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New month!

I'm reading The Neuromorph, which is the 2nd in "The Electric Detective" series. It was written by my friend's sister, and after I finished the first book, I went right into the second. I'm enjoying it.

I also have Ninth House queued on audio and China Mountain Zhang in paperback sitting there ready for me to read.

I've just started Witch King. I'm about 50 pages in and really enjoying it.

I've also started Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz: Stories of the Witch Knight and the Puppet Sorcerer.

I am listening to Ithaca by Claire North, half way thru the BOM China Mountain Zhang plus four pre-order titles I been looking forward to,
Dragonfired by J. Zachary Pike, the final book in the Dark Profit saga. A Sword of Bronze and Ashes by Anna Smith Spark and The Words of Kings and Prophets by Shauna Lawless, And finally a new book by Josiah Bancroft The Hexologists, The Books Of Babel series is one of my all time favorites.

I’m just starting the audio book of He Who Drowned the World by Shelley Parker-Chan, sequel to She Who Became the Sun.

I am currently reading Shards of Earth. I am about a 3rd finished and it has been really good.

Read the 8th Fred the Vampire Accountant book. Not quite as awesome as the 7th, which set a high point for the series, but still a solid 4 stars. And now I am out of available books in the series. I will miss this one. Hope he does more.

Started in on the Lost Fleet books with Dauntless. Solid space opera. Military SF, but inspirational rather than down to the gnats eyelash of detail that turned me off the Posleen books. Thanks Andrew.

John (Taloni) wrote: "Read the 8th Fred the Vampire Accountant book. Not quite as awesome as the 7th, which set a high point for the series, but still a solid 4 stars. And now I am out of available books in the series. ..."

Lost Fleet tends to stay that way. There were things in the writing style that I don't love, but the tone and relative positivity stays with it through out. Or as much as you can in a war situation. If you enjoyed the first one, I think you will like the rest of the series.

Incidentally, I did stop with the first book of the Sector General series. It's "space hospital mystery" over and over again. The shorts are "connected" but it's not really a mosaic novel, just a repeated premise. The author worked it for almost 50 years and clearly made sales, so good for him. I'm glad the author made money and fans of the work have lots to read. I'm not really among them.

What turned me off? Partly the lack of a real storyline. Then there's the really dated plot points. All doctors are male, and most nurses female, or at least the human ones - there are some male or indeterminate ones among the aliens. The MC is "unpopular" sometimes when it suits the plot, but one of his detractors takes pains to note he approves of the MC's supposed relationship with an attractive nurse. So even in an interstellar hospital far far away nurses are supposed to be sexually available to doctors. Bleah. The MC regularly takes a principled stand and doesn't reveal it, "fighting the power" just about every story. Just clumsy setup plots. There's some modestly interesting medical stuff, enough to get me through one book, but that was enough.

One real turnoff tho was the foreword, which goes on and on and ON and on about how the author is a better person because he's a pacifist. Which the foreword also says is an integral part of the stories. Not sure I agree but go ahead and make your case, yanno? I read Libertartian SF, straight up Communist works (LeGuin), right wingers, left wingers, if they make their case with good fiction then it provides a window into their POV. I saw no such theme in the first book. I wasn't sure I would agree, but if you're going to go on at length about an alleged theme it really should be in the book.

So I finished up The Night Circus this morning, a former monthly read. I had very high hopes for this, since I had read Erin Morgenstern other book The Starless Sea a while back and really enjoyed that. And in the end I think I came around and enjoyed this story OK, I didn’t dig it as much as the other. The big reason being I just didn’t feel for the characters as much as I did in the other story. Erin’s world building is awesome, and interesting. And her plotting, while obvious at times, also has enough twists, to make it fun and unexpected. The cast of characters is large, and some are more developed than others. But most of the ones that we spend more time with, I just don’t care about. This is in contrast to Starless Sea, where I did feel for the main characters from the very beginning.

I’m now off to glance over the discussions we had here while reading the book. And despite not loving this book, I will probably read more of Erin’s works in the future.

I started Leech by Hiron Ennes. Its described as "Gothic Science Fiction" and I'm loving it. I have little to no clue what is going on though I'm starting to formulate opinions. Think bleak world of castles and moors but with a sci fi context. Tamsin Muir seems to recommend it (you never really know from the blurbs they cull.)

Finished cosy crime mystery The Bullet That Missed, now starting the non-fiction book Femina, about medieval women.

On to Memories of Ice.

Dauntless turned out pretty well. The military relationships feel realistic and a quick look shows the author is a retired US Navy officer. The plot points follow well worn beats but are not themselves obvious. As in, you know there will be a big problem at 80% and a solution, but you can't predict it from the text. So there's enjoyable surprises throughout.

Somewhat silly tho is the author's representation of space distances. Many times the fleet is light minutes apart from each other, but the descriptions make little sense. For instance at one point the MC describes looking "down" at a planet that is a light minute away. Er. At its closest Mars is three light minutes away and is a barely visible point in the night sky. A light minute is ~40 times further than the Moon. Then the ships can actually engage each other despite these huge distances. Well, most of the space travel is well done, I'll grant artistic license.

I'll go on to the next, but its 4 weeks out on the library hold. Gotta be something I can pick up...

Magician: Master by Raymond E. Feist.
Audacious (Kris Longknife, #5) by Mike Shepherd.
A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge.
House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds.
Killing Trail (Timber Creek K-9 Mystery #1) by Margaret Mizushima.

There's a couple more, but I'm not going to list them, What can I say, I like juggling multiple books at once. It's nice being able to switch to something completely different whenever I hit a wall with whatever I'm currently reading. :D

I finished the third book in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy "trilogy"


Life, the Universe and Everything by Douglas Adams
Rating: 3 stars
Review: /review/show...

and I started reading a classic Science-Fiction space opera


Triplanetary by E.E. "Doc" Smith

Ah, Lensman. Even with all the purple prose, I still loved that series.

Mmmmm. New V.E. Schwab Darker Shades of Magic book out in a couple of weeks. Sign me up.

I finished the sixth (publication order) book in the Discworld series


Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett
Rating: 3 stars
Review: /review/show...

and I started reading the final installment in the Books of Babel series


The Fall of Babel by Josiah Bancroft

John (Taloni) wrote: "Ah, Lensman. Even with all the purple prose, I still loved that series."

It seems to be a favorite of many people. I've never read anything by Smith so I'm looking forward to this.

I've finished Witch King. Other than a somewhat rushed ending, I really liked it. It was great to read a stand alone fantasy novel. I would happily read another set in this world.

I also finished Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz: Stories of the Witch Knight and the Puppet Sorcerer. Enjoyable. Eight previously published short stories and a new one. The best one was the new one, "The Field of Fallen Foe".

Now I'm reading Joker Moon, a Wild Cards novel.

I’m getting back into physical books so I just got a big haul from Barnes and Noble. I’m starting with Master of Djinn (I know, a little late to the party) and I’m really loving it. The setting and world building is some of the best I’ve read in a while.

Brad wrote: "I’m getting back into physical books so I just got a big haul from Barnes and Noble. I’m starting with Master of Djinn (I know, a little late to the party) and I’m really loving it. The setting and..."

I really enjoyed those aspects of the book as well. And I liked the story to it as well. I could see reading more in that universe.

And after you are done I'd also recommend checking out the old posts around here from when it was a monthly read. It's a lot of fun, and often there are insights I hadn't thought of while reading the book.

Brad wrote: "I’m getting back into physical books so I just got a big haul from Barnes and Noble. I’m starting with Master of Djinn (I know, a little late to the party) and I’m really loving it. The setting and..."

It’s really good. I’m eagerly awaiting new installments in that universe. It doesn’t even have to be another novel, I’ll take anything: novella, short story, postcard - anything.

You're in luck then. You can just mentally preface with "The Djinn said" and then watch Aladdin and its sequels, maybe even play the Agrabah level of Kingdom Hearts.

*ducks, runs for cover*

Finished the first Lost Fleet book and there was a wait for the second, so went casting about for stuff. Wound up on a nostalgia run with Harry Harrison. Actually I was going to read the last two Stainless Steel Rat books but the library had given up their copies. Which was no big loss, I have heard they are not all that good. The first three are high quality, of which the third is an exquisite time loop with historical commentary; the followups I have read are just exploitation of the originals. Well anyway...

Deathworld: I don't recall reading this, but parts of it seem familiar. The quickdraw holster, the gambling in the beginning...it would have been over 40 years, maybe I read it. The first part is so well done it is like a primer on how to open a book. It was so good that I was halfway through when I realized it had descended to mediocre. Still glad I read it. The "psychic feedback" bit was probably stolen for ST:TNG when Data tells Picard they "must turn off the shields" even tho an attack is coming (it is their reflected something-or-other) and of course it being TV there's no time to explain!

Then Bill the Galactic Hero. I know Harrison is spoofing military life and the depredations of societies that live in constant war. Yes, it is objectively funny. It's just that in an environment where we've picked a suspicious war in Eastern Europe, following suspicious wars in the Middle East, a few decades after a suspicious war in Asia, well, I don't know that I can be amused by this idea any more. Probably Harrison wanted us to laugh because otherwise we would cry. I'm more on the cry side now. There's just been too much of exactly what he's spoofing in real life.

John (Taloni) wrote: "Probably Harrison wanted us to laugh because otherwise we would cry."

“If we couldn’t laugh we would all go insane.�� - Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes, Jimmy Buffett (R.I.P.)

I have to keep pausing my library holds because I’m getting an avalanche of books all at once.

Currently reading China Mountain Zhang, several comics, Reach For Infinity (3) (hard SF short stories), and Untethered Sky.

Then yesterday I was perusing the Humble Bundle offerings and saw they had the Shadowrun books there, so I read the samples of 3 or 4 of them and they were all quite good. So I bought the 42 (!) books for $25.

Finishing up He Who Drowned the World which is taking so much longer than the first installment just because horrible things keep happening and I keep dipping into other stuff that's more hospitable. Still, it's pretty good. After that, I can get into the book of the month.

Book 2 of the Lost Fleet series, Fearless. Pretty good military space opera. Jack Geary faces some leadership challenges and has to manage what amounts to as soft coup attempt. It's different from the usual space adventure in that the MC is a fleet leader rather than an adventurer himself. Delves heavily into what constitutes a good leader. I was reminded (wild leap) of my enjoyment of early Perry Rhodan since Perry routinely strived to deploy his people well.

Some standard beats included that were so obvious as to be silly. One character picks a fight right on time so they can make up later. There's a too-easy resolution to one leadership challenge. All in all I'll take it. The writer is a former Navy officer and clearly delved far into leadership and strategy. Some silliness with ships fighting at distances of light minutes but eh. He handles it well.

John (Taloni) wrote: "Book 2 of the Lost Fleet series, Fearless. Pretty good military space opera. Jack Geary faces some leadership challenges and has to manage what amounts to as soft coup attempt. It's different from ..."

If you felt that way about the first two, I think you will continue to enjoy the series. But I also think the series is a bit like junk food in that, while enjoyable it is not super filling, and you may have to take brakes from it from time to time to eat something of substance. But that just makes it nice to go back to.

I did have one annoyance with the series that was minor, but did get old real quick when reading a few in a row. (view spoiler)[The way the author insisted on going over some of the same background things in each novel, it doesn't take long, but I just wanted to get on with the story, not go over how the ships orient to the sun in each solar system in each and every book. (hide spoiler)]

Untethered Sky is magnificent. As of now it is the front runner for my favorite book of the year.

My review: /review/show...

Trike wrote: "Untethered Sky is magnificent. As of now it is the front runner for my favorite book of the year.

My review: /review/show..."

The Kindle edition of Untethered Sky is on sale for $2.99 right now.

152 pages. I like the length. October book pick!

I am currently readingEyes of the Void. This is the 2nd book in the series.

I've finished Joker Moon. A very good entry in the Wild Cards series.

I'm about half way done with Look Out For The Little Guy!. It's basically a summary of the MCU through the eyes of Scott Lang aka Ant-Man with some pop psychology thrown in. It's ok.

Next up is The Death I Gave Him, a sci-fi retelling of Shakespeare's Hamlet as a locked-room thriller.

I finished the light-hearted time travel novel


In the Shadow of Time by Kevin Ansbro
Rating: 4 stars
Review: /review/show...

Well, I've read about a quarter of The Death I Gave Him and have decided to stop reading it. I didn't engage with any of the characters and the pacing is very slow for me. Oh, well. On to this month's pick.

I’m still going with the audiobook of He Who Drowned the World. It’s good but I’m finding it heavy going - so much violence and misery! Not a happy read. I keep having to take a break and listen to a podcast instead.

Three recently...first up, Code of the Lifemaker by James Hogan. He's best known for "Inherit the Stars." Anyhoo, this is a nostalgia reread of something I found hilarious several decades back. It involves machine life on Titan, evolved from a crashed, damaged mining extraction ship, and at about the level of medieval Europe. The MC is a charlatan psychic who nevertheless contributes well to the mission.

It doesn't hold up well. The psychic is still fun to read, but the setup situation is too silly. How would machines evolve to the level of medieval Earth just in time for us to find them? There isn't even a whiff of a handwave. They're just a foil for Hogan to make his observations about humanity. It's like a B-version of Stranger in a Strange Land.

There are obvious riffs to religion that young-me didn't get but older-me finds tedious. All in all an adequate insomnia read but nothing to make me want to dig up more old Hogan.

And then, Starter Villain by Scalzi. This book is just so hilarious all I want to say is, go out and get it.

Okay, a little more. A guy inherits his uncle's supervillain business and has to cope with some very aggressive colleagues. Involves nonhuman intelligences and labor relations under stress. Some pointed commentary but hey, it's Scalzi. My only complaint is that I would cheerfully read a trilogy of this but it seems to wrap up in one.

And then a "why not" pick of a Harry Harrison book, Star Smashers of the Galaxy Rangers. This is a parody of pulp fiction and is on the odder side of bizarre. I see the references and get the jokes, but I ain't laughing. Oh look, the aliens are from Haggis. They are addicted to a drug (actually coal dust) that they call DnDrf. Ha. Ha.

This read turned out to be more "bottom of the barrel scraping" than I had anticipated. 30 pages left and I'm really hoping one of my on-hold books comes in soon.