June 2019: Reading Thread

[Ian Fortytwo]

Reading Good Omens, by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. It's the choice of my book group.

 

[Garfunkel]

I had been reading John Connolly's A Book of Bones, but my mental health hasn't been great lately and I needed something lighter, so I've started Terry Pratchett's Wyrd Sisters. It's been good fun so far and I'm tempted to read a few Discworld books now.

 

[Allegra]

Going to read Stephen Clarke's The French Revolution and What Went Wrong. It'll be another treat after 1000 Years of Annoying the French and How the French Won Waterloo (or Think They Did). His history books are very funny and entertaining.

 

[Av Demeisen]

Going to read Stephen Clarke's The French Revolution and What Went Wrong. It'll be another treat after 1000 Years of Annoying the French and How the French Won Waterloo (or Think They Did). His history books are very funny and entertaining.

Within the next decades we will see the publication of British Unification and What Went Wrong followed by 100 Years of Obsession with the Germans and finally How the British Beat the Nazis (or Think They Did).

 

[hitmouse]

Reread Tuf Voyaging by GRR Martin, as a break from all of the non-fiction I have been consuming this year. Pretty good. Clear influence of Jack Vance.

 

[dwndrgn]

Currently listening to Bone Crossed, #4 in the Mercy Thompson series (this is a re-listen for me) if you don't know about it, it is a series about a woman who can turn into a coyote and was raised by werewolves and who tends to befriend everyone including vampires and fae. Funny, snarky, serious. Good stuff.
On digital I'm reading Swordheart by T. Kingfisher which is absolutely cracking me up. A widow is beset by annoying relatives because a rich uncle left her his estate. She accidentally finds an enchanted sword and shenanigans ensue.
On paper I'm reading Smoke and Mirrors which is an urban fantasy spinoff of Tanya Huff's Blood series which was the story of a private investigator who came to be friends with a 300 year old vampire. In the spinoff, one of her informants also ended up as friends with the vampire and finds trouble in the paranormal sense.

 

[Extollager]

One of my daughters is thinking about reading The Silmarillion for the first time & sent a picture with her cat Hamilton and a copy.

 

[Allegra]

Within the next decades we will see the publication of British Unification and What Went Wrong followed by 100 Years of Obsession with the Germans and finally How the British Beat the Nazis (or Think They Did).

...written by a French author.

 

[Brian G Turner]

Just finished reading Exodus to Arthur by Mike Baille, which I had hoped would be more focused on dendrochronology, but ended up as a confused exploration of Arthurian and Biblical imagery: Brian Turner's review of Exodus to Arthur

 

[dask]

'The Hare With The Amber Eyes' - second hand in the local market. looked interesting!

My wife is reading this right now and says that while it is very interesting it is also extremely upsetting.

 

[Danny McG]

Richmal Crompton, Just William series

"William and the pop singers"

 

[Extollager]

The said daughter said today she is indeed going to read The Silmarillion, and sent this photo with Mingo the other cat..

 

[Parson]

@Extollager .... your daughter is too clever by half! Those are wonderful.

 

[tobl]

Reading Good Omens, by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. It's the choice of my book group.

the series is a blast. i just saw also the first episode of The Rook. i hate how they mangled the book.

 

[Parson]

I just finished The Hangman's Daughter by Oliver Potzsch. I found this an interesting read. It's basically a detective style mystery set in 1624 Bavaria. It's historical understanding of the time was one of it's real strong points. The only real quibble I would have with the setting was that the leading female character while well written and very interesting, was likely too independent for the time by a fair margin. I saw this as a way to appeal to modern sensibilities. The hangman's position in the community and his tasks took me by surprise, but not by so much that I doubted it. And the author claims a good bit of research went into this. (His family is descended from the historical character of the hangman (and he was a hangman), but the story is a work of fiction) The mystery itself was never obvious to me until the reveal at the end. On the whole I would recommend it. I've already received the second in the series The Dark Monk.

One very unusual thing about this book is that it is the first one that I've read that took advantage of being read on a tablet. There were some animated illustrations, which might give the book a bit of a juvenile feel, but it worked for me.

 

[Stephen Palmer]

My wife is reading this right now and says that while it is very interesting it is also extremely upsetting.

Erm... I suppose I haven't got to the upsetting bit yet. I'm at the beginning of WW1.

 

[dask]

Ah, yes. World War I. The great calm before the stormtrooper.