What are you reading?

Finished reading Fevre Dream by George R.R. Martin. Not what I usually read, I'm more into classic Fantasy or Sci-Fi, but this was recommended to me by a friend as simply a very good novel. And it was.

The book is horror-themed and is largely about steamboats on the Mississippi and Vampires, the latter of which got a new legend behind them that is a bit different from the norm but very interesting all the same. While I didn't find the book particularly scary, the era and life was portrayed nicely with lots of detail on steamboats and the river. And albeit the setting wasn't really my thing, I must say that the story was gripping and beautifully told in such a way that made it all sound exciting. A very fine novel and a page turner.

magerette said:

Don Quixote is a great book. I read it in high school and loved it, despite the difficulties of the language and trying to understand the minds of people at the time it was written. Robinson Crusoe is another book from the past that I loved.

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If you loved those, then just try The Treaure Island, or how the book is called ... Wait, I'll fetch it for the correct title ...

By Robert Louis Stephenson : "Treasure Island". I think you might like it.

I've read most of Stephenson, Alrik, and loved it all. Treasure Island is good, but I almost like Kidnapped, The Black Arrow and The Master of Ballantrae better, not to mention The Strange Case of Dr Jeckyll and Mr Hyde. I think he's one of the most readable of the older authors, and the one who gave me my love of historical fiction in the first place.

Just finished a detective novel by Rick Riordan..fantasy lovers here may know him as the author of the young adult Percy Jackson and the Olympians series(The Lightning Thief, etc) The guy is really an excellent writer, and The Devil Went Down to Austin is a great novel in the genre, with a nice picture of the contradiction that is Austin,Texas, humor that frequently makes you laugh out loud as you read and some scary underwater claustrophobic murders in scuba gear that give you quite a vivid sense of menace as well. Highly recommended to those who like the mystery and private eye motifs but not the blood-soaked pages-thriller emphasis in their crime fiction.

I'm just reading "The Yellow Sign and Other Stories" by Robert W. Chambers. Nice stuff... and now I'm back to Carcosa and the King in Yellow, to bow before the black stars.

Just finished The Descent by Jeff Long. Very compelling. I'll read the sequel after something else so as not to get burnt out on his work.

In terms of genre, it could largely be considered adventure (he calls it epic adventure on his site), but there is a fair share of sci-fi and horror. It reminded me of reading something from Dan Simmons, Michael Crichton, and Stephen King mixed together. This may steer some away, but I recommend it if you like the latter authors. I have recently found myself intrigued by books involving Hell, and this one was good for satisfying my curiosity.

Just finished "The Painted Man" by Peter V. Brett.

It is in some ways a classic post Armageddon fantasy novel, all tech is forgotten, young boy goes on an adventure - You know the drill. And like all good fantasy it has a twist. This world is haunted by elemental demons that come during night, and the only thing people can do is hide beyond magical wards that are rendered useless if one stroke is out of place or even obscured by something.
The book follows three young people and their path into adulthood, and their experiences with death and demons.

I found it a very good read, and can easily recommend it to anyone who enjoys a slightly darker fantasy style. The book has you thinking about ways the wards can be used before long, and manages to make you feel the tension and emotions of the people it depicts. Some slight bumps, like the occasional story jump that feels a little out of place, can be found - but all in all its a "just one more chapter, then i HAVE to sleep" kind of book.

Peter V. Brett is definitely on my watch list now, and i can't wait for the next installment of this trilogy.

Finished chapter 13 'Nausicaa' of James Joyce's Ulysses today (putting me about the half-way mark). I had expected a somewhat challenging read, but I didn't know when I bought it that 'cryptic' would be a better descriptor for many chapters. After the initial shock of trying to read chapter 3 for the first time, I've sort of gotten into it though, and have begun to appreciate the artistic talent of the author.

I'm about finished with vol 5 of The Batman Chronicles. Its every Batman story published, in order. My lunch book at work is a book on World War 1. Lovely lunch book; I turn the page and there's a half rotted skeleton, flesh dangling off the hands and twisted into bizarre contortions. Appetizing, no?

I'm finally getting to the end of "Anathma", Neal Stephenson's latest novel. It's pretty damn interesting, as usual (and LOOOONGGG). It's got a lot of theoretical math and science, including a demonstration of alternate realities/universes. It starts out somewhat medieval and ends up with space travel. A rather crazy wild trip.

KazikluBey said:

Finished chapter 13 'Nausicaa' of James Joyce's Ulysses today (putting me about the half-way mark). I had expected a somewhat challenging read, but I didn't know when I bought it that 'cryptic' would be a better descriptor for many chapters. After the initial shock of trying to read chapter 3 for the first time, I've sort of gotten into it though, and have begun to appreciate the artistic talent of the author.

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Wow. Ulysses.

I usually eat books like cookies. Something the length of Ulysses might normally take me maybe 2-3 days.

It took me about two months, I think. I've only ever read it once, when I was about 16 or 17, and it remains one of the most transformational, meaningful things I've ever read. I don't think any book ever has evoked as powerful a sense of being there as Ulysses; there's almost no actual descriptive stuff there, yet I can still smell, hear, and feel Joyce's Dublin just by thinking of the book -- the sand crunching underfoot on the walk on the beach, the smell of damp, the sea, stale cigarette smoke, and burnt kidney on the stove, the echoes in the stone halls of the university... powerful stuff.

I've picked it up since a couple of times, but have never managed to muster the courage to dive in again, beyond revisiting a few choice passages. I've never managed to read anything else by James Joyce either, barring perhaps a few short stories.

In Swedish, reading and studying is often used for the same thing, so I am going to say I am currently reading Social Anthropology.

I have just finished the book Veiled Sentiments about beduines and their use of poetry as a 2nd layer of communication. They have an official ethic rooted in stoicism and Islam, and an inofficial communication expressed in poetry. In a situation they can through their acts conform to the ideals of the tribe, which gives status, but they can in the same time express the direct opposite opinion through poetry that express subjective deep inner feelings. This double standard can be very confusing for someone who judge appearent behavior as a primary indicator of a persons thought patterns. Their acts might clearly show one message to the viewer, but the emotions expressed through the poetry in the same situation can be the direct opposite.

Beduines of course isn't the only culture who have a double culture, one official, one behind the mask, but very rarely is a such complete and complex form of expression for the "feelings behind the mask" evolved such as in the beduine society.

Prime Junta said:

I've picked it up since a couple of times, but have never managed to muster the courage to dive in again, beyond revisiting a few choice passages. I've never managed to read anything else by James Joyce either, barring perhaps a few short stories.

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From what I understand he didn't write that many books, since it took so long to write Ulysses and his, even according to people who liked Ulysses, nigh incomprehensible Finnegan's Wake.

I can only agree about the impact of Ulysses so far though.

I love Joyce ... but agree that his stuff is a lot of work to get through, particularly Finnegan!

I'm currently halfway through The Gathering Storm- Book 12 of The Wheel of Time. In some ways it's better than the originals.

Corwin said:

I'm currently halfway through The Gathering Storm- Book 12 of The Wheel of Time. In some ways it's better than the originals.

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What, it's out? Why didn't anyone tell me! Need to find summaries of the previous books to refresh my memory. Glad to hear you like it.

Fallen by Tim Lebbon

The author has won lots of awards in the horror genre, so I was rather excited to give him a try on his entry into "dark fantasy". While it wasn't a bad read, I ended up a bit disappointed. The "dark" aspect only applies because most of the characters die. The adventure/quest aspect wasn't terribly exciting, either. Eventually, I'll give Lebbon another shot with the books that actually won the horror awards, but it's not a high priority at this point.

Just started Gardens of the Moon solely because of some rave reviews around here, so if it sucks, it's on you. You know who you are.

I have nightmares from reading "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" by James Joyce in high school. At that time, I found it incredibly boring, and I blame it for ruining my eyesight.

Needless to say, even though I have an original first edition "Finnegan's Wake" from my father, I haven't dared to open it... But I may rethink that...

Why, Why, Why do I do this to myself EVERY TIME?

I get bored of the way my books read and want a little more spice and illusion in my reading. I run back to Clive Barker. I have NEVER walked away from a Clive Barker book and known EVERYTHING it means to say to you. The names of his characters tend to confuse as he uses so many that are long and meaty. Full of sex and violence. ALL kinds of sex and violence for that matter which I ONLY tolerate from him as he doesn't exploit it for the most part in the ones I take to read. But he ALWAYS disappoints me. He has 3 series out there and they ALL await the third and final novel that will close these stories he has written over 15 years. SUCH a disappointment. But when I'm reading them I am in their thrall. I am immersed in their world and want never to leave until the rip me from the afterbirth in the end of it's birth. I read and then I wait. I read the again and then I wait. I wait for nothing. . . .I wait for three books that will never come to give me pleasure. I am a woman scorned by this man and have faith in him no longer. Until he calls to me one night with soft words and wind caresses on my face. . .come back to me. . .he will say. . .and I will not refuse. I will be back into the circle of his stories that never let me go . . . . . . . for I am his.

Reading the 4th book in the Horus Heresy series of warhammer 40k books, "Flight of the Eisenstein". All hell's broke loose, Horus has went bonkers and literally decimated Imperial legions that he knew wouldnt join his coup. Not everyone knows about it yet tho, this is the beginnning of it starting to finally spread beyond the initial betrayal and battle.

Awesome friggen book, awesome series. Makes me love the wh40k universe all the more.

My fiancee got me this one for xmas, pretty much a huge tome of artwork and such from this paperback series. It sent me to my happy place. Several times. =]
The Horus Heresy: Collected Visions (Hardcover)

I am currently reading "The Lost Symbol" penned down by Dan Brown. I am a great fan of Dan Brown. I have read "The Da Vinci Code", "Digital Fortress" and "Angles & Demons" among his other good ones.