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?
Thanks Kaa! I think I’ll try the novella.
I’m weirdly caught between being behind on buddy reads and hitting my year goal in two books and with Consider Phlebas 2/3 done I’m pacing myself cos I didn’t plan on exceeding my goal XDBut I’ll be starting Zero Stone today cos I’ve been dying to re-acquaint myself with Andre Norton whom I haven’t read since I was in school, and let Ship of Theseus, Rivers of London and Dar Oakley wait a bit. Perhaps I’ll start them andfinish them in the new year ;-)
Currently I'm reading Blitzed: Drugs in the Third Reich. I had no idea the Nazi army was powered by meth.
Heading in to the end of the year, we have...Sense and Sensibility: this is a book I feel I should have read decades ago, but I never managed to get past the first few pages before feeling bored and putting it down. It succeeded in audio with a lovely performance by Rosamund Pike. (review)
Od Magic: I've heard so much praise for Patricia McKillip that this first read ended up being a huge disappointment. It had its good points, including a couple of deeply resonant descriptions, but overall it was boring and pedantic. This was a buddy read, and it was painful to not share my partner's enthusiasm for it. (review)
Beth wrote: "Od Magic: I've heard so much praise for Patricia McKillip that this first read ended up being a huge disappointment..."I also read this at some point and wasn't super impressed. I read the Riddle Master trilogy years ago, which I loved, so I was quick to pick up anything else by her, but while I thought Od Magic was enjoyable enough, it felt small in scope and theme.
It's been a long time since I read The Riddle-Master of Hed (I may have been in high school?), but I think that might be a better place to start with McKillip. (Although I can't say whether it stands up to a reread with my older, more experienced eyes)
@Anna: After finishing book 1, it doesn't end of a cliffhanger, but it really does set up quite a bit for book 2, so if you only want to read one right now the novella is definitely the place to start. I'm about to dive into book 2, and I can let you know how frustrated I'm feeling at the end that there is not yet a book 3.
Beth wrote: "Od Magic: I've heard so much praise for Patricia McKillip that this first read ended up being a huge disappointment."I too am always hearing good things about McKillip but have never gotten around to trying anything she's written. I’m sorry to hear that one was a disappointment! My first attempt will probably be Alphabet of Thorn since it’s on our group shelf, but I never seem to get to it.
Ariana wrote: "It's been a long time since I read The Riddle-Master of Hed (I may have been in high school?), but I think that might be a better place to start with McKillip. (Although I can't say whether it stands up to a reread with my older, more experienced eyes)"To my mind it's her best work, and a regular re-read of mine. A good solid high fantasy with intriguingly original magic.
The Forgotten Beasts of Eld is another of McKillip's that several friends/follows have enjoyed. That's likely to be the one I'll try next.
Anna wrote: "Soulless would be almost exactly what I need. In fact since you mentioned it, I started The Dark Days Club a few days ago hoping it would be like Soulless, but it's so bad! It's mak..."I don't often do recs, but I'm going to rec to you God Save the Queen. It's a completed trilogy with, I think, a slightly more modern Soulless vibe. It's one of those series I wasn't sure of, and really ended up enjoying... and I never hear anyone talking about it.
@Beth you just convinced me to add to my Tbr!
I just finished up the Cainesville series by Kelley Armstrong. I had tried to read the first book, Omens, via audio & I hated it. Story elements clashed from the get go and that drove me nuts. However, a bunch of my friends like the series and were posting about it recently so I made another go at it by ebook. I ended up liking some of the characters and engaged by the lore elements. By the end of the series, I adored the relationships & love story. It's one of the best romance stories I've read this year. It was worth putting up with the rocky start & clashes to get to the end of the series. NOS4A2 - I started it with the idea I would take it in piecemeal. That way I'll be with the BR somewhat in pacing. There are slow parts in the beginning but I had stopped around the middle. Once you get there, the story pace is fast and going full speed. I took in a few hours during the week and ended up finishing today. Thus far, this is the best horror story by Hill that I've read. You have to be a little forgiving. Rough transitions and sometimes too much time spent in horrorville but worth it.
Kate Mulgrew did a great job narrating the story.
colleen the convivial curmudgeon wrote: "I don't often do recs, but I'm going to rec to you God Save the Queen. It's a completed trilogy with, I think, a slightly more modern Soulless vibe. It's one of those series I wasn't sure of, and really ended up enjoying... and I never hear anyone talking about it."Thanks! I'll add it to my TBR. I'm still struggling through Lady Helen, and I'll probably take a break from anything historical for a while once I'm done, but I know there'll be a future time when I'll be happy to have this on my TBR!
Beth wrote: "The Forgotten Beasts of Eld is another of McKillip's that several friends/follows have enjoyed. That's likely to be the one I'll try next."I want to read that one too.
I just finished the Low Town Trilogy starting with Low Town, which is a pretty dark, antihero tale with excellent socio-critical remarks.
Managed to complete the read all the books: the fifth season challenge with The Song of Achilles now I'm going to try and focus on finishing the wheel of time. It's funny to see all these mentions of The Forgotten Beasts of Eld as I just picked it up due to the mention in the tor.com list of good standalone fantasy works.
Sabrina wrote: "I just finished the Low Town Trilogy starting with Low Town, which is a pretty dark, antihero tale with excellent socio-critical remarks."Good to know! That's on my audio TBR.
Soo wrote: "Good to know! That's on my audio TBR...."I read it, so I don't know about the audio. Also, I'm looking forward to reading your thoughts. I think plotwise it good have been better, but I really liked those spot-on social and political remarks.
I'll try to remember to post here. I usually post about the books I liked in this group vs everything I read. =)I finished Three Body Problem and enjoyed it much more than I thought I would. There's been a change in narrators and the new guy makes everything sound flat. Not a good sign for a story with lots of strings in play. Translations to English were a bit off but the core story is great. Plan to finish that one up next year. Pretty sure I'll have to read it vs listening.
Soo wrote: "I finished Three Body Problem and enjoyed it much more than I thought I would... Plan to finish that one up next year. Pretty sure I'll have to read it vs listening."
I had this problem! I liked the audio for the first one, and tried to listen to the second one and just couldn't stay in the story. And I have very little time for eye-reading :-/
I finished
Fool's Errand and have started
Golden Fool. Am glad I took a bit of a break from Hobb's Elderlings, but now feel welcomed back. Fun reads.I'll review the trilogy rather than each book, as I bought the bundled edition for my Kindle.
I'm pretty sure I've read Patricia A. McKillip at some point in my life. Just not recently or in the last ten years. =DMy library had the audio for Od Magic and I've borrowed it a few times but was not in the mood for it until now.
1st: Gabrielle de Cuir did a wonderful job narrating the story. Top notch!
2nd: Od Magic was a fantastic children's tale. It was a wonderful story about magic, acceptance, choices, perception and change. It's like Shrek, Big Hero 6, Wall-e, etc. You don't have to be a kid to enjoy it. There's humor and layers in it that you can enjoy as an adult. In many ways, they are easier to understand as an adult and that may make the story feel too simple. But for a kid or teen? It would be a slow reveal towards answers that they have to see and think for themselves.
Od Magic is a wonderful modern fairy tale and full of good ideas to think about and feel. I really enjoyed it.
Another excellent story with good narration was Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance. It was a random pick I listened to when I was testing out Audible in 2017.
Since it's the end of the year, and since I made a visit to the Wizarding World recently, I started a Harry Potter reread. This will be, like, the billionth, or so...
CBRetriever wrote: "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..."
Wish I'd read it when I'd bought it as I wouldn't have either! Just finished book 2 - White Jenna but was as unimpressed as with volume one - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2617947137.
Reading updates! I finished all three books that are available so far in the Xandri Corelel series, which I am enjoying a lot. It's just the right combination of realistic and optimistic for me, with a lovely emphasis on found family. Anna, the second book ends at a more complete stopping point than book one, but there are definitely still some larger plot arcs that are going to show up in future books.I've also finished several group reads or buddy reads: two Raksura books, Redshirts, and Three Parts Dead. Plus some short stories and non-SFF - a few romance novellas and the really wonderful Fair Play.
Read a historical crime novel set in the English Civil War - The Royalist by S J Deas - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2628656488.
Kaa wrote: "Reading updates! I finished all three books that are available so far in the Xandri Corelel series, which I am enjoying a lot. It's just the right combination of realistic and optimistic for me, wi..."Those sound really interesting. My TBR is going to collapse and kill me.
Thanks again Kaa! I still haven't started the novella (it's very much next up on my list once I finish my current stuff), but it's good to know I can read through the next two if I feel like it.
I read Rivers of London for my last BR this year and now I feel like Anna said several posts ago: all challenges done, nothing in the line till next year! RELAX 😀
December is my favorite month, I try to finish all challenges by end of November and I can read whatever I want. Cheesy sci-fi, re-reads, romance (ok just kidding on that one). Fun!Probably I should do that more during the year but this method works for me...exercise AND donuts
Mod
Probably I sho..."
So what'd you decide to read for err..."fun" then? I do hope the rest of the year was also somewhat fun!
I am finding it hard to focus on books right now, what with all the holiday things happening. I'm hoping NOS4A2 dives into the story now that we've reveled in how bad the bad guys are and have had our spirit guide infodump. Ka: Dar Oakley in the Ruin of Ymr also feels like it's really wanted a strong foundation for a story that I'm hoping will take me as high as the stability of all this groundwork will allow!
Then is China Mountain Zhang which I'm hoping is quick and that I like as much as some others have!
Finally I hope to close out the year with the final two IBB reads: Future Home of the Living God and The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps
Mod
Probably I sho..."
I always read the books I like, but this is the time of the year where they no longer match my leftover challenge slots because I've avoided all the hard to find categories.
Then I triage and decide what I really care about finishing.
Winding down the year with Josiah Bancroft’s intriguing Arm of the Sphinx. There may be space to squeeze in 1-2 more.
Allison wrote: "I am finding it hard to focus on books right now, what with all the holiday things happening."Same here. The last couple hundred pages of the book I'm currently reading have been like walking up a mountain of molasses.
Woohoo! I just finished Acceptance and that's a wrap up for the Southern Reach trilogy. I actually liked it way more than I thought I would. I saw the movie and that got me interested in seeing how the book would relate or not. The movie did a better job of making the story concrete but it wasn't better than the book. The last book was rather great in making characters more relatable. Solid buildup from the first two books. The story would be annoying for those who go into it looking for a detailed answer. I mean, there is one but I don't think most people like it. That seems to be a clear consensus by the reviews & rating. I thought the answer fit really well. A surrealistic experience. The whole trilogy is uncomfortable, pokey, weird, maddening, brutal and caustically pretty.
Soo - yes I agree with you on the southern reach. I enjoyed it all and I felt I ‘got’ the end but understand why some would find it....unsatisfying.Better than the movie!
I'm working on finishing Kate Daniels series. Most of my friends love the series and are die hard fans of the authors. I enjoy the books but there are some things that bug the heck outta me. Those elements have been fairly consistent and always a standard of annoyance. Magic Shifts ended up being a nice balance of humor, intricately woven details spanning the series, cool new takes on myths, solid action scene that tipped the book into a fav and steady character growth. The good totally smashed the blahs. =D
I've read most of the work by IA and it's cool to see the writing evolve. The take on the last few books have been more rich and I dig it. Two more books to go! Well, technically three because I'm going to chomp on the Hugh book. Apparently I must read that one before the last book of the series.
Allison wrote: "Lowell wrote: "Beth wrote: "Soo wrote: "My copy of the Earthsea Illustrated Edition is coming in tomorrow!"I've put it on the very top of my Christmas wish list so here's hoping!"
ditto beth. I'..."
I keep my (public) wishlist filled with about 30% "reading for pleasure" books, 30% RPG Material, 20% video game material, and 20% board game material. I use a small variety of price points so that no one feels obligated to buy a "big thing."
Still... no one ever buys me the books on there. :("
Allison wrote: "what's with that?"
I'm pleased to report that, for the first time in forever, someone has bought me a book from my wishlist. (I keep a generic wishlist for birthday and christmas because they are close together).
My mother bought me the Illustrated Tales of Earthsea! I'm glad someone took the hint!
Mod
I've put it on the very top of my Christmas wish list so here's hoping!"..."
Hooray!! What a great gift!
Yay! It's a nice book. =)Ya'll. I did a recount of the SFFBC books I've read and it's only at 91. I think that raised from the last time I counted this year but that's not even half. Ha!
That’s great Lowell. I found it on the internet the other week and it looks lovely. I walked into a bookshop in Brisbane on Friday and took pictures of half a dozen books I want and sent texts to my children (who were with me at the time but I was sent to the bookshop to look while they looked at other geeky stuff for me in the shop next door) showing them what I wanted. It would have been nice to know which ones they didn’t get because they’re books I usually have no chance to get myself and I would have bought myself the leftovers. Hopefully I get to go back up after Christmas so I can get the stragglers. I’d already got into trouble for buying myself a few books from another shop earlier in the day. Last year my eldest sent me money to cover the food and drink for Christmas and then I used the rest of it for books for the rest of the year.
Mod
Ya'll. I did a recount of the SFFBC books I've read and it's only at 91. I think that raised from the last time I counted this year but that's not even half. Ha!"
Still impressive and so many more to look forward to! :D
Lowell wrote: "I'm pleased to report that, for the first time in forever, someone has bought me a book from my wishlist. (I keep a generic wishlist for birthday and christmas because they are close together)."Several of us international customers used to do that for each other. If a book was $0.99 for me and $9.99 for them, I'd often buy it from their wish list. I remember a friend in Croatia wanted this one: The American Swear Book: English as a Second F___ing Language. A few people bought me a daily deal book too as the amazon.fr daily deals were not the same as the amazon.com ones
CBRetriever wrote: "Several of us international customers used to do that for each other. If a book was $0.99 for me and $9.99 for them, I'd often buy it from their wish list."I've actually been wondering about that! So if I buy something from someone's wishlist, I pay the same price I would if I was buying it for myself, even if it's ten times cheaper for them to buy? And someone could buy me books from my wishlist at a discounted price that's not applicable to my region? But it would still have to be available for me to buy, so I can't get around country resrtictions like that?
you can't get around Country Restrictions that way. He had to add it to his wish list and I had to buy it from there and it did indeed show $0.99 for me (France) and $9.99 for him (Croatia), but I paid the $0.99. Amazon.com was used to purchase the books.The wish list was to verify he was listing a book I could purchase for him. Currently, the book is not available in my region sicne I moved back to the US
Thanks CBR! It's still good to know, because more and more the kindle deals aren't available here. I get so many eIQ alerts for deals I would love to get but can't.
Just finished The Hallowed Hunt, which i quite enjoyed after I got past the first third of the book. The back 2/3 make up for the dragging setup.This leaves me with two books left on my 2018 planned out TBR, neither SF/F: Books 3 and 4 of the Amelia Peabody mysteries by Elizabeth Peters. 12 days to go, and most of them are on vacation... I think I can do it.
Mod
I then read Future Home of the Living God and brought everyone closer to my loathing of it, so maybe I gotta pump the brakes on my irritation. Woosa, me.
Still trying to read Ka: Dar Oakley. I'm getting desperate at this point because I've been reading it for a week and I'm 120 pages in and it's due Saturday. It's not that I dislike it, it's partially because of the timing (it's a bit busy!) and also it's a slow lyrical sort of book and I'm waiting for it to do a thing.
About to start Slaughterhouse-Five and China Mountain Zhang!
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SciFi and Fantasy Book Club
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I'm not finished with the first book yet so I'm not sure what the ending will be like, but I found another review that said, "The book wraps up its storyline while spring boarding into the next so I'm eager to get to the second book."