What are you reading in November 2010?

[Sandy]

I'm reading The Life of the World to Come, part of the series that started with In the Garden of Iden. so far seems like filler, but I'm only a little way in. This is a great series, though.

[Snail in Danger (Sid)]

Sandy - please post again when you finish the book. I'll be interested to hear what you think.

Right now I'm reading Dead Center: Behind the Scenes at the World's Largest Medical Examiner's Office. Recommended for forensic pathology geeks.

Once I'm done with that, I plan to start State of Decay.

[Scribble]

@Stormhawk...that's funny, I was just over in the Next Best Book Club and she was talking about it there, too. There was supposed to be a link to a free download for the second book on Amazon, but it didn't seem to be available. I usually like to read something of the author's work before I buy unless it's an author I know, so was disappointed. Please let me know what you think about it when you finish. Thanks.

An extract I did read and I think I want to buy is this:

[Random]

G N wrote: "@Stormhawk...that's funny, I was just over in the Next Best Book Club and she was talking about it there, too. There was supposed to be a link to a free download for the second book on Amazon, but..."

The free copy of the second book is available at Barnes and Noble, not Amazon. The offer ends at the end of the month.
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1...

I went a head and bought the first book (said I would as soon as it was available on something other than Kindle) from their web site. $4 a pop isn't bad. :)

I've started reading it, but my schedule hasn't given me much time to get very far.

edit - I forgot to mention, a post at the end of that thread does mention they will email you a copy of the second book in a different format if you email them at that specified address.

[Scribble]

thanks for the tip, Random. I'll hunt it down.

[Todd]

I've just started reading The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. I hope to have if finished before the year is out!

[Stacy]

Finished last week The Hourglass Door
Just read: The Maze Runner
Just finished: The Scorch Trials
Reading: The Atlantis Complex
Next to Read:The Rivers of Zadaa
waiting for: The Golden Spiral

Spending lots of time with young adult/ teen books thanks to 2 girls at home. I have been pleasantly surprised by how engaging these books can be. Especially enjoy James Dashner Maze Runner books and 13th Reality series.

[Rusty]

Thanks Milton! Now I'm putting it far, far down my TBR list to read.

[Robin]

In addition to The Hunger Games which I'm still enjoying, I'm also reading The Way of Kings. And Stormhawk - thanks for taking the detour on Crown. I hope you like it.

[Scribble]

Robin, I don't have a Nook and was wondering if the PDF of Avempartha is available, please? Or some other extract of this author's work, so I can see if I like the writing before I buy, please?

[Jon]

G N wrote: "Robin, I don't have a Nook and was wondering if the PDF of Avempartha is available, please? Or some other extract of this author's work, so I can see if I like the writing before I buy, please?"

GN, you can download the free software for Nook and Kindle and several other ereaders for your computer. No need to purchase dedicated hardware (like a Nook or Kindle).

[Scribble]

Thanks for the tip, Jon!

[Arthur]

I am reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I am having trouble with it.
I am don't mind violence or torture (if it is a necessary part of the story) with one exception. Rape. I have a serious problem reading about it and stay calm.
I'm not going to stop reading the book but it is very disturbing...

[Tina]

You must read on, I haven't read the book but I have seen the movie of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (the book is on my TBR list in Norwegian) and I promise the story is so good! I also have problems with rape in books, but I will stand it (when the time comes to read it) in that one because I know what's coming. Without saying to much on that part I have to say I absolutely loved the movie and I have heard the book outshines it.

Sigh, I have too many books to read now a days.

[Snail in Danger (Sid)]

Having finally found the last book in the series that my library doesn't have, I've resumed my re-read of Steven Brust's Vlad Taltos series. Currently on Dragon.

A while ago I got a free audio copy of The Hunger Games, and I started listening to it on a trip over the weekend. So far I'm not really seeing what all the fuss is about. It's not awful but it also doesn't seem awesome.

State of Decay was pretty interesting. Imagine if Philip K. Dick wrote a zombie book. I'll definitely read the followups (which I assume are coming, but don't know for certain).

[Sarah]

Arthur wrote: "I am reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I am having trouble with it.
I am don't mind violence or torture (if it is a necessary part of the story) with one exception. Rape. I have a serious pr..."

I was thinking about reading this book soon, but I tend to put it off because I really don't know what to expect. It seems an unusual read that requires a certain taste, I guess.

[Arthur]

Sarah wrote: "I was thinking about reading this book soon, but I tend to put it off because I really don't know what to expect. It seems an unusual read that requires a certain taste, I guess...."

The more I read the book, the more I realise that we have different mentalities. This concept of "Swedish family" is very foreign to me. I am getting used to it...I mean reading about it.

Sarah, please don't forgo the reading because of my comments.

[Sarah]

Arthur wrote: "Sarah wrote: "I was thinking about reading this book soon, but I tend to put it off because I really don't know what to expect. It seems an unusual read that requires a certain taste, I guess...."
..."

Don't worry, I won't forgo the reading, your comments only enhance my curiosity.

[Maria]

If I ever get some time from cleaning and prepping for Thanksgiving I'm going to read The Heretic The first in a Templar series (at least that is my impression from the back-blurb. It's labeled Urban Fantasy so I think it's more modern day than historical (although obviously there would have to be some historical aspects...!)

Maria

[Rusty]

Just began Beowulf's Children. Anyone read it yet? Would be interesting to hear impressions from other readers.

[Ivana]

I already read Chainfire by Goodkind and now I'm reading Towers of Midnight by Jordan and I plan to continue Prince of Blood by Feist..

[Maggie]

In the paranormal detective genre, I finished HArry Dresden "Turn Coat" by Butcher and tried the Garret "Sweet Silver Blues" by Glen Cook
Of the two, I liked Butcher's better, but I probably should read another Cook before I say that.
Epic-wise, I finished Towers of Midnight...LOVED this one..brought together a lot of story lines for a plot that had gotten SERIOUSLY convoluted in the previous books.
Now reading Steven Erikson;s Memories of Ice from the MAlazan series. This is probably the best series I ever read...Highly recommended

[Benjamin]

I just finished The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack, a new alternative history steampunk UF by Mark Hodder. It feels like he tries to do too much with a more fantastical and convoluted plot than might have been necessary, but the writing was good and the book was very interesting.

[Maria]

Hey Beni! Happy Thanksgiving!

[Kathryn]

Final prophecy (nightkeepers) jessica anderson

[Benjamin]

Maria wrote: "Hey Beni! Happy Thanksgiving!"

Happy Thanksgiving, Maria! :)

[John]

Just recently finished [Book: The Doomsday Book], which was very interesting, but not exactly enjoyable in the traditional sense. Getting back into the seemingly endless Wheel of Time series, now.

[Jed]

I just finished Monsters of Men which is the final book of the Chaos Walking trilogy. I give it 3.5 stars. I was glad to read these 3 from the library but I won't buy them for my personal library.

I also read Recursion and it was really good! I usually love lots of violence and killing in my books and despite the low destruction rate, this was a great AI book and I bought the 2 sequels for my personal library.

I've worked m way through The Mammoth Book of Extreme Science Fiction and there are a few great stories but also a number of clunkers. If you can get it cheap, go for it.

Lastly, but NOT leastly, I read Behemoth book 2 of Leviathan. Great Steampunk YA. I can't wait for book 3.

[Phoenixfalls]

John wrote: "Just recently finished [Book: The Doomsday Book], which was very interesting, but not exactly enjoyable in the traditional sense."

Have you picked up Blackout & All Clear? (They're set in the same universe as The Doomsday Book.) Or do you plan to?

[Robin]

G N wrote: "Robin, I don't have a Nook and was wondering if the PDF of Avempartha is available, please? Or some other extract of this author's work, so I can see if I like the writing before I buy, please?"

EEP - sorry for the late reply - yes all versions of Avempartha are free right now - (for a few more days ;-) -- Kindle, Nook, ipad, etc. Just send an email to ridan.ship@gmail.com with file preference and they'll hook you up.

[Robin]

Arthur wrote: "I am reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I am having trouble with it.
I am don't mind violence or torture (if it is a necessary part of the story) with one exception. Rape. I have a serious pr..."

I had problems with Girlwith the Dragon Tattoo as well. Really couldn't get into this one and ended up giving up.

[Maria]

Robin wrote: "Arthur wrote: "I am reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I am having trouble with it.
I am don't mind violence or torture (if it is a necessary part of the story) with one exception. Rape. I h..."

Don't feel bad. I don't ready ANY torture, including rape! So if I miss a supposed good story, oh well!

[John]

Phoenixfalls wrote: "John wrote: "Just recently finished [Book: The Doomsday Book], which was very interesting, but not exactly enjoyable in the traditional sense."

Have you picked up Blackout & [book:A..."

I am interested in checking out both of them, but I think I need a bit of a break, first. That book left me feeling pretty down :). I'll post when I start them, though. Thank ya.

[Julia]

John,

About Connie Willis' work... *We* pretty much know how things are going to turn out when historians are "lost" during The Black Plague, as in Doomsday Book.

About Blackout and All Clear it's with the same historians from Oxford, but set during the war at home in England during World War II. It's heartbreaking, sometimes, yes, but also inspiring that so many of those people then did so much with so little.

[Benjamin]

I just finished reading the re-issue of Wild Cards 1 edited by George R.R. Martin. The new release has three new short stories added to the original collection, but frankly two of the stories don't have the same tone as the rest of the book so they don't quite fit. It's still a great book. Totally worth it for the chance to buy a copy that's not second-hand.

[Jed]

I just finished The Disappeared by Kristine Kathryn Rusch The Disappeared which is a Sci-Fi Police Procedural.

I usually can't stand Police Procedurals (I like the bad guys) but you know what, it's pretty good. It's out of print as are the next 2 in "The Retrieval Artist" series but there are available used if you shop smartly :-)

[Maria]

Jed wrote: "I just finished The Disappeared by Kristine Kathryn Rusch The Disappeared which is a Sci-Fi Police Procedural.

I usually can't stand Police Procedurals (I like the bad guys) but you ..."

A scifi PP? Wow, I will have to see if it is on Kindle. I'm intrigued by the concept.

Beni, that's the trouble with short stories, even in collections. You read a couple and that sets the mood. Then all of a sudden, the next short doesn't fit!

[Arthur]

I finished The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The book is OK. Good detective story, but nothing exceptional. I do sympathize with the girl, though. It is sad that she distances herself even from those few who care about her. I hope she overcomes it some time in the future. I might read the other two books later.

Currently reading Politically Correct Bedtime Stories
So far, so so.

[Avrelia]

In November I was slowly moving through Marie Brennan's In Ashes Lie, and Ekaterina Sedia's Alchemy of Stone. The former is finished, the latter is not yet. Both turned a slow and satisfying read to me. But my "to read" pile is growing way faster than I can read these days.

[Sandy]

I said I'd report back aboutThe Life of the World to Come by Kage Baker. This is definitely a filler book, but I liked it because it answered so many unanswered questions raised by the earlier books in the series: I found out why they were warehousing the Enforcers, and why an apparently mortal man shows up more than once (as opposed to the regular immortals created by the Company). Lots more details pop up about the future society, also, where there a re regulations about everything, and people can be hospitalized for very small infractions.

While the first part of the hero's life was something of a slog, I think the series needed this exposition. Later, when he became a cyborg and lived the Pirate life it got to be downright fun. I would not recommend it before reading the earlier books, and I still think the first one In the Garden of Iden is the best of all of them. . If you've never read Kage Baker, I highly recommend.

[Benjamin]

Maria wrote: "Beni, that's the trouble with short stories, even in collections. You read a couple and that sets the mood. Then all of a sudden, the next short doesn't fit! "

That's certainly true! At least the stories in the original edition are still very good.

Jed, I've been thinking of trying Rusch's series too. I recently saw The Disappeared in an used bookstore, but I wasn't sure if it was the first one or not. Oops.

[Snail in Danger (Sid)]

Thanks for posting, Sandy. Though personally I'd say that either Sky Coyote or The Graveyard Game are the best of the series. ;) (Sky Coyote was the first one I read; I didn't know that In the Garden of Iden existed at the time.)

I also read A Stranger in Mayfair. It was teetering on the edge of there being too many pages for too little story, but not quite there. The main character and his love interest are finally becoming more three-dimensional, I think. (It's a series of mysteries, set in Victorian London.)