What are you reading this week of June 19, 2016?

[hermetic]

Delighted to say I am finally reading Peter May's The Blackhouse. He really is a terrific writer and this book is an absolute page-turner. I also discovered something else really wonderful written by May: Hebrides. It's a photographic record of locations around the Hebridean archipelago that so inspired May's stories. I don't have the book but I highly recommend you go to this page and click on "Look inside" to see some photos of stunning beauty (IMHO).
http://amzn.to/1Xw56n1

I'm listening to Robert B. Parker's Killing The Blues, written by Michael Brandman. The prolific Parker left this earthly domain back in 2010 and his family decided to farm out his characters to other writers. Brandman was Parker's longtime friend and collaborator. Since I've not read any of Parker's books I can't really comment on any differences. But, Detective Stone reminds me a lot of Inspector Rebus so I'm finding it quite enjoyable. Plus, there's lots of witty repartee. And a kitteh!

Watching books: Killer Diller is great. It's not often I think that a movie is better than the book, but this is one case. I'm waiting for Japple to weigh in on this one, as she said she would. There are a number of things that can be said about it. I also just watched the movie The Rum Diary which was an early work of Hunter S. Thompson's. I believe I have read everything he ever wrote and I found the movie to be a very moving and respectful tribute to one of my real life heroes. And better than the book. I toast your memory, HST.

Any writers you would like to drink a toast to this week?

[TexasProgresive]

1. Started "Die Trying" by Lee Child- I think the 2nd Jack Reacher novel

Last week I read Zoe's Tale by John Scalzi. It was very good and interesting. Scalzi wrote about how it came about to write this book which retold the story of The Last Colony from the point of view of a teen aged girl. He said that trying to find an authentic voice of such a character was difficult. Several (male) friends suggested hanging out with Juvenal girls. That was rejected as just weird. He turned to his women friends including his wife who coincidentally had once been teen girls themselves and got some inspiration from his 9 year old daughter. All in all it was a good read and cleared up some omissions from the earlier book. It certainly can stand on its own.

Inside the back cover of my copy of Die Trying is a disturbing picture of Tom Cruise promoting the Jack Reacher movie. They have altered little Tommy so that he appears like the gorilla of man as Mr. Child describes him.

[Paper Roses]

3. Is 'Die Trying' your first Reacher novel?

If so, there are 19 more, all fantastic. Once I discovered the 'Reacher' books, I started to collect all of them.
Lee Child has another one coming out in September. I hit all the used bookstores in my area(plus eBay) and ended up with duplicates(and triplicates) until I found a site where all the Reacher books are listed.I now keep a list in the glove compartment of my car so that I can reference. I loan out the good books I read, donate the ones I don't like. There is a huge Jack Reacher fan club.

Tom Cruise owns the movie rights to the books but it is my opinion that he does not fit the role. Cruise is 5'6", Reacher is 6"5".
Cruise is just not Reacher........

At the moment, I'm reading South of Broad by Pat Conroy. Quite a book, a lot to make you think about the in regard to the South not so long ago. Almost done. Think I'll save this in my read again bookcase.

[TexasProgresive]

5. I know you are an uber Reacher fan.

This is my second and I believe it is Child's second Reacher novel Killing Floorbeing the first. The other one I read started out with Reacher hitchhiking with duck tape on a broken nose. He gets picked up by a car with 2 men and an obviously scare woman. I can't remember the title.

[SheilaT]

2. Almost halfway through "Seveneves" by Neal Stephenson.

Really good.

For those who don't already know about it, the set-up is that something or another (it's never determined what) causes the Moon to split apart, initially into seven large hunks, hence the title. But astronomers studying it realize pretty quickly that as the hunks collide, they will shatter into smaller and smaller pieces, and eventually will rain down on Earth destroying all life.

Eventually is only two years away.

Really, really good, although my eyes do glaze over periodically when he goes into detailed explanations of various things.

[hermetic]

4. Seveneves?

I thought that would be a Hobbit tale about evening meals.

Ah, well. I gotta a feeling we don't have much time left here on this planet. But the moon exploding is low on my list of fears. I am in the process of getting the other "Last Policeman" books so my money is on an asteroid. I sure hope there is enough time left for me to read those. I'm just making light, you know. But cripes, that gets harder all the time.

Thanks for replying. Our membership here seems to be diminishing. I know, it's a busy day for many and I wish them all a happy day. And to you, as well.

[SheilaT]

6. A Hobbit tale about evening meals!

That's priceless!

I've read The Last Policeman series. I love apocalyptic and post-apolcalyptic novels.

Seveneves is very good, as almost the entire focus of the novel is on the people already on the International Space Station and those who are sent up to join them in the hopes the human race will ultimately survive.

As for membership here, I know I don't often look at the What are you reading this week thread because almost every time I see at least one more book I want to read. I currently have 24 books on hold at my library, although most of those holds I've frozen because I'll be going out of town next week and won't be able to read as much while travelling. I also have a list of 139 books that I want to check out and read when I get a chance. I probably have 200 or so unread books in my small home.

So many books, so little time.

I should do a better job of sharing what I've read with people.

[hermetic]

12. Oh, I know

I've been buying books like crazy from thriftbooks.com as my library just doesn't have most of what everyone here seems to be enjoying. Right now I have 9 books on my bed stand and I'll most likely buy 5 more this weekend since they give me a $5 coupon for every $50 I spend.

I, too, live in a small house and the heck with dishes! More room for books in those cupboards! It really does get to be an issue after a while. But do share your thoughts. What's a few more books on the pile? It's a good thing.

[pscot]

8. I liked Seveneves better than Anathem

but I think on the whole I prefer his earlier stuff. Snowcrash is pure cyberpunk and really fast paced, and in Cryptonomicon he invents bitcoin, or something very like it, which I thought was pretty cool. The Baroque Trilogy, which is science history with a picaresque hero, is my favorite, even though I injured myself reading it...3 volumes, 12 pounds of modern lit. Probably best taken on an ereader.

[japple]

7. Thank you, hermetic, for the thread. I think I lost a whole week. Went back

to see what I posted last week and noticed that I was absent. This time of year, the time just gets away. There were so many cats/kits to transport out of the shelter this week, that I didn't get much reading done.

Right now, I am reading and enjoying Julie Orringer's book, The Invisible Bridge.

Paris, 1937. Andras Lévi, a Hungarian-Jewish architecture student, arrives from Budapest with a scholarship, a single suitcase, and a mysterious letter he promised to deliver. But when he falls into a complicated relationship with the letter's recipient, he becomes privy to a secret that will alter the course of his—and his family’s—history.

From the small Hungarian town of Konyár to the grand opera houses of Budapest and Paris, from the despair of Carpathian winter to an unimaginable life in labor camps, The Invisible Bridge tells the story of a family shattered and remade in history’s darkest hour.

Re: Killer Diller While I loved the movie AND the book, there were 2 memorable characters (and a few great scenes) that were left out of the movie that I really missed. Mattie Rigsby (the main character in Edgerton's book, Walking Across Egypt, where Wesley first appeared, and Wesley's girlfriend, Phoebe, were entirely absent. In the book, his roommate, Ben, also had a larger role and I wish Ben, as well as the aforementioned characters, had been worked into the plot of the movie. One of the final episodes in the book, where Wesley escapes from BOTA House by sliding down the drainpipe, is hysterical. The ending of the movie is what was, to me, one of the most successful and beautiful parts of the movie. The book's ending was a bit nebulous and it seemed the entire cast of characters was going on the lam, but the movie wrapped it up very nicely with the band going on tour. All in all, I liked both the book and the movie but for different reasons. The book had very strong character and plot development, while the movie had great music, humor and a great ending.

Looks like Enthusiast lost a week as well! to all and happy reading.

[hermetic]

13. Bless you, for what you do

for the kitties. I live by a feral colony and I feed and shelter as much as possible. I don't drive so I can't help in that way. But I did take in a mom and her baby a year ago and we've all been living quite happily together.

Killer Diller, the movie: I kept waiting for Phoebe to appear but in the end her absence didn't bother me since this was more about the music. Willard was great and funny. In the book he seemed more dark. Also missing was Shanita's snark. Niki has a wonderful voice. I love those hot, rocking blues. Loved the ending. It was a total feel good movie for me which is certainly not unwelcome these days.
Trivia: The license plate on the BOTA van reads 666 XES(Greek for 666)

[japple]

15. And bless you, too, for taking care of the ferals. They are so

often mistaken for wild, unapproachable creatures when members of feral colonies are often strays who are just looking for food.

Yes, Killer Diller the movie was mostly about the music, which I loved. I think Lucas Black was awesome. And the actor who played Wesley was very good, too. Shanita was a bit tame, but made up for it with that gorgeous singing. I have loved Fred Willard since the 1970s when he was on Fernwood Tonight and he was wonderful in so many movies. Such a natural actor. I never noticed the license plate!

[Number9Dream]

9. Just finished "Brimstone" by Preston / Child

FBI Special Agent Pendergast and Sergeant D'Agosta, investigate three unusual deaths—deaths that appear to be the work of the devil in return for pacts entered in with him by his victims. I found it to be a very entertaining page-turner.

I'm waiting for an inter-library loan to arrive - "The Cabinet of Curiosities" by Preston & Child.

[Number9Dream]

10. Please let us know your thoughts about the new Jesse Stone

Let us know what you thought about the Brandman version of Jesse Stone. I liked the Robert B. Parker books, but thought the Brandman / Selleck written "Jesse Stone" movies weren't very good. It seemed the basic personalities of the main characters changed post-Parker.

[hermetic]

11. I will

That was my first "Parker" book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I never saw the Selleck TV show. But now I have Night and Day, an original Parker, and I will see how different it might be and report back.

[Mz Pip]

14. Just finished Me Before You by JoJo Moyes

and have a hold on the sequel, After You.

I may read Windfallen. one of her other books while waiting for After You to come in.

[SheilaT]

16. Just finished "Any Day Now" by Terry Bisson.

It's a very odd sort of alternate history. Starts out in the early 1950's, focussing on a kid who lives in southern Indiana. The first hint this isn't an ordinary mainstream novel is a sentence noting that Hillary and a sherpa die coming down from Mt. Everest. Later on, a reference to James Dean surviving a car crash. Things go farther and farther afield, until the entire political landscape changes drastically in 1968. Most of that happens off screen. The bulk of the story simply follows our hero around. He winds up living more or less off the grid with others like him.

I am generally a large fan of alternate history, but usually such novels start with the change having already happened at some time in the past. This one is different, and what makes it interesting, is that at first there are small changes that eventually snowball into a very different country.

I don't want to say more for fear of plot spoiling. But I will say that it didn't entirely work for me.