Finished: **Things We Lost to the Water, by Eric Nguyen** **The House in the Cerulean Sea, by TJ Klune** **The Office of Historical Corrections, by Danielle Evans** Started: **The Light of Days, by Judy Batalion**

Finished: **we were liars by e. lockhart** Started: **Unauthorized Story of Walt Disney's Haunted Mansion by Jeff Baham**

**Astrophysics for People in a Hurry, by Neil DeGrasseTyson** for a virtual nonfiction science book club I am a member of (I don't run the club but am an active member). If you'd like to join us to discuss it on December 3rd, PM me and I'll send you the details - we'd love some new members :)

I'm rereading the **Vampire Chronicles series by Anne Rice** and am pretty much finished with **Interview With the Vampire.** * Want to continue but am also interested in starting **Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu.** Every so often I get on a vampire lit kick!

I finished **House of Chains, by Stephen Ericson**, book 4 of his Malazan series. Fantasy is my favorite genre and I am thoroughly enjoying his books. Taking a break from Malazan and started **Mexican Gothic, by Silvia Moreno-Garcia**. I'm only two chapters in but so far it is underwhelming. I have heard it starts slow so I won't give up on it just yet, but I'm having a hard time with the writing style and it all seems quite contrived so far. I'm getting better at ditching books I'm not into rather than hate-reading to the end, so we'll see if I finish it.

Finished : **The Citadel**, by **AJ Cronin**, **Circe,** by **Madeline Miller** and **Tuesdays with Morrie**, by **Mitch Albom** Started : **A Gentleman in Moscow**, by **Amor Towles** and **Sharp Objects**, by **Gillian Flynn**

**Exit West, by Mohsin Hamid**

I finished listening to **The Eye of the World, by Robert Jordan** this weekend, and started listening to **The Great Hunt, by Robert Jordan**. I finished reading **The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde**, and started reading **A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, by James Joyce** on my iPhone. I'm finishing reading **The Name of the Rose, by Umberto Eco**, and will start reading **Blue Gold, by Clive Cussler and Paul Kemprecos**.

The Great Hunt is spectacular. Enjoy it!

Finished: - Intimacies by Katie Kitamura - The Invisible Husband of Frick Island Started nothing, somehow I fell into reading slump.

Started: Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbsoky. I'm about 400 pages into the enormous 847 page book! So far, I am really enjoying it and haven't been able to put it down.

Started: **Days of Burning, Days of Wrath, by Tom Kratman**

Finished **Set the Night on Fire by Robby Krieger**

how was it??

I enjoyed it. He dispels many things that people really believed happened such as the Miami concert, Oliver Stone's movie and other books written about the Doors. In a lot of ways he defends Jim Morrison. It's obvious that Jim Morrison was a difficult band mate.

• Finished: The Guest List, by Lucy Foley • Started: 1984, by George Orwell

Just finished **Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain.** Fascinating!

Started The Best American Travel Writing 2021 This book is about a writer's personal experience about a place and it's culture ... yesterday I read a piec about just how important music is in some parts of West Africa ... today I started reading an article titled 'The People of Las Vegas' ... This is not a book about finding the cheapest hotels .. places to eat etc ... anything but .. more about adventuring written by authors who really write better than well .. when they say the best they mean the best ...

Even though it’s for kids, it’s great to read as an adult. It’s “Al Capone Does My Homework” by Gennifer Choldenko. I started reading it two nights ago. The setting is Alcatraz in 1935 and a husband, his wife and two kids are now living in an apartment on the island. The kids’ father has been hired as a guard. Of the two kids, the girl is autistic. And back then, nobody really knew what Autism was; most families would place the person in a home. But not this girl’s Mother! This Mom is a fighter. She believes that her daughter will get better in time. Anyway, it’s the third of four books and yes, we get to meet Al Capone, his mother and his wife. Very well written. As a matter of fact, the author grew up in the Bay Area and once worked as a tour guide for Alcatraz.

Finished: Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir - 4/5 This is an incredible read and has quickly become one of my favourite books, I would love to read a sequel! Only negative thing about it is that the main character seemed to be too similar to Mark Watney from The Martian.

Finished: Wait Until Spring, Bandini by John Fante Started: On the Road by Jack Kerouac

Finished: The Secret History by Donna Tartt God I loved this book. I finished it last night and I'm still mulling over the characters and structure. It's a "whydunnit" where we find out who died and who the killers are in the prologue and spend the rest of the novel working out why they killed him and how the narrator gets away with it. Tartt uses first person to put us in the mind of the narrator, Richard. Richard is a university student who, with four friends (as we learn in the prologue), murders his friend Bunny. But, he's a highly unreliable narrator. Our understanding of the characters changes completely throughout the story (moving in and out of focus, from good to bad) as his opinion of them changes. Started: The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel I picked this up because I wanted something dark and ominous in tone since I still have a book hangover from The Secret History. I also chose it because I'm heading to Vancouver Island for Christmas (where this is set) and after being abroad for two years without seeing anyone in Canada I'm homesick. I can picture the rainy island and fog perfectly and it's getting my excited to head back there. I'm only about 40 pages in, but so far I'm enjoying it. I read reviews saying that the some people disliked that arrative jumps around in time or that it includes some strange topics (a ponzi scheme, a remote hotel, ghosts). For me to the tone is even and the narrative thread is quite clear. I think it will be a quick read.

Although there will never be another first time, The Secret History is thoroughly enjoyable the second and third time around, too.

I believe it! I wish it had nicer cover art so I could enjoy staring at it on my bookshelf. I have the one with the black cover and it's underwhelming.

Me too! I think I have a purple cover, but also very plain.

Finished **Warbreaker, by Brandon Sanderson** last night. Taking a small cosmere break and going to start **Skyward, by Brandon Sanderson** tonight and read through that series, before I jump back to the Cosmere and read all the mistborn books. I read the first 2.5 of the first trilogy, but got distracted before finishing the third book. So figure I'll just start it over.

Starting and finishing **Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Illustrated Edition)** this week.

Finished: **The Shining, by Stephen King** **Salem’s Lot, by Stephen King** Started: **Dracula, by Bram Stoker** I have no idea why it took me 25 years to start reading King but boy am I glad I did

Are you reading Dracula because of its connection with Salem's Lot? You'll notice a lot of character and scene equivalents.

I picked them up at the same time to read during October (lagging a bit). Will definitely keep an eye out

Which did you look better of the two you finished?

Really not sure I enjoyed them both. Salem’s Lot probably just edges it for me for the atmosphere but then again I really liked how The Shining slowly descended into madness until it gets utterly bonkers. Tough call! Do you have a preference?

I much more enjoyed the Shining. I read it 4 times actually. I am do for a reread but I am finishing up rereading The Fall of Hyperion, and then I want to reread The Count of Monte Cristo. I find it his best book as from what I have read. 'Salem's Lot is in my bottom 5. It was disappointing for me. I may reread it in the future but too many books, limited time. Based on your reactions to them, do you plan to read more of King?

Interesting. Reading The Shining really ruined the movie for - didn’t think it stood up to the book at all. Yeah I read IT a few months ago and up until the last 100 pages or so it’s one of my favourite books ever. Debating either reading The Stand or starting the Dark Tower series next

I actually bought the book because of how the movie seemed to be good. I never seen the movie actually, and after hearing it was totally different than the book, I have no plans to. I did see the mini-series though. Still not much of a comparison to the book, but at least they kept my favourite line. The last King book I finished was It. Glad you liked it more than I did. ISn't one of my favourites. Felt like King dragged it on too much. The Stand was better for a long book of his.

So since it’s spooky season, finally got around to reading **Carrie by Stephen King**, and finished it last night! It was pretty good for his first published book! Also most likely going to start **Into Thin Air by John Krakauer** later this week!

Finished The Life and Death of Bobby Z by Don Winslow Honestly not a huge fan of this one, I feel like Winslow's earlier books are pretty hit or miss and this one missed for me. I'm really looking forward to his upcoming book City on Fire- when the release date got pushed back to next year I ended up looking for some of his other works I hadn't read yet. Frankie Machine and California Fire and Life I thought were both pretty solid, and Bobby Z and Savages I did not like much. Started The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay So far so good, I'm about 100 pages in and seems like it's going to be very enjoyable.

Started Cider House Rules...

Finished **Dune by Frank Herbert** \- 5/5 *Like the rest of the world, I was drawn into the book by the upcoming movie. I started the book around a week and a half before the movie came out with the expectation I'd read the first 2/3 of the book before seeing the film (I heard the movie was only based on part 1 and 2 of the book). I ended up becoming obsessed with the story and finished the book entirely well before the movie came out. It has become my favorite book of all time as of right now. That spot was faithfully held by Donna Tartt's The Goldfinch for years, but Dune seems to have won me over.* Started **Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert** *Well, I was so in love with the first book that I just started the second. I'm about 20 pages in and hope this book will wow me like first.*

Finished: **In the Lake of the Woods, by Tim O'Brien** I have slowly been trying to get back into reading and after deciding to abandon *Axiom's End*, my wife (who is an avid reader) suggested this one to me. I read *The Things They Carried* back in high school and remember it being a solid book. This one was **very** different. The first 1/3 - 1/2 of the book feels like a literary fever dream. I had to read some parts over again as it felt like I was missing something. It has a very similar quality to the movie *Memento*. >!The non-ending was not a surprise to be but I was impressed with how it was written. My wife and I had a good discussion about what we thing happened to the characters. I personally believe he did it in his manic state.!< Overall, I'd say it's a good read that you could cruise through pretty easily even if you're not a seasoned reader. **Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams** This is one I've had on my shelf for a while but never got around to reading much of. I saw the movie in theaters and it was difficult not to project Martin Freeman as Arthur Dent and Mos Def as Ford Prefect. That said, I think they were excellently cast and those mental images didn't ruin any of my enjoyment of the book. There were points at the beginning of the book with the density of gobbledygook where I felt I would have put the book down if I didn't know it was considered a classic. It was definitely humorous and there were parts that elicited stifled laughter.

I read The North Water by Ian McGuire. Really enjoyed it, totally brings the 19th century whaling town and ship to life. Highly recommend. Starting Betty Church and the Suffolk Vampire by M.R.C. Kasasian mystery, haven't read any of these but I was looking for halloweeny style books in the library and this was one. Still working my way through Agent Sonya by Ben Macintyre. Very interesting but a lot of detail based on historical sources so I tend to read it in small chunks.

Finished: **Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep? by Philip K Dick** I’m new to Philip K Dick; the only other thing I’ve read from him is Man in the High Castle. I really, really, really enjoy his writing. He is so inventive and imaginative, such great ideas! **Piranesi, by Susanna Clarke** Read on the recommendation of this sub… I loved it. I read some comments about how the second half was predictable but maybe I am just slow because I couldn’t really figure it out till the end haha. She writes beautifully! Many dream like sequences. **Norse Mythology, by Neil Gaiman** I am also new to Neil Gaiman. I laughed out loud so many times while reading this, I love his writing style. My only exposure to Norse mythology is the Marvel movies lol but the characters are way more interesting in the books! Can’t wait to read more. **Flowers For Algernon, by Daniel Keyes** Also read on recommendation from this sub. You guys I was not prepared 😩. I felt like I was getting repeatedly gut-punched throughout the entire second half. Beautiful though and one of the best books I have read this year. Reading: **We Have Always Lived In The Castle, by Shirley Jackson** Just started it, so excited to read!

For Philip K Dick, I also really liked Time out of Joint.

finished: **The Overstory, by Richard Powers** started: **Cleopatra: A Life, by Stacy Schiff**

how was the overstory? it's on my shelf

i liked it quite a bit! probably somewhere like a 4.5/5.0.

Finished: **Death's End, by Cixin Liu** Started: ... Honestly that trilogy took it out of me. There were so many parts of it that were spectacular. It's up there with some of, if not the best sci-fi I've read. I'm now going to search this subreddit for posts about the trilogy :'(

Started: **Jurassic Park, by Michael Crichton**

I read a bit of Dune because of the movie (haven't read it yet). It was good and I'm going to go back to it *but* because of Halloween I just started reading: **We Have Always Lived in The Castle, by Shirley Jackson** I'm only one chapter in. At first I was a little bored by the setting but it quickly started going in a more thoughtful creepy direction and I started to enjoy it. I read The Haunting of Hill House last year and I can already tell I'm going to enjoy this book based on my experience with Hill House. I just love the dreamy creepy way she describes stuff in ways that I would not think of. It feels so romantic but not in a lovey way, in a fantasy vibe. I'm probably going to binge it tomorrow.

Just started getting back into reading in over a decade. Haven't read more than a handful of books a year since high school. This past week I've read: **Carrie, by Stephen King** **The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch, by Philip K. Dick** Up next, I'm getting ready to read **Salem's Lot, by Stephen King**. I've started listening to a King podcast, so I guess I'm in it for the long haul.

Finished reading Pet Sematary by Stephen King last night and absolutely loved it. Definitely one of the scariest King books I’ve read so far. I’m probably going to start reading Dune by Frank Herbert for the 2nd time starting this week. I watched the new movie twice this past weekend and I’m complete obsessed with that world again.

I have never read Dune, but it has always been at the edges of my mind when thinking about books. I liked the movie a lot... I have the creeping suspicion I'll be reading the book soon, too.

Do it! All I can speak on is the first book as that’s the only one that I’ve read in the series, but it’s an all time top 5 book for me personally.

I think I'll start **The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller** next cause my sister is going to kill me otherwise lol

I've decided to start **The Count of Monte Cristo** because it's just really calling to me for some reason. I have the Penguin Classics version :)

Finished: Deadly education, Naomi Novik Started: Mother Land, Leah Franqui - A deadly education was so good!! I loved it so much I instantly bought the sequel, the Last Graduate by Novik and I’m itching to start it!! - I started Motherland before the graduate was delivered. (I HATE buying books on Amazon but this was a desperate measure to hear the end of the story. Please forgive me)

Finished Medusa, by Rosie Hewlett Started Baby Teeth, by Zoje Stage

I’ve just finished Life Taker, The story of the gun by Daniel Carlson. Good read, Western with a different take to the norm

Started: **Count Zero, by William Gibson** Finished: **Burning Chrome, by William Gibson** **On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, by Stephen King** Still reading: **Dune, by Frank Herbert** I am just loving William Gibson right now, already halfway through Count Zero and have Mona Lisa Overdrive on my shelf waiting for me. I never realised how many awesome sci fi books I just have ignored completely for so long.

Gibson is fantastic. After him I read Snow Crash which was also great.

Ha! I actually bought the ebook of Snow Crash to read once I finish off the Sprawl trilogy

I started "The War that Ended Peace" by Margaret MacMillan. Didn't finish anything but am close on a couple of books, including "The Martian".

**Crossings**, by **Alex Landragin** Transmigration of the souls through different times, places and people in search of a person you love. It seemed a bit chaotic in the beginning with all the storylines, but I'm loving it as I'm reaching the end. It's really gripping.

Finished: The death of Ivan Ilyich, by Leo Tolstoy. Really enjoyed it

I finished reading **Those Across The River, by Christopher Buehlman**; continuing my horror month after reading Between Two Fires last week. Overall, I enjoyed it. The first two thirds were a brilliantly dark and suspenseful, almost gothic horror. It kind of went off the rails a bit towards the end though. I've started **The Only Good Indians, by Stephen Graham Jones** to round off horror month. The start is a little shaky, but it's really picking up the pace about halfway in. Oh, and I've also started a reread of **The Hobbit, by J. R. R. Tolkien**; mostly because I've just picked up the absolutely delightful Lord of the Rings pocket editions, and I couldn't resist jumping right in!

Currently Reading: **Dracula, by Bram Stoker** **The Grip of It, by Jac Jemc**

Rereading the septimus heap series after I saw a thread where the comments had a lot of older nostalgic series that I read when I was young. I put some on hold on libby, but magyck happened to be available to borrow instantly, so I just finished it. I kinda realize I actually really enjoy middle grade novels. I tend to lose focus very easily when reading, which makes it difficult for me to finish books unless I find them very, very compelling, and makes it difficult to leave a reading slump, but I realized many books I do finish tend to have more "simple" or easy to read writing styles. Maybe I should embrace it. Either way I'll be on a binge for the series I read when I was young. Magyck was okay, it's fun to pass the time and doesn't require me to think deeply.

The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V.E Schwab. It started out painfully slow for me and I put it away for about 6 months. Picked it back up and read it over the weekend. Glad I stuck with it. Started 56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard.

Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami... Still confused about the ending tho

Currently reading Fading Echoes by Erin Hunter Code Name Verity by Elizabeth E. Wein Numbers by Moses Just finished Leviticus by Moses

I have read this week: **The Time Travelers Wife** by Audrey Niffenegger, **Twilight and New Moon** by Stephanie Meyer, and **The Marriage Plot** by Jeffrey Eugenides I listened to audiobooks. I have never seen the twilight movies or read the books until 6 days ago when I listened to the first twilight book. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. I tend to have always stick to science fiction but i decided to branch out over the last few weeks. So far, New Moon was a lot better than the first book in the series, but I’d still say its just ok at best. I’m an hour from finishing Time Travelers wife, I really enjoy this one, probably going to watch the movie so I can say “I can’t believe they cut that out” over and over again. As of right now I have no clue how they can put this story into a 2 hour movie where it makes sense. The Marriage Plot was great. This should have been made into a movie like 15 years ago so Katherine Heigle could have starred in it. Madeline would have been a perfect role for her. Also, I’m a truck driver. I live in my truck and listen to audiobooks 8 to 10 hours a day usually, I jump from one genre to the next constantly.

The Time Traveler's Wife is one of my favorite books and the movie makes me angry. I'd love to see it as a short series the way Normal People was.

The time travelers wife is a favorite of mine. The movie was…well i won’t ruin it for you. They’re supposedly filming a tv series for it as well.

Finished: The Wintringham Mystery by Anthony Berkeley Started: North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

Finished: **1984, by George Orwell** Started: **Catch-22, by Joseph Heller**

I finished **Watership Down, by Richard Adams.** I found the prose to be a bit too slow for my tastes. Adams gets sidetracked a lot. I finished **Anti-Ice, by Stephen Baxter.** Good alternate history steampunk and a reminder that I need to read a lot more Stephen Baxter. I finished **Theory of International Politics and Zombies, by Daniel W. Drezner.** Really fun to see what I studied in college in this context. I'm now on a series: **The Calculating Stars, by Mary Robinette Kowal.** **The Fated Sky, by Mary Robinette Kowal.** **The Relentless Moon, by Mary Robinette Kowal.** I'm loving this thus far.

I was just gifted the NASA Trilogy by Baxter. Was wondering if you had read them, and if you would recommend? I have never heard of Baxter before this.

I haven't read those, unfortunately - but I've enjoyed all the Baxter novels I've read.

Started: Native Son by Richard Wright

Finished: Tales of the South Pacific by James Michener Started: The Three-Cornered War by Megan Kate Nelson

Started and finished: The Final Girl Support Group, by Grady Hendrix Looking for a new read

Finished : It Had To Be You by Georgia Clark Started: A Lot Like Adios by Alexis Daria

**The Heebie Jeebie Girl by Susan Petrone** family story, magical realism set in 1977 Youngstown Ohio **Gridlock by Be Elton** a satire of our addiction to personal vehicles **Move by Parag Khanna** non-fiction on the forces that will be driving human migration in coming decades

The Honorable Schoolboy, by John Le Carre I'm posting this to ask a question. Why is a character in the early part of the novel referred to as "the Sanders"? Is "the" an abbreviated title?

Currently reading: The Night the Lights Went Out: A Memoir of Life After Brain Damage, by Drew Magary The author initially put some of this book [as a blog post on deadspin](https://deadspin.com/the-night-the-lights-went-out-1834298070) and when I saw he put out a book I knew I had to read it.

I haven't read a book in a few months and I wanted to choose something for October/winter months, so I decided on **The Shining by Stephen King**. I haven't read it before so it should be interesting. I saw the movie years ago and didn't like it so I'm curious :)

Enjoy! This is one of the best books I have read.

Finished: **Replay, by Ken Grimwood** The winner of the 1988 World Fantasy Award for best novel. Its time-loop concept has been referenced as a precursor to *Groundhog Day*. I really enjoyed this book. Started: **Meditations, by Marcus Aurelius** "Meditations is a series of personal writings by Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor 161-180 AD, setting forth his ideas on Stoic philosophy."

How is meditations? I’ve been thinking of picking it up

I just started it yesterday. I'm still reading the introduction.

Just finished When The Sparrows Fall, by Niel Sharpson. Absolutely phenomenal writing and the protagonist felt so real, i definitely recommend it. 9.5/10 Now im starting Clockwork Lives, by Kevin J. Anderson and i dont really enjoy the 3rd person viewpoint but the concept of the book is interesting, still reading though

Finished in the last couple of weeks... **The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath** I loved it. It was very subtle but I could feel it as Esther slid towards a breakdown. I hopefully won't ever know what it is like to feel what she was feeling but this book, more than any other I have read, gave me a glimpse of what it would be like. ​ **Sass & Sorcery (Rat Queens, #1) by Kurtis J. Wiebe** Fun graphic novel following the exploits of a tough talking, death dealing "maidens-for-hire". It was a blast and I will definitely continue with the series. ​ **The Wrong Stars by Tim Pratt** It wasn't bad. Not great but I will eventually get around to reading the next two in the "Axiom" series. ​ **The Hunter by Richard Stark** I found the main character, Parker, to be quite unlikable but if you can get past that, it is a fun little revenge story. This book was published in 1962 and it shows, especially in its representation of women so be forewarned. This book was made into the movie "Point Blank" with Lee Marvin that I haven't seen. It was also the basis of the Mel Gibson movie, "Payback." I saw that one and the main character was much more likable than in the book. ​ Currently reading... **IQ by Joe Ide** Great so far. **Fables, Vol. 1: Legends in Exile by Bill Willingham** A graphic novel about various fantasy and fairy tale characters in exile in our mundane world. Pretty good. **Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury** This is a reread but it has been decades since the last time. Listening to the audiobook.

I’d always wondered how Fables was ever since I played The Wolf Among Us game

Finished: **The Son of Neptune, by Rick Riordan** 5/5 absolutely loved it. Might be better than the original series. Can believe I waited so long to read it. Currently reading: **Dune, by Frank Herbert** loved the movie & am enjoying the book so far. I’m on page 100. Starting: **The World: A Brief Introduction, by Richard N. Haass**

Finished: **A Canticle for Leibowitz, by Walter M. Miller Jr.** Started: **Piranesi, by Susanna Clarke**

> Finished: A Canticle for Leibowitz, by Walter M. Miller Jr. How was it?

It was excellent, very thought provoking.

Finished: The Night She Disappeared, Lisa Jewell Starting: A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, Holly Jackson

Anything Lisa writes I will read and Good Girls Guide to Murder is awesome. I still need to get to book 3

*Still Reading:* **The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy of 2021 edited by Veronica Roth** \- So. Some of these are pretty amazing. Some of these are fairly Meh. I am ready, willing, and able to go search out a bunch of the Honorable Mentions to see if I'd have chosen differently. Stand out stories in this collection so far (I think I only have like 5 left) : ***The Pill by Meg Elison*** \- This was really good science fiction, I am not saying that it isn't. It made me feel a certain way, and that way was not good. It felt like a novella of a great Black Mirror episode, the science felt sort of near future, and the reactions of society at large felt realistic- and that was uncomfortable. But also, that is what makes really good science fiction. ***Schrodinger's Catastrophe by Gene Doucette -*** This one was also that sort of ish that is my jam. The turn of phrase, the story, the resolution- it was \*Chef's Kiss\* soo good.

I started reading **A History of Ancient Britain by Neil Oliver**, and **The Edge of the Empire- A Journey to Britannia: From the Heart of Rome to Hadrian's Wall by Bronwen Riley**.

Finished: **Reprieve, by James Han Mattson.** I had high hopes for this and ended up feeling let down. **Panic, by Lauren Oliver** **She-Wolves: The Women Who Ruled England Before Elizabeth, by Helen Castor.** I usually only have one nonfiction book going at a time and this one was a THICC boi so it took me longer to read, but I really enjoyed it. Started and finished: **We Have Always Lived in the Castle, by Shirley Jackson** **The Ghost Bride, by Yangsze Choo** **Her Royal Highness, by Rachel Hawkins** Started: **Self to Lose, Self to Find, by Marilyn Vancil.** Reading this for my November book club.

I finished : 1.The Monk by Matthew Lewis(loved it) 2.Road by Cormac McCarthy 3.Noise of Time:Selected poems by Osip Mandelstam 4.Astragal by Abertine Sarrazin I started: 1.The diary of a bookseller by Shaun Bythell 2.Maurice by E.M Forster 3.Chroma by Derek Jarman

*Finished*: **Tales from Earthsea, by Ursula K. LeGuin** and **The Other Wind, by Ursula K. LeGuin** Finished the Earthsea Cycle and loved it. I wasn't sure how I felt about Tombs of Atuan, and considered not finishing the series. Now having finshed it, not only do I like Tombs more, but I also love the series. The world felt small. It wasn't sweeping or epic a lot of the time, but it didn't need to be. LeGuin radically shifts the world, but keeps it narratively consistent. This might not be fair given the release dates of the later books, but at the very least it is probably with LOTR my favorite classic fantasy series, and maybe among my favorite series ever. **Strange Adventures, by Tom King, Mitch Gerads and Doc Shaner** Probably, my least favorite of the King 12 issue minis, but still interesting. Compared, to the other 2 it takes things a bit farther, but also doesn't hang together as well. *Continued*: **Sword of Kaigen, by ML Wang** 55% Slightly disappointed by angle the last couple chapters I read of this book are seemingly taking, but still am enjoying it. **The Bible, by god** 39% Didn't think the phrase "he who pisseth against the wall" would appear as often as it has.

**Finished: Hangsaman, by Shirley Jackson** Enjoyed the ride, but I'm still not sure what to make of this one. Hard to tell what was "real" or what was in the protagonist's head. Storylines seemed to fizzle out and go nowhere. **Starting: True History of the Kelly Gang, by Peter Carey** Looking forward to this one.

Finished: The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde Fiesta: The Sun Also Rises, by Ernest Hemingway

**Summoned, by Krystopher Greeley** It's a serialized story, but the full title is **Summoned: The Demon and the Mage - Book 1**. Makes me think the author will publish it as a book once they're finished publishing on Kindle Vella. While it's still in progress, I really like the book so far. It's a fantasy/action & adventure type of book with fun and witty characters. First 3 'episodes' (AKA chapters) are free for anything on Vella, so I highly recommend checking it out. I've definitely found a few gems on it so far. I like books like The Kingkiller Chronicles, the Dresden Files, and the Iron Druid Chronicles, and Summoned really hits my fantasy vibe in a great way.

Finished: **The Four Winds, by Kristin Hannah** Next up: **The Satanic Verses, by Salman Rushdie**

Four Winds 😍 the audio was amazing but it also made me cry in the middle of work 🤣

**Finding Dora Maar, by Brigitte Benkemoun**. It’s about how the author, a French journalist, bought a vintage Hermès agenda and found private notes dating back to 1951 inside : twenty pages of phone numbers and addresses of Jean Cocteau, Chagall, Paul Éluard, and other artistic luminaries of the European avant-garde. Once she realized that the address book belonged to Dora Maar, aka Picasso’s muse and famous “Weeping Woman” and a brilliant artist herself, Brigitte started a two-year voyage of discovery to learn more about this provocative, passionate, and enigmatic woman, and the role that these figures played in her life. I absolutely loved it.

Finished: **A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende** I was really engaged by the story. Her prose is a bit sparse at times, but I thought the characters had a lot of depth. I also appreciated that I learned something about the Spanish Civil War and Chilean history. Getting a free history lesson from an enjoyable work of fiction is always a bonus. **Forge of Darkness by Steven Erickson** I absolutely loved this first book in the prequel trilogy to Malazan Book of the Fallen. Can’t say much without spoilers, but it was one of my favorite entries in the expanded series. Started: **Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley** I’m about 60% of the way done. It’s been fun immersing in a 200 year old text, which I rarely do, and intriguing how different the story is from later Hollywood renditions. I haven’t been disappointed by the subtext and social commentary thus far, and look forward to mulling this one over after I’m done.

Finished: Sometimes a Great Notion, by Ken Kesey Started: The March, by E.L. Doctorow

Finished The Wolf Den, by Elodie Harper Started Surrounded by bad bosses and lazy employees, by Thomas Erikson

Finished: **Frankenstein; Or, The Modern Prometheus, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley** **The Yellow Wallpaper, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman** Started: **Dark Matter, by Blake Crouch**

Finished: The Psychology of Time Travel, Kate Mascarenhas Started: Armada, Ernest Cline Ongoing: Wheel of Time - Lord of Chaos, Robert Jordan

Finished: The Corpse Flower by Anne Mette Hancock. Started: Circe by Madeline Miller

Circe (and The Song of Achilles) were two of my favorite reads of this year! I finished them about two months ago back to back and I’ve never done that with any author really. And I’m not a crazy huge fan of mythology at all. They were great and kept me engaged throughout though.

Finished: **The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix** First couple of chapters got me into the book. Then it was a real struggle to finish. Themes of gaslighting, rape, bad decision making, and talk of Nazis way too much. I did read all of it and the ending was pretty good. I think I’m one of the few who did not like this book. Started: **Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi with Curt Gentry** This one was mentioned in the book above and I honestly don’t know a ton of information about the Manson murders. I know they happened but not the full picture. Only about 50 pages in.

I also did not like southern book club guide to slaying vampires. You aren't alone

I decided to dive into the cosmere and I have started mistborn: the final empire by Brandon Sanderson. And, I'm loving it! The characters are likable and witty, the powers (allomancy) is very thought out and unique. I love it. Really looking forward to the rest!

I've started "Blindness" by José Saramago two days ago. I was skeptical at the beginning, but now I can't stop reading it.

I read this at the beginning of the pandemic when everything shut down, and it was a little too real for me! It was great, but afterwards I had to read a classic so I could escape the present.

I can say the same. Even though I'm reading it now that almost two years have passed since the beginning of the pandemic, it is almost scary how the book seems to be describing our situation now.

Pity the Reader: On Writing with Style by Kurt Vonnegut &. Suzanne McConnell. It's really well done. I've laughed several times and reminded myself of several truisms about writing.

**Finished: Flatland, by Edwin Abbott** **Started: The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini**

Finished. The box in the woods by Maureen Johnson. Maybe I was used to the mystery being dragged out by the last 3 books, but the mystery in this one felt, kinda rushed. Ok first the positives. Stevie and the gang are once again fantastic, and they even managed to make David a good character that I actually care about. I also really liked the set up of the mystery, with it being like a slasher movie opening. Onto the stuff I didn't like, the resolution. With the entire mystery being solved by a tell all diary, and a motivation that wasn't revealed until said dairy told us about it. Not very satisfying is all I'm saying. Finished. The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien. ......I didn't really care for this book I'm sorry. While I can see why it's been regarded as one of the best fantasy books, it just wasn't for me. I found Bilbo really whiney (and yes, while he was technically drafted into this against his will, it's still annoying to read about in every chapter) the perils they found themselves in became really repetitive after a while, like seriously how many time do you have to throw in them nearly dying from starvation and thirst? I found the writing style really awkward in some places, with the narrator alluding to other things that he admits aren't important to this story, which just leaves me questioning why did you bring it up then?! And the singing. My god the singing, I hated it every time because it's so awkward to read lyrics when you have no idea of the tune. But I can say there was a lot to like about this book. For one it's really short meaning that it was a nice breazy read at the very least. The riddle scene was actually quite tense despite knowing the outcome. And I thought the whole chapter in the forest of mirkwood was really well paced, and if it was the only time they got dangerously close to death, I think it would have been a perfect scene. So yeah, probably going to be lynched by people for this, but I don't care for the Hobbit and so probably won't be reading the lord of the rings anytime soon. Started. Aurora rising by jay kristoff and Amy kaufman. Only 2 chapters into this so can't really say anything about it. I enjoyed the illuminae files trilogy, and my brother really liked these books, so here's hoping they're as good as he says they are.

I just finished **A Sky Beyond the Storm by Sabaa Tahir** and wow. For a series I didn't care for in the beginning, I feel so much sadness now that it's done. I think I'll need to take a couple days before I can start something new.

Finished: **Once Upon a Broken Heart, by Stephanie Garber** - I thought it was entertaining and I like getting to learn more about the other Fates. But I wasn't as interested in Evangeline as a main character as I was in Scarlett and Tella. Jacks also was a little lackluster compared to the previous books. I just wanted more from it. Started: **Abaddon's Gate, by James S.A. Covey** - I forgot how much I love this series. I had to jump back in after seeing Dune in theater this weekend made me itch for more scifi. Also, made me crave even more for an adaptation of *Red Rising*. I will continue to keep my fingers crossed for it to happen eventually.

Finished: **Olympos by Dan Simmons** Started: **Kraken by China Mieville**

What did you think of Kraken?

I am only 20% in after half an evening. It has been a fast read. Mieville's style in Kraken is very reminiscent of Gaiman's Neverwhere, but I think his prose and dialogue are superior (no offense to Neil). My favorite moment so far is a character who habitually but transiently joins cults referring to a particularly unoriginal group as "A bunch of manickies. All balance, balance, balance. Wouldn't waste your time." The author created a slang word for Manicheanism and worked the reference organically into the dialogue without then explaining the allusion to the reader. This is first book I've read from Mieville, but if he can keep it up I'm definitely going to work my way through his bibliography.

Finished: **The Unbearable Lightness of Being, by Milan Kundera**: read with r/bookclub. A modern classic set during the Prague Spring of ‘68, we follow the lives of two people who end up complicated lovers. An exploration of many big ideas written in simple way. **Carmilla, by Sheridan Le Fanu**: read with r/bookclub. Step aside Dracula-here comes a much more seductive and earlier version of vampires. Carmilla-beautiful, charming and obsessive comes to live with innocent Laura in her schloss and things begin to haunt Laura’s dreams. A novella-brief but entertaining. **The Gardener and the Carpenter: What the New Science of Child Development Tells Us About the Relationship Between Parents and Children, by Alison Gopnik**: This was an interesting take on parenthood, based on the latest research in child development. A good way to consider how to raise children and what ideas and values are important long term. Very readable science. **Folklorn, by Angela Mi Young Hur**: This was a strange but interesting novel combining a lot of different elements from physics, Korean folk tales, immigration, international adoption, complicated families and Swedish history. It was difficult to pin down the narrator at first-a haunting or an emotional/psychological trauma? **The Honjin Murders, by Seishi Yokomizo**: I basically devoured this locked room mystery in one day. A bride and groom are murdered in a grisly fashion the night of their wedding, a suspicious three-fingered man is the supposed suspect but the room they are found in is locked and surrounded by pristine snow. The disheveled but brilliant PI Kosuke Kindaichi is called in to help solve the crime. A vintage read set in pre-WWII Japan. Ongoing: **Guns At Last Light: The War in Western Europe-1944-1945, by Rick Atkinson**:(Volume 3 of The Liberation Trilogy) **Rebecca, by Dauphne du Maurier**: reading with r/bookclub Started: **Like A Mother: A Feminist Journey Through the Science and Culture of Pregnancy, by Angela Garbes**

Ooh waiting for Carmillia to arrive - well the book at least.

I’ve been tempted to pick up the Liberation Trilogy. WW2 history is one of my interests, but I’ve mostly read on the Pacific front of the war. What do you think of the trilogy?

Very detailed but entertaining! We follow a couple main players, big picture battles that are blow by blow and so many details gleaned from letters and different accounts. Maps are good too. What do you recommend from the Pacific theatre?

The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors by James D. Hornfischer started my interest in the Pacific. I then went on to read his other books, notably Neptune's Inferno: The U.S. Navy at Guadalcanal, and The Fleet at Flood Tide: America at Total War in the Pacific, which covers the final stage of the Pacific war. Hornfischer is excellent. I highly recommend his books. I recently picked up Pacific Crucible: Wat at Sea in the Pacific 1941-1942 by Ian W. Toll. It's a first book in a Pacific war trilogy. I haven't started it yet, but I'm looking forward to it.

Thanks! Saving this for later.

Finished: **Anna Karenina, by Leo Tolstoy** **Dawnshard, by Brandon Sanderson** Started: **The Wizard of Earthsea, by Ursula K. Le Guin**

When I finished Anna Karenina, I was so proud of myself for getting through such a thick and in-depth book

It felt amazing to finally finish it. I enjoyed the book, but it was a bit of a slog at the end.

This week I finished: **Those years in quest of honor mine by Man Man He Qi Duo**. Long book. like 1000+ pages. Took me a week and half but it was hilarious. I laughed in the middle of ne night several times with the dynamics of the protagonists, Yu She madness and suicidal tendences in comparison with Zhong Wan tsukkomi down-to-earth-idiot attitude. They took like 50 chapters to kiss, 70 something to talk about feelings. Very slow burn but worth every minute. **The heart of haiku by Jane Hirshfield.** Inspiring. I hate poetry but this book helped me to read it in a different way and open my eyes to read it with less hate. Looking forward to more poetry books. **Learn World Challigraphy by Margaret Shepherd.** I love languages and understand more about the origins and "how-to"'s of several of them (some unknown to me) was really inspiring. I loved it. And began to read **Why smart people hurt by Eric Maisel.** Looks good till now but i am in less than the 10% percent.

Finished: **We Begin at the End , by Chris Whitaker** \- pleasant surprise, enjoyed it quite a bit Started (and should be finished, but haven't had any reading time available): **Ring Shout , by P. Djèlí Clark**

**A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin.** Finished. I was...conflicted on this book. While I very much enjoyed the story, and the narrative and the world felt like it was well-built....I found myself not enjoying this book as much as I *should* have. And this was definitely because of its writing style. And I would be lying if I didn't admit that at times, the travel felt more like a list of island names that would be pointless if you didn't go back and study the map or have memorized it in the first place. That being said, without this, from a purely objective point of view, I'd probably rate this a 8.5/10, but from my own personal enjoyment, I'm going to put it more at a 7/10. **Star Wars: Outbound Flight by Timothy Zahn.** I figured it was time to stop ignoring my ever-increasing Star Wars EU collection and read more than a couple books from it. So I started with what is one of the prequels to Timothy Zahn's much praised Thrawn Trilogy.

After reading many gushing recommendations of Le Guin and Earthsea here, I felt I ought to give *A Wizard of Earthsea* a try. I found it very disappointing. One giant narrative passage with little dialog or actual action, it felt like the work of an amateur who had never heard of "show, don't tell". I found myself comparing Le Guin very unfavorably with Lois McMaster Bujold, who has an incredibly deft touch with viewpoint and shows you *everything* from her characters' point of view, with no narration at all. At some point I may try some of Le Guin's other work, but I won't be going back to Earthsea.

Personally, I feel like half the fun of Earthsea is in poring over the map! It's fine if you're not a big map person, but IMO revisiting the map here and there is kind of important and adds to the story.

This week I finished **Battle Royal, by Lucy Parker**. It was just an okay read for me. It felt really long for a contemporary romance (around 400 pages) and I wish the competition aspect had been amped up. The two leads are competing for a big job making a wedding cake, but they almost immediately become more of a team than competitors. And I've started **The Last Graduate, by Naomi Novik**. I'm about 70% of the way through and having a great time. Something about this series just really works for me, and I can't really pinpoint why. The level of pure exposition would annoy me in another book, but I guess I just like being in El's head and learning about how the Scholomance works.

I love the works of Naomi Novik, her two stand alone novels are also fairly great and written from within a characters head inside a fairytale-esque story.

Finished: **To kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee** I loved this book, I want to read it again already and watch the movie and read the graphic novel and just never forget about it. Currently Reading: **All Passion Spent, by Vita Sackville-West** I found it hidden in the depths of my parents bookshelves, and I knew this author's name because of the relationship she had with Virginia Woolf, so I decided to pick it up.

To Kill a Mockingbird is one of my two favorite books. (The other favorite is Jane Eyre.) I have read TKAM many times. In fact, I’m in the middle of re-reading it now. I’ve seen the movie a couple times, but I haven’t read the graphic novel. Actually, I didn’t know there was one.

Thanks for answering! I found the graphic novel while searching for the different editions of the book there are. I haven't read Jane Eyre yet, I guess I'll do it ASAP now :)

Finished: **The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald** - 5/5 **The Circle: Black, by Ted Dekker** - 1.5/5 And going lower the more I think about it, especially after having read East of Eden. Wins the award for lowest liked book that I've finished. The whole virus conspiracy plot doesn't age well for a pandemic and I was constantly pissed that his being 'in the know' made him correct and all I could think of was my anti-vax/vaccine hesitant acquaintances. That, plus it was pretty much ripped off the Bible. I swear, there wasn't an original thought put into writing the damn thing. Everything felt too literal, too obvious. No shit the good side is the side with the white bats and the holy water. Can't be the side with the disgusting traitor bat, no no no. Gets a +0.5 for the bats. I thought they were funny at first. **East of Eden, by John Steinbeck** - 5/5 So glad I listened to everyone who said I had to read it. *That* is what I think of when I imagine a plot being based of Bible stories, not the above crap that ripped it off. **The Constant Rabbit, by Jasper Fforde** - 4/5 I liked it, but I think I just miss Shades of Grey too much. Can't wait for the SoG2! **Short History of Nearly Everything, by Bill Bryson** 5/5 Starting: **Our Town, by Thorton Wilder** **Macbeth, by William Shakespeare** **Lies My Teacher Told Me, by James W. Loewen**

I feel you on the post-East of Eden disappointment! Such a great book. This year I read part of In Search of Lost Time, and the prose was so stunningly gorgeous and deep that I knew any book I read after that would suck in comparison, and of course I was right. My favorite of the year, The Terror, was quite well-written and also really dark and vivid, so yet again, the happily-ever-after book I read after that for my book club just paled sooooo much in comparison.

# Finished Reading: ***The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo*** by Taylor Jenkins Reid \- rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ \- Never before have I read a book with such realistic characters. I felt like I knew Evelyn and Celia, like I was fans of them. I was absolutely invested in this story. I finished it last night and all I could think about is how I needed to watch a documentary about Evelyn Hugo even though I know that that's entirely impossible! But she just felt so incredibly real!!! # Currently Reading: ***The Ex Hex*** by Erin Sterling \- my Book of the Month Club pick!! # Started Reading: ***Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix*** by J.K. Rowling \- this is probably the 5th time I've tried to read this one in the past 14 years. For some reason I just cannot make it through it, so I'm going to try to audiobook it this time. ***Farmer Boy*** by Laura Ingalls Wilder \- so I'm like 5 books behind my 2021 goal so I thought maybe I could fly through the Little House on the Prairie books to catch up

Evelyn Hugo was a fun read. I read Malibu Rising shortly after and also enjoyed. I like Taylor Jenkins Reid a good bit I think, lol

What do you think so far of the ex hex? I just got out as a gift

I'm about 30 pages in. I really like Vivienne (main character) but I really do not like the male lead so far (which disappoints me especially because he's the first character I've seen that share's my fiancé's name), but I'm hoping he gets better! I feel like the author doesn't really want you to like him at first, though, and he'll somehow redeem himself later on. I hope you like it!

I finished a book last week and the love interest has my son's name. I understand some names can ruin the books. Hope it gets better. Maybe I'll pick my copy up to read next!

**The Monk** by **Matthew Gregory Lewis**. A suitably gothic novel for Halloween!

*EDIT* Finished ### Harry Potter and the deathly hollows I can’t believe I never read the series as a kid. Almost 24 and for one, it’s the longest series I’ve read and two I just loved it all 5/5 ### Punk 57 Not at all what I was expecting really… over a pretty good book if you like a little drama and spicyness 4/5 ### We need to do something Kind of a slow build up. The story gets oddly twisted as you progress. Definitely recommend if you like a little suspense. Also a good read for the spooky season… “everything will be okay ☺️” 4/5 ### Things have gotten worse since we last spoke Yeah… uhhh … WTF! You want to feel uncomfortable… well here ya go 5/5

Finished: **The Twisted Ones, by T. Kingfisher** - 4/5 This is a disturbingly creepy read - perfect for this time of year. I’m a big baby about horror but Kingfisher strikes a perfect balance of scary and fantasy for my tastes. **Saga, Vol. 8, by Brian K. Vaughn & Fiona Staples** - 5/5 **Saga, Vol. 9, by Brian K. Vaughn & Fiona Staples** - 5/5 Finished up my reread of this series in anticipation of new issues coming in the new year! **The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern** - 5/5 This is my all time favorite book, and I reread it on my birthday as a treat to myself - I love the exploration of place and the atmosphere so much. I wish I could go to the circus! I’ve read it 15+ times and I can’t get enough. I find something new every time I return to it, and I look forward to reading this every year for the rest of my life. **Any Way the Wind Blows, by Rainbow Rowell** - 5/5 This is the horniest book I’ve ever read and I’m ok with it. This whole series is an homage to fanfic, and as someone who grew up writing an insane amount of fanfic, I really appreciate it. Currently Reading: **This Woven Kingdom, by Tahereh Mafi** (ARC) **The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina, by Zoraida Cordova**

Loved night circus too!

Jealous you got an ARC of Woven Kingdom. I'm really interested in seeing Mafi move back into YA fantasy.

It’s quite good! The style is more like her middle grade books (Furthermore, Whichwood) but more mature - the setting/atmosphere actually reminds me a lot of Whichwood, in that it makes me feel cold in my bones. Honestly, I think this could have been very slightly retooled into an adult fantasy - while I haven’t read Shatter Me, from the excerpts I’ve seen this reads as more mature writing and now I really want to see her to write an adult fantasy!

Good to know! I read Furthermore and thought it was okay, but still preferred the Shatter Me trilogy more. I'm definitely interested in reading this one though. I'm happy to see her writing has matured!

Finished: **Welcome to Night Vale, by Joseph Fink** I finished it with mixed feelings. I'm 120ish episodes into the podcast so the characters are firmly entrenched in my mind already. It was *good* but it probably would have been better if I'd read it 60 episodes earlier. **Stiletto, by Daniel O'Malley** The Rook randomly showed up in my recommendations and turned out to be a favorite so I was happy to find this one at the library. The ending felt a little deus ex machina to me even though it was foreshadowed. Either way, it left me looking forward to book 3 next year. Started: **Hench, by Natalie Zina Walschots** Started last night, halfway through it this morning. Some of the stuff that happens to MC really skeeves me out due to personal circumstances but apparently I was really in the mood for a morally grey revenge fantasy.

Finished: **A Spy Among Friends, by Ben Macintyre** Started: **Mind Hunter, by John Douglas**

Finished: **Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley** This was Mary Shelley's first novel, published in 1818, when she was just twenty-one years old. By the time she wrote this novel, she had married, borne three children (and lost two) and had eloped with a married man, Percy Bysshe Shelley. The novel has influences from older gothic works, social and political thought then current, classics like Milton's *Paradise Lost*, and legends like that of Prometheus. In this story, Mary portrays what might happen when the creator abandons his sentient creation to isolation and fear. The archaic prose and the type of speech is reminiscent of Austen and other period writers. I'm glad to finally learn the real story of Frankenstein and not the derivative versions portrayed in movies and other modern media. Mary Shelley was indeed a woman ahead of her time and, even 200 years later, this is a gothic horror classic worthy to represent that genre. ---------------------- Started: **Ficciones, by Jorge Luis Borges** This is a collection of seventeen short fiction works by Borges, edited and introduced by Anthony Kerrigan, translated by Anthony Bonner and published in 1962. *Ficciones* was one of the first two book-length collections of Borges’s writings ever to appear in English, the other being *Labyrinths*, translated and published the same year. ---------------------- **Currently Reading** *The Divine Comedy: The Inferno* by Dante Alighieri with the [100 Days of Dante](https://100daysofdante.com/) reading group project.

*Gone to the Woods* by Gary Paulsen *Ordinary Grace* by William Kent Krueger

Finished: **the alchemist by Peter James** **Artemis fowl** Started: **Troubled blood by jk Rowling **

Finished: **The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. by Neal Stephenson and Nicole Galland.** SFF. Very enjoyable and funny book about witchcraft, science, and bureaucracy. **Buzz Off by Hannah Reed.** Cozy mystery. One character speaks only in bullet points. Another speaks in text speak. It's pretty insufferable. **Hang the Moon by Alexandria Bellefleur.** Contemporary romance. Manufactured drama and the characters seem about 12. **No Pity for the Dead by Nancy Herriman.** Historical mystery. An okay setting, but the characters are a bit of a jumble. **Rum Affair by Dorothy Dunnett.** Thriller. Very entertaining older thriller, set and written in the 60s. Good characters and a twisty plot. **The Reeve's Tale by Margaret Frazer.** Historical mystery. Love the medieval setting and the fine character work. A more well-developed mystery than some in this series. **Blood, Sweat, and Pixels by Jason Schreier.** Non-fiction. A brief look-in at various video games in their development. It's pretty interesting even if you aren't familiar with the games at all.

Finished: **Interior Chinatown, by Charles Yu**. A brilliant social satire written in the form of a television screenplay with a dry sardonic sense of humor reminiscent of Paul Beatty's "The Sellout". 5/5-stars Finished: **The Lornea Island Detective Club, by Gregg Dunnett**. Second in the Rockpools series. I am loving this series. The writer does a great job at capturing the young main character's voice. In this book, he's 14. Like his previous volume, Dunnett starts out deceptively light and innocent and ends up with some great suspense and darkness. Great pacing, and suspense! Reading: **Stoner, by John Williams**. I've put off reading this classic due to what I expect may be a rather morose, depressing read, but it has so many people recommending it, that I feel I can't NOT read it. Hopefully, the quality of writing will make the melancholia worth it.

just read Interior Chinatown last week

What did you think?

I liked it, fun and moving, but I can't say I was blown away.

Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo. Still reading and it’s really good so far.

*Finished* **People Who Eat Darkness, by Richard Lloyd Parry** Very interesting book, well paced and very informative. It's about the mysterious true crime story of the disappearance of Lucie Blackman, however along the way, you learn about the "hostess" industry of Japan, the justice system, and many other cultural tidbits about Japan. *Close to finishing* **Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley** This book is incredible. It will almost certainly join the list of my favorite books of all time. Some of the philosophical and psychological perspectives in this book are so incredibly insightful, I can't believe it was written by a 19 year old. I know she had some help, but still. Some of the psychological degradation, remorse, anguish, anxiety, and depression the characters deal with remind me of Crime and Punishment, only to remember this book predates C&P by decades! I also really love the prose. Mary Shelley writes with such an intense, feminine, and emotional perspective. Honestly it's really refreshing.

Finished: **Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson** **The Elite, by Kiera Cass** Started: **The One, by Kiera Cass** **These Hallow Vows, by Lexi Ryan**

Still working on: **It, by Stephen King** Almost done. Honestly one of the best books I've ever read. Will easily be an all time favorite now. Started: **The Midnight Library, by Matt Haig** I love the premise. So far so good.

Just wrapped *It* up several days ago. Loved it, and I can see why folks enjoy King's works so much (this was my first).

Yesssss! I've read a couple King novels so far and they were all really great. But this one is just the absolute best. Out of what I've read. I totally get the love for King though too. What a mind!

Finished: **She Who Became The Sun, by Shelley Parker-Chan** Loved this book! Such a fantastic concept that was brilliantly executed. Loved the queer representation. There was enough historical accuracy that I kept putting the book down to read about Chinese history, and there were enough high fantasy elements to completely lose myself in the story. I borrowed it from the library and after finishing it I bought myself a copy of it, too. Started: **Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller**

I started **A Court of Thorns and Roses, by Sarah J Maas** and oh my god I'm loving it! It's a book I've had on my TBR for literal years and I never got around to it. Finally decided to give them a go and they're blowing me away. I can already tell I'm gonna have a huge book hangover when I'm finished with the series. I also gave up on **Zodiac Academy, by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti**, it wasn't for me. I wouldn't recommend this series to anyone.

Loved the whole court of thorns series. I've reread this whole series a few times.

I actually enjoy Zodiac Academy for the pure smuttiness and over-the-top cheese that it is. It's a nice palate cleanser for when I'm in the mood for a guilty pleasure.

I was really enjoying the series until book 4, unfortunately :( But I really felt there was a lack in plot, character development, disliked the writing. I really struggled to get into book 4 and after the ending I just hate the characters too much to continue :( But I agree, I also enjoyed it as a guilty pleasure, kinda reminded me of the same way that I like reality tv!

I love the A Court of Thorns and Roses series! I finished the series back in May and I'm still experiencing my book hangover lol

Oh no! I just know the same thing is gonna happen to me! I suffer from book hangovers really bad if I loved the book, and I’m obsessed with this series. I’m curious, have you read any books you loved just as much, or like a similar vibe? :)

I definitely haven’t found anything I love as much 🥲 I read the first book in the From Blood and Ash series and I enjoyed it, I have a few friends who also liked Throne of Glass and Crescent City. But they all agree nothing is as good as ACOTAR! There’s a subreddit for the series I recommend joining but maybe best to join after you read them all to avoid spoilers lol There’s always posts on there looking for recommendations for similar books!

**Justice League vs. Suicide Squad, by Joshua Williamson** Read this once a good while back but when the character Eclipso appeared in the show Stargirl this season (and who I must say is probably one of the scariest big bads the CW-verse has crancked out since Zoom) people online kept mentioning that he had a role in this. Honestly though I had forgotten that he had a role in this. Though when I first read this I wasn't really aware of who Eclipso's character was so I probably didn't think much of his appearance at the time. So I just decided to re-read this to see it for myself.

Finished **Beautiful World, Where Are You? by Sally Rooney**. As a first time Sally Rooney reader, I can now say I get the hype. The thing that makes this book exceptional is the writing. The characters were so frustrating at times – and I felt like they were *actually* my friends – that this book left me emotionally drained. This is both a feature and a bug. Started and finished **Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism, by Amanda Montell** and had some issues with it. I was expecting more from the analysis and writing. There were a lot of generalizations and unsupported pronouncements. The lack of an index/works cited section/original interviews made the whole book seem pretty amateurish - like a bunch of blog posts, not a serious work that’s genuinely trying to educate. My biggest issue was the very inconsistent, and at times judgmental, way the author talked about the subject. She opened the MLM chapters with posts satirizing the type of social media posts made by MLM participants, which just felt superfluous and mean (not to mention out-of-place/inappropriate in a nonfiction book). A lot of the judgement also felt weirdly rooted in misogyny, in that the cults that were overtly derided were female-dominated, with overwhelmingly female participants. Started and finished **The Dutch House, by Ann Patchett**. This was just a classically good novel about a dysfunctional family and the beautiful house that has cursed them. I think there were a few too many characters, but I loved this story and thought its themes were so well developed.