[July] What are you reading?

[NiTessine]

Currently, Clive Cussler's Valhalla Rising. It's pretty decent, though brimming with clichés. Some good D20 Modern adventure seeds, there.

After that, I'm going to tackle Silmarillion.

 

[BluWolf]

I haven't read any fantasy in awhile.

Just finished;

Stupid White Men by Michael Moore (dated but funny).
Reefer Madness (interesting but full of incomplete thoughts).

And I'm finishing "Unequal Protection", this book should be required reading for every human being alive.

Ooo, I'll second the call for a good pirate book recomendation????

 

[Dinkeldog]

Still working on "Good Omens". I've also got "Somplace to be Flying", "Energy Medicine", and Walden on my immediate reading list.

 

[Olive]

I'm also reading the first book of The Deed of Paksenarrion (Sheepfarmer's Daughter). It's not bad, but I've had people rave about it to me and it was recommended in another thread here, but I just don't see what all the fuss was about.

That's how I felt about it. All you fans: if I was "whatever" about the first, should I bother with the next two?

I finally finished Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson. That was one fantastic (and fantastically long) book. I'll definitely be checking out Quicksilver when it comes out.

Just re read this, and it was better than I remembered. When's Quicksilver due?

 

[Olive]

I finished up Golden Fool by Robin Hobb (next book in early 2004... ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!). The third book, Fool's Fate, looks to be pretty awesome - I know one tiny spoiler and I know what the book cover looks like, if anyone's interested.

I'll bite. Maybe you should email me, for those who don't want to see it.

 

[hellbender]

Re-reading Fritz Leiber for the zillionth time, just finished the superb 'Adept's Gambit story from Lean times in Lankhmar.
Short stories by Japanese writer Akutagawa Ryonosuke (the collected short stories are awesome.
And the Warhammer novel 'Gilead's Blood'

h

 

[Azlan]

Ooo, I'll second the call for a good pirate book recomendation????

Wyvern, by A. A. Attanasio. (It's been out of print for a while. However, I see there are quite a few used copies available through Amazon.) It's a relatively recent written novel that is a blend of fantasy and history. The main character is the son of a Dutch sea captain and a Borneo native. He starts off as a witch-doctor's apprentice. Later, he is kidnapped by pirates and befriends the captain of the dreaded man-of-war, the Wyvern. Lots of swashbuckling adventure as he joins the pirates in combating the mercantile empire that exploits Asia.

If you want to try older books, the "pirate" classics, then I recommend Rafael Sabatini's Captain Blood and The Sea-Hawk.

Speaking of classics, I just finished John Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath (one of the few novels I've read in my lifetime whose ending actually made me shed a tear). I'm now starting Steinbeck's East of Eden. After this (assuming I finish it), I intend to get back into fantasy (well, historical fantasy, anyway) by reading the Books of Ash series, by Mary Gentle, beginning with A Secret History.

 

[Cthulhu's Librarian]

Pirate novels - I just saw Pirates of the Carribbean. Any recs?

I'd recommend On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers. It won ther World Fantasy Award in 1988, but is now out of print, and might be difficult to find. I've only seen it once in a used book shop, but you might have better luck.
Here's a review: On Stranger Tides review

 

[Gizzard]

I'd recommend On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers. It won ther World Fantasy Award in 1988, but is now out of print, and might be difficult to find.

I walked over to the bookshelf and grabbed this based on the recommendation. It seems very familiar, I must have read it when it came out in '87. Fortunately, I've forgotten enough of it that there's still tension in the story - I can't quite remember where it's going (though I have my suspicions!)

Of course, Powers is very good; I'd recommend his work in general, especially things like Expiration Date.

 

[Scorch]

Re-reading Game of Thrones and the rest of the books for Songs of Fire and Ice in preparation for the new book later this year.

Scorch