Am getting ready to start the Fablehaven series. Have heard really good things about it and hope it lives up to the hype.

I finished World War Z An Oral History of the Zombie War. I really liked it. It was very realistic and scary in parts.

There isn't a September thread yet so I'll just add here that I've started The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane and am really enjoying it so far. Roughly it's about a grad student who finds documents relating to a woman who was involved in the Salem Witch Trials, but explores that what if there really were witches and magic, etc. It's really good.

I finally finished Elantris. Moving on to The Crown Conspiracy, and then probably Sabriel.

Usinger wrote: "Just finished Sabriellast night. It is a testimony to sites like this one that I tried it - I don't think I would have picked it up at a book store...
[snip:]
I assume this is a series..."

Trilogy. It's followed by Lirael, which takes place several years after Sabriel and in which Sabriel is more of a secondary character, and concludes with Abhorsen, which is a direct continuation of Lirael. There's also a short story set in the world, in Across the Wall A Tale of the Abhorsen and Other Stories. According to Wikiedpia, there's also a prequel and a sequel "of sorts" in the works, slated for 2010 and 2011.

For those who liked Sabriel, I also recommend the 'Keys to the Kingdom' series, starting with Mister Monday. It's written for a younger audience, and not quite the same quality as the Abhorsen (Old Kingdom) trilogy, but still a fun and enjoyable read (if slightly meandering in the middle).

Finished Young Miles last night.

I'll be starting Left Behind today at lunch and will try to finish Consider Phlebas sometime this week.

Josh wrote: "I just got done with my Christopher Moore kick, now I'm finally starting on the Xanth series. I just started A Spell For Chameleon and I'm enjoying it so far."

The first three books are the best. After them he started writing stories just so he could include bad puns his readers sent him, which quickly snowballed down a slippery slope. I haven't read a Xanth book in years, though.

Just finished Sabriellast night. It is a testimony to sites like this one that I tried it - I don't think I would have picked it up at a book store...

Great book. Great characters. To my eye something of an "old school" fantasy book where we are not really too far from home; but far enough.

I assume this is a series...

I just got done with my Christopher Moore kick, now I'm finally starting on the Xanth series. I just started A Spell For Chameleon and I'm enjoying it so far.

Cindy wrote: "In regards to the Dragonseed, I interviewed James Maxey for FBC and he said the book was to be the final one if it had to be so that's why there is "semi" closure as I call it.

He expressed intere..."

Cool, thanks. Yeah, I hope he writes more. :)

Bill wrote: "I went to the movie and was really disappointed...it's really just a romance with a bit of time travel thrown in. Many people have told me the book is great, but I don't think I'll read it now..."

Have not seen the movie yet, but the book is sad sad story. Also over hyped IMHO.

Finished Fool's Errand and Golden Fool.

A few months ago I re-read The Farseer and The Liveship Traders trilogies. Loved them as much or even more than when I read them first time 7 years ago. However, The Tawny Man trilogy is a major disappointment so far.
1. The major storyline/plot is very "local", no grand scale plot as it was in the first two trilogies.
2. So many boring descriptions, unbelievable.
3. Hobb's obsession with describing all sorts of gowns, clothes is driving me nuts.
4. Unwarranted number of repeating of what happened in the first two trilogies. Even repeatings within the book itself of what happened a few chapters before!
5. If I didn't know Robin Hobb, I would give up on Fool's Errand after the first 50-100 pages, because I would believe I picked up chick lit by mistake instead of fantasy.

Golden Fool was slightly better than Fool's Errand but still pales in comparison.
A word of warning. Anyone who says that one can read The Tawny Man right after The Farseer, thus bypassing The Liveship Traders is giving a very bad advice because if a person decides they would like to read The Liveship Traders after The Farseer & The Tawny Man, will be disappointed because there are way too many spoilers in The Tawny Man about The Liveship Traders.

In regards to the Dragonseed, I interviewed James Maxey for FBC and he said the book was to be the final one if it had to be so that's why there is "semi" closure as I call it.

He expressed interest in possibly self publishing or something if Soltice isn't brought by another company as his contract was only for 3 books. So there is hope :)

I'm with Thalia and Felina on The Time Traveler's Wife. I highly recommend it. The book is much better than the movie.

I finished Equal Rites. I've also finished Wyrd Sisters and a reread of The Time Traveler's Wife. I'm currently reading Witches Abroad and Assassination Vacation; I'm still working at World War Z and haven't touched Bleak House or P&P&Z in a long time...

I just finished Dragonseed by James Maxey. It was entertaining, however I'm not sure if this is the end of the series or not. If it is, then I find this conclusion a bit dissatisfying. If it isn't, then I think this where things start going downhill unfortunately.

Now, I've just started Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie.

Finished The Warrior's Apprentice this morning - http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/683...

I'm going to continue on through the omnibus edition Young Miles because I just can't put it down.

I'm still slogging through Consider Phlebas and hope to finish it this weekend.

Kathy, I read the book and its really good. I would not consider it to be fantasy by any stretch of the imagination though.

The book is far better than the movie (and the movie's ending isn't nearly as good as the real ending in the book!). Definitely recommend the book.

I went to the movie and was really disappointed...it's really just a romance with a bit of time travel thrown in. Many people have told me the book is great, but I don't think I'll read it now that I know the ending etc.

Kathy, I agree with Janny. Having said that, if you are debating, I would read the book. It really is beautifully done.

Kathy wrote: "Was The Time Traveler's Wife more of a romance than fantasy fiction? I'm debating 1) to read the book and/or 2) to see the movie."

Kathy - more a mainstream, modern day romance. The fantasy element was almost downplayed, and fitted into modern paradigms (science based).

The tension in the story is drawn between the characters, and deals with the scrambled timeline on which they must base their lives more than on the fantastic. This is my take. Someone else may have a different view.

Was The Time Traveler's Wife more of a romance than fantasy fiction? I'm debating 1) to read the book and/or 2) to see the movie.

I've finished "The Time Traveler's Wife'. Now reading 'The Word and the Void' omnibus, Agatha Christie's 'A mysterious affair at Styles', and also a book on Norse myths.

Finished Bright of the Sky last night - http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/541...

Started Young Miles before I went to bed.

I just started The Crown Conspiracy by Michael J. Sullivan and have found it a good read so far - certainly straight into the action.

I started reading Vicki Petterson's The Scent of the Shadows: The First Sign of the Zodiac. I am sucker for anything superheroish! :-)

Chris wrote: "I just started The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson the other day. And I just found out a little bit ago that I won Nyphron Rising by...


I am soooo jealous Regardless I have to order one from Robin at the release date anyway. I want to have all 6 signed copies if I can help it.

I'm working on just about anything related to Harry Dresden lately. I have Turn Coat left to read that I just got in the mail. I am also reading
book:The Prophecy of the Kings Trilogy] by GR author David Burrows, which I won in a First Reads drawing. I will plan to post a review when I'm finished, if anyone is interested.

After I'm done with my current adventure, I'm not sure where I will go. It depends on when publication for Nyphron Rising is (ahem)! I may put off WoT for Christmas since I still haven't started the series over again.

Loved that one!

I just started Michael Sullivan's Avempartha and am already enjoying it very much.

I just finished The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. Overall the series was terribly written. The editor did a poor job. There was even a point where they called a main character by the wrong name (Alex instead of Alec) The story line in theory would have been great but the author doesn't know how to write in a desirable manner. The story was at a constant peak. When you thought the character had finally caught a break, they were slammed with another problem. Very tiring to read. Through all the bad I still loved the book series. Somehow it kept my attention. I did fall in love with the characters even though they were poorly structured and their personalities were completely different by the end of the series. I personally would not recommend this book if you are picky about the way an author writes. Otherwise it is worth a read. Most people either absolutely hate it or completely love it.

Now I am currently reading Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr. So far I am only in about a hundred pages but the story is captivating and much better written that anything Clare produced. I will write a review on this book when I finish.

Zachary wrote: "Getting started on Chronicles of The Black Company (Almost through the first book) ...

What did you think of Black Company. I have the SFBC omnibus editions and tried reading the 1st book a few years ago, but got stuck near the beginning. Is it worth the effort?

I'm just staring the 3rd book of Harry Harryson's Eden trilogy: Return to Eden. Great writer, he.

Finished Royal Assassin and moving on...

Almost finished with Royal Assassin. Will probably read Assassin's Quest next. Have to finish the Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson as well.

Finish red seas under red skies, will start name of the wind soon.

I don't usually post in these threads, but I recently finished Palimpsest by Catherynne M. Valente, and it was so stunningly gorgeous and unique that I wanted to proselytize a bit. Highly recommended!

I picked up Glen Cook's The Black Company today (inspired by the thread in General Fantasy). It'll be something I look forward to getting into towards the end of the month.

Just started The Sorcerer of the North by John Flanagan. This series has yet to let me down, and even though I've just started, it's going well so far.

Next on the plate, I think, will be Swordspoint.

I re-read those last year - the Science Fiction Book Club put them out in a collection of three books. I admit that ERB's books(both Barsoom and Tarzan) have lost some of the appeal they had for me as a teen. And there are legitimate criticisms to be made of the writing. And the "feisty, always needs rescuing heroine" stereotype drives me a bit crazy. Yet, despite all that, I still can't help but enjoy them.

I loved (when I read them twenty years ago) ERBs Barsoom adventures with John Carter. I wonder if they'd hold the appeal if I dug them up and did a re-read...

...probably not.

I'm working my way through some older stuff...this seems to be my year of nostalgia. A lot of it has to do with good deals on the Kindle - older stuff can be found for free or companies put everything by the author in one huge file that they sell for the price of one book. This month I started the Tarzan series by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Pulp fiction at it's finest.

Shannon wrote: "I'm still working my way through The Curse of the Mistwraith. Hopefully members will forgive my resurrecting discussion threads when I finish...

I picked up Tigana and ..."

Shannon - I'll be there for you - there are still others reading, too, so you are not alone - the journey through that book is not formulaic, so it's quite understandable it may take extra time.

I'm still working my way through The Curse of the Mistwraith. Hopefully members will forgive my resurrecting discussion threads when I finish...

I picked up Tigana and Good Omens The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch last weekend, so they're probably next on the block. Also The Turn of the Screw by Henry James.

Terence wrote: "I enjoyed it. It tweaks the usual stereotypes in interesting ways, and the characters were interesting. If you like Winterbirth, the second in the series is Bloodheir The Godless World Book 2. The third book, Fall of Thanes is due out soon (but I can't remember the date).


Thank you. Your favorable opinion might just push me to go buy it tomorrow.]

Oh and I finished Mistborn The Final Empire! Not sure what other book I will start yet.

Cameron wrote: "Reading Elantris, and Assassin's Apprentice. Not liking how the latter of the two is starting..."

Don't give up on Hobb. The book is good! I didn't like how it started either, but once you get into the flow of the book, it becomes addicting. I may become a Hobb addict.

I'm going to be heavily into Fantasy in the foreseeable future:

I have to finish The Master and Margarita by Bulgakov (hope to by the weekend). Then I'll get around to Jeffrey Barlough's Bertram of Butter Cross.

Then...oh, then...the big project begins!

I have a copy of the UK edition of Ian Esslemont's Return of the Crimson Guard and I've preordered the UK edition of Steven Erikson's Dust of Dreams. The former is Book 2 of Esslemont's Malazan Empire series; the latter is Book 9 of Erikson's. Both necessitate a complete rereading of the entire series so I'm looking forward to rereading Night of Knives and all eight books of The Malazan Book of the Fallen, starting with Gardens of the Moon :-)

Obviously (unless I discover a heretofore unknown ability to manipulate time), this will carry me well into September, if not October as well.

Zachary wrote: "Has anyone read Winterbirth by Brian Ruckley? Is it any good? I saw it at Barnes and Noble today and was so close to buying it!
"

I enjoyed it. It tweaks the usual stereotypes in interesting ways, and the characters were interesting. If you like Winterbirth, the second in the series is Bloodheir The Godless World Book 2. The third book, Fall of Thanes is due out soon (but I can't remember the date).

Jon - Martian Chronicles was my first SF read! Still a great book, imho. I'm now reading Fast Forward 1 - it's taking a while as some great new DVDs came in at the library that I just had to see.

I started Sabriel today. Aren't we discussing it this month?

Reading Elantris, and Assassin's Apprentice. Not liking how the latter of the two is starting...

Elise wrote: "Just started Legend by David Gemmell."

Great book, a bit rough compared to his later books, but still awesome!

Just started Legend by David Gemmell.