The Sword and Laser discussion
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What Else Are You Reading?
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What else are you reading - April 2021
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Rob, Roberator
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Apr 01, 2021 02:24AM
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The series is OK so far. I'm not enjoying it nearly as much as the follow-on series Six of Crows
Rob wrote: "I've been reading the Shadow and Bone books. I'm mostly done with Siege and Storm and will probably pause to read The House in the Cerulean Sea before jumping into [..."I read Six of Crows first as well, and really liked the ensemble cast. I probably won't read the rest of Shadow and Bone's series unless they go on a audio daily deal/$5 sale again at some point. It was fine, but I'm not as invested with the characters.
Currently I'm reading The Queen's Weapons by Anne Bishop and listening to the audio for Blood of the Earth by Faith Hunter.I should be getting A Desolation Called Peace from the library within a couple weeks and will listen to that as soon as I can.
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Yeah, if I didn't own them all already, I'm not sure how quickly I'd have continued (if at all).
I'm still looking forward to checking out the TV show though, especially since they added the main characters from Six of Crows in as well. Apparently they made up some backstory for what they are doing during the original trilogy since that series takes place 2 years later.
Just finished Every Heart a Doorway, the first of Seanan McGuire's Wayward Children series of novellas. I picked them all up when TOR gave them for free no too long ago. I enjoyed it, and will go on in the series.Next, reading The Silence of the Lambs. My daughter read it for high school and I am reading it in support. It's a page turner, for sure. "Hello Clarice."
After that I'll get to The House in the Cerulean Sea.
I have three pre-orders coming in this month. The Girl and the Mountain by Mark Lawrence, She Dreams in Blood , the follow up to Black Stone Heart which took the anti-hero to the next level. And finally Becky Chambers's The Galaxy, and the Ground Within. At the moment I am listening to Tales from the Folly: A Rivers of London Short Story Collection and still working on Nether Light from this year SPFBO contest.
Rob wrote: "The series is OK so far. I'm not enjoying it nearly as much as the follow-on series Six of Crows."Sheila Jean wrote: "I read Six of Crows first as well, and really liked the ensemble cast. I probably won't read the rest of Shadow and Bone's series unless they go on a audio daily deal/$5 sale again at some point. It was fine, but I'm not as invested with the characters."
I’ve actually heard this quite a bit from bookstagram and YouTube peeps. I really liked Six of Crows/Crooked Kingdom, so I think I’ll just wait for the TV show on the others.
Still reading Jade War. I keep it in the car and only read it when I take my wife to her various doctor appointments, so I only get about 3 chapters a week. It’s really good, though. These books need to be a TV series.
Right now, am reading Conan the Valliant. It is nothing like the original Conan series. I think if the author changed Conan's name into any other name it would be much better, but the voice is all wrong. This Conan is somewhat nerdy,
Currently, I am reading Fool Moon and working through the Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher. I am also reading The Hero of Ages, by Brandon Sanderson, and am afraid to finish it, because of the book series hangovers are real.
I read Apocalypse Yesterday, um, yesterday. It’s a super fast read that I enjoyed way more than I expected to, primarily because it’s a fresh take on the zombie genre.My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
On to Corum - The Oak and the Ram: The Eternal Champion, the middle book in Michael Moorcock's second Corum trilogy. These are probably my favorite Moorcock books and I'm still impressed by the way he can fit an entire fantasy trilogy into less than 500 pages.
I finished Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia this morning. I think she'll be in my list of authors I read the most from this year because I have eARCs of The Beautiful Ones and Velvet Was the Night... last year I read Certain Dark Things and Mexican Gothic. If I'm a completist for the Tournament of Books longlist, I also will need to read Untamed Shore...
I’m about halfway through the audiobook of A Desolation Called Peace and I’m enjoying it although I’m also finding that I need to concentrate quite hard to get all the nuances, which means I sometimes need to re-listen to sections. I switched to audio for this one after I found the excessive use of italics in A Memory Called Empire quite annoying but then in audio you don’t have such easy access to a glossary or character list so it’s a little hard to follow at times... oh well good story anyway!In hardback I’m just about to finish The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water which is a very charming little novella about nuns and bandits from Zen Cho.
And in ebook I’ve taken a diversion from SFF into cosy crime, revisiting the books of Sarah Caudwell. Once I finish The Shortest Way to Hades I think I’ll start Gods of Jade and Shadow as my April alternate pick as I’ve already read our March madness winner The House in the Cerulean Sea.
Joseph wrote: "On to Corum - The Oak and the Ram: The Eternal Champion, the middle book in Michael Moorcock's second Corum trilogy. These are probably my favorite Moorcock books and..."Yes, they are all short but the meta story doesn't really all come together until you have read quite a few:) At this point I have read just over 40 of them.
Yeah, I read great piles of them back in the day, and I'll have to revisit Hawkmoon sooner rather than later; and I already preordered the new Elric omnibus editions that are supposed to start coming out in the fall.And speaking of which, I'm on to Corum - The Sword and the Stallion: The Eternal Champion, the third book in the trilogy.
Ruth wrote: "I’m about halfway through the audiobook of A Desolation Called Peace and I’m enjoying it although I’m also finding that I need to concentrate quite hard to get all the nuances..."I'm there too. The book is rolling along now, but it isn't nearly as effortless as reading House in the Cerulean Sea, so it took me a couple days to get going, but it's rolling pretty well now.
I also started Piranesi as I'm finding it much easier to actually start in on books that are on the shorter side.
Katherine Arden became a favorite of mine with her The Bear and the Nightingale trilogy, so I'm giving her middle grade debut, Small Spaces, a try. I'm only at the 50% mark, but it's one of the best middle grade novels I've had the pleasure of reading, and will definitely be picking up the sequel and any more that come out in this series. I do kind of wish I was reading this more around Halloween, because there are some seriously ~spooky~ vibes going on, but I've been enjoying reading by our fire pit in the evenings, and that's created some acceptable atmosphere, haha!
Joseph wrote: "...I already preordered the new Elric omnibus editions that are supposed to start coming out in the fall...."I hadn't heard of those. Elric was one of my favorites way back in Jr. High so I'm going to have to look into getting the new editions.
I have finished The Relentless Moon which was not quite up to the other lady astronaut books (about 20% too long for the material) but still a top flight hard SF book. Looking forward to the next instalment. Also finished Gods of Jade and Shadow which is another excellent book with top notch world building.
Still waiting for this months pick to come into the library.
Joseph wrote: "Details:https://www.tor.com/2021/03/02/reveal..."
Nice. The cover for the second one is amazing.
Had a busy night last night: Finished Corum - The Sword and the Stallion: The Eternal Champion, read both The Empress of Salt and Fortune and When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain by Nghi Vo (wonderful, wonderful, fairly short novellas), and started Xiccarph by Clark Ashton Smith.
RJ - Slayer of Trolls wrote: "Joseph wrote: "Details:https://www.tor.com/2021/03/02/reveal..."
Nice. The cover for the second one is amazing."
That’s the classic Michael Whelan one. I recall the story of the painting from either his collection Wonderworks: Science Fiction and Fantasy Art or Michael Whelan's Works of Wonder that he typically used a photo reference but for that one he took the hanger rod out of his closet and went capering around his backyard slashing at weeds until he hit that pose. He rushed back inside to get it down on paper before he lost the feeling of that moment.
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April Books so far. Read:
1. Conan, The Valliant. I was not impressed, but I am reading it after reading the real Conan series by Robert E. Howard. I would have liked the book a little better if the main character was not supposed to be Conan.
2. Of Bone and Steel, and Other Soft Materials. This was a fun 7-page story or scene. I would be interested in reading more of her stuff. It was well written, and there was a lot in the few pages the story was afforded.
3. The Qaballah, The Secret Doctrine of Israel. This is a Manly P. Hall research book about the Qaballah. I found it to be very informative.
Currently reading:
1. The Forest of Allund. So far I am 4% of the way through it, and I like it. I am looking forward to finishing it as soon as I can.
Been reading a bunch of Rivers of London books. I binged either three or four in a row - hard to remember - and the Abigal book. Oh, and the book of short stories. Now caught up and raring for more!They ran together after a while. That's partly because they were one big storyline up until (view spoiler)
The "procedural" bit works well. You know what to expect from the story layout. Plenty of magical action. Each murder is solved by the end of the book, altho the ongoing story keeps, well, going on. It's like a comic book series, never fully done.
Perhaps the best part...okay, there's two best parts. First is the slow reveal of the magical world. You get a little more each book, yet everything fits consistently back to the start of the series. No retcons, no reveals that "everything you knew is wrong" that is so drearily common in comics (and Larry Niven Ringworld sequels.)
The second one is the way that the magical world fits some odd real world phenomena. I grew up in Boston and will attest, parts of that city retain a feel for centuries of history. It's not just the architecture. The explanation that stone retains vestigia, well, right in the feels. Genius Loci for houses, ghosts that start as the person but grow to be distinct psychic phenomena. Been there, yep, gonna agree. When Gaiman did the Sandman comic "Dream of a City" he was thinking of London, but could as well have been any historic city. I now live in Southern California and do not have the same sensation. Perhaps whispers, compared to the constant shout of Boston.
Carl Jung never went to Rome and was asked in later life if he wanted to visit. He said he could never go casually as a tourist. The city was too significant. On my three visits there I have gone into lengthy...well, trances is too big a word, "introspective silences" might be best. The history of Europe was built there. Something remains, and it will communicate if you listen.
The eighth book had overtones of Pratchett and the Dungeon Dimensions where hungry beings live, and seek to enter our world. That's likely deliberate given this author's interests.
Foxglove is great, loving the character and her works. Sahra Guleed ran away with it as supporting character for two books, then took a curious back seat. More Guleed!
I noticed that the eighth book was to be released late 2020 but actually came out February 2021. At a guess the author is experiencing some burnout. I mean, after eight books and a novella, he's earned it. Too bad for me, I could binge another five going easy.
Comics are worth a read as well. I'm done with Fey and the Furious. It's kinda low on plot compared to your usual comic, but the fill in parts are nice. Soon going on to the others.
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Maybe, but 2020 took its toll on all of us, so it could just be that.
John (Taloni) wrote: "I noticed that the eighth book was to be released late 2020 but actually came out February 2021. At a guess the author is experiencing some burnout. I mean, after eight books and a novella, he's earned it."The 8th main book (False Value) came out in Feb last year surely? And with the recent Abigail book, there are now 3 novellas. Check you haven't skipped anything!
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Rivers of London series:
8 Books
3 Novellas
13 Short Stories
8 Graphic Novels
I know because I'm currently doing a full (in chronological order) read through of the whole series. I started March 13th.
I have 3 Books, 1 Novella, 3 Short Stories and 1 Graphic Novel to go.
The Graphic Novels are great. They not only have a complete story, but they each also have a collection of mini stories at the end as light relief. These give an amusing insight into the major characters. Molly gets a lot of nice little moments in these, that make her "less creepy" and more relatable.
Colin wrote: "The 8th main book (False Value) came out in Feb last year surely? And with the recent Abigail book, there are now 3 novellas. Check you haven't skipped anything!"Haa, you're right! I think I got the month and interval right, but subtracted a year. And I got confused over the other two novellas because my library has them as audiobooks but not ebooks. Welp, two purchases coming up.
It's a little weird to read the books without the graphic novels / short stories that come before them, because (very modest spoilers I suppose) (view spoiler)
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I used this list to follow:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_G...
Trike wrote: "RJ - Slayer of Trolls wrote: "Joseph wrote: "Details:https://www.tor.com/2021/03/02/reveal..."
Nice. The cover for the second one is ama..."
Thanks Trike. I hadn't heard that story. Whatever Whelan did for inspiration, it worked. Possibly helped his gardening as well.
Finished Xiccarph and started The Serpent, the first book in Jane Gaskell's Atlan series, which I might have last read in high school?
I read Ninth House, which is a boring, inferior version of Elatsoe. Very disappointed in this book since I enjoyed Six of Crows/Crooked Kingdom so much.My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
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I also enjoyed Silvia Moreno-Garcia previous book Mexican Gothic. Both books have great female protagonists facing challenging male antagonists in strange fantastical situations.
I finished Small Spaces and absolutely loved it. It was a really solid middle grade that didn't skimp on beautiful descriptions and spooky imagery. I'm happy that Arden's writing style was still present on a title for a much younger audience than her previous works.I started Under the Pendulum Sun last night, and I think I only managed five or six pages before falling asleep. Whether that was the book or my own exhaustion, time will tell, haha.
As well as reading our March Madness runner-up Gods of Jade and Shadow, I’m also reading another book by a Mexican author, The Route of Ice and Salt by José Luis Zárate. It’s not set in Mexico though - it’s a retelling of Dracula’s journey to Whitby from the point of view of the ship’s captain.
Started reading Alphabet Squadron on Kindle over the weekend and started listening to Chapel of Ease on Audible this morning.
I'm currently reading Mexican Gothic and love the feel of it so far.I started a book club at my work place last month. Our first pick was Flowers for Algernon, and this month's book is The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.
Jessica wrote: "I'm currently reading Mexican Gothic and love the feel of it so far.I started a book club at my work place last month. Our first pick was Flowers for Algernon, and..."
Good idea, weed out the criers and weepers early.
Just today I went to my local library which is now fully open again! You can go inside and just wander around browsing and then pluck things from the shelves! (Last time I went, you were only allowed into the lobby and someone came to a hatch to shove your pre-ordered books at you through a little slot).I picked up a copy of Piranesi by Susanna Clarke so that's my new dead-tree read. I was a bit on the fence about Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell but I've heard good things about this one so I'm giving it a try.
Read the superhero novel The Badger by Mike Baron. Baron is best known for the indie superhero comics Nexus and The Badger. He's done novels for both recently. I backed both novels on Kickstarter.The Nexus book worked as a novel. The Badger, not so much. It read more like a treatment for a 12 issue limited series. Badger is a martial arts master, speaker to animals, and has multiple personalities from early childhood trauma. The whacky humor doesn't come across as well in print as in comics.
Nominally the story is about a bluesman who sold his soul to the devil. It's not your usual soul-saving showdown. Plenty of other characters come in. That includes the big bad, an itinerant evil spirit. Think Sauron before Mordor, and the quest is to make him irrelevant as Sauron became after LOTR.
Just about everybody from the Badger comics comes by for at least a cameo. There's a long bit about cloning dinosaurs for steaks. It's good for fans of The Badger but probably not a wider audience.
I'm glad I read it though. There's plenty to learn about comics writing from this book. It did finally gel as a story just over halfway through. I'm also pleased to have been able to get money directly to the author of some of my fave comics experiences of my 20s. No middleman, no corporation involved, just a kickstarter and cash straight to the artist. If Baron does more my wallet will be open.
Next up for me was the long-saved Damnation Alley. I wanted to save this for the right time. Read this book as an early teen and not since then. I recall anticipating the movie as one of the few properties to be given that treatment. That was the 1970s and few SF properties made it to the screen. But the movie was a huge disappointment.The MC, Hell Tanner, is much as I remembered him. Biker antihero, has his own moral code. He's one of a small group of people entrusted with running serum through Damnation Alley, an overall descriptor for whatever route you would need to take between California and Boston. That's all that is left of North American cities after a nuclear war. The intervening territory is awash with killing winds, cyclones, large animals of various types, and humans vicious in their struggle to survive.
It's a short book. I took the time to savor it. Kind of funny now, Hell Tanner has much in common with Mad Max and the post apocalyptic world there could be that of Damnation Alley. I wonder idly if the makers of Mad Max were fans.
John (Taloni) wrote: "Read the superhero novel The Badger by Mike Baron. Baron is best known for the indie superhero comics Nexus and The Badger. He's done novels for both recently. I backed both novels on Kickstarter...."
Oh wow. I remember the Badger! I had forgotten all about him until I saw this.
I finished the audiobook 
Ender's Game Alive: The Full Cast Audioplay by Orson Scott Card
Rating: 3 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Not as good as the original, and not the best way to experience the story for the first time. Harlan Ellison makes an appearance though, although I can't figure out which part he played (I'm guessing (view spoiler)).
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