What Are You Reading? Lovely Feb 2018 Edition

[Nellisir]

Whatcha reading in February? I've forgotten what I finished in January, so I'll have to update someday, but I just read Jandar of Callisto, by Lin Carter. Typical sword & planet, but...worse. As is typical of Carter, TBH. I picked up that and The Black Legion of Callisto for like $2, so whatever. Have about 3 other books I can't quite finish either, so we'll see.

 

[Richards]

I'm reading a Star Trek novel I picked up for half a buck at a library book sale. It's Over a Torrent Sea by Christopher L. Bennett, one of the "Star Trek: Titan" series I'd never even heard of before. It details Captain Will Riker's adventures commanding the USS Titan. Commander Tuvok from "Voyager" is there, as is Deanna Troi (now Riker's wife), but it suffers a bit (in my opinion) by having quite a large number of crew being from races apparently made up for the series, so they don't particularly "feel" like they automatically belong in a Star Trek book. According to the appendix in the back, along with the normal humans, Vulcans, and Ferengi, there are also members of races called the Efrosians, Pahkwa-thanh, Elaysians, Chandir, Balosneeans, Arkenites, Chelons, Kazarites, Syraths, S'ti'achs, Pacifican Selkies, Choblik, Kriosians, Seleneans, Caitians, and Boslics. I don't mind a new race here and there among the crew, but when they vastly outnumber the recognizable races like Andorians and Tellarites it starts to not feel much like Star Trek to me.

In any case, the crew is checking out an all-water planet called Droplet, which allows the female Pacifican Selkie character to come to the forefront. As for all of the other new races, they've already blurred together into a confusing mass for me and I'm only 54 pages in. I don't anticipate enjoying this much, which is a shame as I have another in the series (that I picked up at the same time) waiting to be read, but at least the back cover of that one looks like it focuses on the Andorians.

Johnathan

 

[Blue]

I'm reading The Age of Fighting Sail, about the American/English navel battles during the War of 1812. As a side book I'm reading Sir Terry Pratchett's Carpe Jugulum for the first time. I've always got a soft sport for his witches.

 

[Altamont Ravenard]

Re-reading Si par une nuit d'hiver un voyageur by Italo Calvino, then off to 2 Steven Erikson (Malazan Book of the Fallen) novellas I haven't read yet, Crack'd Pot Trail and Fiends of Nightmaria.

 

[trappedslider]

As for what i'm reading I just finished up Dark State, I do think there's an issue when the book is summarizing the different timelines and says one is like ours until 7/16.

I've moved on to a trilogy of free books from kindle unlimited called The Planners by Andrew Watts. Here's the description of the first book called "War Planners"
[sblock]
A CIA operative in Shanghai transmits two earth-shattering revelations to his contacts in Langley, and then goes missing. First, the US government has been infiltrated with Chinese spies. Second, an inner circle of Chinese leaders have set in motion plans to do the unthinkable - to invade the United States of America, and start World War 3.

Lena Chou is one of the few CIA officials who know the truth. Now, in order to prepare for what will come, Lena must put together a top secret task force known as a Red Cell. This group of defense experts will create mock plans for how China might invade.

David Manning is one of the experts. After he is abruptly taken to the covert island base where the Red Cell is held, Lena presents the group with evidence of China's imminent attack. But while the experts plan for war, David discovers a dark secret.

Not everyone in the Red Cell is planning for America to win...[/sblock] If you pay attention you can see at least one spy right away, but otherwise it's a decent time killer. I'm just starting book two The War Stage.

 

[Blue]

I'm reading The Age of Fighting Sail, about the American/English navel battles during the War of 1812. As a side book I'm reading Sir Terry Pratchett's Carpe Jugulum for the first time. I've always got a soft sport for his witches.

The problem with reading anything from Sir Terry as a side book is that it quickly takes over. I finished Carpe Jugulum and started on Small Gods, even though I haven't finished The Age of Fighting Sail yet.

On deck I've got more Sir Terry, and Jacqueline Carey's Dark Currents. I picked it up on a whim while taking my kids to the bookstore to spend holiday gift cards. I've quite enjoyed her Phedre books and read two other trilogies also set in Terre D'Ange that I liked, but her Santa Olivia didn't grab me.

 

[megamania]

On the last 50 pages of the entire Dark Tower series. Been 13+ months but nearly over. Then I start A Complete History of American Comic Books by Shirrel Rhoades

 

[megamania]

Finished Dark Tower. The ending was a major let down. I've seen DMs close up out of control games better than this.

 

[HawaiiSteveO]

Obama's Wars - Bob Woodward. Looking at brimstone angel series Erin Evans up next .... Reviews seem positive.

Wish I could remember name of series I read a year or two back - really funny. It was a Brit author (I think) and had to do with gang of zany adventurers who were total idiots. The bad guy in the first book was a baby who grew up really fast, something like that ..?

 

[Richards]

I started "Fallen Gods" by Michael A. Martin, a book in the "Star Trek: Titan" series about Captain Will Riker commanding the Federation starship USS Titan. It's okay, but between this and the other book I picked up in this series, it's enough to convince me I don't need to read any more of these. I'm looking forward to finishing this up and moving on to something different.

Johnathan