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

[Bilbo1967]

Hmmm....my brother gave me that book earlier this year but I haven't got round to it yet. Perhaps I should bump it up the list.

[WT Sharpe]

I just started A Series of Unfortunate Events. Young adult novels are not something that usually appeals to me, but as the author, Daniel Handler, who writes the series under the pen name of Lemony Snicket, has been in the news this week, I thought I'd give it a shot. I read the first five chapters this morning, and so far the novel's opening lines ring true.

If you are interested in stories with happy endings, you would be better off reading some other book. In this book, not only is there no happy ending, there is no happy beginning and very few happy things in the middle. This is because not very many happy things happened in the lives of the three Baudelaire youngsters.

As there's a bit of a dark streak in my makeup, I think I'm going to enjoy this one.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by Bilbo1967

Hmmm....my brother gave me that book earlier this year but I haven't got round to it yet. Perhaps I should bump it up the list.

If you're replying to Harry's Ben Aaronovitch Rivers of London post, then definitely move it up. These books are really outstanding. Witty, and yes there's magic but there's also police procedural, and most especially NOT told from the perspective of a DCI. And if you're someone who enjoys audio books, the Audible versions with Kobna Holdbrook-Smith are superb. His voice is perfect for Peter Grant, the protagonist.

I'm actually quite bummed that I won't be able to get the next one until nearly July.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

I just started A Series of Unfortunate Events. Young adult novels are not something that usually appeals to me, but as the author, Daniel Handler, who writes the series under the pen name of Lemony Snicket, has been in the news this week, I thought I'd give it a shot. I read the first five chapters this morning, and so far the novel's opening lines ring true.

As there's a bit of a dark streak in my makeup, I think I'm going to enjoy this one.

I really enjoyed the Series of Unfortunate Events books. Quite dark, as you say, but also witty with wonderful use of language. There's much to reward the adult reader that would be over the head of the intended audience. I'd only say you should space them out; I suspect if you don't they get a little repetitive.

[Dazrin]

Originally Posted by Dazrin

Guards! Guards! is still on hold and not available so I will need to find something else to read in the mean time.

I didn't expect to have to wait 3+ weeks for Guards! Guards! but I still haven't received it. In the mean time I have read The Star Creature by Steven A. Lyons (MR member Cromag) and am just about to finish Pandora's Star by Peter F. Hamilton. They average out to about 500 pages each even though Cromag's work is only 750 words or so.

The Star Creature was a great little glimpse into a completely different world and was very well done.

Pandora's Star is also very good but much much much longer, especially since it is only the first half of the story. I am enjoying it very much and already have the next book, Judas Unchained, on hold. If you don't care for highly detailed world building and some info dumps you should probably avoid this, but if they don't bother you the story is very interesting. Mystery, murder, conspiracy, first contact, battles and more.

In the 3 weeks that it has taken me to finish Pandora's Star I have received James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl and The Kill Artist by Daniel Silva, book 1 of his Gabriel Allon series, from the library. I will read the Dahl first as both a palate cleanser and as a preview to see if my daughter might be interested.

[bfisher]

Originally Posted by CRussel

If you're replying to Harry's Ben Aaronovitch Rivers of London post, then definitely move it up. These books are really outstanding. Witty, and yes there's magic but there's also police procedural, and most especially NOT told from the perspective of a DCI. And if you're someone who enjoys audio books, the Audible versions with Kobna Holdbrook-Smith are superb. His voice is perfect for Peter Grant, the protagonist.

I'm actually quite bummed that I won't be able to get the next one until nearly July.

I second that. Most series start to weaken after the first or second book. That hasn't happened to this series yet. I thought #5 was possibly the best yet. I'm very disappointed that #6 will be delayed.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by issybird

I really enjoyed the Series of Unfortunate Events books. Quite dark, as you say, but also witty with wonderful use of language. There's much to reward the adult reader that would be over the head of the intended audience. I'd only say you should space them out; I suspect if you don't they get a little repetitive.

I second that. I got them in an Amazon deal, and I started with A Bad Beginning (as one would). Quite fun stuff, but I found the second one, The Reptile Room, to essentially be a repeat of the first. Perhaps I should have another go, now the details have faded a bit, and move onto the third one.

[peterwardgd]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

I just started A Series of Unfortunate Events. Young adult novels are not something that usually appeals to me, but as the author, Daniel Handler, who writes the series under the pen name of Lemony Snicket, has been in the news this week, I thought I'd give it a shot. I read the first five chapters this morning, and so far the novel's opening lines ring true.

As there's a bit of a dark streak in my makeup, I think I'm going to enjoy this one.

I enjoyed the All the Wrong Questions series even more than his first series. The fourth and final book came out last week and i'm desperately trying not to start on it. Young adult books they maybe but they are pretty darn good.

[Mort1997]

I have just finished another YA book 'The Demon Road by Derek Landy' - which looks to be the start of another new series. It was very good and I look forward to more stories about these characters.

Spoiler:

'For anyone who ever thought their parents were monsters… Amber Lamont is a normal sixteen-year-old. Smart but insecure, she spends most of her time online, where she can avoid her beautiful, aloof parents and their weird friends.

But when a shocking encounter reveals a horrifying secret, Amber is forced to go on the run. Killer cars, vampires, undead serial killers and red-skinned, horned demons – Amber hurtles from one threat to the next, revealing the terror woven into the very fabric of her life. As her parents close in behind her, Amber’s only chance rests with her fellow travellers, who are not at all what they appear to be…'

[Dngrsone]

I'm on to City of Dragons, kinda disappointed with Hobb's deus ex machina near the end of the last book...

[mewmartigan]

Originally Posted by Dngrsone

I'm on to City of Dragons, kinda disappointed with Hobb's deus ex machina near the end of the last book...

Had you read any of her other series before this? The Liveship Traders trilogy had quite a bit about the Rain Wilds. I have the Rain Wilds books on my Kindle but haven't read them yet. They are near the top of my TBR list though.

[alansplace]

Originally Posted by alansplace

I finished Lust Is No Lady and then I borrowed another freebie from the Amazon lending library,
The Fat Death (Ed Noon #15) by Michael Avallone, again quite short and very enjoyable. I'm up to 21% of Veiled and still at 15% in Away With The Fairies.

Today was the release of The Aeronaut's Windlass, the first book in a new steampunk series called The Cinder Spires by Jim Butcher! I'm transfixed with it and have already read almost half of it.

I completed The Aeronaut's Windlass yesterday and am now anxiously awaiting both the next Dresden Files book and the next Cinder Spires book!

Meanwhile I borrowed The February Doll Murders (Ed Noon #16) by Michael Avallone from the Amazon lending library and am 15% into it!

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Just finished reading 14 by Peter Clines. I only bought this book because of recommendations here, and honestly wasn't expecting much, but it sucked me in completely. What worked about the book is the characters as much as the premise. Four solid stars, edging to a fifth.

Next up was going to be a Georgette Heyer Regency, Lady of Quality, and I got started with it, but then I found out that Nathan Lowell had released a new Ishmael Wang book, In Ashes Born, so that's taking immediate preference.

[Bilbo1967]

Originally Posted by CRussel

If you're replying to Harry's Ben Aaronovitch Rivers of London post, then definitely move it up. These books are really outstanding. Witty, and yes there's magic but there's also police procedural, and most especially NOT told from the perspective of a DCI. And if you're someone who enjoys audio books, the Audible versions with Kobna Holdbrook-Smith are superb. His voice is perfect for Peter Grant, the protagonist.

I'm actually quite bummed that I won't be able to get the next one until nearly July.

Originally Posted by bfisher

I second that. Most series start to weaken after the first or second book. That hasn't happened to this series yet. I thought #5 was possibly the best yet. I'm very disappointed that #6 will be delayed.

Thanks both. It was the Aaronovitch post I was responding to.

I'm going to be spending the last two weeks of October living in a hotel on my own in Kiev, so I'll earmark that time for some serious evening reading.

[Dngrsone]

Originally Posted by mewmartigan

Had you read any of her other series before this? The Liveship Traders trilogy had quite a bit about the Rain Wilds. I have the Rain Wilds books on my Kindle but haven't read them yet. They are near the top of my TBR list though.

These are my first Robin Hobbs books.