Fantasy February

Welcome! I want to make this clear right away. I am NOT an expert in this genre, so please no throwing rotten veggies my way! I’m leaving this wide open. You may read fantasy, high fantasy, urban fantasy, dystopian, alternate history or steam punk. Let’s just have fun, read some books we’ve been wanting to, clear some off the shelves or experiment.
Someone mentioned listing some recommendations for the uninitiated. Once again, I’m limited on my knowledge, compared to others, but here are a few hot choices:

The Hobbit or Fellowship of the Ring
The Golden Compass
The Hunger Games
A Game of Thrones- This is an incredible fantasy series
Neverwhere or American Gods by Neil Gaiman
The Eyre Affair

Anyone else want to add a few suggestions, be my guest. More choices the better.

I am interested in this group read!
--BJ

I'm still planning to join, but I'm a little nervous as fantasy is definitely NOT my thing! I'm off to scour the shelves upstairs to see if my husband has a copy of The Hobbit.

That sounds like fun, Mark. I've usually got a fantasy book around somewhere; I'll come along for this ride.

A note or two on A Game of Thrones—first of all, I really like this series, so this is not meant to dissuade anyone. Just be aware you're diving into a monumental undertaking as it's not a standalone book. It's the first volume of seven forming a single story that's going to run somewhere around 5000+ pages.

More importantly, however, be aware that Martin hasn't finished this story though he's been working on it for 15 years...shows no sign of finishing this story any time in the coming years...and gets rather cranky when anyone suggests he actually get the fifth book in the series out (it's been 5 years). :-D

Here are some suggestions of other favorite fantasy books to go along with Mark's:

The Wood Wife by Terri Windling - One of my favorite urban fantasy novels. Back in 2008 a couple of us talked a bunch of people into reading it in a group read and it went over very well.

Sabriel by Garth Nix - I loved this first book of the trilogy. Many in the group have read it and fallen in love with the second book or even the third.

A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin - A short epic fantasy that has become an absolute classic in the genre.

If you like fantasy that reads like history...and don't want to tackle the magnitude of A Game of Thrones...try anything by Guy Gavriel Kay. I would suggest The Lions of al-Rassan. Others rank Tigana as one of their favorites of his.

If you like more ethereal fantasy, you could try Patricia McKillip's The Forgotten Beasts of Eld.

If you're more a Young Adult reader, you could try Lloyd Alexander's The Book of Three or Carol Kendall's The Gammage Cup or Alan Garner's The Weirdstone of Brisingamen.

I just wanted to clarify, that the books I recommended in msg#1, are books I have read and loved.

Tad- Thanks for the excellent info on Martin and A Game of Thrones. This is such an amazing book and series, I had to mention it. Plus the series on HBO begins in April.
Hopefully, the latest book comes out this year! Fingers crossed.
Thanks for suggesting A Wizard of Earthsea. I over-looked that one. Actually, I need to re-read it and follow-up on the series.

These are a few of the titles I plan on reading:

Leviathan
The Maze Runner
The Windup Girl
The Name of the Wind
Boneshaker

If anyone, wants to join me on one of these, come on down!

I recently acquired The Windup Girl and The Subtle Knife, and February seems a fine time to read them.

I almost never read fantasy but I have long wanted to read The Eyre Affair so maybe I'll do that one next month.

I may try to participate, as fantasy is one of my 11 in 11 challenge categories, and I have never really read any. I do have The Eyre Affair on the TBR shelves, so I might go for that one. Have to see how the rest of this month goes... Thanks for starting it up, Mark!

ETA: fixed typo

Yes, thank you Mark for setting this up. I, too, have a Fantasy Category in my 11 in 11 Challenge. I plan on reading Stardust by Neil Gaiman and Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins. I also have Son of the Shadows, second book in the Sevenwaters Series, by Juliet Mariller standing by.

I highly recommend anything by Juliet Marillier, she writes beautifully.

I second Juliet Marillier; the Sevenwaters books are really good reads.

I have lots of fantasy books to clear off my shelves, so I may well join in with this.

I had planned to start reading The Song of Ice and Fire series after my exam on the 7th. So, I will begin with A Game of Thrones on that day. I have decided not to wait for more books in the series before I get the four I have off the shelves.
I second Tads recommendations for the Nix, Le Guin and McKillip books.
I have been waiting to read The Wood Wife. I'm still looking for the first two books in Brian Froud's Faerieland series. I don't know if they need to be read in any specific order, being written by different authors, but, I want to make sure I have all four before I start reading.

I second the recommendations made so far, especially Guy Gavriel Kay.
If you want a series, there are some 3 vol and 5 vol series by David Eddings that are pretty fun to read.

Some interesting urban fantasy is written by Charles de Lint.

I am going to read a "new to me" author Janny Wurts as I have The Master of White Storm on my shelves.

Juliet Marillier is a new one for me - what one do you suggest starting with?

Yes, thanks for starting this, Mark. Should be fun!

I'll add a couple: Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, and Roger Zelazny's Amber series, starting with Nine Princes in Amber.

Also, for YA readers, Graceling and Fire by Kristin Cashore.

>5 msf59:: I may re-read The Name of the Wind with you, Mark. Since Amazon hasn't changed their release date yet again and actually has a dust jacket image (*grin*), I'm hoping that Rothfuss has finally broken his writer's block and will get the second one out.

I have to wait and see if it's another cliff-hanger or not. If so, I'll defer it until I see #3. If not, a re-read of the first to get everything fresh in my mind after four years is in order.

ETA: As for the Martin, yes, it is amazing. I'm really looking forward to the HBO stuff. Sean Bean is perfectly cast as Stark, imo.

plants herself in an armchair Definitely keen!

I have loads of fantasy books I want to read this year I have already read Doomsday Book and hope to read Revolution and Clockwork Angel this month.

#13 Joe, I am far from an expert on Juliet Marillier, but I think a good place to start would be with her Sevenwaters Series, the first one is called Daughter of the Forest, based on the Celtic fairy story "Swans" and set in a magical, lyrical land (a loosely disguised Ireland).

I also really enjoyed Wildwood Dancing, the first in her series of the same name, this one seemed based on "The Twelve Dancing Princess" and "The Frog Prince" mixed with a little Dracula lore.

Thanks, Judy! I'm a pushover for Celtic stories, so that does sound like a good place to start - and I'll keep Wildwood Dancing in mind, too.

All of the titles look so good! Guess I know what I'm doing this February.

Wow! We are getting a good response and some tasty sounding titles. The Wood Wife sounds interesting.

Joe- Actually I have Good Omens at hand too, but probably won't get to it. I did just pick up the audio of The Graveyard Book. I'm not sure if this is fantasy though.

Tad- I've heard such good things about The Name of the Wind. I might as well get to it.

Another suggestion, would be the Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher. Although, I only read the first one.

>11 VioletBramble:: Kelly, I don't think there's any need to read Froud's series in order. They are linked only by the authors choosing one of his images that inspires them somehow and writing a story.

What I like about that series is the quality of the writers they got: de Lint, Windling, McKillip, Snyder so far. I think it's supposed to be done there, but I'm not sure. Those are all authors I enjoy.

It reminds me of the now-ended Fairy Tale Series that Terri Windling did a decade ago. With one exception, I liked or loved every book in that series. It, also, had the prominent names of its day: de Lint, Brust, Dalkey, Yolen, Dean, Wrede, etc.

>19 msf59:: I think you'll enjoy it, Mark. The good thing is that, while it ends in the middle of the story, it ends on a natural pause for breath.

Do you have any idea of the projected length of that series?

I'm definitely in! I'm going to try and read some of the fantasy books that have been in my TBR piles the longest as well as a couple of library books.

Library:
Fool Moon by Jim Butcher (book #2 in the Dresden Files series)
Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld (book #2 in the Leviathan series)

TBR:
The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
Abarat: Days of Magic, Nights of War by Clive Barker
Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
The First Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny

That's quite a few - I may not manage all of them.

Some great suggestions! I already had some on my wishlist & a few are already on hold for me at the library.

If you like The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher, you might also like his Codex Alera series, also fantasy but set on another world.

I second (third, fourth, fifth...) Tigana and Lions of al-Rassan by Kay ~ both amazing novels and well worth the time it took to read them (they're doorstoppers but simply wonderful).

I'm a fan of Neverwhere and also loved The Graveyard Book, the Newbery Medal winner which is marketed as children's fantasy but which I found anything but simplistic. It's wonderful on audio too, Mark!

Last year I listened to Libba Bray's A Great and Terrible Beauty, which is historical fantasy, as well as the more well-known Hunger Games ~ both really good on audio.

Finally, cannot go wrong with Earthsea trilogy and The Eyre Affair.

I'm hoping to join in. I was going to get stuck back into Stephen Erikson's "Malazan Book of the Fallen" (I'm up to book 5, Midnight Tides). Brilliant stuff, but very dense and each book is 800-1000 pages. He's planning on 10 books and, unlike other authors *coff*GeorgeRRMartin*coff*, he gets the books out on time each year.

But now that I'm reading other people's selections, I'm torn! I want to go out and buy The Windup Girl! And The Name of the Wind! Or re-read Nine Princes in Amber! I'm really behind on The Dresden Files! And Hunger Games has spent far too long on Mt TBR! The Eyre Affair!

Argh! My head's exploding!! Too much choice!!!

ETA: There's a new Thursday Next book coming out in Feb/March (http://www.jasperfforde.com/nextbook.html): One of our Thursdays is Missing. Can't wait.

Ah, George R.R. Martin nothing like getting the annual update from Amazon telling me it's been postponed for another year. I can't wait to see the HBO series, though.

I have Cygnet by Patricia A. McKillip in my TBR pile, but I keep hearing about The Name of the Wind and The Lies of Locke Lamora, so I might use this as an excuse to pick them up.

>24 wookiebender:: The Erikson books have been on my radar for quite a while. However, after being burned by Jordan & Martin, I decided to hold off on any gigantic series that wasn't actually completed. I'll just let him finish all 10 and then I'll read the entire series in one giant orgy. If I remember correctly, he only has one left to go, so I won't have to wait that long.

>25 Tanglewood:: LOL on the Amazon updates!

I read The Lies of Locke Lamora and thought it was pretty good. The ending was, perhaps, just a bit weaker than the rest of the novel but the whole thing is definitely worth reading. I've got the sequel, Red Seas Under Red Skies sitting here.

Hmmm...maybe that's what I'll read in February if the Rothfuss doesn't pan out.

I enjoyed The Lies of Locke Lomora and thought its sequel, Red Seas Under Red Skies was a good read - definitely didn't suffer from being that "difficult" second novel. (Hanging out for book 3! At least they're standalone stories.)

I loved The Wood Wife .. I have to look at my shelves and see what I have.. as yet unread!

I'll second the Codex Alera rec -- just finished it and was very pleased. I'll be reading off my shelves since that is largely what I'm limited to.

Currently reading Arayan Rising (once again starting with book 2 'cause I don't have book 1). Started it this a.m. and am on page 80; likin' it so far. While in the States I picked up the one-volume omnibus of the follow-up trilogy.

I'm so in for fantasy february! I am not an expert in this area either though so I'll just pick one of the suggestions that everyone else is throwing out there!

I just got Reckless by Cornelia Funke in the mail so I will save it for next month (also having Science/Fantasy Fiction as a category).

I mostly read fantasy and scifi so I'll be reading... well, whatever strikes my fancy!

I don't have any recent fantasy but had to do a lot of research into it back in the day for a thesis. There are two tabs in my library, "Modern Fantasy" and "Classic Fantasy" if anyone is stuck for ideas. Happy reading!
ETA: I remember loving Crowley's Little, Big.
ETA2: a glance at the modern fantasy tag shows that I don't have everything catalogued but I'm not unpacking the four boxes of it I have stowed away...

I definitely WON'T be reading The Name of the Wind as I can't bear to get to the end again and know that I can't pick up the next book immediately. I know it is going to be one of my favourite books, but I almost can't bear where it ends, and being left on tenterhooks.

I know I have Little, Big on my bookshelf at my mum's house so I might read that. The Lies of Locke Lamora and Red Skies Under Red Skies were thoroughly enjoyable.

There are a LOT of fantasy reads waiting for me on my shelf, so I'd imagine I'll be back with titles :)

However, I would BEG people that if they don't like cliffhangers, or get annoyed with not knowing what happens immediately, then please don't read The Name of the Wind. It is absolutely fantastic, but you will be so gutted when you reach the end and there isn't more to come. I know September is the planned release of the second in the trilogy, but I'm ignoring it until all three are published. I just can't bear it.

I know for sure that I will be reading The Curse of Chalion. Not sure about anything else yet though.

Mark, I see you mentioned The Hunger Games. I'm borrowing that from Suz's Kindle so will probably read that.

I'm not really sure exactly what counts as a fantasy book. Time travel? I've had a time travel book called The Mirror by Marlys Millhiser on the very top of my TBR pile, literally, for forever.

Time travel almost always counts as Sci-Fi, but to others it would be pure Fantasy. I say use it as Fantasy.

#37 Thanks. Since I read a fantasy book about every 2 or 3 years, at best, I'm inclined to use a very liberal definition.

So far, though subject to change, I intend to read:

The Mirror
The Hunger Games
The Eyre Affair

I just got Boneshaker. I'm gonna aim to read that.

I've got a lot of Le Guin in my science fiction/fantasy possibilities for my 11 in 11 Challenge. I'll read at least some of those next month, although I'm trying to keep my progress balanced between categories so I'm not stuck reading 11 non-fiction books and 11 lengthy classics at the end of the year.

Possible Le Guin fantasy reads:
The Farthest Shore
Malafrena
The Other Wind
Tehanu
The Tombs of Atuan

I also need to finish rereading The Two Towers and reread The Return of the King at some point. I've read them multiple times before, but not in the last five years.

>38 lindapanzo: You know, I really like The Hunger games, but what I like more is Suzanne Collin's earlier series Gregor the Overlander. It's perfect, except for the fact I think the main character acts too old for being way too young.

>#40 casvelyn, you don't want to read most of those Le Guin's on their own. They are parts of the Earthsea series, which goes A Wizard of Earthsea, The Tombs of Atuan, The Farthest Shore, and then a number of years later, Tehanu, Tales from Earthsea, and The Other Wind. The first three are relatively short, very quick reads, and a marvelous tale, so I'd encourage you to give them a try.

>34 lunacat:

Actually Wise Man's Fear will be released in March, not September. I'm also toying with the idea of rereading Name of the Wind, but my TBR pile is still so high that I don't know if I'll find the time...

I'll definitely second the recommendations for The Lies of Locke Lamora, The Eyre Affair and the Dresden Files series.

Currently I'm about 100 pages into Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell but I'm not really hooked yet.

>42 ronincats:

Yeah, I know they're in a series. I just listed them alphabetically because that's how they're ordered on my TBR list. I read A Wizard of Earthsea a while back, although I may reread it before starting the others.

#43

Thanks - still won't be reading it again, or reading the second until the third comes out!

I never got hooked on Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, but I know that so many other people have loved it. But for me, it wasn't all it was supposed to be.

I think 75% of my TBR shelf is fantasy...so I'll post a list as we get closer to February of which ones I'll be pulling out.

I've got a couple of baseball time travel books by Darryl Brock. I've read If I Never Get Back and loved that but also have the follow up to that one, Two in the Field.

Mark, you might especially be interested in one or both of these.

Leviathan has just come through for me at the library so I will be reading that.

Not sure whether to read more young adult such as Ender's Game and Hunger Games or tackle a biggy like Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell or Quicksilver...

By the way what is the difference between science fiction and fantasy? Is there a difference?

>48 kiwiflowa:: An often-accepted division is that science fiction is what occurs if you take natural laws and science and extend it arbitrarily far in the future. I.e., it could happen with the science as we envision it (at least, as we envision it at the time the author wrote the book).

Fantasy, on the other hand, predicates different natural laws or rules. I.e., unless you believe in magic, it will not happen.

However, there isn't a hard and fast rule and, sometimes, it's very, very difficult to decide the category for a book. For example, there are many series (Stasheff, Brust, etc.) where there is this technical explanation of going to planet where psionic abilities work, yada, yada...but the whole story is written as if the abilities are magic. I tend to lump them as fantasy regardless of some strict interpretation.

I've now picked out The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear, Blackout, All Clear, and Avilion as starters for this at the moment. I may well change my mind though! Hopefully this will give me some variety in the fantasy genre while sticking with it.

There are so many others on my tbr pile, I'm looking forward to this.

obviously something deeply wrong with me. I thought Name of the Wind was... meh. And I definitely didn't feel gutted. Huh.

I think I am going to read Game of Thrones, To Say Nothing of the Dog, The Lies of Locke Lamora, and maybe Neverwhere. They have all been on my list forever, and I own all of them.

Wow! Lots of activity over here! That's great! This should be a lot of fun and I'm really hoping for some converts.

Lunacat- LOL! Despite your energetic comments on not reading Name of the Wind, I'm giving it a shot. I have a feeling this will be a terrific book.

Jennifer- If this is your first time, reading A Game of Thrones. You are in for a major treat!

I was also considering The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie. I've heard very good things about this series. Anyone read this?

>52 jmaloney17:: Definitely make time for To Say Nothing of the Dog - it's hysterically funny and Willis has some interesting ideas about time travel.

Weaveworld by Clive Barker

The Lost Gate by Orson Scott Card

Are on my shelf.. ( ty jude for the Barker :) )
I think I will try to read these two in february..

I loved Weaveworld, Kath.

I have Weaveworld on my tbr too, though I don't intend tackling it this time round. I've got heaps of fantasy books on my tbr pile but will only commit to two for this group read.
The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold
The Windup Girl which was one of my santathing gifts, (I also got Tad Williams' The Dragonbone Chair).

My suggestions:
Obernewtyn by Isobelle Carmody (YA)
Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan (YA)
Monster Blood Tattoo: Foundling by DM Cornish (YA)
The Wind Singer by William Nicholson (YA)
Sister Light, Sister Dark by Jane Yolen
Mists of Avalon by Mary Zimmer Bradley

About 30 years ago, I took a college class in science fiction and fantasy literature but I've rarely read either since then. Among the authors were Philip Jose Farmer, Ursula LeGuin, and Peter Beagle.

I have tons of fantasy on my TBR shelf so I will definitely be participating, but I won't decide until closer to February what I actually plan on reading.

#53 Mark - well, don't say I didn't warn you!

#51 Majkia - of course there is nothing wrong with you. Each to their own. There are so many books that everyone else has loved and I've been 'eh' about. That's part of what makes discussions on books so interesting.

I think I'm going to try to work through some of the fantasy on my shelves that doesn't have reviews here on LT. Having ordered my unread section by number of reviews it looks like a have quite a choice! I'm definitely going to read The Crystal Prison and The Final Reckoning by Robin Jarvis to finish up his Deptford Mice Trilogy. Other than that, I'll see what I feel like picking up.

I very much enjoyed A Game of Thrones and the two sequels, but I'm almost afraid to pick it up for a re-read until the series is done. The story is fantastic and the author does an amazing job of introducing and making the various characters memorable, but I tend to lose track of them after a long break from the series. I am tempted to pick them up and read through them all for Feb through.

I might do Curse of Chalion and the rest of them again with Stasia. Or I might just do The Hallowed Hunt on its own. Guess we'll see when Feb gets here :)

#20 Thanks Tad. I'll read the Froud series as I find them then. I can't find the Synder book anywhere for under $50. Even the NYPL doesn't have a copy.
Which book in Windling's Fairy Tale series did you not like? Tam Lin is the only title in that series that I've read so far.

I didn't care for Fitcher's Brides, a retelling of the Bluebeard legend.

I thought Brust's The Sun, The Moon and the Stars was decent and the rest were good...Yolen's Briar Rose probably my favorite.

I love fantasy, so I'll be on board!

I'm thinking about picking up A Game of Thrones for the first time. I noticed a few other people mention it - I wonder if we have enough folks to do a group read?

#66 I was thinking the same thing, but they are HUGE books, and a series, so it would need to be spread out over a bit of time.

For those concerned about reading The Name of the Wind, the release date in the US according to Amazon for Book 2 (Wise Man's Fear) is March 1, 2011. It might be good timing for a reread, actually...

I haven't really decided what I'll be reading, but I love fantasy so I'll be following this thread with interest.

I've requested A Game of Thrones from the library and I am number 20 on the hold list... usually it will only take a few weeks to get to my turn.

FANTASY FEBRUARY???

I thought February was nothing but Fantasy...in Ohio!

The Gormenghast Trilogy.....this is what I read after the Tolkien books made me gag......Dickensian and Fantastic... be Gormenghast.

Ursula Le Guin??? The Left Hand of Darkness....read it...you will rethink many things you took for granted.

;-}

I'm so glad there are so many, willing to give A Game of Thrones a try. You will not be disappointed. I have the audio downloaded. I'm might try to listen to it, before the HBO series starts in April.

Mary- Thanks for supplying the date for Wise Man's Fear. I think it's a perfect time to read Name of the Wind.

> 67

Agreed - although I suspect I'll barrel through them quickly if given a chance. We could just do A Game of Thrones in February and if there is still interest, schedule the others for later months?

Would anyone else be interested in a Game of Thrones group read?

Hmm... I have Game of Thrones and Curse of Chalion around here, so maybe I'll try to read those in February so I can join in the discussion!

A few others I was hoping to get to ASAP:

Ladies of Grace Adieu - Susanna Clarke
Stray - Rachel Vincent
The Blood King - Gail Martin

...I have piles and piles more on my shelves... I still hope to read the Wheel of Time series one of these days, but I think I'll have to make that a year-long event at some point.

I'm interested in a group read providing the book comes through from the library.

>72 Aerrin99: I loved A Game of Thrones so I'd be willing to re-read it.

I'm in for a group read of A Game of Thrones. I can't start until the 7th so I'd have to catch up with everyone after that date.

>70 jdthloue:: hooray, a Gormenghastian!

#73 Faith, Wheel of Time is an excellent series and now is a good time to start, you would finish it by the time Sanderson writes the final installment.

I'm holding off on A Game of Thrones until he's finished writing them all. I like to be able to read all the way through a series (with other books in between of course) at once, or I worry I'll get confused.

I'd be willing to read it in February. If I've forgotten too much by the time the new installment comes out, I'll just read them again. They are amazing books.

Excellent! I've started a Group Read thread here - please chime in for ideas on how we want to run things!

Checking in and perusing this thread!

I am reading Horns now, if I finish it by Feb. I might join you guys/gals for the fantasy read :)

I have been wanting to read The Hunger Games and I am Number Four (Lorien Legacies by Pittacus Lore....either way I will by following this thread :)

I was recommended the Pitticus Lore books last week. I met a friend at a bookstore and we swapped recent outstanding reads and this was one he had loved (he's a children's literature expert). I always enjoy the books he recommends.

That (I am Number Four) is one I've been curious about. I look forward to hearing your reactions.

I've been so wary of I am Number Four since discovering that it came out of James Frey's books-to-movies mill. I'd be interested to hear from an LTer what it's really like!

February seems like a good time for fantasy. It's not my usual genre, but I've read more of it since joining LT. I read A Game of Thrones last year, so I look forward to lurking in the group read. My real life book club is reading The Fellowship of the Ring for our March 1 meeting, so I'll likely read it in Feb. I've never read Tolkien, so I'm excited to dig in!

#87 You have a wonderful time ahead of you with Tolkien! A Game of Thrones is very good, very unpredictable and more of a dark fantasy (much more realistic), but Tolkien is Tolkien as you will see! Having said that, no pressures :)

Sigh. I'm already so behind on this thread, but better jump in now than later! As I said on your thread Mark, I plan on reading The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman and also have my sights on The Difference Engine. I'd like to fit in The Windup Girl as well, but I've already got quite a few other books I'd like to read very soon too so we'll see about that. I'm not a big reader of fantasy either so should be interesting!

>86 Aerrin99:: I'm with you. I've vowed to steer clear of anything associated with James Frey. The man is a scumbag, plain and simple.

I'll have a go at The Hunger Games since it's received so many good reviews and Graceling.

#86 Just completed I am Number Four, I didn't particularly like the writing style but I enjoyed the story. Not sure if I would read the sequels though, I'd probably just wait for the movies.

The Hunger Games is a pretty good read. I particulary like the poem in Mockingjay, the last book in the series. It's a creepy romance poem.

I'm reading The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms and am having a hard time putting it down (or in this morning's case - not picking it up) to get other things accomplished.

Morphy, ditto regarding The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms ! Really a great read! I'm about half way through it.

I plan on reading The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemison. Been wanting to read it for a while, but I have a lot of books to read before I get to it.
Another book I've heard good things about is Empire in Black and Gold by Adrian Tchaikovsky. It's supposedly a nice steampunk-ish fantasy (and I love me some steampunk!)

I'd recommend Soulless by Gail Carriger if you're looking for a steampunk fantasy/romance novel. It's a quick read and pretty entertaining.

If you're looking for something deeper, I'd pick up The Darkness That Comes Before by R. Scott Bakker. I finished this book a couple weeks ago, and I loved it.

At the moment I'm reading The Etched City by K.J. Bishop, A Shadow in Summer by Daniel Abraham, and I'm going to start Kushiel's Justice by Jacqueline Carey pretty soon. I've been meaning to finish this Kushiel series for a year now!

I think I'm going to try and work on Diana Wynne Jones' Dalemark Quartet books for February. I've owned them for years, and have only read the first one, though it was so long ago that I definitely need to reread it.

Does The Passage count as fantasy, Mark?

Stasia- I'm not an expert in this field, but I say go for it! I'm a big fan of The Passage.

Is everyone locked and loaded? This begins on Tuesday. It's coming up quick. I will kick it off with Leviathan. Anyone join me??
Once again, I'm thrilled with the response so far.

I may give Leviathan a shot if you are, Mark. Thanks for the thumbs up on The Passage.

I'm reading Behemoth the second book of the trilogy. Soooo good.

Darn it you guys!!! You're all giving me more ideas on books to read! My TBR shelf is already overflowing, HOW am I supposed to choose what to read next? LOL I'll just have to suffer along I guess.

Oh good! A book I can join in on and already OWN!! I am in for Leviathan. : )

What is Leviathan anyway? A lot of people talk about it, but I don't know much about it or its sequel, besides that both titles mean "great monsters" especially in the Bible.

I too will be reading The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms this month and also Mama Day by Gloria Naylor which has elements of magic.

touchstones is so touchy

plonk...Mama Day dropped onto wish list..

>DragonFreak- Leviathan looks to be a mix of steampunk, alternate history, with maybe a dash of sci-fi. It takes place just before World War I. It's the first in a series.
What book are you starting with?

I have Leviathan, too. Maybe I'll join in, especially if there is a group read thread.

DragonFreak: The Leviathan is a huge fabricated creature that sails through the air like an airship. The story is about a young girl who pretends to be a boy and gains a berth on the ship as a middie. And a young prince on the run from Austrian forces who want to assassinate him.

The world there is divided between 'clankers' and 'Darwinists' - guess which side the Leviathan is on.

It takes place just before the world goes crazy at the start of WWI.

The only reason it is YA is because of the two main characters, really. I love the world he's created.

Hey guys. I'm a Club Reader but will definitely be reading some fantasy in Feb and looking forward to what y'all are reading. Hope y'all don't mind me joining in. I've got a lot to choose from:

a bunch of Sharon Shinn
the third in Tad Williams's Shadowmarch series and his Memory, Sorrow, Thorn series
The Magicians by Lev Grossman
Angelology by Danielle Trussoni
R. Scott Bakker's Prince of Nothing series
first 3 books of Piers Anthony's Xanth series
King's Dragon by Kate Elliott
a few Jose Saramago's which tend to lean fantasy

Borders just had Leviathan on sale, buy one title get a second 1/2 off. They actually had quite a few YA titles on sale. I also picked up The Fire Within. Anyway, I'm up for a group read on Leviathan.

I've already read Leviathan, but would definitely lurk and comment in a thread if you guys did a read!

Should we set a set up a separate Group Read for Leviathan or just leave our comments on this General Thread? How about a vote?

The "darwinists"? Shoot, now you made me want to read it, and my plate is full. I too may be lurking around the discussion.

>91 liezkl: I just got Graceling from the library, we can read it together if you like? :)

after that I am going to start The Hunger series then on to the Chaos Walking series

Haven't got Leviathan but Graceling is going to be on the list for FF.

>109 janemarieprice: Oooooh, Jane ~ Sharon Shinn! I really like her Archangel series and Shape-Changer's Wife. Which of hers are you thinking of reading?

I have Shinn's Archangel series.. have not read it...I was giving some thought to it though.. Graceling.. I have looked at that one a few times and passed over it...

I think the first couple of books in the Archangel series are the best, but the others are good too. I have read a couple of her Hundred Kingdoms novels and just can't seem to get into them, and I have only read a short story about Castle Auburn but enjoyed it, so I think maybe Summers at Castle Auburn will be my next Shinn.

I think, maybe, my local library has Leviathan. I know it has the whole Uglies series. But if they do, I'm so joining in the group read. Steampunk. Never heard of it. must be a new concept.

Anyway, I'll probably be reading Get Off the Unicorn by Anne McCaffrey. Interest in the many types of writing she writes besides the Pern books.

My son recommended Shinn... I look forward to getting to those books :)

Way back when (Message 8) I was going to read The Eyre Affair but I really want to re-read Jane Eyre first and don't have time for it this month. So I may try for The Hobbit or The Once and Future King. Leviathan sounds intriguing, but I have a self-imposed ban on new books (bought or from the library) for the next month or so...

>55 mckait: You are most welcome, Kath...i had a feeling you would like it..I am a fool for the "stories" that live in woven rugs...Oriental and Otherwise

>77 tiffin: You bet! I still have the old Paperback Boxed Set I bought in college

Leviathan??? On Kindle??? Maybe

;-}

ok, it took me a while to get here, but here I am! I'm itching to read Avempartha but I shall resist until at least February 1 so it falls officially into Fantasy February month.

> 121 Oh, that reminds me I have The Once and Future King waiting to be read. I'm adding it to my list for February.

I also have The once and Future King on my tbr, I never got started on last year's group read. I don't think I can get to it in February though. My current fantasy read is proving quite engrossing - The heir of Night, I think i'll be finishing it today, as I've reached that point where I can't put it down.

> 124 I think I am definitely doing The Once and Future King. It is longer than The Hobbit and I have two loooong flights this month, so it will be one of the books I bring to read then.

I think I'll be starting the month with The Golden Compass. That is, as soon as I've cleared the books I was supposed to finish in January! :-)

I just started a book by Sharon Shinn called Troubled Waters. I haven't read any others by her yet. I have that and a few other fantasy books lined up for February, including Fire (just read Graceling and really enjoyed it), and Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson.

>114 curlysue: That will be great, so kicking off fantasy feb with Graceling

Hmm, I started the audio of The Graveyard Book on Friday but am barely into it. Can I join in the group even though I started it in January? It would be fantasy, right?

116/118 - I just ordered her newer books - Troubled Waters, Gateway, and Quatrain and her young adult Safe-Kepper series. Summers at Castle Auburn is one of her better ones, very light on fantasy but great characters.

117 - I highly recommend it, especially the first one.

120 - I love her work, particularly if you like a bit of romance.

128 - I'll be starting Troubled Waters soon. And read Warbreaker last year and loved it.

It's a bit early, but won't finish until February, so I thought I'd go ahead and post. First fantasy of Feb for me is The Half-Made World. It's an awesome combination fantasy and western set in a near-Earth world. I'm about a quarter of the way through, and the writing's really good.

Okay, I've started selecting my fantasy for February. The first two are givens because I just got them from the library.

Plain Kate by Erin Bow
Catalyst by Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Scarborough (just now realized the book I just got from the library is the SECOND book, so have put a request in for this one so I can read it first)
Catacombs by McCaffrey and Scarborough
Carousel Tides by Sharon Lee
The House on Darrow Street by Galen Beckett (although I will have to skim The Magicians and Mrs. Quent to recall what happened leading up to this book because it has been so long)
Except the Queen by Jane Yolen and Midori Snyder

I'm not going to do the George Martin until I have all the books. They are too big to be reading multi-times. Same goes for the Rothfuss book.

I'll probably add more later in the month, but this will do for a start.

Ooo, I'm planning to read both Magicians (re-read) and Durrow Street this month. Time to compare notes!

Joanne- I think The Graveyard Book is a perfect choice. As a matter of fact, I have this loaded into my iPod and plan on getting to it soon. Glad you can join us.

Roni- Impressive list!

Jim- The Half-Made World sounds very interesting! I'll be watching for your comments.

Touchstones screwy or what??

I am going to start the month with Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins and then The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. If I can squeeze one more in, it will be Son of the Shadows by Juliet Marillier. Really looking forward to this.

Well, I'm just wondering, quite a few suggestions are more science fiction oriented. I consider both Chaos Walking and Hunger Games series to be scifi not fantasy. I'm not worried about it too much, just that later in the year we might want to do a scifi September or something..

Aaargh! Forgot to put in

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N. K. Jemisin
and
The Magicians by Lev Grossman,

but now I have them pulled and placed on the Fantasy February pile.

And also, after I re-read Pride and Prejudice for the Austenathon--that is February's read, right, Stasia?--I want to read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies right away.

I agree, Kerry, the Willis books are all technically science fiction, but they are so good I'm just glad people are reading them. Get Off the Unicorn is also sf, but like most McCaffrey, very light sf so practically indistinguishable from fantasy. I'd call The Windup Girl science fiction as well.

I second, third, and fourth the mentions of the Earthsea trilogy, Summers at Castle Auburn, anything by McKillip or Jasper Fforde, and Good Omens. If several people are reading and discussing The Curse of Chalion, I'd love to participate in the discussion; I love that book and the sequel, Paladin of Souls, with a passion.

If I run out of books, I can finish The Once and Future King (made it halfway through for the group read), try the first three Dresden File books, or read the sole Marillier book I have, Wildwood Dancing. Ambitious enough? Especially considering I'm going to have company the second half of the month...my mother is coming to visit.

I'm not listing all my possible reads as I've been stockpiling fantasy for ages and have too many to choose from. My first reads will be Curse of Chalion and The Hounds of Morrigan.

#138>Roni - I'm not overly concerned, just wanted to point it out. I was going to read The Windup Girl but realised after the initial burst of enthusiasm that it was scifi and I have so many fantasy books to get through anyway.

I will be choosing my book today..
Clive Barker or Orson Scott Card..
hmmmm

>138 ronincats: The Dresden File books are great! I have read the first three or four and the rest are all on my wish list.

I've got two selected so far.

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin re-read and group read.
Stormblade by Nancy Varian Berberick TIOLO challenge #15
Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey and further into the series if I can (reread)

I've just begun The Deed of Paksenarrion, the omnibus trilogy for my Fantasy Feb read -- couldn't wait 5 more hours (when it will officially be February here )

Oh, just finished and found wonderful Janny Wurts' To Ride Hell's Chasm. Really well done and a good read.

>129 liezkl: liezkl....Graceling it is :) after that we can play it by ear :)

if anyone else would like to join us your more then welcome!

I have had Gormanghast on my list of TBR for ever. I also have Leviathan but am going to be reading Game of Thrones for this month. If I can get to it I will also do Leviathan but it will be a bonus read for the month.

My copy of Pegasus by Robin McKinley came in at the library today, so that is my February fantasy read.

Hope those of you choosing to read LeGuin's Earthsea books enjoy them!

Would someone mind enlightening me about the difference between sci-fi and fantasy? I thought sci-fi fit under the fantasy genre.

Also, never read Neil Gaiman before, what's a good place to start?

>147 Smiler69: TadAd did a good job explaining it in message #49 on this thread. Both fall into the category of Speculative Fiction and the boundaries between the two can be hazy at times. But no, I think most science fiction fans would strongly resist the idea that science fiction was a sub-genre of fantasy, whether rightly or not!

#148 Oops, sorry Roni. I must have missed that. Will go have a look, thanks! So if The Windup Girl is sci-fi, does it mean it doesn't fit into this particular thread or are we given leeway as to what we consider to be fantasy? Mark?

And it's made more complicated by the fact that there is sci fi that 'feels' more fantasy - like Anne McCaffrey's Pern books, or even The Knife of Never Letting Go and the rest of that series.

As Kerry and I were light-heartedly discussing, you have considerable leeway. Yes, TWG is science fiction, but it definitely has a fantasy feel to it, so go with it!

Like I mentioned at the top, I'm not an expert in the fantasy field, I just wanted it to be loose and fun and give everyone plenty of choices!
Maybe, if we do this next time, we can be a bit more selective. For now, lets just have a great time!

Ilana- I'll also be reading The Windup Girl. It will be my 3rd book.

Well, the people have spoken. The Group Read Thread is up for Leviathan:
Right Here

I plan on reading a few pages tonight, just to get in the mood!

Everyone ready??

#147: I usually consider anything with magic and/or mythological creatures as fantasy and anything that has machines as sci-fi. Other people have different definitions, but that's how I tend to classify stuff.

Stardust, Good Omens, or The Graveyard Book are all good introductions to Neil Gaiman. Or you could just dive into the deep end with the Sandman series.

Lots of people seem to be reading American Gods by Neil Gaiman. I haven't read it though.

I think my favorite Neil Gaiman book is Good Omens. It's one of my re-reads as well .. never gets old.

>128 rubarbaru: Oh! I hadn't heard about Troubled Waters by Shinn, but it sounds really good!

>130 Copperskye:, 147 & 155 Neil Gaiman! Oh! The Sandman series! Oh! Excellent fantasy series and my first real graphic novel read. Just a suggestion, but if you can get it and you enjoy audiobooks, get The Graveyard Book on CD as read by Neil himself. That and Neverwhere are two favorites, possibly because they were amazing on CD with Neil reading them.

ETA drat the touchstones!

ETA when I edited my post the touchstones appeared! Tricksy little things.

I'm always up for some fantasy but i don't know how much free time i will have this month so I'm only going to try and read some of the shorter and lighter books i have.
confirmed reading:
Moribito:Guardian of the Spirit by Nahoko Uehashi
Spice and Wolf, Vol.3 by Isuna Hasekura

If i still have time i want to try and finish Steampunk and start Behemoth

>158 Storeetllr: I love audio books and have been meaning to start reading some of Gaiman's work. I will definitely check those out!

My first Fantasy February read is Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld which is the sequel to Leviathan and is due back at the library... right now! About 2/3 of the way through and really enjoying it.

Right now I'm reading The Last Unicorn which is utterly gorgeous. Very similar to The Forgotten Beasts of Eld in atmospheric style.

Then I'm moving on to.....well, who knows. Graceling probably :)

Already a couple chapters into Graceling....

and liking it very much!

#151-153 Thanks for your feedback on the sci-fi - fantasy subtle differences. I'll try to keep all that in mind since I'm a little bit obsessive about tagging and it always bothered me that I didn't know the difference. In the end though, I guess it's a pretty subjective call.

#155-157 Great recommendations for Neil Gaiman, many thanks!

#158 I've just discovered audiobooks via iTunes and I'm pretty excited about them. I did see that The Graveyard book is available and wouldn't be surprised to find others so I just might indulge so I can keep 'reading' fantasy even when I'm on the go!

ETA: just went for a quick check on the iTunes store and there are LOADS of Neil Gaiman audiobooks on offer, several of which are read by him, including The Graveyard Book and Neverwhere of course (so far I've also discovered Coraline and Odd and the Frost Giants read by him too!)

only problem with Neil Gaiman audio books - I get so distracted by his voice I can't pay attention to the story!!! (But they really are fabulous)

I have been listening to David Almond's Skellig for the past few days. I guess that would count toward Fantasy February, right?

I'm having a great time listening to The Graveyard Book. I first read it in Jan '09 and I've forgotten enough of the story to make it seem almost new again. I'll be really interested in how the movie will look.

Anyone here read books by Jonathan Carroll? he is one of my favorite authors, whose books seem to defy genre-typing... Some say his books are fantasies, some say science fiction, some even say horror and others say 'fantasy reality'(isn't that an oxymoron?)... Would like to know your views...

Have read most of his books, here are some of my favs:
1. The wooden sea
2. The land of laughs
3. Glass soup

Just finished my first read for Fantasy February. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins was a most satisfying end to the Hunger Games Trilogy. I loved this series and look forward to seeing where this author goes next.

Next up for me will be The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman.

#169> hooiming, I *loved* Land of Laughs, but sadly have not gotten very far with any of his other books. I'll have to try again, I think I've got The Wooden Sea somewhere.

(Yet to start a Fantasy February read!)

Just finished Matched - absolutely fabulous - best book I've read since The Hunger Games (well or any of my favorite Neil Gaiman books either, lol) - its been a while since I hit anything quite this fabulous...

I'm reading The Monstrumologist but am a bit bored by it, so don't know if I'll continue with it or move on to something else.

The list of fantasy I hope to get to this month is:

Duma Key (on audio), which I'm reading now (not sure if this counts as fantasy)
Leviathan (on audio)
The Passage (also on audio) (maybe) (not sure this counts as fantasy)
The Golden Compass
Small Favor
Summers at Castle Auburn by Sharon Shinn
Troubled Waters by Sharon Shinn
Rebel Angels by Libba Bray (audio)
American Gods (on audio) (maybe)
Mockingjay (on audio)
Living with the Dead by Kelley Armstrong

There may be more, and the list is subject to change at any time. (I am easily distracted.)

ETA drat the Touchstones AGAIN! They are refusing to load. Grrrr.

I started The Golden Compass tonight. Am 1/4 of the way through and really getting into it. I also just ordered Leviathan from BookDepository. How could I resist? it was only $5.73 CAD! Now how I'm going to find the time to read it is another matter altogether.

I'm reading The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia McKillip and it's absolutely delightful.

I just finished a Children's fantasy The Fire Within, the first book in Chris D'Lacey's Last Dragon Chronicles. I was a bit disappointed since I was expecting it to be more about dragons when most of it was about squirrels. (I like squirrels and all but they're not dragons.)

Judy- I also started the audio of The Graveyard Book. It's grabs you quickly.

Wookie- Have not started FF Read?? Tell me I did not see that statement!

Mary- Wow, that's an impressive list! Duma Key is more like horror. The one thing you will miss by listening to Leviathan, is the wonderful illustrations.
I did listen to American Gods and it was very good.

What is up with the blasted touchstones??

Read Robin McKinley's Pegausus & loved it. Hope to post a review in the next day or two.

The lack of touchstones is killing me! How am I supposed to easily wishlist a book?!?

Try clearing recent history (under tools on Mozilla) - sometimes that helps with the touchstones.

glad I'm not the only one who is having trouble with the touchstones...

Yes, my suggestion doesn't work, unfortunately. Everybody's having trouble with them. It seems to have started after LT went down.

Almost half way through Graceling and really enjoying it!

>173 Storeetllr: Storeetllr I hope The Monstrumologist gets better for you, I just picked it up at the library last night :/ for the FF read....American Gods was a great read IMO if Gaiman is reading it it should be fabulous :)

>156 Citizenjoyce: YoungGeekyLibrarian I agree!!!

Touchstones forever Loading......:/

Finished Poison Study - Marie V. Snyder, started this at end of Jan. but since only finished today, I decided to add it.
It is the about Yelena who has to choose between death by hanging or the possibility of death by poison by taking on the job as food taster for the Commander of Ixia. She was convicted of murder according to the very strict Rules of conduct, which makes no distinction for self-defense.
She is initially treated as an outcast and most people are wary of her. The story deals with her continuous fight for survival as the father of her victim tries to get revenge, the friendships and betrayals she encounters and of course her love-hate relationship with her boss, Valek, the commander's advisor.
I enjoyed this book. I really liked the fact that she chooses to face all her fears head-on by learning to fight amongst other things. She doesn't give up easily.

>183 curlysue: Curlysue I just started Graceling, so I see that I have some catching up to do.

>184 liezkl: liezkl Poison Study looks good! but, I can't start a series right now so I will save this one for the future :)

No worries about Graceling :) let me know what you think once you start getting into it :)

When will these touchstones start working???

For Fantasy Feb, I will be reading

Sojourn - RA Salvatore
Leviathan - Scott Westerfeld
The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
The Name of the Wind - Patrick Rothfuss

Will prob add more - these are the only ones I have planned atm.

#177> I know, Mark, but An Instance of the Fingerpost was at the top of the pile, and it tempted me! Evil book!! And I don't think I'm going to be able to put it down for a while...

I do *know* what I'm going to pick up for my "official" read. Once I find it and dust it off...

I did knock off a quick graphic novel last night: The Middleman: The Doomsday Armageddon Apocalypse. It's a sequel to the TV series (which I loved, so much geeky fun), not a sequel to the original comic book series (which the TV series is based on; confused yet?). Nice to get some resolution to the TV series, which ended so abruptly, and lovely to get back to the characters, and a giggle-fest seeing all the nods to other geeky TV shows (luckily there's a bit at the back that points out all the inspirations, because I've seen like 1.5 episodes of "Blake's Seven", and no Doctors before Tom Baker, really).

I'm sure it counts as fantasy, it's kinda super-hero sci-fi stuff. :)

"Sheer elegance in its draconian complexity!"

I'm reading Eye of the World... yep, that's right, I've decided to just go ahead and get it over with. I'm going to read the whole Wheel of Time series this year if it kills me (I hear it might). I figure by the time I get through them, Sanderson will have finished the final volume and I'll be able to wrap it up in one go.

I just finished Flyte in my reread of the series leading up to a first read of Syren and the book coming out in July. Now I'm reading Monsters of Men, the third in the Chaos Walking series that someone mentioned upthread - I would personally call it more science fiction, but I could see it being a little borderline.

I have Game of Thrones out from the library but based on its size and all the other books lined up, I think I'll be reading it into March...

Carousel Tides by Sharon Lee (306 pp.)

I love Sharon Lee's work with her husband Steve Miller, set in the Liaden Universe, and read all they publish, so had to try this contemporary fantasy written solo. At first, I thought, oh NO! Family with special powers, missing granny, strong pulse of attraction to this handsome boat captain--does all this sound familiar? As in trite and stale and familiar? And then--she flipped it all around and made it vital and original and interesting. Try it, you'll like it. My first read for Fantasy February.

I finished listening to Skellig on audio tonight.

I also finally broke down and got The Graveryard Book on audio as well, and I'll be starting it tomorrow probably tonight... catch a chapter or two to spook myself out a little before sleep. Looks like it's a popular read this month!

>177 msf59: Mark, it is an impressive list, isn't it! If I get to even half, I'll feel llike I accomplished a lot

>183 curlysue: Unfortunately American Gods is not read by Neil himself. Also unfortunately, The Monstrumologist is not getting a lot better. I haven't given up, but I do find myself skimming when he gets too verbose. I feel like shouting at him, "Just get to the point already!" The action parts are pretty good, though.

I started my first book for Fantasy February. Kath reminded me of how much I love Weaveworld by Clive Barker, so time for a re-read:)

>186 Alleycatfish: Oh I loved Sojourn by Salvatore. One of my favorite series.

Touchstones are back!

I'm really enjoying The Graveyard Book. Neil Gaiman is a wonderful narrator. I think one of the problems I had with Skellig was David Almond's narration, which was a bit odd and not quite convincing, which was very distracting.

I just saw there's a discussion going on with the author of Akhet: Sekhmet's Light, Book One, H. L. Reasby. The book has a great deal to do with Egyptian mythology with, I think, the main character becoming an avatar for an Egyptian goddess. It's only $6 on Nook, so I couldn't resist. Now, lets just hope I can get to it.

Oh! Oh! Oh! Look what my favorite indie bookstore, Mysterious Galaxy, just posted!!

The Wise Man's Fear Signing Tour (March 5 at 2:00pm)
Patrick Rothfuss promotes The Wise Man's Fear (The Kingkiller Chronicle, Day 2).
The fifth stop on my signing tour is in San Diego. I'll be stopping by Mysterious Galaxy to do a bit of a reading, answer questions, and sign copies of The Wise Man's Fear. Since it's on a Saturday, this will also be my first afternoon event. I'll be reading while the sun is still in the sky, threatening ... (more)us with its terrible burning rays. I'm not sure how I feel about that, as I'm largely nocturnal by nature. If you want to contact Mysterious Galaxy to pre-order your copy of the book, here's their number: 858.268.4747 Swing on by, tell your friends....

Barking spiders!! I'm really moving along in Leviathan. It has a bit more of a YA slant, but it's exciting and very inventive. I love the illustrations. I should be done with this, over the weekend.

Mary- I thought Gaiman would be narrating American Gods at first, but it soon becomes obvious that it's all staged in America, with American characters and Gaiman would not have worked. It is narrated by George Guidall and he does a fantastic job.

Ilana- I've been listening to The Graveyard Book too. It has been a lot of fun!

Oh I'm so envious, Roni! Do enjoy it and be sure to tell us all about it. I keep crossing my fingers that perhaps he'll make it over to the UK at some point as I'd love to meet Patrick Rothfuss.

>190 ronincats: I don't think I could fit it in this month, but you've made it sound so good I'm definitely putting it on my TBR list. Thanks!

> 190, 201 I just enjoyed two Liaden Universe ones, Fledgling and Saltation, and this stand-alone by the same authors sounds intriguing.

I requested A Game of Thrones from the library, but I am number three on a waiting list. :(

I am going to read the second Harry Potter book for now. I will also check to see if my daughter has Leviathan. She has some other books by Westerfeld.
--BJ

still reading Graceling....it got a little slow around the middle but it is picking up again.....hopefully I will finish it this weekend :)

No doubt I'll read more fantasy this month, but here's the first installment done:
The Deed of Paksenarrion by Moon (my take here - http://www.librarything.com/topic/104840#2498672)

I've finished Graceling. Not what I was expecting but very enjoyable!

about 2/3rds into Graceling and it's starting to get very interesting

I have a good start on Game of Thrones and even watched the HOB trailers on the series today. This story is really good.

As usual, I had a devil of a time getting to my book this week. I am now well into Weaveworld though, I love it. I do !

I finished and loved Leviathan. I can't wait to read the next in the series. I also finished and loved The Graveyard Book. This might be my favorite Gaiman. It was nearly perfect.
Next up, is The Maze Runner, another YA series, that looks very promising. I know Joe has read this but has anyone else?

Started The Windup Girl this afternoon.

I'm a little late to this thread, but I just finished The Graveyard Book today. I am going to start The Mortal Instruments trilogy next.

Finished The Half-Made World, loved it, see my thread for my thoughts on it. On to Blameless.

I finished Get Off the Unicorn today and now I'm going to read Magyk by Angie Sage.

I started reading The Goblin Gate. The last time I had it out of the library I ended up returning it unread, so I'm glad to have gotten as far as I have.

I finished The Golden Compass last night. Really loved it and looking forward to The Subtle Knife soon. I'm considering maybe getting the audio version but we'll see. Have just 90 minutes or so left of The Graveyard Book and I'm enjoying it so much I don't want it to end! I'll just have to listen to it over and over again!

I finished Avempartha by Michael Sullivan and it's so much better than the first in the Riyria Revelations series. There are 6 books in all .. and after The Crown Conspiracy, I wasn't sure if I would really like this series, but that's the problem with a fantasy series isn't it? Once you get started on one, you tend ... well, I tend, to need to finish it because you keep wanting to know what's happened to the characters.

Avempartha is the 2nd in the Riyria Revelations. The village of Dahlgren is being terrorized by a winged beast who attacks in the night, killing the villages, sometimes whole families at a time. Royce and Hadrian are sought out by a desperate young woman who hires them to save her father from certain death. But things are not what they seem. Esrahaddon the wizard, rescued after a 900 year imprisonment, having lost his hands, appears to have sought refuge in this village waiting for their arrival. In the meantime, the Church has been keeping an eye on Arista through her maid, Bernice and Bishop Saulder. Is she being used as a pawn by the Church to search out Esrahaddon, or was the Church responsible for the death of her father?

The characters are much better developed in this 2nd book compared to the first and this is shaping up to be a fantasy series worth following. So now I've got to go hunt down the other 4 in the series. :-)

I finished Troubled Waters yesterday and have now started Warbreaker.

> 210 msf59 - I read The Maze Runner and the sequel The Scorch Trials last year. I enjoyed them, the first more than the second. Quite an intriguing premise.

Completed Graceling and really enjoyed it, more details here. Starting Magic Study next.

>214 DragonFreak: Look forward to hearing your thoughts on Magyk, I received the series a a gift and still haven't gotten around to reading it.

Everybody tells me it's really, really good: on LibraryThing and my friends. The thing I like it so far is how square the book is. It's not a perfect square, but it's good enough...I'm not that far into it.

Now tucking into Blackout, which I guess would mostly be considered scifi, but for me, it doesn't fit entirely in either genre, I want to read them, and can't resist any longer! So far, it's fabulous.

Someone mentioned the idea of a Science Fiction September up there ^^ and I second the idea. This month is definitely giving focus to my reading.

I don't read much sci-fi, mostly fantasy, but if there is a science fiction book I'm reading that month, I may be able to actually contribute to a conversation. But yeah, sounds cool.

I just read The Graveyard Book too. I'll have to get the audiobook sometime (I usually read them before I listen to them). I've listened to several that Gaiman read... I agree, he's an excellent narrator. I'm glad he did this one.

Finished! Weaveworld . WOW!!!

on to ?

Yah for Kath!

I knocked out a short review of Leviathan. You can check it out: Right Here

I finished Curse of Chalion this morning when I should have been doing other things! It's a great fantasy, I loved the world Bujold created and I liked that the main character, Cazaril, was a grown man. I've read so much YA fantasy/scifi lately with the inevitable teenaged protagonists.

>227 avatiakh: *dances excitedly up and down* I told you so, I told you so!! I knew you'd love it, and you will love the sequel even more, because Ista, sweet Ista is the protagonist!!

>227 avatiakh: I was not previously familiar with Curse of Chalion but it sounds great. I will have to check it out.

I've now completed the two Barque Cats books by McCaffrey and Scarborough and The Magicians by Lev Grossman. Comments are in my thread. 4 books down for Fantasy February!

lol, Roni. I did enjoy it and I already have the sequel so will be reading it soon.
I also read The Marbury Lens, a YA alternate world fantasy with a psychological horror element to it. You don't really know what is going on at all in this one, great stuff.
I'll be reading Behemoth next.

Oh, I am so dang smart! :P It suddenly dawned on me there must be a thread for FF. So, here I am. A little late... BUT

I finished The Crown Conspiracy by Michael Sullivan. Loved it! 1st of 6 in a series and I will be reading the next 5! Maybe not all in this month... but soon enough I don't forget who's who.

Now I'll have to go back and see what everyone else is reading...dangerous! :)

I finished The Graveyard Book today (snif!) why did it have to end??
Just downloaded The Hunger Games from Audible.com. They're having a sale for a selection of first books in popular series and for $5, I figured I couldn't go wrong! Will be starting that one soon, either tonight or tomorrow.

I finished The Crystal Prison yesterday and now I'm onto The Final Reckoning, the second and third parts of Robin Jarvis' Deptford Mice trilogy. He remains one of my favourite authors writing fantasy for children/young adults (I'm terrible at making any distinction between those two).

The Lost Gate by Orson Scott Card

I just posted reviews for Skellig and The Golden Compass you can find them here on my thread.

#233 smiler69

Thanks for that tip about Audible. I will have to check that out. Might be some $5.00 recorded books on there for me! (like I need another one.)

Finished Graceling 3.75 stars my review here

Started Shiver....meh so far

Finished Moribito gave it a 3.5 for its old school mythology feel and ethnology views on how competing cultures can lose their past.
starting Spice and Wolf, Vol. 3 after a detour to space with a Honor Harrington book

#239> I liked the second Moribito book much more than the first.

#237 If you're interested, you should hurry on over to their site as the promotion ends today!

I just started the audiobook of The Hunger Games this evening. I'm at chapter 5 and I'm hooked! I literally had to rip the earphones out so that I could do things that require me using my brain to think my own thoughts! lol

I finished Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling today. I guess I am the only one who hadn't read it. I enjoyed it and will look for book 3. I am on the hold list for A Game of Thrones. I don't think it will arrive in time. Our library has been closed for a week due to snow and keeps extending the due dates.
--BJ

I'm reading One Hundred Thousand Kingdoms right now and am loving it!

Picked up One Hundred Thousand Kingdoms over the weekend. I hope to get to it soon.

ok....finished Shiver last night......giving it 2.75 stars

there were some parts, and I say some that I really liked and I wished Stiefvater had done more of it, but there was too much meh!.....

despite me giving Shiver 2.75 stars I am reading Linger, the second book in this trilogy.....why?

1. because of my compulsion to finish a series
2. because there is some unfinished business in Shiver that I hope Stiefvater resolves!

Hey, I hope everyone is enjoying themselves with their fantasy (or the many off-shoots) reads!
I think it's been great. I'm nearly finished with The Maze Runner. Very exciting. And then on to The Windup Girl.

I'm almost done with The Hunger Games I only have 1.5 chapters to listen to, and I could have finished it by now, but I was to prolong it a little bit before getting to the end. I just got Leviathan in the mail today, but unless I trade it with another fantasy selection for this month, I'll have to put it off till March due to severe over-bookedness (surely that's not a word?! My spell-check must have suddenly gone offline!)

I finished One Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, which was wonderful and am alternating between The Name of the Wind and The Windup Girl. Having read Bacigalupi's YA novel, Ship Breaker before this, I was a little thrown aback by the first scene with the windup girl. Had to remind myself, oh yeah, this one is not YA.

I've finally penned my review for The Graveyard Book it can be found right here.

Just finished re-reading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets for I don't know how many times. I missed the normal schooling and no-that-dark atmosphere so much. The last 3 books were very very dark.... (I still like it tho :D) Onto Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban right now, and I brought home Charmed Life and Alanna from library the other day so looking forward to read those as well.

Finished Stormblade, review to be posted sometime tonight on my thread. I'm startng Furies of Calderon over my lunch break. Also about 1/3 of the way through A Game of Thrones, will be reading the next 1/3 over the weekend. I'm remembering why I devoured the series once I found it all over again.

I just heard from the library that A Game of Thrones is ready for pickup. Can't wait to get it and get started!
--BJ

I'll finish A Game of Thrones tonight or tomorrow - it's WONDERFUL, and I'm really enjoying the discussion people are having in the group read!

I just finished The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. Definitely one of my favorite books this year, his writing and imagination are extraordinary!

Let me point out to all of those who loved The Graveyard Book, the great debt owed and homage paid to Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Books with Mowgli and crew. NOT the Disney version, the originals. If you haven't read them, you should.

I finished Native Tongue by Suzette Haden Elgin which is feminist science fiction meaning it concentrates on society and culture rather than gadgets, so I'll count it here with the fantasies. It concentrates on linguistics.

Finally got started on The Curse of Chalion tonight. I am still working on both Native Tongue and Leviathan.

Stasia, I read The Curse of Chalion in December I think and am going to start on the next part, Paladin of Souls maybe next week.

#258: I have all three books in the trilogy, Piyush, and am hoping to read them one after another so I do not forget what is going on from book to book!

Judy- I recently finished and loved The Graveyard Book too! It might be my favorite of Gaiman's work.

I'll be starting The Windup Girl today. Anyone else, have this ready to go?

**I'll start a New Thread tonight when I get home!

reading my first Todd McCaffrey and am surprised to find myself enjoying Dragongirl as much as I do the works of his mother Anne.

260 (msf59): I'm not quite halfway through The Windup Girl. Alternating between it and a non-fiction book (and the non-fiction has been winning for the past several days).

I am surprised at how few of the titles I recognise in this thread. Apart from the Pulman and Rowling which I've read all of, and Neil Gaiman who I've come across but not yet read - and #261 mention of McCaffrey mother and son - these are all new to me. I'm unlikely to get to any of them this February but it will be useful to have this as a starred thread to come back to for fantasy ideas. (Oh, re post #256, I am reading Native Tongue too, but I wouldn't have thought of posting that here, though I agree it is more about culture than gadgets).

Glad you enjoyed The Graveyard Book, Judy! It's one of my favorites of his, too.

I liked but wasn't as wowed as many have been by The Windup Girl.

I'm about a third into Leviathan and enjoying the adventures of Alek and Deryn.

I'm halfway into Magyk by Angie Sage. I could finish it either today or early tomorrow. I don't know what to think of it right now. It's different. That's most of the time very good.

#263 gennyt

I am not surprised that you don't recognize many of the authors listed here. The fantasy genre has really grown in the last few years. In YA literature particularly. The blockbuster success of the Harry Potter books and the Twilight series pushed this genre into a big money maker for the publishers. The recent success of the Hunger Games and its sequels as only added fuel to the fire. The demand for these books is increasing and the publishers are feeding the fire, some think to the point that other types of fiction are now getting short shrift. In YA novels it is getting harder and harder to find fiction that is not fantasy. The readers who are growing up with this over abundance of fictional fantasy are pushing demand into adult fantasy as well. In the past the main consumer of fantasy was male and between the ages of 21 and 30. That is not as true anymore. I think there will be more and more grown up fantasy ranging from the likes of the romantic Gabaldon's Outlander series and Christine Feehan Carpathian series to the more mythologically based type of fantasy produced by Neil Gaiman in American Gods and Anansi Boys, and all those steampunk fantasy novels. (not to mention the myriad of other sub genres out there.) This is a genre that is really growing fast.

Completed the Study series by Marie Snyder. I enjoyed Poison Study and Magic Study, but was a bit disappointed by the last book Fire Study.

Starting Torment next.

Just finished Magyk, now onto the sequel Flyte.

As promised, I started a New Thread: Right Here
Let's keep this baby rolling!

I finished The Lost Gate yesterday my second fantasy for this month. The First being Weaveworld.Next up? I think it will be Pathfinder.

Kath- We started a 2nd Thread in msg#269. You are doing great!