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 2019?
If you enjoy a good book about the undead try A Book of Bones by John Connolly
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
CBRetriever, I love that song, but never totally connected that the song was from the movie. That’s very interesting. I’m actually wearing my Ramones shirt today.
I just finished The Water Dancer, Ta-Nehisi Coates's first novel. It's literary/historical fiction, but has enough magic in it that I think it also falls pretty squarely in the fantasy category and might appeal to many folks here. I ended up loving it, but did have to adjust my expectations midway through. Rather than a single story, it seems to be using one central plot as a way to organize a collection of stories, most of them focused on experiences of black fugitives in the antebellum U.S.
I've taken a break from mainstream authors and dived a bit into small and self published stuff. Lots of amazing gems there as I'm discovering. Here be Dragons, Dark Profit Saga and Kings of the Wyld are fantastic humorous reads.
Chronicles of the Fid is a kick ass superhero fantasy.
Currently reading The Dungeoneers which is a humorous D&D type book.
I read Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant and my enthusiasm for her writing style is below freezing point. Is this her (and her other name's) usual style? Cause then she's save from me in the future.
I can't say for sure, but I think that the one Mira Grant book I've read, which is Drowning Deep, felt very different from the Wayward Children series, the only Seanan books I've read.The first Wayward novella, Every Heart a Doorway, has some major flaws imo, but I liked parts two and four in the series.
They're plot/structure flaws, I don't remember disliking the writing in Every Heart, but then I can't remember if it's similar to Drowning Deep. Get a sample of Every Heart to see if it feels the same?
Gabi wrote: "I read Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant and my enthusiasm for her writing style is below freezing point. Is this her (and her other name's) usual style? Cause t..."I do not like them.
My review of Drowning Deep: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Pull quote: “Mira Grant, it turns out, is aka Seanan McGuire, and I am more convinced than ever that she has never met a human being.”
My review of Every Heart a Doorway: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Bauchelain and Korbal Broach: this is a set of three novelettes set in the Malazan universe. The main characters are Bauchelain, a sorceror; Korbal Broach, a necromancer; and their beleaguered manservant Emancipor Reese. I enjoyed it more than Gardens of the Moon, which is a very odd thing to say, all things considered. Gonna be scratching my head about this one for a while. (review)
Gabi wrote: "I read Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant and my enthusiasm for her writing style is below freezing point. Is this her (and her other name's) usual style? Cause t..."She's really hit or miss with me. Into the Drowning Deep was definitely in my "miss" category. Also a fail was Parasite. On the other hand I love her Feed, Wayward Children, and October Daye series.
I am nearly finished The Fifth Elephant and will probably read the next Ankh-Morpork book later this month, but I'm also going to read Green Mars and a number of other books.
Read number 2 in the Shardlake series Dark Fire and reviewed it - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2981055707.
Read Woman on the Edge of Time by Marge Piercy and reviewed it - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2982225433.
Jordan wrote: "Started on The Harp of Kings. So far, so good."I'm stalled on that one, 80-odd pages in. Hasn't really grabbed me and I'm not feeling anything for the characters yet. Will be curious to hear your thoughts!
I really enjoyed Woman on the Edge of Time, especially in consideration of the moment in Time when it was written. Quite an important work of Feminist SF.
@beth B&KB is the only series I haven't read in Malazan world. Didn't really get into it but after your review will give them a go.
(Seanan McGuire/Mira Grant)Jordan wrote: "She's really hit or miss with me. Into the Drowning Deep was definitely in my "miss" category. Also a fail was Parasite. On the other hand I love her Feed, Wayward Children, and October Daye series."
She was a hit who morphed into a miss, for me. I read some of her InCryptid books and one of her "Indexed" serials, and all her leads read exactly the same to me, and I bounced hard off Feed because I'd had enough of that character. If she's ever written a protagonist who isn't a pushy jerk, I might try her stuff again!
Krystal wrote: "Jordan wrote: "Started on The Harp of Kings. So far, so good."
I'm stalled on that one, 80-odd pages in. Hasn't really grabbed me and I'm not feeling anything for the characters yet."
I took a peek at your shelves and it looks like you might not have read a Marillier before? The couple I've read have been atmospheric slow burns--wonderful if you're up for that kind of thing, maybe not so great if you aren't.
Trash wrote: "@beth B&KB is the only series I haven't read in Malazan world. Didn't really get into it but after your review will give them a go."
I'm an influencer! :D Hope you enjoy them, Trash.
Perchance (I was initially only looking for a certain narrator) I read (more exactly listened to) 5 H.G. Wells novels: "The Time Machine", "The Island of Dr. Moreau", "The invisible man", "War of the Worlds" and "The first men in the Moon."I have never read Wells before and was positively surprised how intelligent and sometimes funny his stories are - and how utterly British. The Britishness was enhanced by the terrific narrators of the audiocollection H.G. Wells: The Science Fiction Collection.
Absolutely recommended to anybody who wants to know this author.
I started my season of Gothic/Horror/Historic and Paranormal with October. So I read Dragonwyck, which was an entertaining Gothic romance and I'm reading The Girl With All the Gifts right now that has something I don't usually read, zombies, but the writing style is so good that I can't put the book down.
Has finished "Best Served Cold" by Joe Abercrombie. I gives me great pleasure to nominate "Best Served Cold" for the Grim Reaper Award: most distinct ways to die or be killed in a Fantasy Novel. I'll be looking for a lighter read next, something along the lines of "Trustee from the Tool Room" or "News of the World" if anyone has suggestions.
Beth wrote: "I took a peek at your shelves and it looks like you might not have read a Marillier before? The couple I've read have been atmospheric slow burns--wonderful if you're up for that kind of thing, maybe not so great if you aren't."Thanks Beth! I have Daughter of the Forest yet to read which my mum gave me after she loved it - because that was recommended I requested an ARC of HoK when the opportunity arose. Good to know that it's a slow burn - I'll make a concentrated effort to read it over the weekend. :)
Don wrote: "Gabi, you might give Jules Verne a try, not nearly as British though."Thanks for the suggestion, Don. As it happens, today starts a BR of "20000 leagues under the seas" here in this group and it is BoM in another group. So Jules Verne indeed is next.
Just finished Station Eleven. Gave it two stars. Sadly it was the corniest post apocalyptic book I 've ever read.
Stratos wrote: "Just finished Station Eleven. Gave it two stars. Sadly it was the corniest post apocalyptic book I 've ever read."Counter proposal: the book is an amazing 5-star story, and I’m the guy who hates everything.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Beka ModrekiladzeThe thing I enjoyed most was tracing the change of the characters, they were not static, and it was fascinating to see them evolve.
I finally got through The Aeronaut's Windlass, which I wanted to like a lot more than I did, and To Be Taught, If Fortunate finally showed up at my library, so I picked that up yesterday.
Jade War: quite an undertaking, this one. While I can appreciate an author not just going into cruise mode and writing the exact same book twice in a row, I don't think the difference did this series many favors. (review)
Just finished Richard Matheson’s story collection Steel: And Other Stories. There’s a reason he was a master of sci-fi, fantasy and horror. Story-by-story breakdown with spoilers tagged: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Ellen, I’ve read the first three Vonnegut novels and agree. I didn’t enjoy Cat’s Cradle as much. I liked Sirens of Titan better.
I read Wool Omnibus by Hugh Howey - mainly because it is the only book on our shelf that's available on kindle unlimited. I had no idea what it was about and tumbled into a breathtaking dystopian thriller that tied me to my couch this weekend. What "Into the drowning deep" did wrong in terms of suspense, pacing and character development "Wool" did exactly right.
I finished reading:
For We Are Many by Dennis E. Taylor
Rating: 2 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
and I started reading
We Can Build You by Philip K. Dick
Gabi wrote: "What "Into the drowning deep" did wrong in terms of suspense, pacing and character development "Wool" did exactly right."I concur.
Finally finished The Blinding Knife and I'm done, done, done with the series.Now on to something that's hopefully better: The Heart of What Was Lost
And I'm also continuing on with the Edgar Rice Burroughs John Carter of Mars books in my Delphi Collected Works of Edgar Rice Burroughs (Illustrated).
Gabi wrote: "I read Wool Omnibus by Hugh Howey - mainly because it is the only book on our shelf that's available on kindle unlimited. I had no idea what it was about and tumble..."Yeah, that is pure adrenaline and really good. I think the author started writing it on NanoWriMo and then it was a huge success from the start.
The Harp of Kings by Juliet Marillier really was a little bit too slow for my tastes. It was a bit light on. I much prefer assassins, thieves and motley crews.
Review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Leticia wrote: "Gabi wrote: "I read Wool Omnibus by Hugh Howey - mainly because it is the only book on our shelf that's available on kindle unlimited. I had no idea what it was abo..."I have that waiting on my shelf but just haven't been inspired to pick it up yet! Maybe I'll bump it up the TBR ...
Same here, Wool has been on my TBR for so long and I've only heard good things. Too many books, too little time.
Krystal, I do find her works to be much slower paced (and I love it!) but that's understandable.
I started Wool, but read the first installment and haven't gone back!
Instead, Anna keeps getting me to read more Lovecraft-inspired horror, though she refuses to read it when *I* suggest it. *grumble*
Started The Twisted Ones and my opinion so far is that this is a horror novel for people with anxiety.
I started Wool, but read the first installment and haven't gone back!
Instead, Anna keeps getting me to read more Lovecraft-inspired horror, though she refuses to read it when *I* suggest it. *grumble*
Started The Twisted Ones and my opinion so far is that this is a horror novel for people with anxiety.
lol, sorry Allison! I don’t do it on purpose! Except in that one case.Completely agree about Twisted Ones!
Read The Grey Mane of Morning by Joy Chant for TBR challenge (where I fell behind), a Fantasy nostaligia from the late 70ies with great worldbuilding.And The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher. As far as horror novels go quite average, but one hell of good character writing. I never knew I needed a heroine with a dog - now I know! This one gets right up there on my list of comfort readings.
I love that the book people have been talking about being the scariest thing they read all year ends up being other people's comfort reading :D I've been reading comments about Twisted Ones being so scary I'll have to permanently stay under the covers for what feels like a year! I was actually worried about reading it! I shouldn't have been :DSo far my toe-dipping into horror hasn't gone very well, because all the horror books have been very low on horror! I have one more lined up, I'm expecting it might actually be horror?
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Have you tried some of his newer works, they are a lot less dense than his older stuff, they seem to f..."
Hmmm, I might give that one a try and see if it's any different for me. I read and disliked Cell and The Shining. I DNF'ed both Misery and IT.