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Currently reading:

THE BOOK OF IOD by Henry Kuttner

Very difficult to get your hands on that one! Congrats. I hope it's a nice copy.

James Ellroy - Blood's a rover. Fantastic stuff, well worth the nine-year wait.

The Elfish Gene: Dungeons, Dragons and Growing Up Strange, by Mark Barrowcliffe

This book is hilarious. It should be required reading for every young player. Sadly, it should have been required reading for yours truly, age nine, circa 1984...

Ironically, I can just hear the average young, modern player: "He keeps saying 'dice' when he obviously means 'die'--this guy is a n00b."

That book was painfully hilarious.

Just Finished "Emperor of Dreams" (a collection of stories) by Clark Ashton Smith.
Still reading "Dust of Dreams" by Steven Erikson
Starting soon:
"Tales from the dying Earth" by Jack Vance.
"Solomon Kane" (got a book with the complete collection) by Robert E. Howard
"Bauchelain and Korbal Broach" by Steven Erikson

Finished His Last Command, Armour of Contempt; and now reading Only in Death, all written by Dan Abnett.

I love the Dan Abnett's "Gaunt's Ghosts" series.

And in November we get "Blood Pact"!

Tales of the Dying Earth - very very good!

As I'm reading it it's bringing me back to the very old days of D&D, it's fun to read it as a campaign journal of sorts, and to try to spot it's influence on adventure design - for example, a powerful magician sends you on a quest :)

(I don't think I've spotted "party members meet in a tavern" though)

Rereading Nancy Collins' Midnight Blue: Sonja Blue collection. A classic in the vampire genre, Collins' writings were one of the inspirations for the World of Darkness. In fact, White Wolf ended up publishing this collection. Her punk vampire is an excellent spin on the tired vampire trope, and there are a million concepts anyone running a VtM game could yoink.

Rereading books 1 and 2 of the Abarat by Clive Barker (always liked his stuff, the strangeness appeals and fuels much of my D&D when I DM -along with Lovecraft), Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett (an all time favourite author) and The Light of Burning Shadows by Chris evans.

Reading Stormbringer (I think the printing I have is the most recent release) by Moorcock. Also, reading Lies my Teacher Told Me, a good book on some of the distortions seen in US History Textbooks. Will be starting the Ghost King by Salvatore over the weekend.

Finished Memories of Ice and it was really good. Erikson treads a fine line around the things I hate in epic fantasy novels and manages to make it work. I just wish I hadn't read a review of the next book that spoiled the ending before I finished.

Now I'm looking for something else to read; I like to take a break from series after each book or so.

Recently finished:
- Lobster Johnson: The Satan Factory by Thomas E. Sniegoski
- Lobster Johnson: Iron Prometheus (graphic novel) by Mike Mignola and Jason Armstrong
- Abe Sapien: The Drowning (graphic novel) by Mike Mignola and Jason Shawn Alexander
- The Monster of Florence / Il Mostro di Firenze by Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi
- Broken Summers by Henry Rollins

Currently reading:
- Eye Scream by Henry Rollins
- 300 (graphic novel) by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley
- Raymond Pettibon: The Pages Which Contain Truth Are Blank by Luca Beatrice

Up next:
- Smile, You're Traveling by Henry Rollins
- The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
- King Rat by China Mieville

Nightingale's Lament by Simon R. Green

Tonight, I'll be starting Peter & Max: A Fables Novel by Bill Willingham. For those unfamiliar with the world of comics, Bill Willingham currently writes the Fables comic for DC.

I just finished "A game of thrones" I liked it alot really and will be picking up the rest of the series

I just finished "A game of thrones" I liked it alot really and will be picking up the rest of the series

You won't be disappointed! They actually get better I think - book 3 is my favorite so far - which for me was surprising considering how brilliantly good I thought the first was.

I had not read them but so many people kept telling me they were good I have started and so far I am liking them alot

seekerofshadowlight wrote:

I just finished "A game of thrones" I liked it alot really and will be picking up the rest of the series

You won't be disappointed! They actually get better I think - book 3 is my favorite so far - which for me was surprising considering how brilliantly good I thought the first was.

I havnt read 4 yet. enjoyed the books though. would get mad when he would switch characters every chapter, till id get into that one and than switch. loved and hated 3 though. I sometimes invest to much emotionally into a book.

[

reading Midnight Tides. book 5 of Steven Erikson's " Tale of the malazan book of thew fallen"

waiting for all there to come out before finishing Jordan's " wheel of time". love these, have read a few times.

Seabyrn wrote:

seekerofshadowlight wrote:

I just finished "A game of thrones" I liked it alot really and will be picking up the rest of the series

You won't be disappointed! They actually get better I think - book 3 is my favorite so far - which for me was surprising considering how brilliantly good I thought the first was.

I havnt read 4 yet. enjoyed the books though. would get mad when he would switch characters every chapter, till id get into that one and than switch. loved and hated 3 though. I sometimes invest to much emotionally into a book.

I liked book 4 - it's a bit slower than the first three, but it was still very good. I've heard some people say they didn't enjoy it much (don't listen to them, just read it!).

Tonight, I'll be starting Peter & Max: A Fables Novel by Bill Willingham. For those unfamiliar with the world of comics, Bill Willingham currently writes the Fables comic for DC.

Didn't take long - finished on Monday. It was really good. A very interesting story, if a bit disjointed in the timeline. If you're not a fan of the comic book series, this is still a self-contained story that doesn't require any background info, except perhaps a familiarity with old stories and nursery rhymes.

I'm re-reading RA Salvatore's Icewind Dale trilogy. I'm almost finished with 'Streams of Silver'. I'll take a brake after 'Halfling's Gem' & read Richard K. Morgan's ' The steel Remains' before reading more of RA Salvatore's 'Drizzit' novels.Drizzit is one of my favorite Characters. I'm not sure how many more FR novels I'll be able to read since I'm not big on the changes to the setting.

Rereading the Probability Broach and The American Zone by L. Neil Smith. Gonzo Libertarian utopia fiction, kinda corny, but lots of fun for those of us who sympathize with the Minarchist cause.

Just finished Madouc by Jack Vance.
Currently reading Cape Storm by Rachel Caine.
When that's done I'll be reading Sam and Max by Bill Willingham, and then either Ship of Ishtar or The Simulacra by Phillip K Dick depending on how fast my current order gets here.

Hex and the City by Simon R. Green

Recently finished Michael Connelly's The Brass Verdict which didn't measure up to The Lincoln Lawyer by half. Also finished Stephen King's Just After Sunset which was disappointing as well after Everything's Eventual. Currently reading Heartsick by Chelsea Cain with a woman serial-killer in the mould of Hannibal Lecter. A fast, easy read so far and looks to be enjoyable.

Just finishing Orcs by Stan Nicholls. A totally different take on orcs. Makes me want to run an orc campaign.

Just finished Zimmer Bradley's Sword & Sorceress III. I think it may be better than the first two. Good, solid series of anthologies so far.

In an effort to decrease the pile of books in the living room, I've picked up Sartre's _Existentialism and Human Emotion_. It's interesting, if a little dense.

Just started rereading H. Beam Piper's classic Complete Paratime book. This series of short stories were my introduction to the subgenre of alternate history, one of my favorites.

I prefer Piper's Space Viking, Sarge.

I prefer Piper's Space Viking, Sarge.

His space opera is very good as well Rad :)

Re-reading The Hobbit.

Datlow and Windling's Black Thorn, White Rose.

Though my schedule has quickly gotten too full to have a lot of time for leisure reading, I'm currently working my way through Anne Rice's Christ the Lord: The Road to Cana. I was underwhelmed by the first in the series, but thought I'd give it a second chance. I enjoy fictional/historical depictions of the life of Christ and have found some in the past to be incredible spiritual journeys (namely The Last Temptation of Christ). Sadly, it seems this one is just as bereft of spirituality as was Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ.

Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles (Interview with a Vampire, The Vampire Lestat and The Queen of the Damned)

Runs in and throws a pie in Radavel's face

For Soupy!!!!

I'd like to thank the common cold, it's really helped me catch up on my reading:)
"Dead Until Dark:" by Charlaine Harris. Its ...boring, HBO does it better.

"Long price quartet", 1-3, by Daniel Abraham. Interesting, actions have consequences and magic is a double-edged sword.

"The bodies left behind", by Jeffrey Deaver. Twists and turns.
Pathfinder - "The Bastard of Erebus"- Sean. R. Reynolds. 'Nuff said.

"World Without End", by Ken Follet- Did he just rewrite "The Pillars of the Earth" and set it 200 years later?

"Metamorphosis and Other Stories" , by Franz Kafka. The world is mad and I have a hundred little legs.

"The Science fiction handbook", by M. Keith Booker and Anne-Marie Thomas.- Informative.
Just started "Echoes from the Dead " Johan Teorin.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

The Portable Henry Rollins

It's Shiny's fault.

It's Shiny's fault.

If this board had sigs, I'd enshrine this one :P

Runs in and throws a pie in Radavel's face

For Soupy!!!!

You missed!!!

Just finished IT.

Just started The Last Witchfinder by James Morrow.
Twenty pages in. . . so far, so good.

Kruelaid wrote:

It's Shiny's fault.

If this board had sigs, I'd enshrine this one :P

You guys are jerks.

You guys are jerks.

Oh don't be such a ....Downer ... Shiny

<rimshot>

Ducks the vegetables tossed from the audience

Aberzombie wrote:

Runs in and throws a pie in Radavel's face

For Soupy!!!!

You missed!!!

Throws a pumpkin at Radavel's face. "For Soupy?! ... What? I thought we were throwing stuff at people."

Radavel, A joust is waiting for you.

Still reading the Dune books. I'm halfway through the sixth one, now.

Well, I just got done reading Turn Coat; another great book by Jim Butcher.

The Eldritch Mr. Shiny wrote:

You guys are jerks.

Oh don't be such a ....Downer ... Shiny

<rimshot>

Ducks the CHAIRS tossed from the audience

Edited for you.

Edited for you.

Awww. Man you must be surly at yer new school Shinedown!

Anyway, let's get off the teasing Shiny tangent. Because I am a history buff, I picked up A World Lit Only By Fire By William Manchester the other day. I am sorry to say it looks like I wasted my money. I guess this book was meant to be a popularization of medieval history, but the author didn't do a lot of fact checking. In the very first pages he talks about how the Catholic Church 'co-opted' many of the pagan celebrations, then goes on to assert that the day of Christ's birth was changed from Jan. 6th to December 25th 'Apparently at random.'

insert buzzer noise here.

In fact, this was another example of the early church taking over a popular holiday, in that case, Mithras' birthday (also Dec. 25th). Reading the reviews at Amazon, I guess this is one of many factual errors this author makes. I don't think I'll finish this one, I can't stand people who don't do a little fact checking, especially in history.

The Eldritch Mr. Shiny wrote:

Edited for you.

Awww. Man you must be surly at yer new school Shinedown!

Anyway, let's get off the teasing Shiny tangent. Because I am a history buff, I picked up A World Lit Only By Fire By William Manchester the other day. I am sorry to say it looks like I wasted my money. I guess this book was meant to be a popularization of medieval history, but the author didn't do a lot of fact checking. In the very first pages he talks about how the Catholic Church 'co-opted' many of the pagan celebrations, then goes on to assert that the day of Christ's birth was changed from Jan. 6th to December 25th 'Apparently at random.'

insert buzzer noise here.

In fact, this was another example of the early church taking over a popular holiday, in that case, Mithras' birthday (also Dec. 25th). Reading the reviews at Amazon, I guess this is one of many factual errors this author makes. I don't think I'll finish this one, I can't stand people who don't do a little fact checking, especially in history.

If I am not mistaken, that was Manchester's last book. It was over 10 years ago that I read it. I don't remember much of it other than it was written as a non-scholarly work. Perhaps because Manchester wrote my favorite book, The Arms of Krupp, I am not as objective as I should be in critiquing his work. However, I must admit it did seem to meander at times. If you can treat the book as leisurely read you might enjoy it.

If I am not mistaken, that was Manchester's last book. It was over 10 years ago that I read it. I don't remember much of it other than it was written as a non-scholarly work. Perhaps because Manchester wrote my favorite book, The Arms of Krupp, I am not as objective as I should be in critiquing his work. However, I must admit it did seem to meander at times. If you can treat the book as leisurely read you might enjoy it.

Thanks Bill. I might stick with it, because I'll never remember to return it. Stuff like that gets me though. How was The Arms of Krupp? I assume a novel on the well-known German manufacturing company?