Monday, July 25, 2011

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

This Monday, I'm deep into China MiƩville's latest, Embassytown. I am loving this book so far! It's a slow read that requires the reader's attention; filled with neologisms and detailed character- and world-building, about a third of the way through the plot is picking up, too. But it's a plot unlike anything I've read before, about a far-future interplanetary society where humans share space with enigmatic aliens called Hosts who speak and impossible language who can only be communicated with through equally strange Ambassadors. I won't tell you why the Ambassadors are odd- I enjoyed discovering that piece through the pages- but soon enough a conflict develops with a new Ambassador that puts the main character, Avice, in an awkward position, not least of which because as a child, she became part of the Hosts' language. Interested yet? I hope so, because so far this is one fabulous book!

Completed last week:
Song of Time, by Ian R. MacLeod
In Cold Blood, by Truman Capote (audio)

Also Reading:
In a Free State, by V.S. Naipaul
My Fair Lazy, by Jen Lancaster (audio)

Up Next:
Yellow Blue Tibia, by Adam Roberts

Find out what more people are reading at One Person's Journey Through a World of Books.

18 comments:

Sheila (Bookjourney) said...

Embassytown sounds good! I also just hear tat the Truman audio is fantastic!

Anonymous said...

I'm keen to read Embassytown! Have a fun week with this book.

Anonymous said...

I really need to read some Mieville! Looking forward to your review.

Sophia said...

Embassytown sounds fascinating - I'll keep an eye out for your review :-)

Mystica said...

Nice mix of books here.

Laurel-Rain Snow said...

Embassytown does sound fascinating...I'll be watching for your review.

I read In Cold Blood a few months ago...I enjoyed it, but some parts seemed tedious and repetitive. Maybe because I had seen and enjoyed the movie Capote before I read the book.

Have a great week.

Here's MY MONDAY MEMES POST

Zibilee said...

I just bought Mieville's Kraken last night and am looking forward to dipping into it. The only other one of his books that I have read has been Perdido Street Station, which I really, really loved. Have you read that one yet? If not, I totally recommend it to you. Hope that you have a great reading week, Marie!

Karen Harrington said...

Embassytown is new to me! I'd like to know more. :) I am finishing up Incendiary by Chris Cleave. Simply sublime and haunting.

Marce said...

I started to read Bitter is the new Black by JenL and just couldn't get into it.

Hope your enjoying her audio book.

bermudaonion said...

That sounds like the perfect book for you.

pussreboots said...

I had to read In Cold Blood for school. The wackiest book I'm reading this week is Bagelmania. Please come see what else I'm reading.

Deb Nance at Readerbuzz said...

Oooohhh! Sounds like a fabulous book. Off to add it to my wishlist....

Here's my It's Monday! What Are You Reading?! And don't forget to enter my July giveaway!

Vasilly said...

I haven't read anything by Mieville yet but maybe Embassytown is where I should start. Happy reading!

fibrowitch said...

At Readercon I found three books by John Grant Corrupted Science, Discarded Science I have been enjoying both of them immensely.

ImageNations said...

The Booker Longlist is coming out today and some are expecting this Mieville to be listed for this very book. It seems to be generating a greater pulse on the net. thanks for sharing it with us...

caite said...

for some reason, for me a slow read and summer do not go together. maybe once it turns cooler...

Melissa said...

I finished reading The Rembrandt Affair by Daniel Silva and started reading Voyager by Diana Gabaldon - nothing totally fascinating or wonderful but I need some easy reading to escape my life right now. :-P

Kathleen said...

I have read so much about Mievelle and saw and interview with him. He is definitely on my list to read in the future.