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

[Yapyap]

I finally picked up Roomies by Sara Zarr & Tara Altebrando - I got an ARC through NetGalley a few months ago, mostly because it was there and looked potentially, but then I somehow kept putting it off because, well, contemporary YA and I don't usually mix that well.

In the meantime, I'd seen some very positive reviews from some Goodreads friends who mostly share my tastes, so I decided to give it a go before it's too much past-release-date, and I'm seriously glad I did - I enjoyed it far, far more than I'd expected.

It's a relatively simple book, and it's not like a whole lot of exciting stuff happens, and there's teen drama and all that, but it felt ... genuine. Realistic. It handled a lot of real issues (family problems, interracial relationships, how to deal with highschool friendships and relationships when everyone's going away in different directions, etc), but not in a very heavy-handed, moralistic way.

I've never been an American teen nor have I actually met any in real life, so it's not something I'm very familiar with (neither is the whole "leave home to go across the country/continent for college" thing), which, I think, is part of why I enjoyed it.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

INext up: A Hunger in the Soul by Mike Resnick. Another of my oldest purchases. I have a vague feeling I have read this one too, but I don't remember the resolution, so I'll finish it up. It's a much quicker read than the History.

A much quicker read. A bit of a disturbing story, really. I'm now sure I read it at the time I bought it, and I'm surprised I forgot it so much. I suppose it was over ten years ago…

Next up: The Harper's Quine by Pam McIntosh. A murder mystery set in 15th Century Glasgow. Bought juts three days ago (for 84p). I hope I like it, as I bought the next nine in the series at the same time, at the same price.

[Tarana]

alphabetic detective challenge

What is this?

Quote:
Originally Posted by pdurrant
I'm now also reading Nothing edited by Jeremy Webb, a collection of articles from New Scientist, all to do with nothing. This was a gift.

That sounds interesting. Let us know your impressions when you finish.

He will probably have the same opinion as Shakespeare. Much Ado About Nothing. (I could not help that)

Still splitting time between Doctor Sleep (might finish tonight) audio and The Princess Bride (kindle). Then I'll have to decide if I want to continue listening to the remainder of my Midsommer Murder audiobooks (I'm on #3) or start up with Dresden Files #4.

[MickeyC]

Originally Posted by Tarana

Still splitting time between Doctor Sleep (might finish tonight) audio and The Princess Bride (kindle). Then I'll have to decide if I want to continue listening to the remainder of my Midsommer Murder audiobooks (I'm on #3) or start up with Dresden Files #4.

Am following your lead and about half way through The Shining after which I'll do Dr Sleep. So far The Shining is far superior to the movie version.

[Apache]

I just started to reread The Tactics of Mistake by Gordon R. Dickerson. I first read this one in 1971 and have reread it many times over the years. It is my favorite book in Gordon's Childe Cycle Series. If you like Military Science Fiction give this one a try.
Apache

[Tarana]

So far The Shining is far superior to the movie version.

I love both the book and the movie. The movie is simply a different interpretation (and Jack is a less sympathetic character). I didn't much like the mini-series version. Always remind yourself that a movie is 'based on' a book and doesn't plan to recreate the book.

[WT Sharpe]

Reading a couple of books at the moment: Our Mathematical Universe: My Quest for the Ultimate Nature of Reality by Max Tegmark and The Curse of the Pharaohs by Elizabeth Peters. The Curse of the Pharaohs is an Amelia Peabody mystery and the follow-up to Crocodile on the Sandbank, which was a former MobileRead Book Club selection. Our Mathematical Universe is a non-fiction work that explores the radical possibility that mathematics not only describe our universe, but in a very real sense, ARE our universe. Shades of Pythagoras!

[Nyssa]

Originally Posted by Nyssa

A. Lee Martinez is a morbidly, revoltingly, funny man! I like it!

I'm currently reading A Nameless Witch! I have no words.

That was a lot of fun!

Now to decide what to read next... I was going to start The Voyage of the Dawn Treader - Narnia Chronicles Book #3, but I think I want to read The Cheerleaders of Doom - NERDS Book#3 instead.

[DrNefario]

Originally Posted by Tarana

What is this?

I challenged myself to read a book featuring a detective whose name begins with every letter of the alphabet. The details are in my List post, in my signature, and I also started a thread about it when I was still looking for detectives. I'm on my iPad, so I can't easily look it up right now.

Anyway, Maggie O'Dell in Alex Kava's A Perfect Evil was O, and I finished the book yesterday. It wasn't really my thing. I guess it was competent enough, which is more than can really be said for O'Dell.

I've started Snuff by Terry Pratchett now. I always used to get his latest book in hardback for Christmas, but since I moved to ebooks, I asked for that to stop, and I seem to have fallen behind a bit as a result.

[HarryT]

Just finished "The Reformer" by S.M. Stirling and David Drake, the 7th book in the "General" series. Good military SF.

I'm happy to get this one done, since, being the 7th book in a series, it was a blocker on my "Read my old Baen books" project. They were inconsiderate enough to release this in April 2000, so I was stuck there until I'd read the previous 6 books in the series. Having completed this, I can now move on to May 2000 .

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Next up: The Harper's Quine by Pam McIntosh. A murder mystery set in 15th Century Glasgow. Bought juts three days ago (for 84p). I hope I like it, as I bought the next nine in the series at the same time, at the same price.

Good news! I did like it. A good solid historical murder mystery, set in 15th century Glasgow. I shall enjoy reading the rest over the next couple of years or so. (I see that it's still just 84p at Amazon UK, as are the sequels. Recommended, if you like historical murder mysteries.)


Next up: Blood Relations by A. L. Sirois. Bought from Fictionwise back in November 2003. If I read it then, I've forgotten.

[CRussel]

Grrr. $7.99 in the US. More than I'm willing to pay for something I don't know and when I already have a bunch of stuff in my TBR. Maybe I'll add it to my wish list there, and come back when I'm feeling flush

[MickeyC]

Originally Posted by Tarana

Always remind yourself that a movie is 'based on' a book and doesn't plan to recreate the book.

Very aware of that. But some movies do a much better job of portraying the book than others. For example, I though the Jack Reacher movie was very poorly done. OTOH, the films of the Girl With The Dragon Tattoo series were, IMHO, quite good.

Anyway, I'm continuing to plow through The Shining and enjoying it. Fact that I've been in the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, CO which inspired King to write it does help.

And thanks for the reco.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Grrr. $7.99 in the US. More than I'm willing to pay for something I don't know and when I already have a bunch of stuff in my TBR. Maybe I'll add it to my wish list there, and come back when I'm feeling flush

Just pop it on a wishlist, or add to your watch list at luxme.com, and wait for a special offer to happen in the US. It doesn't really matter when, does it? It's sure to come on offer at Amazon, or a really good Kobo code at some point in the next couple of years.

[PurpleStar]

I finished Timeless by Gail Carriger. I thought it was a great ending to the series. I'm definitely going to read her other series at some point too.

Next, I'm going to read Mars, Inc. by Ben Bova.