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

[treadlightly]

Originally Posted by Dazrin

Next up is Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone which was nominated for the September book club and sounded more entertaining to me than The Grapes of Wrath (and arrived from my library first). I still plan on trying the official selection but I really can't build up any enthusiasm for it. (Yes, I know it is supposed to be a top 20 book of the 20th century but it just sounds so bleak. I read for fun, not to be depressed.)

I don't like bleak books either. I'm more than halfway through Grapes now and it isn't all that bleak. The hope is mixed in with the bleak so it balances well.

[Rev. Bob]

Originally Posted by alansplace

Yesterday was the day that The Witch with No Name (The Hollows #13) by Kim Harrison became available so I've begun reading it.

I'll probably set the Star Trek: Myriad Universes books aside when I finish the current novella (probably tonight) and start WWNN tomorrow. I usually make sure I'm reading an ebook on the second Thursday of the month, because that's when the book club I'm in meets. It's in a bookstore, so bringing a physical book in to read while waiting for people to show up is a problem in a way that bringing an ebook in isn't. I just wish there was a way for the physical store to get "credit" for ebooks bought from the chain's website while in the store...

[bfisher]

Finished Ashes to Ashes and The Cigarette Century.

Time to lighten up with a Liaden reread. Starting on Conflict of Honors, although I'm seriously tempted to go back to Crystal Soldier.

[Hampshire Nanny]

Originally Posted by poohbear_nc

For years I've been a HUGE fan of Christopher Fowler's unique Peculiar Crimes Unit series - featuring 2 octogenarian detectives and a supporting cast out of Monty Python - that investigate crimes in modern day London that have a 'peculiar' supernatural taint to them. The plots have been ingenious, and Fowler layers in tons of arcane London history/geography/history facts - as you can find/verify in Peter Ackroyd's works.

But the latest entry, The Invisible Code, was a complete dud from start to finish - no real plot, no supernatural influences, no humor [the funniest part of the entire book was the opening memo from Raymond Land to his troops] - BORING! I don't know if Fowler is trying to 'modernize' the series by trying out a political plotline, but it fell flat. Some characters from past books had no dialogue whatsoever. And Arthur Bryant is so toned down as to be unrecognizable.

Unlike its main characters, I fear this series is beginning to show its age ....

Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. I've only read a couple of the books and have enjoyed the books a lot -- though they are "slow reads" for me.

Originally Posted by Rev. Bob

... I might jump track to read the final "Hollows" book that's coming out Tuesday.

Oh no! The Witch With No Name ends the series? That's a real shame. I just went to the library web site to put my name on the holds list for it.

Originally Posted by Rev. Bob

I just wish there was a way for the physical store to get "credit" for ebooks bought from the chain's website while in the store...

I just ran into some information at IndieBound indicating that you can buy a Kobo from some local independent book dealers or, if you already have a Kobo, you can register it with the local book seller so that a portion of your purchases go to them. I have yet to register my Sony with Kobo, so I may investigate whether that works as well.

[Rev. Bob]

Originally Posted by Hampshire Nanny

Oh no! The Witch With No Name ends the series?

Yep; says so right on the cover, and in the first line of the blurb:

"It's Rachel Morgan's ultimate adventure . . . and anything can happen in this final book in the New York Times bestselling Hollows series."

[ATDrake]

Finished Ruth Downie's Semper Fidelis, 5th in her Gaius Ruso, Intrepid Globe-Trotting Legionary Doctor series of historical murder mysteries set in Roman Britain during the reign of the Emperor Hadrian, possibly best known for the Wall (non-Pink Floyd version).

The 1st in the series, Medicus, was a freebie several years ago, and I liked it enough that I promptly bought the 2nd when it went on deep-discount promotional sale, and then eventually got the 3rd & 4th out of the library. (I might have bought them too, but apparently Bloomsbury has changed the versions they sell, so while Kobo still has my original copies, it's no longer easy to tell if I'd bought the lot or not just by looking at the newer product pages.)

Anyway, it's been several years since I last read the then-latest, and in the meantime, two more installments have been written, which I went and purchased while the latest round of Kobo contest coupons were still working.

Once again, this is a nice blend of occupying Roman and native Briton culture and history, with Roman Ruso and Briton Tilla taking a journey to Eboracum to inspect the medical records for the outgoing local Legion in advance of the incoming replacement, and discovering an unusual number of suspicious accidents, injuries, and outright deaths among the recruited native British trainees, who seem to be convinced that they are under a curse which their Roman colleagues regard as mere superstition.

Complicating the investigation seems to be a cover-up meant to keep things tidy while the Emperor Hadrian himself visits the city as part of his official imperial tour, in company with his estranged wife the Empress Sabina and a few other historical personage cameos.

One of the things that I've always liked about the series is its emotional complexity, and the way it usually doesn't take the easy way out when resolving personal conflicts between its main characters.

Ruso and Tilla are both working on the case in their own ways, but while sometimes they accomplish things in tandem, more often they seem to end up at cross-purposes, each of them tangling things up further for the other with plausible cause-and-effect consequences. I like that even after 5 books, they're not that kind of perfectly professional amateur sleuth couple that sometimes mystery series like to present.

A few personal issues that were introduced in previous installments also get something of an airing in this one as well, but they don't dominate the plot (which I'm grateful for, since I was a bit iffy about how some of them might have turned out when they were first alluded to), and add a bit of continuing character development.

As usual, the author includes an Historical Note at the end (a little briefer than previously), mentioning the events/background material she incorporated, the things she changed for dramatic effect, and giving further reading recommendations for non-fiction works with which to follow up with the actual known history which inspired this, should the Gentle Reader wish to do so.

Recommended if you like historical fiction with an Ancient Roman or Ancient Britain setting, or stuff involving historical medical/military staff. Another solid installment of an enjoyable series.

[covingtoncat73]

Originally Posted by ATDrake

Finished Ruth Downie's Semper Fidelis, 5th in her Gaius Ruso, Intrepid Globe-Trotting Legionary Doctor series of historical murder mysteries set in Roman Britain during the reign of the Emperor Hadrian, possibly best known for the Wall (non-Pink Floyd version).

The 1st in the series, Medicus, was a freebie several years ago, and I liked it enough that promptly bought the 2nd when it went on deep-discount promotional sale, and then eventually got the 3rd & 4th out of the library. (I might have bought them too, but apparently Bloomsbury has changed the versions they sell, so while Kobo still has my original copies, it's no longer easy to tell if I'd bought the lot or not just by looking at the newer product pages.)

Anyway, it's been several years since I last read the then-latest, and in the meantime, two more installments have been written, which I went and purchased while the latest round of Kobo contest coupons were still working.

Once again, this is a nice blend of occupying Roman and native Briton culture and history, with Roman Ruso and Briton Tilla taking a journey to Eboracum to inspect the medical records for the outgoing local Legion in advance of the incoming replacement, and discovering an unusual number of suspicious accidents, injuries, and outright deaths among the recruited native British trainees, who seem to be convinced that they are under a curse which their Roman colleagues regard as mere superstition.

Complicating the investigation seems to be a cover-up meant to keep things tidy while the Emperor Hadrian himself visits the city as part of his official imperial tour, in company with his estranged wife the Empress Sabina and a few other historical personage cameos.

One of the things that I've always liked about the series is its emotional complexity, and the way it usually doesn't take the easy way out when resolving personal conflicts between its main characters.

Ruso and Tilia are both working on the case in their own ways, but while sometimes they accomplish things in tandem, more often they seem to end up at cross-purposes, each of them tangling things up further for the other with plausible cause-and-effect consequences. I like that even after 5 books, they're not that kind of perfectly professional amateur sleuth couple that sometimes mystery series like to present.

A few personal issues that were introduced in previous installments also get something of an airing in this one as well, but they don't dominate the plot (which I'm grateful for, since I was a bit iffy about how some of them might have turned out when they were first alluded to), and add a bit of continuing character development.

As usual, the author includes an Historical Note at the end (a little briefer than previously), mentioning the events/background material she incorporated, the things she changed for dramatic effect, and giving further reading recommendations for non-fiction works with which to follow up with the actual known history which inspired this, should the Gentle Reader wish to do so.

Recommended if you like historical fiction with an Ancient Roman or Ancient Britain setting, or stuff involving historical medical/military staff. Another solid installment of an enjoyable series.

I need to catch up on this series. I read maybe 3 of them. They were quite enjoyable and Russo has such a wonderful, sarcastic "voice."
t

[cromag]

I don't post here often, but I'm currently reading The Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox, by Barry Hughart, a collection of his three novels set in a China that never was:

Bridge of Birds (1984)
The Story of the Stone (1988)
Eight Skilled Gentlemen (1990)


I found this more or less by accident, and it has turned out to be one of my luckier accidents! So far I've read the first two stories. The first, Bridge of Birds, was heart-breakingly wonderful.

The second, The Story of the Stone, would be a solid four stars out of five -- compared to "Bridge ..." It could use a little tightening up, and a little better focus, but it is ... fantastic.

I just started Eight Skilled Gentlemen, and I've been drawn right in.

[Luffy]

I've finally got Persuasion off my back. This calls for a celebration. I'm off to buy my favorite brand of ice cream. Then I'll begin my new book, Fool Moon by Jim Butcher. Can't wait.

[crich70]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

No, this isn't a picture thread, nor is it the Lounge, but you can't say this is off-topic. I just saw this on Facebook and thought I'd share.

Attachment 127429

It's Archie! He's moved up in the world from cockroach to cat!

[crich70]

I'm reading "Elijah the Prophet" by Andrew Heath. It's not bad. Elijah is shown as all too human which is certainly something you don't quite see in the Biblical account of his experiences. Amazon

[HarryT]

I've just finished "The Legend That Was Earth", by James P. Hogan. This is a Baen book that I bought in October 2000.

Baen description:

They've eased our problems. They've raised our standards of living. Their science has shown us that everything we though we knew about the universe was wrong. And now the alien Hyadeans' high-tech gifts and their flair for social order promise to make a paradise of planet Earth.

To us, the Hyadeans seem a model of efficiency and clear thinking. But in Hyadean eyes, Earth's culture wallows in imagination and dreams, artforms and concepts which would never have occurred to a citizen of their world. To some of the aliens, this demonstrates Earth's backwardness; others are increasingly fascinated by us.

But when a political assassination plunges his life into chaos, wealthy socialite and "Fixer" Roland Cade discovers the dark underbelly of the alien presence. Our government obeys them. Our economy serves their wealthy masters. And the CounterAction "terrorists" on the news are truly fighting for freedom for Terrans and Hyadeans alike—and one of them is his ex-wife.

Soon Cade is caught up in a terrifying adventure that will take him around the globe, and a conflict that will threaten to destroy the world as it turns American against American—and Hyadean against Hyadean. Cade will find friends in unexpected places, among the agents of CounterAction, and among the aliens themselves. But he will also face deadly enemies closer than the ever could have feared. . . .

Pretty good SF. Recommended.

[Hampshire Nanny]

Originally Posted by cromag

I don't post here often, but I'm currently reading The Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox, by Barry Hughart, a collection of his three novels set in a China that never was:

Bridge of Birds (1984)
The Story of the Stone (1988)
Eight Skilled Gentlemen (1990)


I found this more or less by accident, and it has turned out to be one of my luckier accidents! So far I've read the first two stories. The first, Bridge of Birds, was heart-breakingly wonderful.

The second, The Story of the Stone, would be a solid four stars out of five -- compared to "Bridge ..." It could use a little tightening up, and a little better focus, but it is ... fantastic.

I just started Eight Skilled Gentlemen, and I've been drawn right in.

I read the first two books several years ago -- never got around to asking my library to locate Eight Skilled Gentlemen since I have such a tall TBR stack. I heartily endorse your ratings, though. The series is fantastic and a totally enjoyable romp.

Originally Posted by Luffy

I've finally got Persuasion off my back. This calls for a celebration. I'm off to buy my favorite brand of ice cream. Then I'll begin my new book, Fool Moon by Jim Butcher. Can't wait.

Congratulations. I feel a need to re-read Persuasion along with other books by Jane Austen (not to mention the Bronte sisters).

I am still reading Mission of Honor by David Weber. I'm about to turn the corner (just about to page 100) and start racing through the remaining 700 pages.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Next up: The Hot Gate by John Ringo. Third (& last, so far) in the series that started with "Live Free or Die" and "Citadel".

That was fun. Completely open-ended, but a kind-of resolution tacked on the end that makes it an OK stopping place until he writes another in this series (if he ever does).

Next up: LightSpeed Magazine for September 2014. My only unread purchase for this month left!

[ATDrake]

Originally Posted by cromag

I don't post here often, but I'm currently reading The Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox, by Barry Hughart, a collection of his three novels set in a China that never was:

These are some of my very favourites and I own them in two languages in multiple editions (including a hardcover omnibus with very nice illustrations by Kaja Foglio of Girl Genius fame). Very highly recommended, for anyone else who might be thinking of picking up the series which is now e-booked from Subterranean Press (not available to Canadians, alas).

Finished Ruth Downie's Tabula Rasa, 6th and latest in her Gaius Petreius Ruso, Intrepid Empire-Trotting Roman Legionary Doctor murder mystery series set in Roman Britain during the time of Emperor Hadrian, which I bought using one of the recent Kobo contest coupons while they were still working.

This time, Ruso is assigned to a camp working on the construction of Hadrian's Wall, where the sudden disappearance of his clerk, a nephew of a friend and colleague of his, and the subsequent fallout of the less-than-diplomatic search for the missing Candidus among the local British farmers, causes escalating tensions between the Romans and the natives.

Ruso also gets to know Tilla's tribe better, through some old friends of her long-deceased family, who become less friendly as the incendiary events progress.

Previously, we'd gotten to see Tilla as the foreigner among the Romans, but at home among her native Britons (even those of different tribes than her own small obscure one) and therefore able to move and act as one of them, even when she was only grudgingly accepted by the Romans.

Here, we see Tilla become a stranger among her own kind, being distrusted by her tribe as a Romanized sellout in whom they no longer have confidence, and it's interesting to see the ways in which she does and doesn't cope as she has to modify her usual straightforward approaches for gaining native co-operation with the investigation.

There are a few twists and turns, but the whole affair turns out to be relatively straightforward, with a whodunnit which had decent clues laid out over the course of the book.

I'm more concerned about a particular development which addresses certain issues raised in previous books, which seems a bit forced and overly sentimental to me, since the planning and setup for this would have had to come in the previous, and (vague allusion, but you may be able to guess what had happened, so tags)

Spoiler:

provided perhaps the only real motivation for a particular character doing as they did then so that this could happen now. Although it's not nearly as forced as if the author had gone the obvious cliché route of resolving it in a more personally suddenly "miraculous" sort of way popular with even more overly sentimental authors.

But I'm willing to reserve judgment until the next book to see how this will affect things in the future, as it's not necessarily as detrimental as my reflexive anti-sentimentalist instinct tells me.

Anyway, this did have a decent case and we got to see the return of several prior supporting cast characters whose appearance I enjoyed, learn more about Tilla's people (the particular ones of her family tribe, rather than the more generic other fellow Britons we'd encountered previously), and as always, this came with an Historical Note from the author giving known facts, dramatic alterations, and further reading suggestions for the history behind the story.

Recommended if you like murder mysteries involving Ancient Rome, Ancient Britain, and/or historical medical/military personnel. Not quite as good as the previous books, IMHO, but still another solid installment to an enjoyable series.