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

[WT Sharpe]

This week I finished Boston Blackie by Jack Boyle. Published in 1919 as a consolidation of earlier short stories; it was the only book about Boston Blackie ever written by his creator and people familiar with the movies, radio series, and 50s TV show will be surprised to see the liberties taken with the character by later incarnations. Folks looking for the witty repartee between Blackie and Inspector Faraday will be disappointed; there is no Inspector Faraday in the book. Folks looking for the cavorting lady's man will also be let down; he's very happily and faithfully married to Mary. But those who are looking for an interesting book about a good-hearted jewel thief who lives outside the law by his own moral code will be fascinated.

Thumbs up.

[pilotbob]

I finished Pride and Prejudice and will probably read Emma some time soon.

However, I am currently reading _Out of the Deep I Cry_ by Julia Spencer-Fleming. I was introduced to this author when the first two Clair Furgusson/Russ van Alstyne novel were free. I always planned to get back to them.

I guess you would call them "Cozy Mysteries"... her web site describes them as "Novels of Faith and Murder for Readers of Literary Suspense". The main characters are an ex-army pilot, Episcopalian Priest Clair Furgusson and Russ van Alstyne the sherif. They are set in a small town in upstate New York called "Millers Kill".

I also bought _The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo_ at the same time. It seems some love them and some hate them... we'll see.

I also will try to fit the MRBC Mystery/Crime selection in during the next month. Sees like I'm on the Mystery/Suspense genre for the next 3 books.

BOb

[guyanonymous]

I'm trudging through Eric Van Lustbader's latest Jason Bourne book, "The Bourne Objective". I say trudging because it, like the last one in the series, really fails to capture the character Robert Ludlum originally created. The additional repeating characters (particularly the females) aren't that interesting, and overall I find the pacing of the book dull, and the story-line weak. It feels formulaic and just 'more of the same'. I wish they'd let it die (and I'd stopped reading) after the original Ludlum books.

This series, like the last few in the Scott Harvath (Brad Thor) series have left me disappointed, and unlikely to return.

I'll stick this novel out to feel a sense of 'completion'...but not for much else.

[kainne]

Just finished The Tomb & enjoyed it. Thanks for the recommendations. Also read The Sheepfarmers Daughter. I enjoyed this book enough that I am going to read the rest of the series eventually. About halfway through Way of the Shadows By Brent Weeks right now & it is very good.

[thinkpad]

Originally Posted by kainne

Also read The Sheepfarmers Daughter. I enjoyed this book enough that I am going to read the rest of the series eventually.

The story picks up speed in book 2 and 3, I enjoyed book 1 but it's not complete without reading the other two. I'm currently reading The Legacy of Gird, where the story of Gird is told. The book is related but not connected to the Paks series.

[MacEachaidh]

Originally Posted by guyanonymous

I'm trudging through Eric Van Lustbader's latest Jason Bourne book, "The Bourne Objective". I say trudging because it, like the last one in the series, really fails to capture the character Robert Ludlum originally created.

Thanks for the comments, guyanonymous. I had a suspicion that might be so, and so haven't read past the ones Ludlum wrote.

By nature I tend to be a bit of a completist, but I'm (slowly!) learning not to be, because inspiration is often hard for an author to maintain, series tend to take a nosedive, and then i end up thinking less of the series overall than I originally did of the titles that made me want to keep reading.

Of course, that leaves me with the dilemma of how to know which titles are worth picking up, and which ones to let lie. And it's also left me with a belief - as with movie sequels - that if there isn't a story absolutely hammering at the writer to be told, a near-necessity for a sequel to exist, then things should be left well enough alone.

[Ea]

Originally Posted by Latinandgreek

I just started reading "Runemarks", which I had seen recommended on this thread a few weeks ago. So far, it's great! Thanks, Ea!

Hope you enjoy the rest of it But I think you will, if you like it so far.

Originally Posted by MacEachaidh

Of course, that leaves me with the dilemma of how to know which titles are worth picking up, and which ones to let lie. And it's also left me with a belief - as with movie sequels - that if there isn't a story absolutely hammering at the writer to be told, a near-necessity for a sequel to exist, then things should be left well enough alone.

Practise, practise, practise... read, read, read
You make a very good point about sequels here, too.

[DixieGal]

Originally Posted by DixieGal

Finished Witches Abroad and that is 3 Discworld books in 2 weeks. I would like to start back and re-read them, but they were lost on my stolen laptop, except for the ones after Eric. I surely do not want to re-purchase them. Sigh.

I found a copy of The Color of Magic on a flash drive. It looks nasty, with every sentence a paragraph of it's own. But I am reading it and enjoying it anyway. I had forgotten much of it.

[rlparker]

My Kindle (K1) locked up a couple of times while trying to read White Seed. Too bad, because I was getting interested in the story, but I hate having to reboot my Kindle and with so many other books on my TBR list, I put it aside until a newer version of the file is available.

In its place, I started A Gentleman of France. I'm really enjoying it so far. If you liked The Three Musketeers, I think you'd like this book too. And Weyman wrote several other books too.

This is my 1000th post on MR. I find it satisfying that it's about reading!

[GeoffC]

Originally Posted by rlparker

This is my 1000th post on MR. I find it satisfying that it about reading!

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by rlparker

My Kindle (K1) locked up a couple of times while trying to read White Seed. Too bad, because I was getting interested in the story, but I hate having to reboot my Kindle and with so many other books on my TBR list, I put it aside until a newer version of the file is available.

In its place, I started A Gentleman of France. I'm really enjoying it so far. If you liked The Three Musketeers, I think you'd like this book too. And Weyman wrote several other books too.

This is my 1000th post on MR. I find it satisfying that it's about reading!

That's why we're here! Congrats on the 1 K post!

Today I'll finish It Can't Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis. Published in 1935, the way he describes how the media and the radio evangelists lined up behind the fascist regime of President "Buzz" Windrip is bone-chilling.

[poohbear_nc]

I'm starting a re-read of "Good Omens" (Pratchett & Gaiman) - and having a ball - hearing the soundtrack from the Omen in my head as I read about satanic nuns switching the babies badly. The end of the world has never been this funny.

[bjones6416]

I just finished "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins. I've not read it before now because I am sometimes guilty of this weird reverse discrimination that keeps me from jumping on perceived bandwagons. And I am sometimes wrong. I read it straight through and even shed a tear or two, and have the next two books lined up on my reader already. I found it to be a good, engrossing read.

[MickeyC]

[QUOTE=rlparker;1083910

This is my 1000th post on MR. I find it satisfying that it's about reading! [/QUOTE]

Congrats on a grand. And keep 'em coming!

[kennyc]

A full grand! Congrats!