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

[ReadingManiac]

I'm currently reading EMP: Heading Home by Wilson Harp. The first book, EMP was very good. This one is good but not a lot happens comparatively.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Now I'm reading Code of Conduct by Kristine Smith, a recently acquired freebie.

A bit of a mess. Loads of back story to be given to us, and a hero who is amazingly competent, except when it's convenient for the plot. Fun enough to finish, but not to look for more.

Next up: The Xibalba Murders by Lyn Hamilton. Another recent freebie, this time a murder mystery with an antiquities expert hero.

[Rumpelteazer]

Last night I finished The Jersey Devil by Hunter Shea, a fun creature horror. It's immediate back story is set up well. However, I would have liked a bit more historical back story.

[timebug]

Just finished Bruce Springsteens autobiography 'Born To Run'.
Not especially a fan of him or his music, but my elder son had
read it and said he enjoyed it. So I gave it a go.
Very well written,and actually written by him,as opposed to put
down on tape and transcribed by someone, or 'as told to' style.
Impressed by his humanity and love for his music; his sorrow at
the passing of Clarence Clemons comes over as heartfelt and as
genuine as can be. Will check out some of his music when I get
around to it!

[drjd]

Originally Posted by drjd

Quickly grabbing a hard boiled crime fiction by James Hadley Chase, No Orchids for Miss Blandish for now.

Finished No Orchids for Miss Blandish by James Hadley Chase. A typical early 20th century American crime fiction with lot of gangsters, gun fires and ruthless murders and an unexpected end. Quite interesting read altogether.

Not yet decided what I'll read next. Will decide something in the night.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Now starting The Fortress at the End of Time By Joe M. McDermott.

Quite thought provoking. I really can't decide if it was a happy or a sad ending. I imagine that was intentionally done.

Besides the ansible and cloning technologies (which were necessarily unspecific), I imagine the story is probably quite accurate in its portrayal of a society on the edge of human space. The politics of a military trying to stay prepared for the return of an alien enemy that humanity waged war with a 1000 years ago, as well as the politics (and economics, and time-scale) of a terraforming project that the aforementioned military is "protecting" (and retiring to) seemed entirely realistic to me.

Up next is Ben Aaronovitch's The Hanging Tree - sixth in the Peter Grant/Rivers of London series.

[Dngrsone]

Finished Hemingway Didn't Say That; moving on to a little fantasy.

Justice and Her Brothers by Virginia Hamilton has been languishing in my TBR for a while, so I may as well check it out.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Moving on, now reading Ghost Ship, both the eBook and the Audible version. Sadly it's not WhisperSync enabled.

Finished, read mostly the audio version, and enjoyed it yet again. Moving on to Dragon Ship.
Also read the latest Penric short, Mira's Last Dance, from Lois McMaster Bujold. Enjoyable, but an abrupt ending that really annoyed me.

Finished Break In, by Dick Francis. This was an Audible read, and was my swimming book. So now I need another one for the pool. Haven't decided yet what to do there.

Still undecided. I started a Temeraire book, but I'm not sure I care enough any more. Might have to find something else.

Meanwhile, for the car, reading A Fatal Thaw. This is #2 in the Kate Shugak series from Dana Stabenow, and is a WhisperSync book, so I'm doing a bit of back and forth.

Finished. I really enjoy this series, and re-reading it is going well. It's been long enough since I read these early books that I mostly have forgotten plot details. And the narration is excellent. I had read these books the first time through, so re-reading in Audible form is a good change.

Next up, for the car: Dead in the Water.

[orlok]

Originally Posted by drjd

Finished No Orchids for Miss Blandish by James Hadley Chase. A typical early 20th century American crime fiction with lot of gangsters, gun fires and ruthless murders and an unexpected end. Quite interesting read altogether.

Not yet decided what I'll read next. Will decide something in the night.

I remember reading this at school in Rhodesia, where the book was banned. A copy was obtained somehow and passed around us teenagers. The book tended to fall open at all the "interesting" parts...

[orlok]

Originally Posted by issybird

I guess one has to have a taste for that sort of humor. I think the Lucia books are delightful and they all have literal LOL moments. I'm not going to discuss it here in advance of the book club discussion, but I would hate for people to be put off trying it when it's free, people. I know there are many Lucia fans here; maybe some will swing by the discussion.

I've had the Mapp and Lucia books lined up to read for some time now. I may well swing by, if that's okay, even though I did not participate in the nominations or voting? Is there a discussion thread up yet - can't find it?

[issybird]

Originally Posted by orlok

I've had the Mapp and Lucia books lined up to read for some time now. I may well swing by, if that's okay, even though I did not participate in the nominations or voting? Is there a discussion thread up yet - can't find it?

Please do! The discussions are open to all, always; the more, the merrier.

Book Club discussions begin on the 20th of each month, when Tom starts a thread. So you've got a week; it's a quick and delightful read and if you're not ready on the 20th, the thread will be there when you are.

[orlok]

Originally Posted by issybird

Please do! The discussions are open to all, always; the more, the merrier.

Book Club discussions begin on the 20th of each month, when Tom starts a thread. So you've got a week; it's a quick and delightful read and if you're not ready on the 20th, the thread will be there when you are.

Thanks. Nearly finished my current read, so Queen Lucia will be next

[astrangerhere]

Originally Posted by Crusader

Recently finished The Stars are Legion by Kameron Hurley. A very unusual space opera with a strong social message and filled with badass females [and only females].

This and Ann Leckie's recommendation got me to bite and pick this up over the weekend. I'll be trying it out as soon as I finish The Dark Forest.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by orlok

I've had the Mapp and Lucia books lined up to read for some time now. I may well swing by, if that's okay, even though I did not participate in the nominations or voting? Is there a discussion thread up yet - can't find it?

Please do! All are welcome, always. The more the merrier. And these are merry books, quite charming. But we'll save that for the discussion, which will start on the 20th.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

I've just read the first two chapters so far, but it strikes me a something that would make for a fine British sitcom; something along the lines of Keeping Up Appearances.

The book is like a lot of old books. The story may be OK, but the writing is not as good. I can listen to it. But I cannot read it.