What are you reading? Options

[Decrepit]

I'm now in the midst of an initial read of the book Cthulhu: The Mythos and Kindred Horrors, a collection of stories by Robert E. Howard, edited by David Blake. It's been in my library for ages. (The book is copyrighted 1987.) I had totally forgotten its existence until rummaging through my storage boxes for something to tide me over while waiting for The October Horse to arrive. It's something of a change of pace for me. As such, it was slow going at first. I'm now fairly comfortable with it.

One of my strongest impressions thus far is that this sort of book can't be written these days. Not as contemporary fiction. The world has changed too much since these stories first saw light of day, mostly in the early 1930s, a couple from the late 30s. Even then that world was quickly vanishing, thanks to aircraft travel, an expanding roadway network, radio, motion pictures (with sound!), telephones, electricity, and so on. (Not all those technologies were new by the 1930s, but its around then that many of them became commonplace throughout much of the civilized world.) At any rate, we nowadays don't see the world-at-large as a mysterious place full of yet to be unveiled wonders (or horrors). Well, most don't.

[SubRosa]

Which stories are in it? I am trying to think of Two-Gun Bob's Mythos tales, and the first that comes to mind is The Black Stone, which I think was his best Mythos tale. The Fire of Asshurbanipal was a good one too, and Pidgeons From Hell.

Which stories are in it? I am trying to think of Two-Gun Bob's Mythos tales, and the first that comes to mind is The Black Stone, which I think was his best Mythos tale. The Fire of Asshurbanipal was a good one too, and Pidgeons From Hell.

[Decrepit]

Which stories are in it? I am trying to think of Two-Gun Bob's Mythos tales, and the first that comes to mind is The Black Stone, which I think was his best Mythos tale. The Fire of Asshurbanipal was a good one too, and Pidgeons From Hell.

Here be the stories:

"Arkham"
"The Black Stone"
"The Fire of Asshurbanipal"
"The Thing on the Roof"
"Dig Me No Grave"
"Silence Falls on Mecca's Walls"
"The Valley of the Worm"
"The Shadow of the Beast"
"Old Garfield's Heart"
"People of the Dark"
"Worms of the Earth"
"Pigeons from Hell"
"An Open Window"

I've just begun "Dig Me No Grave". And yes, I liked "Fire of Asshurbanipal" and "Black Stone".

This post has been edited by Decrepit: Sep 21 2020, 11:23 PM

[SubRosa]

Which stories are in it? I am trying to think of Two-Gun Bob's Mythos tales, and the first that comes to mind is The Black Stone, which I think was his best Mythos tale. The Fire of Asshurbanipal was a good one too, and Pidgeons From Hell.

Here be the stories:

"Arkham"
"The Black Stone"
"The Fire of Asshurbanipal"
"The Thing on the Roof"
"Dig Me No Grave"
"Silence Falls on Mecca's Walls"
"The Valley of the Worm"
"The Shadow of the Beast"
"Old Garfield's Heart"
"People of the Dark"
"Worms of the Earth"
"Pigeons from Hell"
"An Open Window"

I've just begun "Dig Me No Grave". And yes, I liked "Fire of Asshurbanipal" and "Black Stone".

I don't remember Arkham at all. Dig Me No Grave I only barely recall, and it did not do much for me. The Valley of the Worm was a fun barbarian tale, So were People of the Earth and Worms of the Earth. The latter are kind of similar. Pigeons From Hell was a good ghost story as I recall. The others I don't know.

[Decrepit]

Terry Goodkind has passed.

@SubRosa
"Silence Falls on Mecca's Walls" turns out to be a short poem. Only its final five lines spill on to a second page. Blink and you miss it. It left so little impression on me I've already forgotten its content. Then again, I've never been a poetry/verse reader.

[Decrepit]

At 0337 this morning, 26 Sep 2020, I concluded an initial read of Cthulhu: The Mythos and Kindred Horrors, a collection of short stories (and one poem) by Robert E. Howard, edited by David Drake. While horror isn't my thing I enjoy the book, some stories more than others. Short as it is I should have finished it far sooner than I did. (My) age and the fact that, for me, it isn't a 'page turner' slowed me. Just as well. I've several books on order, the first of which 'might' arrive today.

I'm considering tackling another fairly reason purchase, Ludovico Ariostro's Orlando Furioso in the Penguin Classics edition introduced and edited by Barbara Reynolds. This will be a very hard nut for me to crack. It's a chunkster of a work, and written in verse! I've never in my life been a verse reader. Even its short appearances in certain 'modern' fantasy novels are hard for me to digest. I might well flounder here, and DNF Orlando. In hindsight, this is one work I might have been better off buying in audio format. Be that as it may, I'm going to give it a fair shot, and hope for the best.

Saturday afternoon ADDENDUM:
October Horse (Caesar & Cleopatra) has arrived. As the seller states, it's 'like-new'. Great deal for the little I paid for it in hardback.

This post has been edited by Decrepit: Sep 26 2020, 08:19 PM

[Decrepit]

At 2302 yesterday evening, 4 Oct 2020, I concluded a seventh read of Gene Wolfe's Soldier in the Mist. A most interesting book. Very character driven. Set in 'classical Greece' a generation or so after Thermopylae, it spoils little to say that its protagonist is a warrior who, due to head wound, forgets everything about midday each day. This seems a tricky premise to base a character around, fraught with peril. Wolfe pulls it off without a hitch. I'll go so far as to say that it's the book's primary attraction. The downside...being the first in a three book series it ends abruptly without any sort of closure. What's more, for me the later books add little worthwhile to the series. Well, book two in any case. I didn't buy/read book three. As of now I've no plans to. All this said, I easily recommend Soldier in the Mist for its masterful/entertaining handling of the protagonist's situation.

As of now, I plan to read a newly arrived addition to my TBR list: a Penguin Classic edition of The Saga of the Volsung, introduced, edited and translated Jesse L. Byock. I read a few pages of its intro last night and hope to dig in deeper later today.

[Decrepit]

A BookTuber I subscribe to recently took a BrandonSanderson.com test to determine which 'Knight Radiant' order (from his Stormlight Archive series) she best identifies with. A link was provided. Having read the series' first to books, and owning the third, I took the plunge. Results? First place, "Edgedancer" (70%). Second, "Truthwatcher" (63%). At bottom, Stoneward (36%) and Dustbringer (31%). Following the test we get to see definitions of the Order we most resemble. Based solely on that definition Edgedancer is a good match for me, the only discrepancy being that 'real me' is likely among the least religious-mind people alive.

A couple of questions couldn't be answered as they no longer apply to me. One is "Fencing or Boxing". Due to age and health, the idea that I can either throw a solid punch or effectively swing a sword is ludicrous. I'd harm myself rather than my opponent. Due to that, I left the slider at its default 50% position. (There is no 'neither' option.)

At any rate, it was a fun little test. I provide a link for Sanderson fans (or anyone who enjoys this sort of thing):

(link) Official Knights Radiant Order Quiz (link)

As to reading in general, I seem to have entered another slump. Understandable, as I have a lot on my plate at the moment, which makes it hard to keep focused while attempting to read.

[Decrepit]

My slump continues. Slow reader that I am, even I should have finished Saga of the Volsung by now, short as it is. Instead, I've not yet reached page sixty. Maybe now that this week's two 'events' are (hopefully) behind me things will improve, provided another doesn't rear its ugly head. We shall see.

[Decrepit]

At 0416 this morning, 14 October 2020, I concluded an initial read of The Saga of the Volsungs, a Penguin Classics translated and introduced by Jess L. Byock. The original is by an unknown thirteenth-century Icelandic author, himself drawing on established older material. This represents the Icelandic/Scandinavian version of myths/legends often better known in their Germanic variant. Siegfried, for instance, is here Sigurd, to give but one obvious example. I've read several modern takes on these legends. This is my first extended stab at their source material.

A short book by modern standards, I find it enjoyable but, for me, not a page-turner. Then again, I had a lot on my plate the entire time I read it. Any book read during this period might suffer the same fate. At any rate, a recommendation to anyone interested in these still well-known legends.

[Decrepit]

Tis a sad day for me. Just researched to get a feel for when and where our Barnes & Noble, destroyed during a tornado early this year, might reopen. I unearthed this recent (Sep 2020) email from Barnes & Noble to local news outlet:

"Barnes & Noble is very sad to announce that it is unable to reopen its store in XXXXX, which was forced to close following its destruction by a tornado in March. We have been privileged to run the store for the past 14 years and were devastated for our booksellers, and for the area, when it was hit by the tornado. We have been in discussions to re-open the bookstore, but unfortunately this has proved to be uneconomic. We are to look for alternative locations for a new bookstore in the area, with an active search to begin as soon as normal retail conditions return. We thank our customers for their years of loyalty and support, and express our sincere gratitude to our terrific booksellers who worked in the XXXXX store."

There you have it. Our area's major city, a university city with a population of over 79k, has no general purpose bookstores. (We've no used book stores either.) Not a one. Zilch. I believe there remains a couple of specialty Christian book stores, and the university of course has its own bookstore. As neither of those apply to me, I'm excrement out of luck.

This post has been edited by Decrepit: Oct 16 2020, 10:45 AM

[Decrepit]

I DNF'd the fantasy novel I attempted to read after finishing The Saga of the Volsungs. It just couldn't hold my interest. After five days I hadn't made it beyond around page 40. No great loss. I've owned the book for decades, long enough to have forgotten why it remains unread after all this time.

In its place, I'm doing a fifth read of Gene Wolfe's Soldier of Arete, followup to his Soldier of the Mist, reread not long ago.

[haute ecole rider]

This is my first time reading The Good Shepherd by C.S. Forester. Unlike his Hornblower series, this is a WWII novel, but like Hornblower it's a naval tale. I got turned into it after watching Tom Hanks in Greyhound, which was quite the nail-biter for me. Of course, I grew up on WWII movies featuring brave Allied captains battling hidden German U-Boats, so it was a bit of nostalgia for me. In high school I really got into that whole era, reading every novel I could get my hands on, even those so stuffed with testosterone there were no room for a drop of estrogen. The stories of Allied convoys sailing into the teeth of the U Boat Wolfpacks emphasized canniness, intelligence, and strategy, and the ability to out think and outsmart your rival was especially celebrate in these stories and a huge part of their appeal for me.

So, just started it this morning, and so far so good.

[Decrepit]

At 0302 this morning, 28 Oct 2020, I completed a fifth read of Gene Wolfe's Soldier of Arete, followup to Soldier of the Mist, reread earlier this year. As with previous reads I find it inferior to that earlier volume. Neither has a great ending, imo, but that's understandable and thus forgivable in book one. There is a much later written third book. I do not own it.

As to what I'll take up next I've no idea.

Wednesday Evening Addendum:
I've tentatively settled on Michael Moorcock's The Jewel in the Skull, book one of The History of the Runestaff, last read Oct 2005. I enjoy Moorcock. I don't consider many if any of his books out-and-out masterworks, but find most of them to be solid reads, entertaining and sometimes a heck of a lot of fun.

This post has been edited by Decrepit: Oct 29 2020, 02:26 AM

[Decrepit]

During my over-long absence from the internet I thought to devote much time to reading. Turns out I couldn't concentrate so did very little. Until yesterday. Then WHAM! I read the remainder of Jewell in the Skull, from roughly page 35 to the end, finishing at 1431. I then began book two, The Mad God's Amulet, finishing it at 0440 this morning! This while playing a good bit of DFU and Solitile and winding up a re-watch of a favorite TV series.

I'm now on page 34 of book three, Moorcock's The Sword of the Dawn. I suspect that with the internet back up and running my reading will resume its normal snail's pace.

I consider these old-style Sword & Sorcery Action/Adventures. Fast-paced and straight-forward. Still, as said before they're a heck of a lot of fun.

[Decrepit]

At 0440 this morning, 7 Nov 2020, I concluded a fourth read of Michael Moorcock's The Sword of the Dawn, book three of The History of the Runestaff. This is my least favorite series entry so far. Which won't stop me from continuing on with the series closer, The Runestaff.

I might have mentioned elsewhere ordering Andrzej Sapkowski's The Tower of Fools, due to arrive Friday the 13th. I purposely did not research it before ordering. That's something of a risk with a book described as Historical Fantasy. It's a very 'iffy' sub-genre for me, depending on the approach taken. We shall see.

[SubRosa]

I think I read one of the Runestaff books decades ago, because I remember the Granbretan Empire, and a giant bridge they had over the English Channel. But I cannot remember anything else. Were those the ones with Hawkmoon?

[Decrepit]

I think I read one of the Runestaff books decades ago, because I remember the Granbretan Empire, and a giant bridge they had over the English Channel. But I cannot remember anything else. Were those the ones with Hawkmoon?

<nods> Granbretan, the Channel bridge, Hawkmoon. That's in the series.

ADDENDUM:
At 1237 Sunday, 8 Nov 2020, I concluded a fourth read of Michael Moorcock's The Runstaff, last book in The History of the Runestaff. I enjoyed this volume more so than its immediate predecessor. It suffers from that book's flaws, but here they suit the story better.

Having finished the book so unexpectedly quickly I've not idea what to tackle next. Maybe more Moorcock? The Chronicles of Castle Brass? Yes, that's the ticket!

This post has been edited by Decrepit: Nov 9 2020, 10:23 PM

[Decrepit]

At 1453 this afternoon, 9 Nov 2020, I concluded a fourth read of Michael Moorcock's Count Brass, first volume of The Chronicles of Castle Brass. This is a direct follow up to The History of the Runestaff series, set some five to seven year after the end of that those early books, featuring more or less the same cast of characters. Once past a decent opening I found it a bit too same-old same-old until the closing chapters, when the story picked up again. I'll likely begin book two (of three), The Champion of Garthorm, during supper.

Short as these individual volumes are, none of the three come close to 200 pages, I might well be done with the series prior to The Tower of Fools arrival this Friday! Assuming I don't enter another reading slump.

[Decrepit]

At 1546 this afternoon, 12 Nov 2020, I finished book two of Michael Moorcock's The Chronicles of Castle Brass series: The Champion of Garathorm. I find it consistently better than book one. I plan to begin book three, The Quest for Tanelorn, during supper, despite Sapkowski's The Tower of Fools having arrived a day early.