Beyond Reality discussion

It's time to take a break from your holiday planning and think ahead to what you'd like to read in March!

Each group member can make 1 science fiction and/or 1 fantasy nomination. If you would like to make a nomination, please post in this thread with the title and author of the book(s) you would like to put forward for the group’s consideration. A couple of suggestions to keep in mind:

1. Telling us a little about the book and why you think it would be a good group read can help get other members interested in reading (and voting for) your nomination. If possible, please use a link to the book and author in your nomination post. Click on “add book/author" for an easy way to do that.

2. To see if your nomination has already been read by the group, you can check:

a. The Beyond Reality Google spreadsheet of Previous Books of the Month, available at this link: Previous Books of the Month in Searchable Spreadsheet. To search for a specific title, use the "Find and Replace" option under the EDIT menu. Don't worry, you will be able to find a title but you will not be able to replace it since the spread sheet is in "View Only" mode.

Or you can use our previous methods:

b. the group's bookshelf for Previous Books of the Month
and/or
c. these threads:
Master list of Previous Books of the Month 2018 - Present
Master list of Previous Books of the Month (Apr-Dec 2017)
Master list of Previous Books of the Month 2012 - 2017
Master list of Previous Books of the Month 2006 - 2011

Books the group has read in the past 2 years are not eligible for current consideration. Being chosen as a past BotM prior to that time is not an automatic disqualification, but be aware that it may hinder your nomination’s chances at the polls.

General guidelines:
• Feel free to re-nominate a book that didn’t win in the polls in previous months!
• For questions regarding specifics such as book formats, books in series, self-nomination and various rules for nominations, please see the group FAQ.
• Seconding is NOT necessary in this group.
• Friendly discussion & debate is strongly encouraged, but please keep things civil.

Schedule:
• Nominations will remain open through Thursday, December 19.
• The first (preliminary) round of polls will open Friday, December 20 and will run through Wednesday, December 25.
• The final run-off polls go up Thursday, December 26, and will be open through Tuesday, December 31.

Thanks!
Shel, for the Mods

NOMINATIONS SO FAR:
FANTASY:
Snow White and Rose Red by Patricia C. Wrede
The Way of Thorn and Thunder by Daniel Heath Justice
Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield
Beren and Lúthien by J.R.R. Tolkien
How Long 'til Black Future Month? by N.K. Jemisin
Freedom and Necessity by Steven Brust and Emma Bull
The Tiger at Midnight by Swati Teerdhala

SF:
Waste Tide by Chen Qiufan
The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal
Artemis by Andy Weir
Recursion by Blake Crouch
Borne by Jeff VanderMeer
The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton
The Stars Now Unclaimed by Drew Williams

Snow White and Rose Red by Patricia C. Wrede A marvelous retelling of a little known fairy tale. Fantasy

For fantasy, I'd like to nominate Dragon Keeper by Robin Hobb, which is the first book of The Rain Wild Chronicles. I've just bought the whole series because you can get the entire collection on amazon for 3.99 USD.

To be a dragon keeper is a dangerous job: their charges are vicious and unpredictable, and there are many unknown perils on the journey to a city which may not even exist…

For science fiction, I'd like to nominate The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal, which has won the great three in 2019: the Hugo Award, the Nebula Award and the Locus Award, as well as winning the Sidewise Award and getting nominated for various others.

One woman. One mission. One chance to save the world.
It’s 1952, and the world as we know it is gone. A meteorite has destroyed Washington DC, triggering extinction-level global warming. To save humanity, the world unites to form the International Aerospace Coalition. Its mission: to colonise first the Moon, then Mars.

Eva wrote: "For fantasy, I'd like to nominate Dragon Keeper by Robin Hobb, which is the first book of The Rain Wild Chronicles. I've just bought the whole series because you can ..."

Hi Eva,
We are actually currently in the middle of reading the entire Realms of the Elderlings series, and the group read The Dragon Keeper just this past June! That makes it ineligible for the BOTM nomination, but please feel free to hop in on the discussion threads that are already posted in the Realms of the Elderlings discussion folder!

For SF I would like to nominate Waste Tide by Chen Qiufan
It is a cyberpunk story about class oppression and environmental and technological topics. I read a short story by the author and was enamored with the writing style.

For Fantasy I nominate The Way of Thorn and Thunder by Daniel Heath Justice, a beautiful, melancholic take on the trail of tears in a Fantasy world. The author is of the Cherokee Nation.

Thanks for the info and the great link, Shel!

For fantasy I would like nominate once upon a river Once Upon a River I bought this book for a book club on facebook that I no longer belong to. It was in the staff favorite section at the library booksale and it was the most expensive book I bought so I would really like to be able to read it with a group.

For science fiction I would like to nominate Artemis by Andy Weir Artemis I also bought this book at the library book sale, also bought it for a facebook group I no longer belong to. I read The Martian and I really enjoyed it. I would love to read this book with a group.

I'd like to second Once Upon a River for fantasy.

For SF I'm going to renominate Recursion by Blake Crouch. Really an excellent book with some excellent ideas (and some great characters) and it was just announced to have won the Goodreads Choice Awards for Science Fiction this year.

I'm so deep into Witcher right now that I'm having issues trying to come up with any other Fantasy books. I might come back if I can think of one.

Actually for Fantasy, how about a short story collection.
How Long 'til Black Future Month? by N.K. Jemisin.

She's an author I keep wanting to read more of and the collection contains the Hugo nominated short story "The City Born Great" which is a prequel to her new The City series. I've heard excellent things about it.

For Sci-Fi, I would like to once again nominate Borne by Jeff VanderMeer. He just came out with a new book and I would love to read this book before deciding whether or not to tackle any more by him.

For Fantasy, I would like to once again nominate Beren and Lúthien by J.R.R. Tolkien. The Amazon show is now in production, so I believe that reading one of Middle-Earth's central tales is in order.

Eva wrote: "Thanks for the info and the great link, Shel!"

You're welcome! Would you like to make a different fantasy nomination?

Random wrote: "Actually for Fantasy, how about a short story collection.
How Long 'til Black Future Month? by N.K. Jemisin.

She's an author I keep wanting to read more of and the collection conta..."

I read this collection over the summer and it is EXCELLENT.

Since Freedom and Necessity by Steven Brust and Emma Bull made it to the final poll last month, I will nominate it for Fantasy again. I enjoy both these authors. They collaborated on this “historical fantasy” and the description makes it sound like a fun romp.

Fantasy: The Tiger at Midnight - this has been on my radar since it came out, and it looks great!

SF: The Andromeda Strain - this one is back in the spotlight with the sequel just out, so it might be a good time to go back and revisit the original.

I nominate The Stars Now Unclaimed by Drew Williams. I just started it, but it’s snarky and fun, and there’s an exploding spaceship!

So many great suggestions this month! Keep 'em coming! :)

Today is the last day to make nominations! Polls will go up tomorrow!

Preliminary polls are posted: please vote!


Preliminary Fantasy poll

Preliminary SF poll

I hope everyone has had a wonderful time celebrating whatever holiday you observe (or just curling up with a mug of something hot and tasty and a good book)! As we count down to 2020 take a moment to vote on our final polls for the March BotM reads!

Fantasy final poll

Science Fiction final poll