What are you reading in April 2015?

[Nick]

Please tell us what you are reading, or plan to read, in April.

[Jim]

Will get into Little Fuzzy by H. Beam Piper because my father liked it so much years ago. About time I read it.

[Ken]

I enjoyed it, read it last June.

[Ken]

Finished Fahrenheit 451
It was a surpisingly good read. I figured it was going to be good but bland, but it wasnt

Started Moving Pictures
BTW, found the receipt inside, I bought this in Aug 1999.

[Random]

Started The Dragon's Path this morning.

Still working on Gardens of the Moon but I have an excuse for my slowness in the form of some REALLY nice pain killers to help cope with a kidney stone and infection. The pain killers helped a whole lot, but made it difficult to concentrate on anything.

I drooled a lot and caught up on some much needed sleep. :D

[Cobwebs-Iced-Across-SpaceTime]

I'll be reading Fahrenheit 451 if I have a copy; otherwise will request from Library.
I started with 3 for review, all excellent:
Normal: A Novel
Sorrow Lake: A March and Walker Crime Novel
The Aeschylus.

So, 2 Canadian, 1 South Atlantic.

Next up will be: for review, Bring Me Flesh, I'll Bring Hell (adore that title)

And an April read: I Am Pilgrim (that's my April Buddy Pals Read and #1 April Pick It for Me, both from A Good Thriller group). So that''s my April 1 (plus today I bought the HumbleBundle postapocalypse set and the HumbleBundle Wordfire Press scifi set)

[Carrie]

I'm currently reading Stranger, by Rachel Manija Brown and Sherwood Smith. Im not very far into it, but it's good so far. I like the world building, which I am finding to be more creative than the popular Hunger Games.

[Shel, Moderator]

Alternating between short stories and re-reading Tamora Pierce's The Song of the Lioness Quartet. I don't have brainpower for anything else right now!

[Christine]

I will read Sea of Shadows and finish reading Acceptance

[Matt]

I've been hacking away at The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August.

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

Random wrote: "Still working on Gardens of the Moon but I have an excuse for my slowness in the form of some REALLY nice pain killers to help cope with a kidney stone and infection. "

OUCH! As I'm sure you are aware, all the topics for the Malazan Book of the Fallen read will remain open and I think we have readers all over the place in the first couple books, so please join in when you can.

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

I read a quick, old SF novel called The Long Twilight and now I've just started Memories of Ice.

[Random]

Kathi wrote: "Random wrote: "Still working on Gardens of the Moon but I have an excuse for my slowness in the form of some REALLY nice pain killers to help cope with a kidney stone and infection. "

OUCH! As I'm..."

Its much better now, though my energy levels are seriously lagging.

I'm about 20% done at the moment, getting close to finishing Part 1 I think. I've liked what I've read so far.

I'll jump over to the threads once I get the first discussion section finished.

[Alissa]

Just finished Initiate's Trial of the Wars of Light and Shadow by Janny Wurts. Just wow. The series has been a constant companion since Christmas and I'll miss it sorely. While I wait for Destiny's Conflict, I take heart there are other books by Wurts to read, like Sorcerer's Legacy, a standalone, for starters.

This month I planned The Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay, I have never tried him and he was highly recommended given I like Wurts, then I wish to go for some historical fiction, Sir Nigel by Arthur Conan Doyle, the prequel to The White Company which I liked a lot, and/or The Shield of Three Lions by Pamela Kaufman.
Today I received BLACKGUARDS: Tales of Assassins, Mercenaries, and Rogues! I take the hunch, maybe an anthology is a good idea for me right now.

I'm not sure about the reading order, actually, in the wake of the wonderful journey with the Wars of Light and Shadow, I'm not sure whether to start with something complex or go for a breather and then follow the inspiration.

[Shel, Moderator]

You will love The Lions of Al-Rassan! It's a really great introduction to Kay. :)

[Alissa]

Shel wrote: "You will love The Lions of Al-Rassan! It's a really great introduction to Kay. :)"

:D I admit I have great expectations for this one. In the end I decided to start with The Shield of Three Lions by Pamela Kaufman, the simpler read for me. It's nice actually, young adult historical fiction, but alas, after so much Janny Wurts nothing reads the same, I miss the researched details which flesh out the scenes, the careful planning for events and really, I just feel at the bad end of funnel English.
.........................*confusion*

[Andreas]

Gateway by Frederik Pohl: New Wave meets pulpish space opera at a BDO. Great read!

[Christine]

I just finished The Bone Clocks which I enjoyed and would reread if it weren't so dense. Now I'm looking forward to a straight forward, linear book and have chosen Station Eleven

[Helen]

I'm a third through Deadhouse Gates, which is great. No other plans at the moment as I have a 5000 word essay to write for work :(

[Shel, Moderator]

Alissa wrote: "Shel wrote: "You will love The Lions of Al-Rassan! It's a really great introduction to Kay. :)"

:D I admit I have great expectations for this one. In the end I decided to start with..."

Do you ever read historical fiction? Dorothy Dunnett's books are a lot like Janny's (and I know that Janny is a Dunnett fan, because I've discussed it with her!), just set in Renaissance Europe instead of a fantasy world. Try The Game of Kings to start with and if you like it, the rest of the Lymond Chronicles and then the House of Niccolo series :)

I am still re-reading old brainless comfort books (at the moment, The Ship Who Searched). Working full time and caring for an active 4-year-old while muddling through the third trimester of pregnancy doesn't leave a whole lot of brainpower for reading, LOL!

[Alissa]

Woah Shel! And I thought myself busy! You are amazing in finding time to read at all! Thank you yes, I strive for more authors who are similar to Janny Wurts and I love historical fiction, with a penchant for the 1066-1603 time frame, Dunnett is on my to-read list, I take your advice for the starting book!

[Bill]

I finished Legends of the Drenai and The Hadrian Enigma. Anyone interested in Hadrian and Antinous should read the latter. It is presented as a mystery.

I also read The Magic of Recluce for our June group read. It's book one of an epic fantasy which I enjoyed a lot. But, it's a 14 book series and I have such big piles of unread books... Is such a long series worth the effort?

I just started a re-read of E.E. Doc Smith's Lensmen series, a top Classic SF series from the '40s and '50s, spanning eons.

[Justine]

Shel wrote: "I am still re-reading old brainless comfort books (at the moment, The Ship Who Searched). Working full time and caring for an active 4-year-old while muddling through the third trimester of pregnancy doesn't leave a whole lot of brainpower for reading, LOL! "

Isn't your baby due in May, Shel? Hopefully you will get a little down time before then. :)

I'm about 1/3 through Memories of Ice...I'm not finding it as gripping as Deadhouse Gates, but it is such a long book I'm sure there is still lots to come. :)

[Shel, Moderator]

Justine wrote: "Isn't your baby due in May, Shel? Hopefully you will get a little down time before then. :)"

Yeah, I'm due May 21 but my last day of work will be May 1 so unless she comes early, I'll have some down time coming. Counting down the minutes! But you can imagine why Gardens of the Moon was a little bit too much for my exhausted self to get into at the moment :)

Last night I started A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, a memoir which I'm hoping won't be too taxing.

[Lindsey]

I'm technically in the middle of The Advanced Genius Theory, Inhumans: The Origin of the Inhumans, and The Mabinogion Tetralogy and none of them is really catching my attention. So I restarted an old favorite, Daughter of the Blood, while I'm waiting for Of Noble Family to be published.

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

Alissa wrote: "This month I planned The Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay, I have never tried him and he was highly recommended given I like Wurts"

The Lions of Al-Rassan is one of my favorite books by Kay, although I have liked all his stuff. I have several stand-alones by Wurts to read, too.

[Ken]

Just finished Moving Pictures, a discworld novel. I can say I was pretty disappointed with this one. It had all of the Discworld stuff but nothing in it clicked for me.

Started The View from the Bridge: Memories of Star Trek and a Life in Hollywood

[Sumant]

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

[Christine]

I finished Station Eleven which I thoroughly enjoyed; I'd love to read a sequel. Now I'm reading Honor's Knight which I'm also enjoying

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

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

I liked this one, too, better than the first. I just found the storyline a bit easier to follow, I guess.

[Justine]

I finished Memories of Ice...devastatingly good book! I am now reading Blood Song.

[Chris]

I just started Shadow Moon and so far it leaves a lot to be desired.

[Alissa]

The Lions of Al-Rassan is gorgeous. Thanks again to you all for the recommendations! My thoughts about the book, I can see pretty well why, as a Janny Wurts reader, it was inevitable to love this one. Obviously I've shelved more by Kay. Next in line is Sailing to Sarantium. Since I'm almost done with the books I planned to read this month, I think I'm going to add The Mirror of Her Dreams by Stephen R. Donaldson (portal epic fantasy, some romance, highly recommended author. Yesssss). Then more Wurts. I know I'll need a fix soon.

[Ken]

Sailing is the first of a duology.
Lord of Emperors is the second.

[Alissa]

Ken wrote: "Sailing is the first of a duology.
Lord of Emperors is the second."
Sounds very good! I liked the story technique of Al-Rassan, so I'm curious to read this duology :)

[Shel, Moderator]

You'll definitely want to have both books on hand before you start - Sailing is lovely but doesn't really stand on its own all that well. I'm glad you read Lions first, because this one takes place just a few centuries earlier in the same world and there's some pretty neat foreshadowing tossed in for those who will recognize it :)

[Janny]

Finished The Goblin Emperor, and now finishing The Element of Fire, two very different approaches to a court intrigue. Wells is in her element, here - the settings of both books are splendid.

[Carolyn F.]

I'm listening to On Basilisk Station

[Helen]

Janny wrote: "Finished The Goblin Emperor, and now finishing The Element of Fire, two very different approaches to a court intrigue. Wells is in her element, here - the settings of ..."

I've been trying to get Element of Fire voted in for a group read. I'm keen to read it as I enjoyed the Raksura trilogy so much.

Oh I just remembered why I'm here! I've finished the excellent Deadhouse Gates, polished off Persuasion and I'm now racing through the excellent Elizabeth Is Missing

[Janny]

Helen wrote: "Janny wrote: "Finished The Goblin Emperor, and now finishing The Element of Fire, two very different approaches to a court intrigue. Wells is in her element, here - th..."

Wells had my vote, every time. Loved her work for years.

[Tani]

I finished Deadhouse Gates this afternoon, and still have an emotional hangover from the whole Chain of Dogs storyline. It was definitely a five star read for me.

For a change of pace, I'm going to read The Mermaid's Madness by Jim C. Hines next. :)

[Helen]

Janny wrote: "Helen wrote: "Janny wrote: "Finished The Goblin Emperor, and now finishing The Element of Fire, two very different approaches to a court intrigue. Wells is in her elem..."

I'm just looking for the 'like' button.

[Alissa]

Helen wrote: "Janny wrote: "Helen wrote: "Janny wrote: "Finished The Goblin Emperor, and now finishing The Element of Fire, two very different approaches to a court intrigue. Wells ..."

Yup, yup

[Helen]

Lol

[Justine]

Finished Blood Song and now I'm on the second book in the series, Tower Lord. Different, but still good.

[Helen]

Stop praising books, I don't have enough reading time for my growing list!

[Justine]

I praise everything...don't go by me:)

[Alissa]

The problem is when the growing list proves times and again source of awesome books! I still have to read Anthony Ryan but I will, not sure whether to wait or not for the complete trilogy, since I already have so many great books on the rooster.

[Christine]

I just finished Honor's Knight and look forward to reading the third book of this series. I've started reading Darkspell

[Justine]

Alissa wrote: "The problem is when the growing list proves times and again source of awesome books! I still have to read Anthony Ryan but I will, not sure whether to wait or not for the complete trilogy, since I ..."

The last book is due out this summer...so that made it an easy choice for me. I hate it when you start to read something but then it takes so long for the next book that you can't remember what happened in the last one...at least that's what happens to me.