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

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Finished off three novellas, and back to War of Honor, which I'm reading in eBook and audio book formats. I must say, this is perhaps the first of the Weber books where it's clear that his editor has lost control. It's just WAY longer than it should be. Positively flabby and self-indulgent in spots. But still worth reading, though I admit to skimming over whole sections where he's just droning on.

War of Honor gets no more than a 3/5. Apparently, Mr. Weber didn't have time to write a good short book, so we have a bad long one. Basically a 500 page book, hiding inside 1000 pages of flab.

Next up is Crown of Slaves, the start of the same-named spin-off which is co-written with Eric Flint, so I have some substantial hopes that it will be better written and edited.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Now onto my very latest purchase, yesterday's Amazon UK Daily Deal: Wicked by Gregory Maguire. I've seen the musical that was based on this book, so I'm looking forward to the book very much (but not enough to have paid full price!).

Well... not quite what I expected. Naturally the plot was condensed, but the book takes things in a bit of a different direction. I suspect that the stage version also take a little bit from the next book.

Not quite good enough for me to want to buy the next book through. I didn't like the way the charcater of the main charcater, established early on, was later twisted to account for their actions as revealed in the original Wizard of Oz.

I think that next I'll read my latest Analog and Asimov's magazines.

[DrNefario]

A few days ago, I finally finished Traitors' Gate by Kate Elliott, the third and final part of the Crossroads trilogy, which I've had sitting on my shelf for a couple of years. Its unwieldy size as a paperback is maybe part of the reason I ignored it for so long, but I enjoyed it well enough. It didn't really unwind as expected, but I thought the ending was mostly satisfactory.

Having finished with that, I'm now reading one of my earliest Kindle purchases, Heat Wave by "Richard Castle", as a light snack before embarking on another big paperback. So far it reads like an episode of the TV show with the names changed. It's not great, but it's readable enough.

[Grace Elliot]

I'm reading a historical romance (that reads more like an erotic - but don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining!) - The Pirate Next Door by Jennifer Ashely.

[mewmartigan]

I just finished The First Law trilogy by Joe Abercrombie and now I just bought/downloaded/started Dust by Hugh Howey.

[BelleZora]

I've almost finished The Curse of Capistrano - The Mark of Zorro by Johnston McCulley, first published in 1919. After all the heavy books I've read lately, I'm enjoying this tremendously. It is well-written and a lot of fun.

I read the delightful and funny The Shortest Way to Hades by Sarah Caudwell last, but even that wasn't enough to cure a 'depressing book' hangover.

[Yapyap]

I've had little time or energy for reading this last week or even a bit longer, but I've managed to get through two books since last Monday - The Language of Bees by Laurie R. King and The House of Hades by Rick Riordan.

Neither blew me away but both were well above average in the enjoyment factor offered, so while I'm still somewhat in a reading funk, I was reasonably happy with both of them.

I must say, though, that as much as I've enjoyed Riordan's Percy Jackson & the Olympians and the spin-off / sequel Heroes of Olympus series, I'm very much okay with the next book, next year, being the final one - as fun as the quest-based plot model can be, after nine books it's become incredibly formulaic and I keep getting a sense of deja vu / having already read this before: the basic structure of the books, at least as far as the plot goes, has remained the same throughout.

[Rumpelteazer]

I finished City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare yesterday (#4 Mortal Instruments). A good read; quick and entertaining.

I've started The Devil Colony by James Rollins (#7 Sigma Force), I had planned on reading the next Guido Brunetti book but yesterday my sister was talking how she was in the mood for a good adventure book and I told her to look at the Sigma Force series and I realised I was in the mood for an adventure, too.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by CRussel

[I][B]Next up is Crown of Slaves, the start of the same-named spin-off which is co-written with Eric Flint, so I have some substantial hopes that it will be better written and edited.

Ah, this is so much better than War of Honor. The action moves along, we don't get tedious digressions into the maudlings of Peep bureaucrats, it's funnier by far, and just better written overall. Clearly the hand of Eric Flint here. About 1/2 way through, but thoroughly enjoying.

[HarryT]

I'm currently wading my way through "Forge of the Elders" by L. Neil Smith, one of my Baen purchases from 2000. I seem to have been reading it forever, and I'm only a quarter of the way through it. Not enjoying it at all. I'll give it to half way through, and then abandon it if it's not improved by then, I think. At the moment it's one of the dullest books I've read in a very long time.

[Dazrin]

Originally Posted by Dazrin

Next is on to Doctor Izard which is the the October Book Club selection.

Excellent selection for this month's book club. If you haven't had a chance to read it, it is a quick read and there is still time before the discussion starts.

Next is The Bone Collector by Jeffrey Deaver. I haven't seen the movie so this should be a good read too.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

I think that next I'll read my latest Analog and Asimov's magazines.

The December Asimov's was only so-so. Moving on to the December Analog.

[DrNefario]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Ah, this is so much better than War of Honor. The action moves along, we don't get tedious digressions into the maudlings of Peep bureaucrats, it's funnier by far, and just better written overall. Clearly the hand of Eric Flint here. About 1/2 way through, but thoroughly enjoying.

I'm glad to hear that. I was looking forward to opening up the side-stories, but War of Honor pretty much killed my enthusiasm for the whole series. Nice that there's something to look forward to when I'm willing to return.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by bill_mchale

I am on a Western kick lately. In the last month I have read:

Hondo by Louis L'Amour
Shane by Jack Schaefer
The Searchers by Alan Lemay
Appaloosa and Resolution by Robert B. Parker
and I am currently rereading on Lonesome Dove.

I think lots of people think of Westerns as being one dimensional, but these are all very different novels with some very different heros and characters.

--
Bill

These days, it can be hard to tell a true western vs a western romance unless the cover is clearly of the romance type. A western romance is a stay the heck away type.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by cassidym

If you like It that much I highly recommend The Stand as your next King book but you better get some sleep before you start it!

I 2nd The Stand but get the uncut version.

Also, go for The Green Mile. I've not read that yet, but the movie is excellent.