What are you reading right now? For 2025

[Teresa, Plan B is in Effect]

Sometimes Amazon removes a book, usually due to too many complaints about typos. It comes back later after the author fixes the issues. Typically books don’t get removed from Goodreads.

[John]

Teresa wrote: "Sometimes Amazon removes a book, usually due to too many complaints about typos. It comes back later after the author fixes the issues. Typically books don’t get removed from Goodreads."

Sadly, I suspect there will be no further Space Team books. "All the Presidents men" was announced on the author's blog in 2019 as the next book in the series. Somebody set it up on GR in anticipation but it never appeared. The author now seems to be concentrating on his highly successful series of crime thrillers under the name of J D Kirk. There seem to be more than 20 of these - none of which I've read. (I may try one out of curiosity at some time, but its not a genre I read a lot of).

[John]

Continuing with my re-read of the space team series, I've just started Planet of the Japes.

[Teresa, Plan B is in Effect]

Just started Fenrir by Eric Flint and Ryk Spoor. This should be good!

[Teresa, Plan B is in Effect]

LOL this line from Fenrir: I’ve been texted my doctorate?

And another good one:
We’re referencing sixteen papers from eight different disciplines, three science-fiction novels, one video game, and an Internet discussion. And that’s just for this section of the presentation.

[Teresa, Plan B is in Effect]

Fenrir is more hard SF than space opera at least where I am in the book. LOTS of gory details about how they are building the rescue ship, plus details of how the international politics have to be balanced. (view spoiler)[The ship is a variation of the old Orion design; instead of rocket propulsion, they will explode thousands of bombs. (hide spoiler)]

[John]

Just finished Planet of the Japes; first time round I didn't rate this as highly as the prior books in the series - and I feel the same after the re-read.

[John]

Between re-reading the Culture series and the space team series, I feel as if I need a short break from Space Opera. So my next book isn't even SF - (its described as "Futurism" in some reviews). Its For Emma: A Novel by Ewan Morrison.

(Is Futurism a sub-genre of SF? What do people think?)

[Teresa, Plan B is in Effect]

Finished Fenrir by Eric Flint and Spoor. It’s a lengthy book with a heckuva lot of hard SF details of the science and engineering, plus details of the politics. I gave it three stars.

Here’s my review
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Teresa, Plan B is in Effect]

Currently rereading A Line in the Sand by Judith Moffitt for the June Limited Pick.

[John]

John wrote: "Between re-reading the Culture series and the space team series, I feel as if I need a short break from Space Opera. So my next book isn't even SF - (its described as "Futurism" in some reviews). I..."

I've just finished For Emma: A Novel - and it was excellent. I'd describe it as dystopian SF - and it was disturbing and harrowing (and actually too believable!) I'd strongly recomend it - although this is the author's only SF book, the quality is such that I'll defintely be reading more of his books in the near future.

[John]

I've just started reading A Choice of Gods by Clifford D. Simak. This one has been sitting on my Kindle for a while, and I can't even remember why I bought it. I read in Wiki that he is associated with Pastoral SF - a sub-genre I'd never heard of.

[John]

Finished A Choice of Gods - at under 200 pages it was a quick read, and an enjoyable one. A very gentle sort of SF - I can understand the "pastoral" tag, it was in some ways a comfort read.

[John]

I'm trying to decide which to read next - Shards of Earth by Adrian Tchaikovsky or Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson.

Does anybody have any advice?

(While I'm trying to make up my mind I'm going to read a (non-SF) short story from the ever-excellent Claire Keegan - So Late in the Day).

[John]

John wrote: "I'm trying to decide which to read next - Shards of Earth by Adrian Tchaikovsky or Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson.

Does anybody have ..."

Ach tae hell - before I read any of those I'm going to read a new space opera book recommended by "New Scientist" in their "best new SF books of June 2025" article - The Two Lies of Faven Sythe by Megan E. O'Keefe.

New Scientist says - 'This standalone space opera follows Faven Sythe as she searches for her missing mentor. Sythe is “crystborn”, a near-human who charts starpaths around the galaxy. The only person who can help her in her quest is the pirate Bitter Amandine (great name), and the pair discover a “galaxy-spanning conspiracy” (there have been a few of those in sci-fi) as they search."

(But I'd still appreciate any advice re Shards of Earth Vs Red Mars!)

[Betsy]

John wrote: "I'm trying to decide which to read next - Shards of Earth by Adrian Tchaikovsky or Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson.

Does anybody have ..."

I tried both Red and Green Mars and just couldn't get interested in them. I have difficulty explaining why. They're just so dense with detail. But the detail is mostly about things and technology and places, but the characters are not developed enough to interest me. At least at the beginning. Maybe I just didn't have enough patience, but I was bored.

[John]

Betsy wrote: . I tried both Red and Green Mars and just couldn't get interested in them. I have difficulty explaining why. They're just so dense with detail. But the detail is mostly about things and technology and places, but the characters are not developed enough to interest me. At least at the beginning. Maybe I just didn't have enough patience, but I was bored.."

Thanks Betsy, that's helped me make up my mind - I'll probably keep Red Mars for some other time.

[Betsy]

And politics. They seemed to be a lot about politics. Boring politics. Not galactic war politics.

On the other hand a lot of people really liked the Mars trilogy.

[John]

I've finished The Two Lies of Faven Sythe by Megan E. O'Keefe, and rated it 4 stars. I liked all the characters, loved the ship, and was kept interested by the storyline, which was exciting but reasonably pleasant. This was a standalone novel, but I might read one of her space opera series in the future.

[John]

I'm still putting off a decision of Red Mars - I've instead started reading Newton's Wake by Ken MacLeod. The early part of the novel has been shifting about a bit, but certainly holding my interest - and great characters so far.

[Audrey]

I just started The Far Side of the Stars by David Drake

[Teresa, Plan B is in Effect]

I’m still a bit brain fogged and have been reading fantasy and romance mostly, but right now I’m about halfway through a science fiction book called Laser Visions by Kaje Harper. This is not space opera. It’s set in the near future, on Earth. If you Google the title and author name you will find a blog post that has a link to where you can download the book for free. It isn’t available elsewhere as far as I know. This isn’t pirated, it’s where the story was originally uploaded, years ago. I think it was supposed to be flash fiction but ended up much longer.

[Teresa, Plan B is in Effect]

And finished with Laser Visions. I gave it four stars. Here’s my review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Teresa, Plan B is in Effect]

I’m rereading Black Eye Galaxy Arbitrators by C.R. Daems. It’s a three star space opera, the type often termed a Mary Sue or competency p*rn, but it’s an easy read which is what I need. If my memory is correct this is in the same universe but a different part of it as The Riss Gamble and its sequels.

[Teresa, Plan B is in Effect]

Finished Black Eye Galaxy Arbitrators. My memory must have confused that book with another one by the same author, because the Riss didn’t show up at all. Odds are the book I was thinking of that was adjacent to the Riss series is Desperate Measures: A Novel in the Riss Series so that’s what I’m reading now. It’s far less of a Mary Sue. Competent female captain yes, but not a 25 year old with insane fighting skills.

[John]

Teresa wrote: "Finished Black Eye Galaxy Arbitrators. My memory must have confused that book with another one by the same author, because the Riss didn’t show up at all. Odds are the book I was thinking of that w..."

I'd never previously come across the "Mary Sue" term, Teresa - I had to google it for an explanation, which contained a reference to Capt Kirk of Star Trek as the male equivalent - a "Marty Stu".

So....would you care to make a recomendation for my first "Mary Sue" read?

[Teresa, Plan B is in Effect]

I’ll have to think about that. Most Mary Sue type books are trashy and I give them 3 stars - only worth rereading when I’m in the mood. I wouldn’t have classed Captain Kirk as a Marty Stu but I can understand someone doing so. I’ll start a separate discussion about Mary Sue stories.

[Teresa, Plan B is in Effect]

Finished rereading Desperate Measures and yes that’s the book that I had the Riss showing up near the end. I had forgotten how annoying the author’s misuse of light-second and light-month were. At least it’s consistent in all the Riss books, and after the first few annoyances I remember to mentally translate the terms to the time it takes to travel somewhere in Wave space. Seriously, talking about entire other civilizations in a far section of the galaxy being a light-month away!

[John]

I've finished reading Newton's Wake by Ken MacLeod. Not one of his best but I enjoyed it anyway - 3 stars from me.

[Teresa, Plan B is in Effect]

Rereading Crystal Singer by Anne McCaffrey. Marginally space opera; most of the scenes are on Ballybran which is an unusual planet. I’ve read this book quite a few times over the decades, but last reread was about five years ago. I still have vivid memories of some of the plot points.

Amazon US and Kobo US have the ebook temporarily marked down to $2.99 right now. No clue about other countries. This book was available in a lot of libraries decades ago, but I imagine not many now.

[Teresa, Plan B is in Effect]

I just noticed that The Rowan by Anne McCaffrey is available as ebook! The rest of the series has been available for a long time but the only ebook edition that I had been able to find was the original shorter version that going by memory was included in Get Off the Unicorn: Stories. Today I found it on Amazon, then also on Kobo, so I bought it. I’ll be rereading this book RSN and hoping I like it as much as my memory of it.

[Teresa, Plan B is in Effect]

I’m about 15% in on The Rowan. It’s nowhere near the action in the shorter version yet. Way too much telling instead of showing, even an info dump prologue. Not enough dialog yet. Forging on because I know it gets better, but so far it’s disappointing.

[Caitlin]

I read The Rowan a few years ago and also remember it being a slow start but getting better. I hope you end up liking it more in the end, Theresa.

[Teresa, Plan B is in Effect]

Thanks. 28% right now and yes it’s much better. Actual story and dialog. Still hasn’t reached what I remember being the start of the short version.

[Teresa, Plan B is in Effect]

About 40% in The Rowan I reached the action that was in the shorter version of the book. I think I’ll make a note that the next time I reread this I just start at Part 2. Prologue is info dump, Part 1 is her childhood and training. Part 2 she’s an adult, about 28 I think.

[Teresa, Plan B is in Effect]

And finished. Gave it 4 stars. Here’s my review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Teresa, Plan B is in Effect]

Now I’m rereading Damia by Anne McCaffrey, which is #2 in the same series as The Rowan. It’s been a long time (since before I joined Goodreads) but my vague memory of it is a 3 star book. I probably will not be binge rereading this series, because I have four preordered books coming to me starting on the 17th.

[John]

I've finished reading The Riss Proposal: Book II in the Riss Series by C.R. Daems. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters - 4 stars from me and I'm sure I'll read some more in the series.

[Teresa, Plan B is in Effect]

Finished Damia by Anne McCaffrey. Gave it 4 stars but it’s more like 3.5. Here’s my review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[John]

I've just started reading The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley - time-travel SF rather than Space Opera.

[John]

Has anyone read Babel by R.F. Kuang, and would you recommend it? Amazon UK have the Kindle and Audible versions on offer at £0.99 at the moment.

[John]

While I'm reading The Ministry of Time on Kindle, I'm also reading Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky in paperback. The two books are totally different so switching between them hasn't been a problem so far.

[Betsy]

Currently reading Darkside, the fourth installment of the "Planetside" series by Michael Mammay. I really liked the first book but the subsequent installments were somewhat disappointing. However, hope springs eternal.

The books are definitely character driven and I really like the main character, a grumpy retired military commander who ends up going all over space to solve impossible problems.

[Caitlin]

Currently reading Whalefall by Daniel Krause - it’s quite gripping! A teenage diver gets accidentally eaten by a sperm whale and has to escape with only an hour’s worth of air in his tank. It isn’t sci-fi per se, but I’ve heard the marine science and details about diving in the book are all meticulously researched and accurate.

[Teresa, Plan B is in Effect]

But I thought sperm whales had throat that were about wide enough for a human fist. 🤷‍♀️

[John]

By the power of Google -

"While a sperm whale has a throat large enough to technically swallow a human, it is extremely unlikely and would likely result in death due to suffocation and/or digestion.

Sperm whales are the only whale species with a throat wide enough to even potentially accommodate a human."


I have no desire to prove or disprove this claim!

[Caitlin]

Yeah, the part about likely resulting in death from suffocation or digestion…those are exactly what the main character is trying to escape!

[Betsy]

Finished Darkside. I liked it better than the middle two of the series. Here is my review.

[John]

I've finished reading The Ministry of Time and rated it 4 stars. Definitely not Space Opera, it was a well-written SF/Time Travel/love story combination. - an impressive debut novel.

[Betsy]

Just started Friends Indeed, the fifth book in the Star Kingdom subseries of the Honorverse. This series is touted as a collaboration between Jane Lindskold and David Weber. Based on the subject and the writing style, I have always assumed that the books were written primarily by Lindskold, with consultation from Weber to make sure cross references to the rest of the Honorverse hold up. Lindskold is essentially a YA author. Direct, fresh, not too convoluted.

But this book is very much a Weber product. My first clue was the length -- more than 500 pages. And I'm barely 50 pages in and have already had to plow through at least two data dump conversations. This is a device very typical of Weber where he has a character, supposedly in conversation with another character, give the kind of background information that most authors do in the background text. These are long passages. 10-20 pages. Supposedly two people in casual conversation. But they're more like speeches, and because they're often about the political situation, they're political speeches. People just don't talk like that.

I'm used to that kind of thing in the main Honorverse books, but not in the treecat series! We'll see if it improves any.