December to Dismember: Books we're offing this month

[Datepalm]

Finished Ready Player One - very quick weekend read, but I found it melancholy, overall.

The Invisible Cities, Italo Calvino - It was ok, I guess. Wasn't really sure what to make of it.

1493, Charles Mann, some long subtitle - basically about globalization as starting with Columbus. It's interesting but felt much less substantial than 1491.

Started David Abulafia's the Great Sea (History of the Mediterranean) and Lust by Geoffrey Ryman.

[Larry.]

Finished Ready Player One - very quick weekend read, but I found it melancholy, overall.

The Invisible Cities, Italo Calvino - It was ok, I guess. Wasn't really sure what to make of it.

1493, Charles Mann, some long subtitle - basically about globalization as starting with Columbus. It's interesting but felt much less substantial than 1491.

Started David Abulafia's the Great Sea (History of the Mediterranean) and Lust by Geoffrey Ryman.

Let me know what you thought of the Abulafia, as I thought that was one of the better histories of the region that I've read in years.

[Guinevere Seaworth]

I have had less reading time than usual lately and I just finished Master of the House of Darts. I love Aliette De Bodard's Aztec inspired murder mysteries with a healthy dose of blood magic thrown in as well. Good stuff.

Up next is Jack Whyte's Knights of the Black and White, the first book of a trilogy about the Knights Templar. I liked his realistic version of the King Arthur's series (much like Bernard Cornwell's Arthurian series), the Camulod Chronicles. Knights of the Black and White is actually a re-read but I have not read the rest of the series yet.

[Bastard of Godsgrace]

Finished The Minority Council by Kate Griffin - first 2012 release I read. I am still enjoying this series a lot, but with fourth volume some things start to seem a little bit repetitive. OTOH, the ending seem to suggest author is going to take Matthew Swift character in a new unexpected direction, so perhaps she will yetsurprise us.

[beniowa]

Two of these properly belong in the November thread, but what the heck.

Like Guinevere Seaworth above, I read Master of the House of Darts. And like her, I quite enjoyed it. de Bodard has improved a little since the first of the cross-genre Obsidion and Blood books. I hear the author is planning to write some novels in her alternate history universe, of which she already has several short stories, and I'm looking forward to that.

Also breezed through Sanderson's Alloy of Law. Felt a bit light and short, maybe even a little weak, for a Sanderson book, but it was nice to visit the world of Mistborn again.

Then I read The Dragon Arcana by Pierre Pevel. I had the impression before that this series was going to be longer than three books, but apparently I guess it's only a trilogy. Anyway, felt a little bit stronger than the second book and it had a good, strong finish.

Not sure what I'm going to read next yet.

[Just a peasant]

There was a Kindle deal on The Hedgewitch Queen by Lilith Saintcrow. I am really liking it. It is about a lady in waiting to a Princess and the King's Captain of the Guard and their fight with sorcery. Pretty good.

[Grack21]

Oooooo, do tell! Does this one belong over in the Terrible Taste thread?? ;)

Oh its the fourth Green Rider book. Don't tell anyone though.

[Larry.]

Just finished reading and reviewing Yumeno Kyûsaku's classic 1935 novel, Dogra Magra. It's one of those novels that ought to make those who hear of it want to learn another language so they can read it (it's only available in Japanese and French, if I'm not mistaken). It truly deserves translation into more languages, as this novel reminded me favorably of Kafka's best work, without there being any known influence from him.

[Datepalm]

Larry - The Great Sea - I've only read John Julius Norwhichs The Middle Sea, but that was years ago and I remember not liking it very much, as it seemed a very old fashioned great-men-go-and-fight-eachother, repeat for 3k years, sort of history. Its early chapters yet, but so far I appreciate Abulafias interest in society and technology, which is what I missed with Norwhich.

Finished The Minority Council by Kate Griffin - first 2012 release I read. I am still enjoying this series a lot, but with fourth volume some things start to seem a little bit repetitive. OTOH, the ending seem to suggest author is going to take Matthew Swift character in a new unexpected direction, so perhaps she will yetsurprise us.

*jealous* Good to hear theres a different direction towards the end though, I thought the 3rd book was already getting a tiny bit stale. OTOH, I can always read more of Griffin's magic bus passes and telephone wires, so it's going to take quite a bit to get me to stop reading the series anyway.

Like Guinevere Seaworth above, I read Master of the House of Darts. And like her, I quite enjoyed it. de Bodard has improved a little since the first of the cross-genre Obsidion and Blood books. I hear the author is planning to write some novels in her alternate history universe, of which she already has several short stories, and I'm looking forward to that.

...

Then I read The Dragon Arcana by Pierre Pevel. I had the impression before that this series was going to be longer than three books, but apparently I guess it's only a trilogy. Anyway, felt a little bit stronger than the second book and it had a good, strong finish

OTOH, I thought i'd put these two down, but now I might get back to them...

There was a Kindle deal on The Hedgewitch Queen by Lilith Saintcrow. I am really liking it. It is about a lady in waiting to a Princess and the King's Captain of the Guard and their fight with sorcery. Pretty good.

Started Daniel Abraham's Urban Fantasy series the other day (er, I know it has a name but it's escaping me atm. Its in my head as 'Daniel Abraham's Urban Fantasy Series') and had a vague thought that i'm finally reading one of the books with a scantily leather clad chick on the cover, but it's still by a man. (Nothing against Daneil Abraham, i've just been making a concious effort this year to read more female writers, as left to my own devices, it turns out I don't.(Thanks handy goodreads tags) I recommend it - i've read some amazing books I probably wouldn't have gotten to otherwise.) Point being, now i'm thinking of picking up St. Crow...Thread delivers this morning.

[Contrarius]

Oh its the fourth Green Rider book. Don't tell anyone though.

I promise to never tell a single soul. ;)

Unfortunately, I know nothing about these books -- so I am unable to adequately mock you. Consider yourself mocked anyway.

[RedEyedGhost]

Started Daniel Abraham's Urban Fantasy series the other day (er, I know it has a name but it's escaping me atm. Its in my head as 'Daniel Abraham's Urban Fantasy Series')

The Black Sun's Daughter

I'm nearly ready to start the fourth book, and I'm really looking forward to it. Should be Tuesday or Wednesday at the latest.

[Peadar]

I'm having a very uninspiring few weeks of reading :(

Anyway, about to start Wolfsangel by M. D. Lachlan. I'm really hoping to break this losing streak.

[ljkeane]

I've enjoyed all the Daniel Abraham books that I've read so far so I'm tempted to try his urban fantasy series but I must admit even as someone who's happily taken books with some awful covers into work I'd be a bit embarrassed to be seen in public reading books with those covers. Another argument in favour of getting an ereader I suppose.

I just finished Cold Magic by Kate Elliot. It's an interesting read because Elliot does make the effort not to just base the story in a quasi medieval European culture (she uses sort of a mix of Celtic and West African cultures) but a lot of the book does kind of get bogged down in having to explain the cultural background she's created. The story does pick up towards the end though so I'll probably try the next book.

I'm not sure what I'll read next maybe I'll try The Night Circus.

[Starkess]

I decided to read Terrier, a Tamora Pierce book. She was one of my favorite authors growing up and I still like getting lost in a good YA book. :)

[Yana]

Black Douglass by Nigel Tranter, followed by A Flame for the Fire by the same author. After that ASOIAF reread :)

[SkynJay]

The Black Sun's Daughter

I'm nearly ready to start the fourth book, and I'm really looking forward to it. Should be Tuesday or Wednesday at the latest.

I just finished Cold Magic by Kate Elliot. It's an interesting read because Elliot does make the effort not to just base the story in a quasi medieval European culture (she uses sort of a mix of Celtic and West African cultures) but a lot of the book does kind of get bogged down in having to explain the cultural background she's created. The story does pick up towards the end though so I'll probably try the next book.

Both of these are high up on my too read list.

[Procrastimancer]

Sped my way through Hemlock Grove by Brian McGreevy. Fucking crazy. Good, but god damn...

Have to try and write a review for it.

[Lyanna Stark]

Bought a pile of Urban Fantasy and am now plowing some werewolf stuff which contains lots of Stus and Sues. Apparently nice werewolves are hot, but evil werewolves are all on a sliding scale of ugly. Just so you know if you encounter one which part of the scale they are on.

[Ealdorman Halasahr]

I've recently finished Daniel Abraham's The Dragon's Path, which wasn't any answer as to what I'm reading.

So.

I'm currently reading (and hoping to finish in December):

Lois McMaster Bujold's The Curse of Chalion

Glen Cook's The Tyranny of the Night

R. Scott Bakker's The Thousandfold Thought (which is taking me forever to finish, it seems).

[jdiddyesquire]

Finished Among Thieves by Douglas Hulick. Pretty much the best thing to happen to the thief since Lies of Locke Lamora. I still prefer Lynch's novel, but Hulick's is the top of the class among all the novels published in its shadow. (Full review)

I've spent the last couple of day focused in on Faith by John Love and I'm about 30 pages from finished it. It's really flown under the radar. Due out January 5 is the first of Night Shade's new crop of 2012 debut authors. Here's the blurb:

Moby Dick meets Duel in John Love's debut novel of Space Opera and Military Science Fiction!

Faith is the name humanity has given to the unknown, seemingly invincible alien ship that has begun to harass the newly emergent Commonwealth. 300 years earlier, the same ship destroyed the Sakhran Empire, allowing the Commonwealth to expand its sphere of influence. But now Faith has returned! The ship is as devastating as before, and its attacks leave some Commonwealth solar systems in chaos. Eventually it reaches Sakhra, now an important Commonwealth possession, and it seems like history is about to repeat itself.

But this time, something is waiting: an Outsider, one of the Commonwealth''s ultimate warships. Slender silver ships, full of functionality and crewed by people of unusual abilities, often sociopaths or psychopaths, Outsiders were conceived in back alleys, built and launched in secret, and commissioned without ceremony. One system away from earth, the Outsider ship Charles Manson makes a stand. Commander Foord waits with his crew of miscreants and sociopath, hoping to accomplish what no other human has been able to do - to destroy Faith!

Not entirely sure what to think of it. Hope to have a long form review soon.