SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

Michele wrote: "Last weekend finished listening to The Monk -- oh my, such fun!! The king of gothic novels -- lustful monks, naughty nuns who summon demons, virtuous girls who faint at the least provo..."

The Monk sounds quite fascinating! Will have to add that to my TBR list!

MadProfessah wrote: "I'm reading THE CORE by Peter V Brett, the fifth and final book in the Demon Cycle."

I'm itching to get to that.

*twitch twitch*

Trike wrote: "MadProfessah wrote: "I'm reading THE CORE by Peter V Brett, the fifth and final book in the Demon Cycle."

I'm itching to get to that.

*twitch twitch*"

I started it... then stopped and started reading something else. Not the best start to a book, especially one I've been looking forward to.

This one almost sneaks into Dystopia - it's about a possible end to society and it is very entertaining!
My review for Not Forgetting the Whale by John Ironmonger

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

I am reading The Web of the Chozen and yes, that is the copy I have.

Replete with joy as I am with my reading selections at present, I did want to break the rules briefly and wish all celebrants a Happy Thanksgiving! It is my all time favorite holiday, because it's got all the best food, there's nothing I'm supposed to do except make and consume the food, and best of all, be grateful for things.

So, since tomorrow will mostly be given over to food and spending time with family, I wanted you all to know I'm thankful for this community. I love hearing about what you're reading and that you share this part of your life with us. Thanks very much, I hope your Thursdays and Turkey Days are lovely and that you too have so much for which to be thankful!

Oh how lovely, thank you Allison! I too am really grateful for this group, I love talking about all the books with everyone here. This is a great lil community and I'm so glad to be a part of it. Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to all my fellow readers I hope you and your families have a safe and happy Thanksgiving weekend

John wrote: "Happy Thanksgiving to all my fellow readers I hope you and your families have a safe and happy Thanksgiving weekend"

Back atcha, John.

🦃

Still listening to Provenance and enjoying it very much!

Oh and Happy Thanksgiving to all of you in the USA!!!

I'm glad to see so much Oathbringer talk here--I just got it last night (at a Sanderosn event--he was AMAZING) and I'm so, so incredibly excited to read it! I'm going through Have Sword, Will Travel quickly at the moment, which is a ton of fun.

Michael, we're discussing it in a buddy read (with spoiler tags) if your want to join in! jealous you got to see him!

Just finished The Bonehunters, whew that was a long one! I loved it and savored it, but I am so ready to get into something new. I'll probably dive right into Six Wakes and Artemis over the long weekend.

Jennifer wrote: "I am reading The Web of the Chozen and yes, that is the copy I have."

What's it like?

I'd love to, Allison! Thank you! I'm kinda bad at navigating things--so, sorry to ask, but where can I find the buddy read?

I'm reading stones Fall by Pears and Six Wakes by Lafferty. Very different writing styles and type of story. As I've said before Pears writing and storytelling is excellent. Lferry and his storytelling are new to me. Lafferty s wordsmithing is excellent. Your up in space with the characters. But I'm still getting used to the story. The books are contrasting
but definitely good reads.

Jennifer wrote: "I am reading The Web of the Chozen and yes, that is the copy I have."

That's one of the weirder of Chalker's books, for sure.

Since my last update:

Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation. Might be one case where I enjoyed the adaptation more than the original.

Monstress, Vol. 1: Awakening. One of the most beautiful comics I've read in awhile, but I had a hard time getting into the story.

I finally plunged into The Stormlight Archive and am so glad I did. It is just as amazing as so many people (Allison!) have been saying, and it's been really fun to participate in the buddy read here... I read The Way of Kings, Words of Radiance, and Edgedancer straight through and just started Oathbringer. CANNOT. STOP. READING.

I'm also halfway through the audio of La Belle Sauvage, which is reminding me of all the reasons I loved the original trilogy. Lots of descriptions of food, including pastry, so it was particularly fun to listen to it while spending a couple of days in the kitchen cooking Thanksgiving food.

Some non-SFF: The Hate U Give, an engrossing and incredibly smart YA novel that had my students (mostly college sophomores and juniors) staying after class to prolong discussion; and History of Wolves, which read like and was as engrossing as a horror novel, even though the evil it confronted wasn't a bit supernatural.

Michael, You can access the Stormlight buddy read here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Travis wrote: "Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation. Might be one case where I enjoyed the adaptation more than the original. "

I've been waiting for this from the library for months! I'm finally first in line and it's due on Monday, so hopefully I'll get it sometime next week. Can't wait!

I agree about Monstress, the art is amazing, but the story just doesn't pull me in, I've read two volumes. I'll keep reading it as long as my library has it, but if they didnt get the new volume, I wouldn't be too upset.

I'm about to start my last book for the November A to Z project. I saved the longest and (hopefully?) best for last: Orbital Cloud by Taiyo Fujii. I've heard great things and I enjoyed Gene Mapper, so I'm expecting to really like this.

Travis wrote: "Monstress, Vol. 1: Awakening. One of the most beautiful comics I've read in awhile, but I had a hard time getting into the story."

I liked it, but I enjoyed the second one even more. This might be one of those books where it takes some time to get used to the peculiarities of the story and the world.

Trike wrote: "I liked it, but I enjoyed the second one even more. This might be one of those books where it takes some time to get used to the peculiarities of the story and the world. "

I wondered if that was the case. You just persuaded me to put Vol. 2 on hold at the library. Thanks!

Anna wrote: "Travis wrote: "Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation. Might be one case where I enjoyed the adaptation more than the original. "

I've been waiting for this from the library for month..."

I hope you enjoy it, though "enjoy" might be the wrong word. Dana's character is so thoroughly developed by the interactions between text and illustration.

Travis wrote: "Michael, You can access the Stormlight buddy read here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/..."

Thanks, Travis!

Michael wrote: "Just finished Babylon's Ashes. I loved it! The Expanse is a great science fiction series. I might read some Arthur C. Clarke next."

I recently finished

I need to read this. Love the series.

I recently finished Lost Solace Very good SciFi read. I'm currently reading The Chronicles of Henry Harper and am enjoying it. I'll have to hit up my review club for more after that.

In November I read Six of Crows (★★★★), Stories of Your Life and Others (★★★), and The Hallowed Hunt (★★★).



Outside of FSF, I read The Storm Before the Storm: The Beginning of the End of the Roman Republic (★★★★).

Michael wrote: "I'd love to, Allison! Thank you! I'm kinda bad at navigating things--so, sorry to ask, but where can I find the buddy read?"

One of us. One of us. :)

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

Allison wrote: "Michael wrote: "I'd love to, Allison! Thank you! I'm kinda bad at navigating things--so, sorry to ask, but where can I find the buddy read?"

One of us. One of us. :)

https://www.goodreads.com/top..."

Thanks--I have some Oathbringer catching up to do!

I'm currently reading Where the Red Fern Grows to revisit my childhood book.

Michael wrote: "Allison wrote: "Michael wrote: "I'd love to, Allison! Thank you! I'm kinda bad at navigating things--so, sorry to ask, but where can I find the buddy read?"

One of us. One of us. :)

https://www.g..."

I mean, I wholeheartedly think you should read Oathbringer like there's a million dollars at the end, but don't let that stop you talking! Hank's still on WoR, several just started Oathbringer, and the rest are trekking along. Post your thoughts as you have them! I don't mind talking earlier points :)

I've ordered a copy of "Touched by an Alien" by Gini Koch and will start reading when it comes in from Indigo. I also plan to get back to classic sci-fi like Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451" and compare that dystopian novel to the way things are today. Cheers to all!

Allison wrote: "Michael wrote: "Allison wrote: "Michael wrote: "I'd love to, Allison! Thank you! I'm kinda bad at navigating things--so, sorry to ask, but where can I find the buddy read?"

One of us. One of us. :..."

Oh, well perfect then! Thanks for letting me know--and million dollars, here I come : )

Don wrote: "I also plan to get back to classic sci-fi like Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451" and compare that dystopian novel to the way things are today."

In case you weren’t already aware, a side group is reading Fahrenheit 451 starting March 15 of this year. I'm looking forward to reading it then; it will be my first time.

Here’s the thread with more details about the side reads. The schedule is in the second post. There are some other classics on the list also.

Since my last post, I’ve read the first three books in The Wheel of Time. As I mentioned before, I had read the first four books five years ago, so these were all re-reads in preparation for picking up where I left off and hopefully finishing the whole thing. I’m enjoying them a lot so far. Here are my reviews of the first three books:
Book 1
Book 2
Book 3

Now I’m taking a short break to Rendezvous with Rama before jumping back on The Wheel of Time.

I meant to read wheel of time this year but I'm still stuck in the middle of two because I'm so cringe at some of those youthful bad decisions

I stayed up extra late last night to finish Oathbringer. I really loved it. - ★★★★★ - (My Review)

The Warded Man - I had the ebook of this for a few years, but more recently got the audio version as well. That was apparently enough (not to mention the final book coming out) to get me to finally pick it up. I really enjoyed it and have already jumped into the second book. - ★★★★☆ - (My Review)

Rat Queens, Vol. 4: High Fantasies - I didn't enjoy this one as much as the previous 3 trades, but still a lot of fun. - ★★★★☆ - (My Review)

I didn’t realize there was a new Rat Queens. Thanks for the heads up.

Trike wrote: "I didn’t realize there was a new Rat Queens. Thanks for the heads up."

You're welcome

HeyT wrote: "I meant to read wheel of time this year but I'm still stuck in the middle of two because I'm so cringe at some of those youthful bad decisions"

Book three has a good bit of that also. :)

Dodsworth, by Sinclair Lewis, excellent observations on the American abroad. Then I wanted more Lewis so I had to re-read Babbitt -- poor George, so constrained and confused and unhappy. Then, still in the mood for skillful depictions of character, I did a quick re-read of Hotel Du Lac.

Oh, also As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride. Diverting but shallow -- pages and pages of how wonderful everyone was to work with and how amazing it was to be part of such a special movie. Which, yes, sure, but I was hoping for a bit more in-depth.

Finished: The Sea of Storms finally and then started Camber of Culdi which was part of a Humble bundle. I'd forgotten how religious those books were and they are most definitely not on my "Buy on Kindle" list

Continuing on with Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series and finished:

Four to Score
High Five
Hot Six
Seven Up
Hard Eight
To the Nines
Ten Big Ones
Eleven on Top
Twelve Sharp
Lean Mean Thirteen

and currently reading Fearless Fourteen

OK, it's a holiday weekend, I have a bad cold, my husband was watching football and I was bored, plus the books were so short I just raced through them. They are hilarious though.

I'm rereading Seven Types of Ambiguity this month. It was a ton of fun the first time and I'm really excited to reread it. Also reading The Moor's Last Sigh, On Such a Full Sea, and Travels with Charley: In Search of America.

After putting ASOIAF 5 on hold due to "exhaustion", I started on The long way to a small angry planet by Becky Chambers, and Die Krone der Sterne by Kai Meyer, which is a German scifi novel. December is going to be my personal scifi month. ;-)

Just finished City of Bones, by Cassandra Clare, book # 1
Looking forward to book # 2- City of Ashes.
I still have that swampy kinda feeling. Where you just finished a good book and your proud of yourself for the accomplishment of it. But all the characters are still lingering in your mind and you want to think about them. You want to see the world as they saw the world. You still feel their feelings. Everything is kinda swamped together and you don't want to let go just yet.

Curtis wrote: "Just finished City of Bones, by Cassandra Clare, book # 1
Looking forward to book # 2- City of Ashes.
I still have that swampy kinda feeling. Where you just finished a good book and your proud of ..."

I've seen those called "book hangovers" and that feels about right. I can already tell I'm in for a book hangover after Oathbringer, too.

I will say after Oathbringer, I need a break from reading. I don't normally read so much in such a short time.

Rob wrote: "I will say after Oathbringer, I need a break from reading. I don't normally read so much in such a short time."

Yeah, I think I might, too, except that I have three books giving me the hairy eye.