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Oops I almost forgot :)

So...my reading was all over the place during the holidays.

A Rational Arrangement - this one was not what I was expecting - it's very much a romance novel that just happens to be set in a Victorian era fantasy world. And it has some very explicit sex scenes, well done, and M/M/F in every combination. I liked it a lot, after I rearranged my expectations

Then I went off on a mystery tangent and read the first 10 books in the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovitch. These are a riot - I snickered, I giggled, I facepalmed - lots of fun. One for the Money starts things off.

Next was a paranormal YA trilogy I got as a cheap box set (Kindle) The Complete 1st Freak House Trilogy: Box set. It was readable, but kind of silly. Fluff

I just tore through the latest Pendergast book from Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child Crimson Shore. I'm addicted to this series, and this latest one was good, but I think maybe they're running out of fresh ideas....

I did false starts on a couple books today, but I've finally settled into reading A Thousand Nights and it's very good so far. It takes the classic tale of Scheherazade as a starting point, but I think it's going to go in it's own fantasy direction.

I finished reading


Uprooted by Naomi Novik

This title showed up on a number of "best of 2015" lists, as well as having Michele's recommendation. And I can definitely see why it's well-liked. A fast-paced coming-of-age heroic fantasy plot featuring an extremely likable 17-year-old heroine who's tapped to serve the stern wizard protecting her valley from the evil forest. There's a smattering of Slavic/Russian folklore to the setting.

It suffers a bit from undefined magic that allows wizards to a pull new spells from their netherregions at need, but the story moved so quickly, the characters were so engrossing, and the writing so engaging, it pretty much steamrolled that objection aside.

I really wish the e-book had a map, though. By the end, I really wanted a map.

I had to add it to my favorite books of 2015 list.

Michele wrote: "Oops I almost forgot :)

So...my reading was all over the place during the holidays.

A Rational Arrangement - this one was not what I was expecting - it's very much a romance novel..."

A Rational Arrangement sounds like it could be very enjoyable! Thanks for pointing it out.

I breezed through Fairest by Marissa Meyer, a novella from the Lunar Chronicles. It laid out the origin of the main villain from that series. I am now on to Winter, which will finish up the series for me.

I'm reading The Eye of the World as I've never read the Wheel of Time series and it's been recommended to me quite a bit. I'm enjoying it so far. I've heard it kind of loses it's way later in the series, but I'm always willing to give any book a shot.

Currently I'm reading Dune by Frank Herbert. I saw the movie years ago and this is the first time I've read the book. So far it has been excellent.

Just started The Rise of Endymion by Dan Simmons, the forth and last book in the Hyperion series. I'm hoping for a rousing finish.

I am reading Count Zero by William Gibson. I read Neuromancer a few years ago and loved it. I thought it might be time to pick up some Gibson again.

For those of you curious what new books are coming out this month,

SFSignal offers a huge cover gallery:


(includes re-issues & new editions)

Tor.com breaks down some slightly more selective lists:

I finished The Traitor Baru Cormorant, and I guess I fall on the lower end of the appreciation spectrum for this book. I didn't dislike it, but it's not making my best of the year shortlist, either. Politics, treason, deceit, betrayal, more deceit, lots more betrayals... I just never made an emotional connection with the main character (Baru).

I thought Baru was a great character, but we rarely like the same books. Felt like a far more cynical version of Shara from City of Stairs, but I really loved both books. Slight edge to Baru because Dickinson didn't coddle his readers at all.

For my part I'm almost finished with Elric: To Rescue Tanelorn and then it's on to Radiance.

Brendan wrote: "I thought Baru was a great character,... Felt like a far more cynical version of Shara from City of Stairs, but I really loved both books. Slight edge to Baru because Dickinson didn't coddle his readers at all...."

I'll stipulate Baru deals with a lot more hard choices where no outcome is palatable.

G33z3r wrote: "For those of you curious what new books are coming out this month,

SFSignal offers a huge cover gallery:

[Book Cover Gallery] Happy New Year! Here are January’s Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horro..."

Seeing lists like that makes me wonder why I'm going to work everyday and not just staying at home to read everything! Except that even if I did stay home and read every waking hour, I still wouldn't be able to keep up!

I'm listening to Many Waters by Madeleine L'Engle. It's a good series but I'm confused by the book numbering system. Book 3 has the kids all grown up but this is book 4 which has the twins at I think 15. While each book is rather a stand-alone it is a bit frustrating at the loss of cohesion.

Tani wrote: "Seeing lists like that makes me wonder why I'm going to work everyday and not just staying at home to read everything! Except that even if I did stay home and read every waking hour, I still wouldn't be able to keep up! ..."

Well, I've been retired for several years and don't have that pesky "going to work" thing to suck up my time. :) Yet somehow there still isn't enough time to read everything I'd like to.

I'm reading C.J. Sansom's Lamentation. I got hooked on the series and am now reading them all through. Not fantasy, but very good historical fiction. After this I'll find something in the field of fantasy literature for sure :)

A shorter work, this time. Any fans of K.J. Parker around (just teasing, G33z3r :) )? The soon-to-appear Downfall of the Gods is really good! Here is my .

Andreas wrote: "A shorter work, this time. Any fans of K.J. Parker around (just teasing, G33z3r :) )? The soon-to-appear Downfall of the Gods is really good! Here is my review."

Ooooh, someone got a KJP ARC. Jealous. Wow, that hardcover is going to be pricey (normal for Subterranean. I'll wait for the ebook. :)

I'm reading Beyond Redemption for a book club and though I just started it the magic system is fascinating already. I can tell this is going to be as grimdark as it gets.

I just finished Dead Beat which was excellent, as usual. Just started The Princess Bride. I'm also making my way through Northlanders, Vol. 2: The Cross and the Hammer when the mood strikes me at home. I'll probably finish The Princess Bride this month, which means I'll start something else.....most likely The Aeronaut's Windlass.

Finished off Staveley's "Providence of Fire" (oh, so good) and I'm finally sinking my teeth into "The Autumn Republic" by another Brian, but names McClellan as well!

Aside from most of the books I'm going to read, I'm really looking forward to trying out my first Ian Banks sci-fi, Consider Phlebas. I'm a little nervous because it doesn't have the greatest ratings from people I trust but I couldn't pass it up for the price.

Rose wrote: "Aside from most of the books I'm going to read, I'm really looking forward to trying out my first Ian Banks sci-fi, Consider Phlebas. I'm a little nervous because it doesn't have the..."

I enjoyed it, for the most part, but there was one long section that I did not care for and overall, I would have probably given it 3.5 out of 5, but since we can't do that, I believe I gave it a 4 (rounding up). I've heard the second book in the series is drastically better.

I'm listening to Middlemarch by George Eliot

Please just beat me with a sharp stick and get it over with....

I finished up 2015's Planetfall by Emma Newman. Not really my style of storytelling. There's a real sci-fi story in here, and a real SF setting, but it's almost incidental to all the psycho mumbo-jumbo. (The main, point of view character is clinically insane.)

Despite the title, story takes place sometime after an interstellar ship has dropped a colony on another, mostly habitable planet. A newcomer wanders into the colony, apparently descended from one of the descent ships that was presumed lost. His arrival causes new strains, feelings of guilt and threatens to reveal deep, dark secrets.

Not my style, this is more for the Literary angst crowd. :)


I am so behind on my reading, I turned off the Wi-Fi on my Kindle.

Rose wrote: "Aside from most of the books I'm going to read, I'm really looking forward to trying out my first Ian Banks sci-fi, Consider Phlebas. I'm a little nervous because it doesn't have the..."

It's the first novel in Banks' Culture series, and was the first Banks novel I read, too. It was also the last. Struck me as a bunch of disagreeable people flying around thru space doing random, disagreeable things to no ultimate purpose.

On the plus side, Banks explains why an antigravity device doesn't work on the space station using centrifugal force to simulate gravity. Yay, science! :)

Consider Phlebas has kind of weird pacing and the main character is not like a lot of his other stories. There's a reason most people suggest starting with the second book.

Brendan wrote: "Consider Phlebas has kind of weird pacing and the main character is not like a lot of his other stories. There's a reason most people suggest starting with the second book."

Can you do that with this series? Generally speaking for most series, there is information in the first book that at least sets up the universe for future stories even if none of the characters are the same. Would you not be a bit lost skipping the first?

Yeah it's not really a series, there's almost no continuity or shared characters so skipping around is totally fine.

Just finished rereading The Emperor's Blades. Started Cast in Honor, the latest in the series by Michelle Sagara. I've been reading these for a long time. It's like meeting up with old friends.

I'm contemplating rereading Red Rising and Golden Son in anticipation of the Feb. release of Morning Star -- Can't wait!

I've been reading Seveneves for most of the month and I'm 2/3 of the way through. A Neal Stephenson book is always a bit of a time investment.

Just picked up The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin for a read in another group. I've read the book once before and liked it so much i decided to read it again. After i finish this i'd like to read his other works.

I ain't reading nothin' right now...I'm trying to write my fanzine for the NAPA and it's goin S L O W....

:-(