What Are You Reading? November 2012

EvangelineH · Post by **EvangelineH** » Fri November 30th, 2012, 6:17 am

Finished the absolute fabulous The Typewriter Girl by Alison Atlee (debut!), and have Crossing the Paris by Dana Gythner, The Ambassador's Daughter by Pam Jenoff, and Babes in Tinseltown by Sheri Cobb South in the reading queue.

Madeleine · Post by **Madeleine** » Fri November 30th, 2012, 11:28 am

I've just started re-reading Charlaine Harris's "Dead Until Dark", a bit of comfort reading for the winter!

Lisa · Post by **Lisa** » Fri November 30th, 2012, 12:39 pm

I've just started Naomi Mitchison's Early in Orcadia. Looks like it will be a quick read.

fljustice · Post by **fljustice** » Fri November 30th, 2012, 6:35 pm

Finished The Song of Troy by Colleen McCullough. Very much enjoyed the book. McCullough tells the story through many voices (one per chapter) which works well given this complicated story and large cast of characters. Liked how she dealt with religion and oracles in a practical way.

This is a mass paperback edition I picked up in a used bookstore in Hamilton, New Zealand while on a biking vacation. (Browsers is a great place and open late!) Hamilton is also home to a statue of Riff Raff from Rocky Horror Picture Show fame because the author lived there for a while. They have a "Riff Raff Cam" where you can see the statue live and anyone else hanging out:

http://www.riffraffstatue.org/page/riffraff_178.php

Hubby and I texted our daughter in the US when we were there and she tuned in to see her old folks wave and blow kisses. We did not do the Time Warp--there were other people in the square.

emr · Post by **emr** » Fri November 30th, 2012, 7:06 pm

[quote=""fljustice""] They have a "Riff Raff Cam" where you can see the statue live and anyone else hanging out:

http://www.riffraffstatue.org/page/riffraff_178.php
[/quote]

...and you get to see it in the future

(it says now december 1 8 am

)

Reading The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith. Not exactly a mystery novel. Enjoying it so far.

annis · Post by **annis** » Fri November 30th, 2012, 9:36 pm

Posted by emr

Reading The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith. Not exactly a mystery novel. Enjoying it so far

Love this series- the history and culture of Botswana and the various personalties and are more important than the actual investigations- they are gently humorous and perceptive mysteries.

This series has been televised as well, and the TV series captures the spirit of McCall Smith's books really well.
Unfortunately it was decided not to carry on with it after the first season.

fljustice · Post by **fljustice** » Sat December 1st, 2012, 6:10 pm

[quote=""emr""]...and you get to see it in the future

(it says now december 1 8 am

)[/quote]

Gotta love that International Date Line. I came home from a business trip in Hong Kong and arrived in LA two hours before I left!

annis · Post by **annis** » Sat December 1st, 2012, 7:05 pm

Song of Troy is probably my McCullough favourite, Faith. Although the Masters of Rome series has obvious merit, I believe it's seriously overblown and needed the hand of a good editor to prune it.

Recovering from the disappointing Sword and Scimitar (those 5 star reviewers obviously read a different book from the one I tried to read!) by reading Bernard Cornwell's excellent 1365, set around the Battle of Poitiers and now on to the very promising Red Knight by Chris Cameron (thinly disguised as Miles Cameron). This is fantasy rather than HF and does bring to mind some elements of GRR Martin's Ice and Fire series, but I won't hold that against it. Most fantasy shares common elements, especially with Tolkien, and yep, right on cue a variant of Treebeard, gone to to the dark side, has just popped up in RK

And having mentioned editing... Bernard Cornwell's novel is one of the few I've recently read which contained no spelling or continuity errors. S&S had stuff like a man changing from being dark-haired to blond within 2 pages and I've picked up several spelling mistakes in Cameron's book just a few pages in. I get seriously grumpy about the rubbish editing which is so rife these days. It appears that we're just meant to accept it with a wry shrug, but I maintain that it's simply not good enough

Nefret · Post by **Nefret** » Sat December 1st, 2012, 9:45 pm

The Kingmaking by Helen Hollick

emr · Post by **emr** » Sat December 1st, 2012, 10:48 pm

[quote=""annis""]This series has been televised as well, and the TV series captures the spirit of McCall Smith's books really well.
Unfortunately it was decided not to carry on with it after the first season.[/quote]

Oh I didn't know there was a series. I've finished it now. Loved it. What now? What now? hm....