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?
Dawn wrote: "Jenny wrote: "Hi all, it's been a while since I've checked in & I'm in a reading slump. It feels like I'm taking forever to listen to Age of Swords on Audible because I've been more in the mood for..."Thank you for the well wishes! I've read a bunch of Doctor Who books and really enjoy them.
Trike wrote: "Jenny wrote: "I've also hardly been reading Doctor Who: Fear of the Dark on my Kindle because this year I started getting chronic migraines, and I found that screens can sometimes trigger the pain...."Thank you so much Trike! I've never thought of doing this. I've inverted the colors on both my mobile & Kindle and I think it will help a lot. You're a genius :D
Gabi wrote: "Anthony wrote: "@Gabi yes there was something very comforting about spending time with those sweet characters in The Long Way... Glad you enjoyed it."Just saw that the other books in the series h..."
Whaaaaat? This makes me so sad. I've been eager to read the second book because I loved the characters so much :(
Started Ash and Quill, book 3 in The Great Library series. This one is set in Philly, which is interesting for me - but it's a much different Philly so it sidesteps the issue I've had with some other books "set in Philly" where the author had clearly never actually been. LOL
colleen the convivial curmudgeon wrote: "Started Ash and Quill, book 3 in The Great Library series. This one is set in Philly, which is interesting for me - but it's a much different Philly so it sidesteps the issue I've h..."Oh, yeah. I'm tired of reading fiction "set in Chicago" that talks about "Michigan Street" or mentions Marshall Field's in a modern context (store was taken over by Macy's in 2005. Nobody I know says "Youse" and nobody says "DA Bearss" except as a joke.
The Bergdorf is gone (unfortunately), and NOBODY downtown gets TV parking -- maybe in 1975? And it doesn't rain or drizzle for days, as in the East, yada yada.
My partner and I are transit freaks and we had the most wonderful time in Philly about ten years ago riding Septa, the no. 15, connecting to NJT and all that good stuff. I could do it again. (FWIW we did visit a museum or two as well.)
Just got Plague of Giants from the library, first person to check it out. Pretty interesting so far, but only about 50 pages in
ALLEN wrote: "My partner and I are transit freaks and we had the most wonderful time in Philly about ten years ago riding Septa, the no. 15, connecting to NJT and all that good stuff. I could do it again. (FWIW we did visit a museum or two as well.)"I think this is literally the first time I've ever heard anyone say anything complimentary about Septa. LOL
I'm glad you had a good time. :)
Finished Kurtain Motel yesterday and enjoyed it despite some big flaws (IMO). Will likely read the next book in he series!I’m finally going back to finish Words of Radiance now.. i got distracted and never went back, so hope to finish that up in the next few weeks!
colleen the convivial curmudgeon wrote: "Started Ash and Quill, book 3 in The Great Library series. This one is set in Philly, which is interesting for me - but it's a much different Philly so it sidesteps the issue I've h..."Not only is it nothing like contemporary Philadelphia, but you'd never want to go there. OTOH, it's my idea of really good alternate history.
Currently reading The Danzig Trilogy by Gunter Grass; it's a rather huge book so I'm taking breaks in order to read other books. In addition, I am reading The Dispossessed on my Kindle which is my first LeGuin novel. It's fascinating so far.
Tempest Panda wrote: "Currently reading The Danzig Trilogy by Gunter Grass; it's a rather huge book so I'm taking breaks in order to read other books. In addition, I am reading The Dispossessed on my Kindle which is my ..."Is that the one that includes THE TIN DRUM?
I finished the Ursula K. Le Guin collection The Unreal and the Real: Selected Stories, Volume One: Where on Earth (having read stories from it between reading novels) and while I don’t think it’s entirely consistent, there are still moments of startling beauty and heartache and poetry sprinkled throughout. She was a genius.
I finished Parable of the Talents and I'm impressed and moved by the power of Butler's writing. I read it last night while holding vigil for my sick, beloved bunny. Somehow the tone fit perfectly, cause I had no idea if she would make it through the night. So my 5 stars may very well be coloured by this special occasion, but nevertheless it was a brutal, thoughtprovoking and melancholic ride, which I wouldn't have want to miss.I will skip on the Certain Darker Things group read for now, cause I'm not sure this book will appeal to me and the currently 10€ I'd to pay for the ebook version are too much for me just to find out.
So the dice will decide whether I start with the highly praised Ursula K. Le Guin or the highly praised Robin Hobb. ;)
Servus, Gabi! Sorry to hear about the *Kaninchen*. I myself own two gerbils -- what are they -- "Wuestenspringmaeuser"?
-- the most recent, and going back nearly 30 years.
Have conducted many a midnight session over the years.
Gabi wrote: "I finished Parable of the Talents and I'm impressed and moved by the power of Butler's writing. I read it last night while holding vigil for my sick, beloved bunny. Somehow the tone fi..."Which Le Guin book would you start with? (There’s only one Robin Hobb book you should start with, so no need to ask that question.)
ALLEN wrote: "Servus, Gabi! Sorry to hear about the *Kaninchen*. I myself own two gerbils -- what are they -- "Wuestenspringmaeuser"?
-- the most recent, and going back nearly 30 years.
Have conducted many a ..."
:D You certainly picked the worst German vocable - well played!
Anthony wrote: "Which Le Guin book would you start with? (There’s only one Robin Hobb book you should start with, so no need to ask that question.) "
I bought a collection with the first four books of the Earthsea saga, so that is where I will begin. In three days we start into our summer vacation with a seven hour drive - so this will be a wonderful opportunity to read.
Gabi: Listening or reading on that seven-hour motor trip?
@Gabi Ah, wonderful! So did Le Guin win the die roll? I’ve read and adored the first three Earthsea books. Maybe we could do a buddy read of Tehanu when you get there? (Although I have to help my friend with his unpublished memoir manuscript this week, and after that I’ll be reading Charlie Jane Anders’ new book. She’s sent me an advanced reader’s copy, and asked me if I would provide a blurb, which is a huge honor.
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So! Onward. Listening to The Book Thief which is feeling much more my speed right now and about to start Certain Dark Things with my eyes.
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@Anthony and Allison: would love a BR on Tehanu!@ Anthony: Woohooo for the blurb! (and I'd say the honour is on both sides!)
@Allen: reading. I've got two elementary school boys shouting and singing down my neck on the trip. There's no way I would understand any audiobook ;)
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Gabi wrote and I shortened it: I finished Parable of the Talents and I'm impressed and moved by the power of Butler's writing. . . My 5 stars may very well be coloured by this special occasion, but nevertheless it was a brutal, thoughtprovoking and melancholic ride, which I wouldn't have want to miss. Please, if you are reading, or will read Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler, one of this month's reads, plan to also read Parable of the Talents, the continuation of the first book. You may want to read some light fluffy books between those two books.
ALLEN wrote: "Servus, Gabi! Sorry to hear about the *Kaninchen*. I myself own two gerbils -- what are they -- "Wuestenspringmaeuser"?
-- the most recent, and going back nearly 30 years.
Have conducted many a ..."
Wuestenspringmaeuser is actullly pretty descriptive. The one I always had problems with was Meerschweinchen, which is a Guinea Pig :)
Anthony wrote: "Although I have to help my friend with his unpublished memoir manuscript this week, and after that I’ll be reading Charlie Jane Anders’ new book. She’s sent me an advanced reader’s copy, and asked me if I would provide a blurb, which is a huge honor. "More proof that all celebrities know each other. 😆
Neuromancer It's supposed to be an important Sci-fi work from 1994 so I knew I had to read it. So far it's a tough one to process, but I do get the basic structure - jacking in and out of a matrix and real-life and man it's messed up. But well done.
Michael wrote: "Neuromancer It's supposed to be an important Sci-fi work from 1994 so I knew I had to read it. So far it's a tough one to process, but I do get the basic structure - jacking in and ou..."This one still sits unread on my RL bookshelf. Sounds complicated …
Just finished the 15th Terry Pratchett book in our family read (only some 20 more to go …) The Fifth Elephant. What I so love about Terry Pratchett is the fact, that one can take his novels just as weird adventure stories and enjoy them (which my 8year old does), or you can start to think about it and find the universal truth within the lines (which my 10year old gradually does).
@Gabi the only Pratchett I’ve read so far is Good Omens, which he co-wrote with Neil Gaiman, and which I read many years ago, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. The Colour of Magic is in my queue, and has been for a long time. I look forward to reading more!
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TBH I'm not sure I'd start with Colour. I started with Equal Rites and am really glad I did. Colour was...amusing, I guess, but Pratchett was really finding his voice with the first book. If I'd started there, I'm not sure I'd have gone on, but Equal Rites was a delight.
Ah... I’m such a completionist though when I like someone. Hmmmm. I own Colour so I think I ought to at least give it a go...
@Anthony: I concur with Allison. The first books and especially the ones with Rincewind are a bit … flat. They were great fun for my boys, but they lacked the deeper insight and the play on words I see in Pratchett's later works. The novels about the witches or the guards are way better imho.
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I believe you! Not that I’ll get to them anytime soon, but which book would you jump to from Colour once I’ve read Colour?
Anthony wrote: "I believe you! Not that I’ll get to them anytime soon, but which book would you jump to from Colour once I’ve read Colour?"Well, if you read Colour you have to read The Light Fantastic, because both together really make up one story.
After that, though, would depend if you want to jump into Witches, Guards, or Death.
Anthony wrote: "I believe you! Not that I’ll get to them anytime soon, but which book would you jump to from Colour once I’ve read Colour?"I'd go for Guards! Guards!, the first installement of the guards arc. Or for my all time fav Small Gods, a stand alone novel (and may I just say how proud I am, that I had Terry sign this one for me at a reading in Cologne … sorry … fangirling-mode off ;) )
Michael wrote: "Neuromancer It's supposed to be an important Sci-fi work from 1994 so I knew I had to read it. So far it's a tough one to process, but I do get the basic structure - jacking in and ou..."Fun Fact about Neuromancer was it was written by an author who had never used a computer on a typewriter. In an interview Gibson once said that if he had owned a computer he probably never would have written the book.
Just finished Circe and I higly recommend it for those who enjoy novels with a mythology basis.Read Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold earlier this year so I now feel fully refreshed on my Greek mythology knowledge.
Finished Ash and Quill last night. Giving it 3.5, bumped up to 4. Most of the book was 3 stars, but that ending... I kind of want to jump into the next book, but I'd already decided to wait until the last book is out before continuing.Also started Redemption in Indigo this morning. Only on chapter 2, so not far in, but I think I'll like it.
Just finished Red Sister by Mark Lawrence. 5⭐️ all the way. Can’t wait to start Grey Sister. Just not tonight. Tad tired. Little bit of a book hangover. Sooooo good though. Hope I can sleep after all the excitement.
Finished The Iliad (this time I read the Robert Fagles translation)https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I am in the depths of despair. The book that was supposed to be so dull it would lull my terrified brain back into a semblance of sanity ended with a torture session. What the heck am I supposed to read next? I would love to read the "Reminds you of home" TBR cleanup book, but my original pick doesn't speak to me right now, and I can't think of anything else that would fit. I'm convinced all books are horrifying and contain scenes of extreme violence. Do I really have to start reading picture books? What if there are monsters?
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The Way of Kings or The Once and Future King. C'mon. Just try it, you know you want to.
Or a HP reread. If those two don't speak to me, Hogwarts always cheers me up. Until ~book 4, and then it's a bit sadder.
Circe is fantastic and so is Madeline Miller’s first book The Song of Achilles, even if one is not into mythology (which I definitely am). They’re very human stories.
It'll have to be a very long time before I reread HP again. Have I mentioned enough times that I listened to the audiobooks every single night for five or six years? I can't remember exactly, but it was a loooong time.I'm thinking it's T. Kingfisher time.
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SciFi and Fantasy Book Club
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I tried reading JS&MN earlier this year. at 20% of the way in and completely uninterested in any character or the faintest threads of plot that had begun to appear, I DNF'd it.