July Reading Thread

[The Judge]

I've a couple of novels left over from June.

A re-read of the very thick historical murder-mystery Tombland by CJ Sansom has definitely come to a halt in the midst of the Kett rebellion, but I may return this one to the library without finishing it since I do know how it ends. The other is Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman in which a half-human, half-dragon sets out to find others of her kind in order to protect her home city from destruction by dragons who don't agree with the peace treaty drawn up some 40 years before -- but although I raced through her first book, Seraphina, I'm not nearly as gripped by this one and I'm making very slow progress with it.

I've no idea where I'm going after those two.

What are you reading in July?

 

[Foxbat]

Finished Moorcock's Citadel Of Forgotten Myths. It's actually a collection of novellas rather than a novel. It was okay. Not his best but certainly not his worst.

Now I'm reading Mosquito: The RAF's Legendary Wooden Wonder And Its Most Extraordinary Mission

A fighter/bomber/spy plane/pathfinder/nightfighter of WW2. When it comes to multi-role capability, it is, in the words of Tina Turner, simply the best.

This book tells the story of its development and its mission to destroy Gestapo HQ in Copenhagen.

As important as the Spitfire, Hurricane and Lancaster in my opinion.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

I've posted my review of The Square of Sevens: Review: The Square of Sevens, by Laura Shepherd-Robinson. Sorry if it is a bit incoherent, but my mind feels like it is filled with glue, and I wanted to get this all down while I still remembered it.

(And thanks for your concern, TJ. Lately, we seem to go from one family health crisis to another, and in between there is chronic ill-health. It's hardest on my daughter, Megan, who right now is the principle care-giver.)

 

[Elentarri]

I started Bleak House by Charles Dickens. The verbose writing style is going to take some getting used to (again).

 

[Randy M.]

Starting a reread of Thomas Tryon's The Other for a GoodReads group read.

After that ... A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court? Maybe a reread of The Little Sister and/or The Lady in the Lake (Chandler)? Maybe Bunny (Mona Awad)? Maybe In the Woods (French)?

Too many things I want to read and not sure which direction I feel like going.

 

[Elentarri]

After that ... A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court? Maybe a reread of The Little Sister and/or The Lady in the Lake (Chandler)? Maybe Bunny (Mona Awad)? Maybe In the Woods (French)?

Too many things I want to read and not sure which direction I feel like going.

I, also, have that problem. There are so many things I want to read and not enough time (and real life keeps getting in the way).

Also, thanks for the reminder - I wanted to read the legends of Charlemagne found at the end of my Bullfinch's mythology book.

 

[Orcadian]

Just started In the Ocean of Night by Gregory Benford. So far it's promising: in trying to deflect an asteroid from a collision course with Earth, astronauts find an alien artefact that they struggle to comprehend. If it's done well (things are uncovered slowly, some stuff is initally baffling, and you must engage your brain), this is just the sort of thing I like. I recall rejecting Benford's books repeatedly as a young adult, though I can't remember why. So am looking forward to giving him another try.

 

[Hugh]

Walt Whitman "Leaves of Grass"
New to me, though I've heard multiple references to it over the years, including its recommendation by a certain President Clinton to one of his interns .
Powerful when read through at pace.
Whether I will re-read it more slowly now, I know not.

 

[Vertigo]

Just started In the Ocean of Night by Gregory Benford. So far it's promising: in trying to deflect an asteroid from a collision course with Earth, astronauts find an alien artefact that they struggle to comprehend. If it's done well (things are uncovered slowly, some stuff is initally baffling, and you must engage your brain), this is just the sort of thing I like. I recall rejecting Benford's books repeatedly as a young adult, though I can't remember why. So am looking forward to giving him another try.
View attachment 120421

I really liked the first couple of books in that series. The latter ones not so much; still good but the physics all started getting a bit mind blowing!And I'm usually a lover of any kind of hard SF.

 

[Orcadian]

I really liked the first couple of books in that series. The latter ones not so much; still good but the physics all started getting a bit mind blowing!And I'm usually a lover of any kind of hard SF.

I don't mind lots of physics but it has to hang together. As (I think) Asimov said, You're allowed to violate one fundamental concept - for example you can allow FTL - but when you've got where you're going, everything else must work, i.e. you have to stick to real physics and not violate what we already know.

 

[hitmouse]

Trieste and the Meaning of Nowhere (2001) Jan Morris which I first mentioned here in 2013 in the Travel Writing thread. As I am now slowly making my way to Trieste by train I decided to reread it. VG++. Morris first went there during WWII as a 19 year old soldier, and wrote this book from the perspective of a 70 year old. As much as anything, this is about an isolated and anomalous city from the perspective of time: changing significance and nationality and identity. I am looking forward to reaching it.

 

[RTGR]

O Mal do Século (Portuguese Edition) by Junior Berts

The Star Rover by Jack London

 

[Chris von shannow]

I’m struggling to get into anything at the moment

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

I just finished the new Bujold novella, Penric and the Bandit, just out this morning. Being so short, it was a quick read, an adventure where Penric is off on his own, apart from this usual companions (except, of course, for Des, who is always with him). In order to save himself from a band of ruthless outlaws Pen and his demon use the same tricks we have seen them use so many times before, though there was some interest in seeing it all through the eyes of another character. However, I felt more pleasure in seeing Penric perform his rarely-seen pastoral duties.

Which thinking about it afterwards, may have been (unknown to Penric himself) the point of the whole exercise, even more than the treasure of lost books and manuscripts he was originally seeking.

 

[Vertigo]

I don't mind lots of physics but it has to hang together. As (I think) Asimov said, You're allowed to violate one fundamental concept - for example you can allow FTL - but when you've got where you're going, everything else must work, i.e. you have to stick to real physics and not violate what we already know.

The problem with this series is that, as the series name - Galactic Centre - suggests, it does eventually end up in the galactic centre where physics does tend to get quite extreme! I'm sure it all hangs together, Benford is an astrophysicist after all, it's just that it tends to stretch my understanding some!

 

[Dave Vicks]

COSMIC QUACKERY ,2021,Neil de Grasse
Tyson with the Amazing Randi. Audio.

 

[Dave Vicks]

BECOMING A WRITER, STAYING A WRITER, 2021,J.Michael Staczynski

 

[Elentarri]

The Perfect Wife by J.P. Delaney
This was really good. So many surprising twists, so I won’t be writing anything about the plot so as not to spoil any of it. This is a psychological, science fiction, mystery novel that examines what it means to be human.

 

[Rodders]

Finished Sabbatt Martr, which was indescribably good. Now on to the Lost arc starting with Traitor General.



I remember this being another excellent book, filled with tension. Can't wait.

 

[ablackenedrose]

I finished Yndrasta, the Celestial Spear in a couple of reading sessions and... honestly? While I've read far better in my time, it was an enjoyable enough little yarn. Sure, I doubt I'll re-read it, but I don't regret my time with it, either. I enjoyed quite a bit of the imagery and the arc of Yndrasta herself, and the concept of the sled cities especially was rather interesting.

Next up is Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman. I greatly enjoyed The Ocean at the End of the Lane when I read it some months back, so it seems right to head back to Gaiman to see if any of his other work clicks with me or if that one was just a lightning strike of brilliance.