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

[Pajamaman]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I picked up Leo Perutz' By Night Under the Stone Bridge on a whim, basically, and ended up really enjoying it. It's a series of tales set in O!d Prague (before the Thirty Years' War) that link together to form a slightly metaphysical and non-linear whole.

If you're interested in the 1948 war in Palestine/Israel, 1948 by Yoram Kaniuk is an autobiography and his first hand history of the war. It's maybe Kaniuk's greatest work; that and Confessions of a Good Arab.

[gmw]

Free-Wrench by Joseph R. Lallo. A short steam punk novel. Parts of the plot were pretty flimsy and unconvincing, there mostly as an excuse for the action, but the action was fun. The characters are unsurprising but amusing and fit the story well. The ebook is free and I was entertained, so I can't complain too much. 3/5.

[gmw]

The Girl in the Ice by Robert Bryndza. This was a compelling read. Nothing too out of the ordinary for a police procedural murder mystery thriller, but it was very well done. Tightly plotted, interesting characters with enough conflict to add some spice, and a good mystery all packaged in a fast moving story that never lets up. Our hero, DCI Erika Foster, is likeable enough without being too over the top. So I'm looking forward to trying more of these. A strong 4/5.

[Uncle Robin]

Currently reading A Match Made For Murder, book 7 in the Lane Winslow Series by Iona Whishaw. I've had book 1, A Killer in King's Cove for a couple of years, and tbh was put off by its almost self-published looking cover. Proving the old adage literally true. I started book 1 on Saturday and it was so good I worked my way through the rest by Monday, used my Kobo Super Points to get book 7 which I'm reading now and am waiting to see if book 8, which went live on Amazon yesterday, shows up on my Kobo store soon. Six books finished in the series, all have been 4/5 or 4.25/5 for me at The StoryGraph

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by Uncle Robin

Currently reading A Match Made For Murder, book 7 in the Lane Winslow Series by Iona Whishaw. I've had book 1, A Killer in King's Cove for a couple of years, and tbh was put off by its almost self-published looking cover. Proving the old adage literally true. I started book 1 on Saturday and it was so good I worked my way through the rest by Monday, used my Kobo Super Points to get book 7 which I'm reading now and am waiting to see if book 8, which went live on Amazon yesterday, shows up on my Kobo store soon. Six books finished in the series, all have been 4/5 or 4.25/5 for me at The StoryGraph

Yes, I quite enjoy these books. Better than I expected. But thanks for the heads up about the new one - I hadn't seen that it was out.

[Uncle Robin]

4.25/5 for Australian Poetry Since 1788 Nearly 1100 pages, it was a shame to have rush though it in the time allowed by my interlibrary loan, but I still got a lot out of it, including several names to look out for. There was a comment in the intro to one of the last poets included that I found quite a sad commentary on the apparent state of poetry:

He is not afraid to tackle uplifting subjects

That a poet being "unafraid" of "uplifting subjects" was considered noteworthy seems to speak volumes about the fashion in poetry, at least at the time of publication in 2011

[astrangerhere]

Since my last post, I've finished:

• Ammonite by Nicola Griffith
• Whose Body by Dorothy L. Sayers
• Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L. Sayers

I'm in my quarterly supervisory paperwork roundup at work, so I have time for some good easy-listening audiobooks. I have all of Wimsey and am working my way through it for fun.

I am currently reading:

• Unnatural Death by Dorothy L. Sayers
• Daniel Deronda by George Elliot for the Classics Salon

[Luffy]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

It was OK. An experiment with having only Mundane science fiction. I definitely prefer long-form.

Next up: Daniel Deronda by George Eliot. For the Classics Book Club. This is certainly long-form, weighing in at around 800 pages! (Pages calculated with calibre).

I downloaded the mobileread version. I would have read it parallelly to you, but I wouldn't be able to keep up. Both in terms of speed and commitment.

[gmw]

The Night Stalker by Robert Bryndza. Second of the DCI Erika Foster novels. It was as tightly written as the first but with less mystery (the identity of the killer is revealed fairly early). Despite that, there is still plenty going on to make this a compelling read, so while I didn't find it quite as good as the first I'm still going to give it a 4/5.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by Luffy

I downloaded the mobileread version. I would have read it parallelly to you, but I wouldn't be able to keep up. Both in terms of speed and commitment.

We're only officially starting to read on May 15, and the read and discussion periods go in parallel. So you've got 3 months to read and discuss. I've been going with the Audible version, read by Nadia May, and that's looking promising. I'm only a few chapters into it, but I'll likely be done by the end of the month.

[Luffy]

Originally Posted by CRussel

We're only officially starting to read on May 15, and the read and discussion periods go in parallel. So you've got 3 months to read and discuss. I've been going with the Audible version, read by Nadia May, and that's looking promising. I'm only a few chapters into it, but I'll likely be done by the end of the month.

Forgive my ignorance, but who is 'We' in We're only officially'. Btw I've bought my first Liaden book. Will read it soon. EDIT : Just read issybird's initiative.

[Colonel Cathcart]

I'm in a dystopian state of mind, it seems. Maybe it's the Corona virus? Can't tell. I'm finishing reading Cormac McCarthy's The Road. Before that I read Margaret Atwood's The Testaments. Next on my reading list is Philip Roth's The Plot Against America.

[Uncle Robin]

Lies That Comfort and Betray by Rosemary Simpson. The second in her Gilded Age Mystery series, I really enjoyed the first, so after a pleasingly rapid DNF of 2 books in a row, I'm back to her series for what I hope will be the 4th book I finish in May.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by Luffy

Forgive my ignorance, but who is 'We' in We're only officially'. Btw I've bought my first Liaden book. Will read it soon. EDIT : Just read issybird's initiative.

"We" being those of us who have decided to read the first book issybird has picked, Daniel Derona.

[Fbone]

Originally Posted by Fbone

Next, freebie, The Gun Seller by Hugh Laurie.

It's clear Laurie has talent and he knows and observes many things and has an opinion about every one. Book was witty in a deadpan delivery. However, the snarkiness was high and trying to be clever with each sentence grates after awhile. Enjoyable overall. Rated C [3 stars].

Next, my only purchase this year, Armor by John Steakley.