What else are you reading - March 2021

[Rob, Roberator]

Hard to believe it's been a year since Covid became such a major problem worldwide, also hard to believe it's ONLY been a year since Covid has been a major problem. Time sure has been funny.

What books are you reading this month to distract you?

[Silvana]

I am still processing last March, tbh.

Currently reading David Mogo, Godhunter.

[Rob, Roberator]

Silvana wrote: "I am still processing last March, tbh."

Yeah, I'm still not reading much. I'm sure that's part of it. It was kind of crazy when I realized about this time last year I was being sent home from work and basically didn't leave my house again until late May except for a few runs to get groceries.

I've been trying to read Small Gods for like 2 months now.

I have been enjoying If It Bleeds though. I think mostly because I got to the title story which is about Holly Gibney, who is one of my favorite characters King has written.

[Ruth]

It's a new month and I'm STILL reading Rhythm of War ! Almost 80% done now so I'm hoping I won't be posting about it in the April thread...

[Colin]

I'm still working through Phoenix Extravagant, which I started in early January. It's not even that long, I just only seem able to get a handful of pages read at bedtime each day.

I did manage to complete The Expert System’s Champion, an Adrian Tchaikovsky novella. An interesting read, but you would definitely want to read the first novella in the series before this one.

[Dana]

I am reading book 5 of Will White's Cradle series. Really enjoying these stories. I read the first 4 books in 2 weeks. If I remember correctly, Rob recommended this series. Thanks Rob! "What else are you reading" is my favorite topic within Sword and Laser posts. I am always looking for a good book to read.

[Rick]

Silvana wrote: "I am still processing last March, tbh.

Currently reading David Mogo, Godhunter."

It's kind of scary how often you and I are reading the same offbeat books. I have this up soon on the TBR - I'd bought it awhile ago after hearing an NPR interview with the author.

[Rob, Roberator]

Dana wrote: "I am reading book 5 of Will White's Cradle series. Really enjoying these stories. I read the first 4 books in 2 weeks. If I remember correctly, Rob recommended this series. Thanks Rob! "What else a..."

I might have! I've definitely mentioned it a few times. Glad you're enjoying it.

[Tamahome]

Reading the 2nd Jesse Stone book Trouble In Paradise. It's good and it's only 5 hours in audiobook time. I imagine Jesse is Tom Selleck. It's 1 am and I'm usually asleep by 12.

[Silvana]

Rick wrote: "Silvana wrote: "I am still processing last March, tbh.

Currently reading David Mogo, Godhunter."

It's kind of scary how often you and I are reading the same offbeat books. I have ..."

Have you finished? I'm at 1/3 of the book already. Cool action scenes!

[Trike]

Silvana wrote: "I am still processing last March, tbh.

Currently reading David Mogo, Godhunter."

I went to Amazon to check it out and received the message “You purchased this item on September 25, 2019.”

Awkward.

[Stephen]

Continuing my SPFBO 6 read along with The Combat Codes and Shadow of a Dead God . Finishing off Gareth L. Powell's Embers of War series with Light of Impossible Stars. First two books in the series are free in the Audible Plus section, however book 3 is not. March 23rd is the release date of The Fall of Koli . March BOM on audio which I snagged off Overdrive .

[Rick]

@Silvana - I've not started it yet - finishing Rosewater first. Good to hear it's engaging

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

Stephen wrote: "Continuing my SPFBO 6...."

I had to Google that. Turns out it does NOT stand for Sun Protection Factor Body Odor.

[elizabeth • paper ghosts]

After finishing White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide by Carol Anderson on Sunday, I needed some form of catharsis, so I started Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark last night. I'm only 50 pages in, but I'm loving the dark fantasy/horror vibes.

[Joanna]

Just started listening to Master of the Revels by Nicole Galland, a sequel to The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. by her and one Neil Gaiman. I had no idea that a sequel is in works, so its appearance in Storytel catalogue had been a surprise.

[Stephen]

SPFBO stands for Self Published Fantasy Blog off . You can find the information here:
https://mark---lawrence.blogspot.com/...
Some of the books have been picked up by publishing houses, but most still are cheap or part of Kindle Unlimited.

[Gabriel]

Just finished Shadeslinger, by Kyle Kirrin.

Currently reading Death's Favorite Warlock, by Charles Dean.

[Calvey]

March - Back where we started!

I have started to pick up the Bridgerton books. I know total break with my usual but i enjoyed the TV series. I am blaming the pandemic. I am also reading... Assassin's Apprentice to fill the time waiting on the Bridgerton books...not surprised the hold lines are very very long.

[Tassie Dave, S&L Historian]

The first book in the Bridgerton series is the free book of the month for Audible subscribers in March.

I'm not sure if it is for me though.

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Tassie Dave wrote: "The first book in the Bridgerton series is the free book of the month for Audible subscribers in March.

I'm not sure if it is for me though."

Many after that are in Hoopla too for those who have access. I was thinking since I saw the series, I'd skip book one and jump into two (since only one has the big consent issue!)

I'm reading Beneath the Keep, a prequel to the Queen of the Tearling. Much needed. By the time I got to the end of that trilogy I was like what the.....

[Joel]

Just finished Delta-V by Daniel Suarez. It was great!

[terpkristin]

Joel wrote: "Just finished Delta-V by Daniel Suarez. It was great!"

Please tell me it’s about orbit-change maneuvers in space. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delta-v

[Trike]

terpkristin wrote: "Joel wrote: "Just finished Delta-V by Daniel Suarez. It was great!"

Please tell me it’s about orbit-change maneuvers in space. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delta-v"

Yes, but badly done. I wasn’t going to say anything because I don’t want to rain on anyone’s parade, but I think it’s Suarez’s weakest book by far. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Silvana]

Finished with David Mogo, Godhunter - liked some parts of it a lot but could not give it four stars idk. An entertaining read in a unique setting, nonetheless, since I got tired of urban fantasy set in the US or Europe.

Continuing with a classic story that I enjoyed in my childhood because my dad loved the wuxia version: A Hero Born.

[Rick]

I set aside Rosewater for a bit because A Desolation Called Peace hit my Kindle. SO GOOD.

[Ruth]

Rick wrote: "I set aside Rosewater for a bit because A Desolation Called Peace hit my Kindle. SO GOOD."

This arrived in my Audible account this week and I’m STOKED to read it... just need to finish the audiobook of Rhythm of War first... 90% there now...

[Trike]

Ruth wrote: "just need to finish the audiobook of Rhythm of War first... 90% there now..."

Those last 700 pages go pretty quick.

[Tamahome]

The Brandalanche!

[Geoff]

I finished The Empire of Gold. A good ending to the trilogy.

Next up A Desolation Called Peace.

[John (Taloni)]

Finished several books recently. First up, Heaven's River, the latest Bobiverse book by Dennis E. Taylor.

I picked this up after finishing another dreary Dune sequel. What a difference! Taylor's joy in writing comes through right away. The geek references fly fast and furious, seamlessly interwoven with science as practical as the premise can bring.

Much of the book centers around a Big Dumb Object. Any time an author does that now it brings up the spectre of Ringworld. So many people have attempted to assume Niven's mantle, with degrees of success ranging from competent to drearily derivative. Taylor's attempt works. It's a fresh take on the concept if not wholly original, in the way that epic fantasy after Tolkien either refers to or fights against the concepts he laid down.

The book is about 600 pages. I had just finished railing against endless slowmoving Dune books, including the first prequel trilogy being bumped from what would have been a decent 500 page book into three books of 600 pages each. In the case of Heaven's River, I would gladly have had the work expanded to a trilogy.

Niven remains the king of the Big Dumb Object, but there is a new prince in the realm. Niven's mantle remains a little too large for Taylor, but there is every sign he will grow into it. There are supposed to be more Bobiverse books and I will gladly pick them up.

[John (Taloni)]

Next up, the Rivers of London series. I've read up to book 5 by now. They're fairly similar: Murder mystery, police procedural with magic. Peter Grant gets slightly better with magic but doesn't get out of the "apprentice" phase.

The costar in all of these is the location. Usually that's London but the British countryside does a turn in the fifth book. The best part is the snarky commentary on history, sociology and policing.

It's like a Dr. Strange spinoff in text. I can see Nightingale as a jaded cohort of Strange. Good use of magic including some things best left alone. I like the use of Isaac Newton, including the great benefits but also limitations to his approach.

At times I feel like I'm reading a PC checklist. I don't need to be reminded of everyone's sexual preference, color and social status at every turn. For me this is eyeroll worthy rather than a major distraction, but it sticks out in the storyline.

Some spoilery points: (view spoiler)[The Jazz Vampires in book 2 were blindingly obvious, but I did enjoy how they didn't know. The text shows Peter falling under the spell of the succubus in a subtle fashion. I just don't know why Nightingale didn't spot it.

The underground people in Book 3 left me shaking my head. We're out of the realm of magic to something completely implausible. Oh well, otherwise decent.

Book 4 was almost completely unremarkable except for the end. I'd been expecting a twist regarding Leslie, but sure as hell not that one. Along the way, I liked the tree sprite (not a Dryad as explained to excruiating nitpicking in the book) and was rather annoyed to find that she'd been introduced pretty much just to kill off a sympathetic character. It's like bad Batman comics where the Joker kills yet again, leaving the reader to wonder why Batman doesn't just off the guy to protect the innocent.

Book 5, pretty high level all the way through. I love the character of Beverly Brook. Pretty good misdirect throughout the book. I find myself wondering how a middlin' husband from the countryside attracted the Faery Queen, but whatevs. Since we're still trying to come up with a Unified Field Theory on the science side, it's amusing to see this reflected in an attempt to unify magic and science. (hide spoiler)]

Anyhoo, good books, glad to read them. They're not tops on my list and I tend to pick them up after I've finished more high priority reads. That's as compared to what I consider a similar series, The Invisible Library. Those go to the top of the list.

[Trike]

Had a birthday. Bought some books. Like ya do.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CMD0wqiDV...

[Tassie Dave, S&L Historian]

Trike wrote: "Had a birthday."

You must be 60 by now, surely 😉

Happy (possibly belated) Birthday.

[Mark]

and many more...

[Mark]

Question: If I own the Kindle version of a Rivers of London novel and add the Whispersync audio, is it the same audio as if I had bought the Audible version of the book?

[Tassie Dave, S&L Historian]

The Audible version of Rivers of London I own has it marked as 'Whispersync for Voice-Ready'

I would assume you'd get the same version (Narrated by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith)

[TRP]

I've just read The Iron King by Maurice Druon the first book in the Accursed Kings / Les Rois Maudits series of books.
This is a Historical novel set in France in the year 1314
This was NOT Sword and Laser but has been listed as a major inspiration for The Song of Ice and Fire.

We get (view spoiler)[heretics cursing the Pope, the Inquisitor and the King, as they are burnt at the stake (all 3 die within 6 months); three princesses who get their heads shaved and imprisoned for adultery; a witch who poisons; a scheming queen and a giant of a man at the centre of the action. However there are (hide spoiler)] NO dragons

Can definitely recommend

[Rob, Roberator]

Tassie Dave wrote: "The Audible version of Rivers of London I own has it marked as 'Whispersync for Voice-Ready'

I would assume you'd get the same version (Narrated by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith)"

Yeah. There is just 1 version of the audiobooks in English as far as I'm aware of.

Typically all that means is:

1) You (may) get a discounted price on buying the audio since you own the kindle version already.
2) Amazon will sync (roughly) your place between formats if/when you switch.

I've regularly used to use the "whispersync" thing to save money on audiobooks. Get the Kindle for $1-2, get the audio for $5-7 and save or match the price I pay per credit.

The daily Kindle deals don't seem to be as cheap anymore, and often the whispersync price is $12, so I don't use it nearly so often now.

[Mark]

Tassie Dave wrote: "The Audible version of Rivers of London I own has it marked as 'Whispersync for Voice-Ready'

I would assume you'd get the same version (Narrated by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith)"

Thanks. I'll check it out.

[Ruth]

Mark wrote: "Tassie Dave wrote: "The Audible version of Rivers of London I own has it marked as 'Whispersync for Voice-Ready'

I would assume you'd get the same version (Narrated by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith)"

Tha..."

The audiobooks of this series are excellent- Kobna Holdbrook-Smith’s narration really takes them to a whole new level imo. I’d highly recommend anyone thinking of reading this series to try it in audio.

[Misti]

Finished listening to Elatsoe last week. It wasn't a terrible book but I think I would have enjoyed reading it more when I was 12.

Next up on Audible is Long Black Curl.

[Sheila Jean]

I finished off a bunch of stuff the 2nd half of last month and now I feel like meh.

Threshold by Caitlín R. Kiernan - Read because I was curious about the origins of Dancy. I like the Dancy short story collections much more.

The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart - (audio) I enjoyed this one quite a bit. Did it in audio. It's the first in a series, but I have mixed feelings about diving into subsequent books to see how big a mess the world really is.

The Girl and the Stars by Mark Lawrence - Interesting start to another series on the same world as Red Sister. I don't feel like there are as many interesting characters in this one.

14 by Peter Clines - (audio) Since I'd already read The Fold, I decided to do this one. I did think the story /mystery in this one was more interesting.

Current book pick Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger - I liked it quite a bit more than previous pick The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline

So far this month I've finished
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo - (audio) I liked it fine, but I thought the cast of characters in Six of Crows were much richer and more interesting.

The Humans by Matt Haig - This is the annual "One Book" pick by our town library. I found it a fast read, mostly optimistic, and an interesting take on what an alien might decide it's like to be human.

In Process
Soulstar by C.L. Polk - This is the final book in the Kingston Cycle and I"m having a hard time getting through it. Story has a LOT of politics in it that I just don't really like. Witchmark is definitely my favorite of this series, as was Miles POV.

The Last Tribe by Brad Manuel- (audio) It seems OK, but I might not actually be ready for a post apocalyptic/pandemic survivor story.

An Unexpected Peril by Deanna Raybourn - (audio) not SFF. I've enjoyed these tremendously and figured I could use a pallet cleanser on mostly darker stories.

[Ruth]

I’ve finally finished Rhythm of War! Free at last! It definitely has its moments of genius but boy was it a long slog.

Now I’m starting the audiobook of A Desolation Called Peace and I’m also going to try to read Shadow and Bone before the Netflix series drops in April. I’m waiting on my birthday (which is this weekend) when hopefully someone will give me a copy of Elatsoe - if they don’t, I guess I’ll just have to buy my own!

[Colin]

I've been bemoaning my lack of progress on (non-audio) books, but I think I've just been reading the wrong books.

After spending two months slogging through Phoenix Extravagant because I've enjoyed the author's previous novels, I've moved onto a new (non-SF&F) read, The Cut and am, by my standards, flying through the pages!

On the audio side of things, I finished Elatsoe yesterday. A thoroughly enjoyable book, I thought. Comparatively light reading, but sometimes that's what you need.

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

My public library is doing winter reading for adults, and one challenge is to get bingo on a card. One activity is to fill out what they call "Next Five Faves" where you give them your interests and they suggest five books you might like. I ended up with a librarian who is my Instagram friend and she also crosschecked with my Goodreads so I ended up with five book recs from books I haven't read, amazing.

All to say one of them was Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell and it's good so far.

[Trike]

Ruth wrote: "I’m waiting on my birthday (which is this weekend)"

Pisces be like, “I just want books. Leave them on the stoop.”

[Rob, Roberator]

Sheila Jean wrote: "Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo - (audio) I liked it fine, but I thought the cast of characters in Six of Crows were much richer and more interesting.

I just started that as well. I have the whole trilogy so I'll probably do them all straight unless I really dislike it. I'd agree so far that Six of Crows has better characters so far.

Prior to that I finished If It Bleeds. It was a mixed bag. I liked 2/4 stories. The title story was my favorite, and the reason I picked up the collection. More Holly Gibney please!

[Brooke]

I finally finished Lady of the Lake! Honestly the series was a slow slog downwards after The Time of Contempt, and I especially didn't enjoy the ending (view spoiler)[wrap up tour of "every minor character you may have liked probably died a horrible death" followed by a very vague and unsatisfying finale for the main characters (hide spoiler)]. Technically still need to get through Season of Storms to complete the series, but I'm not feeling motivated to start it right now - I need something light and fluffy.

[Joelle]

Finally reading The Way of Kings (audio)

Finishing the last book in The Parasol Protectorate Boxed Set: Soulless, Changeless, Blameless, Heartless and Timeless

And then I'll be on to A Desolation Called Peace