Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

Time for take-off! Science and science fiction are huge genres with a wide range of topics and styles! You can shoot for the moon or just float amongst the stars; you can comb the depths of the ocean for new lifeforms, or you can romance a mermaid. You can learn the inner workings of the human mind, or try to understand why people would think a dinosaur zoo would be a good idea.

A few lists to get you launched on your journey:
Best Nonfiction Science books: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/6...
Best Pop Science books: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/6...
Best Science Fiction: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
A Guide to the Subgenres of SciFi: https://bookriot.com/science-fiction-...
Cozy Sci Fi https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...


ATY Listopia https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

What are you reading for this prompt?

I'm reading one sci-fi, A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers, who's become my go-to author for these prompts, and one science book, Planta Sapiens: The New Science of Plant Intelligence.

This is probably the prompt I was third least happy to see make it through but I will try to skirt with Human Traces because it’s about psychiatrist and development of mental health understanding

FYI "cozy sci-fi" is technically termed "hopepunk." There are at least two books on the listopia that are fantasy, not sci-fi - The Midnight Library and The House in the Cerulean Sea.

Hopepunk is new subgenre and therefore defining and understanding it is nebulous. I've seen fantasy books on hopepunk lists outside of the goodreads listopia also.

https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/2...
https://www.vox.com/2018/12/27/181375...

Three books I recommend to those who claim to hate science fiction. These read much more like literary fiction than sci-fi.
The Unseen World by Liz Moore
I Still Dream by James Smythe
The Mad Scientist's Daughter by Cassandra Rose Clarke

I have dozens of possibilities for both science and science fiction on my shelves. At the moment I'm planning to get to a scifi classic I haven't read before, The Day of the Triffids, and read a science book I've had on my shelves for several years, Here on Earth: A Natural History of the Planet

Thomas wrote: "This is probably the prompt I was third least happy to see make it through but I will try to skirt with Human Traces because it’s about psychiatrist and development of mental health und..."

Thomas - That book sounds really interesting but it's almost 800 pages!! I added it to my TBR anyway. I find it amusing that you have identified your 3 least favorite prompts. Hope you can find something good for all 3! I only have 1 that I'm not thrilled with. From other posts, it sounds like you read Stephen King. A lot of his books, including The Dead Zone, are tagged as sci-fi on GR. In my opinion, I would categorize them as paranormal (but with small aspects of SF). My 2 more recent favorite SF books are Plum Rains and The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories.

I'm planning to read 1 SF and 1 science. I'm in a SF book club which reads 1 book a month so I'll use whichever one doesn't fit another prompt. I'm hoping we read Starter Villain. For science, I want to read Atlas of AI: Power, Politics, and the Planetary Costs of Artificial Intelligence, I Am a Strange Loop, or How To Be A Good Creature: A Memoir in Thirteen Animals. A science (and history) book I really enjoyed is Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883 by Simon Winchester.

Pam wrote: "Thomas wrote: "This is probably the prompt I was third least happy to see make it through but I will try to skirt with Human Traces because it’s about psychiatrist and development of me..."
I have several of his down but for other catergories The Dead Zone is my Edgar award winner

If I go the sci-fi route, I'm planning on reading Death's End by Liu Cixin. If I go the science route, I'm not sure yet.

These are two of my most commonly read types of books, so I'll probably slot in something new that I don't have another place for. I kind of wish they weren't blended together, but on the other hand I do like the parallel to the history/historical fiction prompt (another 2 favs!).

I'm using this prompt to start The Expanse books. First one is Leviathan Wakes

I'm doubling up on this one, reading one for science and one for science fiction:

Bitch: On the Female of the Species by Lucy Cooke
The Galaxy, and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers

My plan is to read The Illustrated A Brief History of Time/The Universe in a Nutshell by Stephen Hawking. I bought the illustrated version hoping it could give me a clue as to what he is talking about.

I'm more likely to go the science route, though I don't know yet what I'll read.

I highly recommend the following:
The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race
Lab Girl
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers (or any other book by Mary Roach)

And some fiction:
Lessons in Chemistry
Project Hail Mary

I'm planning to read Parable of the Sower. I chose it because it sounds interesting and one of my favourite Booktubers enjoys reading books by Octavia Butler. This will be my first book by the author.

I usually don't prioritize reading books on my shelf, even though I really should, but for this one I am planning on doing just that. This is a book borrowed from my brother-in-law, a scientist. An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us by Ed Yong.

A few different directions I could take this, from what I have on my shelves

Sci-Fi
- Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Psychology
- How to Talk So Teens Will Listen and Listen So Teens Will Talk by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish
- The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read and Your Children Will Be Glad That You Did by Philippa Perry

Medical
- The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
- The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women by Kate Moore

Sociology
- The Spirit Level: Why More Equal Societies Almost Always Do Better by Richard G. Wilkinson and Kate E. Pickett
- Superior: The Return of Race Science by Angela Saini

For this prompt, I read:
Artemis by Andy Weir - 4* - My Review

The Jinn Daughter

I'm reading science (psychology): Quiet: The Secret Strengths of Introverts

Update: I read Braiding Sweetgrass, which is science (botany) in addition to indigenous culture and spirituality. It is also my "yellow" book for the spring challenge

I read System Collapse by Martha Wells. It's the first Murderbot book that I've been disappointed with.

Burn by Patrick Ness

I read The Lathe of Heaven for this prompt. It was an easy choice since it is by Ursula K. Le Guin and won the Locus Award (and was nominated for the Hugo and Nebula Awards). But I also wanted to read it because it was on my TBR.

I read:
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith by Matthew Woodring Stover

BIO: A Si-Fi book that encompasses a second genre (Si-Fi Fantasy)
REJECT: A book with a character who has an alter ego

Finished: 05/04/2027 -- Happy Star Wars Day!
Rating: 4 stars

Perfect timing - May the Fourth be with you!

I cheated and read a kid's book. The X-Files: Earth Children are Weird

Dubhease wrote: "I cheated and read a kid's book. The X-Files: Earth Children are Weird"

I don't think that's cheating at all!

I also read a children' s book for my round 1: How Science Saved the Eiffel Tower. I would say it was aimed at top junior school children, but I learned from it . I had no idea that the Tower was originally scheduled for demolition after 20 years, but was saved as Eiffel demonstrated how it could be used for weather forecasting, aeronautical research and message transmission. The book had lively illustrations, and I would recommend it.

I also read A Psalm for the Wild-Built. I enjoyed all of Becky Chambers's biooks in the Wayfarers series. I didn't take to this one so much, though the idea behind it was interesting. The book ended quite abruptly, so I aim to read A Prayer for the Crown-Shy, which follows on, to see how they work together.

This was the last prompt that I had nothing picked for. I started a Brandon Sanderson book when I was driving back from helping my kid move out of university housing. I assumed it was a fantasy book because I didn't realize that Sanderson wrote sci-fi. This book: Skyward is definitely sci-fi! It was a really good book, and I am so glad I read it.

I read The Kaiju Preservation Society. It was a quick and fun read.

I haven't read a ton of Science books so not a lot to recommend there but thought Lab Girl was great.

For those who are a little intimidated by sci-fi I would recommend The Far Reaches: Stories to Take You Out of This World a collection of short stories and thought they were all enjoyable.

✔ – 27Apr24
All Systems Red – Martha Wells – 4****
Book one in the Murderbot Diaries series. Our narrator is an AI-android who calls itself Murderbot (because of “that incident” in its past). I really love this Murderbot! Probably my favorite non-human since I “met” Rocky in Project Hail Mary. It is often self-deprecating in its humor, and I loved the occasionally snarky remark. This is one loveable rogue! And I enjoyed watching the friendship develop between Murderbot and the human Dr Mensah. I think I will have to continue the series.
LINK to my full review

Book Concierge wrote: " ✔ – 27Apr24

All Systems Red
– Martha Wells – 4****
Book one in the Murderbot Diaries series. Our narrator is an AI-android who calls itself Murderbot (becau..."

I read this one earlier this year, and I loved it. I just finished book 2 yesterday, and I also love it. I'm looking forward to continuing with this series. These are the first Martha Wells books I have read. I think I need to check out more of her work.

The book I chose for this prompt


short and sweet review: 3.0
This was a easy read. Mosscat reminds me of Curious George. I also like how the book used pronouns, that left me intrigued about the Dex character. Mosscat had a humorous personality even tho he was a robot.

I read The Stone Sky

I read In Praise of Wasting Time this book was a revelation

My books for Round 1 and Round 2:

The Eyre Affair - Jasper Fforde
Bewilderment - Richard Powers

For this prompt, I read Emperor Mollusk and the Sinister Brain by A. Lee Martinez.

I chose this book when I was in the mood for some ridiculously fun, and it certainly fit the bill. For those who have no problems suspending disbelief and who are perfectly okay reading a book for pure entertainment. No social commentary here (except for a few well-placed jabs at the human race).

4 stars

My review here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I read System Collapse by Martha Wells for this topic. Read July 3; 3* Didn't enjoy it as much as the previous Murderbot books

I think I could have happily done the whole challenge within the bounds of this prompt.

What I've read so far that fits and I enjoyed:

A Wizard of Earthsea
The Last Colony
Come as You Are: The Surprising New Science that Will Transform Your Sex Life
Zoe's Tale
How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe
A Furious Sky: The Five-Hundred-Year History of America's Hurricanes *** Adored this one, still mad my dog enjoyed it, too. Ate it all up.
Skyward
The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate: Discoveries from a Secret World
The Woman With the Cure *Fantastic historical fiction
The Violinist's Thumb: And Other Lost Tales of Love, War, and Genius, as Written by Our Genetic Code
Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures

Katie wrote: "I think I could have happily done the whole challenge within the bounds of this prompt.
What I've read so far that fits and I enjoyed:
…"

Wow Katie! Me too. I’ll have to check out your list.

🔅Darwin Comes to Town: How the Urban Jungle Drives Evolution
by Menno Schilthuizen
🔅Eating to Extinction: The W... Eating to Extinction: The World's Rarest Foods and Why We Need to Save Them. by Dan Saladino
🔅The Nature of Nature: Why We Need the Wildby Enric Sala
🔅Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande
🔅Plastic: A Toxic Love Story Plastic: A Toxic Love Story
by Susan Freinkel
🔅 You You Look Like a Thing and I Love You: How Artificial Intelligence Works and Why It's Making the World a Weirder Place
🔅Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid: The Fraught and Fascinating Biology of Climate Change by Thor Hanson

🔅The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
🔅 Winter (The Lunar Chronicles, #4)by Marissa Meyer
🔅Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
🔅 Binti by Nnedi Okorafor
🔅Home (Binti, #2) by Nnedi Okorafor
🔅This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar

2nd time through I read:
A Trail Through Time by Jodi Taylor


REJECT: A book with a leap

Finished: 10/05/2024
Rating: 4 stars

Book #4 in the Chronicles of St. Mary's series. Gotta love the "disaster magnets". What next?

I don't read a lot of sci-fi - can someone help me identify if this book is indeed sci-fi or not?
The Life Impossible by Matt Haig

@Starry - based on the description and the genre tags near the bottom of the book page I would have said no. But I looked on Amazon in the sales rank section (ranks within genre) and it says this book is #3 in “alien invasion sci-fi” and #7 in “sci-fi”. So I guess it is. I know at least one other of Matt Haig’s books is sci-if, so it’s not a stretch that this might be.

I ended up not reading my "planned" book for this prompt. Instead I read Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Pérez.



This is a non-fiction science book. The science is hard to categorize. Maybe "social science" and "data science"? It's one of those books that most of us will have some experience with the ideas described in it, but not the full range — either because we didn't realize how the female experience in the world is ignored, or because it's an experience we ourselves have not had (like for me, not having lived in a favela). Very eye opening and frustrating (about the state of the world, the book itself is not frustrating). Sometimes the reading experience was a bit hard because of the amount of statistics, but the prose part of it was very engaging.

Starry wrote: "I don't read a lot of sci-fi - can someone help me identify if this book is indeed sci-fi or not?
The Life Impossible by Matt Haig"

Based on the shelf tags, it looks like most people consider it fantasy, however enough people tagged it sci-fi or science fiction to justify using it for this prompt. It’s totally up to you. If you read it already and want to count it, you absolutely should.

However if you haven’t read it yet, and you want to try something that is undoubtably science fiction, I would keep looking for a book in which science fiction is high on the tag list.

Here is the page I looked at. The sci-fi related tags are in the middle column.
https://www.goodreads.com/work/shelve...

I read by Kaliane Bradley.

I didn't enjoy reading this, but I get how creative and ahead of its time it was. I read Neuromancer by William Gibson, a novel responsible for introducing the term cyberspace and possibly laying the foundation for the Internet as well.