Hey!! Let's get some action going! What are we reading?

[Quake1028]

I'm in an odd place. I'm in the middle/end of 3 books, and having a tough time finishing up any of them:

The Crazy Mixed-Up Corpse (Ed Noon Mystery) 63%
Amped 42%
The Legend of Huma (re-read) 81%

I need to just power through these but the motivation is escaping me at the moment.

[alansplace]

Originally Posted by alansplace

Now a short break in The Dresden Files to re-read the 2nd James Potter book by G. Norman Lippert, James Potter and the Curse of the Gatekeeper.

Attachment 92727

The James Potter and the Curse of the Gatekeeper re-read went a little slowly as I spent some time playing with my new Kindle Fire. In my copy of Gatekeeper I've added a chapter (12a) that is a short story by Lippert called Petra's Getaway. I recommend that anyone reading Gatekeeper should read this short story between chapters 12 and 13. Anyway, it was quite enjoyable and I continue to look forward to the new one's release, James Potter and the Morrigan Web which is promised soon (this Autumn).

So, continuing my Dresden File re-read break I've just begun the G. Norman Lippert novella, The Girl on the Dock which I think of as James Potter 2.5.

Here's what Lippert says about it.

There are two ways you may choose to enjoy this story:

First, since this tale is, in many ways, a logical progression from my first two novels, you may choose to read those first. They can be found free online, beginning with www.elderscrossing.com. There, you will find the back story of the characters contained herein, which will surely allow you to appreciate this tale on a somewhat broader scale.

Second, you may choose to launch into this story as its own entity.

It was written to stand alone, even if much of the back story exists elsewhere. The struggles and concepts that form the core of this story, while fantastic and magical (and rather dark) will be familiar to most readers, even if they’ve never read the names of these characters before. If you choose to read the story on its own, it will be helpful (though not necessary) for you to be aware of a few things: first, our main character, the teenaged Miss Morganstern, is a member of a secret magical society that exists alongside the non-magical world. Second, she has had a rather unusual last year of schooling, during which she was the center of a rather shocking plot by some very bent wizards. The details of that plot will become known as the following story progresses, but the essential result of that plot was this: Miss Morganstern has discovered that she is cursed with the final, fragmented ghost of the most evil wizard of all time. Like a flame in a lantern, this wicked shred of soul lives inside her own soul, affecting her, influencing her. In this, Petra is not unlike all of us, cursed as we are with the dual nature of our humanity, constantly struggling between the twin polarities of darkness and light, goodness and selfishness.

And that, dear reader is the story of the story. I hope you enjoy this dark little fairy tale. If you do, let me know. There may be more.

Keep an eye on the water. Something is sure to come out of it.

[covingtoncat73]

I'm reading Cloud Atlas. I loved David Mitchell's 1000 Autumns of Jacob de Zoet and I'm really enjoying this one as well.

[alansplace]

Originally Posted by alansplace

The James Potter and the Curse of the Gatekeeper re-read went a little slowly as I spent some time playing with my new Kindle Fire. In my copy of Gatekeeper I've added a chapter (12a) that is a short story by Lippert called Petra's Getaway. I recommend that anyone reading Gatekeeper should read this short story between chapters 12 and 13. Anyway, it was quite enjoyable and I continue to look forward to the new one's release, James Potter and the Morrigan Web which is promised soon (this Autumn).

So, continuing my Dresden File re-read break I've just begun the G. Norman Lippert novella, The Girl on the Dock which I think of as James Potter 2.5.

I finished The Girl on the Dock and it was, again, a really good read as well as a good bridge between the 2nd and 3rd James Potter books. I'm now going to re-read three more novels from Jim Butcher's, The Dresden Files, beginning with book 4, Summer Knight.

[DrNefario]

It's been a bit of a slow month for me. I've only read two books so far. Lyonesse by Jack Vance, which I think I mentioned before (I mostly liked it), and Forever Peace by Joe Haldeman. I was quite disappointed with the latter, given that it won most of the major SF awards on publication. It started out quite promising, but faded into a conspiracy thriller. It also did a weird thing with alternating first- and third-person for no good reason. I didn't see much relation to The Forever War, either, except for the word Forever in the title.

I've just started I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett. One of the earliest books I bought on my Kindle. I figured it was about time.

[Quake1028]

I'm in an odd place. I'm in the middle/end of 3 books, and having a tough time finishing up any of them:

The Crazy Mixed-Up Corpse (Ed Noon Mystery) 63%
Amped 42%
The Legend of Huma (re-read) 81%

I need to just power through these but the motivation is escaping me at the moment.

So I powered through the ending of The Crazy Mixed-Up Corpse. Easy read, fun novel. Short, too. Just the thing I needed to break my reading funk, I think. Next I will probably finish Huma before tackling the rest of Amped.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Currently reading Dana Stabenow's A Deeper Sleep, #15 in the Kate Shugak series. As always, I'm enjoying it immensely. This book starts out with Kate and Jim still dithering, and even though I have "read" it (as an Audible book) before, I can't remember if they finally get over it in this one. And a bunch of other things going on with some of the subsidiary story lines, so all in all an above average book in an excellent series.

Well, that was an ending I didn't expect. Now I can't decide whether to go on to the next one of the Kate Shugak series (which I would have to buy), or hit my TBR. Let's at least try for the TBR and do #3 in the Wind Rider series from David Weber

[tompe]

Originally Posted by DrNefario

It's been a bit of a slow month for me. I've only read two books so far. Lyonesse by Jack Vance, which I think I mentioned before (I mostly liked it), and Forever Peace by Joe Haldeman. I was quite disappointed with the latter, given that it won most of the major SF awards on publication. It started out quite promising, but faded into a conspiracy thriller. It also did a weird thing with alternating first- and third-person for no good reason. I didn't see much relation to The Forever War, either, except for the word Forever in the title.

I did not like Forever Peace either and was very surprised when it won a lot of prices. One relatively recent book by Haldeman that I liked a lot is Camouflage.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by tompe

I did not like Forever Peace either and was very surprised when it won a lot of prices. One relatively recent book by Haldeman that I liked a lot is Camouflage.

There can be a problem when an author writes a book which is sequel to an earlier book, but which is completely different in style. I was very disappointed when I first read "Speaker for the Dead" after having read "Ender's Game". I can now read "Speaker for the Dead" and enjoy it as an excellent book in its own right, but at the time I was expecting a true sequel to "Ender's Game" (ie military SF) and so was disappointed.

[Namekuseijin]

I finished Stephen King's "The dead zone" these days. A fine book with a taste of 70's and almost none of the usual King's terror fare. The problem I have with King is one alone: I've already watched most of his best novel adaptations for the movies, so I kinda know what to expect. In this case however, I've mostly forgotten the movie plot details since long, so I had a good ride. Couldn't shake off Christopher Walken as Johnny Smith in my head, though.

I've started reading Wool Omnibus edition. Finished book one. Smooth narrative so far, gives a taste for more no doubt, the writer is clearly a skilled one.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

An average issue (which means I enjoyed it, but nothing in particular stood out).

Straight onto Analog SF/F, November 2012.

Some good stories, but the highlight was the Probability Zero short short by Larry Niven.

Next: Asimov's SF, September 2012 by Dell Magazine Authors.

[alansplace]

Originally Posted by alansplace

I finished The Girl on the Dock and it was, again, a really good read as well as a good bridge between the 2nd and 3rd James Potter books. I'm now going to re-read three more novels from Jim Butcher's, The Dresden Files, beginning with book 4, Summer Knight.

Wow,!! Summer Knight was just as exciting as the first two times that I read it! Now on to book five, Death Masks.

[sun surfer]

Finished The Aeneid by Virgil, the Ahl Oxford translation. Good book, if you're into ancient classics.

Today started The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling. I know it probably won't measure up to the magic of the Harry Potter series but I'm still hoping it's good.

[caleb72]

Originally Posted by caleb72

Now I'm about a third of the way into an odd little indie effort, The Whitechapel Gambit by Marcin Wrona. It's a steampunk offering that's been quite interesting so far. Whether it's odd and goes nowhere or odd and really goes places I'm yet to determine.

Well - finished this offering. It was quite good in the end which was a relief. There was a bit of parallel timeline going on which was a bit jarring at first, but I think it came together well in the end.

Now I'm reading another interesting story in a totally different genre - Pegasus Falling by William E. Thomas. This is part of an historical wartime trilogy by an independent author who unfortunately passed away before his work could be published widely.

I'm about halfway through the book and finding it very readable. I remember someone a while ago looking for a romance from a male perspective. I would put this book on that list.

[alanHd]

I'm just about to finish ghost story by Jim Butcher, I think i will have a re-read of the Rings of the Master series by Jack Chalker next.