[H]

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.

[MSJ]

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.

[Redeagl]

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.

[Woden]

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).

[MSJ]

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.

[MSJ]

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.

[MSJ]

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.

[Fenris777]

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.

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.

[Wilshire]

Written goals tend to lead to accomplishing them

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

[Wilshire]

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

[MSJ]

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.

[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.

[MSJ]

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.

[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).

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.

[MSJ]

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.