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General SF&F discussion > What are you reading in December 2014?

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message 1: by Nick (new)

Nick (doily) | 1001 comments Please tell us what exciting things you are reading during the holiday season of December 2014. --You may also tell us the non-exciting things.


message 2: by Jeannie (new)

Jeannie (brownmonkey) | 10 comments Hi all - and Happy Holidays! I know we are scheduled to read this in a few months, but I wonder if anyone else besides me couldn't wait to get started on The Three Body Problem? I'm reading it, and I'm all at once interested in other Chinese SciFi. Anyone with any recomendations? Three Body is blowing my mind. I hadn't realized that Chinese writers could write with such honestly about the Culteral Revolution. And in the context of alien invasion! There's lots to talk about here. I'm also reading the graphic novel The Massive. It's starting out good. I've been fooled before.


message 3: by [deleted user] (new)

Don't know how exciting it will be until I finish, but I'm currently beginning the third editing/proofreading run-through on my upcoming SF novel. This will be my second novel.


message 4: by Lindsey (new)

Lindsey | 414 comments Trying to finish up my holdover books, Firstborn & American Creation. Then it's on to The Invention of Wings and Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking for my IRL book clubs. And hopefully on to something fun (read: sff) after that.

Oh and I read Sanderson's novella Sixth of the Dusk last night. A new Sanderson read is always exciting to me!


message 5: by Ken (new)

Ken (ogi8745) | 1400 comments I am still reading Existence.
Its good but as I am reading it my mind is wandering.
I just cant seem to get into it.


message 6: by Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover (new)

Kathi | 4217 comments Mod
Ken wrote: "Don't know how exciting it will be until I finish, but I'm currently beginning the third editing/proofreading run-through on my upcoming SF novel. This will be my second novel."

As an non-author, I think that qualifies as exciting!


message 7: by Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover (new)

Kathi | 4217 comments Mod
I finished The Children of the Sky last night and now am reading out of genre with The White Queen to be followed by some Anne Perry mysteries.


message 8: by Shel, Moderator (new)

Shel (shel99) | 3038 comments Mod
I just finished re-reading A Fire Upon the Deep. I have The Mirror Empire waiting for me on my Kindle when I can wrestle it away from my husband (who is enjoying the heck out of Ilona Andrews' Kate Daniels books and can't put the thing down), so in the meantime I am picking up something out of genre with Ann Patchett's The Magician's Assistant. I absolutely adored the other book of hers I've read, Bel Canto.


Michelle {Book Hangovers} (bookhangoverz) Being that I have all three books in Lev Grossman's, The Magicians trilogy, I have finally pulled book one The Magicians off my bookshelf and started reading. So far I'm very intrigued. I'm hoping that it keeps my interests (knowing that I have the complete set). Fingers crossed!


message 10: by Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover (last edited Dec 02, 2014 05:23AM) (new)

Kathi | 4217 comments Mod
Shel wrote: "I just finished re-reading A Fire Upon the Deep."

Shel (and everyone else), have you read all three Zones of Thought books? If so, which did you like best? I just read all 3 and although they took place in the same universe, sort of, they felt very different to me. I think I liked A Deepness in the Sky best--it felt like the most complete story--followed by A Fire Upon the Deep, and then The Children of the Sky.


message 13: by Jenny (new)

Jenny (jennyc89) | 127 comments I'm currently enjoying short reads- Hawkeye, Vol. 1: My Life as a Weapon & Lights Out (Doctor Who short story). I can't wait to read a lot this month!


message 14: by Carolyn F. (new)

Carolyn F. I'm about finished with Shards of Honour


message 15: by Juston (last edited Dec 02, 2014 02:42PM) (new)

Juston Fenton I'm reading Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson. It's great. Once I've knocked this over I'm keen to crack into The Mirror Empire by Kameron Hurley as the comments look really positive.


message 16: by Shel, Moderator (new)

Shel (shel99) | 3038 comments Mod
Kathi wrote: "Shel wrote: "I just finished re-reading A Fire Upon the Deep."

Shel (and everyone else), have you read all three Zones of Thought books? If so, which did you like best? I just read al..."


I haven't read The Children of the Sky yet. Can't decide which of the other two I liked best - I loved them both!


message 17: by Christine (new)

Christine | 636 comments I just finished reading The Farm (not SciFi or Fantasy) and am about to start on Sand Omnibus


message 18: by Pickle (new)

Pickle | 203 comments ive just finishedA Maze of Death, currently reading the odd short story from Destination: Universe! and just started Coraline.

Plan to read Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch & Blue Remembered Earth


message 19: by Ken (new)

Ken (ogi8745) | 1400 comments Kathi wrote: "Shel wrote: "I just finished re-reading A Fire Upon the Deep."

Shel (and everyone else), have you read all three Zones of Thought books? If so, which did you like best?"


I read them pretty far apart
I like Fire, Deepness and finally Children.


message 20: by Chris (new)

Chris Dietzel (chrisdietzel) Just started Imperial Earth. It's okay, but there's something about classic sci fi that I don't enjoy as much as modern sci fi.


message 21: by Bill (new)

Bill (kernos) | 334 comments Hey all. I haven't been here for awhile—life's been complicated. I just finished Christopher and His Kind a compelling memoir of Christopher Isherwood's life in the 30's—biography always leaves me feeling unfulfilled.

Last nite I finished War Dogs by Greg Bear a well-constructed military Sci-Fi on Mars and started and read about 100 pages of Kraken by China Miéville. Miéville is quite impressive. It is a fantasy or better weird fiction.

I really want to read Destiny's Conflict...impatience abounds.


message 22: by Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover (new)

Kathi | 4217 comments Mod
Recently started The Witches of Eileanan, planning to alternate between some Anne Perry mysteries and this fantasy series by Kate Forsyth.


message 23: by Christine (new)

Christine | 636 comments I just finished Sand Omnibus and highly recommend it to others. I know some have trouble with the author, but he does write a good story. Now moving on to Lies We Tell Ourselves a non fantasy title


message 24: by Shel, Moderator (new)

Shel (shel99) | 3038 comments Mod
I'm reading some essays by Anthony Bourdain in The Nasty Bits: Collected Varietal Cuts, Usable Trim, Scraps, and Bones while I wait for my husband to finish with the kindle so I can read The Mirror Empire :)


message 25: by Lindsey (last edited Dec 07, 2014 07:58PM) (new)

Lindsey | 414 comments New plan: one of my book clubs was cancelled so I am finishing The Art of War. I have been reading this slim book for four years and I am going to put it to rest!

I finished Firstborn and The Invention of Wings already, so if I can finish The Art of War and American Creation, I will start 2015 with a clean reading slate. :-)


message 26: by Sumant (new)

Sumant I am done with Death masks the 5th book in dresden files series and here is my review.


message 27: by Bill (new)

Bill (kernos) | 334 comments Lindsey wrote: "New plan: one of my book clubs was cancelled so I am finishing The Art of War. I have been reading this slim book for four years and I am going to put it to rest!..."

Sun Tzu requires a lifetime of contemplation, IMO. I 1st tried reading it like a novel—didn't work. I now find Art of War quotes to be more useful, taking one at a time.


message 28: by Lindsey (last edited Dec 09, 2014 05:33AM) (new)

Lindsey | 414 comments Kernos wrote: "Lindsey wrote: "New plan: one of my book clubs was cancelled so I am finishing The Art of War."

Sun Tzu requires a lifetime of contemplation, IMO. I 1st tried reading it like a novel—didn't work. I now find Art of War quotes to be more useful, taking one at a time."


Different The Art of War... I like the one by Sun Tzu and agree, best read & contemplated in small doses. The one I'm reading now is Machiavelli's, which is much less generally applicable than Sun Tzu's masterwork. I think part of the problem is the translation. The "speech" in the book doesn't sound natural.


message 29: by Jo (new)

Jo  (jomixedbookbag) | 35 comments I just finished Mike Resnick's The Fortress in Orion the first in a new series. It was very good Space Opera. I also finished The Genome by Sergei Lukyanenlo. I liked both.


message 30: by Christine (new)

Christine | 636 comments I just finished Lies We Tell Ourselves which was a difficult read (because of the subject matter, not the writing) and have now started Remake


message 31: by Chris (new)

Chris Dietzel (chrisdietzel) Just started Orson Scott Card's Empire and like it so far.


message 32: by Ken (last edited Dec 11, 2014 10:40AM) (new)

Ken (ogi8745) | 1400 comments Finished Existence.
Meh, some good ideas but the book was poorly presented

Started The Goblin Emperor


message 33: by Maggie (new)

Maggie K | 298 comments Kathi wrote: "Shel wrote: "I just finished re-reading A Fire Upon the Deep."

Shel (and everyone else), have you read all three Zones of Thought books? If so, which did you like best? I just read al..."


I have only read Fire so far, but have been dying to read the others...I have promised myself that 2015 will be the year of the sequels!


message 34: by Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover (last edited Dec 14, 2014 06:15AM) (new)

Kathi | 4217 comments Mod
Maggie wrote: "I have only read Fire so far, but have been dying to read the others...I have promised myself that 2015 will be the year of the sequels!"

Be sure to chime in with your opinions when you read them.


message 35: by Bill (new)

Bill (kernos) | 334 comments I finished Kraken by China Miéville, but didn't like it much—great prose and wordplay as usual, but I found the story uninteresting.

I'm on book 3 of The Giver Quartet by Lois Lowry—for younglings, but marvelous! How did I ever overlook this gem.


message 36: by Christine (new)

Christine | 636 comments I just finished Remake which I enjoyed and about to start Lock In


message 37: by Sumant (new)

Sumant Here is my review of second book of first law trilogy, the biggest review I have written so far and had to cut down the review due to as I ran out of words :(.


message 38: by Nick (last edited Dec 16, 2014 09:48AM) (new)

Nick (doily) | 1001 comments Kernos wrote: "I finished Kraken by China Miéville, but didn't like it much—great prose and wordplay as usual, but I found the story uninteresting.


Kraken will be our Fantasy BOTM in February. Be sure to chime in with why you ended up not liking it. Maybe we can get a knock-down, drag-out feud of opinions going.


message 39: by Pickle (last edited Dec 16, 2014 09:57AM) (new)

Pickle | 203 comments the first time i read Kraken i didnt enjoy it but my mate nagged me to give it another go. I read it last year and thoroughly enjoyed it...


message 40: by Sumant (new)

Sumant Here is my review of Blood rites the sixth book in Dresden files series.


message 41: by Bill (new)

Bill (kernos) | 334 comments I finished The Giver Quartet—what a gem of YA fantasy. I saw the movie also which I really liked.

I started Forty Thousand in Gehenna an Alliance-Unionside novel by CJ Cherryh a prequel to her brilliant Cyteen. Cherryh is my favorite living SFF author.


message 42: by Chris (new)

Chris Dietzel (chrisdietzel) I'm reading Kurt Vonnegut's Bluebeard and am loving it.


message 43: by Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover (new)

Kathi | 4217 comments Mod
I just finished the second book in The Witches of Eileanan series, The Pool of Two Moons. I have to say I am enjoying this series a lot--it seems to be a somewhat traditional fantasy with enough twists to keep it fresh.


message 44: by Lindsey (new)

Lindsey | 414 comments Kathi wrote: "I just finished the second book in The Witches of Eileanan series, The Pool of Two Moons. I have to say I am enjoying this series a lot--it seems to be a somewhat traditional fantasy with enough twists to keep it fresh."

I really enjoyed that series and thought they got better as they went. She really hits her stride in book 4. Wish she would publish more adult fantasy novels!


message 45: by Chris, Moderator (new)

Chris (heroncfr) | 905 comments Mod
I enjoyed this novelette, The Long Spoon, free online on the Tor site:


message 46: by Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover (new)

Kathi | 4217 comments Mod
Lindsey wrote: "I really enjoyed that series and thought they got better as they went. She really hits her stride in book 4. Wish she would publish more adult fantasy novels!"

Good to know, Lindsey. Thanks.


message 47: by Christine (new)

Christine | 636 comments I just finished reading Lock In which I enjoyed; now on to the newest Jack Reacher Personal


message 48: by Ken (new)

Ken (ogi8745) | 1400 comments Christine wrote: "now on to the newest Jack Reacher Personal"

I really have to catch up on these
I read the first book and have most of the rest but
havent gotten around to reading them


message 49: by Ken (new)

Ken (ogi8745) | 1400 comments I just finished the Goblin Emperor.
Not bad, I enjoyed it. There were some problems but all in all it was good.

Started on a light Christmas time read
Augustus: From Revolutionary to Emperor
(ha, not lite at all)


message 50: by Bill (new)

Bill (kernos) | 334 comments I finished Forty Thousand in Gehenna. Great book! I'm glad I read Cyteen first. Cherryh herself says 40,000 in Gehenna takes place Cyteen and Regenesis

When I finish a book, I have to start another immediately no matter the time or events. So I read a few pages of Makers by my hero Cory Doctorow at about 2°° am last nite—@BoingBoing


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