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

[Dr. Drib]

Half-way through Another Kingdom, by Andrew Klavan.

The novel is a compulsively readable fantasy. So far, very highly recommended.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Next up: The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club by Dorothy L. Sayers. The fifth in her Lord Peter Wimsey series, which I picked up back in December 2013

A splendid mystery. And some nice insights into Lord Peter's character too. Most enjoyable.

Next up: The Looking Glass War by John le Carré. The fourth in his George Smiley series.

[LDB]

I'm reading Murder At The Filmore by Zelda White. I am enjoying it so far.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Next up: The Looking Glass War by John le Carré. The fourth in his George Smiley series.

Which only features Smiley as a minor character. Very disappointing. I didn't beleive in the characters, the dialog or the relationships. I'm a bit surprised I finished it, really.

Next up: Blood Feuds by Jerry Pournelle et al. Short stories in a common setting turned into a novel. Sixth in the "War World" series, but it looks like a reasonable starting point, as previous volumes are just short stories, some of which are included here. (It's also the first one in the series I have, as I got it way back in October 2008 in a Baen Books bundle.)

[Fbone]

Originally Posted by Fbone

Now I started Evil Spy School by Stuart Gibbs.

Very good addition to the series. The near-ending was surprisingly brutal but it explains a few things that seemed out of place. I should stop doubting the author. He does this to me in each book. Rated B [4 stars].

Next, another freebie, The Ember War by Richard Fox.

[ReadingManiac]

I finally started the last book of the Dragon Treasure series by Guy Donovan. Flying through it. I seem to have got very invested in the characters.

[astrangerhere]

Originally Posted by astrangerhere

horse now:

• Listening to Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner (never listened to Mark Bramall before, but he is perfect for this title)
• Reading The Turmoil (first in the Growth Trilogy) by Booth Tarkington on my ereader.

I finished Angle of Repose, but barely. I really loved the start of the book, and I loved the idea. But at the end of the day, it was a man telling a woman's story - and a story in which she ended up being made into the "bad guy" for a tragedy. I feel like the narrator never took his male character to task for his life of failure that put her in that situation, but maybe that was the point. I certainly don't think it would win the Pulitzer now, but I'm glad I read it.

I'm still working my way through Tarkington and enjoying it quite a bit. The casual racism is really jarring. It is interesting to wrestle with that in otherwise likeable characters. Also a very interesting view on how it permeated the society which Tarkington is writing about.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Next up: Blood Feuds by Jerry Pournelle et al. Short stories in a common setting turned into a novel. Sixth in the "War World" series, but it looks like a reasonable starting point, as previous volumes are just short stories, some of which are included here. (It's also the first one in the series I have, as I got it way back in October 2008 in a Baen Books bundle.)

It was OK. It reads OK as half a novel. I assume the story completes in the next one. OK Mil SF. A bit weird with the naming, and a bit of old tales re-enacted, but OK.

But not good enough to make me go directly on to the next one. Instead, a random pick:

Nemesis by Agatha Christie. Her 72nd book, first published in 1971, that I picked up at a Fictionwise sale way back in February 2010.

[drofgnal]

I'm currently reading The Last Green Valley by Mark Sullivan. It's outstanding and a worthy successor to Beneath a Scarlett Sky.

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by poohbear_nc

Can't wait to hear what you thought of it.
A completely unique voice -- an updated Frank O'Hara to my ear.

I thought it had its moments, but overall it didn't speak to me as strongly as it did to you and others. A lot of people like it, though: It garnered 4¼ stars on Goodreads.

[poohbear_nc]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

I thought it had its moments, but overall it didn't speak to me as strongly as it did too you and others. A lot of people like it, though: It garnered 4¼ stars on Goodreads.

I was quite impressed with the wordplay/puns, etc. Just caught my ear and brain.

[gmw]

So I just finished the five books of the Underland Chronicles fantasy series by Suzanne Collins. Unlike her more famous Hunger Games series, these earlier books are for younger, middle-grade readers with our heroic protagonists being 11 and 12 year olds doing stuff no 11 or 12 year old should be able to get away with.

The five books are:
Gregor the Overlander,
Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane,
Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods,
Gregor and the Marks of Secret,
Gregor and the Code of Claw.

And they were all great fun. Relatively short and easy reads. Lots of action and adventure, with our 11yo Gregor playing hero in an underground world far beneath New York (riding on giant bats, befriended by giant cockroachs, fighting giant rats). BUT he has to take his 2yo sister along with him! And in the third book his mother goes down too. I really liked this mix of fantasy with reality, all wrapped in wholesome doses of morality without feeling excessively preachy. Some great characters and entertaining plots.

The series needs to be read in order, but the first three are otherwise complete stories. The fourth and fifth book are really a single tale. The last book offers an excellent conclusion that actually surprised me for the way it chose to close off. An easy 4/5 for the lot, and tempted to go 5/5 for the last one.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Nemesis by Agatha Christie. Her 72nd book, first published in 1971, that I picked up at a Fictionwise sale way back in February 2010.

Which was excellent. Very good indeed.

Next up: A random pick from my TBR pile: Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterton

[ReadingManiac]

Originally Posted by ReadingManiac

I finally started the last book of the Dragon Treasure series by Guy Donovan. Flying through it. I seem to have got very invested in the characters.

Absolutely rivetted on this at present. If you like a bit of dragon Fantasy, I definitely recommend it!

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Next up: A random pick from my TBR pile: Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterton

Which was OK. Some good lines, and an interesting tale, in a horrified sort of way. But not really my kind of thing. 3/5 for me.

Next up: Talon of the Silver Hawk by Raymond E. Feist. I got this way back in October 2008 from Fictionwise for a ridiculously large sum for me - £4.30! Well, it is £6.99 now at Amazon, so I don't feel too ridiculous about it.

The 19th in his Riftwar Cycle, and the first of the trilogy "Conclave of Shadows".