What Else Are You Reading in 2024? Showing 1,201-1,250 of 1,529

[Colin]

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.

[Mai]

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.

[Charlton]

Starting Rune to Ruin by Gregory Amato.

[Michelle]

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!

[Stephen]

Economondos wrote: "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 Ru..."

I agree, the movie was a masterpiece but the book it was based on, only so so. This is very rare! Usually they buy a 'property', change it completely and make it much worse - i Robot springs to mind. If you're going to make a crappy movie, may as well live or die by the IP that you paid good money for!

[Brett]

@CBR - don't *tell* everybody!

[Marc]

Finished Stephen Graham Jones' My Heart Is A Chainsaw, a definite horror book, a slasher book set in a fictional mountain town in Idaho. It's a fun read (for a horror book!), protagonist is a 17 year old teen girl who is a horror fan. Yes chainsaws are in the book but not as often as I'd guessed. It's not the book version of Texas chainsaw massacre. Some of his books can be a little dense, but not this one! can hardly wait to read the 2nd book in this series.

But before I can do that, I have to read Fonda Lee's Jade City for a scifi/fantasy hike that is going on this Sunday. I gotta hurry through a 500 page book!

[CBRetriever]

I'm working on Jade War, the second book in that series, right now.

[Mai]

Jhereg.This one reminds me of Mission Impossible only it lives in Fantasyland. A quick and fun read.

[Michelle]

Mai wrote: "Jhereg.This one reminds me of Mission Impossible only it lives in Fantasyland. A quick and fun read."

That series gives me the giggles!

[CBRetriever]

Michelle wrote: "Mai wrote: "Jhereg.This one reminds me of Mission Impossible only it lives in Fantasyland. A quick and fun read."

That series gives me the giggles!"

especially Loiosh

[Michelle]

CBRetriever wrote: "Michelle wrote: "Mai wrote: "Jhereg.This one reminds me of Mission Impossible only it lives in Fantasyland. A quick and fun read."

That series gives me the giggles!"

especially Loiosh"

For me it's the scenes with Vlad & Kragar!

[Colin]

Finished a curious book: The Last Gifts of the Universe by Riley August. The story follows Scout, Kieran, two archaeologists, and their cat (!) Pumpkin as they chase down clues to the mysterious entity (or force) that has destroyed every other civilization and inhabited world in the universe. (view spoiler)[It is a bit reminiscent of the omega clouds from Jack McDevitt's Academy/Hutch series. (hide spoiler)] Based on the writing, I would consider the book to be MG, although GR lists it as "adult" and Amazon does not give an age range, implying "adult." Scout and Kieran are definitely adult characters (they are professionals), but they come across more as teens, even early teens. I think this all matters because as MG I'm fine with the "soft" science fiction powered by "handwavium" and the anthropomorphic treatment of the alien civilization. Could also call it cozy, perhaps. Overall, a fun, sweet (maybe bittersweet) romp through the universe. If you like MG SF, or cozy SF, give it a try. And, of course, there is the space-traveling cat! Very curious what others think.

[Eric]

I completed the four book series, "The Phoenix Feather" that begins with Fledglings . A mix of four stars, three stars and a five stars finale. Sherwood Smith is an excellent story teller.

[Mai]

Yendi, The author presents a humorous and twisty tale of assasins that moves quickly. I'm really enjoying this series.

[CJ]

You all are going to make me break down and buy some of the Vald Taltos books, lol. I remember those books from when I was a kid but I've never read them.

I'm finishing up Planet of the Apes by Peter Boulle. The original movies were a huge influence on my love of SF and were among my favorite movies as a kid, but never read the novel before. So far it's a mix a top-notch 60s SF/spec fic and laugh-out-loud dated writing, especially regarding the female character Nova.

Also started Pushing Ice by Alastair Reynolds. I had to stop and look up whether Reynolds counts PKD as an influence (he does) because there's something about the premise and some of characters that strike me as PKD-esque, like PKD had some leftover novel ideas and chararcter sketches and gave them to an astrophysicist. I never read Reynolds before and was just in the mood for something Expanse-like but not by the Expanse writers (I've given those guys enough of my time and money for now). Enjoying it so far.

[CBRetriever]

CJ wrote: "You all are going to make me break down and buy some of the Vald Taltos books, lol. I remember those books from when I was a kid but I've never read them.

I'm finishing up [book:Planet of the Ape..."

you'll still enjoy them as an adult

[CJ]

CBRetriever wrote: "you'll still enjoy them as an adult"

I don't doubt that, they seem to be something that would appeal to me and I'm in a big nostalgic mood right now, with wanting to read/reread all the old SFF stuff. I'll add the to my "shopping" list so I don't forget about them when I have money to spend of books.

[Mai]

Teckla. This 3rd book in the Jhereg series shines less brightly than #s 1 and 2. The hero and his wife split ways and Steven Brust captures perfectly the horrendous feeling of loss caused by the split.

[Michelle]

Mai wrote: "Teckla. This 3rd book in the Jhereg series shines less brightly than #s 1 and 2. The hero and his wife split ways and Steven Brust captures perfectly the horrendous feeling of loss ca..."

The author himself was in the middle of a divorce when he wrote that one. It shows, doesn't it?

[CJ]

I'm hoping to have a productive reading weekend. I want to get to some shorter reads on my TBR because I have multiple long reads planned for November (including both of this group's BotM).

Short novels/novellas I hope to finish this weekend:

The Scarlet Plague, an early post-apocalyptic novel by the master fiction author Jack London, one of his few works I have never read before

Even the Worm Will Turn and Song of the Tyrant Worm by Hailey Piper, queer Lovecraftian horror! I loved the 1st novella of this series.

A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. Peck, I potentially could have a very violent reaction to this, being an ex-phil/theo academic. We will see.

The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed and Linghun by Ai Jiang, a couple of horror/horror-adjacent fantasy novellas I've been itching to read

Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix, wasn't planning on reading this this weekend but my library hold on it came in, so read it now or get back in queue (I started at 5)

[Mai]

Michelle wrote: "Mai wrote: "Teckla. This 3rd book in the Jhereg series shines less brightly than #s 1 and 2. The hero and his wife split ways and Steven Brust captures perfectly the horrendous feelin..."

Michelle wrote: "Mai wrote: "Teckla. This 3rd book in the Jhereg series shines less brightly than #s 1 and 2. The hero and his wife split ways and Steven Brust captures perfectly the horrendous feelin..."

Aha!

[Julia]

I’ve just started Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky. Been looking forward to reading this for ages..

[Marc]

read fonda Lee's jade city for my local scifi/fantasy hiking/book club. a great book, kinda like godfather with magic via a special kind of jade found only on one island. depending on genetics, it can give you enhanced powers that you can control, make you addicted and ultimately dooms you, or... do nothing at all. most of us fall into the addiction/doom camp should we touch this jade.

gotta pick up the other 2 books in this series!

anyhoo, turning back to my October horror, now reading Stephen Graham Jones don't fear the reaper. not sure if the title is inspired by the Blue oyster cult song or not...

[Michelle]

I've finally gotten around to reading The Thousand Deaths of Ardor Benn after a friend brought it to my attention again. I'm around halfway through and enjoying it!

[Ozsaur]

A Sorceress Comes to Call - the audio is excellent. Really enjoying this!

[Brett]

Started Fever House. I can already tell this is going to be wild.

Regulators reminded me a lot of Twilight Zone.

[Stephen]

If anyone's interested, here's my review of the fabulous Escher Man:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Nicci]

Colin wrote: "Finished a curious book: The Last Gifts of the Universe by Riley August. The story follows Scout, Kieran, two archaeologists, and their cat (!) Pumpkin as they chase down clues to ..."

I adore this book. The brothers were going through an issue that is revealed much later on in the story. Pumpkin, OMG, LOL. So much love, I had to save this quote:

She’s still silently mumbling when a rocket darts off the railing. Only, it’s not a rocket. It’s Pumpkin. He fires true and lands with his back feet on the woman’s collar, then bats her helmet with his front ones, his suited tummy right in her face. Just: bat bat bat bat bat, like a pro boxer’s flurry of hooks. Unfortunately, he’s wearing booties, so aside from the pleasing dull smack every time he lands a blow, it doesn’t do much. She does scream, though.

In a quick, graceful motion that betrays her mercenary training, she puts the pistol to her belt and scoops Pumpkin up by his armpits, hoisting him away. “Is this a fucking cat?” “Um,” Kieran says. Pumpkin’s still swiping. “Who the fuck brings a cat to space? I thought it was a dog!”

[Mai]

Kalpa Imperial: The Greatest Empire That Never Was. I'm not going to lie. I stopped about pg 35. No plot, no character development, not my cup of tea.

[CJ]

I can hang in there if there's no plot or character development, but I have bailed on books that quickly when there's something that just straight up pisses me off. But we all have our preferences!

Tonight I'm looking to finish Memory of Water by Emmi Itäranta. It's a stark post-climate apocalypse story with some lovely prose. More impressive is Itäranta is Finnish and wrote this both in English and Finnish, so this isn't an translation I'm reading.

My library digital hold for The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie came in and if this wasn't a buddy read I might just return it, lol. I don't know what I was thinking when I agreed to this buddy read. I'm not a grimdark kind of person. But maybe I'll like it. Maybe. Or maybe not.

[Silvana]

CJ wrote: "My library digital hold for The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie came in and if this wasn't a buddy read I might just return it, lol. I don't know what I was thinking when I agreed to this buddy read. I'm not a grimdark kind of person. But maybe I'll like it. Maybe. Or maybe not...."

This and the rest of the series (and its sequel series) are all good. Just don't read his YA, stick to the First Law world. His POV characters are great and memorable.

[Silvana]

I just finished Light from Uncommon Stars and The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport - all are good, especially the latter, cool worldbuilding. I also read The River Judge, a free novelette from the world of The Water Outlaws.

Now starting Shards of Earth. Hoping this is a good space opera.

[Kaia]

Silvana wrote: "Now starting Shards of Earth. Hoping this is a good space opera.."

I finished Shards of Earth over the weekend, Silvana, and I really enjoyed it. I was sucked in right away. Lots of interesting alien characters, too.

I was simultaneously reading / listening to the audiobook of Hyperion by Dan Simmons, which I finished yesterday and also really liked. Incredible world and character building. It was kind of a funny pairing, though, because both books had a Hegemony, though the stories themselves were very different.

[Esther]

CJ wrote: "Tonight I'm looking to finish Memory of Water by Emmi Itäranta. It's a stark post-climate apocalypse story with some lovely prose..."

CJ just a note that your post links to a different Memory of Water

ETA Thanks for reminding me I wanted it. It is discounted on Kindle so now I have it.

[Jonathan]

Starting a re-read of The Hunger of the Gods. this is a viking-like fantasy series from the amazing author John Gwynne.The third book of the series The Fury of the Gods was just released. Looking forward to reading it after I finish the re-read.

[Kirsten]

Colin wrote: "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..."

I recently watched Julius Caesar: Making of a Dictator on PBS which had Tom Holland in it. I learned so much I never knew. I really wonder if we would care as much about Ancient Rome if Shakespeare hadn't drawn our attention to it.

[Stephen]

Kaia wrote: "Silvana wrote: "Now starting Shards of Earth. Hoping this is a good space opera.."

I finished Shards of Earth over the weekend, Silvana, and I really enjoyed it. I was sucked in ri..."

If you like this author, you might want to try his latest, Service Model. I thought it was brilliant!

[Ozsaur]

Quarter of the way into Alien Clay. I like the writing but it gets a bit much.

[Kaia]

"Kaia wrote: I finished Shards of Earth over the weekend, Silvana, and I really enjoyed it."

"Stephen wrote: If you like this author, you might want to try his latest, Service Model. I thought it was brilliant!"

Thanks for the recommendation, Stephen! Shards of Earth was only my second book by Adrian Tchaikovsky, but so far I've liked 2 for 2.

[Mathew]

Just finished Station Eleven. Great dystopian. It was on my to-read list for awhile. I'm glad I finally got around to reading it.

[CJ]

I loved Station Eleven too. I've been wanting to read more by St, John Mandel but I've been on my library's waiting list for Sea of Tranquility for 2 or so months.

I finished Pushing Ice this morning (thank you, insomnia), and liked it quite a lot, even though some of the interpersonal conflict and community politics was a little drawn out at times. If there are any big Reynolds fans here, feel free to recommend what I should read next by him.

I started the 3rd book of Lee's Machineries of Empire, Revenant Gun and for the last week of my spooky season reading, I'm reading Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix, A Lonely Broadcast by Kel Byron and Crypt of the Moon Spider by Nathan Ballingrud. I still have about 10 titles on my spooky season TBR that I want to get to eventually but overall I am pretty chuffed with myself with how many horror books I've read over the past 2 months. I could potentially have a proper book conversation with horror fans now.

[Alexandra]

CJ wrote: "I loved Station Eleven too. I've been wanting to read more by St, John Mandel but I've been on my library's waiting list for Sea of Tranquility for 2 or so months

Station Eleven is wonderful! I read it together with my book club after I first joined. I have such good memories of that discussion.

If you like Reynolds, I would recommend reading House of Suns next. I really liked it! You could also try Blue Remembered Earth, the first book in Poseidon's Children series.

Machineries of Empire is excellent! I've reread the first two books the summer before last, but managed to let other books get in the way of my reread of the third ;)

[Jan]

CJ wrote: "I finished Pushing Ice this morning (thank you, insomnia), and liked it quite a lot, even though some of the interpersonal conflict and community politics was a little drawn out at times. If there are any big Reynolds fans here, feel free to recommend what I should read next by him."

I agree with your comments about Pushing Ice. I felt similarly. Glad you enjoyed it overall. Other Reynolds I have enjoyed include Aurora Rising (Previously published as The Prefect.) I also enjoyed his earlier Revelation Space series. The writing is a little dense at times, but I loved the worlds he created, and the characters. I did enjoy Alexandra's recs too, House of Suns and Blue Remembered Earth. Plenty to choose from :)

[CJ]

Alexandra wrote: "If you like Reynolds, I would recommend reading House of Suns next. I really liked it! You could also try Blue Remembered Earth, the first book in Poseidon's Children series.."

Jan wrote: "Other Reynolds I have enjoyed include Aurora Rising (Previously published as The Prefect.) I also enjoyed his earlier Revelation Space series. ."



Thank you! I'll definitely look into those.

[Mai]

Firebreak. Action Junkie Alert! Video Gamer Alert! Our heroine, with a supporting cast of characters, fights corruption and oppression for a better world. A world without war and the rationing of water, food, internet, shelter and medical services. All you video gamers will love this story. I love this story.

[Mai]

CJ wrote: "I can hang in there if there's no plot or character development, but I have bailed on books that quickly when there's something that just straight up pisses me off. But we all have our preferences!..."

I admire your patience.

[CJ]

Mai wrote: "I admire your patience.."

If I left grad school with any enduring skills, it's the ability to be a patient reader, lol

Mai wrote: "Firebreak. Action Junkie Alert! Video Gamer Alert! Our heroine, with a supporting cast of characters, fights corruption and oppression for a better world. A world without war and th..."

Ah, thank you, adding this to my cyberpunk/biopunk TBR list.


For dovetailing from my Sept-Oct horror fest into my Nov-Jan cyberpunk/biopunk project, I started The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport by Samit Basu and will try to do a quick reread of Do Androids Dream of Sheep? to refresh my memory of it, as the last time I read it was 2005 or so, judging by the Barnes & Noble receipt in my print copy.

[Kirsten]

Alexandra wrote: "CJ wrote: "I loved Station Eleven too. I've been wanting to read more by St, John Mandel but I've been on my library's waiting list for Sea of Tranquility for 2 or so months

Station Eleven is wond..."

I loved Blue Remembered Earth. A pageturner!

[CJ]

Kirsten wrote: "I loved Blue Remembered Earth. A pageturner!."

Good to hear. My local library isn't good about SF in general, better with fantasy and horror, but their SF acquisitions are very wanting (they only have 3 titles by Reynolds and none that people have rec'd to me so far). So I will have to look at what the used bookstores here might have the next time I go. SF just isn't popular where I live so I might have to wait for a deal on Amazon or Audible for some of these Reynolds books. Not that my TBR is running low or anything, lol.