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

[Asawi]

Wanted something short and light today. The Princes And The Penis by RJ Silver fits both. A couple of LOL moments, and lots of chickles thoughout the quick read (90 short pages). And it's free.
http://www.manybooks.net/titles/silv...the-penis.html

[C. Woods]

Just finished reading The Cambridge List by Robert Clear on my shiny new Kindle Fantastic dark comedy, which has definitely got me back into the genre. Any other recommendations for similar titles would be warmly welcome!

[orlok]

Originally Posted by C. Woods

Just finished reading The Cambridge List by Robert Clear on my shiny new Kindle Fantastic dark comedy, which has definitely got me back into the genre. Any other recommendations for similar titles would be warmly welcome!

Haven't read this, but judging by the blurb you may enjoy books by Robert Rankin or Tom Holt.

[C. Woods]

Thanks for the recommendation Orlok!

[carld]

Just started Code of the Lifemaker by James Hogan. It's the free Pheonix Pick of the month. I'm just into the extended Prologue so far, but it's an interesting, and entertaining description of the evolution of robotic life.

[siraks]

Originally Posted by carld

Just started Code of the Lifemaker by James Hogan. It's the free Pheonix Pick of the month. I'm just into the extended Prologue so far, but it's an interesting, and entertaining description of the evolution of robotic life.

as an extension to the above,
find hogan listed on the left or scroll till you find the book, under the book click download free copy.

http://www.sfsignal.com/archives/201...james-p-hogan/

available until may 31 2011 - code 9992144

you have the option to subscribe to the newsletter or just download the book, choose what you wish and enjoy.
i just grabbed it and am adding to the kobo in hopes of getting to it sometime in the near future.

[ATDrake]

Finished Victoria Strauss' sf/fantasy The Garden of the Stone, which explores the fallout from The Arm of the Stone a generation later.

Again, an interesting story which takes some unusual and unexpected routes to get to its destination and mildly contemplative regarding the nature of power and responsibility and choice and betrayal.

Recommended if you enjoyed the first book, which was a freebie last month.

Now onto another sf/fantasy, Christopher Stasheff's The Warlock In Spite of Himself, one of my Phoenix Pick purchases during last month's sale.

This edition includes a new "looking back" introduction by the author, which was a nice touch. Though I was thinking that it was not so much the technology in the book which was outdated, but the gender attitudes.

Apparently in the viewpoint character's internal narrative, women who don't act as he thinks they ought to and do what they will, of their own will for their own purposes instead, are all "bitches" bent on using their feminine wiles to lead a man around by not-his-nose. Unless they're properly soft and yielding and in helpless need of rescue by him, then they become okay.

Aside from that, mildly amusing borderline comical sfnal outsider dropped into a fantastic faux-medieval colony who've developed "magical" powers, with the intent of destabilizing their system of government and replacing it with FREEDOM and DEMOCRACY!!!!! Also incidentally maybe-thwarting a plot to destabilize the local system of government and replace it with totalitarianism from other, competing outside interests.

According to the intro, this was much more resonant in a Cold War context.

[covingtoncat73]

Almost done with Galore.

[WT Sharpe]

This week I finished the excellent Wake by Robert J. Sawyer, which I commented on earlier. I also finished The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and was surprised after a very slow start what a page-turner it was toward the end for a book written in 1850.

[Crusader]

Finished Neal Asher's Gridlinked. A very good action-packed read. Somewhat similar to Iain M Banks.

Now starting on A Game of Thrones.

[covingtoncat73]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

This week I finished the excellent Wake by Robert J. Sawyer, which I commented on earlier. I also finished The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and was surprised after a very slow start what a page-turner it was toward the end for a book written in 1850.

Yeah! The Scarlet Letter is the exception that proves the rule for me in that books about women written by men in previous eras usually turn me off (see Tess, Madame Bovary) but I actually enjoyed The Scarlet Letter when I read it in school.

Oh, I finished Galore. Mr. Crummey certainly knows the language and described 19th century/early 20th century Newfoundland beautifully but I found this pretty slow going, after a quick start. I started to get lost with the characters and their relationships and wished I could've printed out the family tree for constant reference. That being said, I started getting enthralled again near the ending.

After that, I started on some mind-candy, Hounded by Kevin Hearne. It is quite fun so far and a breezy read. I read over 60 pages just last night.

[GeoffC]

I'm reading Daniel Arenson's books - I've read Firefly Island and am working my way through Flaming Dove.

I feel Flaming Dove is a better read, it gets into the action quickly, Firefly Island was slow to start and a little confusing, but it did pick up once all the characters had been introduced - may need a second read-through to appreciate it.

[estelle58]

I'm reading Patricia Cornwell's "Cruel and unusual" and I plan to read the entire Scarpetta series

[orlok]

Originally Posted by estelle58

I'm reading Patricia Cornwell's "Cruel and unusual" and I plan to read the entire Scarpetta series

Generally an excellent series, though sometimes I wish the unrelenting seriousness would be alleviated with some humour.

Just don't bother with her Andy Brazil or Win Garano series, which I personally found awful.

[jgaiser]

Originally Posted by covingtoncat73

After that, I started on some mind-candy, Hounded by Kevin Hearne. It is quite fun so far and a breezy read. I read over 60 pages just last night.

Yes... I've been waiting for the release after the reviews here on MR. So far it's a fun book.