What are you currently reading?

[Corbie]

Yes, that's on my "soon to tackle" list!

[East New York]

Yes, that's on my "soon to tackle" list!

Which, darling? Otranto?

[NogbadTheBad]

David Baldacci - The Sixth Man

I typically don't read much, I always pick up a book or two when traveling on business or vacation. I'm quite enjoying this, typical holiday fare but nothing wrong with that.

[Blah_Blah_Woof_Woof]

Grunwald - The New New Deal

[Scott Bails]

The Davenport Prey series is my first choice, but I have read all the Kidd and Flowers novels as well... That Fuckin' Flowers makes more for a good-humored, comedy relief type of read for me, and I thought the Prey books faltered a bit when the series featured a kinder, gentler domesticated Lucas (some might say pussywhipped). I prefer my Prey books darker, as in the days when Davenport was in the throes of his depression. Nowadays, he's more of a bit player tending to his herd, rather than the main focus vigilante I came to admire. The Kidd series was similarly dour (and that's the way I like 'em) via Kidd and LuEllen's coke-fueled escapades.

I think you've completely nailed why I don't like the Davenport stuff as much anymore. I mean, I still love it, but he does seem to be emasculated, doesn't he?

Some don't care for the contrivance, but I do enjoy when Sandford's protagonists cross-pollinate the other two series.

I love the cross-pollination.

Douglas Preston and Lee Child are another two that I'm starting to dig into. I had a chance to meet and speak with Preston when he stopped in to my ASU magazine writing class for a Q&A, and he was extremely affable and forthcoming.

Haven't read Preston yet (he's also on that never-ending list), but I've read Child's first two and loved them. Not sure how I feel about Tom Cruise playing Jack Reacher, however. I'm not a Cruise hater like many, but I'm not sure I can see him in the role.

[PeterG]

has anyone tried the "44 Scotland Street" series? Gentle little character studies, easy reading time-fillers, but quite pleasant - and again, the city itself takes something of a leading role.

Now, we're talking, I've read the first 5. My favourite character was Domenica, the old bird upstairs who was very liberated and adventurous. And poor little Bertie with his mum being taken in by the schyster shrink. I only found out recently that he'd written more so those are on my to buy list.


You must also try the Corduroy Mansions series if you haven't already. In a very similar vein to Scotland Street but based in Pimlico in London.

I tried an Isabel Dalhousie and a Prof. Dr. von Igelfeld as well but they did nothing for me.

And of course the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency novels are fantastic.

[Big Ears]

I've always wanted to check Doyle out. One of these days...

That's what I thought and I wasn't disappointed when I finally read The Lost World and the collection of Sherlock Holmes short stories. The only problem with the short stories is that they link back to A Study in Scarlet, which is why I want to read the first Holmes story. The advantage is that they are very short and therefore easy to read if you are busy.

[Scott Bails]

That's what I thought and I wasn't disappointed when I finally read The Lost World and the collection of Sherlock Holmes short stories. The only problem with the short stories is that they link back to A Study in Scarlet, which is why I want to read the first Holmes story. The advantage is that they are very short and therefore easy to read if you are busy.

What is the name of the short story volume, Big Ears?

[rickmoraz]

Going through the whole Nero Wolfe series again (by Ipad), and enjoying myself immensely. I'm currently going through The Silent Speaker, I'd forgotten what a character Archie Goodwin was/is

Ed

[Scott Bails]

LOVE Nero Wolfe!!!!!

Have you ever seen the short-lived TV series with Timothy Hutton as Archie, Rick? I was pretty impressed.

[Dave the Brave]

The Thomas Pynchon was very enjoyable. I think I'm going to try Gravity's Rainbow next (The Crying of Lot 49's fairly short, so I thought I'd read it as a kind of taster), which I'm told is a very difficult read, so wish me luck

You wil need good luck.

I've tried to read that at least a dozen times and can never finish.

D t B

[rapidfirerob]

Goldmine magazine currently. Waiting for my keyboard player to finish the new Who biography.

[Big Ears]

What is the name of the short story volume, Big Ears?

It's called The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle. My copy was published by Collins Classics. I will be surprised if you don't enjoy this book.

[Scott Bails]

Cool. Thank you!

[Duncan Glenday]

Now, we're talking, I've read the first 5. My favourite character was Domenica, the old bird upstairs who was very liberated and adventurous. And poor little Bertie with his mum being taken in by the schyster shrink. I only found out recently that he'd written more so those are on my to buy list.

You must also try the Corduroy Mansions series if you haven't already. In a very similar vein to Scotland Street but based in Pimlico in London.

And of course the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency novels are fantastic.

Thanks - will check the Corduroy series.

I've also read most of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency novels - and again, since I've spent a lot of time in Botswana, they were a lot of fun.

Was Domenica the one who married a businessman in India..? I particularly like the guy with the winking, beer-drinking dog with the gold tooth. And little Bertie's pretentious bitch of a mother - I swear, I've met her!

They're great character studies.

[Corbie]

Which, darling? Otranto?

No, the Umberto Eco, "Prague Cemetery". Not sure what happened there, think I butterfingered my way into a quick reply in the wrong bit of the thread!

The Walpole i have yet to read, in fact, although it has been on the rader for a few years. Let me know what you think.

[Corbie]

Incidentally, I'm currently reading "The Mirage" by Matt Ruff. I'm enjoying it enormously. Here's the blurb.....

"11/9/2001: Christian fundamentalists hijack four jetliners. They fly two into the Tigris & Euphrates World Trade Towers in Baghdad, and a third into the Arab Defense Ministry in Riyadh. The fourth plane, believed to be bound for Mecca, is brought down by its passengers. The United Arab States declares a War on Terror. Arabian and Persian troops invade the Eastern Seaboard and establish a Green Zone in Washington, D.C. . . . Summer, 2009: Arab Homeland Security agent Mustafa al Baghdadi interrogates a captured suicide bomber. The prisoner claims that the world they are living in is a mirage—in the real world, America is a superpower, and the Arab states are just a collection of "backward third-world countries." A search of the bomber's apartment turns up a copy of The New York Times, dated September 12, 2001, that appears to support his claim. Other captured terrorists have been telling the same story. The president wants answers, but Mustafa soon discovers he's not the only interested party. The gangster Saddam Hussein is conducting his own investigation. And the head of the Senate Intelligence Committee—a war hero named Osama bin Laden—will stop at nothing to hide the truth. As Mustafa and his colleagues venture deeper into the unsettling world of terrorism, politics, and espionage, they are confronted with questions without any rational answers, and the terrifying possibility that their world is not what it seems."

[Dave the Brave]

Incidentally, I'm currently reading "The Mirage" by Matt Ruff. I'm enjoying it enormously. Here's the blurb.....

I thought you were pulling our leg for a minute till I Googled it.

I may have to check this one out.

D t B

[Corbie]

I thought you were pulling our leg for a minute till I Googled it.

I may have to check this one out.

D t B

Yeah. When I first read about the book, I did one of those little involuntary flinches, an, "ooooh, it's too soon" kind of reaction. Then, having thought about it, I bought the book. Very glad I did.

[willyswing]

Book 3 of "Game of Thrones"-excellent stuff!

[Camelogue]

True Believer
Eric Hoffer

[Scott Bails]

Finally finished Term Limits by Vince Flynn - originally mentioned way back on the first post.

Excellent debut novel. Really enjoyed it, and I'm told that the series only gets better.


Now, the big question: What to read next?

I have the next Flynn book, I have Stephen King's 11/22/63, as well as a David Baldacci, and a Harlan Coben, among a few others.

And there are a ton of great recommendations in this thread. That book Corbie mentions above sounds really cool.

As I've said so many times - so many books, so little time.

[Dan Roth]

What are you currently reading?

Progressive Ears.

[ronmellot2]

Hunter S. Thompson - Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail: 1972
Thomas Mann - Confessions of Felix Krull, Confidence Man
Robertson Davies - Fifth Business (1st book of the Deptford Trilogy)
and
Honore de Balzac - Pere Goriot

[-=RTFR666=-]

Finally finished Term Limits by Vince Flynn - originally mentioned way back on the first post.

Excellent debut novel. Really enjoyed it, and I'm told that the series only gets better.


Now, the big question: What to read next?

I have the next Flynn book, I have Stephen King's 11/22/63 As I've said so many times - so many books, so little time.

I picked up King's book at Costco when it first came out and promptly misplaced it around the house. One of those "i'll get to it" reads along with Dolores Clairborne, which I similarly misplaced...

Turns out the latest Sandford book was a Davenport title, Stolen Prey. Blew through that one this past weekend...