Books & Boba discussion

Hi, everyone! We're trying to figure out what we should read for November since we want to start giving people a head start for future picks.

For November, we want to read a sci-fi novel, preferably out in paperback. We're open to speculative sci-fi, space operas, steampunk, cyberpunk, dystopian, post-apocalyptic--pretty much anything that doesn't veer too close to contemporary. Please feel free to recommend books in the comments below!

Potential picks on the table so far are..

• Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee
• Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu

I’ve been wanting to read the Ninefox Gambit since I heard that it was nominated for the 2017 Hugo. The title is intriguing too. I like kitsune. ^_^

2 sci-fi books are on my TBR list, but they're short story collections not novels:
-Invisible Planets: Contemporary Chinese Science Fiction in Translation, edited by Ken Liu
-The Sea Is Ours: Tales from Steampunk Southeast Asia, edited by Jaymee Goh and Joyce Chng

Both Ninefox Gambit and Want are on my TBR list, but I don't think the latter is out in paperback yet.

The first two books in the Machineries of Empire trilogy by Yoon Ha Lee are fantastic but I would also recommend Jade City by Fonda Lee, Starswept by Mary Fan, Dutch by Madhuri Pavamani, Nostalgic Rain: Galaxies Away by AS Altabtabai, and The Hour of Daydreams by Renee M Rutledge.

You're a font of knowledge! Fonda Lee is a SFWA member. A few months ago, I saw a brief mention of her on their website. Her book Zeroboxer was nominated for the 2015 Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy Winner.

Martial artists and motorcycle gangs. I'm down for it. If it has sisters with swords, then that's just icing on the cake. ^_^

Reera wrote: "Hi, everyone! We're trying to figure out what we should read for November since we want to start giving people a head start for future picks.

For November, we want to read a sci-fi novel, prefera..."

(At this point, do whatever it takes...)

I know of a book that meets the requirements. It's a sci-fi novel, it's available in paperback AND as an ebook, it surprisingly deals with a lot of subject matter that is relevant to the current political climate, but it's set in the future. Plus, this November will mark a year since it was published.

Yes, I'm talking about my book, An Absolute Mind. I'm looking for people to read it, and you're looking for a sci-fi book. Reera, I know you said in the past that the synopsis alone intrigues you. Well, now you have a chance to check it out.

Believe me, it's awkward to be suggesting my own book like this, but given how unintentionally topical it is, I found it wise to bring up. (No joke, I've been approached by people who've read it, asking if I'm psychic!)

I hope you'll at least think about considering it.

Thank you everyone for the suggestions! I wish we were reading more than one book for November because you all made some excellent recommendations. We'll definitely refer back to this list for future sci-fi picks and give some shout-outs in the next podcast episode.

I already have Three Body Problem on my tbr list. 👍

I'm interested in some of the suggestions:
- Jade City
- Starswept
- The Hour of Daydreams

"Sisters with swords just being a bonus"...Alex, what does that mean?

“Sisters with swords” is my euphemism for kick-ass (anti-)heroines with swords like in a lot of Urban Fantasy and manga/anime. ^_^ But they could have guns or any kind of weapon for that matter. The point is that the character is a tough and combat-oriented woman.

Ninefox Gambit is military sci-fi that throws you into the thick of it. I just found it incredibly challenging as a sci-fi noob, Yoon does not waste time explaining things and just dives right in. It takes awhile to find your bearings.

Not sure how we feel about short stories but Ken Liu’s collection of short stories The Paper Menagerie is unbelievably good - some sci-fi thrillers, thoughtful alternative histories, steampunk - it’s all in there and very approachable sci-fi. (He’s also the translator for Cixin Liu’s Three Body Problem)

I created a poll on our Goodreads home page for our November pick. The four sci-fi books we decided to put up as options are...

‌• Ninefox Gambit
‌• Starswept
‌• The Three Body Problem
‌• Empress of a Thousand Skies

So, that's two paperbacks and two hardcovers in total. I originally wanted to add Jade City since a couple people nominated it, but I found out that the title hasn't officially released yet. The book widely releases in November. We'll keep it in our TBR list for now.

The poll will be kept open for a week, closing on Oct. 11. We'll be combining votes from both Goodreads and Twitter, so you can technically vote twice.

How did you arrive at the selection of books for your poll?

Lauren wrote: "How did you arrive at the selection of books for your poll?"

I mainly picked the final four books based on what was seconded in this thread.

Empress of a Thousand Skies was a replacement for Jade City because the latter has actually not been released yet. We've previously mentioned Empress of a Thousand Skies on an episode before, and I wanted another epic sci-fi fantasy to take Jade City's place. That way we have four very different types of sci-fi novels up for potential picks.

I voted!

Too bad Jade City isn't being published until next month, but at least I got my kick-ass combat fix--I just finished All You Need Is Kill. That'll at least take me to November. ^_^

We tallied up the votes from both Goodreads and Twitter. Surprisingly, it was a tie between Starswept and Empress of a Thousand Skies. Marvin and I decided to roll a die as a tiebreaker, and the winner came out to be Empress of a Thousand Skies!

Thank you to everyone who sent in nominations and voted in the polls. We're putting all the nominations on our TBR list for the time being. Of course, people can share their thoughts on other books beside official book club picks in our Book Banter & Recommendations subforums here on Goodreads.