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

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Next up: Linda Nagata's newly-released, near-future military thriller The Last Good Man.

This was a fantastic military thriller. Cautionary without being "preachy." Believable tech and action sequences; believable and compelling characters.

Next up: more rollicking adventure with Neal Stephenson's and Nicole Galland's The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O.

[Deskisamess]

Just started Men at Work: The Craft of Baseball by George Will. So far I have enjoyed the foreword, but know from reading his political columns that GW writing can be a bit of a slog. I'm hoping to learn more about the game.

Borrowed How to be a Victorian: A Dawn to Dusk Guide to the Victorian Life by Ruth Goodman. Details, minutiae, but interesting.

Half way through Black Narcissus by Rumer Godden. I've seen the movie, which is coloring my opinion of the book. Not sure if I like it, but have no idea why.

Stopped at the 30% mark in Contact by Carl Sagan. Long tedious stream of consciousness mixed with scientific facts, many characters, and boring details. I'll finish it, but not right now.

Read the short story The Birds by Du Maurier. I'm looking forward to reading more by her.

I've been scatter-brained lately and have had trouble staying focused on any one book. I have a couple others going as well.

[astrangerhere]

Originally Posted by astrangerhere

I am still working my way through the Wonder Woman Ominubus and Kevin Anderson's Forest of Stars.

Did a one-day read of Martha Wells' All Systems Red last weekend.

Also reading the recent translation of Reputations by Juan Gabriel Vasquez.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Next up: Analog SFF July/August 2017 edited by Trevor Quachri.

Still reading the Asimov's SF Magazine but also Odd Hours, the fourth in the Odd Thomas series.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by Deskisamess

Read the short story The Birds by Du Maurier. I'm looking forward to reading more by her.

One of the creepiest stories I've ever read; it's much more effective than the Hitchcock film.

[Dngrsone]

Finished The Art of Invisibility by Kevin Mitnick and Robert Vamosi. Informative, kinda scary how much our lives are being monitored.

Got the next Vatta's war book, and I see there is another "Don't Tel My Parents..." book. Probably the last one, though I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more of his work.

[orlok]

Originally Posted by issybird

One of the creepiest stories I've ever read; it's much more effective than the Hitchcock film.

Really? Now I might just have to read it.

[Luffy]

Originally Posted by Luffy

It picked up towards the end. Now I'm going to read an obscure cozy mystery - Chocolate Crunch Murder (Donut Hole Mystery #15). After which I'll be reading Blood Will Tell (Kate Shugak, #6). But I really am holding myself in check before reading A Fistful of Charms (The Hollows, #4).

I've completed Blood Will Tell, which was very nicely written. Now I'm finishing the first Chapter of A Fistful of Charms (The Hollows, #4).

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by Luffy

I've completed Blood Will Tell, which was very nicely written. Now I'm finishing the first Chapter of A Fistful of Charms (The Hollows, #4).

Ah, but how can you hold off on Kate Shugak #7, Break Up? One of my all time favourites, it's an absolute hoot.

[Rev. Bob]

I got an email a few days ago saying that my free month of comiXology Unlimited would expire soon... to which my response was, "I had a free month of cXU?" Apparently so - I'm guessing it was the by-product of a graphic novel purchase - and thus I've been binging on their library.

Spider-Man and the X-Men was a completely disposable story that strained credibility by having Spidey and his mutant students get repeatedly attacked by team-ups between X-foes and Spider-baddies, all while Spidey gets no respect from the senior X-Men who should know better.

I do like me some Spider-Man, though, so I tackled Avenging Spider-Man V1 - a solid "Spidey teams up with Avengers" collection - and Ultimate Spider-Man: Miles Morales V1: Revival, which is the first half of a dozen-issue series that preceded the elimination of the Ultimate universe. It was okay, despite me having at best sketchy knowledge of the Ultimate Spider-Man series, except that it raised a big mystery and ended without resolving it. Presumably volume 2 answers the big question, but it's not in the Unlimited library and it's a moot point anyway. (A lot of the Marvel selection on cXU is like that: a free volume or two to draw you in, then you have to buy the next volumes to keep going. I get it when it's new content, but for older stuff, it just feels cheap and coy.)

Iron Man: Demon in a Bottle did not live up to the hype. Most of the collection was about the debut of Justin Hammer, with a few hints of Tony's drinking problem tossed in along the way. The final issue is the linchpin of the "epic storyline," but by his entire struggle being forced into a montage, it was a real disappointment. Yes, I know it was 1979 and daring to show a major hero struggling with alcoholism was a Big Deal, but in 2017, admitting and overcoming his addiction in the space of a single issue was a real let-down. Recovery's just not that fast. I preferred the later Iron Man: Extremis trade, and not just because the art's bloody gorgeous. That actually builds a story from start to finish and paces the revelations accordingly.

Finally, I decided to try The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Volume 1 at the princely sum of no cost. I was... underwhelmed. There were some good points, but I find the main character just too... twee? Is that the word I want for "the creative team is trying so hard to make her adorkably cute that they completely fail"? I get that she has fans, and good for them, but this book's not for me.

I've got a few other books lined up, like the first couple of Jessica Jones: Alias volumes and the first year of Marvel's current Star Wars title. Might as well (ab)use my free access while I've got it!

[Fbone]

Originally Posted by Fbone

I thought I'd try something lighter, Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson also purchased in April 2015!

This was enjoyable. The book tells us the origins of Peter Pan, Molly, Tinkerbell, Captain Hook, etc. and does so with lots of action and humor. Nicely done. I'll definitely read the others in the series soon. Rated B [4 stars].

Next I tried to read Quarter Share by Nathan Lowell, another self-pubbed freebie I picked up somewhere. However, I abandoned it after just 40 pages when I realized it was a Merchant Marine documentary disguised as sci-fi. The author spent an entire chapter instructing the reader on the proper way to make coffee and clean the urn.

Next, is another self-pub freebie, Duel in the Dark by Jay Allan. I'm trying to clear out some of the free ebooks from my reader.

[Luffy]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Ah, but how can you hold off on Kate Shugak #7, Break Up? One of my all time favourites, it's an absolute hoot.

I'm trying not to get hyped with your praising of book 7. I'm really curious as to why this one is so particular. One of your all time favorites, is it? We'll see! Hope I'm not disappointed.

[Luffy]

Originally Posted by Rev. Bob

I got an email a few days ago saying that my free month of comiXology Unlimited would expire soon... to which my response was, "I had a free month of cXU?" Apparently so - I'm guessing it was the by-product of a graphic novel purchase - and thus I've been binging on their library.

Spider-Man and the X-Men was a completely disposable story that strained credibility by having Spidey and his mutant students get repeatedly attacked by team-ups between X-foes and Spider-baddies, all while Spidey gets no respect from the senior X-Men who should know better.

I do like me some Spider-Man, though, so I tackled Avenging Spider-Man V1 - a solid "Spidey teams up with Avengers" collection - and Ultimate Spider-Man: Miles Morales V1: Revival, which is the first half of a dozen-issue series that preceded the elimination of the Ultimate universe. It was okay, despite me having at best sketchy knowledge of the Ultimate Spider-Man series, except that it raised a big mystery and ended without resolving it. Presumably volume 2 answers the big question, but it's not in the Unlimited library and it's a moot point anyway. (A lot of the Marvel selection on cXU is like that: a free volume or two to draw you in, then you have to buy the next volumes to keep going. I get it when it's new content, but for older stuff, it just feels cheap and coy.)

Iron Man: Demon in a Bottle did not live up to the hype. Most of the collection was about the debut of Justin Hammer, with a few hints of Tony's drinking problem tossed in along the way. The final issue is the linchpin of the "epic storyline," but by his entire struggle being forced into a montage, it was a real disappointment. Yes, I know it was 1979 and daring to show a major hero struggling with alcoholism was a Big Deal, but in 2017, admitting and overcoming his addiction in the space of a single issue was a real let-down. Recovery's just not that fast. I preferred the later Iron Man: Extremis trade, and not just because the art's bloody gorgeous. That actually builds a story from start to finish and paces the revelations accordingly.

Finally, I decided to try The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Volume 1 at the princely sum of no cost. I was... underwhelmed. There were some good points, but I find the main character just too... twee? Is that the word I want for "the creative team is trying so hard to make her adorkably cute that they completely fail"? I get that she has fans, and good for them, but this book's not for me.

I've got a few other books lined up, like the first couple of Jessica Jones: Alias volumes and the first year of Marvel's current Star Wars title. Might as well (ab)use my free access while I've got it!

Sounds like you need to take a break from comics. Why read on if they let you down?

[Rev. Bob]

Originally Posted by Luffy

Sounds like you need to take a break from comics. Why read on if they let you down?

Out of the six volumes I mini-reviewed, you spotlighted one ambivalent comment ("completely disposable" could apply to a whole lot of stories that don't shake up continuity) and three negative ones, while overlooking the two positive reviews (Extremis and Avenging) and the positive things I had to say about the rest. In none of the six cases did I say anything like "this was horrible and I regret reading it."

That said, Irresistible, which I read after posting that message, was horrible and I regret reading it. (Thumbnail: Whiny dude can't get over the woman who left him a year and a half ago, so when he gets to make a wish, his desire for sex completely ruins his life. The only things I can say in favor of the book are that all of the words are spelled right and the art is pretty.)

To answer your original question, though - did you miss that this is a limited-time access situation? I didn't know I'd been granted access, but while I have it, I don't plan to waste it. One of the benefits of an all-you-want scenario is being able to try new titles; I fully expect that they won't all turn out to be to my taste. (See Squirrel Girl - heard good things, tried it, not for me, found out without wasting money. Knowledge gained!)

Jessica Jones: Alias 1-2 were great, more than making up for the shoddy Daredevil: Father. The two Star Wars volumes I've started look to match the high quality of the Darth Vader series I paid to read last year, and I have high expectations for the two Dresden Files stories I'd heard about but not read. I may get to volume two of the "Archie gets married" storyline after that; I liked volume one. Heck, I may even read the Archie/Sharknado issue just to see if it's as bad as it sounds!

Since the weekend, I've been dealing with a toothache that's left me grouchy and a bit depressed. Money's been tight since well before that. Free access to a ton of graphic novels is an unexpected gift that I don't plan to waste. Even the bad stories get me out of my head and away from the pain for a bit, and that ain't nothin'.

[Luffy]

I'm sorry for your troubles , Rev. Bob. I myself am a dirt poor guy whose entire money is spent on books. I've been there. I've been on a reading slump. I'm still in some kind of trouble. So I can empathize and commiserate. Toothaches are the worst, also.