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[Michael]

I've just finished reading Jasper T Scott's sci-fi adventure Dark Space and while it has its flaws it did end up being a fun read:

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/201...

I'm now onto The Jigsaw Man by Gord Rollo and its off to an excellent start.

[Nigel]

Just finished Undercover - A Cormac Kelly Thriller and really enjoyed the thrill of it all.

Just started The Monster's Wife and this is hugely interesting (A startling new sequel to Mary Shelley’s classic novel Frankenstein). So far, I love it.

[Adele]

I have just finished So Anyway..., one of the best autobiographies I have read in a long time & I hope that the review I have given it does it justice. Now starting Head of State

[Lexie]

Just about to read Raani York's new one, Dragonbride, as I'm hosting it on a blogtour. Not my usual thing, YA fantasy, but that's fine! My latest one ended up on some very strange blogs on my recent tour!

[Loretta]

I just reread one of my old faves. The Third Cadfael Omnibus
I was reading it for research really, but I enjoy the Cadfael series so it's a pretty enjoyable way of researching. I've just moved on to Avalon now. Again, I'm rereading. These are all books from the old days - from my groaning bookshelves. I usually buy ebooks now as I've run out of storage space, but it's still a treat to handle a real book.

[Lexie]

I'm also rereading all my old Cadfaels! Lovely writing.

[Loretta]

Lexie wrote: "I'm also rereading all my old Cadfaels! Lovely writing."

I want to find all my others. I know I had some more omnibus editions somewhere, but when we had to empty and move the bookcase behind the bedroom door because the door catch broke and locked me in the bedroom, (l-o-n-g story) I wasn't quick enough to tidy the books back up and now everything is all over the place. I must go and have a good rummage. They are good reading - as well as being good research.

[Gingerlily - The Full Wild]

I went to Shrewsbury once and had a good look round. Very exciting to see the abbey and the castle, and the river as well.

[Lexie]

Loretta wrote: "Lexie wrote: "I'm also rereading all my old Cadfaels! Lovely writing."

I want to find all my others. I know I had some more omnibus editions somewhere, but when we had to empty and move the bookca..."

What are you researching and what for? It's a pretty interesting historical period!

[Jim]

Gingerlily - Elephant Philosopher wrote: "I went to Shrewsbury once and had a good look round. Very exciting to see the abbey and the castle, and the river as well."

We went to Shrewsbury and I was navigating using my memory of the map from the front of the Cadfael books because we didn't have the local map!

[Gingerlily - The Full Wild]

It has changed quite a bit since then.

[Tim]

I have the first two Cadfael omnibuses - picked them up ages ago when they were in a 3 for £5 at The Works. Haven't read them yet...

[Loretta]

Lexie wrote: "Loretta wrote: "Lexie wrote: "I'm also rereading all my old Cadfaels! Lovely writing."

I want to find all my others. I know I had some more omnibus editions somewhere, but when we had to empty and..."

The book after my next one is set partly in a 12th century abbey, Lexie. It's nuns rather than monks and later in the century than Cadfael, but I am still getting a lot of useful info and data from it. I've also been reading Alys Clare, but I prefer Ellis Peters. But I'm trying to make sure I get as much right as possible. I always said I wouldn't write historical fiction. Mea culpa, lol! Wrong again. I take myself out of the twelfth century from time to time, but I'm pretty immersed atm, so lots of thanks to Ellis Peters, lol. I've been to Shrewsbury but it was too long ago to remember, and I didn't know I needed it then, lol. Now I need another visit.

[Jim]

Gingerlily - Elephant Philosopher wrote: "It has changed quite a bit since then."

But not the underlying geography, the relationship between the monastery and the old town and the hill are the same as they were then :-)

[Gingerlily - The Full Wild]

Well yes! But all the stuff round the abbey, and the walls even, are gone. Its just the church sitting in a big patch of grass.

I just uploaded my photos from that trip - all 72 of them. If anyone is interested here is a link to the album.

http://s1281.photobucket.com/user/Gin...

[Loretta]

Gingerlily - Elephant Philosopher wrote: "Well yes! But all the stuff round the abbey, and the walls even, are gone. Its just the church sitting in a big patch of grass.

I just uploaded my photos from that trip - all 72 of them. If anyone..."

Ooooh. Yes please. I'm off to see some piccies.

[Loretta]

Gingerlily - Elephant Philosopher wrote: "Well yes! But all the stuff round the abbey, and the walls even, are gone. Its just the church sitting in a big patch of grass.

I just uploaded my photos from that trip - all 72 of them. If anyone..."

Fab piccies Gingerlily. Don't you just love to put your hand on these old stones and imagine the other hands which have been there down the centuries?

[Joo]

I read by Rosie Swale Pope

Whilst the book might not be quite the best writing, blimey, what an achievement for a 60 year old (well she was over 60 by the time she got home)

[Karen]

Aah, lovely to see yr pics - didn't know you were visiting my home patch!

[Gingerlily - The Full Wild]

Well I never thought of it quite like that before :) Thats a lot of hands though, considering how old those stones are!

[Loretta]

Gingerlily - Elephant Philosopher wrote: "Well I never thought of it quite like that before :) Thats a lot of hands though, considering how old those stones are!"

I only count the ones over 700 years, lol.

[Loretta]

Joo wrote: "I read by Rosie Swale Pope

Whilst the book might not be quite the best writing, blimey, wha..."

Looks interesting.

[Gingerlily - The Full Wild]

Karen wrote: "Aah, lovely to see yr pics - didn't know you were visiting my home patch!"

It was a while ago! 2002 to be exact.

[Jonathan]

Just finished The Pharmacist, the tale of an unusual but intriguing relationship between two men, one young, one old.

My review is here: http://www.100wordreviews.com/blog/th...

[Bob]

I've put Sycamore Row on hold for the moment while I take advantage of my free month with KU. I read Look Behind You this morning. Tad disappointed - predictable and I found the mc and the police irritatingly dim. I've just started The Wronged Sons and I all ready know I'm going to enjoy it more.

[Tim]

Just finished The Skinner by Neil Asher. I can really only give it a 3 - it was far too Miéville for my taste.

[Joo]

Loretta wrote: "Joo wrote: "I read by Rosie Swale Pope

Whilst the book might not be quite the best writing,..."

Still free at the moment, so nab it. I did cry at points throughout at the goodness of people.

[Loretta]

Joo wrote: "Loretta wrote: "Joo wrote: "I read by Rosie Swale Pope

Whilst the book might not be quite t..."

Ooooh. Thank you. Don't mind if I do. :-)

[Kath]

Getting a bit backed up with my reviews but I gave five stars to each of the following - They Came From Beyond Pulp by Darren Humphries

http://ignitebooks.blogspot.co.uk/201...

and The Dark Lord's Handbook: Conquest by Paul Dale - http://ignitebooks.blogspot.co.uk/201...

Both well worth a read.

[David]

Just finished Sharpe Slightly Peeved Sharpe's Fury, which was the usual Sharpe stuff. I think I need a long break before the next one.

Just started Ancillary Justice, which is a bit ho-hum at the moment.

Apparently it has won loads of SF awards recently, though.

Although I'm less than 20% in, so I haven't got to the inciting incident yet. Which means there is still time for it to get going.

[Jim]

Awards are not necessarily a good sign

At one end of the 'awards market' they're a way of extracting money out of authors. At the other end of the 'awards market' they're a way for the 'great and the good' to give 'the right kind of book' a pat on the back.
Good books can win them but probably by accident :-)

[David]

Jim wrote: "Awards are not necessarily a good sign "

The awards it won - Hugo, Nebula, Arthur C. Clarke, British SF, etc are supposedly the top SF awards.

Not the scam-type awards, but not like the pretentious 'literary' awards either.

I have read a fair few who have won these in the past & they've been pretty decent on the whole.

The book itself though seems to be in roughly similar territory to Justice 4.1, interestingly.

[Jim]

Well that just guaranteed I had to frantically go cross and check it out on Amazon!

I must admit I'd not come across the book and hadn't realised the awards it had won.Seeing the various comments I wonder if it's not really an 'adventure story' but more something 'slow burn' and literary?

Guessing here

[Adele]

I have had a few days off & inbetween watching the golf I managed to read HRH Prince Philip: Escape from the Palace, Hide and Seek, The C Enigma all curtesy of Net Gallery and a paperback copy of Easy Kill. Still struggling through Big Brother and loving Head of State

[David]

Jim wrote: "Well that just guaranteed I had to frantically go cross and check it out on Amazon!

I must admit I'd not come across the book and hadn't realised the awards it had won.Seeing the various comments ..."

I think it does lean towards the more literary end of SF, but not irrevocably. It is starting to pick up a bit now I'm about 20% of the way in.

It also has a bit of a feel of Banks' Culture books too.

No yak stew yet, either. So, obviously not a classic of the genre.

[Steven]

recently read the rosie effect which is the sequel to the wonderful rosie project. this was good, but without some of the charm of the first book, inevitable I guess now we know the characters. then read the second book in Conn Iggulden's Wars of the Roses series called trinity which was typical Iggulden stuff and very enjoyable. now reading the redeemer by Jo Nesbo. Really enjoying this one so far. I've read the previous books on kindle but reading this one as an audio book, if you know what I mean lol.

[Jim]

David wrote: "I think it does lean towards the more literary end of SF, but not irrevocably. It is starting to pick up a bit now I'm about 20% of the way in.

It also has a bit of a feel of Banks' Culture books too.

No yak stew yet, either. So, obviously not a classic of the genre. ..."

I confess that I've enjoyed the Culture books, (normally the closest I get to culture is mixing with bacteria :-( ) I think they do set a high bar

[David]

Just finished The Angel's Game by Zafon and just started Breakers by Robertson. I must confess I don't normally read post-apocalyptic stories (yeah, yeah, I know I've just kinda published one!), but I'm actually quite enjoying it about a third of the way in.

[Kath]

I read the Zafon book. Quite intense - I enjoyed it.

[David]

Very atmospheric and dark wasn't it? It reads like it was written a long long time ago.

[Adele]

Finished Head of State, absolutely loved it & thoroughly recommend it. Also finally finished Big Brother, never been so disappointed in the ending of a book, now thoroughly depressed.

I have a ton of Net Gallery books to get through so need to work out which one I'm starting next but think I will go with Peter James A Twist Of The Knife

[Jim]

David wrote: "Just finished The Angel's Game by Zafon and just started Breakers by Robertson. I must confess I don't normally read post-apocalyptic stories (yeah, yeah, I know I've..."

Reading a genre and writing in a genre can be two different things:-)

[Tim]

Jim wrote: "Reading a genre and writing in a genre can be two different things:-)"

But I do think you should read widely in the genres that you write. And on that basis, there's a couple of post-apocs I can personally recommend... ;)

(I'm like an old fashioned hardware store - never short of a plug!)

[Fiona (Titch)]

I'm reading The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini. I've read A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini which I liked, but took me a six years to read this book lol.

[Kath]

I loved both of those, Fiona. Stunning stories and hugely thought-provoking.

[Fiona (Titch)]

Have you read And the Mountains Echoed - Khaled Hosseini?

[Kath]

No. I'll have to say, 'not yet,' won't I? I do enjoy his writing.

[Fiona (Titch)]

I value your opinion when you do read it Kath, as I think you're a great reviewer :D

[Kath]

Thanks, Fiona. I have a few in the queue, though. :)

[Fiona (Titch)]

No rush sweetie, I have plenty to read lol x