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What are you Reading Now?

Insolent Lad

Maester
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.
 
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!! :D I don't think it really belongs in a genre, and those are my favorite kind.

I just love Chesterton's writing style.
 
C

Chessie

Guest
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

toujours gai, archie
Moderator
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.
 
C

Chessie

Guest
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!
 

Tom

Istar
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

Minstrel
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

Auror
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

Felis amatus
Moderator
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

Auror
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

Acolyte
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.
 

Steerpike

Felis amatus
Moderator
Devices and Desires, KJ Parker
Beowulf's Children; Niven, Pournelle, Barnes
Lost Stars, Tarnished Knight; Jack Campbell
 
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