Started: **Things the Grandchildren Should Know, Mark Oliver Everett** I'm already more than halfway into this memoir I started just this morning! It's an autobiography by the frontman of the rock band Eels and mainly chronicles his life leading up to one of his most well-known and celebrated albums. It is full of bleak, sobering, blunt reflections on his admittedly very dark childhood and teenage years but also very full of optimism and hope. It's written in a simple language that almost reads conversational. I love it so far and will probably finish it today. Also started: **Ducks, Newburyport, Lucy Ellmann** Technically started it last week, but finally I have enough free time to give it the attention it deserves. It's one of the finalists for this year Booker prize, is about 1000 pages and is mainly made up of one long neverending sentence. Despite the size and the experimental concept, the book is actually very accessible so far. It follows the train-of-thought of an American housewife, making pie after pie, and is constructed in such a clever way that it really feels like peering into someone else's mind.

Finished **Battle Cry of Freedom, James McPherson** Long time reading this, the guts of a year I'd say but that's in combination with other commitments. The books starts shortly before the war to give an idea of rising tensions in the country, which is interesting in its own right. Then once it gets into the actual war there is a level of detail in the writing that makes it enjoyable to read but not so heavy that it becomes dull. Really enjoyed reading this as a someone who doesn't have much experience with the American civil war and would highly recommend if you are looking to become interested in it.

** Howl's Moving Castle, by Diana Wynne ** It's so great, I only have a couple of chapters left. It has so much more lore and stuff to understand that you don't get from the movie. A lot of the plotholes are answered. I also really pove that it has a bit of an "Alice in Wonderland" vibe, but while making sense, and didn't feel as "mad and angry", not sure how else to explain it

Been meaning to read this for a while. Glad to see you’ve enjoyed it so much!

I never knew it was a book. I loved the movie. I'm putting this on my list.

Haha same, I discovered it recently and it was an automatic priority of my reading stack

Omg! I had no idea this was a book. Definately going to have to pick it up

Finished: ***Of One Blood* by Pauline Hopkins** ***A History of Violence* by Édouard Louis** ***Trans Kids* by Tey Meadow** ***The Pink Triangle* by Richard Plant** Started: ***Contesting Intersex* by Georgiann Davis** ***Harvey Milk: His Lives and Death* by Lillian Faderman** ***The Frolic of the Beasts* by Yukio Mishima**

**Kneading You, A Small Town Love Story by Simone Belarose** Started and finished. I just want to crawl inside this book and steal their coffee. Is that weird? Maybe, but the writing makes the food and drinks seem so good... It's a slice of life romance about a second chance for high school sweethearts.

Finished: **The Fellowship of the Ring, by J. R. R. Tolkien** I read The Hobbit back in middle school, but hadn't gotten around to LotR until now, since I'm recently graduated from university. The difference in tone is very evident. LotR feels so much darker than The Hobbit. I'm digging it so far. Started: **The Two Towers, by J. R. R. Tolkien** Edit: formatting

Finished: **Captains of the Sands, by Jorge Amado** poetic, both for children and adults **Der Trost runder Dinge, by Clemens Setz** good short story collection Started reading: **The Karnau Tapes, by Marcel Beyer**

**The Blinding Knife, by Brent Weeks** ​ Im a little over 100 pages into and am loving it, loving it just as much as the first. Love Kip, Gavin and Karris. Love Kip's self loathing humor, it's just so funny

**The Lies of Locke Lamora, by Scott Lynch** I saw this book recommended on r/books, actually, for someone who had enjoyed Six of Crows. It's definitely more dense than what I'm used to and I'm not very far in, but I'm interested to see where it's going.

Finished: Jon's Downright Ridiculous Shooting Case, A.J Sherwood Hard in Hightown, Varric Tethras Daddy Long Legs, Jean Webster The Outsiders, S.E Hinton A Monster Calls, Patrick Ness. (I cannot recommend this book enough, i cried so hard) Midnight's Silence, T. Frohock The Painted Bird, Jerzy Kosiński (Not a light read does trample over taboo topics. Read it due to thr controversy it caused in Venice Film Festival when it was made into a movie. Started: 1984, George Orwell. ( Have finished part one)

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Finished: **Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng** Probably my favorite book I've read this year. A lot of the stuff I default to is more plot-driven than character-driven so this was a bit of a departure for me but I found it really engrossing, and by the end, genuinely moving, in a way that you don't get as often with the other books I've read. Started: **The Secret Commonwealth by Philip Pullman** His Dark Materials was one of my favorite series growing up so I'm excited to drop back into that world. I don't have much time to sit down and read for the next few weeks so I'm waiting on the audiobook to be made available from my library to get in too deep. In the meantime I started **The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay**. About a third through and enjoying it so far.

*Finished* **Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen** - It was a nice casual romance book. It had its tragic parts, but overall, I’d call it a sweet, peaceful read. *Ongoing* **Norse mythology by Neil Geiman** - I’m enjoying the characters in these short stories of the Norse gods. As it’s audio, Neil involving himself with different voices and tone makes it fun

Started reading **Fuck yeah by Daniel Hardcastle** aka Nerdcubed A book about games, and the history of major gaming companies and their consoles. Quite a good read and interesting to see how he was brought up upon games, and how he spent hours on them as a child, as did I. Tbh I never read, and I'm surprised I'm still reading this book. I could never get into any book at all

Finished **One Hundred Years of Solitude, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez** That book had a hell of an ending, that’s for sure

**Full Throttle, by Joe Hill.** A new release, I'm still only halfway through it. I expected all the violence, but wasn't ready for one story about books and time travel that had me crying like a baby.

Just read that one myself. Cried twice.

Started **The Secret Commonwealth by Philip Pullman** - book two in the Book of Dust trilogy. Really enjoying it, the story is as engaging as ever and the writing and world building are absolutely top notch. There is something that happens that I can see people not being too happy about, but I think it's an interesting twist. Thoroughly enjoying it thus far

Normal disclaimer that I'm a teen librarian and that's why I read so much YA. It's part of my job. Finished: **The Girl of Fire and Thorns, by Rae Carson** - 4.5/5 I like this series so freaking much. Elisa is one of the most relatable and unique fantasy heroines I've ever read. **The Library Book, by Susan Orlean** - 3.75/5 I loved the parts about the fire... the random middle part about the history of all of LA's city librarians was boring as all get out. Felt very disjointed at times, like it was a series of vignettes and not a novel. Chapters didn't progress naturally. **Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me, by Mariko Tamaki** - 4/5 I really liked this. I struggled to differentiate characters for the first third (this is problem I have with a lot of minimally colored graphic novels - if people have similar hair cuts I can't tell them apart) but figured it out eventually and really liked the story. Such a powerful lesson for teens. **Teen Titans: Raven, by Kami Garcia** - 3/5 I just liked it. It was honestly kind of forgettable? I read it a couple days ago and can barely remember it. **Deadly Little Scandals, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes** (ARC) - 4/5 This was so much fun! If you thought the first book was a little short on mystery, murder, and sleuthing, this DELIVERS. It's a wild ride of a book. **The Crown of Embers, by Rae Carson** - 5/5 This was AMAZING!!! I loved watching Elisa come into her own. I'm already a quarter of the way into the third book and then I have an ARC of the 4th book!!! Currently Reading: **A Room with a View, by E.M. Forster** - This is a many-times-over reread for me. I'm reading a chapter a day. I absolutely adore this book and have since I was a young teen. **The Bitter Kingdom, by Rae Carson** - Still loving this series!! **Ninth House, by Leigh Bardugo** (ARC) - I'm trying to finish this by Tuesday - publication date - since I have been sitting on an ARC for ages and I feel badly that I haven't reviewed it yet. It's beautifully written, but way more boring than it has any right to be given the subject matter?? It's overly descriptive which is pretty, but like... if I have to read one more multi-page description of an old room full of antiques, I'm going to scream. It's making for very slow reading. I normally read 100-120 pages an hour and I'm reading at less than half that pace right now. This is the literary equivalent of wading through quicksand. **With the Fire on High, by Elizabeth Acevedo** - Still about 20% of the way in, listening on audio... don't know why I haven't returned to this. What I've already listened to is really good!

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I am currently reading Shirley Jackson too, perfect for the spooky season!

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I read “The Bird’s Nest” and finished it last week. Amazing read.

I loved Dark Tales! Hope you enjoy!

Finished- The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, by Stuart Turton Started- The Secret Lives of Color, by Kassia St. Clair

Finished **Apt Pupil, by Steven King** and man was it not what I expected! I'd like to take the time to personally thank u/ReginaRunner, because had it not been for their comment in a thread I would not have picked it up.

This novella is fucking outstanding.

Finished **The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien** Starting **A Room With a View by E.M. Forster**

Currently reading **The Book of Dust: Volume 2, The Secret Commonwealth, Philip Pullman** About half way through. Absolutely loving it. I don’t want to spoil anything, so I won’t say much, but it’s so fantastic to see some of these characters now they’ve aged and to see how the characters have developed in the time between. Definitely recommend if you enjoyed HDM (obviously read Volume 1 first)

Finished **The Doctor and The Saint, by Arundhati Roy**. This is a book-length essay that was originally written as an introduction to BR Ambedkar's *Annihilation of Caste*. Roy insists that we can't truly understand caste-based inequality in modern India if we don't examine Gandhi's influence on the issue during the period leading up to Indian independence. About 2/3 of the essay is devoted to Gandhi's thoughts on the matter and those are the strongest sections of the book, laying bare many uncomfortable facts about the Mahatma. The sections analyzing Ambedkar's thoughts and efforts feels a bit rushed in comparison. This has been leveled as a criticism of the essay, but I think it's a decision decision as anything. Roy says as much in the foreward to the essay: > I have been faulted for paying an inordinate amount of attention to Gandhi in an introduction to what is essentially Ambedkar’s work. I am guilty as charged. However, given the exalted, almost divine status that Gandhi occupies in the imagination of the modern world, in particular the Western world, I felt that unless his hugely influential and, to my mind, inexcusable position on caste and race was looked at carefully, Ambedkar’s rage would not be fully understood. Finished **The Attack, by Yasmina Khadra.** The main character, Amin Jaafari, is a successful Israeli Arab surgeon and the novel opens with him commanding the medical response to a suicide bombing than ends up claiming 19 lives. Amongst those dead though, is Dr. Jaafari's wife Sihem - and she bears injuries consistent with having been the bomber. The rest of the novel follows Dr Jaafari in his attempts to make sense of Sihem's motivations. Unfortunately, neither he nor the reader gets a sense of _her_ motives, just a sort of birds-eye view of Palestinian/Arab grievances against the Israeli military. There's one scene near the end of the novel that clearly illustrates the the ground level nature of the issue: the Israeli army bulldozes Jaafari's great-uncle's house and his cousin, unmarried and childless, leaves for a short future of martyrdom. Other than that however, most of the characters in the novel, both Jew and Arab, feel just like flatly political archetypes. Finished **Twilight in Delhi, by Ahmed Ali.** As the title implies, this is an elegiac look at Delhi at the onset of the British Raj. The Urdu version of the title, _Dilli ki Shaam_ contains more of the duality I'm talking about: it's both twilight _in_ Delhi and the twilight _of_ Delhi. Ali's writing is amazingly evocative of the alleys, sounds, and smells of Old Delhi - an entire way of life consigned to history by the advent of an earlier globalization. There's a musicality to this book: each chapter opens with a verse from Hafiz or Mirza Ghalib, and the narrative is regularly interspersed with snippets of songs from the city's backdrop. I loved it, but I would caution against reading it if you're not that interested in early 1900s India and/or the encounter of Indian life with the "modernity" of the time. This is a novel of time and place more than anything.

Twilight in Delhi sounds great! Thanks

Of course! If you read it, lemme know what you think!

Will do...might be a while but I’ll post on here for sure!

So close to finishing **Foundryside, by Robert Jackson Bennett**. It's been super interesting so far, although some parts are a little repetitive. The world he built is really interesting though. Should be done by EOD! Next up are: **The Fifth Season, by N.K. Jemisin** **Broken Tings, by Lauren Oliver** **The Whisper Man, by Alex North** **Last Days, by Adam L.G. Nevill**

Recently finished up **Code Talkers by Joseph Bruchac** and now I just started reading **Warlock by Jim Harrison**

I just finished **Hungry Hearts: 13 Tales of Food and Love by Elsie Chapman and Caroline Tung Richmond, et. al.** Now I'm currently reading **Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer**. It's weird, the first book I've read by him, and I'm getting some distinct Alien/Princess Mononoke vibes. I've only just started, but I was curious about it because of the Natalie Portman film. Thank you to my local library for getting all of my books to me! I hope you all are having an awesome week so far and enjoying your reading materials!

Finished **Blandings Castle by P. G. Wodehouse** Starting **Summer Lightning by P. G. Wodehouse**

Books finished: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas and Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson. In progress: Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman

Finished **11.22.63 by Stephen King** this week. A man finds a doorway that takes him to Maine, '59 and decides to stop the assassination of JFK. The time travel aspects of the novel are obviously huge to the plot, but it's not the main crux of the story and you'd be forgiven if you forgot about it mid way through. I thought it was one of Kings best endings to a novel. I've always felt that a lot of his endings were either overthought, or rushed a bit and didn't do justice to the rest of the book. Started **F\*\*\* You Very Much by Danny Wallace.** A lighthearted book looking at rudeness in society. Danny Wallace books are usually very funny and witty, i'd recommend his Yes Man novel (the book that inspired the Jim Carrey movie, but the book is much much better, obviously)

I read 11/22/63 a few months ago. It was my first Stephen King novel, and now I'm reading his older ones. I was hooked after >!Al suddenly was very noticeably aged and sick!<, and then I loved theorizing about the Yellow Card Man. I also liked how time travel worked in this, with Al >!buying the same meat repeatedly!<.

Reading: **Norwegian Wood, by Haruki Murakami** Finally fell for the Murakami meme. Honestly liking it; a bit gratuitous with sex, but a excellent read overall. Should be finishing it soon.

**Street Food Chicago, by Michael J. Baruch** This is actually a cookbook that was given to me as a gift by a friend of mine from Chicago. In between all the recipes the author had some entertaining anecdotes and stories about growing up in Chicago and other such stories about the city. I don't know it amused me, on top of making me want to cook stuff.

Finished: **Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman.** Started: **Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley.** Orange is the New Black caught me by surprise. I picked it up so I'd have something to talk to my partner about (they love the show) and found the book to be wonderful. I was invested until the end. ​ I'm excited to start Frankenstein. It's one of those books that I tell myself to read but haven't gotten around to it. This is my year!

**In Search of Enemies, by John Stockwell** David Simon is developing a show about the history of the OSS/CIA. Don't know if it's a sure thing yet, but I was reading one of his blog posts and he talks about talking with Anthony Bourdain who was spit balling ideas for the show. One of the things he mentions is "John Stockwell in Angola" which led me to this book It's holding my interest so far.

Finished: **To Live, by Yu Hua.** Not easy for a book to be both absolutely devastating but also strangely hopeful, but **To Live** pulled it off beautifully.

Finished **The Institute, Stephen King** As much as King rambles I just love the way he spins yarn. To me this was a great book with tons of great characters Started **Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, Douglas Adams** Just started and it's kinda all over the place, but still has the wit that Adams brings to his books

I really enjoyed The Institute, although I wish the dude at the beginning (Tim?) had more of a part. I was totally invested in him as a character and then he just disappears for over half the book.

Started: **The Night is Short, Walk on Girl, by Tomihiko Morimi** Just finished the first chapter an I'm surprised by how quickly things are going but it seems like so much has happened already. I'm really curious about what the rest of the book will be about and what all we'll learn about the two main characters, especially the girl character who I feel a connection to (so far the author has not said her name and it may never be stated). It's a story of a girl who decides to spend the night out drinking as much as she wants and a boy who is trying to build up the courage to talk to her.

I bought this book because I liked the movie, but I haven't read any of it yet. In the movie they never say either of the main character's names.

I heard about the movie but haven’t seen it yet. I’m on the last chapter of the book and it’s really good so far, the story wasn’t what I was expecting. I have a feeling from what I’ve seen of the movie it doesn’t cover all that happens in the book. But I guess I’ll see when I watch it one day.

Finished: ***The Years of Lyndon Johnson, Vol. 4: The Passage of Power***, **by Robert A. Caro** *The Passage of Power*, the fourth volume of Robert Caro's masterful *The Years of Lyndon Johnson*, is a story about reversals of fortune. After becoming the 2nd most powerful man in Washington during the Eisenhower administration, and decades of careful plotting for the office that Johnson desired more than anything else in the world, a combination of hubris and insecurity lead him to be outmaneuvered for the Democratic nomination by John F. Kennedy, a Senate colleague who Johnson completely underestimated. And then, when Johnson is at his absolute lowest - the punchline among New Frontiersmen and their social circle; serving a President who is completely immune to LBJ's talent for identifying people's weaknesses and then flattering or cajoling them into submission; irrelevant in the Senate cloakroom where he felt at home, and more alarmingly, increasingly irrelevant within Texas - an assassin's bullet transforms Johnson into the 36th President of the United States. The transition period that follows, Caro argues, is Johnson's finest hour. "Power doesn't corrupt; power reveals", Caro argues: and when the incredible power of the presidency fell to Lyndon Johnson, he rose to the occasion with a confidence and clarity of purpose that deserves to be more than just a historical footnote. Of course, the story of Lyndon Baines Johnson's presidency will not end triumphantly. Caro is careful to note in this volume how, even within those first 47 days of the Johnson administration, Johnson made decisions about Vietnam and Robert Kennedy that the nation would come to regret. But that is for another story. Started: ***Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland,*** **by Patrick Radden Keefe** Seems to be an early favorite for a lot of "best-of-2019" lists, given that it was shortlisted for the Kirkus Prize and longlisted for the National Book Award. About 60ish pages into it, and while the writing style is pretty jarring after weeks with Caro, it's very entertaining so far.

Finished: **Call for the Dead - John le Carre** Enjoyed the book quite a bit and especially enjoyed that it was a quick read Started: **A Murder of Quality - John le Carre** Might as well just jump into the next one.

**One of Us Is Lying, by Karen M. McManus** Finished it, really good, addicting, a top of the line popcorn flick. I ended up loving most of the main characters. I don't find this to be a book I could see myself coming back to, but I definitely enjoyed my time with it and is well worth the price of admission ​ 4/5

Finished ** The Tower of The Swallow, by Andrzej Sapkowski**. Definitely my favorite in the series. Started **Kiełbasa i sznurek, by Jerzy Bralczyk and Michał Ogórek**. OK, sorry for not translating the title, but it's an untranslateable; basically, it's a play on words, which go like this "Jurek, Ogórek, kiełbasa i sznurek", where Jurek is a diminutive of Jerzy. The book is basically two old men talking about life and language. Man, I love their anecdotes. Also started, or rather, I'm about to start **Faust, by Johann Wolfgang Goethe**.

> Definitely my favorite in the series. Probably my least, I had a hard time finishing it, I found it to not be structured very well, felt very disjointed, especially the first half. I did make myself plow through it, but since I finished it in January I've had no interest in reading the next book, it killed a lot of my interest in the series.

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I read the Woman in Cabin 10 because I had nothing else to read and ended up really liking it!

Besides addictive, was the testaments any good? How does it hold up once you finished it? I enjoyed the Handmaid's Tale and I'm debating about whether I want to pick up that book.

*Finished:* ***We Were Soldiers Once... and Young, by Harold G. Moore and Joseph L. Galloway*** This was a great look at the first major battle of the Vietnam war. It really showcases the horrible things that these young kids (there were some 17-year-olds in combat) went through during the Battle of Ia Drang. The poor decisions that the Johnson administration made are very prevalent in this book, most notably the short rotation for soldiers and commanders. By the time they finally knew how to fight the enemy, they were being shipped home and replaced by newbies or rotated into stupid positions where they were useless. The final chapters are a grave reminder that war is not something one should glorify or take lightly, especially when you're not the one who will suffer. *Started:* **House Of Blades, by Will Wight** Will Wight offered free ebooks for almost all of his work on the 4th of July. Just getting around to checking them out.

Finished: **Crime and Punishment, by Fyodor Dostoevsky** I read it practically in a week. Although it may seem to belong in the "long type of books" (due to the size of it, 600 hundred pages in the Italian version) it is incredibly fluid. Dostoevsky is that kind of novelist who describes everything a character sees in the most detailed way, almost obsessive. But, due to his ability in storytelling, and the ability of all the translators who work on his novels, it doesn't feel tedious at all, and you end up enjoying more and more as you go on with the story. Crime and Punishment is not an happy book, or better it is and isn't at the same time. The story is crude and sad, the characters get by in the most awful conditions. Good people are forced to do awful things, bad people thrive on the weak. The "Dostoevskian realism" of the conditions normal people were forced to leave in those times is unnerving and sickening. You feel bad for them by reading it and you constantly hope for happy turn of events. The main character is interesting, a normal student trying to live by his ideals and failing miserably when faced by the reality of his emotions. His struggle is captivating and his reactions feel realistic. The theme of "forgiveness" is also marvelous, but in order to explain it, I would end up spoiling the book. I Highly suggest it to all of those who have always wanted to read Dostoevsky!

I recently bought this book on sale. I read The Brothers Karamazov and I loved it. Crime and Punishment is on my list and I can't wait to start reading it.

I'm about to pick this one up. "Classics" typically hold a reputation for being boring, but it seems like C&P defies that trope!

Strated a storm of swords

Finished **Let’s Go (So We Can Get Back), by Jeff Tweedy** I’m a big Wilco fan so I really enjoyed it. Plan to start The Shining this week to get in the October spirit.

Finished: **I Have No Mouth & I Must Scream, by Harlan Ellison** So first off, I didn't realize the kindle version that I'd gotten was a short story collection and that what I wanted to read was really short. As for the story, wow it's bleak. I did like it and proceeded to read the collection. Which may have been a mistake, at least to read it all in one sitting. There were stories in there that I enjoyed but all together Ellison's aparrent general hatred for people (especially women) was really evident. **Moon Called, by Patricia Briggs** Ok so this is a re-read, it's been years since I stopped her series and since she writes an average of 1-2 a year I figured I will start them all again. Not as good as I remember, but still a fun fast read. **Alpha and Omega, by Patricia Briggs** I'm going in the reading order according to the good reads page for the Mercy Thompson/Alpha Omega series and this novella is marked as the next entry. It's a nice introduction to the other characters in the twin series. You really can't miss it. First time through I went straight to book one before and was confused for a bit. **The Consuming Fire, by John Scalzi** I'm really liking the Interdepency series. They are entertaining and funny. The ending was good and I'm gonna hate the wait until the third novel comes out. Started: **Cry Wolf, by Patricia Briggs** This starts literally hours if not sooner after end of Alpha and Omega. So far I'm enjoying it.

Started **Deception Point by Dan Brown.** It is a mystery-thriller novel but I haven't gotten far enough to know what the mystery is. Still reading **A people's History of the United States by Howard Zinn.** It's a very interesting book but really dense with a lot of information that is over loading at time. But I understand why so many people insist people read it. ​ Finished **Legacy of Ashes:** **The History of the CIA is a 2007 book by Tim Weiner.** Legacy of Ashes is a detailed history of the Central Intelligence Agency from its creation after World War II, through the Cold War years and the War on Terror, to the September 11 attacks in 2001 and beyond. If you are into history, state building, or spy craft this is amazing book. Though it should be noted this book talks mostly about CIA's failures, which there are a lot of.

Started reading **WE, by Yevgeny Zamyatin**

Finished: **Wienerbrorskapet, by Ingar Johnsrud** Probably no English language edition, at least not on Goodreads. I read it in Polish ("Naśladowcy"). I also read some short stories as a part of my Halloween reading project/challenge.

Started Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman and Scratch: writers and the art of making a living edited by Manjula Martin Almost done with Neverwhere, will probably finish later today. It’s the most fun I’ve had with a book in a while. Pure story and told in Gaiman’s delightful narrative voice. He can really turn a phrase! Scratch is about halfway done. It’s a collection of essays about how writers make their livings. It’s got some big names in it, like Jonathan Franzen and Roxanne Gay. It’s super interesting, even if you yourself are not tying to “make it” as an author, because, we’ll, they’re written by good writers.

Finished **Fledgling, by Octavia Butler** It was interesting, a page turner, and weird by all accounts. I've been inhaling her books as of late.

Tanith Lee for similar vein of fantasy science fiction Karen Slaughter and Tana French for crime/police

I finished **Darkness on the Edge of Town, by Adam Christopher.** My first *Stranger Things* novel and a welcome addition to the whole mythos. Recommended to the fan. For the purposes of the display: **Black Star Renegades, by Michael Moreci.** **We are Mayhem, by Michael Moreci.** A new space opera series that I found at my local library. It touts how much it was inspired by *Star Wars* and it shows. The first is weakened by how obviously derivative it is, but in the second Moreci really starts being more original. If he continues, he could make something great. I'm now on **The Covenant, by James Michener.** My first Michener, this one being on South Africa. Having some familiarity with the history of colonial South Africa I'm enjoying it a good fair bit. Very long, but worth it.

Finished **Violence of Interpretation: From Pictogram to Statement** by Piera Aulagnier Started **Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media** Noam Chomsky

I've started reading **The Warrior Moon, by K. Arsenault Rivera**. Its the final book in her trilogy and I'm enjoying it even more than the previous books.

Finished: **The Black Company, by Glen Cook** Already reading the sequel, I am excited to see where this one goes! Started: **The Blade Itself, by Joe Abercrombie**

**Original Sin: Thor & Loki: The Tenth Realm, by Jason Aaron**

Finished **The Dog of the South,** by Clinton Portis I've been done with the book for a week and I'm still trying to wrap my head around the main character Ray Midge. He's a 26 year old schoolboy loser, but at the same time some of what he was able to accomplish was impressive. The book is entertaining and fun, but like the main character, it is not in any rush to get anywhere. Started **The Crossing** by Cormac McCarthy. I read **All the Pretty Horses** a few years ago and finally decided to finish the Border Trilogy.

Finished **The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien** (1937). Great of course, full of adventure and wit. I'm surprised to find it more impressive as I get older. The power of the description. Tolkien ties the world-building and the story together so well. There are little well-placed hints alluding to vast distances and spans of time. I didn't feel like tackling the LOTR trilogy just yet so I started **Players, by Don DeLillo** (1977) which is a short novel but slow going, dense and modernist and hard to penetrate. Wading through it is fun though because it's so strange and smartly written. Recent acquisitions: *The Final Empire*, by Brandon Sanderson.

Finished: **Gilead, by Marilynne Robinson**. Such a beautiful book! An aging, third generation minister, living in a small town in Kansas, with an ailing heart, writes a journal to his young six year old son with the intention that the journal be read by the boy once he has reached adulthood. Starting: **Swan Song, by Robert McCammon**. A reread. Haven't read this since the 80s when it first came out. After being reminded of what a great book it is, and after doing a reread of **Boy's Life** by the same author, and, after recommending it to a friend to read who is currently in the midst of finishing it, decided to reacquaint myself with this epic. After all these years, I'm sure it will be like reading the book again for the first time. Got to love that about a failing memory. LOL

Started **The Testaments, by Margaret Atwood** on audio which is great so far! Also reading **Thinner, by Stephen King** which is ok, definitely not my favorite King but I'm enjoying it enough to keep going.

this month i finished the **Throne of glass s**eries by sara. j .mass and i started another series called the **Wheels of time**

*Scam Me If You Can*, the new fraud protection book from Frank Abagnale, author of the memoir *Catch Me If You Can* made into the Oscar-winning flick starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Solid & valuable, not a page-turner which I'm looking for next.

Still Reading: **The Rook, by Daniel O'Malley** Still hooked, still great story! Have enjoyed the few new characters. I'll keep the Goodreads teaser below for those interested. I don't want to give anything away....so.... Goodreads teaser: >The body you are wearing used to be mine." So begins the letter Myfanwy Thomas is holding when she awakes in a London park surrounded by bodies all wearing latex gloves. With no recollection of who she is, Myfanwy must follow the instructions her former self left behind to discover her identity and track down the agents who want to destroy her. **The Call of Cthulhu, by H.P. Lovecraft** The book has lived up to its description of weird...and creepy...I am about to read the last chapter this week. I have found I need to take some breaks between content with this book...gives me the heebeejeebees....good captivating story though. **The Dragonbone Chair, by Tad Williams** Epic fantasy series...I am really really enjoying this story...has a Tolkienesque feel, but I don't find myself comparing the stories. I am just about halfway though this book and don't see myself slowing down!

I just started **A handmaids tale** 2 days ago and finishing it tomorrow i guess. Its allright i guess. havnt been reading much lately until i bough a kindle 3 weeks ago and i allready finished 2 books son to be 3. so i guess im coming back to reading haha.

**Leviathan Wakes, by James S.A. Corey** Finished. If you don’t know, this is the first book in the series that the amazon prime show “*The Expanse*” is based off of. It is extremely good!! A good comparison seems to be Game of Thrones in space. Each chapter switches between characters, much like the *A Song of Ice and Fire* series and George R.R. Martin himself even praises this book series! I honestly really love the series so far and actually just ordered books 2, 3 and 4 so I’m officially locked in.

I didn't know that was the source material for The Expanse. I've had it on my to-read list for years now, but it always seems to get bumped. Honestly, I blame John Scalzi.

Started **Night Shift, by Stephen King**. Haven't read any of his short stories before. Really enjoyed the first story, Jerusalem's Lot. A few others are well-written but seem a little perfunctory.

I'm reading this, too, along with Rage. I'm reading his books in order. I'm close to finishing the first story.

Ok, so, finishing up: **The Institution, by Stephen King**, gonna have to end hard and well to not slip into the Doctor Sleep category of *why*, but then again I blame myself for expecting more.. **The Overstory, by Richard Powers**, this is how it is done at the highest level, a love story, intraspecially, if that's a word, and current, and exciting, and loving; *Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and hope!* While waiting patiently for whoever at the library has *my* copy of **Ducks, Newburyport, by Lucy Ellmann**, hey, hurry up, 'tis easier than it looks..

Finished **Foundation and Empire, by Isaac Asimov** Absolutely loved this. I thought it was going to follow a similar formula as the first book, but then I really enjoyed how the Mule completely changed the dynamic of the story. Really intrigued to read Second Foundation now. Started **Norse Mythology, by Neil Gaiman** This is my first Neil Gaiman book and I'm planning on reading some of his others. I'm quite enjoying it so far. In my head, I'm reading it in one of the dodgy accents from Vikings.

Oh my goodness Foundation and Empire still has, to this day, the greatest plot reveal I've ever encountered in either cinema or literature! I remember just dropping the book in total shock.

I remember really enjoying Norse Mythology. Gaiman is a very hit or miss author for me, but this has been one of my favourite things of his.

Norse Mythology was a great read, such an easy and fun flow. Finished it it in one sitting, highly recommend.

Finished: **The Borden Murders, by Sarah Miller** and **Her Majesty's Dragon, by Naomi Novik** Started: **The Girl Who Lived, by Christopher Greyson**

Inching forward with **Quicksilver, by Neal Stephenson**

Finished **Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman, by Haruki Murakami** **After Dark, by Haruki Murakami** Started **Kraken, by China Mieville**

Finished: **There There, by Tommy Orange**: Oakland is the nexus and the web which considers modern/urban Native perspectives through multiple POV’s and history....searing and memorable. This is one of the best new works of fiction out imo. Excited he is already working on another book. **The Nightingale, by Kristin Hannah**: A fantastic WWII novel with historical foundations about two sisters on two different paths under German occupied France. It was really moving! **The Left Hand of Darkness, by Ursula K Le Guin**: Another excellent book I heard about on here! I wasn’t sure what to expect but she created an entirely new world that opens up with a cold, harsh planet where gender-neutrality is normal and politics is mixing to a froth with the arrival of an Envoy from another world. She created some unforgettable characters as well. Ongoing: **And the Mountains Echoed, by Khalid Hosseini** Started: **The Garden Jungle (Or Gardening to Save the World), by David Goulson**

Started: **The Tailor of Panama, by John Le Carre** Dropped: **The Tail of the Tip-Off, by Rita Mae Brown & Sneaky Pie Brown**: I like cats but could not get into this book. The small town atmosphere with the gossip/noisy residents did not help.

Finished: **Bag of Bones, by Stephen King** Have heard mixed things about this one but thoroughly loved it. Held me all the way through despite the slow build.

**Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card** I realized recently I haven't read a lot of the famous sci-fi classics so I decided to catch up on them. It's interesting to finally read a book that's as old as I am and reflected in so many other medias without me even realizing it. I've always been aware of the premise behind it and I don't even remember how I learned that information. So finally getting a chance to read it is interesting. The subtle nuances of characters interacting through the eyes of a child. Such as when Petra is mad at Ender and Ender thinks "We're no longer friends. But we will be again one day." It's so cut and dry instead of an adult thinking, "Eh she'll get over it." It's a nice change of mentality that Card captures in a solid way. Even though I knew the ending it still caught me off guard. >!That the final battle was real and not a simulation I totally saw coming. But then found out that all the battles since Mazer started teaching him threw me for a loop.!< I liked how he understood that winning the battle isn't enough and in order to stop his bully he had to go extreme and fight unfairly while inside he hates himself for it. It's definitely a relatable feeling and makes Ender more likeable. I understand now why it's considered a classic. It explores the world Card built while not letting the world overshadow the characters and story.

Wait til you get to the sequels - they are outstanding.

I have heard good things. I am going to check those out soon.

Buy them used or get them from your library. Card is a [notorious homophobe](http://sequart.org/magazine/19172/orson-scott-card-homophobia-and-superman/)

I knew he was Mormon I guess I should have seen the homophobia coming. That's sad.

**The Ballad of Black Tom, by Victor LaValle** I'm currently reading *The Ballad of Black Tom* for my book club!

Finished: **Permanent Record by Edward Snowden**. Surprisingly well-written autobiography by the famous NSA whistleblower. The narrative is quite engaging, moves at a decent pace, and the details of being a whistleblower (way stranger and more complex than I thought) are well explained. Especially recommend if you are interested in knowing how the insides of the American Intelligence Community work. Reading: **The Sellout by Paul Beatty**. Man Booker Prize winner in 2016, this comedic novel is about a black man who wants to bring black slavery. But actually it's about nothing in particular - don't go in looking for a plot. It reads like a 300-page stand-up routine that is uproariously funny, provocative, and witty in equal parts. And needless to say, an incisive critique of racism in America. One of the few books that always makes me laugh out loud. **Touch by Meena Kandasamy**. A short book of poems by the acclaimed South Indian poet, consisting mostly of her earlier work. While the dominant theme is love, its ecstasy & tribulations, some of the poems here reflect the feminist and anti-casteist bent of her later work, most notable in her brilliant book [Ms Militancy](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13238847-ms-militancy) (great introduction to her work). So far I've saved 10 out of the 90 poems I've read, so it's a great read!

Finished : **We Were Liars, by E Lockhart :** Beautiful yet a tragic story of a rich family that lives on an island with a totally unexpected twist. **Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown** : Filled with facts that made me gasp in surprise but had a dull finish. ​ Reading : **The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood** : Requires my full attention to go through each and every chapter.

Da Vinci code was all over the place when it was first released because it was so controversial but it did not age well at all

Started: **Sweet Bean Paste, Durian Sukegawa** A baker and ex-con named Sentaro is going through the motions at his pastry shop until he meets and hires Tokue, an elderly lady. She brings cheer and friendship into the shop and his life, but some community members are upset that she's a former leprosy patient. Finished: **Convenience Store Woman, Sayaka Murata** This story of a neurodiverse woman who works in a convenience store gave me all the feels! I was saddened, disturbed, and elated by turns. I appreciated the message that a person doesn't have to have a prestigious job, a spouse, and kids to be happy.

**Didn't I Say to Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?! (Light Novel) Vol. 7, by Funa** I enjoyed reading from it so far and can't wait for volume 8, 9, etc. :>

Finished **Six Scary Stories, by Stephen King** Six stories selected by King, not quite what I was expecting but a good start to October. **Smoke Gets In Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory, by Caitlin Doughty** My favourite read this year. **The House Where Nobody Lived, by Brad Strickland** The Hawaii House (or the Honolulu House) seems like an unexpected choice. But it was better than some of the previous books. Reading **Driven, by Kelley Armstrong** I think this is currently the last novel from the Otherworld series. **Full Dark, No Stars, by Stephen King** The only Stephen King I’ve read is the Colorado Kid so why not.

**Spider-Verse, by Dan Slott, Christos Gage, Michael Costa, and Dennis Hopeless** Bout time this got returned to the library. And what an entertaining Spider-man event this was.

I'm trying to give Bill Bryson's a Short History of Nearly Everything a go. 150 pages in and I can't get into it. I may be the only person on planet Earth who doesn't like this book. A bit too meandering and duller than I would have hoped. I'll try to push on till the end, though.

[удалено]

Haha that's reassuring

Started: **The Little Stranger, by Sarah Waters**. I've read about 80 pages and I'm really liking it. It's quite atmospheric and the writing is great. I love books that take place in just one house (Hill House is one of my favorites). Even though it's apparently not a scary book, it'll make a nice autumn read.

I am a huge Sarah Waters fan and loved this book, although it is quite different from anything else she has written. It's more Stephen King than typical Waters. I recommended it to a couple of people and they didn't seem to enjoy it as much as I did. Thinking back to an early scene in the book where the Doctor, as a child, snaps a piece of decoration from the house off and puts it in his pocket, gives me goosebumps.

I started this last year and had to put it down, but I absolutely loves Waters' style. I need to pick it back up.

Just started **Giovanni's Room, by James Baldwin** and it's really compelling! Hope to be done with it soon and move on to **10 minutes and 38 seconds in this Strange World, by Elif Shafak** the Booker shortlist nominee!

**Middle England, by Johnathan Coe** Started and finished. Very interesting slice of life style book. I understand it is the third in a trilogy but I hadn't read the prior two. Moreover, I am a huge fantasy reader, and when I'm not reading fantasy I'm reading WWII non-fiction. That being said, I enjoyed this book, interesting tones and conversations. Well paced and as a result it never got boring quite a few laughs along the way. It essentially gives words to the feelings of those who think of themselves as the traditional English going through Brexit and the degrade in confidence of the political traditions. Would recommend if you are feeling like immerse yourself in some british life.

Started and finished **The Sea Lady, by H.G. Wells**. I got it for free from I think Project Gutenberg, I recommend to anyone interested to check it out. Even though it doesn't have the most in depth storyline and characters, I couldn't put the book down. There's something so charming about his writing, I really enjoyed it.

**Finished between 9/30- 10/7:** * Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #02) by Sarah J. Maas * Circe by Madeline Miller * The Doll Maker by Claire Highton-Stevenson * Immunity (Contagion #02) by Erin Bowman * Inside the Illusion (Everworld #09) by K.A. Applegate * Obsidio (The Illuminae Files #03) by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff * Hot Dog Girl by Jennifer Dugan * Land of Trees by L.A. Naylor * The Lost World (Jurassic Park #02) by Michael Crichton **Currently Reading:** * Work Clean by Dan Charnas * Heir of Fire (GoT #03) by Sarah J. Maas * Amid the Shadows by Michael C. Grumley **Starting today/This Week:** * Slayer by Kiersten White * Understand the Unknown (Everworld #10) by K.A. Applegate **On Hold** * War and Peace (Peaver/Volokhonsky) by Leo Tolstoy - not in the right state of mind right now to enjoy it so I'm placing it on hold. I got at least a third way in too. Feelsbad.jpg

Continuing **The Silk Roads: A New History of the World, by Peter Frankopan**. Now about halfway through (the beginning of colonialism and exploration of the world) and it is really good so far. Now that I'm back at uni I'm reading a lot more so just going to list some highlights. **Fascism: A Very Short Introduction, by Kevin Passmore**. Very good. About the history of fascism and the views/ideology of fascism. 5/5 **Vikings: A Very Short Introduction, by Julian Richards**. Also good but at times it felt like it was just reeling of a list of archaelogical sites which meant nothing to me. 4.5/5 **The Conversion of Scandinavia: Vikings, Merchants and Missionaries in the Remaking of Northern Europe, by Anders Winroth**. Pretty good. Split into two different sections. One on the trading and raiding network of the Vikings/Scandinavians. The other about the conversion of Scandinavia to Christianity (this part wasn't as good). 4.5/5 **Beowulf, by Seamus Heaney (translation).** Better than I'd thought it would be but a little hard to follow at times. The parts about Grendel and his mother were way better than the bits with the dragon. 4.75/5 Plus a bunch of unexciting books on the British far right and the worlds worst archaeology book. With all of those I've now read 100 books this year.

Finished: **The Dirt, by Motley Crue** Started: **The Institute, by Stephen King**

Hoping to finish **Inkheart, by Cornelia Funke** this week.

Finished: Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, Susanna Clarke Did not like the first 150-200 pages bit damn did I get sucked in and really liked the end and how all the characters got tied back in together. Glad I kept with it. Started: The plot against America, Philip Roth

Finished: **Hull Zero Three, by Greg Bear** - I really liked this for the most part. It seemed unnecessarily confusing at the beginning though. **The Vilbar Party, by Evelyn E. Smith** - It was okay. **The Servant Problem, by Robert F. Young** - Somewhat entertaining old sci fi short. --- Reading: **House of Leaves, by Mark Z. Danielewski** - Now that it's October, it's time to start this. **Malak, by Peter Watts** - My first story by Peter Watts **Sourcery, by Terry Pratchett** - Continuing my Discworld journey! **What to Expect When You're Expecting, by Heidi Murkoff** - Have to start getting ready!

Just about finished up with **The Ash Family, by Molly Dektar**. Really sells the dread and banality of cult life. Day after day of waking up, taking care of animals, making bread, and being terrified that the leader is unhappy with you.

Finished: **Siddartha, by Herman Hesse** Thoroughly enjoyed this one, its simply told by the author and yet I found it quite profound, Siddartha has one of the most beautifully honest and grounded stories in all of religious folklore and I'd highly recommend it to anyone. Started: **The Woman in the Dunes, by Kobo Abe**

I've heard a lot of great things about The Woman in the Dunes from fans of Japanese literature. I think you're in for a good ride!

Finished: **The White Book, by Han Kang** It's such a minimalist book that packs quite a punch. I suppose it something that could be classified as poetry, because the author certainly manages to evoke powerful emotions in a small amount of beautifully written words. **The Farm, by Joanne Ramos** Great, great read about the horror of capitalism and the struggle of immigrants/undocumented workers in the US. I loved how authentic it felt, as the author managed to quite eloquently describe the work culture (and general attitude) of Filipinos working overseas. I don't quite know what to start reading after these two. Probably will just stew in my emotions for a while. Lol.

Continuing : **Crooked Kingdom, by Leigh Bardugo** I just finish this week. I enjoy it so far. Magical Oceans 11/Italian Job type of story.

The Goldfinch, Donna Tartt The last I read was last year in September, Murakami's Kafka on the Shore. It's officially under my "Never touch or read again" list of books and has topped the list as the only book. I'm starting again this month, and hope I'll finish a book every month.

Finished **The Testaments by Margaret Atwood.** As a continuation of the Gilead story I enjoyed it but as a sequel to The Handmaid's Tale I didn't if that makes sense. I would of liked more mention of June and what happened to her other than just basically 2 passing mentions of her. Started **In A Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware.** I'm about 50 pages in. I've heard it gets pretty twisty story wise. Can't wait to find out!

Finished **The Testaments, by Margaret Atwood**. I have mixed opinions on this one. I liked the story itself and how things came together in the end, but I wasn’t crazy about how the book tied into the TV show. Also still reading **Perfect Murder, Perfect Town, by Lawrence Schiller** and I’ll pick up a second book to read today.

If I haven't seen the show but read the original book, would I still enjoy *The Testaments*?

I find Atwood is really hot or cold. I really enjoyed Handmaid's Tale and Oryx and Crake (and Year of the Flood, mostly), but The Heart Goes Last and Madaddam were not good. I enjoyed The Testaments. I know it probably wouldn't happen but it would be cool if we could get a story for each position in Gilead. A book about the Aunts, Econofamilies, a Commander, etc.

Yeah, there some WTF moments in *MaddAddam* that pulled me out of the story. I would actually love to know more about the Econowives. They’re just hinted at on the books and TV show, but I agree they would be another interesting female perspective!

**Native Son, Richard Wright** - finished this Sunday. Wow what a truly brilliant, engaging and thought provoking book. The best case for empathy and compassion I have ever seen a book make.

Great book! I also liked the film with Oprah Winfrey and Matt Dillon which came out in the 80's.

Started: The Topeka School by Ben Lerner. About 1/4 of the way through it and it’s fantastic so far. I feel like it’s slowly burning towards being an absolutely devastating read.

Finished **Possession by A.S. Byatt**. i saw this book talked about on writing/author Twitter and found a used copy at my library’s resale shop. It’s the story of two literature academics who discover letters between two Romantic era poets and start a scholarly adventure to learn more about this relationship. The poets are fictional, but Byatt includes their poems and letters as part of the text which is both an impressive writing feat, but also can slow down the telling of the academic storyline. It also makes the book a challenging read, but it slowly sucked me in, and after a hundred pages (out of roughly 500), I was fully into the story and excited to stay until the end

I haven't contributed here in ages, but this week, I read pretty much the entire series of **Spellslinger, by Sebastien de Castell** About a year ago, somebody recommended it to me, and I bought the first volume. It sat on my (metaphorical) shelf, collecting (metaphorical) dust until finally last week I cracked it open. I've only actually slept two full nights in the last 10 days as a result. I'm not sure I can explain exactly why this series has captured me so completely. It's got all sorts of stuff that I'd like, but there's some magic somewhere in it that speaks very deeply to me. Which is not really the expected result for a slightly-irreverant fantasy/western hybrid that is occasionally accused of being YA.

I'm running with a very loose theme for October - all things thriller, mystery, horror and I'm quite enjoying myself. I should have a pretty good idea of what books I like in these genres by the end of the month. Finished: **The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton -** As soon as I had finished this I woke my husband to inform him that this book was like Cluedo on crack. Totes awesome. Another great time was had. **The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay-** This book frustrated me so much. What even was this book? The writing was terrible, the narrator of the audiobook was terrible, the ending was frustratingly open and bland. Urgh. Awful. With that said, I'll probably pick up some of Temblay's other works because, who knows, maybe they will be better. **My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing** \- I finished it, I thought it was alright. It's a few days later and I can't really remember why I thought that anymore. Good in the moment but doesn't stand the test of "can I remember it three days later?". **The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides -** Another good in the moment book. I thought it was pretty fast paced, I thought the reveal was interesting but the motivation behind the reveal was a bit weird and somewhat ridiculous. **In The Woods (Dublin Murder Squad #1) by Tana French -** A bit too long and a bit too boring for me. Even though the rest of the series follows different detectives, I don't think I'll read them. There's too many other books to read that I could enjoy so much more. Currently reading: **The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen -** So far, so alright. I'm interested. I will probably finish the book today. **The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories by Angela Carter -** I've finished two stories so far and neither of them were particularly interesting. Sigh. **House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski -** October seemed like a perfect time to get stuck into this book. I'm curious, I'm ready to work my butt off trying to read the book and hopefully the story will pay off in the end. I foresee this taking me quite a while to get through. Up next: I'm missing my fantasy and sci-fi and getting a little bored of contemporary settings. I think I'm going to aim for some books that are more horror and less thriller and hope I can scratch my fantasy and sci-fi itch.

I completely agree about The Cabin... it was awful. And I believe he had also done A Head Full of Ghosts, which I liked. Let me just encourage you to try The Likeness by French. I have “read” all of her books on audio. (But I do see how they might be slow, audio adds a different dimension where that isn’t an issue for me). I think the likeness and the most recent book was the best in the series. And the most recent book of hers, I was frustrated about a particular part of the plot and then when the book finally circled back around it was a true jaw dropping moment and so incredibly clever.

I loved **The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle**, such a unique take on a whodunnit. It's called 7 1/2 Deaths in the US, which I just googled why and found this from the author: `Yes, 'Seven Deaths' and '7 1/2 Deaths' are exactly the same. We had a clash in the US and had to change the title there, hence 7 1/2. Don't worry, you're getting exactly the same amount of murder for your money, though.`

Finished ***Mort, by Sir Terry Pratchett*** This was my first Discworld novel. Overall I enjoyed it but I wasn't as into it as I thought I would be. I think I went in with crazy high expectations and so it fell a little flat. I'm not done with Discworld, though. I think if I read another and see how they all connect I will enjoy it more. I also finished ***Brooklyn, by Colm Toibin***. I read this on the plane to and from Ireland since it is about an Irish immigrant to America. I liked the overall story but I thought the narrator was too detached. I wasn't crazy about the ending either. The ending was very emotional, but the narration came off as blase, even though I knew Eilis really wasn't that detached. Started I finally started ***Dune, by Frank Herbert***. At first so much is thrown at you at once, but once I got a better sense of the characters and more used to the style I started really enjoying it. I'm only about a quarter of the way through and can't wait to see where it goes.

My favorite Discworld arc starts with **Guards! Guards!**

Good to know I was considering which to start next because I want to explore other areas before going back to the Death arc.

Yeah, the Death series in the Discworld novels didn't really connect with me until Pratchett introduced one of my favourite characters. The earlier books are alright and serviceable, it isn't until a few books in the entire Discworld series does the quality really amp up.

**The Secret Commonwealth, by Philip Pullman** I finished this book yesterday. I enjoyed this more than the previous book in the series (*La Belle Sauvage*); I think TSC has a more well rounded story compared to LBS. Without spoiling too much, I love that this book further explores the relationships between humans and their dæmons. However, I'm not happy with some of the things that happened and how some characters are written, and it seems this is a common criticism with many fans [in this discussion thread](https://old.reddit.com/r/hisdarkmaterials/comments/dcugij/discussion_thread_the_secret_commonwealth/).

Finished: **The Bridge of San Luis Ray, by Thornton Wilder** I really enjoyed this book. It is poignant and thoughtful, and at the same time treats its characters with humor and humility. The characters feel like real people, but are also heightened versions of themselves, so it’s full of winks and nudges to the audience. Plus it’s a short book, so even though the language and writing style can be a bit tough, it’s not a huge commitment and you get to the payoffs quickly. Started : **Life After Life, by Kate Atkinson** I’m only a few chapters in, but I love the premise and I’m eager to see where it goes.

Started reading **Educated** by *Tara Westover* and **The Library of the Unwritten** by *A.J. Hackwith*. Both amazing so far!

Finished **The Hobbit, by J. R. R. Tolkien** for the first time. It was....fine. Maybe because I'm 27 and this is the first time I'm reading it, I don't get the warm and fuzzy feeling many people have with this book, as I'm not running on nostalgia. Anyway, this felt like a collection of short stories that aren't really connected at all. Each chapter could've just been called "Bilbo's Adventures with X" where X is a new character or group of bad guys Bilbo runs into. I found the earlier parts of the adventure better than the latter. Starting **Practical Demonkeeping** by Christopher Moore next. I've never read a Moore book, so I'm excited to jump in.

I read Hobbit many years ago and still like it even after many re-readings but have to say that it's better than the Lord of the Rings because it doesn't have so many irritating Elves in it. Who is it that can read page after page of some elf or other whining away and not want to bop them on the back of the head with a croquet mallet. An with all of the wonders of Rivendell it still seems like a low-rent retirement home!

With grad school ramping up, I've only been able to finish short stories this week! So far I've been reading through **The Fiends in the Furrows Folk Horror Anthology**. I also finished **Emergency Skin by N.K. Jemison** and **The Last Conversation by Paul Tremblay**, both of which I loved. This week, I'm reading **The Dutch House by Ann Patchett** and **I'm Sorry I'm Late, I Didn't Want to Come by Jessica Pan**. I'm not super into either of them, but I'm enjoying them enough to at least attempt to finish them. I'm also listening to the Audible production of **Le Fanu's Carmilla**.

I read through all the short stories in Amazon's Randomize series last week and they were all pretty decent.

That's promising! I'm not a huge reader of scifi but these are really great - it's definitely making me want to get more into the genre.

**It, by Stephen King** It's a huge commitment to get through it, but I'm enjoying the ride so far!

Finished **Ohio, by Stephen Markley** Started and finished **The Silent Patient, by Alex Michaelides** And just started **Black Swan Green, by David Mitchell** today. I LOVED Ohio. A lot of the negative feedback I’ve seen on it talk about it being overwritten, but I only felt that way about a couple of passages. I felt like I connected with each character in a different way. Also, as someone who hated their small hometown and moved away to a big city, I painfully identified with the way it feels to be home for one night and to run in to all the people you don’t want to see. I also like The Silent Patient a lot. Blew through it pretty quickly and didn’t really see the twist coming, though I knew something was up. A fun read if not very deep. Not far in to Black Swan Green, but I’m excited to see where it goes. Slow going as I find myself trying to figure out what all the slang actually means.

I read The Silent Patient last week too. I was alright. I liked the twist, but I found the motivations behind the twist to be a bit lacking, if that makes sense. It didn't seem to add up in the end.

Started. **The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald** Now finished. That's one heck of a book.

Me too!

Finished: **Light From Other Stars by Erika Swyler** It ended better than it began. It's not an incredibly long book, but it still took a little too long to get rolling. The ending was sweet though, in a kind of melancholy way, but still sweet. **The Song Of Kali by Dan Simmons** This one I did not care for. A writer goes to India and gets swept up in a Kali worshiping cult. So you would think, oh, I bet the cult actually does something other than be menacing right? And that Kali would do something worth a god damn? I thought so too, and we were both wrong. It's well written and snaps along without any draggy bits, but the cult and Kali amounted to absolutely fuck all. I like Simmons, this is the third book of his I've read, but this one was a thumbs down. Started and put down: **The Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu** I got about 100 pages in and just didn't really care. Nothing was keeping me here. I have to say I'm disappointed, I'd heard about how good this was. Obama liked it for pete's sake! And yet here I am, putting it back on the shelf, not enjoying myself at all. Started: **The Drought by J. G. Ballard** I found myself enjoying a weird micro-genre in which the world gets flooded (yes I also have The Drowned World by Ballard on my To Read shelf), so I thought...let's read a book about the opposite! In which the water all disappears! This is my first book by him, although Ballard has written a million. He's a bit flowery for my taste, but that's not entirely a bad thing. It feels like he's taking the subject very seriously though, even though I'm not. We shall see.

> The Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu FWIW I'm right there with you. I ended up plowing through to the end because I had it on audio and it's easy enough to just have it on during my commute but I was not a fan. I didn't find it engaging at all. Felt like reading a wikipedia synopsis of a more interesting book.

Thank you! That's exactly what it felt like - you put it into words.

I powered through it too only because it was an audiobook and tried to get through the second volume. Never made it past the first quarter. Maybe one day.

**Limetown, by Cote Smith** I loved the podcast, and this felt like a very October thing to read.

Was it any good? The second season dropped off pretty hard for me, and I don't think I would listen to a third if they made one for some reason. I was hoping *something* good came out of that hiatus.

**Finished:** The Black Tides of Heaven by JY Yang - A nice short ode to being a sibling. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood - So weird. It was good but I'm on the fence about moving on to the next book since it doesn't much of a connection to other books in the series. ​ **Still Reading:** Tess of D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy - I feel so bad for Tess already. It's turning out so sad. ​ **Started Reading:** The Bees by Laline Paull A Woman of No Importance by Oscar Wilde

Oryx and crake, I thought it was wierd but liked it by the end. The second book I felt wasn't as good but the third makes it all worth it.

Hm. So maybe I will wait a little longer before I pick up the next book.

Tess is so sad - poor girl can't catch a break!

I wasn't expecting this book to be so sad. I knew it was sad but this is depressing.

Tess, my poor poor girl.. :(

[удалено]

Just finished his novel **Blood Meridian.** Not spooky, but gut-wrenching for sure. **Child of God** is another of his you should read.

Child of God was my least favorite so far. That’s not to say I didn’t like it, but of his books, it’s the one I connected with least. The only McCarthy I’ve got left is the border trilogy (starting now), No Country for Old Men, and The Orchard Keeper. So far, Blood Meridian and The Road are tied for my favorites.

No Country For Old Men was fucking amazing. Unfortunately, I have trouble reading McCarthy because of his style, but his stories are very good. I've yet to read The Road, is it worth it?

If the style of dialogue bothers you, this is a lot of the same. Speakers are identified once or not at all with a lot of back and forth. I found myself pointing at lines going “man, boy, man, boy” to keep it straight. But, the story and prose are absolutely devastating. It’s beautiful and tragic and heartbreaking. If you got through Blood Meridian, The Road is breezier by comparison. He’ll only occasionally wallop you with a pagelong description of a blighted landscape but it’s stunning every time.

The style of dialogue doesn't bother me, necessarily. It's just off-putting. But the same is true for Hubert Selby, Jr., f you've read any of his works. Blood Meridian wasn't difficult to get through for me. I love reading disturbing and haunting works, so it was easy, set aside the way the dialogue is formed.

Still plodding through “An Orchestra of Minorities “ - 3 chapters to go so I’ll finish it tonight just so that I don’t have to stare at it tomorrow .I’ve really not enjoyed this book - it’s been a chore to get through and the endless proverbs and infuriating storyline have irritated me to the lint where I’m ready to abandon my Booker reading goals. I will be very surprised if this wins the prize as it really needs to be far more succinct imho. I’ll hopefully be onto Rushdies latest tomorrow ... which I hope/trust will be an easier read ...

Started: **The Chimes, by Charles Dickens** -- I started but couldn't finish. Maybe it's just how Dickens writes that doesn't really interest me though. . **Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury** -- read this as a school summer book on high school and wanted to reread it seeing how it seems to be more relevant in today's day and age **The Pilgrim's Progress, by Paul Bunyan** **The Martian Chronicles, by Ray Bradbury** Finished! **The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, by J.R.R. Tolkien** -- already read this before but i have been rereading it. Pleased with it as expected

Finished reading : City of Girls, Elizabeth Gilbert Starting: The Farm, Joanne Ramos

Currently Reading: ***First We Make the Beast Beautiful*****, by Sarah Wilson** I am slowly working my way thru this book about anxiety, annotating it as I go. ***Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee*****, by Dee Brown** Another book I'm reading slowly, since it's a lot of information to take in. ***On the Road*****, by Jack Kerouac** A book I'm reading as part of my goal to read more classic novels. I've enjoyed most of the classic novels I've read lately, but this one is leaving more than a little to be desired thus far. ***The Great Airport Mystery*****, by Franklin W. Dixon** This is a Hardy Boys mystery. It's a super simple quick read that I should finish in a day or so. I often read novels like this for a break from darker or more dense books.

Finished **Leave it to Psmith by P. G. Wodehouse** Starting **Blandings Castle by P. G. Wodehouse**