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

[SeaBookGuy]

You can't judge the audiobook experience by a single sample!

[issybird]

Point taken! Even if Cleo proves disappointing, I shan't give up right away.

[ATDrake]

Originally Posted by phenomshel

I absolutely ADORE Jana Deleon's Mudbug series.

Oops. At least I didn't mangle the author's name too badly. Only one extra letter and space this time. But yeah, they're nice light wacky fun.

Finished R.A. MacAvoy's Twisting the Rope, which is the sort of urban fantasy that's so low-key about the fantasy elements (you wouldn't really know there were much of any at all, if it weren't for the vague allusions to a particular character's nature which was not so much explained as glossed over in a previous book) that it could have almost equally as well have been a slightly quirky cozy amateur sleuth story in the mystery section.

I quite liked it. Mild recommend if you like this style of novel (stronger if you enjoyed the previous in series).

Also finished Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's Blood Games, which was a very definite historical vampire revenge story. It follows political maneuvering from Nero through Vespasian, or maybe Domitian, as basically a sort of excuse to explain how one particular character became a vampire. I'm not sure if this was written specifically as that character's backstory, or it's just coincidental and this was meant to be What I Did During My Imperial Roman Phase part of Saint-Germain's life (Didn't Eat… Bread, Watched Circuses, Oh and By the Way I Made Another of Our Kind).

In any case, entertaining enough writing (book was a bit long at 7000 locations and occasionally felt drawn out), good use of historical setting/detail/personages, interesting part-epistolary effect with correspondence relating certain exposition; villain could have used killing some 2000 locations sooner, though.

Now on Elizabeth Ann Scarborough (occasional Anne McCaffrey co-writer)'s solo fantasy novel Song of Sorcery, another one of my recent Fictionwise MultiFormat buys.

So far, it's been a rather pleasant light-hearted tale of chance thrown-together boon companions (or however it goes) on a quest to find a missing sister who'd been bespelled away by a sorcerous rival. It's got a witch, a bard, and the requisite talking animal companion (though only the witch can understand him) having interesting adventures along the journey, in a low key rather than grand epic way.

[boxcorner]

I have just read Treason, historical fiction, which I enjoyed immensley. I found it really quite gripping, so I could hardly bear to put it down. It's about two warring dynasties, the houses of Lancaster and York, and the civil wars known as the Wars of the Roses, battling for control of the throne of England. Meredith Whitford has skilfully interwoven fact with fiction, and produced a fully convincing and enthralling story, that had me reaching for history books, to learn more about certain events that the book covers, and other dictionaries, to check on the etymology of some of words the author chose to use. I really adore superb books like this, that inspire me to read around a subject, thus expanding my knowledge. Medieval history often appears dry and remote, but this thrilling book cleverly brings that period of European history to life, as it's full of the stuff of life: love, fear, tragedy, joy, hatred, courage, greed, heroism, remorse, despair and much, much more. I think it would make a great film, but rather dread Hollywood script-writers getting hold of it. So, I recommend this book most highly, as a thoroughly good read and can't wait to read more of her books.

[thinkpad]

After my rant about the first book in the Rain Wilds Chronicles by Robin Hobb I didn't think I would pick up the continuation but since I got a large gift-card on Amazon for Christmas I'm now reading the second book: Dragon Haven.

I think my anticipation for the first book was misdirected. I expected the dragons to be the centre of the book like in Noviks Termeraire series but the Rain Wilds Chronicles are more about the human relations than it is about the dragons.

Why the book is split into two still annoys me since the first book doesn't really end.

I also find it useful to read it on the Kindle since I've come across a lot of words I didn't really know the definition of. Once again the Kindle proves more useful than reading on regular paper.

[WT Sharpe]

I just finished The Oxford Book of Modern Science Writing edited by Richard Dawkins, and with that I have met my book reading goal for 2011. I believe that makes me the first MobileRead member to meet their 2011 reading goal. The rest of you folks with tickers in their signatures need to get on the stick!

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

I just finished The Oxford Book of Modern Science Writing edited by Richard Dawkins, and with that I have met my book reading goal for 2011. I believe that makes me the first MobileRead member to meet their 2011 reading goal. The rest of you folks with tickers in their signatures need to get on the stick!

Excellent. It's always good to reach your goals! Particularly reasonable goals.

I do wonder about your thoughts on the book. I was a bit disappointed in that it seemed to consist of a lot of excerpts and I'd prefer to read full articles/essays.

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by kennyc

Excellent. It's always good to reach your goals! Particularly reasonable goals.

I do wonder about your thoughts on the book. I was a bit disappointed in that it seemed to consist of a lot of excerpts and I'd prefer to read full articles/essays.

I thought it was pretty good, although by necessity limited, as you indicated. There are what -- about a hundred essays in that book? Even though it was limited in scope, I did learn from it. For example, I believe I can now explain Russell's Paradox without embarrassing myself. That alone was worth the price of admission.

You can expect to see some quotes from it in the Notable quotes, excerpts, and profound lines thread in the near future.

[BenG]

I'm on the second book in Neal Stephenson's Baroque Trilogy and loving it so far, though the detailed discussions of science, finance and history may put some people off.
The doings of the Royal Society (Including Isaac Newton, Robert Hooke, and Samuel Pepys) is a major focus of the books, so I've been reading essays from Seeing Further: The Story of Science, Discovery, and the Genius of the Royal Society interspersed with Stephenson.

Seeing Further is a collection of essays edited by Bill Bryson about the group that is credited with inventing modern science and peer review. It's fascinating reading.

[jgaiser]

Finished my first book of 2011.

Jim Butcher's "Storm Front", the first Harry Dresden novel. It was compared to the "Sandman Slim" novels, but Harry isn't bad-a$$ enough. I'll probably try a couple more of the series.

[s1mp13m4n]

I just bought my first ebook reader, so I am not reading anything yet. I am listening via audiobook to the Janet Evanovich series called Stephanie Plum

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by s1mp13m4n

I just bought my first ebook reader, so I am not reading anything yet. I am listening via audiobook to the Janet Evanovich series called Stephanie Plum

Welcome to MR! Enjoy!

[phenomshel]

Reading Ghosts of New Orleans by Terri Reid. Other than the fact that I started it last night after I got home from work and then discovered it's not precisely bedtime reading, I'm enjoying it.

[Steve Anderson]

I'm about halfway through The Arms Maker of Berlin and finding it getting better.

It's two novels in one: A present day hunt for secret archival materials; and a backstory set in WWII-era Germany that takes up half of the story. The back-and-forth can be good or bad depending on your reading tastes. It's working for me just well enough, though who's really the antagonist is a little murky (not a bad thing necessarily). I'd call this an intelligent thriller about uncovering the past.

Happy New Year!
Steve

[GraceKrispy]

I just read and reviewed "Spiral X" by J.J. Westendarp, a new MR member. If you like fast-paced Vampire Hunter thrillers, this may be the book for you

Review here.