What are you reading in Jan 2014?

[Sinistmer]

I have started Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake and am really liking it so far.

[Becky]

Sinistmer wrote: "I have started Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake and am really liking it so far."

I enjoyed Oryx and Crake. It was... different. I'll probably re-read it at some point this year because I need to read the 2nd and 3rd books in the series.

[MrsJoseph *grouchy*, Bad Girls Deadlift]

I need to finish something. I have been reading the same stuff but not finishing any of it. O_o

[Nyssa]

Nyssa wrote: "Laurel wrote: "I loved that book!"

Nyssa wrote: "I'm in the middle of A Nameless Witch. It is grossly amusing!"

I'm almost finished and I'm loving it too! :)"

I finished this last night; 5-star read(view spoiler)[; despite the understandable, but still, bitter sweet ending. (hide spoiler)]

I'm now reading The Voyage of the Dawn Treader; so far so good.

[Laurel]

Woo hoo! I am so glad you enjoyed it :)

Off to read your review...

[Stephanie]

Finished Doctor Sleep. Loved it. I'd give it a 4.5 due to (for me) the slow start. I have several ebooks to read (mystery book clubs), but for fantasy, I started Summer Knight by Jim Butcher. My goal is to be sewing or preparing some embroidery for a quilt for 4-6 hours tomorrow, so I'll get to listen quite a bit. Unless forced out into the cold, I don't plan on going anywhere on Monday or Tuesday, so should get a lot of reading/listening done.

[Lee]

I finally finished The Dark Angel trilogy. Yes! My first finished goal of the year. :)
I liked it. But I really got the feeling that Brent Weeks was totally making up the story as he was writing it. Not to mention "borrowed" from every book/movie he ever read/watched.

Today I'll be finishing off Dangerous Women by reading Martin's ASoIaF story.

[MrsJoseph *grouchy*, Bad Girls Deadlift]

Nienna wrote: "I finally finished The Dark Angel trilogy. Yes! My first finished goal of the year. :)
I liked it. But I really got the feeling that Brent Weeks was totally making up the story as he was writing it..."

That doesn't bode well for my read...

[Paul]

Nienna wrote: "I finally finished The Dark Angel trilogy. Yes! My first finished goal of the year. :)
I liked it. But I really got the feeling that Brent Weeks was totally making up the story as he was writing it..."

That doesn't sound good. Glad you enjoyed it in spite of those issues.

Finished The Darwin Elevator. It started out well but after about a third it really went downhill for me. Not to get into too much detail but I didn't believe the worldbuilding (I had a lot of trouble suspending my disbelief, which is a big problem for me in a book that should be relying on good worldbuilding). Also I felt like most of the characters were taking certain actions because that was what the author needed them to do in order to advance the story, rather than because those actions fitted in with their character.

So that was a bit of a shame. Not the right book for me.

Also read the two laundry files short stories to bring me up to date with that series (Overtime Down on the Farm). Really enjoyed them. Love that series!

Now into Nocturnal. Really excited about this one. I loved The Rookie so I'm hoping that this will be just as good.

[Nyssa]

I finished The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and with one week left in the month to go, I'm trying to decide what to read next.

Should I use my New Series Credit and start The Sisters Grimm series that I borrowed from my friend, and have to return before the end of the school year; continue the NERDS series (I'm on book #3), read a A Study in Scarlet for the Buddy Read that starts on Feb. 2nd, or give Swan Song another go ?

[Chris , cookie guilt]

Honestly, if Swan Song isn't grabbing you, you should move on. That's a lot of book to drag behind you. You won't be booted from the group for not finishing. Heh

[Nyssa]

Chris wrote: "Honestly, if Swan Song isn't grabbing you, you should move on. That's a lot of book to drag behind you. You won't be booted from the group for not finishing. Heh"

Good to know! :D

That, however, still leaves 3 other possibilities...

[colleen the convivial curmudgeon, Not a book hipster!]

Go with Sisters Grimm since you have a time limit on it. Plus I'm curious about it.

[Chris , cookie guilt]

I'd vote for starting the Sisters Grimm, if you have to get through them all.

[Nyssa]

Sisters Grimm it is then! Thank you both, kindly!

[Chris , cookie guilt]

I finished Runner, which was excellent and The Color of Magic, which was fairly meh.

Started another NetGalley review book, called Peacemaker, about a Western lawman with some wizardy powers and a sidekick that's a jackalope shapeshifter or something.

[Emily]

How's Peacemaker coming along, Chris?

I'm reading Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde, not to be confused with the similarly titled recent bestseller. So far I am really loving it, but as with most Fforde writing, it does slow my reading pace down some.

[Chris , cookie guilt]

Emily wrote: "How's Peacemaker coming along, Chris?

I'm reading Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde, not to be confused with the similarly titled recent bestseller. So far I am really ..."

Pretty good. I started it at lunch and got through 2 chapters. Looks like it'll be a pretty entertaining read for a couple of days.

[MrsJoseph *grouchy*, Bad Girls Deadlift]

Not quite a "what I am reading" but still...

I have a personal blog - it doesn't get much traffic and I'm happy with that.

Because I don't get a lot of traffic, I always get...concerned if I get a lot more traffic than usual.

On Jan. 25th I got quite a lot of traffic - most of it seeming to go to a review I wrote of Brett's The Warded Man (which I had a major problem with).

It took some time but I tracked down how I got so much traffic.

Brett tweeted a link to a really sad news story that occurred in India. A woman was ordered to be gang raped by her village elders because she was planning to marry a man from a different village. :(

Brett's comment about the story on twitter was "if this was in a book, people would say it's unrealistic." Apparently, the shit hit the fan soon after. (view spoiler)[My review of The Warded Man talks a lot about (view spoiler)[this is a big spoiler... (view spoiler)[how Brett has his only virginal character - BTW, it was a big deal she was a virgin - gang raped of her virginity. And if you google "Peter V. Brett + gang rape" my review is the first one to show up. Or was. (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[colleen the convivial curmudgeon, Not a book hipster!]

*sigh*

There's really no point in trying to point out to him that the issues with it are (view spoiler)[not that it's unrealistic, per se, it's a) that it has to happen to his one main female character and b) it's overused as a trope for female characters, as if it's one of the only ways authors can think of to give their female characters depth and a tragic story and c) it's the way he dealt with the aftermath that people called unrealistic and was even more off-putting than a & b. (hide spoiler)]

[colleen the convivial curmudgeon, Not a book hipster!]

Unrelated - I am currently - finally - reading The Alchemy of Stone by Ekaterina Sedia. I say finally because I've physically had it since Xmas 2012 and kept putting it off (and unlike some of you nutters, that's pretty rare for me). ;)

I think I kept putting it off because I'd read The Secret History of Moscow by her and was kind of disappointed, so I wasn't sure I'd like this one.

So far I'm enjoying it. I'm decently engaged with the story, and the writing is fairly lyrical without going florid. It's not one I can't put down so far, but I'm not very far in, either.

So here's hoping...

[MrsJoseph *grouchy*, Bad Girls Deadlift]

Colleen wrote: "*sigh*

There's really no point in trying to point out to him that the issues with it are [spoilers removed]"

After the shit splatter Brett says he meant it in a "I can't believe how horrible humans are to each other kind of way."

But I don't really believe him - especially due to his previous comments/attitude regarding his book. I think that part came later after tons of people on Twitter started giving him the blues.

[Chris , cookie guilt]

That reminds me. I need to read The Daylight War soon.

[Lee]

Colleen wrote: "*sigh*

There's really no point in trying to point out to him that the issues with it are [spoilers removed]"

Agree. Agree. Agree. It wasn't that 'it' happened. It was how the author dealt with 'it' that I had a problem with. Which was a shame because other than that one thing I really enjoyed the book. And I actually do want to continue with the series.

[MrsJoseph *grouchy*, Bad Girls Deadlift]

Colleen wrote: "Unrelated - I am currently - finally - reading The Alchemy of Stone by Ekaterina Sedia. I say finally because I've physically had it since Xmas 2012 and kept putting..."

Luck

[MrsJoseph *grouchy*, Bad Girls Deadlift]

Nienna wrote: "Agree. Agree. Agree. It wasn't that 'it' happened. It was how the author dealt with 'it' that I had a problem with. Which was a shame because other than that one thing I really enjoyed the book. And I actually do want to continue with the series. "

Yup! That's how I felt, too. But I decided I wouldn't continue (I no longer trust Brett). https://bookslifewine.wordpress.com/2...

[Michael]

I am currently reading well a wide list lol i have a bad habit of starting several stories at once, to get lost in one book then forget about the others. My current read is Hearts In Atlantis. Along with that it's Lord of the Rings The Fellowship of the Ring, The Dark Tower graphic novels, and i have Imajica on the waiting list, i got myself in deep haha

[Becky]

How are you liking Imajica, Michael? A friend gave me that one years ago, but I never got around to it.

[MrsJoseph *grouchy*, Bad Girls Deadlift]

Becky wrote: "How are you liking Imajica, Michael? A friend gave me that one years ago, but I never got around to it."

I'd like to know, too. I gave away mu copies. The author wrote a movie that scared the pure shit out of me.

[Michael]

I honestly haven't gotten a chance to it yet, hearts in atlantis holds my main interest so far, but the moment i begin it I'll let you all know. I've heard so many polarized views on it so I'm definitely curious on it as well

[Nyssa]

Wow! That's funny. I also had a copy a long time ago but never read it and eventually donated to the library, I think, or packed it away somewhere.

[Emily]

I'm reading With the Light: Raising an Autistic Child. It's my first manga and is slaying me.

[Chris , cookie guilt]

I read Imajica years and years ago, right when it first came out (and was all in one volume).

I remember liking it a lot at first, then finding it weird as hell. I finished it, but I don't remember a lot about it.

[MrsJoseph *grouchy*, Bad Girls Deadlift]

Chris wrote: "I read Imajica years and years ago, right when it first came out (and was all in one volume).

I remember liking it a lot at first, then finding it weird as hell. I finished it, but I don't remembe..."

I do remember the blurb...said nothing at all.

[colleen the convivial curmudgeon, Not a book hipster!]

MrsJoseph (taking back my data & giving GR the middle finger) wrote: "Becky wrote: "How are you liking Imajica, Michael? A friend gave me that one years ago, but I never got around to it."

I'd like to know, too. I gave away mu copies. The author wrote a movie that..."

I think I have your copies. :)

[Michael]

I got that volume as one giant paperback, it looks interesting enough and being from barker i can only expect it get weird haha but from what i read theres a lot of sexual tension and such, but i wont let anything turn me off, i paid for so now i must read it lol its a rule mommy made me make back when i was young

[Lee]

Chris wrote: "I read Imajica years and years ago, right when it first came out (and was all in one volume).

I remember liking it a lot at first, then finding it weird as hell. I finished it, but I don't remembe..."

This pretty much sums up my experience with Clive Barker books.

[Michael]

Nienna, may i ask, do you mean that in a good way? I find his work very intriguing but also some of it is a bit of hit and miss. A perfect example for me would be theBooks of Blood series. While they were great stories, not all were as great. So I'm just curious as to what you mean

[MrsJoseph *grouchy*, Bad Girls Deadlift]

Colleen wrote: "MrsJoseph (taking back my data & giving GR the middle finger) wrote: "Becky wrote: "How are you liking Imajica, Michael? A friend gave me that one years ago, but I never got around to it."

I'd lik..."

I think you do. :)

[Chris , cookie guilt]

I read The Hellbound Heart last year and really liked it. I've been meaning to read more of his stuff.

[Lee]

Michael wrote: "Nienna, may i ask, do you mean that in a good way? I find his work very intriguing but also some of it is a bit of hit and miss. A perfect example for me would be theBooks of Blood series. While th..."

Both Good & Bad. ;)

I don't really care for his horror but I don't really go for horror anyway. My favorite of his books was always The Great and Secret Show.

[Jackie]

Chris wrote: "I remember liking it a lot at first, then finding it weird as hell. I finished it, but I don't remember a lot about it. "

This seems to be becoming a theme with you. lol

[Becky]

I liked The Hellbound Heart as well. It was good on audio.

[Chris , cookie guilt]

Jackie wrote: "Chris wrote: "I remember liking it a lot at first, then finding it weird as hell. I finished it, but I don't remember a lot about it. "

This seems to be becoming a theme with you. lol"

LOL...a sign of early Alzheimer's...

[Darren]

Nienna wrote: "Michael wrote: "Nienna, may i ask, do you mean that in a good way? I find his work very intriguing but also some of it is a bit of hit and miss. A perfect example for me would be theBooks of Blood ..."

Wasn't Everville a sequel to The Great and Secret Show (and suppose to be the second part of a trilogy)? This is why I basically gave up on Clive Barker - I got fed up with him not finishing up his series!

Saying that Weaveworld is my favourite Clive Barker book.

[Michael]

Yeah Everville, The Great and Secret Show, then the Scarlet Gospels which he just announced a release date for though the date escapes me. I'm a bit
Lucky then since i came into him a bit late, my favorite would be the first three Books of Blood though. I have yet to read Everville and Secret Show but i did read Abarat, loved it, read book two and just couldn't finished. Not to mention what was suppose to be a 3part series is now a 4 part, so i see where your coming from on that.


Also, hope i don't come off a bit slow, I'm new lol. How do you do the he said, she said marking, to your replies? Thank you

[Darren]

Michael wrote: "Yeah Everville, The Great and Secret Show, then the Scarlet Gospels which he just announced a release date for though the date escapes me. I'm a bit
Lucky then since i came into him a bit late, my..."

Hi Michael, if you mean what I've done at the top of this post, then if you click on the reply button at the bottom of the post you want to add it'll copy it in for you. If you're doing this on your phone you won't have that option though!

[Darren]

...actually what I meant was if you're using the goodreads app the reply button may not be there (at least it's not on mine). Hopefully that makes more sense than the end of my last post!!

[Michael]

Thank you! Yes it makes sense, at least this way i know for when I'm on my computer thank you again

[Lee]

Michael wrote: "Yeah Everville, The Great and Secret Show, then the Scarlet Gospels which he just announced a release date for though the date escapes me. I'm a bit
Lucky then since i came into him a bit late, my..."

The Great and Secret Show is first and then Everville. Love the first. The second one was just strange and boring.