Reading ”Firsts” in 2022

This is a fun meme that Tammy who keeps Books, Bones & Buffy blog came up with.

First book read in 2022

This was the book of the month in the Action and Adventure GoodReads group. Appropriate because I read a lot of A&A books.

(First) second review posted in 2022

The first review was about Deep Six. Paladin’s Strenght was a delightful fantasy romance and just what I needed to read in January.

First book of 2022 by a debut author

This science fiction romance was published in December 2021. Not really my type of book but I’m sure romance readers will like it a lot more.

First book of 2022 by ”new to me” author:

This was a very good opening to a superhero series.

(First) second self-published book:

Another first in a series, this time a mystery series set in Las Vegas. The detectives are solving cold cases.

First book of 2022 that slayed me

No five-star reviews yet, but of course the delightful Invisible Library series always delivers.

First book of 2022 I wish I could get back the time I spent reading it:

None so far.

 

Women writing SF

Around the blogosphere people are talking about how few women are writing SF. People are also composing lists of their favorite women SF writers. Like a good sheep I decided to join in. 🙂

First, of course, is the question of what is SF.
First I thought “space ships → SF”. However, this would leave out some obviously SF books. So, I added “modern with better technology that most people get their hands on today” but then I decided to just include anything set in the future.

Also, I though at first that anything which has magic, goes to fantasy section. However, then I’d have to define magic. Is telepathy magic? If it is, out goes Star Trek. Star Wars also obvious disqualifies because of the Force. So does time travel. So, that rule goes away, too.

So, all of this ended up being too complicated. In the end, SF and fantasy are often intertwined. So basically I included anything that feels like SF to me.

These are the women SF writers I like the most and intend to read in the future, too:
Lois McMaster Bujold whose Miles Vorkosigan series I adore to bits.
Connie Willis and her time traveling historians
Kristine Kathryn Rusch whose Retrieval Artist books are obvious SF.
C. J. Cherryh. The only series I’ve read from her was space opera, although less operaic than the others on this list.
Kristine Smith, also a space opera writer. (I see a pattern forming…)
Kage Baker whose Company series I think straddles the line between SF and fantasy.
Elizabeth Bear although it’s sort of cheating because I haven’t read her SF yet.

A special mention to Diane Duane whose Star Trek: TNG novel Dark Mirror is the best ST novel I’ve ever read.

 

The Reading Meme

The Book Blogger Appreciation Week is in full swing and today’s meme is Reading habits. I decided to answer all of the questions although probably not as briefly as I can.

Do you snack while you read? If so, favorite reading snack?
I’m trying to cut down but chocolate is still my favorite snack.

Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you?
I don’t mark them but the idea doesn’t horrify me. In fact, I can fully understand it with text books.

How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears? Laying the book flat open?
Bookmarks.

Fiction, Non-fiction, or both?
Fiction these days.

Hard copy or audiobooks?
Because I’m a slow reader, I’d love to have every book as an audiobook!

Are you a person who tends to read to the end of chapters, or are you able to put a book down at any point?
Any point.

If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop to look it up right away?
No, I’m too lazy for that.

What are you currently reading?
Ebook: Czerneda’s Ties of Power, print: Schroeder’s Pirate Sun, and a short story collection: Fast Ships, Black Sails.

What is the last book you bought?
Novik’s Jade of Throne in audio.

Are you the type of person that only reads one book at a time or can you read more than one at a time?
More than one but preferably of different genres and/or different formats.

Do you have a favorite time of day and/or place to read?
I usually read during the evenings but that’s because I have a job, not because it’s what I’d prefer to do.

Do you prefer series books or stand alone books?
Series,

Is there a specific book or author that you find yourself recommending over and over?
People’s tastes are so different that not really.

How do you organize your books? (By genre, title, author’s last name, etc.?)
Read and to-be-read. TBR is further divided into the next reads shelf and the rest.