What are you Reading? Froody February 2019 edition

[Ralif Redhammer]

Though perhaps that should be Frozen February...

Finished reading Abraham Merritt’s The Moon Pool. It’s a weird tale, almost two separate ones. It opens with some bone-chilling cosmic horror, but then moves to an underground fantasy that assuredly was an influence on the Underdark, with its cruel societies, bioluminescent fungi, and dread monsters.

Then I re-read R.E. Howard’s Red Nails. Man, R.E. Howard used to be one of my favorites. But reading his work is like talking to that sexist, racist uncle at the holidays – all’s going well until he says something awful. Repeatedly. Which is a shame, because Red Nails is a wonderful story, tense and full of action and vivid descriptions…and a whole lot of racist, sexist attitudes.

Now I’m reading Nnedi Orokafor’s Binti.

 

[Janx]

Reading the 2nd Bannon & Clare book whose name I forget by Lilith St. Crow

 

[Richards]

I'm now halfway through Hybrids, the third and final novel in Robert J. Sawyer's "Neanderthal Parallax" trilogy. As might be expected from the title, the two main characters - a human woman from our universe and a Neanderthal man from the parallel universe where Neanderthals became the dominant strain of humanity - are trying to have a baby. Which will require some gene therapy, given that the two strains of humanity have a different number of chromosomes.

Johnathan

 

[carrot]

In the middle of "Cast in Oblivion" the latest entry in the Elantris series by Michelle Sagara.
So far, so unbelievably tedious... This seems to be a common problem with the recent entries in the series - when the books finally get to the plot they are normally quite interesting, but it seems to be taking longer and longer to get there...


Just finished Dark Forge (and Cold Iron) by Miles Cameron. That was a much more gripping novel. I struggled to put it down (might have been cos it was cold outside though), even if some of the description left me a little puzzled as to what was actually happening (needs a little bit more careful editing methinks). The plot was entertaining, and the characters are compelling, even if the main one is starting to get a bit uber. I quite like that though! Now have to wait for the last book in the trilogy...

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

Finished Binti today. A lovely piece of Sci-Fi literature, and while it's just as tense at times, it's less harrowing than Who Fears Death. At under 100 pages, it's tight and fast-moving.

Next up is Sean Grigsby’s Smoke Eaters. The premise, a 60-year old about-to-retire firefighter becomes a dragonslayer, got my interest, but the opening scene involving a wraith hooked me. Apparently, those slain by dragonfire rise again as undead spirits. Now that sparks some adventure ideas!

 

[Umbran]

Last week, I was on vacation. I read...

Diplomatic Immunity, by Lois McMaster Bujold

"Winterfair Gifts," by Lois McMaster Bujold

Nightingale's Lament, by Simon R. Green

Collapsing Empire, by John Scalzi.

 

[Kramodlog]

I'm at 62% of Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Harari. It started out great, even if the premise* of Harari is a hypothesis that is not backed by science, but then it moves away from history, anthropology or even philosophy. It mostly becomes Harari's opinions and some anecdotes. I hope it goes somewhere.


*Homo sapiens was no better at life than Neanderthal, Homo erectus or Denisovian until 70,000 BC. They than started to make better tools, have culture and spread over the all continents (except Antartica). Harari postulates it is because Homo sapiens managed to think about abstractions (myths like religion) and because of that he could organize more efficiently. There are no material proof of this. He might be right, but it is just an hypothesis and his whole essay rests on it.

 

[carrot]

Ok I was wrong, "Cast in Oblivion" didn't get any better... Total Yawn fest. Another series bites the dustbin...

Onwards to the latest in The Brackenford Cycle - Grindhelms Key by Nick Mosely. I enjoyed the first few books in this series, so hoping this will be good too.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

Just finished Grigsby’s Smoke Eaters. A good read, though there was stuff in the middle I thought a little heavy-handed. Definitely had a cinematic feel – I could totally see it making its way to the big screen.

Now I’m reading Charles Saunders’ Imaro: Book 1. Been meaning to read it for ages.

 

[Richards]

I'm now reading (just starting, actually) James Alan Gardner's second superhero novel, They Promised Me the Gun Wasn't Loaded. This one stars Jools, the female hockey fan college student who gained pinnacle human strength, dexterity, and intelligence - she can learn any facts as needed, at will. It should be interesting.

Johnathan