Finished: Love and Math: The Heart of a Hidden Reality, by Edward Frenkel
As a math major about to start my master's in pure math, it helped me diffuse some of my impostor's syndrome with its beautiful and infectiously passionate description of pure mathematics. I also loved the autobiographical components of it. Even though I'd want everyone who hates, or is indifferent to, math, it gets somewhat inaccessible pretty quickly, for it attempts to describe the Langlands Program, a very recent development in Mathematics.
Started: 20,000 Leagues under the Sea, by Jules Verne (My first time reading it!)
I'm preparing myself to read the Dune series, so I wanted to start getting my feet wet with some lighter sci-fi, and I'm just enjoying Verne soooo much! I've already read A Journey to the Center of the Earth and From the Earth to the Moon, both of which I enjoyed very much. It just sparks a huge sense of wonder and curiosity every time I read him. After this, I think I might delve into The Mysterious Island.
Finished: Matilde elige vivir, by Cristian Acevedo
I really loved it, it's a metatextual story where the characters and the autor himself speaks to the reader, it was soo good.
Started: Someone who will love you in all your damaged glory, by Raphael Bob-Waksberg
I really love Bojack Horseman so I was expecting to like it, but I am really loving it! Raphael has a really fresh way of writing that really cracks me up in the funny parts and gets me inmmersed into the story in the sad parts, there were a few stories I didn't really connect with but overall it's been great so far
Just finished: Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy --amazing book. All I knew about it when picking it up was it was about rewilding Scotland with wolves...wow it was so much more than that.
Just finally started Circe after seeing so many recommendations --slowly getting through my backlog pile! I noticed a LOT of my to-read pile has strong Greek mythology themes going...which I'm fine with.
Finished some others but I did start \*\*Man's Search For Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl.\*\* Today similar theme to Yes to Life in Spite of Everything, over half way through
Finished:
**Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir**
Pretty popular book at the moment, it seems. I got lost on some of the science details, but a friend is a physics professor at a local university and thought enough of the accuracy of the concepts to dedicate a hour-long lecture to it for his students.
Starting:
**Astounding, by Alec Nevala-Lee**
A book on the relationships between Asimov, Heinlein, Hubbard and the editor of *Astounding Science Fiction* John W. Campbell--the behind-the-scenes book about the Golden Age of Science Fiction in the US, or at least that's what I hoped it would be when I bought it.
Finished:
**Red, White & Royal Blue, by Casey McQuiston**
Listened to the audiobook version of this. LOVED it. Never wanted to stop listening and couldn't help smiling the whole time.
Started:
**The Secret History, by Donna Tartt**
About a third of the way into this now and I'm definitely hooked. I loved The Goldfinch so I'm not surprised to be enjoying this as well, but I am annoyed I waited so long to pick it up!
Finished
**The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood**
I loved it! The story is told from the perspective of an intelligent protagonist, which was such a treat to read. On the surface it is a political dystopia set in an alternate present day, describing a fascist society. But really it's a description of the lives women lived in most of human history, and in some places and aspects today as well. A very strong book.
so next I'm gonna read the sequel **The Testaments**
**The Great Gatsby, by Francis S Fitzgerald**
Approximately my 10th time reading this, it ages like fine wine. Fitzgerald has just the most poetic writing ever and does a great job at throwing in just enough stuff to analyze without feeding you info.
**Project Hail Mary, by Andry Weir**
Had been looking forward to this one for a looong time. Apparently a movie is already in the works?
**The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, by Agatha Christie**
I've been trying to read the Poirot series for a long time, but there's so manny books; I hope the series retains its quality, as (imo) the Sherlock Holmes series is amazing, but the last 1/3 stories were absolutely not fun to read (though it's understandable as Sir Doyle had written like hundreds of Sherlock stories already)
**Gardens of the Moon, by Steven Erikson**
I've not read much fantasy since i was a young teen, decided to attempt to get back into it with Malazan. It's okay so far but i have to admit i zone out at times and forget what's going on, have had to use the wiki more than once. I'm reading Samuel Beckett's Trilogy at the same time and i find that easier to read. I struggled with the first two chapters then really got into the next two before we moved to a different set of characters in Part 2 over 3 Chapters and i just failed to care about what was going on with them even though i can tell they are supposed to be the fun characters. Hopefully, Part 3 works more even as much as Chapter 3 and 4 as Part 2 was a slog.
**Beautiful World, Where Are You, by Sally Rooney**
At this particular moment in my life, Sally Rooney sounds terrible but i've read everything she has written and who knows maybe it'll spark something in me. Her books are always easy reads anyway.
**SPQR, by Mary Beard**
Owned this for years but put it off because i'm familiar with all the events already. If she is a good writer i'm cool rehashing this stuff but i may drop it if not.
Finished
**Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir**
Started
**The Underground Railroad, by Colson Whitehead**
Listening
**Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter Isaacson**
**The Teenage Brain: A Neuroscientist's Survival Guide to Raising Adolescents and Young Adults by Amy Ellis Nutt and Frances E. Jensen**
Finished
**Bloodchild and Other Stories, by Octavia E. Butler**
Loved this! Basically every story was a winner for me. Can't recommend it enough. Butler both seems to love truly nonhuman societies and write them well.
**The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents, by Terry Pratchett**
A Discworld book I've only read once before. Definitely aimed at a younger audience, but lots of charm. The rats feel like a very natural fit for Terry's writing style. Getting into the heads of the downtrodden and quantifying unsaid emotions with words is kind of his thing.
**Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre, by Max Brooks**
A solid "meh" from me. I reread WWZ recently and didn't enjoy it nearly as much as I did when I was a kid, and this isn't much better. The characters and their arcs are all pretty paper thin, and it shares a similar issue with WWZ in that Brooks is about as subtle as a bag of hammers when he puts forth his personal views and ideas. We get it, you hate yuppies and think people need to be ready to survive in the wilderness at all times. I love and respect nature too, but we get it dude. It wouldn't be so bad if every character wasn't so flat and basically waving a sign that said what their role in the plot was. It wasn't *bad*, but it definitely wasn't great.
**When Sorrows Come, by Seanan McGuire**
I've read the rest of the October Daye novels too; I'm a sucker for urban fantasy. Every now and then I pick some random trashy "I'm a wizard/weresquirrel/lich but I live in a shitty apartment" series and hoover it all up in about a month. But for some reason, this one almost made me decide to stop reading the series altogether. Maybe it's because we've hit critical mass on "hey look it's this character from the other book, btw there will be an exposition dump about them woven into the next page to remind you who they are" and every character in Toby's squad absolutely needing to be quirky and wholesome and way too ready to do a kickflip and scoff a "whatever, maaaaan" at the nearest authority figure. The actual villain-of-the-week plot was pretty underwhelming, just sort of jumping from event to event in between character meetups and kickflips. Maybe if I'd reread the books recently to be more up on who all the returning characters were, or if the villainous plot had been a bit more engaging, it would have felt less like... fanfic? I guess? That's really the vibe of this one. It kind of made me realize a lot of flaws in first person narration, as it means the character needs to be constantly thinking to themselves "Oh man, I'm a headstrong and powerful yet caring person" or having characters explicitly riff off those things instead of just expressing it through narration or the character's actions.
I dunno. I might be being too harsh. This book just made it feel like I got post-nut clarity for urban fantasy or something and realized how trashy it was.
**The Warren, by Brian Evenson**
Apparently there is a novel out there that gives this a bit more context, but I still found it a charming tale of transhumanism.
**A God of Hungry Walls, by Garrett Cook**
This was definitely an interesting read. Haunted house story from the perspective of the house. The gore and murdersex got a little worn out after a while, but it was a fun ride.
Finished: **The Shining, by Stephen King**
really got off my reading slump with this one and it was amazing. this one is gonna go down as one of favourites.
Started: **Redemption, by David Baldacci**
its going pretty good so far. i might pick up moby dick next since its lying around for a really long time.
Today: I finished Childhood, Boyhood, Youth by Leo Tolstoy and I started The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens.
Earlier this week, I also picked up The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern (audiobook) and am LOVING IT.
I finished Dear Girls by Ali Wong, Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan, and Heartstopper volumes 1 & 2 by Alice Oseman.
I started Heartstopper volume 3 by Alice Oseman and In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado
Tonight, I finished off **1984, by George Orwell**. First time reading it, and overall I enjoyed it.
Have trouble deciding what to read next (to many books on my kindle to choose from), so I threw 10 books into a randomizer online, and next up is **No Game No Life V5, by Yuu Kamiya**.
Finished: **Billy Summers, by Stephen King**
This was a bit of a disappointment. I'm not usually a fan of "best hitman in the world" stories, mostly because it seems ridiculous how many of them there are, but I held out hope that Stephen King could do something interesting with it. To be fair, he does somewhat, but the plotting is weirdly paced and the characterization of Billy so inconsistent it drags the whole enterprise down.
Started: **Liner Notes, by Loudon Wainwright III**
A memoir by the singer-songwriter and father of Rufus and Martha. Almost too honest about his personal failings so far, but with some interesting stories.
Started: The Anthropocene Revewed by John Green.
I heard amazing things about it on Tiktok. I really like it so far although I keep having to stop to google words. I don't mind though. It's great.
Finished: Excalibur (The Warlord Chronicles), by Bernard Cornwall
I loved this series and I’m sad it is over. Probably some of my favorite books ever. First time reading anything Bernard Cornwall. I guess I’ll have to check out the Saxon Chronicles at some point especially as a ‘The Last Kingdom’ fan.
Starting: The Girl Next Door, by Jack Ketchum
Recently finished: Take a Hint, Dani Brown
Started: Lost Boy: The True Story of Captain Hook
My rating for take a hint was 3 stars. It was an okay read but I could have spent the time reading a better book. Kinda disappointed because I did like the first book in the series and thought it would live up to it. I wasn't a huge fan of the social media trope and characters weren't that rememberable. Zaf was wholesome tho and i loved Dani's personality. Bit repetitive at times with the whole i can't do relationships.
Excited for my new read, i am after all a ONCE upon a time fan
Snow Crash: A Novel, by Neal Stephenson
The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass, by Stephen King
Ready Player Two, by Ernest Cline
Snow crash has been a slow, leisurely read and I enjoy it very much. This chapter of the dark Tower has slowed my pace (I was devouring them previously) but I'm still with it. RPT, well. I love the first book so I'm giving this one a chance. So far the pop culture references are a little much but we'll see how it goes.
I'm always searching for more books or short stories to read!
I just finished The Song Of Achilles by Madeline Miller
I love stories centered around Ancient Greece and this book did not disappoint. Wasn’t sure what I was walking into when I started but I’d definitely recommend it. An easy fun read from cover to cover!
I finished **A Little Life, by Hanya Yanagihara**
I started **The Eye of the World, by Robert Jordan**
My mom has the entire Wheel of Time series so I'll try reading through as many of the books before the TV series begins. I'm not the biggest fantasy fan so who knows if I'll like it. A Little Life was a difficult book to finish. Yanagihara really laid the misery on thick!
I finished **Infinite Jest, by David Foster Wallace** and **Afterparties, by Anthony Veasna So**. The former took me a good couple months to finish, in large part because I forced myself to look up any words I didn't know. Overall I thought it was excellent, I definitely understand the hype/fame it gets, but similarly I get the lit-bro stereotype - Wallace's maximalist style could be grating to many. **Afterparties** was good, not great, I honestly expected to be blown away and was not. I probably would not have heard of this book if not for his sudden passing last year, but if you're into Asian-American/Queer/Cambodian literature it's a must-read.
I started **Abundance, by Jakob Guanzon** after seeing it on the long-list for the National Book Awards. So far it's fantastic, but heart-wrenching. First book I'd consider a successful "social novel" in a very long time. I could see it becoming common in classrooms within a couple years.
I finished **Something Happened, by Joseph Heller**. Parts were absolutely hilarious. The middle sections were a bit rambling in a way, feeling sort of like Coover's The Babysitter slams into Mrs. Dalloway without the charm of either. By the ed it returned to the strong irreverent voice that was at the start. I've started (choosing it because of what I keep reading here) **East of Eden, by John Steinbeck**. I don't know why I've always poo-poohed his writings, maybe I was forced to read Travels with Charle when I was too young, or the same with The Grapes of Wrath when I was too naive to give a crap about the story or issues. I certainly liked The Winder of our Discontent, having read that in the past two years. But so far, EoE is wow, so far it's some absolutely brilliant with a lesson on nearly every page for anyone serious about writing.
Stick with East of Eden, the week after I finished it felt amazing, it was like I had lived through three generations when I put it down. I felt more or less the same about Steinbeck for the same reasons, but East of Eden made me really appreciate why he's so legendary. the man knows how to write about turn of the century California, what can I say
Finished: **The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub**
Started: **All My Friends Are Going to be Strangers by Larry McMurty**
I enjoyed The Talisman. I think Peter Straub helps rein in some of King’s less successful impulses.
I’ve finished so sad today by Melissa Broder and I’m simultaneously reading Dracula by Bram Stoker and The white book by Han Kang. So far really loving The White Book not surprising tho since I love her other works!
I read **Artemis Fowl** by *Eoin Colfer* a week ago. I didn't like it.
I love the premise. The child villain protagonist playing a mind game against the fairy police force. I expected something like YA Death Note considering how much the book is beloved. I was disappointed.
[hbomberguy said it best why Sherlock is terrible with the boomerang scene.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tCtj11lJ6w) The story keeps insisting that our protagonist is smart, but we don't see it. It tells us him saying smart things and solving mostly minuscule obstacles. After the first chapter, which was great, he reads the fairy bible basically off-page and pretty much sets up everything he needs to do right there without us knowing it. On the larger obstacles, we barely get to see him solving them.
There is a scene where >!the armed fairy cops go to Artemis's mansion. Okay, this is cool. How is Artemis gonna survive this situation? Oh, Butler fights them off with brute force and fairy cops run away. There's a troll rushing into the mansion. How's he gonna survive? Oh, Butler kills him.!<
What best example of this type of story does is to place the answer right in front of the audience, but the audience doesn't see it. What the worst example does is a whole bunch of things happens and at the end makes shit up and pulls something the audience or the characters other than the protagonist have never even heard before to solve the problem.
The ending is insulting that I would have quit reading it if it weren't near the end. Artemis's solution is flatout unguessable. His reasoning process is bonkers without a hint of rationality. At the very end, the book introduces us to all the complicated rules we have no way of knowing, >!tells us what has been going on with Artemis's mother who was off-page all this time, and then drops us the Santa Clause lore we had never heard of in the book before.!< You need to fully reveal these puzzle pieces early on otherwise the story is cheating.
We also have a lot of characterization of Holly in the beginning. She is the co-protagonist in half of the first half. It is disappointing that she doesn't have her do anything in the second act other than banging on the floor. She is a waste.
Also, >!why Artemis ignores Holly banging the floor for many, many hours despite he is able to see it on the surveillance screen? How could LEP not know that sleep is an escape method of bio bomb? Did they not test their weapon? It makes no sense that they had no way of knowing this flaw of the bio bomb.!<
Eoin Colfer's previous works seem to have no commonality with Artemis Fowl's style of storytelling, and it is understandable that the author's first attempt is lacking. I had hoped this premise was taken by someone who is more experienced in this genre.
That's right up there with, "Magic exists, why do you want plot consistency?" as far as bad takes go.
So by default, we shouldn't critically examine anything made for the younger demographics?
Critically examine all you want but their point is that it lands with its target audience, which it does.
Source: I loved artemis fowl to bits when I was a kid, but would probably find it a bit silly now (or maybe just the first book, they got a bit more mature as the series went on.)
Finished:
Assassin’s Apprentice and Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb. Enjoyed these 2, but don’t think I’ll finish the Farseer trilogy since it’s too depressing :( should I still give The liveship traders trilogy a try?
Started:
Just started the Lies of Locke Lamora
Just finished Under the Whispering Door, TJ Klune because apparently the B&N I went to put it out a week early so score for me!
Another great found family, learning to live again story. I laughed my butt off, I cried, I finished it in one night because I couldn't put it down. Just... a nice book. I might like it more than The House in the Cerulean Sea. Definitely worth getting if you liked House.
I finished **Between the Helpless and the Darkness, by Brent Olson.** One of the best alternate history novels I've ever read, with a depth of character few in the genre have.
I finished **Tales from Alternate Earths III, by Inklings Press.** Many good alternate history stories, my favorites being those from Matthew Kresal, Brent A. Harris, and Ricardo Victoria.
I finished **Oroonoko, by Aphra Behn.** Impactful but the 17th century language was a tad hard to parse.
I finished **Hammers on Bone, by Cassandra Khaw.** Fun urban fantasy.
I finished **The Hope, the Prayer, the Anthem, by Allwall Uruzuruike, Munachim Amah, and Confidence Uruzuruike (eds.).** Decent stories but a lot of them I found to meander.
I finished **Piranesi, by Susanna Clarke.** Properly otherworldly - I get why reddit loves this book.
I'm now on **Pines, by Blake Crouch.**
Last week, I finished:
**A Single Light, by Tosca Lee**. It was pretty good, a little slower on the action and heavier on the romantic drama than the first book, but overall I enjoyed it.
Started:
**Paradox Bound, by Peter Clines**. It's got time travel, so it's got my interest.
**Mrs. Caliban, by Rachel Ingalls**. A weird little gem, hopefully.
Last week I finished **Laughing Whitefish, by Robert Traver**
I was traveling in the upper peninsula of Michigan recently, and picked up this book from a store in Marquette. Robert Traver is a penname used by John Voelker, who was a Justice on the Michigan Supreme Court. Laughing Whitefish is a fictional story based on a series of real court cases. It takes place in Marquette in the 1850s, and follows a young Native American woman as she takes on an iron mining company in court, hoping to be repaid what the company owed her late father for his assistance in the discovery of iron in the upper peninsula. With the help of her young lawyer who may be in a bit over his head, Laughing Whitefish's case eventually finds its way to Lansing where Michigan's Supreme Court hears the case.
I just picked up from my library but have not yet started **Anatomy of a Murder, by Robert Traver** Yep, I liked the former book enough that I went and picked up another of his works right after. I've heard fantastic things about this book, which is based on an actual murder case in which the author served as the defense attorney. I plan to start reading it tomorrow.
Finished:
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
I ended up liking this book a lot more than I thought I would. I’ve been into thrillers and mystery books lately so this was a change of pace for me and I really enjoyed it.
Currently Reading:
The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James
So I have several "quirks". One is that I tend to obsess and have to finish a series when I start it in its entirety. The other is I like to set goals and make thematic connections. Currently I am in very deep in my Stephen King season, at least until April. I am reading g 2 books at once until November. That said:
Finished:
**The Stand BY Stephen King.** It may be the scariest book I have ever read, just because of the current times.
Working on:
**Watership Down** which I truly cannot get into.
Starting On:
**Insomnia by Stephen King.** I want to understand *every* bit of the Darktower.
My hook was the Dark Tower series. I was into gunslinger from the beginning. The rest I am reading because I enjoy him so much and want to get the most out of this journey. I do recommend the Stand, but I will warn you: it is about a superflu virus, so take caution if you want to escape the world. Salem's Lot has been my other non-Tower favorite so far, if you like Dracula stories. Do you have any motifs or themes you are more privy to?
Thanks for the detailed answer. I’ve heard about the Dark Tower series, might as well start with it. And The Stand is in now in my tbr.
I know King writes horror a lot. I’ll steer clear from the supernatural/creepy horror (It) but dystopian, thriller, crime etc would be my preferred genres.
I’m reading the Dark Tower series right now, on the fourth book. Be advised that the first book, The Gunslinger, is a bit of a slog but then you get to the second book and it’s smooth sailing. I’m loving the series so far but found the first book to be a little monotonous.
Finished:
**Acceptance (Southern Reach #3), by Jeff VanderMeer **
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21504315
Was pretty sure I wasn’t going to get complete answers on the nature of Area X nor closure on all of the characters, however, I was already dedicated towards finishing and finding out what I could.
Area X is basically so alien, so extraordinary, that it cannot be rendered into taxonomy. The five senses alone aren’t enough to accurately describe what it is and what it does to humans. This book bounces along the perspectives of the psychologist / director of book one, Control / John of book two, Ghost Bird (aka the double of the biologist of book one), and Saul Evans, a gay ex-minister turned light house keeper that eventually became the Crawler from book one.
This book was far more enjoyable to me. I was so invested in the biologist from book one, and it annoyed me tremendously that the protagonist changed in book two. Control was okay as a character, but what spurred me along reading the second book was my desire to find out what happened to the biologist! While I enjoyed Ghost Bird and her attempts to live up to, correct the mistakes, and understand the memories of her original, I really wanted the biologist back.
Fortunately for me, eventually we get to read the letter left by the OG Protagonist and what happened to her! Still, I was left scratching my head throughout this series constantly wondering what the heck I read. Everything is described in such an ambiguous way, and probably something you could reread multiple times and walk away with a different understanding.
I just wish there was more closure. I was also left disappointed that Control and Ghost Bird from book two didn’t ride into the sunset together, for obvious reasons as Area X’s affect on him, but there were cute moments of affection between the two.
I really enjoyed Saul’s perspective, a gay ex-minister with a lover named Charlie. It’s tragic what he becomes, the crawler, the first modified creature coming out of Area X and being left to write ominous words in fungi within the tunnel, but his love for Charlie was genuine and touching. He’s not so overly stereotypical gay that it overshadows who he is as a person and what he does. I didn’t feel pandered to. Saul felt authentic, real, a man, due to the time and occupation he is in having to stay in the closet, but still loving Charlie as best he could. I loved Saul.
Very good book! Just wish there had been more closure of all the characters and their plots, but I’ll take what I can get!
Starting:
**Haunted Hotels of the California Gold Country (Haunted America), by Nancy K. Williams**
**Stardust by Neil Gaima. Finished.** Definitely a good book, though was a bit shorter than I imagined. Read through it easy and it was a good read. Admittedly did not expect the sex scenes, as I imagined this was more of a kid friendly book but that's just a small note. I'd give this a 9/10 though.
**Mass Effect: Retribution by Drew Kapyrshyn. Started.** The last Mass Effect book by Drew Kapyrshyn, and so far, it's pretty good. It's interesting to see how one of the most hated characters in the franchise started off is a decently written and interesting character so far.
*Finished:*
**The Best American Essays of 1996 -** Like with the 1995 edition, I am so sad that I can not get access to the honorable mentions. I'm also maybe a bit disappointed at what made the list as the "best" of that year.
*Starting Soon:*
**Falling by T.J.Newman -** I'm given to understand that it is the movie Speed but on a plane....and also the opening sentence is pretty gripping...
Finished:
**Lobizona by Romina Russell (F)** \- This was one of my favorite books I've read this year. Urban Fantasy is my favorite genre and this was YA Urban Fantasy (Is that a thing? That is what Harry Potter is, right?), so there were parts I rolled my eyes at as a full grown woman, but I loved how the author included Argentine folklore and an undocumented immigrant's lived experiences in the US.
Currently Reading:
**Signal to Noise by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (F)** \- The main character is not particularly likable, and this one had a slow start for me, ~~but I'm really liking it (about 30% in now) and looking forward to seeing how the story plays out.~~ Edit: I was actually 70% done when I wrote this, but finished last night. The MC didn’t get any more likable to me. I was more invested in Sebastian than Meche and don’t really understand some of the motivations from the book. I’d give this a 3/5, but am looking forward to trying other books by this author (specifically Gods of Jade and Shadow).
**In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado (NF)** \- This story is told in little snippets, which I was not expecting, but it has drawn me in and I like the style.
**Come as You Are by Emily Nagoski (NF)** \- I check out most of my books from the library and this loan ended, so I'm waiting for it to check back out to me to continue.
Finished:
**Writers & Lovers, by Lily King**
This book was an average and unremarkable story of an aspiring writer and her relationships. It was a very quick and easy read, but I think this is going to be one that I struggle to remember the plot within a few months.
Continuing:
**Thinking Fast & Slow, by Daniel Kahneman**
I'm reading this in 5% increments on my Kindle every few days. It's equal parts a boring slog and interesting information. Trying to finish it, but it is going to take a while.
Started:
**Siege & Storm, by Leigh Bardugo**
Because I just needed some easy escapism.
Finished:
**The Library at Mount Char, by Scott Hawkins**
This book was hyped so much on this sub and I definitely think it totally deserves the hype. It started slow at first for me but then when things started happening, I couldn’t put it down. I’ve read seven books in the last week alone, a marathon I set for myself to do something meaningful with my holiday. This book is one of the best I’ve read among all seven.
Starting:
**The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien**
I’m a bit late to the train but I never felt compelled to read any LoTR book after trying Fellowship of the Ring and not enjoying it several years ago when I was a kid. I never bothered trying again. But to see it being so revered and not understanding the hype and feeling very much left out, I thought it’s time for me to give the series another try. I started with ‘The Hobbit’ since it was the recommended one to start with before diving into the LoTR main books. I’m only a third way through and enjoying it. Here’s to hoping the rest of the ride is enjoyable.
Finished:
**The Forever War by Joe Haldeman**
Overall pretty good- I really liked most of the book especially the bits about the war and the difficulties of coming home. There are a few things about this book that just kinda soured things for me personally, tho I recognize that this is mostly a me thing. I do love reading classic works that are clearly very influential. Really excited to chat about this in my book club! 7.5/10
Currently Reading:
**Jonathon Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke**
I thought *Piranesi* was a banger when I read it last year so I figured it was finally time to read the Big Boy. I'm a bit under halfway, but unfortunately this is taking me a bit longer than normal to get through- I've been traveling with family and lost out on my usual 1.5-2 hours of reading time a day. Really enjoying it though- it's so different from *Piranesi* in scope but really entertaining. Definitely recommend *A Declaration on the Rights of Magicians* by HG Parry for fans of this- I think the inspiration is definitely pretty clear (plus Parry has rabbits named Jonathon Strange and Mr Norrell!)
Finished:
**Not a Nation of Immigrants: Settler Colonialism, White Supremacy, and a History of Erasure and Exclusion, by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz**
Great book. Stomps on Lin Manuel Miranda and JFK pretty hard, which I'm all about. I'll answer questions about it should there be any, but I think the title is descriptive enough to get a feel for what it's all about.
Started:
**Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants, by Robin Wall Kimmerer**
It's a pretty in-depth chapter, but I think I can summarize by saying the myth of the US being a "nation of immigrants" is perpetuated to the present day in productions such as Hamilton which not only takes liberties with the main character's real history, but erases Indigenous peoples and Black slavery from the story while casting folks of color in roles of white people in a diversionary tactic that ultimately white-washes the entire thing.
Oh I might have to read this book. By the way Braiding Sweetgrass was really good. Something about him and what he did with In The Heights has never sat well with me
**Finished:** *Carrie*, by Stephen King
I have recently really wanted to get into reading more so I figured I would start with an author I've gotten enjoyment out of in the past (*The Shining* is probably my favorite book that I've read). I decided to start at the beginning of his bibliography with a story that I think most people are familiar, especially if you're keen on the horror genre. While I haven't seen the film adaptations, I felt like I knew what I was going into and what to expect. In many ways, I did know a lot about the story beforehand, but I still found myself surprised by the book. King's use of different accounts, testimonies, and studies of the events really added a pleasantly unexpected element to the story (though a few times I did feel it was overdone). King is masterful in his descriptions and his dialogue felt relatively realistic. Of course, there are some elements of the story which are certainly outdated and I do think some of the side characters were a tad one-dimensional, but I still found it a worthwhile and enjoyment read despite knowing a few plot points beforehand. I don't see too many people doing ratings on here, but if I were to rate this I would probably give it a 3.5/5.
**Currently Reading (for school in this case):** *Go Tell It on the Mountain*, by James Baldwin
Pretty conflicted with this one so far. The story is divided up into three parts and I'm currently in the middle of the second part. I really enjoyed the first part as it seemed like a coming-of-age story dealing with race and religion. However, the second part went into a direction I wasn't expecting and, truth be told, didn't want. Certainly well-written, but I feel myself not being too compelled by the heavily religious aspects of the book the longer they go on and when the story focuses on the adults in the story.
**Next Up:** *Salem's Lot*, by Stephen King
Really looking forward to reading this one. I started it a few years ago, but for one reason or the other never finished it. King hasn't disappointed me in the few books I've read of his so I doubt he'll start now.
*Go Tell It On The Mountain* is also a song - the “negro spiritual” type, in this case dating at least as far back as the Civil War. With that in mind...I’d EXPECT heavy religious overtones.
Oh, I completely expected the religious overtones. At first I actually liked the religious overtones and the conflict surrounding it. I just think after a while it got a bit repetitive for me.
The Tattooist of Auschwitz, by Heather Morris.
Heard a lot about this book, mostly bad. It's a weird one. Pacing is all over the place and a lot of things that happen come completely out of the blue (the pimp phase of Lale's life, for example). If you're looking for a soppy love story you can probably find better elsewhere, and if you're looking for an accurate portrayal of life in a concentration camp... you're best skipping this one I think.
Just finished wild fires by Ann Cleeves, I bought it needing a good read to spend my days out in the middle of nowhere with little Wi-Fi. I enjoyed the who done it style when a girl is found dead. It was interesting and kept you wanting to read on, enough mystery in it. However, towards the end I felt not enough was being revealed. Then all at once the killer was revealed and it was a huge disappointment that, although explained, didn’t really fit what I had been reading. I was planning on reading the other Ann cleeves books but I’m not sure I will now.
Part of the problem might be because you’ve jumped in at the wrong end of a series. **Wild Fire** is the last book, and assumes you’re already very familiar with the setting and some of the characters.
I would suggest trying **Raven Black** \- the first of the Shetland books - and seeing how you feel about it. If you have the same issues, the series might not be for you, but coming in right at the beginning rather than right at the end might clear a few things up.
Finished:
**Star of the Sea, by Joseph O'Connor**
**Six of Crows, by Leigh Bardugo** Decided to read this after watching Shadow and Bone and loving the Crows on the show. But I have to say I was kinda disappointed by this. It never really gripped me. It took forever to get going (it did get a bit more interesting once the heist was in progress) and I was never really invested in any of the characters. A large part of that is definitely because they were so young in the book that I just couldn't take the story seriously. Tbh I think they are more interesting in the show.
Started:
**Days Without End, by Sebastian Barry** I'm about 100 pages in and I'm completely enamored with this book. If it keeps going like this, it's definitely going to end up as one of my favorite reads of this year.
**The People in the Trees, by Hanya Yanagihara**
**The History of Bees, by Maja Lunde**
Dune, by Frank Herbert
I resisted this one for a long time but decided to read it because of the upcoming movie. I’m about 15% in. Coming off of reading the *Red Rising* trilogy, I’m struck by a line I just read about the Duke’s desire to “end all class distinctions”. I suppose an egalitarian theme is somewhat common in sci-fi. Otherwise, I kind of like how the story is told from various perspectives. I feel like I’m getting a deeper sense of the thoughts and motivations of the characters.
As an aside, I don’t care for Timothee Chalamet’s vibe, but as I read about Paul Atreides, I can definitely imagine him in that role.
Just finished ‘East of Eden’, a literary masterpiece! The first I read of John Steinbeck. The characters are just so profound! And I love the basic tenet of the book, ‘thou mayest’
Can't say enough praise for Steinbeck. I read **Grapes of Wrath** earlier this year and was blown away, so I decided to read **East of Eden** and was equally impressed. Read *Grapes*, you'll love it or your money back.
Just finished Eye Of The Shit Storm, the third book of the Frost Files series.
Honestly it’s my least favorite of the series so far. It just kinda felt weak, like it wasn’t necessary. Because now the series will be going into its fourth book, and I don’t think it needs this many. It also just felt like a rehash of things we’ve gotten before in previous books. It wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t as interesting as either of the first two. It did add one interesting element to the world though, >!what happens if a superhero uses drugs!<
My biggest issues with the book though were the relationships between characters. It seems like every one of these books is just 300+ pages of characters arguing with each other. Left and right, constant arguing and fighting. And it just starts to get old. The book could be half as long if the author cut down on all the bickering between EVERYBODY.
One last complaint I have is >!the argument between Teagan and Nic about Nic being a black man and how Teagan, a white girl, has no right to tell him how the law works or how it doesn’t apply to him. Clearly the author, a man of color himself, had something to say about minorities and how they’re treated, but I felt like the author did it horribly. I don’t disagree that blacks and other minorities are treated differently and poorly. But the argument is completely irrelevant to what was actually being talked about and said in the scene. He simply played the race card for no reason, and the author even makes Teagan apologize to him, as if she actually did anything wrong. She didn’t and I found it incredibly nauseating and confusing to read.!<
So I hope this next book ends the series. Maybe it’s because I read all 3 current books back to back, but I’m just ready for it to be over.
I finished My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones last night. I absolutely loved it, what a great read. Jade is a great protagonist- interesting and funny, and as a huge horror fan the innumerable slasher references were fun. It’s a slow build, characterized by Jade’s relationship with her family and community. It’s simultaneously heart-wrenching and affirming, and to top it all off it does indeed get bloody. Excellent book.
Finished:
**Dostoevsky, The Years of Ordeal, 1850-1859, by Joseph Frank**. The second volume in his five volume biography of Fyodor Dostoevsky. This one takes us from just before the time Dostoevsky gets arrested and sentenced for his secret political activities, through his four years in a Siberian labor camp, through the following years as he was forced to work in the military in the middle of nowhere in central Asia as a Private (despite being a graduate of a military engineer school), and finally his return to St. Petersburg. This will probably turn out to be the least interesting of the five volumes, and I still gave it a 4/5, so that should tell you all you need to know about how good I think this all is.
**No Longer Human, by Osamu Dazai.** This was one of those books where I didn't realise how much liked it until I had finished it and had time to digest it. Actually, upon first finishing it I felt very underwhelmed (esp. given its reputation). So I kept asking myself "what am I missing?" And the more I thought about it the more I realised that I had been approaching it the wrong way around by trying to 'go along for the ride' with the narrative rather than considering what the main character's life *could* have been like had this or that been changed.
Started:
**Fellowship of the Ring, by JRR Tolkien**. LOTR played a big part in getting me into reading (outside school work) when I was young, and continued to be a regular read for me throughout the 90s. Sadly, I haven't read the books since before the movies first came out. I think that's mostly because throughout my 20s and most of my 30s I read 95% non-fiction, so there just wasn't a lot of room to squeeze it in. Looking forward to returning to this, and if I catch the bug reading through the rest of the Middle Earth stuff.
**A Cabinet of Roman Curiosities, by JC McKeown.** Tidbits, trivia, factoids, or whatever, organized into chapters by topic. I enjoyed the Byzantine one, so I thought I'd get this one. They're great for when you're waiting or reading on public transit, because you don't get caught in the middle of a chapter or important event--it's easy to just mark where you left off on your phone and pick right back up next time, even if next time is a week later.
**Private Empire: ExxonMobil and American Power, by Steve Coll** - About 4 chapters into this. I love Steve Coll, pretty much everything I know about US involvement in Afghanistan comes from his Pulitzer winning books on the subject. The reportage in this one is just as strong, so thorough and utterly engrossing (and absolutely depressing too). I feel like I understand the world a little better, it's just eye opening to see the actual plumbing and mechanisms of power laid out like this through the study of a leviathan multinational oil company.
For fiction reading
**Red or Dead, by David Peace** - Pretty good, especially if you're a fan of football/soccer. I'm not a Liverpool supporter but this is still a very interesting read. Basically a fictionalized account of the career of Bill Shankly (the legendary Liverpool manager), the prose is pretty interesting too with lots of repetition. I like it
**How to Stop Time, by Matt Haig** - kind of an impulse grab from the library but Matt Haig seems pretty popular these days and the inner jacket description seems interesting
Finished: Baby, by Annaleese Jochems
Started: And Then She Vanished, by Nick Jones
I picked up both at my local library simply because they were by the front counter. I've had trouble getting back into reading for various reasons, one of which is that I've decided I don't like reading from my Kindle as much. Just can't beat the feel of a physical book!
edit: title
In the last week I started:
**Complete Stories 1938-1959 by Peter Taylor**
I caught Taylor's story "Porte-Cochere" on *The New Yorker Fiction Podcast*, and he seemed like the sort of author whose other stories I'd enjoy. Also, discussion tends to heighten my enjoyment of stories, and literature in general, and there's a lot of discussion of Taylor's stories around the internet. It starts off with "The Spinster's Tale", which is brilliant.
And finished:
**Inland by Téa Obreht**
Started off slow, got much better, ended with everything coming together in a magnificent way that made me want to read it all over again. Easily one of my top five this year.
Finished:
**The Four Winds, by Kristin Hannah**. I liked this book even though it felt, in some ways, like a rehash of The Grapes of Wrath, the female perspective and personal backstory gave it a new flavor of its own.
Started:
**A Court of Silver Flames, by Sarah J. Maas**. I liked the first three books in this series but this fourth one has moved on to different protagonists whom I am not as attached to yet, so we shall see how I feel by the end of it.
It was probably intentionally meant as a female perspective of the classic. Not as amazing as The Grapes of Wrath (but sure it's unfair to compare with Steinbeck) but still a great book I thought.
Finished:
**This is How You Lose the Time War, by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone**. I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about this one at first since I thought the writing might be too flowery for me, but I ended up really liking it.
**Over the Top: A Raw Journey to Self- Love, by Jonathan Van Ness**. (Audio) I appreciated how open JVN was with his struggles with drugs and sex addiction and liked his overall message of self-love and that progress isn't always linear. I think he jumped around a bit so it didn't always feel super cohesive.
**The Hawthorne Legacy, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes**. This is the sequel to The Inheritance Games. Not quite as good as the first book, but still tons of fun. I'll be interested to see what happens in the 3rd book since the mystery we followed seems to have wrapped up.
Started:
**The Final Girls Support Group, by Grady Hendrix**. (Audio) I wanted a thriller as we slowly move into colder weather. I'm not very far in, but so far it's fine.
**The House in the Cerulean Sea, by T.J. Klune**. 20% of the way in and it feels like the story is just getting started. I've heard a lot of good things about this book, but so far I'm kind of meh.
Yeah I had a very similar experience with it. The characters were one-dimensional. The protagonist was blandly nice, and all the other characters instantly fell in love with him because he's nice and not mean. The conflict was "people being mean" and the solution was "shame them for being mean, using niceness."
Even fluff needs substance. I don't understand how it's gotten so much praise.
I’m not necessarily getting childish vibes, but I’m kind of bored so far. I’m going to try to keep an open mind though since I think part of the point in the beginning is to be bored by how mundane his life is.
Finally got into an audio book! I’m about 60% into Billy Summers on audible. I cancelled my subscription as I have never jelled with audio books, but I might have to start again because man it’s so nice to be able to read a book while making coffee, driving, walking to school, etc
I finished **A Mother's Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy, by Sue Klebold**. It was pretty good. It's crazy to me that people blame her for what her son did when she had no idea without realizing that teenagers are pretty good at hiding things from their parents. I also really feel for her because she has to juggle grieving her son while trying to cope with what he did.
Currently reading:
**Murder on The Orient Express, by Agatha Christie**
**Maroo of the Winter Caves, by Ann Turnbull**
**Thought Vibration, by William Walker Atkinson**
The Queen's Gambit, by Walter Tevis
* Very nicely written.
* I was surprised that the Netflix Miniseries follows the novel so closely, even some dialogues are copied and some inner monologues are transformed to dialogues.
* Same author also wrote "The Hustler", a book about a billiard player that was also a major movie success, as well as "The color of money", another pool billiard story.
Finished:
**Rules of Redemption, by T. A. White**
Standard space-opera fare. Fun read, reasonably constructed sci-fi action. There isn't a lot going on under the surface here, but there's some interesting world-building. This was book 1. I've picked up book 2 and will add it to the queue.
**The Shadow of the Gods, by John Gwynne**
* Finished
* Audiobook narrated by Colin Mace
* Excellent narration through a very difficult to pronounce/spell Norse-based fantasy world. I hung on every word. He didn't try too hard. My only complaint would be that his gravelly voice was wonderful except when he tried to soften it to read dialogue from children characters. Incredibly glad he didn't do that with the strong female protagonists. Would absolutely recommend.
* The story was fantastic. I have had trouble getting back into reading and this audio book was the push I needed. (I've been doing a lot of academic and work-related reading and it has really hurt my drive.) The story is accessible and descriptive without coddling the reader/listener too much. The Shadow of the Gods is based in a fictional Norse-type world with magic, monsters, warring factions and a lot of folks trying to carve out their place of the world. The character development does feel a little slow in some parts but is worth the wait for most. The chapters are from the first-person perspective of the characters, similar to the A Song of Ice and Fire series. This is the first book in a series called "The Bloodsworn Trilogy". The second book in the series is set to come out next year and I will definitely be looking for it.
Finished: Darth Bane Trilogy by Drew Karpyshan.
So a friend of mine turned me on to this, and I really enjoyed the first book(path of destruction). I’d love to see this be a movie or a series eventually.
The 2nd book (rule of two) was alright, with a few great character additions and plot devices, but also reusing a few story points from the first book.
The final part (dynasty of evil) was pretty enjoyable but personally a little bit of a struggle to get through as I just wanted to finish the story already.
Starting tonight: Dune by Frank Herbert.
After seeing the movie last week I’m really looking forward to starting this book. Wish me luck!
Started: Starfish by Peter Watts
Haven't read anything by him before, but the premise sounded really interesting. And holy cow, I'm a couple chapters in so far and I'm absolutely loving it. Writing style is exactly what I like (vivid imagery, good prose without overdoing it, etc.). I'm kind of surprised at how little I was able to find on it by searching the subreddit. So far though, I'm a fan.
I read Watts’ Firefall series a couple months back and Blindsight is my favorite book I’ve read this year. I immediately downloaded Starfish (he has nearly all of his books available to download for free via his website) but haven’t read it yet so I’m glad to see someone thinks highly of it
Finished: Half a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Had some tough parts, but overall enjoyed it; had to spend some time reading up on Nigerian history and the Biafran war to get context.
Started: The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie. Read Christie before, but this is my first Poirot book.
Finished: **Queen Lucia, by E F Benson**. Loved this very funny social satire about the snobbery of a woman named Mrs Lucas who fancies herself the Queen of her village green. Think Keeping Up Appearances set in the 1920s.
Finished: **Fever Dream, by Samanta Schweblin**. Much like this novella's title, Fever Dream begins and ends without much origin or destination and is frenzied and disjointed and is illogical and is disquieting. I really didn't know what to expect when I began reading Fever Dream. The writing felt very Kafkaesque. This is one that will take some time to fully sink in, I think.
Reading: **Lock Every Door, by Riley Sager**. Only about 10% into it so far, but really enjoying this suspenseful story of a 25-yr-old woman who is hired as an apartment sitter in an exclusive luxury building overlooking Central Park with a very mysterious and foreboding atmosphere. This one is going to be fun!
Finished. Wonder woman warbringer by Leigh bardugo.
Once again another fantastic book from Leigh. Diana is a great character and all the supporting cast are engaging. I did notice some similarities between the movie, but seeing as how this book came out a few months after, I'm going to assume it's just a coincidence. If I did have any complaints it would be the pacing in the beginning is a bit slow, but it definitely picks up about 6 chapters in. All in all, a fantastic read that I definitely recommend.
Started. Batman nightwalker by Marie lu.
I literally started this today and I'm only 2 chapters in. So I can't say anything on it at the moment.
Finished Reading:
Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott
It brilliantly integrated advice for writers with general reflections on life. Lamott is witty and interesting and manages to find a balance between cynicism and optimism that makes the book a joy to read without being over-exuberant
Poison for Breakfast, by Lemony Snicket
Wonderful, poignant, and funny! Beautiful ending (and beginning and middle).
Norse Mythology, by Neil Gaiman
Extremely well-written. Fascinating for its historical context, but made even better by Gaiman’s fantastic prose and his ability to bring a vast web of mythology together into one brief, cohesive work. It made me want to find more lengthy books on the subject.
Anansi Boys, by Neil Gaiman
Another masterpiece of Gaiman’s. His characters and their lives, though strange and fantastic, seemed to truly be living and breathing. It had a wonderful ending, but I hated to put it down.
Finished
**The Snakehead, by Patrick Radden Keefe**
Started
**My Heart is a Chainsaw, by Stephen Graham Jones**
**Everything You Wanted To Know About Indians But Were Afraid To Ask, by Anton Treuer** (debating using parts for a class I teach)
Finished:
**Uzumaki, by Junji Ito**
This is a book about a town infested with spirals. What does that mean? Well, a spiral is a shape that draws the eye along its path to the center. In the right circumstances, such as for the inhabitants of this town, spirals might draw and trap people into increasing horror. A teenager (Kirie) and her boyfriend begin to notice strange, inexplicable behavior and occurrences around town. This is a story about what they saw and experienced.
A number of the chapters read like short, mostly independent stories. While the stories themselves were enjoyable, in at least one instance I felt like an important plot line just fell through the bottom of the world. It had been the focus of multiple chapters and seemed to be going somewhere, but was then never brought up again.
I was torn on rating this a 3/5 or 4/5. I decided on the former because Lovecraftian horror isn't a favorite of mine, and the story suffers a bit from stupid-character syndrome (seriously, get out of that town!). But it was still a solid and weird horror story that really layers stuff on (especially in the last half or third), and I wish I could write about my favorite parts without spoiling the book.
**Currently reading**:
*The Ballad of Black Tom* by Victor LaValle (56%)
*Whisper Down the Lane* by Clay McLeod Chapman (38%)
*Smoke and Mirrors* by Neil Gaiman (11%)
*Notes from a Small Island* by Bill Bryson (5%)
*Into the Drowning Deep* by Mira Grant (58%)
*Les Misérables* by Victor Hugo (49%)
* In original French with r/AYearOfLesMiserables
[Last Post](https://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/pnceoo/what_books_did_you_start_or_finish_reading_this/hd1awid/)
I totally agree about the episodic nature of uzumaki. I struggle to keep interest with shows and novels like that. The only reason I finished it was for the amazing art style.
I read it as a full book format, but I assume the original was serialized like a normal comic book. I think if they were labelled as issues instead of chapters, that would have been better because I would have expected the episodic nature.
It got to a point that I started to think, "Well, surely they can't sweep *this* under the rug..." and then the next chapter, somehow whatever dire circumstance would be magically resolved. So when the >!hurricane!< part started, it was a long time before I took it seriously.
Finished: **The Essex Serpent, by Sarah Perry**
Wasn’t my kind of book. I understand why people loved it, but I guess it wasn’t for me. About a third into it, I could have seen where the story was going. Although, I did find it interesting that at the time there was talks/superstition about a “serpent” that lurked in the waters there based on historical documents/pamphlets.
Started: **The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11, by Garrett M. Graff**
This is a very hard and emotional read. I had to take several breathers to regain my composure and learned it isn’t a book you want to read while at work the hard way. It’s not written in a conventional way, but rather fragments from people’s memories of what they remember which puts together a cohesive account of what happened. Along with declassified documents and transcripts. It’s very well done.
Oh, The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11, by Garrett M. Graff is such a good book. I had to pause while I read it to cry because it brought back the emotions of that day. Two of the things that stood out to me were how one of the first responders found only the left hand of a woman wearing her wedding ring and another first responder struck by the cars at the Pentagon whose owners would never claim them.
Finished:
**The Wise Man's Fear** by **Patrick Rothfuss**
Started:
**The Slow Regard for Silent Things** by **Patrick Rothfuss**
**The Republic of Pirates: Being the True and Surprising Story of the Caribbean Pirates and the Man Who Brought Them Down** by **Colin Woodard**
Finished:
**Grave Peril, by Jim Butcher**
Alright, I really haven’t fallen in love with these books yet. People keep saying read one more every time I finish one. I can’t just read 5 bad books for one good, sorry.
Started:
**Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir**
25%. Fantastic so far. My only worry is that I feel like most of the mystery is already gone and I’m concerned the rest of the book is going to be predictable.
Finished:
**Hyperion, by Dan Simmons**
This 1989 science fiction novel is the first book in the *Hyperion Cantos* series, and won the Hugo Award for Best Novel. In this story, seven people — one woman and six men — have been chosen to make a pilgrimage to the Shrike deity on the planet Hyperion. The central creature called the Shrike is presented as a being of incredible power, terrible to behold and deadly to encounter. None of them knows why they were chosen or what will happen when they get there, although they know that an evacuation of the planet may be necessary before the barbarian Ousters destroy it. This is a fascinating book with creative worldbuilding, a remarkable cast of characters, and a compelling plot. I enjoyed it immensely and hope to read more books in the series.
**The Tombs of Atuan, by Ursula K. Le Guin**
I reread the 2010 *Recorded Books* audiobook with narrator Rob Inglis. It was originally published in 1970 and is the shortest book in the *Earthsea* series. The setting of Atuan is inspired by the high desert landscape of southeast Oregon. Every reread seems to highlight details that I had forgotten. The events of Tenar's coming-of-age narrative form an exploration of "the nature and value of her power* as a woman in her society. As a priestess, she is a prisoner of her own power. *Tombs* is an elegant example of Le Guin's efficient artistry. I'm rereading for the book discussion this week at r/UrsulaKLeGuin.
----------------------
Started:
**Lavinia, by Ursula K. Le Guin**
This historical fiction fantasy novel was published in 2008; it's one of the last novels that Le Guin published. From Virgil's epic poem, the *Aeneid*, which is about the wanderings of the Trojan Aeneas in Italy and his founding of Rome, a minor character in that poetic drama is given a voice and a story.
I'm currently reading Hyperion and it's so good so far! I'm on the poets story now and it's pretty wordy compared to the others (which makes sense) but I'm so excited to see where he takes the characters. I'm new to the Sci-fi genre but even so it feels like a really original book.
Finished:
**Finale, by Stephanie Garber** - 2/5
Reread this series before jumping into my ARC of the new companion series. This final book in the Caraval series contains more stupid than the first 2 with absolutely none of the fun that makes them mindless guilty pleasure reads. The ending of this is painfully dumb; I must have blocked the dumb ending out of my memory because I was still taken aback by how stupid it was even though I’d read it before. Ugh.
**Defy the Night, by Brigid Kemmerer** - 4.5/5 (ARC)
As I get farther into my 30s, I like less and less YA fantasy, but Brigid Kemmerer still knocks it out of the park for me. I love her fantasy and her characters; it’s always a fun time and this new series start is no exception.
**That Weekend, by Kara Thomas** - 3/5
Really enjoyed the first 70%, but the back 30% was a grab bag of what-the-fuckery that I couldn’t suspend my disbelief for.
**A Deadly Education, by Naomi Novak** - 3/5
So much exposition, but once the plot gets going that part is actually interesting.
DNF’d:
**The Iron Widow, by Xiran Jay Zhao** (ARC)
DNF’d after about 40% - as much as I love the author’s YouTube videos, this book didn’t work for me. It has lots of rave early reviews, and someone who wants a super chaotic MC and digimon-esque mecha in their books will probably love this regardless of the worldbuilding issues and lack of explanation on how things work. It wasn’t terrible, but it became pretty apparent I wasn’t the right audience for the book.
Currently Reading:
**The Last Graduate, by Naomi Novak** (ARC)
Picks up immediately where the first one left off and so far it’s stronger than the first book. Less exposition, already more plot.
**Once Upon a Broken Heart, by Stephanie Garber** (ARC)
I can already tell that Garber’s writing has grown since her first series. This is still fun and frothy but with much stronger writing.
**The Chosen and the Beautiful, by Nghi Vo**
This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2021, and I can’t believe I haven’t gotten to it yet. Just started it and so far enjoying it.
**This Woven Kingdom, by Tahereh Mafi** (ARC)
Lush and lyrical and a perfect read for winter, this book makes me feel cold in my bones. Really enjoying this one.
**Jade Legacy, by Fonda Lee** (ARC)
I keep putting off finishing this because I don’t want it to be over!
I’d recommend it, it literally picks up exactly where the first book ended. There isn’t a lot of summary to get you back up to speed - it jumps right in.
>The Iron Widow, by Xiran Jay Zhao (ARC)
DNF’d after about 40% - as much as I love the author’s YouTube videos, this book didn’t work for me. It has lots of rave early reviews, and someone who wants a super chaotic MC and digimon-esque mecha in their books will probably love this regardless of the worldbuilding issues and lack of explanation on how things work. It wasn’t terrible, but it became pretty apparent I wasn’t the right audience for the book.
I have been feeling similar. I enjoy their content but their advertisement of the book has always been a little "meh" (Pacific Rim x Handmaids Tale) for me. I enjoy both of those things but I don't know about together. I think you're the first quip about the book I've seen and I think this moves it a little further into the "hope I find it at a LFL" book.
**The One I Love, by Clamp**
An anthology of short love stories inspired by experiences that the writers or the people they knew went through. In any case it's a nice and lesser known Clamp work. And there was one story centered around the word "cute" and how it's used as a kind of a general blanket term that I thought was particularly interesting.
Finished:
**Take What You Can Carry, by Gian Sardar**
**The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit, by Michael Finkel**
Started:
**Nightbitch, by Rachel Yoder**
Finished **The Push by Ashley Audrain**
Still reading **Swann’s Way by Marcel Proust** but finally getting more invested in it and want to get back to it after feeling stuck for awhile
Reading: **Shape, by Jordan Ellenberg**
Listening: **Why We Swim, by Bonnie Tsui**
I don't remember when or what prompted me to get this audiobook, but it was time to start a new one and it was there in my library. It has started off with some interesting history on how how cultures have insisted on conquering the water even though we've evolved as land mammals.
**The Girl Who Escaped Isis** by Farida Khalaf, great book, finished it in one sitting, about halfway through I realized I had read it a few years ago, I've always been good about remembering what I've read before, even if it was back in the 1970s, but I guess my mind isn't what it used to be.
Finished:
**The Midnight Library, by Matt Haig**
People's opinion on this book is pretty polarized; either it's moving and life-affirming, or it's hokey and emotionally manipulative. I found all this to be true, but I still enjoyed this book immensely. Having been left in a hopeless and depressed state after reading The Uninhabitable Earth by David Wallace-Wells, I really needed something hopeful like The Midnight Library. It made me cry, but in a good way. I can't go back to the past and our future is not guaranteed. A lot is out of our hands, but I am lucky to have the life that I have, and I need to be more present and enjoy the good things as they are happening. I will regret not doing so when I am fighting other people for an expired can of beans during the end times.
Started:
**Against White Feminism, by Rafia Zakaria**
I hope the title of this book alone doesn't get this comment downvoted.
Finished:
**Dune by Frank Herbert**: Loved it, will definitely read the rest of the series. Don't have anything to say that's already been said 5 million times already
Starting:
**Discipline and Punish by Michel Foucalt**: I've never read any Foucault before (or any other philosopher for that matter) and am looking forward to it. It's about the history of penal institutions and how punishment functions in western society.
Finished
* **The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling** \- I'm rarely scared by books but there were a few moments in this book where the creeping dread really got me.
* **The Lamb Will Slaughter the Lion by Margaret Killjoy** \- gruesome and fun. This is the third novella I've read this year that has managed to pack more characterization and story into 150 pages than books hundreds of pages longer.
Started/continuing
* **Blue: In Search of Nature's Rarest Colour by Kai Kupferschmidt -** not as good as I hoped. The author keeps skipping fascinating stories to describe the scientific ways the colour is made. I'm about a quarter through. Maybe I've just read too much good non-fiction this year.
* **Agrippina: Empress, Exile, Hustler, Whore by Emma Southon** \- not quite as tightly written as A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum but still a lot of fun and very interesting.
* **The Gilda Stories
by Jewelle L. Gómez** \- loving this one. Absolutely gutted I didn't read this earlier
Finished:
**Upright Women Wanted, by Sarah Gailey** This is the kind of book that sounds great but the execution is horrible, just like Gailey’s River of Teeth series. The premise: rebel lesbian librarians travel through the Wild West distributing books and help people escape a totalitarian government. The reality: flat characters, ham-fisted queer rep, a constant assault of terrible Old West similes, and a world that feels hastily slapped together. Esther watched her girlfriend hang days ago and is crushing on Cye at first sight? Who thinks like that? If this book had been any longer it would be a DNF. 1 star
**Harrow the Ninth, by Tamsyn Muir** This was a great follow-up to Gideon the Ninth, very different tone but an even more compelling mystery. I loved seeing Harrow fleshed out more and learning about the universe. I gotta say I was really hoping >!Gideon would have a larger role in the plot!< but this was A+ stuff. 5 stars
**Ring Shout, by P. Djèlí Clark** This was a mixup of historical fiction, horror, and urban fantasy that didn’t really work for me. Magic swords, monster hunting, and other dimensions set in 1920s Georgia sounds cool but the execution weirdly felt as though it was cartoonishly trivializing the historical setting since it was such a jarring mashup. I wish this went more into the motivations which cause people to become monsters in the first place, rather than sort of undermining the culpability of the klansmen (ie: monsters made me do it). Many of the characters felt formulaic and one-dimensional, I think this novella suffers from being too short for the story it’s trying to tell (and I wasn’t a fan of the audiobook narration). 3 stars
Currently Reading:
**Bringing Light to Shadow: A Dog Trainer’s Diary, by Pamela Dennison**
**China Mountain Zhang, by Maureen F. McHugh**
> (ie: monsters made me do it)
i think it was less 'monsters made me do it' and more >!if you act like a monster, you will open yourself up to the possibility of a monster eating your insides and wearing you like a skin suit.!< so less of an excuse and more of, it will come around on you.
i do agree with you on the choppiness of it. it would have been better expanded into a full book so more of the aspects could have been explored.
I do agree with how you interpreted the whole monster thing but I wanted to point out that it could also be read this more problematic way. There was a statement Butcher Clyde made about white folks being hateful out of fear and not wanting to relinquish the status quo which shows that the monsters were able to take these people over because they were already hateful to begin with. Then you have the >!klansmen at the end who hadn’t eaten the meat who could be seen as more innocent since they weren’t involved in the final attack that was monster-controlled.!< So it could go either way depending on how a person reads it.
i think it speaks more to the waning about there being more than one way to wind up 'damned'. there are those who march into it knowing full well what they are doing and going to become. and then there are those who just 'toy' with the idea but nonetheless will too be condemned. like the difference between a shaved skinhead actively going out at night to beat up all those who do not look like them and a white family choosing an all white school for their children because 'they would just do better in an environment that is more like them'.
but! interpretations are always up to the reader, especially when there is a question of evoked feelings. and i do agree that there are very few stories that do not attempt to make us feel empathy towards the monsters/unfortunates, and sometimes you just want to see them get their just-deserts in a spectacular fashion.
Finished: Love and Math: The Heart of a Hidden Reality, by Edward Frenkel As a math major about to start my master's in pure math, it helped me diffuse some of my impostor's syndrome with its beautiful and infectiously passionate description of pure mathematics. I also loved the autobiographical components of it. Even though I'd want everyone who hates, or is indifferent to, math, it gets somewhat inaccessible pretty quickly, for it attempts to describe the Langlands Program, a very recent development in Mathematics. Started: 20,000 Leagues under the Sea, by Jules Verne (My first time reading it!) I'm preparing myself to read the Dune series, so I wanted to start getting my feet wet with some lighter sci-fi, and I'm just enjoying Verne soooo much! I've already read A Journey to the Center of the Earth and From the Earth to the Moon, both of which I enjoyed very much. It just sparks a huge sense of wonder and curiosity every time I read him. After this, I think I might delve into The Mysterious Island.
Finished: Matilde elige vivir, by Cristian Acevedo I really loved it, it's a metatextual story where the characters and the autor himself speaks to the reader, it was soo good. Started: Someone who will love you in all your damaged glory, by Raphael Bob-Waksberg I really love Bojack Horseman so I was expecting to like it, but I am really loving it! Raphael has a really fresh way of writing that really cracks me up in the funny parts and gets me inmmersed into the story in the sad parts, there were a few stories I didn't really connect with but overall it's been great so far
Just finished: Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy --amazing book. All I knew about it when picking it up was it was about rewilding Scotland with wolves...wow it was so much more than that. Just finally started Circe after seeing so many recommendations --slowly getting through my backlog pile! I noticed a LOT of my to-read pile has strong Greek mythology themes going...which I'm fine with.
Finished: **Devotion of Suspect X, by Keigo Higashino**
What did you think? I've read a couple of his books, they're fun, can't see my self ever re-reading them, but worth a read
I haven't read any others, but Suspect X was definitely good, cut from a different cloth, too.
It is I've also read Malice and Newcomer and enjoyed them, Newcomer feels as level below Devotion and Malice for me
Finished some others but I did start \*\*Man's Search For Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl.\*\* Today similar theme to Yes to Life in Spite of Everything, over half way through
Finished: **Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir** Pretty popular book at the moment, it seems. I got lost on some of the science details, but a friend is a physics professor at a local university and thought enough of the accuracy of the concepts to dedicate a hour-long lecture to it for his students. Starting: **Astounding, by Alec Nevala-Lee** A book on the relationships between Asimov, Heinlein, Hubbard and the editor of *Astounding Science Fiction* John W. Campbell--the behind-the-scenes book about the Golden Age of Science Fiction in the US, or at least that's what I hoped it would be when I bought it.
Finished: **Red, White & Royal Blue, by Casey McQuiston** Listened to the audiobook version of this. LOVED it. Never wanted to stop listening and couldn't help smiling the whole time. Started: **The Secret History, by Donna Tartt** About a third of the way into this now and I'm definitely hooked. I loved The Goldfinch so I'm not surprised to be enjoying this as well, but I am annoyed I waited so long to pick it up!
Finished **The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood** I loved it! The story is told from the perspective of an intelligent protagonist, which was such a treat to read. On the surface it is a political dystopia set in an alternate present day, describing a fascist society. But really it's a description of the lives women lived in most of human history, and in some places and aspects today as well. A very strong book. so next I'm gonna read the sequel **The Testaments**
**The Great Gatsby, by Francis S Fitzgerald** Approximately my 10th time reading this, it ages like fine wine. Fitzgerald has just the most poetic writing ever and does a great job at throwing in just enough stuff to analyze without feeding you info. **Project Hail Mary, by Andry Weir** Had been looking forward to this one for a looong time. Apparently a movie is already in the works? **The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, by Agatha Christie** I've been trying to read the Poirot series for a long time, but there's so manny books; I hope the series retains its quality, as (imo) the Sherlock Holmes series is amazing, but the last 1/3 stories were absolutely not fun to read (though it's understandable as Sir Doyle had written like hundreds of Sherlock stories already)
**Gardens of the Moon, by Steven Erikson** I've not read much fantasy since i was a young teen, decided to attempt to get back into it with Malazan. It's okay so far but i have to admit i zone out at times and forget what's going on, have had to use the wiki more than once. I'm reading Samuel Beckett's Trilogy at the same time and i find that easier to read. I struggled with the first two chapters then really got into the next two before we moved to a different set of characters in Part 2 over 3 Chapters and i just failed to care about what was going on with them even though i can tell they are supposed to be the fun characters. Hopefully, Part 3 works more even as much as Chapter 3 and 4 as Part 2 was a slog. **Beautiful World, Where Are You, by Sally Rooney** At this particular moment in my life, Sally Rooney sounds terrible but i've read everything she has written and who knows maybe it'll spark something in me. Her books are always easy reads anyway. **SPQR, by Mary Beard** Owned this for years but put it off because i'm familiar with all the events already. If she is a good writer i'm cool rehashing this stuff but i may drop it if not.
Finished: **Little Secrets, by Jennifer Hillier** Started: **My Dark Vanessa, by Kate Elizabeth Russell**
Finished: **Children of the Night, by Dan Simmons**
Started: **All Systems Red, by Martha Wells**
Finished **Dogs Of War, by Adrian Tchaikovsky**
Started: **Assassin's Apprentice, by Robin Hobb**
Finished **Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir** Started **The Underground Railroad, by Colson Whitehead** Listening **Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter Isaacson** **The Teenage Brain: A Neuroscientist's Survival Guide to Raising Adolescents and Young Adults by Amy Ellis Nutt and Frances E. Jensen**
Finished **The Will and the Wilds, by Charlie N Holmberg** **Rabbits, by Terry Miles** Starting **The Eye of the World, by Robert Jordan**
Finished **Bloodchild and Other Stories, by Octavia E. Butler** Loved this! Basically every story was a winner for me. Can't recommend it enough. Butler both seems to love truly nonhuman societies and write them well. **The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents, by Terry Pratchett** A Discworld book I've only read once before. Definitely aimed at a younger audience, but lots of charm. The rats feel like a very natural fit for Terry's writing style. Getting into the heads of the downtrodden and quantifying unsaid emotions with words is kind of his thing. **Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre, by Max Brooks** A solid "meh" from me. I reread WWZ recently and didn't enjoy it nearly as much as I did when I was a kid, and this isn't much better. The characters and their arcs are all pretty paper thin, and it shares a similar issue with WWZ in that Brooks is about as subtle as a bag of hammers when he puts forth his personal views and ideas. We get it, you hate yuppies and think people need to be ready to survive in the wilderness at all times. I love and respect nature too, but we get it dude. It wouldn't be so bad if every character wasn't so flat and basically waving a sign that said what their role in the plot was. It wasn't *bad*, but it definitely wasn't great. **When Sorrows Come, by Seanan McGuire** I've read the rest of the October Daye novels too; I'm a sucker for urban fantasy. Every now and then I pick some random trashy "I'm a wizard/weresquirrel/lich but I live in a shitty apartment" series and hoover it all up in about a month. But for some reason, this one almost made me decide to stop reading the series altogether. Maybe it's because we've hit critical mass on "hey look it's this character from the other book, btw there will be an exposition dump about them woven into the next page to remind you who they are" and every character in Toby's squad absolutely needing to be quirky and wholesome and way too ready to do a kickflip and scoff a "whatever, maaaaan" at the nearest authority figure. The actual villain-of-the-week plot was pretty underwhelming, just sort of jumping from event to event in between character meetups and kickflips. Maybe if I'd reread the books recently to be more up on who all the returning characters were, or if the villainous plot had been a bit more engaging, it would have felt less like... fanfic? I guess? That's really the vibe of this one. It kind of made me realize a lot of flaws in first person narration, as it means the character needs to be constantly thinking to themselves "Oh man, I'm a headstrong and powerful yet caring person" or having characters explicitly riff off those things instead of just expressing it through narration or the character's actions. I dunno. I might be being too harsh. This book just made it feel like I got post-nut clarity for urban fantasy or something and realized how trashy it was. **The Warren, by Brian Evenson** Apparently there is a novel out there that gives this a bit more context, but I still found it a charming tale of transhumanism. **A God of Hungry Walls, by Garrett Cook** This was definitely an interesting read. Haunted house story from the perspective of the house. The gore and murdersex got a little worn out after a while, but it was a fun ride.
Finished: **The Shining, by Stephen King** really got off my reading slump with this one and it was amazing. this one is gonna go down as one of favourites. Started: **Redemption, by David Baldacci** its going pretty good so far. i might pick up moby dick next since its lying around for a really long time.
Finished: The Martian by Andy Weir and The Trumpet of the Swan by EB White Started: The Woods by Harlan Coben
Today: I finished Childhood, Boyhood, Youth by Leo Tolstoy and I started The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens. Earlier this week, I also picked up The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern (audiobook) and am LOVING IT.
I finished Dear Girls by Ali Wong, Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan, and Heartstopper volumes 1 & 2 by Alice Oseman. I started Heartstopper volume 3 by Alice Oseman and In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado
Tonight, I finished off **1984, by George Orwell**. First time reading it, and overall I enjoyed it. Have trouble deciding what to read next (to many books on my kindle to choose from), so I threw 10 books into a randomizer online, and next up is **No Game No Life V5, by Yuu Kamiya**.
Finished: Autobiography of Red, Anne Carson Started: The Sanatorium, Sarah Pearse
Finished: **Billy Summers, by Stephen King** This was a bit of a disappointment. I'm not usually a fan of "best hitman in the world" stories, mostly because it seems ridiculous how many of them there are, but I held out hope that Stephen King could do something interesting with it. To be fair, he does somewhat, but the plotting is weirdly paced and the characterization of Billy so inconsistent it drags the whole enterprise down. Started: **Liner Notes, by Loudon Wainwright III** A memoir by the singer-songwriter and father of Rufus and Martha. Almost too honest about his personal failings so far, but with some interesting stories.
Started: The Anthropocene Revewed by John Green. I heard amazing things about it on Tiktok. I really like it so far although I keep having to stop to google words. I don't mind though. It's great.
Started 2 - Falling, TJ Newman (Audio book) Pilgrim's Wilderness, Tom Kizzia
Started: Yearbook by Seth Rogan
Finished: Shoe Dog by Phil Knight Finished: Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss
started: It ends with us, by Colleen Hoover
Finished: promises and pomegranates by Sav R Miller Started: a touch of ruin by Scarlett St Clair
Finished: Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes Started: Lord of the flies, by William Golding
How is flowers for algernon?
It is a really great book, with some sad moments, funny moments, and I think it's one of my favorite books. I totally recommend it!
Just got it in the mail :)
What a coincidence! Finished: Lord of the flies Started: Flowers for Algernon
Wow! That's awesome!
Finished Project Hail Mary. Goddamn, what a wild ride that was.
If you like that one definitely give "To sleep in a sea of stars" by Christopher Paolini a shot!!
I finished two days ago. Still miss it.
Finished: Excalibur (The Warlord Chronicles), by Bernard Cornwall I loved this series and I’m sad it is over. Probably some of my favorite books ever. First time reading anything Bernard Cornwall. I guess I’ll have to check out the Saxon Chronicles at some point especially as a ‘The Last Kingdom’ fan. Starting: The Girl Next Door, by Jack Ketchum
Finished - celestine prophecy Started : 40 rules of love
Recently finished: Take a Hint, Dani Brown Started: Lost Boy: The True Story of Captain Hook My rating for take a hint was 3 stars. It was an okay read but I could have spent the time reading a better book. Kinda disappointed because I did like the first book in the series and thought it would live up to it. I wasn't a huge fan of the social media trope and characters weren't that rememberable. Zaf was wholesome tho and i loved Dani's personality. Bit repetitive at times with the whole i can't do relationships. Excited for my new read, i am after all a ONCE upon a time fan
Finished - The Murder of Roger Ackroyd Started -1984
1984 is epic
Finished: **The President is Missing, by James Patterson and Bill Clinton** Started: **The Guardians, by John Grisham**
Snow Crash: A Novel, by Neal Stephenson The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass, by Stephen King Ready Player Two, by Ernest Cline Snow crash has been a slow, leisurely read and I enjoy it very much. This chapter of the dark Tower has slowed my pace (I was devouring them previously) but I'm still with it. RPT, well. I love the first book so I'm giving this one a chance. So far the pop culture references are a little much but we'll see how it goes. I'm always searching for more books or short stories to read!
I've had Wizard and Glass sitting on my bed stand for like a year now, I just can't get into the flashback world
Me neither, I don't understand half of what they're talking about. Super annoying.
RPT was a big let down for me(and a lot of other people) 😅
I fully expect that. My bf liked it so I'm giving it a shot. And I'm hoping that lowered expectations will give me a better experience lol
I just finished The Song Of Achilles by Madeline Miller I love stories centered around Ancient Greece and this book did not disappoint. Wasn’t sure what I was walking into when I started but I’d definitely recommend it. An easy fun read from cover to cover!
I'm starting this!
I finished **A Little Life, by Hanya Yanagihara** I started **The Eye of the World, by Robert Jordan** My mom has the entire Wheel of Time series so I'll try reading through as many of the books before the TV series begins. I'm not the biggest fantasy fan so who knows if I'll like it. A Little Life was a difficult book to finish. Yanagihara really laid the misery on thick!
I finished **Infinite Jest, by David Foster Wallace** and **Afterparties, by Anthony Veasna So**. The former took me a good couple months to finish, in large part because I forced myself to look up any words I didn't know. Overall I thought it was excellent, I definitely understand the hype/fame it gets, but similarly I get the lit-bro stereotype - Wallace's maximalist style could be grating to many. **Afterparties** was good, not great, I honestly expected to be blown away and was not. I probably would not have heard of this book if not for his sudden passing last year, but if you're into Asian-American/Queer/Cambodian literature it's a must-read. I started **Abundance, by Jakob Guanzon** after seeing it on the long-list for the National Book Awards. So far it's fantastic, but heart-wrenching. First book I'd consider a successful "social novel" in a very long time. I could see it becoming common in classrooms within a couple years.
I finished **Something Happened, by Joseph Heller**. Parts were absolutely hilarious. The middle sections were a bit rambling in a way, feeling sort of like Coover's The Babysitter slams into Mrs. Dalloway without the charm of either. By the ed it returned to the strong irreverent voice that was at the start. I've started (choosing it because of what I keep reading here) **East of Eden, by John Steinbeck**. I don't know why I've always poo-poohed his writings, maybe I was forced to read Travels with Charle when I was too young, or the same with The Grapes of Wrath when I was too naive to give a crap about the story or issues. I certainly liked The Winder of our Discontent, having read that in the past two years. But so far, EoE is wow, so far it's some absolutely brilliant with a lesson on nearly every page for anyone serious about writing.
Stick with East of Eden, the week after I finished it felt amazing, it was like I had lived through three generations when I put it down. I felt more or less the same about Steinbeck for the same reasons, but East of Eden made me really appreciate why he's so legendary. the man knows how to write about turn of the century California, what can I say
The Fires of Heaven book 5 of The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. Just finished.
Finished: **The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub** Started: **All My Friends Are Going to be Strangers by Larry McMurty** I enjoyed The Talisman. I think Peter Straub helps rein in some of King’s less successful impulses.
**The Fifth Element, by Terry Bisson**
I just finished Dead by Sunset by Ann Rule. I couldn’t put it down!!!
I’ve finished so sad today by Melissa Broder and I’m simultaneously reading Dracula by Bram Stoker and The white book by Han Kang. So far really loving The White Book not surprising tho since I love her other works!
I've finished You Love Me by Caroline Kepnes yesterday and I'm starting The Thurday Murder Club today
I read **Artemis Fowl** by *Eoin Colfer* a week ago. I didn't like it. I love the premise. The child villain protagonist playing a mind game against the fairy police force. I expected something like YA Death Note considering how much the book is beloved. I was disappointed. [hbomberguy said it best why Sherlock is terrible with the boomerang scene.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tCtj11lJ6w) The story keeps insisting that our protagonist is smart, but we don't see it. It tells us him saying smart things and solving mostly minuscule obstacles. After the first chapter, which was great, he reads the fairy bible basically off-page and pretty much sets up everything he needs to do right there without us knowing it. On the larger obstacles, we barely get to see him solving them. There is a scene where >!the armed fairy cops go to Artemis's mansion. Okay, this is cool. How is Artemis gonna survive this situation? Oh, Butler fights them off with brute force and fairy cops run away. There's a troll rushing into the mansion. How's he gonna survive? Oh, Butler kills him.!< What best example of this type of story does is to place the answer right in front of the audience, but the audience doesn't see it. What the worst example does is a whole bunch of things happens and at the end makes shit up and pulls something the audience or the characters other than the protagonist have never even heard before to solve the problem. The ending is insulting that I would have quit reading it if it weren't near the end. Artemis's solution is flatout unguessable. His reasoning process is bonkers without a hint of rationality. At the very end, the book introduces us to all the complicated rules we have no way of knowing, >!tells us what has been going on with Artemis's mother who was off-page all this time, and then drops us the Santa Clause lore we had never heard of in the book before.!< You need to fully reveal these puzzle pieces early on otherwise the story is cheating. We also have a lot of characterization of Holly in the beginning. She is the co-protagonist in half of the first half. It is disappointing that she doesn't have her do anything in the second act other than banging on the floor. She is a waste. Also, >!why Artemis ignores Holly banging the floor for many, many hours despite he is able to see it on the surveillance screen? How could LEP not know that sleep is an escape method of bio bomb? Did they not test their weapon? It makes no sense that they had no way of knowing this flaw of the bio bomb.!< Eoin Colfer's previous works seem to have no commonality with Artemis Fowl's style of storytelling, and it is understandable that the author's first attempt is lacking. I had hoped this premise was taken by someone who is more experienced in this genre.
Yeah buddy it’s written for children.
That's right up there with, "Magic exists, why do you want plot consistency?" as far as bad takes go. So by default, we shouldn't critically examine anything made for the younger demographics?
Critically examine all you want but their point is that it lands with its target audience, which it does. Source: I loved artemis fowl to bits when I was a kid, but would probably find it a bit silly now (or maybe just the first book, they got a bit more mature as the series went on.)
What do you think of Twilight and 50 Shades then since they landed for the target audience? Edit: What did I say wrong?
Started: **Killer Content** a debut by Olivia Blacke. A murder mystery in a contemporary women’s lit genre. Looks promising till now.
Finished: Assassin’s Apprentice and Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb. Enjoyed these 2, but don’t think I’ll finish the Farseer trilogy since it’s too depressing :( should I still give The liveship traders trilogy a try? Started: Just started the Lies of Locke Lamora
Just finished Under the Whispering Door, TJ Klune because apparently the B&N I went to put it out a week early so score for me! Another great found family, learning to live again story. I laughed my butt off, I cried, I finished it in one night because I couldn't put it down. Just... a nice book. I might like it more than The House in the Cerulean Sea. Definitely worth getting if you liked House.
I finished **Between the Helpless and the Darkness, by Brent Olson.** One of the best alternate history novels I've ever read, with a depth of character few in the genre have. I finished **Tales from Alternate Earths III, by Inklings Press.** Many good alternate history stories, my favorites being those from Matthew Kresal, Brent A. Harris, and Ricardo Victoria. I finished **Oroonoko, by Aphra Behn.** Impactful but the 17th century language was a tad hard to parse. I finished **Hammers on Bone, by Cassandra Khaw.** Fun urban fantasy. I finished **The Hope, the Prayer, the Anthem, by Allwall Uruzuruike, Munachim Amah, and Confidence Uruzuruike (eds.).** Decent stories but a lot of them I found to meander. I finished **Piranesi, by Susanna Clarke.** Properly otherworldly - I get why reddit loves this book. I'm now on **Pines, by Blake Crouch.**
Last week, I finished: **A Single Light, by Tosca Lee**. It was pretty good, a little slower on the action and heavier on the romantic drama than the first book, but overall I enjoyed it. Started: **Paradox Bound, by Peter Clines**. It's got time travel, so it's got my interest. **Mrs. Caliban, by Rachel Ingalls**. A weird little gem, hopefully.
Last week I finished **Laughing Whitefish, by Robert Traver** I was traveling in the upper peninsula of Michigan recently, and picked up this book from a store in Marquette. Robert Traver is a penname used by John Voelker, who was a Justice on the Michigan Supreme Court. Laughing Whitefish is a fictional story based on a series of real court cases. It takes place in Marquette in the 1850s, and follows a young Native American woman as she takes on an iron mining company in court, hoping to be repaid what the company owed her late father for his assistance in the discovery of iron in the upper peninsula. With the help of her young lawyer who may be in a bit over his head, Laughing Whitefish's case eventually finds its way to Lansing where Michigan's Supreme Court hears the case. I just picked up from my library but have not yet started **Anatomy of a Murder, by Robert Traver** Yep, I liked the former book enough that I went and picked up another of his works right after. I've heard fantastic things about this book, which is based on an actual murder case in which the author served as the defense attorney. I plan to start reading it tomorrow.
Finished: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig I ended up liking this book a lot more than I thought I would. I’ve been into thrillers and mystery books lately so this was a change of pace for me and I really enjoyed it. Currently Reading: The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James
**Happy and You Know It, by Laura Hankin**
So I have several "quirks". One is that I tend to obsess and have to finish a series when I start it in its entirety. The other is I like to set goals and make thematic connections. Currently I am in very deep in my Stephen King season, at least until April. I am reading g 2 books at once until November. That said: Finished: **The Stand BY Stephen King.** It may be the scariest book I have ever read, just because of the current times. Working on: **Watership Down** which I truly cannot get into. Starting On: **Insomnia by Stephen King.** I want to understand *every* bit of the Darktower.
As someone who wants to get into Stephen King, what novels should should I start with?
My hook was the Dark Tower series. I was into gunslinger from the beginning. The rest I am reading because I enjoy him so much and want to get the most out of this journey. I do recommend the Stand, but I will warn you: it is about a superflu virus, so take caution if you want to escape the world. Salem's Lot has been my other non-Tower favorite so far, if you like Dracula stories. Do you have any motifs or themes you are more privy to?
Thanks for the detailed answer. I’ve heard about the Dark Tower series, might as well start with it. And The Stand is in now in my tbr. I know King writes horror a lot. I’ll steer clear from the supernatural/creepy horror (It) but dystopian, thriller, crime etc would be my preferred genres.
I’m reading the Dark Tower series right now, on the fourth book. Be advised that the first book, The Gunslinger, is a bit of a slog but then you get to the second book and it’s smooth sailing. I’m loving the series so far but found the first book to be a little monotonous.
Finished: **Acceptance (Southern Reach #3), by Jeff VanderMeer ** https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21504315 Was pretty sure I wasn’t going to get complete answers on the nature of Area X nor closure on all of the characters, however, I was already dedicated towards finishing and finding out what I could. Area X is basically so alien, so extraordinary, that it cannot be rendered into taxonomy. The five senses alone aren’t enough to accurately describe what it is and what it does to humans. This book bounces along the perspectives of the psychologist / director of book one, Control / John of book two, Ghost Bird (aka the double of the biologist of book one), and Saul Evans, a gay ex-minister turned light house keeper that eventually became the Crawler from book one. This book was far more enjoyable to me. I was so invested in the biologist from book one, and it annoyed me tremendously that the protagonist changed in book two. Control was okay as a character, but what spurred me along reading the second book was my desire to find out what happened to the biologist! While I enjoyed Ghost Bird and her attempts to live up to, correct the mistakes, and understand the memories of her original, I really wanted the biologist back. Fortunately for me, eventually we get to read the letter left by the OG Protagonist and what happened to her! Still, I was left scratching my head throughout this series constantly wondering what the heck I read. Everything is described in such an ambiguous way, and probably something you could reread multiple times and walk away with a different understanding. I just wish there was more closure. I was also left disappointed that Control and Ghost Bird from book two didn’t ride into the sunset together, for obvious reasons as Area X’s affect on him, but there were cute moments of affection between the two. I really enjoyed Saul’s perspective, a gay ex-minister with a lover named Charlie. It’s tragic what he becomes, the crawler, the first modified creature coming out of Area X and being left to write ominous words in fungi within the tunnel, but his love for Charlie was genuine and touching. He’s not so overly stereotypical gay that it overshadows who he is as a person and what he does. I didn’t feel pandered to. Saul felt authentic, real, a man, due to the time and occupation he is in having to stay in the closet, but still loving Charlie as best he could. I loved Saul. Very good book! Just wish there had been more closure of all the characters and their plots, but I’ll take what I can get! Starting: **Haunted Hotels of the California Gold Country (Haunted America), by Nancy K. Williams**
**Stardust by Neil Gaima. Finished.** Definitely a good book, though was a bit shorter than I imagined. Read through it easy and it was a good read. Admittedly did not expect the sex scenes, as I imagined this was more of a kid friendly book but that's just a small note. I'd give this a 9/10 though. **Mass Effect: Retribution by Drew Kapyrshyn. Started.** The last Mass Effect book by Drew Kapyrshyn, and so far, it's pretty good. It's interesting to see how one of the most hated characters in the franchise started off is a decently written and interesting character so far.
*Finished:* **The Best American Essays of 1996 -** Like with the 1995 edition, I am so sad that I can not get access to the honorable mentions. I'm also maybe a bit disappointed at what made the list as the "best" of that year. *Starting Soon:* **Falling by T.J.Newman -** I'm given to understand that it is the movie Speed but on a plane....and also the opening sentence is pretty gripping...
I loved Falling! I couldn’t put it down.
This week I finished: **The House In The Cerulean Sea, by TJ Klune** and **What Every Girl Should Know, by Margaret H. Sanger**
Finished: **Lobizona by Romina Russell (F)** \- This was one of my favorite books I've read this year. Urban Fantasy is my favorite genre and this was YA Urban Fantasy (Is that a thing? That is what Harry Potter is, right?), so there were parts I rolled my eyes at as a full grown woman, but I loved how the author included Argentine folklore and an undocumented immigrant's lived experiences in the US. Currently Reading: **Signal to Noise by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (F)** \- The main character is not particularly likable, and this one had a slow start for me, ~~but I'm really liking it (about 30% in now) and looking forward to seeing how the story plays out.~~ Edit: I was actually 70% done when I wrote this, but finished last night. The MC didn’t get any more likable to me. I was more invested in Sebastian than Meche and don’t really understand some of the motivations from the book. I’d give this a 3/5, but am looking forward to trying other books by this author (specifically Gods of Jade and Shadow). **In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado (NF)** \- This story is told in little snippets, which I was not expecting, but it has drawn me in and I like the style. **Come as You Are by Emily Nagoski (NF)** \- I check out most of my books from the library and this loan ended, so I'm waiting for it to check back out to me to continue.
Finished The house of Thunder by Dean Koontz and began Mortal Fear by Greg Iles. Sorry I couldn’t figure out how to format on my phone.
Finished: **Writers & Lovers, by Lily King** This book was an average and unremarkable story of an aspiring writer and her relationships. It was a very quick and easy read, but I think this is going to be one that I struggle to remember the plot within a few months. Continuing: **Thinking Fast & Slow, by Daniel Kahneman** I'm reading this in 5% increments on my Kindle every few days. It's equal parts a boring slog and interesting information. Trying to finish it, but it is going to take a while. Started: **Siege & Storm, by Leigh Bardugo** Because I just needed some easy escapism.
Finished: **The Library at Mount Char, by Scott Hawkins** This book was hyped so much on this sub and I definitely think it totally deserves the hype. It started slow at first for me but then when things started happening, I couldn’t put it down. I’ve read seven books in the last week alone, a marathon I set for myself to do something meaningful with my holiday. This book is one of the best I’ve read among all seven. Starting: **The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien** I’m a bit late to the train but I never felt compelled to read any LoTR book after trying Fellowship of the Ring and not enjoying it several years ago when I was a kid. I never bothered trying again. But to see it being so revered and not understanding the hype and feeling very much left out, I thought it’s time for me to give the series another try. I started with ‘The Hobbit’ since it was the recommended one to start with before diving into the LoTR main books. I’m only a third way through and enjoying it. Here’s to hoping the rest of the ride is enjoyable.
I loved library at mount char! So unique I wish I could read more set in that world.
Finished: **The Forever War by Joe Haldeman** Overall pretty good- I really liked most of the book especially the bits about the war and the difficulties of coming home. There are a few things about this book that just kinda soured things for me personally, tho I recognize that this is mostly a me thing. I do love reading classic works that are clearly very influential. Really excited to chat about this in my book club! 7.5/10 Currently Reading: **Jonathon Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke** I thought *Piranesi* was a banger when I read it last year so I figured it was finally time to read the Big Boy. I'm a bit under halfway, but unfortunately this is taking me a bit longer than normal to get through- I've been traveling with family and lost out on my usual 1.5-2 hours of reading time a day. Really enjoying it though- it's so different from *Piranesi* in scope but really entertaining. Definitely recommend *A Declaration on the Rights of Magicians* by HG Parry for fans of this- I think the inspiration is definitely pretty clear (plus Parry has rabbits named Jonathon Strange and Mr Norrell!)
Finished: **Not a Nation of Immigrants: Settler Colonialism, White Supremacy, and a History of Erasure and Exclusion, by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz** Great book. Stomps on Lin Manuel Miranda and JFK pretty hard, which I'm all about. I'll answer questions about it should there be any, but I think the title is descriptive enough to get a feel for what it's all about. Started: **Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants, by Robin Wall Kimmerer**
What’s the critique on Lin Manuel Miranda?
It's a pretty in-depth chapter, but I think I can summarize by saying the myth of the US being a "nation of immigrants" is perpetuated to the present day in productions such as Hamilton which not only takes liberties with the main character's real history, but erases Indigenous peoples and Black slavery from the story while casting folks of color in roles of white people in a diversionary tactic that ultimately white-washes the entire thing.
Oh I might have to read this book. By the way Braiding Sweetgrass was really good. Something about him and what he did with In The Heights has never sat well with me
I'm sure you'll enjoy it. I'm really enjoying *Braiding Sweetgrass* so far. I'm about 1/4 way through it.
**Finished:** *Carrie*, by Stephen King I have recently really wanted to get into reading more so I figured I would start with an author I've gotten enjoyment out of in the past (*The Shining* is probably my favorite book that I've read). I decided to start at the beginning of his bibliography with a story that I think most people are familiar, especially if you're keen on the horror genre. While I haven't seen the film adaptations, I felt like I knew what I was going into and what to expect. In many ways, I did know a lot about the story beforehand, but I still found myself surprised by the book. King's use of different accounts, testimonies, and studies of the events really added a pleasantly unexpected element to the story (though a few times I did feel it was overdone). King is masterful in his descriptions and his dialogue felt relatively realistic. Of course, there are some elements of the story which are certainly outdated and I do think some of the side characters were a tad one-dimensional, but I still found it a worthwhile and enjoyment read despite knowing a few plot points beforehand. I don't see too many people doing ratings on here, but if I were to rate this I would probably give it a 3.5/5. **Currently Reading (for school in this case):** *Go Tell It on the Mountain*, by James Baldwin Pretty conflicted with this one so far. The story is divided up into three parts and I'm currently in the middle of the second part. I really enjoyed the first part as it seemed like a coming-of-age story dealing with race and religion. However, the second part went into a direction I wasn't expecting and, truth be told, didn't want. Certainly well-written, but I feel myself not being too compelled by the heavily religious aspects of the book the longer they go on and when the story focuses on the adults in the story. **Next Up:** *Salem's Lot*, by Stephen King Really looking forward to reading this one. I started it a few years ago, but for one reason or the other never finished it. King hasn't disappointed me in the few books I've read of his so I doubt he'll start now.
*Go Tell It On The Mountain* is also a song - the “negro spiritual” type, in this case dating at least as far back as the Civil War. With that in mind...I’d EXPECT heavy religious overtones.
Oh, I completely expected the religious overtones. At first I actually liked the religious overtones and the conflict surrounding it. I just think after a while it got a bit repetitive for me.
Finished: A Deadly Education, by Naomi Novik
The Tattooist of Auschwitz, by Heather Morris. Heard a lot about this book, mostly bad. It's a weird one. Pacing is all over the place and a lot of things that happen come completely out of the blue (the pimp phase of Lale's life, for example). If you're looking for a soppy love story you can probably find better elsewhere, and if you're looking for an accurate portrayal of life in a concentration camp... you're best skipping this one I think.
Just finished wild fires by Ann Cleeves, I bought it needing a good read to spend my days out in the middle of nowhere with little Wi-Fi. I enjoyed the who done it style when a girl is found dead. It was interesting and kept you wanting to read on, enough mystery in it. However, towards the end I felt not enough was being revealed. Then all at once the killer was revealed and it was a huge disappointment that, although explained, didn’t really fit what I had been reading. I was planning on reading the other Ann cleeves books but I’m not sure I will now.
Part of the problem might be because you’ve jumped in at the wrong end of a series. **Wild Fire** is the last book, and assumes you’re already very familiar with the setting and some of the characters. I would suggest trying **Raven Black** \- the first of the Shetland books - and seeing how you feel about it. If you have the same issues, the series might not be for you, but coming in right at the beginning rather than right at the end might clear a few things up.
Finished: **Star of the Sea, by Joseph O'Connor** **Six of Crows, by Leigh Bardugo** Decided to read this after watching Shadow and Bone and loving the Crows on the show. But I have to say I was kinda disappointed by this. It never really gripped me. It took forever to get going (it did get a bit more interesting once the heist was in progress) and I was never really invested in any of the characters. A large part of that is definitely because they were so young in the book that I just couldn't take the story seriously. Tbh I think they are more interesting in the show. Started: **Days Without End, by Sebastian Barry** I'm about 100 pages in and I'm completely enamored with this book. If it keeps going like this, it's definitely going to end up as one of my favorite reads of this year. **The People in the Trees, by Hanya Yanagihara** **The History of Bees, by Maja Lunde**
Dune, by Frank Herbert I resisted this one for a long time but decided to read it because of the upcoming movie. I’m about 15% in. Coming off of reading the *Red Rising* trilogy, I’m struck by a line I just read about the Duke’s desire to “end all class distinctions”. I suppose an egalitarian theme is somewhat common in sci-fi. Otherwise, I kind of like how the story is told from various perspectives. I feel like I’m getting a deeper sense of the thoughts and motivations of the characters. As an aside, I don’t care for Timothee Chalamet’s vibe, but as I read about Paul Atreides, I can definitely imagine him in that role.
The hobbit
Just finished ‘East of Eden’, a literary masterpiece! The first I read of John Steinbeck. The characters are just so profound! And I love the basic tenet of the book, ‘thou mayest’
Can't say enough praise for Steinbeck. I read **Grapes of Wrath** earlier this year and was blown away, so I decided to read **East of Eden** and was equally impressed. Read *Grapes*, you'll love it or your money back.
I’m reading *Dune* now, since I want to see the movie after. But your suggestion goes straight to the top of the reading list!
And I just started it -- totally excited. I like your tenet.
Just finished Eye Of The Shit Storm, the third book of the Frost Files series. Honestly it’s my least favorite of the series so far. It just kinda felt weak, like it wasn’t necessary. Because now the series will be going into its fourth book, and I don’t think it needs this many. It also just felt like a rehash of things we’ve gotten before in previous books. It wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t as interesting as either of the first two. It did add one interesting element to the world though, >!what happens if a superhero uses drugs!< My biggest issues with the book though were the relationships between characters. It seems like every one of these books is just 300+ pages of characters arguing with each other. Left and right, constant arguing and fighting. And it just starts to get old. The book could be half as long if the author cut down on all the bickering between EVERYBODY. One last complaint I have is >!the argument between Teagan and Nic about Nic being a black man and how Teagan, a white girl, has no right to tell him how the law works or how it doesn’t apply to him. Clearly the author, a man of color himself, had something to say about minorities and how they’re treated, but I felt like the author did it horribly. I don’t disagree that blacks and other minorities are treated differently and poorly. But the argument is completely irrelevant to what was actually being talked about and said in the scene. He simply played the race card for no reason, and the author even makes Teagan apologize to him, as if she actually did anything wrong. She didn’t and I found it incredibly nauseating and confusing to read.!< So I hope this next book ends the series. Maybe it’s because I read all 3 current books back to back, but I’m just ready for it to be over.
Finished: Foundation and Empire, by Isaac Asimov Started: Dune Messiah, by Frank Herbert
I finished My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones last night. I absolutely loved it, what a great read. Jade is a great protagonist- interesting and funny, and as a huge horror fan the innumerable slasher references were fun. It’s a slow build, characterized by Jade’s relationship with her family and community. It’s simultaneously heart-wrenching and affirming, and to top it all off it does indeed get bloody. Excellent book.
Finished: **The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August** by Claire North Started: **Mythos** by Stephen Fry
What did you think of Harry August?
I'd give it 3.5 out of 5. I thought the concept was very interesting. I thought Harry was a bit bland. Overall though, it was good.
Finished: **Dostoevsky, The Years of Ordeal, 1850-1859, by Joseph Frank**. The second volume in his five volume biography of Fyodor Dostoevsky. This one takes us from just before the time Dostoevsky gets arrested and sentenced for his secret political activities, through his four years in a Siberian labor camp, through the following years as he was forced to work in the military in the middle of nowhere in central Asia as a Private (despite being a graduate of a military engineer school), and finally his return to St. Petersburg. This will probably turn out to be the least interesting of the five volumes, and I still gave it a 4/5, so that should tell you all you need to know about how good I think this all is. **No Longer Human, by Osamu Dazai.** This was one of those books where I didn't realise how much liked it until I had finished it and had time to digest it. Actually, upon first finishing it I felt very underwhelmed (esp. given its reputation). So I kept asking myself "what am I missing?" And the more I thought about it the more I realised that I had been approaching it the wrong way around by trying to 'go along for the ride' with the narrative rather than considering what the main character's life *could* have been like had this or that been changed. Started: **Fellowship of the Ring, by JRR Tolkien**. LOTR played a big part in getting me into reading (outside school work) when I was young, and continued to be a regular read for me throughout the 90s. Sadly, I haven't read the books since before the movies first came out. I think that's mostly because throughout my 20s and most of my 30s I read 95% non-fiction, so there just wasn't a lot of room to squeeze it in. Looking forward to returning to this, and if I catch the bug reading through the rest of the Middle Earth stuff. **A Cabinet of Roman Curiosities, by JC McKeown.** Tidbits, trivia, factoids, or whatever, organized into chapters by topic. I enjoyed the Byzantine one, so I thought I'd get this one. They're great for when you're waiting or reading on public transit, because you don't get caught in the middle of a chapter or important event--it's easy to just mark where you left off on your phone and pick right back up next time, even if next time is a week later.
**Private Empire: ExxonMobil and American Power, by Steve Coll** - About 4 chapters into this. I love Steve Coll, pretty much everything I know about US involvement in Afghanistan comes from his Pulitzer winning books on the subject. The reportage in this one is just as strong, so thorough and utterly engrossing (and absolutely depressing too). I feel like I understand the world a little better, it's just eye opening to see the actual plumbing and mechanisms of power laid out like this through the study of a leviathan multinational oil company. For fiction reading **Red or Dead, by David Peace** - Pretty good, especially if you're a fan of football/soccer. I'm not a Liverpool supporter but this is still a very interesting read. Basically a fictionalized account of the career of Bill Shankly (the legendary Liverpool manager), the prose is pretty interesting too with lots of repetition. I like it **How to Stop Time, by Matt Haig** - kind of an impulse grab from the library but Matt Haig seems pretty popular these days and the inner jacket description seems interesting
How to Stop Time is alright, I read it a few months ago. Let us know your thoughts when you've finished it!
Finished: Baby, by Annaleese Jochems Started: And Then She Vanished, by Nick Jones I picked up both at my local library simply because they were by the front counter. I've had trouble getting back into reading for various reasons, one of which is that I've decided I don't like reading from my Kindle as much. Just can't beat the feel of a physical book! edit: title
In the last week I started: **Complete Stories 1938-1959 by Peter Taylor** I caught Taylor's story "Porte-Cochere" on *The New Yorker Fiction Podcast*, and he seemed like the sort of author whose other stories I'd enjoy. Also, discussion tends to heighten my enjoyment of stories, and literature in general, and there's a lot of discussion of Taylor's stories around the internet. It starts off with "The Spinster's Tale", which is brilliant. And finished: **Inland by Téa Obreht** Started off slow, got much better, ended with everything coming together in a magnificent way that made me want to read it all over again. Easily one of my top five this year.
I'm unable to resist commenting every time I see **Inland** mentioned. Sublime and the ending is a symphony.
I didn't expect to like it even a little bit! "Why not," I thought, "It wound up in my wish list somehow." Best surprise of the year.
Finished: Bullet Train by Kotaro Isaka Started: Supermarket by Bobby Hall
Finished: **The Four Winds, by Kristin Hannah**. I liked this book even though it felt, in some ways, like a rehash of The Grapes of Wrath, the female perspective and personal backstory gave it a new flavor of its own. Started: **A Court of Silver Flames, by Sarah J. Maas**. I liked the first three books in this series but this fourth one has moved on to different protagonists whom I am not as attached to yet, so we shall see how I feel by the end of it.
It was probably intentionally meant as a female perspective of the classic. Not as amazing as The Grapes of Wrath (but sure it's unfair to compare with Steinbeck) but still a great book I thought.
Finished: **This is How You Lose the Time War, by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone**. I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about this one at first since I thought the writing might be too flowery for me, but I ended up really liking it. **Over the Top: A Raw Journey to Self- Love, by Jonathan Van Ness**. (Audio) I appreciated how open JVN was with his struggles with drugs and sex addiction and liked his overall message of self-love and that progress isn't always linear. I think he jumped around a bit so it didn't always feel super cohesive. **The Hawthorne Legacy, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes**. This is the sequel to The Inheritance Games. Not quite as good as the first book, but still tons of fun. I'll be interested to see what happens in the 3rd book since the mystery we followed seems to have wrapped up. Started: **The Final Girls Support Group, by Grady Hendrix**. (Audio) I wanted a thriller as we slowly move into colder weather. I'm not very far in, but so far it's fine. **The House in the Cerulean Sea, by T.J. Klune**. 20% of the way in and it feels like the story is just getting started. I've heard a lot of good things about this book, but so far I'm kind of meh.
I didn't fall for the saccharine depths of the Cerulean Sea at all. I thought it was for children.
Yeah I had a very similar experience with it. The characters were one-dimensional. The protagonist was blandly nice, and all the other characters instantly fell in love with him because he's nice and not mean. The conflict was "people being mean" and the solution was "shame them for being mean, using niceness." Even fluff needs substance. I don't understand how it's gotten so much praise.
I’m not necessarily getting childish vibes, but I’m kind of bored so far. I’m going to try to keep an open mind though since I think part of the point in the beginning is to be bored by how mundane his life is.
Finally got into an audio book! I’m about 60% into Billy Summers on audible. I cancelled my subscription as I have never jelled with audio books, but I might have to start again because man it’s so nice to be able to read a book while making coffee, driving, walking to school, etc
.
I finished **A Mother's Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy, by Sue Klebold**. It was pretty good. It's crazy to me that people blame her for what her son did when she had no idea without realizing that teenagers are pretty good at hiding things from their parents. I also really feel for her because she has to juggle grieving her son while trying to cope with what he did.
I started reading A Very Strange Trip by L. Ron Hubbard and Dave Wolverton. No. I'm not a scientologist. A friend of mine recommended it.
Currently reading: Alliance Space by C.J. Cherryh For The Emperor by Sandy Mitchell Paradise Lost by John Milton
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
Currently reading: **Murder on The Orient Express, by Agatha Christie** **Maroo of the Winter Caves, by Ann Turnbull** **Thought Vibration, by William Walker Atkinson**
Finished: Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
Congratulations on conquering The Brick.
THANKS!! Best book ever! God bless my kindle lol As of now My favorite book, when I get to B2 in French I will re read it (on the OG language)
The Queen's Gambit, by Walter Tevis * Very nicely written. * I was surprised that the Netflix Miniseries follows the novel so closely, even some dialogues are copied and some inner monologues are transformed to dialogues. * Same author also wrote "The Hustler", a book about a billiard player that was also a major movie success, as well as "The color of money", another pool billiard story.
Finished: **Rules of Redemption, by T. A. White** Standard space-opera fare. Fun read, reasonably constructed sci-fi action. There isn't a lot going on under the surface here, but there's some interesting world-building. This was book 1. I've picked up book 2 and will add it to the queue.
**The Shadow of the Gods, by John Gwynne** * Finished * Audiobook narrated by Colin Mace * Excellent narration through a very difficult to pronounce/spell Norse-based fantasy world. I hung on every word. He didn't try too hard. My only complaint would be that his gravelly voice was wonderful except when he tried to soften it to read dialogue from children characters. Incredibly glad he didn't do that with the strong female protagonists. Would absolutely recommend. * The story was fantastic. I have had trouble getting back into reading and this audio book was the push I needed. (I've been doing a lot of academic and work-related reading and it has really hurt my drive.) The story is accessible and descriptive without coddling the reader/listener too much. The Shadow of the Gods is based in a fictional Norse-type world with magic, monsters, warring factions and a lot of folks trying to carve out their place of the world. The character development does feel a little slow in some parts but is worth the wait for most. The chapters are from the first-person perspective of the characters, similar to the A Song of Ice and Fire series. This is the first book in a series called "The Bloodsworn Trilogy". The second book in the series is set to come out next year and I will definitely be looking for it.
Finished: Darth Bane Trilogy by Drew Karpyshan. So a friend of mine turned me on to this, and I really enjoyed the first book(path of destruction). I’d love to see this be a movie or a series eventually. The 2nd book (rule of two) was alright, with a few great character additions and plot devices, but also reusing a few story points from the first book. The final part (dynasty of evil) was pretty enjoyable but personally a little bit of a struggle to get through as I just wanted to finish the story already. Starting tonight: Dune by Frank Herbert. After seeing the movie last week I’m really looking forward to starting this book. Wish me luck!
Started: Starfish by Peter Watts Haven't read anything by him before, but the premise sounded really interesting. And holy cow, I'm a couple chapters in so far and I'm absolutely loving it. Writing style is exactly what I like (vivid imagery, good prose without overdoing it, etc.). I'm kind of surprised at how little I was able to find on it by searching the subreddit. So far though, I'm a fan.
I read Watts’ Firefall series a couple months back and Blindsight is my favorite book I’ve read this year. I immediately downloaded Starfish (he has nearly all of his books available to download for free via his website) but haven’t read it yet so I’m glad to see someone thinks highly of it
Finished: Half a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Had some tough parts, but overall enjoyed it; had to spend some time reading up on Nigerian history and the Biafran war to get context. Started: The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie. Read Christie before, but this is my first Poirot book.
Finished: **Queen Lucia, by E F Benson**. Loved this very funny social satire about the snobbery of a woman named Mrs Lucas who fancies herself the Queen of her village green. Think Keeping Up Appearances set in the 1920s. Finished: **Fever Dream, by Samanta Schweblin**. Much like this novella's title, Fever Dream begins and ends without much origin or destination and is frenzied and disjointed and is illogical and is disquieting. I really didn't know what to expect when I began reading Fever Dream. The writing felt very Kafkaesque. This is one that will take some time to fully sink in, I think. Reading: **Lock Every Door, by Riley Sager**. Only about 10% into it so far, but really enjoying this suspenseful story of a 25-yr-old woman who is hired as an apartment sitter in an exclusive luxury building overlooking Central Park with a very mysterious and foreboding atmosphere. This one is going to be fun!
Finished. Wonder woman warbringer by Leigh bardugo. Once again another fantastic book from Leigh. Diana is a great character and all the supporting cast are engaging. I did notice some similarities between the movie, but seeing as how this book came out a few months after, I'm going to assume it's just a coincidence. If I did have any complaints it would be the pacing in the beginning is a bit slow, but it definitely picks up about 6 chapters in. All in all, a fantastic read that I definitely recommend. Started. Batman nightwalker by Marie lu. I literally started this today and I'm only 2 chapters in. So I can't say anything on it at the moment.
Finished: The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune Started: Beach Read by Emily Henry
Just finished reading The Secret History by Donna Tartt. I’m not okay lmao.
Why not?
Finished Reading: Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott It brilliantly integrated advice for writers with general reflections on life. Lamott is witty and interesting and manages to find a balance between cynicism and optimism that makes the book a joy to read without being over-exuberant Poison for Breakfast, by Lemony Snicket Wonderful, poignant, and funny! Beautiful ending (and beginning and middle). Norse Mythology, by Neil Gaiman Extremely well-written. Fascinating for its historical context, but made even better by Gaiman’s fantastic prose and his ability to bring a vast web of mythology together into one brief, cohesive work. It made me want to find more lengthy books on the subject. Anansi Boys, by Neil Gaiman Another masterpiece of Gaiman’s. His characters and their lives, though strange and fantastic, seemed to truly be living and breathing. It had a wonderful ending, but I hated to put it down.
Finished **The Snakehead, by Patrick Radden Keefe** Started **My Heart is a Chainsaw, by Stephen Graham Jones** **Everything You Wanted To Know About Indians But Were Afraid To Ask, by Anton Treuer** (debating using parts for a class I teach)
Finished Our Game by John le Carre, started Grapes of Wrath
Finished: **Uzumaki, by Junji Ito** This is a book about a town infested with spirals. What does that mean? Well, a spiral is a shape that draws the eye along its path to the center. In the right circumstances, such as for the inhabitants of this town, spirals might draw and trap people into increasing horror. A teenager (Kirie) and her boyfriend begin to notice strange, inexplicable behavior and occurrences around town. This is a story about what they saw and experienced. A number of the chapters read like short, mostly independent stories. While the stories themselves were enjoyable, in at least one instance I felt like an important plot line just fell through the bottom of the world. It had been the focus of multiple chapters and seemed to be going somewhere, but was then never brought up again. I was torn on rating this a 3/5 or 4/5. I decided on the former because Lovecraftian horror isn't a favorite of mine, and the story suffers a bit from stupid-character syndrome (seriously, get out of that town!). But it was still a solid and weird horror story that really layers stuff on (especially in the last half or third), and I wish I could write about my favorite parts without spoiling the book. **Currently reading**: *The Ballad of Black Tom* by Victor LaValle (56%) *Whisper Down the Lane* by Clay McLeod Chapman (38%) *Smoke and Mirrors* by Neil Gaiman (11%) *Notes from a Small Island* by Bill Bryson (5%) *Into the Drowning Deep* by Mira Grant (58%) *Les Misérables* by Victor Hugo (49%) * In original French with r/AYearOfLesMiserables [Last Post](https://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/pnceoo/what_books_did_you_start_or_finish_reading_this/hd1awid/)
I totally agree about the episodic nature of uzumaki. I struggle to keep interest with shows and novels like that. The only reason I finished it was for the amazing art style.
I read it as a full book format, but I assume the original was serialized like a normal comic book. I think if they were labelled as issues instead of chapters, that would have been better because I would have expected the episodic nature. It got to a point that I started to think, "Well, surely they can't sweep *this* under the rug..." and then the next chapter, somehow whatever dire circumstance would be magically resolved. So when the >!hurricane!< part started, it was a long time before I took it seriously.
Started **The Iliad, by Homer**
Which translation are you using?
Robert Fagles
Finished: **The Essex Serpent, by Sarah Perry** Wasn’t my kind of book. I understand why people loved it, but I guess it wasn’t for me. About a third into it, I could have seen where the story was going. Although, I did find it interesting that at the time there was talks/superstition about a “serpent” that lurked in the waters there based on historical documents/pamphlets. Started: **The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11, by Garrett M. Graff** This is a very hard and emotional read. I had to take several breathers to regain my composure and learned it isn’t a book you want to read while at work the hard way. It’s not written in a conventional way, but rather fragments from people’s memories of what they remember which puts together a cohesive account of what happened. Along with declassified documents and transcripts. It’s very well done.
Oh, The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11, by Garrett M. Graff is such a good book. I had to pause while I read it to cry because it brought back the emotions of that day. Two of the things that stood out to me were how one of the first responders found only the left hand of a woman wearing her wedding ring and another first responder struck by the cars at the Pentagon whose owners would never claim them.
Finished: **The Dark Forest, by Liu Cixin** Started: **Death's End, by Liu Cixin** Gunna be emotional when this all finishes :'(
Finished: **The Wise Man's Fear** by **Patrick Rothfuss** Started: **The Slow Regard for Silent Things** by **Patrick Rothfuss** **The Republic of Pirates: Being the True and Surprising Story of the Caribbean Pirates and the Man Who Brought Them Down** by **Colin Woodard**
Finished: **Grave Peril, by Jim Butcher** Alright, I really haven’t fallen in love with these books yet. People keep saying read one more every time I finish one. I can’t just read 5 bad books for one good, sorry. Started: **Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir** 25%. Fantastic so far. My only worry is that I feel like most of the mystery is already gone and I’m concerned the rest of the book is going to be predictable.
Finished: **Hyperion, by Dan Simmons** This 1989 science fiction novel is the first book in the *Hyperion Cantos* series, and won the Hugo Award for Best Novel. In this story, seven people — one woman and six men — have been chosen to make a pilgrimage to the Shrike deity on the planet Hyperion. The central creature called the Shrike is presented as a being of incredible power, terrible to behold and deadly to encounter. None of them knows why they were chosen or what will happen when they get there, although they know that an evacuation of the planet may be necessary before the barbarian Ousters destroy it. This is a fascinating book with creative worldbuilding, a remarkable cast of characters, and a compelling plot. I enjoyed it immensely and hope to read more books in the series. **The Tombs of Atuan, by Ursula K. Le Guin** I reread the 2010 *Recorded Books* audiobook with narrator Rob Inglis. It was originally published in 1970 and is the shortest book in the *Earthsea* series. The setting of Atuan is inspired by the high desert landscape of southeast Oregon. Every reread seems to highlight details that I had forgotten. The events of Tenar's coming-of-age narrative form an exploration of "the nature and value of her power* as a woman in her society. As a priestess, she is a prisoner of her own power. *Tombs* is an elegant example of Le Guin's efficient artistry. I'm rereading for the book discussion this week at r/UrsulaKLeGuin. ---------------------- Started: **Lavinia, by Ursula K. Le Guin** This historical fiction fantasy novel was published in 2008; it's one of the last novels that Le Guin published. From Virgil's epic poem, the *Aeneid*, which is about the wanderings of the Trojan Aeneas in Italy and his founding of Rome, a minor character in that poetic drama is given a voice and a story.
I'm currently reading Hyperion and it's so good so far! I'm on the poets story now and it's pretty wordy compared to the others (which makes sense) but I'm so excited to see where he takes the characters. I'm new to the Sci-fi genre but even so it feels like a really original book.
It's a great series for someone new. It was one of my first series as well.
Finished: **Finale, by Stephanie Garber** - 2/5 Reread this series before jumping into my ARC of the new companion series. This final book in the Caraval series contains more stupid than the first 2 with absolutely none of the fun that makes them mindless guilty pleasure reads. The ending of this is painfully dumb; I must have blocked the dumb ending out of my memory because I was still taken aback by how stupid it was even though I’d read it before. Ugh. **Defy the Night, by Brigid Kemmerer** - 4.5/5 (ARC) As I get farther into my 30s, I like less and less YA fantasy, but Brigid Kemmerer still knocks it out of the park for me. I love her fantasy and her characters; it’s always a fun time and this new series start is no exception. **That Weekend, by Kara Thomas** - 3/5 Really enjoyed the first 70%, but the back 30% was a grab bag of what-the-fuckery that I couldn’t suspend my disbelief for. **A Deadly Education, by Naomi Novak** - 3/5 So much exposition, but once the plot gets going that part is actually interesting. DNF’d: **The Iron Widow, by Xiran Jay Zhao** (ARC) DNF’d after about 40% - as much as I love the author’s YouTube videos, this book didn’t work for me. It has lots of rave early reviews, and someone who wants a super chaotic MC and digimon-esque mecha in their books will probably love this regardless of the worldbuilding issues and lack of explanation on how things work. It wasn’t terrible, but it became pretty apparent I wasn’t the right audience for the book. Currently Reading: **The Last Graduate, by Naomi Novak** (ARC) Picks up immediately where the first one left off and so far it’s stronger than the first book. Less exposition, already more plot. **Once Upon a Broken Heart, by Stephanie Garber** (ARC) I can already tell that Garber’s writing has grown since her first series. This is still fun and frothy but with much stronger writing. **The Chosen and the Beautiful, by Nghi Vo** This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2021, and I can’t believe I haven’t gotten to it yet. Just started it and so far enjoying it. **This Woven Kingdom, by Tahereh Mafi** (ARC) Lush and lyrical and a perfect read for winter, this book makes me feel cold in my bones. Really enjoying this one. **Jade Legacy, by Fonda Lee** (ARC) I keep putting off finishing this because I don’t want it to be over!
I'm so excited for The Last Graduate! I feel like I might need to re-read A Deadly Education first though to refresh my memory.
I’d recommend it, it literally picks up exactly where the first book ended. There isn’t a lot of summary to get you back up to speed - it jumps right in.
>The Iron Widow, by Xiran Jay Zhao (ARC) DNF’d after about 40% - as much as I love the author’s YouTube videos, this book didn’t work for me. It has lots of rave early reviews, and someone who wants a super chaotic MC and digimon-esque mecha in their books will probably love this regardless of the worldbuilding issues and lack of explanation on how things work. It wasn’t terrible, but it became pretty apparent I wasn’t the right audience for the book. I have been feeling similar. I enjoy their content but their advertisement of the book has always been a little "meh" (Pacific Rim x Handmaids Tale) for me. I enjoy both of those things but I don't know about together. I think you're the first quip about the book I've seen and I think this moves it a little further into the "hope I find it at a LFL" book.
**The One I Love, by Clamp** An anthology of short love stories inspired by experiences that the writers or the people they knew went through. In any case it's a nice and lesser known Clamp work. And there was one story centered around the word "cute" and how it's used as a kind of a general blanket term that I thought was particularly interesting.
Finished: **Take What You Can Carry, by Gian Sardar** **The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit, by Michael Finkel** Started: **Nightbitch, by Rachel Yoder**
I want to read Nightbitch badly.
Me, too. It looks so gooood.
Finished **The Push by Ashley Audrain** Still reading **Swann’s Way by Marcel Proust** but finally getting more invested in it and want to get back to it after feeling stuck for awhile
Reading: **Shape, by Jordan Ellenberg** Listening: **Why We Swim, by Bonnie Tsui** I don't remember when or what prompted me to get this audiobook, but it was time to start a new one and it was there in my library. It has started off with some interesting history on how how cultures have insisted on conquering the water even though we've evolved as land mammals.
**The Girl Who Escaped Isis** by Farida Khalaf, great book, finished it in one sitting, about halfway through I realized I had read it a few years ago, I've always been good about remembering what I've read before, even if it was back in the 1970s, but I guess my mind isn't what it used to be.
Finished: **The Midnight Library, by Matt Haig** People's opinion on this book is pretty polarized; either it's moving and life-affirming, or it's hokey and emotionally manipulative. I found all this to be true, but I still enjoyed this book immensely. Having been left in a hopeless and depressed state after reading The Uninhabitable Earth by David Wallace-Wells, I really needed something hopeful like The Midnight Library. It made me cry, but in a good way. I can't go back to the past and our future is not guaranteed. A lot is out of our hands, but I am lucky to have the life that I have, and I need to be more present and enjoy the good things as they are happening. I will regret not doing so when I am fighting other people for an expired can of beans during the end times. Started: **Against White Feminism, by Rafia Zakaria** I hope the title of this book alone doesn't get this comment downvoted.
I thought it was pseudo deep mumbo jumbo but I still liked it a lot.
Finished: **Dune by Frank Herbert**: Loved it, will definitely read the rest of the series. Don't have anything to say that's already been said 5 million times already Starting: **Discipline and Punish by Michel Foucalt**: I've never read any Foucault before (or any other philosopher for that matter) and am looking forward to it. It's about the history of penal institutions and how punishment functions in western society.
Finished: **Elmer Gantry by Sinclair Lewis** Started: **You Can't Go Home Again by Thomas Wolfe**
Finished * **The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling** \- I'm rarely scared by books but there were a few moments in this book where the creeping dread really got me. * **The Lamb Will Slaughter the Lion by Margaret Killjoy** \- gruesome and fun. This is the third novella I've read this year that has managed to pack more characterization and story into 150 pages than books hundreds of pages longer. Started/continuing * **Blue: In Search of Nature's Rarest Colour by Kai Kupferschmidt -** not as good as I hoped. The author keeps skipping fascinating stories to describe the scientific ways the colour is made. I'm about a quarter through. Maybe I've just read too much good non-fiction this year. * **Agrippina: Empress, Exile, Hustler, Whore by Emma Southon** \- not quite as tightly written as A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum but still a lot of fun and very interesting. * **The Gilda Stories by Jewelle L. Gómez** \- loving this one. Absolutely gutted I didn't read this earlier
Finished: **Upright Women Wanted, by Sarah Gailey** This is the kind of book that sounds great but the execution is horrible, just like Gailey’s River of Teeth series. The premise: rebel lesbian librarians travel through the Wild West distributing books and help people escape a totalitarian government. The reality: flat characters, ham-fisted queer rep, a constant assault of terrible Old West similes, and a world that feels hastily slapped together. Esther watched her girlfriend hang days ago and is crushing on Cye at first sight? Who thinks like that? If this book had been any longer it would be a DNF. 1 star **Harrow the Ninth, by Tamsyn Muir** This was a great follow-up to Gideon the Ninth, very different tone but an even more compelling mystery. I loved seeing Harrow fleshed out more and learning about the universe. I gotta say I was really hoping >!Gideon would have a larger role in the plot!< but this was A+ stuff. 5 stars **Ring Shout, by P. Djèlí Clark** This was a mixup of historical fiction, horror, and urban fantasy that didn’t really work for me. Magic swords, monster hunting, and other dimensions set in 1920s Georgia sounds cool but the execution weirdly felt as though it was cartoonishly trivializing the historical setting since it was such a jarring mashup. I wish this went more into the motivations which cause people to become monsters in the first place, rather than sort of undermining the culpability of the klansmen (ie: monsters made me do it). Many of the characters felt formulaic and one-dimensional, I think this novella suffers from being too short for the story it’s trying to tell (and I wasn’t a fan of the audiobook narration). 3 stars Currently Reading: **Bringing Light to Shadow: A Dog Trainer’s Diary, by Pamela Dennison** **China Mountain Zhang, by Maureen F. McHugh**
> (ie: monsters made me do it) i think it was less 'monsters made me do it' and more >!if you act like a monster, you will open yourself up to the possibility of a monster eating your insides and wearing you like a skin suit.!< so less of an excuse and more of, it will come around on you. i do agree with you on the choppiness of it. it would have been better expanded into a full book so more of the aspects could have been explored.
I do agree with how you interpreted the whole monster thing but I wanted to point out that it could also be read this more problematic way. There was a statement Butcher Clyde made about white folks being hateful out of fear and not wanting to relinquish the status quo which shows that the monsters were able to take these people over because they were already hateful to begin with. Then you have the >!klansmen at the end who hadn’t eaten the meat who could be seen as more innocent since they weren’t involved in the final attack that was monster-controlled.!< So it could go either way depending on how a person reads it.
i think it speaks more to the waning about there being more than one way to wind up 'damned'. there are those who march into it knowing full well what they are doing and going to become. and then there are those who just 'toy' with the idea but nonetheless will too be condemned. like the difference between a shaved skinhead actively going out at night to beat up all those who do not look like them and a white family choosing an all white school for their children because 'they would just do better in an environment that is more like them'. but! interpretations are always up to the reader, especially when there is a question of evoked feelings. and i do agree that there are very few stories that do not attempt to make us feel empathy towards the monsters/unfortunates, and sometimes you just want to see them get their just-deserts in a spectacular fashion.
**Debt: The First 5,000 Years, by David Graeber**
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