What Are You Reading?

[Chun the Unavoidable]

Did I get to do it first? Did I?

Anyway, I'm still reading The Bounty - The True Story of the Mutiny on the Bounty, by Caroline Alexandre.

[Squiggle]

Good work.

I am currently re-reading Jingo by the inestimable Terry Pratchett. It is an amazing book.

I just finished Salamander by Nick Kyme. I enjoyed it, but I think the middle was a little weak. I also never want to read the word "cerulean" again.

I now have Firedrake to read, which promises much.

[Maugan Ra]

At the moment, I'm reading Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett. Earlier today, I bought and read the Watchmen graphic novel, which was rather awesome.

[J D Dunsany]

How weird. Wintersmith is on the desk next to me as I type and Mrs Dunsany (who is a longsuffering soul but likes her Pratchett) is reading Jingo at the moment.

It's been a while since I've given a proper run-down of books in progress, so...

Deathwing - ed. David Pringle. Just finished Storm Constantine's story 'Lacrymata' which, along with Ian Watson's 'Warped Stars', was baroquely textured gothic goodness, peppered with the kind of feverish sexuality that is now pretty much absent from BL's output. Watson's probably too clever for his own good, really - and the plot of Constantine's story is incredibly basic - but the sheer imagination with which both authors explore the setting makes me yearn for a bit more of this kind of story as opposed to the more sanitised and action-orientated focus of the current crop of BL fiction. There'll be a proper review of this at some point, time permitting.

On the e-reader:

Horus Rising - Dan Abnett. A re-read and a very impressive one. This novel is worthy of some proper intelligent discussion. The world-building is spot on; the characterisation of Astartes as semi-mythical demi-gods with the kind of character flaws that the Greek pantheon possessed is also very arresting. And you've got to love the remembrancers like Keeler, Oliton and Karkasy. The pace is sedate but it pulls you in very powerfully into the 31st millennium. Utterly fab.

Gardens of the Moon - Steven Erikson. Another re-read, but I'm liking it better this time around. Some of it appears less subtle than I remember it, but it's still very readable and very involving. (Btw, I read Chun and Mossy's comments on the previous thread and probably will invest in The Name of the Wind at some point - it sounds like my kind of thing.)

Tess of the d'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy. Yes, it's a set text, but it's also a profoundly well-written novel. I've learnt a lot about the mechanics of sentence and paragraph construction, as well as how to write setting, just by reading it.

There's other stuff on the go, too - but this is the stuff I've read/dipped into in the last few days.

Regards,

JDD

[Xisor]

Tess marked a massive changing point in my reading/writing ideas too. My dad's far-and-away favourite author is Thomas Hardy, mentions it every time decent reading comes up. I was surprised by just how right he was in how excellently written they are. Where Tess is a pretty bleak book, it's immensely more enjoyable as a reader than Pride and Prejudice (which I tried to read a short while after).

Anyway, I'm still reading The Hunt for Voldemort, and though I'm enjoying it, I find I keep criticising it in my head. Not utterly amazing, but so far it's enjoyable.

[Pipitán]

The Writer's Journey, by Christopher Vogler. It's very interesting, although his style is annoying.

[Loremaster]

just started reading Blood Gorgons by Henry Zou ... expecting another brutal story in the same style as his previous two books Emperor's Mercy and Flesh and Iron.
Once thats finished will see what comes to hand from the pile of books next to my seat that are unread.... or maybe something that i have picked up and Black library live

[Ommadawn]

I just finished Brandon Sanderson's Book 13 of the Wheel of Time series, Towers of Midnight. Seriously, this guy has breathed new life into what was becoming a tired series with no end in sight. I can't wait to read the final book, now.

Now, of course, I've finally gotten around to reading Hammer and Bolter (issue 1). A pretty good selection of short stories and extracts, I think I'll keep buying these.

[Boc]

Currently reading Dark Disciple, just finished Prospero Burns.

[David Earle]

Okay, I'm online and fully operational.

Still reading Savage Scars at the moment, though I took a quick break to read both of the Eisenhorn short stories.

[Shatol]

Currently reading that the bolthole moved.
All hail the dedicated staff.

[Mossy Toes]

JDD: I'm glad. Very glad. I sincerely hope that you enjoy it as much as I did.

I, on the other hand, have moved on to the seventh volume of the Malazan Book of the Fallen: Reaper's Gale. I also have Fallen Angels at my disposal (loaned by a friend, like the other 3 HH books I read just recently), and a book of my choice to read for school. I chose, from the listed examples, The Road. It's been buried in one of my stacks for a while now, and I've heard almost universally good things about it, so I'm glad to have the excuse to pull it out and dust off the spine.

Also considering indulging in The Great Bay, a piece of sci fi that's set in a local where (to me) and spans a local when to, oh, sixteen thousand years in the future. It was loaned to me by my (rather liberal, sustainable living agenda-ed) ceramics teacher--the same one that loaned me Brunner's The Sheep Look Up.

[J D Dunsany]

Not read The Sheep Look Up, but I'm about a hundred pages into Stand On Zanzibar which is phenomenal really - a visionary book both in terms of subject matter and style.

The Road is an amazing book. I read it a couple of years ago at roughly the same time as a work colleague and our mutual enthusiasm for it made for some of the most satisfying and thoughtful conversations I've ever had. So, yeah, I recommend it wholeheartedly and, you know, if you want to chat about it, I'll happily do so.

JDD

[Chun the Unavoidable]

I mean to read The Road, but I think I have to be in the right frame of mind. The film left me in shreds.

To Stand on Zanzibar is indeed a classic, and one I will return to when I've grown up a bit.

[Bane Of Kings]

I am currently re-reading Galaxy in Flames by Ben Counter.

[J D Dunsany]

I mean to read The Road, but I think I have to be in the right frame of mind. The film left me in shreds.

I do know what you mean. It's an intense book (not seen the movie yet - although the work colleague I mentioned previously was very positive about it) which I read in about a week (which, for me, is very quick indeed) during a summer holiday.

It's one of those books you need to be prepared to sink your time into, because it's such an intense read. Once it hooks you it doesn't let you go.

All the best!

JDD

[Fiorfin]

I have to say I read The Road a while ago and found it a bit bland and unoriginal, sorry peeps.

Currently still in the Discworld reading The Last Continent.

[Hunstar]

I've tried to read The Road several times but I keep putting it down. I think i may have to abandon it completely.

At the minute I'm reading The Desert Spear by Peter V. Brett

[Northern]

Honour and the Sword by Al Berridge and very good it is too. Set in France during the 30 years war, it has the requisite amount of buckles being swashed.

[Balhaar]

Currently reading 'Sharpe's Gold' by Bernard Cornwell. After that I plan on getting stuck into Les Miserables by Victor Hugo.