Justine’s Comments (group member since Jan 27, 2015)

Justine’s comments from the Beyond Reality group.

Congrats Kathi! :)

Fantasy - Raising Stony Mayhall by Daryl Gregory

SF - The High Ground by Melinda M. Snodgrass

Diane, maybe you will meet a young person in particular need of a book fairy, like Random did :) :)

That is a great story, Random! I was also a Trixie Belden fan:)

Christine, I'm so glad you liked Tess of the Road - I loved that book:)

Silvana, same here. The Long Price Quartet is probably my favourite of his and one of my favourite fantasy series overall.

This past week I finished Sky in the Deep and the audio of The Demon King with my kids. I also finished Song of Blood & Stone and am almost done with Winter. Next up I think will be The Poppy War and Artificial Condition.

Silvana wrote: "Starting The Price of Spring which would be my last Daniel Abraham fix before the next Expanse book comes out."

Silvana have you read Unclean Spirits by M.L.N. Hanover? That is also by Daniel Abraham. It is an urban fantasy series, and I haven't read it, but it is supposed to be good if you like UF.

This was my first time reading this book and I enjoyed it. It leans much more towards the literary than most YA written today does. There is more reliance on exposition, something which seems to have fallen out of favour recently, but this is partly what gives the story it's literary feel. There is a lot of evidence of le Guin's knowledge and interest in philosophy here, and I did like that the hero's journey requires resolution here by exploration of the self rather than increased prowess with craft or fighting skills. That aspect makes it quite different from The Hobbit.

I also appreciated the fact that here is a book published in 1968, yet the main character and most supporting characters were all POC - despite some of the cover art over time depicting the contrary. Le Guin herself notes that she saw this choice as a subversive act at the time:)

Just finished The Queens of Innis Lear, which I really liked. I thought a few bits here and there could have beem edited down slightly, but nothing thay affected my overall enjoyment of the book.

Started A Wizard of Earthsea; it's my first time reading it!

I started yesterday. I actually have never read this, so I'm looking forward to it. I like it so far.

For fantasy I would like to nominate The Queens of Innis Lear by Tessa Gratton. This is a standalone adult fantasy based on King Lear.

For SF, Hunger Makes the Wolf by Alex Wells. This just recently won a Kitschie - Golden Tentacle for debut novel 2017:
https://www.tor.com/2018/04/09/announ...

I'm very lucky to live in a place with a library system that carries a very extensive collection of SFF and responds well to requests for purchase. We also have several excellent independent new and used bookstores that carry great selections.

Mary I keep meaning to read The Hazel Wood. It looks so good.

My favourite read this month was Tess of the Road. It has had some mixed reviews but I just loved it.

Others I enjoyed a lot were Semiosis, The Murders of Molly Southbourne, Markswoman, Cress, Strange Practice, and Strange Dogs (an Expanse novella).

Currently I am reading Hero at the Fall and listening to the audiobook of Obsidio, the last book in the Illuminae Files. I think it is my favourite of the three books so far, although Illuminae is a close second.

For fantasy I would like to nomimate Crossroads of Canopy by Thoraiya Dyer.

For SF, my nomination is The Last Good Man by Linda Nagata. I have read another near-future military SF trilogy by Nagata, The Red, and it was really good. The Last Good Man is her most recent novel.

I am just finishing Semiosis; it is very good and has some interesting ideas.

Welcome Mario :)

Welcome Matt and David :)

My nominations are Roses and Rot by Kat Howard for fantasy.

For SF, The High Ground by Melinda M. Snodgrass.

Hi Cedric, welcome:) I hope you enjoy it here.

My nominations are An Excess Male by Maggie Shen King for SF, and for fantasy An Unkindness of Magicians by Kat Howard.

My nominations are:

Fantasy


Magicians Impossible by Brad Abraham

SF


The Cold Between by Elizabeth Bonesteel