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

[Hampshire Nanny]

Originally Posted by ReneAZ

I'm reading "The Hot Zone" (Richard Preston), only because it's next month's selection in my book club. It's about the origins (in the 60s-70s) of Ebola. It is well written (not full of too much medical jargon) and somewhat anecdotal, but I just don't care for the subject. I read for enjoyment, not enlightenment ;-) but will slog through (since I enjoy the actual book club gathering so much). I guess I should have a better attitude, with it being in the news so much lately, but it just so horrid.

I also read entirely for entertainment. I will have to say that when I read The Hot Zone umpteen years ago, I enjoyed it very much.

I'm now reading what will probably be the last two books I complete in 2014: Shadow of Freedom by David Weber and A String of Beads by Thomas Perry. Both are parts of series that I enjoy very much.

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Braille is you reading the words. Audiobooks is someone else reading the words to you. Very different.

I've always had a place for audiobooks in my life, but since my fall last March when I fractured my skull in two places I have appreciated them more than ever. Although I continue to improve, even now I get sinus headaches sometimes from reading too long. If it weren't for audiobooks, 2014 would have been a major bust. Audiobooks are different, but they still require a degree of concentration that other media such as television and modern movies don't. People being read to as well as reading to others has a long and honorable history.

[Nyssa]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

I've always had a place for audiobooks in my life, but since my fall last March when I fractured my skull in two places I have appreciated them more than ever. Although I continue to improve, even now I get sinus headaches sometimes from reading too long. If it weren't for audiobooks, 2014 would have been a major bust. Audiobooks are different, but they still require a degree of concentration that other media such as television and modern movies don't. People being read to as well as reading to others has a long and honorable history.

OMGosh Tom! I have no words.... (((Hugs)))

[DrNefario]

On Christmas Day I finished Wolfhound Century by Peter Higgins, an unusual fantasy with a Russia-like setting. There are firearms and trains, but road transport is still horse-drawn, so I'd guess the technology is around the turn of the twentieth century. There are also giants, strange elemental creatures, and the bodies of angels have fallen from the sky. I enjoyed it, but this first volume is not very self-contained. The second book is already out, in the UK. I'm not sure how many there are going to be.

Last night I also finished The Boy with the Porcelain Blade by Den Patrick, another enjoyable fantasy* with an Italianesque flavour. I expected it to be a city-based rogue sort of thing, but it turned out to be almost exactly the opposite, taking place among noble families an a large castle. My enjoyment was almost ruined by a remarkably poor kindle version, with about 20 instances of missing text. Really unacceptable for a book published in 2014, and I'll be dropping Gollancz an email about it later, when I've checked on another device.

This was apparently also a Book 1, but is a complete story in itself, and I'm not really even sure where it can go from here.

I don't know if either of those are even published in the US.

* I have a slight suspicion it might not really be fantasy at all. We'll see.

[PurpleStar]

Almost finished with Strands of Sorrow by John Ringo. Very entertaining zombie hunting series!!! I will have to read some more of his books.

Next will be Star Trek DS9: The Missing by Uma McCormack which I will buy later tonight when it's released.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Next up: Another recent purchase, Strands of Sorrow by John Ringo. The last in his Zombie Apocalypse series.

Good fun. (Well, as much as a zombie apocalypse can be.) Not quite as good as the previous books, but I think that's in the nature of the story line. A reasonably satisfying ending to the series.

Then I read The Aunt Paradox by Chris Dolley. A rather amusing time travel story.

Next up: Carousel Seas by Sharon Lee. Another recent purchase.

[Dazrin]

Originally Posted by Dazrin

I like HP. A lot. I finished #3 on the 9th, took most of a week off (nothing sounded good) and then read #4, The Goblet of Fire, in 2 days. Now I am reading John Rain #5, Extremis, by Barry Eisler (originally published as The Last Assassin.) When I finish this I will start Hogfather, Discworld #20, by Terry Pratchett as my Christmas week read.

Hogfather is an excellent Christmas story. I think Susan is one of my favorite Discworld characters, one of many.

Originally Posted by Hampshire Nanny

Really? It's #20 in Discworld? Maybe that's why I simply couldn't get into it. Hogfather was recommended to me as the first of a trilogy and I tried & tried to read it. But, since I've read none of the Discworld series, maybe the fact that it wasn't really a stand-alone contributed to my problem.

I have jumped around in my reading of Discworld novels and have really enjoyed all of them, but I don't think Hogfather is a good starting point if you haven't been initiated. The Color of Magic (#1) is the logical starting point and after that is The Light Fantastic, which is direct continuation of #1. These two novels, while not my favorites, give a very good background for the series and world. After that, I think you can jump around a bit and very much enjoy the sub-series or even some individual books. I would still try to read each sub-series in published order but if you start reading the City Watch sub-series before the Death or Witches sub-series it isn't the end of the world.

Here is one take on reading order which seems to work fairly well: http://io9.com/how-to-read-terry-pra...e-h-1567312812

Originally Posted by JSWolf

That person is trying to spoil what is a very good series for you by lying to you. It's NOT OK to red Discworld out of order.

And JSWolf, the statement above is very offensive. I am not a liar just because you disagree with reading Discworld out of order.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

I've always had a place for audiobooks in my life, but since my fall last March when I fractured my skull in two places I have appreciated them more than ever. Although I continue to improve, even now I get sinus headaches sometimes from reading too long. If it weren't for audiobooks, 2014 would have been a major bust. Audiobooks are different, but they still require a degree of concentration that other media such as television and modern movies don't. People being read to as well as reading to others has a long and honorable history.

I hope you get better. I'm sorry you had such a major injury.

As for reading, I find I don't always have to concentrate as much as I would with an audiobook. I can read while watching TV sometimes. It does depend on the book. Some books do require a lot more concentration then others. And some books require a lot of stamina to not fall asleep.

The book I am reading now is a combination of bits are OK, bits are good, and bits are dull. I'm reading it for a book club or I would have stopped reading it.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Good fun. (Well, as much as a zombie apocalypse can be.) Not quite as good as the previous books, but I think that's in the nature of the story line. A reasonably satisfying ending to the series.

Next up: Carousel Seas by Sharon Lee. Another recent purchase.

Yup, my take on Strand of Sorrows as well. I can't say I'm sorry that the series is over. Honestly, there's a limit to my willingness to read zombie anything. OTOH, Carousel Seas left be quite sad that the trilogy is done. I quite enjoyed the book, and the series. (And do NOT miss the free Archer's Beach story on the front page of the main Baen site!)

[Gazella]

Finished:

"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" -- (5/5) stars

"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" -- (5/5) stars

"Whistling Past the Graveyard" by Susan Crandall --- (5/5) stars

"The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" by Sherman Alexie -- (2/5) stars

"Train Dreams" by Denis Johnson -- (1/5) stars

-------------

Currently re-reading: "Sabriel" (Old Kingdom, #1) by Garth Nix

[pilotbob]

I realized there were two "new" Sword of truth books that came out after the "final" trilogy that I hadn't read yet.

So, I am reading _The Omen Machine_ which is really good so far. I really missed Richard, Kahlan and Zedd.

[speakingtohe]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Finished Strands of Sorrow and Carousel Seas, both from this month's Baen Bundle. I absolutely hate zombie books, and I am not much on thinly veiled, ultra-right, gun porn. And yet, I read and enjoyed Strands of Sorrow. Really, I end up finishing these books and feel like I need to take a shower to remove the blood. And yet, I keep reading them. Sigh. Something wrong there.

To cleanse my brain of that crud, I read Carousel Seas next. This is the third (and likely final) book in the Archer's Beach series, and just as with all Ms. Lee's books, I enjoyed it immensely. Not the book you want to start the series with, but a fitting and appropriate end to this story arc.

Finally, I was poking through my TBR, and came across a book I bought about a year ago, The Backup Men, by Ross Thomas. When I bought it, it was $7.69, but it's now available in Kindle Unlimited. This is the third book in the Mac's Place series, though all of them can be read standalone. The Backup Men was written in 1971, but is still a fun read today. And for the price of a KU book, hard to beat. (A bunch of Ross Thomas' books are now on KU, and I've not read a one that wasn't fun, and with lots of action and witty characters.)

Next up: The Brass Go-Between, the first of the Philip St. Ives books written by Ross Thomas (as Oliver Bleek). Again, a KU book, and one I didn't have before, so I'm looking forward to it.

ETA: No, I decided to read another Campion first - #9 in the series by Margery Allingham, The Case of the Late Pig.

I absolutely love Ross Thomas and coincidentally I just finished a Campion short story collection last night.

These books are both ageless and priceless IMO.

Helen

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by speakingtohe

I absolutely love Ross Thomas and coincidentally I just finished a Campion short story collection last night.

These books are both ageless and priceless IMO.

Helen

I couldn't agree more. And both took a while to make it into eBook format, but I'm so glad they're finally here.

Meanwhile, I read a couple of free short stories from the Baen site, which inspired me to download the full Free Short Stories of 2014, a collection of the monthly front page free stories from this year, many of which I had missed for one reason or another. An excellent collection this year, with some real gems in there. And the usual percentage of duds as well, of course.

Keeping with the short story theme, I bought Deeds of Honor, a collection of Paksenarrion world short stories (none of which actually include Paks herself). These were good, but not great with a couple of exceptions -- Ms. Moon is a better novel writer than short story writer, IMO.

Now, on to another Campion: The Fashion in the Shrouds. This is #10 in the Campion series.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Next up: Carousel Seas by Sharon Lee. Another recent purchase.

Which, as CRussel says, was very good indeed. If this is the end of the series, it's a reasonable place to stop.

And now for something completely different: The Forever Girl by Alexander McCall Smith. Bought just three days ago!

[HarryT]

My final four books of the year:

"An Autobiography" by Agatha Christie.

A fascinating, although certainly "selective", account of Christie's life. She certainly led an interesting life - eg after reading in the newspaper an account of Leonard Woolley's excavations at Ur in the late 1920s, she travelled on her own overland to Iraq to see the site for herself, which was a very unusual thing for a single woman to do at the time. Fascinating reading. Highly recommended.

"Keeper of the King" by Nigel Bennett and P.N. Elrod. The first book in the "Ethical Vampires" series. Originally bought from Baen probably around 2000-ish, but seems no longer to be available from them, although later books in the series are.

Forces greater than even the magic of Merlin granted him his dark immortality. Over a thousand years ago he was Richard d'Orleans, undefeated champion of Normandy, then he was Lancelot du Lac, Arthur's greatest knight. Now he is Richard Dun, security specialist in modern Toronto, but still he hears the irresistible summons of the old ways and...answers them. To save the woman he loves above all else, he must do the impossible. Once more, the last defender of Camelot must begin anew his quest for the grail...and this time to succeed - or die forever.

I don't normally go in for vampire stories, but I really enjoyed this one. An excellent romp involving searching for the Holy Grail. Again highly recommended, but I don't know if or where it can still be bought.

"Fer-de-Lance" by Rex Stout.

The first book in the "Nero Wolfe" series. This is my first encounter with this author (and series), and I really didn't know what to expect, since I am mainly a lover of classic British detective fiction, in which the clues are laid out, and it's the reader's task to try to solve the crime along with the detective. This isn't like that at all. In case anyone else hasn't read it, Nero Wolfe is an "armchair detective" - an enormously fat man private investigator who never leaves his New York home, but has a team of helpers, primarily Archie Goodwin (the narrator of the book) who does his "legwork" for him.

In this story, Wolfe is commissioned to try to track down Carlo Maffei, an Italian immigrant who is the brother of the wife of one of Wolfe's associates. Carlo turns up dead, and Wolfe is embroiled in a case involving the death of a high-profile university president and booby-trapped golf clubs.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and look forward to reading the rest of the series.

"His Father's Son" by Nigel Bennett and P.N. Elrod.

The second book in the "Ethical Vampires" series, which I bought from Baen in May 2001. Unlike the first book in the series, this one is still available.

He was once called Lancelot, King Arthur's greatest knight. She was once called Sabra of the Lake, high priestess to the hidden goddess. Now ... they are vampires, united by unbreakable ties of blood and sworn to protect the weak no matter the cost to themselves.

And at the dawn of the new millennium, Lord Richard still stalks, still fights ... still kills.

In the dead of night, a desperate plea for help calls him to the rescue of a woman he had loved and lost. Reality and dream merge in a macabre dance of death as Richard seeks to save those few fragile human lives he has sworn a blood-oath to protect. Haunted by the anguish and raptures of his ancient past and locked in a lethal struggle to survive in the present, Richard must reconcile the two if he is ever to find eternal peace.

But the price that the Dark Fates demand of him is very high. For over a thousand years he has served them well, yet now they want all he has left: his battered and tarnished soul....

Again, very enjoyable.