What Else Are You Reading - January 2012 Edition

[Marisa]

Just finished Daughter of Smoke and Bone. This book had me engaged from page one. Great fantasy story -- what an imagination.

Moving on to The Wise Man's Fear and The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making.

[Phil On The Hill]

I am reading Elantris and New Cthulhu: The Recent Weird and A Short History of Fantasy

[Philip]

Recently finished Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Seabiscuit: An American Legend author Laura Hillenbrand. An amazing piece of narrative non-fiction.

Doing a re-read of the audiobooks The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and The Lord of the Rings.

[Cap'n Jack]

Since John Carter will be coming out, I listened to A Princess of Mars. I really liked it! It seemed to age well and was pretty interesting. I have no idea how Disney is going to handle all the fighting and death in the book.

Moving on to Enders Game now. I've never read it and am very excited to finally get to it.

[Robert]

I'm reading the Android's Dream, and the Wind Up Girl, just finished a Feast for Crows.

[Thomas]

I just picked up A Game of Thrones, the first book. Yes, yes I know I'm 10 years behind everyone else.

[Philip]

Cap'n Jack wrote: "Since John Carter will be coming out, I listened to A Princess of Mars. I really liked it! It seemed to age well and was pretty interesting...."

I listened to that a while back, I also liked it. It was cool how it was of it's time and also holds up really well. Guess that's why they call them classics.

[Jonathan]

Tom wrote: "I am trying to read some more classics. Just finished Gulliver's Travels. Starting Lord of the Flies next. Anyone have suggestions?"

I recommend Frankenstein, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dracula and The Great Gatsby for starters. Also you must try the classic sci-fi of H.G.Wells, Jules Verne and Isaac Asimov. If you want classic short stories try Edgar Allan Poe and Anton Chekhov. Beyond that I'd recommend classic plays also such as Shakespeare, Arthur Miller and Anton Chekhov again.

[Aeryn98]

I am currently enjoying Terminal Café by Ian McDonald and listening to The Quantum Thief with Valentine's Rising by E.E. Knight in the wings.

However, I am also trying to brush off my very rusty excel skills with Microsoft Excel 2010 Step by Step. I keep waiting for vampires to appear. sigh (staring longingly back at the Mcdonald book)

[Kate]

I finally gave in a got an audible membership.

The selection at audible.co.uk is quite frankly muck compared to that at audible.com (and this is even more frustrating because it's not about region rights, I can buy audiobooks from iTunes' Irish shop, which are produced by audible that aren't available at the .co.uk site, madness) but there's enough to keep me occupied for maybe a year before they'll either have to get thier act together or I'll just cancel by subscription.
/rant

Anyway I got Swordspoint, which is part of the Neil Gaiman Presents range, and it is very good so far.

[Kevin]

Aeryn98 wrote: "I am currently enjoying Terminal Café by Ian McDonald and listening to The Quantum Thief with Valentine's Rising by E.E. Knight in the wings.

However, I ..."

How is The Quantum Thief? I been wanting to read that for a while.

[Aeryn98]

I'm only a couple of hours into it and I am enjoying it enough that I don't want to stop listening. I really like the story and characters so far. I'd recommend it.

[Kevin]

Aeryn98 wrote: "I'm only a couple of hours into it and I am enjoying it enough that I don't want to stop listening. I really like the story and characters so far. I'd recommend it."

Thanks, hopefully I will read it before the month is out.

[Tamahome]

I was reading McDevitt's Firebird a little bit. It's like sitting in an old comfortable chair.

[Gordon]

Paper book:
None presently, though I have several I have to try to get to.
eBooks:
Ome by Justin Jackson, though the entry is messed up here and seems to have him confused with another author of the same name.
United Moon Colonies by our own Tom Merritt.
The Chronological Man: The Martian Emperor by Andrew Mayne.
Boneshaker by Cherie Priest.
Audiobook:
1Q84. I expect to finish this sometime around 2Q14.

[Jess]

Over the holidays I read Neverwhere (Gaiman)and listened to Alloy of Law (Sanderson). I loved both of these, especially the way narrator read all Wayne's "stolen" accents.

I'm in the UK and we're all in love with "Sherlock" at the moment, hence my current choice of the complete collection of Sherlock Holmes stories. It was a bargain too at 77p on kindle. I might not read them all at once though.

[Bree]

Ohhh, good call on The Night Circus. It's my favorite book of 2011 and then some. Actually working on a tattoo based on some of the imagery. :)

[Philip]

Tom wrote: "I am trying to read some more classics. Just finished Gulliver's Travels. Starting Lord of the Flies next. Anyone have suggestions?"

2012 marks the 200th anniversary of Charles Dickens' birth. My favorite of his works is David Copperfield. I plan to re-read it and also check out Oliver Twist to commemorate this year.

[Ewan]

Bree wrote: "Normal book: The Briar King
Audiobook: The Name of the Wind, The Iron Dragon's Daughter
E-book: Soulless

I MUST CONSUME BOOKS IN ALL FORMS AT..."

Oh good god, I love the Iron Dragon's Daughter. Easily one of my favourite books. I must have read it tens of times. Let me know how the ausio version is and i might take a crack at that.

[Noomninam]

Michael wrote: "Currently trying to finish up How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe by Charles Yu. It's a quite depressing book actually, about a son trying to find his..."

I put this one down for some reason at about the 2/3 mark. But, happily, picked it up months later, remembered everything up to that point, and raced on to the end, enjoying and appreciating much more than if I'd forced myself on the first time...

[Joseph]

Moving on to A Storm of Swords: Steel and Snow after finishing A Clash of Kings on Christmas Eve. :)

Aim is to get to A Feast for Crows by the end of 2012...we'll see how that goes. :D

[Linguana]

I'm finishing Hyperion and The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making (both about 70% done) and I'm still in the middle of my Potter reread (Goblet of Fire at the moment). Other than that, I'm reading Chopper which is the total opposite of all of the above. :)

And a couple of days ago I got bullied into starting Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children which, so far, isn't half as awesome as everybody says but I'll wait to see if it gets any better...

[John (john)]

Just finished The Ghost Brigades and started on Empire State.

[Kevin]

Just started A Fire Upon the Deep and Armor.

[Kate]

I've just finished Empire State, I think I have a copy of Halting State under my desk in work so I'll probably root that out tomorrow.

[Morgan]

The Unincorporated Woman; I love this series and I am pissed I missed it when it came out last year.

[Brad]

I am going to take a crack at my firend's book A Greater Monster, and if I get to it I will start A History of the Russian Revolution

[Philip]

I started Oliver Twist yesterday & I'm blown away at just how much Neal Stephenson's The Diamond Age: Or, a Young Lady's Illustrated Primer is an homage to this book. I'm convinced that to fully appreciate The Diamond Age you need to read Oliver Twist first.

[Colin]

as of today I am most of the way through The Dark Elf Trilogy Collector's Edition, and listening to Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers on audiobook, loking st start rule 34 when I wrap up stiff.

[Icelord]

Back in December I started playing Star Wars: The Old Republic based on the launch of the new podcast by Scott and Dills. Since I've never much got into the lore of that universe aside from the films, I decided to start reading The Old Republic novels, starting with Fatal Alliance.

[Jenny]

I'm reading Room and I'll be starting Definitely Dead today.

[Tamahome]

I'm blowing through McDevitt's Firebird. The alternate dimenson stuff is good, but there's also this 'AI rights' plot.

[[deleted user]]

Started in on Southern Gods last night. Haven't had much time to get into it yet, but it seems interesting.

[Michael]

Noomninam wrote: "Michael wrote: "Currently trying to finish up How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe by Charles Yu. It's a quite depressing book actually, about a son tr..."
I really have to hand it Charles Yu for not chickening out at the end there. There were a lot of ways that the ending could have happened. And while some people may not have enjoyed it I think it took a lot of integrity to take the hard way.

[Levi]

Since I last posted I finished The Magician Kingby Lev Grossman and since I'd already read Rule 34, I went with the unofficial side pick Empire State.

Magician King was excellent -- as good if not better than it's predecessor. Empire State went a little too heavy on the steam-punk and the double-triple-quadruple crosses for me, but it was pretty decent overall.

[Martin]

Brad wrote: "I just finished listening to Hounded (book 1 of the Iron Druid chronicles) by Kevin Hearne, a very fun urban fantasy that will be a good replacement for the Dresden ..."

We have the same tastes. I'm breaking in my Kindle Fire with Hexed, Kevin Hearne's second druid book. Fun stuff.

Read all the others you mentioned!

[Sinkline]

Currently listening to Beyond the Shadows by Brent weeks and am 75% of the way through A dance with Dragons... Wife finally finished after nursing it all summer.

[Tazzmann]

I just finished the audiobook of 11/22/63 earlier tonight. It doesn't qualify as either sword or laser, but I did enjoy it very much. If the subject matter strikes you as potentially interesting, I definitely recommend checking it out. If you aren't into horror, don't let the name of the author deter you, this is not a horror story, but suspenseful historical fiction. The audiobook is very well done, and I am glad I chose this one for the use of my first Audible credit.

Now that this one is done, I will return to Empire State on the Fire.

[Napoez3]

Yesturday I started The Lost Gate, I'm one fifth in, and I'm liking it. After this I think I'll go for 1Q84, but I'm open to other recommendations...

[Elwyn]

I'm currently reading First Contact, The Terran Chronicles, great book - I was a little worried reading the intro - but realised it was just setting the scene, and once into chapter 1 just loved it from there on. looking forward to seeing this develop into a series.

[Mike]

I just finished On Basilisk Station (my review) and am about to start on The Ringworld Engineers.

[Soo]

I am re-reading two series to refresh my memory: Sirantha Jax series by Ann Aguirre and Cassandra Palmer series by Karen Chance

I'm taking a small break from Flame Within and reading 1Q84 and The Complete Memoirs of Casanova.

By making recommendations to friends, I have a hankering to revisit Amber, Crystal Singer, Myles Vorkosigan and Elvenbane.

[Kevin]

Giving up on reading Armor and Fire Upon the Deep to go and read World Without End.

[TRP]

Just listened to Space Captain Smith on audiobook. It was a lot of fun. It could be worth doing as a book choice

[Brad]

On to Wolves of the Calla by Stephen King.

[Kevin]

Alex wrote: "Still working through Reaper's Gale - turns out Ericson marathons are taxing on the mind.

Though I found an old copy of Hugo winners at a used book sale the other day and finally rea..."

I love the story. You have to watch the Outer Limits episode based on the story. I found it randomly after school six years ago on the science fiction channel.

[kvon]

I picked up Skirmish by Michelle West. It's book four of the House War series, but it takes place immediately after book six of the Sun Sword series. Happily the author put a plot refresher online.

Also the latest Sarah Monette anthology. She reminds me of Lovecraft in some of her descriptions.

[Brew]

I started listening to Altered Carbon right before this month's book pick was announced. I am about 3/4 done and so far, it is great. I kept seeing this book on various best of lists and decided to finally read it. Glad I did. It is graphic, but I highly recommend it if you are not repelled by that sort of thing. A must for any fan of cyberpunk.

[Kate]

I snagged The Door to Lost Pages in CZPs Friday 13th give away yesterday. It's quite interesting so far.

[Mark]

I just started Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey. So far pretty good, 38 pages in. Also about a third of the way through Busted Flush, on of the George RR Martin Wild Cards books. Not as good but ok in small doses.