What is it, is it any good, are there any books which have particularly grabbed or disappointed you, and is there anything else you want to volunteer about your reading habits?

I had great fun catching up on three of John Scalzi's stand-alone science fiction novels. All of them have danger, villains, and suspense along with generous dollops of humor and compassion.

Fuzzy Nation is an adaptation of H. Beam Piper's Little Fuzzy, in which humans are deciding whether little critters found on a planet are sentient or not. I liked the original, but really like the way Scalzi updated it without destroying the essence of the story.

The Kaiju Preservation Society is an ultra-secret government group who has discovered a parallel earth in which everything is deadly to humans. We learn about the ecosystem and the monsters who inhabit it through a new recruit.

The Android's Dream deals with sheep, especially a breed that is very important to members of an alien race with which humans have diplomatic connections. The plot twists and turns as the government attempts to prevent a war by producing one of these sheep for a special ceremony. Meanwhile another group tries to thwart their attempts.

For a change of pace, I'm reading The Shrine, the newest mystery in Lesley Thomson's Detective's Daughter series. Stella, the practical crime-solving cleaner, is having trouble understanding her partner Jack's obsession with trying to contact his dead mother through a medium. They've had words about it, so Stella decides to give herself a holiday with her DI friend Toni. This is where I am after the first 50-some pages. I'm sure there will be at least one crime to solve, so I'll get further into it over the weekend.

In the meantime, I've continued to cull books to donate to friends or Goodwill, and I've spent the past few days shifting my collection around to accommodate a bunch of new ones I couldn't resist. I've been eyeing a new bookcase I like but am resisting the temptation until I see if those I have will be enough. I have to remind myself that it's not hoarding if it's books, unless they start falling on my head!

Hah! I just had a whole office built specifically to hold more books and the shelves are already full! I'm now trying to work out where I can put another bookcase.

We are trying hard to declutter on all fronts with limited success, but we do now read almost exclusively on kindle, and we have just treated ourselves to non-resident membership of the Salt Lake City library to expand our horizons.

That said, one of my daughters recently gave me Do You Dream Of Terra Two? by Temi Oh which I am enjoying more than I expected.

Otherwise currently I am bingeing on Robert Jackson Bennett, but a return to Scalzi will be my next stop and I like the sound of the Shrine, Lady K.

Still on the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.

It's a substantial amount of history, Fogfighter! I hope you're still enjoying it.

Lex,
I found I lost the plot a couple of times in The Shrine, mainly because of a bunch of unplanned real life interruptions. After going back and reading a couple of chapters, everything fell into place, so it wasn't Thomson's fault but my own lack of concentration that led to confusion.

While waiting for the arrival of Bennett's new Ana and Din mystery, I'm reading The Artist and the Feast by Lucy Steeds. In the first page and a third of this novel a woman is standing in front of a painting in a museum. In that short amount of time, the author provides a massive hook regarding the past that this reader couldn't resist. I will continue reading, not just because the writing is good, but because I want to know why.

i'm just starting Three Shattered Souls which is an assassin fantasy.

That's amazing! I must give volume one a try - not sure when, but I will.

Re-reading The Epic of Gilgamesh (or really, a notated translation), haven't read it since University where it was required reading for a course. Came across a musical historian of sorts, Peter Pringle on YouTube who composed a beautiful version of Gilgamesh's Lament for Enkidu using instruments that are reasonably close to what may have been used during the time period. It's quite touching. Inspired me to pick the book up, again.

Gilgamesh Lament for Enkidu

Epic of Gilgamesh was one of my aunt's favorite books and she often told me it was a must-read. Interesting you should post about it, TM.

Thanks for the link Trail_Mystc.

Wow, the lament is so powerful, Trail! Thank you for sharing.

The Artist and the Feast was very good. It takes place in post WW I Provence. Joseph, a journalist from England goes there to try to interview the celebrated but reclusive artist Tartuffe. After a rocky start, smoothed over by Tartuffe's niece, Ette, who is his housekeeper, cook, and all-purpose person, Joseph settles in with the household. Both of the young people have secrets they are protecting, but they gradually open up to each other. It has a powerful climax and a satisfying ending.

I also read We Burned So Bright by T. J. Klune, a short but moving end-of-the-world story. Husbands Don and Rodney, who have been together for 40 years, leave their home in Maine and head to Washington State to take care of something they've been meaning to do for several years. They're not sure they'll have enough time, but they have to try. Along the way, they meet people dealing with their upcoming destruction in very different ways. I read this one in a day, and it really touched me.

I've just started The Picture of Dorian Gray and am impressed with Oscar Wilde's writing. I know the basics of the story but not how it all came about nor how it ends.

I too was struck by Oscar Wilde's writing in Dorian Gray, LadyK. At one point I thought to myself that if he had the same kind of ruminations in life as he did in art (the book), he must surely have driven himself crazy.

That is...amazing. Stunning.


I've subscribed to his YouTube channel. Also sending the link to my mother, who is an ancient history buff. She will LOVE this.

Sounds like a more erudite/intellectual direction which I should perhaps explore: thank you!

Not quite so erudite, but I am continuing to make my way through the books that make up Stephen King’s The Dark Tower.
I am currently in book four and it continues to engage. I have read other books in between but on completion of each earlier novel I have looked forward to coming back.
The bulk of this part to date is a story in retrospect, not taking us forward but telling us more about our main character. You could argue it’s unnecessary, but it is hugely entertaining in any event.
And there are still 250 pages to go, so anything could happen 😊

I've beeen on a reading break waiting for something really good to end my wait.

I'm reading Depraved Heart by Patricia Cornwell. I think it's #23 in the Kay Scarpetta series.

I am reading The House at the End of the World by Dean Koontz.

I have to get caught up with my Cornwell novels, Oldbroad. I think I have 3 I haven't read yet.

Is that a new Koontz, Marian? I haven't read any of his for quite a while.

I finished The Picture of Dorian Gray. I can see why it set Victorian England all atwitter. A lot of the furnishings, food, household items, and clothing described by Dorian or his friend Lord Henry were new to me and bogged me down a bit, but I liked the gothic feeling of the story and especially the way it ended.

I'm now reading What Lies Beyond the Veil, Book 1 in the Of Flesh and Bone series by Harper L. Woods. It's about a repressive human society that has a magic veil between them and the Fae, who used to rule them. The Mist Guards keep everyone from straying too close to the veil because bad things will happen if it fails.

The main character is Estrella, a poor young woman whose father was sacrificed as appeasement to the gods. She has the unwanted attention of Lord Byron, a ruthless ruler only interested in gaining more power. She is supposed to become part of his plot to do so. She would rather die.

The House at the End of the World was first released in 2023, LadyK.

I'm still reading the Honor Harrington series and I think I'm enjoying it more this time around. It's been 30 years since I originally started reading it when the books first came out. Good military science fiction. Plus tree cats.

Marian,
I haven't read that Koontz novel yet. Thanks for mentioning it.

Hagatha,
I have a couple of Weber's books, but I don't think either are from the Honor Harrington series. Her name is familiar to me, so I'll have to check my database.

I finished What Lies Beyond the Veil and What Hunts Inside the Shadows, the first two books in the Of Flesh and Bone fantasy series by Harper L. Woods. I've enjoyed the stories, despite some predictable parts, and will continue the series. However, potential readers should note that these are definitely steamy toe-curling romantasies.

Last night I nibbled a bit of Robert Jackson Bennett's new Ana and Din mystery, A Trade of Blood. It's time to go gobble up some more of it!

I'm just starting Guess Again by Charlie Donlea.

A Trade of Blood was excellent, and I'm now well into a lighter fun fantasy, Adversary to the Villain, the 4th book in the Villain series by Hannah Nicole Maehrer.

LadyK, I finished The House at the End of the World, and I quite enjoyed it. It was a nice mix of thriller, suspense, horror, and sci-fi.

I know that one of the criticisms of Koontz is that he has a tendency to recycle plots and character types, and while that can certainly be true, I still find most of his books to be good, relaxing reads. And I almost always come across words in every book that I have never heard before, which doesn't happen very often in other books that I read.

I'm looking for a good mystery. Any suggestions?

Adversary to the Villain was a quick but enjoyable read, and there will (better) be a sequel. I just started The House at the End of the World and am already hooked.

What kind of mysteries do you like, SQF?

LadyKestrel,

I love twists and turns. Anything that goes somewhere I didn't expect. Something like And Then There Were None.

Ruth Ware's stand-alone mystery/thrillers are very good. The most recent one of hers I read is The Woman in Cabin 10. I have yet to read The IT Girl, but Zero Days and One by One were definite page turners.

An older one with twists is Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane.

Thank you very much LadyKestrel. I'm off to Amazon to read some sample chapters. again LadyK.

You're very welcome! I hope you find something you like.

This really is the friendliest site on the entire web.

I just finished Dean Koontz's The House at the End of the World. It was very suspenseful!

The Agatha Christie books are awesome who-done-its

I went with First Lie Wins. Thanks for the suggestions everyone.

That sounds like a good one, SQF. Let us know what you think of it.

I am glad you liked it, LadyK.

I am now reading The Servants of Twilight by Dean Koontz, originally published under one of his pseudonyms (Leigh Nichols). This one so far is very suspenseful as well.

I really enjoyed The Divide trilogy by J.S. Dewes (described somewhere as The Expanse meets the Night's Watch from Game of Thrones) and just began reading her standalone novel Rubicon. So far so very good (who doesn't like resurrection and killer robots!)

Sounds like something I should put on my list, flotsam!

I have just detoured away from my usual fare to read What We Can Know by Ian McEwan, a sort of literary shaggy dog story worth a look for some of you: I was entertained but not gripped, but then I am an unashamed philistine!😁

I read What We Can Know last year, Lex, and my reaction was similar to yours. The premise that we can't truly know the personal lives of those who lived generations before us is a good one, but it dragged in spots. I enjoyed it, but it went into my give-away pile when I finished it.

Sounds like I should checkout out some of the books by Koontz's. I love how Amazon lets you read sample chapters.

I haven't read any new Koontz books but I loved all of the really earlier ones.

Can anyone suggest what they think would be good for a first Koontz read?

It has been so long since I read any of his books but if you don't mind browsing through some of them, visit this page and browse down to "novels" and go from around 1985 - 2000 and look at some of the descriptions. Maybe that will help you out. Of course, I'm sure somebody will come along with suggestions.

https://www.fantasticfiction.com/k/dean-r-koontz/

I just finished a mystery called Kill Your Darlings by Peter Swanson. The story begins with a death and then progresses backwards in the lives of the people involved. The ending has a nice twist and some of the revelations that come to light are surprising as the chapters go back in time. However, I just didn't like the characters very much, so this one is also going in my give-away box.

Regarding Koontz's books, the Odd Thomas series is one of my favorites, and I also liked the Jane Hawk books, starting with The Silent Corner.

SQF, there are many Koontz books that I have enjoyed but I will mention just a few here:

Intensity (nail-biting thriller), Life Expectancy (suspense and humor mixed together), Sole Survivor (I found that to be a good read but it is one that doesn't often appear on Koontz best-of lists), and Watchers (perhaps the overall pick for a lot of people for their favorite book of his). I enjoyed The Husband, which has a pretty interesting premise. I was also entertained by Velocity and Relentless.

I have read the first two Jane Hawk books and enjoyed them. I haven't read Odd Thomas and its sequels yet.

Thank you oldbroad, LadyKestrel and Marian. I really appreciate your suggestions and will check them out.

Oh, also The Voice of the Night - I found it to be really creepy.

I like creepy.

I agree about the Odd Thomas stories being very good: I will have to try Jane Hawk, but have also been distracted by Matt Haig's wonderful yarns...

Currently trying what I think is an earlier tale from Robert Jackson Bennett, The Company Man

I liked the Odd Thomas series and the Frankenstein one. I actually liked every book of his that I have read, but I still think the older stand alone books were the best. These posts are making me want to re-read his books but, like with my games, I have so many unread I sort of don't want to start on re-reads. That being said, there are 4 authors books I do plan to try to re-read one of these days. Dean Koontz, John Saul, Ed McBain 87th Precinct series, and Agatha Christie.

I've finally reached a book in the Honor Harrington series where I'm skipping whole paragraphs. This must be where I left off reading the series decades ago. David Weber apparently succumbed to the same bloated writing disease that overtook Robert Jordan.

Reading reviews, the following books in thee series are better, thankfully.

Ob, I have the complete Agatha Christie Mystery Collection that I got through a Bantam Books club subscription decades ago. I believe it's about 92 volumes in all. It also includes her autobiography and one of the books she wrote under the name of Mary Westmacott. I enjoy picking one up every so often and reading/rereading them.

Marian, I'm pretty sure I have all of the Agatha Christie books also (not the autobiography) and several Mary Westmacott books.

I picked up a bunch of free Nook books that I think are described as "cozy" books. Most of them are the first in a series books. I started one yesterday called Murder at High Tide by Nora Denham. I never watched Murder She Wrote but I'm thinking it may be that type of feeling. A short light little murder mystery. So far, so good.

Wow, you also have a huge Christie collection then, ob.

I am still reading the Koontz book The Servants of Twilight.

I borrowed one of the Agatha Christie books (and shame on me) never returned it. This is why I never like to loan anything out (or borrow anything). Rather than loan a book out, I have purchased the book for the other person instead.

Wow, oldbroad, I like your style!

That said, I no longer attach any value to keeping books unless they are really old or contain illustrations: otherwise it's kindle all the way.😄

I'm quite the hoarder, Lex, and can't seem to part with anything. I do not have plans to add to my physical books though as I just don't have the room. I have sat here many a day wondering what I would take and what I would leave if the time comes that I have to do that, including thinking about the books. When I was a young girl I had a set of Peanuts/Charlie Brown books and somebody borrowed some of them. I never got them back and was very upset about it. I think that may have set me on this path. In retrospect, I really think it was done on purpose to me to just get rid of them, by one of my brothers? I don't know.

Lex, I much prefer a physical book but honestly, unless it's a full-size paperback (as opposed to a little trade paperback) or a hardcover, I can't read the type any more, even with reading glasses. So sadly, I am mostly reading on Kindle.

Oldbroad, it's hard to part with stuff sometimes. I've had to force myself to get rid of things that have memories attached but otherwise serve no purpose. And I hate clutter. It makes me feel antsy.