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

[Gazella]

Originally Posted by PurpleStar

I wonder what is so great about this Gatsby person.

Nothing really. I think it's totally overrated, didn't like the characters at all and the story was dull. The only reason I read it till the end is because it's short. That's my opinion of course and many would disagree.

[harleigh]

Just finished The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer. I found it slightly strange but pretty awesome. I guess I like strange books...always looking for something a little different. Not sure what to read next...

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

I liked it. I liked it a lot. I do see what you mean about the ending, but I thnk it works OK.

Next up: Monster Hunter Legion by Larry Correira. Another recent purchase.

A fun book, wasn't it? I'm currently reading the second of the Tinker series, Wolf Who Rules. Enjoying it a lot.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by CRussel

A fun book, wasn't it? I'm currently reading the second of the Tinker series, Wolf Who Rules. Enjoying it a lot.

I really liked her "A Brother’s Price" stand-alone.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

I really liked her "A Brother’s Price" stand-alone.

Yes. In many ways, her best book, IMHO.

[caleb72]

Originally Posted by caleb72

Now for something I know will get the blood pumping. It's the second book in the Bangkok series by Simon Royle. This one is called Bangkok Wet. I really enjoyed the first one (Bangkok Burn) and I'm sure I'll enjoy this one as well.

Blood pumping indeed! This was a real winner for me. I enjoyed it even more than the first book, tearing through the story and getting to the ending in a gasp.

It's a great duo and I'm hoping a third is going to make an appearance.

Now I need to get stuck into Waking the Moon by Elizabeth Hand. This book has literally been waiting years for me to read it and it has an interesting history with my first purchase of the paperback going missing, the second copy of the paperback purchased and sitting in my bookshelf with me now reading a further e-Copy purchase on my Kindle.

I adore Hand's writing if not always her endings and this book won the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Adult Literature in 1996.

[PurpleStar]

Originally Posted by Gazella

Nothing really. I think it's totally overrated, didn't like the characters at all and the story was dull. The only reason I read it till the end is because it's short. That's my opinion of course and many would disagree.

Yeah, so far I agree it is kind of dull. I will stick with it, I guess. As you said, it's a short book.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by CRussel

A fun book, wasn't it? I'm currently reading the second of the Tinker series, Wolf Who Rules. Enjoying it a lot.

Finished Wolf Who Rules, moving on to Elfhome. I'm really enjoying this re-read. Lots of details I missed the first time, or had completely forgotten. And Ms. Spencer is a compelling writer.

[poohbear_nc]

Marilyn Stasio (NYTBR Crime Columnist) has been in my personal doghouse since she "convinced" me to return to the Scarpetta series last year. BAD choice ....

But her judgement now shines unclouded again! At the behest of her latest Sunday column, I acquired and am deliriously entangled in John Harwood's latest -- The Asylum! How can you go wrong with the Gothic setting of a "humane" lunatic asylum in Cornwall, the most unreliable of narrators (suffering from amnesia, seizures, an imaginary friend in a mirror that might not be imaginary, and an unhealthy obsession with Sir Walter Scott's novels), a benevolent sinister doctor, and a new-found love that suffers from "acute melancholia"? And that's only in the first chapter!

I'm loving this Gothic romp - and can't wait to discover the next ghoulish development!

[orlok]

Originally Posted by poohbear_nc

Marilyn Stasio (NYTBR Crime Columnist) has been in my personal doghouse since she "convinced" me to return to the Scarpetta series last year. BAD choice ....

But her judgement now shines unclouded again! At the behest of her latest Sunday column, I acquired and am deliriously entangled in John Harwood's latest -- The Asylum! How can you go wrong with the Gothic setting of a "humane" lunatic asylum in Cornwall, the most unreliable of narrators (suffering from amnesia, seizures, an imaginary friend in a mirror that might not be imaginary, and an unhealthy obsession with Sir Walter Scott's novels), a benevolent sinister doctor, and a new-found love that suffers from "acute melancholia"? And that's only in the first chapter!

I'm loving this Gothic romp - and can't wait to discover the next ghoulish development!

I was on the verge of getting this from Audible yesterday, but the 1 star rating put me off, even though it was one of their featured recommendations. I thought it sounded intriguing, but hesitated. If it really is worth a try, I may just change my mind.

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by poohbear_nc

Marilyn Stasio (NYTBR Crime Columnist) has been in my personal doghouse since she "convinced" me to return to the Scarpetta series last year. BAD choice ....

But her judgement now shines unclouded again! At the behest of her latest Sunday column, I acquired and am deliriously entangled in John Harwood's latest -- The Asylum! How can you go wrong with the Gothic setting of a "humane" lunatic asylum in Cornwall, the most unreliable of narrators (suffering from amnesia, seizures, an imaginary friend in a mirror that might not be imaginary, and an unhealthy obsession with Sir Walter Scott's novels), a benevolent sinister doctor, and a new-found love that suffers from "acute melancholia"? And that's only in the first chapter!

I'm loving this Gothic romp - and can't wait to discover the next ghoulish development!

I just finished "The Ghost Writer" a couple of weeks ago and reported that here in this thread.

He's a very atmospheric writer - very Jamesian, in my opinion.




Don

[poohbear_nc]

Originally Posted by orlok

I was on the verge of getting this from Audible yesterday, but the 1 star rating put me off, even though it was one of their featured recommendations. I thought it sounded intriguing, but hesitated. If it really is worth a try, I may just change my mind.

This is my first Harwood (probably not my last - I missed your review Don!) - it has great ratings on Amazon.

Granted, this isn't Great Literature, but it's an entertaining & well written Gothic romp. Every cliche in the book for endangered frail mentally challenged heroine is thrown at you - but it's fun, and hasn't been boring yet. The horror element is Jamesian (Turn of the Screw & others) - in that it is realistic but fantastic - is it a nightmare, hallucination, madness .... or reality? And the historic/period detail is well done. I'm about half way through and highly recommend it -

[Dr. Drib]

Not a review, but just waxing enthusiastic over a wonderful book.

Someone else (I think) mentioned it here before me, so I went and read those reviews on Amazon.




Don

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by caleb72

Now for something I know will get the blood pumping. It's the second book in the Bangkok series by Simon Royle. This one is called Bangkok Wet. I really enjoyed the first one (Bangkok Burn) and I'm sure I'll enjoy this one as well.

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

Having lived in Bangkok for some time, I'm looking forward to reading these. I wonder if they really capture the down-and-dirty Bangkok life of the average Thai, and the daily corruption they face...............SNIP......

EDIT: Well, I couldn't wait... So I just downloaded both of them to my iPhone. Being that I'll be back in Bangkok in just 11 more days, I figure these will get me back into the right frame of mind.

Stitchawl

Well, I started 'Bangkok Burn' today, read about 50 pages, and love it! It IS Thailand. No question about it, it's the down-and-dirty typical bad-guy scene in the Kingdom. That daily corruption I mentioned in my first post, showed up just as fast as would be expected. Of course, these guys being the HiSo's of the mob crowd, the payoffs are a new RangeRover to the Police Chief to cover up a murder rather than the $4 given to to cop who stops you for speeding. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of it! It sure keeps moving!

Stitchawl

[caleb72]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

Well, I started 'Bangkok Burn' today, read about 50 pages, and love it! It IS Thailand. No question about it, it's the down-and-dirty typical bad-guy scene in the Kingdom. That daily corruption I mentioned in my first post, showed up just as fast as would be expected. Of course, these guys being the HiSo's of the mob crowd, the payoffs are a new RangeRover to the Police Chief to cover up a murder rather than the $4 given to to cop who stops you for speeding. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of it! It sure keeps moving!

Stitchawl

I didn't want to write anything when you were musing about how dirty/corrupt it was going to be. I thought I'd let you discover that yourself.

I actually liked the second one even more than the first and it loses none of the pace (or corruption), but the first one has one of the best scenes. I won't give it away except to mention that a swimming pool might be involved.