What book are you reading at the moment? Part 2

[Vazkar Asquinol]

Well. Hmm...
I read "Swords of Lankhmar" years and years ago. I could never find the first 4 volumes and I have been itching to read them for... oh, I dunno... 30 years? I kept checking and checking used book stores, new book stores, etc. (I'm not much for buying online as I like to "hold a book in my hands")
I did find a copy of "Swords Against Wizardry" a few years ago, which I have refused to read until I could get the first 3 books.
Well, last week I was at B&N. While I was there I picking up the first three Ballantine "Elric" books: "The Stealer of Souls", "The Quest for Tanelorn" and "The Sleeping Sorceress". Just to add those to my collection... Mind you.
Then!
BAM!
Loe and behold I notice that Fritz Leiber is back in print!!!!
I picked up new copies of "Swords and Deviltry", "Swords against Death" "Swords in the Mist"!

Anyways, I am reading "Swords and Deviltry" now.

I guess this could also go in the "What books have you recently bought" thread as well eh?
Naaaaw... here is good enough methinks.

[SERPNTA1267]

Just finished Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns. Brilliant. Utterly brilliant.

One of the best comic books EVER!

[Stephen_E_Andrews]

Currently reading David Mitchel's Cloud Atlas and enjoying it very much. I've even managed to ignore the fact that Richard and Judy (allegedly) liked it.

This was a classic example of a book hyped to the gills by the British literary establishment. Readers used to more challenging narrative structures tended to enjoy it, but I can confirm that despite its huge sales, a vast number of buyers despised it and didn't finish the book - so much so that his next novel was a commercial flop by comparison (this is a common occurrence). I heard from a friend that Oxfam told staff to stop taking copies of the book being donated as they had so many unsold copies. Not read it myself - I tend to have a blind spot with bestsellers much of the time, even if they are good. I have to wait years until the fuss has died down to get any objectivity.

In my experience as a bookseller, I've seen prizewinning/widely acclaimed novels sell really well, then afterward the authors' career return to its previous situation - and the conclusion I've come to is that many of the poeple who buy books because the cabal of critics and media luvvies go on about them don't like a lot of what gets raved about. Take Ballard - Empire of the Sun sold to an audience who wouldn't look at Crash or an SF novel by J.G. - none of his books were bestsellers before and the title that followed (The Day of Creation) wasn't a runaway commercial success.

Rant over. This week, I am mostly reading The Running of Beasts by the amazing Barry N. Malzberg & Bill Pronzini. I like a bit of American crime fiction now and then.

[Kevin McCabe]

Hawkwind: Sonic Assasins by Abrahams!

[Governor of Rowe Island]

True, but The Poison Belt and When the World Screamed are still very fine imho.

'The Disintegration Machine' was very steampunk, too. But 'The Land of Mist' left such a lingering bad taste I forgot the others' qualities. There are some books by other authors, too, featuring or mentioning Challenger, which might be worth a perusal. Quite like the look of the Manly Wade Wellman story.

Just realised the Lanier book and She both feature swamps rather prominently. Is my subconscious trying to tell me something?

[thingfish]

Well Julia and the Bazooka pretty much blew me away!
Im now away to start one of Annas earlier books from the early 30s called The Dark Sisters when she was known as Helen Ferguson

[DeepFixer]

Moved onto 'Hiero's Journey' by Sterling Lanier. Read it before, but that was at least twenty years ago. There is another one to go with it, as well. More Post-Apocalyptic action!

Yeah, The Unforsaken Hiero. Read 'em both a couple a'years back. Very good.

That's the one, DF. I'm sure I read that one too.

There wasn't a third book, was there? The second doesn't quite wrap everything up, I thought, and it seemed like there might have been more, but I've never seen a third.

Couldn't find any info on a third book on Wikipedia or the Fantastic fiction site but did find mention of an omnibus ('Hiero Desteen') on the ISFDB. Nothing else though.

Just looked for Hiero Desteen on ABE http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/Sear...teen&x=21&y=15

The sellers just list 'Journey' and 'Unforsaken.'

Hasn't written a third.
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Still wandering in Andre norton's Witch World. Year of the Unicorn.

And a Space opera omnibus form Edmond Hamilton Starwolf.

[Dave Hardy]

Since my last update, I've finished The Nutmeg of Consolation (any Patrick O'Brian fans out there?). Also Island of the Lost, a true story about two shipwrecks on Aukland Island. The End of the Trail, Westerns by Robert E. Howard. The Beautiful Cigar Girl, about the Mary Rogers murder and Edgar Allen Poe. Darkness Weaves by Karl Edward Wagner. Currently I'm switching between The Truelove by PO'B and A Decent, Orderly Lynching, an account of Sheriff Henry Plummer and the Montana Vigilantes. I started Marco Polo's travels, but got sidetracked a bit.

[Rothgo]

... I started Marco Polo's travels, but got sidetracked a bit.

No wonder, given the immensity of the rest of it: you'll be giving ThingFish a run for his money at that rate!

[thingfish]

Nah Daves reading activity there makes me look like a sluggish sluggishly thing!!
Still on Anna.

[Dave Hardy]

I found I had more time for reading once I stopped talking to friends or family!

[thingfish]

HaHa
That'll do it Dave

[McNevin]

Since my last update, I've finished The Nutmeg of Consolation (any Patrick O'Brian fans out there?).

Absolutely, DH! I have a big treat planned for myself someday soon, to start at the top and reread them all straight through.

For the nonce, though, started "The Wee Free Men" by Terry Pratchett and have been laughing out loud.

[thingfish]

Just opened 'Earth' by David Brin

[Dead-Air]

Just opened 'Earth' by David Brin

Ah, that's the last science fiction book by Brin that I have to read before he simply has to write more. I really need to get to it!