The Reading Corner.

[Lord Avalon]

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, by Susanna Clarke


Took me forever to finish this book. I began it many, many moons ago, and put it down in favor of many other books. At 1006 pages it's just too wordy with not enough going on. This is one Hugo Award winner I don't get. I guess a Georgian English fantasy novel is not my cup of tea.

[Unorthodox]

The Halloween Tree Reading to Talia. 

[Buster's Uncle]

Brightness Reef by David Brin; it's the book before, that I don't recall reading yet, not the one after that I do...

...Which I still haven't found...

Destiny's Road by Larry Niven

[Rusty Edge]

Brightness Reef by David Brin; it's the book before, that I don't recall reading yet, not the one after that I do...

...Which I still haven't found...

Destiny's Road by Larry Niven

That Niven title sounds familiar. What was it about?

[Buster's Uncle]

Many generations in the past on a new planet, a lander craft had left the settlement on an exploration mission and never come back.  It had traveled like a hovercraft, leaving a lava trail with its fusion drive.  A young man in the present day takes to the road, exploring the world of Destiny...

[Rusty Edge]

Not unlike the quest to reach the base of the arch on the Ringworld.

No, I don't recall reading that one.

[Valka]

I just finished Downbelow Station and started on my umpteenth re-read of Rimrunners (both part of the Alliance/Union series by C.J. Cherryh).

[Lord Avalon]

The Sam Gunn Omnibus by Ben Bova

[Valka]

The Sam Gunn Omnibus by Ben Bova

Does that have any connection with the Grand Tour series or the Asteroid Wars books (a sub-series of the Grand Tour)?

[Lord Avalon]

No, Sam is a fast-talking rogue who is an independent astronaut/space entrepreneur trying to a make a go of various schemes when the big guys like Rockledge Industries seemingly have all the advantages - and lawyers. He makes a fortune, loses it, and moves on to the next grandiose idea.

[Buster's Uncle]

The Time Ships by Steven Baxter.

[Lord Avalon]

Fear City: A Repairman Jack Novel - The Early Years Trilogy Book 3, by F. Paul Wilson

[Buster's Uncle]

I got a few behind lately; catching up:

The Peshwar Lancers by S.M. Stirling.  -If you've head of this one, it IS that good.

The Man Who Pulled Down The Sky by John Barnes.  -I don't know why Barnes isn't a really big name; he's always good and he's always different.

Now, Small Gods by Terry Pratchet.

[Mart]

For a short time, I was wondering, if this is the right thread for this post, but this is The Reading Corner, and this post is about a book.

STAR WARS
Book One of the Corellian Trilogy
by Roger MacBride Allen
Ambush at Corellia

Star Wars novels are numerous and some of them are not so good, or maybe they are just not for me. There are many authors now, who write SW stories.
This one though appears from reading the first chapter only as quite interesting story.
Written in 1994, and as the author says in locations and while traveling: Lisbon, London, Washington D.C., Canada, Virginia, Oregon...
In Star Wars timeline the story is 18 years after SW IV A New Hope.
Han Solo is now "family man"

There is something in those worlds, that are created by so many people, are so rich in details about them, people create maps, write history timelines, etc.
If I were asked, which I like more: Star Trek or Star Wars? Both! They are 50:50.

... is this the trilogy in which Wookiee Chewbacca dies?

[Rusty Edge]

I am reading the best-selling  Demon Slayer/ Biker Witch series by Angie Fox. It was recommended to me by Amazon. Part Romance novel, part horror/mystery. Light reading.

The premise is that a preschool teacher inherits demon slayer powers on her 30th birthday. This enabled her grandmother, who is the leader of a coven of witches to find her. The witches are on the run from a demon & ride Harleys and have spells & potions in repurposed jam and pickle jars witch they hurl like grenades when needed.

  The demon slayer powers also enable her to converse with her Jack Russell Terrier, who complains about the Healthy Lite dog food she feeds him. The dog provides comic relief, and the romance sections tend to be more explicit as the series develops. Not for kids, although I'd probably prefer to double up on the dog talks and drop the descriptions of her desire.

It's no Jim Butcher novels, or Iron Druid series, but it makes the time pass pleasantly when traveling, but not so immersive that you get annoyed when you're interrupted.