May Reading Thread

[Montero]

I read a book on Sean Connery years back, and as I remember it, there was a section from the point of view of an early girlfriend - apparently Connery's idea of a date was to take a girl down the pub, park her with the other girls, go off to talk to blokes and expect the girl to still be there on his return.

 

[Parson]

I read a book on Sean Connery years back, and as I remember it, there was a section from the point of view of an early girlfriend - apparently Connery's idea of a date was to take a girl down the pub, park her with the other girls, go off to talk to blokes and expect the girl to still be there on his return.

Just in case you think that the movies aren't fictionalized. This pattern always works perfectly for him.

 

[Danny McG]

I read a book on Sean Connery years back, and as I remember it, there was a section from the point of view of an early girlfriend - apparently Connery's idea of a date was to take a girl down the pub, park her with the other girls, go off to talk to blokes and expect the girl to still be there on his return.

I don't get your point here, that's what happens isn't it?
*Blinks in confusion*

 

[Danny McG]

I gave up on the Peter May story Lockdown, fair enough it was taking place during a pandemic, however the main plot, a detective with lots of personal problems tracking down a killer, just wasn't very interesting or original. DNF.

Tonight I'm starting The Gordian Protocol by David Weber and Jacob Holo.
One blurb says it's a stand alone novel, another blurb says the start of a new series.
We shall see

 

[tobl]

Tonight I'm starting The Gordian Protocol by David Weber and Jacob Holo.
One blurb says it's a stand alone novel, another blurb says the start of a new series.
We shall see

new series. already has a number 2 coming out

 

[williamjm]

I finished Lois McMaster Bujold's The Physicians of Vilnoc. I've liked all of the novellas in the series and this one is no exception. In the previous stories Penric's successful/disastrous brief career as a physician is something that's been a significant part of his background but it's more of a focus here than in the other stories. It's also a bit more introspective than many of the other stories as Penric wrestles with the fact that he's very good at something that's terrible for his mental health, which I think gives an extra depth to his character. Bujold's stories usually feature memorable supporting characters and there a couple of good examples here. Bujold has always been fond of a mystery plotline, but this one is a bit different as Penric and his fellow physician try to uncover the reason behind a mysterious plague in an army camp.

There are definitely moments where the story is unintentionally topical, it's hard not to feel something when the characters are trying to figure out how the disease spreads and are relieved that it can't be by coughing or it would have spread much faster. I don't know if this will be to everyone's taste right now but I think this could be the perfect time for a story about people managing to overcoming a deadly outbreak by ingenuity and determination.

 

[tobl]

new series. already has a number 2 coming out

I gave up on the Peter May story Lockdown, fair enough it was taking place during a pandemic, however the main plot, a detective with lots of personal problems tracking down a killer, just wasn't very interesting or original. DNF.

Tonight I'm starting The Gordian Protocol by David Weber and Jacob Holo.
One blurb says it's a stand alone novel, another blurb says the start of a new series.
We shall see

i have a series of misgivins about it. already didn´t liked the multiverse series and the blurb for this one... tell after your opinion

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

During my usual week away from the computer, circumstances too uninteresting to relate caused me to read three nonfiction books at the same time, very different in subject matter, degree of scholarliness, and time period.

The Untouchables (1957) by Eliot Ness with Oscar Fraley. The true story of the battle against Al Capone and other gangsters during the Prohibition era. Presumably written by Fraley from information supplied by Ness. Written more like a novel than an autobiography. Probably mostly accurate, unlike the highly fictionalized TV series or the extremely fictionalized movie.

The Pueblo Revolt (1970) by Robert Silverberg. The well-known SF writer provides an account of the successful rebellion of Native American peoples under Spanish rule in the American Southwest during the late 17th century. Written for the lay reader, without footnotes and such, but based on scholarly sources. My edition is a 1994 reprint from the University of Nebraska, which seems to indicate that it's a respectable work of history.

Same Time, Same Station: Creating American Television, 1948-1961 (2007) by James L. Baughman. Covers the subject matter in the subtitle, as networks, sponsors, and others tried to figure out what to do with this new medium. Would it be like live theater, radio, or the movies? A very scholarly, but readable work. The footnotes and such take up roughly 150 pages in an approximately 450 page book.

 

[Danny McG]

i have a series of misgivins about it. already didn´t liked the multiverse series and the blurb for this one... tell after your opinion

@tobl
The Gordian Protocol is yet another DNF for me.
I've read a few multiverse books and usually I like them.

This one was way too heavy in world building in all the alternate Earths, fair enough you could skim past those, but the main plot was surprisingly dull and the characters unlikeable.

I read slightly over a third of it (my usual limit for giving a book a chance) before I said No

 

[biodroid]

@dannymcg - Life's too short to read bad books, that's probably why I haven't tried the Wheel of Times series yet.

 

[tobl]

so... you know how we say some people are snakes? i was viewing an ancient aliens episodes about human - reptilian hibridizacion and beguin wondering how much could it be true and what an interesting book it could be

 

[Parson]

Continuing on my Laurence E Dahners kick. Read Rocket and will finish Comet tonight. --- err. probably.

 

[Danny McG]

so... you know how we say some people are snakes? i was viewing an ancient aliens episodes about human - reptilian hibridizacion and beguin wondering how much could it be true and what an interesting book it could be

Don't mention this on social media, the black helicopters will take you away in the middle of the night

 

[tobl]

Don't mention this on social media, the black helicopters will take you away in the middle of the night

bah, i doubt that. i must be entitled to my own alien abduction. by the way when i'm present to our alien overlords should i just comment on how great iron sky 2 was or just say Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn ?

 

[Danny McG]

I'm taking a little break from SF and trying this crime thriller:-

 

[soulsinging]

I gave up on the Peter May story Lockdown... the main plot, a detective with lots of personal problems tracking down a killer, just wasn't very interesting or original. DNF.

I think this was part of my ambivalence about the last book I read. I love the genre and have read a lot of mystery/noir, but I'm weary of brooding detectives and their angsty personal lives.

 

[Parson]

I think this was part of my ambivalence about the last book I read. I love the genre and have read a lot of mystery/noir, but I'm weary of brooding detectives and their angsty personal lives.

Actually I think that might be a downside of today's incredible number of books available. I look at my favorite section: Military S.F. and it seems like all of the "new" books are actually following a worn formula. "Found spaceship .... feisty (usually female) captain .... Old or lesser quality technology .... no respect from the establishment" or one of the other formulas. ---- I actually think that's why I liked the Murderbot series so much. It had something new to say.

----

I did finish book of the Ell Donsaii series Comet!. Today's project one of the best in the series Tau Ceti.

I've read these Laurence E. Dahner books before. But never at this pace. It gave me a bit of a shock to see how often he refers to Ell Donsaii as thin, good looking, and attracting male attention in every book. And when she's in disguise it's mainly as a heavier woman who doesn't get this male attention, because of her looks. It's easy to believe that for him thin equals beautiful and not thin (she's never disguised as actually fat) as unattractive and unworthy. It is an aggravating insight into some of my most fun reads.

 

[JimC]

'Android Me' by C J Carter available from Amazon Prime.
492 pages, if I remember correctly.

Protagonist Amilyn Marx is a memorable individual. As are her friends - and enemies.

Carter has a remarkable knack for story telling and an ear for dialog, creating a believable world fleshed out and occupied by interesting characters, some loveable, some not so much. But all effectively presented. There are no one-dimensional characters in this story, and it leaves me hoping for a sequel. I want to see more of these people and this world.

Thank you for a good read, Mr. Carter.

P.S. This novel is world class.

 

[Danny McG]

Okay, I'm trying a book from 1936 now.
The wheel spins by Ethel Lina White.
This was subsequently made into a film, The Lady Vanishes.... And remade twice more over the intervening years

 

[Paul_C]

I've just started Rosewater by Tade Thompson.