Month: April 2016

Cool Books You Should Read

Well, I’ve been doing some reading. Traveling always means reading for me. And doing the podcast seems to also mean reading to me.

Amongst the many books I’ve been perusing, here are a few books that I think you might appreciate it. Or, if you prefer, these awesome books get my stamp of approval.

The Elephant and Macaw Banner Novelette Series 1-5 by Christopher Kastensmidt: Yes, we did just interview Chris on Unreliable Narrators regarding his work and the SF/F scene in Brazil, largely because I’ve been a big fan for a long time. Chris writes historical adventure and fantasy all at the same time. He has 200 books from the time period he’s writing in, so he’s accurate. The flavor of his work is unlike anything else on the scene today, and I hope to see him get a lot of lovely awards in the future. I feel smarter just reading him. You will too.

The Lives of Tao by Wesley Chu: I bought this book on a whim. It was used, and I saw some folks reading it at a con. So, I finally go to it. Lessee…this book is amusing science fiction with spies and a weight loss/geek makeover story. It is funny. And poignant. Inspiring. And original. So, the rest of the world has read all three of these, and is lining up to buy the special novella from Subterranean, right? Right? I’m saying if you’re as behind as I am, you really need to get this book. And the next two. And the special novella. Chu’s voice is fresh, alive. I’m hooked.

Mosaics 1: A Collection of Independent Women: Honestly, I could also talk about the second Mosaics collection as well. I am in the second one, and it’s a pretty good collection of stories. But the first collection is truly cerebral, spot on in its balance, and a wide diversity viewpoints from self-identified women. Of particular note to me was “The Queen of Lakes” by L.S. Johnson, the last story in the collection.