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[Tim]

Just finished Jo Nesbø's The Bat. Everyone says start the Harry Hole books from Book 3, and reading this one (book 1) you can understand why. The second of only two "2-stars" this year!

[Will]

Just started Under the Pendulum Sun

Heard good reports of this, so thought i'd try it

[David]

Just finished Gallows Thief which wasn't bad, despite a bit of a slow start.

Just started Down Among the Dead Men.

[Natasha]

Tim wrote: "Just finished Jo Nesbø's The Bat. Everyone says start the Harry Hole books from Book 3, and reading this one (book 1) you can understand why."

Quite. I should have listened to that advice as well.

[Natasha]

Just finished Blitzed: Drugs in Nazi Germany by Norman Ohler, which was rather good, but repetitive.

10% through The Secret History by Donna Tartt, which I'm really enjoying.

[Patti (baconater)]

I've enjoyed every Donna Tartt I've read.

[Natasha]

Patti (baconater) wrote: "I've enjoyed every Donna Tartt I've read."

This is my first. Feels like I'm in for a treat.

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

Finally finished A Cold Day For Murder not a bad book but seemed slow

[Pam]

Read Best Ghost Stories of Algernon Blackwood and reviewed it - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2140404455.

[Victor]

Just finished Beneath a Scarlet Sky. An engrossing & deeply moving story. Well researched and based on the true testimony of Pino Lella, an Italian who lived through the Nazi occupation of Milan.

Just started The Silence Between Breaths and really pleased to reconnect with Cath Staincliffe, an author whose work I've long admired.

[Daniella]

Just finished "Surrender at Sunrise" by Tonya Royston


Just started "The Summer Before the War" by Helen Simonson

[Kath]

Long Tramp to Murder, story by Lynda Wilcox, cover by Katie Stewart. Funny as always. (In spite of the bodies!)

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

[Kath]

The Memory Book by Rowan Coleman and The Winter's Child by Cassandra Parkin are my reccent reads and recommendations.

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

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

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

Finished Perfect Crime - still debating whether to give 2 or 3*, as it was only 27 pages. Then started Demons by Daylight - hadn't realised it was a short story collection though

[Kath]

Just finished Maria in the Moon by Louise Beech. Jolly good story but it took a while to get going for me.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Kath]

Two more that I really enjoyed The Surrogate by Louise Jensen and London Noir by Ann Girdharry.

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

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

[Kath]

I've just parked my review on Amazon for a book I read in February - free from Netgalley. The blurb sounded interesting Everything You Do Is Wrong

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I found it less than wonderful and had given it three stars here in Feb. I noticed that of the three people who had already reviewed on Amazon this morning (release day), all gave it three stars too.

Some people think I'm too generous with my ratings - that's because they don't see how many I ditch at 15- 20%. I persevere (usually) for Netgalley as I've had the book free. Published by Fleet - and imprint of Little Brown Books. So not indie, but much inferior to a lot of indie stuff that I do read to the end.

[David]

Same here, Kath, with ditching books I don't enjoy. Also making my average rating look overly generous.

[Lisa]

I am the same. I tend to read books that sound interesting to me and I don't 1* for personal taste reasons so my average is sky high. Life is too short to read books you know will bore or disappoint.

[David]

Just finished Down Among the Dead Men Which was pretty good.

Just started Bricking It.

[Patti (baconater)]

Yep, no point in reading a book you're not enjoying. Too many good books out there. Reading time is too precious to waste.

Don't think I've mentioned Sleeping Beauties in here yet. I finished it last week.

Solid five stars.

I admit I was concerned about it be a collaborative effort but it was seamless. Makes sense as Sai King has been doing it for years. His books with Peter Straub were excellent as well.
Can't say I'm as impressed with his collaborations with his other son, Joe Hill. More to do with the plots than the writing, though.

Anyway, Sleeping Beauties.

Loved the premise. Reminiscent of Under the Dome in that most of it occurs in one town and also The Stand as it has a huge cast of characters. There is a who's who list at the beginning of the book but I didn't find it necessary to refer to it.

As usual, Sai King made me care deeply about the characters. As I still often think of the characters in The Stand, I am still thinking of the characters in Sleeping Beauty. You know they've really come to life when you find yourself wondering what they're up to now, long after finishing the book.

The plot. Very timely.

I could do a whole discussion thread on the themes.
If anyone else reads it and would enjoy a discussion thread on it, please say. I'd even re-read to freshen my thoughts.

So. Would I recommend it?

Hell yes!

[Patti (baconater)]

Oh, and I've started Ready Player One.

Really, really enjoying it so far. I was concerned about it being in the first person but it's good in spite of that.

Anyone else notice that most YA best sellers are in the first person?
Wonder why that is.

I'm loving the 80s references cuz I was a teen then and can really relate but I don't think you need first hand knowledge to enjoy them. It's a strong adventure story in its own right.

So far, anyway. I've still a long way to go in this quest.

[Kath]

Just finished a couple of Christmas (I know! The BAAD C word!) books - one a short story on its own, the other a collection.

Aglow: A Christmas Fable which was a charming story if a touch incredible.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The other, a collection of five short stories by Sam Kates, was quite the contrast. Ghosts of Christmas Past And Other Dark Festive Tales

I loved this. Well, I'm a bit nasty.

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

[Loretta]

Patti (baconater) wrote: "Oh, and I've started Ready Player One.

Really, really enjoying it so far. I was concerned about it being in the first person but it's good in spite of that.

Anyone else notice that..."

I must admit, first person isn't my fave. Not sure why, although a lot more books seem to be written in it, these days. Third will always be my choice. As for first person present - nope, can't get on with that.

[Natasha]

Loretta wrote: "I must admit, first person isn't my fave."

Am currently reading The Secret History by Donna Tartt (58% through) in the first person. I can't imagine that it would be as chilling and gripping in the third.

[Loretta]

Natasha (Diarist) wrote: "Loretta wrote: "I must admit, first person isn't my fave."

Am currently reading The Secret History by Donna Tartt (58% through) in the first person. I can't imagine that it would be a..."

I guess it works better in some genres than others.

[Patti (baconater)]

Natasha (Diarist) wrote: "Loretta wrote: "I must admit, first person isn't my fave."

Am currently reading The Secret History by Donna Tartt (58% through) in the first person. I can't imagine that it would be a..."

Very good point, Natasha. Great book, that one. It would have lost impact in third person.

[Patti (baconater)]

Loretta wrote: "Patti (baconater) wrote: "Oh, and I've started Ready Player One.

Really, really enjoying it so far. I was concerned about it being in the first person but it's good in spite of that..."

Thinking on, lots of classics are in first person...

[David]

I've read some great first person present tense books and really enjoyed them, but they have to be done well.

[Kath]

It always sounds like that drunk down the pub. "I go in the bar, see, and I say to this fella, 'You're my best friend, you are!'"

[Patti (baconater)]

Kath wrote: "It always sounds like that drunk down the pub. "I go in the bar, see, and I say to this fella, 'You're my best friend, you are!'""

I'm currently watching Doc Martin and I just read that in a Cornish accent, I did.

[Kath]

Cornish drunks. The worst! ;)

[Patti (baconater)]

Ever been in a pub in Cardiff, Kath?

[Kath]

Cornish drunks. The second worst!

[Patti (baconater)]

Hehe

[Sylvia]

I have never liked reading books in the first person, I can’t explain why.

[Karen]

Have enjoyed a couple of books lately, including the ever reliable Lindsey Davis Falco series, where I'm trying to go back and read them in order . Venus in Copper I somehow missed early on. Also finished Last Seen Alive, which is entertaining - and the ending is interesting. Have now started A Legacy of Spies which I'm thoroughly enjoying

[Jim]

Karen wrote: "Have enjoyed a couple of books lately, including the ever reliable Lindsey Davis Falco series, where I'm trying to go back and read them in order . Venus in Copper I somehow missed ea..."

I'm reading the Falco stories in order and loving them :-)

[Benjamin]

Just finished working through the assembled works of Naomi Novik, who I've much enjoyed, and about to start Andres Barba's such small hands.

[Kathy]

Recently finished A Murder of Quality, le Carre's second novel and a murder mystery rather than an espionage tale. Really enjoyed it but then I love his writing. Now reading Hag-Seed

[Pam]

As light relief, I read a couple of books by Jayne Anne Krentz under her Jayne Castle pseudonym:

After Dark - review - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2108842406
and
After Glow - review - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2108842525

[Kath]

Caged: A Sam Williams Short by Joel Hames. Great short story and an introduction to The Art of Staying Dead. You can read it as a stand-alone but you might want to read more about Sam Williams if you do.

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

[David]

Just finished Bricking It which was less funny than it sounds. But decent enough to get to the rather obvious ending.

Just started Beneath the Ink.

[Kath]

Oh! Should I be Bricking It

[Pam]

Another Jayne Castle, 3rd in the Ghost Hunter series - Ghost Hunter - and reviewed it - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2108842606.

[Patti (baconater)]

I finished Ready Player One. Solid five stars. The ending was great!

I've started The Wonder. Only a few pages in when I woke in the night. I have high hopes for it.

Dave is reading The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare: How Churchill's Secret Warriors Set Europe Ablaze and Gave Birth to Modern Black Ops

I think The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare would make a great title for a Darren-type fantasy book.

[Kath]

Talk about title stuffing though, eh?

[Patti (baconater)]

Yeah, I told Dave I couldn't read that book because of that title.

That and I have no interest in the topic...

[David]

Kath wrote: "Oh! Should I be Bricking It"

From what I've read so far you should be suffering from aching arms from patting yourself on the back

[Kath]

Thank you! I want one of those - it's like a one man band for itchy-backed people!