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?
I'm currently reading On the Road and The Sellout, having just finished the dystopian science fiction Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart. I will definitely try to vote for something for the group to read soon, although my ability to read fiction has been hampered lately by graduate studies. I'll do my best!(I seem to never clear off my to-read list either, Allison and Michele. I still have lists from years ago!)
Allison wrote: "...oh no, what's he associating with?? I love Dresden files. "He's not actively a puppy, but he didn't withdraw Skin Game for Hugo consideration when the puppies pushed him as a part of the 2015 slate (and was consequently voted under "No Award"). He's also published some short stories in Correia pushed anthologies.
thankfully, he doesn't have much social media presence, so I can pretend he's in la la land regarding the scummy online actions and culture war shit the people he's chosen to associate with have pushed.
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He's not actively a puppy, but he didn't withdraw Skin Game for Hugo consideration when the puppies p..."
Hmm. That's disappointing, but not likely a black spot so much as question mark. A big question mark.
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Siiigh. Mount TBR. I'd say it's my Everest, but I'm NEVER going to conquer Everest, and I'd like to think one day I'll have a totally healthy relationship with my reading goals.
Yesterday evening I finished Waistcoats & Weaponry, the third book in Gail Carriger's "Finishing School" series. Lots of fun! I liked how the plot moved in one direction, then ramped up and took a turn in the last quarter of the book. The characters are great as well. I hope to start on the last book in the series this weekend.
Trike, this is going on your Permanent record.
Read Mary, Queen of Scots: A Study in Failure by Jenny Wormald and reviewed it - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2413420051.Back to fiction, cosy crime this time with Grave Concerns, book 2 in the Drew Slocombe series by Rebecca Tope, and reviewed it - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2409077080.
Allison wrote: "Hmm. That's disappointing, but not likely a black spot so much as question mark. A big question mark.."That's how I feel about it too. He's maintained enough distance and non-participation that I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. And I really, really love the Dresden Files.
I'm considering abolishing all literary award by decree, if they've lost objectivity.
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Allison - Brief Cases is pretty fun. One of the great thing s about shorts is that he writes them all in different period a of Harry's life, and from different character viewpoints. so you get more perspective on just how Molly dealt with being the ragged lady, for instance. If you haven't read side jobs either, you have two quite fun anthologies to go for!
At the moment, I'm reading Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa. Read it once before, but quite some time ago. Very nicely written book about the eponymous swordsman, set in the early 17th century.I'm also reading Blood and Sand Trilogy Box Set by Jon Kiln. A while ago I did sort of snapshot review on my blog, looking at samples from 4-5 SFF books, and the best was this. So I thought I'd buy it. Fantasy set in a fictional desert (to start with, at least, I'm not a long way in), enjoyable action and interesting world-building which avoids the cardinal sin of hitting the reader over the head with a wall of text.
I just finished up The Grave's a Fine and Private Place, the latest installment of the Flavia de Luce series. I really enjoy this quirky character and her love of poisons and chemistry. I think I've learned more from her than I ever did in my chemistry classes!I'm restarting Iron Gold because I had set it aside for too long and only have a vague recollection of what happened. Another series I'm attempting to catch up on/finish. Initially the Red Rising series was supposed to be a trilogy and then this book happened...
I'm in the final 25% of The House of Memory. Flapper era paranormal investigations. Nice listening while I'm out walking. I'll definitely continue listening to the series when more books come out.
And now that I've been given a three day due date warning for my digital library book, I'll be focusing a bit more on The Laughing Corpse. I can skim the beginning of it since I had read it in graphic novel format and I feel the gist of the story was in the graphic.
Today I'm reading Home by Nnedi Okorafor, which is a sf novella and Shakespeare in Hollywood by Ken Ludwig which is a fantasy/ farce play set in old Hollywood.Recently I've finished rereading Binti by Nnedi Okorafor. (My RL book club is reading just this one, or all three novellas, or none of them.) Heart Berries: A Memoir by Terese Marie Mailhot, Sugar by Jewell Parker Rhodes and Burn Bright by Patricia Briggs.
I just found out there's going to be a new Binti story in Binti: The Complete Trilogy, which comes out in February 2019.
That's exciting news Anna. Any new Nnedi Okorafor is good! But my book group won't be able to discuss it next week. We aren't all sf fans, so I wonder if it will be popular.
@Julia: I loved Home! I'm looking forward to The Night Masquerade, which I've got waiting for me as soon as come up for air from all these series re-reads. Is that the one you mean, Anna? It is there another extra one to be included the collected edition?
"Includes a brand-new Binti story! Collected for the first time in an omnibus edition, the Hugo- and Nebula-award-winning Binti trilogy..."I take that to mean it's a fourth story.
I started 1984 yesterday, I can't believe this book isn't on our group shelf! Since I recently re-read Brave New World I thought I'd finally read 1984 since many mentions of one book include the other. Its disturbing how many parallels I'm seeing between our world now and Orwell's imagined one. At least Brave New World was *trying* to be a utopia.
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haha oh, no. You know it's bad when people start looking at the dystopias based on pleasure and think "I mean...is it really *so* bad?"
I kid, I know you're not saying that exactly. (Though just a small soma holiday would be pretty great some weeks!)
I wasn't ever able to get through 1984 as a kid. Dunno if I'm mentally prepared to try it again as an adult. They tend to frown on naps and calling out because of state-induced paranoia where I work.
Loved 1984 as a kid and have reread it (and Animal Farm) a number of times over the years. Finished the audiobooks of Never Never by James Patterson and Candice Fox and Contest by Matthew Reilly when I was travelling from the Outback to the Farm on Tuesday. Enjoyed them both. Also read the paperback of the Bat by Jo Nesbø while I was waiting for my car to be serviced. I went and had brunch after I had my hair cut and sat and read in the coffee shop. Then finished it while I was getting a pedicure.
Started listening to Cinder by Marissa Meyer in the car yesterday while driving from the Farm to the Beach. Got about 3 hours in. Then last night I finally started Beartown for a prompt in the Popsugar challenge (a book about sport).
Been a good week and since I’m at the beach now with nothing else to do (it is winter) I can read and read and read. Looking forwards to it.
Having only seen (and enjoyed) a few episodes of Parts Unknown, I decided that today's news about Anthony Bourdain would be a good reason to read Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly. A quarter of the way in, and I'm amused, yet unsurprised. I've never worked in the restaurant biz, but I have friends and family who do.
The loss of Anthony Bourdain is so very sad 😢 I’ve watched heaps of his shows and loved them. I watched his episodes on Colombia to know what to expect before we travelled there years ago. Also watched him in Cambodia before we went there. The food is amazing in both places by the way. Never got around to any of his books though. I might just keep myself happy watching his TV shows.
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Good luck!! I'll be curious if another 1984-unfinisher grows up to be a 1984-finisher. Maybe my 14 year old self was just bad at making good decisions.
Surely that's not right? Hmm. Well, I'll be curious to know if maybe we were fallible! ;-)
Lowell wrote: "Having only seen (and enjoyed) a few episodes of Parts Unknown, I decided that today's news about Anthony Bourdain would be a good reason to read [book:Kitchen Confidential: Adventure..."
What a sweet memorial, Lowell! I love the idea of enjoying his work as a way to honor him. I'd forgotten he had a books too--I love his shows and articles and social media presences.
Jacqueline, the beach in winter is one of my favorite things. I hope you get lots of good books in, and maybe a few of Anthony's more inspirational episodes :)
While we're on the subject, I do hope y'all know that I like you immensely. I'm not a therapist, at all, but you are all very special to me and I don't really sleep, so if you ever need someone just to see you and talk things out to (or ask for gifs, I'm great for distractions) I'm here, and I care. It will never be weird or unwelcome to hear from any of you about anything, good or bad.
The last DTB I bought was a Bourdain book: Appetites: A Cookbook which was more of a home cooking and entertaining than a chef type cookbook. Had lots of recipes he made for family and friends.He did a good episode on Houston on his show once, hitting all the melting pot of cuisines here, low rider cars, a hip hop artist, shrimpers, etc. It captured the city quite well
I’m sure you the local food channel will be airing some of his best episodes as a memorial. It’s sad when you think of the many people who have mental health issues. It’s like an epidemic. Our local area (the Outback one) has been promoting Men’s Health groups in response to the increase in suicides amongst farmers. There are a number of groups and they meet in many locations around the Shire (Sort of like a County I suppose. The local council area with a Mayor in charge.) Anyhoo there’s one that meets at the Pub every Wednesday evening after work. They sit around and talk about anything they need to. Then around 6.30 their women are allowed to turn up. Some were suicidal, some were sick and wouldn’t go to the doctor. Typical men shit that they won’t tell anyone about. Now they talk and get help and it’s much healthier for them.
One of the things I was reading yesterday was NPR’s coverage of the CDC’s new report on suicide. Suicides are up across the board nearly everywhere, with guns being the leading tool of choice.https://www.npr.org/sections/health-s...
Twenty years ago my friend and my cousin committed suicide within a couple weeks of each other, so I read quite a bit about it back then. My primary takeaway, which doesn’t seem to have changed, is that most suicides and suicide attempts are impulse decisions. If someone isn’t successful and they get help, they rarely try again.
That’s the reason guns are so dangerous, because they are so very effective at ending life.
I’m reminded of an SF novel I read a good 35-40 years ago, called The Suicide Plague. The 21st century portrayed there really felt like a dystopia, with the rhetoric of an unhinged President causing us to slip closer to nuclear war, cults brainwashing kids, all but one newspaper out of business with the rest of the news slanted or overly cheery, suicides on the rise... who knew it would be so prescient?
I read the butterfly garden and I'm now finishing the percy jackson series! :)
Recently finished finished a couple of Star Wars books:Empire's End by Chuck Wendig
My Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Inferno Squad by Christie Golden
My Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I've been getting back into the Horus Heresy series from Games Workshop's publishing house Black Library.Specifically, Tales of Heresy, book number 11 in the series.
Trike wrote: "One of the things I was reading yesterday was NPR’s coverage of the CDC’s new report on suicide. Suicides are up across the board nearly everywhere, with guns being the leading tool of choice.htt..."
Welp, that's terrifying.
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Currently reading The Plastic Magician. Hasn't quite grabbed me like the original trilogy, but it's early days yet.
Finished Into the Drowning Deep and loved it. Although the ending left a few too many questions for me, but I'm willing to put my disbelief aside for now and cross my fingers for another book in this world. Gave up on A Land of Permanent Goodbyes. I just wasn't connecting with the characters and we ended up not selecting it for the Mock Printz so I have no reason to continue it. Also apparently the ending gets really bizarre.
Making slow progress on Raven Stratagem. I'm hoping to either finish it or get close this weekend so that I can be ready for the next book.
Jordan wrote: "Making slow progress on Raven Stratagem. I'm hoping to either finish it or get close this weekend so that I can be ready for the next book."Nice! Please join us in the buddy read thread.
Anna wrote: "Jordan wrote: "Making slow progress on Raven Stratagem. I'm hoping to either finish it or get close this weekend so that I can be ready for the next book."Nice! Please join us in ..."
Oh, a buddy read thread! Excellent! That will help keep me motivated to finally finish the book.
It’s not SFF but I just finished Yes, Chef by Marcus Samuelsson and absolutely loved it. He’s from Ethiopia, adopted by a Swedish family, and finally settled in the US. His quest to become a chef took him all over the world and the way he relates food and cooking to family and connectivity to the wider world and across cultures was so beautiful. I can’t recommend it enough. I listened on audio and he read it himself. Some of the French words were tough for me but didn’t detract from the listening experience.
Having only seen (and enjoyed) a few episodes of Parts Unknown, I decided that today's news about Anthony Bourdain would be a good reason to read Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly."For anyone who is interested, Anthony Bourdain narrates Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly himself. It's excellent to hear it in his voice.
Sarah wrote: "It’s not SFF but I just finished Yes, Chef by Marcus Samuelsson and absolutely loved it. He’s from Ethiopia, adopted by a Swedish family, and finally settled in the US. His quest to become a chef t..."That was a good book. I enjoyed it a lot. This one is interesting too: The Apprentice: My Life in the Kitchen. And I have Coming to My Senses: The Making of a Counterculture Cook on my TBR shelf
Those all look great!! I’ll have to check them out.
Finished The Last Starship from Earth, also The Man Who Watched The World End, companion novel to The Hauntings of Playing God.Currently working on Reading Joss Whedon and A Different Alchemy, set in same world as Man Who Watched and Hauntings. Excellent.
In May I read The Lost World by Michael Crichton, Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep by Phillip K Dick. I also read The Murders Of Mrs Austin And Mrs Beale by Jill McGown, and True Detectives by Jonathan Kellerman. I am currently reading Allie's Return by Eliza Taye.
I just started reading Marvel 1602 by Neil Gaiman because I'm intrigued by the premise. I voted for it when we had the poll for graphic novel fantasy, and decided to read it anyway when it didn't win.
I’ll be excited to hear your thoughts on Marvel 1602! It had my vote in the poll too (I think I nominated it?) and I just bought it on Kindle the other day because it was on sale. Can’t wait to get to it myself!I read a few short stories/flashfics by Yoon Ha Lee yesterday, all set in the Machineries of Empire universe. Including Extracurricular Activities. I loved them all, especially EA, and I want to read everything he’s written now!
I’m currently reading several things: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, A Clash of Kings, Space Opera, The Moon and the Other, Planetfall, The Last Unicorn, and Raven Stratagem. I plan to finish HP, Space Opera, Planetfall, Last Unicorn, & Raven Stratagem all by next weekend. (So I can start another stack of books! I’m trying hard to get caught up on my challenges and buddy reads!)
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On the plus side, I'm really enjoying Into the Drowning Deep!
My latest round of reviews:The Outsider - ★★★★☆ - (My Review)
The Handmaid's Tale - ★★★★☆ - (My Review)
Oh and I got to meet Jim Butcher for a signing of Brief Cases (which I'm reading now) yesterday!
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Are you never again washing the hand he shook?
Trike wrote: "Are you never again washing the hand he shook?"Since we didn't shake hands, that would be odd..
How did you get THE OUTSIDER so soon? Is it in the same universe as MR. MERCEDES??
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SciFi and Fantasy Book Club
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I'm sorry, I don't understand that sentence lol"
haha! I don't know who I think I'm kidding. Even *I* know the clean shelf is a lie. But I'm really hopeful this time!