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

[Dngrsone]

Now reading How to Overthrow the Government by Arianna Huffington (of Huffington Post fame). This was published in 2000, during the elections then, and it's so far pretty damn depressing and relevant now.

[MickeyC]

Just finished Made in America by Bill Bryson and it was a very interesting read. It's a history of the English language in America but doesn't just focus on the language but all the events that the American version of English reflects. For example, he devotes a chapter to advertising in America and the various words that generated. Also movies, the space age, sports and so on.

Read it and you'll learn the word turnpike comes from a British term for the device they used for collecting tolls on roads. It was a stake standing vertical in the road with arms that could be turned to block the road. You paid the toll and the toll collector then turned the stake so the arms moved out of the way. And the word for the stake was pike; hence, turnpike.

Written in 1994 so it's a bit outdated but still quite interesting.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

I've also been reading the Jeeves and Wooster short story omnibus, The World of Jeeves

High Wizardry was excellent, as expected. I'm still reading The World of Jeeves, a few stories a day.

Next I read the latest Analog, dated September 2015. An average to good issue, although I'm leaving the serial until all parts have been published.

After that was Blunt Instrument by Georgette Heyer. The murderer because obvious about half way through for me, and motive became obvious soon after. Still fun, but I prefer to be foxed.

And now I'm on Trail of Evil by Travis S Taylor. I'm not thrilled by this at the moment.

[LovesMacs]

It's been a while since I last updated things here. Let's see...

Finished War and Peace after a few months. Good read. I'll have to read it again in another translation, or learn Russian.

Started then dropped Montcalm and Wolfe by Francis Parkman. It's an old and well-regarded history of how France lost almost all of its territory in North America. Despite the acclaim this work has received, I couldn't stomach the anti-Catholic and anti-French bias of the book.

I read The Martians by Andy Weir in two days. It's not what I normally read but the book is very compelling and should make a great movie.

Now reading Gone with the Wind for the first time.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

And now I'm on Trail of Evil by Travis S Taylor. I'm not thrilled by this at the moment.

It got a bit better.

Next up: the latest Asimov's SF magazine.

[Hampshire Nanny]

Originally Posted by Hampshire Nanny

Finished Furious and was a bit piqued that it just stopped. The crew is all dressed up with somewhere to go, so I need to get my hands on the next book to see what unfolds.

So, I looked at my library and they didn't have any of Mike Shepherd's books. I requested that they add Kris Longknife: Defender to their collection, thinking it would be months and months before they did so. I was surprised to receive an e-mail less than two weeks later to let me know that it was on hold for me in the Overdrive application. Got it, read it, returned it. Loved it. Sad that there's only one more book remaining in the series (so far, I hope). I just requested it, hoping they'll respond as quickly.

Now reading Murder Simply Brewed, a cozy mystery by Vanetta Chapman.

[CRussel]

Great to have a library that is that responsive! I envy you. The BC Library has been under attack for years, and is basically only buying YA and younger books. Every once in a while they get a new book I might want to read, but not nearly as often as in the past.

[Dazrin]

Originally Posted by Dazrin

My library just let me know that To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis, the third installment in her Oxford time travel series after Fire Watch and Doomsday Book, was available, so I will be taking a short hiatus to read that before finishing At All Costs.

I really enjoyed both of those. I suspect I would have gotten more out of To Say Nothing of the Dog if I had read Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog) first, but it was good nonetheless. At All Costs was a little depressing but overall very good. I took a short break to read The Egg by Andy Weir a few days ago too.

I finished At All Costs yesterday afternoon and immediately was notified that Seveneves by Neal Stephenson was available at my library. Good timing! Then during my commute this morning they let me know that What If? by Randall Munroe is also available. So I did what any of us would have done and read What If? during my lunch break. I have already caught up on the questions on his site so it didn't take too long to finish this up. He has a couple fun lectures (1, 2) where he walks thru the elemental bricks question if you want to get a feel for it in a different medium.

[Rumpelteazer]

I'm currently reading Great North Road by Peter F. Hamilton. Normally I'm not one for sci-fi, but I love this one and the mystery is very intriguing. It's not a quick read for me (just 26% in) and with it being a 1000+ page book I occassionally take a break by reading a short story or novella to prevent myself from burning out.

[Apache]

Originally Posted by Hampshire Nanny

So, I looked at my library and they didn't have any of Mike Shepherd's books. I requested that they add Kris Longknife: Defender to their collection, thinking it would be months and months before they did so. I was surprised to receive an e-mail less than two weeks later to let me know that it was on hold for me in the Overdrive application. Got it, read it, returned it. Loved it. Sad that there's only one more book remaining in the series (so far, I hope). I just requested it, hoping they'll respond as quickly.

Now reading Murder Simply Brewed, a cozy mystery by Vanetta Chapman.

Have you read the two Vicky Peterwald books? If not I recommend them.
Apache

[artifact]

Originally Posted by Hampshire Nanny

So, I looked at my library and they didn't have any of Mike Shepherd's books. I requested that they add Kris Longknife: Defender to their collection, thinking it would be months and months before they did so. I was surprised to receive an e-mail less than two weeks later...

Originally Posted by CRussel

Great to have a library that is that responsive! I envy you. The BC Library has been under attack for years, and is basically only buying YA and younger books. Every once in a while they get a new book I might want to read, but not nearly as often as in the past.

I hadn't realized how very, very spoiled I am. My library gets the books the same -week- I request them as long as they are already in Overdrive. Tuesday is new book day. I've added 100+ books and they've only passed on 3 or 4 books.

[mewmartigan]

Read the Star Wars book Tarkin. It was an enjoyable book for some backstory on the character.

I then read Aurora by Kim Stanley Robinson. I am a big fan of Robinson's and the book doesn't disappoint but it sure did not head in the direction I thought it would.

Next up..... Anathem by Neal Stephenson.

[Dhevi]

Originally Posted by mewmartigan

Read the Star Wars book Tarkin. It was an enjoyable book for some backstory on the character.

I then read Aurora by Kim Stanley Robinson. I am a big fan of Robinson's and the book doesn't disappoint but it sure did not head in the direction I thought it would.

Next up..... Anathem by Neal Stephenson.

Tarkin, that's a book upcoming on my TBR list when I pop in and out of the Star Wars Universe. I hope it's a decent read like Darth Plagueis.

Just finished Death Troopers a few days back and it was about what I expected it to be. A thriller/zombie-esque story thrown into the Star Wars universe that really added nothing to it. I was hoping for more, but alas "this was not that MORE I was looking for".

[Hampshire Nanny]

Originally Posted by Apache

Have you read the two Vicky Peterwald books? If not I recommend them.
Apache

I haven't. I was planning on getting them, particularly since Vicky seemed to be turning into a more reasonable person, but then I read some reviews at Goodreads or Amazon. More than one reviewer commented on so much of the books being about her jumping in and out of beds. So I decided that I'd find out how explicit the books were before I spent any money on them. (Right now, none of my libraries have them.)

So, I'd like to hear your opinion. I don't mind reading *that* two people had sex, I just don't want to have to read about *how* they had sex -- if you get my drift.

[Hampshire Nanny]

Originally Posted by artifact

I hadn't realized how very, very spoiled I am. My library gets the books the same -week- I request them as long as they are already in Overdrive. Tuesday is new book day. I've added 100+ books and they've only passed on 3 or 4 books.

My library has been pretty responsive. Other recommendations haven't been fulfilled quite as quickly, though, which is why I commented on it. There are still 5 books that I've recommended that they haven't purchased. I've gotten no notice that they *won't* add them, it's just that they stay in the "recommended" category.

Yesterday, I added two more books to my recommendations. One is the final Kris Longknife book, and I hope that they get it quickly. Or maybe I don't. I'm hoping that the series isn't over after the twelfth book.