What are you reading in October 2019?

[Chris, Moderator]

The calendar says that the season has changed, but here on the Gulf Coast it still seems like summer. Has the seasonal change affected your reading choices? What are you reading this month? Tell us about your current reads and recommendations.

[Random]

I almost always go into a horror mood in the fall, most likely because I love Halloween so much.

But then, I hit my horror kick late summer this year. Possibly because we never had much of a summer here in the PNW.

About half way done with Children of Ruin. Fascinating series. Well worth the time.

Who knows what I will hit next. I certainly don't. :D

[Shel, Moderator]

I started Into the Drowning Deep last night, and when I'm done with that I have The Broken Kingdoms next in line. I also started reading Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts One and Two with my son this week, and that's been a lot of fun so far!

[Shel, Moderator]

Random wrote: "I almost always go into a horror mood in the fall, most likely because I love Halloween so much.

But then, I hit my horror kick late summer this year. Possibly because we never had much of a summe..."

Please tell me you've read A Night in the Lonesome October? :) If not, go find a copy! It was out of print for a long time but I just checked Amazon and it looks like they're re-printing it again!

[Jim]

Shel wrote: "Please tell me you've read A Night in the Lonesome October? :) If not, go find a copy! It was out of print for a long time but I just checked Amazon and it looks like they're re-printing it again!"

We read that here once, didn't we? I think I led the discussion, but it's been a while - 5 or 10 years, anyway. I'm reading it day by day with another group. I'm not sure how many times I've read this book now, but I enjoy it each time. I'm so glad they've reissued it, although I don't think it has the original cover any more. That's a shame. Andy Warhol's nephew, James Warhola, painted it & even sent me some of his early sketches.

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

Jim wrote: "We read that here once, didn't we? I think I led the discussion, but it's been a while - 5 or 10 years, anyway. I'm reading it day by day with another group."

Yes, we read it in October 2012. We did the day by day thing, too, and yes, Jim, you led the discussion. https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Shel, Moderator]

We did, and it was great fun! :)

[Random]

I enjoyed A Night in the Lonesome October. In fact I was here for the discussion, but I could not hold myself back to just one chapter a day. :)

Maybe I'll reread it this month. :)

[Christine]

I just finished Abandoned which I definitely enjoyed; I'm disappointed the learn that the next volume is not yet available at my local library (I put in a suggestion for them to purchase it). I'm now starting on Enchantment

[Lindsey]

This month's plan is to finish Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed and to enjoy White Sand, Volume 3 once it's out tomorrow. After that, it's Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption for my IRL book club. And I'm hoping that my library gets a copy of The Burning White in a timely way... I'm first on the hold list!

[Chris, Moderator]

I'm reading Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City. The main character is a scrappy and creative engineer who finds himself organizing the defenses of a city under siege. I'm really enjoying it, and I may recommend it for a future group read.

[Ken]

Chris wrote: "Has the seasonal change affected your reading choices? What are you reading this month? Tell us..."

Yes it does. I ride a bicycle to commute and so when I an riding I tend to read ebooks or mass market paperbacks, just due to weight. Once I park the bike, I do not ride in the winter, I tend to read Hardcovers.

[Chris, Moderator]

Ken, I think that’s the perfect fall-related reading anecdote!

[Random]

Finsihed Children of Ruin. I'm really looking forward to the discussion.

And due to everyone's bad influence, I am rereading A Night in the Lonesome October. I really do enjoy this book.

[Shel, Moderator]

On a discussion about spooky books in another context, someone mentioned The Dark Beneath the Ice as a favorite, so I grabbed it from the library and read it over the weekend. It's a YA thriller that I liked well enough, though I found the big mystery predictable. There was a very sweet teenage same-gender romance that I always appreciate seeing in YA books.

The Broken Kingdoms is next.

[Chris, Moderator]

Okay, okay, I’ve now heard enough people mention A Night in Lonesome October that I had to acquire a copy. And I found it for $1.99 on iBooks! Starting tonight.

[Christine]

I finished Enchantmentwhich I enjoyed and recommend; I've now started Middlegame and am not sure if I will continue. I'm not yet 50 pages in and have no idea what is going on. With lots of books on my shelf, I may abandon this book

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

First third of October reading included:
Luck in the Shadows by Lynn Flewelling, 8/10. In some ways, this book is a swashbuckling adventure story of spies and wizards, complete with multiple disguises, narrow escapes, and a hint of romance. We have the mentor and apprentice, royalty and commoners, and plots within plots. But as the first book in a series, it becomes obvious there is a deeper, more serious story to be told, with this book just the first installment

The Price of Spring by Daniel Abraham, 10/10. This book exceeded my already high expectations. Good intentions with unintended or unimagined consequences, and all the prices paid—for old hurts, for words said and unsaid, for betrayals, for misunderstandings and misplaced affection, and for love. Always the price of love. This book (and series) is peopled with characters who are wonderfully imperfect. They inspire love, fear, despair, disgust, wonder, respect, frustration, and satisfaction. They face heartbreaking choices and unbearable decisions. And they persevere. There were a number of relationships that drove the story, but the heart of it always seemed to come back to Otah and Maati. Love, trust, jealousy, betrayal—all played out between them and in their world. A completely satisfying conclusion to an excellent series!

The Loneliest Magician by Irene Radford, 7/10. This book is somewhat predictable but there are enough surprises along the way to keep things interesting, and it has a bit of a rushed ending. It was meant to wrap up the first arc in the series, but Radford later wrote a 4th book that picks up right after this one.

And I’m about halfway through my next Jack Reacher adventure, The Hard Way by Lee Child.

[Shel, Moderator]

Chris wrote: "Okay, okay, I’ve now heard enough people mention A Night in Lonesome October that I had to acquire a copy. And I found it for $1.99 on iBooks! Starting tonight."

Oooh enjoy it! It's definitely worth going back through our old folder for the day-by-day discussions.

[Kelly]

Hi! It's been a while, but I was on Goodreads making an update and saw this conversation in my feed. I'm making a new (about the 100th) effort to read the books I already have. I'm nearly done with Influx and really, really enjoying it. I'm listening to the audiobook and have been very enthusiastic about my exercise this week.

Next up, I want to read Salvation, also on audiobook. I haven't read Peter F. Hamilton in years, but have fond memories of discovering him in this group.

Kathi wrote: "First third of October reading included:
Luck in the Shadows by Lynn Flewelling, 8/10."

I've had a paperback copy of this on my shelf for years and keep meaning to get to it. One day... Hope you're enjoying the Jack Reacher. I always fly through Lee Child's books.

Random wrote: "Finsihed Children of Ruin. I'm really looking forward to the discussion."

Me too - if I remember to participate.

Lindsey wrote: "I'm hoping that my library gets a copy of The Burning White in a timely way."

I have been waiting on this book since November last year when I didn't follow my own advice and kept reading a series that wasn't finished! :D I have the audiobook preordered and have been doing short reads only so I can start it the minute it drops.

Shel wrote: "I have The Broken Kingdoms next in line. "

Love this series so much!

[Gabi]

I had a rather good reading month so far:

Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer was exactly down my love-weird alley. It was my first VanderMeer and I will definitely look into more by him.

I got nostalgic and searched the attic for my old mangas. I devoured Naoki Urasawa's Monster, Volume 1 and the rest of the series. A great psychoanalytic thriller with loving details to the characters.

Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant I read with this group and was rather underwhelmed by it.

The First Men in the Moon by H.G. Wells was surprisingly funny.

Wool Omnibus by Hugh Howey was a terrific fast paced and suspenseful dystopian thriller that had me nail biting. A wonderful surprise read (I only picked it up, cause I could get it for my kindle unlimited trial month)

The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher was the cutest and most fluffy horror novel I've ever read. Not much in terms of horror, but one of my fav ever teams of characters.

[Random]

Gabi wrote: ":Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer was exactly down my love-weird alley. It was my first VanderMeer and I will definitely look..."

I was impressed by the entire Southern Reach series. I can understand how it might not be someone's cup of tea, but it fits me perfectly.

Sadly I followed that series up with Into the Drowning Deep, which made my disappointment with that book even worse. There just was no comparison.

[Jim]

I just finished Panacea by F. Paul Wilson. While it's the first of a trilogy, this book ended well. I'm not sure if I'll read the other books, so I'm looking for recommendations. Are the other books worth it or do they go downhill?

Anyway, I gave this one a 4 star review here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Christine]

I abandoned Middlegame; I was really lost about what was going on the book didn't grab my attention
I decided to read Dark Age but got lost in the myriad of characters and the looming space battles and politics so abandoned that also (I really loved the previous books in this series).
Now I've started Recursion which has grabbed my attention

[Ken]

Finished Crossed Blades. Good book. I really like how he does not white wash over the main characters issues. Its the third book in the series and he hasnt been magically cured of his need to a nice glass of whiskey

Started and finished, in record time, another Reacher book
The Enemy
This one goes back in time to Reacher still in the army. It was really good. I was sort of getting disappointed in the Reacher books but this one gave me a new lease

Starting Star Healer
Been slowly reading the Sector Hospital books, they are good but I tend to read about one or two a year.

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

Ken wrote: "Started and finished, in record time, another Reacher book
The Enemy
This one goes back in time to Reacher still in the army. It was really good. I was sort of getting disappointed in the Reacher books but this one gave me a new lease"

I liked this one better than some of the others, too, gave it 8/10.

[Chris, Moderator]

I just finished A Night in the Lonesome October. Thank you, thank you to all of those who recommended this book. Absolutely perfect for October reading!

[Jim]

Chris wrote: "I just finished A Night in the Lonesome October. Thank you, thank you to all of those who recommended this book. Absolutely perfect for October reading!"

Did you go through the daily read we did here & look at the clues?

[Chris, Moderator]

Jim wrote: "Chris wrote: "I just finished A Night in the Lonesome October. Thank you, thank you to all of those who recommended this book. Absolutely perfect for October reading!"

Did you go thro..."

I did not … I meant to, but I just couldn't stop reading the story. I may go back and check the original posts, though.

[Shel, Moderator]

Chris wrote: "Jim wrote: "Chris wrote: "I just finished A Night in the Lonesome October. Thank you, thank you to all of those who recommended this book. Absolutely perfect for October reading!"

Did..."

I remember having a really hard time keeping it to one day at a time when we did the group read! I only managed the restraint because it was a re-read :)

[Ken]

Finished Star Healer, pretty good. Right now the best of them

After some give and take decided on reading
Babel-17
So far so good

[Shel, Moderator]

I finished The Broken Kingdoms and went straight on to The Kingdom of Gods; I'm almost halfway through. So interesting seeing through Sieh's eyes and experiencing a godling's point of view instead of a mortal!

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

My reading from the middle third of October:
The Hard Way by Lee Child, 7/10. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but parts of this book were tedious. Yes, Jack Reacher and his current “partner” Lauren Pauling are solving this the “hard way”, step by step, detail by detail, but really, things got a bit bogged down in the repetitive minutiae of New York City street names, geography in general, phone books, city directories, and coffee. There was some action and a couple clever twists that redeemed things to some extent.

Heavy Time by C.J. Cherryh, 7/10. This book felt disjointed-I had trouble following the story. Well, not the up close story of Dekker, Bird, Ben, Meg, and Sal, but the larger story of miners, Shepards, ‘drivers, “Mama” ASTEX, EcoCorp/EarthCorp. Still, Cherryh has written intriguing characters and only reveals them layer by layer, as she unwinds the plot.
And yet, as I reflect, I find that I really like these SF books of the Company Wars and the way each books shines a spotlight on a particular corner or aspect (station, ship, crew, system) of the overall conflict. Eventually the pieces will, I hope, make a completed picture. I know Hellburner is kind of a sequel, so maybe that will help.

Reincarnation in Venice by Max Ehrlich, 5/10. This book is a mix of murder mystery, New Age-y mystical practices, romance, and revenge. Somehow it all comes together but not very well.

The Wizard's Treasure by Irene Radford, 7/10. A bit chaotic but a nice wrap-up of the major unresolved storylines of the Dragon Nimbus original trilogy.

Bad Luck and Trouble by Lee Child, 8/10. Jack Reacher reunited with some of his crew from his days as a Special Investigator. A page turner.

Next up is the aforementioned Hellburner.

[Random]

Started Hell House because I'm still in the Halloween mood and want spooky and creepy.

I've also been reading the Pip and Flinx series by Alan Dean Foster. Its been eh. The first book was eh (chronological order) and the second one is also turning out to be quite eh. I'll probably finish the second one, I need something to listen to in the car for 3+ hours a day, but I just can't see me continuing.

I also want to finish A Blink of the Screen: Collected Shorter Fiction by Terry Pratchett. I'm about half way done and stalled due to interest in other things and just haven't gotten back. I'm right before it starts with the Discworld section of stories.

[Christine]

I really enjoyed Recursion and moved on to Magic for Liars which is essentially a police procedural with magic..okay. Now reading Into the Drowning Deep which has captured my attention

[Kirsten]

I've been reading A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin

[Ken]

Finished Babel-17 last night, it was really good. First time reading Delany and impressed
Started a non fiction cold war book I picked up recently
Betrayal in Berlin: The True Story of the Cold War's Most Audacious Espionage Operation

[Mary]

Elijah's Violin and Other Jewish Fairy Tales by Howard Schwartz

[MadProfessah]

I have “Recursion “ and “Velocity Weapon” waiting for me when I get back home. Just finished “Age of War” by Michael Sullivan which was not as effective as the other 5-star entries in the 6-volume series, but still waaay above average epic fantasy.

[Mary]

Angel Mage by Garth Nix

[Shel, Moderator]

I finished The Kingdom of Gods and was quite satisfied with the ending, though I found that the middle of the book dragged a bit. I also finished reading Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts One and Two to my son a few nights ago, and we both agreed that it was fun but not NEARLY as good as the novels. No surprise, as plays are rarely as good when read as a script - I'd LOVE to see it performed someday! Finally I finished reading a parenting book I've been reading in bits and pieces over the past few months, The Blessing of a Skinned Knee: Using Jewish Teachings to Raise Self-Reliant Children. (Totally unrelated to anything we talk about here, but I have to mention that it's probably the best parenting book I've read, and I've read a lot of them....)

I'm starting Artemis by Andy Weir tonight and looking forward to it, since I LOVED The Martian!

[MadProfessah]

Sadly Andy Weir’s “Artemis” is very different from “The Martian” and frankly not as much fun. YMMV.