Reading in January 2012

[Hobbit]

Welcome to 2012!

This is where you talk to us about your monthly Fantasy and Horror Reads: whether good or bad, we want to discuss with you what you thought.

Our Fantasy Book of the Month is The Red Wolf Conspiracy by Robert V. S. Redick. Discuss here.

Our SF Book of the Month is The January Dancer by Michael Flynn. Discuss here.

Our customary SFFWorld Review of the Year has now started to appear (HERE) and will continue throughout this month. Feel free to discuss our choices in the appropriate threads.

Mark

 

[Evil Agent]

Happy New Year!

I'm still reading The Two Towers because I'm slow. But I'm loving it (for my 8th time).

 

[Westy]

Yeah, Happy New Year!

My New Years reading has been a very pleasant surprise in Murakami's 1Q84. Hadn't heard too much about it (apart from Suciul's posts) but I'm 200 pages in and am absolutely loving it. The style of writing is so fluid and descriptive yet simple at the same time; it's just the type of book that grabs you from the beginning. This is my first of his but I'm sure there'll be more now.

Having a break from King's 11/12/63 - just found it dragging a bit half-way in (getting a bit bored with small-town American living).

 

[Contrarius]

I'm still working on Among Others by Jo Walton. I'm very much enjoying some things about it, not so much others. For instance, and especially:

Spoiler

I love that (at this point at least) we can't tell whether magic and fairies are real, or just in he imagination. The magic she does is SOOO much like what kids would dream up for themselves in play, that it's very tempting to think of all of the magic stuff as imaginary. I don't know whether this becomes clear by the end of the book, or not.

I'm also enjoying all the sf and f references. I forget whether I mentioned it in an earlier post, but I was born just two years before the main character's birthdate -- so I love all her thoughts about books that she was reading at the same time and age as I was reading many of those same books. And I'm loving the Welsh stuff, and the British-ness in general. I've been reading a LOT of British fiction this year, and there's something about it in general that just really appeals to me.

OTOH, I'm about 3/4 of the way through the book now, and even now there isn't any really clear plot progression. It's just kinda meandering along from place to place. Which isn't all bad, but I keep thinking she oughtta get ON with it. We Shall See how things turn out.

 

[Kazz Wylde]

I'm reading Among Thieves, so far so good.

 

[Hobbit]

just found it dragging a bit half-way in (getting a bit bored with small-town American living).

Yeah. If it helps, it should pick up soon.

I'm still working on Among Others by Jo Walton.

Rob's comments mean that I keep meaning to track this one down: not easy to get in the UK, though international shipping is available.

I'm reading Among Thieves, so far so good.

Yes: was one of my surprises last year, in that I enjoyed it more than I thought I world, even though it is quite bleak.

Mark

 

[Loerwyn]

When Women Were Warriors Book II: A Journey of the Heart by Catherine M. Wilson. After finishing the first one yesterday morning, I launched myself into the second one without a moment's hesitation, and yeah - I'm enjoying it!

 

[Contrarius]

Funny you guys should mention Among Thieves. I just found out that it came out in audio this past week, and I'm awfully tempted to get it from Audible. Hmmmmm.......to buy, or not to buy......

edited to add -- I decided I should jump in and point out that the only reason I haven't finished Among Others yet is that I've got it on audio, and I've been doing a lot of ebook reading over the last coupla weeks instead of audio listening. It's not that it's boring or anything!

 

[Jeni.]

I am currently reading A Clash of Kings George R R Martin and The Name of the Wind Patrick Rothfuss.

 

[Kazz Wylde]

Ya know, Something like Among Thieves should have a pretty kickass cover, I know there's worse, but we all need to have a little talk with these publishers. lol Do they really think these lame covers are cool? I mean really? lol Sorry I had to vent a little. lol

 

[Chrysippus]

Southern Gods by John Hornor Jacobs. I don't read a lot of horror, but I'm enjoying it.

 

[Gilgamesh]

As the new year started, I started to read Feast of Souls by Celia S. Friedman on a whim. Wow! I'm 150 pages through and I'm loving it.

 

[Astra_]

Last week I finished (The Malazan Book of the Fallen, #4) House of Chains by Steven Erikson
The first book in the series I rate less than excellent. Only 8 out of 10.
I was not interested in reading about Karsa and his people and the number of warrens has increased. Taking into account their difficult spelling, it became difficult to follow what each warren stands for/its puprose.
Otherwise, I enjoyed the book and the series in whole. I am looking forward to reading the next instalement after I squeeze in a short break It will be one, but more likely two, stand alone books.

I have started The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern.

 

[Loerwyn]

When Women Were Warriors Book II: A Journey of the Heart by Catherine M. Wilson. After finishing the first one yesterday morning, I launched myself into the second one without a moment's hesitation, and yeah - I'm enjoying it!

And finished... Surprise surprise

 

[Rob B]

As the new year started, I started to read Feast of Souls by Celia S. Friedman on a whim. Wow! I'm 150 pages through and I'm loving it.

Even though I had some problems with the final book of the trilogy, the first one was very strong. I will admit some of my problems may have stemmed from the almost two years that separate my reading of book 2 and 3 so I'd suggest reading the three books back-to-back-to-back.

I'm expecting Pat to chime in and support my claim that she's a very under-appreciated writer in the genre.

 

[Randy M.]

Southern Gods by John Hornor Jacobs. I don't read a lot of horror, but I'm enjoying it.

I read this in October. I'll be interested in hearing what you have to say about it.

I have less than 20 pages left in the story collection Holiday by M. Rickert. Fine writing, smooth, flowing prose in the service of heart-breaking and wonderful stories arranged by and mostly taking place on holidays, like New Years, Christmas, Mothers Day, the 4th of July. These could serve as strong examples of what we mean when we say, "dark fantasy"; only one, "Evidence of Love in a Case of Abandonment: One Daughter’s Personal Account," could really be argued to be s.f., the rest deal with personal and frequently subjective accounts of ghosts and those times when fairie peeps into our world or we peep into the world of fairie, when the supernatural mixes with our wants, needs and desires.

I don't normally comment on packaging, but the cover and illustrations by Thomas Canty for this book are extraordinary, appropriately macabre or nostalgic for the given story, and elegant throughout. Canty has been a favorite of mine since he began creating the covers for the Datlow/Windling year's best fantasy and horror anthologies.


Randy M.

 

[Gilgamesh]

Even though I had some problems with the final book of the trilogy, the first one was very strong. I will admit some of my problems may have stemmed from the almost two years that separate my reading of book 2 and 3 so I'd suggest reading the three books back-to-back-to-back.

I'm expecting Pat to chime in and support my claim that she's a very under-appreciated writer in the genre.

Thanks for the suggestion. I may just do that, then. I'd better order the other books now.

Actually it's Pat's blog entry that made me think about the book waiting to be read. I bought it after greatly enjoying The Coldfire Trilogy a few years ago but every time I decided to read it something else distracted me. Anyway... I'm really glad I went for it this time.

 

[bossfan2000]

I'm about 1/2 thru the first book in Rise of Empire by Michael Sullivan. It reminds me how much I still enjoy (and prefer) what I call old-school fantasy.

I had started my WoT read to get ready for AMoL later this year. But with the Riyria Revelations being complete later this month, I thought I would knock out that series before really hitting WoT. I expect, with my slow reading pace and the high page count, the WoT books will be a high percentage of my reading this year.

 

[AmethystOrator]

Even though I had some problems with the final book of the trilogy, the first one was very strong. I will admit some of my problems may have stemmed from the almost two years that separate my reading of book 2 and 3 so I'd suggest reading the three books back-to-back-to-back.

Perhaps, though not necessarily. I read the Trilogy in less than three months and imo the first book was good to pretty good, the second was a bit better and the third was a major disappointment. For me, I would say that your method was the better one as it makes it easier to forget just how much of a drop-off there is between 2 and 3.

Just my opinion and obviously some people feel differently. Hopefully Gilgamesh will like it more than I did.

 

[murf99]

Just finished Terry Brook's Bearers of the Black Staff. Gonna jump right into The Measure of the Magic which will conclude the Legends of Shannara series. The story is ok so far but not as good as what I expected. Hopefully it gets better in the next one.