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

[HarryT]

I've been away on business this week, so lots of time to read in the evenings in the hotel. This week's reads have been:

"The Seven Dials Mystery" by Agatha Christie.

Her 10th book, originally published in 1929, and a loose sequel to the earlier book "The Secret of Chimneys", featuring many of the same characters. An archetypal Christie "thriller" featuring the usual cast of secret societies and international conspiracies. Nicely done, and well worth reading.

"Shakespeare: The World as a Stage" by Bill Bryson

I enjoy everything that Bryson writes, and this short biography of Shakespeare is no exception. It has the wit that characterises all his work, and I thoroughly recommend it.

"Rocket Ship Galileo" by Robert Heinlein

The first of Heinlein's "Juveniles", published in 1947. An early work, and the rough edges show on this one. Three teenage boys help the atomic scientist uncle of one of them to build a rocket to the Moon, where exciting adventures unfold. Enjoyable, and a quick read, but nothing special.

[issybird]

I've just finished The Devil in Velvet by the prolific John Dickson Carr. I was familiar with his Gideon Fell/locked room books; this was a departure, a time travel suspense story set in Restoration England. A great read, replete with information about daily and political life and as good a logic for time travel that I've read. Recommended.

[MickeyC]

Originally Posted by HarryT

"Shakespeare: The World as a Stage" by Bill Bryson

I enjoy everything that Bryson writes, and this short biography of Shakespeare is no exception. It has the wit that characterises all his work, and I thoroughly recommend .

I violently agree with you about Bill Bryson. All of his books are extremely interesting and well written. He is so good, he could probably make politics interesting. Well, okay, that would be a stretch even for him.

[benham]

If you like dogs, you gotta read Dogtripping, by David Rosenfelt!

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Finished Captain's Share. When last we saw Ishmael, in Double Share, he was Third Mate on the solar clipper Tinker, but now it is several years later and he's First Mate. And, of course, sitting his Master's examination and passing, which forces him onto a different ship as Captain. And, naturally, the ship he's given is the worst in the fleet, so we get to watch as he whips it into shape. Predictable, but very enjoyable.

Stuck here, trying to find something to read. I've started at least four books, and none of them are doing it for me. That's it, time for a Georgette Heyer. Hmmm, I have Bath Tangle on my Kindle and in my TBR. What the heck, I'll give that a try.

[nosake]

I'm reading a borrowed Amazon book called Buck Fever by Ben Rehder. I'm always looking for a new series to read. Sadly, this isn't going to be it.

[Yapyap]

In the last half a week or so, I've read The Moor and O Jerusalem, the fourth and the fifth books in Laurie R. King's Mary Russell series, as well as Biting Bad by Chloe Neill (eighth book in the Chicagoland Vampires series).

Loved all three - I can't remember when I've last started a month with five books in a row that have all got four stars from me.

Yesterday I started The Holders by Julianna Scott - young adult contemporary fantasy, which I got as part of my 12 month Strange Chemistry subscription. So far, I'm enjoying that one as well, although it's not blown me away as such (but then few books actually manage that).

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Now: The Day the Magic Stopped edited by Christopher Stasheff

A collection of fantasy stories on a theme. The first ones have been OK, but I doubt that anything will approach Larry Niven's wonderful "The Magic Goes Away".

It turns out to be an interesting collection of short stories, all obviously written to the same story plan - a brief unexplained break in the availability of magic in a magic Byzantium. The individual stories are fun, and it's interesting to see the differences and similarities between all the stories.


Then I read a short freebie: Best Present Ever! by Lawrence Watt-Evans

A delightful Christmas fantasy story of a bully, a super soaker gun and .... [Spoiler censor].

And now I'm reading another from the Baen August bundle: Pirates of the TimeStream by Steve White. It's continuing his time-travel stories in a universe where changing history is not possible (i.e. no paradoxes), but a time war is nonetheless being fought.

[TCSimpson]

Emperor of Thorns by Mark Lawrence
Geist by Phillipa Balantine

[benham]

Originally Posted by nosake

I'm reading a borrowed Amazon book called Buck Fever by Ben Rehder. I'm always looking for a new series to read. Sadly, this isn't going to be it.

You probably wouldn't like Carl Haissen either, then. What kind of series do you like?

[BelleZora]

I read Buck Fever and, although I enjoyed it enough to finish it, did not feel compelled to read the rest of the series. I've also read all of Carl Hiaasen's adult books and do not think that comparisons to Hiaasen hold up.

[Yapyap]

Originally Posted by Yapyap

Yesterday I started The Holders by Julianna Scott - young adult contemporary fantasy, which I got as part of my 12 month Strange Chemistry subscription. So far, I'm enjoying that one as well, although it's not blown me away as such (but then few books actually manage that).

Okay, scratch the "enjoying" part. Managed to finish it, but ugh, no.

[poohbear_nc]

Just finished this weekend's thriller treat - 'No Regrets, Coyote' by John Dufresne - and I'm not quite sure what I read, but it was highly entertaining. I suppose it is considered "Florida Noir", and is a highly convoluted murder mystery that begins on a Xmas Eve not to be forgotten -- and just keeps going .... populated with dirty cops, dirtier politicians, gamblers, the Russian Mob, Django the kitten, magicians, the homeless, Fairbanks (yes Alaska), numerous grisly murders/deaths, and lots of really black humor. The narrator is a very observant therapist used by the cops at crime scenes, Wylie 'Coyote' Melville, who always seems one step ahead or behind of everyone else. Probably the start of a series - I will definitely read the next installment.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Stuck here, trying to find something to read. I've started at least four books, and none of them are doing it for me. That's it, time for a Georgette Heyer. Hmmm, I have Bath Tangle on my Kindle and in my TBR. What the heck, I'll give that a try.

Well, that didn't work. OK. Time to get serious. Patrick O'Brian. And right back to the beginning. Master and Commander

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

And now I'm reading another from the Baen August bundle: Pirates of the TimeStream by Steve White. It's continuing his time-travel stories in a universe where changing history is not possible (i.e. no paradoxes), but a time war is nonetheless being fought.

A good story set in mid 1600s Caribbean. Some disturbing scenes, but nothing depicted in too much detail.

Next up: 1635: Papal Stakes by Charles E Gannon & Eric Flint