What are you reading in July 2021?

[Chris, Moderator]

Summertime! What are you reading in the long hot days of July? Post here -- any book, any genre welcome.

[Mary]

Airy Castles All Ablaze by George Phillies

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

Finished The Scarpetta Factor by Patricia Cornwell, 9/10.
Read Three Hearts and Three Lions by Poul Anderson, 8/10. Comments in our discussion topic thread for that Book of the Month.
Now about halfway done with The Long Earth, our other Book of the Month. It is striking me as a very unusual story, but I can’t exactly say why. Will add more comments in the discussion topic thread for that book.

[Mary]

Out of House and Home by Drew Hayes

[Shel, Moderator]

I didn't read at all last week. You KNOW I am burned out when I don't want to read! But I intend to pick Black Sun back up today (I read and liked the first two chapters) now that I've started to unwind from this ridiculous school year.

I just got notified of that my loan is in for The Long Earth, so that will be next.

[Rafael]

I finished both The Three-Body Problem and Fablehaven this week, and I started to read The Hobbit as my long term personal read.

I'll be starting Three Hearts and Three Lions soon.

[Lindsey]

I just finished up a re-read of Warbreaker before I launch back into Rhythm of War. I'm also almost done with listening to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone with my oldest and will likely roll right over into book 2. My book club is doing Old Man's War this month, so I'm excited to try Scalzi for the first time (so far I'm enjoying it!). In non-fiction land, I'm making some slow progress with Alexander Hamilton and Meditations.

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

Lindsey wrote: "My book club is doing Old Man's War this month, so I'm excited to try Scalzi for the first time (so far I'm enjoying it!)."

Be sure to add your comments to our discussion about Old Man's War, which the group read in April 2020 as one of our series reads. I was surprised how much I enjoyed that series!

[Christine]

I just finishedPiranesi If it hadn't been for the fact that the library was closed (pandemic) and I had run out of books, I would have quit after the first few pages. I did continue reading and it turned into an interesting puzzle which I enjoyed

[Rafael]

Christine wrote: "I just finishedPiranesi If it hadn't been for the fact that the library was closed (pandemic) and I had run out of books, I would have quit after the first few pages. I did continue..."

I didnt like her previous book, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, at all. But Piranesi was one of the best books I read last year. Weird, but so good.

[Mary]

I liked them both but they are very weird books.

[Random]

While I enjoyed her first book, Piranesi was just extra special in my eyes. I really enjoyed the whole not knowing what is going on aspect of the house and the characters and then so slowly rebuilding that picture as Piranesi does.

Plus I can understand the appeal of the house.

[Mary]

Greece Against Rome: The Fall of the Hellenistic Kingdoms 250-31 BC by Philip Matyszak

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

Finished The Long Earth and will be continuing the series.
And tonight I finished Age of Myth by Michael J. Sullivan, 9/10. It’s book 1 in his Legends of the First Empire series and I’m reading the series with a different Goodreads group. He’s a good storyteller and I think this series will get more complex as it goes along.
Next up is a book recommended by and borrowed from a friend, The Midnight Library by Matt Haig.

[MadProfessah]

@Kathi The “Age of …” books by Sullivan are EXCELLENT! They definitely get better, books 2-4 are even better than the first one. If you have read the other Riyria series then you get even more out of them.

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

MadProfessah wrote: "@Kathi The “Age of …” books by Sullivan are EXCELLENT! They definitely get better, books 2-4 are even better than the first one. If you have read the other Riyria series then you get even more out ..."

Thanks for the info. I have read the Riyria Revelations but not the Riyria Chronicles. Might have to dive into those after I finish this series!

[Shel, Moderator]

Gotta say I'm having a hard time getting into The Long Earth, so I'm going to set it aside for now and start The Dark Forest for the series read.

[MadProfessah]

Yeah i bounced hard off THE LONG EARTH as well. “Everything is not for everyone!”

THE DARK FOREST is probably even better than THE THREE BODY PROBLEM.

[Chris, Moderator]

Kathi wrote: "Finished The Long Earth and will be continuing the series.
And tonight I finished Age of Myth by Michael J. Sullivan, 9/10. It’s book 1 in his Legen..."

I really enjoyed the first four or so "Age of " books by Sullivan. But the last couple of books were tomes, packed with too much plot, and missing the fun of the first books. Overall, though, an enjoyable series.

[Chris, Moderator]

I raided the local used book stores and found a couple by Jack McDevitt that I hadn't read before (Cauldron and Starhawk). I also just finished The Witness for the Dead, a thoroughly enjoyable murder mystery set in the same detailed and believable world as her Hugo-nominated The Goblin Emperor.

Still working through a re-read of The Dark Forest for our series read.

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

Chris wrote: "I really enjoyed the first four or so "Age of " books by Sullivan. But the last couple of books were tomes, packed with too much plot, and missing the fun of the first books. Overall, though, an enjoyable series."

Good to know, thanks.

I read 2 out of genre books for a summer book challenge (they were my “literary fiction” choices): The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (7/10) and News of the World by Paulette Jiles (9/10).

Now I’m starting Interference by Brad Parks, a sci-fi thriller that is also for my summer challenge (category is a new SF or fantasy book).

[Christine]

I just finished The Crow Rider which I thought was a great conclusion tot his duology
Now about to start Firebreak

[Mary]

Explorer of the Endless Sea by Jack Campbell

[Random]

Breaking in on an audio drama splurge to start Project Hail Mary

Afterwards I am currently planning on hitting Heaven's River
I really enjoyed the previous three books in the Bobiverse series.

[Mary]

The Lost Art of Dress: The Women Who Once Made America Stylish by Linda Przybyszewski

[Christine]

I finished Firebreak and started on We Are Satellites. I quit about halfway through and have now started Sorrowland which has not yet grabbed my attention

[Shel, Moderator]

I finished The Dark Forest and as a palate cleanser I went out of genre and picked up The People You Meet on Vacation (a sweet little book that was essentially a novel version of "When Harry Met Sally"). I haven't decided what to start next - I have a whole bunch of library loans I am waiting for.

[Jo]

I finished Diener's Wave Rider and Rusch's The Chase a Diving Novel. Both worth reading.

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

The Olympics are cutting into my reading time—I can read emails, Facebook, magazines, newspaper while watching, but not a book. I’m still reading Interference by Brad Parks, and I’m enjoying it, but I just haven’t been devoting enough time to my books!

[Shel, Moderator]

Just started The Raven Tower!

[MadProfessah]

I’m About 40% through THE BURNING WHITE, the fifth and final entry in Brent Weeks’ epic fantasy LIGHTBRINGER series.