Beyond Reality discussion

Please let us know what you are reading or planning to read in April.

Saturn Run by John Sandford
Blindsight by Peter Watts

Finishing up 2312 by Kim Stanley Robinson - disappointing, especially the main protagonist.

Haraken (The Silver Ships Book 4) by S. H. Jucha - so far the best of the series.

I finished up Malice by John Gwynne, which I thought was good apart from a glaring lack of female characters.

I'm now continuing my read of The Expanse series with book 4, Cibola Burn.

Opening the month with the Legend Trilogy Boxed Set, YA, dystopia (so not my usual fare at all) and romance. Straightforward and entertaining.

I am halfway through Daggerspell for our series read. I have a few books lined up to intersperse with the Deverry series and I am mulling joining a Company (by Kage Baker) series reread on Tor.com with Stefan, who started this Beyond Reality group. Only problem is that it would not be a reread for me except the first couple books.

I just abandoned A Stranger in Olondria because although the prose was beautiful, the plot and characters were lacking, I thought.

I have started The Three-Body Problem instead and it's a total contrast. The style is more like a thriller. I am really enjoying it so far.

I finished Frost Burned and am starting Night Broken while I wait for Daggerspell to come in at the library. I just love Mercy Thompson! :)

If I have time, I am also hoping to re-read The Forgotten Beasts of Eld as well!

I'm about to finish Disciple of the Wind by Steve Bein. Great novel. If you have any interest in Japan, this is a great novel. After that, I'll probably start Midnight Tides by Erikson.

I just finished Planetfall and have mixed feelings about it; I really don't like the ending. The main character has significant problems which could put her anywhere. I gave it 3 stars. Now about to start Barsk: The Elephants' Graveyard

Working on Under the Black Flag: The Romance and the Reality of Life Among the Pirates right now. Then I'll have a couple weeks to indulge in some old school sci-fi before I read my next book club pick. We're reading Bitter Greens and I am super excited because I loved Kate Forsyth's Witches of Eileanan series.

Well, had some bad news announced this week, my mind was elsewhere. I got off the bus to get the subway. As I was walking on the subway platform I realised my book wasnt in my pocket. Damn. Walked back to the bus, which had left, hoping it fell out of my pocket. It didnt. It's probably on the seat. I was almost done too.
Now I am going to have to keep an eye out for it so I can finish it.
Meanwhile I will start reading
The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports

Finished Daggerspell and now reading Spirit of Dorsai.

Oh Ken that is awful:) I hope whoever found your book at least enjoys it. Maybe it will find a way back to you somehow, you never know.

I just finished reading The Trials, the second book in The Red Trilogy by Linda Nagata. I'm now reading a YA series; The Farm Trilogy by Emily McKay.

Went I put it in my pocket it didnt feel right, as I said, I was thinking about other things. As soon as I realised it was gone, and with my luck lately, I knew the book was back on the bus.
I guess I could of sat around for the next 30mins to 45mins waiting for the bus to come back but I can only hope someone put it in the lost and found

I read Collective Mind It was my first sci-fi ever) I liked the cover and then decide to read. I respect the author's idea that all the people can unite their intelligence in one PC device and this device can generate ideas how to overcome incurable diseases. So it's about AI

Spirit of Dorsai was a quick read and an alternate perspective on some of the events in previous books, while still setting up future books.

Now out of genre with The Copper Beech.

Finished Marked in Flesh which wasn't the best in the series so far, on to Magic Breaks and Fire Touched.

Finished Disciple of the Wind, which was excellent.

I was going to start Midnight Tides, but, my ADD of book reading has kicked in and now I am debating between that book & The Lies of Locke Lamora.

I really liked Midnight Tides; Trull Sengar was one my favourite characters in the whole series.

I just picked up Daggerspell from the library and will start it tonight!

Justine wrote: "I really liked Midnight Tides; Trull Sengar was one my favourite characters in the whole series."

I second that. Midnight Tides is good.

I am sort of getting excited, Dust of Dreams is on deck.

I just finished Barsk: The Elephants' Graveyard and highly recommend it; now back to Leviathan Wakes

Justine wrote: "I really liked Midnight Tides; Trull Sengar was one my favourite characters in the whole series."

My husband is set to start Midnight Tides when he finishes his current book. He is reading the Malazan books (with others between) and was somewhat dismayed to fined a whole new set of characters awaiting him in this book. And I just encourage him to keep going and see how things come together.

I am reading The Death of Chaos, part of the Recluce series.

Kathi wrote: "somewhat dismayed to fined a whole new set of characters awaiting him in this book"
Yep, it was a bit of a shock.
The new characters introduced were very likable especially Trull

Here is my review of To ride hell's chasm.

Sumant wrote: "Here is my review of To ride hell's chasm."

Great review Sumant! To Ride Hell's Chasm is an unique experience indeed, I simply love Wurts and I would warmly recommend The Curse of the Mistwraith if you like complex plots, even more complex characters and her wondrous narrative style.

Speaking of which, discovering her led me to Kay, another gifted author who writes very immersive epic standalones. I've just finished A Song for Arbonne and it was stunning, bitter-sweet, thought-provoking and a page-turner.

And speaking of of page-turners, of a totally different genre, I'm now reading Saint's Blood, the third instalment of de Castell's most excellent swashbuckling series Greatcoats.
A few pages in and I'm already laughing out loud - Also, I do appreciate the little homage to Princess Bride I've just come across.

Alissa wrote: "Sumant wrote: "Here is my review of To ride hell's chasm."

Great review Sumant! To Ride Hell's Chasm is an unique experience indeed, I simply love Wurts and I would warmly recommend..."

A Song for Arbonne is one of my FAVORITE books :) Of course, I can say that about most Kay novels! And Sumant, I'll second everything Alissa said about Wurts. Great stuff!

Thanks Alissa I really loved that book. Ya Shell I think Alissa is an expert on Wurts.

I just finished reading Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire; my only complaint would be that it was over too soon! It would be great if McGuire chooses to revisit these characters again in the future.

I'm now reading The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness.

I finished The Three-Body Problem translated by Ken Liu, and am now moving on to a book written by him The Grace of Kings. I am also reading Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang and listening to Midnight Robber.

I finished The Rest of Us Just Live Here and thought it was very good. I would definitely recommend it.

I'm now reading Barsk: The Elephants' Graveyard by Lawrence M. Schoen.

Here is my review of The dreaming void which is the 1st book in Void trilogy.

Spoiler alert regarding the review.

I finished Daggerspell and now I'm alternating continuing with the short stories in Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances and getting some desperately needed advice in Raising Your Spirited Child: A Guide for Parents Whose Child is More Intense, Sensitive, Perceptive, Persistent, and Energetic...

Shel wrote: "I finished Daggerspell..."

Glad you are along for the Deverry books.

I was out of genre with Her Mother's Shadow but next up is another book on n the Childe Cycle, Lost Dorsai.

Finished Starship Troopers and The Absolute Sandman, Volume Four. Taking a break from SFF now with True Detective. Then I'm jumping back into Dune, another classic on my "never finished" list.

I started Ballard's The Crystal World a SciFi, the last of his environmental catastrophe quartet. This one's more Sci-Fi than Cli-Fi.

I just finished Barsk: The Elephants' Graveyard and would completely recommend it; I absolutely loved it.

I'm now reading The Rosemary Spell by Virginia Zimmerman which is very good so far.

Justine wrote: "I just finished Barsk: The Elephants' Graveyard and would completely recommend it; I absolutely loved it.

Justine, you and I do have similar tastes in books; I also loved this book!!

I have finished Leviathan Wakes which I enjoyed and recommend. I got only 36 pages into New Moon before giving up. It has gotten great reviews, but the jargon wore me down. Now on to Kingdom of Cages

Started Cherryh's Foreigner's Visitor last nite

Here is my review of Fall of Hyperion in the Hyperion Cantos series.

I just returned from my trip. I had expected to be reading quite a bit. That didnt happen. Ha
I finished the book I started a couple of weeks ago when the plane was landing to return me home.
Finished The Arm. It was pretty good, I was sort of expecting more of an answer than we dont know. (The Arm examines the rash ot Tommy John surgurys in the MLB)
Started Dust of Dreams

Slow going, I am still out of sorts upon my return

I gave up on The Grace of Kingsat the halfway mark. I just couldn't get into it, though I was disappointed to admit defeat!

I finished Midnight Robber on audio and I thought that was great. I'm now listening to Station Eleven which I am also enjoying.

Since I've heard such great things about it, next up is Barsk: The Elephants' Graveyard which I'm also going to do on audio.

I finished Lost Dorsai, a rather weak entry in the Childe Cycle, and then went out of genre with an early Jeffery Deaver book, Mistress of Justice. It had an engaging protagonist and the main plot line was good, but the subplots and secondary characters didn't add much to the story.

Now I'm back in genre with The Redemption of Althalus, which I am really enjoying. I have not read any Eddings for years, but the storytelling style in this standalone fantasy matches the story itself perfectly.

I am currently reading Ashes to Dust, Grave Mercy & Ubik, I look forward to Magic Shifts & Thief's Magic

I've finished a few books in the last week or so.

The Rosemary Spell by Virginia Zimmerman - this was pretty good; I would recommend it for middle grade but I think probably the same kinds of friends and family issues with a supernatural twist were done a bit better in Doll Bones by Holly Black.

Beyond the Red by Ava Jae - DO NOT RECOMMEND! This is a YA SF romance book, which I don't have a problem with, but what I do have a problem with is the fact that the author is actively marketing this book as a standalone novel when it is clearly not. I ranted quite a bit about this on my review, so I won't go on about it further here:)

The Impostor Queen by Sarah Fine - this one was really good! I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. It is a series start but it gives enough closure at the end that you don't feel like you've been left hanging. I'll definitely continue with the next book.

The Killing Jar by Jennifer Bosworth - a nice, atmospheric YA thriller that is a standalone novel. I liked this one quite a bit.

Today I'm going to start Half Lost by Sally Green, the last book in the Half Bad trilogy.

I just finished Kingdom of Cages which I enjoyed and recommend and am about to start on Half the World

I'm starting Green Earth by Kim Stanley Robinson tonight.

The Redemption of Althalus was a pleasant surprise. I had not expected to enjoy it as much as I did.

I then zipped through Darkspell for our series read and also went out of genre with a mystery, Funeral in Blue. Next up is another fantasy in the Recluce series by L.E. Modesitt Jr., to be followed by another book in the SF Childe Cycle, The Final Encyclopedia.

Kathi wrote: "The Redemption of Althalus was a pleasant surprise. I had not expected to enjoy it as much as I did.
."

I read it soon after the last series they wrote and I was disappointed. I suspect if I had read it years later it might have been better. This was an experiment for the Eddings. To see if they could write a stand alone series