What are you reading while you wait for the next Jim Butcher book?

In an attempt to promote some conversation within the group....what is everyone reading while they await the next Dresden Files or Codex Alera book to be published?

Currently The complete richard hannay:

Normally some Cherryh but I'm waiting for the next one of hers to arrive too.

A wide variety of F, SF, adventure etc depending on my mood.

Has anyone read any of the Simon R. Green Nightside books? I bought a couple at my local used book store because one of them has a cover blurb from Jim Butcher. The ones I bought are Hex and the City (a wonderful title, I thought!) and Agents of Light and Darkness. I haven't read them yet, though, because I'm off in mystery-land with Maigret novels.

I read the first book in the series Something From the Nightside and I thought that it was ok, but a little repetative. I have two others that I picked up on BookMooch: Nightingale's Lament and Paths Not Taken. I haven't read them yet but I'm hoping that they are an improvement from the first book.

I try not to judge a series too much on the first book since they are usually the weakest book filled with lots of intros and background bits. If nothing else they all seem to have some pretty cool titles. =)

So I was just looking through my library and I didn't see Paths Not Taken (perhaps I just imagined that one? will have to check when I get home later). I also saw listed Agents of Light and Darkness and Sharper Than A Serpent's Tooth. Not sure when I picked those up...

I'm reading Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson. Brandon's specialty seems to be detailed worlds and inventive magical systems, both of which he demonstrated with Elantris, and continues with Mistborn. I'm also planning to get my hands on the first Codex Alera book at some point soon.

6 Child of Light - Run don't walk to your nearest bookstore and buy every book in the series of Codex Alera. I just finished the 3rd book, Cursor's Fury and this series has far surpassed The Dresden Files. Don't get me wrong, I love my Harry...but he has now sunk below Tavi and friends in my heart. This series is just mind blowing in such a way that I don't think that Harry can ever match.

I started to read Candide by Voltaire this morning. After that I am going to read my early review book sephardi entrepreneurs - seriously....I mean it this time.

Then I think I'll read the final book (to date) of the Codex Alera series - Captain's Fury. Hopefully there will be more to come after that!!

Right now I'm reading Cross Bones by Kathy Reichs.

I am enjoying working my way through Kim Harrisions Rachel Morgan Series. It is quiet funny and action packed.

I got the first to Codex Alera books for Christamas and once I finish my current book I will be into them like there is no tomorrow.

Read it Caspettee. You won't regret starting on the Codex Alera series. In fact...run out to your local book store and get books 2 to 4 right now because once you start you won't want to put them down. =)

Dont worry I am nearly finished Jeremy Clarkson. I wanted to save Codec for when I had a clear weekend and I can just sit and read. The books taunt me from my bookshelf so that weekend is fast approaching LOL

Of all the books in the Codex series book 1 is the weakest - as with more series. Lots of character introduction and setting up for future things. But from Books 2 to 4 all I can say is WOW. These books just keep getting better. They also became my favorite series after reading Cursor's Fury. So much better than Harry.

They are written differently....and are pure fantasy....so it helps if you enjoy more traditional fantasy to enjoy these I think. But the series is just phenomenal. The personal growth that Tavi goes through over the series is amazing. Harry Dresden is pretty stagnant - he learns some new things but he never really changes for the sarcastic rebel that he is. Tavi grows both physically and mentally as the series moves forward. He starts off as a boy...and while intelligent still acts and thinks like a boy. But as he ages you see his thought process change. He grows and learns form events in the past and its just great to be able to see into his mind and see it all.

Sounds wonderful. I read the first chapter of the first book online and it got me interested enough to put my order in for Christmas :) I was worried though that perhaps all his series would be Harry rip offs (I find some authors just transplant their popular charters into other books).

Its good to hear that is not the case. Ok off to finish Mr Clarkson and get on to Cursors Im totally psyched now.

Definately not a rip off of Harry. The two series have two distinct voices and styles. Tavi isn't as overtly sarcastic as Harry is. And Harry isn't as smart as Tavi is.

I know what you mean though about author's transplanting similar characters into every story. There are time when I've read a few different books by one author and find that they all blend because they are similar. I don't think you'll find that here. There is a definite difference between the two series. Which has some people complaining. There are some who picked up Codex Alera thinking it would be just like the Dresden books and were horribly disappointed as a result. Personally I loved that they were different. It is so easy for an author to use the cookie cutter effect and use similar aspects from one story to another. Its far more challenging to write to very distinct tales. I think that JB succeeds in this. He is very talented.

"series book 1 is the weakest - as with more series"

I normally find book 1 to be the strongest of a series, very very few are as strong by book 3 as they were at the start, although it helps if they are planned as a series rather than just developing that way.

cursor's is on stack and I'll get to it sometime in the next month or so.

If you think of the first book in a series as simply the building block or foundation, then yes FoC is a good foundation. But in terms of character development or plot....its the weakest of the 4 books out to date. Its a book that needs to be read in order to set the tone for what's to come...but when compared to the rest of the series it just doesn't hold up all that well. But that's just my opinion.

I've often found that the first book in a series just doesn't really hold up as well against the books that follow it. There are always exceptions though.

I started reading Three Cups of Tea yesterday. This has been a good choice after all the excitement from reading Captain's Fury. I sometimes find it hard to move on to the next book after coming off a book that I enjoyed so completely. Three Cups is a highly engaging and fast paced read and I find myself getting lost within its pages when I open it up. Greg Mortenson is a very inspirational person. The world needs more people like him.

I know what you mean about being difficult to switch from different authors. I am reading Jeremy Clarkson before Alera. The last book I read was awful and I still dont know why I struggled to read it. Should have put the damn thing down and moved on. So I wanted to just read something light and fun so I was in a better frame to read Alera.

Ok, I'm been reading Vicki Pettersson stuff and I just picked up a couple of books that are essentially pale versions of Dresden files, IMHO. Dog Days by Levitt and Dead to Me by Stout. I have to say...I've been a Jim Butcher fan for the last ten years and have the first book in the Codex series but I couldn't get into it. I love his writing but with every new Codex book, I'm still not that interested. I think I made it through the first 30 pages before I bailed.

I always find it amazing that with some authors you just love anything and everything they write and others you just cant get into something they write differently. I quiet like Alera but for a different reason to Dresden. I have ordered the other two books in Alera so will have to wait and see as to how the series progresses. Hopefully they will be here soon.

Never mind I got my hands on the new Jasper Fford book from the library so I'll sit in my corner and console myself with that LOL

I am reading Lover Unbound, Hippie, A Boy Named Shel, and Borat. I can't wait for the new Dresden book. I have been watching the series on my portable DVD player while at work, so I get to have my Harry fix until the new book is out, which is very soon!