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What Are You Reading?

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Sleepy

Finally starting into The Burning White.

Trojan

Finally finished the 5 book web fiction series A Practical Guide to Evil. Really interesting stuff, and enough volume there to keep me busy for 3-4 months (normally I read 1-2 books a week). A word of advice for anyone reading web fiction because these aren't available in ebook reader format: get the Pocket App and use the save feature to download the next 5-10 chapters so you can read offline. That allowed me to read while flying, bad coverage, etc.

Overall I'd give it a 4/5. There are quite a few typos - the author's priority is clearly writing good stories, not perfect spelling - and several fairly repetive battle scenes. But overall the imagination, the story/magic system, a clearly intelligent author who spent a lot of effort on planning. Thoroughly enjoyable.

If you like fantasy, I recommend you try the first book and see if you're interested.

Edser

Dades wrote: »

Finished Cold Fusion.

A fun read very much in the Michael Crichton vein.

I like the sound of this, who's the author?

Ed

Dades

Edser wrote: »

I like the sound of this, who's the author?

Ed

David Koepp. It's his debut novel. It ain't gonna win the booker price but it reads like an early Michael Crichton.

David Koepp is a celebrated American screenwriter who's written more than two dozen feature films. He's written with success in a wide variety of genres, including the first two "Jurassic Park" films, "Death Becomes Her," "Carlito's Way," "The Paper," "Mission: Impossible," "Spider-Man," "Panic Room," "War of the Worlds," "Angels and Demons," and "Inferno."

Some of the films he's both written and directed are "Stir of Echoes," "Secret Window," "Ghost Town," and "Premium Rush." "Cold Storage" is his first novel.

ixoy

Some books I finished recently:

"Brothers in Arms" by Louis McMaster-Bujold, another entry in her Vorkosigan saga. Focusing on Miles again, this one was a lot of fun and introduced an interesting new character who I'm looking forward to seeing more of. A series that never fails to please.

"The Stars are Legion" by Kameron Hurley. A bit frustrating this one. On one hand, I loved the world she built - a living decaying planet-ship full of interesting bio-tech (which she's adept at working with). But the plot around it was a bit weak and, at times, pointlessly confusing. She's a good writer but I just find the stories being told aren't what they could be.

"Unsouled" by Will Wight, the first book in his Cradle series. It's a "wuxia" genre book, so it's a sort of Chinese take on swords and sorcery, replete with versions of myths that are more Oriental in flavour than Occidental. It's not fantastically written but it's got a good pace. I've a feeling that there's going to be a bit of a "power up" take on this hero's journey as it progresses with increasing "bigger" enemies to fight. A fun read.

"Bloody Rose" by Nicholas Eames, the second book in his Band trilogy. Taking place a few years on from the first, it features mostly new characters with some "guest stars" from the first. It's heavier than the first and probably better written, but it's not quite as much fun. For me it took to about the 40$ mark to get going, which is the point I began enjoying it a lot more. The back third features some great action scenes too. It'd just be better if there was a little more humour in the next and maybe characters with a bit less of an emo streak.

Trojan

Just finished The Traitor Baru Cormorant. Excellent world building, characters and plot. I think I really liked it, but also that I need some time to think about that. I was going to start The Burning White well, start by re-reading The Broken Eye and The Blood Mirror, so that I have TBW teed up nicely for Christmas - BUT I think I need some fast-paced space opera or military sci-fi to cleanse the palate after Traitor...

Thargor

Reading the Left Hand of God series, I think it was recommended here ages ago, a child escapes from a psychotic monastery cult that kidnaps kids and trains them for war. Enjoying it so far, nothing life-changing but its easy reading.

[Deleted User]

"magic for liars" was a great read. Fantasy whodunit

Currently max gladstone book called empress of forever - excellent and highly recommend so far

Nody

Thargor wrote: »

Reading the Left Hand of God series, I think it was recommended here ages ago, a child escapes from a psychotic monastery cult that kidnaps kids and trains them for war. Enjoying it so far, nothing life-changing but its easy reading.

I read up to book 2 or 3 (can't recall); sadly it goes downhill from a very interesting story to well, meh

Trojan

Request: looking for space opera or mil sf recommendations - something fairly light and easy reading.

shootermacg

Trojan wrote: »

Request: looking for space opera or mil sf recommendations - something fairly light and easy reading.

Don't know how easy you want it but the Red Rising series is page turning stuff. Nothing original, but it really moves along.

Igotadose

Just finished the short story collection: "Epic, Legends of Fantasy" edited by John Joseph Adams. Pretty much legendary authors - Ursula K. Le Guin, Moorcock, Martin, newcomers like Rothfuss, with some unexpectedly great writing by those you don't think of as Epic fantasy writers, specifically Carrie Vaughn. Great light read with a lot of really well-written stories.

Nody

Trojan wrote: »

Request: looking for space opera or mil sf recommendations - something fairly light and easy reading.

Jean Johnson's - Theirs not to reason why (5 books, don't let her previous works fool you it's a real page turner), Asimov - Foundation, John Scalizi - Old man's war or Jack Campbell - The Lost Fleet (5 x2 books).

[Deleted User]

Trojan wrote: »

Request: looking for space opera or mil sf recommendations - something fairly light and easy reading.

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

i tore through the 3 books
the empress of forever is a great read as well i'm still 75% through and it's space opera

Trojan

shootermacg wrote: »

Don't know how easy you want it but the Red Rising series is page turning stuff. Nothing original, but it really moves along.

Thanks, I've read this... right up to but not including the last book - thanks for the reminder

Nody wrote: »

Jean Johnson's - Theirs not to reason why (5 books, don't let her previous works fool you it's a real page turner), Asimov - Foundation, John Scalizi - Old man's war or Jack Campbell - The Lost Fleet (5 x2 books).

Thanks, Nody, good suggestions all. Unfortunately I've read them all too

bluewolf wrote: »

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
i tore through the 3 books

I loved this, I read the second book too, I didn't know the 3rd was out, so that's on the list now.

bluewolf wrote: »

the empress of forever is a great read as well i'm still 75% through and it's space opera

Excellent, I'll check this out.

Thanks folks, much appreciated!

Fian

Finished the traitor baru cormorant yesterday, which I read based on recommendations in this thread. Thanks for those recommendations because I really enjoyed it.

Will probably read "a little hatred" next.

smacl

Trojan wrote: »

I loved this, I read the second book too, I didn't know the 3rd was out, so that's on the list now.

I found the third a bit weak but love her new novella, To be taught if fortunate. I came to Scalzi on recommendation of having enjoyed Joe Haldeman's The forever war, which while old at this point is a great read. Another oldie that I really enjoyed from a recommendation here was Alfred Bester's The stars my destination.

Currently on the last book in the Jacob's Ladder trilogy which is also a great sci-fi romp with a strong fantasy feel to it.

Paddy Samurai

About 70% through and loving it.This is a real page turner.
The review below described this as a "This dark, imaginative tale will appeal to fans of gritty, no-holds-barred urban fantasy and horror."
The no holds barred part is very apt.

https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-7653-9012-7

nhur

CalamariFritti wrote: »

Just finished The Reality Dysfunction trilogy. Absolutely epic space opera. Its huge but its worth every word of it. Still under its spell so maybe a little overenthusiastic but feels right now like one of the best if not the best I ever read.

Might have to give this another go based on all the positive replies... I found it a little like someone had tried to mash a bunch of different genres together without making it work... A lá Indiana Jones 4....

ixoy

Read ''Wrath of Empire' by Brian McClellan, the second book in his 'Gods of Blood and Powder' trilogy. Really enjoyed this - he's got a great handle on pacing and revolving around three characters meant you were never left waiting too long to return to the plots. Mad Ben Sykes is probably the standout character in this but the spy Michel's plot line nicely balanced Syke's more violent storyline with a separate intrigue one. Looking forward to reading the third installments.

Also read 'Made Things', the 4th 2019 release for Adrian Tchaikovsky. This novella is written in a sort of fairy tale style, following the story of a young magician who can work with animated puppets against a city ruled harshly by magicians. There's also a nice little shorty story on the Tor.com website that accompanies this and well worth checking out if you're reading 'Made Things'.

cdgalwegian

Gave up on Stephen Baxter's hard sci-fi debut novel Raft, about a quarter way through. It's highly imaginative in terms of sci-fi (where some of it sounds quite silly, but I suppose scientifcally possible), but the narrative just fell flat for me; it was a bit boring in terms of caring for the protagonist.
It's the first novel in the Xeelee Sequence. Anybody read other Baxter books in the sequence (or other sereis) ? If they are as imaginative as this, but engender more investment, I'd definitely read more.

mcgovern

I finished The Grand Dark, it was quite good, definetely different and I'd read more in that world if there was any. It's a mix of biopunk and fantasy set in a post WW1 Germany basically.
After that I read The Rig by Roger Levy which is a sci-fi novel set after we've abandoned Earth but everything is crap basically. People don't live long and all they have to look forward to really is a chance at re-life. The story is about how this re-life type process came about and isn't what you'd expect.
I listened to The Reborn King by Michael R. Miller. It's fairly standard fantasy with the exception that Dragons are now humandoid but stronger etc but less plentiful. Humans, Dragons and Faeries are in a battle with Demons.
Read Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames. It was quiet fun and certainly written differently than most fantasy, in a world where heros/dragonslayers etc form bands, somewhat similar to music bands. The main character is a past it 'hero' who was never really that special to begin with. I can't help but think I'd have enjoyed it more if I got the rock music references.
Now listening to Grey Sister by Mark Lawrence. It's more of the same, a bit confusing at the start and with some of the rare time jumps (which I think would be easier to follow on print/ebook).
And lastly, reading Dark Age by Pierce Brown. More of the same again, high octane action but this time seems there will be some repurcussions for the good guys.

smacl

ixoy wrote: »

Also read 'Made Things', the 4th 2019 release for Adrian Tchaikovsky. This novella is written in a sort of fairy tale style, following the story of a young magician who can work with animated puppets against a city ruled harshly by magicians. There's also a nice little shorty story on the Tor.com website that accompanies this and well worth checking out if you're reading 'Made Things'.

Cool, just started Mad Things last night.

Dades

cdgalwegian wrote: »

It's the first novel in the Xeelee Sequence. Anybody read other Baxter books in the sequence (or other sereis) ? If they are as imaginative as this, but engender more investment, I'd definitely read more.

Never read the Xeelee books, but I really enjoyed the "Time Odyssey" books (written with Arthur C Clarke) and the Flood/Ark books.

Pretty sure I've read others of his, but those are the two series that I remember best.

cdgalwegian

Just picked up a copy from the library of Neal Asher's Prador Moon, first of the internally chronologically ordered 'Polity Universe'. Previously tried Gridlocked by him, and loved it.
300 pages into Neal Stephenson's Fall, or Dodge in Hell. The blurb says its about a virtual reality afterlife, but it's only now after 300 pages (of 883) getting in to the eponymous protagonist waking up in this 'afterlfe'. The setup leading up to this gave the familial, legal and technical problems associated with this virtual afterlife, but was well written; keeping the attention, and throwing in some good ideas, though it doesn't really pick up the pace til page 200.

Thargor

Is anyone reading The Burning White? I was getting a bit nervous reading the recaps because I wasn't remembering any of that and now Im 250 pages in and its still not kicking in for me, its really not as good as I remember the series being tbh. Ill just plough through it but didn't want to start the decade off on a bum note.

Xofpod

Gone old school - Lord of Light, Roger Zelazny. Absolutely loving it.

pixelburp

"To Be Taught, If Fortunate", a novella from Becky Chambers; after being disappointment of her third Wayfarer book, which I found dawdling and kinda boring, this was a lot more enjoyable. The shortened format meant everything had a snappier pace, but still retained Chambers' style, that mix of an inherent, empathic humanity tinged with the bittersweet.

smacl

pixelburp wrote: »

"To Be Taught, If Fortunate", a novella from Becky Chambers; after being disappointment of her third Wayfarer book, which I found dawdling and kinda boring, this was a lot more enjoyable. The shortened format meant everything had a snappier pace, but still retained Chambers' style, that mix of an inherent, empathic humanity tinged with the bittersweet.

Enjoyed it myself, definitely a return to form.

pixelburp

"The Calculating Stars", by Mary Robinette Kowal.

Alternate history novel set in the 1950s where a Meteor wipes out the eastern seaboard of the US, with a NASA-a-like founded to fast-track colonisation. Lead character was a "computer", one of the women who in real life (at NASA) were responsible for manually calculating the various physics and maths used in launches. Think "Hidden Figures", with an environmental race against time.

Not quite sure how I felt about the book; the science & maths felt solid and fascinating throughout, as this version of the world tried to figure out manned spaceflight in rapid time. The structure itself felt way too baggy and dithering in places, my attention flagging in the back half which almost never happens. The couple of sex scenes were also hilariously cringe inducing, but that was just me; lots of rocketry innuendo that just made me :rolleyes:

Oh, and of course as is the case now, this is a Part 1; which I didn't realise, and wasn't anywhere on my printed copy. So I was happily reading expecting some kind of ending, but nope ...