What else are you reading - February 2020

[Rob, Roberator]

Leap year means an extra long February. What will you be reading with your extra day this month?

[Trike]

Boooooks!

[Tassie Dave, S&L Historian]

Wolf 359 by Gabriel Urbina

a free audio drama comedy sci-fi on Serial Box about a communications officer on a Research Station orbiting a Red Dwarf star (Wolf 359)

A bit of light relief between reading Gideon the Ninth, which I am enjoying.

[Shad]

Just finished World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War for an epistolary novel for my library’s reading challenge. Started The Secret Chapter.

[John (Taloni)]

Read The Grapes of Wrath. My daughter is taking online English and I thought I'd read along with her.

This book really gives a feel for what the Great Depression and the Dustbowl were like. Gritty, realistic, and very depressing. It's an important book but not a fun read.

[Stephen]

I am reading Kalanon's Rising my 5th book of SPFBO5 contest. And from now until Feb 7th all 10 in the contest are only 99 cents. Yes, that is 10 books for 10 Dollars. Never Die, Blood of Heirs, Beggar's Rebellion, Blade's Edge, Spark City, The Sword of Kaigen, Fortune's Fool, A Tale of Stars and Shadow, and A Sea of Broken Glass. So far my favorite has been Blood of Heirs but if any of the 5 I have read so far win I will be happy. Of course all are free if you are part of Kindle Unlimited.

[Silvana]

I plan to read at least six novelettes from the Locus reading list, starting with For He Can Creep.

[John (Taloni)]

The Expanse novella Auberon came in yesterday just as I was finishing up Grapes of Wrath. It's short, so I just finished it.

Interesting, but not as compelling as earlier Expanse novellas. Tells the story of a Laconian military officer taking over as governor of the planet Auberon, plus his wife in a major scientific position. Most of the story is exposition. There's some interesting bits about knowing yourself at the end, but pretty much just that. Short, decent read.

[Joseph]

Not quite at the end of the series, but starting The Gates of Tagmeth by P.C. Hodgell.

[Carrie]

The Toll let's see how this wraps up.

[Jessica]

Man, I'm having heck of a time forcing myself to keep picking up Middlegame. Seanan McGuire seems to be such a hit or miss author for me!

I'm hoping to finish it soon so I can start my two books club picks I have out from the library for this month - Gideon the Ninth for S&L, and The Family Upstairs for my new workplace's book club.

[Colin]

Finished reading Lies Sleeping which just leaves one novella for me to caught up on all thing Rivers of London. Thought it was a good read. Brought some closure to one fairly major element of the overarching story, while hinting at some changes to come too.

Just started The Last Day by Andrew Hunter Murray. It's a debut novel, so no real idea what to expect. I only know of the author through his podcasting efforts on the excellent No Such Thing as a Fish. The set-up is that it's set in a future where the Earth (for reasons I'm not clear on yet!) has stopped rotating, so half the planet is in perpetual sunshine and the other half in darkness. Could be great. Could be awful. Only one way to find out ...

[Silvana]

Finished with Mind of My Mind. I enjoyed Wild Seed better and am now regretting that I should have read the series in the order of publication since most reviews seem to indicate that is the better way to enjoy it.

Also finished a number of novelettes from the Locus list, my favorite so far is For He Can Creep and One Thousand Beetles in a Jumpsuit http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fic...

Anyway, starting Theory of Bastards tomorrow.

[Elizabeth]

John (Taloni) wrote: "The Expanse novella Auberon came in yesterday just as I was finishing up Grapes of Wrath. It's short, so I just finished it.

Interesting, but not as compelling as earlier Expanse n..."

I enjoyed the implications of this novella, especially given the events of Tiamat's Wrath - saving yourself versus undermining the Empire etc. and, ultimately, all humans are gonna human.

My current read is Guy Gavriel Kay's The Last Light of the Sun. His stuff is primarily historical fantasy, but it's done so well that this particular historian doesn't get cross and throw the book across the room.

[Geoff]

I just finished Exhalation: Stories short stories by Ted Chiang. It was so highly recommended by many folks that I was slightly disappointed, but it was pretty good.

I'm now reading Gideon the Ninth... except I haven't actually started yet so I have no opinion yet. I guess the cover is nice?

[Gary]

I finished reading Tiamat's Wrath by James S.A. Corey. I am reading East of Eden by John Steinbeck. I plan to read The Blood Mirror by Brent Weeks next.

[Jonathan]

I am listening to The Fires of Heaven and reading Wrath.

[Viola]

Reading Silent Weapons and listening to Demon Road. Need to start Testamente soon if I want to be finished by march.

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

After enjoying Planetfall, I'm reading After Atlas by Emma Newman. I can definitely see why people said you didn't need to read these in order. This one is more of a murder mystery back on earth with some magnified technology options.

[Rob, Roberator]

Last week I finished The Vor Game, which I really enjoyed. Probably my favorite of the series so far. I really enjoy Miles as a character far more than the others who have been the protagonist of some of the previous books.

★★★★☆ - (My Review)

[Trike]

Rob wrote: "Last week I finished The Vor Game, which I really enjoyed. Probably my favorite of the series so far. I really enjoy Miles as a character far more than the others who have been the pro..."

I read the whole Vorkosigan saga last year and loved them, especially considered as a whole series.

[Stephen]

I fell asleep. Age of Death by Michael J. Sullivan came out 5 days ago and I did not even notice even though I had it on pre-order. Almost done with A Sea of Broken Glass from SPFBO 5. Finished SPFBO 5 Never Die which would make for a great anime show. If you are a fan of the cast of characters thrown together to go on a quest, this book is for you.

[Rob, Roberator]

I've been listening to them very slowly over the last 3 years. I may pick up the pace if the next few books are more like this one was.

[Stephen]

What Age of ----- are you in?

[Sheila Jean]

So, after 7 months I finally finished The Witchwood Crown last night. No idea what I'll read in print next. I feel like I should throw a party. (I won't.) I'm also unsure whether I'll read the rest. It took 500-600 pages in to really start caring about this first installment.

I'm 9 hours into Age of Death audiobook and expect to finish that with the next couple days. After that I have a few things waiting in my Audible account, or a couple things that should be coming off library holds.

[Colin]

Having finished the Gideon the Ninth audiobook, I needed something else to fill my ears when I'm out driving or walking to places. Moved onto Nemesis Games - making sure I stay ahead of the Expanse TV show. I always really enjoy these books, but somehow never get round to doing more than one of them each year.

[Rob, Roberator]

Oh man, Nemesis Games is soo good. Enjoy!

[David H.]

I'm actually on a "no SF/F kick" this month (mostly), so I read George Pelecanos's crime novel Drama City which is set in my adopted hometown of Washington, DC. The setting and characterization was great, though it was slow.

I've started Jade Dragon Mountain which is a historical mystery set in early 1700s China featuring an ex-librarian. Good so far.

[Tamahome]

Bowling Beyond the Basics: What's Really Happening on the Lanes, and What You Can Do about It

Ok, this isn't sf, but it has a lot of math. It's geekiness level is in the stratosphere.

[Silvana]

I finished The Deep and Theory of Bastards - both are very recommended, though I would prefer slightly different endings.

Now continuing my novelette marathon.

[Elizabeth]

Rob wrote: "Oh man, Nemesis Games is soo good. Enjoy!"

Second this; it's my favourite Expanse novel I think. It will make an excellent season 5 of the show as well, I'm so looking forward to seeing it.

I finished The Last Light of the Sun and was surprised that the fantasy element in this one is so forward. Usually it's there in the background, but here it's a delicious plot point.

Started The Prague Cemetery on audio, and will give The King's Peace a go on Kindle; I am extremely interested in seeing Walton's take on epic fantasy.

[Christos]

I’m going to read all the top books in March madness thread that way I will have read all the books when March madness starts and I can make a fair vote

[Iain]

Finished Gideon the Ninth which goes out in style.

Finally reached the pile of books from Xmas and the library holds I have had on the back burner.

Now reading A Memory Called Empire which so far is a slow burn of rising tension.

Listening to Terry Pratchett: The BBC Radio Drama Collection: Seven full-cast dramatisations which are a blast (even with the annoying credits every half hour)...

[TRP]

Just finished listening to the audiobook of Dhalgren by Samuel R. Delany
I'm too relieved at finishing it to actually recommend it

[Joseph]

Finished By Demons Possessed, the most recent P.C. Hodgell Kencyrath book, and started a reread of Kingdoms of Sorcery, an anthology edited by Lin Carter that I remember very fondly from my younger days. It's mostly older fantasy -- everything from Voltaire to Clark Ashton Smith, a mixture of short stories and novel excerpts, and was my first introduction to a number of great classic authors.

[Ruth]

Having managed to persuade my meatspace book club to read Shades of Milk and Honey, I’ve now moved on to the next Glamourist History book, Glamour in Glass, and I’ll probably end up reading the whole series in rapid succession. I’ve become a big fan of Mary Robinette Kowal after we read The Calculating Stars last year.

[AndrewP]

I have just read the first two books of Charles Stross's 'Laundry Files' books. The Atrocity Archives and The Jennifer Morgue. These are a light hearted mash up of Ian Fleming and Lovecraft. Absurd urban fantasy in the same vein as Rivers of London and highly recommended to fans of that series.

[Rick]

AndrewP wrote: "I have just read the first two books of Charles Stross's 'Laundry Files' books. The Atrocity Archives and The Jennifer Morgue. These are a light hearted mash up of Ian Fl..."

You're just reading these for the first time? You lucky lucky person. The Laundry series is great fun. Enjoy!

[Seth]

Finished, and liked Velocity Weapon, though if asked I'd recommend waiting until the series is complete before starting. Moving on to Highfire. Fantasy humor has never really worked for me outside of Terry Pratchett, but I keep trying.

[Trike]

Seth wrote: "Finished, and liked Velocity Weapon, though if asked I'd recommend waiting until the series is complete before starting. "

Sage advice for this one. I, too, will wait until the story is complete before continuing.

[John (Nevets)]

So I just finished “Firefly: Big Damn Heroes”, it’s supposed to be an authorized novel, but unfortunately it reads more like fan fiction. The first two chapters just crib off of things from the tv series to establish the characters, and it doesn’t get much better then that. The plot got real thin in places, but it did have just about enough story for an episode. You did learn a bit more about Book, and Mal, but that was about as good as it got. And even the writing itself was not particularly good. Oh well.

So it was a bit of a change to start Fall, Or Dodge in Hell. I was sucked in immediately. I’m only 4 chapters in, but I’m enjoying the quality. And with the contemporary writing style in this so far, it is much easier to read then The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. was. I look forward to seeing where the story goes.

[Tamahome]

TRP wrote: "Just finished listening to the audiobook of Dhalgren by Samuel R. Delany
I'm too relieved at finishing it to actually recommend it"

Lol. It has some sexy times though. I liked Nova, and it's much shorter. I even found Hogg in a library once. Omg.

[Trike]

I haven’t been making much headway in the — 5? 6? 97? — books I’m currently reading, but I did manage to finish Spectrum 26: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art, because it’s mostly purty pitchers.

My review (with art!): https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Silvana]

Finished with Tegan Moore's The Work of Wolves, which was one of the better novellas I read this year. Has a doggo for a POV so that's nice.
Thank you, Locus recommended reading list!

Continued to Sisters of the Vast Black.

[Joseph]

Finished Kingdoms of Sorcery and continued straight into the companion volume, Realms Of Wizardry.

[terpkristin]

I'm still struggling with S&L book picks, having been bored to non-reading by Gideon the Ninth, but I have finished reading Such a Fun Age, which was read by the Nerdette book club in January and I also finished Kitty Confidential in an 8-hour shift for work that I picked up to help another team out.

Up next are The Light Brigade (I keep hoping one of these picks will click) and finishing Terrier Transgressions (see previous note about picking up an extra shift). And I need to get back to The Burning White.

[David H.]

I read three books in the Li Du series by Elsa Hart: Jade Dragon Mountain, The White Mirror, and City of Ink. They're mysteries set in early 1700s China by an exiled librarian wandering close to Tibet. I really liked them.

The Underbelly by Gary Phillips: A mystery novella featuring a homeless vet as the 'detective' protagonist. It was okay.

The Fabulous Clipjoint by Fredric Brown: Fantastic mystery / coming of age. Really great for a book from the 1940s.

How to Play by Matt Forbeck: A murder mystery set at GenCon--I liked the premise, but the execution (ha!) wasn't enough to keep me going with the series.

[John (Taloni)]

Finished David Falkayn: Star Traderthe second of the seven-book "Technic League" collection which includes two that could be called "Polesotechnic League" as that was the underlying trade organization of those books.

This one follows Falkayn and his crew, a small feline alien and a centauroid that resembles a Chinese dragon, as they try to open markets on various alien worlds. The League is libertarian in focus but also promotes liberty and freedom. This puts them in conflict with factions on some of the worlds they visit. Trade is shown as an overall good, with the traders fighting an entrenched bureaucracy at home.

Usually the alien worlds are tightly constructed and very plausible. Poul Anderson knows his physics well and has sufficient knowledge of biology to construct realistic aliens. That's all to the good. However, the stories feel anachronistic, even more so than a Wells or Burroughs story. That's largely due to the inclusion of Nicholas van Rijn. He's portrayed as a latter day Dutch trader, of Dutch/Malaysian parentage. He perennially mangles English with malapropisms. Van Rijn is intended as a charismatic rogue, but instead comes off as a clown. He's regularly flirting with female members of his staff and takes several as mistresses.

The stories themselves follow the same format: Lengthy setup and description of world, conflict / action, truncated ending that could have extended the story at least twice as long. I think I didn't notice this pattern as a youth because I found these books at several-month intervals, not all at once like I am reading now.

Since this is a definitive collection I expected to see stories that I didn't remember. What I didn't expect was that even ones I knew I'd read I barely recalled, perhaps one bit out of the whole story. This isn't near as majestic as I remembered. I'll continue on, but slowly.

[John (Taloni)]

Also read the Romancing the Werewolf, one of Gail Carriger's fill-in books. Biffy has finally taken over as Alpha of the London pack. He has a two decade long interrupted romance with the Beta of his pack, who is doing penance as Beta for a distant pack while they recover from some trouble that he caused them.

It's a fan service book for Parasol Protectorate readers, delving into the lives of side characters from the main sequence books. Biffy is the new dandy Alpha, trying to lead a bunch of rough werewolves. Lyall, the pack Beta, returns. Channing returns and is his usual gruff but realistic self, showing a bit of humanity for once. Biffy's once-lover Lord Akeldama shows up, and who would have thought(view spoiler)[ Akeldama was a bottom? *thinks* Apparently everybody but me figured that out ages ago. (hide spoiler)]

The romance is mostly longing glances and the sex is fade-to-black. Most of the plot involves both sides pining for the other and thinking they can't be together when really one shortish conversation could have resolved everything. But that's a romance convention, gotta go along with it.

Much of the plot is played for laughs, as babies start showing up on the doorstep. This leads to an investigation and climactic scene that is really out of tone with the rest of the book. As fan service goes it's fine. Not a whole lot there, but fun along the way.

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

I keep picking up literary fiction that has some kind of fantastical element to it, so I thought I'd mention here.

Virtuoso by Yelena Moskovich has post-communist Czech(oslovakia) and women dealing with what happens when your country no longer exists, plus all female lesbian protagonists, plus suicide and meaning and ... virtual medical technology... plus weird blue clouds and surrealism. I haven't yet made complete sense of it.

Golden State by Ben H. Winters - man, I feel like this guy is our century's Philip K. Dick. This book is near future/alt future California where truth is absolute (it's like if Spock designed a society, perhaps...) and this Speculator is trying to solve a mysterious death. I'm near the end and it's just getting weirder and weirder, seems to be also possible to travel to actual Las Vegas and actual Los Angeles so where does this guy live? Is it a Melville City in the City situation? I don't know yet. But I imagine some of you would like this. Winters writes cop characters in alternate/apocalyptic realities as one of his specialties, I guess.