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

[Dazrin]

Originally Posted by tilia

I just read about this a couple of days ago. I found the premise of the story fascinating, and put it on hold at the library (there are over thirty people in front of me, so it'll be a while till I get it)

There are 74 in line in front of me at my library! Yikes.

Of course there are over 300 people in line for the first Jack Reacher novel and only 2 copies, that one will be a wait.

[caleb72]

Originally Posted by caleb72

Now I'm going to complete Frankenstein for the very first time. So far, it's been a mix of interesting and not so interesting passages, but I'm hoping it picks up a little, or at least lays on some seriously heavy atmosphere for me to savour.

Finished this one. I liked it but I feel like gothic horror is perhaps not my thing. It's so drenched in the romantic that it's sometimes difficult for the heavy atmosphere of foreboding and dread to really punch through and grip me. There were a couple of moments that gave me a small jolt and they were welcome.

I liked the implications of responsibility on the creation of life and the entwined fates of both Frankenstein and the creature. With the alternate title - The Modern Prometheus, I liked looking at the story from a couple of more philosophical angles.

Anyway, as usual, I don't regret reading it.

Now, I'm dipping a toe in the water with Stephen King's The Gunslinger. I've actually had the whole Dark Tower series on my shelf for a couple of years but have never made the move to start it. Now is as good a time as any to see whether the purchase was worthwhile.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Next up: Midst Toil and Tribulation by David Weber. The latest in his Safehold series, now at a sensible price as the paperback has come out.

Whew! Finished! that was a long book. But back on form, IMO.

Now onto the latest Grantville Gazette. Good so far.

[greenasterisk]

I am reading Way of the Knife by Mark Mazzetti

[PurpleStar]

I finished Axis by Robert Charles Wilson. I guess it was an okay book, but I just didn't like it as much as Spin, the first book in the trilogy. I will have to read the third book Vortex at some point.

For now, I am more excited to start reading Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan. It looks like a good fantasy/adventure series. I actually won one of the books in a giveaway, signed by the author himself! Super cool.

[samhy]

I've finally reached the last page of The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama. This wasn't always easy to read since the US political system is so different from what I know. Although, all in all, it was a very nice read.

[alansplace]

Originally Posted by alansplace

I ordered the paperback of Joyland (I couldn't find an ebook ) from Amazon because I just couldn't get into Magic Rises even after reading 5 1/2 chapters of it! So I'm reading Joyland next and putting Magic Rises aside.

I really enjoyed reading Joyland even though it was only available as a paper book! I'm so.. not a fan of reading books that are not digitally published.

Now on to Christopher Buecheler's new offering, The Broken God Machine!

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Finished Dragonquest, on to White Dragon. I have to say, I'm enjoying this re-read. It's been years and years since I read these early Pern books and they have mostly stood the test of time.

Finished it this afternoon, and I definitely enjoyed this re-read. Now, on to something completely different -- Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods. This is his story of hiking the Appalachian Trail. And, like all Bryson's books, it is extremely funny! I don't know how I missed this when it first released, but I saw it at my Library for download and jumped on it. I'm two chapters into it, and my DW and I are doing dramatic readings back and forth to each other, with both of us laughing uncontrollably.

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Finished it this afternoon, and I definitely enjoyed this re-read. Now, on to something completely different -- Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods. This is his story of hiking the Appalachian Trail. And, like all Bryson's books, it is extremely funny! I don't know how I missed this when it first released, but I saw it at my Library for download and jumped on it. I'm two chapters into it, and my DW and I are doing dramatic readings back and forth to each other, with both of us laughing uncontrollably.

This is such a wonderful telling of the AT experience! I've hiked the full length of it, although I did it in three segments, never having the time and the money at the same time do walk it end-to-end, and could relate to every situation he spoke of. The characters that you meet along the trail are what really keep it interesting on a daily basis, and Bryson describes them to a 'T!' Anyone who's done any long distance backpacking can internalize every word! Very enjoyable reading on every page.


Stitchawl

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Whew! Finished! that was a long book. But back on form, IMO.

Now onto the latest Grantville Gazette. Good so far.

And enjoyable throughout. But not one to start with, being #49!

Now onto Gold from Gemini by Jonathan Gash. Another of his Lovejoy series.

[DrNefario]

Just finished the brand new Hugo winner, Redshirts by John Scalzi. I quite liked it. It feels a little bit lightweight to be carrying the whole genre for 2012, but it's a good read, and that's probably enough. It starts off humorous, then sags a bit when it goes all meta, then pulls it back at the end(s).

[bfisher]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Finished it this afternoon, and I definitely enjoyed this re-read. Now, on to something completely different -- Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods. This is his story of hiking the Appalachian Trail. And, like all Bryson's books, it is extremely funny! I don't know how I missed this when it first released, but I saw it at my Library for download and jumped on it. I'm two chapters into it, and my DW and I are doing dramatic readings back and forth to each other, with both of us laughing uncontrollably.

Loved the part about the shopping cart load of Little Debbie cakes.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by bfisher

Loved the part about the shopping cart load of Little Debbie cakes.

Yup. And his pre-hike fascination with bears had us laughing uncontrollably. His scatological description of his death from fear if four bears got in his camp was priceless. As a writer, I would die happy knowing I had written those few lines.

Spoiler:

I was especially riveted by an amateur photograph in Herrero’s book, taken late at night by a camper with a flash at a campground out West. The photograph caught four black bears as they puzzled over a suspended food bag. The bears were clearly startled but not remotely alarmed by the flash. It was not the size or demeanor of the bears that troubled me—they looked almost comically unaggressive, like four guys who had gotten a Frisbee caught up a tree—but their numbers. Up to that moment it had not occurred to me that bears might prowl in parties. What on earth would I do if four bears came into my camp? Why, I would die, of course. Literally shit myself lifeless. I would blow my sphincter out my backside like one of those unrolling paper streamers you get at children’s parties—I daresay it would even give a merry toot—and bleed to a messy death in my sleeping bag.

[Dazrin]

Originally Posted by Dazrin

I used my lunch break to read The Man Who Bridged the Mist by Kij Johnson. It is a Nebula and Hugo Award winning novella (although my word count puts it into the "novelette" range). It was an interesting story, although I am not sure I like the ending. Maybe that is the engineer in me speaking out. I would love to see a longer version of this story or something else that explains some of the mysteries in their world.

I ended up reading 26 Monkeys, Also the Abyss by Kij Johnson as well. Another entertaining story. I am very glad so many authors put some stories on their websites.

I just finished Darwin's Radio by Greg Bear. Excellent story! I will need to try more by him in the future.

Next up is World War Z since it came in at the library. Should be a fun, quick read.

[Mivo]

Originally Posted by Mivo

Staying with the genre, but changed the author for the next novel: Jackdaws by Ken Follett.

Finished Jackdaws and enjoyed it. Run-of-the-mill WW2 espionage thriller, but a solid page-turner with a likable main character and a Gestapo officer that was only partly made of cardboard.

For the next novel, I'm a little torn between tackling Steve Berry's Cotton Malone series (starting with The Templar Legacy) or diving into Daniel Abraham's The Dagger and the Coin fantasy series, starting with The Dragon's Path. I picked up the first book of each series, so maybe I'll sample-read a couple chapters in each.