MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Hey!! Let's get some action going! What are we reading?

gmw · 02-26-2023, 09:07 AM

It's been some months since I've updated here. It's been a busy time and I've not read as much as usual. The highlights included...

Clockwork Boys and The Wonder Engine by T.Kingfisher. I think this fantasy duology could have been edited back a little and published together as a single novel, but they were good fun and something a little different. 4/5.

The Raven and The Reindeer by T. Kingfisher. Another fantasy, almost a fairytale. I loved this one almost without reservation ... just the ending felt a bit abrupt, perhaps because I was enjoying it so much I didn't want it to end. 4.5/5.

First four books of the London Charismatics series: The Fire in the Glass, The Shadow of Water, A Wrath of Sparrows (novella) and Bridge of Ash by Jacquelyn Benson. A YA fantasy (and romance) set in the lead up (and into) World War I. They felt a bit long to me, but that may have been my mood. However, I thought the setting and characters were very well done, and the story moved along well enough to keep me reading. I'm still waiting on the last book to be released. 4/5.

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin. Contemporary fiction. I don't imagine everyone's going to like this, but I loved it. 5/5.

Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor. First book of the Chronicles of St Mary's series. Time-travel fantasy. After a slowish start this is a fast paced thriller rather than historical or scientific treatise. Which is just as well, because looking back I can see various things I'd pick at, but while I was reading it was simply good fun. 4/5.

And I've just now finished:

The Undead Mr. Tenpenny by Tammie Painter. Book one of the Cassie Black trilogy. At first I thought it was turning into a fun novel, but then the Harry Potter jokes became unfunny as the significant elements of this story began to resemble aspects of the Harry Potter story. The central mystery intrigued me enough to finish ... and the finish was okay, although not entirely convincing. I'm rounding up from 2.5 to 3/5, and I still haven't decided whether to try the next novel or not.

02-26-2023, 09:07 AM	#31231
gmw cacoethes scribendi Posts: 5,818 Karma: 137770742 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Australia Device: Kobo Aura One & H2Ov2, Sony PRS-650	It's been some months since I've updated here. It's been a busy time and I've not read as much as usual. The highlights included... *Clockwork Boys* and *The Wonder Engine* by T.Kingfisher. I think this fantasy duology could have been edited back a little and published together as a single novel, but they were good fun and something a little different. 4/5. *The Raven and The Reindeer* by T. Kingfisher. Another fantasy, almost a fairytale. I loved this one almost without reservation ... just the ending felt a bit abrupt, perhaps because I was enjoying it so much I didn't want it to end. 4.5/5. First four books of the London Charismatics series: *The Fire in the Glass, The Shadow of Water, A Wrath of Sparrows* (novella) and *Bridge of Ash* by Jacquelyn Benson. A YA fantasy (and romance) set in the lead up (and into) World War I. They felt a bit long to me, but that may have been my mood. However, I thought the setting and characters were very well done, and the story moved along well enough to keep me reading. I'm still waiting on the last book to be released. 4/5. *The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry* by Gabrielle Zevin. Contemporary fiction. I don't imagine everyone's going to like this, but I loved it. 5/5. *Just One Damned Thing After Another* by Jodi Taylor. First book of the Chronicles of St Mary's series. Time-travel fantasy. After a slowish start this is a fast paced thriller rather than historical or scientific treatise. Which is just as well, because looking back I can see various things I'd pick at, but while I was reading it was simply good fun. 4/5. And I've just now finished: *The Undead Mr. Tenpenny* by Tammie Painter. Book one of the Cassie Black trilogy. At first I thought it was turning into a fun novel, but then the Harry Potter jokes became unfunny as the significant elements of this story began to resemble aspects of the Harry Potter story. The central mystery intrigued me enough to finish ... and the finish was okay, although not entirely convincing. I'm rounding up from 2.5 to 3/5, and I still haven't decided whether to try the next novel or not.