Hey!! Let's get some action going! What are we reading? - Page 1664

Luffy · 11-13-2016, 01:20 PM

I finished reading Far from the Madding Crowd. Below is my review:-

For my O Level year, I had to make a choice. Either take English literature as my option, or take Hindi. I took the latter. Had I taken the former, I would have read Far From The Madding Crowd in my teens.

Now I'm in my late thirties. The mistake of passing over English Lit has been rectified, if only partly. I remember noticing my friends taking a hefty paperback tome to read their book assigned to them. How would I know that one day I'll be reading the book on a device that's so light, regardless of how long or chunky a book should be.

I would lie if I said that I was connected as one with the book. Or that I understood every single word among its pages. Yet I have a feeling of satiety, of wholeness and accomplishment. Far From the Madding Crowd has a pastoral setting. The characters are immortal. The writing style is confident. Never shaky.

The denouement of the plot is like a set of fast exchanges on a chess board. How does Gabriel Oak fare? How strong is the love of the main female character - Bathsheba - for her first flame? The loose ends are tied. There's a happy ending. Most of the book points to one direction. The resolution is a twist in itself, confounding the previous indications.

Though some chapters of the book are slow as hell, and the pacing grinds to a still-life halt, the sands of time make themselves felt. You know that you are reading a Classic. This classic is indeed, a page turner, and a crowd pleaser, especially when compared to the author, Thomas Hardy's other books.

pdurrant · 11-14-2016, 07:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Next up: At the Sign of Triumph by David Weber.

A long, but finally rewarding book. However, he has take NINE books to get to a point that he should have reached (IMO) after two, or at most three.

However, we are now at an interesting point in the story. I do hope he will start to accelerate the pace now. Otherwise, to tell the story this has promised to be about will take ninety more books!

Next up: Hmmm... not sure.

Dngrsone · 11-14-2016, 09:13 AM

Finished Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl. The first third or so is difficult to read, though I understand the importance of the information--context--to the rest of the narrative. This first part deals with Carrie's childhood, the requisite family drama that contributed at least in part to her later actions, attitudes, etc.

Once she gets into the music, her prose really flies, and it is a very engaging and interesting trip through the rest of the book.

Portlandia is mentioned exactly once, and that is in passing. This book is about Carrie Brownstein, the guitarist/singer/songwriter; the actress' story will have to wait until much later, I am sure.

So, already into Forbidden Knowledge, we'll see how fast that goes.

Apache · 11-14-2016, 09:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

A long, but finally rewarding book. However, he has take NINE books to get to a point that he should have reached (IMO) after two, or at most three.

However, we are now at an interesting point in the story. I do hope he will start to accelerate the pace now. Otherwise, to tell the story this has promised to be about will take ninety more books!

Next up: Hmmm... not sure.

I am half way through the book and I agree with you and also hope he accelerates the story. If he doesn't I will not live to read the final book.

Apache

mewmartigan · 11-14-2016, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

A long, but finally rewarding book. However, he has take NINE books to get to a point that he should have reached (IMO) after two, or at most three.

However, we are now at an interesting point in the story. I do hope he will start to accelerate the pace now. Otherwise, to tell the story this has promised to be about will take ninety more books!

Next up: Hmmm... not sure.

I stopped Safehold after book 3...it just moved too slow even though I like Weber and love Honor Harrington.

Can you tell me in spoiler tags if

Spoiler:

I read Weber's Dahak series a few months back and the last book in that series is basically an accelerated Safehold.

pdurrant · 11-14-2016, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mewmartigan

Can you tell me in spoiler tags if

Spoiler:

Certainly. Although I'll be circumspect even in spoilers

Spoiler:

mewmartigan · 11-14-2016, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Certainly. Although I'll be circumspect even in spoilers

Spoiler:

Thanks. If the series picks up steam as some hope, maybe I'll give it another shot.

CRussel · 11-14-2016, 03:35 PM

The good news is, this latest Harrington book has far less of the LENGTHY descriptions of armaments and ships and all that technical detail. There's some, but he's toned it way down. It's still a very long book, and it doesn't get us very far past where we were before. But overall, I liked it way better than some of the HH books.

richvalle · 11-14-2016, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

A long, but finally rewarding book. However, he has take NINE books to get to a point that he should have reached (IMO) after two, or at most three.

However, we are now at an interesting point in the story. I do hope he will start to accelerate the pace now. Otherwise, to tell the story this has promised to be about will take ninety more books!

Next up: Hmmm... not sure.

I gave up on them. Mr Weber seems to have a problem ending series. I enjoyed the first couple and then it just started dragging on and on.

richvalle · 11-14-2016, 07:31 PM

Downloaded and read George R. R. Martin's "Tuf Voyaging". While I can't get into Game of Thrones (too much backstabbing and bad guys winning) I didn't have a problem with the writing itself. "Tuf Voyaging" is a collection of short stories all having to do with Haviland Tuf a space-trader. There are 3 stories that are linked, one at the beginning, middle and end. The rest fill in the gaps. I enjoyed them.

At a recommendation of a co-worked I downloaded "Relic" by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. I wasn't sure what to expect but I liked it a lot. Looking forward to reading more.

I also have "Ascending" book 5 of the League of Peoples by James Alan Gardner about half way done. Nice solid goodness so far.

Dazrin · 11-15-2016, 02:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dazrin

Right now I have 2 books out from the library, it seems like they all came in at once. So I am starting Casino Royale by Ian Fleming, the first James Bond book, and then will move onto Soul Music by Terry Pratchett.

I really doubt I will continue the James Bond series but it was good to have read the first one.

Soul Music has been good so far (duh...) should finish tomorrow then I will start Ocean of Storms by Christopher Mari.

pdurrant · 11-15-2016, 03:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Next up: Hmmm... not sure.

The Gun Seller by Hugh Laurie. A comedy thriller and a recent impulse purchase.

HarryT · 11-15-2016, 04:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

A long, but finally rewarding book. However, he has take NINE books to get to a point that he should have reached (IMO) after two, or at most three.

However, we are now at an interesting point in the story. I do hope he will start to accelerate the pace now. Otherwise, to tell the story this has promised to be about will take ninety more books!

I've just finished it myself, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. How nice to see the story finally moving on! This is one of my very few "must buy" series.

Apache · 11-15-2016, 08:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

I've just finished it myself, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. How nice to see the story finally moving on! This is one of my very few "must buy" series.

This is a must buy for me also. I remember one of the books in the series was extremely hard to slog through, though most are hard to put down.
Apache

gmw · 11-15-2016, 08:44 AM

I don't often post my current reading on here, but I thought I'd mark the occasion of having completed my re-read of our Agatha Christie collection. A superb and superbly consistent writer over her career - though I must say that I feel there is more fun (more overt humour) to be had in the earlier books.

The Poirot and Marple stories are good, but generally unsurprising (by which I mean, they're typical of their genre rather than predictable). My real favourites from Christie mostly come from her other stories: The Man in the Brown Suit, The Sittaford Mystery, And Then There Were None, The Moving Finger, Crooked House and Endless Night. I could pick these up again right now and still enjoy them as much, no matter how familiar they've become.

...

After all that, and looking for something completely different, I chose a book with a title that could have been a murder mystery ... but isn't. The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin. It was an interesting read, particularly from the sense of reading a story told in such an unfamiliar style, but it has not left me in a hurry for the two books that follow on from it.

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11-13-2016, 01:20 PM	#24946
Luffy Wizard Posts: 4,464 Karma: 429063498 Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Mauritius Device: Kindle Paperwhite 4	I finished reading Far from the Madding Crowd. Below is my review:- For my O Level year, I had to make a choice. Either take English literature as my option, or take Hindi. I took the latter. Had I taken the former, I would have read Far From The Madding Crowd in my teens. Now I'm in my late thirties. The mistake of passing over English Lit has been rectified, if only partly. I remember noticing my friends taking a hefty paperback tome to read their book assigned to them. How would I know that one day I'll be reading the book on a device that's so light, regardless of how long or chunky a book should be. I would lie if I said that I was connected as one with the book. Or that I understood every single word among its pages. Yet I have a feeling of satiety, of wholeness and accomplishment. Far From the Madding Crowd has a pastoral setting. The characters are immortal. The writing style is confident. Never shaky. The denouement of the plot is like a set of fast exchanges on a chess board. How does Gabriel Oak fare? How strong is the love of the main female character - Bathsheba - for her first flame? The loose ends are tied. There's a happy ending. Most of the book points to one direction. The resolution is a twist in itself, confounding the previous indications. Though some chapters of the book are slow as hell, and the pacing grinds to a still-life halt, the sands of time make themselves felt. You know that you are reading a Classic. This classic is indeed, a page turner, and a crowd pleaser, especially when compared to the author, Thomas Hardy's other books.

11-14-2016, 09:13 AM	#24948
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 Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl. The first third or so is difficult to read, though I understand the importance of the information--context--to the rest of the narrative. This first part deals with Carrie's childhood, the requisite family drama that contributed at least in part to her later actions, attitudes, etc. Once she gets into the music, her prose really flies, and it is a very engaging and interesting trip through the rest of the book. Portlandia is mentioned exactly once, and that is in passing. This book is about Carrie Brownstein, the guitarist/singer/songwriter; the actress' story will have to wait until much later, I am sure. So, already into Forbidden Knowledge, we'll see how fast that goes.

11-14-2016, 03:35 PM	#24953
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	The good news is, this latest Harrington book has far less of the LENGTHY descriptions of armaments and ships and all that technical detail. There's some, but he's toned it way down. It's still a very long book, and it doesn't get us very far past where we were before. But overall, I liked it way better than some of the HH books.

11-14-2016, 07:31 PM	#24955
richvalle Connoisseur Posts: 82 Karma: 125064 Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Chicago Device: Nook Color	Downloaded and read George R. R. Martin's "Tuf Voyaging". While I can't get into Game of Thrones (too much backstabbing and bad guys winning) I didn't have a problem with the writing itself. "Tuf Voyaging" is a collection of short stories all having to do with Haviland Tuf a space-trader. There are 3 stories that are linked, one at the beginning, middle and end. The rest fill in the gaps. I enjoyed them. At a recommendation of a co-worked I downloaded "Relic" by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. I wasn't sure what to expect but I liked it a lot. Looking forward to reading more. I also have "Ascending" book 5 of the League of Peoples by James Alan Gardner about half way done. Nice solid goodness so far.

11-15-2016, 08:44 AM	#24960
gmw cacoethes scribendi Posts: 5,818 Karma: 137770742 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Australia Device: Kobo Aura One & H2Ov2, Sony PRS-650	I don't often post my current reading on here, but I thought I'd mark the occasion of having completed my re-read of our Agatha Christie collection. A superb and superbly consistent writer over her career - though I must say that I feel there is more fun (more overt humour) to be had in the earlier books. The Poirot and Marple stories are good, but generally unsurprising (by which I mean, they're typical of their genre rather than predictable). My real favourites from Christie mostly come from her other stories: The Man in the Brown Suit, The Sittaford Mystery, And Then There Were None, The Moving Finger, Crooked House and Endless Night. I could pick these up again right now and still enjoy them as much, no matter how familiar they've become. ... After all that, and looking for something completely different, I chose a book with a title that could have been a murder mystery ... but isn't. The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin. It was an interesting read, particularly from the sense of reading a story told in such an unfamiliar style, but it has not left me in a hurry for the two books that follow on from it.