What are we reading?

[Windigo]

I am rereading Strengths Finder 2.0

apparently mine are [in no paticular order];
empathy,
input,
connectedness,
restorative, and
ideation.

[Martok]

When Siuan and Moiraine started to meander around in search of the plot, I suddenly realized with stunning clarity I didn't actually care.

I knew they weren't going to find the Dragon Reborn, and I didn't especially care about learning more how she found Lan (if she even did, since I knew RJ had originally planned this as the beginning of a 3-part prequel and I couldn't remember from what I had heard whether he had even gotten that far), and with The Slog coming up and several more books to cover before even reaching CoT which I only knew by reputation yet -- but by very accurate reputation from fellow WoT fans -- I had to ask myself why I would waste my time before even quite starting the Slog on a story that hadn't started off at anything like a gripping pace in what felt like the first 10 chapters (I don't recall exactly how many -- they had been going through the registrations of the women already after collecting themmmmzzzzzz for at least one chapterish portion) and which I knew for an absolute fact wasn't going to advance the plot any further?

I had put off reading it this long until my ultimate (and maybe final) readthrough, in honor of MemLight's release (and good reviews since KoD), and... well, I gave it a starting chance and just could not find the wherewithal to care.  I had real WoT books to read, including three I already knew I kind-of-liked, and one I hated (which killed the series for me), and one I was probably going to hate, before getting back to the good books. If I finished the story and found I had regained caring I'd go back. But I didn't. I honestly can't imagine even starting with it some day years from now in another fond readthrough.

I realize I might be missing out on some reasonably awesome things happening later in the book than the first quarter or third that I got through. But even other fans I've read who liked the book never seemed particularly enthused about it. So, eh. I might enjoy reading whassername's humorous chapter-by-chapter summary/commentary on it perhaps.

Ah, gotcha. 

Now see, I never looked for a particularly compelling plot/storyline with New Spring.  What I *did* expect was a story explaining how Moiraine & Lan met, as well as a tale showing their viewpoints, including what they were like when they were not much older than the boys and the Supergirls are in the main books...and that was exactly what I got. 

In essence, what I figured NS would be -- and what, in fact, it *was* -- was another world-building novel, much like The Eye of the World itself was.  When read from that perspective, I was able to enjoy NS...as I am currently again.  <shrug>  Different strokes for different folks, I guess. 

As it is, I'm already over halfway through New Spring.  Granted, it's not nearly as long as the mainline novels, but I'm still going through it at a much quicker pace than I have most of the other WoT books.  I couldn't say why, exactly, but I'm finding it moves a lot faster than I might have expected; not since TDR have I had gone through a book in the series this quickly. 

[MetalDog]

I am rereading Strengths Finder 2.0

apparently mine are [in no paticular order];
empathy,
input,
connectedness,
restorative, and
ideation.

Perfect traits for someone with your Sun sign.

[airboy]

I finished the latest Zombie book in the John Ringo series.  It was great!  I may write a review if I can ever get caught up at work.

[Gusington]

I am 150 pages into The Afrika Reich by Guy Saville, an alternate history set in a 1960s Africa colonized by a Germany victorious in WWII. Good companion reading to Wolfenstein :)

[Staggerwing]

I am 150 pages into The Afrika Reich by Guy Saville, an alternate history set in a 1960s Africa colonized by a Germany victorious in WWII. Good companion reading to Wolfenstein :)

Damn! I have that in my dead-tree queue right now! Should I move it up a few notches on the list?

[Gusington]

It's pretty good, yeah. :) Read 100 pages on Sunday which is unheard of for me. A quicker reader will devour it.

Next up is The Keep by F. Paul Wilson, finally!

[GDS_Starfury]

have you tried the Robert Conroy alternate WW2 books?  some good fun there.

[Gusington]

When I bought The Afrika Reich I almost bought one of Conroy's...which ones do you recommend?

[Airborne Rifles]

I've been interested in Conroy's books but never picked them up since the alternate histories just seem a little too fantastic from a logistical perspective, but if you say they're good I might go for it. I really enjoyed the Gingrich/Forstchen ACW and WWII, alternates. I felt like I really learned a lot about the true historical constraints that the armies were operating under from those books.

[BanzaiCat]

Himmler's War by Conroy was a pretty decent read. As you said, AR, total and utter stretch of reality to try to grasp (Hitler dies, Himmler takes over (strike 1), Himmler makes peace with Stalin by giving him Norway and Greece (meh, possibly, but strike 2). Though I got through it and ultimately thought it wasn't bad.

I did try to read his "1901," but it was bad. Terrible writing and cookie-cutter characters with no depth. I didn't get more than halfway through it before I gave up.

I am still intrigued by him even after 1901. I think he's a much better alt-history writer than Turtledove. Talk about the most boring alt-history writer ever...sheesh. Conroy has some very interesting titles, though; I do have 'Red Inferno' downloaded but never got to reading it.

1945 by Forstchen and Newt was rather fantastic too (Otto Skorzeny and team raid middle America after parachuting in from a super-German jet, to name but one thread). Forstchen, though, is a pretty amazing writer in his own right. If you have not read his Lost Regiment series, you really, REALLY should at least get into the first one, Rally Cry (http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0451450078/ref=sr_1_1_olp?ie=UTF8&qid=1407946504&sr=8-1&keywords=the+lost+regiment&condition=used).

[airboy]

Conroy's alt-history of the Pacific Theater in WW2 is bad.  Turtledove's is good.  Gingriches alt Pearl Harbor is very good if you want a strong focus on military strategy and not much else.

[OJsDad]

Forstchen, though, is a pretty amazing writer in his own right. If you have not read his Lost Regiment series, you really, REALLY should at least get into the first one, Rally Cry (http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0451450078/ref=sr_1_1_olp?ie=UTF8&qid=1407946504&sr=8-1&keywords=the+lost+regiment&condition=used).

I just reread the first four in this series.  Very highly recommended. 

He also had some good books based on Wing Commander. 

[Toonces]

I've been working through a book I picked up at the library called Lee's Lieutenants-A Study in Command.  It's an interesting discussion of the Civil War told from the Confederate perspective.

I have a few other books in the lineup right now, but that's the one I keep coming back to lately.

[Gusington]

The idea of Conroy's 1901 as always tickled my pickle, but I have never seen a positive review of it.