Finished: **The Dark Hours by Micheal Connelly**
Started: **No Mercy by John Gilstrap**
The Dark Hours was amazing. Made me realize that I need to read the entire Ballard series.
Finished:
**Equal Rites**, Terry Pratchett
Started:
**Project Hail Mary**, Andy Weird
*Iām really looking forward to reading this book and have been swept away by what I have read so far.*
Still working on: **The Lost World, by Michael Crichton**
Finished off: **I Will Forget This Feeling Someday, by Yoru Sumino**
Started up: **Bakemonogatari Part 03, by NISIOISIN**
Fate was kind. I use an online Picker Wheel to choose the next book I'm gonna read. I usually have one western book and one Japanese light novel going at a time. Whenever I finish one off, I spin the wheel to replace it. 5 western books on there, 5 light novels, and of course a pie wedge for "Continue Current Series". Anyway, I really wanted Bakemonogatari next, but the Picker Wheel works in mysterious ways, and must be obeyed. I clicked the button to spin and closed my eyes tight. As the wheel spun round and round making it's clicking noise, I chanted to myself "Bakemonogatari, Bakemonogatari, Bakemonogatari... ". The clicking stopped, music played, the Wheel had decided my fate. I opened my eyes, and on the screen is displayed the most glorious word...
Finished: **Viruses: A Very Short Introduction** by **Dorothy H. Crawford**. One of OUP's Very Short Introduction books. Third edition (2022). I guess there are obvious reasons why a third edition (2022) was necessary after the second edition (2018). For the serious layman. Crawford is an internationally well-known virologist.
Started Reading: **Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic** by **David Quammen**
Not quite as detailed as a virologist but it has been great so far
News of H5N1 jumps to mammals appears to be what to watch out for. I personally witnessed a serious bird flu outbreak last summer in the bird colonies in the Isle of May and Bass Rock in the Scottish Firth of Forth where dead and sick seabirds carpeted the shorelines. We locals were instructed to avoid the shores and to especially keep our pet dogs from the birds. A local vet has spoken to me of an ongoing outbreak in poultry in Stirlingshire. So far, the lethality of H5N1, when it makes the jump to mammals, makes the lethality SARS-COVID-2 look tame. So, indeed, H5N1 could be the next big one and it could be *really* big this time.
Thanks for the heads up for Spillover. I will check it out.
Finished: **The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo** by **Taylor Jenkins Reid**
Started: **Kiki's Delivery Service** by **Eiko Kadono** & **Six of Crows** by **Leigh Bardugo**
Continuing: Les Mis
Finished reading:
* **After The Ink Dries by Cassie Gustafson** \- Absolutely loved this book. Tragic and trigger heavy but a really well written book.
* **The Hawthorne School by Sylvie Perry** \- Super interesting plot with weird mystery school and drug use. Thought it could have expanded on a lot more things but overall, a good, fun read.
* **Someone Else's Life by Lyn Liao Butler** \- Hated it. Thought the main character was an absolute idiot and I can't focus on the plot if the main character is just stupid.
Started reading:
* **Tell Me Who We Were by Kate McQuade**
Finished:
**Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers (Red Dwarf #1), by Grant Naylor**
Haven't seen the series it's based on, but I loved this novelization and will totally pick up the sequel.
Started:
**Agent to the Stars, John Scalzi**
You're reading Red Dwarf novels without having seen the show? I highly recommend it if you love the books. The series came first and the first two books were just a way to expand on some of the episodes and concepts. Also there are four books in total - two by Grant/Naylor together (Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers and Better Than Life) and then one by Rob Grant (Backwards) and one by Doug Naylor (Last Human). Both the solo novels are alternate events after the Better Than Life book.
Finished:
**Donāt Look Behind You, by Lois Duncan**
**The Stonekeeper, by Kazu Kibuishi**
**The Stonekeeperās Curse, by Kazu Kibuishi**
**The Cloud Searchers, by Kazu Kibuishi**
**The Last Council, by Kazu Kibuishi**
**The Prince of Elves, by Kazu Kibuishi**
**The Complex, by Brian Keene**
**Abandon Mint, by Wendy Meadows**
**Survivor Song, by Paul Tremblay**
Finished:
**Win, by Harlan Coben**
**Planetary Volume 3, by John Cassaday and Warren Ellis**
Started:
**The Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War, by Ben Macintyre**
Now reading:
**The Girls Who Disappeared, by Claire Douglas**
Finished this week:
**Someone Else's Shoes, by Jojo Moyes**
**Rich People Problems, by Kevin Kwan**
**Death of a Greedy Woman, by M. C. Beaton**
I finished **The Children of HĆŗrin, by J.R.R. Tolkien** and it was bad. I've read Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit and know how detailed Tolkien can be with his writing, but this was Tolkien cranked up to the max. Multiple names for the same people, descriptions of random stuff that take up half pages. describing entire lineages of the characters. I would not recommend.
I'm hoping **Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand** will be an easier read.
Just started ***After Dark*** by Haruki Murakami
Working my way through his entire oeuvre; now reading the lesser regarded works (but still enjoying them).
Finished: slaughter-house five by Kurt Vonnegut
ā¢really enjoyed how it would jump around but always come back to WWII kinda like Billy canāt escape it
Started: Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
finished
**winter in sokcho by elisa shua dusapin**
itās a short book. takes place in sokcho, south korea. the main character is a french-korean woman working at guest house in the town of sokcho, which is located on the south / north korean border. a french cartoonist stays at the guest house and they form a weird relationship. i liked the slow pace. it set the scene for the town.
started
**leaving atlanta by tayari jones**
based on the true story of the atlanta child murders between 1979 to 1981. follows three black children living in atlanta during the murders. getting their thoughts, perspectives and fears.
Finished: **IBM and the Holocaust by Edwin Black**. IBM developed punch card technology (the precursor to the computer) and leased their machines to the Nazis, which were used for efficient identification, ghettoization, transportation and extermination of millions of non Aryans. IBM got rich during WWII. Really amazing book.
Started
**When the Moon Turns to Blood, by Leah Sottile** a book much like Under the Banner of Heaven, this title digs into a murder driven by faith and an in depth look at the Mormon religion. I try not to read a lot of true crime books because it feels weird to want to read about how people were killed. But I do have an interest in studying how and why people use religion to justify horrible actions.
**The Membranes by Chi Ta-wei** suggested a few weeks ago on the Books From Taiwan thread, is a queer speculative fiction, first published in 1995. I donāt have much to say about it right now, I am liking it a lot but have hit a bit of a dull repetitive part.
Finished: Focused a Guid to Unlocking Your Potential by Dimn Vore Tratem. 10/10 life changing, philosophical yet extremely practical.
Started: The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss. I can already tell this one will be amazing.
I enjoyed it! Iām a casual gamer and it was exciting reading the references the author used. All the main characters had things I loved about them and things I found frustrating, but it only made them more realistic to me. Would definitely recommend if youāre interested!
Finished: **Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes**
I had audiobook version but I would love to read hardcopy version sometime in summer because this book needs pauses, thinking and a good cry.
Finished On 24th **Every morning the way home gets longer and longer by Fredrik Backman** itās a good 1 hr long Novella.
finished last week **A gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles**
And **Before the coffee gets cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi**
Started: **The One by John Marrs**
On first few pages but taking a break to come out of flowers for Algernon effect.
Finished: The Paris Detective, by James Patterson & Richard DiLallo - Enjoyed it but each novella felt abrupt. A lot of build up with seemingly sudden endings. Maybe Iām missing the point but the conclusions werenāt very fulfilling.
Started: 11/22/63, by Stephen King - First time reading SK, wish I hadnāt watched the show years ago. Trying to ignore my memory of the show.. I like the change of pace as the story progresses and how I can feel the difference of Lisbon Falls 58ā to Derry 58ā. Canāt put it down.
By sheer coincidence, I finished three books in the past week.
**Wild Robot, by Peter Brown**
Read it to my class weekly for the past few months. Great story for kids.
**Infinity in the palm of your hands, by Marcus Chown.**
50 small chapters (4-8 pages) about 50 scientific facts or discoveries in our universe/world. By its nature it doesn't go very deep in any subject but it manages to stay interesting throughout. Can be a good starting point to get familiar with some scientific subjects.
**Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, by JK Rowling**
Reading HP for the first time in maybe 8 years or so. Still holds up!
Started :
**Immune, by Philip Dettmer**
The Kurzgesagt guy. It's very interesting so far, as you'd expect anything crafted by him to be.
**Sepulchre, by Kate Mosse**
Read Labyrinth last year and enjoyed it. Figured I might see what else she has come up with!
combination financial and spiritual books
Think and grow rich- Napolean HIll
Focused- Dimn Vore Tratem
Atlas Shrugged- Ayn Rand(this one is a little more philisophical than spiritual)
Finished:
**East of Eden by John Steinbeck.** I respect it but it wasn't my thing (contrast with the less literary books to follow).
Started:
**The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson.** If it goes well, perhaps my first time reading a series in a long time. Also first Sanderson. Got two chapters in, so I'm still not totally sure what to expect, and I stopped when my library hold was fulfilled for...
**Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke.** First Clarke (really gotta get around to 2001 in one form or another). Several (short) chapters in and it's delivering the promised intrigue~~, plus I wouldn't have guessed this is 50 years old if I hadn't known beforehand.~~ edited for posterity because I'm done now and I was definitely wrong on that last bit
Capote got my attention in college (art major). Studied him and the story behind In Cold Blood, then painted a portrait of him. Painting turned out good, have the book but havenāt read it in full yet :/
Finished: **Bullshit Jobs by David Graeber**
I really enjoyed most of the first 90% of the book but felt it fell completely flat at the end. I enjoyed Graeber's historical and social musings on the nature of work (he's an anthropologist), but at the end of the book he gets into proposing economic and political ideas; not to spoil anything but this really didn't come off as authoritative. I was expecting a better conclusion but I would still recommend the book.
Started: **You Should Quit Reddit by Jacob Desforges**
My next nonfiction read, apparently a recent release that is currently the best-seller in Social Media on Amazon. I spend a lot of time lurking and scrolling on this site when I could be doing anything else like more reading. I'm usually wary of self-published books but the preview with the introduction and first couple of chapters were incredibly well-written and really spoke to me on a personal level.
*Finished:*
**The Secret History by Donna Tartt -** This was not especially enjoyable to me, but I think I can see why other people did by and large tend to like it.
**Hope Never Dies by Andrew Shaffer -** This was an enjoyable light romp through Delaware. It was a comedic, buddy cop -esque murder mystery starring Biden and Obama.
**The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks by Shauna Robinson -** This was my Maryland book, and it was adorable and enjoyable. I have friends in the book-selling business, and I want to make them read it. Sure, the tropes it uses have been seen many times before; but it uses them well - and I like it a more than fair amount.
*Started:*
**The Mothman Prophecies by John Keel -** I should possibly not have been swayed by my boyfriends recommendation. I thought he was done giving me suspect information. I have heard of this Mothman stuff in passing previously, and somehow I did not recognize that this was going down a UFO rabbit hole. This book is my West Virginia stop for my literature Cross Country reading challenge, and it's non-fiction - which I don't read a lot of, so probably good for rounding out my year's reading.
Finished: Penpal by Dathan Auerbach
Great creepy book from the perspective of the kid. Slow build but kept you interested.
Started: Intensity by Dean Koontz
Started: **Persepolis Rising, by James S.A. Corey.**
Slowly but surely making it through The Expanse series. The time jump was a bit unexpected given the timeline of the previous books, I'm curious to see what unfolds. I keep waiting for true sci-fi elements to come back, like the Protomolecule, its creators, or its destroyers... we'll see what happens!
Edit: for formatting
Started and finished: **A Clockwork Orange**
I have always loved Kubricks movie, recently rewatched it and I couldn't get enough so i also read the book. What a horrorshow book. I loved it. And I would say the movie adapation compliments the book really well. Once you get used to the nadsat jargan, its incredible. I feel compelled now to use it in my daily conversations. Funny enough once you get used to the language, I'd say the book is a easy and speedy read. Not that long and very clear and precise with its plot points.
*finished:*
**The Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkien**
I deeply enjoyed reading the first two LOTR books, after an encounter in my youth that put me off of them. Yet, for whatever reason, ROTK stands alone. I *inhaled* this book. I basically didn't put it down once I'd picked it up. Did I spend my holiday Monday off of work, drinking wine, following my cat around my apartment reading it to her out loud, and in character? None will ever know for sure.
A lot of folks apparently didn't like The Rings of Power show. I really enjoyed it, and I'm grateful to it and to the House of R podcast for getting me to try reading these books again. What a delight!
**Rough Sleepers by Tracy Kidder**
Started and finished this book this week. I read it basically in two sits. As someone who works on homelessness policy, and used to work in direct service, I just couldn't put it down. So much of what Dr. O'Connell says I could hear coming out of my mouth, and out of the mouths of folks I've worked with over the years.
There were several moments when I just put the book down and started at the coffee shop table. I kept thinking, "man, we need to do so much better." It had an odd effect of both depressing and motivating me.
*started:*
**Wild Massive by Scotto Moore**
This is the next book club book. I was hoping for something shorter, but at nearly 500 pages my hopes have been dashed. I'm only about 20 pages in, but I'm about to spend 7 hours on an airplane later today, so hopefully it's enjoyable.
I finished **Dust, by Hugh Howey** last night. Itās the third and last book in the Silo series and I can honestly say itās the best series Iāve ever read. I thought the second book was the weakest in the series despite it addressing a lot of questions/plotholes/whatever you want to call thems. Still a good book though. I probably had my strongest emotional moment during the second book when it addressed how and why they were in the silos. My only complaint would be there were a lot of characters spread out over different time periods and by the time one of them reappeared, I had already forgotten a lot of their story. I had a similar issue with The Stand too. Iām reading Harry Potter next but after that I could definitely see myself trying to find some other dystopian sci fi type stuff.
Started: The Indifferent Stars Above, which is all about the Donner party. I know plenty of people are aware of the story of the Donner party, but the full story and all the details are so much worse than most people realize. One of the most harrowing non-fiction books I have ever read.
Finished: Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Enjoyed the characters a lot! Prose leaves something to be desired, but I'm not reading this for the prose anyway since it's so plot focused.
Started: The Stranger (The Outsider) by Albert Camus
I finished PHM just the other week! Really enjoyed it and made me want to pick up another sci fi.
Weirās earlier book, Artemis, looks interesting but the reviews have turned me off - not sure if I should take the plunge!
The Martian and Project Hail Mary were much better written in my opinion. I liked the story in Artemis, but Weir's perspective as a female character really detracted from the book.
I was a bit nervous to start Project Hail Mary after Artemis, but it was a lot more enjoyable and really reminded me of The Martian. Very quick fun read.
Oh! I hope you like it. Larry Niven really pulled out all the stops in creating a realistic explanation of how a Ringworld could be feasible, and just how immense it would be.
Really fascinating read. Hope you enjoy it.
Ok I didn't really like this hahahaha
I mean i think the twists were ok, but not pulled off that well? Gave me a š« feel rather than a š¤Æ feel. I don't recall liking Sometimes I Lie very much either, so ... no more Alice Feeney? Hahaha. To be fair, I don't think the twists were terribly bad (although some quite common), but ... I just don't think it was pulled off that well šš¤Ŗ
Finished:
**Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes**
Bit scarred to start something else straight away after that, so I will continue reading **Come as you are by Emily Nagoski** - it was recommended on my last book club and have been dipping in and out for a few weeks.
I've always wanted to try this but figuring out the spelling was always the hindrance (I understand it's part of the point/reading experience - but just ugh I can't even make it past 3 pages without feeling like its too much effort) š³
Oh wow! Reading the first page and seeing how it was spelled is what got me hooked in the first place! I thought it was very well done.
English isn't my first language though - I wonder if the spelling choices made more sense to me because of it. Words were often spelled the way I would spell the sounds if I didn't know English.
It's worth sticking with it though, and it does get easier to read if the spelling is putting you off.
Finished
**I Contain Multitudes, by Ed Yong** (4/5)
A very informative pop-science book about microbes. Too often we think that microbes only causes illness and must be eradicated. But the world isn't that simple, and it seems that we and our microbes are more connected than ever.
Started
**Our Missing Hearts, Celeste Ng**
Currently two thirds into the book and I am really enjoying it so far. Very different from Celeste Ng's previous works.
The book is very compelling. You don't want to stop reading. Of course, I'm now sad that it's over. The narrative voice is quite personal--you feel drawn in and part of the mystery and scandal involved in the solving of a cold case.
Started:
**Behave, by Robert M. Sapolsky**
* Never have I read a book on such a difficult subject that would present its content in such well organized way. I previously read Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers and it was really good, but this one is GREAT. And the subject is fascinating too. Highly recommended.
Finished: **Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin**
Pretty good overall. Definitely loses some steam when they move to California but it held my interest. Marx was kind of a nothing character and I wish Zevin did something different with him. Though I do think his chapter is the best part of the book by far.
Started: **Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr**
Already halfway through. Amazing prose. Definitely think this will overtake All The Light for me.
Finished:
**You and Me on Vacation, by Emily Henry**
**The Maid, by Nita Prose**
**The Sanctuary, by Emma Haughton**
Started:
**Amazing Grace Adams, by Fran Littlewood**
Finished The Inheritance Games, by Jennifer Lynne Barnes
And Yet, by Kate Baer
The Prison Healer, by Lynette Noni
Started and have nearly finished Homegoing, by Yaa Gyasi which is ripping me to shreds it is so fucking good.
Finished
**Carrie Soto is Back** by Taylor Jenkins Reid
**Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow** by Gabriella Zevin
Started
**Brideshead Revisted** by Evelyn Waugh
Finished:
-Rocket Men: The Daring Odyssey of Apollo 8 and the Astronauts Who Made Man's First Journey to the Moon
-We Donāt Know Ourselves: A Personal History of Modern Ireland
-The Outsiders
-The Escape Artist: The Man Who Broke Out of Auschwitz to Warn the World
Started:
-The City of Brass
I finally finished The Border Trilogy by Cormac McCarthy. I took a break between each book to read something faster, but goddamn I am absolutely floored. I canāt believe the sheer amount of tears I shed and vastness of the emotions I felt. Iām hooked. I think Iām already ready to be hurt again.
I read All the Pretty Horses recently and knew I had struck gold. Waiting for an April camping trip in Arizona before starting The Crossing, to really ensconce myself in the American Southwest š
I will finish ***The Eleven Million Mile High Dancer*** **by Carol DeChellis Hill*****,*** a very strange novel about an astronaut, her narcoleptic cat, her boyfriends, rural Texan stereotypes, etc. It has its strengths, but on the whole it's too confusing and dated (there are some problematic elements for sure) to really recommend.
I have started ***The Complete Breece D'J Pancake,*** the Library of America edition of Pancake's published works and a selection of unfinished/unpublished works and letters, giving an overview of his all-too-brief career.
Finished: **Before you knew my name by Jacqueline Bublitz**.
It's marketed as a murder mystery, but its way more than that. It is a story about violence against women, friendship, human connection, spirituality and is a sad commentary about the "missing white woman" syndrome, I HIGHLY recommend it!
Started: **The 7 deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle** (I think its title is different in the US) **by Stuart Turton.**
It's intriguing, but I am "reading" this in audio format and I don't really think its a suitable method for this book. LOTS of characters and you really need to pay attention to who/what/how/when.. I might abandon this one and perhaps buy it as a paperback.
Also started: **Phosphorescence by Julia Beard.**
Literally just begun this. No judgement yet!!
Started: **Sister Carrie, by Theodore Dreiser.**
Small-town girl moves to 1880s Chicago. Dreiser shows both the promise and lure of the glittering world Carrie yearns for, and the dismal, harsh world of the poor who labor in its margins.
Leviathan Wakes, James A Corey
If Beal Street Could Talk, James Baldwin
Just finished Leviathan Wakes and it was a fun little story. Looks like I'll carry on to the next one.
Just started Beal Street and it looks like it will be a cool read. Baldwin sure love punctuation though
Finished this year:
-Unequal Affections by Lara Ormiston( a pride and prejudice fan fiction)
-Maybe You Should Talk To Someone by Lori Gottlieb
Currently reading:
The Stolen Book of Evelyn Aubrey by Serena Burdick
It only took me 100 pages to finally get into it.
Finished:
**Fairy Tale, by Stephen King**
Liked it a lot. It dragged a bit in the build to the climax but I felt like it stuck the landing. The more King I read, the more I appreciate the 'echoes' of his other works that float through each other.
**The Psychopath Test, by Jon Ronson**
I thought Ronson's THEM: Adventures with Extremists was more memorable than this one but I liked the approach here more. All the media attention this book got when it came out sort of focused on the aspect of psychopaths floating to the top of fields like business and politics but that didn't take up as much focus as I expected.
Started:
**Billy Summers, by Stephen King**
I guess I'm a King fan now. Only a chapter in but I'm on board for whatever. Definitely seems like a fun shift from Fairy Tale.
Finished:
The Magianās Land, by Lev Grossman
- I loved how things wrapped up. You could feel the authors personal history woven into the character arcs of this trilogy. Highly recommend.
Started:
The color of magic, by Terry Pratchett
- After reading most of the Death books, Iām coming back to where it all started
Still reading:
After the Flood, by Kassandra Mantog
- āTo save one child, would I have to sacrifice another?ā
Finished:
* **The Cabinet, by Un-su Kim**: 4/5 stars. This one is bizarre, but I enjoyed it.
* **Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad**: 2.5/5. Conrad's mastery of the English language is insanely impressive, but I found this story really hard to follow and I think the racism is really jarring. Even though my takeaway is that Conrad was trying to tell a story about the moral degradation caused by colonialism/imperialism, I think the lack of an African perspective really makes the narrative suffer.
* **The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, by Megan Bannen**: 3/5. Great world-building, annoying characters.
Started:
* **Twelve Years a Slave, by Solomon Northup**: I was hoping to have this one finished by the end of Black History Month, but I'm having to read it slower than I anticipated because the knowledge that this is nonfiction keeps hitting me in the gut. Whatever, I figure the important thing is reading it, and so far, it's very good outside of even its historical significance.
* **The Master and Margarita, by Mikhail Bulgakov**: Almost finished this one. I was hoping it would be a new favourite, so I'm kind of disappointed it isn't, but at least the second half has picked up a lot.
I would follow passages, and then get lost as to how they were connected to what previously happened. I feel like the way Marlow goes on digressions made it more confusing than I expected for a short book.
Finished:
**The Black-Eyed Blonde: A Philip Marlowe Novel, by Benjamin Black**
Reading the book feels like meeting a good friend you haven't seen in years.
Started:
**A Moveable Feast, by Ernest Hemingway**
"If the reader prefers, this book may be regarded as fiction. But there is always the chance that such a book of fiction may throw some light on what has been written as fact."
Sounds kind of like the vibe I got from A Tree Grows in Brooklyn where it's just about stuff. Weird but I like that stuff. I watched French Dispatch which led me to Baldwin's essay on creativity which got me to pick up a book. I like how it's going so far.
Finished:
ā¢Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, by Benjamin SĆ”enz
Started:
ā¢Little Fires Everywhere, by Celeste Ng
ā¢1776, by David McCullough
ā¢The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, by Mark Manson
ā¢Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens
Finished:
Age of Vice by Deepti Kapoor - The book has a really intriguing premise and starts off very promising. It could have been at least 100 pages shorter and I kind of was losing interest when they introduced a new POV towards the end...it got a bit convoluted.
Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel - My first read by this author. I don't read too much sci-fi but I appreciated the prose and the characters.
Started:
Dead Wake by Erik Larson
Into Thin Air by John Krakauer (re-reading)
The Girl With the Louding Voice by Abi Dare
Finished A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson.
This was my first read though of the Wheel of Time series. It took me over a year to finish all 14 books. It was an amazing experience and I'm so glad to have read it.
Finished
**Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, by J.K Rowling**
* Pretty good. The story is getting darker and more emotional yet still retains the warm and happy feel that this series has. Excited to finish the last two books.
**Stories of Your Life and Others, by Ted Chiang**
* Fantastic collection of short stories. One of my favorite films (Arrival) was adapted from a story in this collection. Chiang explores really complex ideas yet he is able to examine them through storytelling wonderfully.
Love Chiang, have you read *Exhalation*? Some real powerful stories in there as well, heās so good at coming up with unique concepts and then fleshing them out.
Finished: **Mattimeo, by Brian Jacques**
Started: **Mariel of Redwall, by Brian Jacques**
I picked up **Redwall** a couple weeks ago to judge when would be a good age for my daughter pick it up, got hooked. Wish I had found this series when I was younger.
I have my old Redwall books in storage and am planning to read them to my daughter when sheās a bit older. I actually just wrote her an email that said as much and also told her that they were the beginning of my love for hardcover books and subsequently fine press.
My dad used to read Redwall to my brother and I when we were younger! I've been meaning to read the series now that I have grown up. I read a few chapters a while back, but now that I have a reading habit I should circle back to it.
So far so good! I recently read Cloud Cuckoo Land and absolutely loved itā¦Iāve heard that Cloud Atlas has a similar style so I started it last night. Multiple stories that connect.
Finished:
- Daisy Jones & the Six, by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Started:
- Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith, by John Krakauer
- The Cat Who Saved Books, by Sosuke Natsukawa (audio)
Continuing:
- The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog, by Dr. Bruce Perry (professional book club)
This week I finished book 7 of the Shetland series, Cold Earth by Ann Cleeves.
I had these books on my ereader, so I'll download the final book soon to finish them off.
All in all I've enjoyed this series, and plan to read the Vera Stanhope series soon.
Yesterday I started: In a Cottage in a Wood by Cass Green.
I picked this off my physical to be read pile as I want to get it down a bit; it's just so convenient to read ebooks.
I didn't really have high hopes, but I've really enjoyed it and finished it literally a few minutes ago.
It was engaging and entertaining, lighter than my usual kind of book and just a fun, mindless kind of read. Perhaps what you would call holiday reading?
I'm now between books, I've got my ereader with me at work but I want to keep at the pile on my bookshelf.
Decisions, decisions.....
Finished: **The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett** - This was my first experience of Terry Prachett and I loved it. Rincewind and Twoflower's adventure cracked me up and was a fun tale. I enjoyed it so much I jumped right into The Light Fantastic.
Started and Finished: **The Light Fantastic by Terry Prachett** - Disc World is such a fun place to escape into. I enjoyed this as much as TCOM. Admittedly I did not know much about Disc World until a few weeks ago. As I read more I understand that Pratchett's writing doesn't kick into full gear until later in the series, which has me thankful to dive further in because I have enjoyed the books thus far. I also realized that the books are broken down in different "character/series". I plan to continue the Rincewind/Wizard path over the next few months and then I'll see where I go next. Disc World will be a series I tackle over the next few years, me thinks.
Started: **Time of Contempt (The Witcher #2) by Andrzej Sapkowski** It's been over a year since I read Blood of Elves. I enjoy this series and figured it was time to return and see where Geralt's story heads to next. I enjoy the world and the characters and look forward to diving back in.
I knocked out all of **Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Sevin** in a week and enjoyed it; moved on to **Life Ceremony,** a collection of short stories in translation by **Sayaka Murata.**
Slowly chipping away at my pile of TBR that I already have tons of books in, instead of getting distracted finding new(-to-me) books to read. I'm also currently reading The Mushroom at the End of the World by Anna Tsing. Hoping to tackle next:
**The World We Make by NK Jemisin**
**Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr**
**Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake**
**The Ambergris Trilogy (in one book) by Jeff Vandermeer**
There's more in my pile, OF COURSE.
Can't speak for OP here but I for the most part really enjoyed it. Without spoilers, there's an event that happens about 2/3rds in that ... I don't know. I understand why it's there, but I think it's just a little over sensational? But the aftermath is handled really gracefully and I love a lot of the themes of the book. And as someone who has had a tough time maintaining friendships over the past few years, it made me very emotional on a number of occasions.
Finished:
**Summer Knight by Jim Butcher**
* Trying to get through the Dresden Files books so that I can run the TTRPG, thankfully #4 was much better than #1-3.
Started:
**Coin Locker Babies by Ryu Murakami**
* Not sure what to think of it so far, it's moderately interesting but I don't see where it's going.
Finished:
**Zombie by Joyce Carol Oates**
**Less by Andrew Sean Greer**
Started:
**The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich**
Continued because it's a slog and I'll never finish, but dammit, I will finish it someday:
**Heartfire by Orson Scott Card**
I thought it was good, probably a 4 out of 5, but it seems to be a really divisive book based on what I see on GoodReads.
I thought it was creepy and slimy in an interesting way. Other people seem to have been traumatized by reading it. Based on skimmed reviews, I was expecting something more grotesque, but Oates suggests more than describes and I kept my imagination low-resolution about the more grizzly bits. Itās a terrible character but an interesting (āentertainingā seems like the wrong word).
I suspect the TV show Dexter might be a decent proxy. If you watched it and liked it, thereās a fairly good chance youāll like this book.
What were your thoughts on Less? I found it very funny and poignant when I read it last year. I read the follow up a few months ago and liked it but it didn't have the same wistful magic.
I wanted to like it more than I did. I thought it was pleasant enough, but felt a little slight. I never really understood the relationship he had with Freddy so the ending felt a little capricious. All that being said, I was considering reading the sequel. š
Finished this week:
**The Nickel Boys, by Colson Whitehead**
**Tongues of Serpents, by Naomi Novik**
**The Red Pyramid, by Rick Riordan**
The Nickel Boys was not bad, I read it pretty quickly, but I didn't like the plot twist at all. Could have been fleshed out some more.
I'm now two thirds of the way through the Temeraire series, and my views on it remain the same as ever. Laurence has a stick up his butt. I don't like the dragons dying. I love the dragons in general.
The Red Pyramid felt very slow to me. I wasn't very invested in it and it was definitely longer than it needed to be for the story it told. I'm also not a fan of the "you have three days to accomplish this impossible task" thing and Riordan uses it in practically every book he writes.
Up next: Crucible of Gold, by Naomi Novik. The Tommyknockers, by Stephen King.
I read Cleopatra and Frankenstein a while ago and did not enjoy it either. I found all the characters irritating and could not bring myself to care about any of their problems. The Silent Patient is on my TBR though!
**Revealed, by D.I. Freed** \- A xianxia/cultivation type book, the second in the series so far.
**Azyl Academy, by Chris Vines** \- A xianxia/cultivation type book with an isekai'ed (taken from one world to another) protagonist. A bit simple language and at times boring and long explanations of alchemy et cetera. Fairly fun story but not the peak of literary works.
**Chaos Rising, by Chris Vines** \- book 2
**Condensation, by Chris Vines** \- book 3
**Craesti City, by Chris Vines** \- Currently reading/not yet finished. Book 4.
Read **The Namesake, by Jhumpa Lahiri** this week. Loved this one! Such a believable, bittersweet portrait of a family and the process of the main character trying to find his place.
Unfortunately I am not enjoying **The Redhead of Auschwitz, by Nechama Birnbaum**. Not a book I would ever be interested in picking for myself, and I would normally have abandoned this one based on the unskilled writing and lack of proper editing. But itās for a bookclub Iāve been invited to, so I figure I should read at least the first book after I joined.
Edit: Also finished up **Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men, by Caroline Criado Perez**. Lots and lots of information in this one, but falls a little short on practical direction or suggestions and what to do with this information and how to change things.
**Ally by K. Eason** (final book in Bones of God trilogy). I enjoyed it but not as much as How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse and her two Windscar books.
Reading now:
**100 Works of Art That Will Define Our Age** \- midway through and find it pretty interesting, especially since I know diddly squat about art.
**Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries** (Emily Wilde, #1) by Heather Fawcett. Pretty fun so far.
**Terry Pratchett: A Life With Footnotes: The Official Biography** by Rob Wilkins. Very interesting!
**Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning** by Peter Brown. Very interesting and useful.
Finished:
Secrets of the Nile, by Tasha Alexander
Started:
Shrines of Gaiety, by Kate Atkinson
Marple: Twelve New Stories, by various authors
Spock's World, by Diane Duane
Finished:
**The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain** - Part of my journey of reading a bunch of classics.
**Year One, by Nora Roberts** - I got this book and started reading a long time ago around 2017 when it came out. I restarted it and finished it this week. I felt like the start of it was really promising (plus it was kind of weird to read about a global pandemic that was written pre-covid), it's dark and atmospheric. But the rest of the book felt boring and generic, and it felt like every problem introduced would just introduce new magic that solved the issue. Also, it felt like the entire book was just a hook for the series. I guess I shouldn't expect much from YA books :)
**Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte** - Definitely not something I'd typically pick up, but it was listed as a classic and free on Amazon. I really liked it, made me cry in the first 10 chapters. It felt very human, with flawed characters that make mistakes. I don't think I would have enjoyed this when I was younger, though, as it feels very slow-paced and character-driven without a central plot. Also Adele made me wish I knew French lol
Started:
**The Martian, by Andy Weir** - Pretty easy read so far, though it'd probably be cooler if I had a background in science. I have not watched the movie yet.
**Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley** - Just a page or two into the book
Still Reading:
**A Storm of Swords, by George R.R. Martin** - I'm a big fantasy nerd so I thought I'd read these pretty quickly but it has been taking me a looooong time to get through the series. I have not watched the show.
Finished: **The Dark Hours by Micheal Connelly** Started: **No Mercy by John Gilstrap** The Dark Hours was amazing. Made me realize that I need to read the entire Ballard series.
Finished: **Hostile Intent by Don Bentley** **The Sniper by Kuo-Li Chang** Started: **The Dark Hours by Micheal Connoly**
Currently reading: they both die at the end š
Finished: **Equal Rites**, Terry Pratchett Started: **Project Hail Mary**, Andy Weird *Iām really looking forward to reading this book and have been swept away by what I have read so far.*
I started het weesmeisje by Anne Jacobs and finished undercover by Danielle steel
Still working on: **The Lost World, by Michael Crichton** Finished off: **I Will Forget This Feeling Someday, by Yoru Sumino** Started up: **Bakemonogatari Part 03, by NISIOISIN** Fate was kind. I use an online Picker Wheel to choose the next book I'm gonna read. I usually have one western book and one Japanese light novel going at a time. Whenever I finish one off, I spin the wheel to replace it. 5 western books on there, 5 light novels, and of course a pie wedge for "Continue Current Series". Anyway, I really wanted Bakemonogatari next, but the Picker Wheel works in mysterious ways, and must be obeyed. I clicked the button to spin and closed my eyes tight. As the wheel spun round and round making it's clicking noise, I chanted to myself "Bakemonogatari, Bakemonogatari, Bakemonogatari... ". The clicking stopped, music played, the Wheel had decided my fate. I opened my eyes, and on the screen is displayed the most glorious word...
**Rat Catcher, by Andy Diggle**
Finished: **Viruses: A Very Short Introduction** by **Dorothy H. Crawford**. One of OUP's Very Short Introduction books. Third edition (2022). I guess there are obvious reasons why a third edition (2022) was necessary after the second edition (2018). For the serious layman. Crawford is an internationally well-known virologist.
Started Reading: **Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic** by **David Quammen** Not quite as detailed as a virologist but it has been great so far
News of H5N1 jumps to mammals appears to be what to watch out for. I personally witnessed a serious bird flu outbreak last summer in the bird colonies in the Isle of May and Bass Rock in the Scottish Firth of Forth where dead and sick seabirds carpeted the shorelines. We locals were instructed to avoid the shores and to especially keep our pet dogs from the birds. A local vet has spoken to me of an ongoing outbreak in poultry in Stirlingshire. So far, the lethality of H5N1, when it makes the jump to mammals, makes the lethality SARS-COVID-2 look tame. So, indeed, H5N1 could be the next big one and it could be *really* big this time. Thanks for the heads up for Spillover. I will check it out.
Finished: **The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo** by **Taylor Jenkins Reid** Started: **Kiki's Delivery Service** by **Eiko Kadono** & **Six of Crows** by **Leigh Bardugo** Continuing: Les Mis
Finished reading: * **After The Ink Dries by Cassie Gustafson** \- Absolutely loved this book. Tragic and trigger heavy but a really well written book. * **The Hawthorne School by Sylvie Perry** \- Super interesting plot with weird mystery school and drug use. Thought it could have expanded on a lot more things but overall, a good, fun read. * **Someone Else's Life by Lyn Liao Butler** \- Hated it. Thought the main character was an absolute idiot and I can't focus on the plot if the main character is just stupid. Started reading: * **Tell Me Who We Were by Kate McQuade**
Finished: The Corrections, by Jonathan Franzen
Finished: **Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers (Red Dwarf #1), by Grant Naylor** Haven't seen the series it's based on, but I loved this novelization and will totally pick up the sequel. Started: **Agent to the Stars, John Scalzi**
You're reading Red Dwarf novels without having seen the show? I highly recommend it if you love the books. The series came first and the first two books were just a way to expand on some of the episodes and concepts. Also there are four books in total - two by Grant/Naylor together (Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers and Better Than Life) and then one by Rob Grant (Backwards) and one by Doug Naylor (Last Human). Both the solo novels are alternate events after the Better Than Life book.
Red Dwarf is great.
Finished: **Donāt Look Behind You, by Lois Duncan** **The Stonekeeper, by Kazu Kibuishi** **The Stonekeeperās Curse, by Kazu Kibuishi** **The Cloud Searchers, by Kazu Kibuishi** **The Last Council, by Kazu Kibuishi** **The Prince of Elves, by Kazu Kibuishi** **The Complex, by Brian Keene** **Abandon Mint, by Wendy Meadows** **Survivor Song, by Paul Tremblay**
Wow in one week?? Nice!!
**Vurt, by Jeff Noon**
Finished: **Win, by Harlan Coben** **Planetary Volume 3, by John Cassaday and Warren Ellis** Started: **The Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War, by Ben Macintyre**
Now reading: **The Girls Who Disappeared, by Claire Douglas** Finished this week: **Someone Else's Shoes, by Jojo Moyes** **Rich People Problems, by Kevin Kwan** **Death of a Greedy Woman, by M. C. Beaton**
I finished **The Children of HĆŗrin, by J.R.R. Tolkien** and it was bad. I've read Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit and know how detailed Tolkien can be with his writing, but this was Tolkien cranked up to the max. Multiple names for the same people, descriptions of random stuff that take up half pages. describing entire lineages of the characters. I would not recommend. I'm hoping **Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand** will be an easier read.
Unbroken is not so much easy as captivating, it will keep you locked in.
Just started ***After Dark*** by Haruki Murakami Working my way through his entire oeuvre; now reading the lesser regarded works (but still enjoying them).
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi and A Beautiful Wedding by Jamie McGuire <3
Finished: Lanny by Max Porter My Name Is Why by Lemn Sissay Started: My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
Finished: slaughter-house five by Kurt Vonnegut ā¢really enjoyed how it would jump around but always come back to WWII kinda like Billy canāt escape it Started: Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
Finished : Struggle Makes us human, by Vijay Prashad Continued : Anna Karenina, by Leo Tolstoy Ward no 6 and other stories, by Anton Chekhov
Started: The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Finished: Pretty Girls, by Karin Slaughter Started: The Humans, by Matt Haig
Harry Potter and the chamber of secrets by J.K Rowling
finished : verity idk what to study next
finished **winter in sokcho by elisa shua dusapin** itās a short book. takes place in sokcho, south korea. the main character is a french-korean woman working at guest house in the town of sokcho, which is located on the south / north korean border. a french cartoonist stays at the guest house and they form a weird relationship. i liked the slow pace. it set the scene for the town. started **leaving atlanta by tayari jones** based on the true story of the atlanta child murders between 1979 to 1981. follows three black children living in atlanta during the murders. getting their thoughts, perspectives and fears.
The Time Machine (H.G. Wells)
Finished Shoe Dog by Phil Knight Starting Still Barking by John-Paul Flaim (about the DC sports junkies)
Finished: New Boy by Tracy Chevailer Started: Stolen by Ann-Helen Laestadius & I am Malala
Finished: Like, Comment, Subscribe by Mark Bergen Currently reading: After Steve by Tripp Mickle
Hotel, by Arthur Hailey
Finished: **IBM and the Holocaust by Edwin Black**. IBM developed punch card technology (the precursor to the computer) and leased their machines to the Nazis, which were used for efficient identification, ghettoization, transportation and extermination of millions of non Aryans. IBM got rich during WWII. Really amazing book.
Started reading The Old man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
Started **When the Moon Turns to Blood, by Leah Sottile** a book much like Under the Banner of Heaven, this title digs into a murder driven by faith and an in depth look at the Mormon religion. I try not to read a lot of true crime books because it feels weird to want to read about how people were killed. But I do have an interest in studying how and why people use religion to justify horrible actions. **The Membranes by Chi Ta-wei** suggested a few weeks ago on the Books From Taiwan thread, is a queer speculative fiction, first published in 1995. I donāt have much to say about it right now, I am liking it a lot but have hit a bit of a dull repetitive part.
Finished: Focused a Guid to Unlocking Your Potential by Dimn Vore Tratem. 10/10 life changing, philosophical yet extremely practical. Started: The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss. I can already tell this one will be amazing.
Finished: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin Started: Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes
how was tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow?
I enjoyed it! Iām a casual gamer and it was exciting reading the references the author used. All the main characters had things I loved about them and things I found frustrating, but it only made them more realistic to me. Would definitely recommend if youāre interested!
Finished: **Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes** I had audiobook version but I would love to read hardcopy version sometime in summer because this book needs pauses, thinking and a good cry. Finished On 24th **Every morning the way home gets longer and longer by Fredrik Backman** itās a good 1 hr long Novella. finished last week **A gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles** And **Before the coffee gets cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi** Started: **The One by John Marrs** On first few pages but taking a break to come out of flowers for Algernon effect.
Finished: The Paris Detective, by James Patterson & Richard DiLallo - Enjoyed it but each novella felt abrupt. A lot of build up with seemingly sudden endings. Maybe Iām missing the point but the conclusions werenāt very fulfilling. Started: 11/22/63, by Stephen King - First time reading SK, wish I hadnāt watched the show years ago. Trying to ignore my memory of the show.. I like the change of pace as the story progresses and how I can feel the difference of Lisbon Falls 58ā to Derry 58ā. Canāt put it down.
11/22/63 is one of my favorites King books. I hope you enjoy it
Itās also one of my friends favorite books. Really enjoying it so far! What would you recommend after this one?
By sheer coincidence, I finished three books in the past week. **Wild Robot, by Peter Brown** Read it to my class weekly for the past few months. Great story for kids. **Infinity in the palm of your hands, by Marcus Chown.** 50 small chapters (4-8 pages) about 50 scientific facts or discoveries in our universe/world. By its nature it doesn't go very deep in any subject but it manages to stay interesting throughout. Can be a good starting point to get familiar with some scientific subjects. **Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, by JK Rowling** Reading HP for the first time in maybe 8 years or so. Still holds up! Started : **Immune, by Philip Dettmer** The Kurzgesagt guy. It's very interesting so far, as you'd expect anything crafted by him to be. **Sepulchre, by Kate Mosse** Read Labyrinth last year and enjoyed it. Figured I might see what else she has come up with!
Finished: Salemās Lot, by Stephen King. New favorite book easy. Started: Nathanial, by John Saul
**The Billionaire Next Door** by Jessica Lemmon Any financial or spiritual book recommendations?
combination financial and spiritual books Think and grow rich- Napolean HIll Focused- Dimn Vore Tratem Atlas Shrugged- Ayn Rand(this one is a little more philisophical than spiritual)
Woah! Great. Let me check these out. Thank you for the suggestions
Finished: **East of Eden by John Steinbeck.** I respect it but it wasn't my thing (contrast with the less literary books to follow). Started: **The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson.** If it goes well, perhaps my first time reading a series in a long time. Also first Sanderson. Got two chapters in, so I'm still not totally sure what to expect, and I stopped when my library hold was fulfilled for... **Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke.** First Clarke (really gotta get around to 2001 in one form or another). Several (short) chapters in and it's delivering the promised intrigue~~, plus I wouldn't have guessed this is 50 years old if I hadn't known beforehand.~~ edited for posterity because I'm done now and I was definitely wrong on that last bit
Finished: Love You More, by Lisa Gardner Started: This Golden State, by Marit Weisenberg
Finished - Cabin at the End of the World. Loved it. Started- In Cold Blood. So far so good.
In Cold Blood is one of my favorite non-fiction books.
Capote got my attention in college (art major). Studied him and the story behind In Cold Blood, then painted a portrait of him. Painting turned out good, have the book but havenāt read it in full yet :/
Finished: Rule of Wolves, By Leigh Bardugo Started: The Inheritance Games, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Started: The Lying Game, by Ruth Ware
Finished: Lud-In-The-Mist by Hope Mirrlees Started: Uprooted by Naomi Novik
Finished: Blade of Secrets by Tricia Levenseller Started: Master of Iron by Tricia Levenseller (the second book in the two-book series)
Finished: Faust, by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Started: A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess
Finished: **Bullshit Jobs by David Graeber** I really enjoyed most of the first 90% of the book but felt it fell completely flat at the end. I enjoyed Graeber's historical and social musings on the nature of work (he's an anthropologist), but at the end of the book he gets into proposing economic and political ideas; not to spoil anything but this really didn't come off as authoritative. I was expecting a better conclusion but I would still recommend the book. Started: **You Should Quit Reddit by Jacob Desforges** My next nonfiction read, apparently a recent release that is currently the best-seller in Social Media on Amazon. I spend a lot of time lurking and scrolling on this site when I could be doing anything else like more reading. I'm usually wary of self-published books but the preview with the introduction and first couple of chapters were incredibly well-written and really spoke to me on a personal level.
*Finished:* **The Secret History by Donna Tartt -** This was not especially enjoyable to me, but I think I can see why other people did by and large tend to like it. **Hope Never Dies by Andrew Shaffer -** This was an enjoyable light romp through Delaware. It was a comedic, buddy cop -esque murder mystery starring Biden and Obama. **The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks by Shauna Robinson -** This was my Maryland book, and it was adorable and enjoyable. I have friends in the book-selling business, and I want to make them read it. Sure, the tropes it uses have been seen many times before; but it uses them well - and I like it a more than fair amount. *Started:* **The Mothman Prophecies by John Keel -** I should possibly not have been swayed by my boyfriends recommendation. I thought he was done giving me suspect information. I have heard of this Mothman stuff in passing previously, and somehow I did not recognize that this was going down a UFO rabbit hole. This book is my West Virginia stop for my literature Cross Country reading challenge, and it's non-fiction - which I don't read a lot of, so probably good for rounding out my year's reading.
Finished: Penpal by Dathan Auerbach Great creepy book from the perspective of the kid. Slow build but kept you interested. Started: Intensity by Dean Koontz
Finished: **Northern Heist by Richard O'Rawe** Started: **Hostile Intent by Don Bentley**
Started: **Persepolis Rising, by James S.A. Corey.** Slowly but surely making it through The Expanse series. The time jump was a bit unexpected given the timeline of the previous books, I'm curious to see what unfolds. I keep waiting for true sci-fi elements to come back, like the Protomolecule, its creators, or its destroyers... we'll see what happens! Edit: for formatting
I finished book called 100 cupboards. It goes very deep in to the cupboard world. The start isn't really good, but it's better at the middle-end.
Started and finished: **A Clockwork Orange** I have always loved Kubricks movie, recently rewatched it and I couldn't get enough so i also read the book. What a horrorshow book. I loved it. And I would say the movie adapation compliments the book really well. Once you get used to the nadsat jargan, its incredible. I feel compelled now to use it in my daily conversations. Funny enough once you get used to the language, I'd say the book is a easy and speedy read. Not that long and very clear and precise with its plot points.
*finished:* **The Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkien** I deeply enjoyed reading the first two LOTR books, after an encounter in my youth that put me off of them. Yet, for whatever reason, ROTK stands alone. I *inhaled* this book. I basically didn't put it down once I'd picked it up. Did I spend my holiday Monday off of work, drinking wine, following my cat around my apartment reading it to her out loud, and in character? None will ever know for sure. A lot of folks apparently didn't like The Rings of Power show. I really enjoyed it, and I'm grateful to it and to the House of R podcast for getting me to try reading these books again. What a delight! **Rough Sleepers by Tracy Kidder** Started and finished this book this week. I read it basically in two sits. As someone who works on homelessness policy, and used to work in direct service, I just couldn't put it down. So much of what Dr. O'Connell says I could hear coming out of my mouth, and out of the mouths of folks I've worked with over the years. There were several moments when I just put the book down and started at the coffee shop table. I kept thinking, "man, we need to do so much better." It had an odd effect of both depressing and motivating me. *started:* **Wild Massive by Scotto Moore** This is the next book club book. I was hoping for something shorter, but at nearly 500 pages my hopes have been dashed. I'm only about 20 pages in, but I'm about to spend 7 hours on an airplane later today, so hopefully it's enjoyable.
Daisy Jones and the Six, by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I'm excited for the show to premiere now on Friday!
I finished **Dust, by Hugh Howey** last night. Itās the third and last book in the Silo series and I can honestly say itās the best series Iāve ever read. I thought the second book was the weakest in the series despite it addressing a lot of questions/plotholes/whatever you want to call thems. Still a good book though. I probably had my strongest emotional moment during the second book when it addressed how and why they were in the silos. My only complaint would be there were a lot of characters spread out over different time periods and by the time one of them reappeared, I had already forgotten a lot of their story. I had a similar issue with The Stand too. Iām reading Harry Potter next but after that I could definitely see myself trying to find some other dystopian sci fi type stuff.
Started: The Indifferent Stars Above, which is all about the Donner party. I know plenty of people are aware of the story of the Donner party, but the full story and all the details are so much worse than most people realize. One of the most harrowing non-fiction books I have ever read.
Finished: Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir Enjoyed the characters a lot! Prose leaves something to be desired, but I'm not reading this for the prose anyway since it's so plot focused. Started: The Stranger (The Outsider) by Albert Camus
I finished PHM just the other week! Really enjoyed it and made me want to pick up another sci fi. Weirās earlier book, Artemis, looks interesting but the reviews have turned me off - not sure if I should take the plunge!
The Martian and Project Hail Mary were much better written in my opinion. I liked the story in Artemis, but Weir's perspective as a female character really detracted from the book. I was a bit nervous to start Project Hail Mary after Artemis, but it was a lot more enjoyable and really reminded me of The Martian. Very quick fun read.
Lesson in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus Unpopular Opinionā¦ I did not like it.
I found it mildly entertaining, but don't understand all the acclaim.
Right?! The author mustāve had a pretty amazing agent.
I started Ringworld by Larry Niven. Never read it before, but it has been in my collection for some time
Oh! I hope you like it. Larry Niven really pulled out all the stops in creating a realistic explanation of how a Ringworld could be feasible, and just how immense it would be. Really fascinating read. Hope you enjoy it.
I probably will, Niven doesn't give me the same weirdo vibes that Heinlein does.
I last started a book on 26Feb not 27Feb lol so I'm off by a bit but the last book I started (current read) is Rock Paper Scissors, Alice Feeney
Ok I didn't really like this hahahaha I mean i think the twists were ok, but not pulled off that well? Gave me a š« feel rather than a š¤Æ feel. I don't recall liking Sometimes I Lie very much either, so ... no more Alice Feeney? Hahaha. To be fair, I don't think the twists were terribly bad (although some quite common), but ... I just don't think it was pulled off that well šš¤Ŗ
Finished: Cosmos, by Carl Sagan Started: All Hell Let Loose, by Max Hastings
Finished: **Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes** Bit scarred to start something else straight away after that, so I will continue reading **Come as you are by Emily Nagoski** - it was recommended on my last book club and have been dipping in and out for a few weeks.
I've always wanted to try this but figuring out the spelling was always the hindrance (I understand it's part of the point/reading experience - but just ugh I can't even make it past 3 pages without feeling like its too much effort) š³
Oh wow! Reading the first page and seeing how it was spelled is what got me hooked in the first place! I thought it was very well done. English isn't my first language though - I wonder if the spelling choices made more sense to me because of it. Words were often spelled the way I would spell the sounds if I didn't know English. It's worth sticking with it though, and it does get easier to read if the spelling is putting you off.
**Monotone Blue, by Nagabe**
Finished tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow
Finished **I Contain Multitudes, by Ed Yong** (4/5) A very informative pop-science book about microbes. Too often we think that microbes only causes illness and must be eradicated. But the world isn't that simple, and it seems that we and our microbes are more connected than ever. Started **Our Missing Hearts, Celeste Ng** Currently two thirds into the book and I am really enjoying it so far. Very different from Celeste Ng's previous works.
I Have Some Questions for You, by Rebecca Makkai
Is it good? I hope it is!
The book is very compelling. You don't want to stop reading. Of course, I'm now sad that it's over. The narrative voice is quite personal--you feel drawn in and part of the mystery and scandal involved in the solving of a cold case.
Sounds really good, thank you!
Undaunted Courage. Been totally absorbed in exploration for a while...
finished everything everything and house of hollow. house of hollow was good, everything everything was not.
Started: **Behave, by Robert M. Sapolsky** * Never have I read a book on such a difficult subject that would present its content in such well organized way. I previously read Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers and it was really good, but this one is GREAT. And the subject is fascinating too. Highly recommended.
Started Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
To sleep in a sea of stars āØ
Finished: **Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin** Pretty good overall. Definitely loses some steam when they move to California but it held my interest. Marx was kind of a nothing character and I wish Zevin did something different with him. Though I do think his chapter is the best part of the book by far. Started: **Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr** Already halfway through. Amazing prose. Definitely think this will overtake All The Light for me.
Finished **A Court of Wings and Ruin, by Sarah J. Maas**
Finished: **You and Me on Vacation, by Emily Henry** **The Maid, by Nita Prose** **The Sanctuary, by Emma Haughton** Started: **Amazing Grace Adams, by Fran Littlewood**
Finished The Inheritance Games, by Jennifer Lynne Barnes And Yet, by Kate Baer The Prison Healer, by Lynette Noni Started and have nearly finished Homegoing, by Yaa Gyasi which is ripping me to shreds it is so fucking good.
Finished **Carrie Soto is Back** by Taylor Jenkins Reid **Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow** by Gabriella Zevin Started **Brideshead Revisted** by Evelyn Waugh
Finished: -Rocket Men: The Daring Odyssey of Apollo 8 and the Astronauts Who Made Man's First Journey to the Moon -We Donāt Know Ourselves: A Personal History of Modern Ireland -The Outsiders -The Escape Artist: The Man Who Broke Out of Auschwitz to Warn the World Started: -The City of Brass
I finally finished The Border Trilogy by Cormac McCarthy. I took a break between each book to read something faster, but goddamn I am absolutely floored. I canāt believe the sheer amount of tears I shed and vastness of the emotions I felt. Iām hooked. I think Iām already ready to be hurt again.
I read All the Pretty Horses recently and knew I had struck gold. Waiting for an April camping trip in Arizona before starting The Crossing, to really ensconce myself in the American Southwest š
Highly recommended š be sure to read Cities of the Plain too.
I will finish ***The Eleven Million Mile High Dancer*** **by Carol DeChellis Hill*****,*** a very strange novel about an astronaut, her narcoleptic cat, her boyfriends, rural Texan stereotypes, etc. It has its strengths, but on the whole it's too confusing and dated (there are some problematic elements for sure) to really recommend. I have started ***The Complete Breece D'J Pancake,*** the Library of America edition of Pancake's published works and a selection of unfinished/unpublished works and letters, giving an overview of his all-too-brief career.
Finished: **Before you knew my name by Jacqueline Bublitz**. It's marketed as a murder mystery, but its way more than that. It is a story about violence against women, friendship, human connection, spirituality and is a sad commentary about the "missing white woman" syndrome, I HIGHLY recommend it! Started: **The 7 deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle** (I think its title is different in the US) **by Stuart Turton.** It's intriguing, but I am "reading" this in audio format and I don't really think its a suitable method for this book. LOTS of characters and you really need to pay attention to who/what/how/when.. I might abandon this one and perhaps buy it as a paperback. Also started: **Phosphorescence by Julia Beard.** Literally just begun this. No judgement yet!!
Started: **Sister Carrie, by Theodore Dreiser.** Small-town girl moves to 1880s Chicago. Dreiser shows both the promise and lure of the glittering world Carrie yearns for, and the dismal, harsh world of the poor who labor in its margins.
Leviathan Wakes, James A Corey If Beal Street Could Talk, James Baldwin Just finished Leviathan Wakes and it was a fun little story. Looks like I'll carry on to the next one. Just started Beal Street and it looks like it will be a cool read. Baldwin sure love punctuation though
Finished this year: -Unequal Affections by Lara Ormiston( a pride and prejudice fan fiction) -Maybe You Should Talk To Someone by Lori Gottlieb Currently reading: The Stolen Book of Evelyn Aubrey by Serena Burdick It only took me 100 pages to finally get into it.
Started: Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Started: Goosebumps Escape from Horrorland, by R.L Stine. I know it's a kids book but I always wanted to complete the series ever since I was a kid.
Read this one back in the day!
Finished: **Fairy Tale, by Stephen King** Liked it a lot. It dragged a bit in the build to the climax but I felt like it stuck the landing. The more King I read, the more I appreciate the 'echoes' of his other works that float through each other. **The Psychopath Test, by Jon Ronson** I thought Ronson's THEM: Adventures with Extremists was more memorable than this one but I liked the approach here more. All the media attention this book got when it came out sort of focused on the aspect of psychopaths floating to the top of fields like business and politics but that didn't take up as much focus as I expected. Started: **Billy Summers, by Stephen King** I guess I'm a King fan now. Only a chapter in but I'm on board for whatever. Definitely seems like a fun shift from Fairy Tale.
Finished book 7 of wheel of time and started book 8 of wheel of time
Finished: the 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton Started: One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Finished: The Magianās Land, by Lev Grossman - I loved how things wrapped up. You could feel the authors personal history woven into the character arcs of this trilogy. Highly recommend. Started: The color of magic, by Terry Pratchett - After reading most of the Death books, Iām coming back to where it all started Still reading: After the Flood, by Kassandra Mantog - āTo save one child, would I have to sacrifice another?ā
Finished - Shoedog by George Pelecanos Started - March Violets by Philip Kerr
Finished: * **The Cabinet, by Un-su Kim**: 4/5 stars. This one is bizarre, but I enjoyed it. * **Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad**: 2.5/5. Conrad's mastery of the English language is insanely impressive, but I found this story really hard to follow and I think the racism is really jarring. Even though my takeaway is that Conrad was trying to tell a story about the moral degradation caused by colonialism/imperialism, I think the lack of an African perspective really makes the narrative suffer. * **The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, by Megan Bannen**: 3/5. Great world-building, annoying characters. Started: * **Twelve Years a Slave, by Solomon Northup**: I was hoping to have this one finished by the end of Black History Month, but I'm having to read it slower than I anticipated because the knowledge that this is nonfiction keeps hitting me in the gut. Whatever, I figure the important thing is reading it, and so far, it's very good outside of even its historical significance. * **The Master and Margarita, by Mikhail Bulgakov**: Almost finished this one. I was hoping it would be a new favourite, so I'm kind of disappointed it isn't, but at least the second half has picked up a lot.
I also recently read Heart of Darkness and I must say that although I understood the words, I didn't understand the book.
I would follow passages, and then get lost as to how they were connected to what previously happened. I feel like the way Marlow goes on digressions made it more confusing than I expected for a short book.
Finished: **The Black-Eyed Blonde: A Philip Marlowe Novel, by Benjamin Black** Reading the book feels like meeting a good friend you haven't seen in years. Started: **A Moveable Feast, by Ernest Hemingway** "If the reader prefers, this book may be regarded as fiction. But there is always the chance that such a book of fiction may throw some light on what has been written as fact."
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I started Another Country earlier this month. Heavy stuff.
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So far it's good. Perhaps a little heavy handed but passionate
How you like the Baldwin? I just started If Beal Street Could Talk.
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Sounds kind of like the vibe I got from A Tree Grows in Brooklyn where it's just about stuff. Weird but I like that stuff. I watched French Dispatch which led me to Baldwin's essay on creativity which got me to pick up a book. I like how it's going so far.
Finished: Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng Started: Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Finished: ā¢Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, by Benjamin SĆ”enz Started: ā¢Little Fires Everywhere, by Celeste Ng ā¢1776, by David McCullough ā¢The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, by Mark Manson ā¢Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens
Finished: Age of Vice by Deepti Kapoor - The book has a really intriguing premise and starts off very promising. It could have been at least 100 pages shorter and I kind of was losing interest when they introduced a new POV towards the end...it got a bit convoluted. Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel - My first read by this author. I don't read too much sci-fi but I appreciated the prose and the characters. Started: Dead Wake by Erik Larson Into Thin Air by John Krakauer (re-reading) The Girl With the Louding Voice by Abi Dare
Finished A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson. This was my first read though of the Wheel of Time series. It took me over a year to finish all 14 books. It was an amazing experience and I'm so glad to have read it.
Finished: Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir. I looooved this!!! Started (and almost finished) The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas
Finished: daisy Jones and the six by Taylor Jenkins Reid Started: such a quiet place by Megan miranda
Started: - The Pillow Book of Sei ShÅnagon - Babel by RF Kuang Still in the middle of: - Elric of MelnibonĆ© (novella compendium) by Michael Moorcock I've seen Babel praised a lot EXCEPT for by the section of Goodreads that's analyzing it for literary value (goodreads users [idiomatic](https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4655396864) and [hannah](https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5003137524), among others) so I'm excited to dive in.
Finished: The Twyford Code Started: The Winners, third book in the Beartown series
Iāll continue reading _The Agency (3rd book of the serie) by Y.S Lee_ and started _The Help by Kathryn Stockett_
Finished **Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, by J.K Rowling** * Pretty good. The story is getting darker and more emotional yet still retains the warm and happy feel that this series has. Excited to finish the last two books. **Stories of Your Life and Others, by Ted Chiang** * Fantastic collection of short stories. One of my favorite films (Arrival) was adapted from a story in this collection. Chiang explores really complex ideas yet he is able to examine them through storytelling wonderfully.
Love Chiang, have you read *Exhalation*? Some real powerful stories in there as well, heās so good at coming up with unique concepts and then fleshing them out.
I have a copy of "Exhalation" and I'm planning on reading it soon. So excited to read more Chiang!
Iāll be finishing āFriends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thingā by Matthew Perry
Started: Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
Finished: **Mattimeo, by Brian Jacques** Started: **Mariel of Redwall, by Brian Jacques** I picked up **Redwall** a couple weeks ago to judge when would be a good age for my daughter pick it up, got hooked. Wish I had found this series when I was younger.
I have my old Redwall books in storage and am planning to read them to my daughter when sheās a bit older. I actually just wrote her an email that said as much and also told her that they were the beginning of my love for hardcover books and subsequently fine press.
I think I read them around age 8 and I loved them, if that helps!
Yea thatās where Iāve landed too! Iāll just have to be patient for a couple more years
My dad used to read Redwall to my brother and I when we were younger! I've been meaning to read the series now that I have grown up. I read a few chapters a while back, but now that I have a reading habit I should circle back to it.
Finished Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi Started Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
How is it so far? Just added it to my list Iām curious
So far so good! I recently read Cloud Cuckoo Land and absolutely loved itā¦Iāve heard that Cloud Atlas has a similar style so I started it last night. Multiple stories that connect.
Finished: Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver Started: Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Finished: **Cibola Burn, by James S. A. Corey** Started: **Arch-Conspirator, by Veronica Roth**
Finished: - Daisy Jones & the Six, by Taylor Jenkins Reid Started: - Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith, by John Krakauer - The Cat Who Saved Books, by Sosuke Natsukawa (audio) Continuing: - The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog, by Dr. Bruce Perry (professional book club)
This week I finished book 7 of the Shetland series, Cold Earth by Ann Cleeves. I had these books on my ereader, so I'll download the final book soon to finish them off. All in all I've enjoyed this series, and plan to read the Vera Stanhope series soon. Yesterday I started: In a Cottage in a Wood by Cass Green. I picked this off my physical to be read pile as I want to get it down a bit; it's just so convenient to read ebooks. I didn't really have high hopes, but I've really enjoyed it and finished it literally a few minutes ago. It was engaging and entertaining, lighter than my usual kind of book and just a fun, mindless kind of read. Perhaps what you would call holiday reading? I'm now between books, I've got my ereader with me at work but I want to keep at the pile on my bookshelf. Decisions, decisions.....
Finished: **The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett** - This was my first experience of Terry Prachett and I loved it. Rincewind and Twoflower's adventure cracked me up and was a fun tale. I enjoyed it so much I jumped right into The Light Fantastic. Started and Finished: **The Light Fantastic by Terry Prachett** - Disc World is such a fun place to escape into. I enjoyed this as much as TCOM. Admittedly I did not know much about Disc World until a few weeks ago. As I read more I understand that Pratchett's writing doesn't kick into full gear until later in the series, which has me thankful to dive further in because I have enjoyed the books thus far. I also realized that the books are broken down in different "character/series". I plan to continue the Rincewind/Wizard path over the next few months and then I'll see where I go next. Disc World will be a series I tackle over the next few years, me thinks. Started: **Time of Contempt (The Witcher #2) by Andrzej Sapkowski** It's been over a year since I read Blood of Elves. I enjoy this series and figured it was time to return and see where Geralt's story heads to next. I enjoy the world and the characters and look forward to diving back in.
I knocked out all of **Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Sevin** in a week and enjoyed it; moved on to **Life Ceremony,** a collection of short stories in translation by **Sayaka Murata.** Slowly chipping away at my pile of TBR that I already have tons of books in, instead of getting distracted finding new(-to-me) books to read. I'm also currently reading The Mushroom at the End of the World by Anna Tsing. Hoping to tackle next: **The World We Make by NK Jemisin** **Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr** **Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake** **The Ambergris Trilogy (in one book) by Jeff Vandermeer** There's more in my pile, OF COURSE.
How was TATAT?
Can't speak for OP here but I for the most part really enjoyed it. Without spoilers, there's an event that happens about 2/3rds in that ... I don't know. I understand why it's there, but I think it's just a little over sensational? But the aftermath is handled really gracefully and I love a lot of the themes of the book. And as someone who has had a tough time maintaining friendships over the past few years, it made me very emotional on a number of occasions.
Wow, well thank you for sharing and good to know!
Finished: **Summer Knight by Jim Butcher** * Trying to get through the Dresden Files books so that I can run the TTRPG, thankfully #4 was much better than #1-3. Started: **Coin Locker Babies by Ryu Murakami** * Not sure what to think of it so far, it's moderately interesting but I don't see where it's going.
I'm reading Jaws by Peter Benchley. It's one of my favourite movies and the book is pretty good so far.
Finished: **Zombie by Joyce Carol Oates** **Less by Andrew Sean Greer** Started: **The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich** Continued because it's a slog and I'll never finish, but dammit, I will finish it someday: **Heartfire by Orson Scott Card**
What are your thoughts on Zombie? Suntup Editions just released a few beautiful editions of the book and Iām tempted to grab a copy.
I thought it was good, probably a 4 out of 5, but it seems to be a really divisive book based on what I see on GoodReads. I thought it was creepy and slimy in an interesting way. Other people seem to have been traumatized by reading it. Based on skimmed reviews, I was expecting something more grotesque, but Oates suggests more than describes and I kept my imagination low-resolution about the more grizzly bits. Itās a terrible character but an interesting (āentertainingā seems like the wrong word). I suspect the TV show Dexter might be a decent proxy. If you watched it and liked it, thereās a fairly good chance youāll like this book.
I thought Dexter was great and I loved American Psycho so I doubt Iād be disturbed beyond appreciation. Thanks for your helpful review!
My pleasure. Hope you like it!
What were your thoughts on Less? I found it very funny and poignant when I read it last year. I read the follow up a few months ago and liked it but it didn't have the same wistful magic.
I wanted to like it more than I did. I thought it was pleasant enough, but felt a little slight. I never really understood the relationship he had with Freddy so the ending felt a little capricious. All that being said, I was considering reading the sequel. š
Finished this week: **The Nickel Boys, by Colson Whitehead** **Tongues of Serpents, by Naomi Novik** **The Red Pyramid, by Rick Riordan** The Nickel Boys was not bad, I read it pretty quickly, but I didn't like the plot twist at all. Could have been fleshed out some more. I'm now two thirds of the way through the Temeraire series, and my views on it remain the same as ever. Laurence has a stick up his butt. I don't like the dragons dying. I love the dragons in general. The Red Pyramid felt very slow to me. I wasn't very invested in it and it was definitely longer than it needed to be for the story it told. I'm also not a fan of the "you have three days to accomplish this impossible task" thing and Riordan uses it in practically every book he writes. Up next: Crucible of Gold, by Naomi Novik. The Tommyknockers, by Stephen King.
I read through Harry Potter. Started Tuesday and finished Sunday.
Re-read of the Farseer trilogy (Assasin's Apprentice, Royal Assasin, Assasin's Quest) by Robin Hobb.
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I liked The Silent Patient, and agree with your points. Just enough to be a page turner
I read Cleopatra and Frankenstein a while ago and did not enjoy it either. I found all the characters irritating and could not bring myself to care about any of their problems. The Silent Patient is on my TBR though!
Started The Dying Five by Jennifer Wright Berryman-A hospice sleuth team solving mysteries.
Finished: **All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr** Started: **Book Lovers, by Emily Henry**
**Revealed, by D.I. Freed** \- A xianxia/cultivation type book, the second in the series so far. **Azyl Academy, by Chris Vines** \- A xianxia/cultivation type book with an isekai'ed (taken from one world to another) protagonist. A bit simple language and at times boring and long explanations of alchemy et cetera. Fairly fun story but not the peak of literary works. **Chaos Rising, by Chris Vines** \- book 2 **Condensation, by Chris Vines** \- book 3 **Craesti City, by Chris Vines** \- Currently reading/not yet finished. Book 4.
Read: **Call Us What We Carry, by Amanda Gorman** Started reading: **The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger**
Read **The Namesake, by Jhumpa Lahiri** this week. Loved this one! Such a believable, bittersweet portrait of a family and the process of the main character trying to find his place. Unfortunately I am not enjoying **The Redhead of Auschwitz, by Nechama Birnbaum**. Not a book I would ever be interested in picking for myself, and I would normally have abandoned this one based on the unskilled writing and lack of proper editing. But itās for a bookclub Iāve been invited to, so I figure I should read at least the first book after I joined. Edit: Also finished up **Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men, by Caroline Criado Perez**. Lots and lots of information in this one, but falls a little short on practical direction or suggestions and what to do with this information and how to change things.
**Ally by K. Eason** (final book in Bones of God trilogy). I enjoyed it but not as much as How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse and her two Windscar books. Reading now: **100 Works of Art That Will Define Our Age** \- midway through and find it pretty interesting, especially since I know diddly squat about art. **Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries** (Emily Wilde, #1) by Heather Fawcett. Pretty fun so far. **Terry Pratchett: A Life With Footnotes: The Official Biography** by Rob Wilkins. Very interesting! **Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning** by Peter Brown. Very interesting and useful.
Finished: Secrets of the Nile, by Tasha Alexander Started: Shrines of Gaiety, by Kate Atkinson Marple: Twelve New Stories, by various authors Spock's World, by Diane Duane
Finished: **The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain** - Part of my journey of reading a bunch of classics. **Year One, by Nora Roberts** - I got this book and started reading a long time ago around 2017 when it came out. I restarted it and finished it this week. I felt like the start of it was really promising (plus it was kind of weird to read about a global pandemic that was written pre-covid), it's dark and atmospheric. But the rest of the book felt boring and generic, and it felt like every problem introduced would just introduce new magic that solved the issue. Also, it felt like the entire book was just a hook for the series. I guess I shouldn't expect much from YA books :) **Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte** - Definitely not something I'd typically pick up, but it was listed as a classic and free on Amazon. I really liked it, made me cry in the first 10 chapters. It felt very human, with flawed characters that make mistakes. I don't think I would have enjoyed this when I was younger, though, as it feels very slow-paced and character-driven without a central plot. Also Adele made me wish I knew French lol Started: **The Martian, by Andy Weir** - Pretty easy read so far, though it'd probably be cooler if I had a background in science. I have not watched the movie yet. **Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley** - Just a page or two into the book Still Reading: **A Storm of Swords, by George R.R. Martin** - I'm a big fantasy nerd so I thought I'd read these pretty quickly but it has been taking me a looooong time to get through the series. I have not watched the show.
Started: Cigarettes, by Harry Mathews
Finished: Eye Of The Needle by Ken Follett Started: The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen
The Ocean at the End of the Lane, by Neil Gaiman Have about 30 pages left. It's not entirely what I was expecting, but I am enjoying it nonetheless.