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

[benham]

I got it from a Gary Ponzo post on FB. If you haven't read any of his yet, check him out.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by issybird

Fixed that for ya.

Too late. I let a mere 50% code apply and went ahead and bought it. And it's next up, just as soon as I finish the last of the Steerswoman books, The Language of Power. Which, by the way, I'm really enjoying!

[bfisher]

Originally Posted by benham

13 books from bestselling authors with a total value over $50 for just .99cents. Yes, you read that right. This is a short term ebook promo. Available on Amazon, B&N and Kobo. Thrilling Thirteen: 13 Thrilling Thrillers

Thanks. At only $CDN 1.09, I had to find out what a "forensic geology" thriller would be like.

[Dazrin]

Originally Posted by bfisher

Thanks. At only $CDN 1.09, I had to find out what a "forensic geology" thriller would be like.

FYI, that one happens to be free in the US if you get it separately. Several of the stories from this are free right now if you want just one or two.

[Dazrin]

Originally Posted by Dazrin

Next is The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker. Not quite my normal type of story, but given the accolades it has received and the good reviews here and elsewhere, I thought I would try it.

Excellent! Thank you to everyone who recommended it here.

Next is Just One Damned Thing After Another the first of the Chronicles of St. Mary's (Institute of Historical Research) where "[t]hey don't do 'time-travel' - they 'investigate major historical events in contemporary time'." It sounds like it should be good.

[covingtoncat73]

Originally Posted by Dazrin

Excellent! Thank you to everyone who recommended it here.

Next is Just One Damned Thing After Another the first of the Chronicles of St. Mary's (Institute of Historical Research) where "[t]hey don't do 'time-travel' - they 'investigate major historical events in contemporary time'." It sounds like it should be good.

I'm glad you liked it!

I still need to finish The Steerswoman. Firstly, I had to go on to The Paris Wife for my book club, then my pre-order of Christopher Moore's Serpent of Venice was delivered to my Kindle, so. I am at 70-something percent and should finish it today before returning to "Serpent."

The Paris Wife was pretty good but not great and not the most exciting read.

"Serpent" is, of course, hilarious.

The real star of the show the book I am listening to on audio, Donna Tartt's The Goldfinch. I really, really should have gotten the Kindle eBook as well as using my Audible credit on the audiobook. The audio is very good but this is the kind of book deserving of both a listen and a read.

[benham]

Black Is Back, #2 in the Black series by Russell Blake.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Hmmm. Got sidetracked. I started to read Shaman's Crossing, but then another book on my TBR caught my eye, and I abandoned Ms. Hobb after about 20 pages. But I might go back, I think it was the desire for something a bit different. IAC, I ended up reading Imager, by L.E. Modesitt Jr. I've read this before, as an audio book, but never as a regular book, but decided I wanted to re-read it now that so much of the back story is known. I'm enjoying it, though I just skip over the too frequent faux-religious crap. Finished it, and had started on the second in the series, Imager's Challenge, but that's going to have to go on hold for a day or two. Rosemary Kirstein's fourth (and final so far) book in the Steerswoman series, The Language of Power is out on Kindle (DRM-Free), and that comes first.

Finished The Language of Power, and it very much left me wanting her to get well enough to write more! I really like this series. I like the premise (technology as magic), I like the strong female protagonists, I like the pace and language, and I like the characters in it.

Also finished Imager's Challenge. Like all the Modesitt books I've read, the story is good when he isn't pontificating. I just skip over pages at a time. Overall, I'd give this a 3.5 to 4. Enough that I'll finish this story arc with Imager's Intrigue, but not enough to be actually excited about it.

On deck is also Grand Central Arena. I've heard enough good things about this that I just have to give it a try.

[PurpleStar]

Still reading The Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan. I've been reading over 2 weeks and still only 57% done. It's so looooooooooong...

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Next up: For Richer, For Poorer: A Love Affair with Poker by Victoria Coren.

Absolutely wonderful. Really - a very, very good book indeed. I'm very glad I bought it, even though it's not the kind of book I usually buy or read.

Now for something completely different: A Liaden Universe® Constellation: Volume Two by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller.

The second volume of their shorter works set in the Liaden universe. Most of these I'd read before, as I also have their earlier ebook-only collection. But I'm reading the newer ones with great pleasure.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by CRussel

On deck is also Grand Central Arena. I've heard enough good things about this that I just have to give it a try.

Oh, I think you'll like it a lot. It'll help if you've read some EE "Doc" Smith, but even if you haven't, I think you'll enjoy it. Ignore the diagrams at the start though - I think they'll only make sense after you're some way into the book.

[Latinandgreek]

Originally Posted by issybird

OK, this is getting serious. I really am going to have to haunt the Kobo Ebook Buying Addicts' Support thread for a while

Fixed that for ya.

I'm reading the Lies of Locke Lamora. I'm pretty sure I'm going to be diving into the sequel as soon as I'm done. Great fun, I'm going to push this one on my husband if I can find a Croatian copy.

[orlok]

Originally Posted by Dazrin

Next is Just One Damned Thing After Another the first of the Chronicles of St. Mary's (Institute of Historical Research) where "[t]hey don't do 'time-travel' - they 'investigate major historical events in contemporary time'." It sounds like it should be good.

It's good fun - hope you enjoy it.

Still working my way through Bioshock: Rapture (the game tie-in) which I have mixed feelings about (the Cockney is only mildly more irritating than Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins ) but I shall persevere as I am also playing the gane at the same time, and it is fun to follow the references.

[ericws]

I used to be an avid reader of the Rogue Angel Series by Alex Archer (a pen name used by several writers), and couldn't wait for the next installment to come out, (usually about once a month). While waiting for the next book a while back, I started reading another series of books. I recently went back to read one of the Rogue Angel books and something was wrong. I just couldn't get into the book like I used to. Then it hit me. Sure the action-adventure, was still there and it was ok, but there was a stagnant feeling now, The main character in the early books was discovering new things about herself and her association with the mystical sword of Joan of Arc,and that kept the anticipation fresh in my mind. Now, after several books, that anticipation is missing. The character growth has stopped. I am currently at book 38, The Matadors Crown, and am having a hard time getting thru it. What I would like to know is, has anyone else read beyond this point, and if so, is there and further growth in Anja's relationship with the sword or mysticism? Any new instincts or abilities that emerge? That is what drew me into the stories in the first place.
I know, not many would like to be associated with cookie cutter series, but I enjoyed the stories at one point and would hate to stop now if Anja starts growing again. Any comments?

[Synamon]

Not much reading was done in March, but I finished up both the taxes and my DVD box set of The West Wing a couple of weeks ago and I've been on a reading tear ever since.

I finished The Miracle at Speedy Motors by Alexander Smith, it's number 9 of The Ladies No. 1 Dectective Agency. I listen to these to hear Lisette Lecat's soothing voice. Makes the time go by easier while inputting accounting data for taxes. I also relistened to a couple of Dick Francis mysteries while working on the taxes.

I started reading Deborah Crombie's Kincaid and James mystery series and am up to number 6. These are very well done English police procedurals with a personal dimension, the cases are connected in some way to the detectives and usually have a limited cast of potential killers. My library has most of these, plus I bought some on sale at Kobo almost 2 years ago.

Mixed in was The Blooding by Joseph Wambaugh, a non-fiction about the early use of DNA in some rape/murders in England. A true crime whodunnit.

I listened to Sycamore Row by John Grisham, a sort of sequel to A Time To Kill, with the same lawyer and town featured. I got bored halfway through and skipped to the final hour.

Robert J Sawyer's short story Identity Theft was a mix of sci-fi and detective fiction, set on Mars. Fun and clever.

I'm up to Like Love on my Ed McBain haul, when I want something easy I read these. Ten down, twenty more to go.

I gave Paul Aster's NY Trilogy a try with City of Glass. Too weird and pointless for me so I didn't finish.


ETA: Oops, forgot to mention that I'm listening to John Irving's In One Person right now, I'd been saving it for when I could concentrate on it and it hasn't disappointed. Irving is one of my favourite authors; although I haven't liked all his books, the ones I have liked were 5 star masterpieces.