June 2021 Reading Discussion

[Bick]

Now starting Children of Time, by Adrian Tchaikovsky.

 

[NewEden]

Now starting Children of Time, by Adrian Tchaikovsky.

I’ve just started this, about half way through. Really enjoying it so far, not what I expected at all

 

[Bick]

I’ve just started this, about half way through. Really enjoying it so far, not what I expected at all

Okay - better not tell me why yet! When I'm done, we can compare notes.

Welcome to the forums by the way.

 

[Bick]

I don't think I mentioned I was reading it, but I just finished Podkayne of Mars, by Robert Heinlein.

I thought it was pretty good, though not one of his best, perhaps. Characterisation was good, plot was interesting (ultimately) and Heinlein's intelligence comes across as strongly as ever. It's more or less a 'YA' novel I would say (though it wasn't officially a Scribner juvenile), and I found some of it pandered a bit too much for a teen audience for my taste, but Heinlein rescued for me it at the end - the final two chapters are strong. I especially enjoyed the little philosophies and thought experiments he threw out in the penultimate chapter. I do think that the final chapter finishes very well once, and then obviously editorial influence meant he tacked on a few paragraphs to soften it considerably, and it ends again, which weakened it slightly I thought.

 

[Extollager]

I'm currently reading 2 books at the moment Emma, by Jane Austen & The Return of the King, by J. R. R. Tolkien.

Wow. Reading doesn't get much better than that.

 

[dask]

Started this:

 

[soulsinging]

I bailed on Shakespeare for Squirrels, wasn't really finding it very funny. I resumed and finished Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu. It was interesting and far more surreal than I'd expected, but I didn't exactly love it. Then I read Death of a Salesman which I thought I'd love but actually did not like at all (and may have dethroned Holden and Catcher in the Rye for my least likeable protagonist of all time). I'm now partway into The Crucible, which isn't a whole lot better so far.

Guess I've had some bad luck lately?

 

[hitmouse]

I bailed on Shakespeare for Squirrels, wasn't really finding it very funny. I resumed and finished Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu. It was interesting and far more surreal than I'd expected, but I didn't exactly love it. Then I read Death of a Salesman which I thought I'd love but actually did not like at all (and may have dethroned Holden and Catcher in the Rye for my least likeable protagonist of all time). I'm now partway into The Crucible, which isn't a whole lot better so far.

Guess I've had some bad luck lately?

DOAS and Crucible are both pretty uncomfortable reads. I don't think that diminishes their merit, but don’t expect fun.

 

[Galactic Bus Driver]

That's interesting; I've been having very similar qualms about getting Mortal Engines. Maybe I should give it a try, though I'm not a great lover of YA - I generally find them a little too simplistic for my tastes, both morally and around plot and characterisation.

I think YA is much like any other genre. Some really good authors, some really bad ones, with a full spectrum in between. I've read the Mortal Engines series and the prequel series, Fever Crumb. I found both to be quite good even though, being on the wrong side of 50, I'm not exactly in their target market.

 

[Galactic Bus Driver]

Currently reading a series that @Danny McG might enjoy. Freedom's Fire by Bobby Adair. They aren't masterpieces of literature, but they're fun military sci-fi romps. I started the first one as a free listen at Audible and have been cruising through the series, one after the other, since. Just started book 5. So far, they all have cliffhanger endings, but as I understand it, the series is complete.

 

[Danny McG]

Freedom's Fire by Bobby Adair

Cheers for the tip, I'll take a look

I've finished Jack Four by Neal Asher (it was ok until about halfway and then it got a bit meh)

Currently having a re-read of The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester

 

[tobl]

Just finished re-reading Bear Island by Alistair MacLean. Before starting this, I read his WikiPedia and it noted that he suffered from alcoholism. Partly because of this, I think, I was aware of the extreme amount of drinking that his characters did in this story. I still enjoy his work and having re-read four of his novels within the span of a month, I started to recognize some patterns he used. Next up will probably be another re-read -- I am on a personal moratorium on new books until I can cull my existing set, which were at one time stacked three deep on shelves.

man, the guy wrote navarone guns. that alone is a great book. not so good movie but... i love almost all of his work

 

[tobl]

Walk the Wire - David Baldacci. I can't get into any fantasy, it's all just too cringeworthy for me right now.

oh amos decker. love the carachter

 

[tobl]

Sigh! What can I say about Governor by David Weber and Richard Fox.

First, and most important (at least to me) is the fact that the Fury does not appear in this book. One of the main characters, Eira, a young woman survivor seems to have a bit of bezerker in her and an uncanny way when in mortal danger, so maybe a hint of the Fury which will appear in future installments (?). More likely, when the book claims "A companion Novel to In Fury Born, the meaning is more like "in the same universe." To be honest it's been many years since I read In Fury Born, and I can't remember the military/political ethos of the story in any detail, so I can't say for sure.

Second, this is a book whose main character Murphy, should remind readers a lot of Honor Harrington. He's an omni-competent leader who is often underestimated by his foes. A lot of that is by his own doing. He is playing a long game. But for me he just doesn't ring as true. (Now, it is possible that 30+ years and 100's of S.F. books later I might be a little more jaded, nah!)

Third, it did avoid the worst of the Weber info dumps. It does have a lot of speed and distance calculations which I enjoy but not all do.

Fourth, the space battles have to be considered at least a little above average. The Fleet tactics were well thought out and surprised me here and there even after reading a lot of space fleet novels.

But, if I had only picked this book up without any expectations, I might have felt that it was good, mayhap a bit above average. (Of course I wouldn't have picked up a $20 plus novel in hard cover by an unknown author soo ..... Anyway if I can separate myself from my expectations when opening the book, I'd probably give it 4 of 5 stars. With those expectations in place 3 stars.

Finally, I do not believe I will ever purchase another hard cover, or paperback. --- It will take some unusual circumstances. --- I hated holding the book when I sat in my easy chair. I hated not being able to set it upright on the counter while I stood or sat. I hated not being able to stick it in my pocket and carry it along when I go places.

i have that one read yet... but there's a new jack campbell out.

 

[Universal_Blonde]

I'm reading quite a few books so far this month. And by reading, I mean I have this pile, but I've only been consistent with two of them so far.

Whisper of the Tide by Sarah Tolcser is the one I'm really digging into right now. It's the second in a YA fantasy duology, and quite frankly, way better than the first book. It has lots of piracy and magic, and I'm always down for that. I think that the previous book was like a "set up novel", and THIS was the story she wanted to tell, because...yeah. The characters are more interesting, the plot is actually going places, and overall, I'd recommend it to those who still read YA.

Creating Character Arcs by K.M. Weiland. REALLY enjoying this so far. Just a craft book about character arcs and how they fit into the 3 act plot structure.

The Millionaire Fastlane by M.J. DeMarco. I listened to this going to work in the morning, but now that I don't have a commute it's really petered off. I suppose when I go out of town or something I'll finish it off. The author says it's opposite of The 4-Hour Work Week, but a lot of the advice sounds the same/similar to me.

Infernal Devices by K.W. Jeters. I REALLY don't know about this one so far, but I'm not too far into it.

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, which I've just picked up but haven't started yet. I've wanted to read this one for a while though because I hear it's WAY better than her Grisha Trilogy, and it involves a heist and I love cat burglars and things of the like, so I'm excited to get into this one.

 

[Randy M.]

Infernal Devices by K.W. Jeters. I REALLY don't know about this one so far, but I'm not too far into it.

Weird book I only dimly recall reading. I think liking it depends on your sense of humor. I had the sense of Jeter having a good time playing with recurring themes and motifs in the work of H.P. Lovecraft, among others.

 

[Parson]

Freedom's Fire by Bobby Adair

loaded on my Kindle. Thanks

 

[Ori Vandewalle]

Now reading I Am Providence by Nick Mamatas. Takes place at a tiny Lovecraft writers convention. So far, it's wry and funny; anyone who's been to a small-scale local SF/F convention will recognize the personalities and traditions being made light of. But it does come across as a little mean, so we'll see if that keeps up.

Finished this only because it was short. It never let up on being mean to fandom which, coming from a successful author and editor who goes to cons, felt like punching down. Not much actually happens. Half the chapters are narrated by a dead guy slowly rotting in a morgue, so we only get that POV when someone is taken to the morgue to look at his body, which happens with improbable frequency. The other half follow one of the writers at the con investigating the murder, but we're never given a good look at who she really is, so most of her actions come across as random, impulsive, and designed only to produce enough dramatic scenes to fill up the novel. Sigh.

Next up is The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling.

 

[Abernovo]

man, the guy wrote navarone guns. that alone is a great book. not so good movie but... i love almost all of his work

I prefer MacLean's earlier work, to be honest. His illness took its toll on him as he got older. Hardly surprising when you consider his first book, HMS Ulysses, was so true to life it was described as a bit unbelievable. His experiences left scars.

When Eight Bells Toll is, for me, one of the best secret agent books of it's time. It has dated a bit, but the opening pages proves that the "rule" of no infodumps can be ignored if you do it really well.
--

I've struggled with reading in recent months, but managed to kickstart my reading habits again last week. So, I'm now thoroughly enjoying The Galaxy, and the Ground Within, by Becky Chambers. She's become one of my favourite writers.

For short story amusement, I'm also dipping in and out of this:

"Chust pair-fect," as Captain MacFarlane might say.

 

[Ian Fortytwo]

I'm currently reading The Children of Hurin, by J. R. R. Tolkien edited by Christopher Tolkien.