What are you reading in April '15?

[Brenda ╰☆╮]

Tell us about your reading adventures....
:).

[Monica]

Just picked up Assassin's Quest, the final book in the Farseer Trilogy. Enjoyed this series.

[Brenda ╰☆╮]

Love that series, too!

[Michele]

I haven't been in much a reading mood lately - I keep reading first chapters of things and then playing video games and watching tv. But there are a few books coming out this month I'm really looking forward to.

I just picked up Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Vol. 1 because Ken Liu said it was the inspiration for his new book The Grace of Kings which I have preordered and I wanted a bit of background. I don't think this is the best translation, but the one I see recommended is $25 and only hard copy, so I went with an ebook that will give me a taste.

Also I preordered The Rebirths of Tao, because I really liked the first two in the series.

And I also preordered The Disfavored Hero because it sounds awesome.

All are coming on the same day...which to read first?!?

[TS]

I am finishing up my reread of The Hero of Ages.

Meanwhile, have also just started a Buddy Read of The Way of Kings (also a reread), and House of Chains.

[Caitlin]

I've got a few books on the go at the moment...
Tad William's Shadowrise
Margo Lanagan's The Brides of Rollrock Island
and Joe Abercrombie's Half a King which I am absolutely loving and have had to stop myself from finishing it all in one sitting...

[Tnkw01]

I just received The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patick Rothfuss for my B-day. Really love Rothfuss so I'm looking forward to reading this. Not a very large book so I believe I can finish it in a few days.

[Mary]

I am still going to be reading star wars but that also depends on when I am going to be finished with my devotional.

[Michelle]

Currently working my way through Last argument of kings by Joe Abercrombie. To be honest, the further I get into this trilogy the less I'm interested in the story. I'm struggling to keep going, which is a shame because I loved the first book.

[Joseph]

Michele wrote: "I just picked up Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Vol. 1 because Ken Liu said it was the inspiration for his new book The Grace of Kings which I have preordered and I wanted a bit of background. I don't think this is the best translation, but the one I see recommended is $25 and only hard copy, so I went with an ebook that will give me a taste."

I'll be curious to hear what you think. I keep hoping for a good translation of Three Kingdoms, but without any luck thus far. I did make it through Three Kingdoms: Classic Novel in Four Volumes (that specific edition) years ago, but it was a struggle.

(Part of the problem is that a lot of it reads more like an outline than what we think of as a novel -- lots of "X did Y to Z, then Z went off and talked to his advisors" but not much in the way of detail, either in description or in action, at least if I'm remembering correctly. I almost think you'd need to flesh it out to Wheel of Time-length proportions to keep the story intact but tell it in a more modern, accessible style.)

[Michele]

@Joseph,

I'm up to Chapter 3 and it finally seems to be turning into an actual story instead of just like you said - He went here and met him who was the son of the other guy who worked for that dude and they marched to this battle and won and then some completely new guy decides to go fight another man and...wow, just take a breath already. Like 50 character names of random people and no idea if any of them is important.

But it's in the palace now and slowing down with the action so maybe I'll get some idea of who the important characters are.

[Joseph]

Michele wrote: "@Joseph,

I'm up to Chapter 3 and it finally seems to be turning into an actual story instead of just like you said - He went here and met him who was the son of the other guy who worked for that d..."

And just to make it more fun, everybody has about three different names/titles depending on with whom they're actually speaking.

Still a great story, though.

[D.]

After too much delay I've finally picked up The Lies of Locke Lamora. I've heard so much great stuff, I'm really looking forward to digging into it. Hoping to devote more time to reading than I've been doing the last couple of years. I'm a huge Fafhrd and Gray Mouser fan and it sounds like it will fit into the same niche.

[Michael]

I just started the Pacific Fire, the sequel to California Bones. I'm also going back to restart Mutineer. I had started reading this a few months ago and got distracted so I want to give it another go.

[Mili]

Finished Half the World, loved it! Gonna start The False Prince and finish up that series this month.

[Amy]

I started White Tiger a few days ago, and whilst I really like the background mythology, the writing seems a bit lacklustre so far. Need to give it a bit more time, I think, although I'm also still reading Magician, which I'm enjoying but just seems to go on forever...

[Monica]

D. wrote: "After too much delay I've finally picked up The Lies of Locke Lamora. I've heard so much great stuff, I'm really looking forward to digging into it. Hoping to devote more time to read..."

I liked that one, D. It faltered a bit towards the end for me, but overall a well developed story.

[Icia]

I have a sort of laundry list of books to read. I'm on A Bride's Story, Vol. 5, and with that goes the final Volume 6. And because my husband wants to finally watch the movies, Catching Fire and Mockingjay. And only THEN can I pick up the much anticipated Mistborn: The Final Empire.

[Cee]

I picked up Clash of Iron, which is good so far. I quite enjoyed the first book in the series, so I'm interested to see where the author carries the story

[Margret]

Finishing Sabriel either tonight or tomorrow. Loving the book, will continue with the series.
Then reading Red Queen (ya fantasy), and also have to pick up the Nightingale (WII historical fiction) from the library because I somehow have it on hold now despite being #37 on 4 copies last I checked??

[D.]

Monica wrote: I liked that one, D. It faltered a bit towards the end for me, but overall a well developed story.


It's started off great, just new and unique and I'm enjoying the oddly refreshing level of profanity. Barely into it but I think it'll go down really smooth after Le Guin, who's brilliant but so serious. After this the only challenge is narrowing down what to read next.

[Alissa]

Just finished the Wars of Light and Shadow by Janny Wurts with Initiate's Trial. I'm just woah. Been reading this incredible series straight since Christmas and to say I love it would be an understatement. Complex, deep, mature, humorous and powerfully entertaining.

While I patiently wait for Destiny's Conflict, I was thinking about what to read next, after the whole tWoLaS series and The Master of White Storm (great standalone, too), I've decided to read something different and, for starters, lighter: The Shield of Three Lions by Pamela Kaufman, which is young adult historical fiction. I don't think it is bad at all, but I feel like in a bubble. After getting so accustomed to Wurts' style, everything seems plainer. And I don't think the book, in its genre, is not solid.

I'll finish it and then move to The Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay, I've been repeatedly recommended Kay and this standalone in particular given I like Wurts; then probably more historical fiction, Sir Nigel by Arthur Conan Doyle, the prequel to The White Company which I liked a lot, and fantasy BLACKGUARDS: Tales of Assassins, Mercenaries, and Rogues. Maybe an anthology is a good idea for me right now. I also have Half the World by Joe Abercrobie on the list, but I'm not sure I'll be reading it in April.

Anyway, for good measure, I've just bought The Complete Empire Trilogy: Daughter of the Empire, Mistress of the Empire, Servant of the Empire and Sorcerer's Legacy :)

[Joseph]

Alissa wrote: "
Anyway, for good measure, I've just bought The Complete Empire Trilogy: Daughter of the Empire, Mistress of the Empire, Servant of the Empire and Sorcerer's Legacy :) "

The Empire Trilogy is my favorite thing to come out of Feist's Riftwar books, and probably the only piece I'd revisit at this point.

Myself, I finished Reanimators and am moving on to The Weird Company: The Secret History of H.P. Lovecraft's Twentieth Century, another riff on Lovecraft's work by
Pete Rawlik.

[Bev]

Currently reading The Lost Boy by Camilla Lackberg. Finished The City by Dean Koontz.

[Helen, I·ᴍ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʟɪʙʀᴀʀʏ]

I'm on Deadhouse Gates. I've decided that I'll be reading the next book as a paperback, I can't cope with finding maps and character lists on my kindle.

[Bev]

Helen wrote: "I'm on Deadhouse Gates. I've decided that I'll be reading the next book as a paperback, I can't cope with finding maps and character lists on my kindle."

Totally understand.

[Helen, I·ᴍ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʟɪʙʀᴀʀʏ]

I bought it yesterday when food shopping. It cost more than the food, lol.

[Brenda ╰☆╮]

I have many books started and on hold.
:(
Life's been strange.
Have decided to read the Tiger and Del series by Jennifer Roberson, just to have something to run to. Never did get to the last book in the series.

[Helen, I·ᴍ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʟɪʙʀᴀʀʏ]

Did you finish the Fury books we read? I also enjoyed the Long Knife series by Daniel Abraham.

[Brenda ╰☆╮]

Yes, I did!
I really liked them. Lent them out to my mom, and she enjoyed them, too.

I don't think his Dresden books will be for me, though. Get so tired of vampires these days.

(Being lazy...using app, typos...)
:p

[Ian]

Im reading Traitors blade by Sebastien De Castell at the moment i started it a while back and its been on hold but im really getting into it now. Then im hopefully going to read Prince of fools by Mark Lawrence, The black prism by Brent Weeks, The emperors blades by Brian Staveley, The thousand names by Django Wexler and The emperors knife by Mazarakis Williams. Lets see how many i get through this month.

[Alissa]

Helen, Bev, what you say dismays me, I know sooner or later I'll go about Malazan, but it must fit in my smartphone 0_0

Thanks Joseph, I am looking forward to read the empire trilogy!

[Helen, I·ᴍ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʟɪʙʀᴀʀʏ]

Er, good luck. It's the first time in years I've found myself wanting a paperback.

Brenda, I read Dresden 1 but never felt the urge to read on.

[Joseph]

Alissa wrote: "Helen, Bev, what you say dismays me, I know sooner or later I'll go about Malazan, but it must fit in my smartphone 0_0

Thanks Joseph, I am looking forward to read the empire trilogy!"

I'm jealous -- I just checked and those books aren't currently available in the US Amazon Kindle store.

[Alissa]

Joseph wrote: "I'm jealous -- I just checked and those books aren't currently available in the US Amazon Kindle store"

I'm bound to the EU market (a mix of UK and US availability actually) but I browsed amazon.com with a US proxy and the Empire trilogy is not available 0_0 beats me what they do with the rights! I wanted the audiobook too, but that wasn't available for my location, UK only. Mh?

[Michele]

Something weird is going on with Feist's ebooks, because several of his older books were available in the past as ebooks and now they're not. Perhaps he's having a battle over the rights or something.

[Helen, I·ᴍ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʟɪʙʀᴀʀʏ]

Copyright laws always amaze me. A few years ago, I read the. Fortress series by Cherryh on kindle. Book 3/5 wasn't available though. It was infuriating having to order a paperback and await delivery.

[Alissa]

Infuriating to say the least.

[Joseph]

Helen wrote: "Copyright laws always amaze me. A few years ago, I read the. Fortress series by Cherryh on kindle. Book 3/5 wasn't available though. It was infuriating having to order a paperback and await delivery."

Having just one volume missing from somewhere in the middle of the series is even more aggravating than having the entire series be unavailable. Mostly because it just doesn't make any sense, especially in a situation like this where all five books came out from the same publisher.

[Michele]

Yes, Steven Brust had something on his website (his earlier Taltos books are not out as ebooks yet) where he says his other agent is not answering him or something -sorry I read it a while ago.

Books written before ebooks were a thing have nothing about how to deal with them in the contract and I think it involves more than just the publisher.

[Joseph]

Michele wrote: "Yes, Steven Brust had something on his website (his earlier Taltos books are not out as ebooks yet) where he says his other agent is not answering him or something -sorry I read it a while ago.

Bo..."

Yeah, I know rights issues are complicated, especially in a situation like Brust's where he did switch publishers in mid-series; and in that case I'm prepared to cut a bit of slack.

But it drives me insane that, for example, in C.J. Cherryh's Chanur series I could only get books, 1,2,3 and 5 as eBooks. (And to rub salt in the wounds -- books 2-4 are a tightly-linked trilogy; effectively a single story, so it's like if Fellowship of the Ring and Two Towers were available, but not Return of the King.)

(It also drives me insane when I go searching for, e.g., Roger Zelazny and I see Spanish- and German-language editions of many of his novels on the Amazon US store, but not the English-language edition.)

[Brenda ╰☆╮]

Urrrr......yes....need Roger Zelazny! E-books!


I believe it's more on the publishers.

[Sumant]

Here is my review of the first book in dagger and coin series.

[Margret]

Just finished up Red Queen. Very lackluster. Characters too one dimensional/ conveniently placed. Too many unfortunate similarities to Red Rising (which I loooooved!) but without that wow factor and character development. I wanted to like the book, I just couldn't.

[Joseph]

Finished The Weird Company: The Secret History of H.P. Lovecraft's Twentieth Century and started Mazirian the Magician: (Vance's preferred title for The Dying Earth, and the title of my eBook edition).

[Mili]

Finally decided to start with Fool's Errand, its going to be sunny this weekend and first warm day this year. love reading outside~

[Elise]

I finished Half the World. Absolutely loving the trilogy so far :D

I'm reading Steampunk now. Starting the book off with Moorcock. Smart.

[Brenda ╰☆╮]

Elise wrote: "I finished Half the World. Absolutely loving the trilogy so far :D

I'm reading Steampunk now. Starting the book off with Moorcock. Smart."


:)

You'll be all ready for discussion in May!
:D

[Mili]

Elise, I had the same thought about the Shattered Sea trilogy! Excited for the finale~

[Sumant]

Here is my review of player of games second book in the culture series.Really loved this book.