What are you reading? November 2013

annis · Post by **annis** » Wed November 6th, 2013, 10:44 pm

Started reading Henry Venmore-Rowland's Sword and the Throne, set around ancient Rome in the Year of the Four Emperors period. Just can't get into it - realised too late that this is a sequel and the first book really needs to read, well, first, the writing style is rather clunky and I can't feel any empathy whatsoever for the Roman soldier "hero", who's an ambitious, unlikeable snake of a man. Might give up on this one...

Madeleine · Post by **Madeleine** » Thu November 7th, 2013, 9:41 am

Just started "Shadow of Night" by Deborah Harkness.

fljustice · Post by **fljustice** » Sun November 10th, 2013, 4:32 pm

Sorry I've been MIA for a couple of weeks. I was on vacation in Costa Rica for 10 days where WiFi was iffy. I had a great time horseback riding, hiking in the cloud forest, and zip-lining; then tripped down a long step on a sidewalk and broke my shoulder. [sigh] Back to typing one handed. The good news is that I've had lots of time for reading. Finished Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies, both of which deserved all their hype. Since I was on a Tudor streak (unusual for me) I also read the alternative history The Boleyn King which was OK, but suffered in comparison to Mantel's writing. (I know that's not fair.) Currently back to non-fiction because I hope to get back to my own writing. Reading Mornings on Horseback and finding it not up to the Edmund Morris books on Theodore Roosevelt. Good to be back!

Misfit · Post by **Misfit** » Sun November 10th, 2013, 6:25 pm

[quote=""fljustice""]Sorry I've been MIA for a couple of weeks. I was on vacation in Costa Rica for 10 days where WiFi was iffy. I had a great time horseback riding, hiking in the cloud forest, and zip-lining; then tripped down a long step on a sidewalk and broke my shoulder. [sigh] Back to typing one handed. The good news is that I've had lots of time for reading. Finished Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies, both of which deserved all their hype. Since I was on a Tudor streak (unusual for me) I also read the alternative history The Boleyn King which was OK, but suffered in comparison to Mantel's writing. (I know that's not fair.) Currently back to non-fiction because I hope to get back to my own writing. Reading Mornings on Horseback and finding it not up to the Edmund Morris books on Theodore Roosevelt. Good to be back![/quote]

Ouch! Hope you're feeling better.

Getting ready to start Danielle Steele's Thurston House. California, 1890s and early 1900s.

Lisa · Post by **Lisa** » Sun November 10th, 2013, 6:34 pm

Sorry to hear that fljustice, sounds not only painful, but probably really inconvenient and tricky to deal with if it happened on holiday. I had a similar situation last year when a friend broke her foot while we were on holiday in Cyprus ; the police at the scene made things difficult (we asked for an ambulance not police!), the hospital made things difficult, and the airline initially refused to let her on the plane home because she was an insurance liability! We did get her home though. I hope you recover soon!

I'm reading Sacred Hearts by Sarah Dunant.

kodiakblair · Post by **kodiakblair** » Sun November 10th, 2013, 7:16 pm

Started S J A Turney's Hades Gate yesterday. Book 5 in the Marius's Mules series and a great read it is too. Seems like a good guy as well, keeps his Ebook prices low as he thinks books are getting overpriced. Has a point saw one yesterday that was cheaper in Hardback on Amazon than for Kindle by almost £4.
Mind you sent someone Orwell's Books Vs Cigarettes yesterday and with cost of Beer and Smokes it's truer now than then.

Cheers K.B

EC2 · Post by **EC2** » Sun November 10th, 2013, 10:56 pm

Inceptio by Alison Morton. Enjoying it a lot. It's not historical; it's alternative modern history based on an idea that the Roman Empire survived and became Matriarchal. Sounds odd, but it's actually very good. Same sort of page as The Bourne Identity. Would make a great film.
Disclaimer: I know Alison via the HNS and RNA, but I bought the book myself months ago and I'm just now getting round to it as part of my ordinary reading habit.

Susan · Post by **Susan** » Sun November 10th, 2013, 11:10 pm

[quote=""fljustice""]Sorry I've been MIA for a couple of weeks. I was on vacation in Costa Rica for 10 days where WiFi was iffy. I had a great time horseback riding, hiking in the cloud forest, and zip-lining; then tripped down a long step on a sidewalk and broke my shoulder.[/quote]

So sorry to hear this. I can relate. I fell in Luxembourg City this past summer and badly cut my mouth. I needed two stitches outside and four stitches inside. In addition, I had a black eye, a sprained wrist, bruised knees, and I looked like I was mugged! Getting injured while on vacation is the pits! I hope you are feeling all better very soon.

MLE (Emily Cotton) · Post by **MLE (Emily Cotton)** » Mon November 11th, 2013, 4:42 am

I'm starting The Hangman's Daughter by Oliver can't-spell-his-name.

annis · Post by **annis** » Mon November 11th, 2013, 6:35 am

Posted by fljustice

I was on vacation in Costa Rica for 10 days where WiFi was iffy. I had a great time horseback riding, hiking in the cloud forest, and zip-lining; then tripped down a long step on a sidewalk and broke my shoulder. [sigh] Back to typing one handed

Ouch! Hope you're coming right, Faith Reminds me of my sister who is one of life's dare-devils - for years she's bungy-jumped, surfed, climbed mountains and ridden fast motorbikes - and has never had an accident until recently when holidaying in Thailand. While puttering along on a super slow hired scooter, she ended up in hospital in a neck-brace, with a broken tail-bone and some spectacular bruises to boot!

Currently reading Simon Scarrow's Arena for a change of pace after finishing Robert Harris' An Officer and a Spy which is truly excellent, but requires concentration as you follow Georges Picquart's attempts to untangle the network of lies surrounding the Dreyfus Affair.