What are you reading in October 2014?

[Candiss]

Please tell us what you are reading, or plan to read, in October.

[[deleted user]]

Now reading The Complete Stories, Vol 1, Isaac Asimov. Planning to read and have already checked out from the library, The English Assassin and Foucault's Pendulum. If I finish all that, on my Kindle I have The Snowflake Effect: How the Self-Esteem Movement Ruined a Generation, The Earl of Brass, and Long Time Passing.

[Nick]

I've read books by both of our authors for the BOTM's this month. Some of them I liked a lot. But I'm not going that direction this month, I think. Instead, I am going to concentrate this month on the chunkster BOTM's for November. Perdido Street Station and A Fire Upon the Deep. I completed another chunkster, A Game of Thrones, just a week ago (?) and I have to rev up my engines for the two ahead of me.

[Sumant]

I just finished bleak seasons 7th book in the black company series and here is my review.

[Jim]

Catching up on Charles Sheffield books right now. Almost done with Cold As Ice and realizing I will now have to read the prequel, The Ganymede Club and the sequel Dark As Day. No problem, though, as Sheffield was one of the best hard SF authors out there until his untimely passing.

[Candiss]

After I finish up my current reads - neither of which is sf/f - in a couple of days, I'll start on Ancillary Sword. I know it's not our BotM until December, but I managed to be first on the library's hold list for the book's release date on October 7, (Go Go Gadget Online Library Catalog with Advanced Holds for Books That the Library Has Recently Ordered! Yeah...that just rolls off the tongue/onto the screen.) so I need to read it now.

I also will be reading A Fire Upon the Deep this month for next month's discussion.

I've read both of this month's books of the month and enjoyed both. I won't be re-visiting the Valente, although she's one of my favorite authors. (I'm more a fan of her adult titles than her ya.) But I'll be skimming Annihilation a second time for the discussion, as there's a lot to talk about with this book and I need a refresher.

[Michael]

I'm reading City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett for my current "fiction fix" and Doctor Sleep by Stephen King for my "before I write primer." On the non-fiction front I'm reading A Really Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson which is a really fascinating book.

I do hope to fit in Annihilation although I'm not sure that will be a good fit for me. I've tried some Jeff VanderMeer in the past and just couldn't get into it. I don't think he's a bad writer...just not "meshing with my particular tastes."

[Stuart]

Time's Legacy byBarbara Erskine not sure I am really into it..

[Candiss]

Michael wrote: "I'm reading City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett for my current "fiction fix" and Doctor Sleep by Stephen King for my "before I wr..."

Michael - Annihilation feels different to me than other VanderMeer works I've sampled. The "weird" qualities of this book lay in the world itself, not the writing style. Whereas some of his other stuff has an almost surrealist tint, this is more firmly science fiction...just the world and goings-on are strange and full of questions.

It's also short and moves very quickly. Much of his other work is long, involved chunksters.

(I'm trying not to spoil anything by being vague.)

[Shel, Moderator]

I just finished The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making for the discussion a few nights ago. Have been very tired and stressed out lately so haven't picked up another book yet and not sure what it's going to be - probably a re-read so I don't have to think too hard!

[Maggie]

Ken-Foucault's Pendulum is probably my #1 favorite book, so I hope you enjoy it!

I already read Annihilation, so plan to join in on that discussion.

I just finished Leviathan Wakes, and plan to readDoomsday Book, Paladin of Souls, Nova, and Imago this month.

[Lindsey]

Michael wrote: "On the non-fiction front I'm reading A Really Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson which is a really fascinating book."

I've read/listened to that one 3 times. One of my favorites, a great example of accessible science history.

This month I've just finished Big Little Lies, which was excellent. Now I'm trying to finish Searching for Meaning: Idealism, Bright Minds, Disillusionment, and Hope (a book on Giftedness and existential depression) and American Creation: Triumphs and Tragedies at the Founding of the Republic, neither of which is quite what I had hoped.

Assuming I can slog through all that non-fiction, I'll probably indulge in some sff after.

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

I'm reading The Magician's Apprentice and, thanks to the previous posts, will be pulling out A Fire Upon the Deep to read later this month.

[Christine]

I finished Some Kind of Fairy Tale yesterday (at the vet hospital with my 4 m/o puppy) and enjoyed it. I tried reading This Is the Water but was too annoyed at the author's starting most paragraphs with "this is the" that I took it back to the library. Now I'm reading Rites of Passage (not SciFiFantasy) but have The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making on the shelf

[Juston]

I took a break from Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, (I am enjoying it but I'm finding it a bit slow) and instead this weekend I read Red Rising by Pierce Brown. Red Rising was really good - I was hooked and couldn't put it down. I read it over the weekend. It was a mix of 1984, Brave New World and a more mature The Hunger Games. The only thing I could genuinely fault was that it is the first of a trilogy without a follow up until 2015. grrrr,

[Christine]

I just finished reading Rites of Passageand am about to start The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making

[[deleted user]]

I finished The Complete Stories, Vol 1, Isaac Asimov, and added a review. Next up: The English Assassin.

[[deleted user]]

I just finished Prince of Fools by Mark Lawrence, which I loved and have now started Troy: Lord of the Silver Bow by David Gemmell. I also plan on reading the second book in Conn Iggulden's Wars of the Roses series and Fool's Assassin by Robin Hobb And I plan on finishing Academ's Fury by Jim Butcher, the second book in the Codex Alera series. Well, might be a bit ambitious... and my TBR changes quite rapidly anyway sometimes. Well, let's see...

[Lindsey]

Ken wrote: "I finished The Complete Stories, Vol 1, Isaac Asimov, and added a review."

If you ever find Vol. 2 in hardcover hold on to it for dear life. They're incredibly difficult to find in good condition. I've heard rumors of a Vol. 3 but never seen a listing for it.

[[deleted user]]

To be truthful, I barely completed Volume 1. Great stories in their day, but too dated now. Added to my reading list: Going Green, by Christina McMullen.

[Tani]

I just finished reading Rebel Spring by Morgan Rhodes last night. It was a rather lackluster young adult fantasy. I did think it was an improvement over the first book, but I regret buying both books without looking into them a little better.

I am now reading The Giver by Lois Lowry. Somehow, I missed reading this one back in my school days, so I figured I should squeeze it in.

[Christine]

I ended up abandoning The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making; a bit too "cutsey" for me. Maybe I'm getting too old for some of these YA books. I've now started on The Element of Fire and am not sure I will continue. I'm not terribly interested in books with lots of court politics

[Nick]

Maggie wrote: "Ken-Foucault's Pendulum is probably my #1 favorite book, so I hope you enjoy it!

I already read Annihilation, so plan to join in on that discussion.

I just finished [..."

FP is also a favorite of mine, though I haven't read it in quite some time. ...and there are parts of it, I must admit, I did not read closely on the first go through. Which will make the re-read all that more fun (whenever I get around to it.)

[Matt]

I'm stuck. I finished The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making a few days ago and I've been looking for something new. I tried to start This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate but it started giving me anxiety. I've been poking at World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War but it's not compelling me to keep turning the pages (granted I'm only on page 17). Nothing else on my to-read list is grabbing me. Maybe I need to take a break and play a video game.

[Ken]

Well, still reading Reaper's Gale.
Not as good and the previous Malazan boooks but still
very good. About 200 pages left

Not sure whats on deck next.

[Candiss]

Matt wrote: "I'm stuck. I finished The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making a few days ago and I've been looking for something new. I tried to start [book:This Changes..."

Matt - If you like the premise of World War Z but can't seem to get into it, I (who admittedly doesn't generally enjoy audiobooks) highly recommend trying the audio format. It's a full cast dramatization with awesome voice actors, such as Mark Hamill, Jeri Ryan, Simon Pegg, Henry Rollins, Denise Crosby, Alan Alda, F. Murray Abraham, Rene Auberjonois and a bunch more. (The author, Max Brooks, plays the narrator.) It's like a really well done radio play. (One reviewer for Strange Horizons compared it favorably to Wells' War of the Worlds broadcast.)

(There's a regular version which is abridged and a full unabridged version. The unabridged is best.)

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

Finished The Magician's Apprentice, 6/10, just not cohesive enough.

Next up is out of genre, The Terminal Man. Then A Fire Upon the Deep, which will probably lead me to the other books in that series, A Deepness in the Sky and The Children of the Sky.

[Matt]

Candiss wrote: " If you like the premise of World War Z but can't seem to get into it, I (who admittedly doesn't generally enjoy audiobooks) highly recommend trying the audio format."

Fantastic, I'm going to give that a shot. Thanks, Candiss!

[Christine]

Giving up on two books in a row is unusual for me; I finally decided to abandon The Element of Fire. It has gotten good reviews, but I just can't get past the court politicsat the start. Thankfully, today I picked up five new books from the library and have the pleasant task of deciding which one to read:
A Child Called "It", The 5th Wave, Red Rising, Shelter, The Blackhouse

[Juston]

Hey Christine, I really enjoyed red rising. But now I have to wait till next year for the second in the trilogy.

[Christine]

I think I've already read The 5th Wave; perhaps I need to move on to Red Rising? Thanks Juston

[Sumant]

I am done with 7th book in black company series and here is my review.After storming through 8 books I am going to take break from black company after which I will finish the last 2 books in the series.In the meantime i have started with dresden files.

[Christine]

I am now taking a break from SciFi after abandoning two books (and the third, I had already read). I'm now reading Shelter

[Sumant]

I am done with Fires of heaven 5th book in wheel of time and here is my review. The review contains some spoilers so don't open it if you haven't read the book yet.

[Tani]

I'm reading The Thousand Names by Django Wexler. I've been looking forward to this one for quite time, and it's definitely living up to my expectations.

[Christine]

I just finished reading Shelter which I really can't recommend for anyone. Now I'm starting The Black House by Peter May (delving into a murder mystery)

[Sumant]

I am done with first book in dresden file series storm front and here is my review.

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

Well, I'm about 175 pages into A Fire Upon the Deep and I can tell I haven't read space opera in a while. My brain is adjusting!

[Shel, Moderator]

I love that book, Kathi :) It'll definitely make you stretch your brain at first but once you figure out the rules it'll all come together!

I just finished a marathon re-read of Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar books and now I'm reading some short stories.

[Lindsey]

Finished 2 of the books I was in the middle of then scrapped my other reading plans in favor of a "new" (to me) Star Wars novel. Been disappointed enough in the SW EU in the last few years that I pretty much stopped reading but Mercy Kill is pretty good so far.

[Mekki]

I'm reading the second novel in the Southern Reach trilogy, Authority , The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making and Infinite Jest

[Mekki]

Kathi wrote: "Well, I'm about 175 pages into A Fire Upon the Deep and I can tell I haven't read space opera in a while. My brain is adjusting!"

I hope you like it. Be sure to check out the second novel in the series A Deepness in the Sky. Its my favorite.

[[deleted user]]

And my TBR did change! Surprise! ;-) Am now currently reading Winter of the World by Ken Follett and hope to start The Edge of Eternity (the last book in the trilogy) directly afterwards. Let's see...

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

Mekki wrote: "I hope you like it. Be sure to check ou..."

Loved it, 9/10. Taking an out of genre break and then will return to Vinge to read A Deepness in the Sky and later, Children of the Sky.

[Ken]

Finally finished Reaper's Gale.
Not bad

Started in on Dec book Ancillary Sword

[Shel, Moderator]

I finished the Steampunk II: Steampunk Reloaded anthology (found the quality uneven - loved some of the stories, was bored by others) and am now on more short stories, Wonders of the Invisible World by Patricia McKillip.

[Christine]

After reading out of genre, I'm back with Red Rising.
Waiting on my library shelf are The Bone Clocks, Lies We Tell Ourselves, The Farm, and The Magician's Land

[Deedee]

Getting ready to begin one of:

[Tani]

I finished Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke today. The ending was pretty awesome, but the middle dragged, so it ended up being a 3.5 star read for me. I'm always kind of nervous about reading the older scifi, but this one wasn't bad at all.

Currently, I'm reading Banner of the Damned by Sherwood Smith, which is very much about the court intrigue so far, and Weaveworld by Clive Barker. I've just barely started that one, but I'm very much looking forward to reading it.

[Christine]

This column is one of my favorite parts of this group; I have discovered many new SciFi and Fantasy books due to members posting links to books they are reading. Right now I am about halfway through Red Rising and am enjoying it very much; I read about it here