[August] What are you reading?

[Welverin]

You know it's bad when the book's so long, it's not even a series and it's still four 500 page books. However, I gotta say that as it stands, this is probably one of the best books I've ever read.

Wow, it actually beats out the Lord of the Rings in that respect, which is only three parts of ~400 pages.

 

[Merova]

"No" said Merricat. . .

The Haunting of Hill House and We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

Hi all!


"Merricat" said Constance, "Would you like some tea?"


Shirley Jackson's fiction is extremely creepy. If you enjoy these stories I'd recommend that you also check out some of her shorter works, like the "Lottery" and "The Lovely House."

Currently, I've just finished up Scenarios, a collection of 14 short stories by Bill Pronzini. They are excellent examples of tightly plotted mysteries. The characterization is superb, especially in regards to the protagonist, Pronzini's "Nameless" San Francisco PI. The stories range from 35 years of "Nameless'" career. It's an excellent read.

Thanks for reading.

---Merova

 

[Dog Soldier]

I just finished reading A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin.
Now I'm reading Arcana Unearthed and will probly pick up Tom Clancy's The Red Rabbit today and if I can scrape up the money for the hardback I may read Tom Clancy's The Teeth of the Tiger when it comes out later this month.

 

[Mark Chance]

Re: "No" said Merricat. . .

Shirley Jackson's fiction is extremely creepy. If you enjoy these stories I'd recommend that you also check out some of her shorter works, like the "Lottery" and "The Lovely House."

Of course, I've read "The Lottery." Not familiar with "The Lovely House". Didn't Jackson also write "The Yellow Wallpaper"? Or is that another creepy author? Oh, wait. That was by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, right? Well, still creepy.

 

[Starman]

That is such a great book. It must be something like 10 or 15 years now since I read it. I still haven't gotten farther than halfway through Wizard and Glass, but with the final volumes of this series coming out within the next year, I plan to pick it back up and finish reading the series. I'll probably also read the reworked version of the Gunsligner.

Yeah, I wanted to refresh my memory with the new books coming out. I've never been a real big S. King fan, but I love this series. Rereading it has actually got me thinking about running a campaign in a similar type of world, one that has "moved on" and has all sorts of bizarre elements. Hmmm...

Starman

 

[Justinian]

Right now, I'm reading The Swordsman's Oath by Juliet E. McKenna (Book two in an apparently on-going series; first book is the wonderful The Thief's Gamble ). I've started that book like three times but this time seems to be the charm. I've gotten past the Chapter That Did Not Make Sense, which always bored me before and caused me to put it down. Now, of course, I know what that chapter was about and why it was there. But a little hint would have been better.

Your comments here make me want to pick that back up again. I also liked The Thief's Gamble, but simply could not get into the sequel. If it really picks up later on in the book, I will have to start it again.

On-topic, I'm working my way through Simon R. Green's Deathstalker series at the moment (2nd book). They're standard space opera with a nonstandard amount of violent action. I've actually read several books by Green this month. The others are Drinking Midnight Wine and Something From the Nightside, both excellent urban fantasy-type novels. Green seems to alternate between unusual, original fantasy and space shoot-em-ups. He writes well in both categories, although I think his fantasies are better. As an author from the UK, though, his books are sometimes difficult to find. Worth the effort to look up.

At the same time, I'm slowly reading Garth Nix's Lirael, a very good fantasy marketed as a children's book. It's the sequel to his equally good novel Sabriel. There is a final book to the trilogy called Abhorsen, but I haven't picked it up yet.

I had a chance to pick up an ARC of the next Shannara book at GenCon, and read that one night. It's better than his most recent trilogy, in my opinion, and the themes are going back to his earlier books while keeping his improved writing styles. I'm looking forward to this next trilogy.

Also in ARC form: Trading Danger, by Elizabeth Moon. While normally I'm not so much a fan of her science fiction, preferring the Paksenarrion trilogy or the Gird books, I found this to be very good. It reminded me a little of the Liaden books by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller, but that could be simply the trader in danger themes. This is supposed to be a series, I believe, and I will be following it.

Upcoming: The Scar, next time I go out to a bookstore, probably. The Lord of Castle Black, when Amazon gets it to me. The Anvil of the World, by Kage Baker, same.

 

[LightPhoenix]

Right now, I'm reading The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson. Basically it's a story set in what would have happened if the Black Death had decimated 90% of Europe instead of 30%. Pretty interesting so far, but I was expecting an "alternative history" sort of approach, and it's definitely more of a story.

 

[Sixchan]

I saw War and Peace in my local used bookshop...who dares me?

 

[Sen Udo-Mal]

I just started Giantslayer by William King, the 8th book in the Gotrek & Felix novel in series. Pretty darn good and a fun read. I really like the Black Library...

 

[JoeGKushner]

I just started Giantslayer by William King, the 8th book in the Gotrek & Felix novel in series. Pretty darn good and a fun read. I really like the Black Library...

Let me know how this one turns out. The last one I read was Vampireslayer.

I like the books as brain candy ever since I read the short story in Red Thirst I think? Good stuff.

I had to take the bus while my shop is in the car so decided I'd take a small paperback with me. Picked up Swordships of Scorpio. Either I read too fast or the bus is too slow as I finished it on the way back.