What have you been reading this April?

[Michelle]

I started Farilane last night!

[Andrea]

Finished Children of the Mind. For the first half of the book I found I was finally getting tired of all the character angst. Particularly Novinha got on my nerves (and Quarra who got on everyone's nerves). But eventually I got back into the story and finally go to see the resolution for the Lusitania fleet which took three books. Have to admit those characters were busy! Not only did they have to save a world, but a million other things on the side, see what a little pressure can do to make humans innovate!

There is one more book after the quartet, came out just last year, but first I'll flip over to the Shadow books which also terminate with this new book (which I don't have yet anyway)

And back to Dune to keep up with my 2-book a month schedule. The second prequel book - House Harkonnen by Brian Herbert

[Andrea]

With the help of OpenLibrary, finished the young adult version of Deep Space 9 featuring Jake and Nog (and one with Alexander) with Trapped in Time by Ted Pedersen. Most of the stories were silly and didn't always make sense, but then middle grade/YA stories often are nonsensical just so the kids have a reason to save the world instead of the humans. I find that its more pleasant to read really short books like these, which can almost fit in that 1-hour borrow time OpenLibrary has, then trying to get through a full-length adult novel.

Not sure what I'll read next, maybe one of those full-length adult novels before hunting down some more short and quick kid SF

[Audrey]

Michelle wrote: "I started Farilane last night!"

Excellent! I thought I knew all of Sullivan's tricks, but it still surprised me in places.

[Audrey]

Andrea wrote: "Finished Children of the Mind. For the first half of the book I found I was finally getting tired of all the character angst. Particularly Novinha got on my nerves (and Quarra who got on everyone's..."

I always felt Children of the Mind did not end the series -- I was left with major questions about the origin of the virus -- and have been waiting literally decades for a real conclusion. Of course I have forgotten a lot of details.

The Shadow series is more action and strategy oriented. It's fun, but I don't remember feeling like that had a real ending, either.

[Andrea]

Maybe the wrap up of both will be The Last Shadow which was published last year.

[Audrey]

I hope so. I should jump right on it, but so many others also want my attention.

[Tony]

I have finished The Citadel of Weeping Pearls. I enjoyed it, despite having trouble getting into it - largely a product of work being stupidly busy - and it's a universe that I will venture into again. This nicely fills the Silkpunk slot in my Bingo.

I have started reading The Third World War, August 1985: A Future History. Written by an Aussie who was a top NATO general, it was (at the time of writing) a cautionary story of what NATO feared may happen in the future. These days it would count as alternate history.

[Audrey]

Starting Kindred.

[Andrea]

Tony wrote: "I have finished The Citadel of Weeping Pearls. I enjoyed it, despite having trouble getting into it - largely a product of work being stupidly busy - and it's a universe that I will..."

I read a Clarkesworld short story that was in that universe, and I also felt I would like to return for more.

[Georgann]

Andrea wrote: "With the help of OpenLibrary, finished the young adult version of Deep Space 9 featuring Jake and Nog (and one with Alexander) with Trapped in Time by Ted Pedersen. Mo..." I'm a fan of middle grade books also. I even joined a Middle Grade Madness group here on GR! I have a lot of fun reading them!

[Audrey]

Georgann wrote: "I'm a fan of middle grade books also. I even joined a Middle Grade Madness group here on GR! I have a lot of fun reading them!"

I think that's the same one I'm in.

[Michelle]

I finished one book tonight, Voice of War, and I rated it 3 stars. It was good in some ways, and other ways not so much. One of my GR friends recommended The Nine, and it is very good. The first-person narrative calls to mind Uhtred of Bebbanburg.

[Kivrin]

Finished Samuel Delany's Nova. One of my classic finds from the Old Book Sale last week. Good old-fashioned sci fi with quite a bit of 60's era social commentary.

[Mary]

Monster Punk Horizon by H.P. Holo

[Michelle]

Forget what I said about The Nine in message 63. Extremely offensive book. I DNF it in a massive snit. I'll never read another book by that author again! I was so angry that I went back to re-read an old favorite, Ascension. His books are always enjoyable for me. Fast-paced with likeable characters.

[Andrea]

Finished House Harkonnen. I've heard these books weren't supposed to be very good, and there are moments of weird science which makes me suspend my belief in ways I didn't have to for the original series, but otherwise they are certainly entertaining and fun to have some background history on the characters. Still one more in the prequel trilogy to go

Not starting a new book, I still have a Philip K. Dick anthology to finish, and a Star Trek book on my eReader, and a non SFF book as well.

[Pierre]

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet was a DNF halfway into the book. I was waiting for a plot to start emerging from the narration, I found the characters uninteresting, the dialogs tedious and the style rather flat. i saw no reason to go on.

I am starting Shards of Earth.

[Audrey]

Angry Planet doesn't have a central plot. It's more like a series of episodes. You have to like the characters to enjoy the book.