What Else Are You Reading - January 2018

[Phil]

And I don't imagine anyone will give a crap about Eragon's 200th anniversary.

[Silvana]

Taking a break from SFF and starting the Cormoran Strike series with The Cuckoo's Calling.
The last JKR's non-Harry Potter book I read was Casual Vacancy and I hated it so hopefully this one is better. Really liked the TV series though.

[Colin]

Silvana wrote: "Taking a break from SFF and starting the Cormoran Strike series with The Cuckoo's Calling.
The last JKR's non-Harry Potter book I read was Casual Vacancy and I hated it so hopefully this one is better."

The Casual Vacancy is the only Rowling book I've not really enjoyed. It's a very different kind of book for her. There's no single hero/protagonist and no real mission or goal to be achieved. It's a nicely observed slice-of-life kind of thing, but ultimately didn't really entertain, perhaps because most of the events are pretty grim.

On the other hand, I love love love the Cormoran Strike books! They exist in the small intersection on the Venn diagram of stuff that I read and stuff my wife reads and if it wasn't for Kindle we'd be fighting over who's turn it was to get the book!

[Keith]

Just finished Brainquake by Samuel Fuller - a good noir pulp novel that takes a weird turn. Today I'm cracking open Persepolis Rising.

[Gary]

I finished reading Blood and Tempest (Book #3 of Empire of Storms) by Jon Skovron in January. I am currently reading Murder by Munchausen (Murder by Munchausen Mysteries Book #1) by M.T. Bass. I plan to read Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection (Stormlight Archive 2.5) by Brandon Sanderson next.

[Trike]

At the library last night I saw two books which look interesting, The God Peak and Kangaroo Too. I discovered that they are both follow-ups to debut novels, which the library had. So now I’m starting The God Wave, which sounds akin to a superhero story told in technothriller style, and Waypoint Kangaroo, which sounds like a snarky superspy adventure in the future.

[Tassie Dave, S&L Historian]

Reading Half a King.

Less grim dark than your usual Joe Abercrombie.

So far I'm enjoying it. Joe has a 100% record with me. :-)

[Polwanderer]

Altered Carbon as part of another book club read.

The Long Earth

And non-genre Atonement.

Plus catching up on 2000AD

[Sumant]

Here is my review for Storeys from the Old Hotel.

[John (Taloni)]

Finished up Jupiter War by Neal Asher, last of a trilogy called "The Owner." This was kind of a duty read. I'd read the first one by accident as I thought it was an early Polity book. Then the second was available from the library timely when I was low on reading. Neither were all that good, heaping gobs of meaningless violence in a dystopic future of overpopulation and a totalitarian state.

I got the third just to finish it out. This one continues the musings of the second book, on the man/machine interface, and what exactly makes a human being. There's even more pointless violence, this time with otherwise sympathetic characters doing unsympathetic things. For the decent space opera I would give this book three stars, but only for that. There are some interesting moments involving engineering as space battle tactic, and some orbital mechanic considerations that ring interesting, but they don't make up for the dull plot and characterization.

Overall it feels like a "side" project that a publisher indulges to let the author stretch his wings from the moneymaking series, like Butcher's non-Dresden books. In this case the main series is the many Polity books, which are all at least entertaining, most good potboiler page turners, and occasionally excellent. "The Owner" series feels like it is some half-baked ideas with ultraviolence thrown in because plot. Well, if it helps Asher in turning out good Polity books then I'm all for it. But had I realized what I was getting into I probably would have given this trilogy a miss.

[Alan]

John (Taloni) wrote: "Finished up Jupiter War by Neal Asher,..."
Delighted to read this. I read some of Asher's Polity books a few years back . . . and then stopped, with some regret. Asher can write one hell of a good story - but then he always seems to spoil it with too much (or too excessive) violence.

[Vanessa]

Just finished The Changeling by Victor LaValle and loved it. LaValle is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors - he writes beautifully and creates such a gothic sense of horror in stories based in a contemporary world.

I also dipped my toe into the Star Wars novel world and read Thrawn by Timothy Zahn (thank you again for people's suggestions on another thread!). I really enjoyed it and found it interesting to read a story from the Empire's perspective. Those pesky rebels! This year I plan to read the new canon stuff in story chronological order starting with Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel and watching the Rebels seasons where they fit in between stories.

[Stephen]

Lost Stars and Bloodline by Claudia Gray are excellent. Before the Rebels watch, A New Dawn spins the tale how Hera and Kanan meet.

[Rob, Roberator]

Catching up on my reviews for the last 2 weeks:

The Infernal Battalion - ★★★★★ - I think this is one of the best fantasy series of the last few years. (My Review)

Three Parts Dead - ★★★½☆ - Interesting start to the series, which is a good thing since I bought 5 books when they were on sale last year. (My Review)

Points of Impact - Another decent entry in this series, but not as much happened as I might have liked. ★★★☆☆ (or maybe ★★★½☆ ) - (My Review)

[Rick]

Rob - I like the entire Craft Sequence from Max. However, you have an interesting choice. You can read them in publication order (which I did and which works well) OR you can read them in internal chronological order, indicated by the cover numbering (First Last Snow, etc). There's no wrong choice, just understand that if you read in publication order you'll be moving back and forth in time.

[Rob, Roberator]

Rick wrote: "Rob - I like the entire Craft Sequence from Max. However, you have an interesting choice. You can read them in publication order (which I did and which works well) OR you can read them in internal ..."

Interesting. I always read everything in publication order. Or at least on my first read.

[Rick]

That's how I read it and I liked it. It does mean that you'll know how the events in Last First Snow turn out in broad outline but the appeal of that book to me are the characters and the details of the events.

Just keep in mind that the title numbering is actually the internal chronological sequence of events. The reason it works to read in publication order, though, is that the books aren't a linear arc with the same characters throughout but jump around and show us different bits of the world in different locations and with mostly different characters.

[Rob, Roberator]

Cool. Thanks for the info.

[Joseph]

Finished The Book of Swords and decided it was time for Le Guin, so picked up A Wizard of Earthsea.

[David H.]

The Templars' Last Secret by Martin Walker. Non SF/F. The 10th Bruno Chief of Police mystery (I love these books featuring a small-town policeman in SW France).

Travel Light by Naomi Mitchison. Historical Fantasy. This is really a novella. It's billed as a Children's Fantasy, which I guess I can see (it was written in the '50s), but I really didn't end up liking it--I thought the latter half of the story went in a weird direction, and the finale was a bit "huh." I had picked this up a couple years ago in a Small Beer Press Humble Bundle.

That's Not My Monster by Fiona Watt. Fantasy. A children's board book, each page shows a monster (but not YOURS) who has some body party that's too fluffy or scaly or something. The final page finally has your monster. Riveting. LOL. My son doesn't care, but he's too young for this book (6 weeks old), oh well.

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. Fantasy (possibly Post-Apocalyptic?) This started off a bit slow, but I always found the Mr. Toad chapters hilarious (and read them out loud to my wife). I can see why people call it "cozy," though I'm not sure quite sure I would (since I'm not a Brit in love with the countryside), but some chapters were quite affecting (like the one with Otter's missing kid).

[Misti]

I quite enjoyed As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride. I need to to a movie rewatch soon to catch some of the things mentioned in the book.

Since I'd already read Frankenstein, I wanted to read a sci-fi book next to get a jump on the reading challenge. So I picked Ahsoka.

[Rob, Roberator]

Misti wrote: " I wanted to read a sci-fi book next to get a jump on the reading challenge. So I picked Ahsoka. ."

I really enjoyed that. Did you watch the Clone Wars show?

[Misti]

Rob wrote: "Misti wrote: " I wanted to read a sci-fi book next to get a jump on the reading challenge. So I picked Ahsoka. ."

I really enjoyed that. Did you watch the Clone Wars show?"

Yes, I'm a big fan of the show; Rebels, too. :)

[Vanessa]

Stephen wrote: "Lost Stars and Bloodline by Claudia Gray are excellent. Before the Rebels watch, A New Dawn spins the tale how Hera and Kanan meet."

Thanks, Stephen! I'm actually following the timeline in the link you posted in the Star Wars thread, so will definitely read A New Dawn before watching the series. My order right now is: Catalyst, Lords of the Sith, Tarkin, A New Dawn. The new Solo movie coming out in May is supposed to be between A New Dawn and Rebels Season 1; so I might aim to read the above before May, watch the Solo movie and then hit Rebels.

[Rob, Roberator]

Misti wrote: "Rob wrote: "Misti wrote: " I wanted to read a sci-fi book next to get a jump on the reading challenge. So I picked Ahsoka. ."

I really enjoyed that. Did you watch the Clone Wars show?"

Yes, I'm a..."

Cool. That'll probably be important to enjoying the book I suspect. I'm hoping they do a live action Ahsoka movie at some point..

[Colin]

On a mini binge of Robert Rankin books at the moment. Finished two and started a third so far this month. I've been slowly working through his back catalogue for years, but have recently been trying to get best value from a free trial of Kindle Unlimited. Some of them come with the author's own narration thrown in on Audible.

In non-SF/F books, also ploughing (or plowing, if you prefer) through Dan Brown's Origin while my wife does the same. It's very much what you'd expect. He's got a formula that works for him and he's not about to change it!

[Silvana]

Having a hard time with Octavia Butler's Parable of the Talents because it is so depressing (and can happen).

Starting The City and the City by China Mieville. Interesting that it is my fourth detective novel this month.

[Tassie Dave, S&L Historian]

Started reading A Wrinkle in Time.

This feels like something I should have read when I was in Primary School :-?
I'm only early on in the book, but this is skewing way younger than YA. More like 8 to 12 yo.

I will stick with it.

[John (Taloni)]

It's a "kid's story" the way Narnia is for kids. That is, with a lot of material only older people will fully understand.

[Joseph]

John (Taloni) wrote: "It's a "kid's story" the way Narnia is for kids. That is, with a lot of material only older people will fully understand."

That's very much the reaction I'm currently having to A Wizard of Earthsea

[Tassie Dave, S&L Historian]

John (Taloni) wrote: "It's a "kid's story" the way Narnia is for kids. That is, with a lot of material only older people will fully understand."

As long as it doesn't get into the religious crap that Narnia did, I'll stick with it ;-)

[Elizabeth]

Tassie Dave wrote: "Started reading A Wrinkle in Time.

This feels like something I should have read when I was in Primary School :-?
I'm only early on in the book, but this is skewing way younger than..."

The discussion I've read on it has highlighted the 'before YA was YA' argument - it's Middle Grade fiction but published before the distinction. I'm actually keen to give it a co-read with my 9 year old daughter, who is the target audience.

[Joseph]

Ended up finishing A Wizard of Earthsea in something close to one sitting -- it's relatively short -- and will be starting The Tombs of Atuan later today.

[Tassie Dave, S&L Historian]

Elizabeth wrote: "The discussion I've read on it has highlighted the 'before YA was YA' argument - it's Middle Grade fiction but published before the distinction. I'm actually keen to give it a co-read with my 9 year old daughter, who is the target audience. "

That would be the best way to read it. I co-read the Harry Potter books with my god-daughter. That way we could discuss them.
She was 16 by the last book.

Middle Grade (or Primary School) is where I'd place it's target age range (about 8 to 12)

I'm not hating it. I just wish it was written for a slightly older audience.

[Ruth]

Just finished Turtles All the Way Down which was nothing to do with SFF (although it does have a lot of Star Wars references) but a very good read which left my eyes feeling a little bit damp.

Also for a bit of non-fiction read Do No Harm: Stories of Life, Death and Brain Surgery which was alternately funny and horrifying.

Now onto The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue - a bit of historical fiction with some slow-burn m/m romance thrown in.

I'm reading all sorts of things this month!

[Allison]

Since my last post I finished:

Touch - loved it! Sweeter, deeper and zippier than I anticipated. A great blend of the psychological and action.
Ninefox Gambit - so much fun! This is a space fantasy, but once you let go and let Kel, it's a delight.
The Golem and the Jinni - what a gorgeous book. Trike, you are so right, the setting was palpable.
The Tombs of Atuan - Unintentionally timely. I'm sadder now that I didn't love it, but will of course not let that deter me from finishing the series. (Re: discussion above, Wizard did feel "younger" but I was surprised by how much of it pertained to "bigger" concepts, and got quite scary for a children's book.)
Jews versus Aliens - lots of great stories, several that made me think and/or taught me new things!

and started The City & the City. In classic Mieville he's having too much fun setting up the "new" and taking his sweet @$$ time telling us about the real story. But I'm interested in that story, so we'll see how it goes.

[Phil]

Just finished Beholder's Eye by Julie Czerneda.
I really enjoyed this. It had a similar feel to The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet and examined a lot of different alien cultures. I think it would make a great club pick some day.
Starting The Hidden City.

[Trike]

Finished Waypoint Kangaroo which is about as rompy as the title would suggest. A spy with the superpower of being able to access a pocket universe to hold anything he wants or needs. Too bad he forgot to put the stuff in it he’d need to foil the hijacker of the cruise spaceship he’s on....

The Core came through the library early, so I’ll be reading that along with The God Peak The God Wave next. (Wave is first, Peak is the sequel.) Good thing I have upstairs and downstairs “reading rooms”.

I also got a couple Black Panther collections, as well as I Kill Giants, plus The Art of Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Half my library holds came along at once. #GoodProblems

Allison wrote: "The Golem and the Jinni - what a gorgeous book. Trike, you are so right, the setting was palpable.."

Definitely a terrific book with an evocative and accurate setting.

[Rick]

Phil wrote: "Just finished Beholder's Eye by Julie Czerneda.
I really enjoyed this. It had a similar feel to The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet and examined a lot of different a..."

Czerneda is one of those authors who should be better known.

[Elizabeth]

So for the end of January I finished reading the essays in The Voynich Manuscript (I clearly did not read the actual manuscript). I read for work (and really enjoyed) Witchcraft, the Devil, and Emotions in Early Modern England.

I read another palate-cleansing Brother Cadfael - The Sanctuary Sparrow - and started on Hild, both medieval historical fiction.

And in actual genre fic: The Girl in the Tower was as disappointing as I thought it would be when I checked in at the halfway point. The female lead forgot how to use her brain and instead was led by the nose by Boys into Obvious Traps. I won't be picking up the third novel in the trilogy. But, I started listening to Red Seas Under Red Skies, which balances out my S&L challenge reads with books I've read but don't count!

[Iain]

Finished of Acceptance a strong finish after a slack middle (Authority). Really enjoyed and am interested on how they are going to film this one since so much happens between the ears.

Currently reading The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy to my 14 year old son. Only problem is he just wants me to read the book in one sitting. As god as I remembered. Guess I will have to read the whole trilogy (in five parts).

[David H.]

Hey Iain, as far as I've heard, they're not going to make movies of the sequels, but they may take elements from them for the Annihilation movie itself. (Source: Interviews I've seen with the director)

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

Allison wrote: "...started The City & the City. In classic Mieville he's having too much fun setting up the "new" and taking his sweet @$$ time telling us about the real story. But I'm interested in that story, so we'll see how it goes."

I really enjoyed that one, and it was the first Mieville I've read. He does take a long time to get to the point, and honestly I was really tired of reading the word "crosshatching" by the time I was done. But I found that the story and the setting really stuck with me. My copy had an author interview at the end in which he states that the story doesn't have any hidden meanings and readers should not attempt to metaphorically "decode" it. Wish that had been at the beginning and saved me a lot of time....

[Allison]

Randy wrote: "Allison wrote: "...started The City & the City. In classic Mieville he's having too much fun setting up the "new" and taking his sweet @$$ time telling us about the real story. But I'm interested i..."

Haha! I actually just read through some reviews to see what others thought. This is one of that all of my friends seem to have liked, which I don't think has happened before. But everyone also agreed that it started slow. I'm about 25% in, so I'm gonna stick with it and wait for it to get cool. I think it's a neat concept, but (view spoiler)[the idea of everyone knowing the exact boundaries and unable to walk straight lines or pay attention to physical landmarks that obstruct their way is a bit too much for me to swallow. I'm hoping that the Breach/Orciny/Mahalia angle makes it more logical. (hide spoiler)]