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This is a spirited discussion about books of all kinds, including current books and past favorites. We have a book of the month to read for consideration, however you should show up even if you don't get it read; we always have a great talk. In addition we usually confer about other things that happen to cross our minds such as movies and TV shows. The group is always looking for something new that will stretch the mind, so bring it on in! Physical location will be the Denny's at 3456 West Bethany Home Road in Phoenix at 7:00pm on the third Tuesday of the month for the time being. If it all works out, we'll stay for a while. There will be parallel Zoom meetings run from Randall's tablet at the dinner table. The Zoom session will actually open at about 6:30pm, but we have given an official start time of 7:00pm. Contact Randall via books@CASFS.org with questions or post to the CASFS Book & Media Social Facebook group.
CASFS Book and Media Social - Fist Half of 2026 Book List January 20, 2026 – Shadow Life by Lin Christie From Amazon.com - Ferris Goodman is just a regular guy with more than his share of problems—boss issues, family issues, girlfriend issues. Lately, things have been looking up for Ferris. The boss seems to have taken notice of his work, and in a good way. He’s mending fences with his siblings. And he’s met a girl. Yes, sir, things are finally looking up for Ferris. Too bad about that whole “being dead” thing. Maybe “not quite dead” is more accurate. With one foot in the Living Realm and one foot in the Shadowland, Ferris and the other Guides help their clients choose where they want to spend the afterlife. Is the Ghost Life for you? Easy peasy. Paradise? Got you covered. Not ready to move on? Are you sure? Because Life can be a trickster, full of surprises, not all of them good. Speaking of surprises, Ferris is barreling headlong toward a very nasty one. During his time as a Guide, he’s seen some stuff—grisly crime scenes, calamitous accidents, and run-ins with supernatural beings of every stripe. He’s not the squeamish type. But nothing in his past could prepare Ferris for what awaits him. High-stakes situations are common for a Guide. This time, though, things could go horribly wrong. And the price for a blunder is catastrophic when you’re already halfway dead. SHADOW LIFE is set in a world where ghosts are real, Heaven and Hell may be myths, and Death is just another guy at the office.Time: Jan 20, 2026 06:30 PM Arizona Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84780163103?pwd=53rFrDuhshbGbUA3L8nodWJP1MYqOa.1 Meeting ID: 847 8016 3103 Passcode: 036097
February 17, 2026 – Revelation Space by Alistair Reynolds From Amazon.com - This highly acclaimed first novel in the Revelation Space universe has redefined the space opera with a staggering journey across vast gulfs of time and space to confront the very nature of reality itself . . . Nine hundred thousand years ago, something annihilated the Amarantin civilization just as it was on the verge of discovering space flight. Now one scientist, Dan Sylveste, will stop at nothing to solve the Amarantin riddle before ancient history repeats itself. With no other resources at his disposal, Sylveste forges a dangerous alliance with the cyborg crew of the starship Nostalgia for Infinity. But as he closes in on the secret, a killer closes in on him. Because the Amarantin were destroyed for a reason, and if that reason is uncovered, the universe and reality itself could be irrevocably altered.
Time: Feb 17, 2026 06:30 PM Arizona Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83863442001?pwd=hCRIHK3f39CQjnh8PLCv7fVIKshioS.1 Meeting ID: 838 6344 2001 Passcode: 523097
March 17, 2026 – Elric of Melnibone by Michael Moorcock From Amazon.com - From World Fantasy Lifetime Achievement Award winner Michael Moorcock comes the first book in his famous Elric of Melniboné series, brought to vivid new life with stunning illustrations. In one of the most well-known and well-loved fantasy epics of the 20th century, Elric is the brooding, albino emperor of the dying Kingdom of Melnibone. With Melnibone’s years of grandeur and decadence long since passed, Elric’s amoral cousin Yrkoon sets his eyes on the throne. Elric, realizing he is his country’s best hope, must face his nefarious cousin in an epic battle for the right to rule. Elric of Melnibone is the first in Michael Moorcock’s incredible series, which created fantasy archetypes that have echoed through the genre for generations. The beautiful, vivid illustrations bring new life to the story and are sure to captivate fans, new and old.
Time: Mar 17, 2026 06:30 PM Arizona Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88543425433?pwd=F0PN7QaOZYnsKTT95iXbFmLO6Hcu2O.1 Meeting ID: 885 4342 5433 Passcode: 596151
April 21, 2026 – Guards! Guards! By Sir Terry Pratchett After the grimdark of Elric, let’s look at something funny. From Amazon.com - Magic, mayhem, and a marauding dragon combine for extraordinary fun in this brilliant Discworld novel from New York Times bestselling author Terry Pratchett. Insurrection is in the air in the city of Ankh-Morpork. The Haves and Have-Nots are about to face off. Again. It’s old news to Captain Sam Vimes of the city’s ramshackle Night Watch. But this time, something is different—the Have-Nots have found the key to a dormant, lethal weapon that even they can’t fully control, and they’re about to unleash a campaign of terror on the city. Long believed extinct, a draco nobilis can now be seen patrolling the skies above Discworld's greatest city. Not only does this unwelcome visitor have a nasty habit of charbroiling everything in its path, but it’s also soon crowned King. Can Vimes, Carrot, and the rest of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch restore order (before it's burned to a crisp)? The Discworld novels can be read in any order but Guards! Guards! is the first book in the City Watch collection.Time: Apr 21, 2026 06:30 PM Arizona Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85088570659?pwd=JaLMsIswpaMq7oew57meg558SFeKDe.1 Meeting ID: 850 8857 0659 Passcode: 974413
May 19, 2026 – Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik From Amazon.com - Miryem is the daughter and granddaughter of moneylenders, but her father’s inability to collect his debts has left his family on the edge of poverty—until Miryem takes matters into her own hands. Hardening her heart, the young woman sets out to claim what is owed and soon gains a reputation for being able to turn silver into gold. When an ill-advised boast draws the attention of the king of the Staryk—grim fey creatures who seem more ice than flesh—Miryem’s fate, and that of two kingdoms, will be forever altered. She will face an impossible challenge and, along with two unlikely allies, uncover a secret that threatens to consume the lands of humans and Staryk alike.Time: May 19, 2026 06:30 PM Arizona Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82962032092?pwd=deDi2k96UsPkcPK0zQepTRxykjaqbP.1 Meeting ID: 829 6203 2092 Passcode: 345458
June 16, 2026 – Akira by Katsuhiro Otomo From Amazon.com - Welcome to Neo-Tokyo, built on the ashes of a Tokyo annihilated by a blast of unknown origin that triggered World War III. The lives of two streetwise teenage friends, Tetsuo and Kaneda, change forever when paranormal abilities begin to waken in Tetsuo, making him a target for a shadowy agency that will stop at nothing to prevent another catastrophe like the one that leveled Tokyo. At the core of the agency’s motivation is a raw, all-consuming fear of an unthinkable, monstrous power known only as Akira. Katsuhiro Otomo’s stunning science fiction masterpiece is considered by many to be the finest work of graphic fiction ever produced, and Otomo’s brilliant animated film version is regarded worldwide as a classic.Time: Jun 16, 2026 06:30 PM Arizona Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84393859996?pwd=zrdaeauvZrkTYfaC8RItiZrW6CT7Db.1 Meeting ID: 843 9385 9996 Passcode: 286822
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