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

[poohbear_nc]

Many moons ago, when I had received one of those 'settlements' from the ebook pricing lawsuits, I acquired all 12 volumes of Anthony Powell's wonderful 'A Dance to the Music of Time.'

Laid up this weekend with a pesky head cold, I am having a veritable ball romping through this engaging series, already into Book 4 'At Lady Molly's' -- it's like reading a soap opera written by an Oxford alumnus - dry wit and pointed observations.

If you embark on this literary journey, I highly recommend having Hilary Spurling's 'Invitation to the Dance' - a handbook of characters, places, and books/art works mentioned.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Yes, it is. I don't really want to go into it further here, but perhaps since I've read the book and I don't think you have, you'll take my word for it.

Well now, in that case you are totally right if he said/implied the kettle was furnished. And yes, it would take me out of the story too since small appliances (except microwaves) typically are not even in a furnished apartment.
The one exception would be if he was sub-letting.
Why I was finding it odd.
Now do English landlords furnish tea kettles?

[Ravensknight]

Originally Posted by Fbone

Decided to read The Amber Project (The Variant Saga #1) by JN Chaney. A self-published book I received free back in April 2016.

Still, the writing was passable and looking at all the 5-star reviews, I'm glad to see many others enjoyed this. However, I gave it a D+ [2 stars].

All the reviews/ratings I found over on Wordpress pretty much lined up with your feelings. And your rating.

It wasn't until I went to GR that the shills were obvious. Ay yay yay! It sounded like a bunch of used car salesmen all on the same page.

[Fbone]

Originally Posted by Ravensknight

All the reviews/ratings I found over on Wordpress pretty much lined up with your feelings. And your rating.

It wasn't until I went to GR that the shills were obvious. Ay yay yay! It sounded like a bunch of used car salesmen all on the same page.

Lol

Those on GR are bloggers (Amazon affiliates) and fellow self-pub authors. Did you notice they are all women?

[Ravensknight]

Originally Posted by Fbone

Lol

Those on GR are bloggers (Amazon affiliates) and fellow self-pub authors. Did you notice they are all women?

I didn't notice that. But I did notice the stockphrases in every review that shows they were praising it for a return praise of their own book.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Next up: Asimov's SF magazine for Mar/Apr 2017.

Overall, a good issue.

One Novella, "Tao Zero" by Damien Broderick. An odd style, skipping between viewpoints and slight back and forth in time. It was OK.

Four Novelettes.
"Soulmates.com" by Will McIntosh was excellent — AI and dating sites.
"Three can keep a secret..." by Bill Johnson & Gregory Frost was good — A futuristic thriller with a master of disguise.
"Kitty Hawk" by Alan Smale was an alternate history and not really to my taste.
"The Wisdom of the Group" by Ian R. MacLeod was an unsatisfying tale of hubris.

Eight Short stories. Notable were "Cupido" by Rich Larson, a rather good love story; and "After the Atrocity" by Ian Creasey, which looked at personal responsibility.


Next up: A recent purchase, The Game by Diana Wynne Jones.

[drjd]

Originally Posted by drjd

For now, I will take up He Won't Need it Now, the first novel of James Hadley Chase, published in 1939. I bought an ebook pack of 90 novels of Chase in 2015, but did not read any, though I have read some of his books decades ago in print.

Finished He won't need it now by James Hadley Chase, possibly his first novel. A typical American hardboiled crime story full of violence and sex, deadly villains and treacherous beautiful women. I liked it. I'll plan to read other books of Chase soon.

Now I'll start reading The Elegant Universe, a non fiction book of physics by Brian Green, for a change of taste.

[Dngrsone]

Originally Posted by Ravensknight

I didn't notice that. But I did notice the stockphrases in every review that shows they were praising it for a return praise of their own book.

That's why I don't bother with the five-star reviews and instead look at what the two- and three-star people are saying (the one-star people tend towards either having axes to grind or were the wrong audience to begin with).

[issybird]

Originally Posted by Dngrsone

That's why I don't bother with the five-star reviews and instead look at what the two- and three-star people are saying (the one-star people tend towards either having axes to grind or were the wrong audience to begin with).

This is my practice, too (unless of course it's a Goodreads friend whose judgment I trust).

Still, some books truly are absolutely awful and deserve one star. In my own case, where a distaste for a book is due at least in part to my being the wrong audience, I'll give it two stars. Not unreadable, but not for me.

[Ravensknight]

Dealing with Dragons
Patricia Wrede
5 Stars

Humorous, middle grade fantasy that captivated a middle aged man like me. THAT is the mark of a good author...

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Next up: A recent purchase, The Game by Diana Wynne Jones.

A stand-alone, not set in any of her other universes. A fun look at myths in the modern world, but if you're going to include astronomical info, don't get it wrong (comet tail info only half right).



Next up: Sea Lord by Bernard Cornwell. Another recent purchase.

[Rev. Bob]

Originally Posted by issybird

Still, some books truly are absolutely awful and deserve one star. In my own case, where a distaste for a book is due at least in part to my being the wrong audience, I'll give it two stars. Not unreadable, but not for me.

I almost always rate between two and four stars, reserving one and five for the truly exceptional cases. And yes, technical issues (typos, grammar, et al.) are a factor in my final scores.

[astrangerhere]

Originally Posted by poohbear_nc

Many moons ago, when I had received one of those 'settlements' from the ebook pricing lawsuits, I acquired all 12 volumes of Anthony Powell's wonderful 'A Dance to the Music of Time.'

Laid up this weekend with a pesky head cold, I am having a veritable ball romping through this engaging series, already into Book 4 'At Lady Molly's' -- it's like reading a soap opera written by an Oxford alumnus - dry wit and pointed observations.

If you embark on this literary journey, I highly recommend having Hilary Spurling's 'Invitation to the Dance' - a handbook of characters, places, and books/art works mentioned.

I briefly misread this as you reading Proust's In Search of Lost Time. Either way, I am glad to hear that this is living up to expectations. It seems fascinating.

I am currently reading Kobo Abe's The Ruined Map, which got him nominated for the Noma Prize in 1967. On its face, it is a detective story about a PI looking for a lost husband. But it is much more an introspection on the lies we tell to each other than any hard-boiled detective story.

[Cyclops]

Pushing Ice by Alastair Reynolds, dead tree book.

[poohbear_nc]

Originally Posted by astrangerhere

I briefly misread this as you reading Proust's In Search of Lost Time. Either way, I am glad to hear that this is living up to expectations. It seems fascinating.

I am currently reading Kobo Abe's The Ruined Map, which got him nominated for the Noma Prize in 1967. On its face, it is a detective story about a PI looking for a lost husband. But it is much more an introspection on the lies we tell to each other than any hard-boiled detective story.

I began the Proust last year, but it didn't grab me. I'll give it another go later this year. The appeal of multi-book series varies muchly with age and personal circumstances of the reader. I had begun the Powell series a couple of years ago, but never made it through the first book - I found it boring and plodding. Now, Powell's writing seems quite alive and I am quite interested in the ongoing fates and foibles of the characters. You get mesmerized by the inevitable, yet unexpected, reappearances of the odious Widmerpool in each book.