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

[bfisher]

Just finished Bernard Cornwell's 1356. I was pleased to read such an excellent book (great characters and action-packed), horrified to realize that I had missed the preceeding 3 books in the series, and gratified that I now have another three installments to read.

[Geralt]

Originally Posted by Synamon

With all the footnotes, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell is not well suited for an audiobook.

I have to disagree. Doesn't bother me one bit, and Mr. Prebble does a great job with footnotes as well as with main text.

[HarryT]

Carrying on with my Wodehouse binge, I've just finished "A Prefect's Uncle", originally published in 1903. This is the 2nd book in the "School" series (which, as I said in my previous Wodehouse post, although not what Wodehouse is best known for, is a series that I very much enjoy).

This book is set in the (fictional) Beckford College. Gethryn, a school prefect, is dismayed to learn that his uncle - a boy 4 years younger than himself - is to attend the school, and his fears are fully justified. Hugely enjoyable, although perhaps a little incomprehensible if you don't understand cricket, since games of cricket form a large part of the book.

My next book is a re-read of the fantasy classic "Silverthorn" by Raymond Feist; the second book in the "Riftwar" saga.

[Latinandgreek]

I'm halfway through "Ocean at the end of the lane". An excellent read, very creepy.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by CRussel

The first story in Beginnings kind of put me off, given the problem you sited. So I decided to try something else. Read a couple of stories the A Liaden Universe Constellation , then over to Draw One in the Dark. We'll see...

Well, I've re-read just about all of A Liaden Universe Constellation . Nothing new here, but mostly good stories. (Though I admit, I don't enjoy the Lute & Moonhawk stories as much as others. )

And I finished Draw One in the Dark. Mixed feelings about it, there were definitely some weaknesses. But in the end, I plopped down my $6.99 for the next one Gentleman Takes a Chance. And now I have to swing back to Beginnings by David Weber, et al, since Paul assures us that the rest of the stories are better than the first.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

But the rest of the stories more than made up for it. Overall, an excellent collection. It's a shame it's let down by a very poor plot point in the first story.

Next up: A Liaden Universe Constellation: Volume 1. Although this will be a quick read, as only one of the stories is new to me, the last one: "Sweet Waters". All the others appear in Liaden Unibus Volume I or II.

A nice little story, but (I think) strictly a side-story.

Next up: Wolf in Shadow by John Lambshead. A novel set in the same world as his story in the urban fantasy collection "The Wild Side", with some of the same characters turning up. Knowledge of the short story is not needed for the novel. It's looking good so far.

[poohbear_nc]

My weekend reading had dipped alarmingly in interest & quality (more later about that) ... but then I opened Crampton Hodnet by Barbara Pym - IMHO her funniest novel, showcasing her droll wit and keen observations of North Oxford academics and their follies.

[caleb72]

Originally Posted by HarryT

To offer a contrary opinion, I absolutely loved it.

Actually, that wouldn't have surprised me a while back. I had thought it might appeal to people who liked Dickens. However, I loaned it to my mother who is a Dickens fan and she hated it. I don't think she got through it either which was extremely odd for her.

An aside - have you read Drood by Dan Simmons? I haven't read it myself yet (it's on my list somewhere), but I think it may interest you.

[caleb72]

Originally Posted by HarryT

My next book is a re-read of the fantasy classic "Silverthorn" by Raymond Feist; the second book in the "Riftwar" saga.

Possibly my favourite of the first three. Such a great book.

[caleb72]

Originally Posted by Gazella

Have you read The City & The City? It's on my TBR so I still haven't read it yet, it seems really good. It would be my first time reading anything by Miéville.

So far, The City & The City has been my favourite of Mieville's works. I was blown away by this novel, but it's very different from the others. I didn't feel like it was a fantasy as such, it was...

That's probably one of the reasons I loved it so much - I can't finish my sentences when trying to describe it.



I'll be reading Embassytown at some stage this year.

[samhy]

Slightly off topic again, sorry.
Today's Amazon (fr) deal is Spend game by Jonathan Gash for 0,99€. Buy or pass?

To stay on topic, I should finish A Game of Thrones by the end of the week, maybe earlier. I've read another book but so far I don't know how to rate it and what to think of it. More about it later when I'd figured that out.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by samhy

Slightly off topic again, sorry.
Today's Amazon (fr) deal is Spend game by Jonathan Gash for 0,99€. Buy or pass?

Buy. I'm a big fan of Jonathan Gash's "Lovejoy" books.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by samhy

Slightly off topic again, sorry.
Today's Amazon (fr) deal is Spend game by Jonathan Gash for 0,99€. Buy or pass?

Buy. The Lovejoy books are great.

I'm still reading the John Lambshead book I mentioned above. I'm really enjoying it.

[samhy]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Buy. I'm a big fan of Jonathan Gash's "Lovejoy" books.

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Buy. The Lovejoy books are great.

Thank you very much, will do
Little ashamed here, but I know nothing about the author nor the series. It will be a good opportunity to correct that.

Is it important to read the Lovejoy series in order?

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Buy. I'm a big fan of Jonathan Gash's "Lovejoy" books.

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Buy. The Lovejoy books are great.

Now, see, here is one where I would have said to pass and stick with the TV series. I found the Gash books too aggressively misogynist.