JookJoint
Moderator
I'm about 15% of the way through it....so far it's pretty good...
whatcha reading?
- Thread starter Evil gator
- Start date
Making my way through Randy Wayne White's "Doc Ford" series. It's ok.
Former spy turned normal guy but keeps getting caught up in situations where his spy skills come in really handy. Most of the action is in southwest Florida, around Sanibel/Captiva, but with occasional jaunts to Central and South America. I never heard of the author until I ate in one of his restaurants, which are apparently a small chain over on the west coast of Florida.
Former spy turned normal guy but keeps getting caught up in situations where his spy skills come in really handy. Most of the action is in southwest Florida, around Sanibel/Captiva, but with occasional jaunts to Central and South America. I never heard of the author until I ate in one of his restaurants, which are apparently a small chain over on the west coast of Florida.
Irish Mike
Administrator
Any good? I like disposable action/thriller shit. Ran through all the Mitch Rapp, Jack Reacher, and Dewey Andreas books. Just did a trilogy that follows a Brit ex-soldier going after criminals, guy named Sam Pope. They were ok.
They're good enough. I'm on book... 6? I think. Not as fun as Jack Reacher - these books aren't as big on ass-kicking. But the main character is usually the smartest guy around and can hold his own in a fight. And he's got a goofy hippy sidekick. He always gets the girl, too.
My one complaint is that he went from 3rd-person to 1st-person somewhere around book 4. I liked it better in the 3rd person although I have to admit the writing has improved so what do I know?
Ok, two complaints. The endings are still a little abrupt - I like to follow the characters for a little while after the climax of the story to see where they end up. The author tends to resolve the main story and then have a short expository epilogue. I don't like that - it violates the maxim of "show, don't tell" and I think he could flesh out the secondary characters a little more if he wrote another chapter or two at the end of each book.
I will add that the food at the Doc Ford restaurant on Sanibel was fantastic. They sell the books, too. I don't think the first one is on Kindle - I had to purchase the audiobook.
Gatorbreeze
Contributor
I belonged to the club for years, got some classic hardbacks to go along with all the paperback Sci-Fi I had accumulated since Jr. high. Gave most of it to my son, but I did keep some real old stuff from the early 60s, Asimov, Heinlein, Anderson, Zelazny, Clarke, etc.
OP
OP
Yeah I still have her foundation trilogy, can’t part with it
Gatorbreeze
Contributor
Understand. I still have my Rings Trilogy from UF.
I discovered this guy on X/Twitter and bought his book. I'm about 1/3 of the way through and so far, it's fantastic. Highly recommend if you like SciFi.
Last edited:
OP
OP
Irish Mike
Administrator
Friend of mine suggested a fantasy series to me "The First Law" by Joe Abercrombie. Gonna give it a go when I finish the last book in the series I am on now.
JookJoint
Moderator
I've read it...it's fantastic
OP
OP
Jook sighting!
JookJoint
Moderator
Hey EG!!
Irish Mike
Administrator
Where's the "love ya!". Missed opportunity. For shame.
JookJoint
Moderator
I'm slipping in my old age
Irish Mike
Administrator
Just about done with the 3rd book. It's been really good. The narrator on audible is awesome. Probably the best I've heard.
George Guidell is now my 2nd favorite
Just finished Wind and Truth, Brandon Sanderson's fifth book in his Stormlight Archive series.
What a slog. Do not recommend. The first four books were okay - it's pretty deep fantasy, which kind of requires you to invest in a world with different kinds of creatures, superpowers and gods. Takes a lot to keep up with everything.
Which made it hard enough to read the new book after not having published anything in this series in a few years. Kind of had to re-learn stuff that I had forgotten and I didn't care enough about the prior books to re-read them.
But even taking that into account it was 1300+ pages going almost nowhere, probably could have been condensed to 200. I found myself just skimming the text so I could make it to the end. And of course the end turned the whole world on its head so the next books in the series will likely be completely different. Not that I'm going to read them after this.
There's also some really weird "woke" shit in this book. There's a scene where citizens of a certain city-state are noted to be able to change their gender merely be having the right paperwork. There's another storyline where two characters are not only gay for each other but they also belong to different species, and a third character literally squeals with delight when they come out of the closet. Very weird and forced.
And then one of the main characters who we saw grow into a heroic figure but also one who had suffered through a ton of shit during the prior books became kind of a happy-go-lucky therapist. Seriously out of place in this world.
But the ultimate sin Sanderson has committed is that this book was utterly boring. Lots of exposition, very little action.
Just glad I borrowed it from the library instead of buying it.
What a slog. Do not recommend. The first four books were okay - it's pretty deep fantasy, which kind of requires you to invest in a world with different kinds of creatures, superpowers and gods. Takes a lot to keep up with everything.
Which made it hard enough to read the new book after not having published anything in this series in a few years. Kind of had to re-learn stuff that I had forgotten and I didn't care enough about the prior books to re-read them.
But even taking that into account it was 1300+ pages going almost nowhere, probably could have been condensed to 200. I found myself just skimming the text so I could make it to the end. And of course the end turned the whole world on its head so the next books in the series will likely be completely different. Not that I'm going to read them after this.
There's also some really weird "woke" shit in this book. There's a scene where citizens of a certain city-state are noted to be able to change their gender merely be having the right paperwork. There's another storyline where two characters are not only gay for each other but they also belong to different species, and a third character literally squeals with delight when they come out of the closet. Very weird and forced.
And then one of the main characters who we saw grow into a heroic figure but also one who had suffered through a ton of shit during the prior books became kind of a happy-go-lucky therapist. Seriously out of place in this world.
But the ultimate sin Sanderson has committed is that this book was utterly boring. Lots of exposition, very little action.
Just glad I borrowed it from the library instead of buying it.
My favorite review, from Goodreads:
