Hey!! Let's get some action going! What are we reading? - Page 1279

DiapDealer · 03-11-2014, 10:05 AM

Been slowly picking at John Joseph Adams' and Hugh Howey's anthology The End is Nigh. Of the authors that committed to doing so, I look forward to seeing the progression of their stories across the Before-, During-, and After-the-Apocalypse anthologies that are planned for the entire Apocalypse Triptych.

Also finished James P. Blaylock's The Disappearing Dwarf. It was actually a little darker than The Elfin Ship. A little less whimsical—and not really better for it, if you ask me (a few scannos to be found, but not bad overall for backlist). Lost a bit of the Wind in the Willows vibe it had going. Still entertaining, though. Will eventually complete the "trilogy" by reading the prequel The Stone Giant.

Just started Kate Griffin's A Madness of Angels (the first of her Matthew Swift novels). It was actually her "Magicals Anonymous" series that caught my attention first, but unfortunately ... "set in the same fantastical London as the Matthew Swift novels" is just code for "OCD Diap will have no choice but to read those first."

Also note: A Madness of Angels marks the first time in a very long time that my next book actually came from my primary "To Read" shelf over on Goodreads.

WT Sharpe · 03-11-2014, 10:57 AM

Finished Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor. Liked it, but found the dialog—who was speaking what—a bit difficult to follow at times. The author seems to have a real aversion to the words "he said" and "she said", preferring instead to let the action and content dictate who is speaking. The trouble is, for me, anyway, that the action and content in her book aren't always good enough guides.

I also finished Hal Spacejock: Big Bang by Simon Haynes. This was another pleasurable excursion into the madcap space adventures of Hal Spacejock, part-time hero, part-time con-man, and full time goofball perpetually ready for the next meal. This book was published in serial form, and while I have no problem with that, what I didn't like was that there was way too much time between the ten installments, especially between parts nine and ten. The original idea was to publish each installment 7-10 days apart, as I recall, and that's the way it started off, but toward the end, the length between installments steadily increased. Part Nine was published on September 7, 2013, and Part Ten wasn't released until March 7, 2014. He states on his website that he soon plans to begin publishing Force of Nature (Harriet Walsh book #1) as a serial. Harriet Walsh is a spinoff of the Spacejock series and an enjoyable character in her own right, so I plan to read it, but I think I'm done with his serials. I'll wait until the book is complete. I realize that in life things happen, but for a serial, six months is just too long to wait between installments.

ucfgrad93 · 03-11-2014, 11:43 AM

I am currently reading At All Costs (Honor Harrington XI) on my Kindle.

samhy · 03-11-2014, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

Finished Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor. Liked it, but found the dialog—who was speaking what—a bit difficult to follow at times. The author seems to have a real aversion to the words "he said" and "she said", preferring instead to let the action and content dictate who is speaking. The trouble is, for me, anyway, that the action and content in her book aren't always good enough guides.

So it wasn't just me then.

WT Sharpe · 03-11-2014, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by samhy

So it wasn't just me then.

I'm so very glad you said that!

HarryT · 03-11-2014, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by samhy

So it wasn't just me then.

Who said that?

pdurrant · 03-11-2014, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Next up: F&SF for March/April 2014, edited by Gordon Van Gelder

Which had a good mixture of stories, none of which I hated, and some I liked a lot. Above average issue for me.

Next up: LazerWarz by Mark Shepherd. Set in Mercedes Lackey's urban elves universe. Interesting so far, although a bit of infodumping going on.

CRussel · 03-11-2014, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Which had a good mixture of stories, none of which I hated, and some I liked a lot. Above average issue for me.

Next up: LazerWarz by Mark Shepherd. Set in Mercedes Lackey's urban elves universe. Interesting so far, although a bit of infodumping going on.

Unfortunately, that and his other works are no longer available in eBook format. And one suspects, all things considered, that probably won't change any time soon, if ever.

samhy · 03-11-2014, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Who said that?

He, no she, sorry 't was the old man, scratch that it's me.

In other news, I finished Catching Fire over the weekend (long afternoons reading on the deck with some tea nearby, paradise

). Catchy story, but I still don't like Katniss very much.

DiapDealer · 03-11-2014, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by samhy

In other news, I finished Catching Fire over the weekend (long afternoons reading on the deck with some tea nearby, paradise

). Catchy story, but I still don't like Katniss very much.

Interesting. I enjoyed the books, but never really understood many people's affinity for Katniss. I found her character interesting, but--like you--not particularly likeable. It never really occurred to me, though, that she'd been written for me to "like."

Synamon · 03-11-2014, 03:40 PM

I listened to The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway, a Canadian author I'd heard good things about. The snapshots of different people coping with the siege over a three week period during the war was heartbreaking, but I'm very glad I read this book. I'll be adding Galloway's other books to my to-be-read list.

I finished off another Agatha Christie, The mirror crack'd from side to side. Poor Miss Marple complains of her age a lot in this one (she should be well over 100 based on the publication date, although there are still a few more books to come). She still manages to help solve the poisoning at a fête at Gossington Hall, the country house of the original Miss Marple book.

I'm always looking for good thrillers, so I started reading A Field of Darkness by Cornelia Read which I picked up cheap at Kobo last year. I'm enjoying the yin and yang of old money mixing with redneck farmers and the protagonist is likeable.

My St. Patrick's day listen is the second in Adrian McKinty's DI Sean Duffy series set during Ireland's "Troubles", I Hear the Sirens in the Street. The Falkland's War has just broken out which will complicate the situation in Ireland when British troops are redeployed overseas. I enjoyed the first book enough to pick up the second and the recently released third of this series at Audible.

samhy · 03-11-2014, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Interesting. I enjoyed the books, but never really understood many people's affinity for Katniss. I found her character interesting, but--like you--not particularly likeable. It never really occurred to me, though, that she'd been written for me to "like."

I guess this has to do with the books written in the first person (is that the way to say it in English?). When I read "I do...", "I think...", "this makes me...", I tend to feel as if I were that character too. And most days I prefer to like myself

Also YA is the main audience for this series and to me this sort of books tries to have the reader empathize with the main character so they can think about what's happening and how they would react themselves then. A coming of age type of thing if you will. Maybe I'm seeing reading way more into it than I should here

Anyway, for me (and I have no issues with people thinking differently), Katniss is a kick-ass resourceful girl but she lacks confidence, thus is pessimistic and quite self-centered at times. I know that her life was no ponies and butterflies at all, but she needs to get herself together. Maybe I'm seeing reading way more into it than I should here

bis

DiapDealer · 03-11-2014, 05:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by samhy

I guess this has to do with the books written in the first person (is that the way to say it in English?). When I read "I do...", "I think...", "this makes me...", I tend to feel as if I were that character too. And most days I prefer to like myself

Also YA is the main audience for this series and to me this sort of books tries to have the reader empathize with the main character so they can think about what's happening and how they would react themselves then. A coming of age type of thing if you will. Maybe I'm seeing way more than I should here

Anyway, for me (and I have no issues with people thinking differently), Katniss is a kick-ass resourceful girl but she lacks confidence, thus is pessimistic and quite self-centered at times. I know that her life was no ponies and butterflies at all, but she needs to get herself together. Maybe I'm seeing way more than I should here

bis

I don't disagree. She was quite self-centered and pessimistic. I believe she was written that way intentionally, though. So no--I don't think you're reading more into it than you should.

This is an example of why I dislike the YA label. If a young person wants to latch onto Katniss' kickassed-ness and run with it--they can. No need to look any deeper. But I'm of the opinion that there was a lot more going on under the surface of those books for others to chew on, should they choose to.

PurpleStar · 03-11-2014, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I don't disagree. She was quite self-centered and pessimistic. I believe she written that way intentionally, though. So no--I don't think you're reading more into it than you should.

This is an example of why I dislike the YA label. If a young person wants to latch onto Katniss' kickassed-ness and run with it--they can. No need to look any deeper. But I'm of the opinion that there was a lot more going on under the surface of those books for others to chew on, should they choose to.

A self-centered teenager?? My goodness, how shocking!!

samhy · 03-11-2014, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PurpleStar

A self-centered teenager?? My goodness, how shocking!!

I know, right. The author has really to dig into her imagination to come up with that idea

03-11-2014, 11:43 AM	#19173
ucfgrad93 Wizard Posts: 2,372 Karma: 9026681 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Colorado Device: Kindle Paperwhite 2nd Gen	I am currently reading At All Costs (Honor Harrington XI) on my Kindle. Attached Thumbnails

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03-11-2014, 10:05 AM	#19171
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 28,891 Karma: 207182180 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	Been slowly picking at John Joseph Adams' and Hugh Howey's anthology The End is Nigh. Of the authors that committed to doing so, I look forward to seeing the progression of their stories across the Before-, During-, and After-the-Apocalypse anthologies that are planned for the entire Apocalypse Triptych. Also finished James P. Blaylock's The Disappearing Dwarf. It was actually a little darker than The Elfin Ship. A little less whimsical—and not really better for it, if you ask me (a few scannos to be found, but not bad overall for backlist). Lost a bit of the Wind in the Willows vibe it had going. Still entertaining, though. Will eventually complete the "trilogy" by reading the prequel The Stone Giant. Just started Kate Griffin's A Madness of Angels (the first of her Matthew Swift novels). It was actually her "Magicals Anonymous" series that caught my attention first, but unfortunately ... "set in the same fantastical London as the Matthew Swift novels" is just code for "OCD Diap will have no choice but to read those first." Also note: A Madness of Angels marks the first time in a very long time that my next book actually came from my primary "To Read" shelf over on Goodreads.

03-11-2014, 10:57 AM	#19172
WT Sharpe Bah, humbug! Posts: 39,072 Karma: 157049943 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Chesapeake, VA, USA Device: Kindle Oasis, iPad Pro, & a Samsung Galaxy S9.	Finished Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor. Liked it, but found the dialog—who was speaking what—a bit difficult to follow at times. The author seems to have a real aversion to the words "he said" and "she said", preferring instead to let the action and content dictate who is speaking. The trouble is, for me, anyway, that the action and content in her book aren't always good enough guides. I also finished Hal Spacejock: Big Bang by Simon Haynes. This was another pleasurable excursion into the madcap space adventures of Hal Spacejock, part-time hero, part-time con-man, and full time goofball perpetually ready for the next meal. This book was published in serial form, and while I have no problem with that, what I didn't like was that there was way too much time between the ten installments, especially between parts nine and ten. The original idea was to publish each installment 7-10 days apart, as I recall, and that's the way it started off, but toward the end, the length between installments steadily increased. Part Nine was published on September 7, 2013, and Part Ten wasn't released until March 7, 2014. He states on his website that he soon plans to begin publishing Force of Nature (Harriet Walsh book #1) as a serial. Harriet Walsh is a spinoff of the Spacejock series and an enjoyable character in her own right, so I plan to read it, but I think I'm done with his serials. I'll wait until the book is complete. I realize that in life things happen, but for a serial, six months is just too long to wait between installments.

03-11-2014, 03:40 PM	#19181
Synamon Lunatic Posts: 1,691 Karma: 4386372 Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Land of the Loonie Device: Kindle Paperwhite and Keyboard, Kobo Aura, iPad mini, iPod Touch	I listened to The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway, a Canadian author I'd heard good things about. The snapshots of different people coping with the siege over a three week period during the war was heartbreaking, but I'm very glad I read this book. I'll be adding Galloway's other books to my to-be-read list. I finished off another Agatha Christie, The mirror crack'd from side to side. Poor Miss Marple complains of her age a lot in this one (she should be well over 100 based on the publication date, although there are still a few more books to come). She still manages to help solve the poisoning at a fête at Gossington Hall, the country house of the original Miss Marple book. I'm always looking for good thrillers, so I started reading A Field of Darkness by Cornelia Read which I picked up cheap at Kobo last year. I'm enjoying the yin and yang of old money mixing with redneck farmers and the protagonist is likeable. My St. Patrick's day listen is the second in Adrian McKinty's DI Sean Duffy series set during Ireland's "Troubles", I Hear the Sirens in the Street. The Falkland's War has just broken out which will complicate the situation in Ireland when British troops are redeployed overseas. I enjoyed the first book enough to pick up the second and the recently released third of this series at Audible.

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