Started The Bands of Mourning by Brandon Sanderson, 3rd book in the 2nd era of Mistborn.
It’s fun to read the antics of Wayne. Probably the most fun character in the book.
What about all of you? What have you been reading or listening to lately?
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Cage of Souls - Adrian Tchaikovsky
GoodreadsSet in the (presumably) distant future earth where the sun is dying and humanity has pretty much given up about it, it is a story about one man’s time in an isolated prison / penal colony, and how he got there. At least so far that’s what it has been about.
I really like this author’s sci-fi books, but disliked his fantasy books, and this one kinda blurs the edges between the two. So far I’ve liked it.
I finished reading Book one of the Bounty Hunter Wars (Star Wars) and knee deep in “Asimovs Mystery’s” a short story collection from 1968. It includes his first ever story, but what I want to point out is this
Always interesting to see how our information and therefore how narrative are written has changed through the years.
In this story, Mercury always being in the dark was the clue. The killer left film outside a window, and the assumption was anyone with regular light times would not have made that mistake. So the whole story point would be lost if updated.
When I’m done this it’ll be to book two of the Bounty Hunter Wars, which so far has revolved around Boba Fett and Dengar after episode 6. So I’m hoping maybe there will be some Book of Boba Fett lore in this trilogy.
I just finished Isabella Nagg and the Pot of Basil, Oliver Darkshire, which was pretty enjoyable. Overall it leaned very into the satire side of fantasy. Felt nicely inspired by Pratchett. Lots of footnotes. My only criticism is that the plot felt wobbly, without real direction. Even though, I’d recommend it!
Started What Feasts at Night, T. Kingfisher which I’m enjoying so far.
Currently reading Penric’s Demon by Lois McMaster Bujold. I’m glad I’m reading it after The Curse of Chalion, since that provides a lot of context the novella format doesn’t have space for.
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Finished The Ways of Khrem by D. Nathan Hilliard (secondary world urban fantasy mystery adventure novella collection) | bingo: short HM, x of y, steppin’ up HM
A master thief turned honest bookseller is strongarmed into helping a Captain of the Watch solve cases.
At first I was kind of whelmed by this, as the world and characters felt very generic (maybe a nod to classic stuff I haven’t read?); nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed it by the end. I would have put a sequel on my TBR, except there isn’t one. D:
Marcus Aurelius “Meditations”, quite profound and relevant today, even though it is nearly two millennia old!
Planning on reading this myself some time… since you say it’s relevant today, how would you say it compares to all the broicism that’s the main version of stoicism nowadays?
I was turned off Sanderson in a big way back when he ran his first “secret project” kickstarter. I was all in on improving the lives of authors and voice actors by teaching Audible that there were viable alternatives to their audiobook monopoly. Then Brandon took $43 million, pocketed it (0 charitable donations from the sum raised on KS), and then sold those books “that will never be available on amazon” on Kindle and Audible within 6 months.
No changes for authors. No improvement for voice actors. Just 43 million dollars for the fattest, most selfish, most repugnant grifter since Patrick Rothfuss. He’ll write about LGBTQIA representation while simultaneously funding Mormon conversion therapy facilities. Fictional characters can be accepted in their fictional world but real breathing people need to be shamed into acting right.
Fuck Brandon sanderson and all of his works, petty and flawed as they are.
Taking a second shot at The Brothers Karamazov.
The first time I cracked it open I had just finished Moby Dick and it was just too arduous. I’m coming back to it now off the heels of various more digestible books and am enjoying it much more now as a result. I love the characters and th setting and plot are enticing to the max!
Had a hard time getting into the brothers my first go around as well. It’s just soo fucking long and so rich that you really can pick apart any passage so I kinda got lost somewhere during a reading slump. Let us know how you liked it once you’re done!
Reading the Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb. I’m a few chapters into the second book and still enjoying it.
Just started the second book in the Shadow of the Leviathon series, A Drop of Corruption, by Robert Jackson Bennett. It’s good so far, and I really enjoyed the first book in the series.
Still working my way through Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Demons. So far it’s ok, but certainly not one of my favorite books from Dostoyevsky. Like with many Russian classics, I have some trouble understanding the mores of 19th century Russian society.
On the side I’m listening to a local radio play adaptation of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. It’s pretty good, but I find myself not liking HG2G as much as I once did. Adams is a funny writer, but perhaps I find the plot weak, and that matters to me more these days. Still, some bits are hilarious, and the cast does a great job.
What’s your favourite Dostoevsky then? Definitely agree on the trouble accessing Russian mores tho. Had the same issues with Heart of a dog and that’s even more recent…
Crime and Punishment and The House of the Dead are both great.
Russians can be an inscrutable people for sure.
A perfect pick for this time of year: Him by Geoff Ryman. The story that asks: what if Jesus, but trans? Im 80% through.
Young Maryam is informed by the angel that she will be made pregnant with the avatar of God. She’s thrilled when she gives birth to a girl, because women need more spiritual attention #girlgod.
She’s dismayed when the kid is old enough to insist he is a boy and demands to be called Yehush. Maryam (and some of her other kids) is quite transphobic. But almost everyone else in the book is readily accepting of Trans Jesus. The story follows all the same well-known Bible beats but form Maryam’s perspective. Once Yehush begins the preaching phase of his life, Maryam accepts and follows him.
This book is for;
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Anyone interested in a Bible story seeped in female perspective, Ala The Red Tent.
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Anyone interested in a humanized telling of Jesus, Ala Jesus Christ, Superstar.
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Anyone interested in a trans-focused historical fiction.
Well that’s a fascinating premise! I’m throughly intrigued. Good rec!
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Just finished Road to Ruin by Hana Lee. That was a fun read and I’ll be giving that book to a friend that I know will enjoy it.
Currently reading Star Trek Voyager Ghost of a Chance by Mark A Garland and Charles McGaw. I’ve been picking up some ST books at the thrift store when I see them so I can read them between heavier books. I was always more of a TNG and DS9 gal, but I am enjoying this book.
1984 now, and then probably Fahrenheit 451 as another short one before I go back to Malazan with book 5. I am absolutely loving Malazan.
Just finished Martyr! and now I’m reading Neuromancer.
Martyr! was good, though I didn’t really enjoy the last couple chapters. It felt rushed to meet a deadline.
I’m only about 20% through Neuromancer. It’s good so far. Sci-fi is my go to.
I’m constantly recommending Neuromancer. Great read.
That book is overrated imo. Some of the prose is clearly geared towards a young modern audience in a way I found grating.
I also found the ending both unsatisfying and unsurprising and felt that the protagonist got off to his flaws as opposed to confronting them.
Just finished Mikhail Bulgakovs Heart of a Dog. I don’t really know what to think if this. It’s kinda great but also kinda hard to judge because of my lack of knowledge of the cultural and historical background. This makes the satirical elements a lot harder to understand. I liked it though. It has a lot of similarities with Frankenstein, Faust or the Physicists in the questions it asks, paired with commentary on the ideal soviet citizen. The story is about a scientist, who implants some organs of a lowlife human into a dog, which transforms the dog into a human. Chaos ensues. Overall I’d recommend it, it’s a short read.
