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

[Rev. Bob]

I’m finally getting through the four Murderbot novellas by Martha Wells, yes I know about the novel but it’s not in my budget thank you.

Currently about a quarter of the way through the third volume, Rogue Protocol.

[covingtoncat73]

I, Claudius! I read it as a teenager. This is a re-read.

[Fbone]

Finished East of Hounslow by Khurrum Rahman.

This was a more realistic spy comedy if that makes sense. A Pakistani is recruited by mi-5 to help them catch a terrorist. Very enjoyable. The writing was first person but the author still managed to develop his characters well. I look forward to more from this author. There was, however, much cursing throughout the book. Rated B- [4 stars]

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson. This is from the Delphi Classics complete RLS bundle that I bought back in 2015. As part of the bundle, it cost me £0.02.

Which is a pretty good YA adventure.

Next random selection: Dark Eden by Chris Beckett. A £0.99 bargain from April 2016. I can't even remember buying it!

[astrangerhere]

Currently listening to:

• The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin

Currently on Kobo:

• Playback by James Chandler

[Luffy]

My review of Prodigy (Legend, #2), by Marie Lu:-

Spoiler:

Prodigy is neither a dystopian novel nor a love story nor a book about prodigious feats or thoughts. That’s just my opinion, so you are free, of course, to dismiss it.

I’ve read a fistful of YA trilogies, and most times the sequels falter in delivering. The acknowledgments section shed a light on the making of this book. A camel is a horse made by committee. And this book quintessentially fits this adage.

I went in not expecting to be swept off my feet. I only wanted my brain to be kept occupied for several hours. But it was not to be. The experience became a burden. I have much more to say but I’ve already put this mess in the past.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Next random selection: Dark Eden by Chris Beckett. A £0.99 bargain from April 2016. I can't even remember buying it!

It was OK. Told from the viewpoints of several of the characters, the voices weren't distinct enough for me.

Next up: A recent purchase, Accepting the Lance, by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller. The latest in their Liaden series.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Next up: A recent purchase, Accepting the Lance, by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller. The latest in their Liaden series.

The authors have admitted that they were 70,000 words into this book when they had to throw it out and start again, from scratch.* They're now putting that up on their Splinter Universe site -- a new chapter every Monday.





*Of course, being parsimonious authors, they did manage to repurpose some scenes from that earlier attempt into the final book.

[ReadingManiac]

Finished the last book of the Time Shifters series and wishing I could blank my mind and do it all over again. Highly recommended for anyone who likes time travel! The author is Shanna Lauffey.

Getting on with Nightscape by Stephen R. George now.

[Luffy]

My review of The Elite (The Selection, #2), by Kiera Cass:-

Spoiler:

Maybe I'm amazed at how the author managed to get me involved in the way it did. I'm happy to announce that the antidote to crack addiction has been found. It's this book because it's more addictive than the drug.

There were a lot of girly things and feelings in here where I zoned out, but this novel went straight to my heart, reminding me that I had never been in love in my teens. Based on that, I forgave a lot of America's antics.

The main heroine is not my favored character, even if I'm rooting for her in the elite. Maxon is the more well rounded one. But though there were silly stuff going on in the more serious aspects and consequences of the entire world, I have no compunction in giving The Elite 5 stars.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Next up: A recent purchase, Accepting the Lance, by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller. The latest in their Liaden series.

Which was, as expected, most enjoyable.

Next up: Pillar of Fire by Judith Tarr. Another random choice from my unread books, part of a Storybundle I bought back in July 2016.

[Loosheesh]

Originally Posted by Loosheesh

I finalized my 2016 reading with minutes to spare. Of the above, I gave up on #1 (couldn't get past the first person present tense), #2 (too shrill so didn't get far), #3 (mere disinterest), #5 (I left this one in its purgatory, poor thing). I completed #4 (average read).

Other than these, I ended the year with on a Georgette Heyer high:

The Nonesuch
Cotillion
The Unknown Ajax
The Quiet Gentleman
False Colours

This will be my last time posting here for a while. Happy New to everyone!

It's been three and a half years since I last posted in here (looks like I meant it when I said I wouldn't be posting for a while ) and I felt today was as good a time as any to start again. So here goes: I'm currently listening to Churchill: Walking with Destiny (by Andrew Roberts). It is excellent so far, and the narration is a joy.

[CRussel]

That's rather a longer break than we expected, Loosheesh, but welcome back!

I just finished reading Splinter Universe Presents by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller. This is a collection of "splinters", outtakes and snippets set in their Liaden Universe, pulled together along with some descriptive text about where each comes from, and how it ended up in the outtakes file. Quite enjoyable for those who are fans and readers, and gives an interesting look into the writerly process.

[mlewis78]

I'm reading The Great Influenza by John M. Barry about the 1918 flu pandemic. 16% in on kindle. Borrowed from New York Public Library.

[Luffy]

My review of The Dutch House, by Ann Patchett:-

Spoiler:

It was hard to come to grips with this book. And here I thought that it would be a slightly arty but conceptualized story. Maybe something that has a past and present chapter.

Instead I found myself involved in a centralized story about a Dutch house. Curiously enough, to me it sounded like a lab rat for our characters to joust.

I liked this book immensely. The vocab of the book was mellow but not dull. The family dynamics was natural, intriguing and didactic. I really need to reread it to get to the center of the book faster but apart from that I have no complaints.