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What Else Are You Reading?
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What Else Are You Reading - February 2015
Listening to Theft of Swords and really loving it. It's refreshing to have humor in my good fantasy, and the narration is great.Also trying to catch up by finishing The Sparrow and then I guess I'll start Annihilation, though the comments so far on it do not inspire me/are discouraging.
I just started Gemini Cell this weekend and I'm already halfway through. Really enjoying it so far. Definitely going to read Myke Cole's other books.I also got Shades of Milk and Honey from Audible, so that may be my next book after Annihilation. Regency isn't my normal fare but I'm interested to try something a little different.
I read Shades of Milk and Honey last month - I found it very enjoyable but a little thin. I just finished Euphoria by Lily King - not SFF but seriously wonderful, short novel about anthropologists in 30s New Guinea.
I'm also burning through the The Dagger and The Coin series - finished The King's Blood last week and have just embarked on The Tyrant's Law. I really enjoy the series, and extremely curious about the central mystery. I rather wish, however, that I was still under the delusion that it was a trilogy and not a quintet!
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At least the 5th book will be out this year..
I didn't realise - that makes me happy. Daniel Abraham is seriously prolific!
Carry overs : The Martian,Magic Slays,Storm Front then book reading buddies are doing a fantasy reading month so I'm going to read Assassin's Apprentice with them , my speculative fiction group is reading The Lies of Locke Lamora so I need to catch up on that.
I just finished reading and reviewing The Book of Strange New Things by Faber.http://marion-hill.com/book-review-59...
A thought-provoking adult SF novel that should be selected for a lot of book clubs this year. Also, this book should go right along with The Sparrow that was read in January.
Marion
Marion
Finished Gemini Cell today... enjoyed it quite a bit. If you haven't read Shadop Ops I totally recommend that too. The third book of that series, Breach Zone is still my favorite. Starting The Human Division next.
I'm reading Mr. Mercedes and Hollow City. I'm listening to The Flight of the Silvers. I'm not thrilled with the first two, but The Flight of the Silvers is really good so far.
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Sword & Laser Anthology (My Review)
The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line(My Review)
Mr. Kiss and Tell (My Review)
Zoe's Tale (My Review)
Red Country (My Review)
The Sparrow (My Review)
The Broken Eye (My Review)
Ready Player One (My Review)
Firefight (My Review)
Just finished Futures from Nature edited by Henry Gee. This is a collection of 100 short-short stories originally published in Nature Magazine. Of course with this many stories it can be hit and miss but it included a lot of top level authors including some the group has read like Arthur C. Clarke, Joe Haldeman, Cory Doctorow, Robert J. Sawyer, Dan Simmons, and Charles Stross. It's worth a look.Starting Annihilation.
I'm rereading Foundation. I was a bit afraid I wouldn't like it as much as I did two years ago.Nope, turns out, it's still awesome.
I wasn't expecting to, but Annihilation was so wonderful that I'm going forward and reading Authority and Acceptance. I'm listening to Dorian Gray, and when I've finished that and finished reading the Trilogy, I'll swap and read Middlemarch/ listen to Summer Knight.
Alice wrote: "I'm rereading Foundation. I was a bit afraid I wouldn't like it as much as I did two years ago.Nope, turns out, it's still awesome."
I am about due for a re-read of the Foundation series myself. Is this just the first 3 books, or are you venturing into the subsequent full length novels?
Louie wrote: "Alice wrote: "I'm rereading Foundation. I was a bit afraid I wouldn't like it as much as I did two years ago.Nope, turns out, it's still awesome."
I am about due for a re-read of the..."
I'll probably also read foundation's edge and foundation & earth. Then maybe the prequels too.
I've recently read Trucksong by Andrew Macrae. A fascinating post-singularity crash novel with gangs of AI trucks marauding through the Australian countryside. Also started an older urban fantasy series with Touch of Evil by C.T. Adams and Cathy Clamp (these authors now write under the pseudonym Cat Adams). Interesting take on vampirism in these ones with it being a parasitic infection. Something like a cross between Mira Grant's Parasite and The Puppet Masters.
Alice wrote: "I'll probably also read foundation's edge and foundation & earth. Then maybe the prequels too."Have you read the Second Foundation Trilogy? Authored by the "Three B's" (Benford, Bear, Brin), with approval by the Asimov Estate.
Personally, I had trouble enjoying what they did, even though I desperately wanted to enjoy more adventures of Hari Seldon.
-(#1) Foundation's Fear
-(#2) Foundation and Chaos
-(#3) Foundation's Triumph
Louie, I have mad love for Foundation but did not read those three. I got through the followups and prequels (much less interesting than the originals) but not the ones by other authors. I also didn't read the many exploitation novels in the "Man-Kzin War" series. Nothing wrong with authors wanting to make money, but I didn't feel like adding my funds to the pile.
Louie wrote: "Alice wrote: "I'll probably also read foundation's edge and foundation & earth. Then maybe the prequels too."Have you read the Second Foundation Trilogy? Authored by the "Three B's" (Benford, Bea..."
I really liked the original Foundation trilogy (and the Galactic Empire books and the original R. Daneel Olivaw mysteries). I also dug Foundation's Edge and Foundation & Earth. Asimov's later prequels didn't do as much for me, mostly because I felt like they made Hari Selden into too much of an action hero or something.
I did read the "Killer Bs" trilogy and again they didn't entirely work for me. I think the problem is that they were writing in the late 90s and had to try to update the Foundation universe to the standards of 1990s (relatively) hard SF. So now, for example, Trantor isn't actually at the galactic center (since we know the galactic center is entirely too energetic & hazardous); it hangs just outside.
I probably would've liked the books better if they weren't "official" Foundation novels, but were Bear/Benford/Brin's own take(s) on the whole Galactic Empire thing.
I finally finished Maplecroft; it took me, like, 2 months for some reason.I then immediately started The Book Of Daniel, and finished it the next morning.
Now I'm reading The Ocean at the End of the Lane. I bet a bunch of you just went "You haven't read that yet?". Well, now I have. I'll have you know that I've only read one other Neil Gaiman book: Coraline.
Louie wrote: "Alice wrote: "I'll probably also read foundation's edge and foundation & earth. Then maybe the prequels too."Have you read the Second Foundation Trilogy? Authored by the "Three B's" (Benford, Bea..."
No I haven't :o
I'd probably just feel weird reading about the foundation universe by anyone but Asimov. I may check them out anyway though
I don't post my reads in this thread as often as I should!Ghostworld & Hellworld by Simon R. Green: I finished off the "Twilight of the Empire" prequel series to Deathstalker. These were fairly terrible. And these two were basically the same--mission to planet, stumble on something weird, half of you die.
Then I read Deathstalker by Green. Better than Mistworld/Ghostworld/Hellworld, but I think I would've enjoyed this had I been in high school still. I had picked up on a lot of Green's quirks from the earlier books so by the time I got to Deathstalker, he ended up being fairly aggravating. I won't finish this series.
Firefight by Brandon Sanderson: Another fun entry in the Reckoners trilogy, I liked the ending and lookin' forward to the finale next year. I also read Skin Deep in his Legion series. I think these are fun little mysteries and I hope it gets picked up for a TV show sometimes, haha.
Jagannath by Karin Tidbeck--collection of 13 stories. This was a great collection, and I thought every story was interesting. Usually most collections I read have a couple clunkers that don't work for me.
Eastern Standard Tribe by Cory Doctorow was okay. I've read Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom by him, but EST was so-so compared to that one. I'll still read Doctorow, though, I've barely touched his work yet and I've always wanted to read his Little Brother books and Makers.
Miserere: An Autumn Tale by Teresa Frohock. Very interesting story. I also really liked the scale of it--small but with good stakes involved. I recommend this one, too.
Tatja Grimm's World by Vernor Vinge. This is so not like his A Fire Upon the Deep stories it's not even funny. It's really a fixup novel of 3 novellas, and it's quite "pulpy." I'm sure the stories here were enjoyably tongue-in-cheek here (it features a 700-year-old scifi/fantasy magazine publishing company). I think the story was a little abrupt here. I wouldn't recommend it unless you're a Vinge completist.
The End of Eternity by Isaac Asimov. Definitely a great story even if I ended up not liking the main character for most of the book, and I see the hints that connect it to the Foundation series. I find I'm a sucker for those time travel organizations like Eternity in Asimov or Paratime in Piper.
I finished Annihilation. It was alright. My review. I think I'll give A Shadow in Summer a whirl next.
I finished Gemini Cell, a really great addition to your Myke Cole book shelf. Seriously, he took some chances and they really paid off. I started Half the World and I am REALLY enjoying it. The softer side of Joe Abercrombie is not so soft yet oh so charming.
Otherwise I am going to go through my backlog of purchases. Starting with The City Stained Red and move from there. I have committed myself to reading more books than I buy this year, a true and worthy challenge.
Joseph wrote: "I probably would've liked the books better if they weren't "official" Foundation novels, but were Bear/Benford/Brin's own take(s) on the whole Galactic Empire thing."I agree. I would have enjoyed a Galactic Empire novel(s) with no ties to the Foundation universe so much more than what I actually got about Hari Seldon, pre-Foundation. And I didn't mind the retconning being done in response to new scientific discoveries. I appreciated it, in fact.
Alice wrote: "I'd probably just feel weird reading about the foundation universe by anyone but Asimov."Yeah, I know what you mean. I rated them 1 or 2 stars, I disliked them that much. But, you never know. A re-read might bring a different result.
Just finished Guingamor, Lanval, Tyolet, Le Bisclaveret. Great reads. Prose versions of Brenton lais concerning Arthurian knights.
Before that read Et In Sempiternum Pereant by Charles Williams. A short story. Mostly nothing special, but there were some flashes of genius.
Currently reading The Great Stone of Sardis. Interesting enough to keep me reading. But not great enough, at this point, that I will seek out any more of his works.
All of these came from Project Guttenberg or eBooks@Adelaide
Before that read Et In Sempiternum Pereant by Charles Williams. A short story. Mostly nothing special, but there were some flashes of genius.
Currently reading The Great Stone of Sardis. Interesting enough to keep me reading. But not great enough, at this point, that I will seek out any more of his works.
All of these came from Project Guttenberg or eBooks@Adelaide
Still reading Green Mars! We've moved on from the lichens and soil chemistry phase to the sex and violence phase. This trilogy certainly covers a wide range of topics.
Cory Doctorow-wise David I loved Little Brother and really liked Pirate Cinema. Some of his other stuff is also well worth checking out. I also really liked Jagannath - if you like it (as you did) you might like There Once Lived a Woman Who Tried to Kill Her Neighbor's Baby - strange Russian tales. I did find that my limited knowledge of Russian culture and history occasionally got in the way but still very satisfying.
I have a copy of Trucksongs - been meaning to give it a try Lindsay.
In terms of what I plan to read I find that what I end up reading is so different from what i plan but does include a bunch of short SF stories, the sequels to this month's pick and whatever else takes my fancy or distracts me.
Robyn wrote: "I just finished Euphoria by Lily King - not SFF but seriously wonderful, short novel about anthropologists in 30s New Guinea. ."It was so good! The jungle is kind of like outer space. :P
Brendan wrote: "Still reading Green Mars! We've moved on from the lichens and soil chemistry phase to the sex and violence phase. This trilogy certainly covers a wide range of topics."IF there was a bit more violence and sex in Red Mars, I might have stuck with it a little longer. It wasn't my cup of tea.
Ben wrote: "I have a copy of Trucksongs - been meaning to give it a try Lindsay."Fair warning: the Australian slang/dialect quirks that Australians would refer to as "strine" is very strong here. I'm an Aussie and I found it to be a bit much at times, to the point where I was wondering how it would play to an international audience.
Finished Annihilation so moved on to Authority. Although every time I look at the title I hear Cartman in my head. "Respect mah authoritah!"
Finished Lock In. Didn't enjoy it as much on the re-read since I knew all the details of the conspiracy. But I still appreciated Scalzi's writing and dialogue between Shane and Vann constantly cracked me up.Now working on The Way of Shadows which hasn't grabbed me the way his other series Lightbringer did. I'm only 33% in so there's still time for things to turn around, but so far I don't feel any connection to the world or characters.
Currently reading Darynda Jones's Charley Davidson (First Grave on the Right) series (read the first 6 books in one week) and loving it. Once i have finished of the latest book in the serie i will move on to The City Stained Red (Sam Sykes).Also looking forward to Half the World, Joe Abercrombie's second book in the Shattered Sea series.
Peter wrote: "Also looking forward to Half the World, Joe Abercrombie's second book in the Shattered Sea series."Me too!
I'm currently trying to make my way through the Demon Cycle series as I have only just recently finished The Warded Man. I hope to have The Desert Spear and The Daylight War as well as the novellas finished before the release of The Skull Throne.
Now that the Star Wars EU has been rebooted, I've decided now's a good a point as any to jump in. I finished off Tarkin, which I wasn't that keen on - found it overly verbose and meandery. Started on A New Dawn and I'm liking this one much better. Still feels a little all-over-the-place but the writing style (particularly the dialogue - speech in Tarkin felt really awkward when reading, let alone said aloud) agrees with me a bit more.Can't wait to get Half the World
Alright, Daniel Abraham is not for me. I had to lem A Shadow in Summer. It is not working for me at all. My review.I have no idea what to try next.
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Lindsay wrote: "Fair warning: the Australian slang/dialect quirks that Australians would refer to as "strine" is very strong here. I'm an Aussie and I found it to be a bit much at times, to the point where I was wondering how it would play to an international audience. "
Struth, It's a tad ocker for septics and poms, that's rooted. :-)
I might have to give it a go. Strine is one of the few languages I understand. ;-) (Though I never speak it)
I am finally reading A Clockwork Orange. I just finished Catch-22 a couple weeks ago, such a great book.After that, I want to read the Foundation books, the original Dune sequels, and I'll probably read Trickster Makes This World for the ninth time. That book is amazing, it's probably my favorite nonfiction book.
Peter wrote: "Once i have finished of the latest book in the serie i will move on to The City Stained Red (Sam Sykes)..."
Want to read that so badly. It sounded awesome the day it came out, it still sounds awesome now.
Want to read that so badly. It sounded awesome the day it came out, it still sounds awesome now.
I'm reading Robots and Empire by Isaac Asimov. Also received a ARC for Operation Arcana anthology edited by John Joseph Adams which is the first anthology I've read since the 1990s.
finally finished Storm Front I gave it two stars. I can not recommend this book to any of my friends sadly. I found myself confused because I couldn't tell if Dresden was the sexist one or if it was the author himself. Don't look for any of the women in this book to actually have real character. Instead there will be the over sexualized whores, the dumb one who thinks she's smart but really needs a man to think for her etc. None of these women can think or take care of themselves its sickening how much they cry to Dresden and ugh... I can't discuss this anymore.
Chakara wrote: "finally finished Storm Front I gave it two stars. I can not recommend this book to any of my friends sadly. I found myself confused because I couldn't tell if Dresden was the sexist on..."Haha, wow. I will say that we do get more awesome women, but also that Murphy & others will kick Dresden's butt b/c of his chauvinism. I saw it more as Butcher doing a callback to the "old school" noir style, but it's not like Harry doesn't pay for underestimating women. Sorry you didn't like it, but there's a reason why people often recommend starting with the 3rd book (Grave Peril); Butcher gets better and some long running arcs really start up in that one.
Hope you find some better books in any case!
Harry definitely has issues with women, and I think in one of the earlier books he even calls himself out on it-- but yeah, I'm on the fourth book now, and though some problematic tropes don't go away (Murphey gets damselled a lot), the general characterization of women does improve (Murphey, vampire vamp, etc, become much more complex figures).
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The Sword and Laser
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