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

[The Terminator]

Originally Posted by maianhvk

It was one of the best books I read last year.

I like the book, but I like a few changes the movie made. Fezzik is pretty stupid in the books, in the movie he isn't.

[Straycat1945]

Bill Pronzini??? Who is Bill Pronzini?

I just finished [I]Wasteland of Strangers[I] by this author, and it was one of the best all round books I've read in a long time. The form of telling the story is new to me, but I settled in soon enough. I challenge you to figure out who the perpetrator is before the end. I was convinced I had it solved half way through; I wasn't even close.

The Amazon.com review;

Here's a fine modern mystery that would have made a wonderful 1950s B movie. Robert Mitchum would have been perfect as the hulking stranger John Faith, who arrives one day in the faded Northern California resort town of Pomo with a mysterious agenda. Who but Paul Douglas could have played the tough but fair-minded police chief? And the part of Storm Carey, the gorgeous widow feeding her grief with rampant sex, would have been a natural for Jan Sterling or Elisabeth Scott. Bill Pronzini both uses and overcomes these film noir images as he skips from voice to voice to tell a tricky, compelling story.

Highly recommended.

Denny

[tecweston]

Currently Reading:

- A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin (72%)

- Skeleton Crew by Stephen King (27%)

- The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: The Titanic Tragedy by William Seil (19%)

- Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain (~20%) [on hold]

[Fbone]

Originally Posted by Straycat1945

Bill Pronzini??? Who is Bill Pronzini?

I just finished [I]Wasteland of Strangers[I] by this author, and it was one of the best all round books I've read in a long time. The form of telling the story is new to me, but I settled in soon enough. I challenge you to figure out who the perpetrator is before the end. I was convinced I had it solved half way through; I wasn't even close.

Highly recommended.

Denny

Thanks for the review. My library has a copy. Added to my TBR list. Scheduled to read in Summer of 2018

[xg4bx]

day 3 of stopping&starting. everything i pick up just seems so trite and dumb. i don't even know what genre i'm in the mood for.

made a bit of headway into The Black Prism by Brent Weeks but the color based magic system got irritating pretty quickly and the youngster protagonist wasn't doing it any favors.

[Apache]

I am finishing Killing Floor by Lee Child. Then I will start Die Trying.
Apache

[AlexGrama]

I have finished To kill a mockingbird. Brilliant.

[thinkpad]

I finished the latest book in the Temeraire series: Crucible of Gold and got quite disappointed. It's gotten most 4 and 5 star reviews on Amazon but for me it wasn't more than 3 stars.

I concur with the following Amazon review:

Crucible of Gold continues the saga of Captain Laurence and his dragon Temeraire. This novel lacks any gripping plot or drama for me. I found it boring, methodical and almost completely uneventful. The novelty of dragon characters has worn off by this the seventh offering in the series. Unfortunately, this story just drags on without any gripping action with the exception of a few brief scenes. Although still interesting, the development and interaction of the dragon and human characters was not enough to keep me intrigued with the story.

Another reviewer that sums it up:

I initially looked forward to each new book in the series with much anticipation but now I feel like I read them almost as an obligation.

[CRussel]

Sadly, thinkpad, I'm afraid I agree. I've got the latest one on my Kindle, but somehow it never makes its way to the top of my TBR. I'm beginning to suspect it never will.

Finished reading Paladin of Souls , by Lois McMaster Bujold, the second in the Chalion series. I really enjoyed it, and am looking forward to reading the third in the series, which I have waiting in my TBR. But I think I'll take a break and read the new Maise Dobbs book by Jacqueline Winspear - Elegy for Eddy. This is number 9 in the series, and so far they haven't failed to please.

After Elegy for Eddy, it's time to read Harry Potter again, I think. Now that I have them in legal eBook form.

[alansplace]

Originally Posted by CRussel

....it's time to read Harry Potter again, I think. Now that I have them in legal eBook form.

I'm having trouble deciding whether to get the British versions or the American. I bought Philosopher's Stone from Pottmore instead of Sourcerer's Stone because the name change from the original (which was an important distinction, IMHO) always rubbed me the wrong way (I recently bought I bought Philosopher's Stone in hardback from an Amazon Marketplace vendor for the same reason). But since the Movie Series appears to be based on the American versions and that JKR appears to have approved of the changes and the fact that I really like Mary GrandPré's chapter heading drawings (her covers too), I'm still undecided. Well there's no hurry at least.

[Fbone]

Originally Posted by xg4bx

day 3 of stopping&starting. everything i pick up just seems so trite and dumb. i don't even know what genre i'm in the mood for.

made a bit of headway into The Black Prism by Brent Weeks but the color based magic system got irritating pretty quickly and the youngster protagonist wasn't doing it any favors.

When I feel that way I switch to another form of entertainment usually movies. Visual stimuli instead of textual. Recently, I watched Rango because cartoon lizards are irresistible. And The Vanishing the original Dutch/French version because I wanted to yell at TV actors.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by alansplace

I'm having trouble deciding whether to get the British versions or the American. I bought Philosopher's Stone from Pottmore instead of Sourcerer's Stone because the name change from the original (which was an important distinction, IMHO) always rubbed me the wrong way (I recently bought I bought Philosopher's Stone in hardback from an Amazon Marketplace vendor for the same reason). But since the Movie Series appears to be based on the American versions and that JKR appears to have approved of the changes and the fact that I really like Mary GrandPré's chapter heading drawings (her covers too), I'm still undecided. Well there's no hurry at least.

Ah, well, my local library has the UK versions, so that's what I went with. Simple decision.

[pilotbob]

I finished the Valut. Its a good read. But, I still have to say, nothing is as good as Rouge Wave.

I think I will hit the 4 book thriller set I bought for $1.

BOb

[poohbear_nc]

I've just finished Coral Glynn by Peter Cameron - and like many reviewers - I liked it very much but I'm not quite sure what I've read. Stylistically, it resembles Henry James in its concern with misunderstandings among people, lost chances for love, inhibitions, etc. There's also a mystery of sorts. And some very memorable characters.
Unlike many contemporary novels, it's staying with me - I may need to reread it soon.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Agatha Christie's The Body in the Library, her 39th book.

I remembered the plot of this one from a TV adaption. I did like the book anyway - it's not just the puzzle, IMO.

Next: The Exiles Trilogy by Ben Bova. I bought this when it was on special offer recently. Let's see if it was worth it!