What are you reading in May 2011?

[whimsicalmeerkat]

I preferred Cryptonomicon to Snow Crash.

[Shel, Moderator]

I haven't read them all, but my favorite of Stephenson's is Zodiac.

Finished re-reading the first four and I'm about to start the fifth Mercy Thompson book, Silver Borne. Looking forward to it.

[Sandi]

I just finished Bone Crossed and started on Silver Borne.

[Shel, Moderator]

Great minds think alike :)

[Ken]

Denae wrote: "I preferred Cryptonomicon to Snow Crash."
My fav Stephenson is Anathem. Cryptomicon used to be number one

[Snail in Danger (Sid)]

I'd agree that Anathem is my new favorite. I'm not sure what it would have been before. Snow Crash was what got re-read the most frequently, followed by Zodiac. But The Diamond Age has its moments. Cryptonomicon gets re-read, oh, every few years, and I have a soft spot for The Big U even if the author feels embarrassed by it. (I know about the Baroque Cycle but kind of bounced off it, and never finished it.)

[Kevin]

I really did not like Cryptomicon, Anthem or The Diamond Age, or The Baroque Cycle, but did enjoy his non science fiction, Zoadiac and The Big U very much.

[Sandra]

I read Anathem and really didn't care for it. Some of the ideas are interesting but the emotional/psychological stuff is juvenile IMO.

I'm on a Cherryh kick. FinishedCyteen and started Forty Thousand in Gehenna. Am scrounging around trying to find all the Alliance/Union books I can. Just ordered Regenesis, got Rimrunners and Merchanter's Luck. Also the whole Chanur series. Have The Faded Sun in my wish list. Love, love, love them!

Cyteen was absolutely AWESOME!

[Snail in Danger (Sid)]

Well, yeah, re: Anathem. The protagonist is a teenage boy. Most of the other characters are similar. So there are definitely elements of growing up/coming of age. If you mean that the characterization was somewhat shallow, sure, I can see where you're coming from. Personally, I felt like it was good enough to hold up its end of the story, but I can see how others might disagree.

Always glad to find that someone else loved Cyteen. :)

[Carly]

I just downloaded an audio e-book version of Delirium. Even though this group did it in April, it looks good, so I'll read it after I'm finished with The Magicians.

Might even listen to it before.

Books in regular text mode ...

Mornings in Jenin

I Saw Ramallah

Those are on at the North African/Middle East book discussion group here at Goodreads.

Both are books themed on the Palestinians plight in the middle east conflict.

[Sandra]

Carly wrote: "I just downloaded an audio e-book version of Delirium. Even though this group did it in April, it looks good, so I'll read it after I'm finished with The Magicians.

Might even listen to it befo..."

I loved Mornings in Jenin.

[Rachel]

Denae wrote: "I preferred Cryptonomicon to Snow Crash."

I keep hearing good things about Cryptonomicon, but it's not on Kindle yet (at least in the UK). Hopefully soon... :)

[whimsicalmeerkat]

Ken wrote: "Denae wrote: "I preferred Cryptonomicon to Snow Crash."
My fav Stephenson is Anathem. Cryptomicon used to be number one"

I'll have to check that one out at some point.

[Kevin]

I am reading some C.J. Cherryh back to back, Cyteen: The Betrayal and Kesrith (The Faded Sun, #1). I only wished I had part two and three.

[Bookbrow]

I have been working my way through Greg Benford's Galactic Center series which has gotten better the further I have got into it. Nothing like a good old fashioned man vs. machines tale.

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

I have several Cherryh books on my shelf, but the only ones I've read are her Russian fantasy fables (Rusalka, Chernevog, and Yvgenie), which I didn't really like, and 2 or 3 of her Fortress fantasy series, which I loved. I have some of her other books but have been hesitating to dive into another series. I try to only read one series at a time (WoLaS right now), interspersed with stand-alones.

[Sandra]

Kathi wrote: "I have several Cherryh books on my shelf, but the only ones I've read are her Russian fantasy fables (Rusalka, Chernevog, and Yvgenie), which I didn't really like, and 2 or 3 of her Fortress fantas..."

I haven't read any of her fantasy yet, but I LOVE her scifi.

[Carly]

Sandra aka Sleo wrote: "Carly wrote: "I just downloaded an audio e-book version of Delirium. Even though this group did it in April, it looks good, so I'll read it after I'm finished with The Magicians.

Might even liste..."

If you aren't following this discussion yet, here's the link to the Goodreads group who are doing it ...

http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/4...

There's a lively discussion going on with it right now.

[Kevin]

Kathi wrote: "I have several Cherryh books on my shelf, but the only ones I've read are her Russian fantasy fables (Rusalka, Chernevog, and Yvgenie), which I didn't really like, and 2 or 3 of her Fortress fantas..."

Fortress is not fantasy, but science fiction.

[Sandra]

Kevin wrote: "Kathi wrote: "I have several Cherryh books on my shelf, but the only ones I've read are her Russian fantasy fables (Rusalka, Chernevog, and Yvgenie), which I didn't really like, and 2 or 3 of her F..."

Both Goodreads and B&N call it fantasy and it was nominated for the British fantasy award. I haven't read it yet, but it's on my list.

[Red]

Kevin wrote: "Fortress is not fantasy, but science fiction."

The Fortress series is fantasy, it has no aspects of science fiction whatsoever. It's set in a historical fantasy world, approximately comparable to Earth early European renaissance.

I have all of Cherryh's book, and though I read the Russian fantasy and liked them well enough, they were not among my favorite, and I've not reread them. The Fortress series is my favorite and I've reread it over half a dozen times.

The Foreigner Universe is sci-fi & fantasy mix as it has tones of both, depending on where on their earth or in the space the characters were. The Morgaine Cycle also is that special mix of known & alien, scifi & fantasy that Cherryh does so very well.

I am currently rereading Betrayer.

[Shel, Moderator]

I finished Silver Borne, and it was just as much fun as the rest of the Mercy Thompson books :) Now I'm on to Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde. So far it's just as funny as the Thursday Next books but much darker.

[Kara]

Shel wrote: "Now I'm on to Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde. So far it's just as fu..."

Just found that one, and it looks really interesting! I'll have to check back with you and see how it goes. =)

I'm finishing up The Wise Man's Fear and then... I'm not sure. I've got a couple hanging right now (Night's Master & A Darkness at Sethanon), but I may need some motivation to finish them. lol

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

Red wrote: "The Morgaine Cycle also is that special mix of known & alien, scifi & fantasy that Cherryh does so very well."

I also have those books on my shelf to read... good to know I have lots of good things ahead of me!

[Helen]

I loved Darkness at Sethanon - well the whole series.

I have a number of series needing attention. Terry Brooks, Feist, Robin Hobb and Tad Williams are shouting the loudest. Do I go for a new set or a set that will mean reading the previous set first...

[Ken]

Finished up another eighth doctor adventure. Coldheart. meh, same old same old Who adventure and the writing was meh too.

Since Helen was asking about finishing series or starting new ones....I vote finsihing old.
So I will put the money where my fingers are and I am
starting on Kushiel's Mercy

[Phoenixfalls]

Ken wrote: "Since Helen was asking about finishing series or starting new ones....I vote finsihing old.
So I will put the money where my fingers are and I am
starting on Kushiel's Mercy."

That one marks a pretty significant shift for Carey's world. . . will be interested in hearing what you think!

(I was seriously underwhelmed the first time I read it, then really came to like it on a reread.)

[Helen]

I'm tempted to go with Hobb's Fool trilogy and then Shaman trilogy but do I need to reread the first 2 trilogies given I read them so long ago!

[Shel, Moderator]

The Shaman trilogy is unrelated to the others, so if you wanted to get a Hobb fix without needing to refresh your memory by re-reading it would be a good choice :)

[Kevin]

Helen wrote: "I'm tempted to go with Hobb's Fool trilogy and then Shaman trilogy but do I need to reread the first 2 trilogies given I read them so long ago!"

A lot of Hobb fans says Shaman Trilogy is trash, but I think only the third book was trash, the first two was amazing in my view. The first one was done to earth, second was a whole funny joke. Then the third has all the magic, where the first two had almost none.

[Kevin]

On my Cherryh run, so reading The Collected Short Fiction of C.J. Cherryh.

[Helen]

Thanks Shel and Kevin, I think I'll start with them then. One less set glaring at me. Should I be embarassed that I have never read Cherryh?

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

Helen wrote: "Should I be embarassed that I have never read Cherryh?"

No... you've been reading lots of other great stuff by other authors. That's always my excuse when someone says, "You've never read ?"

[Stefan, Group Founder + Moderator (Retired)]

Definitely no reason to be embarrassed - more a reason to be really excited about how many excellent books you have to look forward to! Cherryh is one of my favorite authors and possibly the single author I've read the most books by. I've got a shelf full of her books, and actually need to expand to a second shelf because they're getting double-stacked. :)

(Come to think of it, I've probably read more books by Terry Pratchett, just because his Discworld series is so ginormous.)

[Helen]

Well, it certainly looks like I'll be meeting her in August, I shall look forward to it. Kathi, I shall remember that excuse!

[Christine]

I'm almost finished with The Riddlemaster of Hed which can be very confusing, but I do want to see how it ends. I have Sing You Home waiting on my shelf

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

I finished Peril's Gate last night and hope to start In the Garden of Iden this weekend. I didn't read it when this group (back at Yahoo groups) read it, and I've never read any of the Company books, although I've managed to acquire them. Can anyone tell me how closely they follow in sequence? Like a series, or more like separate adventures that should be read in order but don't continue one story throughout?

[Shel, Moderator]

I finished Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde last night. It's a really interesting book! Fforde's voice is very distinctive and although it's a very different book from the Thursday Next series (much darker) it is still definitely a Fforde book. I look forward to the sequel, which I think comes out soon.

[Kevin]

Now its on to C.J. Cherryh's Finity's End.

[Stefan, Group Founder + Moderator (Retired)]

Kathi wrote: "Can anyone tell me how closely they follow in sequence? Like a series, or more like separate adventures that should be read in order but don't continue one story throughout?"

Kathi, initially the series seems like they're all separate stories, but it gradually will become clear that there's a large story arc across the entire series. Re-reading them later is interesting because it's impossible to get everything that's happening the first time around. I recommend reading them in order of publication if possible.

[Kara]

Shel wrote: "I finished Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde last night. It's a really interesting book! Fforde's voice is very distinctive and although it's a very different book from the Thursday Next series (mu..."

Good to know. It looked interesting, and it also won for July's group read... so I'm definitely looking forward to it. =)

[Sandra]

Kevin wrote: "Now its on to C.J. Cherryh's Finity's End."

What's that one about, Kevin?

[Rachel]

Shel wrote: "I finished Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde last night. It's a really interesting book! Fforde's voice is very distinctive and although it's a very different book from the Thursday Next series (mu..."

I'm reading his The Big Over Easy for another book club, I've just started but it seems fun so far.

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

Kara wrote: "Good to know. It looked interesting, and it also won for July's group read... so I'm definitely looking forward to it. =)."

This was one of the books I just acquired in my shopping spree on Friday. I didn't realize it was an upcoming BOTM, so thanks for the heads up, Kara. I will save it for our July discussion.

I have read 2 or 3 of Fforde's Thursday Next books and loved them. I have most of his other books on my shelf, waiting to be read.

Stefan wrote: "Kathi, initially the series seems like they're all separate stories, but it gradually will become clear that there's a large story arc across the entire series. Re-reading them later is interesting because it's impossible to get everything that's happening the first time around. I recommend reading them in order of publication if possible. "

Good to know. I just don't really want to start a multi-book series while I still reading Wars of Light and Shadow. I knew In the Garden of Iden was the first of Baker's Company series, but I'm planning to hold off on reading the others until sometime in the future, but I didn't want to be left hanging.

[Kevin]

Sandra aka Sleo wrote: "Kevin wrote: "Now its on to C.J. Cherryh's Finity's End."

What's that one about, Kevin?"

It set right at the end of the Company Wars, where The Neiharts family, especially 17 year old Jeremy Neiharts goes to Pell Station to retrieve a long lost cousin named Fletcher.

[Sandra]

Kevin wrote: "Sandra aka Sleo wrote: "Kevin wrote: "Now its on to C.J. Cherryh's Finity's End."

What's that one about, Kevin?"

It set right at the end of the Company Wars, where The Neiharts family, especiall..."

Thanks. I'm still catching up on the Company Wars.

[Kevin]

Sandra aka Sleo wrote: "Kevin wrote: "Sandra aka Sleo wrote: "Kevin wrote: "Now its on to C.J. Cherryh's Finity's End."

What's that one about, Kevin?"

It set right at the end of the Company Wars, where The Neiharts fam..."

I have not read any of the Company Wars, expect Downbelow Stations.

[Phoenixfalls]

Kathi wrote: "I knew In the Garden of Iden was the first of Baker's Company series, but I'm planning to hold off on reading the others until sometime in the future, but I didn't want to be left hanging."

In the Garden of Iden stands alone really well, as does book #2, Sky Coyote. After that they have to be read in order and probably close together, but I think you shouldn't have trouble reading just #1 and taking a break.

There's a several-hundred year gap, for one thing. . . ;)

[Kara]

Kathi wrote: "I didn't realize it was an upcoming BOTM, so thanks for the heads up, Kara. I will save it for our July discussion..."

You are welcome. I was quite happy , Shades of Grey won, esp. after I noticed my library actually had it.

=)


I needed a break from epic fantasy, so...

I finished up Part II of , Night's Master... an enjoyable quick read, and a nice refreshing change.

I've been pouring through , Spy Glass, an easy reading page turner, but so far not as good as the first book.

And I just started listening to ,Changeless, (again, lovely audio by Emily Grey), which is lighthearted, quirky, and fun.


Then I hope to return to , A Darkness at Sethanon.


Phew, I don't usually have so many books going at once.

[Ron]

Just finished Finity's End and begun A. Lee Martinez's Divine Misfortune (mine is the mmpb, not the audiobook, but the tape is all that's catalogued by Goodreads). The blurb says that Martinez is the American Terry Pratchett, presumably because they both write light comic fantasy novels; it's hogwash. It's kind of like saying that Umberto Eco is the Italian Martin Amis because they both write sardonic literary fiction. Martinez is much much closer in style and subject matter to Tom Holt, not in itself a bad thing, or even Robert Rankin, that strange third leg on the stool of British comic fantasy, than to Pratchett. (Yeah, yeah, I know, Jasper fForde. Let me say once and for all, blech.) I'm only about seventy pages into this new novel and I like it better than the first Martinez book I read, Monster.
Next up: Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town by Cory Doctorow.