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

[CRussel]

She thinks of it as giving people back their life when it has been stolen. While collecting money that was stolen is important (she and Uncle need to pay their bills, after all), it's what was stolen along with the money that's more the point.

Also, the debt collection side of her business eventually goes away, though not until well into the series. More than that would be spoiler territory.

[gmw]

Well given how much Ava and Uncle struggle to pay their bills, that seems like the distinction that rich people can only be eccentric, not crazy. But I think it's the manner of operation (

Spoiler:

bribing corrupt officials, kidnap and physical threats

), more than the objective, that gave me pause. A step or two away from the cliché, squeaky clean, truth and justice oriented heroes. Which is not necessarily a bad thing, but it's not entirely comfortable either, and left me wondering how well it fit with how the character had been presented otherwise.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Next up: The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, the third in the George Smiley series by John le Carré

Which was very good, but sad.

Next up: The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by gmw

Well given how much Ava and Uncle struggle to pay their bills, that seems like the distinction that rich people can only be eccentric, not crazy. But I think it's the manner of operation (

Spoiler:

bribing corrupt officials, kidnap and physical threats

), more than the objective, that gave me pause. A step or two away from the cliché, squeaky clean, truth and justice oriented heroes. Which is not necessarily a bad thing, but it's not entirely comfortable either, and left me wondering how well it fit with how the character had been presented otherwise.

Fair points, and I doubt that the next one, The Disciple of Las Vegas is likely to change your position on that. OTOH, it brings back two characters from the prequel, Andy and Carlo. Who will continue to play small, but significant roles over time. (BTW, you might want to read the prequel soonish, and not leave it too long.)

I admit, I like that this is a woman who is not a whimpering mess -- I'm frankly sick to death of the "oh, woe is me" that is all too often how women are portrayed.

[Dr. Drib]

My God, it's HORRIBLE!

I just finished reading (a few moments ago), Jan of the Jungle, by Otis Adelbert Kline. I loved this when I was teenager. Today, it's a piece of pure rubbish. A more accurate word would be one that starts with the letter 'S'.

Now back to some LITERATURE. You know: Conan of the Apes, or was that Conan on Mars. I know! I know: Conan Fights A Fever Blister! Yeah, that's the ticket.

By the hairy nostrils of Yathoob, avoid this abysmal tale.

[SeaBookGuy]

Pascal Garnier strikes me as a writer fans of Stephen King's stories might appreciate. Read his The Front Seat Passenger recently. Not a bad place to start, though other titles might be edgier, for folks seeking that.

[Uncle Robin]

Thirty percent into Anna Lee Huber's The Anatomist's Wife , an enjoyable and promising debut so far

[gmw]

Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton. I am torn between the beauty of what was written and the disappointment with what was not written. But this is definitely a book you read to enjoy the journey, not for the conclusion, and I did enjoy the journey. A little trite perhaps, but I found that forgivable for how eloquently it was expressed. The conclusion* was not unexpected, this is only a short novel. I can't quite tell if there was supposed to be a mystery around the main characters or not**. In short, I enjoyed it and can see myself re-reading this sometime, so 4/5.

*

Spoiler:

The central premise - some global catastrophe - is never explained, but it didn't take me long to realise that it wasn't going to be.

**

Spoiler:

The relationships seemed apparent to me from the start, so I'm assuming the final paragraphs were given only to remove any lingering doubt.

Apparently this been made into a movie called The Midnight Sky starring George Cluney, except that according to the movie description about the only thing it shares with the book is the names of some of the main characters.

[Uncle Robin]

4.5/5 for The Anatomist's Wife so straight into book 2, The Mortal Arts. The focus of this one is PTSD from an 1830s perspective, so far, so good.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Next up: The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey

Which was good, but more a history exploration than a mystery.

Next up was A Nice Derangement of Epitaphs by Ellis Peters. An excellent, quick read in her Inspector Felse series.

Just starting: Great Sky River by Gregory Benford. The third in his Galactic Centre series. I read the first two way back in 2011, but somehow never got to the third one. Let see if I remember anything!

[Uncle Robin]

Down to 4/5 for The Mortal Arts - very interesting subject matter, but already signs of a formulaic approach that may grow old fast. Book 3,A Grave Matter will be the last for now if good, the last if not.

[Dr. Drib]

Currently re-reading "The Breast", by Philip Roth, a hilarious, disorienting, sobering, frightening Kafakesque short novel.

Roth is my favorite literary writer - followed very closely by Javier Marias, Elena Ferrante, Roberto Bolaño, Haruki Murakami, José Saramago, and Alberto Moravia.

[gmw]

Sabriel by Garth Nix, first of the Old Kingdom YA fantasy series. This was okay. It seemed to have all the right ingredients - and when it was written female necromancers as the main character were not the dime-a-dozen they are today - and it got along at a good pace. But for some reason it didn't really draw me in. Not sure if was just a bit too much of a typical fantasy quest, with strong foreshadowing making most of the elements quite predictable, or just that the characters lacked that indefinable spark ... something, which means it only gets a 3/5 from me. Technically the first of a series, it works okay on it's own, with a satisfying conclusion.

[poohbear_nc]

After All: Last Poems by William Matthews -- he can make everyday, ordinary language sing, make the ordinary pieces of life into mythology or fantasy. The poem 'Dire Cure' encapsulates the horrifying and exhausting experience of being thrust into the role of caregiver when a partner is suddenly diagnosed with, and treated for, cancer.

He delights in word play, especially exploring the meanings and contradictions, and evolution, of oxymorons. A quirky point of view wedded to a poet's ear for language. Mesmerizing.

[ReadingManiac]

Started two group reads.

Re-reading Joyland by Stephen King, a favourite, and reading Carnegie's Maid by Marie Benedict, by whom I've read The Other Einstein. It's shaping up to be rather good!