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

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by HarryT

No, not at all.

Thanks, Harry. I'll download a sample.

[caleb72]

Originally Posted by caleb72

Now, next cab off the rank is another indie effort. This time it's Taking the Highway by M. H. Mead. I've already read two novels from this writing duo and enjoyed them both. This one is set in the same future world so it should feel quite familiar and hopefully will be at least as enjoyable as those I have read before.

Loved this. Of the three novels, I enjoyed this one the most. I like the way these authors feed off ideas in one novel to spin a whole new and interesting story in another novel. The three novels are basically standalone, but in the same near future. In this case, the authors have taken a fairly innocuous part of the first novel and created a really interesting story. I even really liked the main character - which is always nice.

I was going to knock off half a star because I felt the logic slipping a little towards the end in a couple of places. However, I enjoyed it too much. And by that stage it was all go go go! 5 stars.

Now I'll be tackling another independent novel. This time by Tony Bertauski. It's called Halfskin. Genetic engineering gone awry?! I can do that. It sounds like it could be good, so we'll see how it goes.

[GeoffC]

Originally Posted by PurpleStar

Oh well, I'm on to The First Confessor by Terry Goodkind. I always look forward to his books.

It would be interesting to read your take on it - I've seen mixed reviews.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

How Firm a Foundation by David Weber. Continuing his Safehold series, and I hope this one moves a bit faster than the previous one!

I found this a bit slow, although I got back into the flow again by the end.

Next was another recent purchase, Asimov's SF, February 2013 by Dell Magazines. This was an average issue. Nothing outstanding, yet nothing terrible either.

Straight onto Asimov's SF, March 2013 by Dell Magazines

[PurpleStar]

Originally Posted by GeoffC

It would be interesting to read your take on it - I've seen mixed reviews.

The First Confessor started out pretty slow, but 44% in it's kind of picking up speed. I guess we'll see how the rest goes!

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Once he'd got his LOTR clone (aka "The Sword of Shannara") out of his system, he became a much better writer. The other books are worth reading, to my mind.

Am I the only person that really enjoyed Sword Of Shannara?

That said, I agree they got better....

Voyage of Jerle Shannara series is very good.

High Druid of Shannara series is ok, but not as good as above... iirc... it's been a while since I read this.

I really liked the Landover series... but lighter, more YA like... although I never read the newest book cause I heard it wasn't all that great.

I'll have to add Word and the Void series to my to read list.

BOb

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Am I the only person that really enjoyed Sword Of Shannara?

Nope. I ain't apologizing for it either.

Certainly not when at the time I first read it, the only fantasy available in the book stores I haunted that wasn't a LotR clone, was LotR itself. Love it/Hate it/Make fun of it ... Terry Brooks, Lester Del Rey, and Stephen R Donaldson (and their readership) deserve a lot of the credit for fantasy even finding its way onto prominent book store shelves in the first place.

Now, having said that... I've moved on from enjoying Brooks' style of High|Epic|Whatever fantasy long ago. But I'll always be nostalgic about those first three books of his. Especially the second one.

[avantman42]

I'm currently about 20% into Winter Dragon by Henry Martin. I'm enjoying it, reminds me of Tom Clancy's early books

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by caleb72

I need constant reminders that I need to read that this year.

Just received my used pbook copy of "The Short Novels of John Steinbeck" which includes Cannery Row -- is on my TBR list for the year.

[Latinandgreek]

I'm reading Guy Gavriel Kay's "Under Heaven". It's been on my TBR list for a long time, since it was published. I had begun to read it at an earlier point and stopped for reasons that I, quite frankly, can't recall anymore. I'm excited to give it another go!

[Dazrin]

Originally Posted by Dazrin

Next is 11/22/63 by Stephen King. Lots of you have said this is worth reading, so I am going to try it. It has been 20 years since I last read anything by SK.

That was excellent! I finished it on Monday and then haven't been able to read much since.

Now time for Shift Omnibus by Hugh Howey, Silo books 6-8. I wanted to wait for the omnibus before starting fearing that if all three weren't available I would drive myself nuts waiting for the next in the series. So far it has been very good.

[Apache]

My wife is almost finished reading 11/23/63. She was up until 4:00 AM reading it last night. Considering that she needed to get up at 7:30 AM............
Apache

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Am I the only person that really enjoyed Sword Of Shannara?

I did enjoy it as well. I've not read most of the series. So I'm doing it in chronological order.

Spoiler:

Turns out our present is Shannara's past.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Apache

My wife is almost finished reading 11/23/63. She was up until 4:00 AM reading it last night. Considering that she needed to get up at 7:30 AM............
Apache

It is one heck of a good book. Don't start 11/23/63 if you don't have the time to read.

[maianhvk]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

If you read the Shannara series in chronological order, you will be pleasantly surprised. The Word & Void series actually comes first. I was surprised when I found out. I'm reading the 2nd book now and I like the series. Then I'll move on to the next in order. It's not all like LoTR. Just some of it is similar.

I prefer the publish order, because I don't want to miss the subtle references usually seen in later books in series.

Originally Posted by HarryT

Once he'd got his LOTR clone (aka "The Sword of Shannara") out of his system, he became a much better writer. The other books are worth reading, to my mind.

Alright. I'll continue skimming Shannara to see if anything interesting comes up.