June 2020 Reading Thread

[BAYLOR]

Well...

...there are always new things to learn.

True.

Of Interest, The Heads of Cerberus by Francis Stevens .

 

[hitmouse]

Finished my reread of JG Ballard’s The Drought, which was very good. Probably not quite up there with The Drowned World or The Crystal World, but very effective nonetheless.

Next up: and omnibus edition of Damon Runyon’s Broadway stories. A bit of a random ( and inexpensive) Kindle purchase. Never read any Runyon, but hear that he is as distinctive a prose stylist in his own way as Wodehouse. Certainly worth a punt.

 

[Hugh]

Finished my reread of JG Ballard’s The Drought, which was very good. Probably not quite up there with The Drowned World or The Crystal World, but very effective nonetheless.

And I finished The Drought last night...
After 45 years...
I'm not sure yet on my reactions. In some ways it was a disappointment as I found it difficult to identify with the main character and believe in the progress of events, but it has a haunting dream-like quality that goes deep inside. And then there's this play on The Tempest with a totally camp Prospero. And the main character has the same surname as that in C.S.Lewis' Space Trilogy. So I think it will stay with me and simmer for a while.
The re-read was prompted by reading the autobiography and realising that certain images of The Drought were still with me, specifically the strange hydrocephalic figure of Quilter standing in the ruined landscape, the lions, and the relationship of Philip Jordan and Ransom. The bit I particularly wanted to re-read was the point where Ransom recalls the years of assistance that he had given the waif Philip and how this would be repaid with something very different: "No one could incur such an obligation without settling it to the full one day in its reverse coin". At my first read I found that very puzzling, but now much less so.
I have no memory at all of Drowned or Crystal though I know I read them around the same time, and minimal memory of Wind.

 

[Ian Fortytwo]

I'm still reading Catch-22, by Joseph Heller. It's a brilliant and fascinating story with humour. I'll probably finish it by the end of the week. However I don't want it to, because it is so good.

 

[Danny McG]

Safe by SK Barnett
A crime/psychological thriller

 

[Foxbat]

Harper Lee’s Go Set A Watchman

 

[Hugh]

I'm still reading Catch-22, by Joseph Heller. It's a brilliant and fascinating story with humour. I'll probably finish it by the end of the week. However I don't want it to, because it is so good.

Hopefully there aren't too many parallels with the NHS.

 

[hitmouse]

And I finished The Drought last night...
After 45 years...
I'm not sure yet on my reactions. In some ways it was a disappointment as I found it difficult to identify with the main character and believe in the progress of events, but it has a haunting dream-like quality that goes deep inside. And then there's this play on The Tempest with a totally camp Prospero. And the main character has the same surname as that in C.S.Lewis' Space Trilogy. So I think it will stay with me and simmer for a while.
The re-read was prompted by reading the autobiography and realising that certain images of The Drought were still with me, specifically the strange hydrocephalic figure of Quilter standing in the ruined landscape, the lions, and the relationship of Philip Jordan and Ransom. The bit I particularly wanted to re-read was the point where Ransom recalls the years of assistance that he had given the waif Philip and how this would be repaid with something very different: "No one could incur such an obligation without settling it to the full one day in its reverse coin". At my first read I found that very puzzling, but now much less so.
I have no memory at all of Drowned or Crystal though I know I read them around the same time, and minimal memory of Wind.

Wind From Nowhere is clearly the least of the those. I thinkIt was an early effort, and it shows. I think Ballard developed some of the more interesting ideas from The Drought in Vermilion Sands, which I love and which I reread on a regular basis.

 

[Vertigo]

I'm still reading Catch-22, by Joseph Heller. It's a brilliant and fascinating story with humour. I'll probably finish it by the end of the week. However I don't want it to, because it is so good.

A very good friend of mine had the glorious name of Yossarian Brain. Whenever he tried to call me at work everyone used to think it was someone taking the p***. But his surname was genuinely 'Brain' and his parents were both huge fans of Catch-22!

 

[Stephen Palmer]

Origins by Lewis Dartnell. Not bad so far.

 

[Brian G Turner]

Origins by Lewis Dartnell. Not bad so far.

Read that a few weeks ago and really enjoyed it - but then it did mix ancient history with environmental science, two of my favourite subjects.

 

[Hugh]

Wind From Nowhere is clearly the least of the those. I thinkIt was an early effort, and it shows. I think Ballard developed some of the more interesting ideas from The Drought in Vermilion Sands, which I love and which I reread on a regular basis.

Hmmm it seems I only know a couple of the stories in V.Sands (P.Belladonna and Cloud-Sculptors). Thanks for the recommendation, I'm sure I'll read it before long.

 

[Vertigo]

Tool of War by Paolo Bacigalupi - an excellent finale to the Ship Breaker trilogy. More here.

 

[tobl]

so, just finished d rus series. quite liked the series but the final was rushed. and i do mean rushed. try 3 or 4 lines for the end. i do hope for a continuation

 

[Danny McG]

This morning I'm starting Red Metal by Mark Greaney
A combat tech thriller with action between Russia and NATO in Africa.
(Like an updated Red Storm Rising)

 

[biodroid]

Transfer of Power - Vince Flynn
@dannymcg I also started reading Red Metal it but it is very slow. I have stopped reading it for now, maybe will get back to it later on.

 

[Danny McG]

Transfer of Power - Vince Flynn
@dannymcg I also started reading Red Metal it but it is very slow. I have stopped reading it for now, maybe will get back to it later on.

@biodroid
I've noticed that already after a couple of hours reading.
I have it as a ebook and I think I'll be moving it to my "To be finished some day" folder

 

[OHB]

Continued my Poe-a-thon this month by reading "The Pit and the Pendulum," "A Tale of the Ragged Mountains," "The Man of the Crowd," and "Morella." Most of my free time, though, has gone to battling an infestation of fruit flies. I have literally killed over 130 of them over the past three weeks with traps, sprays, and just my own hands. They've left me with little time to read or write and have sapped both my energy and my sanity. ...And as I write this, one of the little *bleeps* is hovering around my computer.

 

[Parson]

Finished Two Bare Arms in The Dead Cold Series by Blake Banner. This book is #2 in a long series of detective novels following Detective John Stone and his trusty side kick, Carmen Dehan. John Stone is a "throwback detective" and I would say that the novels are "throwbacks" as well. Both books I've read so far remind me of a Sam Spade book clone. John Stone is always right, and Carmen Dehan is shown as intelligent and beautiful, but always a step behind Sam, I mean John. Neither of them seem at all interested in anything besides catching the bad guys, and eating red meat. Light reading for sure, and I'll probably be back to it if and when I can't find something more interesting.

I am now The Moor by L.J. Ross book 12 in the D.C. Ryan series. Unlike the lightweight above, these are more true to life. And what I really like is that there are solid family relationships woven into the story which do not always mean that the family is threatened.

Next up Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi a dystopian S.F. recommended by @Vertigo.

 

[Danny McG]

I failed to finish Red Metal, way too clunky and slow for me.
I'm trying a mil SF yet again,
Ruins of the Galaxy by JN Chaney, the first in a new sci fi series.
@Parson I'll try a few chapters and let you know if it's worth pursuing
Below is the lengthy and enthusiastic review from Goodreads that enticed me to get it:-

Ruins of the Galaxy is not just another Mil Sci-fi shoot-em up. It is an intense, gritty, and at times emotionally powerful thrill ride, and one that you will not be able to put down once you have picked it up.
This was one of those books that you find yourself saying ‘Just one more chapter…’, until it is 3am in the morning and you realise you have to be up in just a few hours for work, but you don’t care, you keep reading.
The story starts out introducing us to one of the main characters, Magnus, a Republic Recon Marine. He and his unit are on a mission to guard an Emissary of the Republic in talks with a brutal enemy that the Republic has been trying to bring to the table for peace talks for years, a Canine Warrior species called the Jujari. These are like 6-7ft tall bipedal like dogs, that are incredibly strong, and live under a violent, and vicious regime.
The Emissary, Awen, is the other main character, a humanoid from an order known as the ‘Luma’, she is stunningly beautiful, and is not only an incredibly accomplished diplomat, but having studied as a Luma, she can perform some amazing feats with her mind.
Both Magnus and Awen are incredibly well written, with so much depth and personality, to each of them, as you move through the story, you feel like you know them. Whilst it comes as no surprise that Awen is an intellectual and intelligent character, with some very interesting motives towards the mission as well as those around her, the real surprise is Magnus. He is far from the standard Marine, as most assume (including Awen at the start), with a very keen intellect, and a strong tactical and strategic mind.
This is where the real strength of the story comes from, the research, and depth of the character writing that both the Authors have put into every one of their characters. It is not just the major characters either, each of the minor characters is incredibly well written, each providing an amazing aspect to the story.
Without giving too much away about the story (No Spoilers Here), Magnus and Awen are at this summit to try and bring peace to the Republic and the Jujari. However as with all of these types of stories (otherwise, why would we read them??), things never go to plan, but this time around, the situation is far worse than normal, as the talks are decimated by explosions that leave everyone either dead or near it. Magnus is one of the only ones left standing, and, through things that are explained, so is Awen. But they are now deep in hostile territory, on a hostile Planet, with the leader of the enemy dead in front of them, being one of very few survivors of a deadly explosion.
With enemies on all sides, injured, and not sure where to go, all they can do is run, and try and work out what to do.
The amazing this about this book, is that this is just the opening phase of the story.
Yeh, you read that right, this is the START of the book.
The opening sequence makes a lot of other things you read or watch look like child’s play.
And it only gets better from there.
This is a full on, intense, nail-biting story, with gritty, believable and realistic characters (and no, there are not aliens to judge by, but you can judge how people react to things, and the reactions in this book by the main characters are just brilliant).
Again, without giving too much away, there are some other exceptional characters in this story. I am not going into detail as I don’t want to give spoilers. But certain characters are just outstanding if you have any liking of Star Wars. Although there are parts of this story that are super intense and emotionally powerful, there are some parts that you will be laughing yourself stupid they are so funny.
As with all JN Chaney books, there seems to be a certain proclivity to Easter Eggs of well-known Sci-Fi movies, which always makes these types of books enjoyable, and fun to read.
I have read a lot of books being that I was born a LONG TIME ago, in a, well not a Galaxy, but for those in the US, it is certainly a Country Far Far Away, and, given that I LOVE my Sci-Fi, most of them are from that genre. I am happy to say that this is one of the best Mil Sci-Fi books I have read this year, and anyone who loves Mil Sci-Fi, or just Sci-Fi in general, MUST read this, it is just BRILLIANT, and you can’t miss it. I am already reading the sequel “Ruins of the Galaxy – Gateway to War”, and Part 3 has just been released.