What are you Reading Now?

[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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.