What are you reading in May, 2014?

[Nick]

Please tell us what you are reading, or plan to read, in May, 2014.

[Lindsey]

Working on Tea at the Blue Lantern Inn: A Social History of the Tea Room Craze in America and a re-read of The Way of Kings right now. Then it's on to Except the Queen for my book club. Hopefully after that I'll get a chance to do more from my dwindling stack of already owned TBR.

[Jim]

Right now it's The Monuments Men. Next up is The Children of the Sky.

[Shel, Moderator]

I'm still working on The Fifth Elephant, which is as hilarious as Discworld always is, then on to Childhood's End for the group read.

[Helen]

I'm finding it difficult to read this week, I'm not well so it could just be that. I'm reading the The Gunslinger.

[Brenda ╰☆╮]

Been reading Princeps' Fury for a couple of months....continuing....
And reading Childhood's End.

[Christine]

I just finished reading Dark Eden which I really enjoyed. Next up is Blood Red Road

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

I finished The Darkness That Comes Before on May 1 and will be reading the next 2 books in that series, but not right away. Right now I'm into Broken Angels and also hope to read the third Takeshi Kovacs book this month. I forgot about Childhood's End being up this month so I might try to squeeze that in, if I have it here at home.

[Chris]

I just started Nightfall. It's okay, but after just having finished Oryx and Crake, Nightfall feels very average.

[Ken]

Finished Little Fuzzy
Not bad, there were some problems but all in all a fun little book

Started Tau Zero

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

Finished Broken Angels and liked it better than the first Takeshi Kovacs book. Oddly, it seemed less grim, although I can't point to anything that explains why I feel that way. I liked the whole Martians aspect--maybe it felt more scifi and that's why I liked it a bit better.

Next up is Childhood's End.

[Shel, Moderator]

I ripped through Childhood's End in a day. Trying to decide what to read next. Too many options in the TBR pile!

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

Finished Childhood's End. On to Book 2 in the Prince of Nothing series.

[Pickle]

ive read Revelation Space, currently reading The Stone Giant & Gerald's Game.

Im going to start Redemption Ark after these. Im really enjoying Gerald's Game and finding The Stone Giant a bit challenging as its dull.

[Christine]

I finished reading Blood Red Road and have now moved on to The Golem and the Jinni

[Ken]

Finished Tau Zero this morning. Very good. Interesting.

Started on the second Fuzzy book Fuzzy Sapiens

[Nick]

Ken wrote: "Finished Tau Zero this morning. Very good. Interesting.

Started on the second Fuzzy book Fuzzy Sapiens"

I loved Tau Zero. I've not been that crazy about other Poul Andersons, so it was a pleasant surprise.

[Shel, Moderator]

I've been teaching my unit on astronomy to my 8th graders, so I picked up Moon Shot: The Inside Story of America's Race to the Moon, which has been sitting on my kindle for a few months. It was okay - I certainly learned from it, but the writing was so-so and it ended with an off-putting rant against the Obama administration's lack of support for the space program.

I was still in a space history kind of mood so now I'm re-reading Apollo 13, which I'd read years ago but don't remember much of the details (besides what's in the Tom Hanks movie, which I've seen at least ten times because I show it to my students every year).

[Lindsey]

Shel wrote: "I've been teaching my unit on astronomy to my 8th graders, so I picked up Moon Shot: The Inside Story of America's Race to the Moon, which has been sitting on my kindle for a few mon..."

If you're still on a space history kick, may I recommend Failure is not an Option: Mission Control From Mercury to Apollo 13 and Beyond, Moon Lander: How We Developed the Apollo Lunar Module, and The Mercury 13: The True Story of Thirteen Women and the Dream of Space Flight? All excellent for different reasons. The Mercury 13 is a moving "behind the scenes" story about the search for qualified future astronauts. Moon Lander gets a bit dry/technical in places but is a great story about the kind of team-building it takes for such a massive technical project.

[Shel, Moderator]

Cool, thanks for the recs! Will look them up :)

[Mekki]

Helen wrote: "I'm finding it difficult to read this week, I'm not well so it could just be that. I'm reading the The Gunslinger."

The first book of the Darktower series was pretty good. It gets crazy in the second book (The Drawing of the Three. Both are one of my favorites.

I'm reading A Memory of Light this month. Once i finish i'll tackle Childhood's End

[Ken]

Shel wrote: "I've been teaching my unit on astronomy to my 8th graders, so I picked up Moon Shot: The Inside Story of America's Race to the Moon, which has been sitting on my kindle for a few mon..."

You should read Rocket Men: The Epic Story of the First Men on the Moon, It didnt have any commentary just the facts maam. First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong is pretty good.
I love all that is Apollo related.
There is also the book the series From the Earth to the Moon was based on A Man on the Moon
I havent read that one yet.

[Ken]

Nick wrote: "I loved Tau Zero. I've not been that crazy about ot..."

It was pretty good, I have read some reviews and most people dont like the characters. I didnt mind it. What I thought was interesting was I guessed part of the ending before it happened. I guess back then it wasnt common knowledge.

[Christine]

I just finished reading The Golem and the Jinni which I greatly enjoyed. I'm about to start A Turn of Light

[Ken]

Finished up Fuzzy Sapiens. Good but Little Fuzzy was better. This one tried to cram to much in this time.

Started on the Malzan Empire book 5 Midnight Tides

[Shel, Moderator]

I just picked up The Unremembered from the library and am looking forward to starting it. I read three short stories set in the Vault of Heaven universe as part of the tor.com collection that I've been working my way through slowly but surely, and really liked them so I'm optimistic about the series!

[Deedee]

Currently reading No Enemy but Time. Slower reading than I anticipated. Planning to start Lycanthia: or The Children of Wolves by Tanith Lee -- looks like it is a non-cuddly werewolf story.

[Juston]

The Risen Empire - Scott Westerfeld. Space Opera is probably my favourite Sci-Fi genre.

[Sumant]

Well I am still stuck with Way of kings I loved the book so much on my kindle that between the middle of the book I ordered a hard copy, and now haven't found time to finish the book.

[Carolyn F.]

I'm reading Keeping It Real

[Louise]

I've been reading The Complete Lyonesses starting with Suldren's Garden recently and it struck me how different contemporary fantasy is. Modern tastes take you so close to the characters, and enforce such empathy, whereas with Vance you skip along the surface as though in an errant fairytale. Rather like the style William Goldman used for the narrative sections The Princess Bride but with less obvious satire. Or maybe just less funny.

[Ken]

Sumant wrote: "Well I am still stuck with Way of kings I loved the book so much on my kindle that between the middle of the book I ordered a hard copy, and now haven't found time to finish the book."

All books on my reader will have the hard copy on my shelf. Couple reasons. One, just want to have a real physical copy. Two, in case I lose the reader, I will have a copy to continue reading
(I almost lost the reader last week)

[Juston]

I'm now reading Scott Westerfeld's, Killing of Worlds

[Kythe42]

I finished reading In the Days: A Tale of the Forgotten Continent by Andy Peloquin.

Review here.

I'm now reading Many Waters by Madeleine L'Engle which feels appropriate since I recently read the first two books in the series and it has a similar theme in some ways to the book I just finished.

[Juston]

I have just finished The Killing of Worlds and I have six days left in May. Should I read Childhood's End or The Way of Kings?

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

Juston wrote: "I have just finished The Killing of Worlds and I have six days left in May. Should I read Childhood's End or The Way of Kings?"

Childhood's End is a quick read.

[Juston]

Cheers Kath! Childhoods end it is .

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

Juston wrote: "Cheers Kath! Childhoods end it is ."

Let us know what you think. :)

[Jae]

I've just re-read Joanne Harris' Chocolat and Lollipop Shoes and read Peaches for Monsieur le Cure. I love the whole magical realism thing. I've just downloaded the sample chapter of Runemarks.

[Shel, Moderator]

I just ripped through The Girl of Fire and Thorns in two days - really fun book, I especially liked the worldbuilding. Going to go buy the rest of the trilogy now ;)

[Juston]

I started The Martian as part of the reads for June. I'm up to chapter 7 now and I have to say I am thoroughly enjoying it. So far it is a very good read. looking forward to the discussion.

[Juston]

I've just finished The Martian by Andy Weir and it was a great read! I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I've just started Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson and so far it is surprising and refreshing.