What are you reading?

[StraightForward]

It's going to be a long winter, so I just bought myself a Kindle Oasis in an effort to read a little more and watch a little less TV.

Right now I'm reading Breath after listening to the author's interview on Fresh Air a few months ago. It has applicability to riding, managing stress and surviving respiratory complications, so I'd say it's timely. I'm about 1/4 through, and so far it's really interesting.

I've also been slowly reading Janis, a Janis Joplin bio, but honestly it's dragging a bit, but I'll certainly make a point of finishing it.

What are you reading? Or what have you read and enjoyed lately?

A few I liked looking back at my Kindle library and bookshelves:

The Butchering Art
Catch and Kill
The Cooking Gene
Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are?
Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking
The Best Land Under Heaven
Shrill
Whiskey When We're Dry (because sometimes I read fiction)

[acheyarcher]

Non-fiction I loved Bill Brysons The Body. I highly recommend The Emperor of All Maladies ( all about cancer thick but highly readable) I also recommend any book by Mary Roach. She explores science topics based on a theme. The first one I read was "Stiff, the secret life of cadavers" compelling, funny thoughtful. Her Packing for Mars asks questions you never thought you wanted an answer for . Yes there is a chapter on pooping.

for fiction I binge read the whole Sue Grafton alphabet series. Must be read in order, handy that they are titled as such.


Am awaiting Sandi Toksvigs Almanac for 2021 a daily reading about a woman in history. I also have The Daily Stoic, a daily page on stoicism. Great mental reset.

[Ponichiwa]

I too loved "The Emperor of All Maladies" and "Stiff". On a similar science-is-interesting theme but less dense than Emperor are Sam Kean's books ("The Violinist's Thumb", "The Disappearing Spoon", although some of the anecdotes and fun facts make their appearance in several different books).

Also loved "Only a Theory" by Kenneth R Miller, which tackles the main arguments against teaching evolution in school in a non-condescending and clever way.

I'm currently hacking my way through "Team of Rivals" by Doris Kearns Goodwin, which dissects the Civil War years through the lens of Lincoln's choice of cabinet. I had just finished her FDR/Eleanor Roosevelt bio "No Ordinary Time" (which I thought was really good!) but I just can't get into this one. It's been on my coffee table for easily 3 weeks as I take intermittent hacks at it 50pg at a time.

A book I wouldn't have picked on my own but ended up loving was "Boom Town" by sports writer Sam Anderson. He tackled the history of Oklahoma City amid the rise of their NBA team the Thunder in a really entertaining but (again) not condescending way. He pokes light fun at OKC's idiosyncrasies without the flyover-state-why-even-bother attitude. Really liked this one.

I'm in a "leadership book club" at work and can honestly say that the business improvement books truly deserve the bad rap they get. One executive coach described "women swooning" about one of his high-profile clients (yeah, dude, nobody's swooning at work anymore; we're not strapped into corsets and losing consciousness on the regular). Sports metaphors abound. Not my favorite genre.

[texsuze]

Showing my age (somewhat, maybe) I'm on a Dickens kick right now. Just finished C.D.'s "Our Mutual Friend" after reading "Bleak House". Both are very long, with many interesting characters, and were originally written as serials.

Next up I'll probably start Willa Cather's "O Pioneers"; I loved her novel, "My Antonia", probably one of my most favorite books.

Two huge favorites of mine, from Texas author John Graves, are "From a Limestone Ledge" and "Hardscrabble". Both are reflections by Graves on country life in his home state. His prose is at once articulate, simple, flowing and woven with lots of humor.

[PaulaO]

I have several books on the to be read pile but I cannot get into any of them. Tonight I'm going to try "The Splendid and the Vile" by Erik Larson. About Churchill during 1940-41.

[silk]

Pasta Grannies, which is a cookbook. I'm loving the short insta/fb videos and managed to loan it from the library.

[Tanga]

Ooooh. This is good. I'm a huge sci fi fan and a few years back reread Assimove, Heinlein and Clarke. Then I discovered Peter F Hamiltion--Wheee!! Massive books about 1,000 pages each, with 3 to 9 in a series with heavy duty smart science, galaxy building, and culture building. I spent the last few years reading all of his and just started his new book, Saints of Salvation, which is the 3rd book in a series.

I am also on She-Fi Ladies who Love Science Fiction Facebook group and get a lot of good recommendations there, especially female authors because I haven't read many. I did read the two Octavia Butler Sower books, which was BRUTAL, over the summer, because they are set here where I live and WAY too close to what was going on in the country and where we were heading. I did one chapter of Jemison, which was way too similar, so I had to put that away for awhile.

So I started I read a few "lighter" less real sci fi women and really liked them. I am way into Sara King and the Zero series--very warlike and rough, but all about many different aliens and cultures. I am looking forward to the rest of the books.

If anyone's interesting, here are the notes I have for future reading, if you like sci fi!

Octavia Butler - Parable series, N.K.Jemisin - Broken Earth Trilogy and everything, Nalo Hopkinson - Brown Girl in the Ring

NK Jemisin's short stories How Long Til Black Future Month is a great way to get a taste of her writing style. Then jump into The Broken Earth trilogy. (I recommend it as audio)

Gini Koch's Aliens

Anne Leckie Ancillary Justice

Martha Wells Murderbot Diaries

 Lois McMaster Bujold's "Cordelia's Honor"

Adam Roberts Stone

Ursula LeGuin

THE CALCULATING STARS BY MARY ROBINETTE KOWAL

SPACE OPERA BY CATHERYNNE M. VALENTE

Alastair Reynolds  Revelation series,
Dan Simmons Hyperion and Banks

Seveneves by Neal Stephenson

Kameron Hurley Stars are Legion (F) all female world building

Ann Leckie Ancillary Justice

Fifth Sacred Thing by Starhawk

Noumenon Series Marina Lostetter

Straight sci fi
Ann Leckie's Ancillary Justice series was phenomenal. Becky Chambers' book The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet is space based, but generally kind of light and fun. I 

Elizabeth Ann Scarborough? I love their Powers That Be series. It’s about a partially disabled soldier sent to spy on a company community only to find out the planet they are terraforming is actually sentient.

Murderbot Diaries series by Martha Well

The Future of Another Timeline by Annalee Newitz

Ursula K LeGuin

Sara King. The series was called Zero.

Vonda McIntyre’s Starfarers

 Becky Chambers novels, the first of which reminded me of Firefly

 C.S. Friedman. My favorite is "In Conquest Born", but the Coldfire Trilogy is also very good, admittedly heading toward Fantasy in that series.

C.S. Friedman. My favorite is "In Conquest Born", but the Coldfire Trilogy is also very good, admittedly heading toward Fantasy in that series

John Scalzi “Fuzzy Nation,” “ Agent to the Stars,” and “Android dreams”. 

Becky Chambers. C.J. Cherryh— the Chanur series is good, as is her current one with aliens sort of based on feudal Japanese society— the Atevi. Cherryh’s stuff is complex but not depressing. Elizabeth Moon. You might also look at Bujold’s Chalion and Sharing Knife books.
Sharon Lee and Steve Miller’s Liaden series is excellent. Linnea Sinclair has written some good ones. Tanya Huff’s Valor books. 

 Elizabeth Moon's sci-fi series, Vatta's War and Serrano Legacy.
Space opera, with a slightly more militaristic bent for Vatta's war, strong female protagonist, decently hard sci-fi though they do handwave FTL travel.
I think Vatta comes before Serrano chronologically. They're written in almost identical, if not shared universes.
She also wrote a book in the Planet Pirates trilogy with Anne McCaffrey, titled Sassinak which I enjoyed thoroughly.

Jack McDevitt. A male author but Priscilla Hutchins is strong female character who blazes her own path. I highly recommend his Priscilla Hutchins series but I love all of his books. The Hutch series is a lot of searching for clues to finding current alien life, researching past alien civilizations, and a mystery arc that covers the entire series that just kept me turning the pages so I could see what happens next. I

EM Foner's EarthCent series is also feel-good, intelligent, and has interesting future science details. Set on a space station with millions of inhabitants, including aliens from civilizations much older than human civilizations,

CJ Cherryh,
Julie E. Czerneda -- excellent space SF, non-mil type
Marge Piercy's *He She and It* is more cyberpunk than dystopian and an early entry in the genre,
Ursula Le Guin of course,
Madeleine L'Engle is supposedly written for YA but wonderful,
Connie Willis is excellent,
PD James (The Children of Men) can be dystopy but is good,
Nancy Kress is also excellent
Martha Wells (have not read yet but in TBR, Murderbot series)
Nalini Singh writes SFR, but I love her Psy-Changling series
Nalo Hopkinson is excellent
Nnedi Okorafor is stellar

[Sue B]

Has anyone read the new Tana French novel yet?

[heddylamar]

Has anyone read the new Tana French novel yet?

Not yet. I'm saving her latest two novels for my next travels. Or maybe our Christmas vacation ... hmmm

[Sue B]

I've been going through withdrawals waiting for her to release a new book. A little worried about this one though, since it's not her usual Irish theme.

[silk]

I've started one by Anthony Doerr, 'All the Light We Cannot See'. It was slow to start but fascinating storytelling. I enjoyed another of his books previously (About Grace) so will probably work through any others he has.

I tend to look at the "guaranteed available" and "book club" collections from my local library on my e-reader. If I like the book, I look for others by the same author. I don't like short stories, much prefer long books that I can read for a good length of time.

Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton was good, although a little odd to get into. I've got his newer one on hold.

J. S. Monroe's "Find Me", "The Riot Act", "Forget My Name", "The India Spy" and "The Other You" were good.

[blob]

Has anyone read the new Tana French novel yet?

I did! It was ok. I haven't liked either of her last two as much as the Dublin murder squad books and I'm bummed she hasn't gone back to those. I did like it more than the Witch Elm though.


If you like mysteries--have you read Magpie Murders? It's really a lot of fun and there's a sequel that just came out called Moonflower Murders. It was worth the read for sure, but the first is better.

[StraightForward]

Finally finished the Janis Joplin bio last week; it was longer than it needed to be.

Now I'm reading The Poison Squad, about fighting for regulations to prevent food adulteration around turn of the century (formaldehyde milk and arsenic candy anyone?). The Poison Squad refers to a group of civil servants who volunteered to undergo trials of eating food with borax (which was commonly in butter and other foods) in it to study its effects. I'm grateful for labels and regulation, even if it's not perfect!

[Ponichiwa]

SF-- you and I might have similar taste in books. If you like The Poison Squad, give "Stiff" a try! Also, "I Contain Multitudes" (Ed Yong)-- a really interesting (to me, not a biologist) look at the microbes in our lives and how this strange symbiosis came to be. And if you're more on the early-1900s kick, Douglas Brinkley wrote a Teddy Roosevelt biography called "The Wilderness Warrior"-- focused mostly on his establishment and love for America's national parks in an industrialist age. SUPER writing.

It's 3 weeks later and I'm still hacking my way through the thicket that is "Team of Rivals". Just not for me, I guess.

texsuze-- I recently re-read "A Tale of Two Cities" and loved it. I hit most of the classics in grade school/high school and I can say, 20+ years later, they're a much different read! I appreciate them much more now than I did then.

[StraightForward]

Thanks, I will check those out!

[Sue B]

Blob, who wrote Magpie Murders?

[PaulaO]

Anthony Horowitz wrote Magpie Murders.

Those of you in the Kringle/Secret Santa exchange, don’t buy any books til you get your presents from me!

[texsuze]

Silk, I read "All the Light We Cannot See" a while back. Enjoyed the book very much, but was disappointed with the ending. Some authors are great at weaving an intriguing story, but then seem to speed up and dump it all at the end. JMHO

[KathyK]

texsuze-- I recently re-read "A Tale of Two Cities" and loved it. I hit most of the classics in grade school/high school and I can say, 20+ years later, they're a much different read! I appreciate them much more now than I did then.

I read "Vanity Fair" many years after hating having to read it in high school. Turns out, it's a great read!

[Ponichiwa]

texsuze-- I recently re-read "A Tale of Two Cities" and loved it. I hit most of the classics in grade school/high school and I can say, 20+ years later, they're a much different read! I appreciate them much more now than I did then.

I read "Vanity Fair" many years after hating having to read it in high school. Turns out, it's a great read!

I'll have to give that one another go, although I'm already wincing. Not exactly fond memories for Vanity Fair.

[Anne]

I'm currently re-reading The Goldfinch (Donna Tartt), for the 3rd time, and about to start Barkskins (Annie Proulx)... I'm also part way through The Blind Assassin (Margaret Attwood), but it is an ebook on my phone and wow, I hate that format! Might try to find a print copy because I'm really enjoying it.

[Quelah]

Not reading but listening, I've gone back to school plus life, so I don't have much time to read for pleasure so audiobooks are how I do it. Getting my BS in Wildfire and the Urban Interface, so fire focused stuff. Just finished Granite Mountain, first person by the only survivor, really excellent account of a tragedy. One of my professors is mentioned in the book. Now listening to Malibu Burning, also first person by someone who was in Malibu throughout the Woolsey Fire. If you live in S Cal, or any part of California actually, and you live in or near the interface, or really, unless you live in a concrete block apartment in the inner city, it's worth a read.

[blob]

I'm currently re-reading The Goldfinch (Donna Tartt), for the 3rd time, and about to start Barkskins (Annie Proulx)... I'm also part way through The Blind Assassin (Margaret Attwood), but it is an ebook on my phone and wow, I hate that format! Might try to find a print copy because I'm really enjoying it.

Have you read Tart's Secret History? I found Goldfinch actually disappointing because I read it after Secret History, which I think is truly exceptional. Though, I should revisit it. It's been a long time since I've read it.

I also reread a few of my favorites this year, seemed like a good year for reliably good books.

[Ponichiwa]

Y'all, finally finished "Team of Rivals". Victory is mine, and it is sweet(ish). Celebrated by buying far too many books again.

I'm taking the last two weeks of the year off work, and am looking forward to some honest-to-goodness reading time. On my list:
"Running with Sherman" - Christopher McDougall - running nut and author chronicles his family's Amish miniature donkey rescue's transformation into a competitive long-distance runner. Recommended to me by a work friend who's seen perhaps a couple too many pictures of my menagerie.

"Mediocre" - Ijeoma Olou - tackles post-Reconstruction to current day behavioral norms, specifically the white-male-breadwinner ideal. If it's good, I'm lobbing this grenade at my work book club.

"Apollo's Arrow" - David Orrell - a history of forecasting and prognostication and what that means going forward. Have our improved tools really improved our predictive abilities? I'm a stats and econ junkie, so I've got high hopes for this one. Evidently there's a new book on the coronavirus' impact on the US also by this title, but that's not the one I'm talking about here.

My real goal should be to make sure I've read everything in the house first before I buy new books, but... I've got a problem, and that problem is I'm a book junkie (and also that I don't want to finish that T E Lawrence autobiography that I started oh, a year ago).

[piedmontfields]

I had been meaning to acquire/read Mediocre. Thanks for that reminder. And Apollo's Arrow sounds interesting, too. I'm also a data + economic theory junkie.

[Anne]

Blob, thanks for the Tartt recommendation, I'm sorely tempted to grab it for xmas reading, but already have a few lined up, so might wait and get it early next year.

[Ponichiwa]

I had been meaning to acquire/read Mediocre. Thanks for that reminder. And Apollo's Arrow sounds interesting, too. I'm also a data + economic theory junkie.

I just finished "The Price of Peace"- a biography of John Maynard Keynes + the evolution of the application of his work after he passed. If you're into that sort of thing, highly recommend it. Thought it was well written and engaging (which can be a struggle when your subject is the development of macroeconomics) and thought provoking. Still, every time I see a mention of Nixon I'm once again grateful those times are over.

For more Nixon misery, I read "IF THEN" - Jill Lepore - and was both very entertained and very creeped out by the author's presentation of (among other things) the phobias of the post-WWII era. I do think that now we're reliving some of the lessons we learned in the 60s/70s: overhyped value on advertising, resurgence of race clashes, interminable wars, arbitrary and capricious tariffs/price fixing. Overall, enjoyed (so much as one can when reading anything that has Nixon in it) the book enough to buy several more from the author. (edited title)

"Mediocre" didn't quite hit the right notes for me. I'm clearly on board with the premise but felt the book was a bit weak on cause and leaned pretty heavily on generalities. And maybe I just wanted it to be something that it wasn't even trying to be.

My company announced in March that we wouldn't be getting any bonuses this year thanks to the economic climate (fair enough), but I ended up getting an Amazon gift card from my GM which I immediately turned into more books. I have a problem.

[StraightForward]

I read The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek to get my annual dose of fiction. It was really good, and there is a mule, which is almost a horse. It's set in 1930's Kentucky with the main character delivering books to people in the hills for the government pack mule library project. Additionally she is a "blue" (rare genetic trait limiting blood oxygenation causing the skin to appear blue) and thus facing suspicion and prejudice.

Now I'm reading Careless People about F. Scott Fitzgerald and a dual murder around the time he and Zelda arrived in NY, which inspired parts of Gatsby. Pretty good so far.

Next on deck, I think I'll read Evidence-Based Horsemanship or something else in this large pile of horse books I have sitting here.

[acheyarcher]

Starting the year with "The Daily Stoic" 366 meditations and Sandi Toksvig's Almanac . Sandis book came from a You Tube project she started at the beginning of lockdown. a daily discussion of women in history. Rare and hidden stories.

Hoping to make each book a daily,, quiet start. This is the year to build new patterns habits and thoughts

Have Perestroika in Paris on hold at Library

[piedmontfields]

Mediocre is a very good read/history lesson or reminder. Frankly, if I had a workplace that would actually read it, I would probably love working there! I cannot imagine my present environment embracing space for it.

[VBOpie]

I'm all caught up in Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall trilogy. I'm on book 3, The Mirror and the Light. I wanted to finish it before watching Masterpiece's Wolf Hall, but I didn't wait. Also wanted to learn more about Thomas Cromwell, so am reading Thomas Cromwell: a Revolutionary Life.

[Ponichiwa]

Reviving this thread with a couple fun nonfiction books I've read recently:

A Libertarian Walks into a Bear -- looks at a libertarian takeover of a small NH town government, complete with sidebars into NH's libertarian past (and impacts on bears). Thought the author did a great job managing tone throughout; even though the book is a bit absurdist, it's not smug or snooty and his treatment of the characters therein was sympathetic, not judgmental or dismissive.

Another recent read: Book of Eels -- part memoir, part natural history of the eel with a mix of fun facts about freshwater eels (my friends and family are sick of eel facts). This is a quick read that uses the search for the origins of eels as a metaphor for his relationship with his father (and family history), which is a bit of a weird transition but it works. Thought it was well-written and pretty interesting.

Midnight in Chernobyl -- diagnoses the catastrophic failure at Reactor 4 in Chernobyl, including the fallout (if you excuse my pun) for the major players in the disaster afterwards. Guys, living in the Ukraine in the 20th century sounds like a rough time all around. Really liked this one although my paperback copy was randomly missing 30pg between 170 and 200 which... problematic.

Any good recommendations out there?

[texsuze]

Still on my Charles Dickens kick, just having finished "Great Expectations". I saw the movie (1930's or '40's), which I really liked, and the book was not diluted by having seen the movie first. I'm not really into non-fiction, at least for the time being.

Next on the list: "O Pioneers!" by Willa Cather.

[Chisamba]

as s mostly nonfiction I enjoyed Dig, about the unearthing of the Sutton hoo Anglo Saxon ship. apparently it takes a bit of liberty with the truth but is mostly authentic.

[silk]

Silk, I read "All the Light We Cannot See" a while back. Enjoyed the book very much, but was disappointed with the ending. Some authors are great at weaving an intriguing story, but then seem to speed up and dump it all at the end. JMHO

Yes, a shame to spend all that time doing a great job, and then end it poorly!

I've done a lot of reading lately, including the other Trent Dalton "All Our Shimmering Skies". I loved it.

e-Library keeps sending me down wartime paths, which I've previously not really enjoyed, but some of the stories are told very well.

[Kelo1]

OK, well, apparently unlike the rest of y'all, I I like my fun reading to be absolute and utter fluff, so brace yourselves.

I just finished a series in Kindle Unlimited by Stefani WIlder, called the "Tipped Z series". It's G-rated romance books centered around an Arizona ranch, the Tipped Z. There are 6 books, first one is called "A Man Who Rides."

It's pretty light on the relationships, pretty heavy on the horse portion, and those parts are pretty accurate (one book kinda took a left turn into fantasyland that I objected to, but I guess everyone has their own opinions). Anyways, it was absolute light fluff, and they were fun to move through because, accurate horsies, and hey the price was right.

[Sue B]

Just to add to khall's "fluff."

I have now read twice, Tana French's latest book, The Searcher. Obviously, I really enjoyed it; much better than The Witch Elm, which was written in a more stream-of-consciousness style and was a little tedious. The Searcher has an American former detective for the protagonist, who has moved to a small village in Ireland. Naturally, intrigue follows in a most delightful way.

Thank you to Paula for giving it to me for Christmas!

I'm also reading, in small bites, two books...Henning Mankell's The Pyramid: The First Wallander Cases and Alexander McCall Smith's The Department of Sensitive Crimes. Quite enjoyable bedtime reading.

[heddylamar]

I adore Tana French! Haven't read Witch Elm or Searcher yet. I normally save her books for international flights ... and we all know how that's gone lately. I do need to travel to Seattle this summer, and am trying to decide if I'm going to fly or drive. Time away from work (I'm self-employed) v. risk ... I am vaccinated, but I'm visiting a very frail nonagenarian.

[StraightForward]

Next on deck, I think I'll read Evidence-Based Horsemanship or something else in this large pile of horse books I have sitting here.

Evidence-Based Horsemanship was pretty good, but probably nothing earth-shattering for this crowd. However, it is a short read and would probably be really good assigned reading for any rider/horse owner to help them understand how horses think, why they behave the way they do, and how to train fairly.

The most interesting book I read this winter has to be Why We Sleep. Written by a sleep researcher, and well written so it is not dry, though he says he will be flattered if anyone should nod off while reading his book.

Also read Bravey by Alexi Pappas. She is an Olympic runner and she and her husband have also been making indie films. Her mother had severe mental health problems and committed suicide when Alexi was very young, so she was raised by her dad. She reflects on going through depression following the Olympics and recovering from that before she followed in her mother's path. Sounds dark, but it was quite good and inspiring, and she is a comedian, so there is enough levity to not make it a heavy read all the way through.

Also read Dressage for No Country by Paul Belasik and now I'm a few chapters in to Lab Girl by Hope Jahren - memoir about becoming a researcher, building and running a research laboratory. Also well written and an interesting read. She interjects some really interesting passages about plants and seeds, or maybe I'm just a huge nerd because I find them interesting.

[Canyon]

.
Right now I'm reading Breath after listening to the author's interview on Fresh Air a few months ago. It has applicability to riding, managing stress and surviving respiratory complications, so I'd say it's timely. I'm about 1/4 through, and so far it's really interesting.

I am close to finishing Breath and am finding it fascinating and useful.

[Anne]

I just finished 'the shadow king' by Maaza Mengiste, a somewhat harrowing novel set during the 1935-1937 Italian - Ethiopian war. Beautifully written but pretty grim.

I've started Annie Proulx's Barkskins, but it's too early to decide if I'm really enjoying it, and had to put it aside as it is one of those larger paperbacks (why do they make them like that?! it's almost too big to read in bed!), and just too big to fit in my carry-on (yup, I'm one of the few on international flights recently!). Instead, I took Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall, which so far is very readable, though my religious (and historical) knowledge is pretty much zilch, so I think I miss some of the context. Cromwell seems like an interesting character though.

And for my next 'light' read, I have a Dick Francis : Comeback. British horse racing mystery, like most (all?) his others. I've read many, and they are all fun.

[PaulaO]

Yesterday I started “Half Like” by Jillian Cantor. It features Marie Curie, and what if she never went to Paris but stayed in Poland to marry and chose love over science. It alternates chapters with the “what if” and the real story. It is excellent.

[KathyK]

"Wolf Hall" by Hilary Mantel, with the other two books in the trilogy at the ready. The rise and fall of Thomas Cromwell, with Cardinal Wolsey, Henry VIII, and Anne Boleyn all playing their parts. It's pretty terrific.

[Anne]

I finished Wolf Hall a couple of weeks ago. I actually found it pretty hard to get through. I got so lost with the many characters called Thomas, or Jane, or Richard, and then, everyone had about three or more titles - the cardinal of something and the duke of something else, the wife of somebody.... I did keep referring to the cast list at the start of the book, but even then I couldn't find everyone! And then I couldn't really work out the religion, and the relationships, perhaps because I am not religious, I really didn't *get* the strength of feeling over the different religions. Thomas Cromwell did come across as an interesting character, but apart from him, I found the others hard to get to grips with....

Anyway, just my thoughts; so many people have loved it!

I have David Nicholls' 'One Day' as airplane reading, which I'll be starting tonight.

[Tanga]

Anyone else into sci fi? I just love it. Since I basically retired I have been glutting myself on it. (As an English teacher before, I spent all of my time reading student's work.)

I reread many of the old greats on Heinlein, Assimov and Clarke and then found a new author, Peter F Hamilton. He does massively long, detailed, scientific books of huge length and many volumes. When I finished all of those I tried some others people recommended.

Sara King and the Zero series got me hooked on her and I read all of the sci fi stuff. And I found out as prolific as she is, she has not finished any of the series! Ahh! I actually wrote that on her Facebook page, and she replied she will, but dogs and puppies and stuff. She lives in Alaska.

I did Octavia Butler while the traitor was still in office and that was a BAD idea. The first book is set in CA and around here as the world is falling apart, climate change, psychos with guns, and psycho leaders who are all America First! OMG.

Everyone recommended the Alastair Reynolds Revelation series, so I did those three long books. I think he is similar to Hamilton in doing big, long, epic galaxy covering stories with scientific sci fi, and, unfortunately, has the same habit of ending 6,000 pages of reading and huge stories with a quick everything falls together.

So I'm back with Sara King again with a more fantasy Alaskan Fire, which I didn't think I would like, but I am loving it. In her books she starts by explaining her novels are character focused, not story, sci fi, etc., and I find I love that! I'm so invested in the characters, and now I find other authors lacking. They can be a rather over the top dramatic, but I still love it. I loved in Zero all of the aliens, yet you really get to know them as personalities!

[PaulaO]

No sci fi for me. Currently I have a bio of Janis Joplin and just checked out The Great Silence from the library. It is about life in England in the aftermath of WWI. The “war to end all wars.”

[KathyK]

I finished Wolf Hall a couple of weeks ago. I actually found it pretty hard to get through. I got so lost with the many characters called Thomas, or Jane, or Richard, and then, everyone had about three or more titles - the cardinal of something and the duke of something else, the wife of somebody.... I did keep referring to the cast list at the start of the book, but even then I couldn't find everyone! And then I couldn't really work out the religion, and the relationships, perhaps because I am not religious, I really didn't *get* the strength of feeling over the different religions. Thomas Cromwell did come across as an interesting character, but apart from him, I found the others hard to get to grips with....

Anyway, just my thoughts; so many people have loved it!

I have David Nicholls' 'One Day' as airplane reading, which I'll be starting tonight.

I'm sure that having watched the mini series before reading the book helped me keep from getting lost. There's a line near the start that's something like, "Half of England is named Thomas."

[Flight]

I used to only read sci-fi and fantasy stuff! Will have to try Sarah King

[Srhorselady]

To those of you who like Sci Fi and fantasy…these are not deep but they are well written and fun.

Books by K B Wagers. First three are Behind the Throne, After the Crown, and Beyond the Empire. Old fashioned space opera.

Books by Melissa Olson…she has a couple of different interlocking series involving witches, vampires, and weres with some unique twists. First three of one series: Boundary Crossed, Boundary Line, and Boundary Born.

[Tanga]

I used to only read sci-fi and fantasy stuff! Will have to try Sarah King

Yeah! You're going to love her. Start with Zero. You're going to think I'm crazy at first, but then you'll get addicted. I did the three Zero books and then all of the other ones connected. Then we can talk!