Reading in December 2008

[Hobbit]

This is where you tell us what you're reading in Fantasy this month. Good or bad, please let us know what you thought.

Over to the Book Clubs....

The Fantasy Book Club discussion is on a recent book publication: A Shadow in Summer by Daniel Abraham.

Reminder about the SF Book Club: they decided to look at three books over three months (October to December 2008) with a common theme. (Can you guess what it is from the books chosen?)

These are:

Iain (M) Banks's Excession (HERE)
Greg Bear's Eon (HERE) and
Arthur C Clarke's Rendevous with Rama (HERE)

The cross-thread discussion about these books is now open (HERE) to allow a discussion of the key ideas and themes across the books.

Join in if you can.

Lastly, the last month of 2008 means two more things than normal: one, the SFFWorld 'Best Books we've read 2008' should be appearing very soon; and secondly, it remains for me to wish you, on behalf of SFFWorld, the best of all things seasonal, wherever you are.

Merry Christmas!

Mark / Hobbit

 

[Evil Agent]

Finishing up GGK's "Last Light of the Sun". This is turning out to be really good, despite a somewhat slow beginning.

Continuing to read Steven Erikson's "Reaper's Gale". Good stuff, so far. I'm almost halfway through, and things are really heating up. I'm a little worried, though, because I just read some fairly lackluster reviews of Toll The Hounds..

 

[AuntiePam]

I'm re-reading A Game of Thrones while I wait for some new books from Amazon. I'd forgotten how much happens so early in the book. I'm unaccustomed to this much plot development so quickly.

 

[Kloke]

Just starting The Silent Blade. Been a Forgotten Realms fan for a long time. So far the book is really good.

 

[ObtusePunubiris]

Just finished Midnight Tides earlier this evening and will be moving right into The Bonehunters starting tomorrow.

Each time I finish a book in this series, I just have to sit back for a little bit and let the awe subside. Not many authors can accomplish that with even one book; much less with multiple, massive volumes.

 

[suciul]

I have started Engine's Child by Holly Phillips and I am enjoying it a lot so far. The closest book that resembles this one and I have read relatively recently is Thunderer by F. Gilman, though of course it's early time in the book for me.

 

[Niniane]

I am continuing w/ Midori Snyder's "The Innamorati" as well as H. Carpenter's "The Inklings" - okay, so this is non-fiction but it IS about fantasy writers so

 

[Astra_]

At the very beginning of The Count of Monte Cristo.

I started to read it in Russian but it didn't go as well as I hoped for. So I started to read it in English...and then I learned that there is a new translation to English, which is different from the classic one supplied anonymously in the middle of 19th centery.
Robin Buss’s lively English translation is complete and unabridged, and remains faithful to the style of Dumas’s original
There is introduction in the beginning of the book and it is quite interesting, although if it is the first time you are going to read The Count of Monte Cristo, you absolutely MUST skip it because it is full of spoilers.

 

[Dark Wolf]

At the very beginning of The Count of Monte Cristo.

I started to read it in Russian but it didn't go as well as I hoped for. So I started to read it in English...and then I learned that there is a new translation to English, which is different from the classic one supplied anonymously in the middle of 19th centery.
Robin Buss’s lively English translation is complete and unabridged, and remains faithful to the style of Dumas’s original
There is introduction in the beginning of the book and it is quite interesting, although if it is the first time you are going to read The Count of Monte Cristo, you absolutely MUST skip it because it is full of spoilers.

One of my favorite authors of all times is Alexandre Dumas. And I believe that "The Count of Monte Cristo" is one of his best novels


I am working now at the review of "The Warded Man" ("The Painted Man") by Peter V. Brett which is an interesting read. I will start "The Last Wish" by Andrzej Sapkowski. I am very curious about his books because I read a lot about them.
I also had a real joy this week-end, because I had the honor to make an interview with Brian Ruckley. I really liked his novels, "Winterbirth" and "Bloodheir".

 

[PeterWilliam]

Finishing the final 2/3's of Brent Weeks' Night Angel series. I've got to admit that after book 1, Weeks went into the "must buy" category.

 

[Gilgamesh]

Currently reading Sign Of The Unicorn, 3rd book of Chronicles of Amber.

I was surprised to see the publication date of the first 3 books. The first one and the third one are published 5 years apart. And, they are small books. So, I thought that it wasn't easy to write (or let's say "sell") fantasy during early 70s.

 

[Hobbit]

I started to read it in Russian but it didn't go as well as I hoped for. So I started to read it in English...and then I learned that there is a new translation to English, which is different from the classic one supplied anonymously in the middle of 19th centery.
Robin Buss’s lively English translation is complete and unabridged, and remains faithful to the style of Dumas’s original.

Thanks, Astra. I've got this new translation in the pile, ready to read at some point. Bravo to you for trying to read it in Russian. I have enough problems with English myself.

I'm eyeing up that nice new translation of War and Peace now too....

OK: back to focus. Of a genre nature, I'm currently reading Stephenie Meyer's Twilight, just before the UK movie release here. Review soon: I can see why some may like it, though there's perhaps a bit too much swooning going on for my own personal tastes.

So, I thought that it wasn't easy to write (or let's say "sell") fantasy during early 70s.

Well, yes, perhaps: but books generally were shorter then. Not to mention that Roger Zelazny was not only writing Amber books at this point.

Mark / Hobbit

 

[kcf]

Right now I'm reading and very much enjoying The Judging Eye by Bakker. So far, it's even better than the previous trilogy.

 

[Singularity101]

I'm currently finishing up The Black Company by Glenn Cook. Below are a few books I'm going to read this month.

* GRRM- A Game of Thrones
* China Mieville- The Scar
* Brent Weeks- The Way of the Shadows

 

[cgw]

Finishing up Deadhouse Gates. I read Gardens of the Moon just before. Pretty "gritty" and complicated. Takes to A.D.D. prize among multiple POV books I have read. I like it well enough, though not as much as GRRM and some others. However after I finish this one I could use a break with a nice simple plot and less grit.

 

[Amaranth]

Currently reading Out of the Shadows. Good book so far. It goes at a decent pace and is very interesting. I have House of Night Book 4: Untamed on the way to my house from Amazon. I have read the first 3 books which were great and I have heard that this book is just as good too.

 

[sic's mom]

Currently doing a reread of the Codex Alera series by Jim Butcher. A friend of mine is reading the new one "Princeps Fury" so I am killing time till she is done and I can borrow it Both of Butcher's series I absolutely love. There will be one more in the Alera series, and then he is going to write a more sci-fi series called US Marshalls. One thing you can say about Butcher. He gets a book out every year with both of these series.

 

[algernoninc]

I'm still struggling with the 3rd book in Sarah Ash Tears of Artamon series: Children of the Serpent Gate" - I could say like B B King "The Thrill is Gone" - whatever promise there was in the first volume, was squandered in very poor worldbuilding and generic plot twists [telenovela style]. I will finish the series because i hate leaving books unfinished, but I'm no longer comparing it with Rai-Kirah or Second Sons.
As regards my next project: all my carefully planned TBR lists are once again discarded because i got my hands on "Severian of the Guild" by Gene Wolfe. I've read the first chapters and I wonder [like i did with Zelazny's amber books] what took me so long to "discover" him? He has a unique voice that is very appealing to my personal preferences [I know it's early after only 50 pages, but i see a cross between Frank Herbert and Guy Gavriel Kay].

 

[Dark Wolf]

I finished "The Warded Man" ("The Painted Man") and it was an interesting novel. I believe that Peter V. Brett made a strong debut with his novel and sometimes "The Warded Man" reminded me of "The Name of the Wind". Not as story but as construction, focused on the character building and preparing the action for the novels to come. My problem is that now I have a new ongoing series to look for

 

[Astra_]

Thanks, Astra. I've got this new translation in the pile, ready to read at some point. Bravo to you for trying to read it in Russian. I have enough problems with English myself.

I'm eyeing up that nice new translation of War and Peace now too....

Well.........considering that Russian is my mother language....thanks anyway
Apparently I will stick to the new English translation, it goes quite well.