What Else Are You Reading? June 2014

[Jlawrence, S&L Moderator]

Started In the Cities of Coin and Spice, the second book of Catherynne Valente's amazing Orphan's Tales. Also began Paladin of Souls, the follow-up to S&L past pick The Curse of Chalion.

I was almost finished with The Road to Science Fiction Volume 1, but I appear to have lost it. There's no ebook version, and, insult to injury, it's a *library* book. :/ (EDIT: Ohh, I'm wrong, there IS a (pricey) Kindle version. Doesn't save me from the library fee, though).

How about you?

[Tamahome]

I finished Tess Gerritsen's Gravity. In space, people can see you bleed. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Shad]

I finished Green Mars. Here is my my review.

Reading Insurgent right now, but it is a pretty quick read. I'll probably finish it pretty quickly and move on to Allegiant.

[Pixie]

Jlawrence wrote: "[...]Also began Paladin of Souls[...]

I listened to Paladin of Souls on audiobook when we finished with Chalion, and I really enjoyed it.

I have a stack of library books I need to start reading soon, including Stephen Brust's The Incrementalists, Mary Robinette Kowal's Valour and Vanity (fourth book in the "Shades of Milk and Honey" series), and a rare foray into non-fiction, Think Like a Freak.

I've also been trying to finish the audiobook of Mark Helprin's Winter's Tale. I can see why people love it, but something about the audiobook just isn't grabbing me. It is very good, but the pacing is rough. I'll keep chipping away at it.

[Adelaide]

We are just starting Asimov's The Caves of Steel over in the Classic Trash book club, and I am finishing up Lady Bird Johnson: An Oral History. Also, working my way through the Hugo packet.

[Micah]

Currently about halfway through Grave Peril which is book 3 in the Dresden series. After having it recommended to me a billion times I recently took the plunge and have started working my way through the early books. They are good, but they haven't lit my imagination on fire yet.

[Rob, Roberator]

Micah wrote: "Currently about halfway through Grave Peril which is book 3 in the Dresden series. After having it recommended to me a billion times I recently took the plunge and have started working..."

I think the early books are fun, but nothing special. He does a lot of world building and character introduction. The later books are awesome though once he stops building out so much and starts adding depth to what he already built.

[Sandi]

I've got about 5 hours to go for Skin Game. I've only listened to the previous two novels and the short story collection. I read volumes 1-12 in print, so I had a voice for Harry in my head and it wasn't James Marsters. Side Jobs: Stories From the Dresden Files was my first audio of Dresden Files and I loved the way Marsters voiced the other characters, but not Harry. I actually thought John Glover sounded more like my head Harry, but almost everyone else hated him. James Marsters is finally growing on me though.

In text, I'm reading The Bird Eater, a horror novel by Ania Ahlborn and Authority by Jeff Vandermeer.

[Rob, Roberator]

I agree that Marsters wasn't the voice of Harry when I first listened to the audio. I had done 1-14 in text, but an audio reread last year, Marsters is totally the voice of Harry for me bow.

I think Glover was a decent reader, but didn't put anywhere near the emotion or energy into his narration that Marsters does. That was my main problem with it.

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

I was up from 3:30-6:30 am so I finally started on The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year: v. 8. There are a few not to my tastes so far but most are excellent. So far favorites include Gaiman and Harrison.

[Rob, Roberator]

Finished listening to Heir to the Empire (My Review)

[David Sven]

Finished the final book in the Echoes of Empire Trilogy The Pillars of Sand
My Review

Continuing on with the final book in Robin Hobb's Soldier Son trilogy Renegade's Magic

[Whitney]

actively reading and .

[Geoff]

Currently reading A Crown of Swords of the Wheel of Time series. Then I'll get into The Tailor of Panama by John le Carre, and maybe finish The Crimson Campaign (got pushed to the backburner, a bit).

And that has to get read so that I can move onto Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King (awesome!) and Cibola Burn by James SA Corey (also, awesome!), which both come out this month.

[Ryne]

Dead Iron I'm really enjoying the old west, Steampunk, magic blend of it.

[kvon]

I read London Falling earlier this week, another in the British cops gain magical powers subgenre. Slow start, but intriguing characters.

Raced through My Real Children this weekend. The sf stuff is mostly hidden in the alternate history background. Very touching, domestic story about the lives a woman could have.

[[deleted user]]

Finished Dawn of Swords. Here's my review. I'm going to finish off Dune and then it's on to this month's pick.

[[deleted user]]

I should be finishing The Color of Rain by Cori McCarthy in the next few days. After that, I'm sure I'll move on to Volume 2 of Saga by Brian K. Vaughan. After that I have a slew of group reads and buddy reads to choose from. So, who knows.

[Kristina]

Just started The Legend of Eli Monpress. Put holds on The Crimson Campaign though once I saw the thread talking about reading it for those of us who'd already read Promise of Blood. I have a bunch of stuff on my nook also.. probably just pick whatever strikes me when I get there.

[[deleted user]]

Well Dune definitely earns all that praise it gets. Really great book. Here's my review.

I started Promise of Blood, interesting beginning so far.

[Dara]

Finishing up Daughter of Smoke & Bone. I'm enjoying it a lot but I have some issues with the narrative choices.

[Rob]

I'm passing on this month's selection (sadly not in my library system) and probably a good thing since so much is coming out later in the month.

In the meantime, I'm digging into and enjoyingMidnight Tides. And given all the recent excitement over Brandon Sanderson's new book, I'm giving The Way of Kings a try as my audiobook of the month.

Once I finish Tides, I'll go onto Shift and I'll have to scurry to do that as I have library holds out on:

Cibola Burn, Rogues, andThe Silkworm when they come out later this month. And I'm first or second on the queue on all of them.

[Michele]

I finished the first 3 Burton and Swinburne books by Mark Hodder - I enjoyed the hell out of this series, and I'm not a huge fan of steampunk. Strong characters, fun gadgets, crazy plotline, and an actual reason for why the steampunk evolved. There's a 4th book but it's supposed to be another trilogy so I'm going to wait on that.

Skin Game!! Another wonderful installment in the Dresden Files. Made it last as long as I could by only listening on my daily drive, then cheated cuz I HAD to know how it ended :)

Back to my listen of The Deaths of Tao, not liking it as much as the first, but only because of plotline not the writing itself.

Started Control Point and picked up Promise of Blood. I want to try a book by all the authors in Sam Sykes little twitter cabal so his and Delilah S. Dawson will be next. I tried Mockingbird but ugh, not for me.

[Ty]

I'm getting near the end of Anathem, a bit over 100 pages to go, and I really don't want it to end. Fantastic book. I'm also reading The Dragon's Fury, a book I'm not sure how much I like. It's suffering by comparison to Anathem.

After those I'll be diving into Promise of Blood and Broken Glass Waltzes. Hounded looked interesting to me as well, so I grabbed a copy of that one and will get to that, too.

[Jenny]

I'm continuing Dust and I just started listening to The Strain on audio. Ron Perlman is a fantastic narrator!

[Walter]

Just finished The Borgias: The Hidden History and this month's S&L pick Promise of Blood. Now starting Duma Key for another group's BotM (pretty much have to, since I was the one who nominated it in the first place).

[Joseph]

Finished Sworn in Steel, which was a lot of fun, and am currently reading an old one, Caesar Dies by Talbot Mundy.

[Jeff]

Picked up The Hum and the Shiver from Audible. Seemed a little different. Still getting thru Skin Game which is typically good Dresden fun. Promise of Blood will most likely come after but from listening to the sample I'm definitely going Kindle version. Just got that feeling from the audio sample is I would be tuning out rather quickly.

[Carolina]

I finished Shadow and Bone and I am currently reading Fangirland The Clockwork Scarab while I wait for my copy of Promise of Blood from the library

[Sky]

Prince of Fools (PoF?) just released today :) Will be starting it as soon as I finish Promise of Blood (PoB).

[Tamahome]

The Last Policeman. An asteriod is headed towards earth, but no murder is going to happen on this cop's beat.

[Andy]

I am a little into Wild Cards and I really like it. I really hope the rest of the book is as good as the first four stories, if so this series has me hooked.

I also am about to start The Deaths of Tao. I really liked The Lives of Tao so I expect good things for the next book in the series.

I already read the Powder Mage books (check them out, worth it. Promise of Blood starts slow but builds well in the end and the Crimson Campaign is really great). So I have some time to just read what ever this month.

I read Skin Game in two days because I could not put it down. Dresden fans will enjoy it a lot.

I am going to read Cibola Burn when it comes out too.

[[deleted user]]

Sky wrote: "Prince of Fools (PoF?) just released today :) Will be starting it as soon as I finish Promise of Blood (PoB)."

I'm with you on that! Can't wait.

[Sandi]

Tamahome wrote: "The Last Policeman. An asteriod is headed towards earth, but no murder is going to happen on this cop's beat."

That book has two or three sequels now. Will that asteroid ever hit?

[Tamahome]

Sandi wrote: "Tamahome wrote: "The Last Policeman. An asteriod is headed towards earth, but no murder is going to happen on this cop's beat."

That book has two or three sequels now. Will that asteroid ever hit?"

Maybe in the first book the asteriod misses, but in the second book a bigger asteriod is right behind it!

[Casey]

Finished The Untold by Courtney Collins. Enjoyed the writing more than the story, but it's still worth your while.
My review.


Just starting Red Rising by Pierce Brown.
It's pretty good so far, a little slow in the beginning, but I suspect things will pick up soon.

[Dara]

Finished Daughter of Smoke & Bone. I really liked it. My review. I still don't know what I'm really in the mood for so I'm gonna continue with this series. Next is Days of Blood & Starlight.

[Sandi]

I finished listening to Skin Game last night. Wow. I won't say any more. I was going to start listening to Crown of Renewal by Elizabeth Moon next, but someone in another group mentioned a book called Glimpses by Lewis Shiner. The blurb was so intriguing and the audiobook was only $6.95, so I got it and that's what I'm listening to now. It's really nostalgic.

[Bryan]

I'm finishing up Ancillary Justice now.

[[deleted user]]

Just finished this month's pick! Here's my review
Moving on to Prince of Fools which I'll be reading with the girlfriend, and American Craftsmen, which I'll read on the side.

[Stopher]

I've just started Thieftaker and so far I love it.

[Sandi]

I finished the ebook of The Bird Eater last night. Really creepy ending. I'm now reading Promise of Blood on my Kindle. I also sneak in a chapter of A Clash of Kings every now and then.

[Melissa]

I'm still working my way through The Curse of the Mistwraith. I hope to have it finished in a week or so. I also finished the audiobook for The Iron Kingby Maurice Druon. I really liked the narrator, although I can't think of his name right now. He was delightful!

Once I finish Mistwraith, I will definitely move on to the second book, The Ships of Merior. I may add something on audio too.

Oh, I almost forgot that Rogueswill be coming out this month. I'll definitely make time for that!

[Veronica, Supreme Sword]

I'm almost done with the Vaginal Fantasy pick The Lions of Al-Rassan which is AMAZEBALLS. Nothing too unexpected considering it's Guy Gavriel Kay.

Also listening to Trapped which is a delight. I will be sad when I catch up to Kevin Hearne in this series.

p.s. In case you were wondering, I have tried a few times to get GGK on the show, and he's not a fan of doing audio/video interviews apparently. Shut down. Oh well! Maybe in person sometime.

[John]

I wanted to finish Promise of Blood, but Mr Mercedes came out yesterday and I got totally sucked in!

[Ben]

Just finished I Am Number Four and moved on to Neptune's Brood to kick off my big Hugo nominee binge. Thought I had it for another week, though, and I found the lending license had expired. While I'm waiting for my library hold to come back around, I'm reading Gifts, which is a fitting follow-up to I Am Number Four. It's probably much better (I haven't decided yet), though I'm not sure how many young adults would get into it.

[Bryan]

Just finished Ancillary Justice and was very impressed. Here's my review.

What now? I've got a fine book on Russia in WWI and the new Jeff Vandermeer novel.

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Tamahome wrote: "The Last Policeman. An asteriod is headed towards earth, but no murder is going to happen on this cop's beat."
Hey I'm reading this too, what a cowinkydink. ;)

And I have questions about the ending. Reread it this morning.

[Tamahome]

Not a dystopian paradise?

[[deleted user]]

Ditched American Craftsmen. Couldn't stand reading further. Here's my review

I'm reading Prince of Fools slowly with my girlfriend, and The Garden of Stones on the side.