SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion
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What Else Are You Reading?
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What Else Are You Reading in 2024?
Kirsten wrote: "CJ wrote: "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 a..."
Same with my library. Ugh.
Finished The Ninth Rain. A witch and an Eboran fight to save their world from evil aliens. The plot, the characters, the writing...meh. Did not hold my interest.
Finished Magician: Apprentice Volume 1by Raymond E. Feist and Displeasure Island by Alice Bell. Starting in on The Mote in God's Eye by Larry Niven.
I finally, finally finished Chilling Effect, a book club pick. I thought this book was a mess, with a couple of funny moments. There was too much going on, too many things did not make sense. My review/rant is here ;)
We're at the part of the month where it is unlikely I'll finish anything else, so here's October's round-up:Chaos Choreography by Seanan McGuire: this is the fifth book in her InCryptid UF series. As has been true throughout my reading of this series, I'm much more interested in the cryptids than the humans, who often feel too similar to each other. (review)
Modelland by Tyra Banks: a selection of the "372 Pages We'll Never Get Back" podcast. This honestly had some potential, but missed the mark, due to what I perceive as a combination of a lack of experience with novel writing, and a lack of effort. Gets weird and gross at points. (review)
Ayakashi and the Fairy Tales We Tell Ourselves by Kosuzu Kobato: a sweet, cute light novel about a middle-grade girl who is suddenly able to see ayakashi spirits. Super cozy. (review)
Tek Kill by Ron Goulart (ghostwriter for William Shatner): another 372 Pages selection. Middlin'-at-best action sci-fi. (review)
I've finished Gobbelino London & A Contagion of Zombies which was even better than the first one.Then read Cats in the Park: short, horror and weird, but good!
Also Predator X, which was unfortunately not what I was expecting at all.
Saar The Book owl wrote: "I've finished Gobbelino London & A Contagion of Zombies which was even better than the first one.Then read Cats in the Park: short, horror and weird, but good!
Al..."
The Gobbelino books just kept getting better with each new one :)
Beginning R. Derek Black's, The Klansman's Son: My Journey From White Nationalism to Antiracism. Because real life is scarier than fiction ATM.
Also getting into Love, Lucy, the posthumous autobiography of Lucille Ball.
Brett wrote: "Also getting into Love, Lucy, the posthumous autobiography of Lucille Ball."I have considered that one! I just bought In Such Good Company: Eleven Years of Laughter, Mayhem, and Fun in the Sandbox which is close but no cigar, but I always loved Carol Burnett.
I'm reading Star Wars: Razor's Edge because I was in the mood for old timey Star Wars. Princess Leia is the MC in this one.
I have just started to read "Eragon" by Christopher Paolini. It seems that either readers loved it or hated it. So far, I find it very intriguing. And to think he did this in his teens. I remember seeing the movie but don't remember all of the details. From what I do remember of the movie, it seems it left a lot of the book out. I will have to watch the movie again after I finish this read.
I finished reading Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan, book #11 of the Wheel of Time Series. I was pleased that some of the big plots started in the last two novels were paid off in this novel. Looking forward to bigger things happening in the last three novels of the series that were all co-written by Brandon Sanderson. It should be interesting. I am reading Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. The novel was adapted into the first season of the Amazon show named Good Omens. I am also reading Assassin's Quest by Robin Hobb. I plan to read All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders next.
Gary wrote: "I finished reading Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan, book #11 of the Wheel of Time Series. I was pleased that some of the big plots started in the last two novels were pa..."The last three were particularly good, Gary
I worked through (to the best of my meager ability) Black Holes: The Key to Understanding the Universe by Bryan Cox and Jeff Forshaw. This is a presentation in very readable prose (light on the math) that covers black holes, relativity, the nature of spacetime, and then zooms into qubits, entanglement and holography. I enjoyed most of it; some concepts I could get only a faint grasp of (I'm neither a physicist nor mathematician), and some of it (particularly in the last sections) flew right over my head coming across like the wildest science fiction I've ever read. (Sad to say, from an SFF perspective, the wormhole discussions don't end up where I wish they would!) If you like science fiction or reading about the universe, it's worth giving this a shot.
Got stuck with Shards of Earth but The Tainted Cup saves me - so far it has been a really enjoyable read.
Silvana wrote: "Got stuck with Shards of Earth but The Tainted Cup saves me - so far it has been a really enjoyable read."Same here. I spent the month avoiding Shards of Earth. I was always eager to get back to The Tainted Cup once I started listening to it.
Raucous wrote: "Silvana wrote: "Got stuck with Shards of Earth but The Tainted Cup saves me - so far it has been a really enjoyable read."Same here. I spent the month avoiding [b..."
I enjoyed Shards of Earth. Were you listening to it? I could see that as not being a good way to read that book.
Currently reading/listening The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik #2 in Scholomance series. Enjoying it so far. On the other end of the scale, I'm also reading/listening to A Cat's Guide to Bonding with Dragons by Chris Behrsin which is cute and they've got the cat vibe pretty accurate from my experience 🤣.
Economondos wrote: "Finished Magician: Apprentice Volume 1by Raymond E. Feist and Displeasure Island by Alice Bell. Starting in on [book:The Mote in God's ..."Its been many years since I've read the Magician's Apprentice by Feist but I remember really enjoying it. I think I'll have to go back to a re-read. Did you enjoy it?
CJ wrote: "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 ..."
Did you have a chance to read The Butcher of the Forest? Its on my tbr but I'm not hugely into horror though adore fantasy. Was interested in your opinion on where it landed on the horror/fantasy scale.
These Burning Stars. Our heroes show the relentess drive, hyperfocus and self sacrifice needed to survive, and ultimately break, the corrupt government. All the twists and turns make the plot a challenge to track so pay attention. Nice worldbuilding, great characters. What a debut for Bethany Jacobs!Has anybody read the second book in the trilogy?
Jayna wrote: "Its been many years since I've read the Magician's Apprentice by Feist but I remember really enjoying it. I think I'll have to go back to a re-read. Did you enjoy it?"Absolutely! Gave it 4.3 stars as it is a step above other books I rated 4 stars. This was a different edition for me, hardcover 681 pages including parts that editors cut from the original two books. That made it even better than my two old paperbacks (long since donated).
My review here
Jayna wrote: "Did you have a chance to read The Butcher of the Forest? Its on my tbr but I'm not hugely into horror though adore fantasy. Was interested in your opinion on where it landed on the horror/fantasy scale"I did, and I personally would call it more fantasy than horror myself. It's written very much like a traditional fairytale, but more overt with its darker themes which make it lean into the horror sphere. That's where I would hesitate to recommend to people who are sensitive to darker themes, like violence and sexual assault, especially involving children. I like Mohamed's writing a lot but it's definitely not a story for everyone.
Silvana wrote: "Got stuck with Shards of Earth but The Tainted Cup saves me - so far it has been a really enjoyable read."Oh, we are in the same spot with these book. I'm trudging through Shards of Earth but found the Tainted Cup delightful.
CBRetriever wrote: "Raucous wrote: "Silvana wrote: "Got stuck with Shards of Earth but The Tainted Cup saves me - so far it has been a really enjoyable read."Same here. I spent the m..."
I struggled with Shards of the Earth too - though it does get better. I just listened to Tchaikovsky's Service Model, however and I really loved it. Far better in my opinion.
CBRetriever wrote: "Raucous wrote: "Silvana wrote: "Got stuck with Shards of Earth but The Tainted Cup saves me - so far it has been a really enjoyable read."Same here. I spent the m..."
I read it with my Kindle. The characters did not grab me so I found it difficult to care what is happening or would happen to them. The story was okay but I think it could be shorter, idk. Currently putting it down (now 1/3), maybe I'll come back when I feel like it.
Raucous wrote: "Silvana wrote: "Got stuck with Shards of Earth but The Tainted Cup saves me - so far it has been a really enjoyable read."
Same here. I spent the month avoiding [b..."
I Iike Bennet's first trilogy and Tainted Cup reminded me of it. Enjoying the book so far and glad the sequel will be out next year. Already preordered despite having not finished the first book yet haha
I went and bought and read the next two books in the Final Architecture Series. Maybe it's because I'm a fast reader that I didn't get bogged down. On the other had, I did not like The Three-Body Problem or Ninefox Gambit
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Just finished A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas. Not too bad at all. Got the second one here to read. Seem to be into this Fae thing again lately. Anyhoo….
I am enjoying Shards of Earth and have the other two sitting here ready to go at some point. If I’m enjoying something I buy the next ones and they come out in the bigger paperbacks (we get paperbacks instead of hardcovers on the original release day) so I can read them easier when I do get to them. The printing in the mass market stuff is too small to read for these tired old eyes.
Jacqueline wrote: "I am enjoying Shards of Earth and have the other two sitting here ready to go at some point. If I’m enjoying something I buy the next ones and they come out in the bigger paperbacks (we get paperba..."Yeah, I really enjoyed Shards of Earth, and was very impressed with its disability rep (as I said in the spoiler thread, I regard Idris as a disabled character as well as Olli). I bought the second one, but since I want to read it with both audiobook and ebook, I can't afford the 3rd just yet. I'm really glad I enjoyed it, because before it I read Service Model as my intro to Tchaikovsky's work and kind of hated it.
I feel your pain with the difficulty of reading small print. It's frustrating for me because some old SF books aren't available in digital format yet. Also if you're multilingual, you will be familiar with how publishers in other languages love teeny tiny print. Maddening!
The Seventh Bride was an excellent Halloween read! Spooky enough, nice enough, humorous enough :)My review is here :)
I first read The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia McKillip almost 50 years ago and when the 50th anniversary edition came out, I had to get it. And I couldn't simply put it on the shelf. This may be the only re-read I've done in a decade. It is a wonderful fantasy. The prose is almost lyrical. It is the story of Sybel, an aloof wizard of emotional ice, who collects magical animals and is given a princeling infant by a warrior after a lost battle. What follows is about love, revenge, and personal growth. Did I already say it was wonderful? A perfect book for fantasy lovers. I would say suitable for readers as young as middle grade, and it can be read to younger ones.The cover in Goodreads is not the anniversary edition.
Colin wrote: "I first read The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia McKillip almost 50 years ago and when the 50th anniversary edition came out, I had to get it. And I couldn't simply put it on the s..."I loved that story. It's rare that I've ever been disappointed with one of her books.
I read Forgotten Beast of Eld recently for the first time and just loved it. McKillip’s writing is similar the LeGuin in a way and the story is very philosophical.
Just finished The Mote in God's Eye by Larry Niven before today's bit of home improvement (pulling and re-sealing a tiolet - such fun!).My rating: 5 of 5 stars
4.7 stars. Even as a reread this one really held my attention. One of the best Niven/Pournelle collaborations.
Here's my review
Not sure what is next, but there must be 20 books on the TBR shelf and a few left on my reread challenge for this year.
I've just read The Aeronaut's Windlass by Jim Butcher. Loved it! And if you like cats, then this could be a book for you.
Jacqueline wrote: "I am enjoying Shards of Earth and have the other two sitting here ready to go at some point. If I’m enjoying something I buy the next ones and they come out in the bigger paperbacks (we get paperba..."I loved Shards of Earth. Happy to know there are more in the series. I'll be ordering them from the library.
Mai wrote: "Jacqueline wrote: "I am enjoying Shards of Earth and have the other two sitting here ready to go at some point. If I’m enjoying something I buy the next ones and they come out in the bigger paperba..."just two more - it's not an open ended series
So for this November I made some big plans: several long reads, including some GR groups' BotM reads, a Discord buddy read and a couple of personal challenges: Indigenous Writers and Cyberpunk/Biopunk (you can see my personal challenge thread for more). It's only Nov 3rd and I'm already questioning my life choices. I've had 2 DNFs (Empire of Silence and The Blade Itself) and one 1-star read (Future Home of the Living God), wrote Julian Huxley some hate for his The Tissue-Culture King short story, and have commenced a half-hearted reread of a chonky popular fantasy book I didn't really like that much the first time I read it (The Name of the Wind).In better news, I really liked Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice. Rice had a very good idea of the story he wanted to write, didn't overreach and put in the work to realize the very polished novel. I would recommend it for readers who liked Station Eleven.
My November buddy read was going to be The Blade Itself but it took only one day for both my partner and myself to agree we didn't want to continue with it. So we have now chosen a new read, She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan, which we're starting tonight.
I also started The Dawnhounds by Sascha Stronach after seeing CL Polk hype her up on Bluesky. Not sure how I'm feeling about that one yet.
There is a sequel to Moon of the crusted snow whiz was also great. 5 star reads for me. I listened to both which really enhances the story- getting the phrasing correct and everything
CJ wrote: "So for this November I made some big plans: several long reads, including some GR groups' BotM reads, a Discord buddy read and a couple of personal challenges: Indigenous Writers and Cyberpunk/Biop..."I thought She Who Became the Sun was terrific both for the plot and the characters. I hope you enjoy it.
Andy wrote: "I have just started to read "Eragon" by Christopher Paolini. It seems that either readers loved it or hated it. So far, I find it very intriguing. And to think he did this in his teens. I remember ..."I've read Eragon years ago and still need to read the other books. I still remember that I found it very good, but wasn't a fan of the movie, though.
CJ wrote: "So for this November I made some big plans: several long reads, including some GR groups' BotM reads, a Discord buddy read and a couple of personal challenges: Indigenous Writers and Cyberpunk/Biop..."I loved Moon of the Crusted Snow and we had a great discussion on VBC of the book. Not sure if the level of posted-discussion (in the threads) was equal or not, but you should check that out. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel. Good to hear good things about it.
The Fox Wife,Equal parts murder mystery and myth, this exquisitely written tale is also about the loss of a child and the resilience of love.
I thought She Who Became the Sun was terrific both for the plot and the characters. I hope you enjoy it."I second that recommendation
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SciFi and Fantasy Book Club
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I finished the Applied Mathematics trilogy today, or as the author Yoon Ha Lee titled it, The Machineries of Empire. I liked it a lot, but can't quite say it's among of my favorite series. Something about it overall just didn't gel for me. And jeez, the ending was (view spoiler)[kind of a bummer? I really wanted to stress-eat a bunch of candied rose petals or maybe honey sesame candy after I was done. For Dhanneth. Poor Dhanneth. (hide spoiler)] Nonetheless, I shelled out for a copy of The Hexarchate Stories to read next month.
I also read The Haunting of Tram 015 by P. Djèlí Clark. I thought it was very charming and smart. And funny! I like Clark's sense of humor a lot. I've been meaning to read some of his work for a long time and very glad I did.
This evening I'm finishing up my quick reread of Do Androids Dream of Sheep and this is at least the 3rd time I've read it over 3 decades and I like it a lot more than I remember. There is stuff in it that I completely forgot about that rereading it now just wows me. But I'm an ardent PKD fan, even when he's doing stuff I hate (like, the dude was so horny, it's amazing he could focus on anything else).
After that I hope to get back to A Lonely Broadcast by Kel Byron which I just barely started last night. So far, I like Byron's writing style--it's very down-to-earth and descriptive with a lot of personality. I'm hoping this will be a good read. The next book in the series is coming out soon, per Byron's X account.