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

[gmw]

Here is some of what I've been reading since my last post on this thread...

The Man Who Killed His Brother by Stephen Donaldson (writing as Reed Stephens, the first of four in a series). I am a big fan of Donaldson's fantasy and sci-fi, but I am not a big fan of "hard-boiled" crime fiction - which is what this felt like to me. It was an okay read, say a 3/5. Nothing too surprising in it, but it was entertaining enough for me to see it through to the end. I'll probably only read the others in the series if they come out on special.


The Silent Wife by Kerry Fisher. This was a recommendation from Kobo. It's not something I'd normally choose, but it was cheap so I tried it out. I'd describe this as "Domestic" genre: telling a story of second wives coming into a strong family circle. Told in alternating first-person narratives, it makes a reasonable attempt at showing how differently situations appear from the inside versus the outside, but this is slightly spoiled by the fact that the two voices were too similar. I didn't find it boring but I do think it was too long for what was in it. For me personally I'd say 2/5, but if the genre is more your thing I'd suggest it might be worth a 3/5.


Then back to my catch up with Stephen Donaldson, I got two novellas in one e-book...

The King's Justice This was okay, say 3/5. The foreshadowing was heavy-handed, so little came as a surprise, but otherwise well told. It is fully self-contained but felt too short - too much just a piece of something much larger - to be really satisfying. There was a dark American wild-west feeling to the setting, and some aspects of horror, that made me think of Stephen King's The Gunslinger.

Augur's Gamit This one I liked very much, 4/5. A very distinctive first person narrative - one that fits Donaldson's eloquence very well. I might complain that there was little surprise (more heavy handed foreshadowing), but it fits better here. The richly described setting helped to keep the story contained without feeling small. A short but satisfying read.

[CharredScribe]

I just finished Marrow by Tarryn Fisher. Is is the only book I have read by this author, although I have a thriller trilogy she co-wrote with another author that I am keen to read. The odd thing is that judging by the cover of Fisher's other books (excluding the trilogy I mentioned), you would think she is writing steamy romance novels. And yet, Marrow is a deeply disturbing and grim piece of contemporary fiction about childhood, trauma, loneliness and coping strategies in a dysfunctional world. I loved it!

Not sure what my next read is but feeling the need to decompress after Marrow.

[haertig]

Finished Bloodline by James Rollins. Another fine book in his Sigma Force series. This guy just does not write any bad books.

Galilee, 1025. Infiltrating an ancient citadel, a Templar knight uncovers a holy treasure long hidden within the fortress's labyrinth: the Bachal Isu -- the staff of Jesus Christ -- a priceless icon that holds a mysterious and terrifying power that promises to change humankind forever.

A millennium later, Somali pirates hijack a yacht off the coast of the Horn of Africa, kidnapping a young pregnant American woman. Commander Gray Pierce is enlisted for a covert rescue mission into the African jungle. The woman is no rich tourist: she's Amanda Gant-Bennett, daughter of the U.S. president.

Suspicious that the kidnapping masks a far more nefarious plot, Gray must confront a shadowy cabal which has been manipulating events throughout history...and now challenges the current presidency.

For this unique mission, SIGMA is aided by a pair of special operatives with unique talents: former Army Ranger Captain Tucker Wayne and his military war dog, Kane. But what should be a straightforward rescue turns into a fiery ambush and a deadly act of betrayal, as Gray and his team discover that the hostage is a pawn in a shattering act of terrorism with dark repercussions. And the danger is only beginning...

Halfway around the world, a firebombing at a fertility clinic in South Carolina exposes a conspiracy that goes back centuries...a scheme that lies within our genetic code. With time against them, SIGMA must race to save an innocent unborn baby whose very existence raises questions about the nature of humanity, asking:

Could you live forever?

Would you live forever?

Just started Pulse by Jeremy Robinson. Another Action/Adventure author in the same vein as James Rollins and Matthew Reilly.

Imagine a world where soldiers regenerate and continue fighting without pause, where suicide bombers live to strike again and again. This is the dream of Richard Ridley, founder of Manifold Genetics, and he has just discovered the key to eternal life: an ancient artifact buried beneath a Greek-inscribed stone in the Peruvian desert.

When Manifold steals the artifact and abducts archeologist Dr. George Pierce, United States Special Forces Delta operator Jack Sigler, callsign King, and his “Chess Team” give chase. Formed under special order from the president, they are the best of America’s Special Forces, tasked with antiterrorism missions against any threat—ancient, modern, and at times, inhuman. With cutting-edge weapons, tough-as-nails tactics, and keen intellects, they stand alone on the brink, facing the world’s most dangerous threats.

Ridley’s plan to create unstoppable soldiers has just made him threat number one. Tension soars along with the body count as the team faces high-tech security forces, hordes of “regens’, and a resurrected mythological predator complete with regenerative abilities, seven heads, and a savage appetite. The Chess Team races to save Pierce, and stop Manifold before they change the face of genetics—and human history—forever.

Also finished a few short stories from The Science Fiction Hall of Fame Volume 1 ... Helen O'Loy, Microcosmic God, Twilight, The Weapon Shop, Nightfall. Just started First Contact from this same omnibus.

[Rev. Bob]

I hope to get started on my Seanan McGuire/Mira Grant backlog for my October reading. I just haven’t had the energy to get ’em processed and loaded.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Now a recent purchase: Caine's Mutiny by Charles E. Gannon. Fourth in a series.

It's growing on me. I'll keep an eye out for the next one.

Next up was F&SF Sep/Oct 2018 edited by C. C. Finlay. I really like the stories since they took over as editor.

After that I started on my recently bought Hornblower Omnibus, Lord Hornblower, which covers his later career by bringing together the last four books:

Flying Colours
The Commodore
Lord Hornblower
and Hornblower in the West Indies

Most enjoyable, although it would be nice to have a historical end note, like the ones in the Sharpe books by Bernard Cornwall.

[Dazrin]

After consuming the 1,500 pages of the Deed of Paksenarrion in 5 days, I am now splitting my time between 3 books and not making much progress on any of them:

• The House on the Strand - Daphne du Maurier - NLBC October 2018
• NOS4A2 - Joe Hill
• Wolverine: The Long Night - Marvel / Benjamin Percy - Podcast

I also just received Exit Strategy (Murderbot 4) by Martha Wells from my library and there is a long line waiting for it so I should probably finish it first so I can return it.

[CRussel]

You do realize, Dazrin, that you still have several thousand pages of Paks available. In case you run out of things to read. :P

Currently reading In Pieces, Sally Field's memoir. Interesting so far, we're up to the Flying Nun era. And, over all, positively horrifying.

[Dazrin]

As I understand it only the two Gird books were written around the same time as the first Paks books. The others weren't published for another 20ish years. I will try them eventually but given the gap, and my recent binge*, I'm not in a hurry.

*With the Vatta's War series I read 8 books and almost 3,500 pages from Elizabeth Moon in month.

[CRussel]

That's correct. She didn't start following up with Paks until Oath of Fealty in 2010.

One book completely out of the norm of the rest of her books is The Speed of Dark, a book that looks at autism and that I found quite compelling. I'm about ready to do a re-read.

[astrangerhere]

Originally Posted by CRussel

That's correct. She didn't start following up with Paks until Oath of Fealty in 2010.

One book completely out of the norm of the rest of her books is The Speed of Dark, a book that looks at autism and that I found quite compelling. I'm about ready to do a re-read.

Isn't Moon the woman who had a con invite rescinded because she said that Muslims as an immigrant population needed to learn how to live in a non-Muslim country if they wanted to stay?

(NOT trying to incite a P-R forum debate, just asking a question).

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by astrangerhere

Isn't Moon the woman who had a con invite rescinded because she said that Muslims as an immigrant population needed to learn how to live in a non-Muslim country if they wanted to stay?

(NOT trying to incite a P-R forum debate, just asking a question).

I know she was disinvited. I don't really know what it was all about, and I admit that I have studiously avoided trying to figure out why ANYONE in the SF world does anything with regard to Cons, Awards, or anything else. Because all to often even if I try I can't follow some of the reasoning. (See Hugo Awards in the last few years!) I avoid Orson Scott Card, and that's about the limit of my activism wrt SFF.

[mewmartigan]

Just finished Brent Weeks's Night Angel Trilogy. I thought it was quite good and I look forward to his next series once its closer to completion.

Now on to Uncompromising Honor by David Weber. I love the Honor Harrington books but the last 2 have been pushing it. Hopefully this moves the story forward in a big way.

[CRussel]

I read the eARC last spring. If the book were half the actual length, I would have liked it. At well over 800 pages, however, it suffered from some of the same problems others of his have. And yet, I keep buying them and reading them. Not sure what that says about me, but I suspect it's nothing I'm particularly pleased about.

[HLS]

I finished The President is Missing by James Patterson and Bill Clinton and loved it!! I also finished Texas Ranger by James Patterson now I am reading Ghost Story by Peter Straub and The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub

I normally read 3 books a month but the Talisman is over 800 pages and Ghost Story is rather slow of a story so I suspect it will take a lot longer to read

[HotblackDesiato]

I've settled into Iain M. Banks' Culture series, and I'm intending to go the long haul of all ten in the series straight through. Hopefully all on my Kindle, although at least one in the series is reported to have quality issues. Not sure what to do about that, but we'll see. I do still read some print books and will buy in that format rather than deal with typos or poor formatting.