I got into two different conversations lugging this around. So, apparently there's a new Sci Fi series based on this series of books. And it's good, I hear. You know what I liked best about it, besides the old-school sci fi space opera vibe? Ethics. I know, right? Lots of thought time and discussion given to ethics and morals and what is the right thing to do. It doesn't drag the plot down at all, there's still plenty going on, and big battles and such. And I liked the hardboiled cop storyline enormously.

Female characters at maybe 1 in 10, and mostly they exist for dudes to fall for, so points off for that, but the dudes are falling for clever, creative, hard-working characters, so it's not like reading Golden Age sexism, but there is definitely room for improvement. And Yay! everyone isn't white, so that's nice, too.

My library only has this one volume. So, does anyone know if the series is driving an uptick in reading? I want to ask them to get all the books, but not if I'm the only one who'll check them out.

Library copy

Earth, Mars and the outer planets find themselves drawing battle lines as ships are being destroyed by one or the others forces.

A freighter discovers the first and finds itself being hunted for its information.

A cop is asked to find a rich kid whose turned her back on an influential family.

As the threads start coming together, they try to stop a war in their own ways.

This was a really good story, each chapter flicking between the two main characters. Holden is slightly naive, thinking that making everything public will mean everyone has all the information to make informed decisions. Miller is a slightly weary cop, more realistic, and not afraid to keep quiet until he has all the facts.

The other characters are well written, and it's tense right up until the end.

Let me begin by saying that I seldom read and truly enjoy science fiction.  Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan series is one that I love, the Pern books, Marion Zimmer Bradley, the Mars books by Kim Stanley Robinson as well.  So I honestly wasn't expecting to be pulled into Leviathan Wakes as deeply as I was.

I had watched the first season of the TV show The Expanse (it's funny, I much prefer sci-fi TV to books and I don't know why) and loved it.  Great genre TV!  I had no intention of starting to read the series of books, but then one day, the first one went on sale and I thought, well, I'd heard about how good it was and how close to the show it was so why the hell not.  :)

It was GOOD!!  People call it a space opera.  Okay, so there's not reams and reams of physics and chemistry and explanations and stuff.  It's an action story as well as a bit of a noir detective tale!  And I like those.  There are characters who some might call stereotypes, but that sets up the exploration of the questions the plot poses.  I also saw complaints about the women in the book not being represented as well as they possibly could have been.  *sigh*  Sometimes it's not about the women, y'know.  Book 2, Caliban's War, seems to rectify that as one of the POV characters is a woman.

Anyway!  Loved the book, it read along at a brisk pace, there were twists and turns, promises kept and betrayals committed and even a sacrifice or two.  :)  One thing I will say is that compared to the TV show, we saw pretty much NOTHING on Earth or Mars - that comes in later books. And yes, I'm hooked.  Going to have to get the others in the series, but will have to wait until they go on sale.  $13 for an ebook just ain't in my budget!

After having watched the first season of The Expanse on Netflix, I decided to read the first book of the Expanse series. And it is a good book for what it is: a fast-paced, action-packed space opera and a fun read. But stories like these just work better for me with visuals and there is nothing that makes me want to pick up the next book in the series. So I will stick with the TV series, which I really like.

I finished 14 books in December, which is a lot for me!

 

Several of these were short Christmas reads;

 

2 Classics:

 

The Chimes by Charles Dickens (New to me, but one read is enough)

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (A favorite I will probably re-read again)

 

One other re-read: A Christmas Tale by Austin Crawley

That was fun to read right after A Christmas Carol because it relates.

 

Claus by Tony Bertauski

War on Christmas by Edward Lorn

The Elf by I. Clayton Reynolds

Supernatural Short Stories for Christmas by Denise Jay

 

All new reads with a Horror element. I tried other Christmas stories but DNF'd any not listed here.

 

Also,

The Christmas Cookie Plate by Julie Schoen (Cookbook for Christmas cookies)

 

Other non-holiday stories were:

EMP by Wilson Harp

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch

Leviathan by Tim Curran

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

The Woman Who Killed Donald Trump by Sam Bower

 

ALL of these were good. Seriously, I indulged in pleasure reading and only read books I really enjoyed. I read no samples whatsoever and I was all caught up with Netgalley, though I seem to have acquired 3 more from them now.

 

It has been an excellent reading month for me. :)