SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

So far my reading list for May:

The World Without Us
Avempartha
The Portrait of a Lady
My Name is Red
Onyx and Crake
The Margarets

I'm not sure what I will tackle after these. I've got a ton of samples downloaded on my Kindle and it's hard to pick.

Lara Amber

Pretty sure you'll enjoy Avempartha! I'd like to know what you think of Onyx and Crake when you are done. I've been thinking about picking that up.

Oryx and Crake was pretty good, although I liked The Handmaid's Tale much much better.

Although I love Sheri Tepper, The Margarets didn't do much for me, after I finished it I was left feeling, "ok, so what was the point?" I'd be interested in seeing what you think of it - maybe I missed the whole point. = )

My Name is Red looks interesting - might pick that one up. I read The New Life of his and quite enjoyed it - very mind-stretching! = )

I just finished
Steal Across the Sky, the newest by Nancy Kress this weekend, not sure what I'm picking up next - have to check the tbr and library piles at home...

Carolyn wrote: "Oryx and Crake was pretty good, although I liked The Handmaid's Tale much much better.

Thanks for letting me know. I've already got The Handmaid's Tale at home so I'll start with that one.

Ooooh - let me know what you think!

That is a book that scared the bejeezus out of me - I felt it was a 'cautionary tale' - you know, watch out or this could happen here...

It sounds really good - I'll bump it up in the "To Be Read" mountain ;-)

I'm 75% through Avempartha and enjoying it. I should finish it by this weekend at the latest. I haven't read The Handmaid's Tale since high school and it's definitely on my reread pile. I'd like to get all the Atwood and Tepper books available on Kindle format so I can dump the stacks of paperbacks.

Lara Amber

I'm reading To Say Nothing of the Dog and Grave Peril, the third Dresden Files novel. I usually avoid series, especially ones that are supposed to be 21 books long with an added trilogy and only 11 are written. However, I really like the detective noir aspect of The Dresden Files and I'm liking how each novel wraps up the major story lines while giving just a hint of the bigger happenings. Plus, the books are relatively short and fairly quick reads.

Sandi - if you avoid series, the fantasy genre must drive you up a wall...it's as bad as the movie industry about making stand alones....

For May, I have several GR book club books lined up:

-To Say Nothing of the Dog, for this group. I intend to start it today.
-Tigana. My copy is in the mail.
-Good Omens. This is a re-read, so might get pushed aside due to time contraints.
-The Long Walk by Stephen King. It's a re-read too, but was a much longer time ago that I read it.
-Storms of Vengeance by John Beachem. He's a member of GR and this group, and we're reading his book for the Fantasy Group. It's in the mail too.

Once I get done with all the homework assignments, I have a few others lined up:

-The Curse of the Mistwraith by Janny Wurts. Janny is also a group member and Fantasy group is doing her book next month.
-The First Chronicles of Amber
-Midnight Tides
-Lamentation

These may have to be pushed into next month, and I always reserve the right to add to or change the list....

Started The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie (The First Law 1)

Where did April go????

I am finishing up The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson and not really sure where I will go from there. Either be the Night Angel trilogy by Brent Weeks, Tigana, or Chronicles of the Black Company by Glenn Cook

Oh crap. I'm already going to have to cash in my right to add to the list:

The Well of Ascension
The Hero of Ages

both by Brandon Sanderson

Thanks for reminding me, Matt.....

Getting off to a slow start with Fireflies in December.

The rest of May:

http://www.goodreads.com/event/show/3...

Just finished "Lord of Light" by Roger Zelanzy. I was very impressed from the start with Zelanzy's prose and subtle humour. But it is the books orginality that stands out. Humans colonizing a planet and the original crew shaping it into a replica of Hinduism with reincarnation as reality - woah. Definantly worth the Hugo that it won 1967. Also on the point of dates it still feels very fresh; it could have been written yesterday.

Currently reading: "Slaughterhouse 5" by Kurt Vonnegut

To read:-

"To Kill a Mocking Bird" by Harper Lee
"Gormenghast" by Titus Groan
"The Baron in the Trees" by Italo Clavino (if I can hunt down a copy)

I intend to finish [Book: Weaveworld] if it kills me, then I'm going to hit [Book: The Moonchild] and [Book: Cloak of Magic].

Matt wrote: "Where did April go????

I am finishing up The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson and not really sure where I will go from there. Either be the Night Angel trilogy by Brent Weeks, Tigana, or Chron..."

Oh, the Black Company! That's the dark fanasty in which the bad guys are treated as the good guys. You are in for a treat.

Matt wrote: Tigana, or Chronicles of the Black Company by Glenn Cook "

Fantastic choice.
I believe Tigana is a super book and the best stand alone fantasy book. The Last Light of the Sun is right next to it. Taking into account that I don't like stand alone fantasy ....

Black Company - 10 books. As Patrick said, you are in for a treat. I envy you :)

I actually have the first three of the Black Company in omnibus form so that will keep me busy for awhile. I believe the rest of them have been released in omnibus editions as well.

Just read THE LOST FLEET: Relentless by Jack Campbell

I've enjoyed this series a lot--and there's still at least one book left to go. Maybe more. I'm really liking the "Horation Hornblower in space" feel of it...

I think I'll be finishing the City of Ember series this month. I'm reading Inkspell, but I don't really like it very much, and I didn't like Inkheart very much either. So unless Inkspell leaves me wanting for more, I probably won't read Inkdeath until I run out of other things to read. After that, I know I'll read The Associate, but I haven't planned out the rest of my month yet.

I'm hoping to turn off the phone, and lock the door this weekend, so that I can sit down and relax with some well deserved reading time. Below are the books I'd like to get through this month, but lets face it, life doesn't always leave time for reading...


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This month I plan to reread R. Scott Bakker's Prince of Nothing series:

The Darkness That Comes Before
The Warrior Prophet
The Thousandfold Thought

All in anticipation of reading the eagerly awaited 1st book in the new series: The Judging Eye.

As before-going-to-bed reading, I've started Chester Himes' The End of a Primitive (or, The Primitive as my edition has it).

I can't wait to pick up C J Cherryh's two newest, Conspirator in particular, and Regenesis. I'll be browsing for other new titles, then, too. Wouldn't mind hearing if anyone found something recent and cool they're excited about.

I am almost done with Conspirator. Top notch Cherryh. I shan't give any spoilers, but it is well worth the read. I am just sorry it is almost over and I have to start waiting again. I am not sure what I will read next, perhaps some Star Wars novel on my TBR shelves for a change of pace.

I know it may be a bit of shameless self promotion, but I'm actually rereading my own novel to make sure I'm not missing anything in the sequel's plot outline. And when I get too dizzy from that, I'm also rereading the entire Dresden Files series.

I finished Oryx & Crake this weekend. It tied in very nicely with the "world is over" theme I seem to having going on after reading The Suicide Collectors and The World Without Us. I also watched Twelve Monkeys this weekend. :)

I really enjoyed it. The movement in the timeline worked well and the characters were interesting. There was Atwood's trademark dark vision of the world and humanity (I love her writing, but learned to never read more then 2 of her books back to back, or expect some depression/cynicism to color your world view for a while.)

Lara Amber

Lara Amber wrote: "I finished Oryx & Crake this weekend. It tied in very nicely with the "world is over" theme I seem to having going on after reading The Suicide Collectors and The World Without Us. I also watched..."

Thanks for sharing the feedback. I've not read any of Atwood's work before and have Handmaiden's Tale on my to-be-read shelf. Can't wait!

I'm reading "Tigana" right now, and then I'll try to get into "To Say Nothing of the Dog".
After that, I had been working my way througth Dickson's "Childe Cycle" so I'll get back to that.

Oh, and at the begining of May, before I received my copies of "Tigana" and "...Dog" I read Joanne Bertin's "Dragon and Phoenix" which is a sequel to "The Last DragonLord" which has been one of my favorites, and I've read three or four times. I finally got the sequel through an online used book store.

April flew by for me as well and I did not get nearly as much reading done as I wanted. I'm hoping May will be better. I've breezed through two really good books so far: Neverwhere & Redwall - enjoyed them both. Have a ton of things I could pick up next...not sure which way I will go.

Reading A Fire Upon The Deep by Vinge. Pretty interesting concepts that I'm still trying to wrap my head around.

Chris wrote: "Reading A Fire Upon The Deep by Vinge. Pretty interesting concepts that I'm still trying to wrap my head around. "

an excellent book!

Peter wrote: "Chris wrote: "Reading A Fire Upon The Deep by Vinge. Pretty interesting concepts that I'm still trying to wrap my head around. "

an excellent book!"

I would second that. There is a prequel,

A Deepness in the Sky, if you like. I also "heard" that a sequel is currently in the works.

Mawgojzeta wrote: "Peter wrote: "Chris wrote: "Reading A Fire Upon The Deep by Vinge. Pretty interesting concepts that I'm still trying to wrap my head around. "

an excellent book!"

I would second that..."

A deepness in the sky is also amazing. I hadn't heard he's writing a new one though. That excites me :)

Peter wrote: "Mawgojzeta wrote: "Peter wrote: "Chris wrote: "Reading A Fire Upon The Deep by Vinge. Pretty interesting concepts that I'm still trying to wrap my head around. "

an excellent book!"

..."

ah ha! well, dang it, i wish I had realized it was a prequel. I own deepness as well, but it looked like Fire Upon the Deep was "first".

I read them in the wrong order and still thoroughly enjoyed them. The prequel is quite a ways back (20,000 years) and is loosely related.

Mawgojzeta wrote: "I read them in the wrong order and still thoroughly enjoyed them. The prequel is quite a ways back (20,000 years) and is loosely related.


"

thanks for the info!

Chris wrote: "Mawgojzeta wrote: "I read them in the wrong order and still thoroughly enjoyed them. The prequel is quite a ways back (20,000 years) and is loosely related.


"

thanks for the info!
"

I read them in the wrong order too :) Think of it more as.. a second story in the same verse.

Just finished The Ghost Brigades which was very good.

Now, I'm reading an ebook version of Jane Eyre prior to reading The Eyre Affair.

Finished The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie and started Before They are Hanged.

I don't see what all the hype around the book was about. I enjoyed reading it and the fact that I started to read book II immediately after the book I, instead of taking a break and reading at least one stand alone says a lot, but it is not outstanding. It is not brilliant, fantastic. It is just quite good :)
One serious flaw, is a missing map. I think I have seen somewhere on Joe's blog or his website that he doesn't like maps and thinks it is unnecessary but I disagree and thanks to a The First Law's fan Scubamarco, who created 2 wonderful maps, I can enjoy the books a lot more.

Astra wrote: "Finished The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie and started Before They are Hanged.

I don't see what all the hype around the book was about. I enjoyed reading it and the fact that I started to read b..."


I haven't read the books, but I can maybe give you some author's perspective on maps (as an author working on my second novel atm). Maps are.. well.. they are a cool detail for fans, but a potential hindrance for authors. The more detailed the map, the more we have to go back and double check, as well as pause while writing to make sure details of the map are correct so that we don't get yelled at by a reader. And a 5 min break to double check something on a reference table or map can slow down the writing a lot.

So as a reader - I support having maps for readers as a tool to help them get even further into the world, as a writer they annoy me :)

"Imagination has no map." ~Terry Pratchett

I'm reading Turn Coat by Jim Butcher, and following that will either be the second Nightside book by Simon Green or Stone of Tears by Terry Goodkind. Probably read the shorter one first before I tackle something that big. At some point, I need to read A Feast For Crows, but I've heard it's not very good.

Jeff wrote: "I'm reading Turn Coat by Jim Butcher, and following that will either be the second Nightside book by Simon Green or Stone of Tears by Terry Goodkind. Probably read the shorter one first before I t..."


I was dissapoint in Martin when I read a Feast for Crows. He had such promise :(

That's what my daughter said, too. I enjoyed Storm of Swords, but found Clash of Kings kind of boring. It's kind of been every other one, you know?

Jeff wrote: "That's what my daughter said, too. I enjoyed Storm of Swords, but found Clash of Kings kind of boring. It's kind of been every other one, you know?"

totally with you there. Though his continual push backs of publication dates are starting to feel very Jordan-esque.

So far in May, I have read
Three Men in a Boat
To Say Nothing of the Dog
Sorcery and Cecelia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot Being the Correspondence of Two Young Ladies of Quality Regarding Various Magical Scandals in London and the Country
The Grand Tour Being a Revelation of Matters of High Confidentiality and Greatest Importance, Including Extracts from the Intimate Diary of a Noblewoman and the Sworn Testimony of a Lady of Quality
The Mislaid Magician or Ten Years After Being the Private Correspondence Between Two Prominent Families Regarding a Scandal Touching the Highest Levels of Government and the Security of the Realm

Next, I will be reading Tigana. After that, I will probably read either Howl's Moving Castle, The Eyre Affair, or Summer Knight.

I'm 75 pages into DragonFlight - my first Anne McCaffrey.