reading Currently Reading (non-GA)

[Wesley8890]

I'm on book three of DK Holmbergs Elemental Academy Series

[Page Scrawler]

The Gravity of Us, by Phil Stamper.

As a successful social media journalist with half a million followers, seventeen-year-old Cal is used to sharing his life online. But when his pilot father is selected for a highly publicized NASA mission to Mars, Cal and his family relocate from Brooklyn to Houston and are thrust into a media circus.

Amidst the chaos, Cal meets sensitive and mysterious Leon, another “Astrokid,” and finds himself falling head over heels—fast. As the frenzy around the mission grows, so does their connection. But when secrets about the program are uncovered, Cal must find a way to reveal the truth without hurting the people who have become most important to him.

[Hstrychsr]

Genres: Paranormal, Gay, Romance. Adventure, Mystery
Author: Jordan L. Hawk 
Series: Whyborne & Griffen (10 so far)

A victorian couple battle to save the world from ...well, just about anything you can imagine, including family members.

[Page Scrawler]

Parked, by Danielle Svetcov.

Jeanne Ann is smart, stubborn, living in an orange van, and determined to find a permanent address before the start of seventh grade.

Cal is tall, sensitive, living in a humongous house across the street, and determined to save her.

Jeanne Ann is roughly as enthusiastic about his help as she is about living in a van.

As the two form a tentative friendship that grows deeper over alternating chapters, they're buoyed by a cast of complex, oddball characters, who let them down, lift them up, and leave you cheering. Debut novelist Danielle Svetcov shines a light on a big problem without a ready answer, nailing heartbreak and hope, and pulling it off with a humor and warmth that make the funny parts of Jeanne Ann and Cal's story cathartic and the difficult parts all the more moving.

[Guest]

4 hours ago, Page Scrawler said:

Jeanne Ann is smart, stubborn, living in an orange van, and determined to find a permanent address before the start of seventh grade.

Cal is tall, sensitive, living in a humongous house across the street, and determined to save her.

Aside from some very superficial parallels, this doesn’t sound anything at all like @Wayne Gray’s Ash and Ember… but the description reminded me of his story. (I’m not very imaginative, no matter what Ivor & Geron think.)
;–)

[Wesley8890]

I'm on a supernatural kick right now. I'm reading the Harley Merlin series. Basically a female Harry Potter but kinda cooler

[Parker Owens]

Reading The Zookeepers Wife

[Guest]

[Page Scrawler]

A Wish in the Dark, by Christina Soontornvat.

All light in Chattana is created by one man — the Governor, who appeared after the Great Fire to bring peace and order to the city. For Pong, who was born in Namwon Prison, the magical lights represent freedom, and he dreams of the day he will be able to walk among them. But when Pong escapes from prison, he realizes that the world outside is no fairer than the one behind bars. The wealthy dine and dance under bright orb light, while the poor toil away in darkness. Worst of all, Pong’s prison tattoo marks him as a fugitive who can never be truly free.

Nok, the prison warden’s perfect daughter, is bent on tracking Pong down and restoring her family’s good name. But as Nok hunts Pong through the alleys and canals of Chattana, she uncovers secrets that make her question the truths she has always held dear. Set in a Thai-inspired fantasy world, Christina Soontornvat’s twist on Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables is a dazzling, fast-paced adventure that explores the difference between law and justice — and asks whether one child can shine a light in the dark.

[Solus Magus]

The Golden Compass Trilogy by Philip Pullman. Currently finishing up on the last book of the Trilogy, The Amber Spyglass.

If you're critical about any religious movements, this one is a good book for you. It was supposedly the direct rebuttal against The Chronicles of Narnia written by CS Lewis due to its influences from the Judeo-Christian movement. I like the philosophical touch on this on how religious movements can paralyze any legitimate endeavors of science on discovering the unknown. I barely remembered the movie when I was a kid but I didn't regret reading this one.

[Guest]

10 minutes ago, Solus Magus said:

The Chronicles of Narnia written by CS Lewis

My Protestant minister father was happy to supply me with CS Lewis’ books. Lewis’ close friend Tolkien was a little more subtle in the religious influence in his books. I’m sure my parents would have been less happy if they’d paid attention to the (early, hippie-ish/free-love) Heinlein that I was reading after high school.

20 minutes ago, Solus Magus said:

I barely remembered the movie when I was a kid but I didn't regret reading this one.

BBC and HBO have adapted His Dark Materials (the actual name of the trilogy) as a miniseries. The movie only came out in 2007! I feel ancient when people say they were a kid when they saw things like that!
;–)

[Page Scrawler]

I'm about to start reading Stranger Things Have Happened, by Jeff Strand.

At 15, Marcus Millian III, the great-grandson of the famous Zachary the Stupendous, is already a talented illusionist. But when Marcus chokes during a card trick and leaves the audience unimpressed, prideful Zachary promises that he and Marcus are working on an illusion that will shock, stun, and astonish. That night, Zachary dies in his sleep.

To uphold the honor of Marcus's beloved great-grandfather, the show must go on, and Marcus will need to make a shark disappear in front of everybody. It would take a sorcerer to pull this off, but, hey, Marcus is the next best thing…right? 

@droughtquake No, it isn't related to Stranger Things on Netflix.   ;~)

[Page Scrawler]

Well, halfway through Stranger Things Have Happened, I stopped reading. I couldn't continue the story, because the plot was slow to develop, and the characters lost their appeal to me. Most of Jeff Strand's books are the same way: they sound interesting, but the reading is decidedly lackluster. 

Currently, I'm reading Soulfire, by Chaz Harris. After collaborating with Adam Reynolds to write Promised Land, a tale about a Prince and a farm boy, Harris went off on his own to write this full-length novel about a 12-year-old boy who finds himself in Mythika, an enchanted realm where the Muses walk in human form.

https://promisedlandstore.com

Edited April 24, 2020 by Page Scrawler

[TetRefine]

With all this free time on my hands, I've been reading like crazy the last couple months. And as much as I hate too, I've been buying Kindle e-books because it's so much faster and easier.

Kings Of Cocaine: Inside the Medellin Cartel- An Astonishing True Story Of Murder, Money, And International Corruption, by Guy Gugliotta & Jeff Leen- It follows the Medellin Cartel's rise from the late 1970s up until 1988 and how they became the de-facto power in Colombia and the largest drug cartel in history. 

Bad Blood: Secrets & Lies In A Silicon Valley Startup, by John Carreyrou- The story of Elizabeth Holmes & Theranos' rise and fall due to lies and massive fraud.

Conquistador: Hernan Cortes, King Montezuma, And The Last Stand Of The Aztecs, by Buddy Levy- Tells the fascinating story of Hernan Cortes and his conquest of the Aztecs in Mexico in the 1500s.  

[Guest]

4 hours ago, TetRefine said:

With all this free time on my hands, I've been reading like crazy the last couple months. And as much as I hate too, I've been buying Kindle e-books because it's so much faster and easier.

Kings Of Cocaine: Inside the Medellin Cartel- An Astonishing True Story Of Murder, Money, And International Corruption, by Guy Gugliotta & Jeff Leen- It follows the Medellin Cartel's rise from the late 1970s up until 1988 and how they became the de-facto power in Colombia and the largest drug cartel in history. 

Bad Blood: Secrets & Lies In A Silicon Valley Startup, by John Carreyrou- The story of Elizabeth Holmes & Theranos' rise and fall due to lies and massive fraud.

Conquistador: Hernan Cortes, King Montezuma, And The Last Stand Of The Aztecs, by Buddy Levy- Tells the fascinating story of Hernan Cortes and his conquest of the Aztecs in Mexico in the 1500s.  

Yeah, Elizabeth Holmes fits right in with the cartels and Cortez! She’s a scam artist who just keeps trying to convince us it wasn’t a scam. Even when she’s been convicted and she’s going to prison. Too small of a sample, it was always too good to be true. And yet people who supposedly should have known better invested millions of dollars. (Oops, was that a spoiler?)
;–)

[TetRefine]

18 hours ago, droughtquake said:

Yeah, Elizabeth Holmes fits right in with the cartels and Cortez! She’s a scam artist who just keeps trying to convince us it wasn’t a scam. Even when she’s been convicted and she’s going to prison. Too small of a sample, it was always too good to be true. And yet people who supposedly should have known better invested millions of dollars. (Oops, was that a spoiler?)
;–)

The list of very prominent people she had as investors and board members blew my mind. She was a master con artist. 

[Talo Segura]

Currently reading: Minding Others' Business by Anjin

ONGOING Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Anti-Hero Lead, High Fantasy, Magic.

In a world of magic, monsters and violence, sometimes you need strong, valiant heroes to champion your cause, to fight the good fight, and to rise up against tyranny.

Sometimes you just need your favourite mop found, or want to know who your wife went home from the tavern with.

Of the two kinds of jobs, Gabriel and his team would always much rather take the latter.

The mercenary life is all well and good, but it's so much the better when you get to sleep in a soft, fluffy bed each night and wake up without any troublesome perforations in the morning.

They might live life on the safe side, but the team is not without their merits. Their archer is a passable shot, their brawler is feisty, their leader is, well, also there, and, most importantly, they have a mind-mapper.

A mind-mapper is a wielder of a rare and ancient power. With his unique understanding of the soul, and how it can be manipulated, he alone could change the course of history, influence global politics, and bring fame and fortune to himself and his allies.

Unfortunately for everyone, he's just a bit of a d***.

 

THIS IS NICE, WORTH IT

REVIEWED AT: MOB - CHAPTER 11

BY AVERY LIGHT4/3/2020, 3:31:12 PM

Amazing work, I'm very impressed by the author's way with words.

So this story is about a band of misfits doing jobs as mercenaries in a fantasy world.

The stellar point for me is the interactions between characters. They are diverse and alive with personality, the author did a good job delivering that in writing. I guarantee you'll get a laugh, even the most stoic of you.

 

HUMOROUSLY HAPLESS MEDIOCRE MERCENARIES

REVIEWED AT: MOB - CHAPTER 20.1

BY ASVILOKA5/18/2020, 5:18:32 AM

This is a fun, barely directed ramble alongside a truly entertaining bunch of characters, each of whom has a clear place in their little group, a well developed personality, and almost certainly minimal ambition. They want to make enough money to survive, and they want to do it with minimal risk to life and limb. (haha)

ALMOST PERFECT

REVIEWED AT: MOB - CHAPTER 13

BY HI&HELLO3/23/2020, 10:36:58 PM

This is a thoroughly enjoyable work that comes close to being dang near perfect (as far as any story can be called that).

The Characters are where this story really stands out as you follow a cast of flawed misfits who enjoy making jibes at each other and are a beautiful mic of inept and hilarious ass-hole. They also possess the kind of common sense rare in fantasy MC's. On top of that, the characters have dimension: Even the most Assholish of the lot, Vish, gives the impression that there might be more to him than being a skeevy selfish bastard.

[Page Scrawler]

Date Me, Bryson Keller, by Kevin Van Whye

Everyone knows about the dare: Each week, Bryson Keller must date someone new--the first person to ask him out on Monday morning. Few think Bryson can do it. He may be the king of Fairvale Academy, but he's never really dated before.

Until a boy asks him out, and everything changes.

Kai Sheridan didn't expect Bryson to say yes. So when Bryson agrees to secretly go out with him, Kai is thrown for a loop. But as the days go by, he discovers there's more to Bryson beneath the surface, and dating him begins to feel less like an act and more like the real thing. Kai knows how the story of a gay boy liking someone straight ends. With his heart on the line, he's awkwardly trying to navigate senior year at school, at home, and in the closet, all while grappling with the fact that this "relationship" will last only five days. After all, Bryson Keller is popular, good-looking, and straight . . . right?

 

[Palantir]

The Nargun and the Stars, by Patricia Wrightson.

I've just finished reading this beautiful story for younger people.

How an author with such a gift of evocation remains relatively unknown is a mystery to me.

[Wesley8890]

Im reading The Hobbit right now. Then onto the LOTR trilogy. And finally to the Chronicles of Prydain series. Which should bring me to 35 of my 40 book goal of the year! I should set it higher i tend to ve finished before the year is halfway over.

Edited May 30, 2020 by Wesley8890

[Guest]

13 minutes ago, Wesley8890 said:

I'm reading The Hobbit right now. Then onto the LOTR trilogy.

You’ve never read Tolkien before? In high school, I repeatedly read the four books. As soon as I finished The Return of the King, I’d start The Hobbit all over again. I must have read them at least a dozen times!
;–)

[Wesley8890]

Just now, droughtquake said:

You’ve never read Tolkien before? In high school, I repeatedly read the four books. As soon as I finished The Return of the King, I’d start The Hobbit all over again. I must have read them at least a dozen times!
;–)

Ive read all four books before. But that was a good fifteen years ago.

[Brayon]

5 hours ago, Wesley8890 said:

Im reading The Hobbit right now. Then onto the LOTR trilogy. And finally to the Chronicles of Prydain series. Which should bring me to 35 of my 40 book goal of the year! I should set it higher i tend to ve finished before the year is halfway over.

Those LOTR books are perfect for curing insomnia. Tolkien was a crap writer, and can put anyone to sleep.

[Mikiesboy]

2 hours ago, Brayon said:

Those LOTR books are perfect for curing insomnia. Tolkien was a crap writer, and can put anyone to sleep.

Tolkien was a product of his time and his background; he was an academic/linguist. He created an amazing world and language. And then he wrote an epic tale about it.  His style was unique and not for everyone, but he inspired many fantasy writers and his contribution should not be overlooked or forgotten.

[Brayon]

1 hour ago, Mikiesboy said:

Tolkien was a product of his time and his background; he was an academic/linguist. He created an amazing world and language. And then he wrote an epic tale about it.  His style was unique and not for everyone, but he inspired many fantasy writers and his contribution should not be overlooked or forgotten.

Oh, I give a lot of credit to the father of fantasy, one of my favorite genres, but I've used Fellowship of the Ring as a sleep aid several times when my anti-insomnia meds aren't working. About five pages in, is when I usually pass out. It's just my opinion, that the Peter Jackson adaptation for his epic movies, are far better than what little I have read.