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

[Fbone]

Originally Posted by Fbone

My library hold of City by Clifford Simak became available so on to that. Eagerly anticipated.

I was somewhat disappointed by this. Simak really hated war and abhorred the atom bomb. His condemnation of man was total and complete. Despite a few admirable traits he has mankind come to an ignoble end. Certainly different conclusion than the usual 1950s sci-fi. Rated B- [4 stars].

Next is another library loan Earth Strike by Ian Douglas. This is a hard sci-fi which I generally don't care for. I prefer events occurring in real time and not having everyone wait 40 minutes for light to catch up.

[Dazrin]

Originally Posted by Dazrin

It took me over 2 weeks to read Royal Assassin after it finally came in but I am finished now. Next will be The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling) which also finally came in from the library. Only a few month's late for the book club. I am also going to try to read The Club of Queer Trades for the literary club this month.

After that I will try to get Assassin's Quest and finally finish the Farseer Trilogy after starting it back in the late 90s.

Well, I finished The Cuckoo's Calling today and enjoyed it very much. I doubt I will get to The Club of Queer Trades this month but hopefully soon.

Next will probably be Ready Player One, which unfortunately doesn't look like it will be the August book club selection but came in from the library so I don't have much time to wait.

[Hampshire Nanny]

Originally Posted by Hampshire Nanny

During lunch I finished reading Heavenly Pleasures by Kerry Greenwood. Next up are Torch of Freedom by David Weber and Eric Flint and U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton. I need to load Torch of Freedom onto my Kindle.

And for the next day or so, I thrashed around, starting no less than 3 books, but finally settling down to finish reading Charlotte Tweed and the School for Orphaned Dragons. This was a freebie that I picked up at the beginning of June. Young adult fantasy -- magic and dragons! It was pretty good, but I'm angry that the author published it before the story is finished. The story just stopped with a "to be continued in book 2" notice. (Book 2 is not yet available.) Now I'm going to take Torch of Freedom to bed with me.

[LovesMacs]

I'm splitting most of my reading between Barbara Tuchman's The Guns of August, a history of the beginnings of World War I, and Franklin Foer's How Soccer Explains the World. I'm about halfway through these books.

The Tuchman book is interesting at times but other times I lose track of all the names. I'm continuing to read the book mostly because of the war's anniversary. Is the book the problem, or is it me? Perhaps I'm not in the right mood for this kind of writing.

As for the Foer book, I've learned things I never knew before about the links between ultra-violent soccer (football) fans and the brutalities during the breakup of what used to be called Yugoslavia. There's more to the book than that, but I've only read as far as the discussion of who owns Brazil's football (soccer) clubs.

[bevdeforges]

Originally Posted by LovesMacs

The Tuchman book is interesting at times but other times I lose track of all the names. I'm continuing to read the book mostly because of the war's anniversary. Is the book the problem, or is it me? Perhaps I'm not in the right mood for this kind of writing.

No, it's not you. I had much the same problem with The Guns of August, and then followed that by reading T.E. Lawrence's Seven Pillars of Wisdom, which has the same problem. Of course Lawrence was writing just a few years after the end of the war, when most folks reading the book would know many, if not most of the names - at least of the English officers.

I'm current about half way through The Siege of Krishnapur by J.G. Farrell. It's set in colonial India a bit earlier - 1857 or so - but is proving to be a snarky story poking fun (in a very black humor way) at the manners and attitudes of the English in India at the time. Kind of Jane Austen meets Gunga Din - and so far really interesting.

[bfisher]

Originally Posted by LovesMacs

I'm splitting most of my reading between Barbara Tuchman's The Guns of August, a history of the beginnings of World War I, and Franklin Foer's How Soccer Explains the World. I'm about halfway through these books.

The Tuchman book is interesting at times but other times I lose track of all the names. I'm continuing to read the book mostly because of the war's anniversary. Is the book the problem, or is it me? Perhaps I'm not in the right mood for this kind of writing.

As for the Foer book, I've learned things I never knew before about the links between ultra-violent soccer (football) fans and the brutalities during the breakup of what used to be called Yugoslavia. There's more to the book than that, but I've only read as far as the discussion of who owns Brazil's football (soccer) clubs.

Barbara Tuchman turned me on to history when I read "The Proud Tower". I've read most of her books two or three times for the literary quality of her work (plus the excellent research and level of detail); she can make the past come alive. When I read "The Guns of August", I did find it a very difficult read, but for me it was primarily because she could make the actors alive enough that it was horrible to see the train wreck coming; to me it is like watching the film of JFK's murder - you want to stop it before it happens.

Apparently, the book had a significant impact on JFK; supposedly, during the Cuban missile crisis, he was mindful of how the Balkan crisis had escalated into WW1 and strove to resolve the situation peacefully. Just from that perspective, I believe it is worth reading.

It's a bit old now (about 55 years old), and there has been some more information available to historians that wasn't available then, but I think that it's still one of the best books about how WW1 came about.

Thanks for the recommendation of the Foer book. It sounds very interesting, and I'm putting it on my TBR. BTW, have you ever read "The Old Patagonian Express"? There's a bit in there about a soccer game in San Salvador.

[Yapyap]

Originally Posted by Yapyap

Last night I started Heaven's Queen by Rachel Bach, the third (and, I believe, last book in the Paradox series/trilogy). I enjoyed the first two books a great deal although the second left me with some doubts as to whether I will like the third one, but so far, so good.

And since then, I've also finished it. Didn't utterly adore it, but found it a fitting and enjoyable ending to a trilogy I enjoyed a lot overall.

My next read was Murder Most Unladylike by Robin Stevens, a brand new children's / younger YA murder mystery set in a 1930s English boarding school for girls. A very positive, pleasant surprise - yes, it's a children's book, and obviously so, but not at all too childish. Will be looking out for more in that series for certain.

Last night I finally decided to be brave and tackle my first Pratchett - I don't know why, but I've always been reluctant to, possibly both because so many of my friends adore the Discworld books and because there are so dauntingly many of them. Anyway, so far The Colour of Magic seems pretty ho-hum, but I've heard a number of people say the books don't really hit their stride in the first one or two, so unless I end up absolutely hating it, I'll probably try not to be discouraged from trying some more, since I've already picked up a handful of the earlier ones on various sales.

[caleb72]

Read a few since my last post.

The Club of Queer Trades by G. K. Chesterton. I really liked the writing, but didn't really enjoy the stories as much as I thought it was. This was a selection for the Literary Book Club and I think I liked some of the commentary from the members more than the book itself. But I still enjoyed reading it.

The Memory Tree by John R Little. Nasty little piece of work. I didn't feel quite the shock factor I was expecting, but it did get darker and grubbier as it progressed, leaving a bad taste in my mouth by the end - but a good bad taste if that makes any sense.

Tales of the City (#1) by Armistead Maupin. Fell in love with the mini-series way back when and had been meaning to read the books for a long time. Finally, I've started the journey. The mini-series obviously tried to stay very faithful to the text so it was a case of reliving the experience through print.

Golden Feathers Falling by Marcin Wrona. This is the third book I've read from this Canadian indie and the enjoyment has continued. His Middle Eastern style fantasy setting continues to impress me as a backdrop for his dark adventures, full of intrigue and magic. I'll definitely continue on to the next book.

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinback. I've never kept an official 'books I must read before I die' list, but I have mentally placed this book in such a position, so it was with a sense of quiet expectation that I started reading it this week. What a fantastic book! I was so absorbed in the unfinished story of the Joad family. I don't know if this book is for everyone, but it was a perfect book for me.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

And now I'm reading The Reluctant Swordsman by Dave Duncan, one of the recent Humble Bundle.

Which was a good read. An interesting fantasy world and protagonist.

Then I read the latest Analog SFF, October 2014. An enjoyable issue, better for me than this month's Asimov's.

Next was All The Way to the Gallows by David Drake. Normally I really like David Drake's stuff, but some of this stories I've read before in other collections, and it seems to me that humour isn't his forte.

I've just finished Waking in Dreamland by Jody Lynn Nye, which was OK, but the sequel, School of Light, was much better.

And now onto another of my recent Baen backlist purchases: Extremis by Steve White and Charles E Gannon. Star-spanning MilSF in he Starfire universe.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

And now onto another of my recent Baen backlist purchases: Extremis by Steve White and Charles E Gannon. Star-spanning MilSF in he Starfire universe.

The "Starfire" series is excellent. One of my favourites.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by HarryT

The "Starfire" series is excellent. One of my favourites.

Hmmm. I've got a couple of them, but haven't gotten around to trying one. May have to give it a try. Thanks. (But after I finish binging on Lord Peter Wimsey.)

[gmw]

Originally Posted by Yapyap

[...]Last night I finally decided to be brave and tackle my first Pratchett - I don't know why, but I've always been reluctant to, possibly both because so many of my friends adore the Discworld books and because there are so dauntingly many of them. Anyway, so far The Colour of Magic seems pretty ho-hum, but I've heard a number of people say the books don't really hit their stride in the first one or two, so unless I end up absolutely hating it, I'll probably try not to be discouraged from trying some more, since I've already picked up a handful of the earlier ones on various sales.

Yes, the first book isn't anything that special, and it is very much just the first half of a story that concludes with "The Light Fantastic". Things definitely pick up after that. Note that once you've read these first two you are better set to pick up almost any Discworld book. Reading in publication order will give you the best overall experience, but if you have trouble liking certain story threads (for example some of the wizard stories tend toward farce on occasion, which is not to everyone's tastes), then it is not absolutely essential you read every book.

[Yapyap]

Yesterday was so hot that I couldn't even bear the thought of going out or doing anything at all, so I spent most of the day reading.

After finishing The Colour of Magic (see thoughts below), I also started and finished Picture Perfect by Holly Smale (the third book in her contemporary YA Geek Girl series). This isn't my genre, and I'm far from being the target group for these, but while I don't consider the books "perfect", they've just "clicked" for me - I enjoyed the first two books a whole lot (and much more than I ever expected to) and this third one was no exception.

Originally Posted by gmw

Yes, the first book isn't anything that special, and it is very much just the first half of a story that concludes with "The Light Fantastic". Things definitely pick up after that. Note that once you've read these first two you are better set to pick up almost any Discworld book. Reading in publication order will give you the best overall experience, but if you have trouble liking certain story threads (for example some of the wizard stories tend toward farce on occasion, which is not to everyone's tastes), then it is not absolutely essential you read every book.

Thanks - this pretty much confirms what I've heard from others.

I have the first five books (in publishing order, I think), so I'll probably make my way through these eventually and then decide if it's for me or not. I finished The Colour of Magic yesterday and ... well, I enjoyed bits of it and ended up skimming others, after staring at a page for five minutes and realising I wasn't taking anything in (the language was at times very amusing but at times so... overdone, that I just couldn't really get into it).

I'm not entirely sure Pratchett is or will be my cup of tea - that entire type of fantasy that has wildly imaginative world-building and a very particular, clever, self-aware use of language seems to be something that just doesn't really work for me, no matter how much I'd like it to (it's the same with Gaiman and Mieville) - but I didn't dislike this first book, and did enjoy parts of it, so since I've got more books bought already anyway, I'll eventually try some more.

[HarryT]

Just finished "4.50 From Paddington" by Agatha Christie. This was her 59th book, and was originally published in 1957.

Mrs. Elspeth McGillicuddy has come from a shopping expedition to visit her old friend Jane Marple for Christmas. On the way, her train passes another train running parallel to her. Then, a blind in one of the compartments flies up and she sees a man with his back to her strangling a woman. She reports the crime to the police, but no body can be found, and nobody except Miss Marple believes her story. Miss Marple employs a young woman to investigate the matter on her behalf...

An absolutely excellent detective story, with lots of twists and turns in the plot. One of Christie's best.

[LovesMacs]

Originally Posted by bfisher

Barbara Tuchman turned me on to history when I read "The Proud Tower". I've read most of her books two or three times for the literary quality of her work (plus the excellent research and level of detail); she can make the past come alive. When I read "The Guns of August", I did find it a very difficult read, but for me it was primarily because she could make the actors alive enough that it was horrible to see the train wreck coming; to me it is like watching the film of JFK's murder - you want to stop it before it happens.

Apparently, the book had a significant impact on JFK; supposedly, during the Cuban missile crisis, he was mindful of how the Balkan crisis had escalated into WW1 and strove to resolve the situation peacefully. Just from that perspective, I believe it is worth reading.

It's a bit old now (about 55 years old), and there has been some more information available to historians that wasn't available then, but I think that it's still one of the best books about how WW1 came about.

Thanks for the recommendation of the Foer book. It sounds very interesting, and I'm putting it on my TBR. BTW, have you ever read "The Old Patagonian Express"? There's a bit in there about a soccer game in San Salvador.

I found the political parts of The Guns of August interesting and sometimes even gripping enough to make you wonder what will happen next even though we all know that war ended up breaking out.

It's the military parts that tax my patience. I didn't have this problem with the Shelby Foote trilogy on the American Civil War. Part of this may be due to unfamiliarity with many of the personalities and places involved, much more so on the Russian front.

It feels like reading "Stranger No. 1 ordered Stranger No. 2 to advance towards Unfamiliar Place No. 1 by way of Unfamiliar Road No. 1, but this action was hindered due to the unforeseen appearance of Stranger No. 3 who came from Unfamiliar Place No. 2." Tuchman's writing quality is better than that, but you get the idea.


I enjoy the Foer book much more. I'm not sure if Foer has it backwards: does soccer (football) really explain the world, or does the world explain soccer? Here are the chapter headings, to give you some idea of the content:

1. How Soccer Explains the Gangster's Paradise
2. How Soccer Explains the Pornography of Sects
3. How Soccer Explains the Jewish Question
4. How Soccer Explains the Sentimental Hooligan
5. How Soccer Explains the Survival of the Top Hats
6. How Soccer Explains the Black Carpathians
7. How Soccer Explains the New Oligarchs
8. How Soccer Explains the Discreet Charm of Bourgeois Nationalism
9. How Soccer Explains Islam's Hope
10. How Soccer Explains the American Culture Wars

I've heard of but never read "The Old Patagonian Express".