Hey!! Let's get some action going! What are we reading? - Page 1121

pdurrant · 06-04-2013, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

I'm now starting to read the whole of Agatha Christie's non-romance works in order.

[...]

Although I've read this several times previously, one of the benefits of increasing age and declining memory is that I was still surprised by the outcome

.

I'm doing the same, but I started back in February 2011, so I'm a far way through, having just finished her 46th book, The Labours of Hercules.

I also find that, even having seen the film, or perhaps even having rad the book before, I sometimes have forgotten which characters are the red herrings, and which is the villain! But I've always been like that....

Dazrin · 06-04-2013, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dazrin

Now I am reading a non-fiction story about Albrecht Dürer, How the Great Hoax Began (Crimes in the Art: The Secret Cipher of Albrecht Dürer). So far it isn't bad and the conspiracy/hoax is an interesting premise, although I am not yet convinced that it is non-fiction.

I finished this one at lunch. I was not impressed. I admit that it might be because I am not a Durer scholar, but there were a lot of unsubstantiated claims and the book wasn't very organized. It is also the first book in a four book set, so doesn't really wrap up well. At least it was short.

Up next is The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

pilotbob · 06-04-2013, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

You know that "The Three Musketeers" is merely the first part of a very, VERY much longer work: "The D'Artagnan Romances"? The whole thing is in the MR library, under that title, in 4 volumes.

Hmm... maybe that will be my next read. I'm due for some public domain classics since my last was Pride and Prejudice in Aug 2010.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

What is the best way to download these 4 epubs from the library? I think it's time I broadened my horizons.

EDIT: I should have said 'best way to download 'all at the same time.'

Stitchawl

Alas, there is no batch d/l feature here. Mainly because most contributors spend countless hours proof reading and editing the books and we didn't want to make to TOO easy for other sites to easily benefit from that work. Yep, it's a little bit selfish.

BOb

caleb72 · 06-04-2013, 11:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

You know that "The Three Musketeers" is merely the first part of a very, VERY much longer work: "The D'Artagnan Romances"? The whole thing is in the MR library, under that title, in 4 volumes.

Hey thanks for that. A while ago I was thinking about this but hadn't quite worked out what I was specifically looking for. And now I find that we have HarryT versions available in 4 neat downloads.

Karma coming your way.

Xanthe · 06-05-2013, 03:06 AM

I finished the ARC of Carol O'Connell's latest Kathy Mallory book, "It Happens In The Dark", and I really enjoyed it. Our favorite sociopathic detective this time is investigating a series of deaths that occur during a new Broadway play, one in which a ghostwriter has managed to re-write on-the-fly another playwright's work into a story about a family massacre in the Mid-West. The usual cast of characters are all present (Riker, Charles Butler, Lt. Coffey, Lou Markowitz' poker buddies) and a couple more detectives get fleshed out a bit. There is a rivalry with another precinct over the case. The play's personnel are quirky and have secrets of their own. I enjoyed the understated humor in it as the real world tries to operate around Mallory's universe and her rules, and the eternal question - is Mallory developing any real human emotions or is it all just a stratagem?

I think that I'll pick up the audio version when it's released.

pdurrant · 06-05-2013, 04:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Hokas Pokas! by Poul Anderson and Gordon R. Dickinson. This is my earliest (bought 19 Mar 2002) unread book in my calibre database. I wonder if I've read it and forgotten that I've done so?

No, I hadn't read it. And so I'd missed a good book. It's only been sitting in a folder waiting to be read for 11 years!

A fun collection of short stores with one longer story. Recommended.

A free short story next: Neil Gaiman's "How to Talk to Girls at Parties" that I picked up from Amazon last month.

pdurrant · 06-05-2013, 04:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

A free short story next: Neil Gaiman's "How to Talk to Girls at Parties" that I picked up from Amazon last month.

An intriguing glimpse of a world in a short story. Classic Gaiman.

Time for another of my Agatha Christies. Her 47th mystery book: Taken at the Flood. Bought in a fictionwise sale back in February 2010.

Gazella · 06-05-2013, 09:14 AM

I'm almost done with my reread of A Tale of Two Cities and my sister kept nagging me to start The Count of Monte Cristo so I did because I wasn't able to take anymore of her constant nagging and I can see why, now I can't put it down! But what I regret is, the book is not a short one and finals are coming up and I won't be able to read as much as I'd like to.

Dr. Drib · 06-05-2013, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gazella

I'm almost done with my reread of A Tale of Two Cities and my sister kept nagging me to start The Count of Monte Cristo so I did because I wasn't able to take anymore of her constant nagging and I can see why, now I can't put it down! But what I regret is, the book is not a short one and finals are coming up and I won't be able to read as much as I'd like to.

Which translation [version] are you reading?

Don

Gazella · 06-05-2013, 09:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

Which translation [version] are you reading?

Don

The Penguin Classics edition, translated by Robin Buss.

WT Sharpe · 06-05-2013, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

...A free short story next: Neil Gaiman's "How to Talk to Girls at Parties" that I picked up from Amazon last month.

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

An intriguing glimpse of a world in a short story. Classic Gaiman....

That looks like a fun little diversion from my regular reading. It's still free at Amazon. I just picked it up. Knowing Gaiman, it's bound to be a bit twisted (but in a good way).

LovesMacs · 06-05-2013, 09:50 PM

Being inspired by posts here and in the "Can't miss PD books" thread, I've begun to reread Les Trois Mousquetaires. I've read it years ago but never read the sequels.

JSWolf · 06-05-2013, 10:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dazrin

I was very apprehensive when I started Among Others since it doesn't sound like the type of book I normally care for. As I said to my wife, a book about a young girl who happens to see fairies just doesn't seem that interesting to me. The main reason I even started it was because it was nominated for the June book club so I ordered it at my library in the hopes that I could get it by the middle of June and be able to participate if it was selected. I am very glad that I read it when it came in even though it wasn't selected, it was quite remarkable and a deserving winner of the Hugo and Nebula awards (not that I have read many of the winners to compare).

I wanted to read something by Jo Walton. I was able to get Among Others as the library. So I did and it was a very enjoyable book. Quite different from what I've been reading. Highly recommended.

pdurrant · 06-06-2013, 03:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Taken at the Flood. Bought in a fictionwise sale back in February 2010.

A good Poirot mystery, neatly wrapped up at the end. I'm a little puzzled by one of the character's actions, but on the whole, I'm very satisfied.

Next: Seer's Blood by Doranna Durgin. Originally bought back in April 2002.

HarryT · 06-06-2013, 08:26 AM

Finished Agatha Christie's 2nd book, "The Secret Adversary" - the first of the "Tommy and Tuppence" books, first published in 1922. Tommy Beresford and "Tuppence" Cowley are, like millions of young people following the end of WWI, short of money and finding it hard to settle down into the routine existence of civilian life. They decide, therefore, to look for adventure, and get caught up in a criminal mastermind's plot to overthrow the British government. This, like all of Christie's "international conspiracy" books, is rather far-fetched, but great fun. Recommended. It's in the public domain in the US (but not most other places).

On now to David Weber's "The Apocalypse Troll", a fun standalone SF yarn that I originally bought from Baen in Jan 2000.

06-05-2013, 09:14 AM	#16808
Gazella Wizard Posts: 1,705 Karma: 4619474 Join Date: Nov 2012 Device: Kindle Scribe, Kindle Paperwhite	Hey!! Let's get some action going! What are we reading? I'm almost done with my reread of A Tale of Two Cities and my sister kept nagging me to start The Count of Monte Cristo so I did because I wasn't able to take anymore of her constant nagging and I can see why, now I can't put it down! But what I regret is, the book is not a short one and finals are coming up and I won't be able to read as much as I'd like to.

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06-05-2013, 03:06 AM	#16805
Xanthe Plan B Is Now In Force Posts: 1,894 Karma: 8086979 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Surebleak Device: Aluratek,Sony 350/T1,Pandigital,eBM 911,Nook HD/HD+,Fire HDX 7/8.9,PW2	I finished the ARC of Carol O'Connell's latest Kathy Mallory book, "It Happens In The Dark", and I really enjoyed it. Our favorite sociopathic detective this time is investigating a series of deaths that occur during a new Broadway play, one in which a ghostwriter has managed to re-write on-the-fly another playwright's work into a story about a family massacre in the Mid-West. The usual cast of characters are all present (Riker, Charles Butler, Lt. Coffey, Lou Markowitz' poker buddies) and a couple more detectives get fleshed out a bit. There is a rivalry with another precinct over the case. The play's personnel are quirky and have secrets of their own. I enjoyed the understated humor in it as the real world tries to operate around Mallory's universe and her rules, and the eternal question - is Mallory developing any real human emotions or is it all just a stratagem? I think that I'll pick up the audio version when it's released.

06-05-2013, 09:50 PM	#16812
LovesMacs Fanatic Posts: 513 Karma: 2644386 Join Date: Apr 2012 Device: iPhone, Kindle Touch	Being inspired by posts here and in the "Can't miss PD books" thread, I've begun to reread Les Trois Mousquetaires. I've read it years ago but never read the sequels.

06-06-2013, 08:26 AM	#16815
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,556 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Finished Agatha Christie's 2nd book, "The Secret Adversary" - the first of the "Tommy and Tuppence" books, first published in 1922. Tommy Beresford and "Tuppence" Cowley are, like millions of young people following the end of WWI, short of money and finding it hard to settle down into the routine existence of civilian life. They decide, therefore, to look for adventure, and get caught up in a criminal mastermind's plot to overthrow the British government. This, like all of Christie's "international conspiracy" books, is rather far-fetched, but great fun. Recommended. It's in the public domain in the US (but not most other places). On now to David Weber's "The Apocalypse Troll", a fun standalone SF yarn that I originally bought from Baen in Jan 2000.