What Are You Reading in June 2011?

[Jackie]

These books are quite heavy.
We can only hope Martin gets a move on and settles down to some serious writing.

[Helen]

I read the first three Martins ages ago, then bought the fourth. Decided to wait for the rest. How many are there supposed to be?

[Sandra]

I think I read seven. I thought this next one was the finale, and when I read there are more after that, I decided not to read any more. I probably won't live long enough to see the ending. :)

[Stefan, Group Founder + Moderator (Retired)]

I'm just starting on City of Ruins by Kristine Kathryn Rusch, the sequel to last year's excellent Diving into the Wreck. And I just noticed my review of the first book is quoted on the back of this new one - something that still gets me all excited :)

[Helen]

That does sound exciting.

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

Stefan wrote: "And I just noticed my review of the first book is quoted on the back of this new one - something that still gets me all excited :) "

Way cool, Stefan!

I have a few books by her on my shelf from her Retrieval Artist series, but I haven't read any of them. In fact, I don't think I've read anything by her yet. Got to keep reading, reading, reading!

[Christine]

I love this group!! I've found so many new SciFi/Fantasy authors and books since I've joined. I've added Diving into the Wreck to my library list

[Jenny]

I just finished Club Dead. I don't exactly know where The Southern Vampire stories fall, but they're entertaining, easy, and fun to read. I've started up Time's Edge which seems to be mostly science fiction, but also has elements of fantasy. Does having a dragon automatically shift a book to fantasy? My understanding is that a big difference between science fiction and fantasy is that everything in science fiction can be explained by science or the laws of nature. Do dragons go against science? Obviously they don't exist, but is it scientifically possible for them to exist? I would imagine they are.

Anyways, I'm also still working on The Mists of Avalon. It's a great fantasy novel. It's long, but I highly recommend it, especially if you're interested in a another take on the story of King Arthur.

[Helen]

Time's Edge is another June group read for me, doubt I'll finish in time. Now, as a Welsh girl I feel duty bound to point out that dragons are real and that's why we have them on our flag!

[Sandra]

Helen wrote: "Time's Edge is another June group read for me, doubt I'll finish in time. Now, as a Welsh girl I feel duty bound to point out that dragons are real and that's why we have them on our flag!"

:D

[Ron]

Just read Heinlein's Have Space Suit-Will Travel, having skipped a lot of his books for juveniles when I was one. Not a bad little adventure book, more than a little dated of course, two decent main characters, good timekiller. Now on into Moorcock's The Eternal Champion. Very good so far; quite a few hints of the moral ambiguity of the Champion's position all building, I hope, to something awful.

[Bill]

Ron wrote: "Just read Heinlein's Have Space Suit-Will Travel, having skipped a lot of his books for juveniles when I was one. Not a bad little adventure book, more than a little dated of course, ..."

I was going to say, "I recently read", but looking at my database it was in May 2007. Geesh time flies....

Anyway, I read all of His juvies back to back in the order they were written and enjoyed them all a lot. A favorite was Starman Jones. I wanted his life as a kid. I still do. Would that the little gray aliens come down and take me away...

[Stuart]

I am reading Perdido Street Station by China Miéville

[Janny]

Just finished The Chosen by Ricard Pinto - highly original, lavishly created, the way I'd imagine an opium dream with a plot. MADDENING cliffhanger ending, but, at least the series is finished.

Deciding between the new Carol Berg or the new Marillier, likely for my next.

[Jenny]

Helen wrote: "Time's Edge is another June group read for me, doubt I'll finish in time. Now, as a Welsh girl I feel duty bound to point out that dragons are real and that's why we have them on our flag!"

Heck yes! :)

[Jenny]

Jenny wrote: "Helen wrote: "Time's Edge is another June group read for me, doubt I'll finish in time. Now, as a Welsh girl I feel duty bound to point out that dragons are real and that's why we have them on our ..."

You're also home to Torchwood :p

[Stefan, Group Founder + Moderator (Retired)]

I started reading The Best of Stephen R. Donaldson, a career-spanning collection of his novellas and short stories. So far it's quite good, although the SF ones feel extremely dated for just being a few decades old.

[Christine]

I finished The Last Stormlordand moved on to Fortune's Fool while waiting for more books from the library

[Sandra]

I'm rereading The Foreigner series and enjoying it immensely once again.

[Stefan, Group Founder + Moderator (Retired)]

Sandra aka Sleo wrote: "I'm rereading The Foreigner series and enjoying it immensely once again."

I just reread the first one last month, hoping to find the time to reread the first 6 so I can finally read the ones that were published after that... but I keep getting sidetracked with other books!

[Sandra]

Stefan wrote: "Sandra aka Sleo wrote: "I'm rereading The Foreigner series and enjoying it immensely once again."

I just reread the first one last month, hoping to find the time to reread the first 6 so I can fin..."

Well they are a real treat. I'm enjoying them even more 2nd time thru.

[Bill]

Janny wrote: "Just finished The Chosen by Ricard Pinto - highly original, lavishly created, the way I'd imagine an opium dream with a plot. MADDENING cliffhanger ending, but, at least the series i..."

But did you like it? Do you think it a book/series worth discussing? What are it's problems?

[Janny]

Kernos wrote: "Janny wrote: "Just finished The Chosen by Ricard Pinto - highly original, lavishly created, the way I'd imagine an opium dream with a plot. MADDENING cliffhanger ending, but, at leas..."

This was the answer I gave to the same question in another group:


If you are willing to totally throw out ALL your expectations; if you are willing to let the story TAKE you there/enjoy an exotic welter of detail that slowly pieces together into a very rich and interesting tapestry - if you like a story that has a core of love and caring IN CONFLICT WITH very bloody, oppressive brutality - (the culture is extremely rigidly caste based, with terrifying results if caste is broken) - this is not 'traditional' fantasy in any way...and at the point of the ending, it could fly in so MANY interesting directions....

I am still absorbing it.

It calls to mind some of the earlier/classic fantasies like The Worm Ouroboros - the richness/lavishness of the backdrop - but with a distinctive plot that gets more and more intense. Not a story to get impatient with, all that intensity of focus does go somewhere. But if you like your world grim and barren and brutish and short - this work is not. It is utterly Not Western, in many ways, but Not Eastern, either.

Exotic and strange, with a character viewpoint that is not shaping up to conform. Which, in a society this rigid/unquestioning of itself - could make for a very powerful dynamic to come.

If you don't mind floating free in an imaginative universe and aren't wedded to 'mainstream' values - it's rather an incredible journey. JUST enough 'traditional' story element laced in here and there to allow grounding out/some sort of orientation. Lots to digest.

So few books deliver the unpredictable - I think this is one where you need to plunge and try it, yourself.

I thought the scenes describing how the records were kept/how their libraries functioned - was among the most fascinating and original concepts I've ever encountered in fantasy.

[Sarah]

I'm reading Spin State and enjoying it quite a bit. The science is challenging me to work harder than I have in a while, which is a good thing.

[Helen]

Jenny, home to Dr Who too. Recently my home town was used to film Gavin and Stacy and now is used to film Being Human. Very exciting.

[Stuart]

Edinburgh has been used to film a drama called "Pram Face" for the BBC. I was working on the street they were filming in..

[Ron]

I'm very much enjoying Norman Spinrad's 1988 collection of novellas, Other Americas. These are fine, funny dystopic views of future USA(s). I think Spinrad is unjustly overlooked and underrated as a science fiction writer. The introduction to this book is alone worth the ticket price for Spinrad's nutshell summing-up of America's importance and its ailments (some of which seem prescient for '88).

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

Finished Stormed Fortress last night and find myself reluctant to leave Athera after spending 11 months intermittently there. I will probably not read the last 3 books/last 2 arcs until the series is completed and plan to do a reread of the books through the first 3 arcs at the point before reading the newest additions.

So, for something completely different, I'm going to start Shades of Grey later this weekend.

[Helen]

I was going to join in with the group read but decided I'd save my re-read for the final books too. I like Arithon in large doses now!

[Sandra]

Helen wrote: "I was going to join in with the group read but decided I'd save my re-read for the final books too. I like Arithon in large doses now!"

Arithon is good in any size dose, but yes, large is good. :) BUT I couldn't possibly wait that long to read the next book! Besides, I think sales and readership matter in getting books published. :)

[Phoenixfalls]

End of the month recap, because I don't think I'm going to finish anything else:

Six Against The Yard, by the Detection Club. Rating: 3 stars.
Sabriel, by Garth Nix. Rating: 3 stars. Review.
Until I Find You, by John Irving. Rating: 3 stars.
Regency Buck, by Georgette Heyer. Rating: 3 stars.
Cotillion, by Georgette Heyer. Rating: 4 stars.
Cut Through the Bone, by Ethel Rohan. Rating: 4 stars. Review.
The Chinese Orange Mystery, by Ellery Queen. Rating: 3 stars.
Embassytown, by China Miéville. Rating: 5 stars. Review.

Standout was by far Embassytown; it actually made me squee all over the internet. ;) But not much genre stuff for me this month. . . gotta do better next month, because I'm falling woefully behind on my personal challenges.

[Jenny]

Phoenixfalls wrote: "End of the month recap, because I don't think I'm going to finish anything else:

Six Against The Yard, by the Detection Club. Rating: 3 stars.
Sabriel, by Garth Nix. R..."

Ooh I want to read Sabriel so badly!

[Jenny]

Helen wrote: "Jenny, home to Dr Who too. Recently my home town was used to film Gavin and Stacy and now is used to film Being Human. Very exciting."

I'm so jealous!

[Helen]

Me too, I don't live there now. Would have loved to go celeb spotting for Dr Who. I amused my dad by standing on the 'lift' and waiting for Captain Jack!

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

Sandra aka Sleo wrote: "Besides, I think sales and readership matter in getting books published. :)"

I will buy the books, just won't read them right away.

[Phoenixfalls]

Jenny wrote: "Ooh I want to read Sabriel so badly! "

I was actually kind of disappointed in it. . . I though the magic system was really interesting, but the rest of the world-building was downright pedestrian (and had some gaping holes in logic that bugged me) and there wasn't anything particularly special about the plot. But hey, different strokes for different folks and all that. . . I hope you enjoy it more than I did when you get to it!

[Hélène]

Janny wrote: "Kernos wrote: "Janny wrote: "Just finished The Chosen by Ricard Pinto - highly original, lavishly created, the way I'd imagine an opium dream with a plot. MADDENING cliffhanger endin..."
I tried a sample on my Kindle and was completely absorbed by the tension and the strangeness of that society. It seldom happens on so short time. But I guess this is not a light read. I think I'll "dive" in later this summer.

[Sandra]

Hélène wrote: "Janny wrote: "Kernos wrote: "Janny wrote: "Just finished The Chosen by Ricard Pinto - highly original, lavishly created, the way I'd imagine an opium dream with a plot. MADDENING cli..."

ARGH. I could only find it in used pb from BN. Didn't think to try Amazon as I tend to avoid them. I got it based on the conversation between Janny and Kernos.

[Stefan, Group Founder + Moderator (Retired)]

I remember hearing a lot of positive things about this book when it just came out, but somehow I never got around to reading it. Might make a good nomination, next time we are looking for Books of the Month!

[Christine]

I'm now starting Stormlord Rising and continue to enjoy these books; I see the final volume comes out in September

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

Finished Shades of Grey for the July discussion and now am bookless... not for long, as I'm sure I'll come up with something later this evening!

[Laurel]

Your TBR pile is zero!!! Your self control is amazing!

I want to drive over to where you are and get you to a book store, stat!

[Kevin]

I'm currently read the last Foundation Novel, Forward the Foundation that I just bought yesterday, almost done with it, just stared today.

[Shel, Moderator]

I finished Paladin of Souls and loved it just as much as The Curse of Chalion. Now I'm on to Who Fears Death. I'm not very far into it, but it's already quite disturbing. Very good, but disturbing.

[Sandra]

Laurel wrote: "Your TBR pile is zero!!! Your self control is amazing!

I want to drive over to where you are and get you to a book store, stat!"

I think Kathi has a huge pile of books unread, if I'm not mistaken. :)

Am up to #6 in my Foreigner reread - Explorer. Like being with old friends, and I get just as involved in the tension as I did first time through. Finding a lot I'd forgotten or missed, too.

[Jensownzoo]

Jenny wrote: "Ooh I want to read Sabriel so badly!..."

I thought it and the two sequels, Lirael and Abhorsen were fantastic. I am trying to forget that Across the Wall even exists...

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

Sandra aka Sleo wrote: "Laurel wrote: "Your TBR pile is zero!!! Your self control is amazing!

I want to drive over to where you are and get you to a book store, stat!"

I think Kathi has a huge pile of books unread, if I'm not mistaken. :)"

Sandra is right. I have hundreds of unread books on my shelves. It's just a question of choosing one, and I did. It's a police procedural from the 80s called Victims by Dorothy Uhnak.

[Sandra]

Kathi wrote: "Sandra aka Sleo wrote: "Laurel wrote: "Your TBR pile is zero!!! Your self control is amazing!

I want to drive over to where you are and get you to a book store, stat!"

I think Kathi has a huge p..."

I like to sprinkle a little bloody detective work in between fantasies, too.

[Helen]

No sooner had I thought 'no way does Kathi have no TBR books', then I spotted the exact comment and indeed, Kathi does! Perhaps your TBR pile is becoming famous.

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

Helen wrote: "No sooner had I thought 'no way does Kathi have no TBR books', then I spotted the exact comment and indeed, Kathi does! Perhaps your TBR pile is becoming famous."

Hope all the fame doesn't go to its head!