Tag Archives: science fiction

May 31 2015
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Tackling the TBR [2]: June 2014

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(I’m still going to need a better banner)

I started this feature last month as a possible solution to my desperate need for a good TBR system. And you know what? I’m LOVING it so far! It has allowed me to stop stressing about all the unread books in my life because it channels my focus onto the authors I deemed the highest priority – I rest assured that, despite the fact I’m not making my way through my collection as quickly as I’d like, I am at least focusing on the best books first. It also takes away a little bit of that “I’m overwhelmed” factor because there’s usually only twenty books at most in my shortlist (which also gives me a remarkable sense of achievement every time I get to check one off that list). Finally, I love it because I still feel like I get to follow my reading whims – there is a lot of variety within my smaller pool of choices. I think I’ll keep this feature around for a while!

If you missed the Introductory Post, here’s how Tackling the TBR works:

1. At the beginning of each month, I select an author from each of my favorite genres
2. I compile all of their unread books onto my TBR Tackler shelves (physical & digital)
3. I pick from that pile throughout the month as the mood strikes me

Here is my TBR Tackler Shelf for June 2015:

Fantasy: Robin Hobb
Sci-Fi: James S.A. Corey
Urban Fantasy: Kim Harrison
Young Adult: Susan Ee
New Adult: Jamie McGuire

I am stoked. There are a lot of excellent titles here for me to choose from (with a large number of them sporting bird wings on the cover, oddly). I’m including Kim Harrison again this month because I just didn’t get a chance to pick her up last time and she is still my number one priority in the Urban Fantasy category. I can’t wait to get started on this list, and that is an awesome feeling!

This experimental system was so much more fun and rewarding because I didn’t do it alone – thank you to all my friends and blogging friends who tried it with me!

I will be sharing this post on the first of each month at least until the end of the year (we will see how it goes). I am also going to include a linky on each post so we can support each other in Tackling our TBRs! Even if you don’t specifically use my system, feel free to share your versions of how you manage your TBR pile… Maybe we can help make each other’s systems even better. :)

What authors are you Tackling this month?

^Yeah, you totally have to click on the frog to see everyone’s links… wish I had been smart enough to figure that out before now (especially since it says so right on it).

by Niki Hawkes

May 17 2015
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Tackling the TBR [1]: An Introduction

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Tackling the TBR: An Introduction
(I’m going to need a better banner)

I’ve always been envious of those people who are perfectly happy reading only one book/series at a time. I used to be like that – back in my adolescence where the closest bookstore was an hour and a half away – but that changed as soon as I became a bookseller. It got worse when I became a book blogger. My level of awareness of the sheer number of amazing titles on the market skyrocketed, and I suddenly found myself struggling to read ALL THE BOOKS.

My solution at the time was to purchase all of the titles I might want to read, resulting in a 4000+ book collection and a massive TBR. The books sit on my shelves, taunting me as I walk by, just begging to be read. I’m desperately trying to get through them all, but the math just doesn’t work: if I read 100 books a year, it will take me 40 years to get through my current collection. That doesn’t even take into account new titles coming out. I need to downsize, but that’s a topic for another post… In any case, it has led me to the following philosophy:

 The TBR pile is simultaneously a book-lovers best friend and worst enemy.

 So, no matter how much I’m enjoying a particular title, I always have one eye on my shelves, wishing I was reading those books too. If I spend too long on one series, I get impatient, and that sucks the fun out of the whole process. It also stresses me out to have unread books from favorite authors, especially since many of them reached their series-enders more than a year ago and I still haven’t managed to finish them. It’s reading ADD at its finest, and I’ve already implemented many different strategies to try and counter it and make my reading process as enjoyable as possible (such as the mantra “only read the best books first” and “life is too short to read books you’re not enjoying” – both of which have been life-changing), but it’s not quite there yet… I’m still stressed.

So what I need is a system that’s flexible, allowing me to bounce around between series and genres, but I also need one that helps me finish series I’ve started and keep my favorite authors at the top of my priority list. Today, I had an epiphany on how to make that happen… I’m calling it “Tackling the TBR” And it works like this: 

  At the beginning of each month, I will select an author from each of my favorite genres, compile all of their unread books onto my TBR Tackler shelf, and pick from that pile throughout the month as the mood strikes me.

 I think it’s brilliant.

 But then again, I haven’t actually tried it yet. :P

  I did try a version of this method where I devoted a month to a particular genre, but that didn’t give me enough flexibility to follow my moods. I also seem to feel more satisfied when I use TBR shortlists and can see it getting smaller as time goes by, so the fact that I’m compiling specific authors, but from a range of speculative genres into one place to pick from, is incredibly appealing.

 I know I’m starting a little late, but here is my TBR Tackler pile for the remainder of May 2015:

 Science Fiction: Rachel Bach
Urban Fantasy: Kim Harrison
 Fantasy: Sara Douglass
Romance/NA: Ann Aguirre
Young Adult: Rae Carson

These are all the unread titles from my chosen authors… So many good ones! Instead of posting updates, I will probably just keep using the same post to track my progress, kind of like what I do with my Bout of Books posts.

 I’m really excited to try out the system – I’m hoping it will help me focus my reading while giving me the excuse I needed to finally finish some of these series. Wish me luck!

 Anybody want to try out Tackling the TBR with me? Let me know in the comments – I could use all the help and support I can get. :P

by Niki Hawkes

Apr 28 2015
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Mini Book Review: Havoc by Ann Aguirre

Havoc by Ann Aguirre

Title: Havoc

Author: Ann Aguirre

Series: The Dred Chronicles #2

Genre: Science Fiction

Rating: 5/5 stars!

The Overview: The Conglomerate’s most dangerous convicts have made the prison ship Perdition their home. And they will defend it… Perdition is under siege. Mercenaries have boarded the station with orders to take control of the facility—and execute the prisoners. Their commander is offering full pardons to the first five inmates willing to help the mercs complete their mission. Dresdemona “Dred” Devos hasn’t survived hard time just to surrender to the Conglomerate’s armored thugs. Leading a ragtag army of inmates, Dred and her champion, Jael, wage a bloody guerilla war of chaos and carnage against impossible odds. But no matter how dire the outlook, the Dread Queen never backs down…

The Mini Review:

Havoc has to be one of the best books I’ve read in a long while. The series is about life on an old space station (which has been converted into a massive prison), and the various inmates’ fight for survival. I liked the first one and honestly did not expect to LOVE the second as much as I did, but the direction Aguirre took with the story had me literally canceling plans so I could stay home and read it (sad, I know… but it really was that good). Havoc is an action-packed, page-turning adventure that somehow manages to have excellent character development and a compelling love story mixed in the middle. I don’t know how she does it. It also boasts interesting alien species and a whole bunch of really gnarly bad guys. Really, what’s not to love? I really wanted to make this a full-length review, but I don’t know what else I can say without getting into spoilers. :P

Havoc helped remind me why Aguirre is one of my all-time favorite authors – she gives you a little bit of everything. I’m still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that this is the same author who wrote the New Adult 2B Trilogy (which I also loved), Enclave (a fantastic YA zombie apocalypse trilogy), and the Corine Solomon urban fantasy series (involving magic and a whole lot of paranormal). Each of those different types of stories was brilliant, and I have yet to find anything from Aguirre that I didn’t absolutely love. The Dred Chronicles are no exception – if you like space operas, definitely give this series a try (or even pick up Grimspace – the series that first got me hooked on this author), and you’ll see why I’m excited to read anything she wants to write.

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

Apr 22 2015
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Coming Soon: Nemesis Games by James S. A. Corey

June 2, 2015

Title: Nemesis Games

Author: James S. A. Corey

Series: The Expanse #5

Genre: Science Fiction

Release Date: June 2, 2015

The Overview: A thousand worlds have opened, and the greatest land rush in human history has begun. As wave after wave of colonists leave, the power structures of the old solar system begin to buckle. Ships are disappearing without a trace. Private armies are being secretly formed. The sole remaining protomolecule sample is stolen. Terrorist attacks previously considered impossible bring the inner planets to their knees. The sins of the past are returning to exact a terrible price. And as a new human order is struggling to be born in blood and fire, James Holden and the crew of the Rocinante must struggle to survive and get back to the only home they have left.

Waiting on Wednesday
Hosted by Breaking the Spine

I haven’t even read the fourth book in this series yet, but I already know I’m going to be absolutely thrilled when Nemesis Games comes out in June. These are the kind of books that keep you up all night – partly because they’re so good, but mostly because they are fricking intense! I also think The Expanse series contains some of the most well-written characters of any series I’ve ever read – to the point where I feel like I’m reading about real people, not just figments of someone’s mind. Overall, I consider these books a must-read for anyone who loves a good space opera (Firefly, anyone?). You better believe I’ll be picking this one up in hardcover the day comes out.

What book are you waiting on?

by Niki Hawkes

Mar 24 2015
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Mini Book Review: Abaddon’s Gate by James S. A. Corey

Abaddon's Gate by James S. A. Corey

Title: Abaddon’s Gate

Author: James S. A. Corey

Series: The Expanse #3

Genre: Science Fiction

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

The Overview: For generations, the solar system — Mars, the Moon, the Asteroid Belt — was humanity’s great frontier. Until now. The alien artifact working through its program under the clouds of Venus has appeared in Uranus’s orbit, where it has built a massive gate that leads to a starless dark. Jim Holden and the crew of the Rocinante are part of a vast flotilla of scientific and military ships going out to examine the artifact. But behind the scenes, a complex plot is unfolding, with the destruction of Holden at its core. As the emissaries of the human race try to find whether the gate is an opportunity or a threat, the greatest danger is the one they brought with them.  

The Mini Review:

Whenever I pick up an Expanse novel, I know I’m in for a guaranteed good read. The authors just know how to create a high-stakes, fast-paced, thrill ride that usually has me devouring pages long after I should’ve gone to sleep (seriously – don’t read this book before you go to bed, you’ll never get any rest!). And aside from excellent pacing, part of what makes these novels so great are the characters. Each novel follows the story progression of the crew of the Rocinante, but also includes a few other POVs who add extra flair to story. As much as I love Holden and his crew, it’s these extra characters that I’ve come to look forward to most. They’re all written so well it’s like reading about real people – I’m definitely using this series as Exhibit A for characterization in my own writing. Combine that with compelling conflicts that get more complex and interesting with each novel, and you have yourself a killer series. Overall, if you love science fiction (especially space operas) this is currently my top recommend of the genre. I’ve heard it’s even in the final stages of becoming a television series, which will hopefully be just as epic!

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

Feb 27 2015
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Mini Book Review: Tinker by Wen Spencer

tinkerTitle: Tinker

Author: Wen Spencer

Series: Elfhome #1

Genre: Science Fiction

Rating: 4/5 stars

The Overview: Inventor, girl genius Tinker lives in a near-future Pittsburgh which now exists mostly in the land of the elves. She runs her salvage business, pays her taxes, and tries to keep the local ambient level of magic down with gadgets of her own design. When a pack of wargs chase an Elven noble into her scrap yard, life as she knows it takes a serious detour. Tinker finds herself taking on the Elven court, the NSA, the Elven Interdimensional Agency, technology smugglers and a college-minded Xenobiologist as she tries to stay focused on what’s really important — her first date. Armed with an intelligence the size of a planet, steel-toed boots, and a junkyard dog attitude, Tinker is ready to kick butt to get her first kiss.

The Mini Review:

The overview above is not inaccurate, but I don’t think it does the essence of the story justice. I regard Tinker as one of the most unique books I’ve ever read, mostly because it’s a really cool mix of genres. The setting, atmosphere, and characterization read very much like an urban fantasy. The concept is very futuristic/science fiction. And the plot sits comfortable in the romance genre. And the elves… let’s not forget about that fantasy element. Even for such an eclectic mix of ideas, everything works together brilliantly. I loved how resourceful and creative the main character, Tinker, was and reading about her was easily my favorite element of the novel. Overall, if you are sick of the same old stuff, give Tinker a try – it is an experience if nothing else. This is the second time I’ve read this novel because the third book FINALLY came out and I wanted a refresher… you lucky ducks who haven’t read it yet won’t have to sit and wonder for six years whether or not there will be a conclusion.

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes