What book are you reading?

ReenieHJ wrote: »

The Glass Castle, a reread for me but absolutely one of the best books I've ever read. IMO

I loved two of her other books too, the Silver Star & Half Broke Horses!

steph6556 wrote: »

@melaniedscott, I loved Name of the Wind so much I had to keep going. Did you read the third? I’m gonna be sooooo sad when this is all over. If you enjoy this genre, what did you move to after?

I haven't gotten to the third but I did read the. Slow Regard of Silent Things. Liked it a lot. What with, you know, 2020 and all, I'm not out as much and haven't been to the library...

So my taste is pretty eclectic. I really enjoyed The Expanse series (haven't finished it quite yet, but loved what I have...first 5?l. I liked The Quantum Thief (didn't read subsequent, but may still, takes a mood for me...love that he actually knows what an oubliette is). Rothfuss doesn't fit well in a 'genre' for me. Feels like what LeGuin (who I respect but don't like) should have done but didn't. Less whiny, more robust storytelling.

But I also like Ilona Andrews, Patricia Briggs, L. E. Modesitt, Steven Barnes, Laura Anne Gilman, Emma Bull, Charles DeLint, David Weber, JD Robb, Jaqueline Winespear (?), David Duncan, Anne Bishop, David Drake, Julie Czerdena, Jim Butcher, Benedict Jacka, Eric Nylund (non-Halo), Kim Harrison, Patricia Wrede, Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman, Margaret Atwood....well, I could go on.

I read or have read just about anything (except Steven King, westerns and crappy romance--not to be confused with non-crappy romance). I don't read anything by Stuart Woods, Hillerman(s), any Kellerman(s), or Koontz, Saul anymore.

Planning on The Testaments by Margaret Atwood next (very excited!) and then a return to the Weber/Ringo March series. Never got around to We Few but it has been so long since I read the rest, I want to start at the begining.

@melaniedscott, WOW!! Ask and you shall receive! 😆 You’ve given me a lot of good stuff here. I’m not a big Atwood fan but I loved the Expanse series so I’ll just have to pick around with some of your recommendations and see what clicks, eh?

I’m not ALL about sci-fi at all times but it’s kinda nice, “getting lost out there” these days. I just finished the Vanishing Half right before starting Name of the Wind and though it was good, it pushed me over the edge to sci-fi bc I was just sick of heavy/deep. Thank you for all the names!! And thank you for Caring so thoroughly 🙂

Remain in Love by Chris Frantz was a long slow drag after the first 100 pages or so. I'd only recommend it if you're a HUGE fan of Talking Heads/Tom Tom Club or love memoirs with tons of boring name-drops.

steph6556 wrote: »

@melaniedscott, WOW!! Ask and you shall receive! 😆 You’ve given me a lot of good stuff here. I’m not a big Atwood fan but I loved the Expanse series so I’ll just have to pick around with some of your recommendations and see what clicks, eh?

I’m not ALL about sci-fi at all times but it’s kinda nice, “getting lost out there” these days. I just finished the Vanishing Half right before starting Name of the Wind and though it was good, it pushed me over the edge to sci-fi bc I was just sick of heavy/deep. Thank you for all the names!! And thank you for Caring so thoroughly 🙂

I just had to glance at my shelves. My hubs & I read a lot. If you like chick-lit (good stuff, not the mediocore stuff that is all over) you might check out Jennifer Cruisie. Solid characters, lots of humor, frequently ridiculous...I love Agnes and the Hitman. She writes a creepy-cool ghost story, too. A friend of mine read the Altered Carbon series and loved it...me, not so much. The idea was intriguing but not the execution. It takes quite a bit to squwick me and he managed (and I've been known to read Laurel Hamilton...if you haven't, I don't recommend you start).

You might check out Dennis McKiernan (Caverns of Socrates, esp, virtual reality game challenge gone bad). Also really like Sharon Shinn (ALL of it...she has yet to truely disappoint me). Really liked the Twelve Houses series and her *recent* werewolf books Shape of Desire, Still Life with Shapeshifter, the Turning Season. They're possibly too subtle for people who like full on supernatural. I have what I call the Sneaky B*tch award for writers who slide major stuff by you and then spring them on you later...she got it.

Another Sneaky B is Connie Willis. For the time travel/alternate history books, always best to start at the beginning (To Say Nothing of the Dog and/or Doomsday Book).

And Sharyn McCrumb for straight fiction (well...blended with a bit of mystery). She caught me with Bimbos of the Death Sun. It isn't anything like it sounds...Her Ballads series is really good and loosely based on real events. Series is the wrong word, honestly...they don't generally share characters or plot lines, they all happen to occur in the Appalacians (ish).

Tanya Huff can be fun; her series are never the same thing twice...and Wen Spencer is fantastic. Can't go wrong with Wen.

steph6556 wrote: »

@melaniedscott, HOW did I get soooo lucky to meet you??? You are a wealth of good info! Thank you so much for your in-depth responses. When you said werewolf I was instantly on the hook. That is so my scene and so are vampires though I’ve already done all the Ann Rices and even the Twilights ( blushing) but I’m sure you probably know something I don’t about a hidden vampire gem series??? I like sexy stuff too without getting cheesy. You’ve already given me soo much. You’re the best!!!!

There's nothing wrong with Twilight...it speaks to everyone's inner teenage girl. And it is funny (not necessarliy on purpose). No much of a Rice fan...Lestat is a whiner and I'm not fond of whiny protags.

If you like vampire/werewolf stuff, try Anne Bishop (The Others series); not werewolves/vampires per se...but in that vein (ha ha).

P N Elrod does a very noir detective vampire series. They're a bit...intropective...but in the noir style it is probably fitting.

Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson series is mostly werewolves with a bit of vampire thrown in...watch out for the third book though...brutal. Bit of a traumatic read, really.

Tanya Huff's The Silvered is good.

The Black Wolves of Boston by Wen Spencer is pretty good.

Tanith Lee did a well written but quite disturbing vamp series in the 90's starting with a book called Dark Dance...that might be hard to find. Pretty sure they're out of print.

Ilona Andrews Magic series is predominantly shapeshifter. Love all their stuff...

Kim Harrison's books include vampires, witches, demons, fey, and shapeshifters...alternate history. Her main character, Rachel, gets a bit whiny toward the last 1/3 of the series but the storyline is fun.

Have you read anything by Gail Carriger? Her books are a hoot. Steampunk, vampires, werewolves...

Oh, yeah, and Carrie Vaughn...werewolf named Kitty. Heh. Kitty and the Midnight Hour is the first book, I think. Good storylines, social awareness, character development.

Earlier, I mentioned Laurel Hamilton. Sigh. She's known for the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series, which is vampires, shapeshifters, witches, necromancers, etc . First 8 books were decent, if sometimes graphically gory. Then they devolved into graphic sex (one book was 325 pages long with 30 pages of actual story, the rest is the main character tripping on the sidewalk and falling on male members (do they kitten that word?)...it got so tedious, I counted). At this point, her books are polygamy propaganda/paranormal romance. If that sounds okay...well, I never recommend her books...but they're out there.

I've been reading a long time.

editing note...if you think psychic, alien vampires intent on subjugating earth sound interestingSeason of Passage by Christopher Pike. Possibly the single creepiest book I've read.

If you want something romance and shapeshifter/alien, Nancee Cummings. A shoutout for her, 'cuz we're pals and she is a good writer.

Revival by Stephen King

melaniedscott wrote: »

And, @steph6556, you're welcome. As I said before...fiendish reader here...I don't like Charlaine Harris much, either...though I've read...hmmm, probably 3/4 or more of her books, including the Amelia Teagarden's (rather painful & insipid) and the Lily Bard's (which might have more social value than most of her work). Have fun!

For my book club we are currently reading Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano and it’s good so far...... just not the kind of good I’m reading in the evening before bed with Wise Man’s Fear. That book makes me wanna head to bed early and I find myself comparing everything to it.

Someone suggested I read this here on MFP awhile back. Finally getting to it; I like it so far!