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

[tompe]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I find some of Cherryh's books to be hard work. She's an excellent author, but her writing style isn't always easy to deal with. Another one of hers that I would recommend is the Cyteen trilogy. Although it's a part of the Union/Alliance series, it can be read in isolation.

Cyteen is really just one thick book. It was published in one volume by New English Library. I think it was split in three books for the US version. Cyteen was for me not an easy read and a Cherryh book I would not re-read. And I am still a bit annoyed that you do not get to know who closed the door...

[HarryT]

Yes, it does have rather an "abrupt" ending, doesn't it? . It's a book I really enjoyed, though. Unfortunately, none of the Union/Alliance books seem to be available as ebooks.

[HarryT]

Just finished "When in Rome", the 26th book in the "Inspector Alleyn" series by Ngaio Marsh, originally published in 1968. Alleyn is posing as a tourist in Rome, on the trail of a British drug smuggler believed to be operating from their. The supposed smuggler is operating an exclusive tour company, and Alleyn joins the tour, only for tragedy to follow.

As with the previous book in the series, "Clutch of Constables", this is a superb book, one of the best in the series. Marvellously atmospheric and a fascinating cast of characters, all of whom it seems (in the finest "Agatha Christie" tradition) have their reason for wanting to commit murder. But what a contrast this is to Agatha Christie, with her cardboard 2-dimensional characters. Marsh's characters are "real people" whom you can empathise with. Thoroughly recommended.

On next, I think, to Raymond Feist's "Magican", a classic fantasy novel. It's many years since I read this; I'll be interested to see how well it bears re-reading. Well, I hope, given that I've bought all 25-odd of Feist's books .

[caleb72]

Originally Posted by HarryT

On next, I think, to Raymond Feist's "Magican", a classic fantasy novel. It's many years since I read this; I'll be interested to see how well it bears re-reading. Well, I hope, given that I've bought all 25-odd of Feist's books .

Loved that first trilogy. One of the few epic fantasy trilogies that I actually re-read.

[Joy736]

Originally Posted by Joy736

next up is: The fault in our stars by John Green. Yes, I know: really really unoriginal, but I just have to know what everyone is talking about.

Just finished it. It's the first time a book made me cry. Need I say more......? Speechless....... If you still haven't: READ IT READ IT READ IT READ IT.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Next up: Loot by Aaron Elkins. A stand-alone by Aaron Elkins, bought in the final days of Fictionwise in October 2012.

An excellent book (fiction), concerning art treasures looted in WWII.

Next up:
Rage of a Demon King by Raymond E. Feist (another Fictionwise purchase, but from October 2008)

[samhy]

Yesterday, I started "And All The Stars" by Andrea K. Höst (self-published). I really like it so far, even though I'm not used to the post-apocalyptic genre. I aim to be 50% through by the time I turn off the lights tonight.

Madeleine Cost is working to become the youngest person ever to win the Archibald Prize for portraiture. Her elusive cousin Tyler is the perfect subject: androgynous, beautiful, and famous. All she needs to do is pin him down for the sittings.

None of her plans factored in the Spires: featureless, impossible, spearing into the hearts of cities across the world – and spraying clouds of sparkling dust into the wind.

Is it an alien invasion? Germ warfare? They are questions everyone on Earth would like answered, but Madeleine has a more immediate problem. At Ground Zero of the Sydney Spire, beneath the collapsed ruin of St James Station, she must make it to the surface before she can hope to find out if the world is ending.

[Rumpelteazer]

Yesterday was a quiet day in the store and I finished episodes four, five and six of Yesterday's Gone, finishing the first season. I really like this series, each episode seems to throw a curve ball and changes how you think the story will progress.

Now, as they say, it's time for something completely different; The Bastard, the first book in the Kent Family Chronicles, by John Jakes.

[pholy]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I find some of Cherryh's books to be hard work. She's an excellent author, but her writing style isn't always easy to deal with. Another one of hers that I would recommend is the Cyteen trilogy. Although it's a part of the Union/Alliance series, it can be read in isolation.

Originally Posted by tompe

Cyteen is really just one thick book. It was published in one volume by New English Library. I think it was split in three books for the US version. Cyteen was for me not an easy read and a Cherryh book I would not re-read. And I am still a bit annoyed that you do not get to know who closed the door...

Originally Posted by HarryT

Yes, it does have rather an "abrupt" ending, doesn't it? . It's a book I really enjoyed, though. Unfortunately, none of the Union/Alliance books seem to be available as ebooks.

Although these take in our solar system, they are an early part of the Union/Alliance series: The Belt Miners. Heavy Time comes first, but of course I didn't check that before I started reading the other one first.

[Stitchawl]

I'm just about to finish the first book of 'The Farseer Trilogy' by Robin Hobb, "Assassin's Apprentice."

I found this review of the book, which I'll put here; "I can barely remember the last time I waited quite this breathlessly for the next installment of a series." At the time, I didn't realize it was because nothing of any substance happened in the first book...

I admit that it's been interesting to watch the development of the characters, and the flow of history as the story progresses, but I've got about 10 more pages to go and there has yet to be anything really substantive happening. A bit of this, a bit of that, but in which book of the Trilogy does the MAIN EVENT happen? The story is well written, the characters interesting and well developed, and there is no 'boredom' to reading it, but where is the 'oomph?' So far, nothing has really happened. It's as if this is the first 300 pages of a 700-page book.

EDIT: Well, it just happened. He didn't kill someone important but was blamed for it, then forgiven. The end. I'll read book two in a few months after I get my blood running again.

Stitchawl

[Rumpelteazer]

I'm finally starting to be more critical about not continuing with books I don't like. The Bastard is the third book I have abandoned this year. I can understand why many people like it but it just isn't for me.

[DrNefario]

I've just read The Sacred Art of Stealing by Christopher Brookmyre for my ABC Murders sub-challenge. (Investigator Angelique de Xavia was pretty much my only choice for X.)

It was a fun read. Not so much an investigation as a caper, but easy to read and engaging. It did suffer a bit from using too many contemporary references. It's only a decade old but it wears its age on its sleeve.

I've started another Hugo winner: Hominids by Robert J. Sawyer. I'd heard it might be a bit uninspired, but I'm enjoying it enough after the first 50 pages.

[mewmartigan]

finished The Allow of Law by Brandon Sanderson. Very nice follow up to the Mistborn trilogy and I assume there will be further books based on the ending...

Now reading By Heresies Distressed by Davide Weber (book #3 of Safehold). Enjoying it as much as the other two.

[Dazrin]

Originally Posted by Dazrin

With that in mind, I am going to do my first re-read of the year: The Hound of the Baskervilles. I read this many years ago and remember enjoying it, but it had been my only exposure to Holmes and I was a bit turned off by the experience last year. Now, I am hopeful that his later works are closer to the Memoirs than the Adventures and I will really enjoy them too.

Another excellent selection. I didn't like it quite as much as the Memoirs, but that may have been because it was a re-read. It feels like time for a break from Sherlock Holmes though, so I need to find something else.

[pilotbob]

I read Hounds first, as a MR book club selection. After I read it, I had to read all the Homes stuff.

My biggest issue with it, while all very enjoyable is in many cases it is very hard for the reader to solve the mystery, because information Holmes knows isn't revealed to the reader until the denouement.

BOb