What Else Are You Reading in 2021? Showing 1,151-1,200 of 2,230

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

It's just because you're all so great! There's your ad hominem

[Travis]

As a Sanderson fan, I'm all about and can easily understand your overpopulated pod. :)

...

In my seemingly unquenchable appetite for cozy high fantasy a friend recommended the Valdemar novel Take a Thief, which was just as cozy and sweet as I'd hoped. Lots of good chosen family vibes.

I'm in the final third of The Last Unicorn, which is also nice, but hitting me more in the thinks than the feels

[Stephen]

Those Sanderson books seem awfully long. I have an ebook copy of one I may try.

[Travis]

I also loved Winter's Orbit, which was playful and romantic in really nice ways (and maybe doing some fun fan fiction stuff with The Left Hand of Darkness). And in non-SFF, one of my new all-time favorites is Sarah Schulman's oral history, Let the Record Show: A Political History of ACT UP New York, 1987-1993, easily the most inspiring and instructive book about activism and political strategy I've ever read.

[Michelle]

Stephen, in all seriousness, most people love his books! I'm just an oddball.

[CBRetriever]

me too, I guess

[Stephen]

I know they are extremely popular. There’s a woman in the church choir I sing in who loves them. I’d probably have tried one before now if it weren’t for the length.

[Eva]

Start with Emperor's Soul maybe, it's a novella! :-)

[Mel]

Was going to say the same, Eva! That's the one I hand to friends to get a taste of his writing without the commitment. Plus it's just... an excellent novella.

[Stephen]

Thanks, I’ve requested it from the local library.

[MadProfessah]

I am curious about WINTERS ORBIT. I am usually not a fan of romance at all but m-m Romance might be fun? Especially in the SFF context.

It didn’t really work for me in CL Polk’s WITCHMARK.

[CBRetriever]

MadProfessah wrote: "I am curious about WINTERS ORBIT. I am usually not a fan of romance at all but m-m Romance might be fun? Especially in the SFF context.

It didn’t really work for me in CL Polk’s WITCHMARK."

for fantasy, m-m works well in Lynn Flewelling's Nightrunner series

[Anna]

Travis wrote: "I also loved Winter's Orbit, which was playful and romantic in really nice ways (and maybe doing some fun fan fiction stuff with The Left Hand of Darkness)."

This is exciting news! I was originally really looking forward to this, but then I read an article by the author about great SFF love stories, and disagreed hard on some of the examples, so I was worried I'd hate the romance in Winter's Orbit. The potential link to Left Hand puts it right back at the top of my TBR!

[Lost Planet Airman]

Anna wrote: "Travis wrote: "I also loved Winter's Orbit, which was playful and romantic in really nice ways (and maybe doing some fun fan fiction stuff with The Left Hand of Darkness..."

Having just finished Gideon the Ninth, I'd say the author of the article nailed that one.

(Hush, Gideon; it is _not_ the time for a "that's what she said" joke.)

[Anna]

Haha Mike/Gideon :D

[Travis]

Anna wrote: "The potential link to Left Hand puts it right back at the top of my TBR!"

I don't want to oversell! It's just one section (albeit a hugely important section) where I it's hard to imagine she didn't have LHoD in mind.

[Anna]

I already started it and it's definitely working for me better than most things I've read lately. (Very meh mood and a million degrees both outside and inside.)

[Michelle]

Anna wrote: "I already started it and it's definitely working for me better than most things I've read lately. (Very meh mood and a million degrees both outside and inside.)"

It's hot as doo-doo here, too. I hate summer. I should have been born as a penguin in the Arctic! The colder the better.

[Anna]

I just read this morning that apparently people in different places in the world have a different optimal temperature. I never knew that was something that could be measured, I thought it was just a matter of getting used to it. Anyway, it said that for people in Finland the optimal outside temp is 14C (57F), and it's been more than twice that for weeks :S Outside and in, since we don't have AC in homes. My bedroom is 30C (86F), and it'll stay there until September probably, since it takes forever for our buildings to cool once they suck in the warmth. So yeah, expect my brain to be extra mush for a couple of months.

[Michelle]

Anna wrote: "I just read this morning that apparently people in different places in the world have a different optimal temperature. I never knew that was something that could be measured, I thought it was just ..."

I don't blame you one bit!!

[Michelle]

I finished The Rose and the Thorn last night, my third reading, and I began the next in the series, The Death of Dulgath. I say began, but I've also read this twice before!

[CBRetriever]

Anna wrote: "I just read this morning that apparently people in different places in the world have a different optimal temperature. I never knew that was something that could be measured, I thought it was just ..."

we just went through several days of over 100 degF temperatures (average in the summer is 70-80 degF) so I was miserable. But that's still not as bad as Houston in the summer where it's like walking into a steam room when you exit your house in the morning for 4 months of the year.

back on topic, I'm really enjoying A Plague of Giants by Kevin Hearne. The main thread is a bard who can take on the persona of anyone (one type of kenning) to tell a story experienced by that person. Lots of strong female characters so far.

[Anna]

I didn't mind living in Malaysia where it's hot and humid AF every single day of the year, because they have AC everywhere! I owned more sweaters back then than I do now, for going into all of those ice cold malls :D

(Sorry for the off-topicky whinge.)

[Michelle]

Anna wrote: "I didn't mind living in Malaysia where it's hot and humid AF every single day of the year, because they have AC everywhere! I owned more sweaters back then than I do now, for going into all of thos..."

We go off-topic all of the time!!

[Gabi]

I'm the boring one who just stays on topic ;).

I seem to be in an anxious state of mind again, because I was a bit shocked when I saw how many books I've read (that is listened to) the last week. That usually happens when I try to escape from something in my RL ^^'. So here we go:

Rocannon's World by Ursula K. Le Guin is the first of her Hainish Cycle books and quite early in her career. This shows. It is okayish, but nothing I would spend a second thought on re-reading. What I liked the most was the story that worked as prologue and which can be read as a short story in some of her anthologies.

The Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith was the first 1 star rating of my GR career. I couldn't find anything I liked about it. It now deposed Gideon the Ninth as my single most waste of money.

Since I rather like the idea of out of time libraries per se I tried the second library book on our bookshelf: The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman, which was only marginally more original than the above mentioned book. At least I could cross another book off for the challenge.

All You Need Is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka where I had no hope at all and only read it because it was on storytel anyway was a more positive surprise. It still is only 3 stars, but as far as military SF goes which usually makes me grumpy, this one wasn't that bad at all.

Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings was another one from the group shelf. ... and as I try to write something about it I have to realise that I can't recall the details even though I read it only few days ago ^^' - how embarrassing. So the average of 3 stars I gave seems to be earned.

The Stars Are Legion by Kameron Hurley finally was outstanding. A weird mix of military and space opera, bordering on China Miéville. Wonderful worldbuilding, fresh ideas, good characters. A little flower in the sand of all-the-same novels. (but it has to come with a lot of warnings of extremely yukky)

Pushing Ice by Alastair Reynolds started very promising, but it lost it's allure to me in the second half, when the two strong antagonising female MCs turned into cat fighting idiots and the interesting social structure development/adaptation plot into something with more and more aliens as plot devices.

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig failed to convince me of it's intent. The plot held no twists and the emotional component couldn't pull me in. I had the feeling I had read it all before in way more interesting executions.

Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883 by Simon Winchester was my first book by this journalist and I had no idea that I had to set my mind to a rather 'in the beginning life evolved from tiny cells' approach to the titular topic of the volcano. So a lot of meandering, a lot of side information. All rather interesting, but the structure was a bit strange for me to embrace. I think I will read more of this author, cause he seems to be so knowledgeable, but next time I will prepare myself for his way of going far afield.


... and now ... can I please pick up more interesting books? My amount of 2 and 3 star ratings increases at the moment.

[Anna]

Agree very much about the second half of Pushing Ice! I think we talked about that in the botm threads? Not sure, it's been years!

edit: I checked and yeah we did talk about it in the spoiler thread

[Michelle]

Gabi, don't you hate those mediocre book trends?! I usually re-read something I have loved to get me out of that kind of slump. Are you one for rereading?

[Gabi]

Michelle wrote: "Gabi, don't you hate those mediocre book trends?! I usually re-read something I have loved to get me out of that kind of slump. Are you one for rereading?"

Oh yes! That's why I re-read the Stormlight Archives already 3 times, cause they still top everything Fantasy I (have to) read. And for SF I re-read my Tchaikovsky and Sturgeon favs from time to time. After a longer reading slump I need those books to give me back some perspective of what can be written.

[Jordan]

Ugh, Pushing Ice made me so mad because Reynolds is usually a big hit for me, but that catfighting was just so terrible that it took over and ruined the entire book! :(

I'm currently reading:

Realm Breaker. Doorstopper YA fantasy. I'm about halfway through and starting to feel like the whole first book is pretty much just set-up for the rest of the series, but I actually don't mind? I'm enjoying the world and the characters enough that I'm fine just being in that world.

The Library of the Unwritten. This has been sitting on my Kindle for a while, so yay for this month's pick making me finally pick it up. I'm only about a quarter of the way through but I'm enjoying it. In some ways it reminds me of The Invisible Library, which I loved.

A Psalm for the Wild-Built. Listening to this on audio and loving it, as usual for a story from Becky Chambers. The audio is a little weird in parts though. Like they had to patch in bits almost? She'll be reading along and then they'll be one line where her whole tone just changes for no apparent reason and then goes right back the next line. It's odd.

[Dj]

Don wrote: "MODES!!! please inform Ms. Hartline that Only Two Peas to a Pod in this forum !!!

!Three peas to a pod, indeed!."

Sounds like some very tasty Peas.

[Dj]

Jacqueline wrote: "My Mother always said if you were stuck on what to buy a woman as a present buy them Cross Stitch (the name in Australia of Outlander before they changed it). I’ve read the first 4 then had to wait..."

I may be scarred for life, I am male and I used to do cross-stitch as a hobby. Then my eyes started to go and it was interrupting my reading so it had to go.

[Dj]

Michelle wrote: "Dj wrote: "Michelle wrote: "I am continuing with my Royce & Hadrian kick, because they are so much fun! I have already read them twice before, but I am enjoying them just as much as the first time...."

Good to know I will most likely be going to the next one when I finish Crown.

[Dj]

Stephen wrote: "Those Sanderson books seem awfully long. I have an ebook copy of one I may try."

Which one?

[Dj]

Anna wrote: "I just read this morning that apparently people in different places in the world have a different optimal temperature. I never knew that was something that could be measured, I thought it was just ..."

I live in Oregon and the Pacific Coast is having such record temps that a Million odd Mullusks off Vancouver Island literally baked in the shells while still in the Ocean. Too Dang Hot by far. Hope it cools down for you soon.

[Dj]

Gabi wrote: "I'm the boring one who just stays on topic ;).

I seem to be in an anxious state of mind again, because I was a bit shocked when I saw how many books I've read (that is listened to) the last week. ..."

In regards to David Eddings, I have found that his books are enjoyable reads, interesting characters, and totally forgettable. I believe back in the day they would have fallen in the category of Pulp Fiction. Even now after doing a reread a while ago, I could probably name three characters and maybe two of the things that were done in the books. For the most part, I consider them to be decent time wasters. The kind of book you can read at work and not worry that you lost your place.

[Michelle]

Dj wrote: "Michelle wrote: "Dj wrote: "Michelle wrote: "I am continuing with my Royce & Hadrian kick, because they are so much fun! I have already read them twice before, but I am enjoying them just as much a..."

I think The Disappearance of Winter's Daughter is my favorite of the bunch.

[Jan]

Anna wrote: "Agree very much about the second half of Pushing Ice! I think we talked about that in the botm threads? Not sure, it's been years!

edit: I checked and yeah we did talk about it in the spoiler thread"

I won't stray into other threads' discussion here, but will just say I enjoyed all of Pushing Ice and I liked the alien depictions. I can see what you're saying, Gabi, but for me the book worked anyway.

Back to topic, I'm still ploughing through Passion: A Novel of the Romantic Poets. About 2/3 through. It's taking ages because it has well over 600 pages of small font sized print. Yeah I have a library paperback. I normally do most reading on my ereader and it can be a bit of a struggle to find a time/well-lit place in the day to read without the luxury of a backlit screen with adjustable font size. Ha ha ha. (I doubt I'm Robinson Crusoe here.)

As for the book itself (Passion), fascinating stuff but rather dark insights into the minds of these fervid geniuses. At the moment Mary Shelley is gathered with Shelley, Byron and a couple of others in a house on the lake in Geneva. It's where she was inspired to write Frankenstein. Intense.

[Sara]

Currently, I'm reading a book about inheritance and environment in my main language Danish (biology nerd here haha) but sadly I cannot add the book on Goodreads because the book doesn't exist on here....

Do you guys know a way to add books on here or what should I do? it will throw off on how many books I read for the yearly reading challenge.

And I have 3 more biology books in my main language to read and I believe none of them is on Goodreads.

[Anna]

Sara, here is the help page for adding books to GR!

[Sara]

ahh thank you how could i have missed that option

[Woman Reading]

By sci-fi author Annalee Newitz,
Four Lost Cities: A Secret History of the Urban Age - This nonfiction book describes 4 dead cities from Turkey, Italy, Cambodia, and the US.


My review - www.Goodreads.com/review/show/4092165371

[Don]

just finished reading "legend of the archmagus" publisher's pack books 5-6. In my world Book 3. when I started the series I found it to be a high concept medium execution book. I saw great potential there. the series for me devolved into RPGLIT aimed at Tween boys.
the latest novel felt like a d&d game narrated by a Hollywood radio voice.

[Don]

Audible Alert, "Out of This World" Sale lots of big names and titles.

[Jan]

Woman Reading wrote: "By sci-fi author Annalee Newitz,
Four Lost Cities: A Secret History of the Urban Age - This ..."

Looks like an intriguing read. I notice the blurb on kindle describes the author as an 'acclaimed science journalist'. Unfortunately the book's quite expensive on kindle Australia. I might see whether my library has it. Doubtful, but they surprise me sometimes :)

[Jan]

Don wrote: "... the series for me devolved into RPGLIT aimed at Tween boys.
the latest novel felt like a d&d game narrated by a Hollywood radio voice."

Bummer.

[Don]

I got all The Robert E. Howard Conan for $5

[Don]

everyone who is anyone is someone in that audible sale

[Ryan, Your favourite moderators favourite moderator]

My hold for Every Heart A Doorway just came in so I'll be reading that after Blindsight for tomorrow's VBC.

[Michelle]

Don, in the same spirit as your statement, how much wood can a woodchuck chuck?

[Anna]

Has anyone read A Psalm for the Wild-Built yet? I had it preordered, but then I cancelled at the very last minute :S because I got really burned with her previous non-Wayfarers novella, and now I'm scared to get this one. I'm also in a very meh mood and don't want to ruin anything I'm expecting to like by reading it now, but I also need something fun to kick me out of this funk. So, is this it, or do I have to wait for Spellcracker's Honeymoon next week?

I need something fun! Everything I read sucks.