ŷ������

It also took me weeks to finish Foxhunt. I wanted to love it but didn't :( I don't think there was anything wrong with it, it just wasn't for me, unfortunately.

Don't know what happened there lol

Anna wrote: "It also took me weeks to finish Foxhunt. I wanted to love it but didn't :( I don't think there was anything wrong with it, it just wasn't for me, unfortunately."

I might just call it quits then. One of the reasons I was persevering with it was to see if it's worth putting on a poll.

Frees me up to read a book or two for the G2KY challenge :)

(I'm not going to give up on it because I'm stubborn and I've still got to figure out why my eyes can't tolerate more than a few sentences of it at a time)

Ryan wrote: "Fortunately I went the audiobook route for the finale in what I truly hope is the worst series Tchaikovsky ever writes, The Hyena and the Hawk. Had to reread Children of Ruin to remind myself that he's a talented writer."

I'm thinking it's actually books he wrote earlier in in writing career that never were published (for good reasons).

I had that problem with Frank Herbert's Dune. Just could not really get into it, I'd read it up to a certain point and realize, I don't remember a dang thing about what I 'read', just a stream of words that didn't sink in. then, probably 25 years or so later, I saw Dune the movie (2020 version) last year (not the older one with Kyle M., I tried to watch that one too, and just didn't care for it), thought that movie was incredible. Because of that (plus my goal of reading nothing but Hugo award winners), I was able to finish it, and found it was a truly great book. I even watched the 84 David Lynch version, which I was able to follow, although the pacing was incredibly rushed, which makes sense trying to condense the book into a single two hour movie. Hopefully you will find success quicker than I did (25+ years is a long time to complete a book!!)

I just read Cytonic which I expected to be book three in a trilogy but apparently there is going to be at least one more. I was divided whether I liked it or not - some good stuff, some bad.
My review: /review/show...

And don’t forget there was Sunreach and ReDawn between Starsight and Cytonic and Evershore between Cytonic and Defiant.

I finished The Gurkha and the Lord of Tuesday by Saad Hossain which was hilarious. Excellent find for the Circadian Challenge

Jacqueline wrote: "And don’t forget there was Sunreach and ReDawn between Starsight and Cytonic and Evershore between Cytonic and Defiant."

True but I tend not to read the in between books which so many authors are putting out these days. Usually they do not contribute to the main story although I know they do add background detail. Too many books too little time

Jacqueline wrote: "And don’t forget there was Sunreach and ReDawn between Starsight and Cytonic and Evershore between Cytonic and Defiant."

I have just been convinced by Leonie that I need to read these three books so I have pre ordered the set from Amazon. I will look forward to filling in the gaps:)

Phrynne wrote: "Jacqueline wrote: "And don’t forget there was Sunreach and ReDawn between Starsight and Cytonic and Evershore between Cytonic and Defiant."

I have just been convinced by Leonie that I need to read..."

Yeah some you don't need to read but others are essential. There's a story between Grey Sister and Holy Sister by Mark Lawrence. It's called Bound. It's an essential read too. Helps understand some stuff in Holy Sister.

CBRetriever wrote: "I finished The Gurkha and the Lord of Tuesday by Saad Hossain which was hilarious. Excellent find for the Circadian Challenge"

I am glad you enjoyed that book. I found it to be well worth the read.

Phrynne wrote: "Jacqueline wrote: "And don’t forget there was Sunreach and ReDawn between Starsight and Cytonic and Evershore between Cytonic and Defiant."

True but I tend not to read the in between books which s..."

It always makes me think of Clone Wars. If you need to write a bunch of stuff in between to explain what is going on in the books, Maybe you are not doing it as well as you thought.

Charlton wrote: "At the moment reading The Alloy of Law. About 1/2 way through it and really enjoying it so far. I started way late on the Wax and Wayne series, compared to so many others."

I've listened to the Graphic Audio production of that, and it was excellent! Still need to read the actual book. Time to physically read is hard to come by, so I mostly stick to audio books these days. I need to get caught up on more of Sanderson's most recent works. Last set of his I read (or listened to) was the Reckoners trilogy from Audible. Loved 'em.

Kaili wrote: "I started reading the Wheel of Time mid-2020 as I jumped back into reading. XD
It may not have been the best decision, but I stuck with it and I plan to finish the series this year. I am currently ..."

I started reading the series back when Path of Daggers first came out, and burned through them until I hit the "slog" of A Crown of Swords and Path of Daggers. It was slow-going to get through them, but they were worth it, and the story picked up again with Winter's Heart. The last one I read was "Knife of Dreams", the one before Sanderson took over the series. Life had just gotten too busy with work by the time The Gathering Storm came out, and by the time I could get to it it was time to re-read the series. A pretty daunting task!

Currently I'm going through the series on Audible, and it's been wonderful so far. The narrators do an excellent job, and I'd forgotten how much I love Jordan's worldbuilding. I've got a ways to go until the end, but it's been fun so far.

Tamara wrote: "I finished The Way of Kings, Part 1 a few days ago, and was looking forward to getting Part 2 from the library yesterday (had to wait for the long weekend to be over), but although i..."

I haven't had the chance to read The Way of Kings yet, but it's been on my list for quite a while. What's the main thing you enjoyed about it?

Dj wrote:"It always makes me think of Clone Wars. If you need to write a bunch of stuff in between to explain what is going on in the books, Maybe you are not doing it as well as you thought..."

I think that is a very good point Dj.

Dj wrote: "CBRetriever wrote: "I finished The Gurkha and the Lord of Tuesday by Saad Hossain which was hilarious. Excellent find for the Circadian Challenge"

I am glad you en..."

uh, what's the circadian challenge anyway?

Circadian reading challenge:

/topic/show/...

I've recently finished The Fifth Season and also the newest Saga issue Saga #55.

Loved The Fifth Season! I cannot wait to read the next book in the trilogy. I found all three POVs engaging.

As for Saga, with that cliffhanger they left us on at the end of volume 9, I couldn't even wait for the next volume to come out, so I pretty much lapped up the issue. It was good, poignant, and everything I hoped for.

Athira wrote: "I've recently finished The Fifth Season and also the newest Saga issue Saga #55..."

Ah, Athira! So jelly that you've read the Saga #55 issue already! I'm waiting for the next volume so I can get it from the library, but that will take forever. I should just go to a comic book store and buy the things.

I just began #3 in the Saxon Tales series by the awesome Bernard "We're not worthy!" Cornwell, Lords of the North.

I am reading the box set of Mars Colony Chronicles (Books 1 - 5): A Space Opera Box Set Adventure by Brandon Ellis. I have finished the first book Martian Plague and what a trip. The bad guy is really bad and the good guy trips over his own feet and constantly gets his ass kicked by a woman agent. There are chuckles and sad areas and great characters. I am part way through the 2nd book and Mr. Ellis has not lost anything. Yes, and it is one of those $0.99 special so I recommend it to all Space Opera fans.

Jacqueline wrote: "And don’t forget there was Sunreach and ReDawn between Starsight and Cytonic and Evershore between Cytonic and Defiant."

I think I liked the three novellas better than Cytonic. Though like Phrynne "despite everything" I ended up inhaling and really enjoying Cytonic.

Project Hail Mary. I’m not wildly enthusiastic, but most of the time it’s a fun read.

Chris wrote: "Tamara wrote: "Chris wrote: "Wow - that's an advanced-language challenge, after 7-8 months of study! Will it be your first novel in French?"

Yes, it'll be my first. Going into it from the view of ..."

That's good to hear. And the approach makes sense. Did you buy the e-book, or does your library offer decent books in foreign languages?

Phrynne wrote: "Jacqueline wrote: "And don’t forget there was Sunreach and ReDawn between Starsight and Cytonic and Evershore between Cytonic and Defiant."

I have just been convinced by Leonie that I need to read..."

I also usually feel the way you described about in-between books - that they're more for publishers to get some more revenue, and for people who are really into the series and everything about it. But people did say on the reviews for these (those for the Skyward series) that they do add to an understanding of events in the main books.
I added them to my 'finish the series' bingo challenge for this year, as a 'read all the books' (i.e. the in-betweens), so that I actually will give these a try.

Benjamin wrote: "I haven't had the chance to read The Way of Kings yet, but it's been on my list for quite a while. What's the main thing you enjoyed about it?"

I'm not generally an epic fantasy fan, and I'd thought that these books might be too violent and warlike for my liking. But I was encouraged by Skyward, even though I know it's very different from his other books, and everyone was saying this series was great.

I think what I liked was the gentle, consistent development of the characters - getting to know them by their actions and responses, and some of their history. That they each had a unique story, seemingly unrelated, but which you know is somehow connected, which you'll find out at some point (you expect).
It's not a simple 'this is what happened, these are the goodies and baddies', etc., but an exploration of decisions made, how your choices define you, and the influence of individuals and choices on nations and even worlds.
There's a sense of gravity to what you're learning - that there's something much bigger going on, that these people are part of it, unknowingly yet, and that there's wonder and mystery in the past and maybe the future.
I don't remember any crude humour, the characters are well-developed, although I didn't really gel with one, and the violence/graphicness is thankfully brief/uncommon. But it is graphic, at least to me. I find that kind of thing hard, due to empathetic imagining.
For me, I think what made it work most is Kaladin. He's a hero, but not one who keeps winning. He's one in the way he responds to the really hard things which happen to him, over and over. And not because he always responds well, in some infallibly perfect way. Because he keeps trying, even after seemingly giving up, and because he cares, even unwillingly.
So, there are lots of parts, all with detail and interest, but also not too much detail. It doesn't become unwieldy or overwhelming, but gives you a desire to know more.

Ah; I've shared several reasons why I liked it, not the main one. I just looked back at your question. But I can rarely choose a main reason or favourite thing - there are too many bits which make up the reasons 😏😎.

Tamara wrote: "That's good to hear. And the approach makes sense. Did you buy the e-book, or does your library offer decent books in foreign languages?"

I bought the ebook, it was available for C$10 through Kobo. My local library's ebook collection seems to only have young childrens' books (preschool to early elementary) and magazines in French, plus Harry Potter.

Well, just finished , a very entertaining quick read. It's more an alternative history book, Michael Chabon is a great writer! when I finish my hugo award winner personal challenge, I'll have to go back and read some of his other works.

Anyhoo, on to the next book, which is James Blish's a case of conscience. It's a short book, so after I finish that one, it would be CJ Cherryh's Cyteen.

The end is in sight (read 50 of the 70 winners), but a lot of the low hanging fruit has been read, moving into the books where the winner's are part of a series (looking at you Lois MB, and the latest winner (book 5 of the Martha Wells' murderbot series, gotta read the books that lead up to the winners...

Marc wrote: "Well, just finished , a very entertaining quick read. It's more an alternative history book, Michael Chabon is a great writer! when I finish my hugo a..."

You're on a roll, Marc!

Just finished the mistborn series and whilst a great read; it felt a little cold and clinical. Did not really relate to any of the characters or feel a connection which was a shame as the story is great. Main book I am waiting on this year is David Mealing's Chains of the Earth (going to be a long wait until July). Book 1 and 2 of that series were easily the best books I read in 2021.

A Dead Djinn in Cairo was a delight. I can't wait to clear my schedule to read A Master of Djinn.

Since my last post��

In audio, I finished Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan. Nothing much changed from my opinion when I was listening to it in my last post. The story never really grabbed me, nor did the characters. I felt like it was something I should enjoy more though, so I’ll probably try it again in print someday. Not likely in the near future, though. I gave it 3 stars.

I then moved on to the audiobook for Winter Tide by Ruthanna Emrys, which I finished today. This one didn’t do much for me either. It was moderately interesting, kind of unique in my reading experience, but the story was on the slow side and never grabbed me. I kind of liked the characters, but wasn’t very invested. The setting is based on the Cthulhu mythos, which I didn’t realize until the author’s notes at the end of the book because I don’t know anything about it. It was easy enough to follow without any background in Lovecraft, though. I don’t know if somebody more familiar with it might have appreciated it more because of that knowledge, or been even more bored by it due to things being explained that they would already know. I gave this one 3 stars too.

This evening I hope to start Ariadne in audio, which is the group’s February fantasy pick.

In print I’m still working through John Scalzi’s Interdependency series. I’ve finished the first two books and I’m about a quarter though the third. I’m still enjoying this quite a bit, although I think the first one had the most even pacing. I rated book one 4.5 stars and book two 4 stars.

After I finish the Scalzi series, I plan to read the group’s science fiction pick for February, The Echo Wife, in print. I like to go in blind, so I know nothing about the story, but I hope it’s about something other than a wife repeating herself a lot so that her husband sarcastically gripes about his wife being an echo. There are some much more interesting possible interpretations for this title, I like the kinds of titles that make me curious, so I’ll have fun speculating until I get to actually read it. :)

Finished Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune yesterday afternoon. Loved it. Started it Saturday arvo and finished it Sunday arvo. Sat up until 12.30 reading it Saturday night/Sunday morning. I normally only do that when I'm home by myself. Hubby put his book down and went to sleep well before I did. I did see reviews saying it was great but not as good as The House in the Cerulean Sea so I read it first. I didn't want to compare it with the earlier one and have it come up wanting. To me it was a 5 star read. I must say he has a thing for Cerulean. I noticed it mentioned as a colour quite a few times.

Started The Ship of the Dead by Rick Riordan. Love all of Rick's books and thought it was time to read the next book in the Magnus Chase series.

I am still reading The Girl and the Mountain by Mark Lawrence as well but for some reason (even though I do love it) I can't get into it this week. I usually finish Mark's books pretty quickly. But then again it is hot and I'm tired and I think I can't deal with more than one POV at the moment. There are too many people to keep up with. That's not, in any way, a bad thing. It's just too much for me this month. I'll get it finished before the last one comes out at the end of April. Also listening to 488 Rules for Life by Kitty Flanagan. She's an Australian comedian and she started doing a "rules for life" thing on a comedy news type show and it grew and she has 2 books out now. I'm somewhere in the 300s. Some of it is funny but a lot of it actually makes sense.

January Recap:
*The Galaxy, and the Ground Within- 4 stars, love this author
*Gideon Falls, Vol. 3: Stations of the Cross, Gideon Falls, Vol. 4: The Pentoculus- 3.5 stars, can't finish series until library gets the final book.
*The Last Wish- 3 stars, it's possible the tv show is better than the book.
*Piranesi- 4.5 stars
*How to Fight Racism: Courageous Christianity and the Journey Toward Racial Justice- 4 stars

Starting New Series:
*Velocity Weapon- 4 stars (space opera)
*Assassin's Apprentice- 4 stars (epic fantasy)
*Chosen Ones- 4 stars (second book not yet written)
*Shadowland- 3.5 stars (YA)

DivaDiane wrote: "Allison wrote: "Super happy with The Trials of Koli except that Carey seemed to be under the impression that we no longer end books, which is something I'd like us to take a vote on before authors ..."

I have removed stars from my rating for that kind of behaviour - it drives me nuts!

I finished The Broken Kingdoms in record time. I always enjoy a good book about gods and godlings (although I am never sure about that word - it makes me think of something cute and cuddly which they are most certainly not).
Great book anyway and I am anxious now to read the next one.
My review: /review/show...

I went through the Sci-Fi section of my library and randomly pulled a book -

I think this book was put in the wrong section? The cover and title suggest a sci-fi or dystopian world...but it turned out to be more of a YA love story where one of the characters was obsessed with the end of the world.
It turned out to be a very good read, but I just wasn't what I was expecting it at all.

Just finished The Keeper of Night by Kylie Lee Baker that my younger daughter gave me. It is set, primarily, in Japanese mythology of the underworld (as in land of the Dead) and makes an interesting read. This is a YA book with an unusual character arc, (view spoiler)[ girl goes from unwanted bastard to being the goddess of Death. (hide spoiler)] Not everything works. There are places where characters make decisions and take actions because that's what is necessary to move the plot where it needs to go. The MC tries to make a case for herself as a villain protagonist, but I don't see her that way. I would recommend for those who like YA, dark fantasy, and Japanese myth. I am curious if any members who live in Japan have read it and what they think.

Anno-Dracula by Kim Newman

London, 1888. Dracula is not dead but instead rules with Victoria and London is full of "new-borns". Hundreds and hundreds of newly created vampires. And Jack the Ripper makes things even scarier and weirder. Very interesting book with lots of folks, both warm and new-born, to keep track of. 3 stars.

Colin wrote: "Aleksandra wrote: "I have just finished reading Children of Dune and I must say that I am little disappointed with this book especially with how it ends. I have read Dune, by ..."

I first read Dune, Dune Messiah and Children of Dune back in the 1980s, At that time, I thought Dune was amazing, Dune Messiah disappointing, and had a hard time finishing Children of Dune.

Fast forward a few decades, and I'm re-reading the three books. I still think Dune is amazing, the world building, the characters, the political plotting, wow! I finished Dune Messiah last October and my opinion now is that it is a worthy sequel to Dune. I understood Paul's motivations in Dune Messiah much better on the second read, and I understood the ending more thoroughly this time around. Frank Herbert is not a fan of charismatic leaders!

I have Children of Dune here in my SF/F stack (along with A Darker Shade of Magic, The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter, Battle of the Linguist Mages and several others), and sometime before summer I'm planning to get to it.

I read 3 Science Fiction/Fantasy books in January.

I returned to Kage Baker's series "The Company", reading #4 in the series, The Graveyard Game. Definitely not a standalone novel! Reading #1-#3 will add greatly to the reading experience of #4. I also saw online a suggestion to read the novella "Son observe the time", which can be found in The Year's Best Science Fiction: Seventeenth Annual Collection. I did so and found it very helpful as The Graveyard Game assumes the reader knows the events from "Son observe the time".

Next, I read the entire The Year's Best Science Fiction: Seventeenth Annual Collection. There are 27 stories, all first published in 1999. A couple of the stories I wound up skimming, but the majority (including Kage Baker's novella) are well worth the time to read.

The third book I read was The Minders by John Marrs. It's a science fiction - thriller set in the United Kingdom about 30 years in the future. I don't read many thrillers so I don't know how original the thriller elements are. I can say the thriller elements were explained very clearly.

I also read 7 other non-genre books, including:
Hearts by Hilma Wolitzer, a road trip novel starring a young woman who is a widowed step-mother and her teenaged step-daughter -- I really liked the 1970s feel to the story

Super Volcanoes: What They Reveal about Earth and the Worlds Beyond, a non-fiction book about volcanoes, half about volcanoes on Earth, the other half about volcanoes elsewhere in the Solar System

two by V.S. Naipaul, one set in England starring a 60s proper English gentleman (Mr. Stone and the Knights Companion); and the other one (The Suffrage of Elvira) set in Trinidad, poking fun at election campaigns.

Cousin Henry by Anthony Trollope, a very annoying novel (published 1879) about a man (Henry) who cannot make up his mind about, well, anything really (not recommended)

a pleasant but easily forgotten cozy mystery (Death Crashes the Party)

and, an adolescent humor novel in verse, Bull, which is also a retelling of the Greek Myth starring the Minotaur on Crete

as for January's BOTMs:
Sunshine I read in 2003 when it was fresh off the presses, and I gave it 5*'s. It is one of the better vampire novels!
Reap the Wild Wind is on my ever-growing TBR. I've read a couple of other books by Julie E. Czerneda (Beholder's Eye and Changing Vision) and I keep thinking that I should finished that trilogy (Hidden in Sight) before starting a new trilogy of hers.

I just finished reading The Sword of Kaigen which I absolutely loved and Iron Widow which... well, I didn't enjoy.

But currently I'm reading Homegoing and The City We Became. Homegoing seems like it will be such a lovely story and a quick read (it's only 300 pages). The City We Became is...interesting? I'm not used to the writing style so it's a bit challenging for me to get through, but hopefully it will be enjoyable!

I'm taking a break from my other reading for today to enjoy a short-fiction audiobook marathon, mostly Philip K. Dick, along with whatever else I find on youtube that looks appealing. Seems like a great way to spend a snow day. :) My first selection is The Variable Man.

I am rereading an old favourite, “Henry Esmond�� by W. M. Thackeray. (My copy is a 1974 Pan Classics paperback. The edition doesn’t seem to be catalogued in ŷ������.) It’s a Victorian historical novel, originally published in 1852, set in the late 17th/early 18th century. It’s a sophisticated work, enjoyably told in highly readable prose that suggests the writing of the eighteenth century. A sympathetic narrator, “bastard�� son of a nobleman, leads a romantic and adventurous life among soldiers, aristocrats, and literary men. He’s a reserved character and an intelligent observer, and well placed to describe some of the famous historical figures and events of his time. I read the book more than once when I was younger but I think this is my first rereading in 15-20 years.

That sounds cool, Stephen- I'm going to look that up right now!

Still working through my reading challenges for 2021 now revamped as reading challenges 2022! Finished The Left Hand of Darkness and The Dark Forest.

I’m the mood for a random debut novel and picking up How High We Go in the Dark by Seqouia Nagamatsu.

Now I gave this book four stars, but I suspect it wouldn't be something that most people in the group would be that enamored with.

Global Logistics and Strategy: 1940-1943

When you read or study military history you sometimes hear that amateurs study tactics, professionals study logistics. This isn't some light-hearted quip to separate those that are serious and those that aren't it is a fundamental difference. Amateurs are drawn to the excitement of the clash of arms and do the Monday Morning Quarterback game wondering if something had done differently what the results would have been. Professionals study Logistics because it is at the heart of what they do. What good is it to get your forces to a point where you can confront the enemy if you have no ammunition?

This book looks at what a mess the supply situation was in the US as it entered upon its first global conflict. It is an almost painful read considering just how messed up things really were. Unlike the planning books that come earlier in this series, this book is much less critical of the British, it still talks about the differences of approach but with a much less caustic tone.

All in all this book is good for two things. The first and by far the most important is the fact that it shows why things had to be done the way they were and why they couldn't have been done any faster. The second, well the second is that it really does help get you ready for going to sleep.