SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

I'm currently listening to The Magicians on audio but either the story or the narrator is putting me to sleep.

Veronica wrote: "I'm currently listening to The Magicians on audio but either the story or the narrator is putting me to sleep."

I read the book and had a hard time getting through it. Too much whining.

Karen wrote: "I read the book and had a hard time getting through it. Too much whining."

OMG, yes!! I'm not liking the main character at all because of that.

Veronica wrote: "I'm currently listening to The Magicians on audio but either the story or the narrator is putting me to sleep."

I noticed that too. The problem is I was driving to Las Vegas at the time.

Veronica wrote: "Karen wrote: "I read the book and had a hard time getting through it. Too much whining."

OMG, yes!! I'm not liking the main character at all because of that."

It goes from whining to depressing, but the 2nd and 3rd books are more upbeat - definitely worth continuing with the series if you can stomach the first.

Sky wrote: "Veronica wrote: "Karen wrote: "I read the book and had a hard time getting through it. Too much whining."

OMG, yes!! I'm not liking the main character at all because of that."

It goes from whinin..."

Good to know. I'll have to attempt those sometime in the future. Hopefully I can remember what the first book was about so I don't have to reread it...

Sky wrote: "It goes from whining to depressing, but the 2nd and 3rd books are more upbeat - definitely worth continuing with the series if you can stomach the first. "

Thanks for the feedback. Unless something drastically changes though, I'm just not interested in any of the characters so far.

Tom wrote: "I noticed that too. The problem is I was driving to Las Vegas at the time."

I was listening to this Friday and dozed off for a second, jerked awake just in time to avoid driving into the ditch at the side of the road. Needless to say, I've stopped listening to this in the car.

Veronica wrote: "I'm currently listening to The Magicians on audio but either the story or the narrator is putting me to sleep."

Stick with it, I think it gets better. The second and third books even more so.

My review of The Thief Who Pulled on Trouble's Braids by Michael McClung
A clever fantasy.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I'm going old school ... I'm reading Thieves' World: First Blood by Robert Asprin and Lynn Abbey (this is my second reading; the first was when it came out).

I'm also reading Lord of the Rings! It's been 25+ years since I last read the series, so now that Peter Jackson put it to moving pictures, I'm finding it very interesting to read the original words and see how accurate the filmmaker got it.

I wrote "I finished Our Town by Thornton Wilder a few hours ago, now I've got a 60 page Afterword to read, maybe."

And Michelle asked: "Ah, such a classic! What did you think?"

That I need to write my review of it. It is a classic for a reason, even knowing what was coming I still cried. I hope I can convince my theater group to read it and produce it. And then I hope I can cast it, it's got a very big cast.

Though my favorite genre is fantasy (urban, modern, etc.) I'm currently reading the "Blue is for Nightmares" series by Laurie Fariz Stolarz. It's not bad; a quick read.

But I have read the current book selection "A Natural History of Dragons" and really liked it! I was excited to hear that there are more in the series! I thought it was the only one!

Currently reading Children of Earth and Sky. I'm enjoying it so far .... intrigue and adventure and pirates!

Just finished and reviewed Outpost by F.T. McKintstry and it's the best epic fantasy I've read in many years. She's a new indie author and very promising imo. Give her a chance please.

Julia wrote: "What did you think?" ..."That I need to write my review of it. It is a classic for a reason, even knowing what was coming I still cried. "

Yep :)

.
The Thief by Claire North another fantasy author who never lets me down!
My review
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Veronica wrote: "Karen wrote: "I read the book and had a hard time getting through it. Too much whining."
OMG, yes!! I'm not liking the main character at all because of that."
You know how they have done Pride&Prejudice through the eyes of the servants well this seemed to me like Hogwarts through the eyes of an entitled, whiny brat. Except at the end it turned in 'Narnia, the horror movie' as directed by David Lynch.
Yes I know everyone says book two is better but I just can't be bothered.

Esther wrote: "Yes I know everyone says book two is better but I just can't be bothered. ."

I agree.

I just finished listening to Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan and liked it a lot. My review is here:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I finished End of Watch last weekend. Now I'm reading The Library at Mount Char.

Here is my review of prince of fools. It's definitely a good one time read.

I just finished The Fracking King: A Novel and have started Lock In by John Scalzi. Anyone read either of these? The Fracking King: A Novel started better than it ended.

Sumant wrote: "Here is my review of prince of fools. It's definitely a good one time read."

Absolutely agree, I just finished Prince of Fools and The Liar's Key and am diving right into the next and newest instalment The Wheel of Osheim.

Judy wrote: "I just finished The Fracking King: A Novel and have started Lock In by "

I read and enjoyed Lock In. Not my favorite of his, but still good.

Just finished Arthur C. Clark's Rendezvous with Rama. Another "classic" I'm finally reading this year.

I finished The Time Traders, which really wasn't for me (My Review).

Just starting The Fireman and The Sandman, Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes. So far, so good.

Just started Widow Barnaby and am enjoying it very much.

Tom wrote: "Just starting The Fireman and The Sandman, Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes. So far, so good..."

oooh, Sandman -- so excellent!

Just got started on A Wizard of Earthsea.

Alia wrote: "Just got started on A Wizard of Earthsea."

I read that book quite a few years ago and really liked it. Though I haven't read the rest of the series yet.

I'm reading Michael j. Sullivan's THEFT OF SWORDS.

Alia wrote: "Just got started on A Wizard of Earthsea."

Another great book -- that entire series is masterful.

I am always on the lookout for time travel books without the hard core science elements. Here are two I recommend highly:

All Our Wrong Todays

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Review coming soon for this next one that I requested and received from the author here at GR:

The Anachronist Girls

And my favorite book(s) so far this year is a duology from Bradley Ernst. We're talking mad about these books:

Inhumanum

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Made Men

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Just finished one of the reads for this month for this group Nexus
Absolutely loved it! Need to read more books of the month!!
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Zippergirl wrote: "I am always on the lookout for time travel books without the hard core science elements..."

Try The Watchmaker of Filigree Street or Arcadia -- both those might suit you.

Finished Arcadia (wow just wow) and then Widow Barnaby -- what a character that woman is! Now into The Custom of the Country. Apparently I have a sudden craving for 19th century high-society novels.

Not sure when I last posted an update or what I've read in between. My son is 12 weeks old today. I knew reading would be slower after having a kid, but I didn't quite grasp how much slower. I thought I'd still have time to read - and I do - its just that I'd much rather spend it sleeping than reading :D It's the best thing in the world though.

Anywhoo, I finished The Wheel of Osheim. It was spectacular. I am said to see this world come to an end, again, so to speak. Next up is Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore. I hope to get to Age of Myth sometime soon as my signed hardcover came last week. I need to get back to finishing Malazan with Dust of Dreams.

I read about 30 volumes of Naruto or so at least since my last update. It's what I have the time and attention span for at the moment :)

I've already read Nexus a while back. It is awesome, my favorite near term scifi in a long time. Reminds me of old cyberpunk. Don't think i'll have time for a natural history of dragons, though its been on my TBR for a long time.

I just finished listening to The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury.

I'm reading Infernal Devices because it's on our bookshelf. I was particularly intrigued by the fact that it was written in the 80s and the author is the person who coined the term "steampunk", although it looks like he was saying that the authors writing the genre were "steam-punks".

Thank you for the intriguing time travel suggestions, keeping a wishlist.

Just started The Plague Charmer

Astonishing cover art, one of sci-fi/fantasy's greatest lures.

Looks like Inhumanum is going to be on sale next week for $.99 kindle version.

How do you know ahead of time?

I finished The Last Days of Night by Graham Moore about Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse. My review is here:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Hank, awesome deaI.

I highly recommend you lovers of the odd get to know Bradley Ernst

I really hope he gets the wide audience of smart and discerning readers he deserves.

I found a fabulous fantasy author through NetGalley and I imagine I will be buying all of her books in the future. A real artist makes it look easy--her prose, her imagination, her characters--a joy to read.

The Plague Charmer

Even the cover is odd and compelling. If you enjoy intense plotlines with mysterious and doomed characters, with religious zealots and jesters, during the spread of the Great Mortality, place this one on your TBR.

Zippergirl wrote: "Hank, awesome deaI.

I highly recommend you lovers of the odd get to know Bradley Ernst

I really hope he gets the wide audience of smart and..."

Thanks for the tip on Plague Charmer. It looks good.

The Crimson Campaign by Brian McClellan. I am in love with this trilogy, non stop action combined with great magic system.

Just started Ready Player One and, being a child of the 80s myself, am enjoying it immensely.

Since my last update I took a short break from Sci-Fi/Fantasy and read The Murder on the Links, The Maltese Falcon, The Other Daughter, and Mrs. Dalloway. All interesting in their own way, but none gave me the urge to shove the book in someone's face with "You must READ this NOW."

I also took a pretty long break from romance with only My American Duchess. Again no strong feelings.

Now for non-fiction. My son has autism so NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity had my undivided attention and sparked quite a few conversations with other people. Likewise, When Books Went to War: The Stories that Helped Us Win World War II was a great selection for my book group and sparked a lot of interest in reading some of the books that were selected for Armed Services Editions.

Goblin Quest had me laughing aloud and wishing my D&D group was in the room. Calamity was again, not one of my favorite Sanderson titles. But then I got a string of 5 star winners with The Ghost Brigades, The Fifth Season, The Last Colony, and The Wise Man's Fear.

I read Binti and Folding Beijing for the Hugo's. Both decent.

Rolling in the Deep proving yet again why I love Mira Grant.

I read Nexus and am now starting on A Natural History of Dragons.

I'm about 100 pages into The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet.