SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion
SciFi and Fantasy Book Challenge
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SciFi and Fantasy Challenge 2014
I probably never would have gotten around to Fuzzy Nation if it weren't for this challenge. Now it's one of my favorite books. I haven't read any Mieville yet, and I think there are at least three on this list. I'm slacking :)
Sarah wrote: "I probably never would have gotten around to Fuzzy Nation if it weren't for this challenge. Now it's one of my favorite books. I haven't read any Mieville yet, and I think there ar..."
I've had both great and not so great experiences with Scalzi's books, but I want to read more and Fuzzy Nation is one I've definitely been meaning to get to.
Get yourself into some China Mieville immediately! I'm on my fourth Mieville book now (The Scar) and I've loved every one of them. They are all so unique and different. He's quickly becoming one of my favorite authors... maybe my favorite, period.
I've had both great and not so great experiences with Scalzi's books, but I want to read more and Fuzzy Nation is one I've definitely been meaning to get to.
Get yourself into some China Mieville immediately! I'm on my fourth Mieville book now (The Scar) and I've loved every one of them. They are all so unique and different. He's quickly becoming one of my favorite authors... maybe my favorite, period.
I was really disappointed in Scalzi's Lock In. I had really high expectations and it didn't come close to meeting them. I have a couple of Mieville books. I want to read Perdido Street Station because it's been so popular on here, but I'm really not looking to start a longer book quite yet. I started Railsea one time but didn't get very far before it was due at the library.I did just buy Altered Carbon. Was it good?
Sarah wrote: "I was really disappointed in Scalzi's Lock In. I had really high expectations and it didn't come close to meeting them. I have a couple of Mieville books. I want to read [book:Pe..."
I've heard others say the same about Lock In, but I'm planning to read it anyway. I did enjoy Altered Carbon very much, although I haven't felt a pressing need to read the other books in that series. I'm more interested in his fantasy series (A Land Fit For Heroes), which sounds like the kind of dark stuff that I tend to go for.
I've heard others say the same about Lock In, but I'm planning to read it anyway. I did enjoy Altered Carbon very much, although I haven't felt a pressing need to read the other books in that series. I'm more interested in his fantasy series (A Land Fit For Heroes), which sounds like the kind of dark stuff that I tend to go for.
I enjoyed Altered Carbon enough to want to read the next few, one of many books I wouldn't have read except for the challenge.Add me to the list of fans of Mieville. So far Perdido Street Station has been my favorite (of his).
I'll have to try that one. Thanks : )Scalzi mentioned something in Lock In about how authors can be recognized by their writing style very quickly. Given that this book was different from the other two I've read (it was all dialogue), I'm wondering if he was deliberately messing with his writing style. I'll have to read a couple more books of his to see if I'm just imagining things.
I finished my challenge a couple of weeks ago, and then got distracted. That happens with me. Anyway, I'm done. It was fun. There were several things in the pile that I enjoyed very much.
Well, since The Killing Moon was selected for this month's read and I read it earlier in the year, I've made it to 20! It was a lot of fun to do the challenge. Like others, I am hoping there will be another next year!
Sarah wrote: "I probably never would have gotten around to Fuzzy Nation if it weren't for this challenge. Now it's one of my favorite books. I haven't read any Mieville yet, and I think there ar..."
Listening to the audio version of Fuzzy Nation now and loving it! That's another book from this group's shelf I can cross off the list, even though I already completed the challenge.
Listening to the audio version of Fuzzy Nation now and loving it! That's another book from this group's shelf I can cross off the list, even though I already completed the challenge.
I really love that book. I get to read it again in Feb. :)
I was getting set to read my last entry, Zoo City, and realized I had already hit my 20!Im gonna read it anyway though...lol
I don't know if Kim or I have said so officially, but we've decided that will be running the same challenge again next year. It's been such a success and so much fun, we'll have another one set up for the new year with the same rules :)
Penny wrote: "I don't know if Kim or I have said so officially, but we've decided that will be running the same challenge again next year. It's been such a success and so much fun, we'll have another one set up ..."Yay! I will set up my bookshelf now.
Woo hoo! I've loved this challenge. If I read 60 I think that will put me around 100 total... Might as well reach for the stars, especially since I love these books :) Yay!
Penny wrote: "I don't know if Kim or I have said so officially, but we've decided that will be running the same challenge again next year. It's been such a success and so much fun, we'll have another one set up ..."I'm in! I didn't make my goal this year :( but I did read several really good science fiction novels. (Including: The Lies of Locke Lamora, The Sword-Edged Blonde, The Martian).
I only managed to finish 5 and abandoned 1, though I came very close to starting 2 others. I'm glad to see we'll have another shot next year.
I actually count the ones that I abandon. I just put them in my gave-up-on folder. It doesn't happen often but I certainly don't want to re-read those and I do want to read the entire bookshelf someday.
Good point, if we're giving it an honest try, it should count.
I have finally finished my challenge after reading The Killing Moon. I'll have to look through what I've read and decide which was the best book of the challenge.
Penny wrote: "I don't know if Kim or I have said so officially, but we've decided that will be running the same challenge again next year. It's been such a success and so much fun, we'll have another one set up ..."
Awesome! I'm in for at least 12 again.
Awesome! I'm in for at least 12 again.
I want to put in that I've already started on my 2015 list! I started the audio version of Ready Player One and since I only commute about 2 hrs per week and I have 10 hours to go, I won't be able to mark it "read" until 2015. Anyone else thinking about next year already?
Absolutely! I'm going to have a Mieville fest. There are so many great books to choose from. Plus I'm reading Fuzzy Nation again. I'm very curious about Ready Player One. It's on my "priority" list.
Michael wrote: "Anyone else thinking about next year already?"Oh yeah, I am for sure. I have started a list and created my challenge shelf. Ready, set.......................GO!
Oh, and we need you to lead the charge in a group read thread again. Your organizational skills are dazzling (note the inclusion of a seasonal holiday word here).
I am definitely looking ahead to next year.I have earmarked the following (some of are from this year that I never got to):
Alif the Unseen
Promise of Blood
The Dragon's Path
Dawn
Warbreaker
The Long Earth
The Warded Man
Prince of Thorns
Old Man's War
The Blade Itself
Foundation
American Gods
Tigana
and probably some more.
Edwin wrote: "Your organizational skills are dazzling (note the inclusion of a seasonal holiday word here)..."Ha! I didn't even notice that :)
Dawn is also on my list since I've wanted to read it for a couple of years. I'm very curious about Tigana.
I really can't wait to get started!
Yup definitely! Challenge 2015 shelf all ready and waiting for the new year. I only joined the group recently, and have found that loads in my to read pile of charity shop bargains are on the group bookshelf, so I am going to start with them. In fact, I already have! Finished A Wizard of Earthsea which I really enjoyed and am starting The Tombs of Atuan next.
Edwin wrote: "Oh, and we need you to lead the charge in a group read thread again. Your organizational skills are dazzling (note the inclusion of a seasonal holiday word here)."I'm in! Thanks for the compliment, you have lit a candle in the darkness! /seasonal reference/ Speaking of which, what do folks in the Southern Hemisphere do in December? Are all the holidays messed up because you're celebrating winter holidays in the summer??
Back on topic, I guess we need to pester Kim/Penny to start a SciFi and Fantasy Challenge 2015 thread so we can start posting lists!
Michael wrote: "Speaking of which, what do folks in the Southern Hemisphere do in December? Are all the holidays messed up because you're celebrating winter holidays in the summer??"Actually Northern Hemisphere people celebrate summer holidays in winter. Very confusing.
Back on topic, I guess we need to pester Kim/Penny to start a SciFi and Fantasy Challenge 2015 thread so we can start posting lists!
Will get on to it.
Kim wrote: "Actually Northern Hemisphere people celebrate summer holidays in winter. Very confusing...."
My Aussie book group just started a "Summer Reading Challenge". I admit that my usually flexible brain stuttered for a second. I bet the term White Christmas (and the movie) are a bit bizarre. :)
I just tortured myself through Stranger in a Strange Land. Only the thought that I would have to read it again in order to finish the whole book list kept me going. I'm really excited about the 2015 Challenge!
Sarah wrote: "I just tortured myself through Stranger in a Strange Land."Uh oh. And you loved The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress. Maybe I should try a different Heinlein book for my second go-around...
Someone recommended both Heinlein books to me as among his best but Stranger didn't work for me. And its SO 60's. Supposedly his book, Friday is quite good. :)
Ouch, I have heard bad things about Friday, women-treatment-wise, though some people swear by it as one of their favorites. I might try The Puppet Masters...
OMG! I didn't know that was him! I need to read that.There's some really appalling stuff re women in Stranger too. One woman actually said that 9 times out of 10 when a woman is raped she's partially to blame! And he had a female character saying this!
Now I'm going to see if my library has Puppet Masters...
I thought I would poke people who are watching this thread to make sure everyone knows we are starting to talk about the 2015 challenge and group reads for next year's challenge books. If you are interested in getting in on the discussion, make sure to check out the thread here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Finished my challenge this morning with Perdido Street Station. Enjoyed the challenge. Read some books I probably wouldn't have otherwise some worked out and some didn't. Think my favorites were Red Country and Old Man's War.
Bill wrote: "Finished my challenge this morning with Perdido Street Station. Enjoyed the challenge. Read some books I probably wouldn't have otherwise some worked out and some didn't. Think my favo..."Congratulations! (Especially on such a long one for the finish!)
Michael wrote: "Bill wrote: "Finished my challenge this morning with Perdido Street Station. Enjoyed the challenge. Read some books I probably wouldn't have otherwise some worked out and some didn't. ..."Thanks. That last one was a real struggle.
That was a really fun challenge, I am still finishing two books but should get it done by next week. Ignore the rest of this if you aren't into statistics or whatever this is. I was pestering others for their favorites so figured I should share mine.59 books total
8 Five star books
4 Two star books
Favorite(s): Mistborn: The Final Empire and Ancillary Justice
Least Favorite: Assassin's Apprentice
13 books by female authors (for Michael's benefit)
Hank wrote: "That was a really fun challenge, I am still finishing two books but should get it done by next week. Ignore the rest of this if you aren't into statistics or whatever this is. I was pestering other..."Thanks, Hank! :)
(22% female authors is almost exactly the bookshelf average, so your distribution seems fairly random...)
Hank wrote: "That was a really fun challenge, I am still finishing two books but should get it done by next week. Ignore the rest of this if you aren't into statistics or whatever this is. I was pestering other..."I hadn't thought about looking at ratings, let's see...
18 books total (goal of 12)
9 five star
7 four star
2 three star
Nice! Of course, I am focusing on a subset of the bookshelf that I think I will like, since I doubt I will ever have enough time to read them all.
Oh, and 10 female-authored (56%). I'm trying to reduce my current male bias...
Hank, 59 books is awesome!Michael, I'd say you picked the right ones off the shelf.
I need to take a look at this when I'm on my computer.
Okay, so I've got...31 total
11 five star (!!!!)
5 four star
8 three star
4 two star
3 one star (two of which I wish I could get the time back for)
And now, female authors. I've got 7 for a grand total of... HA! 22.5% This is actually not something I normally pay attention to.
I wish I could always read that many five stars.
Sarah wrote: "Okay, so I've got...31 total
11 five star (!!!!)
Killer! Both the total and the 33% 5 stars. Not to one up you but Michael got 50% 5 stars :) I love the fact that this group is doing all my hard work for me to find good books.
No kidding! I love these books. They're have been very few that I've disliked. I do seem to be the only person on the planet who didn't like The Martian. I'm developing a complex about it.50% five stars is pretty amazing. I wish it could always be that way. I've discovered Fuzzy Nation and The Sparrow, though, and they were both ones that will become favorites. More to come, perhaps?
Hmm let's see what my stats are.Ended up with 40 books for the group challenge.
9 five star
16 four star
13 three star
1 two star
2 one star
12 by female authors.
Kim, what were your two one star ones?
Here's my list: I read 22 books from the group list.
12 four star
8 three star
2 two star
I probably rate things tougher than you guys do. I haven't been able to look past the 'it was amazing' tag on the five star rating. A book really has to knock my socks off to get me to agree to that. Conversely, if I really 'did not like it,' odds are I did not finish it.
Only three or them were written by women. I know. That looks bad, but it really isn't. Overall 30% of the contents of my shelves were written by women authors.
I read a lot of things I really enjoyed because of the group. Watership Down was probably the best. It certainly made for a wonderful audio book -- one happily I'd listen to again. I read the entire First Law Trilogy and the two follow up books and enjoyed them much. I read the first four books of the Discworld Series and I plan to keep chipping away at those this coming year. They were fun. I read Wool and I plan to finish that series in the coming year.
So yeah, good times.
SciFi and Fantasy Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
Oryx and Crake (other topics)Ubik (other topics)
Dawn (other topics)
The Ocean at the End of the Lane (other topics)
Assassin's Apprentice (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
J.R.R. Tolkien (other topics)Andreas Eschbach (other topics)
Jim Butcher (other topics)
N.K. Jemisin (other topics)
Guy Gavriel Kay (other topics)
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Thanks Sarah! I love me some Abercrombie, and that is a pretty cool book cover.
I feel like some of the other books that I read along with the group this year (like Pump Six and Other Stories and Altered Carbon) were also "freebies" in the sense that I didn't read them so much for the challenge, but because I wanted to participate in the discussions. But yes, it was fun to keep track of my progress and a good feeling to reach the goal I set, even if it turned out to be pretty easy.