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Bred Any Good Rooks Lately?

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  • BevVincentBevVincent
    Just started Never Flinch
    Just finished Tooth and Claw by Craig Johnson (Longmire)
    Now reading The City and Its Uncertain Walls by Haruki Murakami to my wife
    GNTLGNTKurbenHedda GablerFlakeNoir
  • KurbenKurben
    Reading A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters. The first in her Brother Cadfael series. A nice cozy medieval mystery (set in the 14,th century during the powerstruggle for the throne between Queen Matilda (the deceaseds kings daughter) and King Stephen (nephew to the king). However ordinary people not situated where the battles were kept doing what they usually did as in this book. I like Cadfael. Will probably read more of him.
    Hedda GablerGNTLGNTFlakeNoir
  • Hedda GablerHedda Gabler
    edited December 2024
    Aw dang. I’m reading Christmas and Other Horrors. So far, good stories but dang, what a big misstep. 

    Nick Mamatas’s story The Blessing of the Waters has a problem. Doesn’t affect the story other than it took me out of it. 

    Page 84 of paperback edition, “Gus gulped his coffee, burning his throat…” page 87, Gus takes a seat - “A wave of exhaustion overcame him. He hadn’t even had a sip of his coffee, which was now cold in its little cup on the countertop.”

    Man, I hate when that happens. But, it happens to the best. Then douchebags like me stumble on it. But, I point it out to all the writers trying to break into publishing to show that even the best of the best of the best have missteps. It happens.  Keep learning and growing. 

    Mamatas is a good, professional author and Datlow is the Holy Grail of anthology editors.  It happens so easy so hang in there if you are writing to publish and you stumble. 



    GNTLGNTFlakeNoir
  • KurbenKurben
    Has moved on to One Corpse too Many by Ellis Peters. The second in her Brother Cadfael series. Now the civil war has moved closer and the castle and town of Shrewsbury is under siege by King Stephen. For the audacity to dare to oppose him he executes (hangs) 94 of them and dumps them in a ditch. When the monks in the abbey is asked to bury them the abbot agrees and Cadfael is put in charge. He finds 95 bodies and the extra one has not been hanged but murdered elsewhere in the hope that no one would notice one extra corpse. But Cadfael Notices almost everything and is set to find justice for for the corpse and punishment for the murderer.
    Hedda GablerGNTLGNTFlakeNoir
  • Hedda GablerHedda Gabler
    That sounds good, Kurben. 
    GNTLGNTFlakeNoir
  • KurbenKurben
    Now reading The Gathering by C.J. Tudor (author of The Chalk Man) which is, so far, really good. An inventive mix of detective story and vampire story which is decidedly creepy in places and makes you wonder several times who the real monster is; is it a human or a vampire? Set in a kind of parallell universe where vampires is a threatened species that now only exists in small colonies in very secluded areas. They are, like many other endangered species, protected by law and cant be killed lawfully unless there is clear proof that they killed a human. The story is set in Alaska. Tudor has really evolved as an author since i read Chalk Man. This is way better and more original.
    GNTLGNTHedda GablerFlakeNoir
  • KurbenKurben
    Started Henry V by Dan Jones. For me Jones is one of, perhaps even the best, narrative historians out there. He has a way of making history come alive and turning the narrative into a thriller like story without dismissing facts and discussing different points of views along the way. I've read a biography of Henry before but it was heavily focused on his years as a king (he reigned for just 9 years) but Jones argues in his foreword that to truly get close to who Henry really was you must focus just as much as his life as a prince. Which i actually agree with. A persons upbringing and early influences are very important when writing a biography. Henry became king at 26 years of age 1413 and what he did as a king is obviously important but if you want to have an insight into why he did what he did the years before kingship is of equal importance. Henry V is often brought forward as the best medieval king of England but considering his short reign i think you should consider Edward III and Henry II too. They both had long, mostly succesful reigns, (50 years and 35 years). They both had a few bumps along the way which only is to be expected. Henry V never really lived long enough to reach the bumbs, His victory at Agincourt 1415 and conquest of Paris 1420 was huge accomplishments but then he died and things started to fall apart. Joan of Arc would soon appear on the stage and the battle luck would change. I just feel that the sample size is too small to definitely say the best medieval english king. I will settle for one of the top three for sure but i will not go further.
    Hedda GablerGNTLGNTFlakeNoir
  • Hedda GablerHedda Gabler
    I read 4 books in 2024. That is some sad shit. 

    I hope to do better this year.
    KurbenFlakeNoirGNTLGNT
  • KurbenKurben
    I havent kept count on how many i read... I know i read at least 8 in december, maybe 10, i'm not totally sure.
    FlakeNoirGNTLGNTHedda Gabler
  • Grant87Grant87
    Hedda Gabler said:
    I read 4 books in 2024. That is some sad shit. 

    I hope to do better this year.
    I didn't read near as many books in 2024 as I did in 2023. I'm hoping to rebound in 2025. I think it could be fun to do a big group read here on the board. If we could all decide on a book, that is  :p
    FlakeNoirnot_nadineGNTLGNTHedda GablerKurben
  • GNTLGNTGNTLGNT
    ....how about the new King, when it's released?.....for my part, since I order from CD and always run behind, could we make it at least a couple of weeks before we dive in?....
    Hedda GablerKurbenFlakeNoir
  • Hedda GablerHedda Gabler
    I think this is great idea Grant. It’ll keep me on task and I don’t care as far as what book. Whatever everyone wants is fine with me. Just hopefully one I haven’t read. 
    KurbenFlakeNoirGNTLGNT
  • KurbenKurben
    I also think the group read idea is a great one. When it comes to book i'm rather flexible. I think, like Scott, that it perhaps would be easiest to find common ground in King.
    Hedda GablerFlakeNoirGNTLGNT
  • Hedda GablerHedda Gabler
    Oh heck, King’s new book is out the end of May! Anything we can read sooner?
    FlakeNoirGNTLGNT
  • not_nadinenot_nadine
    I'm in as long as Bev is OK with this
    How about one of his stories?
    FlakeNoirKurbenGNTLGNTHedda Gabler
  • FlakeNoirFlakeNoir
    My reading has been nonexistent. (You thought 4 was bad DJ?😔)
    I would like to try and join in, perhaps peer pressure might cure my ails. 
    KurbenGNTLGNTHedda Gabler
  • KurbenKurben
    not_nadine said:
    I'm in as long as Bev is OK with this
    How about one of his stories?
    I'm with you on this, NN. I must shamefacedly admit that i havent yet read anything from our host....... Except for his excellent book on King.
    FlakeNoirnot_nadineGNTLGNTHedda Gabler
  • Grant87Grant87
    The new King book is a must! But reading something between now and then would be fun also. 

    What genre should we do? Horror, thriller, classic? I'm up for anything really.
    KurbenFlakeNoirnot_nadineGNTLGNTHedda Gabler
  • Hedda GablerHedda Gabler
    I would recommend a shorter work to get us into the groove. I anticipate King’s next one to be bigger? So we’ll be ready for that one. 

    Any recommendations? 

    How about Ina Garten’s new one? 

    😂🤣🤣. I’m kidding. 

    I suppose everyone has read Holly? 
    GNTLGNTFlakeNoir
  • not_nadinenot_nadine
    Sorry to say that i'm just not really into the Holly books


    GNTLGNTFlakeNoir
  • Hedda GablerHedda Gabler
    I’m not either but I’d read it with the group. 
    GNTLGNTFlakeNoirnot_nadine
  • FlakeNoirFlakeNoir
    Hedda Gabler said:
    I would recommend a shorter work to get us into the groove. I anticipate King’s next one to be bigger? So we’ll be ready for that one. 

    Any recommendations? 

    How about Ina Garten’s new one? 

    😂🤣🤣. I’m kidding. 

    I suppose everyone has read Holly? 
    I started reading Holly over a year ago. 😳 I REALLY have to finish this book. I'll need to start again from the beginning. It'll be my third time to do this. 🥺
    It's more a reflection on my attention span these days, rather than the story. I haven't been reading anything longer than articles or work material for some time now.😔
    Hedda GablerGNTLGNT
  • Hedda GablerHedda Gabler
    edited January 7
    FlakeNoir said:
    I would recommend a shorter work to get us into the groove. I anticipate King’s next one to be bigger? So we’ll be ready for that one. 

    Any recommendations? 

    How about Ina Garten’s new one? 

    😂🤣🤣. I’m kidding. 

    I suppose everyone has read Holly? 
    I started reading Holly over a year ago. 😳 I REALLY have to finish this book. I'll need to start again from the beginning. It'll be my third time to do this. 🥺
    It's more a reflection on my attention span these days, rather than the story. I haven't been reading anything longer than articles or work material for some time now.😔
    I haven’t finished Mr. Mercedes series let alone any additional books she’s in. Not that interested in her. 
    GNTLGNTKurbenFlakeNoir
  • not_nadinenot_nadine
    Me either but SK seems to love her
    GNTLGNTKurbenHedda GablerFlakeNoir
  • Grant87Grant87
    Big Joe Hill news today! Cover reveal and release date for his gigantic new novel, King Sorrow! Can't wait for this one!
    King Sorrow
    https://www.today.com/popculture/books/joe-hill-king-sorrow-rcna187448
    not_nadineGNTLGNTKurbenHedda GablerFlakeNoir
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