The Sword and Laser discussion

This is it, your last chance to brag about what you're reading in 2014.

For me it's Revival by Stephen King and A Certain Magical Index by Kazuma Kamachi.

I think I'll be ending this year reading Red Seas Under Red Skies and the book after it..

Tara wrote: "I think I'll be ending this year reading Red Seas Under Red Skies or the book after it.."

Excellent books! : )

I'm getting through the VF and S+L pick and then moving on to Flowers for Algernon.

I started Perdido Street Station today. I'm also reading The Forge of Darkness with the Malazan Fallen group.

Finishing up Goblin Emperor for my audiobook quite good not exactly what I was expecting. Probably going to go back to the Hero's guide series for audio books next because I need some light humor+Bronson Pinchot.

I am staring at a large pile of books I need to read, Black Prism and Black Company are currently the most probable...probably Black Company first because I should be able to finish it quicker.

Just started the "Koban" series...just finished the Magicians series and the first book in the "Pure" series and was looking for a space book or two. Writer is a bit juvenile with the dialog but pretty good thus far. (about 1/2 done).

Finishing The Blinding Knife today and also starting Perdido Street Station this evening :)

I finished The Luminaries during my lunch break. I really enjoyed it (4 out of 5 stars). I would love to see someone adapt this as a miniseries for one of the better cable channels.

Up next is The Golem and the Jinni and And A Bottle of Rum: A History of the New World In Ten Cocktails.

I finished The Count of Monte Cristo right before my Thanksgiving trip. Great story! It had some slow bits, but I think it all worked out in the end. I will probably rewatch the 2002 movie with Jim Caviziel now that I've read the book.

I've started my Asimov (re)read and I've read all of the Robot short stories (The Complete Robot plus a few other stories out there) and I've finished The Caves of Steel--I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I did.

Taking a quick break now to read my book club books--The Six-Gun Tarot for a real-life club and then Sword & Laser's pick.

In addition to continuing with The Eyre Affair and Joe the Barbarian, I've started Jumper. (Although I technically started that at the end of Nov)

Dharmakirti wrote: "I finished The Luminaries during my lunch break. I really enjoyed it (4 out of 5 stars). I would love to see someone adapt this as a miniseries for one of the better cable channel..."

I thought The Luminaries was great. I'm a sucker for gold rushes, but beyond that the structure was clever and the writing engaging.

I've just started The City of Stairs and am already caught up. It is strongly reminding me of The City and The City at the moment, which is a definite good thing in my book. (I'm jealous of everyone getting to read Perdido Street Station for the first time!)

Whipping Star by Frank Herbert. Don't know anything about it but I picked it up cheap at a used book sale.

Then onto a Stephen King book. Don't know which one yet. My choices: Full Dark, No Stars, Thinner or The Dead Zone. Any suggestions?

I recall liking The Dead Zone. I havent read the other two.

I'm currently reading Io Deceneus: Journal of a Time Traveler by Florian Armas.

It has been a surprisingly interesting and complex reading time. I'm enjoying it so far. By the way,i loved the suggestions the other members added here.

Geoff wrote: "Whipping Star by Frank Herbert. Don't know anything about it but I picked it up cheap at a used book sale.

Then onto a Stephen King book. Don't know which one yet. My choices: [book:F..."

Have not read Full Dark but I enjoyed Thinner much more than Dead Zone.

Sky wrote: "Finishing The Blinding Knife today and also starting Perdido Street Station this evening :)"

What did you think of Blinding Knife? I'm having a heck of a time getting into it...and I've loved all the others. I'm about half way, but taking a break.

Reading City of Stairs because I keep hearing about it and now I'm curious. Still working on The Blinding Knife with The Tropic of Serpents in the wings.

I have been reading a few Indie books recently to discover new authors. I liked Ahriman: The Spirit of Destruction from Puja Guha.

Kristina wrote: "What did you think of Blinding Knife? I'm having a heck of a"

It took me a bit to get into The Black Prism but I am actually liking The Blinding Knife even more. Pretty much couldn't put it down. You mention the others...Are you sure you are talking about Blinding Knife and not The Broken Eye? Blinding Knife is #2 in the series.

Geoff wrote: "Whipping Star by Frank Herbert. Don't know anything about it but I picked it up cheap at a used book sale.

Then onto a Stephen King book. Don't know which one yet. My choices: [book:F..."

If you like variety, you might want to try Full Dark, it's a collection of novellas. If you want the single story experience, I'd recommend The Dead Zone.

Sky wrote: "Kristina wrote: "What did you think of Blinding Knife? I'm having a heck of a"

It took me a bit to get into The Black Prism but I am actually liking [book:The Blinding Knife|124992..."
Oh yup-you're right... it's the Broken Eye I'm having trouble getting into. The Blinding knife was awesome.

Kristina wrote: "Oh yup-you're right... it's the Broken Eye I'm having trouble getting into. The Blinding knife was awesome."

D'oh! Did you read them straight through? I am hoping my enthusiasm for Blinding Knife will carry over to Broken Eye, even if its a bit less awesome :)

Reading Sharpe's Eagle, been slowly working my way through this series as I need a break from SFF. Always enjoy Cornwell, even if he's a bit predictable at times.

Hawkeye, Vol. 1: My Life as a Weapon & Lights Out (Doctor Who short story). I have 17 books to go in order to complete my challenge... Um... Thank goodness I have a huge stockpile of comics??

Sky wrote: "Kristina wrote: "Oh yup-you're right... it's the Broken Eye I'm having trouble getting into. The Blinding knife was awesome."

D'oh! Did you read them straight through? I am hoping my enthusiasm ..."

No and that's probably most of the problem... I read Blinding Knife right away when it came out.. so some details are fuzzy.

I’m going to spend my December with Brandon Sanderson! This is my first foray into Sanderson so I’m really looking forward to it! I have Elantris and Steelheart on audio to start and The Way of Kings if I get to it. I have a lot of other books I'm thinking about picking up, I tend to have a hard time picking what to read next!

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke. A re-read from a few years ago.

The Enders' shadow series by Orson Scott Card and the Walking Drum by Louis L'amour

I just started listening to The Winds of Khalakovo by Bradley Beaulieu and I'm finding it pretty...dull.

Has anyone read these books? I'm going to switch to the print version to see if that's better, but I'd like anyone else's opinion.

Finished the Southern Reach trilogy with Acceptance and now for something completely different: The Worm Ouroboros by E.R. Eddison, which I last (and first) read about 15 years ago.

I read Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. Literary, by which I mean artful rather than engaging, but good despite that. I'm not a fan of post-apocalyptic stories and that I got through it would recommend it.

Moved on to Parasite by Mira Grant which was good. Bit of a Sixth Sense-feel with the central dead-obvious "twist" though. Symbiont will be one of the next few books I read.

I'm trying to decide between the first of Diana Pharaoh Francis's new series (Trace of Magic) and Willful Child by Steven Erikson.

I'm listening to Red Mars

At the moment I'm shifting between Ready Player One, The Forever War and Revelation Space. Am I the only that does that? Sometimes just feels a genuine desire to dip into something else in the middle of reading a book? I think it's a Kindle thing. So much choice at the touch of the screen.

My reserve copy of The Slow Regard of Silent Things came in at the library so I picked that up and knocked it out pretty quick. The story grew on me quite a bit. It was very enjoyable.

Now back to Whipping Star. Which is very interesting and has the most unique fictional government agency I've ever read about.

Predator's Gold by Philip Reeve

Ptolemy's Gate by Jonathan Stroud read by Simon Jones, who is a fantastic narrator. I wish he narrated more books.

After my semester is over I have a hefty list I will work my way through during Christmas break. Hopefully, I will be able to tackle 5 or 6 books before the end of the year.

Finished listening to The Modern Scholar - Odyssey Of The West I (1) Hebrews and Greeks (Volume 1), now listening to The Modern Scholar - Odyssey of the West II: From Athens to Rome and the Gospels. After this only five more to go...

Also reading the current BotM, which I'm enjoying muchly.

Michele wrote: "I just started listening to The Winds of Khalakovo by Bradley Beaulieu and I'm finding it pretty...dull.

Has anyone read these books? I'm going to switch to the print version to see if that's bett..."

I have read the first two novels and will read the third shortly. The first novel did take me a little bit to get into it but once I did, I really enjoyed it.

Started The Forge of Darkness for the Malazan group read.

Just finished up Black: The Birth of Evil by Ted Dekker. It was an interesting concept. I will probably move on to the rest of that series sometime, but first I'm starting The Martian since I was able to pick up when it was reduced last week.

Started The Hunger Games on audiobook. I am enjoying the narrator. Not the best I've heard, but top 5.

I finished City of Stairs, which I very much enjoyed, and have just started Leviathan Wakes. I've seen it on so many must-read lists that I am finally getting around to it, and like City of Stairs it already has me hooked.

Almost done with Leviathan Wakes and I'm really enjoying it!

Started Perdido Street Station and am loving it. Happily, I also picked up Kraken at the same time, although this one mostly because it's my favourite word to yell out at random intervals in a scottish accent. A friend has been heavily pressuring me to start the Culture series, but I'm not sure if it will be a good simultaneous read pick with what I've already got going.

60% through Castle in the Air (Howl 2) by Diana Wynn Jones, hitting the essay portion of Perspectives On Orson Welles and will soon start The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud. Should have those finished by the holiday break, during which I plan to read Permutation City by Greg Egan and a couple of Catherynne Valente novellas.

I made my leisurely way through What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions. Well done stealth science.

Working on Neptune's Brood for my other book club.

I got a third of the way through Three Parts Dead, but it hasn't grabbed me and I may return it to the library.

Finished The Martian and really liked it. A few flaws kept it from being a 5 star book, but a really solid first novel for Andy Weir.

Onto The Alloy of Law that I picked up when it was discounted earlier this month.

I finished Sorcery & Cecelia: or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot and I really liked it once I got used to the style - it's epistolary. Very fun and light, magical Jane Austen type story.

I just grabbed Rise of the Spider Goddess: An Annotated Novel by Jim C. Hines and it's pretty funny stuff - I recommend it to all writers.

Just started The Tropic of Serpents and I love that it feels like catching up with a friend I haven't seen in a long time.

I am reading the leviathan wakes and on page 234.

At the point where Holden and Miller on Eros with the dead rich girl which was by infected Phoebes diseases.

Decided to pick up Gene again and after a slow and somewhat confusing start it is picking up.

I picked this up because I liked Decipher but so far Gene hasn't wowed me as that one did.