Wednesday: What Are You Reading?

[cap_ironman_daily]

In the spirit of new comic book day, Wednesdays are dedicated to discussing anything on your reading list right now! Have you picked up any new releases today? Finally started a novel you've been putting off for way too long? Keeping preoccupied with some fanfiction? Don't hesitate to talk about whatever story's on your mind!

Let us know what you've been reading this past week and what's next on your queue! If you have any spoilers in your comment, you can use the following code to help censor them:
<span style="background: black">YOUR SPOILER HERE</span>

Remember to stay positive and constructive in these discussions! If you're not a fan of the comic, book, fanfic, etc. that someone else is enjoying, there's no need to partake in that particular conversation.

Comments

[rueckenfigur]

Since last week I finished 1984 and Fahrenheit 451 and am now solidly into Handmaid's Tale. :-)

[spikethemuffin]

Ooh, dystopia-fest!

[elspethdixon]

I'm generally reading at least a dozen different books at any given time, plus probably twice that many fanfics, so I'll limit it to five:

Nonfiction, print - Joel Greenberg's biology of Gordon Welchman, the man who, alongside Alan Turing, was responsible for about 60% of everything groundbreaking or cool that came out of the codebreaking efforts at Bletchley Park. Nominally for fic research, but it's the kind of thing I'd enjoy anyway.

Nonfiction, audiobook - Bruce Cannon Gibney's A Generation of Sociopaths. I think the author stretches his point a little far (okay, a lot far), but after encountering approximately thirty zillion baby-boomer-penned articles about how millenials are ruining everything ever, it's a nice change to see someone point at the sort of people who write those articles and go, "I think you will find that it is YOU who ruined everything!"

Fiction, print - Masks,, the first book in E.M. Prazeman's Lord jester's Legacy series. I bought it almost entirely because it had a pretty/striking cover and was the first book I came across on Amazon's list of "M/M-themed novels for $2 or less" that looked like it might actually have a plot instead of just a thinly constructed scaffolding to hang sex scenes on, but it's actually pretty good. The worldbuilding involves some relatively original/interesting concepts, and while the protagonist is being trained to serve as a sort of nobleman's sin eater who does everything from assassinate people for his master to serving as said master's boytoy, the political intrigue elements get at least as much focus as the boytoy part (Ex: I'm about a quarter of the way through, and the character has so far discovered a conspiracy, witnessed a fatal duel, wrestled with conflicted loyalties, possibly been set up to betray his mentor, and fled the city, and there's still no love interest in sight and no significant sex scenes.)

Fiction, audiobook - Spycatcher by Matthew Dunn. Does this book have any redeeming value whatsoever? Is the hero the biggest Mary Sue to hit spy/espionage action thrillers since Jack Ryan? Do I care? (Respectively: No, yes he is, and no).

Fanfic - Bloody Ruin by esama. Decent-length Alucard/Trevor Belmont fic that feels IC for both of them is hard to find, so I'm treasuring this one while it lasts.

[laireshi]

I've read some Polish fantasy&sci-fi stuff lately, of varying quality, and Every Heart a Doorway, which was cool.
More importantly, it's a new comic book day!
Infamous Iron Man continues to be the bestest series in creation, and I love it so much I can't express it.

Secret Empire ended! I was a bit disappointed with the last issue immediately after finishing reading - not enough Tony - but I had time to think it over and I think I actually like how it was wrapped up, with some exceptions (did I mention not enough Tony?). Awesome art, too, and I really enjoyed the whole event.

[spikethemuffin]

Oh, loved Every Heart a Doorway.. Looking forward to getting a CD of the author's filk signed by her at my con in (eep) 29 days now...

What Polish stuff, may one ask?

[laireshi]

Ohh, you'll meet her? That's awesome :D

I've read the stories nominated for our fantasy/sci-fi award, but none of those are translated into English, and a book that apparently has been translated - Nighter by Magdalena Kozak. It's military urban fantasy, and if you like the genre, I guess it might be an entertaining read...? I'm not into it, though, and it's terrible with female characters :/

[moonlit_lampshade]

I've been wading back into the stevetony tag on AO3 because I've gone through my other ship tags several times now, and it was maybe enough time that I could maybe work through some of the, like...salty baggage?

Anyway, I read this fic lately and I liked it, it's MCU with a side of identity porn
http://archiveofourown.org/works/10749312?view_full_work=true

[spikethemuffin]

Just finished New Avengers 22 (Civil War, where Luke Cage says goodbye to Jessica Jones and Dani) and my face seems to have sprung several leaks. I avoided the Civil War the first time around, as it seemed so gimmicky and I was deep in my Foglio phase. I'm glad to be reading this for the first time.

You are all monsters for recommending this to me and I am terribly grateful to have such awesome monsters under my Dreamwidth bed... scooch over now, it's Monster Reading Time.