Hey!! Let's get some action going! What are we reading? - Page 17

shousa · 03-05-2008, 06:17 PM

Just finished Antony and Cleopatra by Colleen McCullough thanks to members of this forum pointing out it was a continuation of the series. Starts off seeming not as good as the rest of the series but gets moving when Antony tries to invade the Parthians.

I have been on and off with reading the Random house version of The history of the decline and fall of the roman empire. Interesting stuff eg describes how many of each type of weapon eg bolt throwing scorpion of a certain size was in each legion from old days of the republic to the end of the empire (numbers change).

montsnmags · 03-05-2008, 06:33 PM

On the weekend I visited my brother and got to visit an actual bookstore (Borders), and one bigger than my loungeroom (it's one thing I miss about living in Sydney). I have to say that, while I've always been somewhat bemused by people saying that ebooks will never replace pbooks (just thinking your normal fiction here), I found that again browsing a large brick-and-mortar bookstore is worlds above browsing a mobipocket or an Amazon or a Project Gutenberg. [sigh] It was wonderful.

Anyway, to get to the point, I bought there The Philosopher's Dog (Raimond Gaita), Perdido Street Station (China Miéville), The Sparrow and Children of God (Mary Doria Russell).

I just last night started The Sparrow and, while I'm only a few tens of pages in, I'm already quite stunned by it. I hope it keeps up this way, though the essential suspense of wondering what happened is already infuriating (but it's that most pleasant of rages

).

Cheers,
Marc

DMcCunney · 03-05-2008, 11:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

She doesn't do this in any of her other books; I'm not sure why the Valdemar books have it as such a prominent feature of them. Presumably it was deliberate, but I can't imagine why. Did she deliberately write them for the gay fiction market, I wonder?

No, I think she just got taken with the idea and reveled in the fact that she could write about a gay protagonist.
______
Dennis

JSWolf · 03-05-2008, 11:36 PM

I didn't find the gay aspect to be off putting at all.

Elsi · 03-06-2008, 12:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by montsnmags

I just last night started The Sparrow and, while I'm only a few tens of pages in, I'm already quite stunned by it. I hope it keeps up this way, though the essential suspense of wondering what happened is already infuriating (but it's that most pleasant of rages

).

Although Russell published these as two books, I can only think of them as a single story. If I had been forced to stop reading at the end of The Sparrow, I would have been extremely distressed. Children of God is essential and I strongly recommend that one not start reading The Sparrow unless you know for sure that you can put your hands on its sequel as soon as possible.

Elsi · 03-06-2008, 12:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elsi

I'm going to buy the rest of her Deeds of Paksenarrion trilogy, for sure

Do get it. It's one of my all-time-favourite fantasy novels. A superb book.

Did. Ordered immediately after posting. Discovered that PayPal used "eCheck" instead of "Instant Funds Transfer", so I only received the download link today. I now have to finish reading a paper book that I've offered as a swap and then I can read on in the Paksenarrion series.

HarryT · 03-06-2008, 03:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elsi

Did. Ordered immediately after posting. Discovered that PayPal used "eCheck" instead of "Instant Funds Transfer", so I only received the download link today.

Yes, it's a real nuisance when that happens, isn't it? Happened to me inadvertantly a few weeks ago when I let my PayPal balance get too low, and it took a week and a half to clear, which I think is somewhat excessive. PayPal seem to have changed the way they do bank transfers - here in the UK it used to take 3-4 working days; now it takes 7 working days.

nekokami · 03-06-2008, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

I like a lot of Lackey's stuff, but I must admit that I find the constant pushing of the "gay agenda" in some of the Valdemar books to be a little "over the top". I don't have the slightest issue with characters in a book being gay (that is, after all, simply a reflection of the real world), but I find that in some of the Valdemar books it's "pushed forward" to such an extent that it gets in the way of the plot-line.

For me, it's not that the characters are gay, but that they're... well... whiny. Not that this is restricted to the gay characters, but they seem to get a double-dose. I like a bit of introspection, but Lackey takes it to a new level. There wasn't so much of it in Arrows of the Queen and its two sequels, but it really interfered with my enjoyment of pretty much all her books since the Last Herald Mage series. I found myself skimming through the bits with the really moody characters.

But perhaps that's just me.

Steven Lyle Jordan · 03-06-2008, 02:02 PM

I'm reading Old Man's War through the Tor download. This may be my first war SF, and although I don't know that I'll make it a habit, I'm enjoying Scalzi's work, and obviously there's more than just the war story going on there. Wonderfully crafted and thought-out!

Lobolover · 03-06-2008, 04:08 PM

started "Auriol; or, The Elixir of Life" by William Harrison Ainsworth

HarryT · 03-07-2008, 03:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nekokami

For me, it's not that the characters are gay, but that they're... well... whiny. Not that this is restricted to the gay characters, but they seem to get a double-dose. I like a bit of introspection, but Lackey takes it to a new level. There wasn't so much of it in Arrows of the Queen and its two sequels, but it really interfered with my enjoyment of pretty much all her books since the Last Herald Mage series. I found myself skimming through the bits with the really moody characters.

But perhaps that's just me.

No, I agree with you. I too enjoyed the original "Arrows" trilogy much more than the later Valdamar books for just that reason.

DMcCunney · 03-07-2008, 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elsi

Although Russell published these as two books, I can only think of them as a single story. If I had been forced to stop reading at the end of The Sparrow, I would have been extremely distressed. Children of God is essential and I strongly recommend that one not start reading The Sparrow unless you know for sure that you can put your hands on its sequel as soon as possible.

I recommended that an old friend read Dan Simmon's _Hyperion_. Bantam chose to publish the mass market PB edition of Hyperion as two books, but did not label the first book as part one of two. My friend ran into the virtual wall at the ending of book one, discovered belatedly there was a second volume, and was so incensed he refused to read anything else by Simmons. Ever. My protests that the break was a publisher's decision and not Simmon's fault fell on deaf ears.
______
Dennis

yvanleterrible · 03-07-2008, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

I recommended that an old friend read Dan Simmon's _Hyperion_. Bantam chose to publish the mass market PB edition of Hyperion as two books, but did not label the first book as part one of two. My friend ran into the virtual wall at the ending of book one, discovered belatedly there was a second volume, and was so incensed he refused to read anything else by Simmons. Ever. My protests that the break was a publisher's decision and not Simmon's fault fell on deaf ears.
______
Dennis

In French Hyperion is a four book print and so is Endymion.

Basqueman · 03-08-2008, 06:07 PM

I'm about half way through Ken Follett's "The Pillars of the Earth". It's the best book I've read in along time and it is the first Ken Follett book I've ever picked up. Not sure how his other books stack up since from what I understand, they are all thrillers. I am really impressed with his writing and how richly descriptive his prose is. I feel like I'm sitting down and watching a movie instead of reading. The pictures created in my mind by his words are very detailed.

yvanleterrible · 03-08-2008, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Basqueman

I'm about half way through Ken Follett's "The Pillars of the Earth". It's the best book I've read in along time and it is the first Ken Follett book I've ever picked up. Not sure how his other books stack up since from what I understand, they are all thrillers. I am really impressed with his writing and how richly descriptive his prose is. I feel like I'm sitting down and watching a movie instead of reading. The pictures created in my mind by his words are very detailed.

Absolutely, and I'm really looking forward to the sequel "World without ends"!

03-05-2008, 06:33 PM	#242
montsnmags Grand Sorcerer Posts: 10,155 Karma: 4632658 Join Date: Nov 2007 Device: none	On the weekend I visited my brother and got to visit an actual bookstore (Borders), and one bigger than my loungeroom (it's one thing I miss about living in Sydney). I have to say that, while I've always been somewhat bemused by people saying that ebooks will never replace pbooks (just thinking your normal fiction here), I found that again browsing a large brick-and-mortar bookstore is worlds above browsing a mobipocket or an Amazon or a Project Gutenberg. [sigh] It was wonderful. Anyway, to get to the point, I bought there The Philosopher's Dog (Raimond Gaita), Perdido Street Station (China Miéville), The Sparrow and Children of God (Mary Doria Russell). I just last night started The Sparrow and, while I'm only a few tens of pages in, I'm already quite stunned by it. I hope it keeps up this way, though the essential suspense of wondering what happened is already infuriating (but it's that most pleasant of rages ). Cheers, Marc Last edited by montsnmags; 03-05-2008 at 06:34 PM. Reason: grammar

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03-05-2008, 06:17 PM	#241
shousa Groupie Posts: 181 Karma: 232 Join Date: May 2006	Just finished Antony and Cleopatra by Colleen McCullough thanks to members of this forum pointing out it was a continuation of the series. Starts off seeming not as good as the rest of the series but gets moving when Antony tries to invade the Parthians. I have been on and off with reading the Random house version of The history of the decline and fall of the roman empire. Interesting stuff eg describes how many of each type of weapon eg bolt throwing scorpion of a certain size was in each legion from old days of the republic to the end of the empire (numbers change).

03-05-2008, 11:36 PM	#244
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 80,727 Karma: 150249619 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	I didn't find the gay aspect to be off putting at all.

03-06-2008, 02:02 PM	#249
Steven Lyle Jordan Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,478 Karma: 5171130 Join Date: Jan 2006 Device: none	I'm reading Old Man's War through the Tor download. This may be my first war SF, and although I don't know that I'll make it a habit, I'm enjoying Scalzi's work, and obviously there's more than just the war story going on there. Wonderfully crafted and thought-out!

03-06-2008, 04:08 PM	#250
Lobolover Gorosei Posts: 421 Karma: 334 Join Date: Feb 2008 Device: Microsoft Word	started "Auriol; or, The Elixir of Life" by William Harrison Ainsworth

03-08-2008, 06:07 PM	#254
Basqueman Member Posts: 18 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Santa Clarita, CA Device: PRS-505	I'm about half way through Ken Follett's "The Pillars of the Earth". It's the best book I've read in along time and it is the first Ken Follett book I've ever picked up. Not sure how his other books stack up since from what I understand, they are all thrillers. I am really impressed with his writing and how richly descriptive his prose is. I feel like I'm sitting down and watching a movie instead of reading. The pictures created in my mind by his words are very detailed.