Dragons & Jetpacks discussion

An idea borrowed from another group , With us hitting the halfway point of the year what are peoples top 5 reads so far.

For me in no particular order
- The Way of Kings
- The Name of the Wind
- The Providence of Fire
- An Officer and a Spy
- Knight's Shadow

So far for me this year (sorry I'm on my phone so no links) my favourites have been:
1 - Red Rising/Golden Son by Pierce Brown
2 - the Red Knight by Miles Cameron
3 - Malice/Valor by John Gwynne

These are late from 2014:

Blood Song and Tower Lord by Anthony Ryan

I still have to try Pierce Brown and John Gwynne

Pierce brown has been some of my favourite sci fi of all times

I keep meaning to pick up Red Rising.

Here is my top 5



1. BLACKGUARDS: Tales of Assassins, Mercenaries, and Rogues
2. Ready Player One
3. Memories of Ice <----Curse you Erikson for making me so upset at the end of this
4. Grudgebearer
5. Tigana

I've only read a couple of stories out of Blackguards so far but its a really good collection . Did you get the Kickstarter

Paul wrote: "I've only read a couple of stories out of Blackguards so far but its a really good collection . Did you get the Kickstarter"

Yup, it's awesome that my name is in the back of the book, I was stoked when I saw that.

I thought that too. Love the artwork as well. Any of the stories you'd particularly recommend.

Best 5 so far this year:
The Martian
Insomnia
Runner
Molecules: The Elements and the Architecture of Everything
Clariel

I was thinking how much I'm enjoying the book I'm currently reading and how it will probably crack and remain among my favorite reads of the year. And I realized I never really put together one on 2015.

So, here's my Top 5 2015 books "so far" ;)

- The Ketty Jay series, starting with Retribution Falls

- The Riyria Revelations, starting with Theft of Swords

- Uprooted

- A Darker Shade of Magic

- Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

I almost included the Golgatha books starting with The Six-Gun Tarot for being such a fun mix of genres and characters, it was a very tight race. (But here I go cleverly including it anyway ;) )

Totally with you on the first two Andrew. Absolute favourites of mine. (how does Retribution Falls keeps missing BOTM!) The others just went a few places up my reading list :-)

Dawn wrote: "Totally with you on the first two Andrew. Absolute favourites of mine. (how does Retribution Falls keeps missing BOTM!) The others just went a few places up my reading list :-)"

Cool :) I would say the most hit-or-miss among those is Jonathan Strange, which is very long and seemingly listless, in a Victorian style speech. But I thought it paid off amazingly well and was an amazing book.

2016 reads so far that seem right up the alley of Ketty Jay and Riyria would be Six of Crows and Nice Dragons Finish Last :)

Thanks Andrew. I've already read Six of Crows, it went straight into my favourites list and I've pre-ordered book 2. I'll be sure to check out the other title you mention since dragons are also a favorite of mine. Thanks for the recommendations :-)

Yes the Tales of the Ketty Jay series is criminally under read. It needs to be a BOTM.

As far as 2016 goes I'm not going to even try to pick a favorite as 10 out of the 14 books I've read have been fantastic. I will have to see later In the year if one of them can be crowned King. The final book of John Gwynne's Faithful and the Fallen series comes out latwr this year and the whole series has been incredible so I have a feeling it might win.

Right now I am almost finished The Last Mortal Bond by Brian Staveley, the finale to his trilogy and it is amazing. I've been on roll recently.

Should also mention that Tales of the Ketty Jay just keeps getting better for all four books so don't stop at Retribution Falls

Catching up on old stuff so far this year:

Read the first four Time Trader novels by Andre Norton: The Time Traders, Galactic Derelict, The Defiant Agents and Key Out Of Time. Also read the first of the Jack Vance Lyonesse novels, Suldren's Garden.

Oddly, the narrative style of the Vance book reminded me somewhat of the Jonathan Strange tale. Enjoyed both.

Lancer wrote: "Should also mention that Tales of the Ketty Jay just keeps getting better for all four books so don't stop at Retribution Falls"

Yeah, I agree. I REALLY liked the first one, but it didn't quite crack 5 stars for me. It was just an absolutely fun ride with only minor gripes. By the second book I was smitten though lol

Jim wrote: "Oddly, the narrative style of the Vance book reminded me somewhat of the Jonathan Strange tale. Enjoyed both. "

Cool, I'll have to look into that one :)

Maybe just do a buddy read for Ketty Jay. I am very close to finishing Retribution Falls. I'm trying to get to book 3 of the Riyria Chronicles but keep getting sidetracked by library books despite having sworn them off until my shelf of owned unread books gets smaller.

Lol Audrey I think it's a matter of pride now :p

Yay! Ketty Jay for BOTM. Well get there eventually!!

lol Nominating it so often has certainly thrown it on many member's to-read list. Just wait until it wins. Then we won't stop until the second book wins! :D

Lancer wrote: "Lol Audrey I think it's a matter of pride now :p"

Ha! With all the new members, it might be very hard to get nominated again.

Lancer wrote: "Yes the Tales of the Ketty Jay series is criminally under read. It needs to be a BOTM.

As far as 2016 goes I'm not going to even try to pick a favorite as 10 out of the 14 books I've read have be..."

I read the book and definitely do not feel as strongly as you do about it, it's an okay read but nothing that interests me in picking up the next book in the series.

Hey to each there own.