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

[issybird]

Originally Posted by meeera

Yeesh, I don't blame you. Stay away from the SF 'classics'. Ignore those who recommend Heinlein, Clarke, and Asimov allatonce in their first breath. Read some SF written in the past 30-40 years. For alternative starting points, having read your other post, I recommend Bujold's Vorkosigan books, starting with Shards of Honour/Barrayar. Try The Sparrow, by Mary Doria Russell; Station Eleven; Ann Leckie's series; The Dervish House; any Paolo Bacigalupi book; Clade; James S A Corey; John Scalzi (in fact, I'll go out on a limb and say try Fuzzy Nation); Tidhar's Osama; All The Birds in the Sky. If you want to try a classic, maybe try Kindred, or posssibly Bradbury's "The Illustrated Man".

Originally Posted by meeera

I am talking to this particular person and using their explanation of what they like and don't like. My kid likes Asimov a bit, and that's fine, though it's not a favourite for him. But in general, I will admit that this is a big pet peeve of mine - science fiction lovers continuing to recommend their gateway drug (the fifties writers that they read age 12 in the seventies) as though they're a good current-day gateway drug for adult litfic readers. I grew up on Asimov and McCaffrey, but I don't recommend them first-up these days to non-SF people looking for SF recs. Context matters.

I am similarly eye-rolly at people who recommend the YA books they read forty years ago as though they're a great way to engage reluctant adolescent readers of 2016. It just doesn't work.

Thank you for the suggestions. I do appreciate your perspective and agree with it.

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by CRussel

I think you missed your thread there...

<snip>

No idea how that happened. One minute I'm reading cromag in the What meteorological phenomenon (phenomena) affects you this day ? thread and the next I'm posting in the Hey!! Let's get some action going! What are we reading? thread. Oh, well. Post now moved.

[Dngrsone]

Finished Exigency; very nice read. I may have to sample his other books, though they are not scifi.

Working on Forever Odd by Dean Koontz, the second Odd Thomas book.

[Hampshire Nanny]

Originally Posted by Hampshire Nanny

Tuesday, I started reading The Enemy, #8 in Lee Child's Jack Reacher mysteries -- which I'm still reading. And *then* I received e-mails from two of the libraries where I have accounts. So I've downloaded Winter, the final volume in Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles and War Horse by Michael Morpurgo.

I really enjoyed reading The Enemy. It was a flashback to when Reacher was still in the Army in 1989 and 1990. The Berlin Wall was just coming down and Noriega was being hunted in Panama. It's hard for me to realize those things happened over 25 years ago -- and yet it was interesting that they had to stop to use a pay phone because cellular phones didn't exist yet.

Now I'm reading Winter. The Earth and the Moon are still at war, but Cinder and her Prince Charming (Kai) are lip-locking at every opportunity.

[WT Sharpe]

I'm setting aside for now the two non-fiction books I'm reading in order to finish this month's MobileRead Book Club selection, Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson.

[Rev. Bob]

Well, I forgot that a boneheaded thing was boneheaded, which scrambled my recently-loaded markers on my e-reader. As a result, I started reading John Ringo's "Black Tide Rising" zombie-apocalypse books completely by accident - as in, I was trying to scroll to the next page of results, but the reader interpreted it as "open book one" and I went with it.

Book one, Under a Graveyard Sky, was pretty solid by comparison to most zombie fiction. We get a good idea why this family survives and how they start the rescue mission, and precocious teenagers are pretty much de rigeur for the genre. It still strains credibility that the 15yo is an expert sniper and her 13yo sister is a six feet tall melee combat monster hottie who has no problem clearing decks for hours in a hundred pounds of gear, and the fact that damn near every available male falls so hard for the latter that they propose marriage, but those are relatively minor issues here. Four stars.

Book two, To Sail a Darkling Sea, is worse in pretty much every way. The prologue has six survivors on a Navy ship - five men and one woman - and we get treated to the delightful scene of one of the men telling the "split" (ugh!) that she'd better start putting out on her terms before he and the other guys lose their self-control. Believe it or not, that's not the squickiest part of the book. The biggest flaw, I think, is that "make this motley bunch Real Military" becomes the focus, which means the book bogs down in legalese and paperwork and military discipline and finding a way to commission the family members in the Navy and Marines. (The 13yo ends the book as a 2nd Lieutenant.) Three stars as a definite step down.

I'm still reading book three, Islands of Rage & Hope, and Chapter Two brought me to a screeching "WTF?!?" halt. There's a very squicky scene involving the discovery and treatment of a pregnant preteen - which is completely gratuitous because, according to a text search of the ebook, she's never even mentioned again. It's as if the author asked "what's the most unlikely way she could get pregnant in a raft" and dropped it in just because he could. If I'd been a beta reader or editor, I would've recommended cutting that part entirely.

I'm almost scared to find out what book four has in store. Right now, I'm just hoping book three finds a way to redeem itself. (I currently don't see myself rating it above three stars - probably lower. That Chapter Two bit was really vile.)

[Dngrsone]

Originally Posted by Rev. Bob

Well, I forgot that a boneheaded thing was boneheaded, which scrambled my recently-loaded markers on my e-reader. As a result, I started reading John Ringo's "Black Tide Rising" zombie-apocalypse books completely by accident - as in, I was trying to scroll to the next page of results, but the reader interpreted it as "open book one" and I went with it.

Book one, Under a Graveyard Sky, was pretty solid by comparison to most zombie fiction. We get a good idea why this family survives and how they start the rescue mission, and precocious teenagers are pretty much de rigeur for the genre. It still strains credibility that the 15yo is an expert sniper and her 13yo sister is a six feet tall melee combat monster hottie who has no problem clearing decks for hours in a hundred pounds of gear, and the fact that damn near every available male falls so hard for the latter that they propose marriage, but those are relatively minor issues here. Four stars.

LOL, I hate that. Though I can attest to meeting some people who are pretty damn good shots even when picking up a weapon for the first time.

Originally Posted by Rev. Bob

Book two, To Sail a Darkling Sea, is worse in pretty much every way. The prologue has six survivors on a Navy ship - five men and one woman - and we get treated to the delightful scene of one of the men telling the "split" (ugh!) that she'd better start putting out on her terms before he and the other guys lose their self-control.

OMG; I was in the Navy for 21 years and I think I'd heard someone actually use the term "split tail" maybe twice. We can be raunchy and hella politically incorrect, but that's just BS!

Originally Posted by Rev. Bob

Believe it or not, that's not the squickiest part of the book. The biggest flaw, I think, is that "make this motley bunch Real Military" becomes the focus, which means the book bogs down in legalese and paperwork and military discipline and finding a way to commission the family members in the Navy and Marines. (The 13yo ends the book as a 2nd Lieutenant.) Three stars as a definite step down.

Okay, I know a few guys who would insist on that kind of thing, but they are also the type that would definitely put their new recruits into the Enlisted branch as recruits. Besides which, Second Lieutenant is an Army rank-- the Navy equivalent is Ensign.

Originally Posted by Rev. Bob

I'm still reading book three, Islands of Rage & Hope...

For the love of Bob, why?!

Originally Posted by Rev. Bob

... and Chapter Two brought me to a screeching "WTF?!?" halt. There's a very squicky scene involving the discovery and treatment of a pregnant preteen - which is completely gratuitous because, according to a text search of the ebook, she's never even mentioned again. It's as if the author asked "what's the most unlikely way she could get pregnant in a raft" and dropped it in just because he could. If I'd been a beta reader or editor, I would've recommended cutting that part entirely.

I'm almost scared to find out what book four has in store. Right now, I'm just hoping book three finds a way to redeem itself. (I currently don't see myself rating it above three stars - probably lower. That Chapter Two bit was really vile.)

Sorry, man-- I have way too many books in my TBR to have continued with that.

I'm 16% into Forever Odd and waiting for the main part of the story to begin. I have a feeling that this sequel is not going to be as compelling as the first book was.

[Rev. Bob]

Originally Posted by Dngrsone

Besides which, Second Lieutenant is an Army rank-- the Navy equivalent is Ensign.

The 15yo becomes a Navy Ensign; the 13yo gets to be a Marine 2L. With a developing split personality represented by a teddy bear in her kit.

Book three continues to be heavier than I'd like on the "organize and plan" stuff, as opposed to the "clear places and save people" angle. One small thing that irritates me is that it's got to be at least nine months since the beginning of book one by now (because the ubiquitous pregnancies are coming to term), but the two girls are still 15 and 13. Shouldn't one or both have had a birthday by now, especially since there was a fair pre-Fall period at the beginning of the first book?

It's a little thing, but still something I would've expected an editor to catch. But then, the end of book two includes an awards ceremony where "six and one" is the same set as "five and three" and gets discussed as "six." Oh, and despite the creation of a medal for forming the squadron, somehow the man who did the most to form it doesn't receive that medal - while getting a Silver Star for the accomplishment. That was a real head-scratcher. Again, an editor would've been useful there.

[CRussel]

FWIW, these qualified as "guilty pleasures" here. But only the first couple of them. After that, I got seriously bored and annoyed.

[Rev. Bob]

Originally Posted by CRussel

FWIW, these qualified as "guilty pleasures" here. But only the first couple of them. After that, I got seriously bored and annoyed.

I'll probably finish book four, since I already have it and I believe it ends the series. Besides, I'm morbidly curious about whether it will actually get worse... and it's not like they're big time sinks. A couple of days per book ain't bad. Besides, I keep reminding myself that John Scalzi is contributing to the upcoming anthology; surely there's some redeeming quality somewhere...

At about 75% finished with book three, it's looking like a two-star rating. Much of it's on par with book two, but the ick factor of chapter two costs it a star. That's not a final decision, though; there's the slim chance that the last chunk of the book could be completely amazing and earn that third star back. I'm not holding my breath, but it's possible.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Next up: The Elfstones of Shannara by Terry Brooks. I though I ought to see what it was like. So far it's not too hot.

And it remained pretty awful. Readable, but clearly not original. And pretty predictable.

I've also just finished a paper book - Riddle of the Seven Realms by Lyndon Hardy. Good, but not as good as the first in the sequence, Master of the Five Magics.

Next Up: The Drowning World by Alan Dean Foster. Set in the Pip & Flynx Humanx Commonwealth universe, but not featuring them.

[HarryT]

I've been away for a week and a half, so several books read in that time:

"The Snack Thief", by Andrea Camilleri. The third book in the "Inspector Montalbano" series of detective stories set in Sicily. When an elderly man is stabbed to death in an elevator and a crewman on an Italian fishing trawler is machine-gunned by a Tunisian patrol boat off Sicily's coast, only Inspector Montalbano suspects a link between the two incidents. Excellent.

"Killer", by David Drake & Karl Edward Wagner. Bought from Baen in 2002. An almost indestructible alien predator is let loose in ancient Rome, and a Roman animal collector tries to trap it. Excellent SF. Highly recommended.

"Those in Peril", by Wilbur Smith. The first book in the "Hector Cross" series. Very good adventure story. Hector Cross, the owner of a security company providing protection for an oil company, has to track down Somali pirates who kidnap the teenage daughter of the oil company's owner. Very good, but with graphic scenes of extreme violence. Not for those who don't like such things.

"Give Me Liberty", edited by Martin H. Greenberg & Mark Tier. Bought from Baen in 2003. Excellent collection of SF stories by various authors about societies with no central government, including such classics as Van Vogt's "The Weapon Shops". Highly recommended.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I've been away for a week and a half, so several books read in that time:

"The Snack Thief", by Andrea Camilleri. The third book in the "Inspector Montalbano" series of detective stories set in Sicily. When an elderly man is stabbed to death in an elevator and a crewman on an Italian fishing trawler is machine-gunned by a Tunisian patrol boat off Sicily's coast, only Inspector Montalbano suspects a link between the two incidents. Excellent.

"Killer", by David Drake & Karl Edward Wagner. Bought from Baen in 2002. An almost indestructible alien predator is let loose in ancient Rome, and a Roman animal collector tries to trap it. Excellent SF. Highly recommended.

"Those in Peril", by Wilbur Smith. The first book in the "Hector Cross" series. Very good adventure story. Hector Cross, the owner of a security company providing protection for an oil company, has to track down Somali pirates who kidnap the teenage daughter of the oil company's owner. Very good, but with graphic scenes of extreme violence. Not for those who don't like such things.

"Give Me Liberty", edited by Martin H. Greenberg & Mark Tier. Bought from Baen in 2003. Excellent collection of SF stories by various authors about societies with no central government, including such classics as Van Vogt's "The Weapon Shops". Highly recommended.

I missed you.
I read Jeff Foxworthy's No shoes, No shirt, No problem.

[KyBunnies]

Originally Posted by KyBunnies

I finished The Safety Expert By Doug Richardson and Blue Jeans and Coffee Beans By Joanne DeMaio.

I would give The Safety Expert a solid 4-stars. After I got past the second chapter it turned out to be a very good book. I do wonder why the author made such long chapters instead of breaking it down into smaller chapters. For a book with over 350 pages to only have 10 chapters seems off. Just my opinion.

For Blue Jeans and Coffee Beans I give 3 stars. I was not a drawn into the book like the other book by this author. It was a good read but I just did not feel connected to any of the characters.

I have started Evil Town by John David Bethel. So far I am enjoying this book. The advantage to me is the author works in the Capital.

I also plan to start The Advocate's Daughter by Anthony Franze. I need to have this review written one day next week. I received this ARC in exchange for a review.

I finished The Advocate's Daughter by Anthony Franze.

This was a great book. I enjoyed it very much. This is a solid 4.5 stars for me.

[Apache]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I've been away for a week and a half, so several books read in that time:


"Killer", by David Drake & Karl Edward Wagner. Bought from Baen in 2002. An almost indestructible alien predator is let loose in ancient Rome, and a Roman animal collector tries to trap it. Excellent SF. Highly recommended.

This was originally released as a short story and later the publisher wanted Mr. Drake to expand it into a full size novel. I like both but, I think the short story is tighter.
Apache