What are you reading?

[lydamorehouse]

I'm currently listening to an audiobook called Flux by Jinwoo Chong. I picked it because I'm running out of books that Goodreads has decided are cyberpunk that I can easily get through my library (or as audiobooks). So, what I did was just put "cyberpunk" into the tags I wanted into the Libby app and asked it to find me some stuff. I'm not sure how well it did.  There is a tiny bit of "wetwear" in this novel (one of the characters was mute, but receives a voice modulator,) but... I don't know, man. Like, the SF is light on the ground. I think I was duped into listening to mainstream fiction.  *grumpy face*

My plan is to listen to the book until the loan period runs out (about five days) on the off chance that it markedly improves. I have another book that just became available, which is not SF, which is Someone You Can Build a Nest in by John Wiswell, who I met, briefly, when he was in town for Fourth Street. This book is getting a lot of good buzz, plus I rather liked John, so I thought I might as well give it a try. So, that one is up next in the queue.

Otherwise, the big thing I'm re-reading right now is the rulebook for Thirsty Sword Lesbians, as it seems that is the campaign that my brand new once-a-month Tuesday night RPG group is going to have me run for them. Due to having run this several times before (including twice as a one shot at ConFABulous), I have homebrewed the f*ck out of the cyberpunk scenario, and so another huge thing I've been doing is writing what amounts to a personal Player's Guide. 

Which, not going to lie, I've been really enjoying. 

I'm a whore for worldbuilding. It's a big part of what I used to do when I was writing a metric ton of Bleach fanfic. (Which, shhh, don't tell, I've also had a yen to write again. This is all, of course, because I have a novel I SHOULD be working on.)

Anyway, how about you? Reading anything interesting or fun right now?

Comments

[profiterole_reads]

I know I've seen Flux in LGBT book lists as well.

[lydamorehouse]

It is definitely a queer book! I'm just not sure how SF/cyberpunk it is yet. But, there are many hours left, so who knows? Could happen.

[sabotabby]

I have a proto-cyberpunk book I want you to read but also low-key if you ever have guests on, I want to be the one to talk about it. Ah! The dilemma.

[pameladean]

I very unexpectedly loved John Wiswell's book. I don't read horror and I'm not great at, I dunno, oozy stuff. But while the book, especially the opening, reminded me strongly of some of the revolting preoccupations of the show Farscape, it was so funny and humane and unexpected that I really liked it.

I'm currently trying to read The Pomegranate Gate, and it's good, but I don't think it's going to be easy to take and I'm feeling a bit fragile. Also Cam just got the sequel to The Traitor Baru Cormorant from the library. The first book was waaaaay outside my comfort zone, but irresistible (very strong Mary Renault influence in terms of approach, viewpoint, distribution of information, subtle emotional cues, description, and characterization; but also original in many ways) and I'm not sure how I feel about reading the sequel.

So I'm mostly not-quite-reading things at the moment.

P.

[mindstalk]

Main current thing is re-reading To the Stars, the long Madoka space opera fanfic (900,000 words and going). Got through 3/4 of it in 2-3 days.

Been reading Killed by a Traffic Engineer but surprisingly slowly. Longer book than expected and I read it in short bursts.

Had re-read a few Spice and Wolf novels, have looped back to #4 since that's the current anime.

Opened Lays of Beleriand for a late night distraction; I like Tolkien's epic poetry.

[carbonel]

I've been listening to the audiobooks of The Expanse -- three books down, fourth one just started, nine in all. Each book is around twenty hours long, so this will take quite a while.

On my iPad, I just finished "The Mimicking of Known Successes" by Malka Older (okay but not great). Some time ago, I acquired a bunch of ebooks in Rosemary Sutcliff's Eagle of the Ninth series, and I plan to reread all of them in order.

On my desktop computer, I've been reading a bunch of books by Michelle Magorian. They're hard-to-impossible to find in the US, even by ILL, but Archive.org has copies available for reading online. Her writing is exceedingly engaging. I just started the next-to-last one, and I'll be sorry when I'm finished.

[elainegrey]

My Libby fail from yesterday is a collection of short stories "Rogues" which is missing any rogueish charm but has a good deal of violence and theft. And not really interesting theft. I thought it was in Science Fiction but maybe it was a referral when looking at another book.