Beyond Reality discussion
note: This topic has been closed to new comments.
General SF&F discussion
>
What Are You Reading in June 2011?
Great List, Jon!I'm sorta going into mainstream reading in June, but I am intent on getting The Precipice read -- finally! And Beyond Reality's In the Garden of Iden is too tempting to resist.
I'm in the middle of
and
.After that. . . I have no clue what I'll be reading, because I'm in the middle of moving and haven't decided what to keep out of boxes! It'll probably be
and
though.
Mod
I'm a hundred pages into Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town by Cory Doctorow. The man does not disappoint.
I have just started a 3-month challenge over in the Dark Fiction group (as I know have some of my BR fellows - Hi, Nick! ;) ) so I've got more variety to my reading than I have for a while. Besides science fiction and fantasy, there's magical realism, horror, classics, and "literary" stuff on my plate for this month.In the wee hours this morning, I started (and finished) Aura (Carlos Fuentes). Now I've moved on to The Grass-Cutting Sword (Catherynne M. Valente) and Brodie's Report (Jorge Luis Borges). The rest of the month will consist of:
a re-read of The Master and Margarita (Mikhail Bulgokov)
Zazen (Vanessa Veselka)
Supernatural Noir (ed. Ellen Datlow, review for NetGalley)
To the Lighthouse (Virginia Woolf)
After Dark (Haruki Murakami)
Equations of Life (Simon Morden, review for NetGalley)
Embassytown (China Miéville, I may have to keep this for next month.)
...as well as a couple of graphic novels or art books I'm reading through to review for NetGalley:
Petrograd (Tyler Crook)
The Art of Alice: Madness Returns (R.J. Berg)
Candiss wrote: "I have just started a 3-month challenge over in the Dark Fiction group (as I know have some of my BR fellows - Hi, Nick! ;) ) so I've got more variety to my reading than I have for a while. Beside..."I will be interested to see what you think of "Equations of Life", Candiss.
Yesterday I finished The Unfinished Song: Taboo and really liked it. Now I'm working on In the Garden of Iden.
I am trying to finish up the end of Ringworld, then onto Ringworld Engineers, and the Doomsday book.
I am still draging myself through Kushiel's Mercy. I have been very unhappy with these last three Carey novels. I really liked the Phedre's story but Imirel's story is really disappointing.I will be finishing it but I think I am giving up on Carey as an author on my to be read list. Joining Terry Brooks in my don't read jail cell
Ken wrote: "I am still draging myself through Kushiel's Mercy. I have been very unhappy with these last three Carey novels. I really liked the Phedre's story but Imirel's story is really disappo..."Before you give up on her totally, please give Santa Olivia a try! It's quite good, though totally different from the Kushiel novels.
I finished Sing You Home which I enjoyed (I still think that My Sister's Keeperis the best of her books) and started on March to the Sea which I just quit after getting bogged down in the military planning and battles. On to One Good Knight for something a bit lighter. Unfortunately, my library doesn't have In the Garden of Iden
Today I read "An Alien Heat", the first in Michael Moorcock's trilogy of novels about Jherek Carnelian, The Dancers at the End of Time. It's fast and funny science fantasy and after a break (i.e. some other books) I will likely read the ensuing novels. Moorcock has placed this in his "Eternal Champion" sequence. I don't find Carnelian as compelling as Elric or Corum, or even Jerry Cornelius, but it's fun, and reminds me of the HPLDs in Lem.
Mod
I just finished Consider Phlebas. Looking at Garden of Iden or The Summer Tree next.
Finshed another Andre Norton tale about the crew of the Solar Queen: Voodoo Planet. Not one of her best.Then read Patton's Drive, an interesting account of the various factors that served to shape this enigmatic soldier. What would serve to destroy any normal person, instead contrived to create the ultimate warrior. A brisk read.
Now embarking on The Voyage of the Sable Keech by Neal Asher.
I've just started A Shadow in Summer, and I'm struggling a bit with it. I'm getting really annoyed and distracted with how they're striking a pose of remorse or agreement or whatever every single page. I can't picture it, and it's making the book hard to read. Has anyone read this one?
Brenda wrote: "I've just started A Shadow in Summer, and I'm struggling a bit with it. I'm getting really annoyed and distracted with how they're striking a pose of remorse or agreement or whatever ev..."I read that a couple of months ago. I really liked it, but I know what you're talking about with those poses.
Mod
Stefan, did you read Mainspring by Lake? It seemed to me to have the same set of virtues and vices: Good style, interesting characters, interesting starting idea, but the story fell apart, and the theology was muddy too somehow (and that was important because it figured strongly in the book).
Mod
I just finished One Good Knight which I enjoyed; light reading and fast. I picked up In the Garden of Iden at the library today and will start reading it and hopefully join the discussion (a bit late)
I just finished Zazen, which was certainly a non-traditional narrative but was a very interesting very-near-future character study, all the same. It had something of a Fight Club-meets-fringe-activists-from-12-Monkeys feel to it, but all the main characters were female, and it satirized everything in sight every step of the way, including itself.I just (finally) got my copy of Embassytown in the mail today, so I've moved it to the top of the queue and started it. I am needing some off-Earth sf after a couple of decades-old "literary" works in translation and this last one, which was speculative, but introspective and very much terrestrial.
For personal pleasure, rereading Destroyer by Cherryh, at the moment. In the queue for my review/interview website, I have Willy by Robert Dunbar and Highway to Vengeance: A Thomas Highway Novel by Brian Springer.
Taking a long flight early next week so actually would love a good anthology or short story collection to read. I finished The Many Faces of Van Helsing, my favorite vampire tale in it was by Tanith Lee. I think something similar would be great.
Mod
That book looks so good, I can't wait to get to it. I don't read as much SF anymore because I usually review fantasy, so SF is always a treat --- and Mieville is SF by one of my favorite fantasy authors. I'm going to have to pencil this one into the schedule sooner rather than later.
Meanwhile, I'm still loving The Nebula Awards Showcase 2011 and really hope Tor will make this a regular, annual release --- although it's a bit confusing that the "2011" showcase covers the 2010 awards, which actually means they're all stories that were originally published in 2009! Anyway, this book is definitely recommended for people who love quality SFF short stories. It includes all the nominated short stories and novelettes, and the winning novella (which happens to be a Company-related novella by Kage Baker).
I am looking forward to Embassytown also. My problem is space and weight. I ride a bike and between the Laptop for work, lunch, bike tools and assorted paraphernalia its heavy. Adding a hard cover to the mix is not in my future I think. Will either wait till Nov, or if I can't tough it out I may read it anyway.
Well I enjoyed Ill-Made Mute, the second part Lady of the Sorrows was enjoyable too. The third part however, is really getting on my nerves. I could cope with her changing a few facts in her 'what's happened so far' but the endless over-description is wearing.
Finished "Alliance Space" (double book including "Merchanter's Luck" and "40,000 in Gehenna") by Cherryh. I liked "Merchanter's" and am deeply impressed with "40,000", a very fine treatment of the sci-fi question of what happens when we encounter an alien intelligence we really can't understand, so alien we aren't even sure it is intelligence. Marvelous novel.Moved on to Hot and Steamy: Tales of Steampunk Romance, steampunk-themed short stories with romantic bits, regrettably very pedestrian so far, none of the excitement of, say, Paul di Filippo's "Steampunk Trilogy. A timekiller at best.
I am starting The Hero and the Crown by Robin Mckinley.
Kevin wrote: "I am starting The Hero and the Crown by Robin Mckinley."That's one of my favorite books. Is it your first experience with McKinley?
Phoenixfalls wrote: "Kevin wrote: "I am starting The Hero and the Crown by Robin Mckinley."That's one of my favorite books. Is it your first experience with McKinley?"
Yes, I have seen some of her others book before but never have read it.
I've read several books but am currently reading The Merro Tree which is fabulous so far. I think it's going to be a 5 star book. I don't know when I've read anything so brilliantly evocative and sensual. And at the same time it's a well woven suspense story. Corrects everything that annoys me about Valente.Too bad it's out of print and the author has disappeared. One of the casualties of our get rich quick publishing industry?
Mod
I thought Merro Tree looked good, saw it priced £70+, so too expensive by far!
Helen wrote: "I thought Merro Tree looked good, saw it priced £70+, so too expensive by far!"Good lord! I got a used paperback online for 2-3 dollars. Shop around. It's well worth a little effort.
That was my reaction, will look around, glad to know its good.
Mod
Mod
Decided to return to Athera for Stormed Fortress but probably won't start it till I return from a family visit for Father's Day.
I ran out of library books and have started The Last Stormlord which was sitting on my shelf. I'm quite enjoying it
Mod
I finally finished up Kushiel's Mercy and wasn't impressed, at all. Came to the realization that I really hated Sidonie and Imirel as a couple. The I quite enjoyed the 150 pages that had them separated.I started on Jupiters Travels: Four Years Around the World on a Triumph. Been meaning to read this for a while.
Read the last two novels in the Jherek Carnelian trilogy by Michael Moorcock (The Dancers at the End of Time), quite droll, fine characters, satisfying conclusion, then read Alien Tango by Gini Koch, almost PNR (I guess) but with superhandsome aliens instead of vampires, and the heroine can kick some serious behind in spite of her rather annoying name ('Kitty' Katt; no, really). It moves pretty fast, it's a light, fluffy, sexy summer read (this girl is thinking about alien sex even while she's kicking aforementioned behind), the white hats win, the black hats die, love triumphs. As far as deep science fiction goes you won't get your ankles wet, but by the time you notice the book will be over.Next up: third in the Samuil Petrovitch series by Simon Morden, Degrees of Freedom. I enjoyed the first two novels, I like Morden's take on cyberpunk, and I'm looking forward to where the third book takes us.
(Edit) To follow up: Tossed Hot and Steamy: Tales of Steampunk Romance. Even a time-killer should have some redeeming qualities, and this book had none.
Wierd how we have the same Father's day but Mother's day was completely different.
Gravity Wave by Phoenix MacKenzie which I'm enjoying.I'm going to buddy-read A Feast for Crows next week. Getting ready for A Dance with Dragons next month.
Yeah. Been meaning to reread the series, then Feast (Which I have yet remains unread) then the new book....Hoping (against hope) that Martin picks himself up and actually does some writing to finish the series. Since the TV show has been picked up maybe he will have an extra incentive.Think I will wait till Nov 2012 to make that decicion
Ken, I'm also hoping the TV series will propel Martin into finishing the series.What's significant about Nov 2012 to make your decision?
I am reading the hardcovers and ride a bicycle to work. With all the odds and ends I have to carry with me its heavy. I tend to read hardcovers in the winter when I park the bike and take public transit. I have plans this winter for a couple other books and with the year and half wait I will be able to judge Martins progress
This topic has been frozen by the moderator. No new comments can be posted.
Beyond Reality
Books mentioned in this topic
The Soul Mirror (other topics)The Soul Mirror (other topics)
A Game of Thrones (other topics)
Victims (other topics)
Abhorsen (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Greg Keyes (other topics)Dorothy Uhnak (other topics)
China Miéville (other topics)
Kristine Kathryn Rusch (other topics)
Phoenix MacKenzie (other topics)
More...
For SF&F: Consider Phlebas and The Summer Tree
For Beyond Reality: In the Garden of Iden (SF selection)
For FBC: Leviathan
For FBCS: Daughter of the Empire
During my commutes to work, I'm either listening to The Caves of Steel or reading The Winds of Khalakovo via my Nook Color.
I hope to finish The Backyard Astronomer's Guide this month, but I'm bogged down in a long chapter on deep sky objects and how to best find them.
Anything else I might attempt, provided I finish the above, can be found on my current-month book shelf.
Let the summer reads begin!