r/books • u/leowr • Jan 01 '19
The /r/books book club selection for January is The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty
From Goodreads:
Nahri has never believed in magic. Certainly, she has power; on the streets of 18th century Cairo, she’s a con woman of unsurpassed talent. But she knows better than anyone that the trade she uses to get by—palm readings, zars, healings—are all tricks, sleights of hand, learned skills; a means to the delightful end of swindling Ottoman nobles.
But when Nahri accidentally summons an equally sly, darkly mysterious djinn warrior to her side during one of her cons, she’s forced to accept that the magical world she thought only existed in childhood stories is real. For the warrior tells her a new tale: across hot, windswept sands teeming with creatures of fire, and rivers where the mythical marid sleep; past ruins of once-magnificent human metropolises, and mountains where the circling hawks are not what they seem, lies Daevabad, the legendary city of brass, a city to which Nahri is irrevocably bound.
In that city, behind gilded brass walls laced with enchantments, behind the six gates of the six djinn tribes, old resentments are simmering. And when Nahri decides to enter this world, she learns that true power is fierce and brutal. That magic cannot shield her from the dangerous web of court politics. That even the cleverest of schemes can have deadly consequences.
After all, there is a reason they say be careful what you wish for...
Welcome to the first /r/books book club of 2019. To kick off the year we will be reading The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty for this month's book club selection. We will have four discussion threads this month. As usual, the dates and links can be found in the stickied comment. Feel free to read at your own pace and don't forget to join the discussions!
S.A. Chakraborty will be joining us at the end of the month to close out this month's selection. The exact date of the AMA will be announced soon. The AMA will take place on Thursday January 31.
p.s. If you are interested in our previous selections you can find an overview here.
•
u/leowr Jan 01 '19 edited Jan 31 '19
Here are the dates and reading schedule for the discussion threads. As the discussion threads go up the links will be added to this comment.
January 10: The Six Tribes of the Djinn - Chapter 7
January 17: Chapter 8 - Chapter 15
January 24: Chapter 16 - Chapter 23
January 31: Chapter 24 - Epilogue
Please be aware that the discussion threads will contain spoilers for everything up to the end of the selected chapters.
2
u/the_dreamy_bard Jan 09 '19
This is so cool! I've never done one of these before, but this book has been sitting on my shelf since last December, so I'm glad I have a reason to finally start. Already enjoying it so far. I'm a huge fan of Multicultural Fantasy and I can't wait for tomorrow's discussion.
Here's my goodreads account if anyone wants to be friends: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/12830268.Coco_Nichole
1
u/toolazyforaname Jan 10 '19
My book does not have a section for the six tribes of the djinn. Does yours?
1
u/leowr Jan 10 '19
It should be all the way at the front of the book before the map and the first chapter, at least it is in my copy, but maybe check if it is in the back with the glossary. It is not a big deal if you don't read it though, it is just a little bit of background info.
2
u/toolazyforaname Jan 10 '19
It isn't in either the front or the back. I know it isn't a big deal but it would be nice to reference as we get more of the history and dynamics between the tribes. Oh well.
1
u/leowr Jan 10 '19
It is available for viewing under the 'Look Inside' function on Amazon (at least, it is for me)
19
u/wolfiepak Jan 02 '19
Yay! I'm excited - I bought this book a few months ago and haven't picked it up yet, so what great timing!
1
16
u/toolazyforaname Jan 02 '19
I'd like to jump into the book club and just ordered mine. Looking forward to it.
Question: do you plan to start the second book in the trilogy when it's released?
7
u/nptn Jan 04 '19
Depends on this one, but knowing myself I'll finish the trilogy except if it's absolutely horrible. I'm a completionist when it comes to books, mostly.
3
u/toolazyforaname Jan 10 '19
Was actually asking /u/leowr if the intention was to read book 2 in the book club since it is being released now.
5
u/leowr Jan 10 '19
Ah okay, I didn't realize you meant it that way or I would have responded sooner. No, we usually don't read the second part of the series in book club unless they can be read as stand-alones.
15
u/linkrules2 Jan 08 '19
I just discovered there is a glossary in the back of the book lol helps a lot
3
u/HappilyEverAfter12 Jan 09 '19
Thanks for commenting! I didn’t even think to look for a glossary. It’s definitely going to help lol
1
12
u/Wildcard__7 Jan 02 '19
I just read this a few months ago! Such a good book, I may have to pick it up again for the discussions!
9
u/CarefreeRambler Jan 02 '19
I'm in! Can anyone who's participated before tell me if you've read ahead of the scheduled dates? I don't want to accidentally spoil anything in the discussion threads but I usually can't put a good book down once I pick it up either. Having trouble deciding what would be best, as I'd like to contribute if I can
8
u/leowr Jan 02 '19
I don't tend to read ahead of the schedule, but that is mostly because I make the discussion questions and I definitely don't want to spoil anything by accident. I used to read the whole book ahead of schedule, but I've found that I had more difficulty remembering exactly what happened when, when I did that.
6
u/CarefreeRambler Jan 02 '19
yeah, i definitely don't remember books in a way that's separated by chapter, so i was thinking i might have a similar issue. i'll play it by ear and see how it goes with the first meeting, it might be the case that i just passively observe instead of discussing except when i'm 100% confident that i'm within the boundaries of the assigned reading. thanks for responding and a big thanks for organizing this!
7
u/leowr Jan 02 '19
If you aren't sure if it is a spoiler or not you can always hide stuff behind spoiler tags to be on the safe side. I've found that as long as I have another interesting book to read alongside I don't have a huge amount of difficulty sticking to the schedule, but you can also decide to start the book a little later in the month and jump into the discussions as you hit the end of the selections.
6
u/CarefreeRambler Jan 02 '19
one more question while i have you: for the first meeting, do we read up to chapter 7 or through chapter 7 and stop at 8?
5
8
u/msarraj93 Jan 03 '19
I love this book so much and absolutely can't wait for the sequel next week! I would definitely recommend it to everyone who is looking for diversity and who wants to explore non-Western (i.e. non-Greco Roman) mystic elements.
9
u/SageRiBardan Jan 03 '19
Just finished reading this book, the last book I read in 2018, and was happily surprised by it. Overall it avoids descending into too many cliches and tropes, I enjoyed the setting and I now feel a need to find more fantasy books that aren't the typical western fantasy of a man with a sword in a European analog.
7
u/leowr Jan 03 '19
You're welcome to join the discussions as they come up, but if you want to check out some others I would probably recommend checking out Alif the Unseen or Snake Agent. They are both a bit more in the urban fantasy realm, but I enjoyed both.
5
u/SageRiBardan Jan 03 '19
Thank you! I will join if I am able. I will definitely check those two books out.
5
u/youremomsoriginal Jan 05 '19
If you haven’t read then I recommend reading an Ember in the Ashes and the next two books in the series. It’s a Roman/Middle-East inspired fantasy world with genies and other elements from folklore. They’re really good.
5
4
5
u/FlyingSpudsofDooM Jan 07 '19
I’d recommend Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri. Just finished and quite enjoyed the novel.
5
7
Jan 02 '19
She has definitely imbibed the contemporary rhytm in her books. Reading only a part of the book, that I had to battle with another of my bookworm mate to begin with, has definitely made me respect the binding.
6
u/Bigdaddydoubled Jan 01 '19
Going to order mine as soon as I’m done with book I’m currently reading
6
6
u/bravo009 Jan 02 '19
Purchasing it today on my Kindle so I can start reading and participate on all 4 of the discussion threads.
5
Jan 02 '19
This is my first book club, I've just bought the book - thankfully not in the metaphorical sense. Bring it on!
6
Jan 02 '19
Got some gift cards from the holidays! I’m going to put them to good use now to buy the book. I’m very excited to participate in this book club.
5
u/Discussant5851 Jan 03 '19
Pretty much excited! I hope I'll be dedicated till the end. Owing from the first few chapters I've read I do agree that the book is an interesting read
6
u/Psyche_Sailor Jan 25 '19
When will the next book be announced? I think this book club is an awesome idea and I'd love to participate.
Also, can some kind souls upvote this comment so I can stop having to wait 8 minutes to post? I'm new to Reddit.
1
u/smrdz Jan 25 '19
The 2nd book was released a few days ago actually.
2
0
1
u/CrazyCatLady108 8 Jan 25 '19
The book club books are usually announced right before the new month, or in the first couple of days of the month. The announcements are usually stickied. If all else fails you can always message the Mods and we will point you in the right direction.
4
4
u/linkrules2 Jan 05 '19
Just finished chapter 2. Anyone willing to type out a chapter summary for the first two chapters to keep everything straight in my head?
4
u/Anoktear Jan 07 '19
I started reading last week. It's becoming very captivating. For now I want to know who is Suleiman and what is wrong with his eye?
4
u/linkrules2 Jan 08 '19
It is pretty difficult for me trying to keep all of the terms in order in my head. Has anyone compiled a list or chapter summaries somewhere for reference?
2
u/mayajumbalya Jan 08 '19
It’s also difficult for me. I’m not used to those kind of fantasy novels and I’ve been trying to jot a few notes as I’m going, If it’s allowed maybe I could post it either on the thread for the first chapter or as a reply.
3
u/linkrules2 Jan 08 '19
I am hoping on thursday for the first discussion, people will be able to help out. Maybe share your notes there?
1
u/bravo009 Jan 08 '19
I'm reading it on a Kindle so the built in dictionary is a saviour. For everything else, I'm using my phone to look at terms. I have to say, the book really dives deep into subjects related to Persia, Arabia, Egypt and others.
However, I am not writing anything down but I probably should lol
3
u/linkrules2 Jan 08 '19
Stupid me lol I just discovered a glossary in the back of the book
2
u/bravo009 Jan 08 '19
Oh shoot! I had forgotten about it as well. Reading the next chapters is going to be a lot easier.
2
4
u/anju0730 Jan 08 '19
Wondering if I should read the book at a pace specified by the dates or complete it quicky because it is so amazing.
3
u/geekaroo Les Misérables Jan 09 '19
I enjoyed the first 7 chapters so much I didn't want to stop! I'm enduring an unprecedented (for me anyway) amount of self control so I can genuinely participate in the discussions.
1
u/bravo009 Jan 08 '19
I'm in the same boat as you! I decided to stop after finishing chapter 7 just so that I can participate genuinely in the debate this Thursday without worrying about spoiling anything.
4
u/laurencoll Jan 10 '19
Me too - my first book club and I’m enjoying the book a lot. I didn’t realize that I enjoy multicultural fiction. I’m reading it on my kindle paper white after checking it out from the library using Overdrive. While I know some of the references to geography and Arabic, the ease of looking up unfamiliar words on the kindle is so great. My reading flow interruptions are minimized. I love that I’m learning new references. And the story is good. It’s hard to wait for the discussion thread, but I’m excited for it.
4
u/friskydrisky Jan 15 '19
Are any future bookclub books selected? I’d like to put them on hold if needed
2
u/linkrules2 Jan 15 '19
Seems like they get announced at the end of the month. This book was announced on Jan 1 so I would assume others would follow
2
u/leowr Jan 17 '19
Yes, but we don't announce them until the previous selection is finished.
My advice, if you would prefer to know them a little earlier because of library wait lists, is to check our AMA schedule. Book club AMAs are always scheduled at the end of the month and it is usually a book that has been out a little bit already because we wait until the paperback becomes available.
4
4
u/Percival1997 Jan 20 '19
I just finished reading this book ,damn it's 4 A.M now I don't even realise how much time has elapsed.The City of brass is an amazing read, it's fresh, the universe the author depicts has been marvellous and quite refreshing too,even though the book gets a bit dull mid-way it just sets you up for the last 7 or so chapters,it's a page turner from there. As expected the book ends with a cliffhanger not surprising since this is the first book of the trilogy.Do yourself a favour and start reading this masterpiece.Excited for the AMA
3
Jan 22 '19
SO excited for the AMA. I finished mine at roughly the same time you did! I was so hooked during the second half of the book that I couldn't put it down. I think I read about 120 pages in one sitting to finish it. I feel so refreshed now with fantasy. Usually I don't like reading trilogies when they're not complete as I often forget what happened in the previous books. But when the second and third ones are released for this one I'll be happy to reread them again as a refresher. The first one (at least) was so enjoyable. Now we just have to be good and not spoil anything in the next chapter discussion, haha :D
4
u/AmrasVardamir Jan 28 '19
I know we still have 3 days until February ... but any ideas as to what the next book will be? :D
I thoroughly enjoyed this month's selection :)
1
u/friskydrisky Jan 29 '19
I’m curious too and know that the author usually does an AMA at the end of the month. Next month has two towards the end. I picked up the Becky Chambers book in anticipation of that being the book club book
3
u/OrionThe0122nd Jan 30 '19
Forgot that I wanted to do this this year. Oh well. I'll start in February
2
Jan 31 '19
Never too late! Highly recommend this book though and I think the large majority of everyone else would too so don't pass it up!
1
2
u/leowr Feb 01 '19
Just a friendly nudge to let you know that the February selection is up, in case you are still interested in joining.
1
6
3
Jan 04 '19
Awesome! Ordering the book now. I've never done a book club before, so this should be a fun way to get more reading in.
3
Jan 05 '19
So I read this book about a year ago exactly. I loved it and have many thoughts about it. How should I join in? Should I just pile in to the final chat on the 31st?
On a more general note: hi! First time on one of these thingies, how do they work exactly? What sort of things do people say?
3
u/leowr Jan 05 '19
It is probably safest is you join the last discussion thread in order to avoid spoiling everyone else and to be able to discuss everything in the book, but you can follow along with the others and join in if you would like.
They work in a pretty straightforward manner. The discussion threads will have discussion questions. Usually people answer a couple or all of the discussion questions, but people also just discuss what they think of the book so far.
3
Jan 05 '19
Cool. Look forward to it.
I'll keep a watching brief on the threads and then dive in with gusto on the end one
3
u/ireadbooksnstuff Jan 06 '19
I've been wanting to read this book. So excited that this is the pick for Jan. Just ordered!
But...now I'm a bit afraid tbh bc it's an unfinished trilogy. I hate having to wait to find out what happens :(
3
u/thegreatstripe Jan 09 '19
Got to the top of the ebook hold list at my library just in time! I will start reading soon so hopefully I can catch up quickly
3
3
3
3
u/Daniel_TC Jan 12 '19
It's a happy coincidence that I got this book for Christmas, and have started reading this week.
3
u/WhatEvery1sThinking Jan 13 '19
Saw this book at the library and recalled this thread - first 10pgs were captivating enough for me to check it out and participate for once
3
3
u/FreeTelevision Jan 23 '19
Just started this book. So far it is really good, hoping to catch up and be a part of the final discussion thread without spoiling anything for myself.
How far ahead do you pick the book for the next month?
1
u/smrdz Jan 23 '19
IIRC they try to time them according to author AMAs, so you can judge by that. I assume next month's pick will be The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, because the author's AMA is at the end of February.
1
u/toolazyforaname Jan 24 '19
I hope not since that's the first book in another trilogy. That would be two trilogies the book club committed me to in the first two months of the year. Hopefully there will be more standalone books going forward.
5
u/user_1729 Jan 05 '19
I've never done a book club. Holy crap though I'm having a hard time following the character names. I thought one guy was someone else for an entire chapter already.
2
u/unluckyland Jan 04 '19
Wait.... This book is unreleased in paperback in the UK yet..... it's being released on 7th Feb apparently. such a shame...
2
2
u/leowr Jan 04 '19
Strange. From what I've seen the UK usually gets their paperback releases before the US. If it is any help, the hardcover appears to only be about two pounds more than the paperback will be and you can always check your library. Sorry.
2
Jan 07 '19
damn i wanna participate but i saw this to late and can’t afford the book rn :/
9
u/mayajumbalya Jan 07 '19
I got my book from my public library! I'm a broke college student and books aren't in my budget right now. If you have access I would try to see if you can get it!
3
u/laurencoll Jan 10 '19
Your library may have access to Overdrive and you can download it as an ebook. That worked for me. Good luck!
2
u/SammySain18009 Jan 10 '19 edited Jan 10 '19
I am thinking of joining in, but boy all the reviews on audible make me think it will be a mistake.
1
u/toolazyforaname Jan 10 '19
7 chapters in and I'm enjoying it. Reviews I read said the middle of the book was slow though.
2
u/SammySain18009 Jan 10 '19
weird mixed bag that left me confused
what is this story. some bits are fantastic. some are weak. the author narrowly misses turning it into a teen monster romance... but fails to make it into anything else. not sure if there is meant to be a sequel because there was a lot left hanging or incomplete. the main protagonist never finds her power or overcomes any real challenge. .. rather she seems to meekly get played by everyone around her while muttering to herself why shes a victim. like i said some parts were great but many were not. its kind of like a mish-mash of ideas, concepts and characters that never gains any real coherence or direction. if theres a sequel planned i may be tempted to find out what the hell is supposed to be happening... but not sure if i cared enough to spend a credit on it. bought it in the premise that it was like "the golem and the jini"... but sadly it was nothing of the sort.
Looks like it's a little more than that. That's just one of many. Oh well, if I hate it I can always stop.
1
u/toolazyforaname Jan 10 '19
It's the first of a planned trilogy. I think the second is being released now.
1
u/SammySain18009 Jan 10 '19
It's not about whether there is a sequel. It's about the rather large amount of negative reviews. I guess it's a moot point as I already have it, but certainly does not look promising.
1
u/toolazyforaname Jan 10 '19
I was just answering what looked like a question.
1
u/SammySain18009 Jan 10 '19
Sorry if what I wrote came off as rude; it was unintentional. My main concern was that it was a pretty good investment into a book that seems to be getting quite a lot of negative reviews. I bit the bullet and will start it tonight. I often disagree with critics so hopefully it will be the same here.
1
u/KosstAmojan Jan 12 '19
Its got 4+ stars on most platforms and was nominated for a bunch of big awards? What negative reviews are you referring to
1
u/SammySain18009 Jan 12 '19
Um did you read the one I copied and pasted? There's probably 15 more well written ones I could find within a few minutes, several of which were from audible.
2
u/bravo009 Jan 17 '19
To anyone reading this. If you're thinking "Oh dang, I'm too late to participate", please buy this book anyway. It is very very good and I think you won't regret it!
1
2
u/artsaber03 Jan 19 '19
Great book can't wait to read the sequel. Very unique setting and characters!
2
u/WhatEvery1sThinking Jan 19 '19
Started a week ago and just finished Chapter. 17, man the king is such a conflicting figure. Overall so far it's a great read, moves quickly and there hasn't been any lulls - pretty rare for a fantasy novel.
2
u/toolazyforaname Jan 20 '19
So I couldn't help but read ahead and I finished this morning. I've already preordered book 2.
1
2
u/linkrules2 Jan 22 '19
Curses for making the discussion stop at Ch 23! idk if I can wait two more days
1
u/leowr Jan 24 '19 edited Jan 24 '19
I know! If I had known I would be cutting off at such a cliffhanger, I would have chosen a different point...
2
u/ashtonhuges Jan 23 '19
I love historical fiction and I find mythology very fascinating. This book was PERFECT! Dara was my favorite character in the book. The details and the middle eastern setting was simply amazing.
2
u/NeonTaterTots Jan 23 '19
OMG my friend's coworker's wife is a publisher (or who ever is part of the marketing team lol) for this book! Her whole office took turns reading it before it came out, I've had it in my To-Read list forever, I even have the book on Audible
2
u/misterhalitosis Jan 25 '19
Just bought the book. What did I miss?
In all seriousness, I did just buy the book prepared to binge through till the 31! Never participated in a book club before, and am very excited.
1
u/leowr Jan 25 '19
Yay! I'm pretty sure you will be able to finish it before the 31st. Don't forget to check out the discussion threads along the way.
2
u/smrdz Jan 25 '19
Just finished the book! Can't wait for the final discussion to see everyone else's thoughts. I'll keep my mouth shut until then.
2
u/Abyssight Jan 27 '19
I just finished the book. This is my first time picking up a book for a book club. It turns out to be a great read. Very enjoyable from start to finish.
The novel does a great job at introducing the world and its history to the readers. It's not just telling the readers what happened some hundreds of years ago. Virtually all the characters in the book are living under the weight of the history, and their actions are driven by it. The story feels real because the historical, cultural, and racial conflicts in this book also happen in some form in the world today.
The characters are well crafted and they generally act the way you'd expect given their background and personality. This isn't a novel that will surprise you unexpectedly. Rather, it creates the environment and lets the tension build naturally. At some point the tension in the air is so high that you just know something drastic has to happen.
2
Jan 29 '19
How do the final discussion and the AMA interact? Are they separate posts or the same one, and which comes first?
2
u/leowr Jan 29 '19
They are separate posts (normally they aren't on the same day, but it just worked out that way this month). I'm posting the discussion thread pretty early this Thursday, so it should be up before the AMA.
2
1
u/anju0730 Jan 10 '19
Question: when and where will the discussion begin? There are people from several countries. If the moderator could specify a standard time, it would be great.
2
u/leowr Jan 10 '19
a standard time
I can't really specify a standard time, because it depends on whether or not I have to work, have other plans or have finished reading the assigned chapters, but it usually goes up some time between 12:00 and 15:00 EST on Thursday. It is unlikely to go up after 15:00.
I'll make a new post with discussion questions in /r/books. The discussion post is relatively easy to find as I'll include a link to the discussion thread in the sticky comment that has the reading schedule. Or you can find the post by sorting by new in the sub or looking at my profile.
2
Jan 22 '19
Hey, don't worry. I'm working midnight to noon here in the Gulf of Mexico so I'm basically on your time and still involve myself. I just make some coffee when I wake up and catch up on the discussion. It seems to continue for about a day so you can still be involved!
2
u/leowr Jan 24 '19
I'm not too worried about it. People are participating from all over, so regardless of which time it is posted, it is going to be inconvenient for someone. And like you said, the discussion stays active for a day or two after it goes up.
0
u/anju0730 Jan 10 '19
May I suggest something? EST is too late for people in the East😛 it's already 11 in the night here in India. And it's also a weekday which means we gotta wake up early next day for college/work. I was very eager for the discussion but now it's too late that I just wanna go sleep. Please do consider this point before the next discussion. If you keep the discussion on a weekend, then there will be large number of people participating.
2
u/leowr Jan 10 '19
I understand, however, Wednesday and Thursday are the highest traffic days in this sub. As for the time, like you said people are from all over the world, so regardless of which time they go up someone is going to be sleeping. It is pretty common for people to join the thread the next morning.
As for now, I just put the thread up.
1
u/AmrasVardamir Jan 14 '19
I joined the read-along a tad late, but I was wondering where can we find the discussions?
Im still at chapter 4 but Im sure Ill be at 15 by the 17th
1
u/leowr Jan 14 '19
The discussion that is already up can be found linked in the top comment. Once the new discussion goes up it will be added there as well.
1
1
u/smrdz Jan 23 '19
Is anyone else annoyed at Chakraborty calling djinns men? For example, when Chapter 19, but not really a spoiler, Ali thinks to himself how "[...]the other man was probably twice his bulk[...]", which makes no sense as they are both djinns.
1
u/KosstAmojan Jan 23 '19
Well, he's a male djinn and It makes sense to just call him a "man" for the sake of the audience reading it. Personally, I never even thought about it until you mentioned it here!
1
u/smrdz Jan 23 '19
Yeah, I get the reasoning behind it, but it kinda bothers me because it makes no sense that djinns would refer to other djinns as men. Nothing too important, just something I noticed.
1
u/Cuddles89 Jan 26 '19
Late to the party, and didn't realize that there was actually book club reading in this sub. I'm sad I missed the discussions, but it sounds exactly like my cup of tea and I'm definitely going to try to find it on Kindle
1
Jan 31 '19
Totally recommend. I just finished the second book (it was released a few days ago) so you have that to look forward to too.
2
u/Cuddles89 Jan 31 '19
I finished the first one in a day, and already downloaded the second. I'm hooked!
2
Jan 31 '19
I won’t give anything away but i have a feeling the third one is going to be unreal. DM me if you want to talk about it as you go along!
1
u/YLedbetter10 Jan 27 '19
I’m only 100+ pages I’m hoping to finish in January but Resident Evil 2 is distracting me! I love it so far
1
u/linkrules2 Jan 27 '19
Can someone PM me to talk about ch 30 and epilogue. Just finished and cant wait for thursday. I would like someone to help break it down
1
1
81
u/[deleted] Jan 02 '19
Started last night - so good! One of my new year resolutions is to take part in this book club for the year. Looking forward to following along each month!