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What are you reading in September 2010?
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Deedee wrote: "I've been reading Transformation by Carol Berg. It's Part 1 of a trilogy. Almost done. Also reading Dracula. I've got Dracula in Love ..."I really like Carol Berg's books, what I've read so far. I just had my brother read some of her stuff too and he's addicted. What do you think of Transformation?
Candiss wrote: "I finished Amulet, which was underwhelming, and moved on to Boneshaker, which failed to keep my interest (for reasons I can't quite pin down.) So now I'm having a comfo..."Yeah, Candiss, I tossed
Boneshaker back when it was out BOTM. --and I usually don't toss books with no intention of going back to 'em. But this one didn't do it for me, either...and I'm not tryin' again.
Sandra aka Sleo wrote: "I got an ad from Amazon in my email advertising the newest book by Jack Campbell. "I have read a book of his under the John Hemry pseudonym, or is that is actual name. They were Lawyers in space. Thought it was ok, nothing really AMAZING
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Stefan wrote: "I'm skim-reading through The Last Stormlord to refresh my memory before tackling the sequel. It's still entertaining, but on a second reading you do notice the thinness of the chara..."Yikes, if they got any thinner I'd throw the book.
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Thinking about this some more, my reaction may also be different because I'm reading this right after Peril's Gate, which in terms of intensity and depth is on a whole other level.
Stefan wrote: "I know. I think that, on my first reading, I was just reading very quickly and enjoying the story so much that I didn't notice that it's all a bit, well, thin. Now skimming through it again, it b..."Maybe so. It is definitely a whole other level.
Candiss wrote: "I finished Amulet, which was underwhelming, and moved on to Boneshaker, which failed to keep my interest (for reasons I can't quite pin down.) So now I'm having a comfo..."I tried reading it a few months ago for some group read. Can't remember which group. It didn't hold my interest.
Well, just to catch up a bit: I got kind of obsessed with the Stieg Larsson books, read the first two in late August and the third, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, in the first week of Sept. Haven't seen any of the movies, so can't comment there, but I do like the books. The central character is strongly reminiscent of the young women in the best cyberpunk novels: ultra-capable, violent, not fragile but still damaged, putting the "grr" in "grrl". I totally dig that. Um, on paper. Don't want her in my china shoppe.Also in August I read Gardens of the Moon and Deadhouse Gates by Erikson, and since September began have read Esslemont's novels Night of Knives and Return of The Crimson Guard, so I'm getting pretty involved in this Malazan thing. Small animals had better keep clear in case I drop one of these books.
And also, happened to read Parke Godwin's "Sherwood", a very nice re-imagining if the Robin Hood legends as eleventh-century rather than thirteenth, the time of William the Conqueror (or the Bastard, depending on your pov), rather than Richard the Lion-Heart. Well done and worth the time.
After ten days and a thousand pages, I finished The Way of Kings (my review) last night. I slept on it before writing my review and kept it as spoiler free as I could. Not sure what I'll pick up next. I got a call from the library this morning, so I probably have The Passage waiting to be picked up from the hold shelf. Next week I'm scheduled to attend a real-life book discussion of Jane Eyre, which I've already read but probably should skim to refresh my memory.
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I really liked the Parke Godwin books I've read. He's tackled Arthur (well, Guinevere) and Patrick of Ireland, among others. He has a sequel to Sherwood called Robin and the King.
Edited to add that I finished The Curse of the Mistwraith and am reading a FirstReads win, The Astronomer, before resuming Janny's series. Also need to get back to the Age of Unreason series that I started earlier in summer.
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I'm almost done with The Stand and am starting Anathem and Her Fearful Symmetry.In audio, I've only got a couple of hours left of The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements and I've listened to a couple of hours of The Way of Kings. The latter is 45 hours, so that may stretch into October.
Sandi wrote: "I'm almost done with The Stand and am starting Anathem"Wow, a huge tome of The Stand, then Anathem. Big Books
I'm over halfway through Pandora's Star and think I understand the title now; it does take a bit of work to read the first half and remember the characters, but the work is starting to pay off
Ken wrote: "Sandra aka Sleo wrote: "I got an ad from Amazon in my email advertising the newest book by Jack Campbell. "I have read a book of his under the John Hemry pseudonym, or is that is a..."
Oh, thanks, Ken. I missed your reply somehow.
Well, since my last post, I've read Vanishing Act (Or listened to) and Another Man's Moccasins and read Agent of Change and Killbox. I like to have an audiobook going so that I can 'read' when in the car or walking the dogs. I usually also have a change of pace from fantasy and scifi in my audio books. I'm currently listening to Faulkner's Light in August - haven't read him in years, but always loved his work. Am slightly less than halfway through The Way of Kings and am finding it very 'ho-hum' and realize I'm in the minority as usual. Am also reading Palimpsest, which is very dreamlike and poetic, but hope a little plot comes around soon as I'm getting bored. The prose is surprisingly readable in spite of the nonsensical nature of things like 'Ludo was, he knew, deep in the book of beasts, crushed between their many pages, growling all around.'
I'm currently reading three fantasy novels - The Ships of Merior (Janny Wurts), Traitor's Moon (Lynn Flewelling) and Ginn Hale's Lord of the White Hell (Book I). All good in their own ways :)
Amelia wrote: "Deedee wrote: "I've been reading Transformation by Carol Berg. It's Part 1 of a trilogy. Almost done. Also reading Dracula. I've got Dracula in..."</i>Hi Amelia! Just finished [book:Transformation by Carol Berg. I really liked it. It was first person narrative, and the first 2/3rds were 5* quality. Hard to believe that this was Berg's first novel ... maybe her first PUBLISHED novel, that I'd believe. Then, around 2/3rds of the way through, Berg made some plot choices that I had a hard time "suspending my disbelief" for. But then, once I got past that, and accepted the characters and story for what it was, I was pulled back into the story and enjoyed it until the end. This was my first novel by Carol Berg and I'm definately planning on reading more of her novels.
I've also finished reading Dracula. This was the novel that started the whole vampire sub-genre. It laid down conventions (garlic, no reflection in mirror) and spawned hundreds of stories. I was surprised (but I really shouldn't have been) at how Victorian the novel was. The graceful sweet damsel in distress, the chivalrous strong male defenders, the evil off-stage villian (hiss! boo!), all the Victorian stereotypes were present. I think that newer, modern vampire novels are more entertaining; still, it was good to read the one that started it all.I also started reading Dracula in Love, and tossed it by page 50. Plot-free but full of detailed descriptions of unusual *ahem* intimate activity. Not worth my time. I was particularly disappointed because I've read Karen Essex's "historical novel" Stealing Athena and found it interesting and enjoyable. Ah well, nobody wins all the time.
Now on to Shades of Milk and Honey .
And, I'll have to start The Ships of Merior, I just wanted to finish Transformation first.
Deedee wrote: "Amelia wrote: "Deedee wrote: "I've been reading Transformation by Carol Berg. It's Part 1 of a trilogy. Almost done. Also reading Dracula. I've got [..."Deedee - the second two in Carol Berg's trilogy take that story and expand on it very beautifully - this series, and her Lighthouse duology are both excellent - and her standalone, also. This author is far too overlooked, in my opinion.
...the second two in Carol Berg's trilogy take that story and expand on it very beautifully - this series, and her Lighthouse duology are both excellent - and her standalone, also.I just discovered Carol Berg earlier this year with the Lighthouse duology. I loved it. I can't wait to read Transformation, which I've heard excellent things about :)
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Shel wrote: "I read Transformation a few years ago and loved it, but never got around to picking up the rest of the trilogy...I should dig it up and read it again, and look for the other two."I've got Transformation sitting here beside me for as soon as I finish The Way of Kings. I absolutely LOVED the Lighthouse Duology. It was fabulous.
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Shel wrote: "I read Transformation a few years ago and loved it, but never got around to picking up the rest of the trilogy...I should dig it up and read it again, and look for the other two."Shel, I'm the same. I loved Transformation, but I've never quite started the next one, even though I have it waiting. I must, as Transformation was a very good beginning.
I half way through Stonehenge and Pawn of Prophecy and am audio-ing The Hobbit: Or There and Back Again and The Haunting of Hill House. I guess the audio for Hill House is bad because I'm not finding it to be very scary and in fact its quite disjointed. Horror fans declare it as one of the masterpieces. Perhaps I'll abandon the audio and make a trip to the library for the actual book.
I finished Ships of Merior last night (loved it) and I'm going to try to squeeze Son of the Shadows in before starting Warhost of Vastmark.I tried Magic to the Bone, which is modern urban fantasy, and found I just didn't care about any of it, so abandoned it.
A friend lent me Seabiscuit: An American Legend, which I'm reading slowly when I only have a few minutes to read instead of a longer period of time. I wasn't sure what I would think of it, but I find I'm loving it. I'm also astounded (and a little jealous) that someone with serious Chronic Fatigue Syndrome could write such an interesting, well-written book. I know how hard it is to do anything with CFS, and this is excellent. So much praise to the author.
Just started Shadow's Son and I'm really liking it. I also like that it's fairly short. I like doorstopper fantasies, but sometimes it's nice to read shorter ones, too.
Finished Palimpsest my review. Still trudging my way through The Way of Kings. Am past p. 600 and everyone says it picks up so am hoping. Am listening to Faulkner (a bit of a break from fantasy to listen to some literature) Light in August. AND am reading Destroyer, which is on my Nook and I can take it to work instead of that BRICK of a Sanderson. AND, more exciting yet, Stormwarden by Janny Wurts is out in audio and I snapped it up from Audible this AM to listen to on my way to and from work and so far it is fabulous, as is the narrator. Janny has a knack for creating characters I care about.
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This afternoon I started onThe Spirit Thief by Rachel Aaron and am enjoying it so far - light fantasy with a fun sense of humor.
I just picked up the The Lies of Locke Lamora from the library and so far it has been tremendously fun. After that I'll either go for Voices, so I can finish that trilogy (which I really liked so far), or I'll start the Dark Tower series with The Gunslinger.
Well, I finished Pandora's Star and am started on Judas Unchained; I agree that the author goes a bit too deeply into details of each and every character; I'd be satisfied for a brief description and perhaps a list of characters and their alignments. Every once in a while, I'd take a break and read Into the Wild which is very light. Now I need to get Fire and Ice so I can read that while I'm working my way through Judas
Well, I finished Pandora's Star and am started on Judas Unchained; I agree that the author goes a bit too deeply into details of each and every character; I'd be satisfied for a brief description and perhaps a list of characters and their alignments. Every once in a while, I'd take a break and read Into the Wild which is very light. Now I need to get Fire and Ice so I can read that while I'm working my way through Judas
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Last night I started Entangled by Graham Hancock, which is seriously weird so far.
Seriously weird, eh? I'll wait for your judgment. I'm still with the audio of Stormwarden by Janny Wurts, with Faulkner's Light in August waiting for me. I have been reading other things that I have on my Nook while working my way through The Way of Kings, which I've yet to get totally engrossed in. It's entirely too heavy to take to work, so I take my Nook to read when I have gaps in my workload. After I finished Palimpsest, I started the fourth Foreigner trilogy and should've known better. I of course got hooked in Destroyer and couldn't put it aside to read Sanderson when I got home from work. And yesterday I started Pretender and stayed up half the night reading it. So Sanderson still awaits me. I will be glad when I get that albatross off my back, lol!
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I'm reading Stories: All-New Tales too, Shel. Some pretty cool stuff in there so far. I did cheat and skip ahead to read the Joe Hill story, I admit.I'm almost done with Mockingjay, then I'll continue this short story love with Everything's Eventual: 14 Dark Tales.
So I finished #3, Deliverer yesterday, practically in one sitting. So I'm free to read Sanderson now.
I finished Mockingjay last night and started on Soldier of the Mist. This one is a long-overdue read for me.
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Now I'm about to start on my ARC of Empress of Eternity by L.E. Modesitt Jr., which the author told me is one of the most ambitious books he's ever undertaken. I'm very excited about this one!
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Beyond Reality
Books mentioned in this topic
Speculative Horizons (other topics)Empress of Eternity (other topics)
Mockingjay (other topics)
Soldier of the Mist (other topics)
Mockingjay (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
L.E. Modesitt Jr. (other topics)Rachel Aaron (other topics)
Graham Hancock (other topics)
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Glenda Larke (other topics)
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I also just received an ARC copy of Dreadnought I'd won through FirstReads, which I should be able to get to at some point in the near future.