What fantasy/science fiction book are you reading RIGHT NOW?

[Dragonlily]

I'm too poor to buy Pratchett, so I have to write my own.

Now you're talkin'. <glyph of approval>

[Encryptic]

Nearly finished Tigana, (I've been busy, OK? ) and thought I'd just let Encryptic know that when I did eventually get into it, (struggled again for the first 80 pages or so before it happened though), I started to enjoy it very much.

--A

Glad to hear it.

[Avatar]

Yeah it was totally worth it. (Finished last night). But those first 80 pages...man.

Glyph of envy, Avatar.

I'm too poor to buy Pratchett, so I have to write my own.

<rimshot>

Might be less envious if you knew it was only Monstrous Regiment VF, which I've finally managed to find 2nd hand. I even managed to bargain the price down a bit, because he claimed they were "new" when I expressed outrage at the price, and the copy I held was damaged.

I too am too poor to keep current, so must take what I can find. Damn books. Dangerous addiction I tell you.

--A

[Warmark]

I have just began Part II of Storm of Swords.
I finished the last part at the late our of 2am last night/this morning.

[danlo]

Lucky you! What an awesome spot in the series you're at!

[duchess of malfi]

Let's see...in the past couple of days I read the fourth book in Tamora Pierce's The Circle Opens quartet, called Shatterglass. I had read the first three books previously, but had trouble finding the fourth book. It was pretty good.

Spoiler

I loved the living glass dragon, Chime.

Actually, Danlo, you might want to consider Tamora Pierce's The Magic Circle quartet for your students someday. That's the first series about the same people in The Circle Opens books.

It tells the story of four children who do not fit in with their peers, either because they are different, or through just simple misfortune. The four have to learn how to get along with each other despite differences in race and culture and socio-economic status, among other things.

Spoiler

The children also have every unusual and powerful mage powers that they have to learn how to master.

Tamora Pierce has stated many times that one of her goals as a writer is to tell stories that can help kids (especially girls) find positive role models.

Last night I started reading Diana Gabaldon's Outlander. It is a cross between time traveling fantasy and historical romance. I have previously read her short story about Lord John Gray in Legends II and liked that character and her story telling skills

Spoiler

Lord John Gray is one of the most positive portrayals of a gay male character I have yet to run into in historical fiction/fantasy.

So when I saw the first book of her series on sale for $3.99 at the bookstore I figured why not give it a try? So far it is very enjoyable, but I have yet to get to the part where it switches from more of a fantasy to more of a romance...

[Menolly]

Duchess, Beorn and I have both read the Circle of Magic and The Circle Opens series. I feel the second series is much more mature in themes, particularly with the deaths involved.

I also have only read the short story about Lord John Gray in Legends II, but feel your assesment of the character based on that one story is right on the mark. I hope to come across the Outlander series one day, as I'm sure I'll enjoy it.

[Dragonlily]

I enjoyed Magic Circle, with its unusually complex characters for youth fantasy. When I did a google search for Tamora Pierce, I found a page on her website where she compiled a list of suggested reading for gifted kids. I was interested to know she shares my interest in the education of the gifted.

[duchess of malfi]

Menolly, I agree that The Circle Opens is much darker than the earlier The Magic Circle. Pierce has just released a book about the four children as adults. I haven't had a chance to read that one yet, so cannot say whether or not the trend in greater darkness continues. She has several fantasy series set in a fictional country called Tortall, which all feature very strong girl/young woman characters. My favorite by far is called Protector of the Small, a four book series about a girl who decides to train as a knight.

Pierce came to Ann Arbor a year or so ago, and graciously gave the local newspaper a long interview. One of the reasons she gave as to why she began writing is that she loved to read, and had all of her life. Yet she remembered being a child/teen without many strong female fantasy characters she could relate to. So she decided to start telling stories about strong young female heroes. But of course, their friends include a lot of stong young male heroes, so boys could enjoy the stories, too.

This a website Pierce helped create to help girls find great role models:
www.sheroescentral.com/

Joy, I need to find that list. My older gifted one is about to graduate, but the younger one is still in middle school, and I might get some good ideas from said list.

I'm about a third of the way through Outlander by Gabaldan (its been a frantically busy weekend so I haven't had much reading time) but so far its very good. You can tell Gabaldan researches the heck out of the historical periods she writes about. I'm about to give some very minor spoilers that help set up the story and happen very early on:

Spoiler

An English lady named Claire and her husband Frank are having their second honeymoon in the Scottish Highlands in 1945. While the two have been married many years, they each worked during the war, and have spent more years apart than together. Claire was a nurse during the war, and worked in field hospitals with the freshly wounded. After the war, the two get back together and go on their second honeymoon. But Claire gets transported back some 200 years in time when she goes into a stone circle, and ends up in the Highlands shortly before the Jacobite revolt centered around Bonnie Prince Charlie. Neither the Scottish or the English want to trust her, but she does earn sort of a place with one of the clans, as she demonstrates a great skill in healing.

[Dragonlily]

This is even better than the page I happened across, Duchess.
www.tamora-pierce.com/recbooks/index.html

[duchess of malfi]

Thank you Joy. I'm about to head off to bed, but I have that book marked for later.

[Menolly]

Menolly, I agree that The Circle Opens is much darker than the earlier The Magic Circle. Pierce has just released a book about the four children as adults. I haven't had a chance to read that one yet, so cannot say whether or not the trend in greater darkness continues.

Say what?

Do you know the title of the book offhand? I wonder if my library has it yet!

[Edge]

I agree - I GOTTA read that!

I read everything of hers I could get my hands on just recently, and the 'Circle' books were by far my favourites!

[edit: although it's still listed on her site as upcoming, I'm pretty sure it must be 'The Will Of The Empress']

[duchess of malfi]

Yes, that is the one, Edge.

[lucimay]

Gabaldon-A Breath of Snow and Ashes

[Edge]

Yes, that is the one, Edge.

Can't wait to get my paws on that!

In the meantime, I'm rereading Raymond Feist's earlier stuff - just finished 'Magician' and 'Silverthorn'.

[Avatar]

Stuck thread.

Read Monstrous Regiment this weekend, not bad, but not one of his best.
Don't know what to read next. *sigh*

--A

[Encryptic]

Reading the final volume of Stephenson's Baroque Cycle: The System of the World.

[Dragonlily]

MAXIMUM LIGHT by Nancy Kress.

I thought on page 63 I had figured the mystery out. Well, two pages later the connection I had figured out was "sprung" on us. So obviously, with 190 pages to go, the part I had figured out is only a small part of the whole.

The most striking part of the book is the atmospherics. It focuses on three people, all of whom are clearly delineated by their modes of thought. They form part of the atmosphere, the setting is the rest. If I'm not here much tonight, it will be because I'm reading.

[I'm Murrin]

I've started M John Harrison's Viriconium.