November 2015: What Are You Reading?

[Victoria Silverwolf]

I'm about to start two books, into which I plan to dip alternately, since they seem to be the sort of thing best enjoyed a bit at a time.

Voices Against Tyranny (1986) edited by John Miller

This is a collection of writings on the Spanish Civil War by well-known folks who were around at the time; Hemingway, Picasso, Orwell, and so on.

The Portable Dorothy Parker (1973; revised and expanded version of the 1944 edition)

This is a thick collection of the writings -- fiction, poetry, reviews, and so on -- from the famous wit and critic.

 

[Vertigo]

Cool, shall go look it up.

Yes Assassin's apprentice was the first book, but just a warning, Jo; I persisted with the whole of the first series but had to grit my teeth to do so and haven't been inclined to pick up any other Hobb books. I think there are just some of us who simply don't get on with her writing. I spent most of my time just wanting to throttle Fitz.

 

[Extollager]

Continuing with The art of The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien. We come to Tolkien's drawing of Lothlórien, which I'm glad to have because it's by Tolkien and all, but which has always seemed a bit anemic. There's also a pleasant glimpse of a discarded idea for a small illustration in LotR, a rune that would have appeared on the box Galadriel gives to Sam Gamgee. I wish the publishers had given us a large, tipped-in, fold-out reproduction of "The First Middle-earth Map," though I realize that would have added to the book's price; but the audience for the book probably would have been willing to pay that. However, the quality of the reproductions in this book seems to me very high. Compared to it, the reproductions in Pictures by J. R. R. Tolkien of many years back look cheap.

 

[Randy M.]

I'm about to start two books, into which I plan to dip alternately, since they seem to be the sort of thing best enjoyed a bit at a time.

Voices Against Tyranny (1986) edited by John Miller

This is a collection of writings on the Spanish Civil War by well-known folks who were around at the time; Hemingway, Picasso, Orwell, and so on.

The Portable Dorothy Parker (1973; revised and expanded version of the 1944 edition)

This is a thick collection of the writings -- fiction, poetry, reviews, and so on -- from the famous wit and critic.

The first sounds fascinating. The latter I've dipped into now and again over the years, never digging as deep as I should. It's also fascinating in its way, and often funny, the humor sometimes of the whistling-past-the-graveyard variety. I gained a bit of perspective on Parker's writing, though, when an on-line friend noted that Parker struggled off and on for decades with depression and questions of self-worth, which changes one's take on some of her comments and makes even some of the humor a bit grim.

My current reading is influenced by clearing out my basement of the books I've bought that I'll never, ever get to, inspiring me to read at least one that's been waiting for years: The Night of the Jabberwock by Fredric Brown. I've greatly enjoyed his sf/fantasy/horror, but I've only read a few of his mysteries. This one always sounded enjoyable and I was hoping for something a bit more light-hearted than Here Comes a Candle sounds.


Randy M.

 

[Extollager]

Have also begun Hurwitz's A Voyage Long and Strange, about sites connected with the discovery and exploration of the New World and people who live there now, by the author of Confederates in the Attic, one of the few books my wife has bought and kept over the years; and starting a rereading of Conrad's Secret Agent.

 

[vanye]

Just re-read the Deverry series by Katharine Kerr. I think this is the first time I've read the series in its entirety first to last without breaks. Might be because I like the first six books or so better than the rest.

But it was good to have all the ins and outs fresh in my mind, like. Which is due to the narrative style, I think. Very much a tapestry. Though, what a great one it is!

 

[tobl]

alex archer's 55 beneath still Waters

 

[Vince W]

Starting The Dark Forest by Cixin Liu. I hope it lives up to The Three-Body Problem.

 

[Jmock]

Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson. I love the world and the magical, but I'm not certain the characters are as three dimensional the ones in the last series I read by the incredibly talented Joe Abercrombie. I'm only a little way in, though. You never know...

 

[Heather Myst]

Jmock I hope you enjoy Warbreaker as much as I did.

I just started The Steel Queen by Karen Azinger thanks to Davidjb's suggestion.

 

[The Bluestocking]

Just finished binge-reading Rachel Vincent's WERECAT series.

I didn't like the first few chapters of the first book, STRAY, but it flipped the switch about a quarter of way through and I raced all the way through all 6 books. Definitely a very feminist series that tackles everything from rape and forced marriage to misogyny and motherhood.

Now starting Darynda Jones' GRIM REAPER series.

 

[LittleStar]

I'm just coming to the last few chapters of GRRM's Fevre Dream. Had to push to get through the first ten chapters or so though. Not that it was written badly, I do like his prose in general, just that nothing really happened... And I have come across more typos than in probably any other trad published book I've read Wierd ones, like having a strange look on someone's race, Instead of face.

 

[dask]

Started this:

The August 1949 issue. No idea who E. Charles Vivian is and wasn't too excited about starting "a novel of a lost world", a sub-genre long overworked by 1949, by, to me, a complete unknown but so far he seems quite adept at solid two-fisted story telling and I find myself not wanting to stop. From my limited knowledge, FFM tends to specialize in the one novel, short story or two format. Margaret St. Clair supplies the short story this issue with "The Counter Charm." There's also a letter column, a poem by Burnham Eaton (real name?) with stunning artwork by Hannes Bok, and a one page appreciation of Clark Ashton Smith which is mostly artwork. The cover makes my head spin.

 

[Stephen Palmer]

The Great Extinctions by Norman MacLeod.

 

[AlanN]

Currently reading Mirage by Mark W. Tiedemann. It's part of Asimov's foundation universe and is the first I have read by another author.
(Also reading Henry James' Portrait of a Lady, but this hardly counts as Sci-Fi or Fantasy).
I'm planning to read the foundation books in chronological order, including the Robot City and Robots and Aliens books.

 

[AlanN]

I'm over halfway through The Martian, and I actually don't feel bogged down by the technical talk at all. The character is actually quite amusing and I think Weir did a great job.

Just finished The Martian. I actually did think the technical detail got a bit much at times, but generally it romped along and I couldn't wait to find out what happened at the end. I don't think it will be regarded as a great Sci-Fi novel, but pretty good in my opinion.

 

[Anushka Mokosh]

Rereading Lord of the Rings since I couldn't get my hands on Earthsea.

 

[hitmouse]

Started this:

The August 1949 issue. No idea who E. Charles Vivian is and wasn't too excited about starting "a novel of a lost world", a sub-genre long overworked by 1949, by, to me, a complete unknown but so far he seems quite adept at solid two-fisted story telling and I find myself not wanting to stop. From my limited knowledge, FFM tends to specialize in the one novel, short story or two format. Margaret St. Clair supplies the short story this issue with "The Counter Charm." There's also a letter column, a poem by Burnham Eaton (real name?) with stunning artwork by Hannes Bok, and a one page appreciation of Clark Ashton Smith which is mostly artwork. The cover makes my head spin.

Almost anything containing art by Bok is worth purchasing. Very distinctive and interesting artist:

 

[tobl]

hi there people. am i missing something or people are Reading less this month? anyway, i need na opinion.. i béguin Reading the sadman slim series... and i'm in kind of a bind.. does it gets better with time? honestly is not bad but is not good either...

 

[Toby Frost]

I've finished 'Salem's Lot, which was excellent even on a third reading, and am now onto Insomnia, also by Stephen King. This feels like "lesser work" but is still pretty interesting. It's about an old man who, lacking sleep, begins to have visions that I'm sure will open up some greater, sinister, truth. What strikes me is how slow the book is compared to the tightness of 'Salem's Lot: conversations involve digressions that, while realistic, add nothing, descriptions of local events go on and on. It makes me wonder if world-building is necessary when the world you're building is actually a fairly mundane town. But it's engrossing, even if it could be more tightly edited.