Non-FPW Readings

[Scott Miller]

I'm reading Dan Wells' The Hollow City and it's fantastic. It's about a schizophrenic and it's told in the first person. So both the reader and the narrator don't know what's real and what isn't.

I went to a book signing for that. Dan Wells said that he has three more books to write and then he's getting back to John Wayne Cleaver. He also recommended Barry Lyga's I Hunt Killers. I've finished that one and it's as good as the John Wayne Cleaver books. Just without the supernatural element. <-highlight me

I just put a hold on it from my library. I thought the Cleaver trilogy was excellent but found his TEOTWAWKI novel Partials to be rather cliche. I've read a couple of things by Lyga but they were definitely YA type and another was an excellent comic Mangaman; I'll look into I Hunt Killers though.

I thoroughly enjoyed Dan's brother, Robison's first novel Variant. It too would be considered YA but certainly more mature than most YA. I did also place the second book in that series, Feedback, on hold as well when I was looking up The Hollow City so thanks for that two-birds-with-one-stone moment.

[Kenji]

Now I'm reading "The Shadow Project" by Scott Mariani. It's #5 Ben Hope series.

[Sigokat]

Finally finished Jurassic Park the other night (had to read some stuff for school and work that took priority)

So not sure what's next for me. I grabbed some Sherlock Holmes last night, but fell asleep before I started reading.

[Dave618]

Just wanted to drop a line here and relate that I recently found out that John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee series is going to be rereleased in a quality Trade PB format starting in Jan. They'll also be Kindle and Nook versions, finally.

Anyone who hasn't made Mr. McGee's aquaintance should really give one of the books a try; there are 21 novels in the series. I discovered the series at about age 13, and they played a huge role in shaping the man I've become. McGee is such an extraordinarily engaging character, it's quite hard to start reading one of the books and not become addicted.

McGee and Repairman Jack have some interesting commonalities. They were both irrevocably changed by an incident involving a loved one at a young age, both live as much as possible off the grid of mainstream society, and both are sort of a last resort for people who have no other recourse for righting an injustice. I truly love both these characters, and I think many people who are a fan of one will probably love the other.

[Kenji]

So not sure what's next for me. I grabbed some Sherlock Holmes last night, but fell asleep before I started reading.

I recommend Ben Hope series by Scott Mariani.

[Sigokat]

I started reading Best of the Bolos - The Finest Hour. Its a collection of short stories about "Bolos" gigantic tanks that were created by humans and eventually became self-aware, but still retain their loyalty to duty and to the protection of their "human superiors" as they put it.

A friend lent me the book and so far the ones I've read are decent, especially for how old the stories are (I think the first Bolo story was written in the late '60s) there is alot of futuristic elements that we think about in today's technological world.

[cobalt]

I'm on book 5 of White Flag of the Dead/Zombie series by Joseph Talluto. Got a sweet deal for them on Amazon too.

[Scott Miller]

I'm reading Dan Wells' The Hollow City and it's fantastic. It's about a schizophrenic and it's told in the first person. So both the reader and the narrator don't know what's real and what isn't.

I finished it up last night and thought Wells did a fantastic job tightroping between what's real and what's in his mind; I feel as though I know more about schizophrenia must be like than ever before. I thought the ending was a bit rushed but overall I thought it was one of the more chilling novels I've read in awhile.

[Alvin Fox]

Yeah, I'm finding Wells to be a new favorite writer. I am pleased to see that I'm not the only one who was not partial to Partials. I did just finish up a marathon of The Stand. I read the complete & uncut edition, graphic novels, and watched the miniseries. I could help but think of the basis for Partials whenever Fran worried if her baby would survive.

And my opinion? If anyone wants the full story of The Stand, go for the graphic novels. They're based of the complete & uncut edition. The adapters did a good job though. Tightened up sequences that go on-and-on. Instead of going A -> B -> C -> D -> E it just goes A -> E and the story doesn't suffer. But don't watch the miniseries. Ever. Don't.

[Sigokat]

I'm reading a book called Monster by A. Lee Martinez. Its a quirky book about cryptobiological rescue and response. Basically a bunch of parahumans catching other parahumans and using magic all while most humans go about their lives oblivious to the magic around them. The book starts off with a yeti eating rocky road ice cream in a all night supermarket and just gets sillier from there. So far its good, something different and easy to read.