The Second Apocalypse

Miscellaneous Chatter => Literature => Topic started by: SilentRoamer on January 06, 2017, 02:36:59 pm

Title: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: SilentRoamer on January 06, 2017, 02:36:59 pm
Happy New Year!

So we have another year to push our boundaries, read old favorites and embrace potential new ones.

I will post the new targets on the second page of this thread and will post last years results below (will be updating more later)

     ----- Results for 2016 Reading Challenge! -----

---- SilentRoamer ----

Totals: 14/20
Frank Herbert: God Emperor of Dune - Completed 19/01/2016
Peter F. Hamilton: Abyss Beyond Dreams - Completed 10/02/2016
Roger Zelazny: Guns of Avalon - Completed 20/02/2016
Roger Zelazny: Sign of the Unicorn - Completed 03/03/2016
Roger Zelazny: The Hand of Oberon - Completed 21/03/2016
Roger Zelazny: The Courts of Chaos - Completed 28/03/2016
Dave DeBurgh: Betrayals Shadow - Completed 08/04/2016
Brandon Sanderson: The Alloy of Law - Completed 14/04/2016
Robin Hobb: Farseer #2: Royal Assassin - Completed 05/05/2016
Robin Hobb: Farseer #3: Assassins Quest - Completed 06/06/2016
Robert Heinlein: Starship Troopers - Completed 10/06/2016
R. Scott Bakker: The Great Ordeal - Completed 05/07/2016
Richard Mathieson: The Shrinking Man - Completed 09/11/2016
Richard Mathieson: I Am Legend - Completed 28/12/2016

---- Madness ----

Totals: 8/25
Jonathan L. Howard: Johannes Cabal: The Necromancer - Completed 11/01/2016
C.J. Cherryh: Gates of Ivrel - Completed 11/01/2016
Daniel Abraham: The Dragon's Path - Completed 23/01/2016
Dan Hurley: Smarter: The New Science of Building Brain Power - Completed 27/01/2016
Mark Lawrence: Prince of Fools - Completed 30/01/2016
Benedict Carey: How We Learn - Completed 03/02/2016
Glen Cook: The Black Company - Completed 10/03/2016
Charles Duhigg: Smarter, Better, Faster - Completed


---- Wilshire ----

Totals: 17/10
R. Scott Bakker: The Great Ordeal - Completed - Reread
Asimov's original foundation trilogy  - Completed
Steven Erikson: The Dust of Dreams - Completed
Steven Erikson: The Crippled God - Completed
Patrick Rothfuss: The Wise Man's Fear - Completed
Startide Rising remains on my bookshelf, unread, so I'd like to get to that.
R. Scott Bakker: The Warrior-Prophet - Completed 04/03/2016
R. Scott Bakker: The Thousandfold Thought - Completed
R. Scott Bakker: The Judging Eye
Terry Brooks: The Sword of Shannara - Completed
Scott Lynch: The Lies of Locke Lamora - Completed
Courtney Schafer: Whitefire Crossing - Completed
Isaac Asimov: Caves of Steel - Completed 13/10/2016
Robert Heinlein: Stranger in a Strange Land - Completed 20/10/2016
Brent Weeks: The Way of Shadows - Completed 22/10/2016
Brian McClellan: Promise of Blood - Completed 08/12/2016


---- Alia ----

Totals: 12/10-15
Yuval Harari Sapiens: a Brief History of Humanity (non-fiction, antropological, started it in January, so far fascinating) - Completed 06/02/2016
Brunner Stand on Zanzibar (there are some classics I sadly missed) - Completed 21/03/2016
Glukhovsky Futu.re and maybe Metro 2035 (His Metro series was translated into English, I'm not sure about this one)
Danielewski House of Leaves (in Polish translation, sometimes I'm lazy, it's due to appear in April)
And some works in Polish, not translated, among them certainly a new novel by my high-school friend, due to appear in March.
Olga i Osty by Agnieszka Hałas - Completed
Czytanie z wnętrzności by Wit Szostak - Completed
Łzy Diabła by Magdalena Kozak (military s-f) - by the way, her first novel, Nighter is available now in English: https://www.amazon.com/Nighter-Vesper-Book-Magdalena-Kozak-ebook/dp/B01H9QOVAC/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1475947933&sr=1-1&keywords=nighter - it's about vampires in special forces, fun read. - Completed
Wilki by Adam Wajrak - Completed
Pawel Majka: Pokój światów - Completed
Amy Stewart: Wicked Plants - Completed
Peter Wohlleben: Hidden life of trees - Completed
Brunner: Sheep Look up - Completed


---- mostly.harmless ----

Totals: 5/35
Specifics:
Kieran Shea: Koko the Mighty
Robin Hobb: Fool's Quest
Robert Charles Wilson: Spin
Jenny Lawson: Furiously Happy
Adam Christopher: Made to Kill



---- MSJ ----

Totals: 15/20-25
Specifics:
R. Scott Bakker: The Warrior-Prophet
N.K. Jemisin: The Fifth Season
R. Scott Bakker: The Thousandfold Thought
Daniel Polansky: Low Town - Completed 05/03/2016
R. Scott Bakker: The Judging Eye - Completed
R. Scott Bakker: The White-Luck Warrior - Completed
R. Scott Bakker: The Great Ordeal - Completed
Mark Lawrence: The Prince of Fools - Completed
Mark Lawrence: The Liar's Key - Completed
Ian Esslemont: Dancer's Lament - Completed
Mark Lawrence: The Wheel of Osheim - Completed
Luke Scull: The Grim Company - Completed
Luke Scull: The Sword of the North - Completed
R. Scott Bakker: The Great Ordeal Reread - Completed
Max Gladstone: Three Parts Dead - Completed
N.K. Jemisin: The Obelisk Gate - Completed
Anthony Ryan: Blood Song - Completed


---- Bolivar ----

Totals: 4/13
R. Scott Bakker: Prince of Nothing Completed
R. Scott Bakker: The Judging Eye Completed
R. Scott Bakker: The White-Luck Warrior
R. Scott Bakker: The Great Ordeal
Daniel Abraham: The Spider's War
Maurice Druon: The Lion & The Lily
Maurice Druon: The King Without a Kingdom
Steven Erikson: The Bonehunters
Steven Erikson: Reaper's Gale
Ian C. Esselmont: Night of Knives
Andrzej Sapkowski: The Sword of Destiny


---- rhizome ----

Totals: 4/?
Specifics:
Gene Wolfe: The Book of the New Sun - Completed


---- Redeagl ----

Totals: 3/?
Specifics:
Anthony Ryan: Raven's Shadow Trilogy - Completed


---- H ----

Totals: 8/?
Specifics:
Chuck Palahniuk: Rant: The Oral Biography of Buster Casey - Completed
R. Scott Bakker: The Great Ordeal - Completed
James S. A. Corey: Abaddon's Gate (Expanse Book 3)  - Completed
James S. A. Corey: Cibola Burn (Expanse Book 4) - Completed 31.10.2016
N.K. Jemisin: The Obelisk Gate - Completed
Josiah Bancroft: Senlin Ascends - Completed
Josiah Bancroft: Arm of the Sphinx - Completed
Jonathan Haidt: The righteous mind: Why good people are divided by politics and religion - Completed
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: SilentRoamer on January 06, 2017, 02:39:49 pm
Ok so post your own targeted reads and total goals and I will update them here later tonight:

---- SilentRoamer ----
Totals: 1/25
Target Specifics:
Finish Dune Series: Heretics of Dune & Dune: Chapterhouse
Cormac McCarthy: Blood Meridian
Dan Simmons: Endymion Duology
Hugh Howey: Wool
Finish James S. A. Corey: The Expanse
Finish Adrian Tchaikovsky: Shadows of the Apt
Vernor Vinge: Zones of Thought
- Completed
Gene Wolfe: Book of the New Sun


---- Wilshire ----
Totals: 1/12 or 25
Target Specifics:
John Marco: Tyrants and Kings #2: The Jackal of Nar
Paolo Bacigalupi: The Windup Girl
Philip K Dick: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
Stephen R. Donaldson: The Real Story (Gap into conflict)
Joe Haldeman: The Forever War
Julian May: The Many-Colored Land
Larry Niven: Ringworld
Matthew Stover: Die (Acts of Caine 1)
Connie Willis: Blackout/All Clear



---- Diurnal ----
Totals: 0/10
Target Specifics:
Abbadon's Gate - James Corey
Cibola Burn - James Cory
Nemesis Games - James Corey
Lights Out - Ted Koppel
The Great Ordeal (reread) - I forget
The Unholy Consult (if they release it) - I forget
Red Prophet - Orson S. Card
Seventh Son - Orson S Card
Revelation Space - Alastair Reynolds
Chasm City - Alastair Reynolds
Blindsight - Peter Watts



---- Alia ----
Totals: 1/10 or 15
Target Specifics:
More Brunner
Danielewski's:House of Leaves

Radek Rak: Puste niebo - Complete


---- MSJ ----
Totals: 2/10 or 15
Target Specifics:
James S. A. Corey: Abbadon's Gate
James S. A. Corey: Cibola Burn
James S. A. Corey: Nemesis Games
Ted Koppel: Lights Out
R. Scott Bakker: The Great Ordeal
R. Scott Bakker: The Unholy Consult
Orson S. Card: Red Prophet
Orson S. Card: Seventh Son
Alastair Reynolds: Revelation Space
Alastair Reynolds: Chasm City
Peter Watts: Blindsight

Frank Herbert: Dune - Completed
Frank Herbert: Dune Messiah - Completed
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: Wilshire on January 06, 2017, 02:58:44 pm
I'll go with 12. Stretch goal is 20.

I'm going to get a list together this year. I should be able to at least pick my top 10 books that I want out of my list of 70 or so. Where did that spreadsheet go ... (yeah, I'm using a spreadsheet to track my book reading. What of it?!)

John Marco                         The Jackal of Nar (The Tyrants and Kings 2)
Paolo Bacigalupi                  The Windup Girl
Philip K Dick                        Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
Stephen R. Donaldson        The Real Story (Gap into conflict)
Joe Haldeman                     The Forever War
Julian May                          The Many-Colored Land
Larry Niven                         Ringworld
Matthew Stover                  Die (Acts of Caine 1)
Connie Willis                       Blackout/All Clear


Apparently Blackout and All Clear is 1 book split into 2 books. I might justify to myself that its a single book, break my rule and read them both, and then count them as 2 for the purposes of this list as they are published as separate books.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: Wilshire on January 06, 2017, 03:22:04 pm
SR it seems you might have been swayed by my arguments for Dune and Hyperion :)
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: Garet Jax on January 06, 2017, 04:46:08 pm
I will shoot for 10.


Abbadon's Gate - James Corey
Cibola Burn - James Cory
Nemesis Games - James Corey
Lights Out - Ted Koppel
The Great Ordeal (reread) - I forget
The Unholy Consult (if they release it) - I forget
Red Prophet - Orson S. Card
Seventh Son - Orson S Card
Revelation Space - Alastair Reynolds
Chasm City - Alastair Reynolds
Blindsight - Peter Watts

Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: Alia on January 06, 2017, 05:58:48 pm
I'll try for at least 10 books, hopefully 15 - although I'm so busy at work at least until the end of April that it might be hard. I want to read more Brunner, certainly Shockwave Rider and maybe something else, and Danielewski's House of Leaves. Apart from that, we'll see what comes along.
And for 2016, I managed to read 12, which is fine.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: MSJ on January 09, 2017, 12:01:23 am
Sorry SR, didn't see your thread. Apologies.

Shooting for 15-20. I plan on expanding my choices of books. Realy like to read some more sci-fi and mane some nonfiction.

I've finished Dune and Dune Messiah, puts me at 2. I was gonna start Hyperion Cantos, but was very intrigued by C..S. Friedman's Coldfire trilogy. So, I've started Black Sun Rising, and must admit it's very good. A lot of intrigue, good characters and I like the setting. Reallly into it.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: Alia on January 09, 2017, 08:17:52 am
Finished my first book this year Puste niebo by Radek Rak, probably the first Polish magic realism novel that I've encountered. It's set in my hometown about a 100 years ago and it's a story of a young, not very bright boy, who accidentally breaks the moon and must find someone to make a new one or humanity will die out (as the moon governs women's cycles). So a bit of a fable, a bit of fantasy, a bit of Bruno Schulz - overall, a very strange read.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: MSJ on January 15, 2017, 02:16:59 am
Finished C.S. Friedman's Blck Sun Rising - (3)

Good book, like the magic system, a few twists here and there. But, this might not be for all. It is indeed High, high fantasy.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: Redeagl on January 15, 2017, 12:24:43 pm
 Oh wait a minute I am on the list!  lol, now the reason I haven't made a formal one for this year ( or the last one for that matter)  is that budget and time affect me and my TBR doesn't decide for me what I would read next but for this honor I will try to make a formal one for myself:
The Wheel Of Oshiem by Mark Lawrence ( I really want to finish that trilogy)
Red Sister by Mark Lawrence
Memories of Ice by Steven Erikson ( I actually have that book with me but exams delayed it) 
The Sword of Destiny by Andrezj Sapkowski ( Not 100% sure of the author's name spelling. I read The Last Wish by him and it was amazing)
House of Chains by Steven Erikson
The Prince Of Nothing re-read with MSJ
The Aspect-Emperor re-read with MSJ
The Unholy Consult
Midnight Tides by Steven Erikson
Revenger by Alastair Reynolds
Now let's keep it at this, I think I will read more books than this hopefully so I will be updating the list.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: Wilshire on January 15, 2017, 06:04:48 pm
Finished Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. Got it for christmas, book was fine. Multiverse stuff - not much I can say without spoiling it, but eh, its it starts with someone kidnapping himself from another multiverse. Interesting story, some exposition on relationships and marriage, poignant and such. Worth the read if you like the mystery genre.

1/12
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: SilentRoamer on January 16, 2017, 04:29:47 pm
Finished Vernor Vinge: A Fire Upon the Deep 1/25

This was a fantastic book, Vinge is effortless to read and the whole book seemed fresh and original, there are dozens of ideas here that Vinge could explore, but he manages to tread them all carefully and deftly, he then fails to answer burning questions about the series whilst simultaneously explaining the reasoning.

Really, really good book. Review for this one incoming.

Going to start another book tonight hopefully.

**Totals Updated**
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: H on January 16, 2017, 08:20:16 pm
I'm taking aim at 12 this year, with the hopes to beat that by a fair bit.

Specifics (not much yet):
The Unholy Consult - R. Scott Bakker (July?)
The Broken Sky - N. K. Jemisin (August?)
Homo Deus - Yuval Noah Harari
Nemesis Games - James S. A. Corey
Babylon's Ashes - James S. A. Corey

Just finished Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari, so I'm on 1/12 so far.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: Wilshire on January 16, 2017, 08:59:54 pm
Several JSAC readers here. Good space opera?
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: Redeagl on January 16, 2017, 09:39:20 pm
Several JSAC readers here. Good space opera?
I have read the first four and I did enjoy them. They are not as complex and deep as much as most of the sci-fi you are used to read though.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: MSJ on January 16, 2017, 11:22:23 pm
Man, I've started a couple series, but today while searching for stuff to read, I come across Red Rising by Pierce Brown. Its Sci-fi, but all reviews say it read as if it's a fantasy. And, I've seen nothing but good reviews on it. Supposed to be a real page burner. I think that's what I'm going with next.

Redeagl, we need to PM or what have you and work out details on a reread, see if anyone else is interested. We don't have to go super fast, but I wanna get through it. So, give me a holler and spread the word on Facebook or wherever else you like. We can start a thread, "Slog 2.0". And, maybe get some good discussion and others to jump in.

ETA: SR, so you know, you have me the same reading list as Diurnal. I never have a plan on what I'm gonna read, I just read whatever feels right at the moment. Though you got my total right, 3. Off, to a good start.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: H on January 17, 2017, 12:30:57 pm
Several JSAC readers here. Good space opera?

Good?  Sure.  Entertaining to a certain extent, but certainly short of great.  I kind of feel the series is a bit repetitive, but I'm interested enough in where it is all going to keep reading.  I like that it is what I would call "realistic" sci/fi, in that most of the stuff seems like shit people would actually do if they had the technology/whatever.

I don't know I'd add it to a "Must Read" list, but it's definitely a reasonable option.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: Garet Jax on January 23, 2017, 04:34:19 pm
Finished Abaddon's Gate.  Not sure what it is about the writing, but these novels are real page turners for me.  Maybe it is just the change of pace?  Either way, another solid entry by the duo.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: MSJ on January 26, 2017, 03:03:18 am
Finished Red Rising , by Pierce Brown (4). Awesome book and it really does have a fantasy feel. Onto Golden Son , next book in the series. I highly, highly recommend this, and every review I've read says that each book is better and builds upon the last.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: MSJ on January 29, 2017, 06:12:19 pm
Finished Golden Son, by Pierce Brown 2nd in the trilogy. Solid, solid books. Sci-fi was never a genre I explored til you damn larks made me read Dune. I really like this series, i see how the two genres are so closely connected and what separates the two. Future, high-tech and the likes, still in my mind it's a fantasy. Same tropes and all. If you haven't read it, do so, it's a bage-purer and very, very interesting with twists at every turn. (5)
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: H on February 02, 2017, 01:58:18 pm
Just finished Nemesis Games by James S. A. Corey.  The book was fine, but like I said, I do find the series a bit repetitive in the grand scope of things. 
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: MSJ on February 02, 2017, 03:12:50 pm
Just finished Morning Star, by Pierce Brown (6). Last book in the trilogy. Pretty good series. Going to start The Red Knight, by Miles Cameron.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: Alia on February 14, 2017, 12:47:34 pm
Finished Brunner's Shockwave Rider (book 2 of this year). Overall yet another futuristic dystopia set in the US, but this time less complicated than Stand on Zanzibar or Sheep Look Up, with a much more limited cast of characters (so easier to follow) and overall a little more optimistic. Could make a good introduction to Brunner, I guess.

And now for something completely different - I started reading Lou Reed's biography by Howard Sounes. Not something I would normally buy but I saw it on my friend's bookshelf, she said she won it in some kind of raffle and I could borrow it. So far it seems OK, without looking for cheap sensation and at the same time without treating Reed as someone perfect.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: MSJ on February 21, 2017, 08:52:11 pm
I am currently reading Senlin Ascends by Josiah Bancroft. He is a self published that I have heard nothing but rave reviews about. But, has seemed to take the ruthless industry of self publishing by the balls. It's a story of a man who take his new wedded wife to the famed Tower of Babel. Very, very interesting and I have trouble putting the book down at night. I recommend it to anyone who likes an adventure. The Arms of the Sphinx is the sequel and 2nd installment of a trilogy. Try it out, a fresh breath from the run of the mill fantasy so many of us are used to.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: H on February 23, 2017, 07:58:45 pm
Just wrapped up Homo Deus, by Yuval Noah Harari.

You can find Bakker's review of the book (https://rsbakker.wordpress.com/2016/10/20/visions-of-the-semantic-apocalypse-a-critical-review-of-yuval-noah-hararis-homo-deus/) to which I don't know I can really add much.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: Alia on February 24, 2017, 11:44:26 am
Finished reading Lou Reed's biography (book 3 of the year), which was quite interesting - but Polish edition sucked on so many levels that sometimes I wanted to throw it out of the window (but it was borrowed). And now, to have a break from Brunner, I'm reading The Mechanical by Ian Tregillis. Alternative history/steampunk, seems interesting so far but I'm only a few chapters into it.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: Wilshire on February 24, 2017, 02:26:55 pm
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

Although, I'm slightly confused, see this entry from wikipedia
Quote
[Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep] has been released in audiobook form at least twice. A version was released in 1994 that featured Matthew Modine and Calista Flockhart.

A new audiobook version was released in 2007 by Random House Audio to coincide with the release of Blade Runner: The Final Cut. This version, read by Scott Brick, is unabridged and runs approximately 9.5 hours over eight CDs. This version is a tie-in, using the Blade Runner: The Final Cut film poster and Blade Runner title

I listened to the later version read by Scott Brick, so I'm not entirely sure if this is 100% same book or not.
Either way, its been read, so I'm counting it. I'll have took look at my hardcopy of it once I unpack my library from its moving boxes.

2
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: MSJ on February 24, 2017, 09:40:13 pm
3/4's through Senlin Ascends, by Josiah Bancroft. Excellent, excellent book. Something very different than your run of the mill fantasy. I find I can't put the book down and how the Tower of Babel is a character unto itself adds a lot of intrigue. It's a tale, so far, of a school teacher finding out who is is after losing his wife to the Tower. Plenty of fantasy elements, but not the usual fare of sword and sorcery. I think it be a breath of fresh air for any avid fantasy reader.

What makes this such a good book is that each level of the Tower, you could write a entire book of  each alone. This is Bancroft's first  novel and is very well writing, with a great pace. And, all I've read on  Arms of the Sphinx the sequel, is that his writing and the story itself only gets betterms.

By the by, Mark Lawrence has a new trilogy coming out with Red Sister being the first of a trilogy. Read the blurbs, looks very interesting and is in a different world than his other two trilogies.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: MSJ on March 01, 2017, 08:41:03 am
Finished  Senlin Ascends by Josiah Bancroft(7). I highly recommend this to anyone looking for something out of the ordinary in the fantasy genre. Great book, getting ready to start the 2nd in the trilogy, Arm of the Sphinx.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: SilentRoamer on March 13, 2017, 11:18:27 am
Hey guys,

Hope you are all enjoying your reads so far. I will update the thread this evening.

For my part my mum took another turn for the worst so been struggling to find reading time between hospital visits.

Currently halfway through Abercrombies Best Served Cold (Really enjoying) and also reading Dawkins The God Delusion.

Hopeful to finish at least one before the end of this week.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: Wilshire on March 20, 2017, 04:43:25 pm
Finished Ursula K Le Guin's "The Dispossessed"

This was a fantastic book. Once I realized that it was more about the characters than the plot itself, I really started enjoying this book. Its like a conversation about the human experience, covering topics from economics, politics, and academia, to friendship, marriage, parenting, everything in between, and much more. Quite moving, thought provoking, and for a book set in a star system some 20 light years away thousands of years in the future, following a scientist trying to develop the first FTL engine, its not what I expected.

Definitely worth the read if you're looking for some classic scifi. Probably pass this one buy if you're looking for plot heavy / action-packed, but worthwhile if you're in the right mindset.



Also noteworthy: the Ansible is developed in this book. As it turns out, she (Le Guin), was the first to call FTL communication by this name, and later Card and several other authors just wholesale lifted the idea :) . Card even has a cheeky comment in-universe about the name 'coming from some old book somewhere'. Great reference there, solidarity amongst the great scifi authors.

Total: 3
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: MSJ on March 20, 2017, 09:10:38 pm
Finished Arm of the Sphinx by Bancroft. Very good sequel and his writing and story improves upon a very good story to begin with. I highly recommend it. ( 8 )

I am also about half way through American Gods by Neil Gaiman. Don't know why I've never read this before, it's great. And, wanted to read it ahead of the series on Stars coming out in April, which looks very, very fucking badass.(8 1/2)

Next, I am gonna give Blood Meridian a go. Obviously, you guys highly recommend it and have heard lots of good stuff about it. Hey, a book with a Slog, has to be a good book, amirite?
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: Wilshire on March 21, 2017, 03:15:54 pm
American Gods is one of the more recent Hugo and Nebula winners, definitely want to read that. Maybe after Windup Girl.

I'm not super into reading awarded books, but I've looked at lists of winners for just Hugo or just Nebula, and found that I've read several. Seems most decent and popular books have an award of some description, but popularity seems to be a pretty huge factor. Some books on either list that I inadvertently read were either really average or downright disappointing. That said, so far, everything that managed to win both those awards has been exceptional.
Certainly not to say that books without awards can't be great, but I figured I'd pick some of the low hanging fruit first. I'm mostly trying to expand the breadth of literary experience, reading authors I haven't already partaken of.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: MSJ on March 21, 2017, 03:29:38 pm
American Gods is one of the more recent Hugo and Nebula winners, definitely want to read that. Maybe after Windup Girl.

I highly recommend it Wilshire, and I'm only half way through. Very interesting, but does have a bit of a slow pace at times. My favorite part is trying to figure out exactly who the "Old Gods" are exactly. As one not to well read in that regard, I have some trouble. Some are explained, others are not.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: Alia on March 23, 2017, 06:54:41 pm
Finally managed to get through Tregillis's The Mechanical (book 4 of the year) - although I must admit I simply skimmed the last part. It's bad, and I mean really bad, on so many levels. The characters, even the ones you are supposed to like or at least sympathise, are irritating, the plot is uninteresting (and this is book one of the series - I'm not going to read the next for sure) and I finished it only because I really rarely leave books unfinished.
And one more thing - the language. There was simply too much profanity. Now, as you can guess from my being on this forum, I do not mind sex, violence and strong language. But only when it makes sense in the context. Here it looked like the author was shouting "hey, look, I know it's steampunk, but it's not young adult. Seriously, look, I'm swearing a lot, it's not YA! Not YA at all, remember!"
Definitely not recommended.

Now I'm reading something totally strange - a friend of mine asked me to read her husband's unpublished crime novel to see if it was any good. And while it certainly needs a lot of editing and proofreading, I'm already halfway through it (and I started reading on the train on Monday). Because the characters are realistic and believable.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: MSJ on March 30, 2017, 05:28:05 pm
Finished American Gods, and I can't recommend it highly enough. Great Book (9). Then finished Dead Man's Steel, by Luke Scull (10). Great ending to a decent series. My favorite of the trilogy.

I am gonna spend some time rereading TSA. I think I'll start with TTT and go from there. I will take MG's advice and reread TTT. I'd start at the beginning, but I think I've gained all I can from PoN and TWP.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: Wilshire on March 31, 2017, 12:59:49 pm
I'd start at the beginning, but I think I've gained all I can from PoN and TWP.
Blasphemy!
You forget, so I must ask: Is not truth infinite?
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: Alia on April 10, 2017, 07:39:32 pm
Finished the unpublished crime novel, which was pretty good (and in dire need of editing and proofreading), which is book 5 of the year, now I'm reading Norse Mythology by Gaiman. I've read Edda years ago, so the stories are familiar, but still it's nice to read them again.
Next in line is probably Watts's Echopraxia. I was waiting for an e-book of Polish translation, but as it's not available, I finally bought the original.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: MSJ on April 10, 2017, 11:56:14 pm
Just finished Levithian Wakes, by James S.A. Corey (11). Great book, and I am glad I've stumbled into the Sci-fi genre. Onto Caliban's War, next in the Expanse series. Gonna read a few of these and start my re-read of TEA around beginning of May. Don't know wether I'll start at the beginning or TTT. But, looking at references from TDTCB, I realize how much I love that book,  so I might start from the beginning.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: Alia on April 18, 2017, 08:44:44 am
Finished Norse Mythology (6). Short book, beautifully written stories that I was familiar with - but it was good to read them once more in this form. I've started Echopraxia and I realised that I'd forgotten much of Blindsight.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: H on April 19, 2017, 12:31:12 pm
I just finished Babylon's Ashes, but I'm not sure what I want to read next.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: MSJ on April 21, 2017, 12:07:12 pm
Finished  Abaddon's Gate (12). Starting the next one in The Expanse, then on to my TSA reread.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: Wilshire on April 21, 2017, 12:44:42 pm
Finished  Abaddon's Gate (12). Starting the next one in The Expanse, then on to my TSA reread.
Hey I got a shipping notification from Subterranean Press, I think its Abaddon's Gate. How did you like it?
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: MSJ on April 21, 2017, 02:18:02 pm
Wilshire, have you read Levithian Wakes and Caliban's War? I don't know how well Abaddon's Gate would work as a stand alone. The narrative follows heavily upon the first two books of the series. However, it is quite good. It's a very interesting story that builds upon the prior works quite nicely. Good characterization, plot is good, the overall writing does leave a bit to be desired, though. The books do follow the same layout in each one, that I've read so far. All in all, I really like them and would recommend to anyone. I am new to sci-fi, so I don't have a lot to compare them to.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: Wilshire on April 21, 2017, 02:37:22 pm
Fair enough, thanks for the review.

Finished "Throwing Rocks at the Google Bus" by Douglas Rushkoff

Great book. He has an interesting take on the current economic trends, how we got here, and some potential solutions. Glad I read it.

Total: 4
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: MSJ on April 30, 2017, 06:35:04 am
Finished Cibola Burns (13), good but not as good as the first 3. Still worth the read. Now, to begin with TSA reread before TUC hits the shelves.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: MSJ on May 19, 2017, 08:34:03 am
Just finished The Darkness That Comes Before(14), by R Scott Bakker. Don't know if you have heard of the guy or not, but its goooood stuff.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: Wilshire on May 19, 2017, 11:51:59 am
Just finished The Darkness That Comes Before(14), by R Scott Bakker. Don't know if you have heard of the guy or not, but its goooood stuff.

Its in my to-read pile. I'm hoping to get to it within the next couple weeks ...
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: Redeagl on May 19, 2017, 06:21:32 pm
Worst series I have ever read.I hated it so much that I bought and read all the available books more than one time just to bitch about it.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: TaoHorror on May 19, 2017, 06:43:26 pm
It doubles has decent toilet paper if you're caught on the john without a roll ...
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: MSJ on May 30, 2017, 10:14:07 pm
Finsished The Warrior Prophet(15), I love this book as much as any. On to TTT.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: MSJ on June 30, 2017, 10:16:14 pm
Finished The Thousandfold Thought and The Great Ordeal (16&17). About halfway through Nemesis Games, but doubt ill finish by the time TUC comes out. At which point I will drop whatever it is I'm reading.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: MSJ on July 06, 2017, 01:01:00 am
Finished Nemesis Games (18), now onto TUC baby!
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: TaoHorror on July 06, 2017, 07:23:11 pm
Aw, you dog, I'm still waiting for my Amazon order to fulfill - I'm sad.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: SilentRoamer on July 17, 2017, 11:04:42 am
Starting TUC when I get home tonight - will update totals correctly once finished!
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: Wilshire on July 17, 2017, 01:26:46 pm
Started TJE lol. I've got a week till TUC is here right? Plenty of time to read TAE...
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: MSJ on July 24, 2017, 09:06:39 pm
The Unholy Consult (19). Was about halfway through Red Sister by Mark Lawrence, but some guy name Beardfisher King recommended Three Body Problem. I checked it out, downloaded it and now i cant put it down. Im about a 1/5 of the way through, so i havent hit whats really going onand what not, but its interesting, very much so. Thanks for the rec BK! :)
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: MSJ on August 03, 2017, 11:42:01 pm
Finsihed Threee Body Problem (20), onto the sequel The Dark Forest. TBP was a really interesting read, but alot of scientific lingo that went over my head. Didnt hurt the plot or pacing though. Good book!
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: H on August 07, 2017, 01:03:23 pm
Finsihed Threee Body Problem (20), onto the sequel The Dark Forest. TBP was a really interesting read, but alot of scientific lingo that went over my head. Didnt hurt the plot or pacing though. Good book!

I want to read that, but I am going to wait until The Stone Sky comes out on the 15th and I can finish it first.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: MSJ on August 09, 2017, 11:19:49 pm
Ehhh, instead of starting The Dark Forest, I've opted to give The Court of Broken Knives, Anna Smith Sparks. Just started and I'm liking it alot. You can tell its gonna full of intrigue and bloody mayhem!!!
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: H on August 10, 2017, 10:59:15 am
Ehhh, instead of starting The Dark Forest, I've opted to give The Court of Broken Knives, Anna Smith Sparks. Just started and I'm liking it alot. You can tell its gonna full of intrigue and bloody mayhem!!!

I've tried to read the except from The Court of Broken Knives three times now and cannot find my way through it.  Not that it's bad, it actually seems good, but something about her writing style jars me out of reading it nearly every other sentence...I really wanted to like it, but I just couldn't read it.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: MSJ on August 10, 2017, 11:18:32 am
H, started out that way, but I'm about 8 chapters in and its getting good. Alot of mystery and plotting behind backs. Yea, her prose is a bit off, but, it's her debut novel. I expect it to get better in the next book.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: Redeagl on August 10, 2017, 03:06:24 pm
I liked Court. It does take some time to get into it. My biggest problem with it is a certain plot turn that happens sometime after the hallway point.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: Woden on August 11, 2017, 07:36:34 pm
I put a goal of 30 books this year in Goodreads, and I've already read 25 (7 of them my slog of slogs of PON and TAE).
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: MSJ on August 11, 2017, 07:55:05 pm
I think my goal was 20-25, so I'm there. I usually average about 20 a year give or take. Depends on my moods and how much free time I get at work. ;)
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: MSJ on August 18, 2017, 07:36:56 pm
Finished The Court of Broken Knives, excellent and I loved and want more of it, period. I think her writing will improve upon each book, but was too jarri g for me.

Almost done with GGK's Under Heaven, and this is very, very good stuff. Basically historical fiction and keeps you wanting more and on the edge of your seat constantly.

Next up, N.K. Jemisin's The Stone Sky. And, I've lived the 1st two a whole lot and am hoping that the ending is tied up nicely and in a satisfactory way.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: MSJ on August 20, 2017, 04:05:14 am
CoBK(21)

Just finished Under Heaven(22) by GGK. Excellent book. First time I've ever read any of his stuff and I can't recommend it highly enough. Great book.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: Fenris777 on August 20, 2017, 02:25:31 pm
Huh. I never set year goals for my reading, but I like the idea, even more so the tracking part - I have a habit of forgetting I've already read things. Let me just see if I can back track on my Kobo and get a list going.

Currently Reading: Hyperobjects - Timothy Morton
Next Up: Kill Society - Richard Kadrey

The Rise and Fall of Dodo: A Novel - Neal Stephenson
Merchant Princes Saga 1-5 inclusive - Charles Stross
Midnight Riot - Ben Aaronovitch
Moon Over Soho - Ben Aaronovitch
Whispers under Ground - Ben Aaronovitch
Catch-22 - Joseph Heller
Warhammer 40K - Horus Heresy Novels 1-10 (pure nostalgia, I'm a 40K geek from way back)
Meditations - Marcus Aurelius
Old Man's War 1-6 - John Scalzi
Sandman Slim 1-6, 8 - Richard Kadrey (re-reads, prep for number 9 above)
The Bonehunters - Steven Erickson
House of Chains - Steven Erickson
Midnight Tides - Stephen Erickson (all three are re-reads)

*edit* Also re-read Bakker's first five books then forgot to read the one I did that to prep for. ;D

That gets me back to sometime in Jan-Feb when I had to replace my Kobo. Stross was a new author to me, and I enjoyed him a lot. Fluffy reads, but good. The new Stephenson (DODO) is awesome. The Rivers of London series is cracking good urban fantasy.

I get a lot of reading done in the summer months, as you can see. :)
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: Wilshire on August 23, 2017, 03:28:29 pm
Written goals tend to lead to accomplishing them ;)

You do get a lot of reading done, geez, Fenris777. I am jealous.

Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: Wilshire on August 23, 2017, 03:38:02 pm
Oh, finished The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi

Not as good as of the the other H/N awardees, but still a pretty good book. I have a slight feeling that this beat out other books for awards that year do to its timeliness regarding genetic engineering, global warming, politics, etc.

Interesting book that weaved many storylines together pretty well. Started a bit slow becuase there was a lot of set up,  but it picked up after about half way. Though, as I like my Fantasy to be Fantastic (magic and all that), I like the SciFi to be Fictitious (future techs, please), and I think that's what Windup Girl was missing a bit of for me. Yes, there was some behind the scenes genetic engineering of everything, but since it was set in a nearly post-apocalypse country holding out against the big tech companies, this was largely a book about the characters.

Fun read, I'd recommend it.

Total: 5
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: MSJ on August 23, 2017, 04:25:27 pm
Ok, finished The Stone Sky (23), And I have to say that from a fantasy standpoint, where you want to know what's happening and behind the scenes, it was really refreshing to have it all played out for you. I mean, I can handle when its not, but in this series when you finished you don't have any questions. Its a really good story and again I recommend the series to anyone.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: Fenris777 on August 27, 2017, 10:54:09 pm
Just finished The Steel Remains by Richard K. Morgan (author of the excellent Takehashi Kovacs novels). Solid grimdark, and not overwrought trying to become so (some GD makes me think of 14 year old Goth kids in that regard). More David Gemmel than Steven Erikson on the world-building front, but that's not a criticism. Started on the sequel, The Cold Commands, which also seems good so far.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: MSJ on August 27, 2017, 11:19:26 pm
Quote from:  Fenris777
Just finished The Steel Remains by Richard K. Morgan (author of the excellent Takehashi Kovacs novels). Solid grimdark, and not overwrought trying to become so (some GD makes me think of 14 year old Goth kids in that regard). More David Gemmel than Steven Erikson on the world-building front, but that's not a criticism. Started on the sequel, The Cold Commands, which also seems good so far.

One of too 5 fantasy series I've ever read. I really like Morgan and his style. I should really try his Kovac novels but never have. Im glad your enjoying it, and it only gets better.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: Fenris777 on September 01, 2017, 08:36:08 pm
Finished the Cold Commands. The series remains awesome. Now I just have to acquire the third volume... I really liked the inclusion of LGBTQ main characters, they were well written and not included just as a plot device. Almost a novelty in mainstream fantasy fiction (sadly).

In the meantime I started Anthony Ryan's Blood Song (Raven's Shadow #1). I'm about 20 pages in and starting to think that I've read it before. I'll finish it either way of course.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: MSJ on September 01, 2017, 08:42:20 pm
Quote from:  Fenris777
Finished the Cold Commands. The series remains awesome. Now I just have to acquire the third volume... I really liked the inclusion of LGBTQ main characters, they were well written and not included just as a plot device. Almost a novelty in mainstream fantasy fiction (sadly).

Besides Cnaüir, it was the best LGBTQ+ characters in fantasy I've read. They always feel fake and contrived any other time. I agree that their well done.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: MSJ on September 01, 2017, 08:50:45 pm
Oh, the last one s a mind-blower on Bakker-type level. You'll really enjoy it, best of the three.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: Woden on September 02, 2017, 09:49:30 pm
27 read this year for now. I'm sure I will achieve my goal of 30. 8)
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: MSJ on September 08, 2017, 09:14:25 pm
Finished Forge of Darkness , by Erikson (24). Redeagl thanks for making me get of my butt and read this. Really good, but you have to like Malazan. Really interesting and explains a lot about the Tiste and how the Warrens were created, love the back stories of books. This is the exact shit Bakkker should do when completing TSA, so fascinating. On to Fall of Light, because I didn't want FoD to end, craving more and more. Of you read Malazan, these and Esselmont's books on the beginning of the Malazan Empire are essential reading.

That said, Erikson summoned his inner Bakker in these books with all the psychological musings, he's just not as good at it. Bakker layers it into the narrative, Erikson dedicated while sections to them. I found myself skimming those parts sometimes.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: Redeagl on September 09, 2017, 02:59:12 pm
Finished Forge of Darkness , by Erikson (24). Redeagl thanks for making me get of my butt and read this. Really good, but you have to like Malazan. Really interesting and explains a lot about the Tiste and how the Warrens were created, love the back stories of books. This is the exact shit Bakkker should do when completing TSA, so fascinating. On to Fall of Light, because I didn't want FoD to end, craving more and more. Of you read Malazan, these and Esselmont's books on the beginning of the Malazan Empire are essential reading.

That said, Erikson summoned his inner Bakker in these books with all the psychological musings, he's just not as good at it. Bakker layers it into the narrative, Erikson dedicated while sections to them. I found myself skimming those parts sometimes.
Good to hear that you liked it, MSJ. Book 2 is more of the same. It has some really epic scenes though. You will know them when you see read them.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: Wilshire on September 13, 2017, 05:59:46 pm
Total: 6

Heroes Die by Matthew Stover

Very enjoyable. Its currently up for being voted on for 'how grimdark is it' up on lawrence's blog (I'd say not very, maybe 3 of 5 on my arbitrary scale of idontknowwhatgrimdarkis). Fun read here, with whiffs of Earwa and Dunyain mixed with what amounts to Assassin's Creed type technology. I found it entertaining, if a tad shallow. Still though, without spoilers, I'd say that the ending was very well done, making it all worth the read (sometimes you get hit right in the feels).

Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: Fenris777 on September 18, 2017, 10:23:10 am
I enjoyed Stover's whole series immensely. Very much worth reading. It gets better and better. It's also pretty goddamn grim, if not grimdark (and I share the disability of not really knowing what that's supposed to mean past the broad strokes).

I finished the second novel in Anthony's Ryan's Blood Song series. Excellent, better than the first. I need to lay my hands on the sequal. Without book three I decided to move along to Morgan's Takehashi Kovacs novels. Altered Carbon was as good as I remembered it and I'm just about finished Broken Angels, which is also great. I'm struggling to recall why I didn't read the whole seried the first time I read Altered Carbon. Probably because the library didn't have them. :)
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: Woden on September 18, 2017, 02:33:00 pm
28. Finished - Sword & Citadel of Wolfe (they are truly two books buy I just counted one). I'm going for my 29: The Urth of the New Sun.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: Wilshire on September 20, 2017, 02:58:43 pm
Total: 7

The Gap into Conflict: The Real Story

Quick read - but holy shit was it dark. Way darker than I was expecting. Short book, probably a novella by itself, but I'm counting it because I'm low on books ;) .
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: MSJ on September 24, 2017, 01:18:35 am
Finished Fall of Light(25). Same as FoD, great book and interesting in terms of backstory.

On to Babylon's Ashes to get all your up on The Expanse. So, 25 books, I've made my yearly target and gonna keep on plowing through.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: MSJ on October 01, 2017, 07:32:59 am
Finished Babylon's Ashes (26), so all caught up on The Expanse. Pondering what to read next.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: MSJ on October 05, 2017, 02:44:01 am
Finished The Real Story(27) by Donaldson and onto Forbidden Knowledge. I've seen the Gap Cycle recommended and liked by many people around here, so I decided to give it a go. Really liked the first one and can see where the story has a lot of room to grow.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: Woden on October 08, 2017, 08:56:57 pm
Urth finished, my 29 book of the year.
I'm going to read now the books of blood (vols. IV, V and VI) of Barker.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: MSJ on October 11, 2017, 09:30:44 am
Done with Forbidden Knowledge(29), 2nd in the Gap Cycle. Really enjoying these books. This one leaves you on a huge cliffhanger. Luckily, I don't have to wait on the next book to come out. Ahh, the joys of completed series. :)
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: MSJ on October 30, 2017, 08:59:20 pm
Finished The Red Knight(30), by Miles Cameron. I've heard nothing but good stuff about this series. It was a great read. Battles scenes were great areminded me of Abercrombie so the shifting POV's throughout. People on various sites are dying to read the last book which just came out. I can see why. There is room for so much mystery and intrigue that's set up in the 1st book. Moving on to the 2nd one. I would definitely recommend this too anyone. Most fantasy I read is just OK. The Traitor Son Cycle looks to have the potential to be very, very good.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: MSJ on November 14, 2017, 09:17:21 pm
Sorry, Myles Cameron. Deadhouse Landing has been purchased. Will get back to after this book I've been waiting on.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: MSJ on November 14, 2017, 09:19:05 pm
Oh, and I did finish The Fell Knight (31). It was good, not as good as the 1st, but inwas told it was a set up book for the rest of the series. Certainly had that feel.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: Wilshire on November 15, 2017, 06:38:40 pm
Total: 8

Forever War by Joe Haldeman

This was OK. Actually, given that its one of the hugo/nebula books, I was pretty underwhelmed. It was a good story and had a good ending - but probably some of the things that were a big deal in the 70's didn't translate great 40 years later. Still a fun read though.

Oh and I don't think I counted:
Total: 9
The Unholy Consult.
Finally finished the published version. Great, great book. Happy with how it all turned out. FYI, I wouldn't recommend listening to it, as there seems to be a lot of meaning packed into bakker's italics/bold/caps that isn't translated properly into the audiobook.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: MSJ on November 19, 2017, 07:41:36 pm
Finished Deadhouse Landing (32). Again, best stuff Esselmont has put out there and if your a fan of Malazan, these books are a must.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: MSJ on November 19, 2017, 08:18:08 pm
Sorry, still can't edit on phone or I'd add to the above post, but I don't wanna talk much about DL because Redeagl might get his panties in a bunch, lol. Red, when your done, PM me. Id like to discuss it with someone. Well, anyone on the board for that matter. Questions I have and things I want to tease out.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: MSJ on November 30, 2017, 01:43:56 pm
So, finished both The Dread Wrym and The Plague of Swords (33, 34). I spoke about this series in the quorum, Traitor Son Cycle, by Miles Cameron. Just can't recommend it enough.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: MSJ on December 02, 2017, 05:13:31 am
Oh, and id live to discuss these books, as there is a ton to discuss. I wish one of my great friends here at TSA might have read it and let me know. Or, really, I will guarantee that if you start, you won't put it down. And, then we could discuss. So much to unpack, in the same way as TSA is. Though, I will say, where in TSA you are left to find answers for yourself, for the most part, there are as many HUGE reveals as mysteries that are left unexplained. I could talk about these books for hours. Just like our beloved TSA. So, please, MSJ needs a Traitor Son buddy. All are welcome. The 1st book is 2.99 on Amazon Kindle. Not a huge investment to see wether its your taste, or not.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: BeardFisher-King on December 02, 2017, 05:32:57 pm
Oh, and id live to discuss these books, as there is a ton to discuss. I wish one of my great friends here at TSA might have read it and let me know.....So, please, MSJ needs a Traitor Son buddy. All are welcome. The 1st book is 2.99 on Amazon Kindle. Not a huge investment to see wether its your taste, or not.

I'm interested, MSJ, but I'm also considering starting the Malazan series. What to do, what to do.....
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: MSJ on December 02, 2017, 06:02:03 pm
BFK, you'll finish TSC, way before Malazan. I love Malazan, TSC is right up there with TSA.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: MSJ on December 09, 2017, 11:48:19 am
Finished The Fall of Dragons (35). Great series. I have to put this up in my top ten, maybe top5 series ever. Its that good.

Digging back into The Gap Cycle.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: MSJ on December 11, 2017, 12:52:45 am
Scratch that, going back to Coldfire Trilogy.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: MSJ on December 26, 2017, 11:10:39 pm
Finished When True Night Falls ((36). Going on ahead and finishingblast book in Coldfire Trilogy. Might get done before New Year, I doubt it though. But, 36 surpasses my mark of 20-25 that I wanted to read this year. Probably most books I've read in a year, and a lot of them were very good books. Have a couple series I'm in the midst of, Persepolis Rising waiting on me to start out the new year.

I'd say I'd liken to read some non-fiction, but I've become a huge fan of sci-fi/fantasy. I just love the genre.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: MSJ on December 27, 2017, 01:39:24 am
Ok, for sci-fi lovers I cannot recommend Red Rising (3 book series), by Pierce Brown highly enough. I've just started in the genre and am admidittly a newbie. But, it is the best sci-fi series I've read this far. Better than Dune, Gap Cycle, I think arguably The Expanse and a few others I've delved into and can't remember the names at the moment.

It has everything. Great characters, plot, pace and enough twists and turns to make you never want to put the books down. I was really, really surprised and enjoyed the hell out of it. If you like sci-fi, please, for me check it out. Its also complete, such is a plus.

Fantasy. I've read a ton this year. Not gonna mention Bakker, because that goes without being said.

Josiah Bancroft's Tower of Babel, which currently has two books published out of the trilogy, is quite honestly the best and most unique (unique as in all time unique) books I've read all year. He's self-published, which I look at as a huge plus. Trust me, this isn't original fantasy and you won't be disappointed. He could finish the trilogy, and write in this setting for years, like Bakker. Just so much to explore. I have a feeling when the series is done, fans will be pining for more, just like us Bakker fans....yea, that good.

My second recommendation would be Miles Cameron, Traitor Son Cycle. I think 5 books, series complete. More of a traditional fantasy. But, an awesome magic system (and lets admit, a well read fantasy reader loves a good magic system.), great characters (and I mean great, internal conflict, external conflict, the whole nine yards.), plot is awesome, setting is second to none. And, like Bakker religion is central to the story. Maybe not in the same way, but doubt plays a huge part. I've read a ton of fantasy, not much you can name I haven't read. Top 5 without a doubt.

By no means will you like these stories and I'm not guaranteeing you will. Just out of what I've read this year, these are my favorites. And, I wish others would give them a shot. None of them are dummy books. All of them are thinker books, and that's why I recommended them. I know the audience here and I know you guys are a rough crowd to please. Just looking to give you some options while we inevitably wait on The No God. Cheers my friends! I hope you trust my tastes and what I feel are quality books that will keep you wanting more.

Sincerely,
MSJ
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: TaoHorror on December 27, 2017, 02:26:03 am
Scratch that, going back to Coldfire Trilogy.

I read this years ago and liked it - would be interested in what you think.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: MSJ on December 27, 2017, 03:50:03 am
Quote from:  TaoHorror
I read this years ago and liked it - would be interested in what you think.

I never knew it was so old tbh. But, yes, I'm enjoying it a lot. So much in fact, I skipped the next Expanse novel, for the last of this series. And, I really enjoy The Expanse, so that tells you how much I'm into the story.

(click to show/hide)

Maybe not a huge prediction, yet I see it hard for both to happen.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: TaoHorror on December 27, 2017, 04:33:01 am
Quote from:  TaoHorror
I read this years ago and liked it - would be interested in what you think.

I never knew it was so old tbh. But, yes, I'm enjoying it a lot. So much in fact, I skipped the next Expanse novel, for the last of this series. And, I really enjoy The Expanse, so that tells you how much I'm into the story.

(click to show/hide)

Maybe not a huge prediction, yet I see it hard for both to happen.

Weeeeeell, I take it you don't want a response from me  ;)

Clearly easier to understand than PON.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: MSJ on December 27, 2017, 05:06:59 am
No response. But, I think you gave me one unintentionally....no big deal though. Like you said, it ain't TSA.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: MSJ on January 04, 2018, 07:02:04 pm
I did finish the Coldfire Trilogy before the New Year began. So with Crown of Shadows finished that puts my count at 37!!!!!! Most books I've ever read in a single year.
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: MSJ on January 04, 2018, 07:04:29 pm
Oh, Tao, I think the ending was superbly done. I really enjoyed it.

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Yearly Targets (2017) - Totals and Specifics
Post by: Wilshire on January 04, 2018, 07:07:34 pm
MSJ, that is a lot of books.

Finished Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch (Gentleman Bastards Book 2).

The heist didn't come together very well at the end, imo. Unlike the first book where everything seemed to masterfully fall by machinations set into play by the characters, our heroes this time seemed to get real lucky for no particular reason.

Story/plot/character development though were probably on par with the previous books, maybe a little less (definetly missed the childhood flashbacks). Altogether still a good book. Not sure if he'll be able to squeeze, what 7 total books from this like he said, but I'll keep reading them if they stay decent.