What else are you reading - October 2021

[Rob, Roberator]

Got any other spooky reads besides this month's pick on tap for October? If not, what are you reading instead?

[Joseph]

I finished the Foundation trilogy and started Ellen Kushner's Swordspoint; might try to work in something scary, but we'll see how the timing works out.

[Trike]

I’m currently reading Frankly, We Did Win This Election: The Inside Story of How Trump Lost, which is more terrifying than any horror novel, tbh.

[Trike]

Thanks to Silvana for turning me on to the terrific superhero story Burn or the Episodic Life of Sam Wells as a Super by AT Greenblatt.

Read it here: https://uncannymagazine.com/article/b...

[Ian (RebelGeek)]

Rob wrote: "Got any other spooky reads besides this month's pick on tap for October? If not, what are you reading instead?"

Bambi is going to read The Hollow Places. I rated it 4 stars!
I'm going to read Heart-Shaped Box & Mexican Gothic!

[Seth]

I can't do spooky. But the third in Suzanne Palmer's Finder series is out. It's called The Scavenger Door and is good through the first half. After that I think it will be The Last Graduate.

[terpkristin]

I'm continuing my reading of non-SFF books by making my way through the Bookstore Cafe cozy mystery series https://www.goodreads.com/series/1526...

Also, the annual "holiday" Andy Carpenter mystery will be coming out soon https://www.goodreads.com/series/4265...

I also need to catch up on the latest Magical Cats book... https://www.goodreads.com/series/5350...

And I'm still finishing off Unnatural Magic. I'm enjoying it but it's been such a crappy month, I really just want to read beachy things.

[Silvana]

Finished Once & Future, Vol. 1: The King is Undead - not bad, plan to read the second volume.

Almost finished with The Tangleroot Palace: Stories by Marjorie M. Liu. Quite a good collection. So far I only know the author from her Monstress works.

Starting Spider-Gwen: Ghost-Spider, Vol. 1: Spider-Geddon.

[Robert]

Thursday I finished Kingmaker. The book begins with an effort to destroy and magical prison. From there Fox and his friends join a rebellion against a tyrant. I enjoyed this book, as there were more world building and character development. My only concern is that it ends on a tragic note. I'm hoping that the series ends with a more positive tone.

[Tamahome]

I finished Dresden Files #4 - Summer Knight before going back to Nos4a2, review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Robin]

Rob wrote: "Got any other spooky reads besides this month's pick on tap for October? If not, what are you reading instead?"

Rereading a bit of Bradbury is always an October pleasure. Try Something Wicked This Way Comes or The Halloween Tree. I always get nostalgic for Robert Bloch's short scary stories this time of year; I wish I had kept those anthologies from my teen years.

[Robin]

Ian (RebelGeek) wrote: "Rob wrote: "Got any other spooky reads besides this month's pick on tap for October? If not, what are you reading instead?"

Bambi is going to read The Hollow Places. I rated it 4 s..."

Oh, YES for Heart Shaped Box.

[Minsta]

Starting off one of my favorite months with one of my favorite authors: Becky Chambers. Just finished her latest novel:

I would love to see this book published as a graphic novel or even better a Children's illustrated book. The visual descriptions of the world she created for this new series are so colorful and lush...

Other spooky reads besides the pick this month? Well, that would be:

I knew there was a lot of hype for this novel, now I know why.

[Trike]

Ok. I got the audiobook of NOS4A2 because you guys kept saying it was so good. Starting now.

Edit: NOPE






Nope nope nope NOPE nope nooo

[Ruth]

Trike wrote: "Ok. I got the audiobook of NOS4A2 because you guys kept saying it was so good. Starting now.

Edit: NOPE

Nope nope nope NOPE nope nooo"


Was it the performance or the book itself or both that made you nope out?


For spooky season, as well as our book of the month, I’m re-reading A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny which is a kind of cosy horror story paying homage to classic horror tropes and characters, with one (short) chapter for each day of October. This is my third time of reading it!

Also reading The Bone Ship's Wake by R.J. Barker which is an exciting fantasy adventure on the high seas- think The Complete Liveship Traders Trilogy: Ship of Magic, The Mad Ship, Ship of Destiny but a lot more Goth (as the ships are literally made of bones).

[Trike]

The performance is fine. I don’t do child murder and I don’t do serial killers. This is not entertainment, this is sickness.

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

So far in the past few weeks I've read two witchy books which I'd call S&L adjacent.

The first is Cackle, about a woman moving to a new small town and making a new friend who the entire town seems afraid of. And her new apartment seems to have a lot of spiders....

The second is The Lighthouse Witches about a historical curse on a Scottish island that makes children disappear.

[Ruth]

Trike wrote: "The performance is fine. I don’t do child murder and I don’t do serial killers. This is not entertainment, this is sickness."

Hmmm I’ve been enjoying the book so far (and I think Kate Mulgrew is excellent) but I am a little concerned about the content... child murder is very much not my scene. Might go and start a new thread to discuss in the book of the month folder....

[Geoff]

Minsta wrote: "Starting off one of my favorite months with one of my favorite authors: Becky Chambers. Just finished her latest novel:

I would love to see this book..."

I just finished this novella as well, and enjoyed it. I've been drinking a lot of tea lately so it felt appropriate in that manner.

Next I'm going to read Dune (re-read from decades ago) prepping for the movie coming out soon.

[Jerimy]

This month has started well. Finished reading two novels so far.

1. The Mayor of Casterbridge, a tragedy by Thomas Hardy written in the late 1800s.
2. The Black Monastery, a Dark Fantasy/Viking Fiction written by William Stacey. (Good for the Horror month).

Currently Reading,
1. The Screwtape Letters, Fiction, by C.S. Lewis
2. Nightmare, a horror, by Irma Chilton.

Plan to read,
1. Moby Dick, Adventure, by Herman Melville.
2. Hondo, a Western, by Louis L'amour.
3. Star Trek 8, Science Fiction, by James Blish
4. Monster, Horror, by Frank Peretti.

[John (john)]

I just finished The Corfu Trilogy; enjoyed it but have to admit I liked the TV show much better. Just started Ink & Sigil.

[Chris K.]

Just finished The Witness for the Dead. It is excellent.

Decided to give the new Laurell K. Hamilton a try. A Terrible Fall of Angels. I gave up on her Anita Blake series years ago but this is a start to a new series and I'm curious.

[Ian (RebelGeek)]

Robin wrote: "Oh, YES for Heart Shaped Box."

I'm riveted listening to Heart-Shaped Box.
Stephen Lang is doing a great job narrating!

[Beth]

Rob wrote: "Got any other spooky reads besides this month's pick on tap for October? If not, what are you reading instead?"

No spooky reads here (at the moment.) I'm currently reading The Glass Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg. So good!

[Tina]

Listening to the audiobook, A Thousand Ships

About to start a Gothic fiction Dragonwyck

[Trike]

The library just came through with Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune, who wrote The House in the Cerulean Sea, so that’s up next for me.

[Sheila Jean]

I've been making my way through Novels in the hugo packet that I hadn't read yet.

So far that includes Rosemary and Rue (October Daye series, the only series nominated I haven't already read), A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking for the Lodestar, Black Sun for Best Novel, and currently reading Axiom's End by Lindsay Ellis for the Astounding Award.

The only remaining Best Novel finalist I haven't read is The City We Became, which never called out to me, but I'll read if I can get from the library as the packet only has an Excerpt for this one.

I've got a couple other Astounding Authors to try, and a couple more Lodestar nominees. Then I'll probably read all the rest of October Daye.

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

I finished Bewilderment by Richard Powers yesterday, and while it's literary fiction, I think it might appeal to science fiction readers. Set in a near-future dystopian world where science is even less accepted than now, an astrobiologist takes his 9 yo out of school to homeschool him. There are touches of Flowers for Algernon and interestingly, Good Morning, Midnight.

[Joseph]

I'm still kicking around Riverside, now in Ellen Kushner's The Privilege of the Sword.

[Geoff]

Sheila Jean wrote: "The only remaining Best Novel finalist I haven't read is The City We Became, which never called out to me, but I'll read if I can get from the library as the packet only has an Excerpt for this one."

Same reaction I had, but I went ahead and read it as a nominee. My first impression was right for me; it has a New Yorker attitude that I just couldn't get past (as someone who has never lived in New York).

[Colin]

Just finished Atlas Alone, the latest in Emma Newman's Planetfall series. Sadly, felt slightly let down by it after the first three books only ramped up my excitement for this one. With that said, the series is crying out for a fifth book to wrap up the various strands which have been put in place and I would absolutely come back to read that if she ever writes it!

Just started on Invisible Sun the (probably) last volume in Charles Stross' Empire Games / Merchant Princes series. Delayed several times, I hope that the author includes enough prompts to remind me of some of the context.

[Ian (RebelGeek)]

I finished Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill
I gave it 4 stars (I rarely give 5). I loved it!
Despite some cringy subject matter,
it left me feeling good in the end.

[Silvana]

Finished with The Tangleroot Palace: Stories by Marjorie Liu. If you're into dark fantasy, might want to check out this collection.

Also finished with Spider-Gwen: Ghost-Spider, Vol. 1: Spider-Geddon. I did not read the previous story but I don't think it matters. Typical superhero stuff, nothing really special.

Now taking a break from adult SFF and going to enjoy this new YA novel from my fave MG/YA author: The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne. High expectation since I LOVE his MG/YA series.

Trike wrote: "Thanks to Silvana for turning me on to the terrific superhero story Burn or the Episodic Life of Sam Wells as a Super by AT Greenblatt.
."

My pleasure!

[Ruth]

After noping out of the audiobook of our book of the month I’m turning to the audio version of Gothic satire classic - Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen. I’m also about to start a suitably seasonal graphic novel- Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell.

[Paul]

Aiming to finish a bunch of books I picked up all at once:
A Desolation Called Peace
The Past Is Red
and FINALLY listening to The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet
Loving the first two, kind of having a hard time getting into Chambers. It's nice to listen to, but I'm not getting that drive to keep going yet. Loving the enhanced audiobook effects though.

Plan on listening to The Burning God and re-listening to the last two Expanse books before Leviathan Falls comes out.
For a Halloween pick, I might read Everyone Knows Your Mother Is a Witch which isn't technically a horror or SFF, but it IS about an alleged witch who also happens to be the mother of one of my favourite scientists, Johannes Kepler. And it's apparently based on historical documents. So it's got witches, maybe some magic, some science, and a dash of truth. That checks all the boxes for me!
Also, if I have time, I'm planning on picking up something by Charlie Jane Anders (only read her shorts as of now) OR reading Fire & Blood in preparation for the TV adaption. We'll see what mood strikes me.

[Ruth]

Polished off the delightful Pumpkinheads in one session and now I’m starting Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia.

[Maclurker]

I opted out of NOS4A2. Still looking for something just a bit spooky, I’ve tried Mexican Gothic. Enjoying all the delightful creepiness here so far (I’m almost done), although I may never (view spoiler)[look at mushrooms the same way ever again (hide spoiler)].

[Trike]

Maclurker wrote: "I opted out of NOS4A2. Still looking for something just a bit spooky, I’ve tried Mexican Gothic. Enjoying all the delightful creepiness here so far (I’m almost done), although I may..."

Funny you should mention that… https://www.instagram.com/p/CUxXmkxr5...

[Leesa]

just started Duma Key

[Tamahome]

Just started Dead Beat. Dresden has a dog!

[Leesa]

Dead Beat is my favorite Dresden book so far.

[John]

just read the news about Ruth giving birth in the September thread - a bit late but huzzah that is fantastic news.

[Stephen]

started NOS4A2 and after that Under the Whispering Doorand then continue with my LMB reading list for the Vorkosigan Saga. I do not know how many of you watched Netflix's Love , Death + Robots series but from now on I want all my favorite SF books to be done with the animation techniques from that series.

[Ruth]

Maclurker wrote: "I opted out of NOS4A2. Still looking for something just a bit spooky, I’ve tried Mexican Gothic. Enjoying all the delightful creepiness here so far (I’m almost done), although I may..."


Perhaps Mexican Gothic can be our unofficial alternative pick for those who opted out of NOS4A2 but still want to read something spoopy.

[Ruth]

John wrote: "just read the news about Ruth giving birth in the September thread - a bit late but huzzah that is fantastic news."

Thanks!

[Tamahome]

Hey Stephen here's an old thread about Love Death + Robots: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/... Some suggest stories they would like adapted.

[Brad]

I just finished The Troop by Nick Cutter, and after having seen this hyped up so much I found it to be pretty disappointing. There’s really nothing scary about it, it’s just gross out stuff and ultimately depressing. I gave it 2 stars.

Next I’m on to Slewfoot by Brom. Hoping this will be more enjoyable.

[Ruth]

Maclurker wrote: "I opted out of NOS4A2. Still looking for something just a bit spooky, I’ve tried Mexican Gothic. Enjoying all the delightful creepiness here so far (I’m almost done), although I may..."

Re: your spoiler, I recently read the non-fiction Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures which I highly recommend

[John (Nevets)]

Ruth wrote: "Maclurker wrote: "I opted out of NOS4A2. Still looking for something just a bit spooky, I’ve tried Mexican Gothic. Enjoying all the delightful creepiness here so far (I’m almost don..."

I’ve recently started listening to one of Tom’s other podcasts, “It’s a Thing” with his and Veronica’s former BOL cohost Molly Wood. And in a recent episode, Mushrooms were named a “thing”. So apparently this is something that is in the zeitgeist.

[Robert]

Sunday I finished Ambush or Adore: A Delightfully Deadly Novel. It was a lovely slow-burn romance between two of the side-characters in Gail Carriger's Parasol-verse.