What Else Are You Reading? - May 2012

[Tom]

Justin wrote: "I as well just finished up The Hero of Ages. It was the tail ends of a lot of epic fantasy I'd been reading. Between that and this month's book being a big time sci-fi book, I went with a slightly ..."

I dig the Iron Druid series, although, to be fair, I have only read
Hounded and Hexed.

[Robert]

I just finished Dilbert And The Way Of The Weasel , started The Thirteen Hallows and am halfway through Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries

[Tom]

Fresno Bob wrote: "I finished The Gameslast night, which I found somewhat underwhelming, Scott Sigler's Ancestorcovers roughly the same territory better IMO. Trying to finish A History of the World in 100 Objectswhi..."

The 100 Objects podcast was a staple for me for a while. It was awesome to hear the items described, but also to go to the BBC website and see them. http://www.bbc.co.uk/ahistoryofthewor...

[Tom]

Kris wrote: "Started The Mongoliad: Book One and so far I really am enjoying it. After this it is back to the Malazan Empire for book 5 Midnight TidesMidnight Tides."
I subscribed to the Mongoliad website when it started and was really excited for the series (in serial form), but it just seemed to peter out, or maybe my interest petered out. Either way... Hopefully the book is better. I am thinking that I will have to give it a go.

[Fresno Bob]

Tom wrote: "Fresno Bob wrote: "I finished The Gameslast night, which I found somewhat underwhelming, Scott Sigler's Ancestorcovers roughly the same territory better IMO. Trying to finish A History of the Worl..."

My wife grabbed all the pdcasts, i guess i should listen to one to see if it just a reading of the chapters. I finished Bitter Seeds 10 minutes ago, really enjoyed it, basically a cross between Declare and The Laundry stuff from Stross. Really great stuff

[Tamahome]

Started Ian Douglas's 2nd Star Carrier book, Center of Gravity: Star Carrier: Book Two. I enjoyed book one. It has spaceships and stuff.

[Lite]

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman another great read, read on audible by the author

[Aloha]

Finished Book 2 of the Dark Tower series, The Drawing of the Three. Working on Book 3, The Waste Lands.

Working on a very difficult book that is an enigma, Only Revolutions It's even more difficult than his House of Leaves, and without a story I care about. But I love a challenge. I even purchased a used paperback to mark the heck out of it. The hardback is too beautiful and unique to deface.

Finished Process Recess: The Art Of James Jean, a beautiful art sketch book of James Jean.

[terpkristin]

I don't watch a lot of TV, but I've decided to spend the next week TV-free, in part to catch up on my reading. I'm continuing my re-read of Hyperion to go along with this group and plan to really dive into Imagine: How Creativity Works. On the chance I finish one or either, up next in the queue is Farseed, since I finished reading Earthseed not long ago and really enjoyed it.

Or I may finally read The Fall of Hyperion, which I have ever read, despite having read Hyperion before.

[Kevin]

I always spend my days TV free. I stream online if I want to watch anything, even though it might be illegal. It gives me more time to read or do other things.

[Kev]

Currently reading The Dark at the End by F. Paul Wilson. Good stuff!

[Coan]

Joseph wrote: "I finished House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds -- excellent! -- and decided to try one of Jack Vance's mystery novels, specifically The Dark Ocean."

House of Suns is a great novel. Really captured my imagination and just got better every chapter.

Currently I'm reading The Wise Man's Fear which I'll follow up with Chasm City or Beyond the Shadows depending on my mood. I also need to try out some Neal Asher books as a few people have recommended them to me.

[Ken]

Finishing The Wise Man's Fear today and then on to The Wind Through the Keyhole and Hyperion. After that, I'll probably start His Majesty's Dragon.

[Ryan]

I'm picking my way through A People's History of the United States: 1492 to Present and To Ride, Shoot Straight, and Speak the Truth. I'm about to start another genre book, probably The Rook.

[Rob]

Aloha wrote: "Thanks, Rik. I'm finished with Gunslinger and am working on the 2nd book in the series. I like this one better. It has more of the Stephen King doing fantasy feel, instead of him figuring out wh..."

I think you can go through Wasteland before reading the "non DT" books. Salem's Lot should be read before Wolves. There are also some short stories that have some connections with DT series.

[Aloha]

Thanks, Rob. What I'm going to do is read through the DT series through book 4.5, The Wind Through the Keyhole, this month's read. I can join in the discussion this way. Then I will start hitting the critical non-DT books before I finish up the series. Will there be spoilers for the rest of the series if I join in the discussion for Keyhole?

[Don]

Just finished The Dread on Audible and started Neuromancer as well as Hyperion.

[Kim]

I... don't know. I just finished the books I was reading and don't know what I feel like reading next. I have a ton of choices but nothing jumps out at me.

[Aloha]

Oops. I just realized this is the S&L discussion, not the Stephen King group. Never mind my question, Rob. LOL. I'm a member of too many groups.

Aloha wrote: "Thanks, Rob. What I'm going to do is read through the DT series through book 4.5, The Wind Through the Keyhole, this month's read. I can join in the discussion this way. Then I will start hittin..."

[[deleted user]]

Kim wrote: "I... don't know. I just finished the books I was reading and don't know what I feel like reading next. I have a ton of choices but nothing jumps out at me."

I hate when that happens. And it happens to me a lot.

I just flip a coin sometimes. Or go through threads like this or the nomination one and see if any books in there jump out at me.

[Samus5678]

I'm going to focus on the word bearers omnibus

[Kim]

I ended up picking up Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void as I felt like a break from fiction.

[Alfredo]

I am reading Examined Lives: From Socrates to Nietzsche, which I find very contemplative and relaxing.

[Dharmakirti]

I just started reading Catherynne Valente's The Habitation of the Blessed and it is AMAZING!

[Aloha]

Finished The Waste Lands. Love it! LOTR meets the Wizard of Oz meets The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly meets HAL meets Thomas the Train. It's an amusement park. I'm on to book 4, Wizard and Glass.

My used paperback came in for Only Revolutions to mark up. But it's in a like new condition. I wasn't going to mark it up although I purchased it for that purpose. Then it occurred to me that it's because somebody purchased it, and gave up on the book because it's too confusing. Since I have a beautiful pristine hardback, I'm going to mark up this paperback to show that it had been perused through thoroughly. I love Mark Z. Danielewski's unique puzzling books.

[Dharmakirti]

Aloha wrote: "My used paperback came in for Only Revolutions to mark up. But it's in a like new condition. I wasn't going to mark it up although I purchased it for that purpose. Then it occurred to me that it's because somebody purchased it, and gave up on the book because it's too confusing. Since I have a beautiful pristine hardback, I'm going to mark up this paperback to show that it had been perused through thoroughly. I love Mark Z. Danielewski's unique puzzling books."

Only Revolutions has been sitting on my bookshelf since it was published. I've picked it up and started it a few times, but just haven't been able to get very far in it.

[Aloha]

LOL! That's probably the case with this "used" paperback. It sat on somebody's shelf before they decided to sell it. It's not a book for light reading. It's made for people who love to solve puzzles.

[Aloha]

I still can't mark it up. I took out my set of highlighters, picked a pretty pink, opened the pristine book...I can't do it!!! So I took the white flags to write on as markers on the book. LOL!

[Ned]

I've been reading Mythologies of the Norsemen off and on when I have a few free minutes at work. As soon as I finish it, I think I'm going to start A Princess of Mars and then work my way through the Barsoom series.

[Esther]

I started Our Mutual Friend which I've wanted to read for a while. It is good but Dickens is never a quick read and being a generally monogamous reader I'm worried that if I take a break I will never return to it.

[Zerofever]

Fantasy - The Eye of the World
Sci-Fi - Hyperion
Mystery - The Sign of Four
False Memory
Social - The Portable Atheist: Essential Readings for the Nonbeliever

I really need to learn to finish one book before i start another. This will be a big reading weekend.

[kvon]

I got Beauty and the Werewolf by Lackey from the library. Once upon a time I really liked her writing. Too didactic these days though.

Embassytown on the other hand, I'm half way through, has odd ideas and settings, cool aliens, and so far very interesting.

[Been]

My Kindle seems to have flat-out stopped working while travelling to work this morning, and neither of the books I was reading were bought through the Kindle store so I couldn't recover them.

Not sure how to go about fixing that right now, but in the meantime I started reading Yesterday's Gone: Episode 1 through the Kindle app on my phone. So far, the story's pretty interesting, but it's feeling way too diluted with the sheer number of viewpoints. I'm halfway through it so far, and I think we've had maybe 5 different PoVs already. I'm sure it makes for a fun serialised read, but if each book is like this it's going to be way too clumsy for me to read through, trying to keep track of everything that everyone was doing in their short chapter before the next book.

[Tassie Dave, S&L Historian]

Been wrote: "I started reading Yesterday's Gone: Episode 1 through the Kindle app on my phone. So far, the story's pretty interesting, but it's feeling way too diluted with the sheer number of viewpoints. I'm halfway through it so far, and I think we've had maybe 5 different PoVs already. I'm sure it makes for a fun serialised read, but if each book is like this it's going to be way too clumsy for me to read through, trying to keep track of everything that everyone was doing in their short chapter before the next book."

This serialised story gets a lot better (I'm through Ep. 12). I agree that there are too many POV characters (Way more than 5 throughout the series). But a lot of characters come together, which makes their stories easier to keep track of.

I can't wait for Ep. 13 (June 19th) :-)

[[deleted user]]

Along with Hyperion i'm reading along with the audio version of American Gods by Neil Gaiman

and my ambitious TBR is as follows:
The City and the City
Satan Burger
Slaughterhouse-Five
and if I can but probably wont
Gardens of the Moon
I tried to read it last month and I got to Chapter Five and put it aside for a few other books. I don't want to lemm it because it's really good, i just need to find the right time of day to read it.

[Amanda]

Finished Trouble With Lichen the other day in one sitting. Whoops. Now I have to pick another book. I'm thinking about Big Planet

[Noel]

Reading The Time Mercenaries by Philip E High on kindle and have just finished City of Dragons by Robin Hobb. I'm also listening to The Road of Danger by David Drake.

[Ken]

The Fall of Hyperion and Towards Yesterday . The plan is to un-Lem The Once and Future King here in a couple of days before the June books roll around.

[Warren]

Anne wrote: "I've never read SLAN. This seems like a good time to download it to my Kindle."

Good choice. I read it about a year ago Now I need to read Slan Hunter. Right after I get through the other books in my cue, or the Mayan calendar runs out. Which ever comes first.

[Jules]

I'm reading Pratchett's Unseen Academicals. I don't really like Pratchetts, but I bought it was a gift for someone who turned out to already have the book. So since have it, I might as well read it ;)

[running_target]

Keith wrote: "About halfway through Excession, part of Iain M. Banks's Culture series."

I am about halfway through listening to Consider Phlebas and am not loving it. I've never read anything by Banks and there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with this book, but it just isn't grabbing me. Gonna finish it though.

Reading The Stress of Her Regard. Tim Powers? Oh hell yes! Very odd that I went straight from Hyperion to Stress, two unrelated books with solid Keats connections.

[Omar]

hey everyone
i just finished all the books in the dresden files and i cant wait for the next one.
in the mean time i am looking for something to read. you guys got suggestions?
some of my favorite series are.
wheel of time
codex alera
dresden files
king killers
iron druid chronicles
song of ice and fire

[Jukka]

Still reading The Magicians, after a few weeks pause. Hoping to finish it while others are labouring through Hyperion and Tigana. :P

[Scott]

I'm finishing up Guy Gavriel Kay's The Sarantine Mosaic. The second book Lord of Emperors is proving to be another one of his best.

Once that's done, I'll start Gods Without Men. Looking forward to it!

[Fresno Bob]

I finished Scott Sigler's "The Rookie" last night, starting "Noctural" tonight

[Keith]

running_target wrote: "Keith wrote: "About halfway through Excession, part of Iain M. Banks's Culture series."

I am about halfway through listening to Consider Phlebas and am not loving it. I've never read anything by B..."

Phlebas I liked, but I admit there's a lot of episodic adventurin' around that ends up having very little to do with the actual plot. I highly recommend the next in The Culture series,
The Player of Games. I loved that one. Use of Weapons was good, until the final page when it became really good. Amazing how a single sentence can do that.

Gotta say though, I did not like Excession very much. It was OK but sort of pointless, with I thought unengaging characters and a weak sort of "ehh, and then it was all over I guess" ending.

[Keith]

I've been putting it off because I ddin't want the series to end, but I finally started Timeless by Gail Carriger. I feel, if nothing else, these books have a positive impact on my personal grooming and dressing

[Chris]

I just got through re-reading Cloud Atlas and continuing to be in awe of David Mitchell's writing. Then I read The Providence Rider by Robert McCammon and really enjoyed it. Now I'm getting a head start on Tigana on audio while finishing up McCammon's Bethany's Sin. Not much enjoying Bethany's Sin, although I really like McCammon's other work.

[Frederick]

Having finished Hyperion, I'm currently trying to finish Blight of Mages and started Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? I've also got Tigana downloaded for next month and Johnaton Strange and Mr Norrell downloaded from my library too. Lots to read!!

[Aloha]

I finished #4 of the Dark Tower series. I am approaching my goal and am reading The Wind Through the Keyhole: A Dark Tower Novel. I am really enjoying this series now. I can easily detect structure within a book. That makes me a good book detective, but it also ruins my enjoyment of a book. The thing I like about Stephen King is that he truly is a talent who can spin tales out of his head. People who do that do not need to build the skeleton first to build a story. I think that is why his stories ranges from phenomenal to awkward rambling. This series makes me feel like I'm sitting in front of a campfire with a story shaman weaving a tale.

I'm debating whether to take a quick break from the series after this one to catch up on my other reads. I'd like to read Jerzy Kosinski: A Biography and work by him. A close friend is focusing on this author, and I'd like to have a good dialogue regarding Kosinski.

I have not touched Only Revolutions lately. The book requires work to read and I've been distracted with too many things. But I would like to get back to it. Mark Z. Danielewski's work gives me a lot of mental satisfaction when I'm done with it.