What Else Are You Reading - February 2016

[Rob, Roberator]

New month. What's new with your reading?

[Rob, Roberator]

Now in the 'right' thread...

I finally got to reading Guards! Guards!. I really enjoyed it, as everyone said I would. (My Review)

[AndrewP]

Trying Whispersync for the first time with The First Confessor. So far so good. My only gripe so far is that the narrator doesn't put in the pause in D'Hara and it drives me nuts.

[Trike]

I got The Geography of Genius: A Search for the World's Most Creative Places from Ancient Athens to Silicon Valley at the library today. Pretty good so far (even if he did reference Gladwell's nonsensical "10,000 hours" baloney early on) and it is genuinely funny. I'll be back into the usual SFF mode shortly.

[Richard]

I also read Guards! Guards! this last month, as well as Eric! I'm loving the Discworld, and Guards was the best so far.

I've also readSlaughterhouse-Five, Freedom™, Childhood's End, Lords of the Sith, Another Fine Myth, and The Uplift War

Uplift War and Lords of the Sith were low points of the month for me, while Freedom was the one book I didn't want to put down.

[Trike]

Freedom is excellent. That's Suarez's high point so far, but I've enjoyed all three of his books I've read.

[Rob, Roberator]

Trike wrote: "Freedom is excellent. That's Suarez's high point so far, but I've enjoyed all three of his books I've read."

Really? I thought it was way too over the top and pretty disapointing after Daemon.

[Trike]

Killer cars! Your argument is rendered invalid!

[Geoff]

Killer cars? Sounds like Stephen King.

I'm currently finishing up The Man in the High Castle. I don't know yet what I'll be reading next.

[Sky]

Rob wrote: "Trike wrote: "Freedom is excellent. That's Suarez's high point so far, but I've enjoyed all three of his books I've read."

Really? I thought it was way too over the top and pretty disapointing aft..."

I gotta go with Rob on this one. The first one was technically accurate and believable. I thought he went off the deep end in Freedom.

[Fiona]

I'm reading Elantris and doing Raising Steam on audio.

[Kristina]

Reading Staked now and have The Bands of Mourning sitting here waiting.

[Dara]

Continuing on in the Rain Wilds Chronicles with City of Dragons. Also reading some classic D&D adventures. Read Ravenloft over the weekend and now I'm on to Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Module Temple of Elemental Evil/1.

[Dharmakirti]

I was going to start reading The Vorrh but Radiance inspired me to read some mythology so I started reading The Metamorphoses of Ovid.

[Andy]

I am mid-way through Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits and I think it is OK but I am really hoping that it sticks the finish.

I just finished Daniel Polansky's Low Town trillogy, and that is truly fantastic Grim Dark fantasy.

After that I think I am going to read the next installment of the Peter Grant series - fun urban fantasy.

[Ju]

Books I'm definitely planning on reading this month include and . Uni semester has just started up again though so I expect my reading output to drop (and probably switch to lighter fluffy reading too because need to balance the heavy academic reading.

[Marion]

I just finished reading Downward to the Earth by Robert Silverberg. A surprising and thought-provoking novel that paid homage to Conrad's Heart of Darkness and had direct allusions to both the Old and New Testament. It was definitely ahead of the curve for a science fiction novel published in late 1960s.
I'm currently reading Pilgermann by Russell Hoban and I have Station Eleven on deck.

[Ju]

I'm *really* looking forward to Station Eleven! Also about to read Central Station

[Marion]

Ju wrote: "I'm *really* looking forward to Station Eleven! Also about to read Central Station"

I'm reading Station Eleven for a book group next month and looking forward to it as well.

[Louie]

The Top 100 Mystery Novels of All Time As voted by the Mystery Writers of America

After looking at this list, and reading a Cornell Woolrich novel in January, I got a hankering to read more crime novels. To that goal, I requested The Killer Inside Me, and The Moving Toyshop from my library. I plan on reading a lot of the titles on this list this year, only time will tell how many I actually get to.

[Adelaide]

Louie wrote: " To that goal, I requested The Killer Inside Me, and The Moving Toyshop from my library."

The Moving Toyshop is good, but some of Crispin's later books featuring Gervase Fen are gloriously crazy. LOVE them.

[Brendan]

Stayed up way too late last night to finishCity of Blades. Great, though brutal, book. As is typical of the second book in a trilogy I expect it to end up being the darkest of the three, and it sure does get unexpectedly dark at times.

[Camilla]

I started Before They Are Hanged as an audio book, because I just developed a crush on Steven Pacey's voice...... <3

[Ruth (tilltab) Ashworth]

Finally got around to reading Assassin's Quest and finishing that trilogy. Still a couple of hundred pages to go, but it's good, isn't it :P

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

I started Speak by Louisa Hall, a literary novel with a lot of sci fi content - babybots! Really good so far with intertwining narratives, and different pieces (court documents, journal, email, etc.)

[Whitney]

i just finished reading/ listening to Daughter of Smoke & Bone.

[Rob, Roberator]

I finished listening to The Fall of Hyperion. I enjoyed it, though not as much as the first one (My Review).

I also finished City of Blades. Loved it. It's the best book I've read this year so far (My Review).

[Joseph]

Finished Allan Quatermain (which really was excellent) and am jumping far out of the 19th Century and back to the Expanse with Nemesis Games.

[Rob, Roberator]

Joseph wrote: "Finished Allan Quatermain (which really was excellent) and am jumping far out of the 19th Century and back to the Expanse with Nemesis Games."

Nemesis Games was my favorite read of last year. I hope you enjoy it.

[John (Taloni)]

Joseph wrote: "Finished Allan Quatermain (which really was excellent) |22886612]."

I read King Solomon's Mines while on a "classics" kick to read at least one of the source books for each of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen characters. Found the book moderately interesting if dated. A bit of a slog due to the book's age. Do you think I'd like the sequel?

[Joseph]

John (Taloni) wrote: "Joseph wrote: "Finished Allan Quatermain (which really was excellent) |22886612]."

I read King Solomon's Mines while on a "classics" kick to read at least one of the source books for..."

I think it'd be worth a shot -- the actual lost civilization is better. The writing style is going to be pretty similar, of course. I'd actually recommend She over AQ.

[Christopher]

I just finished Cetaganda and continue to like every entry in the Vorkosigan series. That book had the perfect amount of mystery and political intrigue.

I've just started The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers since I finally reached the front of the line for this ebook from the library. I'm only 20 pages or so in, and I'm already enjoying the writing and the worldbuilding. The way it immediately addresses the racism that is probably inevitable in a confederation of worlds with various species was pretty smooth and not heavy-handed at all.

I'll likely be reading Valor's Choice by Tanya Huff next as that also came in from the library.

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Christopher wrote: "I've just started The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers since I finally reached the front of the line for this ebook from the library. I'm only 20 pages or so in, "

This one is supposedly on its way to me from the UK. I have been waiting NOT so patiently. :)

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

Just started reading Mars by Ben Bova which is about the first manned mission to that planet. So far I've been enjoying it.

[Phil]

Just finished Hybrids by Robert J. Sawyer, the third in the Neanderthal Parallax trilogy.
I always enjoy his books. They're usually filled with philosophical discussions and scientific details and this one was no exception. He also writes in a straightforward and almost invisible style which is a bit of a relief after some of the other books I've read lately like Radiance.
There was one rather ironic line that takes a bit of set up and remembering this was written in 2003. In the first book of the trilogy, one of the main characters gets raped and repercussions of this feature throughout the series. In this book she is reminding herself that not all men are evil and there are good men like " Phil Donahue and Pierre Trudeau and Ralph Nader and Bill Cosby." I imagine Sawyer wishes he could go back and edit that.
Starting The Lies of Locke Lamora.

[Kristina]

Chakara wrote: "i just finished reading/ listening to Daughter of Smoke & Bone."

Loved those!

[Dharmakirti]

I started reading The Madness Season.

[Trike]

About 2/3 of the way through His Majesty's Dragon which is solid if not terribly exciting. Rather like the main character, actually. I find the dragons are a little too fantastic for my taste, but it's okay overall.

Still reading The Geography of Genius. It's slow going because he has too many asides from his daily life and I keep stopping to look up his references or simply photographs of places he's talking about.

[AndrewP]

Olivia wrote: "Just started reading Mars by Ben Bova which is about the first manned mission to that planet. So far I've been enjoying it."

That's a great series. All near future exploration of the solar system. There are two direct sequels to that one, Return to Mars and Mars Life

[Trike]

AndrewP wrote: "Olivia wrote: "Just started reading Mars by Ben Bova which is about the first manned mission to that planet. So far I've been enjoying it."

That's a great series. All near future exploration of the solar system. There are two direct sequels to that one, Return to Mars and Mars Life"

I'm holding out for the series to be complete with Real Housewives of Mars and Phobos Medium.

[Joseph]

Finished Nemesis Games in almost no time at all and -- hey! there's another Expanse novella! -- am starting The Vital Abyss.

[Christopher]

Jenny (Reading Envy) wrote: "Christopher wrote: "I've just started The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers since I finally reached the front of the line for this ebook from the library. I'm only 20 pages or so ..."

I didn't even realize this has only been released as an ebook in the US. I hope you enjoy it! I'm about halfway through and liking it quite a bit.

Joseph wrote: "Finished Nemesis Games in almost no time at all and -- hey! there's another Expanse novella! -- am starting The Vital Abyss."

I keep putting off starting this series. I've been reading nothing but space opera as of late so it should fit right in. Looks like I'm hold 44 on 12 copies of Leviathan Wakes... I guess I have enough time to finish all the series I've started.

[Dharmakirti]

I'm just a little over 20% through The Madness Season and Earth's alien conquerors have abducted a vampire. This is awesome.

[Kristina]

Dharmakirti wrote: "I'm just a little over 20% through The Madness Season and Earth's alien conquerors have abducted a vampire. This is awesome."

That. sounds. awesome. +1 to the to reads list.

[Sky]

I read Station Eleven with my wife. It was pretty good. I read City of Blades and it was awesome. I am still working my way through Reaper's Gale.

Graphic novel wise, I read Mobile Suit Gundam: THE ORIGIN volume 1: Activation, Mobile Suit Gundam: THE ORIGIN vol. 2: Garma, and Locke & Key, Vol. 1: Welcome to Lovecraft.

Next up I'll still be working my way through Reaper's Gale, and will read the next volumes of Gundam Origin and Locke & Key. I also bought Low, Vol. 1: The Delirium of Hope and Volume 2, along with Descender, Vol. 1: Tin Stars.

I am deciding whether to start Leviathan, The Thousand Names, or Pandora's Star next in audio. I may do them in length shortest to longest.

[Rob, Roberator]

I've done 2/3 (haven't done Leviathan) and I'd recommend Thousand Names. Pandora's Star is good, but not only is it long, it's only half of the story. You kind of need to jump right into the second book.

[Sky]

Thanks! I was leaning towards Thousand Names, but thought I should throw more sci-fi in the mix. But I've been wanting to read Thousand Names for a while, so ...

[Rob, Roberator]

That series has been really good, especially the third book. We've read all 3 over in the other group. The narrator is good too.

[Joseph]

Leviathan was fun in a YA steam/dieselpunk sort of way.

[Aildiin]

Just finished The Bands of Mourning ( better than the previous Mistborn for me), currently working my way through City of Stairs( so far it's really good) and I am number one in line for Morning Star at the library and I can't wait to get my hands on it ! ( most looked forward book of 2016 for me).