November Reading Thread

[The Judge]

My ambition to (finally!) finish off Tad William's Shadowmarch in October was left unfulfilled as I've scarcely picked up a book all month. Whether I'll get around to it in November is open to question, too!

I did pick up a couple of Garth Nix books at Topping & Co in Bath the other day, The Left-handed Booksellers of London and -- fittingly -- The Sinister Booksellers of Bath, so as they're shorter they might get hauled on a long trip next week. (I'm in the passenger seat, not driving, I hasten to add!)

Anyhow, what are you reading this month?

 

[Pyan]

Couldn't resist this in Waterstones:

 

[Vertigo]

Couldn't resist this in Waterstones:

View attachment 126083​

That looks like fun!

 

[BAYLOR]

im finishing up Reliquary by Douglass Preson and Lincoln Childs The is book 2 in the Agent Pendergast series and dintlely . its great stuff .


I think I might next read Patient Zero by Johnathan Maberry This book one of the Joe Ledger series.

 

[Elentarri]

I'm Afraid You've Got Dragons by Peter S. Beagle

This is an utterly charming, old-fashioned-style fantasy novel with dragons - only I don't think I've ever come across a dragon exterminator before (as opposed to the generic dragon slayer). There is some darkness, some humour, some interesting characters (also some boring ones and irritating ones) and a suitable comedic villainous villain, but nothing that would make it unsuitable for younger readers. I found the plot to be a bit messy and the story unevenly paced. The editorial beast seems to be more obscure than the King dragon in this novel. However, the book did provide an afternoon's amusement so it wasn't all bad, and I love the cover. I probably would have loved this book more as a teenager.

 

[Vince W]

I've begun River of Gods by Ian McDonald.

 

[Danny McG]

I think I might next read Patient Zero by Johnathan Maberry This book one of the Joe Ledger series.

It's a great series

 

[BAYLOR]

It's a great series

I loved his Kagan the Damned Trilogy. He's one hell of good writer !

 

[BAYLOR]

I'm Afraid You've Got Dragons by Peter S. Beagle

This is an utterly charming, old-fashioned-style fantasy novel with dragons - only I don't think I've ever come across a dragon exterminator before (as opposed to the generic dragon slayer). There is some darkness, some humour, some interesting characters (also some boring ones and irritating ones) and a suitable comedic villainous villain, but nothing that would make it unsuitable for younger readers. I found the plot to be a bit messy and the story unevenly paced. The editorial beast seems to be more obscure than the King dragon in this novel. However, the book did provide an afternoon's amusement so it wasn't all bad, and I love the cover. I probably would have loved this book more as a teenager.
View attachment 126088​

This one sounds pretty good.

 

[Vertigo]

I've begun River of Gods by Ian McDonald.

I'd be interested in how you find this. I run a bit hot and cold with Ian McDonald which always makes me a little hesitant buying them!

 

[Randy M.]

I'm currently reading Dark Companions, a story collection by Ramsey Campbell. Next week I'll set it aside and start Malpertuis by Jean Ray, a mid-20th century Belgian writer of weird and Gothic fiction. I've read a few of his short stories in the past and enjoyed them.

 

[Vince W]

I'd be interested in how you find this. I run a bit hot and cold with Ian McDonald which always makes me a little hesitant buying them!

Only a couple of chapters in and it's interesting so far. One of the storylines as a distinct Blade Runner vibe.

 

[Vertigo]

Only a couple of chapters in and it's interesting so far. One of the storylines as a distinct Blade Runner vibe.

The blurb put me in mind a little of Paolo Bacigalupi's The Windup Girl (Thailand not India).

 

[Hugh]

Poul Anderson "The Star Fox" (1965)
Re-read. I was pretty snotty about this in the October 2020 reading thread. This time round (with little memory of the first read) I had a different take - my frustration was that it's a novel in three parts, due of course to serialisation back in 1965. The first instalment is a very readable romp, the second an annoying detour, and the concluding section somewhat disappointing. Not exactly a fix-up novel, because Anderson must have intended publication as a novel all along, but his priority seems to have been churning something out for serialisation rather than writing a novel. Still, it was nominated for a Nebula in 1965, so some readers must have liked it well enough.

 

[smellincoffee]

I just found War of the Worlds: Global Dispatches in a little free library and am enjoying it. It's short stories about Wells' Martian invasion as experienced in China, France, etc, observed by famous figures like Teddy Roosevelt and Mark Twain, and written in a way to invoke their style.

 

[calowell]

I suppose this is cheating since I started the book a few days ago but I’m reading The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie! It’s my first book of his and I’m already hooked.

 

[Dave Vicks]

TRAIN WRECK. By Eric Roberts and Sam
Kasher.2024
Actor's memoir.

 

[Dave Vicks]

Sorry title is RUNAWAY TRAIN.

 

[Dave Vicks]

WHAT IS LIFE? 1944.By Erwin Schrodinger.
Physics,Biology.

 

[Elentarri]

All Out of Leeds by Kim M. Watt
A mildly entertaining urban fantasy that is marred by a overly drawn out story and thin plot. The whole thing just dragged. The narrator was the same as the prequel (What Happened in London) and didn't really appeal to me.