What are you reading?

[nobodymN]

Just finished Trujillo by Lucius Shepard, the novel not the collection. As solid as all of his that I've read. He's consistently good.

I absolutely love Lucius Shepard's work Holly Phillips has a novle comign out in teh beginning of 2006 called Burning Girl that looks excellent as well.

For myself I just finished Namoi Novik's His Majesty's Dragon (or Temerarie in thr U.K) the buzz series from Voyager next year. It's written pretty in minimalist fashion, and reads verys quickly, but I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it, especially regarding the relationships of dragons and their aviators, and there place in society. Full review in a couple of weeks.

I also wanted to ntoe (as I forgot to previously) while being snowed in Venice last week, I finsihed A Feast for Crows, and Neil Gaiman's Anansi Boys.

[Doran Doran]

All right, I'm "Strossed", I have to admit this.

I've read [...] Accelerando [...]

Which, we might mention, has been made available by Stross for free download in a plethora of ebook formats and plain old text at

http://www.accelerando.org/

Those of you who, like me, perfer e-books to the dead tree variety should certainly check it out, if you're curious if Stross is your kind of writer.

[nobodymN]

I finished His Majesty's Dragon (aka Temeraire in the U.K) a coupl eof days ago, full review in a couple of weeks but (this will seem redundant with my blog and I'm cutting/pasting a portoon of my last entry):

Some initial thought I have is that it's a bit minimalist, and a rather brisk read, but intriguing in a manner that warranted me to consistently want to continually read it (which isn't the case with many new books). The setting from our own history of Napoleon warring with England, but Novik implements Dragons as a aerial arm for armies. The generally exclusive relationship/bond between aviator and dragon is fascinating, and how she applies that too society (particularly high society) gives the work a believable quality. Novik describes different breeds of dragons, and how certain countries horde their secrets, and you just have to love a novel where us Oriental's run shit in this regard. It's a nice debut.

Definitely worth taking a look at (especially since the entire trilogy will begin and end in 2006), but more in depth positive/negative in a couple of weeks which will be at FBS.

[Analu]

I kept hearing so much about R Scott Bakker that I got his first book (even though I really don't have time to start a new series).

Anyways, its been two weeks and I'm on page 65. I'm sure it will start getting better after 100 pages or so, but right now.........it's..........really.........slow...........going. The names of places/characters/things are so frickin long that by the time I get to the end of the name, I have to go back to the beginning just to remember the whole thing.

I also got Stover's "Heros Die" about a month ago, and got thru about 50 pages but don't really like it, and may not pick it up again. Something about the whole fantasy/reality world thing I don't like. I read fantasy to get out of reality; I don't really like reading a book where both worlds are present. Maybe I'll try again during Xmas break, but Bakker comes first.

[Snuffaluffalee]

Recently finished Memoirs of a Geisha (second time) and read Persuasian by Austen yesterday.

Upcoming readings include: class notes, class notes, and more class notes... exam time *sigh*

[Maia]

chemistry notes.....

but after exams, im treating myself to children of the serpent gate, book 3 in the tears of artamon series by Sarah Ash, it's pretty good, with a kind of Russian folklore base.

Every time I see this tittle (i.e. Tears of Artamon), I am hard-pressed not too laugh because "Artamon" used to be a pretty widespread dog name in Russia, mainly applied to poodles .

Finally read, and it has taken me long Mary Renault´s The Last of the Wine.... And it´s absolutely wonderful,

Glad you liked it Cteresa. It is is my favourite historical novel about antiquity bar none. Utterly brilliant. Unfortunately, it also appears to be the pinnacle of Renault's literary output - nothing else by her that I have tried ("Bull from the Sea", "The King must Die", "The Persian Boy", "The (?) Mask of Apollo") comes even close.

[Knight of Ashes]

Glad you liked (Mary Renault's The Last of the Wine) Cteresa. It is is my favourite historical novel about antiquity bar none. Utterly brilliant.

I guess that's what I'm gonna be reading for late December, then.

[lucretia96]

reading Swordpoint by Ellen Kushner and it is a very good fantasy without magic.

prior to that I read Stonehenge by Bernard Cornwell and it was ok, not that great.

Also got all Sharpe DVDs they were pretty fun, but I don't think I'll waste time reading the books...

[Winterfella]

fatbastard:

I'm stalled on Heroes Die also. I read 10 more pages over the weekend so I'm at page 170. My problem wasn't with the fantasy and reality together, I think I actually liked that part, but I need some explanation as to why the fantasy part exists. I also felt that the fantasy world seemed a little too video game/D&D-like. (Ok, I have these 4 or 5 spells in my arsenal, and I'm going to switch to mindview (mindview?) to cast one of them) The prose was good enough, but like you, I'm in no hurry to pick it back up again.

[Analu]

Winterfella,

Yeah, I know what you mean about the video-game feel to it. That's kind of what I mean by the reality/fantasy aspect that I dislike, if you can make the connection. I liked the writing well enough, but.... yeah.

[Multaniette]

Reading 'The Horse Whisperer' by Nicholas Evans.

Sort of meh. The central story is interesting enough. (who doesn't like horses? add some mysticism and an inherently tragic story and you've got yourself all the ingredients of a page-turner) But the prose, the whole feel of the novel - there is something very mediocre about it. For starters, it's just way too feel-goodish in a popcorn-weepy way.

Perhaps the word I am looking for is soap-opera on a small scale.

The corporates are utopian, jokes feel forced and decidedly lamish, the mystic is sage and lonely and the highly-talented career women falling into enstragement traps with family theme has been done way too many times to uncover an interesting angle - specially when it is supported by mediocre prose and stock characters.

Also reading 'Grapes of Wrath' by Steinback. Finished the first 14 chapters in one sitting. Absolutely, breathtakingly brilliant. The contrast with Horse Whisperer only serves in highlighting the mistakes in the latter.

[Doppelganger]

just started Dark Tower 5. About 60 pages into it so far, loving it already.

[Infidel]

In the middle of A Prison Unsought, book three of Smith and Trowbridge's Exordium series.

If you're a fan on space opera, look this series up - I had never heard of it until it was recommended here, and am shocked at how well-written and inventive it is. Hard to believe it doesn't get recommended more often.

I'm stranded at book 4 of Malazan and book 2 of Bakker's Prince of Nothing. I'm hesitant to continue those series, as I am trying to knock out single novels in my massive to read pile. I will probably be forced to cotinue with Malazan before I loose too much of the plot, as there is no way I'm slogging through books 1-3 again.

[Lord of Oop North]

Just finished The Warrior Prophet by Bakker, loved it. The journey of the Holy War was just so gritty, hopeless and savage. Trying to boggle your mind around the numbers involved is just insane. I can't wait for the Thousandfold Thought.

Starting a re-read of A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE, because I haven't read the first three in a long time and recently reading A Feast for Crows has made me desire more Martin.

[nobodymN]

Reading Cosmology of the Wider World by Jeffrey Ford

Just finished The Warrior Prophet by Bakker, loved it. The journey of the Holy War was just so gritty, hopeless and savage.

As m uh as I liked T'he Darkness that Comes Before' it had a bit of the 'first installment, set up' feel to it - The Warrior Prophet just took it to anotehr level of storytelling. Great book.

[cteresa]

In the middle of A Prison Unsought, book three of Smith and Trowbridge's Exordium series.

If you're a fan on space opera, look this series up - I had never heard of it until it was recommended here, and am shocked at how well-written and inventive it is. Hard to believe it doesn't get recommended more often.

I love that series, I recommend it now and then, problem is it feels rather sadist to recomend it, some of the books are so hard to find! It´s scandously not known enough, and yes it´s so brilliant, I guess it is the closest thing to ASOIAF I can think of, it just is sf.

Maia, yep, last of the Wine is brilliant, even the point where it stops is pure genius. I got an old copy with a really bad cover, but know there is a new TPB edition I want, the cover is a David painting, the Oath of the Horatii. I hmpphed while reading it and thought the Death of S would have been much more correct, except of course she stops before and it makes so much sense she would have. Have you ever read Fire from Heaven and The Funeral Games? Everybody seems to love the middle book in the trilogy, The Persian Boy, better, except me, I loved those two. If you want to try more Renault ( even if nothing is quite as good as tLotW, she is still awesome) try The Funeral Games, it´s tragic and serene at the same time.

PS - oops, to remain on topic, am rereading TikTok by John Sladek. I did not like it when I read it on translation a long time ago, but a friend pushed me the original and the original is a different kettle of fish indeed.

[Daemrion]

Recently read Darongsblood by McCaffrey but it just got a bit confusing at the end with the time traveling stuff.

About to start on A Crowning Mercy by Cornwell.

[Snuffaluffalee]

I've read some Austen over the weekend... Let's see... Northanger Abbey (which I really did not enjoy) and Emma (which was okay). I think I'm done with my Austen kick for quite awhile.

After exams I have a few books I particularly want to get started on: one by Marillier, the second series belonging to Hobb, and The Disorderly Knights by Dunnett (which I never got around to re-reading a few months back, though it sat on my bookshelf for a while).

[Sir Tiago]

I'm at the end of Mad Ship.... Robin Hobb is great

[TehipiteTom]

Finished AFFC over the weekend, and went to the bookstore today in search of inspiration. What I came up with was so perverse, I'm rather proud of it: following up the ultimate anti-heroic medieval fantasy with Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe, the embodiment of chivalric romance. Should be fun.