Hey!! Let's get some action going! What are we reading? - Page 1975

Uncle Robin · 01-17-2021, 06:10 PM

And now, thanks to the wonderful Library Extension, I'm reading Martin Edwards second Rachel Savernake story, Mortmain Hall. It was such a delightful surprise to login to Kobo to buy the book and have the extension tell me that my library had an ebook copy available for borrowing. I think I will donate the cost of the book to the extension as a thank you, since it looks like it's going to save me a lot of money going forward.

j.p.s · 01-17-2021, 07:57 PM

I just finished Why Fish Don't Exist by former Radiolab producer and former Invisibilia host Lulu Miller. It has elements of biography, history, memoir, and philosophical essay. I enjoyed reading it. The title topic is not covered until near the end of the book with everything before building the ground work. Before anyone protests that fish most certainly do exist, it turns out that fish is not scientifically useful as a category of animals. It would be like saying a bat is a bird.

The best book for a lay person that treats that and similar problems in more detail is said to be Naming Nature: The Clash Between Instinct and Science by Carol Yoon.

Uncle Robin · 01-17-2021, 08:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by j.p.s

I just finished Why Fish Don't Exist

It sounds fascinating, although when I saw the title I hoped the author's nom-de-plume was going to be ghoti.

LDB · 01-17-2021, 10:11 PM

I'm currently reading In Farleigh Field. It is quite good.

gmw · 01-18-2021, 09:12 AM

Some of the new-to-me books (vs re-reads) I've read so far this year...

Diving into the Wreck by Kristine Kathryn Rusch (first book of the "Diving Universe" series). I found this unconvincing science fiction and the (inconsistent) first person present tense made it feel rather like young adult without being young adult. I have enjoyed the first few books of the "Retrieval Artist" series, but I think I'll give the rest of the "Diving Universe" series a miss. For this book ... well, the story was good enough that I hung around to finish it, so lets say 2.5/5.

Hollowpox: The Hunt for Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend. This is the third book in the middle-grade "Nevermoor" series. Definitely for younger audiences but there has been enough in here that I've been having fun with each book as it comes out, including this one. Each book finishes well enough to be satisfied, but there is a larger story tying it all together. Looking forward to the next instalment, a comfortable 4/5.

Three Parts Dead by Max Gladstone (first published book of the Craft series). I'm afraid it didn't really do it for me. The setting was intriguing (gods, vampire pirates, gargoyles, necromancers and more), and the characters are mostly interesting (although with a core of similarity). But it felt to me like the first 3/4 or more was info-dump, with each of the characters finding clever ways to tell us about the world and how we got to this point. I've certainly read worse, but I'm not really tempted to read any more of the series ... say a feeling generous, rounding up: 3/5.

Luffy · 01-18-2021, 11:44 AM

Your opinion of Kristine Kathryn Rusch was both thought provoking but also anticlimactic. I had penned her as one to look for.

pdurrant · 01-18-2021, 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Next up: James Potter and the Curse of the GateKeeper. The second in G. Norman Lippert's HP sequel fan-fic. (A freebie, of course.)

Which was quite fun. Non-canon, of course, but enjoyable.

Next up: Strip Jack by Ian Rankin. The 4th in his Rebus novels. (A near-random pick from my TBR, being the next unread in the series.)

Fbone · 01-18-2021, 04:39 PM

Finally finished Network Effect by Martha Wells. I was hoping it would be a fun quick read. The first third was good. The last third very good. The middle was a drag. Further bot to human development. More feelings. However, a lot of angst and cursing. More than the previous installments. Honestly, I don't know why secunit even hangs around humans. Rated C+ [3 stars].

Next from KU, Devoted by Dean Koontz. For the next two months or so all books will be from KU while I have free trial.

davidfor · 01-18-2021, 10:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gmw

Diving into the Wreck by Kristine Kathryn Rusch (first book of the "Diving Universe" series). I found this unconvincing science fiction and the (inconsistent) first person present tense made it feel rather like young adult without being young adult. I have enjoyed the first few books of the "Retrieval Artist" series, but I think I'll give the rest of the "Diving Universe" series a miss. For this book ... well, the story was good enough that I hung around to finish it, so lets say 2.5/5.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Luffy

Your opinion of Kristine Kathryn Rusch was both thought provoking but also anticlimactic. I had penned her as one to look for.

Personally, I found Diving into the Wreck to be excellent and rated it 5/5. I had it for a while and kept putting it off because of the comments made about it being written in present tense. But, when I did read it, I didn't have any problems with that.

Luffy · 01-19-2021, 01:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidfor

Personally, I found Diving into the Wreck to be excellent and rated it 5/5. I had it for a while and kept putting it off because of the comments made about it being written in present tense. But, when I did read it, I didn't have any problems with that.

I'm thinking of probably starting with one of her other series.

CRussel · 01-20-2021, 12:23 AM

I've been working my way through a re-read of the Honor Harrington books from David Weber. All was going well until I hit Ashes of Victory (#9). Now we're getting to where he seems to have been unable to use one word when 8 would do worse. Sigh. This basically means if I'm going to continue that I'll need to stop listening to them. At least when I read them I can just skip over the long, tedious, boring sequences about acceleration rates or the lengthy political discussions of the Havenites. Really, I like these books but they would be SO much better with a bit of editing!

Uncle Robin · 01-20-2021, 06:32 AM

Currently reading Humble Pi: A Comedy of Maths Errors by Matt Parker. Proof that it may be my kind of math book came in the final paragraph of an explanation of resonance using a child on a swing as an example:

Quote:

Only if you push exactly at the rate which matches when the child is directly in front of you and starting their descent will you achieve success. When the timing of your effort matches the frequency the swing is moving at, each push adds a little more energy into the system. This will build up with each push until the child is moving too fast to easily inhale and their screaming will finally cease.

astrangerhere · 01-20-2021, 08:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CRussel

I've been working my way through a re-read of the Honor Harrington books from David Weber. All was going well until I hit Ashes of Victory (#9). Now we're getting to where he seems to have been unable to use one word when 8 would do worse. Sigh. This basically means if I'm going to continue that I'll need to stop listening to them. At least when I read them I can just skip over the long, tedious, boring sequences about acceleration rates or the lengthy political discussions of the Havenites. Really, I like these books but they would be SO much better with a bit of editing!

I liked the FIRST Honor Harrington book quite a bit. Then the second book opened with hithertofore fully independent Honor suddenly had this life-altering NEED to have a romantic partner. There had not been a whiff of her being lonely or desiring a helpmeet in the first book. Absolutely killed her character and the rest of the books for me.

ekbell · 01-20-2021, 12:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by astrangerhere

I liked the FIRST Honor Harrington book quite a bit. Then the second book opened with hithertofore fully independent Honor suddenly had this life-altering NEED to have a romantic partner. There had not been a whiff of her being lonely or desiring a helpmeet in the first book. Absolutely killed her character and the rest of the books for me.

And then she ends up with a lover in the 3rd book, her lover is fridged to show how evil some of the Manty aristocrats are in the 4th book and she is without a romantic partner for the next several very enjoyable books.

BUT in the eleventh book At All Costs she is again attracted to a (married) guy, they have a secret affair (with his paralyzed wife's encouragement) and the Law of Inverse Fertility kicks in and her (until now 100% effective) birth control fails. At some point after this someone with half a brain realizes that the honorverse does provide an honorable and politically viable alternative for our couple and she becomes his second wife.

That was one book that narrowly escaped being forcibly round filed.

cc_in_oh · 01-20-2021, 03:00 PM

I also read Cuckoo's Egg - can't say I loved it but interesting in some ways. The sloppiness and lack of concern about security are hard to relate to these days.

Back to Maigret for now - on #45, still a long way to go (Maigret's... I've read a few... But then again...)

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01-17-2021, 06:10 PM	#29611
Uncle Robin Diligent dilettante Posts: 3,417 Karma: 48736498 Join Date: Sep 2019 Location: in my mind Device: Kobo Sage; Kobo Libra H2O	And now, thanks to the wonderful Library Extension, I'm reading Martin Edwards second Rachel Savernake story, Mortmain Hall. It was such a delightful surprise to login to Kobo to buy the book and have the extension tell me that my library had an ebook copy available for borrowing. I think I will donate the cost of the book to the extension as a thank you, since it looks like it's going to save me a lot of money going forward.

01-17-2021, 07:57 PM	#29612
j.p.s Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,278 Karma: 98804578 Join Date: Apr 2011 Device: pb360	I just finished Why Fish Don't Exist by former Radiolab producer and former Invisibilia host Lulu Miller. It has elements of biography, history, memoir, and philosophical essay. I enjoyed reading it. The title topic is not covered until near the end of the book with everything before building the ground work. Before anyone protests that fish most certainly do exist, it turns out that fish is not scientifically useful as a category of animals. It would be like saying a bat is a bird. The best book for a lay person that treats that and similar problems in more detail is said to be Naming Nature: The Clash Between Instinct and Science by Carol Yoon.

01-17-2021, 10:11 PM	#29614
LDB Baker Street Irregular Posts: 441 Karma: 9920853 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Houston suburb Device: Oasis 3, PaperWhite 5, Aura One, Glowlight Plus, Scribe, Sage	I'm currently reading In Farleigh Field. It is quite good.

01-18-2021, 09:12 AM	#29615
gmw cacoethes scribendi Posts: 5,809 Karma: 137770742 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Australia Device: Kobo Aura One & H2Ov2, Sony PRS-650	Some of the new-to-me books (vs re-reads) I've read so far this year... *Diving into the Wreck* by Kristine Kathryn Rusch (first book of the "Diving Universe" series). I found this unconvincing science fiction and the (inconsistent) first person present tense made it feel rather like young adult without being young adult. I have enjoyed the first few books of the "Retrieval Artist" series, but I think I'll give the rest of the "Diving Universe" series a miss. For this book ... well, the story was good enough that I hung around to finish it, so lets say 2.5/5. *Hollowpox: The Hunt for Morrigan Crow* by Jessica Townsend. This is the third book in the middle-grade "Nevermoor" series. Definitely for younger audiences but there has been enough in here that I've been having fun with each book as it comes out, including this one. Each book finishes well enough to be satisfied, but there is a larger story tying it all together. Looking forward to the next instalment, a comfortable 4/5. *Three Parts Dead* by Max Gladstone (first published book of the Craft series). I'm afraid it didn't really do it for me. The setting was intriguing (gods, vampire pirates, gargoyles, necromancers and more), and the characters are mostly interesting (although with a core of similarity). But it felt to me like the first 3/4 or more was info-dump, with each of the characters finding clever ways to tell us about the world and how we got to this point. I've certainly read worse, but I'm not really tempted to read any more of the series ... say a feeling generous, rounding up: 3/5.

01-18-2021, 11:44 AM	#29616
Luffy Wizard Posts: 4,461 Karma: 429063498 Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Mauritius Device: Kindle Paperwhite 4	Your opinion of Kristine Kathryn Rusch was both thought provoking but also anticlimactic. I had penned her as one to look for.

01-18-2021, 04:39 PM	#29618
Fbone Is that a sandwich? Posts: 8,189 Karma: 100500000 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: Nook Glowlight Plus	Finally finished Network Effect by Martha Wells. I was hoping it would be a fun quick read. The first third was good. The last third very good. The middle was a drag. Further bot to human development. More feelings. However, a lot of angst and cursing. More than the previous installments. Honestly, I don't know why secunit even hangs around humans. Rated C+ [3 stars]. Next from KU, Devoted by Dean Koontz. For the next two months or so all books will be from KU while I have free trial.

01-20-2021, 12:23 AM	#29621
CRussel (he/him/his) Posts: 12,160 Karma: 79742714 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sunshine Coast, BC Device: Oasis (Gen3),Paperwhite (Gen10), Voyage, Paperwhite(orig), Fire HD 8	I've been working my way through a re-read of the Honor Harrington books from David Weber. All was going well until I hit Ashes of Victory (#9). Now we're getting to where he seems to have been unable to use one word when 8 would do worse. Sigh. This basically means if I'm going to continue that I'll need to stop listening to them. At least when I read them I can just skip over the long, tedious, boring sequences about acceleration rates or the lengthy political discussions of the Havenites. Really, I like these books but they would be SO much better with a bit of editing!

01-20-2021, 03:00 PM	#29625
cc_in_oh Bob's my uncle Posts: 930 Karma: 17008060 Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: NE OH Device: Kindle	I also read Cuckoo's Egg - can't say I loved it but interesting in some ways. The sloppiness and lack of concern about security are hard to relate to these days. Back to Maigret for now - on #45, still a long way to go (Maigret's... I've read a few... But then again...)