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 2023?
Jan wrote: "I finished Stephen King's Holly. Wasn't really sure how to rate it, as I hated the gross, gory sections and skimmed over them. But the suspense and the 'police procedural' type aspe..."That's my problem with Stephen King. He's a genius, possibly even under rated as a writer (ie for sheer talent wattage), but I just don't like horror. There's already enough horror in this world, why make more? For that reason, I loved his Dark Tower fantasy series and think it's the best thing he ever did.
Since we're a day away from the end of the month, and I don't anticipate finishing anything else in November, here's this month's run-down. Four books is pretty good for what's been a lackluster reading year. :)Valley of the Dolls: an interesting peek into (fictionalized) celebrity life in the '60s. Fun to listen to, but I didn't feel a strong connection to the characters, and not just because they're all gorgeous and young. :D (review)
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches: The House in the Cerulean Sea redux, more or less. If I hadn't read the Klune first, I'd likely have given this another star. (review)
The Land of the Moepek: the first book I read in tandem with the "372 Pages We'll Never Get Back" podcast episodes as they were released. They do a good job choosing books that are entertaining to read, but also not very good, with a heavy dollop of unintentional absurdity. (review)
The Devil is a Part-Timer, Vol. 1: a cute light novel (Japanese YA) about a Devil King who ends up on earth as a fast food worker. Underemployment, silly bickering, and over-the-top battles! This story was adapted into an anime. (review)
Also, 14 manga volumes. Probably another one or two by tomorrow.
Cheryl L wrote: "I finished up A Court of Wings and Ruin. I'll often use SJM as a palette cleanser or brain vacation after reading something more complex. I had finished Ancillary Justice right before and needed something a little less challenging before moving on to Ancillary Sword and The Dark Forest.What did you think of the Dark Forest? I loved all of the books in the series and am wondering how they will be changed when the come out later in March. I watched a Chinese adaptation of the first book and it was quite good. Am hoping something similar can be accomplished by Netflix.
Bay wrote: "What did you think of the Dark Forest?"I've just started The Dark Forest and am waiting impatiently for The Three-Body Problem to come out on Netflix. I probably won't have a chance to finish the rest of the series until next year. I've got some book club reads ahead of it and the Ancillary Justice series.
Stephen wrote: "Scalzi's blog, Whatever has a "Big Idea" about a new book about Swanwick - makes him sound so good I wanted to try something!"good article about Stanwick's books:
https://www.tor.com/2023/11/29/a-user...
I finished reading The Dark Half by Stephen King. And the Crossroads of Twilight by Robert Jordan (Book #10 of the Wheel of Time). It’s been called the sloggiest of the novels of the series. It felt slow, but the writing was great. And Starter Villain by John Scalzi. A fun adventure from the point of view of a Bond-like villain. And the The Sunlit Man by Brandon Sanderson. It is the fourth novel of four in his secret novel series. Probably the best of the series with lots of action and plenty of Cosmere goodness. I am reading Assassin's Apprentice (Book #1 of the Farseer Trilogy) by Robin Hobb. I plan to read System Collapse (Murderbot Diaries #7) by Martha Wells next.
Kaia wrote: "I finished System Collapse over the weekend and loved it. My only regret is that I read it too fast, and now there is no more new Murderbot. I am also four chapters in to The Curse of Chalion and..."
Hate that when that happens.
think of the most absurd question you have ever heard asked, like along the lines of, What would happen if we trained pigeons to carry rocks and bomb people with them, how high could they get? This author will give you a wonderful scientific answer in regard to that question. It will include the weight of the rock, the altitude the Pigeon can reach, and the result you can expect from the dropping of the projectile in question. This book is a fun read, even for those who don't know much science. Like me. There is supposed to be a website to go along with these books, I am really going to have to look it up sometime.What If? 2: Additional Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions
Dj wrote: "think of the most absurd question you have ever heard asked, like along the lines of, What would happen if we trained pigeons to carry rocks and bomb people with them, how high could they get? This..."Loved book #1
DJ, my teen son loved both of the What If? books. They are the perfect mix of hard math / science, humor, and absurdity. The author also wrote an amazing children’s book called Thing Explainer (sorry, I’m on the app and can’t link to it) where he describes all kinds of complicated machinery and technological tools using drawn images / diagrams and a vocabulary of the 1,000 most common words. One of our local librarians recommended it for my son, and it is still one that he goes back to. Again, it has great humor along with real information.
CBRetriever wrote: "Stephen wrote: "Scalzi's blog, Whatever has a "Big Idea" about a new book about Swanwick - makes him sound so good I wanted to try something!"good article about Stanwick's books:
https://www.tor..."
Thanks! Still not sure where to start though!
Guess it will just have to be Murderbot for the moment!
i have decided to revisit all those series i loved years ago . Back then i was working full time and fitting in a quick half hour read. bought the books, and there they sit on my book shelf.so L.E. Modessiti . Jr spellsinger first. great read.
THen enders game and the rest of the series. got sick of that after 2 books
THen Issac Asimov foundation , first sci fi i ever read back then, bit dated now
Have just started Raymond Fiest.
may need to take a break for a while. Someone recommended the Rosie Project
Dj wrote: "There is supposed to be a website to go along with these books [What If?]"The website is xkcd.com . I go there every morning for his comic. He has a wonderfully absurd take on scientific fact.
All the Dust that Falls: An Isekai LitRPG Adventure - a roomba is sent to a magical world to clean up. A lot of fun!
Mod
Love xkcd! My favorite former NASA engineer that I know of!
I'm always down for a Celtic read. Just started the following...Celtic Mythology: Tales From the Celtic Pantheon
And getting back into some Pratchett with...
Men at Arms
Starting Riley Black's Last Days of the Dinosaurs. A change of pace from war and atrocity.Quick question, while I'm looking at a Pratchett title - does Discworld have to be read in order?
Quick question, while I'm looking at a Pratchett title - does Discworld have to be read in order?"No. There are at least a half dozen mini-series within the Discworld series. Go to Pratchett's page and you can find the breakdown. For instance, the one I just mention Men at Arms is part of the "City Watch" mini-series, which make up about 6 Discworld books I believe.
Kaia wrote: "DJ, my teen son loved both of the What If? books. They are the perfect mix of hard math / science, humor, and absurdity. The author also wrote an amazing children’s book called Thing Explainer (sor..."I will have to look for that kids book as well. Thanks. I loved both of the What If? books. They were some of the best fun I have ever had reading a science book.
Kirsten wrote: "Dj wrote: "think of the most absurd question you have ever heard asked, like along the lines of, What would happen if we trained pigeons to carry rocks and bomb people with them, how high could the..."If you loved book one, you will probably enjoy book two.
Economondos wrote: "Dj wrote: "There is supposed to be a website to go along with these books [What If?]"The website is xkcd.com . I go there every morning for his comic. He has a wonderfully absurd take on scientif..."
Thanks, I went and started looking at it.
Ozsaur wrote: "All the Dust that Falls: An Isekai LitRPG Adventure - a roomba is sent to a magical world to clean up. A lot of fun!"Ahhhh, not the kind of things you would normally think of putting into a fantasy book. Wonder if any cats show up?
Dj wrote: Wonder if any cats show up?Actually, there's a cat hiding in the castle, though we haven't met it yet. I can't wait to see what happens.
Just finished The Hallowed hunt by Bujold. I enjoyed it thoroughly. Without spoilers, can say that she adds a third type of magic in this third book - and it works wonderfully with the prior two. The book continues to add depth to the world of five gods.On to Penric's Demon.
Some books from earlier this yearThe Angel of the Crows, I really enjoyed this and recommend if you like Sherlock Holmes fan-fic and urban fantasy set in Victorian London.
A Prayer for the Crown-Shy, I'm loving this world that Becky Chambers has created as well as the Monk and Robot characters.
The Fervor, interesting horror/historical fiction set during World War II in the US, and centered around the Japanese internment camp system.
Ozsaur wrote: "Dj wrote: Wonder if any cats show up?Actually, there's a cat hiding in the castle, though we haven't met it yet. I can't wait to see what happens."
Me either I am only starting it but I have to say it is great fun.
Generally speaking, a book that is a mix of different authors writing short stories about a topic is usually a mixed bag. Some the reader will really enjoy, some will pass along and leave them underwhelmed, and in the worst case, they will be unpleased with the read. It has always been this way for me and I am fairly sure it works that way for other readers as well. That is not to say it will be the same stories that we find rankings on, but I think it has to do with the style you enjoy or not. This book was an exception to that rule. There were no stories that I found that I disliked and none that I just went meh. I enjoyed all the stories in this book, some more than others but all of them were enjoyable. I mean really who can't enjoy the image of Loki playing chess with his family, all of them, the animals and all. Or even more satisfying if not more enjoyable, Zeus facing the consequences of his philandering. This was a really good dive into this type of fantasy. Grumpy Old Gods: Volume 1
An interesting book, although with the questions and the answers in the same place, it is more informative than questioning. A pretty good source of information but only really handy if you have kids or need to ask questions during a meeting of some kind. A Question a Day Keeps the Boredom Away
The book has the very definition of a Grumpy Old Man that you might think would shoot you for running across his yard. It never says that it is the case but he might have some mild disfunction with his mental acutity. In the end though, while never actually changing the core of his character he becomes a more redeemable character by the end of the book. This wasn't the easiest of reads but one that is well worth the effort to attain the end. A Man Called Ove
My review of Saevus Corax Captures the Castle by K.J. Parkerhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Finished reading Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel which was excellent
working on
Middlegame by Seanan McGuire which I'm really enjoying
and
Breaking Silence by Mercedes Lackey which is way too teenage orientated. Not doing much for me.
Just finished "Penric's Demon" by Bujold. Maybe I have read too much world of five gods in a row, but nothing in this book surprised me. A good story and I gave it 3 stars. Time for a change of pace. Started "No Country for Old Gnomes" by Dawson and Hearne. The puns are so dense that I may not catch them all as bedtime reading.
Starting on The Vaster Wilds. So far it's creepy, raising lots of questions, off to a good start.
Allison wrote: "Kateb! Nice to see you around :)Love xkcd! My favorite former NASA engineer that I know of!"
thanks will try it
I have just read The Egg and Other Stories by Andy Weir. The stories proved so enjoyable that K read all 9 in one day.
Just finished John Varley's conclusion to his Gaea series, Demon. Actually a good book! Should definitely read in order though.Anyhoo, now moving forward a few decades, on to Octavia Butler's Parable of the Sower!
I'm about a quarter of the way through The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport and I'm just not sure how I feel about it. It sounds really interesting in concept but hasn't actually managed to snag my attention yet. I started on Mammoths at the Gates only to realize that I hadn't read the one before and that the audiobook was due soon anyways. So I've returned it and checked out Into the Riverlands instead.
every now and then i had a grandchild ask what sort of book i liked. my grandkids range from 26 to 35 now. but when growing up i always suggested John Wyndham's "trouble with Lichen", simark's "way station", "goblin reservation" and "trouble with time"And Arthur Clarke's "rescue party". "enders game "was another good one.
sometimes the older books are still good
Kateb wrote: "every now and then i had a grandchild ask what sort of book i liked. my grandkids range from 26 to 35 now. but when growing up i always suggested John Wyndham's "trouble with Lichen", simark's "way..."They are, Kareb!
Liked Last Days of the DinosaursD'Este's bio of Patton was good.
Starting the autobiography of the Red Baron.
Brett wrote: "Liked Last Days of the DinosaursD'Este's bio of Patton was good.
Starting the autobiography of the Red Baron."
I found D'Este's Patton was one of the more balanced Bio's on the subject I have read yet. This despite the title.
I generally don't read small unit events like this. I am so glad that I made an exception for this book. This book avoids almost all of the small unit annoyances I find in other books of the same type. There is no claim that if there had only been more units like this one the war could have been won sooner, or that this was the best unit of its type in the war. Instead, this book focuses on a relatively singular aspect of the war, not even going into very great depth on what was going on around it in the same local. In this case, it is the rescue of downed pilots in Yugoslavia. It stays very focused on this only dealing with the issues going on between the two major rebel factions in so much as it is involved with the main story, even though this is mostly on the side of the allies, who are in a bit of disagreement over which side to support and which to ignore. This is due in large part to a large number of Communist agents in the British Special Operations unit based in the area.
The beginning of the book deals with the man who would be in the OSS and was going to school in Belgrade when the Germans invaded and who would in large part be the one behind the rescue. All in all, it adds a depth to the story that would not usually be there. It was a great book and one that should be read, if for no other reason than it shows what a tangled web assisting the partisans could be.
The Forgotten 500: The Untold Story of the Men Who Risked All For the Greatest Rescue Mission of World War II
Not a book of the greatest depth but it is a great read. Would probably make a great movie. It has some moments of absolute mayhem and moments that make you want to laugh out loud and some that just hit too close to reality for comfort. If you grew up watching the Sunday Monter shows on TV like I did this is a perfect throwback to those crazier shows. If not it is still well within the realm of anyone who enjoys the tradition of the Japanese Self-Defense Force fighting Kaiju. If they do make it a movie I hope that they put BOC's Godzilla in as a theme song.
The Kaiju Preservation Society
Kaiju Preservation Society is on my To-read shelf right now. Looking forward to it even more.
@Dj - added Forgotten 500 to the TBR. I want to know more about that theater (my grandfather was involved in a few raids on Yugoslavia, and two of his crew members bailed out over it IIRC). That sounds like a good primer.
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SciFi and Fantasy Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
Hogfather (other topics)Night Watch (other topics)
Small Gods (other topics)
Hogfather (other topics)
The Last Continent (other topics)
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T. Kingfisher (other topics)Robin Hobb (other topics)
Robert Jordan (other topics)
Lois McMaster Bujold (other topics)
Martha Wells (other topics)
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A favourite of mine.
It seems to me that the role of the main female character in the plot may irritate some readers.
(view spoiler)[
Thinking of her death, mainly.
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