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

[cromag]

Originally Posted by cromag

I lurk here and pick up some good information on books to read ... and, maybe, others to avoid. I've tried posting a few times, but I have always lacked the discipline to keep it up.

I'll try again.
...
Meanwhile, I've started Dead Angler, the first book in the Loon Lake Mystery Series, by Victoria Houston. It's set in the rural north woods of Wisconsin. So far, it looks pretty good! It looks like I've had this sitting in my ereader for three or four years -- I probably should have started it sooner.

Dead Angler was a good mystery -- well written, good characters, unusual setting. I enjoyed it enough to buy the next two books in the series, Dead Creek and Dead Water.

I've already started reading Dead Creek, and it's starting out okay.

[Dazrin]

Originally Posted by Dazrin

Started House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds this morning. Mystery set in the distant future and, at least so far, throughout the Milky Way.

I really enjoyed this. Not a ton of action but very well written and interesting story.

Next up: TBD Edit: Legion: Skin Deep by Brandon Sanderson. Nothing too long though since I will be starting Calamity on Tuesday.

[orlok]

Originally Posted by MickeyC

Just finished Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time by Dava Sobel and it was very interesting. I read it based on recos from Dngrsone and Hampshire Nanny (both of whom never get it wrong) and they absolutely had it right this time.

A good book indeed!

I've nearly finished The Corpse Exhibition: And Other Stories of Iraq by Hassan Blasim. A disturbing glimpse into a very different world to the one I live in.

[HarryT]

Not an eBook, but I've just finished a weighty tome called "The Story of Art", by E.H. Gombrich, which was first published in 1950 and is now in its 16th edition. Probably the best single volume summary of art history around, and a great read for anyone who wants to understand art from ancient times to post-modernism. Highly recommended to anyone at all interested in the subject.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

So now I'm also reading: The Evolution of Man or How I Ate My Father by Roy Lewis. A paperback I bought earlier this year.

It was OK. A moderately entertaining sub-"Just So" tale. But I can't really recommend it.

Originally Posted by pdurrant

So onto another recent purchase: The Wizardry Quested by Rick Cook. The fifth in this series, and I read the first four long ago, so I'm looking forward to this.

Originally Posted by CRussel

I'll be interested to hear what you think of it. I've not ever read any Rick Cook, but since I got a couple in the last two bundles, I have been thinking of moving one to my TBR from my "maybe some year" list.

It's quite fun. Some of the computer stuff has dated, but on the whole an enjoyable romp. But not one to read before the others in this series. Do start with the first. (This is the fifth, despite what Amazon's listing claims.)

Next up: Oath of Fealty by Niven & Pournelle. I'm certain I'm read this before, but not for many years.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

It's quite fun. Some of the computer stuff has dated, but on the whole an enjoyable romp. But not one to read before the others in this series. Do start with the first. (This is the fifth, despite what Amazon's listing claims.)

Which one is the first, and is it currently on Baen?

Next up: Oath of Fealty by Niven & Pournelle. I'm certain I'm read this before, but not for many years.

I remember that I've read that one, but I couldn't begin to tell you any of the storyline at all. It's been a LONG time.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Which one is the first, and is it currently on Baen?

The best source for finding the order of books in a series:

http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/c/rick-cook/

Yes, it's sold by Baen.

[CRussel]

Thanks, Harry. Off to buy now if I don't have it. Ah, but I see it's part of The Wiz Biz, which is one of those I got in the February bundle. Excellent. I'll move it into my TBR.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Thanks, Harry. Off to buy now if I don't have it. Ah, but I see it's part of The Wiz Biz, which is one of those I got in the February bundle. Excellent. I'll move it into my TBR.

Indeed it is; it's the first half of the book.

I'm very pleased to see that these books are once again available from Baen. I bought them when they first published them, around 2000, but they were then unavailable for many years. It must be very recently that they became available again; I checked about a year ago, and although I was still about to download it as a prior purchaser, they weren't available for sale.

[bfisher]

Originally Posted by pjmpjm

'Refighting the Pacific War: An Alternative History of World War II' by James C. Bresnahan

http://www.amazon.com/Refighting-Pac...he+pacific+war

It looks interesting. Were the arguments plausible?

[PurpleStar]

While you all are talking about it, I've been wondering what I should read after The Wiz Biz. Seems like the Wizardry Quested isn't the next in the series.

[Apache]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Next up: Oath of Fealty by Niven & Pournelle. I'm certain I'm read this before, but not for many years.

Originally Posted by CRussel

Which one is the first, and is it currently on Baen?


I remember that I've read that one, but I couldn't begin to tell you any of the storyline at all. It's been a LONG time.

I too read that one in paper a long time ago and do not remember much about it. I will probably get it as an eBook if pdurrant likes it.
Apache

[Hampshire Nanny]

Originally Posted by cromag

Dead Angler was a good mystery -- well written, good characters, unusual setting. I enjoyed it enough to buy the next two books in the series, Dead Creek and Dead Water.

I've already started reading Dead Creek, and it's starting out okay.

Hmmm... I went to look up Dead Angler and discovered that I bought this book in 2012. The next couple of books are available through Kindle Unlimited, so I think I'll queue this up to read soon. Thanks for the recommendation.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Well, that wasn't what I expected, but a Library book came in, and I found myself engrossed. Just finished the first skim of Sea Kayaking: The Classic Manual for Touring, From Day Trips to Major Expeditions, by John Dowd & Freya Hoffmeister. This the 6th edition. I strongly suspect if I'm going to get serious, I'm going to want this book (and a couple of others as well) on my permanent shelf.

And now, reading another "non-fiction" book, Boys in the Trees, Carly Simon's autobiography. It's actually well written and is keeping me involved. Got a copy from the BC Library system, so need to read it quickly.

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by orlok

...I've nearly finished The Corpse Exhibition: And Other Stories of Iraq by Hassan Blasim. A disturbing glimpse into a very different world to the one I live in.

Please review that one when you do finish. It sounds interesting.