SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

I've started reading our November SF book, Haze.

I'm nearly finished with our November fantasy book, The Magic of Recluce and about halfway finished with The Hero and the Crown.

Last Friday, I checked out Against All Things Ending and I'm waiting to receive my signed and numbered copy of Towers of Midnight this week.

For the rest of November, which I hope allows me to read more than I did in October, I'll work through my current-month book shelf.

I had expected to continue reading Wheel of Time, but I've very suddenly been overcome with the desire to switch to sci-fi. It's always sudden, and will usually happen when I'm in the middle of a book. So now I'm left with the decision of whether to press on with the second WOT book, or to just abandon it temporarily.

Either way, if I do stick with sci-fi, I expect to read a bunch of Alastair Reynolds this month, and Version 43, the newest one by Philip Palmer. This is his make-or-break book for me. His first book was atrocious, but showed a tiny glimmer of potential. His second book was a LOT better, so I'm encouraged. Only problem is the story of this third book doesn't sound very interesting.

In the middle of:
Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed, by Jared Diamond

Hope to get to, if NaNoWriMo either goes really well, or really badly:
The Castle of Crossed Destinies, by Italo Calvino
Brown Girl in the Ring, by Nalo Hopkinson
Voices by Ursula K. Le Guin
Powers by Ursula K. Le Guin
Pegasus by Robin McKinley
The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy
The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells

Phoenixfalls wrote: "In the middle of:
Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed, by Jared Diamond

Hope to get to, if NaNoWriMo either goes really well, or really badly:
[book:The Castle of Crossed ..."


Good luck with NaNoWrimo. Let us know how you get on. Now get writing

I started Utopia this morning. After that I will probably read The Prince. I haven't decided whether to read this month's book group selections.

Phoenixfalls, let me know if you get to The Scarlet Pimpernel. I've been wanting to read that, too.

Lara Amber -- It's actually a reread for me; I loved The Scarlet Pimpernel when I was an early teen, and wanted to see if it stood up to adult scrutiny. If it does then I've discovered there are all sorts of sequels! :)

Vikz -- Thanks! I'm at 356 words so far. . . so a little over 20% of my quota for the day. And it's only mid-afternoon! :D

Phoenixfalls wrote: "Lara Amber -- It's actually a reread for me; I loved The Scarlet Pimpernel when I was an early teen, and wanted to see if it stood up to adult scrutiny. "

Funny I've been on a mission for several months now of rereading all the classic literature I read as a teen. I'm halfway there.

Phoenixfalls wrote: "Lara Amber -- It's actually a reread for me; I loved The Scarlet Pimpernel when I was an early teen, and wanted to see if it stood up to adult scrutiny. If it does then I've discovered there are al..."

congrats, keep going

I've just started Firebird by Mercedes Lackey. It looks good so far, just the kind of story I needed now.
Next I'm planning on some Brandon Sanderson, or maybe a little break from fantasy...

I've started The Spirit Thief by Rachel Aaron. A slow start, but I'm persevering.

Finished:
Little, Big by John Crowley (finished in Oct. for Nov. discussion)
Saturn's Children by Charles Stross
The Word for World is Forest by Ursula K. LeGuin
Fugitive Prince by Janny Wurts
The Magic of Recluce by L.E. Modesitt Jr.
Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay

Currently reading:
Fifty Degrees Below by Kim Stanley Robinson
The Lions of al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay

TBR:
Grand Conspiracy by Janny Wurts

I'm taking off on a Harry Potter binge.

Just finished Sorcerer's Stone, just starting Chamber of Secrets.

I have the boxed set of all 8 novels by Charlaine Harris, and the Mistborn trilogy to complete (1/2 of the second book and all the third)...as well as a few asides. I guess I'm settled for this month

I am about 4/5 into
So far, it is the best book in the series. I don't know how it is going to end but the journey is fantastic. Based on my experience with Sanderson (Warbreaker), he might get rid of a few good guys. It would devastate me if something bad happened to Vin. I like her. She has a true character. Her husband Elend is a less attractive figure. A bookworm and theoretic. Somewhat reminds me of myself.

P.S. I am very glad that Brandon Sanderson undertook the task of finishing WoT. I think he is a very talented writer.

P.P.S. If I do not report back within the next 3 days, then someone I like in the Mistborn saga has died and I am irrigating their grave with single malt whisky.

Arthur wrote: "I am about 4/5 into
So far, it is the best book in the series. I don't know how it is going to end but the journey is fantastic. Based on my experience with San..."

Please do comment again when you finish it, I'm very interested to see what you think. Sanderson is nothing if not dramatic... :)

All Clear great!
Kin
Pegasus
A Mercy
The Catcher in the Rye
The Magic of Recluce
Tales of the Otherworld- currently reading already reread one novella, "Beginnings" about how Clay & Elena met. The library allowed me to renew...
Summon the Keeper
Zahrah the Windseeker
Waking The Witch
Kitty Goes to War Mudbound- probably next up. Have a RL book club on it 11/30.
CryoBurn wow!
Side Jobs: Stories From the Dresden Files - reread and enjoyed.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter! I have just started Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I'm trying to get trough to deathly Hallows so I can go see part one in the movies. I'm so happy that I have one of the books that I haven't seen as a movie! That way I can really be wow'd over Rowlings writing.
My sister was so right, the books are better! :)

Just started Hunger Games - it has been on my TBR list for ages - really enjoying it so far.

Bright of the Sky by Kay Kenyon. I got it free for kindle. It isn't bad, it just isn't great either. I know it is a series, not sure if I will continue. It is just a slow read.

Also just starting today, Tides of Light by Gregory Benford.

Mike wrote: "I had expected to continue reading Wheel of Time, but I've very suddenly been overcome with the desire to switch to sci-fi. It's always sudden, and will usually happen when I'm in the middle of a b..."

I know what you mean, I both enjoy sci-fi and fantasy and tend to go on runs in either genre until the itch takes me back.
Just finished a few of the Honor Harrington series and I found Legend by David Gemmell at a bookstore recently which I have heard good things about.

I just got Jack McDevitt's new Alex Benedict novel Echo which I will read after finishing Jamie O'Neill's exceptional novel At Swim Two Boys.

Kernos wrote: "I just got Jack McDevitt's new Alex Benedict novel Echo which I will read after finishing Jamie O'Neill's exceptional novel At Swim Two Boys."

Kernos, I loved At Swim, Two Boys, it was a 5-star book for me last year. As you say, it's an exceptional book.

I'm about to finish The War of the Flowers.

Recommended. Stand-alone book.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - J.K. Rowling

and

The Coming Insurrection - The Invisible Committee

Aside from group reads here at GR, I've still got a ton of stuff on my TBR shelf to get to. Just haven't decided which one to start with...

The Lost Dinosaurs of Egypt: The Astonishing and Unlikely True Story of One of the Twentieth Century's Greatest Paleontological Discoveries - recommended for people who are interested in dinosaurs, geology, and other things which involve digging in the dirt for science

Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void - a fun book with lots of details that space program geeks will enjoy

Dorothea Lange: A Life Beyond Limits - This was a decent biography but it made me feel like Lange's life was not as interesting as her work.

The Treasure is the Rose - nice art, but the story is fairly weak.

The Mischief of the Mistletoe: A Pink Carnation Christmas - very accurate in some of the historical details, but the romance is (of course) essentially fluffy.

Books I decided not to read:
The Professor of Secrets: Mystery, Medicine, and Alchemy in Renaissance Italy (not quite what I was expecting)
Angel on the Square (kind of depressing if you already know what happens to the Russian royal family)

I put down Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury after a few chapters. The book is actually quite well written, I just wasn't in the mood for it right now.

After that I picked up The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell. A few plotlines felt a little out of place compared to the rest of the story, but on the whole it was an interesting read.

Poking around in the lists I was reminded of Kage Baker's wonderful "Company" series, and discovered I only read the first four. So I'm starting number five, The Life of the World to Come which picks up from my last read, with the heroine banished to Back Way Back still pining for her lost love from the good old Inquisition days. Delicious.

I finished
My thoughts about it
All in all it is a very good trilogy.

Started
Let's see whether it lives up to the hype it sparked all over the Internet.

Girl with the Dragon Tattoo does, once you get to the actual story, rather than the back/sidestory about the magazine and the financial stuff.

Having trouble at the moment to get into the story, because The Hero of Ages is still too fresh in my mind and I am still in love with Vin.

I re-read the last chapters of The Hero of Ages yesterday and I am adding one more star to its rating.
5 star

Jon wrote: "I'm nearly finished with our November fantasy book, The Magic of Recluce and about halfway finished with The Hero and the Crown.

Last Friday, I checked out [book:Aga..."

I'm currently reading Towers of Midnight. I feel like there's a lot more of B. Sanderson in this one and less JR but am still enjoying it. I loved the end to The Gathering Storm and am hoping ToM won't let me down!

I'm currently reading The House on Durrow Street. Somehow I failed to notice that it was released over a month ago.

I'm also doing a re-read of the Pink Carnation series.

I'd been trying to read Feeling Very Strange: The Slipstream Anthology, but somehow it just wasn't holding my interest. Maybe later I'll try again.

I am reading The Scar by China Miéville

Arthur wrote: "I re-read the last chapters of The Hero of Ages yesterday and I am adding one more star to its rating.
5 star"

i really liked the Mistborn trilogy. Sanderson is one of the young turks who has revitalized epic fantasy.

I am currently reading Echo, the newest Alex Benedict novel by Jack McDevitt—wonderful SF mysteries and will finish it tonight.

I'm still trying to process At Swim Two Boys and try to write something in my review. There is just too much to say about this book.

What next? If Target comes, I will read it next. If not, I'm not sure. I might read the 2nd book in George Alec Effinger's Audran Sequence or perhaps one of the many unread Gay novels on my shelves. I recently acquired all of the novels by Flann O'Brien and James Joyce, but feel in the mood for some lighter reading.

stormhawk wrote: "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - J.K. Rowling"

Are you onto HPOTP, Stormhawk?

Just started Paulo Bacigalupi The Calorie Man. Mistborn sounds interesting.

First half of November I made quite a bit of progress, reading and reviewing:

The Hero and the Crown
The Magic of Recluce
Blackout
All Clear
Haze

Yesterday, I started Towers of Midnight. Since that hardcover is so heavy, for my lunch time work reading, I started The Door Into Fire.

I renewed my library book that I plan to read over Thanksgiving, Against All Things Ending.

Anything else after I finish these will come from my current-month shelf.

I've started The Lies of Locke Lamora.

Almost finished Towers of Midnight. I'm not sure what I think of this one yet... will definitely be writing a review once I've completed it.

I just finished Veteran by Gavin Smith. It's marketed as a gritty scifi in the same vein as Richard Morgan. The writing isn't quite as strong as Morgan, but it also doesn't feel like it's trying to be "gritty" either. Plus, Veteran has a bigger scope as well. I liked the book quite a bit and plan to read more by the author.

Just started Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson. It should keep my busy for the rest of the month.

Reading Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman and so far I really like it but I have always liked his writing. By the way Mike, let me know how you like Mistborn. I enjoyed it very much. In addition, I have the second two in the series ready to read but certainly not posted yet.

I have started David Weber's Hellgate novels. Very interesting dynamics of attempting to truly understand opposing points of view.

I'm almost done with 'The Windup Girl' by Paolo Bacigalupi. Well written book but depressing. Looking forward to something lighter for my next read.

Darn! I have this The Windeup Girl on my WL. Tell me a bit about it Milton, if you don't mind.

It's a post apocalyptic story about a post oil economy. The story takes place in Thailand. Paolo imagines a very vivid world and characters. Don't get me wrong; it's a good book. It paints a grim view of the future and I'm personally getting tired of negative post apocalyptic stuff. I think the Windup Girl is supposed to get our sympathy but I found myself more interested in another character. I think it's worth reading but I don't know if I can recommend it to many friends. I'm a prude when it comes to graphic abuse scenes and there are a couple in this book. That's probably why I'm uncomfortable recommending it.

G N wrote: "stormhawk wrote: "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - J.K. Rowling"

Are you onto HPOTP, Stormhawk?"

Not yet, but about to. I've taken a detour courtesy of a recommendation from someone on Goodreads who turns out to be the wife of the author. I'm currently reading The Crown Conspiracy by Michael J. Sullivan. It's a fantasy caper novel. Kind of Butch and Sundance.