SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

finished my fourth book for this challenge

18. Sweet summer child = Selkie Summer by Ken MacLeod - Reason = set in the summer

17. Spring Into Action

Lenin on the Train: The Journey that Changed the Course of History

4/20

Four more, now at 8.

1. Aquarius
Paul Auster - DOB Feb 3
The Book of Illusions

–Classic Auster here telling us of our interconnectedness but at the same time isolation, with a dark unspoken commentary on existence and vagaries of our lives and the decisions that we make. Good Stuff

11. Sagittarius
Patrick O'Brian - DOB 12 Dec
Master and Commander

–Well this was a disappointment (and a DNF) for me. Too much nautical jargon and nothing much happening.

12. Capricorn
M.R. Carey - DOB Jan 1
The Trials of Koli
The Fall of Koli

–Very enjoyable second and third books in Carey’s Rampart Trilogy. Lots of creative stuff and the audiobooks are wonderfully narrated. Strongly recommended.

Edwin wrote: "Four more, now at 8. 11. Sagittarius
Patrick O'Brian - DOB 12 Dec
Master and Commander

–Well this was a disappointment (and a DNF) for me. Too much nautical jargon and nothing much happening."

It's a shame you DNF'd but Master and Commander was the weakest of the series. O'Brien was an expert on the subject so complex nautical jargon is in pretty much every book O'Brien ever wrote. I'm sorry it didn't work for you, but I absolutely loved the series!

Oh, I've missed this challenge! Can I join even if it's a bit late?

1. Authentic Aquarius - innovative, revolutionary Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr
2. Popular Pisces - dreamy, artistic One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez
3. Active Aries - optimistic, adventurous Ingen rövare finns i skogen by Astrid Lindgren A wonderful children's story that's a small gem of phantasy, adventure and optimism ♡
4. Tender Taurus - The Great God Pan and The Inmost Light: A House Of Pomegranates Esoteric Edition by Arthur Machen Well, maybe a little far fetched but surely a goat looks a bit like a small taurus? (The cover of the Swedish copy shows a faun, hence a goat that leads to the Taurus... !)
5. Gentle Gemini - adaptable, curious Fallet från Eden by E.P. Uggla A fantastic Swedish dystopian and sci fi trilogy (this is book nr 2) that I certainly do hope will be translated into English one day (and other languages). Now you can't share the delight with me. (Unless you know Swedish). The main character is very adaptable, more than she knows from the beginning. But she learns she is some sort of AI and made for being very adaptive. She is also curious and wants to understand what everyone else seems to have forgotten - what happened with Earth? Because she has got memories that noone else seems to have.

6. Compassionate Cancer - emotional, imaginative Varken by Lisa Förare
7. Limelight Leo - dramatic, humorous Lullaby by Chuck Palahniuk
8. Veracious Virgo - attentive, analytical 1Q84: Andra boken by Haruki Murakami
9. Lively Libra - diplomatic, harmonious Stendrottningens hemlighet by Ingrid Tosteberg
10. Spirited Scorpio - complicated, powerful Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel

11. Sweet Sagittarius - idealistic, wanderlust The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
12. Capable Capricorn - protective, noble The Road by Cormac McCarthy
13. A breath of fresh air The Night Raven by Sarah Painter
14. Playing with fire The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
15. From the ground up Stockholmspesten by Sofia Albertsson Another Swedish dystopian Sci Fi novel. Very thrilling. Something is lurking in the shadows, in the basements, in the tunnels of the metro in Stockholm. Something is growing deep down beneath the city but now it's growing faster, up inside the walls, into the plumbing, it infects the water and starts growing inside the human beings as well.

16. In deep waters On the Beach by Nevil Shute
17. Spring into action Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
18. Sweet summer child Sommaren tar slut by Jonatan Olofsgård Yet another Swedish dystopian novel and this is about the last summer.
19. Reap what you sow Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler What could fit this prompt better than my chosen title?
20. On thin ice Chain of Events by Fredrik T. Olsson

Of course, you can join any time!

DivaDiane wrote: "Of course, you can join any time!"

Great! ◉⁠‿⁠◉

Nike wrote: "Oh, I've missed this challenge! Can I join even if it's a bit late?"

No worries and the answer to the question about joining in an adamant yes.

Nike wrote: "1. Authentic Aquarius - innovative, revolutionary Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr
2. Popular Pisces - dreamy, artistic One Hundred Years of Solitude by ..."

Some good choices there.

added for a total of 5

19. Reap what you sow = Greensmith by Aliya Whiteley - Reason = seed librarian

this was a very odd book but I enjoyed it

Dj wrote: "Nike wrote: "1. Authentic Aquarius - innovative, revolutionary Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr
2. Popular Pisces - dreamy, artistic [book:One Hundred Years of Soli..."

Thanks (⁠◔⁠‿⁠◔⁠)

added another for a total of six

8. Veracious Virgo - attentive, analytical = Virgin = Touched by Magic by Doranna Durgin - Reason = lots of scenes set in the Forgotten Unicorn (pub) and we all know about unicorns and virgins, right?

and it had a virgin and a unicorn right in chapter 1 to start the book. It was a pretty good stand alone book though the author id, quite a few years later, write a sequel.

CBRetriever wrote: "added another for a total of six

8. Veracious Virgo - attentive, analytical = Virgin = Touched by Magic by Doranna Durgin - Reason = lots of scenes set in the Forg..."

Glad you enjoyed the book.

I’m a bit behind on this challenge but I’m still proud I finished my first book in this challenge a little while ago.

19. Reap what you sow - A Bright Heart by Kate Chenli


I did enjoy this one a lot. It had some issues with pacing and such but I still found myself drawn in. I’m looking forward to the sequel which, I believe, comes out this year.

I’m hoping to focus a little bit more on my ever growing tbr list the next few months.

Kim wrote: "I’m a bit behind on this challenge but I’m still proud I finished my first book in this challenge a little while ago.

19. Reap what you sow - A Bright Heart by [author:Kate Chenli..."

glad you enjoyed this read.

I completed another four entries for the TBR challenge:

✔️2. Popular Pisces - dreamy, artistic: Yumi and the Nightmare Painter
✔️9. Lively Libra - diplomatic, harmonious: Translation State
✔️15. From the ground up: Barking Up the Wrong Tree: The Surprising Science Behind Why Everything You Know About Success Is (Mostly) Wrong
✔️ 19. Reap what you sow: Undergrowth: A fast-paced ecological adventure set in the dark woods where glowing mushrooms live

Undergrowth was my favorite of this set. It's another well-plotted Ellen King Rice PNW nature-focused found family adventure. My only real complaint with this one was that the baddies often seemed too villanous to be believable.

I liked Translation State and Yumi and the Nightmare Painter overall, but it took me a while to get into the characters and settings.

Progress: 15/20

Mushroom thriller? 😂 I need this in my life!

(Mushrooms are evil, I avoid them at all costs.)

Another four for me as well. ½ way done now (12 of 24)

2. Pisces
Jennifer Saint - DOB Mar 18
Ariadne
–Gods are bad, men are bad and women are victims of them all. 3 stars.

3. Aries
Charlie N. Holmberg - DOB Apr 4
Keeper of Enchanted Rooms
–A cute, Victorian-ish magical romance-y story with a nice, happy ending.

4. Taurus
Bel Kaufman - DOB May 10
Up the Down Staircase
–Brilliant. A must read for any teacher, or anyone really. It was written in 1964 and still feels ever so relevant.

8. Virgo
Paulo Coelho - DOB Aug 24
Eleven Minutes
–Coelho’s exploration of “sacred sex”. A fail for me. 2 stars.

Edwin wrote: "Another four for me as well. ½ way done now (12 of 24)

2. Pisces
Jennifer Saint - DOB Mar 18
Ariadne
–Gods are bad, men are bad and women are victims of them all...."

I like your method of filling the categories!

added another for a total of seven

1. Authentic Aquarius - innovative, revolutionary = Water Bearer = The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi - Reason = dividing up water and delivering it

2. Popular Pisces - dreamy, artistic

✔️The Other Side

5/20

I am now up to 8/20 with these 2 reads in March / April:

3. Gentle Gemini - adaptable, curious: Dawn by Octavia Butler. The main character definitely fits the descriptors of adaptable and curious, though neither she nor the story were gentle.

15. Playing with fire: Firewalkers by Adrian Tchiakovsky. This was a replacement for my original choice because it fit the theme so well.

7. Limelight Leo - dramatic, humorous - Such Sharp Teethby Rachel Harrison – Black humor, some romance, and all the drama! I really liked it. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

finished

17. Spring into action = Translation State by Ann Leckie - Reason = main character must spring into action after grandmaman dies

this makes 7 out of 20 prompts fulfilled

8. Veracious Virgo - attentive, analytical

✔️ Stan's Kitchen - Includes nonfiction as well as fiction and poetry

6/20

Finished my first book for this challenge!
Poslednja Želja by Andrzej Sapkowski
aka The Last Wish (Witcher #0.5)

The TV series covered most of the stories in this book, but Geralt gives off a different vibe, and the universe is more like the game than the show. Though that just might be the Serbian translation.

Checking in with 6 of 21 read:

By rating:
5 Stars
11. Sweet Sagittarius The Hobbit
13. A breath of fresh air A Hat Full of Sky

4 Stars
6. Compassionate Cancer Farside Cannon
16. In deep waters Pawn
17. Spring into action The Warrior's Apprentice

3 Stars
10. Spirited Scorpio The Ring of Charon

Man, those look like iconic matches! I'm glad you like so many. Hat Full of Sky is a favorite!!

Three more entries completed for the TBR challenge:

✔️3. Active Aries - optimistic, adventurous: The Tea Dragon Society trilogy (The Tea Dragon Society, The Tea Dragon Festival, The Tea Dragon Tapestry)
✔️5. Gentle Gemini - adaptable, curious: The Puppy Primer
✔️16. In deep waters: The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi

Tea Dragon Society: I loved the combination of the plotting and graphics in these books. They worked very well together to tell charming and heartwarming stories (especially in the first and third books).

The Puppy Primer: Puppy, puppy, puppy!

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi: This is another book that it took me a while to warm up to, but in the end I enjoyed the epic (even if sometimes eye-rollingly improbable) story arc. The Arabian Nights flavor and a focus on the difficulty of being a woman and mother in this so, so male-dominated profession and culture both helped.

Progress: 18/20

The two books that I have left for this challenge aren't working for me. It's time to make some new choices.

fantastic progress - I'm nowhere near that far along

Hello, I am joining the reading challenge a bit late- but better late than never!
SciFi and Fantasy Book Club - 2024 TBR Cleanup Challenge
1. Authentic Aquarius - innovative, revolutionary - You Dreamed of Empires by Álvaro Enrigue
2. Popular Pisces - Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
3. Active Aries - optimistic, adventurous - Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
4. Tender Taurus - Can't Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne
5. Gentle Gemini - adaptable, curious- Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree
6. Compassionate Cancer - emotional, imaginative - Weyward by Emilia Hart
7. Limelight Leo - dramatic, humorous- Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett
8. Veracious Virgo - All Systems Red by Martha Wells
9. Lively Libra - Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries
10. Spirited Scorpio - complicated, powerful - The Oleander Sword by Tasha Suri
11. Sweet Sagittarius - idealistic, wanderlust- Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
12. Capable Capricorn - protective, noble - The House Witch by Delemhach
13. A breath of fresh air- An Enchantment of Ravens
14. Playing with fire - The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab, A Fire Endless by Rebecca Ross
15. From the ground up - Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
16. In deep waters - A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross
17. Spring into action - The Magicians' Guild by Trudi Canavan
18. Sweet summer child - Nimona by N.D. Stevenson
19. Reap what you sow - Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher
20. On thin ice - A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

That is a wonderful list, Cozy!

Them's some good books, Cozy!

13. A breath of fresh air - A Murder Most French by Colleen Cambridge – This promises to be a breezy mystery ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This was a breezy mystery set in Paris a few years after the second world war. The MC, Tabitha, is interesting, but the star of book is Tabi's friend, Julia Child! Yes, that Julia Child while she's at Le Cordon Bleu learning to be a chef. It's a cute series.

My remaining books for the TBR challenge:

✔️14. Tender Taurus - soothing, dependable: Can't Spell Treason Without Tea
✔️18. Sweet summer child: Land Glorious

Progress 20/20

Change in TBR list size since the end of last year's TBR challenge reading (6 months): +4%

Congratulations on finishing the challenge, Raucous!

Yes, congratulations Racous.

Five more, now at 17/24

18. Sweet summer child
L.M. Montgomery
Anne of Green Gables
–I am without a doubt not the target audience for this book, but boy the audiobook version of this, narrated by Rachel McAdams, was just so darned good I have to give a big shout out for it.

19. Reap what you sow
Octavia E. Butler
Seed to Harvest (Wild Seed, Mind of My Mind, Clay's Ark and Patternmaster)
–All four books of Butler’s Patternmaster series in one volume, so, yeah, I will count this as four books. This series of stories, organized in chronological order but not in the order written, are early Butler, dense with themes of dominance and control. They are certainly good, but not great and are mostly all 3 star reviews for me.

Thank you Kaia and Edwin!

Raucous wrote: "My remaining books for the TBR challenge:

✔️14. Tender Taurus - soothing, dependable: Can't Spell Treason Without Tea
✔️18. Sweet summer child: Land Glorious

Prog..."

Way to go.

I started my “10. Spirited Scorpio” book, Plutocrats: The Rise of the New Global Super Rich and the Fall of Everyone Else, but found it a little dated. I’ll read Big Men Fear Me instead.

I need to get moving, lots of big books still to read and it’s already almost June.

6. Compassionate Cancer - emotional, imaginative – Jade War by Fonda Lee – Plot is imaginative and I am emotionally attached to some of the characters. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

What a fantastic novel! This series is shattering my expectations and fits the prompt to a tee. Now I want to read Jade Legacy, but I will have to wait until later in the year to get to it!

Tina Reads wrote: "6. Compassionate Cancer - emotional, imaginative – Jade War by Fonda Lee – Plot is imaginative and I am emotionally attached to some of the characters. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

What a fantastic novel..."

From your comment, looks like I will have to move this book up on my reading list

Made it to 11 of 21 read:

By rating:
5 Stars
4. Tender Taurus Winterfair Gifts in Miles in Love
11. Sweet Sagittarius The Hobbit
13. A breath of fresh air A Hat Full of Sky
19. Reap what you sow A Civil Campaign

4 Stars
5. Gentle Gemini Brothers in Arms
6. Compassionate Cancer Farside Cannon
8. Veracious Virgo Ethan of Athos
16. In deep waters Pawn
17. Spring into action The Warrior's Apprentice
20. On thin ice The Vor Game

3 Stars
10. Spirited Scorpio The Ring of Charon

2. Popular Pisces – A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross – Traits: Artistic (Bard), Romance, Water on Cover ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I was told it was just okay, but I ended up really liking it! This means I'm going to have to add the rest of the books to my TBR. Next year I'm going to have to focus on finishing series, ISTG.

19. Reap what you sow – Clytemnestra Agamemnon gets what's coming to him. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I love the Classical retellings from women's perspectives and this was a really good addition to the list. Clytemnestra was no different and her story is filled with horrors, betrayal, and prophecy. This book definitely fulfilled the prompt parameters.

Tina Reads wrote: "19. Reap what you sow – Clytemnestra Agamemnon gets what's coming to him..........This book definitely fulfilled the prompt parameters."

Yes indeedy. The audiobook is also quite excellent.

I just noticed that the author is the same age as my younger son. Geez, I am getting old.

10. Spirited Scorpio – Winter Lost by Patricia Briggs – Main Character, Mercy Thompson, has a November 20 birthday, making her a Scorpio. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I'm not going to lie, this was my most anticipated book of the year. I ADORE the Mercy Thompson series so of course I was going to add it to the challenge. Mercy is spirited alright and is absolutely a Scorpio.

Another four, and closing in now with 21 of my planned 24

5. Gemini
R.F. Kuang - DOB May 29
Yellowface
–A book club darling with lots to ponder and discuss.

10. Scorpio
Pat Conroy - DOB 26 Oct
South of Broad
–Classic Conroy, but I felt this one was not quite up to his previous standards

13. A breath of fresh air
Becky Chambers
The Galaxy, and the Ground Within
–Yup......Becky Chambers is always a breath of fresh air

17. Spring into action
John Scalzi
Starter Villain
–Lighthearted and not quite as biting as some of his other books. As usual however, the audiobook version with the Wheaton/Scalzi duo is a winner