What Else Are You Reading - May 2011 Edition

[Micah]

I recently found the 3rd Darth Bane novel Dynasty of Evil in a 1/2 price books and picked it up. So now I am going to re-read the first two before I read that one. And then it is on to The Name of the Wind which I found at the same store. Can't wait to start The Name of the Wind because of all the great things I have heard about it from here.

[Philip]

Dan wrote: "Listening to Hellhound On His Trail: The Stalking of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the International Hunt for His Assassin by Hampton Sides. "


I liked Ghost Soldiers: The Epic Account of World War II's Greatest Rescue Mission by Sides, great story.

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Also just finished Wise Man's Fear (hi-5 Dan!). I had to return it to the library since someone else had it on hold, and found Cryoburn on the shelves.

[Jonathan]

Thanks to the fine people at Orbit and this month's Orbital Drop, I'm actually reading the right book at the right time! The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms

[Tamahome]

The Quantum Thief is pretty awesome, at least the parts I understand. :)

[terpkristin]

terpkristin wrote: "Once I'm done with Bossypants, I'm going to re-listen to The First Law trilogy so I can read Best Served Cold and The Heroes. Luckily, I've got some long (ish) drives in my near future (tomorrow and Saturday for sure) as well as an overseas trip (London next week), so I'm going to get some good listening time"

Finished Bossypants yesterday and quite enjoyed it as a quick diversion. Immediately started up with my re-read (re-listen?) of The First Law trilogy, about 1/6 into The Blade Itself. I leave for London on Tuesday so am looking forward to the flight for some quality audiobook time.

[terpkristin]

Oh yeah, also picked up The Invention of Air in the Audible sale, and have thrown that onto my various devices so if I finish The Blade Itself and don't want to move right into Before They Are Hanged, I'll have a little buffer.

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

I just finished up Diana Comet and Other Improbable Stories, I Curse the River of Time, and The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. I started Temperament: How Music Became a Battleground for the Great Minds of Western Civilization at work, have started Naked Lunch, am eyeing CryoBurn, but might put both aside to read The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, the newest book from Catherynne M. Valente

[Tamahome]

I strongly suspect Jenny has taken the pill from Limitless.

[terpkristin]

Tamahome wrote: "I strongly suspect Jenny has taken the pill from Limitless."

I'm glad I wasn't the only one who thought that.

[Elie]

Just caught up on two month's worth of magazine reading. On to my next book: Murder at Ford's Theatre on the Kindle. Not usually a mystery buff, but they were selling it at the Theatre when I was there last week and it intrigued me enough to pick it up.

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

terpkristin wrote: "Tamahome wrote: "I strongly suspect Jenny has taken the pill from Limitless."

I'm glad I wasn't the only one who thought that."

I've had a lot of early mornings with an emo dog lately....

[Tamahome]

Hey, Jenny, out of curiosity, have you read Dhalgren? I tried to PM you. :)

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Okay so I'm not crazy, I thought I had a PM from you but then it disappeared. I added the book to my to-read list anyway.

[Tamahome]

I haven't finished it. It's one of those challenging literary books. I was just wondering what your take on it was.

[Al]

Tamahome wrote: "I haven't finished it. It's one of those challenging literary books. I was just wondering what your take on it was."

re: Dhalgren -- have you read some of his early stuff specifically the Towers trilogy. He has, not exactly stock players, but definitely variants on character types. Dhalgren makes more sense in that context...it sort of seemed to me like the world becames plastic shaped by the desires of the characters rather than the characters being shaped by challenges in a non-malleable world. It's like he suddenly lets everyone off the leash.

[Tamahome]

I read Nova, in which there was no Nova. He had a short story dramatized on BBC radio, Corona. I also liked the space prison short story, Cage of Brass.

[Al]

Tamahome wrote: "I read Nova, in which there was no Nova. He had a short story dramatized on BBC radio, Corona. I also liked the space prison short story, Cage of Brass."

Nova is the least typical...I'm not sure what he was intending but he hid all the weirdness...like it was some sort of experiment in smuggling his concerns into the mainstream. Except I couldn't see enough of his usual concerns. I didn't get it.

[Philip]

Finished The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America yesterday and began The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. Both non-fiction and captivating.

[Skip]

Unfortunately my reading this past week has been all work and no play, unless you consider reading Notice 2011-34 (Supplemental Notice to Notice 2010-60 Providing Further Guidance and Requesting Comments on Certain Priority Issues Under Chapter 4 of Subtitle A of the Code) and associated commentary fun.

And yes, people do write titles like that. I have read more than one paragraph without a verb anywhere in it. My light reading was The Logic of Subchapter K: A Conceptual Guide to the Taxation of Partnerships, because I'm teaching it again this summer, so I wanted to make sure my notes were in order.

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Skip wrote: "Unfortunately my reading this past week has been all work and no play, unless you consider reading Notice 2011-34 (Supplemental Notice to Notice 2010-60 Providing Further Guidance and Requesting Co..."
Get this man a cheesy sci fi novel stat!

[Sandi]

I went to the library today and found a copy of Embassytown. Of course, I checked it out.

[Skip]

I'm open to suggestions, I like good cheese.

[[deleted user]]

Deathstalker?

[Rainer]

I'm reading Fuzzy Nation by John Scalzi. It's hilarious and very good. Great entertainment.

[Tone]

I just finished A Book of Tongues, easily the best gay, sorcerer-cowboy book I've read so far this year.

[Tina]

Anne wrote: "I've had The Help on my to-read list. Is it worth to pick up?

I started reading a sample on my iPad and I couldn't get past the first few pages. The language just didn't ring true to me.

[Nokomis.FL]

My time has pretty much been taken up by the Song of Ice and Fire series recently. I just started A Feast for Crows, but before that I had dabbled with Richard Greener's The Knowland Retribution which is the first book in his The Locator series. This is the book that inspired Fox's potential Bones spinoff called The Finder. Once I finish that I want to jump into the new non-fiction book about Area 51 that just came out as I recently read Skunk Works which is about Lockheed's black airplane development in the 60s & 70s.

[Anne]

Nokomis.FL, I really liked that episode of Bones. Didn't know it was a potential spin-off, although I guess we'll have to see if it actually happens. Thanks for mentioning the book, I might actually put that on my to-read list.

[Nokomis.FL]

Anne wrote: "Nokomis.FL, I really liked that episode of Bones. Didn't know it was a potential spin-off, although I guess we'll have to see if it actually happens. Thanks for mentioning the book, I might actuall..."

Both books have been out for a while, but only recently were they added to the Kindle and Audible. The TV show has obviously been changed from the book description, which is why I used the word 'inspired.' I'm hoping the show doesn't turn out too much like USA's The Glades as I saw many similarities to the tone of that show (which I do like.)

The other show I'm looking forward to is the CBS rendition of Charlaine Harris' Grave Sight this Fall. The graphic novel gets released tomorrow.

[Nokomis.FL]

Rainer wrote: "I'm reading Fuzzy Nation by John Scalzi. It's hilarious and very good. Great entertainment."

I've heard a lot of Avatar comparisons. Is the book different enough to shell out for?

[Tamahome]

John Scalzi was just on Writing Excuses talking about dialog. He says to start reading outside genres. :) http://www.writingexcuses.com/2011/05...

[Elie]

Starting on a reading project I've been wanting to do for about two years: I'm going to read through the entire run of Strangers in Paradise graphic novels by Terry Moore. I read through the first two volumes and stopped, bought the remaining four, then let them sit on my bookshelf. Now I'm finally going to read it all!

[Louis]

Rainer wrote: "I'm reading Fuzzy Nation by John Scalzi. It's hilarious and very good. Great entertainment."

Ii also read Fuzzy Nation and I thought it was very good. I do admit it's a different form of the original Fuzzy Sapiens but it breathes a life of it's own. I would not compare it to Avatar in general but some of the reasons for mining on a planet will bring similar outcomes from those wanting the product. There is also a difference in Avatar because the natives were already thought of as sapient.

I'm also re-reading the Crown of Thorn series as it's been years since I had originally read them. And while I read quickly, I find that I am seriously thrown off by the small type fo the original paperbacks I had purchased. It's proving that my eyes are not what they used to be and I need some new glasses. I'm even considering gettting them on my e-reader apps. I'm starting to be able to read from that better because it's backlight and I can use larger fonts. Funny, i don't feel old.

[Rainer]

I think Fuzzy Nation is different enough to warrant a purchase if you don't mind that it's a short book. What I really liked about it is the humor. It's not as dry and solemn as Avatar.

[toria (vikz writes)]

just finished Embassytown. I highly recommend this book.

[[deleted user]]

Reading Tigana, up to about chapter 8. Enjoying it a lot.

[Philip]

Listening to Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey. I read it as a kid and it's just as good as I remember it. I was concerned it may not hold up well, but it is.

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Just finished The Pumpkin Eater and am headed off the grid with a suitcase full of books. See you all in a week! ;)

[Andrew]

I am now officially caught up on all S&L books so I had to choose my first ones on my own. First off was Stardust by Neil Gaiman. I'll admit it was mostly because of the movie, but a really great story. Next I chose The Subtle Knife by Phillip Pullman. The Golden Compass really stuck with me and I wanted to see where Pullman took the story. Apparently I'm just in a Sword frame of mind. Its funny because I always thought of myself as a Laser, but all my favorite selections since i started following S&L have been fantasy. Go figure.

[Anne]

Jenny wrote: "Just finished The Pumpkin Eater and am headed off the grid with a suitcase full of books. See you all in a week! ;)"

This is one of things I look forward to for my next vacation. No suitcases full of books, just my Kindle. When we're going on a "relax in the sun" vacation (as opposed to "drive around and see things" vacation) I usually have eight to ten books with me. Which isn't so bad since I don't have to drag them around all the time, but I can really see the advantages of an e-book reader there.

[Troy]

I needed something to listen to after The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms and decided on Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan. I've heard this book mentioned by a couple of people, including Tom I think. I'm a couple of chapters in and so far seems like it is going to be a fun listen.
I'm also working on reading the Ravenor Omnibus by Dan Abnett.

[Joana]

I'm going through A Clash of Kings for a week now. It's so good :)

[Jim]

Just finished The Dreaming Void - The deeper I got into the book the more I liked it. I'm still somewhat reserved with my enthusiasm - unlike the Pandora's Star series/timeline. Continuing with my Peter Hamilton marathon - on to The Temporal Void.

Cheers, Jim

[Tamahome]

For something completely different, I'm reading Mark Millar's romance comic 'Trouble': .