What Are You Reading / Writing? (January 2015)


How’re we doing guys? It’s that time again. Tell me all about what it is you’re currently reading. And if you’re working on some writing, tell me about that too. I might feature you!

And as it’s the new year, what’s your reading goal? Have you set your 2015 reading challenge on Goodreads yet? Although I sadly didn’t make my goal of 40 reads last year, I will say in my defense that I started about 5 months into the year. So had I been pushing myself from the start I’d have accomplished the feat. So this year I’ve set my goal to 55 books, and I think I’ve got this. I am a terribly slow reader though. I read a book about as fast as it would take me to listen to the unabridged audiobook version, because that’s just the way my head is wired. I need to stop at every comma, note each parentheses, give different accents and inflections to each character, etc., even in my head.

That said I’m currently making my slow way through an ARC of W.C. Bauer’s Unbreakable, a military SciFi novel, as well as A.M. Dellamonica’s Child of a Hidden Sea, a modern take on the portal fantasy genre. Also nearly finished with the third FitzChivalry Farseer book by Robin Hobb on audiobook, and it’s just incredible stuff really.

I’ve started writing short fiction, a hobby I’ve held at bay these past few years, and it feels really good. I’m a big fan of the Writing Excuses podcast, and have been using their writing prompts/exercises as personal challenges to create short stories in a fictional world I’ve been hoping to explore for a very long time. If you’re interested or want more info, check out my new blog Tales from Atelinor. I’d love to get some feedback. New short stories to drop each week.

63 thoughts on “What Are You Reading / Writing? (January 2015)

  1. I’m currently reading Revival by Stephen King. I’m enjoying it thus far, and it is a refreshing change from his usual novels. This one is more along the lines of his short stories (which are far better than many of his novels).

    Currently I’m working on my own novella called The Wolfpack. It’s kind of like Salem’s Lot with werewolves instead of vampires. It is fun thus far, but it does present challenges. I’m trying not to write a run-of-the-mill werewolf story. Rather I’m trying to create something character driven and meaningful…there just happens to be some werewolves here and there. I plan on publishing it here soon via Kindle and Kobo, but I’m worried that certain stigmas on the whole werewolf trope will detract readers.

    Wow…I talked about myself a lot more than I meant to. Huge fan of the blog!

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    1. Talk all you want! This is what this post is all about. Werewolves are cool. As long as you’re not reiterating Twilight, all is well. Let me know when it is finished. Might feature you.

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  2. I’ve had no time for reading because I’m working on the sequel to my novel, “The Invisible City,” about a 20th-century soldier caught up in a time travel experiment and shot almost 1,000,000 years into the future. I’m going to be taking a break to read, though, because I have a lot of short fiction to get through to nominate for the Hugos and Nebulas.

    Liked by 1 person

  3. My reading goal last year was 30 books and I surpassed it by reading more than 50, so I set this year’s goal at 50 books.
    I still have my first draft of the novel that I wrote for NaNoWriMo and I need to revise and rewrite it still. I think that will be a lot of fun, because I stepped away from for some time and can’t remember all of the story myself. It’s going to be hilarious to read some of the nonesense I wrote.
    As for reading, I am currently reading Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, because I fell in love with the TV show during the holidays.

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  4. My current plan is working my way through the Ian Fleming James Bond canon, reading a chapter (or short story) per day, in order… with an eye towards highlighting all of the outrageously racist, sexist, or anti-Semitic material that Fleming matter-of-factly included. My ultimate goal is to live-blog this (“Casino Royale… with cheese”), but for now, it’s just fun having a few pages of Bond to read every night.

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  5. I started on Leviathan Wakes at the weekend, following your Most Anticipated Books of 2015 blog, and have been enjoying it immensely ever since! Like you I’m a pretty slow reader, though am about halfway through it right now. Got the second one on order though, for when the time comes!

    As for writing, I started doing this last summer, but not with any sort of frequency! I’ve got three short Star Wars stories on my blog, though, and I’m currently working on a fourth. Slowly. Ha!

    Liked by 1 person

  6. I received a box set of paperbacks of the “Game of Thrones” series for Christmas. So, once I start in on that, that’s basically around two months of my life…!

    Currently reading “Life! Death! Prizes” by Stephen May, plus “Vampire State of Mind” by Jane Lovering. I have many, many more on the “to read” pile. I also need to put some more reviews on “Good Reads”.

    As for writing, dividing my time between short stories, and a novel in progress, “Three Drops of the Cauldron”. Have just been accepted to the Romantic Novelists Association “New Writers Scheme”, and will be submitting a rewrite of a paranormal romance novel, “Pointy Demons”.

    Congratulations on picking up short story writing again!

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  7. Just finished “Jordan Black and the Serpent’s Fire” (Kenneth Valentine) – fun YA fantasy adventure. Working on my sequel to “A-Wolf” (difficult second book territory…)

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  8. I am late ti the game but…the Hunger Games. I also was re-reading books. I do it around the holidays Just Listen was my reread this year. Usually it’s a Louisa May Alcott book or two. (Little Women when I was younger but she actually wrote tons of others)….. AND
    J finished writing my first SERIEs, well book in a series, starting the second now. I will be posting them on Tumblr and wherever I can get people to read it.

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  9. After reading the hobbit last month its my mission to read all three lord of the rings books. Im one chapter in to the fellowship of the ring and im hooked.

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    1. Fellowship was one of my favorite books as a kid. A little more difficult to read than the Hobbit, but so much more rewarding. Tolkien is on a level of his own.

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  10. I am on this truly magical adventure into the world of genius Terry Brooks “The dark legacy of Shannara”. The world of this tale is deep and write with such beauty and uniqueness and wild imagination. I feel my own imagination being alive and creating those images and living in it. It is truly amazing ride of fantasy!

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      1. Oh wonderful! Interesting to see the way it will be…Oh… now my imagination is creating all the possibilities and images…

        Liked by 1 person

  11. My goal is 30 books this year. More would be nice. I was only able to read 17 last year, but I’m pushing myself to read more at home. Here’s my reading list: http://ireadencyclopedias.wordpress.com/2015/01/05/reading-in-2015/

    As for writing, I hope to finish my sci-fi web serial Journey to Ariadne this year. After that, I’ll start a short story series which I hope to self-publish next year. The novel version of Journey to Ariadne to should follow sometime after that.

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      1. It’s about the first colonisation attempt of a planet outside the solar system. It’s really a prequel for my main books which will take place on the planet Ariadne and will feature sci-fi explained fantasy elements.

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      1. Quentin, a high school senior, is obsessed with a magical land called Fillory created by his favorite author. One day, he’s approached to go to Brakebills a college where he can learn magic. Through his time at Brakebills his persepective of the world changes until he discovers that Fillory is actually real.

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      2. Now, the magic he goes to school to learn. Does he realize its real magic at first? Or is it more or less like magician tricks he plans to learn?

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  12. Have I mentioned that these are some of your favorite blog posts. I love seeing what other people are reading.
    So far this month, I read Through the Zombie Glass by Gena Showalter and I’m half through The Magician King by Lev Grossman. Next up is Golden Son by Pierce Brown, Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas, Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson, Scarlet by Marissa Meyer. If I have time The Scorch Trials by James Dashner.

    Liked by 1 person

  13. Currently reading Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch to further myself in Gentlemen Bastards series. Also reading Extreme Zombies, an anthology of shorts edited by Paula Guran, and Peter Orlovsky: A Life in Words, a Goodreads’ First Reads about the journals and poetry of Allen Ginsberg’s life-long lover/partner. I am anxious to start on Golden Son by Pierce Brown, his sequel to his excellent debut novel Red Rising.

    In writing, I just re-sent my first novel, Entropy to a fresh pack of beta-readers after months of re-writes and am digging back into its sequel United Districts of America to further myself in what will be a quadrilogy.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. The Gentleman’s Bastards series is one I look forward to reading, as well as Pierce Brown’s stuff.

      Exciting to hear you’ve got a novel ready to get pushed out! What’s it about, if you don’t mind me prying.

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      1. My series has a deeply embedded POV in the present tense akin to the camera-phone trend in movies that records the premonition-dreams from a few guys in Chicago of an impending apocalypse [1st book, it’s no longer pending by the second book]. Extra-sensory abilities emerge among a small percentage of the populous. [ie superpowers]

        The main characters must decide whether to believe their visions, firstly. And if so, whether to embrace their new abilities or to fight against what is happening. [Spoiler: it’s happening.] Books 2-4 follow different narrators over the course of 5 years, as the various fallout of the societal upheaval is explored. Despite the shifting narrators, one continuous plot-arc is told as the action spreads from Chicago to Madison, Minneapolis, Austin, Las Vegas, Seattle, Vancouver, Toronto, Boston and Washington DC. The series explores the different ways that different communities handle similar issues and situations.

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      2. That sounds really cool. Modern day I’m guessing? I like the idea and the layout for the four books. Have you already mapped out your entire series at this point? Key events and such?

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      3. All events take place between 2013-2017. The story diverges from our timeline quickly. Additionally, the idea of multiple contradictory, simultaneous timelines is introduced. I have much mapped, or more dreamt, but I write in general book order. I have a 21 page outline I’m always adding to and a five-year calendar that I’ve roughly filled in. The characters with premonitions have seen confusing/enticing snippets from all over the 5-year timeline. So, some teasers from the first book will not payout until book 4. . .

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      4. Only some random poems are pub’d. My Master’s was writing poetry. Used to scoff at the whole prose-thing, thinking I didn’t have the patience for it. 3 years into this series . . . This will be my debut novel. The poetry i don’t send out [or write new stuff lately]. I’ve just been putting it up on my blog, 1 poem/4-5 days.

        Liked by 1 person

  14. Reading Three Body Problem right now. It feels a little cardboard so far, but it may pick up. And it may be the effect of translation. Withholding judgment because I hear it gets better.

    Also reading the Nebula Award short fiction collection from 1970. A very good year, so far!

    Liked by 1 person

  15. I’m reading a post-apocalyptic novel called Station Eleven, The Robots of Dawn by Isaac Asimov (when in doubt, I try to go with the classics), The Magician King by Lev Grossman (sequel to the excellent book The Magicians), and Night Watch by Terry Pratchett, part of his massive Discworld series (kind of a guilty pleasure, but I own up).
    Not writing much, but project in the works hopefully.
    Tales from Atelinor is pretty awesome. I look forward to seeing what happens with this calendar guy…

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Sounds like some good reading. And I’ve actually been meaning to read some of Discworld. Should I just start at book 1?

      Thanks for taking the time to check out my short. Seriously appreciate it. I’ve got plans for my calendar guy, don’t you worry.

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