What are you Reading? (August 2023)
What are you Reading? (August 2023)
I've put together a collage of some books from last months What are you Reading? post. It's mostly random, but the more discussion something gets the more it stands out to me. Going forward I'm going to make a new post every month to talk about what people are reading.
Here is last months post. What are you Reading? (July 2023)
At any rate, what are you currently reading or plan to read in August?
I'm 6 books into expanse series, and I've kind of lost steam with it. Might need a break. Read bobiverse in full just before it. First children of time book was good but didn't know if I wanted to read book 2.
Also loved project hail Mary and the dark Forest/three body trilogy.
Any other suggestions?
I'm about half way through The Fall of Hyperion. It's great
Wool by hugh howey
Wife and I watched silo and enjoyed it so I thought I'd read the books.
You can buy the books DRM free off his website https://hughhowey.com/books/wool/
Make sure you get all 3. Wool shift and dust.
I'm currently in the middle of Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds. I'm only about 15% of the way through so I don't have a great picture of what is going on or what it is about yet. It seems like the main premise is about an archeologist who has been working on an excavation of an ancient species on a distant planet for an extremely long period of time that likely has far reaching implications about the universe. I've definitely never read anything similar to this in the past.
The other book I plan on reading (listening to) is The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers of which I know basically nothing about. I tend to listen to a book whenever I can't read such as when I'm driving or bathing and then read at times that I can like before sleeping. I find it is a good system to get through 2 books at once.
I was re-reading The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Heinlein, which I read about 15 years ago and really enjoyed (even bought it for a friend as a gift). On the second read through... I found it much less entertaining (though the connection between the computer and the current LLM/AI hype is interesting), got about half-way through and basically stopped. I probably won't finish it, which is kind of sad. Oh well, tastes change I guess.
The three body problem series is absolutely the best sci fi book series I have ever read. Can’t recommend more. Just finished the last one the other day, and the third book is mind blowing. It was written by a Chinese author so it feels foreign to me as an American, and a lot of cultural differences are very apparent but the translation was masterfully done by the authors son so it stays very true to the original source.
Wayfarers series by Becky Chambers.
Such amazing, lovely sci-fi that touches on so many topics.
Last one is based in a really nice intergalactic truck stop. Or like an airport hotel maybe.
And I didn't realise it until my second read-through, but it's basically all about cross-species accessibility/accomodations.
Really beautiful stuff.
The Cuckoo's Egg: Tracking a Spy Through the Maze of Computer Espionage
It's a surprisingly engaging read, even though the events occurred in the 80s. Computer security was non-existent.
Currently on book 3 of the Bobiverse. Most fun, zany scifi I've read in a while.
Edit: Seveneves was fun too, currently also reading Termination Shock. We really need those "earth suits" I think ...
Currently reading Blindsight, I'm honestly surprised how many people get interested when I tell them I'm reading about space vampires.
Needed it to take a break from all the new to me ideas in three body problem. Learned lots about chinese history. Wasnt ready for the second one.
Blindsight feels like all the scifi trope bundled together.
About halfway through Lords of Uncreation, the third book in the Final Architecture trilogy by Adrian Tchaikovsky.
They are to space opera what his children series is to hard science fiction. It has imaginative aliens that resist monoculture stereotypes and ominous, seemingly implacable foes. The technology never descends to Star Wars' (for better or worse), but standard tropes like FTL and gravitic control are all fundamental assumptions. However, once those assumptions are made, everything that follows is consistent and reasonable to the setting.
The cast is diverse, interesting and entertaining and the pacing is nothing short of breakneck.
We are Bob is a great series, doesn't got something that fine in a time.
Finishing off Abbadons Gate. Managed to get back into it after many months long break.
In July, I finished The Lords of Uncreation (and therefore the Final Architect trilogy) by Adrian Tchaikovsky, read the newest Lee and Miller Liaden novel Salvage Right when it arrived, then zoomed through Wool, the first of the Silo books.
Currently, I’m reading a Star Trek novel Agents of Influence by Dayton Ward. It’s a sequel to the excellent Vanguard and Seeker series set in Star Trek’s 23rd century. Not sure what’s next.
I just finished reading "Fair Play", which is a book on the division of unpaid/unseen labor in households. Next up we have "Thriving with Adult ADHD", "The ADHD Effect on Marriage", and "Organizing Solutions for People With ADHD".
Can you guess the current issue in the Porcupine House? 😅
Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson. Great book, beautiful vocabulary
I'm on book 13 of wheel of time and am planning to do a re-read of the extinction cycle again after I finished wheel of time, I just love those books
I'm reading Way of Kings right now, as well as back through the Harry Potter Series (just finished POA). Way of Kings is amazing.
The Bobiverse books are so damn good, read them last year
I’ve been on an Ursula le guin kick. Finished Left Side of Darkness, started Earthsea series (just book one) and am finishing up Dispossessed (since it’s due back to inter library loan soon). But sure what’s next. I have the expanse books on hand, but the semesters about to start and things get busy.
Turns out I don't understand half of the sentences in 'Thus Spoke Zarathustra', so back to sci-fi, it's time to finish the last three books of Hitchiker's Guide to The Galaxy.
I'm reading Deaths End the 3rd book in the "Three Body Problem" series.
Some of the best sci-fi I've ever read, super unique ideas, I was blown away with some of the concepts in this series.
Im on my last book of the wheel of time audiobook! Took me about two years to arrive here, maybe even more. It's superb! I hope to finish it before our child is born in August, so I can start with the next, rading it on my Kindle. Really can't wait to get to the end of it. The whole last three book reads like waiting on the next episode of a series. Constant cliffhangers. The next book will be the second and later books of the sounds of hyperion.
I'm about 75% through Morning Star by Pierce Brown. It's book 3 of the Red Rising series. I wasn't really into the first book but it turned out ok. I'm not sure I'll buy the remaining books though.
I'm still pretending to read Frankenstein, the OG sci fi novel, at least in modern fiction anyway. I say pretending though because it's been sitting on my bed stand for weeks untouched. It's beautifully well written, just haven't had time or attention span lately idk.
Last book of the Expanse
Just finished Scalzi's Redshirts. Was a lot of fun. Laughed at every mention of control panels blowing up in bridge crew's faces for no logical reason. Didn't much care about the last few chapters that came after the main story though.
Frank Herbert's Dune, a great read. The new movie is actually quite faithful to the novel.
William Gibson - The difference engine
More of steam punk era with mechanical machines, enjoying it as Audiobook on the morning walks.
Recently finished The Expanse series and Three Body Problem series, those were both great adventures. I'm getting started on All Tomorrows now
I finally decided to start reading the Warhammer books and ordered Horus Rising, so I should get started on that next week. All the cyberpunk and SF stuff I've seen on Lemmy lately has me itching to re-read Necromancer. I haven't read Count Zero yet, for some reason I only have Neuromancer and Mona Lisa Overdrive, so I think I'll order that soon too
Empire of Man.
Just started The Passage by Justin Cronin (audiobook) and I’m loving it, and I’m about to finish Witch King (dead tree) by Martha Wells, which has also been fantastic.
Up next in dead tree edition is gonna be something off my bookshelf at home. Not sure what I’m in the mood for yet but I’m leaning towards Shards of Earth by Adrian Tchaikovsky. I want to re-read that and Eyes of the Void to prep for Lords of Uncreation.
I just finished a book by Carlton Mellick the third called, Every time we meet at the dairy queen your whole fucking face explodes. Its probably even weirder than you are thinking, but very fun and enjoyable.
Parable of the Sower
The Wheel of Time
I don't normally plan my reading much ahead of time but August is an exception on a few counts.
Firstly, Whalefall by Daniel Kraus comes out on August 8th. It's such a goofy idea for a story (think Jonah and the Whale meets The Martian) and I have been so pumped, I've been talking people's ear off about it for months. It's like scientifically accurate Pinocchio.
Secondly, one of the bookclub picks for the Discord server affiliated with !bookclub@lemmy.world is The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K LeGuin
And then it's Tropeical Readathon (a semiannual reading challenge thing) again so I have a couple dozen books picked out to cover that, but the only other sci-fi one apart from the above is Under This Forgetful Sky by Lauren Yero.
The Stormlight archive- Brandon Sanderson
Picked up 2 different series by Will Wight cause they were free on amazon for a while, and very impressed
Halfway through Cradle, on book 6 and it's actually really good; a naruto-eque world with well thought out power progression, great world building and characters, with plenty of peril and few dull moments
Finished Tiamat's Wrath last week and have started Foundation's Edge. The Expanse has been excellent, but i am starting to find The Foundation to be a bit tedious. Second Foundation started to just feel silly with all the psychic abilities just thrown in all of a sudden and all the characters are starting to blend into each other as non-descript 1950's Americans. That being said i am enjoying Foundation's Edge a lot more than Second Foundation but am lookin forward to finishing it so i can move on to Dune Messiah.
Just started reading "To Sleep in a Sea of Stars". (Christopher Paolini)
It's huge, but so far the pacing moves quickly enough to keep from getting bogged down.
Finished Prelude to Foundation (fantastic!), now starting Children of Ruin (so far so good).
Last day of my vacation and I've begun my third book in as many days. Just read Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson, followed by A Winter Grave by Peter May. Both books were great, hence why I swallowed them so fast.
Have just started on Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny, and so far it seems promising.
Martha Wells Murder Bot series (All Systems Red is the title in the post picture) is fun as well as quick and easy to read.
I will say it's not my favorite type of scifi but her writing style paired with the fun stories sucked me in.
Currently listening to the audiobook of The City and the City by China Meiville (Maybe should have read this one instead of the audiobook)
Currently reading the current F&SF magazine issue
I´m reading select texts about what is grassroots-community action. It has been quite nice. The book is in Portuguese though.
Reading through Book of the New Sun. Definitely an underrated sci fi series.
Currently working through Stephen King's dark tower series, on book 4 so getting through them quick. First time I've read any of his stuff but I'm hooked.
I've been reading a thrift store find as of late, "The Mammoth Book Of Best New SF 11", a short story collection first published in 1998, ed. Gardner Dozois by Robinson Publishing.
In general I've been reading different sci fi short story collections of as of late, while waiting for the next Final Architecture -book to drop.
Pride and Prejudice. Finishing soon.. another classic down.
Old man's war by John Scalzi, I'm on book 6 now and it keeps getting better!
a world without visa by ean Malaquais
https://libcom.org/article/world-without-visa
tough to get into but worth every page, but far from accessible if you are not known to french and russian names en masse
I just finished Season of Skulls by Charles Stross. 3rd book of the New Management series... a sort of sequel series to the Laundry Files.
Shotgun Boy, after having blitzed through Sweet Home. kim Carnby and co are ace tier graphic novel/horror
I enjoyed The Year's Best Science Fiction anthologies edited by Gardner Dozois until his passing. I just discovered its spiritual successor, The Best Science Fiction of the Year edited by Neil Clarke, and am catching up now.
Just about to finish the final book in the Remembrance of Earth's Past Trilogy (Deaths End). Have just picked up The City and the Stars for my August read as Cixin Lui was giving me Arthur C. Clarke vibes with his incredible hard sci-fi epic
Just finished Frugal Wizards Guide, by Sanderson.
It wasn't what I was expecting, but found it weird and fun. As per most of Sanderson's books, I fell down the sanderlanch, and read it in 2 days.
I'm reading the Silo series after watching the show, it is pretty good so far.
Love to see Leviathan Wakes in the graphic as well
I'm not a big book reader, but a friend got me "The Autobiography of Nikola Tesla and Other Works". It's sitting on my nightstand when I can motivate to crack a boot. The book I finished before it was "Brief Answers to the Big Questions" by Stephen Hawking.
I like reading works from Scientists. I can't understand their research papers because of the math, but I enjoy the works they do for the layman.
I have read and love the top 2 rows you've got there. I think I'm going to have to check out those last three.
I've just finished all Daniel Suarez's books. I found his visions of a tech future interesting. Best ones for me were Daemon, then the sequel freedom™, Change Agent, Delta V and the sequel Critical Mass - all great reads imo. Only book I didn't like was kill Decision.
I just finished "Drop City" by T.C. Boyle and picked up "Blue Skies". I'm only 2 chapters into "Blue Skies" so can't really say much about it, though it feels a lot like "Tortilla Curtain".
"Drop City" did not involve any characters who were writers, was not set in LA and established two sets of characters in highly disparate settings in the Sixties and of their eventual intersection. Well worth it.
I'm currently resuming my read through of "John Carter of Mars", with "Warlords of Mars", and continuing through Glynn Stewart's Duchy of Terra series with "Shield of Terra".
I can't help compare Glynn Stewart with Edgar Rice Burroughs, in that they both write such reliably entertaining series.
Though I suppose Stewart is aiming for Asimov in the volume category. As a big reader, I sure appreciate that.
Right now I'm listening to Damnation Alley by Roger Zelazny. It's probably an interesting story, but the narrator is awful. Sometimes he reads without any pauses so it feels like you are listening to a wall of text. There is also very little inflection in his voice as he reads so it is hard to stay engaged. I'm going to stick with it if I can, but I'm not holding much hope.
Reading through Book of the New Sun. Definitely an underrated series.
I'm currently reading The Stars, Like Dust. By Issac Asimov. Seems decent I haven't been completely invested in the main character like I was in The Currents of Space (I know I read book 2 before book 1). But I like Asimov so I'll finish it it'll be a quick read anyways. I plan to finish the Galactic Empire series and then start Foundation (Finally!).
Would mort count?
I've been taking a short break from Malazan Book of the Fallen recently, by exploring some new, lighter books, especially while at work, but I think I'm going to get back into it in August.
I’m planning on reading The Expanse at some point, but currently I’m not reading any sci-fi, since I’m reading A Game of Thrones and Empire of Ivory.
Just started Illuminae the other day and I am powering through it. It's a completely different style book and I am loving the way the story is presented. Can't wait to finish it.
My wife and I are on T.A. White's Phoenix Chronicles. We both really love the series and once we finish this it will be hard to find a replacement series for us to read.
I'm on book 5 of the Wheel of Time on Audible. I hope the TV series keeps going but it sounds like a lot of people think it's meh.
I'm currently on the Liveship series, after just finishing the Farseer Trilogy. Prior to that was Mistborn 1-3, and I only mention the chronology because it all started May 2022 with the WoT series, and that's on the picture up there so I'm lumping the rest of these into science fiction I suppose, despite Mistborn potentially being the only one that you could really call science fiction.
Trying to punch through Seasons of Skulls by Charles Stross.
Finally got to finish Death's End. Got really dark by the end ans current life events dont really support this kind of reading.
Snowden's book: Permanent Record has a lot of good context info for the governments shitty practices and overwhelming involvement in our personal lives
if u wanna use ur brain more efficiently read Donella Meadows: Thinking in Systems
I also wanna read steve jackson's sci-fi book that got him sued by the secret service... its gotta be good right?
I just finished The Deep Sky by Yume Kitasei. It was a decent page-turner that kept me wanting to read the next chapter.
Still haven't decided what to read next. Are there any good newish cyberpunk books?
Oh crap! Potty training by Jamie Glowacki
Currently working on book 5 of Gaunt's Ghosts. It's been a few months since I read a chapter though because of busy life has been.
After reading Necropolis, it's gonna be hard for the rest of the series to match it.
I'm midway through the Inda quartet by Sherwood Smith – just started King's Shield
Just started Bloom by Wil Mccarthy.
Permanently Deleted
I forgot the story of Time Out of Joint by Philip K. Dick so I decided to read it again.
Currently reading Lemmy. It's a bit mixed.
Just finished the Silo trilogy before jumping into the TV series. was good, on both counts
About to pick up Children of Time. I listened to the audiobook a while back but didnt feel like i really absorbed it all that much.
Just finished Brute Force by Scott Meyers. It's scifi with a hilarious tone. Highly recommend for an easy and entertaining read.
