April 2024 - Catch-Up Month!

[Allan]

There will be no group books for the month of April. We skip April to allow members to catch up on monthlies they've missed from previous years or challenges. Post here how you plan to use the extra time!

[Allan]

I'm targeting finishing out the Remembrace of Earth's Past trilogy with an audio read of Death's End. This and The White Dragon are the only series challenge books I've missed, and I'm trying to read the latter this month. If I get Death's End finished, I still have 4 missed monthly reads to go to.

[Kalin]

I'm planning to tackle Cyteen, another chonker.

It would be nice to jump onto Death's End with you but I haven't read The Dark Forest yet. Good timing though, with the approaching Netflix show...

[Allan]

What are everyone's plans for April, since we have no monthly books?

Great timing on the Hugo finalists being announced tomorrow! I hope that I have access to any that I haven't read so that I can work on those. As for the Nebulas, I already have The Saint of Bright Doors from the library to finish in the next few days. I got The Water Outlaws from Audible & that will close out the Nebulas.

I still have Death's End in the queue, as well as Beggars and Choosers. I'm also starting a military SF challenge with David Drake's Hammer's Slammers. And finally, I hope to read my high school classmate's book, In the Middle of Things: A Fragmented Coming-of-Age Memoir by Vince Puzick. All that may be a little too much & could extend into May.

[Stephen]

Allan wrote: "What are everyone's plans for April, since we have no monthly books?

Great timing on the Hugo finalists being announced tomorrow! I hope that I have access to any that I haven't read so that I ca..."

Allan, are you still interested in a buddy read of The Prestige in April? No rush if you’d like to postpone or even drop the idea. I do have a copy.

[Stephen]

I’m committed to Gods, Monsters, and the Lucky Peach, The Tusks of Extinction, and Out of the Silent Planet for other Goodreads groups. Otherwise I have a number of books sitting on my Currently Reading shelf that I haven’t picked up for a while, but want to finish. I hope to make progress on a few of those.

[Kalin]

My plan remains Cyteen, but I'm also hoping to get to The Exile Waiting, which I pushed back from February so I could focus on new releases.

Beggars and Choosers wouldn't technically be a "catch-up" book since the group hasn't checked it off, but I may try to get to that, too, over the summer. Definitely not April though.

[Oleksandr, a.k.a. Acorn]

Allan wrote: "What are everyone's plans for April, since we have no monthly books? ."

First, my old plan was to read 2024 short fiction from main magazines. Second, to go through shorter works of H&N nominated this year

[Allan]

Stephen wrote: "Allan, are you still interested in a buddy read of The Prestige in April? No rush if you’d like to postpone or even drop the idea. I do have a copy...."

Yes, I can do that. It's available to me from my library & I can it it in whenever you want to get started.

[Stephen]

I think we said later in the month, so I suggest we touch base around the 15th-20th. Do you customarily set up a topic/string (or whatever the term is)?

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

I'm reading Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis and when I'm done with that I'll start a book that won no awards that I can think of: Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline. One of the popular reviewers on GR who gives everything 5 stars gave this one 4 stars, so I'm a little nervous....

On the fantasy side, I've got Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik working.

On deck are Watership Down by Richard Adams and - if it wins the Evolution group poll - The Big Time by Fritz Leiber but probably won't get into either of those until May.

[Kateblue, 2nd star to the right and straight on til morning]

RJ - Slayer of Trolls wrote: Ready Player Two . . . Watership Down"

I have read Watership several times. One of my faves. I have had Ready Player Two on my list for a long time, but I don't know. Please let me know if you liked it. Thx

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

Kateblue wrote: "RJ - Slayer of Trolls wrote: Ready Player Two . . . Watership Down"

I have read Watership several times. One of my faves. I have had Ready Player Two on my list for a long time, but I don't know. ..."

Will do on RP2. As for Watership Down, it ended up losing in the Classics group poll to an Agatha Christie novel I've already read, so I might re-shelve WD for now.

[Kalin]

I've moved this thread into our Monthly Discussions folder, so you folks can use this thread to continue discussing your catch-up efforts!

I did some switching around of my reading plan and I now have three catch-up books slated for April, which I plan to get to in this order:

1. Cyteen by C. J. Cherryh
2. The Wild Shore by Kim Stanley Robinson
3. The Exile Waiting by Vonda N. McIntyre

I may run out of time and not get to #3. But if anyone wants to join me on any of these and keep the discussion going, you're more than welcome!

[Allan]

Kalin wrote: "...I now have three catch-up books slated for April, which I plan to get to in this order..."

Sorry, I've read them all, but I'd join if not....

I didn't finish The Saint of Bright Doors and The People of the Wind, so those are the first order of business. Halfway thru each, so shouldn't take more than a few days. Here's the rest of my queue for the month, probably a couple books too long:

Beggars and Choosers
Hammer's Slammers - at 15%
In the Middle of Things: A Fragmented Coming-of-Age Memoir
The Water Outlaws
The Prestige - BR with Stephen
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi - on hold now
Beyond the Blue Event Horizon
Death's End - long shot to fit in

[Kalin]

Allan wrote: "Sorry, I've read them all, but I'd join if not...."

Oh, Allan, I know. You are the one we are all trying in vain to catch up with. :P

[Kalin]

Okay so I randomly threw my plan out the window and read Ancillary Mercy because it came off hold as audio/ebook from Libby. I devoured it in two and a half days. I really really enjoyed the second two installments in the Imperial Radch trilogy and I'll probably have to re-read Ancillary Justice at some point to see if I like it more now.

I stalled out on Cyteen a bit but I'm trying to slowly pluck away at it. I'm surprised the group didn't read it as one of the August monster-size theme picks.

[Stephen]

As I recall I was blown away by Ancillary Sword to the extent that I paused halfway through and went back and reread Ancillary Justice. That was when my enthusiasm really developed.

[Allan]

Kalin wrote: "Okay so I randomly threw my plan out the window and read Ancillary Mercy because it came off hold as audio/ebook from Libby.."

I really enjoyed that trilogy as well.

Kalin wrote: "I stalled out on Cyteen a bit but I'm trying to slowly pluck away at it. I'm surprised the group didn't read it as one of the August monster-size theme picks..."

A future opportunity! Problem is, Cyteen isn't a quick, action-driven story, a little tougher to get through. I really enjoyed that one too though, it was worth the work to get thru it.

[Allan]

My plan is intact for the most part. I finished The Saint of Bright Doors & The People of the Wind. I did deviate into a 1971 collection of ecology-related short stories, Eco-Fiction. Different for me, I don't read many short stories. I'm also about 60% through The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi, the 2024 Hugo nominee. I'd planned it for later, but it came off hold early.

@Stephen: When I finish the latter within a few days, I'll be in a spot to read The Prestige. Alternatively, I can read something else first and push out a few more days.

[Stephen]

Allan, I should be ok to start The Prestige whenever you are.

[Allan]

Stephen wrote: "I think we said later in the month, so I suggest we touch base around the 15th-20th. Do you customarily set up a topic/string (or whatever the term is)?

Allan, I should be ok to start The Prestige whenever you are."

Stephen, I just started the book and opened up a discussion thread under Buddy Reads.

Anyone is of course welcome to join!

[Kim]

ok so I just finished the Adventures of the Stainless Steel Rat. I enjoyed the fast pace of the second book and found the third to be a bit of a snoozefest. But overall a very enjoyable series.

[Kalin]

I hope you're right about Cyteen Allan 'cause I'm dragging my way through it but it's sooo long and sooo slow and I hate the society in it. Everything is always awful in Cherryh books. :(

I may not get through it by month end so I'm definitely not getting to #2 or #3 from my list above. I'm planning to tackle the KSR in may instead.