Chiming in so I’ll be subscribed to this thread. I’m still on Claudius the God, by Robert Graves. About a quarter of the way through. Great stuff!
Book #2 of Fleming’s Bond novels, Live and Let Die. Only halfway through and already enjoying it more than I did with his first book, Casino Royale which I thought was bland.
I re-read Alas, Babylon Sunday.
Lucifer’s Hammer is on deck for re-read.
I’m feeling a bit apocalyptic.
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon. Also started Blindness by Jose Saramago.
To the person reading Ender’s Game for work, I hope you like it. I love the Enders series by Card. I’m not a big sci-fi reader but I really loved that stuff.
What is the What by Dave Eggers, a lightly-fictionalized account by one of the Lost Boys of Sudan, and The Box by Marc Levinson, a study of how shipping containers have impacted global trade. Some good beach reading there, boy howdy.
Finished sometime last week Soon I Will be Invincible. A fun little take about being a super-hero and a super-villain. Every-other chapter was told from the Villain’s point of view with the in-between being told by a young/new super-hero.
It was fun and quirky. If you are comic fan, you will recognize most of the key players as being represented. (Batman and Superman to mention just two.) It dragged at times, but I recommend it.
Finished Seize the Night by Dean Koontz. Had an unexpected hospital stay and went to the gift shop and bought 5 authors I knew. Ended up having read at least two of those books before, but I hadn’t the time to vette them. I’m a Koontz fan, but I can’t recommend this at all. But I hate the time-travel-multi-dimension plot. That aside, I often enjoy the banter he has between his characters, but these fell short, felt forced.
For yet another take on the comics I am now in the middle of A Killing In Comics. A good friend came to visit Sunday and - knowing I read, but not knowing what - brought me this. A mystery novel set in the golden age of comic books, it is about a murder of one of the heads of the comic book houses. Again comic book fans will recognize the thinly disguised comic houses and their creation (again with the Batman and Superman.) Some of the plot reflects things I have read about here about the early days of comics.
The writing is only OK, but it is a fun and little bit different look at the mystery genre and I recommend it.
Finished. Despised.
I’m reading my way through this series as well! I just finished Diamonds are Forever, which I thought was the weakest so far. Live and Let Die is very good with a pretty suspenseful ending sequence.
Succinct. 
I finished the Richard Matheson book. It was nothing special. I did like one story…actually it was more of a poem (The Jazz Machine). I don’t care much for poetry but the rhythm and the language of this one felt good.
Khadaji, glad you’re back! I was wondering what we were going to do if we didn’t hear from you soon.
I’m not sure if you’re into this stuff, but Jerry Pournelle was just on this weeks TWiTwith Leo Laport. It was about Bill Gates mostly, but it was interesting to hear his memories of the late 70’s/early 80’s time in the tech/computer world. It’s just an audible podcast, but I thought it worth a listen.
Two thirds through Stalin’s Ghost by Martin Cruz Smith. Is good. Follows on closely from Wolves Eat Dogs, more so than any of the previous ‘Renko’ books have from the one before. I’m not sure if he’s on a contract or just on a roll. I don’t mind either way, I love this stuff.
Just started A Flag Full of Stars – I think it’s my last Don Robertson book. It begins on Election Day in 1948. So far I’ve spent time with an observant old man in a very small town in Vermont, and a philandering husband running for State Representative in Ohio. His wife pressured him to run, believing that he’ll lose, and that he’ll be so beaten down that he’ll give up his “chippies”.
I promise not to give away any more of the plot, in case SigmaGirl hasn’t read this one.
The Confusion is my daytime book. It’s too weighty to hold in bed.
Thanks . . . I haven’t!
Now reading King of the Holly Hop, 14th in the Cleveland-set Milan Jacovich mystery series by Cleveland Heights novelist Les Roberts. Nice & gritty, with Slovenian food and Rolling Rock beer.
I have this vision of him also being responsible for the secret government project that involves having fourteen year olds drive giant robots.
I will warn you that the next book in the series is a sharp downward turn to mediocrity. I’d strongly recommend stopping with just the first one.
I’m currently reading Le Guin’s Tehanu: The Last Book of Earthsea and it is pretty terrible. Of course it’s an author going back to revisit a popular series twenty years after the previous one. It’s not as shrill as Le Guin can be but it has its share of brick to the head moral spouting. Also since I read the original three books recently the shift in tone from what were essentially YA books (though the category didn’t really exist at the time they were published) to this plodding novel is striking.
My next book on my list is Stations of the Tide by Michael Swanwick which I have repeatedly been told is brilliant by multiple sources so I have high hopes for it.
I will go even farther. Find the original novella. I still think it is the better length for the story.
I just finished Black Fly Season, by Canadian writer Giles Blunt, and I enjoyed it immensely. His previous novels, Forty Words For Sorrow and The Delicate Storm were`also excellent. All take place in a small city in Ontario called Algonquin Bay.
Currently freading Michael Connelly’s The Lincoln Lawyer. It doesn’t feature the usual Harry Bosch, but is very good nonetheless.
Finished A Killing In Comics. Enjoyed it.
Take a 30s/40s style detective novel. Add to it history from the golden age of comics (thinly disguised.) Twist some of the stereotypes a little and you end up with a fun book. Comic book buffs I think you will enjoy this.
The author stresses that although it *is *inspired by true-life events, it *is *a work of fiction.
Not yet sure what is on-deck.
I’m about halfway through Knockemstiff, by Donald Ray Pollock. I’m enjoying the heck out of it. If you like Joe R. Lansdale you’ll probably dig this too.
Hey, I’m sold. I love Lansdale. 