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

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

I've decided to try to finish off my 2006 purchases, so it's The Two Faces of Tomorrow by James P Hogan.

I actually decided to read I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett, since I just bought it at a good price (£2.48). Wonderful, as expected.

But then I did go on to The Two Faces of Tomorrow

Which was terrible. Info dumps, and also elaborate explanations of the (to the characters) mundane daily events, like taking an automated cab. Just not fun at all.

I decided to immediately try his other book on my TBR list: Echoes of an Alien Sky It had the errors of the other one, plus his loony science. Sigh. I find it hard to remember what I ever saw in his books.

Next up: Something that I'll really enjoy. Liaden Universe Constellation 3 by Lee and Miller

[MickeyC]

Just finished A Peace to End All Peace by David Fromkin; a history of the fall of the Ottoman Empire and creation of the modern Middle East. If I had to describe, in one scentence, how the modern Middle East arrived at what it is today, based on this book, it would be "An elephant is a horse designed by a Government committee"

I highly recommend this book as reading it will help you understand the Middle East much better than you think you do.

[Dngrsone]

I took the break I promised, and read Salem Witch Judge: The Life and Repentance of Samuel Sewall by Eve LaPlante. Which concided a bit strangely with the next Honor Harrington book, Flag in Exile because of the religious angles...

[Rev. Bob]

I started Simon R. Green's 2014 "Ghost Finders" book last week, devouring the first third in one sitting. Unfortunately, I've been sick this week, and not the kind of sick that goes well with reading, so I've kind of stalled out there.

On the plus side, I picked up new copies of three DC animated movies - I had them on DVD, but wanted Blu-ray copies - that each came bundled with a graphic novel fitting the concept of the movie. I wasn't expecting much - tiny Blu-ray books that you need a magnifying glass to read - but I was very pleasantly surprised. These are good-quality, full-size hardbacks, with a spot inside the back cover for the two discs... and they come with not only a UV copy of the movie, but also a Comixology digital copy of the graphic novel. Not bad at all for $15! I'd read The Death of Superman when it came out - in fact, I worked at a comic shop and was tasked with delivering those issues to the other two branches on release day - but it's good to have a nice copy. I hadn't read the Wonder Woman: Gods and Mortals issues before - basically, her post-Crisis origin story - but it was a good read, and I'm looking forward to Batman: Black & White as well.

Of course, by then the next Ghost Finders book should be out...

[HarryT]

Two books recently completed:

"Pandora's Legions" by Christopher Anvil, bought from Baen in 2002. A mixture of military and comedic SF. After Earth is annexed by the benevolent Centran Empire, humans spread out throughout the Empire, with disastrous results for the Empire! Also contains interludes about the battles fought by a human "special forces" unit recruited by the Centrans to taggle situations they are unable to handle. Pretty good.

"The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest", by Stieg Larsson. The third and final book in the "Millennium" trilogy. An excellent end to the trilogy which nicely tied up most of the loose ends. Very highly recommended!

One thing one immediately notices when reading the Millennium trilogy is that the word "coffee" is used amazingly often - characters in the books are unable to take any action without making, buying, or drinking it, it appears. For interests sake I used the Kindle's search facility to find out how many times the word was used in the book I've just read: it appears 104 times .

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

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

I've been reading the short stories at lunchtimes, and very good they are too, in small doses, and nicely arranged in this collection in (as far as I can tell) internal chronological order.

I'm extremely pleased with this buy, a splendid bargain at £1.99, although now back to its usual price at Amazon of £7.59.

[Dngrsone]

Finished Flag in Exile. Now working on a collection of short stories which I haven't the name of right in front of me...

[DrNefario]

Just finished Death in the Clouds by Agatha Christie. Another Poirot, from 1935. I figured out that if I read a Christie every month, I still have about five years' worth to go, so I've been trying to manage at least that. Maybe I jumped the gun a bit collecting the whole set.

Before that I finished The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson, middle book in the Mistborn trilogy. I liked it a lot. I'd put it off for about 18 months, since I was pretty happy with the first book as it stood, but I think I'll now try to round off the trilogy before the end of the year.

Next up I think I'm going to read Hospital Station by James White, the first book in the Sector General series, a bit of old-school SF. This is a used paperback, since it doesn't appear to be available (here?) as an ebook. I also picked up the second book, Star Surgeon, at the same time.

[issybird]

One of my themes for this year is New York and pursuant thereto I recently finished The Island at the Center of the World, by Russell Shorto. His thesis is that Dutch influence determined the course of New York and ultimately the United States. The earlier part about the political infighting in New Amsterdam is fascinating; he's somewhat less penetrating about geopolitics at the time of the English takeover. Still a provocative and entertaining read.

Currently, I'm reading Low Life, by Luc Sante, subtitled "Lures and Snares of Old New York," about entertainment and culture of the poorest areas in the 19th century until the Great War. Fascinating; I just wish it were available as an ebook as the type face is hard on my eyes.

I'm also listening to The Power Broker, Robert Caro's magisterial biography of Robert Moses, the man who shaped modern New York. So far, it's every bit as good as its reputation, which is saying a lot. At over a thousand pages, this will be a long listen.

[HomeInMyShoes]

Originally Posted by issybird

I'm also listening to The Power Broker, Robert Caro's magisterial biography of Robert Moses, the man who shaped modern New York. So far, it's every bit as good as its reputation, which is saying a lot. At over a thousand pages, this will be a long listen.

Anthony Flint's Wrestling with Moses might be of interest to you when you finish with the Caro. I've been tempted to read the The Power Broker but length and time are keeping me at bay. It apparently glosses over some of Moses' failures and this one outlines one of them.

Maybe I'll get to the larger biography soon.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by HomeInMyShoes

Anthony Flint's Wrestling with Moses might be of interest to you when you finish with the Caro. I've been tempted to read the The Power Broker but length and time are keeping me at bay. It apparently glosses over some of Moses' failures and this one outlines one of them.

Thanks for the suggestion. Duly noted and the local university library has it, so I'm golden. I think I'll need a bit of break from Mr. Moses first, however.

In fact, this is of particular interest to me as I was growing up in the NYC burbs when the event described took place and I remember the basic issues (and Moses's crumbling reputation), although the details would have been way over my head and interest. I find I don't always agree with Jacobs either, however, although I'm far from an urban planner, so my mind could change.

[HomeInMyShoes]

If you haven't maybe you should read The Death and Life of Great American Cities?

It's a very accessible book that has stood the test of time. I'm also partial to Kevin Lynch's The Image of the City. Read the first half before the case studies. It's a great book on how navigability and context can drive city form.

What can I say, I'm an architecture / planner dropout.

My library doesn't have The Power Broker. That's disappointing. I can always request it through inter-library, but renewals aren't as easy and it might take a while to get through 1,300 pages.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by HomeInMyShoes

If you haven't maybe you should read The Death and Life of Great American Cities? .

I've read it, although a very long time ago. It was her A Question of Separatism that made me think she didn't walk on water. IIRC, (again, a long time ago), I thought her analysis was flawed and occasionally just wrong-headed. I have no idea at all how the book would hold up today.

ETA: While my library has Power Broker, I thought it was a lot to tote and it's not available as an ebook.
A heck of a lot of listening for one Audible credit, however! I may look to see if it has pictures, in which case it would be worth checking out.

[HomeInMyShoes]

No one walks on water. For the most part the theories still hold reasonably well, although some of her theories in practice just show what most humans suffer from, an inability to actually grasp how complex things really are. If history has shown me one thing is that no matter how much humans think they know about something, we are really just seeing the tip of the iceberg in most cases.

[Fbone]

Originally Posted by Fbone

Next a change of pace. The Judas Window by John Dickson Carr purchased way back in 2013.

Enjoyed this even though I guessed who did it. I'm getting better at figuring out these locked room crimes! This book was an OCR scan that created a few comical errors, lover instead of over. Rated C [3 stars].

Next read TBD.