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

[Fbone]

Thanks. I didn't know there were pictures. I may have difficulties seeing them on a Kobo.

I'll give it some thought and decide when it goes on sale again.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Now onto another of Fred Saberhagen's Dracula series: A Question of Time

Which was OK, but ultimately unsatisfying. A disappointment.

Now onto: St Mungo's Robin by Pat McIntosh. The fourth in her Gil Cunningham series set in mediaeval Glasgow. Looking very good so far.

[orlok]

Originally Posted by orlok

I've nearly finished The Corpse Exhibition: And Other Stories of Iraq by Hassan Blasim. A disturbing glimpse into a very different world to the one I live in.

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

Please review that one when you do finish. It sounds interesting.

As I said in an earlier post, I'm finding it difficult to provide a review for this book. The stories themselves are a strange mix of relatively straightforward episodes in the life of an Iraqi having lived through the Gulf War, brutal and disturbing, and other stories rooted in fantasy and magic - slight spoiler for one story, though you find out about the central plot device almost immediately:

Spoiler:

For example, a group of people who can make knives disappear just by concentrating on them.

The brutality of some of the stories is almost matter-of-fact, perhaps because for people living through these events the violence has become almost normalised, and is quite shocking because of that. The stories are often bleak and offer little in the way of hope or redemption, again possibly a by-product of the author's experiences.

It's difficult to say how well translated the stories are, but the writing is rich in parts, and simplistic in others. They are no doubt riddled with metaphors, some of which I got, many of which I'm sure I missed.

Ultimately, I found most of the stories a little unsatisfying in terms of the way they were ended - often abruptly, and almost never with any kind of real conclusion (but that's probably just my bias for mystery and crime stories with a clear wrap-up of the story talking).

[covingtoncat73]

I think I am going to start Arcadia by Ian Pears.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Now onto: St Mungo's Robin by Pat McIntosh. The fourth in her Gil Cunningham series set in mediaeval Glasgow. Looking very good so far.

And very good it was too. Most enjoyable.

Next up: The Puppet Master by John Dalmas. Bought back in June 2008, and never read. Looking rather fun so far.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Next up: The Puppet Master by John Dalmas. Bought back in June 2008, and never read. Looking rather fun so far.

I enjoyed this one a lot.

[Dazrin]

Originally Posted by Dazrin

Next up: Calamity by Brandon Sanderson, the last book in the Reckoners series. Just released 2/16.

Good ending to the series and a fun ride. There could definitely be some interesting follow-up tales told but unfortunately it doesn't sound like he is planning anything right now.

Next up: TBD, I finished this faster than anticipated so haven't looked for something new yet.
Edit: Working on Brewing Storm by "Richard Castle", an introductory novella to the Derrick Storm series, although it sounds like it isn't a complete story in itself.

Spoiler:

Although I did recognize Nathan Fillion on the cover I don't watch Castle and didn't realize when starting this that these are written as tie-ins for the show and pretend to be by the character from the Castle TV show. Maybe this would be more amusing/interesting if I was interested in the show. I seriously doubt I will continue after this first installment and probably wouldn't finish this one if it wasn't so short.

First thoughts are that it could be and interesting storyline but the cliches and horrible names are a huge distraction. Some examples of the bad names/cliches: the lead FBI agent is "April Showers", the fiance of one guy is "Samantha Toppers" and is described multiple times as "top-heavy", Derrick Storm is trying to get April into bed before even meeting her, etc.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by Dazrin

Good ending to the series and a fun ride.

Indeed, there were several fascinating angles and twists that surprised me.

There could definitely be some interesting follow-up tales told but unfortunately it doesn't sound like he is planning anything right now.

That's all right. I am at least as eager for Elantris book 2 or Warbreaker book 2 as I am for more stories set in the world of the Reckoners.

I will wait for him to get around to further exploring the Reckoners, by passing the time reading his other books.

[Dngrsone]

Finished Brilliance by Marcus Sakey; good thriller. I recall only two major blunders, one kind of significant-- when using a 'burner' cell phone, why would you place a call from the home of a known associate, particularly when that associate is secretly working with you? Additionally, what criminal would willingly walk into a gun fight with only one gun, and no other weapons?

But if those two points are all I have to complain about then that's a damn good read.

At any rate, I have the next book in the series, which I will read after I finish Piers Anthony's Refugee: Volume 1 Bio of a Space Tyrant which is a messed up way to list a title... is the series Bio of a Space Tyrant or is is Refugee?

Anyhow, I haven't read much of Anthony's scifi, and I got it for nothing, so here I go, reading this.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Dngrsone

At any rate, I have the next book in the series, which I will read after I finish Piers Anthony's Refugee: Volume 1 Bio of a Space Tyrant which is a messed up way to list a title... is the series Bio of a Space Tyrant or is is Refugee?

Anyhow, I haven't read much of Anthony's scifi, and I got it for nothing, so here I go, reading this.

The series is "Bio of a Space Tyrant"; the book is "Refugee".

I abandoned it. It contains scenes that are distastefully close to paedophilia.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by HarryT

The series is "Bio of a Space Tyrant"; the book is "Refugee".

I abandoned it. It contains scenes that are distastefully close to paedophilia.

More than close to, I think. I started to re-read in 2012, and this is what I said then:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

I must admit that the sympathetic depiction of a paedophile in the first chapters worries me more than it did when I first read it (indeed, I'd forgotten it was there). Perhaps because I now know that this theme has appeared in some of his other books.

In fact, I think it now disturbs me enough that I think I'll abandon this and move on to other things, and write off a few items on my TBR list.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

More than close to, I think. I started to re-read in 2012, and this is what I said then:

I entirely share your views. Not my cup of tea at all. That's quite an eye-opener of an article you linked to - thanks for sharing it.

[eschwartz]

Piers Anthony's books pretty much always have some very... interesting (not really)... views on anything to do with male-female relationships. Across a representative variety of types of relationships.

The main character of his Xanth series married a girl who is sometimes beautiful and dumb, and sometimes smart and ugly.
Apparently the variety is a desirable thing, because no one wants to have sex with smart people.



This is supposedly suitable for children to read...

[Hampshire Nanny]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I entirely share your views. Not my cup of tea at all. That's quite an eye-opener of an article you linked to - thanks for sharing it.

It was indeed an interesting article. Even more interesting were the purchase links to Amazon at the end of the article for the two books cited in the article.

[Hampshire Nanny]

I'm currently reading Cress, the 3rd novel in Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles. Enjoying it every bit as much as the earlier books in the series. I borrowed the Kindle edition from the public library.

Still listening to The Glassblower by Petra Durst-Benning. This book was borrowed from Amazon's Kindle Unlimited, and it came with free audio from Audible. This is the first KU book that I've gotten the audio with -- I presume the audio book disappears from your Audible library when you return the Kindle book.