What Are You Reading/Looking Forward To?

[lea_hazel]

What are you reading right now?

What upcoming books are you looking forward to, and when do you plan on getting/reading them?


What I'm reading right now has nothing to do with fantasy, although just recently I finished the first two books of a trilogy based on Mesopotamian mythology. Hebrew-language fantasy is rather thin on the ground, what with the tiny market and all, but I really hope someone picks these books up for translation. Among the flurry of popular mythologies for English-language fantasy, the ancient Middle East is pretty far from sight. You will occasionally find a contemporary fantasy with a Djinn or so in it, but not much more.

At the top of my to-read pile are a bunch of non-fantasy books that have been sitting on my shelf for ages, but at the end of this semester I'm buying a bunch of new books, and probably at least half of them will be fantasy. I'm very looking forward to Acacia, an epic/political fantasy that received rave reviews from all my favorite bloggers. A billion people or so have plugged Marjorie Liu's contemporaries, so I'm finally picking up the first book of her Dirk & Steele series (see above, Djinn). And, of course, there's a new Jacqueline Carey and a new Robin Hobb, both of which I'm waiting on the paperback for.

Those are just the top of the list. There's a whole bunch of other fantasy on my radar. As you might be able to tell, I'm actively trying to expand my horizon.


ETA: I forgot to ask: Does anyone know of a community for mystery/detective books on DW? I searched the interests and checked the comm promotions, but couldn't find anything.

Comments

[ex_pippin880]

I have Garth Nix's Lord Sunday. If it is as disappointing as Lady Friday and Superior Saturday I may cry.

Oh man, I would love some Mesopotamian-based fantasy. Also Hebrew-based fantasy, actually. All I know about Middle Eastern folklore is djinns and golems. Need more folklore books. .__.

[lea_hazel]

I could have sworn that Golems were invented in the European diaspora, but apparently there are lesser-known references in the Talmud. Anyway, the golem myth is referenced in these books when the demons describe forming a slave out of mud, whose name was Adam. It was only when he accidentally gave himself a mouth and a soul that he became the first human. The book namedrops a lot of gods and such, but only Tiamat and Marduch are major players. And the Leviathan, which takes a very unexpected turn.

The books are called The Whale of Babylon and The Waters Between the Worlds and I really, really hope they get translated.

[ex_pippin880]

It was only when he accidentally gave himself a mouth and a soul that he became the first human.

I really like that idea.

I had the idea for a story involving golems and their folktales, and a friend went "oh so you're reading Jewish folktales for ideas?" and I had not done any research yet so I just assumed! woops.

There is a character in Reborn! whose name is Levi A Than...

[lea_hazel]

That's the problem with mythology, all the really good ideas require tons of research.

[digitalghost]

Were I fluent in Hebrew I would do it myself. This sounds awesome!

[lea_hazel]

I figure if I mention them often enough, maybe someone in the business will find out! I would do a fan translation if it weren't grueling work. As a translator I'm an abject amateur and I don't have the skills to properly translate something of this scope.