Beyond Reality discussion

Happy 2014! Please let us know what you are reading this month.

Starting the new year off with some oldies:

The Ophiuchi Hotline by John Varley

and

THE MAN WHO SAVED THE UNIVERSE THE ADVENTURES OF JOHNNY MAYHEM 1] by C. H. Thames (Milton Lesser) Kindle edition.

I have the Varley on my tbr-soon list, too. I'll be very interested to hear what you think about it, Jim!

This is what I would like to accomplish this month:

1. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe* by C.S. Lewis

2. Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

3. The Book by M. Clifford

4. Swan Song by Robert R. McCammon

5. Range of Ghosts byElizabeth Bear

*If luck is on my side, I might even be able to finish TLtWatW tonight before I go to bed.

currently reading The Two Towers with the odd story from The Complete Robot. I then plan to read The Stress of Her Regard and if ive anytime i might read Conquerors' Heritage

This is my queue for the month. The first book is short and will be read over the next couple of days. Books #2 and #3 (both short) will mostly be read in a huge chunk on Jan. 4, as I'm participating in an all-day classics read-a-thon, which fortunately falls on a good day for me. Then I'll start on Range of Ghosts next week. Ancillary Justice will probably be last, as I'm still waiting for my library hold to come up.

For January 2014 I intend to read both Range of Ghosts and Hyperion as part of group-reads here in GR. If I manage to finish both before the end of the month I will either continue with one of those series (if I end up liking them) or attempt to read a shorter length novel or novella.

I've decided my reading goal for the year is to clear my shelves of unread books, especially those that have languished for years. So to kick things off, I'm finishing all the books I'm in the middle of: Mistborn: The Final Empire (a re-read for my IRL book club), The Art of War, and How to Raise an Amazing Child the Montessori Way. Then it's probably on to Nightfall and The Mercury 13.

For this month, ideally I'd like to get in:



I'm listening to Rivers of London (Midnight Riot in the US), which I have five hours left on, and I've just started Ancillary Justice. Hopefully I'll be able to fit a couple more, but we'll see with A Storm of Swords probably taking more than a week!

Happy New Year everyone.

This month I'd like to be able to read:

Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
Anathem by Neal Stephenson
Armageddon Bound by Tim Marquitz
Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie
Fortune's Pawn by Rachel Bach

I'm always impressed by those of you who have your reading planned out in advance. I'm more of an "I just finished a book, what am I in the mood for next?" kind of gal, though I do try to work scheduled group reads in there when it's a book I'm interested in! :)

I just finished Cold Fire, and while I wait for the last book of the trilogy to come in at the library I've started Hull Zero Three by Greg Bear.

Same here Shel, while I do have a stack at my desk that I plan to be reading soon, but it always changes
Take in point the book I am reading now
River of Stars
I didnt even own the book till the week before Christmas

I wasnt even expecting to be reading it yet. We had an "Ice Storm" in these parts and the power was knocked out here for a couple of days. All I had was time to read to so I finished my last book was able to start this

Harbinger, started this last night when I was far too tired. Also plan to read part three of Codex Alera after that it depends on my mood.

I just started The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell. I'm still very early in, but so far it seems like quite the departure from Cloud Atlas and Ghostwritten.

I put aside Ancillary Justice and started reading Bones of the Lost; I always enjoy the Temperance Brennan books. I have several library books on my shelf, but am pretty sure I can renew Ancillary Justice

I'm reading The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare I gave the set to my 13y/o granddaughter for Xmas and we're reading them together. I'm about done with City of Ashes. These are definitely YA/Teen PNR, not my thing, but I'm enjoying the escapism and reminiscence of teen-hood. I quite liked the movie which I saw 1st.

Currently reading Dangerous Women.

Candiss wrote: "I have the Varley on my tbr-soon list, too. I'll be very interested to hear what you think about it, Jim!"

I'll be getting to The Ophiuchi Hotline soon. Probably as early as my flight to Dallas this afternoon. :) Will provide comments. I've ignored Varley for years. This is my first novel by him. I also have a copy of Titan https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... handy in case my experience is positive.

Andreas wrote: "Currently reading Dangerous Women."

That one's on its way to me right now. Looking forward to cracking it open!

I'm currently reading Dust by Hugh Howey. Other books I plan on reading this month are The Lathe of Heaven, Control, and We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves.

Lindsey wrote: "Andreas wrote: "Currently reading Dangerous Women."

That one's on its way to me right now. Looking forward to cracking it open!"

I'm continuously writing a review of the stories if you're interested.

In parallel I just started A Fire Upon the Deep.

Chris wrote: "I just started The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell. I'm still very early in, but so far it seems like quite the departure from Cloud Atlas and ..."</i>

I'm supposed to be reading one of his for my book group

[book:number9dream

Sorry, don't know why that's linking weirdly.

I'm with Shel in that I rarely plan too far ahead, but I am reading book 2 of the Codex Alera series (Academ's Fury) and then will start The Summer Tree, book 1 of the Fionavar Tapestry.

Just finished The Mercury 13 last night. Excellent, excellent book. Well researched and readable, it does a great job of looking at how and why U.S. women were not among the first astronauts. I suspect there are other readers here interested in space program history, so I wanted to pass on the recommendation.

Helen wrote: "Sorry, don't know why that's linking weirdly."
When you reply to another post and the reply is cut off within a book link, things turn strange here.
Just make sure that links are closed or delete them ;)

Kathi wrote: "but I am reading book 2 of the Codex Alera series (Academ's Fury)"
Burn, furies, burn! I lemmed the series after that novel ;)

Andreas wrote: "Kathi wrote: "but I am reading book 2 of the Codex Alera series (Academ's Fury)"
Burn, furies, burn! I lemmed the series after that novel ;)"

As you know so did I.

I'm reading Dangerous Women to see what all the hype is. Not really see it as the only reason I picked it up is because I found it at my local library yesterday. If it was not at my local library, I would have never ever bother to pick the book up at all.

As usual, I couldn't stick to my reading plan! Started Ex-Heroes by Peter Clines and The Hobbit by Tolkien side-by-side.

And that's why I don't have a reading plan, LOL!

Finished and really liked Hull Zero Three - REALLY cool book. Then I zipped through Divergent in a single sitting while my son napped yesterday...am borrowing books two and three from a friend at work tomorrow (assuming we can figure out how to lend books from one kindle to another - we know there's a way but neither one of us has done it, any advice?). In the meantime, back to plugging through the short stories in The Stories: Five Years of Original Fiction on Tor.com.

I finished up reading Bones of the Lost which I enjoyed and have just started The Red Tree

I am continuing on the Hyperion journey with The Fall of Hyperion, and have Ancillary Justice, Memory, The Summer Tree on deck--also hope to fit in some lighter reads with Aloha from Hell and Cry Wolf.

Helen wrote: "Chris wrote: "I just started The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell. I'm still very early in, but so far it seems like quite the departure from [book:Cloud Atlas|496..."

Very interesting choice for a book club selection! How did you come to select that one? I just read the review, where it describes Number9Dream as "even more ambitious than Ghostwritten," and that was enough to sell me on adding it to my future reading list. I can't wait to hear what you think of it.

To my shame, I didn't manage to finish Cold Magic in December--I blame the holidays--so that's what I'll start off with this year. About 3/4 of the way through.

Not sure what'll come after that. Between gifts and a gift card, there are a few new books to choose from!

I have the following works to complete from 2013:

Cities in Flight
Time And The Gods
Giles Goat-Boy
A Prayer for Owen Meany

I'm also starting in JAN:
The Lathe of Heaven - COMPLETE
Behold the Man
Mrs. Dalloway

Andreas wrote: "Burn, furies, burn! I lemmed the series after that novel ;)"

OK, I had to look up what "lemmed" meant...

Kevin's and your comments don't sound promising, but I'll have to see how I feel after I get into it more. It takes a lot for me to quit a book.

Ok well my dictionaries give me lunar excursion module and a variety of other definitions that don't seem to apply, so can someone clue me in? Lem?

Someone read a boring book by Stanisław Lem and gave it up. That's lemming :)

Kevin wrote: "I'm reading Dangerous Women to see what all the hype is. Not really see it as the only reason I picked it up is because I found it at my local library yesterday. If it was not at my local library, ..."

Is this the George R.R. Martin one or the other one? (just curious) :)

I ended up setting aside Ancillary Justice (too confusing) and The Red Tree (I really not into the paranormal) for Wool. I'm enjoying reading this book and not concerned about the author's problems

I just started . Too early to tell if I like it or not.

I just finished Seanan McGuire's Indexing, which was a kindle serial that I'd subscribed to and then never actually started until the whole thing was finished. I really liked it.

So far this year I've read And Then There Were None and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe- loved them both! I'm currently reading The Blinding Knife and am listening to The Titan's Curse.

I'm on a roll... finished Mistborn, Mercury 13, and Nightfall. Then I squeezed in 2010: Odyssey Two this weekend. Not even half way through the month!

Now the question is whether to continue pursuing the longest-residence books on my shelf (all non-fiction) or keep my roll going with some more recently acquired fiction. Choices include To Rule the Waves: How the British Navy Shaped the Modern World and A History of God: The 4,000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam and selections by Clarke/Baxter, Heinlein, and Niven. Choices, choices...

Just about finished with River of Stars and I can say I am disappointed. Its written differently than his other books and I am not too keen on this style.
Next up, the ebook of Ancillary Justice for the February book of the month.

After this, I have Marvel Comics on deck, this has been pushed back a couple of times so far in the last two months so fingers crossed

Nyssa wrote: "This is what I would like to accomplish this month:

1. ✓ The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe* by C.S. Lewis

2. ✓ Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

3. The Book by M. Clifford

4. Swan Song by Robert R. McCammon

5. Range of Ghosts byElizabeth Bear
"

From my original list above, I have read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and Steelheart. I have also read Mitosis (the follow up short story to Steelheart) and NERDS: National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society.

Next, I plan to read both Prince Caspian and Swan Song.

I have just finished Wool and really enjoyed the book. The next three books on my shelf at Revelation Space, Twelve Years a Slave, and The Humans. Not sure which one I'll read next

Andreas, thanks, I'll remember that.

Chris, I started number9dream last night and found it confusing. It reminds me of the Walter Mitty film at the moment. A new member of the group suggested it and it won the vote. However I know that three people haven't touched it and another loved it. Felt I should start it at least to show willing. Hoping others have read it.

Kathi, I loved Fury 3, wanted to read straight on...

Pickle wrote: "currently reading The Two Towers with the odd story from The Complete Robot. I then plan to read The Stress of Her Regard and if ive anytime i might read [bo..."

as usual ive read differently to what i said i would, so far ive read [book:The Two Towers|15241] , The Return of the King & Flowers for Algernon.

Im now reading Chasm City with a view to reading Sourcery & Predator's Gold