New Scaratings

Recently finished A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine.

A strong debut novel which won the 2020 Hugo Award for Best Novel. Had some unique elements; I enjoyed it and will read the follow-up book.

Hope I get to play a SciFiles again someday and answer a question on it.

I liked that one. But I liked "Debt of Honor" even better.
Liked the way Jack Ryan became President.

RAY J.

I just yesterday discovered this thread, and wanted to respond to what Brooke was reading ten years ago. Harbach's "The Art of Fielding" didn't pack as much punch with me, at least, as Garth Stein's "The Art of Racing in the Rain."

I don't read much contemporary fiction. In the same vein, "the imperfectionists," by Tom Rachman, and maybe "Fates and Furies," by Lauren Groff.

The very best 21st C novel I've read is "The Unchangeable Spots of Leopards," by Kristopher Jansma. It has a structure very similar to David Mitchell's "Cloud Atlas," but it's neither so sweeping nor so pretentious. A pity about Mitchell: he can do anything he wants with words, and chooses to waste his talent on supernatural confections. By which I intend no disrespect to SCAR, CLOUDY, RAY J, et al. There is, unfortunately, a serious problem in the United States, reconciling science not with fiction, but with commonly accepted fact.

an odd book from the 60s.
http://www.stopthecrime.net/docs/Report ... untain.pdf

I read her recently released follow up novel, A Desolation Called Peace. Really enjoyed it, she is talented. I imagine I will see some award nominations next year for it.