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

[Fist and Faith]

OMG I am reading Neverness! It took me years to get hold of it and then I was looking for it in a secondhand book shop - I always give it a try - and there it was. I am about half way through and I love it.

WOO HOO!!! Time for the Haruchai Happy Dance!

Go Emma!
Go Emma!
Go Emma!
It's your birthday!

[dANdeLION]

IVellum certainly ranks among the best books of the year -- of any year.......I can't wait to read the sequel, Ink. com

Yikes, those titles....Vellum & Ink. I was a draftsman for years working with ink on vellum before we got CAD; it makes my left arm ache just thinking about it!

[Ainulindale]

As I knew the moment I started it (damn almost a year ago) - I just thought Vellum was brilliant.

[duke]

Just started the first chapter of Zindell's "The Broken God". One chapter in and I get the impression that Zindell has taken a fair step up with this novel. This book has me excited!

[danlo]

You'll love it-It blows Neverness away! (and you know how much I love Neverness!)

[Edinburghemma]

I flippin love Neverness. What comes next? It is an emergency, I am about to finish. Actually, I am so lazy. Apologies. I should just look on Amazon. I is a loser!

[danlo]

THE BROKEN GOD!@!!!@!!

[I'm Murrin]

Last night I finished China Miéville's story collection Looking for Jake. Most of the stuff in there is good, I especially like Reports of Certain Events in London, which is told on the form of a collection of letters and leaflets. The collection also has China's entry from the Thackery T. Lambshead Pocket Guide To Eccentric and Discredited Diseases, which I've been meaning to get for a while.

[Drundaar Rockheart]

My friend is pushing me to read Terry Goodkinds Wizards First Rule because I promised him If he read TCTC I'll read a book of his choosing.... (this is probably the most poorly written literature I've read in a long time....no offense to those who enjoy his work of course)

[I'm Murrin]

I've started Iain Banks' Consider Phlebas.

[Fist and Faith]

Emma and duke reading the Neverness books?!?!? This is too cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm about a third into Neverness on my re-read of the four.

[Avatar]

(this is probably the most poorly written literature I've read in a long time....no offense to those who enjoy his work of course)

You won't find many here.

Uh, yeah, nothing special, just ploughing through my Pratchett's at the moment, for want of anything new to read. Lords and Ladies.

However, I have finally gotten my LFB back from my friend, who, despite the fact that he claimed to enjoy it, couldn't finish it. (Actually, I don't think he's finished a whole book in his life *sigh*) This means that the GF will finally start reading it soon, after 8 years of trying to convince her to try it out.

--A

[Worm of Despite]

I'm re-reading The Lord of the Rings right now. Fun to be a nostalgic hobbit again.

[Ainulindale]

I'm reading a few things, but just got the new Rabid Transit, Long Voyages, Great Lies a chapbook frim Velocity Press that I'm real enjoying featuring work from F. Brett Cox, Heather Shaw, Geoffrey H. Goodwin, Alice Kim, Meghan McCarron, and David Schwartz - this is edited by a talented bunch - aka the ratbastards - in Alan DeNiro, Chris Bazrak and Kristin Livdahl.

Also been flipping through some future R. Scott Bakker work (Neuropath), and finishing up Chris Roberson's Paragaea which I just loved. I'm also going back through Justina Robson's Keeping it Real, (Quantum Gravity Book I) and Alan Campbell's forthcoming debut Scar Night.

[I'm Murrin]

I just finished reading Iain M Banks' Consider Phlebas. I enjoyed the book, despite some initial criticisms. A large amount of the book's first half was episodic in nature, and I felt much of it served little purpose and could have been cut without damaging the story. The main storyline almost vanished for a while in these little expeditions, and doesn't pick up until around chapter eight, past halfway into the book. From that point, however, it's pretty solid, and the ending is great. Banks can write a good action scene.

[danlo]

I have to disagree a bit here: I thought the whole idea of his "Culture" universe in the book was highly intrigueing and the pace moved me right along. Which is hard to do as I'm a slow reader. I'm 40 pages into Look to Windward which, for some reason, has sucked me back into the series much more easily and quickly than The Algebraist (perhaps it's due to the relative order in which they were written). It's alot of fun being carried along so. Dang Banks can be really funny when he wants too... 8

[I'm Murrin]

The Culture universe is great, I just don't think all the scenes included in the book were necessary to the story. For example:

Spoiler

The Temple of Light served no purpose other than to a) kill off a bunch of characters he'd only introduced that chapter, and b) make Neisin use projectiles innstead of lasers, which in the end did little but provide a way to kill him. Banks could easily have had them go directly for the bow lasers on the Megaship, instead of setting off on this expedition.
The second bit that was unnecessary: the Eaters. No point to it. Horza got to use his weapons that we'd already been told enough about, and he got to give his opinion on religion. It served no purpose in the overall story.

[pat5150]

Just finished Carrie Vaughn's Kitty Goes to Washington. It's the horror/dark urban fantasy sequel to Kitty and the Midnight Hour, and it's an extremely entertaining read! Give it a go!

You'll find the full review on the blog, if you're interested. . .

Patrick
www.fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com

[danlo]

I thought that scene was necessary to flesh-out introductions of the crew, how they performed, intially, under duress, their character and the "Captian's" attitude, leadership tenuous-relations, eccentricities, etc...

[Atom]

Reading Eric Lustbader's "Ring of the Five Dragons" right now - almost done. Looking forward to book 2 (which is sitting on my shelf, along with the final volume).