What else are you reading? (June 2010 - May 2013) *closed* Showing 11,101-11,150 of 13,523

[Christine]

Josh wrote: "Christine wrote: "Pender wrote: "I believe that's called a "productive" cough. Such a bland description."

"Productive," yup. lol, never thought of it as bland. But then again, I associate the term..."

*laughs* Sorry! *blushes*

[Josh]

Christine wrote: "Josh wrote: "Christine wrote: "Pender wrote: "I believe that's called a "productive" cough. Such a bland description."

"Productive," yup. lol, never thought of it as bland. But then again, I assoc..."

I'm very squeamish. :-D

[Christine]

Josh wrote: "I'm very squeamish. :-D"

Irk!

I shall now talk about fields of lavender, bursts of delicate chamomile flowers, clear blue skies softened with white clouds, and giggling babies.

Actually, babies can be pretty gross. Scratch that one.

Um. Christmas trees? Real ones that smell all pine-y?

Happy thoughts. :)

[Susinok]

Christine wrote: "I shall now talk about fields of lavender, bursts of delicate chamomile flowers, clear blue skies softened with white clouds, and giggling babies...."

Yeah, no babies, but the rest is very nice! Paints a lovely picture in my mind. :)

[Jordan]

What about ponies? And horses? They're much better than babies, me thinks. Or foals, what about foals? lol, if we want to stick with the baby theme.

[Jordan]

I downloaded most of the Turbulence series a short while ago, but haven't had time to read them yet. I know that's something JCP was wondering/worried about. If I recall she thought something in installments would be a real seller, and it didn't turn out that way. But from the people I've talked to, most are waiting until they're all out, I think.

I'm only just now finishing the last of the Petit Morts. I'm supposed to be reading The Left Hand of Darkness, but that's a hard book to get into! The friend I was reading it with has left me in the dust. She's finished, and I'm still close to the beginning. Oiy.

[Karen]

Jordan wrote: "I downloaded most of the Turbulence series a short while ago, but haven't had time to read them yet. I know that's something JCP was wondering/worried about. If I recall she thought something in in..."

I've purchased the installments pretty much as they came out, but stalled out in reading halfway through the 5th. I don't care about one of the characters (the dead one) and that put the brakes on for me. So I'll probably wait for the 7th to finish the series. I may need to re-read it all by then to make the connections. I've read and loved everything else by JCP and keep trying to understand why I'm lukewarm with this one. I'm thinking it may have something to do with the characters spending relatively little time with each other in the same place/time. Does that make sense?

[Antonella]

Jordan wrote: "I'm only just now finishing the last of the Petit Morts. I'm supposed to be reading The Left Hand of Darkness, but that's a hard book to get into! The friend I was reading it with has left me in the dust. She's finished, and I'm still close to the beginning. Oiy."

One of my cult books in my teens. You cannot not read it ;-).

[Antonella]

Karen wrote: "I've purchased the installments pretty much as they came out, but stalled out in reading halfway through the 5th."

Same here, although I did finish the 5th.
I want to have the whole thing.

[Darkm]

Antonella wrote: "Jordan wrote: "I'm only just now finishing the last of the Petit Morts. I'm supposed to be reading The Left Hand of Darkness, but that's a hard book to get into! The friend I was reading it with ha..."
I've never read this one!

I think about the Turbulence series, I'll wait for it to finish and then I'll start.
The Starving Years was a nice one though.

[Antonella]

Darkm wrote: "I've never read this one!''


The Left Hand of Darkness was a cult book for anarchists and feminists in Italy (and earlier elsewhere, I suppose) in the '80. You are just too young ;-)).

[Susinok]

Antonella wrote: "Darkm wrote: "I've never read this one!''

The Left Hand of Darkness was a cult book for anarchists and feminists in Italy (and earlier elsewhere, I suppose) in the '80. You are just too young ;-))."

Really? I was out of that loop. I read it in a high school English/Science Fiction class back in the dark ages. I don't remember much about it though.

[Antonella]

Well, a human race with no fixed men/women roles or a society with no government and no coercive institutions (The Dispossessed) were deeply fascinating for anarchists and feminists.

[Susinok]

Antonella wrote: "Well, a human race with no fixed men/women roles or a society with no government and no coercive institutions (The Dispossessed) were deeply fascinating for anarchists and feminists."

Sounds fascinating - I'll look for it. I do not remember if I have read that one or not. I read so much SF in my younger days (over 30 years ago, sigh) that I've forgotten half of it.

[Jordan]

Karen wrote: "Jordan wrote: "I downloaded most of the Turbulence series a short while ago, but haven't had time to read them yet. I know that's something JCP was wondering/worried about. If I recall she thought ..."

That actually makes perfect sense. I think that's one of the problems one of my WIPs has. My two MCs are just not together for a good portion of the book. Which is why I'm rewriting it. Again. lol.

[Jordan]

Well, so far, I enjoyed Wraeththu much better. I like to think I like Sci-fi, but very little of it actually interests me. And so far this book is rather dry.

The reason I bought it was for the gender difference. That stuff interests me. Just not the way it's written. Nothing's happened yet! lol. Though reading something like this in HS would have been pretty sweet. We read nothing but classics for the most part.

[Susinok]

Jordan wrote: "Well, so far, I enjoyed Wraeththu much better. I like to think I like Sci-fi, but very little of it actually interests me. And so far this book is rather dry.

The reason I bought it was for the g..."

I like the older action/cerebral SF from the 50s-80s. I have lost interest in more modern SF. It has subdivided into genres and many of them feel like they are written for a very specific audience and I'm not that audience.

So I'm fairly read up on my classics (with the notable exception of The Dispossessed) but not the more recent books.

[Karen]

Got home from work this evening to find my copy of In From the Cold: The I Spy Stories had arrived today. Reading bits of it in a not very systematic way, but still a treat.

[Jordan]

When I got home last night I found several audio books waiting for me. YAY! Now I have Mossflower by Brian Jacques and the first three Harry Potter books. Oh yeah, and I also got The Odyssy with Ian reading it. OMG, he's such a good reader!

[Caroline]

Jordan wrote: "When I got home last night I found several audio books waiting for me. Oh yeah, and I also got The Odyssey with Ian..."

Ian McKellen that must be? He could read out the telephone directory and make it sound enticing. I have Anton Lesser reading the Iliad but I reckon Ian would be better.

[Susinok]

Jordan wrote: "When I got home last night I found several audio books waiting for me. YAY! Now I have Mossflower by Brian Jacques and the first three Harry Potter books. Oh yeah, and I also got The Odyssy with Ia..."

Awesome! that is an excellent reading of the Odyssey!

[Jordan]

Caroline wrote: "Jordan wrote: "When I got home last night I found several audio books waiting for me. Oh yeah, and I also got The Odyssey with Ian..."

Ian McKellen that must be? He could read out the telephone d..."

HA! OMG, that's so very true. But, hearing the Odyssey is so much better. lol.

[K.Z.]

I should be finished with Josh's The Dark Farewell sometime today. Next up (in no particular order): The Perils of Praline and Shutter Island. (Oh, and must finish One Boy's Shadow. It isn't blowing me away, but it's worth reading to the end.)

[Susinok]

Just wondering. Do you guys savor and save books by your favorite authors for later, or do you tear through them at once.

I have about 5 Lanyon books on my Kindle that I have not read yet. I'm saving them up. Same with KZ, Voinov, and a few others.

I am working through everybody's back list but I am spacing them out so to go through their back lists more slowly.

I know I'm weird. I also hoard chocolate rather than eat it all at once. I have always been that way. I was able to make German Easter chocolate last 1 entire year once..

[Emanuela ~plastic duck~]

I try not to read everything by the same author at once. I don't want to de-sensitize myself. It's harder to do when I find a series I really like. That makes me obsessed.

[Antonella]

I admire your self-restraint, both with books and with chocolate! No need to say that I'm not so disciplined ;-)).

[Jordan]

It really depends for me. Lately, I've been finding that I like blasting through a series. Just a series though, not everything by a particular author. It makes me feel like I'm actually getting something done. And sometimes with authors I really like that I need to catch up on, having a marathon of their work feels really good, especially if I haven't read anything by them in awhile because I've been trying to catch up on other authors.

I've done that twice in the last year for Josh, and I blasted through most of Andrea Speed's Infected, but stopped at the last book because I was warned about the cliff hanger. I might still read it before the next book comes out. I love that series, quite a bit.

With Josh's work, I've read most of his series, so now it's just catching up on the other novellas and novels. It's a lot of fun.

I'm thinking I need to do that with Neil Plakcy soon. I have two of his series I need to catch up on.

Oh yeah, and I blasted through P.A. Brown's L.A. Heat series a few months ago too.

Otherwise, I feel like I'm going to be moaning forever about not having finished a series. And no one wants to listen to me moan and cry when I could be reading!

[Lori S.]

It depends on what type of mood I'm in at the time. I can and will sit down and read a whole series in one go, especially if the the characters are saying "you haven't visited in a while".

[Lori S.]

Tharayn wrote: "Hm depends on the author. If I liked some books really much I usually try to read other works of the same author, sometimes immediately. It depends also what the other works were about.
But it's th..."

I do that with new authors I like too.

[Anne]

I usually space them out a little and read something else in between, and then I go back to the one I have saved as a reward :).

Another topic, I just finished Homo Action Love Story! A tall tale. Monopoli really writes something different! All three books he have written is different from each other, and they also are unlike most others. This one was rather unique, but very enjoyable, especially if you like action stories :)

[Susinok]

Jordan wrote: "It really depends for me. Lately, I've been finding that I like blasting through a series. Just a series though, not everything by a particular author. It makes me feel like I'm actually getting so..."

Yes I definitely blast through a series myself. I read all of the Adrien books at once, etc.

But not an author's entire back list. I space those out.

[Susinok]

Anne wrote: "I usually space them out a little and read something else in between, and then I go back to the one I have saved as a reward :).

Another topic, I just finished Homo Action Love Story! A tall tale...."

OK that book looks like fun, and I love the title!

One of my favorite offbeat titles is The Epic Love Story of Doug and Stephen. OH MY GOD is it hilarious. No real plot and a comic send-up of the gay for you trope. Just check out the author quotes to get the gist.

[HJ]

Anne wrote: "Another topic, I just finished Homo Action Love Story! A tall tale. Monopoli really writes something different! All three books he have written is different from each other, and they also are unlike most others. This one was rather unique, but very enjoyable, especially if you like action stories :) ...."

I didn't like it as much as his previous two books. But then I loved The Cranberry Hush and The Painting of Porcupine City so much that it would have been difficult to match them. I agree with you - they're all very different. And it's still a real tour de force.

I think part of my problem is that I'm averse to sic-fi, paranormal, call it what you will: but the fact that the book was set in the near future but a future with significant differences made it difficult for me to settle into it. And I think if I had had a hint early on of the very important point which is revealed at the end of the book (avoiding spoilers here) then I would have felt differently about Boots. I almost read it again straight away to see if I did!! I'm assuming that his subconscious guessed at it - what do you think?

[Anne]

Hj wrote: "Anne wrote: "Another topic, I just finished Homo Action Love Story! A tall tale. Monopoli really writes something different! All three books he have written is different from each other, and they a..."

I liked the setting, but then I am a Geek who loves sci- fi and fantasy :). I think Boots' journey was interesting, and yes, I believe deep down he must have felt something. I think Monopoli created a very interesting character in Boots, I didn't necessary like all he was up to, but he came forth very honest to me, he made sense ( if that makes sense). My favourite of his books will still be The Cranberry Hush, I think, but all his books have made an impact.

[Jordan]

Susinok wrote: "Jordan wrote: "It really depends for me. Lately, I've been finding that I like blasting through a series. Just a series though, not everything by a particular author. It makes me feel like I'm actu..."

See, I didn't do that with Adrien English. I used to space books out. Right now, not so much. I kinda feel like if I do that I'll never get through them and that's just sad!

[Susinok]

I have a hard time reading science fiction romance unless the science fiction is a really strong element. Ones I've read and liked were Break and Enter and Incursion. I have a few other SF m/m titles that I have not gotten to yet.

Fantasy I am less fussy about. It probably stems from my early teens reading tons of science fiction. It's made me picky. :)

[Karen]

Susinok wrote: "Do you guys savor and save books by your favorite authors for later, or do you tear through them at once."

When I first discovered Josh and JCP I read everything they had out right away, then snatched up new works as they came out. That kind of matched the way I'd read print books when I found an author or series I liked. I was also pretty anal about reading one book at a time straight through and as quickly as possible.

Lately, I'm all over the place and have some books by favorite authors in the "chocolate box" or just waiting for an appropriate season, meaning a time of year, weather conditions, or personal mood that seems like a good match for the book. I find myself reading 3 or 4 books, going back and forth between them, then finishing one in a dash. It works for me (right now), but I can't say much for my recall. ;-)

[ED]

I have just finished reading Bloodraven. I found it very good. For entertainment value I gave it a 5. It is also well written. I did however skip a few bits here and there... because of violence content. I do not mind doing it, if the book is good. A general dislike of mine is when authors chose funny spelled out names.I have a problem with remembering names, not just in Books at times, in real life as well. For me, that is a huge issue. That was just a general whinge. :) But yes, I loved the book. Great story.

[Anne]

Tharayn wrote: "Susinok wrote: "I have a hard time reading science fiction romance unless the science fiction is a really strong element. Ones I've read and liked were Break and Enter and Incursion. I have a few o..."

I like his books, the latest is The Cold Commands. I also like his other books very much, especially the Kovacs series, he has some very intriguing ideas and visions.

[Anne]

Susinok wrote: "Anne wrote: "I usually space them out a little and read something else in between, and then I go back to the one I have saved as a reward :).

Another topic, I just finished Homo Action Love Story!..."

I have sometimes bought a book mostly because of the title. A few of them are Stars in My Pocket Like Grains of Sand, which is one of the strangest, most beautiful books I have ever read, and also has some m/m love in it, Living Next Door to the God of Love which doesn't and The Man Who Fell in Love with the Moon which does :)

[Susinok]

Tharayn wrote: "That reminds me of of Richard Morgan. He usually writes SF with hetero-sex in it. His newest series is fantasy with homosexual-sex. He got tons of angry fanpost why he write such stupid things and some said they like the story but the gay sex sucks and he shouldn't write it. Nice, because nobody complained about the lesbian sex in it. He laughed about that and said he did allright, when he gets such silly mails......"

He has? I will have to check that out. I read Altered Carbon and really enjoyed it. I can just imagine what the fans said. Good for him to put it out there though. SF Fandom can be incredibly narrow minded. They will attack anything that doesn't fit their paradigm.

I just went to check out his book list. Seems it's the fantasy series. Very interesting.

[Christine]

Susinok wrote: "SF Fandom can be incredibly narrow minded. They will attack anything that doesn't fit their paradigm."

In fairness, I think a lot of fandoms are like this?

I, too, checked out his booklist. Ceridwen's review of The Steel Remains was priceless. I'm pretty sold on the book.

[Susinok]

Christine wrote: "Susinok wrote: "SF Fandom can be incredibly narrow minded. They will attack anything that doesn't fit their paradigm."

In fairness, I think a lot of fandoms are like this?..."

Yes unfortunately that's true. I stay away from fan sites and fandom in general. I really do not like the nastiness that can happen.

And I've also bookmarked Steel Remains to read. I liked Altered Carbon well enough. It ran a bit long and was overly convoluted, but that's sf these days.

[Lori S.]

Susinok wrote: "SF Fandom can be incredibly narrow minded. They will attack anything that doesn't fit their paradigm."

Ironic isn't it? You'd think they would be far more open minded about things as a group, but they're not.

[Jordan]

I haven't read anything by Richard Morgan before, but I'm willing to give Steel Remains a try. Though it might be awhile before I get to it. I need to get the second Wraeththu trilogy read one of these days. Since picking of Left Hand, I'm itching for more Wraeththu!

[Sarah]

I really enjoyed The Steel Remains and The Cold Commands, but tried one of his sci-fi ones and struggled to get into it - I'll have to try that one again sometime.

[Susinok]

Lori wrote: "Susinok wrote: "SF Fandom can be incredibly narrow minded. They will attack anything that doesn't fit their paradigm."

Ironic isn't it? You'd think they would be far more open minded about things ..."

Yes it is. Many SF fans are also very anti eReader which I find hilarious.

[Susinok]

The ironic thing is that a lot of early SF did a lot of gender bending. I am not up on the latest Sf published today but it appears to be more rigidly genre and sub-genre driven than back in the 50s-70s when everyone was experimenting and just writing incredible stuff.

Now the fandom controls the media in a way, or at least the writers are VERY aware of the fan base and how they may react. (Not just in SF circles either - all genres).

I'm not in the least surprised that Richard Morgan was attacked for including gay characters. It's sad. I'll just have to get that series and suppoort him, now won't I? :)

Me? Buy more books? The horror! ;)

[Josh]

Susinok wrote: "Just wondering. Do you guys savor and save books by your favorite authors for later, or do you tear through them at once.

I have about 5 Lanyon books on my Kindle that I have not read yet. I'm sav..."

Yes. I do that. I still have two Chandlers to go. It's never quite the right time to light that last match.
:-)

[Susinok]

Josh wrote: "Yes. I do that. I still have two Chandlers to go. It's never quite the right time to light that last match.
:-) ..."

I have two Robert E. Heinlein titles I have not read yet. Of course some of the others I read SO LONG ago that I've totally forgotten them and it would be like the first time.

This time though I think I left it too long. I worry that the magic is gone for me.