The generic Current Reads thread turns a new page

Me again, but as the last one was at exactly 250 posts, I thought it time to start a new leaf.

I'm reading conspirator the start of thr fourth 'trilogy' in the Foreigner universe. As a re-read to prepare me for the latest one I've been able to get my hands on. It's a fair point to begin without going back and reading all previous 9 which I'll do one day. The books do all closely follow on from each other, but this one has enough reminders in to remember where the characters were and what had happened, before the latest out break of politicla manovering takes place. Ilsidi is in danger of losing her temper!

I am still reading Caro's LBJ book, and loving it. Also, started on the book group's next read: Ship Breaker and bought, $2.99 for the Nook, the first in the Louise Penny series Still Life (sorry the touch stone is incorrect, there are many books titled Still Life, evidently)

I'm reading Crucible of Gold by Naomi Novik. I think it's the last Novik I'll read. Nothing good ever happens to her characters.

I got Walter Isaacson's Jobs biography as a summer gift from my employer, and some days ago I started to read it. It stink. At this point I'm not sure I'll ever finish it. Full of personal stuff but from my perspective adds nothing new or interesting to why Apple, when Jobs died, was the company he left it.
And there are so many other books out there waiting to be read.
I'll read some more pages before I make the decision, though.

At present I'm reading The stone angel by Margaret Laurence, and an urban fantasy called Rosa and the veil of gold. It's in the Charles de Lint style (only set in Russia with Russian folklore) rather than sexy vampires fighting crime. I'm really enjoying both books.

Currently reading a YA, The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater.. I'm enjoying it. As a kid I read a lot of horse stories about teenage girls in races, and in a way this is kind of like them, but with carnivorous horses and a darker tone.

I'm having a struggle with Harvard Yard, by William Martin, because his archaic dialogue is loaded with errors that make me shudder. However carefully he may have researched his Harvard and New England history, he didn't do his homework on 17th-century English. You don't have to be an expert to know a few basic things about older verb forms in English, especially if you're familiar with the language of the King James Bible. You could never write a construction like "I didst cry out" or have highly educated men use "be" in place of all present-tense-indicative forms of the verb.

7 - Yes! I haven't read that book, but it does irritate me when people don't use basic archaic language properly. I do/have, thou dost/hast, he/she/it doth/hath, we/you/they do/have (occasionally doon/han). Others mix up the subject/oblique forms of thou/thee, and have odd uses of my/mine and thy/thine.

I'm reading Medicus and hope to start The Killing Moon today. Medicus is not at all what I expected. It's funnier!

I finished Stormy Weather for our local book club, and now am halfway through The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey which HAD BETTER not have a sad ending...I do not have a good feeling about this...

I'm reading an interesting one called The British Devil (which won't touchstone) that I found on Amazon. I'm thoroughly enjoying it. It's about a number of things, but primarily a British guy trying to stop his Texan boyfriend's hyper-religious mother from breaking them up. The intercultural stuff is very interesting (and oddly relevant), though I don't have anything to fear from my sort-of-mother-in-law.

Sakerfalcon - a Charles DeLint book set in Russia - all of a sudden I have an over whelming desire to get Rosa and the veil of gold.

I have just finished Ready Player One (based on recommendation from the Green Dragon somewhere) which I enjoyed. I should be reading the body broken for my University (College) Course, but think I will dig out some Douglas Adams

>12 SpicyCat:: I enjoyed The veil of gold so much that I had to order her other two similar books - The autumn castle and Giants of the frost, which look to be similar parallel world stories set in Europe. The de Lint book it reminded me most of was Moonheart but without the swearing and violence of that book.

Just finished Cuckoo's egg, which I enjoyed in one sitting. First (sort of) contact story, a rather typical C. J. Cherryh though maybe shorter than most, no infodumps (not that I mind them anyway) and most of the setting is implied.

Cracked open the first pages of a near-future thriller, Graine d'immortels by Pierre Bordage.

I'm finding myself so sluggish with reading lately. I decided to kick-start it by reading my beloved mystery authors for awhile. Started with Margaret Frazer, The Widow's Tale, set in the 1400s, and now I'll read No Second Chance by Harlan Coben. Just realized it isn't a Myron Bolitar novel, but I'll give it a shot, anyway. If that doesn't work, I think I'll read the next in the Lee Child, Reacher series.

I am truly enjoying The Six Wives of Henry VIII. :o) That is, when I have time to read...

FEED Which was definetly a chance LT reference somewhere. So far so much fun. It's 20 years after the zombie Rising (caused by an accidental release and hybridisation between a common cold vaccine and Marhburg). The traditional media failed the public, and didn't release enough reliable details quickly enough to prevent widespread contaimination. But a enough stalwart bloggers were able to get the word out quickly enoughto keep hummanity alive through the first summer. We take up the story with a bunch of upcoming acredited bloggerswho get to join the presidentual candidates campaign tour, telling the unvarnished truth as they see it ...

I loved Feed and the two sequels. Mira Grant (a.k.a. Seanan McGuire) is definitely on my watch list - I've liked all her books so far.

Am in the throes of the end of Henry Dunbar at the moment. Such heights of Victorian melodrama hardly witnessed ever before. I love it.

Last book I mentioned was rather meh, after that I enjoyed Grendel, now opening La Lune seule le sait ("Only the Moon knows", untranslated afaik), which would classify as steampunk/uchrony.

I finished up a reread of The Hobbit in preperation for the movie in a couple months, last weekend and started reading Catching Fire.

Was the first time rereading The Hobbit since before the first set of movies came out, way to long of a gap between readings.

I've been reading comics, with Marvels by Kurt Busiek, and Rising Stars: Born in Fire by J. Michael Straczynski (won't touchstone).

I am about 70 pages from the end of Mission to Paris which I'm really enjoying!

I wanted something light and fluffy so I am trying The Last Viking. It is so not my usual fare but I must admit it's hysterical. Completely loopy but somehow works.

Currently reading my dad's copy of Three Hearts and Three Lions. My first Poul Anderson, I think. This copy is falling apart - pages literally falling out. I'm having to be very careful with it. It has Dad's name and address in it, but nothing to say when he got it. Maybe 20 years ago, based on the address. I'm enjoying the story, but mostly it's good to read something that Dad enjoyed enough to keep for so long.

Started Foreigner after hearing it praised so highly in this group. I've just had my first encounter with an alien ...

I'm trying to finish two books this weekend (my weekend is Sun. & Mon., More Tales of the Black Widowers by Isaac Asimov. A collection of short story mysteries, and The Mind of the Maker by Dorothy L. Sayers. A treatise not only on the nature of God, but more so on the act of creation in the mind of an author or playwright. I love it, but it takes good concentration to follow her. Definitely a step above (or more) my education level!

#18 - I do hope the sequels are as good. Feed was fantastic.

Currently shadow of the torturer which is supposed to be a classic. But it feels very laboured so far (admittedly not very far in).

I read Hellburner as a second comfort read (following on Lions of Al-Rassan) and that inspired me to pick up Downbelow Station for a reread, too.
However, this is not a comfort read. On the contrary. It is a disturbing tale about how people and systems of people - ordinarily labelled "society" - reacts under pressure, in this case war. All major components are there, schoolbook example.

Harrowing, even on third reread. Perhaps even more so as some of the characters gained more back story (or future story, lol) in the later Company Wars books, and I have reread those more often.
Like Hellburner...

Oh well.

Reread of Hero by Perry Moore in the evenings. Mostly work reading during the day.

What do you think of an author who

- writes "the cries of joy he wrang from God's presence,"
- misspells "delirium" as "delerium" (where was spellchecker? where was the editor?),
- misuses "nexus" (which means a system of connections or connected things, as in a network or series of links) as if it meant "crux of the matter,"
- misspells one of his own fictitious place names (which is also the title of the book),
- drops suddenly and without warning from a third-person omniscient narrative into a first-person POV ("Tom once told me") and then drops back out of it again, with no explanation,
- switches POV from one character to another in the middle of a paragraph, without cuing the switch, so that suddenly the character is seeing himself in the third person,
- invents coy little linguistic devices such as referring to a height in "shoes" instead of in feet,
- partway in, starts delivering characters' speeches in quasi-German syntax, as if they were all speaking English with a German accent, instead of giving us a normal-sounding English equivalent of their German utterances--but not even from the beginning; only starting well along in the story,
- includes some German text that's wrong (Dorp instead of Dorf for "village"),
- has a medieval character recognize a computer as a machine, invent language to describe it that just happens to match 20th-21st-century technological language, and also allude to a "screen" with no prior explanation,
and
- delivers quantities of labored, pretentious-sounding sentences using a vocabulary that seems to be just a little bit beyond him, as if he had been picking words out of a thesaurus for their impressive sound without quite having a full command of their meaning, connotations, and usage?

Right. That's why I'm abandoning Eifelheim on page 92.

Oh meredy, that sounds awful.

Next time: quit sooner, unless it is fun keeping a list of these faux pas.

Shush Meredy. Go back to sleep. It was all a bad dream. A really horrible nasty bad dream! It's okay now. Your friends are here to protect you from such evil writing.

#31 - Whew! I'm amazed that you held out as long as you did!

I'm quite enjoying a book called After Ben. It's billed as a romance, but it's quite atypical. It doesn't follow the formulas, which is a very pleasant surprise, the subplots are really engaging, the characters (and minor characters) have depth, and you don't really know for a long time what exactly is going to happen, which is a very good quality in an eBook.

After hearing so many people talk about them here, I started reading The Pride of Chanur and the rest of the Chanur series by C. J. Cherryh. I borrowed the first few from my sister, but was able to buy them all in two omnibus editions. I'm on to the second book and I'm enjoying them. I have only read a few of her fantasy books, none of her SF, before.

Oh, I think her SF great! Chanur is definitely a favourite but I'd recommend the Company Wars books as well (starting with Downbelow Station, which I'm currently rereading).

I'm jumping from 1915 England with Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes The Bee Keeper's Apprentice to the very strange world of A Shadow in Summer

I really liked A shadow in summer, it was good to read a fantasy not set in the usual faux-Mediaeval Europe. Now I need to get on and read the rest of the quartet.

>37 NorthernStar:: The Chanur books are still my favourites of the books by C. J. Cherryh that I've read. (Not many so far; I'm trying to remedy that.) I've just finished Foreigner but it couldn't knock Chanur off the top!

#40 - No, it can't, definitely not on its own. As a series, though, it is very good.

Still, I wish she could write more Company Wars or Alliance-Union books...

I'm somewhere out by the Hinder Stars, in Rimrunners. It's the only Company Wars book that I never reread, probably because it's a bit on the grim side. And after Hellburner and Downbelow Station I thought it was time for it.

Even while I have an unread Excession waiting for me.

I'm reading Ghost Ship by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller and I hope to read Dragon Ship (which officially came out today, but the ebook has been available for a few weeks now) later this month.

>43 Quaisior: I too was reading Liaden books recently - Local custom and Scout's progress. I've got a way to go to catch up with the series!

Currently I'm reading Cloudstreet though.

Started reading my Poe collection of poems and stories over the weekend. Going through his poems now. Some I like, others just seem bland. Guess that's the nature of having a collection of works.

I'm reading Ultimate X-Men vols 1 and 2. It's an interesting reboot, definitely made for the younger crowd (well... they're my age now) rather than the older, long-term fans.

I'm also rereading Hero by Perry Moore, and Little Miss Evil by Lev Raphael. Anyone who works in academia will enjoy Lev Raphael's books - there's so much to identify with - it's a murder mystery series set around a small university's literature department, complete with inter- and intradepartment rivalries, academic smackdowns, bureaucracy, policies, conferences and everything. Oh, and an oddly high murder rate. If you're interested, start with Let's Get Criminal.

Finished another "Cleveland" mystery by Les Roberts. I usually don't read a lot of mysteries, but I have trouble concentrating lately and the mysteries hold my attention. I am from the same Cleveland neighborhood that the books are set in (though they often travel out of Cleveland) so that was what drew me in - now I just enjoy them.

The book I just finished is The Cleveland Local where the hero private eye travels to the caribbean. These are interesting books. Also, Cleveland hasn't changed as much as advertised (Is that good or bad? Interesting situations, likable characters.)

I'm reading The Magistrates of Hell, fourth in Barbara Hambly's superb series of James Asher novels. I have no idea why these don't get more PR - Hambly is a fine writer and these books are some of the best vampire literature available. I've found out about the last two in the series by accident. In this book, set in 1912, Asher and his wife, Lydia, have traveled to Peking in with an elderly friend to investigate reports of a mysterious and horrific creature which is NOT a vampire.

Currently reading Snare which is an odd far future devolved humanity type Quest. SO far. With religion and politics and aliens thrown in. A it confusing but working quite well.

I've also got a stack of Liaden universe novels to catch up on, and DNA's Dirk Gently for Morphy's thread. September had better not be too busy so I've enough time for reading.

49 - I quite liked Snare. It was such an odd mix that I was surprised that it worked.

Maggie, which volume of the LBJ books have you read? Are you reading the latest? Does Caro give a balanced picture of LBJ (as far as that is possible?)

Reading Liminal States by Zack Parsons... opinion reserved at this time.

I have several things going, as usual. The most recent addition is Bridge of Birds: A Novel of an Ancient China That Never Was, by Barry Hughart, which I saw recommended on LT. I liked it right away. It reminds me in some ways of Monkey: Folk Novel of China, even though it's not (so far as I know) another retelling of actual folktales.

After a succession of disappointing reads that were plagued by flawed writing and poor editing, this story won my confidence very quickly. I trust the author, so I can relax and just read it.

A little while ago I have been reading The Night Land :
"A rather infuriating mix of great lovecraftian horror in the first part, and a second part where the reader gets entirely too much exposure to the protagonist/narrator's brand of chivalrous barbarism.
I can understand that the story wouldn't have worked as intended if the young girl had been Xena warrior-princess (though actually, events do show that she is more than capable when needed), but sooo many, too many addresses to the reader, useless reminders as if the reader was assumed to have the memory of a goldfish, assumptions that said reader is sympathetic to the narrator's view on all topics including his drivel on the nature of feminity and a proper relationship."

Meredy, I find it funny that I just gave up reading Bridge of Birds. I did not judge it to be a bad book, just not to my interests right now.

Regarding Robert A. Caro's LBJ books - yup, I've read them all and this one is the latest. I started reading his The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York many, many years ago. I was amazed at the level of detail he put in the book and I learned so much about how power works in a large venue such as both New York City and New York State. Then I moved on to the LBJ books. Fascinating stuff. He gives so much detail to Johnson's background in east Texas, and his family which gave Johnson both experience of politics in Texas, and the experience of abject poverty. Caro gives so much texture and detail to Johnson that his reputation as a national politician is so much more understandable.

Caro's work seems very balanced to me although once you know so much about a person it is hard not to be sympathetic; he includes evidence for voter frauds early in Johnson's career; and he includes evidence for how badly he treated people during his rise to power, and during his use of the incredible power he gained as a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator. I am about 2/3 of the way through the current book. I am really hoping Caro is able to finish the planned last volume. I am very interested in how he will handle the war in Vietnam.

I think one would definitely need to be interested in the minutia of politics and history to enjoy these books but for those kinds of readers these are golden.

I finished Bridge of Birds and loved it. It earned 4 1/2 stars from me. Now I'm on to the second Bryant & May mystery by Christopher Fowler.

I've recently started The Wave Watcher's Companion: From Ocean Waves to Light Waves via Shock Waves, Stadium Waves, and All the Rest of Life's Undulations by Gavin Pretor-Pinney. Love it!

When my oldest son crossed over from Cub- to Boy Scouts, the first merit badge he wanted to take was Oceanography. I ended up being the adult leader to get the dozen other lads through it. So, I read up on all the topics they needed to understand in order to get the written requirements done This was a prerequisite for the hands-on portion of the badge, which was to attend the event set up by the UT Marine Science Center down in Port Aransas. What a day! I ran that merit badge four more times over the years.

As I never took a class in Physics, my own education was from reading books about the subject, and I've had all these ideas about how water moves, and how it relates to wind movement, and how it seems to parallel what I surmise about sound, radio and light. And now, I'm reading a book about exactly that, and it's everything I expected and more. It's quite down-to-earth, purposefully funny, and very informative. And I'm only in the second chapter!

That is a wonderful life coincidence, isn't it? You learn all this good stuff and then you read a book about it.

I'm rereading Tigers and Devils. It's one of my warm-fuzzy books, and it's getting me through (and distracting me from) my pile of marking, research and housework.

I finished the third novel in the Liaden Dragon variation omnibus yesterday, Conflict of honors. I'm really enjoying exploring the Liaden universe and meeting its inhabitants. It's great for when my brain can't handle the many twists and turns and frenetic activity of a Vorkosigan novel but I still want to explore the galaxy.

Also reading Liaden. From the Baen omnibuses currently just finisehd I dare and now on Balance of trade. Wasn't that impressed with I dae, jumped about a bit too mcuh and all the resolutions seem to pat and straightforward.

Sakerfalcon what order are you reading them in? I'm just on teh way Baen have them, but I think I'd choose chronologicalif I was re-reading.

I'm reading an ebook copy of Foreigner by C. J. Cherryh borrowed from the library. For some reason I'd never read any of her science fiction until recently, although I've read and enjoyed some of her fantasy. Inspired by comments here, I recently finished the Chanur books, which I was able to buy in two omnibus editions. I enjoyed them, so was interested to try another of her SF books.

>61 reading_fox:: I'm reading them in a mixture of publication and Baen order. Actually I started with Fledgling, then, following advice given here, went back to Agent of Change which I believe was the first published, then read all 3 of the novels in The dragon variation, which each seem to start a story arc. I'm currently having a quick reread of Agent before starting Carpe Diem and moving onto the Korval's game omnibus. After that I will probably stop for a bit as I'll have to buy the next books and I can't do that at the moment.

Even though I am not finished with The Night Circus nor 1492: The Year the World Began I dipped my toe into A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny (4th book in her series) and I was able to get, for free, The Hawaiian Archipelago from Amazon. The latter is a series of letters written by this woman during her adventures in The Sandwich Islands during the late 1800s! Should be a fun read.

2312 Which I'm really enjoying. I'm sure the style won't suit everyone but I think it's great. Not quite as slow as the Mars trilogy with a more Reynolds type feel to the augmented humans and accurate physics. So far anyway

Hmn, I've been thinking about reading 2312 but also dreaded it a bit, based on the good but heavy Mars-trilogy. This sounds like a recommendation, so I'll bump it up on my list :)

Presently I'm in Culture space, with Excession. Good enough but not up there with his best, in my humble opinion. But perhaps the ending will justify the effort ;-)

And tomorrow should see an notification from the bookshop telling me I can pick up Hydrogen Sonata, his latest Culture book.
I have high hopes... ;-)

Let's see. I'm reading:

The Secret Language of Symbols by David Fontana
The artwork is so bad it is constantly distracting me from the reading.

Bossypants by Tina Fey
Even though I've not watched anything she's been in, I'm enjoying reading about her.

The Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon
For my book club

>65 reading_fox:, 66: I read 2312 a few weeks ago and really enjoyed it. I can see how people might not like the sections of lists and extracts, but most of them worked for me and added depth and detail to the worldbuilding. I never found it heavy going, and always looked forward to picking it up again.

I've started reading The Woman Who Died A Lot by Jasper Fforde. It's the 7th book in the Thursday Next series. I'm hoping to have it finished when he comes to my local bookstore next week. (Yay!)
It's as good as the others, so far. The only thing I can say is that I wish I had reread the others before starting this one. I can remember the plot of The Eyre Affair & the 6th book, One of Our Thursdays is Missing, as well as something about a "footnoter" (hilarious), but each book is so involved, I'm drawing a blank on the rest.

About a third of the way through The Etched City by K. J. Bishop and loving it :)

I'm about 2/3rds of the way through the tome The Bonehunters. Great book but lots of it!

Also listening to Rebecca which I am struggling with. I sooooo want to smack him and kick her in the butt. Yes, violence prone. That's what happens when you're a USAF trained killer. ;)

I've just started The White Forest by Adam Macomber. It's not quite my usual read, but so far the writing is good and I'm intrigued by the premise. I'm also reading Cold Cereal with my kids and really getting a kick out of it. I'm not sure it's as well put together as The True Meaning of Smekday, but we're all enjoying it, even the "I'm not really listening, because bedtime stories are for little kids" 14 year old.

I'm reading stories from Immodest Proposals in the lead up to Halloween.

Finished The First Rule of Ten and found it adequately enjoyable, even though I almost put it down the first time a character said "prolly" (the sight of which triggers my gag reflex). I''m now reading Olga Grushin's The Dream Life of Sukhanov. I have high expectations of this work based on a recent reading of The Line, which got a rare five stars from me.

I'm currently reading Stephen King's Full Dark, No Stars. Only about half way through the first story, so can't really comment on the book so far.

I'm reading Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell - almost finished. I just finished The Making of a Marchioness by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

Reading The White Forest by Adam McOmber. Atmospheric and intriguingly gothic -- not sure exactly where it's going yet.

The Dream Life of Sukhanov garnered five stars from me as well. I'll read any other novel written by this author, who is (amazingly) only in her early forties.

I'm starting The Blind Owl now. The introduction is a bit alarming.

Picked up Giant Thief, which seems well-paced and told in a pleasant enough voice, but doesn't feel like it will be very memorable so far.
Not very far in yet though.

Reading Audrey's Door by Sarah Langan, a spooky story for October for the Calico Challenge (http://calico-reaction.livejournal.com/).

I am reading Team of Rivals which documents Abraham Lincoln's ability to bring former political opponents into the government after his election, and how he created a team of people working together. Seems like a particularly appropriate topic in view of this current American election. There is a group reading of the book in the 75 Book Challenge Group. Any one interested is welcome to join us. Officially we are reading the book during November.

Zero Break by Neil Plakcy is my librocubicular reading. Like most series', the quality declines a bit as you go along, but it's still good reading for my standards, and it has a generally warm, fuzzy feeling.

I'm also reading It Takes Two by Elliott Mackle, which is set in 1950s Florida. I was reading it on the way to work this morning; by the time I got there, I really felt a jolt coming back to reality. I was working, but my mind was stuck 60 years ago in Fort Myers.

Rudyard Kipling's Tales of Horror and Fantasy, which is a collection of his short stories. I clearly have not understood his talent. I read some of these as a teenager, but others of these I had not read, for example, like "The Strange Ride of Morrowbie Jukes". (Just in time for Halloween, a story involving the undead.).

I'm just about finished with Susanna Kearsley's The Shadowy Horses. It's not a bad book, but I don't think it's her best. There isn't so much... things happening as there is ... things being weird and kinda spooky, I guess. The Winter Sea is still my favorite, followed by Mariana.

Recently finished The Casual Vacancy - I did not expect to like it, based on some of the reviews I had seen and that it is not the type of book I ordinarily read; however, I really like JKR's writing and I enjoyed it much more than I had expected.

Also just finished The Rook, a birthday gift. Excellent book, I highly recommend it. I think I need to re-read it soon, to catch all the things I missed the first time around. It reminded me of Connie Willis's To Say Nothing of the Dog - not the story, but the style. Note to self - read more Connie Willis.

Am going to start Talulla Rising next.

Done with Giant Thief, which was meh, earlier impression confirmed.

Currently 3/4 of the way through The Historian and enjoying it. I wonder how many people who read it, especially the french edition I'm reading (more luridly titled "L'Historienne et Drakula") may have felt that the tale takes its sweet time to introduce the more "heavyweight" supernatural elements.

I am plowing my way through Team of Rivals and enjoying it greatly!

I enjoyed The Historian when I read it a couple of years ago. As I recall, part of what I liked about it was its heft. It used a fair helping of quasi-scholarliness for verisimilitude. It was like sleeping under several blankets and a quilt: warmth aside, the sheer weight of it felt satisfying.

I've just finished Company of Liars. What I have available now is Eight Skilled Gentlemen. I didn't want to read that yet, so soon after the second of the series, but there doesn't seem to be anything else handy that suits my present mood.

I'm chuckling my way through Supervillainous!: Confessions of a Costumed Evil-doer by Mike Leon (no touchstone). It's humorous and rather witty, even if the writing style slips below par on occasion.

I just finished reading The spirit lens by Carol Berg, a slow-building, immersive fantasy that I very much enjoyed. No pig-boys or magic swords, just a well-written world and engaging, flawed characters who I want to know more about. I'll be seeking out the sequel, The soul mirror.

I love Carol Berg's work! The Soul Mirror takes it further - she always unveils in layers, and she always delivers a great ending.

The Gold Bug Variations came in for me at the library, so I can postpone Eight Skilled Gentlemen for a while.

Last night I tried reading my late mother's 1926 edition of Middlemarch, but the leather cover, the page binding, and the page edges are so crumbly that it was falling apart in my hands. I couldn't keep it together well enough to hold the page steady. I ended up with little bits and tatters all over my lap and the floor. I guess the reading days for that one are over and it's just a relic now. Too bad, because I was looking forward to reading it with my mother's little notes and annotations. She was a huge fan of George Eliot.

I recently finished The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton. I liked it, but the ending left me dissatisfied.
Just started Dark Currents: Agent of Hel by Jacqueline Carey. I'm very excited because I love her stuff and thought her first attempt at urban fantasy, Santa Olivia was surprisingly good.

Meredy, The Gold Bug Variations is one of my favorites. I hope you enjoy it!

I've just finished Hide me among the graves, a spooky supernatural novel set in Victorian London, perfect Hallowe'en reading. And now I'm reading the graphic novel Beasts of burden, which, despite starring a group of cute dogs (and one cat), is a very dark read about animals who battle against the paranormal in their small town. Sounds cheesy; it isn't. Both books go back to the library tomorrow.

And I've started rereading The historian for our November group read.

Finished The New Jerusalem this morning. Could have been a mildly interesting account of why some post-Great Fire plans for the rebuilding of London look the way they do, but the sound of cuckoos in the text made suspension of disbelief difficult.

I'm in between three books and want to read them all at the same time: Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia, Doomsday Book by Connie Willis, and Wool by Hugh Howey. I also want to start A Christmas Carol soon.

I've had a little time to ready lately, but it sure is hard to find! When I sit down to read, I think of so many things I need to be doing.

94: aviddiva, it's a remarkable book. I don't know that I've ever read prose fiction more densely packed with allusions. The title is but a mild example of all the ways and places that your mind and senses must have traveled in order to apprehend it fully. For all the phrases that jump, whether lines from poetry or from the history of science, I can't escape the feeling that I'm missing 90 percent of them. It lures me on, dragging my tattered literary dignity in its wake.

Meredy, looking at the reviews and your comment above puts a thought in my head, and it goes like this:

When I wur a lad (which might itself be an example of my point), there was a certain body of knowledge and phrase that could be taken for granted as the "small change" of thought, but how much of that is still current? Here's a selection of phrases that were part of my mental "small change", but how many can be readily placed now?
"left undone those things which we ought to have done, and done those things which we ought not to have done"
"at all times and in all places"
"Moveable Feast"
"a very present help in trouble"
--- all from the same source which, in deference to the sign in the foyer, shall remain nameless.

99: I agree that one can no longer presume a reader's knowledge of the same common body of literature, whether it's the Bible (KJV), the Book of Common Prayer, Shakespeare, traditional English poets, or classics in Latin and Greek. This is due partly to the fact that those are no longer universally treated as part of a basic education, but another factor is that literacy is more widespread and takes in cultural backgrounds beyond that of the well-reared privileged classes of certain nations.

But this isn't a nineteenth-century book. It was published in 1991. And its range goes far beyond those traditional sources. Here's a single example:

"The chemical tumbling act is a mechanism beyond belief, a language more awesome than I suspected, perhaps more than I can suspect."

This passage refers to the structure of DNA. It echoes, without quoting, the famous remark of J.B.S. Haldane: "My own suspicion is that the universe is not only queerer than we suppose, but queerer than we can suppose." The only direct commonality is the italicized "can." If you know this line, you'll recognize it; if you don't, it'll just pass on by. Line after line makes that kind of leap in my mind, and I am haunted by the feeling that those that don't are likewise resonating to other chords that I can't hear.

In a text where there are so many references and allusions, it can be good because your enjoyment of the book will be so different from someone else's because you understand some of the allusions, but someone else will understand a completely different set, and therefore have a different experience of the novel.

(That said, I'm not a fan of books that are overly referential like that, which is odd, because I like it in a TV show. Perhaps it's because I have so much better knowledge of popular culture than literature).

Agreed, mostly. Though I have to admit to being taught the structure and some of the replication of DNA in undergraduate, over 40 years ago, and now making it perform to order is part of the standard small change of almost any university-level biology school. So recognising the Haldane, I still tend to think of the first part of the sentence as "mechanism beyond belief? Belief is irrelevant; replication just is." Still sounds like a book worth looking out for, though. Many thanks for the heads-up.

Interesting -- I didn't recognize the Haldane quote, but I'm sure I got musical references that others didn't, so Choreocat, you're right, we might be reading the same book from completely different angles. I'm going to have to go back for a reread and see what else pops out at me that I didn't notice in the 90's. Might be a good companion book to Godel, Escher Bach.

Hello, all! I haven't been around much lately, but now that baseball season is over (YAY GIANTS!) I am hoping to have more time for reading and bookish websites again.

I just finished Telegraph Avenue by Michael Chabon, which I enjoyed. Today I started The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell.

littlegeek - Missed, missed MISSED you! Facebook just isn't the same as LT. :)

Welcome Back, Little Geek!

Meanwhile, I just read Parnassus on Wheels, by Christopher Morley. I borrowed an original 1917 edition from the library and finished it in a few hours. It is, as others have said, thoroughly delightful, a little gem, a booklover's book.

I finally finshed Full Dark, No Stars. Just could not seem to get into it. Each time that I started reading I'd only get a few pages done at a time. I liked it, but not what I was expecting going in.

I'm currently reading The Case of Charles Dexter Ward by H.P. Lovecraft. I started this before Halloween, and am roughly half way through it. It's a bit of a difference going from the way King writes to Lovecraft.

Reading Captain Vorpatril's Alliance, and enjoying it hugely.

I was hoping our library would be getting it, as I generally don't buy hardcovers, but it wasn't listed in their catalogue yet. As I was poking around online, I went from LMB's website to Baen's, and found the ebook of it already available for a very reasonable price. I'll still buy the paperback when it comes out, but am happy to be able to read it right away.

However, the laundry and a few other chores did not get done today.

I loved Captain Vorpatril's Alliance. Great fun! I've been wanting a book about Ivan for forever.

>109 NorthernStar:, 110: I SO want to read this, but will have to wait for paperback. I don't think the Vorkosigan books are being published in the UK at present :-(

109 - 111: I pre-ordered this and it looks like I'll finally get it today. Its shipping status says 'Out for Delivery'. Woohoo! I'm looking forward to finding out about the real Ivan.

I started Rules of Civility by Amor Towles today. It seemed just the right thing for a rainy November; tales of an upwardly-yearning woman in 1938 New York City. Elegant and somehow spare prose that is expressive without being showy.

I started Carte Blanche last Friday after seeing Skyfall on Thursday night. This is my first Bond book and am enjoying it so far.

#113 - I loved Rules of Civility!

I'm a little over halfway through The Night Circus and it is as good as everyone says it is!

I just re-read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, and it is just as good as the first time I read it (or maybe even better).

re-reading feed now that I have the rest of the series and the short stories to go with it. It IS as good as I remembered from only a few months ago. Definetly one of my books of the year.

Tamara Allen's Downtime (almost finished - a pleasant and relaxing bit of fluff)
Luck in the Shadows - Lynn Flewelling - a fun bit of fluff
The Skystone - Jack Whyte (a MAN's book - not that a woman can't read it, but it's definitely written with men in mind)
World War Z - Max Brooks (this was meant to be a halloween reread, but it got delayed).

I seem to be doing a lot of re-reading recently - all of these are being read for the second (or third, or fourth) time. I'm in a mood for old favourites.

That said, I also read the first volume of Saga (Brian K Vaughn's new graphic novel series) and it's *really* good.

I'm reading Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss, and loving it mostly - except for one absurd bit about a nymphomaniac fairy. Thank god that part's over. I can see why the author has been accused of writing a Mary Sue character as he's so damned brilliant at everything he does. But, still, for those faults, it's a wonderful read over all.

#112 - "except for one absurd bit about a nymphomaniac fairy."

Let's hope he has that out of his system now! Really was torture to read.

I liked The Name of the Wind well enough but then when Wise Man's Fear finally arrived I had kind of... I don't know - it's such a thick volume and I didn't feel that enthusiastic.

Right or wrong? Ought I to pick it up anyway?

Pick it up, but when you get to the part where he is kidnapped into fairy land, skip ahead. A good bit of the length will be cut, you won't be bored out of your skull, and I really don't think you will miss anything for the plot. :) The rest of the book is good.

Agreed - you will not miss anything by skipping the fairyland lust-idyll scenes! I wasn't keen on the section that followed with the Adem either - again, too Mary Sue-ish for me. But overall I enjoyed the read and am looking forward to book 3.

OK, I think I'll pick it up!

Oh; some good recommendations here. Currently, I'm rereading Arthur Ransome's classic Swallows and Amazons, and also reading Troubled Waters by Sharon Shinn which, though not quite up to her Twelve Houses standard, I'm enjoying.

ETA : If anyone hasn't put their name on the LOCATION WIKI, please have a look here

Thanks for the link to the wiki; I've just added myself.
The Swallows and amazons books were favourites of mine growing up; I still have my very battered paperbacks! Troubled waters is on Mount Tbr, must get to it soon.

I too added myself. Noted that a lot of people are missing!

Now reading - finally!!! - The Fractal Prince. Quite bizarre but this far I'm enjoying it.

> 126, 127: Thanks for joining. Spread the word!

The four days surrounding Thanksgiving are often a busy time for folks and this may account for "people missing".

#129 - I meant missing in the location wiki list, which I took for an effort of some age - not a new one... But I could be wrong, of course :)

Finished Carte Blanche last week and started on reading my Jules Verne collection. This is my first time actually reading anything by him. Pretty familiar with the stories represented here, mainly 20,000 leagues, and Around the World. Looking forward to reading them.

I've just started reading The snow leopard after carrying it around with me for a week.

After finishing The Gold Bug Variations, I raced through the relatively short Eight Skilled Gentlemen and then turned to another long one, The Orphan Master's Son. That's where I am now.

Went through the Féerie pour les ténèbres trilogy which was great.

Now going through a few Vlad Taltos adventures I'd been gathering, Taltos, Dragon, Issola. Fun if uncomplicated fantasy.

I've had an awful year where I've read almost nothing... well, not fiction anyway. I can probably count the fiction books I've read on one hand - how awful is that?! But I have finally decided that study is all well and good, but I have to make time for reading other things before I go insane, so I am finally reading Game of Thrones. And. It. Is. Amazing. (And I know I don't need to tell anyone here that).

I've put it off for ages on account of the fact that I figured an 800 page book would be such a chore I'd never fit it in around what is proving to be a very hectic time, but the pages are flying by. I also think the fact that I'm putting off watching the series until I've read the book has a lot to do with it...

#134 - Ugh, those reading stalls are horrible. I'm in one now, but being patient with myself trusting that I will feel like reading again. The book I'm trying to finish is not a bad book. I'm not frustrated with it, and I think at any other time it would be compelling. It is The Black Count, a biography of Alexander Dumas's father, who was a Revolutionary hero in France.

Anyway, glad you found something to revive you!

Finished all of the newsgflesh series and really enjoyed all of them.

Now on reread of Name of the Wind so that I can go onto WMF.

Finished A Test of Wills and LOVED it.

Now reading bibliomystery/thriller The Rule of Four

Finished Troubled Waters and Garth Nix's Mister Monday. Now I'm looking at Redoubt, the fourth in Mercedes Lackey's 'Collegium' series.

In the middle of The Game by Laurie King. Enjoying a lot. Also spent a happy hour on the public library catalogue yesterday requesting items for Christmas. Have 2 weeks leave and want plenty of options for reading !!

Presently reading Dracula, because it looked so lonely on its shelf at the bookshop and I thought I maybe should read some classics ;-)
It is hard to find any time to read, though, with all the social obligations of Yule.

finished up Megan Whalen Turner 's The Queen's Thief series and just began Warhost of Vastmark.

Loved,loved, loved the Thief series. I can't rave about it enough.

Janny's works are also favorites so I'm indulging myself here at the end of the year. :)

Just started A fabulous kingdom which was one of my SantaThing books. It is about Artic exploration from the earliest accounts to research done today. So far it is very interesting. Am learning alot

I finished Cold Days and will begin A Play of Knaves today. I am so close to 100 books this year, but I don't think I will make it unless I cheat. First time in many years I won't have read more than 100, but my dad dying this year threw me. At least I think it was that, but it could have been a combination of that and work.

I've just been reading Invincible (vols 2 - 6) and been really enjoying it. Now I'm reading one of my Christmas books - Tigerland (the sequel to one of my favourite queer romances, Tigers and Devils).

I'm reading The soul mirror by Carol Berg, which is excellent.

Have just cracked open door-stopper Memories of Ice, so far so good :)

Finished The soul mirror (my final book of 2012) and am eager for volume 3 to arrive from amazon. Such great characters, plotting and writing in this trilogy.

Also just finished Red country, a very different type of fantasy novel. No delicate social manoeuvering here, just lots of crossbows and hacking at things with swords! I enjoyed it though, mainly due to Abercrombie's black humour and the fact that the characters I cared about did not turn out to be completely despicable bastards after all!

I'm a bit behind; finished Redoubt - Mercedes Lackey, Grim Tuesday - Garth Nix and The Shadow Queen - Anne Bishop last year.

I've put Barry Hughart's Bridge of Birds into this year's reads.

I've gone from a fairly unsatisfactory science fiction tome to Scott's The Bride of Lammermoor. What does it tell you when I say that it's a refreshing change?

I was reading "Socialism is Great" by Lijia Zhang on the plane yesterday. It's a memoir about the transition from Maoist socialism to whatever China became by the late 80s. I did realise it's not the best book to flash around the airport, because not everyone will recognise that the title is ironic.

My lunch-time read (yes, I belong to the several-books-at-a-time party) is The Mockery Bird, a novel of which I was unaware until I found it in the library. Hilarious, vintage Gerald Durrell. Recommended all the more because I can't help feeling I know many of the characters.

Recently read In the Woods and The Likeness, by Tana French. These are mysteries, set in Ireland, and were excellent, but a bit heavy going. I have two more by her out from the library, but I think I'll take them back and read them another time. There are some other things I want to read sooner, plus they are large, heavy books, which I find offputting. Before those I read The Far West by Patricia Wrede, which I really enjoyed. I also read a couple of good ER ebooks recently - The Chocolatier's Wife, which I liked very much and would recommend, and The Cornerstone. Now reading Among Others by Jo Walton. I've heard great comments on it, and so far it is living up to them.

I'm (re)reading The Hobbit, because I couldn't (shock horror!) remember when I'd last read it, and Lynn Flewelling's Casket of Souls.

Just finished Case Histories which I enjoyed greatly and now about to head from Cambridge to London to see Moon Over Soho.

I'm trying to finish a re-read of Old Man's War so I can jump into the first serial of The Human Division, The B-Team before the next installment arrives next week. Also juggling a re-read of Dragonriders of Pern and a few other reads including The Death Relic. Jumping from one amazing world to the next:)

I'm reading The time traveller's guide to medieval England, which is excellent. It tells you all the sorts of things you would need to know if you went back in time, such as how to greet people, what behaviour might be expected of you, how to tell the time and date and what to wear, but is well written and strikes a good balance between the scholarly and the popular. Contrary to what you might expect, it's not actually structured like a guidebook, and is not at all gimmicky.

>154 Choreocrat:: I'll be starting Casket of souls soon, in my (re)read of the Nightrunner series. It'll be a new one to me, and I'm looking forward to it.

#157 Glad you like The Time-traveller's Guide. It stays fascinating right to the very end, which is unusual.

157 - I'm enjoying it better than the previous pair. Lots of intrigue and fun moments.

I'm still slogging on in London, with Van Helsing and the guys as they hunt Dracula, holding off on other more interesting reads because I will finish it.

Alloy of Law Brandon Sanderson's standalone extension to the Mistborn series. Opening few chapters are very different to the Mistborn! but the same feel is just about there. I'm not totally convinced he's sure about what time period this is set in - most Westerns are pre-electricity. but we'll see how it all works out.

> 161: I just read Alloy of law and really enjoyed it. I didn't think too hard about the logistics of it though!

I enjoy Sanderson's writing style but the last installment of the Mistborn trilogy put me off his work indefinitely. Sometimes I think I'm too harsh on him, he's a decent guy.
Maybe I should give him a second chance.

I don't think Sanderson's overtly preachy in this one - although there are references to the earlier books. His feminism role models are as usual not up to much though.

After many mentions here I've finally started redshirts. WHich is fun. And (I don't know how many people here know this already) based on an actual fanfic series - not books but a TV/film series which always impressed me.
Unfortunetly it appears that scalzi although aware of it enough to poke fun at it, hasn't actually watched any of it, and hence has most of the details wrong. Which is always annoying, and kind of defeats some ofthe purpose.

I'm off my usual rhythm at the moment: the only fictional work I have going is Broken Harbor, which at the read-aloud pace of about 30 pages a week is going to take a while yet. We're just past the midpoint.

The daytime pickup book on the coffee table is Buried Book, a fascinating account of the excavating and deciphering of the ancient Akkadian cuneiform tablets constituting the epic of Gilgamesh. I have an edition of the poem itself, with scholarly annotations and explications and photographs, alongside it.

The current read on my night table is What Makes You Not a Buddhist, one in a long series of Buddhist writings that I've worked through over the past 18 years. This one is different (even though, of course, they are all different--and all the same), and not just because it's from a Tibetan perspective rather than Zen.

Up next are a couple of mysteries. I need a thick, meaty mainstream novel to chew on for a while. Casual Vacancy did not make it.

Ooh - Buried Book sounds interesting, I've added that to my future purchases pile!

I'm still making my way through A Clash of Kings - I'm still enjoying the series, but I think I'm starting to find keeping track of everyone other than the (current) main players quite hard work.

Also have The Six Wives Henry VIII on audio book as I do my chores. Despite the way it fundamentally changed British society, it's hard not to view this period in particular as a gigantic soap opera. It would be completely implausible as a film plot, I'm sure!

Busifer - I love Dracula and re-read it last year and totally forgot what a speeding train the ending is. Great stuff. I hope you finish it and find something to like in in.

Meredy - I read The Buried Book last year and while it was interesting while it stayed on point, it was disjointed and often wandered and parts of it are deadly. Worth checking out though, especially since you have that nice edition of the poem itself.

Finished The Fairytale Detectives, The Phoenix Guards and Karavans (haven't checked in for a while!), and just turned the last page on King's Dragon, and they've all been really good, especially the last couple.

Henry VIII as a film? - nah; wouldn't even make a TV series. ;0)

Finished redshirts not as bad as above, but there's still something that bugs me about it. Currently on Long Earth which is failing the internal consistency checks quite badly, but otherwise interesting. I'm not sure where they're going with it though.

Finished The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society today, months after everybody else. Whatever anybody said in praise of this, I'll second.

I am temporarily putting Anna Karènina aside to read my Early Reviewer copy of Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight: Cassius Clay vs. The United States of America. So far I'm impressed with good research and tight journalistic writing.

>170 hfglen: hfglen

I reread that last month, and it was just as good I remembered. One of my favourites.

Just finished The Theif and The Queen of Attolia, the first two in a series by Megan Whalen Turner. I got them from the library based on someone's comments on LT, and enjoyed them both. Now I need to look for the final two books in the series.

As a change of pace I am currently reading a geological non-fiction, Cascadia's Fault, which is fascinating so far. All about the major Cascadia fault zone and related fault zones off the west coast of North America and around the Pacific. Also got this from the library based on comments on LT. So glad I don't live near the coast.

167: I didn't actually find any of it deadly. I enjoyed it all the way through and gave it a pretty good review.

Now I'm working slowly through the Gardner translation of the poem itself, which consists mainly of scholarly explication and notes. I'm past my student days and am not retaining much of this, but it feels good going in. Besides, I like to keep the various parts of my brain awake and not just the ones it takes to progress through an ordinary day.

Suffer Little Children by "Peter Tremayne" Fascinating story; a mystery set in 7th century Ireland and solved by the redoubtable Sister Fidelma. But it could occasionally have used some tighter editing and proofreading -- a few uses of the wrong word, which grated at the time and I now can't find, and the odd typo, did rather detract from an otherwise enjoyable story. Nonetheless, I shall look out for more of the good Sister's adventures.

175 - I've found the same annoyances with the Sister Fidelma mysteries. They jar me just enough to remember that they did, but not in any major way. Still interesting enough to read when one comes across them.

Cascadia's Fault was excellent, I would highly recommend it, especially if you live anywhere near the west coast of N. America or are interested in geology. Best tip - if you are near any coast and you feel the ground shaking for more than 30 seconds, head for high ground and don't stop until you get there.

Just finished all but the most recent of Kim Harrison's Hollows series with Rachel Morgan. I had read the first a few years ago, but none of the others. I enjoyed them, for the most part, except when Rachel annoyed me by being too stupid about her relationships or her magic.

Now getting into some Connie Willis. I read To Say Nothing of the Dog a while ago, and am finally getting around to reading the related books - Doomsday Book, Blackout, and All Clear. So far I am liking Doomsday Book very much.

I have also got a couple of ER books to read and review, a few new books that just arrived in the mail, and some ebooks borrowed from the library. I need to control my book addiction a bit and get some other stuff done!

177 - I love reading Connie Willis' books. Some people find the level of detail distracting and off-putting, but if you like that kind of thing, she's a gold-mine!

I've not kept my list current; I've finished Heat Wave by Richard Castle, The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle, The King's Bastard by Rowena Cory Daniells, Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine and Lady Susan byJane Austen.

I'm currently reading Piratica by Tanith Lee, which is an interesting concept about the daughter of a lady pirate trying to follow in her mother's footsteps. It's set in / off a nineteenth century (southern) England in a parallel universe.

Finished In Mendel's Footnotes by Colin Tudge -- interesting, informative and important, but not always an easy read. Well written, but some of the ideas were densely detailed and needed close attention. You'd need to be interested in biology or concerned about GMOs to want to read this one -- but do make sure the 4x4 low ratio gears of your mind work before starting.

One that I think MrsLee and jillmwo would like is Terry Jones' Barbarians; it's Roman history from the other side, and the style is often reminiscent of The Time Travellers' Guide to Medieval England. The early chapters, on the Celts, are interesting in that they indicate just how accurate the setting of Sister Fidelma is, and how remarkably civilised Ireland was for centuries.

"and how remarkably civilised Ireland was for centuries."

er - does that mean it isn't now? ;0)

ETA - just joking!

OK, how far ahead of the "centres of civilisation" -- in many ways, they still are ;-)

Currently reading Ready Player One. Enjoying it a great deal so far even if its vision of the near future is not great.

Just finished A Terrible Glory, the latest and most comprehensive treatment of the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Excellent book. It incorporates the newest forensic finds, includes much first hand information from the Native Americans involved in the battle, and traces the fates of not just the major players in the drama, but also every minor character that has even a scrap of information available.

The book is thorough and very readable. I felt I knew these people, smelled the sweat of the riders, heard the crash of battle while I stood on the hillside with Benteen and Reno and did nothing.

The bibliography is extensive, and the chapter notes are most thorough. In fact, I ended up using two bookmarks - one for my place in the text, and one in the Notes section to keep abreast of the citations and additional information the author added.

The book also covers in detail the hearings and the coverup in the aftermath of the battle. In addition, the author details the Wounded Knee Massacre and its connections with the Little Bighorn Battle. Thorough, well-supported, minutely detailed, but readable and exciting. Highly recommended.

Sounds fascinating!

I'm reading Death in the Stocks by Georgette Heyer. What an interesting mystery. I love the characters she's created, such eccentric and hard to read types who are hilarious as well. I'm definitely reading more of these.

Georgette Heyer is one of my all-time favorites!

Just finished The Bonehunters by Steven Erikson, loved it.

I've begun River of gods by Ian McDonald, not very far in yet but enjoying it so far.

188: I gave River of Gods five stars, and I don't hand out very many of those. I thought the conclusion was a knockout.

I'm reading a cute, sexy little story called Mi Amor by Neil Plakcy. Mostly pure fluff, with some tender heartstring-pulling.

One of my current reads is a most unusual book by the name of House of Leaves. It drew me right in.

191 Meredy, I read House of Leaves a few years ago. I would be interested in your views when you have finished it.

My recollection is that I was using four bookmarks to keep track of my place(s).

I'm reading the prequel trilogy to Harmonies of the net. Just as good as the originals. Very character driven SF. How to nuture genius when they know all the technical details but need someone to trust absolutely ina dangerous situation - and only they might know the dangers.

192: I'm using only one, but I follow roving threads as far as I can before I put the book down. Last night I did have a finger in several pages at at time.

This year I've made a commitment to review everything I read, so I'll be posting comments in my journal thread and as reviews on the works pages.

#194

I wrote a review of House of Leaves for issue 32 of Albedo1 magazine. I have just posted that in LT. If you think like me you will not read the review until you have finished reading the book, and probably not until after you have written your own review.

I hope you enjoy the book. It is quite a unique experience.

195: That's just exactly how I do think. So now, having just finished the book minutes ago--and it took two or three iterations for me to be sure I'd finished it--I have to let it settle a little bit before I can attempt to say anything about it. I can't yet read what someone else thinks of it, but I'll be sure to read your review after mine is done.

However, I didn't have to ponder very long to know I was going to award it five stars, even though, some-strange-how, I didn't want to.

#196 some-strange-how, I didn't want to.

I also had reservations and I will explain my rating when you have your thoughts sorted and are ready to discuss the book.

My latest: Stay at Home Dead by Jeffrey Allen.

Fresh and funny. The main character of this new series is a stay-at-home dad with a cute and witty three-year-old daughter and a smart, beautiful, funny wife (described as "Sandra Bullock with an attitude). Deuce and his family live in his old home town, complete with old grudges, small-town attitudes toward new ideas, and more-than-healthy interest in other people's business.

An old high school rival reappears in Deuce's life in the form of a dead body in the back seat of his minivan. Too soon, he finds himself the target of a restraining order, a club to the back of the head, an investigation by a private investigator who is a dwarf, and an attempted coup aimed at driving him from his position as Room Dad at Carly's preschool.

The mystery is just passable, but the characters, the small-town feel, the wit and humor of the writing is wonderful. I'll definitely be reading the next in the series.

Read it in an afternoon. A welcome funny read after some intense nonfiction I've been reading lately.

Lovers of the Brother Cadfael stories may like to keep an eye out for Terry Jones' Medieval Lives by, of course, Terry Jones. It's a book telling what it actually felt like to live in England between 1066 and 1535. Marvellous background.

And by the same author, Terry Jones' Barbarians giving a remarkable insight into the tremendous damage to civilization and destruction generally wrought by the Romans. Fascinating to think that the Greeks were probably within a generation or so of an Industrial Revolution, when the Romans came and destroyed their knowledge of steam, solar power and much more.

I'm reading The Captive Prince volume 2 (which doesn't seem to have a touchstone) by S U Pacat. The first volume was an excellent surprise. It was one I'd bought on a whim, expecting a fluffy, angsty, and probably oversexed fantasy, but it turned out to be a surprisingly intelligent court intrigue fantasy with excellent layers, characterisation and a compelling plot. So now I'm reading the second volume, even though the reviews suggest that it ends on a knife edge and volume three isn't ready for some time yet.

I'm reading Graceling, which I think everyone else has already read.

(I finished The Little Prince, Alcatraz versus The Evil Librarians, The Honor of the Queen, Anna and the French Kiss, Jhereg and Two Little Trains.)

I'm reading A Country Doctor's Casebook by Roger MacDonald. It's a local author for our book club and I'm really enjoying it.

>200 Choreocrat: Touchstone fairy : Captive Prince: Volume Two

Nearly finished King of Morning, Queen of day by Ian McDonald as it's due to return to the library soon. Didn't like it as much as the other two books by the same author I borrowed at the same time (River of Gods and Desolation Road), maybe because of the sudden turnaround of a major character from a creative, mostly positive force (in an admittedly rather passive and oppressed way), to devouring selfish monster.

203 - Amazing. It wasn't turning up for me. ;)

A thousand words for stranger which I was very pleased to see finally available as an ebook. Some odd aliens so far!

I'm reading City of djinns, William Dalrymple's history of Delhi. It's fascinating and very compelling, something I don't always find with non-fiction.

205 - I'm excited to hear about the odd aliens. I'm looking forward to reading about them. But right now I'm read another of Czerneda's books, Changing Vision, which has its own odd aliens. Some fun ones too!

I've been reading a new-to-me series by Kate Griffin, starting with A Madness of Angels. I love her descriptive language, but it makes them a bit slow reading for me. Despite that, I am really liking them. Set in London, they remind me a bit of Ben Aaronovitch, but only a bit. I'm on to the 4th in the series, The Minority Council, but unfortunately our library only has 1, 2, and 4. Definitely recommended for urban fantasy fans.

I've been reading Jay Bell's books, a duology (chronologically paralleled) called Something Like Summer and Something Like Winter. Next up is the latest mystery by Neil Plakcy.

Just finished Wool which I enjoyed a great deal.

Here's my latest review, The Verse By the Side of the Road by Frank Rowsome, Jr.:

I loved this, I really did. I am of an age (ahem) to remember Burma-Shave signs in their original habitat. I clearly remember riding along lonely Montana highways with my siblings fighting to read the little red signs out loud. (I also remember looking out the back window to read the signs on the other side of the road...backwards.)

The book is short, with an adequate history of the advertising thinking behind the iconic signs, an interesting examination of the various classifications of sign sets, and the sad explanation of what led to the end of it all. As I said, it's short (68 pages) so it doesn't get deeply into the theories of advertising. But that's fine. It may be there wasn't any deep theorizing in this campaign. It was fun, it was cheap, and it worked.

To me, the best part of the book was the appendix. There is listed every single jingle ever used! (It took 50 pages) And yes, I easily found the ones I knew. Gave me a warm 8 year-old feeling.

Oh, I loved the Burma Shave signs, too! I didn't see too many, and I doubt that I remember any of the verses, but I remember how satisfying saying "Burma Shave" at the end was.

I've just finished Shalador's Lady and am thinking of going on to Among Others.

(I've also finished The Mysterious Affair at Styles, The Graveyard Book, Yendi, Teckla, Fledgling and Thieftaker.)

>213 humouress: What did you think of Shalador's Lady, humouress? And are you planning to read Twilight's dawn? If so, I've been warned by a friend not to read the last story. She said it ruined the entire series for her. I can't tell you why, since I followed her advice...

Just finished The blinding knife; less eyeroll-y than the first, but ends on quite the cliffhanger and I'm not sure when the next bok is due. I've also heard that the series has grown from 3 to 4 projected volumes, which is not always a good thing.

I read The Willful Princess and the Piebald Prince in the last couple of days. It's a spin-off of The Golden Fool, giving it a bit more background - and it came with a couple of excellent illustrations.

I've been dipping into Robin Hobb's newest book, the last in this "Rain Wilds" series I think: Blood of Dragons: Book Four of the Rain Wilds Chronicles. I really like the series because there is a lot of tension built due to there being more than one species in positions of power. Fascinating. Also, of course, how could I, a bone fide resident of the wet and rainy northwest corner of the USA, resist a book about Rain Wilds?

217 - She lived in Alaska and Washington, so I've always thought of the Realm of the Elderlings as taking place along an alternate version of that coast. (That would also mean that The Fool is from where I live).

I suppose I can see why some people might feel the last story of Twilight's Dawn "ruined" the series, but I'd disagree with them. I've read everything by Bishop and she's one of my favorite authors.

I'm currently reading Plum Lucky by Evanovich and will then pick up Whispers Underground by Ben Aaronovitch.

Lots of vi(t)chs!

>218 Choreocrat: - Robin Hobb still lives in Tacoma, Washington; and yes, I expect her fascination with rainy weather and vegetation which results from it, may be a reflection of her environment. I did not know she'd lived in Alaska; the characters in this series are very much "survivalists".

>214 zjakkelien:: I've reviewed Shalador's Lady on my thread; I quite liked it. I read The Shadow Queen a few months ago, which this is the sequel to (so you really have to read that one, first).

I think I prefer Cassidy's story arc to that of the original Black Jewels trilogy (though I've only read the first two of those, so far). There are still things that confuse me about that world - so I may go back and re-read them some day. But it may take me a while to get to Twilight's Dawn.

I haven't read any of The Rain Wilds Chronicles yet. I loved the first Farseer trilogy, and when we returned to Fitz's doings in the Fool trilogy; I liked the Liveship Traders series almost as much, but parts of it left me a bit ... shaken. How does anyone else feel that the four series compare?

I'm sorry I've not read enough of Ms Hobb's work to comment in comparing the series.

>221 humouress: Do you usually read series out of order, humouress? I prefer the first three books to everything that comes after, but I did enjoy Cassidy's story a lot as well. I found the first book the most confusing, since the entire world is introduced in that book, but after that I found the rest much easier to read.

221 - The Six Duchies stories will always be my favourites. I find that the Liveship Traders (which are definitely some people's favourites) are a little different, even to the latest Rain Wilds Chronicles. While they're all a little depressing, the Liveship Traders is occasionally outright brutal, which does make it a little shocking at times. On the other hand, I don't think it's unrealistic as a depiction of life at sea.

And I would not use the word brutal for the Rain Wilds Chronicles, at all. A bit tough in spots, but not all that horrible. I rather enjoyed them all the way through, and am enjoying book 4 so far....

>223 zjakkelien:: I actually hate reading series out of order.

On the occasions I've succumbed, it's been because of something like always seeing Book 2 of a fascinating looking trilogy, but never being able to find Book 1, or thinking that if it's part of a long series and not numbered, it's actually a stand-alone. Having been burned several times by doing that, and finding myself in the middle of events, at the resolution to a cliff-hanger, and not knowing anything, I avoid it like the plague now.

However, in this day and age, publishers seem to like to trick me, and despite all my research, sometimes I've taken a risk on a new-to-me author and I've picked up a few intriguing looking books, only to find they're in the middle of a series - which rather annoys me (I have Sea Glass by Maria V. Snyder on my shelves, which is Book 2 of the second series ... ). Hmmph.

In the case of The Black Jewels novels, I read the first couple, and though I liked some of it, other aspects put me off. So when I saw The Shadow Queen, I thought it would be set in the same world, but with different characters. Essentially, it is; but it is still part of the series, so I missed some events in the middle. I don't think my reading of the two books suffered much as a result, though.

Oops - sorry. Didn't mean to rant.

ETA:

>224 Choreocrat:, 225: Thanks. I've been a bit wary of picking up The Rain Wild Chronicles, but the reviews here do make them sound good. I'll go ahead and read them, now.

>226 humouress: Haha, that happens to me too sometimes. Annoying!

I'm in the third book of the Matched trilogy. This is my review for the first volume, also entitled Matched:

This is the first entry in a trilogy of unusual spirit. The premier volume is told entirely from the viewpoint of Cassia, a young woman about to be "Matched" to her life companion by the Society formulas that rule her world. Unexpectedly, the microcard reveals two faces. Is this a computer glitch or a symptom of something more deeply wrong in the Society?

There are many elements in this story that are fairly typical of YA dystopian tales. A Utopia that is flawed and rotting at its core. Rebellious teenagers that find inconsistencies and lies in what their society teaches. Two completely different young men in love with the same girl. So why do I like this so much?

The characters are compassionate, complex, and human. The Society world is clearly revealed and complete without massive information dumps or tedious explanation. The relationships are ever changing and feel true and real. But there's more.

The aspect of this story that appeals most strongly to me is the fact that rebellion against the overly sterile and regimented Society is expressed in small acts of personal choice and the unspoken determination to preserve things that the Society has jettisoned. Most important to Cassia's story is a secret copy of Dylan Thomas' "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night." The idea of not "going gentle" into acceptance of the status quo is the first spark of Cassia's rebellion. The importance of poetry and creative thought will be a major theme of the entire trilogy. Lovely.

Recommended with enthusiasm.

I'm part way into Blood of Dragons, and I'm liking it. It still has the freshness of the first ones, which I like - as a book four, a tired novel wouldn't be surprising, but it's not happening here.

229> good to hear! I've got a hold on Blood of Dragons at the library and I'm hoping it arrives soon.

Chorecrat, I agree. Many familiar characters but they are not precisely as before, things have progressed off stage. I'm quite hooked and even put to the side another book I was enjoying. Unfortunately, I cannot ignore the deadlines the instructor for my class has provided. I want to get an A. (*whispering* after all if I have two M.A. degrees already, and taught for years and years, and have all this life experience, how could I not get an A in an intro community college class?)

I'm back on my Victorian Sensation Novel bender and am into the fiendishly delightful The Trail of the Serpent by the endlessly prolific Mary Elizabeth Braddon. What is it about these kinds of books that is so addictive?

I've finished Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson and God Stalk, the first in P.C. Hodgell's Kencyrath series. Both excellent books, highly recommended.

I've started Rivers of London, the first of a (?)trilogy by Ben Aarononvitch, which I'm enjoying. (I haven't read Among Others yet - I've been juggling books according to library due dates) That's the way to do it!

Just finished an interesting book called The Vertical Farm which gives a theoretical solution to many of the world's food, water and waste problems. The technology to make this happen is starting to develop, it will be very interesting to see where this goes in the next 20 years. This book focuses more on why vertical, indoor, hydroponic/aeroponic farming is a good and perhaps necessary idea than on the practical details and technology. Ultimately the more idea-based focus probably makes the book more readable and interesting than a more technical book would be. Lots of references, web resources, and interesting web sites are listed in the back.

#234
Ken MacLeod's Night Sessions is a near-future police investigation novel which is really about prejudice and injustice. The majority of the story takes place in Edinburgh where vertical farms have been installed. Some parts of the story take place in New Zealand.

If you're not familiar with Ken's near-future works you might be interested to know that he extrapolates technology in a mostly very realistic fashion.

You make the book, The Vertical Farm, sound very interesting.

The wonderfulyl whimsical Girl who circumnavigated fairyland in a ship of her own making. Definetly a modern fairytale in the victorian style - with silly chapter plotheadings and authorial interludes something in the manner of Alice in Wonderland. Although the subject is obviously a YA children's book, the writing is probably far too complex (see title, how many children know circumnavigated?). I'm thoroughly enjoying it so far.

>236 reading_fox:: That was one of my favourite books from last year. I have the sequel lined up to read soon.

I know a 12 year old who would be happy to tell you the definition of circumnavigate. Just sayin'

>235 pgmcc: - Night Sessions sound interesting - I'll have to try to get a copy to read!

I've finished Blood of Dragons, but I'm at a loss as to which book I should pick up next. I've got a book hangover from reading it until late last night and now my brain is stuck in the world of Elderlings.

Well after reading a lot of stand-alones & YA books this year to fill time coz I didn't know what to read next, I'm happy to say I've got some great (for me) reading ahead :)

I'm currently reading Fugitive Prince by our own Janny Wurts. Its not an easy read, requires a bit of brain power rather than just coasting through the story like I have been for most of my reads this year, but I'm really enjoying the story & looking forward to the rest of the series :)

Once I finish the Alliance of Light series, I've got 2 options, just not sure which I'll do first :)
Option 1: Read through Robert Jordan's WoT from prequel to finish, I haven't read the prequel or the last 3 books yet but the rest have been read multiple times, so I'm looking forward to returning to a familiar world & characters & finding out the end of their stories :) Particularly looking forward to seeing how Brandon Sanderson's writing style works in this series :)
Option 2: Read through Robin Hobb's Rain Wild Chronicles, again the first 3 books will be a re-read for me & I'm really looking forward to reading the conclusion to the latest series by my fave author :) I'm one of the people whose fave ever series is The Liveship Traders & I just love that this series expands a bit on that world that I fell so in love with :)

#241 by Seanie> Janny is one of the few writers around who actually makes me reach for a dictionary periodically. And you're right. You have to think about her books. I finished Fugitive Prince and need to get to Grand Conspiracy soon.

>241 Seanie:, 242: I'm hoping to get to Fugitive prince this year too; maybe if I read the series one book a year I'll time it right to hit the ending when it is published :-)

I am reading Robin Hobb's fourth installment in the Rain Wild Chronicles and am loving it; unfortunately, I am also reading a friend's newly published mystery (A Name To Die For) which is also quite gripping so it is competition. And then, on my nightstand sits The Searchers: The Making of An American Legend which I really want to finish, and newly arrived is The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope which is a newly published book, going to be one of the books featured at the June Booktopia in Bellingham, WA. An embarrassment of riches!!

I am also taking a class, and so must return to reading the text book. So many choices, so little time.

>241 Seanie:: Seanie; I'm planning a Group Read of the Wheel of Time series from beginning to end, starting in a couple of months or so (because that's when I'll be able to get my hands on my own books; I know I could get them from the library, but I particularly want my own copies for this read, which should take me through to the end - finally!). Please join us.

I'm afraid I've only read a couple of Brandon Sanderson's books, which are his own stories, and not part of WoT.

Has anybody else in our pub read The Sistine Secrets by Benjamin Blech? Absolutely fascinating account of why Michaelangelo painted what he did where he did in the Sistine Chapel, and what it all really means. For example, the panel showing the Separation of Day and Night shows, when you work out the sight lines, the Creator 'mooning' the Pope standing underneath. And several putti are shown making rude signs at portraits of the Pope who gave Michaelangelo the commission. But read it yourself to get the politer bits, especially if you've been there or are planning on going.

>245 humouress: humouress I will put my hand up for that. I haven't read them all

I'm reading Richard Harland's *very* new book Song of the Slums - a steampunk YA novel about rock music starting around 1850. It's fun and sets a good pace.

I polished off What Matters in Jane Austen over the weekend and have begun The Welsh Girl by Peter Ho Davies, an author I know nothing about. Except, now, that I want to read anything he writes.

>247 DavidHWebb:: Excellent, David! Look forward to it.

ETA: In the meantime, I've finished Rivers of London (aka Midnight Riot) which was a rollicking read, and Poison Study, a YA book by Maria V. Snyder about a criminal who is given a chance at a longer life by becoming food taster to a Commander who has staged a coup and is now running the country. With all this Steampunk in the air, I thought I'd check it out, so I've started an anthology, Steampunk!

I just started Dewey: The Small Town Library Cat Who Touched The World.

There you are, si, I was wondering where you got to.

I've been a bit of a ghost lately.

well if you and your chica are out there enjoying life, you're forgiven. lol

Just zipped through The Hunger Games trilogy in a week. Enjoyed a great deal.
World War Z arrived in the post but I don't know what I'll pick up next. Have to do boring things like ironing before returning to work on Tuesday. Will probably go for crime or thriller as a contrast.

It's been many many many many many moons since I stepped into The Green Dragon, but no better way to do it than post about my current read, right?

The World's Strongest Librarian by Josh Hanagarne is what is currently on my nightstand and it's about a librarian from the Salt Lake City Public Library who has Tourette's. It's a great read so far, seeing his experiences growing up, as well as side stories about working in the public atmosphere.

Hope all is well with the regulars of the Green Dragon!

Wasn't there a thread recently of someone asking for books about librarians? This one would fit!

Just finished Promise of Blood, Trinity Rising and A Thousand Names!

Just finished The good soldier Svejk and, in complete contrast, am now reading The dirty streets of Heaven.

I'm a third of the way through To Say Nothing of the Dog and wondering why I don't quit. It's not that it lacks charm, but it's so inflated with excess and repetitive verbiage that it's like trying to make a meal out of popcorn. Halving the words might have doubled the worth.

I found her other novel Doomsday Book to be the same way. Wicked repetitive, tedious and it's clear she has no instinct for technology. Likes to hear herself talk, I suspect.

261: That's exactly what I did write about Doomsday Book in my review thread, and then I saw a spate of assurances that this one was much better. Now I'm thinking it's just another instance of other readers' being much more forgiving than I am.

Thank you! People who don't ADORE Doomsday Book. I felt the same way! You couldn't get me to read something else by Willis.

I've decided to put it aside for now, something I virtually never do with my main current read, and see if anything draws me back once I've finished something else. I have a feeling that it won't be very hard to drop.

Yeah, there are a lot of Willis fangirls out there. lol. I'll never read another either.

I'm a Willis fanboy, but I'm happy enough to accept that the wordiness would be annoying. It's certainly not to everyone's taste. I relish the extra factoids, and the turns and roundabouts of To Say Nothing of the Dog delighted me.

I'm reading Malcolm Gladwell's Blink, about the subconscious decisions we make in split seconds. It's interesting, and doesn't go so far into pop-psych that it's really inaccurate.

I do like Doomsday Book and To say nothing ..., but freely admit that Willis has a tin ear when it comes to British speech and vocabulary. She really needs a British proofreader. I haven't read Blackout or its sequel because I hear it is even worse on that front.

Willis was at the 2005 WorldCon in Glasgow and she was excellent on the panels, very amusing and entertaining.

I read some of her work and found it ok, however, the last work she won a Hugo award (2011) for had some factual errors in it. In war-time London she had people using the Jubilee line in the underground. This was quite amazing as it was only opened in 1979. It had been constructed to mark the occasion of the Queen's silver jubilee.

>268 pgmcc:: Yup, that's one of the errors I saw cited that made me decide not to read the book!

I stenuously disliked Nothing of the Dog, and said so I don't much like time travel anyway, but this was particularly bad. It wasn't even funny.

Currently just started Game of Thrones only another 4400 pages to go. Ebook omnibuses get a bit silly sometimes. I very very much doubt I'll read it all through in one hit, unless it is far better than expected. So far I've been introduced to a dozen characters all of who's relationships I've forgotten by the next page, and I'm waiting for something to happen. ... but it has promise and isn't immediately not worthy of the hype.

Steampunk! was alright, but I didn't get to finish it. I had to return it (already renewed as much as I could), but I can borrow it as an e-book; and I wanted to get to Among Others, which was also due, and comes very highly recommended by other LTers. I'm reading it in tandem with Dark of the Moon, the second in the Kencyrath series.

I often find when I read more than one book at a time, that they have something in common, which is a bit eerie. This time, both books revolve around (one of) a pair of twins. I read God Stalk, the first of the Kencyrath chronicles - where Jame finds herself apprenticed to a Master Thief - at the same time as Thieftaker.

Just started The Hollow Hills and looking forward to a good time with it.

After two days' hiatus, I have no desire to resume To Say Nothing of the Dog and don't feel like I'm missing anything. It's going in the "donate" box.

273 - A reasonable decision. Someone else may enjoy it!

Oh, and I'm also finally reading Mockingjay. I'm torn between wondering if Katniss has lost her personality, or it's becoming new and interesting. I've seen some criticism that she lost all her 'strong female character'-ishness, and I can understand it, but there's at least some replacement when it comes to other characters.

I am reading The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope and I am enchanted by it. Sometimes it is so emotionally moving that I have to put it down and go do something to recompose myself.

I've finished Among Others, and moved on to Here There Be Dragons. I've managed to borrow Steampunk! as an e-book on my laptop, but I'm trying to finagle it onto my iPad, as it's easier to hold while reading in bed.

Taking a break from the mystery jag I've been on most of the year, I'm well into The Tragedy of Arthur by Arthur Phillips and expecting to give it a very good rating.

Curiously, this comes right on the heels of another heavily Shakespeare-based work, Hamlet, Revenge! by Michael Innes. The Bard seems to be an inexhaustible subject.

I finished The Last Dragonslayer over the weekend and have gone back to King Arthur in The Last Enchantment. I'm also enjoying a silly book devoted to steampunk knitting, with a small story thrown in, Needles and Artifice.

After quite some track of various genre fiction I'm finalyl settling down to non-fiction for once. Ben Goldacre's Bad Pharma the follow-up to his quite sucessful bad science which looked at how various Alt-Med practioners mislead people. This one looks at how Drug companies have been doing the same (differently). And how we need to follow a different set of simple guidelines in order to achieve evidence based public health.

Finished A Song for Arbonne while away. Wow! I'll second everything good anybody's said about it, though it is very violent.

I'm halfway through Timeless, and Etiquette and Espionage arrived in time for me to move straight onto it.