What are you reading in August?

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I read Ender's Game since it seemed to be getting lots of praise here and I hadn't read it.

Well yes indeed. Very easy to read. Almost missed most of my holiday because I wasn't putting it down.
Lots of interesting ideas, especially at the end.

I've now moved on to it's first sequel, Speaker for the Dead, which looks like being even more interesting.
 
I read Fool's Assassin while on vacation. I had submersed myself in the Six Duchies for months prior to get the full story fresh in my mind. There is something special about revisiting books that you love. They just get better with time and the Farseer and Tawny Man books were so good again. The new one fit with them, but it took some odd turns that I didn't see coming. It also took some that were fairly obvious. I was amazed to see a book set in this world that didn't reference any of the Rain Wild Chronicles events though...

Also it was strange to read a first person book with 2 POV's but it was kind of cool.

I have a huge TBR pile so I chose the smallest book and am reading 'The Unnamed King' a quick fantasy romp, sequel to 'The King's *******'
 
After bringing a James Patterson novel on holiday ("I need something light" I said) and discovering it was utterly, utterly awful (and wondering how in hell I'd read at least three other novels by him), I picked up Moondust: In Search of the Men Who Fell to Earth by Andrew Smith. The author tracks down the last nine living moonwalkers and waxes lyrical on the meaning of life. It started well but is fast becoming impenetrable and a little boring.
 
Isn't the writing -- as opposed to the plotting and, perhaps, the characterisation -- of Patterson's books outsourced? (I think he calls it "collaboration".) Not that a single author cannot produce duds amongst the good ones on their own.
 
I deliberately avoided any books labelled as collaborations, although this one could still have had another writer. In retrospect though, it's definitely one of his. I'm wise to his style now...
 
That moonwalker one reminds me of Commander Hadfield's which started interestingly enough and then, meh. Maybe astronauts aren't actually - whisper it - sexy space pilots. Darn it. No wonder someone invented space opera.
 
Chime, by Franny Billingsley. YA, set in an imaginary part of England around 1900, witches, spirits that haunt the marsh just outside the town where the story takes place, one of those stories that at times makes even the mundane seem magical. Picked it up because I didn't think I'd ever read it, but it turned out that I had, although there was a lot that I had forgotten. And I don't know how I could have forgotten it, because it is beautifully written and absolutely enchanting.

(If anyone is struggling with how to write something in first person viewpoint, they might want to read this book just to see an excellent example of how it can be done.)

Or just read it because you are looking for something lovely and strange.
 
I'm reading Daniel Abraham's The Dagger and the Coin series. I'm on the second just now (The King's Blood).

Really enjoying the books -- they're very well written, and the differences in voice between the various characters are subtle and clever and telling.

Oooh that sounds good, Teresa. I'll look it out.
 
Yes, do look for it, Hex. Because as I was describing the book it occurred to me that it was just the sort of thing that would appeal to you.
 
Finished Stand on Zanzibar, what an incredible book, crazy amount of work put into it by Brunner. Onto Madaddam!
 
alchemist said:
I deliberately avoided any books labelled as collaborations, although this one could still have had another writer. In retrospect though, it's definitely one of his. I'm wise to his style now...
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I only ever started one of Patterson's books. I think it was actually written by him, as it was older (I forget the title though) - its the later books he didn't actually write I believe. Anyway, it was so badly written I chucked it out after about 3 pages (I mentally rewrote almost every sentence as I went along so that it sounded acceptable in my head). The worst published writer I've come across.
 
The Life of Pi by Yann Martel. This was really a very very good book. It makes you ask questions and think about possible answers (at least it did me). It is a book about religion but not any one specific religion and not in any controversial way. And it is very well written in an engaging and entertaining way. More potentially pretentious blather here :rolleyes:.
 
Vince W said:
I can't sing the praises of Ready Player One loud enough. It was a brilliant read. I can't believe we have another year to wait for his next one Armada.
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Thanks for the heads up, I'll put on my TBR list!
 
Shouldn't there be a new thread "What are reading in September?" Or are we just going to continue this thread, in which case it should be re-named.
 
springs said:
Well, I'm reading sept-nov, The Wise Man's Fear. Why did no one tell! 1000 pages....
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Springs, you have to love a good 1000 page book. I actually really like Rothfuss' books. They are big but read so smoothly and keep me invested throughout.
 
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