SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion
note: This topic has been closed to new comments.
What Else Are You Reading?
>
What Else Are You Reading in 2018?
Since my last post, I’ve read:1. The Iliad by Homer. I expected this to be a torturously difficult read, but I think my low expectations helped. I had plenty of issues with it, but I didn’t have as much trouble getting through it as I expected to. My excessively long review.
2. The Passage by Justin Cronin. I really, really liked this in the beginning, but my interest tapered off after a while. The writing style is good, but “monster apocalypse” books are a sub-genre that I tend to have limited patience with. I think that was the main reason I didn’t enjoy it more. I did think it covered aspects that other books in this sub-genre often gloss over or ignore, and I liked that. In the end, though, I decided not to read the rest of the trilogy. My review.
3. The first two books in the Windrose Chronicles by Barbara Hambly, starting with The Silent Tower and continuing with The Silicon Mage. The first book had a slow start for me, but it picked up quite a bit in the second half. Then it ended in a cliffhanger, and I was interested enough in the story to want to know what happened next, so I moved on to the second book. That completed the story started in the first book. I liked them ok, but I often felt restless while reading them. They’re a bit dated (from the 80’s) and a bit trope-y, and the main villain’s motivation and goals were difficult for me to buy into. There are two more books in the series, but I decided not to read them.
Book 1 - My review.
Book 2 - My review.
So now my reading schedule is four books lighter than it was, due to the two series I decided not to finish. :) I’ve decided to go ahead and start Alif the Unseen, which some members of our group are reading in June for the Inclusive Bingo challenge. I plan to start it later this morning.
Trike wrote: "Pam wrote: "Just read The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester and reviewed it - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...."Are you reading a book every 18 minutes or something?"
LOL - Not really - did a catchup of review writing.
Read Andre Norton's Moon of Three Rings and reviewed it - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2397523288.
I've been slacking off on my reviews so I've finally caught up on the last few weeks today.Clear and Present Danger - I've enjoyed this one the more than any of the other Tom Clancy books I've read thus far. - ★★★★☆ - (My Review)
Night's Master - This book was not for me. - ★½☆☆☆ - (My Review)
Wrath of Empire - Another fantastic job by Brian McClellan - ★★★★★ - (My Review)
Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood - This books is a blend of funny, shocking and heartbreaking stories. I'd never have guessed Trevor Noah had been through so much based on his TV persona. His mother is really an amazing woman too. - ★★★★☆ - (My Review)
Mod
The Dispossessed was utterly brilliant as a work of fiction, and a pretty great intro class to psychology and political-economic systems, as well.
The Farthest Shore was like the "dry river" version of Wizard of Earthsea. I still liked it, but was hoping for a new bit of the story.
Moving on to Planetfall and hoping that reading a book that reads like staving off a panic attack won't induce one.
Allison wrote: "This was my Le Guin weekend."What a nice way to spend a long weekend...
Mod
What a nice way to spend a long weekend..."
I thought so :-)
Read The Trouble with Goats and Sheep by Joanna Cannon - reviewed - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2397522524.
just finished "The Guns of the South" and it was good after I loosened up a bit. The Stuff that made it uncomfortable was in the trying to be truthful to the time and place vein. The novel was a "portal fantasy" + "alternate history".
I have not posted here since February, so I will try to make this short. Since my last post, I have read:Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - 5 stars (reread)
The Girl With All the Gifts - 4 stars
The Dispossessed - 5 stars
Lioness Rampant - 1 star
Neverwhere - 4 stars
The Invisible Library - 2 stars
The City & the City - 5 stars
Fahrenheit 451 - 4 stars (reread)
The Devourers - 5 stars
The Princess Bride - 5 stars
Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch - 3 stars
Among Others - 3 stars
The Three-Body Problem - 5 stars
The Man in the High Castle - 2 stars
Nimona - 5 stars
An Unkindness of Ghosts - 4 stars
The Eye of the World - 3 stars
The Fifth Season - 5 stars
I gave up on Shadow Man, Lord of Light, and Dune
I am currently, slowly, reading A Clash of Kings and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and have barely started The Moon and the Other and Space Opera and really need to get back to them. I also have The Last Unicorn and Planetfall to start before the month ends, and I need to make better progress on my TBR Cleanup Challenge.
My trusty system may have failed me. I remember saying not too long ago that I have so much to read in June that I need to push one series to July. I have no idea what that series is, and why I was supposed to read it in June. I hate having so many things lined up, even if I'll probably have plenty of time to read them all.I think my plan at the moment is to start Ancillary Mercy tomorrow, then read Akata Witch and possibly Akata Warrior. Then it's time to reread Ninefox Gambit and Raven Stratagem again in time for Revenant Gun. I'm leaving things a little more open after that, although I know what I should be reading.
Ashley wrote: "I have not posted here since February, so I will try to make this short. Since my last post, I have read:[long list snipped]
I am currently, slowly, reading"
You and I have very different definitions of “slowly”. :p
Haha Trike, I guess I don’t mean slowly..just, only reading a little at a time.
Finished Extra Super Grande by Yoss, a Cuban author. Started of as a fun romp through alien biology but the novelty worn off soon enough. Tried to like it but just couldn't.
Mod
I'm currently reading Jane Steele - a sort of retelling-cum-inspired-by Jane Eyre story. I'm enjoying it so far - the pacing is good, and it's similar enough to be familiar, but different enough to be a bit exciting."Reader, I murdered him."
So my June Plan is kind of no life (nothing other than reading really) for now.. I hope I can manage it, I want to start Malazan series too if I find any time from my already crowded schedule..So many fantasy, only 1 scifi for now..
1. Firefight
2. The Warded Man
3. Royal Assassin
4. The Alloy of Law
5. Rise of Empire
6. Altered Carbon
7. Sins of Empire
8. The Tombs of Atuan
9. The Last Wish
10. Lord of Chaos (Mason and I are going fast..)
11. Oathbringer (can't wait)
12. The Way of Shadows
13. Shadow's Edge
Mod
Jeebs, Sedat. That's a helluva list! Bound to like something in there, I think!!
(Also, you and Mason really need to chill out, I'm feeling very slow right now haha!)
I’ll slow down after book 6 to keep up with other BR group... More BR more discussion!rDon’t feel slow you are the one going according to schedule :)
I’m reading The Moon and the Other but also committed to reading too many other things!! The Diamond Age; semiosis; Akata Witch; The Girl in the Tower; plus all the Hugo nominees!!! And my house is all boxes from moving back from the flood.
I'm participating in the group re-reads for May & June, I recently read Ender's Game & The Last Unicorn, just finished Brave New World, and just started Old Man's War. Cleaning out my TBR a bit, yay me.
Mod
On the other hand, it's sooo saaad!
Allison wrote: "I'm still on the fence about Last Unicorn. On the one hand, it's a classic and everyone says it's so gorgeous.On the other hand, it's sooo saaad!"
Seems to me that in the past there were a lot more sad endings then there are nowadays
Just finished Gnomon. That was a trip.Really excited to start Planetfall. I also need to catch up on the Ancillary series which it seems everyone has read but me.
Not in the SFF realm, but my hold on Red Sparrow came through the library this week. Also pretty excited about that. And for physical library books I also need to read Red Sister.
Then there’s Old Man’s War which I also want to read since I already own it and the group re-read is coming up (or almost over?). Ugh.
I’m doing fine. Totally not overwhelmed at all. Everything is okay.
On the upside, if I finish everything I have on my plate, I’ll probably be at 50 books finished in 6 months. Which makes me happy.
Sarah wrote: "Then there’s Old Man’s War which I also want to read since I already own it and the group re-read is coming up (or almost over?)"I have it marked for June 15th, but I've started thinking about maybe postponing it. I was going to read the whole series, and that's way too much on top of everything else. Of course I could always do the unthinkable and just read the first book.
I think I'm finally coming out of my reading slump some. This month I've managed to finish:
Romancing the Inventor. This was pretty adorable, I think I grinned like an idiot through most of it. I've only read the first book in her Parasol Protectorate series, but I might pick it back up after finishing this.
Dead of Winter: Good Good Dog. Graphic novel based on the board game. Not the best but kind of amusing and fun to think of when playing the game.
Artificial Condition. More Murderbot! I loved this, and I loved the introduction of ART. Really looking forward to reading the next one in the series.
Losing the Girl: Book 1. Graphic novel. I didn't really understand this one. It was boring with an undercurrent of weird that was never really developed.
Before Mars. Fantastic, especially on audiobook. The ending felt a little too convenient for my tastes at one point, but other than that it was darn near perfect.
Moonstruck, Volume One: Magic to Brew. Another graphic novel. I found the concept cute, but the main character kind of annoying. I doubt I'll pick up the next volume.
Doctor Who: The Shining Man. Bill and Twelve having adventures. What's not to love? Now if my library would just purchase the other ones featuring this duo.
Jazz Owls: A Novel of the Zoot Suit Riots. YA historical fiction. This was fascinating as I'd never heard of the Zoot Suit Riots before.
Ghost Boys. Middle Grade contemporary. Highly relevant book with a bit of magical realism.
Curb Stomp. Yet another graphic novel. This one was trying way too hard to be tough and edgy. I couldn't have cared less about the characters and mostly just skimmed the second half.
Dread Nation. So freaking good. Zombie uprising during the civil war with a biracial main character who kicks some serious ass. The two main characters in this are so so good, and their friendship is so excellent, and I cannot wait for the sequel because I need more!
Currently reading:
Raven Stratagem. I promise I am going to finish this! I am loving it, but it's been mostly my bedtime read, so progress has been slow. I'm motivated to finish for the next book though.
The Collapsing Empire. Also really good and also seemingly taking me forever. I've got about an hour and a half left on the audio, so almost there.
A Land of Permanent Goodbyes. YA contemporary about Syrian refugees. Good so far, but really depressing and something I have to take in bits and pieces.
is reading the "Paradise War" by Stephen Lawhead. The rant by Simon in the 1st-2nd chapters is Epic ! I defy anyone to find a better character rant.
I liked this one very much!My review of LIFEL1K3 by Jay Kristoff
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Jordan wrote: "I think I'm finally coming out of my reading slump some. This month I've managed to finish:
Romancing the Inventor. This was pretty adorable, I think I grinned like an idiot throu..."
That's a good list to take some recommendations :)
Allison wrote: "I'm still on the fence about Last Unicorn. On the one hand, it's a classic and everyone says it's so gorgeous.On the other hand, it's sooo saaad!"
I have just bought The Last Unicorn for my daughter (and will probably borrow it at some point). She likes fantasy, loves Unicorns and has decided she wants to read more in English. I do hope there won't be tears!
Sarah wrote: "Just finished Gnomon. That was a trip.Really excited to start Planetfall. I also need to catch up on the Ancillary series which it seems everyone has read but me.
Not in the SFF realm, but my h..."
I have Gnomon on my shelf so maybe I should bump it up my TBR pile. I thought I also had Planetfall, actually I do same title different book!
I think I’ll try and read THE LAST UNICORN but the low ratings for PLANETFALL make that one a “Pass” for me.
@Esther I hope you like it!! I enjoyed it overall but it was one of the more difficult books I’ve read this year. I’d like to re-read it some day when I don’t have as large a TBR pile and take my time.
Sarah wrote: "@Esther I hope you like it!! I enjoyed it overall but it was one of the more difficult books I’ve read this year. I’d like to re-read it some day when I don’t have as large a TBR pile and take my t..."You mean Gnomon, right? Difficult how?
Yes sorry- I mean Gnomon. Harkaway’s use of language is brilliant, but very difficult. He uses some uncommon words which meant I was using the definition function on my kindle a lot, and even kindle couldn’t define some of them. Not because they weren’t words but just because they weren’t in there. And as if that weren’t enough if there was a second way to define the word he used both definitions on occasion.Examples include: fugue (both definitions), catabasis, apocatastasis, and Gnomon.
And then the names were a mouthful too. But the characters were vivid and the mystery intriguing, so I think it’s worth reading, I’d just feel bad if I didn’t warn you first.
Mod
So far I'm liking it, MadProf! I'm not yet 50% in though so we'll see what the back half is like :)
I’m also enjoying Planetfall a lot. I’m about 30% through, but at the rate I’m going I’ll probably be done today or Friday.
I suspect the low ratings for Planetfall maybe the format rather than the content. I thought the content was good( and portrayal of anxiety excellent) but the flipping back and forth between present and past major event annoyed me a bit. Luckily that’s the only one in that format and I think each book gets better. I was really impressed with After Atlas
I think there's a clear thing that very likely drops ratings for Planetfall by one if not two stars. It didn't stop me from five staring it, but I understand why many people have a problem with it. I don't want to be more detailed to avoid spoilers.
Guess we should talk about it over in the BR thread lol. Need to get on a computer to see the spoilers tho.
Began and finished The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden in a breathless rush. Its almost as good as the incredible debut novel. Loved it.
Good to hear! I have The Girl in the Tower waiting in the stack currently
Udayan wrote: "Began and finished The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden in a breathless rush. Its almost as good as the incredible debut novel. Loved it."I am just finishing The Bear and the Nightingale. Great to hear the next one is just as good. Looking forward to it!
Anna wrote: "I think there's a clear thing that very likely drops ratings for Planetfall by one if not two stars. It didn't stop me from five staring it, but I understand why many people have a problem with it...."There are three "Planetfall" 's' out there. The buddy read is by Newman and was rated 4 stars in GR. Perhaps some confusion on the versions?
just finished Valiant Dust by Richard Baker.I was distinctly unimpressed. I had hoped for something more inclusive, but the author just slapped a coat of Sikh names on generic British actions and made it a white male hero fantasy. It was like a slightly browner male Honor Harrington, without the actual military panache that Weber brought to his own books.
I'm starting in on The Valley of Fear, which is the 4th (and final) Sherlock Holmes novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I've been working through the Complete Sherlock as read by Stephen Fry for a while now, and thought it was time to get back to that groove.
Mod
I was distinctly unimpressed. I had hoped for something more inclusive, but the author just slapped a coat of Sikh names..."
That's frustrating. I had a similar experience recently where one of my favorite childhood authors wrote a book about slavery set in a country a little more melanin endowed than the ones we'd seen previously, and it was just...a nightmare. Cringeworthy the whole way down.
Oh, I bet Stephen Fry is an excellent narrator for Sherlock! I should check that out. I've enjoyed the ones I've read with my eyes so far.
Allison wrote: "Oh, I bet Stephen Fry is an excellent narrator for Sherlock! I should check that out. I've enjoyed the ones I've read with my eyes so far. .."so for audible members it's a great value for one credit, and yes, Fry is an excellent narrator. His Sherlock is snarky and his Watson is fatuous and blustery. Some of his other voices can be a bit hard to distinguish, but I do have to say that hearing sherlock in the original language is quite amusing. For instance, a word that has changed meanings (it used to be virtually synonymous with "exclaimed") is frequently used by Watson (our first person narrator) - so hearing Stephen Fry, over and over again, use the phrase "I Ejaculated!" definitely adds some unintended humor to the whole Sherlock/Watson homoerotic subtext...
I will say that trying to listen to it all in one go can be quite daunting, as even with the best of narrators, Fry's voice tends to drone after a 30 or so hours. I still highly recommend it. It's been a wonderful read.
Mod
Peter S. Beagle's short story collection The Line Between has a lovely novella set in the world of The Last Unicorn and featuring some of the same characters.
This topic has been frozen by the moderator. No new comments can be posted.
SciFi and Fantasy Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
Working for the Devil (other topics)Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang (other topics)
Fool's Assassin (other topics)
Exo (other topics)
2018 on Goodreads (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Samuel R. Delany (other topics)Samuel R. Delany (other topics)
Samuel R. Delany (other topics)
Aliette de Bodard (other topics)
George Mazurek (other topics)
More...
Personally I like The Human Division best of that series, and Fuzzy Nation best of all his books so far.
I probably The Collapsing Empire better than all the Old Man's War stuff too.
But then I pretty much have enjoyed almost all of his books.