Fantasy Book Club discussion

Can you believe it? It's July!

Tell us your reading experiences.
:)

Ok, I've got to ask - third month now there's no "you" in the thread title - is that on purpose? I keep looking at "What are reading..." and it's bugging me :)

I haven't managed to finish any books for a couple weeks now - I keep starting things and putting them down. So instead I'm binge-watching Lost.

I did start Legend yesterday and I think I'll be finishing this one.

Oopps...sorry my mind is on other troubles I'll fix them. Feel free to mention my app-stakes any time.

Or..just checking to see who is paying attention.
;)

Ya never know.

Michele wrote: " So instead I'm binge-watching Lost.

I did start Legend yesterday and I think I'll be finishing this one."

Ah, how I loved Lost!! Let us know how you liked Legend, I know it's a very popular book, but I still have to try a Gemmell book!!

Just finished Uprooted, truly a lovely fairy-tale with a no-nonsense heroine and a captivating story.
Currently reading a humorous Arthurian tale, The Table of Less Valued Knights, it reads very easily!

Just opened the thread for a read of The Ships of Merior https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/... the second book in the Wars of Light and Shadow, all are welcome!

I've just read Burning Alexandria, small but fun. Then I started Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell which I was too tired to really read!

I've waited months for a library copy of The Martian. Finally, it's available! I hope this book lives up to all the hype...

I have started The Wasp Factory

Just accidentally got interested in Harry Turtledove's series, "The War That Came too Soon," and looks like I'm going to be reading this for the rest of the summer.

Currently reading Outlander cause I want to watch the show, then planning on joining the sister group for the Elfstones of Shannara since I'd like to complete that main series and everyone says the next two books are more original.

Audiobooks- I may continue on with the Night Angel series right away or may need a break by the end of The Way of Shadows, only 1/4 way thru presently. I may try Daughter of Smoke and Bone soon as well.
At the halfway point thru the year and have read 55 books! Hooray!

I am reading The Ryn, Deceptions Pawn, and Unraveled.

Oh, and Mockingbird.

And made a mistake, Unrravel from thhe series.

I am reading The Eye of The World, and really liking it.

Here is my review of excession, 5th book in culture series.

Here is my review of 2nd book in the Gormenghast trilogy.

Hyperion by Dan Simmons.

Dang but this book is awesome.

Cracked, The Iron Trial

Written in red was a turn down~

Started up the final volume of The First Law Trilogy, Last Argument of Kings. Already pulled into the story. Really loving it~

Shari Kay wrote: "Mili wrote: "Written in red was a turn down~

Started up the final volume of The First Law Trilogy, Last Argument of Kings. Already pulled into the story. Really loving it~"

Sorry yo..."

I really like Joe abercrombies writing, Last argument of kings starts off good =) Cant wait for the final of Shattered sea series.

Soul meaning sounds interesting! Will await your review ;)

Yeah, it's already July.

I'm still on Camus, and then on The Book of Disquiet, Mont-Oriol and Historian.

All different, but all kind of boring, except the Maupassant.

Just started Uprooted, as well as Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (at a friends recommendation.)

I'm also close to finishing The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil (Not an easy [or fun] read, but totally captivating in it's premise (even if I'm not 100% certain I buy into it.)

And midway through The Seventh Magpie.

Also trying to do a buddy-read (with Alissa and Amy) of "Wars of Light & Shadow".

And at some point, I may get back to my chronological read-thru of the entire Shannara series.

Shadowdenizen wrote: "Just started Uprooted, as well as Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (at a friends recommendation.)

I'm also close to finishing The Luci..."

How are you liking Uprooted?
Absolutely enjoying discussing about The Ships of Merior, my ideas about certain characters have changed in time, and going back to Merior is adding a lot of clarity, the clues of the later developments were all there. How I enjoy this game!

Currently reading The Way Into Chaos and enjoying it very much! I'll probably invest in this trilogy. Then it's finally the turn of Stormwarden, I'm very curious to read a Wurts book with younger protagonists, I already know it's not YA or a classic coming-of-age story, so I really want to know what's in store for the reader :)

With Uprooted, I can totally see what all the hype was about! It's the real deal, and I'm loving it thus far! Her writing style is perfectly suited to a "Modern Fairy-Tale".

Of course, I've been following the "Termeraire" series since it started, so I was already well-aware and predisposed to like anything she writes!

The Way Into Chaostook me by surprise; I ususally tend to avoid military fantasy/sci-fi, but this totally sucked me in right from the get-go.

Robert wrote: "Hyperion by Dan Simmons.

Dang but this book is awesome."

It gets even better! While the Canterbury Tales style is neat in the first book, all the rest were even better in my opinion. It's my favorite sci-fi series by far.

I'm reading Dauntless, which is interesting military sci-fi-wise, but perhaps a bit overly involved with just battles.

Also skimming World After. First book was a total train-wreck but it was self-published so a little leeway is in order. Book two has less painful prose but still the PNR element is so not believable. That said, it's the first real horror element I've seen in YA fantasy, so at least the author tried to be different.

I just started reading, "Discarded Science," by John Grant last night, and I love it. This is a history of science with great detail and writing skill. Last night I began reading about the history of fossils. This is not about how fossils are made, but how science finally proved how they are made--and most important, how they got the world to accept the truth. Or what they think is the truth. Scientific knowledge has a way of changing.

Love this book. Wanna finish it real bad.

I just started The Crown Conspiracy

I'm currently reading Furies of Calderon and enjoying it. I didn't like the Dresden File books by the same author so I was a bit reluctant to start but so far so good.
After seeing many good reviews and recommendations on goodreads lately I plan to start reading Uprooted next.
And also heard a lot of good reviews on the audiobook of The Blade Itself #1 so might start with that as well.

FWIW, I'm digging Uprooted, but I am exactly the target audience for it. :)

I may be in the minority, but I liked the Codex Alera stuff from Jim Butcher much better than the Dresden files. Let us know what you think of the series as you progress!

Uprooted does sound interesting, thanks for mentioning it!

Tara, I'm currently reading the First Law trilogy. The blade itself was great, book two was even better in my opinion and busy reading part 3 =)Hope youll like it!

Finished American Elsewhere, which was so good, and am starting something completely different with The Space Opera Renaissance.

I finished Legend by David Gemmell which I loved and was moved enough to actually write a review.

Now I'm taking a break from genre with Cold Comfort Farm.

Mili wrote: "Uprooted does sound interesting, thanks for mentioning it!

Tara, I'm currently reading the First Law trilogy. The blade itself was great, book two was even better in my opinion and busy reading pa..."

Cool, makes me more interested in reading it :)

@Shadowdenizen So far Furies of Calderon is quite interesting. I like the fact that it started strong and fast pace and didn't drag in the beginning. Though I still need more time to understand the furies and how they work...

Shadowdenizen wrote: "FWIW, I'm digging Uprooted, but I am exactly the target audience for it. :)

I may be in the minority, but I liked the Codex Alera stuff from Jim Butcher much better than the Dresd..."

I am one of those minority people too

I read The Furies of Calderon, and really enjoyed.
I think it's the last full series I've read.


From what I know of Dresden....I would not like it so much. I'll wait on that for a while, plenty of others I'm involved with.
;D

Dresden is a good series that has very specific failings that become much more pronounced in the later volumes, when the "case-File" aspects take moer a backseat to the ongoing metaplot.

(I call this the "PUnching-Bag-Harry Syndrome.")

Tara wrote: "@Shadowdenizen So far Furies of Calderon is quite interesting. I like the fact that it started strong and fast pace and didn't drag in the beginning. Though I still need more time to u..."

The first book is definetly the set-up, and will be heavily referenced later in the series. (Can't say anything more for fear of spoilers.) :)

Tom wrote: "I am reading The Eye of The World, and really liking it."
Love love love that whole series. Good choice!

I just finished Abercrombie's Half the World, and am eagerly waiting for Half A War. Getting my reading fix with some scifi at the moment by John Scalzi.

Finishing up Ryan's Tower Lord and about to start on Heroes Die by Matthew Woodring Stover.

Robin wrote: "I just finished Abercrombie's Half the World, and am eagerly waiting for Half A War. Getting my reading fix with some scifi at the moment by John Scalzi."

Very excited to read Half a War.

One more week! Also looking forward to Half a War =D

Dragging on Last Argument of Kings, too tired after work and away for the weekend. Grrr, how could this be a bad thing! I want to finish so bad~

am reading A Storm of Swords and The Red Knight. Storm of Swords is awesome and The Red Knight is meh so far.

Hmm I was planning on picking up The Red Knight soon. I hope it gets better for you.

Ian wrote: "Hmm I was planning on picking up The Red Knight soon. I hope it gets better for you."

me too, I am very interested in The Red Knight, I loved Cameron's William Gold series, so I am very curious to try his fantasy. As I am about Heroes Die, let us know how you like it, Ian!

I am currently reading The Way Into Darkness, the final book of this trilogy, and I am really enjoying the series, it is an unusual blend of sword&sorcery and military fantasy, but character-driven, with nice worldbuilding/magic system (I would not call it original but it is very engrossing), mysteries and quests without a sprawly plot, nicely written. book 2 was very fine too, even though it is the middle book and it shows, book 3 is very pacey so far. If there are no slips on the finish line, it is a solid 4- stars series for me.

I love the Furies too, they just kept getting better with each book. I woke up thinking of this series, odd coincidence. I did read the first Dresden after watching the series but never felt the need to continue.

Sumant wrote: "Here is my review of 2nd book in the Gormenghast trilogy."

Gormenghast... one of my all time favourite books. Where Gormenghast itself is the greatest 'character' of all. Superb achievement.

Shadowdenizen wrote: "Dresden is a good series that has very specific failings that become much more pronounced in the later volumes, when the "case-File" aspects take moer a backseat to the ongoing metaplot.

(I call t..."

This is why I love the Dresden Files. The "real world" aspects give way to the more imaginary ones. This also ties the books together much tighter. However, I have to say I HATED Ghost Story. But the plot of the series does pick back up after this book. I haven't read Skin Game yet. I have heard that it's not that good.

I am looking forward to reading The Furies of Calderon.

Currently Reading:
Audiobook - Grave Peril by Jim Butcher

*I am enjoying the Dresden Files so far, I've heard that they get better as they go but the problems that you have with them continue. I'm already getting tired of the punching bag Harry and the "I'm completely out of energy but I'm going to grab some more for the 3rd time anyway." It doesn't bother me enough to stop yet. Still fun audiobooks to listen to, big fan of Marsters as well.

Ebook - Queen of Fire by Anthony Ryan

*Really enjoying it, setting up for a good finish for a great trilogy.

On Deck:
Audiobook: Summer Knight by Jim Butcher

Ebook: Either House of Chains by Steven Erikson

OR

Armada by Ernest Cline