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

[BelleZora]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Thanks for the information, but I'm afraid I still stand by my statement that it's unlikely to be available to ALL Amazon customers, simply because, except for Amazon UK and US, the other national sites have no provision for video streaming.

Harry wins the point.

Cheers!

[CRussel]

No streaming in Canada yet. Of course, there _are_ workarounds. Some completely transparent. (Combine StrongVPN with a wireless router from Sabai Technologies and never think about it again. )

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Just finished "Dumb Witness" by Agatha Christie. This was her 28th book, and was originally published in 1937. In this book, Poirot investigates the death of an elderly lady who died, seemingly of natural causes, with a greedy family all wanting her money. The "Dumb Witness" of the title is her dog, Bob, who is a major character (complete with dialogue ) in the book. A good read. Recommended.

Would you stop. I read a lot of Christie when I was a teen. But, I don't remember many of the, other than Orient Express and Then There Where None. I have enough in my want to read pile without this. ARGH!

BOb

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Just finished "Dumb Witness" by Agatha Christie.

Yes, I read this back in 2011, and it was very good, with Poirot and Hastings.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Yes, I read this back in 2011, and it was very good, with Poirot and Hastings.

It's probably worth noting that Poirot gives away the solution to no fewer than four of his earlier cases in this book, hence my usual recommendation to read them in order .

[Yapyap]

I just finished Blood of the Demon, the second book in Diana Rowland's Kara Gillian series. I read the first book back in 2012, liked it enough to buy books 2 & 3 right away, and then promptly forgot about it.

I'm glad I came across it now when I idly flipped through my Kindle collections, looking for my next read, as I enjoyed it quite a bit - it's a good combination of police procedural and urban fantasy. The only part I don't quite care for is the romance element, but it's not overpowering nor does it take over the plot, so I can deal with that for now.

[Nyssa]

Originally Posted by Nyssa

I finished Steelheart and am now reading the followup short story Mitosis.


Steelheart was a very interesting read. I had accidentally spoiled the ending for myself due to my pursuing more info about Megan. I have no idea how I'm going to review it or even what rating I will give, but I will definitely check out the rest of the series. I just don't want to shortchange the book because of my own impatience.

After Mitosis, I will either return to Narnia with Prince Caspian or try something completely different - Swan Song - A post-apoctolyptic horror novel by Robert R. McCammon.

I may be experiencing my first slump of the year... I've found it very difficult to get into either Swan Song or Prince Caspian; both of which I am actually interested in reading (which is why I think this is a slump). So, I'm going to try and reboot myself (and help my series challenge along) with an MG read: M Is for Mama's Boy which is the 2n book in the NERDS series.

I really hope I can complete Swan Song before the end of the month though, so that I can fulfill my January challenge for the FoF group over at GoodReads.

[VictoriaP]

Originally Posted by Nyssa

I may be experiencing my first slump of the year... I've found it very difficult to get into either Swan Song or Prince Caspian; both of which I am actually interested in reading (which is why I think this is a slump). So, I'm going to try and reboot myself (and help my series challenge along) with an MG read: M Is for Mama's Boy which is the 2n book in the NERDS series.

I really hope I can complete Swan Song before the end of the month though, so that I can fulfill my January challenge for the FoF group over at GoodReads.

For me, sometimes, a slump means I need a genre change. I became stalled on two paranormal/UF books this month, and that was enough to tell me I needed to make a switch. Regency-era cozy mysteries did the trick, and I had no problem speeding along again for a while...but now on my sixth one of those in a row, they're starting to drag too. Probably time for something else.

Good luck with your January challenge!

[Nyssa]

Originally Posted by VictoriaP

For me, sometimes, a slump means I need a genre change. I became stalled on two paranormal/UF books this month, and that was enough to tell me I needed to make a switch. Regency-era cozy mysteries did the trick, and I had no problem speeding along again for a while...but now on my sixth one of those in a row, they're starting to drag too. Probably time for something else.

Good luck with your January challenge!

Thanks!

I keep meaning to try a cozy mystery or two... I think Dixie Divas by Virginia Brown is as close as I've come.

[benham]

Originally Posted by HarryT

No, you misunderstand me. Amazon video streaming services are only available in the US, therefore to say that it will be available to "all Amazon customers" is almost without doubt incorrect.

You are correct.

[jgaiser]

Originally Posted by Apache

I picked up How Dark the World Becomes based on the posts by pdurrant and CRussell. I agree that it was a 5/5 that I enjoyed immensely. I just picked up Frank Chadwick's second book, The Forever Engine. I too have not been a fan of Steam-Punk, but this one also is off to a great start. I highly recommend these books to anyone who might have even a little interest in Sci-Fi. I will be eagerly waiting for other books from this author.
Apache

I was just going to post on The Forever Engine. Finished it this morning and while it didn't hook me as hard as How Dark the World Becomes, it was a good read. 4 out of 5 for me. And the ending has a very surprising twist. Thanks for pdurrant for the original mention. I'd have missed both of these books completely.

[alansplace]

Originally Posted by Nyssa

I may be experiencing my first slump of the year... I've found it very difficult to get into either Swan Song or Prince Caspian; both of which I am actually interested in reading (which is why I think this is a slump)...

Originally Posted by Nyssa

...I keep meaning to try a cozy mystery or two... I think Dixie Divas by Virginia Brown is as close as I've come.

I'd never thought of it in those terms before but I suppose 'slump' is as good as any descriptive term. Yeah, me too, I'm also experiencing a slump. That's why I'm doing the Harry Potter re-readings and now, as well, I've begun reading the Agatha Christie books that I've never read. I've only read And Then There Were None, and that was because it's one of my all-time favorite movies -- the 1945 movie. I'm starting with the Agatha Christie books I've seen movies of first. Anyway they're, to me, what you're calling 'a cozy mystery'. I believe that my slump is related to the release date of Dresden #15 being announced as way off in the last week of May!

*[inaccuracy alert] Whoops! I also have read Death on the Nile and I've not yet seen a movie of Murder on the Orient Express.

[VictoriaP]

Cozies, in the very broadest terms, are murder mysteries where the violence is low key or "offstage" for the most part. I tend to prefer historical ones over contemporaries for the most part, so any Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers' Lord Peter Wimsey, Peter Tremayne's Sister Fidelma, and Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael are all favorites of mine. But there are a number of contemporary-set ones I've enjoyed too.

I do read stuff that's a lot darker/grittier/bloodier, but a good deal depends on mood and what's going on in my life. Right now, I can only take that sort of thing in small doses, which probably explains why both urban and epic fantasy aren't much on my plate.

I actually had a slump after reading the first 11 Dresden books in a row. And reading something like 30 of J. D. Robb's In Death series in a span of six weeks did me in for months! Sometimes, you just get so caught up in a book universe that nothing else will do.

Currently reading: A Covent Garden Mystery, Ashley Gardner (Captain Lacey Regency mysteries, #6). I've quite enjoyed these, but this is the last one I have in my collection, so it's probably a good stopping point so I don't get too burnt out.

[Nyssa]

Originally Posted by alansplace

I'd never thought of it in those terms before but I suppose 'slump' is as good as any descriptive term. Yeah, me too, I'm also experiencing a slump. That's why I'm doing the Harry Potter re-readings and now, as well, I've begun reading the Agatha Christie books that I've never read. I've only read And Then There Were None, and that was because it's one of my all-time favorite movies -- the 1945 movie. I'm starting with the Agatha Christie books I've seen movies of first. Anyway they're, to me, what you're calling 'a cozy mystery'. I believe that my slump is related to the release date of Dresden #15 being announced as way off in the last week of May!

Aww! Don't let the date get you down. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. besides, this gives you time to do exactly what you're doing...

Originally Posted by VictoriaP

Cozies, in the very broadest terms, are murder mysteries where the violence is low key or "offstage" for the most part. I tend to prefer historical ones over contemporaries for the most part, so any Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers' Lord Peter Wimsey, Peter Tremayne's Sister Fidelma, and Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael are all favorites of mine. But there are a number of contemporary-set ones I've enjoyed too.

I do read stuff that's a lot darker/grittier/bloodier, but a good deal depends on mood and what's going on in my life. Right now, I can only take that sort of thing in small doses, which probably explains why both urban and epic fantasy aren't much on my plate.

I actually had a slump after reading the first 11 Dresden books in a row. And reading something like 30 of J. D. Robb's In Death series in a span of six weeks did me in for months! Sometimes, you just get so caught up in a book universe that nothing else will do.

Currently reading: A Covent Garden Mystery, Ashley Gardner (Captain Lacey Regency mysteries, #6). I've quite enjoyed these, but this is the last one I have in my collection, so it's probably a good stopping point so I don't get too burnt out.

The Honorverse (Honor Harrington) series is the only one that has caused me truly burn out. I've tried reading it twice - once without the hundreds of short stories, and once with all of them in chronological order - and I burned out in the exact same place both times - book #10.
I'm not sure if, much less when, I'll try again.

I have learned that my natural limit seems to be about 8 books, from a single series, in a row. I have ignored that limit, however, usually to the detriment of my reading enjoyment.

Last year I had one of the worst reading slumps; it lasted 6 months!

[bfisher]

Halfway through The Lies of Lock Lamora by Scott Lynch (recommended in the recent fantasy thread by carpetmojo and usuallee) - excellent book, lots of action, hard to put it down.