What are you reading in July ?

[[deleted user]]

Finally i have a holiday break from University and can do some long missed reading, so read the novella 'The Sparrow Key' by our group author Amy Saarikko this last week and enjoyed it and hope that she goes on to write much more fantasy. Today, the 1st of July in Australia has seen me start reading the English translation of The Stone and the Flute by Hans Bemmann, which i have been eager to read for some time now.

[Carolina]

So many books, so little time! I'm reading Ironcrown Moonand hopefully will finish within a few days and move on to the last book in the trilogy Sorcerer's Moon. After that I hope to move onto the book of the month, Assassin's Apprentice!

[Jon]

I'm currently reading God Stalk by P.C. Hodgell. Next up will be The Forever War by Joe Haldeman.

My tentative reading plan for July is here: http://www.goodreads.com/event/show/4...

I didn't quite make my goal of ten books in June, but I got close: http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/...

[Jim]

Jon, you're so squared away. I don't know how you manage it!

[Jon]

If I'm not squared away, nothing would get done or read. :)

[Elise]

I've got 150 pages or so left in Warbreaker. It's still a great read. Before I was thinking I liked it more than Mistborn, but now I don't think it's quite at that level.

I'm also still reading Iron Sunrise by Charles Stross and The Curse of the Mistwraith by Janny Wurts, but have currently put both of them on hold temporarily.

Just started on Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb.

I can really only read two books at once even though I have four of them going right now. Hopefully things will be less chaotic further on in this month.

In the near future, this is what I'm thinking of reading

Dragonseed by James Maxey, and then maybe I'll alternate between books I haven't read yet, and books I've been meaning to finish or get to for years.

I have a pretty strange system for reading that would be impossible to explain, but it works. :P

[maya]

I'm currently on the third book of the Malazan book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson. A really interesting book, so far.
I have read Robin Hobb's Farseer Trilogy last month. And I really loved the ending! Not the usual happy ending- But the kind that satiates the stomach and quenches the thirst- leaving you fulfilled but emotionally wrought.

[Calamus]

If I planned my reading exactly I probably wouldn't follow through, but I'd like to read The Hunger Games and Sabriel this month. I've heard a lot of good about them, but I haven't got around to actually reading them for myself yet.

In addition to that I guess I'll read whatever my library has that's worth reading and I haven't already read four times, heh.

[Terence]

Well, I have to read Lane Robins' Maledicte Antyre Book 1 and M. John Harrison's Nova Swing because they're library checkouts.

Once I get past those, I'll probably look into the two Chester Himes novels I borrowed from a friend - If He Hollers Let Him Go: A Novel and Pinktoes: A Novel Banner Books Jackson Miss. . a while ago.

After that, I'll be playing it by ear.

[Allison]

Rime wrote: "If I planned my reading exactly I probably wouldn't follow through, but I'd like to read The Hunger Games and Sabriel this month. I've heard a lot of good about them, but I haven't got around to a..."

oooo I loved both those! Hope you do too :) I'm already excited about the 2nd book in the Hunger Games trilogy coming out in September.

[Allison]

Jon wrote: "If I'm not squared away, nothing would get done or read. :)"

I'm very impressed by your list. If I tried to make one, about the only thing I could guarantee is that NONE of the books on it would get read.

[Arthur]

About 1/4 into Fevre Dream

[Arthur]

Nicola wrote: "After that, I'm going to re-read the Farseer Trilogy, The Liveship Traders and The Tawny Man, before going on to Hobb's new book, The Dragon Keeper. I read fast, so I aim to finish them all in July"

For goodness sake! It took me more than 2 months to re-read The Farseer Trilogy and The Liveship Traders only. I envy you!

[Kathy]

Elise wrote: "I've got 150 pages or so left in Warbreaker. It's still a great read. Before I was thinking I liked it more than Mistborn, but now I don't think it's quite at that level.

I'm also s..."

We're going to have to compare notes on Warbreaker, as it's next up once I'm finished reading Dune, which will be in the next day or two. My only complaint so far about Warbreaker is that it's a hardback and won't fit in my purse very well!

[colleen the convivial curmudgeon]

I'm only about halfway through 'The Historian'. Not a fast read, thus far, and it'll take another few days.

Then it's 'Evermore'. I won it through first-reads and received it today, so I feel obligated to read and review it toot sweet.

After that it's either the Dragonlance graphic novels I ordered, or the first Sookie Stackhouse. Probably the latter because it's a loaner and I don't like holding onto books from others too long, especially when they're waiting my opinion on it...

[Elise]

Kathy wrote: "Elise wrote: "I've got 150 pages or so left in Warbreaker. It's still a great read. Before I was thinking I liked it more than Mistborn, but now I don't think it's quite at that leve..."

Yeah, I don't like hardbacks either because they take up too much shelf space, and I doubly hate it when my favorite authors force me to buy them anyway. :P

I did finish
Warbreaker a few days ago. Not quite up to par with Mistborn, but still very good. Sanderson gave me another character to really love. :)

[Mir]

How are you liking the Historian, blackrose? I enjoyed it quite a bit while I was reading it, although afterwards I kept thinking of flaws.

I just finished The Hawkline Monster A Gothic Western which was very short and very, very strange.

[colleen the convivial curmudgeon]

Well, if I liked it better I'd be reading it right now. ;) Lets see - I found the first 200 pages or so dreadfully dull and thought about putting it down if it didn't get better soon. Somewhere around 300 it started getting better, but now I'm a little over halfway through and I can't help but wonder if it needs to be so long. There seems to be a lot of needless description of architecture and food, as if the author didn't want any research to go to waste, or, perhaps simply that she's a traveller and wants to share her experiences. I'm sure for some it would add to the story, but since it, so far, has no bearing on the plot, I could live without it.

On a more personal note, I'm a little annoyed that Dracula is given no sympathy - I mean as a historic figure. Her characters can find sympathy for other barbarians of the time period, but no love for poor Vlad. I guess I understand why, given the givens of the plot, but as a sort of admirer of the brute, it rankles.

Back to the book - I hate it when allegedly intelligent characters are so slow on the uptake.

I'm sticking with it mostly because a coworker suggested it to me, and because I have some sort of obsession with finishing books I've started. I look forward to finishing it far more than I do to reading it, though.

All that said, while I am reading it it's interesting enough. It's sort of odd that way.

[Systest]

300 pages Lies of Locke Lamora, Red Seas under Red Skies in next. It's really the top 1 for me.
Mmmm... maybe Malazan is another choice for the rest of this year

[Anna]

I'm reading "Septimus Heap: The Magykal Papers" on Ebook. I got my copy at www.booksonboard.com when they released it last week.

[Chris]

I was going to jump right into The Steel Remains by Richard K. Morgan for another club.

But after the WOW-ending of The Curse of the Mistwraith by Janny Wurts, I am going to have to tackle something lighter and less epic for a few days....

So, it's a re-read of Thinner by Stephen King. Quick, easy, not a lot of depth. Just what my brain needs while Mistwraith settles in....then it's on to Steel Remains......

[Barbm1020]

I am reading The Little Stranger, which is soooo good! I won't be good for much till I'm done with it. *Hmm, page 140 was it?*

[Mir]

@blackrose: If you like the Dracula topic and general approach of the Historian, try Barbara Hambly's Renfield Slave of Dracula instead. I thought her characters were much stronger. One thing that bothered me about Kostova was that her characters all had pretty much the same voice.

[colleen the convivial curmudgeon]

Thanks for the recommend. I'll add it to my ever-expanding TBR list, but I think it'll be awhile. I'm kinda Drac'd out right now.

As one of the reviewers of 'The Historian' said, Kostova has managed to "suck the life out of Dracula". And I still have almost 250 pages left...

And I agree that all her characters sound/write the same. That's what comes from weak characterization. I'm also not convinced all of her history and geography is accurate, either.

[Elise]

Just started The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle after feeling dissatisfied with my current sci-fi read. First impressions so far, it has such wonderful prose. :)

[Cameron]

I'm about halfway through Stone of Tears. The first book was excellent so I was in quite the hurry to start the next book, but wow is the book ever large.

I'm nearly halfway with A Game of Thrones. Started this book a long time ago, but never finished it, and yet I have put it down once again. Will try to finish it after Stone of Tears, I think.

Also on my shelf this month (or maybe next): Elantris and Warbreaker. Finished the Mistborn trilogy, loved it, and now I'm ready for some more Brandon Sanderson. :)

[Saltie22]

So far I've read Nation by Terry Pratchett, The Alchemyst, The Magician, and The Sorceress by Michael Scott. And I just finished Clash of the Demons by Joseph Delaney. And I think I'm going to start Dune, which will be interesting as it's my first sf book!

[colleen the convivial curmudgeon]

Saltie, did you like the Nicholas Flamel series? I've been debating about whether to pick it up or not.

I've put down 'The Historian' and am reading 'Evermore'. I just needed a break, and something light and fast. I'm sort of rolling my eyes a lot at the hackneyed teenage angst of it all, though. Don't get me wrong, I like me some good angst... but I can't help feel like I've read every aspect of the character and story somewhere before, and probably better.

[Colin]

Me, I'm still trying to find time to get through Abercrombie's First Law trilogy.

I've been drowning in too much work related reading and research.

[LaTrica]

Nicola wrote: "I'm currently reading The Charnel Prince by Greg Keyes. I've enjoyed it as much as the first volume in the series, so I intend to go straight on to the final two (The Blood Knight and The Born Quee..."

I recently read The Charnel Prince as well and so far am enjoying the series. Haven't gotten to The Blood Knight yet but I'm finally getting behind that princess.

Currently I'm reading New Moon Book One of the Oran Trilogy. I'm having some trouble getting into it but it seems promising.

[[deleted user]]

With all the interesting postings from Janny Wurts book of the month The Curse of the Mistwraith, i have decided to read this novel instead. Only wish i had started earlier before the discussions began.

[Janny]

JJ, there are those not finished, yet, I'll be there for you when you get there.

[Laura]

I finished the 1st in the Ranger's Apprentice series The Ruins of Gourlan by Flanagan and really liked it, especially toward the end even if the flavor is exactly what young boys would love and I'm not a young boy. I'm reading a lot of YA fantasy and justifying it as market research.

[colleen the convivial curmudgeon]

I know I've said this before, but I *love* the Ranger's Apprentice series. I'll give you my quick opinion, though - book two is good, but not as good as one. Book three is slow - not much happens, and it's more sort of a set-up for book four. Book four is almost as good as one, and a great ending to the arc. Haven't read five yet.

I've finished Evermore (meh) and picked The Historian back up. I'm now skimming every opportunity I get just to finish the damn thing.

[Jon]

I finished Warbreaker last night - http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/.... I'm still working my way through Lost in a Good Book.

[Mir]

Just finished The Dry Salvages by Caitlín R. Kiernan. It is more hard sci-fi than her usual dark fantasy, and is quite short, but still has some of the creepy tone.

[Libby]

JJ wrote: "With all the interesting postings from Janny Wurts book of the month The Curse of the Mistwraith, i have decided to read this novel instead. Only wish i had started ear..."

It's a long and rich read. Don't worry about starting just starting now. Many of us are still working on it and I anticipate the discussion will go on for quite a bit. A really great book!

[Sandi]

Blackrose, you can give yourself permission not to finish The Historian. The ending really isn't worth it.

[Barbm1020]

Just finished The Little Stranger, by Sarah Waters. It's a great ghost story, and it kept me guessing all the way through. Her style is very detailed, and her story made me feel I had made the journey back through time and space (or at least the Atlantic) to England in the 1940s.

[Cameron]

Just finished Stone of Tears; might start Warbreaker while I am waiting for Blood of the Fold to come in.

[colleen the convivial curmudgeon]

Thanks, Sandi, but I finished it. I'm glad I did, just for the sake of having it done.

I've started the graphic novelizations of the Dragonlance Chronicles.

[Mir]

I'm speeding through The Cup of the World (to get it over with more quickly, not because it is engrossing) and waiting to start Richard Morgan's Thirteen. I was more eager to read his Altered Carbon, but the library didn't have that one, so...

[Christina]

I just finished Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere, as well as the Uglies Trilogy by Scott Westerfeld (I also reviewed that one on my VERY MODEST book review site: http://www.bffbookreviewers.blogspot.com, in case anyone is actually interested.

Other books I've started: American Gods by Gaiman and Chosen Few by Matthew Simon.

[Tracy]

I read the entire Harry Potter to prepare for my viewing of movie number six (which I will see tonight).

[Mir]

I just read Vivian Vande Velde's Stolen, it is a very good quick read if you like YA fantasy.

[JG (Introverted Reader)]

I received Charles de Lint's What the Mouse Found and Trader (Newford Book 7) for my birthday and I've already finished them both. The Mouse book was a small but charming collection of fairy tales he'd written for children he knew. I know I read Trader when it was fairly new, about 15 years ago, but I didn't remember a thing about it. But it was another solid entry into the Newford books.

[Marc]

Christina wrote: "I just finished Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere..."

I recently saw the BBC series on DVD. Does the book contain the same obvious plot flaw that the show did? The one with the 'record ball' or whatever they called it. Maybe there are others but that one just kills the whole story.

[colleen the convivial curmudgeon]

Just started The Lies of Locke Lamora

[Mir]

Just read Kiss by Ted Dekker. Okay story, but I didn't feel there was any reason for it to be a fantasy. It seemed like a regular mystery by someone who just felt like throwing physic power in. He could've made the protagonist a tad smarter and she would have been able to figure everything out through deduction.

[Megan]

I just finished reading Tales Before Narnia, full of some older short fantasies which influenced C.S. Lewis, my favorite of which was Undine. Also finished The Last Unicorn. Loved it! It was so lyrical and pretty, funny and sad and thoughtful and whimsical, all at once. I can't believe I haven't read Peter S. Beagle before now. But I just bought two more of his books at a used book store, yay!
I just got back into The Name of the Wind (finally!), and will probably finish that up this weekend.