What are you Reading Now?

[Nimue]

Goldenhand by Garth Nix. Er, to be precise, I read it yesterday evening. I've waited over ten years for a sequel to Abhorsen, and this is everything I dreamed of. I'm over the moon <3

(Disclaimer: I'm nutty about this series, not objective. It probably wouldn't engross another adult reader the same way, but Sabriel was the first real fantasy book I read, though nine years old was probably a little young for necromancy and traversing Death. It's the series that made me fall in love with the genre, and the idea of writing in it... )

 

[Steerpike]

Goldenhand by Garth Nix. Er, to be precise, I read it yesterday evening. I've waited over ten years for a sequel to Abhorsen, and this is everything I dreamed of. I'm over the moon <3

(Disclaimer: I'm nutty about this series, not objective. It probably wouldn't engross another adult reader the same way, but Sabriel was the first real fantasy book I read, though nine years old was probably a little young for necromancy and traversing Death. It's the series that made me fall in love with the genre, and the idea of writing in it... )

It's on my list Loved the other books in the series.

 

[Darrin Drader]

Star Trek: Prey: Book 1 Hell's Heart

Continuing the milestone 50th anniversary celebration of Star Trek—an epic new trilogy that stretches from the events of The Original Series movie The Search for Spock to The Next Generation!

When Klingon commander Kruge died in combat against James T. Kirk on the Genesis planet back in 2285, he left behind a powerful house in disarray—and a series of ticking time bombs: the Phantom Wing, a secret squadron of advanced Birds-of-Prey; a cabal of loyal officers intent on securing his heritage; and young Korgh, his thwarted would-be heir, willing to wait a Klingon lifetime to enact his vengeance.

Now, one hundred years later, while on a diplomatic mission for the United Federation of Planets, Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the USS Enterprise are snared in the aged Korgh’s trap—and thrust directly in the middle of an ancient conflict. But as Commander Worf soon learns, Korgh may be after far bigger game than anyone imagines, confronting the Federation-Klingon alliance with a crisis unlike any it has ever seen!

 

[Curufin]

"Nyn Llyvary" (tome 1/6) from CA.Oliver

in a world very close to the Silmarillion and with a plot similar, in its construction, to Game of Thrones, various elfin factions are trying to survive on their islands subject to human invasions.
chapter 5 is a great piece of fantasy writing.


The website looks good and there is a facebook account too.

Curu

 

[Brian Scott Allen]

Just finished Republic of Thieves. Excellent book. So different from the action packed fantasies out there.

 

[Chessie]

Well, the stack of books I last posted about were not all too memorable. Except for Sizzling Outlines. I gave that one a 5 star + review...and I rarely do those. Do need to remember them.

I'm halfway through The Sorcerer's Concubine and read 5 chapters just last night. It's about an enchanted doll and it's quite possibly one of the best fantasy books I've read in ages. Some parts of it are too graphic for my comfort level but what did I expect with a title like that? It's also narrated in omniscient, which is so nice for a change. The author's voice is gentle and doll-like, which matches the vibe of the book really well. It's a lovely masterpiece. Plus there's talk of a dragon so my interest is piqued.

Next on the queue is The Princess Bride, which I've actually never read (watched the movie more times than I can count) so I'm looking forward to it.

 

[Gurkhal]

At the behest of a friend I shall give "Best served cold" a shot and see if this is something for me.

 

[Devouring Wolf]

Well apparently with China Mieville third time's the charm.

Tried Kraken, but at the time I just wasn't ready for it. Tried The Scar because I promised my sister I'd try it if she tried The Darkness that Comes Before Neither of us got very far in our respective books. I thought that was the end of me trying to read Mieville.

Not so. Two weeks ago when I was sick I let my sister read Perdido Street Station to me. She only got through five chapters before she got whatever I had and couldn't read to me anymore but by then I was hooked. To be fair, if she hadn't read me those first five chapters I don't think I could've gotten through them. I don't know why but I just find his work hard to get into. But once I got passed that, the book became absolutely enthralling and inspired me to question my own writing technique.

 

[skip.knox]

Reading True Grit and really enjoying the narrator's voice in that one. I don't normally read Westerns, but this one is unique.

Also reading A Prayer for Owen Meany. Less compelling but it does have a good opening. Then things get awfully talky.

 

[DragonOfTheAerie]

Right now I'm reading To Kill a Mockingbird.

It's a funny thought, that the author has passed on, but I can still open her book and hear her tell me a story. She's dead but her words still live. That seemed to occur to me so suddenly last night.

 

[skip.knox]

Right now I'm reading To Kill a Mockingbird.

It's a funny thought, that the author has passed on, but I can still open her book and hear her tell me a story. She's dead but her words still live. That seemed to occur to me so suddenly last night.

You might take a look at Ray Bradbury's short story, The Exiles. I think it appears in S is for Space. Anyway, it very much speaks to the survival of authors via their books. Bradbury was a science fiction writer, but his stories always felt to me like fantasy. Strong emotional content.

 

[Chessie]

Moving on to The Sorcerer's Wife. I....absolutely love this author. It's kind of a shame she has books out in another series which includes vampires...and I'm a firm no-no on vampires. Sigh. I might sign up for her email list and wait until she writes something else but in the meantime I'm enjoying her awesome series.

 

[Russ]

Reading my friend Simone Gervais' latest thriller, The Dotted Red Line. Quite enjoying it.

 

[Ebenezer Lux]

Tigana and some books on marketing self-published books.

 

[Steven McKinnon]

Reading the third of the Raven's Shadow series by Anthony Ryan, Queen of Fire. I'm just at the halfway mark, it's decent enough, though I still think the first in the series is the best.

 

[Chessie]

Tigana and some books on marketing self-published books.

Chris Fox has some of the best Indie marketing books out there. Definitely check him out if you already haven't.

 

[skip.knox]

Howl's Moving Castle

Another installment on my list of Books I Really Shoulda Oughta Read Long Ago

It's a good read. I'm not a huge fan of the Knowing Author sort of fantasy writing--where the author and/or narrator more or less know they are in a fairy tale--but Jones manages to keep the surprises and twists coming, and the central character is charming and well-rounded. Getting through this one has been a skate rather than a slog.

 

[Tom]

Rereading one of my old favorites, The Thief! I can't believe I've been reading this book since middle school; no matter how many times I finish it, it just doesn't get old. Knowing all the plot twists takes some of the fun out, but the worldbuilding, characters, and clever writing more than make up for that.

 

[DragonOfTheAerie]

Rereading one of my old favorites, The Thief! I can't believe I've been reading this book since middle school; no matter how many times I finish it, it just doesn't get old. Knowing all the plot twists takes some of the fun out, but the worldbuilding, characters, and clever writing more than make up for that.

The one by Megan Whalen Turmer, or is there another one...because I had to read a book with this title once.

 

[Tom]

The one by Megan Whalen Turmer, or is there another one...because I had to read a book with this title once.

That's the one! When I first read it I thought it was a standalone, but then I found out later that it's actually part of a series. I hear it's now called the Eugenides Series (after the main character), but back when I started hanging out in its fandom circles it had no official name, so everyone referred to it as the Queen's Thief Series.

The characterization and complex political plots are amazing. The setting also really adds to its appeal--I don't think I've ever heard of another fantasy series set in a Byzantine Mediterranean world.