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

[caleb72]

Just finished The Blue Man Dreams the End of Time. I had a few issues with it, but overall I enjoyed it.

Just starting The Conjure Book by Attanasio.

[ATDrake]

Finished two mystery/suspense by Lillian Stewart Carl. They were ostensibly in separate settings (one series, 1 non), but had very similar elements, with each having a female American academic with psychic sensitivity being paired up with an initially skeptical male UK police detective to solve a mysterious historical artifact-related murder and hopefully prevent any more.

Looking at the other books I have from her and the blurbs for her other non-series books, it looks like that sort of cross-Atlantic UK-philic murder-solving relationship is kind of her writing kink. Well, write what makes you money happy.

Anyway, I rather liked The Secret Portrait, 1st in the Jean Fairbairn series, which was offered free during Read an e-Book Week, and Time Enough to Die, a standalone which I got from Fictionwise during a coupon sale for approximately $1.35, enough to consider picking up the rest in the Fairbarn series and maybe Carl's other non-series mysteries when next she has a backlist e-book sale and they're offered at $1.50 or less again.

TSP was more fun, with an eccentric American millionaire who's taken his Bonnie Prince Charliephilia to ridiculous (and therefore suspicious) extent, and a fairly clever who-actually-dunnit. TETD actually had a digging-up-and-recreating-Roman-Britain setting which I actually liked more (and bonus redheads!) but was a bit more serious and the whodunnit, while fairly decent, didn't quite unfold with the same panache.

Medium-to-high-ish recommend if you like history/antiques-based amateur/professional tag-team sleuthing murder mysteries with race-against-the-killer elements and a touch of academia. They're nothing really special, but pleasantly enjoyable, and the price was certainly right.

[Rumpelteazer]

Just finished the first book in Michael Dibdin's Aurelio Zen series, Ratking. It was okay, I found Zen to be too passive for my taste. He just let's everything happen to him not taking charge. Even when he solves the case it's very underwhelming. Years ago I read the second to last Zen book and really liked it. If this was the only book of the series I'd read I wouldn't be sure if I would continue with the next one.

[phenomshel]

Originally Posted by ATDrake

Finished two mystery/suspense by Lillian Stewart Carl. They were ostensibly in separate settings (one series, 1 non), but had very similar elements, with each having a female American academic with psychic sensitivity being paired up with an initially skeptical male UK police detective to solve a mysterious historical artifact-related murder and hopefully prevent any more.

Looking at the other books I have from her and the blurbs for her other non-series books, it looks like that sort of cross-Atlantic UK-philic murder-solving relationship is kind of her writing kink. Well, write what makes you money happy.

Anyway, I rather liked The Secret Portrait, 1st in the Jean Fairbairn series, which was offered free during Read an e-Book Week, and Time Enough to Die, a standalone which I got from Fictionwise during a coupon sale for approximately $1.35, enough to consider picking up the rest in the Fairbarn series and maybe Carl's other non-series mysteries when next she has a backlist e-book sale and they're offered at $1.50 or less again.

TSP was more fun, with an eccentric American millionaire who's taken his Bonnie Prince Charliephilia to ridiculous (and therefore suspicious) extent, and a fairly clever who-actually-dunnit. TETD actually had a digging-up-and-recreating-Roman-Britain setting which I actually liked more (and bonus redheads!) but was a bit more serious and the whodunnit, while fairly decent, didn't quite unfold with the same panache.

Medium-to-high-ish recommend if you like history/antiques-based amateur/professional tag-team sleuthing murder mysteries with race-against-the-killer elements and a touch of academia. They're nothing really special, but pleasantly enjoyable, and the price was certainly right.

Okay, now I have to check these out. I thank you, but my TBR mountain doesn't!

I'm reading Murder Under Cover, the 4th Bibliophile mystery by Kate Carlisle, and Foggy Mountain Breakdown, an collection of short stories by Sharyn McCrumb. I'm actually re-reading FMB, I read it years ago but it just came out in ebook so I had to grab it. And of course once it was on my reader I couldn't resist just a few sentences to refresh my memory...and I'm sure you can guess the rest.

[ATDrake]

Originally Posted by phenomshel

Okay, now I have to check these out. I thank you, but my TBR mountain doesn't!

Well, if you do decide to look into Carl's works, just about all her backlist is cheapest via Smashwords, and you should wait for her to offer discount coupons when the Backlist E-Books author consortium holds their sporadic sale events w/discount coupons and occasional freebies.

The two exceptions are Time Enough to Die and Memory and Desire (a romantic suspense rather than a straight mystery, apparently), which are at the same base price as at Smashwords (for some reason all her other FW books are at 6.99, even the ones with the same titles), but become dirt cheap when FW has one of their rare 50%+ discount coupons (we had a 60% off one for FW's anniversary this month, and if they're still around come November, there'll probably be one of those for Cyber Monday after the US Thanksgiving holidays).

As for me, now that I'm done enabling hoarding behaviour, am currently on a slightly morbid current Kindle freebie, Their Last Suppers: Legends of History and their Final Meals by Andrew Caldwell, which is just what it says in the subtitle.

This is a collection of brief career-highlights biographical mini-essays on about a dozen famous (and infamous) historical figures and celebrities, who mostly died under dramatic circumstances, followed by what they had to eat the last day or night they were alive.

For some of them, like JFK and Princess Diana and the captain of the Titanic, there are actual records of their itineraries and so forth.

But for others, such as King Leonidas of Sparta and Captain James Cook, obviously it can only be conjectured, and the author puts together a "representative" last meal from the sort of dishes that he thinks they would have eaten, based on the ingredients then available and the typical cuisine of the time.

Recipes are included for all, updated for modern palates and ease-of-actually-making-in-a-typical-kitchen (for obvious reasons, the cyanide and ground glass are left out of the recipe for Rasputin's final meal of honeyed teacakes and poisoned wine).

I kind of like this one, but then I enjoy history, and I enjoy food culture books, and so historical food culture books are like doubleplus good to me.

Recommended if you think you might have a taste for this sort of thing, and you certainly can't argue with the price (if you manage to get it while it's still free).

[din155]

Currently I am reading American Gods by Neil Gaiman. Its so lenghty and half the time I am not sure if I am understanding what the author wants to tell but still quite a gripping story.

Hardly getting more than half an hour to read daily but will finish it by next week.

din

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

F&SF Magazine, February 2002. Another of the back-issues I picked up recently in Fictionwise's 60% off sale.

Which was OK, but nothing outstanding. I went straight onto F&SF Magazine, March 2002
A good issue. I liked the Novella "Ransom".


And next up is the fourth in the Frederick Pohl bundle I bought last month:

Jem by Frederick Pohl

[DiapDealer]

Catching up on my short genre fiction, I stumbled across this gem; Creation by Jeffrey Ford (reprinted in Fantasy Magazine). It's stories like this that I think should be garnering awards. It's all a matter of taste--at least I hope it is!--but Kij Johnson's 2010 Nebula-winning short-story Ponies left me dumb-founded; as did her 2009 Nebula winner. This is the best that short genre-fiction has to offer?!

To be fair, Jeffrey Ford's Creation was nominated for a Nebula in 2002, but didn't win. Is there a huge socio-political, clique-ey aspect to the short-fiction universe that I'm unaware of? Is it just Kij Johnson's "turn?" Do I just have horrible tastes in short fiction? Or has "good" become antiquated criteria, and subtext (delivered in a shocking package) all that matters anymore. Whatever. Stop focusing on the negative....... whoosah.

Creation is an example of the whimsical, beautiful, thought-provoking style of short-story that would win the annual DiapDealer Award.

[DixieGal]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Catching up on my short genre fiction, I stumbled across this gem; Creation by Jeffrey Ford (reprinted in Fantasy Magazine). It's stories like this that I think should be garnering awards. It's all a matter of taste--at least I hope it is!--but Kij Johnson's 2010 Nebula-winning short-story Ponies left me dumb-founded; as did her 2009 Nebula winner. This is the best that short genre-fiction has to offer?!

To be fair, Jeffrey Ford's Creation was nominated for a Nebula in 2002, but didn't win. Is there a huge socio-political, clique-ey aspect to the short-fiction universe that I'm unaware of? Is it just Kij Johnson's "turn?" Do I just have horrible tastes in short fiction? Or has "good" become antiquated criteria, and subtext (delivered in a shocking package) all that matters anymore. Whatever. Stop focusing on the negative....... whoosah.

Creation is an example of the whimsical, beautiful, thought-provoking style of short-story that would win the annual DiapDealer Award.

Nebulas are nominated based on published stories of the previous year. So your story would have qualified in 2003.

[DixieGal]

I can't concentrate enough to read anymore. Only 1 1/2 books in the past traumatic month. I'm certain it will get back to normal eventually.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by DixieGal

Nebulas are nominated based on published stories of the previous year. So your story would have qualified in 2003.

Yes. It was nominated for the 2002 Nebula award that was voted on and announced in 2003

But I was more concerned with the general trend concerning the style of last few "winning" stories. Not really that important overall, but one of those niggling little details that tripped me up enough to comment on.

That and pointing out a free (for online reading) reprinted short story that is worth a read.

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Catching up on my short genre fiction, I stumbled across this gem; Creation by Jeffrey Ford (reprinted in Fantasy Magazine). It's stories like this that I think should be garnering awards. It's all a matter of taste--at least I hope it is!--but Kij Johnson's 2010 Nebula-winning short-story Ponies left me dumb-founded; as did her 2009 Nebula winner. This is the best that short genre-fiction has to offer?!

To be fair, Jeffrey Ford's Creation was nominated for a Nebula in 2002, but didn't win. Is there a huge socio-political, clique-ey aspect to the short-fiction universe that I'm unaware of? Is it just Kij Johnson's "turn?" Do I just have horrible tastes in short fiction? Or has "good" become antiquated criteria, and subtext (delivered in a shocking package) all that matters anymore. Whatever. Stop focusing on the negative....... whoosah.

Creation is an example of the whimsical, beautiful, thought-provoking style of short-story that would win the annual DiapDealer Award.

Yes, I think there is a huge socio-political, clique thing in the short-fiction universe. Just like with the major awards for a lot of the books. Lots of jockeying for position.

If you like shorts--check out Nancy Fulda's "Dead Men Don't Cry." I've only read one J. Ford story, but some of Nancy's stories are pretty hard-hitters. One of the best (IMO) in the collection is also for sale for 99 cents (BackLash). Okay, it's more adventure style, which is totally my thing but Fulda obviously has read classic sci-fi and well understands the genre. She applies her expertise well. I love her characterization; I am so drawn to the characters. A couple of the stories in the collection remind me of Orson Scott Card's style (and I mean the depth, not any of the political leanings or whatnot.) She can tell a story.

[richvalle]

Originally Posted by cassidym

Just finished Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan. Next Fer De Lance by Rex Stout

How did you like Altered Carbon?

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by BearMountainBooks

If you like shorts--check out Nancy Fulda's "Dead Men Don't Cry." I've only read one J. Ford story, but some of Nancy's stories are pretty hard-hitters. One of the best (IMO) in the collection is also for sale for 99 cents (BackLash).

Thanks for the suggestion! I'll certainly look into Nancy Fulda's short stories.

Yes, I find myself turning to the short-story format more and more. Mostly because I'm tired of the "franchise first" mentality of my favorite genres. I love endings. I love them so much that I want every book I read to have one (just coming to a stop at a convenient point doesn't count)... then I want the authors I enjoy reading to write something completely new and unrelated to what they just wrote.

But I'm obviously in a ridiculously, hopeless minority, there.

[covingtoncat73]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Thanks for the suggestion! I'll certainly look into Nancy Fulda's short stories.

Yes, I find myself turning to the short-story format more and more. Mostly because I'm tired of the "franchise first" mentality of my favorite genres. I love endings. I love them so much that I want every book I read to have one (just coming to a stop at a convenient point doesn't count)... then I want the authors I enjoy reading to write something completely new and unrelated to what they just wrote.

But I'm obviously in a ridiculously, hopeless minority, there.

I am completely with you, Diap. I don't think a series should be more than 3 books and my favorite author, Gaiman, doesn't do series (except for Sandman, which is a graphic novel, has different rules, and ended perfectly).

I have gone off mystery series for that very reason. It seems that every mystery series out there is umpteen books long and some I have really loved grew stale and I gave them up, even though books are still coming out. Also, as much as I enjoy Jasper Fforde, I groaned when I heard another Thursday book was coming out and am hoping that the "Shades of Grey" series won't be more than a triology. Don't get me started on G.R.R. Martin.