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?
Finished up Making Money, so I'm back on track with my scheduled Discworld-a-thon.And I started Renegades this morning. Not very far in, but the opening is promising, and I really liked Meyer's Lunar Chronicles, so fingers crossed.
I just read Ka: Dar Oakley in the Ruin of Ymr and Planetfall, which was an outstanding experience. Both quite unique, both touched me deeply in their own ways.
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The Lathe of Heaven is super creepy and nightmarish. I feel like the wild things from Where the Wild Things Are. I want to eat her up, I love her so!
Dipped my toes cautiously into Gardens of the Moon since everyone keeps using words like "slog" and "slow" and "best book ever." I am loving it so far, perhaps, as Udayan suggested, because all of you marvelous people both piqued my interest and helped to manage my expectations :)
Started Jade City, super excited about this pick.
Had a void in my audiobook TBR "pile", so I started Zoo City on the commute. Great so far!And bonus! -- it fills my "last" Inclusive Book Bingo square.
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And bonus! -- it fills my "last" Inclusive Book Bingo square."
Woohoo!! You've been talking about Zoo City for awhile if I recall correctly. I must make time for it :)
I've been a little disappointed by some of my reading this week - neither Beasts Made of Night or Runtime lived up to my hopes for them. On the other hand, S.B. Divya's short story Microbiota and the Masses, was very enjoyable, so I hope she will return to the world of Runtime to fill in some of the gaps.I was also sort of surprised by how much I liked The Price of Meat, as I'm usually not much for pulpy horror. I am a fan of the author, though, so I'm glad I gave it a chance.
I'm slowly reading How Long 'til Black Future Month?, trying to limit myself to one story a day so I don't finish too quickly. So far every story has been a winner.
My other current reads are A Conspiracy of Stars and The Serpent Sea, both of which I am enjoying so far.
Kaa wrote: "I'm slowly reading How Long 'til Black Future Month?, trying to limit myself to one story a day so I don't finish too quickly. So far every story has been a winner.."This is in my TBR pile too.
Absolutely loving Fire & Blood. Martin does the maester tone perfectly. Will excuse him on WoW for this year :)
Anna wrote: "Gabi! Talk to us about Planetfall here!!"Oh! Thank you for the link! I will, when I'm back from work and can get at the pc!
Else, I tried really hard to be a good Buddy Reader and a good Group Reader ... But the temptation of the book on my nightstand was too hard to resist ... :D
I started Traitor's Moon, the next one in the Nightrunner series. That makes my eye read as well as my ear read a high fantasy, which will certainly confuse me like hell.
But I couldn't keep away from Seregil and Alec any longer.
Jed Had to Die - It was exactly what I thought it would be. A funny romance with nosy small town neighbors and campy who-done-it murder. Total fluff! It was funny & that's what I wanted at the time. Don't go into it for a serious case.The Red Knight - I ended up liking this one more by the time it ended than when I initially started it. I recommend reading vs audio because the narrator takes a while (15 out of 30 hours) to get into stride. There's rough POV changes and uneven story progression. I enjoyed the action sequences & details about being a knight, mercenary, etc. The romantic elements were like comic relief because they were rather cheesy. I like the Captain aka Red Knight a lot & eager to see what happens to him next.
Nevernight - I think I'm going to love this trilogy. Probably. I wasn't sure if I would like either Kaufman or Kristoff's solo work but I really enjoyed the Illuminae Files. The blurbs for their books don't spark any interest for me but I like them as writers so that's reason enough to check out their work. I recommend reading the first 25% as you listen to the audio because it will make more sense that way. A grimdark fantasy about training to become an elite assassin. The story has a vivid & frank take on everything: violence, plots, sex, etc. The story packs an emotional punch because you end up getting into the characters head.
The Brotherhood of the Wheel - I listened & read this story multiple times last year. I loved listening to it again! It's just as fun as I remembered. Can't wait to get my greedy little hands on King of the Road! Like in 4 hours. Bwahaha
Whiskey Sour - I saw a friend rate one of the later books in this series and got the first book on KU Read & Listen. I loved the narration by Susie Breck & Dick Hill! They split the female & male voices between them. It was like a 90's cop show with humor. It was fun. I'll continue this series on audio because the narrators make the story for me.
Gabi wrote: "I started Traitor's Moon, the next one in the Nightrunner series. That makes my eye read as well as my ear read a high fantasy, which will certainly confuse me like hell.But I couldn't keep away from Seregil and Alec any longer. "
That's such a good one. Enjoy!
Travis wrote: "That's such a good one. Enjoy!"Strangely enough all I remember of this one is Alec being bitten by a dragonling. Apart from that there is nothing ... ( I have a horrible memory) ... So it will be like new to me!
Fire & Boood (I'm expecting this will be a common feature)Also about to start re-reading The Final Empire: First book of the mistborn series
And then moving onto a re-read of The Wise Man's fear (probably my favourite fantasy novel read in the last 5 years)
Soo wrote: "The Brotherhood of the Wheel - I listened & read this story multiple times last year. I loved listening to it again! It's just as fun as I remembered."This has also been in my TBR since its release. High praise and multiple rereads by you may have pushed it up the list.
Ugh, I think I might give up on Kill the Queen. I saw a lot of hype and good ratings, but it's turning out to be pretty predictable with a heroine who borders on TSTL. I'm trying to learn to DNF books, so I think this one needs to go. I read The Secret in Vault 13: A Doctor Who Story, which is a 13th Doctor book aimed at kids, but despite that it still was really great and had a lot of references to the old Doctors.
I listened to Doctor Who: The Wrath of the Iceni, a 4th Doctor audio that combines my love of Doctor Who and my love of Boudica. Short and excellent.
Currently reading Doctor Who: The Good Doctor, the first of the 13th Doctor adult books. So far, so good. I love the premise behind it.
Also currently reading Doctor Who: Silhouette, because I miss the Paternoster Gang.
I now declare December my Doctor Who reading month.
That's amusing, I'm reading Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor by Steven Moffat on Kindle.A few days ago I read and didn't care for The Shrinking Man by Richard Matheson.
Yesterday I finished Dry by Neal Shusterman & Jarrod Shusterman, a YA cli-fi novel that read like an Octavia E. Butler novel like Parable of the Sower, until the end, which I didn't care for.
Now I'm reading The Library Book by Susan Orlean.
Allison wrote: "Dipped my toes cautiously into Gardens of the Moon since everyone keeps using words like "slog" and "slow" and "best book ever.""Sneaking in a head start, are ye? Looking forward to your thoughts on this one, whether that happens this year or next.
Sadly A Conspiracy of Stars went quickly downhill in the second half. I can tolerate a lot of hand-wavy science, but it has to make at least some sense in the context. Just yelling "genetics!" at something and then doing whatever you want is not going to work for me.
I'm currently digging in to The City of Brass and enjoying it immensely. A pseudo-historical setting is quickly swept aside in favor of some very magical adventures, filled with djinni politics, ghoul-summoning ifriti, and half-blood oppression. I have some minor quibbles with timeline scaling, but that's it.
Allison wrote: "Mike wrote: "Had a void in my audiobook TBR "pile", so I started Zoo City on the commute. Great so far!And bonus! -- it fills my "last" Inclusive Book Bingo square."
Woohoo!! You've been talking about Zoo City for awhile if I recall correctly. I must make time for it :)
"
I'm not sure that was me that you were thinking of? Maybe? I did nominate it for the African IBB space, but that is all that I recall posting about it…
I'm listening to The Son of Neptune on audio through Libby (which has changed my reading life recently). I just adore the overall Camp Half-Blood series.I'm reading Rosewater for my physical book and I'll definitely be looking into the discussion boards.
How Long 'til Black Future Month? just became available on Libby so I snatched it up before anywhere else could. I've been really excited for this one and thankfully it's a collection of short stories because I may not be able to wait until I'm done with Rosewater (I've been trying to focus on one book and one audiobook at a time).
I have a huge stack of books from the library on my coffee table so here's to a good month of reading!
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And bonus! -- it fills my "last" Inclusive Book Bingo square."..."
I thought it was you who had nommed or seconded it for a few others as well? Maybe it was the ghosts, I can't keep up. Anyways, I hope you like it!
Nice, Jenny! Can't wait to hear your thoughts on Rosewater and jelly about How Long? I'm not even on the waiting list yet, it's ridiculous :(
Jenny wrote: "I'm listening to The Son of Neptune on audio through Libby (which has changed my reading life recently)."I have been postponing taking my library's offer for me to switch from Overdrive to Libby. Is it easy to use?
Allison wrote: "Mike wrote: "Allison wrote: "Mike wrote: "Had a void in my audiobook TBR "pile", so I started Zoo City..."
Anyways, I hope you like it!
I do like it so far! Some dissatisfaction because the author hasn't seen fit to explain the genesis of the animals and everyone seems to take them for granted. But, maybe there's something, I don't know, unspeakable that we will learn later? I seem to remember Ms. Buekes doing something similar in Broken Monsters. Plus, I'm less than half way.
Is reading "Fire and Blood" by GRRM. To me it feels like, "building back-story" to move "The Song of Fire and Ice" forward. If you were waiting for a history book on Westeros... This be IT!
Absolutely loved both of those books you're re-reading Mark Kriedemann. I think "The Final Empire" and "The Wiseman's Fear" would be on many Top Ten Lists for fantasy for the last 20 years.
I finished a dull LitRPG story and tried to jump into a couple of YA stories but ended up ditching them because the narrators annoyed me. Sibilant S's should only happen for effect. Not be a standard part of a narrator's speech. *grumble grumble* Now, I'm romping around with Penric & Desdemona and having a great time!
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Sneaking in a head start, are ye? Looking forward ..."
Sorry, I just saw this! Haha think of it more as being cautious. I got bit hard by WoT and didn't want to subject myself (and possibly others) to that again! But roughly 50 pages in, I'm intrigued even if I don't get all the intricacies yet so I think I will be happy to press on. Small detour for our planned readings :)
Yeshhhh!... That drivesssss me crazssy alssso !
Just finished reading At the Sign of the Golden Pineapple by one of my favorite lightweight-please-don't-think-because-it's-naught-but-fluff Regency romance authors. Short, sweet, successful reading recharge.Also finished Whispers Under Ground. Book 3 in the Peter Grant series. I am absolutely enjoying the bejeebers out of this series!
Picking Shadow of Night back up and giving it my focus. Wish I could find the audiobook but there's an 11 week wait at my library!
Finished book 1 of Jane Yolen's series, Sister Light, Sister Dark but didn't love it sadly - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2606476310.
Finally finished reading The Lost Hero, Rick Riordan aloud to my son. It’s 551 and it took us about a month and a half to get through it! A fun book! Here’s my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Pam wrote: "Finished book 1 of Jane Yolen's series, Sister Light, Sister Dark but didn't love it sadly - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...."I didn't either and did not buy the next book in the series
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Riordan is one I keep meaning to try! Glad you and your son enjoyed it. I love hearing about all you parents sharing books with your kids <3
Rick Riordan is fun. I read Percy Jackson years ago after my kids left home and I love them. Currently in the middle of the Magnus Chase series.
I agree that Riordan is fun. Good adventure stories for kids.
And adults who refuse to grow up lol
Since my last post, I’ve finished:* Robin Hobb’s Tawny Man subseries. This is the third subseries in her larger Realms of the Elderlings series, and the last one that I had already read previously. This is the subseries that I enjoyed the most during both reads, but it's emotionally exhausting. Especially the third book. When I first read it, I thought these were the final books in the series so I was pretty annoyed at the end. This time, knowing there are more books, it didn’t bother me quite as much.
My reviews:
Fool’s Errand – Book 1
Golden Fool – Book 2
Fool’s Fate – Book 3
* Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes. This was interesting. Kind of a mixture of police procedural (without some of the more annoying tropes) and fantasy/horror, with the fantasy/horror elements in the background for much of the story. The first half was only moderately interesting to me, but it really picked up in the second half and it’s one of those books that keeps you thinking a bit after you’ve finished it. My review.
After work, I plan to start The Dragon Keeper, the first book in Hobb’s Rain Wilds subseries. This will be the first new-to-me book in the series and I’m looking forward to being in new territory. There were some events in the previous subseries that clearly will have repercussions relevant to this one, so I look forward to seeing how that plays out.
I'm back from my break with Robin Hobb having read several more books of the Kydd Sea series by Julian Stockwin.
A Sea of Gold.Now to pick up where YoukneeK left off with
The Complete Tawny Man Trilogy: Fool's Errand, The Golden Fool, Fool's Fate.
in re Gardens of the MoonAllison wrote: "But roughly 50 pages in, I'm intrigued even if I don't get all the intricacies yet so I think I will be happy to press on."
I felt similarly about the first 50 pages of Deadhouse Gates: intrigued but not frustrated, despite Erikson's not explaining anything under any circumstance (got to admire that, really). Just part IV to go, so you'll know what I think of it as a whole before too long! spoiler-free of course.
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Allison wrote: "But roughly 50 pages in, I'm intrigued even if I don't get all the intricacies yet so I think I will be happy to press on."
I felt similarly about the fi..."
I am looking forward to it, and to comparing notes on our experiences having started from two different places!
Eric wrote: "Now to pick up where YoukneeK left off with The Complete Tawny Man Trilogy"I hope you enjoy it! :)
YouKneeK wrote: "Eric wrote: "Now to pick up where YoukneeK left off with The Complete Tawny Man Trilogy"I hope you enjoy it! :)"
Thanks! I'm already hooked and just started it. Chade has arrived. :)
I recently finished Slaughterhouse-Five and Nimona. I have one more challenge book to read for this year and then i'm pushing through and going to finish the second half of the wheel of time.
I read the third novel of the Nightrunner series (the reason why I'm behind on every BR …) Traitor's Moon. And although this is technically a re-read, it was like a first read for me, since I - as usual - forgot everything about the plot. I dearly loved the slow political scheme of the book and it has established the love of Seregil and Alec as the best relationship ever on SFF for me. (but of course I'm always open to be introduced to a even better one … if there is one)ETA: Oh … and with this I finished my 2018 book challenge with 100 books since July.
I received an ARC of The City in the Middle of the Night in November. So far, everyone else who has read it really liked it. I did not. One of the perspective characters, Mouth, receives constant abuse from the other characters and has a realistic breakdown as a result. The book never acknowledges the abuse or sympathizes with Mouth. It felt like watching the weird kid in the back of the class get picked on, but I could not intervene. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
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SciFi and Fantasy Book Club
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That's a pretty good description for every Dan Brown book I've read (excepting The Da Vinci Code).