UK Book Club discussion

So, Fantasy/folklore for June.
Well, I've got A Game of Thrones on my Kindle. I may be some time...

(It's those... again - I just can't resist!)

I shall be joining you Liz but may also have a go at by Kate Atkinson.

This is a genre I'm not familiar with, so this is going to be a real challenge for me. I guess I will be listening toCharlie and the Chocolate Factory and I'm going to give The Map of Time a go.

I've just borrowed the latest Sookie - so my first read is .

Not so sure about this category,I used to read it many moons ago and remember loving the Thomas Covenant chronicles (I'm still cross I sold full set at a school table top, one of many books I've given away and then thought why did I do that)and I've got my next two books stacked up but I am going to read which I have ready and think will fit! I do fancy trying though some Neil Gaiman as I've not read any and i've enjoyed his Dr Who episodes I looked at American Godsin the library but it looked good but long anyone read any, any recommends?

I absolutly loved American Gods.....definatly became an all time favourite, and a five star read, I liked The Graveyard Book by him too, and rated that four stars....can certainly recommend both.

Interesting genre: fantasy and folklore. There the generic high fantasies of Lord of The Rings, Game of Thrones etc. as well as the rash of paranormal romances, Potters and Twilights.

Would magic realist novels count such as Girl With The Glass Feet or Midnight's Children or God of Small Things? Or steampunk or weird fiction: China Miéville springs to mind.

And folklore... Hmmmm... Angela Carter's Bloody Chamber is steeped in fairytale lore (and I'm reading that anyway - coincidentally!) Again, the wonderful A Monster Calls is hugely folkloric ("I am Cernunnos, I am Herne the Hunter, I am the eternal green man..."). But that just English folklore: Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe and Ben Okri are steeped in Nigerian folklore.....

Much to explore this month!

Susan wrote: "I absolutly loved American Gods.....definatly became an all time favourite, and a five star read, I liked The Graveyard Book by him too, and rated that four stars....can certainly recommend both."
Thanks Susan I think I'll give it a go.

Would The Hyddenworld series by William Horwood count? I think it's fantasy genre.

Going to try to get through Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,

Oh my, loads to choose from, by may start with Faerie Wars

My Fantasy shelf is stuffed full of Terry Pratchett's so I'm planning to try something different this time.
Thought I might try The Eyre Affair I've had mixed success with Jasper Fforde - I didn't get on with The Big Over Easy but have really enjoyed the Last Dragonslayer series.

Knife of Dreams, it's long so might not fit in another.

I'm going to read Gameboard of the Gods which actually isn't released until 6 June. First in a new series so I'll see how I go with it.

Yesterday I finished The Painted Man. Other fantasy books I have planned for the month are Lost Souls which I'm currently reading and Daughter of Smoke and Bone. This is my first challenge with this group.

Re queries on whether books fit. It's up to you, as
many books cross genres. However, the point of the challenge is to stretch your reading horizons, so be honest with yourself and don't classify something as fantasy/folklore if it's something you normally read from another genre which you are more comfy with. I find looking at the genre classification by GR readers a useful pointer - below the synopsis on the right hand side of each GR book.

Ian wrote: "Re queries on whether books fit. It's up to you, as
many books cross genres. However, the point of the challenge is to stretch your reading horizons, so be honest with yourself and don't classify ..."

I also look at the genre classification by GR readers and I have used the internet as well. I suppose the only book I ever read so far that can be classified as fantasy is Watership Down. And I have read many legends, fairy tales and myths from all sort of different countries. I have a book on English fairy tales I can read, but I suppose I going to keep this when we get to short stories.

I'm also going to keep my eye on the books that people are going to post here. It's always nice seeing what other people are reading and choosing for a particular genre.

But I sort of have the feeling there seem to be quite some subgenres in fantasy

starting with game of throne 2: a clash of kings and take it from there

Fantasy is my favorite genre, and I read quite a few from this area. I tend to read a lot of magical fantasy mostly supernatural with vampires, shape-shifters, magic, angels etc. I quite like the dragon books and going to look for

But I'm also inclined to try something different within this genre, and might delve into the folklore/fantasy as I'm quite keen to read a twist of a modern fairy tale such as A Kiss at Midnight or Snow White Sorrow. And currently am watching Once Upon A Time and would love to read the book and compare.

I'm looking forward to this one as fantasy covers most of my to read pile. I think I'll go with Taliesin as thats been sat on my shelf for years.

@sarah I think the Once Upon a Time book is based on the show rather than the other way around. For a better comparison try Fables (which ABC in no way ripped off when creating OUAT)

Ian wrote: "I shall be joining you Liz but may also have a go at by Kate Atkinson."

Just had a look at the blurb for this - sounds fascinating and it's now on my ever growing to-read list. Interested in what you think of it once you've read it.

Ian wrote: "I shall be joining you Liz but may also have a go at by Kate Atkinson."

I'd be interested in what you think of "Life after Life" Ian, if you do get to it.

Chris wrote: "Ian wrote: "I shall be joining you Liz but may also have a go at by Kate Atkinson."

I'd be interested in what you think of "Life after Life" Ian, if you do get..."

I read it last week and really enjoyed it, I would highly recommend.

I'm all up in the air about what to select for fantasy, I've got quite a few options on the bookshelves and on the Kindle...

is a possible, but quite a long one and I've got to read my in person book group book by the 19th and still have a pretty large chunk of I, Claudius to get through. My Mother in Law lent me an absolute age ago and I'm sure she'd like to see it again some day, that's another possible and that's before I venture in to Charlaine Harris and J.R. Ward territory...

Some great choices ...hoping to get through the Lord of the Rings Trilogy and Jonathan Strange & Mr Norell after the Harry Potter year 4. One can but hope - I will be well chuffed if I can manage to complete them

Mandy wrote: "Some great choices ...hoping to get through the Lord of the Rings Trilogy and Jonathan Strange & Mr Norell after the Harry Potter year 4. One can but hope - I will be well chuffed if I can manage t..."

Wow some big books to get through this month for you then! I really struggled with Jonathan Strange - I liked the book but didn't enjoy reading as it really dragged - it is not a quick read. I ended up stopping half way through. I hope you have more like that I did!

Sarah, I was told that the little notes at the bottom of pages become annoying after a while?

I liked the footnotes - they really seemed effective in creating an interconnected history and society of English Magic as well as creating that faux authenticity.

Currently listening to it on audiobook though and a pause after each footnote to indicate that we're returning to the text would be useful!

11% into and sort of enjoying. Think having watched the tv series is helping me digest something outside my usual reading areas. Doubt I'll read the sequels. One thing that is disturbing me is the sex scenes with 12 and 13 year olds. Don't understand why George R.R. Martin could't have done this with older teens in his fantasy world.

@Dave: Ah yeh, it is. May still read it as I do enjoy the series, and Fables looks interesting too, thanks for letting me know =]

@Ian: I tried to watch Game of Thrones, and the sex scenes really did put me off, and unsure whether to read the book. Let me know if you enjoy it

Started The Map of Time but as the story already began to drag on from the very beginning, I putted it aside. Took Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell out of the library together with a graphic novel edition of The Hobbit

Danielle....I thought The Map of Time was very disappointing....absolutly loved Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell though....

I just started Under-Gods but not sure. Also have Web of the Spider Queen
Welsh Fairy Tales to consider.

Susan - I totally agree with you. The Map of Time wasn't as good as it promised and Strange & Norrell, although long was a good read.
I'm currently watching the first series of Game of Thrones and been toying with the idea of reading the first one. Be interested to hear how you get on as you progress Ian...
I'm also a big fan of Once Upon a Time and have read the vast majority of Fables.
I'm loving this month's challenge!!!

I have started The Weirdstone of Brisingamen and will follow with The Moon of Gomrath. These, not read since my early teens, will be in preparation for the recently published final part of the story Boneland. They are all very short so I will be looking for something else before long....

Trojanhorse wrote: "Susan - I totally agree with you. The Map of Time wasn't as good as it promised and Strange & Norrell, although long was a good read.
I'm currently watching the first series of Game of Thrones and ..."

Still enjoying GoT Kate....the TV series replicates the book pretty much, but you get slightly more depth to the characters, particularly so far at 25% in, Caitlin Stark, Jon Snow and Tyrell Lannister...the dwarf character...keep getting mixed up between Tyrell and Tywin.

Mandy wrote: "Sarah, I was told that the little notes at the bottom of pages become annoying after a while?"

I was reading it on kindle so you have to jump to another page to read the footnotes and I couldn't be bothered so I probably missed stuff.

Today I had 7 hours travelling for work so I finished the last Sookie book Dead and Gone which was a bit nondescript and a kids book Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children which I really enjoyed, I've now gone back to Armageddon's Children which I picked up from a list of dystopian books but as there's magic and demons it fits this genre.

7 hours.....ouch.

Thought I was unlucky having two 2-hour trips yesterday. I went to York, had lunch in Betty' s and spent lots of money on new clothes. Listened to my audio- book The Curse of Chalion

I'm starting my Fantasy selection today, Puck of Pooks Hill by Rudyard Kipling.

I enjoyed Armageddon's Children which I finished this evening. I now need to find the rest of the series.

I just finished and will be looking for either Dragon Haven or Reawakened in the library

I just downloaded Songs of the Earth by Elspeth Cooper to listen to in the next few days while I do the last of my packing.

I've just finished Lost Souls which is the fourth book in Dean Koontz's Frankenstein series. I have the finale waiting on my shelf although I'm not sure I'll get it read this month to count in this challenge. Having a break from fantasy for this coming week as I'm taking part in a mammoth reading challenge in another group I'm in, then back to a bit more fantasy for the last two weeks of June. Fantasy is one of my favourite genres and I love it when I find new series that I haven't read. I see lots of people are going for Robin Hobb's books. I have read the first one in her Assassin's series and really enjoyed it.

I'm about to start Inkheart and I've been recommended another book which I'm really keen to read after that... Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko, looks like it's a good one if you like a Russian setting for the Around the World Challenge too (which I don't but nevermind!)

My initial reaction to fantasy category was not enthusiasm but I have started AMERICAN GODS by Neil Gaiman and 100 pages in I am enjoying it, maybe it is because I associate reading things like The Stand, Thomas Covenant, and Tolkein in my 20's , nostalgia! Anyway I feel I am boldly going where many men have gone before! However I am now juggling two books for 2 different challenges.

Oh dear.....my enjoyment of on the wane and only 37% read.

Em wrote: "I'm about to start Inkheart and I've been recommended another book which I'm really keen to read after that... Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko, looks like it's a goo..."

I have Inkheart on my shelf as well, Em. The Night Watch was interesting, a nicely different story(s). Hope you enjoy.