What are you reading?

[burgold]

Just read a Sourdough. I'd probably classify it as cozy or lightly humorous science fiction (barely SF at that). Really enjoyed it.

 

[The Rook]

Finally getting around to reading Andy Weir's "Project Hail Mary" in preparation for the upcoming release of the movie. I always feel like I'm learning some science when I read Weir - and I dig it.





The Rook

 

[NickyJ]

The books and series I enjoy most are the fish out of water stories of someone learning a new culture, comparing the differences to his own, and maintaining strong personal relationships despite those differences. The sci-fi Foreigner series and the Chanur series by CJ Cherryh have been great, and I'm always searching for the next book that scratches that itch.

I've started reading The Far Pavilions. It's a behemoth of historic fiction and I'm enjoying it for scratching that comparison of cultures itch, but it's a jarring shift from the optimism that most of the sci-fi series I read, even Dune's cautious optimism for thousands of years in the future, to the more realistic world of British colonial India. The main character's flaws prevent him from simply thinking his way out of his many problems like sci-fi often allows for. It's captivating, both for its vivid descriptions of the landscape and people of India, and for the fact that I truly have no idea whether the main character's plans will work out.

 

[burgold]

In eight days, the first opportunity to get my new book arrives. The publisher, Atthis Arts, is starting it out with crowdfunder. People who participate will get the book or the audio book three months before the general public.



For some reason, the link won't propagate so I'm going to spell it the old fashioned way kickstarter (dot) com/projects/atthisarts/hornytown

 

[gbear2]

I am currently reading a series by sabaa Tahir that starts with An Ember in the Ashes.
I am on the 4th book, and i understand whyvthe first two books were listed in Time magazine's top 100 fantasy books of all time.

She is very good at advancing plot through chapters told from different character's points of view like George R R Martin does. Often, the evil characters have a reason for their actions which can change our understanding of what is actually happening.

All in all, it a series I would definitely recommend.

 

[NickyJ]

Finished a couple more books since the last time I posted here. The first one was Empire of Silence, probably a stereotypical sci-fi novel when compared to others. Lots of inspiration from Dune in my eyes in terms of world building, but in this one, the main character tries to escape from his family, and not to lead a faction of any kind. He is young, makes costly mistakes, and has many books in the future to grow while dealing with a world that is in the path of an alien invasion.

After that, I read Masters of the Air, the book that was the namesake of the tv series. Its name and its introductory chapter were about the only things that were relevant to the series. The book goes much deeper into the old theories of how strategic bombing could be used in a war after it was first experimented with in WW1, and seeing how those theories held up in WW2. Long story short, they didn't hold up well, and the best WW2 air planners were the ones who adapted.

Now I'm wrapping up a novel by Louis L'Amour, To Tame a Land. A simple western about an orphaned boy growing into a reluctant gunfighter. If I had to pick something in media to compare it to, I'd compare it to Forrest Gump. Not a comedy, but someone who is greatly successful in all his business transactions, casually stumbling across historical figures, and so far unbeatable at gunfighting. Looking at his catalogue, L'Amour churned out very many westerns. This one has made for easy reading, and I've purchased several that went on sale.

On a sadder note, a couple posts ago I had mentioned my love of CJ Cherryh's books. She announced a couple days ago that she is retiring due to the wearing out of her mind that she has endured while treating health problems. She's not in condition to write stories anymore, and implied that the stories will stand as they are with no additions from anyone else. For me, that means the end of the Foreigner series that I have adored. It's been a few years since the last release, but it leaves me feeling a little empty.

 

[Canadian Hog]

Surprisingly, the Canadian guy has been binge reading a collection of hockey books of late...

1. Playing With Fire - the autobiography of former NHLer Theo Fleury. What a wild life the guy led...
2. We Breed Lions - a compelling book which provides a deep dive into the toxic aspects of Canadian hockey culture, with a particular focus on junior leagues.

I highly recommend both of these for anyone who is into reading within the sports genre.

 

[burgold]

I just finished Dream the Deep. The novella is quite strong. My publisher asked me if I could read it and review/blurb it.

It's pretty good. I'd call it dystopian eco science fiction. A group of scientists are racing to be the ones chosen to flee to Mars as Earth's resources have been practically exhausted. Poisoned, the main character doesn't make the cut and has to find a way to save themselves. I actually really liked the way the author developed the main character. She seems to be deeply on the autism spectrum (touch averse, social issues, etc.) In candor, the last third of the novella works less well for me as the story shifts to really delve into marine science an Thd the technical bits slightly overwhelm the story. That said, the author is a marine biologist and it shows.

Solid four stars.