What have you been reading this August?

[Andrea]

Finished reading The Kill Order, that one took the "beat up the main character and have him shrug it off like it never happened" to levels that exceed that even of the Dresden Files, at least Dresden is a wizard so you can always say "magic". I mean the character kept complaining his head hurt out of concern of having a virus and I'm like, yeah, 'cause people keep punching/kicking/pounding on your head, it SHOULD hurt. ^_^

Since there's just one more book in the Maze Runner series, I put it on reserve at the library, might as well wrap it up.

While I wait, next up I'm back to Kris Longknife with Unrelenting by Mike Shepherd

I also borrowed Powerful by Lauren Roberts from the library since I had won the first book in the series from Goodreads. This one spinoff featuring a secondary character.

[Georgann]

Cute, Robin!

[Tony]

I have started reading The Witching Place: A Fatal Folio

[Kivrin]

Just started the third book in the Ring-Sworn trilogy--When the Goddess Wakes. Barely 1/3 of the way in, s*** is about to get REAL! Loving these books!

[Mary]

Tales From The Fermi Resolution: Vol. 2: Lights in the Darkness by Moe Lane

[Gary]

I finished reading Thinner by Stephen King. The book was originally published under his Richard Bachman pseudonym. This was the novel when his pseudonym was exposed. This novel’s working title was Gypsy Pie. It starts with the protagonist being cursed by a gypsy and details the lengths he takes to lift the curse. I am reading Fire & Blood by George R.R. Martin. The MAX show House of the Dragon is based on about a fourth of this book. I’m also reading Fuzzy Nation by John Scalzi. It is a rewriting of the novel Little Fuzzy by H. Beam Piper using contemporary sympathies. I plan to read Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan next.

[Kennedy]

Just started reading What Once Was Mine

[Tony]

I have finished reading The Witching Place: A Fatal Folio. This series starter is marketed as a cozy mystery, but that implies there will be some supernatural elements. While there are hints at such, really it's more of an Agatha Christie style murder mystery, although the heroine is more reminiscent of Inspector Clouseau than Miss Marple.

[Andrea]

Finished Unrelenting. Now I'm determined to pay attention to my BINGO and read something that will fill a slot - Piranesi by Susanna Clarke - obviously filling the Magical Building slot

[Tony]

I have started reading The Perfect Brew. This will fill the magical building slot in my Bingo.

[Robin]

I enjoyed Piranesi, the use of language is elegant and the world building is lovely

[Tony]

I have finished The Perfect Brew, which was a pretty unsurprising cozy mystery. It did feature a magical building, so it fills that slot in my Bingo.

[Andrea]

Finished my magical building slot too with Piranesi. That was definitely an wonderful read and I went through so many iterations trying to determine what exactly was going on :)

Up next is a Kris Longnife short story Among the Kicking Birds

[Pierre]

I finished Divergence and started Defiance, last book in the Foreigner series.

[Michelle]

Pierre wrote: "I finished Divergence and started Defiance, last book in the Foreigner series."

That's an accomplishment that gives you bragging rights

[Pierre]

I won't brag, it's not my style, but I'll write a short global review of the series when I am finished.

[Rachel]

The last so far haha.

[Simon]

I'm still working through Hearts in Atlantis, by Stephen King.

I really should read more. Helps with the craft of writing.

[Simon]

Mel wrote: "I started The Fall of Hyperion, having loved the first book and wanting to know where the story goes... but I'm struggling a bit with the pace. I'm taking a sci-fi break by reading A Little Life an..."

Oh, wow. I loooved these. I say that, but I read them many years ago, then listened to the audio books a couple of years ago, in the mornings when driving to work. Such a good story.

[Simon]

Andrea wrote: "Finished Unrelenting. Now I'm determined to pay attention to my BINGO and read something that will fill a slot - Piranesi by Susanna Clarke - obviously filling the Mag..."

Piranesi, is that a story using a building as a character?

[Brock]

Finishing off throne of glass. But now onto priory of the orange tree. My audiobook in the car has been project hail mary :)

Will be onto the remembrancers tale by David Zindell next Month.

[Michelle]

I finished Darkside last night and enjoyed the heck out of it. Great MC!

Now I'm reading #5 in Andrew Moriarity's fun series, Imperial Privateer. This cast 😂 I'm worried that this'll be the last one. If it is, I'll put this series on my re-read rotation.

[Mary]

Simon wrote: "Piranesi, is that a story using a building as a character?"

definitely

[Andrea]

Simon wrote: "Piranesi, is that a story using a building as a character?"

While its not anthropomorphic (meaning the house won't talk to you or anything) one has to question whether it is sentient or not, a very mysterious and definitely magical place.

[Andrea]

Less than a week left of the month, let's see if I can finish Bold by Mike Shepherd

[Robin]

Simon wrote: "Andrea wrote: "Finished Unrelenting. Now I'm determined to pay attention to my BINGO and read something that will fill a slot - Piranesi by Susanna Clarke - obviously ..."

Arguably yes. At the very least it is a 'character' in the same sense that is often used in TV dramas, as in, 'Oxford is like an extra character in Inspector Morse.'

[Andrea]

Although Piranesi at least feels the building might be sentient, and he's got some evidence for it. But its certainly not proof that it is.

[Audrey]

Finished The Shattered Castle and started The Last Emperox. Re-read Tress of the Emerald Sea on my road trip on audio.

[Jannelies (living between hope and fear)]

I started reading Exodus: The Archime[bookcover:Exodus: The Archimedes Enginedes Engine|205670068] by Peter F. Hamilton

Hamilton is among my favorites although I haven't read all of his books. This one is a hefty 900+ pages so it will keep me occupied for the next few weeks.
The last Hamilton I read before this one was Great North Road

Although nowadays I mostly read thrillers I am always happy to discover new books from SF-authors I like, or new authors (read my first two Adrian Tchaikovsky's recently).

[Tony]

Jannelies wrote: "Hamilton is among my favorites although I haven't read all of his books. This one is a hefty 900+ pages so it will keep me occupied for the next few weeks."

900 pages? That's just a short story for Peter Hamilton 😝

I also enjoy his books, and the last one I read was also Great North Road.

[Tony]

I have started reading Wolves of the Northern Rift

[Simon]

Jannelies wrote: "I started reading Exodus: The Archime[bookcover:Exodus: The Archimedes Enginedes Engine|205670068] by Peter F. Hamilton

Hamilton is among my favorites although I haven't read all ..."

He did The Night's Dawn trilogy. I read that many moons ago and enjoyed most of it. It was the first series I'd found that implemented a Deus Ex Machina as an ending. It left me unfulfilled and it has stuck with me ever since, in terms of the kind endings I write. He had one of the best antagonists in it, too, then self-neutered her :) It was probably in-character, I suppose, but it's so long ago I can't remember how well her development was. The rest of the story was brilliant.

[Michelle]

Tony wrote: "I have started reading Wolves of the Northern Rift"

I read that back in 2017 and at that time I had enjoyed this series. I'm interested in your opinion because I no longer trust mine :) Several times I've reread things that I was nuts about the first time around but that didn't do much for me now.

[Tony]

Michelle wrote: "Tony wrote: "I have started reading Wolves of the Northern Rift"

I read that back in 2017 and at that time I had enjoyed this series. I'm interested in your opinion because I no lo..."

I'm only 3 or 4 chapters in so far, but my initial impression is surprise that a book I considered was going to be primarily a fantasy has actually been very steampunk - which is by no means a bad thing.

[Andrea]

Michelle wrote: "Several times I've reread things that I was nuts about the first time around but that didn't do much for me now."

The Suck Fairy strikes again, messing with nostalgic memories we had of our first read of a book. I remember thinking A Wrinkle in Time was the best thing ever I read as a kid...till I re-read a few years ago.

[Simon]

Andrea wrote: "Michelle wrote: "Several times I've reread things that I was nuts about the first time around but that didn't do much for me now."

The Suck Fairy strikes again, messing with nostalgic memories we ..."

What did you feel on re-reading them?

[Audrey]

I've been mostly immune to the Suck Fairy, but now I'm worried.

[Michelle]

Andrea wrote: "The Suck Fairy strikes again..."

😂 Yep. But the reverse can sometimes be true too! I remember that I disliked The Count of Monte Cristo when I read it young, and then I reread it within the last decade and loved it.

[Michelle]

Audrey wrote: "I've been mostly immune to the Suck Fairy, but now I'm worried."

It's bound to happen at some point :)