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

[Latinandgreek]

I will be doing a re-read this week of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy... it's about time, I'd say.

[pilotbob]

Well, I finished _White Seed: The Untold Story of the Lost Colony of Roanoke_. It was ok, not spectacular. Also, I was expecting something at the end which talked about how much of this was fact based on interviews and real evidence, etc. I rate this on 3.5 of 5 stars.

I started reading _Rouge Wave_ by MR author Boyd Morrison.

Since the Hitchhickers Guide to the Galaxy was the selected as MR Book Club's January read I am not sure if I will re-read it or not. I have it in dead tree version and am too cheap to buy an ebook copy. Perhaps I can "scan" my current copy to get it on my reader.

BOb

[boxcorner]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

... I rate this on 3.5 or 5 stars ...

Is that:

3.5/5 or 3.5/10
5/5 or 5/10

Is there an approved rating system? If not, how about using percent?

[kennyc]

I'm guessing a typo and he meant 3.5 OF 5 stars.

[boxcorner]

Originally Posted by kennyc

I'm guessing a typo and he meant 3.5 OF 5 stars.

Ah, yes of course, adjacent keys. I should have noticed that myself. Thanks.

[ATDrake]

Finished R.A. MacAvoy's Italian Renaissance-set fantasy-with-witches-and-angels Damiano, which was a very good coming-of-age story with simple, lyrical prose.

Unfortunately, the e-book edition is marred by a couple of minor typos and the inexplicable removal of scene breaks, so that everything runs together, as I discovered when I compared a paperback version I spotted in the used bookstore. This doesn't ruin comprehension or even affect the story flow at all, but it does make events look weirdly squished together. Good thing I got this for only $4.50 during a sale.

I really want to get started the next in the trilogy soon, but since I've been reading through my Fictionwise purchases to determine which authors to pick up during the recent deep-discount sale, now on Chelsea Quinn Yarbro of vampire Count de Saint-Germain fame's non-vampire (so far) medieval France during the time of Plague historical novel, A Mortal Glamour.

It's set initially in a convent, but seems to be moving out into the world beyond, and it's been pretty good so far. Impositions of faith and questions of rebellion and cloistering vs. worldliness so forth. Only one typo and a couple of wrong-way-round curly quotes spotted thus far.

Based on what I've read, MacAvoy and Yarbro have probably earned a secure spot on my buy-list from now on, but I'll have to give them a couple more tries before committing to their backlists for sure.

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Well, I finished _White Seed: The Untold Story of the Lost Colony of Roanoke_. It was ok, not spectacular. Also, I was expecting something at the end which talked about how much of this was fact based on interviews and real evidence, etc. I rate this on 3.5 of 5 stars.

I loved that novel. It's pure speculation, of course; as the evidence concerning the actual history is extremely sparse, but I thought it presented an entertaining and plausible possible scenario. I also felt it was well-paced: slow and meticulous at first, but by degrees the speed and intensity of the book kept increasing toward an edge of your seat climax. I'd give it 5 out of 5 stars.

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by ATDrake

Based on what I've read, MacAvoy and Yarbro have probably earned a secure spot on my buy-list from now on, but I'll have to give them a couple more tries before committing to their backlists for sure.

For MacAvoy, by all means read "Tea with the Black Dragon", a charming and original fantasy. It was nominated for the 1983 Nebula Award and 1984 Hugo Award, and got MacAvoy the 1984 John W. Campbell Award for best new writer, and the 1984 Locus Award for best first novel.

She doesn't just write fantasy: The Third Eagle is science fiction, and it tickled me to realize it was set in the Nashuite Empire of Alexie Panshin's wonderful "Anthony Villiers" adventures.
______
Dennis

[ATDrake]

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

For MacAvoy, by all means read "Tea with the Black Dragon", a charming and original fantasy.

Oh, I bought that last month with the FW CyberMonday 60% coupon, and its sequel (and a whole chunk of other MacAvoy to sample) yesterday evening with the Xmas week coupon.

I did hold off on getting The Third Eagle just yet, because I've found that sometimes writers who do really enjoyable fantasy just don't carry that talent over to science fiction enough for my tastes, and vice versa. Some authors can do both genres quite well, others seem to be visibly better at one or the other.

But yeah, this is probably one of the most important things about e-books: the potential to have all these old titles that might have fallen into obscurity become readily available to read (rights and other considerations permitting), regardless of physical print status or perceived profitability of maintaining such.

Of course there are costs to making them available in the first place, but it seems a far lower entry barrier than for paper-format books.

And less potential waste. There are some things that trees just shouldn't have to die for.

[taming]

I'm reading _Cutting For Stone_ by Abraham Verghese. I'm just 50 pages into it, but so far it seems like a good curl up in front of the fireplace kind of book. I am not usually a fan of epics, but this one takes place in Ethiopia, a country I don't know much about, which adds a level of interest.

[mikemc2]

Just finished Ken Follet's "Fall of Giants", fixin' to start re-reading "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" for the MR Book Club.

[Latinandgreek]

I'm enjoying some Aristophanes

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by Latinandgreek

I'm enjoying some Aristophanes

I gave that stuff up in the 70s, but I'll still smoke an occasional joint or two.

[Latinandgreek]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

I gave that stuff up in the 70s, but I'll still smoke an occasional joint or two.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

I gave that stuff up in the 70s, but I'll still smoke an occasional joint or two.