What Else Are You Reading - November 2011 Edition

[Tamahome]

I'm reading The Best of the Best edited by Gardner Dozois. No, it's not about Tae Kwon Do.

[Kate]

Already bored with Elantris, I've picked up The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack to distract myself.

[terpkristin]

Kate wrote: "Already bored with Elantris, I've picked up The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack to distract myself."

Wow, I wondered if it was just me. Elantris pales in comparison to the Mistborn books and Sanderson's work on the Wheel of Time series.

[Nick]

terpkristin wrote: "Kate wrote: "Already bored with Elantris, I've picked up The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack to distract myself."

Wow, I wondered if it was just me. Elantris pales..."

Elantris is his debut novel. I can only imagine he's gotten better but I'm enjoying the book so far.

[Derek]

Kate wrote: "Already bored with Elantris, I've picked up The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack to distract myself."

one of the reasons i enjoyed to graphicaudio version. the music and sound fx helped keep me interested.

[Andrew]

Snokat wrote: "Kate wrote: "Already bored with Elantris, I've picked up The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack to distract myself."

one of the reasons i enjoyed to graphicaudio version. the musi..."

I tried the Graphic Audio preview, but I'm just not sure it is for me. I generally like dramatisations, but it just felt a little overworked for my liking. The background music and effects needed to be scaled back somewhat as they were distracting from the main dialogue.

I'll have to wait a bit before I can get the audible version as I've used all my credits this month. Curious if anyone else is listening to the Audible version and what they think?

[Joe]

I finished Damned a few days ago and was pretty disappointed with it. I just started After the Apocalypse: Stories. I've only read the first story and I liked it a lot. The Cleveland setting was fun, since that is where I am from. I'm excited and hopeful for the rest of it.

[Michael]

I'm reading Neil Gaiman's American Gods

[terpkristin]

Andrew wrote: "Curious if anyone else is listening to the Audible version and what they think?"

I listened to a sample of it, because I contemplated doing it in audio, and the narrator's voice didn't work for me. That said, it seems to be love it or hate it. There is actually a thread here discussing that topic...

[Michael]

terpkristin wrote: "Andrew wrote: "Curious if anyone else is listening to the Audible version and what they think?"

I listened to a sample of it, because I contemplated doing it in audio, and the narrator's voice did..."

There is no doubt that a good narrator is going to make or break an audio version. I know audio versions of my books are going to be produced and I'm both excited and frightened by who will be doing them.

[Jonathan Cate]

Just started Deadhouse Gates Book 2 of the Malazan Book of the Fallen series by Steven Erikson.

[Michael]

Just picked up n00b Warriors yesterday... Disturbing to say the least. Full review coming soon!

[Jim]

Finished the Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson. It was really fun. No other way to describe it. The way the characters interact with one another in this story make it a real gem. I'm now stepping up to Elantris.

Cheers, Jim

[terpkristin]

I'm finishing Elantris tonight. I'm rather disappointed by it, having previously read the Mistborn books and Sanderson's work on the Wheel of Time series. Elantris pales in comparison to those books on SO many levels.

I had started 1Q84 from Audible, but am going to buy that for my Kindle (I'll be able to read it a LOT faster) and will jump back into my re-listen to the Inheritance Cycle books. I have already finished Eragon and Eldest, so I'll start Brisingr and then jump into the final tome in the series, Inheritance.

[Kate]

Everitt wrote: "But at best I read ten or twelve pages maybe a chapter, feel like he's padding the story, get frustrated and go on to something else for a while"

This is exactly what I've been doing. I have a long flight on Saturday, I think I'll bring it with me, plow through it and be done.

I picked up a used copy of , I'm a sucker for Subterranean press, they do the nicest covers.

[AndrewP]

I thought I got a real deal when I found the hardback of Mars Life for $1. About 50 pages in I realised this was book 3 of a trilogy:( Not to worry, EBay to the rescue and I found someone selling paperbacks of book 1 and book 2 as a bundle. No other bids, so I got them for 45 cents! Yay.. another bargain. $3 for postage but I can live with that.

Just started on the first one: Mars and this trilogy should keep me busy until Christmas. Also listening to Under Enemy Colors during my commute.

[Andrew]

terpkristin wrote: "Andrew wrote: "Curious if anyone else is listening to the Audible version and what they think?"

I listened to a sample of it, because I contemplated doing it in audio, and the narrator's voice did..."

Cheers. I'll check out the other thread. Maybe I'd be better reading. Sorry to hear it didn't impress you. It wasn't my pick for this read :)

[Adam]

I picked up a copy of Metro 2033 (English translation) and am about half way through it. For my audible listen, I just started listening to the Green Mile.

[Andrew]

Adam wrote: "I picked up a copy of Metro 2033 (English translation) and am about half way through it. For my audible listen, I just started listening to the Green Mile."

How is Metro2033.. that's the Russian book the video-game is based on no?

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Finally finished the Brave New Worlds: Dystopian Stories anthology last night (you can read my long review of it here), as well as The Leftovers today. I'm 1/3 into 1Q84 but took a break because it was going by too quickly. I'm 25% done with Swan Song but also started a review copy of [b:The Kitchen as a Laboratory: Reflections on the Science of Food and Cooking|12459329|The Kitchen as a Laboratory Reflections on the Science of Food and Cooking|C

[terpkristin]

I keep going back and forth on if I want to read 1Q84 on my Kindle or if I want to listen to it in audio. I have both formats, and have so far done a little of both. With all the driving I'm doing this long weekend for the holiday, the audiobook is definitely helping me make progress through the book. I'm not that far in, only now at the start of chapter 7. That's almost 4 hours into the first part (of 6!) of the Audible files. I'm far enough in to see that some craziness is starting (Aomame has observed something funny with time, Tengo is wondering about the girl who wrote the book and if maybe what she wrote about is real....). I'm definitely enjoying it so far (much more so than Elantris!

In my "free" time when I'm not reading 1Q84, I've started reading Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America on my Kindle/Kindle for iPhone. I'm only reading that in short bursts, but it's definitely a book that's got promise...plus I have been playing a little bit of Super Mario 3D Land, which has put me in the mood. :)

[Larry]

It's not sci fi but I am listening to Shatner Rules with him narrating. It's pretty good.

[Chip-2mtl]

Having finished The Color of Magic and reassured myself that I'll be able to read Elantris fairly quickly, I'm working hard at scrubbing Oliver Twist off of my "can't believe I haven't read this" list. Elantris will be one of my rewards for finishing it.

The other reward will be my friend (and rising star comic writer) Tony Lee's new novel on the Kindle store: Dodge & Twist: A Sequel To Oliver Twist. I really like Tony's work, and am eager to start on it, but I suspect a bit of source material knowledge is important!

[Andrew]

terpkristin wrote: "In my "free" time when I'm not reading 1Q84, I've started reading Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America on my Kindle/Kindle for iPhone. I'm only reading that in short bursts, but it's definitely a book that's got promise...plus I have been playing a little bit of Super Mario 3D Land, which has put me in the mood. :)"

Nice, that's been on my mental to-read list since it came out. I think I'll add it to my goodreads to-read now. I'd love to play SM3D, but I got so little use out of my DS overall that I just can't warrant a 3DS, even at the more reasonable prices.

[Kevin]

I just started reading Cryptonomicion. I dropped from reading it the first time, but I like it so far this time around.

[Douglas]

Just finished 11/22/63. Loved it. I could totally see it as a movie. A large part of the story naturally takes place in the DFW area. I hate to nitpick about anachronisms but they distract me. At one point the characters are driving on highway 180 in 1963. Unfortunately that highway was renamed about a decade ago and was called highway 80 back in 1963. I appreciate the care King obviously took to get so much of the research right.

[Aeryn98]

I finished 1Q84. Started The Heroes, but put it down halfway. Couldn't get into it. So I put it aside when I saw Vonnegut's Mother Night on the kindle daily deal.

I am also listening to Split Infinity on audiobook. When I saw this on sale at Audible I grabbed it. I sort of remember reading it when I was younger and liking it. But it turned out to be one of those moments when you look at a picture of yourself back in the 80s ( flash dance hair and satin jacket) and cringe. What the heck was I thinking.
I guess I'll move on to Erik Larsen's Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History

I didn't have a very successful November book-wise

[Kate]

I got Old Man's War last night and read about a third of it over coffee this morning. It's hilarious, I can't believe I waited so long before giving Scalzi a go.

[Brandon]

@ Kate,
The second book in the Old Man man's war series is excellent as is Fuzzy Nation. I really like Scalzi's style.

[Joshua]

I finished and enjoyed Hollowland

Currently reading Half Share

and

re-reading The Tyranny of the Night as I get ready to read the third book in the series in a few weeks.

[Matthew]

I'm about half-way through The Desert of Souls by Howard Andrew Jones. I've enjoyed the Dabir and Asim short stories in Black Gate, so I had high hopes for this book. So far, they've been met.

[Brandon]

I am about half way through Theft of Swords I had heard rave reviews of the books when they were epublished only and so far its not living up to the hype.

It's not a bad book but its not amazing so far either. Maybe I expected to much from it but I am still enjoying it and will hopefully finish it in the next few days.

[kvon]

I read The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making which seems like one of those books you would love if you hit it at the right point in your life. Half deconstruction of Narnia/Oz adventures, half loving praise of imagination. But it didn't grab me.

Back to zombies. I'm finishing up World War Z.

Aeryn, I feel your pain about the 80s books. Once I really liked Piers Anthony too.

[[deleted user]]

@Joshua how are those 'Share' books? I've been meaning to give em a shot. Worthwhile?

I recently finished People of the Book. Good stuffs. Currently contemplating starting either World War Z or something else.

[Kate]

@Brandon, yep i'll definitely be having a peruse of Scalzi's back list.

In my quest to put off reading Elantris I'm now starting The Magicians, which has me very intrigued.

[Amy]

Considering it's NaNoWriMo, I did pretty well this month (my TV watching suffered instead):

Morning Glories, Volume 2
Zone One
The Alloy of Law
When the Sacred Ginmill Closes
War and Peace *Finally done!*
Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Volume 2
After the Apocalypse: Stories
God's War
Heart of Iron

And I'm currently about halfway through 1Q84, which I was reading as a secondary read since it was moving slowly, but now it's gotten more engaging. :D

The Lawrence Block book was for the Fuzzy Typewriter book club (Yes, I'm two-timing S&L), and while good, reminded me why mysteries aren't my thing.

Obviously the biggie is War and Peace, which was sitting at a solid 4 stars for me right up until the second epilogue, which succeeded in both dropping it a whole star and making me seriously angry at Tolstoy. That's quite the achievement.

[Jonathan Cate]

I finished Deadhouse Gates (Erikson) a few days ago and I'm currently reading Memories of Ice (Erikson). These books are getting stronger and stronger. I'm really starting to enjoy these immensely.

[Joshua]

I'm giving Shadow and Claw another run.