What are you reading in August?

[ratsy]

Parson, I downloaded all of his free ones too and read the first couple pages of a few and they were questionable. I will eventually read the Honor ones for sure but I'm not so sure about the others.

For me, I'm still plugging away at Fools Fate by Hobb. It is a great book and Im hoping to finish the last 300 pages this week so I can take Fools Assassin on holidays with me. Can't wait!

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Finished Water for Elephants, which I know isn't sff, but which I found useful structurally. There is a good frame story which improves both story lines, and the ending was satisfying and well built.

 

[Culhwch]

I'm currently reading Child of a Hidden Sea by A. M. Dellamonica. About two thirds of the way through, and it's quick, engaging read. Very enjoyable so far - I've been having real difficulty finding any new fantasy that holds my attention, so that this one does is a good sign!

 

[Perpetual Man]

I finished The Long Earth by Pratchett and Baxter about a week ago Review Here

And have moved on to Journey to Altmortis by Thaddeus White

 

[thaddeus6th]

That sounds like a tremendous book, Perpster

I'm re-reading John Julius Norwich's excellent Byzantine history. I'm on the third and final part (I debated whether or not I wanted to read it, in the same way I usually don't watch The Final Cut if I watch House of Cards).

Still got the second Honor Harrington book waiting on my Kindle, and due to the strange way free shipping over a certain threshold works I recently bought Prince of Thorns for 56 pence, effectively (yet to arrive, though).

 

[Extollager]

Started Joseph Pearce's Wisdom and Innocence biography of G. K. Chesterton. He quotes a journalist: "It is surprising, in a way, that, when Chesterton has so often been proved right in his judgments, he should still be less seriously regarded than contemporaries like Wells and the Webbs who were almost invariably wrong." I imagine the biography will explicate that a bit. For me, Chesterton is above all the author of The Man Who Was Thursday, simply one of those books-for-my-lifetime, which I first read 16-17 May 1975.

 

[Bick]

For me, Chesterton is above all the author of The Man Who Was Thursday, simply one of those books-for-my-lifetime, which I first read 16-17 May 1975.

Yes, that's a cracker. I find Chesterton interesting - he could almost be offered as an example of forgotten authors in that thread.

 

[Extollager]

Yes, that's a cracker. I find Chesterton interesting - he could almost be offered as an example of forgotten authors in that thread.

He's an unusual case in that there are circles where Chesterton is current --there's an American Chesterton Society that sponsors conferences or conventions, and at least used to publish a magazine and sell mugs and probably shirts! He gets mentioned occasionally in the mainstream press, too -- Michael Dirda advising his WaPo fans that reading GKC's little book on Dickens will spur them to the Dickens shelves fast --

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2008/04/10/DI2008041002348.html

But yes, I think Chesterton is virtually unknown to many readers who would enjoy him if they but knew. I wouldn't want to leave the impression that, as a fiction writer, he's a one-book man, much as I love The Man Who Was Thursday. I've enjoyed other novel-length books too, such as The Ball and the Cross, Manalive, etc. One of these days I should take up The Flying Inn again and perhaps report on it at the From Way, Way Back in Your Reading Life thread. I might have read all of his true novels except The Return of Don Quixote. I admit that a commenced rereading of The Napoleon of Notting Hill didn't take hold with me a while back. I mean to return to some of the Father Brown mystery stories before long & perhaps to read his book on George Bernard Shaw; but first I should read more Shaw.

 

[hitmouse]

Yes, that's a cracker. I find Chesterton interesting - he could almost be offered as an example of forgotten authors in that thread.

Probably right.
My mother had (still has as far as I know) a large red hardbacked collected Father Brown stories she had won as a school prize. I picked it up in my teens and read my way through the whole book. Good stuff.

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

I would be starting The Prometheus Man (1982) by Ray Nelson if I had not left my copy at home instead of bringing it with me to work. Oh, well.

 

[soulsinging]

Finished A Study in Scarlet. Very interesting story. Every time I read Sherlock I'm surprised at how unique and complex the stories are, far more so than a lot of the pop culture representations of him.

I've started reading Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone again. Flying along so far, I'd forgotten how much fun these were to read.

 

[Perpetual Man]

I've now finished Journey to Almortis by Thaddeus White (Our very own Thaddeus6th) Review Here

This brings me to the end of the immediate 'too read' pile I set up a few months ago, so I've dragged another 10 books from the greater pile, and will be choosing at random from there. They are:

The Inheritance by Robin Hobb/Megan Lindholm
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J K Rowling
Mr. Timothy by Louis Bayard
The Long War by Terry Pratchett & Stephen Baxter
Cyador's Heirs by L E Modesitt jr.
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
Memory Seed by Stephen Palmer
Emperor of Thorns by Mark Lawrence
Creakers (Chap Book) by Paul Kane
Shadowland (Graphic Novel) by Andy Diggle & Billy Tan​

I have yet to role the dice and see what comes up next, and not sure what I'm looking forward to the most or would like to come up. Harry Potter - I know many friends are waiting for me to read it; while Mr. Timothy is an intriguing continuation of Dickens' A Christmas Carol; I liked the idea of THe Long Earth so the sequel might be fun too, Modesitt seemed to have been off the boil with the previous Recluce book so I'm wondering whether it was a blip or is he has exhausted the premise; Gaiman is always worth a read and the book has been waiting for too long; Memory Seed is one I added recently for a few reasons and it's by one of Chrons own; and I enjoyed the previous two Thorns books so I'd like to see how it ends.

 

[Parson]

Finished Marcus Sakey: Brilliance, although dated by the date our author put in the text (which were completely unnecessary in terms of tech, see my previous post) it was a cracking good read. I have proceeded immediately to the next in series (published this year) A Better World. Ten chapters and it is clearly a more subtle book and all the better for it. I've also finished A Short Victorious War, (book 3 in the Honor Harrington series) and moved immediately to what I believe to be the best single book in the series, On the Field of Dishonor, David Weber is going to get some more of my money because I can not find my copy of Flag in Exile the next book in that series. --- Not sure where I will stop here, but likely will not reread all of the series.

 

[Perpetual Man]

And after the roll of the dice I'll be starting Creakers by Paul Kane. Considering the size of the book it should not take too long

 

[Lord Soth]

Finished a very disappointing The Shadow Throne, the second in the series by Django Wexler. I loved the first but this, well very disappointing - such a downstep from his first book. I found the main plot to be utterly unbelievable, with plot holes and a setting with numbers that just didn't add up.

I don't know if I'll pick up the third in the series now.

Onwards and upwards, now reading Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. So far a great fun book, im young enough not to catch all the 80's references but old enough to recognise enough to add that extra spark to the proceedings. Looking great so far.

 

[Perpetual Man]

As expected a quick read of Creakers by Paul Kane. Review Here

Following up with The Long War by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter

 

[Randy M.]

The Lodger by Marie Belloc Lowndes

Once famous thriller, probably less well-known now though its image of Jack the Ripper (tall man, tall hat, dark cloak, carrying a hand bag) has stuck in the popular imagination. Having seen a couple of filmed versions, I was surprised to find this was mainly told from the landlady's perspective. Nicely balances the tug & pull of the landlady/lodger relationship with her relationship with her husband and step-daughter, addresses issues of class and social status and fear of being impoverished, but not in any preachy way, just through the flow of story. Really, a much better read than I had expected.



We Are All Completely Fine by Daryl Gregory

Therapist brings together five patients for group sessions, all of the patients victims of crimes that (with one exception) each patient contends was of supernatural origin. Their physical scars are often disturbing but the emotional scars are deeper and less healed. Gregory alludes to Lovecraft -- he merges Innsmouth with Dunwich, so his characters are aware of (and a couple have been to) Dunnsmouth, one of the patients having helped to avert a disaster there but still harboring guilt because of the considerable cost of life. For me these characters jumped off the page and the situations they find themselves in propelled me through the book. At 182 pages and large type, it's a fast read and a really good one. I can't recommend this one highly enough.


Randy M.

 

[Parson]

I've finished the incomparable Field of Dishonor, there are few books that get better with re-reading, but this is one of them. David Weber at his military and psychological best.

 

[Vertigo]

Surface Detail by Iain M Banks. It so nice to follow one of the worst SF books I've read in the last twelve months with the best I've read in that time. Surface Detail is simply brilliant in every way. More gushings here!

Moving on to an intriguing short spoof (I think) steampunk book in the style of H G Wells or maybe Conan Doyle's Challenger books; The Last Adventure of Dr. Yngve Hogalum by D L Mackenzie.

 

[Bick]

I'm currently taking a rare foray into the world of fantasy. I've started reading Brandon Sanderson's "Mistborn", to see how I like it. And so far, I like it. Its a fun ride, reading this kind of book, and although it doesn't provide the kind of jollies I'm usually looking for (you know, aliens and spaceships and weird discussions about quantum paradox's and such-like), I shall stick it out. At least, with this fantasy, the magic stems from allomancy, which almost ticks the SF box its so reductionist, compared to the mumbling ancient words and waving your arms about kind of magic.