Fantasy Book Club discussion
What are you reading in...
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What are you reading in June 2012?
During the summer months, I'll be reading Janny Wurts' Wars of Light and Shadow/Alliance of Light series. I'm two-thirds through the second of the eight novels, most of which are approximately 700 pages. Since I'm also reading whatever freebies I've uploaded to my iPad Kindle (when I'm at the gym, for example), I'm not reading through Janny's novels as quickly as I might do so otherwise. Nevertheless, I'm so looking forward to summer days at home reading in the sunshine!
Am currently reading Robots and empire by Isaac Asimov :)
I just started Theft of Swords tonight. I'm only about 45 pages into it and can already tell that it will be an enjoyable read. I have the next books in the series, Rise of Empireand Heir of Novron, patiently waiting their turn. After those three, I'll be moving on to Heart of Darkness, book 1 in the Bound by Magick series, in anticipation of receiving book 2, Chaos Burning, which I just won from the goodreads giveaways. If time permits, I also have The Name of the Wind, The Wise Man's Fear, and The Black Prismlined up.
Kevin wrote: "Since May is almost coming to a close and June is not that far away, what are you reading in the half way point of the year? Yoou half way to you reading goals this year?For me, this month my pla..."
it took me nearly 3 weeks to get through The Dragonbone Chair so good luck squeezing in the others.
Im trying to finish The Terror which is beginning to get hard going, with a view to read Star Wars: Vector Prime then Intervention and if i have anytime left Legend
Lady wrote: "During the summer months, I'll be reading Janny Wurts' Wars of Light and Shadow/Alliance of Light series. I'm two-thirds through the second of the eight novels, most of which are approximately 700..."We discussed this series in our sister group some months back. You might want to check in on the discussion as you read each book: http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/3...
Kevin wrote: "Since May is almost coming to a close and June is not that far away, what are you reading in the half way point of the year? Yoou half way to you reading goals this year?For me, this month my pla..."
You had the wrong year, Kevin. I edited it for you.
Help!!! Any Tad Williams fans here? I absolutely loved his first trilogy, and War of the Flowers is in my top five books of all time. Vut I am 300 pages into Book 1 of the Shadowmarch series and I am bored out of my mind and I am wondeirng if it is worth continuing. After all, there are almost 3000 pages left in the series.
Just started A Game of Thrones and am loving it. Got up at 3 this morning to read some more! This series is going to be much of my summer reading as it's been staring at me from my bookcase as I finish grad school. I also have some YA books on my TBR list to get to.
Bradley wrote: "Help!!! Any Tad Williams fans here? I absolutely loved his first trilogy, and War of the Flowers is in my top five books of all time. Vut I am 300 pages into Book 1 of the Shadowmarch series and..."I've read just about everything Tad's published ... except the Shadowmarch books. I too was bored out of my mind. I loved all his other work though, so maybe I need to go back and try again.
Catherine wrote: "Just started A Game of Thrones and am loving it. Got up at 3 this morning to read some more! This series is going to be much of my summer reading as it's been staring at me from my bookcase as I fi..."reading
and still five books then to go but cant wait... this series rocks :)
Razmatus wrote: "Catherine wrote: "Just started A Game of Thrones and am loving it. Got up at 3 this morning to read some more! This series is going to be much of my summer reading as it's been staring at me from m..."I've heard a lot about the Malazan series and maybe that will be the next one I tackle. =)
Sandra aka Sleo wrote: "Kevin wrote: "Since May is almost coming to a close and June is not that far away, what are you reading in the half way point of the year? Yoou half way to you reading goals this year?For me, thi..."
Thanks, and sorry about that.
I just finished
, which I didn't like as much as the first book. It seems this is just a long introduction to book 3 and there was too much whining from both characters.Hopefully the next book is better.
Bradley wrote: "Help!!! Any Tad Williams fans here? I absolutely loved his first trilogy, and War of the Flowers is in my top five books of all time. Vut I am 300 pages into Book 1 of the Shadowmarch series and..."I really like Tad Williams although I do think at his best he is just very good, not great. I did love War of the Flowers. I think it is his best work. As far as Shadowmarch goes - I thought it got better as it went along, but Williams has this tendency to just slowly leak out information as the books move forward without really ever making the story a lot better. I have never abandoned a book once started, so it may not be a good indication that I did finish the series.
Not his best work and if you have not read Otherland, don't.
Mod
I don't want you to think they are horrible. I gave Shadowmarch 4 stars but it didn't get a whole lot more interesting after the first book. I think Williams loses himself in his world building and slow revelation of what is going on and forgets that he is telling a story.For Otherland, I gave the first two four stars but the last two just seemed to be him filling a book by wandering around in a world that he could just make up as he went along.
I'm continuing to read Janny Wurts' Wars of Light & Shadow/Alliance of Light series and Michael R. Hicks' In Her Name: Redemption (the omnibus edition of the novels First Contact, Confederation and Empire). Currently I'm reading Wurts' The Ships of Merior and Hicks' Confederation. It's likely I'll be reading Wurts into July. I should be finished with Hicks long before June is over.
Mod
I shall have to read them as they are on the shelf staring!
Helen wrote: "I shall have to read them as they are on the shelf staring!"The first book or two got me through a transatlantic flight and return trip last year.
For myself, I finished (and liked) Throne of the Crescent Moon and started A Princess of Mars. I'm planning to read the entire 11-book Barsoom series, which I think has a total wordcount similar to, say, two or three Malazan or Ice & Fire books.
@Rich &Bradley I tried Shadowmarch twice and while getting much further the second time, I still felt it would be a waste of my time to finish it. I love books with the fae in it and I really wanted to like it. For my summer books, i hope to read Kushiel's Dart by Carey, Cooper's songs of the Earth,Walton's Among Others and some Ya books. IM Excited for all of these!
Mod
. Has anyone read it? Thought I might start with it.
Just started Seven Princes by John Fultz, OK so far. I then plan to read Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan. I will have to see how far that will take me!
I just finished Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter for this month. Next up is:A History of the World in 6 Glasses - My daughter has to read this one for AP World History so I figured I would read it with her.
Throne of the Crescent Moon
11/22/63
Helen wrote: "When I was buying Magician's Guild for next month I noticed that there is a prequel - . Has anyone read it? Thought I might start with it."I did not know that was the prequel to the series. Thanks for the info.
Mostly I'm just trying to read as much as I can! Already in June I've read the The Maze Runner Trilogy by Dashner. I'm knee-deep in World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War right now as well and I'm really diggin' it. As for the rest of the month, I'd love to get into Terry Pratchett and Brandon Sanderson but I don't know where to start with either of them. Any recommendations for a first-timer of their work?
I finished A Princess of Mars and jumped right into The Gods of Mars.As far as Pratchett, you can't go too far wrong with just about any of them, although the first four or five are a bit rough, relatively speaking. I'd say Wyrd Sisters, Pyramids, Guards! Guards! or Mort wouldn't be bad beginning places. Pyramids is a standalone -- the others are all early volumes in some of the different subseries within the Discworld series.
Riley wrote: "Mostly I'm just trying to read as much as I can! Already in June I've read the The Maze Runner Trilogy by Dashner. I'm knee-deep in World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War right now as well ..."With Sanderson I started with Mistborn: The Final Empire so i would totally recommend this as a place to start. I love that trilogy nearly as much as i love Terry Pratchett!(its alot lol) Where to start with TP well, I agree with Joseph Wyrd Sisters would be my first to recommend because it introduces you to some great characters and the following books are funny. Also i really enjoyed If you read YA at all The Wee Free Men without a doubt :) I could list all my favourite but you lot don't want that! lol
As for what i'm reading this June I'll be finishing the Codex Alera Series. Hopefully starting The Golden Compass and getting around to The Great Hunt that i should have read in the sister group read in May but got side tracked with Furies of Calderon etc :)
I've started Best Served Cold, by Joe Abercrombie. I like it so far, I just hope there will be no more new points of view.Riley wrote: "... and Brandon Sanderson but I don't know where to start with either of them. Any recommendations for a first-timer of their work? "
I started with Elantris (it's a standalone and an easy read), and after that I bought all 3 books of the Mistborn trilogy with my eyes closed.
I think Elantris was a good start, because it took me a longer time to get caught in the first Mistborn book.
And I'm not sure how I feel about the fact that there are no intervening messages, but Warlord Of Mars is finished and Thuvia, Maid of Mars is started. Short, fast-moving books, these.
Brian wrote: "I just finished Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter for this month.Will you attend the blockbuster movie this summer?
About half way through with The Wise Man's Fear. I am enjoying as much as the first book. Really like that things move in a different direction (view spoiler). Plan on finishing the Mistborn books with The Hero of Ages next and then back in Malazan. Next up there will be Midnight Tides. That should keep me busy until July.
Stephen wrote: "About half way through with The Wise Man's Fear. I am enjoying as much as the first book. Really like that things move in a different direction [spoilers removed]. Plan on finishing the Mistborn bo..."Midnight tides is really awesome, I am enjoying the parts where Erikson brings us his fantasy spin on absurd drama theatre thing :D
Finished Thuvia, Maid of Mars and started The Chessmen of Mars. (What can I say? I had a fair amount of time on commuter rail this morning.(And if anyone cares, although I'm reading the books on my Kindle, I'm linking to the covers of the Ballantine & Del Rey paperbacks that I still own and that I actually read back in the 1970's and 1980's when I first discovered the series.)
I just finished reading
and the rest of the series. I was surprised by how much I liked them and developed a strong desire to read more about the two of them.
Just finished A Life Too Short: The Story of Robert Enke
... a biography of Robert Enke, a german goalkeeper who suffered from depression throughout his career and ended up taking his own life.I can only recommend it. 5/5...
Now I'm starting up on The Windup Girl
... really looking forward to this one ;-)
Just finished Rise of Empire. It was even better than the first book. Mystery, suspense, and more than a few 'hold your breath' and exclamatory moments. Started book three, Heir of Novron
Just finished A Discovery of Witches (posted a review of that one) and am starting Terry Pratchett's Guards! Guards!.
I'm continuing my re-read of WOT with The Great Hunt (I assume I'll catch up with the sister group at some point next month, unless I get really side tracked). I'm still reading Always Coming Home on the side, slowly, piece by piece (it's not bad, just very dense).
Mod
I am currently reading the Seven Realms Series, have read the first two books; The Demon King and The Exiled Queen. Just starting the third; The Gray Wolf Throne! Would very much recommend them to all, have really enjoyed the creation the world and the characters. The plot is thick with intrigue, politics, magic, romance and everything else that makes a great high fantasy series!
I'm about 100 pages from completing "In Her Name: Redemption" and I have no idea what's going to happen! Often, outcomes are unpredictable with the work of authors I don't know/haven't previously known. This time, it's different. I hope for some things, but I know some thing else has to be sacrificed. While I remain hopeful for some things, I'm not at all happy about the progression of others. I remain totally apprehensive!
Mod
I saw the lovely cover for this a while ago and added it, good to know it's worth reading, lol.
Fantasy Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
Llana of Gathol (other topics)John Carter of Mars (other topics)
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay (other topics)
The Wise Man's Fear (other topics)
The Wise Man's Fear (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Ernest Cline (other topics)Glen Duncan (other topics)
Joe Abercrombie (other topics)
Ray Bradbury (other topics)
For me, this month my plans are to read: The Dragonbone Chair, The War of the Flowers, Ship of Magic. Now I'm reading the fourth book in Erikson's world, House of Chains.