What are you reading in March 2012?

[Candiss]

Let us know what you're reading this month!

[Candiss]

I am still working on 1Q84. I'm really enjoying it, but it certainly is lengthy. I want to be done by the end of the weekend, but I've got a good portion to go.

I am also still working on selections from Her Smoke Rose Up Forever and probably will be all month and maybe even into next month, as well.

Additionally this month, I'll be reading:
*

*I know there are other Valente fans in this group. This one is a novella and is up for a Nebula this year. I found it online (free) at Clarkesworld.

[Christine]

I just started on Control Point which I am quite enjoying; I read about it from someone here

[Stuart]

I am reading Anil's Ghost by Michael Ondaatje

[Mike (the Paladin)]

Just started The Girl Who Played with Fire. have a couple of techno-thrillers/action books out of the library.

[Stuart]

I am now reading Scary Mary by S.A. Hunter

[Jenny]

I'm still working on 1Q84 too. I'm thinking I may finish it over spring break next week.

I've started this month off with The War of the Worlds and Warbreaker. Despite War of The Worlds being short it's slow going because I'm not a big fan of Wells, H. G.'s writing style. Warbreaker is exactly what I'm in the mood for.

[Mike (the Paladin)]

I liked Warbreaker. It's one I wished Sanderson would follow up.

[Dawn]

I think he plans on it, at some point.

[Janny]

Finished Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell; still working at Lies of Locke Lamora, and started The Book Thief for a local (live) book club.

I have read Old Man's War, way but too long ago to join the discussion here, though I am following the entries in that thread.

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

Reading Echoes of Honor and not sure if it's grabbing me the way some of the other books did. I'll have to see what others think when the discussion starts next week. I should have it done by then. Not sure what will be next...

[Deedee]

I am reading Dune .... actually re-reading since I read it in the 1970s. Still excellent!

[Kevin]

Finished Gil's All Fright Dinerand The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making. The first one was really good, just what I wanted to read, while the second book was not exactly my type. Now on to Daughter of Smoke and Bone, which could be better, then straight to Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.

[Bill]

In addition to reading accumulating Star Wars novels, I have decided to read Samuel R. Delany's novels in toto and in publication order. To that end I started his 1st novel The Jewels of Aptor written when he was only 19. What a wordsmith at such a young age—a prodigy for sure!

[Mike (the Paladin)]

Finished John Dies at the End, about a quarter of the way through The Rook and just started on The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest and A Gentleman's Game: A Queen & Country Novel. They're all library books except for The Rook. Have to finish them.

[Nick]

I couldn't find The Scar at a local library or bookstore, so I read Embassytown which puts me ahead for May, but behind for this month. Such is The Way.

[Shel, Moderator]

Still working on Stormed Fortress. A bit less than halfway through - I'm almost done with chapter VI so I can go comment on the old discussion thread. It's driving me crazy that I have so little time to read these days - the term ends on Friday so I'm swamped in grading and report cards - but my students are starting in on a round of standardized testing on Friday and I'll be proctoring, so I'll have some good solid time to get stuff done and open up my evenings, I hope!

[Ric]

Here's my list:
Perdido Street Station
The Ghost Brigades
Mistborn: The Final Empire
Blue Remembered Earth
The Children of the Sky
Crossing the Threshold of Hope

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

OK, I finished Echoes of Honor and now I'm delving into Irish mythology/legends with A Storm Upon Ulster.

[Christine]

I'm 2/3 of the way through Fledgling (Theo Waitley, #1). I'd read about the Liadren universe and figured this was a good place to start. I'm enjoying the book and have a reserve in on the next one

[Janny]

Christine wrote: "I'm 2/3 of the way through Fledgling (Theo Waitley, #1). I'd read about the Liadren universe and figured this was a good place to start. I'm enjoying the book and have a reserve in o..."

The Liaden series is tons of fun - you may want to consider reading them in publication order, though, to avoid spoiling significant parts of the story...these books are among my favorite light reads.

[Christine]

Janny wrote: "Christine wrote: "I'm 2/3 of the way through Fledgling (Theo Waitley, #1). I'd read about the Liadren universe and figured this was a good place to start. I'm enjoying the book and h..."

Thanks for the input Janny; I really didn't know where to start

[Janny]

Christine wrote: "Janny wrote: "Christine wrote: "I'm 2/3 of the way through Fledgling (Theo Waitley, #1). I'd read about the Liadren universe and figured this was a good place to start. I'm enjoying ..."

Good starting point would be Agent of Change or Conflict of Honors.

[Ken]

Well finished The Scar and it was a disappointment from beginning to end

Started in on Through Stone and Sea

[Bill]

Kathi wrote: "OK, I finished Echoes of Honor and now I'm delving into Irish mythology/legends with A Storm Upon Ulster."

I have not read this one and would be interested in your review. For decent retellings of the myths and legends themselves it's hard to beat Morgan Llywelyn. For more poetic, less obvious novels based on Irish/Celtic mythology/history with some Teutonic conflation see Juliet Marillier's stupendous fantasies. I would also suggest reading the original Ulster Cycle—The Tain is a good translation.

[Mike (the Paladin)]

I read this years ago and have a positive recollection of it, but no real detail comes to mind. I'm thinking of running it down and rereading it.

I've read several retellings of the Ulster Cycle or Red Branch tales.

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

Kernos wrote: "I have not read this one and would be interested in your review. For decent retellings of the myths and legends themselves it's hard to beat Morgan Llywelyn."

My review is at http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
I've read Flint's series on Lugh Lamfada and Finn the Fair, as he refers to them. He's written several other books, some that are a modern/ancient combo, that I have on my shelf but haven't yet read.

My introduction to the stories of ancient Ireland was Morgan Llywelyn, with Red Branch being the first I read, and I was hooked. I've read all or nearly all of her books, although I have not finished her modern history of Ireland--still haven't read 1949 or 1972.

I have 3 books by Juliet Marillier on my shelf but have not read them. Thanks for the recommendation.

[Kevin]

Reading Malazan book seven and eight with only have read one and two.

[Amelia]

Kevin wrote: "Reading Malazan book seven and eight with only have read one and two."

Does this mean you've skipped books 3-6? You're going to miss out on a lot of the story build-up. Good luck getting through those without the in-between story.

[Kevin]

Amelia wrote: "Kevin wrote: "Reading Malazan book seven and eight with only have read one and two."

Does this mean you've skipped books 3-6? You're going to miss out on a lot of the story build-up. Good luck g..."

Well I am going back. Right now I can't find a copy of the books, especially with Todd Lockwood's cover. His cover is the reason I even started reading the series. Only ones that I found were book seven and eight that way. After I'm done with them I'm going to buy book nine since its on sale at Amazon in hardcover along with book ten coming out in mass paperback in a month or so.

[Ken]

paperback of book 10 is out now....at least in Canada, picked it up last week. Now I am trying to decide if I should start reading them now.
I have to finish the trilogy I am reading now and then I will decide

[Amelia]

Kevin wrote: "Amelia wrote: "Kevin wrote: "Reading Malazan book seven and eight with only have read one and two."

Does this mean you've skipped books 3-6? You're going to miss out on a lot of the story build..."

Well, if it's possible I'd still wait for those middle books. There is so much going on in those middle stories. It probably works without reading the in-between stuff. I don't know, I didn't read them out of order. I don't know if it would make the same impact reading them that way. Plus there are spoilers in the later books for the earlier ones.

Good luck whichever way you choose.

[Jenny]

I finished Nightlife and while it wasn't great it was still good. Now I'm listening to Skinny Dip on audio and I'm reading Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency in paperback. I'm enjoying them both.

[Jim]

Kernos wrote: "In addition to reading accumulating Star Wars novels, I have decided to read Samuel R. Delany's novels in toto and in publication order. To that end I started his 1st novel The Jewels of Aptor written when he was only 19. What a wordsmith at such a young age—a prodigy for sure!"

A worthy project. Let me know when you get to Dhalgren! :)

I just finished Orbus by Neal Asher. A nicely gritty space opera and the third in a trilogy. Now re-reading Zelazny's Jack of Shadows in anticipation of a later discussion here. Hard to believe it's been about 40 years since I first read it.

[Bill]

Jim, I really look forward to re-reading Dhalgren, thought I will have to wait and see if I read it for content or critically this time.

[Jim]

I'll be interested in what you think of The Einstein Intersection by Samuel R. Delany. We're supposed to read in here next month. I've been re-read it 6 or 8 times in the past 40 years or so. I get more/different things out of it each time. Oddly, it's one of the only books of his I ever liked & I love it, one of my favorite books of all time.

[Bill]

Jim wrote: "I'll be interested in what you think of The Einstein Intersection by Samuel R. Delany. We're supposed to read in here next month. I've been re-read it 6 or 8 times in..."

I have read it once only and have been contemplating a review, but decided to re-read for the discussion. I am looking forward to it.

[Sandra]

I just finished The Book Thief and it's one of those books that needs some space to honor it. Not fantasy or scifi I know, but totally breathtaking.

[Shel, Moderator]

Sandra aka Sleo wrote: "I just finished The Book Thief and it's one of those books that needs some space to honor it. Not fantasy or scifi I know, but totally breathtaking."

Yep. I was totally blown away by it.

I'm still picking up Stormed Fortress to snatch some reading time whenever I get a free minute, but free minutes have been few and far between lately between a sick kid and term 2 grades due next week...it's tempting to take a sick day and just sit and read all day. Just finished Chapter set XI and OMG!

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

I finished Algorithm and I should have followed by husband's advice and tossed it halfway through. I think there was a good story at the core but it got totally lost in the author's desire to write densely convoluted prose. One star, don't bother.

Next up is either the second collection of Honorverse stories or .... who knows what? I could reread The Lions of Al-Rassan for the group read but I probably won't. You know, too many books, too little time.

[Michele]

Mike@17, my daughter is 16 and just started John Dies at the End on the recommendations of friends. Did you like it? She keeps telling me about it, but of course it is making no sense to me since I've not read it and really know nothing about it. I am readingA Game of Thrones for what feels like forever now. Going really slowly.

[Janny]

I've started The Diamond Age, and I do plan to re-read The Lions of Al-Rassan because I loved the book so much, I picked it for our local book club to try, nicely synchronized with the group read.

[Sachin]

Finished the Bonehunters, Book#6 in the staggering Malazan series - now want some lighter fast reads - started "The Long Tail" by Chris Anderson in a bid to improve my non-fiction score - and Down Under by Bill Bryson. enjoying both so far!!

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

I found another old SF book on my shelves, Assassins from Tomorrow. Dated, of course, but an intriguing and fast-moving story.

[Mike (the Paladin)]

Title sounds intriguing. I tracked it down used. What's it about? (You know other than Assassins from Tomorrow.)

[Jim]

Kathi wrote: "I found another old SF book on my shelves, Assassins from Tomorrow. Dated, of course, but an intriguing and fast-moving story."

I vaguely recall that & the cover looks familiar, but it's been a LONG time, like back when I was a teen, maybe. Did it have 2 brothers & one was a telepath or something?

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

3 main characters, all brilliant, and one is from the future. It's sort of about investigating the Kennedy assassination and how one of the characters is pursued/led to the story's climax.
SPOILER (view spoiler)[ The "bad guys" are from the future as well, just not as far in the future as one of the 3 main characters. Their earth is dying, as are the people, and so they are "invading" the present (well, the 1960's), fomenting and taking advantage of the conflicts and world tensions that will prepare present-day humans for conquest from their time. (hide spoiler)]

[Jim]

Thanks, Kathi. Not the one I was thinking of. It seems I no longer have my copy, either. I guess it got culled in one of the moves.