Miscellaneous Thoughts7 Comments

SciFi Month 2021: Closing Remarks

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Let’s not beat around the bush, I’m here to tell you how I did with the SciFi Month Book Bingo. I could pad this out, but I just want to flap my bingo card around and show you all the categories I was able to tick off, so that’s what I’m going to do. First up though, I want to say a HUGE thank you to our captains Lisa and imyril for making SciFi Month happen. This year and every year. Yes, we can read sci-fi whenever we want, but I love that when November rolls round we have this … Continue reading SciFi Month 2021: Closing Remarks

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Fun for Monday: 6 Degrees of SFnal Separation

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I had to squeeze this tag in before our November celebration of all things science-fictional is wrapped up. It was introduced to the SciFi Month roster by imyril back in 2019 and it’s a been a big favourite of mine ever since.   The rules are simple: take six science fiction books and link them one to the other in a chain using shared themes or tropes. Triple points (and a chunky slice of chocolate cake) are awarded to those who are able, at the end of their chain of association, to link the last book back to the first, … Continue reading Fun for Monday: 6 Degrees of SFnal Separation

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Read-along: Winter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell (week 4)

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After the revelations of last week everything has moved pretty fast in this final quarter of the SciFiMonth read-along and the Empire looks very different now. More importantly, Kiem and Jainan have finally worked each other out and have an exciting future ahead of them, both personally and politically. So without further ado, let’s tackle Lisa’s prompts for the concluding chapters of Winter’s Orbit.   SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT!   Week 4: Chapter 23 through to end We learn the truth of who was behind the fake remnants, the Kingfisher thefts, and Taam’s murder… What did you make of Aren … Continue reading Read-along: Winter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell (week 4)

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Buddy-reading Too Like the Lightning with imyril

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Too Like the Lightning by Ada Palmer is perhaps the oddest, most frustrating novel I’ve read this year. Fortunately, there is something about buddy-reading that makes even the most difficult of books a lot more fun and this was definitely the case here. I was so grateful for imyril’s company as we explored Palmer’s 2454. (Thank you imyril! *big we-did-it high-five*). A more professional introduction and the first half of our conversation can be found over at imyril’s here and this is definitely where you should start. If you’re visiting me having read that first post, then hello and welcome! So, to … Continue reading Buddy-reading Too Like the Lightning with imyril

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Fun for Monday: The Intergalactic Book Tag

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I found this tag over at Zeezee’s and she found it at Rachel’s blog, Life of a Female Bibliophile. It was originally created to promote a book: Starflight by Melissa Landers, but I’m totally turning it to SciFiMonth use. Time for some sci-fi fun…   SPACE: Name a book that is out of this world There are so many other worlds to choose from, but I’m still smitten with Orthe from last year’s SciFiMonth read-along of Golden Witchbreed by Mary Gentle. Orthe had everything I want in an alien world: a strange new culture with a long dark history to explore, … Continue reading Fun for Monday: The Intergalactic Book Tag

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Read-along: Winter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell (week 3)

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  There’s been survival drama and political drama this week, and more suspicious goings on than we can shake a stick at. Not to mention that final bombshell at the end of Chapter 22. Thank goodness for read-along prompts – brought to us this week by the awesome Ariana of the Book Nook, (one my favourite people!) – to help us order our thoughts and feelings. As mentioned in previous weeks, the schedule for this SciFiMonth read-along can be found here at Dear Geek Place, and the weekly prompts are posted on this Goodreads page here. SPOILERS from here on … Continue reading Read-along: Winter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell (week 3)

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The Echo by James Smythe

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  Twenty-three years after the events described in The Explorer, twin brothers Tomas and Mirakel Hyvönen head up an international mission to investigate the anomaly that can be seen in the region of space in which the Ishiguro disappeared. They have dedicated their lives to this anomaly and this mission is to be the fruition of all their dreams. They have meticulously planned every detail, have spared no expense to create the perfect research vessel and put together the best team. Mira will be aboard the Lära (named for the twins’ dead mother) along with five other scientists and engineers, … Continue reading The Echo by James Smythe

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Remote Moon Reads (a SciFiMonth tag/challenge/prompt)

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  Back in May this year the inimitable imyril created the Desert Island Reads tag/challenge/prompt, based on the classic BBC radio show, Desert Island Discs. Now, for SciFi Month, the game gets a swift name change and we jump out of our tattered shorts and t-shirts and into our spacesuits. A solar flare has knocked us for six and we’re stuck on a lonely lunar base for the foreseeable. Fortunately, we’ve packed for this eventuality – welcome to Remote Moon Reads. The rules are as follows: “For Remote Moon Reads, you may choose:   Eight (audio)books If you want to … Continue reading Remote Moon Reads (a SciFiMonth tag/challenge/prompt)

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Read-along: Winter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell (week 2)

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Last week we met newly-weds Kiem and Jainan and dipped our toes into the present situation on Iskat as the renewal of their treaty with the Resolution looms. This week we’re swimming in the political relationship between Iskat and Thea and the suspicious goings-on that all seem to come back to Jainan and his previous partner, Prince Taam. Interesting isn’t the word. The schedule for this SciFi Month read-along can be found here at Dear Geek Place, and the weekly prompts are posted on this Goodreads page here. This week imyril has provided the prompts to get us talking. Let’s … Continue reading Read-along: Winter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell (week 2)

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Astra: Lost in Space by Kenta Shinohara

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  Astra: Lost in Space is a complete-in-five-volumes manga series about a group of school kids who get lost in space under suspicious circumstances and must work together to return home. It is, by turns, a gripping mystery, a fun space adventure and a typical-to-manga comedy. If you’ve ever wondered where to start when faced with the mountains of manga out there, this is an ideal place. It doesn’t represent a massive commitment of time or funds like some of the incredibly long-running series do, it’s a familiar enough set-up that it doesn’t intimidate and it’s a kickass story with … Continue reading Astra: Lost in Space by Kenta Shinohara