Author Topic: What are you reading? (Read 1059579 times)

kibitzer · **Reply #2225 on:** October 22, 2012, 01:45:29 AM

Inside Out: A Personal History of Pink Floyd by Nick Mason. Freakin' great! Mr Mason is a good writer -- entertaining, funny and of course the material itself is fascinating. Highly recommended.

Devoted135 · **Reply #2226 on:** October 30, 2012, 08:56:04 AM

LOVED Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore. Seriously, it was so much fun!

Almost finished now with a quick comedy of errors with Jeeves and Wooster.

Listener · **Reply #2227 on:** October 30, 2012, 12:36:38 PM

Finished "The Tyrant Strategy: Revenant Man" by Jonathan C Gillespie, whose name might be familiar to you.

Started "The Casual Vacancy" by JK Rowling. Gotta tell you, it's kind of weird to be reading a sex scene written by the woman who gave us Harry Potter, but, I mean, she has three kids, so clearly she's got at least SOME practical experience.

As for the book... not sure I like it. WAY too many characters so far.

Listener · **Reply #2228 on:** November 06, 2012, 03:38:29 PM

Gave up on "The Casual Vacancy" (JK Rowling). I made it 16% into the book and hadn't found a single likable character. They're all awful people.

Moved on to "Clockwork Angels" by Kevin J Anderson and Neil Peart. So far it's very generic steampunk/clockpunk, but I'm hoping it gets better. I've enjoyed Anderson's work in the past (although I don't recall ever being challenged by it in the same way that I am by Mieville or Pratchett) and I am a Rush fan.

lowky · **Reply #2229 on:** November 07, 2012, 01:21:57 AM

finally finished Inkspell. Extremely slow to start. Ultimately I liked it, but was very slow read. Didn't pull me in.

Not sure what I will get from the Library tomorrow, when the book is due back.

Listener · **Reply #2230 on:** December 14, 2012, 01:29:50 PM

"Serpent's Storm" by Amber Benson. I don't like it, but I'm invested in the characters, so I need to find out what happens at the end.

Not sure if I'm going to read the fourth book in the Death's Daughter series after that or go onto something else -- there's a 173,000-word fanfic (completed!) waiting for me from a writer I really like, so maybe I'll burn through that, to cleanse my palate.

Gamercow · **Reply #2231 on:** December 14, 2012, 03:41:44 PM

Still reading Cloud Atlas, and I've made it past the fulcrum point. The different sections are so differently written that I find it impressive that it was written by one person. That said, so far I have enjoyed the book, but haven't gotten too invested with most of the characters/sections. Each of the sections I say "Well, that was pretty good." Then it just jumps to the next section. I'm hoping it all ties together in the end in not just in superficial ways.

DKT · **Reply #2232 on:** December 14, 2012, 04:03:43 PM

Yeah, I'd like to read Cloud Atlas at some point. It seems like an impressive piece of work.

I'm about 40 minutes from being done with Robert Jackson Bennett's The Troupe, but close enough to say, you all should check out this book - it's absolutely fantastic. One of the best fantasy novels I've read in a long time. It takes place in Vaudeville, and is full of magic and secrets and is just an absolutely absorbing read.

The audio is pretty excellent too - some minor production weirdness (long pauses where there shouldn't be, mostly), but the reader (who occasionally sounds like James Marsters) does an excellent job.

Let's see, I also listened to: Robert Jackson Bennett's The Company Man, which was good, but nowhere near as good as The Troupe, and Terry Pratchett's Dodger, which was a rollicking good time.

Currently reading Caliban's War, by James S.A. Corey - the sequel to the kick ass Leviathan Wakes, and it's just as good as that book was. If you want awesome, action-packed space opera, these books are really your ticket.

Devoted135 · **Reply #2233 on:** December 14, 2012, 07:41:59 PM

Quote from: Gamercow on December 14, 2012, 03:41:44 PM

Still reading Cloud Atlas, and I've made it past the fulcrum point. The different sections are so differently written that I find it impressive that it was written by one person. That said, so far I have enjoyed the book, but haven't gotten too invested with most of the characters/sections. Each of the sections I say "Well, that was pretty good." Then it just jumps to the next section. I'm hoping it all ties together in the end in not just in superficial ways.

I loved Cloud Atlas when I read it in 2007. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on how everything ends up tying together.

Cutter McKay · **Reply #2234 on:** December 14, 2012, 08:35:44 PM

In audio format I'm on Book 12: The Gathering Storm of the Wheel of Time series. It's only taken me not quite three years so far to work my way through this monster. Two books to go...

As for hardcopy, I just started Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn: Alloy of Law. It's very interesting to see his metallurgy magic system put to use in a western era almost steampunk setting. Very cool so far.

kibitzer · **Reply #2235 on:** December 18, 2012, 08:28:00 AM

Have any of you out there heard of the "Cherub" series by Robert Muchamore?

(If you have (pre)-teen kids, I suspect the answer is YES!)

Honestly, just fantastic YA stuff. If, by some chance, you've never heard of it, the premise is this: Britain has a super-secret organisation called CHERUB. It consists of children (mostly orphans) aged from 12-17 who are highly-trained spies. The reason? "They exist because adults never suspect that kids are spying on them."

I cannot recommend this series highly enough. Well written, fast-paced, deals with some really tough questions and honestly, just a great, quick, engrossing read!

There's over 15 books across three series, one of which is set during WWII. I stared reading them then told my wife about them and she's now ahead of me!

Listener · **Reply #2236 on:** December 18, 2012, 02:04:30 PM

I went with the fanfic. However, when I'm done with that, I'm going to be reading "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green.

danooli · **Reply #2237 on:** December 19, 2012, 01:21:37 AM

Quote from: kibitzer on December 18, 2012, 08:28:00 AM

Have any of you out there heard of the "Cherub" series by Robert Muchamore?

(If you have (pre)-teen kids, I suspect the answer is YES!)

Honestly, just fantastic YA stuff. If, by some chance, you've never heard of it, the premise is this: Britain has a super-secret organisation called CHERUB. It consists of children (mostly orphans) aged from 12-17 who are highly-trained spies. The reason? "They exist because adults never suspect that kids are spying on them."

I cannot recommend this series highly enough. Well written, fast-paced, deals with some really tough questions and honestly, just a great, quick, engrossing read!

There's over 15 books across three series, one of which is set during WWII. I stared reading them then told my wife about them and she's now ahead of me!

I just went out and bought the first two for my nephew after reading that.

chemistryguy · **Reply #2238 on:** December 20, 2012, 03:41:45 PM

The Hobbit...for perhaps the 30th time.

kibitzer · **Reply #2239 on:** December 21, 2012, 08:43:18 AM

Quote from: danooli on December 19, 2012, 01:21:37 AM

I just went out and bought the first two for my nephew after reading that.

I hope he likes! Seriously, I don't think he'll be disappointed.

Devoted135 · **Reply #2240 on:** December 21, 2012, 01:39:31 PM

Son, by Lois Lowry, the fourth in what is now called the "Giver Quartet". Did you know there's a Giver Quartet?! Because apparently there is, and it's awesome.

Listener · **Reply #2241 on:** December 21, 2012, 02:31:43 PM

I blazed through the first half of "The Fault In Our Stars" by John Green last night in about 1.5 hours. Breezy pacing, great characterization, and even though I'm not a 16-year-old teenage girl with terminal cancer, I still identified with the MC. Recommended.

lowky · **Reply #2242 on:** December 21, 2012, 05:01:05 PM

Waking Hours by Lis Wiehl with Pete Nelson an East Salem Novel

it is a supernatural type story. Tag line is All Towns Have Secrets, Some Have Demons.

eytanz · **Reply #2243 on:** December 27, 2012, 11:41:24 PM

I have just finished reading Catherynne M. Valente's The Orphan Tales (I read both volumes back-to-back). I absolutely loved it. It's probably not for everyone - it's non-linear story telling at it's non-linearest, with a whole tangle of stories that interlock at places both obvious and surprising - and it's ending can be a bit frustrating if you expect everything to be tied up neatly. But, well - there are not a lot of books that I have read and when I finish them I immediately want to start over. While I ended up resisting the urge (mostly because I have so many other things on my to-read pile right now), I definitely felt it very strongly.

lowky · **Reply #2244 on:** December 28, 2012, 12:39:57 AM

about to finish Gail Carriger's Soulless for the i09 book club. I will be ordering the other books in this series from the library interloan program. I will then start A Guile of Dragons by James Enge. it too is book one of a series. Have been reading a lot of those lately. I suppose that is a good thing, as it means I will have future reading material to look forward to.

danooli · **Reply #2245 on:** December 28, 2012, 01:13:09 AM

Quote from: lowky on December 28, 2012, 12:39:57 AM

about to finish Gail Carriger's Soulless for the i09 book club. I will be ordering the other books

I love those books.

eytanz · **Reply #2246 on:** December 28, 2012, 01:44:58 AM

Quote from: danooli on December 28, 2012, 01:13:09 AM

Quote from: lowky on December 28, 2012, 12:39:57 AM
about to finish Gail Carriger's Soulless for the i09 book club. I will be ordering the other books
I love those books.

They are lots of fun.

Listener · **Reply #2247 on:** December 28, 2012, 01:21:50 PM

Finished "How To Be Death", the fourth book by Amber Benson.

Started "John Dies at the End" by David Wong.

Gamercow · **Reply #2248 on:** December 28, 2012, 03:44:15 PM

Quote from: Devoted135 on December 14, 2012, 07:41:59 PM

Quote from: Gamercow on December 14, 2012, 03:41:44 PM
Still reading Cloud Atlas, and I've made it past the fulcrum point. The different sections are so differently written that I find it impressive that it was written by one person. That said, so far I have enjoyed the book, but haven't gotten too invested with most of the characters/sections. Each of the sections I say "Well, that was pretty good." Then it just jumps to the next section. I'm hoping it all ties together in the end in not just in superficial ways.

I loved Cloud Atlas when I read it in 2007. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on how everything ends up tying together.

When I got to the book, I found that I had enjoyed each of the stories, but I came to the conclusion that I was too dumb to see the connection between them, other than the very superficial "reincarnation" business. I guess there was a theme of slavery throughout, but each dealt with it in a different way.

danooli · **Reply #2249 on:** December 29, 2012, 12:55:24 PM

I'm in the midst of the audiobook version of Tina Connolly's Ironskin. So far, I am adoring everything about it. The story is very interesting, it's a fantasy, somewhat steampunky take on Jane Eyre and it's just very cool. The reader, Rosalyn Landor, is also fantastic.

Additionally, on my nook, I'm reading The Necromancer by Pamela Richter. This is an urban (set in Hawaii) paranormal romance thriller that I may be narrating through ACX. So far, it's very entertaining.

Lastly, in print, I've just started reading Wizard: The Life and Times of Nikola Tesla : Biography of a Genius. My awesome husband got that for me for Christmas.

I need to win the lottery so I don't have to waste time crunching numbers for a pharmaceutical company. It really cuts into my reading time. $:-\$