SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion
SciFi and Fantasy Book Challenge
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2023 TBR Cleanup Challenge
So far I've read Unity by Elly Bangs. It's about a collective consciousness, nanobots, slow-apocalypse western USA, and body snatching. It was a good ride! I'm slowly working on the Peter Beagle collections.
Jacqie wrote: "Tentative list:Only One: Unity
Binary: Peter Beagle Vol. 2
Three's Company: Locklands (3rd in trilogy)
Four Corners of the Earth: Airborn
Five Finger Discount:The Monsters We Defy
At Sixes and Se..."
Some interesting choices, hope you enjoy all your reads
Jacqie wrote: "So far I've read Unity by Elly Bangs. It's about a collective consciousness, nanobots, slow-apocalypse western USA, and body snatching. It was a good ride! I'm slowly working on the Peter Beagle co..."That sounds like a fun read. Maybe should give it a look, thanks
Dj wrote: "Jacqie wrote: "So far I've read Unity by Elly Bangs. It's about a collective consciousness, nanobots, slow-apocalypse western USA, and body snatching. It was a good ride! I'm slowly working on the ..."It was actually a pick for an SF/F book club I run. It was a good discussion book!
finished my second one19. Bingeworthy = Ash: A Secret History by Mary Gentle - Reason = as this was originally 4 books but is now one volume, I'm hoping it will be bingeworthy
this was a very odd book towards the end. It started out as what seemed to be pure Fantasy like Elizabeth Moon's Paksenarrion Series but later devolved into a mix of Fantasy with some Science Fiction elements.
All in all, it was pretty good
CBRetriever wrote: "finished my second one19. Bingeworthy = Ash: A Secret History by Mary Gentle - Reason = as this was originally 4 books but is now one volume, I'm hoping it will..."
Glad you enjoyed it but was it Bingeworthy?
Dj wrote: "CBRetriever wrote: "finished my second one19. Bingeworthy = Ash: A Secret History by Mary Gentle - Reason = as this was originally 4 books but is now one volume..."
yes, because if it was sold the way it was originally sold (4 separate paperbacks), I would have bought the rest of the series. As it was, it kept me going through over 100 pages.
In the United States, it was published in four paperback volumes: A Secret History (in 1999), Carthage Ascendant, Wild Machines, and Lost Burgundy (all in 2000)
It was a bit difficult to figure out where the book breaks were as they weren't used as book/chapter markers.
CBRetriever wrote: "Dj wrote: "CBRetriever wrote: "finished my second one19. Bingeworthy = Ash: A Secret History by Mary Gentle - Reason = as this was originally 4 books but is now..."
Thanks for the clarification. Looking forward to seeing where your reading takes you next.
Dj wrote: "Looking forward to seeing where your reading takes you next. "you can see my intentions here but keep in mind that my big push is to try to get some of the books that have been languishing on my TBR pile off of it. I have found a few gems doing that
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Those are some great intentions and great books on your lists!
I made some good progress on my list in January:2. Binary - The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden (two characters in the title)
14. Technical Challenge - The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. LeGuin (I love LeGuin's children's and YA books, but I often struggle with her adult novels. This one has been on my to-read list for a while.)
16. Scrumptious - Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree (I think the title says it all :-)
18. Around the Shelf - Here and Now and Then by Mike Chen (on the group bookshelf)
I have to say, it was a great way to start my reading year. I loved The Bear and The Nightingale, The Lathe of Heaven, and Legends & Lattes (though they were very different from each other). Here and Now and Then was okay, but not one of my favorites. I got bogged down in the middle, and then it became a struggle to finish (though was pretty quick once I could get myself to pick it up and start reading again).
Kaia wrote: "I made some good progress on my list in January:2. Binary - The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden (two characters in the title)
14. Technical Challenge - [book:The Lath..."
Congrats on your solid start to the challenge.
7. Showstopper – A Song for a New Day by Sarah Pinsker (public gatherings are illegal making concerts impossible)⭐⭐⭐⭐I wasn't sure if this novel would be for me when I picked it, but it really was a wonderful speculative SF about how far artists will go for their art and the commercialization of art by mega corporations.
Tina wrote: "7. Showstopper – A Song for a New Day by Sarah Pinsker (public gatherings are illegal making concerts impossible)⭐⭐⭐⭐I wasn't sure if this novel would be for me when I picked it, but it really wa..."
I loved A Song for a New Day, Tina - I'm glad you enjoyed it, too. And it's a great choice for that prompt. I read it during the summer of 2020, and I was worried it would be too much at the time, given the backdrop for the story, but it wasn't at all.
Tina wrote: "7. Showstopper – A Song for a New Day by Sarah Pinsker (public gatherings are illegal making concerts impossible)⭐⭐⭐⭐I wasn't sure if this novel would be for me when I picked it, but it really wa..."
Glad you enjoyed it. It is fun when a book you are unsure of turns out well.
I made more progress than I'd expected on this challenge in January. I completed:✔️9. Nine-to-five: Legends & Lattes
✔️14. Technical Challenge: Mysteries of Modern Physics: Time
✔️19. Bingeworthy: Digger Unearthed: The Complete Tenth Anniversary Collection
✔️20. Zero to hero: Tress of the Emerald Sea
We listened to the wonderfully warm Legends & Lattes while driving our dog to and from vets over the last few months. He appreciated the relaxed pace and calm narration on the way to those stressful visits. So did we. This started out slowly for me, but by the time we were half way through I was very invested in the characters and story. A compelling first work. Aside: this author's name looked familiar to me but it took a while to remember why. He was a co-founder of Runic Games, the developers of Torchlight and Torchlight II. I spent many hours on those back in the day.
I figured that explaining the "arrow of time" using statistical thermodynamics to a general audience would qualify as a technical challenge. Mysteries of Modern Physics: Time mostly did a good job pulling it off. The early parts setting the background were a little slow, but it finished up convincingly.
I had other bingeworthy plans, but Digger Unearthed: The Complete Tenth Anniversary Collection hijacked my attention before I got to them. This 803 page B/W graphic novel on wombat musings and adventures in engineering, magic, and deicide was surprisingly captivating.
Tress of the Emerald Sea pulled me in with the initial premise and the narrative voice. It got a bit preachy in a few places, but overall it was a very enjoyable adventure. The production values on the ePub are stunning, with lovely color drawings, story-themed endplates, and slyly relevant chapter headings. This is the best looking ePub I've ever read. More $40+ million genre Kickstarters please!
Progress: 4/20
3. Three's company - The Three-Body Problem Three bodies is a problem or very cozy. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐This book defied my expectations and went places that I didn't expect. Despite my lack of advanced science knowledge, I was able to follow the technical scientific explanations, which really were integral to the story. I suspect I'll be finishing the series when my TBR allows.
Raucous wrote: "I made more progress than I'd expected on this challenge in January. I completed:✔️9. Nine-to-five: Legends & Lattes
✔️14. Technical Challenge: [book:Mysteries of Modern Physics: ..."
Sounds like you made some good choices for your read.
10. Top 10 - Sophie Go's Lonely Hearts Club by Roselle Lim (The top of my ten oldest books on my TBR)⭐⭐⭐⭐I really like this contemporary magical realism series by Lim. Matchmakers see the red strings of people and can see when a match is made. In this book, Sophie has to make matches for a group of septuagenarians to establish herself, while she is undermined by her parents to get a "real" job. It's a cute, easy read and was a great palate cleanser.
I'm replacing my original choice for #19. Bingeworthy (A House With Good Bones by T. Kingfisher) with Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch.I just blew through the audiobook and immediately downloaded the next book in the series. :-)
Mod
I'm quite new in this group and still haven't participated in any group activities. I just found this challenge and wonder if it's to late to join?
Welcome! It's never too late to join! :)
Mod
I'll try and read the following:1. Only one:
2. Binary:
3. Three's company:
4. Four corners of the earth:
5. Five Finger Discount:
6. At sixes and sevens:
7. Showstopper: On the Beach by Nevil Shute
8. Book page total ends in an 8:
9. Nine-to-five:
10. Top 10:
11. From the library:
12. Let's try this again:
13. Sweet Revenge:
14. Technical Challenge:
15. My old friend:
16. Scrumptious:
17. Cover with text only, no images:
by H.P. Lovecraft
18. Around the Shelf:
19. Bingeworthy:
20. Zero to hero:
Mod
Allison wrote: "A delightful amalgamation of local and global, old and new! I'm eager to hear your thoughts, Nike!"Thankyou 🙂. I'm still working on finding titles that fits every prompt and preferably can be found (still being unread) in my shelves.
Nike wrote: "I'll try and read the following:1. Only one: Serotonin by Michel Houellebecq
2. Binary: The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie
3. Three'..."
Nice inclusion for Burglar Baggins. Some nice choices there.
OK, here it goes. Selecting the books was a challenge in itself, I'm actually exhausted and not 100% sure in more than one case, so possibly some changes will take place later. ✔️1. Only one - Cage of Souls
✔️2. Binary - Gideon the Ninth
✔️3. Three's company- Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
✔️4. Four corners of the earth - A Day of Fallen Night
✔️5. Five Finger Discount - Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative
✔️6. At sixes and sevens - Dark Age
✔️7. Showstopper - Outland
✔️8. Book page total ends in an 8 - The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress
✔️9. Nine-to-five - Legends & Lattes
✔️10. Top 10 - The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches
✔️11. From the library - Heart of the Sun Warrior
✔️12. Let's try this again - Children of Time
✔️13. Sweet Revenge - Dracula
✔️14. Technical Challenge - Project Hail Mary
✔️15. My old friend - The Way of Kings
✔️16. Scrumptious - The Book Eaters
✔️17. Cover with text only, no images - Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
✔️18. Around the Shelf - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
✔️19. Bingeworthy - The Fires of Heaven
✔️20. Zero to hero Tress of the Emerald Sea
finished:11. From the library
Bought at a Library book sale
This book was primarily chapters on the region, the culture and the foods and drinks of the region with some recipes at the end of the chapters. It was quite interesting and goes well with Bruno, Chief of Police by Martin Walker and the rest of the books in the series
Nike wrote: "I'll try and read the following:1. Only one: Serotonin by Michel Houellebecq
2. Binary: The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie
3. Three'..."
An interesting selection there Nike. I'd be interested to know what you think of 1Q84. I enjoyed it but it was... different.
Petar wrote: "Nike wrote: "I'll try and read the following:I've read one other book by him The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle so I know what you mean by "different". That was a complex story (or interwoven stories) and though I liked the "strangeness" I did think that it was much to long and that it would need a better editing (like cutting away a third).
That did not stop me from being intrigued by the author though. I am ready to start tackling the trilogy of 1Q84. Well not exactly now, but later this year.
I'm four down at the moment.2. Binary - The Anomaly - Herve Le Tellier - A story that apparently involves doppelgängers.
6. At sixes and sevens -Slan - A.E. van Vogt - The protagonist is leading what is effectively a one person crusade to prevent a genocidal war.
8. Book page total ends in an 8 - Sailing to Freedom: Maritime Dimensions of the Underground Railroad - Timothy D. Walker - 248 pages.
12. Let's try this again - Fear Agent: Final Edition, Volume 1 - Rick Remender. A down and out alien exterminator must return to his old job as a peacekeeper to save humanity.
The Anomaly was OK the set up isn't particularly original but an interesting cast of characters and how they respond in different ways to 'the anomaly' makes it worthwhile.
Slan was kind of interesting but I didn't really enjoy it too much. Same events were poorly related and didn't really make sense, and the how relationships between some characters developed was pretty unbelievable as well. The science has also not aged well but I could have forgiven that were it not for the novel's aforementioned problems. A bit of a let down.
Sailing to Freedom is not SF/F but history relating the maritime aspects of the Underground Railroad. I found this very interesting and highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in the history of American slavery.
Fear Agent was also a bit of a let down. I was expecting something a bit wild and fun, but it was pretty much nonsense, which would have been fine if didn't take itself so seriously.
Nike wrote: "Petar wrote: "Nike wrote: "I'll try and read the following:I've read one other book by him The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle so I know what you mean by "different". That was a complex stor..."
1Q84 is the only Murakami book I've read but what you said about the Wind Up Bird Chronicle is pretty much how I felt about 1Q84. It is interesting but it's complex and not an easy read, and probably could have easily lost about a third as well.
finished my fourth book in this challenge:17. Cover with text only, no images
Nothing but words on the cover for the Gateway published version
and on to the sequel: Ancient Light
I can recommend the audio book of 1Q84. It’s something like 34 hours long, but you can Jack up the speed if you like and it makes the book quite entertaining.
I have now finished my sixth book (14 to go... ;) )2. Binary Middlesex
I liked the beginning very much, but wasn't as impressed by the rest of the book. Perhaps my expectations were too high?
My review
I'm up to 4 now.2. Binary - Crosstalk, two characters are surgically connected to share emotions. Connie Willis took her premise way beyond what I was expecting (which I should have expected).
5. Five Finger Discount - The Fuller Memorandum, there is a theft. Fun reading another in the Laundry Files series.
Time for an update:1.Only one Vita Nostra - only this one book from the series was translated into Polish.
2. Binary
3. Three's company - The Lost Metal (view spoiler)
4. Four corners of the earth
5. Five Finger Discount
6. At sixes and sevens Whispers Under Ground this phrase describes the plot well.
7. Showstopper Rhythm of War - popular, highly applauded series and I have to wait for the next book to continue with the story.
8. Book page total ends in an 8
9. Nine-to-five
10. Top 10
11. From the library
12. Let's try this again
13. Sweet Revenge
14. Technical Challenge
15. My old friend
16. Scrumptious
17. Cover with text only, no images
18. Around the Shelf
19. Bingeworthy
20. Zero to hero Tress of the Emerald Sea - from a window cleaner to (view spoiler).
Aga wrote: "Time for an update:1.Only one Vita Nostra - only this one book from the series was translated into Polish.
... 6. At sixes and sevens Whispers Under Ground this phrase describes the plot well...."
I picked a different book from the same series for this prompt, for the same reason. :)
Hehe, the plot is usually all over the place. It’s becoming a distinctive thing about the series for me. The audio book version was so good.
Meredith wrote: "I picked a different book from the same series for this prompt, for the same reason. :)"I picked the first book in this series for "19. Bingeworthy" earlier in February, and now I am binging the series on audiobook instead of reading the other books for my TBR challenge.... :-)
Olga wrote: "OK, here it goes. Selecting the books was a challenge in itself, I'm actually exhausted and not 100% sure in more than one case, so possibly some changes will take place later. ...16. Scrumptious - have no idea, suggestions are welcome...
I used The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean for this prompt. It's also a SFFBC group bookshelf read so bonus.
Read Uprooted by Naomi Novik. I'm crossing off #11 From the Library. I've wanted to read it for a while now so I borrowed it from the library (well, the Libby app. same thing). I enjoyed this book a lot. I was kind of conflicted about whether or not I enjoyed the narrator of the audiobook. But it didn't ruin the book for me or anything. There was a romance and a sex scene that I didn't feel the book really needed and I didn't really like that part but other than that, I enjoyed it. I really liked Spinning Silver by the same author so I wanted to give this one a try and then I ended up buying another one by her too. I think it was called Deadly Education or something like that.
Both Uprooted and A Deadly Education are great.A Deadly Education is technically targeted for YA readers, but I haven't been this invested in a YA fantasy since I was, well, a YA. So don't let that discourage you. The entire trilogy was among my best 2022 reads.
SciFi and Fantasy Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
Watersong (other topics)The Grimoire of Grave Fates (other topics)
A House With Good Bones (other topics)
The Ship of Stolen Words (other topics)
The World Keeps Ending, and the World Goes On (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Charles Dickens (other topics)Julio Cortázar (other topics)
Tove Jansson (other topics)
F. Scott Fitzgerald (other topics)
Paul Auster (other topics)
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Only One: Unity
Binary: Peter Beagle Vol. 2
Three's Company: Locklands (3rd in trilogy)
Four Corners of the Earth: Airborn
Five Finger Discount:The Monsters We Defy
At Sixes and Sevens: The Kingdoms (amnesia?)
Showstopper: Stars and Smoke- pop star main character
BookPage # Ends in 8: The Blue Rose
Nine to Five: History of Bees
Top Ten: Hag in the Water (Barbara Hambly is one of my favorite authors)
From the Library: Emily Wildes Encyclopaedia of Faeries
Let's Try This Again: The Faithless (second in a series)
Sweet Revenge: Iron Widow
Technical Challenge: Meru
My Old Friend: Peter Beagle Vol. 1
Scrumptious: The Thick and the Lean
Cover with Text Only no Images: This Time Tomorrow
Around the Shelf: Deep Wheel Orcadia
Bingeworthy: Doctors Gorski
Zero to Hero: Swamp Thing