August 2019: Reading Thread

IMG_20190816_102047.jpg


Just finished this and it is a great read. Atmospheric, creepy and thought provoking and also a bit pulpy. Perfect in other words for a Summer read by the beach which is where I am now :)
 
Just finished Nod by Adrian Barnes. What happens when almost everyone in the world suddenly stops being able to sleep? Society basically falls apart within a week. An effective, somewhat Ballardian apocalyptic horror, aet in Vancouver.
 
Just finished On the Psychology of Military Incompetence by Norman F Dixon. It's mostly about 19th and early 20th century wars, which isn't my area. Amazon reviews indicate one or two bits of history are open to question, but psychologically it appears stronger.

Certainly, the fall of Singapore and the conduct beforehand in non-preparation of defences appears very odd, as does the battle of incompetence that was the Crimean War.
 
Just started A Book of Bones by John Connolly. This is the 17th book in the Charlie Parker series of crime novels. I actually picked this up a couple of months ago but left if now as I do most of my reading on my 2 weeks of annual leave. Normally get through 7-10 books as I laze on the beach. Don't think so this time as my 8 year old son has rather different ideas on how I should spend my time and the next book on my list is sort of heavy l, although I cannot wait to read it. Hell or Some Worse Place. Kinsale 1601 by Des Ekin. Sangria is great though.
 
svalbard said:
the next book on my list is sort of heavy , although I cannot wait to read it. Hell or Some Worse Place. Kinsale 1601 by Des Ekin.
Click to expand...
I've read his two modern day murder novels but I've never really fancied his serious historical stuff, not my preferred kind of reading
 
I've been enjoying Senlin Ascends, but it's traveling at a snail's pace so I made a start on String City by Graham Edwards, which is currently for sale on Amazon for 99p.

It's the tale of "a gumshoe in an inter-dimensional city full of gods" and I'm enjoying it hugely so far (25% read).
 
Well I finally finished The Naive and Sentimental Lover, by John le Carre. It starts well and then starts to drift, then finishes on a whimper. I'll read his spy stories, which he does well. Now I have started reading The Drop, by Mick Herron. It is a Slough House Novella.
 
Roger Zelazny: "The Changing Land (1981) Conclusion of the Dilvish saga.
I've always been surprised that there's been very little in the way of comments re Dilvish here. Generally I'm not a fan of most sword and sorcery, but I'm very fond of these quirky stories of Dilvish and his unusual companion, Black. There may be some lack of continuity (they were written between 1962 and 1980, and in fact the first Dilvish story was Zelazny's second ever sale), cliché a plenty, ridiculous gender stereotyping, but for me they work. I particularly admire the way there is so much of the back story that you don't know and never learn. For instance what form of being exactly is the metallic black horse "Black", why has he chosen to help Dilvish, and what exactly does he have against the magician Jelerak? We know that Dilvish and Black met in Hell but not much more. In the unlikely (given the lack of previous comment) event of anyone knowing more, please enlighten me.
 
The Fourth Bear by Jasper Fforde - a nice piece of light entertainment and humour. More here.
The Price of Treason by S J A Turney - a good second book in his Praetorian historical series. More here.
Slow Bullets by Alastair Reynolds - a short and okay but ultimately rather unsatisfactory novella. More here.
Trajectory Book 1 by Robert M Campbell - nice idea but appallingly written. More here. (I know there are some on Chrons who rate this author and book and I hope they are upset by my words but I'm sorry for me it is my worst read this year).
 
Last edited:
Took a brief hiatus and read one of Heinlein's Juvenals, Starman Jones. I came across a listing of all 12 of those and I was certain I read 10 of them. The title Farmer in the Sky, sounded familiar, but there was not enough of a summary for me to remember if I'd read it or not. And that book was not available as a Kindle or in a way I considered economical. Starman Jones had a fair summary and I was quite sure I'd never read it. But there were two scenes I remembered of Heinlein's juvenals that I could not place. So after reading nearly the entire book and being fairly sure I'd never read it before I came to two largely irrelevant scenes that I remembered earlier. In one the main character needs to tie something and a young girl makes him turn his back to her and shortly comes up with a ribbon. The other was after the main character and this girl have played 3d chess for a while, he makes her mad and he discovers that she's always been way better at chess than he was, but she was just keeping him interested by playing down to his ability. ---- Now, I read those books when I was about 10. Why did I remember those two scenes and none of the plot?

Anyway, for an SF written almost 70 years ago, Starman Jones holds up remarkably well. Some of the implied science has been surpassed already, and some of the social mores smack of another era, but I found neither of them too off putting and would recommend it. Especially to Heinlein's intended age audience.
 
Hugh said:
The keyboard can be so cruel. :D
Click to expand...
Whoops! Do you know one of my most common typos (that I usually spot before posting etc.) is to drop negatives; leave out the 'not', write 'do' instead of 'don't'. I wonder if that says something about me!
 
Parson said:
Took a brief hiatus and read one of Heinlein's Juvenals, Starman Jones. I came across a listing of all 12 of those and I was certain I read 10 of them. The title Farmer in the Sky, sounded familiar, but there was not enough of a summary for me to remember if I'd read it or not. And that book was not available as a Kindle or in a way I considered economical. Starman Jones had a fair summary and I was quite sure I'd never read it. But there were two scenes I remembered of Heinlein's juvenals that I could not place. So after reading nearly the entire book and being fairly sure I'd never read it before I came to two largely irrelevant scenes that I remembered earlier. In one the main character needs to tie something and a young girl makes him turn his back to her and shortly comes up with a ribbon. The other was after the main character and this girl have played 3d chess for a while, he makes her mad and he discovers that she's always been way better at chess than he was, but she was just keeping him interested by playing down to his ability. ---- Now, I read those books when I was about 10. Why did I remember those two scenes and none of the plot?

Anyway, for an SF written almost 70 years ago, Starman Jones holds up remarkably well. Some of the implied science has been surpassed already, and some of the social mores smack of another era, but I found neither of them too off putting and would recommend it. Especially to Heinlein's intended age audience.
Click to expand...
Heinlein's Starman Jones and Space Cadet are the first proper science fiction I ever read when I was about 7. It sucked me straight in and outside of one or two hiccoughs I've been a fan of Heinlein's, and by consequence science fiction, ever since. I really should read all of his over again.
 
HareBrain said:
Especially when you're pointing out anyone else's poor grammar, spelling etc. Any such post must be checked at least twenty times before committing.
Click to expand...
That's true but at the same time I'm not asking anyone to give me money for what I post here!
 
Vince W said:
Heinlein's Starman Jones and Space Cadet are the first proper science fiction I ever read when I was about 7. It sucked me straight in and outside of one or two hiccoughs I've been a fan of Heinlein's, and by consequence science fiction, ever since. I really should read all of his over again.
Click to expand...
Me too. What is it about Starman Jones? Seems to have been the first sf for many of us. I can remember the shelf position of the copy I borrowed from Toorak library in Melbourne one very hot day in 1976.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread starter Similar threads Forum Replies Date
elvet August / September 100 Word Anonymous Challenge 2024 Poll Workshop 0
Ursa major Tie-breaker Poll -- August 2024 75 Word Writing Challenge -- MOSAIX AND THE JUDGE WIN! Writing Challenges 0
Ursa major POLL -- August 2019 75-word Writing Challenge -- DANNYMCG WINS! Writing Challenges 0
The Judge DISCUSSION THREAD -- August 2019 -- 75-Word Writing Challenge Writing Challenges 181
The Judge AUGUST 2019 75-Word Story Challenge -- VICTORY TO DANNYMCG! Writing Challenges 38

Similar threads


Back
Top