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What are you reading?

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AuntiePam
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Joined: December 2008

Post by AuntiePam » Sat December 20th, 2008, 8:19 pm

[quote=""Kasthu""]I just started reading the behemoth novel Drood. I'm only about 20 pages in, but enjoying it so far. The voice Simmons creates for Wlikie Collins sounds exactly like something out of one of his novels.[/quote]

You have an ARC? It's not coming out in the US until February. I'm jealous.

I put The Far Pavilions back on the shelf after about 100 pages. It's entertaining, and Kaye tells a good story, but I don't like that she doesn't let me figure out anything for myself. She tells me everything.

The Black Tower by Louis Bayard arrived in the mail, and I'm enjoying it very much.

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EC2
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Post by EC2 » Sat December 20th, 2008, 8:30 pm

Picked up 2 books and chucked them before I'd reached 20 pages. Have now picked up Terry Pratchett's Reaper Man to get me over the blah's.
Les proz e les vassals
Souvent entre piez de chevals
Kar ja li coard n’I chasront

'The Brave and the valiant
Are always to be found between the hooves of horses
For never will cowards fall down there.'

Histoire de Guillaume le Mareschal

www.elizabethchadwick.com

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Divia
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Location: Always Cloudy, Central New York

Post by Divia » Sat December 20th, 2008, 9:26 pm

Victorian London's Middle class housewife / Anna's World
News, views, and reviews on books and graphic novels for young adult.
http://yabookmarks.blogspot.com/

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nona
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Posts: 1149
Joined: September 2008
Location: Oklahoma

Post by nona » Sat December 20th, 2008, 9:47 pm

finished the Love Knot by Elizabeth Chadwick, yet another great read. my heart went out to Oliver, he had alot to overcome for any man and Louis is the guy you love to hate and most girls have someone like him in their past. Catrin was an amazing woman no matter the time period, I was glad when she finally realized what an a$$ Louis was. EC, you always draw up the most intriguing characters and I find myself thinking abut them and their actions even after I finish reading the book. Heck, my husband is still ranting on about William Marshall!

As to what to read next I was thinking The Thistle and the Rose by Jean Plaidy, it's short and with the holidays fast approaching I wouldn't be able to give alot of attention to whatever I read, besides after Christmas I know I'll be book shopping :cool:

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Kasthu
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Post by Kasthu » Sat December 20th, 2008, 10:03 pm

Sheramy--I felt kind of blah about The Four Seasons, though I liked The Venetian Mask. I agree, they're a bit of a Venetian/ Pieta overload, as much as I enjoy HF set in that city.

AuntiePam: yup, it's an ARC. So far it's very good. And very, very creepy. It's not the kind of book I can read at bedtime!

gyrehead
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Post by gyrehead » Sun December 21st, 2008, 12:24 am

[quote=""Kasthu""]I just started reading the behemoth novel Drood. I'm only about 20 pages in, but enjoying it so far. The voice Simmons creates for Wlikie Collins sounds exactly like something out of one of his novels.[/quote]

I really enjoyed this more than The Terror. The latter had great atmosphere but still had not a lot going on for much of the book. This seemed to move much quicker. I can this being one of the "books" of 2009.

I did Venice recently as well. Pushed through Thomas Quinn's first two books of his Venetian series. It's not hard to read but it really was a huge let down. Instead of actual plotting, there is just insertion of characters into actual events. Problem is for me the events are just served up as simple boring info dumping. Set in a period that is almost disgustingly rich with Sforzas, della Roveres, Gonzagas, Mehmed the Conqueror etc, all of which are delivered in one-note blandness and it just is one of the more tepid and uninspirted efforts in the genre I've read in awhile. I pushed through the second one in hopes that the focus would gain a bit of depth and complexity. My bad. Fool me twice and all that.

Next up is Paul Waters' The Republic of Vengeance. The upcoming US publication of his Of Merchants and Heroes.

annis
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Post by annis » Sun December 21st, 2008, 2:28 am

I'll be interested to know what you think of the Paul Waters' novel, gyrehead, given your comprehensive knowledge of ancient history. It was one of the HF reads of the year which had the x-factor for me . Mind you- I think that you weren't that impressed with Joe Abercrombie's "First Law" series, and I really enjoyed that as well :)
I still wonder why it's necessary to have different titles for the UK and US markets

I'm currently re-reading L. Srague de Camp's "Dragon of the Ishtar Gate", a heroic epic set in the reign of Persian king Xerxes I, which involves a journey from the heart of the Persian Empire to the sources of the Nile, in pursuit of an imaginary beast. An old favourite.well worth re-visiting
Last edited by annis on Sun December 21st, 2008, 2:30 am, edited 1 time in total.

Ash
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Post by Ash » Sun December 21st, 2008, 4:23 am

Not HF but certainly contains much history: Payback: Debt and the Shadow side of Wealth by Margaret Atwood. I have been a long time fan of her fiction. This one would normally have me running to the other side of the room just based on the title (I am not a good student of economy) but a friend read it and I picked it up on his recommendation. Im glad I did. A good set of essays about our economy of debt, how it started and how its evolved.
Only a third into it so far but I'm quite enjoying it.

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Kasthu
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Post by Kasthu » Sun December 21st, 2008, 7:26 pm

Currently reading (in addition to Drood; I've decided to save it for a long plane ride that's coming up) the first in the House of Niccolo series, Niccolo Rising. It's a bit tough to get into, but I'm only 30 pages in. I'll wait to see if it picks up as I've been promised it will.

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Misfit
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Post by Misfit » Sun December 21st, 2008, 8:28 pm

[quote=""Kasthu""]Currently reading (in addition to Drood; I've decided to save it for a long plane ride that's coming up) the first in the House of Niccolo series, Niccolo Rising. It's a bit tough to get into, but I'm only 30 pages in. I'll wait to see if it picks up as I've been promised it will.[/quote]

Is this your first time reading Dunnett? I haven't read this series but she does take some getting used to.

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