SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion
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What Else Are You Reading?
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What Else Are You Reading in 2018?
Latest round of reviews.I read Nimona and after a bit of a slow start I really enjoyed this. - ★★★★☆ - (My Review)
Replay: The History of Video Games This turned out to offer a wider breadth of history over other books I've read on the subject. - ★★★★☆ - (My Review)
The Land: Alliances I'm probably done with this series. I can't stand the main character. - ★★½☆☆ - (My Review)
Does anyone have any recommendations for LitRPG (ideally in audiobook) where the main character isn't an obnoxious dudebro? It seems like the kind of stuff that is mostly self-published. I'm probably better off trying to find some translated manga that likely does a much better job of it.
So I found out I was behind on my reading input. So I will be playing a bit of catch up, posting the reviews for what I have already finished. Redshirts
And there it is. A book about all the extra's in Star Trek over the years that died just to move the plot along and what it would be like to find out that was what your life added up to. A well written sometimes funny book about being an extra in a Universe that was created because someone decided to write a Sci-Fi TV show. A read that is well worth the time.
The Handmaid's Tale
An excellent book that I found very difficult to read. It is broken up in time, bouncing back and forth with the added fact that you feel like you are looking in on someones private life and a life that had been ripped away from them. They are forced to be nothing but a vessel.
Even with the difficulty in reading this book, it is deeply disturbing and the ending does nothing to remove any of that feeling. Well written and thought-provoking. The best kind of Science Fiction.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...A book that is a starter book on the history of the Leaders of the Catholic Church. Since there are so many and most of the ones in this volume have little historical data available the write-ups are brief, sometimes nothing more than a paragraph. Still, it is a good start to laying a foundation and can be used to show some background or as a basis for further study.
Mechanized Juggernaut or Military Anachronism?: Horses and the German Army of World War II
Okay, this is more of my bread and butter reading, not so much for entertainment. Thus the review is more through... Well, and least wordy so here is the link for those interested.
I gave it a four-star rating
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
Last one, apologies to any hardcore Ann McCaffery fans out there
Restoree
So after reaching the halfway point in this book I gave it over for a wasted effort. This reads more like a romance novel with the Sci-Fi added for the spice of it and no other supporting reasoning than that.
This book lacks many of the things that help stand McCaffrey as a pillar of the Sci-Fi/Fantasy writing community, there is a lack of depth to the characters and everything seems somewhat slapped together. I am glad that this outing didn't end up turning her away and that she kept writing.
asks DJ, you mention an interest in WW2 history, do you mind making a few suggestions on books about that subject? Novel or histories would be appreciated.
Got the person who read Handmaid’s Tale, have you tried the Hulu show?
I completed
Tigana. A great read for fantasy with historical overtones. I started
Timeline last night. Michener's
is waiting in the wings once I get through this lighter reading mode.
Eric wrote: "I completed Tigana. A great read for fantasy with historical overtones. I started Timeline last night. Michener's [book..."couldn't make it through Texas when I tried to read that and I had just moved to Texas
Mod
Weird how? The blurb doesn't convey anything useful.
Weird as in unsettling, uncomfortable, and though I will always pick up Palahniuk and attempt to go with him on his journeys - sometimes, I can't. This may be one of those times. I'm only 20 pages in so I don't want to give any details. He knows how to put his finger on societal raw nerves, I will say that.
Mod
Aahh, fair. I call these books my "tinfoil hat" books, and yeah...now's a difficult time to read those sorts of books.
I enjoy Michener, "Centennial, Alaska and Chesapeake" are ones at the top of the list. I do understand how some would find his work drudgery but for me he brings the times and places he writes about alive. I do generally skip over the plate tectonics, migration patterns of animals and people's that he usually starts the books with for about 100 pages. Long Live the Great James Michener! !!
I appreciate Michener, what a diligent researcher. I live close to Doylestown, PA where he is from, and I keep meaning to check out the Michener Museum. I've read Tales of the South Pacific and Space, and I have Hawaii and Alaska on hand for when the mood strikes me.
CBRetriever wrote: "couldn't make it through Texas when I tried to read that and I had just moved to Texas"I'll give it a shot. Michener's "Hawaii" wasn't too bad. Michener, Rutherfurd, Follett, etc., all start their books before the universe was formed, so it takes awhile to get into them.
Don wrote: "asks DJ, you mention an interest in WW2 history, do you mind making a few suggestions on books about that subject? Novel or histories would be appreciated."A nonfiction book I stumbled on last year told an amazing story: The X-Craft Raid.
My review/non-spoiler summation: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Just got Before Mars from the library hold and excited to start it!! Also have finishing Shattered Pillars and The Philosopher Kings before The Moon and the Other BR second half of May.
Don wrote: "I enjoy Michener, "Centennial, Alaska and Chesapeake" are ones at the top of the list. I do understand how some would find his work drudgery but for me he brings the times and places he writes abou..."Centennial and Chesapeake were good which is why i was so surprised by Texas. The characters seemed to lack any depth.
BTW, Chesapeake was spot on, I was born about 10-15 miles from the fictional location of the book and most of my family comes from either the Maryland or Virginia Tidewater regions. I didn't have any Catholics in my family, but I did have Quakers on one side and my grandmother was from old Anglican/Episcopalian family that arrived before the American Revolution.
My local library has a Sci-Fi/Fantasy book club that meets monthly. This month's book is The Circle. I have until may 30th to finish it. So far a very interesting read, but I am only about 30 pages in.
The thing I remember about "Texas" was the Yellow Rose of Texas story and it was awsome. Texas wasn't a favorite of mine.
Rachel wrote: "Just got Before Mars from the library hold and excited to start it!!"Yay, I want to hear what you think! I haven't heard/seen anyone talk about it yet.
BTW, do we already have a discussion for the Planetfall buddy read?
Mod
Yay, I want to hear what you think! I haven't heard/seen anyone talk about it yet.
BTW, do we already have a d..."
FOOP!
Don wrote: "asks DJ, you mention an interest in WW2 history, do you mind making a few suggestions on books about that subject? Novel or histories would be appreciated."Off the top of my head,
A Time for Trumpets: The Untold Story of the Battle of the Bulge
It is a book I really enjoy reading.
What are your interests and I will be happy to come up with more for you?
Also, there is a World War II Group that I am in, that is well worth a look. Great people.
Says "Thanks Dj". that one's in the cue. Currently reading "No Simple Victory" on the history front (and it is simply an information fire hose) and "Mr. floods last resort" and "Traitors Blade" for my fictional books and am pecking away at "Misbehaving" and that's an economics for Idgets type of a book.
The book "No Simple Victory" shows how Poland and Finland saved the World in the early phases of WW2 from Axis domination and lots of other cool, amazing and horrible things.
Don wrote: "The book "No Simple Victory" shows how Poland and Finland saved the World in the early phases of WW2 from Axis domination and lots of other cool, amazing and horrible things."I haven't read anything by Norman Davies. Although looking at the list of his books, I might have to change that sometime soon.
For a very good book on Poland in WWII you might try:
No Greater Ally: The Untold Story of Poland's Forces in World War II
when they were handing out kudos and high fives after WW2 Poland really got the shaft.
not to mention getting an even bigger shaft going into WW2.
Don wrote: "when they were handing out kudos and high fives after WW2 Poland really got the shaft."Kind of what happens when someone else gets to make all the rules for how your history is read. Russian history should be in a loose-leaf binder so that they can take out what they want and add things as they want over time.
after Stalin I don't blame the Russians for acting like they have collective PTSD. it is hard to believe that there are still statues of the man standing in anyplace but the Bat$hit crazy killer Museum.
Finished The Dragon Reborn last night and thought it was great. Looking forward to the next one.Started rereading All Systems Red since the new book in the Murderbot series came out this week. Really enjoyed the first one so I have high hopes for Artificial Condition.
Mason (Goodnight) wrote: "Started rereading All Systems Red since the new book in the Murderbot series came out this week."I'm trying to wait a bit before starting that, because otherwise I'll be rereading Murderbot three times this year. Not that it would be a bad thing, but I do have other things to read, too. I don't think I can wait until the next one is out, but I'll do my best.
I just finished A Time for Grief by Adrian Tchaikovsky
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Catching up on some May reads - Twilight Robbery by Frances Hardinge - reviewed here - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2379070372.
Read A Scanner Darkly by Philip K Dick and reviewed it - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2389312087.
Finished up Rules of Civility. Not my norm but it was good. I liked the writing style enough to want to try his other book.Still listening to Snow Crash. I'm finding with Stephenson's books that I can keep better track of the bajillion characters if I read his books instead of listening to them.
Next book on my list is Forrest Gump. Such a variety of books this year!
I received my copy of Rise and Kill First: The Inside Story and Secret Operations of Israel's Assassination Program and have started reading it. Quite a hefty book (close to 600 pages), so it will take me a week or two before I am ready with my review of it.
Read The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch by Philip K Dick and reviewed it - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2389312252.
Finished two Georgette Heyer books: The Nonesuch and The Toll-Gate both of which were excellent
and
Black Light by Elizabeth hand - didn't really care for this one
and
An Excellent Mystery by Ellis Peters = good read
and
The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley which was a good, entertaining read
and
The Last Dark by Steven Erikson. I had been putting this off for years and finally ead and finished it. It was a long, slow slog
Karen wrote: "Finished up Rules of Civility. Not my norm but it was good. I liked the writing style enough to want to try his other book...."
I thought his second book was even better.
Pam wrote: "Read A Scanner Darkly by Philip K Dick and reviewed it - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...."This links to the book page and not your review Pam:)
Faith wrote: "Karen wrote: "Finished up Rules of Civility. Not my norm but it was good. I liked the writing style enough to want to try his other book...."
I thought his second book was even be..."
Me too. A Gentleman in Moscow is one of my favourite books.
Faith wrote: "Karen wrote: "Finished up Rules of Civility. Not my norm but it was good. I liked the writing style enough to want to try his other book...."
I thought his second book was even be..."
Great to know! Thank you!
Phrynne wrote: "Faith wrote: "Karen wrote: "Finished up Rules of Civility. Not my norm but it was good. I liked the writing style enough to want to try his other book...."
I thought his second bo..."
Now I'm doubly looking forward to it!
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SciFi and Fantasy Book Club
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Excellent. Thought-provoking and... well, a bit haunting to be honest.