What Else Are You Reading? April 2014

[terpkristin]

I finished reading A Dance of Cloaks this afternoon (my review) and will start on the alt pick, The Brand, probably tomorrow. I'll probably start a new audiobook tomorrow, too, most likely Katabasis as I continue my Mongoliad read-through for SFFAudio.

[David Sven]

Finished The Bleeding Season by Greg f Gifune
My review

Continuing horror month with House of Corruption

[Sky]

I finished Dance of Cloaks (2 stars)...Not the worst book I've read but with so many good books waiting to be read it was pretty disappointing. I am interested in hearing the backer's rationale for choosing the book. I've started reading Bleeding Edge by Pynchon, and a poster above reminded me that books 4 and 5 of the Mongoliad Cycle are available, so I'll start on Ketabasis as well (incidentally also so far most of the foreworld saga isn't among the varied author's best work, but its fun)

[terpkristin]

Sky wrote: "(incidentally also so far most of the foreworld saga isn't among the varied author's best work, but its fun)"

I totally agree with this, though the end of The Mongoliad: Book Three really dragged on for me. Well, most of it did...I felt like the different story lines might have been better done told in parallel books, so that it didn't keep jumping, which confused me to no end...I still wish I could find a good wiki that gave enough info on what happened (main points) in each story line in each book so I wouldn't have to try to remember each time I take 6 months between books. :\

[Dave]

Read Scott Lynch's The Republic of Thieves and thought it was superb; as good as Book One of the Gentleman Bastards series. There's practically no combat, but a lot of double dealing and intrigue.

Reading Frederick Forsyth's The Day of the Jackal now, though skimming over the more technical bits...

[[deleted user]]

Finally finished reading Sole Survivor [My review] and also the epic The Fell Sword [My review]

I'm loving the Traitor Son Cycle more and more with each book. The Fell Sword in particular was rough for maybe the first 75% or so, and then everything clicked into place. It's nothing like The Red Knight was.

[Michael]

Swung by B&N this morning and bought The Burning Dark by Adam Christopher. I sat down in the mall while I was waiting for my wife to pick out shoes. Man, I'm really into it. Cool book. Creepy sci-fi. One of the better new books (so far) that I've picked up in a while.

[Rob, Roberator]

Today I finished reading Hollow World and rather enjoyed it. I suspect not everyone will however. You can My Review for more in-depth thoughts as to why.

I also finished my audio re-read of Cursor's Fury today. I really love this book (My Review) and have jumped right into Captain's Fury.


Also, earlier this week, I read Saga, Volume 3 and wrote a Quick Review.

[Janessa]

I'm working on A Cavern of Black Ice by J.V. Jones and am loving it! Man is it a dense read; it's taken me forever, but I'm very impressed with the detail and the history of the world. For some reason I love fantasy books that are set in a frigid world, where the characters have to wear furs and go on long journeys through snow and ice...I don't know, maybe it makes me appreciate the comforts of home lol. But Jones has a brilliant way of making you experience everything with her characters, that's for sure.

[Christopher]

So far this month I have read:
Changes
The Martian Chronicles
The Picture of Dorian Gray
A Wizard of Earthsea Ya I know I am late.

I am currently reading:
Altered Carbon Ya I know I am late too.

I am currently listening to on my trips to and from work:
The Well of Ascension

On deck for reading which I hope to finish this month:
Side Jobs: Stories From the Dresden Files
Dreadnought
A Dance of Cloaks

On deck for listening to:
Forever Peace

[Keidy]

I finished reading The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook. My Review.

I'm now reading A Kiss of Shadows by Laurell K. Hamilton.

[Dara]

Finished Words of Radiance finally. It was alright. My review

Now back into Malazan. Continuing with Reaper's Gale.

[Tamahome]

So I'm 20% into Elizabeth Bear's Hammered. So far it looks like the perfect female counterpoint to Altered Carbon.

[Walter]

Added John Lanchester's I.O.U.: Why Everyone Owes Everyone and No One Can Pay to my 'Currently Reading' pile.

[Warren]

I read Transhumance by Ben Bova last night.
Its a good book.They classify it a science fiction.
It struck me as similar to one of Michael Crichtons books.

[Joseph]

Wrapped up The Escapement, the final book in the Engineer trilogy, and needed some comfort food so it's time for The Sword of Welleran and Other Stories by Lord Dunsany.

[[deleted user]]

Just finished , loved it!

I'm gonna wrap up and next before I quit reading and get down to preparing for finals.

[Sandi]

I finished listening to Lagoon by Nnedi Okorafor the other day. It was really good. It was a first contact story with a fantasy twist. Definitely genre bending. It's a strong 4 stars, worth reading.

I followed that with a book from my backlog, Naked in Death. It surprised me that it was set in the near future. It's primarily a police procedural with a heavy dose of romance and a science fiction backdrop that never really comes to the forefront. It was an interesting combination, but I only gave it three stars because it was pretty average as a mystery.

I'm now listening to Without a Summer. I like Mary Robinette Kowal as a writer and love her as a narrator. This is solely a pleasure listen.

I'm still reading The Circle by Dave Eggers. I'm not liking it much at this point, but I'm 80% done and will persevere.

[[deleted user]]

I've just finished When the World Shook by H. Rider Haggard. Decent, but not his best work. Took a while to really get moving. The characters also were a bit too much stereotypes. Still a fun read. The ending climax was great fun.

Just started Farina by George Meredith.

[Mark]

Bookshelf wrote: "I read Transhumance by Ben Bova last night.
Its a good book.They classify it a science fiction.
It struck me as similar to one of Michael Crichtons books."

I am tentatively optimistic. Bova has been miss and hit lately

[Swordridercloud]

I'm currently reading Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn. It's essentially Star Wars Episode VII, and it is AMAZING. Essential reading for any Star Wars fan.

[[deleted user]]

Yes, Heir to the Empire is among the best Star Wars books. The whole The Thrawn Trilogy is excellent. They might be the best Star War books, I say might because I haven't read them all. When they first came out they brought Star Wars back to the mass market. I think they were New York Times best sellers. Yes, "Essential reading for any Star Wars fan." As are the other two volumes. Enjoy.

[Tamahome]

I think they were the first EU (extended universe) Star Wars books as well.

[Joseph]

Tamahome wrote: "I think they were the first EU (extended universe) Star Wars books as well."

Yes, the first new novels since the Lando Calrissian trilogy. And before that there had only been the Brian Daley Han Solo books and Splinter of the Mind's Eye.

[Tamahome]

Thrawn is kind of a cool villian. He fights his enemies by studying their cultures.

[Joseph]

I'll have to reread them someday. I've been (very slowly, in fits and starts) making my way through all of the books in chronological order; I'm just about to start the Original Trilogy era.

[Andrew]

Hi All

I'm currently reading the very wonderful The Name of the Wind and will be taking this to a writing conference I am speaking at for a writign group I am running. Does anyone have any material or links to book club notes and guides for this book?

Many thanks Andy C

[Paul]

Thrawn trilogy Was Great.

The Han Solo Trilogy by AC Crispin was great, it told you Han's Story from the moment he was found at 5 to the minute he walked into Mos Eisley on that fateful day a long time ago in a galaxy Far away. You get insight into the truth behind the Kessel Run, Dumping Jabba's Cargo, Why he knows who Boba Fett is its pretty great for Solo fans.

Shadows of the Empire by Steve Perry is important for star wars fans as it fills in the gap between Empire and Jedi. Like How Luke suddenly became bad-ass Jedi, and Where Leia and Lando worked their way to Jabba's palace to save Han. Only Downside...No Han.

The Rogue Squadron books made Wedge my new fav SW character

[Sandi]

I finished The Circle by Dave Eggers. It wasn't anything special. Kind of a riff on 1984. It's how a dystopia starts, I guess. It had so much potential, but was too flat and obvious.

Today, I'm starting my next library e-book, Insurgent. I got Divergent and Allegiant really cheap through Kindle, but Insurgent is never on sale.

[Keith]

I discovered 100 pages into A Knife of Dreams that I just can't digest anymore Wheel of Time stuff for a while, so I am reading Dune Messiah and Win, Lose or Die.

[David Sven]

Finished House of Corruption by Erik Tavares
My review

Starting The Burning Dark by Adam Christopher

[terpkristin]

I just finished the alt pick, The Brand, last night. My review will be coming soon. In a nutshell, I thought it had some really good ideas but it fell a bit short on execution for me. I can understand how, given that it was self-published and probably didn't have a professional editor.

I'm still listening to Katabasis, which I've stalled on the last few nights because I've been too exhausted and listening has just knocked me out.

And I also started Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt and Sword & Laser Anthology. I'm never sure how to juggle multiple books. Usually one takes over and then I get to the others...

[Thomas]

Finished Retread Shop and starting Sword-Bound.

Actually finished a book within the month that I started reading it! Things are looking up!

[Sheila Jean]

Listening to Words of Radiance. Trying to limit it to my commute and such, but I'm nearing the end and it's been tough.

Finally getting back into reading after a relatively long slow period. Finished Murder of Crows earlier this month, and am working on The Shadowed Sun.

[Walter]

terpkristin wrote: I'm never sure how to juggle multiple books. Usually one takes over and then I get to the others...

With me it becomes a game of table tennis. I read both fiction and nonfiction, and sometimes need to play book swap when the nonfiction work is dense with a steep absorption curve. Otherwise I risk my eyes glazing over and the nonfic (a book on economics, say, or math or some other scientific treatise) risks turning into the teacher in the Peanuts cartoons (Whah-Whah-Whah, Whah).

[Joseph]

I just finished Lord Dunsany's The Sword of Welleran and Other Stories -- quite lovely -- and think it's time for Steles of the Sky, the last in Elizabeth Bear's stunningly good Eternal Sky trilogy.

[David Sven]

Finished reading Locke Key Vol. 6 Alpha Omega
My review

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

I'm halfway through The Word Exchange by Alena Graedon, a dystopian near future where memes (mobile devices) are handling everything - directions, dictionaries, memory recall, medical diagnosis - and something mysterious called the word flu seems to be destroying language.

[Warren]

Too many good books to read. So I'm culling my list.
Deleting those with following terms:
Coming of age in a distopian future.
The next J.K.Rollings!
Amnesia

Instead I'm trying to get through the Nebula Award nominations

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Bookshelf wrote: "Too many good books to read. So I'm culling my list.
Deleting those with following terms:
Coming of age in a distopian future.
The next J.K.Rollings!
Amnesia

Instead I'm trying to get through the..."

Hmm are you sure none of the Nebula list fits those categories?

[Warren]

Jenny (Reading Envy) wrote: "Bookshelf wrote: "Too many good books to read. So I'm culling my list.
Deleting those with following terms:
Coming of age in a distopian future.
The next J.K.Rollings!
Amnesia

Instead I'm trying ..."
;-) Probably.
I've already Lem'ed a couple on the list.

[Sandi]

I finished listening to Without a Summer by Mary Robinette Kowal. I'm now officially hooked on the series. I've moved on to Little Bee by Chris Cleave. It's short enough that I can finish it by Tuesday so I can start Afterparty by Daryl Gregory.

[Misti]

Trudging my way through this month's pick. I'm not really enjoying it but I'm determined to finish it (around 25% to go!). I'm also listening to The Name of the Wind. This one I'm really liking.

[Darren]

Read the Craft novels. Loved the first. The second didn't work for me at all. The dissonance is curious, really.

[Rick]

Salsa Nocturna by Daniel José Older an author I ran across on, of all places, Buzzfeed. It's a story collection and so far (several stories in), it's great.

[kvon]

I stayed up way too late last night reading The Martian--always the sign of a good book.

Also recently read half of a collection of short stories from Yoon Ha Lee--Conservation of Shadows. Asian feminist sf, interesting things to say about language and power. Someone to watch.

[Paul]

kvon wrote: "I stayed up way too late last night reading The Martian--always the sign of a good book.
"

Great book I really do think that should be next months Laser pick...hint hint....besides I think were owed a good book next month ...April not so good ;)

[Dara]

Paul wrote: "kvon wrote: "I stayed up way too late last night reading The Martian--always the sign of a good book.
"

Great book I really do think that should be next months Laser pick...hint hint....besides I think were owed a good book next month ...April not so good ;) "

I loved that book so much that if it's the May pick, I'll read it again even though I just read it in March. (My review)

[Gene]

David said:

"Just started Farina by George Meredith."

I look forward to hearing a review of this. I remember enjoying the author's SHAVING OF SHAGPAT, and have thought from time to time about reading it over again.

[Alan]

Just finished Leviathan Wakes and I've picked up a copy of Hamilton's Great North Road but now I'm having second-thoughts.

For those who've read it, is Great North Road worth the investment of time? (Even the reviewers who liked seemed to say that it needed a few-hundred pages of editing ...)