What are you reading right now?

[Lansiron]

The Killing Ground, by Graham McNeill: The stories of Captain Uriel Ventris, 4th Company of the Ultramarines Chapter, continue. For the Warhammer 40k readers out there, I recommend it almost as much as I recommend what Dan Abnett has contributed to the 40K literature. McNeill puts an interestingly human face on Space Marines, and especially on the Ultramarines Chapter, one that, in my opinion, gets so little love. And I like his approach to Space Marines better than William King (OMG SPACE VIKINGS.)

I'm very tempted to read this series (though actually starting with Storm of Iron, pseudo-prequel to one of the Ultramarines books) once I'm done with Cain's Last Stand. It's either this or get the Grey Knights omnibus--any chance you've read those, as well?

[Dravir]

I like the Grey Knights books; not quite as good as the Ultramarines/Ventris series, but still decently written. It's a different sort of character too: where Ventris may still retain and use his humanity, the Grey Knights are rarely allowed such luxury.
Sort of like Sandy Mitchell, I find Ben Counter's Grey Knights to be his best work, with his Souldrinkers stuff a little less polished and focused.

Writes nice Horus Heresy though.
Storm of Iron is a good read for understanding the later characters and plots in the Uriel Ventris stuff. Dead Sky, Black Sun is really just a continuation of the story there, melded into Uriel's story.

Speaking of, I heartily reccommend the Horus Heresy and Time of Legends stuff, if you haven't yet read it. Top notch, and for the Horus Heresy it has Abnett, McNeill and Counter to kick it off.

[Riahana]

Wicked was a book that I'm really, really glad I read - but that I'd not pick up to read again I don't think. It's very dark - almost too dark. Sometimes it feels like it's being dark just for the sake of being dark, and then tries to out dark itself. However, the character of Elphaba is one that I really rather liked, and there was a lot of really good stuff in there too.

I'm reserving judgment until I get a bit further along, though I am nearly half way through. It's an entertaining read so far, though, as you noted, it's a dark read. I can't say with certainty that I like Elphaba, though I don't dislike her, yet.

We'll see what develops, and how I like the story once I've finished it.

[Nykkolaia]

Dracula, by Bram Stoker: I attended a free lecture at the library, which then inspired me to go back and hack away at it. It's a pity Stoker wrote absolute shit before and after this classic.

Before they are Hanged, by Joe Abercrombie: Damn you, Tarquin. I can't afford the 3rd book until next paycheque. I like this mans style of writing. Gritty, but not too dark, with a dash of clever humour. The characters are a refreshing twist on the typical fantasy stereotypes.

<3 Dracula
It's one of my favorites. So far, the three movie versions I've seen make me want to cry for so spectacularly missing the point.

<3 Abercrombie
Book 3 was insane. I was a tiny bit disappointed 'cause the one thing I wanted to see happen didn't, but then I re-read something in the end of it and was blown away by Abercrombie's cleverness. I look forward to his next book! ...though he makes me sad, too, 'cause I want to write just half as good as he does! XD

[Tarq]

Joe Abercrombie is the author whose tone I try to capture in my WoW RP and writing. I'm not sure what that says about me as a person. Regardless, I'm really happy so many of you are reading him, and throw bricks at those of you who aren't yet.

I'm currently rereading Snow Crash cause I happened to pick it up off the floor when I needed a new book. I think next is going to be rereading Daniel Abraham's An Autumn War so I can go pick up the next couple books in his Long Price series. Pretty excellent fantasy, I'll give a more detailed description on reread.

[Aelflaed]

I'm not sure "liked" was the best choice of words... but maybe appreciated? I think what bothered me about the book was that it seemed like the author was intentionally trying to have it turn out as badly as possible at every turn, to the point of being almost predictable (oh hey, this could go to shit like that... hmm yep). Tormenting a character for the sake of doing so is one thing, but it kinda grated on my sensibilities when it didn't really seem to serve the story so much - obviously this guy is creating the Wicked Witch of the West, and she's going to turn out Witchy. I guess it just felt like overkill.

Still, I don't mean to dog on the book, since I did appreciate reading it, and I'm glad that I did.

[Denne]

I recently read Coraline by Neil Gaiman and reread Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynn Jones. I also just finished Politically Correct Bedtime Stories and Once Upon a More Enlightened Time: More Politically Correct Bedtime Stories by James Finn Garner. All are rather quick reads.

[Lansiron]

Speaking of, I heartily reccommend the Horus Heresy and Time of Legends stuff, if you haven't yet read it. Top notch, and for the Horus Heresy it has Abnett, McNeill and Counter to kick it off.

I am recommending these to everyone, not just Warhammer 40k nerds. At the very least, the first five books in it (they start to get into the minutiae of the setting after that, which probably only the nerd-fanboys would appreciate as much).

"Fulgrim" is probably the greatest blend of face-melting-awesome and horrifying-creepy (but in a GOOD way) ever written...or at least, ever written in a shared universe based on a tabletop game.

I sort of want to read and enjoy "Arthas: Rise of the Lich King", but I cannot even begin to fathom how Arthas' fall-from-grace story even marginally compares to that of this book's titular protagonist...and they're so damn similar, too, in that white-haired-prettyboy-convinced-to-be-evil-by-sentient-sword kind of way.

[Aelflaed]

I won a copy of Arthas: Rise of the Lich King and have yet to fulfil my end of the bargain and review it, but suffice it to say that there's nothing lore bending or even overly revealing about it, especially if you've played WCIII. It's an entertaining, quick read, but it doesn't really break any new ground. Christie Golden does a good job (as expected) illuminating Arthas as a more 3D character, at least at the beginning - watching the shift from "person who wants power to save everyone" to "person who wants power" is interesting, especially fully fleshed out, but again - it's no great revelatory breakthrough.

[Threnn]

Oh man, Aely, I read it, and the only reason I finished it was for the lore, since I hadn't played through WC3 all the way. I spent most of the time wanting to smack Arthas. And the writing gave me fits. I freely admit to my snobbery, and I could swear I read something of Golden's years ago that I liked, but it took me a week to finish a book I could've read in a sitting because I had to keep walking away from it.