Finished Ship of Destiny, by Robin Hobb. The whole Liveship Traders trilogy is absolutely amazing. These books are easily some of the best fantasy books I've ever read. The characters are incredibly fleshed out and interesting. Kennit is probably one of my favorite literary characters ever, he's just so complex but I also loved Wintrow, Paragon, Amber, Althea and in the end Malta too. Excited for Tawny Man!

Started The Fifth Season, by N. K. Jemisin I'm liking it a lot so far, even though a few times I'm not exactly sure what happened or happening lol. But I guess they will make sense later on.

Been doing some more reading toward my goal of having read the 2018 Hugo nominees (at least the novels and novellas) prior to the awards coming out in August. After this past week I've got two novels and three novellas left.

Finished since last week:

Home, by Nnedi Okorafor - the second Binti novella, and a 2018 Hugo novella nominee. Like the first one, I quite enjoyed this. And also like the first one, I was certainly left wanting more. I'll read the third one at some point.

Ninefox Gambit, by Yoon Ha Lee - The first book in this trilogy, and thus required reading before getting to The Raven Strategem, which is a nominee for novel. I really did enjoy this book. But I'll agree with the little blurb of a review I saw that said something to effect of "this book is definitely hard sci-fi, not because of technical science stuff, but because the book is hard to read". It was. At first at least. Certainly gets easier as it goes, and I'm really looking forward to the next book to see where the story and universe goes. Lee does however seemingly drop you in the universe and act like you've lived there your whole life. I did find Lee's cheat sheet helpful.

The Fifth Season, by N.K. Jemisin - 2016 Hugo winner, 1st book in the trilogy, 2nd book was a 2017 winner, and the third is a 2018 nominee. So I was excited about this, and it lived up to my expectations quite well. The world building is great as is the character development. Starting The Obelisk Gate as soon as it comes in from being on hold (unless Raven Stratagem comes in first).

And Then There Were (N-One), by Sarah Pinsker - a novella, which can be found here, also up for the Hugo novella award. A clever and interesting story about a whole number of alternate versions of the author attending a meetup.

Every Heart A Doorway, by Seanan McGuire - 2017 novella winner, and the second one in that world is up for this year's prize. A fast read with a neat concept that explores a boarding school for children who have come back from falling into a mirror, or walking through a door into another universe, and their lives back in the 'real' world. Can't wait to read more of this.

Currently reading:

Redshirts, by John Scalzi - wanted something fun and light while waiting for holds to come through. This sounded like it was going to be both of those. The first couple of chapters have not disappointed so far.

The Fifth Season. by N.K. Jemisin - Wow. I finished this last night and really liked this book. Going to the library to get the second one ASAP.

FM: The Rise and Fall of Rock Radio, by Richard Neer - Slow going got even slower since I was glued to The Fifth Season whenever I had time. New goal is to finish it by end of month.

Finished Howl's Moving Castle, by Diana Wynn Jones via Audible. I loved the story and the narration, and I don't think the movie deviates much from the book. 5/5

Started The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison, also on Audible. I love the fact that the author is performing her own writing in this version of the audiobook.

I'm also working on The Fifth Season, by N. K. Jemisin on Kindle. So far, I'm very engaged with the way the story is unfolding.

Finished The Fifth Season, by N.K. Jemisin

I thought it was great, and will be reading the remaining 2 books in the trilogy. I was a little put off by the sections of the book written in 2nd person, but on the whole it was a quick read.

Started It, by Stephen King

I loved the new movie, and wanted to read it before part 2 comes out this year. It's been awesome so far, I'm about 400 pages in; almost done with the first kid's section.

Binned off Ordinary Thunderstorms, by William Boyd - I felt there was a whole lot of nothing happening.

Started The Fifth Season, by NK Jemisin. The Hugo Award three years in a row? Let's see what all the fuss is about.

Finished The Fifth Season, by N.K. Jemisin. It was pretty good, except there was zero attempt to tell a complete story. It just ... ends, ready for the sequel. That is annoying.

Now I am reading Children of Time, by Adrian Tchaikovsky. It also is good, but I am getting toward the end, and I don't know if he/she is going to wrap it up by then. Hey sci-fi fantasy authors - not every book needs to be a damn series! Get over yourself. I may have to call it quits on genre fiction for a while after this and go back to regular literature -- at least those people know how to tell a complete story!

EDIT: Well, I owe an apology to Children of Time. It had a pretty good proper ending after all. True, there is setup for a sequel, but overall it was one story told well. Thumbs up!

Finished:

Galapagos, by Kurt Vonnegut. My hopes were pretty high for this book, but it didn't really live up to them unfortunately. This was my first Vonnegut book, but it won't be my last.

Currently reading:

The Fifth Season, by N.K. Jemisin. This book is going to mess up my reading list.. I wasn't planning on reading all the Broken Earth books after one another, but I'm liking this one so much that I really want to.

The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin

I liked it so much that I read the entire thing in two days. In fact, I went maybe five days from hearing about it several times in one day to ordering it on amazon to reading the final page.

I thought it was great! A fantasy, sci-fi world that felt lived-in and ancient, with so many people and factions it almost, but never quite got too hard to keep track of them all.

I loved that the world was effortlessly diverse and, even though there were people that could control thermal and kinetic energy, the populace reflected our own much more than most other books in the genre.

Also it was very action-packed! Most books that switch perspectives are kind of a slog for me because I get very invested in one character and then feel annoyed when I have to pause that thread to read about someone far less intriguing, but in The Fifth Season, each character was equally interesting, and there was never a dull moment.

It’s also one of those books where you’re probably going to be confused for most of it. You and the characters you follow are missing a lot of information. They are always encountering strange mysterious things. If you’re going to read it though, I would definitely go in blind.

Finished The Fifth Season, by N. K. Jemisin. I liked the switching narratives and the twists in the last hundred pages. I have a few questions which I hope will be cleared if I read a few forums.

While I await the delivery of the next book in this series, The Obelisk Gate , I will be reading Calypso, by David Sedaris . Asked for this one as a birthday gift as many readers had replied to Goodreads on Twitter that this book had made them laugh.

Continuing Natural Causes: An Epidemic of Wellness, the Certainty of Dying, and Killing Ourselves to Live Longer, by Barbara Ehrenreich.

Started The Fifth Season, by N. K. Jemisin.

This week I finished reading Fun Home, by Alison Bechdel which was great. The writing was excellent, and I really enjoyed how she interwove her own story and her father's story. Definitely recommend. Also finished reading The Shape of Water, by Guillermo del Toro which was an enjoyable read, but nothing that blew me away. I enjoyed how the narrative switched back and forth between the different characters and their narratives, and how you eventually see how all their lives interweave. I watched the film as well, and I think I give the edge to the book, but just barely, because I like the way the creature is handled in the book better. (Film is still good, though!)

I just started The Fifth Season, by N.K. Jemisin after receiving a few suggestions for it in last week's thread. I'm kind of confused as to what's going on, because it drops you very en media res and throws a lot of slang, geography, sociology, and whatnot at you with no explanation right at the beginning. But, what I can piece together so far seems interesting, so I'm excited to see how everything gets going once I'm further in the book.

Finished The Road by Cormac McCarthy and it is up there as one of my all-time favorites.

I started The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin and have been loving it.

Edit: Finished The Fifth Season and am starting the sequel The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin

I loved the first one! Her style, pacing, structure, etc, really was fantastic and it felt really fresh in many ways. It is rare I jump right to the next book in a series, and I am mostly certainly diving right into book #2!

N.K. Jemisin's Broken Earth series is fantastic! It is exceedingly rare for me to go through a series one after another but I have been absorbed by these books!

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Last week I finished: The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin as well as the second book The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin.

Now, I am ~1/4 way through The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin (book three!).

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She has done an amazing job with these books and I am impressed with the continuity and consistency between each book. Each flows into the next flawlessly.

Finished:

Ready Player One, by Ernest Cline A fun, fast-paced and entertaining read, though not terribly literary. Ton's of 1980s references.

Dark Matter, by Blake Crouch Also a well-paced and entertaining read with an interesting thought-experiment in physics, though some scientific holes.

Started but abandoned:

The Year of the Flood, by Margaret Atwood Loved Oryx & Crake but just could not get into this.

Tinkers, by Paul Harding Beautifully written but was desirous of something more plot-driven. Will likely return to it some day.

The Fifth Season, by N.K. Jemisin Just not my cup of tea.

Started and currently reading:

Red Mars, by Kim Stanley Robinson A little slow getting started but so far it's interesting.

Finished:

Howards End, by E.M. Forster
This was good, but took me way too long to read. I love the characters, but it lost me at certain points. I started watching the 2018 miniseries last night, however, and am very much looking forward to that.

My Year of Rest and Relaxation, by Ottessa Moshfegh
LOVED this. I don't know how to describe this book. It's certainly not for everyone, and the main character is definitely difficult to like, but if you're into deep character studies where not much happens by way of plot, try this. It's brilliant.

Planning on reading:
A Brief History of Seven Killings, by Marlon James

The Fifth Season, by N.K. Jemison

Finished:

• The Power, by Naomi Alderman - I didn't like this. I appreciate that it didn't take the theme of the world being peaceful because women were in charge compared to men. Turns out both genders can be assholes. What a surprise! /s Overall this book dragged on and I didn't care about the characters.
• The Immortalists, by Chloe Benjamin - This book kept my attention although the beginning was off putting, specifically describing a teenage girl by her pubic hair and size of her breasts. That was unnecessary and didn't add to the book. The first half of the book is very different from the second half and improved.

This Week:

• The Man in the High Castle, by Philip K. Dick
• The Fifth Season, by N. K. Jemisin

Currently Reading:

• The Man in the High Castle, by Philip K. Dick - This is my treadmill book. I'm only 20% complete and it's different enough from the show to feel like a new story.
• The Fifth Season, by N. K. Jemisin - I'll probably finish this book tonight. I stayed away from the fantasy genre too long and I'm really enjoying this book.

Next Up:

• Lincoln in the Bardo, by George Saunders - I'll start this again and actually finish it before I have to return it.

I finished the audiobook Etiquette & Espionage, by Gail Carriger and am almost finished Curtsies & Conspiracies, by Gail Carriger and my hold finally came through for The Fifth Season, by N. K. Jemisin, so I'm please to be starting that next!

I am working on Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, by Daniel H. Pink and I finished Senlin Ascends, by Josiah Bancroft as well as Briarpatch, by Tim Pratt. I'm in the middle of the graphic novel Monstress, Vol. 3: Haven, by Marjorie M. Liu and when I'm done that I'll be starting Old Man's War, by John Scalzi.

I finished the audiobooks The Fifth Season, by N. K. Jemisin and Circe, by Madeline Miller. I'm currently listening to The Obelisk Gate, by N. K. Jemisin.

I finished Arkwright, by Allen M. Steele as well as the graphic novels Maus: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History, by Art Spiegelman and Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began, by Art Spiegelman. I've Started reading A Deepness in the Sky, by Vernor Vinge

I started The Fifth Season, by N.K. Jemisin yesterday and couldn't stop reading. I forced myself to put it down about a third through, to make it last longer. I'm very excited to return to it soon.

Also reading Galapagos, by Kurt Vonnegut, which I'm liking more than I thought I would.

Just finished:

The Fifth Season, by N.K. Jemisin

I loved it. It's one of those books that uses language so expertly that you get a sensation of smoothness while reading. And the story drew me in like the best kind of potboiler novels. I'm glad there are more in the series to read.

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Currently reading:

The Sisters Brothers, by Patrick deWitt

I'm enjoying this so far, too. The first person POV is an interesting person to see this kind of Western through.

Since my last update a month ago I finished:

• Six Stories, by Matt Wesolowski - Liked it. I thought it was an interesting way to solve a mystery.
• Orphan Train, by Christina Baker Kline - Meh. I would be more interested in a nonfiction book about the orphan trains.
• The Address, by Fiona Davis - Also meh.
• The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly, by Sun-mi Hwang - Cute story.
• The Great Alone, by Kristin Hannah - Also meh. The Nightingale wasn't my favorite but it's much better than this one.

I need to stop picking up contemporary fiction for a while.

Currently Reading:

• The Power, by Naomi Alderman - I'm not sure about this book. The story idea is fine, it just seems written for the young adult category. I'm only 50 pages in so we'll see if it improves.
• The Fifth Season, by N. K. Jemisin (hope to start this week)

I started - and finished - The Fifth Season, by N. K. Jemisin.

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High expectations for this one. I wasn't really impressed for the first 150 pages or so: a new world in 3 POVs is a lot to digest and I found the prose a bit clunky.

After that, I started getting more and more into it. The storylines dovetail nicely, the pace picks up, and the book becomes a page-turner.

Overall a magnificent read, well worth the hype.

I've decided to give The Fifth Season, by N.K. Jemisin another shot.

I started it earlier this year but only got about a third of the way in. Her writing style didn't really grab me and I disliked the second-person sections, but more importantly I had just finished two other fantasy novels in a row and was a little burned out on the genre. Returning to it now after a sort of fantasy hiatus, I'm liking it a lot more.

I finished To the Lighthouse, by Virginia Woolf a few days ago. Beautifully written.

Now I'm reading The Fifth Season, by N.K. Jemisin. Having a second person POV is different, but I'm liking it.

The Fifth Season, by N.K. Jemisin

Its taking a while to get used to this second-person style, but the story seems promising. I've been reading a lot of far future and high tech sci-fi lately so im looking forward to the slight change of pace

Finished:

Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card

Damn this book was incredible. Can't believe it took me so long to read it. Particularly loved the ending.

Started:

Speaker for the Dead, by Orson Scott Card

Basically spent the entirety of Saturday binge reading this. About two thirds of the way through right now and I think it might be even better than Ender's Game. I'm really impressed at how well both books stand on there own, while still very clearly being interconnected.

SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome, by Mary Beatd

I don't read all that much nonfiction typically but I've been wanting to get around to this one for years. Really quite enjoying it so far, especially as someone who has always had a fascination with Ancient Rome.

The Fifth Season, by N.K. Jemisin

Literally just started this. I haven't even finished the prologue, but I already quite like the writing style.

The Fifth Season, by N. K. Jemisin

The Fifth Season, by N.K. Jemisin Just started it this morning before work and I love it already, first large scope fantasy book I have read in a while.

Still reading The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin and loving it. Very interested to see how some of the stories connect, and excited to read more about the lore/mythology in the rest of the book and in the rest of the series (I hope!). Feeling lukewarm about Lonesome Dove, by Larry McMurtry. I don't love it, but nothing about it has been off-putting enough for me to put it down. Maybe once the story gets going a little more it will improve.

Reading The Fifth Season, by N.K. Jemisin. This is the 3rd big fantasy book I've read this year, after The Way of Kings and Gardens of the Moon. I usually steer clear of the genre for some reason. I have liked all three to varying degrees, and so far I think I like this one the best. The Sanderson was a little too simple for me, but the story was compelling. The Erikson was too complex, and not compelling enough. But this one is just right, so far. I still don't know if I will go on to read the rest of the series however. I'm about 2/3 through it right now.

EDIT: I finished this, and I have to say that ending was pretty disappointing. When you write a book you should have some semblance of a complete story, even if you know there's going to be sequels. I would like to have the option to read only one book in a trilogy and still get the sense I had read a story. This didn't give me that feeling. I guess I'll read the others but I will wait a while.

I finished The Fifth Season, by N.K. Jemisin and started The Obelisk Gate, by N.K. Jemisin. The Fifth Season has been on the list for a long time and got a nudge to start it when I saw it was the Science Friday reading club pick. Was surprised when I knocked it out in three days.

Finished:

Iron Gold, by Pierce Brown - I liked it better than Golden Son but that isn't saying much as that was my least favourite. Lysander is a turd and his story takes away from the other stories. I will say that the author's writing is growing and evolving in a positive way - sentence structure isn't completely short and choppy anymore.

The Fifth Season, by N.K. Jemison - amazing story, unique dystopian world, wonderfully written. I would definitely put this in my top 10 this year so far. It is going to be a long 2 weeks until the other two books are available at my library.

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Started:

Crooked Kingdom, by Leigh Bardugo - why am I reading this when I wasn't overly crazy about the first one? My only answer is that it was available at my library, I am a completionist, and I wanted something quick and easy to read.

The Fifth Season, by N K Jemisin

The Obelisk Gate, by N K Jemisin

The Fifth Season. by N.K. Jemisin I just started this earlier today and it's really good so far. I've been totally engrossed in it.

FM: The Rise and Fall of Rock Radio, by Richard Neer Still working on it....

Oof, I barely got any reading done last week. I'm still working on The Fifth Season, by N.K. Jemisin, which I am absolutely loving (thanks, everyone who recommended this one a few weeks ago!). The characters are interesting, and the lore/worldbuilding is not like anything else I've ever read. I'm not a huge fan of Essun's chapters, which are told from a second-person perspective. It's just a weird narrative choice and I don't see a reason for it at all. And I need more chapters with Damaya and Schaffa!

I'll probably pick up Lonesome Dove, by Larry McMurty today. One of the tasks for the Read Harder Challenge is reading a western. And since I don't recall ever reading a western before, I figure I might as well start with arguably the most famous one.

I finished the audiobook Curtsies & Conspiracies, by Gail Carriger and am almost finished The Fifth Season, by N. K. Jemisin, and next up is Circe, by Madeline Miller.

I finished Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, by Daniel H. Pink, the graphic novel Monstress, Vol. 3: Haven, by Marjorie M. Liu, and Old Man's War, by John Scalzi. I just started Arkwright, by Allen M. Steele.

Just started

The Fifth Season, by N.K. Jemisin

I thought I was in a rut because I couldn’t get into books, that I was too busy or distracted to actually enjoy reading. Nope. I needed something good like this to come along. I should probably order the next two in the series so they’re here when I finish this.

Finished Fifth Season, by N.K Jemisin - definitely worthy of the hype.

Just started Lethal White, by Robert Galbraith/JK Rowling. Been looking forward to this for a while!