Whats everyone reading?

[Mardroid]

Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

I started this on-line, and when a friend gave me an Amazon voucher for a birthday present I decided to pick up the novel.*

Interesting world and story so far. I'm a little undecided on Sanderson's writing style. I enjoyed his work in the last two Wheel of Time books though.  This is one of his earlier books so maybe he has progressed, or maybe he was matching his style more to Robert Jordan in the WoT books. (It's still different but it fits well.)

Don't get me wrong, his writing style, isn't bad. It does the job, and certainly doesn't put me off the story. Maybe it's just the contrast having just finished a Stephen King book.** The Final Empire is a page turner, which is the main thing. It has a kind of Magnificent Seven vibe too, which should be fun in a fantasy novel. (Not the first I've read to have that theme, mind you. Wolves of the Calla the fifth book in King's The Dark Tower cycle for example.)

The magic system is very original. It's called 'allomancy' and it involves the allomancer imbibing flakes of metal. He/she can then gain powers by burning those metals.  Different metals grant different powers. Most allomancers are 'Mistings' who can only process one kind of metal but a minority, 'Mistborn' can process them all. Very odd, strange, slightly unsettling in a stomach churning way, but kinda cool too.

*I got the first volume of Kick-ass too. I've seen the film and loved it, so I figured, might as well pick up the source. Especially as I'm reading KA2 in Clint anyway.

**Just after Sunset, by the way. I mentioned it here earlier, but I'd just like to add, having now finished, it's cracking!

[klute]

*I got the first volume of Kick-ass too. I've seen the film and loved it, so I figured, might as well pick up the source. Especially as I'm reading KA2 in Clint anyway.

I got that a few weeks back in all honesty i wish i'd read it before watching the film.
As Has happened in the past seeing the film ruined the GN to a degree but i still loved it and cant wait for the full 2nd volume

[Ignatzmonster]

Finishing up Banks' Consider Phlebas. Picked this up at the local used book shop since many of the folks on this site love the Culture books. At first thought I'd made a mistake. Just another cosmic opera, I thought. Then they got to the megaship and I was all in. It's a very strange book. At times it reminds me of The Narrative of Arther Gordon Pym and at others The Spy Who Came in from the Cold. Also my feelings toward the Culture fluctuates. I may agree with them but their self satisfaction grates. What this boils down to is I want to read another, and immediately.

So I've got a choice at my local bookshop for Use of Weapons or Surface Detail. Which, hivemind, do you suggest?

[Richmond Clements]

So I've got a choice at my local bookshop for Use of Weapons or Surface Detail. Which, hivemind, do you suggest?

I've yet to read Surface Detail, but I am lead to believe it is excellent.
Use of Weapons on the other hand, is close to being my favourite book ever.

[Kerrin]

'Use of Weapons' Monster. You will absolutely love it.

And then, if I may suggest, 'The Player of Games', 'Excession', 'Inversions', 'Look to Windward', 'Matter' and 'Surface Detail'. Not forgetting the short stories in 'State of the Art'.

[SmallBlueThing]

Finished 'the age of ra' last night. Hmm, it kept my interest throughout, and the 'gods' bits were entertaining, but it was all a bit underwhelming in the end. The plot twist was obvious and it just sort of petred out.

Next up is Jonathan Maberry's 'the dragon factory', sequel to 'patient zero', which i read last year and which still lingers in my head.

Hoping this is as good, though the potential lack of zombies this time may be a dealbreaker.

SBT

[HOO-HAA]

Next up is Jonathan Maberry's 'the dragon factory', sequel to 'patient zero', which i read last year and which still lingers in my head.

To my shame, I haven't read Maberry yet, even though he was kind enough to volunteer nice words on both FLU and DDG. He's on my list. No idea what to expect, although all I've heard has been very positive. 

[SmallBlueThing]

Patient Zero was the first ime i'd ever knowingly read a novel that was blatantly trying to be a movie pitch. And to be fair to it, it's absolutely a movie i want to see. It's an unashamedly macho action romp, sort of 'bravo two zombies', with a bunch of political homeland security post-sept 11 shenanigans woven in. It's written to be a balls-out breakneck thriller that's collided with the biggest zombie movie you can imagine, and it mostly succeeds. Whether the main character, joe ledger, is entertaining enough to support further outings... I'll tell you in about a week!
SBT

[House of Usher]

Lady Windermere's Fan (Oscar Wilde) and A Handful of Dust (Evelyn Waugh)

Love both of those.  I could read Wilde and Waugh until [insert prosaic but distant event].

I've got to Act Three of Lady Windermere's Fan. It hasn't remotely got good yet. I can't see the story going anywhere interesting and the speeches are altogether too long without many epigrams. It's not The Importance of Being Earnest, that's for sure.

[TordelBack]

'Use of Weapons' Monster. You will absolutely love it.

And then, if I may suggest, 'The Player of Games', 'Excession', 'Inversions', 'Look to Windward', 'Matter' and 'Surface Detail'. Not forgetting the short stories in 'State of the Art'.

Agreed.  Although the sequence of Culture novels isn't very important due to their standalone nature, there is at least an implicit reading order from the incomparable Use of Weapons, to Look to Windward and then Surface Detail.  Certainly the outstanding Surface Detail benefits from being read later on.

I didn't like the title story in State of the Art - I still think it was a bit of a mistake.

[Kerrin]

I didn't like the title story in State of the Art - I still think it was a bit of a mistake.

I can see what mean with that TB but I won't get into it here to avoid spoiling for others.

I am currently reading "HMS Surprise" by Patrick O'Brian, the third of the Aubrey/Maturin novels. I am a zealous convert to Mr.O'Brian's work and won't do them the injustice of my stumbling qualifications, but will say that if you have any interest in historical fiction of an entertaining and authentic nature, give them a shot.

Also on the go is the Self Made Hero "H.P.Lovecraft Anthology" compiled and mostly adapted by Dan Lockwood. I've only read the first tale in it so far by a couple of what, I assume, are newcomers to the comics game, Ian Edgington and D'Israeli. They've made a fair fist of it and I expect to see them do well. It's ace! And, there's a second anthology out in March 2012 according to the Self Made Hero catalogue, which is a wonderful little read in itself.

[Keef Monkey]

Patient Zero was the first ime i'd ever knowingly read a novel that was blatantly trying to be a movie pitch. And to be fair to it, it's absolutely a movie i want to see. It's an unashamedly macho action romp, sort of 'bravo two zombies', with a bunch of political homeland security post-sept 11 shenanigans woven in. It's written to be a balls-out breakneck thriller that's collided with the biggest zombie movie you can imagine, and it mostly succeeds. Whether the main character, joe ledger, is entertaining enough to support further outings... I'll tell you in about a week!
SBT

Looking forward to your report! I really enjoyed Patient Zero, like you say it was big blockbuster thrills, and I thought the cross between 24 and 28 Days Later (24 Days Later?) worked really well. Always assumed a sequel would appear but seem to have missed it sneaking out.

[SmallBlueThing]

Looking forward to your report! I really enjoyed Patient Zero, like you say it was big blockbuster thrills, and I thought the cross between 24 and 28 Days Later (24 Days Later?) worked really well. Always assumed a sequel would appear but seem to have missed it sneaking out.

There's a third, apparently, due this month:

http://www.play.com/Books/Books/4-/14955362/The-King-of-Plagues/Product.html?searchtype=allproducts&searchsource=0&searchstring=jonathan+maberry&urlrefer=search

So I guess he survives this one!

SBT

[Keef Monkey]

Spoilers! 

[HOO-HAA]

Just finished Christa Faust's MONEY SHOT. I reviewed it on my blog:

Basically, I said: MONEY SHOT is an addictive book. A balls-to-the-wall ride, loaded with sex, drugs and violence. It's got everything a page-turner needs: good characters, engaging plot, romance and action by the bucket-load. You'll find it hard *not* to read all 250 pages in one sitting. And that's probably the best compliment a writer could ever get.

READ MORE:

http://waynesimmons.org/blog/?p=431