Sorry missed last week’s post, just busy with life.
The silver lining is, I don’t have to stay “still reading” for yet another week, as I finally finished Whispers Underground by Ben Aaronovitch. Book 3 of Rivers of London series.
Yet another case involving magic in London and the Police solving it.
What about all of you? What have you been reading or listening to lately?
For details on the c/Books bingo challenge that just restarted for the year, you can checkout the initial Book Bingo, and its Recommendation Post. Links are also present in our community sidebar.
I finished Master and Margarita a couple of weeks back - it was great! Surreal and funny, plus a brilliant satire of Russian society at the time. Knowing how certain elements of the plot reflect the author’s own experiences make it particularly poignant.
Yesterday I finished reading Old Man’s War. Really enjoyed it! An interesting premise, fascinating technology & alien races coupled with some genuinely moving moments. The exploration of the implications of war and life extension were surprisingly well thought out for what I expected to be a comedic/light-hearted novel. I look forward to reading more in the series.
I have just started To Kill a Mockingbird - somehow I’ve got this far in life without reading it. Will see how it goes!
Finished the first book in Old Man’s War series or the whole series?
It’ll probably be the next book I start, unless I feel like something else at the time…
Just the first book in the series - it definitely gets my vote if you’re thinking about reading it!
I’m reading Lady Eve’s Last Con by Rebecca Fraimow and listening to Roll for Love by M.K. England during commutes. They are both pretty fluffy, but fun so far
Halfway done with The Last Emperox. It’s the last book in a space opera trilogy. Mankind is spread across the galaxy in an imperial system that forces all settlements to not be fully self sufficient in order to incentive peaceful coexistence. FTL travel doesn’t exist and thus trade can only be done with space ships via a complex network of wormholes.
The whole premise is that network is collapsing, which would leave billions of people stranded with a bleak future of them slowly burning through their last supplies. It follows the actions of the emperor’s actions taken to save as many lives as possible while trying to fend off assassination attempts from ambitious short-sighted nobles trying to gain the upper hand during the empire’s collapse.
That sound like a fun series. Will you recommend it?
Edit: Just looked it up, it’s by John Scalzi, I have most of his already in my wishlist, so will get it sooner or later.
I definitely recommend it.
I absolutely do. Glad you have it on a list somewhere, it’s a good read.
Dungeon Crawler Carl. It’s fun so far, but I’m starting to suspect it’s going to be a bit repetitive.
I’m on book 5 right now. It’s kept my interest so far. The repetitive bits are usually comforting. It’s encouraging to know that the series does end.
How many books are there total?
The Empyrean series by Rebecca Yarros, I’m not ashamed to admit.
Read what you like, no need for feeling ashamed 😀
Still plugging away at The Wandering Inn webserial…now on book 8.
Have fun!
Neuromancer by William Gibson. Slowly realising how many cyberpunk books cribbed his homework.
It’s crazy to me how much this book is the root of the cyberpunk tree. So much of the terminology is identical across the genre. Great book!
I just finished Alchemised. Amazing love story set during a civil war, but also a story about the way we see ourselves and the way we’re remembered.
By SenLinYu?
In this riveting dark fantasy debut, a woman with missing memories fights to survive a war-torn world of necromancy and alchemy—and the man tasked with unearthing the deepest secrets of her past.
^ This one?
That’s the one, apparently based off of a Dramione fan-fic from what I got told by my partner.
Quick Edit: check those content warnings.
Hmm, I wouldn’t have guessed that, but I can see it now.
I’m currently reading Men at Arms (Terry Pratchett), and it’s delightful!
I’m roughly 1/3 of the way through all of the Discworld books.
I’ve long adored Social Origins Of Dictatorship And Democracy, so I’m thinking of picking up some of Barrington Moore Jr’s other work - ideally,
Injustice: The Social Bases of Obedience and Revolt
and/or
Authority and Inequality under Capitalism and Socialism: USA, USSR, and China.
I vote for Authority and Inequality under Capitalism and Socialism: USA, USSR, and China!
Started the second Mistborn book by Sanderson. The first one was good and the second is still holding my interest. I think the plot and lore he’s created is top notch but his prose and overall writing style is rather meh. I’m about to start taking a shot of Bourbon for everytime a character rolls their eyes or signs in conversation.
I am not someone who is a good judge of what is good or bad writing, but this is one of his earliest work and it’s said that his later books improve a lot. Though he is generally loved for his world-building and stories, rather than beauty of his prose.
I’m starting House of Leaves today.
I don’t think I’m ready for this wild ride but only one way to find out.
Remember to share your review when done!
I am waiting for a copy to come into my life by chance as I think that will add to the story. Cant wait for that day
You’re only allowed to wait that way if you add notes in the margins. Keep it going
I caved and stopped by Barnes and Noble after work so I’m about to get started lol
I finished Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson this week. Great read! Stephenson is a very long-winded and meandering author but I love it every time.
I just got a copy of House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski because I was inspired by mushroommonk (I don’t know how to tag users) here in the comments. Super excited to finally crack this one open.
I am also about to start in on Ursula Le Guin but I dont know if I should start with The Left Hand of Darkness or The Word for World is Forest.
Working on the new T. Kingfisher, Hemlock & Silver.
__
Read since last time:
The Lamb Will Slaughter the Lion by Margaret Killjoy (fantasy horror, novella) | bingo: creature, minority author, short, LGBTQIA+ lead, alliterative, cover
A wanderer visits an anarchist commune that’s protected by a preternatural being.
I think I’d put this in the “fine” category; not sure if I’m interested in the sequels.
The Tea Master and the Detective by Aliette de Bodard (space opera-ish mystery, novella) | bingo: creature, different continent, minority author, orange, short, award
A prickly detective and a sentient ship discover and investigate an unusual corpse.
Intentional Holmes and Watson vibes. Cute enough, but the mystery felt a bit secondary.
I love Kingfisher’s stuff.
I’d agree with Tea Master. I definitely enjoyed it, but it was more a book about their dynamic than an actual mystery.
Recently started the second book in the Bobiverse series. Really enjoyed the first one, but I did have to try a couple times to get into it. Once I did though, I couldn’t put it down. The audiobook is narrated by Ray Porter who also does Project Hail Mary. Great narrarator.
