It's November. What are you reading?

[Connavar]

Voices from the other World by Naguib Mahfouz.

The title of this short story sounds like wierd tales stories but other than one wierd story about a Mommy awakening, the stories are fable like stories about ancient Pharaoh's Egypt. Mostly political stories clearly talking really about his modern times in Egypt, the colonial history, its corrupt leaders.

I choose to start reading this important writer with an early collection. I wondered what he did with ancient Egyptian history. Fun too that a great writer like this mentioned in a short story, The land of Punt ancient name for my homeland. Not surprising seeing how close our countries are geographically, language wise.

 

[Darkchrome]

Feeling encouraged that my theory around joining these threads did result in my managing to finish the first two parts of Gene Wolfe's The Book of the New Sun in October (although technically it was all in one physical book), I've now completely changed tack with Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London.

I bought this after reading a Grauniad review some time back. It's a fast read - how can I not like something with a plot summary that says "I tried to take a witness statement from someone who was dead but disturbingly voluable, and that brought me to the attention of Inspector Nightingale, the last wizard in England."
I'm picturing Peter Cushing as Nightingale

 

[Dinosaur]

Silver Fin by Charlie Higson, the first of the young Bond novels.

And Ben Goldacres I Think You'll Find It's A Bit More Complicated Than That.

 

[Parson]

I've finished Fluency, the first of the "Confluence" books by Jennifer Foehner Wells. Pretty decent book but I had a hard time with one of the key features. It assumes Area 51 is the holder of some dark and deep secret. Which just makes me gag, and think that the author didn't really do her research. Started Rise of the Alliance by Ryk Brown. It is book 12 in the Frontiers Saga. The series is not great prose, but it is entertaining and I like it well enough to keep reading them.

I've finished listening to the last of the Bone Secret Novels: "Chilled." On some levels it was superior to the previous 3 but I didn't like this one quite as well. I didn't feel the characters were quite as well developed. I also doubted the original premise. I've now picked up The Glassblower by Petra Durst-Benning, a German novel recently translated into English. I have yet to listen to the first word.

 

[sozme]

111111

I've finished Fluency, the first of the "Confluence" books by Jennifer Foehner Wells. Pretty decent book but I had a hard time with one of the key features. It assumes Area 51 is the holder of some dark and deep secret. Which just makes me gag, and think that the author didn't really do her research. Started Rise of the Alliance by Ryk Brown. It is book 12 in the Frontiers Saga. The series is not great prose, but it is entertaining and I like it well enough to keep reading them.

Curious my friend - how do you do those self-published books? I have read all of the original Star Force books by BV Larson, and they were entertaining (the first few) but man... no characters at all, and Star Force got just completely idiotic by book 5 or so.

I was considerign reading those Ryk Brown books but I just have a feeling they will make me angry.

 

[tobl]

Feeling encouraged that my theory around joining these threads did result in my managing to finish the first two parts of Gene Wolfe's The Book of the New Sun in October (although technically it was all in one physical book), I've now completely changed tack with Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London.

I bought this after reading a Grauniad review some time back. It's a fast read - how can I not like something with a plot summary that says "I tried to take a witness statement from someone who was dead but disturbingly voluable, and that brought me to the attention of Inspector Nightingale, the last wizard in England."
I'm picturing Peter Cushing as Nightingale

oh men you going to love bem books. they have that brithish black humor and lots of drama a fun read

 

[Parson]

Curious my friend - how do you do those self-published books? I have read all of the original Star Force books by BV Larson, and they were entertaining (the first few) but man... no characters at all, and Star Force got just completely idiotic by book 5 or so.

I was considering reading those Ryk Brown books but I just have a feeling they will make me angry.

I'm not sure what you mean. I do read a lot of self-published books, and some of them are quite marginal. The character development is usually one of their biggest weaknesses. I've read none that I think will be great literature, but many that have been entertaining and a few more than that. As far as Ryk Brown and his Frontiers Saga, I think you'd like these quite well indeed. It has a believable set-up and the central crew characters are well developed. I'd put them a notch above BV Larson's, especially Larson's later offerings in the Star Force series.

 

[tobl]

just finish with catalyst by s j kincaid.now with the slow reagard of slow things by Patrick rothfuss

 

[Bick]

Now reading a David Weber. I remain to be convinced on whether Weber writes great fiction, but I find his books pretty enjoyable and sometimes that meets the mark - I've started The Short Victorious War. Enjoying it so far.

 

[tobl]

if you didn't read the first two of honor it's going to sting a bit

 

[hitmouse]

Count Zero by William Gibson. Looking in the front cover I read this last in 1989. Almost no recall of the book at all. About half way through and enjoying it.

 

[Bick]

if you didn't read the first two of honor it's going to sting a bit

I've read them.

 

[tobl]

I've read them.

it's get better with the other volumes check my posts for other authors if you wish

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Marcus Sedgewick The Ghosts of Heaven. I find him very, very good and am surprised he's not mentioned on a wider basis.

 

[TheShadowsandSilence]

Dark Gods - T.E.D. Klein, some superb weird fiction, it's very restrained work. I think S.T. Joshi described it best as "quiet" horror.

 

[pkdfan]

The Fugazi Of Room 39 - M. K. Cathcart, was a really good book but I CANNOT work out any of the clues except the 'authors note'. Still I'll keep on trying!

 

[The Bluestocking]

November's reads are basically a continuation from October:

• The Midnighters trilogy by Scott Westerfeld
• NOS4A2 by Joe Hill
• Danse Macabre by Stephen King.
• House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
• Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon

 

[The Bluestocking]

Midnight by Dean Koontz but have to finish Odd Thomas first, been really busy since moving offices into a crappy part of Johannesburg.

I rather like the Odd Thomas series. Odd's a great character

 

[Nerds_feather]

The Peripheral by William Gibson.

 

[ratsy]

Finally finished The Broken Eye by weeks. It was a solid book but felt like too many POV changes to keep the pace exciting.

I wanted to try some Scifi which I never read and picked up Old Man's War by Scalzi. Im 50+ pages in and really enjoying the mystery of it. Great book so far.