What 📔book are you reading right now?

[Hammersmith]

Anyway..on my sick day home from school today I've so far read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and Prince Caspian. I just started Voyage of the Dawn Treader-I hope to finish the whole sieres by the end of the day. I;ve read them umpteen-million times, and I still love them. They're like Tolkien for simpler souls.

Classics! Though I don't know what you mean about simples souls. Parts of The Last Battle and The Magicians Nephew contain some of the most mature writing I've seen.

Take your chance, adventurous stranger
Strike the bell and bide the danger
Or wonder till it drives you mad
What would have followed if you had

 

[Niirewen]

About the Song of Fire and Ice Saga.. I haven't read it yet, but A Game of Thrones is sitting on my shelf and I am planning to read it soon. I'm glad that everyone seems to really like it, I'm excited to read it.

For now, I am reading the latest book in Diana Gabaldon's series. My mom got me to start reading them a year or two ago, and I really like them.

Just finished One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey for my English class. Not really my type of novel, but I have to say I enjoyed it more than most of the other books we've read in that class so far. I'm not a big fan of existentialism.

 

[Beleg]

Diana Gabaldon as in Outlander?

Reading some good old Jeeves stuff right now. [P. G. Wodehose for the uninitiated]

(Gotta chime in with all the aSoFaI lovers out there, excellent series and the good news is, A Feast of Crows might actually be released this year)

 

[e.Blackstar]

REALLY? YES, KICK BUTT! Whoohoo! *calms down, clears throat* ahem

PG Wodehouse is good too.

 

[balrog]

Diana Gabaldon as in Outlander?

Reading some good old Jeeves stuff right now. [P. G. Wodehose for the uninitiated]

(Gotta chime in with all the aSoFaI lovers out there, excellent series and the good news is, A Feast of Crows might actually be released this year)

scheduled for release July 24/05! 5 months to go!

 

[e.Blackstar]

Oh praise the lord! Finally! Yippee! Wow...that made my day. I'll NEVER be able to sleep tonight. sorry. *cough*

Ahem...yeah, I'm still plugging away at The Silver Chair-I didn't have much time to read today, nor will I tomorrow. So much for the hope of reading them all yesterday.

The Chronicles of Narnia are so great! Like with the voice and stuff...Lewis and Tolkien are so alike and yet so different. *sigh* and the dialougue/vocab is so anciently British, its wonderful!

 

[Lindir]

scheduled for release July 24/05! 5 months to go!

I really hope it's true, it's been a long wait, but I'll believe it when I see it. Also scheduled for release this year is the new JV Jones and a new Robert Jordan. It's a great year for Fantasy.

 

[Aulë]

I really hope it's true, it's been a long wait, but I'll believe it when I see it. Also scheduled for release this year is the new JV Jones and a new Robert Jordan. It's a great year for Fantasy.

Robert Jordan had better pick up his act for Knife of Dreams (Book 11 of WoT)- I've put a lot of time into his books...and they just drag on and on and on....

I've been reading Naked Empire by Terry Goodkind (from the Sword of Truth saga). A fantastic read!!!! 5 stars all the way! It doesn't mess around with people walking along a road for a whole book (like dear old RJ), but rather it cuts straight to the destination in the next chapter (a little like The Magician by Raymond Feist). The only bad thing about it was that I started reading from Book 8 without noticing (it was a Christmas present), but Goodkind explained things so well that by the end of it, I felt as if I had read the first 7 books anyway! (something that I may do if I get enough spare time)

So I know have a dilemna about what to read before Knife of Dreams comes out: read the first 7 books of SOT, or get into SoFaI (as Beleg has insisted so many times). What should I do?

 

[Lindir]

Robert Jordan had better pick up his act for Knife of Dreams (Book 11 of WoT)- I've put a lot of time into his books...and they just drag on and on and on....

I've been reading Naked Empire by Terry Goodkind (from the Sword of Truth saga). A fantastic read!!!! 5 stars all the way! It doesn't mess around with people walking along a road for a whole book (like dear old RJ), but rather it cuts straight to the destination in the next chapter (a little like The Magician by Raymond Feist). The only bad thing about it was that I started reading from Book 8 without noticing (it was a Christmas present), but Goodkind explained things so well that by the end of it, I felt as if I had read the first 7 books anyway! (something that I may do if I get enough spare time)

So I know have a dilemna about what to read before Knife of Dreams comes out: read the first 7 books of SOT, or get into SoFaI (as Beleg has insisted so many times). What should I do?

Yes, I hope that Jordan's next book is a lot better than the last one, in which next to nothing happened. I've been reading and re-reading them for years and I visit several different WOT-forums to discuss theories, so I feel I deserve some progress this time. And since he means to finish the series in 12 books, a lot of things will need to happen in the next one. I'm rather hopeful.
I think you should read A Song of Ice and Fire. I've just done another re-read of it, and I absolutely love it to bits. But I can also strongly recommend JV Jones, who is in my opinion one of the best Fantasy-authors ever. Her current series is called Sword of Shadow and it's brilliant, though not finished. She has also written a series called Book of Words (I think) which I really like, although Sword of Shadow is better.

 

[Aulë]

Yes, I hope that Jordan's next book is a lot better than the last one, in which next to nothing happened. I've been reading and re-reading them for years and I visit several different WOT-forums to discuss theories, so I feel I deserve some progress this time. And since he means to finish the series in 12 books, a lot of things will need to happen in the next one. I'm rather hopeful.

The annoying thing is that I'm gonna have to re-read ALL of them again as to remember all of those many thousands of names that have been cranked out in the series!!

The problem with Jordan is that he feels as if he has to explain everything to the reader, down to the last explicit detail. This includes long trecks across....(I have forgotten the names of all geographical landmarks in the WoT....BAD SIGN!). Andor? There was an Andor right?

 

[Lindir]

The annoying thing is that I'm gonna have to re-read ALL of them again as to remember all of those many thousands of names that have been cranked out in the series!!

The problem with Jordan is that he feels as if he has to explain everything to the reader, down to the last explicit detail. This includes long trecks across....(I have forgotten the names of all geographical landmarks in the WoT....BAD SIGN!). Andor? There was an Andor right?

O yes, there's an Andor. The country that gave birth to the series most annoying person, Elayne. You would remember her as the person who spent a substantial part of the last book bathing.

 

[Aulë]

O yes, there's an Andor. The country that gave birth to the series most annoying person, Elayne. You would remember her as the person who spent a substantial part of the last book bathing.

It's also the country that was home to pretty much all the main characters...Rand, Perrin, Mat, Egwene, Min and Nynaeve. All six of them didn't really achieve much in that last chapter. Mat's character has been ruined by his infactuation with that Daughter of the Nine Moons. Rand has become too high and mighty for his own good. Nynaeve is just a plain nuisance. Perrin has been whipped by that wife of his. And Egwene- ahhhhhh!! {insert numerous vulgar terms}- use your brains you stupid girl! One of the Forsaken is in your camp! Min is the only of those characters who is of any interest still.

 

[Niirewen]

Diana Gabaldon as in Outlander?

Yes, as in Outlander. I think I shall finish that book tonight. Then I might start on Trickster's Queen by Tamora Pierce. Not sure though.

 

[balrog]

scheduled for release July 24/05! 5 months to go!

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0553801503/104-1202797-7709529

oops, 26th of July...1024 pages!

 

[Beleg]

okay, woah. WOW. I really need to cut in here.

Aule,

Did you really, seriously like The Naked Empire? Please tell me you are joking, right? [though I have this sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach that you aren't ]

I have never met/read/talked to/known a person who loved Naked Empire. Not a single person, not the most ardent Goodkind fan. No, by jove I haven't. You haven't started reading Ayn Rand, have you?

Strange and more then slightly scary.

Oh and sorry to disappoint ya'll aSoFaI folks, but Feast for Crows isn't complete yet [and it is highly unlikely it will be complete in time for a july release]. Amazon has probably pulled the date out of their ass. The only reliable resource is GRRM's own website, where he posts pretty frequent updates about how the writing is coming through.

http://www.georgerrmartin.com/nextbook.html

Similarly, the third book in Jones' Cavern/Fortress/Sword series won't be released this year. There is no mention of it on her official website and rumors are circulating that the book might be delayed as late as 2007. [her change of publishers plays a large part in this]

I won't go as far as saying Jones' is the best fantasy author, period. But she certainly is a very good one. Specially her later books [Barbed Coil, Fortress of Grey Ice, Cavern of Black Ice] are really fine standard high fantasy fare and generally considered top-tier works among the fans.


All females in WOT = Whinny little wasps.

I tried Gabaldon, I tried really hard, but romantic fantasy mixed with time-travel is just not my thing.

Anyway, in my, admitted heavily baised opinion, Goodkind blows Martin's wad.

 

[rickh57]

I'm in the middle of Burning Tower by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle.

 

[e.Blackstar]

Oh and sorry to disappoint ya'll aSoFaI folks, but Feast for Crows isn't complete yet [and it is highly unlikely it will be complete in time for a july release]. Amazon has probably pulled the date out of their ass. The only reliable resource is GRRM's own website, where he posts pretty frequent updates about how the writing is coming through.

Drat *eblackstar is sad* darn darn darn

 

[Aulë]

okay, woah. WOW. I really need to cut in here.

Aule,

Did you really, seriously like The Naked Empire? Please tell me you are joking, right? [though I have this sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach that you aren't ]

I have never met/read/talked to/known a person who loved Naked Empire. Not a single person, not the most ardent Goodkind fan. No, by jove I haven't. You haven't started reading Ayn Rand, have you?

Strange and more then slightly scary.

Yes, I liked it. Maybe that was because I haven't read the first seven books in the Sword of Truth series? I liked the way the book flowed (perhaps my judgement of this has been tainted by Robert Jordan?), and the way Goodkind described things. Sure, there seemed to be a lot of raping and pillaging going on, but what would you expect from an imperial empire that is invading a group of idiotic people who don't believe in violence? Just because Goodkind doesn't "soften" the truths of war for the readers doesn't mean you should dislike him for it.

Here a few reviews I have read on NE:

This was hands down, the best in the series. I finished it five minutes ago, and I am already drooling over Chainfire. Terry Goodkind kicks ass. His style of writing makes you visualize every minute detail without him having to explain all of it. He also brings some old friends into Naked Empire. A must read for anyone who likes fantasy.
Thank You

***

Terry Goodkind in my own personal opnion is the greatest aruthor I have ever read. This book was not my favorite in the series, but by no means was not a wonderful book. His characters show real development from previous happenings in the series, exspecialy Richard Rahl. Who has gone from a woods guide, to the most powerful wizard born in over two thousand years, to becomeing the leader of an empire, and curently leading that empire aginst unbelieveable odds in hope of saving humanity's freedom. The book is not a strait forward fantasy, it was never intended to be. Terry is exspresing his views of the world through all of his characters as he has said he does many times. I enjoyed every minute I spent with this book, and half of that was on the edge of my seat in worry. As always well written, and a very stirring story. But must be read with understanding of not only the preceding books, but of Terry's unique writting style.

***

After I finished "Naked Empire," I was at a loss for words and thoroughly disappointed at the cold and angry person Richard Rahl had become. The transformation that occurred to one so gentle and loving was as painful as a smack in the head with a blunt object. After re-reading the entire series I was able to identify with Richard. I realized that Goodkind had made Richard somewhat bitter and resentful because throughout the entire series he is being used to accomplish the goals of other people, while his own friends are dieing. This book should NOT be read as a stand alone novel, it should be read as a chapter in the series Sword of Truth. It is a continuance of a struggle of good over evil, where much like in the real world men are fighting each other over beliefs, in this case were one side is trying to show mankind have a right to live their own life, and the other believing all men are evil from the day they are conceived. In closing this book probably is a bit preachy, but then again, what isn't?

***

I think Naked Empire was a complete let down. Like others had stated more than once before, over half the book is just repetitive babble of the other six books. Sure there are readers who may catch up, but not on every little detail, no matter how big the importance. If they don't know all the little details then they should go back and read the series first, not start at number seven. Why should all of us readers suffer the monotonousness? I think the best book was Faith of the Fallen, it was definitely the turning point in the series. I don't think Goodkind knew where to go from there, though. He should have stopped and left the series clean and unscarred.

Perhaps that shows why I didn't dislike it- the fact that he was repeating things from the previous books didn't affect me!

All females in WOT = Whinny little wasps.

Hahahahaha!


Oh, and Beleg: how did the Pakistanis go in the cricket?

 

[Talierin]

I finally got around to reading the Ender series by Card and liked it very much... then I read Frankenstein for school (it sucks) and Mercedes Lackey's latest (I don't do her series books, they're all the same, but I like her fairy tale ones). Now I'm *finally* getting around to reading The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey which has been on my To Be Read list for years and years. I like it so far. Also polished off I, Robot for school, and I'm gonna re-read Asimov in order for once.

 

[Wolfshead]

Working on three books just now - Excalibur by Bernard Cornwell, the third part of his Warlord Chronicles being the only fiction one there. For classes I'm working my way through Geoffrey of Monmouth's History of the Kings of Britain (a 12th century source on King Arthur) and Stolen Continents by Ronald Wright (an account of native experiences of the Spanish 'discovery' of the New World). And there's more books that need to be read... I don't know how I find time for anything else anymore!