What are you reading ?

I am just getting started with Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser books. Decided to go old school and see why Gary Gygax recommended them in the Dungeons Master Guide. They were also highly recommended in Deities and Demigods.

I'm reading inferno; the movie preview looked interesting so I read the books before the movies come out
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Not a bad book but obviously pretty light.

Paul S. Kemp "Egil & Nix" fantasy books. Just started; they're good.

Also I've never read a single Discworld book in my life so I'm checking that out.

Originally Posted by Arhu
Fantastic book. If you enjoy it, do follow up with the rest of the Midkemia Saga, The Empire Trilogy, Krondor's Sons, and maybe the Serpentwar Saga. Those were excellent.

I second that. In fact, the Empire trilogy is up there in my top 3 of all-time favorite trilogies. I literally devoured that, though I am a complete sucker for political intrigue. I stopped reading after Exile's Return due to lack of time, but the entire cycle (comprised of a staggering 30 books) is due for a re-read soon.

Originally Posted by ElderGnome
Also I've never read a single Discworld book in my life so I'm checking that out.

I read the first one a while ago, but eh, not really my cup of tea. It was a little too "silly" for my tastes. I have the 2nd one too, but don't really have any desire to start it.

Read the Discworld City Watch books. I loved them, and I liked them a lot better than the other books (those with Mort and Granny and so on).


Then again, I'd read any City Watch book.

The Feist novels are indeed awesome, I envy anyone reading them for the first time. You won't be disappointed.

Proving that I have gone insane, if I was ever the opposite, I have been reading Earl Derr Biggers' Charlie Chan novels. I bought a hard backed compilation of all 5 novels. I've already read 'The House Without a Key' and am in the middle of 'The Chinese Parrot'.

It's always interesting to read books written in another time. Not just written as if it were another time; writers tend to overlay their own experiences and times over what they write, not to mention the styles of writing are different. In the end, it is far different than if someone wrote a Charlie Chan novel now, even if they reused the same plots and settings.

They are also different than the various movies popularized by the likes of Warner Oland and Sidney Toler. As much as I love those films, and they do a solid portrayal of the Hawaiian detective (not so much Roland winters though), many of the "Chanisms" were actually created for the movies. And many mystery tropes which are used in the movies don't appear here, or are red herrings to those who've read entirely too many of these novels and watched too many of these movies.

I can recommend digging up a copy. Mine was published in the 80's, but there's probably a newer printing somewhere.

On a side note, the asshole in me keeps seeing misspelled words. The first novel was released in 1925. Surely after all this time someone could have done some basic editing. Though I guess that would go against the thought of publishing the original stories exactly as they appeared.

I read Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey. Her first novel and part of a trilogy. It's an epic fantasy novel about Phèdre, a prostitute "fit for kings" who also happens to be a spy, taking place in an alternate medieval Europe. It's reminiscent of Game of Thrones, though very different and told from a first person perspective. Good world building and interesting story. While the first two chapters almost had me fall asleep and the next few were mildly intriguing at best, things picked up soon and had me breezing through until the end. There's also lots of kinky sex (Phèdre enjoys pain), which is, however, not distracting but an intrinsic part of the plot.


Currently I'm busy reading Liu Cixin's The Three Body Problem, which was recommended in this thread. Not what I expected, but I'm enjoying it all the same. It's one of those novels that makes you think and it reads like a mix between Ready Player One and Sophie's World, with a dash of Celestine Prophecy stirred in -- but with physics instead of 80's nerd culture, philosophy or spirituality as its theme. Lots of fun so far (about halfway through).

Luckily, the third part of the trilogy (Remembrance of Earth’s Past) has been out for a month in the English speaking world, so I can read all of it in succession.

Brian Wood-The Chronicles of Trayvian James

Very nice tale about a alternate reality or cross-worlds saga. This is the story of Tray, a Colorado, United States high-school student who crosses worlds every night when he falls asleep. On Earth he's a wimpy loser with no friends. On the other world he is the most powerful mage in generations, though he still screws up like anyone else. There are prophecies surrounding a Dreamer, and Tray believes that this is all about him. However, he doesn't truly believe the other world is real.

The author kindly asks you to buy his $27 hardcover as the very first words of his next novel, which I found amusing. A good book will sell itself.

Reading Octavia E. Butler's Xenogenesis trilogy (Dawn, Adulthood Rites and Imago, also available in the omnibus Lilith's Brood), currently busy with the second book. It's a really great story about what it means to be human. After humanity has wiped itself out, the leftover survivors are rescued by an alien race who happen to evolve by genetically merging with other species. And that is the price to pay for continued survival (a trade, as the Oankali call it). Very fascinating and slightly disturbing read. And the aliens do seem very alien.

Originally Posted by Arhu
Reading Octavia E. Butler's Xenogenesis trilogy (Dawn, Adulthood Rites and Imago, also available in the omnibus Lilith's Brood), currently busy with the second book. It's a really great story about what it means to be human. After humanity has wiped itself out, the leftover survivors are rescued by an alien race who happen to evolve by genetically merging with other species. And that is the price to pay for continued survival (a trade, as the Oankali call it). Very fascinating and slightly disturbing read. And the aliens do seem very alien.

I'd forgotten some of that but thought the trilogy was amazing!

Some reasonable military SF from Joel Shepherd, first in series is Renegade

(Current pain medication levels mean anything complex I can't read so lots of great books waiting :-(

Sorry to hear. Get better soon!

Thanks frewtnewton, unfortunately a long term chronic condition that has flared. Hopefully should reduce enough so I can dint my two backlogs, reading and gaming

BTW, aside from me anyone on goodreads? I've found it useful for book recommendations and also keeping track of favourite authors.

if you are interested in connecting there pm me and I will respond with my id.

Originally Posted by Hurls
BTW, aside from me anyone on goodreads? I've found it useful for book recommendations and also keeping track of favourite authors.

I am pretty active there. Very nice place with good community.

Originally Posted by Hurls
if you are interested in connecting there pm me and I will respond with my id.

Same, if anyone is interested to see what crap I been reading send me pm.

Originally Posted by Hurls
BTW, aside from me anyone on goodreads? I've found it useful for book recommendations and also keeping track of favourite authors.

if you are interested in connecting there pm me and I will respond with my id.

Haven't been using Goodreads since they were bought by Amazon years ago. Too bad really, it was an amazing place and the site looked great.

The first Gaunt's Ghosts novel - First and Only. A WH40k series based on a Commissar and his regiment of Imperial Guards. It's easy to digest SF and I like the setting. Before this some old Piers Anthony - Apprentice Adept. Have paused reading that one. It started promisingly enough as SF but has shifted to fantasy and I've just had to endure pages and pages detailing the main characters understanding of all things equine and a very in depth description of the patterns made by horse hooves when they run. All so the protagonist can tame a female unicorn, that at the end of course turns into a beautiful girl that he then sleeps with - weird.

Before the Fall, by Noah Hawley. I've read one of his other books and I'm a huge fan of his tv work, so I was expecting a decent read with this one. It does not disappoint, from reading the book cover I had one idea about how this novel would go, and I was way off base. If thrillers are something you enjoy, this might be right up your alley.