SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

Araych wrote: "Soulless by Gail Carriger

Very cute story, sort of a sci-fi cozy"

aagghh - cozy is one of those words that completely turns me off a book.

I'm reading The Crown Tower and it's quite taking away the bad taste Shadow's Son left in my brain. I'm enjoying it

Just finished "The Demon's Apprentice" by Ben Reeder.
It felt like a pale imitation of a pale imitation. Contemporary/Urban fantasy masters like, King, Rice, to a lesser extent Koontz wouldn't condecend to wipe their uhmmm... windows clean with this stuff.

that's my favorite phrase of yours yet, Don XD

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

I am reading The Gargoyle.

CBRetriever wrote: "... aagghh - cozy is one of those words that completely turns me off a book. ..."

There's a collection of words that does that to me: "dark epic fantasy."

I'm reading Artificial Condition - the second Murderbot novella. It's none of those.

Thanks to the people on here who have mentioned A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking. I loved every entertaining minute of it!

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

Two thumbs up for Royce & Hadrian. The books for them are great. I wasn't a fan of the Myth set. Total bummer because I like the author and I did not expect to find that series to be as rough as it was to read.

Phrynne wrote: "Thanks to the people on here who have mentioned A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking. I loved every entertaining minute of it!

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

So happy to hear that, Phrynne! It's such a lovely book.


I dnf'd two novels: The Sound of Stars and Hench. Both not necessarily the books' fault, yet they are intended for readers who are more in touch with nowadays youth which this prickly grandma certainly isn't.

And since my tbr has reached such a height I became more comfortable with dnf-ing reads I clearly don't enjoy.

the jade city by Fonda Lee, it's so very good, it's basically the godfather if everyone could use the force.

Aleksandra, check out our BOTM discussion for Jade City!

First impressions | Final thoughts *spoilers*

I just picked up a couple of old classics that I haven't read:
The Green Brain by Frank Herbert
and Songs of the Dying Earth: Stories in Honour of Jack Vance an anthology. I see Herbert's book gets mixed reviews, no surprise since SciFi sensibilities have changed along with the culture over the years.
Has anyone else read these?

Currently reading Senlin Ascends by Josiah Bancroft - really incredible book with beautiful prose and awesome characters and plot.

Such an amazing setting and so many parts that made my skin prickle because it was soo eerie in Senlin Ascends!

Allison wrote: "Such an amazing setting and so many parts that made my skin prickle because it was soo eerie in Senlin Ascends!"
Completely agree! I really am in love with the prose and the world - I read fantasy largely to be transported to another realm and Bancroft has rather ecstatically filled that premise.

Awesome ^^

Xavaqenia wrote: "Currently reading Senlin Ascends by Josiah Bancroft - really incredible book with beautiful prose and awesome characters and plot."

It sounds really good! It's going on my list:)

Phrynne wrote: "Xavaqenia wrote: "Currently reading Senlin Ascends by Josiah Bancroft - really incredible book with beautiful prose and awesome characters and plot."

It sounds rea..."
Awesome! I hope you like it as much as I am.

Agree with anyone who likes fantasy the Riyria books starring Royce and Hadrian written by Michael Sullivan are great.

I just finished Sourdough by Robin Sloan. It’s not SFF at all really, but there are elements that will please readers of SF. And if you have been experimenting with baking sourdough bread, the starter becomes a bona fide character.

Also nearly finished with Blonde Roots, by Bernadine Evaristo, which is alternate history about what the slave trade would’ve been like turned on its head: Africans as slavers and Europeans as the enslaved. Very interesting read.

Phrynne wrote: "Thanks to the people on here who have mentioned A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking. I loved every entertaining minute of it!

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

I am glad you liked it but I think I will avoid your review for now, since I am reading it in the rotation mix of 12 odd books right now. I have to say so far I am pleased with it as well though. So I have high hopes.

So I have always been something of a sucker for books that have great openings. If an author can snag my attention with no real-seeming effort right at the beginning I have to give that book a try. Doesn't always pan out, but 'Life is Like a Box of Chocolates.'

So I picked up this Omnibus edition of books that are supposed to have strong female lead characters. It is called:
Shadow Magic: Six Strong Heroines of Urban Fantasy


I started the first book called:
Huntress Born


Which starts out with this amazing opening (okay I think it is amazing, and hope that you all do as well).

'I stepped off the bus into a darkened city full of human muggers, territorial werewolves, and countless other scoundrels. But I was prepared. I'd brought cupcakes.'

That is pretty awesome, DJ.

Diane wrote: "That is pretty awesome, DJ."

I have to read this one long enough to find out what the cupcakes are for at least. LOL.

there's no such thing as safety, only degrees of risk

Don wrote: "there's no such thing as safety, only degrees of risk"

Kudo's that sounds very Special Forces.

So I am reading the second book in a massive collection. The Harvard Classics. This book seems to be strangely topical for all that it is written before the Revolutionary War.

The Journal of John Woolman


So in this book, which has massive religious overtones, John Woolman was a member of the Friends. The main concern of the Author is Slavery and how he views it as one of the most offensive things that is done in the Eyes of the Lord. Considering the time frame of the writing we are talking about I find it amazing that someone, anyone would have taken such a view, but from what is presented in the writing of this journal it seems that there were a number of others of the Friends that agreed with that view.

To think that such a concern was in the works as far back as the 1700s and in a way is still with us. I am really glad that I started reading these works. I mostly got it for the Ben Franklin diary and the works of Marcus Aurelius along with a few others, but this is a jewel that I would never have known of otherwise.

I’m really excited to read The Dawnhounds, actually, which is the next fantasy book we’re reading. I don’t think I’ll read Recursion.

Just finished Recursion. Now I'm not sure what to read next, have lots in the TBR pile and also a few library books.

Thanks DJ, it's a quote out of "to sleep in a sea of stars" from a special forces type.

I finished The Witching Hour. A bit of a marathon given the author's verbose style of writing. Three stars. Onto The Books of Earthsea. The fully illustrated, hardbound version.

The Book of Koli #1 - Audiobook is great! This is the first time I felt like Carey's writing transferred well to audio format. Solid setup for the trilogy & a well written, character driven plot. You learn a lot about what it's like to live in the post apocalyptic world from Koli's perspective.

I liked it so much that I got the second book, The Trials of Koli, and it's diving more into the world & expanding plot.

Recently I went back to truly finishing The Wheel of Time by reading New Spring which was a nice way to visit the world without having to spend a year there.
I also read We in the Mirra Ginsburg translation and loved it. Was surprised at how not dated it felt.
Finally I ended the week off by reading Nemesis Games which while I like the world and characters I did not especially enjoy the front half of this installment. The end saved it for me though.

I am reading The Gargoyle

Don wrote: "Thanks DJ, it's a quote out of "to sleep in a sea of stars" from a special forces type."

Aw well, if you steal the quote fair and square it is all good. LOL.

HeyT wrote: "Recently I went back to truly finishing The Wheel of Time by reading New Spring which was a nice way to visit the world without having to spend a year there.
I also read [book:We|761..."

Thanks for the warning on Nemesis Games since I have just started into that one and I have to say that breaking up the band seems a bit forced.

I keep looking at my copy of To Sleep in a Sea of Stars but seriously it is so mammoth it keeps putting me off starting it!

Phrynne wrote: "I keep looking at my copy of To Sleep in a Sea of Stars but seriously it is so mammoth it keeps putting me off starting it!"

Does it help when I tell you that it is a very easy read in a very accessible prose? I listened to it, but I didn't even realise how long it was, cause it just flew by. I think it is similiar when reading.

I have just started , really looking forward to it, since I like the series a lot!

Phyrnne, the first part goes down pretty smooth.

I just picked up “To Sleep in A Sea of Stars” at Costco, in dead tree form. I hadn’t realized quite how massive it is until I cracked it and realized the pages are super thin and what I thought was 500 pages is near a thousand.

Anyhow , two chapters in. The prose is pretty lightweight - it isn’t taking a lot of energy to digest the story, thus far.

My reading this weekend is like an episode of Wheel of Fortune. Specifically one of those ones where 2 things have one word in common. Gideon the Ninth House.

Been reading The Ninth House for weeks and picked up my iPad a couple of days ago and started reading Gideon the Ninth. Enjoying both of them.

Lowell, so far with "to sleep in a sea of stars" there are things I like and. Don't like about the book so far. A little over halfway into it.

DJ, "defund the police, Yo!".

Phrynne wrote: "I keep looking at my copy of To Sleep in a Sea of Stars but seriously it is so mammoth it keeps putting me off starting it!"

Size isn't what is putting me off on it right now, it is the price. I will wait a while until it comes down on the Kindle version.

Thanks all. I will steel myself and just jump in. Are you sure it is light weight???

it is no seven evea

it's basically a fantasy quest in space with Lovecraft monsters

I’m most likely to read TSiaSoS via the library, so I don’t have to worry about price. Are there any self-published fantasy novels that you guys can recommend? Preferably something a little bit quirky.

Xavaqenia wrote: "I’m most likely to read TSiaSoS via the library, so I don’t have to worry about price. Are there any self-published fantasy novels that you guys can recommend? Preferably something a little bit qui..."

Xavaqenia, with a question like this it would be the best to open a new thread under "Recommendations". This way folks see it much better than here in the posts and you certainly get much more suggestions this way.