Hey!! Let's get some action going! What are we reading? - Page 2052

pdurrant · 06-16-2022, 02:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bookstooge

Thanks. I knew she had written some more after Tehanu but I didn't realize it was 2 more plus some.

I find I hadn't read the last two either... now reading them. Very good so far.

issybird · 06-16-2022, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Robin

The two that have been recommended to me by Martin Edwards are Calamity Town and Ten Days Wonder

My two absolute favorite Ellery Queens. What are the odds, given how many there are? Edwards and I must be on the same wavelength.

Uncle Robin · 06-16-2022, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by issybird

My two absolute favorite Ellery Queens. What are the odds, given how many there are? Edwards and I must be on the same wavelength.

That's excellent news thanks! A second recommendation for exactly the same two books is not likely to be coincidental

Loosheesh · 06-16-2022, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Robin

I've only just started the series. I'm not planning to read them all, but I wanted to read the first 2-3 to get to know the core characters. The two that have been recommended to me by Martin Edwards are Calamity Town and Ten Days Wonder, so after I've read book 3, I'll try those two. If all five are the same, that will be the end of my Queen experiment.

Quote:

Originally Posted by issybird

My two absolute favorite Ellery Queens. What are the odds, given how many there are? Edwards and I must be on the same wavelength.

Thanks for the recs ... now I know what to check out when I want to give EQ another try. And both of the books (and many more in the series) are available in my Audible Plus sub

Last weekend I completed the short stories in the John Thorndyke's Cases collection (only 8 stories) and I liked them a lot, though they weren't overtly reverse mystery. (All the same, I was inspired to watch the first episode of the first season of Columbo

)

Last night I completed The Fellowship of the Ring and it feels like a milestone after wanting to start on the LotR journey for so long. I enjoyed the adventures so far and would love to jump right into The Two Towers but I have too many books at the 'currently reading' stage right now.

I've been wanting to read Sherlock Holmes without reading Sherlock Holmes; that is, I've been in the mood for SH but afraid to start because I might be tempted to put aside everything and do another read through all the stories and novels. As a compromise, I recently started A Study in Sherlock: Stories Inspired by the Holmes Canon. I liked the first story (You'd Better Go in Disguise by Alan Bradley); a more animated (taunting?) Holmes than I'm used to (or remember), but the observations leading to the denouement were on point.

issybird · 06-16-2022, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Loosheesh

Thanks for the recs ... now I know what to check out when I want to give EQ another try. And both of the books (and many more in the series) are available in my Audible Plus sub

Last weekend I completed the short stories in the John Thorndyke's Cases collection (only 8 stories) and I liked them a lot, though they weren't overtly reverse mystery.

The first collection of Thorndyke mysteries I read is called The Singing Bone; I think it’s #5 in the chronology, and those stories (except one) were the inverted type.

astrangerhere · 06-16-2022, 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by astrangerhere

I'm currently reading:

Audiobook - Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (Garnett translation)
DTB - Siren Queen by Nghi Vo
Ebook - The Grand Banks Cafe by Georges Simenon (Maigret #9)

I'm also making my way through my 22 volumes of the collected Fables comic book by Bill Willingham since the comic series returned this month.

I've finished Siren Queen (4 out of 5 - she said in the acknowledgements that it was originally 3 novellas and maybe it should have stayed that way, but I loved the atmosphere).

I've also finished the Simenon, which I enjoyed. I figured out the solution before we got to it, but, again, I love his atmosphere and Maigret himself.

I've moved on to:

Book 6 in Anthony Powell's roman-fleuve A Dance to the Music of Time, The Kindly Ones on my Kobo.
I'll probably get a few more volumes of Fables in before I pick up another novel or novella in paper.
Finally, I'm about 2/3 through the Anna Karenina audiobook.

Loosheesh · 06-16-2022, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by issybird

The first collection of Thorndyke mysteries I read is called The Singing Bone; I think it’s #5 in the chronology, and those stories (except one) were the inverted type.

Thanks; I'll check it out on the weekend. The collection I read looks to be #2 in the chronology.

Rumpelteazer · 06-17-2022, 05:53 AM

I finished the latest book in the Merrily Watkins series, The Fever of the World, by Phil Rickman.

Rickman set this story in 2020, just when the pandemic is starting. I really enjoyed this book. As per usual he leaves it up to the reader to decide whether or not the mystery was caused by the paranormal or not. Though I feel with this story he left things more open for interpretation than in other books.

I had a hard time deciding whether to read the first book in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series or start the next Commenwealth series, Commenwealth: Chronicle of the Fallers, by Peter F. Hamilton. In the end I chose the Commonwealth book, simply because so far this year I've read more fantasy book than sci-fi books. I will get to The Wheel of Time soon-ish, though.

ReadingManiac · 06-17-2022, 07:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by acprinter

Finished Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier. I really liked this book.

I've heard it's really good. I'm going to make it my next du Maurier after My Cousin Rachel. Haven't quite started that one yet because I'm behind on a couple of group reads.

One of these is a classic SciFi, The Songs of Distant Earth by Arthur C. Clarke. Really enjoying it!

Loosheesh · 06-17-2022, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ReadingManiac

I've heard it's really good. I'm going to make it my next du Maurier after My Cousin Rachel. Haven't quite started that one yet because I'm behind on a couple of group reads.

I'm waiting to see what you make of My Cousin Rachel; I read it about 7 years ago and I still find myself thinking about it off and on.

Bookstooge · 06-17-2022, 03:57 PM

No Fail by Doc Spears. Pretty mediocre Mil-SF :/

Cyclops · 06-18-2022, 03:13 PM

Time Life book about the Grand Canyon. A largeish coffee table book from the 70s.

Uncle Robin · 06-19-2022, 12:15 AM

3.25/5 for "The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club"
An interesting mystery, ruined by by the fact that the entire story is built on and celebrates misogyny. When a character rants for several pages about women in a positively Neanderthal way and Wimsey then proceeds to defend him AND blame the woman, that's hard to take. When Wimsey later comes close to calling himself a misogynist and rather than apologising for it insists it is the right and proper way to be, that's nasty. And when the crux of the story is the exploitation of a woman whose crime is being deemed unattractive,that's appalling.

pdurrant · 06-19-2022, 05:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Next up: The Books of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin. I'll only be reading the non-novel bits, as I don't want to do an Earthsea re-read just now, but I do want to read the shorter items.

I'm astonished to find that I hadn't actually read the last three books! I have now, and excellent they are too. So I count four books just read:

Tehanu, Tales From Earthsea, The Other Wind and The Books of Earthsea all by Ursula K. Le Guin

I have the first three on my TBR for a re-read.

Next up: something completely different: Live and Let Die by Ian Fleming. His second James Bond novel.

acprinter · 06-19-2022, 10:56 AM

Finished "Neverwhere" by Neil Gaiman. The first book book I read of Neil Gaiman was "The Ocean at the End of the Lane", a book I really liked. I looked forward to reading more of his books. "American Gods" was a dud for me as well as Good Omens, a book he co-wrote with Terry Pratchett.

I gave "Neverwhere" 3 stars. I won't be reading more of his books.

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06-17-2022, 05:53 AM	#30773
Rumpelteazer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,341 Karma: 27919658 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Utrecht, the Netherlands Device: Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition	I finished the latest book in the Merrily Watkins series, The Fever of the World, by Phil Rickman. Rickman set this story in 2020, just when the pandemic is starting. I really enjoyed this book. As per usual he leaves it up to the reader to decide whether or not the mystery was caused by the paranormal or not. Though I feel with this story he left things more open for interpretation than in other books. I had a hard time deciding whether to read the first book in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series or start the next Commenwealth series, Commenwealth: Chronicle of the Fallers, by Peter F. Hamilton. In the end I chose the Commonwealth book, simply because so far this year I've read more fantasy book than sci-fi books. I will get to The Wheel of Time soon-ish, though.

06-17-2022, 03:57 PM	#30776
Bookstooge Member Retired Posts: 805 Karma: 2091358 Join Date: May 2019 Device: Kindle Oasis 1st Gen, PB Era	No Fail by Doc Spears. Pretty mediocre Mil-SF :/

06-18-2022, 03:13 PM	#30777
Cyclops Only need one eye to read Posts: 796 Karma: 6277024 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Darlington, England Device: Kobo Touch N905C, Sony PRS-300, Nintendo DSi XL,	Time Life book about the Grand Canyon. A largeish coffee table book from the 70s.

06-19-2022, 12:15 AM	#30778
Uncle Robin Diligent dilettante Posts: 3,661 Karma: 52758936 Join Date: Sep 2019 Location: in my mind Device: Kobo Sage; Kobo Libra Colour	3.25/5 for "The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club" An interesting mystery, ruined by by the fact that the entire story is built on and celebrates misogyny. When a character rants for several pages about women in a positively Neanderthal way and Wimsey then proceeds to defend him AND blame the woman, that's hard to take. When Wimsey later comes close to calling himself a misogynist and rather than apologising for it insists it is the right and proper way to be, that's nasty. And when the crux of the story is the exploitation of a woman whose crime is being deemed unattractive,that's appalling.

06-19-2022, 10:56 AM	#30780
acprinter Groupie Posts: 163 Karma: 3141364 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: California Gold Country Device: Paperwhite 11th generation	Finished "Neverwhere" by Neil Gaiman. The first book book I read of Neil Gaiman was "The Ocean at the End of the Lane", a book I really liked. I looked forward to reading more of his books. "American Gods" was a dud for me as well as Good Omens, a book he co-wrote with Terry Pratchett. I gave "Neverwhere" 3 stars. I won't be reading more of his books.