*February Reading Thread*

[PuroGeo]

I decided to go with Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. After that I am going to read The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas.

[Astra]

Finished Song of Susannah and started to read Salem's Lot.

[Gildor]

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, by Heinlein.

So far, so good!

[Mr. X]

I finished Tim Powers' Last Call last night. Though it had some slow stretches in the middle, the final chapter was good enough that my heart rate picked up a bit and I very nearly stayed on the subway for a few extra stops just to finish the book. If it wasn't one of those days where I get home at 10:30pm after leaving the house at 6:15am, I would have. All in all, it's quite an enjoyable read.

Now I'm about 80 pages into Crossover by Joel Shepherd.

[Cleomedes]

I just finished the second Nightfall book, and am about a thumb's width into Clive Barker's 'Imajica' - never read any of him before; chose book purely on the grounds that it's remarkably thick and there's an awesome looking game coming out for xbox360 based on some of his work (as far as I can tell, it involves navigating a dungeon-ish supernatural locale and blasting chain-mailed, howling zombie creatures into the seventeenth dimension. This book is kind of good so far - I get the (pleased) feeling that the weirdness factor is about to skyrocket.

I picked up the first Bakker book at the same time, and I planned to read it first: couldn't really get into it at first attempt, but seeing as that's how I felt about ASOIAF, I'm more than willing to give it several more shots at my interest.

[RedEyedGhost]

Finished The Sundering by Walter Jon Williams today. Good book. The battle at

SPOILER: location

Hone-Bar

was one of the best space battles I've ever read. All one the space battles have been very well written, but this one was a phenomenal. I'm really enjoying this series. It's not a master-work of fiction, but is it great entertainment.

7/10

Surprise, surprise I started the final book in the "Dread Empire's Fall" trilogy, Conventions of War. Hopefully this one will have more space battles than the last two. Although, I think there is good potential for the on planet guerrilla warfare.

[Lyanna Stark]

At the moment I'm reading Catch-22 by Joseph Heller. I'm only 2 chapters in and finding it hard to get into. I guess maybe because the main character is annoying the hell out of me so far.

Give it some time, it really grew on my while I read it, despite being a bit confusing at first.

Since the bookship didn't have any of the nice recs I got here, I got "Morality for Beatutiful Girls" by Alexander McCall Smith. I've had my eyes on it for a while and so far it's very entertaining. About half way through and finding the atmosphere of Botswana to be a quite refreshing change.

[shortstark]

Read;

Gates of Fire by Pressfield, absolutely loved it amazing detail applied to a a brief historical occurence.

Tried to read;

Oracle Queen by Flewelling, had to abandon this one part way through, disappointed because i really enjoyed the first two installment of this trilogy, too much will he wont he teenage angst, but i will give it another shot..

[The Wedge]

I'm about 180 pages into The Lies of Locke Lamora. It's incredibly fun stuff.

Also reading some of Good Omens by Terry Prachett and Neil Gaiman. I guess I'm in my not-so-serious phase.

[abattawolf]

Reading Empire by Orson Scott Card. Have to say it has been very mediocre. I think the idea behind the book is a good one, that extremest on both sides can hurt America. However it is implausibly plotted, and the characters come off as stereotypical right and left wing extremest, with no shades of Grey.

Next up is Spin by Robert Charles Wilson. Looking forward to it, after reading the reviews on this board and elsewhere.

[WhiteQueen]

Lord of the Flies by Golding. I never read it before, although I have heard a lot about it. Finally got to read it. I would have sung praises but feel silly because I am probably the only person on Earth over 30 who have not read it yet.

[VerySmallMonster]

I've been reading City of Golden Shadow by Tad Williams (first Otherland book). It's been an interesting read. It's certainly a bit on the slow side, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. I think the basic premise of a internet reality that is almost more real than the real world is a very interesting and somewhat worrying one. I generally like the parts of the storyline that have to do with Renie and !Xabbu, but I don't find Orlando Gardiner and Paul Jonas as interesting or compelling so far.

When I finish, I will finally start reading Pratchett's Thud! and Erikson's Midnight Tides.

[Winterfella]

I've been reading City of Golden Shadow by Tad Williams (first Otherland book). It's been an interesting read. It's certainly a bit on the slow side, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. I think the basic premise of a internet reality that is almost more real than the real world is a very interesting and somewhat worrying one. I generally like the parts of the storyline that have to do with Renie and !Xabbu, but I don't find Orlando Gardiner and Paul Jonas as interesting or compelling so far.

I really liked the Otherland series. I read it pre-ASOIAF, so it might suffer in comparison now, but I'd probably like to even reread it someday. Paul Jonas is a little aimless at first (and I think that's intentional, he's supposed to be disoriented), but once his story progresses over the course of the books, he becomes probably the most interesting character in the series. Orlando stays about the same the whole way through, though he does have some interesting adventures.

[Calibandar]

I've been reading The Cycle of Fire trilogy by Janny Wurts.

I gave this series a try because the premise really appealed to me, even though I really had'n't liked what I read of her Wars of Light and Shadow ( which also has some very cool ideas but it turns out the problems are the same for both series).

I once spoke to Wurts about why her books were so dense. She told me it was deliberate, she wanted to write books that people could read slowly, so that they would be stopping and thinking about what they were reading.

Anyway, I found the book cloying and irritating. Endless descriptions of little things and whining main characters made it unreadable. Sometimes I am astounded at the utter lack of quality in teh Fantasy books you read. Seriously why does stuff like this get a publisher?

Rating: 2/10, simply because there's no pace and the characters are annoying rather than involving. Note to Wurts: Not everything is worth describing.

[Bellis]

Lord of the Flies by Golding. I never read it before, although I have heard a lot about it. Finally got to read it. I would have sung praises but feel silly because I am probably the only person on Earth over 30 who have not read it yet.

I haven't read it. Though i'm not quite 30 yet. Probably won't unless you tell us it's really really special and must be read not just talked about.

I just read Ysabel by GGK. Probably the most PG-rated of his books, felt like it was written for the kids of his longtime fans. Standard urban fantasy in the mold of de Lint or Gaiman, but saved by Kay's masterful storytelling skills and

SPOILER: for GGK fangirls/boys like me

the inclusion of a couple characters from Fionavar Tapestry, which was just so totally awesome imo!!

Not his best work (that would be Tigana IMHO) but if you love Kay you'll want to read this anyway!

[Isis]

I really liked the Otherland series. I read it pre-ASOIAF, so it might suffer in comparison now, but I'd probably like to even reread it someday. Paul Jonas is a little aimless at first (and I think that's intentional, he's supposed to be disoriented), but once his story progresses over the course of the books, he becomes probably the most interesting character in the series. Orlando stays about the same the whole way through, though he does have some interesting adventures.

I think that life is too short for re-reading Tad Williams. I enjoyed this series more than I did with MST though. Orlando's parts are quite light-hearted in comparison to some of the more stodgy sections of the story.

[Werthead]

Finished The Korean War. Great book about a particularly startling war. How the hell did the American and British armies lose the plot so completely in just five years after WWII? Why the hell did they lose 35,000 lives fighting on behalf of a government as corrupt as that of South Korea's? Was McArthur really that much of a total lunatic?

Anyway, have now picked up my still-enragingly-mapless UK edition of The Confusion.

[AutumnEvenings]

I just finished The History of Love, by Nicole Krauss. It was absolutely beautiful. No plot decription could do it justice. I'd say it's essentially a story about lonliness, and the things we look for when we're really looking for love. Don't let that put you off it though--it's a wonderful book.

[Speed Racer]

The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher.........all of them. And, if my schedual will allow it, I'd like to finish the Terry Goodkind series sometime (GoT just pulled me off on the biggest tangent of my life).

[MuthaHydra / Lord Jo]

On a similar tangent to Wert , I have been reading ( on and off ) a book about the Korean women drafted as whores to the Japanese army in the early part of the 20th Century . I found it fascinating , disturbing and completely imposible to rmember the title or name of the author

I have also read Spanky by Christopher Fowler . It was shyte - and I loved it . Crappy horror of no value apart from it's sheer entertainment . Usual thing , Boy is dissatisfied with life , demon comes along , says " I'll make it all better " , super great , terrible price . It was a laugh a minute - even the supposedly scary bits . Pulp - you can't beat it .

Now on to Venomous Tales of Villainy and Vengence , an anthology by Helen Hoke , which includes tales by Ray Bradbury , Silverberg and Bloch .

Got Kushiel's Chosen by Jaqueline Carey and I mean to get round to Consider Plebus asap . I am however distracted geek girl soft porn ( Rome ) and Boskone but hoping to pick up some interresting stuff in the dealer's room .