Beyond Reality discussion

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

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.

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.

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!

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.

I am reading State of Wonder by Ann Patchett also From Chaos Born by Michael R. Hicks

The Secret Place by Tana French
The Fifties by David Halberstam
Tracks by Robyn Davidson

also perhaps Ruin - Part One by Deborah Bladon

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!

I'm about finished with Shards of Honour

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.

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!

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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 :)

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. :-)

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

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.

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.

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.

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

Just started Orson Scott Card's Empire and like it so far.

Finished Existence.
Meh, some good ideas but the book was poorly presented

Started The Goblin Emperor

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!

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.

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.

I just finished Remake which I enjoyed and about to start Lock In

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 :(.

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.

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...

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

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.

I'm reading Kurt Vonnegut's Bluebeard and am loving it.

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.

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!

I enjoyed this novelette, The Long Spoon, free online on the Tor site: http://www.tor.com/stories/2014/12/a-...

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.

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

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

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)

I finished Forty Thousand in Gehenna. Great book! I'm glad I read Cyteen first. Cherryh herself says 40,000 in Gehenna takes place Between 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