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

[WT Sharpe]

Finally finished the book club selection I've already been talking about (A Room with a View by E.M. Forster), and another Moonstone Graphic Novel, this one featuring one of my all-time favorite detectives, Pat Novac (from the old 1940's radio show starring Jack Webb (Novak) and Raymond Burr (his nemesis, Police Inspector Hellman), Pat Novak, for Hire. The name of the graphic novel is, well, Pat Novak, for Hire, and centers around the now aged and retired detective, who is currently in the care of his granddaughter, as he is spurred to re-open one of his old cases. It is classic Novac, with all the wonderful one-liners and on-going noir narration that you'd expect. It's written by Steven Grant, who obviously did his homework on the character.

The lines are classic Novak:

"Hellman had always been the giving type. Especially when it came to beatings and third degrees. He had his good points, too. But there wasn't enough bourbon in the Bay Area to bring them to mind."

"If San Francisco's a cesspool, Contra Costa's where it flushes into. Suicide's too quick for some people, so they move out here and stretch it out for forty or fifty years."

"It was a nice house, if you wanted to know where the skeletons were buried and didn't mind becoming one of them."

5 out of 5 stars. (As this is the second Moonstone graphic novel I've recommended in a month, I hope no one begins thinking I work for them! )

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by januaryman

I just finished Agatha Christie's Mysterious Affair at Styles. Surprising things that lady could do to plots! It was a quick but engrossing read.

I liked it too. It's surprising that it was the first novel she wrote or published.

[maianhvk]

Originally Posted by Iridal

If you liked the first book, you're going to love the rest of the series I can't take all the credit by the way, I started reading this series because Latinandgreek recommended them.

The Hunger Games was superb! I'm going to start the next one in the series (Catching Fire) tonight.

okay, then, since I don't find Maria's post anywhere in sight, K to you (wait, it's a long road for the K to reach you - it says I must spread more K to someone else first than come back to you later)

EDIT: oh Maria had responded before I submitted my reply! K to you, my friend

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Monster Hunter Vendetta by Larry Correia

A fun romp through monster hunting. Well, I say 'fun'; it's not intended to be humorous, but it's so fantasical, it's hard to take it too seriously. If the equivalent violence was in a realistic drama, I probably wouldn't like it.

It's clearly setting up another sequel, but this book itself has a satisfying conclusion — it's not just one half of a bigger book.

And now the last 'new' book from my October 2010 webscription purchase: The Power of Illusion by Christopher Anvil

I've just finished the first short story in this anthology, and it was great. Eric Flint is to be commended for bringing Christopher Anvil's work back into print.

[thinkpad]

Started on the last (3rd) book in the Hunger Game series.

[GeoffC]

Moving towards the end of Shakespeare's Will - wondering what to follow this with ...

[Michael McLovin]

Kraken by China Mieville has been on my tbr list for months. Finally got around to reading it.
The language is a bit hard to follow but the story so far is good.

[smurfymom]

Am reading Iron Queen but am not liking it that much

[Crusader]

Started "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?". Enjoying it so far.

[kennyc]

I started Rabbit, Run - John Updike.... to say I've not read his rabbit books before now.

[GeoffC]

what are you rabbiting on about Kenny ?

[anijh]

The Girl Who Played With Fire - Stieg Larsson

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

The Power of Illusion by Christopher Anvil

A splendid conclusion to Baen series of re-issues of Christopher Anvil's Science Fiction, including a new story written for this volume. Some of the stories have dated a little, but on the whole they stand the test of time very well.

Next: The Teeth of the Tiger by Tom Clancy.

Another I bought from Fictionwise some time ago, so it's about time I read it. It's the latest but one Jack Ryan novel, apparently concentrating on his son. If I like it I'll probably get the next one, Dead or Alive.

[MarkAdair]

I'm reading Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and I'm about 3/4 through it. For the most part I'm enjoying it. More wordy than I expected but interesting story that is tying together nicely.

[ATDrake]

Originally Posted by phenomshel

Oh. My. I read this YEARS ago in paperback (my mom had it) and ADORED it. I had forgotten all about it until just now when you mentioned it. I HAVE to have this...

Awesome. I love it when readers get reunited with long-lost loved books. If you think you can hold out for a few months, there's probably a good chance that Gypsy Shadow Publishing, who's e-republishing most of Elizabeth Ann Scarborough's backlist, will participate in one of those Smashwords seasonal sales and offer 25% off their entire catalogue again (they also offer 25% for new buyers direct from their website, but they're PDF-only over there).

Thanks to you and BearMountainBooks also for the Vicky Bliss series reading order. Happily, the book I checked out last week is 2nd in the series so I can get started on it once I've finished at least one other required reading thing so I'm not completely slacking off my classes.

Speaking of which, finished reading Cleopatra 7.2 by Elizabeth Ann Scarborough, sequel to Channeling Cleopatra. It turns out that these books were actually published by the Ace/Berkley imprint, and not a small press as I'd thought.

A nicely-done continuation of the story started there, with the personalities of famous historical figures being combined with those of donor hosts, and various corporate/ideological interests trying to take advantage of/stop the people involved for various reasons, and said people's attempts to thwart them.

This one goes a step further by having one of the historical personalities bond with two different hosts, and showing how the resulting blends are similar and differ, with alternate viewpoint narration being provided by one of the Cleopatras and her observations on the contrast between ancient and modern worlds (the rest of the book is 3rd person POV).

Tends a little towards the fantasy side towards the end, with the worldwide megaconspiracy and who's hinted at actually being behind it, but otherwise a nice light mildly thriller-ish sf-based action adventure caper. With bonus archaeology.

Mildly recommended if you're fond of such and have read the first book. Because you'd be kind of lost if you hadn't.