What Else Are You Reading in 2023? Showing 301-350 of 1,880

[Mel]

I'd also be interested to check out The Postman, but Oof! That 'Murica! cover is not doing itself any favors with me. If I didn't already know the author was sci-fi I'd be very confused. Huh, and I guess they made a movie of it too. Had no idea.

[Jan]

Yeah the movie wasn't the greatest. I read the book a few years ago and liked it, but it's long enough ago I can't remember much, so would be happy to reread it if it gets up.

[CBRetriever]

Jan wrote: "Yeah the movie wasn't the greatest. I read the book a few years ago and liked it, but it's long enough ago I can't remember much, so would be happy to reread it if it gets up."

Costner had to be a "hero" - anyway here's Brin's take on the movie:

https://www.davidbrin.com/nonfiction/...

ETA: this might have been a good option for March's 2023 Adapted to Screen SciFi poll

[Jordan]

I see lots of Brin discussion already happening here, interesting! I just started The Uplift War as part of my Hugo winners read through. I disliked Sundiver and was kind of neutral on Startide Rising, so I'm hoping this one works better for me. I like the concept, but the books themselves have just fallen a little flat for me so far.

Also just started on the audio version of Across the Green Grass Fields. I fell behind on this series during my pandemic reading slump so I'm trying to catch back up now. I've immensely enjoyed all the others.

I'm also a quarter-ish of the way through The Book That Wouldn’t Burn. It is so so good so far. Almost anything with magical libraries is bound to catch my attention. I've only read his Book of the Ancestor series before, but it's one of my favorites, and this new one is very promising so far.

[Jacqueline]

You’ve got The Book That Wouldn’t Burn Jordan? Lucky bugger. It’s not due out until May.

[CBRetriever]

Jacqueline wrote: "You’ve got The Book That Wouldn’t Burn Jordan? Lucky bugger. It’s not due out until May."

maybe it came out earlier in the UK?

[Jordan]

I got an advanced ebook copy through NetGalley, I was super excited about it!

[Jacqueline]

Nah Chessie it’s released in May everywhere. 9th and the 11th I believe.

I’d be pretty excited too Jordan. He’s pretty brilliant. I’m reading The Girl and the Moon at the moment. It’s the last one in The Book of the Ice series.

[Tyler]

So close to being done Book 6 in the Wheel of Time series. 1000 pages every book lol 😂

[Marc]

Honestly, you wouldn't miss much skipping Sundiver. there's very little you would miss if you go to Startide Rising. I just read Uplift war last year (I had read uplift war maybe 30 years ago?), then decided to sundiver then re-read startide rising. That is my opinion! I haven't read the follow-up books yet.

[Marc]

Just finished Daniel Keyes's Flowers for Algernon. A great book! was a little weird to read at first, all the misspelling/grammatical errors, which is deliberate. I was thinking, spellcheck would just light up with red squiggles!

Now, starting Samuel R Delany's the Einstein Intersection. I seem to be reading the old 'classics'! I do feel the tug of Mira Grant's Deadline starting to call me though! but not yet!

[Kirsten]

Just started listening to Gideon the Ninth this morning. Great narrator!!

[Jacqueline]

Yeah I reckon it’s easier to listen to Marc. I was listening to the audiobook of Flowers for A and I was glad I did. Trying to read those bits would have sent me mad. My audiobook went out of order and I never got back to it.

[Faith]

My review of Children of Memory by Adrian Tchaikovsky

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Marc]

just finished Samuel R Delany's Einstein Intersection. A very short book, like 140 pages. an interesting read, a funky mix of mythology, current (well, current as of 1960s) people who are now mythologized (is that a word?), and the distant future.

Anyhoo, now off to read Alfred Bester's the Computer Connection!

[Kirsten]

I've been listening to The Christmas Bookshop --- the sections where Carmen reads to children are just hilarious. (Who knew The Little Match Girl had a sad ending?)

[Oleksandr]

Marc wrote: "just finished Samuel R Delany's Einstein Intersection. "

I've read it a few years back, it had interesting characters and I can see it as a significant breakthrough when it was published, but I cannot say it really 'worked' for me. Also that the end US cultural [cinema] context is important and I lacked it

[bob]

I agree about Sundiver. Completely skippable. Startide Rising is epic, and uplift war is a romp.

[Jason]

Really enjoying Ursula K. Le Guin's The Left Hand of Darkness
...and sad that I'm finishing it up

[Alexandra]

Jason wrote: "Really enjoying Ursula K. Le Guin's The Left Hand of Darkness
...and sad that I'm finishing it up"

I can relate! It's one of my favourite sci-fi books ever...

[Alexandra]

I've just finished The Vanished Birds, with very mixed feelings. The writing is beautiful, and there are fantastic scenes. Unfortunately, I had a lot of issues with characters, plot, and pacing. My review is here :) But I'm willing to try other books by Simon Jimenez.

[Ryan, Your favourite moderators favourite moderator]

Faith wrote: "My review of Children of Memory by Adrian Tchaikovsky

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."

Hi Faith, as your account is set to private those of us who haven't had the privilege of becoming your goodreads friend aren't able to see what you thought of the memorable for all the wrong reasons, Children of Memory. :)

[Ryan, Your favourite moderators favourite moderator]

Oleksandr wrote: "Marc wrote: "just finished Samuel R Delany's Einstein Intersection. "

I've read it a few years back, it had interesting characters and I can see it as a significant breakthrough when it was publis..."
I was completely baffled on my first listen of Einsteins Intersection but I reread it immediately after and it worked better for me. I put it down to not having to pay attention to everything so my brain could just pick up on the cool stuff.
It's probably my fave Delaney book, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone other than those who thought Babel 17 was good.

[Tyler]

Finished Book six of the Wheel of time, gave it three stars (read my review if you want to know why. Robert Jordan is the only author that I know of that can take a page and a half to describe one of his characters putting a gold crown in someone’s hand and saying “I want passage”.

Starting Leviathan Wakes book 1 of The Expanse series.

[Michelle]

Tyler wrote: "Finished Book six of the Wheel of time, gave it three stars (read my review if you want to know why. Robert Jordan is the only author that I know of that can take a page and a half to describe one ..."

And don't forget all of the clothing descriptions! Those provided lots of filler ;)

[Oleksandr]

Ryan wrote: "I was completely baffled on my first listen of Einsteins Intersection but I reread it immediately after and it worked better for me.."

Maybe the medium is important, I'll try reading it one day, thanks!

[Tyler]

Michelle, he’s definitely good at getting in filler lol 🤣

[Christopher]

Just finished War for the Oaks by Emma Bull, a book off the group shelf. An early example of Urban Fantasy set in the 1980's. It had some interesting elements, but ultimately wasn't my cup of tea.

Also reading This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub which I'm enjoying more so far. Time travel is one of my favorite genres & I like that it's set in NYC.

Just now realized both authors are Emmas.

Speaking of which, I have a dil-emma about what to read next -- I have a few competing books in my TBR - the two upcoming group reads Contact & Spear along with God Emperor of Dune, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, The Mountain in the Sea, When Women Were Dragons, City of Thieves, The Queen of Attolia and The Terraformers.

[DivaDiane]

I recently read two very different novellas about our future society. Both were excellent.

Neom, by Lavie Tidhar is a far future Israel/Palestine where there are robots smart UXOs, wild AI and rescue shelters for abandoned Pokemon. It was a really interesting book.

The Future Second by Second, by Meridel Newton is a post apocalyptic near-ish future (maybe 70 years?) with an amazing older female protagonist, who is the leader of a kibbutz type settlement in an abandon (Amazon?) warehouse, when trouble arrives. Only the mustache-twirling villain mars just a bit.

Both are highly recommended.

[Eric]

I have completed Gobbelino London & a Melee of Mages . Fun, whimsical read. Four stars. Kim Watt has so much fun with her characters, puns and zany reads in between the lines.

Onto a more serious historical fiction: The Huntress.

[Rick]

Finished Under Fortunate Stars which was... fine. Good characters and while it uses flashbacks throughout, something I normally hate, they were well done here. There was no real suspense as to the outcome of the plot but that was ok - the plot is really just there to let us watch the characters interact.

The problem for me was that we learn some info in one scene, then read another where it makes it very easy for us to connect things and realize outcomes, but since the scenes don't share characters, the characters blunder on, clueless and it's a little frustrating because it makes them seem dense when it's just a lack of information for them.

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

Oh, that is a very interesting/frustrating sounding use of that trope, Rick! Thanks for the recon!

I myself have been on a bit of a UF binge. So far no standouts, though in order they'd go Something from the Nightside, Jack of Kinrowan: Jack the Giant-Killer / Drink Down the Moon, Nightfall.

Nightside was typical but amusing. Jack was atypical but not so amusing. Nightfall was typical and not so amusing. I did have a great win in Shadowmarch, which won me over despite heavy prejudice. It's the only one of the four I intend on continuing!

[CBRetriever]

Allison wrote: "I did have a great win in Shadowmarch, which won me over despite heavy prejudice. It's the only one of the four I intend on continuing! "

I quite liked that series as well as Tad Williams Bobby Dollar series (absolutely nothing like Shadowmarch).

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

A good tip! Thanks, Chessie

[Rick]

Allison wrote: "Oh, that is a very interesting/frustrating sounding use of that trope, Rick! Thanks for the recon!

..."

I don't want to overstate the issue, either. It's most prominent at one point where we learn something about the background of an presetn time character and then find out that a key historical character has that background - but the two scenes don't share any people, so the connection is never made. It makes perfect sense in-story, but we see both scenes as readers.

In general, all of the twisty bits are handled quite well. There are supposed to be 5 people aboard the ship from the past... and there are, including a couple who match this historical record... but a couple who do not. The "yes, there are 5 but not the right 5" thing is a nice touch, handled well in the book.

[Marc]

Well, finished Alfred Bester's Computer Connection. was weird, and as a Native American, I admit I was a bit offended by the talk when he was referring to one of the characters, a Cherokee named Guess.
I don't particularly like being called names of people that I'm not (like famous chiefs or, just 'chief', my name is Marc, that's all you need to refer to me as!). I have to remember the time the book was written, and glad we moved on from that. Didn't like how he referred to how Cherokee women were expected to behave neither, it's simply not true. Anyhoo, neglecting that, the language was a little weird, N=No so N where is nowhere, U can be Un, so U known = unknown. and I wonder if Highlander (there can be only one) got part of it's inspiration from this book, both had immortals who were born human and mortal till you die, for most of us, we stay dead, for immortals, you awake and are very difficult to be killed again. Not a bad book for it's time, but it's time has past!

Now, on to the near future, reading Mira Grant's next newsflesh book Deadline, then on deck, a little back in time, CJ Cherryh's Heavy Time.

[DivaDiane]

Sorry you had to read that, Marc.

[Regalado]

I've started Replay by Ken Grimwood

[Wayne]

Just finished Eyes of the Void and all I can say is WOW! I can't wait for the next book.

[Marc]

Marc wrote: "Well, finished Alfred Bester's Computer Connection. was weird, and as a Native American, I admit I was a bit offended by the talk when he was referring to one of the characters, a Cherokee named Gu..."

yeah, I bought it, once I started, I had to finish simply because I got a good chunk of the way through the book, may as well finish it! I think a few of the older books would reflect the biases of that time. Heck, even reading the lady astronaut series which is pretty recent and by a female author was originally tough going, being set in those times as when bester was writing!

[Oleksandr]

Finally finished several reviews of books, both just finished as well as a few earlier reads.
1. Armor by John Steakley a ground-breaking mil-SF reviewed here
2. River of the Gods: Genius, Courage and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile by Candice Millard a non-fic, formally about the discovery by Europeans of the source of the Nile, but in reality less about geography and more about explorers reviewed here
3. Бот. Атакамська криза (Ukrainian) by Max Kidruk, a debut novel that is considered the first Ukrainian technothriller, reviewed here
4. Діти Застою (Ukrainian) by Василь Кожелянко, a collection of novellas / fictionalized memoirs set predominantly in a fictitious small town in Western Ukraine, reviewed here

[Sam]

Solar Lottery, Philip K. Dick's first published novel, was a very interesting read! His description of the future in this is so bizarrely real, so terrifying, that he's trying to read our minds.

[Kirsten]

Love Candice Millard. Her book about Teddy Roosevelt in South America was thrilling!

The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey

[Oleksandr]

Kirsten wrote: "Love Candice Millard. Her book about Teddy Roosevelt in South America was thrilling!

The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey"

Yes I've read it, great stuff, how he on his force of will moved on when his legs where troubled

[Dragoness]

[Meredith]

I'm reading Can't Spell Treason Without Tea which was apparently inspired by Legends & Lattes, but definitely is charting its own course.

Also working on The World We Make. It's developing sort of slowly but has some new elements I'm enjoying.

[Colin]

Have finished A Master of Djinn by P. Djeli Clark. This is steampunk set in a Cairo of 1912 after the djinn have been released to mingle in our world. This has transformed Egypt into a major power and created a whole new set of political intrigues (including human-djinn). I thought the storytelling and prose was good. It flowed easily. The murder mystery central to the plot was handled well. I also liked the characters, in particular the trio of Fatma, Siti, and Hadia. Fatma's wardrobe was wonderful. Yes, a number of secondary characters were two-dimensional and/or stereotypic, but that did not hurt the story. What I did not like were the chapters as the book came to the conclusion that felt like I was watching the climactic clash of an Avengers movie. Too cartoonish. (view spoiler)[ I also did not like - and I believe it was written this way intentionally - the parallel with the Lord of the Rings. There is one ring to rule them (the djinn) all. Abigail screams like Gollum (or Frodo) that the ring is hers. The ring is taken from Abigail by her hand (rather than finger) being bitten off. (hide spoiler)] These did not work for me. Overall, I did enjoy the book and would recommend it to folks who like steampunk.

[Kirsten]

I've been listening to The Noise

[Oleksandr]

Colin wrote: "Have finished A Master of Djinn by P. Djeli Clark. This is steampunk set in a Cairo of the 1920's after the djinn have been released to mingle ..."

Erm, the 1920s? I guessed it was a few decades earlier, have to check, read it last year. I liked two earlier novellas set in the same universe more

[Eric]

I completed The Huntress. A solid, five star, historical fiction. Kate Quinn introduces the reader to die Nachthexen. The night witches. An all female, Russian bomber group flying archaic bi-planes. They were real and had to have bigger brass then most men have.