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Our reads in June 2020
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dustydigger
Posted 2020-06-01 5:01 AM (#22083)
Subject: Our reads in June 2020



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I barely read four books last month,here's hoping I do better this month,but I doubt it!
Anyway,I really need to complete some books I have had on the go for months and put aside for various reasons.
So here is my small TBR

Richard Morgan - Altered Carbon
V E Schwab - A Gathering of Shadows
Pauline Ashwell- Unwillingly to School

I also have Chinua Achebe' Things Fall Apart,which I have intended to read since 1966!
If there is any spare time I will try to read a few classicGolden Age short stories
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daxxh
Posted 2020-06-02 1:15 AM (#22085 - in reply to #22083)
Subject: Re: Our reads in June 2020



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I am almost finished with Revival by Stephen King. I should have finished it last night, but I got distracted as looters (no protesters, just looters) were only a couple miles away from me. Hopefully, I can finish it tonight. I have also started Light of Impossible Stars by Gareth Powell. I like it better than the first two so far. (I liked the first two, so the series keeps getting better.) I have The End of October by Lawrence Wright, Star Trek Picard: The Last Best Hope by Una McCormack and The Thousand Doors of January by Alix Harrow all downloaded on the Kindle ready to read.
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spoltz
Posted 2020-06-03 12:52 AM (#22090 - in reply to #22085)
Subject: Re: Our reads in June 2020



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I just finished Life by Gwyneth Jones. Didn't care for it. It was more like general fiction with a little science rather than science fiction. Next I'm reading The Wild Swans by Peg Kerr, a retelling of the Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale with a modern day parallel story. Then I think I'm going to read the Dreamblood Duology by NK Jemisin.
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daxxh
Posted 2020-06-14 3:01 PM (#22130 - in reply to #22090)
Subject: Re: Our reads in June 2020



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This was the quote displayed when I logged in to note that I had read The End of October.

"The function of science fiction is not always to predict the future but sometimes to prevent it." - Frank Herbert

I hope so. The End of October was written before the pandemic. That part of the book is eerily prescient. I hope the rest is not.
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spoltz
Posted 2020-06-24 5:27 AM (#22167 - in reply to #22130)
Subject: Re: Our reads in June 2020



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The Wild Swans and the Dreamblood Duology were excellent. I also read The Many-Colored Land by Julian May which was very good, as was Mordred, Bastard Son by Douglass Clegg. Right now I'm alternating between the books of the two series Small Change by Jo Walton and The Holdfast Chronicles by Suzy McKee Charnas. The former is excellent so far, but the later has been a tough though interesting read.

I went back to work for some training on a new project yesterday. Although I'll be able to work from home after I've got it down, I'm think my ability to read at the same furious pace will be somewhat diminished.
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dustydigger
Posted 2020-06-25 7:09 AM (#22170 - in reply to #22083)
Subject: Re: Our reads in June 2020



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I have read very little this month,because of the horrific reallife catastrophes we see happening distracting me. I put aside thicker or heavier booksand went back to comfort rereads. Really enjoyed rereading Pauline Ashwell's Unwillingly to School novella.Just finished John W Campbell's original 1938 version of Who Goes There,basis of various The Thing films. A bit clunky now,but the fear disgust and paranoia of a band of men trying to combat a shapeshifting alien who can kill then replicate a a perfect copy of a person down to molecular level,complete with memories and characteristics still is a powerfully gripping situation.Enjoyable.
I have retreated now to my favourite SF author,C J Cherryh. Her Pride of Chanur was my first ever book of hers,read way back in the 80s. I have been a fan ever since,despite the difficulty in the past of finding her works in my area. They are neither in bookshops or libraries.I have read over 50 of her works at this pointand will continue on searching out her booksThank goodness for buying online!..
So I reread Pride of Chanur,and am now in the middle of Chanur's Venture.I just love all the different aliens in this series,and am thoroughly enjoyingmy visits to the space station docks.Good stuff.
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dustydigger
Posted 2020-06-25 7:24 AM (#22171 - in reply to #22083)
Subject: Re: Our reads in June 2020



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Daxxh and Steve,we seem to be the only ones posting on this thread,very disappointing to past times when quite a few people participated.Originally I expected with lockdowns more people would be reading and would have time to take part but as I have noticed on other sites elsewhere the huge number of posts from people with hours a day extra time on their hands,just has not materialized. Go figure! lol.
What do you think,should we just have a single ''What are we reading now?'' thread,or do you find the monthly structure more appealing?Up to you.
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daxxh
Posted 2020-06-27 12:10 PM (#22177 - in reply to #22171)
Subject: Re: Our reads in June 2020



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I thought the same thing - that people would have more time to read and would post more. I am not one of those people. I have had to work through the whole pandemic (glad for that!). I like to get book recommendations based on people's comments. Sadly, there haven't been that many. I did download the ebook version of The Pride of Chanur to read for the Space Opera challenge, and bought Chanur's Venture. I love Cherryh's books and don't know why I haven't read more of them.

Right now, I am reading The Antelope Wife. Interesting book. My book list was severely impacted by the library closure, so I have had to resort to reading some books on the computer vs the Kindle as there are no Kindle versions for some of the more obscure titles. I really don't like reading on the computer or the phone. My library is supposed to open for drive by hold pick ups on July 1st. Can't wait!

I prefer a new thread every month. I am not a fan of scrolling down for pages and pages - not like this thread gets that long, but perhaps others will decide to join eventually.
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Rhondak101
Posted 2020-06-27 12:50 PM (#22178 - in reply to #22083)
Subject: Re: Our reads in June 2020



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I too thought I would have more time to read this summer, but that has not happened. I am reading Ta-Nehisi Coates' The Water Dancer right now. I am only a few chapters in, but I like it so far. It has a little bit of a KIndred (Octavia Butler) feel, without the time jumps.
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spoltz
Posted 2020-06-27 3:28 PM (#22185 - in reply to #22083)
Subject: Re: Our reads in June 2020



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I've read quite a bit during this time. I'm working from home and am able to read between tasks, emails, and IMs. Now I'm going back to work intermittently and doing masked hot yoga several nights a week. So my reading has slowed down quite a bit this past week.

I rely on the library for many of my books too. I had put a hold on vol 10 of the History of Middle Earth series back in February. It was due back right before the library closed down, but wasn't returned. Now it's not due back until July 31st. Sigh. In the meantime, I've been taking advantage of Powell's Used Books (in Portland, OR) for free shipping for orders over $25, and using Amazon gift cards for other used books that I would have had to do interlibrary loans for. I've gotten 22 books for under $100, money I saved by not eating out all the past three months.

I too am weighed down heavily by the current events. I escape through the books and through my excitement as I close in on finishing the LGTBQ Resource List, although right now I'm still reading Jo Walton's trilogy about alternative 1949 fascism leaning England entitled Small Change, which is a little too close for comfort these days, and Suzy McKee Charnas' dystopian Holdfast Chronicles, which is heavily depressing.

I'd lean toward having a new thread every month as well.
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