April 2019: Reading Thread

[Brian G Turner]

Sounds really good - I keep meaning to read some stuff by Pryor, but, you know, TBR pile..

I'm enjoying his style - it's not cold and academic, but warmly narrated. Rather than simply cite studies, he relates projects and people he's been involved with and how the discoveries they've made have revolutionized how we think about prehistoric peoples. The human tone ties in nicely with the human subject of ordinary people in the distant past.

I was planning to read Britain BC as well, but by his own account the study of the Mesolithic and Neolithic periods have been turned on their heads since that was published - so I'm not sure if I should now.

 

[Allegra]

Started re reading The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and saw this bit of info today on Notre-Dame booksellers urge donations, I had no idea the book helped to save the great Cathedral at the time:

Literary critics argue that Hugo's main motivation for writing the book was to draw attention to the then-dilapidated cathedral and the value of the Gothic architecture.

Prior to the publication of Hugo's book, sections of Notre-Dame cathedral had fallen into disrepair.

He began writing the story, also known as "Our Lady of Paris", in 1829, using the building as the backdrop for his dramatic tale.

At the time, parts of it lay in ruins, having sustained serious damage during the French Revolution.

Hugo's enormously popular novel - set in Notre-Dame's heyday in the 1400s - is partly credited with saving it.

Hugo is doing it again, hope the publishers and amazon make donations:

Victor Hugo's Notre-Dame de Paris tops Amazon best-seller list

The monument was severely damaged in a fire on Monday evening.

www.euronews.com

 

[tobl]

finished jan stryvant valen's legacy. quite funny. too bad the author is injured. hoping for the next two books soon.

 

[Bick]

I finished Jack Vance’s Big Planet. It was okay; I’d say it was of more historical interest as an early Vance work and the first novel to be set on and wholly describe an alien planet (apparently). I enjoyed it, but it’s not a great novel by any means. That said, it has passages of good excitement and ends quite well. It’s also a trek/voyage novel, which is a sub-genre I particularly like.

Now I’m turning to another Pratchett Discworld novel in my mammoth reading of that series. It should be noted that I’m reading only the ‘adult’ novels and I’m skipping YA and picture books that slot in here and there. As such, my next novel after Guards! Guards!, is Moving Pictures. This will get reviewed in my thread in the Pratchett forum of course. (For fans of Eric, you’ll have to remain disappointed as I’m skipping it, as it’s a short YA book and not a ‘main series’ full novel).

 

[Simbelmynë]

I read The Dragonbone Chair in 2017 and the second one last year. It took getting to the end of the first book to really start to appreciate the flavour of the setting. The climax was fantastic. I thoroughly enjoyed book number two and plan to read at least the third one this year.

 

[Ian Fortytwo]

Reading The Only Story, by Julian Barnes. A captivating story of first love and its lifelong consequences.

 

[tobl]

last night i read borough of bones by john conroe. second book in the zone war series. quite nice. had to finish it lolo took a stab at repairman jack...
not my cup of tea

 

[Danny McG]

As well as the Al Roberson duology I'm reading I started another one today.

(It was on the kitchen worktop screaming "Danny, read me now! Don't keep me for next week!").

Drew Williams 'The Stars Unclaimed' - good space opera stuff so far, I've gotta go and see what happens in it.

 

[Ian Fortytwo]

I'm reading The Book of Magic Part 1 original stories by, K. J. Parker, Megan Lindholm, John Crowley, Matthew Hughes, Ysabeau S. Wilce, Rachel Pollack, Eleanor Arnason, Tim Powers. Edited by Gardner Dozois.

 

[Dave]

I've not read very much this year. I'm envious of the people who read a book a week. I just don't have the time.

I read our own @HareBrain 's The Empyreus Proof earlier this year (better than the first book) and several local history books. I've also read Firefly by Henry Porter. This mixes the story of a teenage refugee with that of a British ex-spy during the migrant crisis from the Syrian civil war. I liked it, but some of the coincidences necessary felt too forced.

I just finished up Past Tense a new Jack Reacher book. It's number 23. The pacing was off. That's a shame because pacing is normally a strong point. Our time was split between Reacher and a couple at a motel. They spent way to much time on the motel. All in all it was inferior to the previous book.

This is what I'm reading now. It is my first Jack Reacher book. If this isn't up to the standard of the other 22, then the other 22 must be damn good.

However, I need to get back to reading more Science Fiction.

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

I am about to start The Year's Best Science Fiction: Thirty-Third Annual Collection (2016) edited by Gardner Dozois. One of that great editor's massive anthologies; more than 300,000 words.

 

[Brian G Turner]

the other 22 must be damn good.

They usually are, but quality can vary. There can be some character inconsistencies - in some books Reacher makes lots of music references, in others he makes lots of observations about maths. However, they all generally share very strong pacing. I haven't read Past Tense yet, though, as I'm still waiting for it to go down a little further in price.

 

[Dave]

I haven't read Past Tense yet, though, as I'm still waiting for it to go down a little further in price.

I bought it for £4.49 at WHSmiths in a Motorway Services.

 

[Danny McG]

I bought it for £4.49 at WHSmiths in a Motorway Services.

I've got it as an ebook but too many exciting books are queued above it in my TBR list.
One day .....

 

[Grace_E]

I like the sound of The Bear and The Nightingale, might have seen that in Waterstones and will have to check it out at some point. Can’t say I really know anything about Russian myths but I do enjoy books based on mythology.

Also intrigued by your short story. I may have misread your post but is this a story of your own?

No it's actually not, you can find the book on amazon and it's soooo good. It's highly recommended

 

[Hugh]

Peter Coyote “The Rainman’s Third Cure”
A follow-up to his earlier (frightening) autobiographical account of 60s US counter-culture and commune life, “Sleeping Where I Fall”. This one focuses on those who mentored him from childhood onwards, including his childhood nanny, some sort of Mafia consigliere, and Gary Snyder. I really enjoyed this one also, more thoughtful, less madness, but you really need to read the other one first.

 

[Ian Fortytwo]

I have currently got two books on the go, An Inspector Calls and other plays, by J. B. Priestley. And John Gielgud An Actor's Life, by Gyles Brandreth. This second book is made up of anecdotes from Kenneth Branagh, Alec Guinness, Paul Scofield, Donald Sinden, Peter Hall and many others. John Gielgud is a great Shakespearian actor, but also ventured into contemporary acting such as Harold Pinter and Alan Bennett.

 

[Extollager]

Tolkien's Two Towers (13th reading). I read a couple of books after finishing The Fellowship of the Ring, and expect to read a ouple or more between Towers and The Return of the King.

 

[Hugh]

Tolkien's Two Towers (13th reading).

How are you finding it? How much had you forgotten? What has surprised you?

 

[nixie]

Brief interlude​

Remember there is still time to enter this month's 75 writing challenge.

Theme
Structure
Genre
Gothic.​

Normal service can now be resumed.