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

[Solitaire1]

Originally Posted by Renate

What kind of technology is well-understood?

Pencils, pens, calculators, CD players...

[Dr. Drib]

I was scratching my back, washing the car, doing the laundry, feeding the dog, mowing the lawn, reading a book, and perusing MobileRead, when it dawned upon me that over 32,000 posts have been made!!

The multiverse is a busy place!

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Next up: City of Ruins by Kristine Kathryn Rusch. The second in her "diving" series.

Which was very good. So I went straight onto the third, Boneyards, which wasn't quite as good. Or I got more irritated by the very large number of flashbacks. I'll still be keeping my eye out for the next ones in the series.

Hmm... looking it up, I see I've missed a couple of Novellas between City of Ruins and Boneyard. I suspect they're later fill-in books. All 16(!) now added to my watch list.

Next up: The Master of Whitestorms by Janny Wurts. This was on my watch list, and recently went on offer, so it's now my next read.

[Graham44]

I'm currently reading The Ember Blade by Chris wooding. It sounds like your typical fantasy adventure story, a privileged young man who nevertheless finds himself living under an empire that conquered his people witnesses his father being murdered by the inquisitors of the empire. He and his best friend are themselves imprisoned as slaves after trying to intervene. Vowing to right these wrongs he sets out on a quest to recover a legendary sword that is said will free his people from their oppressors.

Sounds very standard stuff, but so far I'm really enjoying it (I'm only on page 202 of 937). It is well written, the world is well described and has enough fantasy without being over the top. The characters are likeable (or not as the case may be) and there are some genuinely funny moments particularly between the two main characters Aren and Cade.

If it carries on as it's started I will definitely want to read the other book in the series - The Shadow Casket

[Mike Hobart]

�� Books for the shortest month:
A LONDON LIFE by Henry James, 1888
CALL MR. FORTUNE by H.C. Bailey, 1920
THE DAGGER AFFAIR by David McDaniel, 1965
THE SPARROW by Mary Doria Russell, 1996
THE CINEMATIC LEGACY OF FRANK SINATRA by David Wills, 2016

[Dr. Drib]

Just finished I Who Have Never Known Men, by Jacqueline Harpman, a literary novel with elements of science fiction. (Don't be scared away because it's science fiction; there are no spaceships or time machines in this one. )

This is one of the most incredibly (and sadly) compassionate novels I have read in a long time, a story about the resilience of survival and dealing with 'aloneness' (with many different interpretations of the that word and how it impacts the main character). It is a novel about a woman who discovers who she is and the limitations of her life while surviving in a dystopian world. I can say without embarrassment that it broke my heart as I was reading it. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

And now to my re-read (after 40-some years) of The Lover, by Marguerite Duras.

After that, I plan to re-read Anna Kavan's novel Asylum Piece, a writer I've enjoyed for many, many years.

Then I plan to read the great Stefan Zweig: Letter From an Unknown Woman. I'm well acquainted with his work.

After Zweig, I plan to settle back for a nice long leisurely read of A Man Called Ove: A Novel, by Fredrik Backman.

Happy reading, you strange creatures of the night.

[drofgnal]

I finished Dragonflight the first book in the Dragon Riders of Pern. I bought the first three books as an Omnibus ebook for 1.99. I thought I'd like it more. I'm not sure I'll continue. The dragons being able to teleport themselves and their rider, and even do so in time seems a bit much. Maybe I'll switch to her series of Freedom's Landing. I read the first book of that series years ago buying it in an airport. I enjoyed that a lot, but never continued with it. IDK. Still an internal debate.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Next up: The Master of Whitestorms by Janny Wurts. This was on my watch list, and recently went on offer, so it's now my next read.

Which was a fun stand-alone fantasy.

Next up was Baking Bad by Kim M Watt. A rather too cute cosy mystery involving dragons. A recent freebie, and I won't be getting any others in the series.

And now: The Witch Doctor by Christopher Stasheff. The third in his Wizard in Rhyme series. And a very clever title. I'm enjoying it so far, although the hero's pig-headedness in the face of astounding evidence is getting a bit much.

[Fbone]

Originally Posted by Fbone

I'll continue on to the third installment hoping it gets better.

The third book, Changes by Mercedes Lackey was the weakest so far. A few interesting elements but too many negatives, that other reviewers state convincingly, to bring this installment out of recovery. Just C- [3 stars].

However, I'll continue onto the fourth, Redoubt.

[Uncle Robin]

Currently reading Nest of Vipers Book 3 in the "Bangalore Detective Club" series by Harini Nagendra. Dr. Nagendra writes immersively of her hometown as it was in the 20s, and once again the politica realities of the time are inescapably present but never ovrwhelm the story or descend into diatribes. Lookng forward to finishing this one and then being ready for book 4 when it comes out later this year.

[Karellen]

Started reading the Murderbot Diaries. Halfway through the second book Artificial Condition. Enjoying them so far.

[Graham44]

Finished the Ember Blade today and I have to say it's one of the best books I've read in a long time. The characters are well thought out and really work well together, there was some surprises at the end and I was definitely left wanting to read the sequel, The Shadow Casket.

If you like fantasy adventure thats not over the top I definitely recommend this.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

WAnd now: The Witch Doctor by Christopher Stasheff. The third in his Wizard in Rhyme series. And a very clever title. I'm enjoying it so far, although the hero's pig-headedness in the face of astounding evidence is getting a bit much.

It was fun overall.

Next up: The Great Hippopotamus Hotel by Alexander McCall Smith. The 25th in his No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency series.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Next up: The Great Hippopotamus Hotel by Alexander McCall Smith. The 25th in his No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency series.

Back on form, or I was less grumpy reading it.

Next up: Micky 7 by Edward Ashton. Recently made into a film, Mickey 17.

[Graham44]

Started Void by David Haltinner yesterday. It's a horror book about a college student who stumbles across a secret along with his new girlfriend and his room mate.

I wont spoil the story so I will be deliberately vague but -

This story had real potential, the premise could have made a really good horror story, however, it was marred but needless descriptions, the author loved to describe how the main character was sweating, and he did this quite often, along with other totally unnecessary descriptions at times. There was quite a few spelling and grammatical mistakes as well, a good proof reader would have helped. But worse was the fact the story never really went anywhere. As for the ending it was a real huh moment as in if A had just happened you would not be sitting there doing B, at first I thought there was going to be another chapter but nope that was it.

A shame, I was looking forward to this book a it sounded like the sort of horror story I like, what makes it worse is it really could have been so much better, the potential was there. As it is probably not one I will read again.