I’m taking a little break from sword & sorcery with Grub Line Rider by Louis L’Amour. “Black Rock Coffin Makers” sure didn’t waste any time getting right into the action!
What are you reading?
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My wife just finished L’Amour’s The Quick and the Dead and promptly recommended it to me. I’m sure I’ll get to it shortly.
One of the books I’m currently reading is The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie. It’s actually my first "dance" with Christie. Despite her story being a bit outside of my preferred genres, it’s proving to be a fun change of pace.
Just finished Joshua David Bellin's Daughter of Dust, the first volume in his post-apocalyptic series Book of the Huntress. I don't usually read YA, but I picked this up when I ran into Bellin, a fellow-member of a large writers' group I'm in, at a group book signing at a library in the area.
The story clips along well in terms of tension and structure. And it's good, I think, with character development. The FMC starts out as a petulant, impulsive kid who makes foolish decision after foolish decision, but by the end of the story, she's matured into a young adult who can face danger, make needful sacrifices for others, and can provide wise leadership for her group. Moreover, the premise of the immediate threat she and those around her face is unique and singularly creepy. (No spoilers from me!)
This threat, however, seems to be totally separate from the apocalyptic event--- unless the event brought the threat to light? What caused the apocalyptic event in the first place? International warfare? Domestic sabotage? Extra-terrestrials? This volume never says. Is there danger of more of the same happening in the near or mid-future? We're not told that, either.
The POV heroine and everyone else around her seem remarkably uninterested in these questions, or exactly where in the eastern United States they are, or how extensive the damage is, or whether any people besides themselves are left . . .
Maybe the author left that out because he figured his teenaged readers wouldn't care. But I do.
The story clips along well in terms of tension and structure. And it's good, I think, with character development. The FMC starts out as a petulant, impulsive kid who makes foolish decision after foolish decision, but by the end of the story, she's matured into a young adult who can face danger, make needful sacrifices for others, and can provide wise leadership for her group. Moreover, the premise of the immediate threat she and those around her face is unique and singularly creepy. (No spoilers from me!)
This threat, however, seems to be totally separate from the apocalyptic event--- unless the event brought the threat to light? What caused the apocalyptic event in the first place? International warfare? Domestic sabotage? Extra-terrestrials? This volume never says. Is there danger of more of the same happening in the near or mid-future? We're not told that, either.
The POV heroine and everyone else around her seem remarkably uninterested in these questions, or exactly where in the eastern United States they are, or how extensive the damage is, or whether any people besides themselves are left . . .
Maybe the author left that out because he figured his teenaged readers wouldn't care. But I do.
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I'm seven and change books into The Dresden Files based on several recommendations from members here when I talk about my WIP. Distressing that he has so many similar ideas to mine, but then when I remember that the first book was written as a "you want tropes? I'll give you tropes!" kind of thing I feel better about myself. Also, now that I've read them I can avoid things that are too similar (no more VW Bug for my MC, for example) to avoid looking like fanfic.
Really? Oh, lucky you to have all those books to read, fresh and new. I have favorites that I've read many times.
Right now, I'm re-reading The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows.
Christie is good. Kind of hit or miss. And a bit vanilla given the time period, but whatever.My wife just finished L’Amour’s The Quick and the Dead and promptly recommended it to me. I’m sure I’ll get to it shortly.
One of the books I’m currently reading is The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie. It’s actually my first "dance" with Christie. Despite her story being a bit outside of my preferred genres, it’s proving to be a fun change of pace.
Definitely hit or miss, and reading books that are fifty to one hundred-plus years old may be an acquired taste.
Vanilla is only bland to an uncultivated palate.
Vanilla is only bland to an uncultivated palate.
I read Styles about 18 months ago for my first flirtation with Christie. I quite enjoyed it. The structure is what really stands out - it's narrative layering. No doubt she does it better elsewhere, but for a first effort it was a very fine one.My wife just finished L’Amour’s The Quick and the Dead and promptly recommended it to me. I’m sure I’ll get to it shortly.
One of the books I’m currently reading is The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie. It’s actually my first "dance" with Christie. Despite her story being a bit outside of my preferred genres, it’s proving to be a fun change of pace.
As I'm staying in a new town this week, I went by the local bookstore, which thankfully has a pretty decent English selection. I picked up One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig. This is a book and author I have no prior familiarity with, but I like to take gambles like this. I've overcurated my reading in the past, and it feels okay to let loose and pick up something at random. I'll be back to report on my experience reading this.
One last summer holiday read. War and Peace is ongoing (I'm about 1/4 of the way through and enjoying it far more than I thought I might). Alongside it, I've been cruising through Ken Follett's The Armour of Light, the last Kingsbridge novel. I must confess to reading them slightly out of order - I've skipped the Saxon-era prequel The Evening and the Morning for now.
It's fair to say the whole series isn't as good as the original novel, The Pillars of the Earth. Pillars was an experience so rich and complex it was almost heady. The parochial day-to-day of the twelfth century, combined with the bigger historical picture, all framed against this grand construction project, with deeper mysteries and a broad cast of characters, all stretched over 1,300 pages (or a 42-hour audiobook, as I initially experienced it) made for a deeply immersive read. The challenges of Kingsbridge each year, combined with the motivations of different characters and the inherent threat of the Anarchy, made a real page-turner. A rare book that, after listening to it, I've gone back and made sure I have the paperback for reference.
World Without End, the second in the series, was much like that. Indeed, it was a near-identical formula. But I don't mind that. The nature of the historical beast is that as times move on the same formula can show us something about that time. Set as it was during the reign of Edward III - with the apex of the novel being the Black Death itself - there were new threats to deal with. And once again, it was wonderfully parochial. Historical events happened - some even happened on-screen as it were - but the point wasn't those events. It was the lives of smaller people, great as they were in the context of Kingsbridge.
Follett's characterisation was present once again in A Column of Fire, set in the reign of Elizabeth I, but I found this one to be a real downgrade on the first two novels. It was led too much by historical events. It was less about the city of Kingsbridge and more about the politics of England and inserting characters into established events. Tolerable, and indeed a break from the formula that perhaps had to be tried, but something that didn't work for me. I like the parochial nature of Kingsbridge and events in the town, not necessarily the big picture from the wider world - which I know a lot about in any event.
Which all brings me to The Armour of Light. It doesn't have the weight of the first two books - it's a mere 745 pages, compared to north of 1,200 for both of the first two, and 950 for Fire. It also doesn't have the big mysteries tying things together, or a big project which throws everything into conflict. But it is a return to Kingsbridge itself in the Industrial Revolution. It deals with the little people far better. Events happen which affect the city, but they're off-page. I'm expecting a deviation to Waterloo shortly, but after 570 pages it's been a welcome return to the microcosm of Kingsbridge.
It's fair to say the whole series isn't as good as the original novel, The Pillars of the Earth. Pillars was an experience so rich and complex it was almost heady. The parochial day-to-day of the twelfth century, combined with the bigger historical picture, all framed against this grand construction project, with deeper mysteries and a broad cast of characters, all stretched over 1,300 pages (or a 42-hour audiobook, as I initially experienced it) made for a deeply immersive read. The challenges of Kingsbridge each year, combined with the motivations of different characters and the inherent threat of the Anarchy, made a real page-turner. A rare book that, after listening to it, I've gone back and made sure I have the paperback for reference.
World Without End, the second in the series, was much like that. Indeed, it was a near-identical formula. But I don't mind that. The nature of the historical beast is that as times move on the same formula can show us something about that time. Set as it was during the reign of Edward III - with the apex of the novel being the Black Death itself - there were new threats to deal with. And once again, it was wonderfully parochial. Historical events happened - some even happened on-screen as it were - but the point wasn't those events. It was the lives of smaller people, great as they were in the context of Kingsbridge.
Follett's characterisation was present once again in A Column of Fire, set in the reign of Elizabeth I, but I found this one to be a real downgrade on the first two novels. It was led too much by historical events. It was less about the city of Kingsbridge and more about the politics of England and inserting characters into established events. Tolerable, and indeed a break from the formula that perhaps had to be tried, but something that didn't work for me. I like the parochial nature of Kingsbridge and events in the town, not necessarily the big picture from the wider world - which I know a lot about in any event.
Which all brings me to The Armour of Light. It doesn't have the weight of the first two books - it's a mere 745 pages, compared to north of 1,200 for both of the first two, and 950 for Fire. It also doesn't have the big mysteries tying things together, or a big project which throws everything into conflict. But it is a return to Kingsbridge itself in the Industrial Revolution. It deals with the little people far better. Events happen which affect the city, but they're off-page. I'm expecting a deviation to Waterloo shortly, but after 570 pages it's been a welcome return to the microcosm of Kingsbridge.
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This is on my recommended reading list.
I just picked up Moby Dick from the library. Because I've never read it, and feel like I should.
How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines (Revised Edition)
by Thomas C. FosterSorry about the bolding. Really, I'm not shouting. I did a cut and paste to save time, then ended up not saving time at all. Oh, well.
I'm reading this for the second or third time. Excellent book, written in an engaging voice that lacks the taint of stuffy better-than-thou academia while supplying academic insight into literature.
Moby Dick is awesome in that it's a Great Book that also happens to be good. There's very little I didn't like about it, but the secret is that if you find one of Melville's tangents boring...
...you can skip it.
Really. You have my permission, and I won two writing contests on the old forum, which is more than Moby Dick ever did [in Melville's lifetime].
He does throw a lot of different things at the wall, and not all of them stick for everyone, but none of the tangents are so crucial that the rest of the book doesn't hold together. Sticking with him, at least for the first read (I'm in the double-digit club) is probably for the best but don't put the book down if you get stuck, just flip to the next chapter.
Iain, I'm not exactly frothing at the bit to read past calling the narrator Ishmael, but you've convinced me to put Melville on the reading list and give him another try this winter.
I really, really liked "Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City" by Matthew Desmond. He really brings his sociological research to life with his writing. Paints a lot of people as PEOPLE and not their labels like "felon" or "addict" or "just" homeless folks.
www.goodreads.com
Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City
In Evicted, Princeton sociologist Matthew Desmond follo…
Finished No Longer Human and it was depressing as all get out. Some really good lines, though.
Now I'm getting ready to read A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon. Eating Animals by Foer is still being picked through. I'm rather particular about my nonfiction, and this one has started out rather dry to me. But I'll keep going with it.
Now I'm getting ready to read A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon. Eating Animals by Foer is still being picked through. I'm rather particular about my nonfiction, and this one has started out rather dry to me. But I'll keep going with it.
Man, I resd that ages ago. Early 90s. Did it have the recurring phrase "Hurry up please, it's time" in it? Some USMC Pacific novel I read around that time did and I'm damned if I can remember which. You're my only hope, Obiwan Petra4!Now reading Battle Cry by Leon Uris