What Are You Reading in August 2011?

[Becca]

I am going through a slow reading month this month and am slowly trudging through A Feast for Crows. Not enjoying it as much as the third book which is my favourite so far but of course the reading of it is important to the story but I am looking forward to catching up with my favourite characters in a A Dance with Dragons!

[Kerry]

Chelsea wrote: "I felt like a light read, so I picked up Hounded. I know I'm in the minority...again... but I didn't like it all that much. It was just "eh." I've got a review posted up that expl..."

Chelsea, I felt pretty much the same way. It was one of those weird books where everything should have appealed, but it just didn't work for me.

[Shannon]

Just finished Fevre Dream. Now I'm picking up where I left off with The Desert Spear.

[Traci]

Joseph wrote: "Hélène wrote:"Tigana is GREAT!"

As is anything by Guy Gavriel Kay. I think he & Jacqueline Carey have some of the most beautifully-written books I've ever read."

I've been on a Kay marathon. Started with
The Summer Tree and then read The Wandering Fire and Ysabel. Now I'm also reading Tigana and liking it very much. His books have a way of making you feel as though you're reading about actual people in a history that could've happened. Reminds me strongly of Tolkien.

And now I'll add Carey to my ever growing tbr list.

[Boctevious]

Finally hitting Farseer by Robin Hobb, wow I feel so behind, with a side of Tigana as well. stoked!By the way, I always skipped Tad because of a silly post about it being slow. Even though I have no qualms about a slow read if its mighty good...would you recommend the Shadowmarch? To add to my list of books to devour this month?

[Joseph]

Boctevious wrote: "By the way, I always skipped Tad because of a silly post about it being slow. Even though I have no qualms about a slow read if its mighty good...would you recommend the Shadowmarch?"

I don't know if I'd say "slow" so much as "leisurely" or "deliberate". Me, I'm enjoying it. One word of caution, though: Shadowmarch is absolutely not a standalone book any more than is The Fellowship of the Ring.

[Traci]

Boctevious wrote: "Finally hitting Farseer by Robin Hobb, wow I feel so behind, with a side of Tigana as well. stoked!By the way, I always skipped Tad because of a silly post about it being slow. Even though I have n..."

You might find Farseer slow at first, I did and almost stopped. But it does pick up, or else it grew on me. The third book and The Tawny Man trilogy were my favorites.

[Chelsea]

Listening to The Curse of Chalion. I am really liking it!

[Trevor]

I finished Tigana last night and I thought it was a really great read.

I'm going back to Malazan now with Dust of Dreams.

[Traci]

Trevor wrote: "I finished Tigana last night and I thought it was a really great read.

I'm going back to Malazan now with Dust of Dreams."

I'll be finishing Tigana tonight. I love it!!!

[Michele]

I'm reading American Gods. The first part oddly seems to take place quite near where I live...which I just didn't expect.

[Chelsea]

Trevor wrote: "I finished Tigana last night and I thought it was a really great read.

I'm going back to Malazan now with Dust of Dreams."

Found out yesterday that GGK was Christopher Tolkien's assistant while he was working on JRRT's unfinished notes, and this made me doubly excited to read something by him. Picked up A Song for Arbonne at my local bookstore!

[Joseph]

Chelsea wrote: "Picked up A Song for Arbonne at my local bookstore!..."

Excellent choice! Much as I enjoyed the Fionavar Tapestry, I prefer the standalone novels -- it almost felt like Fionavar was him getting the Tolkien out of his system so that he could move on to other things.

(Still, if you're going to read a post-Tolkien LotR-influenced trilogy, you could do much worse than Fionavar.)

[Chelsea]

Joseph wrote: "Chelsea wrote: "Picked up A Song for Arbonne at my local bookstore!..."

Excellent choice! Much as I enjoyed the Fionavar Tapestry, I prefer the standalone novels -- it almost felt like Fionavar w..."

I saw those, but I was more interested in Song of Arbonne, but they are definitely on my radar!

[Nita]

Just started Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence. It seems our protagonist is a 13 year old prince who leads a group of men murdering, thieving, and(I hate to say it) raping. Interested to see how he got to this point.

[Arie]

Just started to read again... Been busy.. Its hard for me to find free time to read but i manage to finished Zima Blue... Now i'm reading Anansi Boys.. Ughh.. too many great books that I haven't read yet...
P/S: any books recommendation would be nice =)

[Melanie]

Nita wrote: "Just started Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence. It seems our protagonist is a 13 year old prince who leads a group of men murdering, thieving, and(I hate to say it) raping. Intereste..."

I really want to read this book but...he's 13?! That's crazy! Not sure if that's put me off or made it more intriguing...

[Jan]

I'm reading "The Bone Doll's Twin" by Lynn Flewelling on another group and am still trying to get through "Seduced by the Wolf" by Terry Spears. I'm just not into Werewolfs or Vampires that much. May just give to daughter or grandkids to read, sounds more like their type. I do like Flewelling's books though.

[Hélène]

Nita wrote: "Just started Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence. It seems our protagonist is a 13 year old prince who leads a group of men murdering, thieving, and(I hate to say it) raping. Intereste..."
He doesn't sound as a child of thirteen - at least, as one would like a child to be! But he has an extraordinary and compelling "presence" and age becomes irrelevant.

[Dahlia]

Just finished reading The City and The City by China Miéville and I can't wait to read more of his books. Can't decide which one to read first...

[Benjamin]

Just finished the third and final book in Stephen R. Lawhead's King Raven(Robin Hoodish) trilogy, Tuck. I enjoyed this unusual telling of the story as it's not at all Sherwood, Prince John, etc. but rather using a Welsh setting and characters.

[Bill]

Benjamin wrote: "Just finished the third and final book in Stephen R. Lawhead's King Raven(Robin Hoodish) trilogy, Tuck. I enjoyed this unusual telling of the story as it's not at all Sherwood, Prin..."

I love this trilogy, one of Lawhead's best, I think.

[R.L.]

I am currently reading The Kinshield Legacy by K.C. May. Love the writing style.The Kinshield Legacy

[Pickle]

Just starting Ubik and will probably read Stone of Farewell after.

[Ashley]

I finished The Stand this month and also started A Clash of Kings this weekend. So good so far.

[Elizabeth]

I am reading Dawnthief by James Barclay. Old school fantasy with swords and elves and everything! Great!

[Kevin]

Just finishing up American Gods, then on to The Chronicles of the Black Company.

[Shannon]

@ Elizabeth and Kevin

I have Dawnthief and The Chronicles of the Black Company sitting on my shelf...they've been there for a while and just having made it to my next in line list yet. Let me know how they go for you.

[Traci]

Shannon wrote: "@ Elizabeth and Kevin

I have Dawnthief and The Chronicles of the Black Company sitting on my shelf...they've been there for a while and just having made it to my next in line list yet. Let me kn..."

Not Elizabeth or Kevin, lol. But I've read the first Black Company book. I was very confused for the first few chapters but mostly I liked it. Have you read the Malazan books? Reminded me a little of that, but Malazan was better IMO.

[Kevin]

Traci wrote: "Shannon wrote: "@ Elizabeth and Kevin

I have Dawnthief and The Chronicles of the Black Company sitting on my shelf...they've been there for a while and just having made it to my next in line lis..."

I think why The Black Company and the Malazan books were so similar was that The Black Company was a great influence on Erikson when he started the Malazan books.

[Shannon]

I hadn't realized the influence on Erikson there but now that you've made that the link for me it makes perfect sense. Interesting.

[Shannon]

Traci wrote: "Shannon wrote: "@ Elizabeth and Kevin

I have Dawnthief and The Chronicles of the Black Company sitting on my shelf...they've been there for a while and just having made it to my next in line lis..."

I loved the Malazan books, Traci. I haven't read any of the other novels outside of the series but I was thinking of giving them a try.

[Elise]

Finished Frankenstein by Mary Shelley the other day. It was pretty depressing. Now I've started Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan. I expect this one might be depressing too. It's pretty weird so far.

[Jenny]

I'm still making my way through The Three Musketeers. I think I'll be reading that one for a while. Yesterday I started Leviathan Wakes and Something Wicked This Way Comes.

[Elizabeth]

Shannon wrote: "Traci wrote: "Shannon wrote: "@ Elizabeth and Kevin

I have Dawnthief and The Chronicles of the Black Company sitting on my shelf...they've been there for a while and just having made it to my ne..."

I've read the Malazan books and they are among my favourites. Enjoying Dawntheif so far. Never heard of the Chronicles of the Black Company. Who is this by? Would you reccomend it?

[James]

I'm finishing up the Codex Alera series with First Lord's Fury and I've started The Briar King.

[Traci]

@ Elizabeth, they are a series by Glen Cook. I only read the first one but I liked it. It's a little confusing and not as deep as the Malazan books. I would say they were probably influenced by the Vietnam war. The characters are a group of mercenary types who aren't exactly the "good guys", although they were never really that bad to me. I do recommend fans of the Malazan books to atleast try the first one.

[Shannon]

I've been meaning to start The Black Company for ages but just haven't got to it yet.

[Joseph]

Shannon wrote: "I've been meaning to start The Black Company for ages but just haven't got to it yet."

Chronicles of The Black Company Tor now has the entire series out in four omnibi -- this is the volume with the original trilogy, which I really enjoyed. The follow-up books were a bit more problematic -- he published the first two books in a second trilogy (plus a side novel), then there was a many-year gap and the final "volume" of the trilogy ended up being split into four separate books which unfortunately I don't find as good as the previous volumes -- I think his reach may have exceeded his grasp to some degree. Still I highly recommend the initial trilogy and if you enjoy that, you could do much worse than the rest of the series. (I just wish they were all available in ebook form -- last time I checked, the only ebook was the first installment of the final volume of the second "trilogy".)

[Joseph]

Oh, and as for myself I'm now about half way through Shadowplay -- I'm really enjoying it but I'd forgotten just how much effort it can take to get through a series of four 800-page books.

[Chelsea]

I am now reading the Lies of Locke Lamora. This is very clearly based on the author's D&D character.