“Ladies and Gentlemen, this is what you’ve been waiting for. This is the ‘February surprise’.”
Thus begins Little Red Reviewer‘s earlier announcement of her read along of Scott Lynch’s much lauded novel, The Lies of Locke Lamora. Since its debut, the novel, and the name of Scott Lynch, have burned up the internet with this book making its way to many Best Of lists over the last few years. He has received high praise from many quarters and now is your chance to find out what all the fuss is about and have a great time sharing your thoughts and feelings with a group of fellow readers. Or, as Andrea put it:
“I invite you to join us on our read along of Scott Lynch’s debut novel The Lies of Locke Lamora, the unassuming looking fantasy novel that started cults, inspired restraining order style behavior, and quite possibly changed everyone’s ideas of dark fantasy and antiheroes.”
I can attest that Andrea is a wonderful host, having participated in her The Lord of the Rings read alongs last year as well as her excellent Vintage SF Month in January of this year. Given the enthusiasm she put into both events I have no doubt that this will be a fun one as well. And since I’ve quoted her twice now, let me prove that the third time is the charm and give you the rest of the details you need to know:
“Detail the first: We’ll be getting started with The Lies of Locke Lamora the first week of March and Red Seas Under Red Skies sometime in mid to late April (which should give everyone a chance to get copies), and we’ll read 120 – 160 pages per week, with discussions going up on the weekends. Paperbacks tend to run less than $10, electronic probably a bit less, audio probably a bit more, limited editions from Subterranean Press considerably more so. Any version is fine. Chapter breaks and other timing info to be posted later this month.
Detail the second: These are some of my favorite books, by one of my most favorite authors. You can expect much fan girlishness from me. What I said before about restraining order behavior? uh, yeah, that was me. Here’s hoping all the other bloggers will be much more mature and professional.
Detail the third: These books are rated super R for casual violence, violence towards children, promotion of flexible morals, massive amounts of glamorized criminal activity, occasional drug and alcohol use, a smidgen of bought and paid for sex, and oh gods, the swear words. So many deliciously magnificent naughty words! If you wouldn’t use the word delicious or magnificent to describe creative invective, and if you are at all offended by anything else listed above, this may not be the read al0ng for you. Really. I’m not kidding. Don’t even ask me if this would be appropriate for your fourteen year old kid.”
And if you still need incentive, I think this read along, which begins March 1st, would be a wonderful warm up to the Once Upon a Time Challenge that begins on March 21st (details soon to follow). Get your fantasy buzz going now and you’ll be in the groove come March 21st!
To sign up please visit this link and leave a comment in the thread. You will get an email from Andrea with the rest of the details you need to know.
Come on and join in, you know you want to! 
I’m conflicted. This has been a book I’ve wanted to read for quite a long while now, and I enjoyed my last read-along. However, I’m 130 pages into Dostoevsky’s Brothers Karamazov and a smattering of other things, too. I’m sure Scott Lynch would steal all my attention and focus. Hmm… I’m going to have to think about this. It does sound fun…….
Of course I’m perfectly unbiased (yea, right) and think you should of course jump at the opportunity to group read this with Andrea. She’s a fanatic (in the best way) about Lynch and this book and will be a fun host.
I’m so tempted. I hadn’t really heard of the book before, but now I’m intrigued!
I’d encourage you to head over to Andrea’s post and check out more about it to see if it is something you might want to do. You are of course a great read along participant and I’m sure she’d love to have you in the conversations.
I loved this book – my favorite April 2011 book read, and just missed making my favorite top ten of 2011 list.
I am hoping that when the read along gets to book two that I will be able join in as I would like to continue the series.
For those reading LIES for the first time, have fun…It is a wild ride.
Now that you mention it I do remember you reading it. I hope you can join the group with the second book when they get to it.
I’m very interested, I have the paperback on order, I could give it a try. My concern is that, like Logan, I’m in the middle of three other books right now, one is a review with a deadline, plus I pretty tied up with a non-book project, AND I’m not sure I have 120-160 pages (especially the patter) in me at this point. I’d hate to fall behind, drop out or be a non-participant. Plus I already have an every Friday (Forgotten Books) and an every Monday (New Arrivals) post locked into the schedule. So, darn it, I just don’t know.
I hear you Richard. It does get very easy to get overwhelmed with reading and blogging stuff, all of which should be fun and not work in my opinion. One of these days we will have to get you in on a group read though as it would be fun to have you.
Hi Carl, thanks so much for posting this!
The reading schedule will get posted on Little Red Reviewer later this week, and I’ll e-mail it out to everyone who signed up as well.
There are a few other blogs who are co-hosting as well, SF Signal, Dark Cargo, Dark Cargo Explorer, and My Awful Reviews. it’s getting to be a big beautiful party!
For folks that are already involved in too many other projects, there’s no obligation to participate every week. If you want to read the whole book in those last two weeks and just post in the final discussion, that’s cool too.
You are welcome, sorry I was so late with it. At least I beat the end of the month though,
That is a nice option of folks to just get in on the end if they can’t keep up with the regular deadlines.
At Darkcargo Explorer, we’re doing a Slow-A-Long read. I was (and still am) in the middle of both Moby Dick and Don Quixote when Red and MyAwfulReviews invited Darkcargo to participate. nrlymrtl is talking on the full read-a-long at Darkcargo, I’m going at it more slowly with audio version and posting links and etc at DCE. Nothing formal, just an “I’m reading this too!”
That is great, Elizabeth, thanks for sharing. That might be a good option for folks who are in the middle of a bunch of stuff right now.
Unfortunately I can’t join this one. It is a shame. The books sounds intriguing.
I won’t be able to either TBM, but I do hope everyone has a great time with it. I’m sure Andrea will make sure they do.
hmmm got some reading going on and can’t stop lol… but that’s ok Kelly and I are waiting for the Dragonflight readalong *grin* not sure I can keep up but I’ll read that one when you do..and then read the other two lol.
I need to get my schedule together and figure out just when we are going to do that read along. I may be waiting for just after the Once Upon a Time with that one, we’ll see. For some reason it strikes me as a good summer read.
I read it last year and it became my favorite audiobook of 2011. I won’t participate in the read-along of this one, but if she decides to also do the next ones in the series, I’m in!
We are totally on board (no pun intended) for Red Seas Under Red Skies. Watch for Details in about 6 weeks. Can’t have a summer without pirates, now can we?
I have this book but I’m only 200 pages into GRRM’s A Dance with Dragons right now which is 1000 pages so there is no way I can get it done and read Lies. I really hope to one day though.
You’ve barely cracked the surface on ADWD! LOL. I imagine your arm muscles are getting a good workout though every time you pick it up to read it.
Carl, don’t forget I tagged you for the meme. (the one Redhead tagged me for).
Okay, thanks!