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

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by issybird

Anyone’s entitled to dismiss an author on the basis of one book. I do it myself all the time. There are a lot of books out there and there’s no point in throwing good reading time after bad. However, you can’t be taken seriously as a critic, especially of an author as important to the genre as DLS, on the basis of one book and that the first, where most authors haven’t hit their stride. Even her second was a vast improvement - and the first was not terrible.

I have to disagree. It was terrible. It was overly racist. There is giving some leeway based on when the book was written, but this went too far.

[issybird]

That’s what I get for using an emotionally laden and imprecise word like “terrible”! Next time I’ll (try to) stick to more objective terms.

[ReadingManiac]

Originally Posted by Fbone

A nautical fantasy with inventive people and culture. Both sad and hopeful. Great writing skill that makes this reader pause occasionally to let the MC's thoughts sink in. Unfortunately, I felt there was too much repetition and inactivity for me to enjoy this more. Plus, the ending was not surprising. Rated C [3 stars].

Next, another library book, The Thorn of Dentonhill by Marshall Ryan Maresca.

I tried reading a Barker book once. I think he needs a good editor and a delete button.

[ReadingManiac]

Originally Posted by ReadingManiac

Reading A Threat of Shadows by JA Anderson now. Some good Fantasy!

Finished this one and looking forward to reading the sequels! But first I'm reading The Institute by Stephen King. I'm tryng to catch up on a backlog of unread King books.

[Uncle Robin]

Originally Posted by issybird

That’s what I get for using an emotionally laden and imprecise word like “terrible”! Next time I’ll (try to) stick to more objective terms.

Please don't - reading is subjective, and emotionally laden, and imprecise. I may not agree with what you say, but I'll vigorously defend your right to say it.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by issybird

That’s what I get for using an emotionally laden and imprecise word like “terrible”! Next time I’ll (try to) stick to more objective terms.

That's as objective as that book deserves.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Uncle Robin

Please don't - reading is subjective, and emotionally laden, and imprecise. I may not agree with what you say, but I'll vigorously defend your right to say it.

Very well said.

[haertig]

I only rate books on one criteria - either I liked it or I didn't. I don't have a checklist like character development, plot, flowing prose, politically correct, etc.

There is one thing that will almost always cause me to dislike a book. A giant cliffhanger at the end designed to make you buy the next book in the series. I consider serialized books that just stop mid-story to fall into this category by default. If I run into that, I pretty much abandon the series on the spot (although there have been a few exceptions).

[Uncle Robin]

I'm a quarter of the way through Alice Campbell's Juggernaut It's her debut and part of the Dean Street Presss ebook reissue of her works. I read [/i]The Murder of Caroline Bundy[/i] last week, which she wrote a decade or so after [i]Juggernaut, and found it hard work. Her debut otoh is flowing nicely with a good pace in the atmosphere-building and scene setting before the suspicious death. Apparently it was later made into a film vehicle for Boris Karloff, who I'm assuming played the doctor.

[Bookstooge]

Finished up another Alfred Hitchcock anthology, Once Upon a Dreadful Time. I know I'm going to have an enjoyable time when Hitchcock's name rolls around on my kindle...

[fantasyfan]

I am working through ThenInvisinle Library sequence by Genevieve Cogman. At the moment I am reading the third book, The Burning Page which, while it is good, isn’t quite on the same level as the first two books in the series. “The Invisible Library” was an excellent opener with a very interesting take on the parallel universe plot. The Masked City was just as good and included the nature of storytelling as a part of the plot formation.
I haven’t finished The Burning Page and perhaps will change my mind later.
I am listening to the reading,of the series by Kristin Atherton who does a fine job bringing the characters and incidents to vivid life.

[John F]

I was reading some of Emily St. John Mandel's earlier books, and The Lola Quartet and Last Night in Montreal felt a lot like John Irving's books.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Bookstooge

Finished up another Alfred Hitchcock anthology, Once Upon a Dreadful Time. I know I'm going to have an enjoyable time when Hitchcock's name rolls around on my kindle...

Do you have a link to where this can be purchased as an eBook? I cannot find it.

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by Bookstooge

Finished up another Alfred Hitchcock anthology, Once Upon a Dreadful Time. I know I'm going to have an enjoyable time when Hitchcock's name rolls around on my kindle...

I have this, so I'll have to check it out - that is, when I get out of prison.

Thanks!

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Do you have a link to where this can be purchased as an eBook? I cannot find it.

I don't think it's available as an ebook.

I have an old paperback copy in storage (along with about 20 [?] or so other Hitchcock paperbacks that I purchased a long time ago while living in Cincinnati).

Also in storage, I might add, I have an almost complete set of the Ballantine Adult Fantasy Series, edited by Lin Carter. All are in immaculate condition!