Hey!! Let's get some action going! What are we reading? - Page 1653

MickeyC · 10-18-2016, 01:18 PM

Just finished Black by Russell Blake. Touted as a 'hard boiled noir detective' novel it was more like a typical mystery. I'd give it three stars.

Next up a Mitch Rapp novel, Order to Kill by Kyle Mills. So far, seems very Vince Flynn-ish.

Cinisajoy · 10-18-2016, 02:26 PM

Finished Fifteen.

Dngrsone · 10-18-2016, 02:53 PM

Finished Doc: The Rape of the Town of Lovell by Jack Olsen. Ugliness, obviously-- despite the terrible things perpetrated by the people in this non-fic, it was well-written and a compelling read, though I did have to take frequent breaks when reading.

Now I am reading Magonia by Maria Dahvana Headley, and pardon my Internet, but: zomg, I'm a third of the way through this and I absolutely love it. It's funny in a very snarky, I want to say punk-rock, but like old-school first-gen punk kind of way. And it has all teh feelz, and I want Dngrswife to read it, but she'll be crying almost before she starts reading it, but it's damn good.

Sorry, it's so rare for me to find a book that grabs me so quickly and thoroughly, and I am so happy to find something so new and entertaining.

It looks like I have another one of her books already in my queue... that's going to be moved up, and I am headed to the library to see if there's anything of hers there.

Dngrsone · 10-19-2016, 11:19 PM

Okay, finished Magonia by Maria Dahvana Headley. Liked it so much I am buying the sequel at full-price. That almost never happens.

Meanwhile, I am starting The Bourne Supremacy by Robert Ludlum. Dngrswife has all the movies on DVD, but I have only seen the first one... obviously, there were significant differences between book and film, as I noted before, but I am thinking I will read the rest of the books (if I don't get bored) before I see the adaptations.

Dazrin · 10-19-2016, 11:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dazrin

I enjoyed this more than I expected. I will try to get the next one soon(ish).

Next up: The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick. I have been meaning to try something of his for a looooong time so this will work well even though I fully expected to read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep first.

I couldn't get into that, so instead I grabbed A Death in Sweden by Kevin Wignall from Prime Reading. It was ok but nothing spectacular.

Next up: The God's Eye View by Barry Eisler, I enjoy the John Rain series so I have high hopes for this one.

pdurrant · 10-20-2016, 03:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Next up: Beyond Infinity by Gregory Benford. I bought this one from Fictionwise, way back in July 2008.

And I've had to abandon it. I can't point to anything in particular about it that I don't like, I am just bored by it. Normally I'll read a book in preference to a lot of things. With this book I wouldn't, and when I did read it, I'd fall asleep.

Instead, I've read Victoria by Daisy Goodwin. Written at the same time as the recent TV series scripts, it concentrates on Victoria rather than having the 'Upstairs Downstairs' feel of the TV series, and ends earlier.

A most enjoyable read.

Next up: Perhaps unwisely, Eater by Gregory Benford. Another purchase from July 2008.

drjd · 10-20-2016, 03:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drjd

Next up, a little serious read for now, Mohenjo-daro: The History and Legacy of the Ancient Settlement of the Indus Valley Civilization by Charles River Editors.

Finished Mohenjo-daro: The History and Legacy of the Ancient Settlement of the Indus Valley Civilization.

What is a city? A simple definition is a “largely constructed landscape,” and through inferences and comparisons with modern states, a successful ancient city is generally said to have a number of defining characteristics: evidence of political hierarchies; a centralized authority that is simultaneously dependent on the accumulation of resources and the suppression of competitors; the maintenance of continuous negotiation, alliance building, and occasionally costly and risky investments such as warfare; specialized crafts; a hinterland supplying food; and monumental statements of central planning and communal effort, such as the Mesopotamian ziggurats.

Mohenjo-daro was the largest city of the Indus Valley Civilization, one of the most advanced civilizations to have ever existed, and the best-known and most ancient prehistoric urban site on the Indian subcontinent. It was a metropolis of great cultural, economic, and political importance that dates from the beginning of the 3rd millennium BCE. Although it primarily flourished between approximately 2500 and 1500 BCE, the city had longer lasting influences on the urbanization of the Indian subcontinent for centuries after its abandonment. It is believed to have been one of two capital cities of the Indus Civilization, its twin being Harappa located further north in Punjab, Pakistan.

Mohenjo-daro is an enigmatic settlement, which confuses simple definitions of what a city consists of. It has revealed little evidence of palaces, contains few definite religious buildings, and appears to have never been involved in any external or internal military conflict. The inhabitants’ writing has not been deciphered, and little is known about their religious and post-mortuary beliefs. Nonetheless, the city’s importance is epitomized by its monumental buildings and walls, enormous manmade platforms, innovative architectural techniques, and evidence that they engaged in trade over vast distances, with high-quality artifacts sent from the Indus Valley as far as Mesopotamia and even Africa. Of particular note was their ingenious drainage system –one of the earliest means by which sewage was drained out of the city. No other urban site of similar size had a hydraulic network as complex and effective as that of Mohenjo-daro, and it would only be surpassed thousands of years later by the network of aqueducts in Rome during the third century CE.

For centuries this city was believed to have sprung into existence suddenly and without precedent, with a highly standardized system of urban development, art, and architecture that is emulated in contemporary settlements across the Indus River Valley in a phenomenon known as the “Pan-Indus system”. Although this view has changed over the last few decades, there exists no definitive hypothesis as to how they grew such a complex urban society so quickly. Fittingly, the city has an equally intriguing and mysterious narrative that explains its decline and eventual disappearance, a tale that gives the site its name: the “Hill of the Dead”.

The Indus Valley Civilization was forgotten for millennia, until 20th century archaeologists rediscovered and began excavations at Mohenjo-daro and Harappa. Today only foundations remain, but the site’s importance is represented by its UNESCO World Heritage status, awarded in 1980 for being a site of outstanding cultural importance to the common heritage of humanity.

Mohenjo-daro: The History and Legacy of the Ancient Settlement of the Indus Valley Civilization looks at the history of the site and the archaeological work on it.

A very knowledgeable and intriguing read for the lovers of history and archaeology. Highly recommended.

Next up, a light detective murder mystery Doosra - The Other One by Vish Dhamija, to soothe out the thought process for now.

Luffy · 10-20-2016, 06:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Luffy

I completed the reading of British Manor Murder. It was a slightly dull but mostly solid cozy mystery. I gave it 3 stars.

I'm halfway through Agatha Christie's The Thirteen problems. It's very enjoyable.

I'm also about to begin reading Hero of the Ages, by Brandon Sanderson.

Finished reading The Thirteen Problems, now I'm reading Where Are the Children by Mary Higgins Clark.

DNF Hero of Ages. What a disappointment. Started off with a big fight, trying to be so breathless with excitement. Instead it made me impatient, bored, and grumpy. DNF at 5%.

HarryT · 10-20-2016, 07:09 AM

My most recent reads:

"Pharaoh", by Wilbur Smith. The most recent instalment in his ancient Egypt series. Enjoyable, although extremely implausible historically

. Recommended if you can enjoy a "flexible" view of history.

"There Will be Dragons", by John Ringo. The first book in the "Council Wars" series, and bought from Baen in 2003. In the 41st century the human race lives a life of idle enjoyment, with a worldwide AI and instantaneous teleportation satisfying virtually any whim. Some members of Earth's ruling council, though, decide that the human race is doomed to extinction on this road (a reasonable view), and propose drastic measures (basically the imposition of a fascist dictatorship) to change this. The council is split, war breaks out, and the net goes down, leaving people who've never had to work for anything to fend for themselves. The core of the book is basically about how a group of refugees from this crises, led by some people who enjoyed historical reenactment, learn how to survive. Rather to my surprise (Ringo is not my favourite author!) I really enjoyed this, and look forward to reading the next book in the series (it's a series of four books). Highly recommended!

"Mindstar Rising", by Peter F. Hamilton. My first read of this British "Hard SF" author, although I had quite a number of his books. I like to read books in the right order, and this is the first one he wrote. Basically a detective story in an SF environment. The date isn't given, but I'd guess early to mid 21st century. Central government in Britain is in a mess after years of rule by an extreme left-wing government which has now collapsed. Greg Mandel is a former soldier turned private investigator, who was fitted in the army with a "gland" that grants him limited psi abilities - most notably the ability to read emotions and know when someone is lying. He is employed by the owner of a large multinational company to find the source of industrial espionage. Very enjoyable indeed, and again I look forward to reading more from him.

"Tinker", by Wen Spencer. The first book in the "Elfhome" series, again bought from Baen in 2003. Alexander Graham "Tinker" Bell is a teenage girl (her father had a thing about inventors

) who runs a scrapyard in Pittsburgh, which has been transported by a parallel Earth populated by elves as a side-effect of the activation of what was intended to be a hyperspace gateway on our Earth. Extremely enjoyable fantasy, and again highly recommended.

"Flash and Bones", by Kathy Reichs. The 14th book in the "Temperance Brennan" series about a forensic anthropologist. In this outing she gets involved in the investigation of a series of murders associated with NASCAR racing. Enjoyable.

A very good batch of books. I enjoyed all of them.

pdurrant · 10-20-2016, 09:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

"There Will be Dragons", by John Ringo. The first book in the "Council Wars" series [...] I really enjoyed this, and look forward to reading the next book in the series (it's a series of four books). Highly recommended!

Note that the series just stops, rather than coming to a conclusion. Of his solo series, it's the one I like best, but it really needs another book or two.

HarryT · 10-20-2016, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Note that the series just stops, rather than coming to a conclusion. Of his solo series, it's the one I like best, but it really needs another book or two.

A number of Baen series do that. Another one which did it was the "March Upcountry" series. The fourth book came to a reasonable end, but left a lot of issues unresolved. Thanks for the warning, though

.

fantasyfan · 10-20-2016, 10:31 AM

I recently bought The New Annotated H.P. Lovecraft.This is an edition of H.P. Lovecraft's work that anyone interested in the writer should make a point of getting.

Edited, annotated and with a Bibliography by Leslie S. Klinger, it includes 22 stories all centring around the fictional Arkham locale and involving Lovecraft's cosmic themes. The stories are presented in the chronological order in which they were written and include the two major novels At The Mountain of Madness and The Case of Charles Dexter Ward. Included, of course, are many of the tales which August Derleth included as part of the "Cthulthu" mythos. The annotations give both contextual and explanatory matter and are preceded by an introduction by Alan Moore and a very extensive Foreword by the editor.

This Foreword develops the nature of the stories--specifically their place within the pulp genre, their thematic concerns and their influence on other writers. The "Critical Reception of Lovecraft's Work" is a major section of the essay. Lovecraft died considering himself a failure. After his death only hard-core fans really paid much attention to his writing but there were always those who felt that he offered more than most pulp writers.

It was Edmund Wilson who wrote the devastating essay in 1945 that probably delayed interest in Lovecraft among serious readers for years. Klinger gives a fair summary of Wilson's arguments while reminding us that he also "expressed his unfettered disdain for J.R.R.Tolkien." (If I recall correctly, Wilson compared "The Lord of the Rings" to "Tom Swift and his Electric Runabout.") The problem for Wilson was clearly that Lovecraft was both a pulp and a genre writer and thus a bad writer.

But there were signs of a reassessment in the seventies and in 1990 "the dam was effectively broken . . . helped by publication of Peter Cannon's H.P.Lovecraft in 1989. Cannon wished to persuade the sceptics that "Lovecraft is more than a mere horror writer." Since then there have been many substantial critical analyses of the man and the material.

Klinger gives fairly useful biographical details of Lovecraft including some of his quite xenophobic attitudes and discusses their relevance to the writer's philosophy and the impact they make on his stories.

There is an extensive concluding section of "Additional Material." These comprise a range of material organised as a series of appendices. There is a Chronological Table and various topics of interest to Lovecraft fans such as the Faculty of Miskatonic University, a History of the "Necronomicon", A Genealogy of the Elder Races, a list of the works of H.P.Lovecraft, the "Revisions" of H.P.Lovecraft and H.P. Lovecraft in Popular culture.

Throughout the book is enhanced with many photographs and colour illustrations of some of the pulp magazines to which Lovecraft contributed work.

BenG · 10-20-2016, 10:39 AM

I just finished The Cadaver of Gideon Wyck by Alexander Laing. It's a pretty good 30s horror mystery story with a little SF thrown in. It's on some best horror lists and I enjoyed it even if it went on too long.

Next up is Alastair Reynold's new book Revenger which is set millions of years into the future. Reviews have described it as "Pirates of the Caribbean meets Firefly" and "TREASURE ISLAND meets MOBY DICK, set in space, with a nice BLADE RUNNER-ish colour palette and a cast of characters worthy of a Terry Gilliam movie", but still with Reynold's brand of hard SF. I haven't read Reynolds before but I think I will enjoy it.

orlok · 10-20-2016, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dazrin

Next up: The God's Eye View by Barry Eisler, I enjoy the John Rain series so I have high hopes for this one.

Be interested to hear what you think. I like and have read all of the John Rain books too.

covingtoncat73 · 10-21-2016, 02:39 PM

I'm reading A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab. It is the sequel to A Darker Shade of Magic. I am thoroughly enjoying these. Lila Bard could have, in lesser hands, been a cliche but, instead, she is a complex, interesting character.

I am listening to Jerusalem by Alan Moore on audiobook. The audio is excellent but the story is so big and complex, it can be hard to follow on audio because I'm generally listening while I work. The language is beautiful and I love the bit with the 3-yr-old and the Devil (or a Devil). I need to get the eBook version as well as the eAudio.

10-20-2016, 10:31 AM	#24792
fantasyfan Wizard Posts: 1,376 Karma: 28116892 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Ireland Device: Kindle Oasis 3, iPad 9th gen. IPhone 11	I recently bought The New Annotated H.P. Lovecraft.This is an edition of H.P. Lovecraft's work that anyone interested in the writer should make a point of getting. Edited, annotated and with a Bibliography by Leslie S. Klinger, it includes 22 stories all centring around the fictional Arkham locale and involving Lovecraft's cosmic themes. The stories are presented in the chronological order in which they were written and include the two major novels At The Mountain of Madness and The Case of Charles Dexter Ward. Included, of course, are many of the tales which August Derleth included as part of the "Cthulthu" mythos. The annotations give both contextual and explanatory matter and are preceded by an introduction by Alan Moore and a very extensive Foreword by the editor. This Foreword develops the nature of the stories--specifically their place within the pulp genre, their thematic concerns and their influence on other writers. The "Critical Reception of Lovecraft's Work" is a major section of the essay. Lovecraft died considering himself a failure. After his death only hard-core fans really paid much attention to his writing but there were always those who felt that he offered more than most pulp writers. It was Edmund Wilson who wrote the devastating essay in 1945 that probably delayed interest in Lovecraft among serious readers for years. Klinger gives a fair summary of Wilson's arguments while reminding us that he also "expressed his unfettered disdain for J.R.R.Tolkien." (If I recall correctly, Wilson compared "The Lord of the Rings" to "Tom Swift and his Electric Runabout.") The problem for Wilson was clearly that Lovecraft was both a pulp and a genre writer and thus a bad writer. But there were signs of a reassessment in the seventies and in 1990 "the dam was effectively broken . . . helped by publication of Peter Cannon's H.P.Lovecraft in 1989. Cannon wished to persuade the sceptics that "Lovecraft is more than a mere horror writer." Since then there have been many substantial critical analyses of the man and the material. Klinger gives fairly useful biographical details of Lovecraft including some of his quite xenophobic attitudes and discusses their relevance to the writer's philosophy and the impact they make on his stories. There is an extensive concluding section of "Additional Material." These comprise a range of material organised as a series of appendices. There is a Chronological Table and various topics of interest to Lovecraft fans such as the Faculty of Miskatonic University, a History of the "Necronomicon", A Genealogy of the Elder Races, a list of the works of H.P.Lovecraft, the "Revisions" of H.P.Lovecraft and H.P. Lovecraft in Popular culture. Throughout the book is enhanced with many photographs and colour illustrations of some of the pulp magazines to which Lovecraft contributed work. Last edited by fantasyfan; 10-20-2016 at 10:35 AM.

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10-18-2016, 01:18 PM	#24781
MickeyC Grand Sorcerer Posts: 16,731 Karma: 12185114 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Florida Device: iPhone 6 plus, Sony T1, iPad 3	Just finished *Black* by Russell Blake. Touted as a 'hard boiled noir detective' novel it was more like a typical mystery. I'd give it three stars. Next up a Mitch Rapp novel, *Order to Kill* by Kyle Mills. So far, seems very Vince Flynn-ish.

10-18-2016, 02:26 PM	#24782
Cinisajoy Just a Yellow Smiley. Posts: 19,161 Karma: 83862859 Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Texas Device: K4, K5, fire, kobo, galaxy	Finished Fifteen.

10-18-2016, 02:53 PM	#24783
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 Doc: The Rape of the Town of Lovell by Jack Olsen. Ugliness, obviously-- despite the terrible things perpetrated by the people in this non-fic, it was well-written and a compelling read, though I did have to take frequent breaks when reading. Now I am reading Magonia by Maria Dahvana Headley, and pardon my Internet, but: zomg, I'm a third of the way through this and I absolutely love it. It's funny in a very snarky, I want to say punk-rock, but like old-school first-gen punk kind of way. And it has all teh feelz, and I want Dngrswife to read it, but she'll be crying almost before she starts reading it, but it's damn good. Sorry, it's so rare for me to find a book that grabs me so quickly and thoroughly, and I am so happy to find something so new and entertaining. It looks like I have another one of her books already in my queue... that's going to be moved up, and I am headed to the library to see if there's anything of hers there.

10-19-2016, 11:19 PM	#24784
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	Okay, finished Magonia by Maria Dahvana Headley. Liked it so much I am buying the sequel at full-price. That almost never happens. Meanwhile, I am starting The Bourne Supremacy by Robert Ludlum. Dngrswife has all the movies on DVD, but I have only seen the first one... obviously, there were significant differences between book and film, as I noted before, but I am thinking I will read the rest of the books (if I don't get bored) before I see the adaptations.

10-20-2016, 07:09 AM	#24789
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,548 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	My most recent reads: "Pharaoh", by Wilbur Smith. The most recent instalment in his ancient Egypt series. Enjoyable, although extremely implausible historically . Recommended if you can enjoy a "flexible" view of history. "There Will be Dragons", by John Ringo. The first book in the "Council Wars" series, and bought from Baen in 2003. In the 41st century the human race lives a life of idle enjoyment, with a worldwide AI and instantaneous teleportation satisfying virtually any whim. Some members of Earth's ruling council, though, decide that the human race is doomed to extinction on this road (a reasonable view), and propose drastic measures (basically the imposition of a fascist dictatorship) to change this. The council is split, war breaks out, and the net goes down, leaving people who've never had to work for anything to fend for themselves. The core of the book is basically about how a group of refugees from this crises, led by some people who enjoyed historical reenactment, learn how to survive. Rather to my surprise (Ringo is not my favourite author!) I really enjoyed this, and look forward to reading the next book in the series (it's a series of four books). Highly recommended! "Mindstar Rising", by Peter F. Hamilton. My first read of this British "Hard SF" author, although I had quite a number of his books. I like to read books in the right order, and this is the first one he wrote. Basically a detective story in an SF environment. The date isn't given, but I'd guess early to mid 21st century. Central government in Britain is in a mess after years of rule by an extreme left-wing government which has now collapsed. Greg Mandel is a former soldier turned private investigator, who was fitted in the army with a "gland" that grants him limited psi abilities - most notably the ability to read emotions and know when someone is lying. He is employed by the owner of a large multinational company to find the source of industrial espionage. Very enjoyable indeed, and again I look forward to reading more from him. "Tinker", by Wen Spencer. The first book in the "Elfhome" series, again bought from Baen in 2003. Alexander Graham "Tinker" Bell is a teenage girl (her father had a thing about inventors ) who runs a scrapyard in Pittsburgh, which has been transported by a parallel Earth populated by elves as a side-effect of the activation of what was intended to be a hyperspace gateway on our Earth. Extremely enjoyable fantasy, and again highly recommended. "Flash and Bones", by Kathy Reichs. The 14th book in the "Temperance Brennan" series about a forensic anthropologist. In this outing she gets involved in the investigation of a series of murders associated with NASCAR racing. Enjoyable. A very good batch of books. I enjoyed all of them.

10-20-2016, 10:39 AM	#24793
BenG Home Guard Posts: 4,730 Karma: 86721650 Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Alpha Ralpha Boulevard Device: Kindle Oasis 3G, iPhone 6	I just finished The Cadaver of Gideon Wyck by Alexander Laing. It's a pretty good 30s horror mystery story with a little SF thrown in. It's on some best horror lists and I enjoyed it even if it went on too long. Next up is Alastair Reynold's new book Revenger which is set millions of years into the future. Reviews have described it as "Pirates of the Caribbean meets Firefly" and "TREASURE ISLAND meets MOBY DICK, set in space, with a nice BLADE RUNNER-ish colour palette and a cast of characters worthy of a Terry Gilliam movie", but still with Reynold's brand of hard SF. I haven't read Reynolds before but I think I will enjoy it.

10-21-2016, 02:39 PM	#24795
covingtoncat73 Wizard Posts: 2,745 Karma: 83407757 Join Date: Mar 2011 Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Lenovo Duet Chromebook, Moto e	I'm reading A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab. It is the sequel to A Darker Shade of Magic. I am thoroughly enjoying these. Lila Bard could have, in lesser hands, been a cliche but, instead, she is a complex, interesting character. I am listening to Jerusalem by Alan Moore on audiobook. The audio is excellent but the story is so big and complex, it can be hard to follow on audio because I'm generally listening while I work. The language is beautiful and I love the bit with the 3-yr-old and the Devil (or a Devil). I need to get the eBook version as well as the eAudio.