What are you Reading Now?

[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!

 

[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.

 

[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.

 

[MiguelDHorcrux]

R.A Salvatorre's Legend of Drizzt Collection. I'm on book 10.

 

[Steerpike]

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

 

[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.

 

[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.

 

[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!)

 

[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.

 

[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.

 

[kennyc]

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.

.

 

[Steerpike]

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.

 

[ZabetTheRabbit]

Currently reading Hogfather by Terry Pratchett. It may not currently be the holiday season, but it's still a good read.

 

[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.

 

[Ireth]

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.

 

[Devor]

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?

 

[Ireth]

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

 

[Devor]

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.