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

[Hampshire Nanny]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Finished Ashes of Victory, and moved on to Treecat Wars.

I downloaded the entire October bundle last week. I read the first chapter in the Calibre reader immediately after loading it, and will be getting back into it very soon.

Originally Posted by Mivo

Test-read the first couple chapters of The Templar Legacy and couldn't put it down, so, the Cotton Malone series it is.

Cotton Malone is definitely an engaging series. I'm slowly working my way through it, though I haven't read any this year.

Originally Posted by CRussel

I was planning on reading the Edge of Evil.

I've been enjoying this series. I have the most recent one, Left for Dead sitting in a stack of paperbacks that I want to read fairly soon.

Originally Posted by CRussel

Excellent!!!
And now for a completely different view of Edinburgh, The Uncommon Appeal of Clouds, the latest Isabel Dalhousie book by Alexander McCall Smith, bought with a Kobo coupon.

Love, LOVE this series. I always get these in the audio edition. Davina Porter is the reader and she does a magnificent job with them.

[Hampshire Nanny]

I just finished reading the first two books in Orson Scott Card's "First Formic Wars" series (Earth Unaware and Earth Afire). They are co-written with Aaron Johnson, and I'm not impressed with the fact that each book has simply STOPPED rather than coming to a conclusion. I wish I'd known this before I started reading the books -- I'd have waited until all of them were available.

That said, however, the books have been pretty good. Some of the reviewers on Goodreads have complained about the lack of good character development, but I haven't noticed any problem with it.

One thing I've really enjoyed about the Kindle edition has been moving back and forth between my iPhone and the K3 as I read these books. Because I share my Kindle account with my sister, I don't have the automatic synchronization turned on, but have had no problem in quickly locating my place when I moved from one device to another.

[samhy]

Originally Posted by samhy

My mistake: I'm going to start reading A Storm of Swords, not the next installment

Joy to the world! I finished it on Saturday. It was full of surprises and unexpected discoveries, but before that the plot setting was quite slow.

I'm reading Measuring Up by Nyrae Dawn, a quick book with no killings and a story that won't tire my mind. After that I will start A Fest for Crows, the last book in the bundle I bought. Or maybe I'll wait for my brother to start it so we can read it along.

[HarryT]

I finished "Lord Edgware Dies" (US title, "Thirteen at Dinner") by Agatha Christie last night. This was her 17th novel, and the 8th featuring Hercule Poirot, and was originally published in 1933.

Jane Wilkinson, an actress, is suspected of murdering her husband, the fourth Baron Edgware, so that she can marry the Duke of Merton. At the time of the murder, however, she was at a dinner party with 12 other people as witnesses!

This is widely regarded as one of Christie's best novels, and I agree with that judgment. It has an interesting cast of characters, a complex plot, and a surprising solution. Very highly recommended!

[Rumpelteazer]

I finished Stephen R. Lawhead's Hood last night (okay, very early this morning). I loved it. Mostly it is an introduction of the characters and setting up the reason why Bran (Robin Hood) has become an outlaw. Unlike the traditional Robin Hood stories this one is set in Wales and about a century earlier than most stories. Lawhead explains why in his afterword (my tip: read that first). My only complaint was Merian (Maid Marian), she just couldn't make up her mind about how she feels about the "invaders", one moment hating them and the next enjoying a feast with them.

What I also like is that it's a finished trilogy, I think I'll read the next one soon.

[covingtoncat73]

Originally Posted by cassidym

Just finished The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey. A very interesting modern mystery about Richard III.

Originally Posted by CRussel

Yes, excellent. I really like all of the Tey I've read.

That is one of my favorite books ever. I actually had a history professor who assigned one novel a semester and this was one he assigned because it was Tudor England class and it kind of discusses how history is created.

[fantasyfan]

A Traveller In Time by Alison Uttley is a very fine fantasy YA novel. It was written in 1939 and involves a young girl, Penelope Taberner, who time slips into the 16th century two years before the Babington conspiracy to murder Queen Elizabeth. She actually meets the head of the Babington family, Anthony, who later became the lynch-pin of the plot.

Of course, history cannot be changed and yet Penelope knows the terrible outcome of that later attempt on the life of Elizabeth. How does she avoid creating a time-paradox? Well, read the book and you will see how adroitly Uttley handles that problem!

The characters are superbly created. They have a vivid reality and one will not forget Aunt Tissy {nor her 15th century counterpart}, Uncle Barnabas her sister Allison and the host of other characters in the two time periods. Above all, Penelope Taberner is a delightful, sensitive heroine. Over the two year period of the novel she matures and strengthens. She has the ability of “second sight” which, in her case, allows the time slips to occur. The transfers have a dreamlike quality and Uttley had a fascination with dreams and visions which she outlines herself in the Forward to the novel.

An interesting fact is that Uttley came from the area where all the historical events take place and she has a remarkable precision and selection of detail which makes the world of this novel stand out with wonderful clarity.

This is a wistfully moving book and well worth reading. It is not yet available in e-format but easily obtainable in paperback. For not too much more one can get the HB edition which includes beautiful woodcut-style illustrations by Phyllis Bray.

[bfisher]

Starting Hollywood and Hitler, 1933-1939 by Thomas Doherty. So far,an excellent discussion of the evolution of Hollywood's portrayal of Hitler and Nazism. At 100 pages in now,some excellent discussion of Nazi treatment of the film industry, and early newsreel representations of the Nazis.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Next: The Saturday Big Tent Wedding, the 12th in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith

An enjoyable continuation of the series.

Next: The Sorcerer's Widow by Lawrence Watt-Evans. Another in the Ethshar series.

[DrNefario]

I just finished China Mountain Zhang by Maureen F McHugh, and thought it was excellent. It's set in a world where China is the dominant power, and there was a socialist revolution in the US. There's no saving the galaxy, no great heroic struggle, just the day-to-day lives of people trying to make a place for themselves, but somehow I found it very readable and engaging. One of my favourite books of the year so far.

(Quite an expensive ebook, but I bought it with one of the big Kobo discount coupons earlier in the year.)

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Excellent!!!
And now for a completely different view of Edinburgh, The Uncommon Appeal of Clouds, the latest Isabel Dalhousie book by Alexander McCall Smith, bought with a Kobo coupon.

Another excellent Isabel Dalhousie book, very much enjoyed. Next, the latest in the Inspector Banks series by Peter Robinson - Watching the Dark. I'd have had to wait to read this, but one of those 65% Kobo codes was gifted to me, so I used it well.

[caleb72]

Originally Posted by fantasyfan

A Traveller In Time by Alison Uttley is a very fine fantasy YA novel. It was written in 1939 and involves a young girl, Penelope Taberner, who time slips into the 16th century two years before the Babington conspiracy to murder Queen Elizabeth. She actually meets the head of the Babington family, Anthony, who later became the lynch-pin of the plot.

Of course, history cannot be changed and yet Penelope knows the terrible outcome of that later attempt on the life of Elizabeth. How does she avoid creating a time-paradox? Well, read the book and you will see how adroitly Uttley handles that problem!

The characters are superbly created. They have a vivid reality and one will not forget Aunt Tissy {nor her 15th century counterpart}, Uncle Barnabas her sister Allison and the host of other characters in the two time periods. Above all, Penelope Taberner is a delightful, sensitive heroine. Over the two year period of the novel she matures and strengthens. She has the ability of “second sight” which, in her case, allows the time slips to occur. The transfers have a dreamlike quality and Uttley had a fascination with dreams and visions which she outlines herself in the Forward to the novel.

An interesting fact is that Uttley came from the area where all the historical events take place and she has a remarkable precision and selection of detail which makes the world of this novel stand out with wonderful clarity.

This is a wistfully moving book and well worth reading. It is not yet available in e-format but easily obtainable in paperback. For not too much more one can get the HB edition which includes beautiful woodcut-style illustrations by Phyllis Bray.

Oooh thanks for reminding me of this book. I read it when I was a young-un and enjoyed it.

I've tracked it down at Amazon and put it on my wish list.

[caleb72]

Originally Posted by DrNefario

I just finished China Mountain Zhang by Maureen F McHugh, and thought it was excellent. It's set in a world where China is the dominant power, and there was a socialist revolution in the US. There's no saving the galaxy, no great heroic struggle, just the day-to-day lives of people trying to make a place for themselves, but somehow I found it very readable and engaging. One of my favourite books of the year so far.

(Quite an expensive ebook, but I bought it with one of the big Kobo discount coupons earlier in the year.)

Thanks. I've put it on my wish list. Sounds like something I would enjoy.

[covingtoncat73]

Originally Posted by fantasyfan

A Traveller In Time by Alison Uttley is a very fine fantasy YA novel. It was written in 1939 and involves a young girl, Penelope Taberner, who time slips into the 16th century two years before the Babington conspiracy to murder Queen Elizabeth. She actually meets the head of the Babington family, Anthony, who later became the lynch-pin of the plot.

Of course, history cannot be changed and yet Penelope knows the terrible outcome of that later attempt on the life of Elizabeth. How does she avoid creating a time-paradox? Well, read the book and you will see how adroitly Uttley handles that problem!

The characters are superbly created. They have a vivid reality and one will not forget Aunt Tissy {nor her 15th century counterpart}, Uncle Barnabas her sister Allison and the host of other characters in the two time periods. Above all, Penelope Taberner is a delightful, sensitive heroine. Over the two year period of the novel she matures and strengthens. She has the ability of “second sight” which, in her case, allows the time slips to occur. The transfers have a dreamlike quality and Uttley had a fascination with dreams and visions which she outlines herself in the Forward to the novel.

An interesting fact is that Uttley came from the area where all the historical events take place and she has a remarkable precision and selection of detail which makes the world of this novel stand out with wonderful clarity.

This is a wistfully moving book and well worth reading. It is not yet available in e-format but easily obtainable in paperback. For not too much more one can get the HB edition which includes beautiful woodcut-style illustrations by Phyllis Bray.

Oh, I love time travel and Elizabethan England. I need to check this one out. I don't mind YA.

[bfisher]

Originally Posted by DrNefario

I just finished China Mountain Zhang by Maureen F McHugh, and thought it was excellent. It's set in a world where China is the dominant power, and there was a socialist revolution in the US. There's no saving the galaxy, no great heroic struggle, just the day-to-day lives of people trying to make a place for themselves, but somehow I found it very readable and engaging. One of my favourite books of the year so far.

(Quite an expensive ebook, but I bought it with one of the big Kobo discount coupons earlier in the year.)

Thanks for the recommendation. it looks interesting - going on my TBR.