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

[PurpleStar]

I just finished Love in Catalina Cove by Brenda Jackson. Predictable, but entertaining. Brenda Jackson writes good romance!

Next up is Star Trek: Crossroad by Barbara Hambly which I just bought for 99 cents. Not sure if I ever read this one or not. If I did it was before I started keeping track on Goodreads.

[ZGottlieb]

I'm currently reading The Gates of Golorath Chaos of Souls by R. Garino.

An Epic Fantasy to keep you in the book for a month or so.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...api_tkin_p1_i0

[Dngrsone]

Finished The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi.

I think I may read Darkly Dreaming Dexter next.

[CRussel]

Just finished the latest Liaden Constellation (#4) in eARC format. Overall, not up to earlier volumes, IMNSHO. Good, but at least one story that did not interest me at all, and that's very rare with Lee&Miller. Of course, several I had already read from one place or another, that's to be expected.

Currently reading The Mystery of Edwin Drood for the New Leaf Book Club, and re-reading Mercedes Lackey's Oathbound, mostly in audio format.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Still reading the Asimov's, but also reading a new purchase, The Real James Herriot, a biography of Alf Wight (whose nom-de-plume was James Herriot) by his son, Jim Wight.

I've finished the Asimov's, which was the usual mix of good stories, and also has numerous tributes to Gardner Dozois, the previous editor who died recently.

I've also started and finished Grantville Gazette #82, which along with the usual fun Grantville stores has two excellent SF stories in the 'annex'.

Next up: I'm still reading the James Herriot, but I'll probably also start the latest Analog SF.

[Dngrsone]

Finished Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay. Enjoyed it, whiat little I saw of theseries seemed to adhere to the book pretty well.

Now reading I'm Just a Person by Tig Notaro.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Next up: I'm still reading the James Herriot, but I'll probably also start the latest Analog SF.

I did start the Analog. And I've also started The Man in the Queue by Josephine Tey.

[Dngrsone]

Finished listening to The Ship Who Won by Anne McCaffrey and Jodie Lynn Nye. A short book, but Dngrswife and I have been listening to smaller audiobooks for our regular trips to the old house.

[gmw]

The Deeds of the Disturber by Elizabeth Peters (Barbara Mertz). For the first time we have Amelia Peabody investigating a murder in London, but it was otherwise fairly standard fare for an Amelia mystery. Entertaining but not great. 3/5.

The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Charles Dickens. Read what there is of this for the New Leaf Book Club discussion starting soon. (Edit: Thanks HarryT for the very nice edition in the library here on MR.)

The Psychology of Time Travel by Kate Mascarenhas. I thought this was quite an original take on time travel and very well executed. It moves along at a fairly good pace and keeps things interesting. The book has a predominately female cast, including most of the love interests, and in various places through the text the assumptions are all female - which stood out, I suppose, because usually such assumptions (where stated) tend to be male. None of that detracted from the story but it was noticeably unusual compared to most other Sci-Fi I've read. I think the last half probably could have been tighter, but I overall enjoyed this very much: 4/5.

[astrangerhere]

Listening to The Mystery of Edwin Drood from the Librivox audio. This is my third time reading Drood, so the audio is a nice refresher.

Reading (and should finish today) In Black and White: A Novel by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki. This is a recent translation of one of Tanizaki's earliest works. He wrote it serialized for the newspaper.

Which makes me realize, I am reading two serialized novels at once.

[Dngrsone]

Finished I'm Just a Person by Tig Notaro. Now on to The Shambling Guide to New York City by Mur Lafferty; already a third of the way in.

[Dngrsone]

Finished listening to Ender's Game. Still like Speaker better, though Ender it pretty good.

If it's on my car, the I will probably start listening to The Girl Who Kicked a Hornet's Nest next. If not, I may dive straight into A Game of Thrones

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Next up: I'm still reading the James Herriot, but I'll probably also start the latest Analog SF.

Originally Posted by pdurrant

I did start the Analog. And I've also started The Man in the Queue by Josephine Tey.

And I've finished The Man in the Queue. There's some quite astonishing language in the first few chapters to modern eyes. But putting that to one side, it was a very good story, if not as good as a later book in the series that I've read already. 4/5.

Now back to Analog and James Herriot.

[gmw]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

And I've finished The Man in the Queue. There's some quite astonishing language in the first few chapters to modern eyes. But putting that to one side, it was a very good story, if not as good as a later book in the series that I've read already. 4/5. [...]

I've been waiting to see what you made of it. You may have noticed I recently listed this as did-not-finish. I think the biggest reason was that I found Grant and his boss instantly dislikeable. I guess the language was part of that, but I think most of it was what I felt the writing was overly self-conscious. Anyway, I was interested to see your reaction.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by gmw

I've been waiting to see what you made of it. You may have noticed I recently listed this as did-not-finish. I think the biggest reason was that I found Grant and his boss instantly dislikeable. I guess the language was part of that, but I think most of it was what I felt the writing was overly self-conscious. Anyway, I was interested to see your reaction.

It's certainly not her best work, and is her first or second published novel.
There's clearly a problem of racist language and attitudes in the first part of the book, which resurfaces in a different form in the Scottish part. Probably completely unremarkable at the time, which I suppose shows how things have improved.

I quite like the way Inspector Grant is puzzled by the case. And there are some signs of the good writing to come. (I especially liked the Princess and the Pea analogy.)