Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION The Anywhere Machine So what are you READING?

It has been a long time (near 15 years or so) since I read that book but I can only think that you are talking about them "discussing" their problem as a "group". That fell into the me having trouble visualizing the ending... being the description of the actual creature or the action leading directly to its downfall in either setting.

It really didn't disturb me all that much... I find the foot scene in Misery to be much more disturbing.
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I have Feist's Daughter of Empire / Servant of Empire / Mistress of Empire trilogy on my list of "to gets" now that I've made it through Magician. I'll probably read them within the next year or so.

I am re-reading Piers Anthony's Incarnation of Immortality series. Finishing up "On a Pale Horse" right now. I'm just planning on reading the first five.

Looks like slow reading through the holidays for the Legion World community...

Let's see... since my last post I've read three books. Stinger by Robert McCammon, Halls of Stormweather by Various, and Shadow's Witness by Paul Kemp.

Stinger is a scifi/horror type tale about an alien fugitive crashing in a sleepy, racially divided, Texas border town. The alien is of course being tracked by another alien. Now... I like McCammon and I like aliens and bounty hunters and horror too. But I thought this book worked a lot better when McCammon was focussed on the inhabitants of the town. Overall I'd give it a weak B-. Plenty of things to like in this book, but plenty more that could have been fixed... or left out all together.

Stormweather and Shadow's Witness are Forgotten Realms' novels. Stormweather is a collection of seven short stories centered around members or servants of a well to do merchant family in an important city. Each story lasts about 50 pages or so and I'd say that I enjoyed every one, but two lagged behind the others. Each member gets a follow up book and Witness was the follow up book for the butler with the mysterious past, Erevis Cale.

Not bad books, but not great either. I'd give them both a hearty B.

I'm reading "Soon I Will Be Invincible" by Austin Grossman. It's a rather literary novel about superheroes and super villains. The villain, Dr. Impossible, tells half the story, while Fatale, the cyborg superhero, tells the other half. It's quite insightful with it's observations about the mundane aspects of superhero life that the comics gloss over. And, while Fatale seems nice, the true (anti)hero is Dr. Impossible.

I'm just about finished with Eternity by Greg Bear (part of a 3 book series, I've recently read the other 2 and accidentally discovered this one in the bookstore) Pretty amazing books. Speculative fiction at it's best. Before that, I read his Forge of God and the sequel Anvil of Stars also really good stuff and either could be read independently. Before that I devoured Johnathan Lethem's fortress of Solitude I can not recommend this book enough . Next it will be Ringworld's Children. I loved the Ringworld series, re-read them a couplse time and always wished for more. I had no idea this book existed so I'm pretty excited about it. I'm going to have to get away from so much sci-fi soon and read a fiction novel or some non-fiction maybe something political.

I'm still working through the Incarnation series. On "With a Tangled Skein" right now.

But today I was flipping through my copy of "Everything You Always Wanted to KNow About Sex * *But were afraid to ask" BY David Reuben M.D. This book is a hott and a half. It was the first Sex book for the general public. It was written in 1969. It is written in a question and answer format. I want to share the entry for gay bars with you.

All homosexuals don't find their partners on the street, do they?

For the average homosexual there are not too many other alternatives. The usual heterosexual social situations just don't exist for them. Church meetings, singles groups, blind dates, family introductions, are exclusively heterosexual territory. Not even the ultimate in commercialized sex, computer dating, has found a way to cash in on homosexuals.

The one refuge for every homosexual is the gay bar. These establishments cater exclusively to a homosexual clientele and are often operated by homosexuals. They are profitable because they corner the market - no gay guy can relax in a straight joint.

The first visit to a gay bar is quite an experience. Superficially, it seems like any other cocktail lounge. Men and women sit at the bar and mingle freely at booths and tables. There is the usual background of conversation with male and female voices balancing each other. Then it slowly begins to sink in - the entire room is filled with men!

The feminine whispers, the high-pitched laughter, the soft sighs, are men's voices. The cocktail dresses, the tight black outfits, are worn by men. Even the trim, middle-aged matron entering the ladies room (one sign says "Queens") is a man.

The sexy babe in the tight miniskirt owes her womanhood to two pounds of foam padding, a pound of makeup, and a lot of wishful thinking. In the daytime "she" parks cars.

In the corner booth, a senior citizen in a Nehru outfit is sitting with three young men. They have a hard glossy look; they mean business. Old homosexuals who have lost their charm but not their money attract a swarm of male prostitutes who will put up with anything if the price is right. Sometimes an aging queen needs, and is willing to pay for, two or three of them to do what one could do twenty years ago.

At another table a woman - no, a man, sits glumly. He is a closet queen. This is his first time out in drag and he is nervous. He has spent hours putting on his makeup; every hair on his blond wig is sprayed carefully in place. His padded breasts strain against his tight silk blouse. A sinister-looking butch in tight suede pants and a studded belt swaggers over and drops into the chair opposite him.
"How about a drink, baby?"

The queen nods her acquiescence. Homosexual romance begins to blossom. A pastry-chef has just picked up a used-car salesman.

Homosexuals live in their own world, with their own substitute for woman, and even their own language.

Finished Lord of the Flies. You know the first 3/4 of the book I was not into it at all. I remember liking it much more as a teenager. So EDE was right about that. Lots of social commentary and I'm not sure I agree with it all. (though I certainly agree with some)

Started reading a Tale of Two Cities. You know I was worried about reading an old book like this. But the language isn't bad. Infact Dickens is pretty entertaining.

The thing about Lord of the Flies is that the whole pessimistic view of human nature (we're all just one step from becoming brutal savages) is the kind of thing that's sort of appealing when you're a teenager or in college, but the older I get the more it just seems kind of immature or simplistic.

Jorg, can't wait to hear what you think about "Tale of Two Cities". I loved that book when I read it (I was a teenager).

I think the next book I'll be reading when I complete the Dark Tower series is Stephen King's Salem's Lot, since I'm on a King kick. I've heard great things about it.

Salem's Lot's great, Des! Make sure you read it!

Hmmm...I've read quite a bit since my last visit to this thread. However I am not home at the moment and can't list all the books I have read without a look at my book shelf.
The last few books I've read are:
Watership Down by Richard Adams
Robot Visions by Issac Asimov
Currently reading Forest Mage by Robin Hobb
Next up is a re-read of one of my favorites, Swan Song

dedman, I hear Watership Down has lots of parallels with Lost (on purpose by the Lost writers).

I've promised myself to read more Asimov. I've only read two of his books.

By the way for people trying to read some literature classics like I've been lately...Cliffnotes.com has most of these books with chapter by chapter synopsis'. It's great because I usually read before bed time. Currently reading a book with lots of characters and details (Tale of Two Cities). I read the synopsis of the chapter I just or I am going to read next and it really enhances my understanding and enjoyment.

btw, A Tale of Two Cities has a chapter called...Five Years Later. I wonder if Giffen had a joke in there somewhere? All the Victorian style dressing?

"It was the best of time; it was the worst of times."

Since my last post I've read:

Legend By David Gemmell

Star Wars: Legacy of the Force: Fury by Aaron Allston

Star Wars: Republic Commando True Colors by Karen Traviss

Allston is a helluva Star Wars writer. Haven't read any of his other stuff, but any SW book of his has been a stand out. Characters act they way they are supposed to, plots are tight, and every once in a while he throws in a pretty good yuk.

Republic Commando... Third in Traviss' Clone commando series... I really admired her first two clone books because she was able to take 6 to 8 clones and turn them into individual characters with different, yet believable personalities. True Colors continues their stories and adds in a few more for good measure. Alas this book plods... it rehashes a lot of the moral and ethical arguments from the first two books, and then it rehashes them again, several times within the confines of this book. Then the book lacks for action too. If I want a moral play/character piece I usually don't head for the Star Wars section of my library. This book could have used some scene editing. Not a horrible read though, just kinda like trudging through mud.

Legend was a good read. Lots to like about it. Great action/fight scenes. Great descriptions and visuals. Likable, well-rounded characters with decent dialogue. A fine book indeed.

Fans of Watership Down should also check out The Plague Dogs, also by Richard Adams!

I second the Plague Dogs and also suggest Adams' "Shardick"

I just finished up the new Wild Cards novel _Inside Straight._ I liked it a lot. More than a lot of the earlier novels, to be honest.

I just finished "The Client" by John Grisham. It was the first book of his I've read (haven't even seen the movies) I actually found the book on a bench in the subway, I did like it a lot. I may even check out some of his other books. Any recommendations?

Currently, I am reading "The Dred Scott Case: Its significance in American Law and Politics". The copyright is 1978. It seems good so far (if you are into this sort of material)

Quislet, Esq. My wife has enjoyed a few Grisham books. I *think* her fave is Pelican Brief.

In the what are you WATCHING post we brought Cormac McCarthy. Anybody a fan or read any of his books? I haven't but just curious.

I read the 'The Road' by McCarthy. Sad and uplifting at the same time. I would recommend it.

I am currently reading 'Then We Came to the End' by Joshua Ferris

I've read a few of his... I can second the recommendation for The Pelican Brief, I guess; it was fine. Actually Grisham's not that great. Serviceable, but not much more than that. The best one he wrote that I read may have been The Rainmaker, which is the only one I actually own. I specifically don't recommend A Time to Kill.

rtvu2, Just read a review for Then We Came to the End...

Nick Hornby describes the novel as "The Office meets Kafka. It's Seinfeld rewritten by Donald Barthelme." Me, I was reminded by particular scenes and motifs of Donald Antrim and Don DeLillo, but so many comparisons will only obscure the fact that Ferris has concocted something truly original.

Sounds very interesting. You like it so far?

You know I never read Watership Down (actually, I may have discussed this in this thread earlier). I really would like to get to it sometime.

I also still owe Eryk giving Moby Dick a second chance

Let's see... I've recently read A Hymn Before Battle by John Ringo and Jumper by Stephen Gould.

Hymn was pretty good military sci-fi. One of Ringo's earlier books if I am not mistaken. Lots of likable characters in this book so that's always a plus. The action was pretty good too... but it's military sci-fi so don't expect any deeply moving experiences while reading it.

Jumper I liked too. Will read the sequel some day so I guess that speaks to the positive side of the story. It was really more of a coming of age story with a sci-fi twist than hard sci-fi. I like the way Gould progresses the discovery of the power within the hero. The book bogs down a little on the boat at the end, but that's only for about ten pages or so. Overall it was an entertaining ride.