At the Fantasy Book Club Series group on GoodReads, we are approaching the end of time, or rather the Wheel of Time series. We will start reading the final book in that series in May. On the first day of March, I started a nomination thread, confusingly entitled ‘Life After the Wheel of Time‘ soliciting suggestions for our next series group read. I remembered to send a spam-like e-mail to group members this morning, since I’d only seen a handful of series nominated in the first few days. My marketing efforts must be paying off, as two more series were nominated and seconded within an hour of the mass mailing.
Here are just a few of the series that will make it into the first round of voting:
Nominations will remain open until the Ides of March.
The first round of polls will whittle the nominations down to two or three (depending on how close the voting is) for the final deciding vote towards the end of March. You must be a member of the group to vote (and the group will close to new members once the first poll is open for voting).
When I first reviewed the suggested readings list, I didn’t see anything that jumped out at me. I found three or four titles that might work so I placed them on hold in various formats.
I didn’t have to wait for one title, Dark Night of the Soul by St. John of the Cross. I found it available immediately as an audiobook via the Library’s Overdrive website. I checked it out and downloaded it to my new smartphone. One of the nice features of the Overdrive Android application is a sleep timer. I set the playback with a thirty minute timer and dozed off each evening to the soothing voice of the reader, extolling me with theology while providing a healing blessing to ease my trials and sufferings. None of the local book clubs opted to discuss Dark Night of the Soul, but one enterprising library technician is posting daily Lenten observances at his blog, All-Soulo.
The library didn’t own an electronic or audio version of Lost Moon, so I requested the print edition. I picked up the book on Friday, the 25th of January, and started reading it on Sunday, finishing it the following Friday. Even though I’ve seen the movie, Apollo 13, many times, I still found myself compelled to read way past my bedtime. I tried to limit myself to one chapter a night and refrained from carrying the hardcover edition back-and-forth to work. Truth is not only stranger than fiction, it’s definitely more riveting. I hope to attend the ‘Read It/Watch It’ event on Sunday afternoon, March 3, 2013. I’m looking forward to lively conversation led by Katie Stover, Director of Readers’ Services, at the Waldo Branch. I will resist the urge to pull out my own DVD from my personal video library.
Concurrently, I listened to the audiobook of The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern as read by Jim Dale, known in other circles as the ‘voice’ of Harry Potter (winning numerous awards, including two Grammys). I’ve heard him read before (via one of the Potter books) and he is a delight to listen to. Even more delightful than Jim’s exceptional characterizations was the enthralling tale told by Morgenstern in The Night Circus. I found myself looking for excuses to continue listening, even though I wasn’t driving, or walking the dog, or cleaning house, or doing laundry. Of all the suggested readings, this one hit the spot perfectly. I highly recommend it. In less than a week, I will join the Women Who Dare Book Group at the Central Library for one of the three book discussions scheduled in February and March for The Night Circus.
I convinced my husband to read one of the books along with me. He prefers non-fiction titles, so I snagged a copy of Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers from my local library while waiting for the hold I placed at the Plaza branch to come through. He’s already into the fourth chapter, while I have yet to start reading it. We both plan to attend the discussion for the newly formed Stranger Than Fiction book group, meeting for the first time on February 27th at 7:00 p.m. at the Plaza Branch. When I mention this book to friends and acquaintances, I hear nothing but good things. I should begin my cadaverous journey tomorrow evening while my husband is otherwise occupied with his band mates during band practice.
That leaves just one book on my hold list. Well, actually on two hold lists. I requested a print edition of Kansas City Noir, as well as the ebook edition. I’ve been waiting several days and I hope I get one of the editions checked out before the last book discussion arrives on March 9th. That’s when I plan to join the Heat of the Night book group at the Bluford Branch to discuss this anthology of ‘hard-used heroes and heroines [who] seem to live a lifetime in the stories…Each one seems almost novelistic in scope. Half novels-in-waiting, half journalistic anecdotes that are equally likely to appeal to Kansas City boosters and strangers.’ –Kirkus Reviews
And so I wrap up my winter reads like I wrap up in my favorite worn hand-me-down quilt: relaxed, satisfied and not too terribly sleep deprived, but still awake enough to enjoy some fresh brewed tea in a treasured mug memento.
After reviewing the suggested reading list for the adult winter reading program, “While the City Sleeps,” I only found three items of interest to me personally. This does not mean you won’t find something that appeals to your tastes. I added the following three titles to my ‘to-read’ queue:
I will probably skip the signature events this time around, but will try to make the book discussion in mid-February for Night Circus. I thought about attending the showing of the movie Apollo 13, but decided against it because it’s not at the Plaza Branch (which has a wonderful auditorium). Besides, I own the DVD. I’d just miss out on the book discussion for Lost Moon.
This will make my fourth (or possibly fifth) consecutive winter reading program with the Kansas City Public Library. I can’t wait to see what kind of mug I will add to my growing collection once I turn in my reading log.
I could hardly put this book down. How did I miss reading this book when it was first published in 1984? How has David Gemmell managed to stay off my reading radar for nearly thirty years? And worse, upon finishing Legend, I learned David died six years ago. I nearly wept as I did for Virae and Druss and Rek and Serbitar. Not even sixty years old when he left us for the Forever Halls.
The themes are still thrumming through my being – Life and Death; War and Peace; Honor, Duty, Courage, Fear, Betrayal, Despair, Hope and Love. The depth of characterization surprised me despite Gemmell’s concise prose. Rarely have I been drawn to characters so adeptly and abruptly.
For a fantasy novel, Legend had less of the traditional fantasy elements (magic, strange creatures, etc.) and more close-up violence (comparable to Conan or other sword and sorcery standards) than I’ve read recently. Still, it contained some of the best fighting scene’s I’ve ever read. And it held me morbidly enthralled, watching the doomed desperate, surely futile, struggles of the defenders against the inexorable endless tide of invaders. I did not connect the dots until after I finished Legend and read up on David Gemmell’s life. Now, in hindsight, it seems all too obvious.
“Legend is the Alamo spirit – or what should have been that spirit.” — David Gemmell on the influence of The Alamo in an interview with Stan Nichols in 1989.
My first foray into heroic fantasy left me gasping for more. Today is always a good day to die … or live.
Thank you to everyone who voted in my poll to help me decide what novel to recommend as a Member’s Choice selection next month at the GoodReads SciFi & Fantasy Book Club. Despite a tie in the poll, several members of the aforementioned group expressed their opinions in a discussion thread I started last week, which sealed my decision.
So, without further ado, my Member’s Choice selection for a group read in July 2012 is . . .
The Silent Tower by Barbara Hambly (cover art on the 1986 edition by the late Darrell K. Sweet)
I took the initiative and contacted the author, Barbara Hambly, who graciously agreed to participate in a question and answer thread, much to my surprise and delight.
I will lead, or rather guide, the discussions online at GoodReads (follow this link to join in early). Or wait the ten days until July and hit the ground running with me and several hundreds (perhaps thousands) of your new fantasy friends as we read The Silent Tower together. All are welcome and I’m looking forward to meeting you and introducing you to a fantastic author.
If you prefer a printed edition, please check with your local library, used book store or your favorite online retailer, like AbeBooks.com (who may have some new or nearly new editions available).
I received the honor of selecting the Member’s Choice reading selection for July 2012 at the GoodReadsScience Fiction & Fantasy Book Club. I reviewed the bookshelf of read books for the club (over a hundred since January 2008) and then reviewed my five star rated books. I narrowed the selection down to just three, two of which I’ve read (multiple times) and one I have wanted to read for many months.
Choices Three
The Silent Tower by Barbara Hambly
The group has only read one other book written by Barbara Hambly, but she is a prolific fantasy author that deserves more attention.
I honed in on The Silent Tower because it remains one of my favorite Hambly novels. Here’s a brief synopsis to tease you:
In a world where wizards are relegated to ghettos, it is no surprise to see one murdered in the street. But for Stonne Caris, a young warrior monk who sees the killing and gives chase to the culprit, there is nothing ordinary about seeing a murderer disappear into a black, inky portal. The Archmage sends him in search of Antryg Windrose—a half-mad mage who understands the nature of these passages between dimensions.
On the other side of the Void is Joanna, a programmer as mild as Caris is deadly. She has spent her life in cubicles, staring into computer terminals, as far from heroism as she can get. But when the power that is crossing between dimensions draws her through the Void, she finds herself battling to save a world she never even knew existed.
Average GoodReads Rating: 3.92 stars (on a five star scale) based on 819 ratings
Availability: Only the ebook edition is currently in production (I found the best price at Kobo for $7.69; not DRM-free).
The Diamond Throne by David Eddings
It shocked me to learn that the SF&F book club had not read any of David Eddings‘ works; not even from his hugely popular Belgariad series. He also happens to be one of the two fantasy authors I can get my husband to read and I give full credit to the voice of Sparhawk.
Synopsis/Teaser:
Sparhawk, Pandion Knight and Queen’s Champion, returned to Elenia after ten years of exile, only to find his young Queen Ehlana trapped in a block of ensorcelled crystal. Only the great sorcery of Sephrenia, ageless instructor of magic, kept her alive — but the spell would only last a year, and it’s cost was tragically high.
Now a Prince Regent ruled Elenia, the puppet of Annias, ambitious Primate of the Church who planned to seize power over all the land.
As Sparhawk and Sephrenia set out to find a cure for Ehlana, Sephrenia revealed that there was only one person in the west who could defeat the evil plots against Ehlana. That person was Sparhawk.
Average GoodReads Rating: 3.83 stars (on a five star scale) based on 8,983 ratings
Availability: A mass market paperback edition is still in production. No ebook edition is available.
Last Light of the Sun by Guy Gavriel Kay
And last, but definitely not least, I settled upon a novel I have wanted to read for months, but can never seem to squeeze into my reading queue: Guy Gavriel Kay‘s The Last Light of the Sun.
I’m not sure of the protocol with respect to recommending and leading the discussion of a book that I haven’t actually read yet, but Kay has never disappointed me. In fact, he always inspires me and leaves me awestruck.
Synopsis/Teaser:
From his very first books, the trilogy known as the Fionavar Tapestry, Guy Gavriel Kay was recognized as one of the world’s finest and most innovative writers working with the fantasy tradition. In later works he has taken on, with striking success, an alternative history of Europe, which reached a pinnacle with 2004’s The Last Light of the Sun. Set at the hinge moment of Britain’s Alfred the Great’s enlightened reign (he’s known as Aeldred in Kay’s parallel Europe), Last Light is a drama of cultural clash and change in a world shadowed by the presence of faerie but deeply engaged with human questions of ethics and honour.
Average GoodReads Rating: 3.79 stars (on a five star scale) based on 2,291 ratings
Availability: Several versions are in print, including mass market paperback and trade paperback editions. An ebook edition is also available, but quite pricey at $12.99.
Selection Conundrum
My dilemma remains. I cannot decide which of the above novels to put forth to the group for next month’s Member’s Choice selection. I selfishly lean towards the Kay novel, because I really would rather read something new. But I equally yearn to introduce more readers to either Hambly or Eddings (at least his less well known Elenium series). I have a few days (less than a week) to make up my mind, so I’m soliciting your opinion through this blog post and the poll below. Votes and comments welcome.
I started reading this the evening of February 13th, with snowfall predicted to commence after midnight. I sat shivering at the kitchen table while I read the first few chapters, even though the furnace kept my house a toasty 78 degrees Fahrenheit. I even dug out a blanket to put on the bed before I went to sleep (still shivering). Brrrr….. Great writing by Dan Simmons, atmospherically speaking.
And I restrained my insatiable desire to research the quest for the Northwest Passage and specifically the final voyage of the HMS Terror until after I finished reading the novel. Simmons kept me riveted until the last few chapters, when he decided to take an extreme detour into arctic supernatural spirituality that left me, well, cold.
Still, a great read by an outstanding author. I recommend lots of warm tea or hot cocoa and abstinence from long pork.
The protagonist, Rachel, grabbed me immediately. Not only was she a superb vocalist, she reminded me in so many ways of my own daughter, also named Rachelle, and who is also a superb vocalist (mezzo soprano, though, instead of Rachel’s coloratura soprano). As soon as I finished the book, I sent a recommendation off to my Rachelle, hoping she’d read it and enjoy it as much as I did.
The religious references intrigued me (and sometimes made me laugh – did anyone else think that the name of Semorrah was a mashed-up condensation of Sodom and Gemorrah?) and the musical elements fascinated me. I play piano, attempt to sing (not as well trained as my daughter, so I gave it up as a lost cause at this point in my life) and I know basic music theory. My husband has years of training (jazz trumpet and guitar), composes music and has perfect relative pitch; all of which he passed on to our daughter.
On the question of whether this novel is science fiction or fantasy, I leaned towards the former early on. Once introduced to the oracle Josiah in Archangel, I began to believe I was reading a science fiction story (perhaps along the lines of Pern?). But the rest of the novel revealed little beyond that scene with the Oracle. Another clue could also be derived from the ‘smallness’ of their ‘planet’ in area and scope.
I interpreted the singing as magical. The story is mostly a romance, which I normally avoid like the plague, but in this case it worked well.
I have not decided yet if I will continue this series. I’ll have to research my friends’ reviews of it and see if it gets better or if this installment is as good as it gets.
All in all, I really enjoyed Archangel, even if it seemed to be a romance masquerading as a fantasy with hints of science fiction sprinkled throughout.
Another group I love over at GoodReads is Beyond Reality. And as if I wasn’t crazy enough already, I volunteered to take over as discussion leader in our series read of Weber’s Honor Harrington space opera.
What’s a WoT? (or so you might be asking yourself). A WoT is an acronym for The Wheel of Time series.
I love being born in the Year of the Dragon (Chinese calendar). It’s just cool. And this year, I can also enjoy an entire year of another type of dragon, the Dragon Reborn in Rand Al’Thor by re-reading the entire Wheel of Time series, in anticipation of the final volume’s publication next January.
But I won’t be doing this alone. Oh, no! And as if re-reading these massive epic fantasy tomes wasn’t enough, I volunteered to lead the discussion at the GoodReads Fantasy Book Club Series group, who will commence reading WoT beginning in April 2012. Looks like I need to get cracking before the end of March to stay ahead of the Wheel!
And I feel like shouting “Tor-Rah! Tor-Rah! Tor-Rah!” with all the great news coming from the publisher of the Wheel of Time series in just the past few days:
So if you’ve been looking for an excuse to revisit Rand, Perrin, Mat, Nyneave and Egwene or, if you want to meet them for the first time, join me and a thousand of my GoodReads friends as we start the Wheel of Time turning with The Eye of the World, continuing inexorably on to the Last Battle in A Memory of Light.
At the Fantasy Book Club Series group on GoodReads, we are approaching the end of time, or rather the Wheel of Time series. We will start reading the final book in that series in May. On the first day of March, I started a nomination thread, confusingly entitled ‘Life After the Wheel of Time‘ soliciting suggestions for our next series group read. I remembered to send a spam-like e-mail to group members this morning, since I’d only seen a handful of series nominated in the first few days. My marketing efforts must be paying off, as two more series were nominated and seconded within an hour of the mass mailing.
Legend
