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Post by Kypriotha on Oct 5, 2015 10:04:03 GMT 10
What books are you currently reading or have recently finished?
I'm currently reading Garth Nix's new collection, To Hold The Bridge, which I'm enjoying.
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Nessa
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Post by Nessa on Nov 2, 2015 4:07:11 GMT 10
I've been reading the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J Maas recently and I really love it - you guys should definitely give it a read
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Post by Rachy on Nov 2, 2015 18:46:10 GMT 10
I've read the first two, which I enjoyed, but I spoiled myself for the rest and decided not to go further.
I've been reading Career of Evil, and enjoying it. Yay characters! I feel like rereading the first two to reembrace my feelings about Cormoran and Robin.
Also attempting to remake my way through Outlander. I enjoyed the first series, and I want to read the first three a bit more throughly second time round before I launch into the rest of the series.
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Post by wordy on Nov 2, 2015 19:53:56 GMT 10
Kypriotha That's on my bookshelf waiting to be read! Rachy I just finished Career of Evil. I was trying so hard this time to guess the killer...and did I? Nope. I also recently read The Lies of Locke Lamora, which was awesome. Now I'm back to reading Katherine Kerr's A Time of Omens and Prick With A Fork, which is a memoir of sorts about waitressing/restaurant work in Australia. It's fairly interesting/amusing, but not quite meeting my expectations.
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Post by Kypriotha on Nov 3, 2015 12:57:00 GMT 10
Ooh that reminds me that I need to finish Throne of Glass...I've only read the first book thus far. Rachy and wordy I just finished Career of Evil. It was the first thing I did when I got back from Japan (and I acquired some collateral damage to my finger in pursuit of reading it) and now I'm feeling a little bereft without it. I love this series so much and already want to know when the next one will be out! I came soooo close to solving this one! I basically had it narrowed down to the killer as the only logical possibility after excluding all other options, but I couldn't work out the ins and outs of how it all tied together. wordy Overall I really enjoyed To Hold The Bridge, but there are at least two stories in it that I want full length novels of (including the Old Kingdom story)!
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mageprincess
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Post by mageprincess on Nov 3, 2015 17:32:38 GMT 10
I'm currently reading Rick Riordan's latest foray into mythology, The Sword of Summer. Norse Gods are pretty cool actually.
After that I'm going to go back to The Watchmaker of Filigree Street because I suck and can't seem to read a book from cover to cover for the life of me lately :/.
After that, Harry Potter. Because Harry Potter.
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Post by Idleness on Nov 6, 2015 17:26:28 GMT 10
I read Beauty and The Rose Daughter, both Beauty and the Beast retellings by Robin McKinley but written 20 years apart. I've never read anything else by this author before but you can definitely tell that the 20 years counts and the latter book is definitely more polished. That said, for both books I couldn't really get into the characters and I couldn't bring myself to believe in the magic, or at least world building wasn't a strong point, so I wouldn't bother to read either again. They were just okay for me.
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Post by Kypriotha on Nov 14, 2015 17:48:52 GMT 10
I just read the latest Gail Carriger book, Manners & Mutiny (last book in The Finishing School series), which I really enjoyed. Fun and answered all the important questions.
Now I am part way through an Alanna re-read. I haven't done one in ages, so it's fun re-visiting old friends!
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Post by mistrali on Mar 14, 2016 9:58:30 GMT 10
Rereading A Thousand Splendid Suns, and the end is actually making me cry, which is unusual for me. Also working my way through Other Summers by Stephen Edgar.
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Post by Rachy on Jul 23, 2016 21:12:33 GMT 10
The Invisible Library, by Genevive Cogman.
After reading a review on SBTB, I was looking forward to it with high expectations, but wasn't as fond as it as I thought I would be. Reminded me a bit of An Eyre Affair, but I think it was a bit too action packed for me? Still enjoyed.
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mageprincess
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Post by mageprincess on Jul 24, 2016 0:23:40 GMT 10
I recently read Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children and loved it. Really looking forward to the movie, although it's fairly obvious already that they've changed some fairly significant things.
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Post by Kypriotha on Jul 29, 2016 17:25:54 GMT 10
Currently reading Who's Afraid by debut Australian author Maria Lewis. I like some of the little things she's included (diverse characters and friendships, subtle and not so subtle feminist comments), although I'm not overly fond of werewolf stories or supernatural romance (Gail Carriger being the notable exception). But I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes urban or supernatural fantasy. Also, it's mostly set in Dundee, Scotland, which is pretty cool
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Post by Rosie on Aug 3, 2016 19:04:49 GMT 10
I just finished Hotel du Lac by Anita Brooker, which was interesting if slow-paced. I've started The Gap in Time by Jeanette Winterson, which is a retelling of Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale (which I absolutely love - I was fortunate enough to go to see Judi Dench and Kenneth Branagh in it last year). I chose it for my book group, and sort of wish I'd looked into it more thoroughly (I was abroad and got tasked with it last minute), because there are some questionable scenes! At least the book group is a year old now, and it's not my first turn at hosting, so I'm pretty sure we'll just laugh over it.
My original turn was supposed to be in October, and I'd have picked Hag-Seed by Margaret Atwood, which is a re-telling of the Tempest, and how can you resist that? I think there are four modernisations - these two, Vinegar Girl which is Taming of the Shrew, and one based on Merchant of Venice.
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Post by Lisa on Aug 5, 2016 22:51:46 GMT 10
I'm currently in the midst of A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (author of The Kite Runner) and it's breaking my heart and making me furious (as it portrays the Taliban's regime in Afghanistan from the perspective of two women). But it's amazing, and I'm learning so much about the region and the language.
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mageprincess
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Post by mageprincess on Aug 29, 2016 20:23:00 GMT 10
I'm reading The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. I'm almost done with the last book. I was a tad sceptical going in, but I ended up really liking them. Basically, they're futuristic fairy tales and Cinderella is they cyborg princess of the moon.
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Post by Elvensmith on Oct 13, 2016 13:12:06 GMT 10
I just finished both Carry On and Fangirl, both of which I loved. They've just got me back into reading YA fantasy and YA fiction, which I hadn't been doing for a while. I was surprised that I liked Carry On so much, given that it's basically a Harry Potter spoof, but I really recommend it. Because gay romance and also a Harry Potter-like universe where life is complicated and you aren't just fighting the boogeyman but magic itself?? I could go on and on about it.
Just went to the store and picked up The Wrath and the Dawn which had a ton of good reviews on Goodreads and Finnikin of the Rock which I've heard less good things about than the sequel, but I just really wanted some decent YA fantasy to get into.
Also side note I feel like it was actually really difficult to find anything with legitimately empowering female characters?? Like how crazy is it that TP's work is some of the most realistic and empowering even in 2016??
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Vala
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Post by Vala on Oct 16, 2016 21:38:34 GMT 10
I'm currently reading Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake which is dark, but very good. It builds slowly which may not suit to more action inclined readers but the character development is done well.
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Post by Kypriotha on Oct 20, 2016 18:36:58 GMT 10
Just finished Blackout and All Clear by Connie Willis (time travellers in WWII England), which I LOVE. May have read All Clear a bit too fast to really appreciate it though (second read), because I was just so excited to read everyone's stories. Now I'm reading Summers at Castle Auburn by Sharon Shinn and really enjoying it so far! (Almost halfway through.) Before Connie Willis, I read Troubled Waters and Royal Airs, also by Shinn, in preparation for the fourth book's release this year. Elvensmith, I can highly recommend all of Shinn's fantasy novels for good female characters, if you haven't already encountered them. The Novels of the Twelve Houses are my favourites.
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Post by max on Oct 23, 2016 15:32:35 GMT 10
White Oleander by Janet Fitch, which I picked up in the 'Book Nook' (an otherwise dead space corridor in the humanities building where people drop off books they no longer want/pick up books for free. I have also acquired several poetry anthologies there in the past, discarded by disgruntled English students, I imagine).
I really loved it. Like, there are coming of age novels written for teens, and then there are the ones that are decidedly not. But are magnificent, and beautifully written, and yes. Loved it.
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Post by Elvensmith on Oct 25, 2016 3:10:08 GMT 10
max White Oleander is wonderful. It's intense, but has been so important to me. Kypriotha, I was actually just looking into that series! Way back when, I read a short series by her about Truth-tellers and Secret-Keepers, and I remember loving it, though I can't recall the name of the series. I'll have to pick up the Twelve Houses next time I'm at the bookstore. I'm in a Jane Austen class, having to reread all her books (and some for the first time). We just finished Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice, and I was struck by how I used to hate S+S and love P+P and now it's almost the opposite.
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mageprincess
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Post by mageprincess on Oct 25, 2016 18:10:41 GMT 10
Elvensmith, I know I harp on about them a lot but Rick Riordan's female characters are some of the best I've seen! I think it's because they are all strong/powerful in their own right, and definitely don't tolerate the male characters if they're being asses, even if they're dating them!
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Post by Kypriotha on Oct 27, 2016 16:37:44 GMT 10
Kypriotha, I was actually just looking into that series! Way back when, I read a short series by her about Truth-tellers and Secret-Keepers, and I remember loving it, though I can't recall the name of the series. I'll have to pick up the Twelve Houses next time I'm at the bookstore. That would be The Safe-Keepers Secret and sequels, one of her YA series. I liked that series, but I like Twelve Houses even more (it's actually one of my all-time favourites). The Elemental Blessings series is also really good (fourth one comes out this year) and I have now finished and adored Summers at Castle Auburn (standalone). I'm currently reading My Lady Judge by Cora Harrison. It's set in 1509 in west Ireland (in The Burren) and features a female Brehon (judge/law scholar). It's interesting.
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Post by wordy on Nov 21, 2016 6:37:33 GMT 10
I feel like I've been reading a lot lately, which is a nice change. Most recently was Matthew Reilly's The Four Legendary Kingdoms - it's been a while since I've read anything of his, so it was a bit of an adjustment to get used to his writing style again. A fun read, though, especially if you're already a fan.
And I'm currently in the middle of a junior fiction fantasy/horror called Hoodoo by Ronald L. Smith, which is pretty good. It's about a boy called Hoodoo who happens to be the only one in his family unable to do hoodoo/magic, until a threat comes along etc. etc.
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Post by Rachy on Nov 22, 2016 19:32:32 GMT 10
I've been trying really hard to read more this year, and I've been achieving that, which is good!
Highlights: Helen Simonsen - I really enjoyed both of her books, and I hope she writes more. Kevin Kwan's Crazy Rich Asians was one I enjoyed more than I initially thought. Starting to make my way through the Kate Daniels series, so I'll see how that goes.
And because I cannot not plug: Melina Marchetta'a Tell the Truth, Shame the Devil was brilliant. I just love her writing so much, her characters, everything. It worked really well as a crime/suspense too.
and ETA because I remembered I am amongst fellow Old Kingdom lovers: I struggled my way through Clariel, it's been sitting on my shelf for maybe two years? Since it came out? And I told myself I wasn't reading Goldenhand until I read Clariel, and it was hard. Story maybe not what I had expected, and I just didn't really like her. Going straight into Goldenhand, I liked it, but I wasn't too fond of the new character at first, and it didn't have the same magic the first three had.
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mageprincess
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Post by mageprincess on Nov 24, 2016 20:10:26 GMT 10
I've been systematically reading my way through Sarah J. Maas' Throne of Glass series. I really like them but I really want to punch the main character in the face. She was so kickass in book one, but then got really whiny during the rest of the series. Now she just oscillates between being awesome and being a pain in the butt and it's really frustrating.
Why is it that so many female authors just cannot write strong female characters?
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Post by Kypriotha on Nov 26, 2016 19:38:50 GMT 10
mageprincess I am currently on a hiatus from reading Throne of Glass because I was getting too annoyed at all the main characters (less so Dorian...). I have only read three of them so far. I really liked the first one but the second one super annoyed me. The third one was better. Probably because Celaena was on a different continent to the other two. I initially thought there were only 3 in the series and then slowly found out there are lots more and got cranky. So I'm having a break for a bit before borrowing the rest from the library. Instead, I've read Jeweled Fire by Sharon Shinn (excellent and I'm now impatiently waiting to get the fourth one from the library) and Eon by Alison Goodman (which was good, but I decided to not immediately read the sequel). Currently re-reading my favourite series of all time, Anne of Green Gables
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Post by Rosie on Feb 9, 2017 3:20:53 GMT 10
I'm almost finished with All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, and I couldn't recommend it more. It's a really beautiful book, set against the backdrop of WW2, featuring a blind French girl, and an orphaned German boy. Such beautiful quotes.
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Post by Kypriotha on Feb 9, 2017 17:58:39 GMT 10
I'm almost finished with All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, and I couldn't recommend it more. It's a really beautiful book, set against the backdrop of WW2, featuring a blind French girl, and an orphaned German boy. Such beautiful quotes. I've been seeing that book every where (including in German in German bookshops) and I keep meaning to read it! I'm so glad you recommend it (which, let's be honest, is pretty much how I find all my new books these days...) Just finished book 5 of the Peter Grant series (Foxglove Summer) and I'm very annoyed I don't have the 6th book available immediately...
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Post by Rosie on Aug 22, 2017 19:23:29 GMT 10
I just finished The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy - if you can get past the disjointed pacing, it's a beautiful, complex tale. I'm also halfway through The Power by Naomi Alderman, which is about women discovering that they have the power to hurt men, and how that impacts on society. It's interesting and punchy writing, so it was a good foil whilst I was trying to get through Ministry, but I've had to put it down because it turns out it's going to be picked for book club in October or November, and I'd rather be fresh when I go.
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Post by Lisa on Aug 22, 2017 23:32:58 GMT 10
I recently read the book Lost Ground by Ulla Jordan, and it was historical fiction based on the Winter War between Finland and the Soviet Union in 1939, which is an often-overlooked war, given the global background of WWII's beginning. It was an interesting read, though not exactly fun.
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