The Sword and Laser discussion

I just found that Neal Asher's latest Polity book, _The Technician_ has been released for the Kindle. Hardback not due till September (and I couldn't afford a trip to the UK to pick up a copy), so getting the Kindle version was a pleasant surprise.

I may have to pick up A Game of Thrones and see if it is something I enjoy.

Darrin wrote: "Renee wrote: "Still Working through The Mote in God's Eye.
Got The Steel Remains waiting and was given Redwall and Wild Cards (the fifth one..."

Enjoying Mote so far. About a third through it now. It's been a bit of a change for me as I tend to read the SF military or Space Opera's that are about a quarter of the size! But, it's holding my interest.

Started Steel Remain's and flew through the first five chapters. Have a feeling that Morgan is at his finest in this one. It's got a real sharp and nasty edge to the writing and the characters.

I'm not sure I'm going to manage to get through Redwall either. Not a real fan of animals as humans style (Although I read and loved Tailchaser's Song a long time ago and enjoyed it). But, looking forward to Wildcards, think I might try to get the first one before I delve into it.

Currently reading Before They are Hanged, the second book of the Joe Abercrombie trilogy.

I'm currently reading Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs: A Low Culture Manifesto by Chuck Klosterman. I'm about two hours in to the book and I think I hate this author. I don't agree with any of his views or the methods he uses to come to his conclusions. His essays are not very thought provoking. Instead they come across as vapid dribble covered up by elegant language.

I'm going to try to power through the rest of the book so that I can get started on The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.

Taking a break from fiction. I'm almost finished with Ernest Shackleton's South: A Memoir of the Endurance Voyage.

I'm still trying to finish the audio book version of A Storm of Swords. Not sure how I'll move forward. Subsequent books are not ready by Roy Dotrice and received bad reviews for the reader. I may have to buy the dead tree versions.

I have read 4 of the Temeraires, and absolutely love them.

Just finished [book:The Integral Trees|939740. A friend insisted. Whew, it is a classic, a masterpiece of world-building.

Philip wrote: "Matt wrote: "I'm currently reading Under the Dome ... it's been a long time since I've read a Stephen King book .... liking it so far."

I thought it was excellent, in ..."

Very much fun and satisfying.

I just finished Velva Jean Learns to Drive: A Novel, a community chosen read for the summer. I liked it far more than I expected, set in the Appalachian mountains in the 30s and 40s.

I've also started Then We Came to the End, one of those happenstance books I found at the library when looking for something else, I'd always meant to read Ferris, just never got around to it. I think if you like the movie Office Space, this is a great book to read.

I'm also in the middle of The Gesualdo Hex: Music, Myth, and Memory, which is like a composer biography written more like a tell-all... and this guy is from the Renaissance (but did he kill his wife? And was he into witchcraft?). Very entertaining but well researched.

Just Started Reading "The Way Of Shadows (Night Angel #1)"

Finished Baudolino (Italian version) and liked it so much that I thought I'd go back and read a favourite of mine by Umberto Eco - The Name of the Rose: Including Postscript, this time in Italian as well (heard there were a lot of regional dialects therein, which scared me off :)

I'm finally reading Bitter Seeds and The Stand.

readin Choke, Red Pyramid

I started Night Watchthe other day. I'm really enjoying it so far.

Well, I don't know how many books I have actually started, and so, technically, am reading. But the ones I have actually read some of this month are Perdido Street Station, Invisible Man, and 13 Bankers: The Wall Street Takeover and the Next Financial Meltdown. Not including books I'm reading for work.

Robert wrote: "Finished Baudolino (Italian version) and liked it so much that I thought I'd go back and read a favourite of mine by Umberto Eco - [book:The Name of the Rose: Including P..."

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It's awesome that you are reading in Italian (uh...or if Italian is your mother tongue, it's great that you are writing such great English posts!). I can read a little Japanese, and slogged through the first half of The Hobbit with the aide of a dictionary. I can read at a second grade level without a dictionary which really limits my "casual reading" options. I'm jealous if you are reading full Italian novels!

Finished reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Catching Fire. Currently reading Mockingjay and will likely start The Girl Who Played with Fire before the month is out.

Just finished Before They Are Hanged. A bit more rewarding than The Blade Itself,the book delves into the war with the South as well as the war in the North. We experience the relationships between the different groups and how they grow as a team through their various life and death situations. Looking forward to the resolution of the story in the third book of the trilogy.

I just read all the poetry books long listed for the Dylan Thomas Prize for 2010 - loved Caroline Bird quite a bit and I hope she makes the short list! I'm hoping to read all the novels and short stories before it is announced too.

Well, I may have been a bit ambitious with all the books I brought on my trip with me, but I still got 5 books finished/read while on my trip. On the trip, I finished Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal and Last Argument of Kings. After finishing those, I read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life in audio format and started Hobb's Farseer trilogy in Kindle format. I was able to finish the first 2 books in the Farseer trilogy, Assassin's Apprentice and Royal Assassin. I've started reading the third, Assassin's Quest. I've also started listening to The Ghost from Audible.

I've got a few books in the queue, in addition to those that were listed in my original list (Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb
Royal Assassin (also Robin Hobb)
Assassin's Quest (final in Hobb's Farseer trilogy)
Barbara Kingsolver's "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" and "Prodigal Summer" (it was too hard to find the Goodreads pages for those books)
Atlas Shrugged
The Gunslinger (this I'll probably put off toward the end, as I want to read the entire series)
Eat, Pray, Love
Girl Missing
Mistborn: The Final Empire, The Well of Ascension, and The Hero of Ages

I also have the first Geek Mafia book (Geek Mafia) and The Catcher in the Rye in dead tree format). Once I'm done with Assassin's Quest, I think I'm going to go to The Name of the Wind, while listening to some of the non-fantasy books in my Audible collection, then it'll be either Mistborn or Dark Tower, I haven't decided.

Wow you are impressive! How was the cruise?

I read The Hunger Games, and Catching Fire today because... I just got Mockingjay!!! Which I will read tomorrow :)

Ugh lucky!

Philip wrote: "I recently started The Passage, narrated by Scott Brick. Way too slow in the beginning, but it's picking up now that I'm about 4 hours in. I sure hope my patience is rewarded."

I liked The Passage, it definitely builds up steam as it goes along. I found it be a thrilling ride. I am surprised people here haven't nominated for a book of the month.

Just finished When Gravity Fails. I was very surprised that i missed this the first time i went through the Cyberpunk genre back in the 90's. Its an amazing piece of work mainly because its set in the part of the world that you least associate with the cyberpunk genre, but in some respects is a better fit.

I'm working my way through the three books on the Thurber Prize shortlist - How I Became a Famous Novelist, Why Is My Mother Getting a Tattoo?: And Other Questions I Wish I Never Had to Ask, and Mennonite in a Little Black Dress. I've really taken to breezing through award nominees lately. I'd like to do the same for the Booker, but so often those books aren't available in the US until months past when the prize is announced.

The Thurber Prize is for humor, and you know, I think writing a "funny novel" is not an easy task. I have had a chuckle a few times, or a groan, but very rarely have I ever laughed out loud at something I've read. Sounds like another thread actually. \o/

I also got word that my copies of Noise shipped - so I have even more impetus to finish these quick "funny" reads.

Last week I finished The Shining Company (my review) and The Quiet Invasion (my review). This morning I picked up Song of the Beast and I'll continue my in-depth re-reading of The Curse of the Mistwraith.

Later this week, I'll post some of my August reads in my Bookmooch Inventory. I'll be clearing out some of that inventory to donate to my local library's fall book sale.

I really enjoyed Shining Company -- read it with my daughter years ago. Great adventure.

After finishing Cryptonomicon, I kinda went on a YA tear, reading Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse (I still don't get why people are nuts about this series), Vampire Academy, Frostbite (Vampire Academy, #2), Shadow Kiss (Vampire Academy, #3), Blood Promise, Spirit Bound and re-read The Hunger Games & Catching Fire before Mockingjay came out. Then I read The Catcher in the Rye and I just now started Foundation and Darkly Dreaming Dexter.

Ricky wrote: "(I still don't get why people are nuts about this series)..."

Because people are stupid. And most people don't care two flips about good writing.

Just finished "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" on the last day of August.

This month I plan to finish off "The Blade Itself" book three "Last Argument of Kings". Really enjoyed the first two books. Loved the character development and all the main characters are well written, three dimensional, with faults as well as heroic traits.

I am about 40% through "A Game of Thrones" which I have to thank the Sword and Laser podcast for - what a great book. Like no other fantasy I have ever read. Gritty, realistic and very dark!

I am half way through "Quicksilver" the first book of the Baroque Cycle. As a science major, the historical characters and their achievements are well known to me, but Stephenson adds so much detail and depth to the narrative that the story really comes to life as fiction rather than dry history. Again I have never read a book like this before - so much depth and the attention to detail; it's remarkable.

Listening to American Gods by Neil Gaiman and The Company by Robert Littell

You realise you've travelled back in time 2 years

I can't even remember last week.

Yup. Time slips when no coffee. :)