What are you reading? (August 2017)

[Blue]

Just finished REAMDE by Neal Stephenson. Quite enjoyable though two flaws. First is the incredible amount of coincidences. The second is that after a while the non-stop action on such a massive page-count novel was wearing. Still good, I'll reread in a few years. 7/10.

Next up is my preorder, The Stone Sky (last of N.K.Jemisin's Broken Earth trilogy). The first and second books won back-to-back Hugo awards for Best Novel, which was last done back in 91/92.

 

[Nellisir]

Just finished REAMDE by Neal Stephenson. Quite enjoyable though two flaws. First is the incredible amount of coincidences. The second is that after a while the non-stop action on such a massive page-count novel was wearing. Still good, I'll reread in a few years. 7/10.

Next up is my preorder, The Stone Sky (last of N.K.Jemisin's Broken Earth trilogy). The first and second books won back-to-back Hugo awards for Best Novel, which was last done back in 91/92.

Oooo! It's out? I know what I'm ordering tomorrow.

 

[Kaodi]

I have my first book to report on in a while: I Am Malala. Just finished reading it.

 

[Kramodlog]

Finished Too like the Lightning. It was very well writen, Palmer is brilliant and she created a rich world. The only disppointment was how little she had to say about censorphip of religion and genders in the future she created.

I've starte Debt: The First 5,000 years. It is on debt as an economic object, but also as a cultural and historical object. The premise is that debt can be erased without dire consequences. Sounds fun.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

Finished reading The Sword of Destiny, the second Witcher short story collection. I liked it more than the first one, though I still have some issues with the writing.

Now I’m starting Robert Jordan’s The Eye of the World. I read it years ago, but barely remember much of it. I’ve been in the mood for a sprawling epic fantasy, and The Wheel of Time certainly fits that bill, and I only got two books into it prior.

Hell has also frozen over, as I’m reading it on a Kindle. I just picked one up for the express purpose of not having to lug around big heavy wristcrackers like A Song of Ice and Fire and the Kingkiller Chronicles. You know, if the next ones ever come out…

 

[Zaukrie]

Finished The Broken Sword. Not bad. Not my favorite book, but it had some good parts for sure. I appreciated the outlook of the female elf Lady.

 

[Blue]

So I am actually holding off on The Stone Sky, I've got some travel coming up and keeping it for that.

I mentioned earlier in the month that military SF is a guilt pleasure. I'm rereading Weber's Dahak trilogy. Mutineer's Moon, The Armageddon Inheritance, and Heirs of Empire. It's fun reading; nothing to write home about as Great Works of Literature(tm), but more of a lazy afternoon read. A bit lighter and handwave-y about the military then some of his other works like his Starfire "series".

Again, any good recommendations out there for space navel warfare?

 

[Blue]

Now I’m starting Robert Jordan’s The Eye of the World. I read it years ago, but barely remember much of it. I’ve been in the mood for a sprawling epic fantasy, and The Wheel of Time certainly fits that bill, and I only got two books into it prior.

When they were coming out I had read up to 7 or 8, occasionally re-reading everything up to the newest book. But the later books seemed to bog down and I fell behind, and then he died.

With the news of Sanderson I waited for that book, which eventually became three, to be out, then bought all the rest and read them all from start to finish.

It was a large undertaking. That's a lot of pages to be in a world. I ended up reading other books at the same time. I don't want to color your perceptions beyond that, which should be evident that it's long.

 

[Richards]

I'm reading Mind Catcher by John Darnton. It's about a brilliant but egotistical neurosurgeon and a brilliant but egotistical computer specialist working together to transfer a brain-damaged boy's mind into a computer, where he'll survive as a body-less intelligence. It's well written, but it's taking kind of a long time to get to the point where the transition to computer intelligence actually occurs. Part II, "The Operation," doesn't finish up until over 250 pages in. (Fortunately, there are something like another 200 pages after that point - but let's go already!)

Johnathan

 

[Nellisir]

The Stone Sky and The Boy On The Bridge are both set to be delivered tomorrow.

I, of course, will be on my way to Connecticut for two days.

<sigh>