GoodReads – Page 4 – Into the West

Pity the Fool Who Doesn’t Read SF&F

Happy April Fool’s Day!

But I’m not joking about reading, especially fantasy and science fiction. Here’s a preview of what’s being read at a select few of my GoodReads book clubs and groups:

Beyond Reality’s currently-reading book montage

687 members
Welcome to the Beyond Reality SF&F discussion group on GoodReads. In Beyond Reality, each of our me…

Books we’re currently reading

Stormed Fortress
by Janny Wurts
Start date: March 24, 2011

Lord of Light
by Roger Zelazny
Start date: April 1, 2011

Black Sun Rising: The Coldfire Trilogy #…
by C.S. Friedman
Start date: April 1, 2011
View this group on Goodreads »Share book reviews and ratings with Beyond Reality, and even join a book club on Goodreads.

SciFi and Fantasy Book Club’s currently-reading book montage

4588 members
Welcome to the SciFi and Fantasy Book Club!

SciFi Czar: Brad
Fantasy Czar: Cindy

Books we’re currently reading

Foundation
by Isaac Asimov
Start date: April 1, 2011

Eon: Dragoneye Reborn
by Alison Goodman
Start date: April 1, 2011

View this group on Goodreads »

Fantasy Book Club’s currently-reading book montage

2623 members
For lovers of Fantasy, monthly book discussions

Books we’re currently reading

Daughter of the Forest
by Juliet Marillier
Start date: April 1, 2011
View this group on Goodreads »

Fantasy Book Club Series’s currently-reading book montage

266 members
Can’t resist the lure of an epic saga full of fantastic creatures, scintillating sorcery, heroic…

Books we’re currently reading

Deadhouse Gates
by Steven Erikson
Start date: March 15, 2011

Silverthorn
by Raymond E. Feist
Start date: April 1, 2011

Books we plan to read

Memories of Ice
by Steven Erikson
Start date: April 15, 2011

A Darkness at Sethanon
by Raymond E. Feist
Start date: May 1, 2011

View this group on Goodreads »

Share book reviews and ratings with Fantasy Book Club Series, and even join a book club on Goodreads.

Not quite as busy as last month, but still lots of good reads I’m looking forward to!

Ciao, Jon

Book Review: Dragon’s Egg by Forward

Dragon’s Egg by Robert L. Forward

4 out of 5 stars

I admit to a science fiction reader shortcoming: I love to watch science fiction, but usually don’t care to read it, especially the sub-genre of ‘hard science fiction.’

And to be completely honest, I thought I gave myself a migraine reading the first pages of Dragon’s Egg (an astrophysics crash course in neutron stars). Once past the cold hard super-heavy facts, I thoroughly enjoyed the development of the cheela life-form and the brief interaction the human scientists experienced.

I completely sympathized with the crew of the Dragon Slayer not wanting to blink, let alone sleep, as they watched the astonishing development of cheela society. In just a few hours, the cheela civilization went from ‘savages, stagnating in an illiterate haze’ to outpacing human development by ‘many thousands of years.’ Relatively speaking, of course.

I didn’t connect to any one particular cheela, since their lifespans were so short in human terms, nor with any of the scientists, who got the short-end of the stick when it came to their story-line. But my eyes teared up reading a farewell delivered by a cheela robot to the human scientists, a fitting benediction to a benevolent mutually beneficial first contact interaction.

Recommended for all fans of science fiction, first contact stories and hard sci-fi novels.

The reason I read this book? It won the poll for the March 2011 Beyond Reality science fiction selection.

Beyond Planned Obsolescence

Brief blog followup to yesterday’s post about publisher HarperCollins decision to force public libraries to re-license ebooks after just 26 checkouts. A fellow GoodReader posted a link to this open letter from the Pioneer Library System of Norman, Oklahoma to HarperCollins in our discussion topic ‘Ashes of eBooks for Libraries‘ .

Excerpts from the open letter:

Because the publisher assumes digital resources never deteriorate, they have set an arbitrary limit to the number of times an electronic resource can be accessed. Not planned obsolescence. Forced obsolescence. (emphasis added)

Despite statements to the New York Times that HarperCollins hopes this move will, “ensure a presence in public libraries and the communities they serve for years to come,” it may, in fact, do just the opposite. (emphasis added)

If you would like to contact HarperCollins directly they have set up an email address at Library.eBook@HARPERCOLLINS.com

Another link posted by a different GoodReader offered some background as to why the publishing industry executives are reacting so poorly to change: Twelve Common Misconceptions about Book Publishing.

And what’s the next step beyond forced obsolescence at public libraries? How many times will you be allowed to read your ebook before it is removed or held hostage on your virtual bookshelf until you negotiate a ransom by re-buying the content?

Wednesday Whine

I woke up to the second day of March with significantly more sleep than I got for the first day. And, a stunning sunrise evolved over the course of my commute from home to Kansas City, Missouri:

Sunrise Wed 2 Mar 2011 over Kansas City, Missouri skyline

I enjoyed my cran-raspberry white chocolate scone (baked Sunday morning) with two cups of average tea (just Lipton for easy prep) while cleaning up log files before monitoring MOSS 2007 crawl a large content source. At least I have no meetings scheduled for today.

I’m looking forward to a short walk at lunch to take advantage of Planet Sub‘s double punch day. This evening, I’ll take a long walk with Roxy during Wolfguard‘s practice.

Ah, the joys of tax preparation season and gathering all the necessary documentation for filing an itemized return, especially when some of your offspring don’t answer their cell phones and may never check or respond to their voice-mail messages.

And the things my husband says when I gather the appropriate information and return his call to relate said information:

“Would there happen to be a pen up here?” meaning the kitchen table.

“I have no idea. I was a secretary for years and have no desire to be one again. I keep mine in my purse.” my reply.

“Well, I only have two places to keep a pen on me, and neither one of them pleasant.” his reply which sparked images that may scar me for the rest of my life.

While speaking to one of my offspring’s significant others, I learned all of them (my offspring and their better halves) are involved in indoor soccer leagues. I feel so left out of the loop. I adamantly requested photos and updates at the first opportunity.

I despair of ever catching up on my group reads. I have at least two left over from February, bleeding over into March. I may drop everything so I can read the newly released (yesterday and in the mail to me right now via pre-order from Barnes & Nobel) The Wise Man’s Fear. The rest of my current reads pile can be found here.

And I’ve been asked to lead the discussion in two different groups, the first on Willis’ Doomsday Book and the second on Jemisin’s The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. As if I needed anything else to do.

SciFi and Fantasy Book Club’s currently-reading book montage

4405 members
Welcome to the SciFi and Fantasy Book Club!SciFi Czar: Brad
Fantasy Czar: Cindy

Books we’re currently reading

Gardens of the Moon
by Steven Erikson
Start date: March 1, 2011

Doomsday Book
by Connie Willis
Start date: March 1, 2011

View this group on Goodreads »

Share book reviews and ratings with SciFi and Fantasy Book Club, and even join a book club on Goodreads.

Fantasy Book Club’s currently-reading book montage

2518 members

For lovers of Fantasy, monthly book discussions
February
– The Hundred Tho…

Books we’re currently reading

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms
by N.K. Jemisin
Start date: March 1, 2011

View this group on Goodreads »

Share book reviews and ratings with Fantasy Book Club, and even join a book club on Goodreads.

Book Review: Peril’s Gate by Janny Wurts

Peril’s Gate by Janny Wurts
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’m speechless and breathless (and have been for several weeks) after finishing this penultimate tipping-point volume in Janny Wurts’ Wars of Light and Shadow series. Even taking a break and reading a half dozen other books hasn’t allowed me to express the emotions that wracked me or the wonders assuaging them. Not since reading Janny’s To Ride Hell’s Chasm has a book’s pacing been so unrelenting and rewarding. And to think she wrote that novel after Peril’s Gate to step back from writing this series!

I highly recommend this book, but also strongly suggest you not start with this novel. Begin at the beginning, with Curse of the Mistwraith and immerse yourself in all things Atheran.

Please see Stefan’s outstanding review of Peril’s Gate for a concise synopsis and insightful comments.

View all my reviews

The Jane Eyre Challenge (GoodReads)

Yesterday’s post on the life and times of Fanny Price segued to next month’s group read for ‘A Taste of Victorian Literature‘ – Jane Eyre. Imagine my surprise when I returned to the GoodReads web site last night to peruse my friends’ reviews and discussion postings to find a new challenge and contest starting with a chance to win a Kindle and and a copy of the novel signed by Director Cary Fukunaga of the new movie version of the classic tale. Click on the icon at the left to enter the challenge and review the official rules. Good luck!

Step 1:	RSVP to see Jane Eyre the movie playing in select theaters March 11th.
Step 2:	Add Jane Eyre to your shelf
Step 3:	Take the Jane Eyre Quiz
Step 4:	Choose your favorite Jane Eyre quote
Step 5:	Complete the challenge

Book Review: Magician: Apprentice by Feist

Magician: Apprentice by Raymond E. Feist

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Read in February 2011

I am kicking myself for not reading this novel when published, my only excuse being I was a teenager with no funds and no connections (remember the state of the Internet in 1982?). I lived twenty miles away from the nearest library back then. If my mom didn’t own the book, I didn’t get to read it.

This story overflows with likable characters: Pug, Tomas, Carline, Roland, Arutha, Kulgan, Meecham, just to name a few. The pacing skips, trots, canters, gallops, crashes, walks, jumps, and flies. The magic system teases you through Pug’s apprenticeship, yet we glimpse broader examples through Kulgan and the invaders. The classic fantasy races make an appearance via elves (both light and dark or good and bad as you prefer), dwarfs, goblins, trolls and dragons.

The world building interwove seamlessly with the narrative as we followed along with Pug and Tomas as they ventured along with the Duke’s expedition to seek aid to stave off an invasion of aliens from his royal kin over the mountains and east of his far western holding of Crydee. The aliens control rifts between their world, Kellewan, and Midkemia, where the Kingdom reigns through the Duke’s royal relatives. Through these rifts, the aliens establish a bridgehead and proceed to slowly encroach upon Midkemia, first to mine metals in the mountains east of Crydee, and then to expand westward to gain access to the sea.

The book ends abruptly, but understandably so, since the original publication was one large volume, not the two we see today published as Magician: Apprentice and Magician: Master. I look forward to reading the second half of this opening salvo in the Riftwar Saga next month.

Book Review: Imager’s Intrigue by Modesitt

Imager’s Intrigue by L.E. Modesitt Jr.
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Five years have passed since we last saw Rhenn. He’s married and has a daughter now. He’s continued to climb the ladder at Image Isle and now resides with his family and a servant in a house on that island.

We see more of the dark side of covert operations in Solidar and how Rhenn responds when thrust into leading and architecting strategies that lead to long term victories and continued prosperity for Solidar and it’s Imagers.

All the Imager novels to date have been related in the first person from Rhenn’s point of view, which limits my knowledge to what he shares with me. I often feel as if I’m missing much of the story, because what he takes for granted as common knowledge, I do not, and what he focuses on may or may not be relevant to what I desire to know. So, I get frustrated and bored and miss a seemingly unimportant piece that later completes the puzzle.

The ending, or the resolution designed and personally carried out by Rhenn, disturbed me. Perhaps I’m naive and want our world, or any world I immerse myself in, to be more forgiving, more understanding. I firmly believe the only things you can change are yourself; you can’t change others no matter how much you want them to change. Rhenn believed change needed to occur now, and only extreme measures, including the use of deadly force, could meet his needs, which he equated with the continued prosperity of Solidar and by extension, imagers. Again, absolute power tempts to corrupt absolutely, for we learn that Rhenn is now the most powerful Imager alive.

This may be the last novel in the Imager Porfolio devoted solely to Rhenn. I got the feeling at the end that the focus of any future books would steer away from Master Rhennythl.

View all my reviews

FBCS 2011 Upcoming Reads Montage

February is just four days away.

On the first, we start reading Feist‘s the Riftwar Saga series with Magician: Apprentice.

On the fifteenth, we will start reading Erikson‘s Malazan Book of the Fallen series with Gardens of the Moon.

Both of these series will keep us occupied, discussing and debating for the rest of 2011. Come join in the fun. Don’t feel pressured to read and/or discuss both series … unless you desire to.

Fantasy Book Club Series’s to-read book montage for 2011

200 members

Can’t resist the lure of an epic saga full of fantastic creatures, scintillating sorcery, heroic…