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

[cadele]

I finished Witch World by Andre Norton, which has finally been released in ebook form after long being on my wish list. An interesting mix of fantasy and SF, and I really enjoyed it. I have now snapped up quite a few more of the Witch World books during the recent Kobo 50% coupon sale.

Currently reading Allegiance of Honor by Nalini Singh. A new release which has jumped to the top of my TBR (the actual top of which can only be seen from space....)

[orlok]

Originally Posted by cromag

I've been reading some short story collections, mostly Indy and small press. One that really impressed me was Six Impossible Things, by Renee Carter Hall. It's a short collection of contemporary fantasy stories -- some tending towards humor, others towards nostalgia, etc. The collection is free and is distributed by Smashwords, so it shouldn't be hard to find.

Seriously, the story "Moon, June, Raccoon" alone is worth it!


And I'm still reading short stories at the moment. I may have the time and ambition to tackle something longer soon.

Thanks for the pointer. I have downloaded it, and may give it a try this afternoon when I visit the eye clinic.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Next up: A freebie that appealed: Crazy, VA by Shannon Hill. Lil and Boris #1, apprently. Boris is a cat. Surprisingly, for a mouse, I rather like cat stories.

It was OK, but not good enough for me to want to buy and read the rest.

Next I read: Black Tide Rising by John Ring et al. Stories set in Ringo's Zombie Apocalypse world. A quick and enjoyable read for me.

Next I'll be reading Through Fire by Sarah Hoyt.

[drjd]

Originally Posted by drjd

Next I am taking up a five book Harry Bosch series by Michael Connelly. First one will be The Black Echo. Thanks to alansplace for recommending it.

Finished The Black Echo by Michael Connelly, featuring Harry Bosch, a veteran who served throughout the Vietnam war, turned into a police detective. Bosch is a very interesting character. With a reputation as being a loner, he's a jazz fan too. Connelly has made Bosch realistic, giving him faults and flaws but also redeeming factors. With red herrings, the plot twists and comes up with unexpected surprises. There is enough to keep you turning the pages.

Next up, The Black Ice by the same author, second book in the series.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Next I'll be reading Through Fire by Sarah Hoyt.

Which was a good continuation of the story, and came to a reasonable stopping point.

Next up:The Sword of the South by David Weber.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

It was OK, but not good enough for me to want to buy and read the rest.

Next I read: Black Tide Rising by John Ring et al. Stories set in Ringo's Zombie Apocalypse world. A quick and enjoyable read for me.

Next I'll be reading Through Fire by Sarah Hoyt.

I thought that Black Tide Rising was a bit of a mixed bag. Some of the short stories were good, others I had to wonder if the author had ever read any of the original books. I thought the original 4 books was one of the best takes on the Zombie Apocalypse I've every read.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Which was a good continuation of the story, and came to a reasonable stopping point.

Next up:The Sword of the South by David Weber.

I rather liked that one. It wasn't quite what I thought it would be, but an enjoyable read.

[Rev. Bob]

I'm working my way through an odd horror novel that I picked up some time back: The Mall, by S.L. Grey. Set in South Africa, it's about two people - a babysitter and a mall employee - who get Very Lost while searching for a child who ran away into the service corridors. The trail takes them on a disturbing journey through labyrinthine hallways, fetid rooms, and ultimately they find their way back to the main area of the mall... but everything's different. Workers are chained to their posts, all the shops are sinister versions of themselves, and that's only the obvious stuff.

It looks like this is first in a series of at least three, but I don't know whether the other books are true sequels or more stories in the same setting. One annoying thing is that some hyphens are missing, apparently where they coincided with line breaks in the printed copy. For instance, "run-of-the-mill" might pop up as "run-ofthe-mill".

If nothing else, this has the virtue of being a distinct change of pace for me lately. It kind of reminds me of Clive Barker's Midnight Meat Train or Skipp and Spector's work, with the sense that you could be minding your own business one day, take a wrong turn, and end up in a previously-unsuspected nightmare world that's been right beside you all along. Definitely not for the faint of heart or weak of stomach.

[drjd]

Originally Posted by drjd

Next up, The Black Ice by the same author, second book in the series.

Finished The Black Ice, which was a satisfactory read. Since I have already read the third book in the Harry Bosch series, Concrete Blonde, in paper book format a few years back and the plot is still crystal clear in mind, I will jump over for the fourth book, The Last Coyote, by Michael Connelly.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

I thought that Black Tide Rising was a bit of a mixed bag. Some of the short stories were good, others I had to wonder if the author had ever read any of the original books.

Clearly the stories varied, but I thought they all seemed to have a good understanding of the basic premise and timeline. Perhaps it's just been a while since I read the novels.

[DiapDealer]

Currently reading Robert Kroese's The Big Sheep. Kind of a near-future-esque, noir (in case the Chandler reference in the title eluded you) first-person mystery with a P.K. Dick setting/premise and a Holmes/Watson vibe with a little bit of Escape from LA thrown in for good measure. Apparently I've been missing humor (or at least this kind of humor) in my books lately--as I seem to be thoroughly enjoying this one.

I had fun with the first two books in his "Mercury" series, as well, but sort of let that series (and this author, actually) slide off of my radar. Rather than try to "catch up" on that series, I decided to try something new of his. I'm glad I did.

[Dngrsone]

I am only 20% into Infinitesimal by Amir Alexander, but I needed a little break from non-fic and I wanted something fun, so I switched over and read Sidekicked by John David Anderson, which wasn't as fun as some of the other Superpowered fiction I've read. Actually, it was a bit... predictable? maybe? but okay enough. I didn't hate it. Probably won't read any more books if it's a series, though.

So, back to Infinitesimal, punctuated by The Linux Command Line which I am 74% of the way through...

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Clearly the stories varied, but I thought they all seemed to have a good understanding of the basic premise and timeline. Perhaps it's just been a while since I read the novels.

The one where the zombies are acting like smart apes, i.e. climbing trees to hide and grabbing people but not biting them was the one that bothered me the most.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

The one where the zombies are acting like smart apes, i.e. climbing trees to hide and grabbing people but not biting them was the one that bothered me the most.

"Zombies" that don't act like "normal zombies" are canon.

[MickeyC]

Just finished Bruno Chief of Police and very much liked it. I couldn't see where it was going till near the end when there was a change I never saw coming. For a cozy mystery, I found it very interesting