That’s reassuring to hear! I was afraid it’d be unnecessary and redundant.
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What'cha Reading?
- Thread starter Falselogic
- Start date
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- prose and cons
That’s reassuring to hear! I was afraid it’d be unnecessary and redundant.
There are fewer recurring characters than you might expect, and what few make appearances seemed, to me, there naturally rather than for authorial self-congratulation/fan-service purposes. It's also very much not the "fill in all the blanks" sort of novel that decides everything from the prior titles needs to be tied up, interpreted, and conclusively resolved. Mystery remains.
He takes some of the far out stylistic devices he used in (say) Dead Astronauts and employs them in new ways, though one character's verbal tics start out funny, grow a little tiresome, then swing all the way back into funny again.
VanderMeer has also talked about subliminal messaging in the book, which raises all kinds of questions for me: Is "elicit" for "illicit" at one point intended? I doubt the proofreader was asleep at the wheel. What about some of the strings of numbers in chapter titles? Coordinates, maybe?
OK, this is pushing me from cautiously optimistic but dubious towards excited again.
I read The Color of Magic, the first Discworld book. I know people recommend starting somewhere else, but that was never going to happen with me. I enjoyed it, so I think I'm going to have a good time with this series.
R.R. Bigman
Coolest Guy
The Maltese Falcon meanders a bit too much and doesn’t get to the titular dingus until over halfway through the book. Thankfully, Sam Spade is very fun character to follow, and seeing him essentially Bugs Bunny his way out scrapes was always entertaining.
Violentvixen
(She/Her)
We're reading Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner for my classics book club and I am just not clicking with it. I can't say what it is but my mind just keeps wandering. Going to keep trying until my club meeting next week but this might be my first book club DNF in a while.
That's too bad! I didn't like that one as much as Crossing to Safety, but I still thought it was gorgeous.
Violentvixen
(She/Her)
Yeah, I really don't know why it didn't click for me. The book club discussion was great and I'm glad I tried to read it as there was a lot to say.
I am now starting The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan, need something lighter while I continue to study for an exam. A quick flip through shows delightful sketches and notes so I'm excited. Little Things in a Big Country was a lovely nature journal/book I read years ago and never quite found anything like it again, Backyard Bird looks like it might so that's exciting.
Here's the latest books I've read for the month. Mostly physical this time, I like the library. Lots of Star Wars books.
Star Wars: The Edge of Balance is very good, for what's practically a Star Wars manga. The art is well-detailed, the character design is great, and the story is alright.
Star Wars Convergence and Star Wars Cataclysm are great books. The latter is a sequel, so they're worth talking together. It's extremely interesting seeing the ancient "golden age" of the Jedi, and I like how their philosophies and fighting styles differ from the 'modern era'. They're very Batman-like, where they refuse to kill others. Convergence is mostly a simple tale, with a clear focus on the dynamic between a Jedi and a troubled son of a Republic politician. There's also a surprisingly interesting portrayal of an arranged marriage between the heirs of 2 royal plants that was quite sweet. Cataclysm expands it more, pitting the characters against each other and adding a bunch of new characters and plotlines. I like basically everything. The story, characters, and dialogue are definitely worthy to be adapted into a film. There's just one problem: for a supposed peaceful era, the last half of Cataclysm is quite gruesome, with a massive battle taking up a large chunk of the book. I think they should've portraued the antagonists more as an asymmetric guerilla force.
(Edit: And, I find it a bit funny and weird how they mention a massive attack on Jedha that... happened offscreen. Not the first time I've seen this from Star Wars)
From Campus to Counter is boring, dry, and academic; but I still learned quite a lot about an unexplored local(ish) history that I never knew. I'd recommend it for someone living in the area.
Star Wars: The Edge of Balance is very good, for what's practically a Star Wars manga. The art is well-detailed, the character design is great, and the story is alright.
Star Wars Convergence and Star Wars Cataclysm are great books. The latter is a sequel, so they're worth talking together. It's extremely interesting seeing the ancient "golden age" of the Jedi, and I like how their philosophies and fighting styles differ from the 'modern era'. They're very Batman-like, where they refuse to kill others. Convergence is mostly a simple tale, with a clear focus on the dynamic between a Jedi and a troubled son of a Republic politician. There's also a surprisingly interesting portrayal of an arranged marriage between the heirs of 2 royal plants that was quite sweet. Cataclysm expands it more, pitting the characters against each other and adding a bunch of new characters and plotlines. I like basically everything. The story, characters, and dialogue are definitely worthy to be adapted into a film. There's just one problem: for a supposed peaceful era, the last half of Cataclysm is quite gruesome, with a massive battle taking up a large chunk of the book. I think they should've portraued the antagonists more as an asymmetric guerilla force.
(Edit: And, I find it a bit funny and weird how they mention a massive attack on Jedha that... happened offscreen. Not the first time I've seen this from Star Wars)
From Campus to Counter is boring, dry, and academic; but I still learned quite a lot about an unexplored local(ish) history that I never knew. I'd recommend it for someone living in the area.
Violentvixen
(She/Her)
I am starting The Mercy of Gods by James Corey because multiple people have told me I'll love it which is intriguing. I've kinda forgotten the details, it's apparently pretty popular so I've had it on hold at the library for a while.
Violentvixen
(She/Her)
Just finished Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-reum and translated by Shanna Tan*. It was absolutely lovely, one of my top books of the year. A lovely and impactful story that's pleasant and cozy while still tackling issues like stress, divorce, burnout and feeling lost in life direction.
If the hold list has died down by end of next year I want to nominate it for the TT book club, but as of the moment it's a long wait at the library. Worth it though.
*I'm trying to get in the habit of citing the translator too. I'm reading a lot more translated books in the last few years and want to start keeping track of whose translations I like.
If the hold list has died down by end of next year I want to nominate it for the TT book club, but as of the moment it's a long wait at the library. Worth it though.
*I'm trying to get in the habit of citing the translator too. I'm reading a lot more translated books in the last few years and want to start keeping track of whose translations I like.
It's a whole thing that lots of publishers resist putting translators' names on the cover, so good for you!
I'm reading Dorothy Parker's Constant Reader and E. B. White's New York Sketches, which are both collections of pieces from The New Yorker. They're enjoyable, but slight. The Parker is a collection of her book reviews; they're funny now and were doubtless funnier then when the allusions were more current. The book isn't something to read straight through there. The White is entertaining but a bit thin: There are a lot of blank pages between pieces. And while I love the design and print quality of both these titles from McNally Editions, I wish their proofreaders were a little better, since I've encountered a few obvious typos.
Also reading Benjamin Swett's The Photo Not Taken with few preconceptions: He'd done a signing at my local store, it was published by NYRB, I like essay collections. I'm enjoying it; the author's reflections on his father are particularly moving, as is the first essay, which is structured around an absence not revealed to the reader until its final pages. I wonder if this one might actually be improved in certain digital formats, as then we could see some of the reproduced photos in color.
Chester Himes's A Case of Rape isn't one of his major books, but it's a compact tragedy. The introduction is a little tendentious and long in the tooth, but the book proper is still fresh. Reminds me I need to get back to Himes's Harlem Detectives series.
Lake of Darkness by Adam Roberts is as full of ideas as any of his novels, but the plotting isn't as adept as in other books he's written. He often hops between characters, styles, and perspectives in a single book, but I don't love it as much as Jack Glass or The Thing Itself. All those caveats aside, it's still really good.
I started reading David Stacton's Remember Me, an aphoristic novel about "Mad King" Ludwig of Bavaria. It was really good but demanding and I set it aside after forty pages when life got busy. Going to start again though, as I really admire Stacton.
In other news, I now work for a university with a world-class library, and I may be going slightly power-mad with semester loan privileges.
I read Theoretically Straight by Alexander Eberhart and Amy Bailey, and I thought it was great.
Slight spoilers I guess, for the basic plot.
This is the second in a strangely popular subgenre of “Southern gay romance”, and I’d say it’s better than the first one I’ve read. That being said, this book seems to be made for preteens and young teens more than anything. If it’s too young for me, then I don’t think anyone here’s gonna read it
The plot is mostly simple enough to understand while still having good twists and turns to keep me interested. It mostly revolves around the boy Theo, who struggles with repression and denial regarding his crush Caleb.
Despite the story being told in a switching perspective between Theo and Caleb, it’s obvious that Theo is the main character. His development is honestly quite intriguing to see, and I thought all the other characters were handled well. The writing is very talented (if a bit corny and strange at times). I found some parts a bit funny where it kind of became a gay instruction manual (there are times where the relationship advice seems more directed to the readers), but it works for the audience.
There’s just two things I don’t really like. For one, I think the part of the book between the first kiss and the fall festival (the part between 50-70%) is a bit boring and doesn’t really wow me. Next, I think it’s a massive missed opportunity that Halloween doesn’t play a bigger role in the story. There’s a lot of horror and spooky elements in the book, so I’m genuinely baffled why they time-skipped over Halloween.
In general, it’s a great book. I’d love to see these characters fleshed out and expanded more.
In another note, I now have a goodreads account under the same name. I still like the community aspect of this, but there’s some crossover as I’ll exchange reviews from both sites.
Slight spoilers I guess, for the basic plot.
This is the second in a strangely popular subgenre of “Southern gay romance”, and I’d say it’s better than the first one I’ve read. That being said, this book seems to be made for preteens and young teens more than anything. If it’s too young for me, then I don’t think anyone here’s gonna read it
The plot is mostly simple enough to understand while still having good twists and turns to keep me interested. It mostly revolves around the boy Theo, who struggles with repression and denial regarding his crush Caleb.
Despite the story being told in a switching perspective between Theo and Caleb, it’s obvious that Theo is the main character. His development is honestly quite intriguing to see, and I thought all the other characters were handled well. The writing is very talented (if a bit corny and strange at times). I found some parts a bit funny where it kind of became a gay instruction manual (there are times where the relationship advice seems more directed to the readers), but it works for the audience.
There’s just two things I don’t really like. For one, I think the part of the book between the first kiss and the fall festival (the part between 50-70%) is a bit boring and doesn’t really wow me. Next, I think it’s a massive missed opportunity that Halloween doesn’t play a bigger role in the story. There’s a lot of horror and spooky elements in the book, so I’m genuinely baffled why they time-skipped over Halloween.
In general, it’s a great book. I’d love to see these characters fleshed out and expanded more.
In another note, I now have a goodreads account under the same name. I still like the community aspect of this, but there’s some crossover as I’ll exchange reviews from both sites.
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I ended up setting aside Space Opera for now, possibly to languish as a DNF. I just couldn't find much motivation to read, but that's a thing I've been dealing with for a long time so it might not be the book's fault.
I picked but The Traitor Baru Cormorant on recommendation from a sword club member, and I'm not far in but it's pretty good so far!
I picked but The Traitor Baru Cormorant on recommendation from a sword club member, and I'm not far in but it's pretty good so far!
Hi guys, sorry I was away so long. There was a fire in my condo complex back in March. Don't worry, the fire just managed to miss me, so everything was fine, but I still had to leave my building, and because of some massive miscommunication between the HOA and the company that owns the building, what turned out to be a few weeks of work, stretched out to 9 months before I was able to move back in. I moved back in on Monday. Anyway, during that long stretch, I guess I kind of lost track of this place.
So, in 2024 I finished 97 books. Not too shabby, but that broke a 7 year stretch where I finished each year over 100. Still, I started (properly) some great series. I formally started Ryan Cahill's The Bound and the Broken. I'm pretty much caught up except I'm probably going to read The Ice some time later this month. I read the first three books in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series. and finished 3 volumes of The Wandering Inn. Here would be my top 10 of the year (using a one book per author rule)
10. Set My Heart to Five by Simon Stephenson
9. I'm Afraid You Have Dragons by Peter S. Beagle
8. The Perfect Run by Maxime J. Durand
7. All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whittaker
6. Carl's Doomsday Scenario by Matt Dinniman
5. Of War and Ruin by Ryan Cahill
4. A Little Hatred by Joe Abercrombie
3. Iron Prince by Bryce O'Connor
2. Lost Man's Lane by Scott Carson
1. The Flowers of Esthelm by pirateaba
I already finished Toto by A.J. Hackwith. If you're a fan of all things Oz, definitely recommend and now currently reading The Rains of Liscor by pirateaba, Deadhouse Gates by Steven Erikson, and Vol. 1 of The Autobiography of Mark Twain
So, in 2024 I finished 97 books. Not too shabby, but that broke a 7 year stretch where I finished each year over 100. Still, I started (properly) some great series. I formally started Ryan Cahill's The Bound and the Broken. I'm pretty much caught up except I'm probably going to read The Ice some time later this month. I read the first three books in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series. and finished 3 volumes of The Wandering Inn. Here would be my top 10 of the year (using a one book per author rule)
10. Set My Heart to Five by Simon Stephenson
9. I'm Afraid You Have Dragons by Peter S. Beagle
8. The Perfect Run by Maxime J. Durand
7. All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whittaker
6. Carl's Doomsday Scenario by Matt Dinniman
5. Of War and Ruin by Ryan Cahill
4. A Little Hatred by Joe Abercrombie
3. Iron Prince by Bryce O'Connor
2. Lost Man's Lane by Scott Carson
1. The Flowers of Esthelm by pirateaba
I already finished Toto by A.J. Hackwith. If you're a fan of all things Oz, definitely recommend and now currently reading The Rains of Liscor by pirateaba, Deadhouse Gates by Steven Erikson, and Vol. 1 of The Autobiography of Mark Twain
Violentvixen
(She/Her)
I was worried too, glad the fire missed you but also ugh that's awful.
I just finished a book called The Seed Detective by Adam Alexander, which is a fabulous book about a guy who has gone around the world collecting heirloom seeds of vegetables, that also ends up being a lovely history of where and how these vegetables evolved and spread. It reads basically like a lovely old man wants to share all the cool plant lore he's picked up in his life and i thoroughly enjoyed it.
Violentvixen
(She/Her)
Oh neat this sounds right up my alley. Doesn't look like my library has it but I submitted it as a suggested purchase.
I’m in a reading phase, thanks to my ridiculously long school break
Here’s some books I’m reading:
The Year of the Hare (check the book club)
LOTR: Fellowship (very daunting, but since I’m movie-first, it’s nice to spot the changes and omissions)
A Wizard of Earthsea (A bit simple, but very iconic)
Theoretically Perfect (basically Theoretically Straight part 2, only with a corny fight scene dynamics and an actually interesting new character in Jake)
Half-Drawn Boy (a very complex, long, and interesting young gay romance novel… but those last 50 pages really drag it down)
The Kings of Beacon (a goofy dumpster fire that I can’t take seriously, but still like)
Here’s some books I’m reading:
The Year of the Hare (check the book club)
LOTR: Fellowship (very daunting, but since I’m movie-first, it’s nice to spot the changes and omissions)
A Wizard of Earthsea (A bit simple, but very iconic)
Theoretically Perfect (basically Theoretically Straight part 2, only with a corny fight scene dynamics and an actually interesting new character in Jake)
Half-Drawn Boy (a very complex, long, and interesting young gay romance novel… but those last 50 pages really drag it down)
The Kings of Beacon (a goofy dumpster fire that I can’t take seriously, but still like)
Both classics for a reason!
It took almost two weeks, but I finally finished DG. It was alright, nowhere near as good as GOTM IMO. Now, currently reading Batman: Resurrection by John Jackson Miller and rereading (speaking of Tolkien) The Hobbit. I'm reading Tolkien's illustrated edition
I just finished reading a phenomenal modern noir book called Saint the Terrifying, a punk rock crime story set in Oakland, and it's one of the best books i've read in a long fucking time. It concerns a newly cleaned former junkie just out of prison, living in an artist warehouse with other musicians and junkies, trying to solve a mystery about who keeps robbing bands and selling their gear for drug money. The book has an insane amount of compassion and heart for such a heavy topic, and it just reads so beautifully and poetic, but grimy at the same time. Fucking fantastic, highly recommended.
I'm also almost through the final Tad Williams book in his Last King of Osten Ard series, The Navigator's Children, and it is exactly what you want the final book of a decades spanning fantasy saga to be. just fantastic books to start the year with.
I'm also almost through the final Tad Williams book in his Last King of Osten Ard series, The Navigator's Children, and it is exactly what you want the final book of a decades spanning fantasy saga to be. just fantastic books to start the year with.
Olli
(he/him)
I've been going through Mikhail Bulgakov's posthumously released classic The Master and Margarita. It has a few parallel story lines going in it, and surprisingly I'm most gripped by the biblical fiction with Pontius Pilate? A lot of the satire feels heavy-handed, but then, I'm probably missing many of the digs against life in Soviet era Moscow.
Violentvixen
(She/Her)
I really enjoyed this when we did it as part of the TT book club. Felt like a lot was flying over my head but still enjoyed it a lot.
Hey guess what? I love this book.
I'm looking into this, but how do you even start? Like, is there some reading guide or something because decimal places on book orders are not what I was expected