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I like Mary Roach's humor, it's in most of her books, at least the 4/5 letter books (bonk, gulp, stiff, etc.). But that's just my opinion! Makes for me a quick yet enjoyable learning experience. I did read Fuzz a few years ago, she might be running out of human stuff (sex, eating, death, etc.)!

Just finished Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Tiffany Aching at 13 is just as interesting and entertaining as ever. Pratchett continues to flesh out the witching community and show that 'one size fits all' doesn't come close to the real diversity of witches. This is another to buy, hold, and reread. In summary: Boffo!


View all my reviews

Already partway through I Shall Wear Midnight.

Started The Kingdom of Copper, and about to start Hall of Smoke. I'm a little worried about that one; it scares me a bit! But it also sounds interesting, so hopefully it turns out well. They both have nice covers - I'm loving all the beautiful book covers we get these days.

Dipping my toes into Alison Weir's biography of Henry VIII. Got it more on an admittedly hefty whim than anything else. (I went a little crazy at the library, waiting to pick up a critter from the vet.)

My review of The Malevolent Seven by Sebastien de Castell

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I'm almost finished with The Kingdom of Copper. Enjoying this series though I know this book will leave me hanging. At least, I have the third book in series ready to go.

You are avoiding my mistake. Often start the first book in a good series without having any of the others.

Economondos wrote: "You are avoiding my mistake. Often start the first book in a good series without having any of the others."

yes, but I would have missed the otherwise excellent Name of the Wind and the Game of Thrones books

Fitting Vita Nostra into my current pile, because there's always got to be at least one novel going. It's unfortunate that only 2/3 of this series are translated into English.

finished

Off on a Comet by Jules Verne - this one was really dated as far as one character being a real caricature with a very racist depiction. A German Jew was endowed with all the negatives that people of Verne's time thought about people of that background. Think of it as Shylock ramped up.

working on

Cowboy Feng's Space Bar and Grille by Steven Brust - looking forward to this one
and
Desert Gold by Zane Grey which will likely also contain some racist perceptions
and
Farilane by Michael J. Sullivan. High hopes here too
and
Bad Seeds by Jassy Mackenzie which is a mystery/thriller set in South Africa by an author from South Africa. Most of this series has been a pleasant read. So far, so good and the them is nuclear power plants and potential problems with them including sabotage.

Demon Daughter was wonderful, I finished it yesterday. It felt so good to meet Penric and Desdemona again. There are dark things here, yet the novella is so humane. I love this series, and it's so nice that there are 12 books already :)

My review is here ;)

City of Saints and Madmen promising premise but messy delivery. My review

Finished a reread of I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Tiffany Aching is 16 and it is great to watch her mature. The issues she faces as a young adult are different than before, but Pratchett's writing brings them to life just as in the previous books. More new and interesting (or returning after a hiatus) characters.

Pratchett still brings forward important topics while entertaining us: bigotry, mass hysteria, selfishness, vigilantism; that dark part of human nature that demonizes the "other".

Time to round out this sub-series with The Shepherd's Crown.

My review of Spider Kiss by Harlan Ellison

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My list of novels for this year, in no particular order, is as follows:

a) The City of Last Chances by Adrian Tchaikovsky

b) Always Coming Home by Ursula K. Le Guin.

c) Jade City by Fonda Lee

d) Across the Sand by Hugh Howie

e) The Deluge by Stephen Markley

f) Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

g) Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace

h) Death's End by Liu Cixin

Laurence Bergreen's, Columbus: the Four Voyages. Going down a very deep rabbit hole.

I just finished the revised edition of City of Bones by Martha Wells. So good. My only wish would be that she had written a follow up. Khat is such a great character and I am sure there was at least one more story in him!
My review: /review/show...

Victor wrote: "My list of novels for this year, in no particular order, is as follows: "

I've got several of those on my list also: The City of Last Chances, The Deluge, Nona, and Death's End. Have to finish Dark Forest and the rest of the Children of Time series first.

Phrynne wrote: "I just finished the revised edition of City of Bones by Martha Wells. So good. "

I've just added this to my TBR. Thanks for the review!

Cheryl L wrote: "Phrynne wrote: "I just finished the revised edition of City of Bones by Martha Wells. So good. "

I've just added this to my TBR. Thanks for the review!"

Hope you enjoy it as much as I did Cheryl:)

Finished Pat Murphy's The Falling Woman. An interesting book, a little different for a scifi book. Really about a mother and her daughter, she's an archeologist who is blessed/cursed with seeing ghosts of ancient people wherever she's at, and her daughter who is discovering she too has it. It's not really set in the future, set around the time the book was written (1988), as she is on a Mayan dig. Is it horror (ghosts!), uh, not really. It did when a Nebula, which is why I read it (kinda reading award winning books right now).

Anyhoo, on to the next book, another Nebula winner, Slow River by Nicola Griffin. No idea what it's about!

Marc, I really enjoyed Slow River. Couldn’t tell you what it’s about though. Nicola Griffith is kind of an auto read author for me.

Wasn't really impressed with Golem and Jinni. The middle dragged to the point that I had to force myself to finish, mostly because the villain was compelling. Ending wasn't worth the journey, and I don't think I'm gonna invest time in any sequel.

Completed the Tiffany Aching cycle with The Shepherd's Crown by Terry Pratchett

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Tiffany as an adult is at least as interesting as she was growing up. Pratchett continues to interweave themes with entertainment. In this case it includes the serious, responsible choices we all have to make as we mature.

This book stays in the reread rotation. And deserves its place in the Discworld universe.
My review here

Instead of rereading, the next is Scalzi's Old Man's War. Started it during insomnia-time and the opening holds my interest.

Currently making my way through The Witcher, about finished with Sword of Destiny. From my understanding it transitions from short stories to longer novels from here on out.

My review of Dark Star by Oliver Langmead (11-Mar-2015) Paperback by Oliver Langmead

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Tamara wrote: "... about to start Hall of Smoke. I'm a little worried about that one; it scares me a bit! But it also sounds interesting, so hopefull..." --I enjoyed Hall of Smoke a lot!

I finished The Year's Midnight and enjoyed it. An interesting pair of novellas, prequels to a fantasy series. I liked that it was set in our world rather than the fantasy world. Not sure whether I'll read on or not. Maybe at some point? Thank you for the rec, Michelle.

I finished my reread of Chindi. I still love the Hutch series :)

I also read All the Birds in the Sky and enjoyed it too. Witches and genius scientists in one book. Not my usual style of read, but it was fresh and interesting. I notice it has mixed reviews, with a kind of love-hate thing going on, but I'm in the positive team. I gave 4 stars and thought it was well worth reading. Thank you Marc for the rec.

I have read five books so far since the New Year, and that is an achievement as I am mostly busy with my work. I want to make an effort to take out more time to read and write, so I am reading a LOT of books, or I hope I will.

I just finished Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson and am moving on to probably starting a new book tonight!

This year, I am also going to re-read all my Terry Pratchet Discworld Series and am excited about that :)

5 books is a very strong start! I just started Wee Free Men again. Such a comfort read

Just finished The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler, which I really Enjoyed. I'm onto Upgrade by Blake Crouch, and after that, I will either read Yellowface by RF Kuang or Severance by Ling Ma.

I finished A Memory Called Empire and then immediately read A Desolation Called Peace in one sitting on my day off. Enjoyed both very much.

HeyT wrote: "I finished A Memory Called Empire and then immediately read A Desolation Called Peace in one sitting on my day off. Enjoyed both very much."

These are wonderful books, I agree :)

HeyT wrote: "I finished A Memory Called Empire and then immediately read A Desolation Called Peace in one sitting on my day off. Enjoyed both very much."

I reread A Memory Called Empire last year so I could remember where I was so I could read A Desolation Called Peace. I'd forgotten all the players in the first one so had to reread it. Really enjoyed it both times. Now to get around to ADCP.

I am rereading The Goblin Emperor for my book club. It's even better than I remember, and I gave it five stars on the first read! It's such a pleasure to follow Maia...

I read a Four - The Transfer, The Initiate, The Son, The Traitor. Short stories, but I m a Fan of Divergent by Veronica Roth, so wnted to read this :)

Just completed Old Man's War by John Scalzi

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Good, solid military sci-fi. Definitely getting the next book.
My review here

Started reading The Lathe of Heaven, but have to stop and glue the pages back into the binding. Hopefully ready for tonight. In the meantime, started Pawn by Timothy Zahn. I am in awe of those of you who can consistently read multiple books simultaneously.

Economondos wrote: "Just completed Old Man's War by John Scalzi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Good, solid military sci-fi. Definitely getting the next book.
My review here

Started reading The Lathe of Heaven, ..."

I agree! I don't see how people can read several books at the same time!

I don't really like doing it, but once I start a book I feel obligated to finish the effort I am trying to get myself down to a reasonable amount on my "currently reading" shelf. (Please don't ask.)

Thanks to a comment on here a while back I picked up Penric’s Demon by Lois McMaster Bujold. So good I bought the next book immediately!
My review: /review/show...

Charlton wrote: "I agree! I don't see how people can read several books at the same time!"

I always do - usually a fantasy, a mystery and a sci-fi along with my traveling book. The key is to have them be enough different from each other

ETA: right now I'm re-reading

Flotsam in preparation of reading the second two books in the trilogy. I really like this space opera type of book

and reading

Farilane byMichael J. Sullivan which is pretty good even though the main character is of the spoiled nobility type
and
Inspector Chopra and the Million-Dollar Motor Car by Vaseem Khan = mystery set in India

and my car book is

Natural Ordermage by L.E. Modesitt Jr. - I'm hoping to finish the entire series this year

Phrynne wrote: "Thanks to a comment on here a while back I picked up Penric’s Demon by Lois McMaster Bujold. So good I bought the next book immediately!
My review: ..."

Phyrnne, I just read this one recently, too (based on comments on here), and now I'm on book 3! I am really enjoying this series.

Charlton wrote: I agree! I don't see how people can read several books at the same time!"

I usually have one book that I am eye-reading, one that I am listening to on my drive to work and while doing chores, and then one that I am reading aloud to my son. I used to just have one book for me and one for my son going at the same time, but I really like having an audiobook for the car now that I have a longer drive.

Alexandra wrote: "I am rereading The Goblin Emperor for my book club. It's even better than I remember, and I gave it five stars on the first read! It's such a pleasure to follow Maia..."

I enjoyed the Goblin Emperor. It was a great look at the out-of-depth ruler.

Kaikeyi - I borrowed the audiobook as a random historical pick. The ebook is on sale and decided to get it. The narrator for the audiobook was ok, but she sounds like a teen. Which doesn't fit a story that covers Kaikeyi's life from childhood into adulthood.

Anyone else read the story? I thought it was a good debut and interesting story with some great writing in parts. For me, it didn't work as an adaptation.

Just finished Nicola Griffin's Slow River. It's a pretty good book about a young woman from a rich family who was kidnapped for ransom and the ransom didn't get paid. It basically flips back and forth in time, pre-kidnap/kidnap and post-kidnap where she escapes (not a spoiler!), and set in the near future.

Anyhoo, now on to John Scalzi's Kaiju Preservation Society.

Soo wrote: "Kaikeyi - I borrowed the audiobook as a random historical pick. The ebook is on sale and decided to get it. The narrator for the audiobook was ok, but she sounds like a teen. Which ..."

I read the book right after it came out and thought it was excellent. Kaikeyi was a well-developed character, more heroic than anti-heroic in my mind. What I found interesting, but maybe not surprising, was the way the young Kaikeyi seems based on parts of the early life of Laxmibi, the Rani of Jhansi.

I completed The Hands of the Emperor. A solid five star read of humanity, friends, family, corruption, politics, reconciliation, emotion and tradition. There is magic, but the real magic is what the author created. Amazing!

Just finished Upgrade by Blake Crouch (3.5/5) and am starting Severance by Ling Ma. I'm training for the bigger reads I have planned this year.

Went back to history and read The Last Hill: The Epic Story of a Ranger Battalion and the Battle That Defined WWII by Bob Drury and Tom Clavin. This is the story of the creation of the US Army Rangers and follows men of the 2nd and 5th battalions from unit formation and training through D-Day, and the battle for Hill 400 in the Huertgen Forest. It makes a good story, and it is well-told, although the writing is a bit heavy on metaphors in places. Recommended for military history readers and for those who also read military SF.