What Are You Reading?

[It's me]

I am currently reading (as is usual for me 6 or 8 books right now). A few of them:

Somewhither by John C Wright is odd but fun.

Spellbound by Larry Coreria. Magic, steampunk, mayhem, Larry's usual fare.

And I just started the 4th Laundry Files book (The Apocalypse Codex) by Charles Stross. I think am over being weirded out by book 3, we shall find out soon enough.

I'm looking through my list of Kindle books and now realize I have something like 15 books on the go. 🙄

[Pixelated]

A bit of background: some weeks ago somebody dumped a box full of books outside a donut shop. I asked a few customers and one said the box had been sitting there for hours so ... I took them home and am reading my way through most of them (the one on science fair projects is one of the few exceptions ...)

Right now I am reading this particularly engaging but WEIRD book (for kids) titled "The Higher Power of Lucky" by Susan Patron. Lucky Trimble lives in Hard Pan, California (population 43) with her guardian, Brigitte, and her dog HMS Beagle (who isn't actually a beagle). She and Brigitte and HMS Beagle live in three trailers that have been attached together. Her idea of entertainment is listening (through a hole in the wall) to the testimonies of the members of various twelve-step programs. She carries her survival-kit backpack everywhere (I'm not sure at this point what's in it).

At one point Brigitte is in near-hysterics after opening the dryer and finding a snake inside. Lucky helps to get rid of it and is later telling her friend Lincoln about it.

Lincoln: "Mike's grandmother had one in her dryer once. It came in through the vent going to the outside of the mobile home."

Lucky: "What did she do?"

Lincoln: "Thirty minutes on normal cycle."

My first reaction was

My second reaction was "OMG I'm going to hell for laughing at that ..."

Lincoln's mother wants him to grow up to be president ... hence his full name of Lincoln Clinton Carter Kennedy.

Lincoln, however, is fascinated by knots and while he is indeed interested in being president, it's the presidency of the International Guild of Knot Tyers that he's aiming for.

Which, might I add, is a real thing.

When I picked up that boxload of discards, I figured most of the YA and kids' books would ultimately be donated.

This one is just SO weird it might be a keeper.

[Ironclad Alibi]

I have started Prelude To Foundation by Issac Asimov.

[Pixelated]

About 3/4 of the way through "The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents" by Terry Pratchett. This had been sitting around for a long time and yet somehow i'd never gotten to it until now.

I believe the person who did the cover art was David Wyatt; he's got the cat's expression down perfectly.

[Ironclad Alibi]

I am now reading The Golden Dream of Carlo Chuchio by Lloyd Alexander.

I finished The Golden Dream of Carlo Chuchio this past weekend. It reminded me of the Arabian Nights.

Being in a hotel all weekend I read several other books. First was When Marnie Was There by Joan Robinson. This book was made into an anime movie.

After that I read The Multiplex Man by James P Hogan, a science fiction novel.

And I just finished Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman.

[greek_jester]

Now I'm reading Neil Gaiman's American Gods. I started reading it a couple years ago, but when life intervened, I put it down and never finished it. I'm finally getting back to it (and starting over) now.

I always thought that was one of his better ones. I loved the world-building, and the way gods were born. As always, though, his female characters are a bit rubbish with their (lack of) motivations.

[Ghel]

I finished The Hogfather last week. Susan was an amazing character.

Now I'm reading Neil Gaiman's American Gods. I started reading it a couple years ago, but when life intervened, I put it down and never finished it. I'm finally getting back to it (and starting over) now.

[TheWolfEmperor]

Barry wrote Jennifer Government and created the NationStates game.

Great book by the way. The game was, meh.

[Jay 2K Winger]

J2KW mentions Max Barry - a while ago I saw the Minecraft book he wrote.

I think you've confused Max Barry for Max Brooks, also an author, who also wrote the Zombie Survival Guide and World War Z.

Barry wrote Jennifer Government and created the NationStates game.

[TheWolfEmperor]

I read that one with my son. I personally thought it was pretty preachy, which surprised me.

Oliver Sacks or the Minecraft book?

[greek_jester]

Just finished "An Orc at College" by Liam Lawson. Variable quality (some spelling/grammatical errors that could be the fault of whoever converted it to digital for Kindle) plus one of the main characters is a literal bunny girl (human/rabbit hybrid) who loves sex (which you discover in detail; I've lost my patience with extended sex scenes as I've got older). The "orcs in place of people of colour" metaphor with regards to racism was also somewhat heavy-handed. However I did enjoy the world building, and will be reading the sequels partly for these reasons:

1) A character and the bunny girl have a discussion about past partners, current sexual health and expectations before they get busy, even though they really want to get busy.

2) One of the semi-main characters was making out with a nameless girl at his house, and when she falls asleep he puts her in his bed and goes to sleep on the settee rather than making the assumption that he can share the bed without asking.

3) A character is involuntarily outed as trans and is not treated as a joke, but is treated with respect. They're not as developed a character as they could be, but they were on the peripheral of the first books story-line, and it is strongly implied that they may be moving to a more central role in the sequels.

[Ironclad Alibi]

I am now reading The Golden Dream of Carlo Chuchio by Lloyd Alexander.

[TheWolfEmperor]

I started reading The Trilogy of Two..

[protege]

Right now, I'm reading a well-worn copy of The Complete Official MGB, 1962-74 by Robert Bentley. Yep, I'm messing about with the car again.

[Ironclad Alibi]

I have started reading The Last Days of New Paris by China Miéville.