It with the usual combination of sadness (it’s OVER) and mild relief (I can read some fantasy!) that SciFi Month comes to an end for another year. I’ve not done as much reading or reviewing as I’d like, as the bits of me not eaten up by work got devoured by jetlag, and Gnomon is a doorstop – so expect a few more SF features to follow as I catch up! (along with a return to my beloved Tremontaine. Sorry, Duchess)
Reading Round-up
- A Matter of Oaths – Helen S Wright
- Flowers for Algernon – Daniel Keyes
- Babylon’s Ashes – James S A Corey
- Gnomon – Nick Harkaway
- Witches of Lychford – Paul Cornell
- Lost Child of Lychford – Paul Cornell
- Prime Meridian – Silvia Moreno Garcia
I haven’t written a fresh review for my Lychford re-read, but it has earned an extra star. Honestly, these are staggeringly good.
Review Round-up
- The Collapsing Empire – John Scalzi
- Revenger – Alastair Reynolds – EEEEEE
- The Book was Better (or was it): Android vs Blade Runner
- Movie Review: Alien Covenant
- Movie Review: Cargo
- Tremontaine Season 3: Night of the Flames | Every Face a Forgery | My Life for Your Life
Stacking the shelves
Gollancz had a flash sale. I mean, it would have been rude not to, right? And then I was offered two exceptionally exciting ARCs: I’m really looking forward to Prime Meridian and Wonderblood!
Conscious demographics
My annual challenge is to read diversely and to love every book. This year I’ve made things a bit more complicated with subsidiary challenges and more fun with the Game of Books.
- 32 male (45%) / 35 female (49%) / 2 trans, non-binary or genderfluid (3%) + 2 anthos
- 10 (14%) – by authors of colour / 41 (58%) prominently featuring POC
- 5 (7%) – by LGBTQIA authors / 26 (37%) featuring LGBTQIA characters
Challenges
Challenges? Pffft. More like guidelines anyway
- 71 / 50 books or novellas (excl. Tremontaine)
- 10 / 11 books by authors of colour
- 5 / 11 non-SFF books of which 0 non-fiction
- 3 / 11 classic SFF books (7 incl. rereads)
- 18 / 33 – off the shelf (it doesn’t count if I bought them to read them straight away!)
- Game of Books score: 361 / 400
