Vonnegut's awesome. After I'm out of research mode, I've got "Welcome to the Monkey House" waiting for me patiently. And that's another vote for KindleUnlimited, for me.
July 2016: What Have You Been Reading?
- Thread starter GOLLUM
- Start date
Vonnegut's awesome. After I'm out of research mode, I've got "Welcome to the Monkey House" waiting for me patiently. And that's another vote for KindleUnlimited, for me.
I have made it past that point and now, with Miles safely married, they might get less romance filled, but my desire to pick up the next one does seem to diminish the further I go into the series.
I read non SF for my book club (boring!). But in the Sf world I just re-read Gravity's Eye by Ian C Douglas. I like the idea of a school for psychics and the monsters and robots are great. And I'm looking forward to the new Adrian Tchaikovsky book about the arachnid civiilisation. That should be a hoot.
After finishing Cherryh's Morgaine trilogy, I'm now reading Plague from Space, by Harry Harrison. Enjoying it thus far. It's a novel from 1965, and sounds jovially tongue in cheek, but it's actually written with serious intent, not comic. Harrison has a simple direct style that appeals to me. Anyone else read this one?
Tracy
Member
I'm only about halfway through "Shards of Honor" and the romance is already nigh unbearable. I don't think I'll manage to even finish it. Do you happen to know of any other works like Bujold's that I should stay away from? I'm really not a romance guy
Finished a reread of Ian C Esslemont's Stoneweilder, now starting Brandon Sanderon's The Way of Kings. Looking forward to this having only previously read his Mistborn series.
Funnily enough, the romance didn't bother me. I'm not a natural fan of romance, but I see characterisation as her best writing asset. It's the ludicrous way things work out for Miles despite him doing very little to plan for the best that bothers me. Far too neat and tidy, plot-wise.I'm only about halfway through "Shards of Honor" and the romance is already nigh unbearable. I don't think I'll manage to even finish it. Do you happen to know of any other works like Bujold's that I should stay away from? I'm really not a romance guy
Ray Pullar
Licensed operator
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- Messages
- 148
Yesh, a long time ago - late seventies when I read much of HH. Pretty hazy now but I agree about his humorous seriousness and straightforward prose. He fell out badly with former mentor John Campbell when he wrote Bill the galactic hero because it was a funny and sincere assault on the famous editor and the Analog school.
The Ace
Scottish Roman.
Chris Wooding's, Tales of the Ketty Jay;
Redemption Falls
The Black Lung Captain
The Iron Jackal.
After these, I'm going to see if there are any more in this daft, but entertaining series.
Redemption Falls
The Black Lung Captain
The Iron Jackal.
After these, I'm going to see if there are any more in this daft, but entertaining series.
Victoria Silverwolf
Vegetarian Werewolf
I finished those kid's books. Very light comedy, for the most part. (The fact that the second book features a twenty-four-year-old man dating a fourteen-year-old girl may raise your eyebrows a bit.) The third book is a repeat of the body switching theme of the first, but the second one uses a television that broadcasts from tomorrow as the gimmick.
Tomorrow I plan to start Babylon Revisited and Other Stories by F. Scott Fitzgerald (1960 collection of stories from 1920 to 1937.)
Why tomorrow? Because I forgot to bring a book to work with me tonight. Horrors!
ratsy
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2008
- Messages
- 4,643
@nixie I hope you like it. I read it twice, and I normally don't re-read books until many years pass. Great series. I recently read the 3 newer mistborns too, and they were great.
I finished The Loose Ends List, which has nothing to do with SFF but it was a touching YA book that looks at death in a cool way.
I am now immersing myself in Liberator by Nick Bailey and Darren Bullock. It's a great read so far, and I'm really enjoying it.
Also, over half way through the audiobook of The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman, read by Gaiman. The story is great, and he is wonderful at narrating it. I also watched Coraline today again, and it has some of the same magic to it.
I finished The Loose Ends List, which has nothing to do with SFF but it was a touching YA book that looks at death in a cool way.
I am now immersing myself in Liberator by Nick Bailey and Darren Bullock. It's a great read so far, and I'm really enjoying it.
Also, over half way through the audiobook of The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman, read by Gaiman. The story is great, and he is wonderful at narrating it. I also watched Coraline today again, and it has some of the same magic to it.
Bugg
A Lerxst in Wonderland
- Joined
- Aug 7, 2011
- Messages
- 1,838
Finished Sharpe's Trafalgar over the weekend. Contrivances aside, I thought it was great - my favourite of the Sharpe books I've read so far (possibly because my interests in the Napoleonic Wars lean towards the naval side of things anyway). I thought Cornwell wrote the battle itself brilliantly.
Now on to The Venus Throw, which is the fourth novel in Steven Saylor's 'Roma Sub Rosa' series. This is one a friend loaned to me and I've had it sitting on the shelf for well over a year, possibly closer to two. Guilt is making me read it now 
Now on to The Venus Throw, which is the fourth novel in Steven Saylor's 'Roma Sub Rosa' series. This is one a friend loaned to me and I've had it sitting on the shelf for well over a year, possibly closer to two. Guilt is making me read it now
The only similar one that I've had direct experience of is Catherine Asaro - romance with a flavouring of space opera. However I might possibly include the Kris Longknife books by Mike Shepherd, though they're not as heavily romantic.I'm only about halfway through "Shards of Honor" and the romance is already nigh unbearable. I don't think I'll manage to even finish it. Do you happen to know of any other works like Bujold's that I should stay away from? I'm really not a romance guy
I've only read the first of those Ace, but I completely agree with your assessment. Whilst I was reading it I was thinking this is complete pulp, but it's also loads and loads of fun. Definitely a new guilty pleasure for me!
Tracy
Member
I have to admit the characters do indeed show some promise, along with the setting, really, but romance just bores me to tears. Additionally I'm not much of a space opera man, either, though I do have some that I like, so I didn't really expect to like the series overmuch. I figured it's worth a glance though.
@Vertigo thanks for the tip
On the subject - I've just started Eoin Colfer's sequel to Adams' Hitchhiker series. Some people warned me that it doesn't measure up, but I remember that I liked Colfer's Artemis Fowl books as a kid (well, early teen, really) and I'm in the mood for some humor, so what the heck.
The Ace
Scottish Roman.
The only similar one that I've had direct experience of is Catherine Asaro - romance with a flavouring of space opera. However I might possibly include the Kris Longknife books by Mike Shepherd, though they're not as heavily romantic.
I've only read the first of those Ace, but I completely agree with your assessment. Whilst I was reading it I was thinking this is complete pulp, but it's also loads and loads of fun. Definitely a new guilty pleasure for me!
Turns out there's one more.
The Ace of Skulls.
Given Frey's luck, it seems appropriate.
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