Hey!! Let's get some action going! What are we reading? - Page 738

BearMountainBooks · 10-17-2011, 02:00 PM

Finished:

Child of Fire by Harry Connolly

Excellent Urban fantasy; some unique magic and twists. I did a full review at my blog. Recommended for anyone who likes thrillers.

ProjeKtWEREWOLF · 10-17-2011, 06:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kennyc

Suddenly I find myself trying to read 12 things at once and feeling frustrated....also 10's more on my "must read right now" list....maybe I need to step away and focus on one thing....

I'm having exactly the same problem but between 3 books. I just can't get into any of them.

WT Sharpe · 10-17-2011, 08:34 PM

Saturday morning I finished Micromegas and Other Short Fictions by Voltaire (the Penguin Classics 2002 edition). These stories show Voltaire at his wittiest. Sometimes the targets are subtle, at others times hard-hitting and direct, but always stinging. The title work is a gem, in which a 120,000 royal foot tall alien from the Sirius star system and a smaller six thousand foot tall alien from Saturn visit earth and at first assume it to be uninhibited because they cannot envision living creatures so pitifully infinitesimal. A natural assumption, since the insects which the Sirian-born Micromegas dissected when he was a mere child of only 450 years were "scarcely a hundred feet in diameter and invisible under ordinary Sirian microscopes."

The targets of these satirical tales are the very ones you would expect from Voltaire. Highly recommended. 4 stars out of five.

<><><>

Also 4 stars out of five for The Case of the Velvet Claws by Erle Stanley Gardner. This was a very enjoyable re-read, and kudos to whoever holds the copyrights for finally releasing at least some of the Perry Mason books as ebooks.

Strangely, it has been so long since I read it that I had forgotten all but the last few pages, where Gardner lays out the set-up for the next book in the series (The Case of the Sulky Girl).

xg4bx · 10-18-2011, 05:06 AM

The Sable City by M. Edward McNally. its a great fantasy novel and i'm enjoying it but it seems to be taking an unusually long time to finish.

HomeInMyShoes · 10-18-2011, 06:28 AM

Finished M is for Magic by Neil Gaiman. Pretty good. Some nicely demented short stories in the collection.

Now it's on to The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami. I've heard lots of good stuff about Murakami, but I've read nothing by him yet.

Latinandgreek · 10-18-2011, 07:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HomeInMyShoes

Finished M is for Magic by Neil Gaiman. Pretty good. Some nicely demented short stories in the collection.

Now it's on to The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami. I've heard lots of good stuff about Murakami, but I've read nothing by him yet.

You will enjoy that one I think, it's one of my favorites!

kennyc · 10-18-2011, 07:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HomeInMyShoes

Finished M is for Magic by Neil Gaiman. Pretty good. Some nicely demented short stories in the collection.

Now it's on to The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami. I've heard lots of good stuff about Murakami, but I've read nothing by him yet.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Latinandgreek

You will enjoy that one I think, it's one of my favorites!

Hmmmmm (my avatar says) I just started the first story in his, The Elephant Vanishes and just read the reviews on Amazon. The opening of this book "Wind Up Bird.." sounds exactly like the first story in this book.

Bizarre...in that I just read a Jennifer Egan short story in Best American Short Stories 2011 that is part of her novel "Visit from the Goon Squad"

I'm thinking I'm in some strange twilight zone time-space warp thing? Save me Mr Wizard!

(Just checked and Yes it is an excerpt from the novel .... Time/Space returns to normal)

HomeInMyShoes · 10-18-2011, 09:14 AM

Gaiman's M is for Magic contains one story that is one of the chapters from The Graveyard Book so I just experienced the same weird space-warp thing going.

So far, I'm liking the Murakami. It's hilarious that the first real place mentioned in the novel is a hotel by Shinagawa station. The hotel I stayed in when I was in Tokyo overlooked that station.

kennyc · 10-18-2011, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HomeInMyShoes

Gaiman's M is for Magic contains one story that is one of the chapters from The Graveyard Book so I just experienced the same weird space-warp thing going.

So far, I'm liking the Murakami. It's hilarious that the first real place mentioned in the novel is a hotel by Shinagawa station. Oddly enough, the first place named is Shinagawa station and the hotel I stayed in when I was in Tokyo overlooked that station.

See, the book was written just for you!

HomeInMyShoes · 10-18-2011, 09:47 AM

Re-reading what I wrote and wow, that was a copy/paste editing blunder. I have this strange feeling of deja-vu.

Dr. Drib · 10-18-2011, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kennyc

Hmmmmm (my avatar says) I just started the first story in his, The Elephant Vanishes and just read the reviews on Amazon. The opening of this book "Wind Up Bird.." sounds exactly like the first story in this book.

Bizarre...in that I just read a Jennifer Egan short story in Best American Short Stories 2011 that is part of her novel "Visit from the Goon Squad"

I'm thinking I'm in some strange twilight zone time-space warp thing? Save me Mr Wizard!

(Just checked and Yes it is an excerpt from the novel .... Time/Space returns to normal)

The short story from the story collection is not an excerpt from the novel; rather, the novel (of the same name) is a re-visioning and expansion of previous thematic content originating from the short story.

Don

kennyc · 10-18-2011, 02:48 PM

Aiiieeeee! AiiiiiEEE! let's do the Time Warp Shuffle!

kennyc · 10-18-2011, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

The short story from the story collection is not an excerpt from the novel; rather, the novel (of the same name) is a re-visioning and expansion of previous thematic content originating from the short story.

Don

Ah thanks for the explanation!

As I said I opened the book of short stories and the novel on Amazon samples and it was word for word the same. So was somewhat confused.

Dr. Drib · 10-18-2011, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kennyc

Ah thanks for the explanation!

As I said I opened the book of short stories and the novel on Amazon samples and it was word for word the same. So was somewhat confused.

I'll start a Murakami thread on this title when the ebook is actually released, so that'll give us something to discuss as we work through it. Are you interested?

Don

Latinandgreek · 10-18-2011, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kennyc

Aiiieeeee! AiiiiiEEE! let's do the Time Warp Shuffle!

It's just a jump to the left.... and then a step to the riiiiiiight!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

I'll start a Murakami thread on this title when the ebook is actually released, so that'll give us something to discuss as we work through it. Are you interested?

Don

I am VERY interested!

10-18-2011, 09:14 AM	#11063
HomeInMyShoes Grand Sorcerer Posts: 19,226 Karma: 67780237 Join Date: Jul 2011 Device: none	Gaiman's M is for Magic contains one story that is one of the chapters from The Graveyard Book so I just experienced the same weird space-warp thing going. So far, I'm liking the Murakami. It's hilarious that the first real place mentioned in the novel is a hotel by Shinagawa station. The hotel I stayed in when I was in Tokyo overlooked that station. Last edited by HomeInMyShoes; 10-18-2011 at 09:46 AM. Reason: because the first time didn't make any sense repeating myself

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10-17-2011, 02:00 PM	#11056
BearMountainBooks Maria Schneider Posts: 3,746 Karma: 26439330 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Near Austin, Texas Device: 3g Kindle Keyboard	Finished: Child of Fire by Harry Connolly Excellent Urban fantasy; some unique magic and twists. I did a full review at my blog. Recommended for anyone who likes thrillers.

10-17-2011, 08:34 PM	#11058
WT Sharpe Bah, humbug! Posts: 39,072 Karma: 157049943 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Chesapeake, VA, USA Device: Kindle Oasis, iPad Pro, & a Samsung Galaxy S9.	Saturday morning I finished Micromegas and Other Short Fictions by Voltaire (the Penguin Classics 2002 edition). These stories show Voltaire at his wittiest. Sometimes the targets are subtle, at others times hard-hitting and direct, but always stinging. The title work is a gem, in which a 120,000 royal foot tall alien from the Sirius star system and a smaller six thousand foot tall alien from Saturn visit earth and at first assume it to be uninhibited because they cannot envision living creatures so pitifully infinitesimal. A natural assumption, since the insects which the Sirian-born Micromegas dissected when he was a mere child of only 450 years were "scarcely a hundred feet in diameter and invisible under ordinary Sirian microscopes." The targets of these satirical tales are the very ones you would expect from Voltaire. Highly recommended. 4 stars out of five. <><><> Also 4 stars out of five for The Case of the Velvet Claws by Erle Stanley Gardner. This was a very enjoyable re-read, and kudos to whoever holds the copyrights for finally releasing at least some of the Perry Mason books as ebooks. Strangely, it has been so long since I read it that I had forgotten all but the last few pages, where Gardner lays out the set-up for the next book in the series (The Case of the Sulky Girl).

10-18-2011, 05:06 AM	#11059
xg4bx Are you gonna eat that? Posts: 1,633 Karma: 23215128 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Phillipsburg, NJ Device: Kindle 3, Nook STG	The Sable City by M. Edward McNally. its a great fantasy novel and i'm enjoying it but it seems to be taking an unusually long time to finish.

10-18-2011, 06:28 AM	#11060
HomeInMyShoes Grand Sorcerer Posts: 19,226 Karma: 67780237 Join Date: Jul 2011 Device: none	Finished M is for Magic by Neil Gaiman. Pretty good. Some nicely demented short stories in the collection. Now it's on to The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami. I've heard lots of good stuff about Murakami, but I've read nothing by him yet.

10-18-2011, 09:47 AM	#11065
HomeInMyShoes Grand Sorcerer Posts: 19,226 Karma: 67780237 Join Date: Jul 2011 Device: none	Re-reading what I wrote and wow, that was a copy/paste editing blunder. I have this strange feeling of deja-vu.

10-18-2011, 02:48 PM	#11067
kennyc The Dank Side of the Moon Posts: 35,904 Karma: 119230421 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Denver, CO Device: Kindle2; Kindle Fire	Aiiieeeee! AiiiiiEEE! let's do the Time Warp Shuffle!