What Are You Reading Right Now? ( Hwæt béon ðu bocrædung?) Showing 701-750 of 10,106

[Margaret, Sherlockian Sheila]

Laurentiu wrote: "First off, I'll finish with The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, after which I'll take a break from the Holmesian world.

I'll give Park Pyrne Investigates a shot. This book might help me get used to Ag..."
A great one for getting used to Ms Christie's style is
Death Comes As the End

It has the added bonus of being set in Ancient Egypt.

[Bobby]

Am now reading and know nada about it. But it was on my TBR list and I am loyal to the core...eventually!! I'll let you know.

[happy]

Finshed The Emerald Storm - fun read, don't take it seriously - 3 1/2 stars not quite a 4.

Just started our own Ben Kane's

[Linda]

Finished and reviewed Eric Thomas' FALL OF THE CITIZENS. Four stars

[Dawn]

happy wrote: "Finshed The Emerald Storm - fun read, don't take it seriously - 3 1/2 stars not quite a 4.

Just started our own Ben Kane's "

I just got an email today that Spartacus is ready for me to pick up at the library, so I will be reading this shortly as well. :)

[Dawn]

Linda wrote: "Finished and reviewed Eric Thomas' FALL OF THE CITIZENS. Four stars"

Fall of the Citizens is an indie book right?? Impressive that it's a 4 star for you.

[Margaret, Sherlockian Sheila]

I've gone on a slight Arthurian binge. Currently reading Mercedes LackeyGwenhwyfar: The White Spirit

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

I'll be interested in what you all make of Ben's Spartacus book.

[Chris]

Have to get this bit in on Spartacus. A few days ago I was teaching my year 12 Classical studies class about slavery in ancient Rome, so when we looked at the gladiator games I showed them a few extracts from the old Spartacus film with Kirk Douglas and Gladiator with Russell Crowe, more for a bit of fun than anything else. Being well primed by me they particularly enjoyed the 'I'm Spartacus scene'. the next day I had to go to a neighbouring class to talk a colleague's year 11 history class about the Springbok rugby tour to NZ in 1981. When I got back to my class most of them had changed their desks and chairs to face the back of the class and they wanted me to ask them whose idea it was so they could take turns saying 'it was my idea'. God I love teaching teenagers!
P.S. if you have never seen Spartacus this will probably make no sense to you at all.

[Bobby]

Chris F wrote: "Have to get this bit in on Spartacus. A few days ago I was teaching my year 12 Classical studies class about slavery in ancient Rome, so when we looked at the gladiator games I showed them a few ex..."

That is fantastic!!! You must be getting through to them.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

It is fantastic, Chris! I think I saw Spartacus when I was a kid and remember little, but that is okay. I can get a feel for it. :-)
I wish you had been my History teacher back in the day. I was not into history classes.

[Bryn]

I throb to that line, every time - I'm Spartacus - throb. See? One of few great ideas high school had was to screen Spartacus at us yearly.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Really? You got Spartacus? We only got Dustin Hoffman in Death of a Travelling Salesman. :( Bloody awful.

[Deanne]

I am currently reading Rivers of Destiny by Barbara Erskine which is a dual time historical book set in ancient times, Victorian and modern day. Really enjoying it so far.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

That is good, Deanne. Always nice to find enjoyable ones. :)

[Amber]

I am finishing up this one, and i'm really enjoying it, best book of the trilogy by far I think.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

It is a shame the book cover does not match the first two books, Amber.
I was only saying to Ben Kane in another thread in this group this morning, that I really like that series' covers. I did not realise though that the third book did not match the others.
These are the covers I mean..

[Margaret, Sherlockian Sheila]

I'm finally reading something that fits into the group. Or re-reading, I should say. The Blood Star

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Well you read one of this months group reads.:-) lol

I see that book is the follow up to his better known (perhaps) book The Assyrian

[Margaret, Sherlockian Sheila]

Terri wrote: "Well you read one of this months group reads.:-) lol

I see that book is the follow up to his better known (perhaps) book The Assyrian"
Yes, it follows Tiglath Ashur after his banishment.

[Amber]

I actually have a different version of the first and second book, I don't see my version on this website though...

mine look like this, and are my favorite version of the covers:

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:AN...

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:AN...

I dont usually judge a book by the cover but these covers are the reason I picked it up randomly in the bookstore that one day :P

[Dawn]

I really like these Amber, they are almost retro

[Amber]

I do too, I love those covers, but the covers make absolutely no sense because they don't relate to the story in any way, especially the Silver Eagle cover which shows a painting of the Horatii triplets taking their oath... how does the war between the Horatii and the Curiatii triplets have anything to do with Ben's plot? its doesn't.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Dawn wrote: "I really like these Amber, they are almost retro..."

They almost, dare I say it, look Indie. :-)

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Oh good lord!! What's going on with this cover *shield your eyes!* (sorry Ben!)

[Amber]

I love the old paintings, I really do, they are just so random :P they don't really match the books content at all...

[Bryn]

I think they're sweet (fan of old paintings) even that last from Terri.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

But that last one has weird cartoony people over the top of an old painting. Like it is a graphic novel or something.

[Dawn]

Terri wrote: "Dawn wrote: "I really like these Amber, they are almost retro..."

They almost, dare I say it, look Indie. :-)"

I was thinking they look 80's, I have a couple 80's roman books and the covers look very similar, kind of cheesy..... :)

[Dawn]

You're asking the wrong person about the best of Gemmell, I love them all. :)

I have never noticed the 'and' issue so I can't help there but I will suggest the following, I know Legend is often recommended for a first book but these would be my three top picks: is the first in the Rigante series, very medieval and mythology based; is dystopian and quite different from most of the other Gemmell books; and which is my personal favorite, it shouldn't be a problem to read without starting at Legend.
The Troy books were good but they weren't my favorite.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Our Dawn is Gemmell's number one Canadian fan. :-)

Jaq,
I have only read one Gemmell and that was the first in the Troy series. I was not a massive fan of the writing either. I think I may have mentioned it in my review (in other words, I already outted myself to Dawn and she knows that I felt that way). I enjoyed the story though.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Actually...speaking of our Ben's covers. :-)

I noticed that the head on that 80's style cover is the same head (only smaller and flipped and tweaked a little) on the cover of Steven Pressfield's Virtues of War.

[Chris]

Cannibals and shrucken heads. I'm seriously beginning to wonder about you two.

[Chris]

Jaq wrote: "Hey if you was gross, read Under the Black Flag: The Romance and the Reality of Life Among the Pirates, best factual pirate book I ever read. However, the bit about Chinese pirates eating their vic..."

Could definitely be worth a look.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Lol. I know a few people who have read and liked Under the Black Flag. Did not know about the cannibals...eww..

[happy]

Finished Spartacus - good entertaining read - lots of fairly graphic violence ( limbs be lopped off, swords to the groin, shields to the face - things like that ) a bit of romance - nothing to graphic and some sacking of towns and estates.

Looking forward to the next one.

currently reading Jeffrey Archer's newest

I guess it could be historical fiction - it is set in WWII

[Dawn]

I've managed to read the first chapter of Spartacus. :)

I will definitely get more read this weekend, I have Monday off too so I should have the time.

[Bryn]

Shieldwall. Where'd this come from? - the markets this morning, but I mean. I'm a few pages in and can tell it's a major find for me. It's dense with echo of Anglo-Saxon poetry, in the first few pages - The Wanderer, The Seafarer - and has the mood of those elegies, too. Our hero's a wreck of himself. My heart is robbed.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

We've been talking about Shieldwall a fair bit in A&M this year.
This is the book where I could not get into it because chapter 1 (view spoiler)[ a major character I was instantly liking, was killed off in the first chapter and I hated that. It started so good, but then I had to go back in time and I wasn't in the mood. (hide spoiler)]
Good writer though. Very talented. I do not get into poetry, so don't need it in my reads. Actually, don't like it in my reads. :-)

[Judith]

As a mystery set in Florence 1963 with an ingenious crime--more how-done-it than who-done-it, Death in August: A Novelshares a lot of what I like about Donna Leon's books. My review.

[Dawn]

That book looks great, I've added it to my TBR.

[Dawn]

I am almost finished The City and the City by China Miéville. I mentioned it elsewhere in the group and it is definitely not anywhere near a Historical Fantasy so I've moved my comments here instead. :)

It is bizarre......really, really strange and I found it hard to get into the story but now I'm hooked. So enthralled that I am planning on reading another of his books to see if it's as interesting. Haven't picked one yet.

I'm also almost finished Satan in St Mary's, this might not be what authors want to hear but I really like the fact that it's short. :)

[Margaret, Sherlockian Sheila]

Dawn wrote: "I am almost finished The City and the City by China Miéville. I mentioned it elsewhere in the group and it is definitely not anywhere near a Historical Fantasy so I've moved my comments here instea..."

LOL. I don't Paul Doherty would mind. All of his books are fairly short. Except for the Akhenaten trilogy. :)

[Dawn]

It's just nice to read a good book in two days. :)

[Margaret, Sherlockian Sheila]

Dawn wrote: "It's just nice to read a good book in two days. :)"

True. Can be disappointing though - when it's a book you've been anticipating. LOL

[Simona]

Dawn wrote: "It is bizarre......really, really strange and I found it hard to get into the story but now I'm hooked.."

I KNEW it. Now I'll HAVE to try again...

[Dawn]

Simona, the entire first half of the book made no sense but by the time you get to the end it's all explained. I still think the dialogue was a bit annoying but it ended up a 4 star for me anyway. :)

[Simona]

That's why I'll try: I have faith in your good taste. (Great powers, great responsability...you know).

[Speesh]

Couple of chapters into The Splintered Kingdom James Aitcheson and his publishers (Random House) were kind enough to send me a pre-release copy to review on my blog.
Worked the weekend, day off tomorrow, so gonna see if those Welshies continue their problem causing.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

I should say 'you lucky thing' but even though I want to read book two, if I got an advance copy I would not be able to fit it in. I put a reserve on it yesterday at my library, so when it comes in I will get it straight away.