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It's August, month of WorldCon and the Olympics (in that order of interest.) What are you reading at the beach?

Currently reading Four Roads Cross by Max Gladstone, which is terrific so far; but I put is aside to re-read Jack of Shadows today.

And I'm listening to Anthony Ryan's Tower Lord, sequel to Bloodsong.

What's in front of your eyeballs? (Or, on your ears.)

I'm nearly finished with The Temporal Void - I'm enjoying it, but the Inigo dream sections not as much.

Finished Cugel the Clever by Jack Vance. Vance is a great writer, but its kind of unremitting pessimism regarding human character made it feel almost one-note.

Reading The Last Wish for another group read, and so far it is a serviceable, though uninspiring, Elric imitation.

Reading some HEA (happily ever after) in between more serious books. At present I am caught up with , and soon I'll be attacking and .

I am looking forward to know what will be the group reading for September. Some serious science fiction is much needed :)

I'm looking forward to Four Road Cross. I think I want to re-read Three Parts Dead first, so I'm thinking about reading the Gladstone books in order based on the numeral in the title, starting with Last First Snow (which I also haven't read yet).

First, though, I plan to finish The Magician King & The Magician's Land by Lev Grossman & reading Jack of Shadows.

Just finished Ready Player One. I enjoyed it more than I expected to. Had to skim some of the gamer speak but loved the fast paced action. I thought the Oasis was a fascinating construct.

I think I'll wrap up the Lorien books next with United as One .

Has anyone here read The Death of Grass? It looks good, and I'm looking for a good apocalyptic read.

My plan is to continue with The Magician King and The Magician's Land (and then follow that up with the TV series to compare)

Then I want to read at least the second of the Belgariad if not also the third.

I have a Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ First Reads win that will arrive in the mail at some point. It is neither fantasy nor science fiction though.

I'll finish off the anthology Immortal Unicorn vol2 which I'm already about half way through. At one a day will take a little longer than a week still.

And then on my eReader, I have Posted to Death by Dean A. James. Airmiles had a promotion where I could get a free book from Kobo but could only pick from a selection of five! But cozy mysteries are nice, and this one's got a vampire protagonist so that's different. Will see, only a couple pages in so far.

I might switch one of the above with the newest Harry Potter...or maybe I'll just pass it to my Mom to read first and catch up on it in September.

Hillary wrote: "I'm looking forward to Four Road Cross. I think I want to re-read Three Parts Dead first,"

Good choice. I re-read Three Parts Dead before Four Roads Cross came out, and it was a good choice since it's about 1 years in the future, with many of the same characters, and it's not big on "last episode...." :)

Reading Last First Snow after Two Serpents Rise (publication order) was really interesting, since they are in the same place with some of the same characters, and it was amazing seeing how the former set up the latter.

I'm wondering if five books is really it for The Craft series.

The Death of Grass is a classic. It's good, but a bit dated these days.

In the middle of reading The Wolf Road with the wife. We like to read a book together every once in a while and this one has been really good so far.

I'm also continuing reading The Hyperion Cantos with The Fall of Hyperion. Plan on finishing the last 3 books and then moving on to the Broken Empire.

Just started Space Wolf.

It's an oldie in the warhammer universe and I've always wanted to check it out because I like the author's style.

Jevon wrote: "Just started Space Wolf.

It's an oldie in the warhammer universe and I've always wanted to check it out because I like the author's style."

The 40K universe is one of my guilty pleasures - I love the bleakness of it.

I just finished Jack of Shadows by Roger Zelazny so I could participate in the group discussion.

I started reading A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin.

I'm still working on:
- Shadow of the Giant by Orson Scott Card which I hope to finish later this month or early September
- The Year's Best Science Fiction & Fantasy 2015 edited by Rich Horton but it'll be a while before I finish it

Just started Rosemary and Rue after ditching Rhapsody: Child of Blood. I hate quitting on books, but after struggling for three weeks I had to admit defeat.

I'm working my way through The Tattooed Duchess, the second in the Fire Beneath Her Skin series by Victor Gischler.

I've just posted my review of Peter F Hamilton's second book in The Void Trilogy - The Temporal Void. While I'm not a fan of the dream sequences, I did enjoy the threads outside the Void, and it ends with a fascinating revelation:

I'm back in mysteryland right now having just finished Guidebook to Murder and having recently started Amaretto Amber by Traci Andrighetti who I am pleased is among my GR friends. I have some SF and Fantasy lined up soon though.

I've just posted my review for Legion of the Damned by Rob Sanders, and while it lacked a decent presence of the named chapter, it was still a decent battle in the 40K universe:

Just started Fool's Errand by Robin Hobb. I love her writing and the other novels set in the same world, so I know it's going to be a pleasure.

I'm almost finished with Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey. I watched the first season of the Expanse (from the SyFy network) as I read the book. It's a fun way to see how a book is translated to the screen. I also did this with The Man in the High Castle by Phillip K. Dick. Amazon Instant Video produced ten episodes covering most of the book.

Finished reading The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski for another group. It didn't overly impress me, so even though I've heard the other books in the series have better translations I'll probably give them a pass for now. 3 stars.

Wrapped up a series I enjoyed reading more than almost any other with The Other Wind by Ursula K Le Guin. A strong and emotionally fitting conclusion to what I think is the best-written fantasy series in existence. 5 stars!

Currently still reading The Big Book of Science Fiction, where I am about 20 stories in and just getting into the pulp era, and have just started reading The Summer Queen by Joan Vinge.

Brendan wrote: "Wrapped up a series I enjoyed reading more than almost any other with The Other Wind by Ursula K Le Guin. A strong and emotionally fitting conclusion to what I think is the best-written fantasy series in existence. 5 stars!"

Over in the Jack of shadows discussion Jim wrote (speaking of Farmer, though, not Zalazny) "I'm not a real fan of authors going back to finish a series decades later. They've changed too much." If anyone ever wants a counter-example, one need only point to Le Guin's Tehanu & The Other Wind, which were amazing.

I'm reading the Mariel of Redwall, a fantasy book. Basically reading more of the Rewall series and finishing up the Dune series.

G33z3r wrote: "... If anyone ever wants a counter-example, one need only point to Le Guin's Tehanu & The Other Wind, which were amazing."

I've avoided reading those & I've heard opinions both ways, but seeing you & Brendan for them is making me rethink it. Thanks.

If a book in which the wizards do not cast a single spell intrigues you then give Tehanu a try. If that sounds horrendous then don't read it. Personally, it was my favourite of the six books.

I finished Shadow of the Giant by Orson Scott Card. It was kind of dull and fortunately it brings to a close the "Shadow Series," although there is another side story ("Shadows in Flight") and a planned book that will tie in with the conclusion of the main "Ender" series. I think those will wait for another day.

I'm starting The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein. Since the only other Heinlein books I've read were Job and The Cat Who Walks Through Walls, both seemingly equally reviled by Heinlein fans, I'm looking forward to reading what is widely considered to be one of Heinlein's best books.

I'm also reading A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin and also The Year's Best Science Fiction & Fantasy 2015 edited by Rich Horton.

In general, earlier Heinlein was better than later books.

I felt like The Farthest Shore was "a strong and emotionally fitting conclusion" to the Earthsea books, and I was less than wild about Tehanu; I'm not even sure I made it to The Other Wind. It's been a number of years since I last visited Earthsea, so perhaps I'm due for a reread; maybe I'll appreciate the later books more. The enthusiasm from Brendan & G33z3r gives me some hope; I sure wanted to appreciate the actual end of the series more than I did.

I just read The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, which I found enjoyable, fairly light reading. I sensed a strong Firefly influence, but I like the interspecies anthropological/sociological focus. While there are more books planned in the series (and I'll probably check them out when they're released), it can stand alone with a satisfying end.

I'm currently reading The Fallen Blade by Jon Courtenay Grimwood. So far it's not really grabbing me despite its interesting setting in early 15th C. Venice. I picked up the trilogy because I enjoyed Grimwood's Pashazade and its sequels.

Started The Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan

Gary wrote: "Started The Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan"

Wheel of Time is excellent. (Well, except for book 10.) I've been doing an on and off reread the past couple of years, interspersed with stuff I've never read before, and I plan on starting the fifth book soon. I actually met my wife through this series.

This is a reread of this book for me. I don't recall if I stalled out in book 5 or 6. I have read A New Spring as well. I am hoping I can get through books 4 through 6 this year. I reread 1 through 3 last year.

I think I got as far as the eighth book, but lost interest.

With Sanderson having completed the series, I have every intention of getting through the whole series this time.

I haven't been reading reading much this month; my eyes have been bothering me.

I did manage to finish Four Roads Cross on the Kindle, which was an excellent continuation of the Craft series! (conclusion? it's supposedly the final novel, but since it takes place before Full Fathom Five, it's hard to call it a conclusion, even if the latter takes place in an entirely different place. I'm just going to call Gladstone's choice of publication order weird. But the books are terrific fantasy.)

Ryan's Queen of Fire (which I'm listening to as an audiobook) is a trilogy that's more trailed off than concluded. The first book (Blood Song was entertaining, but it's been rambling ever since.

I really, really wanted to start reading Jemisin's The Obelisk Gate, which came out today (sequel to last year's The Fifth Season, but not sure I can deal with a novel in text right now, and besides I'm out of town rest of the week. Maybe I'll go the audiobook route.

This has been a great month for new releases I was looking forward to!

Finished The Elfstones of Shannara. It was okay. I didn't find the characters very intriguing, and there were too many long, descriptive paragraphs for my taste. I think the t.v. show colored my expectations. Found myself skimming some paragraphs which is never a good sign.

G33z3r wrote: "I really, really wanted to start reading Jemisin's The Obelisk Gate, which came out today."

Me too, but I just started a pretty lengthy space opera so its going to be a few days, maybe a week, before i get to the Obelisk Gate. I thought the Fifth Season was last year's best book, so I'm excited for the sequel.

Now 20% into the The Shadow Rising.

I've posted my review for William Hertling's novel The Turing Exception - it's an excellent look at the technological singularity, and a cracking read:

I just finished by Philip Dick and had a great time reading it! Now I'm tackling a horror book, but I have next on my list!

The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer.

Finished Red Rising by Pierce Brown and I'm almost halfway trough Golden Son.
Loving it so far :)

Helder wrote: "Finished Red Rising by Pierce Brown and I'm almost halfway trough Golden Son.
Loving it so far :)"

Hang onto your hat! Golden Son is a ripping good ride!

I am trying a free month on Kindle Unlimited, so I read The Atlantis Gene by A.G. Riddle. Finished it in six days. It is a fast moving story with an intriguing premise.

Attempted Quicksilver and realized I'd attempted to read it before and forgotten it. Probably for good reason. Gave it up again, but this time I made note of it so I won't try a third time!

Kivrin wrote: "Attempted Quicksilver and realized I'd attempted to read it before and forgotten it. Probably for good reason. Gave it up again, but this time I made note of it so I won't try a third time!"

That's why I keep 'do-not-read' & 'did-not-finish' shelves here on GR. So many books to keep straight!

I'm finally reading my first Brandson Sanderson novel, he is an author I've wanted to read for a while now and like many books/authors I own I've been holding out on reading them. My brain does this whole lets save the best for last kind of thing, but alas why wait, why waste my time reading less then stellar books.

Nearing the halfway point of The Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan. Am I the only one who found the bulk of the Rand/Matt in Rhuidean boring?

Carrie - I have that problem too, saving the best for later...but then I realized life is short and there's a lot of stuff to read so this year I went through all my books and made a pile of the ones I wanted to read the most and started making a dent in it...it's a big pile...will take a few years...maybe more than a few...and I keep adding to it...

Andrea, I'm hoping to do that too. There is a lot of books out there I want to read and only so much time to do so,

I just finished The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester & gave it 4 stars in my review here:
/review/show...
It was a blast from the past in many ways, but pretty amazing & even inspiring. I don't remember many older books with such a nasty main character.