What are you reading now? August 2015

[Stjepan]

Right now I reading The Thousandfold Thought
The first two parts of a trilogy I read in one breath.

[Leo]

Finally, finally picked up "Swords and Deviltry." Had started it ages ago courtesy of Master Jim, but had misplaced it... But we're back, and the women of the Snow Clan would give any Village Wisdom a frosty run for their money!

[[deleted user]]

Robert Moore Williams' The Day They H-Bombed Los Angeles (1961) is my next read...

[Angela]

I'm at WorldCon and I always drop a few bucks [cough] in the dealers' room. One of the books I bought was Lock In and I'm about 80% through it. It's a near-future mystery/thriller, where a disease similar to meningitis, called Haden's syndrome, leaves millions of people locked into their minds, unable to control their bodies. But the book isn't about how the disease appeared and what people did about it; it's set in the world where the disease has been around for about a generation and society has mostly adapted to it. The protag is a youngish man with Haden's, who's just joined the FBI. His first week at work is a killer.

Good story, great characters, and seriously awesome worldbuilding. Less experienced writers come up with an idea like Haden's, and make the whole book be "Look at this disease I invented! Whoa! Here's how it all happened!" Scalzi stuffs all that into the backstory and uses Haden's as the key SFish point of the worldbuilding, then tells a story that could only be told in that world.

I'll probably finish this today. So long as he sticks the landing, which I fully expect him to do, I highly recommend this.

Angie

[[deleted user]]

Angela wrote: "One of the books I bought was Lock In and I'm about 80% through it. It's a near-future mystery/thriller,..."

If you're interested, we had a Discussion of Lock-In last year. I'm going to quote some of the rest of your message in that topic, hope you don't mind. :)

[Brendan]

Finished Three Moments of an Explosion: Stories, and with 28 short stories some were better than others but I thought overall it was a great collection. He also kept it all thematically and stylistically consistent, which must be hard for an author with as many styles and themes as China.

It's now time to read group reads in advance of September. Dreamsnake and then Canticle of Leibowitz. So far, about 15 percent into Dreamsnake and really enjoying it.

[Olivia "So many books--so little time.""]

Currently I'm reading Shine: An Anthology of Optimistic SF which is edited by Jetse de Vries. So far the stories have been enjoyable.

[Summer]

At the moment I'm reading 2001: Space Odyssey. Never seen the film (mainly because my science teacher at school decided to show us the main character just running around and around without any explanation) and only know the really obvious things so really interested and can't wait to get stuck into this one. It's started off really well.

[Michael]

I crushed out everything in my previous post this month and picked up Side Jobs: Stories From the Dresden Files and will then start either Death Masks or The Ghost Brigades once I read the short Dresden stories up to where I am in the series (which might just be 2).

[Angela]

I finished Lock In, which was excellent -- I hope he writes more in this verse -- and am reading The Best of Connie Willis: Award-Winning Stories. I like short stories, and I love Willis's work, so this is a fun read. I've read most of the stories before, but rereading them is no chore, and the occasional new-to-me story is a great fine. There are author's notes after each story, and her note after "Even the Queen" was fun and appropriately snarky. (Her Hugo acceptance speech for this story, however many years ago, was great; I was half expecting to hear an echo of that in the collection notes, but no, she managed to be funny in a whole new way.) There's a reason Connie Willis is tied for Most Fiction Hugos Ever (with Heinlein, IIRC), and this collection is a great intro to her work for anyone who hasn't tried her yet.

Angie

[[deleted user]]

Angela wrote: "I finished Lock In, which was excellent -- I hope he writes more in this verse..."

Given Scalzi's new 13-book contract and his TV Deal for Lock-In, I think you can count on that. (And thanks for that, I think his most recent Old Man's War stories have gotten a little stale.)


Angela wrote: "am reading The Best of Connie Willis: Award-Winning Stories. I like short stories, and I love Willis's work, so this is a fun read. I've read most of the stories before, but rereading them is no chore,..."

That looks like an excellent collection of stories. I've read several of them as individually published novella before: Fire Watch is incredibly good (Nebula Winner) and I love All Seated on the Ground (Hugo winner); I keep meaning to nominate the latter for our short story discussion for some December. :) I'll have to add the collection to my to-read mountain.

[Meghan]

Carlos wrote: "I'm thinking of picking up the The Lies of Locke Lamora seems to be pretty good."

i got bored and faded out of that one.

[Meghan]

The Path of the Storm, starts so strong and then,

[Meghan]

Beth wrote: "I am neer the middle of City of Bones."

i liked the Clockwork Angel ones better.

[Laurel]

Reading The Panopticon. Amazingly cool book.

[[deleted user]]

Michele wrote: "So, two weeks ago I packed up and moved back to California from Florida and I've been kind of a stressed out mess but now I'm settled and internet's hooked up and good to go :)

I've been too distr..."


I read the first in Daughter of Smoke & Bone, but never read on. I'm not sure why, I remember liking it. Is the rest of the series as good as the first?

I just started Seraphina.

[Meghan]

Amelia wrote: "Michele wrote: "So, two weeks ago I packed up and moved back to California from Florida and I've been kind of a stressed out mess but now I'm settled and internet's hooked up and good to go :)

I'v..."

seraphina was good. kinda weird. I haven't picked up the sequel yet.

[[deleted user]]

I bought it and the sequel a couple of months ago on a whim while at Powell's. Having a hard time getting started...it is weird.



(Love that place!! If you're ever near Portland, Oregon it's a must do.)