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

[lilac_jive]

Originally Posted by Libby Cone

I'm reading Cathy Gere's Knossos and the Prophets of Modernism, a very interesting account of how two archaeologists adapted the ruins of Knossos to their own agendas, eventually dwarfing the original site with a multistory modernist edifice.

Don't get me started on that! If you like that book check out "Schliemann of Troy" by David Traill.

[Shadowplay]

Time for me to join in the community fun here.

I've just started reading The Infinity Concerto, part 1 of Songs of Earth and Power by Greg Bear. It was recommended elsewhere on this site as a great and different fantasy tale written by someone who normally writes hard science fiction. In fact, as far as I know, this is his only foray into fantasy. So on that interesting bit of info I wanted to give it a shot. I also found the same books (there are 2 in the "set") landing squarely on someone's worst books ever read list, also here on this site. That made me hesitate a bit, but I still was intrigued so...

I'm only 80 pages in, but I'm loving it. He's very, very wordy at this point in his career so it could likely be edited down a bit, but I don't mind as it's still good reading. The whole thing is much more... serious than your traditional modern fantasy. It's dark, with elements from horror novels I'd say. Not gory or anything (that I've encountered yet), but the horror mood is present in places. It's fairly unforgiving to the main character and everything is very well thought out. It feels real even though it's so bizarre and alien.

Summary from http://blogcritics.org/books/article...rth-and-power/

Songs of Earth and Power follows the story of Michael Perrin, a teenager from Los Angeles who befriends Arno Waltiri, an aging composer of film scores, then finds himself caught up in magical events that determine the fate of whole worlds. Following directions given to Waltiri by the David Clarkham, a sinister and mysterious former collaborator, Michael stumbles across a boundary between worlds, and finds himself in the Realm of the Sidhe. Stuck in a world that's actively hostile to humankind, he must learn enough to keep himself alive, and ends up doing far more. By the end of the second book, he's not just trying to save himself, he's trying to save the whole world from disaster, as the Sidhe return to Earth.

[DixieGal]

I had a big paperback with both volumes of Songs of Earth and Power, and read it several times. It is one of the few fantasy books that I've ever really enjoyed. I'm glad you are enjoying it also.

I've been reading a lot more lately, due to several recent long car trips. Right now, I'm reading The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. Just finished Nova by Samuel R. Delaney. I highly recommend Nova.

[lilac_jive]

I'm reading Confessions of a Duchess (which I got for free on WOW Wednesdays). Not really liking it too much, it's a little dull. Then after I finish that it's the pbook version of "Faefever" by Karen Marie Moning. I got hooked on that series with the freebie. The paperback just came out today and I was too impatient to wait for Sony to drop it to pbook price.

[MelC]

Just finished Along Came a Spider by James Patterson. Mixed feelings about it. There were lots of good elements to the basic storyline but I felt that JP's use of the first person narrative and worse the switching back and forth between first person and third person narratives was very distracting. I really think you should only write in the first person if you are an extremely talented wordsmith or alternatively if you are writing in a diary format. I also had a few DA moments (moments where I wanted to shout at the book because the protagonist, a supposedly highly educated man with his doctorate at one of the most prestigious institutions in America fails to make even basic connections or draw simple and obvious conclusions and is exposed as a d**ba**. I had similar moments in Dan Brown's masterpiece). However, as I said there were some interesting elements to the storyline and it was definitely a quick easy read.

I'm moving on to an umpteenth reread of the Anne of Green Gables series I think.

Mel

[benham]

Am currently reading Everglades, Doc Ford novel by Randy Wayne White. He writes in the first person, very effectively.

[vivaldirules]

This spring was the 200th anniversary of the birth of Nikolai V. Gogol and I've been reading or rereading several of his works including the short story The Overcoat which I've just reread for the third time this week alone. Other works of his on my list include Taras Bul'ba, Dead Souls, The Nose, the play The Government Inspector, Diary of a Madman, and probably several others. Many of these are available in the upload section here and I will be uploading some other versions of some of these and others soon. Many of his works were quite unusual for the time (mid-nineteenth century) to the point of being strange and wonderful. Great stuff!

[Abelturd]

I've just finished A Thousand Splendid Suns by Hosseini and it literally brought me to tears at the end. It's one powerful book.
To all women: just so that you know, I will respect you and treasure you my whole life. You make the life beautiful and worth living.

[DixieGal]

Your avatar is possibly the cutest kitty I've ever seen!



EDIT: You know, a thought occurs... we never see lolgibbons.... hmmm.... is it because they have thumbs and know how to spell?... hmmm....?

[Sparrow]

I recently finished 'The Suspicions of Mr Whicher' by Kate Summerscale.
She takes a sensational real-life Victorian murder case, and interweaves its story with a discussion of its influence on the development of Victorian crime fiction.
A very interesting read, but didn't quite fulfill the expectations the rave reviews had raised.

Now reading 'Sir Tom' by Margaret Oliphant (to upload here when done) - it has been fantastic so far. I looked up an old review for it on the web -and it got slated!! What do reviewers know?

Also reading 'The Torture Trust' by Brant House (real name Paul Chadwick) - an entertaining pulp yarn that I downloaded from here.
Thanks to Crutledge for uploading it.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by lilac_jive

I'm trying to figure out what I want to read next....

Something from the Discworld series for a wicked good time.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by radamo

I am whizzing my way through "The Collectors" by Baldacci. It is the follow on to the "Camel Club". I am really enjoying it so far. The Camel Club was my first Baldacci book and I really like his writing style and characters.

RA

I've read the first two o fthe Camel Club series and it's quite good. My wife has gone through that series and the secret agents one and some of the stand alones.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by MelC

Finished Three Men in a Boat and am starting my first ever James Patterson - Run for your Life.

Mel

I think his Women's Murder Club series is very good and a good place to start on his books.

[JSWolf]

I am in the midst of reading Star Trek: Titan: Over a Torrent Sea by Christopher L. Bennett. When I finish that, I am trying to decide if I want to read Star Trek: DS9: The Soul Key by Olivia Wood or W.E.B Griffin's The Hunters (third in the Presidential Agent series). I'm leaning towards Griffin once I get it converted to ePub.

[Idoine]

Currently reading "The Ugly Princess" by Elizabeth Burton. A page-turner for me !