What Else Are You Reading in 2018? Showing 701-750 of 3,893

[Meredith]

Thanks Ashley and Michele. Probably won't recommend because of the sexual aspect, thanks for the head's up.

[Jacqueline]

My eldest son started reading them when he was 10 or 11 and loved them.....I read them too so that we could discuss the books and if he had questions he could ask me. If I remember rightly it’s not explicit sex. And it’s not in the first books. I say let her read them. But you read them too.

Tamora Pierce writes great stories about strong women (and men). Little girls need strong role models. Alanna, Beka, Dane, Sandry and Tris (among others) are strong role models.

My son loved them so much that he’s 29 next week and still loves them and he wants her new one for his Birthday.

[Jo]

just finished heir ascendant tonight. will be finishing up daddy darkest in next few days.

[Bobby]

Meredith wrote: "My niece is 11 and a voracious reader. She definitely likes fantasy series (Harry Potter and others). My poor sister is having a hard time finding new stuff for her to read. I've never read them, b..."

There was a thread in Recommendations about sci fi books for a 10 year old, but there were a few fantasy suggestions in there. here is a link. https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

If you think the Lioness books might be a little too much for her, Tamora Pierce has other books that would still be great for an 11 year old. The protector of the small quartet was one of my favorite series growing up, and even though I'm 30 I just re-read it last year. There was no sex in it, and it's a great book showing a strong female protagonist overcoming adversity. The first book is Page. She also has books set in another world that are for younger readers. There are 3 series, with the first being the Circle of Magic. The first book is Tris's Book, and it is definitely appropriate for children. I haven't read the next two series, but judging from the first 4 books, they should be great for an 11 year old.

[Meredith]

Bobby, Thank you for that link. I will definitely dig into it. I'm thinking Tamora Pierce might be better in a couple years (since my sister probably won't pick and choose, just pull any book by an author). I do like that she has strong female leads.

[Ashley in Wonderland]

That’s great info Bobby, thanks! I’m wanting to give my Song of the Lioness books to my daughters but haven’t decided at what age would be appropriate, but it’s great to know that there are others they could start reading a lot sooner! (My oldest is 8). From what I understand, Song of the Lioness was originally written as one novel and more for adults, but the publisher asked Pierce to change it. I think the books would’ve been better the original way.

[Udayan]

First post !!!

Read some great ones already this year. "Iron Gold" by Pierce Brown, "The Bear & the Nightingale" by Katherine Arden and "Children if Time" by Adrian Tchaikovsky. Also Expanse VII, "Persepolis Rising".

Currently on "Rivers of London" by Ben Aronovitch and "Annihilation" by Jeff Vandermeer.

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

Ashley wrote: "That’s great info Bobby, thanks! I’m wanting to give my Song of the Lioness books to my daughters but haven’t decided at what age would be appropriate, but it’s great to know that there are others ..."

I read the Tamora Pierce books at 11 first (I'm pretty sure each of the Tortall series touches on sex but never in an explicit way. It will say things like "they share a bedroll" and that's that). The Magic Circle books are safe a little younger but are still good reads for preteens.

Re: Tortall books, I think the way the relationships are explored are a waaaay healthier read for a kid on the edge of puberty than say Twilight, but I also find discussion of safe, consensual sex to be something we should talk to kids about younger than 18, so obviously YMMV. HIGHLY recommend the books though! I just gifted the Lioness books and the Magic Circle to a 9 and 6 year old, with their mom's approval, of course!

[Jacqueline]

The publishers recommended reading age for Alanna is 10. As I said before they are suitable for children of that age especially if you read them at the same time to answer any questions.

I was a Mum who wouldn’t let my kids watch movies and TV shows until they were old enough to watch them. I didn’t listen to “oh but X’s Mum lets him watch them”. I was the same with books and they didn’t read age inappropriate books. I read Alanna (and the rest of the Tamora Pierce books) and I deemed it to be age appropriate for my 10ish year old son. Sure some people might not agree but this is coming from a Mother who was pretty strict about what they did read.

If you don’t let them read Alanna because of a little non specific sex then the death and violence in the Harry Potter books should also take them off the table. And Harry Potter is extremely dark in the final books.

Sorry if this seems a little ranty but I do believe that 11 is the perfect age for Tamora Pierce.

Oh and while we’re thinking about books for 11 year olds there’s a great one called Nevermoor:The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend which would also be perfect for her. I read it in January and it is pretty great.

[Meredith]

Thanks Jacqueline, Allison and everyone, for all your thoughts. I think the answer for me is that I need to read a book or two myself (never a bad thing) so I can recommend them based on personal knowledge. But I really appreciate the thoughts you have shared as readers and a mom (since I'm the auntie and I don't have kids). cheers!

[Travis]

Jacqueline wrote: "The publishers recommended reading age for Alanna is 10. As I said before they are suitable for children of that age especially if you read them at the same time to answer any questions. "

I'm also a pretty strict parent whose kids don't get to watch many of the things their friends do, and I've read most of the Tortall books. I would be thrilled if my 10-year-old son read the Lioness books and then went on from there.

[Jennifer]

I would recommend some of the books of Diana Wynne Jones, there is usually magic with no sexual content (try the Chrestomanci first).

I also really like Frances Hardinge. I really want my baby niece to read The Lie Tree by example but it will be years before she can. This one is more historic than fantasy but some of her other books are more fantasy like A Face Like Glass and Fly by Night.

[Ashley in Wonderland]

I agree with all of you; Allison, Jacqueline, and Travis. The sex and relationships are done well, and I might change my mind about the books when my kids are that age. My issues with Alanna’s promiscuity are probably more personal, reader-to-beloved character complaints, that should be taken to the buddy read thread (I have a motherly feeling towards Alanna and just want her to make better choices. She needs a real mother figure in her life, I think).

I was 11 when the first Harry Potter book came out, so a little bit older for the darker books. But I guess my opinion on the violence vs. sex point is that unfortunatly violence is not something I can really shield from my kids - not that I allow them to watch violent shows or play violent video games - but it’s all around us, in real life. Death, violence, terror, evil is everywhere. But I think reading about a great young hero like HP defeating the ultimate evil is not the same as absorbing content that glorifies violence. To me, sex is something I can shield my kids from, if I’m careful, until I feel they’re ready for the subject.

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

Good thoughts. I've started a thread on sex and violence where we can continue the conversation, should folks so desire!

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Rachel]

Oh I feel the exact opposite- s x is completely natural so I shouldn’t shield them much but violence in our culture is so overdone I should shield as much as possible as long as ai can

[Jacqueline]

Urgh stayed up until 2am reading A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton. Couldn’t put the damned thing down. I ended up reading it with a bloody torch in bed. I went to bed at 12.30 and thought “oh just a few pages”. Yeahhh about that. Not a few pages....it was ALL the rest of the pages. Feeling a bit tired and like I have a hangover this morning.

I’d seen Sue Grafton books around forever but didn’t read them. I noticed the name because we used to live in a town called Grafton years ago and I noticed it when it was on the shelves.

Her recent death caught my attention and I found a couple of her books in the $2 bin at the second hand bookstore. This one was $8 secondhand though. I thought I’d better start with A.

I really wish I’d picked one up way back then instead of waiting until she was gone. I really enjoyed it. I’ve always loved to read books about murder and mystery solved by a plucky detective. Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden, Hardy Boys and then Agatha Christie were always my go tos. Now Sue Grafton is added to that list. I recently started reading James Patterson’s Women’s Murder Club books too. Don’t mind them either but I think I like Kinsey better.

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

I finished A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin and gave it 5 stars.

[Phrynne]

Finished Iron Gold by Pierce Brown
My review.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Trike]

Jacqueline wrote: "I ended up reading it with a bloody torch in bed."

Intellectually I know this is a Britishism meaning “a damn flashlight” but the image it conjures for me is hilariously horrifying.

[Phrynne]

She could have written "I ended up bloody reading it with a torch in bed."
Actually that doesn't improve it does it!

[Jacqueline]

Also an Aussie thing....sorry if I conjured up nasty images.

And no the torch was the bloody thing not the reading so the first way was correct. Actually at 2am I suppose it’s more like bloody reading with a bloody torch. I would have loved to have been asleep.

Also I probably would have said damned torch rather than damn torch.

[Esther]

Udayan wrote: "First post !!!

Read some great ones already this year. "Iron Gold" by Pierce Brown, "The Bear & the Nightingale" by Katherine Arden and "Children if Time" by Adrian Tchaikovsky. Also Expanse VII, ..."

Congratulations!

I have Rivers of London on my TBR for this year.

[Karen]

Just finished The Long Utopia which has been the best book so far in the series. One more book and then another series completed/up-to-date!

Now I’m tackling Reamde. Only 40 pages in before the need for sleep won out but so far, so good.

[CBRetriever]

Reamde was quite interesting and I'm now working on The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. which is also fairly fast paced (wait a bit, Reamde will pick up the pace)

[Monica]

Karen wrote: "Now I’m tackling Reamde. Only 40 pages in before the need for sleep won out but so far, so good."

I really enjoyed Reamde. It's a giant doorstop and it took me several months to get through, I was unexpectedly invested...and I thought it was funny.

[Robert]

I just finished the steampunk novel Unseemly Science, the second book in the "Fall of the Gas-Lit Empire" series. I quite enjoyed it. I discovered the series when I was looking through the book lists of people I follow on Goodreads, trying to find books I hadn't heard of. It was on Felicia Day's list and she liked the series quite a bit. I read the first book in the series last fall and enjoyed it. I'm hoping to read the third book down the road. In the meantime, though, I'll get back to the books I bought over the holidays.

[CBRetriever]

Monica wrote: "I really enjoyed Reamde. It's a giant doorstop and it took me several months to get through, I was unexpectedly invested...and I thought it was funny."

you'll like The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. as it's really funny too

[Bobby]

I'm continuing American Gods. I started it earlier this year and I couldn't really get into it, so i put it down for a while. Now I'm about 40% through, and I like it, but it definitely isn't a new favorite or something I'll want to read multiple times.

The pacing is just not great for me. I felt like I didn't know what the whole point of the book was until about a quarter of the way through. It's starting to get better, but it seems to drag a little. I'll see if the rest of the book pulls me in more.

[Karen]

CBRetriever wrote: "Monica wrote: "I really enjoyed Reamde. It's a giant doorstop and it took me several months to get through, I was unexpectedly invested...and I thought it was funny."

you'll like The Rise an..."</i>

I completed [book:The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. recently and really enjoyed it. Seveneves was the Stephenson book that hooked me into his works. I’ve got a number of his books I found in a book sale but had never attempted. Now they’re sitting in storage, waiting for me to find us a new home with spacious bookshelves.

[Katie (Melting Pages)]

I just finished Daughter of the Siren Queen and I loved it! I think I'm going to pick up To Kill a Kingdom next!

[colleen the convivial curmudgeon]

Phrynne wrote: "I gave Caraval three stars Colleen and I am not hanging out for the sequel.
A Gathering of Shadows on the other hand was five stars and I rushed to get the sequel. I hope you enjoy it as much!
"


Alas, I did not.

I'm bouncing between 2 & 3 stars on it. 3 mostly for the ending. The reasons being: 1) This book is almost all set-up for the conclusion and didn't have much of a story in its own right and 2) Lila annoyed the hell out of me for most of the book.

[colleen the convivial curmudgeon]

I'm currently reading The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents as part of my ongoing Discworld marathon.


Also reading Moonlight, Murder & Machinery for my gym read.

[CBRetriever]

Karen wrote: "I’ve got a number of his books I found in a book sale but had never attempted. Now they’re sitting in storage, waiting for me to find us a new home with spacious bookshelves.

Snow Crash is i think one of the better earlier books

[Beth]

Finished Martha Wells' City of Bones over the weekend. A bit slow in the middle, but otherwise great stuff, with amazing world-building and charming characters. (review)

It's had a little renaissance in my feed, which has been fun to see. I'm looking forward to Wells' second "Murderbot" novella, which is coming out in a couple months. Tor.com has posted an excerpt here.

[Karen]

CBRetriever wrote: "Karen wrote: "I’ve got a number of his books I found in a book sale but had never attempted. Now they’re sitting in storage, waiting for me to find us a new home with spacious bookshelves.

[book:S..."

I forgot I’ve got that one on Audible. Downloading now!

[Peter]

About to tackle The Three-body Problem.

On the non-SF&F front, I'm re-reading James Wood's How Fiction Works. For the authors in this group, this is super helpful guidance about the craft of writing.

[Jenny]

Hi folks! I'm listening to Aloha from Hell on Audible and I'm reading Children of Time on my Kindle.

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

So bummed I prioritized the books I did over Three Body Problem. I'm back on the wait list and chomping at the bit--can't wait to hear what you think Peter!

Jenny, I love the Sandman Slim series :) so much fun. How's the audio?

[Anna]

I'm debating whether to start Utopia or eat a vat of chocolate ice cream and watch YouTube. I mostly want to go to sleep, but it's 6PM so it's not really an option.

edit: I read the book.

[Phrynne]

Finished The Edge Chronicles 5: Stormchaser: Second Book of Twig by Paul Stewart It's a children's fantasy and it is good!
My review
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Eric]

I finished the fun filled Heretic. A very entertaining, three book, Sci. Fi. romp. Back to the serious now with Anna Karenina.

[Karl]

Greetings, new here.
Just finished Interface by Neal Stephenson, better than Snow Crash and Cryptonomicon in my opinion.

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

Welcome, Karl! Awesome! I really have to get Neal on my read shelf one of these days...

[Michele]

Randy wrote: "I finished A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin and gave it 5 stars."

Yay :) I love that series. It may be time for a re-read.

[Michele]

Saw the movie adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time over the weekend, so of course now I'm re-reading the book.

[Tomislav]

I just finished Greg Egan's new Dichronauts. Any other readers of hard-sf out there? This is a wild ride. To understand the setting and to see some cool illustrations, see Egan's explanations at http://gregegan.net/DICHRONAUTS/00/DP... and http://gregegan.net/DICHRONAUTS/01/Wo...

[Julia]

I read and loved -- and that can also mean truly creeped out by, right?-- I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara. It's true crime, a genre I never read, in fact, earlier I picked up In Cold Blood and couldn't even read the 50 pages I give myself to be able to count a book. (But I did watch the movie: Hershel Green how could you?) I read it for Read Harder Challenge #2.

Now I'm reading the seven year old and dated novel Sing You Home for my book club.

I also read the brand new debut novel Only Child by Rhiannon Navin. It's really, really good, even great: it's a school shooting novel for adults from the POV of a 6 year old.

[Don]

it is the second time in around a month that a Pop celebrity has impacted an Internet stock in a major way, most recently Rihanna tanked Snapchat. This pushes William Gibson again into Prophet status as he was imagining this a decade and more ago. "Pattern Recognition" comes to mind.

[Michele]

Julia wrote: "I read and loved -- and that can also mean truly creeped out by, right?-- "

Ha! You need to join the Literary Darkness group -- lots of like-minded folks there :)

[Michele]

Finished A Wrinkle in Time, on to A Wind in the Door.