SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

SFF I have read throughout the last three months:
The Gutter Prayer: Surprisingly fun and engaging with a well-developed and atmospheric world/ city... and likeable Ghouls! 4 Stars
The City & the City: I like Mieville but this left me cold; insufficiently 'weird' and the murder case wasnt very exciting. 3 Stars
Cage of Souls: Tchaikovsky has developed a fascinating dying earth scenario. An expansive and thoroughly engaging book. 4 Stars
The Rosewater Insurrection: not quite as good as Rosewater. More straight-forward and action-oriented. Still a good read and I'm looking forward to the trilogy's conclusion. 4 Stars
The Islanders: Priest certainly can write. Wonderful book in the form of a 'travel guide' slowly revealing stories and events of the Dream Archipelago. 4 Stars and made me dive into:
The Affirmation: Fantastic book, haunting and devastating in parts, uplifting in others. Will go on reading Priest's other Dream Archipelago books. 5 Stars
The Mirror Empire: brutal and in your face. Hurley is great when you are in the mood for it. I was: 4 Stars
and continued with the second part Empire Ascendant. Currently at 66% and everything points to another 4 star-read.
Next: Dead Astronauts; Infinite Detail and the conclusions to the two trilogies. Then I probably need a break from SFF...

Nice, Prophet!!

Finished The Last Road, fifth and final book in The Caravan Road by K.V. Johansen. Started off a little weak, but got stronger towards the middle. By the end, the prose was a little indulgent, maybe because it was the last book in the series. The series went back and forth between okay and pretty good, and for the most it was a pretty good series.

Also read A Bond Undone by Jin Yong, second book in the Legends of the Condor Heroes. This is kind of the literary version of those old Chinese kung fu movies. If you like martial arts and are willing to try something different, you might like this. 3 stars out of 5.

I’m currently reading 4 books at once, which means it feels like I’m making no progress at all but in like a week I’ll have this cascade of finished books and it’ll appear as if I read a book every five minutes like a robot.

Bystanders
A Memory Called Empire
Rosewater
This Alien Shore

Trike wrote: "I’m currently reading 4 books at once, which means it feels like I’m making no progress at all but in like a week I’ll have this cascade of finished books and it’ll appear as if I read a book every..."

I think I got you beat, Trike:

Nine Princes in Amber
This Alien Shore
Blue Mars
The Farthest Shore
A Treasury of the World's Best Loved Poems
Poems to Live Your Life By

And it always seems like I finish them all at once, as you say, when I do it this way. Then I get a book hangover and can't start another book for days.

just finished

Mansfield Park and started on Emma

working on

Shell Game by Sara Paretsky
Dragon
Dead on Arrival
Lammas Night - i can't seem to get into this one and find it rather boring
Tor.com Short Fiction Summer 2019

just finished "Aftershocks" by Marko Kloos. not a standout in the genre. "A choice of treasons" by Doty and "Poor man's fight" by Kay are much better reads.

Finished ‘Head On’ by John Scalzi earlier this week. Thoroughly enjoyed his writing. Finding the dialogue very witty. He has me laughing out loud sometimes.

Started with ‘The Paper Magician’ (Charlie N. Holmberg). I’m still struggling getting through the first few chapters and getting into the story. I think I am getting too spoiled with so many authors now a days starting their books off with a bang, instead of descriptions and introductions.

Also just started my second Jane Austen - ‘Sense and Sensibility’. I enjoyed ‘Pride and Prejudice’ last year, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed for this one.

Read Summer Frost by Blake Crouch as my bedtime story over the last couple of nights. Really enjoyed it. Made me think too much so it probably wasn’t great for bedtime really but whatever.

Still also reading Skyward by Brandon Sanderson. Liking it so far.

I recently finished Ninefox Gambit (after saying, 1 more chapter over and over again until 6am haha) I liked it a lot and hope to finish the series soon.

I'm working on Embassytown now and looking forward to getting further into it tonight.

With the last 4 books I rekindled my love for short stories XD.

I finished House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds (my first book from the "The Call" list) which had a great basic idea and a well considered worldbuilding, but could have easily done with at least 100 pages less and a tighter story narration.

The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison, one of this month's group re-reads, was nice, but again a lot of talking with little happening.

At the moment I'm listening to The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan, which indeed is so far a 1:1 copy of LotR with the bonus that female characters are part of the fellowship.

And I'm reading The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman to my boys, which is also meandering a lot.

In all four occasions my mental cry of "get to the point!" was/is quite loud.

So I'm really glad for Anna's short story challenge which has me reading a lot more short stories (especially from newer authors which I neglected so far), where an idea is elaborated in a timely fashion without lingering right or left of the path. - even though I don't always get it. ;)

Finished reading Dark Matter, by Blake Crouch, very interesting read on the whole matter of parallel universes and alternate realities, highly recommended, here is my review for those interested
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

I read Dark Matter in April/May last year. Really liked it. His Summer Frost novella/short story is really good too. Can’t wait to get hold of Recursion.

I have been reading a few books this year. At the moment I am reading Jaws by Peter Benchley

Dang, y'all! You're really starting 2020 off with a bang.

Or, I guess, a quiet sit down ^^

I've been reading A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

I recently finished two books by Seanan McGuire. Come Tumbling Down was an excellent entry in that series, and Sparrow Hill Road which I thought started slow, but it did find its footing and had some unexpected twists along the way.

Nino wrote: "Finished ‘Head On’ by John Scalzi earlier this week. Thoroughly enjoyed his writing. Finding the dialogue very witty. He has me laughing out loud sometimes.

Started with ‘The Paper Magician’ (Cha..."

Stick with it, I found the Paper Magician to be well worth the read. Not at all, what I was expecting and the use of materials for the magic was very interesting.

Gabi wrote: "With the last 4 books I rekindled my love for short stories XD.

I finished House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds (my first book from the "The Call" list) which had a gre..."

I have heard that the Robert Jordan series starts out the same as the Lord of the Rings, and I am either reading a different book or am missing something that others find obvious.

Similarities are there, but some large differences as well. But then any quest fantasy book as similarities. So nothing odd there. Will have to see how the rest of it goes.

The Second Sleep by Robert Harris

A young priest in 1468 is sent to a small English village to see to the funeral of the local priest. But you'll notice this is in the Sci-Fi section.

Araych wrote: "The Second Sleep by Robert Harris

A young priest in 1468 is sent to a small English village to see to the funeral of the local priest. But you'll notice this ..."

Robert Harris writes sci-fi?

Thanks Kirsten, for alerting me to #winniethepoohday! Pooh is very dear to our hearts, in this household. Now more than ever since he went missing in Minneapolis and had quite the adventure, via Sweden, getting back to us in the UK!

And now back to your regular programming.

we like Robert Harris Precious!

I'm almost finished rereading Shadowmarch (Shadowmarch, #1). I'm still enjoying it this time around, but I forgot just how little some of my favorite characters are in this installment.

Michelle wrote: "I'm almost finished rereading Shadowmarch (Shadowmarch, #1). I'm still enjoying it this time around, but I forgot just how little some of my favorite characters are in this installment."

Aw! I've read this ages ago and loved it. I should make some time for a re-read.

Finished Skyward by Brandon Sanderson. Really loved it. Loved Doomslug and M-Bot.

Yay Jacqueline!! I was just thinking last night that Starsight might be a soon-read because I want something friendly.

A friendly thing would be nice because Luna: New Moon was very complicated and adult, The Devourers was really gruesome, and The Future of Another Timeline is something I'm not sure I should be reading but I'm in it now and can't stop.

All good, but ye gads, a brutal combo.

Yeah I have Starsight here Allison but decided to start Closed and Common Orbit first. Got a little way in last night before the dog barked at me and made me turn the light off. Apparently midnight is past his bedtime. And I’m sure midnight two nights in a row isn’t his idea of fun. Bedtime would be 9.30 if he has his way.

I’m now reading pines by Blake crouch. I’m 45% through . I would love to discuss it with someone.

I finished:


Acceptance by Jeff VanderMeer
Rating: 3 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


Mort by Terry Pratchett
Rating: 3 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

And I started reading:


The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden


Apex by Ramez Naam

Atl: IMO, it’s best not to discuss that book with ANYONE until you reach a certain point, I’m pretty sure it’s much later in the book. You’ll know it when you hit it.

I finished two books that aren't in my TBR challenge. Neither of these books got a write up when I finished since they are not the first in the series. But I will pass along some thoughts on the books for the group to share.

The first book is: Dragon Tide: Chosen One

This is the end of the third series the author has written in this particular world setting. I have to say I like the author's style of using the Novella format to break the story up, instead of the longer Novel version. It makes the reading fast-paced and keeps the story moving along at a brisk pace. It does not make it feel too rushed like it might in a longer format. Each Series has a new Main Character and a Dragon to have to work through a set of challenges to save the world. This helps keep the setting and the story fresh. Maybe not the best Fantasy out there, but a very fun read.

The Second Book is: A Map of Days

I really enjoyed the trilogy of Miss. Peregrines Peculiar Children, and hadn't paid that much attention to the author since reading those books. So one day I am looking through the offerings from Kindle books to find out that not only is there a fourth book, but a fifth as well. This is the fourth book in the series. The story is complex with overlapping time frames and choices that have to be made to decide who and what you are. A worthy successor to the original series.

@Atl !!!! Spoilers!!! Please PM @Winterfell.

Atl/Winterfella, you can start a thread about Pines in the What Else Are You Reading folder, if you want to discuss spoilery content :)

I deleted my comment and messages winterfella. We’ll go from there.

Finished:
The Fifth Season. I should have finished it up sooner but I kept putting it off because I didn't want it to end. Luckily for me there's two more books waiting for me to enjoy after this. I am so in love with this world.

The Moving Finger. The latest book in my Miss Marple read-a-thon. This one I thought was kind of obvious from early on, so a little disappointed in that. Also the focus on the romances and the minimal involvement of Miss Marple probably makes it my least favorite so far.

Currently reading:
This Alien Shore. I am really interested in this one so far. It's exactly my type of thing. In some ways it's reminded me a lot of Cherryh's books. Really excited to see where it goes.

Jordan wrote: "... Currently reading:
This Alien Shore. I am really interested in this one so far. It's exactly my type of thing. In some ways it's reminded me a lot of Cherryh's books. Really excited to see where it goes."

Yes, I find a comparison with Cherryh's works is an apt one.

Jacqueline wrote: "Finished Skyward by Brandon Sanderson. Really loved it. Loved Doomslug and M-Bot."

Yeah! Doomslug! (sorry ^^' when I've grown up I will stop cheering each time I read 'Doomslug' ;p)

Dj wrote: "I have heard that the Robert Jordan series starts out the same as the Lord of the Rings, and I am either reading a different book or am missing something that others find obvious. ..."

The book I've read was a standalone, so I can't say anything about his series.

I already finished The Eye of the World and was surprised that it turned in a real comfort listen. I'm not sure I would have made it through an eye-read, cause the narration is looooooong winding, but listening to it was fun.

And I use this as my TBR-cleanup-Challenge entry for the "Steal from someone" prompt. In most parts the book is 1:1 LotR.

@Jordan and Gabi, Can you recommend a Cherryh book that is similar? I was just thinking last night how much I am enjoying This Alien Shore and realizing it fits in "Space Opera" (among other categories)

I didn't really care for Downbelow Station and it kind of put me off Cherryh's work and made me cautious of "Space Opera" as well. I have thought I would like to give Cherryh another chance, but I'm unsure where to start. Cyteen looks interesting.

Oh … if "Downbelow Station" wasn't to your liking I'm not sure Cherryh is a good idea. Other than that I read her "Cyteen" which is about cloning and politics and had me lose the thread several times. And I've read "Merchanter's Luck" which is a much shorter and tighter story with only two POVs and not so much talking. I'd probably try this one.

ETA: I ventured into some marked as space opera novels last year and overall it isn't a genre I'm happy with. I'd say "This Alien Shore" was the best out of the bunch I've read.

Gabi wrote: "Oh … if "Downbelow Station" wasn't to your liking I'm not sure Cherryh is a good idea. Other than that I read her "Cyteen" which is about cloning and politics and had me lose the thread several tim..."

Thanks for the suggestion. I like that it is short at least! :) That will be a good sample to see if Cherryh will ever work for me.

My brother read LotR when he was in jr. high (seems to be a common age for it), and all through high school fantasy was his main casual reading. When he got to college, he reread LotR, and it came across much like any other fantasy series, cliched in hindsight.

That's more or less what happened with me and Arrows of the Queen. I first read it a year or two after it first came out, and gobbled up the rest of the series over a couple of weeks. 30 years later, it feels like a lot of other fantasy stories of its time period, with its mind-bond horses, crypto-medieval setting, heroine who's perfect at everything, and long passages of exposition. 1989 Beth would have given it 5 stars, 2020 Beth gives it 3. (review)

Beth wrote: "My brother read LotR when he was in jr. high (seems to be a common age for it), and all through high school fantasy was his main casual reading. When he got to college, he reread LotR, and it came across much like any other fantasy series, cliched in hindsight."

Is it cliched if it was first and everyone else imitated it, though?

I just finished "The Midnight plan of the Repo Man" A fun ghost in the mystery story. by W. Bruce Cameron. I guess it would go into the Rural Fantasy genre.

CBRetriever wrote: "just finished

Mansfield Park and started on Emma"

I've just finished Emma in my much more languid go-through of Austen's novels, mostly in audio. Just Persuasion to go. How exciting, I so rarely finish what I start when it comes to things like this (series, etc.)!

This is my fourth (iirc) time through Emma, and while in my previous read-through, the second half was kind of slow, this time it was the first half? Come down to it, it's probably 50 pages too long, wherever the sluggish part might actually be. (review)

Gabi wrote: "Oh … if "Downbelow Station" wasn't to your liking I'm not sure Cherryh is a good idea. Other than that I read her "Cyteen" which is about cloning and politics and had me lose the thread several tim..."

Seconding Merchanter's Luck as a suggestion. Also, maybe Rimrunners? I feel it also has a much more focused feel to it. If you're worried about just hopping in to her universe in the middle, Alliance Rising is her latest book, but I believe it's the first chronologically so you don't really have to know much to enjoy it.

I dunno I think I enjoyed most of Cherryh’s other stuff more, like the Chanur books, or some of the other books with alien worlds and life forms . But that could just be my tastes?

I'm almost done with Emma and will go on to Northanger Abbey next. I'm torn between reading or not reading the Unfinished novels Sandition and The Watsons

They're short, and they're interesting! Sanditon especially since the setting is so different from Austen's other stories.

I'll be reading "Northanger Abbey" next month with another group. This will be my first Jane Austen.

Trike wrote:Is it cliched if it was first and everyone else imitated it, though? "

Exactly.