SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

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What Else Are You Reading? > What Else Are You Reading in 2018?

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message 801: by J.W. (new)

J.W. | 229 comments I’m now reading “Cephrael’s Hand” by Melissa McPhail and I’m dying to have someone to talk to about it. I grabbed it years ago when it was advertised as like Wheel of Time. I was skeptical but reading reviews generally made it sound good. Now 10% in and absolutely loving it. Many characters, with a very deep feel of history to the world. Has anyone else read this or any of the rest of the series? I kind of want to start a thread for it but don’t want to clutter things if no one else is on it. If you like high fantasy this seems a good one.


message 802: by Allison, Fairy Mod-mother (new)

Allison Hurd | 14225 comments Mod
J.w. wrote: "I’m now reading “Cephrael’s Hand” by Melissa McPhail and I’m dying to have someone to talk to about it. I grabbed it years ago when it was advertised as like Wheel of Time. I was skeptical but read..."

JW, wanna post in the buddy read recruitment thread? You might get some bites there! https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...


message 803: by J.W. (new)

J.W. | 229 comments Thank you! I will seek fellow readers there!


message 805: by Dj (new)

Dj | 2364 comments Don't Know Much About Anything: Everything You Need to Know but Never Learned About People, Places, Events, and More!
Don't Know Much About Anything Everything You Need to Know but Never Learned About People, Places, Events, and More! by Kenneth C. Davis

Here is my review of this book

The Don't Know Anything books are a fairly mixed lot. Some are good, some are less good. This one is a tad different than the ones that I have read before. It gives you a short write up about a topic then asks you some quiz like questions and gives you the answers. It would be a prefect kind of book for trips, family nights and the like.

I really enjoyed it and will be reading it on other occasions in the future.


message 806: by Dj (new)

Dj | 2364 comments The Rowan
The Rowan (The Tower and the Hive, #1) by Anne McCaffrey

So here are my thoughts on this book

A interesting book that suffers from being uneven and seemingly difficult for the author to bring to an end. It also has some threads that it seemed the author wanted to work on more but then sort of fizzled out.

A continuation of the powers books, but seemingly the first in the tower and hive series. And of these groups of books the only one that isn't in an e-book format. There may be a reason for that. I will move on to the next in the series though, since McCaffrey generally spins a worthwhile tale.


message 807: by Michele (new)

Michele | 1215 comments Finished In the Eyes of Mr Fury. Not sure what's next. I'm feeling a craving for some Jorge Luis Borges so perhaps a re-read of Ficciones is in order...


message 808: by Michele (new)

Michele | 1215 comments Karen wrote: "I’m slowly whittling my to-read list down although I did come out of the library with books I didn’t know I wanted to read..."

Ain't it true lol


message 809: by Michele (new)

Michele | 1215 comments Allison wrote: "I am reading The Dispossessed like 6 pages a time, for the font is tiny and the language is dense. I keep finding myself rereading sections--it's sort of like wine tasting, where the first taste is nice, but the second taste gives you the full flavor. So great."

Nice description :)


message 810: by Alondra (new)

Alondra Miller | 4 comments Just finished reading Neverwhere today and loved it. I kept putting it off, thinking I would end up not liking Gaiman's writing. I should have know that it would be good after starting the Sandman series.

I think I am only 1 of like 5 people to not read it.. gee whiz


message 811: by Bo (new)

Bo Garner | 2 comments I want to read some fantasy that has a scifi twist.

The Dying Earth

Black Sun Rising


message 812: by Michele (new)

Michele | 1215 comments I'm reading a book that dropped on me from out of the ether -- quite literally. It showed up on my Kindle and no one knows how it got there. It's called The Quick and the Dead and is AMAZING. The characters are quirky and original and the writing is like a string of little fireworks, snapping and popping all around.


message 813: by Dj (new)

Dj | 2364 comments Michele wrote: "I'm reading a book that dropped on me from out of the ether -- quite literally. It showed up on my Kindle and no one knows how it got there. It's called The Quick and the Dead and is ..."

Hmm, might have to give that a look.


message 814: by Robert (new)

Robert Collins Last night I finished The Summer Tree. It was a quite interesting and surprising story. It looks like I have another series that I'm going to have to read at some point. For now, though, I'm going to pause for a few days, and then start on something lighter...


message 815: by Michele (new)

Michele | 1215 comments Robert wrote: "Last night I finished The Summer Tree. It was a quite interesting and surprising story. It looks like I have another series that I'm going to have to read at some point. For now, thou..."

Great series - one of my perennial re-reads. Just went through it again a couple of months ago.


message 816: by David (new)

David Patneaude | 9 comments Just finished Monsters of Men, the final book in the Chaos Walking trilogy by Patrick Ness. It's YA, and it's good. My Goodreads review is up. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


message 817: by Jen (new)

Jen (jenthebest) | 522 comments Last night I finished Dust of Dreams after a month of slowing reading it, and then 2 days of marathon reading it to get to the end. One more Book of the Fallen to go... what a journey its been. I really really really want to know how it ends but at the same time I feel a little lost now that there's only one to go.

Today I finished Everyone's a Aliebn When Ur a Aliebn Too and Transmetropolitan, Vol. 7: Spider's Thrash.


message 819: by CBRetriever (new)

CBRetriever | 6126 comments Finished:
and
The Painted Queen by Elizabeth Peters (completed by Joan Hess - unfortunately the last Elizabeth Peters book as she died before it was completed and it ws a bit spoiled by having a jagged right edge
and
The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. - funny, entertaining, definitely worth a read
and
The Winthrop Woman by Anya Seton - quite good historical novel spoiled by a jagged right edge
and
Playing God by Sarah Zettel - somewhat feminist take on an alien culture, but quite interesting. Purchased this as part of a Humble bundle
and
Killing Pretty - part of the Sandman Slim series. I think Tad Williams does this sort of book better with his Bobby Dollar series
and
Lady of Quality bye Geogette Heyer - a good Heyer novel


message 820: by Beth (last edited Apr 01, 2018 12:16AM) (new)

Beth | 211 comments Working on: The Years of Rice and Salt and One Woman's War: Da (Mother) the Memoirs of Seyyedeh Zahra Hoseyni

Current audiobook: The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins- just started this - I'm listening to the LibriVox recording (the collaborative one, with several readers). I read Collins's The Woman in the White in 2016, and loved it.


message 821: by Silvana (new)

Silvana (silvaubrey) | 2795 comments Finished with The Devourers. Six stars. Beautiful, intoxicating, visceral.

Starting a lighter one, Every Heart a Doorway.


message 822: by Dennis (new)

Dennis (lehrer18) | 1 comments Re-reading A Wizard of Earthsea and am (albeit slowly) making my way through Nino Haratischwili’s Das achte Leben and Alistair Horne’s A Savage War of Peace: Algeria, 1954-1962.

Up next: Laurent Binet’s La Septième fonction du langage, Cixin Liu’s Death's End, and Dana Grigorcea’s Das primäre Gefühl der Schuldlosigkeit.


message 823: by Alondra (new)

Alondra Miller | 4 comments David wrote: "Just finished Monsters of Men, the final book in the Chaos Walking trilogy by Patrick Ness. It's YA, and it's good. My Goodreads review is up. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2..."

Starting this last book in the next week. I am really enjoying the series. Great review


RJ - Slayer of Trolls (hawk5391yahoocom) I finished:
Leviathan Wakes (The Expanse, #1) by James S.A. Corey Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey and gave it 1 star, because I was unable to give it 0 stars, and
A Dance with Dragons (A Song of Ice and Fire, #5) by George R.R. Martin A Dance with Dragons by this guy George R.R. Martin and gave it 4 stars.

I am starting:

The Eyes of the Overworld (The Dying Earth, #2) by Jack Vance The Eyes of the Overworld by Jack Vance and
We Are Legion (We Are Bob) (Bobiverse, #1) by Dennis E. Taylor We Are Legion (We Are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor. Also, I'm about a third of the way through
Armor by John Steakley Armor by John Steakley.


RJ - Slayer of Trolls (hawk5391yahoocom) Dennis wrote: "Re-reading A Wizard of Earthsea..."

I just finished that one for the first time last month and I'm ready to read it again.


message 826: by Allison, Fairy Mod-mother (new)

Allison Hurd | 14225 comments Mod
Ooh, Silvana, I can't wait to get to Devourers! I'm so behind!

I love the mix of polyglotism and must-reads going on here, y'all. You all read such great things, it makes me want to retire, where "retire" means "just stop going to work until they take my house."


message 827: by Trike (new)

Trike Allison wrote: "Ooh, Silvana, I can't wait to get to Devourers! I'm so behind!

I love the mix of polyglotism and must-reads going on here, y'all. You all read such great things, it makes me want to retire, where ..."


(To the tune of O Susanna)

Oh Silvana, don’t you read too fast
For it seems our mod Allison has to catch up with the cast


message 828: by Silvana (new)

Silvana (silvaubrey) | 2795 comments Finished with Every Heart is a Doorway. Not sure why all the hype but I guess it is not for me.

Onwards to Fuzzy Nation, while still struggling with the Russian accent in The Moon is a Harsh Mistress audiobook.

Allison wrote: "Ooh, Silvana, I can't wait to get to Devourers! I'm so behind!

I love the mix of polyglotism and must-reads going on here, y'all. You all read such great things, it makes me want to retire, where ..."


Sorry for reading so fast, it was so good! :))
Also, it does not help that I have four BRs to start on April 1st.

Trike wrote: "Allison wrote: "Ooh, Silvana, I can't wait to get to Devourers! I'm so behind!

I love the mix of polyglotism and must-reads going on here, y'all. You all read such great things, it makes me want t..."


LOL that should be a theme song for most of my buddies in another group. No less than 120 pages a day in average.


message 829: by Esther (last edited Apr 03, 2018 10:12AM) (new)

Esther (eshchory) | 555 comments Dennis wrote: "Re-reading A Wizard of Earthsea and am (albeit slowly) making my way through Nino Haratischwili’s Das achte Leben and Alistair Horne’s A Savage War of Peace: Alge..."

I originally read A Wizard of Earthsea about 30 years ago. It is lying on my shelf and I am curious how I will like it as an adult but I yet again it is a question of 'so many books, so little time'


message 830: by Allison, Fairy Mod-mother (new)

Allison Hurd | 14225 comments Mod
Esther, I just read Wizard of Earthsea for the first time last year and it was a delight!

@Trike: LOL!! That was great!

@Silvana, I am just chompin' at the bit! I think I'm gonna like Devourers, I just need to get through uh...3 (?) books first :(


Ashley in Wonderland (whotellsyourstory) | 261 comments Trike wrote: "Allison wrote: "Ooh, Silvana, I can't wait to get to Devourers! I'm so behind!

I love the mix of polyglotism and must-reads going on here, y'all. You all read such great things, it makes me want t..."


LOL!!


message 832: by David (new)

David Patneaude | 9 comments Just finished devouring the Chaos Walking trilogy. It's YA, yeah, but it's not lightweight. Patrick Ness is a helluva writer with an unbridled imagination. My review of the third volume, Monsters of Men, is up: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


message 833: by J.W. (new)

J.W. | 229 comments I’m down to just 3 books left on this list of the top 200 sci-fi books. Now reading The Sheep Look Up for it.

http://scifilists.sffjazz.com/lists_b...


http://scifilists.sffjazz.com/lists_b...


message 834: by Dj (new)

Dj | 2364 comments Randy wrote: "I finished:
Leviathan Wakes (The Expanse, #1) by James S.A. Corey Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey and gave it 1 star, because I was unable to give it 0 stars, and
[bookcover:A Da..."


I remember reading Armor a while back, thirty years ago now. At the time I was very impressed. Actually thought it was a sequel to Starship Troopers at first.
Which in a way I guess it is.


message 835: by Eric (new)

Eric | 463 comments I finished Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy Anna Karenina and for a change of pace will read Dracula by Bram Stoker Dracula.


message 836: by Tomas (new)

Tomas Grizzly | 448 comments Thomas wrote: "I've just finished Queen of Fire by Anthony Ryan. In all Raven's Shadow was great and I think Ryan has some amazing talent to offer, but unfortunately book 3 wasn't..."

I was reading the first two books recently and decided to leave the series be for now considering the reviews for the third book.


message 837: by Dj (new)

Dj | 2364 comments Eric wrote: "I finished Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy Anna Karenina and for a change of pace will read Dracula by Bram Stoker Dracula."

Bring a handkerchief, they are both pretty dusty.


message 838: by Allison, Fairy Mod-mother (new)

Allison Hurd | 14225 comments Mod
Aw, I liked both Anna Karenina and Dracula! I mean, they're not what I'd call "fast-paced thrillers" but I think both look great for their age!


message 839: by Dj (new)

Dj | 2364 comments Allison wrote: "Aw, I liked both Anna Karenina and Dracula! I mean, they're not what I'd call "fast-paced thrillers" but I think both look great for their age!"

I haven't read Anna Karenina, it is on my list, at least one of them and I think I have started it from time to time.

Dracula I was a little underwhelmed with, but I don't like reading diary formatted books. Seems to take some of the immediacy out of the writing.


message 840: by Dj (new)

Dj | 2364 comments The De-Textbook: The Stuff You Didn't Know About the Stuff You Thought You Knew
The De-Textbook The Stuff You Didn't Know About the Stuff You Thought You Knew by Cracked.com

Here are my thoughts on this book.

A very interesting book, that could have been more interesting if you didn't have to wonder when they were going to drop a fake fact into the mix. They take a number of topics and point out why the generally accepted knowledge is inaccurate.

Things like Ostrich's don't stick their heads in the sand when they are afraid. (which I would have thought everyone knew.) They bring up the fact that when an Ostrich kicks something they do it with a force thirty times greater than Mike Tyson's punch and can literally kick through a Lion.

A book that I may have to read from time to time, just to get a refresher.


message 841: by Dj (new)

Dj | 2364 comments High Adventure
High Adventure by Donald E. Westlake

So I finished this one a while ago and have just finished the review

When is smuggling Mayan Pre-Columbian Artifacts, not smuggling Mayan Pre-Columbian Artifacts?

In a confusing, twisty and convoluted fashion, Donald E. Westlake runs down the whole scam in the fashion that only he can deliver. A thoroughly enjoyable romp into the South American underworld that makes it a fun read.


message 842: by Karen (new)

Karen (librarykatz) | 262 comments I just finished Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore. It was nice but not one I would think to recommend to anyone.

Now on to Beartown because the library needs it back...I guess I’m not the only one in this small town that likes Fredrik Backman’s books.


message 843: by Eric (new)

Eric | 463 comments Allison wrote: "Aw, I liked both Anna Karenina and Dracula! I mean, they're not what I'd call "fast-paced thrillers" but I think both look great for their age!"

Guess I'm catching up on the hidden treasures I missed along the way.


message 844: by Dj (new)

Dj | 2364 comments Eric wrote: "Allison wrote: "Aw, I liked both Anna Karenina and Dracula! I mean, they're not what I'd call "fast-paced thrillers" but I think both look great for their age!"

Guess I'm catching up on the hidden..."


Sometimes Hidden Treasures are the best ones. I have from time to time gone back to read 'classics' that I somehow avoided in school and have found them to be a mixed bunch. I found that for the most part I don't like Dickens, (I think that A Christmas Carol might be an exception) and I found the Heart of Darkness to be much better than the movie. Like much better.

So enjoy.


message 845: by Dj (new)

Dj | 2364 comments The Warlock in Spite of Himself
The Warlock in Spite of Himself (Warlock, #1) by Christopher Stasheff

Here are my thoughts on this book

I read this book first when I was much younger and found it to be a wonderful read. Or at least that was what my memory told me. After reading it again, I am not sure that wonderful would be the word I would use for the description, but I did enjoy it a great deal. It was a fun read, enjoyable, easy to work through and complex enough in the plot to hold interest start to finish.

I am looking forward to re-reading the rest of the series to see if it holds up as well as this one did to my memories.


message 846: by Dj (new)

Dj | 2364 comments Magic Runes
Magic Runes by Devyn Jayse

Here are some quick thoughts on this book

When you get a book for free you often come away understanding why that was. This book was a very pleasant surprise in that regard. The Magic was compelling. The mystery made sense. The Main Characters secret doesn't get the big reveal until the end of the book and it is an easy read that doesn't fall off the rails into sappy romance.

I will have to give the second outing a look, it was a very pleasant surprise.


message 847: by Trike (last edited Apr 02, 2018 05:46PM) (new)

Trike Dj wrote: "High Adventure
High Adventure by Donald E. Westlake

So I finished this one a while ago and have just finished the review

When is smuggling Mayan Pre-Columbian Artifacts, not smugglin..."


Is that Fantasy a la Indiana Jones or is it straight adventure?


message 848: by Trike (new)

Trike Silvana wrote: "Finished with Every Heart is a Doorway. Not sure why all the hype but I guess it is not for me. ”

I thought the actual prose was good and the idea was cool, but the story itself was lacking.

Silvana wrote: "No less than 120 pages a day in average. "

I hate them all.


message 849: by Dj (new)

Dj | 2364 comments Astrophysics for People in a Hurry
Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson

here are my thoughts on this book and now I am all caught up with my reviews. (I should be getting my computer this weekend so I can stop doing this at work)

Okay, I love reading books about science for the Common Man when they are written by Neil deGrasse Tyson. Clear, concise and amazingly understandable. This book may have a less often joking comment in regards to the topic, but for my part that detracts less from the subject at hand and makes it even funnier when he does drop something in, like the Double Tidal Lock, sounding like a not yet invented Wrestling move.

I think that I might have been more deeply involved in science classes if the Teachers I had, could have delivered the information in as clear a fashion as this book does. Maybe.


colleen the convivial curmudgeon (blackrose13) | 2719 comments I finally finished Kinslayer and gave it 1.5 stars, and if I didn't already have the finale from the library, I might debate about whether or not to bother. Or, at least, it wouldn't be very high on my list.


Now I'm reading The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. It's pretty decent so far, but I don't see it becoming a 5-star read for me. Probably 3, unless things change a lot.

Also started The Black Prism for my TBR challenge. Not very far in, but my first impression is that the magic reminds me a bit of Warbreaker.


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