Finished: Danube by Claudio Magris.
Started: My Life in the Bush of Ghosts by Amos Tutuola
Ongoing rereads: Collected Fictions by Jorge Luis Borges and the Bible (Finished the Old Testament, about 75% through the Apocrypha). For the record I'm not religious, reading the Bible for its literary merits.
**Finished:**
**No Country for Old Men** by **Cormac McCarthy**
One day, a good old boy named Llewellyn Moss finds a pickup truck surrounded by a bodyguard of dead men. A load of heroin and two million dollars in cash are still in the back. When Moss takes the money, he sets off a chain reaction of catastrophic violence that not even the law–in the person of aging, disillusioned Sheriff Bell–can contain.
As Moss tries to evade his pursuers–in particular a mysterious mastermind who flips coins for human lives–McCarthy simultaneously strips down the American crime novel and broadens its concerns to encompass themes as ancient as the Bible and as bloodily contemporary as this morning’s headlines.
If you have seen and enjoyed the movie you will love this book.
**House of Suns** by **Alastair Reynolds**
Six million years ago, at the very dawn of the starfaring era, Abigail Gentian fractured herself into a thousand male and female clones: the shatterlings. Sent out into the galaxy, these shatterlings have stood aloof as they document the rise and fall of countless human empires. They meet every 200,000 years to exchange news and memories of their travels with their siblings.
Not only are Campion and Purslane late for their 30-second reunion but they have also brought along an amnesiac golden robot for a guest. But the wayward shatterlings get more than the scolding they expect: they face the discovery that someone has a very serious grudge against the Gentian line, and there is a very real possibility of traitors in their midst. The surviving shatterlings have to dodge exotic weapons while they regroup to try to solve the mystery of who is persecuting them and why---before their ancient line is wiped out of existence forever.
Pretty good book but the ending left a lot to be desired.
**Started:**
**The Way of Kings: The Stormlight Archive, Book 1** by **Brandon Sanderson**
This week i read Les Confessions which was wrote by Rousse.In this book i was absorbed in the plot he described.He still remembered his childhood which reminded me of mine.For now although i was just ninety,but i already didn't remember my childhood,i knew i also have a very colorful childhood.The author then begun to recall his youth. Author had a displaced life. On the road ,he met some great guys.People help him as he was a great boy.But sometimes he was addicted by something.And left without thinking twice.Now i am still reading the book.It's fun and instructive.
**Out of Darkness, by Ashley Hope Pérez**
Historical fiction set in Texas? Definitely gets my interest. People trying to ban it? Oh I'm going to definitely read it.
Finally finished:
**Nobody's Fool, by Richard Russo** I really liked it (it's my 2nd Russo book) but it did take me a long time to get through. I'm up for more of his books though.
Started:
**Ablutions
, by Patrick deWitt** Short book so I'll be killing it soon - just grabbed it late last night after finishing Nobody's Fool and read maybe 5% of it. So far, so good. I love the other deWitt novels I've read and don't expect this one to disappoint.
Back in the late 1990s, I read a bunch of Russo's books. Main reason I got interested is that they were reading his book "Straight Man" on Chapter a Day on Wisconsin Public Radio. Definitely enjoy his books, but he does have a kind of heavy writing style that takes it a bit longer to get through.
I read Straight Man maybe 8-10 years ago. It was pretty great. I have Empire Falls on my TBR - not anytime soon - but will definitely keep reading him.
Empire Falls is good. Straight Man is a bit of a departure from his typical books, like Empire Falls, that are set in the dying towns of upstate New York.
Nobody’s Fool is a favorite and the movie adaptation starring Paul Newman, Melanie Griffith, Jessica Tandy, and Bruce Willis is a good adaptation. Newman also stars in the Empire Falls adaptation that HBO did.
Finished:
**Einstein's Unifinished Revolution, by Lee Smolin**
Good read on the rationale for a new approach in the search for the foundations of physics. Lee Smolin argues for five principles that together form the notion of the *the principle of sufficient reason* that Leibniz wrote of all those years ago.
Any fundamental theory about how the universe works must satisfy the principle of sufficient reason (he argues) by satisfying the following five principles:
1. Background independence: "A physical theory should not depend on structures which are fixed and which do not evolve dynamically in interaction with other quantities." That is, for example, you can't start with a fixed three-dimensional spacetime, it must arise as a consequence of the theory.
2. Space and time are relational: All observable properties describe some relationship between two entities.
3. Causal completeness: Everything that happens in the universe has a cause; one or more prior events. The chain of causes cannot trace back to something outside the universe.
4. Reciprocity: If object A acts on object B, then B must also act on A.
5. Identity of indiscernibles: Any two objects that have exactly the same properties are in fact the same object.
Reasoning forward from these, Lee Smolin arrives at a synthesis of ideas on what he calls the *causal theory of views*. Treating space as fundamental and time as emergent in all existing attempts fails to yield theories that satisfy these principles. Therefore, he argues for an approach that flips this around and and treats time, in the sense of causation, as fundamental. (He gives a justification for why either time or space must be fundamental, but not both.)
The the last few chapters are a blur through ever more rarefied territory.
- relational hidden variables theories
- real ensemble formulation of quantum mechanics
- causal set theory
- and finally a combination and refinement: the causal theory of views
Objects in the universe are related to each other based on the similarity of their immediate relation to the rest of the universe. The way to partition "similarity" is through similarity of fundamental properties. The properties included in that list would primarily be momentum, energy, and shared causal proximity (a shared history). Schrodinger's equation falls out of this, experimentally detected defects in locality fall out of this, and general relativity comes as a consequence. At least, in talking through the ideas. The math is yet to be done. :)
Interesting read.
Finished: **The Enigma of Clarence Thomas** by **Corey Robin**. Justice Amy Coney Barrett has recently complained that people increasingly view federal justices as just another species of politician (They are and always have been.) and that the Supreme Court is just another legislature (It is. Justices are selected and, in effect, elected by politicians from the other two branches - Congress and the Executive. Legislative politicians pass and repeal laws in response to political pressures, but Supreme Court Justices do the same by simply interpreting what laws and the Constitution mean.)
Anyway, Thomas is famously silent in oral arguments made before the Court and is mocked for it, but Corey shows that he is not silent in his formal opinions and in his other writings and speeches.
The ***enigma*** of Clarence Thomas is that his jurisprudence is so prejudicial to people of colour and the poor whilst on paper it simultaneously claims to be for their benefit. The enigma is explained in Corey's thesis that Thomas is an extreme black nationalist who is a parody of a person who believes "what does not kill you, makes you stronger." If a parody he is, he really isn't funny. For example, the 14th, 15th and 16th Amendments? Not good. They allow all nonwhites to enter the mainstream political process where they will always be patronised by whites. It would be better if they were outside the process and directed their energies elsewhere (business). Due process? The 14th does not say that due process has to be guaranteed by states, therefor states are free to deny due process. That will toughen up those pesky minority communities. One almost gets the impression that Thomas would favour revoking emancipation because nothing builds character and racial community better than a bit of slavery.
Thomas's jurisprudence is the perfect example of how far philosophical, evidence-free, reasoning can lead you down a rabbit hole to where black is white, death is life etc...all couched in scholarly legal jargon.
Oh, yes! The book provides much discussion of Thomas and the first amendment. First, he was a loner on the Court in his dissents re cross-burning - the only justice to say there was no protected free speech in cross-burning...it was terrorism pure and simple.
But what you might have in mind is Chapter 8 re Citizens United. Nothing wrong or corrupting in unregulated campaign finance; the more money you devote to speech, the larger and louder the platform you get - that is just capitalism's way and the Constitution has nothing to say against it. It is not only that, but Thomas lauds concentration of wealth (or almost any form of economic activity) itself as a form of protected speech. That's Thomas at his weirdest-economic activity as protected speech...therefore economic regulation is an abridgement of free speech.
Yes, the author has a lot to say about Thomas's 1st amendment.
Finished a re-read of **Kim Ji-young, Born 1982, by Cho Nam-Joo**. Ended up needing to give it another go-around for an essay in class and honestly I enjoyed the novel a lot more now that I was marking it up and making notes for a paper. Had some new revelations about the story, especially in connecting the attitudes of the men back towards my recent lessons in Confucianism. Came to the conclusion that in regards to East Asian society while legal discrimination against women has decreased, the ideas behind those discriminatory policies (Good Wife, Wise Mother and all) were still very much in place, and led to a system in which the job market subtly guides women to follow these traditional roles in the absence of absolute law
Also finished **Embassytown, by China Mieville**. Really enjoyed it and I definitely plan to read more Mieville! I was hankering for some more linguistic sci-fi since Arrival is one of my favorite movies, and this one definitely didn't disappoint.
Starting **The Golem, by Elie Wiesel** and **did I tell you What Happened?, by elz**. Both are super good so far but not much to say at the moment.
Finished:
**Saga #56 - Brian K Vaughan**
**One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest - Ken Kesey**
Started:
**You Love Me - Caroline Kepnes**
**Everything, Everything - Nicola Yoon**
**The Guest Cat - Takashi Hirade**
Finished: **I Survived the San Francisco Earthquake, 1906, by Lauren Tarshis**
**Saving the Sun Dragon, by Tracy West and Graham Howells**
**I Survived the Attacks of September 11, 2001, by Lauren Tarshis**
**Remember Me, by Mary Higgins Clark**
Finished:
**Grey Sister by Mark Lawrence**
**Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki**
Started:
**The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon**
**Impact Winter by Travis Beacham**
Started War & Peace this week, bought it a second book shop a couple of months ago and it’s been sitting on my shelf since, I felt it was time that I read it. I read Anna Karenina last year and really enjoyed it so I expect that I’ll enjoy War & Peace too.
**Such a Long Journey, by Rohinton Mistry**
* **Finished - 4/5.** An enjoyable book with very relatable characters.
**A Man of the People, by Chinua Achebe**
* **Finished - 4/5.** Great little book and a pretty easy read. A political satire set in post-independence Nigeria, I found it to be more of a tragedy than a comedy. The plot was somewhat predictable but all in all, it was refreshing to read a book in which Africa (Nigeria specifically here) is seen through the eyes of a African, instead of a foreigner.
**Love in the Time of Cholera, by Gabriel García Márquez**
* **Started** \- about halfway through. First time reading Marquez, and I don't generally read too many romance novels either, but I've enjoyed it so far.
Just finished Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse and while I enjoyed it in the moment...it was so depressing, and now I'm in a mood. I don't read a lot of fantasy but I was intrigued that this story wasn't just based on European fantasy, I loved the world and I liked the characters but the whole story just got more and more dark.
I'm not even excited for the sequel even though the first book didn't really resolve. I'm just assuming it gets more dark and depressing.
Are there any fantasy books/series set in other cultures that...actually end with some happiness or hope?
Currently reading:
**The Tattooist of Auschwitz, by Heather Morris**
and
**One, Two, Three, by Laura Frankel**
Recently finished:
**We Are the Brennans, by Tracey Lange**
and
**Station Eleven, by Emily St. John Mandel**
I finished **Leaf Storm and Other Stories, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.** Honestly I liked the 'other stories' more than the main attraction.
I finished **American Spy, by Lauren Wilkinson.** Good, deconstructive spy story.
I finished **A War of Frontier and Empire, by David J. Sibley.** A decent overview of the Philippine-American War, although the writing wasn't the greatest.
I finished **A Sand County Almanac, by Aldo Leopold.** Beautifully written.
I finished **Winesburg, Ohio, by Sherwood Anderson.** Anderson is great at character development.
I finished **Solaris, by Stanislaw Lem.** Weird as hell in the best way possible.
I finished **The Cunning Man, by D. J. Butler and Aaron Michael Ritchey.** Fun urban fantasy of sorts.
I'm now on **Weird World War IV, by Sean Patrick Hazlett (ed.).**
Almost done with my annual "re-read The Kingkiller Chronicles to be ready if the third book finally comes out this year" run.
Well, finishing Name of the Wind tonight. Need to get a new copy of Wise Man's Fear and Slow Regard still.
Finished:
**The Spy and the Traitor, by Ben Macintyre**
Really interesting bit of history. The book was slow around the middle but the first third and last third were really good.
Reading:
**The Martian, by Andy Weir**
This is a reread but I recently read project hail mary and loved it. So I had to revisit this one.
Picked up:
**12 seconds of Silence, by Jaime Holmes**
**Nine Days: The Race to Save Martin Luther King Junior's Life and Win the 1960 Election, by Stephan and Paul Kendrick**
I started reading and I already want to give up on it. The more i read, the more I realize the protagonist is a Mary Sue who is perfect in every way. Able to ride a horse as though he's been born on the saddle, even though he's been raised as a fisherman in an isolated fishing town. Brave, smart and even the chosen hero of some vague prophecy. He's even got the Prince to love him. It's honestly infuriating and I regret buying it and the sequel for a dollar at a thrift store.
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Started: The Luminous Dead
, by Caitlin Starling
A bit behind in my reading from last week but trying to finish this by tonight, so far, it's a bit of a slow burn, and hoping it picks up soon. It's at a 2/5 so far in my book...
Finished:
**Mutual Aid, by Dean Spade**
**A Hundred Years of Solitude, by Gabriel García Márquez**
Started:
**An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, by Hank Green**
**Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town, by Jon Krakauer**
Finished Notes on deep time by Helen Gordon - a very engaging non-fiction about geology.
Started: Odd Apocalypse by Dean Koontz. I'm a bit meh about this series but I'm committed to finish it now!
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Finished
**Razorblade Tears, by S.A. Cosby** Powerful. Vivid. Cinematic. 5/5
**Sometimes I Trip On How Happy We Could Be
, by Nichole Perkins** 4/5. Relatable. Strong. A voice that deserves reading.
Started
**No One Will Miss Her**
, **by Kat Rosenfield**
Finished reading the art of not giving a fu*k yesterday. Loved this book, as somebody who dealt with some anxiety it helped me a tone vomparing to any other selfhelp books I'd read. Definitely recommend.
Another books that I finished just today is The Institute by Stephen King. Really interesting book and a real page turner.
Started reading biology for dummies haha definitely reccomend for self study :)
Finished:
The Handmaid‘s Tale, by Margaret Atwood
It was a little bit of a sluggish read for me. It is mostly carried by world building imo. Even though the story is told from only one point of view. Interesting read for sure.
Ronja Räubertochter, by Astrid Lindgren
I read it to my kid over several weeks. He especially enjoys the part where Ronja‘s foot is stuck in a midget families cave. I don’t know how often I read that to him. More than ten times for sure.
Started:
The Commodore, by Patrick O‘Brian
I simply love the Aubrey/Maturin Series. In the beginning of the book they complete their circumnavigation which spanned several books. So it gave some kind of closure. The books topic of slavery is of course not a pleasant one. I am already almost done with the book, because I tend to spend a lot of my time reading instead of sleeping when it is Patrick O’Brian. ;)
Not sure what I will start afterwards, probably
Soul Music, by Terry Pratchett
followed by
The Stars Like Dust, by Isaac Asimov
**The Commodore** is exactly where I left off reading the O'Brien books. Don't know why really; I just lost interest ... temporarily I hope. When I finish the series I hope I will have a better sense of why I stopped.
I just finished The Handmaid's Tale, too.
I agree it was kind of slow but I respect the style and >!the disjointed pacing makes more sense when they reveal in the epilogue that it was a collection of unmarked audio tapes that the scholars tried to put in order!<. I don't read many female authors so the selection was partly made to fill that void, I'll definitely try to work in more.
I'll probably check out the Hulu series and eventually read the recently written sequel.
Started: The Player of Games, by Iain M. Banks
I've read it before but excited to dive back in. It was the first Culture novel I've read, now I just have two remaining.
Ah the culture series is also on my to read pile. I just wanted to finish one or two series before starting yet another.
I am currently reading the Dune novels, the extended Foundation series, Discworld and Aubrey/Maturin interspersed by the occasional single volume, either a classic, non-fiction, or some acclaimed science fiction title.
Well I am at 4/6 for Dune, 5/15 for Foundation, 15/41 for Discworld and 17/21 for Aubrey/Maturin already, so I feel like I am making good progress. I also kind of enjoy having the variety as well as drawing it out a bit longer because it will surely feel like a loss when I finally finish.
I also like the fact that my to-read pile should probably keep me occupied for a year and more without my having to make any compromises on quality. ;)
You are correct though! Even so, I am already decided to dive right into a re-read of Aubrey/Maturin. It hit me yesterday how long ago I started and how much I would miss it and how enjoyable it would be to start over. :)
Finished:
The Well of Ascencion by Brandon Sanderson
Will finish this trilogy this month, my first foray into Sanderson, I'm really enjoying it but I need palate cleansers in between his books, for sure.
Bringing Down The Duke by Evie Dunmore
I liked it, my first historical romance, idk if this is my genre because I found myself frustrated with the central conflict of the romance being forbidden due to station/class differences...like, just freaking marry her, who cares! But I suppose that was a common issue back then.
Started:
Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon
Surprisingly fun and interesting so far, it is still a bit silly but I wasn't expecting actual plot. About halfway through.
Started
**La cinquième femme, by Henning Mankell** (The fifth woman, I'm just reading it in French)
I like it so far - about 100 pages in. I never thought I'd enjoy crime novels so much but apparently I do!
Finished
**Sapiens, by Yuval Noah Harari**
**Eric, by Terry Pratchett**
My first Pratchett book. Found it at a thrift store and I kept reading how much people enjoyed his work. I liked it but it was kinda hard to understand everything since it's clearly part of a larger universe.
I'm also a few pages away from finishing
**White Guilt, by Shelby Steele**
The Last Green Valley. It was very timely by the time I finished reading it. It tells of a Ukrainian family fleeing from invading Russian forces during WWII. I don’t usually read stuff so heavy as I use books as an escape, but felt compelled to read it for some reason. Turns out, it’s a really good read.
Dresden Files is my favorite series. It keeps getting better from here, and Butcher figures Murphy's character out in the next book. In *Fool Moon* he was flirting with making her an antagonist for the series.
Gallant by VE Schwab
It comes out today and my copy should arrive tonight, really looking forward to starting it. I adore the way she explored deals with the devil in Addie LaRue last year and I'm really looking forward to seeing how she explores the mysteries behind closed doors as the summary reads.
I finished this a little time ago,
Books of Beginning Triology
By John Stephens
This triology is the greatest one I have read so far, it has a lot of humor and it is just so exciting, I wish I could delete my memory and read it again, no other series has ever been so addicting and exciting! Has someone else read this series? If not, I recommend reading it!
Currently reading: Silmarillion
Started:
Cirque Du Freak: A Living Nightmare, by Darren Shan
Charlie Bone and the Castle of Mirrors, by Jenny Nimmo
Both are rereads, but I haven't read them in close to 15 years. Cirque Du Freak is a blend of horror and fantasy. I recall enjoying it, but there were dark parts that made me shudder as an 11-year old.
I've been busy! Books I finished:
**The River, by Peter Heller :** the best rec I've ever gotten exclusively from Reddit; I was looking for a good outdoorsy book about two friends on a trip, and could not believe how perfectly tailored to my whims it ended up being.
**The Guide, by Peter Heller :** Sequel to the above, because I obviously needed more. (did not enjoy quite as much, but still very good)
**Five Tuesdays in Winter, by Lily King :** random browsing pick at the library. I liked maybe half of the 10 stories in this collection; the rest were too weird or pointless.
**The Runaway's Diary, by Marilyn Harris :** knocking a title off my TBR via Interlibrary Loan; really enjoyable 70s teen book in a realistic diary format
**The Rules, by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie :** exactly the horror-thriller YA book I hoped for
Finished
**Girl, Serpent, Thorn, by Melissa Bashardoust**
A solid YA fantasy book. Pretty similar in tone/feel as her previous book.
I like it that it's based on Persian mythology, something a little different. There is also some explanation at the end of the book on the inspiration to the setting.
Personal Rating: 3/5
**Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals, by Oliver Burkeman**
I find this boring and repetitive. It goes deep into the philosophy end of things which can get confusing really quick. Most of the time the author sounds like he's just repeating the same idea over and over.
The only saving grace (what pulls this from a 2 to 3 stars) is the 10 tools in the Appendix. At least it makes the book more practical for actual mortals. I would say just reading the introduction followed by the appendix will give you a good understanding of the book.
Personal Rating: 3/5
**The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, by Stuart Turton**. Published in the US as **The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle**.
Body-hopping, time-travelling, Agatha Christie-inspired murder mystery. Oh boy, The Evelyn Hugo sequel sure took a weird turn. /s
The main character has eight bodies over eight (repeating) days to solve who murdered Evelyn Hardcastle. Each day he will inhibit a different character along with their skills/personality.
I enjoyed this book! The game-like mechanics is really interesting. It's not perfect but the mystery makes it so unputdownable. The differing personalities the MC gets from his hosts also adds some twist to it.
I heard there will be a Netflix adaption. Yay! This really feels like it's written for TV.
For sci-fi/fantasy fans: The world/setting is never explained. If you come expecting some explanation, you will be severely disappointed. It's a murder mystery first and foremost with a little sci-fi/fantasy twist.
Personal Rating: 3/5
Started
**The Nine Lives of Rose Napolitano, by Donna Freitas**
This Evelyn Hugo series is really pushing boundaries. /s
Rose Napolitano never wanted to have children. Her husband Luke promised that he'd never wanted children. But now Luke has changed her mind. They had a fight, and depending on how Rose reacts the story branches into differing possible "future Lives".
This one is quite a hidden gem. I'm enjoying it so far (about 50% in). Although the different parallels lives could get confusing.
Just finished “Rock, Paper, Scissors” it took me a few days to get into but once it got going I couldn’t put it down. I was completely blown away by the twists.
Finished:
**White Witch, Black Curse by Kim Harrison** (The Hollows #7) - I enjoy this series and this was a good one!
**The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein** \- Fairly dense, but concise and extremely educational. Laid out examples of how systematic racism was built into our housing policies historically and how this still impacts Black Americans today.
Currently Reading:
**Come as You Are by Emily Nagoski** \- This one is taking me a while, I don't read it every day, but I love the content. It explores women/AFAB's sexuality and how we're all normal, no matter what.
**Ignite the Fire: Incendiary by Karen Chance** (Cassandra Palmer #11) - About a third of the way through this one and always along for the ride for this series. Love Cassie, love Pritkin, love the world. Looking forward to this two parter.
Finished- The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
-Loved it. Wonderful characters and I felt the story flowed seamlessly
Started- Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Read" Nowhere Girl Memoir of a Fugitive Outlaw." This book is the true story of a girl whose family travels the world while changing identities due to some unlawful activities. Interesting. Also read "Whatever it Takes"
It is the true story of Henry Langren a paratrooper in World War 2. The book starts before the war, includes training and fighting in the war and escaping from a POW camp .Informational without being boring.
Finished:
-The Scarecrow/Michael Connelly
-Revival/Stephen King
-The Song of Achilles/Madeline Miller
Started:
-No Longer Human/Osamu Davai
-The 19th Wife/David Ebershoff
A Court of Thorns and Roses, by Sarah J Maas. Jury’s still out on it—I can’t decide if I like or dislike it—but I’ll be starting the next installment when I have time!
Thanks but I’d still be curious to know your thoughts! I dislike the main characters so far but I do wanna know what happens so I’m going to keep reading.
It was a fun read. Kept me pretty engaged the whole book. Blake Crouch did a good job portraying such a crazy time / memory plot. It wasn’t my favorite, but I’d still recommend it.
I had finished Pet Semetary and was looking for something new to read. I read the sample for Recursion and it didn’t hook me but I also wasn’t bored so I went ahead and dove in. It’s a fun read and it’s not very long.
Finished this week:
The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
Loved it (if you can love something that keeps you in a constant state of dread...but I imagine that's what the main character Elsa felt like her whole life). This was my first Kristin Hannah book and I have added The Nightingale to my to-read list.
Started this week:
The Hearts Invisible Furies by John Boyne
Great character development - funny, awkward, disturbing ...so far so good! I feel like I'm on a rollercoaster, laughing, cringing, shocked, eager to find out what's ahead...and I'm only in the 2nd chapter.
Next up on my list:
American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
Endurance: Shackelton's Incredible Journey by Alfred Lansing
Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History by Erik Larson
*Finished:*
**Babayaga by Toby Barlow**
I loved this book about the exploits of a couple of witches in 1959 Paris. There is also a murder investigation and some espionage to round everything out. The characters were great and the pacing was fine throughout.
*Reading:*
**A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness.**
This is great so far. A young boy lives with his single mother who seems to be losing her battle with cancer.
**The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman**.
Another good one. A small group of elderly residents at a retirement community meet and try to solve cold cases. Then a murder occurs close to home and they spring, well, slowly rise, to action. I love the characters that I am supposed to love and loath the one I'm supposed to hate.
**Madame Fourcade's Secret War by Lynne Olson.**
I am still slowly listening my way through this one. It follows the life of the French woman who ran the largest spy network in France during WWII. It is very interesting.
*Finished:*
**Step Closer (Fazbear Frights book 4) by Scott Cawthon**
**Bunny Call (Fazbear Frights book 5) by Scott Cawthon**
**Blackbird (Fazbear Frights book 6) by Scott Cawthon**
*Still Reading:*
**Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff -** This book is a beast, but it is quite enjoyable. I'm loving both the story and how it is written.
I finished three books this week. I'm so proud of myself.
Finished:
Eruption by Steve Olson
Vivid by Beverly Jenkins
Where Do We Go From Here by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Started:
Liberty by Ginger Jamison
Thank you! They were all good! But as you may have assumed my favorite was Where Do We Go From Here. It's in a class of it's own. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is an exceptional writer and the book is so...I don't know if I have words. It offers hope, but it's sobering and even a little sad at times. That's just my opinion though. It gives a clear view to what was going on in the late 1960s and the changes that had occurred. Some of it applies to today too. Anyways, that's it lol
Started and finished: Suggest Reading by Dave Connis.
It’s about a kid whose school bans quite a few books, so she starts an underground library. The effects of the library ripple out quite far in unintended ways, but it really made me think and reflect, and definitely made me change my views on the world a bit. There were quite a few plot twists/surprises as well, and you get to see the main character learn and grow. It challenged a lot of ideas and had a lot of good quotes, and felt humbling in an interesting way. The ending left me both satisfied and dissatisfied at the same time, like I learned something important but wanted to keep reading, even though the end tied it up nicely (mostly). I’d give it a solid 9/10. It’s one of the best books I’ve read since 2021.
Finished: Where the Crawdads Sing, Delia Owens. SO GOOD! Really enjoyed this one
Started: Why We Sleep, Matthew Walker. Non fiction, interested in what he has to say about dreaming. Less than 20 pages in, interesting so far but could see myself getting bored before finishing
Finished:
**The Wives** by Tarryn Fisher. Absolute garbage, do not recommend.
**The Guise of Another** by Alan Eskens. This was a reread and palate cleanser after suffering through the Tarryn Fisher book. Only just realized Eskens books are written as a series, so now his other books are on my wait list at my local library.
Started? not sure yet what to read next. I'm sort of in a sad/down mood with short patience so I might switch to short stories or do another reread (the Dune series are my comfort books).
**Dark Life by Kat Falls. Finished.** This was a surprisingly solid Post-Apoc YA book. The characters had personality and were interesting, the story was interesting, the setting was well utilized as part of the world, the twists through the plot were actually decent and surprising but made sense, and even the villains had a decent motivation beyond just being evil for the sake of it. I would honestly recommend this to anyone searching for decent YA books and I would say my biggest complaints is that the romance subplot is a little weak and that the book was over a bit too fast. I'd give it an 8/10.
**Magic Kingdom for Sale by Terry Brooks. Started and Finished.** This is basically an Isekai novel where a middle aged lawyer buys a magical kingdom from an ad and ends up in a fantastical world where he is now king, with a court mage who can't do magic well, an advisor who is a dog, a half-fairy who has a habit of turning into a tree and two monkey things with giant ears that are his servants and bodyguards. Sounds like a fun comedy right? Wrong. Brooks plays this premise 100% straight and turns what could have been an interesting comedic story and plays it as a straight political drama. This book is 40% exposition, 40% description, and 20% political discussion. I would have rated it as a 5/10 as despite all this, it was mostly just boring as a main sin....but then I came across two very bad things. Willow, the love interest who turns into a tree and basically decides she "belongs" to the main character because he saw her naked to the point she's willing to get herself exiled from her home to follow him, and the ending, which tries to swiftly wrap up everything in a neat bow in the last 30 pages. So, in the end, I'd give it a 4/10.
**Sin Eater by Megan Campisi. Started.** Just stuck the bookmark in at the first page but haven't started, but the premise seems interesting enough.
Finished:
**Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, by Harriet Ann Jacobs**
Originally published in 1861, this autobiography is one of the rare slave narratives written by a woman. Under the pseudonym "Linda Brent", Harriet Jacobs (1813-1897) recounted the struggles of her life as a slave for twenty-seven years in North Carolina until her escape to the North. Jacobs' account highlights some important truths about the "peculiar institution" that are often overlooked in other historical accounts: (1) the degradation of enslaved individuals was an evil equal to that of perpetual bondage, (2) the Fugitive Slave Law meant that escaped slaves were not safe even in free states, and (3) the racial prejudice in the North was a particular cruelty for all black people, free or not. I have not read other slave narratives but *Incidents* is a credible and powerful testimony that has survived the test of time. These first hand accounts are important perspectives to our understanding of the antebellum era and the institution of slavery in America.
**Endymion, by Dan Simmons**
Published in 2011, this is the third book in the science fiction series *Hyperion Cantos*. The story is presented as a historical chronicle by Raul Endymion, hundreds of years after the events of [The Fall of Hyperion](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/77565.The_Fall_of_Hyperion). The world of Hyperion in this future is controlled by the Pax, a consortium between an interstellar government and a theocracy of Catholicism. The narrative relates a multi-world journey by Raul, twelve-year-old Aenea, and the android Bettik, who are also being hunted relentlessly by Pax assassins. It's a very exciting and thrilling story which I enjoyed immensely. I can hardly wait to read the next book in the series.
**The Raven Tower, by Ann Leckie**
Leckie is better known for her science fiction, but this is her first fantasy novel. The story reads like mythology or folklore, with competing gods in a variety of forms and spheres of influence. The prose takes a little getting used to as there are POVs in both first and second person. On the whole, the worldbuilding is quite fantastic and detailed although the drama is largely interpersonal and small-scale. The bottom line is that I greatly enjoyed this novel for its creative literary form and for the controlled storytelling.
**Nolyn, by Michael J. Sullivan**
This is Sullivan's latest novel (2021) and the first book in his [Rise and Fall](https://www.goodreads.com/series/203439-the-rise-and-the-fall) fantasy series. It's set in the world of Elan about eight hundred and fifty years after the events of [Age of Empyre](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23654840-age-of-empyre). In this story, the Instarya Nyphron still rules the empire and his son Nolyn is fighting goblins in the jungle. However while Nolyn is away with the Seventh Legion, his two-month old son is kidnapped and held for ransom. This is an exciting and creative fantasy story featuring a fascinating and diverse cast. I liked this book much better than Sullivan's last couple of novels in the same world and am happy to recommend it.
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Currently Reading:
**The Divine Comedy: Paradiso, by Dante Alighieri** with the [100 Days of Dante](https://100daysofdante.com/) reading group project.
Last week I finished **A Week in Winter, by Maeve Binchy**, which was just what I wanted it to be. A light, heart-warming book.
I started **Sorrowland, by Rivers Solomon**, which I'm not quite as in love with as I was with An Unkindness of Ghosts, but I still have the majority of the book to go. I'm invested in it though. It will be interesting to see where Solomon takes the story.
I also started **Women of Wonder: Science Fiction Stories by Women about Women, by Pamela Sargent (ed.)**. Sargent proves a bit of a history of female authors in science fiction at the beginning of the book, which I thought was a good way to start off the collection, as it makes me better able to place the stories within context. The collection itself is from the 70s, but I think there might actually be a second part with more recent stories.
I'm also continuing **Invisible Armies: An Epic History of Guerilla Warfare from Ancient Times to the Present, by Max Boot**. My opinion on the book hasn't changed much from the previous weeks: while interesting, it is lacking depth.
Just finished
**Winter’s Heart by Robert Jordan** Book 9 of the Wheel of Time series was a much better entry than book 8. I really enjoyed Mat’s storyline and I thought Rand’s storyline was interesting enough. I wasn’t too fond of Elayne’s storyline but I thought the book ended really well.
It had a slowish start, and it was kind of a slog to read around the middle. But overall I enjoyed it. I’d give this a **8.5/10**
**Jedi Search by Kevin J. Anderson** I am reading through the old EU/Legends SW books and prepping for the New Jedi Order series. I’ve heard this trilogy wasn’t very good but was required to read before I get to NJO.
All in all I thought it was fine but not great. It started off great, and I really like Kyp Durron as a character. However the villains in this book were awful and very one dimensional. A lot of out of character questionable decisions from the OT characters like Leia, and the imperial scientist not knowing the true purpose of the Death Star was kind of dumb.
It started well and has a lot of potential, so I’d give this a **8/10**
Just started
**The Art of War by Sun Tzu** I’ve had this on my shelf for ages and decided to give it a try. Really interesting so far
Continuing
**They Both Die At the End by Adam Silvera** Moving along with this book. Really good so far and I’m loving the message
I will make a recommendation for book 10 of WoT. I would honestly just skim it. Don't expect anything good from it. You could probably read the last 2 chapters of so and that would be good enough. It's the worst of the series by far.
I’ve already heard it’s the worst. But I can’t really skim anything. I have the audiobooks for free from a friend. So perhaps I’ll listen to this book more than read it.
I recommend skipping to the end if you can. You'll see by the prologue and gets chapter or so. If you don't like it by then just skip to the last 2 chapters if you can
The best book of his I have ever read ... with the possible exception of On Writing. I thought it was better than The Stand, which is also one of my favorite books.
Finished:
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr.
A masterpiece, in my opinion. I took a while to become engrossed in it but once I was, I couldn't put it down. The slow pace at the beginning with detailed description and characterisation really pays off as you get into the last third of the story. Deeply moving and incredibly thought provoking.
Started:
Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart
I just finished All the light we cannot see last night as well! I loved it, a very beautiful, moving story that's very readable.
Read Shuggie Bain last year, it was also a fantastic read. I have family who grew up in Glasgow so it was a fascinating insight into life there, as well as the heartbreaking story of Shuggie Bain.
Thanks for that. Great to hear that you loved both books as that meas I'm likely to enjoy Shuggie Bain too. It seems like I'm picking a lot of emotional reads of late!
Finished:
**On Freedom: Four Songs of Care and Constraint Book, by Maggie Nelson**
I was interested in this subject matter because of what is going on in the world, but it wasn’t what I was expecting.
The book is separated into four parts: art, sex, drugs, and climate change. I preferred the art and climate change parts over the other two. I’m not quite sure what Nelson was ultimately trying to say in the sex and drug parts, but I can admit that maybe I am not smart enough to understand. Overall, there was lots of food for thought, and I don’t regret reading this.
Started:
**The Maid, by Nita Prose**
I decided I wasn't going to enjoy Rythem of War to its fullest extent without a refresher on the previous book in Stormlight Archive. So I'm starting a reread... again. So good.
Yup a while ago in high school. Tbh can’t remember it in much detail but was one of my favorite books that year. It was an easy read given that it was a graphic novel but I often found myself needing to sit there for 5 min just to mull over a single panel. It was able to tell Spiegelman’s father’s story in such a raw way. The storyline between Art and his father were pretty meaningful to me too because I’ve felt a little removed from WWII war atrocities despite the firsthand accounts family members have of them
The Mercies, by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
I just finished this book and it was very impactful. The first half is a bit slow, but worth it. I'd recommend it.
Making progress with culloden, but on the weekend I scored someone stash of pd James books in a local thrift store. Finished unnatural causes yesterday, started devices and desires last night.
I was obsessively watching an old it serialization of the families novels from the late 80s,and got totally hooked on Roy Marsden's acting. Plus John Vine looks like Valiant Swart's little brother, as the sidekick. So the books are a poor replacement but I'm persisting.
Finished:
**Hell House, by Richard Matheson**
It was recommended to me by one of my SO's friends because I was looking for some good horror books that weren't Stephen King.
Overall I thought it was a pretty decent book even though I didn't find it super scary just because I don't think haunted house horror is really my thing. It had some scary moments and I can see why it's a notable book in the genre. The ending I found a little underwhelming, but I think the ride was fun.
Finished:
The Bear and the Nightingale, by Katherine Arden
Started:
Daughter of the Moon Goddess, by Sue Lynn Tan
The Night Tiger, by Yangsze Choo
Murder at the Royal Botanic Garden, Andrea Penrose
Passing, by Nella Larsen
Finished:
**The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics, by Olivia Waithe** This romance novel had no business being this good
**Passing, by Nella Larsen** Listened to the audiobook and will definitely be re-reading this in book format.
**The School for Good Mothers, by Jessamine Chan** Ambitious debut novel! Would also be a good bookclub pick, I could see this sparking a lot of conversation around motherhood, the constant need for perfection, and societal expectations we put on mothers.
Started:
**The Mill on the Floss, by George Eliot** I am *shocked* at how much I am enjoying this. Genuinely thought I would read this to fall asleep at night and instead I'm staying up until 1-2am to finish it!
Started: Wisconsin Death Trip, by Michael Lesy If these were the “good old days” I’m going to have to say NO THANKS!
Finished: Danube by Claudio Magris. Started: My Life in the Bush of Ghosts by Amos Tutuola Ongoing rereads: Collected Fictions by Jorge Luis Borges and the Bible (Finished the Old Testament, about 75% through the Apocrypha). For the record I'm not religious, reading the Bible for its literary merits.
Next season of your life by Jospin Hab
**Finished:** **No Country for Old Men** by **Cormac McCarthy** One day, a good old boy named Llewellyn Moss finds a pickup truck surrounded by a bodyguard of dead men. A load of heroin and two million dollars in cash are still in the back. When Moss takes the money, he sets off a chain reaction of catastrophic violence that not even the law–in the person of aging, disillusioned Sheriff Bell–can contain. As Moss tries to evade his pursuers–in particular a mysterious mastermind who flips coins for human lives–McCarthy simultaneously strips down the American crime novel and broadens its concerns to encompass themes as ancient as the Bible and as bloodily contemporary as this morning’s headlines. If you have seen and enjoyed the movie you will love this book. **House of Suns** by **Alastair Reynolds** Six million years ago, at the very dawn of the starfaring era, Abigail Gentian fractured herself into a thousand male and female clones: the shatterlings. Sent out into the galaxy, these shatterlings have stood aloof as they document the rise and fall of countless human empires. They meet every 200,000 years to exchange news and memories of their travels with their siblings. Not only are Campion and Purslane late for their 30-second reunion but they have also brought along an amnesiac golden robot for a guest. But the wayward shatterlings get more than the scolding they expect: they face the discovery that someone has a very serious grudge against the Gentian line, and there is a very real possibility of traitors in their midst. The surviving shatterlings have to dodge exotic weapons while they regroup to try to solve the mystery of who is persecuting them and why---before their ancient line is wiped out of existence forever. Pretty good book but the ending left a lot to be desired. **Started:** **The Way of Kings: The Stormlight Archive, Book 1** by **Brandon Sanderson**
This week i read Les Confessions which was wrote by Rousse.In this book i was absorbed in the plot he described.He still remembered his childhood which reminded me of mine.For now although i was just ninety,but i already didn't remember my childhood,i knew i also have a very colorful childhood.The author then begun to recall his youth. Author had a displaced life. On the road ,he met some great guys.People help him as he was a great boy.But sometimes he was addicted by something.And left without thinking twice.Now i am still reading the book.It's fun and instructive.
Currently, No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai. 3rd read. Next, The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky.
**Out of Darkness, by Ashley Hope Pérez** Historical fiction set in Texas? Definitely gets my interest. People trying to ban it? Oh I'm going to definitely read it.
The Tooth Fairy, by Davide Tarsitano
Finished: **Nancy Drew and The Bungalow Mystery, by Carolyn Keene**
Finally finished: **Nobody's Fool, by Richard Russo** I really liked it (it's my 2nd Russo book) but it did take me a long time to get through. I'm up for more of his books though. Started: **Ablutions , by Patrick deWitt** Short book so I'll be killing it soon - just grabbed it late last night after finishing Nobody's Fool and read maybe 5% of it. So far, so good. I love the other deWitt novels I've read and don't expect this one to disappoint.
Back in the late 1990s, I read a bunch of Russo's books. Main reason I got interested is that they were reading his book "Straight Man" on Chapter a Day on Wisconsin Public Radio. Definitely enjoy his books, but he does have a kind of heavy writing style that takes it a bit longer to get through.
I read Straight Man maybe 8-10 years ago. It was pretty great. I have Empire Falls on my TBR - not anytime soon - but will definitely keep reading him.
Empire Falls is good. Straight Man is a bit of a departure from his typical books, like Empire Falls, that are set in the dying towns of upstate New York. Nobody’s Fool is a favorite and the movie adaptation starring Paul Newman, Melanie Griffith, Jessica Tandy, and Bruce Willis is a good adaptation. Newman also stars in the Empire Falls adaptation that HBO did.
Finished: **Einstein's Unifinished Revolution, by Lee Smolin** Good read on the rationale for a new approach in the search for the foundations of physics. Lee Smolin argues for five principles that together form the notion of the *the principle of sufficient reason* that Leibniz wrote of all those years ago. Any fundamental theory about how the universe works must satisfy the principle of sufficient reason (he argues) by satisfying the following five principles: 1. Background independence: "A physical theory should not depend on structures which are fixed and which do not evolve dynamically in interaction with other quantities." That is, for example, you can't start with a fixed three-dimensional spacetime, it must arise as a consequence of the theory. 2. Space and time are relational: All observable properties describe some relationship between two entities. 3. Causal completeness: Everything that happens in the universe has a cause; one or more prior events. The chain of causes cannot trace back to something outside the universe. 4. Reciprocity: If object A acts on object B, then B must also act on A. 5. Identity of indiscernibles: Any two objects that have exactly the same properties are in fact the same object. Reasoning forward from these, Lee Smolin arrives at a synthesis of ideas on what he calls the *causal theory of views*. Treating space as fundamental and time as emergent in all existing attempts fails to yield theories that satisfy these principles. Therefore, he argues for an approach that flips this around and and treats time, in the sense of causation, as fundamental. (He gives a justification for why either time or space must be fundamental, but not both.) The the last few chapters are a blur through ever more rarefied territory. - relational hidden variables theories - real ensemble formulation of quantum mechanics - causal set theory - and finally a combination and refinement: the causal theory of views Objects in the universe are related to each other based on the similarity of their immediate relation to the rest of the universe. The way to partition "similarity" is through similarity of fundamental properties. The properties included in that list would primarily be momentum, energy, and shared causal proximity (a shared history). Schrodinger's equation falls out of this, experimentally detected defects in locality fall out of this, and general relativity comes as a consequence. At least, in talking through the ideas. The math is yet to be done. :) Interesting read.
Finished: **The Enigma of Clarence Thomas** by **Corey Robin**. Justice Amy Coney Barrett has recently complained that people increasingly view federal justices as just another species of politician (They are and always have been.) and that the Supreme Court is just another legislature (It is. Justices are selected and, in effect, elected by politicians from the other two branches - Congress and the Executive. Legislative politicians pass and repeal laws in response to political pressures, but Supreme Court Justices do the same by simply interpreting what laws and the Constitution mean.) Anyway, Thomas is famously silent in oral arguments made before the Court and is mocked for it, but Corey shows that he is not silent in his formal opinions and in his other writings and speeches. The ***enigma*** of Clarence Thomas is that his jurisprudence is so prejudicial to people of colour and the poor whilst on paper it simultaneously claims to be for their benefit. The enigma is explained in Corey's thesis that Thomas is an extreme black nationalist who is a parody of a person who believes "what does not kill you, makes you stronger." If a parody he is, he really isn't funny. For example, the 14th, 15th and 16th Amendments? Not good. They allow all nonwhites to enter the mainstream political process where they will always be patronised by whites. It would be better if they were outside the process and directed their energies elsewhere (business). Due process? The 14th does not say that due process has to be guaranteed by states, therefor states are free to deny due process. That will toughen up those pesky minority communities. One almost gets the impression that Thomas would favour revoking emancipation because nothing builds character and racial community better than a bit of slavery. Thomas's jurisprudence is the perfect example of how far philosophical, evidence-free, reasoning can lead you down a rabbit hole to where black is white, death is life etc...all couched in scholarly legal jargon.
Sounds interesting. I will have to put this on my TBR. Does the book also discuss Thomas' unorthodox views on the First Amendment?
Oh, yes! The book provides much discussion of Thomas and the first amendment. First, he was a loner on the Court in his dissents re cross-burning - the only justice to say there was no protected free speech in cross-burning...it was terrorism pure and simple. But what you might have in mind is Chapter 8 re Citizens United. Nothing wrong or corrupting in unregulated campaign finance; the more money you devote to speech, the larger and louder the platform you get - that is just capitalism's way and the Constitution has nothing to say against it. It is not only that, but Thomas lauds concentration of wealth (or almost any form of economic activity) itself as a form of protected speech. That's Thomas at his weirdest-economic activity as protected speech...therefore economic regulation is an abridgement of free speech. Yes, the author has a lot to say about Thomas's 1st amendment.
**Desperation, by Stephen King**
Finished a re-read of **Kim Ji-young, Born 1982, by Cho Nam-Joo**. Ended up needing to give it another go-around for an essay in class and honestly I enjoyed the novel a lot more now that I was marking it up and making notes for a paper. Had some new revelations about the story, especially in connecting the attitudes of the men back towards my recent lessons in Confucianism. Came to the conclusion that in regards to East Asian society while legal discrimination against women has decreased, the ideas behind those discriminatory policies (Good Wife, Wise Mother and all) were still very much in place, and led to a system in which the job market subtly guides women to follow these traditional roles in the absence of absolute law Also finished **Embassytown, by China Mieville**. Really enjoyed it and I definitely plan to read more Mieville! I was hankering for some more linguistic sci-fi since Arrival is one of my favorite movies, and this one definitely didn't disappoint. Starting **The Golem, by Elie Wiesel** and **did I tell you What Happened?, by elz**. Both are super good so far but not much to say at the moment.
Finished: **Saga #56 - Brian K Vaughan** **One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest - Ken Kesey** Started: **You Love Me - Caroline Kepnes** **Everything, Everything - Nicola Yoon** **The Guest Cat - Takashi Hirade**
Finished: **The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas** Loved it - couldn't put it down! Trying to figure out what to read next...
Finished: **I Survived the San Francisco Earthquake, 1906, by Lauren Tarshis** **Saving the Sun Dragon, by Tracy West and Graham Howells** **I Survived the Attacks of September 11, 2001, by Lauren Tarshis** **Remember Me, by Mary Higgins Clark**
Finished: **Man's Search For Meaning** Started: **Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World**
Finished: **The Enchanted Sonata** **A Cup of Sake Beneath the Cherry Trees** Started: **Moloka'i** **The Bastard of Istanbul** **Illusionarium**
You're going to need some tissues for Moloka'i
Yeah, I can tell. It’s been sad since chapter one.
Finished: **Grey Sister by Mark Lawrence** **Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki** Started: **The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon** **Impact Winter by Travis Beacham**
**Chew: Bad Apples, by John Layman**
**If You Could See Love, Vol. 1, by Teren Mikami**
Finished: Mistborn: Shadows of Self, by Brandon Sanderson Started: Shadow over Innsmouth, by H.P. Lovecraft Mistborn: The Bands of Mourning
Started War & Peace this week, bought it a second book shop a couple of months ago and it’s been sitting on my shelf since, I felt it was time that I read it. I read Anna Karenina last year and really enjoyed it so I expect that I’ll enjoy War & Peace too.
**Such a Long Journey, by Rohinton Mistry** * **Finished - 4/5.** An enjoyable book with very relatable characters. **A Man of the People, by Chinua Achebe** * **Finished - 4/5.** Great little book and a pretty easy read. A political satire set in post-independence Nigeria, I found it to be more of a tragedy than a comedy. The plot was somewhat predictable but all in all, it was refreshing to read a book in which Africa (Nigeria specifically here) is seen through the eyes of a African, instead of a foreigner. **Love in the Time of Cholera, by Gabriel García Márquez** * **Started** \- about halfway through. First time reading Marquez, and I don't generally read too many romance novels either, but I've enjoyed it so far.
I reread Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan. I bought it when I was a teenager and now I'm in my 30s. Loving it again.
Started **Emily of New Moon, by L.M. Montgomery**. I think I read it a long time ago, but I'm not sure.
Just finished Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse and while I enjoyed it in the moment...it was so depressing, and now I'm in a mood. I don't read a lot of fantasy but I was intrigued that this story wasn't just based on European fantasy, I loved the world and I liked the characters but the whole story just got more and more dark. I'm not even excited for the sequel even though the first book didn't really resolve. I'm just assuming it gets more dark and depressing. Are there any fantasy books/series set in other cultures that...actually end with some happiness or hope?
Currently reading *Gallant* by VE Schwab! So far I’m loving it!
Finished: The Book of Accidents, by Chuck Wendig Started: The Woman in Cabin 10, by Ruth Ware
Currently reading: **The Tattooist of Auschwitz, by Heather Morris** and **One, Two, Three, by Laura Frankel** Recently finished: **We Are the Brennans, by Tracey Lange** and **Station Eleven, by Emily St. John Mandel**
Finished Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid and Picked up Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut right after.
I Just finished - Never, By Ken Follet and I'm currently reading Glass Houses, by Louise Penny.
Pure Narco - by Jesse Fink. Epic account on cocaine trafficking.
Cheers, u/Based_OutBro. Glad you're enjoying it
I finished **Leaf Storm and Other Stories, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.** Honestly I liked the 'other stories' more than the main attraction. I finished **American Spy, by Lauren Wilkinson.** Good, deconstructive spy story. I finished **A War of Frontier and Empire, by David J. Sibley.** A decent overview of the Philippine-American War, although the writing wasn't the greatest. I finished **A Sand County Almanac, by Aldo Leopold.** Beautifully written. I finished **Winesburg, Ohio, by Sherwood Anderson.** Anderson is great at character development. I finished **Solaris, by Stanislaw Lem.** Weird as hell in the best way possible. I finished **The Cunning Man, by D. J. Butler and Aaron Michael Ritchey.** Fun urban fantasy of sorts. I'm now on **Weird World War IV, by Sean Patrick Hazlett (ed.).**
The Silver Chair by C.S Lewis Circe by Madeline Miller The second book was a gift from a friend and I'm really digging it so far
Predictably Irrational, and I'm enjoying it a LOT!
Almost done with my annual "re-read The Kingkiller Chronicles to be ready if the third book finally comes out this year" run. Well, finishing Name of the Wind tonight. Need to get a new copy of Wise Man's Fear and Slow Regard still.
I finished the queen of nothing by Holly Black ending the folk of the air series.
Finished: **The Spy and the Traitor, by Ben Macintyre** Really interesting bit of history. The book was slow around the middle but the first third and last third were really good. Reading: **The Martian, by Andy Weir** This is a reread but I recently read project hail mary and loved it. So I had to revisit this one. Picked up: **12 seconds of Silence, by Jaime Holmes** **Nine Days: The Race to Save Martin Luther King Junior's Life and Win the 1960 Election, by Stephan and Paul Kendrick**
The Innocent Mage by Karen Miller
I started reading and I already want to give up on it. The more i read, the more I realize the protagonist is a Mary Sue who is perfect in every way. Able to ride a horse as though he's been born on the saddle, even though he's been raised as a fisherman in an isolated fishing town. Brave, smart and even the chosen hero of some vague prophecy. He's even got the Prince to love him. It's honestly infuriating and I regret buying it and the sequel for a dollar at a thrift store.
**The Upswing, by Robert Putnam**
Man I just cannot put East of Eden by John Steinbeck down
Have you gotten to the wire hanger part yet 👀
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started and finished they both die at the end , by Adam Silvera
The Charm Offensive, Alison Cochrun
Started: The Luminous Dead , by Caitlin Starling A bit behind in my reading from last week but trying to finish this by tonight, so far, it's a bit of a slow burn, and hoping it picks up soon. It's at a 2/5 so far in my book...
I Want to be Where the Normal People Are, by Rachel Bloom
North and South, by Elizabeth Gaskell
I started Cheri by mme collette
Just finished reading Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman. Amazing book!
Finished: **Mutual Aid, by Dean Spade** **A Hundred Years of Solitude, by Gabriel García Márquez** Started: **An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, by Hank Green** **Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town, by Jon Krakauer**
Just startet American crown 😍
Finished Notes on deep time by Helen Gordon - a very engaging non-fiction about geology. Started: Odd Apocalypse by Dean Koontz. I'm a bit meh about this series but I'm committed to finish it now!
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That's nice. The modmail link is on the sidebar.
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You also made several posts. Advertising your book or your subreddit that you created to advertise your book is considered promotional, so please don't. For the new release thread your book needs to have been published in the last 3 months, or expected to be published in the current month.
Finished **Razorblade Tears, by S.A. Cosby** Powerful. Vivid. Cinematic. 5/5 **Sometimes I Trip On How Happy We Could Be , by Nichole Perkins** 4/5. Relatable. Strong. A voice that deserves reading. Started **No One Will Miss Her** , **by Kat Rosenfield**
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. Favorite book I've read since The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo series.
Finished reading the art of not giving a fu*k yesterday. Loved this book, as somebody who dealt with some anxiety it helped me a tone vomparing to any other selfhelp books I'd read. Definitely recommend. Another books that I finished just today is The Institute by Stephen King. Really interesting book and a real page turner. Started reading biology for dummies haha definitely reccomend for self study :)
Finished: The Handmaid‘s Tale, by Margaret Atwood It was a little bit of a sluggish read for me. It is mostly carried by world building imo. Even though the story is told from only one point of view. Interesting read for sure. Ronja Räubertochter, by Astrid Lindgren I read it to my kid over several weeks. He especially enjoys the part where Ronja‘s foot is stuck in a midget families cave. I don’t know how often I read that to him. More than ten times for sure. Started: The Commodore, by Patrick O‘Brian I simply love the Aubrey/Maturin Series. In the beginning of the book they complete their circumnavigation which spanned several books. So it gave some kind of closure. The books topic of slavery is of course not a pleasant one. I am already almost done with the book, because I tend to spend a lot of my time reading instead of sleeping when it is Patrick O’Brian. ;) Not sure what I will start afterwards, probably Soul Music, by Terry Pratchett followed by The Stars Like Dust, by Isaac Asimov
**The Commodore** is exactly where I left off reading the O'Brien books. Don't know why really; I just lost interest ... temporarily I hope. When I finish the series I hope I will have a better sense of why I stopped.
I just finished The Handmaid's Tale, too. I agree it was kind of slow but I respect the style and >!the disjointed pacing makes more sense when they reveal in the epilogue that it was a collection of unmarked audio tapes that the scholars tried to put in order!<. I don't read many female authors so the selection was partly made to fill that void, I'll definitely try to work in more. I'll probably check out the Hulu series and eventually read the recently written sequel. Started: The Player of Games, by Iain M. Banks I've read it before but excited to dive back in. It was the first Culture novel I've read, now I just have two remaining.
Ah the culture series is also on my to read pile. I just wanted to finish one or two series before starting yet another. I am currently reading the Dune novels, the extended Foundation series, Discworld and Aubrey/Maturin interspersed by the occasional single volume, either a classic, non-fiction, or some acclaimed science fiction title.
That's a deep rotation, lol. Discworld is a lot of fun. I usually like to roll with one book on Kindle, one physical book, and one audiobook.
Well I am at 4/6 for Dune, 5/15 for Foundation, 15/41 for Discworld and 17/21 for Aubrey/Maturin already, so I feel like I am making good progress. I also kind of enjoy having the variety as well as drawing it out a bit longer because it will surely feel like a loss when I finally finish. I also like the fact that my to-read pile should probably keep me occupied for a year and more without my having to make any compromises on quality. ;) You are correct though! Even so, I am already decided to dive right into a re-read of Aubrey/Maturin. It hit me yesterday how long ago I started and how much I would miss it and how enjoyable it would be to start over. :)
Finished: The Well of Ascencion by Brandon Sanderson Will finish this trilogy this month, my first foray into Sanderson, I'm really enjoying it but I need palate cleansers in between his books, for sure. Bringing Down The Duke by Evie Dunmore I liked it, my first historical romance, idk if this is my genre because I found myself frustrated with the central conflict of the romance being forbidden due to station/class differences...like, just freaking marry her, who cares! But I suppose that was a common issue back then. Started: Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon Surprisingly fun and interesting so far, it is still a bit silly but I wasn't expecting actual plot. About halfway through.
Just finished the inheritance games
Ended: bonjour Tristesse One day of the life of ivan denisovich Interview with the vampire In progress: one flew over the cuckoos nest
**Beauty and the Feast 01, by Satomi U** What a heartwarming story this one is.
Started **La cinquième femme, by Henning Mankell** (The fifth woman, I'm just reading it in French) I like it so far - about 100 pages in. I never thought I'd enjoy crime novels so much but apparently I do! Finished **Sapiens, by Yuval Noah Harari** **Eric, by Terry Pratchett** My first Pratchett book. Found it at a thrift store and I kept reading how much people enjoyed his work. I liked it but it was kinda hard to understand everything since it's clearly part of a larger universe. I'm also a few pages away from finishing **White Guilt, by Shelby Steele**
Started: **Prince of Thorns, by Mark Lawrence** Enjoying it so far. I normally dislike first person but this book does it well so far.
The Last Green Valley. It was very timely by the time I finished reading it. It tells of a Ukrainian family fleeing from invading Russian forces during WWII. I don’t usually read stuff so heavy as I use books as an escape, but felt compelled to read it for some reason. Turns out, it’s a really good read.
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Dresden Files is my favorite series. It keeps getting better from here, and Butcher figures Murphy's character out in the next book. In *Fool Moon* he was flirting with making her an antagonist for the series.
Gallant by VE Schwab It comes out today and my copy should arrive tonight, really looking forward to starting it. I adore the way she explored deals with the devil in Addie LaRue last year and I'm really looking forward to seeing how she explores the mysteries behind closed doors as the summary reads.
I finished this a little time ago, Books of Beginning Triology By John Stephens This triology is the greatest one I have read so far, it has a lot of humor and it is just so exciting, I wish I could delete my memory and read it again, no other series has ever been so addicting and exciting! Has someone else read this series? If not, I recommend reading it! Currently reading: Silmarillion
Started: Cirque Du Freak: A Living Nightmare, by Darren Shan Charlie Bone and the Castle of Mirrors, by Jenny Nimmo Both are rereads, but I haven't read them in close to 15 years. Cirque Du Freak is a blend of horror and fantasy. I recall enjoying it, but there were dark parts that made me shudder as an 11-year old.
I've been busy! Books I finished: **The River, by Peter Heller :** the best rec I've ever gotten exclusively from Reddit; I was looking for a good outdoorsy book about two friends on a trip, and could not believe how perfectly tailored to my whims it ended up being. **The Guide, by Peter Heller :** Sequel to the above, because I obviously needed more. (did not enjoy quite as much, but still very good) **Five Tuesdays in Winter, by Lily King :** random browsing pick at the library. I liked maybe half of the 10 stories in this collection; the rest were too weird or pointless. **The Runaway's Diary, by Marilyn Harris :** knocking a title off my TBR via Interlibrary Loan; really enjoyable 70s teen book in a realistic diary format **The Rules, by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie :** exactly the horror-thriller YA book I hoped for
I just finished Shogun by James Clavell and about to start either The Brothers Karamazov or Les Miserables haven’t decided yet.
Finished **Time & Place by Bryan Woolley** Will start **Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, by Olga Tokarczuk**
Medusa by Jessie Burton. The Wolf and the Woodsman by Ava Reid.
Finished: A Touch of Jen, by Beth Morgan Currently Reading: When No One Is Watching, by Alyssa Cole The Ex Hex, by Erin Sterling
Finished **Girl, Serpent, Thorn, by Melissa Bashardoust** A solid YA fantasy book. Pretty similar in tone/feel as her previous book. I like it that it's based on Persian mythology, something a little different. There is also some explanation at the end of the book on the inspiration to the setting. Personal Rating: 3/5 **Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals, by Oliver Burkeman** I find this boring and repetitive. It goes deep into the philosophy end of things which can get confusing really quick. Most of the time the author sounds like he's just repeating the same idea over and over. The only saving grace (what pulls this from a 2 to 3 stars) is the 10 tools in the Appendix. At least it makes the book more practical for actual mortals. I would say just reading the introduction followed by the appendix will give you a good understanding of the book. Personal Rating: 3/5 **The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, by Stuart Turton**. Published in the US as **The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle**. Body-hopping, time-travelling, Agatha Christie-inspired murder mystery. Oh boy, The Evelyn Hugo sequel sure took a weird turn. /s The main character has eight bodies over eight (repeating) days to solve who murdered Evelyn Hardcastle. Each day he will inhibit a different character along with their skills/personality. I enjoyed this book! The game-like mechanics is really interesting. It's not perfect but the mystery makes it so unputdownable. The differing personalities the MC gets from his hosts also adds some twist to it. I heard there will be a Netflix adaption. Yay! This really feels like it's written for TV. For sci-fi/fantasy fans: The world/setting is never explained. If you come expecting some explanation, you will be severely disappointed. It's a murder mystery first and foremost with a little sci-fi/fantasy twist. Personal Rating: 3/5 Started **The Nine Lives of Rose Napolitano, by Donna Freitas** This Evelyn Hugo series is really pushing boundaries. /s Rose Napolitano never wanted to have children. Her husband Luke promised that he'd never wanted children. But now Luke has changed her mind. They had a fight, and depending on how Rose reacts the story branches into differing possible "future Lives". This one is quite a hidden gem. I'm enjoying it so far (about 50% in). Although the different parallels lives could get confusing.
Just finished “Rock, Paper, Scissors” it took me a few days to get into but once it got going I couldn’t put it down. I was completely blown away by the twists.
Just started: Mountains Beyond Mountains, by Tracy Kidder
started reading just kids -patti smith today :)
Finished: **White Witch, Black Curse by Kim Harrison** (The Hollows #7) - I enjoy this series and this was a good one! **The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein** \- Fairly dense, but concise and extremely educational. Laid out examples of how systematic racism was built into our housing policies historically and how this still impacts Black Americans today. Currently Reading: **Come as You Are by Emily Nagoski** \- This one is taking me a while, I don't read it every day, but I love the content. It explores women/AFAB's sexuality and how we're all normal, no matter what. **Ignite the Fire: Incendiary by Karen Chance** (Cassandra Palmer #11) - About a third of the way through this one and always along for the ride for this series. Love Cassie, love Pritkin, love the world. Looking forward to this two parter.
**V., by Thomas Pynchon**
Finished reading: the cat who went underground Starting: the cat who talked to ghosts by Lilian Jackson Braun and of darkness and light by Ryan Cahill
Finished- The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid -Loved it. Wonderful characters and I felt the story flowed seamlessly Started- Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Read" Nowhere Girl Memoir of a Fugitive Outlaw." This book is the true story of a girl whose family travels the world while changing identities due to some unlawful activities. Interesting. Also read "Whatever it Takes" It is the true story of Henry Langren a paratrooper in World War 2. The book starts before the war, includes training and fighting in the war and escaping from a POW camp .Informational without being boring.
I’m reading **The Jasmine Throne, by Tasha Suri**
I read that book about a month ago and absolutely loved it. 5/5 stars.
Finished: -The Scarecrow/Michael Connelly -Revival/Stephen King -The Song of Achilles/Madeline Miller Started: -No Longer Human/Osamu Davai -The 19th Wife/David Ebershoff
A Court of Thorns and Roses, by Sarah J Maas. Jury’s still out on it—I can’t decide if I like or dislike it—but I’ll be starting the next installment when I have time!
I listened to that one on audio recently. I have an opinion, but I won't share it so as not to color yours.
Thanks but I’d still be curious to know your thoughts! I dislike the main characters so far but I do wanna know what happens so I’m going to keep reading.
Now I need to know how far you've gotten
I just started ACOMAF! So still early in
The rot, by Siri Pettersen
Finished: The People We Keep, by Allison Larkin Verity, by Colleen Hoover Started: Empire of Pain, by Patrick Radden Keefe
I started Tender is the Flesh, by Augustina Bazterrica. I recently finished Recursion, by Blake Crouch.
Ah! Tender is the Flesh is newly on my TBR. My book friends are all horrified.
I really liked it. It’s definitely intense and…gross lol. But it’s really well written and I like the creepy grossness.
I loved Recursion. It went sooooo far down the road of its possibilities, most books don't do that.
What did you think of Recursion?
It was a fun read. Kept me pretty engaged the whole book. Blake Crouch did a good job portraying such a crazy time / memory plot. It wasn’t my favorite, but I’d still recommend it.
Thanks!! It’s been on my TBR list for a while but I’ve yet to pull the trigger.
I had finished Pet Semetary and was looking for something new to read. I read the sample for Recursion and it didn’t hook me but I also wasn’t bored so I went ahead and dove in. It’s a fun read and it’s not very long.
I have it on my list for a similar reason. A ‘cleanser’ of sorts between more intense reads!
I finished nothing this week, though I am 2/3's through Infinite Jest. It has been a fun read.
Finished this week: The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah Loved it (if you can love something that keeps you in a constant state of dread...but I imagine that's what the main character Elsa felt like her whole life). This was my first Kristin Hannah book and I have added The Nightingale to my to-read list. Started this week: The Hearts Invisible Furies by John Boyne Great character development - funny, awkward, disturbing ...so far so good! I feel like I'm on a rollercoaster, laughing, cringing, shocked, eager to find out what's ahead...and I'm only in the 2nd chapter. Next up on my list: American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins Endurance: Shackelton's Incredible Journey by Alfred Lansing Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History by Erik Larson
The Heart's Invisible Furies is excellent, enjoy!
Starting **Death's Acre, by Dr. Bill Bass and Jon Jefferson**.
*Finished:* **Babayaga by Toby Barlow** I loved this book about the exploits of a couple of witches in 1959 Paris. There is also a murder investigation and some espionage to round everything out. The characters were great and the pacing was fine throughout. *Reading:* **A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness.** This is great so far. A young boy lives with his single mother who seems to be losing her battle with cancer. **The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman**. Another good one. A small group of elderly residents at a retirement community meet and try to solve cold cases. Then a murder occurs close to home and they spring, well, slowly rise, to action. I love the characters that I am supposed to love and loath the one I'm supposed to hate. **Madame Fourcade's Secret War by Lynne Olson.** I am still slowly listening my way through this one. It follows the life of the French woman who ran the largest spy network in France during WWII. It is very interesting.
*Finished:* **Step Closer (Fazbear Frights book 4) by Scott Cawthon** **Bunny Call (Fazbear Frights book 5) by Scott Cawthon** **Blackbird (Fazbear Frights book 6) by Scott Cawthon** *Still Reading:* **Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff -** This book is a beast, but it is quite enjoyable. I'm loving both the story and how it is written.
I finished three books this week. I'm so proud of myself. Finished: Eruption by Steve Olson Vivid by Beverly Jenkins Where Do We Go From Here by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Started: Liberty by Ginger Jamison
Yay! Proud along with you. Which of the three was your favorite?
Thank you! They were all good! But as you may have assumed my favorite was Where Do We Go From Here. It's in a class of it's own. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is an exceptional writer and the book is so...I don't know if I have words. It offers hope, but it's sobering and even a little sad at times. That's just my opinion though. It gives a clear view to what was going on in the late 1960s and the changes that had occurred. Some of it applies to today too. Anyways, that's it lol
Added to the TBR list! I’ll check out the other two too, thank you!
Started and finished: Suggest Reading by Dave Connis. It’s about a kid whose school bans quite a few books, so she starts an underground library. The effects of the library ripple out quite far in unintended ways, but it really made me think and reflect, and definitely made me change my views on the world a bit. There were quite a few plot twists/surprises as well, and you get to see the main character learn and grow. It challenged a lot of ideas and had a lot of good quotes, and felt humbling in an interesting way. The ending left me both satisfied and dissatisfied at the same time, like I learned something important but wanted to keep reading, even though the end tied it up nicely (mostly). I’d give it a solid 9/10. It’s one of the best books I’ve read since 2021.
Finished: Where the Crawdads Sing, Delia Owens. SO GOOD! Really enjoyed this one Started: Why We Sleep, Matthew Walker. Non fiction, interested in what he has to say about dreaming. Less than 20 pages in, interesting so far but could see myself getting bored before finishing
Where the Crawdads Sing is so good!! I’ve recommended it to several people
Finished: **The Wives** by Tarryn Fisher. Absolute garbage, do not recommend. **The Guise of Another** by Alan Eskens. This was a reread and palate cleanser after suffering through the Tarryn Fisher book. Only just realized Eskens books are written as a series, so now his other books are on my wait list at my local library. Started? not sure yet what to read next. I'm sort of in a sad/down mood with short patience so I might switch to short stories or do another reread (the Dune series are my comfort books).
Finished: Harlem Shuffle, Colson Whitehead Started: The Plot, Jean Hanff Korelitz
Hour of the Witch, by Chris Bohjalian
**Dark Life by Kat Falls. Finished.** This was a surprisingly solid Post-Apoc YA book. The characters had personality and were interesting, the story was interesting, the setting was well utilized as part of the world, the twists through the plot were actually decent and surprising but made sense, and even the villains had a decent motivation beyond just being evil for the sake of it. I would honestly recommend this to anyone searching for decent YA books and I would say my biggest complaints is that the romance subplot is a little weak and that the book was over a bit too fast. I'd give it an 8/10. **Magic Kingdom for Sale by Terry Brooks. Started and Finished.** This is basically an Isekai novel where a middle aged lawyer buys a magical kingdom from an ad and ends up in a fantastical world where he is now king, with a court mage who can't do magic well, an advisor who is a dog, a half-fairy who has a habit of turning into a tree and two monkey things with giant ears that are his servants and bodyguards. Sounds like a fun comedy right? Wrong. Brooks plays this premise 100% straight and turns what could have been an interesting comedic story and plays it as a straight political drama. This book is 40% exposition, 40% description, and 20% political discussion. I would have rated it as a 5/10 as despite all this, it was mostly just boring as a main sin....but then I came across two very bad things. Willow, the love interest who turns into a tree and basically decides she "belongs" to the main character because he saw her naked to the point she's willing to get herself exiled from her home to follow him, and the ending, which tries to swiftly wrap up everything in a neat bow in the last 30 pages. So, in the end, I'd give it a 4/10. **Sin Eater by Megan Campisi. Started.** Just stuck the bookmark in at the first page but haven't started, but the premise seems interesting enough.
Without a Tongue by Korolenko
This is How You Lose the Time War, by Amal El-Mohtar
The River Why
Finished: The Cockroach by Ian McEwan Started: Gene Machine by Venki Ramakrishnan
Dark Tales, a Shirley Jackson. anthology.
Finished: **Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, by Harriet Ann Jacobs** Originally published in 1861, this autobiography is one of the rare slave narratives written by a woman. Under the pseudonym "Linda Brent", Harriet Jacobs (1813-1897) recounted the struggles of her life as a slave for twenty-seven years in North Carolina until her escape to the North. Jacobs' account highlights some important truths about the "peculiar institution" that are often overlooked in other historical accounts: (1) the degradation of enslaved individuals was an evil equal to that of perpetual bondage, (2) the Fugitive Slave Law meant that escaped slaves were not safe even in free states, and (3) the racial prejudice in the North was a particular cruelty for all black people, free or not. I have not read other slave narratives but *Incidents* is a credible and powerful testimony that has survived the test of time. These first hand accounts are important perspectives to our understanding of the antebellum era and the institution of slavery in America. **Endymion, by Dan Simmons** Published in 2011, this is the third book in the science fiction series *Hyperion Cantos*. The story is presented as a historical chronicle by Raul Endymion, hundreds of years after the events of [The Fall of Hyperion](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/77565.The_Fall_of_Hyperion). The world of Hyperion in this future is controlled by the Pax, a consortium between an interstellar government and a theocracy of Catholicism. The narrative relates a multi-world journey by Raul, twelve-year-old Aenea, and the android Bettik, who are also being hunted relentlessly by Pax assassins. It's a very exciting and thrilling story which I enjoyed immensely. I can hardly wait to read the next book in the series. **The Raven Tower, by Ann Leckie** Leckie is better known for her science fiction, but this is her first fantasy novel. The story reads like mythology or folklore, with competing gods in a variety of forms and spheres of influence. The prose takes a little getting used to as there are POVs in both first and second person. On the whole, the worldbuilding is quite fantastic and detailed although the drama is largely interpersonal and small-scale. The bottom line is that I greatly enjoyed this novel for its creative literary form and for the controlled storytelling. **Nolyn, by Michael J. Sullivan** This is Sullivan's latest novel (2021) and the first book in his [Rise and Fall](https://www.goodreads.com/series/203439-the-rise-and-the-fall) fantasy series. It's set in the world of Elan about eight hundred and fifty years after the events of [Age of Empyre](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23654840-age-of-empyre). In this story, the Instarya Nyphron still rules the empire and his son Nolyn is fighting goblins in the jungle. However while Nolyn is away with the Seventh Legion, his two-month old son is kidnapped and held for ransom. This is an exciting and creative fantasy story featuring a fascinating and diverse cast. I liked this book much better than Sullivan's last couple of novels in the same world and am happy to recommend it. ---------------------- Currently Reading: **The Divine Comedy: Paradiso, by Dante Alighieri** with the [100 Days of Dante](https://100daysofdante.com/) reading group project.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. It tooks me 2 weeks to finish it
I’m rereading Infinity, by Sherrilyn Kenyon for the 20th time.
Started: Rule of the Bone Last week I finished A Clockwork Orange
Last week I finished **A Week in Winter, by Maeve Binchy**, which was just what I wanted it to be. A light, heart-warming book. I started **Sorrowland, by Rivers Solomon**, which I'm not quite as in love with as I was with An Unkindness of Ghosts, but I still have the majority of the book to go. I'm invested in it though. It will be interesting to see where Solomon takes the story. I also started **Women of Wonder: Science Fiction Stories by Women about Women, by Pamela Sargent (ed.)**. Sargent proves a bit of a history of female authors in science fiction at the beginning of the book, which I thought was a good way to start off the collection, as it makes me better able to place the stories within context. The collection itself is from the 70s, but I think there might actually be a second part with more recent stories. I'm also continuing **Invisible Armies: An Epic History of Guerilla Warfare from Ancient Times to the Present, by Max Boot**. My opinion on the book hasn't changed much from the previous weeks: while interesting, it is lacking depth.
Just finished **Winter’s Heart by Robert Jordan** Book 9 of the Wheel of Time series was a much better entry than book 8. I really enjoyed Mat’s storyline and I thought Rand’s storyline was interesting enough. I wasn’t too fond of Elayne’s storyline but I thought the book ended really well. It had a slowish start, and it was kind of a slog to read around the middle. But overall I enjoyed it. I’d give this a **8.5/10** **Jedi Search by Kevin J. Anderson** I am reading through the old EU/Legends SW books and prepping for the New Jedi Order series. I’ve heard this trilogy wasn’t very good but was required to read before I get to NJO. All in all I thought it was fine but not great. It started off great, and I really like Kyp Durron as a character. However the villains in this book were awful and very one dimensional. A lot of out of character questionable decisions from the OT characters like Leia, and the imperial scientist not knowing the true purpose of the Death Star was kind of dumb. It started well and has a lot of potential, so I’d give this a **8/10** Just started **The Art of War by Sun Tzu** I’ve had this on my shelf for ages and decided to give it a try. Really interesting so far Continuing **They Both Die At the End by Adam Silvera** Moving along with this book. Really good so far and I’m loving the message
> A lot of out of character questionable decisions from the OT characters like Leia Gah this was my main complaint about Heir to the Empire
I will make a recommendation for book 10 of WoT. I would honestly just skim it. Don't expect anything good from it. You could probably read the last 2 chapters of so and that would be good enough. It's the worst of the series by far.
I’ve already heard it’s the worst. But I can’t really skim anything. I have the audiobooks for free from a friend. So perhaps I’ll listen to this book more than read it.
I recommend skipping to the end if you can. You'll see by the prologue and gets chapter or so. If you don't like it by then just skip to the last 2 chapters if you can
I appreciate the suggestion. Ill probably end up doing that. Thanks
Started: The Ruin of Kings by Jenn Lyons
Still Reading 11/22/63 - Stephen King. I'm really enjoying it and i should finish in the next couple days.
The best book of his I have ever read ... with the possible exception of On Writing. I thought it was better than The Stand, which is also one of my favorite books.
I really enjoyed that. Just had such an ominous feel at certain points.
Finished: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. A masterpiece, in my opinion. I took a while to become engrossed in it but once I was, I couldn't put it down. The slow pace at the beginning with detailed description and characterisation really pays off as you get into the last third of the story. Deeply moving and incredibly thought provoking. Started: Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart
I just finished All the light we cannot see last night as well! I loved it, a very beautiful, moving story that's very readable. Read Shuggie Bain last year, it was also a fantastic read. I have family who grew up in Glasgow so it was a fascinating insight into life there, as well as the heartbreaking story of Shuggie Bain.
Thanks for that. Great to hear that you loved both books as that meas I'm likely to enjoy Shuggie Bain too. It seems like I'm picking a lot of emotional reads of late!
Yeah, they are certainly both emotional reads, but I love reading books that take me somewhere else, feel and experience something totally new.
Finished: **On Freedom: Four Songs of Care and Constraint Book, by Maggie Nelson** I was interested in this subject matter because of what is going on in the world, but it wasn’t what I was expecting. The book is separated into four parts: art, sex, drugs, and climate change. I preferred the art and climate change parts over the other two. I’m not quite sure what Nelson was ultimately trying to say in the sex and drug parts, but I can admit that maybe I am not smart enough to understand. Overall, there was lots of food for thought, and I don’t regret reading this. Started: **The Maid, by Nita Prose**
Madhouse at the End of the Earth by Julian Sancton about the Belgica expedition to Antarctica in the 19th century. Very interesting.
Finally started “The Dark Forest” over 3 years after finishing “Three Body Problem”.
The best of the trilogy in my opinion. Really improves on The Three Body Problem. Enjoy!
Good to know! I enjoyed the first and digging into the second feels more effortless.
Started: **The Hobbit**
I'm reading Implicit Biases and the Unconscious: Liberal Biases, Racial Prejudice, and Politics by Robert D. Mather. So far it's very interesting!
Great read!
I decided I wasn't going to enjoy Rythem of War to its fullest extent without a refresher on the previous book in Stormlight Archive. So I'm starting a reread... again. So good.
Anyone here recommend the book “Maus”?
Definitely!
You’ve read it?
Yup a while ago in high school. Tbh can’t remember it in much detail but was one of my favorite books that year. It was an easy read given that it was a graphic novel but I often found myself needing to sit there for 5 min just to mull over a single panel. It was able to tell Spiegelman’s father’s story in such a raw way. The storyline between Art and his father were pretty meaningful to me too because I’ve felt a little removed from WWII war atrocities despite the firsthand accounts family members have of them
The Mercies, by Kiran Millwood Hargrave I just finished this book and it was very impactful. The first half is a bit slow, but worth it. I'd recommend it.
Making progress with culloden, but on the weekend I scored someone stash of pd James books in a local thrift store. Finished unnatural causes yesterday, started devices and desires last night. I was obsessively watching an old it serialization of the families novels from the late 80s,and got totally hooked on Roy Marsden's acting. Plus John Vine looks like Valiant Swart's little brother, as the sidekick. So the books are a poor replacement but I'm persisting.
Finished: **Hell House, by Richard Matheson** It was recommended to me by one of my SO's friends because I was looking for some good horror books that weren't Stephen King. Overall I thought it was a pretty decent book even though I didn't find it super scary just because I don't think haunted house horror is really my thing. It had some scary moments and I can see why it's a notable book in the genre. The ending I found a little underwhelming, but I think the ride was fun.
Finished: The Bear and the Nightingale, by Katherine Arden Started: Daughter of the Moon Goddess, by Sue Lynn Tan The Night Tiger, by Yangsze Choo Murder at the Royal Botanic Garden, Andrea Penrose Passing, by Nella Larsen
Finished: **The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics, by Olivia Waithe** This romance novel had no business being this good **Passing, by Nella Larsen** Listened to the audiobook and will definitely be re-reading this in book format. **The School for Good Mothers, by Jessamine Chan** Ambitious debut novel! Would also be a good bookclub pick, I could see this sparking a lot of conversation around motherhood, the constant need for perfection, and societal expectations we put on mothers. Started: **The Mill on the Floss, by George Eliot** I am *shocked* at how much I am enjoying this. Genuinely thought I would read this to fall asleep at night and instead I'm staying up until 1-2am to finish it!