Beyond Reality discussion

Please let us know what your are reading, or plan to read, in May. All genres are welcome here, of course, not only SF/F/H.

currently reading Dr. Bloodmoney by Philip K. Dick. So far its been typical dick.. everyday people and total paranoia.

Not sure what i plan to read next, possibly the last five books of the Amber series, Assassin's Apprentice or something sci-fi along the lines of Alastair Reynolds

Last month I listed 6 books and got 4 read. The 2 books that would have been the easiest to read were the ones I didn't get to.

I am now reading:
Snow Crash
Neutron Star
Einstein: His Life and Universe

and the 2 I didn't get to last month:
I, Robot
The Caves of Steel

I read Seer of Sevenwaters and gave it 4 stars. Like the other S enwaters books, it's a romance at its core, but wrapped around that core are enough mystery, conflict, and plot twists that it kept me engaged throughout.

Next up is Victory of Eagles and then The Hallowed Hunt. Not sure what will follow those.

reading City of Miracles *back to my cave*

I need to get back to the other Divine City books. I enjoyed the first one.

You know how I mentioned how I feel like I never get a chance to stop moving? Well I broke my ankle two weeks ago and am in a cast. Well that certainly stops me moving. :D

Only going into work 2 days a week right now and working from home the rest of the week,

The first week was a bit of a wash as I spent a good amount of the time sleeping or hung over from pain killers. However, this week I am reading. :)

Almost done with Peter Watts' Beyond the Rift.

Reread Legion since I wanted it fresh in my mind for Skin Deep. I still say these could make a cool mini series.

I spent some time processing ebooks (I have a horrible backlog, publishers should really be shot sometimes)) and in checking to make sure things were correct, ended up rereading a bunch of Catherine Asaro's short stories set in the Skolian Empire series as well as selected stories from The Mad Scientist's Guide to World Domination: Original Short Fiction for the Modern Evil Genius

Also managed to watch the first episode of American Gods. Its not my favorite Gaiman book and its been a long time since I read it (when it first came out in hard back), but its pretty good and seems faithful to the book from what I remember. At least so far.

Just over a month left in this cast. Wonder what else I'll be able to get in between now and then. Just goes to show what work and exercise can do to your ability to read. :D

I'm behind on my group reads. I'm about halfway through The Shadow Isle (Silver Wyrm, #3) and have Child of a Hidden Sea still waiting for me, never mind the May books, both of which I want to read (plus finishing Deverry)! The last bit of the school year is always like this...but I'll catch up in the summer!

Random wrote: "Just over a month left in this cast. Wonder what else I'll be able to get in between now and then. Just goes to show what work and exercise can do to your ability to read. :D"

Too true. I hope you get lots of reading done!

I did not care for American Gods (the book), so I am not minding missing the TV version. (We don't have Starz.)

Shel wrote: "The last bit of the school year is always like this...but I'll catch up in the summer!"

Ah, yes, I remember those days. Hang in there!

@Random: Get better soon!

I finished City of Miracles in three days. Still deciding how many stars to give. Now it is four but I might add one since I really like Sigrud's character development in this.

Now back to the super bleak Parable of the Sower for a group read. I might read another nonfiction in between.

@Shel, I really enjoyed Child of a Hidden Sea earlier this year, enough to buy the second book (which I finished just a couple weeks ago). I'm looking forward to the third one when I can get a copy. I'll be curious to see what you think when you get to it!

I'm doing a Finish or Flee challenge on Habitica that got me to finish A History of God: The 4,000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam as of yesterday. Excellent book and I'd been "reading" it since 2007(!).

I'm working on How Firm a Foundation and trying to finish The Mabinogion Tetralogy by the end of the month. And of course greatly looking forward to Assassin's Fate, which will be on my doorstep in two days!

I finished the first slate of books I had set aside for the month, so next up I have Wellspring of Chaos (from the Saga of Recluce series), Dinner at Deviant's Palace, and an out of genre mystery, Acceptable Loss. After that I will have to decide what to take on vacation--eBooks or physical books, and that may guide my choices.

I got lost in the whirlpool of short stories for a bit sampling a little here a and a little there.

Now, I'm on a Jean Shepherd kick.

In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash
Wanda Hickey's Night of Golden Memories: And Other Disasters
The Ferrari in the Bedroom

I'm rereading Fahrenheit 451 with my advanced reading class. I love seeing it through their eyes for the first time.I hear HBO is going to remake this for TV. Can't wait!

I just finishedAncillary Sword and Every Heart a Doorway. I definitely liked the first one. The second one wasn't bad, but I admit I was little disappointed. It had a great concept, but did not quite live up to my expectations after all the reviews I had read. Oh, well.

Now, I'm starting All the Birds in the Sky and have also been reading Awake in the Night Land on my Kindle.

Was on Vacation for the last week in the Dominican Republic. So I got some reading in, was always distracted with the adult beverages.
I finished The Last Colony. Pretty good, I was a bit hazy with the two other OMW books but I was able to piece what happened in them. I have Zoe's Tale loaded up on the ereader.
It was a iight read, I read half on the plane and the other half one morning poolside.
I started a Jack Reacher book Echo Burning
It's ok, not back but not great

I listened to The Princess Diarist (Carrie Fisher), which was delightful and a little bittersweet. Started on the Dragons of Deltora series, by Emily Rodda, which I'm reading to my 7 year old. Almost finished with Foundation and Empire, which has been a bit of an uphill slog. Can't wait to finish it so I can start the new Robin Hobb book. 😊

Diane, my kids enjoyed watching Deltora Quest, which is also based on Rodda's books. We watched them on YouTube, but they may be available elsewhere too.

Took a break from jean Shepherd yesterday and knocked oiut a bunch of Brandon Sanderson short stories.

Firstborn was really really good.
So was Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell.

Justin, I had no idea there was a cartoon (anime?)! Thanks!

I just finished Waking Gods which is an excellent sequel. Now I'm off topic with Night School. Jack Reacher is always entertaining (and no way is he Tom Cruise!!)

Audiobooks:
Dark Matter was good from start to finish. Great story, characters and plot.
Monster was funny and had a unique twist on magic & critters. Great UF.
Almost done with Yesterday's Gone: Episode 1 and I'm sure I'll pick up the rest to see how the story turns out.

Savoring/pondering my way in Slaughterhouse-Five. The book is great, stupid, funny, awful and dense with topics that makes want to strike up conversations.

More than halfway into Follow Me Back and I like it but I'm not into the teen angst.

I decided to save Dinner at Deviant's Palace for vacation, since it's a paperback. So I read two William Monk mysteries by Anne Perry, Acceptable Loss and A Sunless Sea, and now I'm reading Naomi Novik's Tongues of Serpents. I'm also taking Flame of Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier and Antarctica by Kim Stanley Robinson (both paperbacks) on vacation since I am not sure I'll be able to have my iPad on the plane with me on my return flight.

Watership Down and The Waking Fire for next group read

Diane wrote: "Justin, I had no idea there was a cartoon (anime?)! Thanks!"

You're welcome! If your child likes anime then you should try Avatar: The Last Airbender series. It's excellent and very appropriate for a 7 year old and above.

I've read some really excellent books so far this month, including Confluence by S.K. Dunstall, which is the final book in the amazing Linesman trilogy. Also good this month were The Power by Naomi Alderman, The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden, An Accident of Stars by Foz Meadows, and After the Crown by K.B. Wagers (which I thought was a step up from the first book in The Indranan War series).

I'm currently reading The Young Elites series by Marie Lu, and really enjoying it. I plan to get to Child of the Prophecy by Juliet Marillier and Cast in Silence by Michelle Sagara before the end of the month.

Finished Echo Burning, a Jack Reacher book. Not bad, Reacher was a bit too lucky with his guess work but it was an ok book

Little bit of trouble choosing the next book, ended up with
How to Watch a Movie

I finally started The Silver Mage. Very excited to see where this final book takes us!

I finished Night School, a fast read, and am now reading Escape Clause. both out of genre. Not sure what is up next

Just started The Stars My Destination yesterday.

Read it many years ago and though I would reread to freshen my memory.

I am in the midst of end-of-school-year madness, which doesn't leave me with much brainpower for reading, so I tend to retreat into old favorites where I already know what happens next - makes it easier to put the book down! Right now I'm on A Song for Arbonne.

Here is my review of The Reality Dysfunction.