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

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by Fbone

Currently reading The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King. I didn't realize it was written in 1994. Did it suddenly experience a resurgence?

Originally Posted by alansplace

I don't know about a resurgence, but I just finished reading the complete series not very long ago and that includes a novella titled Beekeeping for Beginners that describes some of the same events as in The Beekeeper's Apprentice from Holmes' point of view. The 11th book in the series, Pirate King was released last September and a 12th book, Garment of Shadows is scheduled for release next month.

I'd love to raise bees, but the boss won't let me. Even if she would, I don't know how the neighbors would feel about it. I doubt we're zoned for such things.

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

I'd love to raise bees, but the boss won't let me. Even if she would, I don't know how the neighbors would feel about it. I doubt we're zoned for such things.

I guess that's something that can't really be done on a small scale, like keeping a hamster or something. Like a shoebox sized hive with about 5 worker bees and a queen. I could have used a couple of bees this summer to pollinate my squash. I had great flowers but no fruit. I realized too late what the problem was.


Stitchawl

[orlok]

I just started 15 Seconds by Andrew Gross, as it had some good reviews and I felt like some light summer reading. What a load of tripe. Reads like it is written by a 15 yo Valley girl. Gave up after 10%.

I am now reading The No.1 Zombie Detective Agency by Danny King. Much more true-to-life.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

I'd love to raise bees, but the boss won't let me. Even if she would, I don't know how the neighbors would feel about it. I doubt we're zoned for such things.

Too bad, I suspect it would be satisfying and rewarding. Here on the Coast, most of the beekeeping is done by two different guys in Roberts Creek. They move their hives around the Coast, and have deals with local farmers as well. So this week at the market I got the first of the blackberry honey (it's running late, as is everything this summer). Later in the month, it'll be fireweed. And he usually has a special run of raspberry honey from John's farm.

If you've got local farms, beekeeping can be a real boon to the locals, and quite profitable. But, as you said: WAY

[Kindoll]

I'm currently reading Rivers Of London by Ben Aaronovitch. I picked it up for a cheap as chips £1.99 at Amazon.

I really like it so far.

[Fbone]

Originally Posted by tompe

Why do you wonder that?

Laurie King's book about Mary Russell are very poplular and The Beekeeper's Apprentice is the first book in the series. So I assume new people finding the series will start with that book.

I was surprised a highly regarded 11-book series has only just recently hit my radar. It didn't help that my library doesn't stock the first title.

[DrNefario]

You don't get to 11 books in a few weeks.

It's this forum that put it on my radar. I bought the first one a while ago with a kobo coupon, but haven't read it yet. Like so much else.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

I'd love to raise bees, but the boss won't let me. Even if she would, I don't know how the neighbors would feel about it. I doubt we're zoned for such things.

In the UK, at least, bees are technically wild animals, so the owner of the hive isn't liable for any actions of the bees.

And to keep a hive in a crowded area, I'm told that one should face the entrance of the hive towards a tall (6'-10') wall. Then the bees fly up above head height before going off to find flowers.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

I'm into the last quarter. I'll finish this, but I don't think I can recommend it.

Whew! Finished.

Well. There are so many things wrong with the tetralogy I find it hard to know where to start. Some bits of it are good and interesting, but the impossibilities!

And I don't mean technical impossibilities. This is Science Fiction, so naturally we get technologies that don't exist at the moment. And quite possibly some technologies that can't exist.

I mean that things happen that would, without doubt, have consequences that don't happen.

Spoiler:

For example, an artificial fungus that attacks silicon chips is fine. Implausible, but I'm willing to go along with it. the fungus infects all the worlds computers and destroys them all, including things like chips in engines. All computers, control equipment, transport - all dead.

And there isn't mass collapse of civilisation or starvation., even in big cities. Ummm... no.

And yet, it has some redeeming features, mostly the fun ideas about artificial intelligence and what it means to be alive.

Spoiler:

Although it goes for a body/soul split that I find completely implausible.

So I don't really recommend it.

Next up:

So You Want to Be a Wizard (New Millennium Edition) by Diane Duane.

I had forgotten how good this was. I'm going to wait until I've finished it before doing a textual comparison with the original version.

[spindlegirl]

I just finished reading The Boomerang Bride by Fiona Lowe. Bought from Carina Press.

Then discovered my public library had it, oh well, it was a "coffeeshop" read and I only paid a couple dollars for it.

The story was average romance, the sex scenes made me decrease the font while I was reading on a bus and had a seat-mate, - It was overall a pretty decent read.

I found myself liking the supporting cast better than the main two characters and here is why:

Spoiler:

Lori, the male-lead's sister, who is at home recovering from a double mastectomy, also has to deal with her long-term feelings of love for a man she had known for about 16 years. I like the man, whose feelings for her transcend sexual experience and are deep and long term and based on friendship. Despite Lori having a drastic operation he still finds her sexy because he loves her. I am glad the story spent enough time on that sub-plot because I really liked it.

The male lead was a jerk, and even his epiphanies in the end didn't make me like him much. I like how he finally connected with his nephew, but his 'happy ending proposal' in the end still seemed to be selfishly based. He changed a little, but not enough to get me to fall in love with him ;-) I suppose it would be too unbelievable for a total character transformation, so I was content nonetheless.

I liked the female lead. I liked the creative way her character was written. A bit of suspension of disbelief because I have never met an Australian person who, even after having spent time on-line and in real-life with Americans was that unfamiliar with words like "supper" and "gas". Saying her own "Aussie words" by default I can understand, but it got to be a bit tedious of a read when the first half of the book had every other paragraph with her reacting in total shock, not even being able to translate American words by context.

So there you have it. Love/hate/everything in between. Light and fluffy and I was entertained.

[alansplace]

Originally Posted by alansplace

Keeper of the Keys was a highly enjoyable final novel in the Charlie Chan series. I found it a little difficult to quit that time period, so I've begun reading The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan.

In mid-book of The Thirty-Nine Steps I switched to HarryT's Richard Hannay Omnibus as I thought I might like to read more about this character in the future. When I finished it I decided I wasn't wrong, I liked it. On now to Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, a re-read unless you consider this one [Bloomsbury Edition] different than Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone [Scholastic Edition].

[carld]

I finished The House Between the Worlds. I'd give it 3 stars out of 5, good enough to finish, but that's about all. I'm about a third the way through William Barton's Radio Silence, a recent freebie. This is more my speed, and I'm enjoying it a lot.

[covingtoncat73]

I am so happy that I was able to check-out The Long Earth on Overdrive from the public library! I know it has gotten mixed reviews in this thread but I'm really enjoying it so far (of course, I'm only 18% in).

[alansplace]

Originally Posted by alansplace

In mid-book of The Thirty-Nine Steps I switched to HarryT's Richard Hannay Omnibus as I thought I might like to read more about this character in the future. When I finished it I decided I wasn't wrong, I liked it. On now to Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, a re-read unless you consider this one [Bloomsbury Edition] different than Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone [Scholastic Edition].

After finishing Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone I jumped right into a re-read of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. What fun!!

[Pookeysgirl]

Originally Posted by alansplace

After finishing Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone I jumped right into a re-read of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. What fun!!

I'm already on Prisoner of Azkaban .