July 2019: Reading Thread

Escargots are delicious, as are whelks. I am quite partial to mollusc gastronomy.
 
I now avoid eating all things in shells. They have made me very ill too many times. I did used to enjoy Mussels. But back to books....

Now that the summer has arrived I'm into my main reading season of the year. I have built up a stack to be read. Based upon recommendations made here in another thread I have House of Suns by Alistair Reynolds and The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi on my pile, but I probably won't get around to them until August.

First, I've started reading Early Riser by Jasper Fforde, only just released in paperback yesterday. It is another of his alternative reality stories, in this case most people hibernate each winter, and the weather is a lot colder with Ice Age megafauna surviving. Drugs taken to make hibernation easier can have side effects. If people don't wake up properly they can become automatons, or worse, cannibalistic zombies. There are a lot of other interesting idea but I've only just begun reading. Apparently, there is a big conspiracy for the protagonist to uncover.
 
Dave said:
First, I've started reading Early Riser by Jasper Fforde, only just released in paperback yesterday. It is another of his alternative reality stories, in this case most people hibernate each winter, and the weather is a lot colder with Ice Age megafauna surviving. Drugs taken to make hibernation easier can have side effects. If people don't wake up properly they can become automatons, or worse, cannibalistic zombies. There are a lot of other interesting idea but I've only just begun reading. Apparently, there is a big conspiracy for the protagonist to uncover.
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I just saw this one recommended on another board.
 
I'm reading The Shepherd, by Frederick Forsyth. It is a beautiful story of a pilot flying from Germany to England in a De Havilland Vampire, however a fog surrounds him over the North Sea, out of the mist appears a World War Two bomber trying to contact him. As I said a beautiful written novella.
 
Bick said:
Are these really good Danny? I like Mankell and Sjowall & Wahloo.
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Yeah, all, so far have been gripping

I started about halfway through the series and got hooked and ended up buying them all.
I couldn't initially get the first three to see how it all began until translated versions were published, author is Norwegian.

Also he's a bit of an over achiever, ex pro footballer and in a rock band.
And a best selling children's author
 
Another vote for Jo Nesbo here - read The Son by him and thought it was a standout novel, so I also have the first Harry Hole book in my TBR pile. And because of that I also added a Mankell. :)
 
Took a while, but finally got to the end of the Dragonbone Chair, which is more a reflection of my new job than anything. Williams certainly lets his book unfold at a deliberate pace, but the result is worth the time, and the closing chapters, particularly the siege of Naglimund, were amazing. The slow build makes the horror that unfolds all the better.

I'm likely charging on with book 2, the Stone of Farewell, while the story is still fresh, but I'm considering breaking it up and reading the next in Howey's Wool or Taylor's Bobiverse series. My goal is to finish off all 3 of these trilogies by the end of the year.
 
Think it must have been waiting patiently on my shelf for the best part of ten years. I've finally gotten round to reading part one of The Night Angel Trilogy which is The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks. Most impressed by it so far although I'm only a little way in. It's seems to be a good start to the trilogy and parts 2 and 3 will be up next.
 
Soulsinging, it's a while ago but I remember enjoying the writing of that trilogy a lot.

Currently three-fifths into Blood of Elves, by Andrzej Sapkowski. Seems to have a tighter focus than The Last Wish and Sword of Destiny, whilst retaining the short story/unrelated chapters approach. Rather liking it.

I'll dip back into Chronicles of the Black Gate, by Phil Tucker, shortly but only for a little bit. Unfortunately it's an e-book, and I've just finished proofreading for someone else and will have to proof Sir Edric and the Corpse Lord soon.
 
Finished le Carre's A Perfect Spy. I found this thoroughly engrossing while reading it, but having finished it, I'm not sure how much substance there really was. That might be appropriate to the subject, in which case very clever, but didn't make for a particularly satisfying book to finish, especially with the last couple of chapters having a "let's get this wound up" flavour. Not quite as good as the Karla trilogy, but not bad.
 
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