what are you reading right now?

[Nerdanel]

I'm reading Bokhandleren i Kabul - et familiedrama by Åsne Seierstad. I don't know if it's translated into English, at least it's very famous here in Scandinavia.
The book is about Seierstad's experiences in Afghanistan, when she lived there in an Afghan family after the fall of the talibans.

[Artanis]

English translation: The bookseller of Kabul.
I've decided not to read that book, I think the Afghan family should keep their privacy if that's what they wish, and I don't think Seierstad is able to tell me anything new about the society in Afghanistan and how women are treated there

[Lalaith]

I read a great book about the problem of low self esteem of women and so on and so forth.

It's first publishing title was "Let's kill barbie" but now the title is "Wie aus Mädchen tolle Frauen werden" (=> How girls can become awesome women).

A great book. Loved it. There were a lot of interviews with girls and mothers and teachers and some things in our educational system are just stupid.

[Nerdanel]

Originally posted by Artanis
English translation: The bookseller of Kabul.
I've decided not to read that book, I think the Afghan family should keep their privacy if that's what they wish, and I don't think Seierstad is able to tell me anything new about the society in Afghanistan and how women are treated there

That can be a smart thing to do, but I'm reading it anyway. Have you had some kind of discussion about that in Norway?

EDIT: Sounds like a really interesting book, Lalaith! Who has written it?

[cassiopeia]

I'm reading Stalking Darkness by Lynn Flewelling, the second book in her Nightrunner series. It has a great plot, interesting characters and is well-written.

[b.banner]

im reading a book about the flash called the flash stop motion by mark schultz

[Lalaith]

Originally posted by Nerdanel
EDIT: Sounds like a really interesting book, Lalaith! Who has written it?

Have finished it and this was one of the best books I have ever read.
Written by Cheryl Benard and Edit Schlaffer.

Now I'm reading "Beste Freundin, Beste Feindin - Ein Zickengesang auf die Frauenfreundschaft".
Lovely, hilarious, great. (Note: All these books are lying around in our computer room)

English Title: Best Friend, Best Foe - bitch singing about women friendships

[jellyfishannah]

I am reading...

The Silmarillion
Hatchet
The Devils
Journey to Heaven
Byzantium

It's terrible! I'll never get through them all! I'll get them all mixed up or something. Don't get me started on the books I'm planning on reading!

[Sono]

At the moment I read Armande the vampir (is that right?) from Anne Rice in german.

It's very cool
I love this book. ^^

[BelegS]

Neverwhere, Neil Gaiman.
Guy sure knows how to write.

The Lions of Al-Rassan, GGK.
Okay stuff, nothing special though. GGK is vastly overated IMO.

Will try re-starting Malazan Empire.

[Grey_Wolf]

Michael Baigent's The Messianic Legacy, PD James' A Mind To Murder, Winston Churchill's A History of English Speaking Peoples II: The New World, Michael Tamelander's BISMARK - Kampen om Atlanten.

[Falagar]

Originally posted by BelegS
Neverwhere, Neil Gaiman.
Guy sure knows how to write.

Will try re-starting Malazan Empire.

What do you think of Neverwhere so far? Finished American Gods not long ago and have been considering getting Neverwhere (heard lots of good stuff about it)

And how far did you get into the Malazan-series? Currently on Deadhouse Gates myself, going slowly (finished Hobb's Assassin's Quest without opening Deadhouse Gates once, despite being a few hundred pages into it).

[BelegS]

Finished Neverwhere this afternoon.
This guy sure knows how to write but I don't think he particularly cared spending his considerable talent in the writing of this book.
The story starts off reasonably well [The whole London background and the apparant traversing of the fabric of time reminds me of The Woven Path by Robin Jarvis which concerns time travelling to 2nd World War London] and maintains its reasonability and attention of reader for a while. But once Mayhew gets totally emeshed in the workings of London below, the quality deterorates for me. To much action takes place too quicky, the whole book seems to be written in a sort of a hurry. But like the Korondor novels by Raymond E. Feist which were apparantly based on Video Games. After the first one quarter part the story isn't much different from the multilude of Dr Who stories lying about. It is enjoyable certainly, the humor is dry and crisp, some characters are amusing but under developed. I can understand why many questions are left unanswered in novels, but I felt that Gaiman took things to an extreme here.
It was like watching a good, fastpased, exciting thriller which while providing momentary satisfaction fails to have a lasting impression.

If one is fond of Dr Who types stories then one'd enjoy the story. Other then that I cannot say.

While saying this I will try to start American Gods or Coraline tonight to see if they are any different from Neverwhere.

As for the Malazan Empire series. I got about 50 pages in the first book, felt that I just couldn't get into the story, and didn't particularly care about it much so abandoned it. Later I was admonished by some people to have stopped too-early, and was advised to give it a fair chance. Mainly to oblige these folks I'll read it again, though I am not a great fan of War Fantasy. [And Malazanites seem to be sworn enemies of George R.R. Martin.
]

[sun-star]

Mary Barton by Mrs Gaskell (all about industrial strikes in 19th century Manchester) and re-reading Measure for Measure, for exam purposes.

[Falagar]

Originally posted by BelegS
Finished Neverwhere this afternoon.
This guy sure knows how to write but I don't think he particularly cared spending his considerable talent in the writing of this book.
The story starts off reasonably well [The whole London background and the apparant traversing of the fabric of time reminds me of The Woven Path by Robin Jarvis which concerns time travelling to 2nd World War London] and maintains its reasonability and attention of reader for a while. But once Mayhew gets totally emeshed in the workings of London below, the quality deterorates for me. To much action takes place too quicky, the whole book seems to be written in a sort of a hurry. But like the Korondor novels by Raymond E. Feist which were apparantly based on Video Games. After the first one quarter part the story isn't much different from the multilude of Dr Who stories lying about. It is enjoyable certainly, the humor is dry and crisp, some characters are amusing but under developed. I can understand why many questions are left unanswered in novels, but I felt that Gaiman took things to an extreme here.
It was like watching a good, fastpased, exciting thriller which while providing momentary satisfaction fails to have a lasting impression.

If one is fond of Dr Who types stories then one'd enjoy the story. Other then that I cannot say.

While saying this I will try to start American Gods or Coraline tonight to see if they are any different from Neverwhere.

Coraline's really nice (childrens' book, but still) and I thought American Gods was good. It didn't leave any lasting impression, no, but it was good.

As for the Malazan Empire series. I got about 50 pages in the first book, felt that I just couldn't get into the story, and didn't particularly care about it much so abandoned it. Later I was admonished by some people to have stopped too-early, and was advised to give it a fair chance. Mainly to oblige these folks I'll read it again, though I am not a great fan of War Fantasy. [And Malazanites seem to be sworn enemies of George R.R. Martin.
]

You should try visiting the A Song of Ice and Fire -board on EzBoards, lots of Erikson/Martin-fans there...in my experience most Erikson-fans look down on Hobb.

[BelegS]

Coraline's really nice (childrens' book, but still) and I thought American Gods was good. It didn't leave any lasting impression, no, but it was good.

Coraline looks promising!

You should try visiting the A Song of Ice and Fire -board on EzBoards, lots of Erikson/Martin-fans there...in my experience most Erikson-fans look down on Hobb.

I visit probably the biggest ASoIaF board on Ezboard but I don't venture often into the other authors forum. On another forum I visit regularly Malazanites and Martinities are often at dagger's drawn.

Looking down upon Hobb should be declared sacrilege! Utter blasphemy. I mean the women is basically the best character fantasy writer ever. How can one dislike Fitz Chivalry and Shrewd and other people! I mean you can hate them, you can detest them, you might even want to kick them but you just can't dislike the characterization!

[Falagar]

It seems like most either have a problem with Fitz's so-called whining ( ) or they didn't like the plot-line.

Right, my reading and to-read list requires a serious examination...

Books I'm reading:

The Odyssey by Homer
Monty Python: The Biographies by Mr. Python
Lennon by Roy Coleman (John Lennon-biography)
To Kill A Mocking Bird by Nelle Harper Lee
Celtic Myths and Legends by T.W. Rolleston
Dying Earth-triology by Jack Vance
Tigrana by Guy Gavriel Kay (the guy who helped C.Tolkien with the Silmarillion)

Books I'm going to read in a not-too-distant-future:

Memories of Ice by Steven Erikson
Path of Daggers by Robert Jordan
Liveshiptrader-triology by Robin Hobb
Tawny Man-triology by Robin Hobb
Hunger by Knut Hamsun
Legends and Legends II with short-stories by among others George R.R. Martin, Robert Jordan, Anne McKaffery, Ursula K. Le Guin, Tad Williams, Terry Pratchett and Feist.


I also have to find and get through Beatles by the Norwegian author Saabye Christensen; and in addition I'm planning to read Tad Williams' Memory, Sorrow and Thorn-series, and sooner or later something by Heinlein, King, Goodkind, Eddings, Feist and Brooks...

And I don't really have time for any reading this summer.

[BelegS]

That's some list out there.....

My reading pile for the next week or so,


Mathew Woodring Stover's Heroes Die [Finished Half]

Neal Stephenson's Cryptonomicon [Quarter Finished--Great, great book]

Stephen King's Needful Things [Just started]

Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of Dog In the Night-Time


Jack Vance's [I]Last Castle[I]

I will also try to delve again into Erickson. Almost everyone likes his fiction, I just can understand my dislike for it.

[Falagar]

Which Erikson-book is it you're trying to read? The first book didn't really get any good before the end, the second one is IMO much better (though it has a few problems).

[BelegS]

I am trying to read Gardens of Moon.

Do you think I should skip right onto the second book? Will I be missing a lot If I do so? I have half a mind to just skim through the book, skip random passages and like.