[August] What are you reading?

[driver8]

Im reading the Icewind Dale Trilogy. Funny thing is, Im not really a fantasy fan when it comes to books. I play DnD and related video games, and I like the FR setting, but ive never cracked a FR novel.

However with all the 30th anniversary stuff and with RA Salvatore linked with the Demonstone PS2 game coming out next month, thought Id give it a try. Its ok, not bad, but doesnt set the world on fire for me.

 

[EricNoah]

I just finished the Arthur C. Clarke/Stephen Baxter collaboration, Time's Eye.

Just started Robert Charles Wilson's Bios.

Will follow that up with another Clarke/Baxter collaboration, The Light of Other Days.

I got part way through Greg Keyes' Briar King and will probably pick it up again, but fantasy fiction's just not doing it for me these days.

 

[MonsterMash]

Fiction:

Finished Lord Dunsany's King of Elflands Daughter and reread Patrick O'Brien's Master and Commander

Non-fiction:
Lots of half read books I'm trying to finish!

 

[Banshee16]

The Scar by China Mieville

What's it like? I just picked up Perdido Street Station a week ago, and I think it comes first. Just finishing Children of Dune, and then I'll get started.

Banshee

 

[Pielorinho]

What's it like? I just picked up Perdido Street Station a week ago, and I think it comes first.

Yep! I'm a huge Mieville fanboy, and of the three books I've read by him (I've not read King Rat), Perdido Street Station is my favorite.

It's a little hard to get into for some folks: the prologue was very difficult for me to follow, and some people think the story doesn't really develop for 100 pages or so. But if you can groove on his baroque world and writing, he's absolutely fantastic.

He used to be a gamer, incidentally, and it shows: there's a scene in the book that's gonna make you grin with delight.

The Scar is good, too, as is Iron Council (his latest book, released last month), but nothing stands up to Perdido Street Station IMO.

Daniel

 

[CCamfield]

"The Odyssey Re-formed", Ahl and Roisman
"Ancient Egyptian Literature", Lichtheim

No novels right now. I was thinking of starting my copy of Midnight Tides, but I think I'm going to re-read the Odyssey next, along with The Odyssey Re-formed.

 

[Olive]

(I've not read King Rat)

I wouldn't bother. It's not very good. There are some interestng ideas, but over all it is wierdly written, and the whole thing is set over a strange back drop of the london drum and bass scene. I LIKE drum and bass, and still found it all fairly annoying. (although it's possible that some one not into that music might find it less annoying than someone who is).

Over all his bas lag stuff is much much better.

 

[Pants]

What's it like? I just picked up Perdido Street Station a week ago, and I think it comes first. Just finishing Children of Dune, and then I'll get started.

Banshee

Excellent book. Not as good as Perdido Street Station, but it picks up much quicker. If you liked PSS, then you'll no doubt like The Scar.

 

[Laurel]

I am on to the second book of the Deathstalker Series by Simon R. Green

The first book in the series started almost jumbled instead of building, he seemed to quickly switch from action to talking to fighting to politics. Towards the end of the first book and start of the second, though, the pace and plot have picked up and have just continued a steady snowball.
the books follow a group of characters all playing different roles through out the Universe. This gives the reader a great vision of all aspects of his universe.

 

[Krug]

Finished Chabon's Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, which was exhausting but brilliant. Right now moving to lighter fare; Riders of the Dead, a Warhammer novel by Dan Abnett.