May book study pre-poll. Fantasy

Fenika · Apr 26, 2011

Hello folks,

Fantasy is up to bat. Anyone have any good, popular, stand-alone, and readily available suggestions for books to read and discuss in May?

As always, please provide a link to amazon.com or similar.

Sai · Apr 26, 2011

How about Zoo City?

http://www.amazon.ca/dp/0857660551/

Winterturn · Apr 26, 2011

Zoo City looks really interesting!

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin is really good too (and is up for both the Nebula and Hugo this year).

www.amazon.com/Hundred-Thousand-Kingdoms-Inheritance-Trilogy/dp/0316043923/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1303836028&sr=8-1

Fenika · Apr 26, 2011

Oh, awesome. Two good suggestions already

Fenika · Apr 28, 2011

*bump*

Can't let the thread fall off into page 2

eyeblink · Apr 28, 2011

Zoo City has just won the Clarke Award.

It was also nominated for the BSFA Award, but didn't win. Its UK cover did win Best Artwork though...

I'm currently two-thirds of the way through it. It's short compared to some of the others on the BSFA and Clarke shortlists - about 90k words at my estimate.

Sai · Apr 28, 2011

Yeah, I just read it a month ago, so part of the reason I nominated it was just pure laziness on my part. But it is really interesting, and I would love to talk about it with the Awers here.

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms looks really cool too though. I just finished 'A Feast for Crows,' and I'm looking for something to fullfill my craving for high-fantasy books with lots of politicking. Thousand Kingdoms looks like it might hit that sweet spot.

So I'd be happy with either of those two books. But I'm curious to see what else gets suggested.

Mishell · Apr 28, 2011

Depends on your definition of "stand alone." Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is the first of a trilogy/series. If series openers count, I have some good suggestions to throw into the pot.

Aureluis · Apr 28, 2011

What about The Elf Realm by Daniel Kirk.

K_Woods · Apr 28, 2011

Mishell said:
Depends on your definition of "stand alone." Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is the first of a trilogy/series. If series openers count, I have some good suggestions to throw into the pot.

HTK stands alone. The sequel does too, more or less...in fact, I think I was enjoying it less because of the prior knowledge from the first book. (My opinion on HTK is pretty lukewarm...seeing how everyone is raving about it, I can't help but feel I must be a defective reader or something.)

CheG · Apr 28, 2011

Aww! I want to read Zoo City but am poor at the moment!!!

Fenika · Apr 28, 2011

Books can be part of a series but have to be reasonably stand alone. No big cliff hangers, and a sense of completion, even if there are unanswered questions.

Link for Elf Realm? (My dial up is dire)

And lots of folks doing the book study get books from the library, so it helps if the suggestions have made it to the libraries... Or maybe there is a book store that allows you to sit and read in store

Faide · Apr 28, 2011

The Dark Griffin, K. J. Taylor. Well, it's the first of a trilogy and it has some flaws, but I personally think it's worth a read.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0441019781/?tag=absowrit-20

Mishell · Apr 28, 2011

K_Woods said:
HTK stands alone. The sequel does too, more or less...in fact, I think I was enjoying it less because of the prior knowledge from the first book. (My opinion on HTK is pretty lukewarm...seeing how everyone is raving about it, I can't help but feel I must be a defective reader or something.)

It wasn't really my thing either. There have actually been very few recent fantasies that have really set me afire. I got great enjoyment out of Shades of Milk and Honey, but it's lightweight and doesn't seem a "book study" type book. Spellwright actually made me jump up and down and spin around go OMG GENIUS at one part, but before that it was just kind of a fun read, and after that he really kinda blew the ending (first-timer's mistake, and I expect the next book to be really good all the way through).

Fenika · Apr 29, 2011

A major point of the book study is to discuss what sells, so if a book sells we should consider it

Liosse de Velishaf · May 3, 2011

It's funny that the first two books suggested are books I just bought and read in the past three weeks. Zoo City and HTK are both excellent choices, I'd say.

Sai · May 3, 2011

I just put 'The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms' on hold on the library. Even if it doesn't win this month's poll, I'm interested in reading it.

dreamer89 · May 4, 2011

hmm Spellwright sounds really interesting...gotta get on that. right now Im reading a book that isn't fantasy its nice to have one lined up to read next

merssong · May 4, 2011

Spellwright had some interesting facets to it, but I don't think there was anything fantastic about the writing. Not bad, just not fantastic.

I did enjoy The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, but I actually felt that the second book in the 'triology', which can be read as a standalone was better. I'm not sure if The Broken Kingdoms is readily available everywhere yet, though. http://www.amazon.com/dp/0316043966/?tag=absowrit-20

May book study pre-poll. Fantasy

Fenika

Sai

Book lover/Spy

Winterturn

Scribble, scribble.

Fenika

Fenika

eyeblink

Barbara says hi

Sai

Book lover/Spy

Mishell

That Clarion chick!

Aureluis

K_Woods

9 of 10 Overlords prefer Evil Pie!

CheG

Fenika

Faide

Like Dirty Gentlemen

Mishell

That Clarion chick!

Fenika

Liosse de Velishaf

Sai

Book lover/Spy

dreamer89

merssong