What Are We Currently Reading?

[Mindthinkr]

@aradia22. the Little Prince was one of the few possessions that I got when my sister died many many moons ago. I have a few versions and pick up silly things (tee shirts, piece of luggage, coasters) with him on it when I am in France. 

As far as Russian books go Crime and Punishment was my favorite, but I wouldn’t let someone else’s opinion stop you from reading such a classic. I read it and yes it could be sad/depressing but it helps me to understand the time period and the history as well as the intricacies of a relationship/affair. 

[Darian]

Just finished Edgar and Lucy by Victor Lodato and am still wiping away tears. Books don't often make me cry. I really loved it. The writing is gorgeous and I cared about (almost) every character. 

[hendersonrocks]

Quote

I'm currently halfway through Timothy Tyson's Blood Done Sign My Name after burning through his more recent book, The Blood of Emmett Till, that featured that controversial interview with Carolyn Bryant.  Once upon a time I got college credits in classes on African American and Civil Rights Movement history and still probably learned less than I have in these two books.  It helps that Tyson writes about very tough things so conversationally. 

I'm a big fan of his. His hometown in North Carolina, which you're reading all about in Blood Done Sign My Name, is a place I know well.

I just finished An American Marriage. It was really good. I'm going on vacation next week and bringing with me The Immortalists, Welcome to the Goddamn Ice Cube, and Crazy Rich Asians.

[OtterMommy]

22 minutes ago, hendersonrocks said:

I just finished An American Marriage. 

I have this sitting in my TBR pile and can't wait to get to it.  I've heard fabulous things about it!

[Katy M]

14 hours ago, aradia22 said:

So should I not read Anna Karenina? I'm usually into books about women with depressing lives confined by patriarchy and limited options. 

Don't let my hatred of the book influence you.  I read it somewhere around 20 years ago, so basically all I remember is that it depressed me. A lot.  But, if you like depressing books, then you'll probably like it.  I also do remember that I thought it was well-written.  Just not really for me.

[Mystery]

12 hours ago, Mindthinkr said:

@aradia22. the Little Prince was one of the few possessions that I got when my sister died many many moons ago. I have a few versions and pick up silly things (tee shirts, piece of luggage, coasters) with him on it when I am in France. 

i just picked up a Little Prince onesie for a friend's baby boy. From outofprintclothing.com 

[Melgaypet]

I’m still reading Ellis Peters’ Brother Cadfael series. I just finished the 13th The Rose Rent and am about to start The Hermit of Eyton. They have a definite formula - Cadfael always has to solve a murder and also help two young lovers - but it’s a charming formula. The mysteries are satisfyingly creative, the medieval setting is interesting, and Cadfael himself is a fun protagonist.

So that’s my light reading. Am I weird that I read more than one book at a time? I can’t seem to focus on just one start to finish, but have to switch off. For heavier fare, I’m also reading Grant by Ron Chernow. I’m enjoying it, but not quite as much as I did his biography of George Washington.

Also, ‘cuz I’m a nerd, my current Star Trek book is DS9: Original Sin by David R George III. It’s pretty mediocre.

Edited February 23, 2018 by Melgaypet

[Joe]

1 hour ago, Melgaypet said:

I’m still reading Ellis Peters’ Brother Cadfael series. I just finished the 13th The Rose Rent and am about to start The Hermit of Eyton. They have a definite formula - Cadfael always has to solve a murder and also help two young lovers - but it’s a charming formula. The mysteries are satisfyingly creative, the medieval setting is interesting, and Cadfael himself is a fun protagonist.

So that’s my light reading. Am I weird that I read more than one book at a time? I can’t seem to focus on just one start to finish, but have to switch off. For heavier fare, I’m also reading Grant by Ron Chernow. I’m enjoying it, but not quite as much as I did his biography of George Washington.

Also, ‘cuz I’m a nerd, my current Star Trek book is DS9: Original Sin by David R George III. It’s pretty mediocre.

I read some of the Ds9 continuation books. They were all fairly average, IIRC. Sturgeon's Law applies as much to tie-in fiction as everything else.

[alias1]

2 hours ago, stewedsquash said:

Just downloaded Demolition Angel by Robert Crais. I am starting with the stand alone book and if it works out as good as the Goodreads reviews, I will move on to his Elvis Cole and Joe Pike series. 

I'm a big fan of Elvis Cole/Joe Pike.  The female character in Demolition Angel does appear in a couple of the later Elvis books.  I've read them all except for the newest one.   

[Bunty]

10 hours ago, Melgaypet said:

I’m still reading Ellis Peters’ Brother Cadfael series. I just finished the 13th The Rose Rent and am about to start The Hermit of Eyton. They have a definite formula - Cadfael always has to solve a murder and also help two young lovers - but it’s a charming formula. The mysteries are satisfyingly creative, the medieval setting is interesting, and Cadfael himself is a fun protagonist.

I liked Ellis Peters' other series better so you might try it if you can find it.  It is about a British police detective and my favorite part is watching his young son grow up during the course of his father's career often helping out in many of the cases.  If you can find the audio, Simon Prebble reads the series.

1. Fallen into the Pit (1951)

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Ellis Peters has enthralled fans on both sides of the Atlantic with her superbly constructed stories featuring British police detective George Felse. Inspector Felse first appeared in what has since been called a classic of the genre, Fallen Into the Pit. Never before available in the United States, this multilayered, most ingenious whodunit is long-awaited and, as mystery fans will soon discover, well worth waiting for. "Understand me once and for all, fighting is something not to be considered short of a life-and-death matter... It proves nothing. It solves nothing," Chad Wedderburn tells thirteen-year-old Dominic Felse. A classics master who fought with the Resistance, Wedderburn came home to Comerford to teach school. Ironically, when the peace of the little village is shattered by the murder of a former German prisoner of war, it is the peaceful Wedderburn who becomes the primary suspect. Police Sergeant George Felse is deeply disturbed that his son Dominic is the one who discovers the body, and that the boy has begun doggedly pursuing clues in Comerford's isolated countryside. Murder is a deadly business, and the closer young Felse comes to the truth, the more likely he is to become a victim himself. His father knows this all too well, and for the first time in his career his personal life is threatened by his policeman's duties. Now, as George Felse uncovers the skeletons in the closets of Comerford's best citizens, he begins to understand the forces that may drive men or women to desperate acts. But will he deduce enough to forestall another tragedy - or stop a killer with a twisted mind and bloody plans? Rich with the hues of the Shropshire countryside and its vividly drawn character portraits, this irresistibly suspenseful mystery is still further reason to place Ellis Peters alongside Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, and P. D. James.

2. Death and the Joyful Woman (1961)
3. Flight of a Witch (1964)
4. A Nice Derangement of Epitaphs (1965)
5. The Piper on the Mountain (1966)
6. Black is the Colour of My True Love's Heart (1967)
7. The Grass Widow's Tale (1968)
8. The House of Green Turf (1969)
9. Mourning Raga (1969)
10. The Knocker on Death's Door (1970)
11. Death to the Landlords (1972)
12. City of Gold and Shadows (1973)
13. Rainbow's End (1979)

https://www.fantasticfiction.com/p/ellis-peters/

[Spartan Girl]

On February 22, 2018 at 1:29 PM, hendersonrocks said:

I just finished An American Marriage. It was really good. 

I read it too. So damn sad. I really gotta stop reading such depressing books.

[Mindthinkr]

Assumed Identity  by David Morrell. It has a promising beginning. Think of a thriller along the lines of Indiana Jones (but it’s early yet). Needed something not depressing or with too much heavy wordage. 

Update: Definitely NOT and Indiana Jones type novel. 

Edited February 25, 2018 by Mindthinkr
I was missing a word to make it flow better.

[buffynut]

On 11/13/2017 at 1:07 PM, Mabinogia said:

I just finished The Girl with All the Gifts. It was one of the best books I've read in a long time. Fascinating premise, taut suspense, engaging characters. it had everything I look for in a book. Funny thing is, I was going to give it up in the first chapter (they use an alternate name for a creature that I found kind of silly and made me think the story was going to be kind of silly,) but I am very glad I stuck with it. Very thought provoking.

I just started this last night. I had NO IDEA what it was about and was very tempted to stop reading in practically the first chapter. Then skipped the entire chapter with the doctor's lab, and nearly put the book down again. But I love Melanie and Miss Justineau, so kept reading. Though the premise is interesting, it's not at all the type of book I normally read, so I have taken to quickly skimming through to basically see how it ends.  There's over 300 pages on the e-book version, and I'm still in the 100's, so it'll be a while till I skim my way to the end.

[luna1122]

15 hours ago, buffynut said:

I just started this last night. I had NO IDEA what it was about and was very tempted to stop reading in practically the first chapter. Then skipped the entire chapter with the doctor's lab, and nearly put the book down again. But I love Melanie and Miss Justineau, so kept reading. Though the premise is interesting, it's not at all the type of book I normally read, so I have taken to quickly skimming through to basically see how it ends.  There's over 300 pages on the e-book version, and I'm still in the 100's, so it'll be a while till I skim my way to the end.

I wanted to love this one more, as it's so well reviewed, and it's well written and intriguing...but I think i'm at maximum capacity with zombies, which I used to be a real sucker for. I'm giving up Walking Dead too. But anyway. It's a really good book, and I WAS fascinated by the whole Cordyceps thing, but ultimately, I was just glad I was finished with it. i'm unlikely to read the prequel that came after (which seems like a counterintuitive sentence).

I liked The Good Daughter a lot, even tho it definitely got batshit crazy, but I think all of Karin Slaughter's books do.

Also read Adam Croft's Tell Me I'm Wrong, which I was completely underwhelmed by. Great premise, poor execution.

Currently reading Nathan Hill's The Nix, which I am completely loving.

[cherrypj]

9 hours ago, luna1122 said:

Currently reading Nathan Hill's The Nix, which I am completely loving.

I enjoyed that one, too. It's America, in book form.

[Zola]

I bought some old lesbian pulp fiction paperbacks from my local book shop. The majority of which were written in the 1950s and 60s by author Ann Bannon. Of course back then gay and lesbian novels were very much frowned upon, but it makes for a good read.

Anyway, her first book on my list is "Odd Girl Out"

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/120354.Odd_Girl_Out

[Athena]

Recently finished:

Baking with Kafka by Tom Gauld - Very cute for book lovers and writers.

Detection Unlimited - I have read most of Heyer's romances so I'm starting her mysteries. I was very underwhelmed and a bit bored with this one. 

Just started: The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillipa Gregory - I remember when this book was released back in the early Aughts but never got around to actually reading any of them. I own about three others by Gregory all picked up in a used book sale years ago. I've read 1/5th of it so far and it's got a good pace. 

[rmcrae]

I finished The Sound of Gravel over the weekend and it was such a great read, but it left me with a few questions and a mix of emotions.

Spoiler

I was sad to see her oldest brother take on a second wife when he'd turned his back on the cult in his late teens.

It sounds awful, but Ruth's mother dying is what saved Ruth from remaining there. Had her mother survived Ruth would most likely have married an older man with a few wives, popped out kid after kid and fallen into the same cycle. Not to mention her little sisters would've fallen prey to the stepfather's abuse and her mother would've given them the same bullshit speech about "forgiveness" and being "Christ-like". It's too bad that bastard wasn't prosecuted for his crimes, but I'm glad he's dead and I hope he's frying in hell. 

[aradia22]

Quote

Just started: The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillipa Gregory - I remember when this book was released back in the early Aughts but never got around to actually reading any of them. I own about three others by Gregory all picked up in a used book sale years ago. I've read 1/5th of it so far and it's got a good pace. 

Do keep us updated. That's on my shelf of books I own that I stopped thinking about once I bought them. (See: Why I need the library even if I had all the money in the world. The deadline motivates me.) I tried one of her books before. Catherine of Aragon. I think it was called The Constant Princess. I didn't make much headway. It was too wordy and at the time I think I was in high school. I'd only recently jumped from the Carolyn Meyer books I devoured when I was younger to stuff like Judith Merkle Riley in middle school. I wasn't ready for Phillipa and I think a part of me was already skeptical of these doorstop novels/epics written by modern writers. If you're not Donna Tartt or Charlotte Bronte, I'm hesitant to say you really need that many pages (with fine print) to tell a story. 

Anyway, I like the Amazon First Reads this month. Trespassing and Digging In seem like interesting middling picks. But I'm really deciding between Feast and Hell's Princess. I like a memoir and I read a lot about eating disorders, food and cookbooks, and body positivity so it feels like Feast is definitely for me. But then I do have a weird attraction to media (mostly TV) about aggressive women. My reaction to the book description made me think of this sketch.

[Katy M]

2 hours ago, aradia22 said:

Do keep us updated. That's on my shelf of books I own that I stopped thinking about once I bought them. (See: Why I need the library even if I had all the money in the world. The deadline motivates me.) I tried one of her books before. Catherine of Aragon. I think it was called The Constant Princess.

I really liked The Other Boleyn Girl.  Phillippa Gregory is not the most historically accurate fiction author, but she's entertaining.  This is a tale you usually hear from Anne's voice, so it was nice getting Mary's perspective for once. 

[buffynut]

So I surprised myself and ended up finishing and liking  The Girl with All the Gifts.  The beginning might not have been so disturbing, if I'd known what the book was about, but at the same time, I probably wouldn't have even chosen to read the book, if I'd known.  So I'm glad I decided to read it.  I still skipped over a few paragraphs throughout the book, and most of an entire chapter at the beginning, but I'm glad I kept reading to the end.

[Qoass]

I'm just finishing up Amy Thielen's Give a Girl a Knife and it's not at all what I expected. Sure, there are a few chapters on life on the line at fancy New York restaurants but most of it is about living off the grid with her artist husband in a house with no electricity or running water way up in northern Minnesota. She's a lyrical writer who can make things sound hellish and heavenly all at the same time.

Next up is White Houses which I'm really psyched about.

[nodorothyparker]

On 2/27/2018 at 3:35 PM, Athena said:

Just started: The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillipa Gregory - I remember when this book was released back in the early Aughts but never got around to actually reading any of them. I own about three others by Gregory all picked up in a used book sale years ago. I've read 1/5th of it so far and it's got a good pace. 

I enjoy Philippa Gregory when I want a period melodrama I don't have to work too hard at.  She's great at immersing herself in the POVs of her characters and making the lives of long-dead historical figures accessible, but a great historian she is not.  If there's a crackpot conspiracy or a bit of old court gossip out there, no matter how far fetched or generally discredited it may be she'll pick it up and run with it for all it's worth.  

[Crs97]

Nodorothyparker, I started The Other Boleyn Girl and quickly stopped when I realized she never lets a well-known and researched fact stand in the way of a good story.  She is on my “never” list because that kind of thing drives me crazy, especially when people gush over her and discuss a book by saying something like “I never knew [insert random false fact here].”  

[Athena]

42 minutes ago, nodorothyparker said:

I enjoy Philippa Gregory when I want a period melodrama I don't have to work too hard at.  She's great at immersing herself in the POVs of her characters and making the lives of long-dead historical figures accessible, but a great historian she is not.  If there's a crackpot conspiracy or a bit of old court gossip out there, no matter how far fetched or generally discredited it may be she'll pick it up and run with it for all it's worth.  

 

14 minutes ago, Crs97 said:

Nodorothyparker, I started The Other Boleyn Girl and quickly stopped when I realized she never lets a well-known and researched fact stand in the way of a good story.  She is on my “never” list because that kind of thing drives me crazy, especially when people gush over her and discuss a book by saying something like “I never knew [insert random false fact here].”  

I finished the book really easily because she has a way with the pacing of historical events and her characters aren't too bad. She is not a great novelist nor indeed a great historian, but it's a fun romp. What is interesting is that I have seen an episode where she wins a Celebrity Mastermind based on her knowledge of Elizabeth Woodville. She does indeed use research when she writes the novels, but she does pick and choose based on the stories. I'm fine with that. I have a good enough knowledge of English history. I'll read the rest of the books I have with her and focus on the earlier books in the series. 

[Mindthinkr]

Playing with Matches by Carolyn Wall. So far so good although it took me a bit to get into this author’s style of writing. 

[nodorothyparker]

15 hours ago, Athena said:

I finished the book really easily because she has a way with the pacing of historical events and her characters aren't too bad. She is not a great novelist nor indeed a great historian, but it's a fun romp. What is interesting is that I have seen an episode where she wins a Celebrity Mastermind based on her knowledge of Elizabeth Woodville. She does indeed use research when she writes the novels, but she does pick and choose based on the stories. I'm fine with that. I have a good enough knowledge of English history. I'll read the rest of the books I have with her and focus on the earlier books in the series. 

Gregory does generally have very good pacing.  I'm not what would probably be considered a fast reader and I can usually get through her books fairly quickly because they tend to focus more on the character and human element of the stories rather than a lot of the heavier politicking, etc.  I also like that her books are by and large women's stories in that instead of churning out yet another biography of Henry VIII (who she's clearly not a fan of) or Warwick the Kingmaker, she writes from the POV of their daughters or one of their queens or someone within the court who was directly affected by the larger history they were making.   And sometimes I'm just not in the mood to wade through weightier treatments of the same subjects.  While I certainly liked Hilary Mantel's books about the Tudor court a lot, I wouldn't call them light reading. 

Aat the same time, yeah, you want to either have a good knowledge of English history or at least Google at the ready because of some of the rabbit trails she chooses to follow.  We had some fun discussions on The White Queen/White Princess boards during the airings of their Starz adaptations on actual documented history vs. Gregory vs. the shows because some of what was being presented was definitely getting kind of out there.  So I absolutely do get the frustration of looking for a facts, please kind of read and getting a whole subplot that treats Perkin Warbeck as the real deal because magic, for example.

[Athena]

22 minutes ago, nodorothyparker said:

Gregory does generally have very good pacing.  I'm not what would probably be considered a fast reader and I can usually get through her books fairly quickly because they tend to focus more of the character and human element of the stories rather than a lot of the heavier politicking, etc.  I also like that her books are by and large women's stories in that instead of churning out yet another biography of Henry VIII (who she's clearly not a fan of) or Warwick the Kingmaker, she writes from the POV of their daughters or one of their queens or someone within the court who was directly affected by the larger history they were making.   And sometimes I'm just not in the mood to wade through weightier treatments of the same subjects.  While I certainly liked Hilary Mantel's books about the Tudor court a lot, I wouldn't call them light reading. 

Aat the same time, yeah, you want to either have a good knowledge of English history or at least Google at the ready because of some of the rabbit trails she chooses to follow.  We had some fun discussions on The White Queen/White Princess boards during the airings of their Starz adaptations on actual documented history vs. Gregory vs. the shows because some of what was being presented was definitely getting kind of out there.  So I absolutely do get the frustration of looking for a facts, please kind of read and getting a whole subplot that treats Perkin Warbeck as the real deal because magic, for example.

I looked into the Hilary Mantel books, but I stayed away from it when I read how heavy they were overall. I don't mind historical fiction and use to read much more of it when I was younger, but now I tend to make a deeper divide between history and novels. For example, I rather read a very researched history book which may have story arc such as Aristocrats by Stella Tillyard. I also concur that I don't need to read too much more history focused on the men since I already took a few academic history courses. I don't mind some fictionalized speculation on the feelings of the women in these events. For real history, I tend to look at books or for a popular era like the Tudor one, there are a plethora of online resources about it from real and amateur historians.

What's funny about the magic and superstition in the book (and I assume most of Gregory's books) is that for myself and other readers, it's a good reminder that it is fiction. It's why the Outlander series works for me too as I see that series as family chronicle which happens to be set in the past with a sprinkling of sci-fi. I think the use of magic, superstition, and religion in Gregory's books is suppose to be realistic since people did believe those things. My own mother grew up uneducated in a small village and to this day, is fiercely superstitious about the wildest things. This is very common for people and women especially from less advantageous backgrounds.

[aradia22]

Quote

I also concur that I don't need to read too much more history focused on the men since I already took a few academic history courses. I don't mind some fictionalized speculation on the feelings of the women in these events. For real history, I tend to look at books or for a popular era like the Tudor one, there are a plethora of online resources about it from real and amateur historians.

I think a nice middle ground is to pick a character who isn't so prominent. How many books are written about maids or ladies in waiting? Or at least lesser historical figures who have fewer known biographical details to get in the way? Of course those stories have their own troubles with the authors being able to run wild. And to pick up a fanfiction term, it can be a little tedious to read about someone's OC (original character) when you want to be reading about the people who made you pick up the story. 

[GaT]

7 hours ago, aradia22 said:

How many books are written about maids or ladies in waiting? 

I just finished reading Death Below Stairs by Jennifer Ashley. The main character is a cook in Victorian England. I didn't like it.

[Zola]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Ann Bannon's "Odd Girl Out", so have moved onto her next lesbian pulp fiction book "Beebo Brinker" (first published in 1962), focusing on the well-worn trope of young girl living out in the sticks, finding it hard to "fit in" there, deciding to head for New York, where she meets various eclectic characters, thinks she's found love with another girl, but still isn't sure.

Am only a few pages in and already there are some parallels with "Odd Girl Out", but this is the world of pulp fiction, so I guess I shouldn't be expecting anything more than an easy ride - which seems rather apposite for some of the lead characters in Bannon's book thus far.

 

Beebo Brinker

[Haleth]

13 hours ago, aradia22 said:

I think a nice middle ground is to pick a character who isn't so prominent. How many books are written about maids or ladies in waiting? Or at least lesser historical figures who have fewer known biographical details to get in the way?

I love historical fiction but it turns me off if real persons become too prominent as characters.  I picture them rolling in their graves claiming they never did/said anything like that!  If they show up in minor rolls to support the story, that's fine, but I'd rather see protagonists that are original and free to do whatever the author chooses.  Recently I read Bernard Cornwell's Fools and Mortals and Ken Follett's A Column of Fire, both of which take place in Elizabethan England (and in the case of Follett, lots of other places).  I think both did a good job of weaving real people into the story to compliment their original characters without changing history.

[aradia22]

I'm not sure I'd call it historical fiction but a book I loved when I was younger was Shadow Spinner. It was about a maid-like character but she was an interesting protagonist in her own right. Also, she had an interesting role even though you'd consider her tangential to the story as you know it. I think where authors run into trouble with OC's is when they feel like self-inserts or Mary Sues or they are just very boring and have no job except to observe the action of the historical figures you care about. Like, I don't need the story of Shakespeare from the POV of the boy who sweeps the theater if that kid doesn't have anything going on in his life. 

I read a lot less historical fiction now unless it's historical romance. I'd rather commit the time to an actual classic book since for some reason adult historical fiction writers seem to all think their stories warrant a 400-1000 page count. I like something that flows well and is easy to read in a few sittings so I can hold all the details in my head and I don't have to worry about ruining the pace of it by just chipping away at it a few pages at a time. 

[DearEvette]

22 hours ago, aradia22 said:

How many books are written about maids or ladies in waiting? Or at least lesser historical figures who have fewer known biographical details to get in the way?

I came across a series by Michelle Diener that features Susanna Horenbout who was an artist or, rather, illuminator, in King Henry VIII court.  She was a lady in waiting.  She was married to John Parker who was Henry's Keeper of the Palace of Westminster and Yeoman of the King's Robes.  So they were real if minor historical figures.   The series is historical fict/romance (heavy)/ mystery novel with the two of them acting as a pair of sleuths.  I didn't get a real sense of history even the the author dropped names and Susanna painted.  It really was heavy romance/mystery.  I only made it through the first one, wasn't crazy about it, but it was ok.

Rose Lerner writes romance novels that features the servant class. I've only read one of her books and the hero is a valet and the heroine is a maid of all work.  I thought she did an interesting job of illuminating the class divide amongst the servant set.  The hero is from a long line of servants who serve an aristocratic family.  He takes a lot of pride in his work.  The heroine is basically two steps up from a scullery maid and does just enough to not get fired and is resentful yet resigned to her lot in life.  It also takes to task the precarious position a lot of female servants lived under.  I liked it ok.   If nothing else it was worth reading because it acknowledges at least in historical romances that people other than the nobility exist and can have love lives.

Edited March 3, 2018 by DearEvette

[aradia22]

Quote

Rose Lerner writes romance novels that features the servant class. [...]  If nothing else it was worth reading because it acknowledges at least in historical romances that people other than the nobility exist and can have love lives.

I've read a couple of books where the lead characters aren't outright from the nobility. There are varying degrees of success. Lisa Kleypas' does a decent job (though she's had her missteps). There are a lot of gamblers, seamstresses, governesses, barristers, etc. It's just that romance is generally not that interested in historical accuracy beyond adding some flavor. The romances that are meant to more like a slice of life are more like Gone With the Wind epics than the romances I read which focus on relationships. Also, romance novelists tend to have to churn out a ton of books and they get lazy. They like superlatives. At least reading about characters without titles means I don't have to read about the 'most handsome duke who ever duked' and all of his brothers and cousins who are somehow also the most handsome and sexy and dangerous and seductive. *eyeroll* I think one of the problems in both historical and contemporary romance is that if a character has money, they seem to have all the money. They have enough money to throw it at any problem that might arise. I don't know how the economy was able to sustain itself if you add all these romances together. There's so much money in circulation you'd think there was inflation... though that would mean the money was worthless. 

[Mabinogia]

Just finished, I think it was last months book of the month pick from Amazon, Neighborly by Ellie Monogo. It was not at all what I expected. I almost gave up on the first chapter, which I mostly just skimmed because I loathe first person narratives but by the second chapter I was hooked. It was a true page turner for me. I honestly couldn't put it down because I had to know what was going one. The characters were well written and it was actually a fun read. The ending was both shocking and expected. It held together rather than seeming to come out of nowhere, which is always nice. 

[EighteenTwelve]

I picked up Shadow & Claw, which is an omnibus of the first two books of the Book of the New Sun series by Gene Wolfe.  In the bookstore it had a bookseller's recommendation that said "This is a desert island book, and if I found out it was on a different island, I would swim to it."  So I figured it had to be OK.  Which it is, so far, but it's only OK; the main character knows that an incidental character is trying to kill him, and knows who the incidental character is, and has decided not to do anything about it three times now. 

I might not be so annoyed if the main character wasn't almost permanently attached to a great big sharp sword and has refused to solve this problem with it.

[Danny Franks]

I'm reading The Massacre of Mankind by Stephen Baxter. It is apparently the sequel to The War of the Worlds, authorised and endorsed by the H.G. Wells Estate. I feel like I should have read The War of the Worlds beforehand, rather than just combined my knowledge of the 1950s movie and the wikipedia plot summary of the novel. I feel like I'd appreciate how Baxter has developed the sparse characters from the original novel, and crafted them into a more modern story, which nevertheless seems to mimic Wells' writing style quite well.

Edited March 5, 2018 by Danny Franks

[cherrypj]

I'm reading The Animators by Kayla Rae Whitaker. It's really good so far, and in particular, I like the main characters, Mel and Sharon (Kisses!!).

As I read, though, Mel (talented, short hair, brash, and unapologetic) has the face of Sue Perkins (talented, short hair, brash, and unapologetic), while Sharon (reserved, polite, the one keeping the show together) is Mel Giedroyc (reserved, polite, the one keeping the show together). The names are (almost) switched, but I can't shake it. It's very odd to visualize Mel/Sue doing drugs and having one-night stands! That's not why I watch GBBO.

It hasn't stopped me from reading the book.

[hendersonrocks]

I just finished The Immortalists - would love to know if anyone else has read it and what you thought. I was not a fan, even though I liked the premise a lot. I am currently tearing through the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy. It's light and fun reading, which I really needed after my last few heavy reads.

[Mindthinkr]

10 minutes ago, hendersonrocks said:

I just finished The Immortalists - would love to know if anyone else has read it and what you thought. I was not a fan, even though I liked the premise a lot. I am currently tearing through the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy. It's light and fun reading, which I really needed after my last few heavy reads.

I read it about a month ago. 

Spoiler

I liked that the palm reader gave some the courage to live their lives to the fullest (the gay brother/dancer). It hurt to read about the magician sister who took her own life leaving a child behind. I was glad that Klara was a strong supportive sister and was actually surprised when I learned that her living with their mother was more than just caring for her mother  (the child she bore) and understood Daniels need to make everything right. 

I enjoyed reading the book more than I liked the ending. Since I’ve read a few other books since then you might have to ask a specific question to jog my memory. 

[hendersonrocks]

1 hour ago, Mindthinkr said:

Since I’ve read a few other books since then you might have to ask a specific question to jog my memory.

Yeah, some of what you said in your response was true for me. There was one character I really liked, and unfortunately (for me) his story was the first in the book and it was all downhill from there.

[Zola]

Am taking a break from Ann Bannon's lesbian pulp fiction indulgence, and have moved onto "All The Pieces Matter: The Inside Story of The Wire" by Jonathan Abrams.

I just adore this criminally underrated TV show from the early 00s. Although critically acclaimed, it never won any awards or picked up decent ratings. But for me I would regard it as the most complete TV drama I have seen thus far.

I just hope this book is equally as good and informative.

[Minneapple]

Finished two in the past couple weeks. Both very good.

The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey. Pretty good. The lead character is the best; I found her friend annoying. Some of the cultural stuff is a little hard to understand, but I got through it. 

The Belles by Dhionelle Clayton. Really unique and impressive! It's a YA fantasy in which a select group of girls are Belles, controlling beauty in a society that values beauty over everything else. A little slow in parts and the prose can get a little flowery but definitely picks up. A very good cast of characters. And there are mysteries and villains but the real villain is the society's obsession with beauty standards and trends. I look forward to more from this author and series.

[Black Knight]

On 3/4/2018 at 4:56 PM, Mabinogia said:

Just finished, I think it was last months book of the month pick from Amazon, Neighborly by Ellie Monogo. It was not at all what I expected. I almost gave up on the first chapter, which I mostly just skimmed because I loathe first person narratives but by the second chapter I was hooked. It was a true page turner for me. I honestly couldn't put it down because I had to know what was going one. The characters were well written and it was actually a fun read. The ending was both shocking and expected. It held together rather than seeming to come out of nowhere, which is always nice. 

I also read this a couple of weeks ago. Like you, it wasn't what I expected, but once I accepted that I enjoyed the story. I had a hard time getting over

Spoiler

the way everyone just goes along with covering up Nolan straight-up murdering his wife at the end,

however.

I just finished Donna Tartt's The Goldfinch, which I loved for most of the book. I was less enchanted with the big final setpiece of Theo and Boris over in Europe. And the ending is depressing. I see it's being adapted into a movie with Ansel Elgort as adult Theo, Nicole Kidman as Mrs. Barbour, and Sarah Paulson somewhat against type as Xandra.

Today I read Seanan McGuire's Sparrow Hill Road. I always love McGuire, but I had been really slow about starting this book because she's such a prolific writer with multiple series going, and I didn't want to get sucked into yet another. This particular series is her take on urban legends, and unsurprisingly, I really enjoyed it. This was as funny as any of her other books, but also probably the creepiest of hers I've read.

[Mabinogia]

38 minutes ago, Black Knight said:

Today I read Seanan McGuire's Sparrow Hill Road. I always love McGuire, but I had been really slow about starting this book because she's such a prolific writer with multiple series going, and I didn't want to get sucked into yet another. This particular series is her take on urban legends, and unsurprisingly, I really enjoyed it. This was as funny as any of her other books, but also probably the creepiest of hers I've read.

Hmmm, funny and creepy. You have me intrigued. I am going to have to check this one out. 

[BooksRule]

I finally got around to watching 'The Martian' and really liked it, so I thought I would give the book a try (even though I assume I know how it ends).  I like it pretty well so far (even though I'm only several chapters in).  I do have to kind of skim through some of the science, but I get the gist of it.  

Edited March 7, 2018 by BooksRule

[Minneapple]

On 3/6/2018 at 8:54 PM, Black Knight said:

I just finished Donna Tartt's The Goldfinch, which I loved for most of the book. I was less enchanted with the big final setpiece of Theo and Boris over in Europe. And the ending is depressing. I see it's being adapted into a movie with Ansel Elgort as adult Theo, Nicole Kidman as Mrs. Barbour, and Sarah Paulson somewhat against type as Xandra.

For me, this one dragged on and on and on. You could probably cut a good 200 pages and not lose much story. I loved Tartt's A Secret History, but her other novel (I don't even remember what it was called, The Little Friend maybe?) and The Goldfinch were plain disappointing to me. 

[Black Knight]

58 minutes ago, Minneapple said:

For me, this one dragged on and on and on. You could probably cut a good 200 pages and not lose much story.

The story could definitely be told much faster, but I loved almost every meandering bit of it (except for, as I mentioned before, the Theo/Boris in Europe part, which ironically is probably the tautest and fastest-paced sequence in the book, but I just don't care for underworld mob stuff). But this type of Dickensian book (and how I enjoyed the nods to Dickens in this!) is certainly not to everyone's taste.

[Haleth]

The last 100 pages or so when Theo waxes rhapsodic about his life should have been edited with a machete.

Nicole Kidman?  Really?