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

[FlorenceArt]

OK, I have to admit that I spent the morning reading, ahem... a Harlequin freebie. What can I say? For some reason I have difficulties reading Joyce at home. I found, to my surprise, that it works best on a rush-hour train, because I don't really need to concentrate on what I'm reading, since I know I won't understand it anyway

Besides, I can't read Harlequin on the train, what if someone noticed?

[phenomshel]

Originally Posted by FlorenceArt

OK, I have to admit that I spent the morning reading, ahem... a Harlequin freebie. What can I say? For some reason I have difficulties reading Joyce at home. I found, to my surprise, that it works best on a rush-hour train, because I don't really need to concentrate on what I'm reading, since I know I won't understand it anyway

Besides, I can't read Harlequin on the train, what if someone noticed?

LOL, ok, I feel better now. I finished the first one in the Broken Heart, OK series by Michele Bardsley "I'm the Vampire, That's Why" last week sometime. Quick read, almost one sitting. Kind of cute, actually... . Nice escapist stuff.

Now I'm back to my normal stuff though, reading Carolyn Haines.

[bert501]

Originally Posted by phenomshel

LOL, ok, I feel better now. I finished the first one in the Broken Heart, OK series by Michele Bardsley "I'm the Vampire, That's Why" last week sometime. Quick read, almost one sitting. Kind of cute, actually... . Nice escapist stuff.

Now I'm back to my normal stuff though, reading Carolyn Haines.

Thanks for reminding me that I have this book; going to start on it tonight. I'm ready for a break from Catcher in the Rye-trying to finish it and two others so I'll be ready to begin the Feb. book club...may not make it lol soooo many books, soooo little time!!

[DixieGal]

Originally Posted by SeaBookGuy

Mary Roach's "Spook" - a journalistic approach to aspects of the (possible) afterlife. Can't say as I'm in love with it, but I wanted to try something of hers, and this is the area that most appealed to me.

Is it guffawish funny?

[DixieGal]

A Room With A View both sucks and blows.

[lilac_jive]

Originally Posted by DixieGal

A Room With A View both sucks and blows.

BWAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!


That comment just made my night

[SeaBookGuy]

Originally Posted by DixieGal

Is it guffawish funny?

I'm listening to "Spook" on audio, so the experience is likely different, but no guffaws. Being a male reader, her descriptions of the theory that sperm each contain tiny humans (fetuses) within is kind of ... unsettling.

[DixieGal]

Ummm, so I think I will pass on it.

[ATDrake]

So as a break from all the Sherlock Holmes mashups, went and read some different mashup fiction.

Did a quick re-read of Charles Stross' The Fuller Memorandum, latest in his Lovecraftian bureaucracy "Laundry" series before I had to return it to the library.

I don't regret buying the first two novels on impulse after having read the free short story, Overtime, and I'm definitely not going to regret buying The Fuller Memorandum once the e-book version goes down in price once the paperback's been released (Penguin Putnam or whomever are generally pretty good about that).

This installment, we finally find out:

• the reason why the paper clip audits are so important
• part of the reason why everyone's so scared of Angleton
• that the iPhone comes with a class-four-plus glamour which enchants people who get too close to it to turn into glazed button-pushing covetous Gollums

But then, that last shouldn't really be a surprise.

It's a shame that Stross apparently didn't have the time to write an included essay about the classic spy-thriller influences that went into The Fuller Memorandum like he did for The Atrocity Archives and The Jennifer Morgue, but that was a minor disappointment in an otherwise very entertaining book.

My new book for this weekend was Jo Walton's Farthing, which I'd gotten free several years ago when Tor.com first opened and offered a number of e-books as promos.

It's a very good mashup of upper-class Brit-twit lit, police procedural murder mystery, backstabbing political thriller, and historical period-piece set in an alternate universe whose point of departure was the British negotiating "peace" with the Nazis in 1940.

This novel starts in the divergent 1950s, as a murder takes place among the ruling political set and gets used to advantage. Narration switches between two viewpoints: a first-person view by a woman at whose family home the murder takes place, and a third-person POV of the police inspector assigned to investigate. Both find out fairly disturbing things on either end of the case.

I'm making this sound rather dry, but really, it's very good and compelling enough to make me seek out the next two books (this is apparently a trilogy) in the library in a couple of days' time and buy the second novel in the set, Ha'Penny, once Kobo comes up with a good discount coupon. The third novel, alas, is unreasonably priced at some $16.00 for something available in mass-market PB.

It did take me a couple of chapters to get into the switching viewpoints and get used to the upper-class not-actually-that-much-of-a-twit voice that was one of the narrators, but once I did, I think it really paid off and I can't wait to find out what happens next.

Highly recommended if you happen to like AU SF mystery/thrillers with this particular combination of ingredients.

[SeaBookGuy]

I'm actually listening to Holmes stories these days, including some "derivative" ones, based on the originals, produced by the BBC.

[WT Sharpe]

I'm reading the interactive version of the original War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells (1898) on my iPad. Even after over a century, it's still an extremely fascinating and riveting sci-fi tale. Since radio communication was still largely confined to the laboratory at the time, it played no part in the story; hence I was fascinated by the idea of 100 foot tall killing machines that communicated via loud screeches. I read about half the book today, and I'll finish it when I get the chance. To view some of it's interactive features, click on the spoiler. I didn't want to junk up yet another thread with YouTube videos, but you may find it fascinating. Sure, it's a gimmick, but a fun one. I wouldn't like all books to be like this, but it's nice once in a while.

Spoiler:

[Care]

Originally Posted by Latinandgreek

I finished Wintertide this morning (M. Sullivan). Wow. I can't wait for the final volume in this series. I warmly recommend it (The Riyria Revelations) both to fans of fantasy and to those who aren't yet fans of fantasy....

I have been putting Wintertide off as the last book doesn't come out until April.

Originally Posted by killdanzig

in the middle of - catching fire: hunger games book 2.

must say i went into this thinking that i was going to be a sad rip of battle royale and lord of flies.

i have been very pleasantly surprised.

this so far is one of the better series that i have ever read.

granted i am not the most sophisticatedly literate thespian on the planet, but this is absolutely engrossing and very endearing...so far.

once i finish book 3, then i will come back and amend the praise if need be.

I absolutely love the first two Hunger Games books, but I was disappointed by the third, Mockingjay.

[Care]

I loved Shadowfever! Great series finale.

I read a couple other amazing books last week. One was Anna and the French Kiss. What a great YA contemorary! I also read Hollowland, a dystopian zombie novel. It was onky $0.99 for the Nook and Kindle, and it was well worth it. It is an indy novel and there could have been better editing, but I loved it regardless.

I am reading Beyond the Highland Mist a PNR that takes place before the Fever series. It is more romance than the fever series, but I am enjoying it. Also just about to start Nevermore, another YA contemporary.

[Latinandgreek]

Originally Posted by Care

I have been putting Wintertide off as the last book doesn't come out until April.


I absolutely love the first two Hunger Games books, but I was disappointed by the third, Mockingjay.

I was a tiny bit disappointed with Mockingjay, too. I felt it was a bit rushed.

I was thinking about putting off Wintertide, too, but in the end I couldn't help myself. I can't wait for the last book!

I'm reading "The Sworn Sword", and I'm thinking my next book might be "The Mists of Avalon" or "Sailing to Sarantium".

[lilac_jive]

Since I keep seeing mentions of Sherlock Holmes mash-ups, I grabbed Caleb Carr's "The Italian Secretary" off my bookshelf. Not quite a mashup, but gotta start somewhere. I picked it up used at a book sale.

This month I'm not buying any books and will be focusing on the insane amount of paper books I've accumulated in the past year. I need to have a no-buy month every once in a while so it feels like I'm catching up (although that's probably just in my head).