What are you reading in June, 2017?

[Nick]

Please let us know what your are reading, or plan to read, in June, 2017. All genres are welcome here, not only SF/F/H.

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

I started Flame of Sevenwaters. Good so far and quite different from the previous books in this series, IMO.

[Bill's]

Continuing with Larry Niven's Known space. Currently reading Juggler of Worlds. Next is Destroyer of Worlds, which I may get to this month depending on how my other reading goes.

Reading:
The Strangest Man: The Hidden Life of Paul Dirac, Mystic of the Atom
Starship Troopers

I still haven't got to the Asimov books that I said I was going to read in April and May.

I also plan to get going on The Expanse series sometime soon.

[Jim]

Currently reading Night Lamp by Jack Vance.

[Random]

Finished The Stars My Destination. I'll leave comments for the discussion once it starts.

Also finished Defending Elysium. I thought Firstborn was good and this easily stands right beside it.

Not sure what I'm going to start next. Possibly either Faller or Halo. Or my husband has raved about the new Scalzi book. We'll see.

[Ken]

Finished How to Watch a Movie. It wasnt what I was expecting and it wasnt that good. Interesting though

Started Grass

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

I was flying over Greenland, reading Antarctica by Kim Stanley Robinson. About 1/4 done, lots of detail.

[Bill]

Kathi wrote: "I was flying over Greenland, reading Antarctica by Kim Stanley Robinson. About 1/4 done, lots of detail."

I read this when it first came out and quite enjoyed it. I didn't get around to reviewing it though :-(

I need more bookshelf space, so have decided to read all the thick books on the shelf. To this end, I'm reading books 8, 9 and 10 of the Culture series by Iain M. Banks.

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

Bill wrote: "I need more bookshelf space, so have decided to read all the thick books on the shelf. To this end, I'm reading books 8, 9 and 10 of the Culture series by Iain M. Banks. "

Yet another series I need to get back to. I've read #1, 2, and 7 (out of order because our group was reading it, I think).

[Bill]

Kathi wrote: "...Yet another series I need to get back to. I've read #1, 2, and 7 (out of order because our group was reading it, I think)..."

I don't think it matters much. I've been reading more or less in publication order and they seen stand-a-lones in the same universe.

http://thewertzone.blogspot.com/2009/... gives a chronoligical order as well as a publication order:

Chronological Order
I don't recommend the chronological order, since I don't think Banks was paying enormous attention to this when writing the books. For example, Excession (which is set 400 years after Consider Phlebas) has a clear reference to the events of The Player of Games, but the latter novel is set well over 700 years after Consider Phlebas, which is a clear discrepancy. Still, for the curious, the order the books apparently takes place in is as follows:

Consider Phlebas (1331 AD)
Excession (c. 1775)
Matter (c. 1800)
The State of the Art (1977)
The Player of Games (c. 2085)
Use of Weapons (2092)
Look to Windward (c. 2170)

[Jim]

Bill wrote: "Kathi wrote: "...Yet another series I need to get back to. I've read #1, 2, and 7 (out of order because our group was reading it, I think)..."

For example, Excession (which is set 400 years after Consider Phlebas) has a clear reference to the events of The Player of Games, but the latter novel is set well over 700 years after Consider Phlebas, which is a clear discrepancy. "

I've read and enjoyed all of the Culture series. I started with Excession, which was just by chance. Looking back, I would recommend starting with The Player of Games because it gives perhaps the best introduction into the workings of the Culture and doesn't harm any reading of the others.

[Anomander]

All Systems Red by Martha Wells, a novella you'll enjoy if you like snarky robots.

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

Jim wrote: "I've read and enjoyed all of the Culture series. I started with Excession, which was just by chance. Looking back, I would recommend starting with The Player of Games because it gives perhaps the best introduction into the workings of the Culture and doesn't harm any reading of the others."

I've read The Player of Games. It seemed more straightforward that Consider Phlebas, which was pretty baffling to me at the time I read it.

[Nick]

Bill wrote: "Kathi wrote: "I was flying over Greenland, reading Antarctica by Kim Stanley Robinson. About 1/4 done, lots of detail."

I read this when it first came out.... I didn't get around to reviewing it though :-(

I need more bookshelf space, so have decided to read all the thick books on the shelf. To this end, I'm reading books 8, 9 and 10 of the Culture series by Iain M. Banks."

# 8 Matter is my favorite of the series. Not only that, it is one of my favorite sci-fi books, period. I think this is because the conversations between the lady who is the "leading" character and the members of the Culture help to explain what the Culture actually is. But also, the planet is simply a fascinating construct, what with all of its artificial "layers" of which the inhabitants are pretty much unaware, but then again somehow are. --and then, there's the angle that a lot of the characters seem to be out of a pulp Western, because that's kinda what defines the main level of the planet where most plot movement takes place. And then there's the whole philosophy of the relationship of "Soul" to "matter." There are so many levels to the book.

It was the second one of the series I read, I believe, and since then have read many more and realized that Banks goes over the same territory, philosophically, in many of them, so maybe if you've read a lot of others, this one would not have the impact it did on me. But I will always consider Matter one of my absolute sci-fi favorites.

[Bill]

@Nick - I recently finished Matter and I completely agree. Iain surely has no problems killing off our friends ;-)

[Christine]

I read Escape Clause (out of genre) which I consider summer reading. I just finished reading the novella Binti which I highly recommend. Now on to Linesman. I'm reading Justine's favorites...

[Jim]

Bill wrote: "@Nick - I recently finished Matter and I completely agree. Iain surely has no problems killing off our friends ;-)"

Banks' Scottish wit could sometimes be ruthless.

[Ken]

I started Grass but wasnt into it
So I spent an hour looking for something else to read. I almost picked up Use of Weapons but decided I wanted to finish the Scalzi read I am on. So started Zoe's Tale

Going to finish all my Scalzi books then turn to finish the Culture books

[Random]

I'm still working my way through Faller as I've gotten distracted. Got an invite to the closed beta for the relaunch of a game my husband and I have really enjoyed.

It's interesting but not gripping. Not sure it won't get set aside for something else which grabs my attention.

[Shel, Moderator]

Re-reading old favorites through lack of brainpower. I'm on a Guy Gavriel Kay kick and right now am working on Tigana.

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

I finished Antarctica and am now back in the Saga of Recluce with Ordermaster.

[Stacie]

I've been on a tv shows I like reading bender. Just finished all of the available Expanse books, they were enjoyable. Entertaining, bizarre, and well written diversion I thought. Just last night I finished American Gods, and good Lord was that ever a stinker for me. I literally finished it just to say that I had because I know people who worship Gaiman and would blame my dislike on not following through.

I'm going to read some Patrick Rothfuss, The Name of the Wind has been on my "want to read" list too long. Also going to see if Brandon Sanderson has anything new to read out, I think I need a mind-palate cleanser after American Gods!

[Bill]

Shel wrote: "Re-reading old favorites through lack of brainpower. I'm on a Guy Gavriel Kay kick and right now am working on Tigana."

There's great comfort in re-reading old favorites. I love them.

[Random]

Stacie wrote: "I've been on a tv shows I like reading bender. Just finished all of the available Expanse books, they were enjoyable. Entertaining, bizarre, and well written diversion I thought. Just last night I ..."

I adore Neal Gaiman, but American Gods is not my favorite by a long shot. I wouldn't call it a stinker exactly, just didn't enjoy it much.

I've been going through a bender on some of Sanderson's short works. Nice palate cleanser I would think. I really really liked Firstborn and Shadow for Silence in the Forests of Hell. I've really liked Legion and Skin Deep as well.

[Jim]

Just finished a YA classic, The Secret of Saturn's Rings and now for a change of pace: As The Crow Flies (Walt Longmire #8) by Craig Johnson.

[Christine]

I just finished Linesman which i greatly enjoyed and recommend; I got a bit lost in some of the politics and wish there was a listing of the characters and their relationships. Now out of genre with A Thousand Yesteryears

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

Count me as another who enjoys some of Neil Gaiman's books, but American Gods was not one of them. It was OK but did not live up to the hype, IMO.

I finished Ordermaster and thought it was not one of the better books in the Recluce Saga, but at least the main character was not a rebellious and somewhat whiny kid. Then I read A Wreath of Stars, a SF book from the 1970s that I ended up enjoying a lot more than I thought I would. Now out of genre with another William Monk mystery, Blind Justice.

[DivaDiane]

I finally finished Foundation and Empire!! It was a long slog, especially because I read it aloud to my husband and because it was a pretty major snooze-fest he'd fall asleep right away (me too)! But it's over! Obviously I didn't like it as much as the first one, but we will eventually read the third. My husband says he has no idea what was so riveting when he was a teenager!

For now we're taking a break from Asimov's to read the new Robin Hobb - Assassin's Fate. So far, big thumbs up!

I also finished reading the 2nd installment of Dragons of Deltora to my son. Pretty dark stuff this series. But very good.

[Cassandra]

The Moon Moth and Other Stories by Jack Vance (ebook); Consider Phlebas by Iain M Banks; The Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood.

[Jim]

Cassandra wrote: "The Moon Moth and Other Stories by Jack Vance (ebook); Consider Phlebas by Iain M Banks; The Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood."

Very nice selection!

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

I recently started Wit'ch Fire, book one of The Banned and the Banished series by James Clemens. I 'm not very far, it it has captured my interest and I'm finding it hard to put down.

[Christine]

I finished A Thousand Yesteryears which was a nice summer read; now back in genre with The Queen of the Tearling. I'm still reading Justine's favorites list!!