What are you Reading Now?

[Geo]

This week was dedicated to reading about writing (Thanks Chessie for the inspiration to choose my weekly reading). Steering the Craft 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.

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.