Reading in July 2012

After a long break, I picked up the Malazan Book of the Fallen again though I had to re read the first two to get back into the groove. Currently, I'm about 25% through book 6 and chugging along at a book or so every two weeks.

I'm enjoying the story...or what I think is the story. However, I'm still wincing a bit at what I've come to call the phd vocabulary that most of the characters seem to possess to some extent. So far the best "phd moment" has been Whiskeyjack calling out a "tautology" during a conversation with another soldier I believe. I remember chuckling as I opened the dictionary....
 
Gkarlives said:
Just finished Walter Moers The City of Dreaming Books and was totally floored by the ending. I highly recommend the book with a slight warning. One, it is very easy to dismiss this book because the illustrations, while good and interesting, may make you think that it is a children's book. Two, the book is long (455 pages in a small font) and at times can be a slog, but the ending will more than make up for the work (IMHO). However, the materials are quite mature and at times thought provoking.:D
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I ordered this (from the library) based on your comments and then looking up the reviews on Amazon. Started reading today (nearly 100 pages in) and so far it's quite good. I like the idea of reading a novel and having the occasional supporting image throughout the pages, especially when it's by the author him/herself (though I guess this would be in most cases). When the plot of the novel is centred around books it makes it all the more interesting.

Like you say, the cartoon images on the cover and throughout the book suggest it's only for the younger readers, but after reading a few pages realise this isn't the case.
 
Just started A Once Crowded Sky by Tom King. Superheroes have never really been my thing, but for one reason or another I just felt this need to read this book. We'll see how it goes; Part I (roughly, the first 30 pages) was quite interesting.
 
Finished Ruckley's Bloodheir yesterday and moved onto Fall of Thanes. Generally speaking, I like the series, but one thing continues to annoy - the mind-wander factor. There are stretches of either of the first two books that lose me in prolonged travel log/local environment/weather descriptions or, worse yet, rehash previously covered ground (even though the subsequent books of the series have a What Came Before section). Even with that having been said, Ruckley has a good story. I'll be waiting to see what he produces in the future. Now, if he could just trim the fat...
 
Started The Kings of Morning by Paul Kearney. I'm a bit of a fanboy of the author, so it's no surprise I love it , although the first chapters are not yet about the Macht and Corvus but about the Kefren.
 
Loerwyn said:
Started Thinner by Stephen King (well, as Richard Bachman) last night. Not sure how King managed to maintain that personality beyond one book as King's style is, well, pretty damned obvious.
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Finished.

It's good until the end. By the nine, King fluffs that ending up. It's like he couldn't even come up with a resolution so he added a creepy object and then stuff happened to it and the end. Wut.
 
Loerwyn said:
Finished.

It's good until the end. By the nine, King fluffs that ending up. It's like he couldn't even come up with a resolution so he added a creepy object and then stuff happened to it and the end. Wut.
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King has had a reputation for years of having trouble sticking his landings.

I'm only 65 or so pages into Tim Powers' The Stress of Her Regard and I'm already hooked. I wish I had a bit more time and energy for reading.


Randy M.
 
Closing in on the end of The Fires of Heaven- book 5 of the WoT. A lot of people seem to think that the series started going down hill after book 4, but I'm still finding this one to be enjoyable. One of my favourite sequences in the series is the fight against the Shaido. One thing that I always thought that Jordan did well was his large scale battles.
 
Darksbane said:
Closing in on the end of The Fires of Heaven- book 5 of the WoT. A lot of people seem to think that the series started going down hill after book 4, but I'm still finding this one to be enjoyable. One of my favourite sequences in the series is the fight against the Shaido. One thing that I always thought that Jordan did well was his large scale battles.
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Most WoT fans say that the series starts to go downhill after 6. People who aren't WoT fans and got tired of the series, got burned out after 4. 5 is my personal favorite.
 
I picked Terry Brooks' The Tangle Box (the fourth Landover book) from my shelf last night and despite a few false starts over the past... however long I've had it, I'm about halfway already and enjoying it, though I do wish he'd leave our world alone.
 
Wulfen said:
I'm about halfway through Bitter Seeds, by Ian Tregillis. Basically it's an alternate World War 2 setting where the Germans create super soldiers, and the British are warlocks, who can conjure up demon-like beings for their defense. Pretty good stuff, and I'll likely be picking up the second book right after I'm done, unless the second half of the book gets much, much worse.
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Finished this over the weekend. Really good story, and I've got book two, The Coldest War, on tap to read soon. Right after Theft of Swords, by one Michael Sullivan. :)
 
Finished a reread of A Clash of Kings the other day and am now about 1/3 through Fevre Dream by George R R Martin. I'm really enjoying this one so far.

I'll probably go onto Turncoat by Jim Butcher next, probably followed by a reread of A Storm of Swords.
 
Over 200 pgs into Warbreaker and just when I thought it was starting to drag Sanderson hit me with a big ol twist I did not see coming. Can't wait to read tonight in bed.
 
End Of Disc One said:
Most WoT fans say that the series starts to go downhill after 6. People who aren't WoT fans and got tired of the series, got burned out after 4. 5 is my personal favorite.
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That probably fits better in my line of thinking as well. My last re-read stalled at #7.

So far I'd say the quality is pretty even through the first 5, but I've probably enjoyed The Great Hunt the most.
 
Finished Graham Joyce's new one, Some Kind of Fairy Tale. It was decent, but not as good as his previous books IMO (though I still have several more of his to read in my TBR).

Have now started Chuck Wendig's Blackbirds.
 
Wulfen said:
Finished this over the weekend. Really good story, and I've got book two, The Coldest War, on tap to read soon. Right after Theft of Swords, by one Michael Sullivan. :)
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Nice! - I truly hope you enjoy and would love to hear what you think even if you don't.
 
Started Robin Hobb's Royal Assassin. I was very impressed with The Assassin's Apprentice and so far this book is a consistent follow-up.
 
Just finished Steven Erikson's Forge of Darkness.

Strong beginning. Even stronger middle. But a somewhat weaker and anticlimactic ending. For all of its flaws, still a fascinating read for Malazan fans.

Patrick
 
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