SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion
SciFi and Fantasy Book Challenge
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2015 Group Challenge Reading Calendar/Planning
I am finishing Flowers for Algernon and looking to start Neuromancer next. Thanks again Michael for the discussion links.
I'm over the halfway point with Fahrenheit 451. I'll get started on Neuromancer and Zodiac soon. I keep getting lead astray because I REALLY want to read a good scary horror book. I've been unsuccessful so far.
Edwin wrote: "I am finishing Flowers for Algernon and looking to start Neuromancer next. Thanks again Michael for the discussion links."No problem! I'll look for you on the Neuromancer discussion...
Sarah wrote: "... because I REALLY want to read a good scary horror book. I've been unsuccessful so far."Ever?
It's extremely rare for books or movies to scare me. They tend to be yawningly predictable to me. The Taking, 77 Shadow Street, and Annihilation all scared me, but they were alien environments. Watchers by Dean Koontz also scared me to death, but I was 11 or 12 and living in the exact same environment as where the book takes place. And I didn't have curtains on my window. It was terrifying :) Mostly horror books range between suspense and laughable to me. Just not particularly scary. I'm weird.
If you like Koontz, the one that scared me (besides Watchers, I agree) was The Bad Place. (Without giving anything away, it has possible problems in the "accepting people who are different" department, though.) Maybe it scared me for the wrong reasons, but it screwed with reality in ways that are counter to my emotional security! (Actually, so did Blood Music in a different way, but it was more disturbing than frightening, at least for me.)I'll poke around my inventory and see if I think of any more suggestions...
I haven't read The Bad Place in forever and I think I've only read it once. I'll have to dig it out. I'm a huge Koontz fan and I finally have all of his books. Any suggestions are appreciated. Being safely scared is sometimes fun.
Ha! The Bad Place was right on top of the stack I hadn't put away. Thanks Michael.
I just bumped Fahrenheit 451 up to 5 stars. Every time I tried to describe it, I'm like "It was SO amazing". Finally I conceded that I was giving a whole extra star or star and a half because of Tim Robbins' brilliant narration.It was SO amazing!
The book that really scared me was a nonfiction book Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders gave me nightmares for a week. That's one book I would never reread.
That was a good one Maggie! I really enjoyed it and I want to read a few more of his. I loved that book.
That looks cool! I put it in my Thriftbooks cart for my next order. Thanks.
Sarah wrote: "I just bumped Fahrenheit 451 up to 5 stars. Every time I tried to describe it, I'm like "It was SO amazing". Finally I conceded that I was giving a whole extra star or star and a ..."Tim Robbins, eh. That may move it higher on my "to-read" list...
It was really fantastic :) I watched an Audible interview with him last night. Apparently he feels very strongly about the book and its message. And he loves the book. The non-rational part of my brain wants listen to it again. Now.
Sarah wrote: "The non-rational part of my brain wants listen to it again. Now. "LOL.
Just a heads up. Next month's reading challenge The Dispossessed is on sale at Amazon today for for $1.99 (kindle) http://www.amazon.com/Dispossessed-Am...
Thanks, Monica! I'm really looking forward to that one.
Okay, people, here is your one week warning: start dates forThe Dispossessed - (387pp)
and
The Long Earth - (336pp)
are May 15! Who is still planning to be on board for these? Show of hands? I think Sarah is plowing through this series, maybe she has made it that far?
I'm still planning on reading The Dispossessed but I made the mistake of not realizing there is only one copy at my library, so I am currently waiting for whoever has it to return it. (Guess I should have pounced on that Amazon sale, Monica!) Hopefully I won't miss the 15th by much.
Meanwhile discussions for the April books are still going on, post your thoughts if you've read Zodiac, Fahrenheit 451, or Necromancer. Links are on the first post of this thread...
I'm still reading The Dispossessed. I don't have time for The Long Earth but I read it in December so I'm thinking I can at least participate in the conversation. And ask my WTF question. There's one thing that really didn't make sense.
Oh, wait, I mean Neuromancer, not Necromancer, lol! That's why I should always take the time to insert the links...
That's an awfully easy mistake to make. I should be more careful about links too, but half the time I'm on my phone.
I plan on reading both books and hopefully will be free to participate in the discussions.
I have started reading The Dispossessed and hope to be completed soon. I had to skip Neuromancer hoping to catch up with it later. It is Spring/Summer. The days are long and I am a hardcore, addicted, unrepentant cyclist (recreational, no races but many many miles). My reading has slowed considerably, but I am trying to keep up. Pedaling as fast as I can...BTW the sale at Amazon is over for The Dispossessed, but it can still be purchased (relatively) inexpensively there.
Thanks to everyone who has checked in so far, it's nice to get an idea who is doing what.Monica, you should do audio books on your bike! Is that even possible? I wonder if it is more dangerous than audio books in the car...
When I am getting my kids out the door in the mornings, we often see a cyclist ride by who is listening to the radio. We know because it's not a headset it is speakers that we can hear as they go by. The kids (and I) are totally amazed by this concept. Although if everyone rode bikes with speakers instead of driving, what a cacophony!
I've seen cyclists listening to ear buds. I don't like being deaf to what's going on around me so i don't do it. But as time goes by... I'm now listening to audiobooks in my car and on walks, which I said I would never do. I would also listen to them while hiking if I was doing that right now. They've worn down my resistance. So when I get back to cycling I'll be listening to audiobooks and calling it multitasking.Michael, the speakers thing would be horribly annoying! What would the purpose of that be compared to eat buds?
I can't actually jog anymore without an audiobook (ok slight exaggeration), I don't usually jog on streets however, so I don't have to pay as much attention to the world outside my head. Good books are great motivators for running.
Out in the country, people ride with their speakers on to alert the deer. When deer hear human voices, they tend to run away instead of toward the road.
Sarah wrote: "Michael, the speakers thing would be horribly annoying! What would the purpose of that be compared to eat buds?"I think you answered your own question - when you have ear buds on you can't hear as much and can't be as attentive to the environment.
For me personally, when I am walking with earbuds, I have to have an elaborate setup connecting ipod and sound cancelling device and earbuds. It might be a bit too much to insert a bike into that mess. I wonder if the channel and volume controls for speakers would be on the handlebars? That would make it easier to change volume/output on the fly if needed without getting your hands too far from the handlebars...
Monica wrote: "I am a hardcore, addicted, unrepentant cyclist (recreational, no races but many many miles). My reading has slowed considerably"Monica, I too am a devoted road cyclist and this is my exact dilemma as well. Now that the Midwest winter is finally over, I am trying to get the base miles in for some upcoming long rides, and my reading has suffered. I was able to finally finish Neuromancer but have yet to compose and put my thoughts to paper. There are just too many things I want to do, and then this day job also keeps getting in the way.
And for what it's worth, headphones or ear buds and fast road biking=REALLY BAD IDEA.
Sarah;Besides Koontz's The Bad Place, and Watchers, try his "Midnight"; also Ramsey Campbell's "The Hungry Moon", and Orson Scott Card's "Enchantment" - a modern fantasy based on Sleeping Beauty - not the cute and childish Disney version, the terrifying,horrible encounter with unspeakable evil that is the RUSSIAN version - and Card's "Lost Boys", which starts out like a semi-autobiographical family story, and then becomes more and more a story of evil and horror that you can't put down, even though you're probably sobbing by the end.
Ah, to wear headphones or not on a road bike. In cycling this is an age old battle. I confess I do wear them (not earbuds or noise cancelling for obvious reasons) at a lower than normal volume. I can feel the vibrations of an approaching vehicle as well as I hear them. Anyways.. as far an audiobook goes, it requires too much focus. Too distracting for me. I used to try to listen to NPR on the way home from work and I couldn't concentrate on a 2 minute article because I was too focused on why that car ahead of me is hugging the bike lane or hey that car that just passed me smells like weed, or hold on tight because the wind break from the vehicle that just passed you is over and turbulence is imminent or driver please get off that cell phone etc. For me it's just not feasible. On another note, another cyclist friend of mine does listen to audio books while running and riding. He turned me on to the idea that Audible can download books to the phone, so I think it is doable. Great idea and I will definitely give it a try on my runs.
Monica wrote: "I confess I do wear them (not earbuds or noise cancelling for obvious reasons) at a lower than normal volume. "You must be a better rider than I. I need all my senses and can't even chew gum while riding in traffic or a fast pace line.
I have the advantage of a lovely path that's about 20-30 feet from the roadway. I would be way too nervous to listen to earbuds in traffic.Sandi, thanks for the info about the deer. That makes much more sense :)
Okay, whoever checked out The Dispossessed before me returned it and now I have it in my hot little hands! I'm actually reading Rocannon's World at the moment since it isn't technically May 15 yet and that one is only 100 pages. I really like the idea of this series and have enjoyed the two I've read so far, looking forward to The Dispossessed! (And The Word for World is Forest in October!)
Oh, I didn't know it was planned (I'm really new to this group and I still have to understand how things works) but I'm reading The Dispossessed right now! Nice!
Fran wrote: "Oh, I didn't know it was planned (I'm really new to this group and I still have to understand how things works) but I'm reading The Dispossessed right now! Nice!"Funny! I just started today, it looks good!
Looks like your computer is being flaky again, Richard! It's good to see you on the thread again, though, hope all is going well with the challenge...
Reminder: It looks like a few people have started posting on the threads for this month's Challenge books. Feel free to chime in if you are reading along!The Dispossessed
"Dispossessed" Obligatory First Impressions *no spoilers*
"Dispossessed" The Ending **Spoilers Allowed**
The Long Earth
"The Long Earth" First Impressions *No Spoilers*
"The Long Earth" Final Thoughts *Spoilers*
I didn't know people had started posting. I'm hoping to finish The Dispossessed tomorrow. I didn't know there were Obligatory first impressions. That's intriguing. Thanks Michael.
Ha! I didn't make the title, but we do try to always have a first impressions thread so I guess some might (humorously) call it "obligatory".
It made me wonder if there's something that happens in the book that makes it important to note first impressions. Maybe our thoughts will completely change! :) Or they could have been playing around. There are some odd threads on those older books.
Did you guys see there's a new book coming out in the The Long Earth series? It's called The Long Utopia. I know Edwin at least was unsure of whether or not to read the third. This may help :) I was hesitating on whether or not to finish the series but I don't want to read three more.
SciFi and Fantasy Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Greg Bear (other topics)China Miéville (other topics)
Ursula K. Le Guin (other topics)
Dean Koontz (other topics)
Glad to have you!
As a reminder to everyone watching this thread, today is the day we "officially" start reading challenge books, as the regular club monthly reads (Blood Song and Flowers for Algernon) usually start their spoiler threads about now.
I see people have already started commenting on the Neuromancer and Fahrenheit 451 threads, so feel to join in once you've started, and anyone reading Zodiac is welcome to start posting, too. (Discussion threads are back in message 46 and also in the first post on this thread, as always.)
Enjoy!