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

[phenomshel]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

It took a chapter or two for me to get into it, but I really enjoyed it. JSWolf is right - fun and not full of teen angst. (Although there's a little twenty-something angst.)

A nice take on the alternate universe that includes werewolves, vampires, witches, pixies, etc. I think it's fairly obvious what kind of creature the villian is (although it's not stated in the first book). It will be interesting to see if I'm right.

Spoiler:

My guess is that Trent is an elf.

So that's two new series on my Amazon wishlist. First the Temeraire series, and now the Rachel Morgan series. But they'll have to wait until my "to be read" folder is a bit smaller!

So now onto Crucible of Empire by Eric Flint and K. D. Wentworth. I seem to remember enjoying the previous book, although it's been a while since I read it — hmm... at least five years.

You're ahead of me, I had to wait til the author spilled the "secret" of what he was.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

So that's two new series on my Amazon wishlist.

Just remembered that that actually makes three series on the wish list. The third is the series of detective novels set in Tudor England by C J Sansom. The first of these is Dissolution, which I read back in August.

[SneakySnake]

Originally Posted by recluse

Currently reading "Anno Dracula" by Kim Newman.

The year is 1888, and Queen Victoria has a new consort...Prince Vlad Tepes, known throughout Europe as Count Dracula. The age of the vampire has arrived...an era of pomp and decadence, oppression and unrelenting bloodshed...as, one by one, the British elite freely abandon their humanity and actively seek the Dark Kiss of eternal youth. But, as all London is hideously transformed, a ripper stalks the night streets of Whitechapel, preying on vampire girls who sell their bodies for blood and silver...an elusive murderer who threatens the power of the undead Prince...a renegade mortal who must be stopped before he can bring the unGodly's reign of terror to an end.
So far, it is a wild mix of historical fact and fiction. You just never know who you might run into next. Great fun!

OOOh! I'll have to look that one up. Thanks for the precis'

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

At least it sends you to the reading room!

Oooooooh! That's stinky!

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by desertgrandma

No.......that makes me sound old!

Well then, let's make you sound grand. Would Dgrand do?

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by phenomshel

Just started this. Beautifully formatted, and so far I'm enjoying the storyline.

I'm not doubting you that Tree of Life is well formatted. But I'd like to ask what your idea of well formatted is. Others disagree with my definition and I just want to know how yours matches with mine.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by poohbear_nc

In her Three Pines mystery series, Louise Penny has created a spiritual Shangri-La populated by deeply flawed misfits who have withdrawn from city life to inhabit a town not found on maps. Her detective, Armand Gamache, and his team of honorable but flawed homicide detectives visit this town during the course of their investigations into a wide range of murders. Gamache belongs to the class of detectives I call "decent men trying to function in a corrupt world by following their consciences."

Each book in this marvelous series (http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/p/louise-penny) explores and develops the characters of both the townsfolk and the detective squad -- they meet, interact, and grow together as they learn to trust one another.

With a review like that, I will have to give the first book a go.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by cassidym

Problem is, The Reversal costs $14.00 on the Sony site and a similar price on Amazon. I'm going to wait a while and see if the price doesn't drop to $9.99 like it did on Stephen Hawkings' latest book.

You could try the local library if they have eBooks.

[seagull]

I'm reading 'The Notebook, The Proof, The Third Lie: Three Novels' by Agota Kristof, it's quite good so far and I got through The Notebook in a few hours, it's quite harrowing at times though.

[blackcat]

About 23% of the way through Hyperion by Dan Simmons, very good read so far!

[GraceKrispy]

I'm now done with "The Summoning Fire" (review on my blog), and I also finished the first two books of the Hunger Games trilogy in short order. Sure wish the third one would get here quickly! (I've moved up to #159 on the library waiting list)

I'm going to start reading Point of Origin- kind of excited about it!

[WT Sharpe]

I started a new tradition beginning last year of reading a banned book every year for Banned Books Week (the last week of September). This year it was Fanny Hill by John Cleland.

Spoiler:

It wasn't tame, even by today's standards, but the fun stuff that got it banned was remarkably unimaginative. It was all raise the petticoats, assume the missionary position, and take the money. The only deviation from that general pattern was one fellow who felt the need to spank and be spanked, which I suppose floats some boats.

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

For that and other reasons, I've often thought that were Jesus alive today he wouldn't recognize the religion that was founded in his name.

I've had the occasional fantasy of what might happen if there is a God in the Christian sense. I can see an assortment of folks getting an eternally unpleasant surprise, as they meet their Maker, and He says "You did what in My name? No heaven for you, pal!"
______
Dennis

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by Steve Anderson

I'm enjoying Operation Mincemeat by Ben Macintyre -- non-fiction history about an Allied intelligence ruse during WWII that involved planting a dead, faked British officer to wash up on the shores of Spain carrying papers that would fool the enemy about the invasion of Sicily. Lots of nice background about the quirky intelligence officers who cooked up the con, many of whom were novelists and frustrated adventurers.

I usually read (and write) historical espionage fiction but this is doing the trick. It was also a movie called The Man Who Never Was. As far as the characters go, it's about as close to fiction as you can get.

It's a fascinating period. British intelligence was doing their best to play with the heads of the Nazis. They were assisted in this by the Nazis, who had different intelligence services competing with each other, and spies directed by and loyal to their particular spymasters, who were often trying to undermine each other to rise in the hierarchy.

There was one case where the British turned a Nazi agent, then deliberately ran him as incompetently as they could manage, with the idea that the Nazis would discover it, and get an unrealistically low opinion of British Intelligence abilities. Only one problem: the Nazis never picked up that the guy was a double agent...

If you should happen to encounter it, there's a charming British film called "I was Monty's double", in which an actor who resembles Montgomery is recruited by British Intelligence to pretend he is Montgomery, and then sent as Montgomery on an inspection tour of North Africa. It's the build up to the Normandy invasion, and the Germans know a strike is coming, but don't know whether it will be across the English Channel, or up from North Africa, or both, and Intelligence wants to keep them guessing and their forces divided as long as possible.
______
Dennis

[lilac_jive]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

It took a chapter or two for me to get into it, but I really enjoyed it. JSWolf is right - fun and not full of teen angst. (Although there's a little twenty-something angst.)

A nice take on the alternate universe that includes werewolves, vampires, witches, pixies, etc. I think it's fairly obvious what kind of creature the villian is (although it's not stated in the first book). It will be interesting to see if I'm right.

Spoiler:

My

So that's two new series on my Amazon wishlist. First the Temeraire series, and now the Rachel Morgan series. But they'll have to wait until my "to be read" folder is a bit smaller!

So now onto Crucible of Empire by Eric Flint and K. D. Wentworth. I seem to remember enjoying the previous book, although it's been a while since I read it — hmm... at least five years.

I just finished Dead Witch Walking as well and I have to say I didn't love it. I had a hard time believing things, and the main character was kind of irritating. I might read the second, it's definitely reedemable.

Although I'm realy mad I didn't think of Trent being what you thought he was. I think you are right.