What book are you reading...

XeNoN89 · 30 Oct 2019 at 00:12

The Kompromat Kill, by Michael Jenkins

I actually met the author earlier this yearand received a free copy of his first book: The Failsafe Query. I recently finished and enjoyed that so have moved onto the second one.

Good books and the author was a very interesting person to have a chat with over lunch!

IvanDobskey · 30 Oct 2019 at 11:29

Blue remembered earth by Alastair Reynolds
Read most of his others and had been putting this one off, but it's actually really good. Will read the follow up on a steel breeze afterwards.

checjb · 31 Oct 2019 at 19:01

"The Spread" by Sean Deville. Zombie novels are my vice and this one is actually pretty good. It's all around the spread of a virus which is knowing created and released by a secret group of environmentalist psychos. Enjoyable shenanigans ensue.

nands · 31 Oct 2019 at 23:24

Just finished the three novellas that support the Demon Cycle (Painted Man books by Peter V Brett).

I know that the books have come in for some criticism here and maybe they are not the best writing ever but I really enjoyed them over a couple of weeks in the summer and these small extras were a good reminder of the world.

Will have to see how things develop as he is writing a sequel series.

RobDogDog · 6 Nov 2019 at 11:17

Straight on to Wheel of Time book 2. Finished the first one last night and really enjoyed it.

toshj · 6 Nov 2019 at 11:33

RobDogDog said:
Straight on to Wheel of Time book 2. Finished the first one last night and really enjoyed it.

It gets better and better... for a while!

The middle of The Dragon Reborn through to the end of Lord of Chaos is one of the favourite passages of any fantasy series.

Shamikebab · 6 Nov 2019 at 11:51

About half way through the last Lightbringer book by Brent Weeks. Big book! Living up to expectations so far though.

Gray2233 · 6 Nov 2019 at 12:26

Shamikebab said:
About half way through the last Lightbringer book by Brent Weeks. Big book! Living up to expectations so far though.

I really enjoyed the Lightbringer series, glad I tried it after having disliked his prior Night Angel books.

Cleisthenes · 6 Nov 2019 at 13:17

Just started Neil Gaiman's American Gods. Really enjoying the start so am hoping it's going to live up to my high expectations.

Just finished Jeffery Archer's first prison book too. Very much a diary and it didn't spur me to read on but it was short and entertaining enough.

Flaevius · 6 Nov 2019 at 13:26

Border by Kapka Kassabova.

An account of the author's return to the borderlands of her native Bulgaria to travel the region she couldn't as a child due to areas being military exclusion zones. Essentially an account of her travels within a certain region, the people she encounters, the stories they have to tell and the abuses of the Bulgarian state under Soviet control.

A third in, I am struggling with this one. It has proved quite a dull read, the writing is overly nuanced and - a pet hate - locations have been redacted to such explainers as 'the Village in the Valley', which makes it impossible to make a connection geographically. I have only ever put down one book without finishing it (Peter Frankopan's The Silk Roads) but it is solely sheer stubbornness which has kept me going here. I am no longer a prolific reader, catching an hour here an there, and I keep looking wistfully at the other shiny still-to-be-read books on the shelf, knowing this one will be another week or two.

melmac · 6 Nov 2019 at 19:19

Battle Mage by Peter Flannery. 8/10, loved it. Despite the "erm" things some of which I list in the spoilers.

Epic Good vs Evil Fantasy with Dragons, Demons and the usual unlikely hero. Despite this been typical fantasy fare I really enjoyed it. It's a long book but it kept me engaged throughout. Of course it was predictable and the ending was never in doubt. Still, the characters were strong and well written. It started very well and the first demon battles were interesting. The ending wasn't as good. When I am reading books, especially books that really get me hooked, I don't over think them and sometimes I don't really take note of the odd things or the glaring mistakes until afterwards. It was the same with this book, now that I have finished it, there are a few things that don't make sense at all. I have put these things in spoilers, even though they don't really spoil the story or anything. See below if you want to read the spoilers.

It's his first fantasy book though and I would like to see what he comes out with in future.

There are massive battles between Demon armies called the possessed and the good guys. But nobody seems to have developed siege weapons or more powerful bows.
The Demons talk stealing souls etc and the good guys cling to their faith, but, there is no mention of any deity. There seems to be hell but no heaven.
Using different languages for the calling out battle maneuvers was strange. They were in French and Greek.
Mages were useless really.
Battles between Demons and Battle Mages were very samey. They first few fights were great but then they got boring.
The characters need a bit more depth.
There needed to be more of back story and bit more world building as parts of the ending didn't make sense.

syke · 10 Nov 2019 at 11:18

Just about to finish the Bob Lee Swagger books by Stephen Hunter. I'll have to search for another series very soon!

Sgt_Pepper · 24 Nov 2019 at 18:27

Just finished Beneath a Scarlet Sky a few weeks ago. Absolutely epic true story of a Pino Lella’s heroism and bravery during WW2.

Just got All The Light We Cannot See, to start next week. About the crossing of a blind girl and a german boys paths during the war.

Are there any other books along these lines I should be looking out for. I have Read Anne Frank, but not much else in this genre.

melmac · 25 Nov 2019 at 17:45

Lord Foul's Bane: Stephen Donaldson. One of my favourite books of all time. It is the first book in the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever Trilogy. The main character is not a nice person and I can understand why many people don't like the books. But, there something about him and his fight to better himself and save the land that I find compelling reading.

GiraffePencils · 25 Nov 2019 at 20:59

melmac said:
Lord Foul's Bane: Stephen Donaldson.

That book has sat on my shelf for 4 years, having been given to my by a friend having a clear out
Worth the read then? haha

Cleisthenes · 25 Nov 2019 at 21:05

About a quarter of the way through American Gods at the moment. Really enjoying it.

I haven't watched the Amazon show but I haven't heard particularly great things. I suspect I'll give it a go once I'm done with the book though.

melmac · 25 Nov 2019 at 23:34

GiraffePencils said:
That book has sat on my shelf for 4 years, having been given to my by a friend having a clear out
Worth the read then? haha

It's worth trying. I won't ruin any of the story, but, some people can't get by an event that happens early in the book.

checjb · 26 Nov 2019 at 11:23

I loved the First Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, 'event' not withstanding. The world building and characters are very strong. It does get a bit preachy in places but I have fond memories of reading it in my teens and have re-read it twice since (a rarity for me as there are so many good books in the world).
I'm not so keen on the Second Chronicles though. They always felt like the result of a contractual obligation, rather than a story he wanted/needed to tell.

neviditelny · 6 Dec 2019 at 01:14

Sgt_Pepper said:
Just got All The Light We Cannot See, to start next week. About the crossing of a blind girl and a german boys paths during the war.

Are there any other books along these lines I should be looking out for. I have Read Anne Frank, but not much else in this genre.

I really enjoyed that book. Not a book I would typically read but the title caught my attention in the book store so I took it, and really enjoyed reading it.

Radox-0 · 22 Dec 2019 at 11:32

Currently reading the final book in the Licanius trilogy - The Light of All That Falls. Really enjoying it so far, and currently is going through on a high note. Always hesitant for last book in a trilogy as usually goes down hill, but solid writing so far, if you liked first two, will defo enjoy this.