What are you reading in January 2015?

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

I finished The Skull of the World, book 5 in the Witches of Eileanan series and a vast improvement over book 4. I am primed to read the conclusion of the series, The Fathomless Caves, but am taking a detour out of SF/F to read The Quiet Game.

[Ken]

Finished up with Torchwood: Exodus Code.
Not bad, it felt like Torchwood.

Started next months read Kraken
So far so good.

[Bill]

I just finished a marvelous sleeper, a polysexual, polyamorous Sci-Fi The Merro Tree. Eyes wide open, I feel like I did after I read The Hobbit for the 1st time way back in the '60s and is added to my Favorites shelf. De qua locutus sum…

Last nite I got about half way through The Boy Who Picked the Bullets Up. Gay, funny in an autopsy-room-humor sort of way.

I'm looking of an adjective for humor that in a word says 'humor that one uses to push back horror for a bit'.I know the word, but it's lost in the forest of my memories

[Christine]

I finished Mean Streak last niught and can't really recommend it (it isn't fantasy or SCiFi anyway). Now I've just started The Book of Atrix Wolfe

[Deedee]

Finished Bathing the Lion -- very surreal, very different from what I usually read (and I usually read sf/f!)

Now reading: The Handmaid's Tale

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

Kernos wrote: "I'm looking of an adjective for humor that in a word says 'humor that one uses to push back horror for a bit'.I know the word, but it's lost in the forest of my memories."

Like gallows humor?

[Lindsey]

Kathi wrote: "Lindsey wrote: "Finished Daggerspell last night, very impressed. A bit simple for my taste but for a book that's almost as old as I am, it holds up well."

I really loved that whole series by Katharine Kerr. I have the newest related books on my shelf and that might lead me to a reread of the series. Yes, they are simpler than some of the current popular fantasy titles, but they tell a good story and I like her style. "

I'm almost done with the second one now. It's still simple (in that characters are Good or Evil so far) but it's darn good reading. It's what I like to refer to as "comfort fantasy": consistent worldbuilding, sympathetic characters, quite a few tropes. Nothing revolutionary but lots of fun!

[Bill]

Kathi wrote: "Like gallows humor?"

Yeh, that it thatnk!

[Tani]

Kernos wrote: "I just finished a marvelous sleeper, a polysexual, polyamorous Sci-Fi The Merro Tree. Eyes wide open, I feel like I did after I read The Hobbit for the 1st time way back in the '60s a..."

The Merro Tree sounds really good. I'll have to check it out.

I finished Blindsight by Peter Watts yesterday. I thought it was pretty much amazing. Horror/scifi with some truly interesting ideas and insights. It was nominated for a Hugo in 2007, but didn't win... Makes me wonder if I should read the winner from that year, just to see if it does beat out this one.

I'm going to be reading The Atrocity Archives by Charles Stross next.

[Shel, Moderator]

Tani, search through our archives for our old discussion about Blindsight, it was one of our monthly reads a few years ago :)

[Tani]

I will have to look for it. Thanks for the heads-up. :)

[Bill]

I started Crossover by Joel Shepherd. This his 1st novel about an Android living as a human. He's best known for a bevy of Star Trek books.

[Helen]

In quite enjoying Unfettered, sorry can't link on mobile, discovering new authors.

[Lindsey]

Helen wrote: "In quite enjoying Unfettered, sorry can't link on mobile, discovering new authors."

Is that the short story collection edited by Shawn Speakman? If so, I'm glad to hear you like it, I bought the ebook a few months back and am looking forward to it!

[Lindsey]

Finished Darkspell as well as American Creation and enjoyed both for different reasons. I'll definitely be looking up the third Deverry book later this week.

For now it's on to Cold Steel which has been on my shelf for a shockingly long time.

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

I finished The Fathomless Caves, the final book in the Witches of Eilanean series. Great way to wrap it up and a mostly happy ending. I enjoyed all the books I the series except one, and thought the final two books were excellent.

Out of genre next with historical fiction.

[Shel, Moderator]

Lindsey wrote: "For now it's on to Cold Steel which has been on my shelf for a shockingly long time."

I really enjoyed the Spiritwalker trilogy!

I'm still in short story mode.

[Matt]

Right now I'm reading City of Stairs, more or less picked at random from the Goodreads best-of 2014 fantasy. It's taking me far longer than it should because the pacing isn't holding my interest, but it's not bad enough to throw away. One of the reviews said it picks up in the second half, so I'm still optimistic.

[Random]

City of Stairs is on my to-read list. I really liked American Elsewhere so I've hopes for this one.

I gave up on The Golem and the Jinni. There's nothing bad about the book. Its not boring or anything. I just have no desire to pick it back up again once I put it down.

Thinking my next is going to be Expendable, but no guarantees that I won't change my mind before the end of the day. :)

[Jo]

I just finished an ARC of Sharon Lynn Fisher's Echo 8. It comes out in Feb. I loved her other two books and this one is just as good. So far she has only done stand alone books so you can read in any order.

[Christine]

Last night I finished The Book of Atrix Wolfe which I enjoyed but felt it bogged down in confusion concerning the Hunter. Now off topic withBones Never Lie and then Words of Radiance on the shelf (its size is a bit daunting)

[Shel, Moderator]

Christine wrote: "Last night I finished The Book of Atrix Wolfe which I enjoyed but felt it bogged down in confusion concerning the Hunter. Now off topic withBones Never Lie and then [bo..."

I liked Atrix Wolfe well enough, but it's not my favorite of her books - that honor goes to [book:Song for the Basilisk|81070]. It's just so lovely! :)

edit: not sure why the link isn't working?

[Christine]

Unfortunately, my library doesn't have Song of the Basilisk

[Juston]

I've just finished the Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson. Fantastic!

[James]

I have started some Charles Stross, one of his older books- Glasshouse. It does have many various things going on in only a matter of a few pages, seems very modern even though written around a decade ago. Hope to enjoy it.

[Bill]

I finished Crossover by Joel Shepherd. In interesting 1st book by this author. It's part cyberpunk, part political/military Sci-Fi. It has great characters, but also a number problems. I'm not sure I agree with his politics.'

[Tani]

James wrote: "I have started some Charles Stross, one of his older books- Glasshouse. It does have many various things going on in only a matter of a few pages, seems very modern even though written around a dec..."

I started The Atrocity Archives by Charles Stross a day or two ago, which I think was published right around that same time. I'm enjoying it, but it feels a bit bogged down at times by all the theoretical mumbo jumbo. Still, no real complaints so far.

[Ken]

Finished Kraken this morning.
It was good but I think it was padded a bit. Too long.

Started Lives in Ruins: Archeologists and the Seductive Lure of Human Rubble

[Marvis]

So far been straying from the usual science fiction - or even traditional fantasy - this year:

#1 Jeff VanderMeer - Annihilation
Suspense horror with hints of weird in what is either a future setting or alternate reality.

#2 Brandon Sanderson - The Alloy of Law
Fantasy blended with western and detective in an early industrial (non-terrestrial) urban setting.

#3 Jasper Polane - Lege steden [Dutch]
Again fantasy in an urban, non-terrestrial - possibly alternate reality - setting: magic as science, technological resource.

Suggested reading if the idea of #3 (urban setting, magic influenced by technology and/or technology influenced by magic) appeals to you:
Walter Jon Williams - Metropolitan

[Wastrel]

I finished re-reading Lord Foul's Bane, and writing a stupidly-long review of it. I also re-read The Last Continent.

Not sure what's next. I want to read one of the recent, well-liked books that I have but haven't read: Last Argument of Kings, Lonely Werewolf Girl and Soulless. On the other hand, I could just read the next PRatchett (Carpe Jugulum), or I've for some reason suddenly had an urge to re-read Dragonsdawn. So I don't know.

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

Squeezing in a quick book, The Dragon Quintet, before starting Gardens of the Moon.

[Shel, Moderator]

I just put myself on the waiting list at the library for Gardens of the Moon. In the meantime, I think I'm going to start Kraken in the hopes that I'll finish it in a reasonable time for our upcoming discussion :)

[Helen]

Lindsey wrote: "Helen wrote: "In quite enjoying Unfettered, sorry can't link on mobile, discovering new authors."

Is that the short story collection edited by Shawn Speakman? If so, I'm glad to hear you like it,..."

Yes, it was a solid collection. Only one story didn't grab me and that couldn't been because I was tired.

Just started The King Beyond the Gate which has started well before I also embark on Malazan!

[Random]

I finished Expendable. It was ok. Not amazing, but fun to read. I'll likely pickup the other books eventually.

I've started The Dead Path in audio yesterday and I've got Gardens of the Moon on my phone and ready to get started for the upcoming series read.

[Christine]

I finished Bones Never Lie which I enjoyed and meant to start Words of Radiance which was on my shelf. I realize that I have no recall of the first book and have decided not to read this book. Instead I've gone off topic again with The Secret Place. Next up is The Three-Body Problem

[Ken]

Christine wrote: "have decided not to read this book. Instead I've gone off topic again"

Ha, that happens to me all the time.
I have a special pile of books I want to read now. But it always seems like I am Dog and I see a squirrel and pow I am off track reading something I didnt plan on.

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

I finished The Dragon Quintet. Five novellas by five respected authors, each very different from the others. My favorites were Tanith Lee's "Love in a Time of Drafons" (which surprised me because I did not care for the novels of hers that I've read), Elizabeth Moon's "Judgment", and Mercedes Lackey's "Joust" (which she later developed into a full-length novel of the same name).

And I'm 48 pages into Gardens of the Moon.

[Ken]

Just finished a pretty good book about Archeologists, Lives in Ruins. Enjoyed it.
After seeing Raiders as a kid that was a thing I was interested in, realized that the schooling involved would not have been my cup of tea.

Started Gibson's latest The Peripheral

[Sumant]

Here is my review for daughter of empire, the first book in empire trilogy

[Tani]

I finished The Atrocity Archives by Charles Stross this morning. I liked all the technical details to it, and the danger was suitably scary. I approved. :)

I think I'm going to start Mars Evacuees by Sophia McDougall next. It seems like it will be a nice change of pace, and I don't think it'll take too long to read.

[Helen]

Finished The King Beyond the Gate, started Firefight.

My kindle has been crashing so I may have to start a paperback, Gardens of the Moon, earlier than intended.