SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

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What Else Are You Reading? > What Else Are You Reading in 2019?

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message 1501: by CBRetriever (new)

CBRetriever | 6113 comments Eric, you will enjoy that trilogy, I did. I also enjoyed the Shadowmarch series as well as the Bobby Dollar series which begins with The Dirty Streets of Heaven. I didn't like Otherland 1 - 4 Boxed Set as well. It was a bit too confusing for me. However it does have main characters that are African, a bit of an Alice in Wonderland vibe and Nnedi Okorafor loved it (she wrote a review for book 1: City of Golden Shadow)


message 1502: by Jordan (new)

Jordan (justiceofkalr) | 403 comments I've been in a very non-reading mood lately, but I seem to be escaping that now. I'm currently reading:

Sorcery of Thorns, which I'm tentatively excited about. It started out fantastic, but I'm worried it's setting up to turn into more of a YA romance feel than I wanted. It's still too early for me to tell for sure, and the story itself is fantastic, so I've got my fingers crossed.

Magic for Liars is like Harry Potter meets reality with a little murder thrown in. The main character is a non-magical PI whose sister went to the school so it's a really interesting view of the magical community from the (slightly bitter) outside. So far I love it.

The Light Brigade I just started on audio this morning. So far it's a really interesting set-up. Corporate ruled Earth, socialist Martians, whole cities disappearing, people travelling via light, residency and citizenship that has to be earned. I feel I will probably like this more than The Stars Are Legion.

In non-sff, I'm reading The Happy Runner: Love the Process, Get Faster, Run Longer as I prepare to start my training plan this month for upcoming fall races.


message 1503: by Gabi (new)

Gabi | 3441 comments I'm reading Alien Virus Love Disaster a short story collection by Abbey Mei Otis for the BR and I think I have never read something more depressing in my life. I actually feel that it is influencing my emotional balance and dearly need something harmless afterwards.

Simultaneously I'm fascinated by the stories and love the prose. It definitely gets under my skin.


message 1504: by Eric (new)

Eric | 463 comments CBRetriever wrote: "Eric, you will enjoy that trilogy, I did. I also enjoyed the Shadowmarch series as well as the Bobby Dollar series which begins with The Dirty Streets of Heaven. I d..."

Thanks CB. This is my first encounter with Tad Williams who, I find, has been around for quite awhile.


message 1505: by Rachel (new)

Rachel | 1405 comments Uh oh Gabi - I’m picking it up from library tomorrow- I don’t need to be depressed - too much going on with a house move and twins starting kindergarten!! Ack


message 1506: by Trike (new)

Trike Rachel wrote: "Uh oh Gabi - I’m picking it up from library tomorrow- I don’t need to be depressed - too much going on with a house move and twins starting kindergarten!! Ack"

Where are you that kindergarten starts in July?


message 1507: by Rachel (new)

Rachel | 1405 comments Ah - they start less than two weeks after we move in. Won’t let us register til after settlement either. Crazy crazy times. Need calming reading


message 1508: by Gabi (new)

Gabi | 3441 comments @Rachel, give it a try. The reviews look good. It just resonates so much with my darker side. This must not hold true for others.


message 1509: by Kaa (new)

Kaa | 1543 comments I read several great books while on vacation last week:

Silver in the Wood: I kind of thought this was going to be a romance, but it turned out to be more Romantic in the traditional sense - heavily influenced by Green Man mythology and with beautifully detailed descriptions of the forest setting. I thought it was a lovely, quick read.

Hexarchate Stories: Only some of these stories were new to me, but I really enjoyed the way they were collected and the new pieces.

A Canticle for Leibowitz: There were pieces of this I really enjoyed, but overall I think I appreciated more than liked it.

Buffalo Gals and Other Animal Presences: A lovely collection of animal-themed stories and poems by Ursula Le Guin.

Mind of My Mind: I actually think my strategy of reading this series in my own particular order (Patternmaster-Wild Seed-MoMM) worked really well for me. Patternmaster contains one mild spoiler for the earlier books, but I thought it was probably the best way to start the series, and I was glad to have read Wild Seed ahead of Mind of My Mind, since they are so closely related.

Finally, Storm of Locusts: This was again very fun and engaging. I thought it was a bit better than the first book - as in the first book, the characters were my favorite part, but there were even more characters I loved this time around.


message 1510: by Travis (new)

Travis Foster (travismfoster) | 1154 comments Kaa wrote: "Silver in the Wood: I kind of thought this was going to be a romance, but it turned out to be more Romantic in the traditional sense - heavily influenced by Green Man mythology and with beautifully detailed descriptions of the forest setting. I thought it was a lovely, quick read."

Added to TBR: That sounds fantastic!


message 1511: by Allison, Fairy Mod-mother (new)

Allison Hurd | 14221 comments Mod
Travis wrote: "Kaa wrote: "Silver in the Wood: I kind of thought this was going to be a romance, but it turned out to be more Romantic in the traditional sense - heavily influenced by Green Man mythology and with..."

That was the one that caught my eye, too!


message 1512: by Mareike (new)

Mareike | 1457 comments I read STET by Sarah Gailey earlier (in an effort to catch up on stories in the "Monthly Short Fiction Reads" project I hadn't gotten to yet) and I really liked the innovative way in which this story was told.


message 1513: by Andy (new)

Andy Giesler (andy_giesler) | 148 comments Kaa wrote: "Mind of My Mind: I actually think my strategy of reading this series in my own particular order (Patternmaster-Wild Seed-MoMM) worked really well for me."

Makes sense, and I'm glad it worked well. As for reading in publication order (Patternmaster-MoMM-Wild Seed-Clay's Ark)—the most important thing for me was reading Patternmaster first.

Partly because that's because PM shows a warped world, and it was fascinating to see how it got that way in the other three books. And partly it was out of a kind of reverence for Butler, since that was her first novel. Having read some of her later work, I really wanted to start the PM series where she started.

Do you plan to round it out with Clay's Ark? (I didn't read Survivor: it's hard to find, since Butler disliked it and it never made it to reprints.)


message 1514: by Jim (new)

Jim Gorman | 33 comments Right now I am trying to finish off Wool. I am also just starting Hard Magic for my book club.


message 1515: by Kaa (new)

Kaa | 1543 comments Andy wrote: "Kaa wrote: "Mind of My Mind: I actually think my strategy of reading this series in my own particular order (Patternmaster-Wild Seed-MoMM) worked really well for me."

Makes sense, and I'm glad it ..."


Yeah, I would agree that starting with PM is the key piece for the series. I do intend to finish with Clay's Ark, although I probably need a bit of a break first. I may try to find Survivor as well - GR says I've already read it, although I have no recollection of that.


message 1516: by AndrewP (last edited Jul 02, 2019 01:43PM) (new)

AndrewP (andrewca) | 365 comments Eric wrote: "Finished Ravenstone The Complete Saga by M.S. Verish Ravenstone: The Complete Saga. Enjoyable. Almost started The Witchwood Crown (The Last King of Osten Ard, #1) by Tad Williams The Witchwood Cro..."</i>


You need to read [book:The Heart of What Was Lost
between the first trilogy and The Witchwood Crown:)



message 1517: by Judy (new)

Judy (jude555) In addition to sci fi, I love to read historical fiction. To me they are somewhat similar in that in both cases the authors have to imagine basically different worlds or times. I'm reading Imperium by Robert Harris right now. It is the first in a trilogy about Cicero. It is narrated by his slave, Tiro, who actually existed and acted as Tiro's chief assistant, was an author himself, and is credited with inventing shorthand.


message 1518: by YouKneeK (new)

YouKneeK | 1412 comments I’ve just finished reading Dreamsongs, Volume I which is a collection of 22 short stories by George R. R. Martin. The genres are fantasy, science fiction, horror, and sometimes a blend of more than one. They were originally written between the 60’s and 80’s, so some of his very early work is in here. That early stuff was a bit painful, but the stories progressively improved. There were more romance-based stories (using the word “romance” very loosely) than I expected or cared to read, but there were some stories I really enjoyed. “Sandkings” was the best of the bunch and is worth all of the praise one hears about it. “The Monkey Treatment” (about a dieting method you’ve probably never heard of) made me laugh, and “The Pear-Shaped Man” (about a woman with a super creepy neighbor) sucked me in and creeped me out. My much longer review.

I’m starting The Once and Future King by T. H. White next.


message 1519: by Trike (new)

Trike Judy wrote: "In addition to sci fi, I love to read historical fiction. To me they are somewhat similar in that in both cases the authors have to imagine basically different worlds or times. I'm reading Imperium..."

“The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.” — The Go-Between


message 1520: by Nathan (last edited Jul 03, 2019 12:29AM) (new)

Nathan Haines (lemonhands) | 10 comments I've not long started reading Terry Pratchett's Thief of Time, finally getting around to finishing the Death series of Discworld!


message 1521: by Donnally (new)

Donnally Miller That sounds like a fascinating book. Who is Robert Harris?


message 1522: by Dj (new)

Dj | 2364 comments Donnally wrote: "That sounds like a fascinating book. Who is Robert Harris?"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_...


message 1523: by Donnally (new)

Donnally Miller Oh, right. I liked that film The Ghost Writer.


message 1524: by Anisha Inkspill (new)

Anisha Inkspill (anishainkspill) currently reading:
The Letters of Vincent van Gogh by Vincent van Gogh and The Odyssey by Homer

finished this month:
The Greek Myths Vol. 2 by Robert Graves and The Barretts of Wimpole Street by Rudolf Besier


message 1525: by Trike (new)

Trike Inkspill wrote: "currently reading:
The Letters of Vincent van Gogh by Vincent van Gogh and The Odyssey by Homer

finished this month:
The Greek Myths Vol. 2 by Robert Graves and"



Whenever people do this it looks like a stamp collection. 😂


message 1526: by CBRetriever (new)

CBRetriever | 6113 comments and you have to hover over the icons to see what the book is. If I use the cover I tend to do it this wasy:

I finished Saint's Blood (Greatcoats, #3) by Sebastien de Castell Saint's Blood

and I'm continuing with book 4 in the series. I'm enjoying these books and will read others by the same author


message 1527: by Eric (new)

Eric | 463 comments CBRetriever wrote: "and you have to hover over the icons to see what the book is. If I use the cover I tend to do it this wasy:

I finished Saint's Blood (Greatcoats, #3) by Sebastien de Castell Saint's Blood"


I enjoyed that four book series, as well.


message 1528: by CBRetriever (new)

CBRetriever | 6113 comments have you read the Spellsinger series? Is it as good?


message 1529: by Trike (last edited Jul 04, 2019 11:50AM) (new)

Trike CBRetriever wrote: "and you have to hover over the icons to see what the book is. If I use the cover I tend to do it this wasy:

I finished Saint's Blood (Greatcoats, #3) by Sebastien de Castell Saint's Blood

and I'm con..."


No hovering on iPad, so I appreciate the addition of the title.


message 1530: by Sarah (new)

Sarah | 3167 comments CB I’ve read the Spellslinger books (the first two anyway) and enjoyed them.

I don’t love them quite as much as the Greatcoats, but they are worth reading.

They are YA and more focused on magic than dueling, but they aren’t typical YA (no endless descriptions of clothing, no romance, flawed protagonist, not a chosen one).

Plus there are Squirrelcats.


message 1531: by HeyT (new)

HeyT | 504 comments I just finished up the Lady Trent Series in audio with Within the Sanctuary of Wings and thoroughly enjoyed the whole series despite the last installment going somewhere completely unexpected.


message 1532: by Rachel (new)

Rachel | 1405 comments HeyT wrote: "I just finished up the Lady Trent Series in audio with Within the Sanctuary of Wings and thoroughly enjoyed the whole series despite the last installment going somewhere completely ..."

Agree! but really enjoyed the whole series. There is another book in this world (but much later than lady trent ) coming in the fall!


message 1533: by Kateb (new)

Kateb | 959 comments Trike wrote: "CBRetriever wrote: "and you have to hover over the icons to see what the book is. If I use the cover I tend to do it this wasy:

I finished Saint's Blood (Greatcoats, #3) by Sebastien de Castell [book:Saint's Blood|23..."


so agree about the added title, but would love the added authors name as well, sometimes it is hard to find that out when using other than a computer


message 1534: by CBRetriever (new)

CBRetriever | 6113 comments tru on a computer you pick and add the book and then if you switch to Author, the author is at the top of the list. It's nice


message 1535: by Jacqueline (new)

Jacqueline | 2428 comments For some reason I’ve put down my paperback of Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky and picked up Dark Fever by Karen Marie Moning. Well actually the reason was that I was checking out what everyone else in my friends list was reading and saw that a friend was reading the second one in the series and was loving it so I looked to see if I had it on my iPad and I have so I started reading it and haven’t stopped. I really need to get back to CoT though. Better read faster lol


message 1536: by Sarah (new)

Sarah | 3167 comments I loved Moning’s Fever series. 10 books in I do think it’s time for her to put it to rest though.


message 1537: by Jacqueline (new)

Jacqueline | 2428 comments I was reading that number 11 is coming out soon.... honestly just what I don’t need right now. An obsession with weird books about fairies and humans. I already had a big enough TBR thank you very much. My bookcases have at least a few hundred waiting for me and my iPad has many many more.


message 1538: by Sarah (new)

Sarah | 3167 comments Jacqueline it’s safe to stop the Fever series after book five. It gives a definite conclusion to the events your reading about now and the character arcs of the main two characters. That’s the way it was intended to be from the beginning. And the first five books go pretty quick.

Book Six focuses on another side character but I think there was a lot of push back from fans (and while I wasn’t pushing back, I definitely wasn’t interested in reading about that character) so she goes back to the Mac/Barrons dynamic in book seven and everything after that just feels really unnecessary.

Of course if you’re like me you’ll read them anyway. (I’m sorry this probably isn’t helping.)


message 1539: by Jacqueline (new)

Jacqueline | 2428 comments Definitely not helping 😂

I had promised myself that I wouldn’t get distracted and that I would read only my SFF actual paper books that I own. Yeah right. And I’m so far behind where I want to be at the moment. Only 17 books this year so far. Really need to start reading more. Oh well....maybe that will increase by 10 really quickly lol


message 1540: by Sarah (new)

Sarah | 3167 comments Well it’s still progress right?! Since you already owned it? Lol.


message 1541: by Jacqueline (new)

Jacqueline | 2428 comments I suppose so. If you look at it that way I probably “own” every SFF book ever published. Or it feels like it anyway. My computer does have a lot of books on it that I’ve found. 10s of thousands. I’ve only transferred 1800 to my iPad. I’m a mood reader. You never know what I’ll be in the mood for so I like to be prepared 🤪😂


message 1542: by Jacqueline (new)

Jacqueline | 2428 comments I just did a search on my iPad and I have the first 5 on there already.

But I really want to get back to CoT. And start Stephen King’s The Outsider. I bought it on the day it was released and haven’t got to it yet.

Oh well.....Darkfever it is for now. And then probably Bloodfever sighhhhhh


message 1543: by Kateb (new)

Kateb | 959 comments I loved Karen Marie Moning series. but I am a sucker for series, I have to read to the end , even if I am hitting myself for reading the dying remains of a good series. I just have to read all of it. I get so taken up in the characters.

I loved Christine Feehan for that reason and Patricia Briggs


message 1544: by Jacqueline (new)

Jacqueline | 2428 comments Well I’m definitely enjoying the first one in the Fever series Kateb. I’m around halfway through now.

I have to go to the supermarket though and I just can’t tear myself away. Better do it though because I’m running out of milk and I can’t live without that. Also I think Hubby would like something to eat for tea tonight. The iPad needs charging anyway so it can do that while I’m out.


message 1545: by Raucous (new)

Raucous | 888 comments Jacqueline wrote: "... I’ve only transferred 1800 to my iPad. I’m a mood reader. You never know what I’ll be in the mood for so I like to be prepared 🤪😂"

I used to wonder if this was the greatest blessing or greatest curse of e-readers. Back in the paper only day I used to spend too much time picking out far too large a stack of books to take on each trip so that I'd know I would have what I wanted to read, regardless of the mood. I'd even get complaints from TSA about it going through security lines (long story). Now I just keep all my TBRs on every device that can hold them and throw one of them in my pack on the way out the door.

But being able to switch between books so easily means that it can take me a long time to finish one and my DNF rate is definitely higher. Is that a problem? Nah... So many books. So little time.

I recently finished Bryony and Roses and am near the end of Jackalope Wives and Other Stories (thanks Anna). I've enjoyed both and can highly recommend T. Kingfisher for all your somewhat dark and twisted fairy tale retelling needs.


message 1546: by Mareike (new)

Mareike | 1457 comments I finally started How Long 'til Black Future Month? yesterday and three stories in I already absolutely love it. I've read three of the short stories so far and I'm already in awe of the breadth of storytelling and inventiveness in those three alone. Can't wait to finish the rest.


message 1547: by Sarah (new)

Sarah | 3167 comments Jacqueline wrote: "I just did a search on my iPad and I have the first 5 on there already.

But I really want to get back to CoT. And start Stephen King’s The Outsider. I bought it on the day it was released and hav..."


LOL - well, The Outsider is a good one too. Especially if you've already read the Hodges trilogy. Those are some of my favorite King books I think.


message 1548: by Prophet (new)

Prophet | 10 comments Holidays, time to read. I finished:

Perdido Street Station: 4 Stars
The Driver's Seat: 3 Stars
The Course of the Heart: 4 Stars, not his best but I love Harrison
Signals of Distress: 4 stars
Boyhood: Scenes from Provincial Life: 3 stars
Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World: 4 stars, my first Murakami
The Pastel City: 4 stars
Based on a True Story: 3 Stars
Rivers of London: 4 Stars
Planetfall: 4 Stars
The Ninth Rain: 4 Stars
and a few stories in Jagannath

Currently reading: The Prefect


message 1549: by Jacqueline (new)

Jacqueline | 2428 comments I always end up close to the weight when I fly so my iPad is brilliant. Last time I flew it was from Sydney to Rome with a stop in Hong Kong and I didn’t watch any movies the whole way. I read books all the way. Except for on the way over on the leg out of Hong Kong where I was asleep before we had even taken off. We had been awake for 2 days by that time and I was exhausted. We had a 19 hr stopover in HK and went sightseeing for the day and the it was very full on. I had little naps on the way back but still finished a couple of books. We had a 17 hr stopover on the way back too and we went to Disneyland.

iPads and tablets aren’t that great for reading by the pool though. When I went to Fiji I couldn’t read my old tablet properly so that was a little bit annoying.

When I travel in the car I always end up with a big bag of paperbacks and my iPad as well.

Still reading my Fever book. Read it again when I got back from shopping. I’ll get back to it again once I’ve made dinner. This is the most I’ve read all week.


message 1550: by Brick (new)

Brick Marlin YouKneeK wrote: "Dj wrote: "Survived? That seems like damning with faint praise"

It wasn’t intended to be praise at all, faint or otherwise. :)

Brick wrote: "This week I tried digging into The Long Earth and just..."


In think I'll still give the book a go later. Least give the read a chance to settle and in and see if I'll hang on, or not.


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