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Currently in 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami. The story is reasonably interesting, but what keeps me coming back is the beautiful use of metaphor.
"Once you pass a certain age, life becomes nothing more than a process of continual loss. Things that are important to your life begin to slip out of your grasp, one after another, like a comb losing teeth."
Just finished listening to Project Hail Mary earlier today. Otherwise I listen to 99% interesting podcast or horror narrations on YouTube.
I have a lot of time to listen to things since I'm just a lowly garbage truck driver.
Since my last reply to one of these I have got through a few things.
I finished what was left of Dungeon Crawler Carl which was good, I'm looking forward to more.
Read a few Outlanders books again which was nice to go back to.
And now currently half way through the third book of "The Remaining" series of books by Molles. It is alright so far.
Just finished listening to A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. LeGuin, as read by Harlen Ellison (the author). He did a god job with it.
Also nearly finished the Autumn Republic, the final book of the Powder Magic trilogy.
Finished A Wizard of Earthsea 2 weeks ago, finished Tombs of Atuan last week, now reading The Farthest Shore.
Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annihilation_(VanderMeer_novel)
I'm almost done with it and then I understand it's part of a trilogy so I'll go hunt down the next book. Its spooky in an X Files way and I'm digging it.
An overall solid series. I read Absolution last year and am about to start his Ambergris series as soon as my library hold comes in.
This book made me feel so much dread that I couldn't even finish it.
Absolutely loved Annihilation. I expected Roadside Picnic, but got Lovecraftian incomprehensible horrors, government conspiracies, and main character coming to terms with themselves and events in their life.
Authority is a bit different, but the feeling of dread and being lost is still present throughout the book.
I found Authority jarringly different. It's good in its own way, but... yeah.
I'm reading Flowers over the Inferno by, er, that Italian lady whose name I can't remember.
I've got three going.
Canadian Pie, a mix of Canadiana, satire, and travelogue by Will Ferguson.
Dust of Dreams by Steven Erikson, because I don't find the world dark and depressing enough. It's my first reread of the Malazan books and I remember very little as I read it when it was first published.
Brothers in Arms by Lois Bujold-Mcmaster. I just love the Vorkosigan Saga.
Slow Gods, by Claire North. Quite decent so far, shades of the Culture novels but more political. Borrowed a bit from Adrian Tchaikovsky's "Final Architecture" series in terms of how hyperspace works, but I guess he put his seal of approval on it since he's endorsing it on the cover
A book which resembles my favorite series ever, and which is endorsed by one of my other favorite authors? That's a hell of an endorsement. Final Architecture was a DNF for me, but I've enjoyed basically all of Adrian Tchaikovsky's other books.
I love me some Tchaikovsky.
Saaaame. Can't wait to read both his 2026 releases so far, book 4 of the Tyrant Philosophers series, and book 4 of the Children of Time series. I have so many other authors that I wish published as voluminously as he
I couldn't get through the third Children of Time book, but would really like to see what happens to the freed demoness in Tyrant Philosophers .
Here's a suggestion.
'Over The Wine Dark Sea' by Harry Turtledove. Greek traders circa 300 BC.
Ooooof, that 3rd Children of Time book actually was a bit flimsy. Added to the lore & mythos of the universe; and that's about it.
I loved those first three Tyrant Philosophers books. Felt like he was channelling China Meiville's Bas Lag novels; but doing a superior job of it.
I'll check that out, I haven't had much exposure to Turtledove
I'm most of the way through Ships of Oak, Guns of Iron: The War of 1812 and the Forging of the American Navy. I checked it out from the library based on recommendation from somewhere, I don't recall where anymore. It fills in so many things I never knew about the War of 1812, super interesting.
I read The Two Hotel Francforts by David Leavitt, which was so-so. I wouldn't recommend it since I wouldn't know why.
Now I'm reading Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin. I've only just started, but I really like it so far. It's my first read of Baldwin and I'm really impressed by his writing.
I'm reading Paternus: Rise of Gods by Dyrk Ashton. The beginning was a bit slow, but it really picked up about 100 pages in. I'm about halfway through and feeling quite invested in the story.
After this I just need to pick up a cozy book and I'll have completed my bingo board!
Child Star by Shirley Temple, and listening to King Sorrow by Joe Hill.
Re-reading the Sandman comic series for the first time in about twenty years.
I did that when the library got the new editions.
Really holds up well, imho.
If you like Gaiman, look up Tanith Lee. He stole a lot of his tropes and style from her.
I'd start with 'Night's Master'
Thanks for the recommendation, will add it to the list!
I'm on the second Ian Cormac novel, "Line of Polity," about which I learned from this community!
We Few by Nick Brokhausen, which is a first person account of his time in MACV-SOG.
The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett, and Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett.
I've enjoyed Pratchett's City Guard books. The mix of cynicism, humour, and social criticism just jives with me.
The Tainted Cup was really good! It kept me guessing for a while.
Still on Summer by Edith Wharton and All Quiet on the Western Front.
I am nearly finished with Summer and I am a bit stressed for Charity.
Trying for something lighter next, Love Among the Chickens by P.G. Wodehouse.
I've barely been reading, so that + being on the section of 1984 that's (mostly) unnecessary info dump means I'm still 2/3 of the way through it.
I did finish
A cantankerous old man's plans are interrupted by new neighbors.
Not my normal fare, but this was a cute, poignant story about found family and starting a new chapter. I knew nothing about it going in, so I was surprised about Ove's intentions in the first half. A little repetitive in places IMO, but otherwise pretty solid.
Listening to Speedrunning the Multiverse by adastra339. amoral overpowered MC who only cares about getting stronger.
I am enjoying it.
A short story anthology edited by Asimov called “Ghosts”. It’s the tenth rendition iirc and each of the Fantasy and Science Fiction anthos has its own theme. Just a random antho in my collection, I don’t have any others of this theme style though
Next is Star Wars XWing book 9, and I need to bug my brother to swap more books for the next batch of Star Wars. Jedi Academy Trilogy is next.
Working my way through the Lost Fleet series. It's mediocre, but in an entertaining way.
Almost done with The Rise of Endymion by Dan Simmons. My first time through the full Cantos. I’ve heard the series is peak in book 1 and 4 with a lull in 2/3. I found 2 and 3 much worse than Hyperion, so here’s hoping he can land the ship in the final book
I think next I’ll pick up The Antidote by Karen Russell - a magic realism book set in the 1930s Dust Bowl era
I’ve been listening to the Stephanie Plum series for the last few weeks I’m at 20 of them in March.
Equations of Life by Simon Morden - it's ok post apocalyptic sci-fi. It's got a lot of Russian swearing mixed in which is fun, if slightly incomprehensible
Will Save the Galaxy for Food by Yahtzee Croshaw - just finished this because the third book is finally available for E-readers. If you have any experience with Yahtzee from the internet I would encourage you to give his books a try. He is a very talented writer and I frequently laughed out loud at this book. He had that very British knack for humorous asides that can be a whole page or just a single aside
Dragon Ball - My new e-reader has a color screen so I've been trying manga on it. This volume covers the Goku/Tien fight and it was easily the best one in the series up to this point
I waited for years to update my ereader because a colour version was "just around the corner". After ten years my Kobo dies and I need to buy a new one. About half a year later Kobo releases a colour ereader. C'est la vie.
That does suck, I got the kobo libra color. I will say that the color and improved response times make it an overall improvement however the buttons are way less tactile and it feels much less bright. So it's not a full upgrade if it makes you feel a little better
Just finished Star Trek TNG Fortune’s Light by Michael Jan Friedman. I liked it and I love reading Riker books. I’m really enjoying the Star Trek books, they are fun quick reads that I find in thrift stores. I think part of why I enjoy them is because I have mild aphantasia and since Star Trek is one of my all time favorite shows, I’ve watched a ton and it’s far easier for me to see more detailed images of what I read after I read it.
I decided to start Velocity Weapon by Megan O’Keefe next. I prefer finding books more organically by walking through bookstores or libraries, or finding them in thrift stores. I had 2 of the 3 books in the trilogy, but I was unable to find the 3rd until I was in a bookstore this weekend. So life chose for me.
Also, the local book crawl is coming up at the end of the month and I could not be more excited!!!!