March 2022 Reading Thread

[The Judge]

Tell us what you're reading this month.

 

[Danny McG]

A few years old but it's my first time reading it.
First Strike by Christopher G Nuttall.
A military sci-fi where a beleaguered humanity in a smug and superior Galactic Association decides to stick it to the aliens. They do like a Pearl Harbour on the critters....
enjoyable so far

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

The February 1965 issue of Short Story International (the sixteenth of those we have at home.) The first story, "The Wallaby Track" by Les Shymansky, is definitely fantasy, although not originally published in a genre publication, as it features genuine Australian Aboriginal magic. Published nowadays in a genre magazine, it would probably be considered slipstream or magic realism. (It also serves as a good example of the magazine's international flavor, being a story set in the Australian bush, written by a Polish-born author.)

 

[Randy M.]

Just picked up The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain, a reread, for a GoodReads group reading. It's been at least 35 years since my first reading of it.

That meant setting aside Velvet Was the Night by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, which I wasn't getting into. Probably my expectations were out of register with the book. Coming back to it later, knowing a bit more about it, and I think I'll find it more engaging.

 

[Hugh]

Terry Pratchett "Wyrd Sisters"
My first Pratchett. Many thanks @Montero and @dneuschulz for suggesting possible starting points.

 

[AE35Unit]

Starting march with a Stephen King anthology, Different Seasons. Anyone read these stories?

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

Starting march with a Stephen King anthology, Different Seasons. Anyone read these stories?

Yes. A good collection. "Apt Pupil" is the best of the bunch, I think. The only out-and-out supernatural horror story in the book, "The Breathing Method," may be the weakest, although it's not bad.

 

[AE35Unit]

And I see the first story is The Shawshank Redemption!

 

[Randy M.]

After you read "Apt Pupil" see if you can find the movie, Targets (1968). I think it inspired King and, better yet, it has one of the best late career roles and performances by Boris Karloff.

 

[Danny McG]

The blurb. .
Anders Jensen is having a bad month. His roommate is a data thief, his girlfriend picks fights in bars, and his best friend is a cyborg…and a lousy tipper. When everything is spiraling out of control, though, maybe those are exactly the kind of friends you need.

In a world divided between the genetically engineered elite and the unmodified masses, Anders is an anomaly: engineered, but still broke and living next to a crack house. All he wants is to land a tenure-track faculty position, and maybe meet someone who’s not technically a criminal-but when a nightmare plague rips through Hagerstown, Anders finds himself dodging kinetic energy weapons and government assassins as Baltimore slips into chaos. His friends aren’t as helpless as they seem, though, and his girlfriend’s street-magician brother-in-law might be a pretentious hipster - or might hold the secret to saving them all.

 

[tachyon]

when a nightmare plague rips through Hagerstown, Anders finds himself dodging kinetic energy weapons and government assassins as Baltimore slips into chaos

I don't think I've ever read a novel set in Maryland before, might have to have a look at this.

 

[worldofmutes]

Reading Douglas R. Mason’s The End Bringers.

 

[Galactic Bus Driver]

And I see the first story is The Shawshank Redemption!

"The Body" was adapted to film as "Stand by Me."

 

[AE35Unit]

"The Body" was adapted to film as "Stand by Me."

Indeed it was.

 

[Rodders]

Our man King has to be the most filmed author ever.

 

[Randy M.]

Out man King has to be the most filmed author ever.

Shakespeare's ghost is glaring at you.

 

[HareBrain]

Shakespeare's ghost is glaring at you.

Yup, outnumbers King by a factor of 20. King is the most filmed living author, though.

 

[Danny McG]

I started this book tonight, it was written four years ago.

It's somewhat unbelievable premise is that Russia invades the Ukraine to allegedly protect it's proxy areas.

I've got to a place now where they are shelling Kharkiv (as if!) as civilians evacuate.

 

[The Big Peat]

At 38% in of Gideon the Ninth. I just can't do this book in large chunks. There's always something I like every few pages, but the rest of it's just kinda meh.

 

[dask]

I started this book tonight, it was written four years ago.

It's somewhat unbelievable premise is that Russia invades the Ukraine to allegedly protect it's proxy areas.

I've got to a place now where they are shelling Kharkiv (as if!) as civilians evacuate.

View attachment 87140I thought maybe this was a timely gag but just looked it up and it gets a 4.17 out of 5 star rating at Goodreads. Have to look this one up.

I thought maybe this was a timely gag but just looked it up and it gets a 4.17 out of 5 star rating at Goodreads. Have to look this one up.

A few minutes later: Not so hot reviews at Amazon. Be interesting to know what you think.