What Else Are You Reading - July 2011 Edition

[Tom]

Just finished Rogue Squadron. Planning to get and start reading Rule 34 soon since I really enjoyed Halting State.

[Skip]

I loved Rogue Squadron, Michael Stackpole has a lot of good books out there.

I read Neverwhere Friday and am starting Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, but I got it at the library and its size means I cannot carry it with me to work.

[Turi]

Just finished an advance reader copy of Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. Really enjoyed it - a tad predictable in places, but the future world was fun and the 1980s pop culture and videogame references were nonstop.

Anybody want this copy? It's not out until 8/16/11. I'd be happy to send it to the first person who responds...

[Tom]

Turi: my wife and I would like to read Ready Player One, so we'll take it if it's still available.

[Turi]

Tom wrote: "Turi: my wife and I would like to read Ready Player One, so we'll take it if it's still available."

Sure is! Send me an email via Goodreads with your address, and I'll get it off tomorrow.

[Melissa]

Anton wrote: "I'm about to jump into A Discovery of Witcheswhich all my friends are going gaga over as an adult Harry Potter. Keeping along those lines, I also have [book:The Magician King|100793..."

I am interested in your opinion of A Discovery of Witches. I gave up a third of the way through.
I am currently reading Bitter Seeds. I missed it when it was chosen for the reading group. So far, so good.

[Jim]

I finished the Hamilton's Void Trilogy. The 3rd book was by far the best. I'm excited to start reading A Dance with Dragons!

Regards, Jim

[Tamahome]

Jim wrote: "I finished the Hamilton's Void Trilogy. The 3rd book was by far the best. I'm excited to start reading A Dance with Dragons!

Regards, Jim"

How about Fallen Dragon? :)

[Keith]

Finally getting stuck into the Golden Compass series and am starting with Northern Lights. Really enjoying it so far.

[Invid]

Reading The Sword of the Lady: A Novel of the Change by S.M.Stirling, the 6th of his "Emberverse" novels. About 1/3 of the way through and its a fun read so far.

Just finished a very very odd yet quite fun book, Total Oblivion, More or Less: A Novel. Quick read, but deeply surreal. Wouldn't recommend it to people who expect explanations for why things are happening, or even that they especially make sense, but I still enjoyed it.

[Kris]

Invid wrote: "Reading The Sword of the Lady: A Novel of the Change by S.M.Stirling, the 6th of his "Emberverse" novels. About 1/3 of the way through and its a fun read so far.

Just finished a ve..."

I really enjoy the Stirling series...cool how it changed in mid stream and still a good read...

[Invid]

Kris wrote: "I really enjoy the Stirling series...cool how it changed in mid stream and still a good read... "

I've been liking it quite a bit. You can see how over the course of the books, (view spoiler)[the world is slowly shifting from what it was into, I'm guessing, a more traditional fantasy setting. (hide spoiler)] Looking forward to seeing how it progresses with the next trilogy.

[Kris]

Invid wrote: "Kris wrote: "I really enjoy the Stirling series...cool how it changed in mid stream and still a good read... "

I've been liking it quite a bit. You can see how over the course of the books, [spoil..."

Yea that change is part of the attraction...though I loved the grittyness of the first 3 books as well.

[Michael]

I started A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail yesterday and pretty much read it in one go. If you like hiking, you will enjoy this (audio) book.

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Listening to Fuzzy Nation, just finished Wanderlust: A Love Affair with Five Continents, and started St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves.

[Mary]

I'm working my way through as many of the Velgarth books by Mercedes Lackey as I can, starting at the earliest, chronologically speaking, not the order in which they were written.

I'm trying to read with a more critical eye....

[John (john)]

I grabbed B&N's Free Fridays selection, County Line by Bill Cameron and have really been enjoying it, a great vacation read.

[Skip]

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell is still sitting barely touched on my nightstand. But I polished off the rest of A Storm of Swords, read A Feast for Crows, and am reading A Dance with Dragons.

I also read the first five chapters of Ghost Story, as I always have with any teaser chapters he's published. Now, to get my hands on the actual book.

[Kris]

Skip wrote: "Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell is still sitting barely touched on my nightstand. But I polished off the rest of A Storm of Swords, read A Feast for Crows, and..."

Agree on Ghost Story...comes out next week!!

[Hack]

I just read 7th Sigmaafter hearing about it on the calendar on S&L. Really enjoyed it. I also just finished Monster Hunter Alphaa fun third book in the series, and an interesting take on hunters of the weird.

[Will]

Besides reading A Dance with Dragons, I am also reading A wise Mans Fears & At All Costs (Honor Harrington #11).

[Invid]

Skip wrote:I read Neverwhere Friday and am starting Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, ..."

Jonathan Strange took me a while to get through, but ultimately I really rather liked it, and I'd definitely say it's worth the read.

[Markt5660]

Started Elric: Song of the Black Sword as I gradually work through Moorcock's Eternal Champion series.

[Kris]

Markt5660 wrote: "Started Elric: Song of the Black Sword as I gradually work through Moorcock's Eternal Champion series."

I really love Elric and all the eternal champion stuff.

[Skip]

It's out and I have it! Ghost Story is great so far. I'd be done if it weren't for things like sleep and work. ;)

Very minor spoiler, but very funny moment.
(view spoiler)[ Harry proves he's Harry by quoting Yoda to Molly. (hide spoiler)]

[Kris]

Skip wrote: "It's out and I have it! Ghost Story is great so far. I'd be done if it weren't for things like sleep and work. ;)

Very minor spoiler, but very funny moment.
[spoilers removed]"

awesome...waiting on my amazon delivery!

[Tamahome]

Oh, I thought that was .

[Skip]

Nope, it was .

All finished. It was really good. I will not spoil anything other than to say I really liked it.

[Derek]

Listening to the Audible version of Ghost Story, almost thru and enjoying it. New narrator, John Glover, think I prefer him over James Marsters. Always felt Marsters reading was a bit flat.

[Kevin]

I am also reading Ghost Story, but have not had the time to read much.

[Melissa]

Snokat wrote: "Listening to the Audible version of Ghost Story, almost thru and enjoying it. New narrator, John Glover, think I prefer him over James Marsters. Always felt Marsters reading was a bit flat."

Interesting. I refuse to purchase the audible version WITHOUT James Marsters. I will be reading the hardcover version.

[Anne]

Whoa! Wait! So, do I understand that right... the Dresden Files series is read by James Marsters and John Glover? Sweet.

[[deleted user]]

Everything but the last one was read by James Marsters. The last one is Glover.

[Tamahome]

I was impressed with the first audiobook of Dresden Files. It sounds like he's really Dresden, just naturally talking. James Marsters was Spike on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, in case you didn't know. But he uses a different voice.

[Anne]

Now I need to rush through the whole series so I can listen to John Glover read the latest one. Man, I loved Lional Luthor.

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

I liked James Marsters, I thought he had the tone down, but I'd give Lionel a try. ;). I've only listened to #1 but will probably do more. The length and story type are perfect for audiio.

[Wilde]

Just bought "A Cool Breeze on the Underground", a mystery, which I got for a dollar from a Kindle w/ Special Offers ad, and I'm loving every minute of it. Kinda snarky with far-too-witty dialogue, in a good way.
Also, "Run! 26.2 Stories of Blisters and Bliss" by ultra-marathoner Dean Karnazes, which I'm hoping will continue to motivate me to get off my butt and develop that running habit I've been wishing would spontaneously manifest after I bought the shoes...

[Tamahome]

Graphic novel Locke & Key 4 by Stephen King, Jr. is out yay.

[Dobie]

Just finished reading Ghost Story - what a great book! I was looking forward to two books this month - "A Dance with Dragons" and "Ghost Story". Dance left me feeling disappointed. Ghost didn't.

[Ewan]

Keith wrote: "Finally getting stuck into the Golden Compass series and am starting with Northern Lights. Really enjoying it so far."

I know i'm being pedantic but it's the "His Dark Materials" trilogy ;)
I hated the movie so the whole "golden compass" thing gets to me.

On the plus side of my pedantic-ness, How much cooler does His Dark Materials sound? huh?

[Kevin]

Dobie wrote: "Just finished reading Ghost Story - what a great book! I was looking forward to two books this month - "A Dance with Dragons" and "Ghost Story". Dance left me feeling disappointed...."

I think everyone who is a fan of fantasy felt the same way, me included.

[Ewan]

Sean wrote: "Ewan wrote: I know i'm being pedantic but it's the "His Dark M..."

It was released in England as 'Northern Lights', I believe. :)"

Yeah, thats the name of Book one of the "His Dark Materials" trilogy.

I know, 'cause i lived in England at the time.

The books are great BTW, changed my view on modern fantasy.

[Ewan]

The Subtle Knife as an entire book and the end of The Amber spyglass pushed me to my Man Limits.

On the bench with Lyra and Will. I usually don't get that involved with the characters but at that point iwas tearing up.

[Been]

Finally finished A Dance with Dragons. Left me dissatisfied with long-running series, so I'm going to read more stand-alone for a while. I picked up How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe during the Kindle sales last week, so I'm reading that first.

[Ewan]

Im currently burning my way through Adrian Tchaikovsky's Shadows of the Apt series. There's already 6 books and he seems to churn another one out every 6 months, which is amazing considering the truly brilliant quality of the writing.

Its a very interesting take on the classic tropes of fantasy with an engaging mythology that draws you in without making you feel like you should read a text book on it before you start reading. Great characters as well and basically non-stop action.

The author also puts up tons of extra short stories, pictures and extra information about the setting and the characters up on his website @ http://www.shadowsoftheapt.com as well.

I highly recommend these books to all.

[Keith]

Worked my way through Altered Carbon, The Quiet War, and Rudy Rucker's Wetware before spending the bulk of the month of A Dance with Dragons. With that done, I started John Shirley's Black Glass today.

[Denis]

Myf wrote: "Im currently burning my way through Adrian Tchaikovsky's Shadows of the Apt series. There's already 6 books and he seems to churn another one out every 6 months, which is amazing considering the tr..."


I'm almost done with the first in Shadows of the Apt (Empire in Black and Gold), and I like it, but I have a feeling, that all the main characters are "protected" (that nothing REALLY bad can happen to them). They seem to be in a lot of dangerous situations, but all the time they just make it out of the situation, either by rescue or by their superior skills. It all seems a tad too easy IMHO.
My question is: Will and can anything "bad" happen to the main characters in the series, or are they all protected? :)
Please don't spoil to much, a simple "yes bad things can definitely happen to anyone" or "bad things happen, but not too bad to the main characters" will be enough :)