What else are you reading - April 2021

[Stephen]

I finished The Galaxy, and the Ground Within and loved it. Next up Blackwing as I have been meaning to get to it for a long time. I am too, halfway thru What Abigail Did That Summer . Foxes!!!!

[Trike]

Finished A Desolation Called Peace, 3 stars. Solid story, with plenty to add if she wants. More Space Opera than the first book.

Started Alliance Stars, which starts off with a real bang. Total Space Opera MilSF.

Persephone Station also came in from the library, so I’m all about Space Opera this week.

[Ian (RebelGeek)]

Jenny (Reading Envy) wrote: "I have tried and bailed on a few more swordesque and laserish books.

The Ruthless Lady's Guide to Wizardry - well I think I'm glad this one didn't win our tournament. Some books ju..."

Is C.M. Waggoner DMX's pen name? "What?!"

[John (Taloni)]

Read Pippi Longstocking. I recall enjoying these books as a preteen so picked this up for a nostalgia run. I found it almost completely unengaging for the first third, even as the book went through parts I remembered loving as a young'un. I guess nostalgia only goes so far.

It picked up a bit about halfway through. Pippi is super strong and uncultured altho good natured. She lives alone at nine years old because her sea-captain father is away. She has a chest full of gold coins.

Even the dreariest SFF at least has SFnal elements that keep me interested. Pippi is certainly different, but she's a regular girl. Or is she? After a while I started thinking of her as a hidden alien on a mission to understand humanity through interaction with children. She doesn't understand human society but isn't averse to humans.

Anyhoo, done with the first of the three published in English. I have the other two from the library and they're only about 20K words each. I'll probably go on to the others.

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

I started Exhalation: Stories by the great Ted Chiang, which has been lingering on my Audible for too long. It's such a relief to sink into stories from someone who really gets it. I'd rank Chiang up there with Tiptree, who I adore. I also love the author notes at the end of each story.

[terpkristin]

I finished the pick of the month early so joined in the alt read of Gods of Jade and Shadow. I suspect it's "good" for the author that this didn't win, because I was super ambivalent on it. I didn't feel any tension or any worry that the book wouldn't end the way it telegraphed it would from the start. It was unforgettable enough that I don't remember what the main character did at the very end of the book.

Then I jumped into All Systems Red which was a fun listen and now I'm onto Artificial Condition.

[Trike]

Jenny (Reading Envy) wrote: "I started Exhalation: Stories by the great Ted Chiang, which has been lingering on my Audible for too long. It's such a relief to sink into stories from someone who really gets it. ..."

Those are really brilliant, not a word I toss around lightly.

[Jason (jasonb)]

As I'm still waiting for my library to get The House in the Cerulean Sea in so I can read it, I've decided to read The Bird King. I've read Alif the Unseen before (I think for this book club) and liked the author. So far, I'm not being let down. There is a character in common even if there are hundreds of years separating both books.

[Trike]

Jason wrote: "As I'm still waiting for my library to get The House in the Cerulean Sea in so I can read it, I've decided to read The Bird King. I've read Alif the Unseen before (I..."

I’d forgotten about that book. I quite liked Alif, too, and I thought her run on Ms. Marvel was terrific. More for the TBR!

[Ruth]

I’ve finished All Systems Red and I’m now reading Artificial Condition. I want to read all the Murderbot novellas before we read Network Effect as our group pick for May. I’ve been meaning to read them anyway so this isn’t a problem.

[Iain]

Jenny (Reading Envy) wrote: "I started Exhalation: Stories by the great Ted Chiang, which has been lingering on my Audible for too long. It's such a relief to sink into stories from someone who really gets it. ..."

A series of delights to be savoured

[Iain]

The House in the Cerulean Sea finally came off hold. I blame S&L.... starting it belatedly..

On a rod trip to buy an oven and get away from cranky teen aged so have been listening to audiobooks. Finished a A Deadly Education which is the weakest Novak I have read.the first person voice comes across as winery teen aged. I have one of my own so somewhat annoying. The concept is interesting, a murderous Hogwarts where teens fight off magical predators.

Listened to Kae Tempest reading her short book On Connectionwhich was mesmerising. Kate is a brilliant spoken word artist who could read a phone book and make it enthralling. Listening to her ruminations on creativity and the on connection between the writer and reader was enthralling. Well worth a listen. The audiobook is a must here.

[Ruth]

Iain wrote: "The House in the Cerulean Sea finally came off hold. I blame S&L.... starting it belatedly..

On a rod trip to buy an oven and get away from cranky teen aged so have been listening..."

I couldn’t get into A Deadly Education at all. I’ve enjoyed Naomi Novik’s other books Spinning Silver and Uprooted and also her Harry Potter fanfic, so it should have been a slam-dunk for me, but it just didn’t click. I found the protagonist and the setting very unappealing.

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Iain wrote: "Listened to Kae Tempest reading her short book On Connectionwhich was mesmerising. Kate is a brilliant spoken word artist who could read a phone book and make it enthralling. Listening to her ruminations on creativity and the on connection between the writer and reader was enthralling.
I love to hear Kae perform.

John (Taloni) wrote: "Read Pippi Longstocking. I recall enjoying these books as a preteen so picked this up for a nostalgia run. I found it almost completely unengaging for the first third, even as the book..."
Have you ever seen the Gilmore Girls episode (have you ever seen Gilmore Girls, haha) where Lorelai and Rory make Dean learn about Pippi? That's what came to mind immediately.

[Joseph]

John (Taloni) wrote: "Read Pippi Longstocking. I recall enjoying these books as a preteen so picked this up for a nostalgia run. I found it almost completely unengaging for the first third, even as the book..."

I remember those! And now I'll be singing the theme song from the 1960s movie for the rest of the day.

I am Pippi Longstocking, if you say it fast it's funny

[Trike]

Jenny (Reading Envy) wrote: "Have you ever seen the Gilmore Girls episode (have you ever seen Gilmore Girls, haha) "

I would like to point out the DVD collection to the right of the TV in this photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/B7AJ7XHB4...

It’s this 😊:

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Trike wrote: "Jenny (Reading Envy) wrote: "Have you ever seen the Gilmore Girls episode (have you ever seen Gilmore Girls, haha) "

I would like to point out the DVD collection to the right of the TV in this pho..."

Wow!

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Oh, it isn't Dean, it's Luke!

click for clip

[John (Taloni)]

Haa, I'm glad to see Pippi so well remembered! I asked my daughter about it and she had never heard of the character. So many entertainment choices these days, she got crowded out.

To answer the above question, I don't watch much TV, so didn't see the Gilmore Girls. Hilarious clip tho. "I've always wanted to lift an immense quadruped over my head."

[Trike]

John (Taloni) wrote: "To answer the above question, I don't watch much TV, so didn't see the Gilmore Girls. Hilarious clip tho. "I've always wanted to lift an immense quadruped over my head.""

Gilmore girls had some serious movie and music nerds in the writers room. Case in point, Luke and Lorelei talking about Revenge of the Sith and Bewitched: https://youtu.be/FiOKXYExil4

This gets a callback later when they have an argument.

[Geoff]

I finished The Woman in Black, which my wife loves. It was fine.

Next: Black Sun.

[Ruth]

Finished Artificial Condition and moving straight on to Rogue Protocol, which I had to purchase with £6.39 of my own cash money because I missed the download window when tor dot com were giving all the Murderbot novellas away for free a couple of years ago. Never mind!
I'm going to try and blast through that one and the fourth novella, Exit Strategy, before starting our May pick, Network Effect. The novellas are very entertaining so far. I love how relatable the bot characters are.

[Sheila Jean]

Checked out Fugitive Telemetry from the library this morning, and I've managed to read a third of it over lunch. It's another short one, less than 200 pages.

[elizabeth • paper ghosts]

I listened to the second Murderbot audiobook, Artificial Condition, yesterday and enjoyed it much more than the first one. I don't know if it was the addition of ART or what, but I found myself actually laughing out loud at certain points, which rarely happens to me.

I also finished up Arabella of Mars last night. It was...good? It's tropey and the MC is definitely toeing the Mary Sue border, but the writing was incredibly readable and I blasted through it. I really enjoyed the Regency/clockpunk mash-up, but the blatant colonialism made me feel kind of squicky. I'd like to hope it's addressed in future books in the series, but my hopes aren't high. Continuing the series is probably on the back burner for now. :(

[Trike]

Finished April strong with the delightful The Utterly Uninteresting and Unadventurous Tales of Fred, the Vampire Accountant, a 5-star read that balances humor and horror, while giving a “I wish I’d thought of that!” twist on vampire lore.

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...