The Sword and Laser discussion

Man, it's already August. I'm a few weeks behind on my reviews, but hope to catch up this weekend. July was a big release month. 5 books I wanted to read.

August is only 2: Fool's Quest and The End of All Things.

What did you guys just finish up? What do you have planned for August?

I'm about a third of the way through How Star Wars Conquered the Universe: The Past, Present, and Future of a Multibillion Dollar Franchise and 20% into our book of the month Uprooted

Enjoying both, hopefully August is a good book month. It's definitely the weather here for staying inside and reading.

After I finish Palimpsest and Lexicon, I think I am going to read American Indian Stories and start Neal Stephenson's Quicksilver.

Yesterday, I finished listening to Damocles. It was so good. I love character-driven first contact novels.

Now, I'm listening to Foxglove Summer, the latest installment of Ben Aaronovitch's Peter Grant series. I like this series so much and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith is a fantastic narrator.

I'm still trying to find an engaging SF or F book to read with my eyes. I don't want to buy anything because I have hundreds of ebooks I haven't read yet. I am reading a Rizzoli and Isles novel, The Sinner and enjoying it. I got through my library.

Just started, well on page 60 of Dragonsong.

So, two weeks ago I packed up and moved back to California from Florida and I've been kind of a stressed out mess but now I'm settled and internet's hooked up and good to go :)

I've been too distracted for audiobooks, but I just got a bike so I'll be listening again soon when I ride, which is good because I have Armada (I've heard it's not great) and Scalzi's newest preordered.

So, I read last month -

Cold Comfort Farm not genre, but fun. Watched the movie afterwards and liked that too.

The Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy. I really liked this series, it was different - a mix of portal fantasy and urban fantasy and romance that worked well together.

The Darkangel - I don't know how I missed this one back when I was a teenager inhaling fantasy books, but now at least I know what I missed - it is a wonderful dark fairy tale and I will definitely be reading the sequels.

The Rebirths of Tao was a fine wrap up for the trilogy. I really enjoy reading these books - fun brain candy.

The Girls at the Kingfisher Club - I loved this one. No actual magic, it's just a new version of the 12 Dancing Princesses fairy tale, set during the depression in NYC.

Now, I'm about halfway through Gateway and liking it even though the main character is totally irritating at times - I just wanna smack him!

Mark wrote: "Just started, well on page 60 of Dragonsong."

Have you read any of the other original Pern books, Dragonflight / Quest / Singer / Drums or White Dragon?

Continuing to listen to Rebel Spring and just started listening to Redshirts.
I am also reading On Basilisk Station,The Ruby Circle and A Court of Thorns and Roses for starters. If I can finish all of these it will be happy month woooo.

I started Armada and I think it's really fun. Taking a quick break from it for Uprooted, since it's from the library (loving it!). I also have Nemesis Games, Rogues, and One Good Dragon Deserves Another that I purchased with a birthday giftcard last month. Woohoo!

Currently reading First Light and Gumption: Relighting the Torch of Freedom with America's Gutsiest Troublemakers. The latter is nice because you can dip into it for a single essay and then go about your business. I do that while waiting for video game multiplayer matches.

I read the giveaway "The Drive" that's a prequel to The Expanse. It's pretty short, only taking up half of the 42 page giveaway. Still interesting enough.

Catching up on reviews a bit from the last 2 weeks...

I finished listening to Finders Keepers, and I think it's a little better than Mr. Mercedes. (My Review)

I also listened to Working for Bigfoot. Not as good as the novels, but it's always nice to get new Harry Dresden stories, and James Marsters is great as always. (My Review)

I finally finished Time Salvager, which I liked, but not nearly as much as the Tao books. I also had no idea it was the first book of a series. Why is everything always a series? (My Review)

Rob wrote: "Why is everything always a series?"

I'm thinking the answer to that is "because they sell."

But yeah, back a few decades stuff like The Expanse would have at most been a trilogy.

Got a bit distracted last month catching up on all the old podcasts (153-forward). It meant I didn't quite finish Uprooted last month and nearly decided to lem The Wandering Unicorn. The Wandering Unicorn is beautiful written, and when I have the time to sit down and really concentrate I do enjoy the story. Hopefully this month I will be more in the mood for that style of reading.

So far I have finished Uprooted. Loved it! Took my back to my college days, studying Russian and Russian fairy tales (and yes, I know this is based on a Polish story, but Baba Yaga is also known to Russians). Since 3 of my 4 monthly book clubs are reading Uprooted, I plan to maximize the rest of this month by primarily finishing/continuing several series.

To read:

The Wandering Unicorn

The Martian - the only book my husband has read in years!

Tigana - my second Guy Gavriel Kay book, the first being The Lions of Al-Rassan

Heaven's Queen - this series takes my love of Tamora Pierce's strong female leads and my newer love for science fiction and blends them perfectly!

Cibola Burn - started reading this series because 1) it was a S&L pick, and 2) one of my husband's friends (not my favorite) mentioned that I may not like it because it would probably be "too much science" for me (whatever that means!). Loving all of them! Hard to pick a favorite at the moment; once I'm done I may need to re-read the series, one right after another, in order to choose. Right now I read enough books in-between that I just get super excited to return to that universe.

We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves - a book club pick. I don't know anything about it other than Red was reading it on OITNB.

Shades of Earth - I remember enjoying the first two and pre-ordering the third, but it never showed up. Kind of forgot about the series until I had to move and pack/unpack all of my books.

You're Never Weird on the Internet - going to see Felicia when she hits Seattle on her book tour. So excited!

To re-read:

Across the Universe

A Million Suns

Re-reading Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones.

Finished Traitor's Blade by Sebastien De Castell Review

Continuing on with the next book in the series Knight's Shadow

Read A Shadow in Summer. It was ok, but I won't continue with the series. (My Review).

Read Shades of Treason. Good, action-packed military SF romance. (My Review).

Read Final Protocol. Another SF romance, but trigger warning on this one. (My Review).

Currently reading The Fold.

I managed to finish The Android's Dream as an audiobook while stuck in my hotel room with diarrhoea (and fatigue and loss of appetite). Yay? Entertaining read as I generally have the impression Scalzi's books are just that.

I finished the two novellas in the same universe: The Executioness and The Alchemist.

I started the The Lies of Locke Lamora on my kindle and am listening to Shift as an audiobook at the moment.

I'm stuck on my malazan book because recent events in the book threw my mind off everything and made me feel a little dead inside. Just your usual Malazan reaction to well-written storylines that makes your heart break.

I just started reading A Treasury of Great Science Fiction, Volume One which is edited by Anthony Boucher. So far it has been very good.

Genesee wrote: "... Cibola Burn - started reading this series because 1) it was a S&L pick, and 2) one of my husband's friends (not my favorite) mentioned that I may not like it because it would probably be "too much science" for me (whatever that means!). ..."

That's just all kinds of creepy.

Alan wrote: "Genesee wrote: "... Cibola Burn - started reading this series because 1) it was a S&L pick, and 2) one of my husband's friends (not my favorite) mentioned that I may not like it because it would pr..."

Wow, sexist AND stupid. Sadly, an all-too-common pairing. Seriously, there's not much actual science in those books.

Reading still going slow due to the move to the new house, but I'm leaving for a week-long conference in Vegas tomorrow and plan to skip the conference and spend the entire time reading by the pool (or being in the pool - it's 108F there now).

Right now I am finishing up The Rebirths of Tao and about 25% through Half a War

Trike wrote: "Alan wrote: "Genesee wrote: "... Cibola Burn - started reading this series because 1) it was a S&L pick, and 2) one of my husband's friends (not my favorite) mentioned that I may not like it becaus..."

I know! Like I said, this guy is not my favorite person, and thankfully he lives far away.

Good historical fiction- Under Enemy Colors...very much in the Horatio Hornblower/ Aubrey style

I just finished Ancillary Sword and I liked it but not as much as the first in the series. my review Also, I have no idea why it's called Ancillary Sword instead of Ancillary Mercy, which would have been the proper title based on both the setting and the character's actions.

ETA - I'd forgotten that Ancillary Sword was up for a Hugo and had already won a Locus. I liked and thought Ancillary Justice was a worthy winner of the Hugo but I really don't think Ancillary Sword deserves it. So far, I've read Ancillary Sword, The Goblin Emperor and Skin Game among the nominees and of those, Skin Game is the best of the bunch (even if it barely breaks the top 5 of Dresden books).

Just finished (like 20 minutes ago), Linda Nagata's First Light, a tale of future perpetual war driven by corporate greed and an Internet that seems to have come awake.

I love that one. The second book comes out this month.

I'm reading and almost done Raven One

A military fiction book about the lives of Navy fighter pilots. It's accessible for people who aren't into military stuff but there's definitely some jargon in there that will go over the heads of people who have never heard or read military slang in their life.

I find this book to be infinitely better than any of that Tom Clancy drivel I recently read.

Just started today (and got back from launch & reading) of The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin. I'm very much enjoying the book and the reading was from the middle but mostly spoiler free. Rocks are cool, volcanoes are cool, and apocalypses are cool according to the author. I'm enjoying the use of the second person for one of viewpoint characters, and looking forward to picking my way through the intrigue.

I have just finished Alive by Scott Sigler and I'm looking forward to seeing what Three Moments of an Explosion: Stories is like.

Read The Lathe of Heaven. Superb. (My Review).

Read The Fold. Action movie SF; good but simple. (My Review).

Currently reading The Fifth Season.

'nuff said.



Have you seen the pbs adaption of Lathe of Heaven adaption with Bruce Davison, Lindsay? It's probably on youtube.

No, I haven't. I'll have to look into that.

I'm most of the way through the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy. I've been really enjoying it. It's darker than I usually enjoy, but it keeps surprising me. I preordered The Fifth Season and The End of All Things, so I'm looking forward to those.

John (Taloni) wrote: "Mark wrote: "Just started, well on page 60 of Dragonsong."

Have you read any of the other original Pern books, Dragonflight / Quest / Singer / Drums or White Dragon?"

I have started to read them in the order that Ann Maccaffrey recommended. I read Dragonflight when it was an S&L pick, then continued in her order. So far I have read Drgonflight, Quest, and now Song, Singer is next. I am loving them.

Tamahome wrote: "'nuff said."

Hunting dentists?

Because lions have big teeth?

Tamahome wrote: "'nuff said."

That is one awesome book cover (and a +1 for the William Blake references).

I'm still reading and greatly enjoying Palimpsest and Lexicon.

Reading Ben Bova's Moonrise at the moment and a have Moonwar to follow.
Just arrived from amazon, nice shiny copies of:

The last one is an omnibus edition of the first three 'Chicks' collections.
I put in a library request for Uprooted but there's no sign of that yet. According the website, the only available copies are weeks away. Well, the other side of LA anyway :)

Dharmakirti wrote: "Tamahome wrote: "'nuff said."

That is one awesome book cover (and a +1 for the William Blake references)."

He quotes the poem in the beginning.

Mark wrote: "So far I have read Drgonflight, Quest, and now Song, Singer is next. I am loving them. "

The first five are great, White Dragon pretty good. From my POV they drop off from there, but are worth working in eventually. But really, five top notch books! Most authors would kill to have one.

Well I am loving this book at the moment. It's great.

^Menolly is great. McCaffrey vented her frustrations with SF people who didn't find dragons literary enough through her. I found it an awesome double-dip.

Ah Dragonsong! My first fantasy novel. I've read it and Dragonsinger so many times since then, I pretty much know them by heart. I will always have a crush on the Masterharper too :)

Finished The Grim Company by Luke Scull. Favourite fantasy listen this year Review

Starting The Sword of the North

Menolly is great, I am just past the part where she has torn her feet up on the rocks running from thread. Trying to avoid spoilers here lol. It is such a feel good book.

Genesee wrote: "Got a bit distracted last month catching up on all the old podcasts (153-forward). It meant I didn't quite finish Uprooted last month and nearly decided to lem The Wandering Unicorn. ..."

You should find a real science-heavy SF book and say the exact same thing back at him.

Alan wrote: "I just finished Ancillary Sword and I liked it but not as much as the first in the series. my review Also, I have no idea why it's called Ancillary Sword instead of Ancillary Mercy..."

I thought the same thing. The third book in the series will be named Ancillary Mercy though, so maybe the title is even more fitting for that novel. We'll have to see.

Linnea wrote: "You should find a real science-heavy SF book and say the exact same thing back at him. "

So many possibilities! I say grab a copy of Niven's "Protector" and tell him you thought the bussard ramjets couldn't possibly go that fast because of the drag of interstellar hydrogen.

The "drag of not-quite empty space" has been a topic of discussion for a while, and Alastair Reynolds addressed it obliquely in "House of Suns," another good choice for tech-heavy but eminently readable novel.

John (Taloni) wrote: "Linnea wrote: "You should find a real science-heavy SF book and say the exact same thing back at him. "

So many possibilities! I say grab a copy of Niven's "Protector" and tell him you thought the..."

I loves me some Protector, but I wouldn't use Niven. His science is not so great. He has humans evolving on a different planet, for instance. And a lot of his spaceships and gadgets work via SuperScience, with impossibly strong materials or malleable molecules and such.

Heart of the Comet or Dragon's Egg are good ones for more sciencey science, though.