December SFFFKit: 2019 Wrap Up

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December SFFFKit: 2019 Wrap Up

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1DeltaQueen50
Nov 18, 2019, 7:39 pm

SFFFKit: 2019 Wrap Up



As the year draws to a close we are looking at wrapping up any loose ends that need to be dealt with before year-end. If there was a month in which you were unable to participate in the SFFFKit then December is the month to rectify that, or perhaps you enjoyed a theme so much that you want to revisit it again. Of course we all want to reduce our TBRs so please feel free to pick up any sci-fi or fantasy book that will help you lower the stack.

Enjoy your choices and please let us know here what you are going to reading. Also please don’t forget to add your books to the Wiki which can be found at: https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/2019_SFFKIT

2DeltaQueen50
Nov 18, 2019, 7:44 pm

I promised myself that I would read both Artificial Intelligence by Martha Wells and Tool of War by Paolo Bacigalupi during the year, now is finally my time to do so.

3Robertgreaves
Nov 18, 2019, 9:53 pm

I was supposed to read Trading in Danger by Elizabeth Moon for September's challenge but didn't get round to it, so I'll read it in December instead.

4majkia
Nov 18, 2019, 10:10 pm

>3 Robertgreaves: I love her books.

Not much chance to enjoy seeing the importance of logistics in novels. Being an old Loggie (for a little while) while in the US Air Force, I appreciate this!

5chlorine
Nov 19, 2019, 12:51 pm

> I have Ship breaker in my wishlist. If I understand correctly it's the first in the series that Tool of War belongs to? What did you think of the first two books? I really liked The windup Girl by Bacigalupi.

6DeltaQueen50
Nov 19, 2019, 10:12 pm

>5 chlorine: I have loved everything that I have read by Paolo Bacigalupi. The Ship Breaker trilogy is a YA so they are fairly easy and quick reads, but he tells a great story.

7chlorine
Nov 21, 2019, 5:00 am

>6 DeltaQueen50:: Thanks for the feedback! :) I'm moving Ship Breaker up my wishlist. :)

8Dejah_Thoris
Dec 1, 2019, 6:22 pm

I just started City of Broken Magic by Mirah Bolender. Don't know much about it - we'll see!

9lavaturtle
Dec 3, 2019, 7:31 pm

I didn't get to the Mystery theme for March, so I've caught up on that by reading Chaos Choreography, which involves tracking down a killer.

10LisaMorr
Dec 4, 2019, 10:29 am

I started Xenocide by Orson Scott Card last month, so I will continue with that. Also have a few more up my sleep - a couple of short story collections: Unlocking the Air by Ursula K. Le Guin and Angry Candy by Harlan Ellison. And we'll see what else!

11DeltaQueen50
Dec 8, 2019, 1:33 pm

I have completed Artificial Condition by Martha Wells. This is the second novella in her Murderbot Diaries, and it's continuing the series in fine form!

12chlorine
Dec 8, 2019, 2:01 pm

>11 DeltaQueen50: I love this series and am looking forward to the novel that will go out next year!

13DeltaQueen50
Dec 8, 2019, 2:51 pm

>12 chlorine: I just heard about the novel - and I am very excited about it!

14Kristelh
Edited: Dec 9, 2019, 9:55 pm

I wrapped up the year by reading Blackfish City by Sam J. Miller. This book is my Nov/Dec f2f bookclub book and has been on my shelf for a year. So I wrapped up the year of SF by finishing this before we meet this Thursday.

And in case people are looking for books with ecology and techno disasters, AI, Arctic Circle, Orca and Polar Bears, then this is the book for you.

15JayneCM
Dec 10, 2019, 1:07 am

From the description, it sounds like Mortal Engines meets The Golden Compass! What did you think of it?

16Kristelh
Dec 10, 2019, 7:21 am

>15 JayneCM:, Over all it was okay. I had to keep reminding myself that it is fairly typical of SF to address cultural/political issues and this one does that.

I've heard it described like you mention but havn't read those so can't comment on it. I didn't appreciate some of sexual detail but it was minimal.

About a 3.5 rating on this book for me.

17fuzzi
Dec 10, 2019, 1:04 pm

Just a bit of news for those of you who enjoy Lois McMaster Bujold :

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America has named Lois McMaster Bujold as the 36th Damon Knight Grand Master, one of science fiction’s highest honors.

Read about it here: https://www.tor.com/2019/12/09/lois-mcmaster-bujold-sfwa-demon-knight-science-fi...

18DeltaQueen50
Dec 10, 2019, 1:05 pm

>17 fuzzi: So well deserved!!

19JayneCM
Dec 11, 2019, 12:47 am

>16 Kristelh: That is funny that other people had said the same! I had never heard of the book until I read your post. I'm not fussed on sexual detail in books either - I'd much rather read more plot development. Maybe I will read it if I come across it, but not rush to look for it.

20Kristelh
Dec 11, 2019, 11:58 am

>19 JayneCM:, it did win awards or made lists; Nebula Award Nominee for Best Novel (2018), Locus Award Nominee for Science Fiction Novel (2019), John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (2019), Neukom Literary Arts Award Nominee for Speculative Fiction (2019).

21chlorine
Dec 18, 2019, 12:01 pm

I missed a few months for this challenge, but for most themes I have read at least one book that fit, even if that was not during this theme's month.
I did totally miss the road trip month, and so I caught up by reading Roadmarks by Roger Zelazny.

I guess being a Zelazny fan I set the bar too high and I wound up a bit disappointed. Still, it's a fun (and short! For those of you who are trying to fit many books in December! ;) book, about a character with an unknown and mysterious past traveling a road that goes through time.
I particularly liked the computers/AI based on books. What's not to love about a Flowers of Evil character speaking with a lisp? :)

22DeltaQueen50
Dec 21, 2019, 5:47 pm

I have completed Tool of War by Paolo Bacigalupi which is the third book in his "Shipbreaker" trilogy. I enjoyed all three of these books and it was fun to have the genetically engineered killing machine, Tool, get to be the main character in this last volume.

23h-mb
Dec 28, 2019, 8:06 am

I finished Solaris by Stanislas Lem, a classic I'd be meaning to read for years. Not really a hit for me. I think the book would work better with "visual" readers who could "see" what he's talking about. A big chunk of the book fell flat for me because I don't know how to visualize the written sentences. An interesting and mysterious reading nevertheless.

24fuzzi
Dec 28, 2019, 10:22 pm

Just in case you missed it, our January thread is here:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/313800

25chlorine
Dec 31, 2019, 5:38 am

I read Old man's war by John Scalzi for this KIT earlier in the month, and the end of the year was the perfect occasion to continue with this series.
So I read The ghost brigades and really liked it, probably more than the first. The wit that was present in the first tome is still there and led to several laughing-out-loud moments, and I thought the ending was great. I highly recommend it.

26fuzzi
Edited: Dec 31, 2019, 9:31 am

I decided to read a Heinlein that had been on my shelves for a while:


Farmer in the Sky by Robert Heinlein

Interesting story of a teen going to one of Jupiter's moons in order to homestead. There's enough science to make the narrative believable, but not so much as to bore the reader. I liked it quite a bit, and am keeping my copy for a future reread.