What We're Reading Part II!

Back on March 26, we delved into the eclectic reading choices of several of the Inkies. We'll follow up today to complete the list. I know I'VE found a number of books to add to my personal to-read-list. I hope you will, too!

I've been amazed by the diversity of reads! Are there any favorites" Well, several Inkies are reading/planning to read Anne Nesbit's  THE CABINET OF EARTHS.
 
ERIN CASHMAN: I am reading CABINET OF EARTHS right now and I love it!

KATE MILFORD: I just devoured in one sitting Anne Nesbit's CABINET OF EARTHS, which I read in print; it was an arc I snagged from McNally Jackson. I adored it, and immediately ordered a copy for my sister who loves fantasy a lot but loves Paris more.

LENA GOLDFINCH: I just finished Anne Nesbet's THE CABINET OF EARTHS and Erin Cashman's THE EXCEPTIONALS.
THE CABINET OF EARTHS is what I can't help calling "deliciously strange". At turns creepy, fun, tender, and deeply thought-provoking, it's filled with descriptions you want to read two or three times before continuing on. A book to be savored, not rushed through. And I fell into THE EXCEPTIONALS and didn't want to come back out.  I especially loved Claire's connection to the hawk and all the other "specials". I heard about both books through The Enchanted Inkpot blog. I'm now in the middle of CLOCKWORK PRINCE: Book Two of The Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare. I forget where I first heard about book 1, CLOCKWORK ANGEL, but I picked up Book Two because I loved Clare's Steampunk/Fantasy world and her characters. Though I've been reading more ebooks lately, I read these in hardcover.

AMY GREENFIELD: I've been reading some wonderful books lately, including Leah Cypess's MISTWOOD. I loved the fierce and fascinating heroine, the gorgeous descriptions of her powers, and the twisty plot that kept me guessing right up to the end. (As a writer, I also noticed the fabulous transitions, which really quicken the pace.) 
Another great recent read is Holly Black's WHITE CAT. Such a great idea: a world where magic meets the mob. I fell hard for its black humor, its brilliant characterization, and the zany but impeccable logic of the plot.I missed both these books when they first debuted because I was dealing with a transatlantic move at the time - I think I lost almost a year of my life to that move! - but they've been on my radar for a while because I had friends who raved about them. Oh, and I read them both in paperback. I have a Kindle (a gift) but I tend to use it mostly for reading manuscripts. Next up: More Inkie books I've just bought, including Anne Nesbet's THE CABINET OF EARTHS  and Cinda Chima's THE DEMON KING.

LAURA McCAFFREY: I just burned through Bill Willingham's comic, FABLES: LEGENDS IN EXILE, and I can't wait to start the next collection in the series. The setting is Fableland, the underground home of the Fables, fairy tale characters, in New York. The Fables have been driven out of their homeland by an arch-enemy, the Adversary, and though they long to return to the lives they left, they've transformed into party girls and bureaucrats, bounders and detectives. A clever read for sophisticated teens. Another sophisticated read for teens: THE WINDUP GIRL by Paolo Bacigalupi. In this dystopia, money is measured in calories, and bio-terrorism has transformed a futuristic Thailand. Definitely for older teens and adults. It took me a bit to sort out all the factions - but once I did, I couldn't put the novel down.

KATE COOMBS: Just read a new YA fantasy called THIEF'S COVENANT by Ari Marmell and really liked it. The format was print. I think I saw it mentioned on somebody's blog.It begins with a girl clinging to the rafters in the shadows above a scene of mass slaughter. Next thing we know, she has reinvented herself as a thief and is carrying a pocket god around with her. In a series of flashbacks, we find out how she came to be in that room--even as scenes in the present show her being hunted by at least three different groups. And of course, she tries to solve the murder mystery!
Next up? Probably MY VERY UN-FAIRYTALE LIFE by our own Anna Staniszewski andNatalie Babbit's new book, THE MOON OVER HIGH STREET.

LEAH CYPRESS: At the moment, I'm mostly reading adult fantasy and science fiction so I can be an informed Nebula voter. But once I've read everything I need to, my next planned YA read is Kim Harrington's PERCEPTION. Actually, I'm not sure I'll be able to hold out until I've read through all the Nebula nominees - we'll see! I loved her first book, CLARITY (and interviewed her about it here), so I'm really looking forward to PERCEPTION. I will read it in print, because that's still my much-preferred reading format.

ELLEN BOORAEM: I just finished ANYA'S GHOST, a YA graphic novel by Vera Brosgol. I loved it, and last night it kept the curmudgeon I live with--a tough sell--awake and reading way past his bedtime. I'm now enthralled with A MONSTER CALLS by Patrick Ness (inspired by Siobhan Dowd's idea). Also YA, it's simpler and sweeter than Ness's magnificent Chaos Walking trilogy, but just as harrowing in its own way. Next up is THE DEATH-DEFYING PEPPER ROUX, a middle-grade fantasy by Geraldine McCaughrean, which looks very cool. All are print media, from the library. I learned about the Ness and Brosgol books from the online drumbeat, the McGaughrean from browsing at the library.

 
Cinda Williams Chima  is the author of the Seven Realms and Heir Chronicles teen fantasy series.  Her next novel, THE CRIMSON CROWN, releases October 23, 2012. Learn more about her here. 

What We're Reading Part 1!

Here at the Inkpot, in addition to writing, blogging, and cyberloafing, we've been reading up a storm since our last virtual bookclub meeting in November. We've devoured novels, short stories, graphic novels, in every genre from steampunk to dystopian to adult fantasy.

Here's part 1 of a roundup of what we've been reading, how we came to pick it up, and what format we're reading in! Look for part 2 here at the Inkpot on April 16!

CINDA CHIMA (that's ME!): While I've read several great dystopian novels lately,  I'm going to mention two fantasy novels, because I loved them so much. The first is SHADOW AND BONE, by Leigh Bardugo, releasing in June. I read that in ARC form, for a blurb. It's a fabulous Russian-themed high fantasy with multifaceted characters.We'll post an interview here closer to the release date!

The second is THE SCORPIO RACES by Maggie Stiefvater. I had it on my to-read shelf in hardcover and my YA book club was reading any Printz nominee. It has it all--bloodthirsty, flesh-eating horses, strong female lead, high stakes and hot horse-whisperer type character. Up next: RED GLOVE by Holly Black. All of these are in print form because my to-read shelf is groaning.

P.J. HOOVER: Putting aside the science fiction and focusing on the fantasy, I just finished THE FALSE PRINCE by Jennifer A. Nielsen (paper ARC I picked up at ALA)! I absolutely loved it and could not put it down. In fact, I loved it so much, we're reading it for the fifth grade boys' book club I run! Also, I just started SHADOW AND BONE by Leigh Bardugo (paper ARC sent by the publisher). I'm only a bit in, and the writing is just beautiful.  And next up will be BITTERBLUE by Kristin Cashore (also a paper ARC sent by the publisher). It's sitting on my bedside table tempting me!

DEVA FAGAN: I was shocked to discover upon looking at my Goodreads list that I haven't read *any *fantasy since mid-December, when I read the fantastic YA fantasy LIAR'S MOON, by Elizabeth C. Bunce, which I bought at my local bookstore because I'd so enjoyed the first in this series (STARCROSSED) about clever, pragmatic Digger and her plot-twisty, thiefly adventures. I'm making up for my fantasy hiatus now with two delectable ARCs I received for authors who will be joining us here on the Inkpot for interviews next month. First is Stephanie Burgis's MG historical fantasy RENEGADE MAGIC, which has already made me laugh with delight in the first three pages. It's so fun to read more about the delightful characters introduced in the first in this series (KAT, INCORRIGIBLE)! After that I have Zoe Marriott's YA fantasy SHADOWS ON THE MOON which I am excited for both because I've loved her other books, and because I've seen it described as a re-telling of Cinderella in a fairy tale version of ancient Japan.

PIPPA BAYLISS: I just finished GOLIATH by Scott Westerfeld which is steampunk (don't ask me if it's fantasy or sci-fi - it's FANTASTICAL so it counts imo). I had to finish Westerfeld's LEVIATHAN trilogy and this didn't disappoint in the least. It was a great conclusion to a great trilogy and since I was in such a hurry to read it, I got it in e-book form for my Kindle.

My latest read was by Ellen Booraem, whose first book, THE UNNAMEABLES made me a fan of hers. SMALL PERSONS WITH WINGS is wonderful - I love the humor, her MC, Mellie, all the characters and everything about it. A great fantasy story at my reading level. I love, love, loved it.  ... Oh, and I'm going to lurk here to make a list of 'what to read next' :)

SYBIL NELSON: I'm currently reading THE SON OF NEPTUNE by Rick Riordan. Very entertaining.

DAWN METCALF:  I just finished re-reading the Parasol Protectorate series, getting ready to read the final book, TIMELESS by Gail Carriger.  It's a paperback series I have in my personal library. I  first heard about the series from a friend--word of mouth--who knew how much I loved steampunk and other cultures and Victoriana and mythic monsters and a big dose of humor. I came for the recommendation and stayed for the charismatic characters and witty voice. PS: I'm reading a *phenomenal* WIP from one of my crit partners that I can't talk about yet, but I can't wait to see it snapped up by readers!

CARMEN FERREIRO-ESTEBAN: Right now, I'm reading ASSASSIN'S APPRENTICE by Robin Hobb (the first volume in the Farseer trilogy) because it has been too long in my To Read list. I'm not sure if it qualifies as YA, but for those of us who write stories in Medieval settings it is a must. Her world building is formidable. It was first published in 1995, and I'm reading a paperback copy from the library. My next book to read will be THE SHAPE OF DESIRE - Sharon Shinn (shifting circle novel) in ARC.

Inkies William Alexander and  Keely Parrack have been reading short stories!

WILLIAM ALEXANDER: Lately I've been reading short stories in brief bursts--most recently from WE NEVER TALK ABOUT MY BROTHER by Peter S. Beagle. It's a solid, physical paperback. Very young protagonists star in at least a couple of the stories, so for our purposes I'll call them MG fantasy. How did I happen to hear about it... Well, there are some places in bookstores that I always visit, even if I've read all the books on that particular shelf and have already given copies to everyone I know who needs them. I do it just to say hello. So I spotted this one while aimlessly browsing and visiting the Beagle part of the bookstore. Up next: ABOVE WORLD by Jenn Reese.

KEELY PARRACK: I just re-read ST LUCY'S HOME FOR GIRLS RAISED BY WOLVES. It's a short story by Karen Russell - in print format from Granta literary mag. It's so brilliant, beautifully written completely absorbing and laugh out funny! I read it to my 11 year old son last night and we cried with laughter!

CAROLINE HOOTON: Probably the best fantasy book I've read recently was THE NIGHT CIRCUS by Erin Morgenstern. It's not specifically YA but I think that the characters and the setting would appeal to a teenage audience. It's about a boy and a girl who are brought up by different magicians who pledge them to fight a magical duel even though neither of them knows the rules. It's set during the turn of the last century and I found that the writing and the descriptions were just incredible and they keep lingering in my mind.

I'm an old school Luddite so I read it in hardback. The publisher did a beautiful job with the physical book design - the pages were edged in black and the cover was simple but also really striking. I heard about it because the author was a member of a writers board that I hang out at (Absolute Write) so I wanted to support her (but it didn't hurt that I'd also read some fabulous reviews for it in the British press, including an interview she did with the Guardian newspaper).

Next up on my list is OLIVER TWISTED by J. D. Sharpe, which is a YA dark fantasy/horror mash up of OLIVER TWIST by Charles Dickens. I've literally just started it and almost missed my bus stop because I couldn't stop turning the pages and was snickering at the dark humour. I picked up a copy at its book launch and will be interviewing the author for The Inkpot in May.

Cinda Williams Chima  is the author of the Seven Realms and Heir Chronicles teen fantasy series.  Her next novel, The Crimson Crown, releases October 23, 2012. Learn more about her here.