Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION The Anywhere Machine So what are you READING?

I just finished Terry Pratchett's The Wee Free Men. Crivens! He's one of my favourite authors.

I hardly ever have time to read books, but I just finished Eats, Shoots and Leaves. It's all about punctuation. I read it in two sittings. It really makes you think about grammar and punctuation and how correct you are with it all.

I finished Time Traveler's Wife and highly recommend it (if you like love stories with a twist).

Now I'm on to Tales to Astonish, a bio of Jack Kirby and Stan Lee. It should be interesting (but I definitely prefer fiction).

I'm reading Stone Junction by Jim Dodge.

According to Thomas Pynchon, "Reading Stone Junction is like being at a nonstop party in celebration of everything that matters."

Now THAT'S high praise...!

I'm going great guns on Tales to Astonish. It's packed full of fascinating information, although the writing style is pedestrian. Next up is "This is Burning Man", a history of the annual bohemian festival in the Nevada desert each Labor Day.

What I’ve read since early spring (other than comics)…

“Star Wars: Darth Maul – Shadow Hunter” (promises Maul but really gives more than that. good fast read, I was surprised at how much I liked this book)

“Star Wars: Rogue Planet” (I’m about 2/3 through right now. So far the story is lacking)

“Star Wars: Shatterpoint” (Decent book)

“Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire” (another one that caught my attention, and I couldn’t put it down. Extremely fast read)

“Star Wars: The Truce at Bakura” (starts out slow, picks up at the end)

“Star Wars: Tattooine Ghost” (I liked this one too. It has a gimmick that lends itself well to the Star Wars mythos)

“Star Wars: The Jedi Academy Trilogy” (Classic Star Wars stories, very enjoyable.)

“Star Wars: I, Jedi” (This one was the jewel in the rough. The first person story telling gives other points of views which I thought added to the overall Star Wars universe. I did not expect to enjoy this one as much as I did.)

“Star Wars: Children of the Jedi” (don’t remember too much about it, other than the first 130 pages were brutal reading. The rest of the book was much better.)

“Star Wars: Darksaber” (kind of a let down. All the reviewers just fawned all over this one, I can not agree with those sentiments. The love interest seems extraordinarily forced.)

“Star Wars: Survivor’s Quest” (I guess Tim Zahn can do no wrong. Every time I think I’ve seen it all, he manages to put one by me. I can’t wait to read all of his Star Wars books again, knowing what I know now.)

“The Wolfen” by Whitley Strieber (I had to change it up) Wolfen is a decent little horror story written way back in 1978. It’s a quick read, and a fanciful yarn.

Once I finish “Rogue Planet”, I think I’ll head onto Steven King’s “IT”. I haven’t read it in pert near 15 years. I may just move on to some New Jedi Order novels. I can’t decide which I’d rather read.

Books on tape: The latest in the Wheel of Time series, Crossroads of Twilight (unabridged--the only way to listen to books on tape). If you've ever enjoyed a fantasy novel, you'll enjoy Jordans hyperdetailed, sprawling (considering the length of the last two or three books vs. the plot advancement, not always a good thing) epic. Depending on how he wraps it up, could easily take Donaldson's Thomas Covenant novels place as my favorite fantasy series.

Actually reading: Just finished Fortune's Favorites, about 1/4 of the way through Caesar's Women. Colleen McCullough has written a wonderful series of books on the collapse of the Roman Republic, centered (of course) around Julius Caesar. Much more fun than reading Roman history, but accurate and packed with details about life 2000 years ago. Lots of sex, too. Be warned--lots of Gaiuses and Luculluses and Mariuses and Metelluses and other confusing Roman names. Another good one to get on unabridged tape.

Joy Hakim's book Freedom: A History of US. I'm going through both the companion to the series and the 10 book collection. If you have 10-18 year olds or know 10-18 year olds, point them in Hakim's direction. She has written the best US history book ever for adolescents. Every school system should dump their bloated shitty textbooks (trust me, as an 8th grade history teacher, I know bloated shitty textbooks) and teach from Hakim's series. Wonderful, wonderful stuff.

I've been reading 'American Gods' by Neil Gaiman, but like Semi said earlier in the thread, I just can't get into it anymore. I don't know why--I've loved *everything* he's ever written and my brother has liked the book so much, he's read it twice!

I also have a copy of Bram Stoker's Dracula, which I'm considering reading. Although with school coming on, it'll be harder to have free time for reading non-history/non-comic book stuff.

Dracula has some truly creepy moments, if you can get through the purple prose.

I've just started "Oryx and Crake" by Margaret Atwood.

I am reading the Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde. It is the third novel staring Thursday Next.

Imagine a novel where the characters almost realize they are in the novel. People can actually enter into books and live and visit them. History can be changed and has been changed. Your favorite literary characters can come to the rescue or to kill you.

If you have any kind of literary background or just plain like to read everything you will get all the little jokes and asides the author has written in. Actually, he has created an alternate world that is so fully realized that everything just makes sense.

All that and it has a sense of humor and set in London. What more can you ask?

I just finished reading "The Quick and the Dead" by Joy Williams. A *very* different style of writing there.

Now I'm going to try " House of Leaves" by Mark Z. Danielewski again. I started it before but found it too confusing. I hear its really good.

Just ordered the first four books in the Dark Tower series by Stephen King. I've only tried to read the first one when it was serialized back in Asimov's Digest in the 70's. Thought that since he's releasing the final chapter next month I'd give them a try.

Let us know how those go Scott, I've always considered reading them but have never gotten to it. I know that a lot of the characters that appear in his other books show up in those too.

I've read all of them up through the Wolves of Calla. I haven't been able to get the Song of Susannah yet but I do recommend the series. It's different from his usual stuff but I'm looking forward to the resulution.

If you're a Thomas Covenant fan, AFB, you'll be glad to know that Donaldson has a continuation of the Covenant novels coming out Oct. 14. Titled THE RUNES OF EARTH, it's the first in a projected new series of four.

Now, if Jordan would just get a new WHEEL OF TIME book out... it's time to wrap that baby up.

LOVE, love, love the Mccullough Rome books. I can't imagine *listening* to them, though, as those interchangeable Roman names *do* get confusing... I'd think the visual cues would make telling who's who easier, but maybe I'm wrong. I've never listened to a book-on-tape with 'exotic' names...

Have you read Steven Saylor, AFB? He writes a mystery series that's set around the time of Julius Caesar... they're much lighter than McCulloughs, but still well-researched.

If anyone's interested, I'd recommend a book called THE AMULET OF SAMARKAND, first of the BARTIMAEUS TRILOGY, by Jonathan Stroud as a fun read. You'd find it in the Young Adult section, but it doesn't read like 'kid-lit'.

If you liked Harry Potter, or Lloyd Alexander's books, or Robert Jordan, I think you'd like this one.

It's told from the point of view of a djinn, summoned by a young magician in an alternate London, where magic is the power of the realm. The djinn's footnotes *cracked* me up-- worth seeking out.

Todd

My copy of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell arrives from Amazon today. Have you heard of it? It's all the rage and is long-listed for the Booker. Many expect it to be on the short-list. It's about two magicians who try to bring magic back to England.

I'm putting aside Oryx and Crake (which hasn't caught my interest) in favor of this new one.

I ordered Jonathon Strange also and expect it this week. It sounds great! There was a fairly lengthy article in the Globe & Mail about the author & book a few weeks ago - it really caught my interest.

In the same shipment, Iron Council by China Miéville - I loved his previous two books - but recently read a review in Wired mag that called him a pretentious blowhard. Oh well. Different tastes.

Actually, the McCullough books on tape (read by a very proper-sounding English woman, which makes for hilarity when reading some of the more explicit gay sex) helped me keep everyone straight for some reason.

New Covenant books? Now there's welcome news! That may keep me happy until the next WoT book!

Eric Flint's "1632" and its three (so far) published sequels: "1633", "Ring Of Fire", and "1634: The Galileo Affair" (thanks, Inter-Library Loan ).

They were quite good, but I am a bit worried that we will soon see a whole sub-genre of modern-community-mysteriously-transplanted-into-the-past fiction.

"The Egyptologist" by Arthur Phillips. He's signing at a local bookstore tonight, so I'm going to go, buy and copy and get it signed.

On Thursday, Susanna Clarke is signing copies of "Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell". Even though I've already bought a copy, I'm going to go and get another copy signed. I'll give my original copy (which is unopened) as a Christmas gift.

I finally got the "Song of Susannah," Stephen King's sixth Dark Tower book, back from the library. It's a pretty brisk read so far and I'm enjoying it. I can't wait for book VII, though I accidentally got a little of it spoiled for me when I was flipping through a new guide to the series that's out in paperback. I didn't expect it to include the material for a book that isn't out yet, much to my chagrin.

Dark Tower VII came out today, Sept. 21, mat.

Todd

Guess I need to get on the hold list at the library! Thanks for the heads up Todd.

Matt

Just got an offer from the Stephen King Library (another book club) to get the first six Dark Tower (that includes Song of Susannah) for $19.95, all in hard back. And the first book in the club is book VII for $7.95. So I cancelled my order with Amazon for the paperpack copies and will now wait for the hardbacks to show up.

In the meantime I'm reading a novelization of the 1980's TV mini-series 'Amerika'. Not too bad so far.