What are you reading in March 2011?

[Stuart]

I am reading The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks

[Janny]

Just finished The Bards of Bone Plain, and Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption, and now starting The Help for a local book club.

Next up will be any of three, all demanding a look: The Soul Mirror, Seer of Sevenwaters, or back to Erikson. I have such a backlog of great books to catch up with on reemerging from deadline crunch. I feel like the kid let back in the candy shop after a 9 month exile.

[Sandra]

Finished The Name of the Wind and found it good, but not compelling. Started Deadhouse Gates today. Good lord, is all I can say.

Am next reading a detective story - Jacquot and the Waterman for a change of pace.

[Phoenixfalls]

Janny wrote: "Just finished The Bards of Bone Plain..."

How was that? How does it rank as McKillip fantasies go? And, if you don't mind my asking, which of McKillip's work is your favorite, so I have a baseline for comparison? ;)

[Shel, Moderator]

I finished the short story anthology The Secret History of Fantasy this morning. For fans of fantasy short fiction, I *definitely* recommend it. Out of the 19 stories in the book, there were only 2 or 3 that I wasn't wild about. My favorite was the Kij Johnson story.

Also worth reading just for Peter S. Beagle's preface and an essay by Ursula K. LeGuin at the end.

I really want to pick up Peril's Gate next, but at the same time I KNOW that I don't have as much mental energy/time to devote to it as it deserves right now, so it may have to wait until after the baby is born and I'm recovered enough to tackle it. I think I'm might re-read some brain candy instead ;)

[Rachel]

I've just started The Windup Girl, seems interesting so far, and nicely written.

[Sandra]

Rachel wrote: "I've just started The Windup Girl, seems interesting so far, and nicely written."

A lot of people like it, but I didn't.

[Nick]

Phoenixfalls wrote: "Janny wrote: "Just finished The Bards of Bone Plain..."

How was that? How does it rank as McKillip fantasies go? And, if you don't mind my asking, which of McKillip's work is your f..."

I just finished also. I have never read McKillip before, so I have no basis of comparison. But I liked this one. I treated it as a sort of Gothic while I was reading it: "Where and Who are the "ghosts"? They seem to exist in both timelines, as well as one timeline "ghosting" another -- or do they?" But then, I don't read a lot of medievalistic fantasy, so "Gothicising" it as I did put the book in a frame of reference I could enjoy. It seems to have a lot of ideas and characters that medievalistic fantasy lovers can get into also.

[Phoenixfalls]

Nick wrote: I have never read McKillip before, so I have no basis of comparison. But I liked this one."

Wait. . . there are people in this world that have never read a McKillip novel before??? ;)

(Okay, I'll stop betraying my personal blind spot now. . .)

Her settings always seem to be so much generic Medieval European castle-land that it never would've occurred to me to look at them any other way; I'm going to have to try and see if I can treat it as a Gothic now, just for the mental exercise! I'm glad you enjoyed it. . . do you plan on picking up any of her other novels?

[Nick]

Phoenixfalls wrote: I'm glad you enjoyed it. . . do you plan on picking up any of her other novels?

I read "Bards..." for a "real life" book club. I wouldn't look the other way to reading another McKillip, though with my backlog of tbr it probably won't happen soon.

Reading it as a ghost story first is probably a little far-fetched, but it helped me enjoy it.

[Shel, Moderator]

Phoenixfalls wrote: "Nick wrote: I have never read McKillip before, so I have no basis of comparison. But I liked this one."

Wait. . . there are people in this world that have never read a McKillip novel before??? ;)
..."

Which one's your favorite, Phoenixfalls? I haven't read them all, but out of the ones I've read my absolute favorite is Song for the Basilisk :)

[Phoenixfalls]

Shel wrote: "Which one's your favorite, Phoenixfalls? I haven't read them all, but out of the ones I've read my absolute favorite is Song for the Basilisk :) "

One of the ones I haven't gotten to yet!

My favorite. . . is either The Forgotten Beasts of Eld because I loved that main character best, The Sorceress and the Cygnet because the opening section is absolutely dense with magic, Winter Rose because it broke my heart, or Alphabet of Thorn because it was my first. You should've known I couldn't give a simple answer to that! ;)

[Laurel]

I've had a prolific reading month so far. I've effectively finished off the Miles Vorkosigan adventures with The Mountains of Mourning, Diplomatic Immunity, and CryoBurn. I'm going to have to do some searching to find out if and when a new book will be coming!

I've read a couple of enjoyable graphic novels: Kill Shakespeare Vol.1 and New Spring: The Graphic Novel. I think that Kill Shakespeare was written with more of a teen audience in mind, but I am intrigued by it, and will continue the series. Oddly enough, New Spring seems to have renewed my interest in the Wheel of Time. I have about 40 other books I'd like to get to, but perhaps I need to return to Jordan's classic series soon.

I've been fortunate to discover Subterranean Press, as they are almost my sole resource for novellas, which I LOVE! Happily, I had three great choices from them this month: The White City, The Executioness, and the wonderful Blue and Gold. Check them out if you get the chance!

I'm about 2/3 of the way through Among Others, and it's superb. I don't usually enjoy the diary format, but the slow build that Walton has created, is keeping me from putting the book down. I can't stop reading! I know that the terrible meeting which both Mori, (the main character), and I both fear is quickly approaching, yet I still can't set the book down. If you've been thinking about reading Among Others, so far at least, I would rate it between 4 and 5 stars!

I've been pretty vocal about how much I enjoyed The Wise Man's Fear. My opinion has not nor will it change. Happily, I'm still thinking about the storyline, it's characters, predicting what might happen next... Truly the sign of a great book!

[Phoenixfalls]

Laurel wrote: "I've effectively finished off the Miles Vorkosigan adventures with The Mountains of Mourning, Diplomatic Immunity, and CryoBurn. I'm going to have to do some searching to find out if and when a new book will be coming!"

IVAN BOOK.

It's happening.

There just aren't any dates yet. But I hear Bujold did a reading from it!

Also, I've recently discovered Subterranean Press too, so I totally second your rec there. ;)

[Laurel]

An Ivan book - I can't wait!!! Every time he and Miles are on the page together I end up laughing, chuckling, giggling, snorting... Thanks for the heads up!

So glad you like Subterranean Press - any favorites I should try?

[Phoenixfalls]

Laurel wrote: "
So glad you like Subterranean Press - any favorites I should try? "

Well, you already mentioned that you picked up Elizabeth Bear's most recent novella. . . she's the reason I discovered Subterranean. I think Bone and Jewel Creatures is the best of her novellas that they've released though. . . if it's still available I highly recommend it. As well as the other New Amsterdam novellas, of course. . .

Kage Baker also had some good stuff out through them; if you haven't read her, I strongly recommend giving her a try. She fits in a lot of the same mental slots (for me at least) that Bujold fits in. The most recent (and her final, I think, given her death last year) of her Subterranean Press work was Nell Gwynne's Scarlet Spy, which I think is still available, and which I'd characterize as a fun steampunk caper; it's set in (but largely independent of) her Company series, which starts with In the Garden of Iden. Another stand-alone within that series that I'd recommend is The Empress of Mars; Subterranean Press published the original novella, then Tor published an expanded novel-length version last year.

[Shel, Moderator]

Phoenixfalls wrote: "Shel wrote: "Which one's your favorite, Phoenixfalls? I haven't read them all, but out of the ones I've read my absolute favorite is Song for the Basilisk :) "

One of the ones I haven't gotten to ..."

I haven't read The Sorceress and the Cygnet yet, but yep, love all those others :)

And also -- IVAN BOOK!!! *squee*

(haven't read CryoBurn yet...waiting for the pb)

[Sandra]

Happy Dance!!!! C.J.Cherryh's newest book, Betrayer, is in the mail!! Can't wait, can't wait!

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

Phoenixfalls wrote: "Wait. . . there are people in this world that have never read a McKillip novel before??? ;)"

[Janny]

I have CJ's Betrayer coming, too! And am torn to bits as to what I will read, next, the pile of TBR having swelled beyond belief under deadline. I have books by clear favorites set against others totally unknown.

It's a gang up collision of indecision:
The Soul Mirror, Seer of Sevenwaters, The Steerswoman's Road (The Steerswoman, #1-2), or back into where the book mark stopped on Erikson, until the Cherryh book gets here, and that blows the preferential stack sky high.

I also have The Shadow of the Wind waiting.

Phoenixfalls: you asked about McKillip. She writes very beautiful allegory in a gorgeously poetic style. No violence. Her work is nuanced, well characterized, and not gritty or dark. I've loved her books for years, they read almost like a gilded dream. While sometimes set in apparently older times, they are more in the nature of a mythic tale or a magical dreamscape than 'real' history. She has done modern settings, very well, that bleed into the mythscape seamlessly: Solstice Wood comes to mind.

Her books always have tender emotion, honestly expressed, and themes in human relationships, gently expressed - her works and are never dystopias, and have never followed the faddish trends.

I've personally loved everything she's done - I think the themes play differently as to favorites, for different folks. Od Magic, for me, was outstanding.

Some of her books need time to gel - always there is a reveal coming, as to what lies behind the mystical brew of events, and always, she brings her threads together with a masterful touch.

She is considered to be one of today's masters in the genre. Whether she's to your taste or not, at least give her a try.

[[deleted user]]

Phoenixfalls wrote: "Wait. . . there are people in this world that have never read a McKillip novel before??? ;)
..."


McWho?

[Phoenixfalls]

Janny wrote: "[McKillip] is considered to be one of today's masters in the genre. Whether she's to your taste or not, at least give her a try."

Oh, I've been a fan for years. I was just trying to get a sense for where Bards falls in her oeuvre, y'know? And I asked which one your favorite is so I could get a baseline on how likely it was we were looking for the same things in her work. So, for instance, I didn't actually like Od Magic that much. . . but I read it early in my exploration of her work, so I plan to reread it someday and see if I find anything more in it the second time around. . . :D

[Christine]

I've never read McKillip; do you have a recommendation on where to start?

[Maggie]

Sandra aka Sleo wrote: "Maggie wrote: "Stopped by the Mythopoeic Award site for Adult literature (http://www.mythsoc.org/awards/winners/) and ordered The Wood Wife and Flesh and Spirit to add t..."

Sandra - I loved Flesh and Spirit. Ordered Breath and Bone
and I'll be trying out Berg's other series as well.

[Sandra]

Maggie wrote: "Sandra aka Sleo wrote: "Maggie wrote: "Stopped by the Mythopoeic Award site for Adult literature (http://www.mythsoc.org/awards/winners/) and ordered The Wood Wife and [book:Flesh and..."

Oh good! :)

[Phoenixfalls]

Christine wrote: "I've never read McKillip; do you have a recommendation on where to start?"

The Forgotten Beasts of Eld is, I think, a really good intro to McKillip, because it's in her style but, because it's so early in her career, it's a bit more accessible. But other than Riddle-Master her books are all fairly even in quality and typical of McKillip. . . and which ones work for which people depends on what sets of symbols work well for you (so I loved Alphabet of Thorn so much almost entirely because of the descriptions of language and the city carved into the cliff). They all feature really ornate, dream-like prose, and they all make their fairy tale tropes feel fresh and weighty and meaningful again.

Riddle-Master is different because it is McKillip's attempt at an epic fantasy trilogy. I don't love it, but that's mostly because I don't love epic fantasy trilogies. People who do love epic fantasy trilogies are probably safest starting there. ;)

[Bill]

I just finished Yesterday's Children by David Gerrold a prequel to his Star Wolf trilogy. It is pure SF with one of the best descriptions of how to warp space in a novel. During researching editions and having to add the specific edition I had, I discovered he revised the novel to give it a different ending, "180° from the original ending". He called this Starhunt. Now I have to search for a copy to read the revised ending. I suspect he did this to make it more compatible with the subsequent trilogy so it would be Star Wolf #1, but will have to read it to make sure.

Last night I started Janny's Peril's Gate

[Ken]

Finished Doctor Who Book, The Shadows of Avalon. Enjoyed it, nothing special.

Started on another Who book
Doctor Who: The Fall of Yquatine

[Sandra]

I'm wiping bits of flesh, burst eyeballs, and blood off me as I labor my way through Deadhouse Gates, a labor from which I'll reward myself soon with Cherryh's newest, Betrayer, a true joy.

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

Finished Fugitive Prince and am ready to start Under Heaven when I get back home after the weekend.

[Christine]

I just finished The Fairy Godmother which I really enjoyed (but I've always enjoyed Mercedes Lackey) and am about to start on March Upcountry. I found both of these titles here

[Jackie]

Almost finished with The Wise Man's Fear

[Jim]

Currently reading The Children of the Company by Kage Baker. A little bit of a speed bump in the Company saga, but, as always, incredibly well-written and literate. Fascinating and not always endearing characters.

[Shel, Moderator]

Just finished re-reading the first five Thursday Next books and preparing to dive into One of Our Thursdays Is Missing :) Definitely glad that I decided to go with light reading - I am most certainly in no shape for any book requiring brainpower these days...

[Maggie]

Finished The Graveyard Book last eve, it was pretty enjoyable. Before that The Wood Wife - I thought it was one of the best fantasies I'd read in quite awhile. Other than the aforementioned Flesh and Spirit, have completed the last of Sharon Shinn's Samaria series over the past week. So pleased - no duds this week. Heading to PO and hope to find a package with Breath and Bone awaiting me.

[Kevin]

Quiet ironic I said that I was not going to read The Wise Man's Fear, but here I am now reading it.

[Dawn]

Kevin wrote: "Quiet ironic I said that I was not going to read The Wise Man's Fear, but here I am now reading it."

Does someone have a gun to your head?!?!? Are you drunk?!?!? *checks hell as it must be frozen over*

lol :P

[Kevin]

Dawn, I have no idea what you mean, I mostly just hate Kvothe, not the story, its a well created, crafted, and written story in my point of view.

[Dawn]

Really.. I seem to remember you saying you hate NoTW.. Somewhere, somewhere... Something about hating it and swearing never to read WMF? Somewhere...

[Kevin]

I hate Kvothe the most of all, knwoing what he does is wrong, but still does it never the less anyway.

[Sandi]

Shel wrote: "Just finished re-reading the first five Thursday Next books and preparing to dive into One of Our Thursdays Is Missing :) Definitely glad that I decided to go with light reading - I..."

I found a copy of One of Our Thursdays Is Missing when I was waiting for my son at the library. I got 40 pages into it before I even checked it out.

[Shel, Moderator]

Sandi wrote: "I found a copy of One of Our Thursdays Is Missing when I was waiting for my son at the library. I got 40 pages into it before I even checked it out."

LOL! I'm about a quarter of the way through. It's good fun, as all of his books are :)

[Helen]

I'm about a quarter through Wise Man's Fear, I'm really enjoying it; I really like Kvothe.

[Laurel]

I lost track of the Thursday Next books a while back - how are the most recent two?

[Shel, Moderator]

They're good fun. I don't know if I'd quite put them on par with the first few, because at this point I'm familiar enough with SpecOps and JurisFiction that it doesn't feel fresh and new anymore, but they're still just as funny.

[Christine]

I finished The Fairy Godmother and now have One Good Knight from the library; I'm over halfway through March Upcountry which I'm really enjoying

[Ken]

Finished Doctor Who: The Fall of Yquatine. This one wasn't to bad. It had all the stuff that makes for a good Doctor Who Story.

Started in on my first Scalzi book
Old Man's War

[Christine]

Oooh, I really enjoyed Old Man's War

[Phoenixfalls]

End of the Month Update

Read and reviewed:
Fledgling, by Octavia E. Butler - review
Zoo City, by Lauren Beukes - review
The Bone Palace, by Amanda Downum - review (this one was on the honor list for the Tiptree Award last year, and it was fantastic)

Read but did not review:


And I've just started

[[deleted user]]

Ooh, let me know how Prestor John goes. Was thinking about reading it.