What have you been reading this July? > Likes and Comments

Well, half way through the year - is everyone halfway through their reading targets? Goodreads tells me I'm two books ahead of schedule, and I have completed 12 of the 25 Bingo slots.

I have started Fourth Wing

Romantasy, Tony!? Nice. I'm going the other direction (classics v. the new thing). 50 years late and even though Dune 1 has been a favorite book for decades, I finally read Children of Dune. And now I get why we're not likely to see that part of the story on the big screen...

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Some takes in my review I'd love to have people push back on and tell me where I'm wrong.

Let's see, I'm 10 books behind schedule for my main reading goals (but I have several graphic novels from the library to tackle), and I have 10 books finished for my BINGO but that means I'm 2 behind.

I am part way through the first of Moorcock's Corum books, and that's an award winner which will fill a BINGO slot. Won't take too long to get that one done. And I've got my re-read planned next.

Dean wrote: "Romantasy, Tony!? Nice. ..."

Not something that I would usually choose, but it's on this year's Bingo, so I'll give it a go. Also, it's probably good to read it before the TV show comes out next year.

Ghost in the Assembly by Jonathan Moeller

Starting July off with the latest novel in the Long War historical fiction series, Treason of Sparta by Christian Cameron. Summer has always been the best time to read these books. Great to be back with Arimnestos!

Having finished Kim Fleet's crime thriller ' The Holy Blood' and enjoyed it, I have decided to push straight on with the final book in the series 'The Devil's Chimney.' I don't know if there will be anymore, as the author seems to have pivoted away from fiction for now. Pity if so, as they are well written, with a real eye for character, a good MC and a nice little gimmick with the whole dual time line thing.

I promise the next book will be F&SF honest... I don't want to be politely shown the door 😁

Finishing Night of Knives by Ian Esslemont. Next up in Malazan The Bonehunters by Steven Erikson
Sharp Ends by Joe Abercrombie
Finishing Children of the Night by Dan Simmons. Next up in Simmons Song of Kali
Finishing Beyond the Blue Moon by Simon L Green next up in Forest Kingdom Once in a Blue Moon
The Justice of Kings by Richard Swan
The Skull Throne by Peter V. Brett.

Stephan wrote: "Hi, just published first bilingual UA-EN sci-fi almanac Contours of Sagittarius:

July 1, 2026 - premiere of e-book release (969 e-pages - up to 1500 pages in smartphone readers);

July 3, 2026 - p..."

Is this what you're currently reading or a promotion? All promo content should be in the Promotions section. This thread is just for us to share and see what other members are reading.

I deleted the post from this thread. Honestly when people spam their promos it makes me even less likely to read them.

I'm starting on To Journey in the Year of the Tiger by H. Leighton Dickson which will fill my re-read slot. Other books in this series could fill my post-apocalyptic and my features a feline BINGO slots.

I actually won this book years ago through Goodreads, finally getting around to reading the rest of the series which I had acquired over time.

I have never tried this reborn as blank sub genre of lit rpg and despite the Russian naming conventions being confusing for characters it ended up getting the plot of book one ended up being good. its a progression fantasy so at first it's a bit corny b/c character is trying to introduce modern medicine to healer mages without looking suspect but also has to fight magic monsters and minor crime lords and curses.

I think I've got six books I'm currently reading; three are nonfiction. So we'll see if I ever finish anything. I was reading 10 books a month until just recently; I'm now at 48 instead of 60.

I have returned to the Black Science collected editions with Black Science, Vol. 3: Vanishing Pattern

I finished up reading A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge. I ended up liking this space opera with all its world building:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

And right now am reading Titanium Noir by Nick Harkaway, but I'll probably be pulling the plug on this one, as I'm not really enjoying it much.

At the moment I finally got to read “Solaris” by Stanislaw Lem

Being a life long sci-fi reader I always felt ashamed for not reading this classic masterpiece.

But, I finally got a proper translation of it.

Igor wrote: "At the moment I finally got to read “Solaris” by Stanislaw Lem

Being a life long sci-fi reader I always felt ashamed for not reading this classic masterpiece.

But, I finally got a proper translat..."

Igor, I read this one years ago and I didn't like my translation that I got. Hopefully yours is better. I hope you enjoy. I want to read another one from this author one of these days.

Apparently, that’s the common problem with this book.

The translation which is usually available is actually Polish to French to English, which can hardly be ideal. I suppose that’s the one you got and I was warned to avoid it

Now I got a new one Polish-English which is recommended.

I'm currently reading EXODUS: The Helium Sea by Peter F. Hamilton


I read part one of this duology, Exodus: The Archimedes Engine
in 2024 and I’m so happy to read this second book now!
My review can be found here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I'm also happy I decided to re-read the first book, because I enjoyed it a lot and somehow found new information regarding the story in it. It helps now I'm reading the second part of this incredible story.

Finally finished The Hidden Girl and Other Stories.

Liu is freaking incredible, but also kind of a bummer. Very rage against the dying of the light, but with AI, interdimensional ninjas, and family drama:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Igor wrote: "Apparently, that’s the common problem with this book.

The translation which is usually available is actually Polish to French to English, which can hardly be ideal. I suppose that’s the one you go..."

Was it good? It has been on by TBR forever...

Igor wrote: "At the moment I finally got to read “Solaris” by Stanislaw Lem

Being a life long sci-fi reader I always felt ashamed for not reading this classic masterpiece.

But, I finally got a proper translat..."

I have had this on my TBR list for a long time, but I have never got around to reading it. I have attempted to watch the the Russian movie adaptation (1972) of this several times - but it always puts me to sleep. I did watch the American version from 2002, but I didn't think it was much good.

I have started reading Superman Archives, Vol. 2.

Ghost in the Corruption by Jonathan Moeller

Gentlemen of Uncertain Fortune: How Younger Sons Made Their Way in Jane Austen's England by Rory Muir

Just started Thuvia, Maid Of Mars: by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the 4th book in the Barsoom series. I've read the first three and enjoyed them all.

Franky wrote: "Just started Thuvia, Maid Of Mars: by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the 4th book in the Barsoom series. I've read the first three and..."

It's a good series, one I have read many times.

I have finished Black Science, Vol. 3: Vanishing Pattern. It's an interesting series, but the dimension hopping means they keep running into alternate dimension versions of themselves, and keeping score can be challenging.

@Tony. Yes, the Barsoom series is so fun. I'm enjoying this one too, even with the absence of John Carter for the most part.

That's one thing that keeps the Barsoom series fresh. The ability to switch from character to character as to who has adventures.

Just started The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley.

Finished my re-read of To Journey in the Year of the Tiger, glad I did the re-read since I'd forgotten most of it and would have been hard to jump into the next book. That fills a BINGO slot.

Now I've picked up what is hopefully a quick read to finish off the Powerless series, the novella Fearful by Lauren Roberts. This doesn't fill any reading challenges other than satisfy my urge to complete a series I started :)