Currently Reading: Intellectual

[Raines]

Currently reading: A guide to Eastern Philosophy
Status - Just got it out from the library today
Why reading it - At college we only really study Western Philosophy, the study of language and that kind of thing.
I'm thinking of taking philosophy at University, so I want to expand my knowledge of the different types of philosphy, so I have an idea what modules I might take.

The Invisible Man - H.G. Wells
Status - Just got out today

Why - Classic sci-fi, one that I've been told is well worth reading at least once.
And also becuase it seems to be good to look at from a pyschlogical point of view, how someone reacts to being completely invisible, and what he would do, grow mad with power, be lost in dispair, use it for science as he intended to originaly do.

[DragonHeart]

The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
Status: Completed
Rating: 5/5

In this stunning debut, Scott Lynch delivers the thrilling tale of an audacious criminal and his tightly knit band of tricksters. Set in a fantastic city pulsing with the lives of decadent nobles and daring thieves, here is a story of adventure, loyalty, and survival that is one part "Robin Hood," one part Ocean's Eleven, and entirely enthralling...

An orphan's life is harsh--and often short--in the mysterious island city of Camorr. But young Locke Lamora dodges death and slavery, becoming a thief under the tutelage of a gifted con artist. As leader of the band of light-fingered brothers known as the Gentleman Bastards, Locke is soon infamous, fooling even the underworld's most feared ruler. But in the shadows lurks someone still more ambitious and deadly.

Faced with a bloody coup that threatens to destroy everyone and everything that holds meaning in his mercenary life, Locke vows to beat the enemy at his own brutal game--or die trying...

This is an absolutely fantastic debut. I even softened my miserly ways and purchased the hardcover sequel as soon as I hit the last page. Do yourselves a favor and pick this one up; you won't regret it. Unless you dislike coarse language and graphic, occasionally colorful descriptions of violence and murder, that is. A wonderfully entertaining read.

~DragonHeart~

[DragonHeart]

Well, since no one else appears to be reading anything I suppose I'll have to take another turn.

Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch

Amazing. I am thoroughly awed by Mr. Lynch and his phenomenal series. Yes, this is the sequel to The Lies of Locke Lamora, and it's just as good, maybe even better than the first. Thieves and assassins, pirates and alchemists and a plot as carefully spun as any spider's web. This is an author no fantasy reader should miss out on. Heck, if you like Pirates of the Caribbean, Final Fantasy IX, or Fullmetal Alchemist, chances are you will enjoy these books.

I will be posting a full review on my blog sometime in the future, for those who haven't yet been swayed.

~DragonHeart~

[Momo Mastermind]

Well I'm taking a break from it right now because my reading mood has left me for the moment... I do that alot, I get into strange moods to read read read, then at some point it just flutters away and I feel no need to absorb any literature for a month or two.

Anyway, the book I'm stuck in the middle of is: God is Dead by someone or another, I forget.

It's his first book that has ever been published... and it's amazing. It's the EXACT type of book I lose myself in. The setting is Earth. God feels bad about a war going on over in Africa so he puts himself in the form of a little girl in the midst of the war to spread food around. Unfortunately for him, there is a sneak raid on the town he currently occupies, and the body he's in ends up dying, thus, causing God to perish along with her. The word of God's death spreads quickly. Strange things begin to occur around the world. Parents in the U.S., having nothing to worship anymore on Sunday, begin to worship their own children as gods. Dogs who feasted on the corpse of God begin to speak and they explain the new sensation of emotion. All of this and more in a world where there is no God any more. It's a fairly short book and it's strangely shaped, but it's very good so far. It's not set up like an average book however; every chapter is a sort of short story about the main event, just little glimpses into what is happening around the world. Read it, you'll like it.

[DragonHeart]

Assassin's Quest by Robin Hobb
Book 3 of The Farseer trilogy

The back cover contains spoilers, thus I will not post it. Same reason why I didn't for RSURS.

I finally bought this book, years after reading Assassin's Apprentice and Royal Assassin. And then it sat, unread and forgotten, for months. I'm finally picking it up to read for the first time. Admittedly, I've been a bit weary of reading it - not because the series is bad, quite the opposite. Robin Hobb has a real talent for characters. It's just that...it's so damned depressing. Not unlike Scott Lynch and his books, actually. Influence, perhaps?

~DragonHeart~

[Ol' Fartsy]

Currently Reading: Angels & Demons by Dan Brown!

This is a good book so far. I rate this book a 10/10.

[DragonHeart]

Strands of Starlight by Gael Baudino

I spent most of my afternoon reading this. It's the first of a trilogy, and very good. Very emotional and graphic without being too detailed (there are scenes/implied scenes of things like rape and torture). Heart wrenching. However, it's also a story of healing and compassion. Some of the language is a bit dated, this being an older out-of-print novel, but it doesn't really detract from the story.

The depiction of elves in this particular story is also one of the best I've ever seen. Probably the best I've ever seen, simply because it doesn't portray them as perfect, immortal, invincible pretty boys. Well fine, they're still immortal and pretty. But this is the first time I've seen pacifist elves, and with a more than reasonable explanation for it. I'll take Varden and Terrill over Legolas any day.

It is a heavily character-driven story, so even though it's a fantasy and ultimately a quest of revenge, there is actually very little fighting involved.

I'll definitely look into the other books of the trilogy, and I highly recommend them to anyone who wants a less conventional view of elves. And a strong female lead. Not unlike Elizabeth Moon's Paksenarrion, actually.

~DragonHeart~

[DragonHeart]

Memories of Ice, Steven Erikson

Book 3 of Malazan, an epic fantasy series that reads like a mix of Dungeons and Dragons and Final Fantasy. While Deadhouse Gates focused primarily on its own cast of characters, Memories of Ice marks the return of many familiar faces in the midst of a new campaign. Most of the surviving cast from Gardens of the Moon are present, including Whiskeyjack, Dujek Onearm, Crone, Anomander Rake, Kruppe, and most of the Bridgeburners. There's also more than a few surprise appearances, which I won't spoil for you.

All in all, a fantastic yet horrifically dark tale.

~DragonHeart~

[Almasys]

I'm actually reading about 4 books right now...which is quite easy for me.

First one:
Resident Evil: Caliban Cove by S.D. Perry
Reason: Well, I'm a Resident Evil fan and I finished the previous one, The Umbrella Conspiracy which was Perry's own interpretation of the first Resident Evil game. This one is more of an original book of her's that she used to bridge the gap between the first game and the second one.
Thoughts: It's a bit fast paced, unlike the first that was a little more understanding, but I like the fact that here, the zombies and the other mutations are more humanized in the way that they run around using guns and such as well.

-Status: Finished. It was a bit short, but it does make for an interesting read, especially the epilogue. It also ties up some of the stuff from the next one...-

Second one:
Resident Evil: City of the Dead by S.D. Perry
Reason: Same as CC. Resi Fan, thus it deserves to be read. I just got it today, so I'm not that far in it, but so far, I like it. It's another one of Perry's views on the game, this time it being RE 2, so there's the whole Leon/Claire/Sherry thing going on.
Thoughts: None to really say since I just started reading it.

-Status: Finished. I prefer the game more sadly. But the book was quite interesting =] David, John and Rebecca show up again like way later [David and John are characters from Caliban Cove. Rebecca is a normal canon character from RE 1 and Zero.]-

Third:
twilight by Stephanie Meyer
Reason: Friends kinda talked me into it...and it has to deal with vampires and me being a vampire fan, I thought I'd give it a read.
Thoughts: I'm not that far in it seeing as I'm still in chapter one [then again I did just get it recently] but so far it seems alright.

-Status: Finished. Though now I have books two and three to read and complete, then book four and then book five when it comes out...meh.-

And finally the last one:

Star Wars Dark Lord: Rise of Darth Vader by James Luceno
Reason: I actually just randomly pulled it out from my mom's bookshelf so I would have something to read during the week of finals last month and I just continued to read it.
Thoughts: It's pretty good [or at least it must be if I'm still reading it and I'm almost done]. It gives a backstory to the events between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. The whole thing about the book is that Jedi are being killed, and those who escaped the killings are now on the run or going into hiding to escape Vader and the others that serve under Palpatine.

[Govinda]

Letters From the Earth: Uncensored Writings by Mark Twain.

In a nutshell, the Archangel Satan has been expelled from God's realm for one day in immortal time - thousands of years in human times.

While he's expelled, he looks around space, and decides to investigate the Big One's latest experiment - planet Earth.

He lands on Earth and writes back to Gabriel and Micheal, other archangels, about what he sees. Just now, he's mostly systematically destroying the Bible, and laughing at this insane human creation - 'God', 'Heaven', 'Hell'. Now Twain's moving onto the idiosyncracies of humans themselves.

It's great. Quick, witty, funny, very smart. It's amazing to think that he wrote it at some point between 1900 and 1907. Really amazing; such thoughts in such a time.

I'm really enjoying it.

[Martin]

Currently Reading: Let History Judge by Roy Medvedev

It's a publication about the necessity of Joseph Stalin, and whether the atrocities that were carried out in Soviet Russia were all directly attributable to him.
Well it's an interesting read, but a little controversial in bits.