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

[alansplace]

Originally Posted by alansplace

Sargasso of Space proved to be a highly enjoyable space opera and in spite of its unrepaired scanning errors was actually quite readable.

Next, I'm going to read the new Derrick Storm novel Storm Front (Derrick Storm #1) by Richard Castle!

Storm Front proved to be both exciting and entertaining. But unlike in the proceeding trilogy of novelettes the protagonist proved to be dangerously and stupidly reckless and caused a whole lot of collateral damage including the deaths of numerous innocents. I'll read the next one anyway!!

Next I'm giving a try to the first of the Felix Castor series by Mike Carey, The Devil You Know.

[Dazrin]

Originally Posted by Dazrin

For now though, it is onto another author I have never read before Arthur C. Clarke and Rendezvous with Rama. I know, I know - how can I have missed these authors before? Mostly because I read much more fantasy than anything else until this year when I have been intentionally trying not to read much. I wish I hadn't waited so many years.

Wow. I loved that book! The wonder and mystery was portrayed very well. It doesn't feel dated either; given the age and the advances in tech that we have had since it was written it seems like most science fiction starts to feel long in the tooth but this one holds up well.

Now for King Solomon's Mines by H. Rider Haggard - another classic I have never read before. This one is from HarryT's omnibus (volume 1 at least).

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Next up: Another of my Agatha Christie collection: A Murder is Announced. Her 49th Mystery book.

Which was good. The first part of the plot was obvious. The second bit I didn't get, although the clues were there!

Then I read AI Unbound by Nancy Kress. A freebie from Phoenix Press with absolutely terrible formatting. Fixed fonts and point sizes all over the place. The two AI stories were interesting.

Next up: The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Sep/Oct 2013.

[Moe The Cat]

Starting Hell To Pay, my seventh George Pelecanos novel in the past month, after getting a nudge in the Detective Novels, Mystery Favorites thread.

Also reading Edwidge Danticat's latest, Claire Of The Sea Light.

[bfisher]

I am currently reading The Best of Connie Willis, an anthology that includes many of her Hugo and Nebula award short stories and novellas. Excellent stuff so far ("A Letter from the Clearys", "Fire Watch").

[Rumpelteazer]

I'm loving Lawhead's Hood (about 60% in now), but I just got Doctor Sleep, Stephen King's new book, and I can't decide if I'm going to finish Hood first or if I'll read Doctor sleep first.

[HarryT]

Just finished "Wheels of Fire", by Mercedes Lackey, Mark Shepherd, and Holly Lisle. The first book in the "The Otherworld" Baen omnibus, from Feb 2000. This is a part of my ongoing "read my Baen backlist" project.

Urban fantasy. Elves and motor-racing. Not exactly my standard reading matter, but enjoyable enough.

[pilotbob]

I'm reading Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality. I emailed it to my kindle and forgot I had. Then, when I finished Redshirts and went to my kindles home page I saw it. I had been reading it online here and there...

...the only down side is, I think the book is still unfinished.

BOb

[alansplace]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Currently reading Murder on a Midsummer Night, #17 in the Phryne Fisher series by Kerry Greenwood. I had been about to start this book, but got temporarily distracted. But reading now, and enjoying it.

Originally Posted by alansplace

Hmmm...sounds interesting. Alex Verus turned out to be a so maybe this London-based character will also. Thanks Rumpelteazer!

Originally Posted by alansplace

Storm Front proved to be both exciting and entertaining. But unlike in the proceeding trilogy of novelettes the protagonist proved to be dangerously and stupidly reckless and caused a whole lot of collateral damage including the deaths of numerous innocents. I'll read the next one anyway!!

Next I'm giving a try to the first of the Felix Castor series by Mike Carey, The Devil You Know.

Well I tried reading The Devil You Know but Just couldn't warm up to the protagonist or get interested in the story.

Charlie Russel's post reminded me that I hadn't read a Phryne Fisher mystery for a while, so I've now dropped The Devil You Know and begun reading Murder On The Ballarat Train (Phryne Fisher #3) by Kerry Greenwood.

[hildea]

I was halfway in Seanan McGuire's "Discount Armageddon" when I lost my ereader. I've tried continuing on my phone, but the screen's to uncomfortable for longer bouts or reading. So I'm waiting for my new ereader to continue.

After recommending Sarah Rees Brennan's "Demon's Lexcion" in another thread, I decided to reread it, so that's what I'm doing now. When I'm feeling lazy, I'll reread old favourites, taking the time to enjoy the language when I'm not itching to know what happens next :-)

[Moe The Cat]

Originally Posted by hildea

I was halfway in Seanan McGuire's "Discount Armageddon" when I lost my ereader ... So I'm waiting for my new ereader to continue.

Sorry for your loss, hildea! What ereader did you lose and with what ereader are you replacing it?

[orange!]

Just finished On Basilisk Station.

I originally complained about how slow it started. It picked up as it went and the ending was satisfying enough so that I'm on to the 2nd novel in the series The Honor of the Queen.

[hildea]

Thanks, Moe! I lost a Bebook Neo, and after some advice here I've ordered a Pocketbook Touch Lux.

The Bebook had started to get some annoying glitches (I usually had to try several times before suceeding when connecting it to a PC), but now that it's gone I find I was fond of it, warts and all :-/

[HarryT]

Finished "The Thirteen Problems" by Agatha Christie. This is a collection of "Miss Marple" short stories, and was her 16th book, and the 2nd featuring Miss Marple, originally published in 1932. The US title is "The Tuesday Club Murders".

As in some of her other short story collections (e.g. Partners in Crime), Christie employs an overarching narrative, making the book more like an episodic novel. There are three sets of narrative, though they themselves interrelate. The first set of six are stories told by the Tuesday Night Club, a random gathering of people at the house of Miss Marple. Each week the group tell tales of mystery, always solved by the female amateur detective from the comfort of her armchair. One of the guests is Sir Henry Clithering, an ex-commissioner of Scotland Yard, and this allows Christie to resolve the story, with him usually pointing out that the criminals were caught.

The next set of six occur as part of a dinner party Miss Marple is invited to at the request of Sir Henry Clithering, as a result of her skill in the Tuesday Night Club. This employs a similar guessing game, and once more Miss Marple triumphs. The thirteenth story, Death by Drowning, takes place some time after the dinner party when Miss Marple finds out that Clithering is staying in St Mary Mead and asks him to help in the investigation surrounding the death of a local village girl. Miss Marple solves the murder by the end.

All the plots are ingenious, and most would have made excellent full-length novels. Very good indeed.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Currently reading Murder on a Midsummer Night, #17 in the Phryne Fisher series by Kerry Greenwood. I had been about to start this book, but got temporarily distracted. But reading now, and enjoying it.

Well, I must say, this is not her best work. One gets the feeling she's tired of Phryne, or run out of things to do with her. Still worth the read, and I'll still read the next one, Dead Man's Chest. Hopefully #17 was simply an aberration.