SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

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What Else Are You Reading? > What Else Are You Reading in 2024?

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message 1151: by Mai (new)

Mai | 92 comments Carrie Vaughn presents a neat murder mystery in Bannerless. I like the emphasis on caring for your community. And telling the truth. And not being greedy. I would prefer slicker writing and more sparkle.


message 1152: by Michelle (new)

Michelle (michellehartline) | 3202 comments I just finished Drumindor and it was so fun! It'll be placed on my re-read rotation.


message 1153: by DivaDiane (new)

DivaDiane SM | 3701 comments Just finished What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher and loved it. Quick fun retelling of The Fall of the House of Usher (Poe), which I read last year.


message 1154: by Stephen (new)

Stephen Stanford (stephen_k_stanford) | 189 comments Just posted a review of Service Model, by Adrian Tchaikovsky here:

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


message 1155: by Ambereyes (new)

Ambereyes | 100 comments CJ wrote: "Yes, Satchel is great. I want to reread it in part because of him!

By the way, Baldree narrated both audiobooks of the series and does a splendid job at it. If you loved the books, the audiobooks ..."

As far as I know, the author himself reads the text. Actually, audiobooks aren't really my cup of tea. But maybe in this case I will take the time to listen to these books.
In any case, it's really nice to meet another Satchel fan.


message 1156: by Julia (new)

Julia Just about to start Strange Beasts Strange Beasts by Susan J. Morris


message 1157: by Marc (new)

Marc Towersap (marct22) | 340 comments as part of my horror october book read, just finished Joe Hill's Strange Weather, 4 stories somewhat weather related. I enjoyed all 4 stories!

now, on to Stephen Graham Jones' My Heart is a Chainsaw. book one of a trilogy... I met him and got my book signed too!


message 1158: by Mai (new)

Mai | 92 comments Can’t Spell Treason without Tea by Rebecca Thorne failed to interest me. The author needs a whole lot more practice but, hey, at least she’s writing.


message 1159: by Leonie (new)

Leonie (leonierogers) | 1230 comments I've just started listening to A Game of Thrones while dipping into the series on TV for the first time. I'd resisted reading it because I have a significant fear that the author will pass away before finishing the series (given the lack of final books so far.)

But...I'm doing a buddy watch. So I figured I'd better read too.


message 1160: by Mai (new)

Mai | 92 comments The Rage of Dragons Could. Not. Put. It. Down.


message 1161: by Brett (new)

Brett Bosley | 340 comments Aliens: Vasquez wasn't quite what I expected. Mostly it follows that character's family legacy. Some strange world-building decisions by V. Carlos - and TBH it took too long to finally get to the action. I didn't hate it.

Beginning Lawrence In Arabia, nonfiction about the curious characters involved in the guerrilla war against the Turks, and the eventual royal screwing that fate delivered to the Arabs.


message 1162: by CBRetriever (new)

CBRetriever | 6235 comments Mai wrote: "The Rage of Dragons Could. Not. Put. It. Down."

and I couldn't get into it, but I've promised to do a read somewhere, so I will do it


message 1163: by Araych (new)

Araych | 61 comments An Argumentation of Historians An Argumentation of Historians (The Chronicles of St Mary's, #9) by Jodi Taylor by Jodi Taylor

Chronicles of St. Mary's #9. Series probably best if read in approximate order. The books are a series of English time travel adventures with a good deal of humor. Obviously in a long series some books are better than others. This could be the best (other than #1). Historical information as well as trivia, humor, suspense, and a bang-up plot. Highly recommended, 5 stars.


message 1164: by Lauksme (new)

Lauksme (orikamane) The Master and Margarita only 8 chapters yet, but I can smell a 5 stars and a new fav :)


message 1165: by Jonathan (new)

Jonathan | 23 comments Mai wrote: "The Rage of Dragons Could. Not. Put. It. Down."

I absolutely love this series! Can't wait for the author to finish the third book!


message 1166: by Jonathan (new)

Jonathan | 23 comments Re-reading the The Covenant of Steel by Anthony Ryan!


message 1167: by Colin (new)

Colin (colinalexander) | 384 comments Finished The Seventh Veil of Salome by Sylvia Moreno-Garcia. When I picked it up, I wasn't sure if it would be historical fantasy (like her Silver Nitrate) or pure historical fiction (like her Velvet Was the Night). In fact, I would call this historical romance, three romances actually, (view spoiler). The plot revolves around a Hollywood production of The Seventh Veil of Salome in the fifties and the stories of a number of characters caught up in the events around the film. A story of the real Salome is interspersed with the main tale. There are no chapters. The running text is divided into sections, each headlined by the POV character for that section, a device that worked pretty well. For me, the plot was too languid and limited in scope, but that may be because I don't normally go for romance books. If you like historical romance or stories about Hollywood (with plenty of real tidbits) this may be for you.


message 1168: by Alexandra (new)

Alexandra  | 252 comments Orikamane wrote: "The Master and Margarita only 8 chapters yet, but I can smell a 5 stars and a new fav :)"

Nice to hear :)


message 1169: by Alexandra (new)

Alexandra  | 252 comments I finished The Mercy of Gods. It was a book club pick, and I liked it with some reservations. The setting and the plot were very well done, but the characters did not feel "real".

My review is here ;)

I am also done with Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 212, May 2024. There were many stories I liked!

My review is here ;)

Currently reading: The Dead Cat Tail Assassins. The world is fascinating, the ideas are cool, but the execution is so-so. It's a pity, I loved the Djinn books. It might get better towards the end, you never know.


message 1170: by CJ (new)

CJ | 587 comments I recently read The Word for World is Forest by Le Guin, and it reminded me of why I loved reading Le Guin when I was younger. Her prose is so deliberate and purposeful, and she presents her ideas with such clarity.

Today I'm taking a break from my BotMs and TBRs and rereading "Repent, Harlequin! Said the TickTockman" by Harlan Ellison, from the anthology of his short stories, Greatest Hits, that was released earlier this year. I might need to reread "I have No Mouth..." after this, which is also in this anthology.

After that I might read some Harry Harrison, or H. Beam Piper, or CL Moore, or maybe I'll go back to my GR currently reading list if my ADHD will let me. We'll see.


message 1171: by Kaia (new)

Kaia | 721 comments Alexandra wrote: "Currently reading: The Dead Cat Tail Assassins. The world is fascinating, the ideas are cool, but the execution is so-so. It's a pity, I loved the Djinn books. It might get better towards the end, you never know."

In a way, I'm glad to hear you say this, Alexandra. I started reading this one and ended up returning it to the library to borrow another time. I've loved the author's other books, so I thought it was just me. I'm interested to hear if it gets better toward the end. I hope so - I'd still like to get back to it!


message 1172: by Alexandra (new)

Alexandra  | 252 comments Kaia wrote: "In a way, I'm glad to hear you say this, Alexandra. I started reading this one and ended up returning it to the library to borrow another time. I've loved the author's other books, so I thought it was just me. I'm interested to hear if it gets better toward the end. I hope so - I'd still like to get back to it! "

I am also kind of glad to hear that you returned it to the library ;))) But I am keeping my fingers crossed, maybe it will get better!


message 1173: by QueenAmidala28 (new)

QueenAmidala28 | 75 comments The God of the Woods is very well written. It keeps you on your toes but has so many characters to remember.
Also reading The Mercy of the Gods. I can see how people say the characters are hard to visualize but if you have worked in research these are pretty standard characters. lol. Also reading The Seventh Veil of Salome. It brought a new light to minority Hollywood actors during the 50s. Civil rights movement was fought on so many areas. Highly recommend.


message 1174: by Economondos (new)

Economondos | 553 comments Just finished Foundation / Foundation and Empire / Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book may be the reason that I became first a statistician and then spent so much time learning to model human behavior (in a very specialized field). Knowing what I do about the subject I hope that in a mere 16,000 years we might somehow approach sociological modeling of major events. I like this edition because it has a nice intro and a chronology of Asimov's life. Those are good bonuses.

My review here

And now I can take up Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and join the discussion.


message 1175: by Nicci (new)

Nicci (niccit) | 55 comments Alexandra wrote: "I finished The Mercy of Gods. It was a book club pick, and I liked it with some reservations. The setting and the plot were very well done, but the characters did not feel "real".
..."


Excellent review, Alexandra. I get your reservations about the characters. (view spoiler). You might want to read Corey's Livesuit, a 75 (or 90) page novella in the series. It adds another perspective to the ongoing war.


message 1176: by Alexandra (last edited Oct 10, 2024 01:26PM) (new)

Alexandra  | 252 comments Nicci wrote: "Alexandra wrote: "I finished The Mercy of Gods. It was a book club pick, and I liked it with some reservations. The setting and the plot were very well done, but the characters did..."

Thank you :) I appreciate the heads-up on the novella! I didn't know about it.


message 1177: by Alexandra (new)

Alexandra  | 252 comments I finished The Dead Cat Tail Assassins. Unfortunately, it continued to be a 3 star read. It tried to do too much. The world and the ideas are really interesting, but the execution was so-so.

My review is here ;)


message 1178: by Brett (new)

Brett Bosley | 340 comments Starting Joseph Delaney's, The Spook's Beastiary, just for fun.


message 1179: by Jacqueline (new)

Jacqueline | 2428 comments Finished Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune this arvo. Loved it. Started A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas tonight. Don’t know why I picked it up. Just did.


message 1180: by Julia (new)

Julia The Sentinel (Jack Reacher, #25) by Lee Child
Wondering how many people will get punched in the face..??


message 1181: by CJ (new)

CJ | 587 comments I started The Vegetarian by Han Kang last night because she just won the Nobel and the Jon Fosse book I've had on my TBR list since last year's Nobel is giving me the stink eye. I don't know if this was a good idea to start this, since I'm trying to wrap up my spooky season reading by the end of this month (help, I'm lost in an ever-shifting labyrinth of horror titles and can't get out), but it's short, at least. Unlike House of Leaves. Why did I put a library hold on House of Leaves...

I am also starting The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester today as part of my ongoing, endless "Read All the Classic SF Things" project (and it is a project--I have a google doc). It's a Bester work I have never read before, but have seen readers younger than myself praise it, so I'm excited by that, especially since I've been reading so much horror/horror-adjacent and I'm not really a horror geek, so I am in a big mood to read SF right now.


message 1182: by Stephen (new)

Stephen Stanford (stephen_k_stanford) | 189 comments Just finished Fever House by Keith Rosson (and am busy with the sequel on kindle). Totally brilliant, my review here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


message 1183: by Melanie, the neutral party (new)

Melanie | 1713 comments Mod
Allison Hurd's third book in the Summoner Sister series came out: Thicker Than Water! So yeah, I'm reading that.

PS: I didn't consult with Allison before posting this. I just really like her books.


message 1184: by Hank, Hankenstein's Modster (new)

Hank (hankenstein) | 1236 comments Mod
Me too, 1/2 way done


message 1185: by Silvana (new)

Silvana (silvaubrey) | 2823 comments Reading four scifi stories in different formats but the most enjoyable is The Jinnbot of Shantiport by Samit Basu so I might finish it first.


message 1186: by CJ (last edited Oct 12, 2024 11:57AM) (new)

CJ | 587 comments Silvana wrote: "Reading four scifi stories in different formats but the most enjoyable is The Jinnbot of Shantiport by Samit Basu so I might finish it first."

Jinnbot is on my Next Up shelf as it's a BotM for another GR group, and I'm quite eager to get to it. I just need to get through a few other books first that are either due back to the library or leaving my subscription services soon.

Two such books are the 2nd and 3rd books of Lee's Machineries of Empire series. I started the second, Raven Stratagem last night and I think I like it more than the first book, maybe because I'm starting with some understanding of the series' universe.

Another book I'm in the middle of is Gladstone's Full Fathom Five, and I like it much more than Three Parts Dead but also am wondering why it needed to be as long as it is. I'm not sure I like this series that much. It's an interesting world, very creative and unique, but I don't like the "economy" in the world, I don't like all the bureaucratic/litigious vibes, it feels suffocating and kind of takes some of the potential appeal of it for me.

And I picked up House of Leaves from the library today. I was worried I'd take a cursory look at it in person and immediately nope it, but actually it appears more accessible for a disabled reader like myself than I expected. It's 700 pages and a print copy, so it will be slow read for me.


message 1187: by Stephen (new)

Stephen Stanford (stephen_k_stanford) | 189 comments I'm listening to Escher Man, by the brilliant Australian writer T.R. Napper. Will definitely be reviewing soon.


message 1188: by Brett (new)

Brett Bosley | 340 comments Diving into Richard Bachman's (posthumous) The Regulators, because I got it from Goodwill like 3 years ago and it's the right time of year.

Spook's Bestiary was fun. Quick. Kind of along the lines of Zombie Survival Guide. I may investigate the larger series.


message 1189: by Richard (new)

Richard Derus (expendablemudge) | 45 comments I haven't seen a post from the group in ages, and now I know why...so please indulge me as I make a:
GROUP ANNOUNCEMENT.

If you have noticed that you are not receiving notifications of posts on your group threads, that is a new design by Goodreads. It applies to all of your groups, and all of your reviews. To get these notifications again, or to be sure you still get them, check the "notify me when people comment" box under *every* review you want to follow and on all the group threads you want to follow. Otherwise you won't be sure of being notified of comments.


message 1190: by Anna (last edited Oct 13, 2024 07:19AM) (new)

Anna (vegfic) | 10459 comments People have been discussing that in the Notifications thread in the "All About Goodreads" folder.


message 1191: by CBRetriever (new)

CBRetriever | 6235 comments Brett wrote: "Diving into Richard Bachman's (posthumous) The Regulators, because I got it from Goodwill like 3 years ago and it's the right time of year.

Spook's Bestiary was fun. Quick. Kind of along the line..."


Huh? Richard Bachman is a pseudonym for Stephen King who is very much alive.


message 1192: by Justin (new)

Justin Webb | 2 comments I’m reading through all of the Murderbot books right now and I am having a great time.

I also just finished Piranesi (on the fantasy/speculative fiction front) but I found it to be highly overrated.


message 1193: by CJ (last edited Oct 13, 2024 09:16AM) (new)

CJ | 587 comments Read another Samuel R Delany book, The Einstein Intersection, and unfortunately I do not partake in the kinds of mind-altering substances Delany clearly was on when he wrote this book, so I can't say I enjoyed it that much. Imagine your stoned-out dorm mate from college trying to talk to you about Greek myths and going off on a long tangent about riding dragons and you'll get the vibe. It's called a novel but it's barely 120 or so pages, probably under 100 if you took out all the many quotes from other writers that Delany thought this needed.

Justin wrote: "I’m reading through all of the Murderbot books right now and I am having a great time.

I also just finished Piranesi (on the fantasy/speculative fiction front) but I found it to be highly overrated."


I'm always happy to see someone else getting into Murderbot. I have a copy of Piranesi that I want to read--I've seen people have pretty disparate reactions to it.


message 1194: by CBRetriever (new)

CBRetriever | 6235 comments currently reading

Someplace to Be Flying by Charles de Lint = excellent
and
Riddle-Master by Patricia A. McKillip which contains all three books in the series = quite good
and
Jade War by Fonda Lee = good and better than the first book in the series
and
a few others


message 1195: by Economondos (new)

Economondos | 553 comments Read through Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is one of the few times I can say that the movie was better than the book. Maybe I just need more Rutger Hauer in my sci-fi.

My review here

This week I am going to try and finish Raymond Feist's Magician: Apprentice Volume 1.


message 1196: by Jacqueline (new)

Jacqueline | 2428 comments Yeah Chessie’s right. Richard Bachman is Stephen King. Last time I looked he was definitely alive. Not long released another book. Anyhoo…..


message 1197: by Colin (new)

Colin (colinalexander) | 384 comments On the non-fiction side, read Pax: War and Peace in Rome's Golden Age by Tom Holland. This is a history of the Roman Empire and its rulers from Nero through Hadrian, brought to life using brief stories of the emperors and the many secondary players who had roles in the times. The prose is fluid and easy to read, the opposite of an academic tome. Recommended to those who enjoy ancient history or simply enjoy fantasy world-building, because the world of the early Roman Empire would be a stunning fantasy world if it weren't true.
Pax War and Peace in Rome's Golden Age by Tom Holland


message 1198: by Mai (last edited Oct 14, 2024 08:46AM) (new)

Mai | 92 comments Finished The Fires of Vengeance, the second book in The Burning series. This story boasts an abundance of non-stop fighting, killing, double crossing and political intrigue with just a smidge of romance. Evan Winter gives us an underdog hero who fights his way up the social ladder. Love it.


message 1199: by Charlton (new)


message 1200: by Michelle (new)

Michelle (michellehartline) | 3202 comments Charlton wrote: "Starting Rune to Ruin by Gregory Amato."

I've been meaning to get to that series. Please let us know how it goes!


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