What are you reading in January 2011?

[Jeanne]

A new year has started, what are you reading this month?

[[deleted user]]

Just about finished with A Clash of Kings.
Think I am gonna keep going and head right into A Storm of Swords and then A Feast for Crows. Looking forward to the series on HBO and want to be read up by then.

[Captain Sir Roddy, R.N. (Ret.)]

I am finishing up a read of Pamela Freeman's wonderful fantasy, The Castings Trilogy, which is truly quite superb, and very well written!

I am preparing to read Brandon Sanderson's The Way of Kings.

I am also re-reading Melville's Moby-Dick, or, The Whale, and Ted Hughes' adaptation of Tales from Ovid.

I just finished completely re-reading Jordan's "Wheel of Time" series for the umpteenth time from late-October through December. I am still finding nuggets of important information buried in those volumes!

[Elise]

Well last month I read The Warded Man by Peter V. Brett, which I didn't enjoy as much as I would have hoped. I also finished 1984 by George Orwell, which was one of the scariest books I've ever read, but very good.

This month I'm reading Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder. I'm over half way through and totally hooked.

[Priscilla]

Almost finishing with reading the Narnian series..
Next i'll be reading Lord of the rings! going to be sweet :)

[Laurel]

January is about trying new things, and making resolutions. So, my January is going to shape up like this:

I want to read a few well reviewed graphic novels -

I'm hoping to finally get through a sic fi classic -

I'm going to curl up with a few favorite authors -

Finally, I'm going to try a few new authors/series -

[Lindsey]

I'm taking January off in a way to read whatever strikes my fancy. So far that's been Sense and Sensibility, The Eye of the World, and Once a Hero.

[Captain Sir Roddy, R.N. (Ret.)]

Lindsey wrote: "I'm taking January off in a way to read whatever strikes my fancy. So far that's been Sense and Sensibility, The Eye of the World, and Once a Hero."

Isn't "Sense and Sensibility" just a great novel! I re-read two or three Austen novels each year. I never tire of them. Enjoy, Lindsey!

[Lindsey]

Christopher wrote: "Isn't "Sense and Sensibility" just a great novel! I re-read two or three Austen novels each year. I never tire of them. Enjoy, Lindsey!"

I definitely think that Austen is one of those authors who get better with time and experience. Emma is still my favorite, but S&S was definitely good!

Strangely, re-reading Eye of the World is producing the same response; there was a lot that I missed the first couple times through.

[Tonya]

I'm still reading Mistborn: The Final Empire from December and I got a e-reader from Santa also and have Red Seas Under Red Skiesand Side Jobs: Stories From the Dresden Fileson it that I'm reading.

[Kevin]

Tonyanc wrote: "I'm still reading Mistborn: The Final Empire from December and I got a e-reader from Santa also and have Red Seas Under Red Skiesand Side Jobs: Stories From the Dresden Fileson it that I'm reading."

Good luck in reading Mistborn. You really should read the other two in the trilogy, maybe skip Side Jobs, wait three more month for Ghost Story.

[Captain Sir Roddy, R.N. (Ret.)]

Well you guys and gals made me do it. Yup!

After reading a lot of sincerely high praise for Steven Erikson's series, "The Malazon Book of the Fallen" here on FBC, I drove over to my local bookstore tonight and purchased the first four volumes in the series. I had read the first book, "Gardens of the Moon" right after it first came out, but I obviously wasn't ready for it then as I really struggled with it.

I have a plane flight tomorrow for business, and it is going in the bag with me. I'm stoked to start anew and really explore this world that Erikson has created! Wish me luck!

[Melanie]

Currently reading Spy Glass but after that I'm going to try and branch out into fiction rather than reading just fantasy, so I've got The White Tiger and Half of a Yellow Sun lined up for after that.

[Hans]

Good luck, Christopher :) The series is a flawed masterpiece, but the good things certainly outweigh the bad things.

I've just finished Stonewielder, which incidently is also a Malazan novel. It was quite good but nothing extraordinary.

For the rest of January I hope to readMoving Pictures, The Complete Persepolis, The Windup Girl as well as American Vampire Vol. 1

[Cheryl]

I'm currently reading The Castings Trilogy by Pamela Freeman and I totally agree with Christopher. This is a well-written and enjoyable fantasy so far.

[Nita]

About half way through The Eye of the World. Enjoying and taking my time with it. Brandon Sanderson is reading the book too and posting some of his thoughts on twitter. Reading his thoughts is making the reading experience fun and eye-opening. He has read them before and has studied them, obviously, so he is catching things I completely missed and don't completely understand. But hopefully as I read the series, things will become clearer. :D

Also reading a non-fiction book The Wordy Shipmates. It is about the puritan group that sails to the New England on the Arbella in 1630. Vowell is pretty funny and seems to know what she is talking about.

[Chelsea]

I'm hoping to finish Moby-Dick or, The Whale, The Curse of the Mistwraith, The Mountains of California by John Muir, The Dragonbone Chair and Assassin's Apprentice.

I was also reading To Light A Candle, but it's losing me. The first book was so fun I could barely put it down, but this one is dragging.

Next up will be Sabriel, The Name of the Wind and The Way of Shadows. On the "Classics" shelf, I hope to read The Four Feathers.

[Bill]

I just finished the glorious The Curse of the Mistwraith and will continue [series:The War of Light and Shadow]*. Between these I will be reading David Gerrold of Star Trek fame novels, beginning with the Star Wolf series. Also I am reading a couple of book club selections: Probation and The Carnivorous Lamb

*I've been trying to get the GR powers to develop a [series:series name] tag, like the book, author and cover tags. They are resisting. If you think this a good idea, please support:

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/4...

[Emma]

Finished The Crown Conspiracy by Michael J. Sullivan.
Not sure about what to read next, perhaps Son of the Shadows by Juliet Marillier, or Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson.

[Nita]

Well, finished The Eye of the World and liked it quite a bit. I enjoyed the story and cared for the characters for the most part (Nynaeve was a bit annoying). Perrin's character intrigues me the most and I really look forward to more of his part to this story. I also look forward to learning more about the Aes Sedai and their society and beliefs.

Now startingThe Windup Girl.

[Lindsey]

Nita wrote: "About half way through The Eye of the World. Enjoying and taking my time with it. Brandon Sanderson is reading the book too and posting some of his thoughts on twitter...."

That's why I started rereading it this month. Don't know if I'll stick with the whole series as he does this in preparation for writing the last book, but so far it's been a lot of fun to read his thoughts. It's helping me pick up some things I missed the first time.

[Adam]

I have just finished The Summoner chronicles after a 2 year hiatus from the 1st book, only to discover that the 3rd and 4th books were written during my foray into other authors. I must say was very please with this quartet and im VERY much looking forward to the new trilogy out in February. A recommended MUST read for a heroic fantasy.

Presently im reading my secret santa gift American Gods. A nice change from the usual.

[Adam]

Kevin wrote: "Tonyanc wrote: "I'm still reading Mistborn: The Final Empire from December and I got a e-reader from Santa also and have Red Seas Under Red Skiesand Side Jobs: Stories From the Dresden Fileson it t..." Mistborn gets a little draining but hang in there its not to bad

[colleen the convivial curmudgeon]

Adam wrote: "I have just finished The Summoner chronicles after a 2 year hiatus from the 1st book, only to discover that the 3rd and 4th books were written during my foray into other authors. I m..."

Glad to find another 'Chronicles of the Necromancer' fan. I'm also highly ancitipating The Sworn - the first in the Fallen King's cycle.

In a way you're lucky that you too a break. The wait between the cliffhanger ending of book 3 and the release of book 4 was far too long for my tastes. LOL

[Captain Sir Roddy, R.N. (Ret.)]

In January 2011, I've read--

Finished Tales from Ovid adapted by Ted Hughes
Finished The Castings Trilogy by Pamela Freeman
Finished Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson
Reading Deadhouse Gates by Steven Erikson

I really am completely gobsmacked at the sophistication of "The Malazan Book of the Fallen" series. This is some seriously good stuff!

[Kerry]

Colleen ~blackrose~ wrote: "Adam wrote: "I have just finished The Summoner chronicles after a 2 year hiatus from the 1st book, only to discover that the 3rd and 4th books were written during my foray into other..."

I actually won a copy of the first book from the author not long after it was published, but I didn't ever quite start reading it. Should I put it back on my TBR list then?

[Sandra]

I confess to taking it easy this month and last, rereading some favorites. Nevertheless, I have listened to a few 'candy' books and have a current month shelf.

[Emma]

Starting Troy: Lord of the Silver Bow by David Gemmell.
I've heard some great opinions, so I'm anxious to see how good it really is.

[Tina]

I'm reading Poison Study now, and will start on The Waste Lands after that. I think it will be all I have time for in January, college takes all my time atm.

[colleen the convivial curmudgeon]

Kerry wrote: "I actually won a copy of the first book from the author not long after it was published, but I didn't ever quite start reading it. Should I put it back on my TBR list then? "

Well, I would say yes, of course, since I really liked the series. But I'll also believe in full disclosure, so:

There's nothing particularly original about the books, especially not at the start. They're stock sword & sorcery types characters in stock situations. However, for me, they were written so well, so believably, that I didn't really care about the clicheness of some of the story, because I cared about the characters and wanted to read about what happened to them and how they dealt with it.

So, if you're all about the originality factor, then you might not like it. But if you can deal with a sort of standard story, but well written, then you might.

I'll also add that hubbie, with whom I generally have similar tastes, though it was slow going at the start, but I didn't think the set-up was all that slow, so I guess opinions vary on pacing. :>

[Kerry]

Thanks, Colleen. I'll seriously consider it, but the TBR is already pretty big.

[Karen]

This month I finished:
A Spell for Chameleon by Piers Anthony, which was pretty good.

I'm working on:
Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Aron Ralston I know this isn't fantasy, but actually non-fiction. But still, it is AMAZING.
Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey which I like so far.
Eldest by Christopher Paolini which I'm not very far into yet, but it's already exciting. I loved Eragon, and I'm really into this.
And I'm still working on The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection From the Living Dead by Max Brooks.

[Elise]

Finished Poison Study. Loved it enough to jump into the next book in the series, Magic Study

[Kevin]

Reading Silverthorn, not liking the first 100 pages or so of events leading up, not at all explained on the back of the book.

[Sarah]

Finished all the Harry Potter books so far (reread), as well as:


Currently reading:

[Cheryl]

I'm presently reading The Castings Trilogy and loving it! I'd highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy. I'm also reading The Titan's Curse, the third book in the Percy Jackson series.

[Hélène]

I'm reading Furies of Calderon. Next will be The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms.

[[deleted user]]

So far this month I've read Waterfall Dance, Wuthering Heights, and A Wizard of Earthsea.

I'm currently reading North and South.

[Sarah]

Donegal wrote: "So far this month I've read Waterfall Dance, Wuthering Heights, and A Wizard of Earthsea.

I'm currently reading North and South."

North ans South! It's an upcoming on my to-read as well. I've been wanting to get my hands on it ever since watching the BBC TV Series. I absolutely loved it, can't wait to read the full story behind it.

[[deleted user]]

Sarah wrote: North ans South! It's an upcoming on my to-read as well. I've been wanting to get my hands on it ever since watching the BBC TV Series. I absolutely loved it, can't wait to read the full story behind it.

I loved the miniseries, too. It's how I originally heard of Gaskell, whose work I have so far really enjoyed. I'm going to have to get my hands on that BBC miniseries as soon as I finish the book; I haven't seen it in years!

[Sandra]

Donegal wrote: "Sarah wrote: North ans South! It's an upcoming on my to-read as well. I've been wanting to get my hands on it ever since watching the BBC TV Series. I absolutely loved it, can't wait to read the fu..."

You guys are making it sound good, so I added it to my pile. The Nookbook is only 1.00!

[Sandra]

And the BBC series is available on Netflix instant play.

[Captain Sir Roddy, R.N. (Ret.)]

Elizabeth Gaskell is an amazingly terrific author. I read pretty much most of her works during 2008 and 2009. Her last novel, "Wives and Daughters" is fabulous; and the BBC made an excellent film adaptation of it as well. Have fun with Gaskell, she is well worth reading!

[John]

Not hitting much fantasy this month. Currently working on Larry Correia's [Book: Monst Hunter Vendetta]. The guy's books may be little more than b-horror flicks in novel form, but he knows how to keep a story moving.

[Eric]

Hey all, jumping back into some fantasy after a lengthy diversion into the horror realm...

Currently reading and enjoying Elantris. My first foray into Sanderson's work. Looks like I've got a lot of good readin to look forward to!

[Bill]

Emma wrote: "Starting Troy: Lord of the Silver Bow by David Gemmell.
I've heard some great opinions, so I'm anxious to see how good it really is."

I really like Gemmell. I have read his Drenai and Rigante series and have Troy on order.

Please let me know how you like it and how historical it seems.

I am now about 16% of the way into Ships of Merior and just read the chapter Masque last night, a most remarkable chapter.

[Alan]

Just finished Graceling by Kristin Cashore and i am now starting Magician by Raymond E. Feist.

[Emma]

Kernos wrote: "Emma wrote: "Starting Troy: Lord of the Silver Bow by David Gemmell.
I've heard some great opinions, so I'm anxious to see how good it really is."

I really like Gemme..."

I absolutely loved the book. I even wrote a review, so you might want to check it out :)

It does have a very strong historical vibe to it, with some references to the Greek Mythology obviously, and to the bible. Of course, that doesn't make it historically accurate or anything.

Honestly, I'd be surprised if you weren't happy with your order :)

[colleen the convivial curmudgeon]

Alan wrote: "Just finished Graceling by Kristen Cashore and i am now starting Magician by Raymond E. Feist."

What did you think of Graceling? I'm scheduled to read it in April, but I've heard mixed things.

[Qylie]

IS there no book reading for the group this month?