What are you reading in 2023?

[dragoner]

Finished Paolini's "To Sleep In A Sea of Stars" and now starting "Hail Mary" by Andy Weir.

 

[Richards]

I just started a book called Moon Called by Patricia Briggs. It's a modern-day fantasy where the world has been made aware that werewolves and vampires and the like exist. The main character is a female American Indian skinwalker (whose preferred animal form is a coyote) car mechanic who specializes in German cars. As evidenced by the title, werewolves are going to play a big part of this novel; it's apparently one in a series featuring the lead character, Mercedes "Mercy" Thompson. I'm only a few chapters in but it's already a good read.

Johnathan

 

[Eyes of Nine]

I just started a book called Moon Called by Patricia Briggs. It's a modern-day fantasy where the world has been made aware that werewolves and vampires and the like exist. The main character is a female American Indian skinwalker (whose preferred animal form is a coyote) car mechanic who specializes in German cars. As evidenced by the title, werewolves are going to play a big part of this novel; it's apparently one in a series featuring the lead character, Mercedes "Mercy" Thompson. I'm only a few chapters in but it's already a good read.

Johnathan

Oh man, I read the first 3 or 4 of those, and enjoyed them. Especially good if one is on board with the common urban fantasy tropes as made very mainstream by the True Blood (Sookie Stackhouse) novels (which in turn seem pretty directly derived from World of Darkness, but that's a whole other thread - and probably already has been here on ENW).

Not sure why I stopped, but maybe time to start picking those up again and get caught up

 

[WayneLigon]

I just started a book called Moon Called by Patricia Briggs. It's a modern-day fantasy where the world has been made aware that werewolves and vampires and the like exist. The main character is a female American Indian skinwalker (whose preferred animal form is a coyote) car mechanic who specializes in German cars. As evidenced by the title, werewolves are going to play a big part of this novel; it's apparently one in a series featuring the lead character, Mercedes "Mercy" Thompson. I'm only a few chapters in but it's already a good read.

Johnathan

Love that series. I highly recommend it.

 

[WayneLigon]

In the How Did I Miss This department: Bear's New Amsterdam series - The great detective Don Sebastien de Ulloa and his travelling companion, Jack, take the airship from Calais to the great Colonial city of New Amsterdam, but en route Mlle Pontchartrain vanishes while they are over the Atlantic. This is just the start of Don de Ulloa's adventures in the New World, along with Crown Investigator Abagail Irene Garrett, sorceress detective. Absolutely amazing book and I look forward to the rest of the series.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

I finished Anderson's Operation Chaos. It's a fun, at times quite gonzo-but-still-coherent, urban fantasy. I'm continually struck by how Anderson's writing style can shift so dramatically to encapsulate the specific tale he's working on.

Now I'm reading the next Thieves World anthology, The Dead of Winter. Late January seems about the right time for that.

 

[Richards]

Having just finished up a werewolf novel, I decided to move over to a vampire novel next: 13 Bullets by David Wellington. It takes place in the modern day, when all the official reports state that a federal agent killed the last remaining vampire years ago. But now there are indications that there's still one vampire out there, and it's up to the agent and his new partner to put her down.

Johnathan

 

[overgeeked]

Just finished Frederik Pohl’s second Heechee novel, Beyond the Blue Event Horizon. I absolutely adored the first in the series, Gateway. But this one was a mess of a let down. Might try the third, might not. Definitely be awhile before reading one of his again.

Not sure what I want to read next. Andre Norton, P. K. Dick, Heinlein, Burroughs (either), Bradbury, Perry Rhodan, Herbert, Clarke…

 

[Starfox]

Late to the party. I've taken up Audible and reading audio book. Read up on some Jane Austen and The Portrait of Dorian Grey. Solid classics. I am attracted by Aurelius, and that's likely up next. I have all these books as "free" offers from Audible Its free as long as you subscribe...

Tried and didn't much like The Expanse. Tried and suffered through the Legend of Tal - aw gawd such whiny heroes.

What I've liked best is the Aubrey-Maturin Series by Patrick O'Brian. Napoleon-era naval adventures in the spirit of Hornblower, but written in contemporary writing techniques. I am on book 4 of what seems a LONG series.

In the How Did I Miss This department: Bear's New Amsterdam series - The great detective Don Sebastien de Ulloa and his travelling companion, Jack

This sounds right up my alley!

 

[Eyes of Nine]

Just finished For the Sake of Elena, a murder mystery by Elizabeth George in her Lynley / Havers novels.

Next up going to read The Genius of Birds and also probably the core book for last year's Spelljammer release; although I'm thinking of reading the adventure instead and if I don't understand a concept going to read the core book. Maybe I'll start a different thread on that...

 

[Zaukrie]

The obelisk gate

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

About to sit down and finish the last few pages of Terry Pratchett's "Jingo," as a re-read. It's Pratchett at the height of his powers, talking about war, prejudice and a bunch of other stuff as well, along with a very fun riff on rising/sinking lost continents.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

About to sit down and finish the last few pages of Terry Pratchett's "Jingo," as a re-read. It's Pratchett at the height of his powers, talking about war, prejudice and a bunch of other stuff as well, along with a very fun riff on rising/sinking lost continents.

It's funny, in my 30's; I had been reading a lot of Pratchett (from Colour of magic onward). When he started to shift to being more explicitly satirical of our Earth culture, I got turned off. My head is definitely in a different place now 20-25 years later. I've been thinking of starting a re-read; but maybe not from the beginning (too big a book set!) - but maybe just follow Mort or the Ankh-Morpork guards or something. Benefit now is it's a closed canon, which makes it feel a bit more doable.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

It's funny, in my 30's; I had been reading a lot of Pratchett (from Colour of magic onward). When he started to shift to being more explicitly satirical of our Earth culture, I got turned off. My head is definitely in a different place now 20-25 years later. I've been thinking of starting a re-read; but maybe not from the beginning (too big a book set!) - but maybe just follow Mort or the Ankh-Morpork guards or something. Benefit now is it's a closed canon, which makes it feel a bit more doable.

I am actually re-reading the whole set (and grabbing stuff I missed the first time around, like The Last Hero), because it's interesting to watch his writing skills improve, his parodies shift from "ho ho, Rincewind can hear the gods rolling dice" to deeper, more probing stuff (that's also deeply humane) to, eventually, his work declining as his Alzheimer's advances.

His satires tend to be pretty gentle. Pratchett liked and sympathized with people, even the one he disagreed with. Even the villainous Lord Rust in Jingo is a fool believing the fictions of "glorious" war rather than a truly evil person.

 

[overgeeked]

I am actually re-reading the whole set (and grabbing stuff I missed the first time around, like The Last Hero), because it's interesting to watch his writing skills improve, his parodies shift from "ho ho, Rincewind can hear the gods rolling dice" to deeper, more probing stuff (that's also deeply humane) to, eventually, his work declining as his Alzheimer's advances.

His satires tend to be pretty gentle. Pratchett liked and sympathized with people, even the one he disagreed with. Even the villainous Lord Rust in Jingo is a fool believing the fictions of "glorious" war rather than a truly evil person.

I've tried Pratchett a few times but bounced off hard when reading Colour of Magic. Something about it just didn't work for me. I have shelves filled with comic fiction, and I loved Good Omens, but mainline Discworld just...nope. Any recommendations for where to begin when he's moved on from the "fumbled initiative" and "hear the gods rolling dice" stuff?

 

[Eyes of Nine]

I've tried Pratchett a few times but bounced off hard when reading Colour of Magic. Something about it just didn't work for me. I have shelves filled with comic fiction, and I loved Good Omens, but mainline Discworld just...nope. Any recommendations for where to begin when he's moved on from the "fumbled initiative" and "hear the gods rolling dice" stuff?

There are a bunch of pages with various suggestions on how to read his oeuvre

Here's one from his page with a suggestion generator based on 3 criteria that are important to you (It's at the bottom)

Discworld - Sir Terry Pratchett

All 41 Discworld novels in reading order. If you’re not sure where to start, try our book generator and find the perfect Terry Pratchett book for you.

www.terrypratchettbooks.com

I also like this one, it's pretty straightforward

Discworld Reading Order [3 Ways to Read Terry Pratchett's Books]

With 41 novels set within this series, what is the best Discworld reading order? Find out more in this guide to Terry Pratchett's books.

www.tlbranson.com

Any recommendations for where to begin when he's moved on from the "fumbled initiative" and "hear the gods rolling dice" stuff?

It's not clear to me what about this is unappealing to you? This might be Pratchett's style, in which case he never stops being himself. Because Good Omens had a healthy (or more) dash of Neil Gaiman in it - it may be the Gaiman-ness of Good Omens is what got you past the Pratchett-ness of it.

 

[overgeeked]

There are a bunch of pages with various suggestions on how to read his oeuvre

Here's one from his page with a suggestion generator based on 3 criteria that are important to you (It's at the bottom)

Discworld - Sir Terry Pratchett

All 41 Discworld novels in reading order. If you’re not sure where to start, try our book generator and find the perfect Terry Pratchett book for you.

www.terrypratchettbooks.com

I also like this one, it's pretty straightforward

Discworld Reading Order [3 Ways to Read Terry Pratchett's Books]

With 41 novels set within this series, what is the best Discworld reading order? Find out more in this guide to Terry Pratchett's books.

www.tlbranson.com

Cool. Thanks. I'll check that out.

It's not clear to me what about this is unappealing to you? This might be Pratchett's style, in which case he never stops being himself. Because Good Omens had a healthy (or more) dash of Neil Gaiman in it - it may be the Gaiman-ness of Good Omens is what got you past the Pratchett-ness of it.

Every time I've tried, the closest to an explanation I can come is to say Colour of Magic is off putting because it strikes me as a very "nudge nudge wink wink look how clever I am" style of writing. I like comic writing. I like clever writing. For whatever reason, I just bounce off Colour of Magic. I dig Tom Holt, Christopher Moore, Douglas Adams, Kingsley Amis, James Thurber, Mark Twain, Richard Russo, Spike Milligan, Erma Bombeck, Dave Barry, Tom Sharpe, Piers Anthony, and dozens more. All comic writers. Just something about Colour of Magic...just nah.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

Cool. Thanks. I'll check that out.

Every time I've tried, the closest to an explanation I can come is to say Colour of Magic is off putting because it strikes me as a very "nudge nudge wink wink look how clever I am" style of writing. I like comic writing. I like clever writing. For whatever reason, I just bounce off Color of Magic. I dig Tom Holt, Christopher Moore, Douglas Adams, Kingsley Amis, James Thurber, Mark Twain, Richard Russo, Spike Milligan, Erma Bombeck, Dave Barry, Tom Sharpe, Piers Anthony, and dozens more. All comic writers. Just something about Colour of Magic...just nah.

Yeah, not sure if he ever gets away from that

But many people say Colour of Magic is one of his least good books - so you may like a later book like Guards! Guards!

 

[Nellisir]

Yeah, not sure if he ever gets away from that

But many people say Colour of Magic is one of his least good books - so you may like a later book like Guards! Guards!

I certainly didn't think much of Colour of Magic. It's very much, in my recollection, "of an age". He wasn't "Terry Pratchett"; he was a guy writing a comic fantasy with satirical bits.

 

[Nellisir]

Finished Paolini's "To Sleep In A Sea of Stars" and now starting "Hail Mary" by Andy Weir.

I was SURE I had read that, and my gf had a copy lying around, and I was bored so I finally flipped a few pages, and...pretty certain I hadn't read it. So I just did this weekend.