November 2020 Reading Thread

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The Judge said:
Well, those of us who live in England are going to be doing a lot of reading over the next four weeks, since there's bugger all else we'll be allowed to do, but whether you're trapped here or no, what books are you keeping company with this month?

As for me, I'll be starting Knight's Shadow, the second in Sebastien de Castell's Greatcoats series. I had reservations about the previous book thanks to a rather rushed and disappointing ending, but I'm hoping for better things here.
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I'm currently reading Little Women since I've got a stack of classics that I've had for over a decade that I never read, but I'm also thinking that I'd like to read The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova, since her book The Historian has been one of my favourites for a while now. I expect it'll have a lot of description, but I'm also hoping for an intriguing plot!
 
Finished The Grand Wheel by Barrington Bayley. Quite amusing short novel about an intergalactic gambler called Scarne ( the name may be familiar if any of you are into cards or card tricks). A bit off the wall in places. Enjoyed the book, but not as much as The Garments of Caen.
 
hitmouse said:
Finished The Grand Wheel by Barrington Bayley. Quite amusing short novel about an intergalactic gambler called Scarne ( the name may be familiar if any of you are into cards or card tricks). A bit off the wall in places. Enjoyed the book, but not as much as The Garments of Caen.
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Interesting. I've not read The Grand Wheel, but I have read Collision with Chronos, and that was good. (though not as good as Garments... but then that's probably his best book, so...)
 
Brian Aldiss "The Dark Light Years" (1964)
Dated and depressing First Contact novella with sadly pessimistic view of human nature. Set in the early 21st century. Very English. It is Brian Aldiss so has some good touches, and would have been more impressive at the time of first publication.
 
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Hugh said:
Brian Aldiss "The Dark Light Years" (1964)
Dated and depressing First Contact novella with sadly pessimistic view of human nature. Set in the early 20th century. Very English. It is Brian Aldiss so has some good touches, and would have been more impressive at the time of first publication.
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I like that book. Good one
 
Hugh said:
Brian Aldiss "The Dark Light Years" (1964)
Dated and depressing First Contact novella with sadly pessimistic view of human nature. Set in the early 20th century. Very English. It is Brian Aldiss so has some good touches, and would have been more impressive at the time of first publication.
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Pessimistic or realistic? I like it also - but its not his best work for sure.
 
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Two thirds of the way through and enjoying it immensely. Wish every book was this good.
 
Let's see .... Finished Halting the Reaper (book 4 of the Stasis Stories) by Laurence Dahners and then decided to read Psychicians (Book 5 of the Hillis Family Stories). Both pretty normal Dahners books, good stories, interesting tech or in the case of the Hillis Family series rediscovered tech and some extra sensory abilities. But the things I like the best are that ethical questions are seriously considered. And that the heroes are worthy of the name.

Not sure where next .... maybe April by Mackey Chandler or Brilliant by Rick Lakin both are the beginning of interesting looking series, but there are a few others I should read as well. I'll be back with an update.
 
I just finished Mad House and also the short story The Giant, the Cow, and the Pixie by Ellis L. Knox. The short story was silly, but the book was a good adventure story about an ogre and a sprite who joined together to heal a sick place.

When I read Goblins at the Gates earlier this year, I was hung up on where the magic came from and where it went. I thought the story was an alternative telling of our history, but we obviously do not live in a world of magic and mystical creatures. But I need to see it as an alternative Earth - a different world from ours. We may recognize places or even historical events, but magic is intrinsic to this world. Characters do not question its existence any more than they question their five senses.

I like the stories incorporating creatures of legend and myth into history. Maybe our world would be a better place if we shared it with other intelligent beings. :)

I have Into the Second World next, because it is the only other book by Ellis L. Knox I have downloaded in my Kindle.
 
For reasons which would be tedious to relate, I interrupted my reading of Lud-in-the-Mist and quickly read Quicker than the Eye (1996) by Ray Bradbury, a collection of stories that are very Bradburian, particularly in his late style. Brief, generally one-idea tales, metaphor-heavy, full of sincere emotion, often quite charming.
 
BAYLOR said:
The Blade itself by Joe Abercrombi I about 140 page in to this book, so far , excellent ! :cool: (y)
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I've finished listening to the second in that series on Audible. I have to wait a few more days for my next "credit" to hear the third.

It is indeed an excellent series. :)
 
kythe said:
I've finished listening to the second in that series on Audible. I have to wait a few more days for my next "credit" to hear the third.

It is indeed an excellent series. :)
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I bought the whole trilogy.:)
 
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