What are you currently reading?

[TacomaDiver]

Started Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London. the series looks interesting..

I bough the whole series (in paperback) because it seemed fun. I read the first one, it was decent, but never got around to reading the second. Mostly my issue, not the book's. I kind of expect that my wife will enjoy them more.

[TacomaDiver]

but recently started to finally read Carlos Ruiz Zafon's The Shadow of the Wind.

This was a STRUGGLE to get through.

Not that it's a bad book, but it took me three months to read and I have no interest in the others in the series.

I don't know if it was an issue with the translation, or just the fact it was almost 500 pages, but I had a hard time reading more than a couple of pages at a time. I didn't hate it, I just don't think it's for me.

[c marvel]

Wow, it's been a while since I posted on the Currently Reading thread. I'll begin with the two books I'm readng now -- Attack of the Jazz Giants by Gregory Frost and a Dollar Double book Design for Debauchery by March Hastings/My Mother, The Madam by Warner Jackson.
Since I last posted I I finished reading The Skull Ring by Scott Nicholson, Killer's Diary by Brian Pinkerton (Excellent book), The Laughing Buddha Murders by Richard Foster, The Hardy Boys Adventures #5-Peril at Granite Peak. I wanted to see how a modern Hardy Boys book compared to their classic novels.

Cap

[brlesh]

Finished up High Moor by Graeme Reynolds the other night.

It was an OK werewolf story, though Reynolds did throw a couple twists into the ending that kind of spiked my interest in picking up the next book in the series.

After HM, I started Something in the Water & Other Stories, a Lovecraftian themed collection by Douglas Wynne.

About half way through, and enjoying it so far.

B

[brlesh]

Finished Something in the Water by Douglas Wynne.

This was the first thing I’ve read by Wynne, & found it to be a an enjoyable collection of Lovecraftian themed stories.

Then onto Survivor Song by Paul Tremblay.

Half way through, and really like this one do far.

The first half of the book (150 pages) only covers a 3 hour timeframe but the pacing of the story never waivers.

This story flies by.

At times horrific, at other times laugh out loud funny.

I can’t wait to see how the last half of book goes.

B

[RonClinton]

Finished Something in the Water by Douglas Wynne.

This was the first thing I’ve read by Wynne, & found it to be a an enjoyable collection of Lovecraftian themed stories.

Then onto Survivor Song by Paul Tremblay.

Half way through, and really like this one do far.

The first half of the book (150 pages) only covers a 3 hour timeframe but the pacing of the story never waivers.

This story flies by.

At times horrific, at other times laugh out loud funny.

I can’t wait to see how the last half of book goes.

B

Agreed, SURVIVOR SONG was terrific...very fast-paced, very immersive. Thinking back on that one makes me even more excited for his new one, THE PALLBEARER'S CLUB, due out in a month or two.

[sholloman81]

Just finished reading my Suntup AGE of Jaws. First time reading Jaws and I enjoyed it. I was very surprised by the sense of dread the author was able to create considering I could practically quote the movie verbatim. I also really enjoyed seeing the differences between the book and movie. Didn't quite realize how much had been removed or changed, perhaps for the better. While reading the book, I absolutely hated the Ellen Brody character, and poor Quint received a much more tragic death scene in my opinion. I also enjoyed the heck out of the ending of the book. Think I like it much better than the ending of the movie. Overall, glad to have finally read this book and am very glad to have the Suntup edition of my shelves.

Am now going to begin Jack Ketchum's Ladies Night. Was finally able to snag a nice hard cover copy via the Pelan sale over at Centipede Press.

[Martin]

Just finished reading my Suntup AGE of Jaws. First time reading Jaws and I enjoyed it. I was very surprised by the sense of dread the author was able to create considering I could practically quote the movie verbatim. I also really enjoyed seeing the differences between the book and movie. Didn't quite realize how much had been removed or changed, perhaps for the better. While reading the book, I absolutely hated the Ellen Brody character, and poor Quint received a poorer death scene in my opinion. I also enjoyed the heck out of the ending of the book. Think I like it much better than the ending of the movie. Overall, glad to have finally read this book and am very glad to have the Suntu edition of my shelves.

Am now going to begin Jack Ketchum's Ladies Night. Was finally able to snag a nice hard cover copy via the Pelan sale over at Centipede Press.

I completely agree with your assessments of Jaws the movie vs Jaws the book. I like them both, but they have some significant differences. The main difference revolving around Ellen Brody and how despicable of a person she is. I do not think he wife's story would have played well in the movie. I also think the book ending was related to the events surrounding the wife, so the movie ending is correct for the story being told.

[RonClinton]

To me, the book was too much an unpleasant small-town soap opera, while the film was, at heart, a monster movie. Very different, and I kind of wish they'd both had a better balance of small-town drama and monster thrills...the former more thrills and less soap, and the latter more focus on characterization and interpersonal drama. But in general, I prefer the film vastly more than the book, a book that I'm hardpressed to recommend to anyone...it's one of those works I respect for what it inspired (and my AE of the Suntup should be here today!), but as a reading experience it leaves a great deal to be desired.

[Martin]

To me, the book was too much an unpleasant small-town soap opera, while the film was, at heart, a monster movie. Very different, and I kind of wish they'd both had a better balance of small-town drama and monster thrills...the former more thrills and less soap, and the latter more focus on characterization and interpersonal drama. But in general, I prefer the film vastly more than the book, a book that I'm hardpressed to recommend to anyone...it's one of those works I respect for what it inspired (and my AE of the Suntup should be here today!), but as a reading experience it leaves a great deal to be desired.

I enjoy the novel but agree with the 'Soap opera' statement.

[brlesh]

Agreed, SURVIVOR SONG was terrific...very fast-paced, very immersive. Thinking back on that one makes me even more excited for his new one, THE PALLBEARER'S CLUB, due out in a month or two.

Finished Survivor Song & if anything, the story got better in the second half.

This is the fourth novel I’ve read by Tremblay, & three of those were winners, but I have to say that Survivor Song is probably my favorite.

Also looking forward to the Pallbearers Club later this year.

After SS, started The Madness of Dr. Caligari, an anthology edited by Joseph Pulver.

Stories about crazy people having screwed up dreams.

Didn’t make it to 100 pages.

After Caligari, started on a reread of Horns by Joe Hill.

80 pages in & probably enjoying it more than the first time I read it (10 years ago??).

B

[RonClinton]

Finished Survivor Song & if anything, the story got better in the second half.

This is the fourth novel I’ve read by Tremblay, & three of those were winners, but I have to say that Survivor Song is probably my favorite.

B

DISAPPEARANCE AT DEVIL’S ROCK is my least favorite and, for me, memorable of his novels, but even that one had a few high points…it just didn’t measure up to his others.

[brlesh]

DISAPPEARANCE AT DEVIL’S ROCK is my least favorite and, for me, memorable of his novels, but even that one had a few high points…it just didn’t measure up to his others.

I could say the exact same thing about The Cabin at the End of the World.

I didn’t hate it & it had some very impactful (& gut wrenching scenes), but for me it came down to the ending, which I thought was very anti-climatic.

The other 3 that I’ve read (SS, Head Full of Ghosts & Disappearance at Devil’s Rock) I’ve liked quite a bit.

Have both of his Sleep books in my TBR pile, just haven’t gotten to them yet.

B

[brlesh]

[QUOTE=sholloman81;n193164

Am now going to begin Jack Ketchum's Ladies Night. Was finally able to snag a nice hard cover copy via the Pelan sale over at Centipede Press.[/QUOTE]

Been awhile since I’ve read it, but I recall Ladies Night as being one of Ketchum’s lesser efforts.

Essentially his attempt to write a zombie novel without using zombies.

B

[RonClinton]

I could say the exact same thing about The Cabin at the End of the World.

I didn’t hate it & it had some very impactful (& gut wrenching scenes), but for me it came down to the ending, which I thought was very anti-climatic.

The other 3 that I’ve read (SS, Head Full of Ghosts & Disappearance at Devil’s Rock) I’ve liked quite a bit.

Have both of his Sleep books in my TBR pile, just haven’t gotten to them yet.

B

I also wasn’t as much a fan of CABIN as others, some who tout it as their favorite. I liked it more than ROCK, but not to a large degree. The inexplicable nature bothered me, but there was enough oddness and character interplay to keep me engaged and satisfied.