Flights of Fantasy discussion

Happy New Year! Hope everyone has had a nice holiday over the festive season!

So far, I've read Scott Pilgrim and the Infinite Sadness. I'll probably be focusing on reading more short fiction this month but I'm sure I'll get around to starting another novel or two.

Happy 2019, Everyone!!

I’m revisiting Dead Until Dark, the first book in the Southern Vampire / Sookie Stackhouse series.

I’ve made SV my focus series for this year. Books 1 through 9 will be rereads, but all of the short stories, and the rest of the novels, will be new to me.

I think Sookie’s adventures should fit nicely between family, university, and work.

I've carried over my Harry Potter reread from last year. I'm almost finished HBP.

I've been sick and had some sick family members - I've read nothing but trash and I barely remember that stuff.

I'm currently working on two: The Half Has Never Been Told: Slavery and the Making of American Capitalism, a Historical Nonfiction, and The Warded Man, fantasy.

Up next is Katherine, a historical fiction which I've had on my TBR and my bookshelf for like a decade. O_O

MrsJoseph wrote: "I've been sick and had some sick family members - I've read nothing but trash and I barely remember that stuff."

Hope you and your peeps are feeling better now. :)

I'm feeling a LOT better - but still getting rid of the congestion. Hubby is starting to get sick, though. O_O

Ugh, that's the worst. Well hopefully you survive the Man Flu too! :P

You know??!! He spent my entire illness dragging me places and demanding I do things. I hope like hell he doesn't plan on staying home and resting.

LMAO!

MrsJoseph wrote: "I'm feeling a LOT better - but still getting rid of the congestion. Hubby is starting to get sick, though. O_O"

I'm glad you're feeling better!

MrsJoseph wrote: "You know??!! He spent my entire illness dragging me places and demanding I do things. I hope like hell he doesn't plan on staying home and resting."

Wow!! LOL!!

Legacy of Pandora: Shan Takhu Legacy: Book OneHey all, dusting off my New Year resolution to get back into Goodreads more - and started the year off well with a couple of smashing fantasy & sci-fi reads. Heartily recommend the following two: In Numina
Legacy of Pandora: Shan Takhu Legacy: Book One

Very different books - one a supernatural fantasy set in ancient Rome that's a bit like Dresden Files stepped back a couple of millenia, and the other a hard sci-fi mystery thriller. Both thoroughly enjoyed, though!

I completed Dead Until Dark on Thursday, and am now about halfway through Living Dead in Dallas.

I am also anticipating the Jan 2019 POLL: Anthologies! results. I think I'd be happy with either one of the current top three contenders.

I've been listening to Steelheart. I was able to get all 3 books on a very good whispersync special on the 2nd. Excellent story, almost done. FWIW, if you are interested, it is a YA. As soon as I'm done with this one, then I will finish off LOTR with The Return of the King.

Stephanie wrote: "I've been listening to Steelheart. I was able to get all 3 books on a very good whispersync special on the 2nd. Excellent story, almost done. FWIW, if you are interested, it is a YA..."

I enjoyed reading Steelheart, but I haven't read the others.

I finally started Amberlough - my first new book of 2019.

My first impression is that it's way too info-dumpy right off the bat, and my mind is fuzzing over at the nation-state politics I'm being bombarded with.

colleen the convivial curmudgeon wrote: "I finally started Amberlough - my first new book of 2019.

My first impression is that it's way too info-dumpy right off the bat, and my mind is fuzzing over at the nation-state pol..."

How do you usually deal with info-dumps?

I tend to gloss over them and move on, but they also definitely slow down my already snail-like reading pace.

Nyssa wrote: "How do you usually deal with info-dumps?

I tend to gloss over them and move on, but they also definitely slow down my already snail-like reading pace. "


My eyes tend to glaze over and my mind gets fuzzy...

I feel like I have to try and pay attention, because I'm sure it'll come important later, but then I get overwhelmed by how much shit you're trying to make me remember right up front. Made up nations and shit don't help, either.

Reading shouldn't feel like homework...

*hmph*

Agreed

It's a fine line to walk, for sure. How much do you tell up front vs just dropping the reader into the world and letting shit play out? I complained about The Warded Man just the other day for not giving me enough up front and making me wonder about why certain things were done the way they were for far too long.

But yeah, I generally agree that infodumping is not the answer. LOL

For me, I think I'd want to be more familiar with the characters, first, before I start getting dumped into the politics of the world. In this particular book they sort of go hand-in-hand, as the 2 main PoVs seem to be involved in the political areas of the world... but we got, like, 2 paragraphs of character and then a geopolitical overview...

Becky wrote: "It's a fine line to walk, for sure. How much do you tell up front vs just dropping the reader into the world and letting shit play out? I complained about The Warded Man just the other day for not ..."

Your issue made sense. Plus, you didn't ask for a whole info dump...just the answer to what looked like a plot hole.

MrsJoseph wrote: "Agreed"

Same!

MrsJoseph wrote: "Your issue made sense. Plus, you didn't ask for a whole info dump...just the answer to what looked like a plot hole."

True... but I kinda would have been OK with a historical info dump of the history of the Corelings and how society has dealt with them.

Well... maybe. I say that, and then if it had been there I'd just as likely to be here saying "YOU COULD HAVE WORKED THIS INTO THE STORY! GAH!"

Becky wrote: "Well... maybe. I say that, and then if it had been there I'd just as likely to be here saying "YOU COULD HAVE WORKED THIS INTO THE STORY! GAH!" "


LOL

Fucking readers, man. So hard to please. ;)

snicker

Right?

*snort*

I recently started Dragon Wing for a Buddy Read in another group. I'd read this series years ago, but I remember very little about it.

I'm 60% through Alien: The Cold Forge and enjoying it overall, though I might quibble over one or two things.

Currently reading Golden Kamuy, Vol. 3. I just recently bought the first 5 volumes in the series because I positively love the anime version!

Still working on the BotM.

MrsJoseph wrote: "Still working on the BotM."

Same here.

Ditto.