What are you reading? Options

[Decrepit]

At 1910 this evening, 02 Jun 2022, I concluded an initial read of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus. After a bit of research, I settled on the 1818 edition, downloaded from Project Gutenberg, rather than the more often read 1838 revision.

I've seen a number of Booktubers say they consider Frankenstein the better book, but enjoy Dracula more. I too enjoy Dracula more. I'm not sure I consider Frankenstein a better novel, or even Dracula's equal. It was, however, an enjoyable read.

You might recall that I found Dracula's protagonists often either clueless, wrongheaded to a fault, or both. Frankenstein's sole protagonist shares these traits. The different, to me, is that Stoker's protagonists, despite their flaws, are at heart well-intentioned. Victor Frankenstein, on the other hand, is, in my opinion, a total piece of work. Unlike in the 1930s movie adaptations, he has next to no redeeming qualities. I find him more monstrous than his creation, who might have led a peaceful existence had he been given the chance.

I find a connection between Frankenstein and my last read; The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. As mentioned, Victor Frankenstein is thoroughly unlikable. He shares this trait with Finn's Tom Sawyer, who makes life needlessly miserable for numerous characters in the book's lengthy final section, for no other reason that it suits his fancy to do so.

Am I the only person who feels this way about (book) Victor?

This post has been edited by Decrepit: Jun 3 2022, 02:18 AM

[SubRosa]

I prefer Frankenstein to Dracula. I found that Dracula tends to drag toward the end. It is a 400 page or so book, and I think it could have been a 300 page one without losing any of the events. Stoker is just long-winded for my tastes.

That said, I agree with you on Victor. I was rooting for the Creature, at least for most of the book. I could relate to the alienation that the Creature experiences (even if not the superpowers). Victor, OTOH, is at best a dead-beat dad who abandons all of his responsibilities after bringing a life into the world. He is deeply selfish, and a giant bag of dicks.

[Decrepit]

At 0958 this morning, 09 Jun 2022, I concluded an initial read of The Great King, book 4 in Christian Cameron's The Long War. I rate the series quite highly, this installment included. It begins with the Greek's trying to form an alliance to resist expected Persian invasion, and ends with the naval engagement fought in conjunction with the famous land battle at Thermopylae. An ambassadorial excursion to Persia's capital, headed by the series' main protagonist, fills in a sizeable chunk of space in between.

Though tempted, I'll likely hold off buying book five and instead tackle a book or two in my overlong TBR pile (of both digital and paper titles).

This post has been edited by Decrepit: Jun 9 2022, 04:57 PM

[Decrepit]

At 0923 this morning, 06/10/2022, I concluded an initial read of The Babylonian Story of the Deluge as Told by Assyrian Tablets from Nineveh, by E. A. Wallis Budge (1857-1934). The man looks to have been a rather prolific author of scholarly writings on ancient civilizations. His Wikipedia entry contains a lengthy list of "selected works". This book is not among them.

My copy is a Project Gutenberg free e-book download. I noticed no original copyright/publish date. Of those dates scattered throughout the writing, the most recent that comes to mind is 1920. I suspect that some, maybe lots, of the research presented has surely been superseded.

As to the book itself, it of course centers on the 'deluge' that in later incarnations would come to be known as the story of Noah and his Ark. Here we get two different versions of the tale, along with The Epic of Gilgamesh, here spelled Gilgamish. It also chronicles the discovery and excavation of pertinent sites, discovery of the tablets, and, at book end, plates (photos) of some tablets. (These are much easier to see in the online edition than on my wee Paperwhite.)

Believe it or not, this was my first exposure, in print form, to the material presented here. (I 'am' familiar with the Noah version.) It was an enjoyable read. It sparks my interest enough to contemplate seeking out more up-to-date documentation.

[SubRosa]

That is interesting. A lot of cultures have stories about great floods, which lead some to believe they are all recounting the same event. The MonsterTalk podcast has talked about this (though I don't remember which episodes). It turns out that these different flood myths are all things that happened if not centuries, but thousands of years apart.

The reason is simple. Water. Humans literally cannot live without it. So human settlements tend to be near rivers or coasts. What places are prone to flooding? Rivers and coasts. Even in the Sahara, the most common cause of death is drowning from flash floods.

[Kane]

I finished up the first entry in the Star Wars High Republic trilogy - Light of the Jedi. It's interesting to see how much stronger and in tune with the Force the Jedi were before Plagueis and Palps started their shenanigans with the dark side. Currently waiting for a copy of installment two to be available.

[Renee]

I rarely post in this thread because most of the stuff I read is trash, or it's too popular, etc. I have an addiction to Reacher novels, for instance. Which inspired me to start a couple character stories (Vicious is one of them) but I'd never recommend Reacher here at Chorrol. I went through a Janet Evanovich phase these last two years as well. Her books are humorous, but I'd never recommend them because they're cotton fodder, mostly.

But here is one I feel is worthy of mention for this thread. Sea of Tranquility, by Emily St. John Mandel. This is a really intriguing tale, with some unexpected twists and turns. I'm so spellbound by it, I only read 5 or 10 pages at a time. Don't want to rush through it, and so on.

I also re-found my Lovecraft book, which has been missing for several years now. It's got a series of Lovecraft tales and short stories. So that'll be my summer reading: Lovecraft, and Emily St. John books. I'm going to get The Glass Hotel by Emily next, I think.

This post has been edited by Renee: Jun 14 2022, 03:38 PM

[Decrepit]

At 1824 this evening, 15 Jun 2022, I concluded an initial read of Salamis, book five in Christian Cameron's Long War series; well researched military/historical fiction set in early Classical Greece during the Ionian Revolt and an attempted Persian Conquest. Almost the entirety of the book is devoted to the lead up to and famous naval engagement at Salamis, in which the Greeks win a decisive victory over a much larger Persian fleet. It ends post battle with a personnel mission by the protagonist, followed by peaceful domestic concerns. As with the series as a whole, I rate this entry highly. Five down, one to go. I bought the final volume, Rage of Ares, not long before typing this. Don't know that it'll be the book I take up once my Paperwhite fully charges, but I'll almost certainly read it soon.

[Decrepit]

At 1536 is afternoon, 22 Jun 2022, I concluded an initial read of Rage of Ares, sixth and final book in Christian Cameron's The Long War series. This entry fictionally documents the final battles of Persia's attempted conquest of Greece during its early Classical era. As with previous entries, Cameron is a masterful storyteller, with combat depictions second to none. Here we return to land warfare, on a grand scale, unlike the preceding several volumes, which focused primarily on naval engagements. As usual, Cameron supplies interesting historical notes at the end. I continue to recommend this series to anyone who enjoys well written and researched military/historic fiction and/or has a fascination for Ancient Greece that extends beyond the Trojan War.

This post has been edited by Decrepit: Jun 23 2022, 12:26 AM

[Decrepit]

At 1428 this afternoon, 24 Jun 2022, I concluded an initial read of the fourth book in Edward Marston's The Railway Detective series; The Iron Horse. In this entry, railways play only a minor, incidental role, the title having more to do with the plot being centered around nefarious events leading up to and including Derby Day and its major horse race. Unlike at least one previous entry, here we are kept in the dark as to the guilty party until almost the very end. That said, my assumption of who the perpetrator, or at least an important accomplice, most likely was proved correct. Not normally drawn to the Detective / Crime genre, I've no idea how this book compares to its stablemates. For me it was an enjoyable, quick read.

[SubRosa]

I just finished reading Stranger Things: Rebel Robin by A. R. Capetta. I was turned on to it by its companion podcast- Rebel Robin: Surviving Hawkins. As the titles imply, it is a novel set in the Stranger Things universe, centered on the character of Robin Buckley. I really loved her in the show. She's my favorite character in the last two seasons (she does not appear until season 3). And that is what prompted me to try out the podcast, and then the book.

The book is your standard YA fare. It is a coming of age story about a teen girl in Anytown USA. Well not quite Anytown. This is Hawkins, and there are monsters afoot. The novel takes place mostly during the 1st season of the show, and there are occasional references to events from the show, like Will's disappearance. But mostly it is a separate story. It is not a horror story either. Aside from those references, there is nothing really supernatural or terrifying about it.

Like I said, it is about Robin, officially the wierdest girl at Hawkins, navigating school and home life, her dreams to get out of boring, suffocating Hawkins, and the obstacles in her path. The trials and tribulations with her friends. And under it all her grappling with the fact that she is a lesbian, and her friends constantly wanting to set her up with boys.

It all wraps up with a nice ending. Robin does not get what she wants. But she does learn to love herself, and embrace who she is at prom, while being chased by teachers and the police. Because of course. Lastly the epilogue shows her going to work at Scoops Ahoy with Steve the Hair (which is where we first meet her in the TV show).

All in all it is a fun book. It is well-written, and Robin really sings from the page. There is nothing special, or grand, or really exciting about it all. It is just a slice of ordinary life. But it was an enjoyable ride, so I recommend it.

The podcast btw, fits into the middle portion of the book. It is not a talk radio style podcast, but an audiobook style, that tells a fictional story. One thing that drew me into it is that Robin in the podcast is played by Maya Hawke, who also plays Robin in the TV show. She has a great voice, and once again, her character really comes alive. You don't really need to listen to it to enjoy or understand the book, or vice-versa. But they do go nicely together.

[Renee]

Wow I didn't know there is a Stranger Things book.

Yes, we LOVE the show too. Season 4 started up recently, but for me this is not enough. I actually went all the way back to Season 1, just so we can build toward 4. Robin is awesome. Nice to know she's got her own story as well.

In other news, I lost my Lovecraft stories collection book. Again. This'll be the third time since 2017 or so. Grrr...

[Decrepit]

At 1530 yesterday, 01 Jul 2022, I concluded an initial read of The New Achilles, book one of Christian Cameron's Commander. Unlike The Long War, this series is not told as reminiscences of an aged protagonist. Where Long War takes place during the beginnings of what is now seen as Greece's classical-period, this series documents events several hundred years later. The new Achilles, who is not the character whose point-of-view we are given, is, according to Cameron, a real-life figure who bought the Greeks several generations of freedom before their subjugation by Rome. I had trouble sustaining enthusiasm until around 30%, after which I enjoyed it quite a lot.

[Decrepit]

At 1150 today, 07/07/2022, I concluded an initial read of The Last Greek, second and final book in Christian Cameron's Commander duology. As previously mentioned, these books are set near the end of Greece's Hellenistic Period. They chronicle the exploits of an actual historic figure, Philopoemen, who is credited with buying Greece a few extra generations of independence ere their subjugation by Rome. The tale is told from the perspective of a one-time Rhodian marine turned Healer Priest who finds himself a semi reluctant military sub-commander / companion to Philopoemen. Unlike book one, The New Achilles, which took me a while to get in to, this entry captured my interest from the start and maintained it to the end. While I continue to see The Long War as Cameron's "masterpiece", there is much to like here. Recommended.

This post has been edited by Decrepit: Jul 7 2022, 06:44 PM

[Decrepit]

At 1409 today, 10 Jul 2022, I concluded an initial read of Murder on the Brighton Express, book five in Edward Marston's The Railway Detective series. After a compelling start, I began to think this would be one of the series' more blasé entries. Then, past a certain point, it morphed into some of Marston's best writing; the plot became rather complex, with several unexpected twists. I wish Marston had thrown more railway trivia into the mix, but suspect readers without my strong interest in early British steam locomotives/railways will find the amount of such trivia on display here amply sufficient.

This post has been edited by Decrepit: Jul 10 2022, 08:45 PM

[Decrepit]

At 1143 on 23 Jul 2022, I concluded an initial read of The Red Knight, book one of Miles Cameron's The Traitor Son Cycle series. This is the Cameron whose historical fiction, writing under his given name Christian, I am so taken with. Only, this is fantasy. High fantasy. More or less traditional high fantasy. As is Cameron's wont, there's a large cast of characters to keep track of. Unlike those historical fiction titles of his I've read, here the story is told from multiple perspectives, switched between at sometimes lightning speed. Some standard high fantasy tropes are encountered here, which bothers me not at all.

Do I like it? Yes. Do I recommend it? Certainly. though I think the best introduction to Cameron remains his historical fiction series The Long War, especially considering that book one, Killer of Men, can be had on Kindle for $3.99USD and book two, possibly my pick of consistently topnotch the litter, is just $1.99USD.

An aside: During a YouTube interview Cameron states that he is a fantasy reader, but rarely reads historical fiction. Why? Historical fiction tends to anger him due to inaccuracies. With fantasy he is far more forgiving.

This post has been edited by Decrepit: Jul 28 2022, 05:11 PM

[Decrepit]

At 1345 this afternoon, 02 Jun 2022, I concluded an initial read of The Silver Locomotive Mystery, book six in Edward Marston's The Railway Detective series. In this one, railways play no part whatsoever except as a means of transport for some of the book's characters. The "Silver Locomotive" is a custom-built coffeepot rather than an actual loco, though the coffeepot is modeled after one. Despite feeling shortchanged railway trivia wise, the book was enjoyable start to finish. Good plot with some unexpected turns along the way. One series stalwart, who up until now came across as rather one-dimensional and overly predicable, gained a little welcomed depth.

This was a quick read. Indications to the contrary are nothing more than my having abandoned several false starts with other titles.

This post has been edited by Decrepit: Aug 2 2022, 08:22 PM

[Decrepit]

At 1435 this afternoon, 05 Aug 2022, I concluded an initial read of “A Hangman's Daughter Tale, book 1:The Hangman's Daughter” by Oliver Pötzsch, translation by. Lee Chadeayne. I read Pötzsch's two-volume Faust retelling at the beginning of the year. It remains one of the year's best reads. Unlike Faust, this novel, while fiction, has a solid historic basis. The hangman is both an actual person and one of Pötzsch's ancestors. The plot centers around a 17th Century Bavarian town midwife accused of witchcraft, several deaths and arson. The hangman strives to prove her innocence, against the wishes of town officials who want a quick confession and burning so things can return to normal. This book grabbed my attention from the start and didn't let go until the fat lady sang. Recommended, though those new to Pötzsch might want to tackle the two Faust books first.

[Decrepit]

At 2156, 08/18/2022, I concluded at initial read of The Tiger and the Wolf, book one of Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Echoes of the Fall fantasy trilogy. It takes place in a world inhabited by tribes of humans, each tribe with an animal its members can morph into at will. Some few individuals can also morph into a special powerful “Champion” animal in addition to their tribal animal. (There are also “mute” animals, with no human counterpart. A few non morphing humans exist, but these are little mentioned in book one, and seem to consist of those whose morphing abilities are intentionally or accidentally lost . . . for now.) The book’s central figure is a girl verging on maturity who possesses not one but two animal souls, byproduct of a recent war of conquest. Little liked by the tribe/clan she grew up in, we see her find herself through a series of escapes/adventures. The supporting cast, both allies and hostiles, are well written.

Like several other recent reads, it took me a while to get into this book. Once hooked, it held my attention until the end. It is worth reading? Sure. It is top tier fantasy? We shall see.

I’m now roughly 27% into book two, The Bear and the Serpent.

This post has been edited by Decrepit: Aug 22 2022, 10:59 PM

[Decrepit]

At 1923 this evening, 26 Aug 2022, I concluded an initial read of The Bear and the Serpent, book two in Adrian Tchaikovsky's Echoes of the Fall fantasy trilogy. My recent post about book one gives a decent idea of what this series is about. In this installment, we follow two separate major plot-lines, both foreshadowed in the first book, though not its primary focus. I enjoyed this entry as much as the first. Bought book three earlier today. Will begin it within the hour.