SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

So, whatcha reading? Is it a book? What's it about? Who's it by? Is it good? Is it bad? Is there action and stuffs? Does it have pictures?

You know the drill, post what you're reading currently, as in, now.

Now, now. Not later now.

edited to add clarification
This is the only thread we'll need or use instead of a "What are you reading in So-and-so Month".

So I'll be reading Red Mars, Hounded(I'm so iffy about this one) and Leviathan Wakes.

Hopefully I'll get to Monster Hunter Alpha at some point.

Welllll, I am reading Outlander, am going to try and finish Fool Moon and Uglies as well. I am also reading Feed (a fabulous zombie book I am leading a discussion on over on www.kindleboards.com). And if it comes in from the library this month, Second Grave on the Left.

So a busy month, but I need to catch up. July was a pretty dismal reading month over here.

I keep looking at Feed, but can never commit.

Also, love me some Dresden Files :)

Ala wrote: "I keep looking at Feed, but can never commit.

Also, love me some Dresden Files :)"

Dresden Files has been mostly miss for me, so far. I have heard such good things but I find that he drags out the ending and it makes me not want to finish.

And I got Feed when it was on sale for 2.99, so it was pretty easy for me to choose that one.

The Dresden series doesn't really take off until book 4. At least, that's usually when I've seen people go from "eh, whatever" to addicted.

Also, lemme know how Feed ends up :)

2/3 of the way through On the Beach.

I finished Octavia Butler's Kindred which was excellent. I am a complete sucker for time travel. I also finished Ghost Story which was... good, barring some significant reservations.

I just started on the first Otherland novel.

Ala wrote: "The Dresden series doesn't really take off until book 4. At least, that's usually when I've seen people go from "eh, whatever" to addicted.

Also, lemme know how Feed ends up :)"

Ahhh! You have restored my faith. I guess I'm going to try reading them again. :)

This is pretty much true. Butcher is one of the few authors I know who improves as the series progresses. Book 5 is the first one I found really compelling.

Pia, go here: http://www.goodreads.com/topic/group_...

Meagan, definitely give them another go. :)

I loved Feed, I found it really moving and totally gripping - although I had to put it down at one point on my commute as I was about to start crying in public! I loved the second part too.

I've been toying with starting the Butcher books.

Pia wrote: "Okay--thanks! It didn't exist yet when I'd been searching for it; I've got a Goodreads-discussions time-machine lol..."

The discussion folders usually don't get put into use until the first day of the month. So they weren't around when you first when searching :)

@Helen The Dresden Files is a great, fun series. I highly recommend it.

I’m currently working on the first two books in this list, and I imagine the rest will keep me busy for the entirety of August.

Edit: added another one

I'm currently reading, in a rather schizophrenic manner, about seven books.

Middlemarch
Interview With the Vampire
The Aeneid
State of Wonder - which I almost finished
How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming - as my science-related non-fiction
Les Liaisons Dangereuses
And I just started The Shining (by which I mean, pulled it out of the pile and moved to the table).

I'm in the middle of:

And I plan to read at least the following this month:

And I'm hoping to get to these, but it depends on the state of my wallet:

Genia wrote: "I'm currently reading, in a rather schizophrenic manner, about seven books.

Middlemarch
Interview With the Vampire
The Aeneid
State of Wonder ..."

Glad to see I'm not the only one who reads a bunch of stuff at once!

I'll be finishing up Rooftops of Tehran and starting Orientalism and Hounded at some point. Not sure what's after that - I just picked up a bunch of next-in-series books, and Child of the Prophecy was among them, so maybe I can finally start Son of the Shadows after having it sit around for a year or so. :P

Just posted my third and final blog post about my summer reads.

I started Foreigner this morning in paperback, which easily transports in my purse with my Nook Color. Next up in hardcover, after I finish The Snow Queen, is The Black Prism.

My current-month shelf displays the rest of my anticipated August reads, including:

Ala - I've downloaded the first book, just to add to the huge pile!

Starting in on Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?!

Hope you like it, Helen :)










oneofusoneofus

I love the first of the month! Sitting in front of my bookshelf, picking out my wish list - bliss!

I have a number of recommendations to get to, as well as some first books in a few series I've been meaning to read. It's going to be a great month!

I'm currently reading Ingathering: The Complete People Stories of Zenna Henderson. It's my classic selection for the current Urban Fantasy group challenge.

This morning I read two stories that were published before I was born and realized that these stories should be read by the current generation of children.

Leah wrote: "Denae wrote: "Starting in on Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?!"
oh I've been wanting to read that one for forever! other books always seem to worm their way in front of it :)"

Same here! It's a BotM, so I finally got around to it. It's great so far!

I can't wait to start on Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, which will be next after I'm done with The Hypnotist. I'm about 3/4 done with The Hypnotist.

I just started on The martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury.

I'm about halfway through Ghost Story by Jim Butcher. When I finish that, I'll move onto The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson. I'm also listening to American Gods by Neil Gaiman. Should be a great month!

Aloha wrote: "I can't wait to start on Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, which will be next after I'm done with The Hypnotist. I'm about 3/4 done with The Hypnotist."

I just finished it. So good. Not sure what I am going to pick up next.

Great! Good to know. We'll have another great discussion, then. I loved our Oryx & Crake discussion.

I've started The Black Prism and when my mom is finished borrowing my Kindle I'll start Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?. Philip K. Dick is one of my favorite authors!!

I'm halfway through reading The Spanish Helmet which is Greg Scowen's first book. Pretty interesting so far. I'll be reading that until my copy of Red Mars arrives on the courier!

Also: Neuromancer, which I'm not too fussed about so far, and Pride and Prejudice.

I am reading Room by Emma Donoghue

This weekend I started two new books, Fool Moon by Jim Butcher and The Return of Hyman Kaplan by Leo Rosten.

I just started Nineteen Seventy Four by David Peace. I'm reading seven other books. I may have a problem. At the least, I need to finish at least one or two of them.

Finished up John Scalzi's newest book, Fuzzy Nation. Compared to Little Fuzzy, Nation is better in some ways while less so in others.

I also finally got through Ventriloquism, a collection of Catherynne Valente's short stories. It was a good collection, though I think Valente is really better in longer form.

Next up is Nights of Villjamur by Mark Charan Newton and Other Worlds, Better Lives by Howard Waldrop.

I didn't quite finish up my list from last month. I've been stressed and have too many other things demanding my time for the nice long books I tend to select.

So I'm halfway through Traitors' Gate. I love this trilogy and am very glad I didn't read it until all three volumes were available for the Kindle. I still have God Is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions That Run the World--and Why Their Differences Matter left from last month. I'll be reading White Cat with the group. Then I might read a few quick romance novels to give myself a break.

Also I saw the Real Pirates: The Untold Story of the Whydah from slave ship to pirate ship exhibit (it was wonderful) and while there I got the titles of several pirate history books that are available for the Kindle, so I might read one of those this month.

I'm about halfway through Ghost Story . This month among others I intend to read The Native Star , The Golden Compass, Jasmine Nights, Twenty Boy Summer, Magic Bleeds,Chalice, Hounded.

Lara Amber, Look at Under the Black Flag: The Romance and the Reality of Life Among the Pirates. It's kind of world history of piracy and it's amazing!

I'm reading some stuff for work about the history of Rhode Island and it is somewhat taxing. I'm filling it in with short stories, I'm reading Paolo Bacigalupi's collection, Pump Six. I also have the Philip K. Dick 5 volume set that I'm working my way through. I'm thinking Harlan Ellison and Theodore Sturgeon might also make their way into my monthly readings. As far as novels, I wanted to start Red Mars, but I don't feel mentally ready to jump into a long series at the moment. I have A few other books on the shelf that might jump out at me. We'll have to see.

Julia,

Unfortunately it's not out for the Kindle yet, but it should be out in January! I'm not sure why it takes until 2012 to release a book published in 2006...

/I did add it to my private wishlist on Amazon "Books I want in Kindle format" so I'll keep an eye out for it's release.

Iam reading The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi

I'm currently reading Through a Dark Mist and re-reading The Mammoth Book of Extreme Fantasy.

Just finished On Basilisk Station by David Weber downloaded free, along with all the other Honor Harrington series from a Baen approved website!

Also just reread The Forever War by Joe Haldeman and started to reread Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and Red Mars.

Still looking for a copy of Foreigner by C.J. Cherryh, not having much success but for some strange reason I don't want to resort to ordering it.

Already Read this month:

Reading:

Hoping to Read by the end of the month:

Richard wrote: "Still looking for a copy of Foreigner by C.J. Cherryh, not having much success but for some strange reason I don't want to resort to ordering it. "

Hm. It's been long enough that it's probably out of print. Have you tried used bookstores? Most I've been to have a large Cherryh section.

Benjamin wrote: "Richard wrote: "Still looking for a copy of Foreigner by C.J. Cherryh, not having much success but for some strange reason I don't want to resort to ordering it. "

Hm. It's been long enough that ..."

Four used bookstores so far. I'll keep looking, just for the fun of it, if for nothing else.

Just finished Heinlein's "Strange in a Strange Land", which was disappointing and not what I was expecting.

I've just started Jordan's "Eye of the World" and then hope to jump in on the monthly book read for Red Mars.

Richard wrote: "Benjamin wrote: "Richard wrote: "Still looking for a copy of Foreigner by C.J. Cherryh, not having much success but for some strange reason I don't want to resort to ordering it. "

Hm. It's been ..."

People keep these books - that's why they don't show up used very often...

Janny wrote: "People keep these books - that's why they don't show up used very often..."

Yes I can understand that, only duplicates and library books ever escape from my collection alive.