What are you Reading Now?

[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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.