What else are you reading? - November 2015

[Phil]

Looks like Dec. club pick is Arrows of the Queen by Mercedes Lackey

[Misti]

Phil wrote: "Looks like Dec. club pick is Arrows of the Queen by Mercedes Lackey"

Ooh, that's a good one.

[Geoff]

Arrows of the Queen appears to be another book that my library has chosen not to buy because having the first book in a series would be too logical. (I kid. My library is great but this is a little annoying)

[Stephen]

My local library did not have it, so I bought the ebook version that had all three stories in one book for 9.99
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00U...

[Kell]

Starting up House of Leaves and looking forward to getting confused and scared. I've heard a ton of good things about it, and I'll be finding out soon enough!

[Joanna Chaplin]

Oh, man. I just read The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet and it just rocked my socks. Exactly the sort of character-focused scifi I adore.

[Gaines]

I just started reading The Dosadi Experiment by Frank Herbert. At first I was bummed to find out that it's the second book in a "sort of series" -- the ConSentiency Universe (the first book of which is Whipping Star) -- however, despite a bit of confusion, it seems to more or less be a stand-alone novel, so I'm going to keep going. *shrug* Perhaps I'll go back and read Whipping Star afterward :-) Although, I don't have a copy. Hmmmm. O.O

[Gaines]

Joanna wrote: "Oh, man. I just read The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet and it just rocked my socks. Exactly the sort of character-focused scifi I adore."

I'll have to check that out :-)

[Rob, Roberator]

Stephen wrote: "My local library did not have it, so I bought the ebook version that had all three stories in one book for 9.99
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00U......"

Thanks for that. I'll put that in the announcement thread too.

[Jenelle]

Currently reading Golden Daughter, and just got the final book in the Mistborn trilogy for my birthday, so that's probably next on my list!

[AndrewP]

Stephen wrote: "My local library did not have it, so I bought the ebook version that had all three stories in one book for 9.99
"

I hope it wasn't the same library as I went to:) It wasn't on the shelves but I found a hardback of the entire trilogy in the bookstore for $1.50 SCORE !

[John (Taloni)]

Ack, another series, and I'm just getting done with the Dresden Files. OTOH I'm overdue to read some Mercedes Lackey. Probably I'll make use of that link above for the trilogy.

I'm sure I could find it used, but these days I loooooove my kindle.

[Kate]

Oh yay! My library has it through Overdrive! I'm excited, I've never read Mercedes Lackey.

[Lindsay]

Read The Widow's House. The series continues to be great with all the pieces set up for the final volume. My Review.

Read The Shadow Cabinet. Third book of this series and concludes the story from book two. Good YA urban fantasy. My Review.

Read Surfacing. Very literary. My Review.

Read Domnall and the Borrowed Child. Good, but felt like the first part of a novel rather than a complete story. My Review.

Read The Thief. This is the middle volume of Claire North's brilliant Gameshouse novella series. My Review.

Read Illuminae. Amazingly good. Told in epistolary format, but in such a wonderful way, you'd find it hard to imagine it otherwise. My Review.

About to reread The Kingdom of Gods.

[Misti]

Finished up this month's pick (loved it!). Going to go ahead and start re-reading Arrows of the Queen. It's been at least five years since I've read it and I've been wanting to read it again after discovering the Tor read through.

[Viola]

Reading The Long Earth. Very good.

[Rick]

Finished the last book in M John Harrison's Empty Space trilogy titled, well, Empty Space. Brilliant, but VERY different from other books.

[Phil]

Just finished Time and Again. It was ok but for too much detail on the clothing and architecture and I found the anti-science message at the end disturbing.
Starting The Story of Doctor Dolittle. What the hell; I liked the movie from the 60's with Rex Harrison when I was a kid.

[terpkristin]

Since last posting (it's been awhile), I've finished The Aeronaut's Windlass and started and finished The Warded Man. As of this typing, neither are marked as finished in my Goodreads list...I've been a bit of a slacker. :) But I really enjoyed both books. I'm looking forward to the next book in each series, though luckily the 2nd book (and more!) in The Demon Cycle is already out (as opposed to having to wait for the next Cinder Spires book).

I've started Time and Again and have picked up Arrows of the Queen to start, as well as grabbing The Desert Spear in Kindle and audio, for whenever I'm ready to read either format next. I didn't think the narrator for The Warded Man (Demon Cycle #1) was very good, but I'll give him a second chance in book 2 since no audio is available for AotQ.

[Dharmakirti]

While at lunch, I read R. Scott Bakker's recent short story "Crash Space" and thought it was pretty damn awesome. The story appeared in a recent issue of the journal Midwest Studies in Philosophy that is dedicated to the relationship between scifi and philosophy. Bakker's story has to do with transhumanism and brain engineering. The story contains adult material.

If you don't have access to academic journals, the author has posted the pre-published, pre-peer reviewed version over on his blog. https://rsbakker.files.wordpress.com/...

[Sumant]

Here is my review of pandora's star really liked this book.

I am currently reading The Gap Into Conflict: The Real Story one of the darkest books I have read this year.

[Dharmakirti]

Sumant wrote: "Here is my review of pandora's star really liked this book.

I am currently reading The Gap Into Conflict: The Real Story one of the darkest books I have read this year."

I really liked The Gap Into Conflict and I look forward to continuing the series, but yeah, it is pretty dark. Angus Thermopylae is one of the most repugnant characters I've ever read.

[Sumant]

True that Dharmakirti.

[Whitney]

trying to do a few things this month. I picked up a library copy of Leviathan Wakes. I am also working on books that have been on my TBR for the longest time so I am also listening and reading The Calling and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and I've started dabbling with The Eye of the World. wish me luck.

[Lariela]

I just got Jeweled Fire by Sharon Shinn.

[Kristina]

Been working on some YA stuff my teen recommended.. did 2 books of Throne of glass (loving it) and beautiful creatures (also loved it). Decided to pick up Happy Hour in Hell next. I've been wanting to read it for ages and I'm ready for a break from the YA scene.

[Laura]

I finished reading Dracula. I'm almost done with Grave Peril, and I'm about half done with The Martian. I'm enjoying both very much.

[Keith]

just finished Splinter of the Mind's Eye, the first Star Wars continuation novel. Man, Lucas really messed things up for people when he decided Luke and Leia were siblings, because there is an awful lot of "Luke felt the curve of her body brush against his..." young love in this. otherwise, it's a purposely lo-fi (in case Star Wars flopped) swamp planet adventure.

[Joseph]

Keith wrote: "just finished Splinter of the Mind's Eye, the first Star Wars continuation novel. Man, Lucas really messed things up for people when he decided Luke and Leia were siblings, because the..."

I remember seeing that book in a drugstore paperback rack back in, what, 1978? and being super excited at ANOTHER STAR WARS NOVEL!!!!!11!!!1! I suspect that if I revisited it, I'd be ... less excited.

Speaking of Star Wars, I'm continuing through the new novels -- finished Star Wars: The Rise of the Empire and started Heir to the Jedi, both of which are enjoyable if not great.

[Sumant]

Here is my review of gap cycle, book-1.

[John (Taloni)]

Finished up all 15 of the Dresden Files books. Largely good, each individual one delivers. Some multi book story arcs drag on too long.

Now on to some more Discworld. I'll get on to the pick of the month soon, and Seveneves when it's my turn on the library book.

[Trike]

Keith wrote: "just finished Splinter of the Mind's Eye, the first Star Wars continuation novel. Man, Lucas really messed things up for people when he decided Luke and Leia were siblings, because the..."

This is part of the evidence I use to point out that Lucas was just making stuff up as he went along and there wasn't any master plan. This book was vetted and partially co-plotted by Lucas. That wasn't Foster going off on his own spinning yarns.

I read it when it came out and I recall really liking it. I kind of think the design of the Mako from Mass Effect was based in the description of the vehicles they use in this book.

[Phil]

Just finished The Story of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting. Actually quite a fun little read although the 100 year old African stereotypes were a little jarring. I'd recommend caution reading an unedited version of this to a child.
Starting Arrows of the Queen.

[Joel]

Currently reading The Six by Mark Alpert.

It is a YA book about terminally ill teens who are recruited to fight an AI by transferring their minds into machines. It has been surprisingly entertaining.

Currently listening to Empire of Ivory by Naomi Novik.

[Misti]

I finished Arrows of the Queen this afternoon. Loved it as much as I did the first time around. Now it's on to The Clockwork Crown.

[Stephen]

Just finished Sorcerer to the Crown and wow, was it good. If you liked Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell and the Harry Potter tales, you will like this tale. Works as a YAD book, so if you need a gift for the Potter reader who needs to up their game, this is it.

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

Right now I'm reading Mother of Storms by John Barnes. It's about a big hurricane that spawns more hurricanes. So far it has been a page-turner.

[Adrienne]

I just finished Kitty Goes to War by Carrie Vaughn & now I'm starting on Lady of the Rivers by Phillipa Gregory.

[Rob, Roberator]

I'm way behind on my reviews, in fact despite writing 5 today, I still have another 5 to write (hopefully next weekend).

Anyways, here's the first batch:

The Man in the High Castle. Great ideas, but the story just never really grabbed me. (My Review)

Sea of Silver Light. Really satisfying conclusion to a series I enjoyed. (My Review)

Master of Formalities Fun and light, but not as good as his Magic 2.0 series. (My Review)

The Fifth Season. This one is a contender for my favorite book of the year. I don't think my review does it justice, but here it is anyways: (My Review)

I also did a quick review for Ms. Marvel, Vol. 2: Generation Why so I could reference the book before returning it. It's a fun series so far. (My Review)

[Laura]

I finished Grave Peril, which I enjoyed but not quite as much as the first two. Then I finished The Marian, which is as good as everyone has been saying. I greatly enjoyed that.

Next is The Last of the Mohicans. The Pioneers was poorly paced, but I heard that the other Leatherstocking Tales are better.

[Dharmakirti]

All the cool DC shows on tv has given me the urge to read some comics, so over the weekend, I reread Grant Morrison's awesome Final Crisis.

[Aaron]

Finished Hell's Foundations Quiver and Raising Caine both good continuations of series. About 1/2 way though Renegade it's been pretty great so far but I expect nothing else from Joel Shepard.

[Keith]

Finished The Moneypenny Diaries: Guardian Angel and found it to be a damn sight better than many of the more official James Bond continuation novels. Really digs into 007's self-indulgence and self-loathing, as well as the impact he has on the women in his life. And it fleshes out the series' least fleshed out character in a way that is exciting and believable, rather than pulling some juvenile "oh, did we ever mention Moneypenny is a kungfu master and had giant adventures?" It reads a bit more like Le Carre than 007.

Now starting Jim Butcher's The Aeronaut's Windlass. He's managed to get brass, copper, aether, airships, goggles, a dashing captain, and a society girl with dreams of adventure all in the first two chapters, so he's got the steampunk checklist down. That said, it's a pretty fun read so far.

[[deleted user]]

About to finish Sex on the Moon: The Amazing Story Behind the Most Audacious Heist in History. I really enjoy this book about stealing moon rocks. Maybe because I know the places and scientists. I never knew the thief, but I do remember the buzz when we learned about the robbery. We have an intern program (Lunar and Planetary Institute) and we were worried for a while that it was one of our interns who was responsible. Some did work in Building 31 where the rocks are stored. Two thumbs up, but I may not be a typical reader.

[Joseph]

Continuing on with new Star Wars (which, for whatever reason, I decided to read in order of publication, more-or-less), I finished Heir to the Jedi and am starting Paul S. Kemp's Lords of the Sith.