What Are You Reading Right Now? ( Hwæt béon ðu bocrædung?) Showing 8,501-8,550 of 10,106

[Eileen]

I read the first of Robyn Young's Templar novels. I'm not sure what would have gotten it "not recommended". I enjoyed it although with so many other books out there to read, and so little time, I haven't followed up with the other books in the series. It wasn't drop dead fabulous, but certainly a book that deserved a "recommend" designation.

[Jane]

Eileen wrote: "I read the first of Robyn Young's Templar novels. I'm not sure what would have gotten it "not recommended". I enjoyed it although with so many other books out there to read, and so little time, I h..."

The Dan Brownish subplot.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Interesting that it has this Dan Brownish subplot as so too does her current trilogy. Odd that. That she would use this device again in the new trilogy.

[Jane]

Against a Darkening Sky by Lauren B. Davis

[Renata]

Hmmm. True. Then again, Dan Brown hardly invented Grail devices. Cornwell used them in the Archer series too :). No one compares him to Dan Brown...lol.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Hmm..I want to answer, but I am going to set up a Robyn Young thread. Well overdue. Been meaning to do it for AGES!
I'll post the link here once it is up.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Here we are. Our brand new Robyn Young thread in the authors folder.
This folder is for authors that have a lot of books to their name and are discussed often in the group. I think Robyn is an author that deserves to be there.
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Jane]

Renata wrote: "Hmmm. True. Then again, Dan Brown hardly invented Grail devices. Cornwell used them in the Archer series too :). No one compares him to Dan Brown...lol."

He's a much better writer--[Uhtred's personality notwithstanding :)]; Dan Brown's books I consider nothing but potboilers.

[Renata]

Completely Agree! Dan Brown give Grail legend anything a bad name. Those references can be done well if not heavy handed. Perhaps everyone writing anything like it in those years right around the time he wrote his Pot-boilers got tarred and feathered with the same brush lol!

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Potboilers is right.

[Bobby]

Red Rising

[Rafael]

I started today Vagabond by Bernard Cornwell to keep my reading of the series.

[Bobby]

Year One

[NekroRider]

Fools and Mortals and enjoying it so far. Started off a bit slower than I'm used to with Cornwell in the early first chapter, but I'm almost finished the second chapter and have already been sucked into it. Different than his usual material but still a good read, and loving the "period appropriate" banter as usual.

Rafael wrote: "I started today Vagabond by Bernard Cornwell to keep my reading of the series."

Awesome book and series! Its been so long since I've read some of my favourites of his I should seriously consider a dedicated re-read one of these days.

[Rafael]

NekroRider wrote: "Fools and Mortals and enjoying it so far. Started off a bit slower than I'm used to with Cornwell in the early first chapter, but I'm almost finished the second chapter and have alr..."

Cornwell is always a good read.

[May]

I’m back to the Saxon series; reading SWORD SONG.

[Alice]

Finished Peony by Pearl S. Buck. A heartbreaking story of impossible love in a Jewish community in 19th century China. An eye-opener about the little-known history of a small Jewish community in Kaifeng, China. 4.3 stars.

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

[Fyo]

For school I've been reading short stories from the early 20th century (just read The Other Two by Edith Wharton) and on my own I'm reading Royal Intrigue: Crisis At The Court Of Charles Vi, 1392 1420.

[NekroRider]

Rafael wrote: "Cornwell is always a good read."

Indeed he is! I have to admit with Fools and Mortals he's surprised even me. As much as I'm an avid fan of his I didn't think I'd like the book this much. Different from his past work but I love it nevertheless. I've basically sped through the book, am now less than 100 pages away from finishing and I'm having trouble putting it down. Looking like another solid 5 stars for Bernard! I swear, every time I read one of his books I feel like I'm taken aback all over again at how skilled a writer he is.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

NekroRider, although our group read of Fools and Mortals doesn't officially start until Feb, you are most welcome to start commenting early in there.

That goes for one and all.
I know a lot of members have already read it and some are reading it now. Fools and Mortals thread is open for comments. :-)

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

The Fools and Mortals thread if anybody wants to jump early.
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[happy]

I finished the bio of Martin Luther I was reading

Martin Luther: Renegade and Prophet

Only 3 stars - some good info, but the author sometimes can't see the forest for the trees. She spends a lot of pages on theological disputes, IE the nature of the communion - is the blood and body of Christ actually in the communion or is it his spirit only, how salvation is obtained (works v grace), the source of church theology and practices, etc. Due to the reason of Luther's fame, some of this is needed, but I thought she went overboard with it.

Having lived in the Nuremberg area as a teenager, I found the importance of the Bavarian Merchant Cities (Nuremberg, Augsberg among others) were to the arc of his life fascinating

Now I get to start Ken Follett's new one

[Renata]

Curious to see what you think of A Column of Fire happy...

[Laura Tenfingers]

Just starting The White Raven by Robert Low. It's been a while since I read the first two and now I'm wanting to go back to the beginning and binge read the whole series straight through. Too many books too little time... I don't remember all the names and that's proving a bit challenging but hopefully it'll work itself out.

[Tamara]

Laura wrote: "Just starting The White Raven by Robert Low. It's been a while since I read the first two and now I'm wanting to go back to the beginning and binge read the whole ser..."

I have The White Raven in line to read soon. I read The Whale Road and preferred it to The Wolf Sea. I'd be interested to know what you think of the third book in the series.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

I would love the chance to binge read the whole series again. So many other books on my tbr though! :(

[Laura Tenfingers]

Tamara, I felt the same way about the first two books. Loved, loved, loved The Whale Road but somehow The Wolf Sea didn't quite do it for me as much, although it was still good and quite an adventure!
I'm 125 pages in to The White Raven and it is seriously good stuff.

[Tamara]

Laura wrote: "Tamara, I felt the same way about the first two books. Loved, loved, loved The Whale Road but somehow The Wolf Sea didn't quite do it for me as much, although it was st..."

Looking forward to reading it. Thanks.

[happy]

I finished A Column of Fire over the weekend. Amazingly quick read (900+ pages in a ltttle over 3 days)

It's basically the story of Elizabeth I's reign with a detour into the Religious conflicts in France going on at the same time. The novel covers the time from just before Elizabeth comes to the throne (1558) through to the Gunpowder Plot against her successor (James I and VI (1605) with an epilogue taking place in 1620. The religious divide/tolerance vs fanaticism is the main driver of the plot and the main character (Tom Willard) is one of her spy's. The book portrays him as Walsingham's right-hand man.

All the major events of Elizabeth reign are portrayed, including the Armada, holding Mary, Queen of Scots prisoner and eventually executing her, the campaign against Catholic priests and Catholic Europe's attemps to remove Elizabeth from the throne and the various invasion scares, Elizabeth's tacit approval of piracy in the West Indies, etc. In addition - the politics of the French court and how the Protestant and Catholic divide played into them feature prominently.

The basic history is good, I really don't know about some of the details that could be kind of iffy.

Nothing really suprising. It may be a little romancy for some in the group. There is a rape/incest (Local Earl rapes DIL) scene that while not overly explicit is rather uncomfortable for me. All in all and entertaining read and classic Follett. I actually think this is a better read than some of his more recent offerings, a solid 4 stars

Currently reading Walter Isaacson's new bio of Leonardo de Vinci, titled amazingly enough Leonardo da Vinci

[Sherry]

I just finished Bill Altimari's Lord of the Darkness: A Tale of the Primeval and was wowed by this tale of tracking a man-eating leopard in early-1900s South Africa. Really, big game hunting -- from a reader who's usually into Roman or 11th-century fiction? I've tried to explain why it made such an impact on me in this review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show....

[Rafael]

I started Heretic, the third book of Bernard Cornwell series Grail Quest, today.

[Laura Tenfingers]

Rafael wrote: "I started Heretic, the third book of Bernard Cornwell series Grail Quest, today."

I enjoyed the Grail Quest series. Enjoy!

[Laura Tenfingers]

I just started Avalon by Anya Seton. Love her.

Edit: as I'm reading this I see it's probably a bit too boy-meets-girl for this group's bookshelf...

[Rafael]

Laura wrote: "Rafael wrote: "I started Heretic, the third book of Bernard Cornwell series Grail Quest, today."

I enjoyed the Grail Quest series. Enjoy!"

I am enjoying it. The second one was better than the first one.

[Margaret, Sherlockian Sheila]

I'm reading an historical mystery novel Oscar Wilde and the Dead Man's Smile

[Allison]

^^^Oscar Wilde solves mysteries in Victorian England?!?!

Yes, please!!!!!!

[Margaret, Sherlockian Sheila]

Allie wrote: "^^^Oscar Wilde solves mysteries in Victorian England?!?!

Yes, please!!!!!!"

This is the first one I've read, Allie. And it's brilliant so far. There's another book that came out last year called Jack the Ripper: Case Closed - it involves Oscar Wilde and Arthur Conan Doyle, but isn't included in the series. I read that, which lead me to the series.

[Allison]

Added!! Thanks :)

[Adrian]

I read the first of those OW books. Irresistible for one such as me - the set up and style were brilliant. Excellent wittiness etc (as you'd hope) but I was a little disappointed with the resolution. I would have given it 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

[Tamara]

I just picked up The Golden Mean by Annabel Lyon. Plan to start it today. Has anyone read it? If so, what did you think of it?

I ran a search on the discussions here and saw that some of you said it may be "too sexy" for a group read. I'm having second thoughts about it because I'm not into reading "too sexy" books.

[Dawn]

I've read it. I didn't like it myself. Though I did like the idea of having the story told by Aristotle.

I'm not sure what would be 'too sexy' but there is a fair amount of sex in the story. As has every story I've read about Alexander.

[Tamara]

Dawn wrote: "I've read it. I didn't like it myself. Though I did like the idea of having the story told by Aristotle.

I'm not sure what would be 'too sexy' but there is a fair amount of sex in the story. As h..."

Good to know. Thanks. I've decided to give it a try.

[Dawn]

Well, I would never say not to try it as I'm a big fan of everyone reading a little Canadian Literature. :)

[Alice]

I'm more than half-way through The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng, which is set in World War II Penang, Malaysia. Having previously read about the Japanese invasion and occupation of Hong Kong, I can relate to the details of war in this novel. Very enjoyable read and the plot is thickening now.

[Allison]

Alice wrote: "I'm more than half-way through The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng, which is set in World War II Penang, Malaysia. Having previously read about the Japanese invasion a..."


Added it! Thanks Alice :)

[Patricia]

Fools and Mortals. Enjoying it so far!

[Jane]

Villette / Charlotte Brontë

[happy]

Patricia wrote: "Fools and Mortals. Enjoying it so far!"

ditto :)

[Adrian]

I know this is a book that just about everyone here has read, but I still had to review it: The Winter King

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

[Laura Tenfingers]

Jane wrote: " Villette / Charlotte Brontë"

Oh, love Villette....