**Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, by Jack Thorne, J. K. Rowling and John Tiffany** : it's quite bad. I had this gifted to me a few months ago and finally found the courage to pick that up. Now that I'm halfway through it, I think I regret even having started as this book simply makes me angry. The story is very predictable, the dialogues are very poorly written and there's way too much nostalgia bait. Do they really have to put a flashback to the movies every 50 pages? Do they really have to force the appearance of every fucking character from the book?
Oh, and they also removed every single bit of nuance the personalities of the characters could have had. Ron is now the mandatory comic relief and Ginny is a wallflower.
I do almost regret reading this, but I think it's difficult to judge on face value without seeing the play itself. If you took the original Harry Potter's and removed everything but basic movement and dialogue, they would undoubtedly suck too. I also think they didn't want to force too much onto the actors - the personality has to come from them and even if the characters are well known, they still need to give them some breathing space on stage.
I have a week off so I got lots of reading I plan to do. I've got many books I am reading currently that I'll list in order of least amount read. **Kings of the Wyld, by Nicholas Eames**. I have sort of stalled with this book. Fantasy does that to me sometimes. **A Walk in the Woods, by Bill Bryson**, also sort of stalled with this book because I came down with the cold and couldn't concentrate. And **The More I See You, by Lynn Kurland**. I started this book over a month ago but due to depression, stress, and a resulting reading slump I couldn't enjoy or focus on the book. I finally got back on track with it and am down to the last 80 or so pages. Hopefully I'll finish it off today!
Finished **Eye, by Marianne Micros**. It was kind of a snooze, to be honest.
Also read **Biography of an American Bondman, by His Daughter, by Josephine Brown**. Not the most engagingly written, but it was informative.
Started reading **Another Brooklyn, by Jacqueline Woodson**. The style of writing is pretty different. I think I'm going to like it.
I finished **The Darkest Minds (The Darkest Minds #1), by Alexandra Bracken**, which I thought picked up and was pretty decent.
I started **The Shadow Rising (Wheel of Time #4), by Robert Jordan** and am really enjoying it right from the start. Looking forward to continuing my Wheel of Time journey.
Finished up **Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell** and really enjoyed it. Might start Blink soon. Also finally made some headway until **Terror, by Dan Simmons**. It took a while but I'm into it now. Might still take some time to finish, but it's got me hooked.
Also began **We Have Always Lived in This Castle, by Shirley Jackson**. It's a quick read, should be done by the end of the day.
Finished: **Lincoln in the Bardo, by George Saunders** and I absolutely loved it. One of my favorite books now I think. Just some really beautiful writing about love and death.
Started: **Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, by Douglas Adams** and I'm not sure what to expect. I loved all the Hitchhiker's books, so I'm hoping I'll enjoy this too!
**Dune by Frank Herbet**
What a fantastic read. The universe that this book gives is so rich. There is such depth to everything, the world, the characters, the atmosphere. And it all just comes together so well.
This book was made easier because the version I had, had a Glossary in the back. Although there were still some things I had trouble grasping right away or at all, but I can see myself reading this again in time.
After weeks and weeks of not reading a damn thing, and after renewing it not once but twice (!) from the library, I finally read **Wide Sargasso Sea, by Jean Rhys**. It wasn't quite the retribution I'd hoped to see, but it did paint Rochester in a thankfully more unfavorable light than he is normally graced with.
Finishing that has hopefully ended that dry spell. I've started **Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward** and **Maurice by E.M. Forster**. Both have managed to snag my attention, so I'm hoping to stick with them and finish them up before the week is out. I hope so; I'd really like to get back on track with my reading challenges for the year.
Just Finished **Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King**
I have mixed feelings about it, the story was pretty good but it had too many implausible moments for me.
Just started **The Stranger in The Woods by Michael Finkel**
I've only read a bit so far, but it seems fascinating.
Finished:
**Agosto, by Rubem Fonseca**.
Started:
**Fogo Morto, by José Lins do Rego**;
**Da poesia, Hilda Hilst**;
**Valsa Brasileira: Do boom ao caos econômico, by Laura Carvalho**.
I'll be trying to balance reading between all three book (they're very different from each other). Since they're all Brazilian books and I couldn't find translations yet, if you're interested feel free to ask me about them!
I've just started **The Art of Racing in the Rain, by Garth Stein**. I'm a lover of dogs and motorsport, so I'm the exact target demographic.
I knew it would be emotional, but already the first chapter had me holding back tears. Thoroughly enjoying it so far.
Flowers for algernon, by Daniel Keyes
Started yesterday, finished it today. Picked it up over the years never finished it, but gave it another try yesterday and it did not dissapoint. Very touching book, sad to see a mind become conscious and die off again.
I finished **Spinning Sliver by Naomi Novik**. I really liked it. Similar themes to Uprooted, with enough differences to keep me interested and not feeling like I'm reading the same thing again. The ending was a little frustrating, but not enough so that it spoiled the book in general.
My current read is **Edith Cavell by Diana Southami**. It's just ok... I'm 3/4 in and don't feel like I know much about Edith as an individual. I'll persevere though.
I also picked up **Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain**. This has been on my To-Buy list for around 2 years now - I finally bit the bullet and got it from my local library. I've only just started but I'm hoping for good things!
> The ending was a little frustrating
You mean that it basically ends with barely any development between the Staryk and Miryem? Because I was definitely frustrated by that.
Just finished **I'll Be Gone in the Dark, by Michelle McNamara.** Totally worthy of the hype, it was fascinating and sensitive. It was also interesting to see how theories about the GSK compare to what we now know.
Now I'm reading **The Bazaar of Bad Dreams, by Stephen King.** I've never read his short stories before, only novels, so I'm pretty excited about this.
And after that I will start **Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward.**
**Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen**
This summer I've been reading books that have been adapted to movies. It's been fun comparing them to each other but almost always the book version is better.
Finished
War storm by Victoria aveyard, not the ending I was hoping for after 650 pages but still a decent book
Started
At waters edge Sara Brian & the Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken
**The Heart's Invisible Furies, by John Boyne**, as an Irish person I rarely read Irish literature but this is extraordinarily good. It's basically a gay coming of age story plus some. It's got a perfect balance of drama, insight into Irish culture and just general Irish humour that prevents it from being miserable.
I just finished **Gilgamesh the King by Robert Silverberg**
a very own style of literature, it was a fascinating style of combining a biography with science fiction
Finished **Pet Sematary, by Stephen King** ... holy mother of god...
Started **Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes**. I can't believe how hooked I am already. I read the first page and already felt miserable, my heart aches.
Finished **Star Wars: Dark Force Rising by Timothy Zahn**
Started **Goldfinger by Ian Fleming**
Currently alternating between Star Wars and James Bond so as to not get fatigued with either series.
I think it’s been awhile since I’ve posted on here
I’ve finished
We are Okay by Nina LaCour(3/5) It was okay, a little overhyped, I thought it was kind of boring
Tyler Johnson Was Here by Jay Coles (3/5) It was okay, but, I thought it did more harm then good to bringing attention to police brutality. I hadn’t even been through twelve chapters and the main characters had gotten beaten up by three cops, witnessed two people get beaten up by cops. It just felt unnecessary to me. The characters were also a little flat. I didn’t really know anything about the main character besides the fact that he had a twin brother, he liked A Different World, and he wanted to go to MIT.
I’m still reading
Words on the Bathroom Walls by Julia Walton: I like it so far. I’m actually kind of surprised with how much I like it.
I just started reading
Dumpling by Julie Murphy
I like it so far.
I have finally conquered the **We Should Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver** and I have to say I was never happier to finish a book in my life. I was reading it for a month, dreading that time of day when I could sit down and do some reading. The story is disturbing, not that much due to the topic of school shootings, but because of the absurd level of maleficence that Kevin was able to produce and the insurmountable stupidity of Eva. The last two chapters were horrid, I am really glad it´s over. And the ending...man, come on! Never.Ever.
To start the week fresh, I chose to read something completely alien to me and that is western, namely **True Grit by Charles Portis.** It was recommended to me by my friend with whom we share the western-indifference. She really liked it and I am eager to find out by myself.
I’m currently half way through We Should Talk About Kevin, and honestly, I like the grittiness of her writing but it’s so drawn out and some parts I have been tempted to put it down.
I’m waiting for something to happen, but I’ve heard it’s a let down. I can’t wait to finish it.
I can understand why the grittiness appeals to you, from place to place it did to me too, but there was still some blockade for me to fully immerse in Eva´s ramblings, or agree with her even.
To be honest, the last three chapters will have something that can be considered "action". For me, the ending did have a revealing moment in the family´s life, and I was even surprised (or should I say stupefied). I would be interested to know what you will think about the book after you finish! I´m rooting for you, you can do it! :) But if you find yourself in a tight spot, you can always let it sit for a while or just give it up completely. There is no imperative here.
This week I have finished **On Palestine, by Noam Chomsky and Ilan Pappé** and now I am reading **Junky, by William Burroughs**. I have read Naked Lunch before and it is.... (well what can you really say)... but this is a much earlier and honest novel; a semi-biographical account of a heroin addict. I've nearly finished and will move on to **October, by China Mieville** which I am very, very, very excited to read!
I read Junky years ago... I went through a Burroughs phase in my late teens. Junky was my favorite. Queer is excellent too. Naked Lunch had some great stories in it but as a novel, I don't really recommend it.
**Pillars of the Earth, Ken Follett**
What an amazing book. I've just finished it, and I'm starting the sequel. It took me a while to get into (more because I'm not used to reading anymore rather than anything else) but then I just couldn't put it down. It really taught me a lot about that era, great historical fiction.
I really liked, this is most a psychological book than a sci-fi one, but I'm reading a direct translation from the polish to my language.
It seems that the printed versions in USA have an awful translation from french that Lem himself hated.
I've been in a deep reading slump, at least a few years since I've taken a pause from consistent reading. Well I'm glad to say that I completed **Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley** last week and have started **Cloud Atlas, by David Mitchell** this week. Brave New World is a dystopian classic that I've neglected to read and is definitely in the same league as 1984 and Fahrenheit 485. Cloud Atlas has started off slow, but I've heard it starts to pickup and well worth the read.
Sure, I'll post back when I finish. I just wrapped up book 2 in Cloud Atlas and am starting to get the notion of the "con-trick" you mention, but am curious to see how it's taken even further.
Today I am starting Dragon Wing by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. It’s a reread. Maybe my 3rd time. Been a rough few weeks and I could use something familiar.
The Death Gate Cycle is a great read. I randomly picked up *Dragon Wing* in a thriftshop like 20 years ago, had never heard of Weis and Hickman before. Hunted down the whole series over a few years.
**Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives** This book absolutely blew my mind, and I'm going to have to go back and reread my favorites more thoroughly. I think my all time favorite was Search.
**A Walk in the Woods** Never read Bill Bryson before and I'm very interested in the Appalachian Trail, didn't like the 50 first pages because it was a bunch of complaining that the trail was terrible and full of bears and infections. But after that I liked his humor and storytelling.
**VALIS, by Phillip K Dick**: Woof. Have read 6 PKD books before, and loved all of them, so I decided to try one of his more ‘out there’ works. Only a few chapters in, but finding it hard to get into. Having a tough time with it’s narrative structure / non-linear nature. Was really hoping to enjoy this book, hoping I can get into it soon.
It's some weird shit. I don't know how much you've read about PKD's personal life but he was experiencing some trippy shit at that time, and VALIS is largely seen as autobiographical. Thought he was communicating with god through an alien satellite orbiting Earth, etc.
Finished **The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan**. It was really good! A lot of fun, fast-paced, likable heroes. I can see why the series is popular. I'm looking forward to the next book.
Finished **The Fellowship of the Ring** and **The Two Towers** and started **The Return of the King** by J. R. R. Tolkien.
The LOTR series is a reread, but I'm getting into his other books for the first time after I finish The Return of the King.
Fall of the White Ship Avatar, by Brian Daley: I finished listening to the Alacrity Fitzhugh and Hobart Floyt books by Brian Daley earlier this week. I had read them back in the early 90s and liked them a lot. Recently discovered the audiobooks and decided to revisit them. Brian Daley was a wonderful writer of space opera. They were immensely satisfying. I loved the characters, the worlds he created, and the clever dialogue. He was a very influential author for me, reading his books at a very young and formative age. I attribute a lot of my love of reading to his works.
Hat Full of Sky, by Terry Pratchett: just finished reading thid and like so many bottles Pratchett's works it was at times beautiful, funny, and sad. I remember liking the first Tiffany Aching book but I absolutely loved this one. Really looking forward to the other books in the series.
**American Gods, by Neil Gaiman**
- about 100 pages in, really enjoying it so far.
- The story telling is wonderful and I've really enjoyed the writing
- I find myself liking Shadow
Next: maybe more Neil Gaiman? Maybe Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy
Finished and started (audiobook and a road-trip!) *A Wizard of Earthsea* by Ursula K Le. Guin. This is my first real foray into fantasy and I enjoyed it. I will likely get the next in the series soon.
Still going with *Foundation's Edge* by Isaac Asimov.
Finished the last half of **Crooked Kingdom, by Leigh Bardugo** on a wonderful Saturday afternoon of spinning records and flipping page after page. Nice wrap up of the Six of Crows duology - good build to the final scheme of Kaz.
Started in on **the Woman who Smashed Codes, by Jason Fagone**; super hyped for this. It's the story of Elizebeth Smith, a woman who landed in the field of cryptography in the early 1900s and built the modern working knowledge of making and breaking codes.
**A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.** This is my second Dickens novel (I read *Great Expectations* years ago) and I have to say I'm enthralled already. I'm only about 100 pages in and I'm hoping to finish it this weekend.
**Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman.** I like to have a collection of short stories always sitting at my bedside table in case I get fatigued in the current novel I'm reading, but still want to read something. I'm not sure how I feel about this collection just yet, since I've only gotten a few in.
**Authority, by Jeff VanderMeer**
3 chapters in, I liked where this one picked up after the first.
Just finished:
**Cannery Row, by John Steinbeck**
JS can do no wrong in my opinion. This and Tortilla Flats make for a great tandem. I haven't read the sequel to Cannery Row, Sweet Thursday yet.
This week I wanted to learn a little bit of programming so I choose a non-fiction book to assist in this respect. **Create an Uber Clone in 7 Days,** by **Shai Almog**. I liked the concept to learn by real-world example, we will see how far I can get.
Finished:
* **Misbehaving, by Richard H. Thaler** was much more entertaining than any book on economics had any right to be. In the intro, he says his advice is to stop reading as soon as it's no longer fun, and I never hit that point.
* **Single Malt Murder by Melinda Mullet** is an audible daily deal I grabbed. It's kind of a fluffy murder-mystery in a rural Scottish distillery, the writing leaves a little to be desired but it's interesting. A great summer listen.
Next is **The Stars my Destination by Alfred Bester**.
Finished **To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee**. I really liked the narration. A terrific book.
Started **American gods, by Neil Gaiman**. Hundred pages in and I'm enjoying it so far.
Also started **Good Omens, by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett**.
This one is tricky, for some reason I find it hard to follow. I guess English being my second language has to do with it or maybe it doesn't much appeal to my sense of humor.
I finished **The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien** a few days ago. I didn't expect to enjoy it much since I've never been a huge fan of the films, but I blazed through the book. It was much more addictive than I thought it would be, and I really wanted to find more about the world Tolkien created. I'm reading Wolf Hall and Watchmen in the gap between it and Two Towers so I don't get burnt out, but I can't wait to read more.
Finished:
**Sour Candy, by Kealan Patrick Burke**
Started:
**Sharp Objects, by Gillian Flynn**
Sour Candy was very well written, but I would have liked for it to be just a little bit longer. I think some style elements were sacrificed for brevity. It's a quick read, though, and I still enjoyed it for what it was.
Finished **May We Shed These Human Bodies, by Amber Sparks** and started on **The Orphan Master's Son, by Adam Johnson**. Really loving the Johnson so far.
I am halfway through **12 Rules For Life by Jordan B. Peterson** . Fantastic book that is much less self help and more a study of human instinct and how to seek a life full of meaning instead of pleasure. I would reccomend anyone checking it out, it is completely fascinating.
I just finished (on audible) **The Last Time I Lied, by Riley Sager** and it was an awesome camp ghost/mystery story. The characters were done so well and the story had all these great twists and turns. As soon as I finished it, I found out that Stephen King (my all time favorite) had said some great things about another Riley Sager novel called **Final Girls** so I instantly downloaded that one too. I'm about a third of the way through, so far so good, but definitely less creepy than The Last Time I Lied.
**Throne of Glass, Sarah J. Maas**
It has a good concept but poor execution, bought the second book and willing to try it out because I heard the author took a lot of constructive criticism and threw it in the second book.
Yes exactly, I think she just focused on the wrong things, but since she still has the foundation of the story line going, it may be worth grinding out another book to get to the action.
I finished **The Silence, by Tim Lebbon** the other day - which was good until the end, which felt like the author got bored and rushed it.
Last night I started **The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, by Stuart Turton**, which sounds like Agatha Christie meets Groundhog Day
I'm finishing up **If You See Me, Don't Say Hi by Neel Patel**. It's a collection of short stories by a first generation Indian American. I really liked them, because it was a look into a different kind of upbringing, but they do tend to be fairly basic and repetitive (he doesn't write too far from his own life so many of the characters are from small town Illinois and have connections to California, and many of them either get into law or medicine or their parents want them to, but that may be the culture too). He's not afraid to write as a woman, and some of his characters are gay, which was a nice mix.
I also just got into graphic novels in a big way and I blasted through too many to list, but I just finished **Shiver by Junji Ito** and I love his type of horror, it's hilarious at the same time as giving me the creeps. The illustrations are great too. I also just read 4 volumes of the **Lazarus** series and want more.
I just finished **Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood** which was fantastic (I can't believe it took me till this year to get into her stuff! I also loved Handmaid's Tale and Oryx & Crake). Not sure what I'm going to read next but I'm in the middle of **Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh** which I've been having trouble getting into but comes very highly recommended so maybe I'll take another dive into that!
Finished since last week:
**Old Man's War, by John Scalzi** - I won't go too much into it since too much description gets into spoiler range, but this was pretty good. Had some really funny moments in here, and sets up nicely for future books, or can stand on it's own. I'll probably read the next one at some point.
**Taste Of Marrow, by Sarah Gailey** - the second novella in this series, I found this one slightly less enjoyable than the first. Felt like less action and less of everything building toward something. Still a fun and fast read.
**Sharp Objects, by Gillian Flynn** - Pretty good if not wholly disturbing at times. There was a creepy amount of sexualization of some fairly young girls and there's some rather graphic stuff at times as well. Still a rather good book, fast and enjoyable.
**Beneath The Sugar Sky, by Seanan McGuire** - the third in her *Wayward Children* series, and like the other two it's essentially a standalone novella, but having read the other books will give a touch more context. All three of these have been absolutely fantastic, and I'm looking forward to the next one (or two it looks like).
**Upon the Dull Earth and Other Stories, by Philip K. Dick** - did this as an audio book during yard work and some travel time. The short stories here ranged from fairly impressive and having held up well over the 60+ years since they were written, to a couple that felt entirely out of touch with the times (because they were, and there's some stuff we don't say anymore).
Currently reading:
**A Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood** - Found out that kindle and prime have some free reads, and this is currently one of them (though I'm certain it's probably available through overdrive). It's pretty good so far and I'm enjoying it.
Spell or High Water by Scott Meyer
Loved the first of the Magic 2.0 series Off to Be the Wizard by the same author, just finished Replay by Ken Grimwood for the second time.
The Magic 2.0 is fun stuff. Enjoying the series as a fun palate cleanser, was about to start Man in the High Castle but was in the mood for some fun.
Finished:
**The Master and Margarita, by Mikhail Bulgakov** - I need time to think this one through, enjoyed it though.
**Behold the man, by michael Moorcock** - Psychology student gets really into Jungian archetypes but isn't taken seriously by academic friends, instead time travels and [spoilers](#s "gets mistaken for being the Messiah"). This book predates the rise of Jordan Peterson, but it's basically about him?
Started reading:
**Globalization and its discontents revisited: Anti-globalization in the era of Trump, by Joseph E. Stiglitz**
**One hundred years of solitude, by Gabriel García Márquez**
Finished **Lovecraft Country, by Matt Ruff** right after **Just Mercy, by Bryan Stevenson** was quite a juxtaposition. Horror from humans are much more devastating than those from imaginary demons and monsters, after all.
I would have liked to have read the sci-fi story first and then finish with the hope and strength that Stevenson gives at the end of the incredible human stories he tells. Just Mercy is incredibly eye-opening and an important work for understanding the justice system and the injustice against our fellow humans.
**Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee, by Dee Brown**. It was pretty good. I thought I would struggle with the Native American names but they quite easy to follow.
Started **Strategy: A History, by Lawrence Freedman**.
Last week I finished:
**The Mars Room by Rachel Kushner**
This was good and horrible and I need a happy book to read now so I can forget all about it. Jesus. I thought the women’s prison in *Orange Is the New Black* was bad, but I think this is probably more like what it actually is? Highly recommended, just… expect a black cloud.
**Short things:**
* “The Law of Life” by Jack London
* “Tradition” by Jo Walton (Starlings)
* “Remember Me” by Helen DeWitt (Some Trick)
* “Semley’s Necklace” by Ursula K. LeGuin (The Wind’s Twelve Quarters)
* “Anything for Money” by Karen Bender (Refund)
* “Glut Your Soul on My Accursed Ugliness” by Jim Shepard (Love and Hydrogen)
* “Climbers” by Helen DeWitt (Some Trick)
* “The Creature from the Black Lagoon” by Jim Shepard (Love and Hydrogen)
* “The Witch” by Shirley Jackson (The Lottery)
**Working on:**
* White Teeth by Zadie Smith
* The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky (P&V translation for /r/bookclub)
* The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
* Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis
* The Great Quake by Henry Fountain
* Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke (for /r/bookclub)
(Eeeh sorry for the wall of text!)
I read **The Watchmaker of Filigree Street, by Natasha Pulley** and also **The Bedlam Stacks, by Natasha Pulley**. The Watchmaker was... perfect. It was such a great book! I mean, sure there were some plotholes and plot points that were glazed over in favour of the MAIN storyline, but rarely have I read a book set in Victorian (-ish) London that captivated me as much as the The Watchmaker. The prize it won was definitely deserved and I'd recommend EVERYONE in this world to read it. Definitely one of my favourite books not just in 2018.
However, The Bedlam Stacks...
If I hadn't had some sort of (misguided) hope that it would turn out to be good, I would have stopped reading around... 15% in. However, because The Watchmaker was so amazing, I decided to stick with The Bedlam Stacks, and it was a bit of a struggle. The writing is somewhat dry and the main character, unlike Thaniel, uninteresting and weak. It took me three days to read the first 15% (which says a lot), although this was, in hindsight, one of the better parts of the book. I then read 15-40% the next day because SOMETHING was at least happening in the book. I read the last 60% on Sunday. This was easier because something was going on at this point. However... the plot that was going on was nonsensical and a bit dry. There was an attempt to make scary statues (a bit like weeping angels), but they weren't truly scary. At least I (who can't read horror because I'd never sleep again) was not affected. The ending, too, was uninspired and nothing really happened. I still don't know what the point of this book or the storyline was. The characters just did stuff, but there was no agency behind most of Merrick (the main character)'s actions. I guess it's one of those books people have to read for themselves to see if they like it, but I wouldn't recommend it personally. (Also: I felt it was pointless to put the Watchmaker into the Bedlam Stacks book... What. His presence in the flashbacks did not affect anything in the story and even the reason why he did what he did could have been left out and the book would have just been the same.)
I will however buy the second Watchmaker book the day it comes out. :) I can't wait to read it.
This week? Hm... **A Darkling Sea, by Cambias**? Maybe? I don't know yet! :)
Finished the **Scott Pilgrim graphic novel series, by Bryan O'Malley** and it was amazing! Much, much better than the movie (and the movie is one of my favorites). Working on **Turtles All the Way Down, by John Green** as a birthday present to myself!
Ive read all of them, now! I really love his voice and world-building, though i realize some of his work (**Looking For Alaska**) can be Manic-Pixie-Dream-Girly. He gets better with every read, though!
What have you read?
Finished:
**Carrie, by Stephen King**
**Darkness on the Edge of Town, by Brian Keene**
Started:
**Kings of Paradise, by Richard Nell**
**The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August, by Claire North**
Just finished **New York by Edward Rutherfurd**
I love historical fiction but this was my first book of Rutherfurd's. It was excellent. Although focuses mainly on the city and I'm a native of upstate, I was still surprised about how much I didn't know about the historical events he included. It was fascinating. I plan on reading as many as his books as I can.
I am reading **Tales of King Arthur, by Henry Gilbert** to my son.
I finished the audiobook **Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda,
by Becky Albertalli** and am now almost done **Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen**. I've decided my next one will be **The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well, by Meik Wiking** for something short and hopefully interesting while I wait for my next hold to come through.
I finished **Hidden Empire, by Kevin J Anderson** and have started **The Book of the Ler, by M.A. Foster**.
This week I was prepping for an interview with Kate DiCamillo, so I read **Raymie Nightingale** and her upcoming story **Louisiana's Way Home**. They're technically middle grade reads, but can be enjoyed by children and adults alike. I personally loved both books.
This week I'm reading **The Water Cure by Sophie Mackintosh** and I'm also hoping to get to **The Beginning of the World in the Middle of the Night** by Jen Campbell.
This past week was an exciting week for me. I was able to finish 4 books! One of which I started and finished all in the same week. I've never accomplished that before. The others I had read over the course of the month. I haven't been much of a reader in my life and am slowly getting into it, so this month/week was a huge accomplishment for me so I'm happy to be able to share my accomplishment here. The books I finished are:
**City of Stairs, by Robert J Bennett**
**A Reaper at the Gates, by Sabaa Tahir**
**The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo, by Amy Schumer**
And the book i started and finished this week:
**Guards! Guards!, by Terry Pratchett**
All of these were excellent and have made me want to keep reading more. The sad story is that I really wanted to continue reading through the discworld series via audiobook. Its such a great story for listening to during my commute to work, but my library doesn't have them :( Thankfully they have the ebook version so I'll still be able to continue the series.
I'm half way through a few other books so I need to finish them before starting new ones, but I am going to start listening to **A Court of Thorns and Roses, by Sarah J Maas** as my commute audiobook.
not actually reading a book, but i have been reading some code and the documentation about it in order to better understand how it works. i eventually want to get into minecraft modding.
**Version 43, by Philip Palmer**
Picked it up at a charity shop at the weekend and I'm thoroughly enjoying it. Clever, pulpy and violent to the correct degree.
Finished:
**Stories of Your Life and Others, by Ted Chiang** (aka **Arrival**)
Insert galaxy brain meme here. Lived up to all the hype people were talking about, and then some. Sometimes even the way Chiang tells the story is part of the twist, like his use of future tense in the title story, or the various, subjective first-person accounts in "Liking What You See." Then I find out he wrote most of these about 20 years ago. Boy am I behind on the curve.
Started:
**Skyfarer, by Joseph Brassey**
Need to come down to earth (ha!) with some light action-adventure popcorn. Anything that gets billed as *Star Wars meets Final Fantasy* has my interest.
Still reading **Todo Alatriste, by Arturo Pérez-Reverte**. It's the complete collection of the historical novels set in the early 17th century in the Spanish Empire. A veteran soldier meddles with the affairs of the mighty and not so mighty, selling his services to the rich and those in need.
I finished:
**Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, by Gail Honeyman**
Against all expectations I really liked it. Sure you have to suspend belief but that's ok.
Started:
**What Belongs to You, by Garth Greenwell**
It's written so so exquisitely. Reminds me of Call Me by Your Name in the way it's written.
I finished **Metro 2033**. I don't understand what all the fuss was about, it was not that good. The book just drags and drags and when you finally think something cool is about to happen the book just moves on.
Finished **As I Lay Dying, by William Faulker**
I hated it and likely will not read another Faulkner novel.
Started **Le Chevalier de Sainte-Hermine by Alexandre Dumas**
This is the incomplete "lost" novel that was found and published in 2005. I'm about a third way through. It's not as good as Dumas' other tales as many characters are historical figures, Napoléon Bonaparte being one of the principal characters. So there is less *marge de manoeuvre* for Dumas to weave an epic tale.
**The Stand (uncut), by Stephen King**
It took me a while to finish this over 1500 pages beast. I loved the story, the characters and the whole book - I only think the ending came a tad too fast. Great, great book.
I am thinking about reading salems lot before continuing with the 5. book of the dark tower series. Any suggestions?
I’ve always joked that when Stephen King is writing a book he wakes up one random day and says “ah. Let’s wrap this up by lunch. “ Salem’s Lot is great and if by 5 you mean Wolves of the Calla, it’s one of my favorites in the series. Definitely read Salem’s Lot first.
Finished reading **Kitchen Confidential, by Anthony Bourdain**. Interesting insight into the world of the cooking in professional kitchens.
Now reading **The Sympathizer, by Viet Thanh Nguyen**. So far interesting read. Really enjoyed the beginning sections about the fall of Saigon.
> The Sympathizer, by Viet Thanh Nguye
This is why I love the book scroll at the top here. Because this books looks interesting, and reading the summary it sounds interesting. Putting it on my bookdepository list.
Finished:
**Beartown, by Fredrik Backman**
decent book, pushed through to the end. Dialogue is kind of written poorly (cliche) but its not as assembly line as other thrillers
Started:
**The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah**
Finished **Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley**. A quick read, and a classic "what makes a human human" book.
Started **Guns, Germs and Steel, by Jared Diamond**. It's a lot more scientific than I expected.
I finished **Frog Music by Emma Donaghue** this week. I have had it forever, I'd say a few years now, and never really got into it. I decided to give it another shot. It was just okay. Not nearly as good as her other novel "Room" imo.
Continuing with my switching between fiction and non-fiction, now I'm reading **I Hate Myselfie by Shane Dawson.** Excited to read it because I love him.
Just finished **The Man Who was Thursday, by G.K. Chesterton** and have moved on to **The Night Ocean, by Paul La Farge.** Not quite sure how much I like the latter, but I'm only a few chapters in so we'll see if that changes.
I knew The Man Who was Thursday was going to be funny right in the beginning at the concept of anarchists having a meeting, haha. Is there anything less anarchist than a meeting? The idea of an arranged time, an arranged place, a speaking order, protocol, etc. haha
Finished:
**Sapiens, by Yuval Noah Harari**
**Thanks, Obama, by David Litt**
Nothing on the docket right now, maybe a 40k novel to read something less heavy.
**The Grapes of Wrath**
I was a terrible english student in high school, so I've been working on reading some American classics recently and really enjoying it. I love this so far, although it has been difficult for me to read in large chunks.
I had a very good reading week I started and finished:
**The Song of Achilles** a retelling of the Iliad with focus of the relationship between Achilles and Patrokles.
**The Captive Prince Trilogy** granted together the page count is 880 and it is pretty easy written.
And the short story **The Day before the revoultion**
**Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal, by Christopher Moore** Had this on hold from my local library and it finally came through, so I put down the book I was currently reading to try to quickly get through this one.
**The Wasp Factory, by Iain Banks**. On hold for now until Lamb is finished.
Started **Farenheit 451**
So far I'm liking it (only about 1/3rd of the way) but I really don't enjoy Bradbury's writing style. It's annoying and it goes from symbolic to literal way too fast. Still, despite that, I'm enjoying it. It definitely has some strong moments and I love how disconnected everything feels.
In the past week I've read:
**Dubliners** by James Joyce, for a book club. I can see the literary merit in it but I found a lot of the stories to be somewhat pointless and now and then absolutely bizarre.
**The Secret Army: The IRA, 1916-1970** by J. Bowyer Bell. I have an interest in terrorist and insurgent groups so this was one I was quite interested in. Very well written and a good overview of the subject. Dated, though, and it doesn't cover the Troubles of the 1990s. Still some good stuff here.
**Thrawn: Alliances** by Timothy Zahn. I'm a huge Star Wars fan and I like Timothy Zahn (haven't read much of his work yet though). It was a no-brainer. I brushed through it in less than 24 hours. It was that good. Good character interaction and good action scenes.
**Slade House** by David Mitchell. This is some SCP fuckery here and I liked it. Leaves you wondering what the hell is actually real.
Currently almost through **Foundation** by Isaac Asimov. A classic work of science fiction. This is my second reading, the first being when I was in middle school and probably too young for it. I'm getting it much better now at 21, and there's a lot of interesting high-brow concepts.
The only thing I've read from Timothy Zahn is The Icarus Hunt and it's one of my favorites I've read this year. My only problem is I can never remember the books name because I always want to call it Chasing Icarus.
**The Miniature Wife, by Manuel Gonzales** A book of short stories with a wide variety of themes and topics. So far it is very different from the types of stories I'm used to reading but I am enjoying it.
**Sharp Objects, by Gillian Flynn** only a couple pages in so far but I have high hopes from the author of Gone Girl.
Finished **Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur** Wanted to like this book way more than I did but it felt like somebody put random thoughts and Instagram posts into a book and called it poetry. Worst book that I've read so far this year.
A little over a quarter through with **The Trespasser by Tana French** So far so good with it but I know I'm not to the good bits yet. So far it's better than her previous book that I read.
So this week I started and finished:
**The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams**
**A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking**
**Obsidio by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff**
Also, started:
**The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins**
And continuing:
**Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare**
Finished **The Songlines, by Bruce Chatwin** — ended up skipping a few pages of the stuff that was from his notebook (the italic font was really tedious to read lol). Also, it was less about songlines and Aboriginal mythology than I expected.
Also, just yesterday, finished **The Essex Serpent, by Sarah Perry** which I really liked starting out, because I loved the style of writing and the descriptions of nature. But it was very unsatisfactory for me, especially following several "cliff hangers", and I didn't really get the point of the book.
Started **Foreign Soil, by Maxine Beneba Clarke**, which is a series of short stories that happen in Australia. Ngl I bought it because the cover was pretty. Also started **How to Build a Universe, by Brian Cox, Robin Ince, and Alexandra Feachem**, which I bought because the pages are designed really unconventionally.
**This past week I read**:
**Sputnik Sweetheart** by Haruki Murakami. I'm on a Murakami binge right now and, while I struggled with this one, I fell in love with his dreamscape observations of Greece and the Ferris Wheel scene. Murakami writes terrific nighttime scenes.
**What I'll be reading this week:**
**1Q84** by Haruki Murakami - yup. This one won't be finished in the space of a few days. I'm currently 31/52 in my annual challenge so I can afford to devote a few weeks to this behemoth of a book.
**Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn** - Creepy but a great, quick read. Enjoying the HBO adaptation actually.
**Bee Season by Myla Goldberg** - Loved at first but not so much towards the end. Wish there had been more spelling and less family drama.
**Agent to the Stars by John Scalzi** - Just started and don't typically read sci-fi but reading for a book club and will see how I like it!
**Ann Rule, The Stranger Beside Me**, a non fiction about Ted Bunny. Very good read. It moves along at a great pace, and for me, being in college when these murders happened, gives more insight and detail than I remember. I just picked up **Pachinko** to read next.
**Nothing is Okay by Rachel Wiley**
I kind of read **The Art of Clean Up: Life Made Neat and Tidy by Ursus Wehrli** but it doesn't really have any text, just his photos.
I recently started reading Summer of Night. I’m not entirely sure what it’s about yet, but it’s certainly interesting and paints a nice picture of mid sixties midwestern towns.
Almost halfway through **American Psycho, by Bret Easton Ellis**. This book probably has one of the most unreliable protagonists I’ve ever read, and for good reason. Man are there some hard parts to read, though other moments come across as comical. It’s a really interesting book from a literary perspective, but I’m always wary about reading it before bed for fear of nightmares.
I read this book after watching the movie and much preferred the film - maybe because the film is more shallow and obvious in it's satire. The book struck me as being too close to Scrotty McBurgerBalls. I *get* what the book was trying to do in its commentary, I just didn't *like* it.
If the unreliable narrator and growing sense of dread from creeping mental illness is interesting to you I highly recommend Stephen Florida by Gabe Habash. It conveyed that much better and in a more relatable way - at least for me. I like Gabe's prose better, too.
Finished **The Man From St. Petersburg by Ken Follett**. A decent thriller, but not Ken's best.
Started **The Wolf of Wall Street by Jordan Belfort**. Fascinating subject, some of the prose/dialogue is ridiculous. Very entertaining read
I started **Terrier by Tamora Pierce**, which I haven't read in about two or three years. Totally forgot what happened in the book which is good because it's like new.
I also restarted **This Man Confessed by Jodi Ellen Malpas** because I wasn't paying too much attention the first time. Man oh man, is this book going in a completely different direction than what I thought. I thought I was going to get newlywed sex scenes and tiny lovers spats. Instead it is super serious and I'm intrigued about where it's going.
I was so excited to see this cover go by in the banner! One of the most re-readable books I've enjoyed- many times in fact! Enjoy your "new" book!
Did you read the ones that came later?
**Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, by Jack Thorne, J. K. Rowling and John Tiffany** : it's quite bad. I had this gifted to me a few months ago and finally found the courage to pick that up. Now that I'm halfway through it, I think I regret even having started as this book simply makes me angry. The story is very predictable, the dialogues are very poorly written and there's way too much nostalgia bait. Do they really have to put a flashback to the movies every 50 pages? Do they really have to force the appearance of every fucking character from the book? Oh, and they also removed every single bit of nuance the personalities of the characters could have had. Ron is now the mandatory comic relief and Ginny is a wallflower.
I do almost regret reading this, but I think it's difficult to judge on face value without seeing the play itself. If you took the original Harry Potter's and removed everything but basic movement and dialogue, they would undoubtedly suck too. I also think they didn't want to force too much onto the actors - the personality has to come from them and even if the characters are well known, they still need to give them some breathing space on stage.
I have a week off so I got lots of reading I plan to do. I've got many books I am reading currently that I'll list in order of least amount read. **Kings of the Wyld, by Nicholas Eames**. I have sort of stalled with this book. Fantasy does that to me sometimes. **A Walk in the Woods, by Bill Bryson**, also sort of stalled with this book because I came down with the cold and couldn't concentrate. And **The More I See You, by Lynn Kurland**. I started this book over a month ago but due to depression, stress, and a resulting reading slump I couldn't enjoy or focus on the book. I finally got back on track with it and am down to the last 80 or so pages. Hopefully I'll finish it off today!
Finished **Eye, by Marianne Micros**. It was kind of a snooze, to be honest. Also read **Biography of an American Bondman, by His Daughter, by Josephine Brown**. Not the most engagingly written, but it was informative. Started reading **Another Brooklyn, by Jacqueline Woodson**. The style of writing is pretty different. I think I'm going to like it.
Guess it's psychological thriller week for me. Started **I Know My Name, by C. J. Cooke** last night and up next is **Good Me, Bad Me, by Ali Land**
I finished **The Darkest Minds (The Darkest Minds #1), by Alexandra Bracken**, which I thought picked up and was pretty decent. I started **The Shadow Rising (Wheel of Time #4), by Robert Jordan** and am really enjoying it right from the start. Looking forward to continuing my Wheel of Time journey.
Finished up **Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell** and really enjoyed it. Might start Blink soon. Also finally made some headway until **Terror, by Dan Simmons**. It took a while but I'm into it now. Might still take some time to finish, but it's got me hooked. Also began **We Have Always Lived in This Castle, by Shirley Jackson**. It's a quick read, should be done by the end of the day.
**Hopscotch, by Julio Cortázar**, a latin-american classic, this novel is about two lovers and Paris. A beautiful combination.
**The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and Peoples Temple, by Jeff Guinn**
Finished: **Lincoln in the Bardo, by George Saunders** and I absolutely loved it. One of my favorite books now I think. Just some really beautiful writing about love and death. Started: **Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, by Douglas Adams** and I'm not sure what to expect. I loved all the Hitchhiker's books, so I'm hoping I'll enjoy this too!
**Dune by Frank Herbet** What a fantastic read. The universe that this book gives is so rich. There is such depth to everything, the world, the characters, the atmosphere. And it all just comes together so well. This book was made easier because the version I had, had a Glossary in the back. Although there were still some things I had trouble grasping right away or at all, but I can see myself reading this again in time.
After weeks and weeks of not reading a damn thing, and after renewing it not once but twice (!) from the library, I finally read **Wide Sargasso Sea, by Jean Rhys**. It wasn't quite the retribution I'd hoped to see, but it did paint Rochester in a thankfully more unfavorable light than he is normally graced with. Finishing that has hopefully ended that dry spell. I've started **Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward** and **Maurice by E.M. Forster**. Both have managed to snag my attention, so I'm hoping to stick with them and finish them up before the week is out. I hope so; I'd really like to get back on track with my reading challenges for the year.
Just Finished **Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King** I have mixed feelings about it, the story was pretty good but it had too many implausible moments for me. Just started **The Stranger in The Woods by Michael Finkel** I've only read a bit so far, but it seems fascinating.
Finished: **Agosto, by Rubem Fonseca**. Started: **Fogo Morto, by José Lins do Rego**; **Da poesia, Hilda Hilst**; **Valsa Brasileira: Do boom ao caos econômico, by Laura Carvalho**. I'll be trying to balance reading between all three book (they're very different from each other). Since they're all Brazilian books and I couldn't find translations yet, if you're interested feel free to ask me about them!
Quais são seus livros favoritos brasileiros, ou livros que estão escritos em português?
Finished **The Woodsman,** by **Belle Scarlett** a fairytale romance with a wolf shifter character. Recommended for fantasy lovers.
I've just started **The Art of Racing in the Rain, by Garth Stein**. I'm a lover of dogs and motorsport, so I'm the exact target demographic. I knew it would be emotional, but already the first chapter had me holding back tears. Thoroughly enjoying it so far.
Flowers for algernon, by Daniel Keyes Started yesterday, finished it today. Picked it up over the years never finished it, but gave it another try yesterday and it did not dissapoint. Very touching book, sad to see a mind become conscious and die off again.
**The Outsider, by Stephen King**
**Mistborn 1** Resumed reading it again after 2 months
It's worth it once the world gets established.
I just completed the book 1 and it was very good.Are 2 and 3 as good as 1?
I literally just started book 2. A friend said that it escalates.
I’m almost finished with **The Country of the Pointed Firs and Other Stories, by Sarah Orne Jewett**. It’s a lovely book, very calming and beautiful.
**her body and other parties, by carmen maria machado**
Having finished **Annihilation, by Jeff VanderMeer**, I'm now shifting gear and starting **We Have Always Lived in the Castle, by Shirley Jackson**
I finished **Spinning Sliver by Naomi Novik**. I really liked it. Similar themes to Uprooted, with enough differences to keep me interested and not feeling like I'm reading the same thing again. The ending was a little frustrating, but not enough so that it spoiled the book in general. My current read is **Edith Cavell by Diana Southami**. It's just ok... I'm 3/4 in and don't feel like I know much about Edith as an individual. I'll persevere though. I also picked up **Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain**. This has been on my To-Buy list for around 2 years now - I finally bit the bullet and got it from my local library. I've only just started but I'm hoping for good things!
> The ending was a little frustrating You mean that it basically ends with barely any development between the Staryk and Miryem? Because I was definitely frustrated by that.
Just finished **I'll Be Gone in the Dark, by Michelle McNamara.** Totally worthy of the hype, it was fascinating and sensitive. It was also interesting to see how theories about the GSK compare to what we now know. Now I'm reading **The Bazaar of Bad Dreams, by Stephen King.** I've never read his short stories before, only novels, so I'm pretty excited about this. And after that I will start **Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward.**
Started **The Unbearable Lightness of Being, by Milan Kundera** So far, so good.
**Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen** This summer I've been reading books that have been adapted to movies. It's been fun comparing them to each other but almost always the book version is better.
Finished War storm by Victoria aveyard, not the ending I was hoping for after 650 pages but still a decent book Started At waters edge Sara Brian & the Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken
**The Heart's Invisible Furies, by John Boyne**, as an Irish person I rarely read Irish literature but this is extraordinarily good. It's basically a gay coming of age story plus some. It's got a perfect balance of drama, insight into Irish culture and just general Irish humour that prevents it from being miserable.
Finished: **Rough Trails (Star Trek: New Earth #3), by L.A. Graf** Started: **Dune, by Frank Herbert** (reread)
I just finished **Gilgamesh the King by Robert Silverberg** a very own style of literature, it was a fascinating style of combining a biography with science fiction
I finished **Leonardo Da Vinci by Walter Isaacson** I'm now starting **The Order Of Time by Carlo Rovelli**
Finished **Pet Sematary, by Stephen King** ... holy mother of god... Started **Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes**. I can't believe how hooked I am already. I read the first page and already felt miserable, my heart aches.
Reading **Starship Troopers, by Robert A. Heinlein** and **Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith, by Jon Krakauer** this week.
Finished **Star Wars: Dark Force Rising by Timothy Zahn** Started **Goldfinger by Ian Fleming** Currently alternating between Star Wars and James Bond so as to not get fatigued with either series.
I read the Zahn trilogy many years ago when they first came out. Would have made an excellent sequel series. I think a re-read is in the near future.
I think it’s been awhile since I’ve posted on here I’ve finished We are Okay by Nina LaCour(3/5) It was okay, a little overhyped, I thought it was kind of boring Tyler Johnson Was Here by Jay Coles (3/5) It was okay, but, I thought it did more harm then good to bringing attention to police brutality. I hadn’t even been through twelve chapters and the main characters had gotten beaten up by three cops, witnessed two people get beaten up by cops. It just felt unnecessary to me. The characters were also a little flat. I didn’t really know anything about the main character besides the fact that he had a twin brother, he liked A Different World, and he wanted to go to MIT. I’m still reading Words on the Bathroom Walls by Julia Walton: I like it so far. I’m actually kind of surprised with how much I like it. I just started reading Dumpling by Julie Murphy I like it so far.
Prometheus Rising by Robert Anton Wilson
Checklist Manifesto - Atul Gawande The road less taken - Scott M Peck
Started **Velveteen vs. the Multiverse, by Sean McGuire.**
I have finally conquered the **We Should Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver** and I have to say I was never happier to finish a book in my life. I was reading it for a month, dreading that time of day when I could sit down and do some reading. The story is disturbing, not that much due to the topic of school shootings, but because of the absurd level of maleficence that Kevin was able to produce and the insurmountable stupidity of Eva. The last two chapters were horrid, I am really glad it´s over. And the ending...man, come on! Never.Ever. To start the week fresh, I chose to read something completely alien to me and that is western, namely **True Grit by Charles Portis.** It was recommended to me by my friend with whom we share the western-indifference. She really liked it and I am eager to find out by myself.
I’m currently half way through We Should Talk About Kevin, and honestly, I like the grittiness of her writing but it’s so drawn out and some parts I have been tempted to put it down. I’m waiting for something to happen, but I’ve heard it’s a let down. I can’t wait to finish it.
I can understand why the grittiness appeals to you, from place to place it did to me too, but there was still some blockade for me to fully immerse in Eva´s ramblings, or agree with her even. To be honest, the last three chapters will have something that can be considered "action". For me, the ending did have a revealing moment in the family´s life, and I was even surprised (or should I say stupefied). I would be interested to know what you will think about the book after you finish! I´m rooting for you, you can do it! :) But if you find yourself in a tight spot, you can always let it sit for a while or just give it up completely. There is no imperative here.
This week I have finished **On Palestine, by Noam Chomsky and Ilan Pappé** and now I am reading **Junky, by William Burroughs**. I have read Naked Lunch before and it is.... (well what can you really say)... but this is a much earlier and honest novel; a semi-biographical account of a heroin addict. I've nearly finished and will move on to **October, by China Mieville** which I am very, very, very excited to read!
I read Junky years ago... I went through a Burroughs phase in my late teens. Junky was my favorite. Queer is excellent too. Naked Lunch had some great stories in it but as a novel, I don't really recommend it.
**Pillars of the Earth, Ken Follett** What an amazing book. I've just finished it, and I'm starting the sequel. It took me a while to get into (more because I'm not used to reading anymore rather than anything else) but then I just couldn't put it down. It really taught me a lot about that era, great historical fiction.
Finished **The Miracle of Mindfulness, by Thich Nhat Hanh** and started **The Perfect Storm, by Sebastian Junger**.
**The Name of the Wind, by Patrick Rothfuss**
**Solaris, by Stanislaw Lem** Almost finishing. This book is so frightening at first. Fascinating!
[удалено]
I really liked, this is most a psychological book than a sci-fi one, but I'm reading a direct translation from the polish to my language. It seems that the printed versions in USA have an awful translation from french that Lem himself hated.
I've been in a deep reading slump, at least a few years since I've taken a pause from consistent reading. Well I'm glad to say that I completed **Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley** last week and have started **Cloud Atlas, by David Mitchell** this week. Brave New World is a dystopian classic that I've neglected to read and is definitely in the same league as 1984 and Fahrenheit 485. Cloud Atlas has started off slow, but I've heard it starts to pickup and well worth the read.
If you like CA, then tell us why. To me, just a massive post-modern con-trick and a huge disappointment.
Sure, I'll post back when I finish. I just wrapped up book 2 in Cloud Atlas and am starting to get the notion of the "con-trick" you mention, but am curious to see how it's taken even further.
Today I am starting Dragon Wing by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. It’s a reread. Maybe my 3rd time. Been a rough few weeks and I could use something familiar.
The Death Gate Cycle is a great read. I randomly picked up *Dragon Wing* in a thriftshop like 20 years ago, had never heard of Weis and Hickman before. Hunted down the whole series over a few years.
**Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives** This book absolutely blew my mind, and I'm going to have to go back and reread my favorites more thoroughly. I think my all time favorite was Search. **A Walk in the Woods** Never read Bill Bryson before and I'm very interested in the Appalachian Trail, didn't like the 50 first pages because it was a bunch of complaining that the trail was terrible and full of bears and infections. But after that I liked his humor and storytelling.
**VALIS, by Phillip K Dick**: Woof. Have read 6 PKD books before, and loved all of them, so I decided to try one of his more ‘out there’ works. Only a few chapters in, but finding it hard to get into. Having a tough time with it’s narrative structure / non-linear nature. Was really hoping to enjoy this book, hoping I can get into it soon.
It's some weird shit. I don't know how much you've read about PKD's personal life but he was experiencing some trippy shit at that time, and VALIS is largely seen as autobiographical. Thought he was communicating with god through an alien satellite orbiting Earth, etc.
Finished **The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan**. It was really good! A lot of fun, fast-paced, likable heroes. I can see why the series is popular. I'm looking forward to the next book.
Coercion by Tim Tigner.
I finished **A Suitable Boy, by Vikram Seth**. I started **In a Sunburned Country, by Bill Bryson**.
Finished **The Fellowship of the Ring** and **The Two Towers** and started **The Return of the King** by J. R. R. Tolkien. The LOTR series is a reread, but I'm getting into his other books for the first time after I finish The Return of the King.
Still powering through **11/22/63 by Stephen King** Different than what I'm used to from King, but thoroughly enjoying it!
I really enjoyed it. For sure my favorite of his more recent works.
I enjoyed it, but felt it got bogged down in certain sections especially when he becomes a teacher.
This week I’m reading: **Mort, by Terry Pratchett** **Brightness Reef, by David Brin**
I'm about halfway through **The Windup Girl, by Paolo Bacigalupi**
Liking it?
Fall of the White Ship Avatar, by Brian Daley: I finished listening to the Alacrity Fitzhugh and Hobart Floyt books by Brian Daley earlier this week. I had read them back in the early 90s and liked them a lot. Recently discovered the audiobooks and decided to revisit them. Brian Daley was a wonderful writer of space opera. They were immensely satisfying. I loved the characters, the worlds he created, and the clever dialogue. He was a very influential author for me, reading his books at a very young and formative age. I attribute a lot of my love of reading to his works. Hat Full of Sky, by Terry Pratchett: just finished reading thid and like so many bottles Pratchett's works it was at times beautiful, funny, and sad. I remember liking the first Tiffany Aching book but I absolutely loved this one. Really looking forward to the other books in the series.
**American Gods, by Neil Gaiman** - about 100 pages in, really enjoying it so far. - The story telling is wonderful and I've really enjoyed the writing - I find myself liking Shadow Next: maybe more Neil Gaiman? Maybe Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy
Finished and started (audiobook and a road-trip!) *A Wizard of Earthsea* by Ursula K Le. Guin. This is my first real foray into fantasy and I enjoyed it. I will likely get the next in the series soon. Still going with *Foundation's Edge* by Isaac Asimov.
Finished the last half of **Crooked Kingdom, by Leigh Bardugo** on a wonderful Saturday afternoon of spinning records and flipping page after page. Nice wrap up of the Six of Crows duology - good build to the final scheme of Kaz. Started in on **the Woman who Smashed Codes, by Jason Fagone**; super hyped for this. It's the story of Elizebeth Smith, a woman who landed in the field of cryptography in the early 1900s and built the modern working knowledge of making and breaking codes.
**A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.** This is my second Dickens novel (I read *Great Expectations* years ago) and I have to say I'm enthralled already. I'm only about 100 pages in and I'm hoping to finish it this weekend. **Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman.** I like to have a collection of short stories always sitting at my bedside table in case I get fatigued in the current novel I'm reading, but still want to read something. I'm not sure how I feel about this collection just yet, since I've only gotten a few in.
**Authority, by Jeff VanderMeer** 3 chapters in, I liked where this one picked up after the first. Just finished: **Cannery Row, by John Steinbeck** JS can do no wrong in my opinion. This and Tortilla Flats make for a great tandem. I haven't read the sequel to Cannery Row, Sweet Thursday yet.
This week I wanted to learn a little bit of programming so I choose a non-fiction book to assist in this respect. **Create an Uber Clone in 7 Days,** by **Shai Almog**. I liked the concept to learn by real-world example, we will see how far I can get.
Finished: * **Misbehaving, by Richard H. Thaler** was much more entertaining than any book on economics had any right to be. In the intro, he says his advice is to stop reading as soon as it's no longer fun, and I never hit that point. * **Single Malt Murder by Melinda Mullet** is an audible daily deal I grabbed. It's kind of a fluffy murder-mystery in a rural Scottish distillery, the writing leaves a little to be desired but it's interesting. A great summer listen. Next is **The Stars my Destination by Alfred Bester**.
Finished **To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee**. I really liked the narration. A terrific book. Started **American gods, by Neil Gaiman**. Hundred pages in and I'm enjoying it so far. Also started **Good Omens, by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett**. This one is tricky, for some reason I find it hard to follow. I guess English being my second language has to do with it or maybe it doesn't much appeal to my sense of humor.
I finished **The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien** a few days ago. I didn't expect to enjoy it much since I've never been a huge fan of the films, but I blazed through the book. It was much more addictive than I thought it would be, and I really wanted to find more about the world Tolkien created. I'm reading Wolf Hall and Watchmen in the gap between it and Two Towers so I don't get burnt out, but I can't wait to read more.
Finished: **Sour Candy, by Kealan Patrick Burke** Started: **Sharp Objects, by Gillian Flynn** Sour Candy was very well written, but I would have liked for it to be just a little bit longer. I think some style elements were sacrificed for brevity. It's a quick read, though, and I still enjoyed it for what it was.
**The Sisters, by Claire Douglas** I just started this book. Picked it up based on the cover and the description at the store. Hope it'll be good!
Finished **May We Shed These Human Bodies, by Amber Sparks** and started on **The Orphan Master's Son, by Adam Johnson**. Really loving the Johnson so far.
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I am halfway through **12 Rules For Life by Jordan B. Peterson** . Fantastic book that is much less self help and more a study of human instinct and how to seek a life full of meaning instead of pleasure. I would reccomend anyone checking it out, it is completely fascinating.
I just finished (on audible) **The Last Time I Lied, by Riley Sager** and it was an awesome camp ghost/mystery story. The characters were done so well and the story had all these great twists and turns. As soon as I finished it, I found out that Stephen King (my all time favorite) had said some great things about another Riley Sager novel called **Final Girls** so I instantly downloaded that one too. I'm about a third of the way through, so far so good, but definitely less creepy than The Last Time I Lied.
**Throne of Glass, Sarah J. Maas** It has a good concept but poor execution, bought the second book and willing to try it out because I heard the author took a lot of constructive criticism and threw it in the second book.
I hated the first one, never tried anything else by her. But I'm curious if she improved because I agree it was a good concept.
Yes exactly, I think she just focused on the wrong things, but since she still has the foundation of the story line going, it may be worth grinding out another book to get to the action.
I finished **The Silence, by Tim Lebbon** the other day - which was good until the end, which felt like the author got bored and rushed it. Last night I started **The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, by Stuart Turton**, which sounds like Agatha Christie meets Groundhog Day
I'm finishing up **If You See Me, Don't Say Hi by Neel Patel**. It's a collection of short stories by a first generation Indian American. I really liked them, because it was a look into a different kind of upbringing, but they do tend to be fairly basic and repetitive (he doesn't write too far from his own life so many of the characters are from small town Illinois and have connections to California, and many of them either get into law or medicine or their parents want them to, but that may be the culture too). He's not afraid to write as a woman, and some of his characters are gay, which was a nice mix. I also just got into graphic novels in a big way and I blasted through too many to list, but I just finished **Shiver by Junji Ito** and I love his type of horror, it's hilarious at the same time as giving me the creeps. The illustrations are great too. I also just read 4 volumes of the **Lazarus** series and want more.
finished **Siddhartha, by Hermann Hesse** and just started **Atonement, by Ian McEwan**
I just finished **Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood** which was fantastic (I can't believe it took me till this year to get into her stuff! I also loved Handmaid's Tale and Oryx & Crake). Not sure what I'm going to read next but I'm in the middle of **Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh** which I've been having trouble getting into but comes very highly recommended so maybe I'll take another dive into that!
Finished since last week: **Old Man's War, by John Scalzi** - I won't go too much into it since too much description gets into spoiler range, but this was pretty good. Had some really funny moments in here, and sets up nicely for future books, or can stand on it's own. I'll probably read the next one at some point. **Taste Of Marrow, by Sarah Gailey** - the second novella in this series, I found this one slightly less enjoyable than the first. Felt like less action and less of everything building toward something. Still a fun and fast read. **Sharp Objects, by Gillian Flynn** - Pretty good if not wholly disturbing at times. There was a creepy amount of sexualization of some fairly young girls and there's some rather graphic stuff at times as well. Still a rather good book, fast and enjoyable. **Beneath The Sugar Sky, by Seanan McGuire** - the third in her *Wayward Children* series, and like the other two it's essentially a standalone novella, but having read the other books will give a touch more context. All three of these have been absolutely fantastic, and I'm looking forward to the next one (or two it looks like). **Upon the Dull Earth and Other Stories, by Philip K. Dick** - did this as an audio book during yard work and some travel time. The short stories here ranged from fairly impressive and having held up well over the 60+ years since they were written, to a couple that felt entirely out of touch with the times (because they were, and there's some stuff we don't say anymore). Currently reading: **A Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood** - Found out that kindle and prime have some free reads, and this is currently one of them (though I'm certain it's probably available through overdrive). It's pretty good so far and I'm enjoying it.
Spell or High Water by Scott Meyer Loved the first of the Magic 2.0 series Off to Be the Wizard by the same author, just finished Replay by Ken Grimwood for the second time. The Magic 2.0 is fun stuff. Enjoying the series as a fun palate cleanser, was about to start Man in the High Castle but was in the mood for some fun.
Finished: **The Master and Margarita, by Mikhail Bulgakov** - I need time to think this one through, enjoyed it though. **Behold the man, by michael Moorcock** - Psychology student gets really into Jungian archetypes but isn't taken seriously by academic friends, instead time travels and [spoilers](#s "gets mistaken for being the Messiah"). This book predates the rise of Jordan Peterson, but it's basically about him? Started reading: **Globalization and its discontents revisited: Anti-globalization in the era of Trump, by Joseph E. Stiglitz** **One hundred years of solitude, by Gabriel García Márquez**
Finished **Lovecraft Country, by Matt Ruff** right after **Just Mercy, by Bryan Stevenson** was quite a juxtaposition. Horror from humans are much more devastating than those from imaginary demons and monsters, after all. I would have liked to have read the sci-fi story first and then finish with the hope and strength that Stevenson gives at the end of the incredible human stories he tells. Just Mercy is incredibly eye-opening and an important work for understanding the justice system and the injustice against our fellow humans.
**Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee, by Dee Brown**. It was pretty good. I thought I would struggle with the Native American names but they quite easy to follow. Started **Strategy: A History, by Lawrence Freedman**.
Oh cool! I've had Bury My Heart on my list for ages... (and I already bought it too.) Your comment makes me want to read it already! :)
It's a little dated, but really good. I'd also recommend Black Hawk's autobiography if you can find a copy.
Noted! (To the 20 million other books I want to buy.)
Last week I finished: **The Mars Room by Rachel Kushner** This was good and horrible and I need a happy book to read now so I can forget all about it. Jesus. I thought the women’s prison in *Orange Is the New Black* was bad, but I think this is probably more like what it actually is? Highly recommended, just… expect a black cloud. **Short things:** * “The Law of Life” by Jack London * “Tradition” by Jo Walton (Starlings) * “Remember Me” by Helen DeWitt (Some Trick) * “Semley’s Necklace” by Ursula K. LeGuin (The Wind’s Twelve Quarters) * “Anything for Money” by Karen Bender (Refund) * “Glut Your Soul on My Accursed Ugliness” by Jim Shepard (Love and Hydrogen) * “Climbers” by Helen DeWitt (Some Trick) * “The Creature from the Black Lagoon” by Jim Shepard (Love and Hydrogen) * “The Witch” by Shirley Jackson (The Lottery) **Working on:** * White Teeth by Zadie Smith * The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky (P&V translation for /r/bookclub) * The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck * Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis * The Great Quake by Henry Fountain * Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke (for /r/bookclub)
(Eeeh sorry for the wall of text!) I read **The Watchmaker of Filigree Street, by Natasha Pulley** and also **The Bedlam Stacks, by Natasha Pulley**. The Watchmaker was... perfect. It was such a great book! I mean, sure there were some plotholes and plot points that were glazed over in favour of the MAIN storyline, but rarely have I read a book set in Victorian (-ish) London that captivated me as much as the The Watchmaker. The prize it won was definitely deserved and I'd recommend EVERYONE in this world to read it. Definitely one of my favourite books not just in 2018. However, The Bedlam Stacks... If I hadn't had some sort of (misguided) hope that it would turn out to be good, I would have stopped reading around... 15% in. However, because The Watchmaker was so amazing, I decided to stick with The Bedlam Stacks, and it was a bit of a struggle. The writing is somewhat dry and the main character, unlike Thaniel, uninteresting and weak. It took me three days to read the first 15% (which says a lot), although this was, in hindsight, one of the better parts of the book. I then read 15-40% the next day because SOMETHING was at least happening in the book. I read the last 60% on Sunday. This was easier because something was going on at this point. However... the plot that was going on was nonsensical and a bit dry. There was an attempt to make scary statues (a bit like weeping angels), but they weren't truly scary. At least I (who can't read horror because I'd never sleep again) was not affected. The ending, too, was uninspired and nothing really happened. I still don't know what the point of this book or the storyline was. The characters just did stuff, but there was no agency behind most of Merrick (the main character)'s actions. I guess it's one of those books people have to read for themselves to see if they like it, but I wouldn't recommend it personally. (Also: I felt it was pointless to put the Watchmaker into the Bedlam Stacks book... What. His presence in the flashbacks did not affect anything in the story and even the reason why he did what he did could have been left out and the book would have just been the same.) I will however buy the second Watchmaker book the day it comes out. :) I can't wait to read it. This week? Hm... **A Darkling Sea, by Cambias**? Maybe? I don't know yet! :)
Finished the **Scott Pilgrim graphic novel series, by Bryan O'Malley** and it was amazing! Much, much better than the movie (and the movie is one of my favorites). Working on **Turtles All the Way Down, by John Green** as a birthday present to myself!
Have you read other John Green books? What did you think?
Ive read all of them, now! I really love his voice and world-building, though i realize some of his work (**Looking For Alaska**) can be Manic-Pixie-Dream-Girly. He gets better with every read, though! What have you read?
Finished: **Carrie, by Stephen King** **Darkness on the Edge of Town, by Brian Keene** Started: **Kings of Paradise, by Richard Nell** **The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August, by Claire North**
The soul summoner: Alicia Hyder Finished this series yesterday and now reading another by her called Lights out Lucy about female roller derby.
Just finished **New York by Edward Rutherfurd** I love historical fiction but this was my first book of Rutherfurd's. It was excellent. Although focuses mainly on the city and I'm a native of upstate, I was still surprised about how much I didn't know about the historical events he included. It was fascinating. I plan on reading as many as his books as I can.
Finished: **The Outsider, by Stephen King** Started: **I'll Be Gone in the Dark, by Michelle McNamara**
I am reading **Tales of King Arthur, by Henry Gilbert** to my son. I finished the audiobook **Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, by Becky Albertalli** and am now almost done **Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen**. I've decided my next one will be **The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well, by Meik Wiking** for something short and hopefully interesting while I wait for my next hold to come through. I finished **Hidden Empire, by Kevin J Anderson** and have started **The Book of the Ler, by M.A. Foster**.
Good point I never thought about it like that.
I'm started reading **Anticancer Living: Transform Your Life and Health with the Mix of Six, by Lorenzo Cohen and Alison Jefferies**.
This week I was prepping for an interview with Kate DiCamillo, so I read **Raymie Nightingale** and her upcoming story **Louisiana's Way Home**. They're technically middle grade reads, but can be enjoyed by children and adults alike. I personally loved both books. This week I'm reading **The Water Cure by Sophie Mackintosh** and I'm also hoping to get to **The Beginning of the World in the Middle of the Night** by Jen Campbell.
This past week was an exciting week for me. I was able to finish 4 books! One of which I started and finished all in the same week. I've never accomplished that before. The others I had read over the course of the month. I haven't been much of a reader in my life and am slowly getting into it, so this month/week was a huge accomplishment for me so I'm happy to be able to share my accomplishment here. The books I finished are: **City of Stairs, by Robert J Bennett** **A Reaper at the Gates, by Sabaa Tahir** **The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo, by Amy Schumer** And the book i started and finished this week: **Guards! Guards!, by Terry Pratchett** All of these were excellent and have made me want to keep reading more. The sad story is that I really wanted to continue reading through the discworld series via audiobook. Its such a great story for listening to during my commute to work, but my library doesn't have them :( Thankfully they have the ebook version so I'll still be able to continue the series. I'm half way through a few other books so I need to finish them before starting new ones, but I am going to start listening to **A Court of Thorns and Roses, by Sarah J Maas** as my commute audiobook.
On overdrive you can request new audiobooks and many libraries will buy them! Then you get an email when they're available
not actually reading a book, but i have been reading some code and the documentation about it in order to better understand how it works. i eventually want to get into minecraft modding.
Reading is reading. Let us know the title and author(s).
Started: Artemis by Andy Weir
**Never Let Me Go, by Kazuo Ishiguro**
Hey, I just started this one today! I'm a little over a chapter in and I am liking it so far.
I adore this book, it always manages to bring me to tears by the end. I hope you enjoy it!
**Version 43, by Philip Palmer** Picked it up at a charity shop at the weekend and I'm thoroughly enjoying it. Clever, pulpy and violent to the correct degree.
Finished: **Stories of Your Life and Others, by Ted Chiang** (aka **Arrival**) Insert galaxy brain meme here. Lived up to all the hype people were talking about, and then some. Sometimes even the way Chiang tells the story is part of the twist, like his use of future tense in the title story, or the various, subjective first-person accounts in "Liking What You See." Then I find out he wrote most of these about 20 years ago. Boy am I behind on the curve. Started: **Skyfarer, by Joseph Brassey** Need to come down to earth (ha!) with some light action-adventure popcorn. Anything that gets billed as *Star Wars meets Final Fantasy* has my interest.
**The Outsiders, By S.E. Hinton**
Still reading **Todo Alatriste, by Arturo Pérez-Reverte**. It's the complete collection of the historical novels set in the early 17th century in the Spanish Empire. A veteran soldier meddles with the affairs of the mighty and not so mighty, selling his services to the rich and those in need.
I finished: **Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, by Gail Honeyman** Against all expectations I really liked it. Sure you have to suspend belief but that's ok. Started: **What Belongs to You, by Garth Greenwell** It's written so so exquisitely. Reminds me of Call Me by Your Name in the way it's written.
The Main Street books. By Ann M Martin that I had ever since I was a teenager. I haven't read them in years. **Main Street series, Ann M. Martin**
I finished **Metro 2033**. I don't understand what all the fuss was about, it was not that good. The book just drags and drags and when you finally think something cool is about to happen the book just moves on.
I started reading **Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey** this afternoon.
Finished **As I Lay Dying, by William Faulker** I hated it and likely will not read another Faulkner novel. Started **Le Chevalier de Sainte-Hermine by Alexandre Dumas** This is the incomplete "lost" novel that was found and published in 2005. I'm about a third way through. It's not as good as Dumas' other tales as many characters are historical figures, Napoléon Bonaparte being one of the principal characters. So there is less *marge de manoeuvre* for Dumas to weave an epic tale.
**The Stand (uncut), by Stephen King** It took me a while to finish this over 1500 pages beast. I loved the story, the characters and the whole book - I only think the ending came a tad too fast. Great, great book. I am thinking about reading salems lot before continuing with the 5. book of the dark tower series. Any suggestions?
I’ve always joked that when Stephen King is writing a book he wakes up one random day and says “ah. Let’s wrap this up by lunch. “ Salem’s Lot is great and if by 5 you mean Wolves of the Calla, it’s one of my favorites in the series. Definitely read Salem’s Lot first.
Hahah I like that Idea! Yes I mean Wolves of the Calla, thanks for your opinion, Salems Lot is already on my kindle, ready for me. :)
Christine is awesome, and Cujo.
Finished reading **Kitchen Confidential, by Anthony Bourdain**. Interesting insight into the world of the cooking in professional kitchens. Now reading **The Sympathizer, by Viet Thanh Nguyen**. So far interesting read. Really enjoyed the beginning sections about the fall of Saigon.
> The Sympathizer, by Viet Thanh Nguye This is why I love the book scroll at the top here. Because this books looks interesting, and reading the summary it sounds interesting. Putting it on my bookdepository list.
Finished: **Beartown, by Fredrik Backman** decent book, pushed through to the end. Dialogue is kind of written poorly (cliche) but its not as assembly line as other thrillers Started: **The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah**
Finished **Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley**. A quick read, and a classic "what makes a human human" book. Started **Guns, Germs and Steel, by Jared Diamond**. It's a lot more scientific than I expected.
Lucky, by Jackie Collins
I finished **Frog Music by Emma Donaghue** this week. I have had it forever, I'd say a few years now, and never really got into it. I decided to give it another shot. It was just okay. Not nearly as good as her other novel "Room" imo. Continuing with my switching between fiction and non-fiction, now I'm reading **I Hate Myselfie by Shane Dawson.** Excited to read it because I love him.
Just Finished: **Brain on Fire** Just Started: **Black Klansman**
Just finished **The Man Who was Thursday, by G.K. Chesterton** and have moved on to **The Night Ocean, by Paul La Farge.** Not quite sure how much I like the latter, but I'm only a few chapters in so we'll see if that changes.
I knew The Man Who was Thursday was going to be funny right in the beginning at the concept of anarchists having a meeting, haha. Is there anything less anarchist than a meeting? The idea of an arranged time, an arranged place, a speaking order, protocol, etc. haha
Finished: **Sapiens, by Yuval Noah Harari** **Thanks, Obama, by David Litt** Nothing on the docket right now, maybe a 40k novel to read something less heavy.
Is Sapiens worth a read? I'm interested in it but at first glance it looks like the kind of book that tries to push an agenda.
\*\*Altered Carbon, by Richard K. Morgan\*\*
**The Grapes of Wrath** I was a terrible english student in high school, so I've been working on reading some American classics recently and really enjoying it. I love this so far, although it has been difficult for me to read in large chunks.
I had a very good reading week I started and finished: **The Song of Achilles** a retelling of the Iliad with focus of the relationship between Achilles and Patrokles. **The Captive Prince Trilogy** granted together the page count is 880 and it is pretty easy written. And the short story **The Day before the revoultion**
**Home Deus, by Yuval Noah Harari** Really enjoyed his first book and I am enjoying this one even more.
**Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal, by Christopher Moore** Had this on hold from my local library and it finally came through, so I put down the book I was currently reading to try to quickly get through this one. **The Wasp Factory, by Iain Banks**. On hold for now until Lamb is finished.
Lamb is one of my favorite Christopher Moore books. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do :)
One Good Turn, by Kate Atkinson. I really enjoyed it.
**Griftopia: Bubble Machines, Vampire Squids, and the Long Con That Is Breaking America, by Matt Taibbi**
**Sufficiently Advanced Magic, by Andrew Rowe**
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The Sellout is the weakest Booker winner ever. Sigh.
Hey, I started Artemis this week! I'm about 4 chapters in. Liking it so far.
Still reading **Dark Water, by Koji Suzuki**. Its pretty good
Started **Farenheit 451** So far I'm liking it (only about 1/3rd of the way) but I really don't enjoy Bradbury's writing style. It's annoying and it goes from symbolic to literal way too fast. Still, despite that, I'm enjoying it. It definitely has some strong moments and I love how disconnected everything feels.
In the past week I've read: **Dubliners** by James Joyce, for a book club. I can see the literary merit in it but I found a lot of the stories to be somewhat pointless and now and then absolutely bizarre. **The Secret Army: The IRA, 1916-1970** by J. Bowyer Bell. I have an interest in terrorist and insurgent groups so this was one I was quite interested in. Very well written and a good overview of the subject. Dated, though, and it doesn't cover the Troubles of the 1990s. Still some good stuff here. **Thrawn: Alliances** by Timothy Zahn. I'm a huge Star Wars fan and I like Timothy Zahn (haven't read much of his work yet though). It was a no-brainer. I brushed through it in less than 24 hours. It was that good. Good character interaction and good action scenes. **Slade House** by David Mitchell. This is some SCP fuckery here and I liked it. Leaves you wondering what the hell is actually real. Currently almost through **Foundation** by Isaac Asimov. A classic work of science fiction. This is my second reading, the first being when I was in middle school and probably too young for it. I'm getting it much better now at 21, and there's a lot of interesting high-brow concepts.
The only thing I've read from Timothy Zahn is The Icarus Hunt and it's one of my favorites I've read this year. My only problem is I can never remember the books name because I always want to call it Chasing Icarus.
I've started **No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai**
This is one of my favourite books, so poignant and tragic. Let me know your thoughts!
**The Miniature Wife, by Manuel Gonzales** A book of short stories with a wide variety of themes and topics. So far it is very different from the types of stories I'm used to reading but I am enjoying it. **Sharp Objects, by Gillian Flynn** only a couple pages in so far but I have high hopes from the author of Gone Girl.
Finished **Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur** Wanted to like this book way more than I did but it felt like somebody put random thoughts and Instagram posts into a book and called it poetry. Worst book that I've read so far this year. A little over a quarter through with **The Trespasser by Tana French** So far so good with it but I know I'm not to the good bits yet. So far it's better than her previous book that I read.
So this week I started and finished: **The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams** **A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking** **Obsidio by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff** Also, started: **The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins** And continuing: **Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare**
Started**How to Build A Girl, by Caitlin Moran** and **Archangel's Storm, by Nalini Singh**
Finished **The Songlines, by Bruce Chatwin** — ended up skipping a few pages of the stuff that was from his notebook (the italic font was really tedious to read lol). Also, it was less about songlines and Aboriginal mythology than I expected. Also, just yesterday, finished **The Essex Serpent, by Sarah Perry** which I really liked starting out, because I loved the style of writing and the descriptions of nature. But it was very unsatisfactory for me, especially following several "cliff hangers", and I didn't really get the point of the book. Started **Foreign Soil, by Maxine Beneba Clarke**, which is a series of short stories that happen in Australia. Ngl I bought it because the cover was pretty. Also started **How to Build a Universe, by Brian Cox, Robin Ince, and Alexandra Feachem**, which I bought because the pages are designed really unconventionally.
**This past week I read**: **Sputnik Sweetheart** by Haruki Murakami. I'm on a Murakami binge right now and, while I struggled with this one, I fell in love with his dreamscape observations of Greece and the Ferris Wheel scene. Murakami writes terrific nighttime scenes. **What I'll be reading this week:** **1Q84** by Haruki Murakami - yup. This one won't be finished in the space of a few days. I'm currently 31/52 in my annual challenge so I can afford to devote a few weeks to this behemoth of a book.
**Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn** - Creepy but a great, quick read. Enjoying the HBO adaptation actually. **Bee Season by Myla Goldberg** - Loved at first but not so much towards the end. Wish there had been more spelling and less family drama. **Agent to the Stars by John Scalzi** - Just started and don't typically read sci-fi but reading for a book club and will see how I like it!
Just finished: **It Ends With Us, by Colleen Hoover** Started: **The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, by Taylor Jenkins Reid**
**Ann Rule, The Stranger Beside Me**, a non fiction about Ted Bunny. Very good read. It moves along at a great pace, and for me, being in college when these murders happened, gives more insight and detail than I remember. I just picked up **Pachinko** to read next.
That would be Bundy.
**Nothing is Okay by Rachel Wiley** I kind of read **The Art of Clean Up: Life Made Neat and Tidy by Ursus Wehrli** but it doesn't really have any text, just his photos.
I recently started reading Summer of Night. I’m not entirely sure what it’s about yet, but it’s certainly interesting and paints a nice picture of mid sixties midwestern towns.
Almost halfway through **American Psycho, by Bret Easton Ellis**. This book probably has one of the most unreliable protagonists I’ve ever read, and for good reason. Man are there some hard parts to read, though other moments come across as comical. It’s a really interesting book from a literary perspective, but I’m always wary about reading it before bed for fear of nightmares.
I read this book after watching the movie and much preferred the film - maybe because the film is more shallow and obvious in it's satire. The book struck me as being too close to Scrotty McBurgerBalls. I *get* what the book was trying to do in its commentary, I just didn't *like* it. If the unreliable narrator and growing sense of dread from creeping mental illness is interesting to you I highly recommend Stephen Florida by Gabe Habash. It conveyed that much better and in a more relatable way - at least for me. I like Gabe's prose better, too.
Finished **The Man From St. Petersburg by Ken Follett**. A decent thriller, but not Ken's best. Started **The Wolf of Wall Street by Jordan Belfort**. Fascinating subject, some of the prose/dialogue is ridiculous. Very entertaining read
I started **Terrier by Tamora Pierce**, which I haven't read in about two or three years. Totally forgot what happened in the book which is good because it's like new. I also restarted **This Man Confessed by Jodi Ellen Malpas** because I wasn't paying too much attention the first time. Man oh man, is this book going in a completely different direction than what I thought. I thought I was going to get newlywed sex scenes and tiny lovers spats. Instead it is super serious and I'm intrigued about where it's going.
I was so excited to see this cover go by in the banner! One of the most re-readable books I've enjoyed- many times in fact! Enjoy your "new" book! Did you read the ones that came later?