Beyond Reality discussion

Ah, the penultimate month of the year! (I just love having a chance to use that word.) Let us know what you’re reading this month, November 2025. What books are you really enjoying? What isn’t quite hitting the mark?

All genres welcome in this topic thread.

I started Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell last night.

Milk Run by Nathan Lowell

I've had a lot of stuff going on in my personal life this last week or so and its made me somewhat distracted.

I managed to read A Night in the Lonesome October. Enjoyed it as usual.

And then I have been picking up and then putting back down a number of books. Nothing seems to be grabbing my attention. So it seems fitting that Neuromancer is one of our books of the month given I have started it maybe a dozen times over the years and never really gotten past the first chapter. Going to give it another try this evening.

I decided it was time to finish off the Anthony Ryan series The Seven Swords. I'd read the first 2 when they came out but there was 5 more. Just short novella's. Pretty good.

And now I'm reading The Library of the Unwritten, which I'm not sure about still, even though I'm 40% into the audiobook.

Gave up on Neuromancer. I finished chapter 7 and just can't do any more.

Started Alien Clay

Random wrote: "Gave up on Neuromancer. I finished chapter 7 and just can't do any more.

Started Alien Clay"

I liked it. I'm reading Shroud now and am liking it too, after a tough attempt a couple of months ago

This week I'll finish: Between Two Fires

Then read a book with my family: The Woman With the Cure

Pre-order for Nov 11 release: Brigands & Breadknives

Another pre-order for Nov 11 release: The Strength of the Few

And then for Native American Heritage Month: The Buffalo Hunter Hunter

Kathi wrote: "Ah, the penultimate month of the year! (I just love having a chance to use that word.) Let us know what you’re reading this month, November 2025. What books are you really enjoying? What isn’t quit..."
Ha, I love it too
Use it every time I can

Random wrote: "Gave up on Neuromancer. I finished chapter 7 and just can't do any more.

Started Alien Clay"

My first thought it Whyyyyyyy!!!!!
Then I realise, it doesnt matter, you are not enjoying the read toss the book.

Shroud by Tchaikovsky, Adrian Nov 08, 2025 Rated 4.21 on amazon but only 2 * from me. My short review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Strangers by Dozois, Gardner 3 stars. Nov 04, 2025 Fascinating worldbuilding but very weird and actually, I think, very sad. I don't like sad, so that's why not a higher rating

Head On (Lock In, #2) by Scalzi, John * Nov 03, 2025 5 stars. Wonderful. Read Lock In first. i wish he would write more of these

The Dagger in Vichy by Reynolds, Alastair Nov 5- rated 3 stars. I wouldn't bother, it was ok, but there are lots better. I was thinking to rate it lower, but the writing itself was so good I didn't. At least it was short.

Next I am re reading two Heinlein juvenlies--buddy reads with the Hugo and Nebula group: Rocket Ship Galileo which is definitely not one of my favorites, and Space Cadet, which absolutely is.

And then The Haunting of Paynes Hollow by an old favorite author, Kelley Armstrong

All these before I start Wizard and Glass on the 15th. Can I get them all read? Probably. The Heinleins are short and Kelley Armstrong is very readable.

At the end of the month, probably Katabasis, although I quit it earlier this fall because I took an immediate (first few pages) dislike to the protagonist because of the selfish reasons she had for doing what she was doing. But I will try. And still trying to catch up on the Black Company buddy read, but may not ever. Why? Because I hated the one I read last month. She is the Darkness (The Chronicles of the Black Company, #7) Short snarky review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Mirror Mirror by Sarah Mlynowski

Finished Alien Clay and I really enjoyed it a lot.

Next up might be Service Model

Looks like The Dark Tower The Wastelands broke me
I spent a couple of weeks forcing myself to read 50 pages. Spent 4 or 5 days trying to find something new to read
Finally settled on a book my friend told me about, actually bought me the book
Burnt Worlds
I starts out very good

Kill the Villainess, Vol. 4 by Haegi

Orange: The Complete Collection, Volume 1 and Orange: The Complete Collection, Volume 2 by Ichigo Takano

Villains Are Destined to Die, Vol. 8 by SUOL

I read Ship of Magic (Book #1 of the Liveship Traders) by Robin Hobb. Rare ships of wizardwood are owned by generational families and used to trade expensive goods. The ships are sentient and tuned to the family. Piracy is prevalent in this world and complicates the plot. I am reading The Female Man by Joanna Russ, which was released in 1975, fifty years ago. I plan to read The Mad Ship (Book #2 of the Liveship Traders) by Robin Hobb next.

The group read the Robin Hobb series a few years back - if you poke around in the series folder you'll find our old discussions, feel free to chime in belatedly!

I've just realized I haven't posted about my November reading yet at all!

Shroud - I chimed in on the old spoiler thread for this one. Excellent as Adrian Tchaikovsky's books always are.

The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland - one I've been meaning to read for a while. Now I need to see Come from Away, the musical based on the book!

The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club - fun little mystery with great characters.

FINALLY, The Tainted Cup - I posted on the spoiler thread - this might be the best book I've read all year. It was worth the 7 month (!!) library wait. I've been on a mystery kick lately and having a murder mystery set in a fascinating fantasy world is combining two favorite genres of mine. I've just requested the sequel, and apparently I'm 8th in line, so it shouldn't be as long a wait this time around!

The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective - continuing my mystery kick. I adored the characters in this one.

I've got another murder mystery that I just picked up from the library, but I think I might read Wizard and Glass next.

Shel wrote: "FINALLY, The Tainted Cup - I posted on the spoiler thread - this might be the best book I've read all year. It was worth the 7 month (!!) library wait. I've been on a mystery kick lately and having a murder mystery set in a fascinating fantasy world is combining two favorite genres of mine. I've just requested the sequel, and apparently I'm 8th in line, so it shouldn't be as long a wait this time around!..."

This is good, and the second one is good too.

I just realized yesterday that what I've been needing to read is some good mysteries.

I've read some Canadian books:

An Astonishment of Stars: Stories, a great collection of short stories about the immigrant experience.
The Free World, Russian Jewish immigrant WWII experience. Liked the idea, hated the character.
When Water Became Blue has beautiful writing but didn't like the story.
The Road Between Us is a story told from several different perspectives, very good.
Wild Life was kinda strange with talking animals but was pretty good.
Bunny, is some kind of cult hit, and I didn't like it at all. Super annoying.

And some other books:
Rivers of London which I liked but won't continue the series.
Retribution Falls that I thought was boring.
Murder by Memory which was great, hoping the next one is really good too.
The Hunger Habit: Why We Eat When We're Not Hungry and How to Stop which was unhelpful.

November so far:
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke, 6.5/10, comments in our BotM topic thread for this book.
When the Tide Rises by David Drake, 7/10. Another rollicking adventure for Commander Leary & his crew! And Signals Officer Adele Mundy seems to have acquired an assistant… This was enjoyable military space SF. I’m liking this series.
All Summer Long by Dorothea Benton Frank, 7/10. Yes, (view spoiler)[everyone lives happily ever after, as far as we can tell from the ending (hide spoiler)]. But before the end, there is a lot going on, mostly dealing with relationships, but also with finances, careers, and relocations. What I liked: This had the heart of a romance, but with middle aged (or older) adults—yay for (mostly) mature main characters. They had to deal with real issues of aging, changing expectations & life circumstances. It was also a peek into the lifestyles of the uber-rich, but mostly seen through the eyes of more upper-middle-class Olivia & Nick. What I didn’t like: A bit too much focus of food & wine for me. A little predictable. Overall impression: fun, escapist novel. Perfect for times when you don’t want to think too hard while reading.

Currently reading Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese and listening to 3 Days, 9 Months, 27 Years by John Scalzi.

I am kinda bogged down in the middle of Wizard and Glass so I have diverted in to a new, interesting book Kill the Beast. Really good so far.

Next I might read 3 Days, 9 Months, 27 Years since I always love Scalzi. I need to catch up with all of his. Thanks for mention of it, Kathi

Kateblue wrote: "Next I might read 3 Days, 9 Months, 27 Years since I always love Scalzi. I need to catch up with all of his. Thanks for mention of it, Kathi"

Oh, I didn't know about that collection. I'll have to look into it. Thanks to you both for mentioning it.

I forgot to mention, I finished Service Model and enjoyed it quite a bit.

On a pause now as we had an emergency at work, an upcoming office move, and I'm also trying to catch up on new seasons of some TV shows and similar. Really not sure what is going to be next.