Hey!! Let's get some action going! What are we reading? - Page 1599

CRussel · 05-02-2016, 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

No, I'm afraid I'm giving up on them. I bought the entire collection of 31 books when they were available at Baen books back in 2007, but they just don't do it for me. I also find I accidentally skipped the sixth book in the series.

Mainly it's the way the attitudes to and treatment of the (few) women in the series that I can't suspend my disbelief over.

Next up: Carnifex by Tom Kratman. Another purchase from 2007. I'm not sure I'll like this, but I'll give it a go.

Yes, some books haven't aged all that well, have they?

As for Kratman -- won't read him. My TBR is quite long enough without him. I don't even download his books when they're in a bundle.

LovesMacs · 05-02-2016, 05:54 PM

Sometimes I think a better forum title would be "Hey!! Let's get some action going! What are we not reading?"

I'm mostly concentrating on The Ludwig Conspiracy by Oliver Pötzsch and When the Church Was Young: Voices of the Early Fathers by Marcellino d'Ambrosio.

I've also been rereading through ComiXology The Legion of Super Heroes: The Great Darkness Saga, by Paul Levitz and Keith Giffen. I've always liked this storyline and Giffen's pencilling before his art style radically changed.

Various other books cycle in and out too based on mood.

Dngrsone · 05-02-2016, 09:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MickeyC

If you liked this Bryson, I strongly recommend his "The Mother Tongue" a fascinating history of the mess we politely refer to as the English language. Very interesting. Also his At Home, a history of houses and how they got to be the way they are.

I'll second Mother Tongue. Finished Brother Odd, started two books: The Maids of Wrath by Josh Vogt and The Linux Command Line by William E. Shotts Jr.

pdurrant · 05-03-2016, 03:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Next up: Carnifex by Tom Kratman. Another purchase from 2007. I'm not sure I'll like this, but I'll give it a go.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CRussel

As for Kratman -- won't read him. My TBR is quite long enough without him. I don't even download his books when they're in a bundle.

I'm throwing in the towel after a few pages. A silly setup and approval of torture as a good method of obtaining information and cooperation.

Next up: The Secret of Sinharat by Leigh Brackett. The first of her Eric John Stark novels. I shall see if this stands up to the test of time.

HarryT · 05-03-2016, 04:59 AM

Finished "Street of the Five Moons", by Elizabeth Peters. This is the second book in the "Vicky Bliss" series about a mystery-solving historian. In this book, Vicky travels to Rome on the trail of a gang who are creating faithful reproductions of well-known pieces of jewellery. A monstrously implausible story, but, as always with Elizabeth Peters, a hugely enjoyable romp. It even has a "master criminal", a trademark of Peters's writing. If you've read and enjoyed (and who hasn't enjoyed them?) her "Amelia Peabody" series, do give this series a go! Highly recommended.

My 40th book of the year, so I'm on track for my target of 100 books for 2016.

drjd · 05-03-2016, 05:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drjd

Next up, (1961) - Shills Can't Cash Chips by Erle Stanley Gardner.

Finished Shills Can't Cash Chips by Erle Stanley Gardner. Once again a fast action tale of extortion, falsification, murder and robbery; of Donald Lam stepping over the boundaries of the law and then side-stepping.

Next will be Fish or Cut Bait (1963), another Bertha Cool-Donald Lam mystery.

pdurrant · 05-03-2016, 07:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Next up: The Secret of Sinharat by Leigh Brackett. The first of her Eric John Stark novels. I shall see if this stands up to the test of time.

Well, not for me. Abandoned, along with the others by Leigh Brackett and Edmond Hamilton.

It's doing wonders for my TBR pile, but not so great for satisfaction with reading. Let's go for a near-certain winner: Grantville Gazette #65, edited by Bjorn Hasseler

HarryT · 05-03-2016, 08:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Well, not for me. Abandoned, along with the others by Leigh Brackett and Edmond Hamilton.

I wish I could abandon books - I've struggled through some real stinkers. I always have the optimistic hope that if I just read a few more pages it might get better

.

drjd · 05-03-2016, 08:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

I wish I could abandon books - I've struggled through some real stinkers. I always have the optimistic hope that if I just read a few more pages it might get better

.

I second your opinion. I too have swallowed too many bad novels page by page hoping it might get better.

Abandoning a book sometimes made me start reading it again after few days' break, because I always wondered 'what would have happened after that?'

DrNefario · 05-03-2016, 08:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

I wish I could abandon books - I've struggled through some real stinkers. I always have the optimistic hope that if I just read a few more pages it might get better

.

Me too. I guess part of my problem is that the books I don't enjoy are usually books I need to read for some sort of challenge, and I don't feel I can abandon those. What I usually do is try to rush through it so I can get to something good.

I finished Deep Wizardry on Sunday, the second Young Wizards book, by Diane Duane. I don't think this series is really working for me, which is a bit of a shame since I spent a fair amount of money buying all nine. I think my problem with this one was that most of the drama came from the main character doing something stupid early on.

After that I started Europe in Autumn by Dave Hutchinson, which I sort of started by accident when I was really just setting it to be the screen-saver on my kobo after finishing the previous book. There was some buzz about this when it came out, and the sequel has just been shortlisted for the Clarke Award, but I didn't really know a lot about it. So far it seems to be about someone learning to be a slightly shady courier in a Europe which is fragmenting into tiny sub-states. I'm enjoying it, mainly because I like the main character.

MickeyC · 05-03-2016, 09:10 AM

Just finished Extreme Prey by John Sandford. Another excellent Lucas Davenport mystery. Next up Shakespheare by Bill Bryson

pdurrant · 05-03-2016, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

I wish I could abandon books - I've struggled through some real stinkers. I always have the optimistic hope that if I just read a few more pages it might get better

.

I have probably abandoned more over the years. Sometimes they're just not readable. But sometimes, as with recent books, they just aren't right for me. Knowing I have lots more in my TBR pile that I'll really enjoy makes abandoning easier for me.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrNefario

I finished Deep Wizardry on Sunday, the second Young Wizards book, by Diane Duane. I don't think this series is really working for me, which is a bit of a shame since I spent a fair amount of money buying all nine. I think my problem with this one was that most of the drama came from the main character doing something stupid early on.

I'm extremely fond of the Young Wizards series, and I'm in the middle of re-reading them in their 'New Millennium' edition. I can see what you mean about the plot in Deep Wizardry, but I liked it a lot. I hope you give High Wizardry a go.

CRussel · 05-03-2016, 09:44 AM

I used to have a real problem with not being able to abandon books, but Calibre and my Kindle have made that much better. In the old days, if I had bought a book, I felt nearly compelled to read it. But now, with a huge TBR, and all of them organized into Calibre, I can see that I am not short of books, and dropping one off the list is not a stretch at all. And in the case of Kratman and a couple of others like him, I've learned not to even start his books. What I actually need to do is go into Calibre and simply delete all of his books. I will never read them, they're just clutter acquired in various Baen bundles before I knew better.

I just finished The Murder of Mary Russell by Laurie King, the latest in the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series. Wonderful, once I got in to it, though it was a bit slow and confusing at the beginning.

After that, started and stopped several books. Just not now for each of them. So, I wanted something reliable, and decided on an old favourite author -- Pistols for Two by Georgette Heyer. Can't go wrong with that.

Cinisajoy · 05-03-2016, 10:44 AM

I also give up on books if they aren't my cup of tea.
Though I do need to read a chapter of Atlas Shrugged. I am determined to finish that book before I turn 60. *I am half a century.

orlok · 05-03-2016, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

I also give up on books if they aren't my cup of tea.
Though I do need to read a chapter of Atlas Shrugged. I am determined to finish that book before I turn 60. *I am half a century.

I abandon books very occasionally - more so these days - but never used to when I was younger. I sort of felt if the author has gone to all that effort, there must be some merit in it.

Took me two goes to get through Atlas Shrugged. It does get hard going in parts.

05-03-2016, 04:59 AM	#23975
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,548 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Finished "Street of the Five Moons", by Elizabeth Peters. This is the second book in the "Vicky Bliss" series about a mystery-solving historian. In this book, Vicky travels to Rome on the trail of a gang who are creating faithful reproductions of well-known pieces of jewellery. A monstrously implausible story, but, as always with Elizabeth Peters, a hugely enjoyable romp. It even has a "master criminal", a trademark of Peters's writing. If you've read and enjoyed (and who hasn't enjoyed them?) her "Amelia Peabody" series, do give this series a go! Highly recommended. My 40th book of the year, so I'm on track for my target of 100 books for 2016. Last edited by HarryT; 05-03-2016 at 05:03 AM.

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05-02-2016, 05:54 PM	#23972
LovesMacs Fanatic Posts: 513 Karma: 2644386 Join Date: Apr 2012 Device: iPhone, Kindle Touch	Sometimes I think a better forum title would be "Hey!! Let's get some action going! What are we not reading?" I'm mostly concentrating on The Ludwig Conspiracy by Oliver Pötzsch and When the Church Was Young: Voices of the Early Fathers by Marcellino d'Ambrosio. I've also been rereading through ComiXology The Legion of Super Heroes: The Great Darkness Saga, by Paul Levitz and Keith Giffen. I've always liked this storyline and Giffen's pencilling before his art style radically changed. Various other books cycle in and out too based on mood.

05-03-2016, 09:10 AM	#23981
MickeyC Grand Sorcerer Posts: 16,731 Karma: 12185114 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Florida Device: iPhone 6 plus, Sony T1, iPad 3	Just finished *Extreme Prey* by John Sandford. Another excellent Lucas Davenport mystery. Next up *Shakespheare* by Bill Bryson

05-03-2016, 09:44 AM	#23983
CRussel (he/him/his) Posts: 12,296 Karma: 80074820 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sunshine Coast, BC Device: Oasis (Gen3),Paperwhite (Gen10), Voyage, Paperwhite(orig), iPad Air M3	I used to have a real problem with not being able to abandon books, but Calibre and my Kindle have made that much better. In the old days, if I had bought a book, I felt nearly compelled to read it. But now, with a huge TBR, and all of them organized into Calibre, I can see that I am not short of books, and dropping one off the list is not a stretch at all. And in the case of Kratman and a couple of others like him, I've learned not to even start his books. What I actually need to do is go into Calibre and simply delete all of his books. I will never read them, they're just clutter acquired in various Baen bundles before I knew better. I just finished The Murder of Mary Russell by Laurie King, the latest in the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series. Wonderful, once I got in to it, though it was a bit slow and confusing at the beginning. After that, started and stopped several books. Just not now for each of them. So, I wanted something reliable, and decided on an old favourite author -- Pistols for Two by Georgette Heyer. Can't go wrong with that.

05-03-2016, 10:44 AM	#23984
Cinisajoy Just a Yellow Smiley. Posts: 19,161 Karma: 83862859 Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Texas Device: K4, K5, fire, kobo, galaxy	I also give up on books if they aren't my cup of tea. Though I do need to read a chapter of Atlas Shrugged. I am determined to finish that book before I turn 60. *I am half a century.