What are you reading at the moment?

[JGittes]

Has anyone read either of Sally Rooney's two books?

They are highly regarded here in the UK. I cannot exactly understand why.

 

[stellataylor]

The Escape Artist by Kitty Thomas! If you like super kinky, super dark romance & erotica, Kitty Thomas is the best.

 

[Misshotndeep]

The Dearly Beloved by Cara Wall

 

[trysail]

"...Now, more than five hundred years after his birth, when the day of Columbus' first landfall in the New World is celebrated throughout the length and breadth of the Americas, his fame and reputation may be considered secure, despite the efforts of armchair navigators and nationalist maniacs to denigrate him. A glance at a map of the Caribbean may remind you of what he accomplished: discovery of the Bahamas, Cuba, Hispaniola on the First Voyage; discovery of the Lesser Antilles, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and the south coast of Cuba on his Second, as well as founding a permanent European colony; discovery of Trinidad and the Spanish Main, on his Third; and on the Fourth Voyage, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, and Columbia. No navigator in history, not even Magellan, discovered so much territory hitherto unknown to Europeans. None other so effectively translated his north-south experience under the Portuguese flag to the first east-west voyage, across the Atlantic. None other started so many things from which stem the history of the United States, of Canada, and a score of American republics.

And do not forget that sailing west to the Orient was his idea, pursued relentlessly for six years before he had the means to try it..."​

-Samuel Eliot Morison.
The European Discovery of America: The Southern Voyages 1492-1616
New York, NY 1974.​

​

I've read Morison's accounts of the European discovery, exploration and exploitation of the Americas several times before. As I embark on another sail in the Caribees, I thought to re-aquaint myself with Cristobal Colon's (Columbus') four voyages to and through the region.

Say what you will about Columbus, there's no denying that he was an extraordinary sailor. The idea of sailing off into the completely unknown through uncharted, reef-strewn waters is mind-boggling. The man undertook a calculated high risk enterprise and succeeded.

There were no second chances for seamanship, navigation or piloting errors. It was a very simple and stark case: you wreck the ship— you die. ​

​

​

 

[ElectricBlue]

Philip Pullman's The Book of Dust (The Secret Commonwealth)

I'm not sure about it, although the second volume is better than the first. It's several notches below His Dark Materials, I think.

 

[Candy_Kane54]

Wearing the Cape - Repercussions by Marion G. Harmon

This is the eighth book in the series.

 

[Bramblethorn]

Stjepan Šejić - Harleen

Been a long time since I bought a superhero comic, but Šejić rarely disappoints. I probably would've gotten more out of this if I was more invested in the DC comic universe - as it is, a good "descent into madness" piece, and as always his art complements his writing.

 

[PrevertOne]

Harry Turtledove

Currently reading his Worldwar / Colonization alt history series. I'm on the fourth book, Striking The Balance. Then I'm revisiting his Southern Victory series (one of my favorites). After that I'm finishing up reading the Jack Reacher novels by Lee Child. Also I'm trying to catch up on my comic books.

 

[ChloeTzang]

An Import of Intrigue by Marshall Ryan Maresca
Lady Henterman’s Wardrobe by the same guy

Just came across his Maradaine Constabulary series and working my way thru them.

 

[SimonDoom]

I've started reading a mystery novel by Elizabeth George, which is surprisingly good, and I've also been reading a book she wrote on how to write called "Write Away." It's one of the better books of its type, with useful citations to and discussion of passages from the works of other writers. She's an insightful critic, and her own writing style is a good model to learn from. She's skillful at navigating point of view.

 

[NotWise]

Lulu in Hollywood, the autobiography of Louise Brooks.

 

[ElectricBlue]

He would be a smothering cloak, a velvet petal.

Just Kids, Patti Smith's memoir of her time with Robert Mapplethorpe.

Told with an eloquent simplicity of language, she captures an era and the early struggles of people who know they are artists but can't scream it to the world yet.

Her few pages about Mapplethorpe's death from AIDS are very moving, very powerful - an elegy for her beautiful boy.

 

[BillandKate]

Rereading Steve Martin's "The Pleasure of My Company", just finished "The Presidents of War" (historical). Keeping with my pattern, one history, one classic, one for fun.

 

[KeithD]

Louise Penny, Kingdom of the Blind

and

Con Lehane, Murder in the Manuscript Room

Just finished Liz Mundy, Code Girls

 

[litfan10]

Stjepan Šejić - Harleen

Been a long time since I bought a superhero comic, but Šejić rarely disappoints. I probably would've gotten more out of this if I was more invested in the DC comic universe - as it is, a good "descent into madness" piece, and as always his art complements his writing.

I am a huge Sejic fan. Sunstone is one of the best graphic novels to come around in a long time. I completely agree with you on your thoughts on Harleen.

 

[Bramblethorn]

I am a huge Sejic fan. Sunstone is one of the best graphic novels to come around in a long time. I completely agree with you on your thoughts on Harleen.

I'm excited for his new project, "Small Print".

 

[litfan10]

I'm excited for his new project, "Small Print".

"Small Print" or "Fine Print"? The story with the succubus? That looks great!

 

[Bramblethorn]

"Small Print" or "Fine Print"? The story with the succubus? That looks great!

whoops, missed this - yes, "Fine Print". I've seen the first couple of pages via Patreon and they look promising.

 

[SimonDoom]

Just started Neal Stephenson's Anathem. As in, three pages into it. I imagine, as with most Stephenson books, it will take a little while to engage me completely, and then I'll be hooked.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Just started Neal Stephenson's Anathem. As in, three pages into it. I imagine, as with most Stephenson books, it will take a little while to engage me completely, and then I'll be hooked.

That'll be 973 words then?

I do like your slow starts - how's the latest going?

 

[litfan10]

Reading Tamsyn Muir's Gideon the Ninth. A very unique and fairly wild ride.

As the cover blurb states: "Lesbian necromancers explore a haunted gothic palace in space."

 

[Bramblethorn]

Reading Tamsyn Muir's Gideon the Ninth. A very unique and fairly wild ride.

As the cover blurb states: "Lesbian necromancers explore a haunted gothic palace in space."

Loved that one. I'll be interested to see where the sequel goes.

 

[litfan10]

Loved that one. I'll be interested to see where the sequel goes.

That's one of the things I really like about Gideon the Ninth- I'm never quite sure where it's going next.

I'm thrilled Harrow the Ninth is coming out soon. Martin and Rothfuss have made me so leery of reading multiple part books until they are all available.

I really, really loved Kel Kade's Fate of the Fallen. One of the best books I read last year and am hoping the second book doesn't take too long. She was pretty quick releasing subsequent books in the King's Dark Tidings series.

 

[MetaBob]

Lucifer's Hammer - Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle
The Postman - David Brin (just the original novella)
Into The Wild - Jon Krakauer
Where the Bluebird Sings to the Lemonade Springs - Wallace Stegner

All re-reads, and all for a current writing project.

 

[ChloeTzang]

Sprig Muslin by Georgette Heyer