What are you reading in Q2 of 2023?

[Kathi, There’s no such thing as too many books!]

Let’s hear about what you’re reading in Quarter 2 of 2023 (April, May, June)!
All genres are welcome in this topic thread—share what books you are reading or listening to and what you think of them. It’s always great to get ideas from each other, although my list of books to read is already pretty unwieldy! 😁

[Kathi, There’s no such thing as too many books!]

After finishing Shadowmarch by Tad Williams for our April discussion, I read:
Coyote Waits by Tony Hillerman, 8/10. Interesting how Jim Chee and Joe Leaphorn come at the mystery from different starting points. Both are such interesting characters.

Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky, 10/10. I could not see how this book was going to have an ending that didn’t involve annihilation of one or the other species—humans or spiders. (view spoiler)[Yet the author pulled it off, and in a way that was believable and fit the rest of the story. (hide spoiler)] The author created a compelling, believable, detailed alien species and society. While the nanovirus accelerated the evolution of the spiders, it also was the catalyst that made that final solution possible. Looking forward to continuing this series.

Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood, 9/10. Disturbing and thought-provoking. Exceptionally well-written. The story of Oryx and Crake is revealed in hints, puzzle pieces, and layers as Snowman rummages through his memories of life as Jimmy. The backdrop of a genetically engineered world experiencing catastrophic climate change and disintegrating human society provides an appropriately bleak setting for the story, both past and present, and the scientific advances don’t seem all that beneficial to society in general. I will continue with the rest of the MaddAddam series.

Blood Memory by Greg Iles, 8.5/10. Definitely a page turner once you get past the first 25% of the book. A few parts felt a little preachy and I figured out one of the main mysteries of the book (view spoiler)[(who abused Cat when she was a child) (hide spoiler)] early on, but this is a solid, well-written story.

Started Tetrarch: A Tale Of The Three Worlds by Ian Irvine.

[Katy]

Will finish the ShadowMarch Series by Tad Williams. Would love to read another series in this quarter also - not sure what to read or reread.

[Kathi, There’s no such thing as too many books!]

Wrapping up May:
Tetrarch: A Tale Of The Three Worlds by Ian Irvine, 7/10. A decent second book in this quartet. What I liked: The main characters have a lot of depth. They exhibit a full range of emotions, strengths, and weaknesses, demonstrating tremendous courage, appalling selfishness, and understandable self-preservation. The world is fully realized and is described in sometimes overwhelming detail. The plot continues to evolve in complexity with themes of loyalty, friendship, love, trust, and duty playing out against as backdrop of politics, military matters, science, and magic. And everyone from every race (“old” human, Aachim, and Lyrinx) is just trying to survive. What I disliked: It felt like there was a lot of wandering around without advancing the plot as much as I would have liked. Yes, in 600+ pages, the story did move forward in important ways, but it still felt like it meandered and dragged. In addition, the timeline was hard to follow, especially in the second half of the book when the main characters were scattered across the continent and each had their own POV chapters, so it was difficult to tell which events were happening at the same time and which were moving forward in time.

Sacred Clowns by Tony Hillerman, 8/10. An interesting mystery with a nice dose of indigenous culture and a satisfying ending. I always enjoy the Leaphorn & Chee books.

Shadowplay by Tad Williams, 8/10. Comments in our topic thread for this book.

Flyer by Gail Kimberly, 5/10. A simple fable, quite predictable, and a fast read.

Surface Detail by Iain M. Banks, 10/10. Maybe not my favorite Culture book, but this is certainly right up there! Themes of loyalty/betrayal, the role of religion in society, hope/despair, revenge/justice—plenty of meaty topics to ponder. What I liked: There was a fair amount of plot and action involving the Culture ships; the ships and their Minds are such great characters! The various ship avatars were quite a collection of personalities. There were several pan-human characters whose storylines were interesting and who were people I wanted to read about, especially Lededje, Yime, and Vatueil. I thought Vatueil’s sections were a great commentary on war—how stupefying and pointless it is. Even though he learned from his mistakes and failures, still the war just dragged on and on—new battlefields, different weapons, but endless death. What I didn’t like: Veppers was too predictable and flat as a villain, although I did not expect that (view spoiler)[the Hells were “housed” on his estate—that was a fitting little tidbit (hide spoiler)]! The Pavulean Hell was beyond horrific and it was hard to read those sections (view spoiler)[(other than when Chay was in the Refuge convent/scriptorium) (hide spoiler)].

The Fallen Man by Tony Hillerman, 6.5/10. Joe Leaphorn, now retired, is drawn into a case that he had previously investigated while part of the Navajo Tribal Police. Jim Chee, now acting Lieutenant, is also involved in this case. What I liked: Hillerman’s descriptions of the landscapes, weather, and people of the Four Corners region are so evocative. Leaphorn and Chee, so different from each other, are great characters, and their supporting cast is fleshed out enough to make them real. Officer Bernadette Manuelito is a great addition. So why only 6.5/10? Possible spoilers…. (view spoiler)[Leaphorn’s maybe-romantic interest from the previous book is not mentioned. And Janet Pete, Chee’s fiancé, is turning out to be another Mary Landon, only yuckier (hanging out with the man she said misled and mistreated her? Really?). But the main reason is that, even after rereading it several times, I still don’t quite understand the sequence of events that led to Hal Breedlove’s death and who, if anyone besides Eldon Demott, was involved. (hide spoiler)]

The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood, 10/10. I didn’t find this book as slow as Oryx and Crake, or maybe I just was glad to be reading about people I found more engaging and positive than Jimmy/Snowman. (I didn’t really like Jimmy, Glenn/Crake, or Oryx, although Oryx is mysterious enough to be fascinating.) Like the first book, some sections were written in present tense and some in past tense; the chapter headings helped me keep the timelines straight and it felt more linear than Oryx & Crake. Bleak as this book was, it felt less hopeless and dark compared to the first book. I especially enjoyed making the connections and realizing how this story fits with book 1. Of course, familiarity with the world helped me avoid a lot of the “what does that mean” and “what the heck is going on” moments I had while reading Oryx & Crake. Atwood does a great job making secondary characters come to life. I don’t know exactly the term I should use, but she is able to make the reader fully see and feel the scenes, the characters, the actions, and the emotions, but with relatively few words. It’s not that the writing is spare or bare-bones. It’s more that her word choices and the way she constructs the narrative is succinct but still evocative. Can’t wait to see what the third book brings!

[Kathi, There’s no such thing as too many books!]

So far in June, I’ve read:
Shadowrise by Tad Williams, 8.5/10, comments in our discussion folder for the Shadowmarch series.

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers, 9/10. Such a touching story—not cloying and sweet, not melodramatic, but so filled with achingly familiar, utterly human moments. This was my first book by Chambers and I look forward to reading the sequel at some point. I saw this book described elsewhere as “solarpunk”—a term absolutely new to me. Apparently it refers to “… a science fiction literary subgenre and art movement, solarpunk works address how the future might look if humanity succeeded in solving major contemporary challenges with an emphasis on sustainability, human impact on the environment, and addressing climate change and pollution.” (Wikipedia) It certainly poses an interesting basic question—is being alive enough?(view spoiler)[ I think Mosscap’s perspective is one of mindfulness, being in the moment and living moment to moment with curiosity and appreciation. When Dex does that, he is occupied and content, but when he stops, that’s when his doubts and feelings of missing something start. Simply being doesn’t seem like enough for him. (hide spoiler)]

The First Eagle by Tony Hillerman, 8/10. Once again Retired Navajo Tribal Police Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn and Acting Lieutenant Jim Chee work on a murder and a disappearance, coming at the mysteries from different places but ultimately working together to solve them. And their personal lives get some resolution, too. Very satisfying.

I am taking 2 more Navajo Mysteries along on a trip (leaving tomorrow), as well as a stand-alone fantasy called Minerva Wakes by Holly Lisle, and I have Children of Ruin and Children of Memory by Adrian Tchaikovsky downloaded on my iPad. I don’t expect to finish all those, but we do have time in airports and on airplanes, so I should at least put a dent in the pile. That will take me into the beginning of July.