Bred Any Good Rooks Lately?

FlakeNoir

cat said:

We're reading some Peter Straub short stories over at the Playground and most have been hit or miss for me, and the hits, just ok. But two have really stood out to me. We aren't finished with the collection yet, if any others stand out I will be sure to mention them here. 

Pork Pie Hat 

Mr. Clubb and Mr. Cuff 

These are both really good and I recommend them!

Also reading Mine by Robert McCammon for the first time and it is really good too. This is the one kingricefan always told us had a great first chapter. I almost couldn't read it. It was very disturbing and scary and one heck of an introduction to one of the characters. 

Robert McCammon is brilliant. 

Kurben

cat said:

We're reading some Peter Straub short stories over at the Playground and most have been hit or miss for me, and the hits, just ok. But two have really stood out to me. We aren't finished with the collection yet, if any others stand out I will be sure to mention them here. 

Pork Pie Hat 

Mr. Clubb and Mr. Cuff 

These are both really good and I recommend them!

Also reading Mine by Robert McCammon for the first time and it is really good too. This is the one kingricefan always told us had a great first chapter. I almost couldn't read it. It was very disturbing and scary and one heck of an introduction to one of the characters. 

I hear you. Straub has always been a hit or miss author for me. Ghost Story is excellent, some others are good while others doesn't do it for me at all.

Marsha

cat said:

@Marsha Are you going to reread the Outlander books before the new one comes out in November? I have been thinking about it but it is a huge undertaking for just over 5 months! I have so many books I want to read and just don't know if I can get through them all, but I also feel like a refresher would be nice. 

I don't think I'll reread all of them but did reread the last one about a month ago. There was a lot I'd forgotten including that it wasn't the one I didn't like as much, and hopefully won't forget again before the new one comes out!   I'm not usually one to reread books for that very reason--so many books to read, so little time.

Diana Gabaldon lives in Scottsdale and The Poisoned Pen (a great little independent bookstore just a couple miles from my place there) is her "local" book store. They were offering flat-signed copies so I've pre-ordered copies for my older daughter who is a fan and myself. I might not get it until after release date so the next challenge will be whether I can wait or will order the ebook.

Marsha

Still making my way through Michael Koryta's books that are available as audiobooks from the library. They make my daily walk less like a grind and actually look forward to it most days. Currently listening to So Cold the River.

cat

Finished Mine by Robert McCammon today. It was a great book, start to finish. 

Am also 100 pages into a reread of Outlander. I am a glutton for punishment! 😀 But I figure, I will still read other books alongside, if I don't finish them all by the time the new book comes out in November, no biggie, will save it for when I am ready. 

Also, still doing my Harry Potter reread. Kind of stalled halfway thru book 4, but plan on getting back to it soon. 

Hedda Gabler

cat said:

Finished Mine by Robert McCammon today. It was a great book, start to finish. 

Am also 100 pages into a reread of Outlander. I am a glutton for punishment! 😀 But I figure, I will still read other books alongside, if I don't finish them all by the time the new book comes out in November, no biggie, will save it for when I am ready. 

Also, still doing my Harry Potter reread. Kind of stalled halfway thru book 4, but plan on getting back to it soon. 

All of these sound totally worthy. 

GNTLGNT

....Mine was a real grabber back when I read McCammon....

Kurben

Reading American Creation about how and why the american revolution happened the way it did and the successes and failures of the men behind. By Joseph Ellis, the wellknown specialist on that part of history

Grant87

Finished Without Remorse last night. Loved it. I can't wait to read more of the Jack Ryan novels in the near future.

Started The Handmaid's Tale today. My wife loves the Hulu series, so I already know where the story is going, but the book has been on my TBR forever. I also just got The Testaments, so I'm going to read them back to back.

Kurben

Rereading Outlander. I'm a bit in two minds about this series. The first book is great but then i feel a downward trend and i feel it has overstayed its welcome, at least for me. I think i've read the 5-6 first in the series but decided it was not worth it anymore. The more it went on the more i lacked that natural flow of the first book. I wish she would end it a start a new series, from scratch, because she can write a good tale. How many has she written now? 9? 10?

cat

Kurben said:

Rereading Outlander. I'm a bit in two minds about this series. The first book is great but then i feel a downward trend and i feel it has overstayed its welcome, at least for me. I think i've read the 5-6 first in the series but decided it was not worth it anymore. The more it went on the more i lacked that natural flow of the first book. I wish she would end it a start a new series, from scratch, because she can write a good tale. How many has she written now? 9? 10?

The new one coming out in November is book 9. I am about 40% through my reread of book 1. 🙂 

Kurben

Started The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor. Just in the beginning but i have a feeling this one has read Stephen King.....  The way he describes the friendship of the gang of boys (and one girl) has echoes of both The Body and IT. Not as good as King is the best i've ever read at describing children and youth but he certainly has picked up a few ideas.

Grant87

Kurben said:

Started The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor. Just in the beginning but i have a feeling this one has read Stephen King.....  The way he describes the friendship of the gang of boys (and one girl) has echoes of both The Body and IT. Not as good as King is the best i've ever read at describing children and youth but he certainly has picked up a few ideas.

I haven't read The Chalk Man, but I know quite a few people were turned off from it because it was so heavily influenced by King. I'm sure every horror author is influenced by King in some way, but it sounded like this book took it almost to the brink of plagiarism. I'm curious to see what you think about it, Kurben.

Marsha

Finished Tonight I Said Goodbye and halfway through Sorrow's Anthem.

BevVincent

I'm reading Koryta's forthcoming book, WHERE THEY WAIT his second as "Scott Carson." He is now publishing his straight thrillers under his own name and his supernatural thrillers as Carson.

Kurben

Finished The Chalk Man. I really would like to say that i liked this book but it would not be true. It has a lot of twists in it. King is quoted as saying "If you like my stuff you will like this". Thats not true. You easily see the similarities. A gang of friends, a story taking place in two times separated by 30 years. But while IT, for example, resonates with life because of the strong characters of the children its not the same here. Except for the narrator we never really get to know them in the deep much. As for the twists and the plot it is ok but a bit overcooked IMO. Like he puts some of them in just to say see how clever i am. If it had been better characters and less twists it would have been a better book. Still, if youre looking for someone who bends himself over backwards to keep you from guessing who the bad guy is you might like it but it wasn't my cup of tea and i left with a sense of disappointment.

Kurben

Finished Sixth Column by Heinlein. Not his best but still a good SF novel. Takes place after america is utterly defeated by the Panasians. They have crushed the army and established garrisons all over the states. 9 men, the survivors of a small topsecret military lab decides to fight on. They sit on a devastating weapon but if they use it once their location will be out in the open and they will be crushed in the next strike. What to do? You can always trust Heinlein to tell his tale well and this is no exception. Good!

Kurben

Started a reread of Watership Down by Richard Adams. One of few truly unique books. I havent read anyone even close to it. It is an epic adventure story that that is at the same time deeply human in spite of no human leads. Extremely well told. Adams would write other good books, like The Plague Dogs and Shardik and the strange story The Girl In a Swing and the rambling saga Maia but this is without a doubt his masterpiece. Its one of the very few books that can be read by everyone from 8 to 100 with enjoyment. A true masterpiece of writing.

FlakeNoir

@BevVincent is that (Home Stretch) by Graham Norton the TV host? 

FlakeNoir

It is him, I didn't realise he'd written books, I always find him entertaining in his show. What did you think of Home Stretch,  Bev?

Hedda Gabler

I love graham . He is smart and quick.  

Notaro

First time I became aware of Graham Norton was in Father Ted, and damn funny he was too....

GNTLGNT

Hedda Gabler

I read an amazing short story by a John jodzio called “The Narrows.”  It’s online and it’s good. I’m going to check out more if his stuff.  If his other short stories are as strong as this one, he needs to be talked about. 

Marsha

Finished Sorrow's Anthem and A Welcome Grave. About 1/3 through The Silent Hour.