What are you currently reading?

[Martin]

My assessment on Under The Dome is very similar to yours. Good news is that The Mailman and 11/22/63 are much better books.

spoilers!

I finally finished Under the Dome. I liked it, but not as much as I hoped/thought I would. Maybe a case of too many characters and too little happening? I liked the opening of the book. Then, somewhere in the middle, the story lost its momentum, but things really picked up again towards the end of the book. I loved the ending, the explanation of the dome, the way in which it disappeared.
I was disappointed in the way King dealt with Big Jim's final moments. I had expected a major confrontation between him and the survivors. Instead, he just died (didn't he?)

Looking forwards to reading 11/22/63 and The Wind Through the Keyhole.
But, first up, The Mailman!

sk

[TerryE]

Just finished "The Wind Through the Keyhole". A very good story. I had one major problem though. The story of Tim, which was great, was told in a completely wrong style. It was supposed to be a folktale but was much too long and had way too many details for such a tale. I know it's nitpicking, but I've read enough other stories that get it right, and King has the writing chops to have gotten it perfect.

[srboone]

I have to disagree with you about TWTTK.

Spoiler!

The story was one that Gabrielle Deschain read Roland from The Great Book of Elden Tales as a child. Now when I retold stories that I had read or were told to by others, I embellished them with details that weren't in the version I heard/read. Roland also says that he's gotten better at telling stories over the years. So he's probably told this one over and over again and has gotten a version (that he's happy with) of it down pat. And like any storyteller worth his/her salt, he adapts if for the situation. I don't have any problem with King's style. I think he did get it as close to perfect as he could.

EIther way, TWWTK was more satisfying than 11/22/63.

[Lou Sytsma]

Currently chugging my way through the third book in the Game of Throne series. I plan to read each book before the next TV season airs. I understand book 3 will be handled over two seasons. Which is very good as I found too much was lost in the 2nd season of the TV series.

[Martin]

Started The Wind Through The Keyhole and just could not get into it, probably more about me than the story. I will finish The Crane House this week and then start TWTTK again.

I have to disagree with you about TWTTK.

Spoiler!

The story was one that Gabrielle Deschain read Roland from The Great Book of Elden Tales as a child. Now when I retold stories that I had read or were told to by others, I embellished them with details that weren't in the version I heard/read. Roland also says that he's gotten better at telling stories over the years. So he's probably told this one over and over again and has gotten a version (that he's happy with) of it down pat. And like any storyteller worth his/her salt, he adapts if for the situation. I don't have any problem with King's style. I think he did get it as close to perfect as he could.

EIther way, TWWTK was more satisfying than 11/22/63.

[bookworm 1]

Read After the Fade by Ronald Malfi last night on my break.Kind of in the realm of The Mist.Ok not great but not bad either.Then when I got home I read a great little novella by Christopher Fulbright and Angeline Hawkes called Sorrow Creek.I really liked this story.One of my favorites in the 2012 Dark Fuse book club.Tonight I start All You Can Eat.

[TerryE]

I have to disagree with you about TWTTK.

Spoiler!

The story was one that Gabrielle Deschain read Roland from The Great Book of Elden Tales as a child. Now when I retold stories that I had read or were told to by others, I embellished them with details that weren't in the version I heard/read. Roland also says that he's gotten better at telling stories over the years. So he's probably told this one over and over again and has gotten a version (that he's happy with) of it down pat. And like any storyteller worth his/her salt, he adapts if for the situation. I don't have any problem with King's style. I think he did get it as close to perfect as he could.

EIther way, TWWTK was more satisfying than 11/22/63.

Again, I know I'm being a stickler, but I'm most reminded of the writings of Neil Gaiman, and he has that voice down pat. There was an issue of "Sandman" (#9) where he related an African folk tale, which he created to fit in with some of the backstory. But I could swear, from the way it was told (the language, the cadence) that this was a real folk/fairy tale, even though I knew it was a new invention. There is just a different sound to an old tale that has been told many times, especially through an oral tradition. I won't even pretend I could do it, but I know it when I hear it. King himself was much closer to that voice in "The Eyes of the Dragon", but even there he used a lot of modern storytelling techniques.

[srboone]

I had the idea that these were not really folk tales, but tales for gunslingers (from The Great Book of Elden Tales, which I looked upon as the King James Bible. The stories were gathered and then stylized in a way fit for the Line of Eld)--and Roland was telling it to gunslingers. An oral tradition would have included numerous repeated lines and phrases (such as in the Iliad, Hector was always referred to as "the tamer of horses."), making it easier to memorize. Such repetitions are a common feature in the oral tradition. I didn't find any of that here.

Just saying....

[bookworm 1]

Maybe I will have to read this before the end of summer.My interest is peaking with all this talk.I was going to start UTD after summer camp,maybe it will be TWTTK instead.

[Teriw]

I agree with squire. I never woulda got the words out like he did but they're basically what I think about it as well. My only issue was a little more of the tet and what happened to them before during and after the storm would have made it better for me.

[bookworm 1]

Read all you can eat.Weird book.Great gross stuff. More bizzaro then horror.Slight recomendation.I think I am to used to Ed Lee gross because I was laughing when I probably should have been grossed out.

[Xiabei]

Yesterday at the library picked up the "Dante Valentine" omnibus by Lilith Saintcrow. I enjoy "urban fantasy", although these days it takes a lot of work to find someone who's actually good at it. I remember when "urban fantasy" meant someone like Charles de Lint (love!), but nowadays it seems to have become a bandwagon to jump on - just create a sassy/smart-ass lead, add some magic and monsters, shake well. But too many authors these days tread all the same territory.

I'd still consider de Lint "urban fantasy", but certainly of a different type than all these books with goth-wannabe looking characters on the covers. "She's sexy! She's magic! She's in love with a demon!" Ugh.

Richard Kadrey is quite excellent.

Kevin Hearne's "Iron Druid" chronicles is quite good (except for the "Hey, teenage girls! Look at this guy!" covers).

Mark del Franco has a pretty decent series with the Connor Grey novels.

I like Jim Butcher, but not as much as I did initially; he tends to be way too repetitive. His approach, to me, seems to be "I'm going to constantly explain certain things to you over and over again in all my books." If he didn't do that, and he made Dresden a little tougher, I'd probably enjoy them more.

edit: forgot to mention Simon R. Green. Urban fantasy, sci-fi, fantasy, he's all around a great writer.

[bookworm 1]

80 pages into the new Joe R. Lansdale book Edge of Dark Water and I will say it is a must read.Unless this book totally bottoms out it will be in my top 5 for the year.Great.

[Teriw]

I got stalled trying to read the 6 phone calls section of it. SO BORING! Wishing someone else was gonna kill themselves, that was the only good one yet!

[srboone]

GIve it some time, Teri. I admit I got stalled during that segment when I reread It ealier this year. Keep at it (I know you will) because the rewards are rich indeed.