SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion
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What Else Are You Reading?
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What Else Are You Reading in 2022?
Beth wrote: "I unfortunately associate that author with DNF-ing* thanks to another SFF group on this site. That one looks really interesting though, with lots to ponder.* (or was it slogging through out of a ..."
I've only read two by this author and the first book I read almost prevented me from reading a second book (I bought them both at the same time and I am trying to read books that I have purchased). Fortunately for me, this one was a winner. I am very interested in reading more by Lem but cannot fully recommend the author yet, though I can recommend the book... shrugs
I just read
A Spindle Splintered by Alix Harrow. A lot of fun to read. It turns Sleeping Beauty upside down and is told in a casual, chatty first person POV that reads fast. The book I read before this was Muir's Princess Floralinda and the Forty-Flight Tower and the two make a very interesting paired read. (You can probably do both in a day.) Spindle doesn't have quite the hard edge of Floralinda; it's a softer style, which reflects the different writing styles of these authors you see in their other books. I would recommend this to everyone from middle-grade on up.
I loved A Spindle Splintered, Colin. What did you think?I finished Sea of Rust today (which is an SFFBC bookshelf book) and I really enjoyed it. A western with robots.
Monica wrote: " I am very interested in reading more by Lem but cannot fully recommend the author yet, though I can recommend the book... shrugs"The only book by Lem that I have read is The Cyberiad and I absolutely loved it. It is basically a series of fairy tales loosely inspired by broad computer science ideas, concepts, and theories. The stories are warm, delightfully charming, and very interesting. I have to warn that the whole book is aggressively erudite and also pretty sexist. The only female characters are basically princesses.
I read an article that Lem was a Polish Jew who survived WWII under both German and Russian occupation. He was only 18 when the war broke out and he never talked much about how he survived it, along with his immediate family. But it likely colored his views as an author. People I know who have read his work (and they love it) describe him as an author who often portrays First Contacts as going wrong. So he has a more pessimistic point of view.
I loved A Spindle Splintered too DD. Finished The Past is Red by Catherine M Valente and The Haunting of Tram Car 015 by P Djèlí Clark this week. I don’t have the concentration to read a long book but I can handle novellas. I’ve got a cold. Non Covid related if RATs are to be believed. I get a bit light headed and tired a lot so I’ve mostly been rewatching The Great British Sewing Bee.
DivaDiane wrote: "I loved A Spindle Splintered, Colin. What did you think?I finished Sea of Rust today (which is an SFFBC bookshelf book) and I really enjoyed it. A western with robots."
I loved Spindle. (view spoiler). I do have to give a slight edge to Princess Floralinda because of, well, that edgy bit.
Colin wrote: "DivaDiane wrote: "I loved A Spindle Splintered, Colin. What did you think?I finished Sea of Rust today (which is an SFFBC bookshelf book) and I really enjoyed it. A western with robots."
I loved..."
Yeah Floralinda was pretty good too. I've been on a fractured fairy tale binge lately. A Mirror Mended (the second one after Spindle) should be out soon too.
I picked up The 5th Gender because I love this author's Parasolverse but sadly it is not in the same league.My review of
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Much better luck with A Spindle Splintered today though. It is excellent reading!My review
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I’m reading Say Zero which is like a prequel to Sea of Rust. Luckily it had been long enough since reading that that I was fuzzy on the details while knowing where things are heading - it’s a good combo! And the POV of an anthropomorphic tiger nanny is interesting
Rachel wrote: "anthropomorphic tiger nanny".
That's on my TBR! Let me know if you want to do a buddy read!
Me too! I will do a buddy read of A Hankering for Lettuce.
I just finished listening to Under the Whispering Door. What a fantastic book! I don't think I've been so engaged with characters in quite some time.Other books I'm currently reading are:
Mickey 7, The Elusive Mrs. Pollifax, 1632, and The God of Lost Words.
I actually *did* read A Hankering for Lettuce and Other Stories today, and I was very surprised to find out it's fantasy! I don't know why I assumed it wasn't, I didn't really think about what it was :) I wouldn't exactly recommend it, but a 1.5 hour audiobook on 1.5 speed didn't take up too much of my day :D
I'm going to try something different here. I read multiple books at the same time, so I'm going to list all that I am currently reading and then say which one is the best so farStarrigger by John DeChancie
The Doors of Eden by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Buried in Secret by Viveca Sten
Alamut by Judith Tarr
Tor.com Short Fiction January–February 2022
and the winner is The Doors of Eden. Last week I wouldn't have placed it first but now I'm loving it. Parallel Londons on parallel Earths with different species rising to the top in each is interesting and how they intersect = wow
Borderline: you've got to love a busted heroine. Well, okay, you don't have to, and Millie sure doesn't make it easy sometimes. I'm not much of a person for UF, so this one's humor and insight into the mindset of its lead were huge pluses. Add some fun Los Angeles scenery, Hollywood glitz, and fae shenanigans, and this was a winner for me. (review) This also ended up being a little chip out of the older strata of Mt. TBR. I bought the ebook in 2016.Next up is finishing the light novel I started a month or two ago that got interrupted by 3 or 4 group reads: Log Horizon, Vol. 2: The Knights of Camelot
I had some false starts where nothing seemed good to me, even books that I had previously liked. I hate it when I get in one of these moods. If one of you figures out what exactly my problem is please let me know 😂. I finally settled on re-reading one of my favorite CJ Cherryh series: The Faded Sun Trilogy. Right now I am reading the first book, Kesrith.
I finished two books, both sequels, and great follow ups to the story!I read Hunting by Stars the second book after The Marrow Thieves this one was just as good as the first.
I listened to The Hidden Palace the follow up to The Golem and the Jinni it was interesting to see where they ended up.
I'm three quarters of the way through
The Burning Stone, book three of the "Crown of Stars" series. The author has gotten verbose with data/info dumps on all sorts of things, which has made this read a slog. Any experience out there with Kate Elliot and "Crown of Stars?" Four more books in the series and I'm mulling over going ahead or stopping.
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Ha, ha, gently encouraged. Thanks for the input, Allison. The series is a bit grim since the cruel out number the good by at least three to one. ;)
Murderbot diaries is amazing!! and short! not quite done, finally am at Network Effect. big thumbs up from me so far!!
Interrupted from time to time by other reads and life in general, I finally got around to finishing Magicien : L'apprenti by Raymond E. Feist. As a first attempt to read a book in French, choosing one I read over a decade ago and knew I would enjoy turned out to be a great success. It ended up being about 2.5 months (due in part to having to set it aside frequently), but I'm already looking forward to reading the second book.Club read next and catching up with work though.
The Library At Mount Char was a crazy read I jut finished, amazing work for a first novel!
Currently ReadingStarrigger by John DeChancie
Beast Master's Circus by Andre Norton and Lyn McConchie
Alamut by Judith Tarr
Double Homicide which is two novellas one by Faye Kellerman and the other by Jonathan Kellerman
I'll have to go with Beast Master's Cicus for the win here followed closely by the Kellermans' novellas. Alamut is still not thrilling me. Starrigger would be good for those who like a bit of humor in their sci-fi
I've just begun Kaiju Preservation Society on audiobook. Really liking it so far. Makes the mowing much more enjoyable.
Mod
In terms of recently finished, The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin was a 3-star-read for me so far. I say "so far", because I want to reread it. Had to rush through it due to library lending times, and it's not a book I want to rush. Great ideas, but I'm not sure about the pacing.
Leonie wrote: "I've just begun Kaiju Preservation Society on audiobook. Really liking it so far. Makes the mowing much more enjoyable."5 stars from me. I loved it.
finished Network Effect, murderbot #5, great book!Now... on to Joan Vinge's Snow Queen. Hopefully soon my order for All Clear by Connie Willis will show up, and I can close out that series (Blackout left me hanging!!)
Mod
Just downloaded Piranesi to read while eating dinner with hubby in the hospital.
I’m over halfway through Fevered Star - the follow-up to Black Sun. I think I actually like the pacing of this one better than the first - unusual in a middle book! Also the POV I didn’t cate for in the first has improved in this one! Also have Sorrowland and The Deep Places on deck - both seem good at the outset
I'm reading the witch, sword of destiny and just started the girl with no face.
the *witcher.Just got out of a reading slump. The girl who fell beneath the sea really helped my mood
reading Ingathering: The Complete People Stories by Zenna Henderson. I'd forgotten quite how religious all the characters in it are. It's still a good soothing read though
I completed
Spinning Silver. My first read by Naomi Novik and gave this "Fairy Tale" five stars. I will read more of Novik.
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Allison wrote: "looooved Spinning Silver!!"The last sentence of the book made me up my rating from four to five stars. A fun read.
I haven't read a T Kingfisher book before, but it looks like my first one will be What Moves the Dead since I won a GR giveaway for it over the weekend.In a burst of extraordinary luck I also won a copy of A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life .
My "secret to success"* is to put a bunch of upcoming books on my to-read shelf and set giveaways as email notifications.
* this really is extraordinary though. In my ten years on GoodReads I've won five books previous to this.
Beth wrote: "I haven't read a T Kingfisher book before, but it looks like my first one will be What Moves the Dead since I won a GR giveaway for it over the weekend."Excellent!
“A Swim in a Pond” was one of my favourite books of last year.
I read the first two books of Michael J. Sullivan's Riyria Revelations series recently. Really enjoyed it for its fun adventurous spirit. And then, for whatever reason, I decided to jump ship to his Legends of the First Empire series. Still quite good, but I have no idea why I didn't just continue on with the first one, lol!
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* (or was it slogging through out of a sense of duty?)