What Else Are You Reading - March 2019

[Rob, Roberator]

March Madness has begun! What are you doing to keep your sanity? Besides voting in our annual book tournament that is...

[Trike]

Started listening to The Anubis Gates and I’m having a helluva time believing that Bronson Pinchot is the narrator. He sounds like Keith Carradine.

[Sheila Jean]

It's March?

......

Listening to All Clear by Connie Willis. Will probably finally finish Golden Fool by Robin Hobb. I've been doing that as a long drive / car listen with my spouse since Thanksgiving, maybe?

Got a couple hundred pages left of River of Blue Fire, book 2 in Tad Williams's Otherland. Decided to finish that up then I'll find a way to finishBloodwitch by Susan Dennard before it's due back to the library.

[Iain]

Finished reading Revenant Gun in which the series petered out.. Not as engrossing as the first two books as the focus shifted from Chris.

Zipped through a reread of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (man tagging this is a pan with Goodreads preferentially linking to the silly US name). I had forgotten how much of the book takes place before Harry even gets to Hogwarts.

Finishing off listening to Furyborn and started reading Past Tense as a change from S&L books (although this one seems to be a rather boring genre book).

[Minsta]

Besides voting in March Madness?? Well, just finished reading The Calculating Stars which reminded me of Seveneves, and finishing Spinning Silver which is an amazing mix of fantasy and folklore with a little Russian history thrown in.

[Stephen]

I just finished The Dragon and the George, written in 1976 but it aged fairly well despite a rather looney premise. It was adapted into the 1982 animated movie The Flight of Dragons by Rankin/Bass which did not do the book justice. Couple of re-reads, Persepolis Rising and A Time of Dread for the upcoming book releases.

[Silvana]

Just finished The Only Harmless Great Thing. A great novelette and worthy of awards.

Still reading short stories, yesterday I read Meat And Salt And Sparks - recommended for those joining the short story challenge.

Still enjoying Borne but I need to phase myself since it's a buddy read and I have short memory.

[Pat]

Reading A Plague of Giants and listening to Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch.

[Trike]

Listening: Midnight Riot - awesome so far

Reading: Lazarus: X+66 - okay so far

On tap: Assassin's Apprentice, Lazarus: Sourcebook Collection Volume 1, Sidekick, Vol. 1

[John (Taloni)]

Also finished up Revenant Gun and agreed that it isn't as good as the first two. The action doesn't really continue so much as repeat the end of the second book.

Lots of trope subverting, for instance, all the major relationships were gay and not in a way that was called out, just presented as what people did. One man wants to have children with another man, and since multiple fathers and genetic engineering are common, it's completely plausible for the story.

Overall though I felt the book existed to give Jedao a shot at redemption. I didn't really think he needed redeeming.

[Ruth]

Finished All Systems Red which was great (who’d have thought a murderous robot could be so sympathetic?) although I’m kinda bummed how expensive the sequel Artificial Condition is, because I wanna read it but £7.99 for a novella that’s 160 pages long and will take me about an hour and a half to read? Is not a good deal. I see in the Amazon reviews other people complaining about the price so I’m glad it’s not just me being a cheapskate... the Murderbot series on kindle is currently priced at over £25 for a total pagination of about 600. When I could get a 600-page novel for £5.99.

[Rob, Roberator]

Yeah, I mostly waited for a deal to finish the series. Although I think I only did that for book 2 before just saying screw it and buying the last 2. I did the series in audio, and I think I had a $5 coupon at least for the 3rd book, but it was pricey.

Maybe they'll re-release all 4 novellas as 1 cheaper omnibus eventually like they did for Binti: The Complete Trilogy

[Iain]

John (Taloni) wrote: "Also finished up Revenant Gun and agreed that it isn't as good as the first two. The action doesn't really continue so much as repeat the end of the second book.

...Overall though I felt the book existed to give Jedao a shot at redemption. I didn't really think he needed redeeming."

He was already redeemed, a whole book to kill off the last left over bad guy ...Should have left it alone.

***

[Sheila Jean]

I was able to read the Murderbot books through my public libraries. Even though they are all available as ebooks I borrowed the last one as a physical book from the express shelf for new books (no holds allowed on those copies) since it was sitting right there near the counter and the wait list on the electronic copy of Exit Strategy was very long.

[Joel]

Recently Finished:

Victory of Eagles by Naomi Novik in audio. Simon Vance is a solid narrator, and I love his voice for Temeraire. One of my favorites in the series so far.

Lies of the Beholder by Brandon Sanderson. Said to be the conclusion, but I hope he returns to it someday.

Did Not Finish:

Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow. Just couldn't get into it. I didn't make it far at all. It became less interesting the further I read. Maybe a bit too middle-grade, possibly?

Currently reading:

The Red Wolf Conspiracy by Robert V.S. Redick (audio)

Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente. Trying it on a recommendation from Patrick Rothfuss.

[Allison]

Feeling a bit bogged down. Deadhouse Gates did a lot of things I do not enjoy in books. I listened quickly to Reaper Man which was fun as usual and then picked up another huge, depressing epic.

Black Leopard, Red Wolf started off really dark but fascinating and has gotten a lot more tropey. I'm pushing myself to finish it, because I have to read A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe before it's due and Early Riser just came in for me.

Blerg.

[Dara]

Trike wrote: "On tap: Assassin's Apprentice...."

Have you read Assassin's Apprentice before?

[Jonathan]

Recently finished House of Assassins. It was a great read!

still reading Skyward

Just started listening to Dawn of Wonder for the second time.

[Julie]

Reading Darius the Great Is Not Okay for another club.

Just started The Fated Sky.

[Ben George]

Cooking with Wild Game: Volume 1
^ this is what I read. It was delightful.

[Mark]

Ruth wrote: "Finished All Systems Red which was great (who’d have thought a murderous robot could be so sympathetic?) although I’m kinda bummed how expensive the sequel [book:Artificial Conditio..."

After hoping they would go on sale and not seeing that happen, I'm working my way thru these books by borrowing from the library. Takes a bit longer, but my local library was ok with adding them to the collection.

[Ruth]

Mark wrote: "Ruth wrote: "Finished All Systems Red which was great (who’d have thought a murderous robot could be so sympathetic?) although I’m kinda bummed how expensive the sequel [book:Artifi..."

Alas my local library doesn’t have them!

[Iain]

Finished listening to Furyborn which was a lot of fun (if overlong). Got pretty steamy by the end and now I have to wait for two brick like sequels before the story has a change to come to a close.

Zipped through Past Tense in which everyones favourite human terminator mows does bad guys. Good mindless fun.

Moved onto listening to The Revolution Business and reading another murder book The Lost Man which is set in the deep outback.

[John (Taloni)]

^^ For US residents, living anywhere in a state usually allows you to get a library card for a big city library in that state. You only need one in order to get a big Overdrive selection.

I live in suburban Orange County south of Los Angeles, but have a card for both the LA Public Library and the LA County Library. For Tradpub, unless it's a huge wait I will tend to go there.

Indies can have my money though. I'm thinking Bobiverse, Kate Danley's "Maggie for Hire" books, Rob Kroese's "Iron Dream" time travel space trilogy, Corcoran's Aristillus books (lunar revolution), stuff like that. Also Gail Carriger has both tradpub books which were library reads as well as her own Indie line for which I'm glad to open the wallet. (Go read My Sister's Song. Just go.)

[Trike]

Dara wrote: "Trike wrote: "On tap: Assassin's Apprentice...."

Have you read Assassin's Apprentice before?"

Nope. My hold on Opening Atlantis came in while I was out to dinner and it is only for 6 days while AA is for 19, so I started the Turtledove book first.

My preorder of Marvel's Captain Marvel: The Art of the Movie came yesterday too (self birthday present), and I couldn’t resist starting it despite some spoilers for the movie.

[Dara]

Trike wrote: "Dara wrote: "Trike wrote: "On tap: Assassin's Apprentice...."

Have you read Assassin's Apprentice before?"

Nope. My hold on Opening Atlantis came in while I was out to ..."

Oooh, I'll keep an eye out for your review. I'm eager to see what you think.

[Trike]

Dara wrote: "Trike wrote: "Dara wrote: "Trike wrote: "On tap: Assassin's Apprentice...."

Have you read Assassin's Apprentice before?"

Nope. My hold on Opening Atlantis came in while..."

Oooh, I'll keep an eye out for your review. I'm eager to see what you think.

They just murdered a puppy. Fuck this book and fuck Robin Hobb. I’m out.

[Elizabeth]

Trike wrote: "They just murdered a puppy. Fuck this book and fuck Robin Hobb. I’m out"

If that's a deal breaker for you then it's a deal breaker. I couldn't stand Fitz and stuck around for the greater cast of characters (which made the third book a really tough slog), but I haven't touched any others. Life's too short to read books that make you mad (unless you want to get mad).

[Rick]

Trike wrote: "They just murdered a puppy. Fuck this book and fuck Robin Hobb. I’m out.
..."

I can't remember your take on grimdark but I always am bemused by people upset about things like this but who are fine with the people getting hacked to bits. I think it's something related to why we hate seeing kids hurt - kids and puppies and the like are innocent and more or less defenseless. I mean, I GET John Wick in the first movie, ya know?

HOWEVER... (view spoiler)[They didn't. Not really. Remember it 'happened' off stage. (hide spoiler)]

[Scott]

I read and finished Timothy Zahn's Cobra. Now I'm continuing on with the Invisible Library series, and just started The Masked City.

[Trike]

Elizabeth wrote: "Trike wrote: "They just murdered a puppy. Fuck this book and fuck Robin Hobb. I’m out"

If that's a deal breaker for you then it's a deal breaker. I couldn't stand Fitz and stuck around for the gre..."

I’ve been in animal rescue for 37 years. I sometimes have nightmares from the horrifying things I’ve seen. Casually murdering animals in fiction is therefore a trigger for me and I’m not going to apologize for that feeling. It immediately ruins my day.


Rick wrote: "Trike wrote: "They just murdered a puppy. Fuck this book and fuck Robin Hobb. I’m out.
..."

I can't remember your take on grimdark but I always am bemused by people upset about things like this ..."

I can’t intellectualize my way out of animal cruelty for the sake of entertainment. I also refuse to deny the empathy I feel. With fictional people I don’t have the same reaction most of the time, but I am repulsed by casual violence that is intended to entertain. I suspect people who actually enjoy that sort of thing are two beers away from murdering someone just for the kicks.

[Silvana]

Decided to lem Tigana. I just could not handle more Kay's writing. I know people love him but I am happy to be in the minority.

Lucky I still have Borne to read and having just finished it, I promise myself I will read more works from Jeff VanderMeer. New Weird is definitely my jam.

Starting Umbernight.

[Brendan]

Silvana wrote: "Lucky I still have Borne to read and having just finished it, I promise myself I will read more works from Jeff VanderMeer. New Weird is definitely my jam."

Congratulations on joining the club! Your complimentary fungal mutation will be arriving shortly.

[Elizabeth]

Trike wrote: "I’m not going to apologize for that feeling"

I'm sorry if I wasn't clear in my meaning: I didn't want to get an apology or justification from you, I wanted to support your decision. Books beloved by some people are straight-up GTFOs for others and I assumed there would be some defensive 'Oh, Hobb is great and Fitz is great' responses to your comment.

[Rick]

Trike wrote: "
I can’t intellectualize my way out of animal cruelty for the sake of entertainment. I also refuse to deny the empathy I feel.

Read my spoiler.

And I'm not criticizing. It's one reason I empathize with John Wick...

[Anne]

Still reading The Gray House by Mariam Petrosyan. It's marketed as a mix between Harry Potter, Lord of the Flies and something else I forgot, and while this isn't wrong the book is also something entirely different. It's very intense and strange, and though I'm constantly confused it's weirdly growing on me. It's one of the books where I will definitely need some online forum to clear up all of the questionsI have.

Not sure if this is a recommendation, but it's definitely a strange, fantastical ride.

[Sheila Jean]

All Clear: I feel like I just went on the most annoying hike ever, where you start to go up the mountain - nice hike (view spoiler)[at the beginning of Blackout (hide spoiler)], then you keep going down, down, down, down, undoing all the elevation gain you earned in the beginning, to FINALLY (didn't think it would ever come) scale up the steepest grade ever to a decent view at the top.

*edit* going of genre for a breather: Yes Please

[Keith]

After 30-something years, I finally finished God Emperor of Dune, and while it is...a book...it didn't derail me from the whole series like it did back in the 1980s. Which means now I am moving on to new territory, and reading Heretics of Dune for the first time.

I'm also picking back up Friday by Robert A. Heinlein. A while back I thought it would be funny if, as someone who has somehow never read Heinlein, I started with his most disreputable book. Turns out the joke was mostly on me, but in for a penny, in for a pound, I suppose.

[Jessica]

I’m almost finished with Mark Lawrence’s Red Sister, and although I’ve enjoyed it pretty well, and realized going in that it was a first installment, I’ve come to realize this is likely the type of book in a series that isn’t going to offer any satisfaction whatsoever in and of itself. There aren’t very many pages left, and not a single thing has been resolved or any questions answered.

[Jonathan]

Trike wrote: "Dara wrote: "Trike wrote: "Dara wrote: "Trike wrote: "On tap: Assassin's Apprentice...."

Have you read Assassin's Apprentice before?"

Nope. My hold on Opening Atlantis ..."

I understand the feelings, if the part you are referring to had to do with Nosy, I would advise you to hang in there. Things aren't always what they seem. Robin Hobb does through in some shocking violence at times though that do evoke that reaction. While her books are not for all readers, she is one my favorite authors.

[Silvana]

Anne wrote: "Still reading The Gray House by Mariam Petrosyan. It's marketed as a mix between Harry Potter, Lord of the Flies and something else I forgot, and while this isn't w..."

It is an interesting book, to say the least. I almost lemmed it but ended up putting it back to continue later. I guess it takes a certain mood and patience; it's not exactly a thin book. Would love to know your thoughts after you finish.

Brendan wrote: "Congratulations on joining the club! Your complimentary fungal mutation will be arriving shortly. "

[Dara]

Trike wrote: "They just murdered a puppy. Fuck this book and fuck Robin Hobb. I’m out."

Totally get that. I pushed through it because I was addicted to Hobb's writing and wanted to see what happened.

Here's a spoiler about the end of the book to help allay your feelings but not to convince you to continue to read the book. I am a devoted Hobb fan but I totally get and respect your feelings and views. (view spoiler)[The dog isn't really dead. Burrich faked it to protect Fitz. That said, it is sort of fucked to fake that for dramatic purposes and I get where you're coming from. And I'm pretty sure the dog gets caught in a fight, gets stabbed, and dies anyway. So don't read it, haha.(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[John (Taloni)]

Keith wrote: "I'm also picking back up Friday by Robert A. Heinlein. A while back I thought it would be funny if, as someone who has somehow never read Heinlein, I started with his most disreputable book."

No, that would be Farnham's Freehold. *shudder* Do not, not, international symbol for no, read that book unless you want to finish shaking your head and saying "how in god's name did this ever get written? Or published?"

Anyhoo, maybe try Stranger in a Strange Land or Moon is a Harsh Mistress. Friday pissed me off front and back, (view spoiler)[starting with a gratuitous rape and ending with the MC concluding "women all want to be mommies!" (hide spoiler)]

[Iain]

Dara wrote: "Trike wrote: "They just murdered a puppy. Fuck this book and fuck Robin Hobb. I’m out."

Totally get that. I pushed through it because I was addicted to Hobb's writing and wanted to see what happen..."

Fitz does not have an easy life (almost the exact opposite of a Mart Sue) but if you work your way through over 10 big fat books he does have a satisfying one.

[Rick]

John (Taloni) wrote: "Keith wrote: "I'm also picking back up Friday by Robert A. Heinlein. A while back I thought it would be funny if, as someone who has somehow never read Heinlein, I started with his most disreputable..."

Agree with Taloni. I've read Farnham's Freehold and... no. Don't. Friday... I think it says it all that while I'm a huge Heinlein fan, I've never re-read it.

I don't know how to recommend Heinlein since I read him 45 years ago (oh god...) and both I and the world were very different then than someone coming to him now. He's caricatured as a libertarian but that's not really accurate.. Some of his books are still very ahead of the time on some sexual mores while being very much behind them in others. I'd start with the consensus greats - the Hugo winners, things like Stranger in a Strange Land, Moon is a Harsh Mistress, etc. If you don't like those, he's likely not for you.

[terpkristin]

Silvana wrote: "Decided to lem Tigana. I just could not handle more Kay's writing. I know people love him but I am happy to be in the minority."

I'm also in that minority. When it was our pick, I was really excited...and then let down. I believe I also lem'd it.

I'm struggling with reading lately. I finished some more popcorn books while I was traveling abroad and can't even bring myself to read this month's pick. I'm still reading Ninefox Gambit ([i]slowly[/i]). My brother-in-law suggested Sufficiently Advanced Magic in audio, so I picked that up. We'll see...

[Stephen]

Instead of Harry Potter I am reading The Golden Compass because it has been on my TBR pile for 20 years.

[Pat]

Iain wrote: "Dara wrote: "Trike wrote: "They just murdered a puppy. Fuck this book and fuck Robin Hobb. I’m out."

Totally get that. I pushed through it because I was addicted to Hobb's writing and wanted to se..."

I felt that the entire series was a series of contradictions.
Instances of cruelty to both animals and human existed alongside amazing moments of connection with other humans and animals itself.

As someone with two rescue dogs who have changed my life in recent years, I was extremely triggered by some of the scenes. And I can only imagine how it would effect someone who spent 37 years defending the defenseless. But at least in this occasion, I don't think Robin Hobb did it out of a perverted sense of entertainment. I think it was meant to highlight the barbarian culture that Fitz had to overcome to be the person he was ultimately meant to be.

This isn't meant to minimize anyone's feelings. And, Trike, I wholly support your decision. In many cases, I have made the same exact decision. I just wanted to put in my two cents worth as someone who got through the Six Duchies by the skin of my teeth and made it to the end.

[Trike]

This video I made is literally the least traumatic experience I’ve had in decades of rescuing abused animals. It has a happy ending. https://youtu.be/cGV-Fzo5jQk

[CountZeroOr]

I'm reading a couple things right now - I'm reading Boogiepop Omnibus Vol. 1-3 (I'm through Boogiepop and Others/Boogiepop Doesn't Smile and will be starting Boogiepop vs. Imaginator I) on the possibly Laser side of things, and am also reading Quag Keep on the Sword side of things.