Top of the Pile: What are you currently reading?

[Ben]

This is the place to record what you're reading right now. It could also be your current favourite comic, film or television show.

Try to keep it in the theme of the group - some kind of link (however tenuous) to the superhero/urban fantasy genre.

[Stephen]

I'm currently reading "Whispers Underground" by Ben Aaronovitch, the third book in the Rivers of London series. It's very much filed under the 'urban fantasy' genre rather than 'superhero'. What if Harry Dresden was a constable in the London Metropolitan Police force, but less gruff and downtrodden? Or how about if Harry Potter grew up, joined the Fuzz and became a Bobby on the beat?

More grounded with a dry British humour than the Dresden Files, it's an easy and entertaining read. I enjoy how the protagonist, Peter Grant, applies the scientific method towards magic and how the unique and not-quite-hidden mystical world fits into London's city life.

Meanwhile, in anticipation of the next Marvel movie, I'm also re-reading the first Captain America Omnibus by Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting. I have to say, this keeps distracting me from Whispers Underground. Brubaker's action-spy thriller take on Cap's adventures against the infamous Red Skull and the new Winter Soldier, a mysterious figure from Cap's past (*spoiler* it's Bucky), is absolutely amazing. Certainly my favourite take on Cap. And although I never used to like Epting's artwork, here his dark, life-like pencils work really well. It's a huge hardback of h-awesomeness!

[Ben]

Stephen wrote: "I'm currently reading "Whispers Underground" by Ben Aaronovitch, the third book in the Rivers of London series. It's very much filed under the 'urban fantasy' genre rather than 'superhero'. What if..."

Thanks for that tip, Stephen. I'd heard about the PC Grant series but hadn't read any - now I've just ordered the first three books. I think there's a nice blurred line between urban fantasy and superhero fiction. It's just a matter of the setting being different.

The kids and I just watched Thor: Dark World last night and it was great (even though Thor is probably my second least favourite character, after Captain America). I really think Marvel have got this superhero film idea right.

My favourite graphic novel of recent times is Hawkeye. In fact, it's the only one I'm consistently getting at the moment. Beautiful layouts and art, decent street-level story with humour and characterization. I think I better do a book review for it soon.

[Jess]

Hi,

I'm currently trying to get through some John Green in the prose department.

Comic department I've been looking at graphic novels for kids - so Binky the Space cat is high on the agenda this week. Sounds banal but it's actually pretty good. Am also going to have a go at Cardboard by Doug TenNapel.

Next up will probably be Allegiant, the third in the Divergent series by Veronica Roth. I've been looking forward to reading it but I am told by reliable sources that I may not like it...

[Cris]

I'm reading John Green's The Fault in our Stars, actually. It's a little hard to read in that it's a tragedy form. I anticipate sadness very soon as two teenagers are fighting cancer, and in love.

[Stephen]

Ben, yeah, I've heard good things about Hawkeye. I must read it sometime. I heartily enjoyed the Immortal Iron Fist by Fraction, Brubaker and Aja so Hawkeye should be good too.

[Ben]

Me too. The Iron Fist one was really, really good. The art, however, was awesome!

[Ben]

Cris, 'The Fault in Our Stars' is one of my favourite books. I think John Green is a strange combination of surprises and cliches. I've read TFIOS and Looking for Alaska, and while I knew where the book was going I was still torn up when what I knew was going to happen did happen. That takes a talented writer for sure.

[Blake]

I'm on Wayne Gladstone's "Notes From the Internet Apocalypse." It's a weird book that I mostly like, although I'm about 75 percent finished and I'm starting to be skeptical that it will have a satisfactory resolution. Notes from the Internet Apocalypse

[Gary]

I'm dividing my reading time between "Enemies of Fortune" (fourth in the newer Thieves' World shared anthology series, edited by Lynn Abbey) and a novel by James Chalk entitled, "The Meat Market." It's a sci-fi novel with cyberpunk and detective elements. He wanted some feedback on the book, so I am getting through it out as I get the time.

[Ben]

Reading Divergent and it's pretty good - as in I'm really enjoying it. There are a few hiccups along the way, but the world setup is solid and is actually dystopian (has a comment on society). Every now and then Tris does seem a bit too infatuated with the boy's eyelashes though. Ah, Young Adult fiction.

But seriously, it's actually really good. I'm surprised!

[Fritz]

Stephen wrote: "I'm currently reading "Whispers Underground" by Ben Aaronovitch, the third book in the Rivers of London series. It's very much filed under the 'urban fantasy' genre rather than 'superhero'. What if..."

I'll chip in my two cents on Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London series. I recently finished Broken Homes (the fourth in the series). I pretty much squeeze this series into my reading schedule whenever a new book hits the streets.

-- Fritz.

[Darren]

I just finished reading The Suns of Liberty: Revolution by Michael Ivan Lowell, and have just started Forbidden Mind by Karpov Kinrade.

The Suns of Liberty: Revolution is/was an interesting read, one that will remain in my Kindle cloud for re-reading and possibly studying. It's the story of the rise of super Heroes in a semi-dystopian future america, where government has been superceded by a Freedom Council, a council of made up of Corporate leaders, that stepped in and 'saved' the country after another Great Depression threatened to end the stability.

It's dark and gritty, the action scenes are lethal, this isn't your standard four color hero story. In fact the costumed crusaders are more freedom fighter than hero, which is one of the draws for me. The backdrop is a great extrapolation of the current capitalistic crisis we're seeing in the US, and I find it very intriguing.

Forbidden Minds is a thriller involving Telepaths, but as I'm only on page 3, I don't have a good sense of the story yet, just that I'm fascinated with psionics, (just ask Ben. ;) )

[Stephen]

Well, Whispers Underground was pretty good. Although, like many murder mysteries, it did suffer from exposition overload near the end. Also, I occasionally seemed to have trouble keeping track of which suspect was which. :) But, overall, a big thumbs up.

Now I'm reading The Age Atomic by Adam Christopher, which is the sequel to Empire State. The first book was a superhero-noir thriller set (mostly) in an alternative version of New York city in the 1930s (ish). Age Atomic moves things forward a little into - unsurprisingly - atomic age of the 1950s but looks like it keeps the alternate superhero thriller vibe. I enjoyed the first book, although its flow was a bit choppy and disjointed at times. Hopefully, this one will be a slightly better read. We'll see.

[Stephen]

vs. Reality: Relapse, by Blake Northcott. It's book two in the vs. Reality series and I read the first one in about two days and enjoyed it so I figured what the hell. If I like it as well, I'll probably move on to her latest book, Arena Mode, which is about a kid with no powers who bluffs his way into a superhuman death match and hopes to win by playing the angles and beating the odds.

Also just picked up Joker: Death of the Family in trade paperback and just started reading it today. So far, so good.

And I just read (and in some cases reread) five volumes of Alan Moore's classic Swamp Thing run from the '80s. Great stuff.