I don't have to go through it chronologically by publication, but that's what I'm doing.  I'm particularly fond of Rincewind, Granny Weatherwax and Sam Vimes.  Right now I'm reading _The Last Continent_.


----------



## SaltyDog

Almost finished with the Last Mortal Bond, Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne, written by Brian Stavely, fantastic book if I might say.  Also working with Mistborn, book 2.  Another great series and read.


----------



## SaltyDog

Ireth said:


> Rereading some of the Redwall books, and wishing I owned more of them.



Lol I've read them all.  My library had all of them, so I was in luck.  Great right?  Makes you hungry though.


----------



## evolution_rex

Finished The Ruins yesterday. Very good sense of dread and helplessness, although the characters aren't the best.


----------



## Futhark

I'm re-reading some of the Horus Heresy books, published by The Black Library.  There are many different authors, sort of like a round table writers group.  Technically not fantasy, but definitely epic.


----------



## Steerpike

Futhark said:


> I'm re-reading some of the Horus Heresy books, published by The Black Library.  There are many different authors, sort of like a round table writers group.  Technically not fantasy, but definitely epic.



I like WH40k books. I think they're pretty firmly fantasy, given the setting.


----------



## Tom

I recently found the copy of Ursula K Le Guin's The Lathe of Heaven that my lit professor gave me. I was going to stick it in my backpack to read between classes at school, but instead...well...I ended up reading the entire thing that evening. It's a gripping book, and so thought-provoking and well paced. I also have one of Le Guin's anthologies, Searoad, that I want to tackle as well. Maybe I'll be able to keep myself from finishing it one sitting this time.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Still re-reading the Harry Potter series...


----------



## Russ

Two new publishing contracts my wife is being asked to sign...talk about dull.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Russ said:


> Two new publishing contracts my wife is being asked to sign...talk about dull.



But better than rejection letters, right?


----------



## Russ

DragonOfTheAerie said:


> But better than rejection letters, right?



That is for sure, although we have a significant collection of those as well!


----------



## Chessie

I've been reading the Miracle Morning For Writers by Hal Elrod. Recommended by a fellow author, I thought it was some fluttery mumbo-jumbo but decided to give it a try. Totally not what I thought it was. The book is very good, and outlines steps to take in order to establish a morning routine that supports your writing. 

Started out this morning with Day One of the routine...and totally bombed it by waking up 30 mins after schedule because I forgot to set my alarm. But the good news is that I feel refreshed for my day and instead of dragging myself to write, I'm here fully awake and ready to go. So I'm going to keep reading this book and do his 30 day Miracle Morning routine. Figured, why not?


----------



## cydare

I'm reading Karen Memory by Elizabeth Bear. I loved her Eternal Sky trilogy, though I don't seem to be getting into this book as much. I'm trying to pinpoint what it is that bothers me, but for now on, I'll keep going!


----------



## ThaJakesta

I'm on The Dragon Reborn, Book 3 of The Wheel of Time. So far the first two books have been great, like solid adventures, but both have lulled in the middle. The ending of each book so far, like the last 100 pages, have been phenomenal. I'm hoping TDR will be just as great!


----------



## Chessie

My husband gave me the go ahead to get us Kindle Unlimited so...I went a bit nuts. Ahem.

-The Trouble With Flying (sweet romance)
-Sweet Memories (sweet romance)
-Radiance (fantasy romance)
-Reader Magnets (Indie Publishing)
-Launch To Market ^^
-Write A Sizzling Synopsis ^^
-Indie Author Survival Guide 2nd Edition

All on top of our Bible study book The Meaning Of Marriage by Timothy Keller, which is an awesome book btw. I'm learning so much from it. But yeah...lol...woops. Guess I'll be doing a ton of reading this month. Not a problem though. I do love books.


----------



## SaltyDog

ThaJakesta said:


> I'm on The Dragon Reborn, Book 3 of The Wheel of Time. So far the first two books have been great, like solid adventures, but both have lulled in the middle. The ending of each book so far, like the last 100 pages, have been phenomenal. I'm hoping TDR will be just as great!



It gets better!  One of the best series I have ever read is the Wheel of Time.  One of these days, when I have time, I'll re read the books again.  Got to finish Way of Kings first though, that's a good read.  Brandon Sanderson is a great writer, and I can't wait to read more of his works.


----------



## mrsmig

Took a break from fantasy and read _True Grit_ and _The Girl on the Train_ last month.  Switched back to Pratchett this week and am in the middle of _The Truth_.


----------



## T.Allen.Smith

Not fantasy, but I just finished _The Book Thief_ by Markus Zusak.

I loved it... and it's a story told in an unusual way about a little girl struggling through life in wartime, Nazi Germany. 

Best book I've read in a long time.


----------



## Geo

mrsmig said:


> Took a break from fantasy and read _True Grit_ and _The Girl on the Train_ last month.  Switched back to Pratchett this week and am in the middle of _The Truth_.



True grit is one of my longtime  favorites and I also enjoyed The girl on the train... both good choices if you want to give fantasy a rest (for a little while, of course)


----------



## Geo

T.Allen.Smith said:


> Not fantasy, but I just finished _The Book Thief_ by Markus Zusak.
> 
> I loved it... and it's a story told in an unusual way about a little girl struggling through life in wartime, Nazi Germany.
> 
> Best book I've read in a long time.



This book is so good, I love Zusak's take on the Omnipresent POV and the story is both so sad and so full of hope.
Now I want to read it again...


----------



## TheCatholicCrow

Currently reading _Does This Mean You'll See Me Naked: Field Notes from a Funeral Director_ by Robert Webster and casually rereading _House on Mango Street _ by Sandra Cisneros. After those I'll either read _Raisin in the Sun_ or whatever catches my eye at the library.


----------



## Svrtnsse

I'm reading _The View From The Cheap Seats_ by Neil Gaiman. It's not fiction, but it's got me wanting to write - and it's got me wanting to write children's stories, and to try my hand at comics. So far, I do not feel like trying to write a movie.


----------



## Nimue

Goldenhand by Garth Nix.  Er, to be precise, I read it yesterday evening. I've waited over ten years for a sequel to Abhorsen, and this is everything I dreamed of.  I'm over the moon <3

(Disclaimer: I'm nutty about this series, not objective.  It probably wouldn't engross another adult reader the same way, but Sabriel was the first real fantasy book I read, though nine years old was probably a little young for necromancy and traversing Death.  It's the series that made me fall in love with the genre, and the idea of writing in it... )


----------



## Steerpike

Nimue said:


> Goldenhand by Garth Nix.  Er, to be precise, I read it yesterday evening. I've waited over ten years for a sequel to Abhorsen, and this is everything I dreamed of.  I'm over the moon <3
> 
> (Disclaimer: I'm nutty about this series, not objective.  It probably wouldn't engross another adult reader the same way, but Sabriel was the first real fantasy book I read, though nine years old was probably a little young for necromancy and traversing Death.  It's the series that made me fall in love with the genre, and the idea of writing in it... )



It's on my list Loved the other books in the series.


----------



## Darrin Drader

Star Trek: Prey: Book 1 Hell's Heart

Continuing the milestone 50th anniversary celebration of Star Trek—an epic new trilogy that stretches from the events of The Original Series movie The Search for Spock to The Next Generation!

When Klingon commander Kruge died in combat against James T. Kirk on the Genesis planet back in 2285, he left behind a powerful house in disarray—and a series of ticking time bombs: the Phantom Wing, a secret squadron of advanced Birds-of-Prey; a cabal of loyal officers intent on securing his heritage; and young Korgh, his thwarted would-be heir, willing to wait a Klingon lifetime to enact his vengeance.

Now, one hundred years later, while on a diplomatic mission for the United Federation of Planets, Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the USS Enterprise are snared in the aged Korgh’s trap—and thrust directly in the middle of an ancient conflict. But as Commander Worf soon learns, Korgh may be after far bigger game than anyone imagines, confronting the Federation-Klingon alliance with a crisis unlike any it has ever seen!


----------



## Curufin

"Nyn Llyvary" (tome 1/6) from CA.Oliver

in a world very close to the Silmarillion and with a plot similar, in its construction, to Game of Thrones, various elfin factions are trying to survive on their islands subject to human invasions.
chapter 5 is a great piece of fantasy writing.


The website looks good and there is a facebook account too.

Curu


----------



## Garren Jacobsen

Just finished Republic of Thieves. Excellent book. So different from the action packed fantasies out there.


----------



## Chessie

Well, the stack of books I last posted about were not all too memorable. Except for Sizzling Outlines. I gave that one a 5 star + review...and I rarely do those. Do need to remember them. 

I'm halfway through The Sorcerer's Concubine and read 5 chapters just last night. It's about an enchanted doll and it's quite possibly one of the best fantasy books I've read in ages. Some parts of it are too graphic for my comfort level but what did I expect with a title like that? It's also narrated in omniscient, which is so nice for a change. The author's voice is gentle and doll-like, which matches the vibe of the book really well. It's a lovely masterpiece. Plus there's talk of a dragon so my interest is piqued.

Next on the queue is The Princess Bride, which I've actually never read (watched the movie more times than I can count) so I'm looking forward to it.


----------



## Gurkhal

At the behest of a friend I shall give "Best served cold" a shot and see if this is something for me.


----------



## skip.knox

Reading _True Grit_ and really enjoying the narrator's voice in that one. I don't normally read Westerns, but this one is unique.

Also reading _A Prayer for Owen Meany_. Less compelling but it does have a good opening. Then things get awfully talky.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Right now I'm reading To Kill a Mockingbird. 

It's a funny thought, that the author has passed on, but I can still open her book and hear her tell me a story. She's dead but her words still live. That seemed to occur to me so suddenly last night.


----------



## skip.knox

DragonOfTheAerie said:


> Right now I'm reading To Kill a Mockingbird.
> 
> It's a funny thought, that the author has passed on, but I can still open her book and hear her tell me a story. She's dead but her words still live. That seemed to occur to me so suddenly last night.



You might take a look at Ray Bradbury's short story, _The Exiles._ I think it appears in _S is for Space_. Anyway, it very much speaks to the survival of authors via their books. Bradbury was a science fiction writer, but his stories always felt to me like fantasy. Strong emotional content.


----------



## Chessie

Moving on to The Sorcerer's Wife. I....absolutely love this author. It's kind of a shame she has books out in another series which includes vampires...and I'm a firm no-no on vampires. Sigh. I might sign up for her email list and wait until she writes something else but in the meantime I'm enjoying her awesome series.


----------



## Russ

Reading my friend Simone Gervais' latest thriller, The Dotted Red Line.  Quite enjoying it.


----------



## Ebenezer Lux

Tigana and some books on marketing self-published books.


----------



## Steven McKinnon

Reading the third of the Raven's Shadow series by Anthony Ryan, _Queen of Fire_. I'm just at the halfway mark, it's decent enough, though I still think the first in the series is the best.


----------



## Chessie

Ebenezer Lux said:


> Tigana and some books on marketing self-published books.



Chris Fox has some of the best Indie marketing books out there. Definitely check him out if you already haven't.


----------



## skip.knox

Howl's Moving Castle

Another installment on my list of Books I Really Shoulda Oughta Read Long Ago

It's a good read. I'm not a huge fan of the Knowing Author sort of fantasy writing--where the author and/or narrator more or less know they are in a fairy tale--but Jones manages to keep the surprises and twists coming, and the central character is charming and well-rounded. Getting through this one has been a skate rather than a slog.


----------



## Tom

Rereading one of my old favorites, _The Thief!_ I can't believe I've been reading this book since middle school; no matter how many times I finish it, it just doesn't get old. Knowing all the plot twists takes some of the fun out, but the worldbuilding, characters, and clever writing more than make up for that.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Tom Nimenai said:


> Rereading one of my old favorites, _The Thief!_ I can't believe I've been reading this book since middle school; no matter how many times I finish it, it just doesn't get old. Knowing all the plot twists takes some of the fun out, but the worldbuilding, characters, and clever writing more than make up for that.



The one by Megan Whalen Turmer, or is there another one...because I had to read a book with this title once.


----------



## Tom

DragonOfTheAerie said:


> The one by Megan Whalen Turmer, or is there another one...because I had to read a book with this title once.



That's the one! When I first read it I thought it was a standalone, but then I found out later that it's actually part of a series. I hear it's now called the Eugenides Series (after the main character), but back when I started hanging out in its fandom circles it had no official name, so everyone referred to it as the Queen's Thief Series. 

The characterization and complex political plots are amazing. The setting also really adds to its appeal--I don't think I've ever heard of another fantasy series set in a Byzantine Mediterranean world.


----------



## Writeking

Pet Sematary, a great book I always come back to time and time again. Perhaps my favorite book of all time.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Tom Nimenai said:


> That's the one! When I first read it I thought it was a standalone, but then I found out later that it's actually part of a series. I hear it's now called the Eugenides Series (after the main character), but back when I started hanging out in its fandom circles it had no official name, so everyone referred to it as the Queen's Thief Series.
> 
> The characterization and complex political plots are amazing. The setting also really adds to its appeal--I don't think I've ever heard of another fantasy series set in a Byzantine Mediterranean world.



Unfortunately, I found it very boring and was unable to appreciate it


----------



## Tom

That's too bad! I guess it's not everyone's cup of tea. I know a lot of people complained about its slow-burn plot structure...personally I didn't mind, because I prefer character-driven stories, but not everyone's willing to wait for the action.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Tom Nimenai said:


> That's too bad! I guess it's not everyone's cup of tea. I know a lot of people complained about its slow-burn plot structure...personally I didn't mind, because I prefer character-driven stories, but not everyone's willing to wait for the action.



I'm a lover of character-driven stories too...but sometimes a book doesn't click for me.


----------



## Chessie

Writeking said:


> Pet Sematary, a great book I always come back to time and time again. Perhaps my favorite book of all time.



Awesome book! Have you read Carrie? That's one of his best ones of old, too.


----------



## Writeking

I've read Carrie, I enjoyed it, but not as much as Pet Sematary. The Green Mile is another of my favorite King books.


----------



## Chessie

The Green Mile is excellent. Basically, I love pretty much anything he does. End of story.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

I'm too sensitive to read horror, lol. My imagination is too good and my anxiety is too bad. It sucks because i want to write it.


----------



## skip.knox

Currently reading: _A Prayer for Owen Meany_, by John Irving. Because it was on my list. It's way out of my interest range, but Irving has too good a reputation simply to ignore him.

I'm less than a quarter of the way through the book, but I see Irving doing one thing (at least!) deftly. Much of the book is anecdotal (told first person). Small town stories, family stories, almost to the point of trivial. Then he will quietly lay in a surprise. These range from small curiosities to rather horrifying bombshells, each delivered in an unblinking _cinema veritÃ©_ manner that is arresting. I'm not sure how applicable this would be in epic fantasy, but it does make me wonder how Irving decided exactly where to place his surprises.


----------



## Russ

Just started Lee Child's "Night School". Same excellent lean prose and sharp wit as usual but a very different plot and a story fro when Reacher was still working for the military.  Quite enjoying it.


----------



## cydare

I'm reading Six of Crows right now, and am very pleasantly surprised in how much better I like it than the last novel I read by the author (Shadow and Bone, which definitely wasn't for me).


----------



## Ireth

Read _The Last Unicorn_ over the weekend, and now I'm working my way through _Tales From the Perilous Realm_. Both are very entertaining. ^^


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

cydare said:


> I'm reading Six of Crows right now, and am very pleasantly surprised in how much better I like it than the last novel I read by the author (Shadow and Bone, which definitely wasn't for me).



My friend keeps recommending me that. Says it will help with my WIP.


----------



## Jackarandajam

Just started the Harry Potter series for the first time. Audiobook.


----------



## CupofJoe

Trekking in the Pyrenees by Douglas Streatfeild-James
[and planning/dreaming next year's holiday]


----------



## Mythopoet

I've started reading Deryni Rising by Katherine Kurtz. It is supposed to be one of the classics of its time, but so far is not really grabbing me. It's easy to read, so I'll probably finish it anyway, but I'm just not really invested even a quarter of the way through. There are no characters whom I can really care about or feel compelled to follow through the story.


----------



## Chessie

I'm reading The Princess Bride! So far I love it!


----------



## CupofJoe

Chesterama said:


> I'm reading The Princess Bride! So far I love it!


Inconceivable!
[someone had to do it...]


----------



## Chessie

I keep expecting Cary Elwes to pop out of the book but alas...no such luck.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Chesterama said:


> I'm reading The Princess Bride! So far I love it!



Oooh! I own that one in hardcover and I love it completely.


----------



## Mythopoet

Chesterama said:


> I'm reading The Princess Bride! So far I love it!



One of my favorites! Pity he never did write a sequel.


----------



## Ireth

Mythopoet said:


> One of my favorites! Pity he never did write a sequel.



Didn't he? I could have sworn _Buttercup's Baby_ was a real thing... (and no, I'm not mixing it up with Rosemary's Baby. XD)


----------



## Mythopoet

Ireth said:


> Didn't he? I could have sworn _Buttercup's Baby_ was a real thing... (and no, I'm not mixing it up with Rosemary's Baby. XD)



It is a thing. But it's only a chapter. (And can be found in anniversary editions of Princess Bride.) He never finished it because he didn't know what to do with the story.


----------



## La Volpe

Just started with _I Don't Want to Kill You_ by Dan Wells.


----------



## Chessie

Oh, Rosemary's Baby. Is there such thing as a novel? I thought it was only the movie. And speaking of horror, I downloaded an H.P. Lovecraft's greatest hits on my Kindle. Already dove into Call Of Cthulu so Princess Bride may have to wait until my horror need passes...


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Mythopoet said:


> It is a thing. But it's only a chapter. (And can be found in anniversary editions of Princess Bride.) He never finished it because he didn't know what to do with the story.



It is a thing, that's the edition I own.


----------



## Mythopoet

I finished Deryni Rising and found it to be a rather mediocre and predictable fantasy novel. Perhaps because it was written in the 60s when there still wasn't a lot of epic fantasy out there. There wasn't anything wrong with the book. It was competently written and had a decent high fantasy plot. But I found its predictability boring. I don't think I'll be picking up any other books in the series because this first one really didn't do anything to make me feel interested in the world or the Deryni. 

It does make me wonder if the things we are writing today will have the same affect on people reading them 50 years from now. All the things we think are original and exciting, will they have become pale and mundane to future readers?

I picked up the book *Sabriel by Garth Nix* from the library and so far I am greatly enjoying it. Sabriel is a wonderful character and the magic of this world is quite fascinating. There's plenty of fantasy action and mystery too. Hopefully it stays good to the end.


----------



## Mythopoet

So yesterday I ended up laying in bed sick as a dog all day and ended up finishing *Sabriel*. Overall, I really enjoyed the book. Loved the characters and the worldbuilding and the epic conflict between Life and Death. My only complaint is how abruptly it ended (which I made a thread about elsewhere).


----------



## Nimue

Okay, A) I'm super jealous that you're getting to read that series for the first time, it has literally been my favorite since 4th grade.  Fantastic world building.

B) I definitely agree about the sudden ending...and as a warning there's a little bit of that through the other books.  I love a good denouement or epilogue myself, so that is something I've always wished for from those books, but it almost feels as though the sequels provide some of that resolution.  I'd highly recommend reading the rest of the series--and lucky you, you can read Goldenhand right away instead of having to wait ten years for it! I will say, though, that Sabriel is still my favorite--its biggest flaw being that there isn't _more_ of it, in the way that Lirael and Abhorsen were fleshed-out.


----------



## Mythopoet

Nimue said:


> I will say, though, that Sabriel is still my favorite--its biggest flaw being that there isn't _more_ of it



Yes, I agree with that. It was immensely enjoyable, right up until there wasn't any more to read! I complain, but in this particular case the story and worldbuilding was more than good enough to make up for the lack of more resolution. Fortunately my local library has Lirael so I'll probably pick that up soon.


----------



## chaosattractor

I just got through _The Winter of the Fisher_ by Cameron Langford, which was an interesting read if a little contrived at points. I'm about to start on _The Lies of Locke Lamora_ by Scott Lynch.


----------



## Incanus

^^Oh, nice.  LLL was a good, fun read.

Yesterday I picked up the anthology, The Year's Best Dark Fantasy and Horror 2016.

Even though there'll probably be a 2017 one out soon, I thought it might be a good idea to look at some recent stuff.  This is a great way to take in a wide variety of authors, most of them new to me.  So far, so good.  The first story was great, and the next one looks pretty good too.


----------



## Michael K. Eidson

I'm nearly finished with _Enemy (On the Bones of Gods, Book 1)_ by K. Eason. It's a story about the struggle for survival in a harsh world. When I first started reading the book, I wasn't sure I'd care for the author's style. As I mentioned in another thread, the author uses a lot of sentence fragments. The style has grown on me.

The author uses a few techniques that some might think gimmicky. For instance, she'll break a sentence right in the middle to insert an additional, clarifying

_tension-building_

word or phrase that the character is thinking at that exact moment. Whether it can be considered gimmicky or not, I like the end result.


----------



## X Equestris

I read "The Music Room" by Stephen King today.  Despite being really short (only about two pages), it was remarkably creepy.  

In other news, I finally finished A Dance with Dragons recently.  Now to wait for The Winds Of Winter.


----------



## Peat

Near halfway through the first _Mistborn_ book.


----------



## skip.knox

Reading _Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell_, but I may be giving it up soon. It was fun and intriguing for a while, but I'm about a third of the way in and I still don't really know what's at stake. If it weren't for the title, I wouldn't know who the main characters of the novel were, either. It's all getting a bit, er, Dickensian for my taste.

Besides, I'm also reading _One of Ours_, by Willa Cather, which feels rather meatier. One or the other is going to win out.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

I just finished Blood for Blood, second book in Ryan Graudin's excellent YA duology (consisting of Wolf by Wolf and Blood for Blood.) And AAAAAAAAAA it hurts. Everything hurts. My emotions are dying. 

These books were so good. The writing is amazing, the characters so well-drawn, and SO ACTION PACKED. So much suspense. And it's free of the plagues that ravage YA (love triangles, weak, weepy heroines, romance-overwhelmed plots) 

Seriously I'm so hyper. What do I do with myself. I was doing intervals of push-ups but that hasn't helped calm me down. My brain is fried from nearly 5 hours of nonstop reading. 

These books are amazing. I know some of you read and enjoy YA so PLEASE pick them up. But brace your emotions. 

Gah. PAAAAAAAAAAAAIN.


----------



## Mythopoet

I'm rereading *The Summer Tree by Guy Gavriel Kay*. Book one of the Fionavar trilogy. Not entirely sure why. I read it years ago and had the urge to read it again. Surprisingly, I'm actually enjoying it far more this time around. 

Also reading *The Jacket* or *The Star Rover* (depending on where it was published) *by Jack London*. As far as I know, it's his only fantasy novel, in which a man under torture in prison goes into a trance state that allows him to remember his previous lives. I haven't gotten very far yet, but I'm enjoying it. The first person narrator has a very compelling voice.


----------



## Chessie

Oh, Jack London. I loved reading his books as a youngster.


----------



## Garren Jacobsen

Finally finished Hamilton by Chernow. Incredible book about an incredible man.

Now the question is what book should I start reading.


----------



## Garren Jacobsen

Just started a Shadow in Summer. The magic is interesting so far and the intrigues are neat.


----------



## Steerpike

_Reamde_, by Neal Stephenson
_Game of Kings_, by Dorothy Dunnett
_Moby Dick_​


----------



## Chessie

This post is for Nimue who has a full inbox: (thanks for the recs!!)

Fantasy Romance

-Entreat Me, Grace Draven (she is simply AMAZING and I've been meaning to get into the rest of her list)
-Eidolon, ^^
-The Sorcerer's Concubine, Jaclyn Dolamore
-The Sorcerer's Wife, ^^
-The Fire Lord's Lover, Kathrynne Kennedy
-Harvest Moon, Mercedes Lackey (whom I adore btw)
-The Lady Of The Storm, Kathryne Kennedy (her Elven Lords series is one to look into if you like that sort of thing. I couldn't make it past this book lol)

And those are just a few for now, as I'm still making my way through the fantasy romance reading list. These are all authors work checking out though, and actually the first 2 are Indie but Draven is on the USA Best Sellers list. Also, there is Jeffe Kennedy who also writes in this genre. I hope you find something you like!


----------



## Nimue

Haha, whoops! Right now I am reading _nothing_ but I think that's about to be remedied... Thanks Chessie!


----------



## Chessie

Taking it back to 1946: Leave Her To Heaven. I've watched the movie a dozen times because not only is it super good, but it has Gene Tierney in it, who is one of my favorite actresses of all time. So far, the English is chewy. It does have a somewhat foreboding feel to it...but that's probably because I know what a psycho this woman is. Anyway, it's definitely something else.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

Tehanu [Book Four of the Earthsea Cycle; by Ursula Le Guin]--one of my favourite books ever


----------



## Mytherea

Rereading "The Curse of Chalion" mostly 'cause I'm in a reading slump, so I'm going for what's comfortable. I'm thinking the slump might be caused by too many options that are making the act of committing to one book weirdly difficult.


----------



## Mythopoet

Close to finishing The Summer Tree. Would have finished it by now but I couldn't find it for a few days. Turns out my 3 year old had stuck it in the kids' books bookshelf. The only time in his life he's ever put anything away, but it was not helpful at all since it's a library book. Sigh. 

I put The Star Rover on hold because I've been dreadfully sick and my sick brain just didn't appreciate it at all. Decided to finally read The Shepherd's Crown by Terry Pratchett instead since the price for the ebook came down. I always tend to read Discworld books when I'm sick. And this one so far is not disappointing. Though I feel like I should have reread I Shall Wear Midnight first. It's been a long time since I read it and I feel a little disconnected from Tiffany's development.


----------



## Chessie

Devouring Wolf said:


> Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond. Its a very interesting read, especially for those who love worldbuilding (or just anthropology).



His books are really good, especially that one. Make sure to read Collapse too. Similar subject but still a highly educational read.


----------



## Garren Jacobsen

Find her a Shafow in summer. Going to be reading best served cold.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

I finally finished To Kill a Mockingbird (drive-a-tent-peg-through-your-own-skull boring, I'm afraid) and now I'm reading Six of Crows on a friend's recommendation. I'm only 100 pages in but I like it.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Admittedly the only reason I was reading To Kill a Mockingbird was that my friends boyfriend, who doesn't read almost ever, read it and was really shocked that I hadn't. So...I didn't want to be outdone by a non-reader. :/


----------



## Tom

I love To Kill A Mockingbird! It is slow, but that's why I like it. The gradual, subtle accumutation of tension and characters and themes are what hooked me when I first read it. I will admit that I also like it partially for nostalgic reasons...a lot of my favorite books are the ones that I read repeatedly when I was a kid, even ones I was required to read for school (except for Brave New World....ughh). We were supposed to read To Kill A Mockingbird over a period of about two weeks, but I zipped through it in a few hours. I still remember filling out the reading sheet and my best friend being convinced that I cheated somehow.


----------



## Mytherea

I finished my reread and had a nice time analyzing how every scene almost always started with a goal that got sidetracked, which was something I completely missed the first time around. Now I'm caught between pushing on through "An Import of Intrigue" or starting "The Blade Itself" (leaning toward "Import" though just 'cause I'm almost a hundred pages in already so I might as well finish).


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Tom Nimenai said:


> I love To Kill A Mockingbird! It is slow, but that's why I like it. The gradual, subtle accumutation of tension and characters and themes are what hooked me when I first read it. I will admit that I also like it partially for nostalgic reasons...a lot of my favorite books are the ones that I read repeatedly when I was a kid, even ones I was required to read for school (except for Brave New World....ughh). We were supposed to read To Kill A Mockingbird over a period of about two weeks, but I zipped through it in a few hours. I still remember filling out the reading sheet and my best friend being convinced that I cheated somehow.



It is a good book, and I loved the atmosphere of the sleepy little town, and the characters. But the second half didn't do it for me at all. I like books with a great atmosphere and characters but i tend to get bored of it by the time the book's over.


----------



## Tim Reed

I am currently reading the final part of Mark Chadbourn's Age of Misrule series, which I have enjoyed a lot. Alongside that I am dipping in and out of Stephen King's recent(ish) short story collection, The Bazaar of Bad Dreams - which is a bit hit and miss, but has some excellent stories in.


----------



## Mythopoet

Finished The Summer Tree and found it really immensely enjoyable. My younger self for some reason thought it was badly written, but my current older and hopefully wiser self thought it was great in just about ever respect. 

Also finished The Shepherd's Crown. It was quite good. Though certainly not his best, and I felt the characterization was off from the characterization of the same characters in previous books, but that's to be expected I suppose. It's a great conclusion to the Tiffany Aching series. 

Just got back from the library where I picked up Lirael and Abhorsen. Can't wait to dive into more of that world!


----------



## Writeking

Ico: Castle in the Mist by Miyuki Miyabe.


----------



## CupofJoe

"Firefly: a celebration" created by Joss Whedon

_Take my love
Take my land
Take me where I cannot stand
I don't care
I'm still free
You can't take the sky from me.

Take me out
To the black
Tell them I ain't coming back
Burn the land
And boil the sea
You can't take the sky from me.

Have no place
I can be
Since I found Serenity
But you can't take the sky from me._


----------



## Chessie

Current list:

-Inharmonic (Songmaker Series), which I found completely by accident and he writes in a world similar to mine. 
-Eight Seconds To Forever (CR)
-Shine On (HR)
-Guerrilla Publishing (almost done)
-Six Figure Author (halfway done)

It's going to be a busy reading month!


----------



## skip.knox

_The Black Count_, a history about the extraordinary life of Alex Dumas, the father to Alexander Dumas, author of The Three Musketeers, etc.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

> Ico: Castle in the Mist by Miyuki Miyabe.



I've read that!

I'm going to read the Mistborn trilogy presently for the first time.


----------



## Steerpike

Legacy of Heorot
Reamde
Moby Dick
The Dark is Rising
The Vorrh


----------



## Chessie

skip.knox said:


> _The Black Count_, a history about the extraordinary life of Alex Dumas, the father to Alexander Dumas, author of The Three Musketeers, etc.



This sounds very interesting! The Three Musketeers is one heck of a book!


----------



## Peat

Read By The Sword by Mercedes Lackey today as I needed a fun feel-good braindead book to read while waiting for my dad at the hospital. Did its job admirably.

Was reading Blood of Elves, but got a little tired by the scarcity of action.


----------



## Insolent Lad

Just finished Chesterton's 'The Man Who Was Thursday.' Didn't realize it was a 'fantasy'  until I was well into it, as it's spy-story premise transmuted page-by-page, growing more humorously absurd and eventually downright mystical.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

The Mistborn Trilogy.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Insolent Lad said:


> Just finished Chesterton's 'The Man Who Was Thursday.' Didn't realize it was a 'fantasy'  until I was well into it, as it's spy-story premise transmuted page-by-page, growing more humorously absurd and eventually downright mystical.



That's one of my favorite books!!  I don't think it really belongs in a genre, and those are my favorite kind. 

I just love Chesterton's writing style.


----------



## Chessie

The Musicmaker book wasn't very good. Sigh. Got burned again. I'm so sick of dry sounding books. Ugh.

Finished a couple of the other books, which also weren't very good (except for Chris Fox's book, that was helpful!). Now reading Forsworn. And...I actually love it.


----------



## skip.knox

Chessie said:


> This sounds very interesting! The Three Musketeers is one heck of a book!



The book is fascinating. Alex Dumas was the son of a French aristocrat and a black woman in Santo Domingo. He came to France at fourteen, got into the Army just before the French Revolution. He was actually a famous soldier and then general, commander of something called the Black Legion.

I know a bit about the French Revolution. Seeing it re-told from this angle has been enjoyable. Still reading. Alex just commanded an assault on Mont Cenis.


----------



## Chessie

The Count Of Monte Cristo is also another one of his masterpieces. It took me forever to read but I loved it so much I went and rented the movie afterward!


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Chessie said:


> The Count Of Monte Cristo is also another one of his masterpieces. It took me forever to read but I loved it so much I went and rented the movie afterward!



I got a beautiful copy of that for Christmas


----------



## Garren Jacobsen

Finished Best Served Cold. Just started Gardens of the Moon. Once I finish that I think I might try to tackle the Federalist Papers.


----------



## Tom

Finished _The Goblin Emperor_ last night! A very dense political fantasy that took a lot of time and effort to get through, but it was absolutely stunning. Court intrigue, steampunk, underdog hero, extensive worldbuilding...just my kind of book. If you can manage to remember 50+ character names and work through some extremely long, hard-to-pronounce words, I'd highly recommend trying it out. It's also kind of a slow-burn type plot, and a lot of the action is supplied by political maneuvering.


----------



## neodoering

Right now I'm reading an indie graphic novel called _Vampire in Hollywood, and other tales of supernatural law_, by Batton Lash.  It's a humorous set of stories with the premise that each story tells the tale of a supernatural being that for one reason or another needs a lawyer to represent him, and he goes to attorneys Wolff and Byrd for help.  Full of artistic in-jokes, and at times laugh-out-loud funny.  

I just finished _The Three Musketeers_ and really enjoyed it.  Fast paced, interesting, lively, and fun.  Not fantasy, but still a good time.  

While I'm discussing books, a few years ago I read the complete _The Arabian Nights _, translated by Burton.  I'd say, don't bother.  There are a lot of stories that are very similar to each other, and some that are flat-out boring, and some that are just not well written/translated.  Read an abridged version, with the best stories in it.  There aren't a whole _lot_ of fantasy tales in the _Nights_, but there are enough to give you a taste of Arabia.


----------



## Mythopoet

I just finished reading Lirael and Abhorsen by Garth Nix. I found them really enjoyable. The world of the Old Kingdom is really well done and fascinating.


----------



## Steerpike

Mythopoet said:


> I just finished reading Lirael and Abhorsen by Garth Nix. I found them really enjoyable. The world of the Old Kingdom is really well done and fascinating.



Those are good. Sabriel is still my favorite, but I haven't disliked any of them.


----------



## Mythopoet

I've also decided to reread The Night Land by William Hope Hodgson so I can take notes a long the way. The world of The Night Land is a direct influence on the world I am developing and writing in.


----------



## Eyeofdreeg

Currently just going through the classic conan stories. I feel I've read them all a couple of times already but it's definitely worth going over them again.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

I finished the Fellowship of the Ring and now I'm reading The Two Towers!  

I love it. I can FEEL myself turning into a huge Tolkien nerd.


----------



## Steerpike

Devices and Desires, KJ Parker
Beowulf's Children; Niven, Pournelle, Barnes
Lost Stars, Tarnished Knight; Jack Campbell


----------



## Ireth

DragonOfTheAerie said:


> I finished the Fellowship of the Ring and now I'm reading The Two Towers!
> 
> I love it. I can FEEL myself turning into a huge Tolkien nerd.



Good, good. Let the love flow through you!


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Ireth said:


> Good, good. Let the love flow through you!



^i got that reference 

and i like it


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

^Just wait 'till you get to the Silmarillion.  [My favourite stories are The Tale of Beren and Luthien and The Tale of Earendil.


----------



## Mythopoet

DragonOfTheAerie said:


> I finished the Fellowship of the Ring and now I'm reading The Two Towers!
> 
> I love it. I can FEEL myself turning into a huge Tolkien nerd.



Muahahahaha. One of us now.


----------



## Mytherea

Just finished _The Custodian of Marvels_ by Rod Duncan. It's good, but I forgot so much since I read the first and second books, like, two years ago, so I think it probably works best as a binge-read trilogy (which I might reread someday). Now I'm reading _Borderline_ by Mishell Baker and, so far, I'm enjoying it and Millie's voice. True, I'm only ten pages in, but it's been a good ten pages.


----------



## Chessie

Right now I'm reading The Pendant: A Novel Of Murder, Vengeance, and Secret Treasure In Medieval Italy. It's a historical adventure romance/Wuthering Heights gothic read and it's got me in a trance. Next in line is Queen Mab, a historical fantasy based on the faerie queen from Romeo & Juliet. There's certainly a theme here.


----------



## Garren Jacobsen

Just finished Gardens of the Moon. It wasn't bad but it was super jumpy. Next up is Black Prism.


----------



## Steerpike

Brian Scott Allen said:


> Just finished Gardens of the Moon. It wasn't bad but it was super jumpy. Next up is Black Prism.



I've read that one multiple times 

Currently reading Devices and Desires, by KJ Parker.


----------



## Mythopoet

I've been reading The High House by James Stoddard and absolutely LOVING it. I don't know how to explain it without spoiling it. But just... it's awesome.


----------



## skip.knox

Brian Scott Allen said:


> Just finished Gardens of the Moon. It wasn't bad but it was super jumpy. Next up is Black Prism.



I have not read that, but the title reminded me of a little-known SF story, _A Garden on the Moon_ by Pierre Boulle. It's an elegant little tale about three moon shots that all land about the same time--USA, USSR, and Japan. 

Boulle, some of you may know, is the same French spy who wrote _Bridge on the River Kwai_ and _Planet of the Apes_.


----------



## Svrtnsse

I'm currently reading A Winter Book, which is a collection of short stories by Tove Jansson. I've read and loved all of her children's books, but this is the first time I'm reading anything by her intended for an adult audience. 
It's fascinating to recognise things from her children's books in these stories, only just slightly different. I know those children's stories really well and it's fun to see where the inspiration for the characters and situations come from. I also find it very encouraging that her "voice" is almost the same in the short stories as they are in the children's books.


----------



## CupofJoe

War of the World: The Anglo-Martian War of 1895
It is not bad. Though it takes a few gentle liberties with the HG Wells story, there nothing that really jars. 
Some of the background information [like why there were so few soldiers in SE England] was interesting and detailed enough to be convincing. As as with the character involved...
I'd have liked some [Victorian era] maps of what happened and where but their absence is not a huge loss.


----------



## Writeking

The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks.


----------



## Geo

Just finished "The Southern Reach Trilogy" by Jeff VanderMeer. The books are not only intriguing and hauntingly weird, there are also masterly written. I think that the first one, Annihilation is my favorite, but the third one, Acceptance is brilliant from the very surprising second person narration to the story, just great.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Geo said:


> Just finished "The Southern Reach Trilogy" by Jeff VanderMeer. The books are not only intriguing and hauntingly weird, there are also masterly written. I think that the first one, Annihilation is my favorite, but the third one, Acceptance is brilliant from the very surprising second person narration to the story, just great.



I've been thinking of looking into those...What are they like? Are they overly disturbing or anything? I want to read Weird Fiction cuz that's kinda what I'm turning into. 

I have his book on writing, WonderBook, and I really appreciate the weirdness.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

I'm reading Ratha's Creature, as a result of my quest to find mature talking animal books. (Because I seek to write one.) It's the story of a prehistoric society of intelligent panther-type cats who herd animals and the main character (Ratha) discovers fire and how to tame and control it, and as a result gets exiled...It's an old book, first published in the 80's I think, and went out of print but was revived. 

Anyway. The writing is choppy (sentences too short and not in rhythm) which takes a little getting used to, but I like the story. Also, there are "mating" scenes...like, sex scenes but cats humping each other...and...it's a bit weird. 

I read a lot last night, I went to bed early because I was having an anxiety attack of some kind. I do like the book.


----------



## Geo

DragonOfTheAerie said:


> I've been thinking of looking into those...What are they like? Are they overly disturbing or anything? I want to read Weird Fiction cuz that's kinda what I'm turning into.
> 
> I have his book on writing, WonderBook, and I really appreciate the weirdness.



Hi there DragonOfTheAerie,
Weird, yes. Awesome, also. The atmosphere VanderMeer creates is just fantastic. I literally could not put the first book down until I finished it (my students had a very sleep deprived teacher for 3 days) . The second book took me by surprise because the theme continues but is at the same time totally different and the third book is just written with mastery, hard to find other words. It's been long since an author surprises me , and these books have weird and great surprises in every turn of the page. Honestly, if you want to read good fiction speculative that happens to be eerie and weird, this is it.


----------



## Garren Jacobsen

Steerpike said:


> I've read that one multiple times
> 
> Currently reading Devices and Desires, by KJ Parker.



Gardens of the Moon or Black Prism?


----------



## Steerpike

Brian Scott Allen said:


> Gardens of the Moon or Black Prism?



Gardens of the Moon. Great series of books


----------



## Russ

Steerpike said:


> Gardens of the Moon. Great series of books



Second that, with the same analysis.  Well worth the time reading those.


----------



## Steerpike

Russ said:


> Second that, with the same analysis.  Well worth the time reading those.



Has to be the high point of world-building in modern epic fantasy. I like Esslemont's contributions as well.


----------



## Demesnedenoir

I can't get into Gardens of the Moon at all, and I've tried several times now. I've made it further in Name of the Wind than Gardens of the Moon, and that's saying something... because I'm not fond of the writing there either. 

Both of these are on my list of "force myself to read" books to see if I can figure out why people like them, heh heh. I read the first Mistborn book recently and it was... okay, I get the attraction, but I won't read the rest of the series. I might read Way of Kings to see how Sanderson matured in his writing.


----------



## Mythopoet

Demesnedenoir said:


> I can't get into Gardens of the Moon at all, and I've tried several times now. I've made it further in Name of the Wind than Gardens of the Moon, and that's saying something... because I'm not fond of the writing there either.
> 
> Both of these are on my list of "force myself to read" books to see if I can figure out why people like them, heh heh. I read the first Mistborn book recently and it was... okay, I get the attraction, but I won't read the rest of the series. I might read Way of Kings to see how Sanderson matured in his writing.



I managed to finish Gardens of the Moon, but the second book, Deadhouse Gates, totally defeated me. I just could not stand it. 

As for Sanderson, I read Elantris, and it was ok. Tried to read The Way of Kings and gave up again in despair. Just not at all a compelling book to me. It's strange because I like a lot of what Sanderson says about writing on the Writing Excuses podcast. But his actual books fail to engage me.


----------



## Steerpike

Demesnedenoir said:


> I can't get into Gardens of the Moon at all, and I've tried several times now. I've made it further in Name of the Wind than Gardens of the Moon, and that's saying something... because I'm not fond of the writing there either.
> 
> Both of these are on my list of "force myself to read" books to see if I can figure out why people like them, heh heh. I read the first Mistborn book recently and it was... okay, I get the attraction, but I won't read the rest of the series. I might read Way of Kings to see how Sanderson matured in his writing.



It's a great series, IMO. But you're looking at ten books, some of which push 1200 pages. If you don't like Erikson's writing, may as well read something you like. The series is complicated and doesn't become easier to read.


----------



## Demesnedenoir

Complicated is good, and huge books are fine, and I doubt he can be more difficult to read than Chaucer in its original Middle English, but not sure his writing and story will engage me. The setting feels so D&D (or generic RPG) it bugs me... but if I recall correctly, it should feel that way since that was its genesis. That would've appealed to me in '99 (maybe, I was already trending low magic with plumes of high) but now, it's more iffy. Now, in '92 I probably would've been into this book... although I was stuck reading Chaucer about then, LOL.

I also have editor brain (although I've managed to suppress it) and Rothfuss and Erickson both try to make my inner editor scream on numerous occassions. I am going to take a run at reading Gardens and Name of the Wind over the next year, as a study of writers rather than entertainment, then I'll see if they're interesting enough to continue with.



Steerpike said:


> It's a great series, IMO. But you're looking at ten books, some of which push 1200 pages. If you don't like Erikson's writing, may as well read something you like. The series is complicated and doesn't become easier to read.


----------



## Demesnedenoir

Yeah, I love Brandon as Brandon, and as a writer, he is just fine, just so far he hasn't excited me. But in all fairness, I haven't found an exciting writer in a very long time. I just started rereading The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco the other day, and I was shocked at how quickly I fell back into that story and the narrator's voice. And hell, that was originally in Italian! The English translation is better than most English writers manage. Go figure. Not all of Eco's stories are great, but the dude was a helluva writer, his passing was a literary loss for sure. 



Mythopoet said:


> I managed to finish Gardens of the Moon, but the second book, Deadhouse Gates, totally defeated me. I just could not stand it.
> 
> As for Sanderson, I read Elantris, and it was ok. Tried to read The Way of Kings and gave up again in despair. Just not at all a compelling book to me. It's strange because I like a lot of what Sanderson says about writing on the Writing Excuses podcast. But his actual books fail to engage me.


----------



## skip.knox

_Shards of a Broken Sword_ by W.R. Gingell. I read the sample and it hooked me. Normally I shy away from stories about the Fae, especially when it's capitalized. But this story starts with a cursed prince, his kindly and sympathetic father, and a strong and intriguing enchantress. By the time I learned it was going to be about Faery, I liked the lead characters so well, I was willing to follow them into Trite Land, trusting the author will come through.

That's a pretty good accomplishment for a sample!


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

skip.knox said:


> especially when it's capitalized.



Heehee... XD


----------



## Geo

I just finished They Mostly Come at Night, by Benedict Patrick. I think is his first book, is YA and it made me cringe because of the horrible misappropriation of the Native American voice and their legends/stories, but the format is interesting, the writing fluid and some of the interloping stories have a naive kind of charm. I got it as part of my effort to read new authors trying to set themselves apart from the classic Eurocentric type of fantasy. And Benedict tried, but in my opinion did not succeed.


----------



## Mythopoet

I finished reading *The High House* and found it a great ride and very satisfying. It's essentially about the transfer of power between the old Master of the High House, who has been missing for 10 years, and whoever will become his heir, the House chooses. But while the players are trying to figure things out, they are under attack by a group that wants to completely undermine the power of the House, which seems to be linked to the universe itself. Highly recommended. 

I'm continuing my reread of *The Night Land* while taking notes. It makes me feel sorry for William Hope Hodgson. This books is an incredible, stunning work of imagination, but the really unfortunate choice of prose style he made means that few people read it anymore. It had such a huge influence on many of the other influential writers of weird fantasy (Lovecraft, Ashton Smith, etc) but its legacy is fading because most people just don't want to read a huge book written this way. And I can't fault them. The prose is really tiresome and often absurd. I have no idea why he chose to write it like this. But for me at least, the story behind the prose is well worth the effort. There is an amazing world here and also a very personal story of love and sacrifice. 

There is also a "retold" version of the book which sticks to the original as closely as possible, but updates the prose and structure of the writing. It's by James Stoddard and I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in The Night Land. 

I've also started reading *Swordspoint* by Ellen Kushner. Not sure what I think of it so far. It appears to be one of those fantasy stories with zero fantastical elements, more like historical fiction but set in an imaginary place. In general, I don't favor those types of fantasy books, but I'll see how this one plays out.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Mythopoet said:


> I finished reading *The High House* and found it a great ride and very satisfying. It's essentially about the transfer of power between the old Master of the High House, who has been missing for 10 years, and whoever will become his heir, the House chooses. But while the players are trying to figure things out, they are under attack by a group that wants to completely undermine the power of the House, which seems to be linked to the universe itself. Highly recommended.
> 
> I'm continuing my reread of *The Night Land* while taking notes. It makes me feel sorry for William Hope Hodgson. This books is an incredible, stunning work of imagination, but the really unfortunate choice of prose style he made means that few people read it anymore. It had such a huge influence on many of the other influential writers of weird fantasy (Lovecraft, Ashton Smith, etc) but its legacy is fading because most people just don't want to read a huge book written this way. And I can't fault them. The prose is really tiresome and often absurd. I have no idea why he chose to write it like this. But for me at least, the story behind the prose is well worth the effort. There is an amazing world here and also a very personal story of love and sacrifice.
> 
> There is also a "retold" version of the book which sticks to the original as closely as possible, but updates the prose and structure of the writing. It's by James Stoddard and I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in The Night Land.
> 
> I've also started reading *Swordspoint* by Ellen Kushner. Not sure what I think of it so far. It appears to be one of those fantasy stories with zero fantastical elements, more like historical fiction but set in an imaginary place. In general, I don't favor those types of fantasy books, but I'll see how this one plays out.



What's the Night Land about? And why is the prose weird?


----------



## Steerpike

DragonOfTheAerie said:


> What's the Night Land about? And why is the prose weird?



It's a far-future story where the sun has been extinguished, as I recall. I remember thinking it was very cool story when I read it, which was some time ago. Worth checking out.

Also, all of the Ellen Kushner books set in the "Riverside" are are excellent, which includes Swordspoint, Privilege of the Sword, and The Fall of the Kings (which does have some magical elements).


----------



## Mythopoet

DragonOfTheAerie said:


> What's the Night Land about? And why is the prose weird?



The Night Land is about a very, very distant future (many millions of years) in which the sun has been completely dark for millions of years and humanity exists only in a gigantic pyramid structure called the Great Redoubt which they never leave. The Redoubt is surrounded on all sides by monstrous enemies, but is sustained from within by the "earth current". The main character, who is never named and tells the story in the first person, is a youth of the Great Redoubt who has "night hearing" (a kind of telepathy) and receives a telepathic call from another, smaller redoubt somewhere out there in the Night Land where a small number of humans are in great trouble for their earth current is failing. The MC discovers that the girl he makes contact with is essentially the reincarnation of his wife from a previous life. When he looses contact with her, knowing her Redoubt is in grave danger, he braves a journey through the Night Land to save her.

The descriptions of the Land and the hints at the history of humanity up to that point are strikingly imaginative. It's a sci fi novel, but it was written in 1912 so the science is quite old. But here's an example of the prose:



> And as I did begin to return, it was to me as that all my senses were newly awake; for I had a sudden knowing that I was within the atmosphere, should I not call it, of the Monster. And I gat an abrupt and horrid shaking of the spirit; for I did feel in verity that my soul had come too anigh; and that the Beast had a sure knowledge concerning me; yet did make to my destruction with no haste; but after that way and fashion that did seem proper unto it. And this feeling you shall understand the better, maybe, when I do tell that it was of a quiet and steadfast life and keen intelligence that I did believe to come forth from the Watcher on every side; so that I did feel as one already within the gaze of some Great and Evil Power.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Mythopoet said:


> The Night Land is about a very, very distant future (many millions of years) in which the sun has been completely dark for millions of years and humanity exists only in a gigantic pyramid structure called the Great Redoubt which they never leave. The Redoubt is surrounded on all sides by monstrous enemies, but is sustained from within by the "earth current". The main character, who is never named and tells the story in the first person, is a youth of the Great Redoubt who has "night hearing" (a kind of telepathy) and receives a telepathic call from another, smaller redoubt somewhere out there in the Night Land where a small number of humans are in great trouble for their earth current is failing. The MC discovers that the girl he makes contact with is essentially the reincarnation of his wife from a previous life. When he looses contact with her, knowing her Redoubt is in grave danger, he braves a journey through the Night Land to save her.
> 
> The descriptions of the Land and the hints at the history of humanity up to that point are strikingly imaginative. It's a sci fi novel, but it was written in 1912 so the science is quite old. But here's an example of the prose:



Yikes. I can barely make it through that example. Reading a whole book like that sounds incredibly tedious.


----------



## Demesnedenoir

It's the sort of prose you can get used to. But then I've read plenty of old stuff, including the Canterbury Tales in ME... so, LOL. That sort of thing is a put off for the modern reader, no doubt. I doubt I'd be patient enough these days.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Demesnedenoir said:


> It's the sort of prose you can get used to. But then I've read plenty of old stuff, including the Canterbury Tales in ME... so, LOL. That sort of thing is a put off for the modern reader, no doubt. I doubt I'd be patient enough these days.



I hate the Canterbury Tales in modern English. XD Can some one tell me what the point of all that absurdly perverted crud is?


----------



## Demesnedenoir

Those memory chips were erased by years of booze, heh heh. And the modern english version? meh. Absurdly perverted? Suppose that's determined by POV. The prof wanted me to pursue Chaucer in grad school, I wanted to chase women... That turned out well, I didn't even get my BA. I always had a bad attitude toward school time hoop jumping, LOL. Hell, skipped my own high school grad after graduating early. Hmm, how bout them tangents? heh heh.


----------



## Mythopoet

Demesnedenoir said:


> It's the sort of prose you can get used to. But then I've read plenty of old stuff, including the Canterbury Tales in ME... so, LOL. That sort of thing is a put off for the modern reader, no doubt. I doubt I'd be patient enough these days.



Yeah, I've gotten used to the prose and it doesn't really bother me. I read a lot of older classics though and usually dislike contemporary prose styles. I'm rather old fashioned. Though the excerpt I posted above is actually a passage that is more on the tolerable side of the spectrum of The Night Land. Much of it is far worse with absurd amounts of redundancy and sentence structures that make me stop and wonder "wtf?" But I still really, really love the story.


----------



## Demesnedenoir

That almost tempts me to read it... almost... LOL.



Mythopoet said:


> Yeah, I've gotten used to the prose and it doesn't really bother me. I read a lot of older classics though and usually dislike contemporary prose styles. I'm rather old fashioned. Though the excerpt I posted above is actually a passage that is more on the tolerable side of the spectrum of The Night Land. Much of it is far worse with absurd amounts of redundancy and sentence structures that make me stop and wonder "wtf?" But I still really, really love the story.


----------



## Insolent Lad

I've never tackled The Night Land but I remember reading Hodgson's The House on the Borderland ages ago. I don't recall it being a particularly difficult read though I'm not sure I was ever quite sure what it was about.


----------



## Mythopoet

Demesnedenoir said:


> That almost tempts me to read it... almost... LOL.



lol That's why I also recommend the retold version! It's virtually identical except for the prose style and more dialogue. (And also the MC actually has a name.)



Insolent Lad said:


> I've never tackled The Night Land but I remember reading Hodgson's The House on the Borderland ages ago. I don't recall it being a particularly difficult read though I'm not sure I was ever quite sure what it was about.



The House on the Borderland is fantastic. It's writing is a bit old fashioned, but not anything like The Night Land. I don't really think you're supposed to know what it's about. Hodgson was basically writing cosmic horror before it was really a thing. Though many fans like to believe that House and Night Land are in the same universe. 

Anyway, I've given up on Swordspoint. For me, it just revolved around sex way too much. The plot hinged on the sex lives of the characters and while it was never explicit, it was too close for my comfort. This is a personal thing for me, but I really don't want to watch what's going on in character's bedrooms (or living room floors) anymore than I'd want someone looking in on my bedroom. (To witness all those backrubs and the amount of anime we watch.  ) And I wasn't expecting sex to be omnipresent in the story. The descriptions I'd read of it did not prepare me for that, so it was an unpleasant surprise.


----------



## Demesnedenoir

Oh, it's the weirdness of the writing that tempts me, heh heh.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

I am reading multiple Diana Wynne Jones books [my favourite author], and contemplating reading Gate of Ivory, Gate of Horn, since I've read Mythago Wood and Lavondyss.


----------



## Garren Jacobsen

Just started Deadhouse Gates. Digging it so far, but it is still jumpy like Gardens of the Moon.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

^Is that a pun?


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

I highly recommend reading Amelia Bert's book The Truth of All That Is. It is a beautiful, beautiful book. :heart: I found it on amazon.


----------



## Garren Jacobsen

TheCrystallineEntity said:


> ^Is that a pun?



If I said yes would you believe me?


----------



## X Equestris

Right now I've got a collection of all of Robert E. Howard's Conan stories.  It was a bargain at $ 0.99 on Kindle.  I'm currently on "Red Nails".  The style, and some of the themes, might not fly today but the stories are certainly entertaining.


----------



## Russ

X Equestris said:


> Right now I've got a collection of all of Robert E. Howard's Conan stories.  It was a bargain at $ 0.99 on Kindle.  I'm currently on "Red Nails".  The style, and some of the themes, might not fly today but the stories are certainly entertaining.



I quite enjoy Howard as well.


----------



## Geo

Following my "one book per week" challenge for 2017, I just finished The Golden Mean, by Annabel Lyon. Historical fiction about the private lives of Alexander the Great and Aristotle, and their relationship as tutor and student. I have to say Annabel does a superb job bringing ancient Macedonia back to life. All those little details of the everyday life that not only show she took her research seriously but create a vivid world beyond the most often portrayed soldier's life and great battles of the ancient Greece are simply genius and ingenious, and a great example of effective world-building.


----------



## Aeryn

Right now I'm reading Half Bad by Sally Green. I still haven't figured out if I like it or not. The writing style isn't really my type, but on the other hand, I also quite enjoy it. This means I'm still in between with deciding whether I like it or not!


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

I just started His Majesty's Dragon, first in the Temeraire series...So far I'm completely hooked. Temeraire reminds me of Toothless. He's adorable. O_O The historical setting is enjoyable too. 

I LOVE DRAGONS OK


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Geo said:


> Following my "one book per week" challenge for 2017, I just finished The Golden Mean, by Annabel Lyon. Historical fiction about the private lives of Alexander the Great and Aristotle, and their relationship as tutor and student. I have to say Annabel does a superb job bringing ancient Macedonia back to life. All those little details of the everyday life that not only show she took her research seriously but create a vivid world beyond the most often portrayed soldier's life and great battles of the ancient Greece are simply genius and ingenious, and a great example of effective world-building.



I should do such a challenge...I have been wanting to read more.


----------



## Mythopoet

X Equestris said:


> Right now I've got a collection of all of Robert E. Howard's Conan stories.  It was a bargain at $ 0.99 on Kindle.  I'm currently on "Red Nails".  The style, and some of the themes, might not fly today but the stories are certainly entertaining.



I really liked Red Nails. Sure, there are problematic bits, but the setting is truly a great work of imagination. 


I finished The False House last night, which is the sequel to The High House by James Stoddard. It was even better than the first book.


----------



## Geo

One more week, one more book. An author I really like, Neil Gaiman, in a book I liked a lot but that it was not what I expected: The Ocean at the End of the Lane. Highly enjoyable and an example of taking risk with voice and style.


----------



## Chessie

I'm currently reading Story Grid: What Good Editors Know, by Shawn Coyne. He was a New York editor (apparently one of the best) and his goal in writing the book was to help Writers' learn how to edit their own work. Not sentences...We're talking character, plot, story. It's fascinating and I'm learning so much. If you're interested in sharpeningg your storytelling abilities, this is a good one!

Also finished reading Tempered Hearts (Hearts of Valentina saga), S.A Hutchinson. Okay...It's an elven romance! I loved it! So I downloaded the second book but I'll be sinking my teeth into The Snowfang Bride first.


----------



## Geo

Chessie said:


> I'm currently reading Story Grid: What Good Editors Know, by Shawn Coyne.



This book was the first one I read that actually help me make sense of plot structure as an important tool to ultimate shape a book instead of just a series of steeps that must occur.


----------



## skip.knox

Chester Himes, _Cotton Comes to Harlem_. My thanks to the show, _Luke Cage_ for that.


----------



## Incanus

Almost done reading Steinbeck's "Cannery Row".  It's most excellent.  There is only a mere fibril of plot running through it, but the character depictions, insight into people, and sense of place are all stellar.


----------



## Mythopoet

I've been reading *The Drawing of the Dark* by Tim Powers. Like most books by Tim Powers it's very difficult to describe. Basically, it's Europe in the face of the invading Turks (early 1500s) and an aging Irish adventurer who's fought the Turks before finds himself suddenly witness to various supernatural appearances and events which revolve around the mysterious Aurelianus and the Herzwesten brewery of Vienna.


----------



## Chessie

Actually, I started reading Radiance by Grace Draven instead of the fang bride. It's totally sucked me in. I really do love her books.


----------



## Son of Eld

I started re-reading Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series to get ready for The Book of Dust. One of my favorites, it really deserved a better movie


----------



## skip.knox

Incanus, you might try _Travels With Charley_ some time. It's Steinbeck going cross country with his dog Charley. It's Steinbeck looking at America, circa 1960.


----------



## skip.knox

Now reading David Eddings, _The Belgariad_. Just because I felt obliged. Not bad, not great. Just one of those things so I can say I did it.


----------



## Geo

This week was dedicated to reading about writing (Thanks Chessie for the inspiration to choose my weekly reading). *Steering the Craf*t by Ursula K. LeGuin. I read the first version a few years back. The revised version is as good and useful as the first, but manages to take on subjects not covered in the original book. I'm a huge fan of LeGuin and when she talks about the craft of writing you get to see why she is the brilliant writer she is.


----------



## Demesnedenoir

Story Grid is good stuff, you can really see McKee's influence... although its easily been over ten years since I read McKee's stuff... damn I'm getting old. I'd highly recommend this book for anyone looking to get a grip on structure.



Chessie said:


> I'm currently reading Story Grid: What Good Editors Know, by Shawn Coyne. He was a New York editor (apparently one of the best) and his goal in writing the book was to help Writers' learn how to edit their own work. Not sentences...We're talking character, plot, story. It's fascinating and I'm learning so much. If you're interested in sharpeningg your storytelling abilities, this is a good one!
> 
> Also finished reading Tempered Hearts (Hearts of Valentina saga), S.A Hutchinson. Okay...It's an elven romance! I loved it! So I downloaded the second book but I'll be sinking my teeth into The Snowfang Bride first.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

Has anyone here read the Infernal Devices trilogy? Is it any good?


----------



## GypsyTraveller

The Farseer Trilogy; I'm currently reading Royal Assassin.


----------



## X Equestris

Mythopoet said:


> I really liked Red Nails. Sure, there are problematic bits, but the setting is truly a great work of imagination.



Oh, without a doubt.  And I'd say that Red Nails has far less problems than a few of the other stories in the collection.  Still, there are points in the Conan stories where Howard seems downright progressive for the era.  I bought a collection of Lovecraft's works shortly after getting the Conan one, and the contrast between the two on that matter is striking.  Though I'll say that both use POVs that are quite a bit more distant than many more recent works in those genres.  

Finished Lovecraft's "Dreams in the Witch House" over the weekend, and I'm working my way through Howard's "Hour of the Dragon".


----------



## Mythopoet

X Equestris said:


> Oh, without a doubt.  And I'd say that Red Nails has far less problems than a few of the other stories in the collection.  Still, there are points in the Conan stories where Howard seems downright progressive for the era.  I bought a collection of Lovecraft's works shortly after getting the Conan one, and the contrast between the two on that matter is striking.  Though I'll say that both use POVs that are quite a bit more distant than many more recent works in those genres.
> 
> Finished Lovecraft's "Dreams in the Witch House" over the weekend, and I'm working my way through Howard's "Hour of the Dragon".



No kidding. I've read all of Lovecraft's stories. My husband is reading them right now and he has been utterly astonished by the extreme and overt racism in some of the lesser known ones. Everyone knows Lovecraft was racist. What you often don't realize is how unabashedly racist he was. I adore many of his stories (the dream cycle in particular) and stand in awe of his imagination, but man, some of his stories seem more like an excuse to write a screed against his least favorite types of people. Howard is downright innocent in comparison.


----------



## Garren Jacobsen

Just finished the second book of the lightbringer series. Just started the Broken Eye of the same series. How color magic can be so damn cool is beyond me.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

I just finished His Majesty's Dragon (first in the Temeraire series) and I have a book hangover and, cruelly deprived of the sequel, know not what to do with myself...

Perhaps begin another book? 

It's 1:30 AM in my time zone...

Anyway. I've heard a lot of negative things about this book and the series as a whole, but I found them to be largely unfounded. It took me a bit longer to read this book than usual; there are lots of boring parts to get stuck on. I suppose the writing is a bit amateurish as well. The lady doesn't know how to make a sky battle feel different than a boring dinner. The writing is plodding and passive no matter the circumstance. Still, I was able to forgive those things because DRAGONS. 

The relationship between Capt. Laurence and Temeraire is adorable. (It's a little weird that Laurence calls his dragon 'my dear,' but, whatever.) Temeraire is basically like Toothless except that he talks and loves being read to. How can you not fall in love with him? 

Ughhhh. I don't want to go to sleeeeeeeeep 

*eyes bookshelf*


----------



## La Volpe

DragonOfTheAerie said:


> Anyway. I've heard a lot of negative things about this book and the series as a whole, but I found them to be largely unfounded. It took me a bit longer to read this book than usual; there are lots of boring parts to get stuck on. I suppose the writing is a bit amateurish as well. The lady doesn't know how to make a sky battle feel different than a boring dinner. The writing is plodding and passive no matter the circumstance.



Yeah, it felt a bit like a book written in the 1940s to me. Lots and lots of really slow stuff. But overall a nice world and characters. But it wasn't enough to make me buy the second book.

I can't remember, have you read any PERN novels (by the late Anne McCaffrey)?


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

La Volpe said:


> Yeah, it felt a bit like a book written in the 1940s to me. Lots and lots of really slow stuff. But overall a nice world and characters. But it wasn't enough to make me buy the second book.
> 
> I can't remember, have you read any PERN novels (by the late Anne McCaffrey)?



Not yet, but I intend to


----------



## La Volpe

DragonOfTheAerie said:


> Not yet, but I intend to



Definitely do so. They have the same human-dragon relationship as in _His Majesty's Dragon_, but a lot more is happening, and in a science fantasy world.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

La Volpe said:


> Definitely do so. They have the same human-dragon relationship as in _His Majesty's Dragon_, but a lot more is happening, and in a science fantasy world.



Next library trip.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Perhaps next I should start on A Natural History of Dragons, the first book of the Memoirs of Lady Trent? 

It's a book about a dragon naturalist who travels about documenting dragons and also about the discrimination she faces as a female scientist in her time period. Many reviewers complained that it wasn't very interesting if you were bored by endless facts about dragons, but I love endless facts about dragons, so I bought it.


----------



## T.Allen.Smith

I've moved away from reading fantasy for a time. Currently, I'm reading Dennis LeHane's _Mystic River_ and it's fantastic. 

The writing is wonderful and the story chock-full of emotion. There's so much excellent craft in this book that one could apply to writing in any genre.


----------



## pmmg

I've been trying to catch up on many of the books I should have read way back when but did not. Most recently I finished Hero of a Thousand Faces, by Joseph Campbell (I did not really care for it), and another book called Seven Women by Eric Metaxes, which I read for the Bio on Joan of Arc, but enjoyed all the biographies in it. Prior to those, I put Sword of Shannara in the read column. My opinion on that was that it was a complete rip of Tolkien, but you know...it was an early fantasy work. Truth is, I am not much of a reader. I rarely read for enjoyment, and read mostly for educational purposes. Currenly, I picked up Dianectics, from L Ron Hubbard, which I recall being advertised so heavily from my youth. So far, my opinion is snake oil, but I am withholding judgment.


----------



## Garren Jacobsen

Damn you Brent Weeks, damn you to hell and your wonderful writing. *I sob as I continue to compulsively read Blood Mirror.


----------



## Chessie

Cursed Hearts, by S.A. Hutchon. The lovers were brutally ripped apart in the first chapter and I'm already hooked. She has to be my new favorite author. Also, although I enjoy Grace Draven's storytelling, Radiance was a bit slow for my taste. No conflict! The lovers were amicable and didn't really have to fight for anything. Unfortunately, it went in the DNF pile.


----------



## Mythopoet

I've been reading old favorites lately. Dune. The Lord of the Rings. It's nice and comforting. And I've been noticing elements of style of voice that I'd never noticed before. Specific choices the author makes that I hadn't realized before. It's interesting to be able to see these things yet still maintain my immersion as a reader.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

I visited my sucky local library and the first Pern book wasn't there. Oh well. I picked up Incarceron by Catherine Fisher.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

^I've read that.


----------



## Lisselle

I work in a school Library (Kindy to year 12) so I read a LOT of kids books! (I have to be able to recommend books for each child who is interested in reading) Whilst I love to read Tolkien, Asimov, Herbert, and the classic Fantasy SciFi writers, at the moment I'm mainly reading YA fiction. (The HSC is on and the teenagers need light reading to help with the stress.) 

I've just finished the 'Immortal Beloved' Series, by Cate Tiernan, and 'Fairytales for Wild Girls', by Allyse Near, which I loved. (First book by an Aussie Author.)

For myself I have  'Atomised' to read, which was recommended by one of the Teachers at our school, and I can never read 'The Lord of the Rings' too many times! I'm also reading a new Fantasy called 'Six of Crows' by Leigh Bardugo, and 'The Diabolic', by SJ Kincaid, though these will take a while.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Lisselle said:


> I work in a school Library (Kindy to year 12) so I read a LOT of kids books! (I have to be able to recommend books for each child who is interested in reading) Whilst I love to read Tolkien, Asimov, Herbert, and the classic Fantasy SciFi writers, at the moment I'm mainly reading YA fiction. (The HSC is on and the teenagers need light reading to help with the stress.)
> 
> I've just finished the 'Immortal Beloved' Series, by Cate Tiernan, and 'Fairytales for Wild Girls', by Allyse Near, which I loved. (First book by an Aussie Author.)
> 
> For myself I have  'Atomised' to read, which was recommended by one of the Teachers at our school, and I can never read 'The Lord of the Rings' too many times! I'm also reading a new Fantasy called 'Six of Crows' by Leigh Bardugo, and 'The Diabolic', by SJ Kincaid, though these will take a while.



^Six of Crows is fantastic in my opinion.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

^What's it about?


----------



## Demesnedenoir

I gave up on The Name of the Wind for the time being... snooze... and switched to Red Dragon... Oh sure, it's not a fantasy, but it does have a dragon in the title, heh heh. Then I'll probably read Silence of the Lambs, seeing as I loved the movie waaaay back when.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

I might read Fire and Hemlock again--for probably the twentieth time. 

Or, since I seem to be in the need of solace...The Tale of Beren and Luthien.


----------



## Mythopoet

TheCrystallineEntity said:


> Or, since I seem to be in the need of solace...The Tale of Beren and Luthien.



You know what's particularly great when you need soothing? Listening to the audio version of The Sil. Complete and Unabridged and narrated by Martin Shaw who has the perfect voice for it, deep and resonant. I love it.


----------



## skip.knox

Reading Senlin Ascends, by Josiah Bancroft. It's a curious book, very well written. A schoolmaster and his new wife honeymoon at the Tower of Babel. He loses her in the crowd early on, and the rest of the book is his search for her. The settings and tone are roughly Edwardian, and his turns of phrase can be downright poetic. I'm a quarter of the way through and am very much enjoying it. 

The book is a great example of something traditional publishing would likely never touch, to everyone's loss.


----------



## Russ

Demesnedenoir said:


> I gave up on The Name of the Wind for the time being... snooze... and switched to Red Dragon... Oh sure, it's not a fantasy, but it does have a dragon in the title, heh heh. Then I'll probably read Silence of the Lambs, seeing as I loved the movie waaaay back when.



I think Red Dragon is very  underrated.  And I loved the soundtrack for the movie.

I have been reading a lot of thrillers lately myself, and getting a lot out of them.


----------



## Demesnedenoir

I tend to use a lot of thriller aspects. In fact, if you look at the genre of my writing through a different lense, that of Coyne's Story Grid (if my memory is functioning) I write thrillers in a fantasy (epic) setting. I personally kind of saw it that way when I started, also horror aspects. 

I've never seen the entire movie, which makes the read more interesting. The only trouble is that whereas it was probably more groundbreaking in 1981, the FBI BAU has been used so much and this book more or less copied so many times, it's become predictable as heck. The writing is tight and clean, not exactly my most preferred style, but strong. 



Russ said:


> I think Red Dragon is very  underrated.  And I loved the soundtrack for the movie.
> 
> I have been reading a lot of thrillers lately myself, and getting a lot out of them.


----------



## Russ

Demesnedenoir said:


> I tend to use a lot of thriller aspects. In fact, if you look at the genre of my writing through a different lense, that of Coyne's Story Grid (if my memory is functioning) I write thrillers in a fantasy (epic) setting. I personally kind of saw it that way when I started, also horror aspects.
> 
> I've never seen the entire movie, which makes the read more interesting. The only trouble is that whereas it was probably more groundbreaking in 1981, the FBI BAU has been used so much and this book more or less copied so many times, it's become predictable as heck. The writing is tight and clean, not exactly my most preferred style, but strong.



Absolutely, i am completely BAU'ed out at the moment.

Currently I am really enjoying Greg Isles Natchez Burning trilogy.  Seriously that guy was born to write that trilogy.  Best stuff of any sort I have read in a few years.

Also been enjoying some historical and WWII thrillers recently.  Gross' "The One Man" really stands out.

Just finished reading "Story Engineering."  Thinking Save the Cat and perhaps that Story Grid would make a worthwhile read as well.


----------



## Demesnedenoir

Save the Cat is a classic from my screenwriting days, and Story Grid is one of the better books I've looked at in a long time. Most books on structure are (in one way or another) just another way to look at modern 3 act structure, with bit and pieces being different. While Story Grid works within the structure, it is more of an analysis system for a finished work, to answer the questions: does this work and if not why? His take is as an editor, not a writer, which I find more interesting these days. He borrows heavily from McKee (who's focus is screenwriting) as they've worked together on projects. 

I've been around too long and read too many things to say its revolutionary, but it's damned good at reminding you of things that might have slipped to the back of your mind, and gives you a process to examine your work. I can't even say I changed a single thing in the book I'll be sending around soon because of this book, but using his process of breaking down chapter (scene) by chapter and looking at the book from outside the simplistic lens of "genre: fantasy" lends another tool to see if I missed something somewhere. I take it back, I amped up one little piece of a scene, added a few lines of dialogue that I got the idea for from thinking of the book as a thriller. 

The cool thing about it is not looking at the scene simply as "no, no and, yes, but" but to look at them directly as a part of the character arch... the character must have a change in their situation, emotional or physical state, threat, or whatever. It's a slightly different way of looking at the "tension" aspect of story writing that gives you +/- notation for what's going on. More to it of course, and he breaks down Silence of the Lambs, which is fun.



Russ said:


> Absolutely, i am completely BAU'ed out at the moment.
> 
> Currently I am really enjoying Greg Isles Natchez Burning trilogy.  Seriously that guy was born to write that trilogy.  Best stuff of any sort I have read in a few years.
> 
> Also been enjoying some historical and WWII thrillers recently.  Gross' "The One Man" really stands out.
> 
> Just finished reading "Story Engineering."  Thinking Save the Cat and perhaps that Story Grid would make a worthwhile read as well.


----------



## Chessie

Story Grid is super chewy but has been instrumental in shifting how I now view scenes. Breaking it down the way he did was awesome, a blessing. It's made pantsing my scenes that much easier.  ! 

So, Russ. Read it! You won't regret it.


----------



## pmmg

Have moved on to American Gods by Neil Gaimon. Never been a groupie of anyone, and I've known many who speak of him as some type of writer God. I will say, I find he did get me engaged, and oddly, he opened the book with Profanity, which usually turns me off. It continues in the book, and I do find it odd, cause I could not stand Steven King for this reason, but I don't seem to mind with Mr. Gaimon. I am wondering what is different.


----------



## Garren Jacobsen

Just finished Blood Mirror. Just ordered from the library a book about an associate attorney who is to bring a dead god back to life with the magic of bankruptcy.


----------



## Russ

Brian Scott Allen said:


> Just finished Blood Mirror. Just ordered from the library a book about an associate attorney who is to bring a dead god back to life with the magic of bankruptcy.



That is BS.  No one short of a equity partner can raise the dead.


----------



## Garren Jacobsen

Russ said:


> That is BS.  No one short of a equity partner can raise the dead.



It is a fantasy story Russ.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

^Or was he making a joke? I don't know. 

I'm reading the Silverwing series again.

The Infernal Devices trilogy is a bit of a 'guilty pleasure' for me to read, mainly because in retrospect it doesn't seem that good at all, but I might just read it again soon anyway.


----------



## Tom

Why did I decide rereading the entire 41-book-long Discworld series was a good idea? As of right now I've just wrapped up _The Light Fantastic_ and am waiting for _Equal Rites_ to come in at the library. The Rincewind arc isn't as good as some of the later books, but I still enjoy it. It's fun to see where Pratchett considered taking his style and played with it a bit before he really struck the tone he'd maintain throughout the rest of the series. I also rediscovered my all-time favorite Discworld pun:



> “Yes, yes,” said Bethan, sitting down glumly. “I know you don’t. Rincewind, all the shops have been smashed open, there was a whole bunch of people across the street helping themselves to musical instruments, can you believe that?”
> 
> “Yeah,” said Rincewind, picking up a knife and testing its blade thoughtfully. “Luters, I expect.”


----------



## Mythopoet

Tom said:


> Why did I decide rereading the entire 41-book-long Discworld series was a good idea? As of right now I've just wrapped up _The Light Fantastic_ and am waiting for _Equal Rites_ to come in at the library. The Rincewind arc isn't as good as some of the later books, but I still enjoy it. It's fun to see where Pratchett considered taking his style and played with it a bit before he really struck the tone he'd maintain throughout the rest of the series. I also rediscovered my all-time favorite Discworld pun:



That pun is downright painful.  I read the series originally in publication order. But now I just reread whichever one I'm in the mood for or haven't reread for a while. I couldn't count how many times I've reread some of the Discworld books. I've reread them all at least once. Always good stuff. Sir Terry has helped me through a lot of stressful times by helping me get immersed in his wacky world.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

^So far I've only read The Wee Free Men, Carpe Jugulum, and Making Money. Rincewind and Death are my favourite characters, so I might try finding some of their books.


----------



## La Volpe

TheCrystallineEntity said:


> ^So far I've only read The Wee Free Men, Carpe Jugulum, and Making Money. Rincewind and Death are my favourite characters, so I might try finding some of their books.



For Death, try _Mort_ and _Reaperman_, incidentally my two favourite Discworld novels.


----------



## Tom

I've always loved the city watch arc, as well the witches of Lancre books. Rincewind will always stand as my introduction to Discworld, however, so I have a lot of affection for his arc despite its flaws.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

I have like eight different series for which I have read the first book and now need to read the second book. 

My to-read list on Goodreads is now dangerously out of control.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

^I think my bookshelf really is becoming somewhat sentient, as my gaming friend likes to joke.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

I'm currently dragging myself painfully through Leigh Bardugo's Shadow and Bone. I had my doubts that it would be as good as the amazing Six of Crows, but...I didn't think I would hate it this much! So disappointing.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

^If you dislike it that much, you're the only one forcing you to read it.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

TheCrystallineEntity said:


> ^If you dislike it that much, you're the only one forcing you to read it.



I finished it last night.  loathed the first 150 pages, but it got better, so I guess as a whole it's...okay?


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

^I felt the same about most, if not all YA series. Although, since I've pretty much been raised on Shakespeare, Dickens, any mythology books I could find, and innumerable other books, well...


----------



## C. A. Stanley

Currently reading Words of Radiance for the second time. Last summer I decided to try Brandon Sanderson's stuff, and ended up reading everything he'd written back-to-back. My plan is to read it all again a year on, and read it for educational purposes as well as enjoyment. I'm a big world building fan, and Sanderson is one to learn from imo. Also love his hard magic systems, particularly Surgebindings.


----------



## C. A. Stanley

DragonOfTheAerie said:


> My to-read list on Goodreads is now dangerously out of control.



I know how this feels Dragon. Too many books, too little time.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

C. A. Stanley said:


> I know how this feels Dragon. Too many books, too little time.



Have you ever realized that there are so many books in the world, it's impossible to read them all in a lifetime, and suddenly become depressed? 

Or calculated how many books you will read in your life if you continue reading at your current rate, and again become depressed? 

I have.


----------



## Demesnedenoir

Nope, not at all. What I find depressing is I will die before I get everything I want to write written, sort of the David Bowie story.

I don't feel the need to read, I feel the need to create.



DragonOfTheAerie said:


> Have you ever realized that there are so many books in the world, it's impossible to read them all in a lifetime, and suddenly become depressed?
> 
> Or calculated how many books you will read in your life if you continue reading at your current rate, and again become depressed?
> 
> I have.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

C.A.: The third book is coming out in November!


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Demesnedenoir said:


> Nope, not at all. What I find depressing is I will die before I get everything I want to write written, sort of the David Bowie story.
> 
> I don't feel the need to read, I feel the need to create.



Aren't they kind of necessary to each other? 

But I feel depressed about that too ^


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

^I, unfortunately or fortunately, read very fast and can remember whole passages of text. I read the second Stormlight book in about three days [1,000 pages].


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

TheCrystallineEntity said:


> ^I, unfortunately or fortunately, read very fast and can remember whole passages of text. I read the second Stormlight book in about three days [1,000 pages].



I've read up to 450 pages in a day at times, when the book is really good, and when I have time. I'm something of a speed reader. However, my reading speed decreases drastically when the book im reading is boring.


----------



## Demesnedenoir

I don't count reading my own work as reading. I read books, but I'm far from obsessive, too much life out there. But then, I don't really find not getting all my books done all that depressing, just an occassional "drat it all". I prefer to just give a whistle when dangling from the crucifix. Cheer up Brian!

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ep9Vzb6R_58



DragonOfTheAerie said:


> Aren't they kind of necessary to each other?
> 
> But I feel depressed about that too ^


----------



## Chessie

I'm reading Mail-Order Bride Westward Bound: Fortunes. It's pretty good. Adding a new author to my collection.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Demesnedenoir said:


> I don't count reading my own work as reading. I read books, but I'm far from obsessive, too much life out there. But then, I don't really find not getting all my books done all that depressing, just an occassional "drat it all". I prefer to just give a whistle when dangling from the crucifix. Cheer up Brian!
> 
> http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ep9Vzb6R_58



haha, I'd seen that clip before. Hilarious.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

I'm rereading The Infernal Devices yet again. It's so markedly different from what I usually read, that I feel almost guilty reading it, never mind liking it, and so I tend to mock it or say that it's not well-written or whatever.


----------



## C. A. Stanley

TheCrystallineEntity said:


> ^I, unfortunately or fortunately, read very fast and can remember whole passages of text. I read the second Stormlight book in about three days [1,000 pages].


I would say fortunately... If you don't sacrifice comprehension for speed, it's a great thing! Unless of course you enjoy a book so much that you don't want it to end... Then you're screwed lol

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk


----------



## C. A. Stanley

TheCrystallineEntity said:


> C.A.: The third book is coming out in November!


I cannot wait! I have to admit, it feels so good knowing there will be 7 more after it... I'm not looking forward to 7 more waits though [emoji17] 

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

*sputters incoherently* SEVEN?!?!?! That'll be over 7,000 words!  Is Brandon Sanderson going to be writing while ninety or something???


----------



## C. A. Stanley

TheCrystallineEntity said:


> *sputters incoherently* SEVEN?!?!?! That'll be over 7,000 words!  Is Brandon Sanderson going to be writing while ninety or something???


7,000 words? *pages aha. Yeah Stormlight Archive is a planned 10 book series (10 is the magic number ). As fantasy authors go, he's a speedy one

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk


----------



## C. A. Stanley

DragonOfTheAerie said:


> I've read up to 450 pages in a day at times, when the book is really good, and when I have time. I'm something of a speed reader. However, my reading speed decreases drastically when the book im reading is boring.



I'm ashamed to admit I don't know my reading speed, not even an estimate :frown2: But I do know my reading speed is also significantly reduced when reading something boring (though that's normal I guess, Dragon?) or something mind-boggling... Kafka I'm looking at you!


----------



## FifthView

Brandon Sanderson has said he shoots for about 1 book per year. But he's also said that he typically does a lot of drafts for each book: "it comes out to be at least eight to twelve times through the book before it’s published."  And of course, his books are huge. Somehow he manages doing those podcasts, attending various conferences...The guy's insane. I think he also has a personal assistant who helps.


----------



## Mythopoet

TheCrystallineEntity said:


> ^I, unfortunately or fortunately, read very fast and can remember whole passages of text. I read the second Stormlight book in about three days [1,000 pages].



I used to be able to do that before I started having kids.


----------



## C. A. Stanley

FifthView said:


> Brandon Sanderson has said he shoots for about 1 book per year. But he's also said that he typically does a lot of drafts for each book: "it comes out to be at least eight to twelve times through the book before it’s published."  And of course, his books are huge. Somehow he manages doing those podcasts, attending various conferences...The guy's insane. I think he also has a personal assistant who helps.



Doesn't he teach creative writing at Brigham Uni too? The man is INDUSTRIOUS to say the least! And I'm pretty sure he didn't start getting things officially published until 2005, so only 12 years to date. The amount of quality stuff he's put out there in that time is incredible


----------



## Chessie

Her Strict Plumber (1940's romance) and Her Bastard Bridegroom (medieval fantasy). Yeah, yeah. I need passion and fire in my romance books, ok? I'm so tired of getting ripped off by either what should be labeled as Y.A. fiction and erotica (neither of which I read, I'm somewhere in between). I blame Amazon, not the authors. I like my stories on the delicious side, not yippity clean or highly indulgent, but I digress.


----------



## bestellen

Can some one tell me what the point of all that absurdly perverted crud is?


----------



## Russ

bestellen said:


> Can some one tell me what the point of all that absurdly perverted crud is?



Excuse me?  I am not certain which works your question is referring to.  Perhaps you could make it a tad clearer.


----------



## Chessie

bestellen said:


> Can some one tell me what the point of all that absurdly perverted crud is?



Lol They're just books. And they're far from perverted. It's romance, not erotica. Two entirely different things.


----------



## Russ

Chessie said:


> Lol They're just books. And they're far from perverted. It's romance, not erotica. Two entirely different things.



Erotica isn't "absurdly perverted" either.


----------



## FifthView

I'm reading _Man, Oh Man: Writing Quality M/M Fiction_ by Josh Lanyon. I haven't written in the genre yet but have read in the genre and am working on a novel I'll begin writing this weekend. A lot of it's pretty basic stuff, but reading how-to's from a romance novelist's POV, about m/m romance specifically, is helpful.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

Oops. Yeah, I meant pages, not words. 

I'm very picky about the types of romance books I like [though, I'm picky about everything...] Most of the romance books I read are also fantasy, and I'm a bit disappointed that there aren't more fantasy boy-boy or girl-girl romance stories.


----------



## Chessie

Russ said:


> Erotica isn't "absurdly perverted" either.



Correct. It all amounts to personal taste. But apparently there are some things I need to keep to myself.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

TheCrystallineEntity said:


> Oops. Yeah, I meant pages, not words.
> 
> I'm very picky about the types of romance books I like [though, I'm picky about everything...] Most of the romance books I read are also fantasy, and I'm a bit disappointed that there aren't more fantasy boy-boy or girl-girl romance stories.



I can't interest myself in romance. I try to, but my mind wanders just reading the blurb on the back cover. I would like to try out a variety of books, but this variety apparently is not for me.


----------



## T.Allen.Smith

Chessie said:


> Correct. It all amounts to personal taste. But apparently there are some things I need to keep to myself.



I'd say it's the opposite. 

Statements disparaging the opinions of others should be kept off this site.

The Mythic Scribes guidelines clearly state that one should keep an open mind during debate & that we are expected to treat other members with respect.


----------



## Chessie

Romance is a beautiful part of life. Without it, none of us would exist. I love reading about mature feelings and how people sacrifice for one another. It is truly a magical experience to know that you would die for someone and that someone would die for you. Sue me, it's what I love. Romance is about emotion, intimacy, and the creation of an unbreakable bond the likes of which people cross mountains to gain.


----------



## Russ

And human sexuality is also something that is an important part of many people's lives.  Literature and art has been discussing the depicting it for thousands of years.


----------



## Devor

It's one thing to debate the merits and impact of romance or erotica on our society - I would dread such a conversation, but there's certainly room for it and fair points to be made all around - but it's quite another to become hostile just because somebody mentions that they read or write it.

You may have and express whatever opinion you want, but do so in a way that invites sharing and discussion, not in a way that seeks to shut other people down.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Interestingly enough, I love a good romantic subplot in a story not otherwise focused on it. I think of it as an important component to a larger story. But...that's me.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

> And human sexuality is also something that is an important part of many people's lives


A lot of people, for sure. But not me. But, then, I'm just being redundant. 
Um...is it alright then, that I stay far, far away from erotica and sexuality? Is that looking down upon others who like it? I don't think so, but I really don't want to make mistakes here! Or am I being sensitive, as usual, since I don't want to upset anyone if my opinions aren't so good. Then again, I am an amateur [a word which in my mental dictionary means, drawing from the original Latin meaning, 'one who does what they love'; and has nothing to do with a new working person]. Though that simple definition makes me seem arrogant, right. I'll be quiet about that. 

Here's something kind of interesting: when does romance move into pure, possibly universal [depending on your definition] love, if that happens at all? But, of course, that might be untrue and that sort of thing rarely happens.  

[Am I always this insecure, trying to please everyone at once? Quite likely.]


----------



## FifthView

Perhaps the topic(s) of romance and erotica ought to be discussed under a dedicated thread, maybe under Writing Questions, if only because the subject is huge, heh, possibly complex, and even not 100% defined the same way by everyone.

In the book I'm reading (mentioned above), various writers, readers, and publishers of m/m romance are surveyed, and even among those who like the genre, not everyone looks at these things the same way. One went so far as to separate porn, erotica, erotic romance, and sensual romance. The author of the book I'm reading stresses that "m/m" is a romance genre, so romance is the key regardless of whether there's much sex or very little: intimacy and sex are only important insofar as the character development and/or plot (and these are very closely tied in a romance novel) are advanced. But he also mentions the fact that not everyone who writes m/m approaches the genre in that way. (He's a bit critical, negatively, in this regard.)

Then there are the subgenres of m/m, like mystery, historical fiction, and speculative fiction, in which those elements need to be developed just as much as the romantic plot. (Although some I've read in the fantasy genre skimped on developing the fantasy elements...not in a great way.)  Once you consider these and the many possible approaches, discussing personal preferences re: romance novels might become complicated.


----------



## La Volpe

Well that escalated quickly.

To (perhaps) get this thread kind of back topic: I've started reading Stephen King's _On Writing_ for the fourth or fifth time. I find that it motivates me to write when I'm in kind of a slump as I am now.
I'm also busy with _The Dinosaur Lords_ by Victor MilÃ¡n, but despite how awesome it is, I find it hard to stay interested by it. Sigh.


----------



## T.Allen.Smith

La Volpe said:


> ...I've started reading Stephen King's _On Writing_ for the fourth or fifth time. I find that it motivates me...


Fantastic book. One of the very few craft books I've read more than once.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

I'm sorry, everyone. I'm overly cautious about upsetting people, so I was tying myself up in knots trying not to seem mean. 
I've just finished rereading the whole Thursday Next series. 
I might reread Sabriel, Lirael, and Abhorsen again, as well. I do hope Gareth NIx writes more.


----------



## T.Allen.Smith

TheCrystallineEntity said:


> I'm sorry, everyone. I'm overly cautious about upsetting people, so I was tying myself up in knots trying not to seem mean.


This shouldn't be a concern. People are free to express opinions, but they're expected to do so with tact & grace. 

Even heated arguments, between people with vastly different opinions and backgrounds, can be handled with respect.


----------



## Addison

I'm reading "Six of Crows" for the nth time while I wait for the sequel, "Crooked Kingdom" to freaking get to my mailbox. Anyone who's a fan of Lord of the Rings, the Mistborn series, or Leverage, will finish this book in one night and never forget it. It's my new favorite, and I grew up on Harry Potter. That's how good it is!


----------



## Mythopoet

Addison said:


> I'm reading "Six of Crows" for the nth time while I wait for the sequel, "Crooked Kingdom" to freaking get to my mailbox. Anyone who's a fan of Lord of the Rings....



I'm just curious, because I'm a huge fan of LOTR and I have read the synopsis of Six of Crows and it didn't appeal to me at all, what is it about the book that makes you think fans of LOTR would like it too? From the synopsis it seems to me like it would be difficult to find two more different fantasy novels. I am simply wondering because I always find it fascinating how different people react to books in different ways.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Addison said:


> I'm reading "Six of Crows" for the nth time while I wait for the sequel, "Crooked Kingdom" to freaking get to my mailbox. Anyone who's a fan of Lord of the Rings, the Mistborn series, or Leverage, will finish this book in one night and never forget it. It's my new favorite, and I grew up on Harry Potter. That's how good it is!



Oh, I love that one! O_O Sooooo good. I finished it in the wee hours of the morning and sent my book friend like 30 panicked fangirling texts, haha. And I haven't read Crooked Kingdom either, it keeps being checked out at the library...


----------



## Garren Jacobsen

Just finished Tjree Parts dead. Russ was right only an equity partner can revive a God.


----------



## Addison

Mythopoet said:


> I'm just curious, because I'm a huge fan of LOTR and I have read the synopsis of Six of Crows and it didn't appeal to me at all, what is it about the book that makes you think fans of LOTR would like it too? From the synopsis it seems to me like it would be difficult to find two more different fantasy novels. I am simply wondering because I always find it fascinating how different people react to books in different ways.



True, different readers attribute different parts of LotR or other stories to new stories. Where I draw the connection is the epic journey and life-risking task they've set themselves on. Add that it takes place in such a remarkable, beautiful, intricately created world, then definitely LotR. 

I don't know if you're aware, but "Six of Crows" is a story happening in a world set in a previous trilogy. "The Grisha Trilogy". The plots of those stories could tie a little closer to a LotR theme than Six of Crows. Like I said, "Six of Crows" reminds me of Leverage. Seriously, Kaz- Nathan, Inej-Parker, Matthias-Eliot, Nina- Sophie, Wylan- Hardison. Add the whit and the intricate details of their plans, oh heck yeah.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Addison said:


> True, different readers attribute different parts of LotR or other stories to new stories. Where I draw the connection is the epic journey and life-risking task they've set themselves on. Add that it takes place in such a remarkable, beautiful, intricately created world, then definitely LotR.
> 
> I don't know if you're aware, but "Six of Crows" is a story happening in a world set in a previous trilogy. "The Grisha Trilogy". The plots of those stories could tie a little closer to a LotR theme than Six of Crows. Like I said, "Six of Crows" reminds me of Leverage. Seriously, Kaz- Nathan, Inej-Parker, Matthias-Eliot, Nina- Sophie, Wylan- Hardison. Add the whit and the intricate details of their plans, oh heck yeah.



Oh, the worldbuilding is intricate. I found the settings delightfully vivid. 

I love this book, everyone read it PLEASE.


----------



## Russ

Just finished Mississippi Blood, the third book in Ilses' Natchez Burning trilogy.

From what I can tell this trilogy will be a permanent landmark in the thriller genre as well as an amazing look at both the south and race relations in the United States.

Fantastic work, cannot praise it enough.  Might be the best non-spec fiction I have read in 20 years, other than my wife's debut novel!


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

I FINALLY finished the Two Towers. 

LOTR IS SO AMAZING I know people are obsessed with it but like why are they not MORE obsessed???


----------



## Mythopoet

DragonOfTheAerie said:


> I FINALLY finished the Two Towers.
> 
> LOTR IS SO AMAZING I know people are obsessed with it but like why are they not MORE obsessed???



You're clearly just not hanging out around the right people.  But tbh around places like this I try not to talk about it too much so as not to annoy people. Otherwise every conversation about books and stories and writing would definitely lead to LOTR and Tolkien for me. lol


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

^Me too, to an extent.


----------



## Insolent Lad

I'm rereading Kipling's 'Kim' and his writing is so gorgeous it makes me embarrassed to call myself an 'author' in comparison. The opening pages are a textbook on combining story and description. No laundry lists for Rudyard! But the story...well, kind of flat.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

I just finished reading Seraphina again. I felt like the main couple didn't have enough chemistry. If anything, Phina has more chemistry with her uncle than her lover.


----------



## Ban

I haven't read fiction this entire year, but I did just finish John Dickie's "Blood Brotherhoods: the Rise of the Italian Mafias." Now onto "the 5 Families" by Selwyn Raab.

Lots of research on organized crime.


----------



## Rkcapps

I'm trying something different ... "Fight Club".


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

TheCrystallineEntity said:


> I just finished reading Seraphina again. I felt like the main couple didn't have enough chemistry. If anything, Phina has more chemistry with her uncle than her lover.



I've read that, but it's been a while. I remember the story being kind of slow, but I remember liking it. I don't remember about the romantic subplot, but that was back when I hadn't read many books with romantic subplots. (I still don't, really...)


----------



## pmmg

Dude, don't talk about fight club.


----------



## La Volpe

Rkcapps said:


> I'm trying something different ... "Fight Club".



At risk of talking about Fight Club even more (but then again, the whole premise of that (those?) rule(s) is faulty, since the group couldn't have grown if no one had talked about it; but I digress):

I watched the movie and later read the book, and I found the movie better. It's one of only two stories (of which I'd read the book and watched the movie) where the movie was better for me. The other one is Jumper. Interestingly, in both of these cases, I had watched the movie first, so that might have created a bias.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

Dragon: I also have the sequel, Shadow Scale. I like it well enough, otherwise it wouldn't be on my shelf!


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

TheCrystallineEntity said:


> Dragon: I also have the sequel, Shadow Scale. I like it well enough, otherwise it wouldn't be on my shelf!



Hey, I don't think I ever read that one...I didn't O_O


----------



## CupofJoe

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck - Oh... Wow!!! Can that guy write?!?!?!


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

^^If I could, I'd lend it to you. It's about as slow as Seraphina, but quite interesting.


----------



## Garren Jacobsen

Just finished two serpents rise. Good book. 3.5 stars.


----------



## Mythopoet

I've been in a mood the last couple weeks where I can't read just one book. So, depending on how I feel, I've been switching back and forth between the umpteenth reread of *Dune* and *The Lord of the Rings*, the novel *Scaramouche* by Rafael Sabatini and a Sherlock Holmes pastiche called *Sherlock Holmes vs. Dracula* (which is in a volume with Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Holmes). 

Scaramouche is.... interesting. I feel that, though I'm at the 21% mark and the main character has already witnessed his best friend's death, helped to spark the French Revolution and is now on the run from the law, the story is only just getting started.

The Holmes vs. Dracula story is ok. But whoever wrote this certainly doesn't have the writing chops or the mystery chops to compare with Doyle.


----------



## C. A. Stanley

I'm currently reading Waking Gods by Sylvain Neuvel, after reading Sleeping Giants for the second time this year. Has anyone else read these books? The format is very different... it's written in interviews and mission logs. I've never read anything in this style before, but it's done so well, and I'm loving how pretty much the whole story is told through dialogue (perfect for unobtrusive info dumps!)


----------



## Incanus

CupofJoe said:


> The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck - Oh... Wow!!! Can that guy write?!?!?!



Read that one last year.  Recently read "Cannery Row".

The answer to your question is:  Yes.  Yes he could sure write.  Wonderfully, at that.  One of my favorites.  If you haven't read The Pearl, you really should.  Incredible story.  I'm going to tackle East of Eden one of these days...


----------



## CupofJoe

Incanus said:


> Read that one last year.  Recently read "Cannery Row".
> 
> The answer to your question is:  Yes.  Yes he could sure write.  Wonderfully, at that.  One of my favorites.  If you haven't read The Pearl, you really should.  Incredible story.  I'm going to tackle East of Eden one of these days...



The Pearl is now on my TBR list!


----------



## Mythopoet

I was forced to read The Pearl in middle school and consequently hated it. But I really like Steinbeck's  The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights.


----------



## Garren Jacobsen

Time to start something I've meant to read for years. The Federalist papers. I anticipate this to be one where I josh st chip away in between books.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

I might go back to the Old Kingdom series for awhile. It's such a fascinating series, and I love the idea of magical music, bells and Abhorsens.


----------



## Gurkhal

I'm re-reading Sorrow, Thorn and Memory by Tad Williams and A Song of Ice and Fire by GRRM. Two of the fantasy authors that I admire the most.


----------



## Incanus

Gurkhal said:


> I'm re-reading Sorrow, Thorn and Memory by Tad Williams and A Song of Ice and Fire by GRRM. Two of the fantasy authors that I admire the most.



Excellent timing--were you aware that the first book of a new series of Osten Ard is coming out next month?  It's called the Witchwood Crown.  I've been waiting for something like this for... well, I guess about since 1993 after To Green Angel Tower came out.  Very exciting.


----------



## Gurkhal

Incanus said:


> Excellent timing--were you aware that the first book of a new series of Osten Ard is coming out next month?  It's called the Witchwood Crown.  I've been waiting for something like this for... well, I guess about since 1993 after To Green Angel Tower came out.  Very exciting.



I was well aware so I got myself three splendid new copies of the series, as well as "The Heart of What Was Lost" And will get Witchwood Crown at first oppertunity when I can get hold of it. 

And its indeed very exciting to see more Osten Ard coming our way. I just hope that I'll be reasonably ready to start with The Witchwood Crown when I can get hold of that as well. Wonderful series to say the least.


----------



## Aurora

Seraphina was recommended by a friend's mom so I'm about to start it.


----------



## Geo

So I just finished the Book of Amber; the compendium of the ten novels by Roger Selazny referred as the Chronicles of Amber. I read them all before -long ago- and I have to say that I liked them much more at that time. Nonetheless, Zelazny's take on the multiverse is superb and he's a master of vivid descriptions. 
Done with that, I'll start A handmaid's tale, I also read this one as a teen and I wonder if I'll like it as much now.


----------



## skip.knox

Now reading _The Arm of the Sphinx_, the sequel to _Senlin Ascends_, by Josiah Bancroft. As many reviewers have said, it's even better than the first, and the first was brilliantly original. Most original fantasy I've read in quite a while, this book is welcome proof that a book can be grim and dark without being grimdark.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

I just started Throne of Glass. 

There are lots of mature, nuanced YA novels with complex themes and writing. This, to be honest, does not look as if it's going to be one of them. I don't know yet, though, only about 40 pages in. Just read the first few chapters paired with chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. I've got to read the series, anyway; I got the first four books in the series for Christmas from my Mamaw (who already read and loved the first book, and keeps bugging me semi-subtly about starting it...She loves books and will read anything, so i've been giving her everything I read, and more recently, using her as a test reader to see if a book is worth it. Lol). They're hardcover and gorgeous and look amazing on my shelf, and oh well. Too much of my shelf is unread. Gotta start tackling that. 

It looks a bit fluffy, but, whatever. Could be fun; I'm entertained so far. And i've heard the books get better as they go along.


----------



## Demesnedenoir

Which takes me to a tangent... do the books get better or do we just get "into" the writer's voice? I've found this one of the issues when trying to critique single chapters. 



DragonOfTheAerie said:


> I just started Throne of Glass.
> 
> There are lots of mature, nuanced YA novels with complex themes and writing. This, to be honest, does not look as if it's going to be one of them. I don't know yet, though, only about 40 pages in. Just read the first few chapters paired with chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. I've got to read the series, anyway; I got the first four books in the series for Christmas from my Mamaw (who already read and loved the first book, and keeps bugging me semi-subtly about starting it...She loves books and will read anything, so i've been giving her everything I read, and more recently, using her as a test reader to see if a book is worth it. Lol). They're hardcover and gorgeous and look amazing on my shelf, and oh well. Too much of my shelf is unread. Gotta start tackling that.
> 
> It looks a bit fluffy, but, whatever. Could be fun; I'm entertained so far. And i've heard the books get better as they go along.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Demesnedenoir said:


> Which takes me to a tangent... do the books get better or do we just get "into" the writer's voice? I've found this one of the issues when trying to critique single chapters.



That's an interesting question. For me, I think my inner editor tears apart the writing style of everyone I read until I reach the point where I'm fully invested in the story, at which point I kinda drop the judging of the writing and let the story lead.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

I just read Darkchild by Sydney Van Scyoc and Jenna Starborn by Sharon Shinn. I liked both very much.


----------



## Insolent Lad

I'm doing a reread of Haggard's "She" at the moment — and finding occasional bits I have unconsciously stolen over the years...


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

I finished Throne of Glass and found it to be mediocre. Now, I'm reading the sequel and it looks to be a bit better...


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

I'm reading Depak Chopra's The Path to Love.


----------



## Geo

After a long week end without interruptions (nieces and nephews went to camp on the coast), I managed to finished Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's tale," which I found even more chilling than when I read it the first time as a teen, and also Diana Wynne Jones' "Howl's Moving Castle," which is absolutely surprising and so well crafted it's inspirational. I really liked how Wynne Jones takes well known details of classic fairy tales and integrates them into a totally new world.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

^Howl is one of my favourites of hers! My top favourites are Fire and Hemlock, Dogsbody, Enchanted Glass, The Darklord of Derkholm, and Year of the Griffin.


----------



## Tom

What a coincidence! Right now I'm rereading Castle in the Air, the sequel to Howl's Moving Castle. @TheCrystallineEntity, have you read The Tough Guide to Fantasyland? It's absolutely hilarious, and one of my favorite Diana Wynne Jones books.


----------



## Geo

Tom said:


> What a coincidence! Right now I'm rereading Castle in the Air...



Which I started yesterday... so really a coincidence



Tom said:


> Have you read The Tough Guide to Fantasyland? It's absolutely hilarious, and one of my favorite Diana Wynne Jones books.



I'm not TheCrystallineEntity but The Tough Guide to Fantasyland was the first book I read from Wynne Jones and I absolutely love it. That one and Good Omens are my to-go books when I need a mood pick up.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

Tom: I have; I have most if not all of her books. I turn to the Gnomic Utterances whenever I need cheering up.


----------



## Mythopoet

Finished my umpteenth reread of Dune. It's such a magnificent book. 

Began reading through all the Zothique stories by Clark Ashton Smith. I have a volume of all of his stories, but I've never read through all of it. I mostly skipped around and came across some good stories and some rather mediocre ones. This time I looked up which stories are part of one of the consistent settings he created and decided to read that way. Right now I'm going through all of the Zothique stories. To be honest it's some dark, rather disturbing stuff. I think I can safely say Zothique is one of the fantasy settings I would least like to visit. 

I also read Smith's story City of the Singing Flame and I really liked it. It had more "wonder", less "horror".


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

And now I'm reading Heir of Fire (the third book.) The second book was far better than the first, but still, this series is far more mediocre than I was made to believe. 

Whatever. I like it. I'm only six books behind on my goodreads challenge, too.


----------



## Incanus

Mythopoet said:


> Finished my umpteenth reread of Dune. It's such a magnificent book.
> 
> Began reading through all the Zothique stories by Clark Ashton Smith. I have a volume of all of his stories, but I've never read through all of it. I mostly skipped around and came across some good stories and some rather mediocre ones. This time I looked up which stories are part of one of the consistent settings he created and decided to read that way. Right now I'm going through all of the Zothique stories. To be honest it's some dark, rather disturbing stuff. I think I can safely say Zothique is one of the fantasy settings I would least like to visit.
> 
> I also read Smith's story City of the Singing Flame and I really liked it. It had more "wonder", less "horror".



Oh, yeah.  CAS is now one of my all-time favs.  The Zothique stories are indeed dark and disturbing--and wonderful!  After reading The Dark Eidolon for a second time recently, I deem it the greatest fantasy short story of all time.  There's absolutely nothing like it anywhere.  Singing Flame is excellent, of course.  The stuff to avoid are the run-of-the-mill sci-fi adventure stories--they don't hold up all that well.


----------



## Steerpike

I like the Zothique stories as well. Wouldn't want to live there.


----------



## Mythopoet

Incanus said:


> Oh, yeah.  CAS is now one of my all-time favs.  The Zothique stories are indeed dark and disturbing--and wonderful!  After reading The Dark Eidolon for a second time recently, I deem it the greatest fantasy short story of all time.  There's absolutely nothing like it anywhere.  Singing Flame is excellent, of course.  The stuff to avoid are the run-of-the-mill sci-fi adventure stories--they don't hold up all that well.



I didn't like The Dark Eidolon that much. The Empire of the Necromancers is probably my favorite so far. (They're listed in alphabetical order so I still have a bunch to read.) After I finish Zothique I'll probably read all the Hyperborea stories.


----------



## Gurkhal

Re-reading A Song of Ice and Fire. Probably the best fantasy I've ever read in my entire life.


----------



## skip.knox

Just finished _The Arm of the Sphinx_ by Josiah Bancroft. Second volume in a series. First is _Senlin Ascends_.

This is one of the best and more original fantasy novels I've read in a very long time.


----------



## Steerpike

skip.knox said:


> Just finished _The Arm of the Sphinx_ by Josiah Bancroft. Second volume in a series. First is _Senlin Ascends_.
> 
> This is one of the best and more original fantasy novels I've read in a very long time.



Have not heard of this one. But the title makes me want to check it out.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

^Agreed! I love Sphinxes.


----------



## Aurora

I'm reading Faerie. Not my usual type of read but I felt like taking a chance.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

I am reading The Infernal Devices _again_. Why oh why can't I stay away from these books?! I will admit, they are a guilty pleasure, and I mock them frequently [maybe because I was raised on Dickens and Shakespeare and the like?]


----------



## skip.knox

Steerpike said:


> Have not heard of this one. But the title makes me want to check it out.



You won't be sorry. But start with Senlin Ascends.


----------



## Aurora

Sacrificed in the Last Oracle series.


----------



## Mythopoet

I finished reading *Scaramouche* by *Rafael Sabatini*. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in historical fiction dealing with the time around the French Revolution. Sabatini has a reputation for writing his historical fiction as accurate to the history as possible and I really learned a lot from it. I feel like I understand the factors leading up to the Revolution much better than I ever did while learning about it at school. The story also has a long section dealing with the Commedia dell'Arte, the Italian-born improvisational theater with the masked character types like Harlequin and Pantaloon. Those characters I had heard of before, but this book taught me about the character type "Scaramouche" and much else that was very interesting.


----------



## Yzjdriel

I just reread *Games Wizards Play* for the twelfth time and I'm not even mad at myself.  This series has just always been able to make me laugh.

Diane Duane's *Young Wizards* series begins with *So You Want to Be a Wizard*.


----------



## Aurora

Welp, totally didn't realize that Sacrificed is Y.A. Got six chapters in and chucked it. Do not like YA _at all_. Back to Faerie it is.


----------



## Noxius

"A Dawn of Dragonfire" by Daniel Arenson. I wanted to read more books with dragons in them because I want to use them myself and wanted to get accustomed with differents way of seeing and using them. 
I've only read the first 100 pages, but til now, I would say it's not good, but not too bad either, just not what I want to read. I will read through it anyway.


----------



## Steerpike

Aurora said:


> Welp, totally didn't realize that Sacrificed is Y.A. Got six chapters in and chucked it. Do not like YA _at all_. Back to Faerie it is.



Why do you find the target age range significant?


----------



## Aurora

Steerpike said:


> Why do you find the target age range significant?


Yes. There's no connection for me. I just prefer books with deeper...everything. I'm also not a teen so there's that!


----------



## Steerpike

Aurora said:


> Yes. There's no connection for me. I just prefer books with deeper...everything. I'm also not a teen so there's that!



There are some YA books that explore plenty of deeper themes. They're not necessarily the most popular YA books, but they're quite good. But really this brings up a more interesting question from a writing perspective (and maybe one we need a new thread for)...you say you're not a teen. I'm not one either. Nor am I black, nor a woman, nor gay, nor a trans person...but I've recently read books with people fitting these various categories and I didn't find it to be a problem. So how close does a character have to be to a reader to elicit the reader's empathy and create a connection? It's a question I think about from time to time because all but one of my current works feature characters outside of the majority of the fantasy book demographic. Maybe it's worth a thread for comments.


----------



## Aurora

Steerpike said:


> There are some YA books that explore plenty of deeper themes. They're not necessarily the most popular YA books, but they're quite good. But really this brings up a more interesting question from a writing perspective (and maybe one we need a new thread for)...you say you're not a teen. I'm not one either. Nor am I black, nor a woman, nor gay, nor a trans person...but I've recently read books with people fitting these various categories and I didn't find it to be a problem. So how close does a character have to be to a reader to elicit the reader's empathy and create a connection? It's a question I think about from time to time because all but one of my current works feature characters outside of the majority of the fantasy book demographic. Maybe it's worth a thread for comments.


It's not about empathy and everything to do with love triangles (don't like those either), immature protagonists, and just not fulfilling stories for me. Nothing deep really.


----------



## La Volpe

I've found that YA tends to use particular themes and tropes. E.g. love triangles, coming-of-age, school-themed stuff, etc. There are a lot out there that don't (or at least not enough to bother me), but the majority of them do.

But, for example, the _Reckoners_ series by Sanderson is apparently classified as YA and I enjoyed it. And also Dan Wells's John Cleaver books.


----------



## Steerpike

La Volpe said:


> I've found that YA tends to use particular themes and tropes. E.g. love triangles, coming-of-age, school-themed stuff, etc. There are a lot out there that don't (or at least not enough to bother me), but the majority of them do.



The very popular ones tend to--of course, the most popular books tend to tap into popular themes. There is plenty of YA that doesn't do this sort of thing. People tend to view YA as a "genre," which implies that it has fairly consistent tropes, etc. But it's an age range (or a marketing demographic, if you want to look at it that way). The books within the category can be as diverse as anything for adults.


----------



## Steerpike

Aurora said:


> It's not about empathy and everything to do with love triangles (don't like those either), immature protagonists, and just not fulfilling stories for me. Nothing deep really.



That's an overly narrow view of the category, imo. It describes the most popular YA somewhat accurately, at least from what I've seen, but leaves out a large number of works.


----------



## Aurora

Steerpike said:


> That's an overly narrow view of the category, imo. It describes the most popular YA somewhat accurately, at least from what I've seen, but leaves out a large number of works.


I have read different YA books over the years, ones recommended to me and others that sounded interesting. It's just not something I like. Sorry, I wasn't trying to offend anyone!


----------



## Steerpike

Aurora said:


> I have read different YA books over the years, ones recommended to me and others that sounded interesting. It's just not something I like. Sorry, I wasn't trying to offend anyone!



No worries--there is no offense taken  . It's just something I like to discuss. I like YA in many instances, but I don't like the typical love triangle/Twilight-esque YA. Just so people know, you have books like those by Kristin Cashore, or Speak, Brown Girl Dreaming, Code Name: Verity, Seraphina, &c. You may not like any of those, of course, but they're different from what people usually think of as YA.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

^I have Seraphina and Shadow Scale, and liked them a lot. 

Does the Old Kingdom series count as YA? I have all four of those, too. 

My friend once joked that my bookshelf will one day become sentient.


----------



## Steerpike

TheCrystallineEntity said:


> ^I have Seraphina and Shadow Scale, and liked them a lot.
> 
> Does the Old Kingdom series count as YA? I have all four of those, too.
> 
> My friend once joked that my bookshelf will one day become sentient.



Yes, the Old Kingdom books are YA. Those are good ones 

If you haven't read Kristin Cashore, she starts out good with Graceling and just gets better with Fire and Bitterblue.


----------



## teacup

Read "The Broken Earth" trilogy by N.K. Jemisin (well the 2 that are out so far) and they were great, can't wait for book 3 later this year. I preferred book 1, The Fifth Season, to the sequel, but both were very good. I just preferred the settings and story of book 1 over 2. 
Just started her debut series now, "The Inheritance Trilogy", which looks interesting.


----------



## La Volpe

Steerpike said:


> The very popular ones tend to--of course, the most popular books tend to tap into popular themes. There is plenty of YA that doesn't do this sort of thing. People tend to view YA as a "genre," which implies that it has fairly consistent tropes, etc. But it's an age range (or a marketing demographic, if you want to look at it that way). The books within the category can be as diverse as anything for adults.



I agree. YA isn't a genre; it's just books aimed at the target market of "young adult".
The question this raises is: What sets it apart from other markets? I.e. What makes a YA book a YA book? What makes these books particularly suited for the young adult market?

My feeling (which is a guess, since I'm not well-versed in this) is that the answer lies in themes. I.e. young adults identify more strongly with certain themes, so books that touch upon these types of themes are better suited to the YA market than books that don't.


----------



## Mythopoet

To be honest, I have not really enjoyed any "western" YA that I have tried, with the exception of Sabriel. I don't usually pay attention to age demographic when looking for fantasy books, so I have read (or started reading) several that ended up being considered YA. Even the ones that I finished were usually only mediocre by my standards. And even the ones that I liked well enough (the first 3 Old Kingdom books) I would consider very low on my list compared to my favorites. (And Sabriel was by the far the better of the 3, the other two were much less enjoyable.) There are some exceptions, but usually in the case of books that were not written as YA, merely as fantasy, and were labeled as such later on. (The Chronicles of Prydain for instance I have sometimes seen referred to as YA.) 

I emphasize "western" because I read and love A LOT of Japanese comics (manga) that are written for a similar age group to YA (shonen and shojo). 

This could just be an extension of my general dislike for most fantasy written in the last few decades. I'm just the sort of person who doesn't like the modern writing style very much with its strong de-emphasis on the author presence and tendency to a very cinematic feel. It's hard to tell. It could also be the fact that American (or American-esque) teenagers are just the worst and way too many YA fantasy protags are very "American-esque" to me. (Having the same types of values, standards and desires as the typical American teen.)

And when it comes to reading for pleasure, simply avoiding YA books is a lot better than continually getting annoyed by them.


----------



## FifthView

I'm currently reading a book that I wouldn't recommend to anyone* except as a source example of what not to do: _The Bastard's Pearl_, by  Connie Bailey.

It's m/m fantasy romance. I was in the mood to read another from the genre, but one of the problems with the genre is that it's mostly stocked with self-pubbed and independently pubbed books, and that bubble demand and glut in this genre seem to have led to a high percentage of bad-to-mediocre offerings. But I was in the mood, and after an hour or two of reading through blurbs and previews on Amazon, I settled on this book because the first paragraph had prose that I really liked. (Especially in comparison to many of the others I'd checked out.)

And that's one of the most frustrating things about the book. I like the prose. The _content_ isn't necessarily handled well all the time, but the prose is the sort that I appreciate for a light read. 

The problems however come in the larger structuring of content. This book would be a classic case of what not to do with omniscient 3rd of the head-hopping variety: poor/non-existent transitioning between heads, haphazard (seemingly random) selection of _which_ heads to enter _when_, and using the power of the head hop to choose a character's head simply because you can then have an info-dumping conversation by pairing that character with a novice or two who are dummies.

There's also the problem of a main character who is too stupid to live, who has no organic character arc—guy gets tortured for several hours until rescued, then is precisely the same after as before as if the torture never happened, as just one example.

But the world and scenario are somewhat interesting or at least intriguing, and the prose is good, and I'm continuing on to see what happens.

*Edit: I would note, as a heads-up/warning, that the book has explicit and extended sex scenes, just on the off chance someone reads the above and is curious about the book.


----------



## Aurora

Mythopoet said:


> To be honest, I have not really enjoyed any "western" YA that I have tried, with the exception of Sabriel. I don't usually pay attention to age demographic when looking for fantasy books, so I have read (or started reading) several that ended up being considered YA. Even the ones that I finished were usually only mediocre by my standards. And even the ones that I liked well enough (the first 3 Old Kingdom books) I would consider very low on my list compared to my favorites. (And Sabriel was by the far the better of the 3, the other two were much less enjoyable.) There are some exceptions, but usually in the case of books that were not written as YA, merely as fantasy, and were labeled as such later on. (The Chronicles of Prydain for instance I have sometimes seen referred to as YA.)
> 
> I emphasize "western" because I read and love A LOT of Japanese comics (manga) that are written for a similar age group to YA (shonen and shojo).
> 
> This could just be an extension of my general dislike for most fantasy written in the last few decades. I'm just the sort of person who doesn't like the modern writing style very much with its strong de-emphasis on the author presence and tendency to a very cinematic feel. It's hard to tell. It could also be the fact that American (or American-esque) teenagers are just the worst and way too many YA fantasy protags are very "American-esque" to me. (Having the same types of values, standards and desires as the typical American teen.)
> 
> And when it comes to reading for pleasure, simply avoiding YA books is a lot better than continually getting annoyed by them.


Teen movie dramas are some of my favorite. Just watched "It Follows" last night and it was good! Books for that market aren't to my liking. One thing might be what I noticed in that movie last night, that teen protagonists tend to be created unfairly more times than not as stupid kids that can't fight for themselves. During the movie, the protagonist had everyone doing everything for her. So lame. She never fought for herself once! Same goes for much of the YA I have read. Anyway, maybe I relate better to characters who have been through life seasons similar as mine. It's been ages since I've been a teen and I cannot relate anymore. That might be it, who knows. 

Added Cheryl Kaye Tardiff's 'Submerged' to my list. I really enjoyed 'Children of the Fog'. It was so scary and kept me awake for 2 days straight trying to get to the end.


----------



## Addison

Stopped by my library yesterday. After focusing on writing for X days and hitting a stall, I needed a book bundle. I've checked out: Carrie, Joyland, Howl's Moving Castle, Coraline, The Eyes of The Dragon, The Sea Of Trolls, The Magicians. 

When my dad saw the books his jaw dropped and he asked, "More books?!" I told them they were library books and he relaxed, a bit. He joked if my "library" gets any bigger he'd have to re-inforce the sub-floor. 

Some of them are re-reads, even if I haven't read them in a long time. Yet, I went to the library to read Mercedes Lackey's "Element Masters" series. The library had every book BUT those! :mad2:


----------



## Russ

So I just finished an arc of a book that is due out shortly, that is getting a lot of buzz.  It's called *the Marsh King's Daughter.*

It sold for a seven figure advance and the critical analysis pre-pub is very positive.

I would add my voice, generally, to that chorus as I think it is quite strong.  Hard to classify but I would call it a "literary thriller."

The one thing I particularly liked about it was its originality.  Sometimes you reach the point where you think so much of a genre (in this case the Thriller genre) is simply a rehashing of something that has been done before.  Marsh King really stands out as original, in style, structure and theme.  There are themes that are explored in this book that I have not seen done well in this genre in decades, and the way they are dealt with is quite original.  Makes me think there is still more original work to be done, and my own aspirations to originality might not be delusional.

The book delivers a classic emotionally powerful twist near the end that was very satisfying.  If I wanted to suggest it had a weak point I would say the fight scenes could use a real overhaul, but that would be nitpicking.

Now starting "*Can't Stop, Won't Stop*" a history of the hip hop movement for research on a MC character I want to write about.  So far it is awesome.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Went to the bookstore today. Still more reading to do. 

But first, I have to start Return of the King...


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

^I love the movies and books and the Silmarillion, but I've only had Fellowship read to me, and read the Appendices of Return by myself. I've never fully read all of them one after the other.

Addison: I've read The Sea of Trolls. It wasn't what I expected, and I had issues with parts of it. Overall, it was alright for me.


----------



## Ireth

Rereading the Narnia series again. Finished The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe last week; now it's The Horse and His Boy.


----------



## skip.knox

Started _Where Eagles Dare_ by Alistair Maclean, mostly to look at story structure. And because it's a classic.


----------



## Mythopoet

I finished reading all the Clark Ashton Smith Zothique stories. Finished up last night with Xeethra (since they were in alphabetical order) which was an interesting one. Zothique is definitely dark. Almost none of the stories ended positively for the main character. And iirc most of the stories ended with the main character dead. But that's precisely the sort of atmosphere Smith was going for so I'd definitely say the stories are a success. And they've given my imagination one or two ideas. 

Actually I think there are a couple stories that weren't in the collection I have for some reason. I'll have to seek them out. For now moving on to one of Smith's other settings.


----------



## C. A. Stanley

I just finished reading The Power by Naomi Alderman. The most thrilling book I've read in a long time. At first exciting, then increasingly dark. A real eye opener on the subjects of gender and power, and what happens when power structures are suddenly inverted.


----------



## Incanus

Mythopoet said:


> I finished reading all the Clark Ashton Smith Zothique stories. Finished up last night with Xeethra (since they were in alphabetical order) which was an interesting one. Zothique is definitely dark. Almost none of the stories ended positively for the main character. And iirc most of the stories ended with the main character dead. But that's precisely the sort of atmosphere Smith was going for so I'd definitely say the stories are a success. And they've given my imagination one or two ideas.
> 
> Actually I think there are a couple stories that weren't in the collection I have for some reason. I'll have to seek them out. For now moving on to one of Smith's other settings.



Ah, cool.  Reading CAS also fires my imagination in a manner similar to Lord Dunsany (a largely forgotten gem).  I think one reason CAS resonates with me so much are the elements he emphasizes:  original high-concepts, and rich, lush prose.  If there is anyone better at these things, I've yet to discover them.


----------



## Addison

I will soon be reading "Murder and Magic: Lord Darcy Book 1" by Randall Garrett. From my research he's the first author to write an urban fantasy where magic and man openly coexist in our world. Although it will be a race to see which book arrives first, Lord Darcy or the first in Mercedes Lackey's Element Masters series. Either way I'm waiting by the door so much akin to my dog that it keeps giving me looks.


----------



## Gurkhal

I'm reading a classic right now; David Copperfield by Charles Dickens.


----------



## Mythopoet

Incanus said:


> Ah, cool.  Reading CAS also fires my imagination in a manner similar to Lord Dunsany (a largely forgotten gem).  I think one reason CAS resonates with me so much are the elements he emphasizes:  original high-concepts, and rich, lush prose.  If there is anyone better at these things, I've yet to discover them.



Personally, I vastly prefer both Dunsany and Lovecraft to CAS. CAS has some really great concepts and atmospheres but tends to not explore them as satisfactorily (to me) as Dunsany or Lovecraft. Also, it seems strange to say this, but I honestly think these Zothique stories were more depressing than most of Lovecraft. So my preference for this type of fiction would be Dunsany > Lovecraft > Howard > CAS.


----------



## Incanus

Mythopoet said:


> Personally, I vastly prefer both Dunsany and Lovecraft to CAS. CAS has some really great concepts and atmospheres but tends to not explore them as satisfactorily (to me) as Dunsany or Lovecraft. Also, it seems strange to say this, but I honestly think these Zothique stories were more depressing than most of Lovecraft. So my preference for this type of fiction would be Dunsany > Lovecraft > Howard > CAS.



It should probably come as no surprise that I think CAS explores his ideas quite satisfactorily, with some exceptions.  I don't find any of this stuff the least bit depressing.  That could be because I'm something of an outsider, socially speaking (I choose to not participate in American society much, preferring to observe it from afar).  The CAS stuff in particular seems almost deliberately designed to appeal to misfits, cynics, and oddballs such as myself.  I admit to having a slight (but healthy) misanthropic streak in my makeup.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

I'm reading various OSHO books.


----------



## Steerpike

Jane, Unlimited (Kristin Cashore)
The Savage Detective (BolaÃ±o)
Life Among the Savages (Jackson)


----------



## Mythopoet

Incanus said:


> It should probably come as no surprise that I think CAS explores his ideas quite satisfactorily, with some exceptions.  I don't find any of this stuff the least bit depressing.  That could be because I'm something of an outsider, socially speaking (I choose to not participate in American society much, preferring to observe it from afar).  The CAS stuff in particular seems almost deliberately designed to appeal to misfits, cynics, and oddballs such as myself.  I admit to having a slight (but healthy) misanthropic streak in my makeup.



I was speaking specifically about the Zothique stories. (I wouldn't call _The City of Singing Fire_ depressing, for instance.) And I didn't mean depressing in the sense of "makes me depressed to read" but just that they pretty much all have very negative endings for the characters. Almost no one survives. (I think the guy and his wife survived in The Charnel God? But that's the only one I can think of.) There's nothing wrong with that. It's clearly exactly what he was going for. But it's certainly not my favorite thing. 

Side note: I said to my husband (who is currently reading through all of Lovecraft) the other day that if one could say that Robert E. Howard's favorite word is "thews" and Lovecraft's favorite word is "non-Euclidean" then Clark Ashton Smith's favorite word is probably "cerements".


----------



## Steerpike

Who's favorite word is "cyclopean?"


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Steerpike said:


> Who's favorite word is "cyclopean?"



I have far too many favorite words.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

^So do I, often words I've made up, such as 'seniselicant' or 'confuzzled'.


----------



## Mytherea

Just finished Bujold's Sharing Knife series. I enjoyed it. Perhaps not as much as Chalion, but I enjoyed it. It was different. It was sweet. People on Goodreads, however, seem less than thrilled, particularly with the romantic elements so up-front. I was just pleased everyone lived and got happy ends. The last few books I read prior to these were pretty darn grim, with endings that were either ambiguous, sad, or slaughter-fests with every other character getting whacked before the final page. These came as a much-needed break from the darker side of fantasy. 

Now I'm trying to decide between finishing a reread of Elrod's "Keeper of the King" or possibly starting Sanderson's "Elantris."


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

^Ooh, Elantris is one of my favourites.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

I just started The Return of the King. I also just started Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

^What's the latter about? Just from the title it sounds interesting.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

TheCrystallineEntity said:


> ^What's the latter about? Just from the title it sounds interesting.



I have no idea thus far. It's a weird and lyrically written tale about a lost city and murdered gods...something like that. 

It does kinda seem like your thing, lol.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

Murdered gods? What is this? A bizarre offshoot of Norse mythology?


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

TheCrystallineEntity said:


> Murdered gods? What is this? A bizarre offshoot of Norse mythology?



 Not sure...


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

^I'm just being silly.


----------



## Incanus

Mythopoet said:


> I was speaking specifically about the Zothique stories. (I wouldn't call _The City of Singing Fire_ depressing, for instance.) And I didn't mean depressing in the sense of "makes me depressed to read" but just that they pretty much all have very negative endings for the characters. Almost no one survives. (I think the guy and his wife survived in The Charnel God? But that's the only one I can think of.) There's nothing wrong with that. It's clearly exactly what he was going for. But it's certainly not my favorite thing.
> 
> Side note: I said to my husband (who is currently reading through all of Lovecraft) the other day that if one could say that Robert E. Howard's favorite word is "thews" and Lovecraft's favorite word is "non-Euclidean" then Clark Ashton Smith's favorite word is probably "cerements".



Ha!  That's hilarious.  "Thews" is REH all the way.  I think Steerpike may be right about HPL - "Cyclopean" sure seems to pop up a lot.  I'm not sure there's a single word CAS uses with that type of regularity, but "cerements" will do.  Or maybe - "Funereal."

I understand what you mean about depressing now--thanks for clarifying.  I've now read every existing short story available by CAS, and I'd say his protags don't end up faring well in a good three-quarters of them or so--it's not just Zothique.  It's pretty common with HPL as well, I'd say.  Probably one of the main reasons neither of them came up with a serial character like Conan--they always need fresh victims to send out to their nefarious deities and necromancers and other entities.  With HPL in particular, it's the 'bad-guys' (for lack of a better term) who keep showing up in multiple stories.  Fun stuff!


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

I am looking for more good fantasy books, preferably with some sort of well-written romance.


----------



## fiera43

Just got one of Laurel K. Hamilton's books from both the Anita Blake series and her Fairy princess' series and 2 books by Niel Gaiman.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

^Ooh, I like Neil Gaiman's books, some of them.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

TheCrystallineEntity said:


> ^Ooh, I like Neil Gaiman's books, some of them.



Which ones? I've heard a lot about the guy but I don't know where best to start.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

I'd suggest The Graveyard Book, then potentially American Gods and Neverwhere if they seem like your kind of books.


----------



## fiera43

Grabbed Neverwhere by him and something else, not American Gods. I love reading so I will try most Authors Haven't started his stuff yet.


----------



## Russ

And if you like Gaiman (like I do)...remember you have Moorcock to blame (or thank): 



> Dear Mike,
> 
> I started reading your work thirty years ago. I was nine, and the book was Stormbringer.
> 
> At the time it was a little like having the top of my head ripped off and magnificent multicoloured ideas poured in.
> 
> I read everything I could find you'd written as it was published-several feet of books rapidly appearing on my bookshelves over the next couple of years. I even read everything I could find by people you mentioned, discovering authors like Mervyn Peake in the process.
> 
> I took it for granted that a good author could and should be able to write anything and write anything well in any genre or way, and bend and break genres and rules at will-after all, you did it.
> 
> Looking back now, the things that stick are the strange ones that don't fit, from the Sex Pistols' novel-newspaper (Irene Handl as Mrs Cornelius?) to the mysterious newspaper-wrapped packages of The Chinese Agent…
> You've been an inspiration. Or to put it another way, I'm probably mostly your fault.
> 
> It's good finally to have someone to blame-
> 
> Neil Gaiman


----------



## Steerpike

Moorcock is great. And a nice shout out to Mervyn Peake, who was brilliant.


----------



## C. A. Stanley

TheCrystallineEntity said:


> I'd suggest The Graveyard Book, then potentially American Gods and Neverwhere if they seem like your kind of books.


And Anansi Boys

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk


----------



## Steerpike

Coraline too.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

^Yes, definitely. Oh, and Stardust, of course.


----------



## Demesnedenoir

Finally starting The Freedom Broker, not a fantasy, modern thriller. So far, so good.


----------



## Mythopoet

I just reread I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett because it was the only one in the Tiffany Aching series I hadn't reread on kindle yet. I confirmed that this is definitely my least favorite of the series. I think, unfortunately, that Tiffany gets less sympathetic as she gets older. 

Now I'm reading _She_ by H. Rider Haggard. This is the first book I've read by him and so far it's very interesting.


----------



## Steerpike

Jane, Unlimited turned out to be one of the best books I've read so far this year. Well worth the read, and does some interesting and unconventional things with structure that are fun to examine.


----------



## C. A. Stanley

Steerpike said:


> Coraline too.



I haven't read that one. What's the book like?


----------



## C. A. Stanley

I'm currently reading Mario Puzo's stuff. Finished Omerta for the second time, I'm half-way through The Godfather (which is great), and will be starting The Sicilian in a few days. I've taken a welcome break from reading fantasy; I often have these brief phases of reading alternative genres, and I must say I enjoy them a lot.


----------



## C. A. Stanley

Steerpike said:


> Jane, Unlimited turned out to be one of the best books I've read so far this year. Well worth the read, and does some interesting and unconventional things with structure that are fun to examine.



Advance copy?


----------



## Steerpike

C. A. Stanley said:


> Advance copy?



Yep. 




/10char


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

I'm looking for something new to read. I like fantasy and chaste romance and a bit of 'soft' sci-fi here and there. Any suggestions?


----------



## Aurora

Submerged by Cheryl Kaye Tardif. I'm not normally a thriller reader but Children of the Fog was excellent. This one has a great premise thus far.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

I'm reading Tehanu [the fourth Earthsea Cycle book] yet again. If I could only keep 100 books, it would be in my top ten.


----------



## Mythopoet

TheCrystallineEntity said:


> I'm looking for something new to read. I like fantasy and chaste romance and a bit of 'soft' sci-fi here and there. Any suggestions?



Unfortunately, it's very hard to think of fantasy books with chaste romance. I tend to get my fix for that from manga, but I don't know if you're interested in manga at all. If you are (or would be willing to give it a try) some series that are available in English that are really excellent are Yona of the Dawn (ongoing), Dawn of the Arcana (finished) and From Far Away (finished).


----------



## Incanus

Finishing up my re-read of Deadhouse Gates.

Last night I popped into Barnes and Noble and picked up The Witchwood Crown by Tad Williams (just released yesterday).  I'm super-very-excited to get going on this--the original series is one of my all-time favs.  It's going to be a nice weekend...

While I was at the store I also grabbed Watership Down, because I had recently realized I didn't own a copy, and that's just not right.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

^^My favourite manga: RG Veda, Cardcaptor Sakura, Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle, Claymore, Fruits Basket, Twinkle Stars, Hibiki’s Magic.
I've watched some of the Yona of the Dawn anime, as well, but my favourite anime are: Clannad, Kanon, AIR, Little Busters, and Digimon.


----------



## CupofJoe

Incanus said:


> While I was at the store I also grabbed Watership Down, because I had recently realized I didn't own a copy, and that's just not right.


Watership Down!?!?!?!? 
I thought I was given a book about talking bunnies.... and it is a horror story... if you are about 7 when you read it.
That book scarred me! Not sure I could read it now...


----------



## Incanus

CupofJoe said:


> Watership Down!?!?!?!?
> I thought I was given a book about talking bunnies.... and it is a horror story... if you are about 7 when you read it.
> That book scarred me! Not sure I could read it now...



Ha!  No doubt the story is a bit darker than it might appear at a glance.  Seven is probably a bit young for this story--I think I was somewhere in my young-ish teens when I first encountered it.  (They made an animated movie of it in the late 70's.)


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

^I've never read it.


----------



## Mythopoet

TheCrystallineEntity said:


> ^^My favourite manga: RG Veda, Cardcaptor Sakura, Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle, Claymore, Fruits Basket, Twinkle Stars, Hibiki’s Magic.
> I've watched some of the Yona of the Dawn anime, as well, but my favourite anime are: Clannad, Kanon, AIR, Little Busters, and Digimon.



Ah, a CLAMP fan too? Have you read Magic Knight Rayearth? It's really good. RG Veda is one of my all time favorites as well. It's just so dang beautiful. The Yona of the Dawn anime got me into the manga and there's so much good content after the anime ends. Highly recommend. 

Speaking of manga, two of my favorite ongoing series, Black Butler and The Case Study of Vanitas, had chapters last week with big reveals, the kind that lead to more questions. It's so hard reading an ongoing manga sometimes. One chapter a month gives you 30 days to sit and overthink everything. Still love it though.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

^Yay! Yes, I have read MKR; I never would have worked out the big twist on my own. I like deconstructions of 'save the princess/world' type stories. The twists at the end of RG Veda also floored me [almost literally]. I've got some beautiful artwork from the series saved on my computer, if you're interested.
Who are your favourite characters? I like Ashura, Yasha, Sakura, Syaoran, and Fai best. 

I certainly know how that feels! I followed the Claymore manga from 2010 until it's end in 2015, and waiting every month was almost excruciating.


----------



## Mythopoet

TheCrystallineEntity said:


> ^Yay! Yes, I have read MKR; I never would have worked out the big twist on my own. I like deconstructions of 'save the princess/world' type stories. The twists at the end of RG Veda also floored me [almost literally]. I've got some beautiful artwork from the series saved on my computer, if you're interested.
> Who are your favourite characters? I like Ashura, Yasha, Sakura, Syaoran, and Fai best.
> 
> I certainly know how that feels! I followed the Claymore manga from 2010 until it's end in 2015, and waiting every month was almost excruciating.



I've been getting the new digital release of RG Veda on my kindle. Unfortunately, have to wait until next January for the final volume.  Yasha is definitely one of my favorites. He's so my type. (The main hero in _From Far Away_ reminds me of him a bit.) Also Yuuko from Tsubasa/xxxHolic. I loved the Ashura/Yasha story in Tsubasa, btw. One of my favorite parts. I like Sakura and Syaoran in Tsubasa but not so much in CCS. But I think I prefer Kurogane to Fai. (I love that tall, dark, strong man of few words type.)


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

^I bought the ten separate volumes [from Japan, no less], and then a few months later I notice the omnibus versions on Amazon.  Oh, of course Yuuko, too. For a reality warping protector of the multiverse, she sure is a Cloudcukoolander. 





> I loved the Ashura/Yasha story in Tsubasa, btw. One of my favorite parts.


 Me too, me too! 


> I like Sakura and Syaoran in Tsubasa but not so much in CCS.


 I totally agree with this, as well! I love bishonen wizards [Howl from Howl's Moving Castle, for instance], so when I first read Tsubasa, Fai instantly became my favourite. I was a fair bit younger at the time, so I had trouble following certain things, but I loved it just the same. I have a massive manga collection now:
Claymore Vol. 1-27
Chobits omnibus 1-2
Cardcaptor Sakura omnibus 1-4
Tsubasa omnibus 1-10
XXXholic omnibus 1-7
Clover omnibus
RG Veda
Gate 7 vol. 3
Inuyasha Vol. 3, 42, 47, 48, 55
The Legend of Zelda Manga--Majora's Mask and Four Swords Adventures
Fruits Basket omnibus 5 [I bought it just for the scene between Tohru and Yuki ]
Liselotte and Witch's Forest vol. 1-4
Twinkle Stars omnibus 1-2
Pokemon Diamond and Pearl Adventure vol. 5 and 6

I'm only missing Magic Knight Rayearth, Gate 7 vol. 1, 2, and 4, and I'm not sure about Tokyo Babylon because I so wish I had never read the last volume. It made me so depressed. I want the next two Twinkle Stars omnibus and the next Liselotte volume, but I also want Tales of Symphonia, Final Fantasy X, and Scribblenauts Unlimted... At least my birthday's soon.

In retrospect, it might have been better if I explained that I'm fine with romance, just not sex, instead of saying chaste love.


----------



## Mythopoet

Yeah, I was buying the older RG Veda volumes in English until volume 7 when they started getting too expensive because they were out of print. I was so happy they started putting out the new ones. 

My manga library is growing, but I admit I still read a lot more manga online than manga that I buy.  But I do try to support the manga authors as much as my limited budget can. 

I have a collector's edition of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, which was the first manga I ever read.
An omnibus edition of Trigun and the first omnibus of Trigun Maximum. 
Volumes 1-7 of Blood Blockade Battlefront. (Volume 8 is FINALLY coming out this December and I'm so hyped.)
All volumes (1-9) of NG Life (by the author of Yona of the Dawn) which is another romance manga I would highly recommend.
Volumes 1-5 of Kamisama Kiss. 
The 2 omnibus editions of Tokyo Babylon. (I actually LOVE dark and tragic stories so I didn't mind the ending except in as much as it didn't feel much like an ending at all. Which is why I'm tempted to start collecting X except I know that has even less of an ending... Sigh.)
The 2 omnibus editions of Magic Knight Rayearth. 
Volumes 1-7 of the old RG Veda release and volumes 1 and 2 of the new omnibus.
All 18 volumes of Ouran High School Host Club. 
All 18 chapters of The Case Study of Vanitas (I've been buying them simulpubed since it started).
5 chapters (I think) of Ne Ne Ne which is also being simulpubed. 
chapters 117-149 of Black Butler simulpub. 
Volumes 1, 2, 14, 23 and 24 of D. Gray-man. 
Volumes 1-6 of Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun. (One of THE BEST romantic comedy manga ever.)
CLAMP's Shirahime-Syo short story collection. 
Volume 1 of The Royal Tutor.
Volumes 8-11 of Attack on Titan. (Read the rest of it on Crunchyroll.)
Volume 1 of Yona of the Dawn in both print and digital. 
Oh and I bought all the volumes of Fruits Basket for my daughter. I haven't read them myself yet though. 

Manga I plan to collect all the volumes of over time:

DGM
Black Butler
Yona of the Dawn
Pandora Hearts
Tsubasa
From Far Away
The Case Study of Vanitas

I also have a couple art books, one for D. Gray-man and one for Gurren Lagann. (I'd really like to get the RG Veda one someday.)


----------



## Mythopoet

TheCrystallineEntity said:


> In retrospect, it might have been better if I explained that I'm fine with romance, just not sex, instead of saying chaste love.



This is what I assumed you meant. Fantasy with romance, but without sex. The ones I recommended are all fantasy romance manga.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

^^Wow, that's an impressive list. I haven't read Pandora Hearts, but it looks quite interesting. I will admit that I dislike love interests in manga or anime who start off extremely rude [which to me often seems more verbally abusive than anything] but then become kinder, because to me it states 'love redeems, so stay with the one you love even if they're horrible to you'. Plus Tohru is almost identical to me in terms of personality, so reading Fruits Basket was a bit difficult because of that. Plus I think Yuki's cute and so kind. 
I have a link to the RG Veda artbook online if you'd like to borrow it. 

^Oh, I see.


----------



## Mythopoet

Finished reading _She_ by H Rider Haggard yesterday. It was a great adventure story but will not stand the test of time due to the unfortunate omnipresent undercurrent of racism. Haggard, alas, subscribed to all that 19th century nonsense about European races being the only civilized ones. The entire premise of _She_ is that in a remote part of Africa a dazzling (literally) immortal white woman rules through fear over a tribe of savage cannibals. She is educated and erudite and beautiful beyond description and very, very white (it is emphasized over and over). The Africans are barbaric and malicious and just want to kill all white men so they can eat them. And naturally the heroes are very white and act naturally superior to the Africans. It's taken as a given that they are more civilized and morally good. Sigh. It became very tiresome. Which is unfortunate because the adventure/love story at the core was quite good.


----------



## Steerpike

Mythopoet said:


> Finished reading _She_ by H Rider Haggard yesterday. It was a great adventure story but will not stand the test of time due to the unfortunate omnipresent undercurrent of racism. Haggard, alas, subscribed to all that 19th century nonsense about European races being the only civilized ones. The entire premise of _She_ is that in a remote part of Africa a dazzling (literally) immortal white woman rules through fear over a tribe of savage cannibals. She is educated and erudite and beautiful beyond description and very, very white (it is emphasized over and over). The Africans are barbaric and malicious and just want to kill all white men so they can eat them. And naturally the heroes are very white and act naturally superior to the Africans. It's taken as a given that they are more civilized and morally good. Sigh. It became very tiresome. Which is unfortunate because the adventure/love story at the core was quite good.



Yes, it is unfortunate because She and other works of Haggard make for good adventure stories. He suffers from some of the same downfalls in King Solomon's Mines, although there while some black Africans are caricaturized as savages, others are shown as noble. The whole thing seems to turn on how civilized, in terms of Haggard's western sensibilities, they are. It's too bad, because there are other aspects of Haggard's life that indicate he may have been a decent fellow on the whole, but subject to the racism and colonialism that passed as intellectual and political thought for his day :/


----------



## skip.knox

[Sidenote: I have the same trouble with Burroughs as I had with Haggard. Oddly, it bothered me less with Howard.]

I've started reading The Emperor's Blades by Brian Staveley. He writes well, but I have read about twenty novels too many that are about the young hero learning magic or blade craft or assassination or whatever his/her skill is going to be. It has to rank right up there with the farm boy trope, and I'm pretty well done with it.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Guess who should be asleep, but is instead sitting here licking a juice pop, bookhungover after finishing the Lord of the Rings?


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

^Are you going to read The Silmarillion next?


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

TheCrystallineEntity said:


> ^Are you going to read The Silmarillion next?



I think so


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

^My favourite parts are 'Of Thingol and Melian', and 'The Tale of Beren and Luthien'.


----------



## Mythopoet

DragonOfTheAerie said:


> I think so



Just be aware that it's a vastly different experience than reading LOTR. More like reading an old saga. (Including lots of genealogical info until you can't remember anyone's name anymore.) LOTR is a novel but The Sil is really more of a collected mythology. 

That said, I absolutely ADORE it. The Sil is by far my favorite of Tolkien's works. But then I'm also a mythology lover like Tolkien was. And I'm just generally good at remembering names. Every once in a while I quiz my husband on the names of the 7 sons of Feanor and (jokingly) threaten to divorce him if he can't get them right. He almost never can, even though he was a Tolkien fanatic much earlier than I was. (P. S. They're Maedhros, Maglor, Celegorm, Curufin, Caranthir, Amrod and Amras. And no, I didn't look it up.)


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

^I only remembered one of them! 
I once accidentally boasted in English class in Grade 11 that I often read it to myself as a bedtime story [--which I totally do, but no one knew what I was talking about.]


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Mythopoet said:


> Just be aware that it's a vastly different experience than reading LOTR. More like reading an old saga. (Including lots of genealogical info until you can't remember anyone's name anymore.) LOTR is a novel but The Sil is really more of a collected mythology.
> 
> That said, I absolutely ADORE it. The Sil is by far my favorite of Tolkien's works. But then I'm also a mythology lover like Tolkien was. And I'm just generally good at remembering names. Every once in a while I quiz my husband on the names of the 7 sons of Feanor and (jokingly) threaten to divorce him if he can't get them right. He almost never can, even though he was a Tolkien fanatic much earlier than I was. (P. S. They're Maedhros, Maglor, Celegorm, Curufin, Caranthir, Amrod and Amras. And no, I didn't look it up.)



Names? oh dear. I may be in trouble then...


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

^At least there's an index/glossary thing at the back.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

TheCrystallineEntity said:


> ^At least there's an index/glossary thing at the back.



Yay for indexes.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

^Christopher Tolkien specifically made the index/glossary just for the readers' sake when he was compiling the stories into one volume after Prf. Tolkien's death.


----------



## Steerpike

TheCrystallineEntity said:


> ^Christopher Tolkien specifically made the index/glossary just for the readers' sake when he was compiling the stories into one volume after Prf. Tolkien's death.




Interestingly, Guy Gavriel Kay helped Christopher Tolkien edit it.


----------



## Addison

If anyone is near Jordan Landing Barnes and Noble I just heard that Brandon Sanderson left a bunch of signed copies there. Including hardcovers. Didn't say which book(s) but if you know his work then it doesn't matter. Hurry!


----------



## RogueAngel

Okay, (taking deep fortifying breath) I've only just signed up here, and I'm probably with this response going to completely obliterate my street cred. I've seen some say that they don't care for YA novels, and most of what is listed here seems like pretty Serious Reading.

But I used to be a YA librarian, and I have a real love for the books. YA Fantasy was how I got so many reluctant readers to pick up books. So, despite no longer working with teens, I still find myself reading "their" books.

And right now, I have been sucked AGAIN into A.G. Howard's delightfully imaginative take on Alice in Wonderland. Her _Splintered_ series is just...fun. Sure, it's not deep or serious, but it is a very pleasant way for me to pass a few days. It's sort of my "brain vacation" time, not that I view it as throwaway fluff. Far from it. I think this is my fourth or fifth time reading the series (there's four books) in two years.

Lest you think I am a Reader of Little Substance, next on my list is a reread of Harry Dresden, and I recently read Cassandra A. Clarke's _The Mad Scientist's Daughter_ which was wonderful.


----------



## Steerpike

@RogueAngel : there is a lot of great YA work out there, often doing more interesting things that adult novels are doing, which seem to me on the whole to be more conservative in terms of approach. _Jane Unlimited_, by Kristin Cashore is already one of the best books I've read this year. Have you read _Code Name Verity_?

When I talk to people who have misconceptions about YA, it's because they've looked at Twilight, House of Night, or a handful of other YA/Teen paranormal romance-style works and concluded that's representative of everything that's out there for the age group.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

RogueAngel said:


> Okay, (taking deep fortifying breath) I've only just signed up here, and I'm probably with this response going to completely obliterate my street cred. I've seen some say that they don't care for YA novels, and most of what is listed here seems like pretty Serious Reading.
> 
> But I used to be a YA librarian, and I have a real love for the books. YA Fantasy was how I got so many reluctant readers to pick up books. So, despite no longer working with teens, I still find myself reading "their" books.
> 
> And right now, I have been sucked AGAIN into A.G. Howard's delightfully imaginative take on Alice in Wonderland. Her _Splintered_ series is just...fun. Sure, it's not deep or serious, but it is a very pleasant way for me to pass a few days. It's sort of my "brain vacation" time, not that I view it as throwaway fluff. Far from it. I think this is my fourth or fifth time reading the series (there's four books) in two years.
> 
> Lest you think I am a Reader of Little Substance, next on my list is a reread of Harry Dresden, and I recently read Cassandra A. Clarke's _The Mad Scientist's Daughter_ which was wonderful.



There is plenty of awesome, well-written YA out there. I think you should try Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. 

Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin is also a fantastic YA.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Steerpike said:


> @RogueAngel : there is a lot of great YA work out there, often doing more interesting things that adult novels are doing, which seem to me on the whole to be more conservative in terms of approach.



I've noticed this too. YA seems to be more adventurous and genre-bending very often. Part of why I find many adult novels hard to interest myself in is that they seem, well, as you said, conservative. In their concepts, their ideas, etc.


----------



## Steerpike

DragonOfTheAerie said:


> I've noticed this too. YA seems to be more adventurous and genre-bending very often. Part of why I find many adult novels hard to interest myself in is that they seem, well, as you said, conservative. In their concepts, their ideas, etc.



Not sure why that's the case, but it appears to be. Maybe younger readers are perceived as being more open to experimentation with things like narrative structure, genre-bending, and the like.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Steerpike said:


> Not sure why that's the case, but it appears to be. Maybe younger readers are perceived as being more open to experimentation with things like narrative structure, genre-bending, and the like.



I think it's just that the YA label is unifying. YA books are more defined by their YA-ness than their genre, so crossing genres is easier.

As someone who loves weird and unique books, I like this about YA.


----------



## Steerpike

DragonOfTheAerie said:


> I think it's just that the YA label is unifying. YA books are more defined by their YA-ness than their genre, so crossing genres is easier.
> 
> As someone who loves weird and unique books, I like this about YA.



Good point. It's a lot easier when the publisher knows the books are simply going to be shelved/sold by age group and not by a category like "Fantasy" versus "Mystery," or what have you.


----------



## Aurora

I'm reading Mage Slave and it's very boring. 

Sigh.

This is exactly my problem with fantasy novels these days. The story line has promise but for some reason, I'm bored to tears. I promised myself that I would finish it anyway. Except for the Champagne Queen & Submerged, I've abandoned every book that I've chosen to read in the past several weeks. Maybe it's what I'm choosing to read, who knows. I miss reading good fantasy. Considered reading Mists of Avalon for a moment but the library is always out of the copy and it's like $15 on Kindle so nope.


----------



## Steerpike

Aurora said:


> I'm reading Mage Slave and it's very boring.
> 
> Sigh.
> 
> This is exactly my problem with fantasy novels these days. The story line has promise but for some reason, I'm bored to tears. I promised myself that I would finish it anyway. Except for the Champagne Queen & Submerged, I've abandoned every book that I've chosen to read in the past several weeks. Maybe it's what I'm choosing to read, who knows. I miss reading good fantasy. Considered reading Mists of Avalon for a moment but the library is always out of the copy and it's like $15 on Kindle so nope.



I put down more books than I finish, these days. :/


----------



## Aurora

^It's terrible, isn't it? When I read the reviews of these books they're raving. Sometimes I wonder if it's all the writing advice to take this out and that out...dunno. Just that many books today lack personality imo.


----------



## Steerpike

Aurora said:


> ^It's terrible, isn't it? When I read the reviews of these books they're raving. Sometimes I wonder if it's all the writing advice to take this out and that out...dunno. Just that many books today lack personality imo.



Yes. I was making this point in another thread, and tying it (speculatively) to a lot of rules for modern writing that have resulted in a more or less generic "voice" spanning across many novels. That's my feeling on it, anyway. I see more diversity in YA, and of course there are exceptions within adult SF/F.

My theory wasn't met with unanimous support, but I think there is something to it.


----------



## Aurora

Well, I agree with you. It's rare the book that pulls me in. The Champagne Queen was written by a German author and her voice was so different I'm now hooked on her storytelling. Maybe it's time to try more foreign authors.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Steerpike said:


> I put down more books than I finish, these days. :/



Same. Or i would if i didn't feel like i needed to mark books as finished on Goodreads. I've suffered through a lot of crap lately though.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Steerpike said:


> Yes. I was making this point in another thread, and tying it (speculatively) to a lot of rules for modern writing that have resulted in a more or less generic "voice" spanning across many novels. That's my feeling on it, anyway. I see more diversity in YA, and of course there are exceptions within adult SF/F.
> 
> My theory wasn't met with unanimous support, but I think there is something to it.



There's a fear of being bold and risky with your writing, breaking rules, being more flowery than is considered acceptable, or having a unique style. At least that's my thought.


----------



## Steerpike

DragonOfTheAerie said:


> There's a fear of being bold and risky with your writing, breaking rules, being more flowery than is considered acceptable, or having a unique style. At least that's my thought.



Yes. But odd, or so it seems to me, that the fear is less prevalent among YA authors.


----------



## Aurora

Not sure if this is it but one thing I've noticed lately is that many YA authors are also young (in their 20s which to me is young for an author). They're less likely to follow rules? Idk.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

Or you can be like me and be genre busting and uncensored.


----------



## Mythopoet

Finished the book *Evenmere* the other day which is the last in the Evenmere trilogy by *James Stoddard*. You guys. I freaking LOVE these books. I can list on one hand the number of books that have made me this excited that were written in the past two decades. But these books were just so good. The worldbuilding is really amazing. It's a world such as I've never imagined in my wildest dreams. It's large and intricate and full of wonder and secrets. And it's all just a really, really huge house. So weird but so cool, really. And unlike most series, trilogies I've ever read, this one gets better with each book. The second book was better than the first and the third was better than the second. In fact, my favorite characters were introduced in books two and three. I'm seriously in love with this world and I really hope the author will eventually write more. 

Tried out *The Dream-Quest of Vellitt Boe by Kij Johnson* after that. Drawn to it because I adore the Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath by Lovecraft and this is set in the same world of dreams. However, I've been disappointed so far. This is one of those books that jumps right into the main conflict on the first page and sends Vellitt out on her quest right away and then suddenly decides to bore you with long detailed descriptions of everything she sees while starting out. It just doesn't work for me. If you're going to jump right into the conflict then KEEP THAT PACE GOING. At least until I'm actually invested enough to care. Also the description just doesn't work for me. Considering how much I love Lovecraft you can surmise that I am not at all adverse to descriptive passages. But the Vellitt Boe the descriptions so far are the laundry list type, but of place names. I get it. She's probably trying to name drop the various names of places in Lovecraft's Dream Cycle stories to pull in those fans. But it ends up coming across as too... clinical. She describes all of these places that were mysterious and magical under Lovecraft's pen with a sort of mundane precision and detail that doesn't belong in a dream land. It completely turns me off. 

So I tried out *Strange the Dreamer*. Was it someone here who recommended it? The title attracted me so I looked it up. After finishing the ebook sample I'm completely hooked. Though honestly I wish authors didn't always have to make religious (monks in this case) into scumbags and tyrants in every single book. It gets very wearying. I get the impression they think they're doing something clever, revealing the reality as they think it must be behind the curtains. But at this point it's just another annoying stereotype. People DO actually take religious orders to do good in the world, you know. Sigh.


----------



## Aurora

TheCrystallineEntity said:


> Or you can be like me and be genre busting and uncensored.



Doesn't work very well when you're trying to sell work. At least it didn't for me and I had to change my tune mighty quick. Anyway, don;t want to go off thread much longer!


----------



## RogueAngel

Thank you to everyone who supports the wonderful work being done in the YA sector! There really are great things there. 

For everyone who gets nauseous at the mention of _Twilight_, I recommend Stephenie Meyer's other, much-less known book, _The Host._ It's a great alien invasion story that got completely mislabeled as a YA book simply because the _Twilight_ series had been that. This is much more intellectual and finely crafted than a wishy-washy girl sighing over a sparkly boy. 

Also, try the _The White Rabbit Chronicles_ series by Gena Showalter. It's another Alice in Wonderland-esque thing (I have a minor obsession), but this time there's zombies. I should tell you I am not a zombie fan. I've never seen _Night of the Living Dead, The Walking Dead, _ or even my brother's favorite, _Shaun of the Dead_. But I love this series. It reminds me of _Buffy,_ of which I remain a *huge* fan.

Thank you also to those who recommended some other fun things!


----------



## Steerpike

RogueAngel said:


> It reminds me of _Buffy,_ of which I remain a *huge* fan.
> 
> Thank you also to those who recommended some other fun things!



Buffy is great. Love that show


----------



## TWErvin2

I am reading the newest release in the _Iron Druid Chronicles_, *Besieged*, by Kevin Hearne. It is a collection of short stories and novelettes featuring the POVs of different characters within the series.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Mythopoet said:


> Finished the book *Evenmere* the other day which is the last in the Evenmere trilogy by *James Stoddard*. You guys. I freaking LOVE these books. I can list on one hand the number of books that have made me this excited that were written in the past two decades. But these books were just so good. The worldbuilding is really amazing. It's a world such as I've never imagined in my wildest dreams. It's large and intricate and full of wonder and secrets. And it's all just a really, really huge house. So weird but so cool, really. And unlike most series, trilogies I've ever read, this one gets better with each book. The second book was better than the first and the third was better than the second. In fact, my favorite characters were introduced in books two and three. I'm seriously in love with this world and I really hope the author will eventually write more.
> 
> Tried out *The Dream-Quest of Vellitt Boe by Kij Johnson* after that. Drawn to it because I adore the Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath by Lovecraft and this is set in the same world of dreams. However, I've been disappointed so far. This is one of those books that jumps right into the main conflict on the first page and sends Vellitt out on her quest right away and then suddenly decides to bore you with long detailed descriptions of everything she sees while starting out. It just doesn't work for me. If you're going to jump right into the conflict then KEEP THAT PACE GOING. At least until I'm actually invested enough to care. Also the description just doesn't work for me. Considering how much I love Lovecraft you can surmise that I am not at all adverse to descriptive passages. But the Vellitt Boe the descriptions so far are the laundry list type, but of place names. I get it. She's probably trying to name drop the various names of places in Lovecraft's Dream Cycle stories to pull in those fans. But it ends up coming across as too... clinical. She describes all of these places that were mysterious and magical under Lovecraft's pen with a sort of mundane precision and detail that doesn't belong in a dream land. It completely turns me off.
> 
> So I tried out *Strange the Dreamer*. Was it someone here who recommended it? The title attracted me so I looked it up. After finishing the ebook sample I'm completely hooked. Though honestly I wish authors didn't always have to make religious (monks in this case) into scumbags and tyrants in every single book. It gets very wearying. I get the impression they think they're doing something clever, revealing the reality as they think it must be behind the curtains. But at this point it's just another annoying stereotype. People DO actually take religious orders to do good in the world, you know. Sigh.



Huh, i want to look into that first one, from the way you describe it. 

And yeah, i'm currently reading Strange the Dreamer. I'm not very far into it but i'm having trouble getting into it. Think I'll continue, though.


----------



## Steerpike

DragonOfTheAerie said:


> Huh, i want to look into that first one, from the way you describe it.



Yeah, I just bought the first book. Looks interesting.


----------



## CupofJoe

RogueAngel said:


> I've never seen _Night of the Living Dead, The Walking Dead, _ or even my brother's favorite, _Shaun of the Dead_. But I love this series.


I HIGHLY recommend SotD! As long as you can get passed one truly offensive but utterly needed bit of profanity [a seven word question shows more of Ed's character than any page and a half of exposition could...]


RogueAngel said:


> It reminds me of _Buffy,_ of which I remain a *huge* fan.


Is there any other kind of Buffy fan?


----------



## Mythopoet

DragonOfTheAerie said:


> And yeah, i'm currently reading Strange the Dreamer. I'm not very far into it but i'm having trouble getting into it. Think I'll continue, though.



Yeah, I just realized that this is not a standalone novel last night. That dulls my enthusiasm a bit. I haven't had good experience with book that present a huge central mystery to get you hooked only to find out that it probably won't be solved for at least another two books. Who knows when the next book will come out? Hopefully I won't have to wait years.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Mythopoet said:


> Yeah, I just realized that this is not a standalone novel last night. That dulls my enthusiasm a bit. I haven't had good experience with book that present a huge central mystery to get you hooked only to find out that it probably won't be solved for at least another two books. Who knows when the next book will come out? Hopefully I won't have to wait years.



Goodreads says the title is The Muse of Nightmares, but no indication when we will get to read it...


----------



## Aurora

Can anyone recommend fantasy novels with dragons? I like medieval style, too. If anyone has recommendations that would be sweet.


----------



## Steerpike

Aurora said:


> Can anyone recommend fantasy novels with dragons? I like medieval style, too. If anyone has recommendations that would be sweet.



Last one I recall reading was Seraphina, by Rachel Hartmann. I liked that one.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Aurora said:


> Can anyone recommend fantasy novels with dragons? I like medieval style, too. If anyone has recommendations that would be sweet.



A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan is not as much about dragons as the journey of a female scientist in a patriarchal world, but I liked it. It's a great book, very well written. 

The Temeraire books are fluffy but great. Or at least the first one is...about to start the second! 

^^Both of the above aren't medieval style; the first is a Victorian type of novel and the second is an alternate Earth in the time of Napoleon. 

Dragon books are surprisingly hard to find given the popularity of dragons. O_O 

I second Steerpike's recommendation of Seraphina as well with the disclaimer that it may be boring in places. I gave it 3 stars on Goodreads as opposed to the 4 i gave to the above two. (Five star reads are very rare for me.)


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Some of the best dragon books i've read have been middle grade novels. A notable one was the Dragon Slippers trilogy by Jessica Day George (I just liked her take on dragons); another was Iron Hearted Violet by Kelly Barnhill. Yes, they're targeted to an 8-12 kind of age group, but they are perfectly good stories that I found entertaining, and that I think an adult could find some way to appreciate.


----------



## Aurora

DragonOfTheAerie said:


> Some of the best dragon books i've read have been middle grade novels. A notable one was the Dragon Slippers trilogy by Jessica Day George (I just liked her take on dragons); another was Iron Hearted Violet by Kelly Barnhill. Yes, they're targeted to an 8-12 kind of age group, but they are perfectly good stories that I found entertaining, and that I think an adult could find some way to appreciate.


Yikes! A bit too much on the young end for me but thanks! 

I've heard of Seraphina before (recommended by a friend's mama). Haven't investigated it just yet will give a look though.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

^I have Seraphina, and the sequel, Shadow Scale, and I liked both of them fairly well.


----------



## Mythopoet

My favorite dragon will always be the one from A Wizard of Earthsea. (I think she kind of ruined them later in the series though.)


----------



## Steerpike

Oh I should also mention _Dragon Weather_, by Lawrence Watt-Evans. That one was fun, and is loaded with dragons.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

My favourite dragon book [if it can even be called that] is Tehanu, with possibly Seraphina as #2, though I don't have many dragon books.


----------



## Gurkhal

Aurora said:


> Can anyone recommend fantasy novels with dragons? I like medieval style, too. If anyone has recommendations that would be sweet.



I would say that both A Song of Ice and Fire and the Dragon Lance series are pretty good and has dragons in them, and are medieval to that.

If you want more dragon-heavy political stories but which are more like history than novels, then check out "The Rogue Prince" and "The Princess and the Queen" by GRRM, set in Westeros but at an earlier date from the Asoiaf series.


----------



## CupofJoe

Aurora said:


> Can anyone recommend fantasy novels with dragons? I like medieval style, too. If anyone has recommendations that would be sweet.


I'm surprised that no-one up to now has mentioned Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett.
That has now been remedied.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

Oh, and there's the Enchanted Forest Chronicles. Hilarious, and with genuinely intelligent dragons AND [well, A] princess!


----------



## Aurora

CupofJoe said:


> I'm surprised that no-one up to now has mentioned Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett.
> That has now been remedied.



Ah! Yes on Terry Pratchett! 

Thank you for the suggestions, everyone. I have a decent list to start on!


----------



## Mythopoet

CupofJoe said:


> I'm surprised that no-one up to now has mentioned Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett.
> That has now been remedied.



I thought about it, but I don't really think it was a very interesting dragon. Everything else around the dragon is great, but the dragon is rather boring.


----------



## CupofJoe

Mythopoet said:


> I thought about it, but I don't really think it was a very interesting dragon. Everything else around the dragon is great, but the dragon is rather boring.


I really like the Dragon. It remains feeling alien but also driven by very believable needs... 
And then there is Errol! Ah, what love can do to a Guy's insides


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle, RG Veda, and Chobits.


----------



## TheCatholicCrow

I've been getting terrible headaches when I read for more than half an hour (stupid eye appointment is still a week away) so atm I'm trying to save my vision for super important things (like reading this forum  ) ... so I'm stuck with whatever audiobooks the library has online. ATM that means John Grisham's _The Litigators _ which I'm finding more amusing than I anticipated ... I'm in the queue for some Rick Riordan though.


----------



## Russ

So I am reading my first YAish book since I was a YA.  It is called The Lost Property Office and so far I am enjoying it immensely.  It is well written, and I am fond of the main characters.  A nice fantasy novel and the cover is awesome.


----------



## Noxius

"On Writing" from stephen king. People were right when they said eery writer should read it.


----------



## La Volpe

Aurora said:


> Can anyone recommend fantasy novels with dragons? I like medieval style, too. If anyone has recommendations that would be sweet.



I am shocked that no one has mentioned Anne McCaffrey's Pern series. Though not exactly medieval style (though somewhat, maybe?), it is the first books I think of when someone says "dragons".


----------



## Mythopoet

I finished *Strange the Dreamer* a couple days ago. Overall, it was a pretty good book. But there were some things that bugged me. The aforementioned crappy monks and the fact that you can't tell it's not a standalone book until you get to the end and it's all "surprise! the story doesn't end here!" But also just so much description of kissing. There's zero romance until you get more than halfway through and then suddenly she's devoting pages and pages to the two MCs kissing and being all lovey-dovey. And just... that's not what I was reading for. The romance itself was fine but the sheer amount of time spent describing feelings and such became really tedious. 

I'm now reading *The Blue Sword* by Robin McKinley. I picked up that and The Hero and the Crown pretty cheap on amazon. This is the first book by McKinley I have read. The writing is a bit clunky. But so far it's ok.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

^Sorry to bug you--did you get my message?

I'm reading the second Emily of New Moon book.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

TheCrystallineEntity said:


> ^Sorry to bug you--did you get my message?
> 
> I'm reading the second Emily of New Moon book.



Emily of New Moon? I tried those books, but i couldn't get through the first one...


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Mythopoet said:


> I finished *Strange the Dreamer* a couple days ago. Overall, it was a pretty good book. But there were some things that bugged me. The aforementioned crappy monks and the fact that you can't tell it's not a standalone book until you get to the end and it's all "surprise! the story doesn't end here!" But also just so much description of kissing. There's zero romance until you get more than halfway through and then suddenly she's devoting pages and pages to the two MCs kissing and being all lovey-dovey. And just... that's not what I was reading for. The romance itself was fine but the sheer amount of time spent describing feelings and such became really tedious.
> 
> I'm now reading *The Blue Sword* by Robin McKinley. I picked up that and The Hero and the Crown pretty cheap on amazon. This is the first book by McKinley I have read. The writing is a bit clunky. But so far it's ok.



Uh oh. Excessive romance can be a bit of a turn off for me...guess i'm still finishing the book though.


----------



## Steerpike

Robin McKinley--I think The Blue Sword shows some signs of being an early novel. On the other hand, books like Sunshine and Deerskin are excellent.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

Dragon: I found them difficult only because it seems like everyone and their dog is against Emily.


----------



## Nimue

Steerpike said:


> Robin McKinley--I think The Blue Sword shows some signs of being an early novel. On the other hand, books like Sunshine and Deerskin are excellent.



Agreed--although I have an immense amount of nostalgia for The Blue Sword, as it was one of my first fantasy loves.  I'd also recommend Rose Daughter.  Not for everyone, very slow and fairytale, but definitely for me.  Chalice too, one of her more recent novels, although it's short.  I've always had a serious crush on Robin McKinley's writing.


----------



## Steerpike

Nimue said:


> Agreed--although I have an immense amount of nostalgia for The Blue Sword, as it was one of my first fantasy loves.  I'd also recommend Rose Daughter.  Not for everyone, very slow and fairytale, but definitely for me.  Chalice too, one of her more recent novels, although it's short.  I've always had a serious crush on Robin McKinley's writing.



I liked the Blue Sword as well. I can tell it is an earlier work when compared to what she has done since then, but it is still a good book.


----------



## Mythopoet

I happened to pick up these two books (The Blue Sword, The Hero and the Crown) because they were quite cheap. Unfortunately, I'm not going to be able to go to my local library for some time because of a massive fine incurred by a children's book that got lost and is now sitting on a shelf because I keep totally forgetting to take it back.  So a lot of the books on my list that are more expensive will just have to wait.


----------



## Demesnedenoir

I've skipped from _The Warded Man_ after ramming headlong into a bunch of cliche... I still hold out hope, I lke the demon thing it's got going... and decided to check out an Indie, _The Axe and the Throne_. So far, it's something of a thriller pace flipping characters like crazy... I'm only as far in as the sample, but must say, the writing is as good as some well-sold published works, and the pacing doesn't let you rest. A fun read thus far, hopefully it keeps it up.


----------



## Mythopoet

Finished *The Blue Sword*. Despite a slow and clunky start I found it very enjoyable. Some interesting worldbuilding and use of magic. 

I'm now picking up the classic Japanese text *The Tales of Ise* from the Heian period. I've been doing research into ancient and classical Japanese history lately and particularly like the aesthetic of the Heian period. The Tales are apparently about historically well known ladies man Arisawa no Narihira who I saw voiced in an anime by Junichi Suwabe so I'm kind of in love with him now. lol


----------



## Steerpike

Almost done with Justine. Also reading The Dragonbone Chair. Also getting ready to start Michael Connelly's The Late Show.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

TheCrystallineEntity said:


> Dragon: I found them difficult only because it seems like everyone and their dog is against Emily.



Yeah. The cruelty inflicted by just about everyone on Emily just seemed ludicrous. It gets a little tiresome to read about everything sucking.


----------



## skip.knox

Reading _Where Eagles Dare_ by Alistair MacLean. I figured it was time to read a couple of classic action novels, mainly to watch how the author manages it. I'm so far unimpressed, but I'm only about 20% in. 

On the fantasy side, reading James Islington, The Shadow of What Was Lost.


----------



## Steerpike

skip.knox said:


> Reading _Where Eagles Dare_ by Alistair MacLean. I figured it was time to read a couple of classic action novels, mainly to watch how the author manages it. I'm so far unimpressed, but I'm only about 20% in.



I have _Force 10 from Navarone_ in my stack, but I haven't started it yet.


----------



## Demesnedenoir

I'm blipping all over with books. I was researching agents and came across a new release called Godblind by Anna Stephens, so, since I'm going to pursue that agency, I thought check it out. Thus far the writing is solid, but the story worries me despite the potential. Also started reading Brent Weeks' Black Prism, also due to agency. It feels like Sanderson with a different writing style, because of the detailed magic system. I might just prefer his writing over Sanderson, but that's a wait and see. 

Both of these could be good.


----------



## Petrichor

American Gods by Neil Gaiman. 

I wasn't sure what to expect, but it's certainly amusing in a sarcastic/morbid sense and curious conglomeration of deity archetypes from all over interacting and walking the line between our plane and existing almost entirely only-in-belief. The main character is majorly scaled back in comparison and makes choices grudgingly in a fairly realistic way that you would choose in a pick-your-own-adventure R.L. Stine book and then get frustrated and try to retrace your steps and change your choices to no avail.


----------



## Mythopoet

I read the Tor.com short story *A Dead Djinn in Cairo by P. Djeli Clark* the other night. It was on kindle for .99 and I really enjoyed it. It was a nice short read but not too short. It's basically a steampunk Egyptian setting in the early 20th century. Some guy (can't remember the name) tore a hole through the multiple worlds and Djinn and other supernatural creatures have come through to the human world, including beings who claim to be angels but are pretty suspicious. Story follows a government worker and a cop who stumble upon a huge plot to destroy the world after working the crime scene of a dead Djinn. This author seems to have only published short stories so far but is apparently working on something bigger for this setting. I'm excited for that. It was some fantastic worldbuilding.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Mythopoet said:


> I read the Tor.com short story *A Dead Djinn in Cairo by P. Djeli Clark* the other night. It was on kindle for .99 and I really enjoyed it. It was a nice short read but not too short. It's basically a steampunk Egyptian setting in the early 20th century. Some guy (can't remember the name) tore a hole through the multiple worlds and Djinn and other supernatural creatures have come through to the human world, including beings who claim to be angels but are pretty suspicious. Story follows a government worker and a cop who stumble upon a huge plot to destroy the world after working the crime scene of a dead Djinn. This author seems to have only published short stories so far but is apparently working on something bigger for this setting. I'm excited for that. It was some fantastic worldbuilding.



Steampunk Egyptian setting? 

that sounds *really* cool


----------



## Gurkhal

Gonna start a re-read of Tad Williams' "Memory, Sorrow and Thorn". I've even bought an entirely new set of the triology for the occasion, so that I can then, more or less, seemlessly follow with "The Heart of What Was Lost" and then "The Witchwood Crown". It will probably take me some time to read all of these books coming out but I'm looking forward to a blast.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

I have an amazon shopping cart full of $300 worth of books. Half of it is manga.


----------



## Russ

TheCrystallineEntity said:


> I have an amazon shopping cart full of $300 worth of books. Half of it is manga.



The "buy now with one click" button will be the death of me yet.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Russ said:


> The "buy now with one click" button will be the death of me yet.



They're catering to the poor impulse control demographic


----------



## Steerpike

Just finished The Late Show, by Michael Connelly. Reading The Punch Escrow by Tal Klein.


----------



## Vadosity

Busy reading the Gamache series by Louise Penny. So far they are very nice detective series.. I would recommend them


----------



## Mytherea

Reading _The Writer's Journey_ by Christopher Vogler and _Swordspoint_ by Ellen Kushner. It's unusual for me to read two things at once, but I figure the first is a little denser and I'd like a slower reading pace to really absorb it.


----------



## Steerpike

Mytherea said:


> Reading _The Writer's Journey_ by Christopher Vogler and _Swordspoint_ by Ellen Kushner. It's unusual for me to read two things at once, but I figure the first is a little denser and I'd like a slower reading pace to really absorb it.



Love Swordspoint. All the Riverside books, really.


----------



## Svrtnsse

I just finished _The Ballad of Black Tom_ by Victor LaValle. I decided that since I'm aiming for shorter stories/novellas at the moment I should try and read some. Knowing next to nothing about what's good and what isn't I went and checked this year's Hugo award nominations. I figured if a story ends up there it's got to do at least something right.

This one was nice, and felt pretty solid as far as story goes, but I wasn't super impressed. I'll give it a day or so and then try and do a more detailed analysis of it to see if I can learn anything that way.


----------



## Russ

A good friend recommended _Rogue Male_ to me so I picked it up an am really enjoying it.

It was written in 1939, about a British hunter who tries to assassinate a nameless european dictator (guess who?).

It is short, and tightly written.  It was less dialogue than I think any novel I have ever read.  Its craft and ability to generate tension and keep things moving in unique ways are both top notch.  I find I am learning something that might improve my writing quite frequently.  

I highly recommend it.

And the author, and protagonists voice are just so quintessentially British it makes the book fun.


----------



## Addison

Finished reading "Fool Moon" of The Dresden Files. A friend gave me her entire collection, tomorrow is "Grave Peril".


----------



## CupofJoe

Russ said:


> A good friend recommended _Rogue Male_ to me so I picked it up an am really enjoying it.
> It was written in 1939, about a British hunter who tries to assassinate a nameless european dictator (guess who?).
> It is short, and tightly written.  It was less dialogue than I think any novel I have ever read.  Its craft and ability to generate tension and keep things moving in unique ways are both top notch.  I find I am learning something that might improve my writing quite frequently.
> I highly recommend it.
> And the author, and protagonists voice are just so quintessentially British it makes the book fun.


I've got the BBC dramatisation. Tense stuff! And yes... Very very Very British.


----------



## Mytherea

Finished _Swordspoint_. Loved the juxtaposition of the narrative style versus content and the sheer verbal viciousness of the characters (many of which are seriously unbalanced). I was a little puzzled when one of the PoV characters was rather abruptly dropped and, in retrospect, there's another one from the very beginning who had promise for a possible arc, but she disappeared as well before I could get to know her. But, overall, enjoyed it. 

Now I'm caught between reading _Captain Vorpatril's Alliance_ by Bujold or _Servant of the Underworld_ by de Bodard. I'm leaning toward the former, though.


----------



## Steerpike

Mytherea said:


> Finished _Swordspoint_. Loved the juxtaposition of the narrative style versus content and the sheer verbal viciousness of the characters (many of which are seriously unbalanced). I was a little puzzled when one of the PoV characters was rather abruptly dropped and, in retrospect, there's another one from the very beginning who had promise for a possible arc, but she disappeared as well before I could get to know her. But, overall, enjoyed it.



Privilege of the Sword and Fall of the Kings are both worthy follow-ups. Privilege follows a female protagonist.


----------



## Lorna Smithers

I recently read and was blown away by Robin Hobb's _Assassin's Fate_ and was so impressed by this finale to her long series I have started re-reading the Farseer Trilogy again. I'd be interested to hear whether anybody else has enjoyed her interlinked series featuring Fitz and the Fool and the Liveships.


----------



## Aurora

Palace Of Scoundrels. I'm not certain how it came across my Kindle but I thought the blurb sounded good so I decided to give it a try. So far, it has a hilarious vibe to it.


----------



## skip.knox

Currently reading _The Marsh Arabs_, by Wilfred Thesiger. He spent five years in the 1950s with the Arabs who lived in the marshes of southern Iraq (where the Tigris and Euphrates meet to form vast marshlands). It's a fascinating culture marvelously described. It is also a culture that nearly vanished when Saddam Hussein drained the marshes in a huge "modernization" program.


----------



## Tom

Currently rereading Men at Arms and enjoying the hell out of it!


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

Mort and Hogfather. 
^Have you read any other Discworld books?


----------



## Tom

TheCrystallineEntity said:


> Have you read any other Discworld books?



Yes! I've read quite a few but this year I'm attempting an epic reread (or in some cases, read) of _all_ of the Discworld books. I had planned to read them in order but I've been forced to abide by the whims of my local library and their unreliable interlibrary loan system instead.


----------



## CF WELBURN

Just finished: RIVER OF STARS (Gay Gavriel Kay)... Loved it!

Now reading: THE MOON MOTH AND OTHER STORIES (Jack Vance)... Short stories that are (IMO) not amongst his best work, but still entertaining and thought provoking.


----------



## Ruru

Lorna Smithers said:


> I recently read and was blown away by Robin Hobb's _Assassin's Fate_ and was so impressed by this finale to her long series I have started re-reading the Farseer Trilogy again. I'd be interested to hear whether anybody else has enjoyed her interlinked series featuring Fitz and the Fool and the Liveships.



I picked these up at Fool's Errand, the first of Trilogy three by accident. Was so good I went back to start at the Assassin Trilogy. Very good writing, it really draws you in. I have to admit, wasn't such a fan of the Live Ship set, but I think this is because I preferred the earthier magic and characters of Fitz and the Fools story line. One of the few I've really enjoyed in a first person POV. Would recommend!


----------



## Ruru

Tom said:


> Yes! I've read quite a few but this year I'm attempting an epic reread (or in some cases, read) of _all_ of the Discworld books. I had planned to read them in order but I've been forced to abide by the whims of my local library and their unreliable interlibrary loan system instead.



I've tried this to, harder than you'd think to get a hold of them all! Love Pratchett's Discworld. My picks so far are the nightwatch series (so basically anything with Sam Vimes.) Thud! I thought was particularly good. I enjoy the witches series as well, and anything with Death as a central character. The chaos of them is just so addictive!


----------



## Mythopoet

I've been slowing collecting the Discworld books in ebook form, starting with the ones I didn't have in print yet and moving onto the rest from there. I think my favorite Discworld book is Thief of Time. I just really, really love Lu Tze.


----------



## Gurkhal

Not really reading but more listening to "The Last of the Wine" by Mary Renault as an audiobook.


----------



## CF WELBURN

Ruru said:


> I've tried this to, harder than you'd think to get a hold of them all! Love Pratchett's Discworld. My picks so far are the nightwatch series (so basically anything with Sam Vimes.) Thud! I thought was particularly good. I enjoy the witches series as well, and anything with Death as a central character. The chaos of them is just so addictive!



Been ages since I read the Discworld books, but I agree that the guards, the witches and Death characters are in the stories that come instantly to mind when I think back.


----------



## CF WELBURN

Lorna Smithers said:


> I recently read and was blown away by Robin Hobb's _Assassin's Fate_ and was so impressed by this finale to her long series I have started re-reading the Farseer Trilogy again. I'd be interested to hear whether anybody else has enjoyed her interlinked series featuring Fitz and the Fool and the Liveships.



I've been saving this latest trilogy until the third book comes out in paperback, but it pleases me to hear positive reviews! The first two trilogies featuring these characters were an absolute pleasure to read, and I enjoyed the Liveships too (though not quite as much)... I gave Rainwilds a miss, simply too much to read and didn't grab me as much!


----------



## skip.knox

Gurkhal said:


> Not really reading but more listening to "The Last of the Wine" by Mary Renault as an audiobook.



One rarely goes wrong with Renault.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Just started Throne of Jade (second Temeraire novel.) These books are great fun, though the narrative is heavily padded with boring whatever.


----------



## Steerpike

DragonOfTheAerie said:


> Just started Throne of Jade (second Temeraire novel.) These books are great fun, though the narrative is heavily padded with boring whatever.



I tried twice, and failed, to get through the first one thanks to the boring whatevers.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Steerpike said:


> I tried twice, and failed, to get through the first one thanks to the boring whatevers.



Admittedly it took me much longer to read than books usually take me.


----------



## Gurkhal

skip.knox said:


> One rarely goes wrong with Renault.



Very true. She's excellent at writing relations between people, that's the most significant thing I take away after listening to it.


----------



## Mythopoet

I'm kinda floundering around right now. Just finished reading a trilogy of books I really like for the 3rd time. L. Jagi Lamplighter's Prospero's Children books. 

I'm slowing accumulating the manga volumes of *From Far Away* and rereading them. Absolutely one of my favorite fantasy adventure + romance series. But manga volumes go by so quickly. 

My budget is very tight and I can't go to the library because I owe them a ton of money. 

So I'm trying to force myself to read more of the books I already have on my "totally going to read this someday" pile (if you can call ebooks a pile). The Sundering Flood by William Morris, which is a bit of a chore. (I refuse to believe anyone even in Morris' day knew what the word "kenspeckle" means. Thank God I'm reading this on a kindle with a built in dictionary.) And there's also a bunch of books I got for research that I really need to buckle down and finish, but that's not good reading when you're trying to fall asleep at night.


----------



## Russ

Just finished reading a great book called "Meditations on Violence" about the psychology and reality of close in violence as compared to the approach of many martial arts schools today.  If you are interested in understanding a lot more about the reality of violence and war I think this teamed with Keegan's "Face of Battle" and "On Killing" would be a very good grounding.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Russ said:


> Just finished reading a great book called "Meditations on Violence" about the psychology and reality of close in violence as compared to the approach of many martial arts schools today.  If you are interested in understanding a lot more about the reality of violence and war I think this teamed with Keegan's "Face of Battle" and "On Killing" would be a very good grounding.



Hmm. Sounds interesting


----------



## Saturn_Haze

Just finished: The Long Earth by Terry Prachett. Currently rereading Harry Potter to my daughter.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Saturn_Haze said:


> Just finished: The Long Earth by Terry Prachett. Currently rereading Harry Potter to my daughter.



It's about time I re-read Harry Potter...


----------



## Mythopoet

I picked up The Handmaid's Tale. I don't usually like to read dystopian stories and true to form I find this one very depressing. But I can't deny the power of the narrative. Despite myself, I'm hooked.


----------



## Orc Knight

False Gods: A Warhammer 30K book about the Horus Heresy.
Gears of Faith: One of the Pathfinder tales from the Pathfinder games.
Finished the my Rat Queen's three graphic novels compilations.


----------



## Geo

Mythopoet said:


> I picked up The Handmaid's Tale. I don't usually like to read dystopian stories and true to form I find this one very depressing. But I can't deny the power of the narrative. Despite myself, I'm hooked.



I read it recently and found it fascinating. I think Margaret Atwood mastering of psychic distance is obvious in this book, and I love the claustrophobic sense it imparts to the story.


----------



## Steerpike

Probably the only Atwood work I didn't like. The implausibility of the setup started me off on the wrong foot. Maybe I'll take another look at it some time. I do like her other works.


----------



## Mythopoet

Steerpike said:


> Probably the only Atwood work I didn't like. The implausibility of the setup started me off on the wrong foot. Maybe I'll take another look at it some time. I do like her other works.



Well, personally, looking at the world around me today, it doesn't seem all that implausible.  

Anyway, finished it the other day. The ending was a bit unsatisfying. It seemed more like she didn't really know how to end the handmaid's story so she just pulled out (haha, pun intended) and tacked on that epilogue as if to say "so, was it good for you?" The epilogue just was so different from the tone of the tale that it was jarring and as it didn't actually give any real insight or answers to the story I don't see the point of it except making an END. But I thought there was a lot of thought provoking material in the story. 

I tried to talk to my husband about it and even though he had never read it he know about it and had a very condescending attitude toward it based on what he perceived as its radical improbability as well. It seems to be the idea that people simply wouldn't do these things, or set up this type of society. And yet, in the past year I've had to come to terms with many of my close family members embracing ideas and movements and actions that I consider unconscionable. I never would have considered it possible of these people before. So I don't think it's impossible for such a thing to happen. In fact, I find it very relevant these days. Which is probably why it got a new miniseries. 

This is the first book I've ever read by Atwood. Any suggestions for others?


----------



## Russ

I liked a Handmaid's Tale, until Ms. Atwood tried to convince people it was not science fiction for reasons that struck me as quite petty.


----------



## Mythopoet

Russ said:


> I liked a Handmaid's Tale, until Ms. Atwood tried to convince people it was not science fiction for reasons that struck me as quite petty.



I think she's quite right. There's nothing "science" about it. The only possible reason one could want to categorize it as SF is because it was set in a near future. But I think the idea that anything set in the future must be SF is ridiculous. Speculative fiction is a much better label for the book.


----------



## Steerpike

Mythopoet said:


> Well, personally, looking at the world around me today, it doesn't seem all that implausible.



Check out Oryx and Crake, or her short story compilations, like Stone Mattresses. 

I do think they're all science fiction, given that they're speculations about future or alternate societies. But it doesn't matter much to me whether they're called that or not. The problem with Atwood, is she made very reductive, insulting, and snobbish comments about SF to support her idea of that of course she never wrote any such thing. 

At least, one interpretation is snobbery. Ursula K. LeGuin, who criticized Atwood over this, said is was more a kind of literary self-preservation. “She doesn’t want the literary bigots to shove her into the literary ghetto.”

I still like Atwood's writing generally, however.


----------



## Russ

Mythopoet said:


> I think she's quite right. There's nothing "science" about it. The only possible reason one could want to categorize it as SF is because it was set in a near future. But I think the idea that anything set in the future must be SF is ridiculous. Speculative fiction is a much better label for the book.



Almost every academic who studies the field disagrees with  you, and her attempts to define science fiction to get herself out of the problem were downright laughable.

While she has tried to intellectualize her massive error, it really did arise out of her arrogance and clear disdain for mere genre fiction and science fiction in particular.  She started this whole problem with well reported definition of science fiction as:



> Atwood’s appalling claim on BBC Breakfast that science fiction is no more than “talking squids in outer space,”



She had also referred in science fiction in those days as "mundane" and as a pulp literature.

But she has at least had the good grace to try and apologize and worm her way out of it for years.

LeGuin nailed the issue on the nose, and in fact is a friend of Atwood,  who is not afraid of the genre ghetto.

PS- her attempts to similarly prevent people from calling O&C science fiction are even more ridiculous.


----------



## Geo

Mythopoet said:


> Anyway, finished it the other day. The ending was a bit unsatisfying. It seemed more like she didn't really know how to end the handmaid's story so she just pulled out (haha, pun intended) and tacked on that epilogue as if to say "so, was it good for you?" The epilogue just was so different from the tone of the tale that it was jarring and as it didn't actually give any real insight or answers to the story I don't see the point of it except making an END. But I thought there was a lot of thought provoking material in the story.



Curiously, the ending, that epilogue you mentioned, is one of my favorite parts of this book. It works quite well by recreating the anonymity that most often enshrouds victims of totalitarian regimes, hence letting us to think in the thousands (or hundreds of thousands) of stories represented by this single one. Also, I find a stroke of genius that we don't even get to know what her name is or how her story ends, that even the "bad guys" are left undefined... and because she the explains the changes in the world from a few hundred years in the future respect to the story Atwood also manages to show us how, ultimately, history is nothing but the interpretation and reinterpretation of what really has happened based on individual experiences and a few documents. 

I think that her ending may be one of the reasons why so many critics have classified The Handmaid's Tale as literary fiction instead of simply as speculative fiction. Ah and I agree with you (and with Atwood), putting this book in the Science Fiction genre feels a bit wrong. i.e., the portrayed society is not, in any way, significantly more technologically advance that present societies, nor is the story set so far away in the future that we can't recognize the world of today (beyond Gillian, she even uses the name of actual countries). However, books and the genre they belong, is and will continue to be I'm sure, a matter of discussion.


----------



## Geo

Steerpike said:


> The problem with Atwood, is she made very reductive, insulting, and snobbish comments about SF to support her idea of that of course she never wrote any such thing.
> 
> At least, one interpretation is snobbery. Ursula K. LeGuin, who criticized Atwood over this, said is was more a kind of literary self-preservation. “She doesn’t want the literary bigots to shove her into the literary ghetto.”
> 
> I still like Atwood's writing generally, however.



I do think Atwood is at times snobbish, even more noticeably in recent interviews, those related with the serialization of her book, and even so, I have to agree with her in that is hard to find reasons to call The Handmaid's Tale science fiction. And yes, Atwood is now fighting to get out of the literary fiction category (I love LeGuins' literary ghetto reference, by the way), but in the 80s she was quite please when the critics put her there, and edgy choreographers and musicians were putting together operas based on the story... but I suppose that if your book is still relevant after 30 years of publication, you kind of have won the right to rethink what genre or classification suits it better.


----------



## Steerpike

Geo said:


> I do think Atwood is at times snobbish, even more noticeably in recent interviews, those related with the serialization of her book, and even so, I have to agree with her in that is hard to find reasons to call The Handmaid's Tale science fiction. And yes, Atwood is now fighting to get out of the literary fiction category (I love LeGuins' literary ghetto reference, by the way), but in the 80s she was quite please when the critics put her there, and edgy choreographers and musicians were putting together operas based on the story... but I suppose that if your book is still relevant after 30 years of publication, you kind of have won the right to rethink what genre or classification suits it better.



I think it is quite clearly science fiction and you have to go through some contortions to come up with reasons that it isn't. To take portions of what authors and editors have said:

Philip K. Dick: "I will define science fiction, first, by saying what science fiction is not. It cannot be defined as 'a story set in the future,' [nor does it require] untra-advanced technology. It must have a fictitious world, a society that does not in fact exist, but is predicated on our known society... that comes out of our world, the one we know"

Barry Malzberg: "Science fiction is "that branch of fiction that deals with the possible effects of an altered technology or social system on mankind in an imagined future, an altered present, or an alternative past."

Nancy Kress: "I would define “science fiction” as fiction that replaces one or more facts about our current world with speculative element(s) that are presented in a way that does not seem magical. That element might be scientific or technological change, or sociological change, or just a time change — a future reality instead of today’s."

There are tons of definition, many narrower that I think belong more to hard SF. A definition that excludes something like Handmaid's Tale basically excludes social science from the definition of SF, which I think is a mistake. 

(I think I fixed the formatting problem)


----------



## Mythopoet

Well, obviously I am not an "expert" or an "academic" in the field. I am only a reader. But I don't think those are very good definitions. They are much too broad. They don't echo at all what seems to me the way that most _readers_ think of Science Fiction. And, in my opinion, the only valid purpose of genre labels is to aid readers in finding stories they want to read. If Science Fiction is as broad as all that, then the label is almost entirely useless to most readers. 

Science Fiction has an image in the popular imagination. Authors like to pretend the trappings don't matter but they do. To most readers they do.


----------



## Steerpike

Mythopoet said:


> Well, obviously I am not an "expert" or an "academic" in the field. I am only a reader. But I don't think those are very good definitions. They are much too broad. They don't echo at all what seems to me the way that most _readers_ think of Science Fiction. And, in my opinion, the only valid purpose of genre labels is to aid readers in finding stories they want to read. If Science Fiction is as broad as all that, then the label is almost entirely useless to most readers.
> 
> Science Fiction has an image in the popular imagination. Authors like to pretend the trappings don't matter but they do. To most readers they do.



I think most readers' view of science fiction may even be broader, since it goes into fantasy. For example: Star Wars. That's pure fantasy in space. It doesn't make sense, in my mind, to say a social-sciences speculation like Handmaid's Tale isn't science fiction, and then to say that something with complete bollocks for science like Star Wars IS part of the genre. 

Where do you put Handmaid's Tale? Fantasy? That seems a less granular fit than SF (which is arguably a subset of Fantasy). 

In any event, there is a whole subgenre of science fiction called "social science fiction" that deals with speculation rooted in social sciences--human societies that are different from our own as a vehicle to explore our own society, and they don't have to have lasers and spaceships or take place on distant worlds. The Handmaid's Tale seems to me to fit pretty squarely into that definition. 

Also, it is worth noting that Hulu, who makes the TV adaptation of the Handmaid's Tale, categorizes it under "science fiction," which seems to be a pretty good indicator of what the impression of the population at large might be about such a work, because they tag shows in a way that they think are going fit with how their viewers categorize shows. It is also tagged as "drama," which is accurate as well.

That's my opinion on it.


----------



## pmmg

Well, MS. Atwood's book shows up on just about every writers site I've ever been on, so she seems to have written herself a winner no matter what we call it. I don't know what her attitude is towards SciFi, and I probably don't need to know. She can just take herself to the bank and call it what she likes. For me, I am okay with just calling it fiction. If it needs to be in a narrower hole I am okay with any of the above. Maybe I'll just call it Speculative Fiction, or SF for short


----------



## Russ

Mythopoet said:


> Well, obviously I am not an "expert" or an "academic" in the field. I am only a reader. But I don't think those are very good definitions. They are much too broad. They don't echo at all what seems to me the way that most _readers_ think of Science Fiction. And, in my opinion, the only valid purpose of genre labels is to aid readers in finding stories they want to read. If Science Fiction is as broad as all that, then the label is almost entirely useless to most readers.
> 
> Science Fiction has an image in the popular imagination. Authors like to pretend the trappings don't matter but they do. To most readers they do.



Genres have basically three functions.  One is marketing, one is as a shorthand to simplify conversation, and one is for academic study to narrow focus or define issues.  

I am not sure authors like to pretend labels don't matter.  The many writers I know often have long discussions about what genre a book fits into for any of the above reasons.

For instance there is a significant discussion about where Heather Graham and John Land's recent book in all three spheres (the discussion also includes whether or  not it is YA which is a whole different kettle of fish).

I am curious how you know or think you know what most readers think science fiction is?  What alternative definition do you suggest on behalf of "readers".


----------



## Russ

pmmg said:


> Well, MS. Atwood's book shows up on just about every writers site I've ever been on, so she seems to have written herself a winner no matter what we call it. I don't know what her attitude is towards SciFi, and I probably don't need to know. She can just take herself to the bank and call it what she likes. For me, I am okay with just calling it fiction. If it needs to be in a narrower hole I am okay with any of the above. Maybe I'll just call it Speculative Fiction, or SF for short



I have no quarrel with the fact that it is a good book and commercially successful (to some degree driven by the desperation of English teachers in Canada at certain times looking for Canadian lit to promote, but again I digress).

But because she is a good writer, and a rich one doesn't mean it is appropriate for her to demean a large and respectable genre.

It also doesn't mean that the discussion on where (or if)  her book fits in genre classification is not an interesting one.

And if almost every site you go to mentions her book...you need to go to more sites.


----------



## Steerpike

Just started God is an Englishman, by R.F. Delderfield. Straight up historical fiction.

Finishing a re-read of The Snow Queen, by Joan Vinge, which is a great book.


----------



## pmmg

I do agree the discussion is an interesting one. But, I've no reason to go pick on Ms. Atwood specifically. If she said snooty things about SciFi, then I suppose that is her perspective. I can just tune her out. I suppose I feel the world is full of enough reasons to hate on people, I do need to go finding more reasons to add to it.

I can see why there would be some difficulty in slotting her book into a category, it does not match up well to any of the ones I would site. SciFi though would seem to be a fitting place if I take a broad view of SciFi.

I did not know she was Canadian, and maybe that does play a role in why she remains popular, but I don't know how much. I think it is true that the those of us in the America's have had the baggage of not being as literary important as some European authors, but I suspect that is somewhat not true, and will change over time.



Russ said:


> And if almost every site you go to mentions her book...you need to go to more sites.



I am not sure what to make of that... 

Ms. Atwood's book is kind of exploring the horror world feminists most imagine, and given that there are many who have sympathies to such, it is not surprising to me that the book comes up for discussion a lot (maybe I should add on writers sites?)

On many sites, other books and authors come up somewhat frequently as well. Ayn Rand is another marginally frequent one. On fantasy sites, Tolkien, Martin, Goodkind, Brooks, Morecock, Howard...these all get a lot of mentions. Why would I expect anything different?

I suppose I am open to seeking out other avenues that would be beneficial, but I am not sure what I should be looking for in that regard.


----------



## Russ

> I do agree the discussion is an interesting one. But, I've no reason to go pick on Ms. Atwood specifically. If she said snooty things about SciFi, then I suppose that is her perspective. I can just tune her out. I suppose I feel the world is full of enough reasons to hate on people, I do need to go finding more reasons to add to it.



I think the issue of genre definitions is a fascinating one.  It can be discussed and enjoyed at length.  But if one is going to look at a discussion with a long history, like whether or not HMT and O&C are sci fi, I think there is value in understanding the history and context of the discussion so one does not act like it is coming from a blank slate, but rather it has a context.  For instance if you are talking about some of her later comments about what Sci Fi is or isn't, to be understood properly they have to be read in the context of her retreat and apologia for the firestorm of controversy she created when she mocked Sci Fi on a number of occasions.  The comments of many others about the nature of her work is also best understood in that context as well.

You are perfectly entitled to hate on her or not, but to understand the discussion around the classification of her books you need to understand the context and its history.  




> I can see why there would be some difficulty in slotting her book into a category, it does not match up well to any of the ones I would site. SciFi though would seem to be a fitting place if I take a broad view of SciFi.



I happen to agree with you there.



> I did not know she was Canadian, and maybe that does play a role in why she remains popular, but I don't know how much. I think it is true that the those of us in the America's have had the baggage of not being as literary important as some European authors, but I suspect that is somewhat not true, and will change over time.



Yeah, and Canadians feel the same way about the many great American literary authors.  But for a long time there was a huge push in Canadian schools to promote and idolize certain Canadian political figures and art figures.  This resulted in Atwood and a few others (notably Margaret Laurence) getting put on the curriculum on about every school in Canada, and in most universities, and for negative criticism of them to be really discouraged.  People of my generation and around it a bit were all forced to read them ad nauseum, but it sure promoted a lot of book sales for them, and generated a lot of university papers on their work.  I think Atwood is a strong writer, but she definitely has benefited from a culture boost from the Canadian inferiority complex.





> I am not sure what to make of that...



Well it was meant about 70% in humour.  But experientially I don't see her work discussed as often as  you do.  I would say I see it discussed occasionally but not on the  majority of the sites I go to.  And I got to at least three or four writers conferences a year, and I would say I might hear it mentioned at less than 10% of them.  But that is just off the cuff.

But if you are going to writers sites were feminist dystopias are being discussed or they have a more feminist turn, I am not surprised to hear that you see it a lot.  That makes perfect sense.


----------



## Steerpike

Russ said:


> I think Atwood is a strong writer, but she definitely has benefited from a culture boost from the Canadian inferiority complex.



She's a strong writer generally, though I didn't care for HMT. When it comes to the intersection of genre and feminist fiction, Angela Carter could write circles around her (and most authors).


----------



## Russ

Steerpike said:


> She's a strong writer generally, though I didn't care for HMT. When it comes to the intersection of genre and feminist fiction, Angela Carter could write circles around her (and most authors).



Carter is awesome, and if you want intersectionality you really can't beat Nalo Hopkinson.


----------



## Svrtnsse

Currently reading _The Dream-Quest of Vellitt Boe_ by Kij Johnson. I had some doubts initially, but now that I'm into it, I'm enjoying the feel of the story.

Sure, it's a novella, so it should be a quick read, but I'm a slow reader and I don't devote as much time to reading as I ought to. Happy to get some done at all.


----------



## Addison

In anticipation of the coming movie adaptation I read, just today, "Murder On The Orient Express". I know adaptations often times scrap or exaggerate some things. Like Jaws and Jurassic Park. (If you haven't read the books, DO!) If the movie is half as good as the book, it will be great. 

Yet according to the cast list it looks like they've already taken one liberty by changing a character from Swede to Spanish. 

Oh well. After I finished Agatha Christie I started on the new release, "The Last Magician". I'm only through the first three chapters. If the tension continues to mount, which I know it will, then I've found a thrilling, Urban Fantasy treasure.


----------



## Ireth

Over the weekend I read "The Lastborn of Elvinwood" and "A Celtic Odyssey". The former is a story about a human guy who is embroiled in a quest to find a human girl to be a willing bride for one of the fairies, and the latter tells the story of the hero Maildun and his journey through lands unknown to mortals. Pretty cool stuff. ^^


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

^Ooh, those sound very interesting. Who are the authors?


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

> I think Atwood is a strong writer, but she definitely has benefited from a culture boost from the Canadian inferiority complex.



So, all Canadians feel inferior to each other, or other cultures? Who knew! That's a fascinating thing to learn about the country I live in. Thank you.


----------



## Ireth

TheCrystallineEntity said:


> ^Ooh, those sound very interesting. Who are the authors?



The Lastborn of Elvinwood is by Linda Haldeman, and A Celtic Odyssey is by Michael Scott.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

^Thanks! I'll check into those.


----------



## Mythopoet

I picked up some free/cheap volumes by Irish folktale writers. *The King of Ireland's Son* and *The Boy Who Knew What the Birds Said* by Padraic Colum. I'm halfway through The King of Ireland's Son and it's quite an interesting example of a tale within a tale within a tale. Also got *Donegal Fairy Stories* by Seumas MacManus whose other book Hibernian Nights I really love. He's got a really strong storyteller's voice which makes old fairy tales come to life. 

And just picked up *The Woodcutter* by Kate Danley which I saw on sale on Amazon today. 20 % in and I'm really glad I did. It's not like anything else I've read recently, which is always so welcome. There's a strong fairy tale atmosphere with the Wood at its center and a mystery full of dark magic to uncover.


----------



## T.Allen.Smith

I don't strictly read fantasy...

I just finished _Dr. Sleep_, King's sequel to _The Shining_,  & currently have 2 more books on the go:

_The Forgotten Garden_ - Kate Morton

_8 Million Ways to Die_ - Lawrence Block (No, I've never seen the movie.)


----------



## Mythopoet

Well, I ended up finishing *The Woodcutter* within 24 hours. Which is impressive when you remember that I have 5 kids and I got the book the day before the first day of school. In other words, I did not have a lot of reading time, but I just HAD to keep reading it. Literally could not think of anything else. It was SO GOOD. SO REFRESHING. I desperately wish there were more books written like this one. 

Also finished *The King of Ireland's Son*. It ended up not being quite like other folktales I've read. At first there were tales within tales within tales and they didn't seem particularly related. But in the end everything had been woven together in a very satisfactory way. I really enjoyed it.

Started rereading some of my favorite Lord Dunsany stories and decided to see if I could find some of his other works I haven't read yet. Picked up Don Rodriguez and Tales of Three Hemispheres cheaply. The other ones still in print will have to wait a bit. Unfortunately, some of his works must be both OOP and not yet in the public domain because they can't be had on Amazon at least for any reasonable price.


----------



## CupofJoe

_Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?_ by PK Dick
I'd forgotten how different the film [Blade Runner] is to the book.
The copy I have dates from the early 80s and is a film tie-in so is a little more weird in that there are pictures of characters from the film...


----------



## Gurkhal

Reading the Iliad, can't go much better than this.


----------



## Aurora

I finished reading "Writing The Breakout Novel". 

I wish to get back the hours spent reading that waste of time. My $10, too, while we're at it.

On to greener reading pastures now with Autumn's Touch.


----------



## CelestialAeon

Traitor Son Cycle from Miles Cameron - really enjoyable while quite detailed and "bloat" style when it comes to writing. Also just finished Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence. It was really enjoyable - very grim and gritty!


----------



## Antonius

Fireborn by David Dalglish - Loving this series so far.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

I finished Warcross by Marie Lu last night. I was disappointed. I wasn't expecting anything weighty, but that book needed to be longer. More development...of everything. It was about 2/3 the length the story needed.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

I just finished The Dark Lord of Derkholm for probably the eighth time. 
There's only a few Diana Wynne Jones books that I don't have.


----------



## Laggy

Reading Game of Thrones, book one. Although I've already watched the show.


----------



## Tom

Rereading Pratchett and Gaiman's _Good Omens_. I forgot how much I love this book.


----------



## CupofJoe

Tom said:


> Rereading Pratchett and Gaiman's _Good Omens_. I forgot how much I love this book.


Can't wait for the BBC/Amazon series!


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

I've heard a lot about how good it is, and I like Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman's books, but I'm not sure whether I would read a book on the apocalypse and Biblical stuff, as I tend to stay away from those kinds of things.


----------



## Tom

TheCrystallineEntity said:


> I've heard a lot about how good it is, and I like Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman's books, but I'm not sure whether I would read a book on the apocalypse and Biblical stuff, as I tend to stay away from those kinds of things.



I think you should give it a whirl. Yes, the story does revolve around the Biblical apocalypse, but it's told with a generous dose of humor and a skeptic's eye. I'm an atheist but I love this book.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

^I'll check it out and let you know what I think.


----------



## Mythopoet

Tom said:


> I think you should give it a whirl. Yes, the story does revolve around the Biblical apocalypse, but it's told with a generous dose of humor and a skeptic's eye. I'm an atheist but I love this book.



I'm a Catholic and even though the content would technically be considered extremely blasphemous, I also loved it.


----------



## gia

My latest is "An Unkindness of Magicians" by Kat Howard. I loved it. She has an interesting interview here


----------



## Steerpike

Finished Diaspora, by Greg Egan. Short review: holy [email protected]#%!.  If you like hard science fiction you’ve got to try this one.


----------



## Mythopoet

I've been reading a lot of manga lately. I reread and purchased all the volumes of *From Far Away by Kyoko Hikawa*. It's an epic fantasy with romance about a Japanese school girl transported to a fantasy world as part of a prophecy. And I know that sounds super cliche but omg it's just so good. There's a really great cast of characters, the main couple is too precious for words. I want to pull them out of the pages and adopt them and protect them forever. Even though the main male character is literally an all-powerful being of destruction. lol 

I also read all of the romantic comedy/drama *Fruits Basket by Natsuki Takaya*. Every one always talks about how good this one is, but I wasn't hooked on the premise and the apparent love triangle. The premise is that the Soma family is cursed so that 12 of them at any given time become possessed by an animal from the chinese zodiac and if they are touched by a member of the opposite sex they will transform into that animal. A random school girl accidentally finds out about their curse and shenanigans ensue. But once you get past the more introductory content into the real meat of the story, it's surprisingly good family drama. Because the author doesn't just go "isn't this curse hilarious? Look, he's a little rat!" No, she digs into how the curse has effected each character and his or her relationship with friends and family. It's an incredible story.

And I've started on the highly regarded shojo historical fantasy romance *Red River by Chie Shinohara*, about a girl transported into the ~1500 BC Hittite empire as part of an evil queen's spell. So far, it's ok, but definitely not (IMO) as good as other similar portal fantasies like the above mentioned From Far Away or Inuyasha. But then I've got many volumes to go so it might get better. 

I've also been reading *The Celtic Twilight by W.B. Yeats* and it is fantastic. Just such a fascinating look into the rich culture of rural Ireland at the time.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

^I read Fruits Basket and liked it well enough. My bias about the romance came from my dislike of tsundere characters and the fact that prefer characters who are genuinely kind and nice from the 'get-go'.


----------



## Thomas Laszlo

I’m currently Reading “The Iliad” by Homer. I read The Odyssey last year


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## Mythopoet

TheCrystallineEntity said:


> ^I read Fruits Basket and liked it well enough. My bias about the romance came from my dislike of tsundere characters and the fact that prefer characters who are genuinely kind and nice from the 'get-go'.



Yeah, I disliked Kyo in the beginning because he was so aggressively tsundere. But as his development progressed I found myself sympathizing with him. And toward the end he was no longer acting like a tsundere at all. Kyo will never be my favorite character, but there are so many other wonderful characters that it doesn't matter. Actually, I think my favorite is Ayame. He's so over-the-top and hilarious. I love the way he speaks.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

I like Yuki best, for obvious reasons. 

I just finished reading Carpe Jugulum, one of the Discworld books.


----------



## Gurkhal

Thomas Laszlo said:


> I’m currently Reading “The Iliad” by Homer. I read The Odyssey last year
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



Excellent choices.


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## Thomas Laszlo

Gurkhal said:


> Excellent choices.



I thoroughly enjoyed the Odyssey despite it being a slow read. (I cannot for the life of me finish books for English class) The Iliad is providing a much more intense read but I chose it so it’s much easier to finish for me


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## halfdan

Started mit a song of fire and ice. Pretty amazed so far.


----------



## Gurkhal

halfdan said:


> Started mit a song of fire and ice. Pretty amazed so far.



Another excellent choice of litterature.


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## TheCrystallineEntity

I read the opening of Good Omens on Amazon.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Thomas Laszlo said:


> I’m currently Reading “The Iliad” by Homer. I read The Odyssey last year
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



Honestly I loathed the Iliad. The Odyssey wasn't bad though. (I had to read them both in 8th grade.)


----------



## Thomas Laszlo

DragonOfTheAerie said:


> Honestly I loathed the Iliad. The Odyssey wasn't bad though. (I had to read them both in 8th grade.)



Yeah I really enjoyed the Odyssey. Reading the Iliad is a lot harder 


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## Steerpike

Egan’s Diaspora was so good I got another one: Incandescence.  So far, so good.


----------



## Gurkhal

DragonOfTheAerie said:


> Honestly I loathed the Iliad. The Odyssey wasn't bad though. (I had to read them both in 8th grade.)



Really? While the cast is male-heavy to say the least I must confess to be suprised that you would loath it. Would you mind if I asked what it was that made you feel this way about it?



Thomas Laszlo said:


> Yeah I really enjoyed the Odyssey. Reading the Iliad is a lot harder
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



I took a break about half-way through the Illiad. But I am looking forward to finish Montaillou and then get back into the Iliad and finish it before I move on to the Odyssey, after some intermediate reading.


----------



## pmmg

Aurora said:


> I finished reading "Writing The Breakout Novel".
> 
> I wish to get back the hours spent reading that waste of time. My $10, too, while we're at it.
> 
> On to greener reading pastures now with Autumn's Touch.



I've read a few 'How to improve your writing' type books over the years. I don't know that one specifically, but in general, I find that the thinner and more to the point they are the better. There are a few by Noah Lukeman that I thought worthy of reading. There are a few by many others, I found not. Writers Digest had a series out, from which the few I had picked up seemed to have good content. One I see that is still in my keep pile is 'How to Write a Romance', which as I pull off the shelf and blow the dust off of it, is about 120 pages.

Oh and currently I am reading the The Eye of the World from the Wheel of Time series. This is my third attempt at it. I started and stopped twice already. I am determined to get through it, but so far (about 2/3rds done) it has not really grabbed me. Sorry Mr. Jordan :~(


----------



## Thomas Laszlo

Gurkhal said:


> Really? While the cast is male-heavy to say the least I must confess to be suprised that you would loath it. Would you mind if I asked what it was that made you feel this way about it?
> 
> 
> 
> I took a break about half-way through the Illiad. But I am looking forward to finish Montaillou and then get back into the Iliad and finish it before I move on to the Odyssey, after some intermediate reading.



Sweet, I’m about a third of the way through The Iliad, the Odyssey was for a school assignment so I paced it slower anyways but I am reading Ulysses second semester so I kind of need to finish The Iliad soon


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## skip.knox

DragonOfTheAerie said:


> Honestly I loathed the Iliad. The Odyssey wasn't bad though. (I had to read them both in 8th grade.)



What a shame. Those works are for grownups, not kids. We do this sort of thing far too often in public education. I doubt I'd have given you anything Greek at that age, but if I did, it'd be Aristophanes.


----------



## skip.knox

I'm reading _Call for the Dead_, the origin story for George Smiley (John Le CarrÃ©). Le CarrÃ© is always reliable. This one has some lovely plot twists. He does a brilliant job of giving us the MC as an utterly uninteresting character (toad-like) moving through an uninteresting world, and then bam! an inexplicable murder drops in his lap. And whoop! there are oblique references to a beautiful lost love. How did the toad win a princess? Le CarrÃ© is also a master of giving us so many clues we can't winnow out which ones are significant. All served with a generous dollop of British post-war cynicism.


----------



## Thomas Laszlo

skip.knox said:


> What a shame. Those works are for grownups, not kids. We do this sort of thing far too often in public education. I doubt I'd have given you anything Greek at that age, but if I did, it'd be Aristophanes.



Aristophanes is good! I haven’t read all but I enjoyed the parts I’ve seen so far. I’m currently way ahead on reading level so I’ve been picking up some classic Greek literature. My next is Republic by Plato and to finish five of his Dialogues. Then it’s on to Sophocles with Oedipus. 


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## TheCrystallineEntity

I've got an amazon cart full of books and two video games, and no budget. I keep wanting new books to read!


----------



## Mythopoet

I picked up a volume that had Agatha Christie's *A Mysterious Affair at Styles* and *Curtain* (the first and last Poirot stories) at the thrift store and read both of those. Curtain seems to be fairly acclaimed, but I thought it was pretty poor. There just wasn't enough Poirot since he was an invalid who stayed in his room at Styles almost constantly and so did no actual detecting, instead just waiting to hear reports from Hastings (forget his first name) every night as to what happened all day. That left the majority of the narrative as Hastings bumbling around and being profoundly stupid. Just didn't work for me. Especially as at this time Hastings has apparently been Poirot's partner in solving several mysteries in the past. And yet he's constantly doubting Poirot's ability and sanity. That works ok in their first story together, but not in the last. 

I am now reading *The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers*. Which FINALLY came down below $11-12 as an ebook. I've been awaiting this day. I read the book years ago from the library and it really had a huge impact on me and set my feet on the path to creating my current world. I've wanted to buy it as an ebook for ages now but couldn't get myself to spend that much. And it's even better than I remembered. In true Tim Powers fashion there's a lot of strange supernatural stuff thrown together in a really interesting way that you don't expect.


----------



## Svrtnsse

Finally got around to picking up _Save The Cat_ and got through the introduction earlier. Now on to the rest.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

I'm working my way through several Discworld books.


----------



## skip.knox

I'm trying to read _Doctor Zhivago_ but it's proving a tough slog. Two things stand out. One, I'm about 15% in and I still can't find the main character. Pasternak jumps from character to character, location to location, even within chapters, with no apparent logic to it. I've seen the Zhivago name a couple of times, but have yet to meet the actual Doctor. This has the cumulative effect of having me not care about anyone in the story.

The second thing is what I might call emotional lurches. Characters will be talking about this or that, maybe a disagreement or a hope, and the language suddenly, almost instantly, goes hyperbolic. The rhetoric is so overwrought it sounds almost comical. In theater we would call it chewing the scenery. And there again, the cumulative effect is that I don't really care about any of it because the author has not led me to those emotional highs or lows but merely throws them at me.

I really, really want to like the book (never saw the movie). I love the time period, but not loving the author.


----------



## Incanus

I'm reading a collection of stories by Arthur Machen.  So far, it is most excellent.  It's sort of a nice blend of Edgar Allen Poe, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Arthur Conan Doyle.  The writing has an easy flow to it - good quality stuff.


----------



## Mytherea

Reading a selection of Sherlock Holmes short stories and _The Geek Feminist Revolution _by Kameron Hurley.


----------



## Russ

Just finished reading a great history book- "Praetorian."   I find stuff like this very useful for my writing.   Not only does it deal with real organizational and economic problems, but after I read it I always find the crazy political stuff I have come up with for my work so much more believable because of the absolutely insane stuff that is historical fact.


----------



## Mythopoet

Incanus said:


> I'm reading a collection of stories by Arthur Machen.  So far, it is most excellent.  It's sort of a nice blend of Edgar Allen Poe, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Arthur Conan Doyle.  The writing has an easy flow to it - good quality stuff.



Ah, what stories? I've read several by him.


----------



## Incanus

Mythopoet said:


> Ah, what stories? I've read several by him.



It's a 2011 Penguin collection called 'The White People and Other Weird Stories'.  It's got 11 tales all together.  I just started the title story earlier today.  I'm enjoying this collection so far.

Kind of makes me want to seek out some Algernon Blackwood...


----------



## Gurkhal

I'm taking a break from the Iliad, as I might have written above, and is slogging through two non-fiction books "The Other Greeks" and "Buddhist Cosmology". But luckily I've got Tad Williams' Osten Ard series, both of them, waiting for me and the first books of the two series "Narbonne Inheritance" and "The Accuser Kings" soon coming to my by mail.

After the non-fiction, its all fiction again. Starting with finishing the Iliad.


----------



## CupofJoe

Just started of Don Quixote, a 1906 translation.
I'm still on the Introduction - its 34 pages long!
Someone here may have inspired me to read it....


----------



## Russ

CupofJoe said:


> Just started of Don Quixote, a 1906 translation.
> I'm still on the Introduction - its 34 pages long!
> Someone here may have inspired me to read it....



While I doubt I inspired you to read it, I commend your choice.  Great book.


----------



## Mythopoet

Finished *The Celtic Twilight by W. B. Yeats*, which I've continued reading in between other things. It's basically a collection of observations and conversations Yeats had with various rural Irish folk while traveling the countryside. Much of it is related in his own voice and has a very informal feel to it. It's like sitting down with him by the fireside and having him tell stories about all the people he's met and places he's been. And really, it was beautiful and very insightful and I loved it.


----------



## Mythopoet

*Kwaidan by Lafcadio Hearn*. A collection of "weird" Japanese folk tales. Though as far as Japanese stories go, these ones aren't very "weird" in the way we use the term these days. Still very entertaining though. Plenty of stories I haven't read before. 

Also *The Lost Continent* (also published as Beyond Thirty) *by Edgar Rice Burroughs*. A worn out old paperback given to me by a man from the local Burroughs Society at the recent local SF convention I went to. I've only just started it but the premise is interesting. After the Great War (WWI) the eastern and western hemispheres get completely cut off from each other for over 200 years. The western hemisphere is the home of peace and prosperity; no one knows what's become of the east. The protag unwittingly ends up over there and adventure ensues.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

I'm reading The Great Cosmic Mother, by Barbara Moor. It's a fascinating read, partially about ancient matriarchal ways of life, and partially about how the left-brained, fundamentalist, domineering patriarchal society formed, and how it affects the world today.


----------



## Chessie2

Started the Silver Gryphon by Mercedes Lackey last night. My mother-in-law got me books 2 and 3 of the series. It's strange starting a series on book 2 but it's somewhat of a mystery as to what's going on. And of course, Lackey is my fave.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

^Ooh, that sounds interesting.


----------



## Antonius

Had a week and half binge on a wuxia web novel called Against the Gods. Now, I'm reading another called A Will Eternity. 

I've seen Chinese dramas based on similar genre such as Duke of Mount Deer and etc, so I thought I'd give the novels a go.


----------



## Chessie2

James Scott Bell: How To Write Pulp Fiction. Finished the history chapter on what pulp fiction is, how it began, etc and it was fun to read. Now he's moving on to the serious stuff. I like this book a lot so far.


----------



## Insolent Lad

I'm reading bits of Oliver Wendell Holmes's 'Autocrat of the Breakfast Table' when I take breaks from writing. It's a good antidote to all that serious thinking about the WIP.


----------



## Gurkhal

I finished Hesiod's "Theogony" and "Works and Days" yesterday. Short little poems that were kind of interesting. I do think that Hesiod is more personal than the unseen narrator that is Homer in the Illiad which was interesting, yet at the same time the shortness of the poems, while good for me, means that he don't get to elaborate in the same way as Homer and show off his skills. 

What this has however done is to reaffirm my belief that poetry is good and worthwhile to read and that I should perhaps seek if I can't find more texts from less well-known ancient Greek poets.


----------



## Brithel

On the non-fiction front I have started reading the second volume of John Romer's History of Ancient Egypt. So far it has been quite interesting, its  is good to actually know something about Egypt beyond the limited slice that is Pyramids and mummies. Fiction wise I have Vladimir Nabokov's Pale Fire. Going into it I had very little idea to what it was about (bar what was shown in the new Blade Runner...) but the meta story of the poems commentator is intriguing.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents.


----------



## Chessie2

Lol: 
Love & Respect: The Love She Most Desires; The Respect He Desperately Needs, by Emerson Eggerichs.

True story. Marriage is hard work and sometimes I need a little encouragement. 4 chapters in and my mind is already blown.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Finally finished Throne of Jade by Naomi Novik. It speaks to my passionate love of dragons and of alternate history that i didn't get hopelessly bogged down in the insufferable slowness and dullness of the book. It was good, what can I say?


----------



## Mythopoet

Brithel said:


> On the non-fiction front I have started reading the second volume of John Romer's History of Ancient Egypt. So far it has been quite interesting, its  is good to actually know something about Egypt beyond the limited slice that is Pyramids and mummies. Fiction wise I have Vladimir Nabokov's Pale Fire. Going into it I had very little idea to what it was about (bar what was shown in the new Blade Runner...) but the meta story of the poems commentator is intriguing.



Ooh! A history book that is actually affordable! Get in my kindle!


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

The Wee Free Men. I had forgotten how funny it was.


----------



## Steerpike

Been reading more Greg Egan. This guy knows how to work science into a story. Interesting body of work.


----------



## Mythopoet

I recently read two L. M. Montgomery books I hadn't read before. Kilmeny of the Orchard and The Blue Castle. Kilmeny was a decent read, but The Blue Castle was fantastic. Right up there with the Anne books, but written more for adults. I highly recommend if you like the Anne novels at all.

I reread Thud! by Terry Pratchett because when I'm sick I always reread Discworld novels. I'm still sick so now I'm rereading The Fifth Elephant. I haven't reread any of the Vimes books in a while and man I just love him. 

Also slowly working my way through a reread of Lovecraft. Finished The Dream-Quest of Unkown Kadath which was even better the second time around. I just love the Dream World. Then reread The Case of Charles Dexter Ward. It's easily my least favorite of his novellas. It's just so slow and plodding. For some reason I forced myself to finish it again anyway. Maybe because I hate myself.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

^I might read The Blue Castle sometime, then. I've read the Emily trilogy.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

^^My mom has read all of the L.M. Montgomery books. I have them all on kindle.


----------



## Yrgim Ironbeard

I am currently reading "Ghost Wolf of Thunder Mountain" by Will Henry. It is a historical fiction, a western specifically.
Although, I did just finish "Grace of Kings" by Ken Liu, which is much more fantasy, and set in what I imagined a more Far Eastern culture. It seemed to have a lot of things I didn't understand, which I assumed was from historical cultural norms I didn't understand.


----------



## Garren Jacobsen

Just finished Sanderson's Oathbringer. Such a good book. Better than the first 2, I think, maybe. Hard to say.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

^Great, now I want to read it. It's kind of hard for me to believe that there's going to be seven more of them!


----------



## Chessie2

I just started Mail-Order Bride Carries A Gun. The plot sounds intriguing and it opened with a bang. I have high hopes too, since the author's voice isn't boring and bland like many of the western romances out there these days.


----------



## Garren Jacobsen

There are two ways to take that open with a bang statement. One is shooting and the other is the reason most people get mail order spouses. Can’t decide which. Gonna assume both.


----------



## Chessie2

Brian Scott Allen said:


> There are two ways to take that open with a bang statement. One is shooting and the other is the reason most people get mail order spouses. Can’t decide which. Gonna assume both.


It opened up with a bang (not a literal one) meaning it wasn't a boring introduction to the character. A lot of mail-order bride stories these days are freaking boring. This main character has a goal from the beginning and she isn't some proper Mary Sue like all the others. She's on a mission to kill someone. Lol.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

I'm rereading the Mistborn trilogy.


----------



## Garren Jacobsen

Chessie2 said:


> It opened up with a bang (not a literal one) meaning it wasn't a boring introduction to the character. A lot of mail-order bride stories these days are freaking boring. This main character has a goal from the beginning and she isn't some proper Mary Sue like all the others. She's on a mission to kill someone. Lol.


See now I am disappointed that it wasn't a bang wherein the MC killed someone with a gun while also seducing them.


----------



## Dark Squiggle

I'm reading _93_ by Victor Hugo. So far its better than _The Hunchback of Notre Dame, _not sure if its as good as _Les Miserables.  _Some really epic scenes, which are incredible, some seriously over the top characters, but not quite as tightly held together as _Les Miserables._


----------



## RavenOfSummer

I just finished rereading _The Vintner's Luck_ by Elizabeth Knox. I say rereading, but my other reading was when I was about 16 and I didn't remember much of the story at all. All I really remembered was a guy and a (male) angel having sex. I loved it then, since I was desperate for anything that broke out of what I felt was the oppressively conservative environment that I lived in at the time. I was sure if the book would hold up upon rereading it as an adult, but I actually really liked it. It's one of those books that makes you say, "Ahh, life" when you put it down at the end. 

I have recently gotten out from under delinquent status at my local public library (my card expired while I had a bunch of books out, so I couldn't renew them and had to pay fines!), so I've got a little stack of library books waiting for me following this one. Next up: _White Tears_ by Hari Kunzru. In additional to the library books I also have a bunch of Tolkien books that my husband gifted me


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

I'm reading The Hamdmaid's Tale now.


----------



## LWFlouisa

I'm actually beginning to read the Bourne Identity series, and other Robert Ludlum novels. Then I'm considering some of Zackaria Sitchen's books.

Then I might get back to Mistborn, and finish that series.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Holy crap. 

This book has swallowed me. It has a fishhook down my throat. So gooooood


----------



## Mythopoet

DragonOfTheAerie said:


> Holy crap.
> 
> This book has swallowed me. It has a fishhook down my throat. So gooooood



I read that one not long ago and it really swallowed me up too. It's very good, in that it accomplishes its goal. Though I don't know if I could say it's good in the sense that it was an enjoyable read. It was a little too harrowing for comfort.


----------



## Steerpike

It's the only Atwood I've ever tried to read and not been able to get into. Maybe I'll give it another shot. I like her work a lot, generally.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

The Queen's Own, by Mercedes Lackey.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Now I have to read Annihilation because there's a movie coming out...


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

I finished reading The Forest House by Marion Zimmer Bradley. It had an ending that I did not anticipate at all, and left me with mixed feelings. I'm going to read Priestess of Avalon next, and then The Mists of Avalon again.


----------



## Gurkhal

I'm reading some non-fiction before I plunge into the fiction again. 

This time its "Imperial Germany and the Great War, 1914-1918" and "The Madness on the Western Front - from Carl Belfrages diary 1915-1918"


----------



## Mythopoet

I picked up Uprooted by Naomi Novik today on kindle for 2.99! I've been wanting to read this for a long time but refused to pay 11.99 for an ebook.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Yay I got Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer as a christmas gift and i started reading just earlier.


----------



## Chessie2

Dark Squiggle said:


> I'm reading _93_ by Victor Hugo. So far its better than _The Hunchback of Notre Dame, _not sure if its as good as _Les Miserables.  _Some really epic scenes, which are incredible, some seriously over the top characters, but not quite as tightly held together as _Les Miserables._


Never read 93 but the Hunchback is one of my favorite novels of all time. Hugo is fantastic. It took me 3 months to read Les Miserables in French when I was living in Montreal. It was tough!

Since it's Christmas and Kindle is sure to be running specials, think I'll load up on some books. Not sure which ones yet though...


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

New books from Christmas!!


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

TheCrystallineEntity said:


> New books from Christmas!!



I'm officially out of shelf space. Tell my family I love them.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

So am I, and I still got more books.


----------



## Dark Squiggle

Chessie2 said:


> Never read 93 but the Hunchback is one of my favorite novels of all time. Hugo is fantastic. It took me 3 months to read Les Miserables in French when I was living in Montreal. It was tough!
> 
> Since it's Christmas and Kindle is sure to be running specials, think I'll load up on some books. Not sure which ones yet though...


Hugo is incredible. If you liked _Notre Dame, _you need to read _Les Miserables. _It is the most elaborate and balanced thing I have ever read. It is like _Notre Dame _+100.


DragonOfTheAerie said:


> I'm officially out of shelf space. Tell my family I love them.


I have been out of shelf space for a long time, too, and will not stop collecting books just because I no longer can put them on bookshelves. They do just fine piled up on their sides


----------



## skip.knox

Currently reading _Angle of Repose_ by Wallace Stegner. The writing there is brilliant and the characters are fascinating even though if you described them to me, or described the plot, I'd probably say it's not for me. Color me impressed.


----------



## Gurkhal

TheCrystallineEntity said:


> So am I, and I still got more books.



I hope I don't intrude if I ask what books you got?


----------



## Mythopoet

I don't get books for Christmas. I read mostly ebooks now and no one in my family understands my taste anyway. So I had to beg them to stop many years ago. lol


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

I got two Order of the Stick volumes [I'll probably use my Christmas money to get the rest], a Darkover novel, a book called Winnowing from my aunt, a book of cat poetry, and the second volume of a trilogy about witches [I have neither the first nor the third...]


----------



## skip.knox

I have a list of books I want. Made it years ago, probably a hundred or more. I told my kids: you can buy from this list, or you can buy me a book that has impressed you. Either way, inscribe it (always a physical book) with at least your name and the year. Do this for birthday or Christmas.

The result is that I have a whole shelf of books from my kids. It's pretty eclectic. Some of the books that impressed them didn't impress me, but at least for every occasion, if they can't think of a gift, they can go to Dad's list.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

I finished Annihilation today. What a mind screw. Was fantastic though. I loved the slow, creeping horror wending through it.


----------



## Steerpike

I’m reading, among other things, The Fifth Season, by NK Jemisin. Quite good so far, and nice to see yet another author destroy the myth that one can’t do second person POV well.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

I don't know what to read next! O_O


----------



## skip.knox

That's why it is worth taking the time to compile a reading list. There are numerous lists on the net; you could start with "great books" sort of things, or narrow it to fifty great works of fantasy, or whatever.  Make the list.

Then go forward with recommendations from friends, used bookstore finds, Amazon browsing, whatever. Every once in a while, you will hit a dry patch. That's what your list is for.

I strongly recommend making a great books list. Over the past decade or so, I have encountered works that I would never have read otherwise. Some have been meh, a couple have been stinky, but a handful have been rare gems that I still recall with delight. I'm reading one such right now. Think of it as having a list of restaurants or foods you might want to try one day. Most days sure: pizza and beer. Every once in a while, though, you go somewhere new and discover that Ethiopian food is amazing, or that greasy spoon joint makes the best scones ever. Without the list, you just keep driving.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

I have a massive list on Goodreads, but nothing on my shelf appeals to me presently. Shall I raid my brother's shelf? If that doesn't work i might have to go to the library...


----------



## Steerpike

DragonOfTheAerie said:


> I have a massive list on Goodreads, but nothing on my shelf appeals to me presently. Shall I raid my brother's shelf? If that doesn't work i might have to go to the library...



Maybe switch genres? Sometimes I look at all the SF/F I have and nothing strikes a chord. I end up going with a classic, or a thriller, horror, or whatever, and it really hits the right spot for me.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

There is nothing appealing on my brother's shelf. This is madness.


----------



## skip.knox

Yeah. Sometimes you're hungry but nothing appeals. It will pass. I'm with Steerpike: read something else. Read a classic even if it doesn't appeal. You may be surprised.

Or you could go for a nice walk.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Steerpike said:


> Maybe switch genres? Sometimes I look at all the SF/F I have and nothing strikes a chord. I end up going with a classic, or a thriller, horror, or whatever, and it really hits the right spot for me.



Right now Im looking for something fun and fluffy, since my last two reads were rather disturbing, each in their own way. Unfortunately, what I haven't read on my shelves is mostly weighty classics, or otherwise books I can't muster interest in.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

It's 15 degrees out. Walks are out of the question. :/


----------



## skip.knox

_Mindswap_, Robert Sheckley
There are lots of fun and fluffy books; I picked one that's a bit rare.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

I think I need a visit to the library.


----------



## skip.knox

skip.knox said:


> _Mindswap_, Robert Sheckley
> There are lots of fun and fluffy books; I picked one that's a bit rare.


Or _The Great Time Machine Hoax_ by Keith Laumer.
Indeed, pretty much anything by either of these two SF authors is a fun read.


----------



## Steerpike

skip.knox said:


> _Mindswap_, Robert Sheckley
> There are lots of fun and fluffy books; I picked one that's a bit rare.



Sheckley is a fun writer, and quite funny.


----------



## Russ

skip.knox said:


> Or _The Great Time Machine Hoax_ by Keith Laumer.
> Indeed, pretty much anything by either of these two SF authors is a fun read.



Reading the Bolo stories by Laumer when I was young changed my life.  I could never get enough of his work.


----------



## Russ

DragonOfTheAerie said:


> Right now Im looking for something fun and fluffy, since my last two reads were rather disturbing, each in their own way. Unfortunately, what I haven't read on my shelves is mostly weighty classics, or otherwise books I can't muster interest in.



So if are looking for something light and fluffy, but still in the fantasy realm, let me recommend Kings of the Wyld to  you.

Kings Of The Wyld

So this is a debut Canadian author who I met when he was speaking on a panel with my wife.   Nice guy.

His book is light and fun.  The conceit is that in a fantasy world bands of adventurers will become famous the way rock bands do in the modern world.  

In this book one of the retired band members family members is in deadly danger and he must "put the band back together" to save her.  Yup, it is like the Blues Brothers meets the Lord of the Rings.

He skillfully (and humorously) incorporates tropes and stereotypes from role playing games and the world of rock and roll with a group of characters who are eccentric, charming and endearing.  I have not finished it yet, but so far the book is a lot of fun.  You might just want to give it a shot.


----------



## Steerpike

skip.knox said:


> Currently reading _Angle of Repose_ by Wallace Stegner. The writing there is brilliant and the characters are fascinating even though if you described them to me, or described the plot, I'd probably say it's not for me. Color me impressed.



That book is sitting in my to read stack in my room, actually.


----------



## Steerpike

Russ said:


> Reading the Bolo stories by Laumer when I was young changed my life.  I could never get enough of his work.



I haven't read Laumer. I'll have to check it out.


----------



## skip.knox

Russ said:


> Reading the Bolo stories by Laumer when I was young changed my life.  I could never get enough of his work.


It was Retief for me.


----------



## Russ

skip.knox said:


> It was Retief for me.



Awesome as well.  I would highly recommend Retief as well, although reading the canon might take  you a while!


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

I have both no books to read and way too many books to read at the same time...


----------



## Mythopoet

I finished reading _*Uprooted*_ and it was really good. Despite a couple sex scenes which are always just squicky to me. I wish there was some kind of warning on books for that. I mean, for books that only have a small amount of sex and thus there is no mention of it anywhere in any description. Some people don't want to have to read about fictional character's private parts grinding together. I find it very unpleasant. But the rest of the book was good enough that I would recommend it with warnings.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Any Weird Fiction recs? Is China Mieville any good?


----------



## Steerpike

DragonOfTheAerie said:


> Any Weird Fiction recs? Is China Mieville any good?



Yes, he is. The City and The City is particularly good.


----------



## Dark Squiggle

DragonOfTheAerie said:


> Any Weird Fiction recs? Is China Mieville any good?


He is great, and his writing is incredible, but I find his plots unsettling and characters unsatisfying. I would start with Neil Gaiman.


----------



## Mythopoet

So, I read *Beauty by Robin McKinley* in 2 days (a feat, I assure you, for a mom of 5) even staying up way past my bedtime to finish it. IT WAS SO GOOD. I'm not a big fan of romance, in general, but this particular retelling of Beauty and the Beast really smote me in the feels. 

Currently reading *The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold* and right now I would only call it moderately enjoyable but that's probably because I am also not a fan of fantasy that centers around royal politics.


----------



## Steerpike

Robin McKinley is SO good.

I'm reading 9 Tales of Raffalon, by Matthew Hughes, which are delightful Jack Vance/Dying Earth-like stories.  They remind me a bit of old school Sword and Sorcery.


----------



## Mythopoet

Steerpike said:


> Robin McKinley is SO good.



Yeah this was the 3rd book of hers I've read but I wasn't really expecting to like it so much since I found the romance elements of The Blue Sword and The Hero and the Crown to be... not nearly so well done.


----------



## Steerpike

Mythopoet said:


> Yeah this was the 3rd book of hers I've read but I wasn't really expecting to like it so much since I found the romance elements of The Blue Sword and The Hero and the Crown to be... not nearly so well done.



Yes, they're not. "Deerskin" is a wonderful, if heartbreaking, novel of hers. I also like her urban fantasy "Sunshine."


----------



## Insolent Lad

I am rereading some of Ernest Bramah's 'Kai Lung' books—currently on Kai Lung's Golden Hours—having lost all my copies to flooding way back in '93. Both better than and not as good as I remember. That is, the stories are nothing special, but the telling of them is highly entertaining.


----------



## Mythopoet

I finished reading *The Curse of Chalion* and ended up liking it so much more than I expected to at the beginning. There was a lot more to it than political intrigue. Including really good development and use of a pantheon such as you seldom see in fantasy these days. There was a lot of great characterization too. I've started the sequel, *Paladin of Souls*. I was totally hooked as soon as I learned the sequel follows a character from the first book who is a washed up 40-year-old woman trying to reclaim her life. Talk about things you never see in fantasy. 

I'm also reading *Deerskin*. I didn't realize at first that this is also a fairytale retelling. It's actually kind of disturbing how many versions of this tale exist in folklore, considering that it involves a King deciding to marry his own daughter. McKinley's version gives some really intense, repulsively compelling characterization to the King.


----------



## Nimue

Heh, you’re literally reading my two favorite authors right now, Mytho.  I actually read Paladin of Souls first and it hooked me too, so I went into Curse of Chalion expecting more good stuff, and was duly rewarded.  Bujold’s characters feel so real in their dialogue and behavior without falling into the fallacy that realism means selfishness and grey morality...  I also loved the Hallowed Hunt, the third book in that world, even though the plot didn’t feel as tight, but that might have been because it had a lot of elements in my wheelhouse (romance, okay, there was more romance in it.)

Deerskin...I probably read it too young, considering, and the images and emotion stuck with me.  I don’t know that it’s a book everyone would enjoy, but it’s lodged close to my heart.

Have you read Carol Berg’s Rai-Kirah trilogy, Mytho?  Another strong, upstanding main character there, although the series is a difficult read in a lot of ways.  The first book grabbed me, the second one kind of wore me out with its gratuitous torture of the main character, but the third one did redeem itself, I think.


----------



## Steerpike

Deerskin stuck with me and I read it in my 30s. Great book. 

I second Uprooted, as well. Really liked that one.


----------



## Nimue

I read Uprooted a while ago and for some reason didn’t love it...it felt kind of discordant, but I can’t put my finger on why.  Was it that the arc of the main character growing into her power and the creepy otherworldly forest plot didn’t really support each other?  Maybe it deserves a re-read.


----------



## Mythopoet

Nimue said:


> Have you read Carol Berg’s Rai-Kirah trilogy, Mytho?  Another strong, upstanding main character there, although the series is a difficult read in a lot of ways.  The first book grabbed me, the second one kind of wore me out with its gratuitous torture of the main character, but the third one did redeem itself, I think.



No I haven't. I'm both tempted a leery. Gratuitous torture of the main character was why I had to stop reading the Dresden Files. Still I'll put it on the list.


----------



## Michael K. Eidson

Mythopoet said:


> I finished reading *The Curse of Chalion* and ended up liking it so much more than I expected to at the beginning. There was a lot more to it than political intrigue. Including really good development and use of a pantheon such as you seldom see in fantasy these days. There was a lot of great characterization too.



Sounds like a book I need to read. I love a well-done pantheon story. *The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms* is one of my favorites.


----------



## Heliotrope

Currently reading The False Prince by Jennifer A. Neilson. I'm kinda meh about it. 

The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen

I just finished reading Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis. It was fantastic. 

https://www.amazon.ca/Bud-Buddy-Christopher-Paul-Curtis/dp/0440413281

Yes. I read a lot of kid's lit.


----------



## Antonius

Recently caught up to the latest chapter for Peerless Martial God by Jing Hu Wen.


----------



## Chessie2

My husband gave me a book about the apocalypse: Are We Living In The End Times? Actually, it's not really. It's about Bible prophecy in the last days and it's addicting. So much good stuff. Lol he knows me well.


----------



## Mythopoet

I finished _Deerskin_ last night. It was really excellent.


----------



## Nimue

I’m reading Ursula LeGuin’s Earthsea books, and...wow.  Such deep fantastic writing.  I believe I tried to read the Earthsea books when I was a kid, but found them too dour. (I also think I started with one in the middle). Now that I have the patience to bide with them, I’m finding so much joy in them as well.


----------



## Mythopoet

I started reading *The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemison* since I was able to get it on sale recently. It was unexpectedly blown away by the beginning. I've read her The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms and thought it only ok. But so far I'm really impressed and fascinated by The Fifth Season.


----------



## Chessie2

Went to my local library and scored a few Georgette Heyer novels (2 mystery, the other romance). Um...I had no idea she also wrote mysteries! Word!


----------



## pmmg

At present I happen to be reading the Iliad and the Odyssey, they kind of go together. I had not remembered the level of detail these went into. They are quite specific about who killed who in battle, and how the fatal blow was struck. It does seem to quite specific for something that may have just been myth. I am not surprised that some took it more literally and went looking for the actual Troy.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

The Thursday Next series. Unfortunately, the eight book, Dark Reading Matter, might be a long time in coming.


----------



## Mythopoet

Finished reading the Broken Earth trilogy by N. K. Jemisin. I actually powered through most of The Fifth Season and all of The Obelisk Gate over a weekend and then it took me a good week to get through The Stone Sky. Mostly because I got really busy but also because the final book dragged a bit toward the beginning. Despite this and some elements I found personally distasteful, this was a really incredible trilogy. Truly immense in scope as very few fantasy books are. I loved it mostly for the worldbuilding and backstory and central confllict. Didn't really find any of the characters, save one, relatable or likeable. But their stories were still interesting. Even fascinating. And the writing was excellent. Recommended, but beware of some sexual crudeness.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Not too long ago I read We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson. I've been burned so many times by YA, and i normally don't read contemporary, but this was *so* good. Rated 5 stars on Goodreads.


----------



## Mythopoet

I've begun reading *A Darker Shade of Magic* by V. E. Schwab. It's interesting, but not exactly a page turner.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

I've got a bunch of new Discworld books lined up, but I'm being very patient to make them last at least a month.


----------



## Gurkhal

I've got almost everything historical fiction written by Mary Renault on its way to me. Thus expanding from The Last of the Wine to new visions of ancient Greece.


----------



## skip.knox

Just finished Jack Campbell's _Dragons of Dorcastle_. The fellow knows how to serve up an adventure tale. It's a bit by-the-numbers, but solid writing and clever ideas carried the day for me. Definitely a cut above other fantasy I've read lately.


----------



## Mythopoet

Gurkhal said:


> I've got almost everything historical fiction written by Mary Renault on its way to me. Thus expanding from The Last of the Wine to new visions of ancient Greece.



I'm going to have to look for these. I love ancient Greece. 

I finished reading *A Darker Shade of Magic* in one day. Quite good. I'll definitely read the sequels at some point. 

Then I read *The Watchmaker's Daughter* by C. J. Archer. Decent mystery adventure story with a strong dash of romance. 

Also finished reading *Tales of Three Hemispheres* by Lord Dunsany. I really enjoyed the two sequel stories to Idle Days on the Yann, which was one of my favorites from A Dreamer's Tales. 

Now I'm reading *Hadon of Ancient Opar* by Philip Jose Farmer which takes place in Africa 10,000 BC. Very interesting so far.


----------



## Steerpike

skip.knox said:


> Just finished Jack Campbell's _Dragons of Dorcastle_. The fellow knows how to serve up an adventure tale. It's a bit by-the-numbers, but solid writing and clever ideas carried the day for me. Definitely a cut above other fantasy I've read lately.



I've listened to the whole series, and the second, on audio during my long drives. Lots of fun, and I like the characters. Yeah, it's a bit by the numbers, but Campbell knows how to tell a good story (if you haven't read his Lost Fleet books--also good and less by the numbers).


----------



## Steerpike

Been reading the Gray Man series, by Mark Greaney. Four books in, and so far they're a hell of a lot of fun. Think Jason Bourne-style thrillers. Realism isn't always at the top of the author's list, but entertainment is.


----------



## skip.knox

>knows how to tell a good story

This is my goal as a writer.


----------



## Dark Squiggle

Just Finished *Dreamsnake* by  Vonda N. McIntyre. I liked it a lot. Postapocalyptical but not dark, and character based, with minimal worldbuilding, can you imagine that? 
Started reading *Knickerbocker's History of New York. *I like it so far, but it's not as good yet as I thought it would be.


----------



## T.Allen.Smith

I've learned a lot as a writer by reading widely, across genres.

Currently, I'm reading Cormac McCarthy's All the Pretty Horses. Its a period piece about two young cowboys coming of age in 1949.


----------



## Steerpike

T.Allen.Smith said:


> I've learned a lot as a writer by reading widely, across genres.
> 
> Currently, I'm reading Cormac McCarthy's All the Pretty Horses. Its a period piece about two young cowboys coming of age in 1949.



That’s in my to-read stack.


----------



## T.Allen.Smith

Steerpike said:


> That’s in my to-read stack.


I love his descriptions of setting. McCarthy is also great at pulling you in slowly and making you care about that characters.


----------



## Incanus

Re-reading Memories of Ice.

It's very, very cool.  If there was ever a series designed to be re-read, it is these Malazan books.  I'm getting much more out of it this time around.

Also, reading a book about ancient cities by L. Sprague de Camp.  Not researching anything in particular, just trying to increase my general knowledge, and perhaps get some inspiration.


----------



## Ban

I'm mid-way on Siddharta Mukherjee's "the Emperor of all Maladies" and nearly finished with Selwyn Raab's "the Five Families". I like thick, informative books and I can recommend both to people interested in understanding the history of cancer treatment or the history of the mafia in New York city.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Boneshaker by Cherie Priest. 

I think steampunk+zombies will
never fail to entrance me.


----------



## Dark Squiggle

DragonOfTheAerie said:


> Boneshaker by Cherie Priest.
> 
> I think steampunk+zombies will
> never fail to entrance me.


it's a great book. I loved it.


----------



## Gurkhal

Reading some non-fiction again. This time its "A HIstory of the Archaic Greek World" by Jpnathan M. Hall.


----------



## Dark Squiggle

Just read the first two books of Harry Turtledove's *Worldwar *series, *In the Balance* and *Tilting the Balance*.  At first I loved them, as they felt so realistic, so much time was spent with machines, and there characters were so diverse. By the end of the second book, I quit the series. There was too much frustration, too much sex (most of it left me confused as to why it should be included - who cares?), I began to find glaring gaps in the Jewishness of the Jewish characters that lead me to doubt the realism of the other characters, and I began to feel that there was no reason to having so many characters, as I was 700+ pages deep, and few if any characters were effecting each other in any way.
I then read Terry Pratchett's *Men at Arms* again. Good every time.
Finally, I just read R. A. MacAvoy's *Tea with the Black Dragon *last night. I loved it. I will not say much about, as anything I say will be a spoiler, but it was incredible.


----------



## James The Dragon Dude

I've started on Shadow and Bone recently, as well as Vector Prime, (The First book in the New Jedi Order series) The Picture of Dorian Gray, Been Re-reading Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne, and I eagerly await when the copy of The Godfather I ordered gets here!


----------



## Dark Squiggle

James The Dragon Dude said:


> I've started on Shadow and Bone recently, as well as Vector Prime, (The First book in the New Jedi Order series) The Picture of Dorian Gray, Been Re-reading Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne, and I eagerly await when the copy of The Godfather I ordered gets here!


Dorian Gray's one of my favorite books.


----------



## Steerpike

Dark Squiggle said:


> Finally, I just read R. A. MacAvoy's *Tea with the Black Dragon *last night. I loved it. I will not say much about, as anything I say will be a spoiler, but it was incredible.



MacAvoy is very good. Also read her novel Lens of the World. You'll probably like that one as well.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

My brother wanted me to read one of his books so we could talk about it, so now i'm reading the first Magnus Chase novel (The Sword of Summer). I couldn't stand Percy Jackson, but this one is, well—not bad.


----------



## skip.knox

Right now I'm reading a collection of locked-room mysteries. I probably shouldn't be, but I'm surprised out how formulaic they are. 

I thought I should read up anyway, as I'm tickled by the notion of having a locked-room mystery involving wizards, and figured I need to know the genre first.


----------



## Demesnedenoir

I’m finally back to reading _Silence of the Lambs. _Whether or not Harris is an obssessive plotter or not, the dude’s plot structure is impressive as hell. Harris’ writing is “thriller” and procedural in many places, but one could design a literature/writing class combo around this book with its character arcs, characterization, and plot structure.


----------



## Gurkhal

And now I'm moving on to "The Mask of Apollo" by Mary Renault. After many delays with "The Last of the Wine".


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

Diana Wynne Jones' Unexpected Magic. I've read it many times before.


----------



## Chessie2

Dad has loaned me The Willows In Winter, a follow up to The Wind In The Willows. It's been ages since I read the first book, but I still recall how annoying and nervous The Mole always was!


----------



## Gurkhal

Took a small break from Mary Renault to read "The Cossacks" by Robert Ure. Its a really interesting history.


----------



## Helen Bennet-Kröger

Just finished Stefan Zweigs Maria Stuart. Great read, as in general with Stefan Zweig. He has a way to make history come alive but he never tries to give you the impression he's representing you with all the facts. It's always clear you're reading an author that wasn't there and is just trying to make sense of it all. Feels quite honest.


----------



## CupofJoe

I'm having fun reading two Workshop Owners Manuals
Millenium Falcon Modified YT-1300 Corellian Freighter
and
Klingon Bird-of-Prey IKS  Rotarran [B'rel Class] 
I get more of the Star Trek back-story than I do from Star Wars. 
But in either case, they are both fun and interesting. I got them cheap at a Charity shop. So a few pounds well spent.


----------



## Geo

I just finished The Martian, I loved it, it took me something like 8 hrs to finish it because I couldn't -quite literally- put the book down. Now I'm starting The Loneliest Girl in the Universe, I choose to read these two back to back because they have very similar premises but one is adult the other one is YA, one is a male perspective the other one female, and I want to see how each author manage to carry a story that is, by shear principle, a single character story.


----------



## Mythopoet

I'm currently reading* Magician: Apprentice* by Raymond E. Feist. It's one of the better Tolkien-esque books I've read. I cringed a little though when the characters had to go through a dwarf mine (because the mountain passes were closed) and lost one member of their party after encountering an ancient evil.


----------



## pmmg

I read that one many years ago. I don't remember much about it, other than the main character was named Pug, or something similar. I had trouble getting over that.


----------



## Gurkhal

Continuing my pause from Mary Renault and reading *Russia: People and Empire* by Geoffrey Hoskin. Its a bit dated in regards to scholarship but still a pretty interesting take on the Russian empire from the 16th centurt to 1917.


----------



## Dark Squiggle

Gurkhal said:


> Took a small break from Mary Renault to read "The Cossacks" by Robert Ure. Its a really interesting history.


Interesting. All I know about Cossaks is family folklore about people who were nearly monsters, in the orc/goblin sense.



Gurkhal said:


> Continuing my pause from Mary Renault and reading *Russia: People and Empire* by Geoffrey Hoskin. Its a bit dated in regards to scholarship but still a pretty interesting take on the Russian empire from the 16th centurt to 1917.


Is that a grey book, ~500 pgs and heavy? I DNF'd it, not because I didn't like it, but because I was distracted.


CupofJoe said:


> I'm having fun reading two Workshop Owners Manuals
> Millenium Falcon Modified YT-1300 Corellian Freighter
> and
> Klingon Bird-of-Prey IKS  Rotarran [B'rel Class]
> I get more of the Star Trek back-story than I do from Star Wars.
> But in either case, they are both fun and interesting. I got them cheap at a Charity shop. So a few pounds well spent.


An owner's manual for a non existent and physically impossible spaceship?


----------



## CupofJoe

Dark Squiggle said:


> An owner's manual for a non existent and physically impossible spaceship?


Exactly. I didn't know that the Corellian  YT series Freighters were modular. So that is why no two ships look exactly alike but share a lot of common components. A neat bit of Handwavium that lets the people doing the CGI to be creative.


----------



## Gurkhal

Dark Squiggle said:


> Interesting. All I know about Cossaks is family folklore about people who were nearly monsters, in the orc/goblin sense.
> 
> 
> Is that a grey book, ~500 pgs and heavy? I DNF'd it, not because I didn't like it, but because I was distracted.



I'll start with assuming that your relatives have in the past been victimized by Cossack soldiers for which would like to extend my condolences. But personally I don't believe in monsters even while I do believe in humans. Still while the Cossacks are far, far from glamerous heroes they have a very fascinating history that can be worth looking into for those interested in adventure or rebellion stories.

The great (as in large) book about Russia I'm reading is not grey, more like red with a picture of the Kremlin on the front, but its a bit over 500 pages and is indeed pretty heavy.


----------



## Dark Squiggle

Gurkhal said:


> I'll start with assuming that your relatives have in the past been victimized by Cossack soldiers for which would like to extend my condolences. But personally I don't believe in monsters even while I do believe in humans. Still while the Cossacks are far, far from glamerous heroes they have a very fascinating history that can be worth looking into for those interested in adventure or rebellion stories.
> 
> The great (as in large) book about Russia I'm reading is not grey, more like red with a picture of the Kremlin on the front, but its a bit over 500 pages and is indeed pretty heavy.


I understand that the Cossaks were human, and am interested in reading about them. It's just funny, that's all. They are a big part of why I am an American, and why some of my great-grandparents are not buried in a mass grave somewhere in Europe LOL.
I think we may be thinking about the same Russia book. This one?








CupofJoe said:


> Exactly. I didn't know that the Corellian  YT series Freighters were modular. So that is why no two ships look exactly alike but share a lot of common components. A neat bit of Handwavium that lets the people doing the CGI to be creative.


 I guess it makes sense that someone would do a writeup on them for their respective fans. Fandom amazes and enthralls me. I don't belong to any fandom, but love reading about them.


----------



## Gurkhal

Dark Squiggle said:


> I understand that the Cossaks were human, and am interested in reading about them. It's just funny, that's all. They are a big part of why I am an American, and why some of my great-grandparents are not buried in a mass grave somewhere in Europe LOL.
> I think we may be thinking about the same Russia book. This one?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I guess it makes sense that someone would do a writeup on them for their respective fans. Fandom amazes and enthralls me. I don't belong to any fandom, but love reading about them.



Ok.

You're giving me a lot of hints about your background and family's history. If you want to talk about it I'm all here to listen. And if you don't want to, its ok. 

But yes, that is the book even if I have a different cover on mine.


----------



## Dark Squiggle

Gurkhal said:


> Ok.
> 
> You're giving me a lot of hints about your background and family's history. If you want to talk about it I'm all here to listen. And if you don't want to, its ok.
> 
> But yes, that is the book even if I have a different cover on mine.


Thanks, but I don't feel a need either way. It's just strange to hear about Cossaks outside of the realm of stories of the horrible things that went on in Europe and why we should be happy and proud to be Americans. In truth, I would enjoy learning more about Cossaks as people, not as pillagers.


----------



## Gurkhal

Ok. Well, I there are a few books out there if you want to read about the Cossacks, and they often play a role in Russian and Ukrainian history as well, so if you're interested in that there's literature available.


----------



## Mythopoet

Dark Squiggle said:


> It's just strange to hear about Cossaks outside of the realm of stories of the horrible things that went on in Europe and why we should be happy and proud to be Americans.



I don't think you'll ever find much of that type of sentiment around here. As writers and worldbuilders, we're all rather more fascinated by other cultures and less likely to judge, I think.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

I'm reading the Emily of New Moon trilogy. Yet again. Every time I read it, I am reminded of why it is so difficult to read. But I still like it, even then.


----------



## JediKnightMuse

I'm reading Kelly Blanchard's _Someday I'll Be Redeemed. _It's addicting! It's mostly fantasy but I guess it's kind of science fantasy, too, 'cause of some of the world building involved. Kelly Blanchard is a successful NaNoWriMo self-published author, and she's genuinely awesome- she has her own Facebook group for fans of her books (she has four out so far and is working on book five) where she interacts with her readers. She's even offered to help me with my world building, which is huge 'cause she's so busy working on her books. I haven't taken her up on the offer yet, but I definitely plan to. We realized that she and I used to know of each other (or at least, she knew of me...not sure if I really knew who she was) on a _Star Wars_ forum we were both on back in the day, which is pretty cool.


----------



## Mythopoet

TheCrystallineEntity said:


> I'm reading the Emily of New Moon trilogy. Yet again. Every time I read it, I am reminded of why it is so difficult to read. But I still like it, even then.



I tried to read the first book but ultimately just got bored of it. 

I finished Magician: Apprentice which continues in Magician: Master but I'm not sure I'm going to read the next book. It was a decent book, but nothing about it really drew me in or compelled me to want to continue the story. 

Right now I'm reading The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia McKillip and enjoying it quite a bit.


----------



## skip.knox

Reading an Ellery Queen novel, _The King is Dead_. Wonderfully enjoyable with a central character who could serve as a Bond villain, complete with private army and an island fortress. But he's the one who's going to be murdered!


----------



## Mythopoet

Finished The Forgotten Beasts of Eld. Quite good. 

Also read Vampire Hunter D: Tale of the Dead Town (book 4). I'm really enjoying this series.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

I just finished rereading Elantris a few days ago. I'm not sure what I'm in the mood for next.


----------



## Gurkhal

Got "Beren and Luthien" for my birthday so I'm reading that in order to read the books I actually get, and thus encourage people to give me more.


----------



## Steerpike

Jo Clayton_, Diadem From the Stars_
Tamora Pierce, _Wild Magic_
Lawrence Durrell,_ Balthazar_
Kristen Britain, _First Rider's Call_
assorted short stories


----------



## Insolent Lad

Somehow I got on a Raymond Chandler kick and am working my way through all the Philip Marlowe books in order. I reckon Chandler has influenced just about everyone's style, whether they have read him or not.


----------



## Rebekkah V.

Fiction:
Brent Weeks, _The Black Prism _(for the 3rd time)

Non-fiction:
Paul Kriwaczek,_ Babylon: Mesopotamia and the Birth of Civilization_
Craig A. Williams,_ Roman Homosexuality_


----------



## CupofJoe

Ancient And Medieval Warfare by Oliver Lyman Spaulding & Hoffman Nickerson
It's a bit dry but I'm liking it so far.


----------



## Svrtnsse

Howl's Moving Castle, by Diana Wynne Jones. I've watched the movie a few times, but not read the book until just now. It's good, but I keep trying to match up the story to the book and it's not quite working out. It's a good story though.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

^Diana Wynne Jones is one of my favourite authors ever. I almost like the movie better. I'm a big Studio Ghibli fan.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Svrtnsse said:


> Howl's Moving Castle, by Diana Wynne Jones. I've watched the movie a few times, but not read the book until just now. It's good, but I keep trying to match up the story to the book and it's not quite working out. It's a good story though.


My friend is trying to make me read that currently.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

confession : i am extremely bad at reading books in general. It comes from a huge amount of executive dysfunction that has gotten inexplicably worse recently. I set my goodreads goal for this year at 30 books and i've finished like 4. I guess that's better than no books. IM TRYING I PROMISE 

Anyways the last book i read was Borne by Jeff VanderMeer. You gotta love ten story tall flying bears. Has anybody else read that? Would love to discuss it.


----------



## Mythopoet

Howl's Moving Castle is such a great book. I reread it regularly. The sequels are fun too, but pale in comparison to the original. I actually saw the Ghibli movie first as well and still love the movie for the visuals. But to be honest I think the movie's plot is a mess and the book's is so much cleaner and more satisfying.

What have I been reading? Let's see...

I reread *Monstrous Regiment* by Terry Pratchett. It was the only Discworld book I hadn't reread before because it was the only one I didn't particularly like the first time. Maybe I just wasn't ready for it then. This time I found it highly enjoyable and very insightful.

Tried reading *The Black Tides of Heaven* by JY Yang but couldn't get quite halfway through. Nothing in it really caught my interest. And I found the prose difficult because the author uses "they" as the pronoun for the main characters, which I am not opposed to especially since it was with good reason, but the way the language was constructed often made it very difficult to tell if the writer was using "they" to refer to a specific person or to multiple people. I don't know why exactly. I just found myself often feeling confused about what the prose was talking about. I worry that this will be a problem in the coming years with a lot of fiction. I am very much in favor of a gender neutral pronoun. But using the same word to refer to an individual and to groups of people does lead to confusion, I've found. Not always. If you put thought into it you can construct your sentences so that it doesn't become confusing. Sadly, Yang did not appear to care about that.


I'm currently in the middle of 3 books. 

*Throne of the Crescent Moon* by Saladin Ahmed has been really good... up until the climactic chapters. I just feel very... anticlimactic about them. The mystery that was built up in earlier chapters proved simplistic and easy. The villain who seemed very mysterious and threatening at first proved simplistic and uninteresting. There doesn't appear to be much to anticipate in the way of further character development. All that's left for the last 20% is a violent confrontation. I find I'm not looking forward to it. But I mean to persevere anyway.

I am also reading *Kushiel's Dart* by Jacqueline Carey. Boy did I not know what I was in for with this book. It made it onto my list because it won a Locus award and to be fair it's a very well written novel. The characters are well drawn, the plot and mysteries of the world are compelling... what I did not know was how much sex there is on the page. And the prose is not at all coy about it. (Perhaps it should have won the "fantasy novel which uses the word 'phallus' the most" award?) I will finish the book because I am enjoying the story. I just wish the sex wasn't described in so much detail, especially considering that the MC is a masochist and thus there's quite a bit of bdsm. 

Also reading *Lost Horizon* by James Hilton. Good adventure novel so far about a British diplomat who gets kidnapped and sent to a remote monastery in the Himalayas. Interestingly, this appears to be the origin of the idea of "Shangri-La" which I did not know before.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Mythopoet said:


> Howl's Moving Castle is such a great book. I reread it regularly. The sequels are fun too, but pale in comparison to the original. I actually saw the Ghibli movie first as well and still love the movie for the visuals. But to be honest I think the movie's plot is a mess and the book's is so much cleaner and more satisfying.
> 
> What have I been reading? Let's see...
> 
> I reread *Monstrous Regiment* by Terry Pratchett. It was the only Discworld book I hadn't reread before because it was the only one I didn't particularly like the first time. Maybe I just wasn't ready for it then. This time I found it highly enjoyable and very insightful.
> 
> Tried reading *The Black Tides of Heaven* by JY Yang but couldn't get quite halfway through. Nothing in it really caught my interest. And I found the prose difficult because the author uses "they" as the pronoun for the main characters, which I am not opposed to especially since it was with good reason, but the way the language was constructed often made it very difficult to tell if the writer was using "they" to refer to a specific person or to multiple people. I don't know why exactly. I just found myself often feeling confused about what the prose was talking about. I worry that this will be a problem in the coming years with a lot of fiction. I am very much in favor of a gender neutral pronoun. But using the same word to refer to an individual and to groups of people does lead to confusion, I've found. Not always. If you put thought into it you can construct your sentences so that it doesn't become confusing. Sadly, Yang did not appear to care about that.
> 
> 
> I'm currently in the middle of 3 books.
> 
> *Throne of the Crescent Moon* by Saladin Ahmed has been really good... up until the climactic chapters. I just feel very... anticlimactic about them. The mystery that was built up in earlier chapters proved simplistic and easy. The villain who seemed very mysterious and threatening at first proved simplistic and uninteresting. There doesn't appear to be much to anticipate in the way of further character development. All that's left for the last 20% is a violent confrontation. I find I'm not looking forward to it. But I mean to persevere anyway.
> 
> I am also reading *Kushiel's Dart* by Jacqueline Carey. Boy did I not know what I was in for with this book. It made it onto my list because it won a Locus award and to be fair it's a very well written novel. The characters are well drawn, the plot and mysteries of the world are compelling... what I did not know was how much sex there is on the page. And the prose is not at all coy about it. (Perhaps it should have won the "fantasy novel which uses the word 'phallus' the most" award?) I will finish the book because I am enjoying the story. I just wish the sex wasn't described in so much detail, especially considering that the MC is a masochist and thus there's quite a bit of bdsm.
> 
> Also reading *Lost Horizon* by James Hilton. Good adventure novel so far about a British diplomat who gets kidnapped and sent to a remote monastery in the Himalayas. Interestingly, this appears to be the origin of the idea of "Shangri-La" which I did not know before.



Well, now I know not to read Kushiel's Dart. Using the word "phallus" in a sex scene sounds super cringey. Like, I can't think of much more cringey.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

I'm rereading Carpe Jugulum yet again.


----------



## Mythopoet

So *Lost Horizon* was surprisingly good. It appears to be a good old fashioned adventure novel with a dash of mystery, but below the surface there's some really subtle psychological storytelling. As well as a lot of philosophy, which I love. 

I'm a bit stuck on *Kushiel's Dart* and *Throne of the Crescent Moon*. I've gotten about halfway through Kushiel and feel like I should have finished by now. It is a LONG book. I probably just need a break from it. I'm nearing the climax of Throne but just don't feel all that interested in how things play out. I want to finish it since I've come this far, but I would probably feel more enthusiastic if this were a series book. It feels like it should be, but the author hasn't written anything else in this setting so far. 

So I read another *Vampire Hunter D* novel. Number 5, the Stuff of Dreams. It was easily the best so far. I'm not one who usually likes vampire stories, but these books are just so unique and engaging. I find I enjoy reading about D even though he's practically perfect in every way (except for the whole "people hate him because he's a dhampir" thing). There's 20+ books in the series so I'm trying to pace myself, but part of me wants to just buy them all and binge read.

I've also started *The Bear and the Nightingale* by Katherine Arden which I've heard praised all over the place. A Russian setting, which isn't common, but I'm 13% of the way through the book and have no idea what it's supposed to be about. That always kind of annoys me.


----------



## Gurkhal

Took a break from "Beren and Luthien" and is now reading "Quietly Flows the Don" because I can't read enough about the Cossacks.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Black Powder War (third Temeraire book.)


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Mythopoet said:


> So *Lost Horizon* was surprisingly good. It appears to be a good old fashioned adventure novel with a dash of mystery, but below the surface there's some really subtle psychological storytelling. As well as a lot of philosophy, which I love.
> 
> I'm a bit stuck on *Kushiel's Dart* and *Throne of the Crescent Moon*. I've gotten about halfway through Kushiel and feel like I should have finished by now. It is a LONG book. I probably just need a break from it. I'm nearing the climax of Throne but just don't feel all that interested in how things play out. I want to finish it since I've come this far, but I would probably feel more enthusiastic if this were a series book. It feels like it should be, but the author hasn't written anything else in this setting so far.
> 
> So I read another *Vampire Hunter D* novel. Number 5, the Stuff of Dreams. It was easily the best so far. I'm not one who usually likes vampire stories, but these books are just so unique and engaging. I find I enjoy reading about D even though he's practically perfect in every way (except for the whole "people hate him because he's a dhampir" thing). There's 20+ books in the series so I'm trying to pace myself, but part of me wants to just buy them all and binge read.
> 
> I've also started *The Bear and the Nightingale* by Katherine Arden which I've heard praised all over the place. A Russian setting, which isn't common, but I'm 13% of the way through the book and have no idea what it's supposed to be about. That always kind of annoys me.



I've been wanting to read the Bear and the Nightingale for a while now. Tell us how it turns out.


----------



## Mythopoet

DragonOfTheAerie said:


> I've been wanting to read the Bear and the Nightingale for a while now. Tell us how it turns out.



I finished it a week or so ago. It was a bit of a slow beginning but turned out pretty good. It took several chapters for the actual central conflict of the book to become apparent, which is a bit of a pet peeve of mine. And the "action" climax was a bit rushed. And I really disliked how the author turned this one abused, unhappy character who had no control over her life into a villain. But other than that it was pretty enjoyable. 

After that I read our very own member Svrtnsse's *Emma's Story* (which you can pickup on Amazon). It was a very well written story with charming characters. My only issue was that i didn't find the ending satisfying. But Svrt says he will probably write a sequel so I'll look forward to that! 

I also read Tanith Lee's *Night's Master*, the first book in her Flat Earth series. It was very different from most novels in that it was a series of vaguely connected stories starting and ending with Azhrarn the Demon Lord. It was a good read, but being a person who loves Worldbuilding, my one complaint is that it didn't matter in the least to the stories whether the world was flat or not. It was merely a fact recorded by the narrative. 

Then the other day I bought and binged all 4 volumes of the manga *The Promised Neverland* that are out in English so far. IT IS LITERALLY AMAZING I WOULD GIVE IT 100 STARS IF I COULD. But of course it ended on a cliffhanger and I am DYING. But the currently published volumes seem to be coming out in English about 1 every 2 months, so I should be able to get a few more before the anime comes out in January '19. 

I haven't started anything new since The Promised Neverland. It's one of those stories that takes over your mind and I'm having trouble thinking about anything else.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

The Promised Neverland. I've never heard of it. What's it about?

Right now I'm rereading Mort. I read Neverwhere and Stardust on Monday, and tried to read American Gods, but the constant swearing made me give up for now.


----------



## Mythopoet

TheCrystallineEntity said:


> The Promised Neverland. I've never heard of it. What's it about?



It's about some kids who live happily in an orphanage until the day they find out about the dark secret of what the orphanage is really for. Then they begin to plot to run away, but it's not as easy as it seems.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

I'll check it out.


----------



## Yora

I picked up Hyperborea by Clark Ashton Smith again. They are fun stories and this time I am looking specifically at how they are structured and what makes them work. It's the best example I can think of for stories that are really all about showing the setting and giving impressions of how things work there while being very light on plot, which is where my own interests as a writer are and which suits my own strengths and weaknesses.


----------



## Mythopoet

Yora said:


> I picked up Hyperborea by Clark Ashton Smith again. They are fun stories and this time I am looking specifically at how they are structured and what makes them work. It's the best example I can think of for stories that are really all about showing the setting and giving impressions of how things work there while being very light on plot, which is where my own interests as a writer are and which suits my own strengths and weaknesses.



I need to read all of those too! I read all the Zothique stories a while back. Zothique was a bit too dark for me. But I still want to read the Averoigne, Hyperborea and Poseidonis stories.


----------



## Yora

After having read Hyperborea and having heard the reputation of Zothique, I was very disappointed by the later. I like Hyperborea way better, no contest.


----------



## Skybreaker Sin K'al

Reading Brandon Sanderson's original Mistborn trilogy. Great stuff, am I right?


----------



## skip.knox

I finished two books while off on vacation--_East of Eden_ by John Steinbeck, and _A Town Called Alice_ by Nevil Shute. Both were fascinating and both broke nearly every rule in the book about how to write.

Seven hour plane rides focus one's mind wonderfully.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

started howl's moving castle even though i am already reading a book


----------



## Consultant_Timelord

I'm reading _20000 Leagues Under The Sea _in French so it's quite a challenge, but I enjoy it. I started reading it to take a break from the miserableness of _Les Miserables._


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Consultant_Timelord said:


> I'm reading _20000 Leagues Under The Sea _in French so it's quite a challenge, but I enjoy it. I started reading it to take a break from the miserableness of _Les Miserables._



y'all setting the bar too high, i have hard enough time reading books in just one language


----------



## skip.knox

Verne's challenging in any language. His style is too antiquated, preachy. The ideas are great, which is why his stuff is prime material for being re-made into movies. Or into awesome, new fantasy novels. ;-)


----------



## Consultant_Timelord

I'm finding Verne easier than Les Mis so that is something.


----------



## Dark Squiggle

Consultant_Timelord said:


> I'm finding Verne easier than Les Mis so that is something.


I LOVE Les Mis. It's heavy, but every word is enjoyable, like Mark Twain's books. I like Verne too, but can't say the same for him.


----------



## Consultant_Timelord

Dark Squiggle said:


> I LOVE Les Mis. It's heavy, but every word is enjoyable, like Mark Twain's books. I like Verne too, but can't say the same for him.



I like Les Mis too, just needed a break from all the sadness for a bit.


----------



## Mythopoet

Dark Squiggle said:


> I LOVE Les Mis. It's heavy, but every word is enjoyable, like Mark Twain's books. I like Verne too, but can't say the same for him.



Really? Every word? Wow. Cause... that's a lot of words. And I admit I skipped certain parts. Like when Hugo decides to wax eloquent about the Paris Sewer for a whole chapter. I mean, I love the story of Les Mis. But the book itself is... one of the greatest reading challenges I've ever had. Mostly because the man apparently had some sort of mental disability that made it impossible for him to focus on one character for more than 100 pages.

That said, it's been a long time since I read it. I may have to give it a reread sometime.


----------



## skip.knox

Just finished reading _A Town Called Alice_. It's a very odd book. Remarkable and readable--this is my second Nevil Shute book and I think I may find his other work to have the same adjectives applied--but still oddly constructed. He does just about everything wrong according to modern writing advice. I do believe I shall start ignoring all such advice.

Next up is Robert Silverberg's _Downward to the Earth_. Which causes me to mention the passing of Harlan Ellison. We won't see his like again soon. His short story, _A Boy and His Dog_ has stuck with me for forty years.


----------



## Dark Squiggle

Mythopoet said:


> Really? Every word? Wow. Cause... that's a lot of words. And I admit I skipped certain parts. Like when Hugo decides to wax eloquent about the Paris Sewer for a whole chapter. I mean, I love the story of Les Mis. But the book itself is... one of the greatest reading challenges I've ever had. Mostly because the man apparently had some sort of mental disability that made it impossible for him to focus on one character for more than 100 pages.
> 
> That said, it's been a long time since I read it. I may have to give it a reread sometime.



I enjoy his descriptions. Hugo weaves a world noone else can. I feel like I'm in the sewers and he's talking to me.


Consultant_Timelord said:


> I like Les Mis too, just needed a break from all the sadness for a bit.


I can see needing a break.


----------



## Mythopoet

I DID IT!!

I have finally, FINALLY managed to finish *The Night Land by William Hope Hodgson*. This has taken forever and was definitely the most challenging book I have ever read.  I had to set it aside several times to read something else before I could continue. I had previously read an edited version of the novel which replaces the insane prose of the original with regular English and fell in love with the story. But I wanted to read the original as well which is known for being nigh-unreadable. In hindsight, the edited version must have changed a few other things as well because I don't remember it being oppressively misogynistic. 

So, conclusion: I freaking love the story and the worldbuilding of The Night Land. But it has two major issues. 

First, guys you don't even understand. This prose isn't even old fashioned or archaic. Literally no one in the history of humanity has ever spoken the way this book is narrated. Most of the verbs are left in the infinitive. For example, instead of writing "I ran" he would write "and I to run". But also, weirdly, instead of writing "I was" he would write "and I did be". And nearly every single paragraph (and this is a long book) was ended with the phrase "as you to know" or "as you shall know". It is also hopelessly repetitive. And by that I mean that there was this great big swampy middle that was mostly the same things repeated over and over and I lost all hope. I only managed to get through it due to pure will power. 

Second, it's so misogynistic. I mean, it was written by a white man in 1905-ish so I suppose I should have expected it. The premise of the story is that millions of years in the future the MC makes an impossible journey across a dead hellscape Earth to rescue his soulmate from certain death. So there's a significant amount of romance involved. What I was not expecting was an extended sequence in which the MC gets upset with the "Maid" for not obeying every single thing he says. He declares that she is so "naughty" that he must teach her that he is her "master" and does so by hitting her with sticks on two occasions. And get this, the second time he does it she becomes docile and loving and never crosses him again because she totally loved being dominated. Seriously, only a man could write this. On top of this, he almost never uses her name. The MC never gives his name, but he does give her name, Naani, which is lovely. But then 99% of the time he refers to her as "the Maid" or "Mine Own" or "Mine Own Maid" and puts A LOT of stress on how she totally belongs to him. Ugh. 

Beneath the terrible prose and the misogyny though there is a thrilling story of rescue and return and easily one of the most imaginative worlds I've ever seen in fiction. The landscape of the far future in this novel is unique and original, often delving into cosmic horror. The narration gives a brief overview of some of the events of the past that lead to that future, and probably the explanation for the cataclysmic events of the world changing and the sun dying accorded with the science of the time. Though now of course it's quite out of date. But it's mostly a tale of adventure and romance. And despite its flaws I can't hate it. There's too much wonder. But if you ever want to read The Night Land I would recommend the retold version: https://www.amazon.com/Night-Land-Story-Retold-ebook/dp/B004GKNM3W


----------



## X Equestris

I'm currently reading through a few different comics, both to help with research for my current project and for personal enjoyment.  Batman #50 disappointed me, though that probably had more to do with the hype rather than the content itself.  Catwoman #1 sets up what looks to be a promising series.  And I loved Green Arrow #42.  There have been points where the writer's efforts to fit Oliver's politics into the story line has come off as a bit ham-fisted, but this issue definitely wasn't one of them.


----------



## Mythopoet

I bought myself *Vampire Hunter D novel 6: Pilgimage of the Sacred and Profane* as a reward for finishing The Night Land. And it was SO GOOD!! Definitely the best so far. It gave a lot of new characterization to D and had some really interesting side characters. Sometimes I wish these novels were longer, but then I remember I still have almost 20 more to go.

After that I began reading *The Song of Achilles* by Madeline Miller which I picked up on sale a while back. I haven't read much yet but I've always loved Greek mythology so this is right up my alley.


----------



## skip.knox

Reading _Downward to the Earth_, by Robert Silverberg. Marvelously well executed story.


----------



## Ban

I'm dipping back into fiction with a collection of Jack London's work and I'm finishing up SPQR by Mary Read. Perhaps I'll get to reading the Dragonbone Chair finally after having it stare at me for two years. It's about time I make myself read some fantasy, before you guys decide to collectively kick me out


----------



## Heliotrope

The Hound of the Baskervilles. I have a bunch of gothic mysteries to read this summer. Jekyll and Hyde again, Jane Eyre, Rebecca, The Italian, We have always Lived in the Castle. 

It will be a creepy summer


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

I'm going to try Good Omens again.


----------



## Ban

Ban said:


> I'm dipping back into fiction with a collection of Jack London's work and I'm finishing up SPQR by Mary Read. Perhaps I'll get to reading the Dragonbone Chair finally after having it stare at me for two years. It's about time I make myself read some fantasy, before you guys decide to collectively kick me out



Finished both and am now reading Peter Frankopan's silk roads and... finally... the Dragonbone Chair. Hopefully I'll get through it this time.


----------



## Dark Squiggle

Tried the Dragonbone Chair a while back 150 pages in , I had nothing to complain about, but nothing to like either, so I dropped it.


----------



## Ban

Dark Squiggle said:


> Tried the Dragonbone Chair a while back 150 pages in , I had nothing to complain about, but nothing to like either, so I dropped it.



Yeah I had that as well a few years ago when I tried it. Ever since then it's just been sitting on the shelf and I feel guilty for not having read it fully.


----------



## Mythopoet

Sooo let's see... since last time I've tried several different recently published books and none of them could capture my interest.

I gave up on The Song of Achilles because I don't want to read descriptions of teenage sex. I just don't. I closed the book at the first euphemism for "penis". (And of course I already know the story of Achilles so there was no great pull on me to see what happens.) Why is it just the "done" thing these days to include sex scenes in everything but have no warning about it? I find it very uncomfortable and tiresome.

I tried Forest of a Thousand Lanterns, a fantasy(?) book set in an Asian facsimile world. But I didn't like the main character and began to truly dislike her once I realized that the point of the book was not for her to resist temptation and become a heroine, but to submit to temptation and become a villain. Maybe if she were even the slightest bit of an interesting person it would have worked. 

The others I didn't give more than a few pages to before putting them down so they're not worth mentioning. It just felt like I couldn't feel any interest in anything, which was depressing. So I turned to some classics for relief.

I reread *A Voyage to Arcturus* by David Lindsay. It's an old book, written in 1920, so it has some issues with sexism, but not too much that I can't thoroughly enjoy the creative worldbuilding and philosophical plot. The ending is a bit frustrating in its openness, but I still find this book thoroughly entertaining. It ushered in new developments in the genre of SF so I feel it's an important book.

I also picked up *A True History* by Lucian of Samosata after hearing about it from a classics student I follow on tumblr. This book is a wild and insane satire of the type of "travelogue" books that passed for non-fiction back in the classical period, even though they talked about ridiculous things like lands where people have no heads or where giant ants dig up and hoard gold. My favorite episode by far is the author and his crew getting caught up in a war between the moon people and the sun people over the colonization of Venus. Good stuff.

My husband has been rereading the Gene Wolfe series The Book of the Long Sun (set in the same universe as the Book of the New Sun) and has insisted that I also read it so he can talk to me about it. So I've started book one, *Nightside of the Long Sun*. I'm only a very short way it, but so far I would describe it as "God sent me to save the rec center.... in space" which my husband says is pretty accurate.


----------



## skip.knox

After a couple more fantasy books that failed to engage me, I went back to my To-Read list and finally settled on E.P. Thompsen's _The Making of the English Working Class_.  It has been a long time since I read a history book just to read a history book. It's a pleasure to be reminded of how rewarding it is to read good history written by a master. Along with Eric Hobsbawm's _The Dual Revolution_, this is the classic work on the period when the world changed more fundamentally than in any other single lifespan (roughly, 1780 to 1830 or, if you prefer, 1848).  It's great stuff.


----------



## kennyc

Jack Gilbert's "Collected Poems"
(not SFF  )

Ursula K. Le Guinn - "Conversations on Writing" and "Words are My Matter"

Light the Dark: Writers on Creativity, Inspiration, and the Artistic Process
which includes The Stubborn Gladness of Jack Gilbert that took me to the Jack Gilbert book above (I already had one of his books)


----------



## Gurkhal

Dark Squiggle said:


> Tried the Dragonbone Chair a while back 150 pages in , I had nothing to complain about, but nothing to like either, so I dropped it.



Very sorry to hear that. While its a slow going its a very good fantasy story when it actually gets there. If you would find to much time on your hands, I would certainly recommend to pick it up again.


----------



## Garren Jacobsen

I'm reading the King of Torts. I got an urban fantasy legal thriller in my head and a regular one. Figured I'd read some legal thrillers to get the structure down for those books.


----------



## Mythopoet

Gurkhal said:


> Very sorry to hear that. While its a slow going its a very good fantasy story when it actually gets there. If you would find to much time on your hands, I would certainly recommend to pick it up again.



Eh, for me it was the last book that broke me. I just couldn't muster enough interest to finish it. So I flipped ahead and from what I saw I don't really think I was missing out on anything.


----------



## Gurkhal

Mythopoet said:


> Eh, for me it was the last book that broke me. I just couldn't muster enough interest to finish it. So I flipped ahead and from what I saw I don't really think I was missing out on anything.



Very sorry to hear that. I kind of liked the ending though.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

I read The Ocean At The End of The Lane [by Neil Gaiman] again for what is probably the seventh time. It is by far my favourite of his [along with Good Omens].


----------



## skip.knox

I added another history book to my currently reading--G.K. Chesterton's sort-of biography of St Thomas Aquinas. Father Brown's Omnibus is standing in line behind it; a book I've not read since middle school. I'm guessing I get more out of it this time!

I have yet to find a fantasy book I can sink my teeth into (teeth-sinking being much more difficult to do with ebooks).


----------



## Ireth

Bought myself Beren and Luthien the other day. I love the different versions of the tale, and the bits of both poetry and prose. ^_^


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

skip.knox said:


> I added another history book to my currently reading--G.K. Chesterton's sort-of biography of St Thomas Aquinas. Father Brown's Omnibus is standing in line behind it; a book I've not read since middle school. I'm guessing I get more out of it this time!
> 
> I have yet to find a fantasy book I can sink my teeth into (teeth-sinking being much more difficult to do with ebooks).



I have the Father Brown mysteries on my shelf; that reminded me.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

So i just finished The Cloud Roads by Martha Wells and I don't really know how to articulate how I felt. It was good, but it fell short in ways I don't fully understand. Maybe it's just that I spent my gift card on it. 

There were very lovely descriptions of the environments so that I got a very clear idea of the settings, but other things were woefully under-described. I never got a great idea of what the evil beings called Fell were or looked like; maybe humanoid dragons, by the scales and leathery wings? Also there isn't any map. There are a LOT of races but I don't really have any idea of how many or if there are any large kingdoms or countries or anything, or if it's all just small tribes. I'm still a bit confused about what the main character's race looks like past having some scales, wings, a tail, and frills/spikes on their heads...but also hair? or no? The writing style was just...dull. I wasn't into the writing at all. 

Also the first 100 pages I did not care about anyone and I had to force myself through. Very boring, probably due to sparse character development. It got better though. 

The race the main character belonged to seemed very like the Pernese dragons in that they had biological castes including smaller infertile ones, fertile males, and fertile females called "queens" who were the most powerful of all. Also similar was the fact that years were called "turns," creatures vaguely named "herdbeasts" and certain aspects of the society such as the fairly relaxed customs surrounding sexuality. It was actually not misogynistic though, so yay. Actually I liked the way it played with gender roles. 

This author was the worst at naming. Flower? Sand?? Salt? Knife?? Gift? Dream? They are all one word names and such fairly common words that you wonder at how they don't run out. It didn't help that Flower was also attended by Petal, Blossom, and Floret. How am I supposed to keep those straight? 

I have some thoughts on the distinctions between young adult and adult novels. So far as I can tell, sexuality is handled differently, but not in the sense of how graphic or detailed the descriptions, but in the significance it has for the characters. YA usually focuses on characters having their first or early/exploratory sexual experiences and relationships while adult novels have them in established relationships. I guess this all depends on the ages of the main characters. YA actually tends to focus on it a lot more and have sex likely to be an important plot point.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

I don't know what I will read next. I need a new bookmark.


----------



## CupofJoe

Just finished reading Fatherland by Richard Harris. Read it years ago and had forgotten most of it. Nice and bleak! Different worlds but with the same basic mise en scene [NAZIs won] as Man in the High Castle. I think they work well together. Thinking of going non-fiction next...


----------



## CupofJoe

CupofJoe said:


> Just finished reading Fatherland by Richard Harris. Read it years ago and had forgotten most of it. Nice and bleak! Different worlds but with the same basic mise en scene [NAZIs won] as Man in the High Castle. I think they work well together. Thinking of going non-fiction next...


Of course I meant ROBERT Harris...
Has anyone read *The Peshawar Lancers* by _*S M Stirling*_?


----------



## pmmg

I recently finished...A wrinkle in time. Which...is first to go on my list of classic books I did not like.

Prior to that, I read the Iliad and the Odyssey, which was not at all like I had been led to believe from all the legends.

I am now reading Outpost, monsters, maces, and magic, by our very own Terry Ervin. I would not call it an instant classic, but I've been enjoying it so far. Good job Mr. Ervin.


----------



## pmmg

TheCrystallineEntity said:


> I read The Ocean At The End of The Lane [by Neil Gaiman] again for what is probably the seventh time.



Seven times? I don't think I could read any book seven times, save for maybe Horton Hears a Who, and only cause I had kids. There is just too much else I have to catch up on.

I don't think I would even read any book a second time...


----------



## Gurkhal

pmmg said:


> I recently finished...A wrinkle in time. Which...is first to go on my list of classic books I did not like.
> 
> Prior to that, I read the Iliad and the Odyssey, which was not at all like I had been led to believe from all the legends.
> 
> I am now reading Outpost, monsters, maces, and magic, by our very own Terry Ervin. I would not call it an instant classic, but I've been enjoying it so far. Good job Mr. Ervin.



Did you find Homeros to have been better or worse from what you believed?


----------



## pmmg

Well...I enjoyed it.

Some things that stood out to me.

Most prominently was that the Greek heroes did not seem to do anything unless a God was somehow involved. To my brain, I was like, if the outcome of this war solely depends on what Zeus decides, then why not wait till Zeus makes up his mind and do that? And on a daily basis...Athena tells Hector to go fight today but stay away from the ships, so he does and has a great day, but the next day, she says stay in bed till noon, and then make offerings so that Apollo will be pleased...then he does cause they cannot win that day. And so I ask, if they just do what they are told, are they really Heroes? I mean, anyone can do what they did if Athena and Apollo were really making it happen.

The great level of detail of the blows in the battle and who was in it. Ajax does not just kill nameless people, but he kills Dudeicles, son of other-dudeicles, a farmer from Minoa who raised 25 sheep, and son of last-dudeicles, who was once favored by Poseidon. And he was not just struck down, but hit above his left nipple, where the armor had left and gap, and fell near a juniper bush. Why include all that detail? To me, that reads as someone trying to recount an actual event (which, others seem to have followed and believe that Troy has been discovered). It reminded of genealogy passages in the bible. So and So begot So and So, and they begot and so on....

Some other things that popped out were attitudes towards men, women, slaves, warriors, gods, war, armor, weapons, bronze and rituals. They all played big roles in the stories.

Then there was all of this.

The story about Paris and the contest of the three Goddesses, where he chooses Aphrodite, and thereby wins Helen....Not in there

The Story of Achilles being dipped in the river Styx and becoming impervious...Not in there.

The Idea that Achilles had to be shot in the heel...Not in there.

The story that it was Paris who killed Achilles...Not in there.

The story of the Trojan horse...Not in there.

At the end, I was feeling everything I had been told was a lie.

And the Odyssey was similar. We start with a long portion following Telemachus, and all the stories about the Cyclops, the sirens, Circe, and all that...it was stuff that had already happened, and Telemachus just finds out about it. Telemachus was a pretty big character, and I did begin to wonder if Odysseus was ever really going to be in the story. He was by the end, enough to kill all the suitors.

Funny about that, after Odysseus kills all the suitors, he becomes very concerned that there may be reprisals by their families. That also seemed like maybe a recounting of a real event, and not just a myth about a hero. Why show the hero in that way? Might be because something had happened and he was a real dude concerned about others coming after him. Don't know.

It was very cool. I've read a lot of classics and have found I've enjoyed all of them much more than I thought (other than the one mentioned above...)

My biggest take away...the Greeks really loved their gods.

What did you think if you had read it?


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

pmmg said:


> Seven times? I don't think I could read any book seven times, save for maybe Horton Hears a Who, and only cause I had kids. There is just too much else I have to catch up on.
> 
> I don't think I would even read any book a second time...



I reread my favourites over and over. Plus I can read a 500 paged book in a day, no problem, so...


----------



## Mythopoet

pmmg said:


> The story about Paris and the contest of the three Goddesses, where he chooses Aphrodite, and thereby wins Helen....Not in there
> 
> The Story of Achilles being dipped in the river Styx and becoming impervious...Not in there.
> 
> The Idea that Achilles had to be shot in the heel...Not in there.
> 
> The story that it was Paris who killed Achilles...Not in there.
> 
> The story of the Trojan horse...Not in there.
> 
> At the end, I was feeling everything I had been told was a lie.



Yeah, there is a tendency for some reason to refer to any myth pertaining to the Trojan War and the heroes of the war as being part of the Iliad. I'm not sure why. But I've definitely seen that suggestion everywhere. The fact is that a great deal of the mythology related to those characters is not in The Iliad at all but in other sources.


----------



## Mythopoet

I read the book *Half World* by Hiromi Goto. It was way down on my Amazon book wishlist but got accidentally sent to me recently along with another book I ordered. So while one of my kids was using my kindle I grabbed it and gave it a shot. And I was very pleasantly surprised by it. From the writing style I think it was a middle grade book which I hadn't realized when I first saw it recommended but that didn't bother me much. It was a good, quick supernatural adventure story. 

Now I'm digging into stories by Arthur Machen. I'd read The Three Imposters before, now I've added The White People and The Great God Pan to that and am rereading The Three Imposters.


----------



## Nimue

Recently tried Goodreads and had the worst run of recommendations - four very watery books, two trad pub and two indie.  Interestingly, all of them came to a non-ending that was meant to get you to read the sequel.  I'm always a little puzzled about how not ending the first book is supposed to give the reader faith that a satisfying ending is forthcoming...at some point. (This may also be why I don't watch much TV.)

I am loving Elizabeth Bear's _Range of Ghosts_, though, or at least the beautiful writing and worldbuilding.  Not entirely sold on the plot, at halfway through... Particularly interested in this one because I have a steppe-based world revolving in the back of my mind--I was a little worried that I'd read it to find she'd taken all the good ideas already, but it's very different from what I'm hoping to write...someday?

Also finally got around to Roger Zelazny's _Nine Princes in Amber_ - it's fascinating how a book that isn't my cup of tea (fast paced, spartan writing, archetypal world) can still be completely compelling when it comes from a masterful author.  Case study on hooks and intriguing characterization.  Now, that book also didn't have a complete ending, but it had _resolution_.  Close the chapter, if not the story.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

I'm wondering how many books there will be in the Old Kingdom series again. I might reread Sabriel or Lirael this week.


----------



## Mythopoet

Nimue said:


> Also finally got around to Roger Zelazny's _Nine Princes in Amber_ - it's fascinating how a book that isn't my cup of tea (fast paced, spartan writing, archetypal world) can still be completely compelling when it comes from a masterful author.  Case study on hooks and intriguing characterization.  Now, that book also didn't have a complete ending, but it had _resolution_.  Close the chapter, if not the story.



One of my favorite series! I even named one of my kids after the MC, Corwin.


----------



## Nimue

Mythopoet said:


> One of my favorite series! I even named one of my kids after the MC, Corwin.


Hah!  Isn't that the end-goal of fantasy readers, to find a character that we could get away with naming a kid after? Corwin is a lovely name.   Starting _The Guns of Avalon_ today!


----------



## skip.knox

And my daughter-in-law is named Amber. New author success measure: number of kids named after characters in your books!


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

I'm not going to have kids. I'm going to have cats. I suppose I could name one of them Galadriel or Luthien...


----------



## Orc Knight

Started Turtledoves _Sentry Peak_ book and therefore the rest of the series and also read the first _Steam Wars_ comic. Surprisingly good for a steampunk version of Star Wars.


----------



## Mytherea

Just started _The Waking Fire _by Anthony Ryan. Never read any of his stuff before, so I'm hoping to avoid the "it's not like his other series" complaint that seems most prevalent on Goodreads. So far, I'm liking the merging of an almost steampunk-Victorian technological level, magic, secondary world fantasy, and dragons.

I tried reading _From Unseen Fire _by Cass Morris but found it... hard to get into. A lot of names, a lot of similar sounding names introduced with very little context, plus I was suffering from point-of-view whiplash (I think three PoV characters were introduced in less than twenty pages? I prefer a little more time to get attached to PoV characters before it switches on me--also, some serious white-room issues, imo. Very little scene or character descriptions, which made it yet more difficult to get attached to the PoV characters).


----------



## Mae Lee

Anyone like Chinese fantasy? I've been reading Battling Records of the Chosen One by Xiao Jinyu on novelspread. it's fantasy novels with an intriguing start. The MC was completely on his own with his cultivation, a special way to make himself stronger. because his adopter was killed by some mysterious power. And, the most intriguing part is that before their parting, his adopter imparted something about his parents who were in fact killed by someone hidden in an empire called Ziyao (no idea what it means, though...) so he went to the empire with two treasures that were meant to bring him luck and power......
Seems like i've written too much about the plot. Anyway, just wanna say that Chinese fantasy is kind of addictive. when you start a book, it's really hard to stop.
Ah...if you happen to have also read some similar novels, please let me know. I've read some comments say that WDQK is also great, so i guess that'll be my next. but if you got something else to recommend plz...


----------



## Mythopoet

Mae Lee said:


> Anyone like Chinese fantasy? I've been reading Battling Records of the Chosen One by Xiao Jinyu on novelspread. it's fantasy novels with an intriguing start. The MC was completely on his own with his cultivation, a special way to make himself stronger. because his adopter was killed by some mysterious power. And, the most intriguing part is that before their parting, his adopter imparted something about his parents who were in fact killed by someone hidden in an empire called Ziyao (no idea what it means, though...) so he went to the empire with two treasures that were meant to bring him luck and power......
> Seems like i've written too much about the plot. Anyway, just wanna say that Chinese fantasy is kind of addictive. when you start a book, it's really hard to stop.
> Ah...if you happen to have also read some similar novels, please let me know. I've read some comments say that WDQK is also great, so i guess that'll be my next. but if you got something else to recommend plz...



I'm afraid I couldn't find any information on the novel you mentioned. I tried googling it by title and by author but couldn't find it.


----------



## Mae Lee

Mythopoet said:


> I'm afraid I couldn't find any information on the novel you mentioned. I tried googling it by title and by author but couldn't find it.


lol...sorry, i read it on Novelspread, a site that i stumbled across on Facebook, it directs me directly to the site. But i just googled it, didn't find it either...only find it when i type the site's complete name. Perhaps it's new site. 
I tried to send a link, but not allowed to...so i guess you have to input it yourself...that is novelspread with 3Ws before and a 'com' after it...never told anyone a site like this. Funny experience...lol


----------



## Mythopoet

Mae Lee said:


> lol...sorry, i read it on Novelspread, a site that i stumbled across on Facebook, it directs me directly to the site. But i just googled it, didn't find it either...only find it when i type the site's complete name. Perhaps it's new site.
> I tried to send a link, but not allowed to...so i guess you have to input it yourself...that is novelspread with 3Ws before and a 'com' after it...never told anyone a site like this. Funny experience...lol



I see. So it appears to be a website dedicated to translating Asian web novels. Some of those things become monstrous, I hear.


----------



## Gurkhal

Just go my hands on "The Russo-Japanese War: Global Perspectives" which I kind of thought that I would never see. So I hope I'll manage to finish it before I must return it.


----------



## skip.knox

Reading _The Midnight Sea_ by Kat Ross. Leaving aside the story and the writing, I find I'm oddly bothered by the setting. It's clearly pseudo-Persian with some elements of Bedouin and Arab mixed in. It's done well enough and that may be the problem. When she refers to Eskander, she's talking about Alexander, and suddenly I'm thinking about him instead of the character she's invented. When she mentions the wine-dark waters of Bactria, I get the Homeric reference and I'm instantly thinking of the Odyssey rather than Afghanistan.

This is unexpected for me, who writes nothing but alternate historical fantasy, but it goes to something I'm keenly aware of: we cannot know what associations will form in the mind of the reader. We can be pretty sure, however, that those associations will not match ours. It's like being a painter and someone comes along and says "oh, she looks so sad" and the painter thinks "no, she was supposed to look thoughtful!" The composer writes a symphony about summer and someone in the audience thinks it's about factory life.

It's unnerving, this surrendering of the work to the mercies of the audience.


----------



## Mae Lee

Mythopoet said:


> I see. So it appears to be a website dedicated to translating Asian web novels. Some of those things become monstrous, I hear.


Really? Feels great to me for the moment, but I'll read some more and see how it goes...


----------



## Mythopoet

Mae Lee said:


> Really? Feels great to me for the moment, but I'll read some more and see how it goes...



Oh, I meant monstrous in length. Hundreds of chapters and such. Sorry, that was a bit ambiguous.


----------



## Mae Lee

Mythopoet said:


> Oh, I meant monstrous in length. Hundreds of chapters and such. Sorry, that was a bit ambiguous.


Yeah...some even with thousands of chapters. But that doesn't matter to me. I like long stories with cultivation details and different worlds. The only thing that i dislike is the repetition of plots in some novels, which is really annoying.


----------



## tbaron

I just started reading the Harry Potter books. I flew through the first one and am looking forward to reading the rest.  I have seen the first four  movies years ago but ony just now started to read the books.


----------



## Mythopoet

Well, I've been reading *Arthur Machen*'s work lately (a "weird fiction" writer before and after the turn of the 20th century). Finished off with what some critics call his masterpiece, "*The Hill of Dreams*". Wow, what a horror fever dream of a story. Very, very effective. Like the MC, I felt as if I was going mad toward the end. 

Definitely needing a break after that so rereading a nice, comfortable favorite for now. *The Blue Castle* by L. M. Montgomery.


----------



## skip.knox

Reading E.P. Thompson's _The Making of the English Working Class_. I know--dull old history. But the better historians--and Thompson was one of that clan--know how to use the primary sources to illuminate the human condition. This is the story of England in the first half of the 19th century, when the Industrial Revolution was re-making the English countryside. Anyone who thinks the Victorian era was all about romance and corsets and duels should have a look. Grimdark ain't got nothin' on this.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

I just reread Good Omens for the third time.  It never fails to cheer me up; rather ironic for a book about the apocalypse.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

Mythopoet said:


> Well, I've been reading *Arthur Machen*'s work lately (a "weird fiction" writer before and after the turn of the 20th century). Finished off with what some critics call his masterpiece, "*The Hill of Dreams*". Wow, what a horror fever dream of a story. Very, very effective. Like the MC, I felt as if I was going mad toward the end.
> 
> Definitely needing a break after that so rereading a nice, comfortable favorite for now. *The Blue Castle* by L. M. Montgomery.



I've only read the first Anne book and the Emily trilogy. Is The Blue Castle one of her best, in your opinion?


----------



## neodoering

I am reading Mary Shelley's _Frankenstein_.  It's quite enjoyable, with the language of 18th century Geneva giving it an high-falutin' feel.  The story is relatively simple and straightforward, but it is oddly affecting, and I keep finding myself sympathizing with this character or that one.  Amazing how one book can stand up for hundreds of years while others fall by the wayside.  The book is short, about 200 pages, and they go by pretty quickly.

Also reading Munro Edmonson's translation of the _Popol Vuh_, which is the Bible of the Maya Indians in the highlands of Guatemala.  I selected it because the translator rendered it in couplets.  This definitely imposes a different cadence than, say, Dennis Tedlock's translation, but the couplets don't seem to really add depth to the stories.  An interesting experiment, though, and I enjoy reading it.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

pmmg said:


> Well...I enjoyed it.
> 
> Some things that stood out to me.
> 
> Most prominently was that the Greek heroes did not seem to do anything unless a God was somehow involved. To my brain, I was like, if the outcome of this war solely depends on what Zeus decides, then why not wait till Zeus makes up his mind and do that? And on a daily basis...Athena tells Hector to go fight today but stay away from the ships, so he does and has a great day, but the next day, she says stay in bed till noon, and then make offerings so that Apollo will be pleased...then he does cause they cannot win that day. And so I ask, if they just do what they are told, are they really Heroes? I mean, anyone can do what they did if Athena and Apollo were really making it happen.
> 
> The great level of detail of the blows in the battle and who was in it. Ajax does not just kill nameless people, but he kills Dudeicles, son of other-dudeicles, a farmer from Minoa who raised 25 sheep, and son of last-dudeicles, who was once favored by Poseidon. And he was not just struck down, but hit above his left nipple, where the armor had left and gap, and fell near a juniper bush. Why include all that detail? To me, that reads as someone trying to recount an actual event (which, others seem to have followed and believe that Troy has been discovered). It reminded of genealogy passages in the bible. So and So begot So and So, and they begot and so on....
> 
> Some other things that popped out were attitudes towards men, women, slaves, warriors, gods, war, armor, weapons, bronze and rituals. They all played big roles in the stories.
> 
> Then there was all of this.
> 
> The story about Paris and the contest of the three Goddesses, where he chooses Aphrodite, and thereby wins Helen....Not in there
> 
> The Story of Achilles being dipped in the river Styx and becoming impervious...Not in there.
> 
> The Idea that Achilles had to be shot in the heel...Not in there.
> 
> The story that it was Paris who killed Achilles...Not in there.
> 
> The story of the Trojan horse...Not in there.
> 
> At the end, I was feeling everything I had been told was a lie.
> 
> And the Odyssey was similar. We start with a long portion following Telemachus, and all the stories about the Cyclops, the sirens, Circe, and all that...it was stuff that had already happened, and Telemachus just finds out about it. Telemachus was a pretty big character, and I did begin to wonder if Odysseus was ever really going to be in the story. He was by the end, enough to kill all the suitors.
> 
> Funny about that, after Odysseus kills all the suitors, he becomes very concerned that there may be reprisals by their families. That also seemed like maybe a recounting of a real event, and not just a myth about a hero. Why show the hero in that way? Might be because something had happened and he was a real dude concerned about others coming after him. Don't know.
> 
> It was very cool. I've read a lot of classics and have found I've enjoyed all of them much more than I thought (other than the one mentioned above...)
> 
> My biggest take away...the Greeks really loved their gods.
> 
> What did you think if you had read it?



Dudeicles lololol 

All those other stories are in other works. I was surprised to find them gone too (I read them in eighth grade. The Iliad was very miserable to me; the medically detailed deaths got repetitive. The Odyssey was better.) 

I remember making up nicknames for all the characters. Agamemnon and Menelaus were Aggie and Minnie. I don't remember what I called Achilles but I thought he was a whiny drama queen with all the maturity of a six year old boy.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

TheCrystallineEntity said:


> I've only read the first Anne book and the Emily trilogy. Is The Blue Castle one of her best, in your opinion?



My mom has read every L.M. Montgomery book, but I don't seem to like any of them.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

I'm reading Radiance by Catherynne M. Valente. Just picking up anything falling under weird fiction has been my reading habit for some time. 

Anyway, this is a luscious, velvety, rich,  plush work. The writing style is both brilliant and incredibly lush. It's like a silky chocolate truffle filled with creamy, dark fudgy filling and drizzled with rich white chocolate. It's a fantastical lava cookie full of adjectives and metaphors. It is absolutely lavish. Unfortunately for the first 100 pages there was really not much of a story to go with it. Now there is a story. I'm liking it. Things are looking up. 

The writing is goals, though would anyone know what the shit i was saying if i reached that goal?


----------



## Gurkhal

I'm reading "The World of Odysseus" for a project and I hope to be able to get back into fiction as soon as possible.


----------



## Mythopoet

TheCrystallineEntity said:


> I've only read the first Anne book and the Emily trilogy. Is The Blue Castle one of her best, in your opinion?



You should read the whole Anne series! It's so good! And yes, I think The Blue Castle is one of her best. A really satisfying story.



Gurkhal said:


> I'm reading "The World of Odysseus" for a project and I hope to be able to get back into fiction as soon as possible.



Thanks for mentioning this. It's perfect for my needs.


----------



## skip.knox

Gurkhal said:


> I'm reading "The World of Odysseus" for a project and I hope to be able to get back into fiction as soon as possible.


Is that M.I. Finley's book? Still a classic.


----------



## Gurkhal

Mythopoet said:


> Thanks for mentioning this. It's perfect for my needs.



Happy to help. 



skip.knox said:


> Is that M.I. Finley's book? Still a classic.



That very one.


----------



## Laurence

About 20 pages into Eve of Snows by L. James Rice (Demesnedenoir) and I'm hooked. The girlfriend's away—think it's going to be a late one.


----------



## Chessie2

I found this interesting book at the library, 'Faerie Fruit' by Charlotte E. English. The blurb intrigued me, as did her prose once I read the first couple of pages. It's beautifully written and somewhat haunting. So far I really like it. Quite different than what I normally read.


----------



## Mythopoet

Chessie2 said:


> I found this interesting book at the library, 'Faerie Fruit' by Charlotte E. English. The blurb intrigued me, as did her prose once I read the first couple of pages. It's beautifully written and somewhat haunting. So far I really like it. Quite different than what I normally read.



The blurb reminds me a lot of the classic "Lud-in-the-Mist" by Hope Mirrlees, which I love. I'd give it a try if it were on kindle.

I am currently rereading Phantastes by George MacDonald, one of the first unambiguously fantasy novels. I read it years ago but decided it was time for a refresher. It's a very odd novel, almost like The Odyssey in Fairy Land. 

Also reading The Basque Country: A Cultural History by Paddy Woodworth. It's super fascinating.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

I'm reading a couple Joseph Cambpell books.


----------



## Gurkhal

Just finished "The World of Odysseus" and I'm not turning to "The King Must Die". Finally some fiction for me. 

Also I've cleared out a bunch of books that I have either read already and they weren't so good that I want to keep them, or know that I never will get around to read them. Thus what remains is for me to buy two new books and I'm thinking about either more historical fiction about ancient Greece or fantasy.

*Historical fiction* - Can't get enough of ancient Greece 
Gates of Fire - Steven Pressfield
Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller

Or

*Fantasy* - I've alread read "The Worm Ouroboros" by the same author and liked it very much. Hopefully I'll some day be able to get my hands on the third part of the series "The Mezentian Gate" but I don't really hold out for it.
Mistress of Mistresses - E.R Eddison
A Fish Dinner in Memison - E.R Eddison


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Recently finished The Scar by China Mieville. The world building was amazing. The guy clearly has a wild, vibrant and quite sick and twisted imagination. Which I absolutely loved. But the book had literally nothing else going for it for me. I was not very invested in the plot and loathed the main character. It was a relief to finish. I liked Tanner a hell of a lot more than Bellis and probably would have rated the book higher if it had just been about him. He was more sympathetic and his gills were rad. 

After that I turned to a middle grade novel, Keeper of the Lost Cities, and found that it sucked, with really shoddy world building and ideas and a way too perfect and desired and envied and powerful main character. Those are not just expected qualities of middle grade novels. There are really good ones out there (though no more common than good books in other  categories) and this was not one. 

(If anyone wants examples of good middle grade fantasy novels I strongly suggest The Twistrose Key. There's a few others I loved when I was like 12, but that was too long ago for me to properly recommend them now...) 

Now I am reading The Half-Drowned King by Linnea Hartsuyker. Thinking it's a historical fiction with some mythology stuff mixed in? Not sure yet. 

Actually i'm technically "currently reading" like 7 things on Goodreads. Oops? 

I'm seriously wondering if it's too soon to reread Six of Crows...


----------



## Gurkhal

Guess I might not be reading "The King Must Die" after all. An idea came into my mind to finish the reading of all the supplements to the RPG Werewolf: The Forsaken once and for all. This is something that I've been procastrinating for a long time and I feel that now it may be the time to face this challenge.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Is there a reason why children's books are often better than literally anything else? Or am i just lucky/unlucky?


----------



## skip.knox

Lucky/unlucky.  None of what I regard as truly great books, the ones that affected me most and have stayed with me the longest, are anything close to being a book for children.

Currently reading multiple books
The Innocence of Father Brown, G.K. Chesterton
The Caine Mutiny, Herman Wouk
The Pitch that Killed, Mike Sowell


----------



## Steerpike

Schild's Ladder, by Greg Egan
The Alchemist, by Paolo Coehlo
Godstalker Chronicles, P.C. Hodgell


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

skip.knox said:


> Lucky/unlucky.  None of what I regard as truly great books, the ones that affected me most and have stayed with me the longest, are anything close to being a book for children.
> 
> Currently reading multiple books
> The Innocence of Father Brown, G.K. Chesterton
> The Caine Mutiny, Herman Wouk
> The Pitch that Killed, Mike Sowell



I can only think of non-fiction that has affected me in that way, really. 

Meanwhile almost every book i've tried to read lately has included or discussed some kind of sexual violence. Why??


----------



## Svrtnsse

DragonOfTheAerie said:


> Is there a reason why children's books are often better than literally anything else? Or am i just lucky/unlucky?


As always: Moomins for the win!


----------



## skip.knox

DragonOfTheAerie said:


> Meanwhile almost every book i've tried to read lately has included or discussed some kind of sexual violence. Why??



Choose other books.   It's one of several reasons why I have a list of "the classics" to read. Seriously, there is so much good literature out there, why waste time on the 70% that's crap?


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

skip.knox said:


> Choose other books.   It's one of several reasons why I have a list of "the classics" to read. Seriously, there is so much good literature out there, why waste time on the 70% that's crap?



But which ones are the other books? :O It's hard for me to tell before reading what is good and what is not. Classics are for me often as hit-or-miss as any book. I haven't been able to find a clear pattern for what books are good and what are bad other than figuring out in somewhat of a better way what books I am likely to enjoy. I won't read a book just because a lot of people like it or even because it is good in the views of many people; there has to be something there that appeals to me or i know that i'll spend three months trying to read it. Still, please do share the list lol  

You'd think information on whether a book includes sexual assault would be easier to find given how triggering that is to so many people. I enjoy the most messed-up and horrific stuff in a fantasy situation, but I find any kind of realistic abuse upsetting. Go figure. 

Meanwhile my library is terrible. I've looked for a lot of books that have been recommended to me on here, but they're either not there or the first books in the series are perpetually checked out. It's a pathetically tiny library that services a decently sized city.


----------



## skip.knox

Do you buy ebooks? That's just about all I get these days. Most classics can be had there, for cheap or even free. Have you looked at the Internet Archive? It has acres of books, including the entire Gutenberg Library, a marvelous project of the early Internet. In short, you can get a ton of books electronically for free to cheap. Enough to keep you reading for years.

Yeah, it really is hit or miss. Gradually one learns one's own taste. This takes longer than a person might think, principally because every person changes over the years. What appealed once upon a time no longer appeals, and so forth. 

The best thing I ever did for my reading was to start a list. It's in a spreadsheet, but use the software of your choice. Heck, you can even use 3x5 cards. I did a search. Best science fiction books of all time. Best fantasy books of all time. Those were my first search strings. Then I branched out and found lists of great literature, supplemented by Pulitzer prize books. 

In each case, I was picky. Some I'd already read. Some I just knew wasn't for me (e.g., classic romance novels). Some were too old (I'm simply not going to read Pilgrim's Progress). So it wasn't like I accepted everything blindly. Once I had a master list, I noted which I'd read, which I wanted to read, and which were simply on the list. Yeah, I could do that in Goodreads, but the interface there is too clumsy.

I have three grown children, so one of the things I can do is extract all my wanna reads. I tell my kids, if they can't think of anything to buy me for birthday or Christmas, buy me a (physical) book. Inscribe it with the year and a note. This has been great, as I now have a whole shelf of books from my kids. Very eclectic (the books and the kids).

Anyways. I add to the list from time to time, as I run across something that looks like a candidate. I've probably got eighty to a hundred books to be read. I read maybe twenty a year. Maybe ten a year get added. I'll never get through it all, and that's okay. Because of that list, I've read some stuff I absolutely know I would never have read, and which I am absolutely grateful I did read. Sure, I've also DNF'd a few, and finished a bare handful that I didn't actually like. But it's an approach. Oh, and I also have a column for notes. I don't write up a review or anything, but if there's something really important about one of the books I've read, I'll make an entry. So the whole spreadsheet is sort of a commentary on my reading life. The historian in me likes that.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

skip.knox said:


> Do you buy ebooks? That's just about all I get these days. Most classics can be had there, for cheap or even free. Have you looked at the Internet Archive? It has acres of books, including the entire Gutenberg Library, a marvelous project of the early Internet. In short, you can get a ton of books electronically for free to cheap. Enough to keep you reading for years.
> 
> Yeah, it really is hit or miss. Gradually one learns one's own taste. This takes longer than a person might think, principally because every person changes over the years. What appealed once upon a time no longer appeals, and so forth.
> 
> The best thing I ever did for my reading was to start a list. It's in a spreadsheet, but use the software of your choice. Heck, you can even use 3x5 cards. I did a search. Best science fiction books of all time. Best fantasy books of all time. Those were my first search strings. Then I branched out and found lists of great literature, supplemented by Pulitzer prize books.
> 
> In each case, I was picky. Some I'd already read. Some I just knew wasn't for me (e.g., classic romance novels). Some were too old (I'm simply not going to read Pilgrim's Progress). So it wasn't like I accepted everything blindly. Once I had a master list, I noted which I'd read, which I wanted to read, and which were simply on the list. Yeah, I could do that in Goodreads, but the interface there is too clumsy.
> 
> I have three grown children, so one of the things I can do is extract all my wanna reads. I tell my kids, if they can't think of anything to buy me for birthday or Christmas, buy me a (physical) book. Inscribe it with the year and a note. This has been great, as I now have a whole shelf of books from my kids. Very eclectic (the books and the kids).
> 
> Anyways. I add to the list from time to time, as I run across something that looks like a candidate. I've probably got eighty to a hundred books to be read. I read maybe twenty a year. Maybe ten a year get added. I'll never get through it all, and that's okay. Because of that list, I've read some stuff I absolutely know I would never have read, and which I am absolutely grateful I did read. Sure, I've also DNF'd a few, and finished a bare handful that I didn't actually like. But it's an approach. Oh, and I also have a column for notes. I don't write up a review or anything, but if there's something really important about one of the books I've read, I'll make an entry. So the whole spreadsheet is sort of a commentary on my reading life. The historian in me likes that.



So far ebooks have been not for me; something bothers me about reading on a screen  The Gutenberg Project is great. 

To be completely honest, when you're my age, you don't want to touch any of the classics, because you're just out of high school and have been made to write far more reports and essays and stuff than is humane on books you are forced to overanalyze beyond any potential of enjoyment. I feel I would have liked some books if I hadn't had to perform such an excess of literary analysis. 

I think i've been avoiding lists like "books everyone should read" or anything like that because I really don't want to get stuck out of a feeling of obligation. 

I have read 29 books this year so far and expect to get to about 40 in total. Some people read 1 or 2 hundred a year. It's intimidating.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

When i was about 15 i read a lot of books because I felt like I ought to or to seem/feel smart. I also felt obligated to like them more than I actually did. I don't really have good reasons for why i dislike some very revered books. To Kill a Mockingbird, Pulitzer Prize winner or no, was not my cup of tea at all. IIRC it took me months to finish. I wasn't able to finish The Three Musketeers at all.


----------



## skip.knox

I had a hard time with Dumas, too. Once you go back far enough, language becomes an issue.

I was, fortunately, a terrible student in high school. I have no recollection of reading anything outside of _A Tale of Two Cities_ in eighth grade. IMO, it's bone stupid to have kids read stuff like that. It's meant for grownups, and kids can smell "it's medicine, take it, it's good for you" a mile away.

Also fortunately, I was busy reading Bradbury and Clark and Asimov and Le Guin and Norton and Tolkien and Verne and Wells and Lovecraft and so on and on. And once I'd got loose from public school, I stumbled onto Tolstoy's _War and Peace_. From there I went to Dostoevsky and had a solid year or more of Russian stuff. That's when I learned there was more to reading than just SF. Because I encountered them on my own terms, there was room for me to like them or not like them (never took a shine to Turgenev).  I think it wasn't until I was in my thirties before I discovered Chandler and Hammett, and from then on I was pretty much open to anything.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

School programs assign books based on reading level rather than the kids' ability to comprehend the themes and ideas. I was compelled to read many books as a middle/elementary schooler with protagonists much older than me. In the fourth grade I was reading about the romantic dalliances of a half dozen young teenagers in colonial America. I wouldn't have loathed the books had they had feelings and concerns I could relate to at the time, but I was too young regardless of my ability to read the words. 

I really have to make my way to Lovecraft soon.


----------



## FifthView

I was a bad reading student. I almost always never read assignments but just picked up on the discussion in class and could ask general enough questions or make broad observations that fooled my teachers, hah. I did read a Shakespeare play once, Julius Caesar. And loved it. Our high school even had a science fiction/fantasy reading class, and I did the same thing in that class, although I'd read other novels on the side on my own. I may have read one or two of those assignments, but I can't remember them now.

Weird thing is, during elementary school I enjoyed reading biographies of famous people that I'd check out of the library. When I was 8 and 9. I even read an abridged version of Oliver Twist that I loved. But later in my schooling, I wasn't very interested in the classics.


----------



## Steerpike

Mythopoet said:


> The blurb reminds me a lot of the classic "Lud-in-the-Mist" by Hope Mirrlees, which I love.



That’s has been on my list to read forever.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

FifthView said:


> I was a bad reading student. I almost always never read assignments but just picked up on the discussion in class and could ask general enough questions or make broad observations that fooled my teachers, hah. I did read a Shakespeare play once, Julius Caesar. And loved it. Our high school even had a science fiction/fantasy reading class, and I did the same thing in that class, although I'd read other novels on the side on my own. I may have read one or two of those assignments, but I can't remember them now.
> 
> Weird thing is, during elementary school I enjoyed reading biographies of famous people that I'd check out of the library. When I was 8 and 9. I even read an abridged version of Oliver Twist that I loved. But later in my schooling, I wasn't very interested in the classics.



In my senior year of high school i didn't finish a lot of the reading for english. Still got like a 99 in the class lmao.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Some of the lists i'm looking at have things i've never heard of. That's nice.


----------



## Mythopoet

DragonOfTheAerie said:


> Some of the lists i'm looking at have things i've never heard of. That's nice.



I know what you mean about finding books without sexual violence! Or even just without graphic sexuality. I'm 36 but I really, really don't want to read that stuff. It makes me uncomfortable or even sick to my stomach. But it's NOT easy to just find books without it. Movies have a ratings system with warning for sex and violence. But books have nothing. Too many times have I been reading a book marketed only as a fantasy novel to then come across scenes of graphic sex peppered throughout and nothing to indicate it before you get to it. It seems that the whole industry just assumes "sex sells" and therefore everything should have sex and if you don't want sex go read the kiddie lit, you prude. 

But like skip, I tend to take refuge in the classics. Though I believe when we say "classics" we do not mean the kind they teach in college lit classes. We mean genre classics. Genre books published decades (even centuries) ago that have stood the test of time because they are so good that fans keep recommending them to new readers and making new fans. There are so many great classics. You could probably spend your lifetime reading all the excellent books that were written before you were born. 

Speaking of classics, I've been reading a collection of short stories by Ursula K. Le Guin called *The Wind's Twelve Quarters*. This collection has a special place in my heart because it contains the short story that really set off my desire to start reading fantasy when I found it in the back of my 9th grade English book in high school. I've read the collection before but back then it was out of print and I had to obtain it through the library lending system. I was so happy to see it on kindle the other day I had to buy it and reread it right away.


----------



## skip.knox

And here's another argument in favor of the classics, regardless of genre. Sturgeon's Law.

70% of everything is crap. We start there. Over time, the stuff that's crap tends not to be reprinted, tends not to be "discovered" by a later generation, and generally tends to disappear. For every 19thc or 20thc classic you can name, I can dig out a baker's dozen novels that are trivial or outright bad. Every century, every decade produces mountains of genuinely bad literature along with more mountains of mere puff.

When we deal with current literature, we're dealing with books that have yet to be winnowed. So of course we're going to encounter a good deal more of what lies in the 70% than what lies in the 30%.  If you want a higher signal-to-noise ratio, turn to the classics. You're not going to like them all, but the odds will be better. It's basic literary math!


----------



## Ban

I still have not finished (or even touched) the dragonbone chair, but I finished steven fry's Mythos a few minutes ago. It's quite a well written and highly accessible look into greek mythology. At times the writing is a bit too snarky and non-fantastic for the subject matter, but those times are far and wide between. Now I think I'll continue frankopan's silk roads, another book I put on hiatus without much reason.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Mythopoet said:


> I know what you mean about finding books without sexual violence! Or even just without graphic sexuality. I'm 36 but I really, really don't want to read that stuff. It makes me uncomfortable or even sick to my stomach. But it's NOT easy to just find books without it. Movies have a ratings system with warning for sex and violence. But books have nothing. Too many times have I been reading a book marketed only as a fantasy novel to then come across scenes of graphic sex peppered throughout and nothing to indicate it before you get to it. It seems that the whole industry just assumes "sex sells" and therefore everything should have sex and if you don't want sex go read the kiddie lit, you prude.
> 
> But like skip, I tend to take refuge in the classics. Though I believe when we say "classics" we do not mean the kind they teach in college lit classes. We mean genre classics. Genre books published decades (even centuries) ago that have stood the test of time because they are so good that fans keep recommending them to new readers and making new fans. There are so many great classics. You could probably spend your lifetime reading all the excellent books that were written before you were born.
> 
> Speaking of classics, I've been reading a collection of short stories by Ursula K. Le Guin called *The Wind's Twelve Quarters*. This collection has a special place in my heart because it contains the short story that really set off my desire to start reading fantasy when I found it in the back of my 9th grade English book in high school. I've read the collection before but back then it was out of print and I had to obtain it through the library lending system. I was so happy to see it on kindle the other day I had to buy it and reread it right away.



I keep looking for Le Guin's stuff at the library, but her books are always checked out. 

I've read a lot of sex scenes in books lately that seem to be presented in the most passionless, clinical manner possible. Only serves to make reading them even more uncomfortable.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

skip.knox said:


> And here's another argument in favor of the classics, regardless of genre. Sturgeon's Law.
> 
> 70% of everything is crap. We start there. Over time, the stuff that's crap tends not to be reprinted, tends not to be "discovered" by a later generation, and generally tends to disappear. For every 19thc or 20thc classic you can name, I can dig out a baker's dozen novels that are trivial or outright bad. Every century, every decade produces mountains of genuinely bad literature along with more mountains of mere puff.
> 
> When we deal with current literature, we're dealing with books that have yet to be winnowed. So of course we're going to encounter a good deal more of what lies in the 70% than what lies in the 30%.  If you want a higher signal-to-noise ratio, turn to the classics. You're not going to like them all, but the odds will be better. It's basic literary math!



Solid logic. Isn't Sturgeon's law 90% rather than 70% though?


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

I spent the morning reading The Black Tides of Heaven (the first Tensorate novel) and found it to be pretty good. Not amazing, but solid. I think it suffered from being too short. A little more development of...well, everything...wouldn't have hurt.


----------



## skip.knox

DragonOfTheAerie said:


> Solid logic. Isn't Sturgeon's law 90% rather than 70% though?



I've seen both, but the closest to the original--told by another SF writer whose name now escapes me--was that it was 70%. I'm inclined to believe the lower number, since the entire human race seems inclined toward inflation.


----------



## Gurkhal

Going to make a new attempt to take on the "Austro-Prussian War" by Geoffrey Wawro. Not overly long but very heavy so I hope that I will be able to finish it this time.


----------



## skip.knox

Straight up war narratives can be brutal to read. It's very difficult to do well. One of the very best was Sir Steven Runciman, who did not labor under the handicap of being a historian. ;-)  The Crusades, The Sicilian Vespers, The Fall of Constantinople, all highly readable.


----------



## Gurkhal

skip.knox said:


> Straight up war narratives can be brutal to read. It's very difficult to do well. One of the very best was Sir Steven Runciman, who did not labor under the handicap of being a historian. ;-)  The Crusades, The Sicilian Vespers, The Fall of Constantinople, all highly readable.



True that. And this is pretty technical with many terms of and concepts that are not entirely clear to me as a layman in military matters. But right now I have found that I've stalled in my writing of "The Death of Dreams" which I discussed somewhat in the link below. I feel that I should perhaps seek out a few memoirs and war narratives from the second half of the 19th century so that I can immmerse myself in this setting and get inspired and the writing moving again.

https://mythicscribes.com/community/threads/writing-an-intro-for-the-first-time-help-required.20384/

I'm still writing though, but mostly early ancient Greek stuff. Like Mycenaean and Dark Ages inspired stories. Mary Renault has her flaws...but her writing is nothing if not inspiring and breathing life into the ancient world.


----------



## skip.knox

Oh, do immerse yourself. Writing historical fiction, even with a fantasy twist, is only going to improve the more familiar you are with the era. This is going to me reading a bunch of stuff that is boring, confusing, or merely pedestrian, but that's pretty much the price of entry. Once you get a thorough grounding--a term that eludes precise definition--acquiring additional information comes much more easily.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Anyone here read the Welcome to Night Vale novels? I just finished the second one. I liked it a lot better than the first. Also, Carlos, who barely appeared in the last book, is a much more major character and is to my mind pretty explicitly coded as autistic in this one, which makes me happy inside. 

Cecil and Carlos are married!!!?! I haven't gotten to that point in the podcast!!/


----------



## Svrtnsse

DragonOfTheAerie said:


> Anyone here read the Welcome to Night Vale novels?


I didn't even know there were books. I'll have to get on to that.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Svrtnsse said:


> I didn't even know there were books. I'll have to get on to that.



The first book seemed off-puttingly different from the podcast- the tone was the same, and it was still just as funny and creepy and thought provoking, but Cecil and Carlos were barely in it and it focused on other characters. Carlos is a major character in the second book which I liked. 

Is there going to be a third book, I wonder??


----------



## Gurkhal

Couldn't really get into Wawro so far. I feel that I need some fiction before I tackle the Austo-Prussian War, and I found a nice memoir from the Franco-Prussian War as well, so I ordered some easy reading fantasy with a Warhammer setting; "Yarrick Omnibus" (40k but anyway...), "Masters of Stone and Steel" and "War of Vengeance". Yeah, Dwarfs are my favorite among the traditional fantasy races.

So this should add something to my library of fantasy literature, or so I hope.


----------



## skip.knox

My general strategy for tackling a new topic is to go wide. If I'm after the Austro-Prussian War, I'll first aim for a history of the 19thc. If I'm ok at that level, then maybe just a history of 19thc  Germany, and another for the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Then, given my interests, I'd head for some social history, but that's optional. A biography, maybe of one of the main participants, could be another entree to the more detailed level. I would use the straight military book(s) more as reference, or for reading the account of a specific battle. Cherry pick. 

Fiction is easier to read, true enough, but one never knows what one is getting. Which bits are accurate, which have been twisted, and which invented?  Never trust those historical fantasy writers.


----------



## Steerpike

Anyone who hasn't read P.C. Hodgell's book _God Stalk_, and sequels, I can heartily recommend them. I read the first one years ago, then picked it up against after running into Ms. Hodgell at WorldCon. Good stuff.


----------



## Gurkhal

skip.knox said:


> My general strategy for tackling a new topic is to go wide. If I'm after the Austro-Prussian War, I'll first aim for a history of the 19thc. If I'm ok at that level, then maybe just a history of 19thc  Germany, and another for the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Then, given my interests, I'd head for some social history, but that's optional. A biography, maybe of one of the main participants, could be another entree to the more detailed level. I would use the straight military book(s) more as reference, or for reading the account of a specific battle. Cherry pick.
> 
> Fiction is easier to read, true enough, but one never knows what one is getting. Which bits are accurate, which have been twisted, and which invented?  Never trust those historical fantasy writers.



You're right about the price of entry. Still I wonder if I didn't try to bit off more than I could chew? It will require a great deal of research to write in the 19th century and when I am already well versed and possess a small library on other eras and cultures, it might be more prudent to start writing there instead.


----------



## Mythopoet

My topics of interest tend to have a very high price of entry. It's so difficult to find reliable, quality information that isn't sold by a university press and therefore at least $50 for the ebook. I can't even look at the print prices without hyperventilating.  It's probably because I'm mostly interested in the antique and ancient world and the farther back you get the fewer people seem to be interested and so books of accessible "popular history" (as opposed to books written for students or professionals who have no choice but to pay) become less profitable and rarer. Sigh.


----------



## Gurkhal

Mythopoet said:


> My topics of interest tend to have a very high price of entry. It's so difficult to find reliable, quality information that isn't sold by a university press and therefore at least $50 for the ebook. I can't even look at the print prices without hyperventilating.  It's probably because I'm mostly interested in the antique and ancient world and the farther back you get the fewer people seem to be interested and so books of accessible "popular history" (as opposed to books written for students or professionals who have no choice but to pay) become less profitable and rarer. Sigh.



I feel your anguish over this. I used to be really into ancient Mesopotamia but that interest was to lonly and prices to high for me to keep at it. So I "had" to change to the ancient Greeks. And when I look at Mycenaean Greece...then those books have some outrageous prices.


----------



## skip.knox

The scholarly book industry has been a scandal since the 1990s or so. Many historians now actually have to pay the publisher and have to scramble for grant money to do so. The problem stems from the collapse of the secondary book publishing industry. Being in the hands of only a few giants, academic books are now utterly disregarded except for money-making textbooks. The publishers are to blame, too, for the rapid decline of the use of footnotes. Despite some open-source efforts, scholarly publishing is still locked in an obscure cell of the giant prison that is Traditional Publishing. Scientific publishing is even worse.

As for what I'm reading now, I just finished _The Pitch That Killed_, the story of the 1920 Cleveland Indians and their shortstop Ray Chapman, the only man to die from a major league pitch. It was a unique event and an extraordinary baseball season, recounted in one of the best baseball books around.


----------



## Gurkhal

I'll do what's suggested and get one general history book that I will have to spend some time plouging through and make up my mind about the 19th century.

For those interested it will be this one.

"The Transformation of the World: A Global History of the Nineteenth Century (America in the World)" by Jürgen Osterhammel

https://www.amazon.com/Transformati...=8-1&keywords=the+transformation+of+the+world


----------



## Mythopoet

I finished my reread of *Phantastes*. Like the first time I felt the story got bogged down when he discovered the "fairy palace". He can't see or interact with anyone there. So he spends the time describing cold, marble halls and (literally) summarizing a book he read in the fairy library which just happens to be about a London man. I would advise anyone who gets to this part and wants to put the book down to grit your teeth and bear it until he leaves the palace. The most interesting episodes in the story, in my opinion, happen after that part. 

I also finished my reread of *Ursula K. Le Guin*'s short story collection. And just... wow. The first time I read it was so long ago and I was much less experienced in SFF (and you know everything) back then. I think most of it must have gone over my head, or shall we say I was only capable of reading most of it at the surface level. This time... wow... this time some of the stories really blew me away. And just when I was least expecting it. Other than these stories, I've only read her Earthsea books. But I'm convinced now that I really need to read her more SF stuff too. I'm not, I admit, a big SF fan. Some of it works for me and some of it doesn't. But the SF stories here really, really worked for me so time to broaden my horizons! 

But I don't have any money for new books atm. Sigh. Also, it's October which means I need something spooky/weird to read. So I picked up some free ebooks of stories by Algernon Blackwood, plus I am rereading William Hope Hodgson's Carnacki, the Ghost Finder and also rereading Good Omens before the series comes out next year.


----------



## Gurkhal

But the more I think about it the less eager I become. I already know the ancient world fairly ok and with a specialized interest in the ancient Greeks. Thus I think that I shall forget about this whole 19th century deal and probably get rid of my books on the subject to make room for more books on other matters.


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## skip.knox

What was it about the 19thc, and that particular war, that originally intrigued you? I ask to see if maybe you could find something similar (or create it, because: fantasy) back in ancient Greece.


----------



## Gurkhal

skip.knox said:


> What was it about the 19thc, and that particular war, that originally intrigued you? I ask to see if maybe you could find something similar (or create it, because: fantasy) back in ancient Greece.



What draw me in was relatability for and to characters as well as a war that's not very well known in general pop culture.

In terms of relating to the characters I will admit that I'm not very interested in technology and so writing in the current age would be no good, but many of the worries, tensions and mentalities that lies closer to myself and thus found myself closer to the characters in a 19th century setting than in ancient Greece.

For example being afraid of losing one's job and thus not be able to keep the appartment is something that I can understand. Feel the call of honor to engage in a blood feud is something that is exotic and interesting, but a mentality that lies far away from me and thus those characters are not as close to me. I can understand class tensions but taking a prophecy into account from an oracle is far away from me in how to understand the world.

I am, or was, pretty interested in German history. In, what's known to me, pop culture the Germans makes no particular news before they show up as villains in the periods of of 1914-1918 and then in 1933-1945. But what else? What road did Germany and the Germans take to come into their situation in 1914 and 1933, and just as importantly, why did they take those roads? What was before 1914? And what happened in Germany after 1945? I mean Germany didn't stop to exist. its still around but has changed a great deal.


----------



## skip.knox

Good response. 

My first reaction is that you're talking about writing historical fiction, not historical fantasy. The topic is excellent. And there are a number of books on exactly the questions you raise. 

We definitely need more 19thc-era fantasy stories that are *not* set in England. *grumble*  I am heartily and thoroughly done with Victorian England, especially after reading E.P. Thompson's _The Making of the English Working Class_. 

I guess you'll have to follow your gut on this one. Maybe look for daily life books for the Greeks? Or, indeed, more social history books for 19thc Germany. One that has always stuck with me is Anton Mayr's _The Persistence of the Old Regime_, but I'd also nominate Eric Hobsbawm (_The Dual Revolution_ and later books) or one of my favorites, though it starts rather earlier and is about France specifically, Eugen Weber's _Peasants Into Frenchmen_. 

Dang but my bibliography doth show my age!


----------



## Gurkhal

Well, I've been thinking about historical fiction but left it for various reasons in favor of writing very realistic, or at least more realistic, fantasy. And I've got ideas for both lesser works as well as Magnum Opus for me as an aspiring writer in both a Hellenic and 19th century fantasy setting, the later of which won't be relevant for many years. But dreams comes free.

Totally agree about England being overdone.

I'll probably read a little of both and see which one ignites my imagination more. Same with writing in both of the different eras.


----------



## Gurkhal

I can't seem to edit my last post. But one heavy argument against ancient Greece, for which I actually favor the Middle Ages, is that in Greece there's a massive risk that the stoy will turn into a sausage feast and that is something which I very much want to avoid.


----------



## skip.knox

WRT the Middle Ages as a setting, you'll get no argument from me. <grin>

My settings so far have been
Augsburg to a village near Zurich (1700s)
Mojave Desert (this one's a bit of a stray because it's also set in 1950s)
Brittany (1300s)
Dacia to Constantinople (300s)
the Camargue over to the Pyrenees (1100s)
Salzburg into the mountains (most of the book is underground) (1900s)
Sicily to Brunswick (for my next book) (1200s)

So, there's plenty of room in which to play!

But we've gone well off topic, so I'm going to stop there. We can start up a separate thread or talk on our writing threads.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

The Sandman series, by Neil Gaiman.


----------



## Gurkhal

Also ordered some historical fiction in the form of "The Oathbreaker" by Alaric Longward. He writes in ancient and medieval Germanic territories/Germany and Norse mythological worlds. I haven't got the book yet but I find the change of setting from more well known areas like British Islands or France to be alluring, so I'm hoping it will be good.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Universal Harvester by John Darnielle 
Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erickson 
Dragon Champion by E.E. Knight 

I don't think I'm far enough in any of the three to draw real conclusions about what I think about them. 

Visited library today. Always nice to do that.


----------



## skip.knox

Just finished _The Collector_ by John Fowles. What a disturbing book. I'll put that sort of ordinary dark up against grimdark any day.

Starting in on _The Caine Mutiny _now.


----------



## Steerpike

DragonOfTheAerie said:


> Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erickson



Love this book/series.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman. It's something like my fourth or fifth reread.
If I ever go to London, I'll do my best to avoid Islington Station. *shudder*


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Steerpike said:


> Love this book/series.



I like it very much so far. I find it to be written, developed and constructed well. I'm also appreciating how female characters are treated like human beings. It's the first book I haven't wanted to be pulled away from in longer than I can remember. The pages fly past. (With many books I've read recently, watching the page numbers go by was about as fun as watching numbers on a treadmill. 0.20 miles...  0.21 miles... 0.22 miles...) This is how reading a book *should* feel. 

The total length of the whole series is daunting, I have to say. I had to google the proper reading order and there are a couple conflicting viewpoints.


----------



## Gurkhal

Right now I'm reading "War of Vengeance - Warhammer Chronicles" and "Henchmen of Ares". The first is cheap fantasy literature and the second is a book about early ancient Greek warfare from Mycenaean times to the shift from Archaic to Classical Greece during the (first) Greco-Persian War.


----------



## Svrtnsse

I just finished reading Cailleach~Witch, by Jane Gilheaney Barry (https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07H213DX9). It's a modern day story of a family of Irish witches (Bean Feasa) and their struggle against the curse that binds them to the spirit of the land they live on.

It's not something I'd have picked up normally, but the author is a fellow Irish indie writer, and I decided to have a look because of that. Turns out it's one of the better books I've read in quite some time. It's got a lot of atmosphere, and the vibe of the little irish countryside town feels very authentic.


----------



## Agam Ridelle

I'm reading Crown of Embers, the second book in a series about a girl chosen by God to do great things. It has adventures, funny moments, romance, and interesting characters. What I like most about this story is the way the author explores religion. The girl is chosen by God but God isn't speaking to her. She has to figure out her destiny when all around there are factions that declare that they know what God's will is, and most of the times the factions aren't in agreement about what God's will is.


----------



## SoulThief

I have started re-reading Terry Brooks' Sword of Shannara. I think the last time I read it was in the 1980s (I dug out my old 1978 copy for the re-read).I cannot say that I am enjoying it now as much as back then, but then we all change. Before that I read Deadhouse Landing by Ian Esslemont and thoroughly enjoyed it.


----------



## Agam Ridelle

SoulThief said:


> I have started re-reading Terry Brooks' Sword of Shannara. I think the last time I read it was in the 1980s (I dug out my old 1978 copy for the re-read).I cannot say that I am enjoying it now as much as back then, but then we all change. Before that I read Deadhouse Landing by Ian Esslemont and thoroughly enjoyed it.



 Is it similar to the TV series (if you watched it) or did they take creative liberties? I loved the world building there, but the series itself wasn't really for me, especially the love triangle in which two girls sacrifice themselves while the hero goes on adventuring.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

I'm doing a read-through of every Neil Gaiman series I have. I just finished Anansi Boys.


----------



## SoulThief

Agam Ridelle said:


> Is it similar to the TV series (if you watched it) or did they take creative liberties? I loved the world building there, but the series itself wasn't really for me, especially the love triangle in which two girls sacrifice themselves while the hero goes on adventuring.


Of the two seasons of the Shannara series, I only watched Season 1. My personal opinion is that they took substantial liberties. They skipped the events of the first book, probably because the first half of the first book reads similarly to Tolkien's Fellowship of the Ring. Then they mangled the plot of Elfstones of Shannara to make the first season. This said, the love triangle did exist. In respect to world-building, Shannara is set about 2000 after "the Great Wars" (i.e. our era), so the ruins of our world are subtler in the books.

All this said, I watched the first season with my daughter who had no knowledge of the books and she loved it.


----------



## Agam Ridelle

SoulThief said:


> Of the two seasons of the Shannara series, I only watched Season 1. My personal opinion is that they took substantial liberties. They skipped the events of the first book, probably because the first half of the first book reads similarly to Tolkien's Fellowship of the Ring. Then they mangled the plot of Elfstones of Shannara to make the first season. This said, the love triangle did exist. In respect to world-building, Shannara is set about 2000 after "the Great Wars" (i.e. our era), so the ruins of our world are subtler in the books.
> 
> All this said, I watched the first season with my daughter who had no knowledge of the books and she loved it.



Sounds like I missed quite a lot from the book by watching the series. I'll pull it to my TBR, I would love to read more about the world building and catch up with the beginning. I'm not opposed to the love triangle, just the sacrificing.


----------



## SoulThief

Agam Ridelle said:


> Sounds like I missed quite a lot from the book by watching the series. I'll pull it to my TBR, I would love to read more about the world building and catch up with the beginning. I'm not opposed to the love triangle, just the sacrificing.



The love triangle/sacrificing is slightly different but I won't ruin it for you


----------



## Agam Ridelle

SoulThief said:


> The love triangle/sacrificing is slightly different but I won't ruin it for you


Now I'm curious! Will have to bump it up my TBR for the weekend slot.


----------



## Steerpike

Agam Ridelle said:


> Is it similar to the TV series (if you watched it) or did they take creative liberties? I loved the world building there, but the series itself wasn't really for me, especially the love triangle in which two girls sacrifice themselves while the hero goes on adventuring.



The series starts more with the Elfstones of Shannara, rather than Sword. Brooks was involved, I think. They made the TV show more teen oriented and did take liberties with the book. I think they tried to keep the same basic story line. At least in season 1. Not sure about season 2 of the show.

But it has been quite some time since I read Elfstones, so I'm going off memory.


----------



## Agam Ridelle

Steerpike said:


> The series starts more with the Elfstones of Shannara, rather than Sword. Brooks was involved, I think. They made the TV show more teen oriented and did take liberties with the book. I think they tried to keep the same basic story line. At least in season 1. Not sure about season 2 of the show.
> 
> But it has been quite some time since I read Elfstones, so I'm going off memory.


There's season 2? I don't have it in my Netflix account.


----------



## Antonius

Thoroughly enjoyed 'The Courage To Be Disliked' by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga. It helped opened my eyes with what's been going around me and also contributed to ideas for my attempt at NaNoWriMo this year.


----------



## Steerpike

Agam Ridelle said:


> There's season 2? I don't have it in my Netflix account.



There’s a second season. It was canceled after that.


----------



## Mytherea

Just finished a reread of _The Left Hand of Darkness _by Ursula K. Le Guin (one of my favorites) and am now starting _Uprooted _by Naomi Novik (which I'm very much enjoying).


----------



## Dark Squiggle

Mytherea said:


> Just finished a reread of _The Left Hand of Darkness _by Ursula K. Le Guin (one of my favorites) and am now starting _Uprooted _by Naomi Novik (which I'm very much enjoying).


Left hand of Darkness is great, the only thing is i didn't realize the MC was male until the end and I'm still not sure if LeGuin did ot on purpose or not ?:/
Just finished _Shepherd's Crown._ It's hard to believe that's the end of Discworld. Terry Pratchett has come a long way from _Color of Magic._ I would have liked to have seen Rincewind, The Luggage and The Librarian  once more, and I would've liked to see more than a glance of Ponder Stibbons. However, it was almost perfect. Tiffany is the height of Discworld's maturity, the perfect representation of where the journey has taken us as readers from the aimless yet vigorous meandering of Rincewind to a character who is strong and deep, and lovable and a role model.



Spoiler



Granny Weatherwax's funeral was in way Terry Pratchett's.


When Tiffany says, "I can't be Granny Weatherwax for them. I can only be me, Tiffany Aching.", it is almost as If  I can hear Terry Pratchett telling the next generation "go forth and conquer. Take my place, but don't be me, be yourselves. Discworld is over, but new worlds are about to begin."


----------



## skip.knox

Currently reading a Ross Macdonald novel, _The Chill_, which is just standard detective novel fare. Also reading _In Calabria_ by Peter S. Beagle because his prose is worth reading regardless of the story.


----------



## Gurkhal

Currently reading, after going back and forth somewhat, "The Empires of the Silk Road" by Christopher Beckwith. Its mostly so that I can cross that one from my box as having read it.


----------



## Mythopoet

Gurkhal said:


> Currently reading, after going back and forth somewhat, "The Empires of the Silk Road" by Christopher Beckwith. Its mostly so that I can cross that one from my box as having read it.



Is it not a good read? Because it sounds like yet another book that I really need to get.


----------



## Gurkhal

Mythopoet said:


> Is it not a good read? Because it sounds like yet another book that I really need to get.



Its totally ok. Its just that its not a favorite subject of mine so I'm not all over it to get its knowledge. The funny thing is that I did buy it on a whim years ago and now I'm finally going to read it and not let it be another of the "This looks interesting, I'll buy that..." and then I'll forget about it and never read it.


----------



## Gurkhal

Now I've ordered "Taras Bulba" and "The Cossacks and Other Stories" (including "The Cossacks", the three "Sevastopol Stories" and "Hadji Murat", all by Leo Tolstoy). I've been waiting a long time to read these, and other stories and books regarding the Cossacks, and now I hope to finally start getting my hands on them.


----------



## Mythopoet

I recently finished *Carnacki: The Watcher at the Gate *by William Meikle, a collection of short stories about a character created by William Hope Hodgson who is now in the public domain. I very much enjoyed Hodgson's original *Carnacki, Ghost Finder* stories so decided to see how well this new author writes them. The stories themselves were... entertaining enough, but nothing special. Meikle's version of Carnacki has a vastly reduced vocabulary which he apparently tries to make up for by making him repeat British slang terms over and over. (His Carnacki is never scared or frightened, but is almost always in a "funk" and nearly everything is "bally".) More importantly, this Carnacki never runs across a situation where supposed supernatural phenomenon are actually caused by human agents as the original Carnacki does. In fact, every single story in The Watcher at the Gate deals with "creatures from the Outer Darkness" and nothing less and Carnacki nearly always defeats them by standing in a pentacle and chanting something or other. It becomes monotonous. Meikle is simply no Hodgson.


----------



## skip.knox

_The Chill_, Ross Macdonald.
Trying to read _The Lies of Locke Lamora _by Scott Lynch but the prose doesn't bear up well next to Macdonald, and the plotting still less so. I've given up on so many fantasy books, though, I'm going to stick this one out.


----------



## Mythopoet

Currently rereading *The Two Towers* and remembering just how great the Ents are as a unique fantasy race. Walking, talking tree-people have become a trope since, but the Ents are really something special. The way Treebeard talks makes them feel real.

Also reading *Vampire Hunter D* volume 7: Mysterious Journey to the North Sea part 1. D never fails to deliver. I love these books.

Also forgot to mention I recently read all 3 (currently published) volumes of the comic *Monstress* by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda and which won the Hugo award for best graphic story the past two years and totally deserves it. Normally I shy away from stories with lots of graphic sex and violence (and in this case it's literally graphic) but somehow this story just completely reeled me in and won't let go. The further I read the more I like the main character, Maika, and want to see the rest of her journey to discover who and what she is. Also the art is breathtakingly gorgeous in full color. (Which I'm not used to since I normally read manga.)


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Just started both Red Sister and City of Stairs and I am having such trouble getting into both. Red Sister seems promising but I feel that City of Stairs will be only satisfying in world building. So many authors seem only able to create characters the emotional equivalent of rain soaked cardboard and I have a nasty suspicion this author will be one of them. Purely because of an unplaceable similarity to China Mieville who has a wonderful (if deeply messed up) imagination but falls short in other areas for me.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

Mythopoet said:


> Currently rereading *The Two Towers* and remembering just how great the Ents are as a unique fantasy race. Walking, talking tree-people have become a trope since, but the Ents are really something special. The way Treebeard talks makes them feel real.
> 
> Also reading *Vampire Hunter D* volume 7: Mysterious Journey to the North Sea part 1. D never fails to deliver. I love these books.
> 
> Also forgot to mention I recently read all 3 (currently published) volumes of the comic *Monstress* by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda and which won the Hugo award for best graphic story the past two years and totally deserves it. Normally I shy away from stories with lots of graphic sex and violence (and in this case it's literally graphic) but somehow this story just completely reeled me in and won't let go. The further I read the more I like the main character, Maika, and want to see the rest of her journey to discover who and what she is. Also the art is breathtakingly gorgeous in full color. (Which I'm not used to since I normally read manga.)


The Two Towers is my favorite out of the LOTR trilogy and I love treebeard and the ents


----------



## skip.knox

I'm reading Gregory of Tours (well, jump-reading), which led me crab-wise to a book by Charles Oman called "Things I Have Seen" which is a memoir of sorts. Oman was an important medieval historian. Wrote the classic work, _The Art of War in the Middle Ages_ (long since superseded). 

I'm very much enjoying the memoir, which begins with him seeing Napoleon III and Princess Eugenie when he was a child, to various turn of the century events mostly forgotten now, to interesting chapters on post-WWI Europe. He spent two months on the Rhine in 1919, and went to Italy in 1921. Wrote the book in 1933, so the perspective is interesting. And being a medieval historian, the prose is of course stellar. 

May all gods bless the Internet Archive.


----------



## Insolent Lad

Rediscovered the 'Sanctuary' series and am into the third book ('Shadow of Sanctuary'). While I was at it, picked up the first of Asprin's 'Myth' series. I had fond memories of all these but they don't quite live up to them now. Still, decent enough to fill some idle time.


----------



## Mytherea

DragonOfTheAerie said:


> Just started both Red Sister and City of Stairs and I am having such trouble getting into both. Red Sister seems promising but I feel that City of Stairs will be only satisfying in world building. So many authors seem only able to create characters the emotional equivalent of rain soaked cardboard and I have a nasty suspicion this author will be one of them. Purely because of an unplaceable similarity to China Mieville who has a wonderful (if deeply messed up) imagination but falls short in other areas for me.



I couldn't get into _Red Sister_, myself. I found the number of PoV shifts at the beginning a little too frenetic, and since I wasn't familiar with the world, it gave me a sort of readerly whiplash. Totally unmoored, and couldn't get attached to any of the characters since they zipped past so quickly. As for _City of Stairs_, personally, I loved it, but it does take a bit to hit its stride. Lot of world-building in the beginning, lot of situational setup for the payoff at the end. BUT I may be biased and remembering it with rose-tinted glasses. It's been awhile since I read that one, though I finished _City of Blades_ earlier this year and quite enjoyed it. 

Just finished _Runaway Vampire_ and _Immortal Nights_ (both by Lyndsay Sands). Technically more PNR than fantasy (though... they kinda stray into science fiction? Sort of? I mean, sort of vampires due to blood-powered nanos, a technology from the lost city of Atlantis? The series... hits a lot of genres) and are super-quick reads (like, I can knock one out in a day and a half of casual reading, a day if I really dedicate myself). They're fun, though the newer/later ones are a bit more serious than the first ten. The first ten, I'd routinely burst out laughing (my favorites still being the one with the 600-year-old social recluse warrior-turned-writer who _was _writing biographies for his family but his publisher branded them romance novels, and now his new editor has wrangled him into attending a romance convention, and the one with the vampire who'd gone on vacation human, got turned, and her whole town, feeling guilty for pushing her toward the vacation in the first place, adopt her as honorary town vampire).  These... eh. They're darker, more serious. Not as outrageously, wonderfully campy as the others. 

Oh, and finished _Uprooted _by Naomi Novik, which I very much enjoyed and am now on hold for _Spinning Silver_, though I've got a few weeks to wait. 

And I'm now just starting _The Grey Bastards_ by Jonathan French for an _extreme _change of reading pace.


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## DragonOfTheAerie

By now I am most of the way through City of Stairs and I actually love it.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

I'm reading Aunt Maria by Diana Wynne Jones for the second time.


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## skip.knox

_Royal Assassin_ by Robin Hobb. I read the first volume a couple of years ago and it barely made an impression. Rather than try to re-read that, I went to volume 2. It says something that I don't really think volume 1 was needed to appreciate 2. 

In any case, despite the fact that I think assassins are pretty much silly in fantasy, and despite the slow start, I am quite enjoying the book now. Hobb has put together some genuinely moving scenes and I'm reading a couple of chapters just about every day. The names of the royal court still grate on me but I console myself with the good names of non-royal characters.


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## DragonOfTheAerie

skip.knox said:


> _Royal Assassin_ by Robin Hobb. I read the first volume a couple of years ago and it barely made an impression. Rather than try to re-read that, I went to volume 2. It says something that I don't really think volume 1 was needed to appreciate 2.
> 
> In any case, despite the fact that I think assassins are pretty much silly in fantasy, and despite the slow start, I am quite enjoying the book now. Hobb has put together some genuinely moving scenes and I'm reading a couple of chapters just about every day. The names of the royal court still grate on me but I console myself with the good names of non-royal characters.



My last read by Hobb forever scared me off her :/ 

Assassins are one of the things that will make me jump on a book without thinking much about it, lol. I don't even care. They're just fun to me.


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## Gurkhal

Interesting. I read Hobb when I was younger and could read a 300 novel per week or so, while attending school, training football and such at the same time, and I really liked her. I remember her slow pace but it really wasn't a problem for me as I got to immerse myself more in the setting and get to know the characters more. I only wish I could confidently take on her massive tomes a second time, but my reading pace has slackened to much since then.


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## skip.knox

There's definitely room to cut with Hobb. I have spotted her telling me things she's already told me, often in the form of a reminiscence. Or in providing details for a place--she's fond of the kitchen--that she's done more than once. I'm trying to pay attention to where and why my eye starts to slide over the text.

She's strong on set pieces, such as the speech Ket (can't reproduce the full name) delivers to the troops after an attack from the Forged.


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## Svrtnsse

I just finished _The Trouble with Wanting, and Other Not-Quite Faerie Tales_, by Rommy Cortez-Driks. It's a collection of fairytales and stories with faeries in them. It's not a modern-style retelling of classic fairytales, but it does put a modern twist on some of the stories. Well worth the time and highly recommended.


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## DragonOfTheAerie

I'm reading The Black Prism by Brent Weeks. I do not like it very much except for the magic system. I'm almost 200 pages in. 

I just finished A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi yesterday. Not too fond of that one either. It was supposed to be a story about a Muslim girl growing up in post 9/11 America, which was the good part. But as YA is fond of doing, the book focused mainly on a very boring romance, which I hated. I hate romance in books the vast majority of the time. :/


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## DragonOfTheAerie

City of Stairs was absolutely amazing though. One of my favorite reads of the year. It was tough to get into but after that it was great.


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## skip.knox

Reading _The Godfather_, by Mario Puzo. It's interesting reading a book after having seen the movie several times. The characters are physically much as they are in the movie (except for Fredo). I can see where the director chose to cut parts out of the book (much more of Johnny Fontana in the book). It's a testament to Puzo's writing that I can still be pulled into the story despite knowing it so well. I'm trying to pay attention to specific techniques, but his writing is so neutral in tone, it's hard to catch him at it.


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## neodoering

I'm currently reading an anthology, _The Year's Best Science Fiction_, edited by Gardner Dozois.  300,000 words in 38 stories ranging from about 10 pages to 60 pages long.  So far I really like some of the stories, and others don't do a thing for me.  That's ok, can't love everything I read.  I do recommend it if you want to get a finger on the pulse of the short sci-fi market; these are tales the professionals thought were worthy of publication, and as such they are worth reading.


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## skip.knox

Is that the current one? If so, you are reading Dozois' last work. He died last May. One of the great magazine editors, and probably one of the last, given how genre magazines fare these days.


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## neodoering

skip.knox,

Thanks for filling me in; I'm sorry to hear about Gardner passing away.  I've read his anthology every year for about the last 10 years, and it is tough to imagine anyone taking his place.


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## skip.knox

I really do think we are losing something permanently here. There simply isn't going to be another generation like that of Gardner Dozois, H.L. Gold, James Blish, James Baen, Ben Bova, Damon Knight, Anthony Boucher (not to mention Gernsback and Campbell). The world has changed; it is too fractured now.

I'm getting old (am old!). I miss the unity when one listened to that one underground radio station, got the news from this newspaper and that network (Cronkite, or Huntley-Brinkley?), and the number of SF (and fantasy) publishers and magazines could be counted on one hand. One belonged to a subculture that was shared right across the country. Seeing someone at the newsstand looking through the latest copy of _Astounding_ meant you could talk to them. They were of our people.

The magazine editors played a crucial role in creating that feeling.


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## Gurkhal

Got my copy of "Fire and Blood" a couple of days ago. Everything else is on hold for now.


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## DragonOfTheAerie

You ever feel like youve run into so many sucky books in a row you dont want to read anymore for a while?


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## Svrtnsse

DragonOfTheAerie said:


> You ever feel like youve run into so many sucky books in a row you dont want to read anymore for a while?


Not quite exactly like this, but close. Last few years, I've come across books that I didn't enjoy for various reasons, but I've still felt compelled to give them a good chance and not pick up a new story before I've finished the ones I've started. This then lead to me just not reading at all. It became a chore rather than a pleasure. 
I'm now trying real hard to not get back into that situation, and I allow myself to put away and forget about books I don't enjoy.


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## skip.knox

DragonOfTheAerie said:


> You ever feel like youve run into so many sucky books in a row you dont want to read anymore for a while?


My trusty reading list protects me from this. I'm slogging my way through Robin Hobb's _Royal Assassin_. Whenever I get discouraged (which is every couple of chapters), I turn to my reading list.

I just finished _Old Yeller_ by Fred Gipson. Good story. It also reminded me that good fiction about 19thc or early 20thc rural America is a great place for fantasy writers to find pre-industrial tidbits--not only about material life but also habits of mind and speech. _La vie quotidienne_. 

At a far extreme, I'm also reading _Breakfast at Tiffany's_, by Truman Capote.


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## Gurkhal

I never thought it could possibly come to this for me, but I feel disillusioned with GRRM at this moment after reading "Fire and Blood" as I realize that I have tricked myself into seeing things that were not there in the story. GRRM is an excellent author and deserves great credit praise for his work, but I can't personally love it any longer, even if I hope I will still appreciate it. The flaws of fantasy stories that I thought he might not have, have become clear to me.

I don't feel much bitterness but more feeling a bit of emptiness over a wonderful dream I once had, but can no longer recall.


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## skip.knox

I gave up on that story years ago. I just gradually stopped caring.


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## Gurkhal

And right now I am currently reading four books at the same time while jumping between them; Russia: People and Empire, A History of the Archaic Greek World, A Complete Guide to Heraldry and Fire and Blood.

After these ones are done I hope to continue with Mary Renault and Tolostoy.


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## skip.knox

_Breakfast at Tiffany's_ was an embarrassment and a disappointment. But now I'm reading _On the Beach_. Much better.

This is the third Neville Shute book I've read. This fellow deserves wider recognition. Yes, some of his works were made into movies, but one hardly ever hears his name these days. Each book of his so far has been utterly memorable, even though his prose is ... homely? Workaday? Understated. Straightforward. Whatever, his prose manages to snag me within the first chapter without being in the least showy or dramatic.

This book is a prime example. He's writing about nuclear Armageddon, but does he narrate the war? No. Does he show us people struggling in a nuclear wasteland? No. Instead, he gives us people untouched by the war, but waiting for the winds of the planet to bring death from the northern to the southern hemisphere. It's surprisingly touching.


----------



## Steerpike

Started Camelot 30K, by Robert L. Forward. In addition to the others I already had going.


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## Demesnedenoir

What flaws? Both in fantasy in general and GRRM? I’m curious, haven’t read Fire and Blood, yet. 



Gurkhal said:


> I never thought it could possibly come to this for me, but I feel disillusioned with GRRM at this moment after reading "Fire and Blood" as I realize that I have tricked myself into seeing things that were not there in the story. GRRM is an excellent author and deserves great credit praise for his work, but I can't personally love it any longer, even if I hope I will still appreciate it. The flaws of fantasy stories that I thought he might not have, have become clear to me.
> 
> I don't feel much bitterness but more feeling a bit of emptiness over a wonderful dream I once had, but can no longer recall.


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## Gurkhal

Demesnedenoir said:


> What flaws? Both in fantasy in general and GRRM? I’m curious, haven’t read Fire and Blood, yet.



The most crucial flaw that I see and which has turned me off many authors, and reduced my enjoyment of the fantasy genre in general, is the predictable moralism of the author as delivered by the story. When you've got black-and-white conflicts with essentially immorale idiots vs morale wise men/women then you're losing my interests because I know that the conflict will be one-sided and the outcome can never be doubted by the reader, and as such I know that there's no way for the good guys to lose or suffer drastic losses in the pursue of victory.

It's not just fantasy, but I've come to associate it with fantasy to a higher degree than historical fiction. The numbing sense of the good guys walking from victory to victory to victory with the bad guys not standing a chance due to their overwhelming stupidity. Its just boring and the victories for the good guys losses all meaning in the absence of resistance and failure.

And finally I must keep looking for the fantasy author I dream about. An author who is not going to force down the proper way to read his story down my throat but says. "Ok, this is the scenario. These characters do this and those characters do that. Now you the reader can decide for yourself who your heroes and villains are in this story."


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## Demesnedenoir

I can see that. I think Martin does a good job with moral ambiguity. 

I’m playing around with stuff in my series. Winning and losing itself are ambiguous. But, my stories wll be all over the board, they’re following a history rather than just telling particular stories.



Gurkhal said:


> The most crucial flaw that I see and which has turned me off many authors, and reduced my enjoyment of the fantasy genre in general, is the predictable moralism of the author as delivered by the story. When you've got black-and-white conflicts with essentially immorale idiots vs morale wise men/women then you're losing my interests because I know that the conflict will be one-sided and the outcome can never be doubted by the reader, and as such I know that there's no way for the good guys to lose or suffer drastic losses in the pursue of victory.
> 
> It's not just fantasy, but I've come to associate it with fantasy to a higher degree than historical fiction. The numbing sense of the good guys walking from victory to victory to victory with the bad guys not standing a chance due to their overwhelming stupidity. Its just boring and the victories for the good guys losses all meaning in the absence of resistance and failure.
> 
> And finally I must keep looking for the fantasy author I dream about. An author who is not going to force down the proper way to read his story down my throat but says. "Ok, this is the scenario. These characters do this and those characters do that. Now you the reader can decide for yourself who your heroes and villains are in this story."


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## skip.knox

That's curious, Gurkhal, because my reaction is the opposite. Much fantasy bores me because of the heavy reliance upon grim and dark. Most books in that genre don't push a moral down my throat, other than the implied moral that the world is grim and dark and look how grim and dark my world is, isn't that grim and dark, and the characters in it are so very grim. And dark.

I'm much more of the Philip Marlowe type. Give me a hero, first of all, which means someone who knows their own mind, and who goes through a difficult world staying true to that. This doesn't mean the hero doesn't make mistakes, doesn't even deliberately do the wrong thing (though always for a higher good, as defined by hero), but is always absolutely aware of the choice they're making and the consequences thereof. 

No shining knights, sure. That's thin writing. But so is the ultra-cynic who's hip to the world and goes through it with one eyebrow raised. 

I guess there's a market for just about everything!


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## DragonOfTheAerie

I have this thing where I can't both read regularly and write regularly. Which means my books are receiving neglect. Library books. Oh dear. A couple are due on the 17th; I cannot remember which.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

As per my Christmas tradition, I'm reading the Discworld novel Hogfather.


----------



## Mythopoet

I feel like I've read a ton of stuff since I last posted but for the life of me can't remember any of it right now. Recently most Tolkien ebooks went massively on sale so I stocked up on a ton of them. Almost all stuff I already have in print, but these days I like reading on my kindle best. Also, I like to keep my Tolkien hardcovers nice so carrying them around isn't something I like to do. 

Since then I've been working my way through Tolkien's Letters. Since unfortunately, I never read it cover to cover in print. I've really been learning a lot. It's fascinating to see Tolkien's personality coming through the words and hear his point of view about his work. I've also been reading The Story of Kullervo, one of his oldest pieces of writing. You can see exactly where certain words of Quenya first came from and where some of the ideas in The Silmarillion first appear. I have come to really appreciate and relate to Tolkien as a person. And feel better about my potential as a fantasy writer, which foolishly I can never help comparing to his genius.


----------



## Demesnedenoir

Eeeyes, a Tolkien book gave Eve of Snows no chance of hitting #1 in category... My Tolkien fandom came back to bite me, heh heh.



Mythopoet said:


> I feel like I've read a ton of stuff since I last posted but for the life of me can't remember any of it right now. Recently most Tolkien ebooks went massively on sale so I stocked up on a ton of them. Almost all stuff I already have in print, but these days I like reading on my kindle best. Also, I like to keep my Tolkien hardcovers nice so carrying them around isn't something I like to do.
> 
> Since then I've been working my way through Tolkien's Letters. Since unfortunately, I never read it cover to cover in print. I've really been learning a lot. It's fascinating to see Tolkien's personality coming through the words and hear his point of view about his work. I've also been reading The Story of Kullervo, one of his oldest pieces of writing. You can see exactly where certain words of Quenya first came from and where some of the ideas in The Silmarillion first appear. I have come to really appreciate and relate to Tolkien as a person. And feel better about my potential as a fantasy writer, which foolishly I can never help comparing to his genius.


----------



## Tom

I made a new year's resolution to read more in 2019, and so far I'm holding to it pretty well. At the end of December I read _Hogfather_ (a must), and over the last few weeks I've also read Shirley Jackson's _Haunting of Hill House_, _The Yellow Wallpaper_ (free on Google Play right now), and _The Changeling_ by Joy Williams. Right now I'm starting on the first volume of _The Unreal and the Real_, a collection of short stories by Ursula K Le Guin. 

I got a Samsung tablet in the fall and it's really helped me get back on the reading wagon--I often don't have time to go to the library and can't really afford physical books, so having an ereader has made reading accessible to me again. I have all my books at the tips of my fingers wherever I am.


----------



## skip.knox

I'm reading The Expanse series, currently on volume 3. Gotta say, I haven't had this much fun reading SF in a very long time. It's an extraordinary story told with great skill.


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## Steerpike

skip.knox said:


> I'm reading The Expanse series, currently on volume 3. Gotta say, I haven't had this much fun reading SF in a very long time. It's an extraordinary story told with great skill.



I'm awaiting the next one. The show is quite good, too.


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## skip.knox

I watched the first season, because it was free. It's very good, but I'm glad I'm reading the books. When it comes to astounding tales, words do it better.


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## Mythopoet

I read the first volume of the light novel series _The Devil is a Part-timer!_ and it was even more hilarious than the anime was. Definitely going to keep reading this series. Highly recommend.

The premise is that there's a fantasy world where the Devil King Satan is bent on world conquest, but just before achieving victory a Hero appears. One by one his armies are defeated and the Hero and her party assault the Devil's Castle. As a last resort, the Devil King and his one remaining Great Demon General create a portal and flee to another world: this world, Tokyo, Japan. Where they find that they have lost their demon forms and have no natural supply of magic power. They are stuck here in human bodies, subject to human frailties and no way to create another portal to return home. But the Devil King is unfazed. He forms a plan. He will... get a part-time job! If he does well enough he might even make it to... Full-time Employee! And once he can surpass his manager at MgRonald's he'll be poised to take over the world! Only one problem, Emilia the Hero followed him to this new world and though she also is cut off from the source of her holy power, she's still trying to kill him.


----------



## Gurkhal

Just some 25 pages and I've finally finished with Geoffrey Hosking. Soon, so very soon.


----------



## Gurkhal

And now its finished.

I'm moving on to Anna Virubova's memoir about her life, and perhaps most interesting about life at the Imperial Russian court between 1905-1917.


----------



## Mythopoet

I finished reading *The Story of Kullervo*. A volume including Tolkien's unfinished "The Story of Kullervo", based on the Kullervo cyle of the Kalevala, two versions of his lecture on the Kalevala and an essay about Tolkien's relationship with the Kalevala. It was all quite fascinating. It's common knowledge that Tolkien's Turin Turambar and the Tale of the Children of Hurin takes a lot from Kullervo, but until now I had never really fathomed why Tolkien was so inspired by this story in particular. It's easily my least favorite part of the Kalevala and I find Kullervo himself rather a repulsive figure. But after reading this I have a better understanding. It's also very interesting to see one of Tolkien's earliest attempts at creating names. Some of the "word sounds" he used in Kullervo ended up as part of proto-Quenya. 

I also finished *1177 BC: The Year Civilization Collapsed*. Despite its unfortunately sensationalist title (for which I imagine the publishers are to blame) this was a very informative look at the Bronze Age Collapse and what really caused it. Was it the Sea Peoples? Was it earthquakes? Was it climate change and famine? Many theories have been put forth by historians over time. The book comes to the very reasonable conclusion that it was all of the above. Or rather, a total systems collapse caused by many different disasters in different places and times that had a large ripple effect that devastated the whole eastern Mediterranean. The most interesting part of the book though was not about what caused the collapse but was the detailed picture the author painted of what the Bronze Age was like pre-collapse. He describes it as a far more advanced, interconnected and cosmopolitan age than I realized. In fact, he compares it directly to our own times and not without reason.


----------



## CupofJoe

After reading a few Crime stories, I've come back to Fantasy [sort of] and left Crime behind [and no, not really]. I've just started *Rivers of London* by Ben Aaronovitch. It is entertaining so far. Light and quick but not slight. The main characters are engaging and interesting as well as being likeable [for the most part] and believable. One thing I have noticed already is that it is set in early 2012 and it is strange to me to read something less than ten years old and have it feel like a period piece.


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## TheCrystallineEntity

I vented about one Charles de Lint book, and here I am so glad that I found one that doesn't have any adult content, and is so, so good that I almost want to buy all of the others. But I must proceed with caution.


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## neodoering

I just picked up the library's copy of _Power Failure_ by Ben Bova.  Its been a while since I read his stuff, and I'm really looking to digging in.


----------



## Ross

The Blade Itself, then on to Before They Are Hanged, by Joe Abercrombie. It's a new, gritty fantasy trilogy. Gripping stuff so far!


----------



## Steerpike

The Best of Caitlin R. Kiernan.


----------



## Mythopoet

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. It was alright. 

Now I'm finally reading Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny. It's FINALLY on kindle. I'm loving it.


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## skip.knox

_The Hod King_, by Josiah Bancroft. I'm only partway through, but so far I'm disappointed. What had been a wildly inventive adventure story has, for this section at least, become a pine-and-whine romance. But on the strength of the first two volumes, I'll soldier on. The next section switches POV character, so there's hope for a new tone.


----------



## Gurkhal

Just got the book "The Russo-Japanese War in Global Perspectiv volume 1". Will start reading it tonight if everything goes according to plan.


----------



## ALB2012

I just finished Lord of the Flies audio (which was awesome) and gave up trying to read Moby Dick again. Not sure what's next...


----------



## Insolent Lad

I decided to finally tackle Gravity's Rainbow. It's not as bad as some folks claim. Nor as good as others claim.


----------



## Gurkhal

Thinking about making a major investment into David Edding's fantasy literature. I didn't really like it when I first read it but hopefully I am not as fixed in my preferences that I can't appreciate the parts of it that I did like, and can try to see where he's trying to take me as opposed to struggle against it.


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## Steerpike

ALB2012 said:


> ... and gave up trying to read Moby Dick again.


----------



## Crcata

Right now, the chronicle for WoW.


----------



## Ban

Does anyone remember me saying that I started reading Peter Frankopan's silk roads?

5 months later I've finished it. An absolutely fantastic history book telling world history from the perspective of the heartland of Asia. I fully recommend it to anyne evenbhalfway interested in the subject, though because it is so densely packed with information I got sidetracked way too often, to the point that I had to read other books in between just to give myself a bit of a breather.

Onwards to other tales!


----------



## Yzjdriel

Currently re-reading the code I'm testing tomorrow.
Also reading Grandma's Pączki recipe - well, trying to.  Polish diacritical marks and her cursive never went well together, I'm afraid.


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## DragonOfTheAerie

I'm technically in the middle of like 5 books and my Goodreads shows more than that because i've abandoned several and haven't taken them down. 

I really dislike a lot of YA. I absolutely hate the one generic voice and style it is all written in, mainly. They sound more and more the same with every passing month. There are good ones but it's hard to come upon them. But my library doesn't have any of the sequels I want to read. not a single one of scott lynch's books there, city of stairs is just there bereft of its sequels, not a single first book in any of brandon sanderson's series is ever there (idk if he's any good or not i havent had the opportunity to find out), i've been searching for the sequel to annihilation for half a year, but it's never there. I waited months and months for gardens of the moon to show up and now deadhouse gates has been absent for like 5 months. How? If you can consistently have 4 copies of twilight on the shelves you can keep one book of literally any good series, YA or otherwise, cant you? but no 

My local library's general fiction section is like 6 rows of shelves thats mostly christian romance novels. It's bad. Very, very bad. No fantasy novel that is even a little bit off the beaten path, except some weird arthurian stuff i have no interest in. The young adult section is, admittedly, rather robust, and i find myself bringing home and rejecting YA books over and over. Almost nothing on my TBR is even there if it's not YA. I don't have the money to buy things just so I can see if I like them, or buy them at all, and i'm sure as hell not buying just the second book in a series. 

Basically nothing I'm reading right now is doing it for me and I'm just going to sit here and...try to survive it I guess 

Honestly if good books weren't so uncommon...


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

honestly i'm not sure how YA is such a huge category because you can read 5 of em published in the past 5 years and you have a pretty good chance of having read almost everything published in the same time span. Is the category held up by people who *habitually* buy YA? How do you even??? 

This current epoch is almost worse than when all those shitty dystopians were getting published in the wake of the hunger games. Now the thing is queens, and there are dozens of barely distinguishable books about girls having to take back their thrones. Usually at least two female POV's. Girl is always a badass fighter. Generic fantasy world. Two or three fantasy creatures. Something something forbidden magic. Something empire. Bland court intrigue. It's not anything like with the hunger games where dystopia was everywhere, it's the same plotline over and over, not just the same tropes.


----------



## Azeroth

I am slogging my way through the Wheel of Time, currently on #5 -- The Fires of Heaven. I aim to complete the entire series by the end of the year.


----------



## CupofJoe

*Espedair Street* by Ian Banks. Not a fantasy, but maybe a modern Fairytale.


----------



## Svrtnsse

Currently reading The Tattooed Wolf, by K Bannerman. It's categorized as Paranormal / Dark Fantasy / Low Fantasy, but I'm not sure it fits what I would commonly associate with any of that.

Either way, the story is about a divorce lawyer.
One day a man comes in for an appointment. The man claims to be a werewolf and asks that the lawyer represents his wife in their upcoming divorce proceedings. He also claims his wife tried to kill him, twice.

I picked it up thinking it would help me better nail down what categories my own book would fit in. I'm not sure my story really matches this one, but it's still enjoyable. Not sure what category I'd put it in myself though.


----------



## CupofJoe

Yzjdriel said:


> Currently re-reading the code I'm testing tomorrow.
> Also reading Grandma's Pączki recipe - well, trying to.  Polish diacritical marks and her cursive never went well together, I'm afraid.


We had a family friend that made Pączki for holidays and birthdays. My mouth still waters at the thought of them.


----------



## Mythopoet

Azeroth said:


> I am slogging my way through the Wheel of Time, currently on #5 -- The Fires of Heaven. I aim to complete the entire series by the end of the year.


I'll pray for you.


----------



## Azeroth

Mythopoet said:


> I'll pray for you.



Ha, I am actually taking a break from the WoT at the moment. It is very overwhelming.

I finished Fires of Heaven and am now reading something different. Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson.


----------



## Mythopoet

Ok so I finished *Tolkien's Letters* a while back. It was difficult getting to the end of his life, especially the letters from after Edith died. And his death came so suddenly, right after he wrote a very normal letter to his daughter about the vacation he was on. But wow, did I learn a lot from reading his own thoughts in his own words. What a remarkable man. 

After that I read *Lord of Light* which was amazing. On one hand I wish I had read it long ago but on the other hand would I have been ready to truly appreciate it? Zelazny's writing is just so smooth and evocative. I really need to read more of it and it looks like his works are FINALLY being turned into ebooks so it'll be easier to. 

I started a new manga called *Takane and Hana* and binged right through all 7 volumes currently in English. It's an absolutely hilarious romantic comedy. One of the few that has made me literally burst out loud into laughter many times. The banter between the main couple is just utterly delightful. 

Then I picked up *Crocodile on the Sandbank* by Elizabeth Peters on sale. I had never read anything by this author before (though I understand she's quite beloved) and I don't read a lot of normal historical fiction but I have a deep love of Egyptian archeology so I couldn't resist. It was quite good. I liked the female main character quite a lot. I'll have to pick up more in this series eventually.


----------



## skip.knox

Currently reading another O'Brian novel (vol. 11). His prose is a consistent pleasure, though I rather fear the second half of the book is going to teach me far more about English law courts in the Napoleonic era than I ever would care to know.   But I do enjoy the characters and the writing.

It is such a relief after trying once again to read N.K. Jemisin's _The Fifth Season_. Never mind the present tense and even the occasional use of the second person, both utterly pointless as far as I can see. It's the storytelling itself that puts me off. Arbitrary references to things that are both inconsequential and unexplained. Actions that have no discernible motivation, or else have them pasted on like a travel stickers on luggage. Social structures that seem to exist solely to serve the plot. This is my third run at it and I've got no further than 16%. I do not understand why so many people are so enthusiastic. Switching over to O'Brian was like walking out of a 19thc factory floor into bright sunlight and fresh air. I don't think I'll go back in there.

Also dabbling along with P.C. Hodgell's _God Stalker Chronicles_. It's a bit wooden, but still a step up from Jemisin, and is a nice break from O'Brian now and again.


----------



## Gurkhal

Finally started with Tolstoy's "The Cossacks" and we'll see how this goes.


----------



## kennyc

Just finished Listening to my first Audio Book .... I've tried a few in the past and just couldn't do it. I definitely prefer print/ebook ... still convenient to listen while walking (which I've been doing a lot of lately about 10 miles/day  and often read my kindle books) 

100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Totally trippy magical realism generational family saga.  Ending was about as I expected....wonderful book from the late 60's


----------



## neodoering

It's fun to read these posts and see what others are reading.  Today I am lamenting the closure of Borders Books, back when I had a bookstore one block from my apartment.  The media was saying Barnes & Noble was going to go under, too, but they've held on pretty well.  

I am reading Dan Brown's _Digital Fortress,_ which is more techno-thriller than fantasy but which moves at a breakneck pace that I really like.  I've read _Da Vinci Code_ and _Angels and Demons_, by the same author, and enjoy his storytelling style.  Much of it is implausible, but that is a minor consideration in fiction.  I'm going to finish it in a few days, and then I'm turning to _Writers of the Future #35_, which is a short story anthology_.  _I read the latest volume every year, because there are always at least a few stories I like.  I've been reading WotF for ten years, and I'm looking forward to this one, as well.


----------



## Mythopoet

Just saw that the 3 volume The Dark Crystal Creation Myths comics were on kindle unlimited so I gobbled those up. Very interesting. I'd almost forgotten how cool the world of Thra was. Many years ago I read the official novelization of the movie and really enjoyed the extra detail in it. I think I'm going to have to find it again and probably all the other Dark Crystal stuff out there in anticipation of the new series coming out this summer!


----------



## Maker of Things Not Kings

I tend to have way too many books going at once but right now these three are definite finishers in the coming week or so: 

Song of the Current 
The Witches of New York
The Night Tiger


----------



## Gurkhal

By happenstance I came over a rather obscure work, "The Notes of a Cavalryman" (my own translation) by Nikolay Gumilyov about his service in the Imperial Russian Army in the First World War. Its a bit of a detective work because the text was both censured by Soviet authorities when it was released and also as the author was an unapologetic conservative monarchist I suspect he's kind of whitewash the war and the Russian army's part in it. Because eveyone's always cheerful and positive and while the Germans are advancing into Russia, you get a feeliing the Russians are essentially running circles around their enemies all the time. No fear, panic, feeling of loss, hate or rage. Everyone's just jolly, brave and upstanding soldiers. I would suppose there's a reason as to why there's happy tales of brave reconnaissance of the Russian cavalry into East Prussia in 1914, but then the text kind of jumps ahead with no mention of the Battle of Tannenberg and the First Battle of the Masurian Lakes in 1914.

And its kind of a theme. At every mentioned encounter the Russians gets the better of the Germans or the Austrians, but somehow its the brave and jolly good Russian soldiers who are retreating despite constant success. I remember a comment by a military historian writer that the greater the focus is on individual heroics by a side, the worse the war is going for them. And there are alot of individual Russian heroics in this one.


----------



## Mythopoet

FINALLY finished *Lamekis or The Extraordinary Adventures of an Egyptian in the Inner Earth, with the Discovery of the Island of the Sylphides by **Charles de Fieux de Mouhy*. This monster, published in parts from 1735-1737 is easily the most insane fantasy story I've ever read. It follows in the tradition of Lucian's A True History but is more dedicated to crafting a detailed world of nonsense. The book weaves multiple odd narratives and framing stories together in a setting including ancient Egypt, a couple of imaginary North African countries, a vast subterranean country featuring an empire of violent worm people, and a realm in the sky peopled by sylphs. Throughout de Mouhy interjects footnotes detailing absurd rituals and customs of these various places and makes references to imaginary writings about the setting by the likes of Plato, Strabo, Aristotle and many more as if this book was really a scholarly historical work being translated by the author. It really is something. Ambitious. Wildly imaginative. Pure fantasy with no limits. But honestly I'm glad I'm finished.


----------



## Gurkhal

It seems I can't edit my previous post, but I'd like to add a comment. 

In despite of my earlier folly I have finally understood that the text itself was published in Russia between 1915-1916 and hence it wasn't the early Soviet authorities who censured the text but Tsarist ones, It also explains why the Russian soldiers are seemingly always successful and in a good mood. I suppose that unless you fancy a relocation to Siberia you had to write what the censors considered acceptable.


----------



## Hir i-Chorvath

In the middle of reading the Drizzt Do'Urden series and I can't read them fast enough. Also impatiently waiting for Stormlight 5 to come out, I love the series so far!


----------



## Tom

DragonOfTheAerie said:


> My local library's general fiction section is like 6 rows of shelves thats mostly christian romance novels. It's bad. Very, very bad. No fantasy novel that is even a little bit off the beaten path, except some weird arthurian stuff i have no interest in. The young adult section is, admittedly, rather robust, and i find myself bringing home and rejecting YA books over and over. Almost nothing on my TBR is even there if it's not YA. I don't have the money to buy things just so I can see if I like them, or buy them at all, and i'm sure as hell not buying just the second book in a series.


Does your library belong to a system? Because if so you can usually request books from other libraries in the system that your local branch doesn't have. My local library growing up had 2 rooms and a budget comparable to a 1-room schoolhouse, but I was able to get a ton of books through their interlibrary loan system. (Seriously, the YA section was 2 shelves. This was also a little before the YA fiction boom so everything was either outdated or crap or both.) I would request at least 4 or 5 new books a week and they'd usually ship in to my library branch within a day or two of placing a hold on them. Looking back, the website they used was prehistoric.... 

In modern times, you can also borrow ebooks from your library system (if they're that up on the times). I use the Libby app developed by Overdrive, mostly because I like the reading mechanics better than Hoopla and the original Overdrive app. Pretty sure you can also request digital copies of movies/tv shows on Hoopla.


----------



## skip.knox

Reading _Malice_ by John Gwynne. I'm not enjoying it much, as it seems to be rather plodding and predictable, but lots of people speaking highly. Plus, he's published and I ain't, so the ought to pay attention.


----------



## TheCrystallineEntity

Good Omens--for what is probably the seventh or eighth time.


----------



## Mythopoet

So right now I am reading...

J.R.R. Tolkien: a biography by Humphrey Carpenter
Don Rodriguez: Chronicles of Shadow Valley by Lord Dunsany
Red Moon and Black Mountain by Joy Chant


----------



## briar_rose

I'm reading American Gods by Neil Gaiman and really enjoying which surprises me as I tried reading Neverwhere several times and just couldn't get into it.


----------



## Gurkhal

I'd like to keep reading both "The Cossacks" by Leo Tolstoy as well as "Village Life in Late Tsarist Russia" but my glasses are broken and it seems like it will be two weeks or more before I can get them fixed.


----------



## Svrtnsse

Recently I've read:
_Trust A Few_, by E.M. Swift-Hook (sci-fi)
_The Atrocities_, by Jeremy C. Shipp (gothic horror)
_Tallis Steelyard. Deep Water and other stories_, by Jim Webster (fantasy short story collection)
_Binti_ and _Home_, by Nnedi Okorafor (science fantasy)
_The Caged Kingdom_, by M.A. Price (fantasy)

Next up, I'll go for the next book in the Binti series, and then I'll probably pick up another Tallis Steelyard collection.
Most notably, it feels like I've found the joy of reading again. For years now, it's been something I've done more out of a sense of obligation, than because I've really enjoyed it. I've read some good books in that time, but the urge to drop everything else just to read hasn't been there, and I can't remember when last I felt it this strongly.


----------



## Mythopoet

Picked up *Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman* for sale on kindle. This is one that's been on my "want to read" list for a while. I had no idea it was actually a tv series first. So far so good, but I have a feeling I'm ultimately going to be disappointed by the level of world building. But that's just a personal taste issue. For me, more world building is (almost) always better.


----------



## Tom

Currently reading:

*Authority* by Jeff VanderMeer (book 2 of the Southern Reach trilogy)
*The Farthest Shore* by Ursula K Le Guin (book 3 of Earthsea)
*POP: How Graphic Design Shapes Popular Culture* by Steven Heller

I started the summer off with the goal of rereading the Earthsea books, as well as reading Dune for the first time. I feel like I can't really call myself an SFF writer till I do. I'm planning to reread Good Omens (for like the thousandth time) as well.

I also picked up the Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer, after watching the Alex Garland movie based on it. It could work as as a standalone, but I've also decided to read the other two books in the trilogy. The style is sparse and atmospheric, picking its words carefully, which I love--I have to say, I also really appreciate VanderMeer's refusal to be transparent. It seems in recent years there's been a trend toward authors feeling as if they must explain, whether explicitly or implicitly, the inner workings of their world in order to hold our interest. Nothing gets explained in Annihilation. At most the main character/narrator speculates, but nothing she theorizes about her surroundings is ever proven. It's refreshing and intriguing.


----------



## DragonOfTheAerie

City of Miracles by Robert Jackson Bennett. 

I love this trilogy with all my heart and I am both excited and scared for it to end.


----------



## skip.knox

Just finished reading _Treasure Island_ to my grandson. It's my third time through the story. This version has an appendix that is worth reading in its own right. My First Book: ‘Treasure Island’ at FullReads


----------



## Mythopoet

Finished Neverwhere. Yep, world building was just a bit too shallow for me. It was a good book, but for me not a great one.

Also read The Rose Princess, book 9 in the Vampire Hunter D series. Very interesting. Explored a different perspective of the Nobility (vampires). I love how each book slowly reveals more and more about the world. It's really an amazing setting.


----------



## CupofJoe

Mythopoet said:


> Finished Neverwhere. Yep, world building was just a bit too shallow for me. It was a good book, but for me not a great one.


Snap! 
But I liked the sparse world-building. I thought it showed Richard Mayhew's incomplete understanding of what was happening to him. My copy was illustrated so maybe that helped fill in some of the gaps. I thought it very different, from the TV series and usually the better for it. I have a special love for the TV show as it was one of the last old-style BBC Doctor Who budget serials [no money, all smoke and mirrors].


----------



## Mythopoet

CupofJoe said:


> Snap!
> But I liked the sparse world-building. I thought it showed Richard Mayhew's incomplete understanding of what was happening to him. My copy was illustrated so maybe that helped fill in some of the gaps. I thought it very different, from the TV series and usually the better for it. I have a special love for the TV show as it was one of the last old-style BBC Doctor Who budget serials [no money, all smoke and mirrors].



Oh I certainly wouldn't claim that the sparse world building was a bad thing. Obviously it was a conscious decision made to complement the storytelling style and characters. Just that because of my personal taste it made the reading experience less rich and enjoyable for me.


----------



## pmmg

I just finished The Widows Second Chance by our own Chessie. Very well done.

I started Win Bigly by Scott Adams. Not a fiction one that, but I find the presentation engaging anyway.


----------



## Insolent Lad

I'm currently on 'Alas Babylon' which I hadn't read since I was a teen. It comes off as a bit of a long-winded boy scout manual. But as I've gone along I realized it was an influence on some of my very earliest world building, which was of the post-apocalyptic sort.


----------



## Steerpike

Just finished Starfarers, by Vonda N. McIntyre.  It was good.


----------



## skip.knox

Reading _Warriors: Into the Wild_ to my nine-year-old grandson. He loves it, but I'm astonished by how many basic guidelines the writing violates, including a perfect landslide of dialog tags. If ever a book was written adverbially, this is one. The premise is decent and there are a few nice touches, but for the most part it's a huge step down from _Treasure Island_. 

Current book for myself is _Children of Earth and Sky_, by Guy Gavriel Kay. It's ok, but it's another work with so many different points of view that it's hard to get deeply invested in any of the characters so far. I just catch a glimpse of someone whose story looks interesting and I'm whisked off to someone else. l've been trying to figure out why it's distracting in several novels I can name, yet works well in something like _War and Peace._ No conclusions yet.


----------



## Jez

Last night I started Semiosis: A Novel of First Contact - Sue Burke.
It hooked me in pretty quickly.


----------



## skip.knox

Insolent Lad said:


> I'm currently on 'Alas Babylon' which I hadn't read since I was a teen. It comes off as a bit of a long-winded boy scout manual. But as I've gone along I realized it was an influence on some of my very earliest world building, which was of the post-apocalyptic sort.



A disheartening number of books-I-loved-in-my-youth haven't stood up to a re-read. One I remember along the lines of _Alas, Babylon_ is _Earth Abides_. Have you read that one? No, I haven't gone back to that one; I'm just remembering. The very best nuclear apocalypse book for me remains _On the Beach_ by Neville Shute. One of the bleakest books I've ever read that somehow managed to make me proud to be a human.


----------



## Insolent Lad

skip.knox said:


> A disheartening number of books-I-loved-in-my-youth haven't stood up to a re-read. One I remember along the lines of _Alas, Babylon_ is _Earth Abides_. Have you read that one? No, I haven't gone back to that one; I'm just remembering. The very best nuclear apocalypse book for me remains _On the Beach_ by Neville Shute. One of the bleakest books I've ever read that somehow managed to make me proud to be a human.


I did read 'Earth Abides,' almost as far back as 'Alas Babylon.' I have some memory of the plot, such as it was, in my head. And 'On the Beach,' yes. I've read a fair bit of Shute since but might revisit that one some day. There was another post-apocalyptic novel I remember from that general period too, 'A Canticle for Leibowitz.' I suspect it would also be a disappointment  though I ate it up at the time.


----------



## Mythopoet

After Neverwhere I read *Wakenhyrst by Michelle Paver*. It's very rare for me to read a non-fantasy book, but I do have a soft spot for "gothic" thrillers. It was certainly gripping.

I also started reading *The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang* because I've seen it recommended so often and it was on sale. Predictably though, I began losing interest as soon as the actual war started around 40%. At 55% I'm stalled. I just don't find war very interesting. It doesn't help that I can't really relate to or sympathize with the MC. 

Now I'm rereading Dune Messiah because I was just in the mood for it. The Dune books are ones that I tend to reread every few years.


----------



## Mythopoet

Finished Dune Messiah. Oh man. I cried so much. I forgot how heart-wrenching that book is. Though from what I've seen it seems like I'm the only person who really, strongly sympathizes with Paul and his anxieties. Most people I've talked to about the books don't have much patience for him. Moved directly on to Children of Dune because how can I not. As much as I love Paul and I really love Paul, I might possibly love Leto II more.


----------



## EarlTheRed

I'm not reading anything at the very moment, but I did just finish _Gilded Cage_ by Vic James, which I must say, was _awesome_.


----------



## Avadyyrm

Just finished eye of the world. Starting the Wheel of time series


----------



## Maker of Things Not Kings

Mythopoet said:


> I also started reading *The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang* because I've seen it recommended so often and it was on sale. Predictably though, I began losing interest as soon as the actual war started around 40%. At 55% I'm stalled. I just don't find war very interesting. It doesn't help that I can't really relate to or sympathize with the MC.



I had the same experience though I finished the book halfheartedly. It IS a wonderful bit of world building from the beginning, but the war? It didn't work for me either at that point. 

Currently reading: *The Thirteenth Tale* by Diane Setterfield and *The Witch's Boy *by Kelly Barnhill


----------



## Mythopoet

Maker of Things Not Kings said:


> Currently reading: *The Thirteenth Tale* by Diane Setterfield



Ok that one sounds so interesting I had to start it right away.


----------



## Sir Zyr

Mortal Gods by Benjamin Medrano


----------



## kennyc

Going to read/reread some Ursula

Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin | Full Film | American Masters | PBS


----------



## Steerpike

Second of the Starfarers books by Vonda McIntyre.

Plus I discovered Deborah Turner Harris. Reading her Mages of Garillon books. So good.


----------



## Insolent Lad

Although it's short (a novella in fact), I'm taking my time to reread Jack Vance's 'The Dragon Masters.' I am being reminded why it is one of the classics of science fiction.


----------



## Mythopoet

I've finished reading Children of Dune and it was almost a different experience entirely from the last time I read it. I feel like I understood certain aspect better this time. Having had deeper experiences with the first 3 Dune series books this time around, I think I will reread them all this time. Normally I don't both rereading Heretics or Chapterhouse.  I'm really looking forward to having new revelations in God Emperor of Dune next. 

But first... I want to immerse myself in research reading. I have a TON of books I want to read to help me with my world building. Though my world is decidedly fantasy, it's basically our world in an "alternate universe" where I'm taking a ton of stuff I find fascinating in our world and putting it in a blender and whipping it up into a delicious smoothie. So I take a lot of material from history, particularly ancient to late antiquity, and a ton from various mythologies. So I have a huge reading list of books about mythology and history and culture. I started reading *Pliny's Natural History* the other day and wow is it wild.


----------



## Zander Willmore

I am currently reading Bombs Away the first book in the Hot War series by Harry Turtledove.  It is a story where America used the atomic bomb in the Korean War.  It is a what if of course but it is very good.  I have a tone of books on my to read pile.  I havnt read much this year because I was focused on reading comic books.


----------



## kennyc

I'm not a big novel reader but am currently enthralled with The Overstory by Richard Powers! Pulitzer Prize winner Incredible, Amazing, he is literally a genius!

Came out last years, but I've been waiting since about April (when the Pulitzer Prize was announced) on hold from my local library...


----------



## Rogue

So a small taste of what's on my literary plate at the moment...

I just finished up a sci-fi anthology of short stories; _*The Year's Best Science Fiction: Thirty-Fifth Annual Collection*_. Most of them were nice stories but nothing that left me really wowed. I also recently finished _*Blood Rites*_ by Jim Butcher, book six in _*The Dresden Files *_and if the first five books were two and three-star books, then I'd give this one a four out of five. I only give it such a high rating because I think it is so much better than the five before it, doing a better job of finally capturing the tone of the noir genre that people keep telling me the Dresden books are all about.

I'm currently about halfway through listening to _*The Great Hunt*_, book two in Robert Jordan's _*Wheel of Time *_and I'm not really feeling the hype. I'll likely end up listening to the third book in the series but if it's the same as the first two, I'll probably end up putting down the series. The only reason I've made it this far is because the narrators (Michael Kramer and Kate Reading) have done such a wonderful job of breathing some life into an otherwise listless narrative. Unless I decide to move directly on to the third book in the series, I'm considering making _*Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell *_by Susanna Clarke my next Audible listen although I am curious as to how her many footnotes will fit into its narration.

I recently picked up Ursula K. Le Guin's _*The Books of Earthsea*_, the illustrated edition that contains all of her Earthsea novels and short stories. I forgot how heavy they are on the narrative, with very little dialogue and told more like a brief history, but I'm still enjoying them much as I did when I first read them as a boy. Still, there's a lot of telling and practically no showing and isn't something that I would recommend to people who don't enjoy the classics of the fantasy genre. In fact, if not for it being a childhood favorite of mine, I probably wouldn't enjoy it myself.

I'm also about a quarter of the way through John Grisham's _*The Reckoning*_. I have vague memories of reading _*The Firm *_when I was a teenager but I don't have any interest in returning to it. At first, I didn't think I was going to like _The Reckoning_. It starts out with a heavy narrative and not enough dialogue, something that I prefer when it comes to moving the plot along. Grisham is a former lawyer and it shows in his writing (I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing). He's often touted as an author of thriller and I'm not seeing that in this book but it's still an intriguing story and there has been a noticeable increase in character dialogue so I find myself becoming more and more interested as I read which is always a good sign.

Having recently finished _*Games People Play *_by Eric Berne, M.D., I am ready to pick up another non-fiction title and currently have my eyes set on _*Against Empathy *_by Paul Bloom, another subject in psychology. As for _Games People Play_, I recommend to anybody thinking about reading it to keep in mind the time in which it was written and the time during which the author would have received their education in psychology. There is no way around it, there is obvious sexism and homophobia to be found in many of Dr. Berne's ideas but his fundamentals concerning transactional analysis when it comes to social interactions is still heralded as revolutionary and he offers one a lot to think about. Suffice it to say, much like everybody else in society, Dr. Berne is playing his own game.

The next fantasy novel I am considering picking up is _*The Poppy War *_by R.F. Kuang, the first book in what I believe is a trilogy but I may end up reading _*Challenger Deep *_by Neal Shusterman first as I've flipped through it and feel that it may be a quicker read. I don't consider myself a fast reader though I've never timed myself. This is why I like to read multiple books at once, usually within different genres so as to avoid crossover. Although not a fantasy, I also have my eyes on _*From Here To Eternity *_by Caitlin Doughty; what appears to be a charming little narrative about death that I found in the psychology section of my local bookstore. It's author, a mortician, says that it is a true story, her story, but written in the form of a first-person narrative with a few names being changed for the sake of privacy.

I keep track of what books I've read and those that I want to read on Goodreads. I even rate those ones I've read but I don't typically leave reviews. I use the site more as a virtual bookshelf to help me keep track of the many titles I'm interested in.


----------



## kennyc

I also read a short one -- The Tin Man a literary queer fiction book, but more literary than queer and totally fascinating. (more a love story than myth though  )


----------



## Insolent Lad

I am currently working my way through Ernest Bramah's Kai Lung books, the five that were published in his lifetime (all free as ebooks at Project Gutenberg). I had read the first two years ago when they were part of the Ballentine fantasy reprints. Enjoyed revisiting those and now on the first I hadn't read. Humor in an improbable fantasy world resembling (but never named as) China.


----------



## ThisAdamGuy

I'm a total Brandon Sanderson nut. My sister got me his latest book, Starsight, for Christmas, and I'm rereading the first book in the series, Skyward, before diving into it.
I'm also listening to The Wheel of Time: Fires of Heaven as an audiobook while I drive and am at work.


----------



## Rogue

ThisAdamGuy said:


> I'm a total Brandon Sanderson nut. My sister got me his latest book, Starsight, for Christmas, and I'm rereading the first book in the series, Skyward, before diving into it.
> I'm also listening to The Wheel of Time: Fires of Heaven as an audiobook while I drive and am at work.



I first discovered Sanderson by accident when I came across _*The Way of Kings* _hardcover that had been mistakenly marked down a substantial amount. I was originally just looking for something to read during a pending car ride but I recognized Michael Whelan's artwork on the cover and figured for the price, I'd take a shot in the dark. I've been hooked since then although I haven't really read his other novels; I've considered some of his YA work for quick reads.

Have all of the previous WoT novels been audiobooks? I'm currently grinding my way through *The Great Hunt *but have started a job that offers me significantly less drive time and I'm not sure how interest I am in future titles. The narrators are great, however. They also read Sanderson's _Stormlight Archive_.


----------



## CupofJoe

I'm trying to read the original version of *The Hobbit*. So far it is pretty much as I remember the tale from my childhood. There have been a couple of sentences that seem different or new, but I've only just got to _The Last Homely House_.


----------



## Steerpike

Reading Stacy Schiff's biography of Cleopatra.


----------



## Rogue

Steerpike said:


> Reading Stacy Schiff's biography of Cleopatra.



Do you read a lot of biographies? Especially of less recent historical figures. I ask because I'd like get into more historical bios but I'm always overly skeptical of sources that I've just started turning to individual referrals.


----------



## Steerpike

Rogue said:


> Do you read a lot of biographies? Especially of less recent historical figures. I ask because I'd like get into more historical bios but I'm always overly skeptical of sources that I've just started turning to individual referrals.



Not many. I read a fair amount of history, but not as many biographies. Sourcing is an issue, especially when you're going back to Cleopatra's time, for example. I think Schiff does a decent job of talking about sources and where they contradict, and also making clear when she is making suppositions. She is clearly enamored of Cleopatra, though. So far, it is a very favorable depiction.


----------



## skip.knox

With biographies it's more subtle than merely are the facts right. A biography is like a portrait. By it's nature it cannot be a perfect likeness, yet it can be more revealing than a photograph. The best way to get into biographies is the same as getting into other genre of literature: read, and develop your own taste.


----------



## skip.knox

Right now I'm reading _The Dragon's Path_, by Daniel Abraham. It's pretty good, though I confess I'm getting tired of court drama in fantasy. Still, Abraham does it better than most. And other plot lines hold my interest better (he has multiple).

But I also want to note that Abraham is one half of the writing team that is James S.A. Corey (_The Expanse_). I love that series. Best SF I've read in a very, very long time. What strikes me is writer voice. On one side it's SF, on the other it's traditional fantasy. On one side it's a writing team, on the other it's the one author. Can one hear the writer's voice?

I think I do, but it's very difficult to say exactly what. There's something about the pacing of sentences. There's a curious blend of hard-eyed coldness layered over genuinely deep emotions. There's a sense I get that somehow Abraham himself is in there, down in individual scenes and certain emotions. There's definitely a use of small moments to add depth and pacing. 

Surely all those things can be said of other authors, yet somehow once you total them you come to a different sum for Abraham than you would for another author. It's something akin to being able to recognize a painter's style, or how you know that different musicians have each their own style, and you'd be able to pick them out even if they were all playing the same song.

Art is weird.


----------



## ALB2012

I just listened to the Lord of the Rings Trilogy on audio. Loved it.


----------



## Prince of Spires

The grand strategy of the Byzantine empire by Edward Luttwak. It's nice to learn more about historical things on the edge of the public consciousness. I knew the Byzantine empire existed. But nothing more than that. It was always sort of the lesser child of the roman empire which just existed and slowly withered away. It's nice to be corrected and learn there was (a lot) more to it. Also, it's useful from a writing perspective to learn a bit about strategy, war and so on.


----------



## kennyc

Read Jeff VanderMeer's Dead Astronauts -- was very disappointed...2 stars....too weird, no real story flow, disjoint with long boring sections (blue fox in particular) looks more like his 'notes and thoughts' supporting his writing of Borne which I'm reading now and Loving!!


----------



## Speranza

I'm reading Nevernight (The Nevernight Chronicles Book 1) by Jay Kristoff. I did start it last year, but had a hissy fit with his use of footnotes. I picked it up again, have ignored the footnotes and am really enjoying the story and the characters, particularly Mia the main character. Have you ever seen footnotes in fiction before? I'm used to them in Academic and some non fiction but never in fiction, it takes me away from the story, which is not a good thing, not in my book (pardon the pun) anyway.


----------



## skip.knox

Reading Nevil Shute again. This time it's _An Old Captivity_. It's not fantasy but I suppose modern book shelvers might say it has an element of magical realism. Shute is easily the most unusual author I've ever read. His books are memorable, each one quite different from the other, and each one hard to describe what makes it so extraordinary. Also, curiously, each one I've read so far would make a good movie.


----------



## Steerpike

skip.knox said:


> With biographies it's more subtle than merely are the facts right. A biography is like a portrait. By it's nature it cannot be a perfect likeness, yet it can be more revealing than a photograph. The best way to get into biographies is the same as getting into other genre of literature: read, and develop your own taste.



This one has turned out to be good. There is limited information on Cleopatra, so educated speculation is of course woven in, and the author takes a definite pro-Cleopatra viewpoint, but on the whole it is entertaining and informative.


----------



## CupofJoe

skip.knox said:


> Reading Nevil Shute again. This time it's _An Old Captivity_. It's not fantasy but I suppose modern book shelvers might say it has an element of magical realism. Shute is easily the most unusual author I've ever read. His books are memorable, each one quite different from the other, and each one hard to describe what makes it so extraordinary. Also, curiously, each one I've read so far would make a good movie.


I had forgotten Nevil Shute. My father was a fan so they were always around the house. And I don't think you are alone in thinking they make good films. Much of his work has been adapted for TV or Film and sometimes both and more than once. I will look out for him again.


----------



## skip.knox

_On the Beach  _is the one everyone knows, but I would hesitate to recommend it as a Shute first novel. It is the bleakest thing I've ever read.

Very different is _A Town Called Alice_, which is almost like two separate books, except that it follows the main character in both parts.

But my introduction to Shute was _Pied Piper_. I recommend it, if you're looking to return to the author. As with every book of his I've read, it's such an odd choice of story and perspective, yet such a gratifying one.


----------



## Black Cat

I've been re-reading Dresden Files in anticipation of Peace Talks' final release. I'm on Proven Guilty and it's been interesting. Butcher does the technical aspects of writing well - he can spin a yarn, his dialogue usually pops and his descriptions are colorful - but it feels like he's trying to write two different genres simultaneously. Not an impossible task by any means, but sometimes it gives me whiplash.



Spoiler: Proven Guilty spoilers



For example, he tries to write Molly at the end in a humorous way despite her at least nominally feeling guilty about the brainwashing she's done, an act of black magic that she was going to be executed for until a combination of Harry and literal divine intervention saved her. This is on top of the usual beating Harry takes over the course of the book. Then she complains about... having to do wizard homework... maybe Butcher just wanted to end it on a lighter note? It wouldn't be the first time a competent author dropped the ball that way, it just bugs me.



Or maybe I'm just forgetting something that contextualizes it later. Either way, it's still been an enjoyable ride so far


----------



## Steerpike

Started _The Library at Mount Char_. So far, a strange and interesting book.


----------



## AMObst

I've just finished book 7 of the Professor Croft series by Brad Magnarella, which is a great urban fantasy series set in New York, and I highly recommend for its tense plotting and interesting twists as well as good character development. Number 8 is about to be released. 
Now I'm starting on Agatha Christie's 'Murder is Easy', which might be the only one of hers I haven't read. The plots can be formulaic but she has an amusing way of describing characters in a less than flattering light.


----------



## Gurkhal

Edging closer to finish Prit Buttar's "Coallision of Empires". After that I'm looking for something of in the form of a novel.


----------



## skip.knox

Just finished _Ties of Blood and Bone_, A.E. Lowan. Now reading _The Dubliners_ by some Irish dude.


----------



## Azeroth

I recently started the last WoT book, a Memory of Light. It's taken me a loooong bloody time to get here.


----------



## WickGreenwood

Re-reading The Last Unicorn for roughly the thousandth time.


----------



## kennyc

Just read Steinbeck's East of Eden for the first time (after avoiding it forever) ... it was Wonderful! He is such an Amazing Writer. The ending was perfect and included a small fitting surprise at the finale.


----------



## Gurkhal

Going back to a classic. Ordered "Pawn of Prophecy" by David Eddings. I didn't really like it when it first read it but we'll see if I have matured and can get past my own issues with books. It will be interesting to revisit this classic. 

Although I am aware that it probably hasn't aged very well in many aspects. Still a classic that everyone should have read.


----------



## Red Star

Reading Dune for the first time. I know. I'm ashamed.


----------



## kennyc

N.K. Jemisin's The Broken Earth trilogy.


----------



## Gurkhal

Red Star said:


> Reading Dune for the first time. I know. I'm ashamed.



I haven't read it either yet, so I know the feeling.


----------



## Insolent Lad

I'm about two-thirds of the way through Ben-Hur, which I hadn't read since I was a teen. Despite being extraordinarily long-winded, it's any easy read. But so much relies on unlikely coincidences!


----------



## Orc Knight

Haven't read that in forever. I am currently reading The Unspoken Name. Which involves a very rare thing for fantasy. An orc heroine, of sorts. Well, Assassin and bruiser among other things and quite well learned. Been quite good so far.


----------



## Insolent Lad

I must say I am finding Ben-Hur, despite the preposterous coincidences that drive the plot, a textbook on story structure.


----------



## Orc Knight

I am now reading Ian Watson's Space Marine. The first published story involving the everloving grim darkness of the far future of only war. It is, well, it is something for certain. From a Marine named Biff to very verbose language that suddenly slams into stunted pidgen and course word use. And you kind of get used to the marines being spoken of almost lovingly in their buff musculature and the main trio's brotherhood that borders on the homoerotic when in their heads. It's good in it's own way and definitely worth a read for an early look into the slightly more colorful grim darkness.

On the other hand, there's still Stunty's in it and a lot of fighting, as per the course of the universe.


----------



## Steerpike

I like a lot of Abnett’s work in WH40K. 

Getting ready to start The Waves, by Virginia Woolf. We will see how that one goes.


----------



## skip.knox

I've been working my way through James Joyce's _Ulysses_.

Happily, I think I'm on the last sentence.

*groan*


----------



## Gurkhal

While waiting for "Pawn of Prophecy" I'm reading "The Ashes of Heaven's Pillar" by Kim Rendfeld.


----------



## Steerpike

skip.knox said:


> I've been working my way through James Joyce's _Ulysses_.
> 
> Happily, I think I'm on the last sentence.
> 
> *groan*



I have it on audio book but haven’t gotten through it yet.


----------



## skip.knox

I can't imagine how one would read it aloud, still listen listen to it. He has so much word play, so many references, switches in language. Then there's an entire section done as a play script. And that endless last "sentence" with no punctuation at all, not even on the contractions. How does one capture that on an audio book?

I've often wondered how his editor managed not to go insane. And _Ulysses_ is the easier one. _Finnegan's Wake_ is nearly unreadable, or so I've heard.


----------



## Adela

skip.knox said:


> I can't imagine how one would read it aloud, still listen listen to it. He has so much word play, so many references, switches in language. Then there's an entire section done as a play script. And that endless last "sentence" with no punctuation at all, not even on the contractions. How does one capture that on an audio book?
> 
> I've often wondered how his editor managed not to go insane. And _Ulysses_ is the easier one. _Finnegan's Wake_ is nearly unreadable, or so I've heard.



Well, that sounds fun.

Currently reading_ Stein on Writing_ and the guy's pretty pretentious. Keeps name dropping people I've never heard of. Also been skipping the non-fiction parts. Should I skip the non-fiction parts? Been asking myself why I bought this.

Also, don't yell at me, but,_ Return of the King_ for the first time. Slow going.


----------



## skip.knox

>Keeps name dropping people I've never heard of.
He's not really name-dropping, he's quoting so he gives attribution to the author. That you (or I) have not heard of most of them isn't really important to the point he's making Sure skip over the non-fiction parts. Skip over any bits that don't seem relevant.

Which connects to why you bought this. Don't worry about it. A book on writing is filled with advice, presented as a static whole. But an author is an evolving story. We change over time. A bit of advice at one point may seem irrelevant or painfully obvious or needlessly obscure. At another time, though, that same advice will ring like a bronze bell. For myself, advice books--the good ones--have proved valuable but only sporadically, spread out over years. Sometimes the value lies in practical advice, sometimes in inspiration, and sometimes simply in providing an example that finally rings true. 

And, this may vary with others, but I find the physical books to be more useful. Those are the ones I'll pull off a shelf in a moment of idlenss (or frustration) and just flip through randomly. That's hard to do with an e-book. Over these past fifteen years or so, the books (fiction and non-fiction alike) that are on my physical bookshelves are the ones that have really earned the spot. The e-books are the ones I just haven't bothered to delete yet.


----------



## Kathy Cyr

I just started Bad Mermaids by Sibéal Pounder. I loved her Witch Wars series so much and figured I give her other books a try.


----------



## neodoering

I'm reading _Michael Tolliver Lives._  It is set in San Francisco around 2007 and follows the lives of half a dozen characters.  This is number 7 in a 9 book series.  The characters are middle-aged now; one is an octogenarian.  The writing is fluid, and the story arc is well handled.  The first book in the series is _Tales of the City;_ the author is Armistead Maupin.  This is not speculative fiction but is straight up contemporary fiction.


----------



## Snowpoint

Just finished Hyperion by Dan Simmons, and its sequel. Had no idea what to expect going in. It really surprised me. Some of the characters endure such uniquely Sci-fi horrors, and still feel like very human stories.


----------



## Riaan

Finally found a thread where I can talk about a great novel I've been reading, and hoping that it becomes a series in the future.

Only I can level up(Solo Leveling) written by *Chu-Gong*. It is a South Korean web novel published by D&C Media under their Papyrus label. Solo levelings a fantasy/system with a part of game in it. 
It's about a young boy who became a hunter to pay for his mother's hospital bills and his sisters school fees. He is considered the weakest hunter by everyone. On one of his dungeon hunts his raid team encounters a duel dungeon. Which is an extremely rare sceneand decides to enter it without consulting the hunters association. (Skipping forward) 
Many people lost their lives in the dungeon only a few survived and he was left behind. By the the others and lost a leg. After that incident he woke up in a hospital totally unharmed. He then found a system notification pop up in front of him. Which he keeps a secret from everyone he encounter. This is helps him grow stronger as he starts to increase his strength slowly becoming the stingers hunter.

Im going to stop here not to spoil it any further. But it is a great book and hope people enjoy it as much as I do.


----------



## Mythopoet

Last night I finished reading the novel of *Pan's Labyrinth by Guillermo del Toro and Cornelia Funke*. I've never actually watched the movie but I'd heard it was very good so when I saw the book on Amazon I had to try it out. (I'm generally more of a book person than a movie person.) So while I can't compare it to the original version, I truly enjoyed the book. I imagine Funke was the perfect author to collaborate with on this as her prose is excellent at walking the line between the cruel real world and the magical imaginary world. I would highly recommend it to fans of fairy tales and magical realism.


----------



## neodoering

neodoering said:


> I'm reading _Michael Tolliver Lives._  It is set in San Francisco around 2007 and follows the lives of half a dozen characters.  This is number 7 in a 9 book series.  The characters are middle-aged now; one is an octogenarian.  The writing is fluid, and the story arc is well handled.  The first book in the series is _Tales of the City;_ the author is Armistead Maupin.  This is not speculative fiction but is straight up contemporary fiction.


One of the aspects of this series is that the author writes a new trilogy from time to time, with the same characters.  So they age and go through trials and tribulations, and by _The Days of Anna Madrigal_ (last book in the series) the characters are mostly in their 60's -  90's and have significant health concerns.  I really enjoyed this series.  Some characters are straight, some gay.  The one I liked best was Mary Ann Singleton, who has ambition to burn.  Most of the characters are satisfied with little, but she wants to go to the top, and hell yes go for it!


----------



## neodoering

For non-fiction I am currently reading _Islamic Empires,_ which is an examination of Islam over 15 centuries.  The author, Justin Marozzi, picks one city per century and shows how it is a powerhouse of Islam leadership and military might.  The chapter on Jerusalem is to depressing that I could hardly read it through; the Christians and the Muslims go back and forth in bloody massacres.  Overall, though, I am refreshed at learning about these different cities and the development of Islam through the ages.


----------



## AMObst

I'm in the middle of NK Jemisin's The City We Became. All I can say so far is - WOW!


----------



## Mythopoet

I felt the need to come here and gush about a book. This is such a rare thing for me. 

*Jo Walton* has been on my list of authors to read. Mostly for Among Others, which was the only one of her books I had actually heard of. But while looking through her works on Amazon I saw that *The Just City* was on sale. (Not anymore, unfortunately.) The description hooked me immediately. 

Basically, 300 individuals from across 2000+ years of history have all prayed to Athena that they might be able to live in the city described in Plato's _Republic_. This includes people like Plotinus and Cicero and Marsilio Ficino and many others either real or made up. Athena gathers these people and proposes to help them set up the city as an experiment. She chooses the island that will one day be called Thera and then later on Santorini. They gather 10,000+ slave children from throughout history around the Mediterranean to bring there to conduct the experiment on. They try to follow Plato's instructions as much as possible, but they also have divine help and also robots that Athena has brought from the future. Also, Apollo gets wind of the experiment and decides to incarnate and experience it all from beginning to end as a human because there are things he wants to learn that he thinks he can learn there. After the city had got up and running Athena also brings Socrates there, against his will, and he's not going to just sit around and take it.

The beauty of this book is that 99% of the conflict is entirely philosophical. There is debate over how to set up the city, but it is all discussed and solved logically. There is a boy who refuses to accept the fact that he was brought and kept there against his will, even if the life he leads there is very good, but it is only explored through socratic dialogue. Apollo struggles to learn about volition and equal significance between men and women and between gods and humans. But he is open to learning and does so through philosophical debate. And finally, Socrates is determined to question everything about the City, why it was made, should it have been made, is it a good thing, and also do the "Worker" robots have the potential for free will and intelligence? The big climax is a public debate between Athena and Socrates and it is glorious. 

If you have any interest at all in Ancient Greek philosophy then I can't recommend this highly enough. I'm reading the second book now of the trilogy and I am so happy to have found it. It's the smartest fantasy I've read in so long I could weep.


----------



## S.T. Ockenner

Harry Potter And The Order Of The Pheonix


----------



## FifthView

I finally started reading the Dresden books, with _Storm Front_.

About to begin chapter eight, and...is it me, or would _you_ advise beginning to write a new fantasy mega-series about a wizard and waiting until chapter six, book one, to even show him doing magic?

I've been told/read that the first couple Dresden books are slow/boring compared to others. I think this might be true? It feels like it only started picking up about chapter 6 (wonder why) through chapter 7.


----------



## Vermivorax

I just finished reading (well, listening to) Rosanne A. Brown's A Song of Wraiths and Ruin. It was very good and I'd been looking forward to it ever since I read the blurb. The characters have all kinds of secret motivations that put them into conflict with one another and the West African setting is pretty neat.


----------



## Eduardo Letavia

Currently reading a non-fiction historical book about the Visigoths. It tells their story from their migration from what is now Scandinavia, through their relationship with the Roman empire, their power struggles, and the last kingdom they founded in Spain before falling prey to the islamic invasion of the Iberian peninsula in the VIII century CE. Truly a time of wars and murder of kings!

And just before that, I finished a "The Hainish novels and stories" anthology by Ursula K. Le Guin. Interesting stuff, anthropological scifi with some fantasy brushes (in the first stories at least).


----------



## neodoering

And just before that, I finished a "The Hainish novels and stories" anthology by Ursula K. Le Guin. Interesting stuff, anthropological scifi with some fantasy brushes (in the first stories at least).[/QUOTE]

You might try Ursula LeGuin's work, _Always Coming Home._  It too is an anthropological work, set in the near future when our society has collapsed and small communities struggle to survive on the Pacific coast.


----------



## Eduardo Letavia

neodoering said:


> You might try Ursula LeGuin's work, _Always Coming Home._  It too is an anthropological work, set in the near future when our society has collapsed and small communities struggle to survive on the Pacific coast.



Good to know, thanks for the reference!


----------



## Mythopoet

Eduardo Letavia said:


> And just before that, I finished a "The Hainish novels and stories" anthology by Ursula K. Le Guin. Interesting stuff, anthropological scifi with some fantasy brushes (in the first stories at least).



Woah, thanks for mentioning this. I've ready "Semley's Necklace" in a short story collection and really enjoyed it. Didn't know there was more! I have to read these now.


----------



## Eduardo Letavia

Mythopoet said:


> Woah, thanks for mentioning this. I've ready "Semley's Necklace" in a short story collection and really enjoyed it. Didn't know there was more! I have to read these now.


Yes, there's MUCH more. For starters, _Semley's Necklace_ is just a part of a longer novella called _Rocannon's World_, which is the first story of them all. The anthology I've read is this one by _The Library of America_, complete with some introductions, articles and notes (even maps) by Le Guin herself. Be aware that she wrote all these stories in a wide time interval, starting in 1966 up till 2000, so you'll notice an evolution in the style, themes and some lack of internal coherence among them.


----------



## skip.knox

I have fond memories of _Rocannon's World_. It was in an Ace paperback, in the day when they would publish two novellas in a single volume, reversed. One cover on the front, the other on the back. You can see the format here







The other story is _The Kar-Chee Reign_ by Avram Davidson, part of another classic series.

I haven't seen this cover in a long time. It looks terrible cheesy now, and the blurb at the top isn't much better. Gee, thanks, publisher, you sure earned your percentage there!


----------



## Gurkhal

Life is a most curious thing. I used to hate e-books and now I am reading more e-books than normal books. 

Anyway, finished "Lessons Learned from the Use of the Machine Gun during the Russo-Japanese War" and "Russian soldier vs Japanese soldier: Manchuria 1904-05".

I think that for my own sake its better to not try to predict what I will read but instead just, read whatever I feel like and is interested in at the moment. I wish I could plan better but apparently I can't.


----------



## skip.knox

Just finished Asimov's _Second Foundation._ My review here
Ellis L. Knox’s review of Foundation's Edge


----------



## Hir i-Chorvath

I've recently finished Sunbolt and Memories of Ash. I thought they were pretty good, they were different. Both were written using first-person PoV and in present tense.
Also the Phoenix Host, it was an interesting read but not one of my favorites.

Still, waiting for the seventh book in the City Between Series, due to come out in September-October. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it. Also, Rhythm of War is coming out in November and I can't wait to read it!  Again, I highly recommend it.


----------



## Insolent Lad

I'm reading Puck of Pook's Hill. Somehow, despite being a Kipling fan (I consider The Jungle Books to be a formative childhood experience) I had missed this one, maybe because it is a 'children's book.' Anyway, I hadn't known how much it influenced Tolkien. Puck, physically, _is_ a hobbit, right down to his hairy feet! But there is much more of him in the character of Tom Bombadil, another old one who has lingered in the world of men.


----------



## kennyc

I've 'discovered' Haruki Murakami ... wow!  (a few short stories previously) .. Wind Up Bird and Kafka on the Shore.... Wow!


----------



## Silvahkir

I recently started studying modern poetry. As I meditated on T.S Eliot and Yeats, I realized that I should go back and read the foundational texts.  I am already familiar with the Hebrew scriptures, from of narrative and poetry perspective, so now I am going back to the Iliad.  I do a good bit of flitting about though, and am interested in how poetry is woven into narratives like the Dragon Age games, Skyrim, and of course I have to mention Lord of the Rings.


----------



## Insolent Lad

I've started on 'The Wood Beyond the World' by William Morris, a novel which it could be argued was the very first 'modern fantasy,’ written well before Tolkien, or even Dunsany. Certainly, world building as we know it now started there--the first self-contained, quasi-medieval, and completely invented fantasy world. I read the Ballantine edition way back; I was probably in my twenties. I’m going through the (free) ebook from Project Gutenberg now.


----------



## S.T. Ockenner

1984 by George Orwell and Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card.


----------



## Insolent Lad

What with it being its hundredth anniversary of publication, I reread David Lindsay's 'A Voyage to Arcturus.' Maybe the first novel of 'literary fantasy' ever. It's certainly chock-full of 'ideas,' but manages to be a decent story anyway.


----------



## Gurkhal

Pretty much unrelated to what I want to write, I am reading my way through the 8th edition codices for Warhammer 40 000 in regards to Space Marines.


----------



## S.T. Ockenner

Redwall-Brian Jaques


----------



## Hir i-Chorvath

Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson


----------



## Joieandlove

War of the Flowers by Tad Williams


----------



## AMObst

I've read a few crackingly good books over the last few months - some recent and some older than I'm only just catching up on. Those I've particularly enjoyed include:

Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri
The Dark Archive by Genevieve Cogman (latest in the fun Invisible Library series)
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by VE Schwab
Unconquerable Sun by Kate Elliott (SF Space Opera by one of my favourite authors and world builders)
The Pursuit of William Abbey by Clare North 
This Thing of Darkness by Harry Bingham (a contemporary crime thriller featuring one of the most compelling heroines I've come across)


----------



## Hir i-Chorvath

Between Cases by W.R. Gingell


----------



## S.T. Ockenner

Once And Future by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy


----------



## TJPoldervaart

Rereading the first Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson an planning to read The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter next.


----------



## S.T. Ockenner

I read The Way Back by Gavriel Savit, now I'm reading Storm Front by Jim Butcher.


----------



## Toby Johnson

i'm reading: I, Robot, LoTR, and Mars


----------



## S.T. Ockenner

Bad Unicorn by Platte F. Clark.


----------



## skip.knox

Fortress in the Eye of Time, by C.J. Cherryh
First fantasy novel in over a month for me.


----------



## S.T. Ockenner

skip.knox said:


> Fortress in the Eye of Time, by C.J. Cherryh
> First fantasy novel in over a month for me.


Have you ever read Bad Unicorn by Platte F. Clark?


----------



## skip.knox

Nope


----------



## Steerpike

Some thrillers by Yrsa Sigudardottir. Turns out, they're quite good.


----------



## Insolent Lad

I just read an horrendously bad pulp science-fiction novella (and I use 'science' very loosely but not as loosely as the author) called The Lost  Warship. Only because it was a free Gutenberg ebook that came loaded on my e-reader. I must admit, reading this sort of thing makes me feel way better about my own writing!


----------



## Hir i-Chorvath

Whispering Twilight by Melissa McShane


----------



## kennyc

Ancestral Night by Elizabeth Bear


----------



## Gurkhal

I'm reading two books. 

I just started with "Infantry Attacks" by Rommel (yes, that famous one) and have since beginning of last week or so been reading "How to Read a Japanese Poem". 

The second one I tried to read in a stretch like a novel or fact book but given its poetic nature, and that there's alot of poems in there, I have, after half the book, decided this approach was counter productive as I didn't get much from the poems. Instead I try to read a poem each morning so that I can think on it and "feel" it throughout the day. It makes for a slow going but I feel that I get more from it this way. One thing is certain though, more poetry will be added in the future to my reading as I like it so far.


----------



## Hir i-Chorvath

Kingdom of Ruses by Kate Stradling
Tournament of Ruses by Kate Stradling
The Legendary Inge by Kate Stradling
Abounding Might by Melissa McShane


----------



## Snowpoint

After quitting Mistborn 15+ years ago, finished it on Audible. Almost done with Way of Kings.

Turns out that guy from the Writing Excesses Podcast is pretty good. LOL.


----------



## Unknown

Tha Malazan Book of the Fallen, It is actually a re-read for me (well except for the last book that I've never started...) and I'm enjoying much more than the first time.


----------



## Mad Swede

Frederik Pohl's "Gateway".


----------



## pmmg

Not what am I reading now, but what have I recently read.

Well...the answer to that is our own Mr. Malik's audio book of the Dragon's Trail.

Would first like to say whoever did the reading was very good at it. Not all audio books have someone doing it who can bring the voice and drama out, but this reader was up to the task.

Would next like to say well done Mr. Malik. I enjoyed the book. I did not know if I would. You put such a lot of detail into metalurgy, weaponry, armor, architecture, and cruder ways of living that it was both a feeling of being transported and being educated by the journey. The politics were intriguing and right on, the world was complex, and the problems they faced I could see developing from the forces at hand.

If I had any complaint, I would say it was a little male centric, but I was not bothered by that. It was a little refreshing actually. My only real question, is why not bring more bullets to the sword fights, but....

I think this was a good read, I enjoyed it.

What am I reading now, meh....not worth mentioning.


----------



## S.T. Ockenner

I read a few Dresden Files novels, and now I'm reading The Necromancer by Michael Scott, until I can buy more Dresden Files books, and continue the series.


----------



## S.T. Ockenner

pmmg said:


> It was a little refreshing actually.


Uh...okay then.


----------



## skip.knox

Now reading _Nutmeg of Consolation_ by Patrick O'Brian, _The Greek Coffin Case_ by Ellery Queen, and _Paladin of Souls_ by Lois McMaster Bujold. Recently read _A Fortress in the Eye of Time_ by C.J. Cherryh.


----------



## Prince of Spires

Good Omens, by Pratchett and Gaiman. It's one of the few Pratchett novels I hadn't read, and so far I love it. It has all the quirky-ness and all the humor as a form of social commentary in a lighthearted but very much to the point sort of way that so far I have only found in Pratchett's works. The type of humor and writing very much fits with the earlier discworld novels like Guards Guards! So if you enjoyed those, give it a go


----------



## S.T. Ockenner

Prince of Spires said:


> Good Omens, by Pratchett and Gaiman. It's one of the few Pratchett novels I hadn't read, and so far I love it. It has all the quirky-ness and all the humor as a form of social commentary in a lighthearted but very much to the point sort of way that so far I have only found in Pratchett's works. The type of humor and writing very much fits with the earlier discworld novels like Guards Guards! So if you enjoyed those, give it a go


I love Terry Pratchett. I do need to buy some of his books sometime.


----------



## CupofJoe

*The Silver Pigs* by Lindsey Davis
Not a fantasy but an enjoyable who-done-it romp through Rome of AD70.
The plot in part at least has to do with stolen silver and who might be responsible....


----------



## kennyc

Just Finished "Klara and the Sun" by Kazuo Ishiguro. 4.5 stars. A bit different look at AI and told in first person from the AF (artificial friend) perspective. Excellent Work.

In Klara and the Sun, Artificial Intelligence Meets Real Sacrifice


----------



## Reaver

I'm currently reading "The Legend of Drizzt" (25th Anniversary Edition), Book II by the incomparable R.A. Salvatore. Book two is comprised of three outstanding tales: The Crystal Shard, Streams of Silver and The Halfling's Gem.


----------



## LCatala

Started Tamsyn Muir's Gideon the Ninth; really enjoy the colorful and vivid prose so far. Still waiting to see where the story is going.


----------



## CupofJoe

Terry Pratchett presents *Mrs Bradshaw's Handbook*
A good pastiche of the real Bradshaw railway guides with just enough Discworld whimsy to make it fun to read.


----------



## Steerpike

Balthazar, by Lawrence Durrell
Persephone Station, by Stina Leicht
The Library at Mount Char, Scott Hawkins
The Myth of the Spoiled Child, Alfie Kohn


----------



## MiaC

Been reading some of the sookie Stackhouse novels. Pretty good.


----------



## Stevie

Just started "The Moonsteel Crown" by Stephen Deas. It has all the makings of a cracker of a grimdark tale, though the voices of the characters come across as very modern, sometimes dangerously close to tongue in cheek. And some sloppy editing, which just gets me all riled up for no good reason. 

Non-fiction re-read is "The Talent Code" by Daniel Coyle. A remarkable book for anyone interested in where talent and skills come from. I'm trying to figure out how its premise of 'deep practice' works for fiction writing.


----------



## S.T. Ockenner

I finished 1984 by George Orwell. I strongly recommend it


----------



## RachelR

Just started Darcy Coates’ new book, The Whispering Dead. She specializes in haunted house stories, my favorite subgenre.


----------



## RachelR

And finished. Very satisfying read, and I’m looking forward to the sequel.


----------



## Insolent Lad

I finally got around to reading Woolf's Orlando. I had never known how much Helprin's Winter's Tale stol—er, borrowed from it. And it's a decidedly better book. Magic Realism before folks were using the term.


----------



## kennyc

I just devoured Three Elizabeth Strout books!  I read the short story 'Signs' in The Story Prize winners....that took me to "Anything Can Happen" in which 'Signs' is the opening story of a set of linked stories and then back to the Pulitzer winner "Olive Kitteridge" followed by "Olive Again" - these are all sets of linked short stories set is the same small town and they are WONDERFUL. She is a master of third person Omniscient viewpoint! jumping seamlessly from one inner thought to another and never a bit of confusion!

Elizabeth Strout


----------



## LCatala

Finished Gideon the Ninth, quite good, bought the sequel already. Then I started and finished Dune, which was very good. Next I think I'll read The Buried Giant, by Kazuo Ishiguro.


----------



## Steerpike

kennyc said:


> Just Finished "Klara and the Sun" by Kazuo Ishiguro. 4.5 stars. A bit different look at AI and told in first person from the AF (artificial friend) perspective. Excellent Work.
> 
> In Klara and the Sun, Artificial Intelligence Meets Real Sacrifice



It's in my TBR stack right now.


----------



## Miles Lacey

Prudence: The Custard Protocol: Book One by Gail Carriger.  The tone is so pompous that i could be forgiven it was written in the Victorian Era!  It is a steampunk novel with vampires, werewolves and an unhealthy obsession with female bloomers.  

Just finished reading Tom Sharpe's Wilt.  Truly one of the most funniest novels I've read and you'll never look at community college lecturers or pork sausages quite the same way again.  

The Doomsday Ultimatum by James Follett was okay but very dated.  Interesting twist at the end, though.


----------



## CupofJoe

Going on a bit of a *WW2* history binge at the moment.
*Kursk 1943 The tide turns in the East*. It's about the Battle of Kursk [July - August 1943]. It was the last big offensive by the Germans on the Eastern front. To put it oversimply... Both side made guesses on what the other side was doing. The German guesses were mainly wrong, The Soviet side was right more of the time. In hindsight [always 20/20] the Germans were doomed to fail and might have tried something else somewhere else, but the war machine is hard to steer.
I've just started *Normandy '44* by James Holland. It covers the first 2-3 months of the battle for France. It is 650 pages long so may take a while. The bit I'm looking forward to is the story of the battle for Tilly-sur-Seulles, It was and is a small town [village really] that because of it's location was fought over for nearly 3 weeks with hundreds of dead on both sides. I've been there and it is a beautiful sleepy place that was really friendly to a weary tourist.


----------



## Stevie

CupofJoe said:


> Going on a bit of a *WW2* history binge at the moment.
> *Kursk 1943 The tide turns in the East*. It's about the Battle of Kursk [July - August 1943]. It was the last big offensive by the Germans on the Eastern front. To put it oversimply... Both side made guesses on what the other side was doing. The German guesses were mainly wrong, The Soviet side was right more of the time. In hindsight [always 20/20] the Germans were doomed to fail and might have tried something else somewhere else, but the war machine is hard to steer.
> I've just started *Normandy '44* by James Holland. It covers the first 2-3 months of the battle for France. It is 650 pages long so may take a while. The bit I'm looking forward to is the story of the battle for Tilly-sur-Seulles, It was and is a small town [village really] that because of it's location was fought over for nearly 3 weeks with hundreds of dead on both sides. I've been there and it is a beautiful sleepy place that was really friendly to a weary tourist.



I read Max hastings' book 'Overlord' a while back. Though long and very detailed, what it did hammer home, and what I never knew before, was the staggeringly high casualty rates on the allied side. Not on the beaches but in the breakout from them.

If you haven't read it yet, Antony Beevor's 'Berlin; The Downfall' is a good, if not particularly cheery account of the final days of the Third Reich.


----------



## CupofJoe

Stevie said:


> I read Max hastings' book 'Overlord' a while back. Though long and very detailed, what it did hammer home, and what I never knew before, was the staggeringly high casualty rates on the allied side. Not on the beaches but in the breakout from them.


It seemed to be a deliberate tactic. Not the actual deaths, but the attrition. The allies could replace their losses the Germans could not.
Hürtgen Forest was much the same. A meat grinder for both sides.


Stevie said:


> If you haven't read it yet, Antony Beevor's 'Berlin; The Downfall' is a good, if not particularly cheery account of the final days of the Third Reich.


There was a good [and again not cheery] documentary series on the fall of Berlin. It took accounts from personal diaries and public records to build up the narrative. Some of that was truly harrowing.


----------



## Ned Marcus

I recently finished Viktor Frankl's book Mans Search For Meaning about his time in WW2 concentration camps. He quoted Nietzsche, which summed up much of what he found. "He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how."


----------



## skip.knox

Currently reading _A Gun for Sale_ by Graham Greene. There's brilliant writing throughout, but get a load of this opener:

"Murder didn't mean much to Raven. It was just a new job. You had to be careful. You had to use your brains. It was not a question of hatred. He had only seen the Minister once: he had been pointed out to Raven as he walked down the new housing estate between the small lit Christmas trees, an old grubby man without friends, who was said to love humanity."

Those last two clauses were the real hook. That first paragraph was followed immediately by this:

"The cold wind cut Raven's face in the wide Continental street. It was a good excuse for turning the collar of his coat well above his mouth. A hare-lip was a serious handicap in his profession; it had been badly sewn in infancy, so that now the upper lip was twisted and scarred. When you carried about so easy an identification you couldn't help becoming ruthless in your methods. It had always, from the first, been necessary for Raven to eliminate a witness."

In two paragraphs Greene gives us the main character, the setup for the plot, the setting, and even the oncoming entanglements. The writing is so compact, the sentences so well-paced, I hit the buy button before I even finished the sample.


----------



## Nighty_Knight

Started reading the Berserk manga not long ago.  About a 3rd of the way through overall.  Love it, I love the very dark and brutal fantasy, but still very tied with the lighter pretty side. The artwork is fantastic too.


----------



## LCatala

I finished *The Buried Giant* (Kazuo Ishiguro, 2015)

A story taking place in England in the decades following the death of King Arthur, it is initially told in extremely classical prose with an omniscient, self-aware POV that adresses the modern reader directly, but this is not overbearing, and as the story progresses the narrative does get into more modern techniques (like the occasional switch to 1st person POV, and occasional bits on non-linear storytelling).

Overall it feels very much like a subtle mixture of authentic medieval literature, with a lot of scenes and symbols that feel weirdly unfamiliar and never get explained (but still draw a consistent story in the end), and of modern sensibilities and considerations about the impact of war, memory, grief, vengeance.

This is not a sprawling epic; the stakes are somewhat high but are told mainly from the point of view of an elderly couple on a journey to meet back with their son. It has very much a mood of weariness, of an age coming to an end. As such it can feel a bit lacking in liveliness. There are occasional action scenes, but they do not invoke much thrill or emotion, as if seen through a clouded mind (but this fits well with the themes of the story).

The overall atmosphere reminded of the movie *Excalibur* with very much a strong sense of mystery and even dread associated with the supernatural. I liked it enough, but not sure I would re-read it. *7/10
*
Next up I'll probably read *Spiderlight* by Adrian Tchaikovsky.


----------



## LCatala

Finished *Spiderligh*t by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Overall I found it just ok. There are some very clever twists to the "classic D&D adventure" that this is riffing on, but that means in the process of getting there we still have to go through a number of scenes that I found rather dull and tired. The bits written from Enth's perspective are really good but I'd have wanted a lot more of those. The prose is fine, serviceable but on the good side of the "average" line. Not mad at all I read this but that's not something I see myself ever going back to. *6/10*


----------



## CupofJoe

*Stargazer* by Anne Hillerman
A detective/mystery tale set on and around the Navajo Tribal Lands in the south west of the USA.
A taut sparse tale that lets you imagine the details.
Anne Hillerman has taken the world her father described in his Leaphorn and Chee tales and made them her own without loosing what was loved [at least by me] about the originals.


----------



## S.T. Ockenner

Clash Of Kings by George R.R. Martin


----------



## Steerpike

LCatala said:


> Finished *Spiderligh*t by Adrian Tchaikovsky
> Overall I found it just ok. There are some very clever twists to the "classic D&D adventure" that this is riffing on, but that means in the process of getting there we still have to go through a number of scenes that I found rather dull and tired. The bits written from Enth's perspective are really good but I'd have wanted a lot more of those. The prose is fine, serviceable but on the good side of the "average" line. Not mad at all I read this but that's not something I see myself ever going back to. *6/10*



I felt more or less the same way about it. On the other hand, Children of Time is excellent--highly recommend it.


----------



## Steerpike

Currently reading *The Jane Austen Project* by Kathleen Flynn. Only 50 odd pages into it. So far, it's not bad.


----------



## Insolent Lad

I'm on a Jules Verne kick at the moment, reading stuff I hadn't since I was a teen. One can see most of the things people have complained about in science fiction (especially hard SF) for the past century and a half already in his novels, digressions into science and world building at the expense of plot. Fun, none the less, thanks to plenty of imagination. Right now on 'Around the World in 80 Days' which actually does have a good and interesting story—maybe his best effort in that sense.


----------



## skip.knox

Insolent Lad said:


> I'm on a Jules Verne kick at the moment, reading stuff I hadn't since I was a teen. One can see most of the things people have complained about in science fiction (especially hard SF) for the past century and a half already in his novels, digressions into science and world building at the expense of plot. Fun, none the less, thanks to plenty of imagination. Right now on 'Around the World in 80 Days' which actually does have a good and interesting story—maybe his best effort in that sense.



Last year (or two years ago?) I re-read _Journey to the Center of the Earth_ as part of my research for my book _Into the Second World_. I was surprised to be so disappointed. I noticed the same things. In addition, I was surprised that once they got to the center, nothing much actually happens. No monsters, no lost civilization. Just here we are, and back we go. It really was all about the science-babble along the way.


----------



## skip.knox

Currently reading William Morris, _The Well at the End of the World_. It reads about as I expected it to. Once fun aspect has been all the antiquated words (e.g., tipstaff). I'm looking these up and bookmarking them against possible future use in my own stories. When a 19thc himself reaches for antiquated words, it's a real trove for us 21st century types.


----------



## HokuRyu

_The Dark Tower 1: The Gunslinger_ but also _The Book of Judges_ from the Bible as I was reminded of it whilst reading the latter.  _Gunslinger _certainly starts out as a humble beginning for being King's magnum opus.


----------



## Insolent Lad

I just finished _Tom Jones_—a novel I've somehow missed opening till now, though I'm a pretty big fan of comic/satirical British novels in general (Thackerary, Trollope, etc). It proved to be very much my sort of book and I'll probably have to watch that I don't start emulating Fielding for a while. The intrusive narrator, par excellence.


----------



## Reaver

Currently reading “The Legend of Drizzt” (25th Anniversary Edition) by R.A. Salvatore. It’s a classic epic fantasy and in my opinion, Drizzt Do’Urden is a fantasy icon.


----------



## PianoFire

I’m right in the middle of the Leviathan trilogy. It was my favorite series in middle school, and my cousins gifted them to me recently, so it’s a nice throwback, if slightly obscure.


----------



## skip.knox

Currently reading Tanith Lee, _Night's Master_. I am reminded of Robert E. Howard, even though their stories are wildly different. Lush prose, violet if not actually purple. Reminds me, too, of Thomas Burnett Swann.


----------



## Benjamin Mwakonya

I'm currently reading a light novel called "That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime".

It's a simple and kinda generic story, but I like it.


----------



## Ankari

Benjamin Mwakonya said:


> I'm currently reading a light novel called "That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime".
> 
> It's a simple and kinda generic story, but I like it.



I enjoyed the anime.


----------



## mannersmanners

Just picked up Isaac Asimov's Foundation and Empire, though I haven't read any other book from the Foundation series. This reads well as a standalone, and there is plenty of food for thought.
Also almost done with Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451: been wanting to read this for so long, but only took the plunge last week. I might have enjoyed this more as an early teenager. Not saying this is a bad read, just that I no longer have the same type of wonder. Which is sad. Baudelaire said "Genius is childhood recovered at will," and he may be right.


----------



## skip.knox

But wait! You are reading Volume 2 of a trilogy. You really, really need to read the first one first. This isn't so much a trilogy as it is a single story divided into thirds.


----------



## Svrtnsse

I'm reading Kingdom of Essence, by Holly Karlsson. It started out as a rather ordinary fantasy story, but things took an unexpected and chilling turn, and now I'm curious to see what else is going on with it.


----------



## Steerpike

Just finished My Heart is a Chainsaw, by Stephen Graham Jones. Now reading his book The Only Good Indians. Can recommend both!


----------



## ThinkerX

Was reading (among multiple other works) the 'Nightshade Forensic Files' series by AJ Scudiere. Kind of like 'CSI' having a head on collision with the paranormal. Features (biologically credible) werewolves, folks with psionic abilities, and voodoo that works. Also, lots and lots of tedious medical terminology and mundane investigative work. Not all the villains are paranormal; the first book centers on an apocalyptic cult and the bad guy in another is a serial killer. I do have issues with 'Nightshade' (a sort of 'black ops' FBI division), the boss deliberately withholds vital info from his agents and *expects* them to straight out kill troublesome felons. There is also the small matter of what amounts to a miniature supernatural war that somehow manages to escape the attention of all sorts of police forces and alphabet agencies.


----------



## neodoering

Speaking of Indians, I just finished reading _Reservation Blues,_ about some Native American young people who form a rock band.  The book is a fantasy and is a fun read.  I recommend it.


----------



## MommaKat

*looks around on the desk, in the Kindle, and on the browser tabs*
Diana Gabaldon, James Frey, Sharon Pace MacLeodthe AACN (studying for certification in my field) several books on druidry to cross reference to. tabs open to grammar/wordsmithing sites, as well as the forums.


----------



## skip.knox

Reading _The Fall of Babel_ by Josiah Bancroft. I still rate it the most wildly inventive story I have read in a very long time. Lovely prose. The story itself lags in places, at least for me, but the prose carries me forward, along with an eagerness to see what surprising invention he has in store next. This is the fourth and last book in the story. Fingers crossed for a strong ending.


----------



## Mad Swede

Just started on Iain M Banks' _Excession_.  I seem to recognise certain themes already...


----------



## S.T. Ockenner

I’m reading Way Of Kings by Brandon “Bran San McErson” Sanderson


----------



## Insolent Lad

I'm dipping into 'Flower Fables,' teenage Louisa May Alcott's foray into fantasy. Very juvenile, to be sure, but I've read far far worse. I'm sure Tolkien would have hated the tiny fairies.


----------



## ThinkerX

Currently on the second book in the 'Kingsfall' series. Lots of action, but I find it a bit disconcerting that almost all of the POV characters are either royalty or directly connected to royalty. Some of the characterization is pretty good.

Prior to that, I read the first three books of the 'Twinborn' series, which centers on a concept I've considered employing in the past: the dreams of one person is the waking life of another person on a different world. The 'twins' use the dream media to exchange information to assist in goals political, military, and technological. 

Worth mentioning - the first two books of the 'Conclave' series, a present day Lovecraftian tale that centers more on academic investigation than horror.


----------



## skip.knox

I tore through _Leviathan Falls_. I'm still very impressed by anyone who can write a nine volume series that has such consistent quality. This one (_The Expanse)_ ranks among the best SF I've read.


----------



## ThinkerX

skip.knox said:


> I tore through _Leviathan Falls_. I'm still very impressed by anyone who can write a nine volume series that has such consistent quality. This one (_The Expanse)_ ranks among the best SF I've read.



Well, it did get made into a television series.

I think I made it to book four or five of that series.


----------



## Insolent Lad

I'm well into The Elements of Typographic Style by poet and typographer Robert Bringhurst and it is a great read for anyone at all interested in how books are created. I understand it is considered 'the' book on this and it is certainly well written. Poetic, even, and thoroughly understandable.


----------



## Mothyards

Going through Brandon Sanderson work rn. Finished Mistborn era 1 last week and just got through Elantris. Moving onto Warbreaker next =)


----------



## Arkhasil89

Just finished Vazkor, Son of Vazkor by Tanith Lee and now I'm going through King of the wood by John Maddox Roberts.


----------



## skip.knox

It's been a good reading month and we're not quite half-way. Have read _The Fall of Babel_ and _Leviathan Falls_. Both excellent. Currently reading _In a Lonely Place_. Whether or not you've seen the film adaptation with Bogart and Grahame, I recommend this book. Well-written, suspenseful, and exceedingly creepy.


----------



## skip.knox

I've read Lord of the Rings a dozen times or more. I've read it aloud three times. But it has been easily twenty years since last I read it, so I'm sitting down with the physical book (single volume), doing a chapter or two of an evening. It's been pleasant. I feel like I'm reading it with my eyes full open this time around, seeing the little bits of foreshadowing. I'm even stopping long enough to read the songs. (did you know Tolkien did an album of elvish and dwarf songs?)

Anyway, this is definitely reading for pleasure.


----------



## kennyc

After watching Wheel of Time on Amazon Prime, I'm now on book three of Wheel of Time....very well written, easy to read and wonderful...shoulda read this ages ago!


----------



## happygoluckysockmonkey79

i just finished  the lost plot   great  book and the  story  weaver


----------



## ThinkerX

Currently working my way through the 'Chronicles of the Black Gate.' Interesting characters, plot twists that are both surprising and logical, and a magic system that is intriguing, plausible, and dangerous.


----------



## ThinkerX

Time for a bit of a comparison. 'Servants of the End' by Shawn Finn, and 'West into Ruin' by John Lockwood, along with its continuation, 'North into Deeping Dark.' The books feature similar settings and antagonists, putting me in mind of the old 'Iron Pen' and 'Top Scribe' challenges on this site.

Both books are set in severely isolated nations bordered by al but impassable mountains in at least one direction, a mostly unknown forest in another, and a wasteland making for a barrier in another direction. In both books, the lands beyond these barriers are utterly unknown.

There is also a psychological/magical component to this isolation in both tales: those in Servants of the End who spend too much time in said mountains, forest, or wasteland find their orientation shot and afflicted with psychological disorders. Said effects can set in anywhere from a couple of days to a few months. The people in Servants of the End - or at least the leadership, is downright desperate to locate other civilized nations, and have sent forth repeated (failed) expeditions to find them.

In West into Ruin, the 'mental barrier' is partly social - discussing or speculating about the lands beyond the borders is a major social taboo that can result in imprisonment or more likely social disfavor. Some of the border regions are 'cursed' for want of a better term in addition to being difficult to traverse. There is also the 'memory issue' - history basically started about two hundred years ago. and as the tale progresses, it becomes clear there was a major systematic effort to erase the past - all books from the before time are destroyed, almost regardless of their location, and even members of longer-lived races are unable to recall more than fragments from the 'before time.' Three of the principal characters are from the before time - but their memories of that period are pretty much gone.  This contrasts with the situation in Servants of the End where there are histories going back several thousand years - but detail nothing beyond the kingdom.

Hostile races stalk the borders in both books, occasionally attacking the kingdoms in question. The ones in 'West into Ruin' are a diverse bunch (gnolls, from AD&D), with individuals ranging from 'malevolent' to 'almost decent.' The creatures in 'Servants of the End' are not merely uniformly evil but are in thrall to a darker overlord.

Hidden evil overlords are another feature both books have in common. 'Servants of the End' features a few depictions of this being and his principal servant race (distinct from the ones plaguing the kingdom), but said overlord is always at the edge of the tale. The dark entity in 'West into Ruin' does have a few POV chapters, but these shed almost no light on the being or its core motivations. Both entities are playing psychological games with the denizens of the kingdoms: the dark lord in 'Servants of the End' is playing a long game of madness and terror, while its counterpart in 'West into Ruin' is insinuating itself into the minds of large numbers of people, making them maddened killers. 

Both books feature a character with 'tainted ancestry,' with at least one parent who would normally be counted as 'evil' or (literally) 'demonic.' In both cases, these characters possess substantial magical ability and eventually a willingness to embrace their darker natures.

'Servants of the End' has only a couple of magic users, though there may be others not mentioned. The other characters, at least, accept that magic is a 'thing.' Magic is more abundant in 'West into Ruin,' though my impression is most of the wizards don't amount to much.  That said, most of the MC's possess considerable magical skill.

Then there is the matter of Fate. Fate, and attempts to deal with it or thwart it are key elements of both books. In Servants of the End, it becomes clear that pretty much everything that transpires is part of the Fate willed by the hidden evil overlord. The kingdom fights valiantly against this fate but are ultimately part of it. In West into Ruin, Fate is tied in with a sort of psychic awakening - large numbers of people start having visions or desires to 'make things better' for want of a better term.  In Servants of the End, this 'make things better' vision/agenda appears to apply only to the kingdom's leadership.

So, yes, the two books do share similarities. Yet, in my view, 'West into Ruin' is better done. The reason being characterization.

Many of the characters in Servants of the End are almost like robots: they unquestioningly follow orders, show no introspection, and fail predictably. There are exceptions...but they're not much better done. One takes a predictable path into evil without ever reflecting upon the consequences of that path, and another begins and ends as a formidable warrior with set loyalties and little else to round him out.  A third has good intentions but is weak and overwhelmed. 

Despite being 'chosen by Destiny' and spending much of the book(s) associating/traveling with each other, the MC's in 'West into Ruin' are a diverse bunch with depths of character. One is shocked to find he was what amounts to an assassin with occult abilities in the 'before time,' while another MC struggles with his demonic heritage. Another MC is a sort of 'ranger' of mixed human and elf ancestry. The central female MC appears human, but is actually only human-like, a discovery which comes as a shock to her. It is worth noting that most of these MC's have past and current 'hidden mentors' with agendas of their own.


----------



## Shashiri

Having some fun reading Crooked Kingdom, The sequel to Six of Crows. 

Great lore and characters and enjoy it’s insane solutions to seemingly inescapable problems.


----------



## happygoluckysockmonkey79

im reading wayfaer  by alexrenda  bracken   its good  so far


----------



## Karlin

Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi, the famous 16th century samurai swordsman.
Also a rather long history of the Karliner Hassidim, in Hebrew, which is far more interesting than I expected.


----------



## I Am A Stick

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. 
Debating on trying out some Stephen King since I’ve never really tried out horror before and am getting curious.


----------



## Orc Knight

Apparently orcs doing chef and cafe things is a thing. I have read _Cleaver's Edge_ and _Legends & Lattes_ lately. Both are quite a good take on orcs not wanting to go out and kill things and just go a bit more domestic. Even if the first is still a part of an adventuring party.


----------



## LieutenantWolf34

I recently finished Shadows Linger the second book of The Black Company in the first Black Company trilogy by Glen Cook.


----------



## S J Lee

I recently read the graphic novel of "The Giver" - all the way to the end in one day. I'd never read it before, I loved it, and above all I was delighted with myself that I actually found something I didn't feel the urge to turn my nose up at - I've been doing a lot of that since I learned something about "good vs bad" writing and started writing tales of my own, and was wondering when I would ever get GRIPPED by a tale again. Meant a lot to me, that something can still grab me. Some bits of it that made no sense - eg, "lack of colours" - are people programmed not to "see" colours, or is even people's blood magically turned gray? But the "holes" in the story were minor enough not to detract from my will to read on.


----------



## Snowpoint

Finished Stormlight 4: Rhythm of War. Now reading Harrow the Ninth. The second(?) person voice is definitely confusing to read at first. But I liked the first book well enough to muddle through.


----------



## Gurkhal

I'm trying a new concept of focused reading as I'm blasting through books on the topic of (Greek) Thebes and the region of Boiotia.

I've already finished "Thebes: The forgotten city of ancient Greece" by Paul Cartledge and "Thebes: A history" by Nicholas Rockwell. Right now I'm working on "Politics of Power in the Fourth Century BC" by Hans Beck and John Buckler. I've got "Boiotia in Antiquity" by Albert Schachter and "Boiotia in the Fourth Century" edited by Samuel D. Gartland on my self along with Sophocles three Theban plays, "Seven against Thebes" by Aeschylus and Euripides three Theban plays. And more to borrow from the library, get the historical fiction about this subject and so on and on.

Once I'm done I should have a pretty good grasp about ancient Thebes and Boiotia, and be so sick of them I never want to hear about it again.


----------



## skip.knox

I just finished _Who_ by Algis Budrys. A Cold War novel, but it has a really interesting premise. A top-secret Western project explodes and its chief scientist is captured by the Soviets. He's in their hands for a few months, then is returned in a deal. The story opens with the return, the classic crossing over a bridge scene.

But the returned scientest was horribly maimed in the accident. The Soviets fixed him up, but he now has an artifical arm and what is basically an artifical head. Wholly encased in metal.

The puzzle for the Western spy folk is this: who is this guy? Is he a Soviet plant? Is he the scientist but has been turned? Or is he really the original? All the usual means of identification are denied, through one explanation or another, so we're right there with the spy chief trying to decide whether this guy can be trusted or not.

Then, in what I think is a really brilliant choice by Budrys, we start getting flashback chapters in which we learn about the scientist--his youth, his first love, how he discovered science, his strengths and weaknesses. So Budrys is giving us evidence, clues, and inviting us in the current-day chapters to try to figure this out for ourselves.

I won't say how it turned out. I'll just say this is a fine example of silver-age SF.


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## Prince of Spires

I'm currenly reading _The Culture Map_ by Erin Meyer. Non fiction. It's mainly aimed at people working in multi-cultural settings across countries. Which in itself is facinating enough. But I think there's also a lot of world building lessons in there when it comes to cultures. If you're planning to add a lot of different cultures and you want to make them distinct then it can really pay to consider how people view leadership, or how decisions are made or how people work together or a dozen other things.


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## pmmg

Went back to classics. 

Recently finished portrait of dorian grey. Not much to say other than oscar wilde seems the type of writer the english teachers are teaching for. Seems like every line was meant to have some profound twisty meaning.  Initially it was neat but by the end i was worn out on it. 

started thus spoke Zarathustra, which is a lot of book to say there is no god, think for yourself.  Mr neitzche seems an angry dude.  The world must have disappointed  him. 

i have some lined up. Also half way through paradise lost which us most remarkable for its use of language.


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## Steerpike

Just finished Mrs. Dalloway and To the Lighthouse. Both are excellent. May have liked To the Lighthouse best of the two.


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## S.T. Ockenner

I finished the Stormlight Archives, and I read The House on the Cerulean Sea in 4 days, then I started reading the first book in the Broken Earth trilogy two days ago, I'm almost done now. The author of the Broken Earth Trilogy is amazing, she has such a unique way of crafting narrative via an unusual conversational style of prose, lots of unexpected twists, and a compelling plot. I may be slightly redundant with my wording, sorry. Also, the House on the Cerulean Sea  is heartwarming and has a cast of lovable characters. Both books disappointingly have only one bearded character each, but hey, no book is perfect! 
The Stormlight Archives is the Stormlight Archives, pretty sure all of you have read it by now haha.


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## LieutenantWolf34

I recently finished the Powder Mage Trilogy by Brian Mcclellan.


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## Gurkhal

Plowing through some classics in the shape of Belgariad and Malloreon and the three extra books to that setting (Belgarath the Sorcerer, Polgara the Sorceress and the Rivan Codex).


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## Mad Swede

Now working my way through the Girl Genius graphic novels. Fun, and quite complex.


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## Luís Santana

*Tolkien On Fairy-stories*
 (2008) 
_Edited by Verlyn Flieger & Douglas A. Anderson_


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## Gurkhal

This thread needs more activity.

I'm reading "Guns Up!" by Johnnie M. Clark. Its about the Vietnam War and rather different from what I usually read. And thus it gives me some variation.


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## Demesnedenoir

I'm on_ The Blade Itself_ by Abercrombie. He's a comparison author I hear about often with my writing, so figured I should check him out. So far, so good.


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## pmmg

Three books.... Saviors Champion, Eve of Snows, and Thus spoke Zarathustra.  By read, it would be more fair to say, I am looking at each at a very slow pace.

Saviors Champion, ummmm...Well, I ask a lot of questions, but I am not sure its meant to be scrutinized the way I would do, so...

Thus Spoke... Yeah, I wish Mr. Nietzsche would explain more the opening premises that spawns all this. He writes in a format of 'Since all I have discovered is true, here is what I can extrapolate."  I am back on, why do we think this is true? I understand that is not his way.

Eve of snows, not in far enough to have a useful opinion.


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## Demesnedenoir

Eve of Snows is the greatest book ever... the greatest book ever... just keep repeating that over and over as you read. 



pmmg said:


> Three books.... Saviors Champion, Eve of Snows, and Thus spoke Zarathustra.  By read, it would be more fair to say, I am looking at each at a very slow pace.
> 
> Saviors Champion, ummmm...Well, I ask a lot of questions, but I am not sure its meant to be scrutinized the way I would do, so...
> 
> Thus Spoke... Yeah, I wish Mr. Nietzsche would explain more the opening premises that spawns all this. He writes in a format of 'Since all I have discovered is true, here is what I can extrapolate."  I am back on, why do we think this is true? I understand that is not his way.
> 
> Eve of snows, not in far enough to have a useful opinion.


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## pmmg

Eve of snows is the greatest book ever....
Eve of snows is the greatest book ever....
Eve of snows is the greatest book ever....
Eve of snows is the greatest book ever....
Eve of snows is the greatest book ever....
Eve of snows is the greatest book ever....

Mr. Nietzsche will be disappointed.


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## ThinkerX

Just finished 'The Signet Ring' by Ellis Knox (seems familiar for some reason.) Couple of technical quibbles, but pretty dang good overall. The notion of a troupe of acrobats as investigators is unusual, but it works.

Currently about a quarter of the way through 'The Other Magic' by Derrick Smythe. Racial purity and magic and a brutal slave state...


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## Prince of Spires

Just started _Petition,_ by Delilah Waan. I like what I'm reading so far. Interesting setting, nice characters and a good pace to the story.


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## Snowpoint

In the Shadow of Lightning was Great! Recommend. 

Speaking Bones, book 4 of The Dandelion Dynasty (end?) Love this series. The first book is still my favorite. The series just feels like you are reading about a real place.


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## Karlin

Just about done with the second volume of the Dream of the Red Chamber (AKA The Story of the Stone). I've already bought the last three volumes.


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## Gurkhal

Karlin said:


> Just about done with the second volume of the Dream of the Red Chamber (AKA The Story of the Stone). I've already bought the last three volumes.



Nice seeing this. Any special reason for reading this or just generally curious about a Chinese classic?


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## Karlin

Gurkhal said:


> Nice seeing this. Any special reason for reading this or just generally curious about a Chinese classic?


I've developed an interest in Chinese literature in general. I read in English translation. I've read the Journey to the West (twice), Romance of the Three kingdoms, and heard Water Margin as a podcast. So I'll have the Four Classics covered/

I wrote a short novel based on a combination of The Journey to the West and Talmudic legends. Trying to get it published.


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## Avery Moore

Nearly finished The Unspoken Name by A. K. Larkwood... Really sad to say that I'm just not getting into it, at all.

The premise is great on paper. I mean, the protagonist is a lesbian orc who escapes an evil cult that were going to sacrifice her to their creepy God. Sounds really cool when you say it like that, but unfortunately the characters just aren't interesting enough for me to get invested in them.


pmmg said:


> Saviors Champion, ummmm...Well, I ask a lot of questions, but I am not sure its meant to be scrutinized the way I would do, so...



I've heard of that one! It's by Jenna Moreci, right? Never actually read her book, but I do watch a lot of her youtube videos on writing advice. ^_^


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## pmmg

Avery Moore said:


> Nearly finished The Unspoken Name by A. K. Larkwood... Really sad to say that I'm just not getting into it, at all.
> 
> The premise is great on paper. I mean, the protagonist is a lesbian orc who escapes an evil cult that were going to sacrifice her to their creepy God. Sounds really cool when you say it like that, but unfortunately the characters just aren't interesting enough for me to get invested in them.
> 
> 
> I've heard of that one! It's by Jenna Moreci, right? Never actually read her book, but I do watch a lot of her youtube videos on writing advice. ^_^


Yes. I bought her book cause of her videos. I suppose its well written and entertains but the story logic challenges me. I find i am saying things like, why build this? And why not just kill them when they sleep and such. Its like hunger games with more emphasis on who gets the girl.  Spoilers, the MC does. 

There are others in the authortube i like more.  Jenna uses a lot of sentence enhancers and thats not the best look.


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## Avery Moore

pmmg said:


> There are others in the authortube i like more. Jenna uses a lot of sentence enhancers and thats not the best look.


Any chance you could recommend some? I've been watching a lot of Alexa Donne recently, but a lot of her advice is aimed specifically at young adult writers and doesn't really apply to what I'm writing ATM.


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## pmmg

Well... I dont have a short answer to that...

I pretty much take all that have something interesting to say. Some I dont feel do, so I dont spend much time with them.

I am looking to publish, and I want to do it as right as I can. I would like to get an editor and see what they have to say...but, I am out of money, so I am waiting before I pull one in to review my stuff. I am also looking at all the other aspects, like cover, blog, website, bio, ISBN, copyright and all that. So, I watch the ones that are hitting those subjects more than ones with topics like 'How to write engaging villains' and "Tropes to avoid list' cause I feel I have that covered.

I am also suspicious of most of those with videos because 1) they represent survivorship bias, and 2) they are using the video's to market and not really help me. So, their experience is, so far, is not my experience.

And last, having not gone down that road as far as they, I cannot fairly assess who was the most helpful.

My plan is to pick the one or two I like best, and use their roadmap and see if it helps me get in the game and avoid pitfalls. Doing that has led me to Reedsy. I have an editor all picked out, but need to have some $$$ to do it. I am also waiting on Beta readers (Looking for beta readers if you are interested )

Anyway, I look at Bethany Atazedah







Jenna Moreci





(She is prolific and has a lot of energy, but she could clean up her language a bit I think.)


This one I just call the Reedsy girl.





Abby Emmons





(I think this is the video I am using as a template).

And just about anything that grabs my interest. I hate to say, but sometimes Mythic Scribes moves too slow for me 

There are some I avoid, but I wont post them here. Why hurt their reputations. But generally, if all you have to say is 'write them like people' or 'set aside a place that works for you', um.....I'd rather use my 10 minutes on something more useful. (Sorry to some youtubers.)


I saw one recently that was just a one off. Some writer with low production values, and only one vid posted, but she did say something about hope in dark fantasy that I'd not considered before. Sadly, I dont think I could find that one again. Pity.


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## Avery Moore

pmmg said:


> I am also waiting on Beta readers (Looking for beta readers if you are interested )


Sure, I'd be happy to! (Not got a whole lot of free time, so might move quite slowly, but will try to give some helpful feedback.)
PM me the good stuff!


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## Jasnah- Ariel

I just finished re(rererere)reading Megan Whalen Turner's Thief of Eddis series. Sheer perfection.


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## Avery Moore

Currently reading Shadow of the Shapeshifter by David Lee Stone. Very much up my street. From what I understand he's the officially named successor of Terry Pratchett, and I'm definitely seeing why. The world of Illmoor is very Discworldy. Highly recommend to any fans of the Terry Pratchett/Douglas Adams kind of humour.


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## pmmg

Jasnah- Ariel said:


> I just finished re(rererere)reading Megan Whalen Turner's Thief of Eddis series. Sheer perfection.



I dont think I could read a series twice. I think I would just want to use that time on something new.


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## BloodyNine

Sanderson's Stormlight book two for me. Pretty epic so far! That, and some short stories by John Langan, which, if anyone here is into horror, I would highly recommend.


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## pmmg

Got another one I was just listening too.


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