Decemeber Reading Thread: How Are You Finishing Off The Year

[RedEyedGhost]

I'm just about finished Bujold's newest book, Captain Vorpatril's Alliance. I'm enjoying it a lot, but like the last couple of Vorkosigan books it does seem a bit slight compared to something like Memory and there aren't many major events here (although Ivan might disagree with that assessment). I hope the next book moves the series forward a bit more. It it is a fun read, though, it's probably one of the funniest books in the series, I think any fan of the series would enjoy the scenes where Ivan tries to explain his escapades to Miles or Illyan.

I'm really looking forward to having a book from Ivan's POV. He's a great character to play off of Miles.

[Myshkin]

Finished I Have The Right To Destroy Myself by Kim Young-ha. A surreal, powerful little book.

Now reading Swimming Home by Deborah Levy.

[Derfel Cadarn]

Reading London's Falling by Paull Cornell, the BBC writer. It's a supernatural detective novel. As I'm also writing such a book, I decided to give it a shot. It has a blurb at the back by GRRM, albeit he's more commenting that Cornell's written a novel rather than commenting on the quality, so I'm doubting he's read it.

After that I'll either continue my malazan re-read (albeit reading several of the Esslemont books for the first time) or Chris wooding's Ketty Jay books. Or probably Red Country by Abercrombie.

[Davos55]

Just finished Gone Girl and loved it. Such an addicting story..I had to keep going back and reading it. Great thriller. I will read Gillian Flynn's other 2 novels now that I finished this great one.

[Baitac]

Just finished Gone Girl and loved it. Such an addicting story..I had to keep going back and reading it. Great thriller. I will read Gillian Flynn's other 2 novels now that I finished this great one.

Wow. Unexpected ending. Reese Witherspoon's production company bought the rights to it. I wonder how they will adapt it. I thought that was fantastic. Glad you liked it too. Like you, now I want to read Dark Places (?).

[Snowborn]

I finished Dune, I liked it a lot! I like the worldbuilding and Paul Atreides, despite being some sort of messianic figure, was awesome. I'm intrigued about Alia, I'll read the other books during my summer break :D

[Teng Ai Hui]

In the last month or so, I have finished The Casual Vacancy, A Betrayal in Winter, Talking with My Mouth Full by Gail Simmons, and a Doctor Who tie-in novel called Wetworld (10th Doctor & Martha) by Mark Michalowski.

Currently, I'm about a one-third of the way into Dune.

[Peadar]

Reading Investments by Walter Jon Williams.

[Procrastimancer]

Buckled down and read Caliban's War over the past couple days. It may not seem like it around here, but Leviathan's Wake gets some shit thrown at it from various directions, largely from opinions I trust, for various reasons that seem to largely revolve around it being a throwback or something along those lines. It just goes to show that sometimes you can't trust those trusted opinions. I loved Leviathan's Wake and even though there were some annoying bits, the sentiment is extended to Caliban's War. I am looking forward to reading on in the series.

[Guinevere Seaworth]

I just finished The Shadowed Sun by N.K. Jemisin. The Dreamblood duology is one heck of great read. Believable three dimensional characters, original magic system, and a world that is inspired by Ancient Egypt makes it a page turner.

Onto Towers of Midnight. I was impressed with what Brandon Sanderson did to The Gathering Storm, so I'm hoping that he continues it.

[TrackerNeil]

I polished off Self-Made Man by Norah Vincent, and I loved it. A must-read for anyone interested in gender issues, thoughful and well-written.

[Starkess]

Still working on Knocking on Heaven's Door but also started Dragonfly in Amber, as I like to have a novel going along with my nonfiction reads.

[Peadar]

Reading Lud-in-the-Mist by Hope Mirlees. Strangely amazing so far.

[ztemhead]

currently reading something off the bookshelf, The Blind Assasin by my girl, Margaret Atwood. Too early to tell how it's going to be, but I've been grabbed by it so far.

[UndergroundMan]

I'm in the middle of the second book of the Mabinogion tetralogy by Evangeline Walton.

Also reading a large collection of Grimm's Fairy Tales. Just finished a shorter collection by Hans Christian Andersen. I seem to prefer the Grimms brothers over Andersen, although I loved the Little Mermaid.

[Myshkin]

Finished Swimming Home by Deborah Levy. Really good book, beautifully written, with some heavy themes.

Now reading Narcopolis by Jeet Thayil.

[Melonica Stormborn]

I seem to prefer the Grimms brothers over Andersen, although I loved the Little Mermaid.

Me too. But I might be biased. I never did finish the Andersen book my cousin lend me and did not even reach Little Mermaid. I devoured my copy of Grimm's fairy tales.

[PetyrPunkinhead]

I'm in to book four of A Song of Ice & Fire,AFFC, right now, but I doubt I finish it before the New Year.

[Bellis]

Finally got around to NW, Zadie Smith's highly hyped latest. Smith is highly talented - I enjoyed her White Teeth and On Beauty - but this book is in dire need of an editor. It's undisplined, experimental, Virginia Woolfish stream of consciousness. The entire Felix section could probably be killed. And yet, the last hundred pages or so are as strong as any mimetic fiction I've read in the last few years, and a poignant portrait of female friendship, a theme we just don't see often enough.

I'm finishing off the year and starting the next with Ursula K Le Guin's 2-book new short story collection The Unreal and the Real.

[Howdyphillip]

I just picked up Beloved by Toni Morrison. It was named the best piece of fiction written in the last 25 years by the NY Times. I just started and it is already amazing.