SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

I finished the standalone fantasy novel the Master of Whitestorm (my review) last night and I'm half finished with A Study in Scarlet, both of which I'm enjoying immensely.

I started reading the next Vorkosigan novel this morning - Memory.

After Memory, I'll read Flesh and Spirit by Carol Berg.

Not sure where I'll head after that. I'm not enthused by my book club reading for February/March, so I may just tackle more of my own-but-unread shelf. I will read a few mysteries this month as part of my local library's Readers in the Rue Morgue contest. Typically, it doesn't take me long to read through a good mystery, so those will be fun.

I am reading Winter in Madrid by C.J. Sansom

I'm reading Perdido Street Station and continuing with A Tale of Two Cities. Since I'm going into labor at some point soon, I figure that's about all I will get done.

Lara Amber wrote: "I'm reading Perdido Street Station and continuing with A Tale of Two Cities. Since I'm going into labor at some point soon, I figure that's about all I will get done."

Congratulations!

Lara Amber wrote: "I'm reading Perdido Street Station and continuing with A Tale of Two Cities. Since I'm going into labor at some point soon, I figure that's about all I will get done."

Yes, congratulations on ver. 2.0!! I hope you'll keep us updated. :)

As far as SF/F goes I'm planning on reading:
Darwinia
The Time Machine
The Swarm: A Novel (881 pp!!)
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency
and a re-read of Cat's Cradle
I'd love to get to Perdido Street Station, but that might be wishful thinking.

Working on Verner Vinge's Peace War now.

Moving on to Jim Butcher's Small Favor next.

Then probably Michael J. Sullivan's Avempartha

Then maybe book 2 in the new Modesitt Imager universe.

Stuart wrote: "I am reading Winter in Madrid by C.J. Sansom"

That is a great book!

I am reading Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut at the moment.

1/4 into When True Nights Falls by Celia S. Friedman. Coldfire Trilogy, Book2.
Good sequence so far. Not enough depth but very much readable.

I'm about 1/3 through On Basilisk Station. Seems very cool with the descriptions of all the ships and the main character Harrington is awesome.

Boneshaker

Best Priest yet!

@Michelle, the Harrington series is good fun!

I finished with Acacia: The War with the Mein. I loved it, start to finish. It does not surprise me that David Anthony Durham won a Campbell Award based on the strength of this novel.

I would have liked to start on the sequel, The Other Lands, right away, but my turn came up at the library for Suzanne Collins' second Hunger Games novel, Catching Fire, so I'm reading that now. So far it's good, but not great.

Michelle wrote: "I'm about 1/3 through On Basilisk Station. Seems very cool with the descriptions of all the ships and the main character Harrington is awesome."

I love that series :)

Other than the club reads I'm reading Bard of the Middle Ages and still slogging through Color: A Natural History of the Palette. Then I may get to The Two Towers :)

I'm reading Daemon by Daniel Suarez.

Dennis, that's on my To Buy list, pls tell me what you think of it.

I'm reading River of Souls - The Epic Journey by Greg DiMase. Set on a planet inhabited by human females in the Large Magellanic Cloud. A group of revivable early-humans of both sexes are discovered frozen in ice at the northern region. Since this archeological find could severely upset a religious structure that once controlled the planet for thousands of annuals, the scientific team decides to keep the facts hidden at first. Eventually, they reveal the secret, only to have the religious factions start a war to take over the planet, spurring the scientific group to escape by trying a "quantum-leap" to the River of Souls, our Milky Way galaxy.

Definitely enjoying this one. On e-book format which I usually don't care for but the author keeps me interested so I keep going back.

Also reading Kingdom of the Grail by Judith Tarr. I thought this was an Arthurian novel but upon reading, I find it's set much later than Arthur's time. Merlin's still trapped and one of his descendents promises to find a way to release him. I was less than enthusiastic to continue. Once I got 30 pages in, the story started to take on a life of it's own, it doesnt need to hang on Arthur's coattails.

Reading the new Jack McDevitt 'Time Travelers Never Die.' This is a good new book from him. I have read pretty much all of his other stuff and it is really nice to see a successful new effort from a series writer.

Rivka, I just finished McDevitt's Eternity Road. I like his work, I've read the Alex Benedict novels. I have Time Travelers Never Die. I'm glad you're enjoying it, gives me incentive to start it soon.

Did someone already read the latest Dan Simmons?

Had my hands on Hyperion at library recently and put it down. this prompts me to get it next time. Thanks,
R

I finished Memory (my review) early Sunday morning. Later, after watching two movies and gorging myself on chili and cherry pie, I started reading Flesh and Spirit by Carol Berg. The first chapter, while only ten pages long, grabbed my attention. I like her prose and can't wait to pick it up again this evening.

I'm in the middle of Canticle by Ken Scholes (I was pleasantly surprised by his first book, Lamentation). Next up is The Warded Man by Peter Brett.

I just finished reading Elfhunter: A Tale Of Alterra, The World That Is. Next up is The Grandmaster

Patrik wrote: "Did someone already read the latest Dan Simmons?


"

oh, I didn't know he had a new one. I've really enjoyed his other books so I will look this up!

Lianna wrote: "Patrik wrote: "Did someone already read the latest Dan Simmons?


"

oh, I didn't know he had a new one. I've really enjoyed his other books ..."

He also had another novel coming out this month, Black Hills.

gosh--I just went online and looked them up! I didn't realize he had written some vampire novels--I have read mostly sci-fi from him. Now I have more to put on my reading list I guess!

I am reading Cryptonomicon. I imagine I will be reading it for the rest of February at least. I love Neal Stephenson but his books are not quick reads!

just started [image error] by Joseph D'Lacey

Regarding D. Simmons, i will pick it up when I am in the US next week.

Just finished Trading in Danger by Elizabeth Moon, it was enjoyable although a bit bland. Moving on to Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood. I think I'm going to have to get Cryptonomicon, it sounds intriguing, I've never read Stephenson. It's actually been a long time since I've bought new books, my kindle is really opening up availability and I am much faster reading on it!

Are you liking it? I loved so many of the mental visuals I got from that book - it's probably the closest I ever got to understanding how an author paints with words.

Barb wrote: "I am reading Cryptonomicon. I imagine I will be reading it for the rest of February at least.

I've read the following so far


The Will of the Empress - Tamora Pierce
Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold
Beyond the Shadows by Brent Weeks
Sheepfarmer's Daughter by Elizabeth Moon
The Baker's Boy by J.V. Jones

I'll be moving on to the following very soon

Maze Runner by James Dashner
The Black Company by Glen Cook
The Ship that Sang by Anne McCaffrey
Darkfall Landover by Marion Zimmer Bradley

I just started reading Galileo's Dream. I'm hoping to finish it before I need to return it to the library this coming Wednesday. Since it's longish, this may be difficult, but I've been looking forward to reading this time travel book by Kim Stanley Robinson for some time.

Shomeret wrote: "I just started reading Galileo's Dream. I'm hoping to finish it before I need to return it to the library this coming Wednesday. Since it's longish, this may be difficult, but I've ..."

Maybe if you read the time travel book FIRST you can figure out a way to get more time to read the OTHER book. :)

I am currently reading a somehow overlooked Heinlein so called juvenile, Citizen of the Galaxy which, IMO, is turning out to be much more than a juvenile or YA book. There is much in it that would require adult experiences to truly understand.

Erick wrote: "Shomeret wrote: "I just started reading Galileo's Dream. I'm hoping to finish it before I need to return it to the library this coming Wednesday. Since it's longish, this may be dif..."

Actually, there's only one book, Erick. Galileo's Dream is the time travel novel by Kim Stanley Robinson, and I gave up on it after 160 pages. It wasn't what I expected. I was very disappointed in it.

Kernos wrote: "I am currently reading a somehow overlooked Heinlein so called juvenile, Citizen of the Galaxy which, IMO, is turning out to be much more than a juvenile or YA book. There is much in it that would require adult experiences to truly understand."

I think that's probably true of all of Heinlein's work.

I tend to read older stuff and have just finished Robin Hobb's first elderling/Farseer trilogy.After a promising start she becomes more repetitive and tedious until the whirlwind conclusions.I am almost afraid to begin the next level, but i will.
























obb's

Docd wrote: "I tend to read older stuff and have just finished Robin Hobb's first elderling/Farseer trilogy.After a promising start she becomes more repetitive and tedious until the whirlwind conclusions.I am a..."

That series is definitely in my top five.

Greyweather wrote: "I think that's probably true of all of Heinlein's work."

I agree, especially since they all hold up to re-reading at any age.

I've just finished reading Hard Times by Charles Dickens and am about to start Tyrant's Blood: Book 2 of the Valisar Trilogy by Fiona McIntosh.

Just reading

by

Kernos wrote: "I am currently reading a somehow overlooked Heinlein so called juvenile, Citizen of the Galaxy which, IMO, is turning out to be much more than a juvenile or YA book. There is much in it that would require adult experiences to truly understand."

I really enjoyed that one too - scored a discounted copy from audible, which was nice. I'm not sure I would have had difficulty understanding it if I had read it when I was younger though. Were there particular parts you were thinking of? Maybe I'm forgetting some of the details.

I finished Flesh and Spirit (my review) yesterday. It was extremely hard not to continue right on to Breath and Bone, which I have in my possession. But I wanted to read a couple of library books first that are due in next week: Arms-Commander and The Red Wolf Conspiracy. I'm already one-fifth to one-quarter of the way through Arms-Commander ... I love Recluce! :)

February seems pretty tame so far. I just finished off A Lion Among Men and am simultaneously working on The Stars My Destination and A Hymn Before Battle. Too many books... @_@

Shaun wrote: "February seems pretty tame so far. I just finished off A Lion Among Men and am simultaneously working on The Stars My Destination and A Hymn Before Battle..."

How do you like "A Hymn Before Battle"? Is that your first John Ringo?

Erick wrote: "Shaun wrote: "February seems pretty tame so far. I just finished off A Lion Among Men and am simultaneously working on The Stars My Destination and [book:A Hymn Before ..."

Hymn is my first Ringo, and it's surprisingly good. I'd probably rate it a high 4 right now based on the first seventy pages. It'll be clearly dated in a couple decades thanks to the whole "I'm a web developer" main character, but it's pretty compelling. A guy at work recommended it.

Shaun wrote: "Erick wrote: "Shaun wrote: "February seems pretty tame so far. I just finished off A Lion Among Men and am simultaneously working on The Stars My Destination and [book:..."

I hope you enjoy the rest of it. I have read a lot of John Ringo and really enjoy his writing. His stories have pretty simple characters and plot lines but I still think he does a good job telling a story. Of course, Hymn is the first in a pretty extensive set of stories. I think about ten or eleven books in all.

Erick wrote: "I hope you enjoy the rest of it. I have read a lot of John Ringo and really enjoy his writing. His stories have pretty simple characters and plot lines but I still think he does a good job telling a story. Of course, Hymn is the first in a pretty extensive set of stories. I think about ten or eleven books in all."

Dooooooh! And here I was getting ready to take a rest on long series for a while. I guess I'll be giving my Opus a workout. :p

I enjoyed A Hymn Before Battle immensely and I liked the series quite a bit. In that series I definitely liked the ones that he wrote by himself more than the ones that he co-authored with another.
I think that the only books that I really liked that he co-authored was the March series with Weber.

I also enjoy the Recluse series.

I will also mention that there are actually two separate series, a new series just started, and several loosely connected books in a set that is nicknamed "The Legacy of the Aldenata" This is not like Robert Jordan's or Terry Goodkind's epic series, it is a little more free flowing. Something you can leave and come back to.

I just finished

Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

and it lived up to my high expectations. A well crafted story with some original ideas. It was a little slow in parts but well deserving of a five star rating.