All Things Books And Reading Thread - 2018

[rubysmama]

I'm reading a three book set by Eric R. Asher. Good steampunk fiction.

So I had to Google "steampunk fiction". Sounds interesting. Some authors have such great imaginations.

 

[Katie M]

So I had to Google "steampunk fiction". Sounds interesting. Some authors have such great imaginations.

There's an awesome novel called The Difference Engine-it's a very important work for steampunk.

 

[rubysmama]

I finished Truly, Madly, Deeply. It was ok, but not great. Took way to long to reveal what the incident actually was that was affecting all the characters.

I haven't started a new book yet, but I have The Lightkeeper's Daughters on my e-reader, so it will be my next read.
The Lightkeeper's Daughters by Jean E. Pendziwol

There's an awesome novel called The Difference Engine-it's a very important work for steampunk.

I pretty much only read books I download from the library, and they don't have that one. Thanks for the suggestion, though.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

There's an awesome novel called The Difference Engine-it's a very important work for steampunk.

I did try reading some steampunk, but couldn't get into it. I do, however, find the movement quite interesting artistically.

 

[Norachan]

There's an awesome novel called The Difference Engine-it's a very important work for steampunk.

Thanks for the info! I love the steampunk fashion and I'm looking for some books to add to my "Must read" list at the moment.

I finished Truly, Madly, Deeply. It was ok, but not great. Took way to long to reveal what the incident actually was that was affecting all the characters.
.

Is it the same story as the movie by that name, staring Alan Rickman? I loved the movie, cried almost all the way through it.

 

[rubysmama]

Is it the same story as the movie by that name, staring Alan Rickman? I loved the movie, cried almost all the way through it.

While Googling the movie, I realized I'd gotten the name of the book wrong.
It was Truly, Madly, GUILTY.

I've only seen Alan Rickman in the Harry Potter movies, so can't imagine him playing any other character than Severus Snape.

 

[catspaw66]

There's an awesome novel called The Difference Engine-it's a very important work for steampunk.

Like, totally, fer shur real. (Fake Valley Girl accent).

The Difference Engine set the genre for steampunk. Sir Terry was starting to incorporate steampunk into the Discworld before he died.

And now, at this very moment, people are riding a spinning, looping roller coaster with a steampunk theme at Silver Dollar City, MO.

 

[furmonster mom]

I just finished today's BookBub. Just in case you don't have it bookmarked, Dragonflight, by Anne McCaffrey is on sale today for $0.99. This is the first book in her Dragonriders of Pern series. (Am I the only one who thinks fire lizards are a lot like cats with wings?)

Margret

There are something like 23 Pern books & novellas (some written by Anne's son, Tom McCaffrey). They are easy to get sucked into, speaking from experience.... very recent experience. Now, the trick is, you can read them in order of publication; in which case, the story jumps through different points on the time line. Or you can read them according to the timeline, which might slightly spoil some of the details that were revealed as the stories were published.... only slightly, though, imo.
And yes, fire lizards are totally cats with wings!

I've just finished reading both the Dresdon Files series by Jim Butcher and the Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne.

I finally get why all my friends were crazy over Jim Butcher's professional wizard. The writing is full of sass, and Dresdon's adventures develop to epic levels.

And speaking of sassy writers, Kevin Hearne has been called Jim Butcher's successor... with good reason. His Iron Druid, a 2100 year old Irish lad, gets into so many shenanigans that he ends up in deep sh-oop, with very few options out of the corner he's painted himself into. Oh, and he has a wolfhound that he can talk to... with some of the most hilarious side conversations I've ever seen in print.

Again, very sassy writing; if you can't handle salty language or irreverent treatment of various pantheons, this may not be your kind of thing. I think what I love about this series is the layering that Hearne incorporates into the story; language, literature, history, art, poetry, philosophy, myth, religion... It's a beautiful mashup, and done so well you hardly realize how much you're absorbing along the way.

 

[1 bruce 1]

Stephen King nerd here

I'm not sure what I want to read next. My reading pile has dwindled from "must read ASAP" to "that's been read, now what" and I'm searching for new ideas.

 

[1 bruce 1]

openlibrary.org

Does anyone else use this???? This is awesome. Tons of books, not to buy, but for e-book borrowing.
I'll never get off this couch again.
*book swoon*

 

[rubysmama]

Glad you've joined our little book reading thread, 1 bruce 1 . Also good to see you've found a source for e-books.

I borrow e-books from the local library, and currently have over 600 on my "wish list", so if I didn't do other things like hang out on TCS and sleep, I'd never have to get off the couch either.

Don't forget to let us know what book you decide to read next.

 

[Winchester]

Hi 1 bruce 1 .....glad to see you here! Thanks much for the e-book link!

I've rediscovered John Sandford and am working my way through the Lucas Davenport series. The books are excellent. Still reading my way through the Pendergast series, too....love Special Agent Alysious Pendergast! And the Sisterhood series and Men of the Sisterhood series by Fern Michaels. And I continue to download library books that are interesting, but not on my list. There's a lot of reading material for me right now; the worst part is not finding them in my library as e-books. And when I finally find one, the wait list is long. I don't buy books anymore because I have no place to put them.

I've always been a Stephen King fan, but lately, I've given up on him. Not fond of the endings to his books that much anymore.

furmonster mom , Love the Dresden Files! There was a Dresden series on tv for (maybe) one season a few years back (2007-ish?), starring Paul Blackthorne as Harry Dresden. I liked it, but it didn't last very long. It might be on DVD now. The books are great; I really like Jim Butcher.

 

[jcat]

Is it the same story as the movie by that name, staring Alan Rickman? I loved the movie, cried almost all the way through it.

I loved that movie!

I'm currently reading Midnight by Dean Koontz.

 

[Margret]

I've only seen Alan Rickman in the Harry Potter movies, so can't imagine him playing any other character than Severus Snape.

Oh, you've got to watch "Galaxy Quest." It's a wonderful movie, a send-up of science fiction fans and conventions at the same time as it's a great science fiction movie in its own right. Alan Rickman plays Alexander Dane, a Shakespearean-trained British actor who had played an alien named Dr. Lazarus on an American S.F. hit television series named "Galaxy Quest." When the series was canceled he found himself typecast and unable to get work. He's a bitter, broken man, mourning for his lost stage career and eking out a living as a guest star at science fiction conventions. And then real aliens show up at a convention, who think he actually is Dr. Lazarus, and who need help from him and the rest of the cast. Galaxy Quest (1999) - IMDb

He was such a fantastic actor. Until someone pointed it out to me I never even realized that Alexander Dane and Severus Snape were played by the same man - they were so different that I couldn't see the actor underneath the characters.

Margret

 

[catspaw66]

openlibrary.org

Does anyone else use this???? This is awesome. Tons of books, not to buy, but for e-book borrowing.
I'll never get off this couch again.
*book swoon*

If you are looking for something new, have you read any Discworld books? To see what Sir Terry Pratchett is like, Amazon Prime is streaming "Hogfather" in three parts. Sir Terry is actually IN the movie.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

And speaking of sassy writers, Kevin Hearne has been called Jim Butcher's successor... with good reason. His Iron Druid, a 2100 year old Irish lad, gets into so many shenanigans that he ends up in deep sh-oop, with very few options out of the corner he's painted himself into. Oh, and he has a wolfhound that he can talk to... with some of the most hilarious side conversations I've ever seen in print.

Again, very sassy writing; if you can't handle salty language or irreverent treatment of various pantheons, this may not be your kind of thing. I think what I love about this series is the layering that Hearne incorporates into the story; language, literature, history, art, poetry, philosophy, myth, religion... It's a beautiful mashup, and done so well you hardly realize how much you're absorbing along the way.

OOOOH! I think I must put this on the list!

openlibrary.org

Does anyone else use this???? This is awesome. Tons of books, not to buy, but for e-book borrowing.

~scampers off to bookmark the site~

Still reading my way through the Pendergast series, too....love Special Agent Alysious Pendergast!

Oh, me, too! I'm re-collecting the entire series, slowly.

I'm currently reading Midnight by Dean Koontz.

I love Koontz. I think a huge part of it is because all of his horror is based in science, no matter how loosely. It may be wildly improbable, but it is not impossible, entirely. I think my favorite might be "Strangers," or maybe "Lightning."

He was such a fantastic actor. Until someone pointed it out to me I never even realized that Alexander Dane and Severus Snape were played by the same man - they were so different that I couldn't see the actor underneath the characters.

And that, my Darling Girl, is the mark of a really fine actor.

Currently reading Shirley Damsgaard's "Charmed to Death," the second in the "Ophelia and Abby" series. Psychic abilities and witchcraft of the Appalachian mountain variety, mixed with a darned good mystery! What's not to like?

 

[Margret]

And that, my Darling Girl, is the mark of a really fine actor.

Exactly my point. I think David Tennant must be another such; I had to have it pointed out to me that he was the actor who played Barty Crouch, Jr..

Sir Patrick Stewart, on the other hand, I never have that problem with, although I think it's his marvelous voice that gives him away.

Margret

 

[misty8723]

I just started re-reading Anglefall by Susan Ee. It is part 1 of a trilogy, and when I read it previously the other two books weren't available yet. I just found all three as Kindle Unlimited books, so I downloaded them and started over with book 1. I think it's YA fiction, and I don't usually like first person writing, but this one is good and an interesting premise. I remember liking it so much the first time, I emailed the author and she emailed me back.

From Amazon: It’s been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back. Anything, including making a deal with Raffe, an injured enemy angel. Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they journey toward the angels’ stronghold in San Francisco, where Penryn will risk everything to rescue her sister and Raffe will put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.

 

[catspaw66]

Exactly my point. I think David Tennant must be another such; I had to have it pointed out to me that he was the actor who played Barty Crouch, Jr..

Sir Patrick Stewart, on the other hand, I never have that problem with, although I think it's his marvelous voice that gives him away.

Margret

David Tennant is also The Doctor in Seasons 201, 301 and 401 of Dr. Who. Now streaming on Prime for free. Seasons 101 to 1001.

 

[furmonster mom]

Tennant is my favorite of the "new" doctors