The name of this website was inspired by the Beyond Reality discussion group, which has been around for almost two decades in various forms and which I’ve been managing for more than half of that time. Because this site’s name took its inspiration from the group, I try to post monthly updates about the group here, including our Books of the Month, our series discussions, and any other special events like giveaways or author visits.

Please consider this an invitation to join us, if you’re interested in SF&F book discussion. And if book discussions aren’t your thing, maybe you’ll find some additional book recommendations in this monthly feature!

Beyond Reality’s Books of the Month for November are:

China Mountain Zhang by Maureen F. McHugh for science fiction. My thoughts: this is a book I’ve been wanting to read for a long time now. To my great shame, I have never read anything by McHugh. Given the crush of deadlines I am currently suffering under (*gasp*), it probably won’t happen again this month, but let’s just say that this author is on my radar.

Ysabel by Guy Gavriel Kay for fantasy. My thoughts: I believe that my discussion group may be purposely messing with me here, because this is the ONLY novel by Guy Gavriel Kay that I haven’t read yet. Everything else I’ve read. All of it! And they have to go and pick the one I haven’t. It’s a conspiracy, I tell you. Anyway. Planning to read this one day, definitely. I’ve heard from various fans that this isn’t their favorite by him (which may be why it’s the only Kay since the Sarantium books that I didn’t buy on sight in hardcover as soon as I could).

That’s it for November. However, exciting news to report for a few months down the line: I nominated Range of Ghosts by Elizabeth Bear (my review) for our January fantasy selection, and it won! I also nominated Ann Leckie’s Ancillary Justice (my review) for our January SF selection, but sadly that one got beat out in the final round of polling by Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Lathe of Heaven. I will try again when we nominate for February!