Hey!! Let's get some action going! What are we reading? - Page 1408

LaughingVulcan · 11-07-2014, 01:12 AM

About 20% of the way through the new William Gibson novel, The Peripheral. Very good read so far, the narration is more reminiscent of his Sprawl series than anything he's done since. That also makes it slow going and having to go with the flow of Gibson's narration, accumulating details of the story and characters as one goes. It is akin to the Bridge trilogy of technology not-quite-arrived-yet but very plausible, combined with the standard Gibson elements of bleeding-edge technology and techno issues.

For those who started Gibson with the most recent Blue Ant trilogy the book may come as something of a shock, it's style and tone are different. But for someone who's read everything William Gibson's written, this reads like another leap forward while respecting his roots. Can't wait to finish it, but also trying to enjoy it slow as we only get a new Gibson novel every three to four years.

pdurrant · 11-07-2014, 11:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Next up: Moonbase One by Raymond F. Jones. My oldest unread book, bought from Fictionwise, 8 November 2004.

A lightweight YA about a moon colony. The plot has a poor foundation - surely no-one would do what was done in this novel.

Next up: A Pocketful of Rye by Agatha Christie. Her 54th mystery book. Wow - I paid £3.99 for this one! It must have been one of the last ones missing from my collection. Bought back in December 2010.

Hampshire Nanny · 11-07-2014, 05:12 PM

I'm nearing the 1/2-way point of The Paper Magician which I picked up as the Kindle First freebie in August. It's *really* good. The sequel, The Glass Magician was just released on 4 November, and I have it queued up to read very soon.

bizzybody · 11-07-2014, 10:48 PM

Currently 51% through the 3rd book of John Ringo's "Black Tide Rising" series.

DrNefario · 11-08-2014, 05:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrNefario

Next up I think I'm going to start on Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer, which has been creating some buzz this year. There are still few days left of the Autumn Sale at Amazon UK where I can get the second and third books slightly cheaper, so I'd better find out if I want them.

Well, Annihilation was fairly short and interesting - reminiscent of Roadside Picnic, in that it involves an expedition into a part of the world where normal rules do not apply - and I'm still not quite sure if I want to pick up the other two. Maybe I'll compromise and just get the second one. There's not much explained, in Annihilation, but I'm not sure that an explanation wouldn't ruin it.

I don't know what's next. Probably a heroic fantasy of some sort, although I have also been reading Death at the President's Lodging by Michael Innes intermittently, and might just bring that up to full speed. (I believe it was called something else in the US, since it's not that president. It's about a murder in an Oxbridge-style university college.) I need to catch up on my alphabetic detective challenge. This one is John Appleby, for A.

HarryT · 11-08-2014, 06:12 AM

Just finished "Poirot's Early Cases", by Agatha Christie, originally published in 1974. A collection of 18 short stories featuring Hercule Poirot, most of which had originally been published in magazines. Very enjoyable.

Gazella · 11-08-2014, 08:15 AM

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

PurpleStar · 11-08-2014, 02:04 PM

I finished The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson. Very enjoyable book! It is YA, but there was a good mystery as well as an interesting magic system and likeable characters. Highly recommended!

Now going to read The Dresden Files book 3 Grave Peril by Jim Butcher.

Hampshire Nanny · 11-08-2014, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hampshire Nanny

I'm nearing the 1/2-way point of The Paper Magician which I picked up as the Kindle First freebie in August. It's *really* good. The sequel, The Glass Magician was just released on 4 November, and I have it queued up to read very soon.

I finished The Paper Magician this afternoon. Now I'm reading As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust by Alan Bradley, the 7th book in his mystery series featuring young Flavia de Luce. This is a review book scheduled for publication on 6 January 2015.

alansplace · 11-08-2014, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alansplace

Raging Heat was riveting! Maybe the best Nikki Heat yet! Next I'm going to read my monthly freebie from the Amazon Prime lending library, The Alarming Clock (Ed Noon Mystery #5) by Michael Avallone.

The Alarming Clock was, as always for the Ed Noon books, an excellent reading experience. Next I'll be reading my freebie for November in the:

program, Ticker [Kindle Edition] by Lisa Mantchev, a fantasy concerning the adventures of Penny Farthing who, despite having a brass timepiece for a ticker, manages to lead a very active life. I'm really looking forward to this one.

bfisher · 11-08-2014, 10:41 PM

Just finished David Drake's "Dinosaur & a Dirigible". Time travel and TRex, what's not to like

Rev. Bob · 11-09-2014, 12:06 AM

Since I'm mired in fixing my copy of Skeleton Crew as well as working on a new novel, I've taken up Space Captain Smith as my current "casual read." (I have to read SkCrew like I'm proofreading it - paperback here, ebook there, and the iPad handy for taking notes. Hardly casual. SCS still has a few formatting glitches, but only occasional ones.)

SCS is somewhere between steampunk, British colonialism, and wacky space opera. I think Arthur Dent would feel right at home here.

HarryT · 11-09-2014, 07:01 AM

Just finished "The Defiant Agents", by Andre Norton; the third book in her "Time Traders" series, and the first half of the Baen "Time Traders II" omnibus. Typical Norton, by which I mean that it was a decent enough story, but didn't really draw me in to the story. Average.

pdurrant · 11-09-2014, 07:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Next up: A Pocketful of Rye by Agatha Christie. Her 54th mystery book. Wow - I paid £3.99 for this one! It must have been one of the last ones missing from my collection. Bought back in December 2010.

A frequently adapted Miss Marple mystery, although she doesn't turn up until half way through. Classic Christie, IMO.

Next up: Shining Steel by Lawrence Watt-Evans. One of his stand-alones, as far as I know.

bfisher · 11-09-2014, 09:40 PM

Finished "Young Mr. Roosevelt: FDR's Introduction to War, Politics, and Life" by Stanley Weintraub.

This book concentrates on 8 years in FDR's life, when he was Assistant Secretary of the Navy during the Wilson administration. After reading it, I understood how critical this period was in preparing him for the trials of the Presidency. In this period he learned how the federal civil bureaucracy and the upper levels of the American military worked, how to run a large government enterprise, and how the legislative branch operated vis-a-vis the executive branch. Because of this, he was able to hit the ground running in 1933, at one of the critical points in history.

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11-07-2014, 01:12 AM	#21106
LaughingVulcan Technophile Posts: 206 Karma: 617 Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Land of Lincoln Device: Kobo Sage. Ex Sony (PRS-500, -600, -650 and Nook)	About 20% of the way through the new William Gibson novel, The Peripheral. Very good read so far, the narration is more reminiscent of his Sprawl series than anything he's done since. That also makes it slow going and having to go with the flow of Gibson's narration, accumulating details of the story and characters as one goes. It is akin to the Bridge trilogy of technology not-quite-arrived-yet but very plausible, combined with the standard Gibson elements of bleeding-edge technology and techno issues. For those who started Gibson with the most recent Blue Ant trilogy the book may come as something of a shock, it's style and tone are different. But for someone who's read everything William Gibson's written, this reads like another leap forward while respecting his roots. Can't wait to finish it, but also trying to enjoy it slow as we only get a new Gibson novel every three to four years.

11-07-2014, 05:12 PM	#21108
Hampshire Nanny Guru Posts: 615 Karma: 8064562 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: Sony PRS-505, Kindle 3 KB, iPad2	I'm nearing the 1/2-way point of *The Paper Magician* which I picked up as the Kindle First freebie in August. It's really good. The sequel, *The Glass Magician* was just released on 4 November, and I have it queued up to read very soon.

11-07-2014, 10:48 PM	#21109
bizzybody Addict Posts: 302 Karma: 8317682 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Idaho, USA Device: Various PalmOS PDAs, Android Phones, Sharper Image Literati	Currently 51% through the 3rd book of John Ringo's "Black Tide Rising" series.

11-08-2014, 06:12 AM	#21111
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,560 Karma: 93980341 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Just finished "Poirot's Early Cases", by Agatha Christie, originally published in 1974. A collection of 18 short stories featuring Hercule Poirot, most of which had originally been published in magazines. Very enjoyable.

11-08-2014, 08:15 AM	#21112
Gazella Wizard Posts: 1,705 Karma: 4619474 Join Date: Nov 2012 Device: Kindle Scribe, Kindle Paperwhite	Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

11-08-2014, 02:04 PM	#21113
PurpleStar Wizard Posts: 1,625 Karma: 11387182 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Canada Device: Kobo Clara BW, Kindle Paperwhite (11th Gen)	I finished The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson. Very enjoyable book! It is YA, but there was a good mystery as well as an interesting magic system and likeable characters. Highly recommended! Now going to read The Dresden Files book 3 Grave Peril by Jim Butcher.

11-08-2014, 10:41 PM	#21116
bfisher Wizard Posts: 1,638 Karma: 28483498 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Ottawa Canada Device: Sony PRS-T3, Galaxy (Aldiko, Kobo app)	Just finished David Drake's "Dinosaur & a Dirigible". Time travel and TRex, what's not to like

11-09-2014, 12:06 AM	#21117
Rev. Bob Wizard Posts: 1,760 Karma: 9918418 Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Here on the perimeter, there are no stars Device: Kobo H2O, iPad mini 3, Kindle Touch	Since I'm mired in fixing my copy of Skeleton Crew as well as working on a new novel, I've taken up Space Captain Smith as my current "casual read." (I have to read SkCrew like I'm proofreading it - paperback here, ebook there, and the iPad handy for taking notes. Hardly casual. SCS still has a few formatting glitches, but only occasional ones.) SCS is somewhere between steampunk, British colonialism, and wacky space opera. I think Arthur Dent would feel right at home here.

11-09-2014, 07:01 AM	#21118
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,560 Karma: 93980341 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Just finished "The Defiant Agents", by Andre Norton; the third book in her "Time Traders" series, and the first half of the Baen "Time Traders II" omnibus. Typical Norton, by which I mean that it was a decent enough story, but didn't really draw me in to the story. Average.

11-09-2014, 09:40 PM	#21120
bfisher Wizard Posts: 1,638 Karma: 28483498 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Ottawa Canada Device: Sony PRS-T3, Galaxy (Aldiko, Kobo app)	Finished "Young Mr. Roosevelt: FDR's Introduction to War, Politics, and Life" by Stanley Weintraub. This book concentrates on 8 years in FDR's life, when he was Assistant Secretary of the Navy during the Wilson administration. After reading it, I understood how critical this period was in preparing him for the trials of the Presidency. In this period he learned how the federal civil bureaucracy and the upper levels of the American military worked, how to run a large government enterprise, and how the legislative branch operated vis-a-vis the executive branch. Because of this, he was able to hit the ground running in 1933, at one of the critical points in history.