Hey!! Let's get some action going! What are we reading? - Page 1622

pdurrant · 07-19-2016, 07:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Search for the Star Stones by Andre Norton

It was OK. I have a feeling I must have read it before, but it obviously wasn't very memorable. The ending was a bit naff, and after going on for so long about how long ago some things had been, having no acknowledgement that stars move relative to each other was odd.

Next up: Wishing on a Star by Jody Lynn Nye. This looks like a bit of fun modern fantasy. A freebie from Phoenix Pick.

timebug · 07-21-2016, 05:21 AM

I am currently working through the earlier books by
Phil Rickman, standalone novels that occasionally have
a returning character, but are in no way a 'series'.
I lost faith in him when he started writing the Merrily
Watkins series (up to 13 books now!) which I just could
not engage with. He also wrote a couple of other series
which I intend to tackle, but will still avoid the MW series
having read the first three on publication,and not taking
to them! Good basic chills, with folklore and legend woven
into the plots. My kind of escapism!

pdurrant · 07-21-2016, 05:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Next up: Wishing on a Star by Jody Lynn Nye. This looks like a bit of fun modern fantasy. A freebie from Phoenix Pick.

And that was fun. If, of course, you ignore all the corollaries to the abilities depicted!

Next up: Analog SF, September 2016. Excellent first story. A solid five stars if the rest get even close.

Dngrsone · 07-21-2016, 11:36 PM

Finished both Saint Odd by Dean Koontz, and A History of Pi by Petr Beckmann

drjd · 07-22-2016, 06:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drjd

Next up Diamonds in the Sky a collection of SF stories edited by Mike Brotherton.

Finished Diamonds in the Sky edited by Mike Brotherton. which was good. Worth reading.

Next up The Devils Elixir by Raymond Khoury.

pdurrant · 07-22-2016, 07:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Next up: Analog SF, September 2016. Excellent first story. A solid five stars if the rest get even close.

And most of them were pretty good too. An excellent issue.

Next up: The Girl in the Spider's Web. A freebie from Amazon.

Cinisajoy · 07-22-2016, 02:46 PM

Finished Spore 7 and Dick Van Dyke's autobiography
Am now reading Exposed by Alex Kava, Standing in the Rainbow by Fannie Flagg, You might be a redneck if this is the biggest book you ever read by Jeff Foxworthy and Clapton: The autobiography by Eric Clapton.
I tried a couple of books I found in the self promotion forum but gave up on them. They weren't bad just not to my taste.

Dazrin · 07-22-2016, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dazrin

Next up: Something New by P.G. Wodehouse.

After a very slow start, which I attribute to just not being in the mood for this type of book more than anything, I really enjoyed this book. Good blend of humor and some wonderful characters in it. I haven't read much from Wodehouse but what I have read has been great. As advertised.

Next up: Interview with the Vampire by Ann Rice. Because I want something different and my library requests haven't come in yet. This also crosses off an unread year (1976) from my list.

orlok · 07-22-2016, 06:12 PM

Just started The City of Mirrors by Justin Cronin, the 3rd in the Passage series. 600 pages, so it's going to be a while...

orlok · 07-22-2016, 06:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dazrin

Next up: Interview with the Vampire by Ann Rice. Because I want something different and my library requests haven't come in yet. This also crosses off an unread year (1976) from my list.

Hope you enjoy it. Much better than the film. even though that was good, and led me to years of vampire follow-ups.

Dazrin · 07-23-2016, 01:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by orlok

Hope you enjoy it. Much better than the film. even though that was good, and led me to years of vampire follow-ups.

I hope I enjoy it, it has been interesting so far. I might have seen the movie once not too long after it came out, but I don't remember anything about it if I did so I hope I can get the full experience here.

cromag · 07-23-2016, 03:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cromag

...
Next up, White Elephant by Nora Barker, second in the Dr. Christmas Connery Cozy Mysteries. I have the full series from a previous Smashwords sale -- they are not enrolled in the current Smashwords sale.

White Elephant was fun. There were some very original twists and I liked the way some seemingly unrelated events were finally linked. It also has the advantage of being a reasonably short novel, so it's easy to squeeze into my schedule. On the other hand, the heroine of the story (and series) comes across as more than a bit naive. I guess I'd give this a solid 3 Stars.

Then I read Dead Jitterbug and Dead Boogie, the 6th and 7th books in Victoria Houston's Loon Lake Mysteries series. They were both very good -- I'd say that Boogie was a bit better than Jitterbug, but that might also reflect some personal taste. Boogie was a more "linear" story that hung together nicely; Jitterbug wove several plot lines in and out and finally together. Still, both were good entries in a reliably good series.

I also read some short stories from my somewhat lengthy TBR file.

Right now I've started reading the latest issues of Analog and Asimov's SF magazines. They're off to a good start.

Dngrsone · 07-23-2016, 07:51 AM

Best part of Interview with a Vampire the film is that Tom Cruise finally learned how to act.

... a little.

I read most of the books a good two decades ago, but I hesitate to read them now... I'm afraid I'd find them too... something. Perhaps I am being snobbish. Or I am burned out by a glut of 'urban fiction'.

Speaking of which sub-genre, I am almost halfway through After the Cure by Dierdre Gould, another variation on the zombie apocalypse theme, but so far very enjoyable and pretty zombie-free.

Next up, I have a few non-fic dead trees lying around, the aforementioned Dick Van Dyke memoir, as well as a bio on Jim Henson, and a bunch of fun stuff recommended by my friends here at the forums.

HarryT · 07-23-2016, 08:59 AM

Just finished "River God", by Wilbur Smith. I first read this many years ago when it was first published, but enjoyed it even more on a re-read, perhaps because I am now much better able to appreciate novels set in Ancient Egypt. The book is a somewhat "revisionist" retelling of Egyptian history during what's known as the "Second Intermediate Period" (approximate 1650BC), when Egypt was ruled by a series of weak and ineffectual kings, and control of the north of the country was lost to Asiatic invaders known as the "Hyksos".

The protagonist of the novel is a slave called Taita, who is a highly educated man and advisor to a powerful and corrupt official, Lord Intef, the vizier (rather like Prime Minister) of Upper Egypt. I won't say any more about the plot, because it would be a spoiler, but this is an excellent novel which I thoroughly recommend.

This was, I note, my 75th book of the year, so I'm well ahead of my usual goal of 100 books read during a year.

pdurrant · 07-25-2016, 07:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Next up: The Girl in the Spider's Web. A freebie from Amazon.

Well, I'm glad I got it as a freebie. If I had spent more than £0.99 on it, I'd have been disappointed.

While I'm sure it's been a commercial success, I don't think it really works. I found there to be far too much telling rather than showing. And we have the viewpoints of the villains far too much.

I suspect that there'll be another one (it's certainly set up for there to be one). But I won't be bothering with it.

Next up: Hmm... perhaps another freebie. The Chronothon by Nathan Van Coops

07-23-2016, 08:59 AM	#24329
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Just finished "River God", by Wilbur Smith. I first read this many years ago when it was first published, but enjoyed it even more on a re-read, perhaps because I am now much better able to appreciate novels set in Ancient Egypt. The book is a somewhat "revisionist" retelling of Egyptian history during what's known as the "Second Intermediate Period" (approximate 1650BC), when Egypt was ruled by a series of weak and ineffectual kings, and control of the north of the country was lost to Asiatic invaders known as the "Hyksos". The protagonist of the novel is a slave called Taita, who is a highly educated man and advisor to a powerful and corrupt official, Lord Intef, the vizier (rather like Prime Minister) of Upper Egypt. I won't say any more about the plot, because it would be a spoiler, but this is an excellent novel which I thoroughly recommend. This was, I note, my 75th book of the year, so I'm well ahead of my usual goal of 100 books read during a year. Last edited by HarryT; 07-23-2016 at 09:02 AM.

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07-21-2016, 05:21 AM	#24317
timebug Ancient Sage Posts: 14,585 Karma: 15493448 Join Date: Oct 2015 Location: Derby U.K. Device: Kobo Reader	I am currently working through the earlier books by Phil Rickman, standalone novels that occasionally have a returning character, but are in no way a 'series'. I lost faith in him when he started writing the Merrily Watkins series (up to 13 books now!) which I just could not engage with. He also wrote a couple of other series which I intend to tackle, but will still avoid the MW series having read the first three on publication,and not taking to them! Good basic chills, with folklore and legend woven into the plots. My kind of escapism!

07-21-2016, 11:36 PM	#24319
Dngrsone Almost legible Posts: 1,457 Karma: 4611110 Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: In a high desert, CA Device: Galaxy Note 9, Galaxy Tab A (2017), Likebook P78	Finished both Saint Odd by Dean Koontz, and A History of Pi by Petr Beckmann

07-22-2016, 02:46 PM	#24322
Cinisajoy Just a Yellow Smiley. Posts: 19,161 Karma: 83862859 Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Texas Device: K4, K5, fire, kobo, galaxy	Finished Spore 7 and Dick Van Dyke's autobiography Am now reading Exposed by Alex Kava, Standing in the Rainbow by Fannie Flagg, You might be a redneck if this is the biggest book you ever read by Jeff Foxworthy and Clapton: The autobiography by Eric Clapton. I tried a couple of books I found in the self promotion forum but gave up on them. They weren't bad just not to my taste.

07-22-2016, 06:12 PM	#24324
orlok Close to the Edit! Posts: 9,797 Karma: 267994408 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis, Amazon Fire 8", Kindle 6"	Just started The City of Mirrors by Justin Cronin, the 3rd in the Passage series. 600 pages, so it's going to be a while...

07-23-2016, 07:51 AM	#24328
Dngrsone Almost legible Posts: 1,457 Karma: 4611110 Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: In a high desert, CA Device: Galaxy Note 9, Galaxy Tab A (2017), Likebook P78	Best part of Interview with a Vampire the film is that Tom Cruise finally learned how to act. ... a little. I read most of the books a good two decades ago, but I hesitate to read them now... I'm afraid I'd find them too... something. Perhaps I am being snobbish. Or I am burned out by a glut of 'urban fiction'. Speaking of which sub-genre, I am almost halfway through After the Cure by Dierdre Gould, another variation on the zombie apocalypse theme, but so far very enjoyable and pretty zombie-free. Next up, I have a few non-fic dead trees lying around, the aforementioned Dick Van Dyke memoir, as well as a bio on Jim Henson, and a bunch of fun stuff recommended by my friends here at the forums.