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

[nana77]

Originally Posted by nana77

Now on 1Q84, by Haruki Murakami.

Which is, again, fantastic: yet have to read the book 3.
The characters are fabulously well written, the story fascinating, the translation (italian) seems so flowing, from the japanese.
Quite ruined it by watching the trailer: "1Q84: A Documentary", as the figures I'd imagined to myself are quite more appealing lol.

In the meantime I've read "The Sword of Rhiannon", (Brackett) a clean and poetic space opera. It would be nice to check "Sea-Kings of Mars":

The novel was first published in the June 1949 issue of Thrilling Wonder Stories as "Sea-Kings of Mars". Its first book publication was in the early Ace Double D-36 with Conan the Conqueror by Robert E. Howard.

which is, if I'd understood, its first, shortened published version.

And ‘imagination’ is quite the word: whatever Brackett learned from Edgar Rice Burroughs, she transformed, making the micro-genre of the planetary romance her own.

Now on hers "The Long Tomorrow", which will be followed by "The Secret of Sinharat" and "People of the Talisman".

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by nana77

Which is, again, fantastic: yet have to read the book 3.
The characters are fabulously well written, the story fascinating, the translation (italian) seems so flowing, from the japanese.
Quite ruined it by watching the trailer: "1Q84: A Documentary", as the figures I'd imagined to myself are quite more appealing lol.

In the meantime I've read "The Sword of Rhiannon", (Brackett) a clean and poetic space opera. It would be nice to check "Sea-Kings of Mars":

which is, if I'd understood, its first, shortened published version.

Now on hers "The Long Tomorrow", which will be followed by "The Secret of Sinharat" and "People of the Talisman".

You're doing GREAT!

[nana77]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

You're doing GREAT!

Thanks, really .
I've tried to see how much those series valued on those years, or how much the person whom bought them did paid, as the printed price is about 4000/5000 lire (on 1975): if a beer would have been around 250 lire that collection was like 35/38 euros per volume (the entire sf classic collection is like 74 volumes, and the "Slan!" sf also other 74 ones). The person that bought those almost collected a pirates' treasure (also discovered that the public library had two donations of SF: one within 3500 volumes and another of 1500).
The curiosity brought me to check, once and then, the second hand bundles because there are interesting things in there!
Thanks again .
Edit: just to explain, an editor, today, wouldn't put out a serie in paperback, monlty, on that manner, it won't keep up: that was the very golden age, within translations from 1938 to 1975 coming out, at once.
So yeah, I can't being not fascinated by it (for free lol).

[Rumpelteazer]

I recently finished A Box Full of Darkness by Simone St. James. A ghost and mystery story. Three siblings grow up in a neglected household when their younger brother is born. Just after his sixth birthday he disappears without a trace. Years later the sibling are living their own troubled lives but are called back when a landscaper sees their brother who wants them to return and solve his disappearance.

Not an all out horror novel, but a creepy, slow burning, psychological story. It's the second book by St. James and I gave both four stars. I have a third book of her in my collections which I now want to read soonish.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

A good near-future space SF. Although the premise is ridiculous.

Next up: The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood. I've enjoyed the recent TV adaption. Let's see if I like the books more or less.

I whooshed through the first three books. Great fun.

Next I started The Honourable Schoolboy by John le Carré. I abandoned about 1/3 in. I just couldn't care about the characters or the situations or anything. Looking back, I only gave the previous two books 2/5, so It's time to abandon the series. Discarded Smiley's People and The Secret Pilgrim

And then I read a recent purchase, The Demon Overlord's Retirement Plan. Great fun.

Next up: Dragongirl by Todd McCaffrey. Another recent purchase.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Next up: Dragongirl by Todd McCaffrey. Another recent purchase.

Which was OK

Next up was Dark Horse by Felix Francis. Which was very readable.

Then I tried The Wizards and the Warriors by Hugh Cook, a recent freebie. I abandoned after 30%. I found the characters unbelievable, especially the behaviour of the several-thousand-year-old wizard. And I just wasn't keen to read it.

Now reading: No Reserve by Felix Francis. Another horse racing related thriller. Always good fun.

[Greg Anos]

Reading and proofing some of Crutledge's early pulp collections. Working on Emile C. Tepperman right now.

[astrangerhere]

Originally Posted by astrangerhere

• Audio - Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer (390 pages)
• Kobo - The Books of Earthsea, complete illustrated edition, by Ursula K. Le Guin (1008 pages)
• Paper - The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, revised and expanded edition, edited by Humphrey Carpenter and Christopher Tolkien (720 pages).

I have found the Tolkien best taken in small doses - a year or so at a time in the correspondence is enough to entertain. More than that, and he becomes annoying.

I FINALLY finished the Tolkien letters! He got markedly more grumpy and complaining the longer the letters went on. I'm taking just as long with Earthsea, but that is because I'm reading it with my wife, so we're going at her pace.

Currently:

• Kobo - The Books of Earthsea, complete illustrated edition, by Ursula K. Le Guin
• Paper - The Professor's House by Willa Cather - I'd not read this one and am LOVING it
• Paper - A Little History of Philosophy by Nigel Warburton
• Audio - Lady Susan by Jane Austen

[drofgnal]

Still in War and Peace. Napoleon has crossed over into Russia. I'm about 65% through. I've been a bit slow in my reading, but I will be picking up the pace now. Up next? No clue. Maybe a return to the Old Man's War series.

[Renate]

I'm starting in on Anthony Trollope.
"The Warden" is interesting, but I'm hoping that "Barchester Towers" picks up the pace.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Now reading: No Reserve by Felix Francis. Another horse racing related thriller. Always good fun.

And it was.

Then I read Bones at the Manor House by Emma Jameson. More fun in early WWII English countryside.

And I followed it up with Enquiry by Dick Francis. I enjoyed the re-read.

Now I'm reading The Killing Time by Elly Griffiths. The second in her Ali Dawson time-travel series. I've really liked her other books, but I don't think I'll continue this series once I finish this book. There's just no logic to any of it. Which might the the point of something involving time travel. This book'll have to have a seriously good last 12% to change my mind on the series.

[Tarana]

Recently finished Silent Tide by Alex Scarrow. This is the first book in his DCI Boyd series. Loved it and look forward to more books in his series. I originally picked this up as a freebie a couple of years ago and was inspired to read as I'm very much enjoying his brother's (Simon Scarrow) historical fiction.

Currently reading Apt Pupil by Stephen King. Creepy creepy, exactly like you would expect from King.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by Renate

I'm starting in on Anthony Trollope.
"The Warden" is interesting, but I'm hoping that "Barchester Towers" picks up the pace.

Barchester Towers is terrific.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Currently listening to Dr. No by Percival Everett. The narrator (Amir Abdullah) is really nailing this reading for me.

Good, but not great. Sort of a twisted, esoteric James Bond thriller with a lot of "being and nothingness" thrown in. There was some very specific and obscure TV trivia humor that resonated with me, but I imagine that might only register with a very narrow age group. I laughed out loud several times.

As much as I loved Amir Abdullah's narration of Dr. No, I am hating the narrator of Suzanne Collins' Sunrise on the Reaping. I've not even looked up the name. Just a really, grating quality to the voice. At least the book is going very quickly.

[nana77]

May I ask? Do you listen to audiobooks while doing other chores too? (Or also: do you use audiobooks so you can do it while doing other chores?)
I've never tried audiobooks, I guess it's not my thing, also while reading I can't even listen or have music playing on the background, and though even when there were some readings on radio episodes, hearing that while doing other things made me always miss something.