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Hey, it's June!

So, I just finished binge-reading (and listening to - the audiobooks are well done) the entire Retrieval Artist series by Kristine Kathryn Rusch - /series/4224...

That's 14 books (I haven't read the several novellas yet) and the next one is due out on the 9th, so I'll be reading that one right away. I'm totally hooked on these!

I finished Queens Walk in the Dusk which was a strange little novel about Aeneas on his search for a new city after the fall of Troy and he meets up with Dido and they have a short romance. Interesting.

I'm about 1/2 way through Nefertiti's Heart which is kind of a sexy, steampunkish, mystery - fun, and the audio version is good too.

Next up either Three Parts Dead or City of Stairs probably. I get my next Audible credit on the 8th so I'll be getting Nemesis Games with that one. I think I need a fantasy in between.

I really liked both of your upcoming reads.....I think City of Stairs was my favourite but it's a bit longer and meatier than Three Parts Dead, which is sometimes a consideration before diving into a sci-fi tome.

Finished A Betrayal in Winter by Daniel Abraham
My review

Next I think I'll join in with City of Stairs

Almost finished with the Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb. I have enjoyed it quite a bit. I have been listening to the series and Paul Boehmer does a wonderful job narrating.

I am going to start the Crimson Campaign by Brian McClellan soon. And then after that I probably will give City of Stairs a try.

Then hopefully I'll be done with all of that in time for Half a War.

I'm coming close to the end of both books I'm currently reading (The Icarus Hunt & Discount Armageddon), and unless they pull something amazing off in the final 50-100 pages, looks like a couple 2-star books.

So I might go for a known quantity from an author I've read before rather than something like City of Stairs. (Or, as I just fat-fingered, "Cory of Draors.")

"o I might go for a known quantity from an author I've read before rather than something like City of Stairs. (Or, as I just fat-fingered, "Cory of Draors.") "

I've never quite understood avoiding club reads. I'm not saying everyone needs to finish every one but not even trying them seems odd to me.

CoS is well done on a number of levels (prose, plot. characters, world). It might not turn out to be your cup of tea or perhaps you're just in the moods for a read you KNOW you will like, but I'd try 50-100 pages of it and see.

I read the first chapter on Amazon and was like, "Uh, yeah, okay..." It's a long book and I've not been excited by a novel for the past couple of months. Lots of people are comparing it to The Goblin Emperor, which was okay but I am simply not in the mood for.

Trike wrote: "I read the first chapter on Amazon and was like, "Uh, yeah, okay..." It's a long book and I've not been excited by a novel for the past couple of months. Lots of people are comparing it to The Gobl..."

It's comparable in terms of quality, but they're very different books. City of Stairs is plot heavy for instance, both as in having a plot and it's full of plots :)

But if you're not in the mood for it, you're not in the mood for it ... I get like that with certain genres as well.

I liked City of Stars far more than Goblin Emperor.

Michele wrote: "Hey, it's June!

So, I just finished binge-reading (and listening to - the audiobooks are well done) the entire Retrieval Artist series by Kristine Kathryn Rusch - ..."

Michele,

I read the 1st 7 seven books in the Retrieval Artist series by Kristine Kathryn Rusch over the past year. I love them. They are my favorite series books going right now. I just got the entire Anniversary Day Saga of the series from the publisher and I'm looking forward to diving into those books real soon.

I would love to see Tom and Veronica choose a book from the series as a S&L Book Club Pick.

Here are my reviews of the 1st seven books in the series:



Marion

Started Nemesis Games in audio this morning. Woo!

I wish audible would let you pre download like Steam does for games though. It was painful waiting for the book to download after I woke up this morning. >.<

I read City of Stairs last year, so I shouldn't have to reread it for the club, but I might skim it if I need to.

I'm in the middle of reading Steven Brust's Vlad Taltos series. I'm almost finished the tenth book, Dzur, but then I might have to take a break, because a bunch of books I've been waiting for are coming out:

Last First Snow by Max Gladstone
The Philosopher Kings by Jo Walton
The End of All Things by John Scalzi
Nemesis Games by James S. A. Corey
The Price of Valor by Django Wexler

I've also heard Naomi Novik's Uprooted is really good.

I'm just about half way through The Familiar Volume 1 and it is amazing. The author's approach to storytelling, the way he uses the page, typography and language, really engages me.

I finished Mona Lisa Overdrive and Station Eleven. I was really interested in Station Eleven since it seemed to be getting much more love from literary circles than science fiction circles. I have enjoyed books like that in the past (Midnight's Children) so I thought I'd check it out. After reading it I understand better the position of both camps: it is a very well-written book that doesn't totally succeed as a science fiction story. I put more thoughts on it in my review.

Mona Lisa Overdrive was excellent, not much more to be said except how much I adore the character of Molly and having a book full of her kicking ass is ideal.

I've now started on our group read, City of Stairs

Half way through Dragonquest by Ann McCaffery. Really enjoying it. /book/show/9...

I have been reading Apex on the Kindle (where are you audio version?!?!?!) while doing The Deaths of Tao in audio. I am about 50% through each.

However, The Liar's Key and Nemesis Games both came in on both the Kindle and Audible, so I'll be putting DoT and Apex on hold to read/listen to the Liar's Key, and then Nemesis games. I might still do DoT in audio at the gym, since it is more suited to distracted listening than the others. Comic book-wise I am working my way through Attack on Titan, having just finished Attack on Titan, Vol. 4, and am about to start Saga, Volume 4 and GTO: Great Teacher Onizuka, Volume 4

My library hold came through for The Three-Body Problem, but it's got other holds on it and is due back in two weeks so I will probably just return it and put another hold on at the end of the queue since I don't see myself finishing by then. I would like to finish before hugo voting closes (when is that by the way?)

Sky wrote: " I would like to finish before hugo voting closes (when is that by the way?) "

It looks like the end of July.

David H. wrote: "Sky wrote: " I would like to finish before hugo voting closes (when is that by the way?) "

It looks like the end of July."

Thanks! Plenty of time then :)

Mark wrote: "Half way through Dragonquest by Ann McCaffery. Really enjoying it."

Dragonflight and Dragonquest were out when I was introduced to the series, then I got to read the rest as they came out. Good stuff.

Finished Seveneves. I said good things about this book in last month's thread and I probably need to qualify that recommendation. This is a brilliant book. Actually, to be fair, there's a brilliant book inside this book along with about 300 extra pages.

Unfortunately the 300 extra pages are filled with standard Stephenson over-long didactic info-dumps and many repetitive technical bits. Yes, I know what pykrete is. Actually, I knew what it was before reading this book. I don't need additional description every time it is mentioned. But that's all standard Stephenson fair. I was as sick of crypto and entrepreneurial startups at the end of Cryptonomicon as I am now sick of orbital mechanics and epigenetics after this one.

However, inside of all that Stephenson adornment, there's an epic tale of survival against incredible odds despite human nature and because of human ingenuity all while redefining what human actually means. In some ways, mind-blowingly good and heartbreaking in places.

Next up I'll read something quick and brainless and then move onto Nemesis Games.

Lindsay wrote: "Finished Seveneves. I said good things about this book in last month's thread and I probably need to qualify that recommendation. This is a brilliant book. Actually, to be fair, the..."

Hey, Lindsay, does this book follow the Stephenson pattern of "starts out plausible and mostly realistic, but then gets increasingly unbelievable until you're hanging on for he ride and enjoying it but don't think it's plausible"? For me, Reamde was the worst offender for this but I feel it to some degree or another with every book of his I've read.

That's evident too.

There are things around the middle of the book that I had trouble buying, and there's a conference in the middle of the book that you can see is going to be foundational for the far future section that is just too much of a set piece with unsupported behaviour and positions from the characters.

Lindsay wrote: "Finished Seveneves. I said good things about this book in last month's thread and I probably need to qualify that recommendation. This is a brilliant book. Actually, to be fair, the..."

Seveneves is on my To Read list.

I guess I don't mind Stephenson's info dumps. They may take me out of the narrative, but I learn something.

I don't know what a pykrete is. I have never heard the term before your comment. I can see being annoyed that it is described everytime it is mentioned, but if it is something important to the story, I would want an explanation (and I like thorough explanations).

There's a great Mythbusters episode where they build a pykrete boat and test some WWII myths about the stuff. (But I didn't remember the word until I googled it just now.)

I just started The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August today. So far, I am thoroughly enjoying it. Then, in the next week I hope to get to newly released Nemesis Games, and The Long Utopia.

Started the The Grace of Kings. I'm liking it so far! I feel like I need to be reading something else too, but I haven't decided. I'm considering getting started on The Poison Priestess. We'll see.

I just finished The Magician's Land. A good final book to the trilogy though it seemed strange that after spending two books subverting tropes, the third book was all about satisfying all those tropes.

I went on a spree lat last month (The Peripheral, the first two books in Harry Connolly's Great Waey trilogy) and continued that this month reading the last book in that trilogy, The Way Into Darkness and Blood Music so far.

I've only read the first in the Great Way series so far and I'm looking forward to the rest. It deserves more attention than it has been getting.

Lindsay - I agree. It's really quite well done and tells a complete story in as many pages as most fantasy authors take to complete a single volume. I haven't reviewed the last volume but heres my review for the first book - /review/show... and for the second - /review/show....

I got The Eye of the World from goodwill last month. I'm loving it so far! I think I'm about a third of the way through.

Finished The Three-Body Problem, which was fascinating and alien, and, after her recent passing, started The Birthgrave, Tanith Lee's first adult novel (from 1977).

Since I can't choose a follow-up book to save my life, I ordered City of Stairs from the library. I'll read some of these graphic novels I have lying around in the meantime.

I'm reading To Kill a Mockingbird for the first time.
I can't believe I have never read this. A massive oversight in my 5 decades of reading. I've seen the movie version many times.
10% in and it is living up to my high expectations.

Currently reading Alex Sanchez' Rainbow Boys trilogy. I read Rainbow Boys a couple days ago. Anyone else notice that one of the cuties on the cover is kinda famous?

I'm now on the second book, Rainbow High.

Tassie Dave, I was about to wonder how someone in the US could avoid To Kill a Mockingbird their entire life, but I see you're located in Australia, so that makes more sense! Glad you're liking it so far. I wonder what Aussies read when they're in school (mostly Australian writers? British? Maybe some American, or other translated work)?

David H. wrote: "I wonder what Aussies read when they're in school (mostly Australian writers? British? Maybe some American, or other translated work)? "

When I was at school (60's & 70's) it was a mix (Mostly British & US authors, Very little Australian) Shakespeare, Dickens, Twain, Poe, Steinbeck, etc. But as far as "modern" we did the usual (For that era). "Catch 22", "Lord of the Flies", "Catcher in the Rye" etc.

"To Kill a Mockingbird" is one of those books that has been on my "To read" list since the early 70's. Every since I saw the film in high school. What finally got me to read it was the impending release of the sequel next month. I am about a third of the way through and I would rate it high in my top American classic novels. "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" is still my number 1.

To Kill a Mockingbird was great, and it is in my top 5 of all time. Catch-22 is also in my top 5, and the decades later sequel was a pretty big let down. I hope the same is not true for this as well.

But that being said, a reread of the first is a great idea.

I didnt like it when I read it in High School. I should probably reread it at some point.

Tassie Dave wrote: "David H. wrote: "I wonder what Aussies read when they're in school (mostly Australian writers? British? Maybe some American, or other translated work)? "

When I was at school (60's & 70's) it was ..."

Just out of curiosity, what are the Australian equivalents of Huckleberry Finn or Catcher in the Rye?

For instance, the American equivalent of Charlotte Bronte (Jane Eyre) is probably Louisa May Alcott (Little Women).

Trike wrote: "Just out of curiosity, what are the Australian equivalents of Huckleberry Finn or Catcher in the Rye?"

Wow that is a hard question. There are no close comparisons. I think we concentrated on US & British literature because Aus literature just didn't have the equivalent quantity & quality for school age readers. Most Australian works we did for English Studies were the poems of Henry Lawson & Banjo Patterson.
Sadly, No Australian book would be in my top 100 classics.

The closest I can think of to Huckleberry Finn is "Seven Little Australians" but only because it involves rebellious children.
Puberty Blues is the best I can come up with for Catcher in the Rye. It is an angsty teen, "coming of age", rebellious, controversial novel from the 80's. It was a bit of a cult hit with the teens, mainly girls of that era.

Younger Australians may have better examples. There are some very popular Aus YA authors that have emerged in the last 30 years.

Currently reading The Water Knife.

I have no idea what Australian novels kids study these days. In my day (90s) Australian YA (Tomorrow, When the War Began, Looking for Alibrandi) got the guernsey but I can't think of any 'adult' novels that we looked at. My final years at school were spent neck-deep in Brave New World (because the class refused to study Huckleberry Finn) and Catcher in the Rye. To this day I still cannot stand Holden Caulfield.

For June I'm also reading Royal Assassin, having just discovered these books, and I suppose I'll continue with the Wheel of Time.

The other book that leaps to mind for assigned reading in Australian schools is Storm Boy by Colin Thiele. Again, very YA.

My kids got Tomorrow, When the War Began as well so that's a survivor into the 2010s.

My wife got some Bryce Courtney and Colleen McCullough in her senior schooling, but I don't remember any Australian authors during mine. Like Elizabeth I got Brave New World, but I think I was too young for it. None of it really stuck, which is unusual for me. My daughter in year 12 just finished an assignment on Brave New World so that's another one that's kept on in the curriculum.

I'm rereading Her Smoke Rose Up Forever by James Tiptree Jr, again. So good.

Other Aussie authors / books that pop up in the latter stages of the NewSouthWales curriculum - Romulus My Father by Raymond Gaita, My Brilliant Career by Miles Franklin, my Brother Jack by George Johnstone. I imagine books by Tim Winton are also included, particularly the wonderful Cloud Street.

I started the second half of The deluge by Henryk Sienkiewicz. I think I will finish it in a couple of months. (I guess I am a slow reader)
Also still listening to Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. Not sure what my next audio book will be...

I'm still light on text reading, but I finished 2 audiobooks this week.

The first was Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch. I liked it, but didn't love it. (My Review)

For text, I did squeeze in Attack on Titan, Vol. 16. Definitely the best volume yet. (My Review)

Finally, I blew through Nemesis Games. LOVED It. (My Review)

Finished Nexus by Ramez Naam on Audible.
My Review

That's given me a hankering to revisit the Altered Carbon universe with Broken Angels - also on Audible

I finished Alex Sanchez' Rainbow Trilogy (Rainbow Boys, Rainbow High, Rainbow Road) a couple days ago.

I read Kaje Harper's The Rebuilding Year yesterday.

I just finished I.W. Gregorio's None of the Above. It's the first book I've ever read with an intersex protagonist.