SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion
SciFi and Fantasy Book Challenge
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2021 TBR Cleanup Challenge
Lost Planet Airman wrote: "Dj wrote: "
The Anubis Gates
I will just say that for me, Time Travel isn't my favo..."
LOL oops. Yeah, the other one. thanks
6. Jackpot The Book of Skulls - apparently involves a quest for immortality. The jackpot perhaps.✔️
Gets me to 17/20.
One of two Silverberg novels that were Hugo finalists in 1973 (with Dying Inside). Four more or less callow, clever male Ivy League student roommates, representing stereotypes for some reason (Jew, gay man, rich establishment WASP, midwestern athlete) on a quest for immortality, to be found in a monastery in the Arizona desert according to an old manuscript one of them has found in the university library. The manuscript seems to indicate that it’s necessary to come as a group of four, and that two of the four won’t survive. The story is told by the four characters in rotation, in diary-like first person narratives.
I liked this quite a bit, somewhat to my surprise. The characters aren’t particularly nice (some would put it a good deal more strongly than that.) I thought the writing was very strong. The book is about the characters and situation; there are no unambiguous fantasy elements.
I finally got hold of the last book on my TBRC list and finished this challenge, woohoo! Now I only have to worry about the RATB challenge, which is going horribly this year.List of books in message #2.
Congratulations circadian heretic Anna!I see some things on your completed list that I'd like to read. Maybe for next year's challenge...
Anna wrote: "I finally got hold of the last book on my TBRC list and finished this challenge, woohoo! Now I only have to worry about the RATB challenge, which is going horribly this year.List of books in mess..."
Congrats
Gotta take any win I can get considering how my reading is going this year!
Anna wrote: "I finally got hold of the last book on my TBRC list and finished this challenge, woohoo! Now I only have to worry about the RATB challenge, which is going horribly this year.List of books in mess..."
Congratulations Anna. There's some interesting stuff on that list.
Congratulations, Anna.I’m still hoping to finish the challenge but it isn’t a sure thing. At this point I’m reading #18 and one of the remaining books is pretty long.
Anna wrote: "I finally got hold of the last book on my TBRC list and finished this challenge, woohoo! Now I only have to worry about the RATB challenge, which is going horribly this year.List of books in mess..."
Congratulations! Read on!
I'm joining late and cheating because I'm back filling with books I've already read. I'm only going to include those books I've read with a SFF element at least.15/20
3. Behind the eight ball - Sharks in the Time of Saviors (Started last year and never got around to finishing...)
14. I have no gift for strategy
16. Queen of hearts - Wolf Hall (view spoiler)
17. Role-play - The Regulators (view spoiler)
19. Taboo - Crossroads - (view spoiler)
I guess one could say you're behind the eight ball, Sarah :DOh, how was Once There Were Wolves? I've been eyeing it on Audible, not sure if I should.
edit: Hmm, I've marked it as available on Overdrive, so I guess my library has it and I should just see for myself! (This is why I should mark all books like this. Too many places a book could be available.)
edit2: lol, I even have a hold on it XD Wow, I'm really on top of all the things this year :P But the good news is that I'm second in line!
@Anna Behind the 8 ball indeed! Did you read Migrations? It packs a pretty similar emotional punch.
There are content warnings so let me know if you need those. Otherwise beautifully written, beautifully told.
I did read Migrations, but it's disappeared into that 2020s hole of "I remember nothing". If there's violence towards animals, let me know, otherwise I'm probably good.
Anna wrote: "I did read Migrations, but it's disappeared into that 2020s hole of "I remember nothing". If there's violence towards animals, let me know, otherwise I'm probably good."Without spoiling plot: (view spoiler)
Thanks Sarah, that helps a lot! It doesn't stop me from reading it, but it's good to know what to expect!
Anna wrote: "Thanks Sarah, that helps a lot! It doesn't stop me from reading it, but it's good to know what to expect!"Okay good- let me know how you like it!
Just completed my last book of the challenge. And with quite a bit more time to spare than usual :-)1. Take a gamble – Ten Rogues: The Unlikely Story of Convict Schemers, a Stolen Brig and an Escape from Van Diemen's Land to Chile – Peter Grose.
2. Red or black – Iron Man: My Journey Through Heaven & Hell with Black Sabbath – Tony Iommi.
3. Behind the eight ball – Persian Fire: The First World Empire and the Battle for the West – Tom Holland.
4. Charade –Hounded – Kevin Hearne.
5. Agreeable alliteration – Sin City, Vol. 1: The Hard Goodbye – Frank Miller.
6. Jackpot –Flashman – George Macdonald Fraser.
7. Pawns – Saga, Vol. 8 – Brian K. Vaughan.
8. An 8 or 21 –Neuromancer – William Gibson.
9. Dealer's choice – The Adventures of Tom Sawyer – Mark Twain.
10. X marks the spot – The Persian Expedition – Xenophon.
11. Murrderrrrr – The Fifth Season – N.K. Jemisin.
12. Back from the dead – The Crow – James O’Barr.
13. Features a game or puzzle – The Peripheral – William Gibson.
14. I have no head for strategy – The Rules of the Game: Jutland and British Naval Command – Andrew Gordon.
15. Features best friends – Post Captain – Patrick O’Brian.
16. Queen of hearts – Sin City, Vol. 2: A Dame to Kill For – Frank Miller.
17. Role-play – Broken Angels – Richard Morgan.
18. Amazing race – Grandpa's Great Escape – David Walliams.
19. Taboo – Jurassic Park – Michael Crichton.
20. Critical hit – Persepolis Rising – James S.A. Corey.
Another one down - for “Pawns”: Interference (Semiosis no. 2) by Sue Burke
Well, I think I have finally raked through my reading this year, and managed to tie twenty books, justifiable as TBR, onto the prompts for the 2021 TBR read-down. Here's what I've got:1. Take a gamble: The Quantum Magician Künsken, Derek
2. Red or black: Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen Bujold, Lois McMaster
3. Behind the eight ball: Nebula Award Stories Knight, Damon
4. Charade The Memory Police Ogawa, Yōko
5. Agreeable alliteration The Lies of Locke Lamora Lynch, Scott
6. Jackpot Ready Player Two Cline, Ernest
7. Pawns Breakfast of Champions Vonnegut Jr., Kurt
8. An 8 or 21 Semiosis Burke, Sue
9. Dealer's choice* (ironic) Gods of Risk (The Expanse, #2.5) Corey, James S.A.
10. X marks the spot Piranha (Oregon Files, #10) Cussler, Clive
11. Murrderrrrr Record of a Spaceborn Few Chambers, Becky
12. Back from the dead Blindsight Watts, Peter
13. Features a game or puzzle The Quantum Thief (Jean le Flambeur, #1) Rajaniemi, Hannu
14. I have no gift for strategy Recursion Crouch, Blake
15. Features best friends Captain Vorpatril's Alliance (Vorkosigan Saga, #15) Bujold, Lois McMaster
16. Queen of hearts The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms (Inheritance, #1) Jemisin, N.K.
17. Role-play The House in the Cerulean Sea Klune, T.J.
18. Amazing race Nightwings Silverberg, Robert
19. Taboo A Memory Called Empire Martine, Arkady
20. Critical hit Gideon the Ninth Muir, Tamsyn
-- The 2021 Literalism Award goes to Nebula Award Stories, which, literally literally, has eight stories in it. Close runners-up were Piranha for using "X marks the spot" in the book, Blindsight for bringing back from the dead an entire mythical species, and Semiosis, the 21st club book I read this year.
-- The 2021 Recursion Award goes to Breakfast of Champions, when the author appears in the story itself, to tell you that he is running the lives of the protagonists.
-- The Spoilery Irony Award goes to Gods of Risk, (view spoiler)
Lost Planet Airman wrote: "5. Agreeable alliteration The Lies of Locke Lamora (Lynch)"Well done! :D
Anna wrote: "Lost Planet Airman wrote: "5. Agreeable alliteration The Lies of Locke Lamora (Lynch)"Well done! :D"
Just edited the grammar mistakes out, and the "Awards" section in.
Sarah, re: Once There Were WolvesMy hold came in and I listened to it yesterday. Many thanks for warning me in advance! It was pretty gruesome (for me) even though I was prepared, I probably wouldn't have been able to continue past page one if I hadn't known to expect it. (Although I did *not* expect what happened on page one! Or whatever page it was, but it was the very beginning.) I can't say that I enjoyed it, because it was sad and terrifying, but I appreciated it and will continue reading McConaghy. And it was really cool to see Inti's particular "condition" in a book, I've never seen that before! Witnessing it wasn't cool, but the fact that it was portrayed, because it's something I've always been interested in. And combining that with the plot was very effective!
edit: Oh wow, I just now noticed that she is going to be at the Helsinki Book Fair this Friday, talking about Migrations! I happen to be going on that exact day, so maybe I'll try to catch that!
edit2: That doesn't look right. *She*, as in the living breathing human author, is not going to be there, but there's some type of thing where she's maybe "on stage" via a recording or virtually or whatnot.
2. Red or blackNova - My copy has a red cover. I read it once, long ago, but I’ve been meaning to reread it. ✔️
Classic late ‘60s literary sf. Major early Delany. Glad I reread it.
18/20
Anna wrote: "Sarah, re: Once There Were WolvesMy hold came in and I listened to it yesterday. Many thanks for warning me in advance! It was pretty gruesome (for me) even though I was prepared,..."
Yeah she writes beautifully. Her books are definitley super emotional and high impact... and difficult to read for sure.
I can't remember what happens on page one so I apologize if I missed something! I tried to remember it all.
Anna wrote: "I was trying to be spoiler free, I meant how it starts with [spoilers removed]"Oh - SHEESH. I completely forgot about that aspect. I'm so sorry!
Don’t worry! I didn’t need to know everything in detail! I meant that since I knew, thanks to you, to expect that type of content, I was sort of prepared for it, and that’s why I didn’t immediately DNF. I just didn’t expect the Inti part, or that it would throw the reader straight into it from the very beginning.
For a while, I was doubting my grit on finishing this challenge within the year... but now I just have 2 left and started them both!Just finished The Auctioneer & We Are the Dead... Unfortunately can't recommend either as I rated them both 2 stars
I can cross of 2 more from my list:✅7. Pawns - Interference, by Sue Burke. I loved Semiosis, but this one? Not so much. The magic that was Stevland and the other plants in the first book was no longer a thing. It dragged in the middle and it took me forever to finish it. That said, I will definitely read the 3rd book, which I've heard from Sue herself is in the works and will be published by TOR. This one suffered a bad case of "Middle-Book-itis". 3 stars.
✅19. Taboo - Out of the Silence: After the Crash Cannibalism. Fortunately, the book didn't go into any great detail on the cannibalism front. At the same time, it pretty much glossed over it, because that was not the focus of the book. It was a little better than OK. I gave it 3 stars.
Which brings me to 12/20 or 8 left to complete. I will not manage that, but we'll see. I have several on there that are short stories or novellas, so I'll try for those first and see if I have any time left for more afterwards.
This is the book for my Amazing Race portion of the challenge. Twenty Million Tons Under the Sea: The Daring Capture of the U-505
A book that holds some special room on my reading list. It isn't that the event was of any really great importance to the winning of World War II, or even the claim of being the first boarding action of an enemy vessel since the 1800's may or may not be accurate. No, it was none of those things that draw me to this book like a magnet.
When I was in Jr. High in Davenport IA I got a guided tour with a group of Sea Cadets of the U505. It is amazing just how much it brings home to you the unreal conditions that the crew would have to had to put up with to even do their duties, much less live on such a vessel. When they say the conditions were cramped, it is perhaps an oversimplification. Even then I slammed my head into one of the frames for a hatch trying to move between one compartment to another, and I was leaning forward to go through. The Galley looked it would be a great deal like trying to cook inside of a closet. When I went on the tour, it was pristine in its cleanliness and empty of extra storage as a boat would have been on a war cruise.
So yeah having been on it, it was a special treat to read how that Enemy Vessel had ended up at a Museum on the 'coast' of Lake Michigan.
I d have some things that bring questions to mind about the book, like the claim of the boarding action. Since I would have thought that the action of the crew of the Destroyer Cossack freeing the prisoners held on the Altmark would qualify as well. But a bit of exaggeration is understandable since it was an amazing feat.
Maybe not the best book on the war, well certainly not, it still holds a special place on my reading list.
I don't know about the rest of y'all, but I am looking at my growing TBR shelf and starting to think about the 2022 challenge. Any word from our illustrious moderators?
The prompts aren't 100% ready to post yet! Hopefully very soon ^_^
I’ve been stalled for several weeks on book #19 for the current year — it’s readable enough but I find the character whose voice does the narration a little dreary. And #20 will be a long read. However I’m still hoping to complete all 20.
Anna wrote: "The prompts aren't 100% ready to post yet! Hopefully very soon ^_^"Awesome. I am excited to see what you all choose.
Idea for next year: solicit us users for prompts, then use your discretionary powers as moderators to pick the "best" 20. Sounds fun, eh?
That's not a bad idea! Actually, anyone who has a great prompt idea can ... hmm, Allison, do we want them in this thread or sent to us via DMs? In another thread? We could still try to squeeze one or two of them into the 2022 challenge!
Mod
If anyone has a prompt idea they want to suggest for 2022, DM it to me NOW. We were going to finish all the challenges yesterday, but someone* had a hissy fit and went to bed instead, so we're doing it today. The list is ready to go, but if we get a great suggestion, we're more than happy to find a spot for it! ^_^* me, it was me
Inkheart
I enjoyed this book, however, I was never really to get into it the way I enjoy. It always seemed to be somewhat of a challenge to keep going even though I was interested in how it turned out. I was interested but not excited to learn how it turned out. I am sure that there are those out there that find this book to be an amazing read, I am just sorry that I wasn't one of them.
Creatures of Light and DarknessI can't quite decide if I believe this book was written as part of a fever dream or a drug-induced hallucination. It reads like an attempt to rewrite Egyptian myths with some Sci-Fi thrown in, mostly it ends up being twisty and convoluted with no apparent reason why. An interesting read but one that leaves you as baffled at the end as it does at the beginning.
With this one down I only have one left for my TBR list.
The City and The Stars. I am about 80 percent on that so should be able to finish it.
A few of these may be a stretch, but it's my challenge so I'm rolling with it. :)2021 TBR Cleanup
1. Take a gamble Sandstorm (view spoiler)
2. Red or black Hench (view spoiler)
3. Behind the eight ball Moon Called (view spoiler)
4. Charade Winter's Orbit (view spoiler)
5. Agreeable alliteration Fate of the Fallen (view spoiler)
6. Jackpot Project Hail Mary (view spoiler)
7. Pawns A Deadly Education (view spoiler)
8. An 8 or 21 She Who Became the Sun (view spoiler)
9. Dealer's choice The Illustrated Man (view spoiler)
10. X marks the spot The Steerswoman (view spoiler)
11. Murrderrrrr Deeplight (view spoiler)
12. Back from the dead Escaping Exodus (view spoiler)
13. Features a game or puzzle A Closed and Common Orbit (view spoiler)
14. I have no gift for strategy The Book of Koli (view spoiler)
15. Features best friends Heirs of Grace (view spoiler)
16. Queen of hearts Cage of Souls (view spoiler)
17. Role-play We Are Legion (We Are Bob) (view spoiler)
18. Amazing race The Last Odyssey (view spoiler)
19. Taboo The 5th Gender (view spoiler)
20. Critical hit The Best of All Possible Worlds (view spoiler)
Congratulations Kristin! I like the obscurity of some of those connections. I may have to try that next year... :)
Finished this challenge which is the only one I will come close to completing this year. Huzzah!! My results here
Monica wrote: "Ursula K LeGuin if not the queen of literary hearts, surely the queen of literary souls"Yes! <3
I only have 4 left...these are the books I originally listed, but I will see if anything else I read this year can fill in.....12. Back from the dead The Grass Dancer
18. Amazing race World of Trouble
19. Taboo The Zenith---currently reading
20. Critical hit--Houston, Houston, Do You Read?
Maggie, I’m using the same Tiptree story for that prompt (I bet I stole the idea from you!). I think I could probably read that one before the end of the year...
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The Anubis Gates
I will just say that for me, Time Travel isn't my favorite form o..."
DJ, did you mean to put this here, or over in "Read All The Books"?